Lily Wilson: Journal

Thank you to everybody who either watched the web-cast, saw it on youtube, or was actually there in person on Saturday night. That was so much fun! Sometimes it's so right to strip the songs down to their essenses and to remember how they sounded when I first wrote them. Kulak's is perfect for that. It's such a beautifully intimate room, and I love the sound there- no distractions distractions. I also love that people can bring their dogs and snuggle up on the big bed in the middle of the room. It's so cozy! thanks to Debra Davis and Jim West for adding their magic to the night. I'll be playing there again soon...

I’m just getting used to being back in L.A. and on a relatively normal schedule. Last week was a whirlwind! I feel so happy and blessed to have been a part of the promotion for Melissa Etheridge’s new record, “The Awakening.” The songs are so inspired, and everyone is so great to work with. I had high hopes of keeping up with my blog while we were in NYC, but I barely had time to eat a proper meal, much less sit down and write. So, here I am, piecing together all the bright light memories of our adventures in the big city…

We got to New York on a Monday. It was cold and dry in L.A. when we left, and it was hot and humid in New York. Our hotel was hip and tiny in Manhattan and we rarely saw it. We grabbed the little bit of time we had on Tuesday morning to walk up the east side of the park and visit our favorite little Italian café where they make the best espresso outside of Italy. Ahhh- coffee and perfect panini’s with Bernie and Mark- a great way to start the week...

Our first show was Tuesday night at the Hard Rock Café in Times’ Square. We performed “The Awakening” from start to finish for a DVD. It was a magical night. Melissa was amazing, and the band rocked. David Cole, who produced the record, was in the audience and said it sounded great. Sometimes it’s hard to know how it sounds to the audience when I’m on stage with the in-ear monitors, because I have my own mix going on (with mostly the vocals.) The other cool thing that night was that Al and Tipper Gore were in the audience, and we got to meet them. They were so nice! They’re huge fans of Melissa’s music, and were raving about the new album. Apparently they were really rockin out in their seats…

The next day, we went to Tyra Banks, where Bernie and I were immediately shuttled into the hair and make-up room. Wow. I don’t know if it translates on camera (it will air on Oct. 10th at 11:00 am), but I looked a LOT like Daisy Duke when I came out of that room. Huge wavy curls, and TONS of blush. We watched Melissa’s awesome interview with Tyra (definitely worth watching!) from the Green Room, and then joined her on stage for “Message to Myself.” That song is always fun to sing. I love the melody, and of course the super positive lyric…
That evening we did a special NARAS tribute to Bon Jovi at the Cipriani Ball Room on Wall Street. I had never been to that part of town, and was totally awestruck by the scale of everything. Security was really tight getting into the financial district, and there were guards and dogs checking our van for explosives. We also drove by the site of the Twin Towers, which was very heavy. It’s a huge area, and it’s impossible not to feel the loss of so many lives when you’re near it…

The tribute was amazing. Melissa had chosen to do “Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer;” and both songs shone like never before. I love the way we did “Livin on a Prayer”- really soft and heartfelt all the way through and then a rockin ending on that great chorus. I think I was actually most nervous for this show- probably because Richie Sambora and John Bon Jovi were sitting right in front of us… Of course they loved it though- Richie grabbed Philip on our way out and raved about his playing. It was all pretty exciting.

Day 3 was a 4:00 am wake-up for The Today Show. We set our cel phones, the alarm clock, and had 2 wake up calls from the front desk to make sure we would get up. Once we were out on the street, it was actually beautiful. I so rarely see that time of day, but I do love it. The sunrise was amazing. I usually have the job of singing Melissa’s parts at the sound check before she gets there, and for this one, I had to sing “I’m the Only One” at about 6:30 am- NOT easy! Every time I sing one of her songs, my respect for her pipes grows tenfold. Of course she and the band blew everyone at the show away with that one, and “Message to Myself” was awesome too.
We had a little nap at the hotel after that, and then piled back in the bus to go to David Letterman. For this show, I had had to buy a special sweater, because the set on Letterman is extreeeeemely cold (I think about 45 degrees). It was so surreal being on that stage. During sound check, Paul Schaffer came up and introduced himself and complimented me on my singing (woohoo!) The lights were bright (too bright to see the audience), the air was brisk, and the sound was amazing. I didn’t get to actually meet Dave, but I did exchange a friendly wave. The whole thing was over way too fast…

