Tramp Stamp!

We made it home!!! Ahhh. Another weekend of playing and beachin' it up down in PCB. We ate at our favorite McCalister's in Dothan Alabama - where they recognize us!!! WE always stop there and last time the manager got a cd from us. Man, he's done his research :) Never been to a show, but knew all about 'em!

As promised... here's some of the pics from the last night in PCB.

Looks like we may not even need to get those temporary tattoos!




What happens in PCB stays in PCB... well... and my blog. :)



YAY! Lyndsey and her giant group of fun peeps that kept the dance party happening all night long!


And Beth Beighey opened up the show. She is a fantastic singer who lives in PCB. We've known each other for a while, but last night was the first time I got to hear her sing live. She's been working for a while at being able to do music full time. And now she is!!! She told me last night that she's now officially a poor musician and she couldn't be happier. I KNOW THE FEELING GIRLFRIEND!!! SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!! Can't wait to play another show with her. She did some of my favorite's but, she makes them all her own and so fun to listen to. She had the WHOLE place singing along and got em amped up for our show!


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Saint Leo, Antarctica... I Mean... Florida

Life happens. Even when it isn't a major or BIG deal... sometimes the little things can keep you up at night when you need to be sleeping so you can get up and be at your best for whatever it is you do. And when singing is your job... keeping your voice healthy is a HUGE part of it.

Even though I barely slept a wink last night.... the power of Prayer along with positive thinking, and knowing my own body well... kept me singing today WAY better than I thought I would be. Isn't it amazing how that happens? I have had WAY more difficult vocal days after a FULL night of rest.

Go figure! I've been trying to practice being thankful for what I HAVE when I am tempted to focus on the things I don't have.

And at tonight's show? I was thankful for a freezing, shivering, CHAMPION of an audience that FROZE THEIR TAILS off to watch our show! The setting was a gorgeous lake, the stage was under a majestic tree with moss hanging from it, and we were surrounded by a volley ball court and free yummy tacos! We played during sunset. It was so pretty!!! But the breeze... whew! Intense! We all REALLY thought that we'd be warm in Florida. Nope. Not yet!

The students said that last year it was hot, everyone was out playing volleyball and having a beach party. But this year, the crowd was huddled into 2 clumps... around the heaters that were brought out for everyone. They were all shaking and bouncing trying to keep warm. But they stayed until the last note! My fingers were bright red - I wasn't sure how in the world they were going to work... but they did! YAY!



Clay greatly regretted his decision to work out (and not bring a change of clothes) before the show! But even still... he stayed until the last note! (He was VERY close to the heater...


I am in the back of the van. We have to drive overnight to get to Mt. Berry, Georgia for our show tomorrow. I think I'm gonna nap now, so I can take a later shift of driving.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Our Favorite Boca Baristas and Gretchen Wilson Pics!

We went back to our awesome Starbucks in Boca Raton today before we headed out of town. Both of our Baristas that were there the other day were working again! We got to talk a little more after they had both found us on facebook. And this time, we all got pics together. Courtney (on the left) told me that she saw our posters all over campus today after she met us :)

Thanks Angie and Courtney for being such awesome Baristas!


And last night, my best friend, Sarah, posted her pics from the Gretchen Wilson show! She and her current/my former bass player, Amy, drove all the way down to Augusta to see our show. But that was the day of the freakish snow storm that hit the south. It almost prevented the show from happening... and the snow definitely prevented my girls from getting to the show in time. They arrived about 35 minutes after we finished our set. :( but we still had a great time!!! And Sarah got some fantastic pics! (Most of the time I was at the merch booth... but we still had our fun!)

Sarah, Amy and Me


Gretchen Wilson and Me!!!!


Signing one of HER shirts for a fan :)


Sarah expressing how we ALL felt about the snow in Augusta, Ga!!


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Palm Beach State Show #4!

Today was another day at Palm Beach State - although this time we were back at the Lake Worth Campus. It was a bit chilly... in the 50's for the show... but after this weekend, that didn't seem so bad.

