Going to see Eric Mantel this Saturday. The last time I caught one of his shows, he dropped tickets off at my buddies house, and we talked a bit about how rough it is for a career minded guitar player with nothing to fall back on like himself. I gave him an extra 20 for the tickets. Up until a few years before that, I had no idea who he was until a band mate scored a gig for us with him at a Nancy's Pizza. For one of his breaks that night, he played a blues rhythm on a loop, and asked me to jam over it for a bit while he went out and got some fresh air. As I was jamming, quite a few people threw money in his tip jar, and a beautiful black lady walked up to me and smiled, saying how wonderful my blues chops were. That did it for me, and I was fulfilled. I never told Eric about the money in his tip jar and just let him have it. I try to support this outstanding guitar player every chance I get, with sharing his links, spreading his name out to places I frequent, and by attending some of his shows. I'll be there at one of my favorite dives (The Looney Bin) this weekend to have some brews and watch a master in action. Who knows, I might even get a little stage time. Crazier things have happened.
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