Dogs, vacuums, friends, and music!

Posted by Cecil on Dec 1, 2010 in Open Mics | 1 comment

My friends Noah and Hailey came with me to Zephyr to hear me play tonight – they are in town for Thanksgiving. I was excited to have them in the audience – up until now my audience has consisted mainly of strangers or acquaintances I’ve met at the bars and coffee shops.

We got to Zephyr around 10 and found that the Open Mic had just started. Nick (in the picture) was up reading some poetry and then playing some songs on his guitar, one of which was a cool rendition of “Hey Ho, Let’s go” but with a Santa Claus theme: “HO HO, Let’s Go.” Very entertaining.

Most striking though was the fact that there was a dog sleeping onstage and another running back and forth, the length of the bar. I’ve seen patrons lay down on stage before (one of my previous blogs has a picture of a drunk lady who decided that having her ears at stage level was the best way to hear the performer), but this was my first open mic night in which animals played a part. One dog perched onstage, oblivious to all but another dog running around the bar. At one point they started howling – apparently inspired by the music.

Nick invited Cheyenne up to sing harmony on a piece or two, and then Cheyenne got up and did a few of her own. It turned out she and her husband Rory were actually the hosts for the open mic night, something they do the last Monday of the month.

I got up and played five: “The Answer”, “Feel Like Dancing”, “Brighter Hopes”, “Helter Skelter”, and “Polkadots and Moonbeams” (which Hailey graciously requested – she’d heard it at Thanksgiving).

My voice was weak at first. The smoke, nerves, and having to wait for one’s turn while not warming up always seem to do that. But after a few songs I remembered to relax, keep my lungs full, and sing from the diaphragm. I think it helped and I was really happy with Brighter Hopes and Polkadots.

Apparently a man walked in with a vacuum cleaner while I was playing. I have only a vague memory of this (when I play, my brain’s capacity is pretty much maxed and I don’t remember a lot of what goes on around me). But Noah and Hailey said that the guy, in response to one of my songs, started humping the vacuum. Yes. That’s the second time someone has been on the verge of making love – Jeff Dunn last week laughed that he and his girlfriend were feeling amorous after one of mine. Thank god the dogs weren’t similarly inspired.

Ted Zeppelin got up after me and played a few – CSNY’s “Helplessly Hoping” being the one I knew the best. Noah, Hailey, and I sipped our PBRs before heading home.

On the way out Noah found five dollars in the parking lot and gave it to me. I’m officially a professional.

I’m Chuck McCumber. I live and work in Reno, NV, where I’m finishing my MBA at UNR and where I play at open mics (and an occasional paid ::gasp:: gig) around town. Cecil’s Refrain is my long time music project and this site is a place where I talk about my experiences playing and the fellow musicians, artists, and fans that I meet along the way. I’d love your feedback. And if you’re ever looking to jam, hit me up.