Just a Voice in an Empty Room

"A man plucked a nightingale and, finding but little to eat, said: "'You are just a voice and nothing more.'"
-Plutarch, Moralia: Sayings of Spartans

"Yeah baby - tired of being alone here by myself, now."
-Al Green, Tired of Being Alone

This weekend the band played a really difficult gig - performing for three people for almost two entire sets. It was painful, depressing, difficult and - for me - lonely.

(Uh-oh - the naysayers are rolling their eyes right now. Admit it! "Kenny, all you've done for most of your posts is gripe that cover band musicians are workers, grinding it out like plumbers or mechanics. THEY don't need an audience to work! Quit whining and go sing!")

Look - the thing is, musicians get paid whether the room's crowded or not. We all know that. So why gripe about an empty room? Simple - musicians thrive off the immediate energy a live audience provides. I hate words like "synergy," but in this case it works because the formula for a great live show is: band gives energy / audience receives energy, multiplies it, gives it back to the band / band receives energy, multiplies it, gives it back to the audience / etc., to the nth degree. Talk about blowing the roof off. It's the perfect relationship - everybody wins.

When a room is empty, a good cover band (like mine) still plays and sounds great. We nailed it to the wall the other night, even though for a set and a half only three people saw it. We're professionals - we circle the wagons and play for one another. But for me, I really need the crowd. I need to give them everything I have, and when I'm exhausted, sweating and gasping I need them to prop me back up and demand more. It's exhilarating and cathartic and spiritual and crazy - but mostly it's connecting with them. It creates balance. It empowers me as a singer and an entertainer - so I'm not just a voice in an empty room.