Yup, I forgot about that overhead structure rule. The folks that were listening as I played were so nice to me that I got caught up in that great feeling you get with listeners who really appreciate your energy. So, the security guy had the right, by the letter of the law, to ask me to stop playing and I had stopped. But pushing the conversation into threatening to eject me from the event after I had complied with his wishes and then to ultimately get me escorted off the grounds with police was simply poor social skills on the part of this part time security guy.

My goal at the event was to create smiles and perhaps a little laughter via my efforts at entertaining and I did, during that brief half hour set on Sunday. I wanted to offer my talents and hoped that folks would stop to listen and appreciate my efforts, and they did. They offered applause, their laughter, their smiles and even a few donations. After I was finished playing one song, they requested more music of me and I, being the generous soul that I am, was more than willing to honor their request. They, were why I was there. Folks listened and enjoyed my stories. They enjoyed my playing, with both my musical saw and with my bottleneck slide guitar.

Yep, I did that. I am guilty of playing folk music. When playing folk music becomes a crime, only criminals will be folk musicians. Put on the cuffs and drag me off to jail for my evil ways.

I created something beautiful. That effort was then squashed by this event's security goons. Was getting escorted off the grounds worth it? Yep. Would I do the same thing again? Well, I don't purposely go looking for trouble. I wasn't looking for it this time either. Nor was I aware, at the time, that I was doing a bad thing, but trouble found me. I did exactly what I had seen others do, entertain folks under the covered areas of the festival grounds. I didn't see anyone else getting escorted off the grounds by police for doing the same.

You're right too Bob, this isn't much of a folk festival. It does look and sound a lot more like Bumbershoot, with amplified stage volumes far too loud. Free reign is given to far too many, who by virtue of the volume of their instruments, are allowed to dominate the available listening environment at this event. They might just as well call it Drumfest. It's annoying and frankly, I'm tired of hoping that the people who have run this event into the ground via their lack of vision will ever see reason to actually do something to improve it. I'm glad to have learned this lesson now, instead of allowing frustration to simmer any longer about this event's shortcomings.

Besides, with all of the available players attending this event, it left the rest of the areas in the city wide open for an enterprising street performer like me. As a matter of fact, after being ejected from Folklife, I went directly to the Fremont Sunday Market and played a set there. I was met by the same kind of appreciation for my efforts at entertaining from the folks attending that weekly event. Both the passersby and the craft folks offered their applause, smiles, laughter and yes even donations. And best of all, guess what I did not have to deal with? Stoopid rules and those who enforce them, demonizing my efforts.

After that, I finished my day by playing a late set at Pike Place and again the results were the same, applause, smiles, laughter and even more donations. It seems like I'm forever turning lemons into lemonade.