But somehow, even though we were under a covered stage and the sun was behind the clouds for most of the show... James' head STILL managed to get sunburned! Poor thing. He always gets sunburned even when it doesn't seem possible.

The show went really well... it seemed like it was gonna be stressful when we started. A very upset teacher came out venting about how he had students taking an exam and there just COULDN'T be music going on. Things like this happen a lot at campuses. And it puts everyone in a tough spot. I mean... we need to fulfill our contract, but obviously we don't want to be a bother to people! So we just told him, we would not soundcheck or make ANY noise until we were scheduled to start playing and do whatever we could to help. But there isn't much else we can do because those things are not our call. They have to be taken up with someone in charge.

BUT!!!! It all worked out great! No one seemed to have an issue once we started playing, and we got nothing but happy responses from crowds and teachers. One teacher came up to me on a set break and said "I HATE country music. But I love you guys! Can I buy a cd?" ; )~ LOVE IT!

All the clubs and organizations at the school were set up and having sign-ups at their booths. Plus there was free food and a beautiful court yard to enjoy. Plus us!

And I broke my mic clip during the show!!! What is it with me lately? I keep breaking very unlikely things.... locks... mic clips... I had to jump off the stage and find another one because my mic wouldn't stay in the stand anymore!


I got a lesson in being prepared :)


I just noticed that guy in the background has a UNICYCLE!


Zach's loading out skills are impressive!!! He fit his ENTIRE bass rig on top of David's Amp!!!


Signed up for my twitter WHILE at the show... I love technology.


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Are You a Band?

The elevator at this hotel smells JUST like the hotel elevator at the Light House Inn in Gulf Shores - where we always stayed when I was a little girl. Isn't that amazing how our brains can remember a specific smell from 20 years ago?? Crazy!

We headed out to Palm Beach State (formerly Palm Beach Community College) this morning for our show. They weren't quite ready for us, so we headed out to grab some breakfast. The guys ran into Einstein Bagels but there was a Starbucks across the street... and they had breakfast sandwiches... so I couldn't pass it up.

The girls at Starbucks were so sweet! I was all done up for the show, and they were all asking me where I got my jewelry. And then as we were leaving, the barista ran outside and up to the car. We stopped and rolled down the window - she said "We have a bet going inside the store. Are you guys a band?"
:)
I guess when you see a girl in ripped up jeans, big hair, and sitting with 4 guys, driving a van with a trailer... your natural assumption would be = band. But the fact that she ran all the way outside... is... AWESOME. She's already found me on facebook. I'll have to go back there tomorrow to see her!

Our show went great. We love PBS in Boca. Mark is so sweet to us. We were just there last semester, and it is so great to already be back! They had a huge banner hanging in the student center when we arrived.


And after the show - a big ole jam session broke out! Mark, who hires us to play, is an excellent bass player. He and a couple students started playing, then David joined in, and well... they entertained us! I could get used to that! Entertain... then be entertained.


James' bass drum head split right down the middle... so we had to go find a music store to get a new drum head. After a few more errands... and a bit of rest... it was time for:

VIVA CHILE!!! Mmmmm Mmmm Mmm. Miguel discovered this restaurant last time we were here. It is sooooo yummy. We had a wonderful meal, and Miguel's cousins met us there! I had the Pastel de Choclo. Mmmm it's like putting chicken, meat, and onions, baked in sweet cornbread. And of course we had some empanadas!!!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

TWO MORE AWARDS!!!!

We have been in the car all day All day! :)

And after ...

"Dumb and Dumber"
"The Big Lebowski"
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
Miranda Lambert's "Revolution"
And
Tom Petty's Live "Anthology"...

...we are in Boca Raton, Florida. It is amazing you can drive for 12 hours and still be in the same state. :) Especially when you aren't in California or Texas! But going from the Northwest part of the pan handle down to the southeast part of the panhandle takes a while! There are so many Dunkin Donuts down here!!! I think it is because of all the snowbirds from the Northeast... they have to make them feel like they are at home. it is pretty awesome.

