All this week I've unintentionally spotlighted some characteristics in myself and other people who play in bands and how those characteristics contribute to living an artistic lifestyle. Last night, Death House Chaplain played a show at a tiny little British pub in Redlands, CA with Map and Correatown and I relearned one of the most important attributes necessary for success in any field: dedication to one's craft. It's so simple, yet I rarely think about it.
In talking to Angela Correa before the show I found out that a mere 28 hours earlier she had flown in from Europe. She's spent the last month touring our neighbors across the sea, getting on average 4 hours of sleep per night. If it were me, the last thing I'd want to do upon returning home jet lagged within an inch of my life would be to play a small show in the middle of nowhere to a half empty bar. But when I asked Angela about it, she merely replied, "I know, I'm crazy, I just like to play shows. I guess I was on a high from playing every night and didn't want it to end when I came back to LA."
A further examination of the issue revealed that she was indeed human and tired as hell, but she took the stage like a champ, fought through some technical difficulties and played a damn good show. I've always believed that a show is worth playing as long as I can affect one person's life that night. Sometimes that occurs completely independent from the actual music, maybe just in talking with someone you meet along the way. Last night the show was worth it because I was that person affected. I'm not saying no one else got anything out of it, but driving home I felt that the show was a little reminder just for me to stay dedicated. Thanks Map! Thanks Correatown!
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Angela is by far one of my favorite singer songwriters. If I were perhaps not so ill at the time maybe I could have made it out. Ambition drives us all to do what we do in the face of reason and reality at almost all times.
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