Tour Diary • 2011

Jan 6

Tuesday, November 17, 2011

Hallo Beautiful People,

So much has been happening!

Firstly, I want to tell you about a special upcoming event at Voila Gallery in Wickford RI. Voila's owner, Natalie, is a new huge fan of my music, and she has invited me to perform at art openings in her gallery. Mike Egan's black and white seaside photography reminds me of my song, "Into the Fog." So I asked if I could perform at his Art Opening on Saturday November 26th, Thanksgiving weekend, from 5-7pm. The gallery is lovely, and the art on the walls is beautiful. Art Openings generally have yummy (free!) wine and cheese. And we're asking for a suggested donation of $10, which will all go to me, for playing my songs while you take in all the visual art. I would LOVE to see you there!

I wish I could insert one of his photos here, but Listbaby, the email service I use, doesn't quite do that yet. I was informed today that it will very very soon, and I can't wait to send you my next email, which should be much prettier than the straight- forward text-only emails I have been sending you for years!

My CDs are now available in 3 stores in South County: Food For Thought and Looney Tunes (both in Wakefield), and Voila (in Wickford). So if you'd rather get them in person, but can't make the art opening concert, feel free to stop in to any of these great stores to buy my recordings! They make wonderful gifts! Of course you can always get the physical CDs or download the mp3s at www.cdbaby.com/all/sealedlips . I get more money from sales through CD Baby than through any of the other digital distributors, but I appreciate your purchases wherever you make them! :)

Saturday, November 26th
Mike Egan Art Opening & Kristi Martel Concert at Voila
31 West Main Street
North Kingstown RI
5-7pm
$10 Suggested Donation

In other news...last week, I became the Triple A Music Director for WRIU Kingston RI 90.3FM, where I have been DJing my show Butterfly Mixtapes, for a year now(!). This means I am listening to new music constantly, and it's very exciting.

So...what is AAA? Here's Wiki's answer:
Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats. The format has a broader, more diverse playlist than most other formats and tends to appeal more to adults than to teenagers. Musical selection tends to be on the fringe of mainstream pop and rock as well as many other music genres such as indie rock, alternative rock, alternative country, jazz, folk, world music, and blues. The musical selections tend to shy away from hard rock and rap music. Some Triple-A stations bill themselves under slogans such as "World Class Rock" or "Quality Rock". Music selection also includes tracks from albums that are not singles, which leads to the enhanced and larger playlist. Within AAA, there are also variations; a classic AAA station (such as WLKK-HD2 or WXMT) focuses on songs from the 1970s and 1980s (the same eras as classic hits, classic rock, and adult hits), while a modern AAA focuses on more recent songs. AAA artists take influence from early 90s jangle pop (Gin Blossoms, Barenaked Ladies, Goo Goo Dolls), acoustic folk rock (Indigo Girls, Tori Amos, Jeff Buckley, Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Jewel), rock and roll (Sheryl Crow, Hootie & the Blowfish, Dave Matthews), and the moody electronics of trip hop (Portishead). The music played has gained significant exposure for artists who were ambitious, intellectual, or idiosyncratic, yet still accessible enough to meet the requirements of mainstream radio programmers who wanted more sophisticated music that wasn't loud or overly disturbing.

I came across this genre definition recently, and realized that it fit what I play on the radio, AND what I write. So...I think there is finally a genre loose-enough to include my work! Weeee!

Meanwhile, I am teaching yoga and music, yoga and music, all the time. I rarely have a day off, but when I do, I am steadily working on a new website, the budget for the vinyl release, and how to best launch my kickstarter campaign to raise the funds. I know it will take time and many phases for the website to truly be what I envision. I will not dismantle the old site. I love it too much and have invested so much into it. I started creating that site in 2000, when I was injured and could not sit down for 5 months. I stood at my desk and looked at other websites and copied and altered html to figure out how to make my site work. I never read a book or website about html. I just figured it out by investigating. I think of the kmetal site as an archive of the first 10 years of my touring and recording career. I don't know if kristimartel.com will last as long in one form; the internet is changing so rapidly all the time. But I do know it will be a beautiful expansion of what the first site started. Remember the old tour diary (www.kmetal.net/2001tourdiary.html)? I had the idea to put that up on my site, writing in my journal while on tour, and then typing it into a webpage on my site, long before I had ever seen a blog. Blogs made that idea much more easy and portable. Suddenly, I could type at any internet cafe while on tour. All the old tour diary entries and all those years of concert dates are archived on that website (www.kmetal.net/tourdiary.html - just click on the year you want to read...) Eventually, I will have a beautiful working blog again. It's a long-time coming! I so

look forward to sharing it, in all its stages as it unfolds and grows, with you!

I am so full of thanks for music & yoga, two practices that have literally saved my life over and again, and that I get to share and create and heal people through. I am so full of joyful appreciation for my loving partner and his daughter, my dear little family. And I am so full of gratitude for you all, my amazing community of supportive fans. I can't do what I do without you!

Thank you SO much!

May your Thanksgiving be rich with your gratitude and your heart full of love. Be peace,
Kristi

Tuesday, November 5, 2011

Hallo Patient Readers,

Oy! I have been SO very busy since I returned from California at the end of August. I can hardly believe it’s taken me this long to tell you all about the trip. But, finally, here it is...details of my wonderful 6 days in Cali...

The trip to California was fantastic! What a gift to get to see all your smiling faces at two beautiful California shows! What a treat to play at the Oakland Art & Soul Festival and at Yoshi's San Francisco!!!

We were tired for our journey. Brendan didn't sleep at all before our flight. I slept for 1 hour. On Wednesday August 17th, we left our Little Rhody home at 4:30am for our 6:25am flight (ugh), and arrived in Oakland at 11:15am. We did sleep a bit on the plane; we were so tired it was impossible not too. My long-time friend picked us up at the airport and lent us his van. How lucky I feel! We drove to Oakland's Cactus Taqueria (www.cactustaqueria.com) for yummy yummy lunch. And we sat and wrote show details on 50 (yes, 50) posters for Yoshi's. They told me last minute (on Tuesday) they needed them, and driving them there the next day was the quickest way to fulfill their request. So we got back in the van with full bellies and 50 informative posters and drove to San Francisco. We were tired, but I was so happy to see my old stomping grounds, and Brendan was happy to see CA for the first time. An unknown part of his family is from there, and he kept marveling that he could unknowingly run into his grandparents or cousins.

Then we stopped by my Oakland mom’s house. It was SO nice to see her, her partner, their cats, their lovely house that was really an anchor for me when I lived in Oakland, and their daughter and son-in-law and granddaughter whom I had met briefly once before when she was brand brand new and just home from the hospital. It was far too brief a visit, because I was trying to get to my friend’s yoga studio in time for the only class of hers I’d get to while in town. She and I did our yoga teacher training with Seane Corn together in the spring, and it was SO great to see her teaching in her very own studio. And what a great class! Sweaty yoga is a very nice way to get back into your body after a long plane ride! I dropped Brendan off at Amoeba Records in Berkeley CA, since he doesn’t do yoga but LOVES records, and since it was my favorite wrecka stow when I lived in Oakland.

He loved driving that van around The Bay Area. It was a big Saturn with a great engine and a great CD player, and that’s what matters most to Brendan. He loves driving and music. We met because he became my driver when I needed someone to help me move to Brooklyn last year. So, naturally, he was my driver in CA. :)

Then we had late dinner with my Oakland mom. She was sweet to make sure we ate yummy food even though it was past her bedtime. It just so happens her daughter lives across the street and just happened to be leaving town that night, so we ended up staying across the street in their lovely house for two nights - a very sweet gift of timing and generosity.

So we settled ourselves in their lovely house across the street and slept. And slept. And slept. Phew!

When we did get ourselves up, it was rather late for breakfast. I wanted to bring Brendan to Mama’s Royal Cafe, because I love it so much. But they stopped serving breakfast right about when we were heading out the door. So we hunted and found Aunt Mary’s Cafe on Telegraph. Oh, my goodness! What a great find! So amazingly yummy. Brendan still hasn’t stopped talking about their 10-grain bread. They make all the breads and pastries there. It’s mostly organic and local ingredients. The menu is really creative, and the cooking is just divine. I had an egg scramble with chard, home-fries, and cornbread. Brendan had a maple bacon apple omelette with home-fries and 10-grain bread. We were so so so happy with everything. I liked it so much I wrote an email to the owner of the cafe and he actually was generous enough to give me the cornbread and 10-grain bread recipes and a pancake recipe! Wow! So go to Aunt Mary’s and get some amazing breakfast!!! (www.auntmaryscafe.com) Oh my! (Some day I’ll have a blog that includes recipes I love, my tour diary, and thoughts about yoga, fasts, and overall health...)

Then we wandered around Telegraph so I could show Brendan some of the places I used to go. We went to an African shop in search of Egyptian Musk. I used to always wear that scent, and recently, all the ones I find in stores have little to no scent. I want the strong scent I remember and love so well. Theirs was stronger than some, but still not exactly what I am craving. Still, what a great little shop: Sami African Imports (www.samiafricanimports.com).

