Tour Diary • 2002
december 26, 2002
So, today is the day after Christmas. our travels were dampened by my being Very Very sick. i had some kind of horrid bacteria or virus that caused me to be in extreme pain and have difficulty eating anything. i was Very sick for 13 days. the whole time we were rehearsing and recording "bound" in nyc, i was sick. it was not as fun as i had anticipated. i was in so much abdominal pain that using my diaphragm to sing the oh-so-difficult vocal for bound was excruciating. singing has never before been painful for me. it was really intense. and i really don't know how i did it. but the folks in the booth said it worked. and when i heard it i thought they were right. so somehow, there is this miraculously beautiful and intense recording of bound, very soon to be available for you all. i am so thankful. i am so thankful for my most gracious producer, denise barbarita, my most excellent musicians, rich and jay, and my lovely stay-up- with-me-all-night-through-the-pain littlebird. thanks guys. i don't know how i would have gotten the recording done without you.
(also, we got an extra last minute nyc show for new years eve at the c-note... details at left...)
so when i got to my mom's house in rhode island it was all about me being sick instead of all about the holidays and family. i saw doctors and got tests... i was in the emergency room for 6 hours monday. i saw too many horrible things there. of course i am an uninsured musician. nobody knows what i had. but they know it's going away now. funny, i could tell that too. they say it was a virus or bacteria and maybe the antibiotics they gave me helped or maybe it had just run its course. supposedly i am fine. but i am Very Very weak now. i was losing about a pound a day for a bit there... Finally, on Christmas, i was actually able to eat regular food. i was SO thankful to be with my grandparents and to eat the holiday meal. SO thankful. and i am SO thankful to all of you for your prayers and kind emails telling me to get well. it really really helps. thanks!!! so my holidays are all about suffering and thankfulness. the pain and the blessings. celebrate the darkness and pray for peace.
i am now just trying to rest up for my shows this weekend. i am so looking forward to seeing old familiar faces at the rhode island show. it will be a blast. Kevin, Littlebird and I will be collaborating quite a bit, so it will be a very rare kind of show. hope to see you there!
all the love, kristi
december 15, 2002
hello wonderful people,
we're about to hit the road again. it's truly crazy here this weekend. friday night it was raining in buckets and we had a show in Pacifica. now, pacifica is only 25 miles from our oakland home. normally it might take 40 minutes to get there, an hour during friday traffic. but this was wretched traffic. it took us 1.5 hours just to get to the bridge. so although we weren't that far from home, we felt like we were already on the road... nonetheless, we had a sweet show. Salada Beach Cafe is a cute little place with a warm friendly community. we played two sets, chatted with old and new fans and had yummy soup afterwards. and it stopped raining for our load into the car after that show! whoooo hoooooo!
saturday we played a bEASTfest show! we were so happy to be a part of it. we played a short set at Blake's in Berkeley. rather unfortunately, folks at blake's told people who called asking when i started that all the music started at 10:30, when really my set started at 9:30, so people did in fact arrive at 10:30.... but there were a fair number of people there for our set. and they really liked it. littlebird has started playing conga again, and we added conga to Fly, Hooker, and Through That Door for this set. it was fabulous.
so today we are mad packers. trying to remember everything for our holidays back east with our families. we are recording the bound single on thursday! can you believe it? how time flies!! i can't wait to hear the nyc band playing on it. it will be a work- filled week, but really fun. then littlebird is off to her family in VA and i am off to mine in RI. we will meet up again after Christmas for an extra special house concert on December 28th. Kevin Silvia, Littlebird, and I will be playing, and we will all do some covers together, and Matt Silvia will be there too, so he'll probably join us on something as well. it will be most excellent! then i'm off to NH for a show at The Sad Cafe, near the other half of my family. and then we head back in NYC for the new year and then fly back home.
SO...
if you're here in the bay you've got lots of shows to come see in January! it's my birthday month and it's a big birthday for me. i might even tell you how old i am at the shows. i'll be playing three (count em' - 3!) shows in SF and one at the most excellent Genghis Cohen in LA (i SO hope you'll come support me at this great venue, so we can get me there regularly!). and i Might be playing Cayuga Vault again. it's still tentative... anyhoo, hope you're having the most blessed winter solstice. celebrate the darkness and pray for peace!
smooches kristi
november 23, 2002
ohmagawd! i can't believe it's taken me This long to write here since that fabulous
house concert! we been busy! so let's see...
the show was just excellent! Hogan, the Norwegian rock star, was great. we were bummed when he broke a string on the 4th song, because we wanted to hear more. many many new faces. it was just a fun show! a perfect house for a house concert. and Donna and Gadi were the perfect hosts. and #1 fan Lisa was the perfect door person. Littlebird played conga on a few songs which is a new addition to our sound. it's very nice indeed. so the encore, Hands and My Name, had improvisational conga added which made me very happy.
we left the next day and drove and drove and ate sushi and organic apples and organic chocolate covered raisins and roasted soybeans from Wild Oats grocery store. we listened to lots of Joni (Ladies..., Blue, Court and Spark, Turbulent Indigo) after we listened to the third cd of Prince's Emancipation (my favorite of the 3-cd set).
Monday, we drove up to Sacramento for a tv show recording. it was fun. it is strange to have so many video cameras on you at once. and i was unfortunately able to see the screen the whole time we were playing, so i had to try to block it out to focus on the music. radio is so much easier in that regard. this was our first tv thing. please check it out!! it will be aired on Tuesday December 3 at 8pm and Tuesday December 17 at 8pm on cable channel 73. i'd love to hear what you think of it.
we're having our wares on sale tomorrow at the RISD art sale in SF. we've got some bay area and new england gigs in december, and we're recording the bound single in nyc december 19th. order your copy now! it's a limited edition cd single that you won't want to miss, and the proceeds go to the recording of my next full-length cd. i myself can't wait to hear it.
that's all for now.
peace and pizza, kristi
november 16, 2002
hey folks! we're looking forward to tonight's Santa Monica house concert! this place is beautiful! yesterday's drive was fine. we talked and i knitted and we listened to a mix cd we made and to Prince's Emancipation, or at least 2 thirds of it. it is three cd's long! and i personally would have edited a few songs out. but i do like some of it a lot... i'll let you know how the show goes!
smooches, kristi
november 3, 2002
hey folks,
so...plans are well underway for the mini holidays back east tour and the bound single recording session in december as well as a fine santa monica house concert coming
up in november and a tv program recording happening in november but probably being aired in december... all the deets will be arriving here and to your inboxes shortly!
for 2003, we have the coming of the lyric book, and fundraising for the next CD, and several tour plans underway. in january littlebird and i will be staying in california, with concerts up and down the coast. in february we will head to new mexico, arizona and again the california coast. in march and april, we will be heading to the midwest and the northeast for another marathon tour. and in may we are heading to the northwest, including some places we've never ever been before!
soon to come to the website will be the autumn newsletter, which you've received if you're on the mailing list, but which you need to see even if you're just visiting here for the first time, because...well... it includes plans for the new cd and ways you can help.
lately, i've been listening to Kristin Hersh's Sunny Border Blue a LOT. i love it. i think the first song on that disc will enter my repertiore at some point, as will her Throwing Muses oldy, Hate My Way... also, I just got Gillian Welch's CD Time (the Revelator) and I've been loving it. did you know that Kevin Silvia, Matt Silvia, Dave Rawlings and I all have something in common? We all went to North Smithfield Junior/Senior High School at the same time. in case you don't know, Dave is Gillian's partner and they've been winning awards for their exquisite music. Kevin and Matt are brothers who I played a lot of music with during high school and still do so occassionally. also, i just got Lauryn Hill's unplugged cd and it's just amazing. i can't recommend it highly enough. so go buy it and give it a good hard listen.
also, i've been knitting SLR hats (more details in the soon-to-come newsletter), and Littlebird has been reading "a people's history of the united states" out loud to me while i knit... people's history is a must-read if you care about the real history of our country, so i highly recommend it as well!
love to you, kristi
october 17, 2002
hey there!
we're home! did i tell you about our new mascot, Dylan? he's a stuffed green and purple dragon, i mean dinosour, i mean, he doesn't really know which he is... we think maybe his mom was a dragon and his dad was a dino... anyhoo, he's really cute, and he's really happy that we're home now! we got him at Antigone Books when we were in Tucson...
from SD we drove to Santa Barbara. we listened to Prince's Lovesexy, but we also talked a lot and didn't listen to much else... we stayed with my friend there and then we were off again... although we'd planned to camp near the ocean for a mini- vacation during our mini-tour, we instead decided we were too tired and drove all the
way home to Oakland on Tuesday... we slept and slept and slept on wednesday and then we went to my intern's house to gather our beloved cats and have burgers at the Burger Joint, a great san francisco restaurant that serves free-range hormone-free meats and has the best burgers and fries and shakes. ...now that the cats are home, our home is complete.
and after 6 days of Gus Balon's and other far less-appealing road-food, we're doing a week-long cleansing juice fast. we are going to be squeaky clean!
