Laura Meyer's Blog

2012

2012-01-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

2011 was damn good.

An artist residency, European & US tours, a new home in Los Angeles, the release of Golden Delicious, dear friends throughout the globe... endless inspiration. This year brought everything I've ever wanted.

Thanks, Santa.

May 2012 be filled with even more love, awesomeness, and great music.

<a href="http://laurameyer.bandcamp.com/track/new-years-resolution">New Year's Resolution by Laura Meyer</a>

Blackberry Delicious (December 13, 2011)

2011-12-13T17:20:00.002-05:00

Here's a video from last week's show...

and a free download from the new album:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://laurameyer.bandcamp.com/track/rich-men-do"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Rich Men Do by Laura Meyer&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Golden Delicious: the new album is here (December 12, 2011)

2011-12-12T02:40:00.001-05:00

Golden Delicious is released!

Man... what a relief. I do hope you'll take a moment to listen. It's available for download and/or streaming on iTunes, bandcamp, and the website.

I could write so much about the evolution of this project... how it began taking shape in 2007 when I was on tour in Paris, spending hours absorbing art and analyzing the myths of Adam & Eve and Apple of Discord; how I became so obsessed with the phrase Golden Delicious that I spent a year living in the Big Apple eating primarily golden-hued food (lots of golden delicious applesauce, sweet potatoes, & turmeric rice); how I have spent hours upon hours painting and mapping out Latin and Sanskrit phrases I don't understand, trying to derive meaning and form connections between various religions, myths, and stories...

I guess none of it really matters now. I didn't lose my mind, though it lost me a few times. I had so many plans for this album - a book, a series of paintings, a live performance, a cookbook inspired by my year of golden cuisine - I mourned that I'd never be able to complete it.

Then this summer I moved to Los Angeles, site of the fallen angels. As I stopped touring all the disenchantment, frustration, and fatigue I'd been amassing crashed over me in a gigantic wave. It was hardcore detox.

I had crazy headaches and there were a couple weeks I could hardly get out of bed. With no tour or recording to look forward to, I was caught in a creative whirlpool. I don't know where those summer months went, but by the end of September I had trashed the entire project. I felt really lost and really found at the same time.

I had always envisioned Golden Delicious as the slick production of a swanky studio, with Rick Rubin behind the board and Benmont Tench on keys. The reality was that I didn't have enough money to live on, never mind make a full-blown album with or without superstars. I couldn't bring myself to do Kickstarter or other fan-funded campaigns - especially for an album inspired by the corruption of the economy.

As fall approached a new collection of songs arrived swiftly and with tremendous clarity. I heard about Occupy Wall Street and I felt the buzz of movement. I didn't want to wait until 2012 - the songs wanted to come now.

While molding a clay Eve & apple up at the Beatrice Wood Center in Ojai on my birthday I received notice of an insurance refund from my Italian tour. It was enough money to cover four days in the studio.

Two weeks later I was at OWS in New York, and the following week I was with Steve Rossiter at Axis Sound. Though still somewhat angry and frustrated the mood in the studio was light-hearted. Steve, with whom I've been recording since 2007, recently relocated to a lovely old house away from the chaos of the former Hell's Kitchen site. We ate breakfast over the New York Times and then moved to the living room, where a cat dozed in my lap and Steve worked his magic on the organ. As the songs emerged I thought, this is exactly how this album is supposed to sound.

We didn't have time to do multiple takes, and my attitude was "f**k it" - as long as the essence of the song was captured, I was content. We didn't have a drum set either, and when "There Is A War" called for percussion we disassembled a toy drum kit belonging to Steve's five-year-old son. Steve used the kick as a tom and balanced the tinny cymbal on his finger, giving songs like "Mean" a gnarly industrial vibe.

I was euphoric, hearing the sounds emerge and evolve. Steve is such a fantastic musician. And he has crazy sense for what a song needs. It all seemed effortless, like everything was finally falling into place.

And so Golden Delicious turned out completely different from what I had intended. I think that's pretty fitting to the subject matter. We were raised on certain beliefs and ideas (the American Dream, for one) that led to a very different reality. But unlike the state of our government or our environment (so far), in the case of this album my failed expectations turned out to be the greatest gift. Perhaps the difference lies in the participation... after all this is just the beginning!

Although none of the original songs were included (nor Rick Rubin) I believe their essence - as well as all of those hours of baking banana bread and researching the Golden Mean - helped shape and influence what you now hear.

Thank you so much to my long-time supporters, and to Steve for making this album possible. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Band Show in Silverlake 12/6!

2011-11-28T23:33:00.001-05:00

Hey all! I'm coming out of hiatus for a full band show next week!

Charlie Woodburn will be playing drums and Eric Golding is debuting on bass. Here's the scoop!

Tues 12/6 @ 9PM SHARP

Silverlake Lounge

2906 Sunset Blvd.

LA, CA 90026

http://www.foldsilverlake.com/event/78053/

Above is a video of Charlie and I at our second show (aww). Eric was there too, though not on stage. You can see me gesturing to him awkwardly in between songs. A band is being born!

So why all the pictures of Beck?

Why not?

Plus we don't have a band photo. So come to Silverlake and take pictures of us!

Silverlake is super cool! I hear Beck lives there!

PS. Beck if you see this I promise I'm not a freak.

Change (11/11/11)

2011-11-11T02:17:00.002-05:00

Here is a new song.

http://youtu.be/RUXC0KK5iiI

I wrote this in September while driving to a gig in Sacramento. Shortly thereafter I heard about Occupy Wall Street and I felt I needed to make a record. So I did.

This video features a rough mix of the new song and footage from the peaceful occupation of Times Square and Washington Square on October 15th. Here are the lyrics:

"Change"

When the president takes your money
And you pay with dollar bills
Don’t forget to say, “Hey man, where’s my change?”
Before he closes the till

Or you can kiss your cash goodbye, sucker
"In god we trust" – better watch that eye
Fixed on you and staring you down
From that pyramid high in the sky

"In god we trust," but who are we?
And who is he, behind the gates?
"In god we trust," but who are these
Men who keep my change?

Change, change, the clank of the chains
Is the same as it’s always been
I’m not looking for a new master
I’m just looking for a few good men
Yeah the kind who do as they say

And say the things that they do
So when you get home with your groceries
You aren’t afraid that they’ll poison you

"In god we trust," but who are we?
And who are they who speak for me?
In god we trust but who is he?
And what about my change?

Change, change, we’re all begging for change
With arms outstretched, we sit at wait
For Santa Clause, for Robin Hood
For someone to do like he said he would

Thanks for sharing. More songs to come soon.

When no one is looking (November 1, 2011)

2011-11-01T21:47:00.020-04:00

I've been thinking about the word "integrity" a lot lately. It began ringing in my ears this summer as tour wound down... although I guess it's been following me around ever since seventh grade, when my teachers hung the definition all over the classrooms and corridors of BMS. Printed on pink paper was "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking."

Perhaps they sensed the virtual world looming on the horizon, which would simultaneously affirm and contradict this statement. When isn't someone looking?

By seventh grade I only cared about one thing in life: music. I hid in my room until I mastered "Blackbird," and I often spent entire weekends dubbing the perfect mixtape. I begged my parents to let me go to California to be a rock star (admittedly a little premature), or at least boarding school or Saudi Arabia or somewhere more exotic than a suburb of New York (admittedly a little sheltered).

Aside from one trip to the guidance counselor's office - after a rumor that I was suicidal floated through the halls - I was thought to be a happy, easy-going kid. I got straight A's, I was first chair in orchestra, and I did my chores. Walking past the pink slips back to class, they seemed to say everyone is watching. So look good.

Several years and many songs later I discovered yoga, a practice that has done far more to save my life than my visit to the bespeckled guidance counselor's office, where I had felt guilty and apologetic for my angst. I'm no saint and there are plenty of times I've done the "wrong" thing even when lots of people were looking. (How do I know it's wrong? I usually feel like shit.) A result of witnessing the mind is (hopefully) the cultivation of compassion for the self and all beings.

When I returned from Europe at the end of tour this summer I knew it was time to take a break because my body was very weak. (I had, in fact, made this decision even before I left for tour). My body was weak because my spirit was weak. My spirit was weak because I was no longer doing the right thing... somewhere along the way I compromised my integrity in the name of making it. But what was it? Fame? Fortune? Hit songs? Playing a crappy gig for four hours just to make a few bucks? Last December when a doctor looked me in the eyes and said, "you are killing yourself," it was pretty clear that the first It that mattered is Life. I giggled nervously and shifted in my seat like a tormented seventh grader who was sent to the office and who knew she'd be just fine if only the woman with the spectacles would crack a smile and let her go home. But I was scared.

When I was on a train to Berlin several months ago I met a musician-angel who told me not to be afraid of what lies ahead, for fear is only the space between where we are and where we want to be. It isn't real. It's a projected barrier. I told him I had to stop touring, but I didn't know how to go on living. He told me I'd be fine, and that working a job to support one's art is part of its creation. It sculpts the soul along with the art. Indeed, it gives the art (and the artist) integrity. When I was offered to play a strip club upon arriving, exhausted, in LA - and when I considered taking the gig - I realized what he meant by integrity. And I saw the extent to which I had compromised mine.

I've held many jobs over the years. More jobs than I've lived years. During the Miles From Nowhere period I worked three jobs - a cafe, a yoga studio, and a couple nannying positions. All were actually pretty enjoyable and led me to meet some of my best friends, and to write some of my best songs ("The Ocean" & "This Land"). During the making of Been Here Before I worked over sixty hours a week divided between two jobs. Plus I booked and promoted a national tour, toured, and dealt with some major family crises. I'd say that album turned out pretty damn good.

