Guitar Hero

On Monday night, I finally performed at Open Mic night.

The set:

• Africa, by Toto
• Love in the Time of Teh Internets, by Me
• Scientists Can Talk Sexy Too, by Me

I think it went well enough.

Like many of you, I wondered why I would want to sing at an Open Mic night. The self-doubt crescendoed as my performance approached. My heart rate skyrocketed, my mouth dried up, I looked for any excuse not to play. Why in the hell would I willingly subject myself to this?

The answer is actually pretty straightforward... that anxiety, that freakout, is nothing more than a rush.

The risk of a performance isn't actually that risky. In the worst case, the audience doesn't like me. There is, quite literally, nothing for me to lose. That knowledge, however, does nothing to limit the perception of risk, which is enough to induce a pre-performance adrenaline surge.

I used to get that surge before Karaoke, but I just don't anymore. I've developed a tolerance. Karaoke is a gateway drug, and Milky Manchester is the pusher!

It helped that Aaron and Will were there as usual, along with special guests Chaz, Dolly, and Tania. My friends the Open Mic regulars were also supportive. Thanks, guys, for being my groupies! If you ask nicely and provide the Sharpie, you can have my autograph.

This will not have been my last performance, which means that there are more songs to write, more covers to learn, and of course more anxiety to endure. How boring life would otherwise be!