We also visited Ancient Ways. They helped me so much when Littlebird died. I was happy to return and to share it with Brendan. I bought one of my favorite candles and had it blessed.

We then met with one of my dearest friends - she’s like a sister to me - for dinner. How special it was for me to have her and Brendan meet. I met her in college, and although we’ve sometimes lived far apart and talk infrequently, we always have that well-worn easy comfortable picking-up-where-we-left off flow in our conversation. We are part of each other. We just always wish we had more time together. She suggested we eat at Sea Salt, a really yummy sustainable seafood restaurant on San Pablo Ave in Berkeley. (www.seasaltrestaurant.com) It was sooo good.

Then on Friday morning I met Quartet Rouge at my Oakland mom’s house, using her piano (that she had tuned for my visit!) to rehearse two songs of mine and two songs that they wanted me to sing on. I sang Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” and Doris Day’s “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” with them. So much fun! And they accompanied me on “Blessed Community” and “Gutter Mouth.” It was so exciting to hear my string arrangements come to life! I have partially scored string parts for “Blessed Community,” and I have ideas in my head for strings on “Gutter Mouth.” What a thrill to hum the parts to them and give them scores and have it all come together so beautifully. Again, I am so thankful!

This is the work I should be doing some 40% of the time - writing, arranging, rehearsing, recording, and performing my music for film and live performance. I think dancing, yoga, and teaching yoga, wellness, and music are also a big chunk of my true work, maybe 30%. And I think maybe 30% is about how I create home and food and health for my family. The numbers are a bit skewed in practice lately (and many times in my life). I am working to make money to pay off debt left by my former manager. So I am working too many non-music jobs, in an effort to shift the focus back to music. That is why there has been such a long wait between updates and recordings right now. I am very sad and so sorry about this... And it’s stressful and draining at times. Thankfully, after over a year of working SO hard, and a few more before that of just dealing with the struggles of working with that manager, I can tell the shift back toward music is coming soon. Hopefully with the new year.

But back to my Cali tour diary. :)

I have some wonderful friends at KPFA in Berkeley. I usually do an interview and in- studio performance recording in their lovely studio with a grand piano when I am in town. We didn’t get to do a recording this time, but one of my favorite DJs, Lewis Sawyer, was able to give us a wonderful tour of the station. I am so thankful he was feeling well enough to show us around! He has been very ill, and I am so very thankful he is on the mend! And I was so excited to show Brendan KPFA. Brendan is a Music Director and DJ at WRIU here in Kingston RI, where I also DJ, and I wanted him to see the station I loved so much when I was living in Oakland. If we lived there, I’m sure we’d both be DJing at KPFA! Lewis’ favorite part of the building is the huge skylight, that is really most of the building’s ceiling, which opens up with the push of a button. Brendan was thrilled that he got to close the ceiling after Lewis opened it for us!

Then we met my sister and brother-in-law for dinner. Ironically, she moved out there shortly after I moved back to New England where we grew up. We haven’t been on the same coast much at all since I moved out there in 1996! We had a yummy dinner at a favorite of theirs called Spice Monkey. (www.spicemonkeycafe.com) Brendan loves monkeys, so that was the winning restaurant... :) It was great to get to spend some time with them and see their new apartment, and wonderful for them and Brendan to meet!

The Oakland Art & Soul Festival provided me a room at the Marriott Friday and Saturday night so that I had an easy time getting to and from my performance on Saturday afternoon. How lucky I felt to be able to walk to the show and not deal with the insanity of parking at such a big event! So we had my sister drive us and our stuff to the hotel, so that we could leave our borrowed van at my Oakland mom’s and not pay for parking. We settled into our room and had a good sleep before my big show.

I got up early and we walked to The Fat Lady in the Jack London Square part of Oakland. Littlebird and I used to get brunch there sometimes on Sundays. Brendan loved the service there and even got a Fat Lady tshirt. :) Yummy food, although a bit rich right before performing. Still, super enjoyable.

We walked back to our room and I started the lengthy process of showering, dressing, and painting my face for performance. We had a funny time walking to the stage. None of the security and staff knew where to send us. We sort of had to fend for ourselves finding our way to the right part of the festival. Thankfully, the green room/stage manager at the Yoshi’s Jazz Stage did know what was going on. I got there early enough to feel calm before my set. I was welcomed by so many dear friends and fans (including another of my Oakland momâ’s daughters; she has 3) that I haven’t seen in AGES. Oh, it was so so so amazing to see them all. I love you all so much! And I miss you too.

One more reason to get out on the road more often! The show was fantastic. There are really lovely photos of my set, taken by Gerald Franks here: http://gfphotography.smugmug.com/Concerts/Kristi- Martel/18637954_RhD8sg#1440535438_zqdX8fG. The sound engineer was great. The stage tech was great. I played a great set to old (and new) friends and fans. So many smiling faces. So much gratitude and love. I played old favorites and some new songs too:

1. Give
2. Seeds
3. Vetiver
4. Firewater
5. Even Free
6. Aged
7. Photophobia
8. Blessed Community
9. Silver

Eventually I will get some of Gerald’s photos and some of Chuck Scurich’s (one of my KPFA friends) up on my own website.

I am so very happy that my friend from grad school, Bob Boster, was there with his daughter. I had met her when she was brand brand new too, but I think with this meeting, she will remember me. :) Bob and I used to perform as the experimental duo, bouche. I sang and Bob did a bit too, but mostly he put my vocals through many electronic gadgets to make loops and delays and effects and walls of sound. Very beautiful and strange stuff. I would love to work with Bob again in the future, if only we lived less than 3,000 miles apart! A group of us - Bob and his daughter, 2 of Bob’s friends, me and Brendan, my sister and brother-in-law and a friend of theirs - went to dinner at Yoshi’s Oakland, in Jack London Sqaure, walking distance from the festival. I love sushi so much! And I miss the abundance of fresh sushi that the Bay Area provided. mmmmmm...

We walked back to our room and said our goodbyes and tried to get ourselves to sleep, but we are so used to staying up late... In the morning we got ourselves ready and packed up, and Chuck picked us up and brought us back to my Oakland mom’s house for a birthday brunch for her partner. My Oakland mom is such a good cook! She made 3 kinds of scones, 2 kinds of quiche, sticky buns, and a custard that was just divine. We were very thankful to get to help and share in their celebration. And I got to see her other daughter, my very first piano student when I was in grad school, too. Yay! And, I played some of my Oakland mom’s favorites for all her friends, on her piano - impromptu mini house concert. :)

We then drove to San Francisco. I very much wanted to show Brendan Lands’ End. Although it has changed a lot since Littlebird died, it is still the place where I visit her, because she died there, like other’s would visit a grave. I told Brendan the story of what it was like the day they found her body, and how the place has changed. He asked some questions about her actual death and then almost couldn’t handle hearing the answers. It’s such a sad story... Then, he “got it.” And I actually felt it again too. He kneeled down and drew a Reiki symbol in the sand, and gave Reiki to the spot. My sweet love, a Reiki Master, creating some sort of anchor, so he can help the place heal. So many have died there. He feels the place needs some help.

Then we met up with my dear friend from grad school at Minami, Littlebird’s favorite sushi restaurant. It was so great to share their super amazing authentic sushi with my friend and with Brendan, and for Brendan to meet her. We stayed at her mom’s house that night, to see her, and because it is so close to both the ocean and Yoshi’s San Francisco. What a gift to be near the sea and to reconnect with friends!

We got me to sleep, I did yoga the next morning in their beautiful living room, I got a yummy salad at a cafe near the beach that I used to go to with Littlebird, and I got showered and packed. We drove my friend’s van to Yoshi’s, a few minutes late to sound check. Brendan took care of EVERYTHING. He made sure the house manager knew what food I was going to eat. He made sure the merchandise person knew all about my CDs. He got the van parked and then unloaded it to give it back to its owner, my generous friend. I soundchecked and ran through the 4 shared songs with Quartet Rouge. Their photographer took lots of pictures of me. Some of them are on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150268506815894.330987.504650893&type=3 . Then I had a little sushi and started the lengthy dressing and make-up process. Brendan steamed my dress for me! Both at the festival and at Yoshi’s, several people thought he was my manager. I wish I was making enough money to pay him to be my manager. For now, he just helps when he can. But with all his years of DJ and record store and promotions experience, I’d love more of his help.

He got very excited, almost nervous for me, before I went on stage. He was sharing the thrill of playing such a beautiful and big and important venue. Really, Laurie Anderson, Natalie Cole, KRS-One - these artists and so many others were on the calendar with me. I again feel it as a huge honor to play at Yoshi’s. The house was a little less packed than last time. The times are tighter. We expected this. But all the loving and thrilled and excited people who were there, got a very very special show.

