Permission to Post (Los Angeles, Idaho & Elko, NV)

Instead of starting an entirely new blog for my fall/winter/spring shows, I’ve decided to keep posting in this blog, since technically I am still promoting my most recent album “Life Just Happens to You”.  Once another album is underway, I’ll start a new blog!

Before I delve into last weekend’s excursions, here’s a clip from a show I did in Los Angeles last month:

Here are a couple live performance videos which I was able to create in Los Angeles while I was there, courtesy of Organic Audio Recordings, my sister Jena and my amazing friend/fiddle player Aubrey:

This past weekend I did what we musicians call a “mini-tour”.  Three shows in three days, quick and easy.  The first show was in Lava Hot Springs, ID.  Since Salt Lake City is on my way up there I decided to visit a good friend of mine from college, and also set up a business meeting with the publicist of Travianna Records, a branch of Mountain Fever Records in Willis, VA.  (I have started looking into small & medium sized labels with the intention of possible collaboration.)

While visiting my friend Kelly we ate fish tacos (with the trout being as fresh as it comes - her husband goes fishing every weekend), spent time with her two munchkins (my name for small children) and reminisced on good times from school.  Here’s a current picture - and excuse my lack of make-up - and a picture from what feels like forever ago.  

The next morning I had coffee with a potential future colleague.  It was fun!

Thursday November 12, 2015, Riverside Inn, Lava Hot Springs ID:

My favorite part about playing this show is getting to soak in the hot springs.  They have three different pools, all indoors and all filled with natural hot water from the ground.  Here’s a picture of one of the rooms: 

I also got to soak in the larger luxurious room, however I was having too relaxing a time to take pictures.  Thursday night I played for the dinner crowd at the hotel, ate a delicious gourmet dinner and sipped a glass of red wine.  The next morning before leaving I was able to soak in the hot springs again.  

Friday November 13, 2015, The Gallery Bar, Elko NV:

It was Friday the 13th and I had a lovely time.  This is such a cool venue because they are also an art gallery and wine bar (with a full bar too).  The artist whose work was up came to my show and got my newest album.  In general, I met a lot of nice people that night and I look forward to going back next year.  This venue has an inn up above and that is where I spent the night. 

Saturday November 14, 2015, District Coffee House Boise ID:

Before my show I got to hang out with my oldest niece Haley.  She gave me permission to post this picture of us:

We chatted about our spouses, politics, fashion & marketing strategies for our projects.  Haley has a youtube channel where she posts lots of videos.  Check out this one:

The show that night was fun.  It was a really nice room to play in with an excellent sound system, and it was a treat to have an in-house sound guy!  (Very often, I do my own sound.)

I made a bunch of new friends/fans/acquaintances who thanked me for coming to play in Boise and asked me when I’ll be back.  To be determined..

That’s all for now folks.  Although I will share a song I wrote in support of Bernie Sander’s campaign (yes, I’m a Bernie supporter!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDibikHMs0w

Until next time..

xo,

Elleog

Goodbye Summer 2015

Friday August 28, 2015 Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA:

My last blog entry I wrote to you FROM the above show - what a pleasure it was to arrive early at such a cool venue, have time to eat, relax, meet some of my fellow performers (we had a call time at 5 pm even though the show started at 7:30.)  Here's a picture of me and the girl who was host of the show that night:

We set up our merchandise side by side:

Here's a video of her performing:

Here's a link to my live performance on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0xsbJJuKw

One of the guys in the audience came up to me and said "I've bought a drink for all the other artists; now it's your turn!"  I told him that what I really wanted was food, so we went on a search for mozzarella sticks and ended up in the upstairs cafe listening to this band:

It turned out that the only food available was desert!  So, I settled for creme brûlée:

All in all it was a very fun night.  I want to thank my friend Boy Wonder and The Hype for having me perform that night.  

Funny story: I left the show and was driving back to the DC area (I figured it was easier to get the drive done and avoid traffic the next day) when I realized that I had left my t-shirts there, under the merch table!  Argh.. I turned around and reached the venue before it closed (good thing too, because those shirts are expensive) adding an entire hour to my trip.  Oh well.  As some of my merch says, "Life Just Happens to You."

Saturday August 29, 2015 St. Elmo's Coffeehouse in Alexandria, VA:

I had a very nice Ethiopian dinner with my new uncle-in-law and his family.  They live in Maryland and it was so nice of them to make the trek to see me.

Life lessons: when in the DC area, HAVE ETHIOPIAN FOOD.  It's so good..

The boys got tired after my first set so I sent them off with hugs:

I had been staying with my friend Kelly for a few nights and she offered to help me with my merch table that day:

Big thanks to Kelly and Johan for hosting me in Virginia!  And congratulations, for they are recently engaged and just got an adorable puppy.

