James Lee Stanley

Performing in front of a hostile audience is sometimes the best school you can go to.   Provided you figure out how to reach them.

I remember doing a show with Blood Sweat and Tears in Madison Wisconsin years ago.    The DJ emceeing the show spent five minutes driving the crowd into a frenzy talking about BS&T and then said, “but first, here’s a folk singer from California”

I walked out on stage amidst a barrage of boo’s and many “f#*k you’s”.    Inside my heart was pounding and I was sincerely afraid I would fail.   Meanwhile, years of being on stage took over.

I just stood there and looked at them and then said, “what a bunch of pussies.   You call this booing?   I’m from California and when we don’t like someone, we really let them know.   Let’’s try it again.”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“Nope,”  I said,  “not good enough.   This time I will count to three and then you all can let go, en masse, as the French say.   1, 2, 3…”

BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“No, not quite, let’s try it one more time…1,2,3…”

BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Which was spontaneously followed by laughter, applause and I went into a song, did my set, got an encore and sold some merch in the lobby of the venue.

The deal here is to see what is happening, actually acknowledge it and then use it to your advantage.   If you don’t acknowledge what is happening, you cannot use it and it will use you.

I did a show with Chicago at the Concord Pavillion.   A ten thousand seat shed in Concord, California just east of Oakland.

It was still daylight when my portion of the show started and the Emcee did nothing to engage the crowd and then introduced me to literally no applause.    This was not acceptable.

I walked to the microphone and said in a soft voice, “excuse me”    Not a loud voice, a soft voice.

Ten thousand people got quiet to hear what I said.   I went on…

“Folks, we’re taping this show for rebroadcast later on the radio and that intro and reception just won’t cut it, so I’m going to re introduce myself and then I want you all to respond as though the Christians were right and Jesus actually has returned.   Are you ready?   Okay…(pause for complete silence)…and now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, my favorite entertainer in the world…James …Lee … Stanley.”

The crowd erupted, screamed, hollered, pounded on their seats, their coolers, whistled and yelled my name.   They made so much noise that Chicago all came up from their dressing rooms, some three floors below the stage to see what in the hell had happened up there. 

I actually have videos of that show…I should make them into a DVD and sell it to all of you who have read this far.