So sleepy

I'm rather tired this morning, but last night was worth the heartache. Another fabulous evening at Mayslacks in Northeast Minneapolis. That place is wonderful...the Twin Cities in a nutshell actually. Energetic, appreciative patrons, tasty food and fabulous jack & gingers : )

I arrived a bit late as I was finishing the whole beer bottling at Vine Park...nasty business, but I'm sure I'll recover. Rena Haus had just hit the stage when I arrived so I was able to hear most of her set. She's full of heart. A true folk/blues songstress who plays from her soul...I loved every single song. Mary Cutrufello was next....Bruce Springstein's long lost sister. Straight rock and roll. You have to see it to believe it. Molly Maher was absolutley charming and I have to say she's probably the most knowledgable guitar goddess in the whole damn state. I adore playing Mayslacks and I want to thank Paul Metsa for putting the whole Chick's Rule Series together. Thank you also to Jessica and Rick who brought down a slew of friends to check out some new music. You guys made my night!

Have a safe ad happy new year...I'll be at First Ave...

None

Mr. Manager and I went out to eat for his birthday last night...I had the most delicious meal since...uhm...Christmas dinner I guess : ) We browsed some web sites to get ideas for reformatting mine. Best Buy is probably going to part with a digital camcorder soon, because they're too neat not to buy one! Could be fun making my own video too...

I'm off to CD shop ... : )

still vacationing...

Miss Kitty is no longer traumatized after driving all over the midwest. She was surprisingly well behaved but every once in a while let out a miew of distress. She's so cute : )

Lots of cash, lots of gifts and lots of family...all in all a very good Christmas.

I hope to see everyone at Mayslacks on Monday night for the Chick's Rule show...should be a fun and lively show.

Bye for now - Anne

Chicks to Check Out

Hattie, MJ Kroll & Tracey Johnson. Now the story...Last night I was asked to fill in at a benefit, the Rainbow Families Toy Drive. Of course I agreed, you know me, anything for the kiddies (ha!). Anyway, Boom hosted the event so I walked into music, dance videos and some fabulous Christmas decorations. We started a bit late but I was able to sing my short set to an attentive and joyful crowd, followed by MJ Kroll, Hattie then Tracey. MJ has this Joni Mitchell thing going on; her songs are stories, the suck you in, carry you along and 3 minutes later you find yourself at the end of a beautiful fairy-tale. Her songs are real and earthy; presented with heart and more often than not, a smile. I was rather taken with her narrative : )Hattie was next. Fun, fun, fun! It's so refreshing to see an artist with intensity. She's leathal when she gets going. Her voice is powerful but she only unleashes it occasionally. During her set I was leaning forward on the couch to catch every single word; Hattie wasn't quiet, I simply wasn't going to miss a moment of the music. She covered Sinead O'Connor and "Killing Me Softly" (can't remember who wrote that one). The songs flowed from one to the next and we ended up trading CD's after the show to listen a bit more this morning.

Tracey was the energy for the evening. She's well loved by the audience and had to turn down requests due to time constraints and the fact that she wanted all of us to come up and sing some x-mas carols for the crowd. She's not afraid of emoting and her vocals energy can knock you over. Her delivery is hysterical and I walked away knowing that we all had fun.

I'm feeling a sense of discovery with these women. When I left the Robert Randolph show at the Cedar this winter I was blown away; a new variety of music exploded right before my very eyes. After playing and listening last night, I feel that same unearthing. The fantastic part about all of this, is that it's my music! This is what I do! We play, we love, we hurt and we present it to anyone who will listen with just voice and guitar. Our weapons are few, but strong and honest. For me, I was enlivened, rejuvenated. To clarify, our styles and personalities are glaringly different, but our hearts seem to be aligned with the desire and dedication to perform.

I could go on and on and on about it, but I'll just finish off with the fact that I will see these women again, we have plans to play again sometime in the near future and had I known what I was in for last night - I would have paid for the pleasure.

