Last week took us to Roanoke, Fredericksburg, and Washington DC. It was so much fun (and so much delicious… barbecue, korean, soul food?!). Rarely have I spent a 5-hour car ride thinking about how much I love my job. To be honest, I was also thinking about how the entire band probably shouldn’t have ordered kim chi at the beginning of the drive. But that was secondary.

Ben Bonin of No Depression reviewed our show at Hill Country Barbecue DC. Check out what he has to say here, then come out and see for yourself! I’ll give you a hint… we might start calling Luis “monster chops”.

This week we’ll be playing two sets at Shakori Hills – 9:30 Friday night (4/19) on the Grove Stage, followed by a 2:30 p.m. Meadow Stage set on Saturday 4/20. Also on Saturday 4/20, we’ll play a free 11 p.m. show for Hillsborough Street Live and Local at the Keg in Downtown Raleigh, NC.

Thank you to everyone who came out to see us play last week. We love doing what we do, and we are immensely and perpetually grateful to you for making it possible.

xo

Lizzy

Where have we been? Long time no see. Gearing up for a very busy (yay!) spring, with lots of shows all over the state and SE. Tonight I’m headed to the Huske Hardware House in Fayetteville, NC to compete in their Unplugged Songwriting Competition. I’m looking forward to hearing some great songs and meeting great songwriters!

Next weekend you’ll find me playing solo in Wilmington at the Satellite Bar, 9:00, April 5. April 6 I’ll be playing at Morris St. Market on Oak Island, NC, and April 7 I’ll be celebrating Jordan Lake at Jordan Lake Farm near Pittsboro NC from 3-5 in the afternoon. More details later!

For now, I’ve got to get the axe in top form. It’s time for new strings and a little maintenance. See you soon…

Back in the saddle after a disheartening weather-based cancellation last weekend! Come catch us this Friday, Feb 2 at the Red Room in Kinston, NC. On Saturday, Feb 3 we’ll be playing at the Broad St. Social Club in New Bern, NC. Both shows start at 9, and the doors will be open (come have a drink with us!) much earlier.

We’re excited to be hitting the stage again, and we’ll be playing a few new originals as well as a few new covers. In between shows, I’m looking forward to some winter beach time. Shine, sun, shine!

See you there…

It’s my birthday today! The wood stove is cranking, Red Dog is panting at my side, and I’ve got a day of writing and playing in the works. A little bit of business, too – we’re booking more and more shows for the spring and summer, which helps me to maintain the beach mentality when it’s 19 degrees outside. As long as I don’t have to resort to Jimmy Buffett, we’re golden.

On an unrelated note (Cut me some slack. It’s my birthday, and transitions are not my strong suit.), I’m currently consumed by The Tenth of December by George Saunders. I’ve been doing my best not to devour it in one huge gulp. I love the hilarity of his writing, and the fact that it expresses honestly the complexities of being alive. To him, no situation is ever black and white. No situation is even within the bounds of the visible light spectrum.

One day I hope to be able to write songs that are as expressive and genuine. I don’t mind if it takes me my whole life.

…I guess I better start with the transitions.

Thanks, friends, for making it possible for me to do it for another year. Here’s hoping there are many more.

In my family, a Christmas morning of coffe and cats jumping through wrapping paper is followed by a day of lazy play and reading. Since the aughts brought us the interwebs, our paper pleasures have morphed into a web surfing bonanza.

Some favorites from the post-Christmas computer binge:

This one, because it’s fantastically addictive, adorable, and pleasantly eerie.

This one, because I’m glad someone’s saying it.

This one, for the ground-breaking cinematography (obviously).

Searching for presents? I can help you out. Formerly available only at live shows, now LRB swag can be had online!

Check out http://lizzyrossband.bandcamp.com/merch for shirts, hard copy CDs, coozies, and more cute pictures of Red Dog (I’m sorry, I can’t help myself).

And don’t forget! If you want something by the 25th, order it soon! I will get orders in the mail the same day I receive them, and you can drop me a line at booking@lizzy.net if you’re late and want to rush shipment.

I am somewhat scrooge-ish and maintain that it’s too early to wish anyone a merry Christmas. I’ll give you my best holiday wishes now, just promise not to open them for a week.

