Hey!  We had a fantastic time down in Redwood City at Caffe Sportivo this past Saturday evening.  The facility, owned by Chris (possibly the sweetest person I have ever met) features her personal-training gym utilizing state-of-the-art methods to help properly target body conditioning; there is a spacious, attached café area (where we played) serving fair-trade coffee and other goodies.  Intimate and cozy yet contemporary and open, it is a wonderful spot – I highly recommend it to anyone and I hope to return there soon myself!  Special thanks to Jose and Mike for working so hard and being so polite with their smoothie-spinning and espresso-grinding and to Linus for booking us.  The band and I really enjoyed performing there and look forward to playing there again in the future.

It was great to greet new people as well – Redwood City is about 80 miles from our Sonoma County stomping ground, so none of our countless, screaming local fans were in attendance – thank you David, Madeline, Carol, Kaiya, John, Debbie, Robert, Noah, Robert, and Auntie Lu for taking time to listen and to introduce yourselves, and thanks to everyone who signed up on the email list.  I hope to be able to invite you to another show very soon; per Auntie Lu’s instructions, you can expect to receive lyric sheets along with my insistence that you sing along.  Can’t wait to see you there! J

Once again I have to mention Vic and Tim (drummer, bassist dudes) for their outstanding playing and roadworthiness.  I mean, they really must be doing it for some imagined future glory, because right now, this journey we’re on (other than when we’re actually playing music) is about as glamorous as forced hard labor.  Thanks, guys, for being in my corner.  I wouldn’t want to do this nearly as much without you.

Someone recently shared with me his opinion that my blogs might be just a little on the corny side.  If you find this to be true and it offends you, I apologize; the places I visit and the people I meet through music inspire me so much, and I appreciate the opportunity to indulge in reminiscences.  Thank YOU, kind reader, for tolerating all this sappiness.  Without you, I am ebulliently memorializing to myself as if I am not me, the idea of which is downright strange.  Anyway, the Universe is a mysterious and deep soup of conflicting truths and constant flux.  To experience even for a moment something good and absolute and enduring is, I believe, worth celebrating.  Thank you for allowing me to share my music and thoughts with you; I deeply cherish the positive feedback and encouragement you have given!

Thank you again for a wonderful show!  Hope you have a great week!

XOXO
Kate

This blog’s Relevant Recommended Reading:
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Relativity by Albert Einstein

What would you do if someone you respected told you to forget your dream?

What would you do if someone you respected told you to do something that you knew wasn't right for you for whatever reason?

I wonder which story is sadder - that of the person who never gives up pursuing a dream, even if it means sacrificing everything and reaping nothing, or that of the person who gives up a dream and settles for whatever comes next.

I think I have lived long enough to know that, for my part, I have a really difficult time doing what anyone tells me to do.  Mom says she used to tell me to do the opposite of what she really wanted me to do because she knew I would reliably rebel.  I'm not sure it worked, but that's another story.  Anyway, lately I have realized something I hope you will appreciate: I'm not going to forget my dream, and I'm not going to do anything with my music that I don't completely believe in.  People, do not give up on your dreams or accept less than what you think you were destined for.  Do not follow any advice that doesn't resonate within.  If anyone tries to get in your noodle and discourage you, kindly ring off as quickly as possible and don't look back.

From my heart to yours, I hope.

Stay tuned...

XOXO

Hello dear fellow humans!  It is wonderful to report about another successful show, more amazing folks I got to meet, updates on our ever-forward-slogging CD project, and plans for the future!  First let me say that I hope you have had a beautiful holiday season and foresee a bountiful 2009; Happy Holidays!

Next I must share with you my exciting flying adventure which I hope never to have to repeat (sadly, I think that's highly unlikely, but a girl can dream...).  Every Christmas, I "holiday" in Maine with family.  I always have a minimum of two flights each getting there and getting back, which is not my favorite, but airlines are actually managing the task of transporting people from one place to another in their fashion remarkably well, so I try not to think about it too much.  On Friday, December 26th, I left Maine for Boston at 4 PM and learned upon arrival that my flight to Atlanta was delayed several hours and would arrive AFTER my connecting flight from Atlanta to San Francisco was scheduled to depart.  The representative I spoke with assured me that all the flights out of Atlanta were delayed at least an hour, and she did not think that getting me on a different, direct-to-SF flight out of Boston would be a better idea.  And so, unwittingly, I traveled to Atlanta, arriving at 10:30 PM; the flight to SF had left without me, and the best that could be done was a 6:30 AM flight to Cincinnati with a connecting flight to SF.  Restless on the cold, hard floor of Atlanta's enormous hub, eye pillow and ear plugs getting good use but doing nothing to promote sleep, and with all my effects secured haphazardly around me, a deep, black feeling about the whole thing threatened to overtake me.  Within a few hours, though, I learned many others had been stranded in Atlanta for more than 24 hours longer than I had been.  Nearly everyone was completely disgruntled. 

