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THE SHOW MUST GO ON(What do you do when your body fails you on show days.)
Well, it's Friday, and here I sit, about to push through one last rehearsal with our substitute drummer for tonight's show in Birmingham, Alabama. I'm sick...even sicker than I was when I first realized I was unwell on Sunday, and wondering just where I'm going to come up with the energy to drive 3+ hours, set-up, and play a headlining slot that will most likely start sometime after midnight, when I haven't been able to eat anything and keep it down all day. Oh yeah, AND we're making the drive back to Nashville afterwards, because of early morning commitments that require tending to.
Still, I have never pulled the plug on a show....I've flown in a singer from halfway across the country to fill in for an emotionally unstable and AWOL frontman, I've come down with walking pneumonia and played 4 sets of covers while enduring the penicillin sweats, I've shown up with only acoustics in hand for a planned electric gig when a drummer decided the day of the show that he just couldn't make it....and this one will be no different.
The show must go on, as they say.
I know, some folks scoff at the notion of letting your health take the backseat when a gig such as this, which will probably only be a break-even affair at the financial level, ends up being such a problematic engagement, but I believe in honoring commitments equally, regardless of their perceived value. If you tell someone you're going to be there, that you're going to do something, then you better be there, and you better do it, unless you're physically unable to follow through at your end.
Now, the fact is, I may actually be so unable, come show time, but I'm going to tough it out, and do everything I can to drag myself up onto that stage and earn my measly pay, because that's what I said I'd do.
Maybe I'm one of those "doesn't know when to quit" people, but I'd like to consider it perseverance as opposed to stubborn foolishness. Whichever the case, I'm going to Birmingham tonight, and doing my thing...in sickness and in health....no, wait....that's a different commitment. Sorry, it must be my medication kicking in.
D.
p.s. Vitamin C & Zinc are your friends.....Beer, not so much, even when it's free.
I'm the singer/guitarist and occasional ivory tickler of fORMER (Nashville, TN), and I also play guitar for some gentlemen who call themselves The Beauty School Dropouts. My musical resume includes stints with the now-defunct Bombshell Crush & Loveshine, as well as the occasionally active The Great Affairs & Best Of Seven(Los Angeles, CA), and you can probably find CDs from these bands somewhere on Amazon, eBay, or some random used CD shop in Tupelo, MS, if you were so inclined. I'm a songwriter. I appreciate a tall Jack & Coke when the mood strikes(it seldom does these days, to be honest). I had an old dog…but he died(RIP Maxwell), so we got a new one, a sweet fella that can run faster than anyone on steroids...his name is Pioneer. Pioneer has recently been joined by a vagrant that has adopted us, who goes by the name Cash...she's too sweet to send packing. I own a record shop in Pekin, IL, Co-Op Records. Occasionally I travel north from my home in NashVegas to supervise my henchmen as they do my bidding. I often waste my time driving without a destination just to hear myself think. I love Sun Drop cola....sue me. I can't eat anything with bones in it or anything that retains the general shape of itself in living form....it just grosses me out, though I have recently grown quite fond of Sushi (thanks, Joey). I have great friends and a cool family...in particular my Mom...the best. I don't go to church, but I'd like to believe. I eat too much junk food...my sweet tooth is the stuff of legends, but I have shaken the pastry monkey from my back. I used to love that band Trixter, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I hate cold. I miss California. I love Nashville...most days. I don't sleep much. I hate idle time. I think Elvis Costello's "Man Out Of Time" is quite possibly my favorite song of ALL time....not sure though, and it's looking like The Afghan Whigs' "Crazy" might steal the prize. I'm red/green colorblind if anybody wants to mess with me at a traffic light. I guess that's all for now....more later.
