A Clifton kinda Christmas

Okay, I promised you last post that I'd post "tomorrow" about our other Christmas gig, and today is not "tomorrow." But today is today, and today is actually more important than tomorrow, right? Today is all you really have, so don't get wrapped up in tomorrow.

That said, let's talk about the past - namely last Tuesday.

Last Tuesday, we played our second annual Christmas show in Clifton, Texas - The Norwegian Capital of Texas. I know that's true because they have a sign that says so. The gig we played was a corporate party, held at the beautiful Bosque Arts Center. Here are the boys getting ready for their close-up at the BAC:

The BAC has a theater in it, which is where the party was held. When we got there, there was a set in place on the stage, and they put us to the side, so I figured they must have a play going on, and this party was being held in between performances:

That's Johnny setting up to the left, with
random lattice behind us.

 Close up of our part of the stage. Joe was on his kit
box for this show, so it was actually plenty of room for us.

  

BTW, I don't know what kind of play it was, but Clifton may be more progressive than I thought:

In any case, after we got set up, I wandered around backstage looking at stuff (because that's what I do), and I saw some show notes that seemed to indicate this play, whatever it was, took place in October/November. What? So, this set has just been sitting on the stage for weeks after the show closed? No one takes it down? If you look at the close-up of our area, there's a wreath on the church. I guess rather than take the set down, they just slapped a wreath on it. Now it's a Christmas decoration!

Oh, and there was also a production room at the back of the theater:

I decided to see if it was open (I mentioned that I like to look at stuff, right? Some call it "snooping," but I like to think of it as "learning." Don't hate on education.), and it was - which meant they wanted me to go in and take this aerial shot of the room:

 

But what was more interesting than the view was this notice, which was posted on the inside of the production room door: 

I'm not sure who Schmidt is, but he's got confidence, and he's ambivalent about TCU, so recruiters for other schools should take note. There's an opening with this kid.

After I finished acquainting myself with the space, I got ready for the show. I did it here:

Now, to you, this may look like a tiny bathroom. But to me, it is a lovely, private dressing room with my very own en suite. I especially like it because of this:

A full-length mirror, with a convenient electricity outlet right next to it. There was even a coat rack to hang up my clothes and good lighting!

I don't think you understand the value of this little room. I cannot count how many multi-stall restrooms, most with no outlets, almost none with full-length mirrors, and many with bad/dark lighting that I have had to dress in over the last four years. If we travel more than a couple of hours from home, I don't dress, do my hair, put on makeup, etc. until we get to the venue and unload. It'd all be ruined from riding in the car for hours and setting up anyway.

So, that means when I get to the venue, I have to find a place to change and do my hair and makeup - usually a bathroom open to anyone else in the venue - and I have to scout for electrical outlets to plug in my hot rollers (my stage hair doesn't just happen). If I can't find one, I have to plug them in on stage and then after I'm dressed and ready to do my hair, I have to go to the stage and grab the curlers then go finish. Annoying.

I have endured changing in tiny stalls, standing at a sink doing my makeup while other women reach over me to wash their hands, listening to other women joke about whoever is in the bathroom getting ready for her "date," putting on makeup based purely on experience because I can't actually see what I'm doing in the low lighting (why does anyone think a women's bathroom needs to be dark?), and other assorted indignities.

It is SO nice to have a private space, with everything I need, to get ready! Thank you Bosque Arts Center!

Now, I will admit - after I had already gotten ready, I discovered actual dressing rooms behind the stage. But no matter. I was happy with my accommodations. And the show itself went very well. It seemed like people weren't really listening at first, but they were. We got requests, and after the show, while we were eating a delicious meal provided by the event, several people came up to us to compliment us and chat about music. They treated us very well, and we enjoyed the gig.

So, thank you Clifton, and hopefully we'll see our Norwegian friends again next year! Maybe I'll even try out the real dressing rooms. Maybe.