I didn't want anyone to know I held other "jobs" to support my "career" because I wanted to keep up appearances. Somehow I felt like I was a failure because I wasn't able to support myself as a musician. The economy continued to flounder, most of the time venues didn't pay (yeah, even if you paid a cover), and I was living on revenue from CDs that I hadn't finished paying off. Health insurance, car insurance, groceries... thank god so many people let me sleep on their couches. Thank you for putting me up, and for putting tips in the bucket. You have literally been supporting me and keeping me alive these past years.

After shows people often come up to me and sigh, "You know, I used to play music..." or "I always wanted to be in a band, but..." and then tell me their stories of "getting jobs" and "giving up." I receive many emails of similar stories of dreams deferred. This fueled my determination - I must make it! Not just for me, but in the name of all dreamers! I will not give up! It also terrified me. Would I die trying to live?

It didn't seem right to me that I should have my dream, and others not have theirs. But my dream began to feel like a nightmare: exhaustion, stress, illness, depression, and very little time for making music. Wasn't creativity the whole point? Every warrior must periodically question what she's fighting for. Again, what is this It I so longed to make?

When I first heard about Occupy Wall Street I was excited and a little skeptical. Would it hold? What was it? Who were these people and what was the 99%? Would the moment be swept into a sea of whines, the great flood of the internet, the rambling of blogs such as this? Did it matter?

While back East and peacefully marching to Times Square with thousands of occupiers, the word "integrity" buzzed in my ears once again. As the atmosphere grew tense in the presence of NYPD, voices rose together, chanting, "The whole world is watching! The whole world is watching!" True to the words, iPhones, cameras, and live feeds documented every moment of our gathering. For the first time in as long as I can remember I was flooded with the feeling of hope. All around me, people were actively co-creating our world and pursuing It. This is LIFE. "The people united will never be defeated."

I realized how important it is to assemble together - in the flesh - to feel our individual and collective power. The internet has been a tremendous tool in uniting the OWS communities around the world, and in transforming the spread (and authorship) of news. However it is no substitute for the experience of shared space, and of the physical collective.

Today at Occupy Los Angeles Seane Corn, Saul David Raye, and other members of the local yoga community led a practice in front of City Hall. I arrived expecting to see great throngs of people like I saw in NYC. The gathering was comparatively small, and I found myself in the front row with video cameras inches away from my body as I shifted into each pose. I closed my eyes, thinking simultaneously, "The whole world is watching" and "Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is looking."

Are we not asking our selves, each other, and corporations (including the government) for integrity? For ownership not of souls or money or jobs - but for one's own actions? For responsibility, compassion, and justice?

Today was a strange experience, and it will be stranger still if I see my butt in the paper tomorrow. A small sacrifice when so many are without work, without food, without homes. As I sweated under the midday sun I thought of our friends in New York who are camping out at Wall Street in the snow. Please consider sending warm clothing, blankets, and whatever you can. http://occupywallst.org

One aspect of today's assembly which felt right was Seane Corn's insistence that We are the 100%. The 99% is not enough. We are all included in this experience. When fights broke out and voices raised concern, all were honored, seen, and heard. They added tremendous depth to the assembly, just as shadow adds depth to an image.

As for those wondering what the future holds for my music - I recorded twenty-seven tracks while in New York last week, fifteen of which will be released in the coming weeks as Golden Delicious (it's amazing what happens once you surrender to the flow). Once again I recorded with Steve Rossiter at Axis Sound. He did a brilliant job adding organ, clavinet, rhodes, moog... even some percussion. I scrapped my original songs/plans for the album after witnessing OWS, and the album kind of took on a life of its own. I feel deeply grateful to have been able to make this recording and I'm really proud of the songs... and their integrity.

Golden Delicious (October 10, 2011)

2011-10-10T20:41:00.003-04:00

I'm playing some shows tri-state shows this week...

Wednesday, Oct 12 The Space, Hamden, CT (9PM)
Friday, Oct 14 American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY (6PM)
Saturday, Oct 15 House Concert, Lawrenceville, NJ (7PM)
Sunday, Oct 16 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY (6PM)

and making a record the next.

I'll post some pics of rain and leaves and Wall Street and stuff while I'm out there. See you soon.

Info at www.laurameyer.net/tour.

Toast and jam (September 9, 2011)

2011-09-09T19:01:00.005-04:00

It's late summer and the heat lamps are coming out in Hollywood. Which means time's running out for trips North and East! Here are the last tour dates of 2011:

THIS MONTH - CALIFORNIA!

Sep 11 Cass Winery, Paso Robles, CA(4PM)
Sep 13 Brick & Mortar, San Francisco, CA (9PM - free)
Sep 14 Marilyn's on K, Sacramento, CA (9PM)
Sep 15 Wine Bar, Half Moon Bay, CA (7PM)
Sep 16 American River Music Festival, Lotus, CA (7PM)
Sep 16 Marco's, Lotus, CA (8PM - free)
Sep 17 The Big Chill Out, Pacifica, CA (TBA)
Sep 18 Private Event, Pacifica, CA
Sep 22 Humphrey's Backstage, San Diego, CA (8PM)
Oct 04 Avalon Bar, Costa Mesa, CA (9PM) * w/ Charlie Woodburn on drums
Oct 07 Talking Stick, Venice Beach, CA (7PM)

NEXT MONTH - TRI-STATE!

Oct 12 The Space, Hamden, CT (7PM)
Oct 14 American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY (5PM - free)
Oct 14 Waltz-Astoria, Astoria, NY (9PM)
Oct 15 House Concert, Princeton, NJ (TBA)
Oct 16 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY (6PM - free)

Venue links, info, and directions are posted at www.laurameyer.net/tour.

With a new album and 160 shows in nine countries, it's been a jam-packed year. Now I'm toast.

Jam + toast = yum.

You can hear about artistic starvation (plus touring & hippies) in this interview with the wonderful Yotam Rosenbaum on Earbits, my favorite resource for new music and local shows.

While I write and work on new music I'm content to be an armchair traveler for a while. Or perhaps a laptop traveler? My chair doesn't have arms. So I'm contributing articles for Farewells Travels, an excellent online travel resource. Here's the first venue profile, on the wonderful Eddie's Attic outside Atlanta.

Otherwise I'm exploring the vast magical terrain of the human imagination. No gasoline required.

An American Alien (August 30, 2011)

2011-08-30T18:23:00.009-04:00

Just now, somewhere in America, a woman passed a massage place. She briefly studied the reflexology chart taped in the window and entered, slipped off her shoe, and showed her bunions to a woman by the door. She wanted to know what was wrong with her foot. She mumbled and gestured for a moment, then exploded, "You don't know what I'm saying, do you?" The other woman looked at her, concerned, before the first woman scolded, "You don't even speak English, do you? This is ridiculous."

I speak English. I also spent several weeks in non-English speaking countries this year, speaking English. If I felt bad for my linguistic shortcomings, it was due to my own guilt for not spending more time with Pimsleur and Barron's and all those other language tapes that can never prepare one enough for traveling abroad. But in truth, I didn't practice that much because I knew most people would accommodate me in my own language.

Not once was I mistreated, criticized, or discriminated for my inability to speak the language of wherever I was traveling. In many cases my hosts exhibited a greater command of English than I, and if they didn't, we were able to communicate in other ways. I stayed with one man in Southern Italy who knew only "okay." I knew only "mangiare." (These words can be used interchangeably in Italy). I will never forget his hospitality, kindness, and concern for the incoherent idiot sleeping on his cot.

I love this country, mostly because of the land, but also because I grew up here. It is familiar. Most of my family and friends live here, and I missed them when I was abroad. The unfamiliar can be scary; there were days when I felt really overwhelmed, ungrounded, and tired from struggling to communicate. And I was only gone for two months! It was helpful when people met me with kindness, and it was also helpful to remember that America is just part of an island that floats in outer space. Therefore I never really left home.

I've heard the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. Looking at these pictures of Earth makes me wonder if the US-Mexico border wall can be seen from space, too. I hope not. I hear it's pretty flimsy.

Grub (August 23, 2011)

2011-08-23T14:09:00.004-04:00

The last cover illustration of The New Yorker was especially appropriate for what it contained. Three fat rich men toast each other in their lifeboat as a ship goes down in the background, taking with it anonymous silhouettes that line the half-submerged deck. One man's cigar reflects upon the water and becomes the red jagged line of a crashing stock market. Eyes closed, he sits contentedly beside his reclining, champagne-sipping partners, but the viewer recognizes that there's no rescue crew on the horizon. The three men drift in their illusion of safety. They may be going down in style, but they're going down, too, in a shadow as black as oil.

I'm not going to comment on the Michelle Bachman piece because I have a long day of writing ahead and words are as precious as time. However what I found equally as troubling, if not more so, was the article entitled "Grub: Eating bugs to save the planet."

As food supply becomes increasingly scarce in coming decades, some are experimenting with maggot ceviche and manufacturing bug cutlets. I don't see how this is going to save the planet. Rather than consuming grasshoppers and other species (and depriving their natural predators), not to mention the resources required to transform what is described as the "goopy" protein into a chicken-substitute, we can adopt a plant-based diet that is high in nutrition, sustainable, and delicious.

There was a time when I didn't think I could live without consuming animal flesh and fluids. However adopting a vegan lifestyle is one of the most important, life-changing decisions I made, right up there with picking up a guitar.

Below is a list of references for recipes and common questions on vegetarianism and veganism. If you have any questions, please email me or post a comment! You are most likely already eating many plant-based foods and you can expand by substituting meat and cheese with things like seitan, Field Roast, Sunshine Burgers (or make your own!), and Daiya cheese.

If you live in LA you have so many fantastic restaurants to choose from: M Cafe, Real Food Daily, Flore in Silverlake, Cafe Gratitude, Seed Kitchen... Babycakes! Come to The Standard Hollywood (8300 Sunset Blvd) this Wednesday night at 7PM for a free show and vegan treats! I can answer your questions after the show. If you want, I can even come to your house and give you cooking lessons or meet you at the grocery store to show you alternative options.

