I used to live in a room full of mirrors; all I could see was me. I take my spirit and I crash my mirrors, now the whole world is here for me to see.
Jimi Hendrix

I hosted my second House Concert

Last week, I hosted Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands for a concert.

There were about 45 attendees and it was really good. The music was sharp as a tack and amazing.

Didn't get any pictures except for this sad little side, rear view someone got from the hallway...

The Monarchs are Back

The past week, I have seen more and more monarch butterflies in the hood.

They must be at the beginning of migration to lay eggs in the eucalyptus groves nearby.

December will be teeming with them.

Havana

Last night, went out to a Cuban restaurant with my three kids.

We shared our entrees.

We had a good time.

Hike

Today, took a hike with Ju and went through marsh lands.

Yesterday, took a hike with B and Ju and Star and went near the bay through an off leash dog park. Star stuck close and was really good and we were impressed.

Took naps after both hikes. Heavenly, deep sleep naps.

~

Day trip to Calistoga California

Had a day trip with my youngest child.

We had lunch in downtown Calistoga at the All Season's Grill, went to the Petrified Forest and saw Old Faithful Geyser (all in reverse order mentioned and pictured)!

Bob Dylan

I saw him last night in concert.

I had a VIP entrance ticket and got to the venue 20 minutes before doors opened and was able to get in a line of 30 vs 2000 (around the block) to enter.

I went up to the stage and parked myself for the evening (on the rail of the stage slightly to the right). I made friends with my fellow stage holding pals and the security guys (one gave me ear plugs).

The opening act was, uh, not great.

Bob was great but too loud (ear plugs, ear plugs, body buzzing loud).

I was about 15 feet from him during the performance and it was great seeing his every little motion/nuance. He played keyboards, harmonica, guitar. He was the icon is just is. IYKWIM. OMG.

Set list for the show:
Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
This Wheel's On Fire
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
Just Like A Woman
Rollin' And Tumblin'
Simple Twist Of Fate
Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Visions Of Johanna
Cold Irons Bound
Masters Of War
Highway 61 Revisited
When The Deal Goes Down
Thunder On The Mountain
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Jolene
Like A Rolling Stone

My musical find for today

Is this guitarist and his pal, the beatboxer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_kOAq7vBek

Saw them at the Freight tonight and they were spectacular.

Great America

Went to the theme park on Friday (two days ago) with

Ben

Julian

Nicole

Mystic

Aidan

We had a good time.

Rides

Food

Walking a lot

Beautiful sunny day

I had a House Concert!

Last night I had some pro musicians give a concert in my house.

It was amazing. OMG. It was a transcending experience.

I had met Maurice Tani at a local venue and chit chatting with him thought what a nice guy.
Seeing him play I immediately knew he was a great musician. I spoke with him about a House Concert and he was game to try giving one with a newbie.

He brought a couple other musicians and the trio set up their gear (a mic, some amps to use as minimal PA for an acoustic set) in my dining room and the audience was in the living room.

The acoustics were great. the lighting was great. The musicians were great.

Maurice, the singer/songwriter guitarist, sounded so good and the pianist Randy Craig (an award winning composer and piano player and founder of Pickle Family Circus and other stuff ....gotta google him to figure out what all) and acoustic stand up bass guy Michael Anderson were incredible.

It really sounded like a CD. The balance of sounds and volume perfect. (Who knew it would be so amazing?!)

It was nice having such an intimate show.

Got to mingle during the break and got to purchase CDs and get to know people I didn't know.

The audience enjoyed it so much. One attendee spoke after the show to the group about how moved he was to be at the event. How it was so very superior to a Bob Dylan concert he had gone to with high hopes. He encouraged the crowd to seek out more performances like this and thanked me for bringing music to our town. (He was not exagerating, it WAS spectacular in every way).

Wish I had video or audio of it. Oh well.If you ever get a chance to go to a house concert...GO!

Veronica Mars

What a show.
What an awesome and well made show.
What a brilliant cast of characters on a show.
Wow
What a show.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Mars

Sanctuary

My little nest.
My little space.
My little sanctuary.
My little area of introspection.

Paul McCartney

Okay. I went.

I actually heard quite a bit of the concert and very clearly from the water side of the park. You could peek through some chain link fence to see the crowd and the stage was right in front of us, though the side wall of it blocked vision of the band and Paul. Well, I know what he looks like, so that was okay.

