July 2012 Tour: Day 16

David likes to make composite pictures of my shows sometimes.

Day 16


The last day of the tour was spent in Little Rock at a house show put on by Argenta Productions. My friend Brian, who I met through playing with Andrew Koji (an excellent musician), hooked me up with this show. Another musician friend of mine from Orlando, Austin Miller, was passing through Little Rock on the same day, so he also played the house show. Besides us, Brian and his girlfriend, collectively known as She's a Sheba, played a few tunes, and Cliff Hutchison, also accompanied by a friend, played as well. It was a great night of music. Each performer was very talented.


We played outside. The weather and the set up was very nice. It was explained that it was a neighborhood effort to put together the show. The neighborhood kids fixed up the yard, and other members pitched in to help set things up. It's nice to see a community come together on a project like this. It was a family friendly event and everyone had a good time :)

July 2012 Tour: Days 14 & 15

Days 14 & 15


Unfortunately, both of my gigs on these days fell through, and I was unable to find replacement gigs on such short notice. So, David and I decided to make the best of it, and take Mr. Buddy swimming and camping. We didn't take any photos of that, so here are some random photos from the trip.

Mr. Buddy want to eat Indian food too!

Crochet

July 2012: Days 12 & 13

Days 12 & 13

We returned once again to Tallahassee for the next few days. The first night I played at Mockingbird Cafe again, and it was probably one of the most fun shows I played on this tour. This time I opened for a local band called Drunken Cartographer. I was excited to see them play live because I had listened to some of their music online. I was also looking forward to this performance because I had been trying to get a gig at Mockingbird for a while, but the only night they book local acts is Thursday nights, so the timing was never right...     until now!



This night was also mine and David's 9th wedding anniversary. In honor of the date, I dedicated the last two songs I played to him. They were my two love songs, "Euphoria", and "Home." "Euphoria" was written during and about the beginning of our relationship, and the giddy feelings that went along with that. "Home" was written around our 6th anniversary, and is a more mature song that talks about the progression of the relationship, and also goes along with the old saying, "Home is where the heart is."



Drunken Cartographer was excellent. I really like their music and am now a fan! It was great to sit back and listen to a great band for a bit.

All Saints Hop Yard

The next night, I performed at the All Saints Hop Yard in Tallahassee. We almost passed this place when we arrived. It's kind of hidden, as you have to walk down from the street to get there. The Hop Yard is an outside venue, serving a variety of bottled beers. It's set up kind of like a courtyard, with picnic tables to sit and eat at. On the weekends, food trucks come and park next to the venue. 


When I arrived at the venue, a stage was already set up, with a projector screen in behind it. There were lights, and a nice PA set up as well. 


It was a pretty chill night. The worst part was the heat, but even that wasn't too bad. The crowd was really respectful and seemed to enjoy the music. I sold a lot of CDs and received a lot of good feedback. David took some cool pics this night too. My friend, Ray, also came over from Jacksonville to hang out in Tallahassee and watch me play the past two nights! It's so awesome when you're friends come out to support you :)

From the Roof

Singing "Mad Tom of Bedlam" A capela 

David may have tagged something...

July 2012 Tour: Day 11

Day 11

I returned again to Jacksonville to play one more show at Island Girl Cigar Bar. I had played there once before. I would like to say it was a positive experience, but it was probably, my most awkward show so far on this tour. The last time I played at the cigar bar, I brought out a group of people to watch me play. This time, my friends didn't show up until late into the night. I played the first few hours to about 10 or so people in the bar, none of whom seemed to care that there was live music. There was a man in front of me, who I could tell by his attire, was probably in opposition to most of my lyrics. He did not seem impressed.  I sold no CDs and made no tips. The saving grace of the evening was when my friend, Jay arrived with his friend- they listened, clapped, and appreciated.