Charity

I was called this morning and asked to sing, last minute, for a benefit taking place tonight at Boom in Northeast Minneapolis. Should be short and sweet...and probably a lot of fun. One of my favorite dance clubs is right next door (Ground Zero).

I don't have any toys to bring so I'll just sing for my supper. Good thing I was in a Christmas mood last night; I played carols on the guitar well past dark. I should be good and ready to party by 7:30 tonight.

Cheers!

Stuff

Kitty opened some of my presents yesterday. Long story, but I like what I got : )

I made beer last night at the Vine Park Brewery in St. Paul...it's about as close to gross as I can get. Not a beer drinker myself so you can imagine my delight at making 16 gallons of it. The idea is fabulous, the place is welcoming and the staff is very friendly. However, I just spent the entire evening wearing heat gloves and holding my breathe to stop the nausea ....hops isn't a pleasant scent.

I hope the giftee enjoys the beer because this is the most difficult present I've ever been a part of. Ugh. I spent the remainder of the evening in bed taking deep breaths and drinking herbal tea. I'm such a wuss.

I'll have another Riverview Cafe date for the music calendar shortly. Also, don't forget about Mayslacks on December 30th.

Random

I ordered one box of chocolates to give as a gift and FIVE boxes arrived instead! How fabulous is that!

I fell in love with a little kitten named Minneapolis last night at the Humane Society (She looks more like a Bella or Anastasia or something though)

Amy at Collected Sounds.com mentioned that Imogen Heap came out with a new album clled Frou Frou...I must pick that up!

Still knee deep in Anne Rice. It's a good day...

Sorry

I forgot to post yesterday. I'm not sick, not tired, just busy. I finished "Pandora", moved onto "The Witching Hour" and cleaned up after Miss Kitty who was a little sick last night (probably eating too much tree bark)

Boring week in music (for me)...internet stuff, e-mails and phone calls...but at least it's about music : )

Oh and open mic is tonight at the Cedar Cultural Center...might be fun to check out...

Show

This weekend was rather enjoyable. Susan Tedeschi's show at the Fineline was a bunch of fun...I just can't get enough blues! Then off to the Riverview Cafe on Saturday; nice crowd...thank you for coming and buying some stocking stuffer CD's ; )

I finished Anne Rice's Blackwood Farm - amazing, fabulous, wonderful and unbelievable. I'm reading "Pandora" right now and then I'll have to re-read "The Witching Hour".

Art always inspires more art.

Uhm, I lied. Looks like I'll be playing at Mayslacks on December 30th in NorthEast Minneapolis. The famous neighborhood bar is hosting Chicks Rule IV and I'm pretty excited to be on the bill again.

Hope to see everyone on Saturday at the Riverview...8pm sharp.

Later-Anne

Show

Well, I hope many of you can join me this Saturday at the Riverview Cafe, 3753 42nd Avenue South, Mpls, MN 55406. Their phone number is 612-722-7234 in case you need more detailed directions. The food is great, the patrons are friendly and the atmosphere is low key and receptive. (They have really cool t-shirts as well) I'll be playing two 45-minute sets between 8-10pm; I have a load of new stuff I've been dying to play live and this is the perfect opportunity. Stop by if you can!

I just uploaded another song on MP3.com/annedeming if you want to go check it out. (Go do it...right now!) The song is entitled "For You" and I've played it live for a while and even recorded it but I can't seem to decide where to put it. Looks like it'll have to go on "Mulligan"...my next CD.

I'm getting antsy and I want to travel again. Hey, I've got an idea! Anybody want to host a house concert?! Send me an e-mail or post a comment if you're interested. I'd love to come and play to you and your friends!!! Let me know....this could be a great way to book a tour - you guys pick the date and time and I show up.

