[Applause fades. The MC steps back to the mic.]

That's how you open a night. The 4 A.M. Set — a man named Miles, a bass that walks like it's got somewhere to be at dawn. [Beat.] You know, I've been running this room for a long time, and I've heard a hundred poets read the dark. That one *set it down* — the needles, the diplomat's office, all of it still pointing north. Give it up again for the 4 A.M. Set.

[Applause. The MC pours himself a water, leans on the bar edge.]

Now — the night builds from here. We opened with smoke and lamplight. Next up is a different animal entirely. This one's got a project studio in his place, a sound he's been polishing since before some of you knew what a Telecaster was, and he's got a chorus that's going to get into your chest before you've decided whether you like it. You'll know it by the second pass. You always do.

[To the room, quieter.] And I saw him backstage an hour ago, running the changes one more time. The man still rehearses like it's his first open mic. That's the whole secret, right there. Nobody here is too good for the room that made them.

So — let's get him up here. Put your hands together. Come on, you know the chorus already.

[The studio musician takes the stage. The room leans in.]