When I finally arrived in San Francisco (Saturday at noon - 12 hours behind),  my checked bags, naturally, were nowhere to be found.  I did finally get them delivered to me at home on Sunday morning, but what a fiasco!  Maybe in the period between 4 PM EDT Friday and 3 PM PDT Saturday, I achieved a grand total of 180 minutes of sleep.  Between jet lag and airport/airplane sleep, I was bushed; too wired, in fact, to get any quality sleep Saturday night as well.  Oy.

But, as you know, the show must go on, and I am pleased that in my very weary state I played to such a kind and comfortable audience at Ace-in-the-Hole on Sunday evening.  Once again, some familiar faces in the crowd brought a smile to my heart (thanks Riggy, Garret, Jay, Peter W. and Peter V. and thanks Matt for the flowers [again! - a class act, he is] and thanks Dad and Maria for helping with merchandise and gear!) and Cazzie and Natasha did an amazing job at keeping people in fine food and spirits!  Many new people introduced themselves (nice to meet you Oren, Wendy, and Margaret!), and Fiona (first-grader) and Tate (11-year-old) helped out by hanging out on stage (making us all better-looking, no doubt) and taking the tip bucket around, respectively.  Humbled and uplifted, once again.

The experience re-affirmed that music is powerful and forges connection between people.  Thank you, people of the world (disgruntled and not alike), for enabling my pursuit of euphoniousness, and thank you, Universe, for giving me such a gift.

That airport fiasco is a fast-fading memory.

Moving forward, you should know we are entering our final two days of mixing on the CD, which means were are only weeks away from sending everything off for manufacturing.  I don't even like champagne, but when the CD is finally in my hands, finished, I will be popping a bottle.  We will have a CD release party, the date and time of which will be forthcoming.  We have three more shows in the next two weeks, ideas for recording a CD of derivative songs (i.e., written by someone else and recognizable to you), and plans for learning a lot more material over the next few months in preparation for a busy summer.  I will update you as soon as I know anything more.

Have a fantastic and safe New Year's - I will write again very soon!

Much love,
Kate

Happy Halloween, everyone (albeit belated)!  I hope you are swiftly recovering from any partying or over-sugared revelry you may have engaged in this weekend.  For my part, I spent Halloween holed up reading a good mystery novel (I know, so lame) and after an inspiring show last evening, I am appreciating this weather we're having (clouds! rain!) and reflecting on the Universe's vast capacity for conspiracy.

As you all know, the music business is tricky, to say the least.  Extraordinarily talented artists can spend most of their careers largely in obscurity, and many of dubious giftedness seem to wind up on top without trying.  Therefore, recognition of any kind, as far as I am concerned, is not to be taken lightly.  And so, you can imagine my surprise when between Friday and Saturday, well, a bunch of really neat things happened.  Friday morning, my new friend Frank Hayhurst, owner of Zone Music and Recording in Cotati, CA and host of KRSH 95.9's "Face the Music" program, played love and war during his show and afterward told everyone how talented and how much like a "real Hollywood starlet" I am (!).  Having never heard one of my songs actually played on the radio nor heard myself talked about in that way in that context, I was pretty impressed.  And then last night, at our public debut, I sold my first 5 CDs ever, and from the money (yes, folks, real money!) people put in the tip basket, I actually came out $18 ahead after paying my musicians and crew!  Brilliant!

Hearing my song on the radio, hearing myself praised on the radio by someone of relative import, selling my first CDs, and making actual money on the whole proposition – it's darned exciting!  And that is to say nothing of the thrill of playing to an audience who are intently listening or of the pleasure of meeting them.  We got lots of positive feedback from total strangers and old familiars alike.  I really enjoyed meeting Chloe, a six-year-old of humbling insightfulness, whose forthright introduction of herself reminded me that music has such an amazing power to disarm people and bring out the best in us and connect us.  I am motivated now more than ever to play as many shows as I can so I can meet more of you all!

