Unsigned Artists

I wrote this tiny tour blog while in the car from place to place.

Unsigned Artists sponsored me for the the RAINN Benefit tour which was 7 cities, 7 days. It was exhillerating and exhausting. I kept looking around wondering how I ended up on tour with such great musicians (30 in all I believe) and made a bunch of really amazing friends on the way...

these are the afterthoughts of the shows as written at about 70 mph on some highway... somewhere usa:

boston was great at club passim. classic beantown folk club welcomed me. not much footage was taken but was a good time.

then a 6 hour drive to new york turned into a 10 hour one. yeah, new york! yeah manhattan... yeah traffic. i got to see new york from the car and the street the club was on, basically. We passed timesquare all lit up... but I couldn't go see it.

the club was nice and i was surprised there were a few people out to see me especially! thanks especially jimmy and andy- how sweet... we were leaving the city at 9 am to head for virginia so i decided it was a travesty to not see the big apple at least a little bit so i went out after the show for a walk to a 24 hour drugstore and met a man who was bragging about being stabbed in the eye and a guy walking his dead dog... then decided new york might be better in the am. so i woke up and went to times square in the morning to have breakfast.

on the way a crackhead told me i looked like i could be a runway model. still, i told him he could not have a dollar even though his sagely wisdom was true. now on the road again, through new jersey, through maryland into the state for lovers... there has been a fly in the car for 2 days and he sucks. that's all for now. oh! and also i have been deemed the mayor of burritoville. bye.

Virginia is for lovers, and I am in love with the venue I played in Charlottesville. It's called the Gravity Lounge, and it is beautiful and comfortable and above all the people who own in are amazing. I got some actual nutrition in Charlottesville (a carrot apple ginger juice and a green smoothie) and met some really amazing artists who include, but are not limited to Don Dixon (http://www.myspace.com/DonDixon) and Mieka Pauley (http://www.myspace.com/Mieka) a fellow bostonian. please check them out. They both blew me away. Amy Cook has a sweet charming look about her, and her music is smooth and haunting, but I don't know her website address. I'll post it up later tho. maybe (www.myspace.com/amycook)

We spent so much time in the car driving today, and i think I left my mind in Virginia, because when I got to Tennessee it was no longer with me.

I didn't know what to make of nashville. there were humoungous intimidating 90 foot crosses lining the highway on the way up the highway and i pulled upto the hotel and there was a gigantic country festival going on behind the hotel...

I didn't know if nashville would welcome this little punker looking girl, or if I would be booed off stage.

then I got to the club... and it was amazing! I made some really awesome friends, including a girl who is also from massachusetts Christ Pureka (figures we would meet in tenesee don't it??) and a gorgeous belly dancer and cabaret carnival gal named gia ( http://www.giabathory.com) ...if I WERE to pick favorites, which I don't... but if I were to... but I would never... I Miiiiiiight say that 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville TN is it!! I was also so welcomed and well recieved there that I will be coming back sooner than later I just know it. we also raised lots of money for RAINN tonight... goodgoodgoodgoodgood!

next stop.... Atlanta!

so eddie's attic in decatur has the best listening room i have yet to experience. they have a strict no talking during the songs policy with an emphasis on cell phones, then the whole listening room is broadcast to two other rooms (the dining room and the outside lounge.) i made aquaintances with jim bianco this fine evening (www.myspace.com/jimbianco) who made a huge impression on me with his amazing story telling and sassy demeanor. plus he bought me a drink, making him one of the only who have ever in my lifetime that i can count on my fingers and toes. he was immediately sweet and i recommend checking him out.

amy cook played on this show as well, and has creeped up as my favorite artist on this whole tour.

i met gary jules as well at this show, who, in my humble opinion, is one of the most amazing songwriters of our time and a sweet guy to boot. jim and gary have been on tour together and the chemistry of the two of them together was almost as awesomely sickening as grocery store frosting. two huge sweethearts.

From atlanta we drove to charlotte NC where a scummy hotel room to boot awaited me! i had ants in the room even. the show was at the evening muse which had another great listening room. a packed hot and sweaty listening room.

Mieka pauley joined back up with the tour and tore the place up (as she is showing me is just a biproduct of her getting on stage) i was well recieved in charlotte.

we left in the morning for the last stop, which was asheville NC. what a cute and fun town (which is where gary now calls home) it's filled with little hippie shops, great food, alt fashion boutiques and a roller derby team that was raising money for the same cause. wtg asheville roller girls (www.myspace.com/blueridgerollergirls) this show was filled with great support from the other artists to help me understand how things are done in their careers.

amy cook played the last song on her set that brought tears to my eyes, and mieka pauley brought raw haunting emotion touching every person in asheville whether or not they were at the grey eagle. sappy goodbyes ensued and i hugged the girls from throwing the benefit for about the hundredth time before i left. been driving ever since. as i am writing a little bit teary eyed in baltimore maryland i am reminiscing about the great friends and incredible music we all made and am so happy for all of us. and it was all in the name of a great cause. (www.rainn.org) xo.

As for me. I grew in leaps and bounds. The first show I played I was shaking so wildly I could hardly play my guitar. I grew more and more comfortable every show, and am anxious to go out again. Time in the car not spent paying attention to the road, or sleeping was well spent in laughter, singing, songwriting or introspection. It's fucking amazing what a little road can do for your soul. I feel like it put something back in me I didn't know was lost, and I feel propelled forward.