Can you even dye my eyes to match my brow? Current mood: adventurous "Ha-ha-ha, Ho-ho-ho, And a couple of tra-la-las That’s how we laugh the day away In the Merry Old Land of Oz We can make a dimpled smile out of a frown. Can you even dye my eyes to match my gown?"
I had a dentist appointment this morning. I don’t mind going to the dentist, as long as it’s just for a checkup and cleaning. Recently, however, my dentist moved from it’s charming pre-war location in the Starks Building downtown, to ..... Middletown!! Yes, Middletown. It took 30 minutes to get there because I hit every single red light. I was five minutes late, and I hate being late. But no cavities or fissures today.
Anyway, to calm myself after another long trip back down Shelbyville Road, I decided to stop in at my absolute favorite local relaxation center: Joseph’s Salon & Spa.
You may have noticed that I grew up the child of a hippie, and I accidentally inherited her carefree ways (i.e. i grew thinking everyone knew who john prine was, i was a vegetarian at 15, i’ve never had a haircut or dyed my hair and i didn’t wear a bra until i was about 25). I have, however, recently developed a beauty regimen: I have my eyebrows tinted every few months.
Yes, this is bizarre, and I’d never heard of it before I did some modeling work for Louisville Magazine.
I had never set foot in Joseph’s before when I was whisked there for a photo shoot. The brilliant owner, Kelli, suggested that I "tint my brows." Admittedly, I had no idea what she was talking about. I mean, I’ve trimmed my own hair since I was 14; who dyes her eyebrows??! The first time I had it done, I thought I looked like Groucho Marx. But it turns out that my natural-blonde-as-can-be eyebrows never show up on film. Simply darkening them a bit makes my eyes pop out of my head (see that saucy photo in the red scarf and check out my perfectly tinted brows!). I became an addict. I needed darker brows.
So this morning, I popped into Joseph’s to make an appointment for some brow work. I was crossing my fingers they would have something on Friday morning, but they had a cancellation just then. Perfect timing!
Then Kelli asked, "Would you like your lashes done too?"
WHAT?!?!?! I thought she was kidding.
I’m trying to be brave in my old age now, and while I’m not at all prepare to have my hair colored or highlighted in any way, I trust the folks at Joseph’s utterly. If Kelli thinks I should get my overly strawberry-blonde lashes tinted, then I’m game.
I think I was a bit more nervous in that chair than in the dentist’s, but that is because I am an oddball. Then, this technician took a small paintbrush and gently painted my lashes. After ten minutes of keep my eyes closed (during which i enjoyed whatever XM radio channel they were listening to -- "angel from montgomery," the JP version played in the background), the reveal came. I saw that my lashes were, get this, actually visible. And totally normal, natural-looking, and not at all freaky!!
I always feel like floating out of Joseph’s. Maybe one day, I’ll actually get my hair cut. I think they are the only salon I could ever trust.
Maybe they’ll let me bring a video camera in there and document it, like a Baby Book: My First Haircut.
Maybe I’ll do the "before scenes" in B&W and the "After scenes" in technicolor, just like Judy Garland. Tra la la, ho ho ho....
A jury of your peers. Current mood: determined Ok, so for the SECOND time since I moved back to Louisville, I was summoned to perform my civic duty: JURY DUTY!!!
And yet, out there among us, are people who have never been called. I want to trade!
Let me tell you now: I cannot afford two weeks off of work. I’ll be joining the millions of folks who have to call 2-1-1 to avoid foreclosure on their homes. Maybe the roommates will split town for a few days, and I will can Rent My House For Derby to make up the lost income.
Yes, I know you can check the box that says "financial hardship," but all this does is defer to another time that is more convenient. And this time is: never!! Because I am self-employed. And although it is very kind of you folks at court to remind me that it is "illiegal for employers to withhold wages" while I’m on jury duty, this does not help when you are your own employer.
