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Sustenance.

 

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.

Now I need to unpack! 🙂

xo pnut 

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Duet
My most beautiful song is a duet

I almost blamed my kids for that horrible smell wafting through the house. But it’s worse outside. I read the news – it could be the Salton Sea but scientists are baffled. Whatever it is, according to “Experts,” the smell of rotten eggs and/or dirty diapers taking over Los Angeles is not a health threat. However, it’s keeping me up and therefore, it is affecting my health – in my opinion. Since I should be sleeping but can’t, I decided to say hello to my website and the lovely YOU reading this.

Continuing with the subject of THIS SMELLS, my gig at Newport Dunes was CANCELED a second time. Let’s just call it circumstances beyond my control and practices beyond my comprehension. I’m quite bummed because I was looking forward to seeing many friends and fans on the beach for a musical picnic. As I just told my friend and guitar player Luis Maldonado, sometimes plans that go awry are actually Assistance and Redirection towards that which will lead us to a more productive and beneficial fulfillment of our desire. Well, it’s a nice way to look at it and it keeps me from getting too pissy.

Because if I really wanted to get pissy…I could over my video, which is still not complete. The editing process is like swimming in a tar pit. Once again I sit myself down and talk to myself (so that if you didn’t think I was insane, you do now) and say Pnut, calm down. It’s all about Patience, my big lesson in life. I know it well. Some day, one day, I WILL have a video of “Wonderful” to share with you. And I STILL have feathers throughout my house to prove that we did indeed shoot it. Not a goose, the video. Thank you Joe & Kristi Nimziki, Gonzalo Amat, Austin Harris, Marla Sokoloff, Landon Ashworth, Tiffany Johnson, Ashley Carson, Shane Stanley, Meg Barrick, Mark Espinoza, Kash Hovey, Emma Lukin, Anthony Grana, Rick Mattie, Terry Watson, Amanda Capamaccio, John Stapleton, Cris Garcia, Rachel Brown, Dorit Wright, Nick Robert Ballesteros, Lindsay Caldwell, Lauren Wanner, Mike and Stephanie Morris, John Woller, Hanna M. Devine, Parker T. Riley, Catherine Aquino, Denise Weintraub, Tommie Moreland, Savanah Wernick,Lexi Yamron, Kaleigh Wernick, Kim Ferry, Alfonso’s Breakaway Glass, Kami Lerner, El Conquistador, Reform School, Don Adkins, Javier, Wooden Nickel Lighting, Jenna von Oy, Steven Neibert, Craig & Lynne Hawley and The French Girls. Extra special thanks to Chip Moreland for giving me the time to do this and the extra support throughout the stressful preparation and clean up. Making this video WAS two of the greatest days I’ve had in years. Hopefully you’ll be able to see that soon.

Totally off subject except for the fact that it has to do with me, the JOHN HIATT show at Saint Rocke was such an honor and I had a great time opening up for him. I met the entire band and crew (great bunch of guys), but not Mr. Hiatt. I did, however, stand directly in front of him for his entire show. I stood for an hour and a half in 5 inch platforms and my toes are still numb (a week later). My cheeks still hurt from smiling. The things we do for love. Cry Love. Extra special thanks to the beautiful and talented JANIVA MAGNESS who literally saved my voice. The day before I damaged my vocal cords at a recording session because of taking Zyrtec (dried out my voice). Janiva taught me a trade secret that involves “huffing” Afrin. I can’t explain it to you – she had to come up to the dressing room and personally show me a half hour before the show. But it WORKED and I had my voice back for 3 hours. And then I turned into a pumpkin. But I wasn’t a pumpkin for the show and that’s what matters.

Before Jack the cat walks across my keyboard (again) and makes me retype this entire blog (again), I will sign off. Til next time,
xo
pnut

PS: Happy Birthday to my brother Marc 🙂