A few minutes later, Tayaw finally walked out of the waiting room, on standby to replace the band on stage. Tayaw looked around the bar room and saw Chala who already found a seat. There are also five or six familiar faces that he saw last Thursday's mic night. "Thank you, that's our set everyone. Let's welcome Isaac." The vocalist of the band said after they just wrapped up their last song. With the guitar on hand, Tayaw walked up to the stage and shook the hands of the band members.
After a few pleasantries, Tayaw introduced himself to the crowd while the band members pack their things. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Having fun?" Tayaw said the crowd and was responded with some polite nods. "Alright. While the band packs up, I'll give you fellas the time to adjust your eyes to a new shade." Tayaw joked playfully pointing out that he's the lone person of color among the predominantly Caucasian performers. There were African American and Asian performers too but they're in the background as instrumentalists.
The band behind him as they were stepping off the stage also laughed at Tayaw's joke and continued their way back to the waiting room. The crowd also was a little tickled at this. Tayaw was glad that the crowd reacted the way he was hoping. It was not at all said in spite but in jest. After all, it's rare for people outside the white American demographic listen to country music, much more play it.
"Let me begin by paying a classic by Doc Hartford." Tayaw said as he strummed a cheerful bluegrass intro on his guitar. Doc Hartford, a Virginia born country legend, made a name for himself in Nashville in the 1970s as he brought back the 20s-30s Americana style of country music.
"I grew up overshadowed by the green mountains
Couldn't catch the eye of no city girl
Here I am devoted to Fraulein
How I love the way you look in your blue dress
Can't believe I let the smog cloud my eye
Where the Green Mountains stand
And the Cold Creeks surround
I'll ride my truck with you by my side"
Tayaw's own hometown of Okuba, shares a lot with the picture the song paints about Virginia. Tayaw also remembered his childhood girlfriend and looking back on it, how adorable the love was. With his own feelings about his childhood memory and purity about Okuba, he was able to produce a nostalgic feeling. The crowd, though they cannot point it out, can feel the sincerity in Tayaw's song.
"There's a whisper in the Virginia breeze
reminding me of plains
that whisper builds
that whisper cries
Lake in the morning skies"
As Tayaw ended the song, the crowd showed their appreciation with a huge applause. 'Yes. A great start.' Tayaw nodded in thanks at the applause. Tayaw, however spotted Travis in the crowd, looking at him stone-faced. 'Is this guy supposed to be distracting me? That's cute.' Tayaw almost laughed at Travis.
Looking at Travis, however, he suddenly got an idea. "I'm sure that not everyone in the crowd tonight is from Nashville, yes?" Tayaw asked the crowd, to which half of them actually affirmed. "Hnn. What you don't know is that … So am I." Tayaw joked again which made the crowd laugh. Tayaw knew the joke is going to work because it's perfect for the situation.
"I don't know if y'all will like it, but I want to share to you all the first song I wrote. If that's okay with y'all of course." Tayaw said, and the crowd permitted him. "Great. This song is called 'My Home' and I hope it speaks with you all." Tayaw introduced his song and he played the intro.
'My Home' is the only song he played in front of his parents after he came back in time. Although he's not that confident with his song, he still felt it's good enough.
Unlike the first song he performed, 'My Home' is in the indie and folk genre. It is close to country in its roots so the crowd welcomes it as well as proven by their swaying in response to the warm and homely feeling that Tayaw's plucking of the guitar is producing.
"In the town I was born and raised
birds sing, cold breeze brush my face
Time pass slowly while in a daze
in the house where I was raised."
In a country music city like Nashville, many inhabitants of it naturally grew up in rural areas around farms, mountains, and chilly nights. This song is perfect for soothing the nostalgia of the crowd.
Word leaves bitter taste in my mouth
In faraway lands from north to south
From east to west I always felt doubts
Oh, I miss my town, I miss the house
Where I was born and raised."
Even though Nashville is filled with people who came from rural areas of America, Nashville itself is a big bustling city. And cities mean competition, uncertainties, and immoralities. Tayaw himself, in his past life, after spending enough time and experiencing enough the noisy, polluted and corrupt unpleasantness of the city of Ouigab, he could not help but miss his peaceful home in Okuba.
Tayaw soon finished his song but the feeling still lingers in the crowd. Even Travis who was trying to distract Tayaw is also in a daze. Tayaw knows that this song will never be a hit, but his song is sincere enough, and genuine enough to speak greatly to a crowd. The best that this song would achieve is to be that type of song one would listen to alone and keep it to themselves. They will keep too close to their hearts that they will not bother to share it with others.
It is not the type of song that the radio will force on a person, but the type of song that a person will chance upon. It will be the type of song that people will overlook when they don't need it, but it will speak to them when they feel like missing home.
"Thank you." Tayaw said. The crowd also clapped for him. Tayaw felt proud. This song is what he wrote in his past life. It was not written after he was enhanced. It was not written with the help of perfect pitch. It was written using his pure experiences, his natural talent, his inspirations, and his ability he honed for 17 years.
After stabilizing his emotions, Tayaw finally moved on to the next song.
Five songs later, the first half of his set is finally done and the crowd's reception of him has only gotten stronger. The first seven songs he played all expressed nostalgia, happiness, freedom, love, and warmth. For this next song, however, will be the turning point of his set. He will be singing his original song, "The Devil's Suit and Tie", the song he sang two days ago during the open mic night. After this song, he will be singing darker and more narrative songs until the end of his set.
Before he sings the song though, he wants to catch the crowd off-guard. As he started to switch his guitar's tuning from standard to open G, he decided to fill the silence and joked around. "So. This is a Chinese ritual called 'Too Ning'" Tayaw said. After a second or two, the crowd chuckled, getting the joke. It's a play on the word 'Tuning', pronounced as if it's in Mandarin. Tayaw knows it's childish and a bit racist but he knew it works well with a very culturally homogenous crowd.
"This next song is another original of mine and also a request of my new friends in the backstage." Tayaw said finally singing his devil song, a much darker song in contrast to his earlier songs.
Just like the crowd last Thursday, the atmosphere of the bar also gradually darkened. They went through the emotional journey listening to the man's story. The interest as the man asked a preacher to save him. The anxiety as the man described meeting the devil. The suspense as the man was tempted to shake the devil's hand. The despair when the man made a pact. The feeling of defeat as the man realized he will spend his eternity in hell.
"A fool, a great fool is what I am
Why didn't I just take off and run?
A gift, that man's gift was divine
It never felt like it was a crime
Til I saw my home in his abode
Where I will spend my eternal life."
As Tayaw ended the song, a cowboy hat-wearing old man in his 70s in the front of audience wiped the streams of tears that flowed from his eyes. Tayaw saw this, but didn't know what to make of it so he just nodded at the old man.
Unknowingly to him, his song did not actually give the old man a feeling of sadness, but a great feeling of nostalgia and longing for the old days. 'Just when I thought my old soul would pass too, just like the old days. Thank you, young man.' the old man thought to himself as he responded at Tayaw's nod with a tip of his hat. Tayaw smiled at the gesture and he moved on to his next song.
Six songs later, the crowd was able to listen to different stories of betrayal, losing one's way, living in crime and danger, and being disowned. While the crowd felt somber at the songs that Tayaw sang, their attentions were focused on Tayaw much closer than before.
"Thank you. Thank you welcoming me at my first set here at Blackbird Café. I will leave you my last song tonight with another original of mine." Tayaw said as the crowd sighed, wanting Tayaw to sing more. This song, while not giving him a third level enhancement, gave him a series of second level enhancements while he was writing it. This is his best work before he got his perfect pitch.