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| Photo courtesy of Brad Ober |
It's a great stage. You can't help but feel like a star playing in the shadow of a ferris wheel.
The view is fantastic. From our perch, we get to see dolphins jumping in the water, pelicans flying overhead and the sunset right across from us.
The audience is so diverse. It's really fun to see such a cross-section of people enjoying the games and rides and being with their families, but also digging our music. Last night we had everyone from babies to senior citizens dancing, singing and smiling with us. Some were locals, and some were visitors from all over the world. We even sold a swag pack of merch to a couple from Canada who hung out for two sets and told us about their daughter who plays guitar (go, girl, go!).
But I did have one small challenge in the third set.
Our show was from 5:00pm until 9:00pm. That's right during what would normally be my dinner time. We've long ago learned to be careful what we eat right before the show or during breaks. No one wants to hear you burp into the mic the whole show. But little did I know that pretzels could be an issue.
During our break after the second set at 7:00pm, I was hungry. I knew we wouldn't get dinner until at least 10:00pm, so I had to get some sustenance. We had with us some pretzels - delicious "Everything" flavor Snack Factory Pretzel Chips to be exact (no, I don't get a kickback for this endorsement. I just really like them, and I'm not afraid to say so):
I had eaten some earlier with no adverse effects, so I was pretty sure they wouldn't make me burp. So, I dug into the bag of pretzel chips and enjoyed the satisfying flavor of salty, garlicky, poppy seed chips, sure that I had chosen a safe snack. Until...HIC! Right before we stepped back up to the mic, I looked at Joe. "I think I have the hiccups." HIC! "Crap, I have the hiccups."
I didn't have time to communicate the situation to Johnny before he hopped on to the mic for the third set and announced the first song, which happened to be a lead for me. So off we went. I managed not to make a hiccup noise into the mic, but the whole song sounded like my mic was cutting out as my diaphragm seized and my voice sporadically disappeared. I didn't even feel like I could take a deep breath.
Johnny figured out what was happening, and after that song, Johnny and Joe picked up fronting duties until the hiccups finally stopped. Luckily, it only lasted a few songs. But I will definitely think twice before I try a new snack on a break again. I've got some tried and true snacks that don't interfere with my performance, so from now on, I'll go with what I know!
She still nailed Stayin' Alive. I was ready to jump in if needed.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt once suggested I drink from the opposite side of a glass to get rid of the hiccups and it worked. To do it, you have to lean forward, so I figured out that you don't really have to drink from the opposite side, just lean over forward while swallowing. It works almost every time for me.
ReplyDeleteI tried to imagine what that would look like in your situation -- if you throw your bass on your back and flip your hair real big while you're leaning over, it'll look a lot like a Johnny move! In case you're ever in that situation again... 8-)