Chicago

Today I heard from a friend in Chicago that I haven't seen in years...it was the best e-mail I've received in ages. I'm reading Anne Rice's new book "Blackwood Farm"....it's very similar to her earlier books, but I still derive an enourmous amount of pleasure from reading her stories. I did some crazy shopping over the weekend...I think I survived the madness. I'm contemplating posting some more stuff on MP3.com but I can't decide on which song. Anybody want to hear anything particular...angry? sad? funky?

Suggestions?

Turkey Day

Nice relaxing day. Talked to the family, watched some movies and ate a little bird. I saw about 20 minutes of the Faith Hill special last night but I have to say I was drawn to her blonde back up singer more than the star. That woman was amazing! I'm almost finished reading "Good In Bed" and then I'm moving along to the new Anne Rice novel...perhaps some inspiration for another song...?

Books

I'm reading an hysterical book called "Good in Bed" by Jennifer Weiner and it should see me through the Thanksgiving holiday. Ike Reilley (sp?) is tonight at First Ave, but I don't think we'll be making it to the show. Tomorrow involves a lot of sleeping, yoga and tea followed by some serious attempts to name my frickin' songs. Writing...no problem, labeling...ugh...huge difficulty. I'll simply have to trudge on.

James Bond

I'm still a bit under the weather, but I feel much better than last week. I saw 007 this Friday and I must say that Pierce Brosnan assisted is my speedy recovery *sigh*. On Saturday I convinced Mr. Manager to rent the earlier Brosnan flicks and I DVD'd my way through the weekend.

I bought a tree....Miss kitty knocked it over a few times...so it's now strapped to the banister in 20 different sections to ensure I don't have to re-wrap soggy presents again. Oh well, I did have fun decorating, plus the house smells wonderfull!

Earlier this fall, I submitted a song to the International Songwriters competition - no go though, I just heard back but I wasn't selected.

Susan Tedeschi is next Friday at the Fineline and I have a show at the Riverview Cafe on Saturday. Should be fun...but I'm not looking forward to postering/promo in such frigid temperatures. Grrrr.

Sick

So, I've been in bed for about 48 hours. Not feeling too hot still, but definitely better than Wednesday. I'll survive, but I'm apologizing for the absence from e-mail and phone. Mabe I'll be back to normal next week. No worries though....

Inspiration

I've been listening to Tori...still...but also to Sinead O'Connor's "Am I Not Your Girl"...I love that damn cd. I just checked out Amazon.com and discovered she has a new disc out featuring 13 traditional Irish songs with a new twist. Where have I been?! Guess I'm off to Cheapo to pick up some Sinead. I've got a plethura (sp?) of new music ideas swimming inside my head lately, but they all involve collaberation. Justin, if you're out there, I promise to give you a call!

My sister Carolyn and I will be back packing around Europe this summer. Have I mentioned that yet? I went to the library today to pick up travel books on Europe - I'm so excited, but I'm glad I get to plan and research a little bit. The more I know the better. I hope the kitty can survive without me : ) Mr. Manager will be fine I'm sure...

Painting

I forgot to mention that the watercolor painter, James Poff had his showing on November 9th up in St. Cloud, MN. I was hoping to make it to the art show, but the wedding was too early to be able to travel there and back in time. *sigh* Well, I do hope things went well and I wanted to offer closure to at least one of the subjects I write about in my journal : ) (I'm not very good at that)

Kitty and I played all weekend and I watched a Betty Page 8mm. Interesting, but it wasn't a documentary which is why I had originally rented it. It was 35 minutes of her dancing. Still fun, but I wanted to hear more aout her life and maybe an interview or two. Anybody know anything about that? A recommmendation perhaps?

I'm off to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry Potter

It seems silly to derive so much pleasure from the reading of children's book's but I find myself thoroughly enchanted with Harry Potter once again. I only needed to read the 2nd book before the movie this Friday, but here I am smack dab in the middle of the third with no intention of stopping : ) A book called "Good in Bed" was recommended to me by a fellow book worm and I think I might dive into that one after my immature reading is complete.

