As Good As It Gets

We played a gig a few years ago at something called the Boise River Fest. There was, they tell us, 100,000 people there. There were cameras on tracks swooping in and out as we played, we were being broadcast live on regional television. And it occurred to me, right then and there, that a great show cannot be predicted. We didn't have a bad show that night, but it was hardly a career highlight.

Tonight we played a small place in Montana called Chico Hot Springs. There was maybe 250 people there total. Got kinda fucked up on the Jaeger shots some asshole/kind soul kept bringing to the stage (I normally manage my alcohol intake quite well, but it'd be rude to turn down Jaeger shots).

But the point is, honestly, I can't have more fun playing music than I did tonight. So the lesson, clearly, is that it's not about crowd size. It's not about TV cameras. It's not about expectations or what you get paid, or glory. If you connect with the audience, and it goes off, this is the greatest job imaginable. If you don't, it's not.

Simple. Like that.