Hope Diamond

UniTunes in Houston

Ok, so I've been in a cave prepping for the big gig on Saturday night, whereupon it was Susan's return to the stage, cast in tow, and I was playing guitar for her. Which is a big deal because she is one of my favorite musicians on the planet. We shared the show with Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines. Who, as most of you know, are two of my other favorite musicians on the planet. Eek. Except by the time we were driving to the gig we had prepared up the wazoo and I wasn't nervous because when you do your homework you don't have to be. So there was that. We started off with our musical theater number, a 3 handed, 2 personed, 1 guitarred version of "Perfect World." After that we sailed through the set. Susan is a champ and picked up some harmonica prowess and also got good with a shaker. I imagine by the time she gets her cast off she'll be proficient at about 14 new instruments because she's good like that. Terri joined us for "Lovely When You Cry" and my own "For and Against" which was NIFTY... and then Lloyd came onstage too and we had a grand time finishing out the set. And then we got up to sing with Terri on her set for "Hole In My Pocket" and "Wind Me Up." And then it was over. And I was glad I did my homework. Thanks to Susan for the shot as her guitar player. Dang. Dan the Producer once told me about a basketball coach who would make his team run laps after they won games, because the best reward for a job done well is to keep working on what you do. So it's back to the geetar and charts today. More shows this weekend! Tomball, Marble Falls, and Luckenbach oh my!

Time Machine: Freshman Year of College

Scene of the class: Keller Hall This article is not one I remember reading back then, because I just showed up to class one day and didn't know what to expect. This was when I was a freshman in college and the class Susan performed in was my Music Appreciation 139 class. Thanks for my awesome current job, Professor Kostur, wherever you are... Dixie Chicks writer finds her own space - Albuquerque Journal November 02, 2001 Byline: Kevin Hopper FOR THE JOURNAL "I'm Susan the-girl-who-wrote-'Wide-Open-Spaces' Gibson now. Until I do something else." So says Susan Gibson talking about her place in the country/folk music industry and what she has to overcome now that she is on her own. The "Wide Open Spaces" she refers to is the smash hit Gibson wrote for the Dixie Chicks' 1998 debut album of the same name. The album went on to sell 11 million copies and gather many top awards, including a Grammy for Country Album Of The Year. While her song propelled the Dixie Chicks toward country greatness and became a bona fide commercial success, the Amarillo native's own music, which until recently has largely been made with her band the Groobees, tends to stick a little closer to the ground. "I feel really good about 'Wide Open Spaces' and its commercialness," Gibson said in a recent telephone interview. "And I feel good about the Dixie Chicks doing it, but the fact that that seems to be what you have to emulate in order to find a place (in the music industry), I don't like that." The Groobees split up in May, and rather than take an extended and much-deserved hiatus, Gibson has hit the road and will perform a number of gigs in Albuquerque, starting tonight with a performance at Kellys Brewing. She plays Saturday at Tractor Brewing Company in Las Lunas and again in Albuquerque Sunday at Johnny's Restaurant. In addition to that, Gibson is taking time to drop by music appreciation class at the University of New Mexico this morning. "I'm still kind of in the midst of extricating from the Groobees, but I felt compelled, even if it was for my own good, to (continue performing)," Gibson said. "It would have been easy to find a lot of reasons to take a break. It was important for me to not quit just because the Groobees did." Gibson is due in the studio in early March and shows a strong interest in breaking away from both the Groobees and her status of "the girl who wrote 'Wide Open Spaces.' '' The 29-year-old Gibson said she respects folk-legend-in-the-making Ani DiFranco and ideally would like to pattern her career after DiFranco's. Gibson's resolve to form a new identity will probably come to her much easier than most other artists. She's already got a country hit and a stable of Groobee songs that display her songwriting abilities. Unfortunately, she has to deal with an industry that molds and shapes artists as it sees fit. Gibson again alluded to DiFranco and her ability to be seemingly in total control of her own destiny. "The number one thing that Ani DiFranco does is believe what she says and stands by her guns," Gibson stated emphatically. "I mean, that's No. 1. That's human."

