I’ve been running the Wooden Nickel Open Mike nearly two and a half years. I continue to receive this huge bounty of friends and musical contacts just ’cause I lug my gear into a local tavern and let people play (after me, of course) once a month. It’s a very cool thing.
The real kicker, though, is the talent that appears out of nowhere and just completely floors everyone in the place. A year or so back, a pilot who was in town for the night hesitantly asked if he could play piano. He did this amazing rock jazz piece like I’ve never heard. We all picked our jaws up off the floor…and never saw him again. Then there was a guy one night who barely spoke a word, walked up, and did the deadest-on Elvis anyone’s ever heard. (The women went wild).
This month, it was Eli’s turn.
Eli (short for Elizabeth) is my pal Christian’s daughter. Their neighborhood has been the victim of a rampaging raccoon (dubbed “Rocky”) over the past several weeks, and Eli figured Rocky deserved his own song.
Rocky has quite the reputation. Eli had plenty of material. This was a ballad she warned us, “so it’s long…feel free to sleep on your neighbor’s shoulder”. (This young lady has the whole self-deprecating thing down pat. Very inspiring.)
Lookin’ for fun, lookin’ for a fight
Come to the house at 1877
It’s Rocky’s own personal 7-11
It’s a great song. She just killed. These little moments at the Nickel aren’t unusual, but this one was special.
Last night, Christian, Aaron Bagchee, and I played an in-the-round at the Bayview Hotel. Eli was with Christian, so we were treated to a repeat performance.
And just when I thought I had the chorus Rocky Racoon…Rocky Racoon…His name is Rocky Racoon…Rocky…Rocky Racoon out of my head, too. No complaints. I can’t wait to hear what she comes up with next.