*The following events take place between March 22nd, 2019 and March 24th, 2019.*
Friday
11:09pm - So, I feel great about the fact that B.Allen and I have four shows coming up. However, I found out some news the other day that is definitely having me worried. Thursday, B.Allen told me he wasn't feeling well and I usually know to keep on high alert about his health after past events in 2016. Later on in the day, he told me he went to urgent care and got told that it's the flu and had a fever of 103.2. As of this moment, the last update I got from him was, "Off and on sleep all day today feel like death finally saying this is it for me"
Now, for those who know B.Allen as I do, you may find some humor in that. Those who don't or who don't find any humor in that, might be very concerned. If he didn't have the flu and said that, I might find it funny and tell him he'd be alright. However, the flu ain't no joke. So, unless he makes a miraculous miracle by the time I get up in the morning, it looks like I'm rocking this show solo.
Saturday
3:16am - Unless a miracle happens, I'm going with the assumption that I'm performing solo tomorrow (later today, depending how you look at it). This will be the third time in a decade that I've performed a full set completely solo (two, if you exclude the set I did with Gazda back at Nomad in 2017). "Introspective Journals" is about 20 minutes, so that'll be the set list for the show, if I'm going at it solo. Gonna enjoy this tea and call it a night.
10:10am - Alarm goes off, so I know it's time to get moving. Gonna start my day how I ended yesterday, with some tea.
10:29am - I text B.Allen to see how he's doing and the update I got was, "sore and super hot but super cold at the same time at least able to drink water and hold it down tho". So, sounds somewhat better, but definitely not in shape to perform a set. It's 99.9% official - I'm rocking tonight's show solo.
12:04pm - Doing some minor run through of songs to make sure I've still got this "Introspective Journals" stuff memorized.
12:56pm - Double checked with Jeff to see if he was still coming to the show, looks like we're all good there. The homie, Jayce Serene might come through to the show tonight. He works at 5:30am though, so it might be tough for him to make it.
1:52pm - Finally getting some lunch in my system. Slowly starting to get my focus right for tonight.
2:40pm - Beats for tonight's show are on my flash drive, as well as emailed to SunDogs. While I can, I am going to get a nap in for a couple of hours. No telling what's denied holds, but I want to be sure I enjoy every moment of it and out of my head.
5:15pm - That nap was definitely needed. Time to get moving and get into that zone.6pm - I definitely take blame for the miscommunication on asking Jeff to pick me up haha. The whole "solo set" threw me off. Nonetheless, looks like he'll be here at about 6:45 and we'll be hauling ass to St. Paul. Time to get ready and listen to Smoke DZA's Ringside series.
7:11pm - So, based on how Jeff peeled around that corner down the street earlier, I can tell we're gonna be in a bit of a pinch to get to Hat Trick Lounge on time. Jeff just passed me his phone to play something off of Spotify. Choice of music? DMX!
7:45pm - We've arrived! It's a unique vibe in here tonight. It is now time to make that slow metamorphosis. Shortly after we got settled in there, Jeff and I hear the exact DMX song we heard in the car. (”24 Hrs To Live”)
8:25pm - I send B.Allen a picture of the stage and tell him it might be a blessing in disguise that he has the flu with the stage being a bit small, especially with the band's equipment up there. His reply was, "Lol good way to think of it , I'm mad I can't be out there with you bro kill it bring that energy man". Even with the moments that we can't always make an S.O.S. performance happen, he at least throws some good luck energy my way. That definitely will help going into the night. I decide to get some fresh air with Jeff and practice my set a bit. Mic stepped out to smoke real quick as I was practicing. Just as I started practicing "Ain't No Big Thing", I hear someone yell out "BDa!". Now, in St. Paul, I didn't expect to hear that. But, shortly, I'd see who exactly yelled my name from a car...
8:38pm - It was none other than MonoPoleJoe! Reidy, Tu'shawn and Mono have arrived! Mic comes back out shortly after and the six of us chat for a good minute about local music and other stuff.
9:05pm - Ron Wolf & The Smokin' Barrels are up now. A little blues action to start the night!
9:16pm - I get a good luck text from my girlfriend, Nikki and she gives me some extra hype within her good luck wishes. I let her know that I do feel good about my set, but I'm worried about people sticking around that late.
9:44pm - My buddy from the Sound Arts program, Teontre sends me a good luck text as well, as he won't be able to make it tonight, as he has an early morning gig himself. He is in a band called Papa Bleu & The Fistbump Congress, a 5-piece band that infuse world music, pop, hip hop, and rock. (https://youtu.be/ObvVnGgtENk)
10:09pm - Big Into is setting up now. Just got a text from the homie, Jayce Serene that he'd try to make it out tonight.
10:30pm - So, SunDogs definitely wasn't playing about having those earbuds ready! Big Into are killing it, but it done got loud as hell now.
10:55pm - Aaron Avis is up now. I'm digging his blend of rap with the guitar and metal feel. I have much appreciation to those who bend and break norms in music and this dude does just that.
11:47pm - J-Sully just killed it. The show is pretty damn behind, though. The crowd is a mixture of heading out early or trying to hold on and stick around. Mono, Reidy and Tu'Shawn headed out.
11:56pm - Ain't No Jok is up now! And the homie, Jayce just came through! Ain't No Jok got some cuts!!
Sunday
12:51am - Chase Vibe is up now. Looks like the final 3 of us can only do like 3 songs. The next 7-10 minutes zoomed by like a double eviction night of Big Brother!
-Spencer (Munny of SunDogs) lets me know that I only have to cut one song, since my set was at 16 minutes.
-Jeff misheard me when I asked what song to cut, which was a funny experience within itself.
-My coworker from Target Center, Kristen, who was there with Mic’s girlfriend, apparently knows Mic's girlfriend, so she actually got to see me perform. She, of course, gave me shit for not being at work much. With school and the main job (Fieldwork) in the mix, I stick to working my minimum of two events a month at Target Center.
Everything moved so fast in that time span, I had just enough time to shake off my nerves, put my eyeglasses in my bag and put on Grandpa's aviators and do the damn thing!
1:15am - Just got off stage and damn! Aside from the breath control, I didn't lose my voice that much and I held my own on stage! My attempt at crowd participation wasn’t as strong as it normally was, but I gave the few people there a pass, as it was so late. In the words of a famous group, it was “one more for the cool guys!” I always pride myself in making the most out of performing for a small amount of people by performing as if there were hundreds of people there.
1:19am - The homie, MICdos is up now, closing out the night! For those that don't know, I've known Mic since about Sophomore year of high school. Cool ass dude, nothing but positive vibes anytime he's around. I'm glad that he's getting some well deserved shine in the music realm as well.
1:50am - That wraps up the show for the night! As Mic, Jeff and I step outside, Mic just bursts out into impromptu singing of songs. With the voice I had left, I jumped in on the songs and parts I knew. If I came out of retirement from singing, Mic and I might be able to pull off a little somethin-somethin!
2:20am - I ain't never seen this man, Jeff want to get out of dodge (St.Paul) as much as I did in this moment! Once we managed to get past the slow cars on the St. Paul streets past the clubs, it was nothing but smooth sailin' on the back roads back to the humble abode.
3:03am - Getting a very, very late dinner in and realizing just how sore my body is gonna be in the morning...