peace and carrot juice, kristi
october 13, 2002
hallo most dear fans,
lil'b and me are in san diego again with my friend, matt... we just had sushi and now we're watching jeff buckley live in chicago on dvd. he sure could play and sing and be a beautiful freak. we drove from tucson today and listened to Sly and the Family Stone's Anthology, the Sweet Relief benefit cd for Victoria Williams, and Ani DiFranco's Out of Range, but then talked so much we didn't listen... i finished the 6th SLR hat today. yesterday we played a kickass set at Tucson Pride and made some new fans. we then heard a local Tucson Madonna cover band. it was a little odd really, but we queers do love Madonna... we had much fun there. we succeeded in going to Gus Balon's every single day we were in tucson (except today cuz they're closed on sundays - we went to Ginni's, a very wonderful French restaurant). on friday we had a day off. we hung out on 4th ave and spent too much money at antigone books - a very fine feminist bookstore. on thursday we played a show outside of Aroma Tree, an aromatherapy shop. it was casual and sweet. we had sushi with the owner of Aroma Tree, Sonia, before the show... she is great. we bought some of her wonderful soap too. and that is the brief summary of the events of the week in Tucson. we love seeing our Tucson friends. we hope to play at Tucson Pride again next year. and we'll be driving up the california coast the next couple days, just for our pleasure. yippppeeeee! see you all soon.
xo
kristi
october 9, 2002
hey there!
me and lil'b are having dinner with her tucson friends. we met their ridgeback, sula, when she was brand new and tiny. now she's huge! so anyhoo, let's see... me and lil'b played at the biz monday night, and it was pretty good for a monday! we met some nice people and played a bunch and found we were very tired from the nighttime travels the night before... we ate at gus balon's again on tuesday morn. then we played in the courtyard at townsend middle school for maybe 6 classes. it was fun. they asked us all kinds of questions, like who are your influences and what's your favorite food. and we've been listening to p.m. dawn's jesus wept while driving 'round town. then we had pizza with my tucson friends, and i worked on the fourth SLR hat.
it's almost done. this morn we had to get up Early to sing for a 1st period choir at flowing wells high school. we played and they asked lots of questions too, like how long we've been playing together and what we do to prepare for a performance. they were a class of all girls. they were really sweet and we hope to see them at tomorrow's show and at Tucson Pride on saturday...
more soon! peace and pizza, kristi
october 7, 2002
on friday when the sky is blue and i have nothing else to do i often wonder if it's true that who is what and what is who...
um, well, actually, on friday, we went to the yummiest of italian restaurants, called fab's, in sherman oaks, for lunch, and we ate so much we didn't even want dinner. then we drove through the slowest of slow traffic to long beach for our house concert at kevin's beautiful old house. we listened to tori's under the pink and something else that neither of us can remember... at the concert was a small but really warm crowd. very conversational. my "#1 fan" was there, and we asked her to write our set list, which she was very happy to do. :) littlebird and i played one of littlebird's songs, Procrastination, with me playing piano accompaniment, for the first time. actually, it was the first time we ever even got through the whole song before, so i was impressed that it happened as well as it did.
in the morning we had crepes on 2nd street per kevin's recommendation, and drove to san diego. we listened to patty griffin's unreleased album and liked it a lot. then we listened to incubus' make yourself because matt silvia and i planned to sing "the warmth" that night at hot monkey love cafe, and i needed to refresh my memory of the words. matt is my friend from high school! we used to play songs together when we were like 15.
we got to matt's new apt by the bay in pacific beach and got sushi, and littlebird realized that she and matt have the same exact guitar. we went to the beach and practiced the indigo girls' kid fears and the warmth. a sunbather came over and thanked us profusely for kid fears... then we got ready for the shows and went to 6 degrees to sing a few songs a cappella. people loved hearing us. after our set a percussion group played and asked us to sing with them, so littlebird sang a canto to Elleggua.
then we went to hot monkey love cafe for our next gig. the folks running things there are so sweet! and their brand new cafe is a great space. we sang and sang and matt joined us for those two songs and we saw someone play a bit after us too. he was playing 50's style rock and blues and was pretty good. then we headed back to matt's, ate pizza, and watched purple rain. i hadn't seen it in quite some time. it was much fun.
we left too late the next day... partly cuz we slept late, partly cuz things kept keeping
us there. like matt's bandmate, cath, cooking us yummy breakfast, and my clothes drying slowly in the dryer, and matt's guitar ending up in our car after we left... but we did make it to tucson late last night. there was lots of lightning as we drove into town. and the sky opened up rain just after we got all our stuff inside. amazingly beautiful. and now we're here, getting ready for tonight's show at the biz. we had the most wonderful country breakfast at gus balon's this morn. i will suggest to you again that if you ever travel to tucson, you need to eat at gus balon's. :)
hopefully some of the nice folks who know me in tucson will come out on this lovely monday eve to see us. it's good to be here.
peace and cinnamon buns, kristi
october 4, 2002
hello good people!
Me and LilB hit the road again after a fabulously fun show at Bazaar cafe Wednesday night. We sang only two of my songs together, and LilB sang one song solo, but we sure had fun. Many great performances and many friendly fans.
Yesterday we got a late start on 5 heading to Sherman Oaks to stay with my #1 fan (and moderator of the new Kristi Martel discussion group!). But we made it here before it became Friday, so that's good. I knit another SLR hat while LilB drove. We listened to Kirk Franklin's Whatcha Lookin' 4, Prince's Dirty Mind, Holly Figueroa's Dream in Red, Noe Venable's Are You Talkin' to Me?, Crowded House' Woodface, Peter Gabriel's Security, and Tori Amos' Under the Pink. We coincidentally stopped at the exact same gas stations we stopped at during the last trip, but other than that, it was uneventful.
Can't wait for the show tonight. I really hope to see some of you there, as I know last minute shows like this are hard to attend.... Take care everybody.
Peace and mushroom turnovers,
kristi (& Littlebird)
september 19, 2002
hallo good people!
Littlebird and i drove down to santa monica on monday and did far more talking than listening to music. we did listen to the Sugarcubes' Life's Too Good though. and i spent some time knitting my first Sealed Lip Records hat, while Littlebird drove. it's an all wool one-of-a-kind hat that i will auction off at a show sometime soon. there are going to be many many hats made by yours truly. so brace yourself.
littlebird and i spent much of tuesday at the beach! we got burned! i knit my bright blue hat, yes, by the ocean in southern california. and we went swimming in the ocean and had a nice picnic made for us by our wonderful santa monica house concert
host!
santa monica finally got to hear Littlebird sing with me (yaay!), and i finally got to meet and hear Edie Carey live, instead of through emails and CDs. she is amazing!! there is also a little competition going between one Socal fan and one Bay Area fan (both in attendance tuesday night!) about who's been to more concerts. the running totals are 7 shows and 10 shows. the Socal fan is in the lead. other notable audience members were the 7-show fan's sister all the way from france (!) and a friend i haven't seen in 11 years, from my days at bard college!
Jen and Laure, the hosts of the house concert, are just the most generous people i've ever met. their house concerts are fabulous! i highly recommend you attend any and all of their house concerts. i know jean mann will be back there in a week or so, Kym Tuvim and Holly Figueroa just played there, and Allette Brooks is playing there in December...
meanwhile, i'm still scheduling things for the early october tour through socal and tucson. details will be posted here soon, i promise!
on the way home yesterday, i knit my hat when i wasn't driving, and littlebird and i listened to the Sugarcubes, Sinead O'Conner's the Lion and the Cobra, Throwing Muses' first album (do you see the Kristi's high school collection theme?), Bill Withers greatest, and Prince's Around the World in a Day. then we took a music listening break and talked about Prince's sex addiction. Please post any thoughts you have on the subject in the dreambook (guestbook)! i'm most interested.
peace and boysenberries, kristi
september 9, 2002
hey good people,
i'm back home now. i got to see some favorite fans. thanks for coming to my 14 below show, lisa and gary! i had fun getting to know jennifer and laure this weekend. they were my so generous hosts. jennifer is the photographer that put the AIDS benefit show at Backstreet Galleries together. it was a blast! a very warm-hearted audience attended and i loved getting to play a grand piano. it was a different kind of set for me. i did some Bach, Scriabin, and Brahms, and then did a bunch of my songs, including the rarely heard "Third Death" and the inside-the-piano version of the "The Mule." yippppeeeeee! The show next Tuesday with Edie Carey is sounding like it will be packed. i can't stress enough the need for you to call and make reservations. i'd love to see you all there!
i listened to lots of music new to me today in the car: Edie Carey's The Falling Places (pretty), Patty Griffon's "Silver Bell" (yep that unreleased cd of hers...it's great), Holly Figueroa's Dream in Red (i especially like the song that is a coming out convo between her and her sister), and Melissa Ferrick's "Everything I need" and "Freedom" -- i can't believe i haven't heard melissa before. she's amazing. happy happy me...
home again. for one week anyway...
thanks everybody who came out to the AIDS benefit! Jennifer met her goal!!! peace and cockle shells,
kristi
september 7, 2002
hey folks,
i made it to Santa Monica in less than 6 hours today! I listened to Sting's ...Nothing Like the Sun, violent femmes' first album, Tori Amos' Under the Pink, Throwing Muses' first album, and MaryMary's Thankful. i have just about enough time for a short nap before getting ready for my show tonight at 14 Below. Hope to see you there!