Reflecting upon this experience, I realized just how important it is to have some kind of positive crowd response, even if it's just a few people. I can tell when the audience is not into my music. I can feel it, and it brings down my energy and my performance. I just want to crawl inside myself. I want it to be over. I've played quite a few gigs like that- mostly restaurant and bar gigs. I have been trying to book more shows in a listening room, or performance oriented venue where people come to listen to the music. I'm on my way, though, weeding out less appropriate venues here and there, and making connections to better ones.

July 2012 Tour: Day 10

Day 10

Sweet Pea Cafe

The next day, we went to a local vegan restaurant called Sweet Pea Café. It’s a small place, with about 6 entrée items, a few sides, and a special. They have a patio outside with a few picnic tables, which is where we sat with Mr. Buddy. They also have a bowl on the patio for dog water. The place is run by young people, around our age, and they play cool music on the inside. They few times I went inside, I believe I heard Joanna Newsom and Neutral Milk Hotel.

Buffalo Tofu Sandwich

To eat, I had the buffalo tofu sandwich with hand cut sweet potatoes fries. It was delicious. Even more delicious though, was the special, which David ordered. It was a peppered tempeh stir fry over brown rice. Mmmm mmmm!!! To drink, we had homemade iced tea. We’ll definitely be coming back to eat at Sweet Pea Café again when we return to Tallahassee in a few days.

We drove to The Bull  in Gainesville. This was a nice, short trip, in comparison to our other driving distances/times so far. The Bull is located in downtown Gainesville, which appears to be really nice. The manager/bar tender was very nice and accommodating. He offered to let us bring Mr. Buddy inside, which we did. They had some pretty good beers and wines that I recognized. I had the Santa Julia Pinot Noir. It was very nice :)

I played in front of a piano stashed into the back corner of the restaurant. They had a small, but high quality bose system for me to plug into. It’s always nice when I don’t have to lug in all of my own equipment. A few friends I met through facebook came to watch me play and support. That was really neat. The locals seemed to dig the music too, and the manager said he’d like to have me come play again. It’s nice to finally have a good gig in Gainesville!

July 2012 Tour: Days 3-9

NOTE: THERE AREN'T MANY SHOW PICS FROM THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TOUR, AS MR. BUDDY HAS KEPT DAVID PRETTY PREOCCUPIED .  SO, TO KEEP IT INTERESTING, I'M ALSO POSTING RANDOM PICS TAKEN ON TOUR!


Days 3 -5

For this portion of the tour, I returned to Jacksonville, FL. My first Jacksonville show was at Dos Gatos downtown. Dos Gatos is a hip, swanky martini bar and lounge. What I like most about Dos Gatos, other than it’s great location, is that the venue is sectioned into two parts. The bar is at the front of the venue as you walk in, and in the back, is a listening room and lounge with comfy couches and booths to sit in as you enjoy the music. I think because of this, Dos Gatos is my favorite venue in Jacksonville for acoustic music. They just started having acoustic music on Tuesday nights a few months back and I hope it continues!!!

David chilling with Kevin's
rescue dog, Sydney.

The fourth day of my tour was July 4^th.  I tried to coordinate some kind of 4^th of July show, but there was already so much going on, that I couldn’t get it to work out. There was an art walk scheduled downtown for the 4^th of July, but it probably got rained out. Though we had planned to attend, the rain kept us indoors. It was nice though, to have a night off to lounge, eat vegan food made by our old roommate, Kevin (whose place we stayed at for this portion of the tour), and work on my crochet piece.

The 5^th day of tour was spent at Engine 15 on Jacksonville Beach. I have played there a few times before and have always enjoyed it. Engine 15 is a microbrewery with many amazing beers to choose from. The bar tenders there are always incredibly nice and accommodating.

Days 6 & 7

David took a pic of the church where my cousin got
married. He was in the balcony video taping.