So since I don’t start teaching lessons until 2-3:00 most days, I have formulated a plan. I will go to jury duty promptly at 10:00am. When I am selected for possible jury pool, I will immediately begin shouting racist/misogynist/perverted comments about the crimes, depending on the situation. I will insist that, as a public figure, my presence in the courtroom would be a huge distraction. I will wear strange costumes, or perhaps just a fake mustache.
Someone out there MUST have a clever idea for me?
On that note, my two-week service begins April 21 and lasts through: DERBY WEEK!! Double whammy!! But at least I know I’ll be in town then. Maybe I’ll go down to the Chow Wagon on lunch breaks and bring everyone funnel cakes.
Traveling solo. Current mood: satisfied I was talking to a friend a few months ago and wondering aloud what I was going to do that evening. The answer came easily to her, being a married woman, with two children: Anything you want, Brigid. Anything you want.
So simple. So true.
A couple of people offered to make the trip to Austin with me, so that I wouldn’t have to drive a thousand miles solo. I declined their offers because I was really looking forward to making the trip by myself.
I realize that I’m at an incredibly lucky point in my life where I am self-sufficient and unattached. And I don’t in any way mean to rub this in the faces of you who have families and landlocked careers. Even those of you who do could likely use a couple of hours of solo time. Or maybe you can just try ordering a pizza by yourself and getting that weird combination of pineapples and banana peppers and no-cheese that no one else in your household will eat.
It’s a great feeling.
I stopped at every brown historical marker I wanted to read. I pulled off when I wanted a bottle of water, or felt like stretching. I went to Graceland. I ate at vegetarian-friendly establishments without a tinge of guilt for dragging my carnivorous friends to a place with tofu on the menu. I left venues where the music sucked. I never had to sit through something just because my company liked it, or pretended to like it. I went home early when I felt like it, and I stayed out late when I felt like it.
When I woke up one morning and didn’t feel like braving SXSW madness, I drove to the Lyndon B. Johnson Ranch, watched a little film on LadyBird, and wandered around the grounds by myself. I saw LadyBird’s flowers and laid down on an old wooden bench. I skipped around the gravel path because I felt like it.
I stopped when I saw a Longhorn grazing by a cactus just past the fence. We smiled at each other. The Longhorn was hanging out on a beautiful day, enjoying the scenery and eating grass. Exactly what he wanted to do. Just like me. (Except I probably won’t ever be killed and eaten for my flesh.)
Hard Rock, Tonic, David Mead, and 7M3 Current mood: artistic Tonight, Peter Searcy and I played a toned-down-but-still-rockin’ show at the Hard Rock Cafe. We were opening for Emerson Hart, who was fantastic. He had the same setup as us -- guitar, keys, and drums. And guess who was playing keys for him? David Mead! He is one of my absolutely favorite songwriters, and is a really talented musician. Check out his music. He writes the most beautiful melodies, that still manage to be catchy.
Anyway, it was a nice surprise to see him. We shared a bill in Louisville about two years ago, so it was funny for us to be on the same bill again tonight -- only this time, both as sidemen.
Emerson put on an excellent show. I had never heard him before. Yes, I know, he was in a huge band once. But I pretty much missed all of 1995-2000 in rock music history because I was doing homework. Lame excuse, I know, but it’s the truth.
Another bizarre coincidence was seeing that Emerson’s tour manager, was the same awesome tour manager for 7Mary3. Are you beginning to notice how small the music industry is?
I think tour managers have the most insanely difficult job in the industry, and I would NEVER want their job. Somehow J makes it look easy. Impressive.
And in other news, Peter is probably going to go back out on the road with 7Mary3 in the coming months, and I am EXTREMELY sad that I can’t go with him because of local shows I booked months ago. Sad sad sad. See me? I’m crying.
This is my official recommendation to you all: go buy the new 7Mary3 record. I don’t care what you think you know about the band; go buy their new record. It is fan-freakin-tastic. I’m including this video of me playing accordion with them, which i’ve posted on here before, but, dammit, you should listen to this song...