PS -- space is very limited for the September 17th show with Edie Carey, and we're expecting a huge crowd. so call ahead for reservations. details in the tour schedule to the left.
peace & sunshine, kristi
september 6, 2002
hey folks,
i'm hitting the road again early tomorrow morn! i'm on my way to Santa Monica for a gig at 14 Below and then the AIDS Benefit Photo Exhibit at Backstreet Galleries in West LA. I'm happy to get back down there. It will be a fun weekend! I'll let you know what I listen to in the car tomorrow!
peace and popsicles, kristi
august 30, 2002
i know it's been a while... i recently was reminded by a tour diary fan that i haven't posted in far too long. the thing is, i am not on tour... but i have been planning lots of stuff and i have been performing a bit, so here we go!
i had a great night this week at Strings. excellent performances by all and a lovely audience too!
i am making a couple trips to socal in september... i will be playing at an AIDS benefit in West LA on 9/8, and on 9/17 i am playing a Santa Monica house concert. i am especially excited about this one because i will FINALLY meet Edie Carey! for those of you who don't know, she's wonderful! she and i are both on a compilation CD called "Rose Street Raw." when i first listened to the whole cd, her track was just haunting me, so i wrote her to tell her how much i loved it. she wrote back that mine was her favorite track too, so we've been long distance admirers for some time. we hoped we would eventually do a show together and finally we are! it should be a blast!
especially because we've both had amazing shows at this particular house concert venue before. so if you're in socal, you will hopefully be there! we'd love to see you.
that's all for now. i'll give you updates on all the plans very soon. i promise. oh! and lately, i've been listening to The Sugarcubes, "Life's Too Good."
be well everybody, *smooch*
kristi
july 6, 2002
whoa! i know, i know.... it's taken me too long to write in this here tour diary about the finale!
so hokay (can you tell i'm reading The Bone People, by Keri Hulme, again? --it's my absolute favorite book.)... here's the recap.
back to june 22nd...
i was supposed to play between 8 ball rack's sets at the ocean beach street fair in san diego... there was a bit of drama which meant i went on first and played for quite a while. it was fun playing such a loud (non-listening room) setting, different from what i usually do, and turning out pretty good at it. it was great to see Matt, to play some songs with him (The Warmth by Incubus and Kid Fears by Indigo Girls, a song Matt and I used to do when we were in high school together -- when practicing we still knew it well, the first time through, even though neither of us had listened to it since high school, 12 years ago... it also had been fun hanging out with him the night before, him playing guitar and me singing everything on the Incubus album, Make Yourself. grin) it also was Great to see Matt's band, 8 ball rack. they were most excellent, even if the crowd was a little too beach bunny and straight for me.
then i drove to Santa Barbara to get Jean on Sunday and then we drove together to San Francisco to meet Littlebird for Marcello's pizza in the Castro. i do believe that marcello's is the best pizza in all of California. it compares to that of New York, which is really saying something. please go eat some next time yer in sf.
on monday the 24th i actually got to unpack my suitcases (well, my clothes bag at least). what an amazing thing to really be home for a time! i unpacked, did a little business, tried to rest.
but the tour was not finished!
so on tuesday the 25th, jean and i (with Littlebird) played at Bazaar Cafe in sf. a sweet little quiet show.
on wednesday june 26th, we all played at Luna's Cafe in Sacramento. how nice it is to see familiar faces returning to shows when i'm back in town! i am growing myself a little following in the Sac/Davis area and i am thrilled and so thankful!
on thursday june 27th jean and i headed to santa rosa for a show at Aroma Roasters, which turned out to be a really busy and nice place. i had a crowd literally laughing and crying the whole time i played. a connected and warm audience. a really lovely space. and jean played a lovely long set before mine.
but friday night.
friday night was truly the most spectacular.
cayuga vault is a beautiful dance/performance art/music small concert hall space in santa cruz. beautiful wood floor, beautiful sound system, lovely people running it, lovely community attending shows there. a blessed way to end a tour. jean opened for me with a lovely set. at intermission we sold all but one of my With Mouth and Hands limited edition tapes (they hadn't even heard me yet.). i played solo for a time. the audience was so with me, floored really, very connected and listening. 90% hadn't heard me before, those who had drove from as far as Santa Monica and San Diego. what dedication! i am flattered and stunned. a mutual experience it seemed. then i called Littlebird up to sing with me and play harmonica, just beautiful. we sang our hearts out, got a standing ovation, did The Maiden and Her Master as an encore, hugged and bowed. a gift, given and received, simultaneously. i broke my highest sales record that night. With Mouth and Hands sold out. i signed a dozen CDs, shook hands, received hugs, shared stories. me and lilb drove home parched and hungry and tired. i felt happy with my growing success, hard work and harder, tired, sore even, going home.
so, hokay, then i took a small part in the Pride festivities of the weekend, but i'll admit i couldn't leave my bedroom on Saturday. here's why
i did 55 shows in 80 days all over the country.
i was on tour for 11 weeks, 7.5 solo, 3.5 with Jean Mann.
i drove 13,335 miles.
i drove through 29 states plus Ontario.
i played in 16 states.
i sang and played piana a total of oh about 75 hours in those 80 days.
i sold hundreds of cds.
i slept in 32 beds.
i used hundreds of gallons of gasoline (wish i had one of those hybrid vehicles...when do you think they'll make one big enough for my monster keyboard?).
i was tired. real tired. bone tired.
so i stayed in my room for the day and then went to see star wars episode 2 with lilb that eve. it wasn't as good as we wanted it to be...
and we've been reading the bone people together ever since. i highly recommend, would like to inspire, everyone reading this to read that book. it is by far my favorite ever, and this is my third time, so i'd be happy happy to chat about the book, if anyone reading it is interested...
anyhoo, i've been trying to recuperate ever since. but there's lots of loose ends to tie up after such a mammoth tour. i have my work and then some cut out for me. and had a lovely show at the bazaar cafe in sf on wednesday night. there were many more smiling faces there (thanks MCC friends and most favored cousins!). and garrin benfield, the host of the queer songwriters series which we were that night a part of, is a most excellent guitar player, singer and performer. a lovely evening. AND i got to hang out with my most excellent PR gal, Holly. yaaay.
some favorite quotes from the tour:
"Kristi Martel is Barbra Streisand meets Liz Phair." --San Diego audience member
"You are an Angel." --Taos audience member
"You are an Angel." --Buffalo audience member
"You are an Angel. " --Santa Monica audience member
a man walks up on stage and slams a tobacco case repeatedly while I play Through That Door at Lestat's in San Diego; it read in sparkly purple on sparkly silver, "Angel."
"You are a Goddess." --Santa Rosa audience member "You are a Goddess." --Santa Cruz audience member
we now joke that i have been promoted. i started as an angel but have been promoted to goddess. or, it's just that folks with a regular Christian framework think the only female high-up is the angel, and those with a more Pagan framework, think of godesses instead.
anyhoo, hopefully i'll get some tour pictures and more quotes up here some time soon. and i am planning to get at least one song from a tour performance up here by summer's end. remind me if i neglect this.
so now i'm home.
what are you doing with your time, kristi?
i know you are asking.
i am trying to tie those loose ends and get a booking agent and plan my next tour.
and i need to do normal things like my taxes and clean house, cuddle with my cat, hug my sweetheart, stuff like that.
sigh.
i've been listening to radiohead, old bowie, hole, incubus (how could i not be?), and i'm about to listen to garrin benfield's new cd...
write me nice notes. tell me how you like my cds. tell me what you're listening to. i'd
love to hear from you all.
much love, many blessings, thanks for the beeeeeautiful tour, to be continued kristi
june 21, 2002
southern cali has been truly beautiful. i am not a huge socal fan, so this has been a real treat. santa monica was amazing. the house cocnert was just the sweetest warmest people -- so much laughter! i love it that shows are so fun! we've been listening to lauryn hill (i still haven't heard the new one! i need to get it quick -- i've heard such positive stuff about it), patti griffin, tuck and patti, al green...? santa barbara was beautiful too and ojai is a cute little place! pretty drives. a bit too much la traffic. and now i'm in san diego with old friends and it's just fabulous! i'm outta internet time! more soon!
hugs, kristi
june 18, 2002
hey there,
i like 14 Below, a club in Santa Monica we played at last night. it's just too bad more people weren't listening during my set... when you're new in town, sometimes people just don't realize they need to hear you. but those who were listening really liked it. hopefully some will come to the house concert tonight, also in Santa Monica. some said they planned to attend. it should be fun. house concerts always are. then we're going to be doing two shows (Ojai and Santa Barbara) tomorrow, which makes for a really busy day! i imagine i won't be able to update this diary for a bit. then thursday we head to San Diego which will be so nice -- i love seeing old friends. and then we'll head back up the coast. peeeerrrttty.
smiles and be well,
kristi
june 17, 2002
thanks to my homies for making mama bears such a blast! it was great to see you all. and thanks for rounding up new fans!!! what a fun show. some real old-time kristi fans were there, so the vibe was quite special. they knew all the words and knew to sing along to Silver without my asking and just in general were very excited about all the songs. i wish all shows were just as much fun! someday soon, it seems. and it was especially fun to sing with Littlebird that night. she was singing so pretty and we just laughed a lot, all of us. namaste.
then jean and i headed out to Half Moon Bay. unfortunately, we missed our exit and were running late, but still managed to set up in time. the same thing happened though on the way to Santa Monica, so it was a long long day. Highway 1 is so pretty. Highway 5 is so smelly. but we got here, late. we listened to Throwing Muses' The Real Ramona (jean's intro to them), Prince's Parade (jean's intro to that album), Kate
Bush's Hounds of Love (an old favorite for both of us), Joan Armatrading's greatest, John Hiatt (new to me), and Sarah MacLachlin's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.... i'm tired today... bad road food and bad road sleep and 9 shows in 8 days this week... i'm looking forward to these next 4 shows in towns that are new to me, and to the San Diego shows where i get to see familiar faces, two different kinds of wonderful. but it will be very nice to get back home on monday, for some wider bay area shows before the end of this blue gypsy tour.
peace everybody, kristi
june 15, 2002
howdeeeee folks!
wow, i know. it's been way too long since i've posted here. i've been kindly reprimanded by a few diehard tour diary fans. ...it's because touring with someone is a bit busier than touring solo, and because i'm visiting my sweetheart, and because we're playing almost every day! sorry.
so to recap...
we hardly listen to music anymore! jean and i are talking and talking while driving. we did listen to van morrison, ben harper, a cd of our hour-long radio show on Portland's KPSU, 2 previously aired shows recorded for us by our favorite dj (KPSU's jbj), a cd of all-piano Prince songs made for me by jbj, OH and me and Kevin Silvia playing Prince's "Kiss" at the Mother's Day Rhode Island concert. i think that's my favorite moment of this whole massive tour. i intend to put it up here on this website when i get home (read by summer's end).
so let's see,
-burnside bean is cute and a few good people came out to listen. it was great to see some old familiar faces!
