Chris I am a musician also. When you play you need to play not for the audience but yourself. Do you know there are people that come out on stage and play with their backs to the audience? I don't recommend this as it offends the audience but I am pointing out this is common.

Here is what you need to do that I do, I go to play for myself. If there happens to be other people around so what! I don't care what they think! I am there just enjoying playing. You need to get into a place of not noticing anyone else is even listening to you. Above all NEVER hold the audience opinion over your own! If you do you will start second guessing your playing and noticing every little mistake until your confidence is shot and you can't play for others.

This is the same for martial arts tournaments as long as the competitors are performing "for" the judges they do not do their best because they are nervous. It is the ones that perform for themselves that impress the judges because there is nothing to be nervous about.

If you can not play for yourself then imagine you are playing for a very loved one, someone that would never harshly judge you. He/She is who you are playing for not everyone else.

This gets you in the door, now when the audience cheers your playing again and again this has a releasing effect that can lift you up! But you must remember to release this feeling after the show. Do not carry that with you to the next show or you will feel like "I hope this audience likes me as much as the last one did."

well chris i would say stay in the vortex and ask them after how they have liked it. play for you first and if you like it that is what is important. and if you like it other people will probably like it has well. experience and enjoy.