If you live in other cities, most likely I have eaten there on tour, so I probably have recommendations for you, too! (Body in Santa Fe, Candle Cafe & Angelica in NYC, Blossoming Lotus in Portland). You can almost always find delicious options in Indian, Thai, Japanese, Ethiopian, Mexican, or Chinese restaurants.

Here are some tips:

Animal Ingredients and Their Alternatives
Caring Consumer
Go Veg
Happy Cow
Have Cake, Will Travel
International Vegetarian Union
The Kind Life
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
The Post Punk Kitchen
Quarrygirl
Veg For Life
Vegan Baking
Vegan.com
Vegan Dad
Vegan Yum Yum
VegGuide
What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway?

Vegan Yum Yum has beautiful pictures, as well as a free iPhone app that gives you recipes right on your phone! Other great recipes can be found in Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, as well as the Candle Cafe Cookbook, inspired by the fantastic NYC restaurant.

If Bill Clinton can do it (not to mention Steve-O, Anthony Kiedis, Tobey Maguire, Kevin Nealon, Chrissie Hynde, Ellen DeGeneres, Carrie Underwood, Joaquin Phoenix, Russell Simmons, Woody Harrelson, Alanis Morissette, Morrissey, Thom Yorke, Casey Affleck, Andre 3000, Fiona Apple, Grace Slick, Saul Williams... the list is long) - so can you!

Place (August 18, 2011)

2011-08-18T23:20:00.007-04:00

This evening a nice man gave me two yellow tomatoes from his garden. Grown in Los Angeles! Miracle of miracles.

When I got home I discovered a stowaway, a precious little snail. Guilt filled me. The garden gates were locked; my new friend, dispossessed.

I thought of an ant that once accompanied me on a transatlantic flight, and a wasp that journeyed nearly the length of California. Perhaps it seems silly to despair over the inevitable, every day displacement of billions of creatures we don't notice. Perhaps I'm projecting my own sense of displacement.

I also met three young men filming a documentary on some of the people in my neighborhood who are "homeless." Some live in vans, while others find home in the street or beach after twilight. The filmmakers were visibly moved by one woman in particular. They said that as they approached her, before they even introduced themselves, she began a thirty minute monologue of her life story, so eager to tell it.

We all share a desire to be heard and to be seen.

When I walk along the boardwalk I enjoy watching people, savoring the gift of mobility and the incredible experience of having a human body. Some people return my smiles, others look away, and others don't notice, lost in thought or conversation. After a long day hunched over a computer and a guitar it's luxurious to feel a soft breeze upon the limbs. Evenings in particular are rewarding, for as the majority of the population exhales from their waking day, abundant softer energy becomes available. It is a sensual time.

Tonight a man spotted me from his rooftop and chased me down the block to ask for my number. "I want to call you," he said, and I marveled at this society wherein two strangers meet and arrange to get to know each other at a later date, rather than in that moment. Snails, ants, and wasps have a much shorter life cycle (as far as we think we know), and cannot afford this luxury.

I gave him his my number, trusting that he won't call it.

I began to think about human relationships and how desperately we crave connection, yet simultaneously push it away. (Have you noticed it's much more difficult to make or sustain eye-contact with someone we're physically attracted to? At least initially?) We're constantly bombarded with energy and information. Are we evolving to become numb?

Once we've accumulated a certain amount of experience we seem to pay less attention, and to instead replicate experiences we've already had. We close ourselves off from new experiences so as not to feel pain that we once felt, and in doing so we recreate that pain internally, where it is held. Or we leap into new experiences not truly seeing them for what they are, but attempting to replace people, situations, and dynamics that were once present and pleasurable.

Pleasure, like any feeling, can only be present when felt, and felt when present. It's easy to be in love. It's difficult to stay in love.

In my kitchen I delicately transferred my little friend to some cilantro. Cilantro is not a tomato, and my garden is not the garden he is used to. But he's alive, and I trust he will continue to prosper.

Namaste vs. The Like Button (August 8, 2011)

2011-08-08T13:52:00.003-04:00

The "Like" button fascinates me. Originally, we used it to show that we actually liked something, and now its main function seems to be to acknowledge the person who posted. Regardless of whether we like his or her comment/status/photo it's polite (I guess?) to "Like" it in order to express "Yes, I see you. I have read that you like to post to Facebook from the toilet. You are not a freak" when, in fact, we might not like this at all and it might make us question or relationship with this person. Yet we go out and meet them on that limb because truly, if we didn't know it before, Facebook has proven that we are all total freaks.

I'm glad there isn't a "Dislike" button and I hope there never is one. It would ruin the system. But I do think it would be cool to change the "Like" button to a "Namaste" button so instead of "Liking" a post that says "Your songs remind me of Celine Dion brushing her teeth" one could click "Namaste" and acknowledge the other person without getting wrapped in judgments.

Or maybe we could all sign off and go to the beach and play in the sand.

Anyway, I'm super stoked for Wednesday's show with LeBLORR in Costa Mesa and I invite you all to head over to the Facebook event page and "Like," "Namaste," and "ATTEND" because not only is LeBLORR one of the best bands on the planet - Wednesday night is going to be my first show with the incredible Charlie Woodburn on DRUMS. Here you go: http://tinyurl.com/leblorr

Hope you're all having a great summer, and if you can't make it to Southern California this week, there's cool stuff planned for upcoming months! A newsletter's going out today, so if you want to get on the list sign up and score some downloads at www.laurameyer.net or http://laurameyer.bandcamp.com

PS. This picture was taken during my residency at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai, one of my many homes (and perhaps my favorite). They have some awesome exhibitions and workshops coming up so I highly recommend you check out http://beatricewood.com and get on their list as well. Who wouldn't want to make a trip to Happy Valley? Especially during this week's Ojai Playwrights Conference? That's what I thought.

Namaste.

When you're stuck in the car...

2011-08-05T01:03:00.009-04:00

You do weird things. Or at least I do. I just came across some ridiculous pictures from 2008 winter tour:

Before.

After.

I was driving from Kansas City to LA (dry skin?!!) and curious about what color the gum would make when combined.

Truck stops can become fascinating places. In my early touring days I wasted a lot of time looking at shot glasses and vats of pickles, just to avoid getting back in the car. I have quite a collection of assorted preachings and Bible tapes, too...

What do you do when you're stuck in the car and (you think) no one's watching?

Four things needed in life (August 2, 2011)

2011-08-03T00:32:00.004-04:00

Just came across this gem I picked up at Carl Sandburg's home in Flat Rock, NC. His "four things needed in life":

To be out of jail
To eat regular
To get what I write printed
And a little love

:)

These Shrinking Days... (July 20, 2011)

2011-07-20T17:52:00.010-04:00

Since finishing tour I've been sleeping eight, nine, ten - even twelve! - hours a night. This is twice or thrice (weird word) what I'm used to. On the road it's common to not sleep at all, or to only sleep a couple hours on some floor/couch with one eye on the clock knowing I've got to catch a bus to make a train to catch a connection to make the gig and so on.

In summation, I'm loving bed right now. It's nice to look in the mirror and not appear to be three times my age, and even better to not feel three times my age. Rather, when I wake up I kind of leap out and do a little jig because I can, because I'm in my room and therefore won't freak out anyone but myself, and we're way past that now.

A result of being rested (cool phrase) is that my days are several hours shorter than I'm used to. Sure, I don't have to drive for hours (though honestly, that's when I get most of my songwriting done) and I'm not playing shows right now, so that's created a lot of free time... but after years of staying in other people's homes and waiting around venues for hours and hours and hours (there is no need for a solo artist to arrive seven hours before the show for soundcheck) I've become extremely territorial over my free time.

I imagine anyone who's ever worked a day (or sat through a day of school) knows this feeling. We all feel the squeeze... the momentum of life! I find myself running in circles sometimes because there's so much I want to do!!

So what to do?! A teacher once told me that whenever we perceive that we are "lacking" something, then we must give it away. In doing so, we see that we not only have what we desire - we have plenty to spare. Not enough time? Give some away! Whether it's checking in on a friend in need, volunteering for a few hours, or simply stopping - give away your time and your time will grow.

The last time I had a good chunk of free time was three years ago, in the summer of 2008, between Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest (who just gave "Motel Room Blues #3" an Honorable Mention in the song contest!). At this time I went back to New York City and began practicing meditation. A lot. I had just completed my first year of living on the road and I was a total nut.

I remember arriving at the Folks Festival and being more interested in the inner world than what was going on onstage (it might've helped that it was pouring rain and cold). Friday morning I sat backstage wrapped in blankets because like an idiot I only packed warm weather clothes and I went deep deep deep... not noticing that my fellow musicians were tip-toeing around, not wanting to disturb this shriveled wet rat wrapped up like a hallucinating Buddha. Actually, I was a jar of nuts scattered across the floor. That's more accurate. I was striving for single-nutdom.

I didn't know if I was in the depths of despair or in ecstatic bliss, but I'd say I was skewed towards the former. I do remember sharing a beautiful heart-to-heart with Molly Venter that afternoon, and later blushing out of a conversation with Amos Lee because no amount of meditation could prepare me for his cuteness.

After skipping out on soggy camping to sleep on my cousin's couch back in Fort Collins I returned Saturday to sing more songs and feel even more lost... the end/pauses between tours - as with any life transitions - are extremely challenging. I often go back to Jude Law's character in I Heart Huckabees: How am I not myself?

I left the stage area and found a big flat rock by the river. And I sat. And for a period of time, I ceased to be me with all my perceived little problems and I became the river.

It was a real turning-point in the weekend. I found Lara Herscovitch, we shared dinner and a double rainbow, and after a good night's sleep I finished off the festival with warm sunshine, kazoos, and KT Tunstall, pausing intermittently to just stop. And sit. And be.