This is the portion of the tour that was spent visiting my family in Fort Myers, FL. It was so nice to see my parents and sister again, and get to hang out with them a bit. We went down to the art walk downtown in Fort Myers. It was nice to see such an event. It’s fairly new, I think just a few years old. Art walk happens once a month, along with music walk, which is on a different day, but also happens once a month. Growing up in Fort Myers, there was a small indie music scene, but not many venues to play at, and not much local art being showcased. It’s nice to see the scene has been growing and evolving. This art walk was much like others I’ve been to, wherein local galleries, bars, and shops open their doors, host live music, and showcase art. There are also street performers and artists creating on the sidewalks.

Double rainbow action outside the wedding reception.

The 6^th day of the tour was spent at my cousin, Brittany’s, wedding. It was such a beautiful wedding, and so nice to see family that I haven’t seen in a really long time, some that I haven’t seen in over 10 years. It’s pretty crazy to see all of my cousins all grown up, graduating college, and getting married. Life is amazing and bazaar! After the ceremony, we danced the night away at the reception, as we Hogrefe’s often do, Polka included!

Day 8

My sister, her boyfriend, David and I headed up to Tampa for this next gig at Mellow Mushroom. Unfortunately, as awesome and useful as iPhones may be, they also lead you astray with directions sometimes. I have learned my lesson to be careful and make sure that the destination matches up with the address I need to arrive at. Thought I typed in “Mellow Mushroom Tampa” into the google maps, it sent me to the Mellow Mushroom in Brandon (about a half hour south of the one in Tampa). Though I thought I would be early, I ended up being a little late, but it turned out okay in the end. Though I strive to be on time to every gig, venue owners have the understanding that musicians are not the most punctual people, 
especially when they have to drive long distances.

Mr. Buddy chilled with us often as we ate, usually sitting
in a chair like a person.

I have a long history with Mellow Mushroom, as I have performed numerous times at the locations in Fayetteville and Rogers, AR. Also, David has been working there for a while. I love Mellow Mushroom because they have good options for vegan pizza. David and I switch it up between a BBQ based pizza with Daiya cheese and tempheh, and a Mediterranean pizza with a hummus base (and loaded up with veggies, of course).

This show went really well. I got a good audience response, sold a few CDs and made some much needed mula for the road. If they keep hosting music in the future, it will be a great place for me to stop on my way out of Fort Myers and up the coast. We didn't have anywhere to leave Mr. Buddy during this show, so David, my sister and her boyfriend all sat outside and ate pizza on the patio, and hung out with Mr. Buddy while I played. I was hooked up to the speakers outside, so they could still hear me :)

We spent the night at my sister’s boyfriend’s place. It’s a cool pad with lots of animals, including corn snakes, which I love (I worked with corn snakes when I interned at a nature center in college)! The host of the house made us vegan popcorn as we chilled and watched one of the craziest movies ever made, From Dusk Till Dawn. Overall, this was a really great day!

Day 9

We drove 5 hours up Florida’s west coast to arrive in Tallahassee, FL. Here, we visited some old friends we haven’t seen in a while, and I performed at the Songwriter Showcase at Mockingbird Café. I’ve played at this event at Mockingbird before, when I lived in Jacksonville. Mockingbird Café is a nice little restaurant with a small stage near the bar area. There were quite a few musicians performing this time, so we each had 15 minutes play and speak about our songs.

I quickly noticed that I was most likely the youngest of the performers at this Showcase, though there were two guys who played a few country break up songs that might have been a few years older than I. Though primarily, I would like to perform for an audience of my peers, I often enjoy playing for an older crowd. It seems like the older crowds listen better. Part of it may be out of respect (something lost to my generation), or the wisdom that comes with age in which you appreciate and listen to the lyrics that others have put so much time and effort into.