There were a few other people there with us and some people dancing and some people on boats listening to it.

Paul sounded strong and it was a good show.

I sat with my group on the concrete walk, back to the fence on the water and we listened and ate Life Savers (fruit) from my purse.

We walked to the restaurant next to the park and sat outside eating Lumpia and listened.

Walked back to BART and came home.

Oh my...this blog is turning out to be mostly about music!

Let me apoligize if you find it dull due to the focus on blogging about music lately.

This entry is also mostly about it.

This past week, my guitarist and I went to perform three pieces at an open mic. We were really good. Really good. Yay. I like to gauge how good by a couple factors mostly.

1. Eyes transfixed on us vs chatting
2. People making a point of coming up to talk to us after to compliment us and or ask us if we have a website or CD.

Other factors are important too but those are two good gauges.

Another music tidbit.

Paul McCartney is performing in San Francisco this evening and I am going to take BART to listen to him. I didn't buy tickets for the event but am going to eat at a restaurant .1 miles from the concert and listen to it while eating. :)

Now. Change to food theme for a moment. I made a delicious speghetti last night. Ground turkey, onions, parmeson, sour cream. Either everyone was extra hungry or it was very good or
both.

The concert

I went to the much anticipated concert.

It was really delightful. Andy Irvine, irish troubadour. His voice is transcendent and other worldly. It is a jewel.

After the concert, my friend and I went to get a CD and asked if he would be able to sign it for us.

They said yes and he came out and signed them and we chit chatted for a few minutes.

He is one tired touring artist. This was his last concert before a break and he is looking forward to going home to just relax.

It was a fulfilling night for my soul.

Super Duper Fun

Tuesday night, I went to play at an open mic and got to talkin' before the show with a woman in the row behind me. Janine. We both like to be social, obviously. Talkers both.

Then turns out she is the wife of a musician I am becoming a fan of (love his voice and guitar playing).

Cool.

Then I met another guy, Kenny, who is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and guitar maker who tours as an opening act for others. He was a handsome, quirky, bit full of himself but likeable guy.

Okay.

Then, later I met another woman who had performed and I really liked her voice and songwriting and piano playing. She gave me a complimentary CD and her card.


Cool.

Then. Oh my! I noticed that the venue was going to have one of my very, very most favorite musicians performing at the end of the month. Wow. I can not explain how amazing that is. I hadn't heard about him in a really long time and had wondered whatever had happened to him.
He has been pivotal in my interests of music since I heard him looooooong ago. He has been crucial, of vital importance in my concept of music. Wow.

I got a ticket to go to the show and am going with the pal who introduced me to his music way back then.

Imagine finding out that, say, Bob Dylan was going to perform at your own home and that would be sort of what emotion I am feeling here.

Gush, gush, gush.

Sigh.

Guitar

Guitar strumming
Reading music, hearing the sound of the strings and the vowels
Seeing someone with a camera and keeping with the task

It Just Comes Natural

Easy Going People, Difficult People

Phoenix
Vaeda
Diego
Demille
Gaby

Five people who I spent two days with who were either very enjoyable to spend time with
or
very taxing

I won't say which is which

17

17 is a really good age.

Do you remember when you were 17?











One of my children turned 17 yesterday. We went out to dinner at a nice restuarant, the kids went to a movie and out for Baskin Robbin's Ice Cream.

Isabelle Allende......cool

I went to see Isabelle Allende speak at a bookstore a couple days ago. She is an author of books for those who may not know.

She first spoke about how she researched her last book in New Orleans. Then she read an exerpt of it. Then she took questions from people in the room.

Things I learned about her
She researches in English. She writes fiction in Spanish and a translater, translates to English for her.
She was a journalist before a novelist.
She waited until her third novel was published in several languages before quitting her day job. Her first agent told her anyone can write a first novel. That we all have one in us. That the second novel makes an author.

It was a really nice event. She is a good speaker. Polished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shhhhhhhhhh. Be very quiet.

I say this because I am thinking about what to write in my blog.

Hmmmm

Okay. Got it.

I have a question for you.

(and yes, that is a poodle in a sweater in the photo above)

If you could spend a week anywhere on the planet except where you are right now, and money were no object and you could take anyone you wanted

where would you go and with who (or is it whom)?