Lizzy

Guess what? We got a trailer! Check out this bad boy… Thule N1205. Weenie enough to be towed behind a wimpy car that gets good mileage (yay!), big enough to carry all our gear.

I know you’re really excited. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

In other, bigger news, I will be opening up solo for Keb’ Mo’ tomorrow (12/6) at the Carolina Theater in Durham.  This 1400 seat venue is almost sold out, so get em while they’re hot! http://www.carolinatheatre.org

Happy Wednesday!

Lizzy

I’m entertaining the possibility that the various miscommunications, setbacks, and plan revisions of the last 20 days could have something to do with Mercury Retrograde. I have never been one to adhere to astrological explanations, but man, this just fits the bill: http://bit.ly/NO78

Hocus pocus? Maybe. Probably. In this case, it doesn’t really matter. Regardless of the origin of sundry recent events, November has been a fine month for reflection. No catastrophes; just the kinds of re-evaluations that help one steer clear of snafus.

What am I evaluating? Right now we’ve got planning for a few different albums in the works (I promise it’ll be worth the wait…), as well as a building 2013 tour schedule. I’m looking for a new car and a manageable trailer to tow behind it (check out this guy!), since Sammy the Volvo’s last leg is close to broken. I’m writing a lot, feeling drawn to whole new pallets of sounds, and excited about the music we’re making.

Whether or not it’s Mercury that’s spurred this moment of reflection, I feel good about what I see. It’s a lot to dive into, but I wouldn’t want anything less.

Here’s wishing you the same,

Lizzy

Last night I was happy to get together with a group of friends and watch the election results roll in. The last time I stayed up this late on a Tuesday, I was in fourth grade trying to finish a project for the science fair.

Though my friend group approaches political homogeneity, I think about everyone in my family has a different  opinion on how politics should go. Fortunately, we are good at disagreeing peacefully. This is how the system works. And it works best when hors d’oeuvres and uncle sam hats are involved.

Whomever you voted for, good job. I’m glad your opinion is in the mix.

Lizzy

Well folks, judging by the texts-from-family-deluge, it looks like I’m lucky enough to have made a small appearance on NPR’s All Things Considered.

I’m on the show in the context of Amy and Michael Tiemann’s Manifold Recording Studio in Pittsboro. In addition to creating a world-class studio, the Tiemanns have made a point to support the Obama campaign, and are featured on NPR in that capacity. Check the story out here: http://www.npr.org/2012/10/29/163871132/want-to-be-rich-be-lucky-know-right-people

Thanks to the Tiemanns for doing what they do, politically, artistically, and otherwise!

-Lizzy

You know it’s coming. All that was on at the gym today was high school horror movies, and it sure is difficult to run that last 5 minutes when Jimmy’s got the chainsaw…

Anywho. Let’s talk about more festive elements of Halloween, like how Rebecca Loebe (Georgian by way of Texas, and a goddess) and I will be playing a free show at the Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw this Wednesday, 10/31! If you don’t fit into your costume anymore, you can’t handle the sugar, or you just want to stay away from the madness of Chapel Hill, come out and play with us. Bonus: if you DO want to sport a costume, we will be having a contest! Grand prizes TBA, but I can assure you they’ll be ghoulish.

Off to finish the last of Red Dog’s biker costume…

Lizzy

Fall is here! It’s official. It’s been official for a while, but when haven’t I been behind the curve?

We’ll be installing a wood stove tomorrow. After much debate about its positioning, the number of “elbows” necessary to facilitate our creative piping, and a gripe about the floor mat (laminate! Totally killing the living room vibe, but the stove more than makes up for it…) we’re ready to snug up. Red dog can’t wait to move his bed right next to it.

We spent Saturday morning splitting wood and now have a front porch stacked four feet high and several layers deep with an old red oak that came down on Braeburn Farm. Actually, I split wood until 10:00 and then left for our show in Southern Pines! Thanks for picking up my slack, boys… I owe you one.

Splitting wood reminded me of writing “Black River” this time two years ago (two years ago? Wow). I was loading wood into the back of the truck when the melody came to me.

Speaking of bad transitions… this weekend we’ve got some great shows coming up. On Friday, Oct 12 we’ll be returning to High Rock Outfitters, a charming venue in Lexington, NC, just south of Winston-Salem and a skip away from Greensboro. The folks who own this shop do it all – they’ve got drinks on tap, kayaks hanging on the wall, and a great sound setup in an intimate setting. We’ll be playing with MiZ, and I can’t wait to see his show!  $8, doors are open all day, show starts at 9, and we’ll go on around 10:00 or 10:30.

