Mark, a small American of Japanese origin asked, "Would
you like a video of your performance?" He spoke
a bit too loudly because the woman who was singing on
the open podium looked at us with a hint of accusation.
So it was also the case here in D.C. that people began
to chat during the less important acts. Rather irritating,
I found.
The day before I had met an Irish fireman who had played
with his corps during the St. Patrick's Day parade.
"Actually you ought to go to Savannah; that's where
they have the biggest St. Patrick's Day Parade
in the whole country."
I told him we had an Irish band in Holland. We had christened
it 'Three whiskeys and a beer.'
"So, good for you." Then he told us that as
well as playing in the Emerald Fire Department Brass
Band, he also played guitar. "You must go to Vienna;
they have live music there every evening and tomorrow
it's open mike."
Vienna was easy to find; about ten miles to the west
of Washington D.C. but looking for a centre in such
a suburb is impossible. The church is in Church Street
and the school is in School Street but apart from that
there are just houses, no real centre.
"Let's get the shopping in by the first mall we
come to and then we'll ask where the coffee shop is,"
suggested Anita.
Finding such a mall is no easy matter, or more precisely,
driving there. "It's left here.... oh, no, it's
the next turnoff" or "Yes, now go right,"
just after we had gone past the turn off.
At last we got there because there's always a queue
waiting to get into the supermarket. We had parked at
the side of a Giant when a man carrying a guitar
walked right past us. It appeared that we had parked
right by the Coffee Shop, Jamming Java.
I told Mark that I was interested in getting the video
but that we would have to leave that evening for Savannah.
"No problem. If you pay me for it now, then I'll
give you a code and you can download the recording from
my website. By the way, weird arrangement; I thought,
'Wow, Free Dog Night,' but it wasn't, was it?"
I explained that I had tried to copy it from the record,
but that it hadn't been a complete success.
"Well, it sounds like a nice mistake."