I started with “Blessed Community,” accompanied beautifully by Quartet Rouge. The song is so much about the community we create when we gather to hear music and be present for hearing each other’s stories, that it felt like the perfect opening.

Then I played the song that is still my most requested, “Even Free.” That song is why KPFA plays my music as much as they do. And it’s why my album Ravengirl got entirely funded by a very generous fan. My KPFA friends sat with Brendan. I’m so happy Lewis and Chuck could be there. Chuck took lots of photos that I haven’t yet seen. I will eventually get those up online too...

Then I played another frequently requested song, “Aged.” Then Quartet Rouge came out to accompany me again, this time on “Gutter Mouth.” So much fun! Then I played “Sacred Whore,” “Photophobia,” “Hands,” “Road Song,” “Firewater,” “Vetiver,” “Give,” and “Silver.” It was so amazing to hear so many voices join me in a chorus of “I want real love.” I even stopped playing the piano to hear them sing more clearly. :) And the piano! How I love playing that 9 foot German Steinway grand.

It was over much too quickly. Some day, I hope to play two sets there when I’m in town, maybe even on a few consecutive days. Hopefully, my music will still bring me in that direction.

My sister and brother-in-law came to the show and then brought us to get food, and for me to get a shower at their house, and then they drove us to the airport. We knew that the timing was such that finding a place to sleep just didn’t quite make sense. We got to the airport at about 2:30, in a sort of dead zone where you can’t actually check in - no one’s there. So we stood and half-slept, at the front of the line, and checked in as soon as they’d let us, at about 4, and then went to our gate and waited and half-slept until our ridiculously early 6am flight arrived to take us home. We slept badly on the plane, but were thankful that a kind man refused to let us, a couple, sit separately, even on such a crowded flight. Thank you to the one who switched seats with Brendan. I got a little more sleep, because of his willingness to move.

So, that was the wonderful adventure of going to California for two amazing shows! Going to California, I felt like I was coming home. Thanks so much for all your love and support out there, Cali friends and fans! You mean the world to me!

I really did hit the ground running upon my return. Very shortly after arriving home, I was offered 2 yoga jobs, and 2 yoga interviews. I took on teaching 4 classes at the 2 studios, and subbing at one of the studios that interviewed me. I am right now still waiting to hear from the 4th studio. The classes have been going so well. I love teaching yoga! I love teaching the philosophy behind the poses, as well as the depth of the alignment of each pose. And I love watching people come into their bodies and their practice. I literally get to watch people get taller in 90 minutes. I get to help them know themselves more deeply, and uncover and release parts of themselves they didn’t know they were holding onto. What an amazing gift it is to teach yoga! And alongside that I’ve started seeing people privately as a wellness coach, using all the skills I’ve been taught and benefited so much from, to help others heal. I am so thankful to all of you who helped me get to that yoga teacher training with your donations, and to all the teachers who have guided me on this path.

The day we flew home, there was an earthquake that hit hard in DC and Massachusetts (unheard of)! And 5 days later there was a hurricane in our town! We hunkered down and were totally safe, although we had no power for 3 days. The timing was actually a gift for me. I was applying for a fellowship within days of returning home, a lengthy process that will hopefully bring me (and you) very good news in January. And the hurricane cancelled some of my work, giving me more time to write the application. Having no power was a hurdle, as it needed to be submitted online. But I am a radio DJ at a big university, and they have a generator, and my radio show was that very night. So, toward the end of the hurricane, I went out in it, a little before midnight, to do my radio show. And I prepared the show so I could work and submit the application while the show played itself. Usually I actively DJ my whole 3-hour show, so this was quite unusual...

Tomorrow is the anniversary of me being a radio DJ for a year! I am doing a best-of show, midnight to 3am EST. You can hear it live on 90.3FM WRIU Kingston, or online at www.wriu.org . And, Brendan is on the radio right now, doing a best-of-according-to-him of my show (!) to celebrate my DJ anniversary! I’m listening while I write this. :) He’s playing my song “Seeds” right now.

I’ve also had a bunch of new music students come my way this fall, so I’ve been teaching a lot more private lessons again - yay! And happily, finally, I got into the studio with Steve Rizzo at Stable Sound in Portsmouth RI, to record a demo of my newest song, “Vetiver.” What a thrill to hear my 5-voice chorus outside of my head, played back to me, after recording each voice in 1 take. And what a thrill to get to play it on the radio, fresh out of the studio, within hours of recording it, on my radio show that night! I’ll be playing it again on the radio tomorrow night, around 1:45am.

Steve is working on mastering the 4 songs that will be on my first ever vinyl release, “skybound & anchored,” right now. Side A (“skybound”) will include “Vetiver,” “Firewater,” and “Seeds,” and Side B (“anchored”) will have the single of “bound” on it. Eventually, I will find the right DJ to scratch the old recording of “bound” into a new recording of “bound,” for the full-length album “Sacred Whore.” I know it’s taken way longer than any of us expected, but I am still steadfastly working toward making the album. I just need to raise the money.

I have photos up on my Facebook page, taken by long-time fan and friend Bekkah Storer. I am in the process of trying to choose two photos from that photoshoot for the album artwork for “skybound & anchored.” So go sign onto FB and give me feedback on these photos. Your comments will help me make the record. :) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/? set=a.10150233011315894.320407.504650893&type=3

I also applied for another grant that I’ll hear about in December. And Brendan and I have gone to NYC to see Portishead, to Providence to see Laurie Anderson, and to Brooklyn to see Amon Tobin, all in the month of October! Although we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to see these AMAZING artists, we would prefer they were a bit more spread out. It’s been super busy and expensive. The shows were absolutely stunning though. Truly.

My own October show in Belchertown MA went very well. The Black Moon Music Lounge is a great room with a great staff. Hopefully I’ll play there again at some point in the future.

I checked out another recording studio in Boston, Mike Davidson Recording. He is great. And I submitted a song to him and won 6 hours of studio time. I am working on planning the budget and schedule of recording “Sacred Whore.” There is so much to decide. We’ll see how it all works out.

Me and my sweet family were a bunch of zombies for Halloween. We went to Salvation Army to make Brendan’s daughter into a punk goth zombie, me into a corporate Liz Claiborne-dressed zombie, and Brendan into a Mr. Rodgers-style zombie. He and I sort of matched, in a way we never normally would. SO funny. A bunch of friends joined us. The 8 adults were really just part of our girl’s costume, but we all got candy. :)

Between teaching 4-7 yoga classes and seeing 4-7 clients privately each week, family birthdays and fall holidays, all the driving, and all the kickstarter research and recording plans, I have not had time to book shows this fall. I am missing performing and you all so much! Know that I am working hard to get more music to you.

Hopefully the next email you get from me will be full of kickstarter fundraising details for “skybound & anchored!” I am SO looking forward to it!
So much love and so many blessings your way.
Be peace y’all,

Kristi

Tuesday, October 10, 2011

Hallo Lovely Listeners!

Wow - it’s been a whirlwind! I have wanted to write you and tell you all about California, but I really hit the ground running when I came home. The short of it is that I am teaching a lot more yoga, and I also got in to the studio and recorded a demo of “Vetiver.” I’m planning the vinyl release! Hopefully its kickstarter campaign will be starting very soon!

Meanwhile, I have a show this coming Friday at a new-to-me venue called Black Moon Music Lounge in Belchertown Massachusetts. I liked the name of the venue so much I asked to play there, but I’ve never played in that part of Massachusetts before, so they built a show around my request. Four women songwriters are performing solo that night, starting at 9pm. Should be magical.

Friday October 14th
Women’s Songwriters Night
featuring Carolyn Walker, Maddie Rosene, Sarah Smith & me! Black Moon Music Lounge
www.blackmoonmusic.com
37 State Street
Belchertown MA 01007
413-323-0013
9pm, $5 donation

Please come support this venue and my performance! I hope to play there again in the future and to develop a following in that area, and your presence will help.

I promise to write you all about the California trip and the Vetiver recording very soon. And hopefully I will have good news about the vinyl release soon too. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, if you love or are curious about yoga, come to one of my classes at Raffa Yoga in Cranston! I LOVE teaching there! www.raffayoga.com

See you out there! Bright October blessings, Kristi

Tuesday, August 10, 2011

Oh my goodness!

Just 1 week from today, my boyfriend and I will be flying to California for my 2 shows in The Bay Area. I am SO excited for SO many reasons!

1. is that I truly miss all of my amazing fans, friends, and family that are in California, and 3 years is just TOO long to be away!

2. is that it is such a thrill to have been invited to come play at Oakland's 11th Annual Art & Soul Festival! (I believe I played at the first one, back in 2000!)

3. is that it is a great honor to be invited back to the world premiere jazz venue Yoshi's San Francisco, this time for a co-bill with Green Day's string group Quartet Rouge! (I need your help to pack this room so that I can return to this venue once a year!)

