As most of you are probably aware, I get the opportunity to play music with my friends James Mabry, Jay Turner and Linwood Taylor several times a year at a restaurant in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. called the Outta The Way Cafe. I’ve been playing at the OTWC regularly for at least 15 years or so (with the exception of a 2 year hiatus from live performing some years back), but my first gig there was nearly 20 years ago (with Deanna Bogart, I believe). I love this place – the room itself, as well as the owners and people who work there. They have always treated me (and the other musicians) with the utmost respect, and they’ve gone to great lengths to take care of us while we’re there. Believe it or not, many venues don’t afford musicians respect or courtesy at all. I don’t pretend to know why that is, but it’s something you come to expect as a working musician and, after a while, you don’t even notice it anymore. Which is why you notice the treatment you receive at a place like the OTWC.
This past show (June 16) was yet another display of their kindness. It was also an exceptional evening of music (if I do say so myself). If you’ve never been to the OTWC, you have to understand that many of the same folks show up to hear us play at each gig. Some of these people have been coming to see us for years, so they have a tendency to know the difference between an average performance and an exceptional one. I actually think they have a better idea when that’s happening than we do! It’s often hard to “see the forest for the trees” when you’re immersed in the process of making music. I had an inkling that the night was going well, but I wasn’t really sure until several people said they believed it was the best they’d seen us play. Not just recently, mind you – the best night they’d ever seen us! Needless to say, I came home feeling as though I’d been involved in something special. And let me tell you, those nights don’t happen very often. In fact, it had been a little over a year since I experienced a night of music that special.
That show was in Springfield, Mass. at a club called Theodore’s, during the (not nearly long enough) 2006 Nils Lofgren Band tour. On this particular night, the stars aligned in a very special way – the venue was a real “bar”, with a very funky vibe and the crowd practically on stage with us, and we were paid a visit by Charlie Pearson, a great rock singer that I worked with in the group Tears. Charlie basically introduced me to Nils back in 1979 (he was also the singer in 2 other legendary D.C. area bands: Charlie and The Pep Boys and The Dubonettes). While the sound may not have been the greatest that night, the band was on fire. We finally got inside the new tunes we were playing from the “Sacred Weapon” record, and the older tunes in the set seemed to have new life. For the encore, Charlie came up and sang a couple tunes with us, and I was magically transported back to ‘79, playing with Tears at Desperado’s in Georgetown with Nils sitting in. It was a very surreal experience. I’ll tell you this: if (God forbid) I never have the chance to play with Nils again, at least we went out on a very high note! Note: If you’re interested in reading more about that tour, click here. You can also read an article about Theodore’s (with excerpts from my April ‘06 update) by clicking here.
Why do nights such as Theodore’s and the 6/16 OTWC show happen so sporadically? No one can know for sure, but I have a few ideas about it. I think, first and foremost, it’s the vibe of the venue. Although this isn’t always the case (indeed, I’ve been a part of some pretty spectacular shows in venues that had marginal vibes), it is a primary factor. When I say “vibe”, I mean those intangible things that you just feel, coupled with obvious: the kindness and respect of the staff, size of the stage, quality of the sound system, etc. You can be missing a couple of those attributes and still come up with a great show, but only a couple. To me, the one thing you cannot be without is the kindness and respect of the staff. Places like the OTWC and Theodore’s realize this on. As a result, they are paving the way for a great night of music. Mind you, having all the pieces of the puzzle in place doesn’t guarantee a stellar performance. If only it were that easy! My point is, just as we have to show up prepared to do our gig, the venue must be prepared to enable the best performance possible.
So here’s to the venues across the U.S. and around the world like the OTWC and Theodore’s who go the extra mile to make musicians and their crews feel welcome. Whenever you see a great night of music, keep in mind that there are far more people to thank than just those of us on the stage.