Spring Thinking….it’s time to get outta the house!
Spring Thinking – Photo by Shannon Treglia
It feels GREAT to be Performing Again!
Putting away the Mommy Uggs to try on some heels and thigh high boots for a change. I am so lucky to reunite with my friends The Bacon Brothers as well as amazing artists like Vonda Shepard.
Links to the Bacon Bros. East Coast dates are below and here is the link to my show with Vonda:
Vonda Shepard with Cindy Alexander
Saint Rocke, Hermosa Beach CA
Wednesday April 24th, 8 pm (Doors are at 5 – Yummy Happy Hour) ***Make sure to enter PROMO CODE: CINDY for 1/2 price tickets! ***
So how’s your 2013 shaping up? I had a helluva time the first few months getting over that WTF-Flu I got over the holidays. I’m now a proud owner of a nebulizer. So all of you who heard me coughing after shows in February and March – I am much improved! I still have to wonder what little critters inhabited my lungs for so long. I’m sure they came from Perry & Jette (Petri & Dish). They are almost 4 now!!! Time flies – and they amaze and inspire me every day. It seems I’ve already had a profound influence on them . When I asked Jette what she’d like in her sippy cup, she said “Guacamole.” When I asked Perry what kind of music she’d like to hear for long ride to Grandma & Grandpa’s, she said “Rock ‘n Roll baby!”
Part of my goal in getting back out on the road is not only to share “Every Rise and Fall” with you, but also to reclaim myself. It’s easy to get lost being mother, wife, sister, friend….. Come meet me out there and let’s let go of all the identities that are attached to us and just get back to the basics. What makes us tick? What inspires you? What moves you? What makes you feel alive? Yeah, I wanna live and not just exist. Making music helps me do just that.
Oh, I’m still doing House Concerts and in this time of Sequestration…. there’s a sale on House Concerts 😉 So just email me at pnutsings@aol.com and we’ll figure it out. I can make it affordable, memorable, and so much fun. I’ll even make guacamole for the event.
Now, uh…I gotta go clean up a huuuuuuge mess of stickers, paint, play dough and mac ‘n cheese that has been smushed into my tile floor.
Stay in touch and thank you so much for being part of my musical journey. My music would mean nothing without someone listening.
XO
pnut
Opening for the BACON BROS.
“Givin’ it up for your Love” with Kevin Bacon and Paul Guzzone – Birchmere, March 2013 Photo by Diane Mentzer
Thank goodness my uber amazing friend Kim Ferry took the roadtrip with me from L.A. to Seattle. She was just going to support my efforts and make sure Janiva and I had good hair (she’s the lead hairstylist for the show The Office) – however, she turned out to be a great tour manager. Apparently, I need supervision, and a LOT of Chai Tea Lattes.
So this tour….it was really a birthday present to myself, a great excuse to hang out with two of my favorite females (Kim and Janiva) and do what makes me so very happy: Make Music.
I spent the first moments of my birthday (12:00 am on 2/11) on a pitch black offramp of the 5, star gazing and watching possum traverse the road. Why you ask? Well, Kim was driving while yours truly, the Co-pilot, was dozing off. Suddenly I hear “Oh no! You’re car isn’t working! Everything is shutting down! Your car is …. Not working !!!!! What’s happening????”
At which point, I gaze at the mileage indicator in the center dash and it reads -0-. “Kim, the car isn’t working because we are OUT OF GAS!!” Special thanks to Miso (as in miso soup) from AAA / Sellover’s Auto Center for bringing us fuel and escorting us to the gas station. Special thanks to Kim for allowing me to share this story (one of her many birthday presents to me).
How can you be mad when she’s so darn sweet about it????
It gets even more interesting . On day 2 of our drive, Janiva aka Lucy Ricardo, leaves her prized possession (toiletry bag – I must agree, I can’t live without mine…) at the most intriguing place in Gig Harbor, WA. We received an emergency call to please stray from our path and pick up said item. This is how I ended up at Wurlitzer Manor. When Mr. LaVine asked if Kim and I needed to use the restroom, OF COURSE we said yes. You would too. Go ahead, click on the link. The place is jaw dropping. And Mr. LaVine is a gem.
The shows at Jazz Alley were a blast. I can’t tell you how honored I was to be opening for Janiva Magness ~ the Queen of Contemporary Blues, nominated for 5 BMA’s this year (that’s the Blues equivalent of the Grammy’s). Her band was stellar, the room was phenomenal, the Jazz Alley staff – wonderful. Post show we celebrated our birthdays (Janiva’s an Aquarian too!)