Saturday Oct 13 will see us at the Altamont Theatre in Asheville NC. We haven’t been to Asheville for a while, so you better come out and make sure we come back! We’re looking forward to mountain fall foliage and a second show with MiZ. I haven’t been to the Altamont, but it looks like a great listening room run by folks with great taste in music (ahem, obviously), and we’re excited to have a somewhat early show – $8, doors open at 7, show starts at 8, and we’ll go on at 9:30.

What else is new? Nothing much. Experiencing a severe bout of nesting with the onset of fall, leading me to

1. create curtains for our entire house

2. make Red a dog bed AND a coat. He is embarrassed by this and asked me NOT to put a picture of him in the coat online, but you can see the bed above (a little on the saggy side. I’m working on it). And the curtains… I have to stop sewing things. Soon I’ll be making sweaters for our coolers, or something equally inane.

3. become obsessed with home design blogs like this one <– be careful, it’s a gateway drug.

Tomorrow I’m making a headboard. If I’m not careful this might turn into a home improvement blog (“Home Improvement on a Musician’s Budget!!” or maybe just “The Frugal Bugle”?), and the world doesn’t need another one of those. For the record, my guitars will NEVER be repurposed into end tables.

Chilly until tomorrow,

Lizzy

This Thursday (9/20) we’ll be joining Jo Gore and the Alternative for their album release party at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. This is our last local show for a while, and it’s going to be a great one.

Jo and the band just released their album Herstory (listen here). Jo’s voice draws comparisons to Sarah Vaughan, and if you like the way I sing, you’re going to love Jo (that’s Jo on the left). The group is a six-piece that mixes rock, R&B, and jazz… did I mention they have a trombone player?  Door open this Thursday, 9/20 at 7:30. Lizzy Ross Band goes on at 8:30 and tickets are $10.

Next up? We’ll hit the Broad Street Social Club in New Bern, NC on Friday, 9/21. Tickets are $8, doors are at 8, and the show is at 9.

We’ll head to Beaufort, NC next for a night at Backstreet Pub. We LOVE this town! It reminds me of Annapolis, where I grew up. We should hit the stage around 9 and play all night. Come keep us company, request “Freebird,” whatever you like to do at shows

Hope to see you sometime this weekend. We’ll be loving the beach and the great company on stage.

Lizzy

If you’re in the Raleigh area – or NC in general – you must know about Hopscotch. This colossal festival is put on by folks at the Independent Weekly, our best source for progressive triangle news. The Hopscotch lineup ranges from wildly experimental to easily accessible music, and all of it is worth hearing. We will be basking in the glory of Hopscotch all weekend, taking in the great local and international acts that the folks at the Indy have brought together for the occasion.

We’re lucky enough to be on the Hopscotch schedule this weekend – Thursday night (9/6) at 11 p.m. at Deep South Bar, we will take the stage and play until a little before midnight. We’re bookended by some great acts – Michael Rank & Stag at 10, and Samantha Crain at midnight. Come check it out, and don’t miss the rest of the weekend festivities!

Coming up on one of my favorite gigs of the year (Do you ever get skeptical? Sometimes I feel like everything is my favorite. I guess I just have a really awesome job.) – SATURDAYS IN SAXAPAHAW!!! Tomorrow (August 25), from 6 to 8 p.m., we will serenade you here:

http://www.rivermillvillage.com/saturdays-in-saxapahaw-2

This is the last concert of the summer-long Saturdays in Saxapahaw music series. This is my neighborhood. These people are like a reflective force that amplifies whatever magic is broadcast from the stage. It’s a beautiful place, there will be delicious nom-noms of all kinds, and if it rains we’ll take it inside to the Haw River Ballroom.

Also, I will have on sale our new t-shirts. Red Dog said he wanted to be famous, so he’s become the new face of Lizzy Ross Band. He’s been very satisfied with random strangers recognizing him on the street and asking him for his pawtograph.

I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. Seriously, I couldn’t think of anything better to put on a shirt than Red Dog’s face. So I drew a picture of him and there it is! At least it’s cute. And really, what is better? His gorgeous visage also adorns our coozies. Thanks to our sponsor Bacon for making this photo shoot possible.