Rosencrantz: I don’t believe in it anyway. Guildenstern: What? Rosencrantz: England. Guildenstern: Just a conspiracy of cartographers, then?
* * * * * *
Tonight, I hung up two maps on my wall : a map of the US a map of Europe. Why? I got really tired of having to use MapQuest to see where Valencia is compared to Brussels. It was nice that MapQuest tells me it is "1,702 km – about 15 hours 6 mins" from one to the other, but I need a visual. I need one that I can return to as often as I like, and I like having it on my wall.
I used to look at maps all the time; now i just look at my GPS device. (Which, by the way, it turns out has a Darth Vader voice!!! It scared the crap out of Robby, a nice drummer-boy, who rode home from SXSW with me. Imagine, Darth Vader telling you to "turn left in three hundred yards or you will enter the dark side." He really says it! Anyway....) Does anyone out there under 30 even own at atlas anymore?
I’m excited. I’m planning a tour. I’m going to travel and sing. I’m going to yodel in Switzerland and play the accordion in France. I’m going to rock in New York and twang in Nashville. I’m going to be political in DC and polemical in Boston. I don’t know why Boston should make me polemical; i just liked the rhythm of that sentence.
Should I come to you? Let me know where you are. Maybe you want to host a house concert. Maybe you have a favorite local band that I should share a bill with. Maybe you want to let me stay on your couch and take me to brunch in the morning. Maybe you own a really big company that wants to sponsor my tour and buy me a plane ticket to Paris. Really, I’d settle for the latter.
I’ve got two songs from my new record up on my page for your previewing enjoyment.
My trip is coming to an end. I’m writing this while chilling with Lyzz and Josh, sipping on a martini made with Dripping Springs vodka (made in Dripping Springs, outside of Austin).
I’ve got to get up crazy early, so I’m heading to bed soon. But I wanted to give a final blog from the fine city of Austin, Texas.
A recent highlight was the trip to the haberdashery, where my friend Spider purchased a $120 top hat. I have a bad habit of convincing my radio conference friends that they need to buy fabulous wardrobe additions (see November 2007 blog: Michael and the Magic Shirt). Spider did not need much convincing, as he was already wearing a tuxedo jacket with his jeans and Converse.
But the Top Hat was every bit as magical as Michael’s magic shirt. And as we discovered, if your mission is to get girls to talk to you, then a Top Hat is better than a puppy. Girls were stopping to have their picture taken with him. If his name wasn’t already "Spider," I would be calling him "Top Hat."
Today, I hung out with Lyzz and family during the afternoon. I bought an Agave plant, which I’m going to try to grow in my front yard, along with the wormwood and tobacco. I like bizarre plants.
Then we saw Guy Forsyth, who happens to be Lyzz’s brother. He also happens to be a kick-ass performer. Plus, he plays the saw too. Fantastic. We need to get Guy up to Louisville sometime.
27: Number of text messages from my parents in the first day of my road trip, to see if I was alive. 27: Number of times I had to remind myself that they text because they love me. 10: Number of years it has been since I lived with my parents. 2: Number of times I was served bourbon and Coke when I ordered bourbon and coke. FYI, it was the most disgusting bourbon ever. So bad that I switched to Crown Royal to make up for the nastiness. And yes, I know that Crown is a Canadian blend. But it’s soooo smooth. 7: Number of times I received Jack and Coke when ordering bourbon and coke. 7: Number of times I secretly enjoyed the Jack and Coke. 1032: Number of tortilla chips I feel like I ingested this week. 1032: Number of miles I have left to drive home tomorrow. 1032: Number of cities I can’t wait to visit. Is yours one of them? Please let me know if you want me to come play your town. I love being on the road, and I’m booking a tour now. I cannot wait to come sing for you, whereever you are.