I've been invited to Chicago this weekend to attend a dinner...I think I might know half the attendees (by blood) so it could be fun, but I had a quiet weekend planned with a lot of promo stuff and mailing out of CD's. Decisions, decisions. I'll figure it out.

I'm still loving Tori's CD "Scarlet's Walk"...I prefer the disc version of sorta fairytale to the radio clip, but I enjoy both. I'd really like Robert Randolph to come back into town; I could use a high energy show. Well, at least I have Susan Tedeschi to look forward to in December.

Tuesday

I'm knee deep in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", I forgot how enjoyable these books are. I opted for Happy Hour instead of songwriting last night, but at least I got to meet up with some friends I hadn't seen in a long while : )

I also got "The Princess Bride" on DVD...don't you just love presents that appear for no reason other than because...?

Nuptials

I survived Shania Twain...actually the wedding was extraordinary: beautiful, elegant, simple and fabulousy fun. I haven't seen such a party since my sister's wedding last year. The bride and groom couldn't take their eyes off each other and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of their special day. Love doesn't even begin to describe those two : )

I did, however, over indulge in the Jack Daniels and even found myself with a cigarette in hand several drinks into the party. Ugh...I had a blast, but I definitely paid for it on Sunday morning. Luckily, I found myself the greasiest Tex Mex breakfast North of San Jose and took it easy for the rest of the day. I gave Mr. Manager his Christmas gift early...he begged, I folded. Kinda fun though. I guess I'm just prolonging the holiday season.

I'm currently reading "Royal Babylon" by Karl Shaw: every little piece of dirt concerning European royalty since the 16th century. I'm completely entertained. Next is re-reading "Harry potter: Chamber of Secrets"; I have to refresh my brain before Friday's premiere. Then, I just heard about Patricia Cornwell's (sp?) new book, a non-fiction forensic case study of solving the Jack the Ripper mystery. Sounds fascinating and she's getting rave reviews.

It's Election Day

Get off your ass and vote...

Uhm...in other news, it's still Shania Twain all day every day at my house while I cram for the wedding on Saturday. I always wonder when people ask me to cover another artist whether they are interested in me trying to sound like the original singer or if they want to hear me do it differently - my way. Guess I'll find out on Saturday, huh?

Had a friend over last night to watch "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert"...very bizarre. I laughed often but was so confused by the entire movie. I think Guy Pierce is wonderful though : )

I'm going to read up on detox. I figure I eat too much sugar and french fries so it might be a good idea to be healthy for 2 days or so and then start from scratch again (or as close to scratch as you can get in 48 hours)

Yellow

I painted my hallway (which starts downstairs and climbs the stairs and encompasses the entire upstairs hallway as well) I painted it yellow. When I was looking for the color, my swatch seemed nude, beige with a hint of sunshine, however, when I put 3 gallons of it on a wall...the biggest wall in the house...well, it's a little rainbow-esque. I'm not saying a don't like it because I actually think I love it! My poor kitty needs sunglasses though. It's rather bold and not what I expected but I love it - it's fabulous. The only reason I'm posting this is in case anybody should unknowingly step into my house and find themselves confused by the cheery colors. It's so frickin' happy it's almost unbearable...but I'm soaking it up : )

I've been listening to Shania Twain over and over and over again in preparation for the wedding this weekend that I've been asked to sing at. My boyfriend is ready to kill me...or Shania, but I know he carries a slight torch for the little country songstress so I bet she's safe...

WILD

Mr. Manager and I are off to see the Wild Hockey game this evening at the Xcel in St. Paul. It's been at least 6 months since I've seen some hard core ice fighting. Seems like forever...I'm so excited!

I'm in the middle of "Fried Green Tomatoes" by Fannie Flagg. Almost everybody's seen the movie, but I thought it might be nice to re-visit the book. I'm loving it. Tori Amos is still in my car and I can't get over my addiction for the music long enough to write a coherent review.

