Check it! I did it! I wrote another entry!!! I deserve a cookie. Or, well, a really nice glass of wine. Neither of which are in my general vicinity, so if they are in yours, please partake with grand blessings.
It's good to see you all here again, I hope you enjoy the visit.
Before I go too far, if you are of the more visually inclined side of the universe, please visit my Facebook photo journal entry of this weekend's shenanigans at...
(http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539669871757.2030226.166600182&type=1&l=af205b72a8) or HERE.
Okay. Yes! What's gone on this past weekend. Amazingly, it's only two hours away from Friday as I write this. Yippie! Time flies when you have a full schedule.
Friday found The Rosewood Bluff in Spindale, NC for a live/on-air appearance at WNCW 88.7 - one of the biggest and most popular Americana stations in the world. The best one, in my humble opinion, but maybe that's because I can get it on my radio in Winston-Salem and Salisbury when I visit mum and dad. :) Spindale and Isothermal Community College are truly in the middle of nowhere, but worth every minute of the "are you sure we're going the right way?" conversation. One of the most state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities I've ever been in, and lead by a wonderful group of talented, brilliant, and kind-hearted people. I mean, I'd be happy too if I all I had to do all day was play records and artists I love for an audience who appreciates it!
The studio was color coded, which make me smile profusely. No more No. 1 plug, No. 6 hook up, input No. 25, or microphone No. 2. like I'd seen all my life... instead it was, "Billie, you're the yellow one." Yellow? Not black or grey or some other "normal" cable color? Awesome. Awesome. And then, some more awesome.
It's the small things, yes?
It's a funny thing to play live on a radio station. It feels like you're in practice... or maybe as if you and your buddies got together to "play" radio. Or well, mine did. Okay, maybe it was just me and my brother K. C. with our Dad's stolen...um, borrowed tape recorder. Anyways! You see that people are listening on the computer, but it's all just dots and numbers when you're locked into a sound proof room. After you get over the nervousness, it all just becomes one big goofy giddy time... "Hey, guess what?! We're on the FREAKING RADIO!!! This is RAD!" And then you drop a note, and you're like... "Oh, man... we're on the radio. Better not do that again."
All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The people at WNUW really have their stuff down, and are truly fantastic human beings. For a moment, I got to say... "Gillian Welch and David Rawlings stood right here!!! In this room! The one I'm standing in!". I'm not sure if everyone in bloggity land knows who they are, but I do love their music dearly.
After we say our goodbyes to the 88.7 crew, we load up the Volvo station wagon and head on back down the mountain to my other hometown, Winston-Salem to play The Garage.
I love the Garage. Maybe it's because I will never get over the giddy butterflies of the first "real" club I ever was given the chance to play. I owe a lot to Richard Boyd and the bo-stevens for dragging me into the fray and getting me addicted to playing live music.
Our friends, (and The P-90's bass player Josh Caldwell's brother-in-law) Andy Vaughan and the Driveline drove down from Richmond. VA to join the Rosewood Bluff on a two-day mini-tour. It was the new Rosewood Bluff's line-up first time at The Garage, so we weren't quite sure how it'd go... but, man, the band sure is sounding fantastic. I know I'm biased, but I'm also EXTREMELY critical of my own work and projects - I am really proud of the Rosewood Bluff. The Garage, as many will tell you, is probably one of the best venues in the United States if not the entire world (I've only seen Belgium, Holland, France, and London, so take that as you will) with wonderful sound/soundman Brian Doub and the greatest club owners (Kim and Richard Emmett) to boot. I know it sounds like ass kissing or maybe even some silly hometown pride... but, nope. I'm not alone in this. You owe it to yourself to visit this (historical? Sure!) place and soak in some good vibes. As I said once before, this is the only bar I will ever feel comfortable going solo to and staying all night.
Okay, so now that I've said my two cents about how much I adore The Garage, let's get on with the show.
The Hawkeyes from Pittsburgh, PA opened (HELL YEAH WESTERN PA!!! Go Steelers) and they reminded me more of a band the P-90's should play with. Cowpunk with a hard punky edge, these guys put on a energetic show no matter how many are listening - which says something about a group. I've seen groups just give up when there's only a few watching (hey, I've been there), and I always want to cry out... "HEY! I'm here! And, I wanna be here! And! I want to support your music. AND! I really want to enjoy your music, so rock out for my sake, PLEASE?" I've found myself in those situations a few times, then looking inward and telling myself, "remember when you were sitting in your bedroom practicing guitar to no one and you would have sliced off one of your limbs to be playing on stage in front of anybody?"
That being said, The Hawkeyes delivered.
Next up was Andy and The Driveline, and they're always fun to see. For some reason, I feel like every time I see them, one more cowboy hat magically appears on the stage. I can't blame them - I remember when I bought my first pair of real cowboy boots, got all excited, and wore them to a gig. I felt like I had just solved some sort of personal mystery, and the cowboy boots were the missing link. I haven't stopped wearing them since. As Greg Bell once told me, "Sometimes, the scene finds you."
Enough about clothes though, onward to music!
The Driveline poured out a healthy dose of twang and country music standards (14 Karat Mind comes to mind) and I even saw a few snap buttoned shirt outfitted ladies in the back getting down with their yee-haw selves! Hey, why not?
The Rosewood Bluff took the stage last, and it's always so satisfying to play in a band that locks in from the first song. I'm filled with a bunch of crazy band hurrah lately. The show went great.
I adore the bands I'm in, and that's a very harmonious (HA!) place to be.
I'll spare you the adventures we had later that night in my studio that involved trance music and a missing bottle of wine. It just won't have the proper delivery online.
ASHEVILLE! I love Asheville. I can't afford to live in Asheville, or, well, I've never discovered a way to make it work... but I sure do love to visit. Everyone that we ran into that night was super sweet. For some reason, I feel like certain places in Chapel Hill can have this cold, stand-off-ish vibe (okay, okay, or anywhere else for that matter... maybe it's just the places I find myself ending up in) but everyone up there seemed in good spirits. I mean, if I had to wake up every morning to a beautiful mountain view and tons of outdoorsy stuff to do I'd be in good spirits too! We got there two hours early (WHAT?! Early?! I know.) and kept trying to figure out how to sleep in the car. Wasn't gonna happen. However! Coffee in a double decker bus? Yes, please!
We played in a spot called MoDaddy's which was wonderful fun, and the owner/bartenders were great. It's on the same block as The Orange Peel. John even had a guy make him a collage and put it in the tip jar. No, really. A collage. Of Two Dollar Pistols stuff. Kind of amazing. Kind of... WTF?!
After a solid show and big hugs to Andy and the guys, we headed off down the mountain back to Chapel Hill. Nathan's first comment in the car? "I sure do miss my wife." [Nathan and Amy were married recently in the coolest way possible... four weeks into the relationship they were married, and didn't tell a soul until six months later. :) "Loose lips sink ships, Howie." That in mind, they are some of the most solid and level-headed people I have yet to meet.] It hit home, and fueled the three-ish hour drive back. "Come on, John, we have a man to get back to his wife!"
Gabba Gabba Hey Y'all. Hope you're safe, warm, and loved wherever you are.
Until next time!!!
Love,
~Billie.
PS- Being 28 is weird. Looking at 30 is starting to freak me out. Guess I gotta make these last two twenty-something years kick arse!
