Graveyards: Atlanta, Macon, Savannah & Charleston (October 27, 2009)

If you're ever in the need for inspiration I recommend visiting a cemetery. It will put life in a new perspective.



During the past week in Georgia I enjoyed shows in East Point, Atlanta, Decatur, Macon, & Savannah... plus 80-degree weather, time with friends and family, and many beautiful cemeteries.



Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery (right by Ria's Bluebird - great brunch with veg options) is home to many elegant tombs and lush floral landscapes.



I enjoyed strolling through the markers and contemplating what makes that grass so green...



There is a large section dedicated to Confederate soldiers...





The backdrop of the Atlanta skyline compliments the tombs... which offers an interesting insight into city life.







I took my legs for a walk at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield, which felt phenomenal after over 6000 miles of sitting behind the driver's wheel.



Back in Missouri a fan recommended I read Southern Storm, a fantastic account of Sherman's "march to the sea." Reading about the occupation of Atlanta while overlooking the battlefield definitely left an impression...





Then in Macon I visited the ancient Ocmulgee mounds...







... before going to visit Duane Allman.









Savannah has a spooky vibe about it, and after walking around in a light rain I spent the afternoon reading in an old Revolutionary War cemetery.





Then I spent a couple days hanging out with my cousin in Charleston. It was heaven.



We walked around downtown, through the Circular Church Cemetery...



and I was very happy to see the ocean after weeks of being landlocked.



Some final thoughts:

Lights, Camera, Athens (October 16, 2009)

I'm about to head to my show at Rye Bar but I thought I'd share some pictures from the past few days of TV & radio...



Played live on WDVX Blue Plate Special in Knoxville with Asa Ransom, a fantastic band from NYC and some of the nicest guys I've ever met.



Yesterday was WCYB News 5 in Bristol...







... followed by Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City with Centralia Massacre. (Acoustic Coffeehouse streams all of their performances live on their website as well as State of Franklin radio, and they always have great bands coming through.)



This afternoon brought me back to WUGA in Athens, which has expanded to television since my visit last year...





Robb Holmes is a wonderful host and some of his comments gave me a lot to think about... new insight into my songs. I love hearing what people think. It kind of completes the songwriting process for me. Here's a really nice article by Emily Anderson in the Athens Banner-Herald.

I'll post mp3s of the performances when I take a little break in a few weeks. But right now I gotta go play! It's the 16th show in 16 days! Tomorrow night is OFF and I am so psyched for Where the Wild Things Are... or maybe Deer Tick at 40 Watt...

Oh yeah - when I was in Nashville I had to swing by Third Man Records (of course) where my man Jack filmed the brilliant "I Cut Like A Buffalo" video...



Version II premiers Monday in the UK... sigh (insert heart-shaped bubbles that sound like an electric cello going through a big muff pedal as they pop).



And the leaves are so pretty right now...







Have a great weekend!

Omaha, Lawrence, Ft. Collins, Denver, Kansas City, St. Charles, Fairmount, Indianapolis... & Corn (October 12, 2009)

Greetings from Cookeville, TN. The theme of this week is corn.



In the past eleven days I've played eleven shows and driven over 3500 miles... 5000 total in two weeks.

It's really nice to have a night off.

I saw old friends in Omaha... stayed in a 250-year-old Victorian farmhouse with a Wilco fanatic in Lawrence... hung out at my cousin's horse farm in Ft. Collins... caught up with Megan Burtt in Denver as the snow blew in... topless zombie singers in Kansas City... St Charles' bicentennial festivities... a sold-out show at Sleepy Creek...

Have I mentioned corn?



A very full week for sure...

I immediately fell in love with Lawrence. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and I was happy to stroll around a bit before playing Replay Lounge...





Locals Maw and Olassa were fantastic.





Then I went to the coolest old house I've ever seen, with original wallpaper...



And a few modifications...



There's really nothing more inspiring than staying with fellow music freaks. And no quicker way to feel at home...







After Oz-like weather Kansas showed me some beautiful skies on my way to Colorado...





And, as long-time readers of this blog know, there's no greater comfort to road-weary eyes than the faded jeans of Alan Jackson...



I had a blast on KRFC Live at Lunch (I'll post the recording in a couple weeks) and it was great to see some of the listeners later that night at the Catalyst. It was a very happy drive home to my cousin's house...



Wednesday was very busy, with three interviews before the Meadowlark in Denver...



... where I played with some great bands, Abraham from Seattle and Themes from Portland. I listened to Abraham's new album quite a few times driving through Kansas (for the second time in three days) when things were getting a little desperate in the car. Not only was it once of the few things that didn't annoy me to tears, it's still in my CD changer, several states later. Definitely my favorite new band.



I don't know how truckers log these kind of miles without playing shows every night. I don't know how people do anything without playing shows every night. Man, I love what I do. Even though I'm in pain from the neck down and I'm having dreams about corn.



