Me, the rock star.....

So I went to open mic night, my first time on stage since moving to the big city.

First, I realized tha ti had no one to walk with me into the bar (It's one of three that are within a single block from my house.) So I started to feel my old self-conscious anxiety/panic and decided to call Cute Boy who had said he would call me at ten after seven when he got home. It was, at that point, ten after eight (Did you know that tardiness makes me want to kill people??) and I called him.

He was doing something, I have no idea what. So I promptly called my cousin and every other person in my phone. (I should point out here that I was not nervous about going on stage. I was nervous about walking into the bar alone. I hate being in public places alone.)

So I went by myself after running to my landlord and a nice lady who lives below me to ask them what they thought of my outfit. I got to the bar, talked to the sound guy, and proceeded to sit and wait. The the fan club began drifting in one by one.

First my parents and my crazy uncle. Then Cute Boy came and met both of my parents which was incredibly awkward for me, but he seemed to do well. Then showed up two friends, three coworkers, a cousin, two more coworkers, and a couple friends of the coworkers. All there to see me!!

So, then it was time to go up. I was second.

Let me tell you about singing, in case you've never done it. Especially singing in public. For me, anyhow, it is a very personal thing to do. It's opening yourself up to get laughed at by a bar chalk full of random strangers. Singing my own songs is like telling complete strangers my deepest, innermost thoughts and ideas. So, it's a little nervwracking to do.

But, I still like to do it.

I started with House of the Risin' Sun. Easy. Did one of my new numbers that has a high (for me) note that I didnt quite make, but nobody outwardly winced. Screwed up Leavin' On A Jet Plane because I was worried about what song to sing for my fourth. I did an extra ending chorus on Jet Plane while I mulled it over.

And then I played the dumbest song in the world as my ending. When we left the bar my mom was like "What the hell was that? You couldn't think of anything better to play?!?!"

The sound guy was great, really personable and helpful. He would come up between songs and just whisper a little tip here or there. The guy who came up after me, while I was leaving (I have finals, I couldn't stay to see the others) said "This song is for Amanda, because there is just something about a girl who can sing and play the guitar..." Then he led into Killing me Softly. On my way out, people were shaking my hand and stuff, saying really nice things to me.

In all, it was pretty sweet. I'm definitely going to do it again. There are two other bars near me that also do open mic so I 'm gonna get a little circuit going.

The whole night definitely made me fell like a rock star.

And there's really no better feeling than that.

Toonses