skies are blue

... and the dreams that you dare to dream,
really do come true.
















photo by Iris Robert  


I'm home.

I learned a lot on this little tour.
I learned that I am right to live by my own rules,
no matter what.
I learned that it is important to play,
no matter how imperfect the setting,
as someone is always listening.
I learned that Florida still feels like where I come from.

Most importantly, I learned to always,
no matter how scary,
follow the yellow brick road.

Love and Lightning to you all,
xoxo, bu

ruby

WKIX Seafood Festival, October 18th, 2009
Punta Gorda, FL
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour

photo by Iris Robert

 

You had to know that I would end with ruby... Didn't you?

Well, I shouldn't have complained about the wind on Day One of the Seafood Festival, because Day Two had even more in store: the temperature dropped about twenty degrees overnight.  Lord, it was cold.  Being the slave to my concepts that I am, I was a human popsicle in that last dress.   I just couldn't not wear the fish dress!  The day was ok, overall.   I didn't feel very confident in my performances, but, I'll live.  The turnout was not quite what they anticipated, due to the weather, but, I think we can all consider ourselves troopers for sticking it out.  I'm glad to have done it.  I dragged Dave Stillson of Kurveball up on stage to play with me for a few songs in my second set, just for fun.  I think was getting tired of hearing myself, so I changed it up at the last minute.  He did a great job playing along, considering that he had never played my music in his life.  Ah, sponteneity.  It was good to hear Kurveball and Mike Younger's band play again on Sunday.

I went doen to the WKIX studio that night, to co-host Down Home Cookin' with Larry T.   What fun!   I made sure to plug some of my friends and people I admire in the Americana world.  We played Cadillac Sky, Mary Gauthier, Amanda Shires, W.P.A., The Avett Brothers and Suzi Ragsdale, to name a few.  Great music.  I then played three songs live in the studio, all from my next release, Family Album.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to talk about that project, since it is something I am so proud to have worked on.  I'm dying to put it out, so you can all hear it.  My family and friends are incredible people.  So, the radio show was a nice way to wrap up the tour.  Thanks to Matt for coming to keep me company.

Larry T, I so appreciate your support, help and friendship.  Thanks to Kurveball and The Marksmen for being so loving and fun all weekend.   Thanks to Marcus for the coffee and kind words.   Thanks to Chris for the late night peanut butter.  Thanks to everyone at Clear Channel, the Ice House, and Portofino.  It was a good time, friends.

I'm wearing all kinds of extra gear over the dress in these pictures, as it was a cold day in Florida, but you'll get the general idea.  And, as alway, here are the songs!

xoxo, bu

would
true story
brand new lie
coffee with a stranger
brilliant mistakes
sunny day rain
not sorry
brother blue
between ocean and sea
******
the streets of my town
brand new lie
brilliant mistakes
five
sunny day rain
not sorry
between ocean and sea
******
true story
brand new lie
strong as you think

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622503249767/

citrine

WKIX Seafood Festival, October 17th, 2009
Punta Gorda, FL
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour
















 

photo by Iris Robert
  

I played the first day of the festival, and survived.
There was a threat of being whisked away by the gale force winds, and taken as far as Oz... My dress acting as a parachute of sorts.  Alas, I remained on the stage.  But, we had a windy ol' time for sure.  Still, it was a lovely day, and I met a whole bunch of new friends, which is always the Good News.

There were three sets of musicians playing the festival.  The first band were local to the area, Kurveball, a three-piece from Cape Coral, FL.  They had a great vibe, and are definitely on my list of folks to have with me, if ever stranded on a desert island.  The third band was Mike Younger and The Marksmen, from Nashville TN.  Now, Mike and I had met once before, about a year ago, through our mutual friend, Larry Timko, who made this festival possible.  I had heard only good things about Mike and his music, so I was excited to see those guys play.  His band were all super nice, as well, and we had a good time.  I played between those two acts, which may not have been the best slot for me, as I was doing the usual solo thing.  I felt like it may have made the energy lapse a bit, but, we did ok, I suppose.  We each played twice through, in that order, so it turned out to be a pretty full day.

Later on in the evening, Mike's band headed over to the Ice House and played an impromptu show there.  They sounded great in that room, which was a huge difference from the washy sound of the open outdoors.  I jumped up and did three songs of my own, in between their sets.  It is one of the only times anyone will ever see me play in plainclothes...

Thanks to Larry for working hard for us, to Clear Channel for having us, and to the other musicians for the good hang.  Special thanks to Matt for coming to see us play, both places.  I got a sunburn, but, it was a pretty good day.

