We’re done!

We finished our last tour gig last night in Knoxville, TN. I can’t believe I’ve been on tour since last November. It’s sure going to be nice to be in one spot for awhile. I’m heading back to Austin, my new home, and looking forward to chilling out for a bit and then getting ready for the residency at Thunderbird Coffee that starts on Sept. 21. I’ll be checking out Austin bands and having some fun this month.

The band (Bob Spector, Fon Walters and Aden Courtney) did an amazing job on this last tour. We had some fun exploring Knoxville, TN for the past three days.

It was nice seeing our musician pals Jon Roniger, Don Gallardo and Ben Graves in Nashville. All transplants from the Bay Area and doing well
in Nashville. See you again soon pals.

Knoxville, TN

I’m writing from Knoxville,TN. We’re here for Indiegrrl the whole weekend. We spent the day exploring the old city, and tonight we’re playing the World Fair Convention Center. Saturday, we’re back to Preservation pub. I’ve been meeting a lot of cool bands here. I thought we drove far, but I just met a few bands from Canada last night. Ok, time to get ready for the gig. I have to hurry. The band boys get ready so fast!

Nashville weds., Indiegrrl in Knoxville this weekend!

I’m packing the car in Austin, Tx. It’s hot! The band and I are heading to Tennesse tomorrow. This is my very last run of tour dates for the year. We’re playing Casablanca Coffee in Nashville this Wednesday from 6-9pm. It’s a free show and our old bay area pal Jon Roniger (now bases in Nashville) will be opening the show from 6-7pm. On Thursday we’ll head to Knoxville, TN for the Indiegrrl Music Festival where we will be featured Thursday, Friday and Satuday. See the show page for venue details.

I’m like Tennesee, and Knoxville is such a cute little town with a lot of music. So, this is a great place to wrap up our tour.

Bob Spector is flying in for these shows, so we’ll have awesome lead guitar!

When I return to Austin, i’ll be putting down my pink Beach Cruiser kick stand for good. I have decided to relocate from the Bay Area to Austin not just for the hot sauce, but also for the hot music scene.

I have a music residency in Austin that will start Tuesday, Sept. 21 at Thunderbird Coffee, 7pm. It’s a 4 month residency that is presented by One Pulse Artists Group.

Back to packing. See you out there.

Nashville and Indiegrrl

I’m writing from El Paso, Texas tonight (it reached 106 while we passed thru Arizona this morning!) I’m on my way to Austin for a few fun weekend. Sunday, we’ll be picking up Fon our drummer in Austin and heading to Nashville for a show next Weds. at Casablanca Coffee. We’re playing the show with one of our good bay area friends Jon Roniger who we met a long time ago in San Francisco, played a few Last Day Saloon shows with him. He moved to Nashville a few years ago. It will be great to see him again! Bob Spector will be flying in from San Francisco to play this show and the weekend shows. Next Thursday, Friday and Saturday we’ll play in Knoxville, TX. I was there once last winter on the radio show Writers Block.

Back to the dry heat tomorrow morning. A 9 hour drive. I’ve been watching the Tom Petty Doc “Running Down A dream”. It’s a nice way to pass the time in the car and it’s very inspiring.

Malibu & Come Around Take 2

I’m in Malibu for the next couple of days recording “Come around” with Rami Jaffe. Rami played on my “have heart” album and he is an amazing musician who is currently recording and touring with the Foo Fighters. I released “Come Around” on my 2003 record “Decked Out” but it has gone through some nice changes over the years.

Funny story. Rami first heard “Come Around” back in 2003 when we played upstairs at The Fillmore Lounge while he was playing downstairs with The Wallflowers. Things have come around full circle with both of us here in 2010 working on the song he heard when he first met me.

I brought back “Come Around” for this summer tour and the live radio shows. It got such a good response from radio hosts and audiences that I felt we needed to re-release the song in it’s new form.

I’m going to enjoy a few more hours here in Malibu and then we’ll head to the studio in the valley tonight for a nightime vocal session. I hope to capture the feelings that inspired the lyrics of the song. Back in San Francisco, it was the ocean, summertime, California, young love and learning how to stand on your own.
I have a feeling these waves in Malibu should stir all that up again.

Splash!

Indiegrrl & Austin Residency up next!