-coffee time was cute and sunny day gig smiling faces
-cafe paradiso was quieter than is usual but we really liked the place and the sound system and especially the sound man who came and rescued us out of the goodness of his heart because a mix-up left us sound-person-less. thanks Brent! i funny thing that happened that night is that he did the initial sound check in his headphones which meant i could not hear my keyboard although i was asked to also sing. when the sound came up i was impressed that i was totally in key. i guess singing Give every night has glued its pitch in my vocal chords. i don't think i'm developing perfect pitch, but one could argue...
-crossing tha california border was truly blissful this time. the northwest is gorgeous and i'd never seen it before, but after so many weeks of travelling it was really nice to feel closer to home. the Arcata house concert was truly a blast. so much storytelling and laughter. i think house concerts bring out the best in jean. she really opened up at that show. it's beautiful to see how her set is growing and changing as she gets used to this whole touring thing (it's her first time).
-drive drive drive drive chinese food drive drive
HOME!!!
-it's nice to be home for a moment
-guerneville is still cute and main street station is a fabulous place to play. they really support musicians and even have a cd's case for when the musicians are not there... jean and i traded half hour sets for 3 hours which helped save our throats because it is a loud restaurant with no sound system but a real piano. can you say "P-R-O-J-E-C- T" and "A-R-T-I-C-U-L-A-T-E"? whew! people said they heard me fine, but i know i worked harder than usual...
-last night we played at Rose Street House of Music. it was nice being there again. i've played there so many times, but it's been a while. jean was more at ease again. even through a broken guitar string. and a fan bought a cd from me before i even finished setting up my merch! thanks, sonia!
-tonight we play at another old haunt, mama bears. should be great. and tomorrow we're off to half moon bay and points south.
til then,
love and hugs and much music,
kristi
june 7, 2002
hallo good people,
well, well, well... well, we got to Java Flow tonight and we just looked at each other and said, "can this really be the place?" we walked in to check it out and found a man smoking and smoking in the back of the place. we and he knew that there had been a mistake. he told us a story about the woman who booked the show, how she left, had this high-maintainance boyfriend, a trip to hawaii, and too much schoolwork. he couldn't believe that she hadn't called. they were even going to pay us well. instead, he offerred us coffee. we declined, and knew we be in need of a contract this time. we were creeped out. just a creepy place in general. we left. looked at my name in the paper saying i was playing there at java flow at that moment. oh well. we went back to my aunt's house and gave my aunt, grammie, and cousins a free, cozy concert in their home.
THE END. love, kristi
hey folks!
well, i'll be! me and jean are leaving seattle this morning, and that means that i am indeed on the road with another musician, meaning, i am not on the road solo starting today! it's a brand new world, a new and different way to tour. we'll see if all our merchandise and clothes and instruments fit in the forester... how many shows left this tour, you ask? ....hmmm 21, i think. tonight in Olympia, tomorrow in Portland, sunday in Portland and Eugene, monday in Arcata, tuesday we actually get a day off...well, except for driving! wednesday in guerneville, etc, etc. check the tour schedule to the left. it's all there! be well everybody!
kristi
june 6, 2002
hallo,
i'm here in seattle and finally met jean mann for the first time yesterday! we've been working on this blue gypsy tour for 3 months, but we just met yesterday! so i drove from oakland to seattle on tuesday, arrived early wednesday morning... listened to 8 ball rack, incubus, throwing muses, my own cd, liz phair.... drove and drove and drove. we played two shows yesterday after my very long drive and very little sleep. it was a bit surreal. i had a live (phone) radio interview 20 minutes before my showtime midday yesterday. i had fun at vashon island and at mr. spot's chai house. victor at mr spot's is super nice and from cali... and today we're playing at the seattle art museum which should be most excellent. i can't wait to hear jean's trio. also have another phone radio thing tonight and an in-studio on saturday morning in portland... and i get to see my aunt and uncle and grandmother in olympia tomorrow, and i've never even been up here before. so it's fun seeing the northwest. but i'm cold. it was so hot in cali before i left... i have 8 shows in 6 days this week... so it's a bit crazy. it will feel good to get back to california so soon this time though. i'll be at home for a few days next week. 22 shows to go this month! hope to see you all there!!!!!
:)
blessings,
kristi
june 2, 2002
hey everybody,
it's strange when being home feels strange! i am home now and i had fun at the farmers market on thursday and at the davis cafe last night. the market was so many people and the cafe was so few, but both had good energy. espresso roma cafe in davis has a nice sound system so that part was especially fun. and i did the whole set with Littlebird, which was nice after so many shows solo! we had fun.
i'm sorry if any of you went to the sacramento show on wednesday night! it's the first time i have ever EVER cancelled any gig! i felt awful about doing so, but i drove from san diego to oakland tuesday night and i got sunburnt tuesday day and the two combined created a tired ache-y kristi who would have been less than her usually energetic self on stage. i just couldn't bring myself to play a less-than-myself show... i apologize to anybody who showed up for it and especially to the Luna Cafe folks whom i let down. i will be there on June 26th with jean mann, though. i hope to make it all up to you when i see you all then!
driving in the middle of the night for 9 hours after a show is intense and surreal! i made it in one piece, but just barely. i listened to my old high school friend's band's cd (www.8ballrack.com), then to incubus and the radio...
it's been nice to be home a bit, but also disorienting. i am still on tour, but i have this illusion that i could rest right now. i'm trying not to get sick like i always did on christmas break -- you know, as soon as you have the time to slow down you get the cold your adrenal has been warding off throughout the whole semester... singing 24 shows in 24 days is not as fun when you are sick, so i'm drinking oj and eating echinacea!
anyhoo, be well all you beautiful people! xo
k
may 28, 2002
i'm refreshed, somewhat, but i can't wait to spend a few days at home with my sweetheart and my cat and my piano and my computer. i had a great show in Tucson, even on only four hours sleep. the folks there were so into the music and talking with me about my background. very interesting conversation... drove to san diego last night. listened to cds of my tucson show, made for me by a very motivated tucson high school student. there should be video clips of my tucson show up on my website at some point in the future (maybe fall). i also listened to jason and jane and tuck and patti and ginny wilder. i met ginny in asheville, nc... today i got sunburnt at blacks beach and watched naked men jogging and lounging. tonight i'll play hopefully to more folks than the last lestat's show, and then i'll drive home for a too-brief 5 day stay.
peace people!
kristi
may 25, 2002
hey everybody!
i am tired. it's official. i just had two crazy long driving days from Birmingham AL to Tucson AZ. 28 hours in the car in 2 days is too much! and Texas is really depressing to me. i need some proud Texan to take me on a loving Texas tour or something. 20 west is just too long and lonely a road.
but let's see... i listened to Patti Griffin's Living with Ghosts, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, Throwing Muses' The Real Ramona, D'Angelo's Voodoo, some Spearhead cd, Incubus' Morning View and Make Yourself, and my own thoughts -- a little too much of my own thoughts...
my first show in Birmingham was very mellow and quiet but Lodestar is a very nice bookstore with a yoga room in the back. they are just starting to have music, so i bet in the future it will be a better attended music venue.
the show in Asheville was fun especially because my partner's touring juggling cousin Paulo came to town and brought friends. the show was quite underpopulated before their arrival. but it turned into a warm evening. and it's always wonderful to get a tarot reading from the woman who made the deck being used ("the world spirit tarot by Lauren O'Leary)! i love all the special things i get to do and see and trade while touring and all the good people i meet!
now i'm in the santuary-like home of my dear friends in Tucson AZ. it's good to be here where i feel more at home. i'm gonna get a little rest here and play a great house concert here tomorrow night. then i'll be on my way to san diego. and then home for just a few days before heading up to seattle. lots of shows all the while!
come hear a show! peace y'all,
kristi
may 21, 2002
hi everybody!
i'm here in Asheville NC now... yesterday i drove from Richmond VA and listened to a hip hop mix i made, Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual and True Colors (is that the name of the album?), Kate Bush's Never Forever, Prince's Sign of the Times, and Patty Griffin's Living with Ghosts. i was tired! and actually slept a lot last night. today, i did errands like go the post office and get my oil changed, then i ate amazing food at Tupelo Honey Cafe (you should eat there when in Asheville), browsed at a pretty Irish shop and am now at the library... tonight i'll play at Malaprop's which looks like a fine little community bookstore. should be a great show.