Hello February

I am coming up with the lamest blog titles lately. I've been here in Austin/Wimberley a lot, so life is going as usual I suppose. This weekend was fun, with Susan playing 2 sold-out shows in the speakeasy-like atmosphere of Oma's Secret Garden, a cool venue in New Braunfels owned by my friends Tracy and Paul. They were CD Preview shows, and the first night had Gabe Rhodes playing with Suz - he's producing her new record. Very excited about all of it. Also Oma's had Terri Hendrix's overalls on display. Just sitting there. I laughed. They are cool like Terri. On Sunday we drove up to Fort Worth for the Clubhouse Concerts Benefit show...it's a neat listening room above the White Elephant Saloon, and every year this benefit show funds the series. I songswapped with Susan and Ali Holder, which was very fun. I didn't even fall off my stool, which I was nervous about, because I'm a klutz. Anyway, we hung out for a bit and then drove all the way back. I could sleep for about 3 days straight I think. I'm bracing myself because in 2 weeks it's off to Folk Alliance in Memphis and Nashville. Bring it, Tennessee.

Goodness.

Oh yeah, this whole blog thing I've been doing for 3 years. I haven't forgotten! 2010 has been interesting to say the least. Some life things just require that you take some time off from your own self-imposed pressures and that is what I am doing. But I am back, blogging, and things are reaching full steam ahead momentum again. And I learned "Happy Birthday" on the ukelele for Susan. Happy Birthday, Boss! The gigs are starting to pick up with me as merch girl/tour manager/merch manager/tour monkey/whatever...I need an encompassing title. Monkey fits, as long as people think kindly of monkeys. This weekend I opened for Susan in Austin (it's been a while since I played my own town, weird), and Susan played an awesome house concert in Kerrville last night. Here we are with our host, Paula, after the show when we had already put on our cold weather hoodies and I had donned my drive-home-hat, haha. As for the rest of 2010, which I deem really starts in February because January never counts, there promises to be tons of good stuff happening. If I can keep all my plates spinning at once, that is. - I'm going to be booking a couple more artists, starting soon, and I'll say more soon. That makes me a "booking agent." That means I am closer to actually "paying bills" reliably haha. - My long-time co-conspirator Josh and I are finishing up some projects under our newly founded 20Something Media company; our first physical release of a documentary made by Josh comes soon! - Susan's tour schedule is filling...first up out of state is Folk Alliance in Memphis and Nashville in February. I'm excited about New York in March and Virginia in April, too...still working on those dates. - MY OWN RECORD, yeah that one, is getting there! Dan and I will get some background vocals by the fabulous Katie this week and mix away. It's sounding good. It's sounding like growth, which is what I asked for. So there it is...much happening. I didn't chart this path for myself when I moved to Texas, but I love everything about it so far. Forward motion breeds opportunity. Perseverance breeds success. Happy to be blogging.