Birthday Girls
I spent Valentine’s Day at my friends Annee and Jordan’s. They were celebrating their first anniversary and Mason and I did a house concert. My favorite members of the audience were under 5. I must admit we did a rousing rendition of Itsy Bitsy Spider and a dance version of the ABC’s.
Next was Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. SOOOOOO many old friends and fans turned out. Even my family (Chip’s side) showed up – they drove a couple hours to get there. We had 3 hours to fill so we covered a lot of material. Mason Stoops showcased some finger stylings on guitar in between sets and old friend Brian McGinty played a few tunes of his own. Great to hear them both. Special thanks to Jan Haedinger for arranging that show and a most comfortable bed at The Comfort Suites. They win Best “Free” Breakfast at a hotel chain. Belgian Waffles…score!
The ride back to L.A. is a long one. And by 11:30 pm on Saturday the 16th I was toast…couldn’t keep my eyes open. So I pulled over, lured by the blinking sign of Travel Lodge.
Actual conversation with front desk clerk at Travel Lodge:
Me: Hi! Can I please have two of those $43 rooms?
Him: We just sold those out, but we have rooms for $49.
Me: oh… Why do you have that blinking sign that says $43?
Him: When they are gone they are gone.
Me: Well, you should turn off that light. Do you have a Triple A discount?
Him: No.
Me: But all Travel Lodges have a Triple A discount!
Him: The owner just uses the name “Travel Lodge.”
Thank you to everyone who came out to support me on the Northwest Tour- old friends and new. Big hug to my family who bore the brunt of my jokes in McMinnville. Extra special and inexpressible gratitude to Janiva Magness for her friendship and for allowing me to share her stage. Kim M. Ferry– If you weren’t there with us, I would have left my head on the Delevan Road exit, my gear in The Space Needle, and my phone in the Nordstrom shoe department. Loooooved my girl time with you both. Thanks Jazz Alley, Hotel Oregon, and Annee Nimziki and Jordan for hosting a fabulous party/ house concert. Mason Stoops – thanks for sharing your talent, time, and most excellent Rdio playlists. This trip would not have been possible were it not for my husband, Chip Moreland, and my parents- thanks for putting in overtime.
2 weeks of family hugs and then I’m back on the road with the BACON BROS. for 3 dates at the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA (March 1-3, 2013). These guys started it all for me back in 1998 when we played our first show together at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. When they invited me to tour with them, I had to finish See Red so that I had something to sell! I love these guys and I love their music, and touring with them has always been some of my favorite moments in my musical life. Looking forward to reuniting.
Me & Janiva backstage when I opened for John Hiatt. I had blown my voice out the night before in a recording session and she literally saved my voice with a SECRET. Forever bonded.
My New Year’s Resolution: If I leave footprints on this Earth, may they be worthy of being stepped upon once more by my children, and Our Children.
What about you? Where is your head at these days? Your heart? I try to remind myself that I shouldn’t take stock once a year, but every day. I’m in a good place – so fulfilled as a Mom and a Wife, but even happier because now I have given myself the space to once again be creative, and release my excess energy, emotion and introspection through music. My upcoming Northwest tour is actually a birthday present to myself. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that my husband Chip is supporting the gift idea too and I couldn’t possibly do this without his support. My friends and family know – I’ve missed the adventure…and the sleep. I haven’t slept past 7:00 am in a looooong time. I intend on sleeping until at least 10:00 am when I’m in Seattle!
I am more than excited to be opening for my new, but already very dear friend Janiva Magness at Seattle’s premier venue: Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley on February 12th and 13th. Whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day or Single’s Awareness week, we’re there for ya! Janiva is a soul sister and an inspiration. You can read about this Queen of Contemporary Blues and purchase tickets by clicking here.
On V-Day I’m doing a private house concert, and on February 15th I’ll be at McMenamin’s Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. This show is FREE and I’ll be playing a few sets – so email me your requests.
The tour is acoustic and I’ll be accompanied by the young guitar virtuoso Mason Stoops. He just turned 21 so please people, do NOT corrupt him. At least not until after tour 😉
We still have room for one more private house concert on February 16th – somewhere between Portland and Los Angeles. Who wants to be the coolest person on the block? Click on the House Concert link under Tour in the menu above to read about how EASY and affordable it is to bring my music into your living room.
Just spent a great afternoon with Dave Darling in the studio ~ writing new tunes and keeping the creative flow alive. He sent me off with homework. It feels good to be pushed to tune and hone my craft, and take the writing process a step further. Can’t wait to share my latest record as well as some brand new material with you in person, in the near future. Thanks for checking in,