I’ve always considered myself a good listener when it comes to music. I love music of all kinds, but especially music that has something to say. It seems like most of the music born from my generation consists of love songs, break up songs, and of course, the mainstream songs about sex and money. I don’t know how it got to this point. I know people have always written love songs, but at least some of the classics I listen to had more to say on top of that. I’m not sure what the reason is for this. It could be a combination of factors. Did past generations care more about what was going on in the world around them? Did they feel more of a sense of conviction to use their music to create change? Has mass media so hypnotized us to buy into pop culture that we only care about the superficial? Have we become disillusioned so that we think our voices will not be heard or taken seriously? Maybe we don’t want to think about the state of the world because it’s too depressing. In any case, I could do with a lot more conscious music.

At the showcase, one of my favorite acts was a husband and wife duo from Oklahoma. He is a Florida state finger picking champion, she is a Native American Indian who sings politically charged songs. She said, “I’m a folk singer. I write a lot of controversial songs. But that’s my job, to rustle some feathers.” I loved that! Though her singing was not the best I’ve ever heard, the stories she told through her songs, and the sign language she motioned during them moved me. I thought in my head, “Right on! Why don’t more people do this?” Then I learned that she grew up in foster care, not really knowing her tribe heritage. She sang a song about it, and said that she finally found out through DNA testing after 61 years of wondering. Learning about her hardship, it makes sense that she would sing about these songs. It seems that a lot of the time, it takes some kind of tragedy or hardship to get us to really think introspectively, and to write about what is on our minds and what we would like to change. It makes me think of the old slave and gospel songs of the early African Americans, as well as the revolutionary songs of the Civil Rights Movement. I think of the revolutionary songs of the 60s and Woodstock. Since then, it seems, we have lost our voice. I hope someday day soon to get it back.

July 2012 Tour: Days 1 & 2

July 1st and 2nd, 2012


Starting out on another tour, this time down to Florida! I'm excited about the shows I have lined up, especially the ones at Eddie's Attic (the Songwriter Showcase/competition) in Atlanta, Mockingbird Cafe with a local band called Drunken Cartographer in Tallahassee, and a house show put on by my friend, Brian Papaladro and Argenta Productions in Little Rock, AR. I'm playing many more great places, but those, I think, will be the highlight. I had originally planned to play a show in Memphis on the first night of my tour, but it didn't end up working out. I knew I had to be all the way to Atlanta by day 2, so we decided to camp the first night at Chewalla Lake National Park in Holly Springs, Mississipi, which is pretty much the half way point between Fayetteville and Atlanta. 

Mr. Buddy really wanted to come!

This was our first attempt at bringing Mr. Buddy on the road with us. He's traveled with us before, but not to this magnitude. But he's getting older now, having more health issues, and often experiences separation anxiety, so we decided to bring him along. Two weeks is a long time for a little beagle. David cleared a spot for him in the back seat of our car, and put his little doggy bed in it. He seems really happy just to come along. I hope it all goes well!

Asleep in my suitcase, getting my
clothes smelling like a Mr. Buddy.

Coming into the campsite, we didn't really know what to expect. I had checked out the campground online, and it looked pretty nice. It said the camping was first come, first serve, which I was a bit worried about- it being summer and the week of the 4th of July. Getting close to the campground destination, I tried calling to see if there were any campsites still available, but the organization who handles the reservations isn't even on site, and couldn't tell me. The kind receptionist gave me the phone number for the office at Chewalla Lake, which I called, but did not reach anyone. David and I decided that we'd go the the campground, and if the campground was full, we'd wing it, park on some back road and camp in the woods. 

I like how the only one in this pic who
looks happy is Mr. Buddy. It was a hot, sunny day.

CL t-shirts all made up and ready to
be sold on tour!

As we approached the general vicinity of the campground, evident by signs for Chewalla Lake, we got a little worried. We drove past trailers and ill-kept country houses, down a winding back road. I had thought this was supposed to be a National Park. Why were there houses all around? We continued on, and finally it began to look more and more forest-like. We reached the front gate, which had no attendant; just a sign that said something like, "Fill out form. Put payment in envelope. Drop envelope in mail slot." So we did. We must have been one of the only groups of campers at the whole site. The only other person I saw was a man playing disc golf as we entered. I also saw a motor home near the bathrooms, which I later found out belonged to the groundskeeper. 


