Hello Friends,
I'm so happy to report that we landed safely in NYC after riding through the brutal storm that has followed us to New York.  How do people live like this?  Admittedly, it is beautiful to see the city covered in snow but our first event at WFUV was canceled because of the weather.  Please, think warm thoughts so we get to perform at Joe's Pub on Thurs!!  In the meantime, I'm going to get out and enjoy the city.
xo
Eleni

Hi Friends, it's been a really long time since I've bothered yammering away on myspace but Steve Gregoropoulos (my partner in The Grabs) and I just listened to the first Grabs record and I thought "this is a great record. I can't believe it's me". It really made me feel happy about music. I couldn't believe I wrote and sang those songs...it's been so long since we've played any of them or since I've heard any of them. We are, in fact, working on a second Grabs record with all the songs co-written by myself, Steve and Nigel Harrison (bass; Blondie). I feel like The Grabs first record; Sex, Fashion and Money; wasn't given a fair shake but then again, almost nobody heard it. Well, friends, if you like raw, real, sad, happy and groovy post punk pop, then give The Grabs a chance. As The Grabs always want to know, what have you got against The Grabs??

In other news, my new record is being mixed by Steve Fisk. He is a genius! He's worked with so many great artists and I'm really excited to get to be among them. It's a slow process but I'm very excited and hopeful about this record. I hope you will love it!

And in OTHER news, The Living Sisters (Inara George from THe BIrd and the Bee, and Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond and me) are finally recording a record. It is probably the most difficult record I've ever made because I really have to concentrate on what I'm doing...I can't just feel the music. I think it will be awfully sweet so stay tuned.

If I pull this off, I'll have made three records this year. I hope I get to get out there and play a little bit, too.
I have one more acoustic show this month in Los Angeles...Wed. June 18 at Tangier. Tell your friends. Listen to The Grabs and hold your breath for The Living Sisters. It's all happening.
xo
Eleni

Good morning (or good night)!
I have been in Europe a couple of weeks and it's been a real roller coaster ride. There's nothing that makes me appreciate my home more than the gray skies over Europe in winter. But I think I might be learning some French...! I know that I've eaten some amazing food and it shows. I was lucky enough to open for Iron and Wine in Paris to a sold out crowd. That was fun but I didn't know it until it was over. I thought everyone hated me and only found out at the end of the night, when people bought records, that I was ok. Phew! Then I got to go back to Mestre-Venezia and perform at Hotel Bologna as part of their MusicContinua series. What a pleasure! I feel a real connection with Italians that probably comes from living there in my early 20's and from dating two Italian-Americans! The men really look you right in the eye in Italy. Of course, the food is ridiculously good! I loved seeing my friends in Mestre and drinking some nice Martini Cocktails (much different and stronger than the American martini). Sylvie Lewis joined me and she was my savior! We had such a good time flirting with the Fabrizio on the train to Rome! Valerio cooked the most divine pasta and convinced me that I have to join them this summer in Sicilia. I met lovely people at Locanda Atlantide. But what a treat to hear Sylvie sing some of my favorite songs!!!
Now I'm back in Paris and ready to do everything. I'm going to become a real tourist for my final days here. Maybe I'll go back to school...maybe not!
xo
Eleni

Hello. I am in France. I am here to study French and will be playing some shows, too. I hope to see some of you French people at the shows. Please, speak French to me very slowly. Oh, and to all you Italians, come see me in Mestre-Venezia and/or Roma on Jan. 25 and 27th.
I finished the last of my vocals for my new record before I left. I can't fully describe how excited I am about the new record. This is the sound I've been dreaming about since I was a teenager. My band (Kevin, Jeremy and Ryan) sound better than ever! I got to work with some new and incredibly talented people, too: Dave Trumfio (producer); Jason Borger (arranger, keyboardist); Jessica Catron (arranger, cellist); Danny Levin (low brass); Robbie and Natalie (violin and viola). And I got to hang out with my old buddy, Andy Kaulkin, while he played some hammond organ and farfisa.
I hope this record will see the light of day soon! Keep your fingers crossed and get ready to dance!
Hey, it's raining in Paris.
xo
Eleni