Rules of Engagement: The Merch Table

All right, so my oldest and dearest job title with what all I do nowadays is Merch Girl. I started this little escapade about a year and a half ago, and while I've stacked on more responsibility, this one remains an important part of the tour day. Be present. When it's appropriate, like at a louder venue where people aren't just sitting and listening quietly, I stay at the merch table the whole time because people will come by immediately after particular songs and ask if they can buy that song. It's good to give people immediate gratification and it probably seals the deal a lot faster than forcing them to remember what song they wanted out of the 20 they heard. They're all my favorite but try this one. People ask me my favorite all the time, and since all of the albums on the table are like unique little snowflakes full of goodness and wonder, I can't pick. But I always do for the sake of giving the buyer some direction. They don't really care what MY favorite is, they just want some decision-making help. Know thy merch. It's not hard for me, because I love Susan's records. I came into the job already studied up on each album. It's been a big help when people will come up and say, "I like the tree song, where is it?" or "the one that goes something like, 'doo doo duh nuh dooooo,' I want that one." People get a kick out of an exuberant salesperson. I've had to sell merch for other artists that I've just met sometimes if it's a shared gig, and it's a LOT harder to even begin when I'm not familiar with their material. Some nights, it pays the rent. Ideally, if I'm doing my other job as the booker well, this is not the case, but...some nights the merch sales are what make the difference between the artist walking away with zero profit after paying the band and buying the gas to get to the gig versus walking out with an ok payday. I try to make this a rare occurrence, but that's how the gig cookie crumbles sometimes. (So if you're ever on the fence about buying a CD at a show and the charming Merch Girl doesn't convince you, think about this paragraph). Be part of the show. I find it always helps when people know me as "The Merch Girl." When I'm a character in this traveling road show that people come to see, it can be an extra bit of uniqueness to the concert-goer and potential merch buyer. Be a good example. When I'm at the merch table, which is sometimes in the back and sometimes front and center in the room, I try to be a good spectator. It helps that I love listening anyway, but I'm always aware that I need to show the respect to the performer that I expect the audience to give the performer. Sometimes it can't be helped (see point number one, when someone wants to buy something in the middle of the show), but overall I'm sharing in the experience the crowd is having, and that makes things work smoothly. And I have been known to give death-stares to really loud and/or rude people who are getting in the way of people's listening. There we go; some more notes from the road. I'm fortunate that my excitement and support for what I sell is 100% genuine. Your mileage may vary, but these things seem to work for us. I did get promoted to Super Merch Girl after all.

End O' The Year

I'm behind! I am in New Mexico for the holidays. I have been napping a lot. Thus is vacation. The gig year ended nicely in Ben Wheeler, Texas...which I had never heard of until they booked Susan. Cute little town near Tyler...go check it out. Moore's Store is the venue there, and the SG Trio took the stage in fine form. I set up THE LAST MERCH TABLE OF THE YEAR, too. Michael O'Connor, Susan Gibson, David Carroll Christmas in Ben Wheeler! Then we drove all night to get home, and I helped by waking up every so often and saying, "ARE YOU AWAKE?" and then Susan would say "Yes," and then I'd sleep again. I'm useful like that. She's prepping to record a new album, I'm prepping to finish mine, and I think she'll probably beat me at getting a product done. She's quick like that. We'll both have records out in the spring, which is fun. Maybe everyone who buys a Susan Gibson record will magically get a free Jana record because that's how I will market myself with stealth infiltration of folk fans' minds. Hehheh. Just kidding. BUY MY RECORD. Anyway...green chile in some format awaits me. More later.

Panhandle Hauntings

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I like it because I think it's one of the least commercialized holidays, in that you can only up-sell someone so much on a cornucopia. I had a great time in Amarillo, hanging out at the Nat Ballroom for a live taping that will be part of the new Root 66 series...it is a TV show brainstormed by a collective of very talented Albuquerque filmmakers, musicians, and such. They asked Susan to film an episode, and no better place than in her hometown. When we rolled into the venue I knew my friend Matt Jones, a great singer-songwriter also from the ABQ area code, would be there. What I didn't know is that my buddy Josh was riding along with Matt. Josh and I used to be intern together at PBS in Albuquerque...and NEITHER of us knew that our former boss at KNME, Tony, was part of the crew that day. So it was a very impromptu and fun reunion. Tony even interviewed Susan, weird collision of worlds. Former boss interviews current boss. The show was awesome, all of the artists including Matt and Susan and Jenn Grinels and Rodney Branigan did great. Afterwards, they wanted to film some intro footage in the boiler room in the basement of the ballroom...which is a terribly old building (I mean, it has a BOILER ROOM for crying out loud), and this basement was the spookiest place I have ever been in. Apparently there are ghosts in this place as it used to be a gambling hall and a swimming pool at various times in its life, among other things. The floor was dirt and had rusted metal things laying around, there were cobwebs all over and nails poking through the ceiling from the floorboards above us. You would never catch me down there alone. SSSSHHHHH!!!! Luckily, we were there with about 10 people and a floodlight for the camera, so I felt pretty safe from the ghosties. Susan filmed a hysterical intro reminiscent of Scooby Doo or the like. Then we hightailed it upstairs again, to not disturb the spirits. You never know what you'll run into with this crazy job.

