This Best Western Feels Too Much Like Home

Hope you liked the mini blogs today! :)

It's our last night in Rome, Georgia. We leave tomorrow night after our show and drive through the night to Maryland. Ahhhh... life on the road. :)

I realized today that we have played every campus possible in Rome. It's not that big of a town... but we have played 6 different college campuses in the Greater Rome, Ga area. It's like we are the official college country band of this town. :) After this week, we can all give great reviews of the local restaurants and laundromats!

We all spent the day taking it easy, catching up on work (I myself deleted over 3,000 unread emails! WOO HOO!!! THAT feels better), and hanging out. Days off are good. Especially when they are so few and far between.

Looking forward to playing my awesome new amp again tomorrow.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

CU pics, Indy Radio Spot, and Awesome Write-Up from the University of Wisconsin!

When we had a few hours in Nashville this last weekend - our stop off between PA and OK - James went to get the oil changed and the tires rotated on the Suburban. He went back to the place where he bought the tires a few weeks ago. The guy was so confused when he asked him to rotate the tires - he said "There's NO WAY you've already driven 5,000 miles". James said "Ummm... yeah.... actually we have." The guy didn't believe him, so he compared the odometer with his records. He was stunned. His response was "HOW MUCH DO YOU DRIVE!?!" I love it. :)

We left Oklahoma this morning from our awesome Best Western (Thank you USAO!!!) and it was 65 degrees. We are now a little north of Springfield Illinois and it is snowing. Yup. That's pretty normal these days :)

So I got on facebook today and I was so excited. There were a bunch more pics uploaded from the past few shows. And Amanda Finch actually posted some from MY point of view at Cameron University!!! I didn't even know she was back there taking pics, but I am so glad she did. Now you guys can understand what I am talking about!!


I wish my monitors had been closer to the front of the stage.... I wasn't close enough to everyone!!! But if I am playing fiddle in the song I am singing, I HAVE to stay behind the mic stand because well... I just can't hold the mic, sing, AND play at the same time. That'd be pretty impressive if I could. Maybe if I had a 3rd hand. I should work on that.

But when I got the chance - I was RIGHT UP FRONT!!!
This right here = happiness.



We also just heard our radio spot for our Indianapolis show at the Rathskeller!!! We play on Friday night at the Rathskeller from 8pm -12! So come party with us!!! The Rathskeller is one of our favorite bars. That place is so cool. You can listen to the spot by clicking the video - we added a little visual stimulation since we have the technology :)




Our show tomorrow sounds like so much fun! We are playing at the University of Wisconsin in Kenosha. Here's the awesome write-up they provided:

Arts Alive presents Natalie Stovall
Communication Arts Theatre

The UW-Parkside Arts Alive! series, in partnership with the Parkside Activities Board, proudly presents singer/ fiddler Natalie Stovall in concert. This bundle of musical energy bursts onto the Communication Arts Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. for a sensational one-night-only performance. Although her star is just beginning to rise nationally, Stovall has been building her musical reputation in her hometown of Nashville for two decades. Starting with the Opryland Kids Club as a youngster, she made her Grand Ole Opry debut as a teenager playing fiddle and singing Mary-Chapin Carpenter’s “Down at the Twist & Shout.” She appeared on “Oprah” at the age of 16. Since then, Stovall’s rapid-fire fiddle and powerful voice—alternating between angelic and sultry—have solidified her status as a hometown hero and put her on a path to national stardom. Arts Alive! Director Dwight Vaught said although Stovall’s roots say “country,” her performance strays to rock, pop and blue-eyed soul. “She, and her band, are so versatile that an evening with Natalie Stovall will take you through several styles of American music--often during the same song--with some great arrangements,” Vaught stated. “She’s as good a songwriter as she is a singer, and she loves to perform. And when you realize she is such a mature artist for only being in her mid-20’s, you’ll be seeing a lot of her in the years to come.” Vaught said her concerts alternate between songs from her “Late Night Conversations” CD like “If I Run To You Now” which is part of the soundtrack for the upcoming Farrelly Brothers film “Bag Boy,” and music made popular by artists like Shania Twain, Bonnie Raitt, and Dusty Springfield. Her version of the Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil went down to Georgia” redefines the song with fiddle playing that rivals Daniels’ very best.

Tomorrow is a great day, and it's not even here yet!!!
Goodnight from a Comfort Inn somewhere in Illinois. :)

Peace, Love, Fiddle,
~nat

USAO - Chickasha, OK

We're back!!! We are in Chickasha Oklahoma tonight. USAO is the first college to bring us back for a second show! We played at Droverstock last year - which was a blast. So we were really looking forward to coming back tonight! The hotel they put us up in - it's a Best Western but think Opryland Hotel meets a Best Western. :) We were so excited to come back to our "jungle Best Western" There are so many plants in the courtyard in the middle of the hotel. There's a great indoor pool and a ping pong table! (James LOVES the ping pong!) I want to go swimming but I don't think I'll have time :( NOT complaining though!!!
We actually spent 3 days here the last time we came into town because a show had canceled on us - so we just hung out, played ping pong and walked to Walmart next door a bunch!

Lori Underwood is the lady who brought us back to play tonight! She is one of the sweetest and most wonderful people to work with. It was so good to see her again! Oh, and she got us Pizza Hut Pasta for dinner.... those commercials aren't lying! It is REALLY good. Thank you for everything Lori!!!


