Cinco de Mayo at the Juggling Gypsy

photo: David Smith	Played a place called the Juggling Gypsy Hookah Bar to celebrate cinco de mayo... well, there wasn't anything particularly Mexican about it, but still a celebration. In keeping with the Hookah Bar theme, the outside of the place has kind of a middle eastern look to it.
photo: David Smith	Check it out - I'm right there on the chalk sign outside with a star next to my name... pretty cool
photo: Rebekah Smith	This is a place where you can kick back with your friends and enjoy a hookah (legal smoking materials only please). It's a place where you can bring your dog. I don't smoke, but Rebekah enjoyed a hookah session after the show.
photo: Rebekah Smith	Justin Lacy opened the show. He's a local student (UNCW) who plays and sings. That night he was blowing off studying for his exams to be there. Hope you aced 'em anyway Justin.
photo: Rebekah Smith	Next up was Jon Creeden of Ottawa, ON (Canada). Jon is traveling across the US with his friend David. He brought along his guitar and is playing shows whereever he can arrange them. He plays with an intense percussive style - very primitive... he should be playing a CBG. Jon's friend David manned the door and collected the cover for us all night, so big thanks to David.
photo: Rebekah Smith As usual, I had several cigar box guitars along for the show. From left to right, these are The Cyclops, The Goblin, a 3 string built by George Borrelli, and the TransAmerican Hobo CBG. I also brought a one string to give away - strung with electric fence wire - but for some reason it's not in this photo. BTW, the bucket is there to catch the water drops leaking from the roof. It was interesting making sure I didn't kick the bucket as I moved around stage. Jon wasn't so lucky - he kicked the bucket several times.
photo: Rebekah Smith	Got on stage a little after 10pm with a crowd already worked up and ready to go, thanks to Justin and Jon.
One feature of the show that night was the TransAmerican Hobo - this is a cigar box guitar, built by Nick P of Long Island, that is on it's own tour of the continent. It's been to Canada, Arizona, and some other places. Came to me in NC, played a show in NJ on May 10, and is now in PA. The guitar is shipped from musician to musician - each of us plays it, records something, uses it in a show, etc., and then ships it to the next one on the list. Rebekah shot this video, of me playing a new song on the Hobo:
photo: Rebekah Smith	George Borrelli and his lovely wife Brigitte traveled all the way from Germany to attend this show... I think that's the furthest anyone has ever traveled to one of my shows... OK, they were actually in NC visiting their daughter, but they still drove quite a ways to be at the show. And I really appreciate it. George brought along a beautiful cigar box guitar he made. It's got a hand wound pickup and he built a case for it that includes an amp and speaker. Well, I borrowed his guitar and played "Come on in My Kitchen" on it... totally unrehearsed in a tuning I've never used before. Well, I got away with it, but quickly returned the guitar to George, to avoid the embarrassment of not getting away with it a second time, lol.
photo: Rebekah Smith	I mentioned above that I brought a guitar to give away - a regular part of my shows. The guitar was won by a fellow named Rocco. Turned out not to be his real name... The audience prevailed upon him to play a song and he treated us to a totally improvised song about how he got the name Rocco.
Now they put a star by my name... but the real stars of the show are you - the audience. photo: Rebekah Smith