Record Bar in Kansas City drew me out of my daze, and I received my favorite post-show comment of the tour so far. While purchasing my new album a gentleman asked if I happened to be an unemployed architect, for he "so enjoyed" my "energy" that he wanted to offer me a position in his company on the spot.



Alas, I've never been good at staying in lines, and I was due in St. Charles, where I received my favorite post-show trinket. I definitely felt the spirit of Halloween in the beautiful historic town not far from St. Louis. I stretched my legs, took some photographs before the show, and the following morning I awoke to fire trucks and a marching band on St. Charles' 200th birthday...



Some of the floats had me laughing out loud...







From there it was back through the cornfields and into the vineyards of Sleepy Creek...



The most highly-anticipated show of the tour.



If that place isn't home then I don't know what I'm looking for. The building was filled with old and new faces, and some had to squeeze up in the rafters...



After the songs had been sung, the wine had been drunk, and lots and lots of love I got to check out the last batch of the new harvest as it fermented in huge purple yeasty vats. Slept very well...



Yesterday brought me to Indianapolis and then another long drive down to Tennessee, where sleep keeps asking me to come to bed. Back at it tomorrow night in Nashville. Knoxville, Johnson City, and Athens the rest of the week...

Thanks for listening. See you soon.

Reviews! (October 6, 2009)

Here are some recent reviews of Miles From Nowhere...

Michael Swanger for Cityview (Des Moines) writes:

"Laura Meyer’s latest independent album is chock full of tough-minded vocals, insightful lyrics and gritty guitar that no doubt will keep her on the road for years to come. Meyer, who has been honored at songwriting competitions at the Telluride Bluegrass, Rocky Mountain Folks and Great Waters Music festivals (including 2008 song of the year for “Atlantis”) sets the bar high on the album’s first few tracks, taking listeners on a musical journey of Bob Dylan-like balladry (“Katrina, Katrina”), old-time blues (“Miles From Nowhere”), rebellious punk scorn (“Used To Be”) and the flight of the imagination (“In the Clouds”). Gutsy stuff. (See the full review here).

Pete Dulin for Present Magazine (Kansas City) writes:

"Working the folk festival circuit, Meyer has earned a number of awards and accolades in recognition of her skill. She's successfully translated that live performance appeal to her recorded material. Meyer's array of songs on Miles From Nowhere are like a set of charcoal sticks with subtly different colors that leave marks of defiance, heartbreak, attraction, contemplative meandering, artfully rendered observations, and hopeful moments." (See the full review here. My favorite excerpt: "her voice deepens like a lioness in protective mode." Meow.)

David Byrne for Pop Making Sense, Windy City Times (Chicago) writes:

"Laura Meyer's latest, Miles from Nowhere, serves as a travelogue. This, Meyer's third album, reflects her findings while touring the country and observations of nature's beauty. "Between the Earth & the Sky" is a lush, tender ode, while "Flying V" serves up some delicious gritty guitars." (See the full review here).

Steve Traina of WCSB (Cleveland) says:

"Elegant singing and playing... a brilliant guitarist... a poetic lyricism that not many new people have. Often times it takes people decades - [Laura's] already there."

Animals in Captivity... Chicago, Lincoln, Des Moines, Omaha (October 3, 2009)

It's hard to believe this week I trekked over 2000 miles and played seven shows. Somewhere around Adel, Iowa my eyes focused and I realized my wheels have been spinning for over a year, eager to get on the road... and here I am.



There are a lot of bugs buzzing around inside. The mind is a wild beast. Right up until my departure I was working hard on Miles From Nowhere, recording it in August and then hand-making all of the cases and sending them around the country.



As I release these songs, singing them to audiences for the first time and therefore really seeing/hearing them for the first time, I'm having some serious post-partum depression. It's beautiful and painful and uncomfortable and scary and often times nothing at all, like an endless horizon that you know you'll be following your whole life. Or should I just be brave and say "my" whole life?



So far people are loving the new songs and I am so proud and grateful and excited for them, my little babies. It's just hard to say goodbye sometimes. Up until now it's been just us in our little world... now the world's a little bigger. And I hope it continues to grow. That's the whole point. I wouldn't be a good mama if I kept them locked up inside all the time. But ouch.



On the subject worlds expanding - I took a trip to the Alder Planetarium while I was in Chicago. It was free admission day so I made a quick loop through the exhibits while I was on a walk by the water. The emphasis was on space exploration... not so much moon and stars... and the exhibits were geared towards kids - though try explaining this to little Sally:



So I skipped a lot, though there were some really interesting bits. My favorite thing was a newspaper from the day of the first walk on the moon, which highlighted reactions of people around the world. My heart clicked with this one:

"One Yugoslav teenager said wistfully: ' They have stolen the romance out of the moon and it will never be the same again. Now the moon is real, and lovers won't have it for themselves alone any more.'"



Amen.