Maybe this weekend.

I'm singing at a wedding next Saturday so I'll be practicing some cover tunes tonight...Shania Twain I believe. Hmmmm

Tori

I rushed out to Best Buy yesterday to purchase my very own copy of Tori's new CD. I listened to it on the way home, then I brought it into the house and played it while I did yoga and then I just sat down on my butt and listened some more. I love it. Her music is so wonderfully alive. It's different, but true to her style...produced by Tori Amos too.

More babbling later but right now I want to listen to all 74 minutes of music all over again : )

I don't think I've been this excited about a release since Sinead O'Connor's "Faith & Courage"!

Singing for my Supper

Someone approached me yesterday suggesting that I sing on street corners. First insulted, then intruiged, this person mentioned vacationing in Indiana where he met a street musician who played all day long for tips. This was how the artist survived. I have to admit that my frustrations have motivated me to coffee shops and open mics when I didn't have a contract booking in high hopes of gaining a fan or two and selling some cds, but I've never wanted to prostitute myself on a street corner. I'm almost positive that there is merit in such a career, but not in Minnesota! The winter is hard enough on my precious guitars when they're inside locked up tight being humidified, I cannot even imagine torturing the poor babies by taking them outside for hours on end, day after day after day. This music thing is harder than it looks....and singing songs isn't even the half of it.

hell of a weekend

Saturday morning I stepped out of my house to find my tires slashed...along with every other car in the nieghborhood. There was mass destruction of personal property in excess of 107 cars...the police just stopped counting after that. Ugh. It makes me sad to see violence, but on the flip side, I fell in love with my community. The officer who answered the call couldn't have been cooler, nicer or more helpful. I was thrilled to see such competence and enthusiasm for serving the public. My local tire store stayed open late to help those who were stranded and made sure everybody who came for help had new wheels. Cool huh?

In music news...I'm thinking about covering some heavy metal. Who doesn't love Joan Jett?!

Stuff

My e-mail has been misbehaving so if you're sending me messages, I'd love to respond but I can't. I saw a scan of the watercolor painting I was modeling for...very cool. I'm amazed by the ability to paint. I've started "Dress Lodger"...it reminds me of Jack the Ripper with a little humor. Freaky huh? My hands are sore from assembling furniture, but I did play my new songs for Mr. Manager last night hoping that he'd have a guitar rif or two to throw on top of the music. We'll see...

Jack Daniels

I had a few Jack and Gingers last night. Yummy...it also improved my disposition immensely. I watched "City of Lost Children" with the boyfriend after dinner...I was kinda strong armed into it and it was extremely bizarre, but wonderfully done. I'll finish my book "Girl with the Pearl Earring" later on today then move on to "The Dress Lodger". I have some painting to do and then I must piece together some furniture that arrived in a box. Maybe I'll have time to squeeze in a song or two : )

Monday

My tummy hurts so I'm going to enjoy a whiskey and giner ale...that should help. Mr. Manager and I saw "The Ring" this weekend...I've never screamed so loud in public. That has to be the scariest movie I have ever seen in my entire life. I'm shivering just thinking about it. I relaxed a lot this weekend. I wrote a song (title-less of course) and haven't gotten around to painting. I guess my only excuse is having too much fun watching my kitty discover snow. hee heee...that was hours of entertainment. I'm reading "Girl with the pearl earring". It's marvelous.

I love Tori Amos's new song "Fairly Tale something"...can't wait to buy her CD...hopefully I'll stay patient until the end of October.

Peace out.

Friday

It's a gloomy day today...good for a scary movie. I think Mr. Manager and I will go see the "Ring". It looks freaky! I'm wicked tired this morning, so I'll finish reading my book "The Red Room" and start "Girl with a Pearl Earring". Good day for reading too. I found the most delicious green tea this weekwhile grocery shopping...yum! I made apple crisp last night too...productive evening : )

Sleepy

Me and Miss Kitty plan on sleeping tonight. After "Friends"...I might just go to bed. My fingers are sore today so I'll take a break from songwriting. Seems like a good night to make apple crisp though : )

It's snowing in Minneapolis...