So for those of you not on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or Reverbnation who read this blog....

I have some more very exciting news! (I've posted a status on the aforementioned places)
I won TWO MORE AWARDS!!!!

Campus Activities Magazine posted their Awards for the year and we won:

Best Female Performer
and
Best Music

SO EXCITING!!!

I can't believe all this! It's just amazing. So yeah. That news rocks my world. :)

Good stuff is a happenin, y'all!!!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMMA!!!!!!
~natalie

Resting the Cords

So we ended up NOT playing tonight at Spinnaker. And although I would ALWAYS choose playing a show over not playing a show... It is a very good thing I am not trying to force what little voice I have left into 4 hours of singing tonight.

I have been on vocal rest all day and the guys are always entertained by my overly exaggerated motions to silently explain what I want to communicate. James is usually my interpreter. Earlier the guys were wanting to head to the grocery. I was trying to tell them "Let me finish this sandwich... and then I'll head to the store with everyone". Zach thought I was saying, "I need more lettuce." David had NO CLUE what I was saying. And Miguel just looked at James for the interpretation. :) It is sometimes the funniest and sometimes the most frustrating one-sided game of charades... EVER. :)

I've already been on vocal rest 3 times this year. I forget how much a part of touring vocal rest is! At least at this point... when you are a national act, you get to have your own sound crew... monitors are always the same so it doesn't matter how loud the stage volume is... smoke isn't really an issue anymore... you have your own driver... and 4 1/2 hour nights aren't really in the picture anymore. :) Sometimes I feel crazy for having vocal problems... but it is easy to forget how many factors play into our current situation. However... when you are a National Act... there are other problems that come into play. So don't get me wrong. I'm not whining. I am just recognizing certain aspects so that I don't feel like a wuss!

If it were easy... everyone would do this for a living. But James and I are constantly surprised at how little "music" is of being a full time musician! At least... an independent one. It sure does keep life from ever becoming routine. Every day is so different. Like so many passion-based jobs.... your work is never done. There is ALWAYS more you could be doing. Writing... promoting... internetin'... blogging ;)

But right now? I am going to go partake in some of that spicy, yummy, curry that David is cooking up in the kitchen!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Live On 103.5 Hank Fm!!

Sooooo...

Tomorrow we are gonna be on the radio for ALL to hear!!! And you don't have to live in Panama City, Florida to tune in. :) They have live streaming on the website!!

We'll be on www.1035Hankfm.com at 11:00am Central Time with Melissa Miller. We'll play songs from the new record which is officially in production now, YAY!!!! And maybe you'll even hear sneak peaks of the new tracks... who knows. :)

Miguel will even be debuting my new Gold Tone Mando-tar which he has never played before. But the guys and I just got done rehearsing our acoustic versions of the songs, and it sounded so good!!! I LOVE having 3-part harmony back in my life. :)

Melissa is awesome and has been so great to us when we come down to play shows in PCB. And for those of you that do live in PCB or are near enough to make the trip... we'll be at Spinnaker Friday and Saturday nights this weekend. Spring Break Season has just begun down here. So it should be a party!

Click on the link and it will take you right to Hank FM so you can hang out with us in PCB... even if you are FAR away from the beach and 60° weather!

www.1035hankfm.com

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

University of North Florida Homecoming Hoedown

Tonight was the University of North Florida's Homecoming Hoedown!!!!

We had so much fun playing for them - they had free food, a mechanical bull, and a gorgeous audience! The girls were all dressed up so cute! It was awesome.


The guys weren't bad either :)


Surprise! These guys were showing the love!


They demanded an encore, and then AFTER the encore they starting chanting "Nat-a-lie! Nat-a-lie" Fort Benning style. :) Just awesome. If you had told me that kind of thing would happen back when I was an unsure and self-conscious teenager... not sure I would have believed you.