I had a very special person show up to my show that night, and on her birthday.  I used to sing with a group called Village Harmony and most of the people were older than me.  There are lots of them who just thought I was a squirt, and then a bunch who were super nice.  Melissa was my older sister's friend from high school who now lives in Northern VA.  We had delicious frozen custard and sat outside watching the nightlife after my show.  Thanks for sharing your birthday with me Melissa!

Monday August 31, 2015 Fellini's in Charlottesville, VA:

This was my last show of the summer.  I arrived in Charlottesville with plenty of time to wander around.

Then went back to the restaurant where I was playing and had the most delicious calamari I've ever had:

I know it seems like a weird comparison, but it reminded me of a lot of the food I ate in Vietnam back in 2009.  When they cook food they don't disguise it and so it still looks like the actual animal that it is.  Look above..

All in all, I've had a fabulous summer.  June and August were incredibly busy and in the middle of it all I got married!  I'm looking forward to an even more efficient tour schedule next year.  What does that mean?  It means shorter drives between shows, 5-7 shows per week, three week segments of tours where I get to take a week off at home in between, and more of the unknown, because that is a constant in my line of work.  

Before I end this blog - and thank you so much for following my summer adventures this year - I'd like to share with you my first attempt at musical activism.  I care a lot about our country and the people in it, and so I wrote this song for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy0xsbJJuKw

Onward and upward.. here's to next year!

love,
Elle

Writing From Philadelphia - Artist vs. Audience

Friday August 21, 2015 - Cheaha Brewery in Anniston, AL:

I'd like to tell you all something about singer-songwriters, in case you might not have considered the many variables that make our shows awesome.  When I'm hired to play music I want to do a good job, not unlike anybody else at any other job.  The sound of a show directly impacts both the audience and the artist. At some venues, more the audience and at other, more the artist.  (For example, at a small rock venue if the sound isn't good you won't hear much except a loud drumbeat - this affects the audience.)  At Cheaha Brewery I spent my first two sets wondering what was wrong with the sound and as a result the show was a bit of a nightmare.  I finally stopped mid-set to find the owner and ask him what might be wrong.  By the time the sound was fixed my show was nearly over.  So, was I pissed?  No.  I still got paid.  Was I disappointed that I didn't provide better entertainment for the patrons?  Yes!

All that being said I did still warm a few peoples hearts with my music.  Below is a picture of my new fan Shannon who bought three of my albums:

Later that night I decided to take a picture with the cop who was stationed to drive around preventing drunken outbursts (small town vibe;-):

Saturday August 22, 2015: Caldwell Tavern Anniston, AL

Something that I discovered this night was that small towns can be ridiculously divided!  The people who hang out at Cheaha Brewery do not like the Caldwell Tavern.  Those who spend time at Caldwell do not like Cheaha.  So the plus side for me was that I got to perform in front of two opposite groups of people for my two nights in Anniston, AL.  

Sunday August 23, 2015 - I GOT LOCKED OUT.  I was supposed to be staying with a friend in Marietta, GA and his automatic door lock seemed to be broken.  I spend about 30 minutes trying to figure it out and then decided to go to a double feature (two movies) at a nearby theatre.  I haven't seen enough new releases this year anyhow!  My friend flew in around midnight and upon his arrival realized that the lock actually WAS broken.  (I had been concerned that my "blond" gene kicked in again;-).

My show on Monday August 24th happened to be canceled due to every single other band canceling so I ended up having one more day off.  But that same day I was contacted by a music booking company in Philly and they added one more show to my roster.  So it all evened out in the end.

Tuesday August 25th at Capri Theatre in Gaffney, SC:

I got to host the open mic night at this venue - meaning that I played 3 songs in between each artist and then introduced them as well.  I met some awesome people here, and saw a cool historic artifact in the middle of the town (the cabin of one of the town founders, preserved as it was.)

Here's a video of me singing "Let's Sing, Always" at the Capri:

Wednesday August 26th at Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN:

A picture of the two fabulous ladies who make up the band "Brief Awakening" -a band from Asheville, NC - who were on the bill with me that night:

I made some new friends/fans that night and three of them helped me load all my equipment back in my car after the show.  Here's a pic with one of them:

Thursday August 27th at WDVX's Blue Plate Special in Knoxville, TN:

This was quite possibly the most important show I've done in August - any show on the radio is nerve wracking because SO MANY people are listening to you.  I was incredibly nervous and I think I hid it quite well.  

Here's Robbie Fulks doing his soundcheck:

And me, pre-show:

Some pix/vid from during the show:

It was such an absolute pleasure to open for this guy.  I LOVED them.  So cool.

Now I'm in the green room waiting to soundcheck for my show at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia - It's amazing to actually HAVE a green room.  I'm moving up in the world!

Catch you all soon..

xo,
Elle

A Road Made of Lakes, SC & AL

Sunday Aug 16, 2015 The Rusty Rudder in Mount Pleasant, SC:

I enjoyed this show.  While many restaurant gigs are purely money-makers for a touring musician (I say "purely" because often the patrons think of you as their live juke-box) this restaurant seemed to have many music-loving patrons.  Besides getting paid, the customers clapped and the staff complimented me.  Fun stuff.

