1. Backstories:
People are usually entertained by a story that relates to the song you're about to play. For instance, in one trio I'm in, the soloist plays blues harp. We play several songs by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers that were written by Gus's harp guy, Noah Lewis. Noah's claim to fame was that he played two harps at once: one with his mouth and one with his nose. When people hear that, they groan in horror and delight, and the ad libbing always ends up being a lot of fun.
In another trio, we play a tune that most folks don't know was written by Carole King. And even fewer know that she originally wrote it for a forgotten girl group called the Cookies, for whom it pretty much flopped. Then a corny little Brit group had a go at it, and the rest is rock 'n' roll history. . . . and we launch into "Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good."
Almost every song has a story, and most people would rather hear the story that watch a band fumble around with straps.
2. Spokespeople:
The band leader isn't always the spokesperson. Tony Trishka never says a word. In the Dead, it was almost always Bob who talked to the audience, not Jerry. So you won't be overstepping your role by stepping up to the mic. In fact, the rest of the band will appreciate it.
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