Photo Perfect

Photo copyright 2010 by Machelle Dunlop The idea of getting photos taken scares the daylights out of me. I think I feel kind of unnatural when I know I'm supposed to pose but look natural but not think about it but "this has to go on a poster." So I put off photos for a while. Luckily, my friend and awesome photographer Machelle Dunlop came to my rescue. We worked together at the county government back when I first moved to town, and I was the admin/singer-songwriter down the hall and she was the admin/photographer and we BOTH quit the government grind and she takes photos and I play music. It's pretty fun to think about. Since I know and love Machelle, and since she is so good at making folks comfortable, I had a great time hanging out with her last month and taking some photos around Austin. She had scouted this awesome bush in the middle of an empty parking lot, and it looks like we're in some foreign land...there's a bit of it on the right of this photo. Photo copyright 2010 by Machelle Dunlop I won't give away what this structure is that I'm standing in, but I will say we probably trespassed for the half hour we were there, haha. I really enjoyed watching Machelle work because she thinks like a photographer...songwriters are observant folk but it's different when one's art is so visual. Machelle saw cool textures in walls and trees and investigated what looked to me like empty parking lots and suburban dullness that turned up lots of great little locales for photos. Photo copyright 2010 by Machelle Dunlop So there we go. I'm stll trying to re-design my website to where I'm happy with it (now I'm picky) and I can't wait to integrate these shots. Here's one more, it's metaphorical for all the traveling this year! Photo copyright 2010 by Machelle Dunlop

Greetings from Gulf Shores

It's pretty down here. We drove in at sunset and I have seen the Gulf Shore Beach in the dark, so I'm sure it will reveal its glorious daylight wonder tomorrow...but it was cool to walk in a good 6 inches of fine sand and sink with every step. The beaches in Texas are pretty packed. This Alabama sand is a different beast. It was pristine, with nary a weed or rock to get in the way. To recap the last few days...Virginia at Ashland Coffee and Tea was so fun; the venue is such an esteemed listening room and the folks are the nicest. We're going back in April! We saw a little of Richmond and ate some lovely Thai food downtown. The Yelp! app on my phone has helped immensely in booking motel rooms and finding places to eat that don't suck. The next day we drove to Chapel Hill, NC and Susan was interviewed on WCOM before the gig, and then she and I got to guest DJ for half an hour. We played stuff by our friends; Jess Klein, Dana Cooper, Terri Hendrix, and then...Flight of the Conchords to top it all off. Win for suSANNNG! and DJ Lady Popo. At a late night truck stop break I got a non-traditional North Carolina pig. It pained me because it is not white and does not have hearts for eyes, but this was my last chance for a NC pig so I took it. He's ok. He'll fit in. Suz at The Cave in Chapel Hill Then we stayed the night in Charlotte (which I know is a big town but for the life of me I could only come up with that it is the home of the Hornets...) and walked the dogs in a cemetery which was only slightly creepy. Then we drove from Charlotte through South Carolina to Georgia where Susan songswapped with Rachael Sage and Chris Trapper at another of the nation's great listening rooms; Eddie's Attic. What a room. It has birthed the careers of folks I love like the Indigo Girls and Jennifer Nettles. Then we drove to Alabama to stay in Montgomery for the night, which is 4 states in one day! Georgia Pig. Score. Today we left Montgomery but not before consuming more Thai food (yes, in Alabama, so?) and I had to stop and get some flip flops. I started this 2 week trip with the intention of proving I am an adult and can wear real shoes for 2 weeks, but I quickly discovered that I don't wear flip flops out of immaturity, I wear them because I don't like crap covering my feet. I was miserable, and Susan had to endure about 3 stops at truck stops and a CVS that involved me unsuccessfully searching for flip flops. (WHERE ARE ALL THE FLIP FLOPS IN ALABAMA???) I finally scored some in Montgomery. Which is also the place where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, which is not related but interesting nonetheless. And tonight we walked the Gulf Shores Beach and now I am blogging and for now you are completely up to date.