Here are the songs I played in all three sets, and lots of photos!

xoxo, bu

true story
brand new lie
coffee with a stranger
brilliant mistakes
sunny day rain
not sorry
the streets of my town
between ocean and sea
******
a girl named Buick
true story
sunny day rain
not sorry
brilliant mistakes
the pizza dream
strong as you think
******
true story
sunny day rain
between ocean and sea

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622501549481/

emerald

Portofino, October 16th, 2009
Charlotte Harbor, FL
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour
















photo by Iris Robert

 
I had one more show at Portofino tonight.
Man, that group of people are so nice, and great to work with, as were the house band that played after me...
But, here's what I have to say:
I can't play at any type of restaurant any more.
It's just not right for what I do.
I play fairly intimate songs, all of which I write, and they just don't come with fries and a coke. It makes me feel dramatically out of place to play in front of diners, and is kind of a waste of time. You can't hear me well enough, and to be perfectly honest, my music probably isn't the best to eat by. Done deal.
It's a goal of mine to get an actual booking agent so that I can play strictly venues, no matter how small.
Tonight was pivotal for me.

That being said, big love as always to Doug, Abe and the rest of the Portofino family. Doug made me another feast, which I'll be gratefully eating for days...
And, sent me off with gifts of all kinds. So lovely.
Thanks to the other musicians for letting me share their system and time tonight. Thanks to Ceree for coming to watch, keep me company and take photos.

Here are the songs I played, and a link to lots of images!

xoxo, bu

true story
the streets of my town
coffee with a stranger
brilliant mistakes
sunny day rain
not sorry
between ocean and sea
five
brand new lie
god bless the truthsayer

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622601504786/

sapphire

Ice House, October 15th, 2009
Port Charlotte, FL
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour











photo by Iris Robert

 
I played my second show in the Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte area last night.
The venue was called the Ice House, and it really was a hundred and ten year old ice house, that was functional until the seventies. The current owner, John Berry gave me the full history of it. So cool. The ceiling must have been eighty feet high. For an acoustic solo show, it was perfect.

It was a good time. I was supported by the presence of Larry and my new friend Ceree, as well as some old family friends, Phil and Judy Griffith, who traveled from Fort Meyers to surprise me. I hung out after my set, and got to know the people who own and work at the Ice House. John and his wife Pauline are such kind people, and run a really nice business. John and one of his employees, Matt Schaefer actually asked me about one of my promotional images... In my poster for Reclamation Tour, I am wearing a t-shirt of the band, 7 Seconds. They were wondering if I was an actual fan of their music, which is 80's/90's straightedge punk, or if I just randomly had the shirt... !!
I explained that I am very much from that scene, a big fan of 7 Seconds and Minor Threat, and am also substance free to this day. It was funny, and I was so glad to be talking to people who had a history with that music as well. I happened to be wearing a Bad Brains pin last night, who, we all agreed, are one of the best bands of all time.

So, the night went smoothly. There was another technical difficulty, but this time, it happened behind the scenes. When I was getting ready to go out last night, I had a bit of trouble with the zipper on the dress. I couldn't get it up while I was in the dress. Now, I have dealt with many a bad zipper, with other people being in dresses... I would just stitch the woman in, no problem. Let me tell you, it's not that easy to do on yourself, nor did I have the time to get into all of that. I had to resort to turning the dress around, so the zipper was in front, and laying on the ground to try to get it up. It worked, thank Freddie Mercury above, but, it was a close call. The fun part of the story, is that, when I got home after the show, it broke altogether. I was stuck in that dress for hours, until I finally shimmied it over my head, almost dislocating a shoulder. Yikes. As a clothing person, I have had this gripe for YEARS: Why are there not better quality zippers out there? How come, in even the most incredible of garments, which cost thousands of dollars, are there always the same old crap zippers, that cost two bucks? I could rant about this all day. I'll spare you.
Anyway, suffice it to say that these are the things that make solo touring a tiny bit of a challenge. Sigh.

I would like to thank John and Pauline for having me, Matt for lending me his sound board and setting me up, Rob for the Sprite and good hang, and everyone who came to listen. I'm having the best time singing every night.
In review: Zipper Revolution on the rise, 7 Seconds and Minor Threat were great bands, and BAD BRAINS RULES.

Love you all, here are the songs and photos!

xoxo, bu

true story
brand new lie
the streets of my town
brilliant mistakes
coffee with a stranger
sunny day rain
god bless the truthsayer
five
not sorry
a girl named Buick
between ocean and sea

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622474666245/

garnet

Portofino, October 14th, 2009
Charlotte Harbor, FL
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour

photo by Iris Robert

 
  





Ah, Florida.
It's so strange how you can tell that you're from somewhere,
just by the way the air feels on your skin there.  I forget, you know.  I go all over the place, and don't come home very often.  In my mind, Florida involves my family, coming of age, and a whole lot of driving.  It always takes me by surprise that my body has a memory of this place, which is far less complicated.  It's just where I'm from.

