Back on Thursday, 20 July 2023 I made a pilgrimage back to Lula’s Coffee Company, which for several years before The Age of The Virus was the epicenter of a flourishing of musical and cultural activity in Florence, South Carolina. Then the management dragged its feet on resuming open mic post-pandemic, and I largely wrote it off as a venue.
Fortunately, I am overcame my stubborn resistance and occasionally make it out there for open mic night. It is a long way from my home now, so I don’t get out there much, but I found my most recent visit to be quite rewarding.
My buddy John Pickett and I played “Greek Fair“; I regard this song as the best I have ever written. Others have proven more popular, but I’m really proud of this one.
The song is in the key of F major, with an opening chord progression that moves from F -> Am -> Dm -> Bb. I intentionally withhold the V chord (C major) until the chorus, which itself moves C -> A/C# -> Dm -> G, before resolving back to F with a Dm-> C-> Bb -> Bbm -> F sequence.
After the second chorus, the key shifts to D major. D minor is the relative minor of F major, so it’s not a totally unexpected leap, but it’s odd enough that it catches the listener’s attention. I originally envisioned a short guitar solo going here, but John plays a killer harmonic solo on it.
But enough of my yakkin’; let’s rock!
As always, here’s the same video on YouTube (you really should subscribe to my YouTube channel—it’s free!):
Happy Listening!
—TPP
Other Editions of Open Mic Adventures:
- “Open Mic Adventures I: Oingo Boingo’s ‘Just Another Day’“
- “Open Mic Adventures II: Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’“
- “Open Mic Adventures III: Joanie Sommers’s ‘Johnny Get Angry’“
- “Open Mic Adventures IV: KISS’s ‘I Still Love You’“
- “Open Mic Adventures V: ‘There’s a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)’“
- “Open Mic Adventures VI: Journey’s ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’“
- “Open Mic Adventures VII: ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes’“
- “Open Mic Adventures VIII: Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’“
- “Open Mic Adventures IX: Journey’s ‘Faithfully’“
- “Open Mic Adventures X: ‘Time Warp’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XI: Spooktacular Supergroup Covers ‘Monster Mash’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XII: ‘Ghostly’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XIII: The Penguins’ ‘Earth Angel’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XIV: ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XV: ‘O Holy Night’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XVI: ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XVII: ‘L’il Divertimento in C major’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XVIII: ‘Satiean Motion’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XIX: ‘Two-Day Minuet for Left Hand’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XX: ‘Sleepy Student’s Serenade’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXI: Styx’s ‘Come Sail Away’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXII: ‘Blessed Assurance’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXIII: ‘Gabbi’s Gavotte’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXIV: ‘Softly and Tenderly’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXV: ‘Venite, exultemus Domino’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXVI: ‘Sonatina’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXVII: ‘Heavenly Sunlight’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXVIII: ‘Song of the Bigfoot’”
- “Open Mic Adventures XXIX: ‘Lavender’s Blue’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXX: ‘Chorale for a Sleepy Wednesday’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXI: ‘Carousel’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXII: Hymn Medley“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXIII: ‘Spore Song (Mushroom Dance)’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXIV: ‘Chase’s Dilemma’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXV: ‘The Rings of Saturn’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXVI: ‘The Rings of Saturn’ LIVE!“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXVII: ‘Private Lessons (Goth Chick)’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXVIII: ‘Quasi-Date’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XXXIX: ‘(I’m in the) Business of Love)’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XL: ‘Parada’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XLI: ‘Serenade for a Sleepy Student No. 2’“
- “Open Mic Adventures XLII: ‘1001 Arabian Nights’“