The next morning was another super early wake-up for Regis and Kelly, and by that time, singing “Message to Myself” was second nature. Melissa nailed it again, and we went back the hotel for our luggage and then off to the airport…

I still haven’t seen all of the shows we did, but have been getting the sweetest emails from friends all over the country. Thanks for all of your support and for tuning in! I love working for Melissa. She has such a healing message to convey, and it’s a great thing to be involved with. Love and light!

This spring I had the amazing opportunity to sing on Melissa Etheridge's new record, "The Awakening," which will be out September 25th. We've recently been doing some promotion for the album, including this show for Yahoo Live Sets:
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-314766---Melissa-Etheridge Click on "Full Concert" under "Music Videos" to watch it. To pick up where that ends, click the "The Universe Listened..." link. If you can only watch a little of it, I recommend clicking on that 3rd link with "The Universe Listened..." It's pretty exciting. Melissa is such an inspiring songwriter and performer; and this new album is truly amazing.
We'll be doing some T.V. promotion later this month also:

9/26 Tyra Banks show
9/27 The Today Show
9/27 The Late Show w/ David Letterman
9/28 Live w/ Regis & Kelly

Other than that, I've been recording more with Mark Browne in our sweat lodge of a home studio for my upcoming record (any day now...), growing cherry tomatoes in the back yard, and writing, writing, writing...

Life is good.

I'm so excited to have a NEW SONG to share with all of you!

I wrote "One Suitcase" after I had a dream that I was waking up in a
strange place as someone else. I knew that I had fled a disaster,
and I knew that I had lost everything except for the suitcase at the
foot of the bed. I could tell I was at a friends' house- far from
the home I had known my whole life. The precious things in my
suitcase had taken on such a new importance, as they were all I had
to remind me of the past.

I'm really grateful that this song came to me in this way. I wish
they all did ;-0)
I have never been to New Orleans, and actually don't know anyone who
went through Hurricane Katrina, but through the dream, and through
writing this song, I have developed a much deeper compassion for the
people who are still dealing with the loss of their homes. When it
comes down to it, all any of us really have is what we can carry.

I recorded this track with some amazing Nashville musicians through
My Record Label. I love working with this label. Their motto is
"Empowering the Independent Artist," and they really mean it. If you
download "One Suitcase," or any of the songs that we'll be posting on
the site, the money actually comes straight to me. They don't take a
cut. They just want the traffic.

Right now, "One Suitcase" is at number one on the home page, which is
pretty great. I hope you will go to http://www.myrecordlabel.net and
check it out.

They also just put up a video clip of my performance at El Cid in
Hollywood last Saturday night. If you click on my name under the
song, it will take you to the video.

I love it when I meet someone in the music business who is actually doing something on behalf of musicians. Travis Allen, who recently started My Record Label, has a great vision. He has set up a super cool web site (http://www.myrecordlabel.net) where independent bands and artists can post their music and videos; and then fans can come and vote for their favorite artist, listen to the radio station, download new and unreleased songs, and find new music. When someone downloads one of my songs, I actually get to keep the whole dollar. So, my plan is to get this out to a million people asap :-0)....
Seriously, check it out: http://www.myrecordlabel.net Right now, my new song, "One Suitcase" is at number one on the song chart. If you rate well, it might stay there for a while...

WOW!
What an amazing day! 7-7-07. It’s the beginning of something big. A change for a beautiful future. People are waking up. People are coming together. People are realizing that we only have one planet to share and we have the power to destroy it in our own lifetimes. So, let’s not do that, O.K.? Let’s create ways of nurturing the planet. Let’s think about our impact. Let’s be conscious of our actions.

