wide-eyed

It's RFF time again.  Last year at this time I was in the middle of MCAT style rehearsals.

Let me explain:

Beth and I had a main stage teaser set on the Friday night of the Regina Folk Festival.  We had the last tweener set of the night, right after John Prine and right before Sarah Harmer.  It's the prime spot. We wanted to nail it.

So in the week before the festival we rehearsed the songs, in order, at the precise time that we were to play them on the big night.

A friend observed that we were preparing for our set in the same way that med students prepare for the MCAT.

We even tried to get on the stage for our last rehearsal on Thursday night.  The friendly (but firm) security guards wouldn't let us, so we just played for them.

All of the prep was worth it, because when I saw the 3000 people in front of me I was all wide-eyed nerves and no cool.  But, we got the nod from Grant Lawrence of CBC R3, Sarah Harmer, the RFF staff and, best of all, the festival goers.  The rehearsals paid off.

I haven't prepared that much for a fifteen minute set before or since.

This year I will be at the festival again.  I will resume the position that I held for the two years previous to last year's performance - part of the stage crew on the main stage.  I was supposed to go on tour, but I couldn't bear to miss the festival.  Dan Mangan, Andrew Bird, kd lang... how could I not go?

Here's to a fabulous festival weekend for all.