Seriously though, I am so glad I came here. Visiting with Lyzz was wonderful. It was excellent just to relax in her beautiful home, even when Home Depot demolished her kitchen this week to replace the countertops. She’s one of those friends I know I’ll always have. And we can go months without talking, or years without seeing each other, and after a brief squeal, it’s like time hasn’t passed at all. Thanks for a great week, Lyzzie. Tell Josh I’m going to kick his ass in Accordion Hero next time I’m down here.
LBJ, Hipsters, and Sunscreen. SXSW Day 6ish Did I mention how Lyzz and Josh are grownups? Well, Josh is playing Guitar Hero right now. Of course, he’s playing it on his HUGE plasma TV that he got with his J-O-B. What is it with the Guitar Hero obsession? Everyone I know, except people who actually play guitar, is obsessed. If only they spent as much time practicing the guitar, as they do playing Guitar Hero.
I prefer Accordion Hero.
Quick Recap of What I’ve done the past couple of days: I spent some time this week at the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City, just outside of Austin. It’s a beautiful drive, and the ranch is open to the public. I took a relaxing walk several times around the property, and swung on the porch swing at LBJ’s boyhood home. I’ve got a thing for presidential trivia. It’s funny, but I never seem to be much into presidential trivia of the current president. I’ve eaten Tex Mex and more Tex Mex. Today, I went to the New West records party and heard the Old 97’s, Tim Easton, and Buddy Miller. Last night I heard Daniel Lanois for a bit, then got really tired and went to bed early. I tried to go hear Ben Sollee play with Bela Fleck tonight, but the show was running late and I had to pee and the bathrooms were in the venue and they wouldn’t let anyone inside and i got annoyed and i left.
I’ve done loads of meandering around by myself, which I love. I keep running into friends from Nashville and beyond; this place is like camp. At least for the industry folks, like my radio and press people.
The scenesters are a different beast.
Have any of you been to SXSW? It’s hipster central.
I love being at a point in my life where I just don’t care. Yes, that was me wandering down the street in the wide-brimmed cowboy hat. Because I don’t want a melanoma, and I’ve got plenty of freckles already. The kids who sneered at my hat are surely not reading this blog, so I don’t worry about offending them. Sneer away, pastie-emo-children! When you’re not allowed on your parents’ health insurance anymore, maybe you’ll start wearing wide-brimmed hats too.
Public Service Announcement: Jack Daniel’s is NOT Bourbon Current mood:know-it-all Ok, so it was amusing the first four times I ordered "Bourbon and Ginger" and received Jack Daniel’s. But I am seriously beginning to take it personally. Texans are a proud bunch, but they’ve got nothing on Kentuckians. We are much more quiet and dignified in our love for our state, and we know that Jack Daniel’s is NOT bourbon.
And in that vain, I am now going to teach you all what legally (yes, legally) makes whiskey a bourbon.
Because I am a know-it-all, and I’m okay with that. I prefer the term "self-improvement," but my fondness for sharing interesting facts is often annoying. If you aren’t interested in learning, then stop reading. But I promise you that this will come in useful at a cocktail party soon.
First of all, whiskey can be spelled with "whiskey" OR "whisky." You’ll notice that on my first record, the song "Whisky in the Faucet" is spelled without an "e." This is not a typo. I spelled it as such because I was referencing Maker’s Mark, which was created by Scottish descendents. And Scots spell their "whisky" without and "e." Irish folks use the "e." Check your bottles if you don’t believe me. Maker’s Mark is whisky, not whiskey.
(sidenote: Interesting fact! "Whiskey" is Gaelic for "water of life.")
Secondly, all bourbon is whisky/ey, but not all whisky/ey is bourbon. It’s like with quadrilaterals. Are squares are rhombuses, but not all rhombuses are squares.
Thirdly, and you’re going to try to fight me on this, but it’s true: Bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky. It is not like Champagne and the region of France. I guarantee you that most people won’t believe you when you share this fact, so I suggest you learn the following regulations.