Camping was pretty great. No one around- just me, David, and Mr. Buddy. We set up camp, made a fire, and cooked some dinner. The heat hindered our sleep a bit, and it was a hard ground to sleep on, but we made the best of it, got as much sleep as we could, and woke up extra early the next morning to make another fire, cook breakfast, and head out on another 6 hour drive.

David and Mr. Buddy getting some much needed rest at
Connie's after the sleepless night of camping.

In Atlanta, we stayed with our friend, Connie. When we arrived in Atlanta, we had just enough time to say a quick hello, take a shower, and head over to Eddie's Attic for the Songwriter Showcase competition. I love playing at Eddie's Attic (I've probably mentioned it in my blog before). What I love most about the venue is the encouragement by the host for the audience to stay quiet during the performances. "If you'd like to talk, there is a nice patio area outside. Otherwise please be respectful and quiet during the music," he'll say, if the crowd is getting too noisy in between acts.




I've played at Eddie's Attic before, twice. The first time, it was my first tour and I came down with the most awful sinus infection that not only made me feel like crap, but also severely brought down my confidence level, as I wasn't even sure all of the notes that I sang would come out right. The second time, I made it into the top 3, but two sisters from Athens (GA), the Skiperdees, came in and stole the gold. So, I was nervous this time, to see who my competition would be.




I arrived at Eddie's Attic just in time to see the 2 acts before me, and then it was my turn. I looked around at all of the people in the audience (which was as packed as I've ever seen it), and said to them in my head, "You are going to feel me. With my voice, guitar, and energy I'm going to create a sacred space for us to connect." For this performance, I chose to play "Music Flows" and "Worst Enemy." I poured my heart and soul out on that stage. I gave it everything I had, and in return, received a huge applause. Now I just had to wait. 




I watched so many talented musicians share their songs and musical abilities, and grew more and more nervous. After each musician had their turn, the host began to call up the top 3. A very talented young lady who had played guitar on her previous songs was called up, and this time played piano as she sang. She was very good, and I realized that I had seen her poster up in the Women's Room that night, and that she would be performing at Eddie's Attic later on in the week. "Oh great," I thought, "this girl's gonna win it for sure." Then they called up a young man who had a growly, southern type voice, which at times reminded me of the lead singer for the Black Crows. He was an amazing guitarist and performer. 




So at this time, my heart was pounding out of my chest. "Please call my name," I thought to myself, over and over. Then I heard the host say, "And the final musician in the top 3 is.........Candy Lee." 


Woo hoo!!!! I ran and got my guitar so fast, and nearly lept onto that stage. I played "Time," a definite crowd pleaser. Though I felt like I could have performed it better in places, I felt like the quietness of the room really allowed me to play with the dynamics, and playing "Time," there are some quieter parts that I was able to almost whisper. It felt amazing. "Even if I don't win," I thought, "I gave it my all and put on one of my best performances so far." As I was putting away my guitar, the host kindly thanked all of the musicians, and audience, and said, "...and the winner for tonight is..." then he pulled out the slip of paper from the chest pocket of his shirt, unfolded it and said...CANDY LEE"!!! 


It felt so great to win. Now that I have, I get to compete in the Songwriter Shootout, which is a bi-anual competition comprised of all of the winners from the Songwriter Showcase open-mics. This is more of a tournament, where each songwriter goes head to head with another. The winner will go on to compete again with another winner from the same round, and so on, until one final contestant wins. The prize is $1,000 plus more goodies such as opening slots at major festivals, and some free recording too. I'm thinking it's going to be a really tough competition, but I am very excited about it and looking forward to it!

