Kerry Brown
Ambassador of the Great Northern Bar Jams
I haven't played live or even with other players in about four months. The local jams were taken over by a guy I don't get along with that well and we lost our Sunday private jam space. I've played at a couple of acoustic jams but it's just not the same. They are more like a folk circle where we go around a circle each playing a song. Yesterday afternoon a musician friend messaged me that the guy that runs the bar jams couldn't make it and asked him to take over for the night. He asked me to come to the jam. I walked in and he immediately said "Alright! Let's play some blues". It took me about ten minutes to get setup and we started on an extended twenty minute blues jam. He is an amazing guitar/harmonica player and singer. I forgot how good it can be playing in front of an audience. He even talked me into singing a song. First time I've sung solo in front of a live audience in 30 years. Then he wanted to play a couple of songs I have never played before. I was sweating bullets by the time we were done. I had to ask him to face me during the part I didn't know so I could see what he was playing. I'm going to have to get over my dislike of the guy that usually runs the jams. That was too much fun. Here was my rig for the night.
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It's been so long since I sang on stage I was startled hearing my voice over the PA. I've done a lot of public speaking to big audiences but I'd totally forgotten how weird it is to hear your voice singing over a PA system. It took me a while to coordinate singing with playing. It was made worse because a few pros I know were in the audience.