Earlier this summer the local D.C. music scene was hit with very sad news, the weekly Tuesday Night Jam at IOTA Club was abruptly coming to a end.  The night was part celebration and part sadness.  Fast forward to September, and the Tuesday Jam has found a new home at Gypsy Sally's,  just a few miles away and across the Potomac River in Georgetown.

 Admission was free to tonight's event as it has always been, however Gypsy Sally's set up a $2 suggested donation to help the house band, and everyone that came to Gypsy Sally's would have gladly paid more as the quality of music and the opportunity to perform at this venue was well well worth it.  

It was a slow trickle into Gypsy Sally's by fans and musicians as people entered Gypsy Sally's like cats slowly entering a new house after a move.  Faces quickly lit up as old friends smiled and greeted on another.  Like children in elementary schoolyard just returning from summer break people shared stories of "how I spent my summer vacation".  People shared stories of what concerts and festivals they attended or which venues they had performed at, what bands they had started performing with or had departed, and what gigs they had lines up next.  For some it was their first time attending a Tuesday Night Jam and were anxious with anticipation for all that they had heard about past performances.  Irregardless of how many times attendees had experienced the Tuesday Night Jam, they were very grateful that once again the Tuesday Night Jam was back.

Gordon Sterling welcomed everyone by announcing, "welcome to church."  With that, weekly services started, the ceremony of reaching into the cups and pulling out names, the incantation of the names of musicians to be called to the stage, and musicians transporting their instruments to the stage began.  

There was a palpable energy in the room as musicians awaited their opportunity to be called to the stage.  It wasn't uncommon to overhear some musicians whispering "I'm too nervous to enjoy the set until I'm called and it's may turn on the stage" and "man, there is always a glut of drummers, I hope I can get on stage tonight."

It was a truly wonderful night that was enjoyed by everyone in attendance.  Just like every Tuesday Night Jam, attendees spilled onto the street outside the venue and enjoyed one another's company.  As people said their goodbyes there were warm embraces as people told one another how they looked forward to seeing them very soon, perhaps at the next Tuesday Night Jam.  Yet another Tuesday Night ritual invoked, the only difference was that this night people looked across the Potomac River to see the shimmering lights and skyscrapers of Arlington, Virginia.  

The venue of the Tuesday Jam may have changed, but the rituals invoked and the joy of the community never does.