If you can’t catch us Saturday, come out next Thursday, August 30th, to see us at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham with John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff. Our original show got rained out, and we’re delighted that we’re going to have a chance to play after all! Details here: http://bit.ly/RJNV0D

And last but certainly not least, September 1 (next Saturday) will be the third Hops and Roots festival! This fest is put on by the fabulous Ira Planer at the Shakori Hills Festival grounds in Silk Hope, NC (just north of Pittsboro) and we will be headlining this year. The lineup is great – Tres Chicas, The Breaks, The Swayback Sisters, Justin Johnson, and more! NC beers and wines will also be on tap, and several farm stands and local food trucks will be on hand to keep your belly full. Check it out at http://bit.ly/HqcO7I.

So, as you can see, we’ve got a few big local shows coming up. Two of them are free, and one of them comes with an awesome package of great bands, food, and drink. If you don’t make it to at least one show, it is time to seriously re-evaluate your life goals.

Just kidding. But we do hope to see you there.

Love!

Lizzy

We have been to so many amazing festivals this summer. Kerrville Folk Festival. Ocrafolk. My perennial favorites, Rooster Walk and Shakori Hills Grassroots Fest. Hops and Roots, Festival for the Eno, the list goes on! Add one more: FloydFest. July 25 -28 was a big weekend for us up in Floyd, VA. We played as part of the “Under the Radar” series, which invites 20+ regional bands to compete for a main stage slot at next year’s festival. There are all kinds of goodies involved, and luckily for us, there’s a prize for second place!

Our amazing audience voted us into the #2 spot, right after the fabulous Megan Jean and the KFB, so we’ll be going back to Floyd next year, plus we’ll earn $1000 and $1600 in Peluso microphones. Yeow! Thanks guys!

We would have been happy to come back on any terms, so winning was a delightful result. Why so willing? Well, FloydFest just feels good. The folks who make it happen seem to have a genuine concern for the quality of each festivalgoer’s experience. The lineup kicks butt. I met Jackson Browne (as you can see, I had a goofy fan photo moment). I sat on the side stage for Brandi Carlile’s riveting–as in, I could not stand after witnessing–performance. I joined my buddies in the Drew Emmitt band on stage for a rousing rendition of “Nobody’s Fault but Mine.” I experienced the wisdom and goodness of her majesty Shamama. We were treated so well by our stage crew, our sound men, our audiences, and our fellow performers. It was an oasis of kindness and stellar artistry. If I keep writing I might start crying cheesy tears of joy (Cheesy tears? Gross.).

So… I can’t wait for next year. We are officially out from under the radar, at least according to FloydFesters, so who knows what will happen next summer?

Thanks for helping us make one little dream come true. Here’s to the thousands of little dreams out there. May your week hold at least one realized.

Love,

Lizzy

P.S. – There are lots of folks we have to thank for last weekend. I must mention Ben Palmer and Tom Berry, who joined us on stage and were fantastic as always. Thank you!

… that’s what I’ve got. I’ve been driving a lot, and my left elbow is looking leathery. The rest of me is only slightly less pale than usual. Hottttt.

I’ve been to Texas, Michigan, Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, and all over NC in the last few weeks. It’s been a mix of gigs and beaches, and I loved it.

My plans now that I’m home? Play with Red Dog, write a lot, enjoy the local shows coming up.

Before we get to rest, thought, we’ve got a few more gigs out of town -

This Friday, July 20, we’ll be playing at Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, NC at 7 p.m. It’s a free show, so come out and get yourself some music. We’ll be in Beaufort at Back Street pub on July 21 at 8 p.m.  I LOVE Beaufort! It feels a lot like Annapolis, where I grew up.

After that, we’re looking forward to Floyd Fest next weekend, July 27 and 28. It’s gonna be nuts, and we need folks to help us in our mission to win the Under the Radar series. If we do, we’ll be invited back next year for a $3000 Main Stage set! Our friends L Shape Lot and Kings of Belmont were the winners last year, so we’re hoping we can absorb a little bit of their magic….

If you’re interested in helping us out at Floyd Fest, write me at booking@lizzy.net. We have some perks and treats for folks who can spend a little time on our cause.

Back to my literal creative loafing… songwriting!