We’re done with the summer tour! Wow, what a whirlwind of driving, shows and seeing new places. I think my favorite gig was at Steve’s Guitars in Breckenridge. It was a 2 hour show and I had the chance to be a storyteller between the songs. It was nice not to be rushed and to have the time to explain where the poetry and stories came from. Sometimes I feel like people are being rushed to figure me and my songs out in a 45 minute or less set. It was nice to talk about growing up in the country in Wisconsin, the days of learning how to play guitar at UW-Madison, the move to San Francisco and my newest journey (drum roll).. my move to Austin, TX! This is my first announcement about TX. I am making the move there in the next 2 weeks. It feels right and I’m looking forward to
learning from all the musicians there. Oh, and I love horses. Someone told
me you can ride your horse over to the Austin Whole Foods and tie your horse up outside. Is this true? I’ll ask when I get there. I had a horse when I was
a kid living in the country and I once threatened a grade school bully with riding my horse up to his front door to challenge him. This might be as close as I can get to riding a horse in town!

We have a few fun thing coming up after I arrive in Austin. I was accepted into the Indiegrrl 2010 Conference in Knoxville, TN and I’ll be playing 3 shows with my band! The dates are Aug. 18, 20 & 21. I’ll post the venues soon.

I also have some exciting Austin news! I have a residency at Thunderbird Coffee in Austin, TX that will be on these dates: Sept . 21, Oct 19, Nov. 23, Dec. 21 presented by One Pulse Artists Group.

Yee ha! Well, back to the driving. I’m making my way back slowly to the Bay Area. I’m in Wyoming tonight. It’s a peaceful night and all the cowboys have gone to bed. Time for me to do the same soon. I’ll be dreaming of horses, music and warm summer nights (without mosquitos).

Last tour show is tonight at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale, CO

Wow, last summer tour gig is tonight! I can’t believe the tour is over after tonight’s show at Steve’s Guitars here in Carbondale, CO. We’re playing from 8:30-10pm and his shop is way cool. Time to get ready for the show. I’ll see all my friends in the Bay Area soon!

10,000 feet high

We’re in Breckenridge and at 10,000 feet. No wonder I felt out of breath after my first song last night at Burk & Rily’s! Kind of crazy being this high. My shampoo bottle exploded when I opened it yesterday and the mustard almost took out Aden’s eyeball when I opened the bottle in front of him. We
are all very high here. Having a blast and looking around downtown today. We’ll be at The Blue River Bistro tonight from 8-10pm in Breckenridge. Tomorrow is our last tour date. We’re playing at Steve’s Guitars in Carbondale, CO at 8pm. Wow, can’t believe the tour is amost over. I am loving Colorado. I’d love to spend more time here and go horseback riding and biking. Think I’ll have to get back here soon.

Cleaning safe in hotels & your own home

I loved hanging out in Boulder and walking around Pear St. yesterday. I found a great store that sells organic clothing and supports independent music. The store is called Topo Ranch. So, if you’re on Pearl St. go and check them out. Reasonably priced organic clothing.  The weather has been perfect in Colorado. We’re back in the bus and heading to Denver, CO for a show at The Mercury Cafe tonight at 9:30pm. They serve organic food and I hear they’ll have tarot card reading during the show. Sounds perfect. Check out their website at: http://www.mercurycafe.com/

Speaking of organic and changing the way we live, eat and work. I think the only thing that has been difficult so far are the toxic cleaning powders and sprays I’ve seen (and smelled!) being used in the hotels. In a few places, the carpet powders they’ve used  have been so strong, we’ve had to leave the room and also noticed throat, eyes and nose irritation for the rest of the day. I wish others knew there are safer ways to clean and disinfect areas. You can use vinegar with a little lemon juice or a few drops of lavender to disinfect any surface area and it only costs a few dollars! I would love for hotels to throw out the Febreez carpet sprays and strong scented powders they use every day (i saw someone just going crazy spraying Febreez on the carpet as I left yesterday and could hardly breathe as I walked past. It was so strong). All you need to do is sprinkle a little baking powder on carpet for cleaning and a fresh scent. So cheap to buy, and it’s safe for you to breathe. The hotels could save 100’s of dollars a year (or more!). It’s so easy to make your own cleaning products. Please take a minute and read this great article about how you can make your own cleaning supplies:  http://www.greenamericatoday.org/pubs/realgreen/articles/greencleaners.cfm

Boulder, here we come!

We’re back in the tour bus and heading to Boulder, CO for a show at the Laughing Goat Coffeehouse tonight at 9:30pm, free! Looking forward to walking around Pearl street today. I didn’t have time to look around on
our past tours in Colorado.