4. is that my sweet love (who has Native California blood in him) has never been to California and has never seen the amazing outpouring of love from my California fans, AND he has not yet met my dear California friends and family. I am so happy he will be joining me on this trip.

And that's just the 4 very most important reasons I am so excited. I am also just simply excited to be back in The Bay and see its trees and ocean and people and energy.

What a busy time! I am packing and planning and preparing and practicing. And I need your help. If you will be at one of the shows and you have a special Kristi request, please reply to this email and let me know which show you will be attending and which of my songs you would like to hear. I will do my best to fulfill all requests. Unfortunately, I may not be able to fulfil them all, due to time constraints. If I could play for you for 3 hours, I would, but I don't think the venues will let me. The closest you can get to that is to come to both shows. But I so look forward to knowing what you are craving and blending it with my new songs that you haven't yet gotten to hear live. Wahooo!

I need to receive your requests by Saturday the 13th, to do the job right. :)

I'll be preparing my set through Saturday, and then on Sunday, I have a very special event happening at the radio show I host, Butterfly Mixtapes, on WRIU. Fellow DJ Joe D is going to host a spotlight on MY work on my radio show! How cool is that? 3 hours of him playing my music and asking me questions about my work and influences. I'm sure our conversation will be so fun. Supercool.

Show details:

Sunday August 14th (technically *early* Monday August 15th) Midnight to 3AM
Butterfly Mixtapes on WRIU Kingston RI
90.3FM in Southern New England & Long Island

or online at www.wriu.org FREE

Saturday August 20th
Oakland's 11th Annual Art & Soul Festival
City Center Stage (sponsored by Yoshi's Oakland)
Oakland CA
$15 for a day pass
www.artandsouloakland.com/tickets.htm
My set is now scheduled for 3pm. Set times often change last minute for festivals, so keep checking with the festival folks for current details.

Monday August 22nd Yoshi's San Francisco 1330 Filmore St
San Francisco CA 415-655-5600

I'm co-billing with Quartet Rouge, and we're going to join each other on a couple special tunes!
Reserve your seats ahead! www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1998

$12 8pm

Now I'm off to teach yoga, but in my heart and mind I am also planning all the ways I can embrace you and The Bay while I'm there!

See you out there.

Be peace & light y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, July 21, 2011

Hallo Beautiful People,

I am SO excited about my upcoming shows in NYC & California! It's been too long since I've been in NYC, and WAY TOO LONG since I've been in The Bay Area!!! Here are the details:

Friday August 5th
Caffe Vivaldi
http://caffevivaldi.com/
32 Jones Street (off Bleecker near 7th Ave) NYC

212-691-7538
Anna Dagmar (http://www.annadagmar.com/) & I will be sharing the stage & the lovely grand piano for a nice long set at this sweet venue. My Brave Enough drummer Rich Kulsar will be joining me! Yay!
8pm
$10 donation

Saturday August 20th
Oakland's Art & Soul Festival (woohooo!)
http://www.artandsouloakland.com/
City Center Stage (presented by Yoshi's Jazz and KCSM Jazz 91.1FM)
City Center Plaza (the stage I'm playing is in the middle of the block bordered by 12th & 14th & Clay & Broadway - entrance at 14th & Broadway) Oakland CA
1:30pm set
$15 for a day pass
Terrence Brewer (http://terrencebrewer.com/blog/) & Mingus Amungus (http://www.mingusamungus.com/index.htm) will also be playing the same stage that day. :)

Monday August 22nd
Yoshi's San Francisco
http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco CA
415-655-5600
co-billing with Quartet Rouge (http://www.quartetrouge.com/) (Green Day's string group!)
8pm
$12

I am so happy to finally be playing at Caffe Vivaldi after hearing about it for so long. So much thanks to Anna Dagmar for making it happen. Please come hear her stellar piano playing and the acoustic version of me and Rich!

It's been 3 years since I have been in California! I so miss my friends and family and fans...and the sushi! I am super excited that my boyfriend is joining me for this trip. This means I get to introduce him to so many people who are so dear to me.

I'm so thrilled to have been invited to perform at Art & Soul! What an honor!
And I am so blessed and thankful to be returning to Yoshi's! Yoshi's' grand piano is

one of the most stunning I've played. Last time, the place was nearly sold out. Half the audience knew all the words to my older songs and sang along. Half the audience was brand new to me and bought up all my CDs. What a spectacular night! Let's pack the place again! Follow the link to get your tickets early!

See you out there! Be peace y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, July 8, 2011

Hallo Sweet Fans,

Thanks so much to everyone who keeps making it out to my recent shows here in Little Rhody. You all rock. True communication takes a good teller and a good listener; it takes presence, and I am forever grateful for all my amazing listening vibrant fans. Your presence means the world to me. I promise to do my best to keep all my telling honest, beautiful, eloquent, and joyful.

The AS220 show was a blast! I love that room and its community (and their good food!). Kevin played and sang so well on everything, and especially beautifully on "Vetiver," and I played well on his song, "Hazy Glow," too. :) I was happy to meet Malyssa BellaRosa of Fall and Bounce and all the guys in Sound Over Sea too. Their sets were great.

I had an excellent rehearsal with the newest incarnation of my band last night, in preparation for our show at The Studio @ Wickford Cove. I'm currently pondering possible band names for us... I am SO looking forward to our debut tomorrow night! I hope hope hope to see you all there!

Saturday July 9th
The Studio @ Wickford Cove
(You'll see Teddy Bearskins' parking lot & The Herb Wyfe from the street. The Studio is behind the Herb Wyfe.)
23 Brown St
Wickford RI
401-295-1140
http://herbwyfe.com/studio.htm
7pm, $10
Seating (& parking) is limited; arrive early. :)

I am so excited for you all to get to hear full band arrangements of some of my newest songs tomorrow night!

I will be performing in NYC at Caffe Vivaldi on August 5th, in Oakland CA at Oakland's Art & Soul Festival on August 20th, and at Yoshi's San Francisco on August 22nd! I am

SO happy that the Yoshi's date is now confirmed. I will be co-billing with Quartet Rouge, Green Day's string group! All details for the August shows will arrive in your inbox soon. But now, I'm off to rehearse a bit more for tomorrow night!

See you out there!

Be peace y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Hallo Lovely Listeners,

Firstly, a big warm thanks to the wonderful community that is Artists' Exchange. They are doing some great work over there, and I am happy to become a part of it. I had a wonderful time performing my songs at their first annual New Music Festival, and I look forward to their upcoming festivals and getting involved every way I can. Thanks to the wonderful directors there, and to all the wonderful folks in the audience who listened so appreciatively to my set. You all rock!

I had a great rehearsal with Kevin last night, in preparation for our July 6th show at AS220. I am so looking forward to that show and the July 9th show with the new incarnation of my band at The Studio @ Wickford Cove. I sure hope to see you all there!

Wednesday, July 6th
AS220
115 Empire St
Providence RI
401-831-9327 http://www.as220.org/calendar.html
Sound Over Sea, Me!, Fall and Bounce, & Highbank 9pm, $6

Saturday July 9th
The Studio @ Wickford Cove
23 Brown St
Wickford RI
401-295-1140 http://herbwyfe.com/studio.htm 7pm, $10

I'm getting ready to record the demo for my newest song, "Vetiver," and then I'll be starting to plan the kickstarter campaign that will fund the vinyl release of a number of demos of songs that will be on the full-length album, "Sacred Whore." I am so excited about this project! My most recent mental debate is whether or not to include

the song "Sacred Whore" on the record... What do you think?

And now I am off to prepare the two yoga classes I will be teaching tomorrow (before going to the movies tonight with my love). I'd love to see you at my classes:

Wednesdays at 10am & 7:30pm Transformational Vinyasa
The Studio @ Wickford Cove
23 Brown St

Wickford RI
$10, First class is FREE

Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "Le Petit Prince" or "The Little Prince" is one of my all-time favorite books. Antoine's birthday is June 29th. Here's a favorite quote:

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Be open-hearted y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, June 25, 2011

Hallo Good People,

Just a quick note to give you the headsup that I was given an even better spot tonight, at 9pm in the theatre for the New Music Festival at Artists' Exchange, 50 Rolfe Square in Cranston RI. I sure hope to see you there!

And, I am the face of the festival! The Providence Phoenix put my picture on the cover and on page 14 of this week's issue! You can see it here: http://providence.thephoenix.com/music/122737-cranstonpalooza/

In other good news, long-time friend and guitarist Kevin Silvia will be joining me at AS220 on July 6th. And my band is sounding FANTASTIC for the July 9th show. I am SO looking forward to them both.

Saturday June 25th
Artists' Exchange New Music Festival
50 Rolfe Square
Cranston RI
401-490-9475 http://www.artists-exchange.org/events/newmusicfestival.html featuring over 30 bands from all over Southeastern New England I perform at 9pm in the theatre!
$10 per day or $15 for a 2-day pass!

