I'm sooo proud of P.J.

Subject: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Dave Swan
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:27 PM

My dear wife P.J. made her debut as a folksinger last weekend in Berkeley, California. She's only been around folk music since we married two years ago, and has only been playing it for about a year. With her usual single minded determination and discipline she is turning herself into a singer. Three or four months ago when she posted to threads about finding one's voice, she had just begun voice lessons. On Sunday, with nerves of steel and the voice of an angel, she stood up, accompanied herself on the bodhran and sang The Farmer's Cursed Wife. Mind you, first public song, big dogs at the session, lots of folks in the audience. She sounded great, the crowd loved it. I'm as pleased as can be for her. She's off and running. I hope I can keep up. D.

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:34 PM

hooray!...an auspicious beginning!...(if that Farmer's wife carried a bodhran down to hell, no wonder the devil sent her back! *grin*)

jusy kidding, P.J. ..congrats on getting up the nerve..

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: katlaughing
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 12:36 PM

Whoo-Hoo! PJ! Way to go, woman! Keep 'im on 'is toes!**BG** Congratulations!

katlaughing

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Bert
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:07 PM

Wow! that's great.

Bert

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Tony Burns
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:14 PM

Good stuff PJ. Keep at it.

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Fadac
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:15 PM

Congrats!

More More!

-Fadac

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:41 PM

Damn it, Dave and Pam--that's what I missed Sunday night because of my atrophying brain cells? How about this Sunday? Will there be a repeat? --seed

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: campfire
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 01:41 PM

Congratulations, P.J.

It sure helps to have the support of someone, doesn't it!!

campfire

ps - I meant Dave when I typed that, but - all of us, too.

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Vixen
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 02:16 PM

Way to go, PJ! Knock 'em dead! And Congratulations!!!

V

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Winters Wages
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 02:24 PM

At least...a reprieve from those noisey "Son's Of The Buccanners" Congratulations PJ You not only can write but sing as well..GO TO IT! Lloyd

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: paddy
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 03:38 PM

i imagine nearly everybody has a 'first time' story to tell, and with the kindness of time, most are probably funny. in my current iteration, i was doing an a capella original about St Brendan at a "half-way to st paddy's day" gig in a recycled wooden warehouse when the heavens opened up and the building reverberated from thunder and a lightening bolt that knocked out the power, killing the lights and sound. while i stood frozen in place wondering what to do next, one of the 150 or so in the house picked up one of those universal table candles and stepped up on stage next to me so I could see my music. (i had just written the piece that afternoon and didn't yet have it commited to memory). finished the song to thunderous applause, not because the song was so great, but just because of the novelty of the situation. best part though, was that the audience member with sense enough to do something constructive was my son.

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 05:11 PM

I know how she feels, having done much the same recently. (I don't have one doubt she sounded better than me.) Congratulations - I hope it's the first of many!

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Mudjack
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 08:11 PM

Ohhh My Gawd, We've created another Stage Monster.... Great news and glad PJ cleared her first hurdle.I'm always glad to see someone accomplish their first attempt at performing on stage. As hard as it may appear to be, anyone who plays and sings music knows the first time is a task. I'm glad for both of you. Dave, maybe I can take you up on the brewskie while we listen to the singing of PJ.
Mudjack

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: WyoWoman
Date: 28 Jul 99 - 09:10 PM

P.J. That's so great! And how lucky you both are to be each other's fan club presidents!

Keep up the good verk.

WW

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Dave Swan
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 02:22 AM

WOW!

I just got home from work (Dave's on duty tonight) and saw this thread. How incredibly sweet of my hubby to brag about me in public (if a little embarrasing) and I'm *really* touched by everyone's response.

Sunday night was great fun. It was also hard and wonderful and terrifying and exhilarating and gut-wrenching and...and...totally addicting.

So THAT'S what's kept all of you going back for more all this time? I've been a teacher for a lot of years, and I love the moment when you know you've GOT 'EM-- that's the big payoff in front of a classroom. Now that I've had a little taste of it in front of an audience, I only hope I can be worthy of the music.

There's so much great music out there, and I've got a lot to learn for sure. But the idea that I can take a piece of music I love, squish it around into another shape, then offer it to an audience and watch them light up, laugh in the right places, join in.... WOW. How great is that??

So thank you, sweetheart, for letting me cry on your best shirt in a panic of self-doubt an hour before I went on. And thank you Mudcatters, for celebrating with me and sharing all your experience and wisdom and your wonderfully goofy take on the world.

Yes, Bill- It means quite a lot to have support, and I'm very lucky to have all of yours.

Warm thanks,

PJ

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Art Thieme
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 01:12 PM

P,J.---

Please keep in mind, as Mark Twain said, "90% of life is just showing up!"---good advice for what to expect out on the hot dusty folk circuit. (That and more fast food than anyone ought to consume.) ;-)

All kidding aside, I'm envious as hell. It's just the start of a fine adventure with all kinds of glorious stuff (even music) in front of you. Congratulations.

One other thing----never buy fresh fish from a truck with Oklahoma plates!

Art

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Fadac
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 03:29 PM

Art, Wasn't one the big boondogles putting a SEAPORT in Oklahoma?

PJ, When you going again? You can do it!

-Fadac

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 07:11 PM

Hey PJ....Sorry I didn't get to this earlier, but CONGRATS!!!!!!! I think everyone has given you some great words of encouragement and once again the redoubtable (means you doubt him repeatedly) Mr. Thieme has expressed it well. You're off to a flying start! And speaking of flying............