Clarification

After re-reading my post from yesterday I just wanted to calrify that this weekend's watercolor sitting was a wonderful thing to be part of. I'm in awe of any man, woman or child who has the stamina to be a model. It takes so much patience and concentration...the latter: no problem...the former: ugh. I love a challenge and I live for new experiences. I'm grateful to James for giving me the opportunity to be a part of his artistic vision.

Mr. Manager and I enjoyed a Happy Hour at a friend's house last night...we probably enjoyed it a little too much come to think of it. Music, Friends and Jack Daniels...what more could a girl ask for : )

Art

One of the nice things about the art world is how incestuous it is. Andy Warhol painted Marilyn Monroe, Gracy Slick painted Bob Marley, Tracy Chevalier wrote a book called, “Girl with a Pearl Earring” from a Dutch painting she saw, inventing a story behind the portrait. I’m always inspired by art, whether it’s another musician or a beautiful sculpture or just a simple sketch; art makes me want to create more art. So I was sweetly surprised when, following a show, I was contacted by a painter, James Poff, who was interested in my posing for a watercolor. Intrigued, flattered and curious to say the least, I accepted. After sending me a few scans of his artwork I was convinced this would be a beneficial experience for the both of us. On a cool Sunday afternoon, I drove up 94 West to St. Cloud for the 3rd weekend in a row for a sitting at James’s place. I arrived early, we deliberated over outfits and finally sat down for pictures and initial sketches. Very quickly I got caught up in the excitement of posing. The quiet focus involved is practically overpowering. I felt almost smothered in silence. Weird I know. Finally, we got down to some serious immobility; I had to maintain my position for 20 minutes, then a quick 2 minute stretch, repeated over and over again. James was kind and patient throughout the ordeal, but the minute he mentioned a finger or ear being the “center of attention” for the next few moments I instantly needed to move that part of my body. I itched in the strangest places, sweat was running in rivulets down the center of my back, soaking my poor little bottom which was precariously balanced on a fragile bar stool. Accustomed to the strain and stress of yoga, boxing, walking and aerobics, I had mistakenly assumed this statuesque pose would be a breeze for my healthy carcass. I was sadly mistaken. A mere 60 seconds into the sitting sweat began to trickle down my back. The loose and languid pose James had tried valiantly to manipulate was becoming a mockery. There wasn’t a serene bone in my body; I ached from head to toe and every crevice in between. My mind was focused on remaining still so my body was reacting completely opposite. I was a miserable failure. I seriously hope the sitting was productive for Mr. Painter man and I'm glad I got to be a part of it, but I'm just not cut out for this kind of physical labor. Oh well...chalk it up to a new experience I guess : )

Two at once

I began reading "My Dream of you" by Nuala O'faolain because I misplaced Lucky...so two books at once. Not confusing in the least but I'm not as absorbed by the stories as usual. Makes sense I guess. I'm headed off to be painted - watercolors - this weekend. I'm pretty excited about it - I'm a virgin portrait girl, never been painted before, not even sketched for that matter. But it's guitar/music focused so I'm intrigued.

Mr. Manager and I are off to see a freaky movie this evening and to catch dinner in Uptown. More songs after the weekend. Now, to completely annoy you...I'm almost done Christmas shopping. Disgusting I know, but if I ever find a present that's perfect for someone close to me, I buy it, right then and there because it might be gone when I come back in December. Plus, wrapping things all year long makes me happy.

Have a nice weekend.

Nightmares

I had a nightmare about going to a wedding as a guests only to have my date turn out to be the groom marrying someone else. The boyfriend dreamt I cheated on him with his brother. Isn't that weird? Why do you suppose we're projecting the same fears in sleep?

