As it turns out, the Havana Pumpkinfest is scheduled for two weeks after our 1st live performance. PumpkinFest is a huge event in Havana with thousands of attendees and hundreds of street vendors. We have been asked to perform again at "Off The Rails" Irish pub in Havana - and this time we are actually getting paid. Wait, does this mean that I am a "professional musician" now? Heck, we are veterans at this performance stuff!
I will admit, things ARE different. The band is much more relaxed. In fact, before the concert begins, I have been sitting with my friends chatting, laughing and drinking a few beers. I have noticed that the other band members have been doing the same thing. It is obvious that we aren't as nervous as our first go-around.
We even learned a new song in these last two weeks: "One of These Nights" by the Eagles. We are definitely not experts at it, but we know it good enough to perform it. There aren't quite as many people at this concert as there were at our 1st concert, but the place is still quite packed. People everywhere. This time, we have figured out a great deal of our sound problems. Sound outside, we have learned, is quite different than sound inside our little practice venue.
As we proceed through the set, we make less mistakes and I'm pretty sure we are having more fun because we are loose and relaxed. Eric, one of our vocalists even goes out into the crowd and gets them singing along with "Play that Funky Music". It is also obvious that he is picking up a few "groupies" as some of the older ladies are seriously flirting with him. Go Eric! Brittany's microphone is much louder this time and she absolutely kills it on "House of the Rising Sun". We still don't have enough songs yet for a full 2-hour set, but we stretch some songs out like "Can't You See" and "Sweet Home Alabama", so we play for a solid 1.5 hours. Then, we take a break and play a few songs again. We finish up with loud applause from the audience and smiles all around. What else can you ask for? I love being in a band. And I can assure you, that won't be the last time I type those six words in this blog.
Talk with you soon and thank you to everyone who attended.
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