And, let me tell you, I could not ask for a better group of people to do just that with.  In addition to the multi-talented Roxanne Oliva on winds, accordion, and percussion, the monstrously gifted Vic Carberry on drums, and the very hip new addition Tim Sarter on bass, we seem to have acquired a sound crew including keyboardist/sound guru Jack Jacobsen (formerly of Huey Lewis and the News, The Coasters, The Drifters, Night Ranger, among others!) and his faithful sidekick Kevin Nutt, who readily and somewhat inexplicably donated his P.A. speakers for the event.  My Dad manned the merchandise table, and even Matt Wright (my recording engineer) showed up with flowers (my Mom would approve) for the Chief Executive Diva – that's me. J  See what can happen when you are an overly-anal-retentive perfectionist hermit?  I never could have expected the support I get from all the people – cast, crew, and patron alike – who are rallying around me, and I could never express enough gratitude.  Of course, I will say it anyway: thank you!

I also must thank the staff at A'Roma Roasters for all their hard work, especially Carole for booking us and helping with promotion and Carissa (I'm sure to have mutilated the spelling on that, sorry) for moving all the chairs and tables and helping to coordinate our performance.  It seems everone left smiling, so we couldn't have asked for a better team to work with.  Thank you all so much!

And thank you for reading all about it.

Until next time, be well!

XOXO

Kate

9/26/08

Hey everyone!  I hope this message finds you well, given the economic and political circumstances we find ourselves in these days.  I am enduring by counting my blessings, and there are many even though it is difficult at times to keep them in clear view.  Anyway, I hope you are making the best of what you have, working hard enough not feel guilty and keeping the faith for better times.  I send you my best!

Our live show on KRSH went over not without a few hitches, but all in all everyone seems to agree we nailed it.   I am starting to realize that as the music becomes more and more ingrained in me and the band, the more the performances become about all the circumstances surrounding the shows rather than the mere playing of the songs.  Through the course of the evening we had to deal with such exciting technical difficulties as a dysfunctional keyboard pedal, screeching feedback from the vocal monitor, and one Alfa Romeo (mine) that Jeff, Vic, and Katie (KRSH 95.9 weekdays 10 AM – 1 PM) had to push out of the driveway to get started so I could get home; the KRSH building has a great backyard where they host live music which residents of this fine county attend en masse during the summer, and our appearance happened to coincide with a backyard performance by The Pulsators featuring none other than Tommy from Tommy Tutone (Vic's former band from the '80s; go to youtube.com and search for "Jenny Jenny" to see Vic in the video!); consequently there were no loading or parking spaces to be found, a half-dozen kids expending energy by shouting and running through the halls while we were on-air, and people having to step over our gear whilst coming and going; additionally,  we had to begin our set in a tiny, slanted room literally on the other side of the wall from The Pulsators' sub-woofers, which would be sort of akin to tapping your head and rubbing a circle on your belly at the same time with hands that have intermittent sensation.  Fun, fun, fun, let me say!  Actually, I enjoyed every moment of it.  No regrets here.

Our host, Andre de Channes, managed to keep my spoken ramblings relatively focused (no small feat) and the songs sonically balanced for the listeners.  I also kind of felt like we were hanging out with him in his living room; it was very informal.  I wonder if he would ever hire The Pulsators to play a backyard party at his house, though.  I think I doubt it.  I digress…anyway, thanks to everyone at KRSH (www.krsh.com, Sonoma County 95.5/95.9 FM), especially Nate, Katie, Bill Bowker and Andre, and thanks to Zone Music and Recording in Cotati and the Lagunitas Brewing Company for supporting local artists!

We have upcoming gigs, which I will try to remember to remind you about, but they will be listed on my page either way.  We are strategizing about getting the CD done before Christmas (more on that to come).  I have found an alternate bass player, Tim Sarter, another great, local bassist, and I am very excited to be playing music with him.  Don't worry, though, our Super Jeff isn't going anywhere; he just needs a break now and then!  Things are happening; thanks for all your support!

Feel free to write and let me know about any exciting adventures you have had lately.  I look forward to writing to you again about mine soon!

XOXO

Kate