Mr. Manager saw No Doubt at the Xcel last night...I forgot to ask how the concert was. Hmmm. I didn't feel like reading last night so I wrote some lyrics, but nothing solid. Dreams unsettle me sometimes...today is one of those days. I hope it passes...or that the dreams explain themselves in a timely fashion.

Lucky

I'm reading "Luck" by Alice Sebold. Harsh, painful, addictive, much like "The Lovely Bones" which I raced through earlier this summer. I started writing down some songs that were stuck in my head since September. I'm pleased, I hope others like them too. I've received a slew of fabulous e-mails overflowing with support and well wishing as a result of my touring and I want to thank everyone who has taken time out of their day to send me a quick note. I appreciate the feedback and definitely the encouragement; I will try whole-heartedly to live up to any and all expectations.

Much Love. Anne

Home

So, I'm back home again and I'm trying to catalog everything that happened on the road. Zhedos Cafe was wonderful, quiet, attentive, warm...all the things you hope any one person in the audience can be and here it was an entire group. I hope to head back sometime soon, but also stop into Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor maybe. I lived near Detroit when I was in Kindergarden until 4th grade, some neighbors from 15 years ago showed up to say hello and it absolutely made my week!

I have a ton of songs to write that are simply floating around in my head at the moment, but I've been driving so much or playing live that there hasn't been time to purge it all out : )

I raced back to Minneapolis to catch Edie Carey and Melissa Ferrick at the 7th Street Entry on Saturday night. Tired and elated I soaked up the music and tried not to get squashed by the energetic, and disturbingly talkative audience crowded into the small room. The show was interesting and I made it home in time to actually sleep on my on pillow for a change instead of passing out in the foyer, which was definitely an attractive option.

St. Cloud was last night; it was a beautiful venue with sweet supportive patrons. Damn this is a good year.

No music news

I lost my license this weekend at First Avenue...I think. Anywho, I've been in DMV hell for 2 full days now and it doesn't look like it's going to end. You see, I never got a MN driver's license when I moved here so now I have to go through hoops and more hoops and it might take up to a week for me to get a license. Doesn't bode well for the travel/gig plans starting this Thursday, huh?

Ugh. Bye.

The weekend

Still not feeling like my cheery self (sniffles and stuff) but I'll recover shortly I'm sure. The blues show was running a bit behind at First Ave on Friday night so we only caught Cooker John opening before we had to leave for another engagement. Good show though. I've only enjoyed Cooker's CD so this was the first live show. He was actually set to play for my CD release last year, but a family emergency came up so Genie Dodd's sweetly took up the slack and joined us on stage.

Yesterday was spent in St. Cloud promoting the Rachel Gaudry/Anne Deming show, scheduled for Sunday, October 6th. KVSC has a neat women in music program called "sisters" which I was invited to sit through with Nicole (DJ) and Rachel who called in from Boston. Radio scares me at the same time that it entices. I have an enormous respect for people who have the ability to sound natural and confident with every breath on the air. I had fun though.

I'm not really looking forward to 1300 miles of driving this week, but I'm excited for the shows.

Bye for now...

Anne

Blues

Tonight Mr. Manager and I are off to see ROD PIAZZA & THE MIGHTY FLYERS at First Avenue. A ton of movies came out today which I want to see as well. Busy hedonistic weekend I guess. I'm fighting the sniffles right now, but I'm sure it's nothing.

For all of you in Michigan - I hope to see you at the Xhedos Cafe in Ferndale, MI off 9 mile road next Friday. Mark your calendar now : )

More later - Anne

Reading

I've been reading the past two days, nothing new, I just thought I would offer an excuse for ignoring the computer. I've enjoyed premiere week on TV, the West Wing was fabulous and I look forward to Freinds tonight with pleasure. I'll get my normal life back on saturday with painting and insulating and such. Should be fun...you know...before the snow : )

I'm heading out to Detroit next Friday for a show with Rachel Gaudry of Virt Records, we'll also be teaming up for a show in St. Cloud sponsered by KVSC. Fun fun fun. I love the road :) Maybe a stop in Madison or Milwaukee to even things out. We'll see....