Radio Blu Italia (July 18, 2011)

2011-07-18T17:29:00.002-04:00

Here are some videos of an interview I did on Radio Blu in Bari. The station booth is in the middle of an enormous shopping mall, which made this Jersey girl feel right at home (despite the fact that I didn't know what anyone was talking about). Shoppers ran by the glass and waved as "Don't Let Them Collect You" pumped through miles of sparkly tile and clothing stores.

Here, I talk about my love for (can you guess?) Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (part 1) and Patti Smith (part 2) as well as thoughts on songwriting and singing in the shower.

Bari is on the East Coast, near Molfetta and Acquaviva delle Fonti, where I also performed this spring. Here's a photo album from my tour of Southeast Italy!

The Best Bus Stop in Glasgow (July 14, 2011)

2011-07-15T01:02:00.003-04:00

I started going through tour journals tonight and remembered I took a bunch of videos in Europe! I'm clicking through Italian poppy fields and German cafes at night and lots and lots of interesting characters... some funny, some frightening, all transporting me to places I visited in a dream, and in a way, am just now seeing for the first time.

This first video is at about 2AM at a bus stop in Glasgow after my show at Bloc, where Harry Potter passed out and someone - I'm not going to name any names, Roddy - stole a shoe and hid it in his pants. My friend, whom I had last seen when we were drunk on the dance floor at a wedding in Pennsylvania -in fact, that's how we met - was giving me a 24 hour tour of Glasgow, which started at this futuristic bus stop. It was very cold.

Miss you!!!

Central Coast (July 11, 2011)

2011-07-11T16:22:00.013-04:00

First of all - let's take a moment to acknowledge today's date: 7-11-11. Are you excited?! A powerful day according to numerology, and this sexy crop circle appeared in England this morning, though technically not a circle.

I don't really understand crop circles, but if I were a farmer I'd probably be pissed.

This weekend I passed many miles of farmland on the way to Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles. While parked in traffic I admired a lovely old woman clutching the steering wheel just like the twenty or so rollers clutching her thinning hair into little white spirals. A four-car accident produced some very sad faces. I wrote a bunch of songs.

I arrived in Santa Maria early so I found a little park near Costa de Oro (why not Costa d'Oro, I wonder?) and there was a man selling ice cream and chips from his bicycle cart, which read "El Payasito," though he didn't look like a clown. The best part is that the music was a medley of Christmas hits: "We Wish You a Merry Chrismas..." right into "Deck the Halls." I laid in the grass and thought about Beck (Christmas in July) and my love for Midnite Vultures and what the hell 6.2% signifies... maybe that's why he sings you fill in the blanks.

With these heavy thoughts pressing on my mind I played for some lovely, quiet people who enjoyed their Raw Revs and my songs and asked great questions. After lots of hugs I was ready for bed early and eventually my neighbor's techno dance party diminished enough to drift into peaceful slumber until I heard her puke her brains out Sunday morning, though I've recently been told toss her cookies is a more polite phrase. I doubt it was cookies that made her ill.

First up on Sunday was the patio sessions at Frog & Peach, which I loved loved loved just like Eloise's beloved Nanny. I made some new friends, who were quite helpful when my dress was seduced by the wind and we attempted to use rainbow stickers from the nearby Gay Pride event to tape the bottom of my dress to my legs. I think some might've been disappointed that I didn't do my pole dance on the umbrella stand... I was a little disappointed. But with all that sunscreen and my bad vision it could've been lethal.

Then a great day got even better when I listened to Tom & the boys on my way up 41 to Cass Winery. Mojo has a song called US 41 and alas, for all the roads I've traveled, it was my first time on 41. That's what I love about what I do - there's always a new road, and most likely a kickass song about it by one of my heroes.

I knew Cass would be fun when some longtime fans stroll through the dusty lot during soundcheck. And when I met the giant giraffe in the bathroom. Plus my host spoiled me rotten and played only Tom Petty albums as pre-show/intermission music. Singing to sweet faces beneath a 400+ year old tree amidst rolling vineyards and blue skies while handsome boys brought food and drink... yeah, it'll be loads of fun to come back September 11th and play the year-end bash with Severin Browne.

Wrote more songs driving home, very happy and tired and content to know these four years of traveling are coming to an end because, DEAR GOD, I'm about to explode I have so many sounds and words throbbing in my cage.

Tomorrow night at House of Blues is the final show of the once never-ending tour. Then... ??? A whole new journey begins!!!

California (June 16, 2011)

2011-06-16T12:59:00.013-04:00

I've been in the US for about a month now, with four weeks to go until I'm back in Italy. There's been a lot of sleeping and eating and even a little weeping of olive oil tears while searching for decent bread (it just doesn't exist on the West Coast). I'm dusting off new songs I wrote on tour and didn't have time to learn and writing new ones as I walk around my neighborhood. About once every block someone stops and says, "What are you writing?" or "Doesn't that get messy?" or "Wow, I've never seen that before!" which would never happen in New York. (Where I probably wouldn't be writing, but rather eating really delicious bread.)

However I'm trying not to compare the two cities, for it is impossible. They're like bagels and coconuts. And I'm immensely enjoying my little nest on the Pacific. The next door neighbor is playing the flute and soon the upstairs neighbor will treat us to a daily blast of "Empire State of Mind" before settling into Journey covers on his acoustic guitar. I've also heard some great bands at Hotel Cafe, The Satellite, Lot 1, Bootleg Theater, and elsewhere around town... music is everywhere.

The highlight was seeing Le Blorr last night at Paramount Studios. This was my first real Hollywood encounter, with miles of impossibly blonde hair and tan legs and thick lashes and high shoes that had at least three girls on the ground by 9PM. Therefore upon entering the fake New York lot (and after stopping to take a picture of the Paramount water tower because that's what I do) it was a great comfort to hear the familiar synth-drum powerhouse wafting through the pink-hued streets.

Le Blorr totally rocked it.

And it's cool to see things you've seen in movies (apologies to all the tourists I've silently cursed while storming through Manhattan. I know where you're coming from).

The Design for Humanity event was quite a spectacle, with Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros...

and lots of beautiful women in bikinis:

As expected, Le Blorr outshone them all.

Speaking of spectacles, last week I went up North to play some shows in Gold Country, where I met sweet people, slept on wide couches, and lost a pair of pants. Which isn't a bad thing, because after wearing the same clothes for over a year it really is time for Laura to go shopping. Last night made that apparent.

After an eight-hour drive, a radio show, and an early show I played a late set in downtown Nevada City. There was some enthusiastic dancing and moaning-along, and this woman, bless her heart, joined me onstage to sing along to "Fake," which she had never heard before. Fortunately she didn't fall down like the poor girl I saw last night, who repeatedly collapsed with wide eyes and unresponsive feet... however I imagine they were taking some of the same stuff.

It's a magical place, and I do love it.

Auburn and Chico were a lot of fun, and I got to catch up with friends and fellow musicians before sleeping in a magical purple house with all the windows open on the first true summery night.

Writing Motel Room Blues(es) (June 13, 2011)

2011-06-13T20:43:00.003-04:00

At Saturday night's show in Chico a man asked me how long it takes to write a song. My answer was that, if it's a good one, about as long as it takes to play. I do think the best songs tend to be the ones that come whole, in a flash, before the critical mind has a chance to interrupt. Sometimes songs require a bit of tinkering, though, and especially when on the road, scribbling on backs of business cards and paper bags and whatever's in reach...

I was just going over some new songs and came across this bit of compost, which eventually became Motel Room Blues #1 and Motel Room Blues #3. For those of you interested in the writing process, you can compare the below notes with the lyrics at the above links:

(I’d bet it’d look like him/this/emptiness)
An empty motel and nothing to read
But this ceiling
Vicious malicious skin gin chin thin when
An empty motel room and nothing to eat
If I stay here any longer I’m gonna be obsolete
The phonebook, the Bible, and the Bhagavad-Gita
One day all these pages will walk back to their trees
I lie awake listening to the pigeons
Wondering who the hell Gideon is
I wonder if I’ll ever leave
I’m beginning to feel obsolete
Mini bars and me
Smelly motel rooms with broken TV
Luggage racks and packs of tea
The phonebook, the Bible, and the Bhagavad-Gita
Who’s gonna open up me
Can anyone out there read me
Does anyone out there what to read-see
Motel fixtures
Crooked pictures in every chain – the same in every state

You can see these notes are pretty rough... but then when I sat down with my guitar and discovered the melodies, the right words quickly fell into the right places and the songs became the blues we all know and love today :)

You haven't Been Here Before? Check it out on iTunes or order a signed copy.

Home (June 7, 2011)

2011-06-07T16:01:00.003-04:00

Hey kids, here's what's up.

Before that, there was this.

Right now, I'm all:

Happy summer!

Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Heaven (April 20, 2011)

2011-04-20T15:21:00.004-04:00

Haven't been blogging much because I'm too busy eating.

And playing shows... and taking trains. But now I'm in Italy, so mostly eating.

Here are pictures from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy!

In Love in Liège (March 30, 2011)

2011-03-30T18:19:00.009-04:00

Nothing could have prepared me for Belgium. Including my Barron's French At A Glance pocket phrasebook.

After arriving in Brussels and then taking the wrong train to the wrong city I got on the right train to the right city and thankfully the country is small so it was still early in the day. A very nice Belgian man met me at the station as I was anxiously eating all the raisins out of bags of muesli, took me to see the venue, and then checked me into my hotel, where I was left with a few hours to wander the streets of Liège.

I fell in love with Liège immediately, at record-breaking speed.

Turns out I retained enough high school français to get the essentials - a UK/EU converter for my phone charger and a copy of French Glamour. However when I arrived for soundcheck I realized I didn't have anything meaningful to say other than really, really heartfelt "merci"s after the venue peeps went out of their way to make sure this diva had enough l'eau chaude and veg eats... and some horribly mumbled "Liège est très beau" etc. etc.

