November 14, 2003- PACE Gallery - Easthampton, MA - Henning Solo
Henning says: On Friday I played at P.A.C.E Gallery in Easthampton. It was a double bill with Teddy Goldstein from NYC. I got to P.A.C.E. at six for soundcheck and was delighted at the changes that they have made to this room. A movie theater in Texas donated a whole mess of seats and they have been installed on riser platforms, so there are ninety comfy chairs with cup holders and un obstructed views of the brand new stage. The stage is large and deep and roomy. The sounds system is excellent and the room is very comfortable all around. Unfortunately, for this particular show, only eight people came. Eight people in ninety seats looks pretty bleak, BUT, from on the stage, with the spotlights in your face, you can't see how many people are there at all. The folks that did come were wonderful. Listening intently and laughing enthusiastically at all the right moments. Honestly, I am quite content to play for eight people who seem to be enjoying themselves - the only problem is that I know that you can't run a business on that kind of attendance, so while I am enjoying my time on the stage, P.A.C.E. is taking a hit. That makes it hard to be too optimistic. Teddy Goldstein came all the way up from NYC and took a hit himself on this show since his car broke down and he had to rent one. He played a long and seasoned couple of sets in front of the stage, by-passing the soundsystem completely and playing directly to the audience. I opted to stay up on the stage in the lights, because for one thing, I was honored to be the first musician to grace the new stage, but also because I didn't feel like my voice would be able to fill the room without the help of microphones and speakers.