The very act of playing music in a place where you used to work (retail job, no less) is a bit odd.  I haven't played a gig at any other place I've worked, so last night's gig was the first.  Obviously that particular store has great significance for me and Jenn as we met there.  I guess it would have been more appropriate for us to play in the music department, as opposed to the cafe.  Still, it was that very room where we first met (and she suspected me of shoplifting!) and started working together.  One of my favorite things about our relationship, both on the personal and professional level, is that we became friends before there was even talk playing together.  I mean, it might've even been a few weeks/months(?) before we got to that conversation of "oh, you play music?  So do I!"  I like that our relationship developed organically and it enabled us to be as close as we are.  Shit, I consider Jenn my sister....way moreso than I do my actual step-sister.

It was 4 months, I believe, before we even got together to jam.  We became friends first, before moving on to music.  I've been a musician for over half of my life now and the strongest musical relationships have come out of friendships first, before moving on to the music part.  The obvious exception is for the guys in Miniver Cheevy, Dave & Bryan, since that was the first band for all three of us and we formed a huge bond because of it.  So, yeah, Jenn and I became friends before the talk of jamming came forward.

I don't remember everything she played for me, nor do I remember everything I played for her.  I know I played Space Boy!  As I mentioned at the gig last night, one of the first songs I heard her play was The Storm, and I'm pretty sure Abused's Song & Hanging Up the Dream were played that night too.  I loved those songs the first time I heard them and I *really* loved Jenn's voice.  It was the 2nd time we played, a few months later, that cemented in my mind I *had* to play music with her.  Hearing Jenn sing one of my songs (Fairmont, which we currently don't play) blew my ass away.

So, with all that going through my head, we played a gig at the place where we met and the band was essentially born.  It was an important gig, I'd say.  How was it?  You know, I had a good time and that's the top priority for me.  It was a good gig, certainly not amazing, but not horrible either.  Mistakes occurred, but they didn't overwhelm us.  I thought that The Storm was quite good, as was the debut of Matte Kudasai - even if I did cut it short because I lost track of where I was in the song.  The sound was pretty strange there in the cafe.  The floor caused the sound to bounce more than it should, and it also made everything sound "thinner" than it should.

I felt more comfortable playing bass than guitar...and while that's certainly a "comfortable" place for me, I consider myself more of a guitarist in this band and that worries me a slight bit.  It means I need to work on my guitar playing.  There were some times when I noticed Jenn losing some strength in her voice, but it wasn't more than a few times and I know that's easily corrected.  Even with the mistakes we both made, we more or less played well.  A good gig.  I'd like to play there again sometime and do a better job, though.

My focus is now back to the demo.  She justifiably ragged on me for not finishing it yet.  It's my priority since we've got this gig and the debut of Matte Kudasai taken care of (yes, I was worried about it).

Setlist: Surrounded By Trees, Abused's Song, Travelers Merchants & Masters, Matte Kudasai, Lady Pilot, The Storm, Amnesia, Hanging Up the Dream, She Waits By the Sea, 10K