Last Day in NYC

Monday we woke up in Boston, got delivered to the train station by our wonderful host, and once again found ourselves on a new form of transportation. At 10:45 AM we approached the Fung Wah Bus counter in Boston's South Station. The tickets ladies looked at us and said, "To New York?" "Yes." "Fifteen dollars each. Gate 25. Leaves at 11." Well ok then. We were on a Chinatown bus to New York City. Known for their cheapness, some of our friends were convinced we'd end up in a Mafia plot or something. I was a bit nervous, but as we boarded we found awesome purple upholstery and a perfectly ok ride. We stopped for a bit in Fairfield, CT, where I miraculously scored a Connecticut pig at the McDonalds/travel center rest stop on our 10 minute break. I had a pig homing device in my brain working overtime, apparently. We drove into NYC at about 4 PM, and the views from the giant bus windows were amazing. Check out that giant graveyard. I guess we all gotta go somewhere. That night we went to an open mic hosted by a friend at Cafe Vivaldi right along Bleecker Street, mecca of folkies in the 60's. Very fun. Then we wandered about 35 yards into Central Park before we decided that, unlike the rest of NYC at 12:30 AM, it was strangely dark and empty in there. So we went to Times Square instead. And it was bright. Really, really bright. It was a good way to end our time in New York City...I loved how busy it was, how everything was at your fingertips at every time of day, how navigable it was, how we felt like we could handle the subway 3 days in. Everyone should try it, the Big Apple is something to behold. We'll be back next year!

New Jersey and Boston

All right...so the next couple days were a whirlwind. After I bought my Delaware pig, we were hurtled once again on a train to transfer to a train in Philadelphia to get to Newark Penn Station, NJ. Now...there is a Penn Station in New York City, and there is a Newark Penn Station, and that Newark is in New Jersey...and there is also a Newark, Delaware which is pronounced "New-ARK" as opposed to the other one which is "NEWark." Um, yeah. We got off at the right station which is all I care. Susan played a lovely house concert in New Jersey, we saw a little of Newark but not enough, and then before we knew it we were back at Penn Station (in NEWARK) on an Amtrak to Boston. This was the most cushy ride of them all and I enjoyed the time laptopping and watching Connecticut and Rhode Island skate by us out the window. The leaves were changing and I ate a bagel from the snack car. Any form of transportation with a SNACK CAR wins, people. We found ourselves delivered to Boston in 4 hours, and our awesome house concert host, Jim, dropped us off at Faneuil Hall, or Quincy Market, in downtown Boston. It was Sunday and everyone was out touristing. We made our way to Paul Revere's house, which was old and had lots of old stuff in it. It's hard to process that this structure was standing during the Revolutionary War, and yet, there we were on the creaky floorboards. Very cool. Then of course we found America's Oldest Tavern and had to stop in for a Sam Adams. Only proper in Boston proper. The house concert was again fun and we met so many awesome people. We were both pretty exhausted after our weekend of nonstop travel, though, and found ourselves yawning by 10:30 PM. Lame. Next time, Boston, we shall see your night life.

Getting to Pennsylvania

All right, back to the tour recap. Since getting back I've been a little preoccupied with car-shopping and sleeping since I kind of had a run in with tree before we left, and I kind of picked up a cold in New York. Anyway... On Friday we had to get to Pennsylvania. I posted our train and bus schedule below...the miraculous thing is that is all worked! We only had one trip up standing on the wrong corner in Philadelphia, causing us to miss one bus. Thankfully it ran every half hour and we made sure we had plenty of time to spare, so it was no big deal. We drove through Valley Forge National Park, which made my day...I so wanted to pull that yellow cord on the bus so we could pull over and I could see where Washington and his troops quartered for the winter, but alas...another time. It was a gorgeous bus trip, though. When we got to Phoenixville, we sat outside on the street for their First Friday celebration. Very fun. The gig itself was great as always...Susan charmed the crowd including a nun, who even appreciated the cuss words. Or at least she was cool enough to let them slide by. That night we stayed with some friends in Wilmington, Delaware, which was a state I was not expecting to visit -- and I will admit -- really EVER expecting to visit. In college I made a joke about Delaware not really existing because I had never met anyone from there. Now I have, and it was lovely. Also, the next day at the train station, I scored a Delaware ceramic pig. The odds of finding a ceramic pig for my collection at 7 AM in a train station newsstand are pretty low...he is a treasured porker. Carry on...

