Night Eagle Cafe
1004 Auburn Road
North Lansing, NY

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-vance-gilbert-night-eagle-cafe-tickets-1035222637777 (tix available at the door)

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POST SOUTHERN TOUR PRE-TURKEY SANDWICHES
WITH STUFFING AND CRANBERRY SAUCE
AND A DOLLOP OF GRAVY
THOUGHTS

1) Nashville - A Poem

11 presale
tiny room
The best
That I can do
One room over was Vienna Teng
And Peter Mulvey too

Their sales also slow
I said “Let’s combine shows"
Everyone agreed

Peter graciously shared his
Opening spot with me
For an hour we tuneswapped to
Audience glee

Then Vienna’s textural genius
And the evening was done
We was all dulcet and poetic
And had a ton of fun.

PS - I’m still getting famous. Did I tell you about Vegas?

2) Chattanooga - Davis Wayne's - A fully-seated restaurant owned by a Black gay woman’s couple. One of them has loved my music since the early 90’s. The opening act, an awesome R&B duo called DL2 did a song from my first album. For me the hardest show to do on my calendar will be for a mostly Black, restaurant-ed, unpaid-ticket-except-for-dinner audience. They're a different acoustic listing/playing experience. You must earn them. They want gospel. They want to talk. They want Bill Withers. I did comedy, I shouted, I wailed, I whispered, I did Gospel acapella. Some hooted and clapped, some looked on calmly.

I ate. OMG you shoulda seen my plate.

The next morning I was leaving my hotel room when I passed the adjacent room door where stood, in her nightgown, a woman we’ll call Esther spotted me. “AAAAAAUUUUUGH!! BRIDIGETTE (we’ll call her) COME QUICK IT’S VAAAANCE!!” Bridigette come over next to Esther. Also in her nightgown. Another married gay lady couple. Both had looked non-plussed at my show the night before. “We have been spreading your name all over our social media this morning, that’s why we’re late checking out too!! Ohhh we’ll pack that place next time you’re here. You’ve got us for LIFE!!"

3) Eddie’s Attic, Decatur

It started with a full early show by Paul Thorn. Imagine John Prine and Jason Isbell and simple, incisive, funny, heartbreaking songs. What a genius.

Late show for me to like 80 folks, gold in itself. My cousin, and old college friend, and a bunch more Black people showed up. I was still a teeny bit out of my shoes from working so hard the night before. But special stuff started happening. Requests were flying about. The staff was laughing. The sound guy was laughing. People were crying at Old White Men, Black Rochelle. I sang like I shouldn’t have been able to for it being the 3rd night in a row.

The takeaway is this - three completely different settings and requirements of Vance and his tuneage and performing. All gold. I got your Thanksgiving right here.