Monday, September 3, 2012

Playin' In a Bookstore

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

April here! On July 6th, we played at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was Angie's first time playing a bookstore, and I'm not sure if any bookstore gig can ever top it.

Before we get too deeply into our love for everything Midtown Scholar, let's just get out of the way that we made a completely spontaneous detour to Gettysburg on the way from Richmond to Harrisburg. That's the magic of getting on the road on time. We didn't stay long, but Angie did get a chance for a photo op with everyone's favorite President.

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

When we walked into Midtown to load in, we all had a moment of jaw dropping wonder. We are all book lovers, and an independent book store is a book lover's dream. This one is especially beautiful, with a cafe and a dedicated stage, a second level, and just all around good staff and patrons. Our host, Liz Laribee, was extraordinary, as was the sound tech.

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Unfortunately, I couldn't truly capture the beauty of the space because just that morning I had made an immense blunder and dropped my camera on the hardwood floor at our hotel. Not only was my kit lens broken, but part of it was still attached to the camera. I didn't want to mess things up further by trying to separate it, so I just packed it away to deal with when we got to Boston. But, while I didn't capture many performance shots with cell phone, Angie and I did have an impromptu shoot among the stacks.

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar BookstoreAngie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

We had an enthusiastic, responsive crowd, which always creates a better performance, because it becomes more like a conversation than just someone getting up and singing at you. There was even some mild ribbing from the crowd about Angie's propensity for writing breakup songs. We also really began to discover that Angie's music has appeal across many different types of people, from high school girls to experienced older musicians to hippie poets. That's a great feeling.

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Angie Atkinson Midtown Scholar Bookstore