I was pretty nervous in the morning. I ordered a delicious breakfast of corncakes and eggs and I could barely touch it. What if I forgot my part? What if I walked out on stage with all of the cameras and 60 thousand people and fainted? Or what if I forgot the lyrics? Or fell off the stage?
The truth is I figured out a long time ago that if I think it’s about me and my little insecurities, then I will DEFINITELY mess it up. I feel really lucky to have witnessed Melissa Etheridge’s journey over the last couple of years. I know that her message is powerful and true. And I know, like she does, that it’s not really coming from her, but through her. She opens herself up to the magic and the beauty and the truth, and she doesn’t try to hold it back as it absolutely pours from her heart.

As I wrote about the coming day in my journal Friday night, I thought about what my part really was on stage with her. The thought I kept having was that it felt like I was going to attend a birth. I remembered the feeling of anticipation in the delivery room when my sister was having a baby. Everyone could feel the energy of a new life coming to earth. We were excited and nervous and blown away by the intensity. I held a vision of hope and peace, of health and positivity…

After Melissa introduced Al Gore, and the stage rotated around, we all hugged and laughed and felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment and relief. Melissa had nailed it, as usual; and we were all so happy to have been a part of the delivery of her message.

There is a link to watch the show on http://www.liveearth.org

So we're in New York and it's raining on the 4th of July. It's a beautiful thing to be in this soft air after so long in the sun. Los Angeles is a beautiful place, but we were happy to escape the 100 degree weather today. The sunrise was amazing as we drove to the airport, as the temperature was rising along with it. Now here we are in the big city. We're close to the park, and to Whole Foods, so I'm happy... We had the best Indian food I've ever eaten for dinner- super fresh and authentic. I've actually never seen this city so quiet. There was relatively no traffic on the way in from the airport, and we can keep the window open tonight and not be bombarded with the usual sounds of hustle and bustle. Who knew? Everyone is BBQing and watching fireworks I guess...
Tomorrow we have a day off in the city...

We’ve had a beautiful mother Mourning dove nesting right outside our bedroom window for a little over a month. She and her husband moved in and built a straggly nest in the rafter under the awning. Then he left, and she sat and sat on her two precious eggs for weeks. We wondered if we should maybe bring her some water or a little birdseed. She was looking VERY parched, when, a week ago, we spotted a fluffy speckled baby beneath her wing! Indeed, there were two of them; and they grew like weeds. About 5 days ago, Mama dove started going out to get food, and Papa dove came back to keep an eye on the little ones. Two days ago, she left for longer, and the babies seemed almost too big for the nest. I snapped their picture as they looked down at me and warily blinked their little black eyes.
Then this morning, Mama dove was in the nest, and the two babies were perched on the rafter. She watched and cooed, as they preened and stretched out their little wings. We knew today was the day, but we didn’t feel ready. It came so fast. He called me to tell me that Mama was in the magnolia tree, beckoning them to fly to her from their safe little home right outside our bedroom window.
I came home at dusk, and went straight to the window, as I’ve done everyday for the past two weeks. Their straggly nest was down to a few dangling pieces of dry grass.
I felt sad and happy and relieved and empty and worried and hopeful. Our baby doves have left the nest.

This is my friend, Kris Moller's gas station in West Los Angeles (San Vicente and Barrington). I'm so proud of him, and hope that you all visit when you're in the neighborhood. It's so exciting to see change happening!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vMKs2soQBKQ

I went to the Police concert at the Staples Center with my sister. I could go on about the highlights of the actual show, but I kind of think that would be boring. I will say that Sting is a freak of nature in the best kind of way. There were 20,000 people there. I don’t know if I’ve ever been in a room with so many people. Everyone seemed really nice. There were some very interesting outfits, and everybody was REALLY happy. We were all so excited to be there, and obviously, we were there because we all love the music, right? And we love dancing to music, right?
Well, about half way through the show, I couldn’t help but be distracted by two very loud voices coming from behind me, yelling “Sit down!” over and over again. Everyone around us was up and dancing to the fine tunes, and it seemed impossible that someone would be telling another fan to stop dancing and to sit down.
I turned around to see two very large men sitting in a crowd of dancers, angry and adamant that the dude directly in front of them “SIT DOWN” so that they could remain in the comfortable seated position and admire the band visually.
Then, in a glorious, “Footloose” kind of moment, the woman sitting next to me called back to the angry men, “Hey, they can dance if they want to!!!” and everyone in our little community of ten in the sea of 20,000 cheered and danced EVEN HARDER