Why do I know these things? I have visited pretty much every distillery in Kentucky multiple times. I’ve taken the Maker’s Mark tour probably about 25 times. Why? 1) I like Maker’s Mark. and 2) I have hosted a LOT of out-of-town guests, and it’s the perfect daytrip/tourist activity. By now, I could give the tours. So I’ve definitely memorized the Six Federal Guidelines That Make a Whisky a Bourbon.
And here they are, complete with a mnemonic device so that you, too, might memorize them:
Bourbon must:
A: be made in AMERICA. Not necessarily Kentucky. Just America. The reason most of it is made in Kentucky is because Kentucky sits on a bed of limestone, which filters the iron out of the water and makes it taste better. But there is a bourbon made in Virginia.
B: It must be aged (at least two years for "straight" bourbon) in new, charred, oak BARRELS. You can thank Elijah Craig for that one.
C: It must be at least 51% CORN.
D: It must be DISTILLED to no more than 160 Proof (yikes!).
E: It must ENTER the barrel at no more than 125 proof.
and finally F: It cannot be FILTERED through or mixed with anything except pure water.
Note that bourbon is completely organic and vegan.
Okay, that’s my diatribe and lesson for the evening.
Actually, I should also say that my Jack and Ginger’s have been delicious. I like Jack, but it’s not bourbon.
What bourbons do you like?
This morning I woke up to a wonderful thunderstorm. Having lived in the basement for a year now, I have forgotten what rain on the windows sounds like. I laid in bed two hours longer just to enjoy the sounds.
Plus, it's a real bed. Not an air mattress in a hotel room, or a couch in a tour bus, or a futon in the basement: a real bed.
Lyzz and Josh, much like Virgina and Garrett, are grownups. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a grownup too. I have mortgages and health insurance and a dining room table (granted, my dining room table is a broken baby grand piano), but I'm going through an adventurous phase in my life. It's been here for about 28 years. Buying a bed isn't nearly as exciting to me as buying a Gibson.
Lyzz and Josh went to work today. Josh flew to Nashville for his computer job. He works for Dell, I think. And I think he secretly covets my iPhone, but will never admit it because he can't be found to be a "mac guy." Can you imagine, having to pretend that you love Windows?
Lyzz is a firewoman. She's an uber-hot firewoman. In fact, she is Miss February in the 2008 Austin Women Firefighters Calendar. She headed to the station at noon for her shift. They have Roman Rings at her station. One day, I'm going to come back and do some Roman Ring tricks.
I had the house to myself today because they're all off being workin'-folk. So, of course, I left for brunch first thing I could.
Today was brunch at Magnolia with Jesse from Atlanta. Delicious Migas. I haven't figured out why everything comes with soft tortillas. Do people in Texas just like to mash all their flavors together in compact on-the-go package? I tried it, but just ended up picking out the innards with a fork.
Next on today's itinerary: the flagship Whole Foods store.
I was expecting a nice store, but nothing could have prepared me for the beauty that is Whole Foods. Imagine that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original) when Gene Wilder sings "Pure Imagination," and everyone's in awe of the magical room with the chocolate river. That's how i felt, except it wasn't chocolate. It was exotic fruits, and all kinds of nut butters, and vegan meals, and counters where you could sit in the middle of the store and have a meal. It was a whole wine store in the middle of the grocery. It made Whole Foods in Louisville look like Dirty Kroger.
So, for those of you who were wondering which Austin eastery I patronized, and with whom (thanks for all your inquiries!) ... I took a nap and then feasted on my Whole Foods purchases.
Then I went to the Continental Club for Sara Borges and the Broken Singles. Trish and Al were there, and they introduced me to lots of nice nice folks. I played the do-you-know-so-and-so-from-Kentucky game with Sara's drummer, and, of course, we had a match the first name mentioned.
