Return to Fayetteville Tour: A Broken Recollection (Part 1)

I know I should have kept a diary of my last tour. The experiences I had were incredible. The scenery alone is enough to make you want to leave your material possessions behind and become a hitchhiking gypsy. David (my husband, for those new to my journey) and I drove through some of the most beautiful countryside that the Southeast United States have to offer. I met some very talented and interesting people along the way. This blog will be the first part of a recap of my last tour, and so will be much longer than my blogs to come. I'll be doing my blogs from here on out, the night of/day after my performances on tour (and whenever else I feel the inclination to write a blog). So, here's what happened on my last tour, from day one. This tour was to be my Return to Fayetteville tour, the first time I had returned since I left Fayetteville about six months prior.


11/7/11 Day 1: Moonlight on the Mountain, Birmingham, AL


I played at a quaint little venue called Moonlight on the Mountain. I stopped through on a Monday, which is night of the weekly singer/songwriter competition. When I contacted the kind gentleman who runs the place and the open mic, in hopes to sign up to compete, he told me that he listened to my music online and wanted David and I to judge the competition. I was very honored to do so. The night was great. I started it off, with a short performance to a small, but very respectful and attentive audience, and the competition followed. I didn't expect to hear so many talented musicians. It was tough to judge the competition. There were so many different styles and personalities on that  stage. And this is where the sad part comes in- I don't remember the name of the person who won, or the people who competed, which is another reason it is important for me to do this blog.


The owner of Moonlight on the Mountain also put us up at his place for the night. He had a beautiful house many windows that let the sunlight in and gave us a beautiful view of his yard. It was early November, and the leaves had already changed. The air was crisp and cool.


This first trip was very memorable for me. We got a chance to speak with our host. He said that the acoustic, listening room venue atmosphere and music scene was dwindling in Birmingham. He had been all over the US looking for a place where a listening room venue would prosper. He tried a few, but ended up back in his own hometown. It's not that there aren't talented musicians in the areas he visited, or in Birmingham, it's just that people aren't coming out to listen. He said when he was growing up, it was different. That's what people did- they went out and listened to music. I guess the music scene has changed since then. This conversation struck a chord with me, since I've been struggling with this phenomenon myself. If I had a choice, I would chose the listening room over a loud bar any day. My music, and the type of music I enjoy listening to is not the loud, driving music that encourages people to get drunk and dance. It's more introspective. You really have to listen to get the full experience, and I think it's sad that people don't come out to that sort of thing more often.


11/8/11 Day 2: P & H Cafe, Memphis, TN


In Memphis, I played at a venue called the P & H Cafe. When I walked in, I came through the back door, and almost walked behind the bar. I felt out of place at this venue at first. It was a hole-in-the-wall type venue, kind of run down, but in a charming bohemian kind of way. There was crazy artwork all over the walls and ceiling, consisting of outline cartoon caricatures of famous musicians, celebrities, and other folks on this yellowish kind of cardboard backdrop. On the ceiling was a caricature of the famous Creation of Adam by Michelangelo.


When I walked in, there was trivia night taking place. A mixture of hipster and college kids formed small groups at different tables, each donning a pitcher of cheap beer. I've never been good at trivia- not really being one to keep up with pop culture. When the trivia was finished, it was my turn to get on stage and perform. The audience had shrunken in size following the ending of trivia- it was around 11:00pm by the time I went on, but I got a good response from the crowd that was left. The Memphis Dawls, who got me the gig, played after me. They were amazing, though the main singer was under the weather. She still belted it out like she meant it, and I was thoroughly impressed. Can't wait to see them next time.


11/9/11 Day 3: The New Dehli, Eureka Springs, AR


Finally, I was back in Arkansas and playing with the Sweets again. We had a short practice prior to our show at the New Delhi in Eureka Springs, which brought me more joy than I had felt in a while. It was so nice to sing with Emily and Jennifer again, and to feel the fullness and richness of the full band. We played on the patio at the New Delhi. Though it was cold, the patio was enclosed with plastic lining and there were heaters to keep us warm. The patio at the New Delhi is something special. There is a small stage decorated with a rocky, small waterfall backdrop. It was still decorated for halloween with lights and illuminated plastic sculls. The seating on the patio are old church pews. Get the right band in there, and you can definitely have a spiritual experience. It was spiritual for me, just feeling the joy of performing with the Sweets again. Arkansas has a spirituality of it's own. There's something in those old Ozark hills that calls to me. A peace and a reverence takes me over every time I visit. I don't know if it's the beauty of the landscape, or the feelings of nostalgia from the good times I had while living in Arkansas, or the love and peace that radiates from the people who live there, but I love it.