So, here I am, staying in a super fancy, three bedroom, luxury condo, in Port Charlotte. What?  I know, it's funny to me too.  Larry has really come through for me, and taken care of all of my needs for this trip.  I am so grateful. I don't get to sit back and relax that often, and I'll admit I'm not very good at it.  I like to move, make and do...  But, I am HAPPY to hang here, sing my songs every night, and maybe write some new ones on this balcony they gave me.  I just found where the local coffee is, so I'm all set.

I played at a gigantic, welcoming restaurant/venue last night, called Portofino.  I had a good feeling about it ahead of time, as I had spoken to them on the phone, and they sounded very sweet and excited to have me come.  The evening started with a technical issue.  It turned out that they didn't have a proper P.A. system for me to plug into.  I guess bands usually bring their own...  Not this dog and pony show!  I come with one guitar, one small tiger, and the dress I'm in.  That's it.  So, they had my sound running through some kind of machine that I fear may have been intended for karaoke use only.  Oh dear.  I played two songs, which, through that rig, sounded like Black Sabbath.  It wouldn't do.   Larry and I made a snap decision on the spot to just unplug me altogether.   I went out into the audience, sat among the listeners, and just played into the open air.  It is absolutely my favorite way to sing.  I am not a performer, and I know it.  I don't have moves, or an act, or anything cool happening with my shows.  I am a songwriter, telling you the truth as I know it. For me to sit with anyone who will listen, and play the way I do at home, is very natural for me.  We had a great time.   I felt connected to everyone around me, and I'm so glad for the "problem" that made it so.

Everyone who works at Portofino is Amazing.  I met the owner, Abe, and a manager, Brian, and about ten of the other staff members.  They were as sweet, and loving as people who have known you forever would be.  It gets better. Their manager/chef, a man by name of Doug Eichelberger, went WAY above the call of duty for me.   He got word that I was vegan, and prepared an actual feast for me, after my set.   I mean, several courses of incredible, all vegan fare.   I don't think I have ever been catered to in quite that way, in my life.   I had to take pictures of the food, it was so outrageous.  I had chilled corn chowder with sweet potato chips, deconstructed gumbo with fried tofu, polenta cakes with fresh tomatoes, shitake spring rolls, grilled brussel sprouts and roasted figs with fresh raspberries.   For dinner.   I have four containers of leftovers in my fancy fridge.

I play other local shows this week, and possibly live on the radio as well.
I'll keep you posted.  For now, thank you to Larry, the family at Portofino, and the Sunshine State.  It's good to be home.

Here are the songs and photos.

xoxo, bu

the streets of my town
true story
coffee with a stranger
brilliant mistakes
god bless the truthsayer
sunny day rain
five
not sorry
between ocean and sea
the pizza dream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622470420903/

amethyst

Javamonkey, October 13th, 2009

Decatur, GA
Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour

   
photo by Iris Robert

Welcome to Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour!
I am writing this from Florida, a day late on this first post.
Please forgive me, yesterday had two days worth of life crammed into it's hours.

This short, little tour came about after my good friend Larry "T" Timko asked me to come South and play in his town.  Larry is a radio personality for WKIX 92.9 in Port Charlotte, Florida.  We got to know each other last year, right before Singer came out.  He was sent an advance copy by my Americana radio promoter, Pete Knapp at Shut Eye.  Larry took to the music, and he and and I stayed in touch until we were finally able to hang in Nashville last Autumn.  He has been a huge supporter of my music, and a great friend to me, as well. His station hosts an annual seafood festival, and he asked me to come here and play it... I chose to turn the trip into a tour.  I'll be playing six shows total.  I am a Florida girl, but this is my first time to this area.  I am over on the West coast, not too far from Fort Meyers.  Lovely.  We'll talk more about Florida later.

Since I was making my first trip to my home state to play live, I thought I would work with the concept of "home" for this batch of shows.  I happen to love the Wizard of Oz, and all that it talks about.  You can take it any way you want: a story about family and home, a story about friendship and trust, a story about high heel envy... It all works.  The themes that I am focusing on, are: home, wearing your own spots, a yellow brick road, and a rainbow.  I knew that my dresses would have to encompass at least two of my concepts, so they are six dresses that represent the rainbow... In animal prints.  Since no one else needs chromatically specific animal prints, apparently, I dyed half of the fabrics for the collection.  The waist sashes are the pure jewel tone of each look.  I started at amethyst (my birthstone), and will work my way through the rest of the colors with each show I play.