But once the show started and everyone gathered around and a hush filled the venue (and I mean hush - best audience ever) something really magical happened and I remembered my horoscope for this week (thank you, Rob Brezsny, I love you too): "You now have extraordinary power to turn yourself into a better partner, ally, and lover. And that suggests it's well within your means to cultivate a more exciting kind of intimacy."

There were no road stories as a crutch. No persona to muster up. Just us, the music, and the buzz of our co-creation. What could be more intimate than the union of our vibration? Our shared feelings and sensations? It was beautiful. It was honest. It was love.

I do believe more than one heart opened as chants of "one more song! one more song" called me up for a second encore (because yes, everyone speaks English way better than I'll ever speak French, je suis désolé)... and I was so excited to have captured this evening on video to share with you... and yet somehow even more excited to discover that the camera malfunctioned and failed to document this miraculous epiphany, thus preserving and accentuating the magic of aliveness and nowness and beingness - right here, right now, in my heart.

Thank you, Liège. I love you so.

Scotland (March 28, 2011)

2011-03-28T17:36:00.010-04:00

Springtime in London (March 23, 2011)

2011-03-23T10:42:00.017-04:00

Well it's sixty and sunny here in London. Sitting by an open window listening to the passersby and screaming children and the occasional car, but mostly the glorious sound of SPRINGTIME. It is heavenly.

Stayed with an old friend and the most beautiful girl I know (this is for all of you who are tiring of my English schoolboy posts on Facebook) who holds her champagne waaaayyyy better than moi. Oh la la.

The other night I played Magdalena, my new love, for the first time. You can't really see her here, but I know you can feel her. She is stunning.

This is the wonderful man who brought her into my world.

Going further back in time...

Had a quick visit to Bath...

where I sat in the sun and listened to street musicians and watched children terrorize pigeons while I got all Lucy Honeychurch...

and people-watched.

Found really good Nepalese food - both vegan and omnivorous options, right by the train station. You will smell it (Yak Yeti Yak, I think).

Bristol was the night before, supporting Larry Miller at The Tunnels. Here's a nice review of my set :)

The Tunnels is conveniently located in tunnels below the train station, so I didn't have to lug my enormous (and I mean enormous) bag too far.

Been taking a lot of trains - over 30 in less than two weeks. They're nice and they remind me of Star Wars a little bit.

This is everyone anxiously awaiting the weekend.

London gigs were fun - we were treated to some lovely lullabies at The Regal Room...

and it was so nice to be back at The Troubadour and to inhale the air exhaled by Dylan, Jimi, etc.

Of course no trip to London would be complete without popping into Fortnum & Mason and admiring the marmalade.

Other stuff:

GREAT show opening for Matt Andersen in Bury. Phenomenal guitarist and singer and total inspiration. Trip out to the country, back up North and near the coast in Driffield. Fun gig in Newcastle-under-Lyme (not to be confused with upon-Thyme) and nice visit with friends. Sightseeing at the Queen's house and visiting the Victoria & Albert museum and exploring Notting Hill... it's been a good week!

:)

Norwich, Darlington, and Richmond (March 13, 2011)

2011-03-13T17:44:00.019-04:00

Arrived in Norwich Saturday morning! After stashing my bags at the Arts Centre I attempted a "walk," but had to stop for a picture every two steps, as there's a beautiful building approximately every two steps:

The market was bustling, and I enjoyed some green grapes from Italia as I watched an old man shake a dirty puppet along to "Here in my car..." (video to come).

This was a treat, as I was unable to find produce at the local "health food store":

But I was able to find all sorts of royal wedding paraphernalia, which is indeed very exciting!

It took tremendous restraint not to run around with a marker altering all of the "to let" signs:

So instead I did what I do best - follow handsome men and take pictures of beautiful buildings:

After a fantastic show I hopped a train (or three) to Darlington, where I slept over thirteen hours! This morning my friend Victoria took me on an adventure with her boyfriend and his magical wooden shaft in old Defender.

We arrived in Richmond, which has even MORE beautiful old buildings:

Then we picnicked by the river, which is a beautiful burnt sienna color due to the peat in the water:

As the sun went down we headed to an old abbey...

and then they chained up the American and I can't remember the rest.

See you in York! And London! And Bury! And Bristol! And Newcastle-Under-Lyme! Big week ahead!!
:)

UK Day One (March 11, 2011)

2011-03-11T19:35:00.020-05:00

Oh my god. I'm in England.

Amazing. First: Virgin Atlantic makes flying FUN. As I boarded there was this bar/lounge and the flight attendants all looked straight from Austin Powers and have the greatest accents and I knew I was in for a treat. Delicious vegan Indian food for dinner, plenty of wine, 100s of entertainment options - and hurray for socks!

I stayed up all night, manically watching the first 10 minutes of a dozen movies before I settled into Inception and Black Swan. Get Him to the Greek lightened things up at dawn, and as the sun rose I prepared for landing with some relaxation guides in the audiobook section... incredible.

Leaving Heathrow airport I took a train to Paddington Station, and then the tube to Kings Cross. Then I hopped a train to York, which has a stunning train station:

And York is, indeed, stunning:

The Basement show was cancelled due to illness (boo), but I'll be back in York to play The Basement this Monday, the 14th (yea!). The music gods were smiling (and they are always smiling) so the promoters moved the show over to Fulford Arms and I had an hour or so to enjoy a spot of tea in my room :)

After singing some songs and meeting some sweet people I started hallucinating because I'd been up for two days straight and I felt a bit like Natalie Portman in Black Swan. So I passed out.

This morning I got up and had an absolute FEAST (can't believe I was worried about finding veg food over here - so far the food has been excellent) and after refueling I went exploring the beautiful city centre:

York is surrounded by walls that can be accessed at different points, such as the above gate, where you can walk around and have a look at the city from above, imagining what it was like when knights were charging and whatnot. That was a horribly written sentence, but I'm too tired to try to correct it. Here, look at this:

I walked around and admired the old people hobbling around the flower market: "think 'm gonna get some daffs" and the cute little kids that sound way more intelligent than me.

Other things I love about the British: people seem to eat sweets ALL THE TIME! I have never seen so many chocolates and treats consumed and I think that rocks. Plus they have super fun names. And of course crumpets. Tomorrow morning my host has promised crumpets with marmite!

The trains are wonderful - clean, timely, and easy to use. Today I took three, stopping in Peterborough, Norwich, and Somerleyton before the Club Uniquity show at Duke's Head (Slug's Lane). Ha. Oh my gosh I am in Harry Potter HEAVEN!

Thanks to all the sweet people I've met so far, not to mention my dear friend Nancy for sending me off and carsitting for two months. That is, if I decide to leave... ;)

California's been good to me (March 7, 2011)

2011-03-07T16:22:00.033-05:00

California is ridiculously amazing. Here's a recap of the past couple weeks:

After a few days in Oregon I enjoyed a slightly terrifying drive over Mt. Shasta with David Byrne at the helm.

I discovered Sand in Vaseline in the drivers' side door, which was extremely exciting because 1) I've had only a dozen or so CDs in my car since last spring and 2) the last time I listened to it was while driving through a snowstorm in the exact same region three years ago. Fantastic.

After a couple of shows for the good people of Redding (btw Grilla Bites kicks ass when it comes to vegan nachos!) I drove down to Garden Valley, where I was literally somewhere over the rainbow!!!

The hail and sun produced multiple rainbows over the American River as I swirled around Highway 49, and it was seriously cool to see the "end of the rainbow," which kept changing as the light and clouds flipped around. Oh my gosh it was phenomenal. I would've taken more pictures but I didn't want to drive off the cliff.

Then I spent a few days melting with friends in Garden Valley and Somerset, hiking and laughing and eating and eating and eating the best homemade vegan food EVER!!!

If you're lucky my friend Richard might open a B&B. He sent me off with some home fries and they barely made it out of the driveway.

First stop in SLO was Boo Boo Records for an in-store performance, where I also got to remedy my dire CD situation, picking up a few old blues records that were super cheap. Definitely give them a visit.

The next night things got messy at Frog & Peach. In case you weren't aware, the male population of Coastal California is abnormally attractive (this has been scientifically proven) and while trying to impress some members of this population I sliced my hand open during "Chelsea Hotel." It was very punk rock and I think my efforts succeeded, as a tall handsome man told me he loved me shortly thereafter, and someone else offered some disinfectant and a band-aid. A great night.

The next day I hung with my friend Greg and plotted to steal Jack, the greatest dog in the universe. I'm going to wait until I get back from Europe. Greg is making some super sexy "Laura Meyer" t-shirts for us so when I come back to pick them up I'm going to whisk Jack away into the sunset while listening to the other Jack I love so much.

After two great shows at Costa de Oro and Sustenance Studio I headed up to KPIG on Sunday morning for "Please Stand By."

The show came out great and I'll upload the songs and interview soon, in case you missed it.

Plus there were lots of great piggy things to look at:

Santa Cruz was beautiful as usual and I stretched my legs on the beach and the boardwalk as roller coasters whirled overhead and people biked by with their ice cream cones and surfboards. You know, just typical stuff for a February afternoon ;)

Later at Asana I discovered a napkin in the tip jar, with $100 wrapped inside. An affirmation from an angel and an appropriate metaphor for life... if this month has reinforced any belief (and it's reinforced ALL belief!) it's that treasure comes in unexpected ways, and it's always here. When you do what you love the universe WILL support and provide for you.

Then it was up to San Francisco for a show with Odd Owl at El Rio!