until next time,
kristi
may 19, 2002
it's been sooooo long! eeeek. i've been busy here in richmond va. lots going on. it's been great to sing and play with Littlebird again. she's been playing harmonica because her hand injury stops her from playing guitar. :( last night was a very special house concert. the host and i had talked about it for about a year. many people came out to the show and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. yippeeee!
night before was a show at Littlebird's family's neighborhood bar, Charley's. it was a good crowd and a fun show. people really liked the music.
night before that was a show at Babes, which was fun in spite of low attendance. the people there were really listening, so it was okay with me! and Littlebird and i got to debut some of our new covers there... people are really liking our harmonies.
the day before that i had a slow day off with Littlebird and some of her family. there was a nice sunny walk in the woods too.
richmond is hotter than all previous stops on this tour (except tucson). but it cooled off yesterday (smile). i'm a new englander at heart.
on the drive from nyc to richmond, i listened to Denise Barbarita's new cd Beauty Lied. it's great!!!! i also listened to my two cd's and some mixed cd's i made before leaving home... mostly funk and hip hop stuff...
tuesday i was in nyc most of the day. got a later start on the drive to va than i'd wanted. but i needed to go to see the absence of the world trade center. it was intense. there is a huge hole there. it looks much like a construction site now. 8 months later they are still digging and sifting. there are people everywhere taking pictures. it is a tourist attraction. you can buy tickets to get a better view. there are
memorials made of all kinds of things: teddy bears, "I love NYC" t-shirts, flowers, decorated cloth and paper, ribbons, pins, cards... the road is torn up around there. a burger king on the ground floor of a building right next to the site has the words "temporary NYPD" spray-painted on it. triage in the burger king. Denise, the producer of Brave Enough, brought me down there. she told me about what it was like before. twisted building hanging there. everything was closed. creating this same type of scene for other people in other countries, just doesn't make sense to me.
the show in nyc was really fun. there were very few people there late on a cold and rainy monday night. but i really enjoyed seeing the Brave Enough band again and playing for them. i got a live duet with Monsieur Beurre (aka Frank Carter, vocalist on Brave Enough's Give). and Denise requested Kate Bush's Song of Solomon, my encore.
while in RI i decided i really want to move back there. it's only 3 hours from nyc. it's beautiful. and it's near my grandparents whom i miss bunches. so we'll see how long it takes me to get back (1-2 years?). i listened to Silvia Ministry (Kevin Silvia's family's Christian folk music project - very pretty) and i don't remember what else driving from ri to nyc...
and there you have it! peace everybody, kristi
may 13, 2002
last night was fabulous! i had so much fun. what a beautiful house for a house concert! the people were all so into it and friendly, and playing stuff with my old friend Kevin is great. i wish we lived closer so we could play together more. he played geeeetar so pretty on All I Want, Jane Says, Kiss, and Blackbird...with me singing, pretending to know all the words to Kiss... yipppeee! i can't wait to hear the recording. also, Kevin did a very pretty cover of my song, Carrying Stories. just overall a great show. and now i'm off to nyc!
yippeeee!
kristi
may 12, 2002
i hope folks come out on this rainy mother's day to see me and kevin silvia in my home town of north smithfield, ri! i hope i hope i hope...
wow! it's been too long! i've been SOOOOOOO busy this week. so let's see if i can re- cap...
last night was lots of fun. even though by the time i played it seemed there were only a dozen people there, i sold lots of cd's and people were totally into my work! the sad cafe is a really great space in plaistow nh. it's substance free and geared toward all ages and getting new artists up on stage. they have a great sound system and great
people running it. they have a piano and a real stage and real lighting... they make you a cd of the show to take home. very nice. a good place for new bands to make a demo for free. i will probably have a couple of songs from last night's show on a compilation cd of theirs sometime later this year. :) so this all is promising for my next nh stop to be a bit longer..
it's strange driving back home and playing my songs back home. it's good. i miss rhode island and new york's hudson valley especially. friday night i played at bard college, my old school. it's all different and it's their senior recitals time, so there were too many things going on on campus that eve... but still, the folks in attendance really enjoyed the concert. and i will work on getting there next time too.
on thursday i played in ithaca at a great bookstore with bright green and creme floor tiles! i really liked that floor. it was a small but warm crowd, although the buzz about the show led us to believe there was a larger crowd coming... it was rainy though...
on tuesday eve the coffee beans show in buffalo was great. it was great to see katie miller again. it was also great to see people return to the venue they first saw me at last summer and some folks even came to two or all three buffalo shows! yipppeeee for dedicated fans! the food at coffee bean is soooooo good! go there next time yer in buffalo.
so let's see...i drove from buffalo to ithaca on wednesday and since i was leaving the land of Ani, i listened to her up, up, up, up, up, up, then her little plastic castles, and then throwing muses' the real romana... on friday i listened to a cd of my last show in ithaca (summer 2001) with littlebird, paula cole's this fire, tori amos' little earthquakes because i was going to bard and little earthquakes came out while i attended school there... yesterday i drove in silence for a while...then i listened to incubus' make yourself and morning view and then to jason and jane's prate and idle chatter. today i listened to paula cole's this fire again, cuz it was in my head, and then i listened to the cd that was made of my show last night. :)
anyhoo, i don't have much time even now! i have to get ready for tonight's show. i'm here with my mom on mother's day. had mother's day dinner at the rhode island institution: wright's farm, saw my grandparents whom i miss a whole lot. then tomorrow i'm off to nyc for a show at the alterknit space of the knitting factory. should be a great show! hope to see you all there!
peace, kristi
may 6, 2002
i really like Nietzsche's! i had fun playing there last night. there was a bit of distraction from one drunk smitten audience member -- he was really enthusiastic, enough to ask me to marry him and to sit on the stage and knock my mic -- but i had a blast. the energy of that room is good, the people love the music, and i like them. so it was a nice time.
today i'm having a sleepy rainy day...we considered going to the falls, but it hasn't happened yet...tomorrow i will play at coffee bean and then wednesday i'm off to ithaca.
blessings, kristi
may 5, 2002
hey folks,
i'm in buffalo, home of ani di, and it's spring and it's sweet smelling and nice to my new england heart. i played at a loud smokey bar last night and in spite of that had fun and some very attentive listeners. it's nice to be back here. it was so much fun last time. Tim Baldwin is fabulous for setting up great shows and bringing out great community here. i'm really really looking forward to tonight's show at Nietzsche's. it should be a blast!
yesterday i drove through Canada. and as soon as i passed the border i just felt like i want to move there; i want to live in Montreal... anyhoo, i got passed the border with no trouble, not even a show of my license. i think people just trust me for no apparant reason; they just base it on my looks, my persona, trust their gut reaction...?? my whole life i've gotten passed various security and such because people just believe me! it's kinda nice.
i listened to Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville (LOVE that album), Throwing Muses' House Tornado and The Fat Skier, Ani Di's Not a Pretty Girl, Kristin Hersh's Sunny Border Blue (need to listen to this one more; there are some excellent songs on there), and Nina Simone -- i don't remember the name of the cd. it's two albums on one cd. i think one of the albums is called Pastel Blue. it is SO excellent.
more tomorrow. be well everybody! xo
kristi
may 3, 2002
hallo friends,
i just had a really fun show at Crazy Wisdom. Hobart is the wonderful man who books shows there. He is creating a really great space to listen and engage in music. and the audience was warm and responsive, so i had fun. and besides all that, Crazy Wisdom is a bookstore and more, with many many beeeee-auuu-tiful things. just a lovely place all around. and their baby cake (chocolate) is just amazing! next time you're in ann arbor, go to Zingerman's for dinner (really cool Deli with all the best natural meats and yummy yummy things) and go spend some money at Crazy Wisdom. thanks to my friends who suggested it as a venue for me. and to Hobartt for fitting me into their schedule. The Life: laundry, email, bookkeeping, planning the route to buffalo, bath, sleep, brunch with friends, drive, drive, drive, eat, perform, sleep..... blessed be,
kristi
hey there! it's nice to be back online and fantastic to have clean clothes again. i'm staying with friends in Ann Arbor MI and it's great to see them and their new house! i played a nice show last night at Arbor Brewing Company. it was a queer organization's (WRAP) benefit. tonight i'll be playing at Crazy Wisdom, which sounds like a lovely place. and i'll be having dinner at Zingerman's before the show. :) tomorrow i'm off to Buffalo for 3 shows there. it should be very fun!
so let's see if i can recap some of the past week for ya...
on wednesday i drove from madison wi to ann arbor mi which means i drove through chicago, which is no fun between the construction and the annoyed drivers. but i made good time, and knew what to expect because i did it last tour too... i listened to stuff I'm practicing to sing with my sweetheart, the mix tape she made for me, Incubus' Make Yourself, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, and Vicki Guzman's Left is My Favorite Color -- we traded our new cd's at our tuesday night gig... it was nice to hear her play again. guitar, voice, political lyrics...
so our gig together tuesday night was a small crowd (with one diehard madison fan from my last tour :) ) in a small collective bookstore. very nice folks. quiet little mid- week music evening...
that day i drove from fairfield iowa to madison... farmland and more farmland. i surprise myself and like iowa. except for the vote for george bush signs... i listened to prince's parade, my own Brave Enough (gotta check in with it once in a while), Throwing Muses' Hunkpapa, Throwing Muses' The Real Romona (i think that's the title...?) and i don't know what else...
one thing i forgot to mention is that Fairfield folks are so attentive and i really enjoy playing for them. i feel very connected, like they bring a present, connected kind of energy to the show, that i meet easily and fully. i played (premiered!) my newest song there. they really liked it. felt good. i think i'll be playing it in Buffalo this weekend as well. it's called "My Name."
so this next week i'm looking forward to being in my home states, New England and New York... hopefully i'll keep getting to keep you posted.
thanks everybody! i can't wait to see you all at my shows! kristi
april 28, 2002
so i've been in fairfield for a little more than 24 hours. i've played 2 shows already, to very warm audiences. small intimate shows. felt like i was talking to them more than performing for them. Fairfield, Iowa is a neat little town. i recommend you visit if you're out this way. i played at Revelations Bookstore last night and today because
the wind was so strong that today's Ecovillage concert was moved to the bookstore. People are so giving and I feel so blessed. I am staying in a beautiful Bed and Breakfast type of place, I think called the Sunset... The Revelations owner runs it... Revelations is a pretty store, cafe, restaurant and venue all in one! it is great.