January 2012 Tour: Reflection

What a crazy tour this has been! I feel like I have grown a lot while on this tour. I visited new cities I had never been to before, played a bunch with my band (and took them to some new cities as well), and got to perform at the Waka Winter Classic with some other very talented bands. I got to see old friends, and make new ones. Most importantly though, I think I learned more about the business side of music, and what actions I need to take in order to plan out more successful tours. This last tour was put together very last-minute. I had only given myself a few months to plan, whereas in the future I will give myself a good 6 months at least. I also need to get better at negotiating compensation with the venue booking agents ahead of time. I've always been pretty shy and non-confrontational, so it's hard for me to do so. But I'm becoming stronger, and more confident in myself all the time.


I would say that I can't wait until the next tour, but I really can. Going on tour is pretty exhausting. I performed nearly every day that I was on tour. I think the countless hours of driving, and staying with other people each night is the hardest. It's always go time on the road. Though it's nice to see old friends and stay with them, nothing beats the comfort of home. I've always liked to think that I could live on the road- buy an RV and live like a gypsy. But I can definitely see how it would get old quick.


My favorite part of this past tour was getting to play with the Sweets again. I miss them already. It's been hard not living near them. The last few tours have shown David and I how hard it is to have a "long-distance relationship" with my band. Our plan as of now is to move back to Fayetteville, where I can be closer to the band, and my close friends. It might take us a year or so to get to the point where we are financially able to do so, but I believe the time until then will be well spent. I will spend the next few months in Florida working on/recording my new album, as well as working my butt off and trying to catch up financially after this tour. I'm excited for the years to come. I think many good things are on the way!

January 2012 Tour: Day 15

1/23/12: Neutral Grounds, New Orleans, LA


Last day of tour!!! It was a 9 hour drive to New Orleans from Austin, which I drove by myself. David had stayed up the night before so that he could sleep in the car while I drove to New Orleans, so that he could drive us home after my last gig (as we were unable to find somewhere to stay in New Orleans). Since it was my last gig, we decided to make the 9 1/2 hour drive straight home afterward. What a long day! At this point, for David and I, our patience was running out, we were tired, and sick, and just sick and tired of driving. My 9 hour drive to New Orleans was quite frustrating, with road construction and traffic. We had left San Antonio a bit late, as I was trying to get an oil change, which didn't end up working out. I was very worried I wouldn't make it on time, which was silly because I hadn't realized that New Orleans was still in the same time zone as Austin- so I ended up being an hour early to the gig in New Orleans. It worked out though, as the other act that was to perform that night did not show up. So I played a little longer, and made a few more tips.


Though the drive to New Orleans was a bit frustrating in a few places (mainly Texas), the majority of the drive in Louisiana was nice. It was an overcast day- not in the usual grey sky, rain clouds kind of way. There was a thin film of clouds that covered the entire sky. The scenery changed from flat roads and pine trees to low bridges over swamps filled with cypress trees. Driving over the miles and miles of bridges that ran through the swamp, the theme song from True Blood played in my head. I imagined myself in a small row boat, floating above the pitch black water, stealing my way through the fog and spanish moss that droops from the otherwise barren cypress tree branches, with nothing but a dim lantern to light my way. I imagine docking my boat at a small shack on the waters edge, that is decorated with alligator sculls, small animal bones, and other talismans. I love the feel of Louisiana- it's timeless in a way, from the creaky old buildings in the city, to the eery foggy swamp.  It's a place riddled with history and mystery.


Neutral Grounds was a very cool venue. I loved the shabby-chic ambience. I wish I could have spent more time in New Orleans altogether. It's such a cool city, with so much history. I had been once before, but only with my high school marching band. We actually got to go on historical tours and things of that nature, so I feel I got more of the experience that way. Next time I pass through town, I'm going to try to stay for longer.

I can't believe I didn't use the restroom the whole time I was at Neutral Grounds. David did, though, and he took this pic of the hallway leading to the restrooms.

