Traveling Troubadours- Tour Journal (guest blog) May 2012

Chick-Fil-A headquarters

Ok I'm letting Jay Newman, our Tour Manager/Friend do a guest blog as I've noticed my writing has suffered due to lack of sleep... so Jay take it away....


MAY 16
These last few days have started to settle in to an actual tour.  We've been sweating, not sleeping, and can't seem to remember what day it is or where we are anymore.  Sean and I got to introduce the girls to the concept of the Zombie Drive.  That's what we call it when we have to drive through the wee hours of the night.  We left the gig in Charlotte and decided to head on down to Atlanta because we had several errands to run in town the next day.  The thing about a Zombie Drive is that no one is really awake, and no one is really asleep.  Every now and again, someone will yell out "ZOM-BAY!!" to help keep the driver awake.  I started out driving, but Faith and Sean both took turns on it.  We got to Newnan, GA around 4 am, picked up a key from a buddy of mine, and stayed at Ecclesia Church on some air mattresses they had laid out for us.  I don't really know what happened next, because I kind of blanked out from fatigue.  Next thing I remember is my alarm screaming at me - a whole 3 hours later.  Nothing like a solid night's sleep.   After  hitting up the Starbucks, we rolled through rural Georgia to Douglassville to pick up some new Sean Michel tshirts (available at this link! http://seanmichel.storenvy.com

driving into Atlanta

Joking around at Atlanta Live

) 


and then went into Atlanta to have lunch with our buddy who had set us up for the night.  He just happens to work at the Chick-fil-a corporate offices.  And they just happen to have a cafeteria that serves all you can eat Chick-fil-a.  For free.

After eating too much chicken, we went to the offices of Brash Records.  Sean and I had heard some good things about how they do business, so we figured we'd drop by and hand 'em our records.  Lara and Faith thought that was a good idea too.  So we pulled up to the front door and I gave them a call.  The guy I talked to said, "yeah, you can just stop by anytime", and I said, "well, we're outside on the curb".  After a brief silence to let the awkwardness pass, he said, "okay, I'll come down and let you in."   I was trying to play it cool, but there was a weird tension in the air.  I mean, you got 3 artists hoping to impress this label with their music but all of whom are also trying not to get too caught up in it all that business.  Its a hard balance to maintain.  I was more-or-less neutral and just tried to facilitate the interaction.  But after we got to talking with the two fellas who came out, it began to feel a little more natural... They recommended some Mediterranean restaurants for us to eat in and Sean chatted with the one guy about the Blues.  So hopefully they get around to listening to the tunes and hopefully they have a good time doing it.

For the evening, we were scheduled to appear on a local Christian television program called "Atlanta Live".  We got there early to chill a bit, but unfortunately not early enough for a nap.  Lara, Faith, and Sean absolutely killed it on TV.  Its really hard to communicate musical energy through the medium of video, especially when its filmed live.  So instead of watching them in the studio, I went into a back room to watch them on a monitor so I could see what people watching at home would see.  I was really impressed with how they came across - so much passion and energy in their songs.  And you could tell the host of the show was taken back, as though it was much better than he was used to or had expected.    It was a two hour show, and it wrapped up around 9 pm.  We got packed up and were on the road by 10.  We stopped at Agora Cafe in the Bucktown area of Atlanta for that Mediterranean food - and so Sean and I could watch the NBA playoffs - and then we were on the road again, headed to Birmingham where we'd finally put this day to bed.

MAY 17

We rolled into B-ham around 1am (thanks to gaining an hour via time-zone change) and got settled in for the night at a friend's house.  Thanks to Lara, we had to get up at 8am to be at a radio station.   She had made an appearance on WDJC's Ronnie Bruce show before, and so scheduled an interview and on-air performance since we were in town.  I found some humor in the way the interview went, since it was implied that Lara was on tour and Sean and Faith were her backing band.  Lara kept trying to correct the interviewer, but it never really came across that Sean and Faith were front-men in their own right.  They were totally cool about it though, and honestly its not a big deal - just funny to see how reality differs from perception.  Ronnie Bruce took us to Dreamland BBQ afterwards though and that almost made up for it.  However, after having eaten there I feel compelled to warn you - if you ever find yourself in Birmingham, just know that Dreamland's marketing is better than their meat.   Afterwards, we went and killed some time at Starbucks and ended up having some really good talks between the four of us.  I think one of the things I've enjoyed about this tour, and its really unique, is how the four of us have interacted and really gotten to know each other.  #ServantOfAllTour was something we wanted to happen and that's why we named it that, but its been really cool to see everyone treat each other as more important than themselves.  We've been doing a Bible study through the book of Philippians, and I think we are all learning and practicing the very things Paul urged the Philippians to do.  Its been sweet to be a part of that.