So, I've been asked to sing backgrounds for Melissa Etheridge (!!!!!!) at the Live Earth Concert at Shay Stadium July 7th. I'm jumping up and down with excitement, and am so honored to be a part of the music that she pours into the world. This event is such a wonderful thing- let's get together and co-create new ways of relating to our planet. Let's not use it all up in this lifetime. Let's use our intelligence, compassion, and creativity to revive our natural resources. Let's "Wake Up!" What a beautiful thing. I'm amazed by the places music takes me. I sometimes feel like it's a kind of fluid vehicle that has carried me through my whole life. Music is powerful. It brings us together like nothing else. Tune in on 7-7-07! http.www.liveearth.msn.com and http://www.watch7-7-07.com

Hello!
Long time no blog! Thanks to those who check in, and I promise to fill you in on all of my musical adventures since I last wrote!
The MOST exciting thing is that I was invited to sing on Melissa Etheridge’s amazing new record, and it was a huge thrill. I sang on a bunch of songs with Philip Sayce and Bernie Barlow in beautiful three part harmony around a single mic. Not only was the material beautiful and inspiring, but singing with those voices made it all the more beautiful. I've heard rumors of a Fall release, so keep an eye out for that...

Thank you, thank you to Beth Thornley, Dirty Martini, and everyone who came out to our show on Tuesday night! That was a truly magical one. I really love Temple Bar. I love the red light and the cozy seats, and the sound. Swan, thank you for amazing sound. Sometimes it just all comes together. Sometimes it’s when you least expect it. Sometimes it’s when you haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep in weeks, haven’t picked up a guitar in days, can’t remember your own lyrics. And I thank God for that.

I ran out of gas- completely out of gas- for the first time in my life yesterday. I was on my way to a gas station, as my empty light had been on for 16 miles, when my car sputtered and slowed and stopped responding. I wrestled the now un-powered steering wheel and slid into a spot on the side of the road. Hmmmm… Probably not going to make my 4:00 appointment, I calculated. Funny how everything can change in just a moment. Thankfully I was not on the freeway when it happened. Thankfully, I was in a pretty safe neighborhood when it happened. Thankfully, I wasn’t too far from a gas station. I won’t even talk about why I find it necessary to push my luck and not just pull over at the first station as soon as my tank is low. But, I can tell you it won’t happen again.

I was on South Main Street in Santa Monica. The closest gas station was about a mile away. For some reason it was about 85 degrees yesterday afternoon, and as I ran down the road, sweat dripping, I kept picturing a nice stranger who would drive me and my shiny (and heavy) new gas can back to my car.

I got to the station, pulled a red plastic jug off of the shelf, and walked up to the grungy counter. As the guy behind the counter was giving me some pointers on using the can (a LOT more complicated than it should be- in my opinion) the kid standing behind me overheard and asked if I had run out of gas. Yes, I said. First time ever. It’s really just so… Amateur? He asked. Yes. Exactly. Amateur. Oh, it can happen to any of us, he said. Where are you parked? Main Street. I can take you to your car- it’s on my way. Cool. That’s so nice.

I felt fine getting in this stranger, Cameron’s car- partly because I had wished for him, and partly because he just had a nice energy about him. We drove into the afternoon sun and he told me about how a friend had done him a favor earlier in the day and he was just passing it on. I gave him a CD when we got to my car, thanked him, and he drove off.