Charleston, WV on Mountain Stage: loved meeting Sylvie Lewis and Anais Mitchell. Check them out! Instant friends and great music.
Philadelphia, PA: Nicole Reynolds was great and so cute! A petite crowd with oversized enthusiasm.
NY, NY: I love Brooklyn! I love Cafe Regular on 11th St. in Park Slope. Oh, yeah, the show in Manhattan was good, too. Thanks to Pierre for helping me out. Thanks to Randy for letting me clutter up his apartment with all my stuff. And thanks to Mike for taking me to Al Di La.
Zumbrota, MN: Wow, small town. Fried shrimp without the shrimp. Sweet Romeo, the Golden Retriever. Nicest folks in the world!
Mpls, MN: Always a huge pleasure. I loved The Cedar. Meeting and playing with Howe Gelb was great. Suzanne, sorry about leaving those sweet potatoes in your oven. Mike, thanks for showing me the ancient graffitti in the basement of the old factory. Dan, thanks for the vinyl.
Madison, WI: Met some great folks who laughed at my jokes. Bleary eyed and tired. Left my guitar at the hotel. Thanks to Howe for letting me play his.
Chicago, IL: I hope I can play the Old Town School of Folk again. Best sound in town and a great place all around. Too bad about those shoes, Patsy. Happy Birthday, Michelle, again and again.
Champaign/Urbana, IL: Hey, girls, thanks for driving all the way from Bloomington to see me! Everyone was so sweet. College kids don't scare me so much anymore. I especially appreciated the guy down front who laughed at everything I said. Thanks!

I won't lie to you and tell you that everything was great opening for The Frames in San Francisco and Los Angeles; or that the show in Kansas City was amazing. Yes, I think we played great at the Frames' shows but it was fairly clear that few of their fans cared. That is to be expected. I was surprised, however, to be treated like such a peon in San Francisco (but the sound for us was great!). I was also surprised to be treated so well at The Fonda in Los Angeles (yet, I couldn't get the monitor guys attention during our set to save my life and our sound was rough). Sometimes I wonder if I will ever stop paying my dues. "What's an Eleni Mandell?" asked one Frames fan.
"That is me!" I said.
"Oh, where is the merch for The Frames?"
And the evening continued on like that. There were definitely some nice people there and in the end, it's just another experience and another show.
I have to admit I expected a lot more from Kansas City but we showed up to a field laden with bark and few people in attendance. No sound check. One of the roughest shows I've had in recent memory. But one adorable, young girl kept snapping photos and afterwards her father told me that he took her to see me a few years earlier at an in-store in town. After that show she decided she wanted to be a musician, too, and has been playing piano ever since. She was so sweet and I felt that it was all worth it knowing that it made her happy to see us.
Eleni

It's been brought to my attention that I might be a little too positive in my blog: everything is great; I meet lovely people everywhere I go; the music, the magic, the cute boys, the packed houses (and unpacked houses) etc. I'm going to try and be less effusive and more...surprising.

The drive up Hwy 101 alone and hungover was arduous. The previous night was spent innocently competing for Truth or Dare. I think I won... Anyway, I stopped in King City, CA where I ate two delicious Carne Asada tacos. This town is dusty and hot but I loved it. Or shall I say, I liked it fine.

My favorite song of the day was "Make it Rain" by Tom Waits. Yes, I do still listen to him. I can't deny it.
Finally, I made it to Hwy 9 in Ben Lomond, CA and drove past Henflings. Boy, was I scared. There were probably 10 Harley's parked out front. I thought there must be some kind of mistake. How could I get booked to play an acoustic show at such a place?! I continued on to my assigned Lodge and checked in. The place was crawling with hipster-hippies and the walls were made of paper. Oh, brother. I ate salmon in the restaurant that has a real creek running through the middle of it. Then I tried desperately to sleep a little before my show. I distinctly thought I hear someone say "hey" while I was lying down. I tried to repeat the sound assuming that it was me scratching my arm or flopping around. Later I was told that the place was haunted. I believe nothing and everything but it would be fine by me if a ghost just stopped by to say "hey".

Eventually, there was no putting it off. My troop of cousins came by and we all went down the road to Henflings. Ultimately, it was a wonderful night. I danced with a crazy man in a tie-dyed tshirt. He would not stop talking! He did call me a "summer breeze" so I figured he deserved a dance. And the audience was not terrifying. They were actually really nice. So, I can't deny it. I had a great time. And a glass of bourbon. And got to hang with my family without any grown ups around. Yes, I am getting old but I am certainly not grown up!
xo
Eleni

Playing at the Calgary Folk Festival was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to hear great music, meet great musicians, play for great people and watch a parade of lanterns shaped like fish, boats, stars etc. weave through a crowd of 11,000. Some of my favorites were Final Fantasy (such a cool and talented guy), The Cape May, Polyjesters, Ollabelle (Amy, Fiona and I cried listening to Betty sing Down to Zero and were instant friends!), Betty LaVette, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (I met a Dap King!), Hawksley Workman (thanks for the great workshop and guitar solo), Sarah Slean, The Squirrel Nut Zippers (I want to steal your horn section!), Neko Case (she is so nice and a complete bad ass!), Mary Flower (she inspired me to really learn how to play guitar), PF Sloan and Duane Jarvis. Plus, I got a great massage for free. I got to use a giant squirt gun and accidentally shot a security guard right in the crotch (sorry!). I found out that there is some beer that I like. XO is really good. I got covered in sweat and dust. I danced my ass off. I sang my heart out. I loved every minute of it. Thanks so much to the kind folks that invited me to participate. I hope I get to come back soon.
xo
Eleni