Know Any CCR?

This afternoon at Union Station I had an unusual encounter with another musician.

A well-dressed man in his early twenties, he came up and asked if I knew any CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival).

After thinking about it for a few moments, I sang the chorus of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", but (probably because I felt a bit nervous) couldn’t come up with anything else. He seemed interested anyway, and told me he was also a musician, playing "blues mostly and my own stuff".

Then he surprised me.

"I’d never take money for my music."

(Huh?)

Still trying my best to connect with him, I smiled and agreed that it’s usually best to share music in a generous way, without expectation of return.

"It’s great to give it away," I said. "But I’ve found it’s really rewarding when people pay you for what you do well." He didn’t seem convinced.

"Play me one of your songs," he said.

The slight edge of challenge in his tone should have been my second cue to take a break. But gamely I started to play Stage, because he was another musician and because that had been yesterday’s most successful song at Union Station.

He didn’t seem to like it much but he stuck around anyway. As the song was ending a friend of mine dropped by and I introduced the two of them. This would have been an excellent time for him to leave, but he didn’t, staying firmly installed two feet from me, directly in between my guitar case and people passing by.

At the end of my next song (Maybe I Was Wrong…to assume you were a nice guy) his girlfriend showed up. Ahah, so that’s why he was hanging around.

After watching me play for almost 15 minutes, not donating anything, and talking with me and my friend, Mr. CCR walked away with his girlfriend, without saying goodbye or even glancing in my direction.