Brian Bergeron

I’ve been waiting a little while to write a blog about this because I wanted to make sure I had it properly digested before I wrote about it. I almost wrote upon receiving the email but decided to wait until I was cooled off and after I thought I had an understanding of it.

Anyways…I wasn’t aware that I was such a polarizing figure. First off, I received a very flattering comment on the last blog that I posted that made me very happy. I’m not re-printing for any ego trip or anything, I’m doing it to contrast it to what follows:

“hey Brian,

I just wanna say that I think you are awesome. I saw you performing last year in Boston and I bought your cd and I can’t stop listening to it. I’m from Brazil and I’ve shown your cd to all my friends and they all loved it here. We are all big fans of Ryan Adams and your sound is somewhat similar to his.
Well, keep doing great music!
Wish you all the best luck!

Dani”
- - -
So, that put me in a good place, which usually happens because I get my fair share of stuff like that—and for those of you that send it…thank you, it keeps me going!

What I’m getting at is I received an email from one of the office workers that works near Faneuil Hall. To catch everyone up to speed, it’s street performing season and I usually play at Quincy Market on most nice days between 1-5 and 5-9. I’m very self-conscious of my sound level during 1-5 because many of the office workers are working and I don’t want to make them angry or distract them from work…Well, looks like I made one guy really, really angry:

“Brian,
I sit in my office in Faneuil Hall and I listen to you as well as several other performers that play on South Market Street.

I am generally supportive of performers as they work hard to make their way and gain a name for themselves but in your case, I have to tell you… and I’m trying to stay positive because your guitar playing is fairly good

You need to: a) develop a range for your voice so that your songs don’t all sound like one long, dull drone; b) find a singer who can compliment your playing; c) find another career

There is a reason that your bucket is empty after hours of singing. The street is clear of people except those sitting on a bench and eating…or small children with no expectations. This is a reflection on you. If you were entertaining, they would come and stay and listen and watch and give you money. Most of these people are on vacation and don’t have the time to listen to a live performance? Please

Other performers make litterally thousands of dollars a week. I know they do, I can see them out my window.

So for the love of God, if you do not heed my advice for your own sake, please set up your performance in front of some other establishment and avoid the Wagamama space so that I don’t hang myself out the window or open a vein as I attempt to make it stop.

Come by some day when Cahill is playing and you will see the difference between your performance and a good

Thanks for listening to me this time.”
—

I had to omit part of a sentence because of something he said that could be construed as kind of racist.

At first I was really upset about this (who wouldn’t be…) because as an artist, one is insecure about their creation that they put out in front of the world. Then I felt vengeful and was thinking that I wish there was some way I could get him back (which is another typical reaction), then I just felt depressed that I made someone feel that strongly.

I’m not going to argue every point that he made (because I have in my mind) but I don’t agree with his assessment—duh—and he doesn’t know AT ALL how hard I do in fact work and the great relationships I’ve made with tons of people at Faneuil Hall, including—god forbid—some of the office workers there!

I ultimately decided to post his email so the small readership of this blog (is there anybody out there?) can see the crap I sometimes have to go through. I’m a small-time performer. I’m making a living but I never imagined that I could invoke such a negative response in someone.

I was lucky enough that after a couple days I was more or less over the remarks. Friends and fans alike helped try and rationalize the behavior of someone who would write that and we more or less concluded that he just isn’t a happy person. I didn’t end up doing anything vengeful. I just emailed him back and said something to the extent of: “I can take constructive criticism but not thoughtless and tactless attacks” and he tried to email me back with a faint apology and some real criticism but by that point it fell on deaf ears.

I guess I decided I was ready to write about it after talking to my brother Tim today. He’s a musician as well and in many ways is completely different than me. He is confident, cock-sure to the point where it baffles me. He won a high school talent competition and won $500 and told me that many people criticized him for having a bad singing voice (maybe we’re not so different after all…haha) but he didn’t let it get to him. “I don’t care what they said,” he told me, “I know it’s not true.” He’s four years younger than me but he told me what I needed to hear. I know I don’t suck. I’m pretty good and I’m on my way to be very good. It’s kind of embarrassing that I need to tell myself that sometimes but that’s the way it is.
In other news, Faneuil Hall has been slow the last couple of weeks. I think the shock of the first bout of good weather is over and I’m in a pre-summer lull before Memorial Day. I’m not particularly worried because I made quite a bit of money last month but I was really hoping to bank some money this month because I’m saving up for the album!

We have a show this Wednesday at UMASS Lowell for their Spring Quad concert with the band! Steve Belleville (of Cahill and Chad Perrone) is going to be sitting in with us, which I’m very excited about. Andy’s in the process of moving back to Lowell so he’s going to be busy with stuff so he can’t play the show.

Other than that, everything is A-OK. I’ve been relaxing a bit over the last few weeks and have been trying to sort out some of life’s bigger questions (which we won’t get into because I don’t even know what I quite mean yet).

I’m signing out now. Peace out!