First Taste of Summer

This weekend was my first real taste of Summer.  I'm talking sunshine, swimming, bbq, questionable beverages, campfire, marshmallows, the whole 9 yards and I must say, I enjoyed it.
As Summer has finally come to join us, I am taking a bit of time to reflect on what was a great Spring for DM Music.
Having just had the opportunity to book, promote and play a weekly gig at the Stowaway Pub for a 15 week run, I have gained a great deal of experience.  I've also learned that as an artist,  especially one who worries, it is challenging to wear so many hats.  I found myself, rushing to get to the pub and working hard to make sure that when other artists arrived, everything was organized and ready.  From sound systems working, to meeting some pretty great servers, I was attempting to make it all feel very comfortable and natural.  As that was taking place my worry that no one would show up would hit and I'd start sending facebook messages and texts asking friends to come down to the pub to hang out.
As people started to roll in - and with the exception of 2 weeks they always did - I would start to think about the fact that I also had to perform.  This was challenging for me.  Especially as I always had someone playing with me and didn't always do a good job of helping them feel comfortable and ready for their show, like I did with the other guest artists.
Something that I found I really loved about the experience was building relationships.  Jason and Rachel from the Stowaway are really great people and took a risk with their brand new biz by having DM and crew in week after week.   I met so many talented artists and got to hear some great music.
The servers at the Stowaway were always amazing to me and kept my water glass constantly full.
I would not be completely honest if I told you that it was easy to get excited about doing the same thing every Saturday.

But the biggest factor in sticking at it was my dear friend "Hooper."  Every Saturday night and Monday night, a sweet red pickup truck would show up infront of my house, we'd load up gear and head down to the Stowaway and settle in for the night.  Hooper, was a fantastic friend to have with me and really should get credit for pulling these nights off every week.  Almost every week, Hooper played drums, helped host, carried gear but more than all of that, was a huge support to me.  We had many conversations at 2am when I was exhausted and ready to pack it in and I would often hear "this is going to pick up, just stick with it" and it was just enough to keep me going.  A huge thanks to my dear friend Hooper for taking this journey with me.
With Summer finally here, it is time that Hooper and I take a Saturday night and head out on his boat with some fishing rods, snacks and bug spray to get a real taste of Summer.