Then I tried to get the new gas in my tank. Unfortunately, the tips that the guy at the station had given me were very wrong. I guess it was pretty obvious that I was struggling, because when I looked up there was a girl standing on the sidewalk asking me if I needed help. Thank you so much. Yeah, I think I do need help, but have you ever done this before? She looked like she was just coming home from school. She had a cute outfit on. Well, let’s try to figure it out, she said. She helped me decipher the cryptic instructions that had come with the can, and gave me moral support as I held up the can and listened to the slow glug, glug- gas tank accepting it’s precious gallon and a half of fuel. I gave Ashley a CD too.

As I got into my car and drove on to PCH, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that I had run out of gas. The simple kindness of these two strangers had restored my faith in our future as humans on this planet. Seriously. Even when all of the horrible news of the world is coming in over the airwaves, there is kindness and compassion breaking out everywhere. Here it is, right in front of us, when we (are forced to) slow down and look.

I'm so excited for this new year. So far, 2007 has been a very creative and happy year for me. Mark and I have been recording almost a song a day this week, and I've written a few new ones. I'm putting together a country EP with a brand new indie label, and am really excited about that. I'm also looking forward to our show at The Temple Bar in Santa Monica this month. It has been a while since I've played on the west side of town, and I love that venue. My friend Stephanie Schneiderman, from Portland, Oregon, and her group, Dirty Martini are sharing the night with us. Beth Thornley, one of my all-time favorite singer- songwriters, will be kicking off the night at 8:30. If you're in the area, please come by! Here's to a wonderful new year!

I love John Mayer’s new album! I have never been a huge fan of his, but this is so good. And I’m getting deeper and deeper into the songs. “Belief” is so great. And I love “Vultures.” His band is solid. It’s amazing what a difference great players can make. A truly great rhythm section is golden. He definitly has that here. I think it gives him the comfort to explore new territory with his own playing and singing. “Stop this Train” really gets me. The bridge just slays me. It's about the relentlessness of time, and how we want to hold on to the people that we love- like our parents. I can’t stop playing this whole record! And then there’s Christina’s new album. Hallelujah! I love her. I’ve never bought her music before this- just been blown away by her voice (O.K., I do own the spanish album- “Mi Reflejo”). But, “Back to Basics” is such a gem. I hope she wins a grammy for this. There are very few people who have the instrument that she does, but then she has the passion and the delivery that just nails it. And she writes (or co-writes) all of it. AND she can dance. I’m just proud to be on iTunes with her ;-) It restores my faith in popular music. After what happened to Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake in this last round I was worried. Seriously.
I've also been wearing out Shawn Colvin's new one, and Julieta Vanegas is in heavy rotation on the iPod- "Limon y Sal" is her newest, but I love everything she has ever done.
Now you know- the records Lily can’t stop listening to....

I woke up this morning, watered the garden, and checked my e-mail. I had a new message in my guest book. I read it. And it made me cry. In a good way. It’s the one from Nov. 3rd., somehow written around the time I was trying to convince a friend in conversation that there IS HOPE for the future. I really do believe this. But it’s pretty much impossible to convince another person of anything. And it’s pretty easy to start feeling like the world is going down in flames...
To know that my songs make their way through the distance to a person I’ve never met, and resonate with a hope that may have been buried for years...
These kinds of messages always seem to come at the perfect time. Usually right when I’m feeling shaky on my foundation- wondering why I chose such a strange thing to do with my life, and if I could be doing something safer and more predictable. Right when I’m wondering if I’m actually totally crazy. The universe has such great ways of letting us know we’re in the right place. I thank you, Joe, for this kind and very timely message. This is why I sing. This is why I write.