The show in Birmingham that night was at the Good People Brewing Company.  They're just getting started with putting on shows, but its already one of the coolest venues I've been in.  Its a warehouse where they brew Good People Beer, but they also have a tap room with a stage set up.  They have this really nice patio area as well that they're still developing.   The Birmingham Barons Minor League Baseball team is building a new stadium directly across the street.  There's just a lot of cool stuff happening down there.  And they named the evening the "Bearded Ball", and despite the presence of two stunning beauties on tour with us, it was Sean who was the belle of this ball.  At the end of the night, he got to judge the best beard competition.  If you don't happen to know what I'm talking about, then just do a google image search for Sean Michel. 

MAY 18
The next day, we were off to Baton Rouge.  When we were in Nashville on the first night of tour, my friend Aaron came to the show and told me his band was playing in Baton Rouge and wanted to know if we were interested in opening.  His band, As Cities Burn, is pretty popular and I knew it would be a good show - so we made it work.  This was not a typical venue for Lara and Faith.  The Spanish Moon in Baton Rouge is a rock club - clouds of cigarette smoke, beer-stained floors, music several decibels above average, and hip kids sporting their new tattoos.  I was so proud of how the girls stepped up and owned the crowd though.  We opened up the set and the crowd hadn't fully arrived yet, maybe around 60-70 people were there.  All of them were expecting a rock show, so when Lara opened up you could tell they were not ready for what they heard.  From where I was standing, they were mesmerized.  And when she finished, there was enthusiastic applause.  Faith and Sean followed with their songs and it was more of the same.  This crowd was too cool to dance, but it was pretty clear the 3 troubadours had won them over.   The rest of the bands were amazing, and it was one of the first shows I'd been to in forever where every band was really good - just an incredible night.  We ended up hanging with the ACB guys after the show for a bit, and they were razzing us about being on tour with girls (there's kind of a tradition with rock bands that girls are bad luck on tour).  But me and Sean are happy to ride with Faith and Lara - we don't believe in bad luck.  We all hit up Raising Cain's Chicken near the LSU campus at about 2:30 am, and then headed on down to the French Quarter in New Orleans where we'd be staying for the next few days. 

MAY 19
The next morning we got up and hit Cafe du Monde for some coffee and beignets.  I was happy to escort Lara to her first glance of the main-line of America - the Mississippi River.  We got serenaded by a saxophone player, and saw the Natchez Queen steamboat leave harbor.   At sundown I did some people watching around the French Quarter.  Two-Hundred year old houses with gas light lanterns were just being lit as the shadows fell over the already beer drenched streets.  The only place the sun was still illuminating down Orleans St. was the backside of St. Louis Cathedral.  I could hear a jazz band firing up their ragtime on Bourbon as the whistle of the steamboat coming back into port blared throughout the French Quarter.  The energy of this city gets inside you.  The people are filled with life and creativity.   I thought of Asheville, where we had been earlier on this tour.  Asheville is an artistic city too, and I began to compare them in my mind.  In Asheville we had seen zombies chased by ghostbusters outside the venue we played.  There were all kinds of art shops and cafes - a lot of similarities to New Orleans.  But as I sat on the corner it was apparent to me that this was nothing like Asheville or any other place I'd ever been.  In places like that, the people give life to the city.  In New Orleans, the city seems to generate its own energy from the depth of its own history, and infuse life into its people.  This city is known for its sin and debauchery, but I couldn't help wonder how it would look if this city were redeemed.  The life and energy would remain, but it would not be perverted and expressed in sinful ways.  I got energized with that thought and got up and went to the Vieux Carre Baptist Church on Dauphine.  I realized that a part of that redemption was about to happen that night - as Lara, Faith, and Sean brought truth and life through their music.  

