The Chicken Dance That Makes Us Happy

Ya'll know we watch Tv Seasons a lot to pass the time in the Van...

Arrested Development is a show that only lasted for 2 1/2 seasons. It was hilarious, critically acclaimed, and won TONS of awards. But for some reason, at the time it was on, they just couldn't get the viewership they needed to keep it on the air. I remember hearing about it when it was on... but it wasn't until James bought the Seasons that I started watching it.

We've re-watched it EVERY time we have gotten a new band member :) James, Miguel, and I have seen it MANY times.

I HIGHLY recommend it!!! The writing is fantastic and the actors are hysterical.

Here's something that has kept the whole band laughing continuously for the last week - we keep going back and re-watching this scene. :) The " terrible chicken" impersonations are a reoccurring theme throughout the entire series...

We've reenacted it many times. :) LOVE IT!



Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Hendrix College

We left from Nashville this morning to head out to Conway, Arkansas. I've been here before!!! Back when "If I Run To You Now" was getting airplay, I did a little radio tour with a bunch of stops in Arkansas. I realized during the show tonight (and shared with the students) that Arkansas was on of the states that had the most stations playing my song. :) So yeah, I love Arkansas.

We got there and I was having trouble helping James look for the building we were supposed to find because I was so caught up in how beautiful their campus was. It was exactly the kind of campus I always pictured in my head of "college". It looked so inviting. It's funny though. I had always envisioned a big "Campus" and then I ended up going to a school in the middle of Boston that had no campus.... just random buildings on the street. :) But who am I kidding? I loved that, too!

This was another school where the students were there and ready to help from the moment we pulled in. They were all lifting and helping us get all of our gear out of the car. This is the social committee - everyone who helped bring us to Hendrix, put on the show, and took great care of us!


This is Lydia and John. They were our main contacts for the evening. They had one of the best intro's for us EVER. I'm not even sure what all they said, :) but they had everyone laughing before we went out on stage. What a great way to get a show started!


You would have thought this crowd was in a packed arena. They were so energetic and excited from the first note. I could see these girls in the front row singing along to every word of "Whatever It Takes". I LOVE that. :)

After we took our picture, they were telling me how they go to the "VFW" all the time and sing "Fancy" in Karaoke. The "V" as they referred to it :) is the only place in town to have a drink! How great is that? I would love to visit their VFW. The ones I have gone to are more of a "Taco Night" establishment. Not beer and karaoke! Don't get me wrong.... those are some of the best tacos I have ever had... but come on... they call it the "V".

And these girls all jumped up from their seats at the beginning of the show, came down front, and danced the WHOLE time. It was the best. That was my favorite (shhhh.... don't tell).
   

Happy Birthday Jake!!! Jake was at NACA and he was one of the guys responsible for bringing us to Hendrix! He said "I never thought I would ever hear 'Fancy' live.... EVER" So I am REALLY glad I did "Fancy" tonight. :) Apparently it isn't only MY favorite song! This crowd went NUTS for it. And ummm.... Miguel helps out with his freakishly face-melting solo at the end...


FIDDLE PLAYERS!!!! Both of these guys play the fiddle. This is Patrick on the left and Louis on the right. Louis actually went to Mark O'Connor's fiddle camp last summer. I have always wanted to do that. I'm jealous!!! And Patrick is in High school. I would have never known. I just thought he was in college. But he is visiting Hendrix to see if he wants to go to school there.
These guys also informed me that there is a guy in the top 12 of American Idol from Conway, Arkansas! I had no idea. I haven't seen ANY Idols this year... well other than a couple of auditions.... we're always driving when it is on. But I thought that was cool. :) They were really proud.


She was also just visiting from high school. And she came to MY show!! :)


I love what I do so much. And I keep being surprised and excited by each show. That is what is so great about live shows. Even on nights when we do the exact same set, it is NEVER the same. Different audiences bring different things out of us. And when an audience is as energetic as the one tonight - it just makes our job so easy. It definitely isn't about the size of a crowd - it's about the "might" if you will. :)

Topeka - here we come!!

