For the last 12 years or so my weekly music activity was the Adult Group Guitar classes at Oz's Music in Ann Arbor. After moving to Traverse City a few weeks ago, the closest I could find is a Monday Open Mic night at Left Foot Charlies. Don Spatia, whom I met at a couple of guitar seminars around Michigan also moved to TC a couple years ago and is a regular at this place on Monday nights. He wanted to see me play the Stick so I showed up and played an improv tune, and Yesterday by the Beatles. Yesterday still plagues me as I never seem to quite get it right - the only two people that ever saw me play it through without messing it up was Stephen Sink and Steve Osburn. I got through the whole song and the ending tripped me up. Afterwards, everyone asked if I could play more. OK - more improv. For some reason I can do better just making up songs on the fly. I played a bit harder and bluesier using the blues scale and bending the strings really hard. Worked out well - just glad I didn't blow out the hosts Fishman Solo amp PA - it doesn't handle hitting the bass side of the Stick too well. Fun times, will be back again, great group of people and some really fantastic singers. Just need to come up with more material now.

Good to see you rocking it out up in Traverse City, Steve! I do love your Yesterday cover. Glad to hear it (mostly) came off alright. Keep rocking it out!

Open Mic # 2, this time I brought my NS Stick but forgot my camera. Opened with an original song, then did an improv on Stanley Clarke’s “School Days” and “Linus and Lucy”, then finished with another original.

My first song was strictly finger style guitar and strumming, no tapping. The last song I did mostly tapping. And with the rest I did throw in some slapping but not much as I was playing through the host’s Solo amp. Next time I can bring my PA which should work better. Regardless the NS sounds great through any amp or PA I play it through. Good response from the audience, only a few minor errors that I could work though and make something musical out of.

Almost four months into this weekly open mic, making a lot of progress. I'm getting more and more comfortable making up songs on the Stick "on the fly" with little to no preparation. Tonight someone asked me if I would play at their daughters wedding next year downstate. I mentioned if they like the Stick to check out Steve Osburn at Oz's Music who lives closer.

I recently started using the Line 6 HX Stomp and have been tweaking the EQ each week - the host uses the latest Fishman Solo Amp PA, and tonight I pretty much have the eq perfect, my friends tell me both sides are well balanced coming through real clean.

I started out rotating through all of my instruments but the last four I've just been using my Grand Stick.

Keep getting up and out there. Wish I were closer and I’d come listen. I need to start doing some open mics. There is one down the street from me that I might try in a few weeks

Yeah I'm in the same place. After several years of semi-regular gigging, I stopped for about two years. I went to one of Steve's open mics and felt really rusty at live performance to the point of massacring a fairly easy tune that I should be able to play in my sleep. There's a pretty cool open mic near me that I just haven't been able to get to yet but hope to in the very near future.