From left to right: Lynn, Wendy, and Laura who took care of us ALL day long!!! They got us food and even had our dressing room stocked with Vanilla Coke!!! That has NEVER happened before! Thank you to everyone at Osprey Productions for all your hard work. The event today was so professional and well done.


And LIZ!!!! Elizabeth Etherton is one of my dearest friends in the world. We were best friends in high school, we were in each other's weddings, and we always pick up right where we left off. We can go months even over a year without talking... but it never seems like we have been apart. She and her friend came to the show, came out to dinner with the whole band, and then I got to go hang out at her place and catch up into the wee hours of the night.


Great night, great show, great friends. :)

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

America's Next Great Star

I'm sitting in the back of the van... watching John Mayer on DVD heading SOUTH!

We're driving through Atlanta at the moment. Even though we've had the week off... this is the third time we've made this drive in a week! On our way back from Ft. Benning.... I popped down here and back yesterday.... and then we're passing through on our way to Jacksonville. Sometimes I sit back and look at my life from outside myself and just smile. I always wanted this. It's been way harder than it is now. Parts of it may get easier some day. But whatever form it takes... I just want to keep these wheels a rolling and never stop this train. :)

On Saturday night after I accepted my awards at APCA, I was asked to be a judge on America's Next Great Star. Think American Idol/America's Got Talent... but one that comes to you! Campuses can hire the show, "The Live Entertainment Experience" and audience members get to participate. After the judges select 3 top acts, the audience gets to text for their favorite. They do the WHOLE show - from auditions, to interviews and testimonials that they air as the person is walking on stage to perform... multiple camera angles shown on the projectors during the show... It's really a cool thing.

The student that won APCA's won $250, their tape will be sent to "industry professionals" in Nashville, New York, and L.A. The winners of the campus-wide tour have a chance to win $15,000.

It was so fun being a judge. And it was HARD! There were some VERY talented students and participants. I loved being a part of the show, and I was so glad they asked me to judge.

It was fun because they actually got to play with a live band. It's a band that was showcasing at APCA and they do "live band karaoke". The students had to pick from a list of songs (just like Idol) but they actually got to play with a live band! So cool.

I highly recommend the show. Campus advisors were asking me questions later... and they really do a great job of capturing the entire experience. I'm a fan!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Viva Chile!!!

We are in Miguelon heaven right now. Miguel found a Chilean restaurant 
about 20 minutes from our show tonight and we made it just in time for 
dinner. EVERYTHING is amazing. We are having Pisco Sours, Empanadas, 
Chacareros, machas a la parmesana, pastel de choclo. (Can you tell that I had Miguel type that last little bit for me?) Everyone is 
sharing because it is all so good!!! And Miguel is watching the 
Chilean News, which his Mom's husband produces. :)

We had 2 shows today at BCC North in Coconut Creek, Florida. Doesn't that just sound like a lovely place? It is! 

I was in the middle of writing this blog when the fire alarm went off at the hotel. We only had to be outside for about 20 minutes, but they couldn't get it turned off for about an hour. Not fun. But on the bright side, turns out it was just someone being stupid who pulled the alarm. There wasn't actually a fire! Whew.

Peace. Love. Chilean Fiddles.

~natalie

Need a Weave?

We stopped in a gas station tonight that had "G-money" Burgers for sale... whatever that means....

And they had 2 entire walls of hair weaves, extensions, and pink sponge rollers... I'm talking 60 different kinds of extensions. CRAZY!! I really wanted to take a picture, but I was a little scared to. I'm not sure the attendant would have liked that very much. And I wasn't taking chances in this place. Plus, they turned the lights out on us before we left... I guess they close at 10? Even though it was 9:50 and they still had customers?


Tomorrow 103.5 KAT Country here in PCB will be playing us again on their lunch hour!!! They said they'll play some clips of the live performances we did with them sometime between 11am-1pm and you can listen live from their website :) They play awesome country all day, plus they've been awesome to me every time I have come down here! Melissa will be broadcasting live from Hooters tomorrow afternoon. And she's the best!