Columbia was fun too! completely different scene. i was playing for a rowdy crowd at a bar. someone there found out about me through a chat room she says is all about me! i hope to visit it soon!
i was listening to Paula Cole's This Fire, Ani Di's Dilate, Prince's Parade, Kate Bush's Sensual World, Kristin Hersh's Hips and Makers...and i don't know what else... on those two drives through lots of farmland, green and growing things.
so i have a day off here in Fairfield and then i'm off to Madison Wisconsin. everyone from Madison come on out to my Rainbow Bookstore show with Vicki Guzman on Tuesday night and say hi!
take care everybody! kristi
april 26, 2002
hey good people,
i'm leaving Kansas today. it's been fun! my Wichita hosts got me Krispy Kreme doughnuts after my Wichita show. yum! i'd never had them before... that show was fun. my audience was attentive, though small. one young man wanted to drop everything and go with me on tour! i was surprised, and not completely clear on what he wanted, but for now, i'm travelling solo.... i listened to Incubus's Morning View again on the ride to Lawrence. And I listened to some songs that me and Littlebird are going to start performing soon...probably in VA.
then i got to Lawrence, which is really pretty. i am staying with my friend who i haven't seen in 7 years! so it's been a blast. and the show was fun. and i got treated to sushi and good conversation afterwards. my new Kansas friends have been so kind and generous.
yoga in the morning. grapefruit. updating the website. reading my new dreambook entries. it's so nice to hear from new fans what brought them to my music and how it has affected them. i'm blessed to get to travel all over and meet so many friendly people and play my music!
and now, i'm off to Columbia! be well,
kristi
april 24, 2002
oh! i meant to keep telling you what i've been listening to while driving all those crazy hours...
from tucson to taos i listened to Incubus because my friend liked the fish that is their CD art and because he thought it would be wake up music. i listened to that new album of theirs and then their older one, Make Yourself. i listened to Ani DiFranco's Up Up Up Up Up Up. i am not as thrilled about it as other albums of hers. i listened to jason and jane, and i'm forgetting what else. this is the problem of not being able to do the tour diary the same day as when it happened...
i think i listened to my sister's mix cd the day i drove from san diego to tucson, not the day i drove from tucson to taos. and i also listened to my sweetheart's cd, Angels Wait that day...
but yesterday! this i'll remember better... i listened to jason and jane through the mountains. then Tuck and Patti' s Tears of Joy - very nice. then Natalie Merchant's Tiger Lily which i was sad to be bored by, hadn't listened to it closely before... then a mix of Creed that i made because i only like some of their songs. then Incubus' Morning View, then Lauren Hill's Miseducation, then some celtic music that I traded for. Charlie Rafferty came to my Eske's show and we traded our two cd's... it was very nice. then i listened to Kate Bush's Sensual World, which i was very excited to hear -- it's been too long. then i listened to Jill Scott.
:) -kristi
april 24, 2002
hey everybody!
people are so gracious. i feel so blessed when i'm touring because of all the wonderful people who welcome me into their homes, feed me, give me directions. i am so happy every time i notice that my work is all about giving and receiving love. and i am so amazed by how caring people are toward strangers like me.
today i am taking care of all kinds of business. tonight i'll play at Wichita's Borders. Yesterday I drove for 10 hours from Taos NM, through northern NM, through the panhandle of Oklahoma, to Wichita. Northern NM is gorgeous -- mountains and valleys and lakes and trees. Oklahoma and Kansas are flat! It felt like I was the only one there for much of the drive. But 64 and 54 are much nicer routes than 70, to me. I got to see more of the little communities, and the road curves more. curves are good. I drove through Hooker, Oklahoma. The only thing I know about it is that it is the home of the Horny Toad League. i wonder what it is like to be from Hooker. I guess I'll have to play my song, "Hooker," tonight in Wichita!
april 22, 2002
today my taos friend drove me to 2 peaks and 3 peaks, sustainable communities in the desert surrounding taos. they are homes built by the people who live in them. they have no running water, no electricity, or they figure out how to get their own solar power and such... some of them are very make-shift looking while others are astounding in their beauty. then i wandered around the plaza of taos a bit and then
we walked out by the gorge. it is amazing. the land feels different under your feet. it is so dry that my skin has felt like it's going away, splitting and cracking.
last night was the Alley Cantina show. it was so much fun! i had a very small but very enthusiastic and attentive audience. they were great. they were interested in my stories and excited about my songs. i sang a Billie Holiday song and was asked to do another. i was asked to play an old song, and played "bound," which is always fun for me. i will definitely have to play there again in the future.
april 21, 2002
yesterday was SO long! i got up at 5:30am and left at 6:30am so that i could get to Taos from Tucson before my 3-hour gig... Eske's is a cozy restaurant and pub that is very much a spot for the locals. it has a nice feeling to it. i ate and tried to get grounded after driving so many hours. then i set up and played. people were nice, seemed to enjoy the music. sometimes it's hard to tell when everyone's eating. but i really appreciated the folks who let me know they like the music. especially after such a long and tiring day. then i tried their barley wine and went home to my friends beautiful house.
april 19, 2002
hey there folks!
i might not be able to keep up for the next few days and just wanted to let you know... i'm playing my Tucson show tonight, sleeping and taking off EARLY tomorrow morn because i have to get to a gig in Taos, NM. so, i'll be busy and might not even have computer access once i get there, or even in Kansas, so forgive me if i'm not writing here for this next week...keep checking in though, in case i get a few minutes at a computer!
:)
and keep me in your thoughts!!!
xo
kristi
april 18, 2002
hey there!
today i played some songs for the Townsend Middle School. it was fun! they didn't have quite as many questions, but they were still quite an enthusiastic audience. :) hopefully i'll see some of them at the show...
if you're ever in Tucson, go to Gus Balon's. they're amazing. it's really good food really reasonably priced and it's all about the best and most natural ingredients and all the basics: eggs and bacon and mashed potatoes and fish and the like... i had breakfast at lunch time there today. yum.
happy thursday to y'all. kristi
april 17, 2002
how-dee!
i got too much sun today. Arizona sun is easily a lot. i been taking care of business, resting when i get the chance, getting postcards for my sweetheart, visiting with me Tucson friends...
but today! today i visited Flowing Wells High School. I sang some of my songs and answered a bunch of questions about my business and life with about - i don't know - 100 high schoolers. it was really quite fabulous. they were very interested, enthusiastic, focused, insightful, inquisitive... i didn't know how my answer would go over when i was asked if i had a man back home. but i said no, that i have a woman, and there was an "oh" almost like when a whole audience in unison thinks something is sweet or cute. that was that. nothing more, nothing less. perfect. more questions were asked and then someone asked what it's like to maintain a relationship while on the road. and i thought that was just fantastic, because it means he was totally taking my relationship seriously. so thanks flowing wells folks. you rock. it's so nice that we've come that far, that we don't batt more than one eyelash at the mention of a same sex partner. points for our nation's consciousness! points for Tucson high schoolers!
tomorrow i visit Townsend Middle School! whooo hoooo! can't wait. don't worry, i'll fill you in.
smiles,
kristi
april 15, 2002
hey good people!
I am leaving San Diego today... Twiggs was fantastic! Those organizing folks did an excellent job with the 18-act festival! they stayed ON TIME! the crowd grew and grew throughout my set, jason and jane's and jason mraz'. i'd never heard jason mraz' before, but he is beautiful! such a lovely clear tenor and so rhythmically fluid. great stuff. i'll be listening to his 2 cd's on my way to Tucson. and i love jason and jane already. the scene here in San Diego is growing quite nicely since the mid-nineties when i lived here. i love playing at Twiggs, cuz such a wide variety of people show up and fill the place.