Love,

Lizzy

I’m sitting in the study (library? office? I like “study” because that’s what my grandfather calls it) of our new house. It’s little and perfect, and I am sometimes deliriously happy to think that we get to live here in Saxapahaw.

After coming back from Kerrville TX, I beelined it straight to Ocracoke Island NC for the Ocrafolk Music Festival. A few dizzying days later, I was home, unpacking boxes and organizing bookshelves. I’ve enjoyed several days of loafing, and now I’m ready to jump back in. We’ll be giving a free concert on June 22 (this Friday – tomorrow!) from 6 to 8 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.

Also! Please vote for me at the Carolina Music Awards for Best Rock Female. Thank you!

On to more fun things:

The consecutive experiences of Kerrville and Ocrafolk were enough to make me wild with joy. I was not one of the Kerrville New Folk winners, but in Sheen-ese I was definitely winning. Suffice it to say that Kerrville is a magical place.  A flock of traveling songwriters (including Elvis, as you can see…) converges yearly at Kerrville. Said flock proceeded to blow my mind with tremendous hospitality and diversely excellent songwriting.

Ocrafolk was defined by a similarly robust creative community, with a small-town feel. It was an honor to play at Ocrafolk because you get the feeling that you’ve been invited into the family for a weekend. Standing on stage at 11 a.m., I was surprised to see a crowd of fully cogent people who were following along with every lyric. I didn’t even care about the voracious mosquitos.

Later that night, the female performers from all the festival bands got together and put on “Ocrachicks.”  We each performed one song with the other women as our backing band. The whole thing was improvised, and we were squeezed like sardines into a tiny community theatre (we had to turn over 100 people away!). We got lucky and magic happened.  It was a pin-drop night, if you know what I mean.

The more I travel, the more I bump into the same people. I see them in Florida, Texas, Memphis, Nashville, small Virginia towns… we’re a traveling community, made up of smaller bunches of people in places like Kerrville and Ocrafolk. We help each other on the road, recommend the best local grub, swap shows, and share couch space.

Thanks to all my friends who have kept me safe and happy on the road! Maybe see you Friday.

Love,

Lizzy

It happened again. No, my car door handles didn’t fall off. I got nominated for “Best Rock Female” at the 2012 Carolina Music Awards.

Last year you helped me win it. Want to do it again? Pretty pretty please? Vote for me. Go to

http://carolinamusicawards.com/cma/vote/

and select “Rock.” You’ll find me on that list.

If (when!) we win this one, I promise I will retire from music and you’ll never have to vote for me in anything again.

Just kidding.

Your vote does have a real positive impact. Since winning Best Rock Female of NC and SC last year, we’ve seen a lot of doors open. People who wouldn’t give us the time of day were suddenly willing to listen to our music, and guess what? They liked it. We’ve played at more venues gotten better press, and been able to grow – thanks to you, who never needed superficial convincing.

Also, the nice little gold man sits on my mantle and keeps me company while I write songs.  He’s very inspiring. And more songs are a good thing.

If we win the Carolina Music Awards TWO consecutive years in a row, maybe we will hit it big and I can buy Red Dog a collection of sweaters.

Last but not least, I will be able to get new brake pads for my car. Just kidding. I did that already (stop freaking out, mom!!!)… ahem…

Love! Thank you for voting, this year and last.

Lizzy

BIG NEWS! Three great things have happened:

1. My Volvo now has door handles on all four doors. Now for more minor considerations, like brakes and an alternator…

2. I’m a Kerrville New Folk Finalist! This rad(ical) competition has featured folks like Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and many other awesome songwriters.  Being a finalist does not make me as cool as them, but it does make me feel like a thousand tiny butterflies are kissing me with their furry antennae. On May 27 I’ll go to Texas to play my songs  ”Not Yet” and “Used to Wish.” Have you heard of positive visualization? Please visualize me on stage, not peeing myself with excitement.

3. OLLIE CAME HOME! My mama’s dog went missing on Mothers’ Day. He’s a 7 lb pomeranian with a big heart and approximately 10 brain cells, so we didn’t know what his chances were in the great wilderness of Annapolis, MD.  A thousand flyers later, he is home! This makes me feel like I am aloft on a massive cloud of cotton candy. Holy cow, it was sad to think that  Ollie might be gone forever. But he’s not!

