Great ideas, guys, thanks! As a long-time introvert, it never occurred to me to try to talk to the offending table, but it seems like that could work. It's really distracting and demoralizing to be out there performing (not easy for me in any case) and competing in volume with a loud table. Practicing songs sounds like a good approach, too.

Peadar, your idea makes a lot of sense. Maybe if I look at it as simply providing "something going on" as opposed to a performance to be listened to, it'll make it somewhat more palatable, or at least less mystifying.