Host, Audience, Venue Review: Maryland, March 1st, 2007
Overall Show Rating: 9/10
Hosts: (10/10) We were invited to come to Maryland by Michael and Liz Horlick. They suggested the venue and offered to host us. They were amazing hosts. We arrived (at 10:00pm Wed night) to Tibetan flags being blowing in the breeze of their front yard. They cooked for us, gave us their own master bedroom (they took the guest room), led us on walks through the local parks with the dogs, shared their brains and extensive knowledge of Mythology and Linguistics, and made sure we were well rested for the show. They printed fliers and posters and spread them around town. They couldn't have been more gracious. The information they shared is going straight into my writing as I work on the novel. I, now, write from their sweet 1920's brick home just before we (me, Baba and The Dharma Dog) head for Louisville. This morning they gave is our own set of Tibetan Flags to hang at The Holy Road House in MO and blessed our travels with silk prayer scarves around our necks.
Venue: Sangha, Takoma Park, MD (10/10)
As soon as we arrived, Jennifer (the venue owner) greeted us with hugs. She made hot tea for us all. The venue is a Fair Trade Store with a stage in the back room and it sells all kinds of beautiful things that feed the collective mind and bring us into The Now. Jennifer lit candles and filled the room with love. The room seats about 30 happily but it can fit up to 150. The Dharma Dog was allowed to be with us in the venue and so, he made himself comfortable. He inspected all garbage cans. couches for sitting and found himself a pair of hand made nomadic Mongolian boots, made from hide, to eat. Much to his dismay, I discovered him before he did too much damage, bought the boots for 50 bucks and tried to find him some dinner (to his credit, he was legitimately hungry since I'd forgotten to feed him). Jennifer was an angel about it. I insisted she take the cash. The venue was a truly inspiring place to fly through the valleys of these songs and stories that we share. They gave us %100 of the door and %100 of Merchandise and so, we love them for that too.
Promotions: Poster was on the front door. Our wonderful hosts had spread posters and cards all around Takoma Park.
Opener: No Opener.
Sound: We did our own sound and provided our own PA, which means that the sound is limited but it does the trick and it's nice 'cause we're in control of the energy during set up. We don't have room to carry extra monitor speakers with us so that is always a draw back for us. A couple audience members told me the room sounded great overall.
Stage: The stage was nice, small, surrounded by paintings, love worn chairs were up close and personal. No piano.
Audience: (9/10) The show was about an hour and a half long. We started it off mellow 'cause the rain was coming down and the room felt quiet. By mid show, I was downing "The Tonic" and letting it loose, shaking it, with Baba ripping ragtime solos and we were screaming with the audience, "Look what they done to my world, They went and fucked it up, ma!" The Tonic was not passed around the room but a few folks did get some when I handed it off the stage to the front row. I feel bad about that today, I should have made sure to share it with the whole crowd. In Louisville, I will! Anyway, even without the tonic, they howled, they shouted with us, they sang softly, "tie a yellow ribbon 'round Takoma Park" and they answered "Now" whenever I reached for them with Eternity's question of Time. In short, they started out tame and possibly apathetic but they turned revivalist by the end. THey helped me remember to remind them to remember. Some of them said they had heard "19 Miles To Baghdad" on Democracy Now. It hit me, as we all sang "Look What They Done", that we were in DC and that it was important for us to be here, in this political town more often. I did wrestle with my beast through the show some. But it was Liz and Michael who upped the Audience rating and helped me out too, (they were the paper in the front row and they made sure my spirit won and the beast became the vessel for my voice. We all rode Home together. We got the key by the end and unlocked our clocks. That's good. Real good. I was the match and the air, but so was Liz, so was Baba, so was Michael. We all took to the fire pit, as evolutionaries committed to making a fire that would last 'till we were all back together again. Everyone else in the room agreed to be paper, easy dry kindling (especially Melissa and Sarah who sat to the right, on the couches). Jennifer and her Sangha friends were good dry logs that took to lighting well and promised to last 'till May. Liz and Michael and the rest of them know they can go to Sangha to get lit when they need it. We sold lots of cds and gave away tons of stickers. Howlelujah, friends, the time is now.
My performance: (9/10) Like I said, I started off in a wrestling match but the Joseph Cambell helped. Then, "Reaching For Light" got me lit enough to look for matches among us. They were there and they helped me. The rise of the rest is a blur until I downed "The Tonic" and shook it with "Look What They Done" but I think Chariots Rise may have been the first kicker for me and for all of us. I had a blast, so happy to win the wrestle and take the beast into that flight across The Divide. By the time I landed back on Earth, at the end of the show, bringing the key to the crowd, I know my own soul had successfuly traveled through Eternity's domain into The Now.
Baba: 10/10 His playing got the audience howling. He kept me clear and made sure I didn't lose the wrestle until it was clear we had won and were riding the beast together, through the glory and the fields of Now.
Set List Highlights: Chariots Rise, The Day We Met, Take These Demons, Reaching For Light, Long Live The Poet, Starfish Lullaby, Gently Bring Me Home and Look What They Done To My World!
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