From: Hugh Messenger Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 16:08:52 -0600 (CST) Subject: A Day
I sometimes end messages by exhorting someone to "Have a Day". Well, yesterday ... I Had a Day.
At around mid-day, I collected my mail, which consisted of three donations to harp-l. Including a single cashiers check for $1,500. Yes, you read that right. The donor wishes to remain anonymous, and I won't respond to *any* questions or requests for hints! It's nobody famous, nobody you know, just a "lurker" who was in a position to help (just this once - we haven't "hit the mother lode", to quote the accompanying letter) and considers harp-l to be an important part of his/her life.
I am not ashamed to say that both my S.O. and I were quite literally reduced to tears - a mixture of wonderment, relief and gratitude. I am only slowly realizing just what a social institution harp-l has become, I've tended to see it more as a technical challenge and rewarding hobby.
The status of the beer fund appeal has therefore changed overnight, and I'll be mailing the exact details, and options for how to proceed, in a separate note (probably tomorrow - I'm taking the day off (!), and have a gig tonight, ...). Don't think that you're off the hook, though, and keep those check books handy.
Anyway. After sitting here in a state of shock for the rest of the afternoon, I suddenly remembered that the Nighthwaks were supposed to play at a new club in town (where my band will be the regular Thursday night act) ... which hadn't opened yet. It was supposed to open yesterday, but the health inspector postponed his final visit by 24 hours.
So I rushed down to the club, just in time to catch the band swing by to collect their cancellation fee. Without even clearing it with my S.O., I offered them a fair price for playing an impromptu house party at my place, and they accepted. We arrive at my house, I bring the band in and say "Hey honey, this is The Nighthawks, do you mind if they, um, well, play in our living room tonight?"
To her everlasting credit, she agreed in good humour, found somewhere to stash our two kids for the night and arranged to get back in time for the gig. By 9:30 we had a house full of about 35 to 40 friends, a loaned (and very good) PA, enough beer to see us through .. and The Nighthawks.
We raised almost all the guarrantee through the hat, so it ended up costing me $50 to have The Nighthawks play my house warming party (which is what it ended up being). So one of you donors just paid for the 'hawks ... thankyou! Put it down to "stress management therapy" as an administrative overhead.
In the only 5 minutes I managed to drag Mark off to one side, I showed him Harp-L. We searched in the archives for "Mark Wenner", and he sat here shaking his head in amazement that a bunch of computer geeks would discuss the shape of his microphone grill ...
BTW, WRT to the bent grill (see the first URL above) - half way through the next set (after we geeked out on harp-l during the first break), they were playing one of their "breakdown" numbers, the band drops back to just bass and drums, and the other two start clapping. Mark is clapping over his head, with harp and mike in "playing position" in one hand, clapping onto it (so he's hitting the business side of the harp, knocking it onto the grill) with the other ... he looked at me, started laughing, and pointed at his dented grill ... so the answer is, "repeated incidental harp contact".
Predictably enough I ended up jamming a couple of numbers with them towards the end of the night, including a rendition of "19 Years Old", one of my all time favourite 'hawks cuts (from Live at the Psyche Deli) which even I thought I did a creditable job on. I'll find out tonight, as my percussion player caught the last set on tape!
Mark and the rest of the gang played sublimely well, as always. The small but appreciative crowd turned a bad "cancelled gig, 250 miles overnight to the next State through a tornado warning" night for the band into a reasonably well paid and ejoyable evening.
Anyone reading this seeing any of the band - please pass on appreciation from everyone who managed to find my house last night.
Oh, and apologies to any local list members who got my message and didn't know how to find me - I'd intended to give my phone number, and just forgot in the rush to get off the phone and let others get the word out.