Wednesday, July 6th
AS220
115 Empire St
Providence RI
401-831-9327 http://www.as220.org/calendar.html
Sound Over Sea, Me!, Fall and Bounce, & Highbank 9pm, $6

Saturday July 9th
The Studio @ Wickford Cove
23 Brown St
Wickford RI
401-295-1140 http://herbwyfe.com/studio.htm 7pm, $10

But now, I've got put the final touches on my face for tonight!

See you out there! Be peace y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, June 19, 2011

Hallo Amazing Folks,

Whoa! I've been so busy making things happen I have had little time to tell you all about it! Here is my long-overdue update!

I just found out about The Artists' Exchange, and I really like venues that support artists and communities in such a complete way as to create artistic community, so I inquired about their upcoming events. I'm super excited that they booked me at their New Music Festival this Saturday!

Saturday June 25th
Artists' Exchange New Music Festival
50 Rolfe Square
Cranston RI
401-490-9475 http://www.artists-exchange.org/events/newmusicfestival.html featuring over 30 bands from all over Southeastern New England I perform at 7pm on the acoustic stage.
$10 per day or $15 for a 2-day pass!

And then, after we're all done celebrating summer, barbecues, & independence with fireworks, I'm happy to be returning to a long-time favorite community arts venue, AS220!

Wednesday, July 6th
AS220
115 Empire St
Providence RI
401-831-9327 http://www.as220.org/calendar.html
Sound Over Sea, Me!, Fall and Bounce, & Highbank 9pm, $6

And I am SUPER excited to be debuting the newest incarnation of the Kristi Martel Trio over the waters of Wickford Cove. This time it's more like KMQuintet - me on piano & lead vocals, Angela Romans & Sara Sprague on backing vocals, Kurt Meyer on bass, & Matt Niebels on drums. We intend to have a very good time, and we really hope you'll join us!

Saturday July 9th
The Studio @ Wickford Cove
23 Brown St
Wickford RI
401-295-1140 http://herbwyfe.com/studio.htm 7pm, $10

And in August, I'll be traveling to New Jersey for a House Concert (8/4 or 8/6), to NYC for a show at Caffe Vivaldi (8/5), and to California for the Oakland Art & Soul Festival (8/20) and hopefully hopefully hopefully a second date at Yoshi's SF (8/22). If you will attend, feel free to call them and encourage them to confirm me for August 22nd. They are looking for a second act to co-bill with me, but if they knew enough folks would attend just to see me, they may confirm me without.

Meanwhile, I am getting ready to record the demo of Vetiver over at Stable Sound in Portsmouth RI, and I'm making the budget for the vinyl project, so I can launch the kickstarter campaign to raise the needed funds. So exciting!

And in the land of yoga...teaching in the beautiful Studio @ Wickford Cove is lovely, although slow-growing. I am looking into other places to teach and will let you know when I find them. I got a 97% on my yoga teacher training exam!!!

Tell everyone you know about these upcoming shows! Bring friends! I am so looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces and open hearts again.

Be peace y'all. Shine bright.

Love, Kristi

Tuesday, April 27, 2011

Hallo Good People,

I am SO looking forward to my show Friday night at The Speakeasy @ Local 121!!! Kevin and I have prepared over 2 hours of beautiful music for you, and I will have 2 lovely backing vocalists joining us on a few songs - very exciting. Local 121 is my favorite Rhode Island restaurant. And their swanky downstairs listening room has a yummy menu. I sure hope to see you all there!!!

Friday April 29th
The Speakeasy @ Local 121 (www.local121.com/events/speakeasy)
121 Washington Street
Providence RI
Kevin Silvia opens & accompanies (www.kevinsilvia.com)
Amazing organic and local menu of yummy dinners, drinks, and desserts! Doors open at 8:30pm, show starts at 9pm
$8 at the door

Tell everyone you know about this upcoming show! Bring friends! I am so looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces and open hearts again.

Last week, I visited a long-time fan of my music, herbalist and shop owner Lesley Wooler. She has an amazing knowledge of plants, a lovely herb shop, and a beautiful adjoining studio that hosts classes and concerts. The studio literally sits over the river and has windows with a view of the pier. I asked and she said YES to me teaching there one day a week starting May 4th. I will offer mixed level mildly heated vinyasa classes there at 10am and 7pm on Wednesdays. Lesley and I are super excited! These 90-minute classes are $15 each, or you can buy a 6-class card for $120.

Vinyasa Classes at The Herb Wyfe 23 Brown Street
Wickford RI
Wednesdays at 10am & 7pm

$15 per person for drop-in
$12 per person if signing up for a series of 6 or more classes

Here's my new yoga bio & class description. I hope you'll join me if you're in Rhode Island! And I hope you'll tell everyone you know who may be interested, about these new class offerings.

Kristi Martelâ€TMs yoga practice began over 10 years ago after badly injuring her back as a jujitsuka, dancer, and performance artist. She found her first teacher, Bill

Solomon, a kind, patient, and creative Iyengar teacher, in Oakland, California. She was excited by the precision of Iyengar alignment, the depth of the practice, and by how naturally she understood both. Within 5 months she lost 40 pounds and could once again touch her toes. Over time, her search for similarly thoughtful and healing teachers brought her to heated vinyasa. Kristi is a longtime student of Divya, Tom Gillette, Shannah Green, and Jessie Meyer-Eisendrath. She has also studied with Dharma Mittra, Patricia Walden, and Coral Brown. She has practiced and been inspired by AcroYoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Baptiste Power Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Yoga Nidra, but she mostly craves the rich openings and insights available through Heated Vinyasa and loves that it is a flexible-enough medium to integrate the power of ALL of these practices. She has wanted to teach since her first class, but only recently was she given a scholarship to the most suitable yoga and wellness teacher training she could have found. She completed Yogaphoriaâ€TMs 200-hour Yoga and Wellness Teacher Training with Seane Corn, Anodea Judith, Matthew Sanford, Melanie Smith, Carolyn Cohen, and Karin Eisen (to name just a few) in 2011. She is thrilled to be able to bring the gifts of their teaching to her students.

In addition to being a devoted yogini, Kristi is a nationally touring and recording pianist, vocalist, songwriter, and music teacher with awards, degrees, and over 15 years experience (www.kristimartel.com). Miraculously, Kristi has been sought after and seen, even on stage, as a healer all her life, and has been given amazing tools along the way in holistic therapies such as Integrated Energy Therapy, Aromatherapy, Herbal and Food-based Healing, Reiki, Shamanic Therapy, and Applied Kinesiology. Kristi is also a DJ on WRIU 90.3FM where she plays a wide range of her favorite music every other Sunday midnight to 3am on her show, Butterfly Mixtapes (www.wriu.org/butterflymixtapes). With Joan Peters at Alvin Ailey in NYC, Kristi has studied her favorite dance, Katherine Dunhamâ€TMs technique, a magnificent and vigorous combination of Haitian Folkloric dance and Ballet barre. Teaching yoga feels like an exquisite way to integrate all of these deep loves into one beautiful expression of transformation. Kristi is honored and humbled to share these gifts.

Kristiâ€TMs vinyasa classes are grounding, joyful, reverent, and engaged. They will inspire you to cultivate your awareness, fine-tune your alignment, awaken your flexibility, embody your prana (breath-energy), and open your eyes, heart, ears, and chakras as you place your body and intention in a special way. These mixed-level classes are open to beginner through advanced students, and are designed for all ages and physical abilities. The work is strong, but modifications are always offered. These classes are to be taken at your own pace. Create sacred space for your own grace, healing, and insight; expand your breath; spark your energy; strengthen and lubricate your muscles and bones as we practice over the waters of Wickford Cove. The room will be mildly heated to warm our muscles and detoxify our bodies. Please bring a mat, towel, and water.

I finally started my yoga teacher training test last night! Things have been super busy, but I am staying positive and loving all the music and yoga in my life.

Be peace y'all. Shine bright.

Love, Kristi

Tuesday, April 16, 2011

Hallo Lovely People,

What a beautiful show last night! The room at Lilypads sounds lovely, the whole town came to the show :) , my sweet family got to attend (yay!), I played well and felt shiny bright from all that yoga, and Red Molly's harmonies were lovely. My boyfriend videotaped the first two songs of my set, until my new camera died. I forgot to charge it beforehand. I am not used to having this new option. I am sure I will get better at it soon. :) I just figured out how to get the video up online! You can view it on YouTube, Facebook, or my own website:

http://www.youtube.com/sealedliprecords http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150156732125894 http://www.kmetal.net/video.html
Please go watch it, "like" it, and share it!!! And if you haven't befriended me on Facebook or subscribed to my YouTube channel, please feel free to do so! I've just started learning how to put video up, so it should get interesting very soon.

I am so full of gratitude to all the listening warm-hearted folks who came to the show last night, to the Unitarian Universalist Church of South County for hosting these beautiful concerts, to all the volunteers who make shows as rich as these happen, and to my boyfriend for being such a sweet support when he is able to attend. I hope one day to make enough money from all my performing and teaching to have him always there supporting me at my shows as my driver, roadie, engineer, and prince of merch (CD sales)...

