Coincidentally, I posted that Thursday afternoon, and a couple of hours later, I was asked to bring my guitar to a party that night if I wanted.Originally Posted by boscotom
Perfect opportunity to do the "unplugged thing", and when I walked in with my guitar in one hand and the iPad and amp in the other, I jokingly said, "I bought the band with me."
When I sing at play at a party, I usually like to keep it "low key". I've seen too many people who bring instruments to parties and just completely KILL the momentum by making a "performance" of it, where people feel like they HAVE to listen.
But this little setup was perfect for that "cocktail party" volume and vibe. I kept it just loud enough so that people who wanted to listen, could, but quiet enough that conversation could continue for those who wanted to eat, drink, and talk.
Another strategy I used was, I asked the host play some instrumental jazz trio stuff on the stereo for a bit, then once I was ready to play, the stereo went off, and I picked up where the stereo left off. This smooth transition helped make it "not a big deal" that I was playing.
A side note: yes, that nylon string blended in nicely, and let me approach the songs with a little different flavor than usual. I think I've found that perfect "portable entertainment" rig that I can carry in two hands.
Everyone had a great time, and there was a lot of talk about how the live music added a lot to the party. Also, a lot of people were singing along with the songs, so I would call my little iPad/practice-amp/guitar combo a success.
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