It wasn’t until 3 nights before the gig that I knew it was going to happen. I went to work and took the next few days off to learn 3 hrs of music (mostly covers, blowing the dust off some originals), test my equipment, and potentially learn the Canadian anthem.

Friday, May 30th, was the Brockton Rox’s (professional baseball) first Rox N Roll night for their inaugural season. It consisted of fans getting discounted tickets, lawn games in their beer garden, and live music. How often do musicians get to play their own original music in stadium? So cool!

It was also Military Night, making the performing the Star Spangled Banner have a little extra meaning. The away team, Trois-Rivieres Aigles, played their home games in Canada so there was consideration in learning their national anthem. Given the time constraints and the fact that messing up an anthem during such turbulent times, I chose not to learn it and potentially tank it. Given my great parents came from Halifax, Nova Scotia, I do have a connection there.

In all, the night was awesome. It turned cold quickly, but still awesome. The Rox staff was amazing and are building a great family-friendly environment. Easy parking, inexpensive pricing, and supporting players who aren’t playing for money make it a suggested night out.

Performance notes:
– There was a lot of pollen and dirt to be wiped off my gear the night day
– I can apparently use my guitar amp as a PA system if my mixer does all the work
– Buying a Red Rider for the beach also comes in handy for transporting music gear
– At one point, the Rox Head of Business Affairs came over saying the umpires were stuck in traffic due to a car fire on the highway, which may delay the game and requested I play longer than expected, but assumed more fans would trickle down to the beer garden during the delay
– If you have a bag, also pack a sweatshirt. If not for you, for your kid(s) as it may get cold in those early/ late season games