Two Hometowns

So Susan's got a song called "Two Hometowns" which, taken out of context, applies to our trip this past weekend. The first stop was Amarillo, her old stomping grounds, where she played at the Golden Light and I witnessed something I thought I'd never see: a partial Groobees reunion. I first found Susan through the Groobees records because that's all that was available my freshman year of college. She hadn't quite released the solo record yet, I don't think. So I had every song memorized, and was a big fan of the band as a unit. Gary Thomason, the guitarist in the band, lives in Amarillo so he played with Susan at the Golden Light this weekend. He is amazing. He can play anything and he hops around like a 7-year-old on Pop Rocks and Dr. Pepper. It's awesome to see. They were joined for a tune by Todd Hall, the Groobees drummer, hence the "reunion," hence my fangirl glee. If you can get yourself a used copy of any Groobees CD, do so. They sound great. Then it was off to my hometown of Albuquerque for the yearly house concert we deem "The JP Project," whereupon my friends from all walks of life show up and we have a reunion of our own. A lot of them know Susan by now, so as the special guest there was some familiarity but also a lot of hilarity because we do things like talk in British accents and I collect ceramic pigs and she puts change in them for my 401k plan. It was another great show and it's nice all those folks have stuck with me since moving to Texas, which...well, I'll say it...most New Mexicans hate Texas, haha. They tolerate the transplants who come back for green chile, though. We kidnapped our friends Amy and Kate and took them along to show them the views and make them haul our gear. They are impressively accommodating! Kate also plays a mean guitar, so we made her play for her bottled water. You never know what will happen or what hitchhikers you'll pick up. And now my tasks involve a lot of booking for next year and paperwork and web site work and yadda yadda. I will probably take a break on my birthday and sleep. Oh yeah, we're working on EP 2 this week, too! More on that, too....

Spooks in Little Rock

So I've been quiet, I guess! Since Nashville it's been kind of non-stop and such. No excuse for not blogging, though. Maybe I just needed a little mini-vacation. I'm almost 27, for crying out loud...I'm old and slow, haha. So yes, Nashville was cool and I will write more about my thoughts on that town later. We're going back in February and I'm excited. We spent Halloween in Little Rock, playing a show and scaring people. Actually, our costumes, put together an hour before the show at a Wal-Mart near you...were awesome. Although things you snark on backfire sometimes. At Wal-Mart: J: "Hey Susan, wouldn't it be hysterically lame to have a fitted sheet for my Super Merch Girl costume? Hahahaha." Later at the show: S: "Um this sheet is fitted. Who picked out this sheet?" J: "Oops." Which just adds to the character of the Super Merch Girl ensemble, I say. Susan fashioned a grand logo in red and yellow and silver duct tape. Then I spray painted her glittery gold because her costume was that she went platinum in Nashville. WIN!

All the Way to Tennessee

Oh hello. I thought I'd take a break from looking for a record deal here in Nashville to write a blog post. I've been pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, hoping that someone in this town will recognize my potential as the next Taylor Swift. I'm just kidding, but I am in Nashville. We had a great drive out here, with shows at Studio Joe in Little Rock, AR and Hot Springs, AR as well as Memphis. Somewhere in Arkansas Susan and I songswapped in Hot Springs, something we have done before but haven't done in a very long time. It was fun, because we have all kinds of dirt to tell on each other from stage. Just kidding. We also know all of each other's songs, which helps. View from the songswap. Then in Memphis Susan did a true "in the round" with some nice folks. I had forgotten how musically influential Memphis is, and could only yell out "SUN RECOOOORDS!" when we passed the legendary studio. Maybe next time we can tour Graceland and see the Jungle Room. The Otherlands in Memphis Then we proceeded to Nashville where Susan had another "in the round" show with Jane Bach, Yvonne Perea, and Kelly Fitzgerald at The Bluebird. Jane is known for her hits with Reba McEntire and Jo Dee Messina, so that was fun to hear. And it was cool to see everyone's styles go back and forth. The show was sold out and there was a line out the door - The Bluebird is famous as a listening room, and every seat in the place was accounted for. I had to set up merch sales on the host podium. After the show there was another one starting, and I was asked by some normal looking guy if I would sell her merch. I explained I was not working the whole night, just for Susan's show. So I glanced at his CD and his name was Tony Arata, who kind of wrote "The Dance" for Garth Brooks. That really, really famous song. Dangit, I should have said I'd sell them! Sorry, Tony. Anyway, I'm currently supposed to be working on a project but I'm blogging instead. Right. Now you're all caught up.