The next day I went on a canoeing trip and spied on sandhill cranes from an oak tree as the sun went down. Then I canoed back under the stars, as lightning flashed over the Sierras and beavers splashed about in the dark. It was seriously cool. I didn't take any pictures because I thought there was a good chance of capsizing... but here are some sweet lambs from the ranch:

Then it was back to San Francisco to play Biscuits & Blues, a classy joint with great vegan jambalaya! I got a flat tire on the way, which worked out great because there was an auto body place nearby that was about to close and they had me rolling away within a half hour! It's amazing how everything we worry about is remedied so easily. So there isn't any reason to worry about anything, ever. Awesome.

I was surprised by old friends from NYC and Tucson and headed back to the East Bay to fall in love with Oakland. Oakland, you are so cool you are threatening my LA plan. I stayed with a friend who is seriously passionate about this town, and it didn't take much persuasion to sip the kool-aid.

After a perfect sunny morning the clouds rolled in and we went for a walk around Lake Merritt in the center of the city. The buildings and houses in the hills look like some mediterranean shoreline or something.

After dinner and drinks and plots to open a 24 hour diner so we can enjoy the fine city of Oakland 24 hours a day we got up Sunday morning and went to CINNAHOLIC, AN ENTIRELY VEGAN CINNAMON BUN SHOP!

Sorry the picture's blurry - I wanted you to be able to see the menu but I was trembling in ecstasy. There are tons of different toppings and frostings... I got maple frosted with walnuts on top and while it was enormous I could've easily eaten five. Or fifteen.

We savored our buns on the Berkeley campus, just steps from my old apartment, which was awesome and homey and nostalgically delicious and seriously bumped up my love for the East Bay some more.

Then we went for a little hike...

and I made love to the eucalyptus trees.

Afterwards it was off to the Sutter Creek Theater, the sweetest spot to finish off the US tour!!!

Now I sit in Santa Cruz, where I should be packing for a two-month trek through Europe, but alas, California has rubbed off on me and I think I'll go for a walk on the beach instead :)

Lots of love! See you on the other side!
:)

Santa Clause, Valentines, and other loveliness (February 14, 2011)

2011-02-14T01:09:00.022-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! It's been a wonderful first week back on the road. I'll admit I was dragging my heels leaving Ojai... but Santa Cruz was the perfect place to land - just in time for a friend's Valentine-making extravaganza! Complete with heart-shaped beets! And ice cubes!

... and toasts!

It was a glittery, gluey, doily-filled joy. Then I was reunited with Gwyneth & Monko (and Bob)

at the Crepe Place in Santa Cruz. The place was PACKED with lots of beautiful young men and I am officially a cougar! Meow.

Lots of dancing, too. "I loved the freedom to move inside or out." I also loved the freedom to wear a tank top in February :)

Then Bolinas!

Oh Bolinas...

After staying up way to late trying to wrap our heads around this Enrique video (?!) I got to clear mine with a walk on the beach.

Then a lovely crowd at the Ukiah Brewing Company Friday, then Portland!!

I always love coming to Portland, and this trip was tops thanks to Will West & the Friendly Strangers, Groovy Wallpaper, and Laurelthirst.

Portland's music scene really lives up to the hype. And I want to steal Will's band. Cello + typewriter = genius.

Tonight I'm playing a special event at Culture Works in Ashland! Wherever you are, may you feel love, loved, loving, LOVE today and every day. May you look yourself in the eyes while brushing your teeth and say, you are one sexy bitch. Meow. And for those of you not feeling this particular holiday, well here's one for you that still manages to fit the appropriate color-scheme:

Hearts!

Hello from Happy Valley (January 25, 2011)

2011-01-25T14:25:00.003-05:00

Here's a little update from the mountain, with pictures: http://ymlp.com/zNdrcL

Happy Christmas (Tour is Over)

2010-12-22T20:31:00.011-05:00

I find myself humming Dusty Springfield... I just don't know what to do with myself... ba da dum. I like The White Stripes' version too (duh).

But seriously, what to do? Sleep? If I can remember how?

It's been an AMAZING two and a half months, with 62 shows, 12,000 miles of driving, and another 12,000 of flying. Plus a LOT of couches, floors, and mattresses! Thank you so so so so so so so so SO much for making this the BEST tour of all time!!! I've had the time of my life. And I get to do it all over again in a couple weeks!!! Thank god. Or else I REALLY wouldn't know what to do with myself!

In the meantime, I am going to try to sleep. I'll be announcing early 2011 tour dates in the next couple weeks! Here are some more holiday pictures I snapped while cruising around out West. (The first batch were included in last week's newsletter, which you can view here).

Someone just emailed me "I hope you're in a warm place surrounded by happy people," and I thought that was about the nicest wish I've ever heard. And indeed, I wish this for all of you!

Happy Solstice!

Doing the neighborhood holiday lights tour in Phoenix

Phoenix

Ocean Beach

Encinitas

Los Angeles

Troop Beverly Hills

Temecula

First stop post-redeye: Babycakes

Union Hall, Brooklyn (not only is Sarah Donner a fantastic singer and songwriter, she's one heck of a crafty gal and she's making me a custom glitter headband to go with my sequins. Talk about Merry Christmas!)

PS If you're still looking for a gift for yourself or a loved one please pledge to help me get to Europe this spring!!!! You can choose your level, from $10 + and prizes include handmade one of a kind items, signed CDs, house concerts, sightseeing, dinner, and even a SKYDIVE. Thank you for your generous contributions, which make all of this music and touring possible!!!!

:)

Holidays got you down? (December 7, 2010)

2010-12-07T20:41:00.005-05:00

Nothing boosts the spirit like a little live music! Here are the last show dates of 2010:

Dec 8 Artichoke Bar, Wichita, KS
Dec 9 The 806, Amarillo, TX
Dec 10 Backroad, Santa Fe, NM
Dec 11 Buckhorn Opera House, Pinos Altos, NM
Dec 12 Plush, Tucson, AZ
Dec 13 Rogue Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Dec 15 Portugalia, San Diego, CA
Dec 16 The Mint, Los Angeles, CA
Dec 17 Public House, Temecula, CA
Dec 20 Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY

Show info & venue links are at www.laurameyer.net/tour

Need a stocking stuffer? Pick up a copy of the new album (or the whole collection!) at www.laurameyer.net/store OR you can get your loved one (including yourself!) a special treat from Europe, a dinner at a restaurant, a house concert, or a SKYDIVE while helping me get to Europe by going to www.pledgemusic.com/projects/laurameyer!!!

Merry snow days to all you good boys & girls!

PS Winter 2011 tour dates are looking craaaazy, kids!!! Ho ho ho-my-god I need to get me some reindeer!

Been Here Before - Live at The Basement in Nashville (December 2, 2010)

2010-12-02T13:34:00.001-05:00

Laura Meyer Been here before from Kevin Kaz on Vimeo.

Here's what's coming up:

Dec 2 Beatniks, Marion, IN
Dec 3 Uncommon Ground, Chicago, IL
Dec 4 Red Herring, Urbana, IL
Dec 5 The Slowdown, Omaha, NE
Dec 6 Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
Dec 8 Artichoke Bar, Wichita, KS
Dec 9 The 806, Amarillo, TX
Dec 10 Backroad, Santa Fe, NM
Dec 11 Buckhorn Opera House, Pinos Altos, NM
Dec 12 Plush, Tucson, AZ
Dec 13 Rogue Bar, Phoenix, AZ
Dec 15 Portugalia, San Diego, CA
Dec 16 The Mint, Los Angeles, CA
Dec 17 Public House, Temecula, CA
Dec 20 Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY

Links and info at www.laurameyer.net!

This Week in Pictures (November 5, 2010)

2010-11-05T16:48:00.015-04:00

Piedmont Park, Atlanta. Halloween highlight: poodle in disco outfit.

Savannah, GA. John Davey & Brother Stephen... up to no good.

Outside Sentient Bean. Bags of water? Thoughts on this?

Sentient Bean has yummy veg food.

Durham, NC. Happy chickens.

Where I'm sitting right now... just played WUGA Live It's Friday and listening to Crane kick out the jamz.

Southern hospitality: guest book in Georgia rest stop bathroom.

It snowed this morning in Tennessee!!! First fire of the year. Come keep me warm at the Athens Farmers' Market tomorrow morning - 8AM!

Abigail Washburn at The Basement in Nashville. Great show... more on that to come.

Turnip Truck - great natural foods in East Nashville.

East Nashville Community Acupuncture is THE BOMB!!! Spent close to three hours there before playing The Basement... yummy ancient treasures tea too!

First batch of pre-orders went out! Want your autographed copy of Been Here Before???

Playing two shows at Flicker tonight with Caroline Aiken and Lara Oshon. Early show is 8:30 & late show is 10:30!

Then sleep... I slept under this painting for three nights while I was in Atlanta. Can you imagine what my dreams were like?!! Ha.

Have a great weekend!!

Leaving (October 29, 2010)

2010-10-29T23:41:00.010-04:00

AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!! (October 26, 2010)

2010-10-26T16:39:00.004-04:00

Just stepped out for a walk and there are 1000 CDs in my mom's driveway!!!!

THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

And totally rockin. This means pre-orders ship tomorrow!!! Get 'em while they're hot! www.laurameyer.net/store

WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Beaver Nuggets (October 25, 2010)

2010-10-25T19:30:00.023-04:00

On our way from Nacogdoches to Austin yesterday we had another run-in with the beaver nuggets...

This time we decided to stop and investigate.

In case you haven't heard of a "tur-duc-ken":

Not vegan.

It was madness.

The night before we were treated to a lovely dinner at Hotel Fredonia, where the chef came out not once but twice to make sure our food was satisfactory.

He surprised me with not one -

but two -

custom creations because I am officially a D-I-V-A. Ha. Seriously, I am astounded by the service at Hotel Fredonia. If they treat the musicians like princesses, I can only imagine how they treat the guests!

The show was a lot of fun, as was our earlier gig back in Dallas at Bill's Records -

- another place that caters to all tastes.