Peace, Love, Fiddle, and goodnight from Arkansas!
~natalie

Running Down A Dream

Today was a really good food day :)

We ate lunch at Red Robin my FAVORITE!!! It was on Stephen King Dr. - creepy....
And tonight we ate at a Boston Market! I am so bummed they don't have any in Nashville anymore. That place is SO good. I used to stop by the one next to my apartment in Boston when I needed good veggies but didn't have time to cook them myself. :)

We left Maine this afternoon at check out and just decided to drive until LOST came on. It is the first time we have all gotten to watch Lost when it actually comes on tv so far this season! :) It was nice not to have to rush anywhere today. We only have to drive 5 hours tomorrow to get to Arcadia for our show. That is so nice!

We watched the first disc of "Running Down a Dream" the Tom Petty documentary. It is SOOOO inspiring. Tom and all the "Heartbreakers" and many others are interviewed and talk about their journey from day one. Stevie Nicks says repeatedly that if she could have, she would have left Fleetwood Mac and joined The Heartbreakers. :) It adds a whole new level of inspiration to be in the back of the Suburban actively running down my own dream while listening to the artists I look up to. Listening to Tom Petty talking about what all he had to do to get where he is today... well.... it's good fuel! Literally.

When he is asked who his influences are, he says "The Radio" (and the 60's) which made me feel so normal! I always felt a little "uncool" to say that as a musician. (I have gotten over that now), but back when I was at school at Berklee, it felt strange to admit how much of a radio listener I have always been. I guess partially because it made me sound like "just a singer." And not to perpetuate stereo-types, but Berklee is full of ridiculously good musicians; it's kind of like the academic side of music to be in school there. And there was a certain respect that seemed to come with being into hardcore jazz and anything with an odd time signature or as many blue notes as one can fit... While I appreciate music that I have to "think" about while I listen to it - well... that stuff just doesn't move me like a "pop" song. How ironic is it that it isn't "popular" in certain music circles to admit that you like "popular" music? Hmmmm....

I must admit... I am pretty stoked about the fact that it is only midnight. I haven't gotten in bed before 4:30am or later the last few nights. Too much to do!!! But my pillows at this Comfort Inn are calling. Don't wanna leave em hanging.

NIGHT NIGHT!

~natalie

Snowballing

Miguel and both shoveled snow for the first time ever today. I know I risk many people hating me for saying this..... and I am FULLY aware that I would NOT feel this way if I HAD to shovel all the time - but as a first timer - it was fun! :)
I kept looking for more places to melt a little more - we got down to just ice and they couldn't chip it fast enough for me. Miguel had never shoveled either. Paul loved us :)



It's so good to have a day when we didn't HAVE to be somewhere. I was more exhausted when I woke up this morning than I have been in a while... it hasn't helped me to go to bed any earlier than normal... considering it is 3:00am right now. But it's nice to not have to curl my tremendous amounts of hair or put on full make-up :) We've gone pretty non-stop since we left Nashville, though. I mean, there hasn't been ANY downtime until today. It was all driving as much as possible, sleep as much as we can before we get up and drive as much as possible again to get to the next destination. We definitely don't get paid for the shows!!!! We get paid for driving to and from and loading and unloading!!! THAT's the "work" part. The performing is the relief.

I can't wait to have a ginormous stage, eh emm.... like the GRAMMYS. :) I just get so inspired when I watch shows like that. It feels so close. And in all reality - that's just "a song" away. It's amazing how that 1 magical song can launch an entire career and make millions of people pay attention to what you have been doing all along. I mean look at Taylor Swift and all that she has accomplished in the last couple of years!!! And it started with an incredible song. But the girl has the songs to back it up and the personality to carry her through a career for the rest of her life!

I have so much going on in my head right now. It kinda feels like I have a ton of creativity balling up inside me like a big giant star that's about to just come BLAZING out. And I have to attribute much of that to YOU. Yes, YOU who is reading this right now. :) There has been this unbelievable energy around my shows lately and the blogs and the myspace, facebook, and twitter sites. Everything feels like it is snowballing. There was a while that I felt like I was at a bit of a standstill. I guess it was adjusting to the inns and outs of touring and building the business side. There's been a lot to learn and I am aware that I will never stop learning. But now it has all come full circle. The creativity is BACK. And it's just a stewing and seasoning right now. :) I'm guess I'm having to let it simmer in my brain a bit before I am ready to share it with everyone else.

With that said... I am ready to let it simmer while I slumber.

night night!

~nat