"A Few Hours In My Life..."

Here's the prep for a show...

I had a large show at a mall in San Jose, I did it last year so I knew what to expect but I was a bit nervous...because I'm always nervous, has nothing to do with the gig.

This was booked through my friend Pat's company, Headliner Productions, it was near him, so I also arranged to have lunch after the show, that messes things up a lot for me, because I have to remember a lot of things to make sure I'm clean, things I usually leave in my shower.

So, the night before, I glance in my car, make sure I have what I need. These larger shows I bring a yellow ladder as a prop on stage, it holds props but also serves as my finale. At the end of the show, I balance the ladder on my chin, while making a balloon animal (hold your applause, thank you thank you).

Before shows, I get a touch of OCD. I start thinking I forgot my shoes, my hat, my microphone. Often, I pull over open the back of the car, look at it and drive on. It's embarrassing.

So. Got everything in the car, printed directions on google maps, have had bad luck lately with my GPS. Charge the batteries in my microphone.

The show was supposed to start at 11:20. I would like to be there about 10:50, 10:55 even 11 is pretty good. But early to set up and walk around the mall a bit gathering a crowd.

This morning, my son had an early orthodontist appointment. Dropped him off, sat in the car listening to Howard Stern. Yup, giant fan. After the appointment, dropped Dusty off at camp. This was the timing part that made me nervous. The map showed a full hour drive, so I wanted to drop him off and be in the car at 9:50, camp is a little ways from home.

It all worked smoothly. got my make up on, got in the car, forgot my water bottle, ran back in left was a bit later than I wanted but not bad. No traffic.

The mall is confusing. It took me 10 minutes to find the entrance. Had tons of stuff, my fingers hurt when I got to the stage. Same MC, he's awesome, big hug. I was there at 11 for my 11:20 show.

This event had the MC do songs with the kids, there was supposed to have been a dance school performing, they didn't show, the mall management was freaked, told me to go right on. set up test the mic in a funny way with the kids did a full one hour five minute kids show. Pretty long, not a lot of people can do that.

This show though had problems. The sound guy didn't know what he was doing and I kept getting feedback which is a nightmare in a kids show, they don't like loud noises and he shut off my handheld mic for some reason, that's the microphone I use so you can hear the funny things kids say. Oh well, I got him to turn the sound down, it was all fine.

For some reason the kids were climbing on stage. The parents thought this was cute. It's totally not cute. I like having kids on stage but they fall off and it's easy to squash one while I'm doing a routine and looking out at the audience and not down at my feet. Again, oh well.

I would say, what sets me apart from other children's performers is my ability to go with everything thrown at me and say oh well. A lot of people get mad on stage. Talk about losing your audience.

So, fun show (despite a couple of things I didn't like). Took pictures on iphones at the end and had a mom tell me her daughter asked about me every time they went shopping from last year. That's pretty cool.

Talked a while to the MC, complained about the economy, kids climbing on stage, exchanged cards carried a ton of stuff to the car.

Met with Pat, he also sells balloons, so got some hearts. I give heart shaped balloons to big crowds sometimes. Pat was giving a balloon lesson to a dentist, so I washed up in his bathroom, put all my stuff back in the car, drank a ton of water because San Jose is a lot hotter than my San Francisco. Pat showed me his current online project for entertainers, looks neat.

Went to lunch. Complained about the economy, complained about kids getting on stage.

Good to see my friend Pat, then back home to pick up Dusty after his music camp.

Except for the lunch part (I'm a cheapskate at heart, I usually pack my lunch) that was what I do. I know I glossed over the actual show part but I write about that all the time!