Voices from the void

I just received a lovely compliment about songs and music in general and I have to say it made my day. Every so often I feel the redundance of spinning my wheels and then something happens out of the blue to pick me up and set me back on track. It's little things and quiet people and the beauty of music bringing people together. Is that mushy enough for everyone?

Tonight I'm heading over to Ms. Collected Sounds.com's lovely abode for a little hot dog and smores action. Woo hoo!

Even though it's cold as hell, I'm trying to enjoy the beautiful fall weather (from the comfort of my snow suit) Hee hee

Back Home...

Chicago was beautiful, Iowa City was...dirty, but fun, however, I did meet some nice people. Duluth blew me away and I'm sorry to say I've lived here 2 years without having traveled up North before this past week. Hopefully I'll head back soon and take in a bed and breakfast some weekend. Saw "The Guys" at the Goodman/owen Theatre last weekend as well. There's nothing like 300 people between the ages of 15 and 90 crying their eyes out over a 60 second eulogy. Unreal. I loved being away and on the road...I like strange towns and stranger people but I missed the kitty terribly : ) I appreciate Minneapolis for the melting pot of new music that it nurtures and wonder how other cities thrive.

I'll have more later I'm sure but I haven't yet collected my thoughts or even my luggage for that matter so I just wanted to send a quick hello and a thank you to everybody who stopped down for the shows.

Byebye.

Chicago

I'm heading off on tour a bit early to catch the talented BJ Jones in a production at the Goodman, I got hooked up with some fabulous tickets and can't wait to soak up the art scene of Chicago...again. I still miss that city with a passion, but I appreciate it more now that I am gone and can visit time after time.

I'm filled with anticipation for travel and new faces and the desire to be moving. I hate running (unless chased as my Mr. Manager says) but I feel the need to expend a lot of energy. Yoga is going on the backburner to be replaced by some serious kick boxing for a few weeks : )

Ironically, acoustic Tori amos is in my CD changer. Odd huh? Nothing more mellow or depressing yet it feels perfect. Maybe it's the calm before the storm.

plans

Still reading "Rachel's Holiday"...I'll be done by the end of the day. Then I'm off to dinner with my cousin Bridget who's in town for business. I threw on another coat of paint last night and then forced myself to clean up the chaos to prevent myself from coloring anything else. Kitty's endlessly entertained with the squirrels outside and if she was a dog I'm sure she'd be barking 24/7...as it is now (her being a cat) her tail just twitches an awful lot and her ears move around like antenna : )

Currently I'm listening to Rosey "Dirty Child". I think it's a dreamworks but I could be way off on that. She has an incredibly smokey, sultry voice and extremely diverse harmonies. Fun music...I hope she catches on....

Pearla

Friday night we went to First Ave to catch Pearla Batella (sp?) who was wonderful. Strong, sweet voice with funky rhythms. She wasn't as glamorous as I thought she would be after all the press photos and promo's but stunning none-the-less. After that we headed into the 7th Street Entry to catch Drums and Tuba on Righteous Babe Records...interesting, but I can only listen to instrumentals for so long without wanting some vocals to spice it all up. (Beethoven being the exception of course)Great weekend for music all around.

Also, I painted the guest bedroom and refinished some woodwork around the house...kinda of a Tim Allen day at the homestead.

I'm reading "Rachael's Holiday" by Marion Keyes at the moment...funny and depressing...because it's really about rehab.

Bye.

Merrick

I finished Merrick by Anne Rice...she inspires me. I also started "Choke" by the guy who wrote Fight Club. Filthy book, but rather engrossing. I might paint this evening, but that would envolve a detailed trip to Home Depot. Maybe I'll just pick out the right color and imagine...