We spent the night recording a podcast in our pajamas, which was comfortable...

but maybe too comfortable, as I shared some incriminating road stories ;)

Mokah Lounge in Dallas had a super cool vibe and, again, a top-notch staff.

In fact that seems to be the common factor in all these shows - sweet, sweet people. Loved playing in Denton, which has a ridiculous music scene.

And halloween decorations.

Early this morning I flew into JFK to get my wheels so I can roll on.

It is SO BEAUTIFUL in CT where my mom lives!!! The leaves are bright orange and they have that sweet heavenly decomposing autumn scent. I'll take some pictures before I go. By the way here are those crazy birds I mentioned:

1000 copies of Been Here Before are currently in the air! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

Oct 28 Broad Street, Durham, NC
Oct 29 Sentient Bean, Savannah, GA
Oct 30 Java Monkey, Decatur, GA
Nov 1 Eddie’s Attic, Decatur, GA
Nov 2 The Basement, Nashville, TN
Nov 5 WUGA Live it’s Friday, Athens, GA
Nov 5 Flicker Theater, Athens, GA
Nov 6 Athens Farmers Market, Athens, GA
Nov 6 Acoustic Coffeehouse, Johnson City, TN
Nov 7 Karma, Greenville, SC
Nov 8 WDVX in Knoxville, TN
Nov 8 Mo Daddy's, Asheville, NC
Nov 10 Terrapin Brewery, Athens, GA
Nov 11 Firestorm Books, Asheville, TN
Nov 12 Bottega, Wilmington, NC
Nov 13 Smokey Joe’s, Charlotte, NC
Nov 14 Purple Fiddle, Thomas, WV
Nov 20 Griggstown Pavillion, Princeton, NJ
Nov 21 Rockwood Music Hall, NYC
Dec 1 Wilbert’s, Cleveland, OH
Dec 2 Beatniks, Marion, IN
Dec 3 Uncommon Ground, Chicago, IL
Dec 4 Red Herring, Urbana, IL
Dec 5 Slowdown, Omaha, NE
Dec 6 Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
Dec 8 Artichoke Bar, Wichita, KS
Dec 9 The 806, Amarillo, TX
Dec 10 Backroad, Santa Fe, NM
Dec 11 Buckhorn Opera House, Pinos Altos, NM
Dec 12 Plush, Tucson, AZ
Dec 13 Rogue, Phoenix, AZ
Dec 15 Portugalia, San Diego, CA
Dec 16 The Mint, Los Angeles, CA
Dec 17 Public House, Temecula, CA
Dec 20 Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY
Jan 6-Feb 6 Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA

A Blog as Big as Texas (October 20, 2010)

2010-10-20T15:31:00.039-04:00

Here are some updates from the past few days! It's all jumbled 'cause I'm at a gig, ya'll. San Antone. This is actually my fourth gig within a 24-hour period. Honorary vegan road food shout-out goes to Casa De Luz for helping me sustain -

Very yum vegan macrobiotic oasis in Austin. They let you have unlimited soup and salad and second helpings of everything else and you just might feel like you could fly afterwards. Except you'll feel really grounded too. Just down the street at Romeo's I played for the ladies of WIMP (that's Women In Music Professions) earlier today -

- a delightful group and a model for other cities... though I would prefer an alternate acronym to WIMP. Maybe WITCH? Women In The Creative Holster or something? Seriously - a great group. Check them out if you're in Austin!

This morning I was on Fox 7 Good Day Austin which was a nice way to start the day. One of the hosts is a Gibson freak so we had a nice chat and I'm going to try to make it to the showroom while I'm in town. Have any of you been?

These are some eggs from the chickens in the yard where I'm staying. I don't eat them... but they are beautiful. They are really warm too! So neat. Yea chickens!

Speaking of warmth, yesterday Aly and I went to South Austin Community Acupuncture. This week they're offering free acupuncture to new patients. Definitely check it out! They operate on a sliding scale ($15+) and as I left I learned they do cupping too... mmm. Being knocked out on a reclining chair with a heat lamp and snoring strangers while having needles hang out of your arms is so rock and roll!

That is a stuffed jalepeno. Gross.

Those are pigs feet. Grosser.

Grocer?

This is the Czech Stop on I-35!

Every imaginable jerky, brittle, fermented-thing, puffed things and breads and stuff. Madness!

And those are some cool black birds. They're everywhere here and last night the people in Elgin told me I'm not allowed to like them, but I really do. Very black. Very Hitchcock.

Those are our tour buses.

And those are some pretty colors.

That's Bills Records, where we're playing an in-store on Saturday afternoon. Come out! Bill's is awesome, and Bill is a very sweet man. It's just down the street from Opening Bell, where we played Monday night, before driving back to Austin with Wayne Dyer.

That's what breakfast looks like. Mung beans and booking emails... I have a crazy exciting six months ahead!!! Oh my gosh, big news. That would be a tease, except I'm not teasing. It's true yo. And it's so nice being able to tour out of Austin so I can cook up my squash in the morning!

Newflower Market has crazy ridiculous organic kabocha, which is nearly impossible to find, I find. Do you find? Where can I find it back East??

We went to Kind of A Funny Story on Sunday night at a Texas-sized movie theater. I would have really appreciated the film when I was in high school. Definitely hit home. I liked it.

We also went for a walk around Town Lake.

It's like June here.

Beautiful.

Here are some Praying Cowgirls in a rest stop between Houston and Austin.

And classic American architecture.

There were intriguing billboards about Beaver Nuggets.

We never got to the bottom of that, but we did see some other crazy stuff.

The highlight of Houston was hanging out with Aly's Aunt Penny. And the hanging umbrellas at Dean's.

Dean's had cool ceilings.

Bryan is always fun. Here's a picture by Jack A Cheshire.

KEOS always treats us right. We had six beds between the two of us.

Thanks Stevo!

Speaking of which, I'm looking forward to bed. Sleeping in an art studio, which is womblike and conducive to creativity. And creative dreaming.

It's been a great week! And a great day! Happy 60th Tom! Thanks for the tunes!!!

PS I just finished my gig and it was super fun and this guy just happened to have this guitar from Thailand in his car and he gave it to me even though it was his birthday. And Tom's. And that's why I LOVE MY LIFE!!! :)

Houston (October 16, 2010)

2010-10-16T13:34:00.005-04:00

That's "Hughes-ton," not "House-ton."

California to Texas (October 13, 2010)

2010-10-13T12:29:00.011-04:00

Made it to Texas. Aly and I somehow managed to find each other at the international arrivals last night, despite not having each other's phone numbers. A good omen. Slept like a princess. She is a gem. Very excited for the next two weeks!

Laura Meyer/Aly Tadros Texas Tour:

Oct 13 Carmen de la Calle, San Antonio, TX
Oct 14 KEOS 89.1, Bryan, TX
Oct 14 Stafford on Main, Bryan, TX
Oct 15 Dean’s Credit, Houston, TX
Oct 18 Opening Bell, Dallas, TX
Oct 19 Quoffers, Elfin, TX
Oct 20 Fox 7 Good Day Austin, Austin, TX
Oct 20 Carmens de la Calle, San Antonio, TX
Oct 21 Andy’s Bar, Denton, TX
Oct 22 Mokah Lounge, Dallas, TX
Oct 23 Bill's Records, Dallas, TX
Oct 23 Hotel Fredonia, Nacogdoches, TX
Oct 24 Flipnotics, Austin, TX

Here's a nice piece from today's Battalion: http://www.thebatt.com/features/on-the-road-again-1.1686878. I always enjoy Bryan/College Station. Looking forward to seeing DJ Stevo at KEOS tomorrow afternoon (be sure to tune in!)

Also enjoyed yesterday's flight. Was never much of a flyer, but the pre-flight airport shenanigans have gotten so intense that getting on the plane (and getting off the ground) is a pleasure. The computers were down at SFO and the security line was all but frozen (despite the 95-degree heat!) so it was a close call. A nice gentleman en route to London who plays "mystical" drums let me cut in front of him. I had to go through security twice because apparently I'm really sketchy. My guitar got swabbed a couple times but fortunately this time my quinoa made it through without any problems -

- thanks again to Dharma's in Santa Cruz for keeping me well-fed this weekend. A sweet girl named Kayla recognized me from "the internet" which is the second time in a week I've been recognized while buying lunch. If the mainstream music world has yet to discover Laura Meyer, the vegan world is a step ahead. Be sure to stop in and get some kitchari. Tell them Laura sent you and they'll probably laugh and shake their heads.

Rejuvenative weekend... in addition to savoring Dharma's for a few days I got to sleep on the beach and experience deep, deep acupuncture bliss in Soquel.

Placerville is always a treat - the Coz is one of my favorite spots to play and Saturday night was especially fun. Even got to hear a little singing saw.

Spent the night with a dear friend and woke to a rooster crowing.

Then met up with Blushin' Roulettes and Houston Jones at Niles Town Plaza -

- thank you for a week of bliss, dear California. See you in December :)

Going Coastal (October 8, 2010)

2010-10-08T22:08:00.028-04:00

Saw some super-humongous seaweed in Encinitas the other day! Oh my god it was like seatrees. See trees:

(Foot added for scale. And I have big feet).

As for veg fare, Lotus Cafe in Encinitas was pretty good. I had the curry. Can't go wrong with curry. The decor was a little cafeteria-like so I took it to go.

San Diego Whole Foods was decent, if a little uninspired. They have an organic salad bar, which is cool! I was chowing down Wednesday afternoon when I got an invitation to play The Joint in LA so I packed up and headed back to my favorite West Coast city...

Stopped in Tustin for a battery. WOW! Biggest shopping complex I've ever seen. The detour took half an hour. I expressed my awe to the kid who checked me out, and he looked at me like I was from a faraway island or something... but then again, this shopping center was definitely the size of Manhattan, so there you go.