I had a few lovely days off in the Charleston, SC area and was excited to spend time with these munchkins:

The picture above was taken at the children's museum which was quite impressively set up, using scientific facts and experiments to create fun games for the kids.  Fun+knowledge = well rounded children. We made paper airplanes in their arts and crafts room.

AND that whole day rain was dumping down.  Apparently its quite normal for the streets of Charleston to flood.. Looking something like this:

We just barely managed to stay dry.. And making faces never gets old.

While in Charleston I was also able to visit the Boone Plantation which is a childhood dream of mine.  I used to watch the historic fiction series North & South (Patrick Swayze, Kirstie Alley, Forrest Whitaker, & many more peoples' big debuts as actors).  I am pretty sure that this plantation became so famous BECAUSE of North & South.  My childhood knowledge of American History definitely expanded as a result of the show.  Here's my favorite point of view:

Thanks brother Joe for taking me there!

And the next day it was time to head to Alabama for more shows.

Thursday Aug 21, 2015 Maggie Meyer's Irish Pub in Huntsville, AL:

Let me show you an example of how close I like to stay to the venues where I'm playing.  I find that the less stress involved the better my show will be.  

I stayed at an AirB&B and was very intrigued to find a green tea flavored KitKat bar.  My host must've gone abroad at some point.. Looked cool and tasted gross!

The show was good.  I was impressed by the caliber of minds who were in my audience that night.  First night in Alabama = success.

After another two hour drive down to Anniston, AL I have arrived at a gorgeous B&B which has maintained it's historic structure in an amazing way.  The fastest way to go upstairs to my room is via the old servants staircase, a gorgeous wooden winding thing! I feel like I'm staying at Downton Abbey.  Here's my room:

I am here for two nights, with two shows at different locations.  I'll let you know how it all goes in the next blog entry!

Until then..

Elle

The Carolinas Are Calling Me

Sunday Aug 9, 2015 Good Stuff in Marshall, NC:

Talk about a warm welcome - this place is a gorgeous small town and although the audience NUMBERS were low, the APPRECIATION was high.  Had a great time.  Looking forward to going back next year!

After the show I drove over to Celo, NC, which is a small community next to Burnsville.  For the next three nights I got to stay with some good family friends, go swimming in the most gorgeous of rivers, pick and eat fresh blueberries, breathe in the fresh air, and in between shows, relax.

Monday Aug 10, 2015 Crown Station Pub in Charlotte, NC:

This was probably the most disappointing show I've had on this leg of the tour, because the bar didn't seem to be a music-lovers-hang.  The customers seemed intent on watching reality tv.. However, I made one new fan who is extremely excited about my music, and the manager was very sweet.  It's most effective in these situations to live, learn and keep a positive attitude.

The next day it rained:

I had Tuesday Aug 11th off so we went to a different part of the beautiful river and swam some more.

Wednesday Aug 12, 2015 Front Street Public House in Burlington, NC:

I woke up early on this day to do a promotional interview with a radio station in Atlanta, GA for my Friday show in Decatur, GA (which I am at now; having arrived early I decided it was time for another blog entry :-).

Then, after a delicious breakfast of healthy pancakes, fresh blueberries, & freshly whipped cream, I packed up my car, bid farewell to my friends and hit the road.

The show on Front Street was a great time.  The bar was full of music lovers.  I made tips, sold merchandise and most importantly, connected to my crowd while I was performing.  

After the show I drove to Garner, NC where I got to stay with some more friends!

BTW: the placement of the above marshmallows was accidental!

We roasted Marshmallows, sipped red wine and conversed.  Right before bedtime they showed me their baby turtles! They are the cutest.  One of them stayed comfortably on my hand for ten minutes without wanting to run away.  I think it could sense that I have a pet tortoise at home :-) Miss you Czar!

The next morning on my way to Charleston, SC I stopped by my friend's work place, where they make magnets and stickers and certain objects which would be a great addition to my merch case!  We'll be in business soon.

Thursday Aug 13, 2015 The Mill in North Charleston, SC:

Me and my brother Joe catching up before my show:

This was a very cool and unique show because I was booked alongside another female singer-songwriter who was fabulous and slightly different than me, while coming from a similar background.  Here's a little video of her:

Here's a video of me, performing "Want You to Know":

ONE VERY COOL THING:

Check out this Root Beer.  It is ACTUAL beer.  6% alcohol and tastes exactly like Root Beer.  Amazing and delicious. 

I am now at the Java Monkey in Decatur, GA, about to start my show for the night.  I walked into the bathroom and I saw this:

I couldn't agree more.  Thanks for reading my blog everyone!  I'll check back in with you soon :-)

xo,
Elle