The barista at Neutral Grounds, Jager, was very nice. He bought a CD, passed around the tip basket for me, and gave me a list of cool venues to get booked at next time I come through town. He also put my sticker up on the wall. Though I was tired, and my voice a little scratchy from sickness, I pulled through the last gig and received positive feedback. We left pretty much right after I was done, as we were ready to put another long drive behind us and finally return home for some much needed rest, and cuddle time with our beagle, Mr. Buddy.

January 2012 Tour: Day 14

1/22/12: San Antonio & Flipnotics Coffee Space, Austin, TX


Before we headed to Austin, David and I checked out a local vegetarian restaurant in San Antonio, Green Vegetarian Cuisine. They do brunch on Sundays, so we were pretty excited about it. I think good breakfast is the hardest thing to find as a vegan.


Everything on the menu at Green Vegetarian Cuisine was vegetarian, though not much of it vegan. David and I each had their vegan breakfast tacos with hash browns, and we split a praline muffin.




The food was pretty good, though I'd like to have seen more vegan options on the menu. I'd place it above some other vegan food I have had at restaurants, but I still think Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando has been my favorite so far. It was cool, though, that this particular restaurant had a small garden on site, which serve as home grown ingredients for the food. And the place was packed- always a good sign.

We drove about an hour and fifteen minutes to get to Austin from San Antonio. By this time, I was really not feeling well, and just wanted to get the gig over with. I was excited about it though, as I was sharing the show with Martin Bemberg, of Memphis Pencils. I've always enjoyed his music, and it was cool to hear him play solo. His sound is so unique. Such a breath of fresh air. He's got such a clean, effortless voice, which is a nice contrast to his often distorted/reverby guitar.

Martin Bemberg

Flipnotics was a cool place. They had a listening room separate from where the coffee is ordered and made. They also have plenty of seating outside. It was a really nice day out, so the majority of the customers were sitting outside. I played to a handful of people, who really enjoyed the music. This was not one of my biggest or most lucrative gigs, but it was cool to hang out in Austin for a bit. I had never been, and had always heard good things.


We had gotten to the venue early, so David and I decided to take a walk around Austin. There were very cool trail/walkways going into the downtown area, and plenty of people out and about utilizing them. I'd definitely like to return to Austin again. It seems like the typical progressive oasis town, like Asheville, Athens, or Fayetteville, with a big emphasis on art and youth culture, bicycles, and the environment. Seems like my kind of place.

January 2012 Tour: Day 13

1/21/12: San Antonio, TX


Though I had already had some health issues on this tour, I had not yet "gotten sick." I thought I had dodged the bullet leaving Fayetteville, as both Warren and Dan had become sick for the past few performances of ours. I was ready for a peaceful day of relaxation at my parents' time share, as my gig plans for this date did not work out. Uncharacteristically, David (who never gets sick) ended up getting a head cold and fever on our day of rest, and spent most of the day sleeping. I also started to feel under the weather the following day, so our time spent in San Antonio and Austin was less than pleasant.

January 2012 Tour: Day 12

1/20/12: Opening Bell, Dallas, TX


David and I were sad to leave Fayetteville. But before we did, we hung out with my friend, Paige. It was her birthday. We had some breakfast and coffee together at Ozark Natural Foods, and then we had to be on our way. It took us about 6 hours to drive to Dallas from Fayetteville. I was happy to have an early show, as it was another 4 hour drive to my parents' time share in San Antonio, where we would spend the night.


Opening Bell is a cute little coffee shop with a nice little stage in the corner. They have their own sound system and monitors, which was nice. The band that was scheduled to play after me had to cancel due to car issues. So, I played for about an hour, to a small but appreciative crowd. I sold a few CDs, and a new fan, who had found my music via the internet, came out to watch me perform. That was pretty cool.


After the long drive to San Antonio, David and I were ready to get in bed and chill. I love staying in my parents' time shares. They are always so nice, usually with a kitchen and a jacuzzi tub. They make me feel like I'm upper class. We'll be staying for the next 3 days. Ultimate chill time!