Fresno, Ripon, day one in San Francisco

Gonna do a quick recap of the last few days, just to get it down; hard to fathom how much happens in just a few days. I really like this whole blogging thing, if for no other reason than I have a reason to get things down a bit myself, just to keep a sort of public journal of my adventures.

Fresno at the Patio Cafe. A slow gig; a kind of hoity-toity part of Fresno, I'm really an odd choice to book there. That said, everyone there seemed to like it, and I sold a couple CDs, had some good conversations. There were three people who were sitting right next to where I would play, rather in the way, in fact, and they stuck around for a half-hour after they were done eating, just taking up space and keeping me from playing. I finally just asked them to move. Funny thing, they knew I was supposed to be starting at 7; just didn't care, I guess. People are funny.

Stayed with a guy who's sells solar panels; electricity is so expensive in Fresno, it actually makes real solid financial sense to borrow money to put them in, then turn your $300 electric bill into a $200 loan payment on solar panels. So his business is booming; stayed up trading music and shooting the shit with him and his fiancee.

Next night was in Ripon (pronounced just like it's spelled: rip - on), at The Barnwood Restaurant. Kind of a surreal location, it's right off the highway, inside the loop that the exit ramp makes to get to the main street; so when you're outside, you hear the constant, rather loud susurration of traffic, all around you. Jon, the owner, had one of the most wicked, waxed handlebar mustaches I have ever seen. Later he said that it represented 5 years' growth. An incredibly generous spirit, and a talkative, entertaining storyteller; he also is fighting the good fight in Ripon, California (just north of Modesto), getting live music in there, helping to create a scene. So necessary to have someone like that around. He had hung up my flyer, and emailed it out to 4000 people, of whom a handful showed up specifically for the music. Everyone there was into the tunes, very cool, even a table of 10 high school kids on the way to the prom. Rather surreal, but they dug it; I started bantering with them the moment I sat down. Jon collects cufflinks, and showed us some that he had just bought as part of a lot from an old jewelry store that was selling off stock. He travels all over the world, catering conferences and whatnot; the restaurant has been in Ripon for 30 years. My hosts that night had eaten there 29 years before, and that was the last time they had been there. Totally strange.

Next day was a short drive to San Francisco. I hadn't been to the bay area since I worked for Trek America, in the summer of 99. Last night (Sunday) I played at Bluesix, as part of a sort of invitational open mic. I was supposed to be playing a proper gig there with a band called Honeycomb; but my friend, who was in the band, kind of flaked, and the gig had fallen through. Well, it's kind of an open question who flaked, since I could have called myself to double check; as it was, I called the venue three weeks back, and was surprised to find out that the show wasn't happening. Joe, the guy who runs the joint was pretty cool about getting me on the bill for last night, but it wasn't what I was expecting at all - I pretty much volunteered my services, where I had been expecting to make something to help me get down the road. It's what I get for not following up on these things, I suppose. I played four songs, basically an open mic set, for an appreciative audience. Got to see some great acts play, good & talented folks, a real mix; but I always get the feeling, when I'm hanging out in a big city, that people just don't bother to take the time to get to know people they meet, or are just not interested, or maybe they're just self-absorbed. I always ask people what they're up to, who they are, and so on, and so often they just don't respond in kind. The world of big-city life is so weird. Reaffirms my love of a small-town music scene; nobody's in such a rush that they won't talk to you, and nobody's so jaded or disinterested that they'll dismiss you offhandedly. Well, maybe not nobody, but at least most people.

Tonight's gig is at Socha Cafe; there are a bunch of folks I know in San Francisco, who have said they'll stop by, many of whom I haven't seen in years and years. Should be a good time.