(THESE ARES JUST SOME OF THE MANY PICTURES NEW ORLEANS HAS INSPIRED ME TO TAKE)

Traveling Troubadours - Tour PICS Atlanta

Having fun with pictures while at Atlanta Live

Again, goofing around while taping Atlanta Live

love anytime I can play a grand piano instead of a keyboard

Faith lookin gorgeous

more fun

The real Batmobile at the Chick-fil-a headquarters

friends

values 

driving into Atlanta

Tour Journal - Traveling Troubadours Tour May 2012

MAY 12

On Friday I woke up to hear Faith giggling to herself, I walked in her room and and she was bundled from head to toe reading something. I asked her what and she said it was Jeremiah, she was laughing because she was freezing all night. Her and I got ready and headed to Sacred Heart to practice and learn more of each other's songs. I felt overwhelmingly tired the whole day. We packed up and headed toward Asheville NC. Creatures Cafe right in downtown Asheville was the venue- it's a non-profit Christian Coffee house that stays open later than all the bars so that all the drunk people come in for food after everything else closes and get to know the Christians that work there. The show felt really good, the place was full and they asked us to stay and play another set. Between sets Faith and I went out on the street and started singing to attract passerbyers to come in a see us. We sang up-beat versions of Amazing Grace and I Surrender All plus our songs. A drunk man on the street starting talking to Faith and I saw him spit something at her, she didn't seemed phased but I got worried and tried to intervene. After we played a man from Nigeria played a few songs for us, he sounded so beautiful. I'm always amazed by these unknown people that we meet along the way that have the talent to be world famous but are playing at cafe's to 3 people at 1am. By the time we packed up and got to the house we were staying at it was 2am. 

MAY 13

In the morning, Jodi made us a gourmet breakfast and we got to talk to her a bit- she and her husband Lucas were from Nashville and we have mutual friends. We went over to The Feed and Seed for their worship service. The Feed and Seed is a really cool venue where a lot of bluegrass bands play. It's an old store from the early 1900's that sold anything and everything. Now it has pews and movie theater seats and hosts church and concerts. The people there were extremely friendly, mostly elderly. They had great coffee and bags and bags of donated bread that people could take home. They requested that we start by playing "I Saw the Light" by Hank Williams as our worship song and then we did a few of our own. It was mother's day so that fact and the spirit there was really nice. After, we went to a restaurant we spotted the night before in downtown Asheville called Jerusalem Cafe. By the time we were done there and checked into our hotel it was time to drop in at The Choice 95.7, a radio station that our friend Pete just started. He plays any and all music he likes, he says "It's not a Christian radio station, but it is a station run by Christians". He interviewed us and played our music then we went back over to Feed and Seed. The show went well even though for the first song my keyboard wouldn't work and we were scrambling to fix it. We also couldn't really hear ourselves, but the audience really dug it and clapped for an encore. At that point we were really tired after doing two shows in one day, tired to a point where we just got really silly so we had a dance party in the bus and went to Taco Bell.

MAY 14

On Monday morning we got to sleep in then went to Home Depot so Sean could buy hardware to make a kick drum from an old suitcase. We all tried warming up our voices to Seans vocal CD and people stared at us. Then we went back to downtown Asheville and found an extremely good mexican food place called Salsa. The weather was unbelievably perfect, sunny, warm with a slight breeze. Faith and I broke away from the boys and looked at some vintage clothing stores and took pictures along the way. I got Sean a black leather bracelet I saw at one store because he liked the one I wear that looks exactly the same. We both ended up getting dresses and then running back to the bus just in time to leave for Hope House as it started pouring rain. Hope House is a place where girls who have been sex trafficked can recover, get counseling and have a safe place to live. I'd been there before two years ago on another Troubadour Tour I'd been on but at that time no girls were there. This time 4 girls plus the staff where there- it's a very peaceful place on beautifully manicured grounds. The girls all seemed extremely innocent, giggly and friendly. They sat on couches and we each played a few songs in a real casual intimate way. I played "Beloved" because I really wanted them to get that message- that nothing can separate them from the love of their heavenly Father. We ended with them singing to "How He Loves". Then we all took pictures, gave them cd's and ate spaghetti with them that they made.

Later at the hotel we had a Bible study starting the book of Phillipians. It seems funny to me, from the looks of Sean and Jay and how they act so casual and "non-religious", that they are both licensed pastors. I'm laughing out loud as I write this and Jay's asking me why I'm laughing that he's a pastor. Anyway, we had a good BIble study- I learned that a good way to study is to observe the verses your reading, then apply them to the people in the time it was written and then apply it to us today. We talked about how Paul had a real sincere affection for the Church, that they would have love in knowledge. Then we all watched Zoolander. 

