Los Angeles singer and songwriter John West performed live in The Club on Wednesday, April 28.
About ten people attended the performance, including staff from The Club. West, however, was not discouraged by the small turnout.
“The key to not being disappointed, is not having any expectations,” West said. “And no offense to college shows, but I usually have no expectations. They’re hit or miss. I’ve got sort of thick skin; I don’t think I’ll shed a tear tonight.”
West is used to doing street performances every weekend in LA and described the majority of his music as “lower key.”
At one point in the performance, a few audience members were talking loudly at the back of the room. West’s only response was, “It’s all good.”
West had a unique experience upon arriving in Dallas.
“When I got out of the airport, there was this stretch [Ford] Excursion limousine with like 18 seats in it,” West said. “I was the only one in the back; I felt very ‘green.'”
West said that while there are not really any “advantages” to doing college shows, as far as the work of building his “home base” goes, he sees it as personally beneficial.
“It’s always good to build your comfortability (sic) in front of any audience,” he said. “A lot of times, I play with at least one other musician, so it’s good for me to do solo things. It’s like practice to some degree, just building up your stamina, whether it’s with a quiet audience or a high-energy audience.”
The Club sound technician and A&M-Commerce junior Dustin Beasley said he enjoyed West’s performance as an opportunity to expand his knowledge as a musician.
“Myself, I have a really big thing for musical ideas,” Beasley said. “This provides a first-hand glimpse.”
West said he enjoys performing for college “kids.”
“I love doing these shows,” he said. “Frankly, it’s decent money, and sometimes you get a really cool crowd and stuff. It’s all for the kids, really, I do it for the kids.”
Those interested in learning more about West and his music may visit myspace.com/johnwestsongs.