I didn't know what to expect, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The Joint is swank. Has killer sound, too. The first band sound-checked with an impeccable rendition of Tom Petty's "Counting on You," which got us started on a good note.

My friend and super-talented songsmith Patrick Dunn came to support. Then I got to sleep under the cool gaze of another dear friend...

Visited another in the morning:

Walked around Beverly Hills and admired its cleanliness. And cakes that cost more than my guitars (like, combined):

Picked up my mom some presents...

or rather, postcards.

Checked out the Bev M Cafe. Soup was good. The Big Macro or whatever they call the veggie burger was INSANELY delicious. I like the vibe of the Melrose spot better, but I must say the staff was extremely friendly and made me want to live in LA. (What else is new).

Yoga + sunset + Pismo Beach

Then an awesome show at Steynberg Gallery in SLO! Gosh, I love you guys. Also love this painting (sorry I'm rushing now - pretend your a puppy and tilt your head to the right) - by Peter:

Then came up to see my friend in Santa Cruz and play Asana...

Dharma's in Capitola is the bomb! Soup, salad, and brown rice with CRAZY tahini lemon sauce I could eat by the bowl.

Had some black beans and red quinoa at Asana... it was (shhh) a little bland. But got me charged for my set.

However I was not the only entertainment. Hilarious bunch of sweet people. Been sitting next to this guy get drunk and scribble (literally scribble) with permanent markers for the past hour and I feel super high. I probably lost a ton of braincells so sorry if the tour gets experimental. Another dude gave a 30 min monologue about all the great things he's doing in his life, then asked another, "So what are you doing with your life?" to which the young man replied, "Fucking off."

Ha. Gotta love California. See you in Placerville tomorrow night!! Yea!! I love the Coz. Have a great weekend :)

NYC & Brooklyn (August 4, 2010)

2010-08-04T21:56:00.008-04:00

Just got this in my inbox... (August 2, 2010)

2010-08-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

Laura --

I'm on to Laura Meyer now. I just had this brilliant insight, listening to her CD.

Unfortunately, to explain, I have to get a bit technical. I'll be as brief as possible. So please bear with me.

Introduction

The only pure, simple vowel sounds are eh, ee, ah, ih, uh, oo, and what I symbolize by a- ( short a as in cat) and Uh (schwa, that is, u as in put)

Interestingly, all the other vowel sounds are compounded out of simple vowel sounds.

long a (as in gate): eh-ee
long i (as in kite): ah-ee
special "short" i (as in drink): ih-ee
long o (as in oh): uh-oo
long u: (as in use): ee-oo

Beginning sounding like Laura Meyer

Just prolong the ending ee sound in compound vowels that end in ee:

long a: eh-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (as in came: c-eh-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-m)
long i: ah-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (as in skies: sk-ah-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-s)
special "short" i: ih-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (as in drink: dr-ih-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-nk)

Intermediate sounding like Laura Meyer

song is s-ah-eee-ooo-ng
time is: taaaaaah-eeeeee-m

Then, finally, if you want your Ph.D.:

Practice this until you've got it down, just as I am indicating:

"Duhoooon't knahooooow eef thiheeees la-eeeend eeooahz muheheeeede fahoooor eeeoooo eheeeend muheeee."

And I'll leave for you to work out everything else, now that I have explained the basic principles.

And soon, Laura, you will sound just like Laura Meyer!

I know, I've tried it. And I sound just like her! (Though, of course, an octave lower. Maybe she and I can do some duets.)

Hope this helps you in your further singing career.

Miles From Somewhere: The New Album & Where I'm At (July 26, 2010)

2010-07-26T20:14:00.001-04:00

Hey kids, it's moving day! Again! #27! Ha ha once again I'm in a room filled with boxes of books, half-cursing my addiction and half-giddy with delight. I missed them.

So this will be quick, but I wanted to say hello... and to let you know I'm making an album! It's awesome. I love it. You're gonna love it. I can't say anything more about it right now because it's swelling in this great big bubble of gooey sonic love and I dare not pop it... but if you're in NYC you can come hear for yourself this weekend because I'm playing a benefit at Silent Barn in Brooklyn Friday night and Rockwood Music Hall Sunday night! Yea! These songs are my favorites (but please don't tell the others).

I'm recording in NYC. Started last Monday. It was only my third day of being in the city since 2009! I sure have put a lot of miles on the car this year... and on my body. Which is also why I haven't been on the computer so much... apparently my eyesight has gotten pretty bad and I forgot my glasses in this farmhouse in Lawrence, Kansas where I always happen to leave clothing and whatnot so I've been straining the past couple months and developed horrific headaches and dizziness. Fortunately yesterday I finally made it to Fabulous Fanny's -

- which is truly fabulous. Oh my gosh! Thousands of vintage frames. So fun.

Really neat visiting my old street, though it's changed so much... fortunately Earthmatters still makes it's yummy very berry smoothies and Ludlow Guitars is still there to take good care of my babies.

Otherwise I'm chilling in CT... catching up, making music, feeling good. Crazy storms!

Loving the summer farmers market and the library book sale!!! Ha ha... I really am sick. Last weekend and went and only allowed myself an hour... so difficult. Got about 20 books. Found the autobiography of Beatrice Wood which is really cool because I'm currently booking a fall tour with some buddies I made out at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai this spring... but more on that later! Gotta unpack :)

Good night!

Miles From Nowhere: Your Favorite Destinations! (July 24, 2010)

2010-07-23T19:33:00.001-04:00

I love two things - well, more than two, but what's relevant here -

1. the beach
2. CD contests

Here are some responses from the Miles From Nowhere giveaway to replenish our vitamin D while we weather these summer storms:

Sid in Brazil:

"I must say that my favorite hanging out spot was a little homemade hammock hanging on two palm trees in a beach called Praia dos Carneiros in the Northeast of Brazil. The beach is almost deserted and the scenery is just magical. The water is warm at all times and begs for midnight swims. That one hammock was the perfect mixture of a cool breeze with an absolutely gorgeous ocean making its comfy tumbling sound."

Katey in Indiana:

"I discovered a new favourite place this summer. My husband is a musician, so we go to A LOT of concerts and see A LOT of live music. This summer Verizon Wireless has had lots of $10 lawn tickets. We bought some beach chairs and take a blanket with a snack and listen to the concerts. It's been wonderful! Not only do I get to share something that we both treasure with someone wonderful but I get to spend time with a person that I treasure!"

Sarah in North Carolina:

"Leaving tomorrow for a 14 hr drive to Providence, RI for a friend's wedding can't wait for fun, friends, and food! (maybe the beach as well!)"

Bob in Maine:

"Boothbay Harbor, of course!"

Mike in Florida:

"well, the best place to hang out in fla is the beach,dont know how long thats gonna last. the next best place is the backyard, just got a 2 person $ 20 pool from walmart, I had a great lake to go to but the gators took it over.. oh its raining oil here tooo. dont be surprised if it works its way to you."

Robert in Illinois:

"Being already the proud owner of 2 copies of "Miles From Nowhere" (#'s 157-318) I will take myself out of the running for the free CD. I love being in my studio making art 24/7, if I need a break I can step right out the back door into my huge garden. There are fresh strawberries, tomatoes, beans of every sort, carrots, and fresh spinach...I can stroll through the raised beds and eat my lunch or dinner, even dessert. Enjoy the beach...hope we'll see you again soon at Sleepy Creek!!"

Chris in Illinois:

"i spend the first large chunk of the summer running from gig to gig, whether at home in chicago or out on the road, wearing pants when i ought to be wearing shorts (because shorts on stage is not a good look for me), and dreaming - dreaming - of the day when i can ride the bus to the beach. and then, one day in august, i'll finally have the free time to get there, and i'll do my damnedest to pack a whole summer's worth of awesomeness into one day. i'll be torn between going alone and bringing a frisbee partner. one day. fuck."

Ismael in Texas:

"My dream vacation is on a cruise to a foreign country. Its been something I have been seeing in my head for quite a few years now. I know this isn't the summer for me, but one day, I will take the trip. "

Randy in Massachusetts:

"My dream destination is a hammock -- preferably slung between two tall trees with a view of the water. Any water. Whenever I'm in a hammock, it takes me about 3 seconds after I close my eyes and I, too, am Miles from Nowhere."

Lee in California:

"My favorite hang-out is the Grapevine in San Jose. Ever since your performance there some months ago, I have gone back there every evening and sat at the very same table hoping you would show up again."

Joel in Florida:

"I am hanging out in Winter Park, FL for the summer.. working part at a coffee shop and interning in a counseling clinic. and I love free cds. haha"

Well, I love you guys. Reading your responses fills me with joy... feel like I've been on a bit of a trip just sitting here. Thanks for coming along!

PS If you missed it check out www.laurameyer.net to join the club and score a free track :)

The Ocean = The Sound (July 10, 2010)

2010-07-10T20:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was floating and nearby a little boy asked his dad, "Is this the Ocean?"

To which the father replied, "No, this is the Sound."

Tour Video: "This Land" (May 24, 2010)

2010-05-24T23:11:00.003-04:00

(If you don't see a video above click here: http://tinyurl.com/2009-10tour).

Heading out on a mini-tour this week and VERY excited. Here's the scoop:

* Fri, May 28 Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
6PM sharp! Skip the beach traffic and be the first to hear the new songs!!!

* Sun, May 30 Club Passim, Cambridge, MA
Campfire Festival! Tons of artists and only $10/day or $30/weekend.

* Thurs, June 3 Ebenezer's, Washington, DC
Acoustic show with Laura Tsaggaris and Rachen Platten!

* Sat, June 5 Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA
Biannual Shootout Competition! Tables are already sold out so act now if you want a ticket!

* Sun, June 6 Acoustic Coffeehouse, Johnson City, TN
Most of the new album was written in/inspired by JC... come find out why!

Sweet dreams and see you soon :)