Showtime at the Apollo! (Or how I stopped worrying and learned to love gigging again)

Last night I got to play with Binky Griptite and the Mellomatics at the Apollo Theater.
We were opening up for Sharon Jones and the Dapkings. I had only even been to the Apollo once before, YEARS ago. All the dudes working back stage kept teasing me "Girl, what you doin' soundin like KING CURTIS" I only played on two songs, and some tambourine on the rest, giving my arm a major workout.
Everyone looked great, rocking some awesome old-school soul style. I wasnt really allowed to take pictures...the sound guys let me get that one of the stage "You get one, but only cuz you're from CHITOWN" but what i couldnt get was a picture of sharon jones dress, all beads and sequins in a pale blue. The woman who made her dress was backstage with us, dancing like crazy! Sharon....Sharon simply rocks...thats all there is to it...
Meah Pace, looking like Tina Turner! She sings in the Mellomatics, and it was her birthday that night too!!!
The back up dancers...gogo!
Me, reed in mouth, wearing a Phillip Lim Blouse, and a Reckless Daughter Necklace...

I'm so thankful I got to play that show. I had been down on the music scene for while...the competition, the hustling...it to me was not what i wanted from music. I had been feeling weird about spending a lot of time on my jewelry line, and not playing as much...Binky's band, playing the Apollo, watching Sharon Jones and the Dapkings reminded me that music is fun as hell.