First, a huge thank you to my hosts Dale Pierce and Chuck Skipper in Charlotte for the fabulous shows last month.  I hadn’t been to the South in a very long time and in my entire career as a touring artist, had never before visited these two fine establishments:  The Cracker Barrell (introduced to me by my guitar slinging side kick and fabulous singer/songwriter- Kevin So) and The Waffle House.  Chuck treated us to a tasty breakfast as well as a spatula beating and spontaneous jingle writing session.  Witness it for yourself here:

Chuck & his staff at CGG Weath Management were fabulous to work with – I especially enjoyed having Chuck and his sons Cory & Jason sit in on a few tunes.   Dale Pierce hosted an amazing benefit for Different Roads Home with some of the biggest hearts in Charlotte.  Exploring the town and hanging out with my band mates Tina Trevino and Kevin So was a treat.  OH, and I would be leaving out a HUGE element of the tour if I didn’t mention Monk the blues singing fur child of Kevin.  Note to self: Singing Dogs will always steal the show.

Another highlight from the tour was a visit to i105.3 WFIV in Knoxville.  DJ Joe Stutler let me play a few songs live on air and just last week, played CURVE in its entirety.  Joe was the first radio program director to add CURVE to the playlist so as you can imagine, WFIV will forever have a place in my heart.  You can listen to this taste-maker station online at myi105.com.  Looking forward to returning to Knoxville, Charlotte, and adding Asheville into the mix in August 2015.

 

It was wonderful to see old friends in Nashville including Jenna vonOy Bratcher, Gary Harrison and ShowBiz Liz Morrin.  Special thanks to Aubryn Stevens for letting me play a featured set during her Monday Writer’s Night at Daisy Dukes.  A shout out to the Hotel Preston in Nashville for the pet fish, because everyone needs the comforts from home while on tour.  This little guy was very quiet and didn’t wake me up in the morning like my children.  I wanted to adopt him but alas, I had to give him back at the end of my stay.

Home now for month or so, writing new songs, spending quality time with my family and friends, and playing a few local shows.  Last week I had a great time sharing the stage with Lisa Loeb.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon cooking soup for a women’s shelter through an organization called SoupSisters.org.  They refer to the charity as serving up “hugs in a bowl.”   Together with my producer Dave Darling (who has some killer knife skills), Toni Profera and her sister Joy, we created a delicious batch of Butternut Squash, Pear & Parsnip soup.  Yummmmm.

 

 

 

Next up – Jette & Perry’s Birthday Bash.  I’ve been planning my daughters’ 6th birthday at Lego Land as thoroughly as I plan my tours.  Speaking of, I hit the road again in July (East Coast), August (South) and September (Midwest with Gabriel Harley).  Check my tour schedule and if you’re in the area and would like your home invaded for a private concert, hit me up!  I promise I’m “mostly harmless.” (<–according to Gabe)

‘Til later,

XO
p-nut