Dale Watson was playing next. He's great, but it got really crowded. So here i am, home alone, blogging away. And loving it. I'm going to have a whole blog about Solo Vacations soon.
I'm getting up early tomorrow for some sightseein'.
Road Trip, Day 3: Austin, Day 1 Current mood: loved I think Road Rage could be prevented if everyone had an iPhone. Everytime I got stuck in traffic today, I just put the car in "park" and googled something about my whereabouts. For instance, I learned that the "Wm Cannon Dr" exit in Austin is so-named because William Cannon was a hero in the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. I also learned that Lewisville Lake, just outside of Dallas, is man-made. It's beautiful. But man-made? Crazy.
Anyway, I barely noticed when I was stalled in traffic because of all the interesting facts I learned.
Today, all I listened to were podcasts of "This American Life." They took me all the way to Austin.
I squealed upon seeing Lyzz, my college roommate. I am not a squealer, but long absences from Lyzz turn me into one.
We ate brunch at Threadgill's, where Janis Joplin used to play. Then we got a cupcake from the expensive cupcake stand in South Congress.
We also invented a game: Find the band.
You see, it's South by Southwest, the time of year when Austin is invaded by outsider bands. It's quite simple to spot what group of hipsters are the band. They generally wear darker colors than the natives, in shades of greys and browns. They have oddly shaped eyeglasses, and are usually wearing scarves with t-shirts. Seeing as it is easy to spot the band, we decided the more challenging game would be: spot the drummer in said band. The only way to get points is to first, call your shot (i.e. who is the drummer). Then you must approach the group and ask which one is the drummer, not whether or not they are a band.
We thought it was easy as could be until we realized that the first half of this week is the SXSW Film Festival. Those Film Guys throw everything off. Film guys and indie-rockers have strikingly similar wardrobes.
Things could get challenging.
In other news: had dinner with a friend from Atlanta at Chuy's. Love the chips-n-salsa. Filled up on chips-n-salsa, then continued to order dinner. Why does this always happen? I went back to Lyzz's and was prepared to crash, when my pal Al texted me about dancing at Momo's on West 6th Street. Let it be known that i rarely turn down a real dancing invitation.
What does tomorrow hold? Maybe: the Alamo! Or at least a visit to the flagship Whole Foods.
*** Now for the numbers:
Jesus Billboard Count: 29 Semis who drove off-the-road: 9 Roadkill: 72 Jumpsuits in the Sincerely Elvis Museum: 56 Number of times received Jack Daniels when asked for "bourbon and coke": 1 Number of times ordered "bourbon and coke": 1
Road trip Day 1 & 2 I've got video of some of this ... so i might put together a little montage later...
Friday, Louisville
8:00 am: Text from my dad: "If u expect 2 head south, u should leave by 10 am today! Impossible tomorrow!"
I am a stubborn girl. But I usually know when to succomb. I threw some clothes in a suitcase, grabbed my accordion, saw, and guitar, along with my iPhone (whoo hoo!) and hit the road.
The worst part of the drive was the first 30 miles leaving Louisville, lots of Louisvillians trying to drive in the snow and slush on I-65. It took about 4 hours to get to Nashville, but I made it fine. The most dangerous part was replying to my mother's text messages that, yes, I was alright.
12:30 pm, Nashville
Lunch at the Noshville with Karen. You know you're a regular when the server at the counter knows your name and that you drink decaf. I got a great New York pickle and a Black and White cookie. You New Yorkers know about the Black and White cookie. It's like cake AND a cookie. Fantastic. I decided to truck on to Memphis to visit my friends Garrett and Virginia, and I brought them pickles and a B&W cookie to go.
1:56 pm, I-40 Westbound just out of Nashville.
Stopped in traffic. Not to fear: I've got an iPhone. So i check my email and the weather and the New York Times. Then I get a little bored, and I realize that Garrett's Black and White cookie will, sadly, not make it to Memphis. (Yum.)
5:30 pm: Memphis.
