If a tree falls in the woods...

The blah, blah, blah:
I had an interesting experience some weeks back at the CONVergence sci-fi/fantasy convention in Bloomington, MN.  Taking a much needed break from my labors in the dealer's room, I wandered down to catch a musical duo calling themselves "The Japanese Space Program" in the Harmonic Convergence suite.  I'd never seen or heard these cats before, but the name intrigued me and, a few minutes into the set, I decided I was a fan. They were just two skinny guys playing electric guitars (one of them a wacky Danelectro baritone) through a floor full of effects pedals, with beats provided by an iPhone app, and a sound that was weird, goofy and occasionally disturbing.  I'm not particularly good at identifying the various pigeon holes and rubrics under which current music is classified, but I would say their sound was sort of avante-garde, post-rock noise music--which doesn't really say much, but it definitely worked for me.  Check them out on your favorite social networking site if you're curious.

What I found remarkable about the experience was that, aside from me, the guys in the band, the sound guy and a rotating cast of two or three other spectators, there was no one else there to watch these cats make their sublimely weird noises.  This was disappointing, as I felt that what they were doing musically was significantly more in keeping with the mission of an event like CONVergence than the vast majority of the hip-hop, fake Irish folk and "filk" groups which fleshed out the remainder of the con's musical schedule.  If a name like "Japanese Space Program" and music that could easily be used for the sound track of any Philip K. Dick movie adaptation can't pique the curiosity of a hotel full of sci-fi fans, then I clearly have no concept of demographic-based music promotion.

Clearly, I have no concept of demographic-based music promotion.  What else I found remarkable about this experience was how much I still wanted "the full show" from these guys regardless of how many people were or weren't hip enough to get that they were The Band to see at Con.  My enjoyment of their act was not diminished by the fact that I wasn't surrounded by screaming fans, though I suspect the guys would have had more fun if the room had been full of attentive, Japanese Space Program-focused human bodies.  In fact, I know the guys would have had more fun if the room had been full, because I've been there far more often than not these past few years, and the realization of this sparked an epiphany.  Too often have I given a performance wherein I found myself apologizing--sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally--to the two or three people in the room for what I perceived as a clearly sub-entertaining performance, as evidenced by the fact that the room wasn't brimming with attentive, Griff Makes Music-focused human bodies.  It's not entirely unreasonable to assume that what you're doing lacks appeal if few or no people come to see you doing it, but it's a sophistry to leap to that conclusion based solely on the size of your audience. And it's downright unforgivable to give anything less than "the full show" if the audience size doesn't meet your expectations or wishes.  Clearly, the people who have come to see your act--and stay for your entire act--are Exactly the Right People to see your act, and they deserve "the full show," no apologies required.  

OK, I'm gonna end this rant by saying that I'm ridiculously grateful to every single Usual Suspect that has supported me, my performances and my recordings over the past five or six years.  If you've come to see me once, twice or twenty times since I got serious about playing music publicly, I thank you unequivocally.  I'd like to play for more people more often.  I'd like for lots more people to hear--and hopefully, purchase--my recordings. The key to meeting both of these wishes is to reach Exactly the Right People with the message about what it is I do.  I know those people are out there.  Some already come to my gigs.  Most of them have never heard of me, but I bet you know some of them, and it would be just dandy if you'd help me spread the word.  Send folks that you think would like my music to this blog, or to the Griff Makes Music page on Facebook, and let them know about my albums on iTunes, CD Baby and just about everywhere else on the IntraWeb.  And while you're at it, tell them about The Japanese Space Program.  Those guys are hot!

Item the First: The Prince's Masque: Royal Music for Romance and Revelry is now available on CD Baby and iTunes.  Click on the album picture at the left to go to the CD Baby site or search for "The Prince's Masque" or Richard Griffith on iTunes (and check out some of my other stuff while you're there). 

Item the Second: I can't access Spotify, cuz I'm in the US, but folks in Finland, the UK and several other European countries, principalities and the like can, and it appears that they've discovered my discography.  I've seen a fair number of streams of both of my first lute albums and Take the Stairs which is amazingly gratifying.  Spotify streams don't pay a lot, but I can't tell you how just how gigantically buzzed I am that people are listening. If you're one of them, give me a shout and say hello!

Item the Third: There will be no "First Friday at the Madhatter" performance in August, as I will be on a Secret Mission that night.  Shhhh! It's a secret!  Regular performances will resume in September.

Item the Fourth: The Twin Cities Lute Co-op is coming back.  Stay tuned!!!

And finally...thanks to all of them what made the scene at my CD release party this past Saturday.  The weather was weird, there were a lot of events going on in the Twin Cities...and still you came.  Can't wait to do sumpin' like it again, and soon.

...and that's it fer now, cats and kittens.  Until next time, play nice, eat right and don't be too hip for the room.
Be excellent to yourselves!!!

Rick