I also turned a year older. Though I stayed the same age on Venus. Thank you for all of your sweet notes!



Everyone at the Uncommon Ground gig (which was awesome - they sure know how to treat their musicians!) -





- suggested I go to the Aquarium, which also happened to have free admission. While I initially didn't want to go see my friends in captivity I figured, as it's right beside the planetarium, I should at least stop in and say hello. After all, I had already seen the moon in a glass pyramid.



Neat building outside, very, very sad inside. The first "display" I saw was ducks. Real, live ducks in a box behind glass with children banging their grubby little fingers and smooshing their snotty faces.



There were thousands of fish - an incredible "collection," really - but for the same reason I won't attend zoos, I kept wondering how this is legal in the 21st century. Not just legal, but so widely accepted and celebrated.



There was a turtle too big for its box and even an otter!



Maybe these creatures ended up at the aquarium because they were injured or something... but that's no excuse, especially because most likely humans were the cause of their ill luck anyway. More animals in captivity:



Now I'm in Omaha - PS Collective tonight with Pastor Dane @ 9pm! It's free! No chains attached. But first I'm off to see a man about a pedal...



Happy Saturday!

Cleveland & Chicago (September 27, 2009)

My first time playing Cleveland couldn't have been better. When I arrived at Wilbert's, right outside the stadium, Drew informed me that there'd be a fireworks show in my honor (that was only half-true, but that's true enough). Gorgeous colors flooded the sky right over our heads. My favorites were these quiet ones that feathered out like flocks of birds.









Bob the bartender, a huge Ryan Adams fan, kept me company before my set and he traded Jacksonville City Nights for a copy of Miles From Nowhere - most definitely the best CD trade I've done yet. As we talked music I watched Neil Young thrash about a European stage on the big screen before Bob put on a Whiskeytown video from Austin City Limits. Needless to say I had sufficient inspiration for my show.



After a couple hours of sleep I woke up Saturday morning and headed over to WCSB to tape an interview and performance with Steve Traina, host of a fantastic morning show you can stream online. He showed me 40-year old classic reels they're archiving and the new library that's literally threatening the structure of the building with the heft of vinyl and cds. I could've hung out with him all day, talking Dylan as the rain cocooned the quiet studio. Alas, I was due in Chicago...



And Chicago was pure delight. I played my third show in less than twenty-four hours at the Elbo Room, a dark graffiti-and-stickered club that reminded me of my favorite spots in NYC. Joey (or Astro) the bartender set up candles around the room and told me he heard I was coming from New York and so got the candles especially for me... don't know what it is about these bartenders getting me special lighting but I do appreciate the hospitality. He also shared an old family adage as he brought me a light: "If you build a man a fire you'll keep him warm for a night. If you set a man on fire, you'll keep him warm the rest of his life."



Elbo Room had very enthusiastic clappers and screamers and my set felt as easy as the drive out here. Afterwards I got to rock out to a local band that featured a Jimmy Page-influenced kid we'll all be reading about one day, not to mention blasting from our cars. Spherical Banana was the highlight, with killer female vocals, fun lyrics, and again, guitar playing that had me just about drooling. They even sang an ode to Johnny Depp, who just so happened to be the last man standing after I vacated my room the previous morning:



Midwest Hype packed the room - drums were the standout here. Alaya Conscious was mesmerizing - highly proficient trio whose synchronistic playing elevated the underground club. Not to mention all-around awesome guys.



It's only been two days but I'm already certain this is the best tour yet. I suppose it's a combination of preparedness, experience, and knowing I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to do. A damn good feeling, for sure. I have five very full weeks of touring ahead of me... and I know from experience how quickly it goes. Right now I don't have a home to go back to -



- and ideally I'd stay out on the road 365 days a year regardless... so I need your help. I'm booking late fall dates and I need suggestions for where to play. Please send me an email or post a comment so I can come to your town!



Tonight I'm playing a few songs at Town Hall Pub, and tomorrow night it's Uncommon Ground on Devon, both in Chicago. Then I take a couple days off (my birthday) and the rest of the week it's Lincoln, Des Moines, Omaha, and Lawrence. See you soon.

Come on baby let's take a ride (September 24, 2009)

Dorothy and I are back together! Due to my careless packing we were separated after last year's Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and recently reunited when I moved out of the city. It was a symbolic separation, with Miles From Nowhere as the product. Now the car's packed and I'll be in Cleveland this time tomorrow! So excited. First album loaded is The Cave Singers' Welcome Joy, another very appropriate title - this album is making me insanely happy these days... come on baby, let's take a ride... The music is unlike anything I can compare it to, yet it sounds and feels so familiar... like a the right big toe. Cheerful and steady and dependable. His singing reminds me of Ryan Adams, who had a wonderful opening last night at the Morrison Hotel Gallery. My favorites were the below Untitled, I really miss those headphones, and Self-portrait:






Goodnight!