(Art 451) Problems In Digital Media: "One Night Only!!"

One Night Only!! is a live performance piece that comments on coffee shop culture, environmental issues, live performances, and the human condition. The audience is encouraged to play along through the use of a MIDI keyboard that plays sound effects and vocal phrases rather than musical notes.

The piece took place on December 7th, 2015 from 1-3:30pm at the University of Nevada, Reno Joe Crowley Student Union Starbucks. I played some of my own songs, two covers, and the rest were improvised on the spot.

I think the project turned out well. I played the entire time, the audience "played along," and I didn't even once quit playing mid-song when the keyboard went crazy (which was very hard to maintain my composure). The only thing I wish I could've done differently was have my guitar case set up directly in front of me instead of on the side and that the keyboard could've been on it's own miniature stand and ornately decorated but there was no way to house my computer, PA mixer, and keyboard cables in any fancy manner while also giving me easy access incase of technical difficulties.

I was relieved that I didn't get kicked out at all. One of the employees came over and played the keyboard and laughed because he understood my purpose and how accurate the phrases were to things he'd hear every day and how asinine the average college coffee crowd sounds. My friend Dale brought his 5 year old son Wyatt who LOVED playing the keyboard and he would show people how it works with the pitch wheel and everything. Wyatt would slam down every key and customers would plug their ears and look annoyed because it was so deafening. I don't think many of them understood that I'd like to do the same when they open their mouths at all.

Overall, I'm glad there were no computer problems and the keyboard hung in there the whole time. Some people got it, others didn't. It was just fun interacting with people and seeing how they took my project as a whole as something out of the ordinary and most likely obnoxious. I loved it. I had a lot of fun and some of my friends did as well.

Here's some videos and pictures documenting "One Night Only!!" with thanks to Emma Carter, Elizabeth White, Rachel Dickson, and Joe DeLappe for taking them.