I am so excited for my next show too! On April 29th, I will be performing two full sets at our favorite Rhode Island restaurant, Local 121, in their swanky downstairs listening room, The Speakeasy, with one of my favorite guitarists and long-time friend, Kevin Silvia. I sure hope you'll be there to laugh with us!

Tell everyone you know about this upcoming show! Bring friends! I am so looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces and open hearts again.

Meanwhile, I am on the lookout for places I can start teaching yoga, and so many people have already asked me where I'm teaching, that I am going to keep you posted here as I start to teach. I'd love to see you in my classes. And wish me luck making time to take my yoga teacher training test alongside my usual life! I just received the test today, and I have until May 15th to complete it. weeee!

Be peace y'all. Shine bright. Love,
Kristi

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Hallo Fantastic Fans!

The Yogaphoria Yoga & Wellness Teacher Training was AMAZING! We worked SO hard and grew and learned SO much. The program is the first of its kind, and it really focused on our own healing, so that we can be better teacher/healers. I took classes in anatomy, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, sequencing a yoga class, alignment, yoga practice, prenatal yoga, pranayama (breathing practices), meditation, acroyoga, teaching yoga to disabled students, chakras, and even on being inspiring... I got to see how much I already know, and I learned a whole lot more. I experienced the gift of being seen. I made many dear friends. I cried a lot. We all did. I got to perform! I taught my first yoga class, and it felt very natural to me. I ate super yummy mostly vegan and Ayurvedic food. I did not get a lot of sleep, but I slept well.

I haven't really landed yet. There, I was sitting on the floor, or practicing yoga, about 11 hours a day. Here, I sit in chairs or on piano benches; I sit in the car; I lift random and various size things; I mail and receive things; and I get a little yoga and meditation in each day. It's been a bit tricky adjusting back to my regular life. There, I received amazing food 3 times a day; here, I have to cook and do dishes. The schedule there was packed full from 7am - 9pm almost every single day for 18 days. My schedule at home runs a lot later, more like 11am - 1am, and it's full of very different things everyday. I loved my sunrise walks to school (the time I used for my daily metta practice for the folks who donated money to help me attend the training), but my musical life doesn't generally allow for such an early rising. I'm sure I will need a few months to integrate all that I learned into my life. For now, I know I am a good teacher. I know I need more time and space to practice. I know I need more time and space for making and performing and recording music. And I know I have a big test to take by May 15th, to get my yoga teacher certification. :)

I am sending a big warm THANK YOU to all of the wonderful people, my 33 angels, who donated money to help me get to this fantastic yoga and wellness teacher training! I am certain I will be learning from my experience there for many years to come. Thank you thank you thank you! You will always be in my heart. <3

CD Baby just let me know that my new release, "Firewater," is live on the CD Baby

site! :) To purchase this music now or to hear some sound samples first, click here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kristimartel3 . It's also available at Apple iTunes, and should be arriving at all the other digital retailers soon...

This week, I am switching gears from yogini to piano diva, preparing my set for opening for Red Molly at Lilypads on Friday. I am so looking forward to seeing you all at this show so close to home. What a lovely homecoming. :)

Friday April 15th
< Lilypads (www.facebook.com/LoveLilyPads?sk=wall)
27 North Road
Peace Dale RI
opening for Red Molly (www.redmolly.com)
Doors at 7pm; music at 7:30pm
Tickets: $15 (www.brownpapertickets.com/event/159187)

Next week, I will be preparing for a photo shoot for the next releases and publicity with long-time fan and photographer, Bekkah Storer. :)

And on April 29th, I will be performing at our favorite Rhode Island restaurant, Local 121, in their swanky downstairs listening room, The Speakeasy, with one of my favorite guitarists and long-time friend, Kevin Silvia. I sure hope you'll be there to laugh with us!

Tell everyone you know about these upcoming shows! And wish me luck making time to take my test alongside my usual life!

It was a little warmer in New Hope PA than it is here at home in Narragansett RI. I drove there in an ice storm. I left a beautiful sunset and 65 degrees. Today, I noticed the first daffodils abloom in our front yard. I am so thankful to be home, back in my love's arms.

Be peace y'all! Kristi

Tuesday, March 19, 2011

Hallo amazing people!

Firstly, a big warm THANK YOU to all of the wonderful people, my 33 angels, who donated money to help me get to this fantastic yoga and wellness teacher training! In the first 24 hours, we raised just over $1,000! And in the next week we raised another $500! I am so blown away and full of gratitude. I have been given such an amazing gift, and you know I will give it back again and again in my life's work. I am SO excited to be going to this amazing training! Gathering up the money and books to go has been overwhelming, but I have almost everything I need now. I leave on Wednesday!!!

I am so honored to be holding your precious longings and struggles in my metta (lovingkindness) meditations each night before I sleep. Thank you.

Secondly, I just set into motion the release of my next digital single, "Firewater." Some of you have already heard this song live. It is my second-newest. It's very old- time bluesy. It almost sounds like Billie Holiday instead of me! It's set to be available on April 5th. CD Baby will surely have it ready by then. All those other digital distributors vary in their speed, but Apple iTunes is usually one of the first. Look for it soon & enjoy!
www.cdbaby.com/all/sealedlips

Oh wow! I just noticed that my fanastic 2008 Homophonic Interview is available as a free download from Apple iTunes! Check it out! All ya gotta do is go to the iTunes store, search for "Kristi Martel," and press the play button at the bottom of the page near the little pink monkey in headphones. :)

And thirdly, performing is such a joy:

I had a beautiful time at Manchester Community College on Thursday. I am so thankful to the people who helped put that show together, and to the amazing people in the audience. Thanks for your wonderful listening and questions, and that gorgeous piano!

I have 2 AMAZING shows coming up in April. On April 15th, just days after I return from yoga heaven (I will be even more sparkly and bright than usual!), I am opening for Red Molly at Lilypads in Wakefield RI. And on April 29th, I will be performing at our favorite Rhode Island restaurant, Local 121, in their swanky downstairs listening room, The Speakeasy, with one of my favorite guitarists and long-time friend, Kevin Silvia. I sure hope you'll be there to laugh with us!

Friday April 15th
Lilypads (www.facebook.com/LoveLilyPads?sk=wall) 27 North Road
Peace Dale RI
opening for Red Molly (www.redmolly.com)

Doors at 7pm; music at 7:30pm
Tickets: $15 (www.brownpapertickets.com/event/159187)

While I am away yoga-ing, I will not have my computer (wow!). I will have my fancy phone, so I will still be able to check email and update Facebook a little, but with a schedule that is packed full from 6:30am - 9pm every single day for 18 days, I may honestly not have time to update you much! Please send me sustaining and healing energy as I embark on this journey, and know that I will give you a full report upon my return home.

And tell everyone you know about these upcoming shows! :) Let's celebrate spring together!

Happy Ostara, everyone!!! Happy Spring Equinox!!! I saw the first crocuses this week. They are my favorite. <3

Be peace y'all! Kristi

Tuesday, March 13, 2011

Hello Sweet People!

There's been so much news this week!

Tonight, midnight to 3am (technically early Monday morning, 3/14) I am playing all a cappella music on my radio show, butterfly mixtapes on WRIU 90.3FM. You can listen online at wriu.org .

Sunday March 13th (technically early Monday morning) midnight to 3am
Butterfly Mixtapes
DJ Kristi Martel

www.wriu.org/butterflymixtapes

Tomorrow night (3/14), I'll be doing a phone interview on The Upper Room with Joe Kelley on Fairfield University Radio at 7pm, promoting my show at Manchester

Community College on Thursday (3/17), 4-6pm. You can tune into WVOF 88.5FM or listen online at wvof.org. :)

Monday March 14th 7pm
WVOF 88.5FM www.wvof.org

Thursday March 17th
Manchester Community College Auditorium
Concert with a grand piano AND my swanky keyboard! 4-6pm
FREE

I hope you'll hear me at least one of these three free ways this week!

Thanks so much to everyone who is helping me get to that yoga teacher training! I am focused on my 3 events this week, but will update you on my yoga progress very soon!

Love & peace y'all, Kristi

Tuesday, March 11, 2011

Dear Sweet Fans,

What a gift it is to receive prayer/meditation requests. I feel so honored to hold these deep struggles and precious wishes from each of the wonderful people who have donated money so I can learn more about yoga and holistic wellness. Each night before I sleep, I am doing metta practice for the 17 angels helping to make my yoga teacher training possible!

Thank you SO much everyone!
We made it to $1,000 in the first 24 hours after I put out my request! You all rock!!!