Last Day in NYC

Monday we woke up in Boston, got delivered to the train station by our wonderful host, and once again found ourselves on a new form of transportation. At 10:45 AM we approached the Fung Wah Bus counter in Boston's South Station. The tickets ladies looked at us and said, "To New York?" "Yes." "Fifteen dollars each. Gate 25. Leaves at 11." Well ok then. We were on a Chinatown bus to New York City. Known for their cheapness, some of our friends were convinced we'd end up in a Mafia plot or something. I was a bit nervous, but as we boarded we found awesome purple upholstery and a perfectly ok ride. We stopped for a bit in Fairfield, CT, where I miraculously scored a Connecticut pig at the McDonalds/travel center rest stop on our 10 minute break. I had a pig homing device in my brain working overtime, apparently. We drove into NYC at about 4 PM, and the views from the giant bus windows were amazing. Check out that giant graveyard. I guess we all gotta go somewhere. That night we went to an open mic hosted by a friend at Cafe Vivaldi right along Bleecker Street, mecca of folkies in the 60's. Very fun. Then we wandered about 35 yards into Central Park before we decided that, unlike the rest of NYC at 12:30 AM, it was strangely dark and empty in there. So we went to Times Square instead. And it was bright. Really, really bright. It was a good way to end our time in New York City...I loved how busy it was, how everything was at your fingertips at every time of day, how navigable it was, how we felt like we could handle the subway 3 days in. Everyone should try it, the Big Apple is something to behold. We'll be back next year!

Getting to Pennsylvania

All right, back to the tour recap. Since getting back I've been a little preoccupied with car-shopping and sleeping since I kind of had a run in with tree before we left, and I kind of picked up a cold in New York. Anyway... On Friday we had to get to Pennsylvania. I posted our train and bus schedule below...the miraculous thing is that is all worked! We only had one trip up standing on the wrong corner in Philadelphia, causing us to miss one bus. Thankfully it ran every half hour and we made sure we had plenty of time to spare, so it was no big deal. We drove through Valley Forge National Park, which made my day...I so wanted to pull that yellow cord on the bus so we could pull over and I could see where Washington and his troops quartered for the winter, but alas...another time. It was a gorgeous bus trip, though. When we got to Phoenixville, we sat outside on the street for their First Friday celebration. Very fun. The gig itself was great as always...Susan charmed the crowd including a nun, who even appreciated the cuss words. Or at least she was cool enough to let them slide by. That night we stayed with some friends in Wilmington, Delaware, which was a state I was not expecting to visit -- and I will admit -- really EVER expecting to visit. In college I made a joke about Delaware not really existing because I had never met anyone from there. Now I have, and it was lovely. Also, the next day at the train station, I scored a Delaware ceramic pig. The odds of finding a ceramic pig for my collection at 7 AM in a train station newsstand are pretty low...he is a treasured porker. Carry on...

East Coast Episode 1

Headed to Boston

Whoa. We've had an amazing tour up here on the East coast so far. I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of either a) living in NYC for 4 months which means I need thousands of dollars or a benefactor b) living in a little fishing village in Connecticut for 4 months and learning how to sail a boat I'm sure I'll add Boston to my list once we're there. We've had fantastic luck with trains and busses and subways so far...none missed and arriving with time to spare at all our shows. That what was most on my mind when in "road managing" mode...which I guess in this instance turns into "track managing." On Thursday we took a subway down to Times Square, talked to some rappers (because they all approach you trying to sell their latest project), gave some tourists some directions, took some people's photos...the usual, haha. The show at Rockwood Music Hall was great - Susan and I both had friends show up that made the evening a great one. Who knew I knew so many people in NYC? More soon on the Pennsylvania - New Jersey leg...we're close to our South Station stop in Boston, and on to the next show!

