Who's the BOSS!?

Pre-COVID, I was playing at least every week. I had a residency, and things were going really well. We had a sold-out show at a bar that's no longer in downtown Austin, and generally the trajectory was great. Obviously, everything got knocked off the rails, and life changed. Fast forward six years later, and I've found myself in a band and all this other kind of stuff, but the return to solo performance has very viscerally reminded me that playing solo is so easy. I don't recommend it as the only thing you do because the band dynamic is also an exercise in compromise and patience. If you're in the right situation, really wonderful things happen. Everything I talk about with Buckdancer's Choice falls into that category. That band has brought me so much, and I've learned a lot about myself and working with other people within a band environment. All of it is completely invaluable and informs the solo stuff and life in general. But the counterpoint of solo work remains. I'm the boss. I…