Today's donations have been far fewer, but keep 'em coming! We have just under $300 to go for me to be in the clear for this huge leap of faith. That amounts to my books. Each $20 donation is helping me to get one of the texts I need for the training! :)

THANK YOU!!! âTM¥âTM¥âTM¥

Be blessed, Kristi

Tuesday, March 9, 2011

Wow! I am SO amazed and impressed and overjoyed and touched and blessed! You all are SO awesome! In less than 24 hours, I have raised just over $905! There's just $425 to go! Because we got so close in one day, I went for it and said yes to the scholarship. I will be sending my deposit tomorrow!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

I've had a bit of teary happiness and amazement in response to each and every donation. And then it occurred to me: could I really raise $1,000 in 24 hours? We're so close! I just need $95 in the next 35 minutes, and we'd be there!

Weeeeee!

So, just $425 to go. Keep 'em coming! Thank you SO much!
I love you all!
Kristi

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Hallo Amazing Friends & Fans!

Wow! I just got offered a partial scholarship to do an AMAZING yoga & wellness teacher training with Sean Corn and many other fantastic teachers!

If I get to do this 200-hour training, I will be able to combine my DJing and teaching and love of dance and yoga and the healing arts in amazing yoga classes and one-on- one healing sessions utilizing a bunch of healing arts that I have been given training in over the years. I have always had the mission of healing people through my music and through teaching. This experience will just give me even more tools to do this work. It's so very exciting! I will be studying and practicing yoga from 7am to 9pm those 18 days.

I will return changed.

I am so excited, but I don't have all the money I'll need to make it happen, so I am writing to ask for your help.

The training is from March 24th to April 10th.

Details about the training can be read here: http://www.yogaphoria.com/Training.html .

A bit about the program from their site: "These curricula are the first of their kind, offering a balanced study of yoga, progressive healing modalities & integrative wellness practices. Our nationally renowned faculty will present these programs in a contemporary & comprehensive format that will allow our graduates to create a life of great purpose as well as the ability to deepen and change the lives of the people they touch."

Yogaphoria Teacher Training Budget

The tuition is $3,600.
The organic meals cost a total of $630.
I also found a room to rent for those 18 days for $200.
I also have to get to the school in New Hope PA and back home to Rhode Island (I will be able to walk from my rented room to the school those 18 days - yay!)
My travel will probably cost about $200.
My books will cost about $300.

They offered me a $1,600 scholarship!

So I only have to pay $2,000 in tuition, $630 in food,
$200 in rent,
$200 for travel, &

$300 for books.

That's $3,330. (oooo - 3's are magic!)
I have about $2,000 I can put toward this.

So, I need to raise $1,330 to be able to do this training. And I need it really soon, because I need to know I can pay it all before I send them a $500 deposit to reserve my spot, and I need to reserve my spot asap because they only have 3 spots left! I need to pay for it all by the training's end, April 10th, and almost $2,000 of it by the training's beginning, March 24th. SO soon!!!

Any amount you can pledge will help so much!
You can use the donation buttons on my music website to use PayPal to help me make

this happen! The last button on the list allows you to donate any amount you want. :) Here's the link: http://www.kmetal.net/help.html .

If you pledge $20 or more, I'll send you "The Sacred Whore Demos," which are a limited edition of demo recordings of 8 songs that will eventually be recorded with full band for my next full-length album.

If you pledge $100 or more, I would be happy and honored to give you or someone you choose a free private hour-long health coaching session or yoga session (at a time that we'll schedule, after my training ends on April 10th and before Summer Solstice 2011). For yoga, you need to live within 50 miles of Narragansett RI so we can meet easily in person. Health coaching sessions could as easily be done over the phone.

If you pledge $300 or more, you'll get a free session (see above) for each $100 you pledge. So, if you pledge $500, you'll get 5 sessions. :)

I will every day do meta practice (lovingkindness meditation/ prayer) for everyone who donates, from the day you donate until the end of the training. You can even tell me one thing you are particularly struggling with, and I will customize my meditation just for you. <3

Oh, thank you soooooo much!
I hope we can make this happen! It will help me, and it will help everyone who's heart I get to touch with yoga, healing arts, and my music.

Be blessed y'all. Kristi

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Hallo Lovely People,

I just put out a new release on CD Baby! It just went live on their website for sale and will soon be live at other digital distribution retailers like Apple iTunes and LimeWire. It is the demo recording of my song, "Blessed Community," which was previously available only on the limited edition CD release, "The Sacred Whore Demos." To purchase this song now or to hear a sound sample first, click here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/kristimartel2

Hope you enjoy it! I intend to release a demo recording of each song on the forthcoming album as a digital single, every few months. :) In the meantime, I am also planning and gathering up the resources needed to begin my kickstarter project to fund my first vinyl release. I am so looking forward to it!

I am happy happy happy to announce my upcoming performance at Manchester Community College on March 17th from 4-6pm!

Thursday March 17th Manchester Community College Great Path
Manchester CT 06045
4-6pm

I am also happy that the cancelled January Boston show finally got rescheduled!

Thursday March 31st Hennessey's Hooley House 25 Union Street
Boston MA
8pm
$10

Unfortunately, audience attendance at these Hennessey's shows has been low. If attendance is as low this show, it will probably me my last at this lovely venue. It could be that it's just not quite the right fit, although the folks who have seen me there have LOVED my sets!

Either way, I am currently looking for great venues throughout the northeast (MA, NH, ME, VT, NY). If you have any suggestions on venues that would work well for me (colleges, listening rooms, house concerts, church concerts, clubs), please let me know! I'd love to come play everywhere YOU are! I can't do what I do without you!

Thanks SO much for supporting my music! Be peace y'all!
Kristi

Tuesday, January 31, 2011

Hallo Sweet Fans,

So sadly, another venue double-booked. So we had to reschedule the February 25th Local 121 show to April 29th. I know; itâ€TMs a long way off. Iâ€TMm so sorry! But at least you have a very soon opportunity to see me perform in Providence THIS Friday at AS220. And the other act, Pezzettino, is from Brooklyn, and from what I have heard and read online, they seem fantastic! I so so so hope you will join me at this excellent venue for this exciting show!

THIS Friday, February 4th

AS220 http://www.as220.org/calendar.html 115 Empire Street
Providence RI
401-831-9327
B Sharp Music series http://www.pezzettino.net/ http://b-sharpmusic.com/

And Iâ€TMm super excited that my old Brave Enough band will be joining me for another NYC show! Rich and Jay are who Iâ€TMve been referring to as my Brave Enough band (I am happy to take suggestions for band names if youâ€TMve got â€ ̃em!). They played with me (with no rehearsal) at the Sidewalk Cafe show in December, and sounded FANTASTIC, even though we hadnâ€TMt played together since The Mule recording sessions in 2004! Rich is the drummer and Jay is the bass player responsible for all those wonderful parts on Brave Enough, the bound single, and The Mule. I am so happy Iâ€TMll get to play with them again so soon! Please come on out and support Local 269, me, my music, and my ability to keep playing with my band in NYC!

Friday February 11th
Local 269 http://thelocal269.com/The_Local_269/Calendar.html 269 East Houston Street
NYC
212-228-9874
7pm
Donation

See you out there! More news soon... Love and light, Kristi

Tuesday, January 23, 2011

Hallo Good People,

I just had another birthday. I love that I start each new year with my own personal new year. Here in Little Rhody, the January air is a crisp 17 degrees on its way down to -2, but the sun was so bright and warm today that I hardly noticed, while reading in my bedroom this afternoon.

I have been working hard during this transition back to being my own manager. I have so many plans in the works, but no way of knowing exactly when everything will manifest. I am as excited and anxious to get the â€œSacred Whoreâ€ album recorded

and released as anyone (probably more so than anyone!), but many things have to happen to make that happen, so I just keep plugging away at each one, in its own time. I sincerely hope that you will all patiently come along for the ride with me. I need all the love and energetic and financial support I can get during this journey, to make this happen. And I am determined.

I am about to get a video camera so I can make little homemade videos for you to see what I am working on. I am also trying to figure out how to get the video footage I do have, up onto youtube. I plan to release another digital single from the demos of the Sacred Whore album in the next month. [By the way, if you liked the December release of the demo for â€œSeeds,â€ please go write a review here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kristimartel and here: http://itunes.apple.com/artist/kristi-martel/id4638837 .] And I intend to record a demo of my newest song, â€œVetiver,â€ very soon.

Once the demo is recorded and I figure out how to create videos, I will create a kickstarter.com project to raise funds for the EP vinyl release that I have been planning. I want that record to include the songs that will be on the the â€œSacred Whoreâ€ album, but that didnâ€TMt make it to the â€œThe Sacred Whore Demosâ€ limited edition CD release. Some of them didnâ€TMt make it because they werenâ€TMt written yet; and one, â€œbound,â€ didnâ€TMt make it, because it had already been released as a limited edition CD a few years earlier. I am going to re-record â€œboundâ€ for the album. And I want a scratch DJ to scratch on a few songs on the album. What better thing for him or her to scratch with, than a record of my own songs? The old â€œboundâ€ will be scratched into the new. YAY!

