Last night I played a couple of songs at the Canyon Road Blues jam at Tumbleroot here in Santa Fe. And I'll be honest — these things terrify me. Playing with people I've never played with before brings every doubt about my guitar and singing right to the surface, and with no iPad as a crutch, I had to actually remember the words.
I have not played a "jam" like this in a while, mostly because I have not had the confidence to get up there and play in a way that has not been rehearsed at all.
Playing with others is much different than when I do a solo performances or with my own band. As a solo, my timing becomes less of an issue and I can cover things without hoping the drummer keeps up. The band has at least rehearsed the songs enough that we have confidence that we think we know what we are doing.
I played two songs: Act Naturally, and a new one I wrote called Rainy Day Blues, where I made up half the lyrics on the spot. Not an A+ night, but a solid B, and I got some real compliments from folks there. Everyone there was very gracious. Once I let go of the ego and just listen to the people in the room, the night feels a whole lot better than I thought it did while I was on stage.
The truth is, if I want to perform live and continue to improve, I've got to go through nights like this. The more stage time I get, the better I'll be. As a bonus, if I do these more often, the house band will be more comfortable with me and everything goes smoother. 🎸