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Journal Archives 7.29.05 After three very hot weeks in FL, the summer tour has come to a close. My throat barely survived, but in the end, I was able to not only do what I love--sing and play, but also visit with and see lots family and friends. To complete my last journal, the gig at the St. Simons Monkey Love was incredible. Even though the weather did not cooperate, the response was awesome. The owners, Britt and Ed Figueroa, were and are incredibly kind, generous, and supportive. A huge thanks to them for a great opportunity. My Monkey Love sticker is now proudly displayed on my guitar case. My husband Tim and I sampled the signature dessert, “Monkey Poop,” and it was excellent. The “Baboon Dookie” looked a little too much like its name, so we passed on it. I hope to be back in St. Simons/Savannah soon… As for the Florida shows: even though it rains every day in the summer, I was only rained out of two shows. Driving to the shows, on the other hand, was a little different, as we were regularly pounded by heavy rain. But despite the rain, the heat, the Red Tide (a bacteria in the ocean that kills fish, leaves a nasty odor, and forces you to cough repeatedly), there were so many friends and family who came out to the shows. Thanks to all of you, and especially to Cristy Skolfield, who made almost every single show in the Tampa/St. Pete area, and Josh and Nancy (and Garrett) Cushman, who are some of the best humans I have ever met. I am almost out of the KS T-shirts which of course all my friends and family were willing to sport. Thanks guys; even though they look darn good, it still feels good to see you rocking them! And lastly, a hearty thanks to those who let us stay in your homes: to the Gores: Kim and Rick, you guys are the most generous and amazing people; thank you for everything. And to Cody, Hunter, and Rhett: you guys are so much fun. Tim and I are proud to be your godparents. And to all of Tim’s family: thanks for the hospitality and generousness; I am blessed to be a part of the family! Keep on rocking in the free world, and I’ll see you soon… Kimberly 6.30.05 Being back in North Carolina was a nice break from the road and the flat lands of the Midwest. Even though it was a good time in Indiana, there’s just something cozy and safe about your own bed, you know? I recently played at a new venue in Greenville, SC, called the Acoustic Seen. It is one of the rare, pure listening rooms left. Thanks to Ray Guenthner not only for running a great place, but also for the Greenville history and tour of downtown, which is very cool. If ever in Greenville, you must check out the one of a kind suspension bridge that overlooks a waterfall; it’s in the heart of the city, and it is something to see. Yesterday began our journey south. The first stop was in Pooler (Savannah), GA, at a place called Monkey Love, my new favorite coffee shop/dessert bar. Great name, great people, and great story--all found at: www.monkeylovessi.com. A big thanks to Laurie and Tony Beck and their family Courtney, Anthony, and Kelsey for making me feel so welcome and offering a very cool and comfortable venue to play. Today was exciting with my very first radio interview and performance at Magic 105.9 in Brunswick. Wayne Degan, the DJ who interviewed me, was very cool; he made me feel at ease since I was pretty nervous. I snuck in a few ums at first but then I loosened up. Tonight I play at the original and founding Monkey Love in St. Simon’s Island. I can’t wait. Check back to see how it went… 6.13.05 The last few days have been awesome! Due to some incredible press from my hometown paper, the Journal and Courier, the response to my two “homecoming” shows was overwhelming. Friday night was Borders, and it was very cool. The employees were as friendly and accommodating as ever, and a solid audience stuck around all night. On top of that, I got to see a lot of old family and friends. In the end, it didn’t matter that I broke my first ever string 5 minutes before the show and had to use my new but very untested guitar for the first set. Because we didn’t bring any extra strings, Tim rushed back to the house, changed the string, and brought my familiar, red Alvarez back in time for my second set. But last night, Sunday, was probably the best show I’ve ever played. The church I grew up in, Covenant Presbyterian, set up a concert in the sanctuary. An awesome but unnamed as of yet high school band opened for me, and then my incredibly nervous husband and I took the stage at around 7:45. Around 200 people were there, and they were all so supportive and friendly. The sound, the quality, the audience: all of it came together perfectly. It was awesome! The next day, the church, courtesy of Scott Freeman, provided me with a DVD of the show, and the quality is