So the vinyl EP will include the demo recordings of â€œSeeds,â€ â€œFirewater,â€ and â€œVetiver,â€ as well as the 2003 CD recording of â€œbound.â€ I am so excited!

I will let you know all the details in the next few months as things develop, so you know exactly how and when to start donating, so I can make all this happen!

Meanwhile, I have been booking some shows that I want to tell you about, 2 in Providence and 1 in NYC.

Friday February 4th
AS220 http://www.as220.org/calendar.html 115 Empire Street

Providence RI 401-831-9327
B Sharp Music series http://www.pezzettino.net/ http://b-sharpmusic.com/

Iâ€TMm so happy to be a part of the B Sharp series at AS220. B Sharpâ€TMs Jamez asked me to perform alongside a great act from Brooklyn, Pezzettino, headed by

multi-instrumentalist Margaret Stutt. Check them/her out. I think she sounds fantastic, and Iâ€TMm looking forward to hearing her February 4th!

Friday February 11th
Local 269 http://thelocal269.com/The_Local_269/Calendar.html 269 East Houston Street
NYC
212-228-9874
7pm
Donation

I’m so thankful that Bill and Sasha are taking a risk on booking me at their lovely venue on February 11th. I know itâ€TMs an early set time, and that it’s hard to get anywhere that early in Manhattan. Please please please try. This space used to be the old Meow Mix, where I played quite a few times a few years back. Bill and Sasha cleaned it up and made it a gorgeous stage and bar with great sound, and they have a mission of supporting local music of any genre. That alone makes me want to support this venue. So I hope hope hope you will help me make it a regular venue for me, by helping me show them I can bring new people to their lovely room.

Friday February 25th
The Speakeasy @ Local 121 http://www.local121.com/events/speakeasy 121 Washington Street
Providence RI
Doors: 8:30pm
Show: 9pm
Cover: $8

I am SO happy to return to The Speakeasy @ Local 121! That listening room was just so perfect for my music, and their lovely menu is just so amazingly yummy, all local and often organic. Local 121 has a swanky upstairs dining room, a hip upstairs bar, and the lovely downstairs listening room where I will be performing once again on February 25th. I suggest making a 7pm dinner reservation to eat upstairs, and then choosing a dessert and drink from their smaller menu, while listening to my performance downstairs. Or just come for the show and choose a sandwich or appetizer or drink and dessert from their yummy smaller menu!

I would love love love to see all your smiling faces at these shows! I know money is tight and itâ€TMs cold outside, but letâ€TMs get together and let the joy and warmth and love of healing and beautiful music and community bring peace and nurturance to our spirits and hearts.

Happy New Year! Be peace yâ€TMall, Kristi

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Hallo Beautiful People!

Firstly, and most sadly, I had to cancel my show this Saturday, January 8th, because my little family is grieving a big loss suddenly. We are going to reschedule at Highlands though, so everyone who was planning to make the trek to the White Mountains this weekend, please stay tuned to reschedule! I was SO looking forward to this little snowy getaway with my love; I will be so happy when I know its new date!

Secondly, my Boston show at Hennessey's on January 27th got cancelled - the venue double-booked. We are working on an alternate date and/or venue in the Boston area, and I will send details as soon as they are confirmed. Some exciting upcoming events are in the works: February 11th at Local 269 in NYC, a February date at Local 121 in Providence (yay, for the Locals!), a March date at The Piano Gallery in Middletown RI, and opening for Red Molly on April 15th in Wakefield RI. YAY! I'll keep sending you all the details as soon as I know them.

I'm working on another single release, and on the fundraising for the vinyl EP, all of which will lead to the next album's funding! I'll keep you posted about all that as well!

And lastly, but definitely not leastly, last night's AS220 show was fantastic! I had an impromptu handclapping rhythm section in the audience, sweet happy listeners old and new, a lovely knitting partner of a merch girl, and a very helpful and talented sound engineer making it a perfect night. I love (and missed!) the whole scene that is AS220. I love the new sounds coming out of my keyboard and out of my mouth. And even with the grief and subsequent lack of sleep this week brought, last night's show brought me so much joy. Thank you all so much for sharing that with me. I can not do what I do without you, and I am forever grateful.

Keep making it happen! Love & light,
Kristi

2011 Tour Dates

1/5 (Providence RI) AS220 115 Empire St 401-831-9327. Me, Big Benny B, The Awesome Something, and Full Void, 9pm, $6

1/8 (Bethlehem NH) The Highlands Inn off Rte 302, 603-869-3978 or 1-877-LES-B- INN or email vacation@highlandsinn-nh.com to take the weekend off for a getaway with me at this award-winning inn! Our favorite thing to do up there is go hiking and then go out to eat at the White Mountain Cider Company. That plus my show is TOTALLY worth the trip to those beautiful mountains! Kim Davidson opens. 8pm, free to Inn guests ...CANCELLED due to family loss :( This show WILL be rescheduled, so please stay tuned!

2/4 (Providence RI) AS220 115 Empire St 401-831-9327. B Sharp Presents me & Pezzettino, headed by multi-instrumentialist Margaret Stutt of Brooklyn, NY. Details TBA

2/11 (NYC) Local 269 269 East Houston Street 212-228-9874, my amazing Brave Enough band is joining me(!!!) at 7pm, Donation

3/17 (Manchester CT) Manchester Community College Auditorium, Great Path, 4- 6pm, FREE

4/15 (Peace Dale RI) Lilypads 27 North Road, opening for Red Molly, 7pm, $15, click here for tickets

4/29 (Providence RI) The Speakeasy @ Local 121 121 Washington St, w/ Kevin Silvia... Local 121 is my favorite restaurant in RI. Come early to eat their amazing local and organic food upstairs, or enjoy an appetizer, small meal, drink, or dessert downstairs in the lovely Speakeasy listening room during the show... Doors open at 8:30pm, show starts at 9pm, $8

6/25 (Cranston RI) Artists' Exchange New Music Festival 50 Rolfe Square, 401-490- 9475, featuring over 30 bands from all over Southeastern New England. I perform at 7pm on Saturday, but there are so many acts both Friday & Saturday - check out the website for details. $10 per day or $15 for a 2-day pass!

7/6 (Providence RI) AS220 115 Empire St 401-831-9327. Sound Over Sea, Me!, Fall and Bounce, & Highbank, 9pm, $6

7/9 (Wickford RI) The Studio @ Wickford Cove 23 Brown Street, 401-295-1140. A new incarnation of the Kristi Martel Trio is debuting over the waters of Wickford Cove. This time it's more like KMQuintet - Kristi on piano & lead vocals, Sara Sprague & Angela Romans on backing vocals, Kurt Meyer on bass, and Matt Niebels on drums. We intend to have a very good time. Please join us! 7pm, $10

8/5 (NYC) Caffe Vivaldi 32 Jones Street (off Bleecker near 7th Ave), 212-691-7538. Anna Dagmar & I will be sharing the stage & the lovely grand piano for a nice long set! Please join us for some beautiful melody, gorgeous piano, & lots of fun. 8pm, $10 donation

8/15 (world wide web) WRIU Kingston RI 90.3FM... Fellow DJ Joe D is joining me on my radio show, Butterfly Mixtapes, to do a spotlight on me! Join us for 3 hours of listening to my music, my musical influences, and lots of questions and answers about my work! You can even call in and ask questions! Midnight - 3am (Sunday night, or technically early Monday morning), listen on the air from southern New England and Long Island, or listen online, FREE!

8/20 (Oakland CA) I've been invited to perform at the Art & Soul Festival in Oakland this year! Wahooo!!! In honor of my Yoshi's performance, I've been switched to the Yoshi's Stage, which will feature me, Terrence Brewer, and Mingus Amungus! My set is scheduled for 3pm, but festival scheduling is sometimes changed last minute... $15 for a day pass

8/22 (San Francisco CA) Yoshi's San Francisco 1330 Fillmore St 415-655-5600. I'm co-billing with Quartet Rouge (Green Day's string group)! 8pm, $12

10/14 (Belchertown MA) Black Moon Music Lounge 37 State St 413-323-0013. Join me for a lovely show with local songwriters Carolyn Walker, Maddie Rosene, and Sarah Smith. 9pm, $5 donation

11/26 (Wickford RI) Voila Fine Art Gallery 31 West Main Street 401-667-5911. I'm performing my music at Mike Egan's Art Opening. His black and white seaside photography reminded me of my song, "Into the Fog," which is why I especially wanted to perform at this opening. 5-7pm

12/31 (Newport RI) The Breakers 44 Ochre Point Avenue. I am performing in The Mattynibs Hot Five this New Years Eve at the Breakers! My drummer Matty got us together to play some lovely holiday jazz. 6-8pm

Ryan Pina

Small business owner. Big dreamer.

https://www.ampersandmedia.co

Tour Diary • 2011

2011 Tour Dates

Tour Diary • 2012

Tour Diary • 2010