MAY 15

Today I woke up on the floor, I had decided to sleep on the floor of the hotel room so I wouldn't disturb Faith with all my tossing and turning. We headed to Charlotte NC to Northside Baptist Church for a benefit for The Morning Center. The Morning Center is a clinic that is about to open in Charlotte, Memphis TN and Indianapolis- the clinic provides free prenatal care and gives women the support and help they need to keep from having abortions. I really believe in that so I'm glad we got to be a part of the first benefit. Our friends from the area came out to support us and the show felt really good. We got to talk to the comedian for the night, Brad Stine. He was a really cool guy and had a lot of practical wisdom about politics and performance. 

I ended up sleeping under the merch tables in the back for a while, talking to some people and the founder gave Faith and I really cool necklaces. We stopped at a cheap burger place and ate on the ground outside and now I'm sitting on the bus typing as we drive on to Atlanta.

We plan on getting there around 3am and sleeping in a church sanctuary. 

Tour Journal- Traveling Troubadours Tour 2012

May 11 2012

Yesterday was the start of the Traveling Troubadours Tour. 

It was a busy day… packing all morning, getting all my cd's and merch organized, practicing the songs I just learned for my tour mates (we play on each other's songs). I went over to Hear It First to record some live songs and interviews and then straight over to the concert venue The Anchor in Downtown Nashville.

I've hosted a few concert nights at The Anchor called "Indie On The Brink" that have been really really sweet, intimate, awesome times- we invite about 10 artists to each share 3 songs and talk about the stories behind them and their own lives. We thought kicking off the Troubadour Tour at an "Indie On The Brink" night would be great. But there was definitely a different vibe in the air as the night started. It just felt stiff and not really loving/supportive. Made me kinda sad. I felt like there was a feeling of "performance" and jadedness. It's a typical feeling when artists that are talented but not super famous get up to play- but these nights have never been typical, they've been special. After 5 artists went up, the Troubadours (myself, Faith Gilmore- my bff, and Sean Michel) went up. Sean started with his stomping bluesy song "My Jesus" and I feel like the audience started to relax a little. We played 3 songs each and I must say it was pretty seamless especially for our first performance together. I love playing with them because on their songs I get to get outside of my box. I also love singing harmonies with them and playing tambourine and stomping around on Sean's songs.

The crowd definitely relaxed and got into it by our last song. I felt extremely giddy and excited thinking I would get to do this every night for the next 3 weeks. It felt natural, easy, satisfying, and at the same time challenging and like stepping out on a limb. 

I love telling the stories behind my songs almost as much as I enjoy singing them. It's a rush speaking straight from my heart, not really knowing what I'm about to say! I've introduced each songs dozens of times but I am always learning more about what they mean every time I play them. I love encouraging people and getting real with them- I like to tell them that I'm no better because I'm on stage- I'm still trying, I'm still reaching, I'm still questioning and getting burned just like I always have been and always will be but I choose to live with hope and courage. I want them to get that. 

This morning (Friday) the boys (Sean and his friend/manager/tour manager Jay) came over to my house in our little short bus affectionately named "Betty White". The Troubadours got old Betty about 2 years ago through a kickstarter campaign for another Troubadour tour that I was on… Just want to take a moment to talk about Sean and Jay. They look like extreme misfits by conservative standards- Sean has black hair down to his waist with a beard almost as long, wears a bandana and dark sunglasses. Jay is probably 6'5, tattoos everywhere, with long dreadlocks- if I didn't know them and ran into them in a dark alley I would certainly fear for my life. But I tell you the more I get to know them the more I am amazed that God has created such thoughtful, intelligent,  sweet, real, God-fearing and people-loving men. It's so fun being around them because they treat Faith and I like real sisters, with all respect and kindness. 

We managed to get all our gear, suitcases and bags and bags of groceries onto the bus (Faith and I brought groceries to try to be healthy) The aisles and most of the seats were covered in all our stuff but it all fit and we were off rolling to Cleveland TN.

