Falcon Ridge Wrap Up

Now that I am clean, dry, fed and housed in a permanent structure with wi-fi, I can take a minute to breathe and re-cap my high and low lights from Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

• Smartest move: Stopping at Tractor Supply Comapny on my way to the fest for a raincoat and tall rain boots. 
  
• Went by too fast: Playing my two songs on that big stage!
• Made me cry: Dar Williams bringing out all the performers' kids on stage to see the audience holding up their cell phones and glo sticks while we all sang Iowa together. 
  
• Made me want to quit playing music and just follow him around: Martin Sexton.
• Best meal: It's a tie between the Garlique Chic Crepe from the Skinny Pancake and breakfast Friday morning: Eggs, sausage, French Toast with Fresh blueberries and Cabot Vermont Style Cottage Cheese. I miss it so much in Texas!
• Necessary Accessory: Umbrella for sun and rain. 
• My VIP ticket: Quart of West Virginia Moonshine.
• Most heart pounding moment: Escaping from a collapsing festival tent, running through pounding rain and hail to my car, and getting every single thread of clothing soaked. 
• Favorite folk-y moment: Getting trapped at the Focus tent in a downpour with about 10 other people. We sang every song about the sun we could think of until it stopped. In harmony. 
• Made me want to make it big: All-access backstage pass.
• Made me want to stay anonymous: (tie) 1. Meeting so many nice people in the audience and campground. 2. Looking absolutely terrible when I rolled out of my tent after 3 hours of sleep, and no one snapping my pic for Us Weekly.
• New favorite people: All the other emerging artists. 

Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I really hope I can make it back next year!

On my way...

Oh me. I should be packing. Or paying my bills. Or cleaning the kitchen. Something productive that's going to insure that I get on the road on time tomorrow. But I got out the banjo and I can't put it down. Then I got on YouTube and watched all sorts of dance cru videos and ObamaGirl and Tift Merritt. And now I'm blooging. There are so many things to distract a girl on this ol' interweb!

I should actually be paying attention to what I'm doing online. I went to Austin Music Foundation's Boot Camp last night on the topic of Web 2.0. Rather than be totally overwhelmed by everything that I should be doing, all the tools I should be using to promote my music, I got a really great piece of advice from Paige Maguire. She said [I] should notice what tools and applications I like to use when checking out other artists, then use those to promote myself. OK. Cool. I need more YouTube videos. And um, free stuff. I'll work on that.

But no, I'm going to log out, put on some music and fill that suitcase. There are miles to be driven and songs to be sung! This trip will take me all the way to New England, which is sure to be 20 degrees cooler than Austin. But I'm really excited to play in Gatlinburg this Friday, opening for Darrell Scott. He's so smart and inspiring and jaw droppingly good at like 12 instruments. And then Nashville writing and Alabama shows on the way home. I think I'll have plenty of time to explore the back roads this time, too. See the sights, taste local delicacies. Pan fer gold... I'll post any major discoveries here, of course!

Homebody

Today was glorious. I don't mean the weather, because I only barely left the house. I mean the staying home all day, cleaning my apartment from bow to stern, eating from the fridge, and listening to my record player. I wanted to make this place as clean, organized, and calm as I can for the little time I'm here. I even put my suitcase way in the back of my closet, like I'm not going to need it in a week. But I'm not thinking about leaving again. I'm enjoying all the things I'll miss when I'm gone. And now that my domicile is in order, I can focus on getting work done and enjoying my friends and going out to hear some good music.


It was actually quite a full and inspiring weekend. I played Trivia with  Rebecca Havemeyer and Little Stolen Moments, ate smoked meat while singing along to Susan Gibson and The Ginn Sisters, and was so happy with the way Firecracker Festival came off. BettySoo, Melissa Greener, Jess Klein and The Ginn Sisters were all amazing and the crowd was so appreciative as always at the Cactus Cafe. Yay! I have to admit that I was worried about the turnout, since I didn't have time to do as much publicity this year, but you came, you listened, you cheered! Austin rocks. I'm gonna soak it up while I can.