Big Apple!

Times Square Day 2 in NYC and we have been good little tourists. Last night we caught some jazz music after wandering up Broadway, ate at Tom's Restaurant (from the Suzanne Vega song and of Seinfeld fame), and today we subwayed to Times Square and back and ate Korean food. Not bad for less then 24 hours in to our landing. Tonight is the big show at Rockwood Music Hall! Ceramic pig: located.

NYC Tomorrow

Land of Mañana = chile. It REALLY does not seem like it is time for us to go to New York City already. This tour was in the wee planning stages this summer and all of the sudden here we are, autumn on the east coast. I'm pretty excited. I'm pretty freaked out at our train schedule on Friday to get from NYC to Phoenixville, PA outside Philadelphia: - Leave West 125th Street Station: Take the A train from 125 Street station heading Downtown / to Far Rockaway - Get off at 34 Street - Penn Station - Take the NJ Transit - Northeast Corridor Line from New York - Penn Station heading to Trenton - Get off at TRENTON - Take the R7 Line from Trenton station heading to Chestnut Hill East - Get off at 30th Street – PHILADELPHIA - From 30th Street Station Take Bus 125 to Valley Forge - - Get off at KING OF PRUSSIA PLAZA – Take Bus 139 to Philadelphia Premium Outlet/Limerick - Arrive at MAIN ST BRIDGE ST, PHOENIXVILLE stop That is just FRIDAY. I think the other days have a lot less hopping around. But really. I grew up in New Mexico, where the few buses that did run were late all the time. Land of Mañana is what we called it. So this is slightly new. Between now and then we need to figure out how Susan and I are going to pack all our clothes into one bag. Egads. And then get to the airport. And then take off. And then land in New. York. City. Sweeeet!

Music Everywhere

I am so behind. I feel good about it, though, because there's lots of things stirring in my pot of projects. I just spent the morning at Whole Foods and saw Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines play for HAAM Benefit Day - the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. That program does great things for a large part of the community in this town. They cover my teeth, yo, because my normal insurance does not...they help out a lot. This weekend's set of Susan gigs was awesome...I had my 2 weeks off from the tour life so it was good to hop in and go for some neat shows. Suz songswapped with Beth Wood, who is someone you all should see live as soon as possible. She's the real deal. That was in Possum Kingdom Lake, where I saw no possums, but I did see a lake. This house concert was in a COOL house. Beth Wood and Susan Gibson! Friday night Susan joined forces with Michael O'Connor who is one of my favorite people as well as guitarists. They played a great show at Dosey Doe in Houston, whereupon we wandered in a pawn shop before the show and I could have dropped a good chunk of change on DVDs, guitars, and gold watches. I never even knew I needed a gold watch. Or an accordian. Michael O!! Susan sang with Kyle Hutton for his CD release gig. Saturday was one of my favorite venues for a Susan show - the White Elephant Saloon in Fort Worth. This means...FULL BAND. The energy in the room was potent. I spent all night filming things for one of those aforementioned projects Susan and I are working on. I had four cameras going at once...we'll see how it all turned out. Also, the lighting all weekend was GOOD. I am only a good photographer when other people light things well. Don't ask me to do it. Tomorrow I fly to Albuquerque, where I have to ready the first real toast I have ever given at a wedding, for my best friend Jamie. I hope I can be witty and touching and all that while making everyone cry, but not crying myself. Hm. I'll be back in Austin on Monday, have Tuesday to get ready, and then on Wednesday we FLY TO NEW YORK CITY! So excited for this string of gigs. It seems like only this summer when I was on the phone constantly booking these shows. Wait, it was only this summer. Things come up fast.