Day 1

Phil and I flew into Los Angeles on Oct. 19th and went right over to Molly Malone's to see one of our favorite bands- Rhythm Nathon play. As usual- they blew me away. They improvise everything they play and they are such creative and gifted musicians.
Day 2
The next day we headed down to San Pedro and played our first living room concert hosted by David and Rebecca Sappienza. Dave is my Godfather and one of my favorite people. We had several tequila toasts and celebrated the years of love, laughter and music we've shared. Playing with The Heavy Steppers felt like coming home for me. It only confirmed what I already knew, that these guys are my family. The gathering we played for were so warm and kind- we had a great time. Afterwards we all went back to Sappienza's, and he rocked the piano while we took turns singing along. His son Chris kept the Tequila flowing which resulted in me (being the lightweight that I am) making an ass out of myself, and hopping into the hot tub with next to nothing on. Luckily no one was there to witness this except for Rebecca, Dave's new wife who is a Goddess and also one of my favorite people. I felt like shit the next day, but it was worth it! We had so much fun!
Day 2
We headed back up to LA to play at a home concert hosted by Ashley and Alex. I had no idea what we were in for- they pulled all the stops! There was a cook, tons of food, drinks, fresh flowers, candles and a beautifully decorated stage. The people who came out were so loving and fun and the food was yummy! The band played their asses off and then afterwards we enjoyed the company of everyone there.

Day 3
The next day we were picked up in a long white van by Marlon and Dylan and then we picked up Mike. We drove down to San Diego and went to Matt and Joni's house. We all took turns playing the Weee for a while and then we headed over to the hotel, showered and then went to the club that Matt booked for us to play at, a place called Dream Street. The place reminded me of the clubs I used to play at in the early years- a serious rock bar! It was a perfect addition to the already eclectic variety of places we would play on this trip. Marlon was excited that he got to play on top of the drum riser. Matt, Jodi and their friends were all really great people.



Day 4
We all piled into the van early in the morning and hit the road. Marlon had us all laughing nonstop, and there seemed to be an unspoken competition to see who had the worst gas from the bad Mexican food the night before. We made good time and made it to Tucson at 3:00. I was so happy to introduce the band to everyone and it was great to be back in the desert on the land I grew up on. My dad's property is in the Tucson Mountains and it's just beautiful there! My dad gave us a tour of his projects he's been working on. In addition to being a Holistic Dentist and Healer, he is also a brilliant creative who has unconventional ideas and knows how to turn them into reality. He took us down by the horse coral where he has built a round straw bale room that is really something to see. It has bamboo floors and the center of the floor turns into a round elevator that rises up to the window in the center of the ceiling. This is so he can see the sunrise when he meditates in the morning. He also invented an incredible vibrating table that he uses as a healing device and had each of the guys try it out. My dad is friends with a Native American man Albert who conducts sweat lodges on the land, so at 6:00 we were all down there watching the rocks heat up in the fire, learning about the purpose of this sacred ceremony we were about to embark on. We entered the lodge and sang, prayed and gave thanks. It was an incredible experience to share with each other. It got hot as hell in there, but when we came out, we felt amazing.

Day 5
The next day we slept in- Sharlis who lives on the compound turned into band mom. She cooked for us and took care of everyone the whole time. My brother, sister, niece and nephew came over and we had a beautiful family hang. That night we went over to Sophi's house where she and Ann had put together another living room concert. Once again we were greeted by a house full of really incredible people, tons of food, drinks and beauty. The living room had been converted into a small stage and rows of seats. It was a warm and cozy vibe and we all loved it. I want to take a moment to express my love and gratitude to everyone that hosted us. You put out so much energy to make those events happen- thank you!

Day 6
My sister Kya and Marlon went for a long walk early in the morning. Marlon came back sweating and bitching about how my sister kicked his ass by making him walk so far. By now we have had some beautiful walks in the desert, and had some time to sit up on the roof and look out into the mountains. Kya's mom Lori has been bed ridden for a while due to a back injury so the band and I went over to her house and played some music for her, and then we went downtown to play at the Green Festival. It was cool to see the whole movement towards alternative energy and environmentally safe products. There were a lot of very progressive people there and it felt good to be a part of it. We were brought into the Green Festival by an old friend and very special woman in my heart, Victoria. We enjoyed playing at the event very much. After that we went home to shower and then headed back downtown to play at Club Congress. Congress is one of my favorite spots- it's an old hotel located in the center of downtown that has a great music venue, and café. After we played at Congress we stopped by a club downtown to see some old friends. Once again Tequila happened, it seems to be the drink of choice in the desert, and finally we went home. I fell asleep but I think everyone else went back to the roof.

Day 7
Sharlis made us pancakes that were fucking amazing! Then we headed out to the Sweetwater Preserve festival. The stage was really impressive. It was a trailer that opened into a stage, and the whole thing was run on solar power. There was a big pot luck BBQ and lots of people who live in the area. It was a trip to see people I haven't seen in years. I haven't played publicly in Tucson since I moved from there 7 years ago. The band sounded really fucking good. Looking around at the guys, I was filled with gratitude. How did I ever come upon such talented and beautiful souls? Marlon, Phil, Dylan, and Mike are some of the most precious people in my life, and I know that I am blessed to be able to make music with them. The Sweetwater Preserve show was a huge success and everyone enjoyed themselves. We got some of the kids on stage with us to sing song of love, and that was a very moving experience for me. After that the band, the family, and friends all went to my brother's house to kick back. Victoria and I ducked out back to talk and when I came back in I was delighted to see Marlon and my sister in law Jackie, on the couch, and Dylan and my little nephew all cuddled up together, Mike Freas playing with Chewy their little pup, and Phil, my niece Kiana, and my sister Kya all talking and laughing. For me this was a profound moment. May years ago after my mom passed away I was sure it would never feel like a family again. When I moved to LA and created this band they became that for me. Now to see both families together I felt like I had come full circle and something within me that had felt rootless for so long was finally laid to rest.

Day 8
Our last day in Tucson we woke up late and headed back to The Cup Café with a large group to have lunch. After that we walked down 4th aver. and went into all the thrift stores trying on clothes, wigs, and hats. Growing up, 4th aver. was my favorite place to hang out; Just walking down the street made me feel good. We eventually made it home and said goodbye to everyone for about an hour. On the drive home we all talked about the trip and everyone felt so good about it. It was also great to play so much music together! We got home at 2:00 am and then Phil and I flew back to NY at 12:00. Obviously this trip wasn't just about music; It was also about all the things that feed the music- My deepest heartfelt thanks to everyone (and there are many) who came together to make this happen!!!
Love, Alana