Part 1 because I did a 4th of July practice round the Saturday before, which is what this post is about! I never leave enough time to get outfits ready (except for the elf), so we scrambled a patriotic outfit together: a blue and white polka-dot dress that's way too short uncomfortably yanked down to almost reach my knees topped with a formerly white blouse that went through the wash with a yellow scarf once and tied around the waist with some red ribbons borrowed from another dress. I covered a party hat with white paper and blue stars to go with it's natural red tinsel-y stuff. Nothing for my smokin' squeezebox. I started playing at the bench area by the pier, and moved to the Town hall.
1. I played "Blowin' in the Wind" for one of the first times, and I immediately got a thumbs up from an obvious hippie across the street. Way to stereotype yourself, guy.
2. Some parents gave their kid money to give to me, but he tried to pocket it instead (this happens not infrequently). When his parents made him fork it over, he stuck his tongue out at me. All mine!!!
3. I solved one of the greatest mysteries of all time! There are three personae I would see in Provincetown, and I suspected that they might all be the same man. One is a street performer who sings along with old songs on a bad sound system. Really obnoxious. But he also makes balloon animals. Another is the local pilgrim, this guy who rides around on a huge tricycle in a pilgrim costume ringing a bell. The third is Ellie, the famous cross-dressing Diva ("78 years young and still living the dream!"). However, this notion of body-sharing was dismissed once I was waiting to play in front of Town Hall. Ellie died last year and there was a memorial to her outside Town Hall. The balloon guy was performing. Then the Pilgrim rode by. THAT would be an impressive feat for one person!
4. While I was waiting for the Town Hall spot (and eating a delicious dinner of veggie sticks), this guy came and sat next to me. We had a strange conversation. I started to write it down when it happened, but stopped because I was sure I would never forget it. But I did. I can tell you the following things: my converser's name is Ian, he has green hair, he does martial arts and has a baby daughter named Sophia. He informed me that sex and weed are good, and invited me to have sex with him.
5. A guy made a bad joke about distracting me and taking all my money or something. Ha.
6. A guy said he plays the concertina! Usually these folks chip in if they're into squeeze instruments enough to come talk. He said, "I'd give you a dollar, but I'm on a budget." Gee, thanks.
7. May rolled by in time to see me in my getup playing "Stars and Stripes Forever." She said, "That's my girl." She loves the gimmicks!
8. A man came up to me and asked, "Do you have an aunt named Laura?" I sure do! It turns out this guy (Jamey) went to high school with my Aunt Laura. They had reunited when she was on college tours with her kids, and had mentioned her accordion-playing niece in Provincetown. Cool!
9. Someone asked where the statue lady was. I said "She's retired from the statue business." They paused for a second, then asked, "Is it you??" Nope, sorry.
10. I had previously established that the tour bus driver lady loves Wallace and Gromit. I played the song when she went by, but she totally didn't react.
11. I played "Morir Soñando," a Mexican waltz that literally no one but Flaco Jimenez and me has heard of. One guy must have mistaken it for something else, because he barked at another passerby, "You know the words, sing!" I don't even know the words!
12. Someone asked exactly how much I have in loans, then bragged that his kid has $400,000 of loans for medical school. Fine, your kid wins.
13. A dog walked by with 4th of July face paint. Oy.
(Stuff I noted but can't remember:
-Ambulance HEY
-Blow kiss
-asians "Red" balloon)
On to part 2!
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