I happened to hear from someone who was there that the initial crowd reaction was not due to your performance. I guess they were in a nauseous kind of shock from the preceding act. It seems some jackwad in fishnets and a half gorilla suit climbed to a platform 90 foot in the air. Then, with a match held to his ass, he leapt into space, did a full gainer, ignited a huge fart, and rocketed down into a fireman's helmet filled with banana Jell-O and possum fat. My source tells me that the impact created a cranial-rectal inversion and when the gorilla head popped out of his anal sphincter, 3 people fainted and 2 had to be rushed to the NYCFTTS where it seems their prognosis is NOT good. So don't worry about that first couple minutes, just be careful next time to see who you are following.

And be sure to call poor old Seed(repeatedly) before your next show. He's blaming his forgetfulness on aging. Well, that's a part of it, plus he's a banjo player.......but I think the real root cause of his problem is just that...eating roots. Are you guys aware of his diet? Gawdamitey...what a load of unpalatable goo. Does he really eat that stuff? What does his kitchen smell like? Now I know the boy has a better heart than I do, but what good is living if you're eating spore infested, mildewing, leaves and fungus? Where does he shop? The Ewell Gibbons Memorial All Natural Market? Keericed!!! Mercury is natural, but I ain't puttin' it in the GRAVY! Try to talk to him about this as I feel it's causing a cessation of alpha wave activity.

Once again Peej..a big STANDING OVATION (one of mine's standing in the corner)....and I hope I get to Quakeland again soon....this time to hear you. Or are you and Dave gonna' make it to the Possum Fest in Ohio?

Spaw

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Alice
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 07:21 PM

Way to go, P.J.!!! When I read your hubby's introduction, my first thought was, YUP, she's addicted now!! Have fun.

alice

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 29 Jul 99 - 08:33 PM

Damn, Spaw, have you been reading my mail? How'd you learn all about my all-root diet, anyway? It can get awfully expensive, ginseng and truffles* and yamagobo. For protein, of course, I have to add slugs and earthworms and the occasional mole or gopher.

*all right, I know these are not strictly speaking roots--but my diet is based on whatever's underground (whatever I can pull through the windows of my fallout shelter--is it safe to come up yet?)

--seed

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Mudjack
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 01:54 AM

Mmn..Catspaw... Don't you own a gorilla's suit and fishnet and armed with a book of matches? I thought you said you wern't there.(har har)
Mudjack

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Big Mick
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 02:43 AM

PJ,

Welcome to the club............dues are reasonable and the benefits are tremendous. I am very happy for you. And based on what I know of your husband, you must be a very special woman..He is certainly a very special man.

Keep on singing,

Mick

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: Dave Swan
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 01:27 PM

(PJ here, on Dave's computer)

Thanks, Mick, Lloyd, Art, everybody- I'm so grateful for your encouragement, and I hope you won't mind giving a little advice to the new kid from time to time...

Fadac- Looks like the next round will be this Sunday night at the Starry Plough. I'm pretty sure seed's going to sing as well, so be there or be rectangular.

Mudjack- When ya' comin, hon? If this is a real possibility and not just an idle threat, there are a couple of places you've got to go with us. You'll lose your mind (and a substantial amount of your paycheck) at Down Home Music (Arhoolie Records) and you can even catch a glimpse of the famous and highly exclusive Quinn's Lighthouse in addition to our other haunts like the Plough. We'll have to put together a session at our house as well, so you can meet seed, Fadac, Winters Wages, Jed 'n all his kin...

'Spaw- Why don't you borrow one o' those Oklahoma fresh fish trucks and drive on out while Mudjack's here? We've got a guestroom with your name on it. Sadly, we won't be able to make it to the Ohio Possum Festival this year, but seeing as how you're practically family, I'll send you my own personal recipe which you may enter in the cookoff.

It's a lovely 'armadillos rockefeller' presentation I like to call "Possum on the Half Shell". Jello sauce optional. When I was a sweet young thing that recipe won me 2nd place at the Georgia Poodle Shoot and Barbeque, just behind Maddie Lou Noseworthy's "Gingham Duck and Whomp Bisquit Casserole". The casserole wasn't really that good, but rumor had it that Maddy Lou had influenced the judge that year at a private tinflute performance. She was one of the Noseworthy sisters, well known for their negative tooth-to-tattoo ratio and indelicate virtue. But I digress...

If you come to visit I promise you can dictate your own menu, I'll fix you and seed separate meals when he comes over. Still, you might consider keeping an open mind, I am confident you could come to appreciate a Berkeley diet of shoots and leaves (obvious panda jokes aside), seeing as your palate regularly tolerates tonguing the fipple end of a possum. No matter, I'll protect you from foreign objects in your jello and uncalled for John Denver references. I would, however pay good money to see you in fishnet stockings. Maybe a little duet from you and Dave in gorilla suits? This is gonna require a LOT of Jack & Coke.

xoxo PJ

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Jul 99 - 01:40 PM

LMAOLMAPLMAOLMAOLMAO

Spaw

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 02:52 AM

Well, the neighbors back in 19 ought 52 thought I was crazy when I put windows in the fallout shelter, but you guys seem to think it's perfectly normal. That's why I like it here. --seed

Subject: RE: I'm sooo proud of P.J.
From: BK
Date: 31 Jul 99 - 10:26 AM

FANTASTIC! A health to her & ye! live long & prosper (one of the few things I liked from Star Trek) to both of you - "Music," me ol' devoutly Catholic Great Auntie used to say, "is the one thing we share w/the angels." - And I think something especially wonderful to share w/each other, as well. (how's that for sacccharine? - but true.)

Chers, BK