Winter trudges on

It's still winter everywhere. Some people blame this guy:

I think he's too cute to throw any blame at. Besides, he doesn't make the weather - he just reports on it. He calls 'em as he sees 'em. I respect that.

But I'm definitely tired of this whole winter thing, and I'm ready to move on to warmer days. While we've had some indoor gigs this winter, we've still had several outdoor gigs the last few months, and it ain't always easy to keep it hot when you're cold.

I know that folks up north are in a straight-up, never-ending deep freeze, so they probably don't want to hear about the hardship of trying to play guitar with stiff fingers in 40-degree temperatures. But we don't live up north. So...

Okay, so the challenge of playing outside when the weather is extreme is not new information, but we in the band have realized recently that while temperature is a strong factor in your comfort level on an outdoor stage, more than that is wind.

A hot day with a breeze is much more comfortable than a hot day with no air moving (thus, our standard-equipment stage fans). And a cold night with wind is way worse than a cold, still night.

But it's more than just that a hard wind not only makes you feel colder. It blows your set list around, creates noise in your microphone, blows your hair in your mouth and eyes, and it keeps your audience away from you since they're more interested in a sheltered spot than a spot up close or on the dance floor. It's just a general pain in the ass. When you've got low temps but there's no wind, you can bundle up, set a space heater next to you and go about your business.

So, there you have it. Wind makes a cold day more uncomfortable.

Groundbreaking, right? Next time we'll explore the impact of humidity on how hot one feels.