Yesterday was a classic musician's day, the kind I haven't experienced in a while. I woke up at 5 am, groggily stumbled into the shower, got dressed, double-checked my gear, and was in the car by 5:30 am. My call time was 7:00 am, way up on 218th Street! Bet some of you didn't even know Manhattan had that many streets. Most people don't make it above 59th.
The real challenge of the day wasn't the early start but the dead time between gigs. The first gig was mostly sitting around and waiting. We played maybe an hour and spent the rest of the time hanging out. I didn't mind, though, because it paid really well. We wrapped up around noon, just in time for me to dash home and pick up my little one from school. If you live in NYC, you know that driving five miles can take forever with eight million people crammed into the city. Somehow, I made it, even after a parking miscalculation.
I got her back home, and we played Barbie wedding for an hour or so. Then it was time to grab my other drum set and load it into the car for the second gig. This gig was later, but to avoid NYC traffic between Jersey and NYC, I had to leave at just the right time. This meant arriving at the gig about an hour before the call and two hours before showtime.
We played a whimsical gig, a show with tap dancers, burlesque dancers, and regular dancers, with tipsy people vibing to our sounds—all in perfect harmony. We had a blast performing and people-watching. I often wonder if people realize we're watching them just as much as they're watching us on stage. Boom, it's 1:30 am, and I have to get home. The city transforms at night. It's not as busy, but it can be more difficult to navigate. The trains are slower, and the construction workers are in full swing, rushing to get things fixed before the morning rush. Tunnel closures and reroutes slowed me down. I got home around 3 am, tired but still buzzing from the adrenaline of the gig. This always happens. You're up for 24 hours chasing the music. It doesn't matter, though, because I have to be up by 7:30 to get my little one to school. Just another day in my life as a musician.
Later,
DD
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