Last night at Lestat's was fun too! their new listening room is gorgeous! the sound system there was great, and the crowd was small and very quiet, so i did one long set and told stories and you could hear every little nuance of what I did with my voice. all the little percussive things and all the overtone singing... twas quite a nice evening. i can't wait to play there in May and June!
so now, i'm having a smoothie, getting dressed and loading the car... next show is at Borders in Tucson on Friday, so I have a few days off...
be well everybody,
kristi
april 13, 2002
hi everybody!
last night was fun! Claire's is a really nice place, great atmosphere, great food, friendly people. they even have a real stage and dim the lights when you start playing. :) i felt good playing my two sets. i felt present, like this is what i'm supposed to be doing and why do i ever go a week without?! i'm looking forward to my Twiggs gig tonight. 18 bands! it should be fun to see everybody... they've actually already started. but i always get on a late night schedule when touring and it's just hard to get out in the morn after a show... soon, i'll go check them out. i get to play their grand piano tonight, which means i'll play the inside-the-piano version of The Mule, which is always fun. wish me well!
xo
kristi
april 12, 2002
hi folks,
i'm in San Diego now, playing a show tonight at Claire de Lune's. spent much of yesterday on highway 5. took it all the way from the east bay to the border practically. there are these funny little signs on the side of the road that remind you to take in what you see, that the green growing things are good for you: trees, irrigated fields... and then there is the slaughter house. it reeeeeeeks and is so many cows crammed in to such a small space. it is insane. and then there is LA which seems almost similar, but for people. i guess that is the case for many cities -- crammed in people smelling bad; but not waiting for death, at least! no, that would be more like the prisons... and then there are the yellow warning signs on the highway, depicting a man, woman and child running; warning you not to hit the people risking their lives to enter the US... i listened to a tape my sweetheart made for me for travelling, D'Angelo's Voodoo, Patty Griffin's Living With Ghosts, Incubus' Make Yourself, and Incubus' Morning View. now i can smell the ocean when i go outside. i love that. remind me to move to the coast as soon as possible! i'm about to do some yoga, practice my newest song in hopes of premiering it sometime this weekend, and then getting ready for the show. my host here in SD is an old friend of mine. he has the cutest little organ that i'm happy happy to practice on!
:)
hope to see some of you tonight at Claire's!
peace,
-kristi
april 10, 2002
hiya good people!
i'm almost ready to go! leaving tomorrow morn. it's BUSY, this music and booking and touring business. i can't wait to see all your smiling faces on the road. keep me in
your thoughts as i drive and drive all over the country again. see you soon! blessings,
kristi
march 19, 2002
Hey folks!
So...the tour plans are well underway, but as you can see there are still dates pending...which means I'm still working my butt off here at home. Keep thinking of all those great ideas for me. You totally rock my world when you offer helpful suggestions and set up gigs for me! Thanks to every fan who does this!!!!! I can't do what I do without all of you!
peace,
kristi
march 10, 2002
The other day a reviewer asked me a question that I thought would be great to answer here!
"Who are some of your influences & current people you like to listen to?"
Here's my long answer!
I started out listening to music with my mom. She'd be sewing us some matching dresses or curtains and I'd be sprawled out on the floor drawing. We listened to Jim Croce, Peter Paul & Mary, Barbra Streisand, Carol King, Jesus Christ Superstar, the Beatles... I would have to say that those were my earliest influences. I loved those songs! I used to make up harmonies to them back then, around 3 years old.
Then our life changed dramatically (divorce) and I was more on my own most of the time. I still listened to those songs, but gradually less often, except for the Beatles - I just got more and more interested in the breadth of their work. I started listening to Prince when I was about 11. I'd have to say he is one of my longest-standing influences. But also I had begun playing Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Chopin... Those piano pieces had to have influenced me, even the ones I didn't like!
In my early teens I started listening to more women in rock. I was completely blown away by Kate Bush because hers was the first music I'd heard that sounded anything like the music I created in my head. I also fell in love with Throwing Muses. At that time I also listened to Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, Joni Mitchell, the Sugarcubes, Laurie Anderson... I also kept listening to the Beatles and Prince, and Billy Joel and Michael Jackson. I listened to so many things!
During college, people started referring me to artists they thought I must have heard. Often I hadn't. I loved getting my ears on new things! A girlfriend thought I must have heard Ani DiFranco; she thought I'd really like her because my music reminded her of Ani's. She was right. I loved Ani. That was back in 1992...? Another friend put a
Tori Amos song on a tape for me in 1993. I liked her first album a LOT. Later people thought Alanis Morisette sounded just like me (!). I hadn't even heard of her yet... But I like some of her stuff too.
I also was introduced to more hip hop and r&b in the early 1990's. I really liked Arrested Development, Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, Tuck and Patti... I also started learning a lot from folks like Sly & the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.
Others referred me to more avant-garde folks like Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros, Diamanda Galas, and Steve Reich. While others referred me to world music like Bulgarian Women's Choir. I learned so much from all of these less-known musics. I love them all.
As a grad student I also was referred to Nina Simone. I had asked for an example of a woman accompanying herself on the piano from earlier in the 1900's and Nina was who I was given.
I still love all of them! As a touring musician I get to hear lots of indie music and often trade CDs with the performers at my shows. Currently I am very into Jason and Jane, Incubus, Lauryn Hill, and my stand-by's: Aretha, Stevie, and Prince. Sometimes I even listen to mainstream radio!
;)
march 6, 2002
Hi folks! I am most excited about this new tour diary! It means I can write to you all whenever I want, no matter where I am in the world as long as I have internet access!!! So....today I'm at home, booking performances so I can come see all of you and you can hear songs from my new CD... Keep checking back here cuz I intend to keep you updated! xo-k
2002 Tour Dates
1/6 (San Rafael CA) Civic Center Farmers Market 800-897-FARM, 8am - 1pm, Free/Donation, RAINED OUT
1/19 (Davis CA) Women's Music Nite at Common Grounds 2171 Cowell Blvd, Kristi Martel, Duval Speck and Erika Luckett, 7pm, $3 - $7 sliding scale cover
2/2 (Oakland CA) Grand Lake Farmers Market under the 580 overpass at MacArthur Blvd & Grand Ave, with Littlebird, 9am-2pm, Free/Donation
3/17 (San Rafael CA) Civic Center Farmers Market, 800-897-FARM, with Littlebird, 8am - 1pm, Free/Donation, RAINED OUT
4/6 (Oakland CA) Grand Lake Farmers Market under the 580 overpass at MacArthur Blvd & Grand Ave 800-897-FARM, with Littlebird, 9am-2pm, Free/Donation
Brave Enough Tour - solo (April and May 2002):
4/12 (San Diego CA) Claire de Lune's 2906 University Ave 619-688-9845, 8pm, donation
4/13 (San Diego CA) Twiggs Tea and Coffee 4590 Park Blvd at Madison 619-296- 0616; it's an all-day fanfaire with some of the finest acoustic musicians in town: 11:00 EXP
11:25 Rebar & Plums
11:50 The Displaced 12:15 3 Simple Words 12:40 FlynnLechner 1:05 Ryan Blue
1:45 Saba 2:15 nathan aaron 2:45 The Bitty Bums 3:15 Will Edwards 3:45 Tom Brosseau 6:15 Tim Corley 6:55 Linda Sargent 7:35 Kristi Martel 8:15 Katie Strand 9:10 Gregory Page 9:50 Jason & Jane 10:50 Jason Mraz, $3 cover if you arrive before 4pm $7 before 7pm, $10 after 7pm
4/14 (San Diego CA) Lestat's Coffee House 3343 Adams Avenue 619-283-java, 9pm, $4 donation
4/19 (Tucson AZ) Borders Books and Music 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. 520-584-0111, 7pm, FREE
4/20 (Taos NM) Eske's Brew Pub 106 Des Georges 505-758-1517, 7-10pm, Free 4/21 (Taos NM) Alley Cantina 121 Teresina Ln 505-758-2121 7pm, FREE
