11 Dollar Christmas Eve
I had gotten to the Lilly Pad before 10 PM.
Lilly had called and told me that some other musician was playing on the spot. She wanted to make sure that I was planning upon playing there before making an attempt at running him off.
I considered it an irony to have to fight on Christmas Eve over a busking spot, where to play "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."
I still had a feeling in the pit of my stomach as I neared the corner of St. Phillips and Bourbon, with my ears peeled for anything that sounded like a busker.
The piano guy in Lafitt's has a guitar which he uses on a song or two and was doing one of those songs as I neared there.
The reverberation and other effects on the guitar, though, told me that it wasn't a busker.
I was worried about the "character" of any busker who might defy Lilly and would still be there, ready to defy anyone who tried to move him.
I had nothing to worry about, as it turned out ...the power of Lilly... the spot was unoccupied, except for a group of 4 tourists who were using the stoop as the backdrop for a selfie. I figured that they could be my first customers if I set up quickly enough and then started playing.
There weren't a lot of people out, it was still early. I had set out for the spot immediately after Lilly had called me to tell me that she was about to go out and run the guy off.
I'm not sure why, since, if she ran him off he wouldn't be likely to return, but I suppose I wanted to show up soon in case she were to have told him that she didn't mind him playing until her friend, whom she had promised the spot to, were to arrive.
In that case, I wouldn't want to allow him so much time that he might land a 20 dollar tip or two, the likelihood of which increases from the lull through which he was sitting until reaching its crescendo at around 2 AM.
Money changes everything, as Cindy Lauper sang. I could see him trying to beg for "just one more hour" in that case -an hour that wouldn't be measured by standard chronometer...
I played well enough, I thought. The 11 bucks that I made were from just about 11 single people.
Lilly came by at around eleven and told me that she had opened her shutter and told the guy that he was too loud, whereupon the guy had said "Oh, I'm sorry," and then had left..
Should I go out, tonight?
I think I will go out, ostensibly to pick up a few groceries and just leisurely pedal through the Quarter to see how it looks; and I'll have my guitar and gear with me, ready to play if I feel like it.
I'm not really even sure what is open for food selling, except for the Banks Meat Store store, run by Muslims.
I had gotten to the Lilly Pad before 10 PM.
I considered it an irony to have to fight on Christmas Eve over a busking spot, where to play "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."
I still had a feeling in the pit of my stomach as I neared the corner of St. Phillips and Bourbon, with my ears peeled for anything that sounded like a busker.
The piano guy in Lafitt's has a guitar which he uses on a song or two and was doing one of those songs as I neared there.
The reverberation and other effects on the guitar, though, told me that it wasn't a busker.
I was worried about the "character" of any busker who might defy Lilly and would still be there, ready to defy anyone who tried to move him.
I had nothing to worry about, as it turned out ...the power of Lilly... the spot was unoccupied, except for a group of 4 tourists who were using the stoop as the backdrop for a selfie. I figured that they could be my first customers if I set up quickly enough and then started playing.
There weren't a lot of people out, it was still early. I had set out for the spot immediately after Lilly had called me to tell me that she was about to go out and run the guy off.
I'm not sure why, since, if she ran him off he wouldn't be likely to return, but I suppose I wanted to show up soon in case she were to have told him that she didn't mind him playing until her friend, whom she had promised the spot to, were to arrive.
In that case, I wouldn't want to allow him so much time that he might land a 20 dollar tip or two, the likelihood of which increases from the lull through which he was sitting until reaching its crescendo at around 2 AM.
Money changes everything, as Cindy Lauper sang. I could see him trying to beg for "just one more hour" in that case -an hour that wouldn't be measured by standard chronometer...
Lilly came by at around eleven and told me that she had opened her shutter and told the guy that he was too loud, whereupon the guy had said "Oh, I'm sorry," and then had left..
Should I go out, tonight?
I think I will go out, ostensibly to pick up a few groceries and just leisurely pedal through the Quarter to see how it looks; and I'll have my guitar and gear with me, ready to play if I feel like it.
I'm not really even sure what is open for food selling, except for the Banks Meat Store store, run by Muslims.
Have you ever tried playing "Pictures Of Lily" by The Who? It's a rather nice tune. Lily might even be flattered.
ReplyDeleteI play "Consider the Lilies of the Field," by Amy Grant -the first couple lines in the ten seconds it takes for her to disappear behind her gate...
ReplyDeletethe Who song is a good idea; I could also come up with a dozen songs with Lily in the title if I google, I'm sure...
I'm not familiar with this "Amy Grant" person but any song with lily in it that sounds good is fair game.
ReplyDeleteI do sing "My Favorite Things," like:
ReplyDeleteLilies and Lilies, and even more Lilies; walking down Royal with Ange, and Chantilly....
Kittens and mittens* and bright shiny rings...these are a few of my favorite things...
*or whatever...
I need to look up that "Amy Grant" lilies thing on YouTube ... that's the nice thing about it, any song you've heard of you can probably find on there. Great sound quality? No, but you don't need good sound quality to look up something.
ReplyDelete