After Pleasing the Crowd, I was Pleased by a Band

I think a good way to judge how successful a speaking engagement is would be the number of people who want to ask questions, and how many come down to introduce themselves after you’re all done. On these two scores, my Search Engine Optimizing presentation at the Boston Globe Travel Show was a big success. It felt great up there and my slides were tweaked just enough so I didn’t read them, but instead, used them as a starting point to talk about broader topics.

After the exhilarating session (best was when a few people said it could have been longer to get all of their questions in) I wandered out on to the show floor met some of the exhibitors. I got some literature about Alberta where I will be visiting the Calgary Stampede in July and saw dancers in very revealing outfits touting Puerto Rico and Aruba. Oh la la!

Then I met up with my mates and we went over to the Yellow Sofa Cafe. There I was amazed by a very talented band called Swing Caravan. They play gypsy jazz, inspired by Django Rheinhardt, and the drummer plays a tiny assemblage of a kit…a washboard, an overturned sap bucket, a tiny cymbal and two pots he bangs on with rings on his fingers. He did pick up a set of brushes, but the most dramatic playing is when he taps those items with his deft fingers. Wow!