I <3 Kat Country!!!

Peace. Love. Fiddle. And Hair Weaves.
~natalie

RIBFEST highlights

RIbfest was AMAZING!!!!!! I wrote a huge blog in the car on my phone during our ridiculously long overnight drive from St. Petersburg to Nashville last night.... But it vanished! It never sent and it never showed up as a draft or anything :(

But it's all good! I'll just write a new one now!

It is really messing with my head right now that ummm... just last night I played a show at Ribfest. And I have already played a show in Nashville tonight. Weird. Not much sleep has been involved in the last week. But Lord, it is worth it! 

Here's some of the highlights from Ribfest this weekend.

During our show Friday night we could see the spaceship that launched. We had just finished "Whatever It Takes" when Hootie said - LOOK! There it is! And you could see the big trail of fire from the back of the rocket. CRAZY!

Saturday, we played a show to about 6,000 people as one of the opening acts for the Doobie Brothers!!!!

If you count the National Anthem as  "opening" *wink wink* (just roll with me here....) then technically you could say that this weekend I "opened" for Styx, the Doobie Brothers, and Asia. : )-

It started raining during our rock medley and "Devil Went Down To Georgia" a the end of our set on the main stage and the audience didn't leave!!!!!! It was awesome because looking out into the sea of people - they weren't scattering outward like you would expect, they just went vertical!!! Umbrellas, chairs, anything to put over their heads. But they all stayed! It was pretty much the most epic end to a show I have ever played.

One guy kept screaming "Natalie Stovall - better than CORN DOGS!!!!!" during my show on Sunday.

Jenn and Ella got to come on the road with us for the first time this weekend!!! (Jenn and Ella are Miguel's girls if you didn't know!) They even made it on the big screen a few times from out in the audience during our set!!!

Backstage, I had my own RV with my name on it again this year to hang out in and it was stocked with drinks and snacks. (that makes me feel really cool)

One little girl said "Now that I have seen you play 2 years in a row you knocked Kelly Clarkson our of my top 3 list. It is now: 

1. Natalie Stovall 2. Taylor Swift 3. Carrie Underwood". 

Can you imagine how amazing that feels!?!?!? Yeah, that little girl is my BFF now. :)

Right before my show started on Sunday, I saw 2 awesome, yet very unexpected things. 1. A DOLPHIN!!!!!! It was RIGHT next to the stage in the water. 2. The lady from "I Dream of Genie"!!!! How cool is that? She's still gorgeous.

We had the most incredible food all weekend!!!! Ribs, chicken, pulled pork.... and ohhhh that cornbread.

I dedicated the show on Saturday to Mr. Billy Brooks. He's a veteran from the Vietnam War who has been battling cancer for the last 3 years due to his exposure to Agent Orange. He is truly an inspiration. And I was so happy he was able to come out to the show. As I was talking to Mr. Brooks afterwards,  another veteran came up to the tent. He shared some very emotional stories ad thanked me for my show and for recognizing our soldiers and veterans. He gave me a dog tag with an American flag on it as his thank you. He thanked ME. How crazy is that? A man who risked his life to serve this country thanking me for simply doing what I love to do. Wow. Yeah. Amazing.

And ALL of this was for an incredible cause!!!! Every person working at Ribfest is a volunteer from the Northeast Exchange Club in St. Petersburg. This year there were records set each day for attendance. I can't wait to see the results of how much money was raised!!! They donate the money to many wonderful children's charities, and last year, they donated over $1,000,000 to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. I am so honored to have been asked to be a part of this event again this year. Everyone all weekend was incredibly gracious and hospitable! It was such a memorable weekend! THANKS RIBFEST!!!! Hootie, Miguel, James, Jenn, Ella, and I love you guys!!!!!

peace, love, fiddle

(please let it send this time)

My view from stage

I know it's dark and hard to see but this is my view from stage. Solid
sea of people. Amazing.