Today was another solo gig at A&M Music Center in Lyndhurst, NJ. I always support Small Business Saturday at this location because the owner is my former history teacher/friend. I have to say, this was the best I ever performed at his shop!
I may need to be totally solo from now on?
After some technical difficulties, things were up and running. Good crowd, very receptive to my songs. Saw some new faces, old friends..but they all enjoyed my brand of crazy funky-metal. I played songs from six of my seven albums and a couple of songs I'd not touched since 2008. Dusted off "Schizotherapy" from ALL WIRED UP and that instantly brought me back to the day I recorded that song at Crystal Studios. Also tossed in "Whatisthis" from JUPITER RETURN, and almost forgot how to play it! (I should rehearse more, huh?) Performed "Strange Weather" from TWISTED METAL...have to admit that sounded HEAVY!! And another chestnut I'd not perfored in a while was "Throwing Away My Skin" from GO BERZERK! Yeah that felt nice...
Also did "hits" from LAYERS OF TIME and MARBLEHEAD, so those were great too! Ended with "Time To Fly" (how fitting) and with that, another solo gig in the books. But do I still want to perform? Everyone there told me "Maybe take a break" and "You are too passionate to stop." I still want to record but now I am thinking that, like LAYERS, I would have to go purely solo. Play all the guitars, the bass, program the drums, whatever it takes. And if I do decide to hit a stage again, I may have to do what Michael Angelo Batio does and play to backing tracks as I did for this gig. Was fun to do it alone but a lot of hard work just the same. I can't see myself lugging my laptop to shows, would have to figure something out. In the meantime, I am still focused squarely on teaching.
I have to admit that it felt great once the anxiety subsided. If I can totally overcome that, then maybe I can toss my hat back in the ring.
That's maybe...
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