Reflections on an In-person Premiere (Magical, Incredible, Amazing, and Vital)

On Thursday and Friday, I gave the in person premiere of my show at the Oʻahu Fringe Festival at NextDoor Honolulu. The festival was a wonderful experience, and I learned so much. In addition to taking a moment here to thank everyone at the festival for their support and energy, I wanted to share with you all a few takeaways and reflections about performing this show. At the bottom are some photographs from the festival!

In Person is Magical

I have performed so many times by myself. I give the livestream shows frequently, and although I will continue to do that, there is something so special about doing this show in person in front of real people! I got to see folks react to what I’m saying and what I’m playing in real time! I got to experience the performance myself at the same time, and there was absolutely zero wonder about what they were experiencing- I was there! The online environment is very clinical. I am in total control of what happens in my youtube stream, but in the venue, the room has its own character. I play differently when I’m further away from the speaker.

Meeting Fans You’ve Not Met Before is Incredible

Meeting on zoom is hard. This isn’t news, but the surprise is when I meet incredible, enthusiastic people after performances. I met one man who had been working with Ableton for quite some time, but had the most insightful questions about my process, playing, and technical set up that I got to go home and approach my musical thoughts from a cool new place. What a gratifying experience to have right after a performance! I hope I get to talk to fans like him way more often moving forward.

Friends are Amazing

A lot of my friends living near me hadn’t been able to see the show, because many of my shows up until now have been on private livestreams. So many of my friends came out to see the in person premiere, and it was emotionally overwhelming to see so many supportive faces in the crowd. In addition to those friends, I had one friend who donated countless (often thankless) hours to helping me put together the show, from hauling gear to being an ear in the hall to make sure balance was right.

People Who Work in the Arts are Vital

The technical engineer I worked with was, in my view, vital to the success of my show. I mix my own sound, but he was there with encouraging words, advice, clear directions, and stability. He was there for soundchecks before the show, during the show, and for tear down. He was so great!

So- what does this all mean?

I guess I’ll keep going. Stay tuned!

​-Brian KM

Photos Courtesy Oʻahu Fringe