The first show was at a small, deliciously quaint cafe in Decatur.  I will admit, when I first walked in, in my purple leopard print dress, I was a little bit afraid of what the evening would hold.  The interior of the cafe is quite small, and would have required me to sit in someone's lap and sing my songs of love and loss, while they tried to enjoy their coffee.  I've done worse, but, not in a petticoat.  I was delighted to find that they have a dreamy little courtyard, complete with a small stage, just adjacent to the cafe itself.  It was a perfect place for me to play, and exactly the kind of joint I would hang out at, if I lived in that town.  The people that were there watching me were so respectful and attentive, as were the staff.  Also, for some fantastical reason, I was performing at a place that carried perhaps the best vegan desserts I have ever had.  Seriously.  After I sang, I shamelssly ate an entire piece of chocolate raspberry mousse.  AND, I took a piece of apple pie for the road.  Perfection.

I was lucky to have my aunt Alice and Uncle Michael in attendance, and would like to thank them for listening, driving to and from the show, and letting me stay for the night!  What a great time.  Thanks to Garrett for booking me, Vicki for the amazing treats and generosity, and Toma for setting the sound up.

I would like to say that I have incredible friends and family, who are all so talented that it blows my mind.  Iris Robert took a series of photos of me in New York City, in preparation for this tour, and I will post one of them with each blog for this run.  There is also a poster of one of the photos she took, which Dagan Barrett designed the layout of.  Thank you, friends.  My art is made possible by the people who love me.

Here are the songs that I played, and the photo link!

xoxo, bu

brand new lie
true story
coffee with a stranger
the streets of my town
god bless the truthsayer
five
sunny day rain
brilliant mistakes
a girl named Buick
not sorry
between ocean and sea
the pizza dream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622591518148/

what makes the world go round, I guess

Douglas Corner Cafe, October 8th, 2009
Nashville, TN

Well, as much as I'd love to only write about positive things, and eat lollipops all day, it just isn't possible all of the time.
I am not known for my rosy spin on bad situations, and I will stay true to myself here.

I played a writers round last night. I've lived in Nashville for a year and half now, have been coming here for longer than that, and had never played one of those before. I enjoy the format, both as an audience member and as a participant. I think it can be a really intimate way to hear songs in their original form, as well as see the writers in an informal setting. I have attended many Nashville rounds, and was excited to finally be a member of one. Suzi Ragsdale is a talented songwriter that I have come to know through a mutual friend. A couple of weeks ago, she was putting last night's round together, and kindly asked me to play. Mine was the last slot to get filled, in an existing line-up that consisted of Ross Copperman, Jon Nite and Suzi. Great, I thought, I need to be doing things like this... With other writers.
Not great.

I will say this: All three of the other writers are wonderful musicians. I loved hearing Suzi's songs in the raw, as I had only heard them recorded prior to the show. Jon has a beautiful voice, that I could listen to all day.
Not a bad song was played.
I was, however, shocked and dismayed by the personal conduct of one (maybe two) of the members of the round. Professionalism, respect and courtesy were foreign words, apparently, and we were all in a sinking ship together because of it.  I have my issues with all sorts of things, I'll be the first to tell you that, but it would never cross my mind to laugh during one of my own songs, nor someone else's.  I would not make inappropriate jokes between songs, pertaining to an obvious issue with homophobia. I would not interrupt any fellow musician's introduction of a song with distracting comments or tangents.  And, I will not share a stage with the people in question again.

I, Buick Audra, am for all of you, every one.  But, cross with me with some prejudice of any kind, and we're through.  This world is too small for judgment, and I will not be party to it.  I love John Waters. I loved Divine. I loved Freddie Mercury, Keith Haring, Robert Mapplethorpe, Gianni Versace, and Andy Warhol.  We should all be so lucky, to be in the company of brilliance like theirs.  I know I live in the South, and we're not all the same...   But, come on.  I'm all set with the general lack of open mindedness that I have found down here.  This town is filled with people that have so much skill and talent.  I LOVE some of the music that comes out of Nashville, which is what brought me here...  But, I can not believe the heavy handed religious/intolerant overtones that are seemingly so normal and accepted here.  Once again, Amen to being from Weirdo Town, Miami.

I'll figure it out. I'll find the right people to play with, or near, or for.  I just haven't yet. It's frustrating, but, I am always moved to action, when I am pissed off. and, I'm pissed off. Stay tuned.

Here's the good news (there is always good news):
Douglas Corner was a lovely place to play. Thank you to Mervin, Steve and the rest of the folks for being so welcoming to us. Huge love and thanks to Suzi for having me. I hope that we get to try again, under better circumstances. Thank you to my dear friends, Jerry, Josh, Travis and Sabrina, for coming and supporting my music. And most importantly, thank you to the people who give me reason to stand tall in my beliefs. Without these challenges, I might not have as clear a vision about who I am, and what I want to put forth in this life.
It is a constant learning process.

Here are the songs I played, and some photos of the night.
The dress is a sneak preview of the Lyons, Tigers and Dares Tour collection.

xoxo, bu

the streets of my town
true story
five
brilliant mistakes
coffee with a stranger
brother blue

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14860796@N03/sets/72157622551055508/