Running late getting the kids out the door to their dad's, I actually contemplated not going to this show.
Unfamiliar with the venue, I dreaded the thought of walking in halfway through the show. What if the door is near the stage? What if I walk in and someone turns a spotlight on me and calls me out for being late? I had this dramatic vision unfolding in my mind of the band stopping mid-song and everyone turning to look at me...
Get it together, Kindall. You know you can do this.
I had told the band I would be there via Facebook and was looking forward to saying hi in person... so I took a deep breath and headed towards Water St.
I walked in, paid for my ticket, and hung up my jacket before skirting the room to find a great place to enjoy the show. It took some time for my eyes to adjust to the mostly dark room, but eventually I found an unoccupied table in the corner.
The band sounded amazing. It was my second time seeing Vinyl Tap, and while they were pretty good at the last venue, the acoustics of the second floor of the Contemporary Art Center are fantastic.
People were obviously enjoying themselves. The dance floor was always full.
The band took a short break and I willed myself to walk towards the front to introduce myself. When Mike Yocum came my way I started open my mouth to explain who I was. Before I could, he called me by name and said he was glad I could make it out. We walked away from the crowd to talk a bit more about what was happening with PML, what my future plans are, and what Vinyl Tap could do to help. Then he headed back towards the stage.
I walked towards the table where I had been sitting and one of the guys at the next one over asked, "Which one of them are you married to?"
I was confused. "What?"
"The band. Aren't you dating or married to one of the guys in the band?" I laughed. "No. I'm a live music promoter and we hadn't ever spoken in person before. So, I went to introduce myself." I told them about Peoria Music Live, but I didn't have cards or a finished website yet and they didn't use Facebook, so they changed the subject.
One asked if I had ever taken salsa dancing classes there and I said I hadn't. Then they went back to their own conversations.
The Five Spot is a BYOB and food event that takes place on Fridays and runs from 5:30-7:30. There are some soft drinks available for purchase, but many people had brought their own dinner or snacks as well as bottles of wine or beer.
Standing in the back looking around the room, a random thought popped into my head.
I have a bit of A.D.D., so that's not uncommon. I also own a residential cleaning company (more on that story another day) so the thought itself makes a lot of sense.
"Look at all the rings on these tables. Nobody brought coasters. Maybe I can get some printed and bring them up for their next show."
I haven't asked yet, but I did get some coasters made. Keep yours eyes open at your favorite local venue. Maybe you'll see them there!
The night ended promptly. In fact, a few minutes before the show was to finish I saw someone from the Art Center walk past the band and motion to them to watch the time.
I will definitely be going back to the Five Spot. I might even consider hosting a Peoria Music Live event there in the future. It's a venue that more people need to know about and they have great shows. In the end, it was another night that I was glad I didn't let fear take over and keep me at home.