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Steve Summerhill

I had such a great time in Ohiopyle two weeks ago, when I just showed up at the Ohiopyle House Café and asked if I could play for free, that I decided to do it again… only this time I went to Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor, to the Baltimore Crab Deck.


The Crab Deck sits right on the harbor, next to the National Aquarium and just on the other side of the walkway from the main Phillips Seafood restaurant. Busy place. The day was a perfect, sunny 70 degrees, an awesome day to play outside.


From my frequent visits to Inner Harbor this summer, I knew the Crab Deck had regular live entertainment, and I just took a chance that they could find a spot for me if I offered to play at no charge. Phillips General Manager, Rich Duck, explained that they normally do have entertainment booked on Sunday afternoons, but not today, and they had a private party coming in at noon… would I be willing to play for them from noon till 3PM. Of course I would!!!


Working there with the guitar, enjoying the sun, the breeze and the sounds of the city around me, I felt immensely blessed. The staff were incredibly supportive and took time from their busy routines to talk with me and tell me how much they were enjoying the show. As I sang and played, I roamed wirelessly around the audience and even stepped into the main pubic thoroughfare to sing for the guests seated on the other side of the walk, at the Phillips sidewalk café. By 3pm some guests were on their feet dancing and singing along, the joy contagious.


Don’t get me wrong, I do like to get paid for what I do, and this whole “play for free” thing is new. It is a product of me wanting to sing at a particular venue just for the sheer pleasure of being there. I have long thought it would be great fun to play at Ohiopyle House Café as well as the Crab Deck, and was willing to do it at my own expense. It is to the credit of the management of both venues that they were delighted with my show and decided to pay me anyway. I did not expect it, but certainly appreciate it! These managers have class! Thank you to you both!



I have spent A LOT of time relearning the 230 songs in my repertoire. After leaving the guitar in the case for over a year, lyrics and guitar parts had just evaporated, so I started relearning everything at the end of June. It’s been a lot of work, but the two outdoor venues I played in Ohiopyle and Inner Harbor made all the work worthwhile. Now I have to decide what comes next.

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