The city is totally shut down with 4 inches of snow. But all's well. Garrett and Virgina cooked me eggplant parmesan and we talked about the good ol' NYU days (Garrett went to college with me). I am impressed because they are all grown-up, with matching dishes and glasses and placemats and a HUGE TV and a fancy condo with a rainfall showerhead and matching stainless steel appliances ... and BOTH of them have jobs. Real jobs, not like "drummer" -- they are attorneys. But nice, do-good attorneys.
Saturday, Memphis
9:00 Virginia made heart-shaped waffles! But there wasn't enough Lactaid milk, so Garrett had to eat bread with peanut butter and syrup. That was kind of weird.
11:00 Graceland! Wow, did Elvis have some great decorators. My favorite was "The Jungle Room," which featured green shag carpet on the floor AND the ceiling. And I recommend paying the extra five bucks to see the airplane and the Jumpsuit room, featuring 56 additional jumpsuits, all hand embroidered. Amazing. Photos to follow, if you haven't yet been there.
Another great moment was standing in the meditation garden, where Elvis is buried. I wanted to take a picture by his grave, but I had to wait for a woman to get off of her cel phone. Yes, she was just yakking away, on her phone, in front of Elvis's grave. Not even anything cool like, "Guess where I'm calling from?!?!" No, she was just on the phone.
The Presley Estate also seems to have a problem with apostrophes. I saw loads of misplaced apostrophes throughout the museum, which annoyed me.
2:00 Tofu barbecue sandwich for lunch! 3:00 Driving tour of Memphis. 4:00 I-40 West.
5:00 Arrive in Little Rock, only to find that the Clinton Presidential Library closes at 5:00. Bugger!
8:30 Texarcana
I thought i would pull off for a nice sit-down meal. But Texarcana sucks. I tried settling for The Olive Garden, where at least I could get a decent vegetarian meal or a great salad. But the wait was an hour. The other options were Chili's and Outback Steakhouse. I got onion rings from Burger King and left town.
Tomorrow I'm getting up crazy early and hitting the road. Austin by lunch! I can't wait.
Ooooh! -- during my drive, I kept a little log of what I listened to. Thought you might enjoy this.
Louisville to Nashville: AM Radio - HORRIBLE, but they have weather reports Podcasts of "This American Life" Podcast of "60 Minutes" David Mead: Indiana (the whole record)
Nashville to Memphis: Podcast of "60 Minutes," the global warming special "This American Life" My new record, twice. John Mann's demos of his new record Bob Dylan: Street Legal (album) Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks tracks 1-6
Memphis to Texarcana: (here's where i started keeping good records) Dan Bern: New American Language (album) Dan Bern: The Swastika EP (album) John Cougar Mellencamp: Scarecrow (album)
Then I hit shuffle on the ol' iPod, and here's what came up. My taste is a bit ecclectic. Dan Bern: "Tongue Tied" Blondie: "Rapture" Beck: "Thunderpeel" Todd Snider: "I Spoke as a child" Mark Knopfler: "Secondary Waltz" Weezer: "Surf Wax America" Johnny Berry & the Outliers: "Mean-Eyed Cat" U2: "New Year's Day" Tammy Wynette: "Stand By Your Man" Pavement: "Spit on a Stranger" Wanda Jackson: "i Gotta Know" Patty Griffin: "No Bad news" Lily Allen: "Nan You're a Windowshopper" Patsy Cline: "When I get Through with You" Gillian Welch: "One Morning" The Beatles: "Something" David Gray: "Night Blindness" Elvis Costello: "Sleepless Nights" Beastie Boys: "Sure Shot" The Kendalls: "heaven's just a sin away" Gipsy Kings: "Bamboleo" Peter Searcy: "Don't Let a day Go By" Velvet Underground: "Pale Blue Eyes" A Fine Frenzy: "Ashes and Wine" Simon and Garfunkel: "Baby Driver" John Prine: "Big Fat Love" Steve Earle: "Democracy" Patty Griffin: "Up to the Mountain" David Mead: "New Mexico" Dixie Chicks: "Sin Wagon" The Muckrakers: "Gravity" Elvis Costello: "Taking My Life in YOur hands" Todd Snider: "alright guy" Sarah Vaughn: "The Nearness of you" Lucinda Williams: "Are you alright?" Townes Van Zandt: "talkin thunderbird blues" Patsy Cline: "When You Need a Laugh"
Here is a video of the Feb 8 show at The 930. Peter Searcy on bass, Steve Cooley on electric guitar, and Scott Lankford on drums.