I hope your world is exploding with equally wonderful things. Thanks to all the folks who sent Ollie their coming-home vibes, thanks to Dietric for fixing my car, and thanks to the Kerrville team for inviting me to participate in New Folk! I can’t wait to meet the amazing folkies   who will undoubtedly populate the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Other awesomeness – this weekend we had a blast at the Beaufort Music Festival and got to see some great music, including (my favorite) Shirlette Ammons and the Dynamite Brothers. We met the Fritz from Asheville and marveled over the magnitude of their funk (does that sound dirty to you, too?). We got to hang with Carlitta Durand, the Phantom Playboys, and a slew of friendly festival goers. Hurray scholarship-oriented-waterfront-festivals! What a cool place.

I spent Mothers’ Day with Janet Kenworthy and Frazierband at the Rooster’s Wife in Aberdeen – another special venue! These guys can play, and damn, Janet can cook.

This week I’ll be opening solo for the Honeycutters (yes, you guessed it, another favorite) at Motorco in Durham, NC on Thursday.  Friday night we’ll be in North Myrtle Beach for the DIVA Marathon Kickoff concert, and Saturday we’ll be at the Elizabeth City Potato Festival. Yeah!

Love,

Lizzy

Every year I promise myself I will sleep at least five hours each night. Every year I am still awake at 4 A.M., inhaling lungfuls of campfire smoke and bellowing Hank Williams, much to the displeasure of surrounding campers. I can’t pass up the old friends who gather at Shakori Hills to share music at all hours.

Inevitably, I get up from the campfire and head to a stage show.  Sara Waters and Co. put together an amazing schedule. At Shakori, I never plan what bands I’m going to see. Instead, I wander around and count on finding a great new band (or five). My favorites this year? Easy! Rubblebucket and Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes.

Paste Magazine describes Rubblebucket as “Joyous jungles of worldly pop-funk, instrumentally rich but catchy enough to ass-kick Katy Perry off the pop charts (in a just world)—mega-melodic without sacrificing an ounce of atmosphere or creativity.” I concur.

Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes ”list among their influences JS Bach, Erykah Badu, English nursery rhymes, moonlight on a frozen swamp, Loretta Lynn, ossified remains of mammals, palindromes, and rhinestones.”  These influences are evident. Especially the rhinestones. On stage, Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes construct a world in which I lose myself. I am rapt with attention, fixated on the swells of strings on strings. Awash in a sea of sequins! Bowties and beatboxing buoy me up. Ok, I’ll stop now.

But seriously, Josh Stohl plays the keys AND synth rack toms at the same time!  Kyra Moore goes from banjo to bass to violin! Elizabeth Marshall maintains ferocious facial expressions AND a cello line that glues the whole thing together! Sally Mullikin brings sass and viola to the stage, and Justin… well, in addition to mad autoharp skills, beatboxing, singing, and other strings, Justin uses his songwriting and performance style to mastermind a compelling visual and emotional world. I was captive to this world throughout their performance.

Shirlette Ammons of Shirlette and the Dynamite Brothers joined Justin and the Mary Annettes on stage for “Kissin’ and Cussin’”.  She blew my mind for about 5 minutes, then bounced offstage for her own group’s performance. Shirlette, Justin, Mary Annettes, can we have a play date?

I must also mention Joe Kollar of Driftwood and his enchanting sweetheart Calya (Last name? I don’t know. Maybe “Awesome.” We’ll go with that for now.). That’s a whole lot of magic in just two people. Next time you see them, ask them about Molly Pitcher. And last but not least, Greg Humphreys and HOBEX blew me away with the closing jam. Rain didn’t put a damper on the late-night Sunday show. They inspire serious booty shaking. On Monday morning I woke up sore in every limb.

After Shakori, I took a good long rest. I was up and running again in time for a euphoria-inducing concert with Greg Humphreys at Ira Planer’s house concert series. Think two acoustic guitars will put an audience to sleep? Think again. A rousing rendition of “Sexual Healing” can make anyone dance. And I mean rousing.

Saturday Apr. 28 had us headed to Winston-Salem for the Piedmont Earth Day Fair and a set at Foothills Brewing company. My favorite thing about Foothills is the staff. At the end of the night, we play for them.  One long, dark drive home later, I collapsed in bed.  Spent Sunday playing guitar and celebrating my little sister Lucy’s 16th birthday. Happy birthday Lucy! She’s way too cool to read my blog. Never mind.