Headed to Boston

Whoa. We've had an amazing tour up here on the East coast so far. I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of either a) living in NYC for 4 months which means I need thousands of dollars or a benefactor b) living in a little fishing village in Connecticut for 4 months and learning how to sail a boat I'm sure I'll add Boston to my list once we're there. We've had fantastic luck with trains and busses and subways so far...none missed and arriving with time to spare at all our shows. That what was most on my mind when in "road managing" mode...which I guess in this instance turns into "track managing." On Thursday we took a subway down to Times Square, talked to some rappers (because they all approach you trying to sell their latest project), gave some tourists some directions, took some people's photos...the usual, haha. The show at Rockwood Music Hall was great - Susan and I both had friends show up that made the evening a great one. Who knew I knew so many people in NYC? More soon on the Pennsylvania - New Jersey leg...we're close to our South Station stop in Boston, and on to the next show!

Music Everywhere

I am so behind. I feel good about it, though, because there's lots of things stirring in my pot of projects. I just spent the morning at Whole Foods and saw Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines play for HAAM Benefit Day - the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. That program does great things for a large part of the community in this town. They cover my teeth, yo, because my normal insurance does not...they help out a lot. This weekend's set of Susan gigs was awesome...I had my 2 weeks off from the tour life so it was good to hop in and go for some neat shows. Suz songswapped with Beth Wood, who is someone you all should see live as soon as possible. She's the real deal. That was in Possum Kingdom Lake, where I saw no possums, but I did see a lake. This house concert was in a COOL house. Beth Wood and Susan Gibson! Friday night Susan joined forces with Michael O'Connor who is one of my favorite people as well as guitarists. They played a great show at Dosey Doe in Houston, whereupon we wandered in a pawn shop before the show and I could have dropped a good chunk of change on DVDs, guitars, and gold watches. I never even knew I needed a gold watch. Or an accordian. Michael O!! Susan sang with Kyle Hutton for his CD release gig. Saturday was one of my favorite venues for a Susan show - the White Elephant Saloon in Fort Worth. This means...FULL BAND. The energy in the room was potent. I spent all night filming things for one of those aforementioned projects Susan and I are working on. I had four cameras going at once...we'll see how it all turned out. Also, the lighting all weekend was GOOD. I am only a good photographer when other people light things well. Don't ask me to do it. Tomorrow I fly to Albuquerque, where I have to ready the first real toast I have ever given at a wedding, for my best friend Jamie. I hope I can be witty and touching and all that while making everyone cry, but not crying myself. Hm. I'll be back in Austin on Monday, have Tuesday to get ready, and then on Wednesday we FLY TO NEW YORK CITY! So excited for this string of gigs. It seems like only this summer when I was on the phone constantly booking these shows. Wait, it was only this summer. Things come up fast.

Back to it.

I figured I'd actually write a blog post for once instead of posting a movie. Four in a row is kind of overboard, I guess. But that's why my name's at the top of the blog, so there. I had a great time at the JFK Sixth Floor Museum. I've always been sucked in by conspiracy theories and intrigue in politics. I also really dig visiting the actual sites of where things happened...so looking out the windows at the "sniper's nest" was a fascinating thing to do. Gave me the willies, to be honest. No smoking+no guns=no smoking guns Who knew they actually marked the assassination spot on the highway? Then it was off to Marble Falls to catch up with the boss and watch a songswap with some awesome folks. Hal Ketchum was among the swappers, and I have loved his stuff since I started listening to country radio in the 90's. Weird how someone you see on CMT when you're a kid is playing a show you're at in Texas 15 years later. It was a great set! Gary Nicholson, Hal Ketchum, Susan Gibson, Walt Wilkins Susan rocked as aaaaaalways! Now I'm back in the van on the road to Possum Kingdom Lake, Houston, and Fort Worth. I hope I see a possum. An opossum? Hm.