The song will be on my new album, due out in ... May? Perhaps? This song is "You Make Me Wanna Go to Church," and it is a little naughty. I don't know why so many of my songs get a little randy. I'm really a very nice girl.
Big Band, Road Trips, Great books you never read. Current mood: inspired Category: Blogging Last night I sang a few tunes with the Don Krekel Orchestra, a 17-piece Big Band, with saxophones, trombones, trumpets, and more. I absolutely love old standards and showtunes. Cole Porter's lyrics, George Gershwin's melodies, Ella Fitzgerald's voice, supper clubs, dancing, and more. Who could ask for anything more?
I opened with "Lady is a Tramp" and "Embraceable You." I got chills when the trumpets swelled up to the big ending.
WFPK's Laura Shine also joined the band, and sang KILLER versions of "Cry Me a River" and "Teach me Tonight." You've heard her mellifluous voice on the radio, but you probably haven't heard her sing. A few months ago, I was at the MERF benefit and rand into Laura. We got to talking about what would be our music alter-egos, and Laura confessed that her secret fantasy was to sing with a Big Band.
I grew up listening to Big Band music because my grandfather played trumpet professionally, and I studied jazz piano. But I forget that most people never hear that kind of music, especially not live, and especially not in Louisville, Kentucky.
Of course, I told Laura that I sing with a Big Band about once a year and that she needed to join me next time. I'm not sure if she thought I would follow-up with it, but when I emailed her about singing with the Don Krekel Orchestra, she was 100% in. And last night, she nailed her two songs, and I tell you, I would pay to hear her sing a whole set. I know that my voice is not necessarily suited to Big Band music; i just LOVE singing with them. But Laura sounded AMAZING, like she belonged up there.
I hope to post some YouTube footage of both of us. Check out my YouTube channel, and please please subscribe! www.youtube.com/brigidkaelin
In the mean time, check out a new video, from the February 8 show at The 930. It's a live version of "You Make Me Wanna Go to Church," featuring Steve Cooley, Peter Searcy, and Scott Lankford. I may post a few other songs from that show, so check back. Hmmmm... what else?
My internet was down for a couple of days, so that was me sitting outside Heine Bros. in my Volvo.
In those few days, I had an overwhelmiing and sudden realization: I need an iPhone.
I sat next to a charming couple at the Todd Snider show on Saturday, and they agreed that I do indeed need an iPhone. Really, it's a business move. I don't have an office. I'm on the road all the time. There's not always internet and a laptop available. Sometimes I need directions, email, and song lyrics, as well as total access to YouTube and iTunes IMMEDIATELY. Who knows who i'll be sitting next to on a plane, and I'll need to whip out my Electronic Press Kit. I totally need an iPhone.
...
I did an interview with Louisville Magazine about books I'm reading. One of the questions was: What great book do you know you ought to have read, but you never have? Great question. I'm keeping my answer secret, but I open the floor to your answers.
... And I'm leaving for Texas on Saturday! I'm stopping in Nashville Saturday, but probably will head to Memphis to visit my college friend Garrett. Plus, I've never spent any time in Memphis. Then ... onward to Austin on Sunday i think. I cannot wait to make the drive. I need an iPhone. I also need to mount a video camera in the car so I can video blog from the highway. I need an iPhone.