If you’ve made it all the way to the end, I must thank you for not being too cool. Thanks for reading, and thanks for listening. Come say hi at the Apex Peakfest this Saturday, May 5.  It’s a free show and we’ll start playing at 1:30.

Until then, have a lovely week!

Love,

Lizzy

So here’s how it goes: I keep on promising to write, and more stuff keeps happening. Who wants to read a 10,000 word post?

Instead of boring you with the minutia that I typically generate, how about a quick rundown?

Memphis: awesome. Greg Humphreys was my road buddy. 24 hours of driving never went faster. Greg and I penned a modern classis, “Shelby I Told You”… keep your ears peeled for that one on top 10 country radio. Or just come see us at Shakori the weekend of April 20th and we’ll play it for you.

I met countless amazing people, songwriters and musicians at the Folk Alliance conference. For me, the big takeaway was that there are myriad ways to write a good song.  It’s exciting to know that your life’s passion doesn’t ever really stop evolving. There’s no way to exhaust the options as a songwriter.

The other FAI takeaway is the strength of the folk community. I met artists and promoters from all over the world, people who maintain friendships across continents.  A lot of these artists travel relentlessly.  They cross paths on the road and form a sort of nomadic community, coalescing at festivals and conferences like FAI. They do everything they can to support each other.

On the way to and from Memphis, Greg and I stopped in Nashville for a dizzying 48 hours. Highlights? The first night we bar hopped on Broadway. We gave every bar 5 minutes (at least) before we went to the next one. Our focus wasn’t on chugging beers. It was on listening to music. Even on a Wednesday night, there were killers in every bar. The music is less homogenous than one might think. The players are agile and ferocious. Seems there’s no way to ever too good at your instrument… it’s a life’s work!

We also made a stop at Amy Speace’s house for the Nashville Song Salon. Monday nights songwriters get together to swap works-in-progress and offer feedback and constructive criticism. I LOVE this. I wish every song I write could go before the jury this way! Getting a glimpse of other songwriters’ processes and work is also a treat.

Back home in NC, I took a quick breather before we made it to Last Band Standing in Raleigh. We had a great time and witnessed some amazing music from LiLa, Mipso Trio, and Big Something. We won both the can drive and the audience vote (thanks guys!), but my guitar failed at the beginning of the set and we never really got to rip into it the way I like to.  Oh well – guitar’s in the shop, and I won’t be traveling without a backup again. If you ask me, it’s a relatively easy way to learn a hard lesson. Take care of your gear! Have a spare!

Onward and upward… we had a gorgeous St. Patrick’s Day at the Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Festival (hi guys!), and the next big thing was Suwanee Springfest in Live Oak, Florida.

Suwanee.  I almost feel like I should reserve a new post for this. You’ve done enough reading, right?

No? Ok.

SUWANEE WAS AMAZING.

Two big reasons:

1.) Beautiful place, beautiful people. The folks who make Suwanee happen work magic. The audience is delightful. Spanish moss hangs from massive tree limbs and you can dip your feet in the river if it gets too hot… does it get much better than this?

2.) MUSIC. Wow. My mind got blown a couple times over. Let’s hear it for Greensky Bluegrass, the Emmitt – Nershi Band, Great American Taxi, Justin Townes Earl, the Infamous Stringdusters, Larry Keel, everyone! Wow!

We arrived on Friday afternoon, played a sweaty set at the Campground Stage, then hit the Porch stage for a late-night show. Among the audience members was a Luna Moth who danced on stage with us, weaving in between instruments and players and generally making me feel like a million bucks. Thanks, Luna.

After our set, we proceeded to stay up for 48 hours playing music.  When I get home from music festivals I often experience a deep, inexplicable sadness (in addition to relief upon showering). I realized the other day that this is because, at home, no one will play music with you from the hours of midnight to 9 a.m.  Is it not normal to want to sing “Chocolate Jesus” at 5 a.m.?

Suwanee Springfest was a veritable musical playground.  I certainly hope to catch my friends from Greensky Bluegrass and Leftover Salmon again soon – Salmon, I’ll see you at Shakori. Greensky, when will you bring your magic back east?