I am so excited to announce that you can now purchase the beautiful candles my friends at Dripping in Color have made for me! They are so cool- I have one burning right now as I sit at my computer. They are made from completely biodegradable and nontoxic soy wax, and have a delicious orange- lavender scent. The glass jar is recycled and reusable with a great lid. And the lyrics of "Good Life" look so cool with the light shining through them. It's always a good reminder for me to be thankful for how good this life really is... I've been selling out of them at shows, and am so happy to be able to offer them on-line now. Go to the store to check them out, or click here:https://www.shop.drippingincolor.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=263&categoryId=125

I just got back from a long weekend in Park City, Utah, where I attended my favorite "Songwriter's Expo." It was my first time in Park City- a lovely place high in the mountains. It was probably my 6th or 7th time at the Expo. The main reason I go is to see my song writing friends from all around the country. My favorite thing is to visit with them. We discuss the trials and the rewards of doing what we do, we swap notes about our favorite venues, and we play songs. This time a few of us played a wicked game of Scrabble, too. I won, but I have to give Jonathan Kingham (who was on my team) credit for helping me put my words in the perfect place. He’s a master of this. I have a great memory of a late-night jam with him and some other friends years ago, and the spontaneous rhymes coming from him blew us all away. My friend Mary Beth reminded me that that was the night I busted out “Genie in a Bottle” in spanish for the first time (“Genio Atrapado”.) The conference used to be in the Colorado town of Durango, and for years we all made the trek out there in the fall. It’s the perfect time of year to be in the mountains- not too cold yet, and all of the Aspen leaves are turning. They make trails of flickering bright yellow that pour down the canyons of red and brown. I had a spot on the local news show the night we got into town, which was a blast. I’ll post that asap. I played a couple of showcases, went to seminars, and subjected my new songs to “listening sessions” where hit songwriters and A&R people gave their opinions... All in all it was a great weekend. As always, the highlights for me were the moments spent with true friends sharing what we love more than anything in the world- music.
Check out:
http://www.jonathankingham.com/ http://www.marybethmusic.com/music/ http://www.felicekeller.com/ http://www.alissamoreno.com/ http://www.tonyfurtado.com/

Fall is my favorite season. It seems like the light and the air changed as soon as the calendar said it was the first day of fall. The cool breeze is like sigh of relief coming from the earth. The long, bright, hot days of summer are gone. I find refuge in this season- maybe because I was born in October. It always feels like home when the leaves start to turn.

It’s harvest time in the valley where I’m from. All the hard work of the year come to sweet fruition- literally. Because I’m in L.A., I’m missing this week’s pick, but I still equate fall with getting up at 5:00 in the morning to help with my family’s harvest of the wine grapes. We had to be out in the vineyard right at first light, because that’s when the pickers would start bringing in the grapes. My job (usually alongside a sibling or two) was to comb through the fruit and take out anything that we didn’t want to go into the wine. At the end of the day, I’d be covered in sticky grape juice and dust, and would have removed leaves of all colors, raisins, unripe berries, and a few lucky blue-bellied lizards. It was exhausting, but it was the good kind of exhaustion. Once in a while, I would ride with my dad to the winery to deliver the grapes, and watch as they moved along on their journey of becoming wine. My dad’s attention to detail throughout the year always brought praise and recognition from the people receiving the grapes, and it made me proud. It’s wonderful to work so closely with the earth.

Today I went on a long hike with a friend in Griffith Park. We hiked up along my favorite ridge, where we could see all the way to the ocean on one side, and the entire valley surrounded by beautiful mountains on the other. I love living in L.A. when I’m on that ridge, and when I’m on stage with the Dream Band at Molly’s ;-) and I love the fall...

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who came to our show at Molly Malone's last night. What a blast! Thanks to the Dream Band, who rocked so perfectly sweet. I really am a very lucky girl. Can you believe we've been doing this for a year now??? Every first Tuesday at 9:00. It's really feeling like another home, that gorgeous stage. I have a recording of the night, but it's not the one we were hoping for. I guess the board is still a little broken :-( I will be posting a song or two from the show though. I just have to share the vibe of the night with those of you who couldn't make it. What a wonderful audience. You guys make me feel like I can do anything. There were some very magical moments. "Heavy Heart" felt extra special, and "The Right Time" rocked more than ever. Beth Thornley, who played at 8:00, was amazing (as always), and Sam Shaber blew us all away with her powerful voice and great stories. Let's do it all again next first Tuesday! (Oct. 3rd)

