The Seven Milestones of G-man Blues.

I can hardly believe that only a year ago I was just getting my toes in the water regarding performing again after a thirty-year hiatus. I had begun a year before that with a single song and quickly adding two others; at the time I was thinking that if I do get to play an open MIC somewhere I would have three songs ready. Small goal indeed; but my first milestone.

I practiced those three songs hundreds of times. Two of the songs were Loudon Wainwright songs. My primary goal was to have an acoustic show with lots of humorous songs built in. I waited and watched my song list grow slowly. I search the internet for funny songs. It took a long time to build my list because I utilized a Zen approach to my performance. I was less concerned about performing an accurate rendition of the covers that I was playing, and more concerned about utilizing my particular skills and talents. I wanted to personalize each piece—but my own spin on them. There is an overabundance of players who can accurately depict and reproduce the songs that we have heard over and over. My plan was to provide a fresh view of these songs.

The song list grew to ten, twenty, then thirty. I was so proud. I kept multiplying the number of my songs times three minutes to attempt to determine how long I could play for. I slowly moved on from my goal of comedy and headed more toward acoustic rock and blues. My goal was fifty songs—I figured that I could play a three hour gig with breaks; milestone number 2.

One year ago I played my first performance, an inconsequential unassuming open MIC at a Potbelly sandwich shop a few blocks from my home. I had made the promise to myself months before that I would start showing up and playing but it seems there always was a good reason for not showing. One day Carla wouldn’t stand for another excuse. She made me go against a wholehearted resistance on my part. I was so glad I did. I showed up with my only piece of musical equipment that I owned—my trusty old Guild D44, now yellowed with age. I borrowed Carla’s tiny practice amp to play through. Small beginnings—yet a huge milestone number 3 for me.

The sandwich shop turns out was a good performance workshop. The clientele changed every twenty minutes or so, so if I wanted to I could work on a song over and over. No one seemed to take notice of me. There was no pressure to do well. Although I still managed to invent reasons why I couldn’t open MIC there, Carla’s stubbornness was unyielding. I kept playing and kept improving they liked me there, let me play all evening. I kept buying equipment.

In the beginning of 2005 Carla took me on a whirlwind tour of Open MICs all over Chicagoland. Seven or eight stages in a two week period. I was in heaven. I was beginning to build confidence as a performer. Carla looked on the internet for “gman blues” no one had the name, and she suggested it. I began to perform under that name. Milestone number 4.

After that first round of open MICs in the competitive world, I continued to open MIC around the city. I played Wednesdays at Ballydoyle Pub, and every third Friday at Sandwich open stage. Ballydoyle had a state-of-the-art Bose sound system, and a professional sound man who recorded the performances. They were a wonderful refinement tool. One of the problems with Ballydoyle however was the excessive number of players. Often I had to wait hours to play. At that time I only drank water because I still was somewhat unsure of myself. One of those times I broke protocol and started drinking “Black and Tans” while waiting for my set. I was feeling pretty good by the time I got on, and asked the house band to play with me. I did some blues songs and I really belted ‘em out. The place went completely nuts. Everyone was rockin’ and yelling out “g-man! Yo da man!” I never felt as good as that moment before onstage. Afterwards everyone was shaking my hand and telling me how good I was. So began the growlin’ thing. I thought that I would never be able to top that moment.

Ballydoyle soundman Rick Sullivan gave me lots of good insight about how and when to back off on the MIC when belting out. He also gave me the suggestion for the Aphex Acoustic Xciter which I wouldn’t’ show up to a gig without. I can’t tell you how many people think that my guitar is the best that they’ve ever heard.

In the spring I had launched my Web Site “gmanblues.com” it was a huge milestone number 5 for me. It was like hanging an “Open for Business” shingle out for me. By now I had a small PA system, MICs, and a home studio. I began to record demo songs. Things really seemed to be happening.

One Saturday I got a last minute email from Ballydoyle requesting me to play that night the regularly scheduled band couldn’t make it. I didn’t think that I was ready, but Carla insisted that I was. Ballydoyle on a Saturday night was a huge first gig for me. I was apprehensive for several reasons, the main one was that Rick Sullivan couldn’t make it and I didn’t know how to run the Bose. But I showed up with my tiny little PA and showed everyone a good time. This was Milestone number 6—paying gig.

I realized that if I could do well there, I could do well anywhere. I began to actively look for gigs. Carla was always there, taking photos, and networking. She was always there to lend a hand, setting up, tearing down, or instantaneously producing a pick when one flew out into the crowd.

It is the end of 2005. There will never be a year like this one for me. I look at all the places I’ve been, and things I’ve done. I look at all this equipment that I have. It’s amazing. Sometimes I think that I’m fooling myself and that there isn’t a point in continuing on, others I think that it’s just too much hassle, but most of the time I get stir crazy if I haven’t performed for a few days. And days like this last Wednesday where I was contracted to play for three hours and couldn’t bring myself to quit a couple of hours after that let me know that I am doing the right thing.
The seventh and last milestone that I wanted to hit this year was to finish my album. I’m not sure I’m going to hit that mark. I’ve got several songs in process, and I really couldn’t tell you what the delay is, but it’s there somewhere. I’ve still got time. It really would be wonderful if I could reach that final milestone so I can begin fresh in 2006 with my festival agenda and not have that slowing me down.