News.

11.14.10 : Firsts

Just a quick late-night post from a guest room in Des Moines, IA: I’m so honored to have been part of so many “firsts” on this tour. People have played their first shows, booked their first local shows, and attended their first house shows with G,NA, and I couldn’t be more inspired by it. Thank you to everyone who has really stepped forward and gone out on a limb to make all these moments happen — not just for me, but for all of us, and for the local music communities in which all these “firsts” have happened. I hope that they are not also the “lasts” — I hope we all go on to experience a million more amazing shows together.

Goodnight!
Sarah

10.30.10 : A Few Open Letters to Columbus, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis

Dear Columbus: You keep telling me I have to play a show there, but then none of your venues want to have an opening on November 8th, when I’m coming through town. So the ball is in your court: find me a living room, VFW hall, community center, or street corner to play and I WILL DO IT! But hurry, because I’m about to give up and just plan to drive straight to Chicago that day instead.

Dear Milwaukee: The same goes for you, for November 10th.

Dear Minneapolis: If you want to swoop in and steal that November 10th show from Milwaukee, I would be happy to make the drive!

Love,
Sarah

10.27.10 : Hello, new fuel pump! Bye bye, money!

Got the call back from the nice people at Swedish Motors in Poughkeepsie, NY, and it turns out a broken fuel pump is what caused the car to die on the bridge last night. I suppose it could be a lot worse, and thankfully I will be back on the road tomorrow in time to make it to Philadelphia for a house show, but unfortunately it also means that all the money I’ve made in the last two weeks of the tour (and all the money I have left to my name) will go into fixing the car. They’re going to throw in some new spark plugs to try to help me out, but apparently there is also a leak in the radiator that will probably be my next issue. By the time all is said and done, I will have a brand new car on the inside! I would just like to take this time to thank the wonderful human being who knowingly sold me this car and said it would definitely get me through a two month tour without even having to get new tires. (Note: Trust no one.)

In other bummer news so far today, there seems to have been a mix-up on the calendar and it turns out my Pittsburgh show on Friday has to be postponed. This does not change anything about tomorrow, Thursday’s show in Philly. But it looks like I have Friday off, which is actually good for me, because I need to get to North Carolina a.s.a.p. for some family stuff that has also come up in the last week.

THERE ARE OTHER UPDATES AND NEW CONFIRMATIONS ON THE SHOWS PAGE! CLICK HERE! SORRY FOR YELLING!

I guess this is a good reminder that you should always be ready for anything, including things you could never imagine might happen, and always save as much money as you can for when those things inevitably DO happen. Also, look for the silver lining. In my case: it’s a miracle the car broke when/where it did, at this point on the tour, and after having played a few shows where I made enough money to pay for the expenses. It’s also a miracle that I had someone here to help, as after tomorrow I will be finishing the tour by myself in the car. Thank you, Someone. Also, as sad as it is that Pittsburgh has to be cancelled, I’m glad I will have an extra day to go be with my family during a very stressful time for us. And I’ll get to see my dog, who is the love of my life.

So, all-in-all, I’m actually doing quite alright, considering. Thank you to everyone for the messages, texts, and offers to help!

Love,
Sarah

10.26.10 : Update from the side of the road in Poughkeepsie, NY…

First leg of the tour ended yesterday, and I’ve got two days off until the second leg begins in Philly. I guess this is the perfect time for the car to suddenly turn off, while crossing a bridge over the Hudson river, with no warning. It isn’t a battery or fuel issue, so hopefully not too expensive to fix, but it will definitely wipe me out financially. Thank goodness I had a few decent shows this past week! And thank goodness there’s a nearby Volvo mechanic. And thank goodness I’m staying at a B&B down the street for the next two days where there’s a friendly owner who has already offered help and a ride. And thank goodness I’m not alone dealing with this. Everything happens for a reason.

This is probably a good time to remind everyone about the TOUR FUNDRAISER!

And it is an EXCELLENT time to thank all my G,NA Sponsors, who are going to help me fix the car and finish this tour!

More soon…

P.S. This is a very typical “Sarah throwing a temper tantrum” face:

10.11.10 : Love Letter From Kansas City

This kind of thing is as valuable to me as any amount of money I could make on the road. Connections, experiences, and moments!

Dear Ms. Saturday,

I must begin by informing you that your show in KC last night was fantastic. Stumbling upon your set on our weird little patio stage at The Riot Room amongst all the metal was one of the best live music surprises in recent memory. Don’t get me wrong… metal has its merit… I just typically prefer other genres. I’m never one to miss a show, though. And as it turns out, it was the show to see. So, on behalf of the live music lovers of our little middle of the map city, thank you for stopping in and opening some of our eyes to your work.

Thank you for being awesome at what you do and pursuing your dream. I’m a fan of musicians. I’m now a fan of yours. You didn’t go unnoticed by a long shot….lots of talk about your music around town today. We would love to have you come back through.

- T

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