4/24 (Wichita KS) Borders Books and Music 1715 N Rock Rd 316-634-0800, 8pm, Donation
4/25 (Lawrence KS) Borders Books and Music 700 New Hampshire 785-331-3226, 8pm, Donation
4/26 (Columbia MO) The Music Cafe 120 S. 9th St, 573-815-9995, 8pm, $2 (opening for Concrete Blues Band, 9:30pm, $5)
4/27 (Fairfield IA) Revelations Bookstore 112 N Main St 641-472-6733, 8pm, $5 - $10
4/28 (Fairfield IA) Abundance EcoVillage 'B' Street and 185th, 2pm, $5 - $10 4/30 (Madison WI) Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative 426 W. Gilman St 608-257-6050, with Vicki Guzman, 8pm, Donation
5/2 (Ann Arbor MI) Fundraiser for WRAP at Arbor Brewing Company 116 E. Washington 734-213-1393, 7pm, $35, For tickets and information call 734-973-0875
5/3 (Ann Arbor MI) Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room 114 S Main St 734-665- 2757, 8:30pm, Donation
5/4 (Buffalo NY) The Lavender Door 32 Tonawanda St 716-874-1220, with Tammy Shannon, 10pm, $2
5/5 (Buffalo NY) Nietzsche's 248 Allen St 716-886-8539, with Tim Baldwin, Amanda Amico, and Alla Ivanchikova, 9pm, $4
5/7 (Buffalo NY) Coffee Bean Cafe 3260 Main St 716-837-2326, with Katie Miller, 9pm, $3 suggested donation
5/9 (Ithaca NY) Autumn Leaves Bookstore 115 The Commons 607-273-8239, 6:30pm, $3 donation
5/10 (Annandale NY) Bard Hall, Bard College, 8pm, Free
5/11 (Plaistow NH) The Sad Cafe 148 Plaistow Rd 603-382-8893, 7pm, $3 Donation
5/12 (North Smithfield RI) House Concert, for directions and information email Kevin at upturtle@yahoo.com or call him or Diana at 401-769-6871. My wonderously goofy and musical high school friend Kevin Silvia opens; this is my first show of my original music in my hometown, so you should definitely attend! 7pm, $5-20
5/13 (NYC) The Knitting Factory 74 Leonard Street 212-219-3006, with a real live piano, Julia Joseph 8pm, Denise Barbarita (producer of Kristi's latest CD, Brave Enough!) 8:30pm, Kristi 9:30pm, $7
5/16 (Richmond VA) Babes 3166 W Cary St 804-355-9330, 8-11pm, $5 cover 5/17 (Richmond VA) Charley's Stonypoint Cafe 3088 Forest Hill Ave 804-323-3984, 6pm, Free
5/18 (Richmond VA) House Concert 3109 Hawthorne Ave 804-321-4944, 8pm, $5 - $20
5/21 (Asheville NC) Malaprop's Bookstore Cafe 55 Haywood Street 828-254-6734, 7pm, Donation
5/22 (Birmingham AL) Lodestar Books & Gifts 2827 Highland Ave S 205-328-0144, 7pm, Donation
5/26 (Tucson AZ) House Concert Call 520-514-2757 for information and directions, 7pm, $2-$10
5/28 (San Diego CA) Lestat's Coffee House 3343 Adams Avenue 619-283-java, 9pm, $4 donation
5/29 (Sacramento CA) ***CANCELLED*** Luna's Cafe 1414 16th Street 916-441- 3931, 8pm, $4
5/30 (San Rafael CA) Downtown Farmers Market, on the street at 4th and Lootens, 6-9pm
6/1 (Davis CA) Espresso Roma Cafe 223 Third St 530-756-8260, Nolan, Kristi Martel, Daniel Macht (Legubitron),7:30pm, $3
Blue Gypsy Tour - with jean mann (June 2002):
6/5 (Vashon Island WA) Cafe Luna street show 9924 SW Bank Rd 206-463-0777, 11:30am - 1:30pm
6/5 (Seattle WA) **CHANGED** Mr. Spot's Chai House 5463 Leary Way 206-297- 2424, 8pm, $4 donation
6/6 (Seattle WA) Seattle Art Museum - After Hours *First Thursday* 100 University St. 206-654-3100, with jean mann trio, 5:30pm, FREE
6/7 (Olympia WA) **CANCELLED** Java Flow 207 Washington St NE 360-705- 1867, 7:30pm, Free
6/8 (Portland OR) The Burnside Bean 2327 E Burnside 503-234-8610, 8pm - jean/ 9pm - kristi, $3-5 suggested donation
6/9 (Portland OR) Coffee Time 712 NW 21st St 503-497-1090, 12-2pm, Donation TBA
6/9 (Eugene OR) Cafe Paradiso 115 W Broadway 541-484-9933, 8:30pm, $3 Donation
6/10 (Arcata CA) House Concert 707-825-0122 for information and directions, 7:30pm, $10 Donation
6/12 (Guerneville CA) Main Street Station 16280 Main St 707-869-0501, 7pm- 10pm, $3
6/13 (San Rafael CA) Cat's Cafe **CANCELLED** Please email me if you have another San Rafael venue idea or would like to host a house concert!
6/14 (Berkeley CA) Rose Street House of Music, Kristi Martel, Kathryn Mostow, Kristin Plater, jean mann, For directions and information call 510-594-4000 ext. 687 or MUS, 8pm, $5-20 suggested donation
6/15 (Oakland CA) Mama Bears Women's Bookstore 6536 Telegraph Ave 800-643- 8629, with Littlebird,7:30pm, $8 - $10
6/16 (Half Moon Bay CA) La Di Da 500 C Purissima Dr 650-726-1663, 11am - 1pm, Donation
6/17 (Santa Monica CA) 14 Below 1348 14th St 310-451-5040, 8:30pm, Free
6/18 (Santa Monica CA) House Concert, Call for reservations and directions: 310- 828-9113, 7:30pm, $10 - $20 sliding scale (all proceeds fo to musicians), great food and drink provided!
6/19 (Ojai CA) Local Hero Books 254 E. Ojai Ave 805-646-3165, 12:30-2 pm, Donation
6/19 (Santa Barbara CA) Muddy Waters 508 E Haley St 805-966-9328 7:30, donation
6/20 (San Diego CA) Lestat's Coffee House 3343 Adams Avenue 619-283-java, 9pm, $4 donation
6/21 (San Diego CA) Claire de Lune's 2906 University Ave 619-688-9845, 8pm, donation
6/23 (San Luis Obispo CA) **CANCELLED** Railroad Cafe 1804 Osos St 805-595- 1569, 3pm, $6
6/25 (San Francisco CA) Bazaar Cafe 5927 California St 415-831-5620, 7pm, donation
6/26 (Sacramento CA) Luna's Cafe 1414 16th Street 916-441-3931, 8pm, $4 6/27 (Santa Rosa CA) Aroma Roasters 95 5th St. Railroad Square 707-576-7765, 8:30pm, Donation
6/28 (Santa Cruz CA) Cayuga Vault 1100 Soquel Ave 831-421-9471, 8pm, doors open at 7:30pm, $7-$10 -- be with us for our grand finale show after so much touring!
7/3 (SF CA) Bazaar Cafe 5927 California St 415-831-5620, 7pm TBA
8/2 (Sebastopol CA) Catz Roastery & Coffee Club (aka Coffee Cats) 6761 Sebastopol Ave, Reservations: 707-887-0409, with Littlebird, TBA
8/28 (Emeryville CA) Strings 510-653-5700, Celebrating Songwriters Series presents John Haley-Walker, Michael McNevin, Kristi Martel with Littlebird, and Lynn Smith opens, Hosted by Caren Armstrong, 8pm, $5 Donation
9/7 (Santa Monica CA) 14 Below 1348 14th St 310-451-5040, 8:30pm
9/8 (West LA CA) One Step, Ten Thousand Lives: A Photographic Exhibit to Benefit the AIDS Project, Los Angeles. BackStreeT Galleries 11618 W Exposition Blvd 310- 379-6262. All proceeds from the sale of Dr. Jennifer Wargo's black and white prints will go exclusively to APLA. Free reception and entertainment from 5-7pm. Door prizes will be offered.
9/15 (San Rafael CA) Civic Center Farmers Market 800-897-FARM, with Littlebird, 8am - 1pm, Free/Donation
9/17 (Santa Monica CA) House Concert with Littlebird and Edie Carey, Call or e- mail Jenn for reservations and directions: 310-264-9922 or jwargo310@aol.com, 7pm, $10 - $20 sliding scale (all proceeds go to musicians), great food and drink provided!
Me and Littlebird are hitting the road:
10/2 (San Francisco CA) Bazaar Cafe 5927 California St 415-831-5620, This is the first anniversary of the Queer Songwriters Series. Many great songwriters will be playing, including me, Littlebird, and Garrin Benfeld. 7pm, TBA
10/4 (Long Beach CA) House Concert, email (lakkis@hotmail.com) or call (714- 325-5352) Kevin for reservations and directions, doors open at 7pm, concert starts promptly at 8pm, $10
10/5 (San Diego CA) Mandy Shultz Foundation Benefit at Six Degrees 3175 India Street 619-296-6789, I have a short set at 5:45pm followed by Amber Gaia. I know there are tons more acts on this bill though. Come check it out!
10/5 (San Diego CA) Hot Monkey Love Cafe 5960 El Cajon Blvd 619-582-5908, 8pm, $3
10/7 (Tucson AZ) Ain't Nobody's Bizness (The Biz) 2900 East Broadway Ste 118 520-318-4838 8pm, TBA
10/10 (Tucson AZ) Singles Night at Broadway Village SW corner of Broadway and Country Club, Presented by Aroma Tree, Clues Unlimited, Elle Restaurant and Jag Hair Salon, 866-276-6287, 7-9pm
10/11 (Tucson AZ) TBA
10/12 (Tucson AZ) Tucson Pride OUToberfest Reid Park-DeMeester Center, 1pm, free
11/16 (Santa Monica CA) Donna & Gadi's livingroom, SPACE IS LIMITED - you must RSVP to reserve your seat and get directions: gadidonna@usa.com, sliding scale $12-20 per person
12/13 (Pacifica CA) Salada Beach Cafe 220 Paloma Ave 650-557-1356, 7:30-9:30, FREE
12/14 (Berkeley CA) bEASTfest, at Blake's 2367 Telegraph Ave (510) 848-0886, 9:30-10. Also performing: Odessa Chen, Vanessa Lowe, Ramona the Pest, Naked Barbies
12/28 (North Smithfield RI) House Concert, for directions and information email Kevin at upturtle@yahoo.com or call him or Diana at 401-769-6871. A more collaborative version of the Mother's Day show. Kevin and I have been trying to come up with some songs to perform together, and between the three of us there'll be plenty of original music. And if you were there last time, you know you don't want to miss this show! doors open at 7:30pm, music starts at 8pm, $5-20
12/30 (Plaistow NH) The Sad Cafe 148 Plaistow Rd 603-382-8893, $8 admission, show is 7-11pm, also performing: Hear Patrick
12/31 (New York, NY) The C-Note 157 Avenue C at East 10th Street (212) 677- 8142, show begins at 7:30, FREE
