success, thanks to my little alcatel flip phone!

How proud I was of my little cell phone that everyone gives me static about!

Get this: the second concert tonight would not have been quite right, save for the photo I took earlier, before the first concert - 

this photo, right here - 

taken from my position today -

so, hooray for my photography penchant, too!

Yes, I worked a double shift today, for my last show as SMF usher.

Today had dawned cool and cloudy, with conditions worsening as the day went on.

Yep, pretty miserable for a Saturday, but even more so for all the venues hosting last performances of the 2023 Savannah Music Festival.

Never fear!

The Mighty Volunteers, as wrangler Therra calls us, were out in force, our red shirts a welcoming sight to those out for the final programs around downtown!

Me?

I was at the Charles Morris Center once more, but for two double bills: one as a matinee, the other in the prevening.

Most of the same crew was there from yesterday, too, including Tony Clarke, who, when he saw me, proclaimed that I "belonged to him tonight".

Fine by me!

Apparently, whoever took over as Stage Door Wench for last night's second show screwed up and went into the artists' area to chat - 

Mr. Clarke knew that wouldn't happen with me at the post!

(smile!)

 

Let me say one thing more before I get into my tale of being a show rescuer.

Look closely at this next picture.

See how there seems to be a magic carpet beneath the drum kit?

There are lots of little pieces of colored tape, in three different colors, in odd places on it.

Upon closer inspection, those marks are like those used by actors to serve as physical cues for location.

In this case, they mark where the legs rest for various pieces in this percussion set...

but, they only indicate location, not orientation of the piece resting upon those legs.

Ah hah!!!

Hence, the need for my first photo later.

This was all for the first act of the first concert, the one performed at the matinee by the Cuban quartet, Timba A La Americana, led by Harold López-Nussa on piano.

[By the way, he was born the same year as my first niece and will be 40 in July.]

His younger brother, Ruy, is the drummer, and they were fabulous to watch as they kept a line of sight so they could play off each other.

Honestly, it reminded me of how Smitty and Ronnie would signal back and forth as they played games!

(smile!)

During the set change, bass player (Luques Curtis) and harmonica man (Grégoire Maret) carried off their instruments, but Ruy's many pieces were set in the corner to await their next concert.

Etienne Charles' Traces quartet was more a gypsy jazz combo, with all instruments carried onto the stage by the musicians.

The lead man, clad in a turquoise blue, turtleneck, sleeveless, sweater, played both trumpet and beat box, with lovely arm muscles.

He was joined by French cellist Vincent Ségal;  New Yorker Or Bareket on bass; and Venezuelan Jorge Clem on the cuatro.

Jorge was the only one styling along, wearing a gorgeous red hat and deep purple, short-sleeved, shirt, as he stood and strummed his long-necked instrument!

[Three of the four can be watched here in a Christmas concert.]

After about an hour-long set, the concert was over.

Etienne had hands to shake and CD's to sell, as this was not his first rodeo and he'd come with merchandise!

That left the tech crew to clear off their seats from the stage and get everything ready to go again for the final concert here at the Morris Center.

And that's where the problem arose.

None of them could quite recall the orientation of all of those percussive bits - and their microphones - that were part of Ruy's repertoire.

Sure, the carpet 'cheat sheet' showed where all the legs should be... 

but which cymbal went where?

That's when I piped up: "The big one with the holes in it was closer to the wall, and the one with the extra hat was to the front on the other side."

I even showed them the photo, enlarging it for detail.

So, they set it up as I had it, then, just to make sure, they asked Ruy to come out and double check it.

Sure enough, my photo had the pieces oriented right for him, though he did tweak their proximity, just a little!

Very nice to be of service, sir!

(smile!)

Then I had settled back and enjoyed the show again.

(smile!)

And then I had enjoyed the Traces show again, too!

Afterward, I'd helped a German trio find the Metal Building for their event, after their Uber driver had mistakenly left them, in the light rain, there at the Charles Morris Center, where all was in process of being closed down.

(smile!)

When I got home, I texted this photo to Christina, saying "I had a double shift as my last one with the music fest. Cuban and Venezuelan bands! was the bouncer!!"

She replied, "I can't see you as a bouncer.

Just thinking about Roadhouse now and Patrick Swayze."

 

Then she added, "And this guy", with a photo of Sam Elliott as the mentor in the movie.

 

I told her, "All ya gotta do is stand straight and throw back your shoulders. 

It's all about confidence and appearance. 

I love being a bouncer!"

 

I really do...

even when I'm wearing my gray hair in a single, soft braid over my right shoulder!

(smile!)