August Recap...

Here we are. Here I am, here you are anyway. I'm in Albuquerque...not being a merch girl in Colorado. I quit the tour in a fit of frustration over a lost bag of Skittles in the van last Thursday. Just kidding. While I love touring with Susan, I have another job in Austin that must be attended to at the music school. It's good for me to have both, and I am fortunate enough to have both jobs let me be flexible with where I am at any given moment. I fly back to Austin tomorrow and Susan stays on the road for another 2 weeks. The first two weeks went fairly smoothly besides the gaping wounds on my feet (mostly healing well, one is still gaping and hurts right now...but it was the worst one so it's taking longer heal. Skin is pretty awesome, growing back over itself and stuff). We played at the Rhythms on the Rio Festival in South Fork, CO last weekend. We drove all night from Fort Collins to get there (translation: Susan drove all night while we slept and I took the last half hour drive in the morning so she could go to bed and sleep a bit before the festival). We stopped at a rest stop somewhere in CO at 3:30 AM and let me just say this...if you are a creepy dude, or any dude at all, or any creep at all...never ask 3 girls in a van at a rest area to jump start your truck at 3:30 AM. Ask a guy. Or call the cops. Or just wait for daylight. We left in a hurry and I'm sure creepy guy got a jump start...just not from us. Shudder. It was the first annual and went really well for a giant production like that in its first year. The scenery was awesome, the people were great. Susan played a great set and won a lot of new fans. I played what is called a "tweener" set between bands while Great American Taxi set up their gear. It's weird to play solo at a big festival. I felt like an ant on the big stage, but it was fun nonetheless. Even ants have fun. Then it was off to Taos, NM for two nights at the Old Blinking Light. The 2nd night we were lucky enough to be outside, and the view was gorgeous. Sunsets rock here. I have thought it for a while but really, mark my words, I am retiring in Taos in an adobe house. I can't wait. I want to retire when I'm 32. A few days in Albuquerque are good for meeting up with people I haven't talked to face-to-face in a while. I get to be a bridesmaid in my friend Jamie's wedding, so I tried on the dress today. I hope I don't trip in its fanciness - it will be a fun wedding! Currently listening to the new Imogen Heap album...she's brilliant as usual. My wound will continue to gape for a while. In exactly a month I'll be flying to New York City. Things swim in my head.

Who Made Texas So Pretty?

We had the most beautiful drive to San Angelo today...

House Concerts = Joy

Thanks to Raymond for this photo! All right, back in town after a weekend of house concerts. Very different settings, both very cool. The first was outside under a covered patio outside of Tyler, and there was a veritable farm on donkeys around us. Dub tried to take on a donkey and then it made a donkey noise and he ran back to hide behind us. Wimp. Dog vs. Donkey Then in my usual fit of loading everything up, I left my backpack full of clothes in Tyler. Sigh. Better my stuff than someone else's, I suppose. They're nice enough to ship it to me. Yay. :) Lesson: HAVE A SYSTEM AND KEEP IT. The next night was a house concert in Denton. It was a packed living room and Susan was her usual brilliant funny self, I played some, we played together at the end of the night, and it dissolved into us singing Flight of the Conchords songs. That's probably a sign the house concert is over, haha. The neat thing about those shows is that no two are ever alike because the audience can participate and the whole room gets a personality of its own. Yesterday we drove back from Denton and had, as Susan called them, "yawn-versations" all the way. Not even a rousing game of that peg-jumping triangle thing they have on the table at Cracker Barrel could energize us. We aren't very good at that game anyway. Dub after donkey wrangling. (I stole these photos from Amy. Thanks, Amy and Amy's iPhone!)

Silly Photographic Side Note

I had wondered how Tift Merritt got the effect on her album cover for "Another Country"... Until I took this in Montana. Huh.