The last week has seen me home safe.  Saturday we played at the Pour House with the Morning After for their album release show.  Thanks for having us guys, and way to go on putting out a killer album! We had a fantastic time.  Jack is an unparalleled sound guy, the crowd was just right, and getting to see the Morning After was a treat.

And now… a weekend off. Whew. I cleaned my room. I’m about to go clean out my car (if you pray, pray for me. I may not make it out alive). I met a great mechanic who says he can put door handles back on my Volvo’s back doors for $75. Woot! Now it won’t be a glorified pickup.

Taking my electric guitar to the shop, poking around for an amp, looking at deals on vans. Enjoying rain on the creek and the wildflowers blooming in our yard.

Thanks to all my travel buddies for the last few weeks. It has been great. I’m just about ready to do it again…  Let’s go!

Many days, many miles, many cookies, and many shows later, I’m still in one piece! It’s a miracle of evolution.  Or call it a miracle of many kind strangers and new friends.  Back in NC I’m still basking in the glory of Folk Alliance, Memphis, Nashville, and being cold-free (at last!).

You know how you always have a lot of work (and laundry) to do when you get home from a trip?  That’s me right now.  I promise I am going to write a monster post very soon.

Until then, know this: it was awesome.  It is awesome.

Love,

Lizzy

No, this is not the title of a new song.

(Carson voce) “Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to announce… ”

We won’t be playing at Awful Arthur’s/Growlers’s in Roanoke, VA tonight.

I am bummed to be caught between the proverbial “rock” and the more mysterious “hard place” – I can either deliver a limping performance to a disappointed crowd, or I can reschedule (more disappointment here!).  My nose is still stopped up, I’m still coughing, and my throat is still raw, so let’s give it a shot another day. We WILL be coming to Growler’s soon, so stay tuned for a rescheduling announcement!

Thanks for the love, the well wishes, and your patience! Things are bad, but they’re on the up and up, so with any luck Friday night at the Rives Theater in Martinsville will be unchanged.

And now, I’m going to crawl into my bed and watch a million years of Downton Abbey. Which reminds me – have you ever experienced the joy that is Downton Abbeyonce? I’ll leave you with that.  Say goodbye to the next two hours of your day.

Lizzy

Ugh. I have the sick. The nasty post-nasal-drip-sore-throat-it’s-February kind. I am ingesting vast quantities of water and indulging in as much sleep as possible, so maybe this will be a short one.

On a more positive note, I also have a few awesome shows coming up. This Saturday  Feb 11th (I will be better! I wiiiiillll!!) the band will be playing at Foothills Brewery in Winston-Salem from 10 to midnight or thereabouts. We love this place. Good beer. Awesome staff. Laid back atmosphere.

Next Thursday, Feb 16th we’re headed up to Roanoke, VA to play at Awful Arthurs Towers. I believe there’s some excellent seafood in my future. After that we will play in our beloved Martinsville, VA at the Rives Theater on Friday, Feb 17th. This place is a gorgeous old movie theater that almost got the wrecking ball.  It was saved by the intrepid Johnny Buck and friends (sorry friends, I don’t know your names. Oops.) and lives to host concerts in its acoustically and visually pleasing environment.

And then? Heading to Knoxville, TN on Wednesday, Feb 22 to play at WDVX’s Blue Plate Special. This place is a legend! Never mind if it’s a legend, what am I doing in Knoxville on a Wednesday?

Going to Memphis. Duh. I’ll be at the Folk Alliance International Conference (mouthful) from Feb 23rd to Feb 26, at which point I’m kicking it to Nashville for a few days before I head back to…

RALEIGH! For the Band Together Last Band Standing concert on March 1st at the Lincoln Theatre. This is going to be a good one. Excellent bands, great cause, awesome venue. Bring cans to vote for your favorite band (which starts with and L and rhymes with “tizzy foss land”?). If we win this we’ll be well on our way to buying a van. We need a van. Does this account of our travels not convince you that we need a van?

At least I know my Volvo can make it to the Pinhook on March 2nd for a solo show with Mipso Trio…

Dear god, simple recounting has me exhausted. For now I’m just living with my sniffles. They will go away soon. And life will go on… and on… and on… after all that madness (March 17) we’re in Emerald Isle, NC for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival and then (March 25-26) Live Oak, FL for Suwanee Springfest. I best get some sleep while I can.

Perhaps I will see you on my travels. Until then, thanks for listening.

Lizzy