GoPlayTheWorld

17/05/2024

As we enter the weekend I wanted to share these 2 pictures and let you know how proud we are at GoPlayTheWorld to be starting at Signature Brew Haggerston this Monday the 20th.

Let’s make Monday night the best night of the week for singer songwriters and all of you who come to support us. It’s the least we can do.

Remember, playing time is 8pm-11pm so players, we would love you there as early as you can be so we can start even a bit earlier to get through all the acts if we need.

Much love one and all and see some of you Monday night. Ch’O

23/11/2023

Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?

14/09/2019

This is so worth reading, often people dismiss the importance of playing with the same intensity to one person (or a few people) in a room who have never heard you before as you would to a packed house of dedicated fans.

Much love all, abbo. Ch’O

Absolutely ZERO people came to watch our show.
And then...
ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE!
(I blame it on a lone woman and her little dog.)

During the 15 years I played drums in Rusted Root, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform thousands of shows, travel to amazing places, and meet truly spectacular human beings.

But there’s one show in particular I’ll never forget.

It was early in the summer of 1994. We set out on tour outside the comfort of our home state of Pennsylvania. One of our first gigs was in Noblesville, Indiana.

When we arrived at the venue to load in our instruments and equipment, there was a stage in the middle of a parking lot, and zero concertgoers to be found.

Had we made a mistake? Did we show up on the wrong night?

We spoke with the show’s promoter. Turns out, we were right on time…

I felt a little deflated, I’m not going to lie. We had come all that way to play for no one.

And for a minute there, I wondered if it was all some kind of elaborate, crushing practical joke…

I remember Jenn, one of our singers, suggested we still go onstage and play like it was the last time we’d ever get to do it.

PLAY LIKE YOU'LL NEVER PLAY AGAIN

So we did. We performed like complete animals. Seven musicians wailing away on our instruments like we were playing a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.

Man, did we have some fun on that tiny, little stage! And I’m sure we looked absolutely ridiculous to the staff working the show that night…

Then, about halfway through our set, I noticed a slender woman walking her dog through the parking lot, about 50 yards away from the stage. She stopped to listen to us for a few songs.

The one and only attendee.

When I saw her, all I could think was, “Please don’t leave!”

When we finished our last song, there was no thunderous applause, and no roaring crowd—just one woman and her dog.

ALWAYS TRY YOUR BEST—YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S WATCHING

To our surprise, waiting at the bottom of the backstage steps was the woman with the dog.

I was taken aback for a second. I realized that I was looking at nine-time Grammy Award winner, Sheryl Crow.

We explained to her that no, that wasn’t a rehearsal; we just didn’t have any fans outside of Pennsylvania.

I’ll never forget her words. She told us, “That was the weirdest and coolest thing I’ve seen in a long time!”

None of us could have predicted what happened next.

She invited us to open for two of her upcoming shows in New York and Philly—what would eventually become two of our biggest markets in the country!

That fall, we arrived in New York two days before our gig opening for Sheryl.

Our manager, Rob Kos, arranged a last-minute appearance at some small hole-in-the-wall radio station over the river in Secaucus, New Jersey… at 6 AM the next morning.

The band was exhausted from traveling and wasn’t particularly thrilled about getting up that early, but we went anyway.

We piled into the station to play an acoustic version of our song “Send Me On My Way.” When the “on-air” light came on and we were given the cue, we played that song with an intensity like never before.

And even though the sun had just come up, we somehow had the energy to give it everything we had.

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THE BAND'S UNSUSPECTING MASSIVE BREAK

One week later, Rob called me with some exciting news. He said that the radio station we had just played put “‘Send Me On My Way’” into regular rotation.

That was pretty cool. But what was even cooler was that the station was Z-100.

At the time, we had no idea that the little hole-in-the-wall radio station just happened to be (and still is) the biggest pop station in New York City. Nor did we realize that Z-100 is one of the major “tastemakers” for every pop station throughout the entire United States.

That means if Z-100 adds your song to their regular rotation, so does everybody else.

A week later, Rob called again to tell me that 200 more pop radio stations across North America added ‘Send Me On My Way’ to their regular rotation.

What happened next for Rusted Root was probably one of the most insane times of my life.

WHEN THE LEVY BREAKS

All hell broke loose when the “break” we had been waiting for happened all at once with massive, uncontrollable fury.

Our new song was everywhere. It’s crazy to think about now…

In a matter of months, we went from playing for no one on a stage in a parking lot to one very important person and a small dog…

From having our song played on Z-100 to being played nationwide…

From playing small clubs to touring nationally with some of the biggest bands in the history of rock like the Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin…

From selling 100,000 records to eventually selling over 3 million copies of our music.

IT ALL ADDS UP

For us, reality had shifted. My dreams of becoming a professional musician had come to fruition.

Still, I often think to myself about what would have happened if we didn’t completely go for it in the vacant parking lot that one summer night in the middle of nowhere?

