I've played tired, I've played under the influence of many things, I've played happy, sad, confused, ecstatic, dejected, inspired, and disenchanted. I've played standing, sitting, and falling over. However, to the best of my knowledge I've never played while afflicted with a biosafety level 2 disease, until Friday, October 21, 2011.
The prior Tuesday night, I caught what I thought was the cold that was going around: Everyone in my house had been hit before me, so when I got fever and chills, I figured it was just my turn. Except everyone else was over their cold in 24 hours or so, and mine continued for days, actually getting worse as it went along.
On Friday morning I knew I had to make a decision about whether or not to do the gig, so I broke down and went to the doctor, where I discovered that I, in fact, had Lyme Disease. So I got a prescription filled, started taking my Doxycycline, and figured I was at the beginning of the end, or at least the end of the beginning. I was sure I felt better already; the show must go on.
All was well until about 10:30, when my back muscles started tightening up, other muscles (including the ones I use for, you know, strumming) started to spasm, and my jaw (the one I use for, you know, singing) started clenching. Two songs into the second set, I was ready to pack it in and hail an ambulance home. We had Pete play another set of tunes, to buy some time, and hoping it would loosen up my muscles a bit. It seemed to do the trick, long enough to finish the night after cutting the second break short.
I'm still not sure whether I made the right decision to go ahead with it: On the one hand, I'm pretty sure I set my cure back more than a few days by staying out late, hauling equipment, and tapping my foot so vigorously. On the other, I've got to say, it was a pretty great audience at Mannion's that night. We sold CDs and signed up a bunch of new people to the mailing list. We were able to play a number of requests, including one for "The Parting Glass." That one came in during the first set, but the requestor was patient enough to stick around until we played it as scheduled, to close the night.
The set list:
- The Night Visit + The Narrowback
- Mary from Dungloe
- Leaving of Liverpool
- Sea-Fever
- Shoals of Herring
- Tipping It Up To Nancy + Jigs (The Kesh + Sean Ryan's)
- The Auld Triangle
- Carrickfergus
- The Western Shore
- The Ferryman
- McAlpine's Fuselliers + Reel (Whiskey before Breakfast)
- Jigs
- I'll Tell Me Ma
- The Fields of Athenry
- Country Roads + Morning Sun
- The Patriot Game
- Shores of Amerikay
- Jigs
- All I Really Want to Do
- Whiskey in the Jar + The Silver Spear
- The Lakes of Pontchartrain
- From Clare to Here
- If I Should Fall From Grace With God + The Mason's Apron
- Muirshin Durkin
- Irish Rover
- Pole to Pole
- Back Home in Derry
- Reels
- Thousands Are Sailing
- The Parting Glass