So I had it all planned that we would be recording the show last night for a live CD. We rehearsed with the Dream Band, sent out all the e-mails, had two friends documenting the night with still photography and video, and arranged it with the sound guy. Then in the middle of the first song, the recording machine broke! Of course, none of us knew this until the end of the show, as we were focused on not missing a note on stage. When I did get the news, I couldn't help but remember the warning in this month's horoscope about Mercury being in retrograde. There's apparently something about that planet that seems to throw off electronics and contracts when it decides to go "retrograde." I'm not totally sure how or why this happens, but I can't deny that I feel it. My new computer has had a defiant mind of its own lately; and everyone I talk to has similar stories. It's supposed to be a time to slow down and appreciate the simplicity of the moment, which sounds pretty good to me.

The night at Molly's was truly one of the best shows we've had. I thank all of you who came out- the room was packed!!!

We're planning a new date for the recording: September 5th. This time we're going to bring in another recording machine, and do a little more preparation. I just want to try and capture some of the magic that has been happening at our monthly show at Molly Malone's. It's such a great place to play with the band. Hopefully we'll end up with a nice live CD that we can put out soon ;-)

AAAhhhh....
The sky is crystal clear (I swear!) and the air is sweet with jasmine. I love the sea breeze in the late afternoon. There's nothing like California. I have been all over the world, but this will always be my home.

I hit the ground running the day I got back, and this is the first chance I've had to write at all. We had a wonderful time in the southwest. The desert can be so still and quiet. We hiked in the sage brush-covered hills of New Mexico and made new friends in Ft. Collins.

I set out from Taos alone on Monday. I spent one night in lovely Flagstaff with John and Vicky (Thank you!!!). Flagstaff is an oasis of pine trees and cool, high-altitude air. The next day was a little more brutal. I had forgotten how long the stretch from Kingman, Arizona to Barstow, California is. I am a big fan of open space however; and I'm pretty sure we can count on that area never being developed with mini malls and McMansions. I think. It's beautiful in a Mars kind of way. I just woudn't want to have to get out of my car there. I prayed my trusty Explorer would last through the 100 degree desolation. The first meal I had that day was a Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream bar from the Chevron station in Barstow. Those of you who know me know that that's not typical. But it really was the first edible thing I came across that day in the desert.

I'm grateful for a wonderful trip through the Southwest. Thanks to all of the friends who sheltered us and who listened. It's important to share the music and the stories. It makes the world smaller and a lot more friendly.

I’m writing from Santa Fe, New Mexico this morning. It’s a cozy, cloudy day, and we slept in. I am always amazed by the beauty of the light here. Last night we played at the Santa Fe Brewing Company, which is out of town on the prairie desert. The sunset was unbelievable. The sky was huge and filled with different colored cumulous clouds. Then at night, on the drive back to the hotel, I could see streaks of colorful lightning flashing in the distance.

We’ve been getting to know New Mexico a little, and I love it here. We had a great house concert two nights ago in Albuquerque, and tonight we play there again at a new club called ZInc. I’m getting used to the dry air, and sometimes I think my voice even seems clearer here...

This was a fun gig in the 105 degree weather of a Phoenix evening. I have never played in Phoenix, and was so happy to explore this desert city. The venue is really sweet. Many, many thanks to Patrick and to Dave at Mama Java's, to Kel and Meredith, and to our new Phoenix friends. I just read a poem that Kel was inspired to write from the audience that night, and I have to put it up. I'm so honored to have people like her to play for out here on the road. Check out her amazing, handmade, and eco-friendly candles at http://www.drippingincolor.com
Feet Up Off The Floor

storytelling
with love and light
lyrics of truth
music that has
a cure for
symptoms that
are unreachable
because they're
unknown until
just that one song
the one sitting
on her side has
the music down
pat he will
mesmerize you
with talent
you better believe that
a voice of clarity
seems it comes
from her core
give her back that takamine
and you'll know for sure
when the song is deep and soulful
that's when she lifts her
feet up off the floor.

posted by Kel at 2:22 PM