unbelievable; I hope to get it on the website soon. A huge thanks to David Henderson, Tim Dommer, Doug Browning, “the band”—Sam, Isaac, Caleb, and Brandon, my awesome parents who ran the merch table all night, and all the members of Covenant. Thanks so much for a great week! It was such a blessing to be there, and I hope to be back soon. And one last thing, to the members of the band: considering the Old Testament influence of your names (Samuel, Caleb, and Isaac are some prime time O.T. players), I propose your new band name: The Old Testament Posse, or OTP for short. Hope you like it. 6.10.05 I got a new guitar yesterday! I have been looking to add another guitar for a long time, and I finally found the perfect one. It is a black Washburn, and it is handsome. I will be trying it out for the first time at my show at Covenant Presbyterian this coming Sunday night. I can’t wait; I’ll let you know how it goes… 6.8.05 And the drama continues… So it was Vic’s Acoustic Café in downtown Indy last night. Aside from the broken air conditioning and the not-so-packed house (about 4 people), it was a great night! I had no idea it could get so hot at 6 PM in Indianapolis :-( On the bright side, I got to spend time with my good friends Steve and Megan Coyner, who live in Indy and are two of the nicest people I know. After the show, we went back to their house and got to play with their 1 year old black lab, Cooper. He’s 80 pounds of muscle and hyperactive playfulness, and he didn’t stop moving until we left. Today Tim and I got to spend time at the dentist’s office. As always, it was lots of fun. Tim was super excited that he had no cavities at all, and I once again was free of any gingivitic activity. I’m not so sure gingivitic is a word, but that’s okay. 6.6.05 So I played at Uncommon Ground, in Chicago, last night. I highly recommend this place, if you are ever in Chi-town. The food is tasty, the environment is awesome, and they book all types of musicians almost every single night. While it was a small crowd, my show went well, and after I played, the night ended with a very cool performance by J. Scott Franklin, who essentially creates an entire band sound all by himself. It was very cool; if you are curious, check out his site at www.chainofwords.com. We had the predictable traffic on the way to the city, but our drive home proved to be the most entertaining part of the night. While I have hired my husband as the bus driver, it is more out of necessity than skill. To make a long story short, we ended up getting off at a foreign exit only to find ourselves deep in a Chicago hood. After a series of wrong turns, we somehow ended up on I-90 and were headed safely home. We should have thought to take some pictures of the neighborhood, but we were too busy freaking out. By next week, I hope to have at least one photo for every journal entry, so stay tuned! Peace for now…KSummer 6.2.05 First off, big ups to Panera Bread and Starbucks for the Wi- Fi connections, by the way, who are making this entry possible. After a rain-filled, traffic-crazy, behind-student-driver, 8.5 hour instead of 6.5 hour drive, we arrived in Bloomington, but unfortunately, gig number one of the tour (Jitter’s Café) was cancelled! So instead of performing, we had quality time with my big sis and checked out Indiana University’s campus, which is very cool. My bus driver and husband Tim has pointed out that Interstate gas mileage for our new Honda Element is far superior to our previous cars, Ford Explorer and Jeep Cherokee, and this makes him happy. That’s all for now; more in a couple days. I told you I would be better about making my entries! 5.31.05 With the summer tour just beginning, I am very excited for what is in store over the next few months. Not only do I get to shamelessly plug my CD for the next several weeks, I also get to spend quality time with family and friends. First stop will be in Bloomington to see my sister, then it's on to West Lafayette to visit with the parents. From there, our friend Bill and his hospitality await us in Chicago. Even though Bill hasn't answered his phone in a week, I am sure he will be ready to host us. My husband will serve as bus driver, equipment manager, director of merchandise sales, PR director, and part time bass player. For all that, I have allowed him to grow his beard, even though facial hair fully grosses me out. I'm not sure what the fascination with facial hair is all about for these men out there. My husband's "beard" is terrible, but he insists he must press on with it. As long as we get there on time, his beard can do whatever it wants... Anyway, I just wanted to make a quick journal for my first entry since I have been so bad about getting this part of my website going. I promise to do a better job in the future. Until then, keep on rockin in the free world... |