We had some good conversations on the way to Cleveland- talked about how if you don't know in your heart who you are and what you have to say and how you're gonna say it, it's easy to compromise, it's easy to be bought. So many artists don't like what labels "make them do" but the reason they could be "made to do" anything is because they don't know deep down who they are and what they have to say musically. We also came up with a nickname for our tour- It's officially The Traveling Troubadours Tour but the tagline for this one is "Servant of all tour". So now when I post stuff about the tour I suppose I will hashtag it with #servantofalltour. That's a good reminder, especially being with 3 other people non-stop for 3 weeks. Listened to some new Lecrea (loved his lyric "I used to want a ten but now I have the one) I dozed off for a while and we arrived at the venue about an hour before we had to play.

Now I'm going to give you the good, the bad, the unglamorous and the redemptive in these journal entries.

I hope the truth sets all of us free (especially artists out there). Being a musician, being a "Troubadour" has always been about being the people's servant, not about making tons of money and doing everything first class. Musicians are here to spread stories, ideas, and to express the feelings that the people have. Who knows exactly when we began believing the lie that you're not a real musician if you're not known by many. So here's the truth: the venue we arrive at is really a whole in the wall called Sacred Heart. It's a small place, but right from the time we walked off the bus and meet the few people there I could tell it was a good place. I love humble little churches- No fancy lights, sound systems or decorations- just a few willing people that decided to give it a go and make a place where people are welcome to get to learn about Jesus and find friendship. A few people came, including two really sweet sisters. Faith and I got to talking to them and learned one is a fire dancer/artist and one sings big band 40's music in a band and also writes her own music. We invited the one who sings to open for us with a few songs. She did and her songs and voice were absolutely amazing (think Adele). We did our thing and had a lot of fun. After the show, we got one of our Compassion kids sponsored. Now that child will have the chance to have meals, medicine, and teaching about Jesus as long as her sponsor continues supporting her. I still can't really understand how glorious that is, but I know that  it is. We went out to eat and Faith and I came to a host home- the boys are staying at Sacred Heart on couches.

When I was younger and more foolish, maybe I would have thought that a handful of people was a disappointment but thankfully God has broken me free of some of that pride. I'm so grateful because I can enjoy the moment, enjoy the fact that because there is only a few people, I can talk to everyone there, enjoy the process of being humbled, define again why I make and share music. As Heidi Baker says "it's all about the one". It's all about the one person in front of you, you give each one everything you would want to give thousands and over time you will have given thousands all that you have. "Performing" and music is not about getting- getting applause, getting money, getting recognition- if it's about getting, the art will suffer the artist will burn out. Performing out of a place of neediness just won't make for greatness, it will make for mediocrity. True art is about giving. Giving the audience a catharsis for all their emotions and feelings, giving them a piece of yourself through vulnerability in lyrics an emotions, giving when they don't know who you are and they really don't care, giving them something beautiful, something that cost you- even if you never know that your song is their favorite song, that your song really helped them understand a certain part of life, that your song told their story. An artist gives and gives and gives because the payment comes from God and the payment is the release. The getting is the giving. 

Anyway, now as I type I'm completely comfortable in the home of someone from the church who I just met- sleeping on their couch- listening to some sort of heavenly music they have playing on a cd. Tomorrow we are heading to Asheville. And now I'm going to get the music from that Cd on to my computer and try to go to sleep. (now looking at the CD I can tell you it's called "The Odes Project Volume 2") listen to it- it's really beautiful.

Take away thoughts for today: "Blessed are the humble- for they can enjoy the moment" and "it's all about the one right in front of you"

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD:

Jesus read this prophecy at the beginning of His 3 year ministry- it's like His mission statement: Luke 4:18

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free...

He doesn't say He wants to have a big influence, or lots of followers, a nice place of worship or even a nice place to rest His own head! 

He declares that God's Spirit will be upon Him

And that He will "proclaim" which means: to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly.

I don't know if Jesus knew exactly what the next 3 years of His life would look like but He prophesied by speaking out the scriptures. We too can speak out the scriptures- in fact the very same scripture Jesus did! We may not know how or what our work will look like in "releasing captives (spiritually and physically), causing the blind to see (spiritually and physically) and setting the oppressed free (spiritually and physically) but we do know we can proclaim it in Jesus name with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and it will be done.

Sing this song and PROCLAIM the truth. YOUR mission statement. LUKE 4:18

Watch this video or get the song for your music library on iTunes: http://bit.ly/LL242