We actually had quite a few people who came out to the show that were at Droverstock last year. Droverstock is this giant academic testing day for all the high schools in area. In addition to the testing - there is a HUGE festival that goes on - including live bands all day (you know - why we were there). And they have this HUGE sidewalk chalk art contest - I have NEVER seen such unbelievable sidewalk art!!! They were so creative - it was like going to one of those ridiculous sand castle competitions where people build dragons in amazing detail - yeah. The creativity in these drawings was inspiring! And then all the clubs and organizations at USAO have booths and sell all kinds of fun things. It's really awesome!

She totally brought her shirt from Droverstock for me to sign because she forgot it last year!!! How cute is that?!


And some more repeat customers from Droverstock :)




Now, Terry is a repeat customer, but not because he was a high school student last year. :) He actually came to see us in 2007 at the Jack Daniel's Saloon. He signed up on the email list and has kept up with us ever since. He came out tonight and even brought a friend! How awesome is that!? That right there is what touring is all about y'all!


We were excited because we almost matched perfectly - looks like we planned it... cause, ya know... I tell everyone to wear fuchsia when I am planning on wearing it :)


Amelia!!! One of our youngest audience members. :) This was her first concert! She even managed to get a little nap in during a couple of the slower songs, but woke right back up for the energetic ones. She didn't make a peep, and was SO attentive the entire show!


After we got back to hotel - I finally ate my pasta.... WOW. SOOO good. And I definitely had another package of Keebler Fudge Shop Cookies from last night (Thanks Robin!). And James bought a deck of cards - the guys have been playing cards while I was uploading photos to facebook. And y'all - they are being so funny right now. I think they each picked a laugh or something - Miguel will laugh really funny and choppy, Hootie will laugh all high pitched and sqeaky, and then James laughs all low and Barry White-like. And then all of that makes us ALL laugh for REAL. They are so funny. I love my band.

And can we just talk about how it is so warm here that we had to turn on the AC in the Suburban today? Ummm.... a little different from last week's shoveling of the snow... It was 70 here today. Wow.
Tomorrow, back to the cold! We drive to Wisconsin :) Kenosha, here we come!

peace, love, fiddle, and laughter

~nat

If You're Ever in Jonestown, PA...

The guys and I drove for 16 hours today.... we stopped about 95 miles short of Scranton. Scranton was our goal - it was where we wanted to sleep tonight. (Plus, it makes me feel cool to stay where The Office is supposed to be set :) )

But this RIDICULOUS snow storm started. It is gorgeous - huge puffy, beautiful flakes - the kind that you yearn for as a kid and the kind that DEFINITELY gets schools closed in Tn. But also the kind that is NOT good for driving. As we were trying to make it to a gas station, a few trucks passed me in the left lane and when they'd go by, I couldn't see the road. It was ALL white. So, yeah, we decided to stop for the night.

We're in Jonestown PA and the first hotel we came to was a Best Western. Now, normally I really like Best Western's and this one looked brand new. But this one is not on my "favorites" list. (And for some strange reason I feel like I know a thing or two about reasonably priced hotels... hmm wonder why??)

First of all they keep the door locked this late at night. No big deal, but there was no where to ring a bell or pick a phone to let someone know you are standing outside in the freezing cold. I walked around 3 times trying to find a way to notify the night attendant, and then the automatic doors closed ON me. Umm.... how does THAT happen??? Then, when I finally was let inside the second set of automatic doors, the man inside abruptly said "We don't allow oversized vehicles". I know I looked at him strangely. I mean, REALLY!?!?! It's a Suburban pulling a 5x8 trailer.... And I guess, yeah, that would be considered "oversized" but it only takes up one extra parking space. Plus out of ALL the hundreds of hotels we have stayed at over the last few years traveling, no one has ever refused us a room because of our vehicle. It's not like it is a semi. But whatever. It probably wouldn't have irritated me as badly if I hadn't just been slammed in by their door and battling the crazy blizzard outside. I get it's not his fault or policy. And I wasn't rude or anything. I was just very frustrated.

So then we went down the street to the Days Inn. SCORE!!!!!! This place is AWESOME!!!! And the guy at the front desk, John, wiped away all my frustration. He was overly accommodating and just so friendly. After I checked us in, we started unloading the car. Right before we got in the elevator, he let us know that he had just gone up to our room and turned on the lights and the heat. WHO DOES THAT!!?!? That was THE NICEST thing in the world he could have done for us. What an thoughtful man. And the room... It's a business suite, so it has a full kitchen, two beds, a pull out couch (so Hootie and Miguel don't have to snuggle tonight) and a whole little office area.

See? Everything happens for a reason! I am SO glad we aren't at that grumpy Best Western.

Plus, this place inspired some good music! I know it may seem strange, but I come up with a lot of good song writing ideas in the shower. I came up with a really cute one tonight. It's one of those that I can hear almost the whole song - I just need to work out the details of the lyrics. But I know what I want it to say :) So after I showered, I got all bundled and went out to the Suburban to have some quiet to record my ideas. (I say that, but really what I mean is that I get embarrassed about recording song ideas in front of the guys so I have to go somewhere else) But yay!!! So that's ummm over 10 songs that I need to finish now??? Good Lord! That's a whole album! How awesome would it be if they were ALL album worthy!?!

So now I must sleep. We have to leave early early. It's 2:30am and we have to be at soundcheck tomorrow in Maine at 7pm. With all this crazy snow... who knows how long it's gonna take us.

Whew. Life on the road is crazy.

The moral of this story? If you ever get stuck in Jonestown PA - stay at the Days Inn.