Harajuku Cafe

Had difficulty with my voice all week with the pollen in the air. Tuesday I played the Open Mic at Maloney's and when I hit a few notes in the upper register I couldn't hold them on pitch. Damn pollen.  Paul Wilson came in Friday night for the fest and he was prepared to sing Rain King on Saturday.

Up on Saturday and my voice was barely operable. I was hosting at Phillies starting at 1 p.m. and I felt my voice had seven hours to warm up; more than enough time. The day started cloudy and then some soft rain came. My first act was there, then the second. The third act got set up and went to see Dara Sheehan at the Local. I told Patrick, one of the owners of the Local, that Dara was good and when they heard him playing they understood why he was the only person I looked for on the HBC schedule. I talked to Nick outside for a bit and told him that last year when I hosted at Phillies I said to the crowd when Dara finished that I was glad I wasn't following him. Then I asked Nick when he was playing.

"Next" he replied.

Ooops.

I had an act get stuck in traffic and someone said maybe ten minutes late.  I'll fill in I thought. I played about four songs and I could hear my voice deteriorating with every note. I was telling Paul about that thinking he could take part of the load off. Paul had been imbibing continually and I asked if he could do this.

"Yeah" he answered "I'll stop drinking for the next couple of hours."

Thirty minutes later I saw him with another rum and coke.

When I finally went on, I had to cut songs that went into the upper register: no Rain King, no Joker, no Time After Time, no Doctor My Eyes, no song that went an octave over Middle C. No glissandos, no mini-runs, nothing that soared or held a note for very long. Only songs that were belted.

Set list:

Fuck You

Video Killed the Radio Star

Girlfriend in a Coma

Talking Bout a Revolution

What You Won't Do for Love

Big Mama's House

Beast of Burden/When I Come Around

American Pie

No Woman No Cry

This is how Phillies started at 1 p.m. Filled up quickly after that.