GIGS OF NOTE -

Fri Nov 15 Las Vegas, NV - Red Rock Casino (Paul Reiser closes 😉)
Mon Nov 18 Philadelphia, PA - Kimmel Center Mazzoni Center Tribute to George Takei
Fri Nov 22 Nashville, TN - City Winery Nashville
Sat Nov 23 Chattanooga, TN - Davis Wayne's
Sun Nov 24 Atlanta, GA - Eddie's Attic

*PRIVATE COACHING AVAILABLE - Contact me (vance@vancegilbert.com) for songwriting, performance, and voice coaching.*
**CUSTOM SONGS - Expensive, but sure, you want one about you or your family or something.**
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UNLIKED

One of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned came from a reviewer that despised me and one of my albums. So maligned was he by what I do that the record company publicist asked why he bothered writing about it at all. He replied, “I dislike this music so much I was *compelled* to write about it.”

Some time later at some music party in some city lost to memory, I saw him and bravely approached him and asked why he disliked what I did so much, and if wasn’t there at least one song on the whole album that wasn’t musically offensive to him. He replied:

"There will be plenty of people that like what you do. I am not and do not have to be one of them.”

Sure, I’m floppy and fragile and sensitive in fits and starts like we all can be. And I’ve recently been in a room with someone of some influence that I know is magnificently lukewarm about what I do. So what do I do? Shake hands, smile, "Hi hello hope you’re well thanks for all you do”, absolutely aching inside, the young hurt me right at the surface, scuffed, uncertain, weeping the pus of ages-old broken on my colorful shoe tops.

And then ten minutes after that I move on to joy and love, for one of the things that happens with aging is that today's scar-scab forms more quickly now, an epithelial thank you, and good thing because I’m needed in a few minutes to spread more of my brand of thoughtful joy and humor to that plenty of people. Excuse me, lemme get by you here to the stage, thanks…