Surprise Party

So, to clarify last night's blog, I meant NOT to say anything at all untoward about the venue, if you're guessing the venue. Its a spectacular place to play. I loved it. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Do not think one table of talkers changes that....

But that venue was THE venue in town. The big one. The one we all want to play. And the one I played tonight was the unknown quantity. The little engine that could. The underground one. The place you go on Thursday nights to hear local songwriters work out new material. The place that you walk into and the bartendress has already poured your drink and there's a photo of you on the wall from a party a few years ago, stuck in between the other regulars' photos. The place where the owner makes a big pan of lasagna and brings it in to serve as dinner. The place you'd miss if you weren't looking. Not the place with the expensive ads in the paper. The local joint. A joint.

And that's where I played tonight. The joint. But the joint was full. Packed. And people listened. Intently. And were kind. And laughed and smiled and drank and enjoyed themselves. And I ate homemade lasagna and drank wine that wasn't the best wine but beat anything I'd had lately because it was bought by a few new fans who were cool and kind and talked to me. And this guy told me an amazing story about how his father took him to see the first show of "Camelot" in the 1950s that came through Toronto and when he was a kid he had 3rd row center seats to hear Julie Andrews in that production and how his father, who was a teacher, loved the theater and this guy had such a light in his eye sharing this story with me. And then someone else asked me about the guitar I was playing and the pickup and we were talking gear. And the owner was happy to have me. And another person bought my CD only to write inside it something and give it back to me as a gift. Inside he wrote:

"In my vulnerability, my safety lies"

And gifts come out of the place you aren't expecting.....