Would Sheryl Crow still have taken notice of us if we just phoned in our performance?

Or worse, what if we decided not to play at all?

That pivotal choice opened a lot of doors for us and I’m so grateful that we chose to be the best version of ourselves in that moment.

It was a simple, but monumental choice.

Just like you have a choice, multiple times each and every day, to be the best version of yourself.

The big takeaway I want to share with you today is this: I found that good things happen when you go all-in with the things that matter most—like your relationships, your community, your passions, your purpose, and most importantly...YOU.

It’s time to stop putting yourself on the back burner.

When are you going to just go for it, dig deep, and work toward the best you can possibly be?

Put that greatness that lays within you out on display—especially when there’s no one watching. You might be surprised at the ways it’s reciprocated.

Be Well,

Jim Donovan, M. Ed.

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28/04/2019

HERE WE GO. and . See you all bright and early.
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS ESSENTIAL TONIGHT FOLKS.

27/04/2019

The final GoPlayTheWorld tonight.

Hurry up!!

, .schwartz.35 and friends will all be showcasing their music for us all on this most auspicious occasion. See you all there bright and early.
Much love all, abbo. Ch’O

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25/04/2019

It took us a while but so glad we had Andrew our video genius join us for at least one night in Abu Dhabi. Here is what it looked like a few weeks ago. Video credit. .production. soundtrack: see you all bright and early. BE WITH US EARLY TO SIGN UP (6-7pm IS HIGHLY ADVISED). 20% OFF YOUR BILL FOR PERFORMERS PLUS CERTAIN DEALS FOR 50%.(ask Larte staff for more details) , .ad cafe.
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25/04/2019

On our way to you Abu Dhabi a couple of weeks ago to set up. Video credit. .production. soundtrack: see you all bright and early. BE WITH US EARLY TO SIGN UP (6-7pm IS HIGHLY ADVISED). 20% OFF YOUR BILL FOR PERFORMERS PLUS CERTAIN DEALS FOR 50%.(ask Larte staff for more details) , .ad cafe.
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25/04/2019

Tonight is all we have left with you Abu Dhabi. see you all bright and early. BE WITH US EARLY TO SIGN UP (6-7pm IS HIGHLY ADVISED). 20% OFF YOUR BILL FOR PERFORMERS PLUS CERTAIN DEALS FOR 50%.(ask Larte staff for more details) , .ad cafe.
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24/04/2019

FINAL WEEK OF GoPlayTheWorld OPEN MICS AND TONIGHT IS THE LAST OPEN MIC AT PIZZAEXPRESS LIVE. SEE YOU ALL BRIGHT AND EARLY TONIGHT. MUCH LOVE, abbo. Here is how it all transpired last week. PLEASE BOOK A TABLE 04 566 5722. GoPlayTheWorld and PizzaExpress Live
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME. ALL PERFORMERS GET HAPPY HOUR PRICES ALL NIGHT LONG Video credit. Andrew D'mello. soundtrack: Aman Sheriff Music

21/04/2019

ONLY 2 MORE OF THESE NIGHTS LEFT. and . Need we say more? See you all bright and early.
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME.

17/04/2019

TONIGHT! What more do you need for a Wednesday? PLEASE BOOK A TABLE 04 566 5722. See you all bright and early. and .
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME. ALL PERFORMERS GET HAPPY HOUR PRICES ALL NIGHT LONG

17/04/2019

It’s that Wednesday feeling again. Here is how it all transpired last week. PLEASE BOOK A TABLE 04 566 5722. See you all bright and early for our GoPlayTheWorld and PizzaExpress Live open mic night tonight.
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME. ALL PERFORMERS GET HAPPY HOUR PRICES ALL NIGHT LONG Video credit. Andrew D'mello. soundtrack: Aman Sheriff Music

14/04/2019

Here we go music loving people, Sunday night and need we say more? See you all bright and early.
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME.

14/04/2019

Only a couple of these left before Ramadan and then I’m out of here. We are so privileged to have someone like .production to record our memories on these nights. Gonna be a big hole in the scene once we are done at Ramadan. Love you all. See you all tonight bright and early tonight. , Sunday night, , moving pictures, Video credit. .production soundtrack:
AS A PERFORMER ARRIVING EARLY IS HIGHLY ADVISED: 7-7:30pm IS THE MOST IDEAL TIME.

11/04/2019

We are in you again tonight Abu Dhabi. Tonight and the 25th is all we have left with you. see you all bright and early. BE WITH US EARLY TO SIGN UP (6-7pm IS HIGHLY ADVISED). 20% OFF YOUR BILL FOR PERFORMERS PLUS CERTAIN DEALS FOR 50%.(ask Larte staff for more details) , .ad cafe.
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10/04/2019

Here are the last few available dates of open mic nights before I leave Dubai to have a much needed rest.

Hope to see as many of you out there celebrating the first 5 years of over the next few weeks.

Much love all, abbo.