I was asked to sit in the other night. When I got there I was apprehensive because of the caliber of the performances that preceded my appearance. There was some pretty high-powered electric blues happening. My friend asked me to just bring and play my musical saw. Saw is not the instrument I would have chose to sit in with at this particular gig. There wasn't anyone playing bottleneck so far that evening and I had also brought my homemade resonator guitar with me. The show thus far wasn't exactly the kind event where I would have expected to have seen or heard a saw played. The venue didn't strike me as one where someone playing a saw could have made an impact. The place had a disgustingly seedy feel to it. Harleys were strewn across the front curb and there was plenty of black leather jackets, chaps, and tattoos inside. The banner across the back of the stage read, "thanks for voting us second place as the best dive bar", and what a dive it was. So I guess my friend was looking for something freakish or different to mix into the blend driving dance rhythms. I was expecting the worst and shook my head no when he announced from stage that he would be featuring the saw player on the next set. I was hoping to slip out quietly unnoticed. I really thought I could have made a much bigger impact with my guitar but I wasn't going to force my guitar where it wasn't wanted. I chose the first song. It was one that he and I had performed many times before. The assembled leather clad congregation went wild. They loved it! We proceeded to do another with saw as the primary solo instrument. Then he asked me to sing a couple as the band backed. It wasn't something I was used to doing. I normally lead the songs I sing while playing guitar. When I pick my guitar it gives my hands something to do. That way they won't be trying to pick my nose or scratching in the wrong places while in public. (You've got to plan ahead. You know what they say. Idle hands are the devil's playthings.) Well, despite my hands feeling a little left out, I continued. I found myself playing with the mic, gooseneck and mic stand. I tried to steer clear of being too pornographic. After a couple of songs I felt like I was just getting warmed up and catching a stride, when, my portion of the show ended. My brief moment of limelight had ended and it was back to the previously scheduled escapades. In short, all of my concerns about the invitation to play, as justified as I thought they were, proved to be unnecessary and a waste of my energy.

Try to focus on having as much fun as you can and hang the rest.