When I was younger we'd go to a blues club or other club at least once a week. Dingy, beer stuck to the floor, smoke laden, downright nasty places. Have 5 beers and drive home. Now you can't have 2 beers and drive. And I have cataracts, I don't drive at night. And the noise level, I couldn't take it now. 30 years have changed a lot.

I still go every other Saturday for Saturday at the Opera (Met) high def broadcast in Surround Sound at the Deluxe Adults Only Cinema with big leather seats, drinks serve'md before and at intermission, a martini and shrimp cocktail anyone? I still give a bit every month to the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and try and get there once a year. Locally I support the Jazz Society, once a month a 'meet' and concert for about 300 people at 'my' club. (Shriner's Hall, I'm past pres), though they just rent the space from us for Sunday afternoon.

I'm trying to convince more groups that weekend afternoons would solve a host of problems. The wife and I used to put together 3 songs and go to some open mics. Got some good gigs that way. I'm too disabled to do that at the moment, but I'm not staying up to 10 to start of a Thursday and come home after midnight. I hope to be asleep then....

John Conley
Musica est vita