This is devotion. I think I've signed this same shirt, oh, 5 or six times. Thank you Newport, Kentucky. I loved the hecklers and jecklers. So much fun sparring with a feisty crowd!!

And I got to see my pals John, Melissa, Bob And Courtney

Takes a minute to adjust to the portions of the sandwiches in the south.

But I was happy to persevere!

And Nashville, come on now. I felt like a princess. Thank you all!  I loved the wall art at 3rd and Lindsley!!

fraternal twins??

not the girl next door...

It's really sweet when such an industry town comes out in force and whoops it up. We really did feel the love Nashville!

Had a visit with WUKY and caught up with Joe Conkwright in the studio there.

Last night was super sweet. Great food, great company, Natasha's is a little idyll in the middle of Lexington! Thank you all.

So I'm finally home, a week to ponder, wander, regroup, launder. Slowly forming a plan, a concept, an inkling of what, how and when to record next......can't stand repeating myself! So we shall see what comes of it all.

cheers and see you next week in the southwest!!

Well, it has been a bit of a whirlwind. Paris

Nolwenn and JB, soundcheck, La Cigale!

to Noho, Natick to New York, Philly to Alexandria, VA. Back in the East Coast saddle!

 I

Iron Horse shot from our pal Pierre Baudet

the "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" look!  Andrea and JB  (photo: Pierre)

And the politics in this country are sadly getting dirtier and more childish. Vitriol, fear mongering, epithet hurling ignorance seem to be the timbre of the moment. I don't care what side of the debate you're on. If there can't be civility and some sense of respect for differences, we are done for.

If sick people can finally get some help, if kids who have been turned down time and again can finally get some help. If we're finally looking out for EVERYBODY!! Then let's just give this thing a chance.

Va skeeten!!

Serious game. After the Birchmere show last night. And How 'bout that Lori McKenna. TOO MUCH FUN!!!

come on Kentucky!! Newport tonight. Oh yeah.

Jessica, Helene, Nol, JB

Oh Paris, tu me manque. Le dernier soir a La Cigale m'a beaucoup touchee. Quel Chalheur. Merci tout le monde! Vraiment il me tarde de vous revoir!

Laurent a la basse!

 I was staying right in Pigalle, and so, before my flight i took a last stroll around my neighborhood. They had "hello kitty" in one sex shop.

Grand Choix, EVERYWHERE!

25 modeles of Poupees Gonflables!!! ooh la la!

Wasn't there a guy on the "Sopranos" named Pussy? I think he opened up a little club here.

There was a really sweet prostitute right at the corner of my the street of my hotel. She always seemed to be there. I hope business picks up for her.

Well i got home and went straight to my next show in Northampton. Luckily my best pals showed up to represent! This is Ronnie (she made the crow piece that's on the back of "The Works") and you rule, Pierre, Andrea and Allison.

Funny enough, right next to the Iron Horse??? A Lingerie store. could we say Northampton could be Pigalle's sister quartier??

pourquoi pas??

Natick tonight!! New York City Tuesday with the sexy BAND!!

Here we go!!!!

Les nouvelles d'hier - Mais, la chose la plus importante?..... mille mercis, mille bises, pour tout l'equipe de Nolwenn, le Publique a Lille, les fans qui m'ont deja connue. J'etais ravie d'etre partie de cette nuit sublime!!

the beautiful sights of Lille!! avec notre amie Marise!!

this is the courtyard where I found....

mon christophe, mon ange. ne raccroche pas!!

There are so many incredible sweets shops in Lille...

so many little tartelettes!!

Lille even has its own PSYCHIC!

a beautiful Musee...

A cathedral, completed over many different epoques with a marble facade that filters the light...

The theatre was BEAUTIFUL...

Even soundcheck looked gorgeous.

I am trying to decide now what to knit with this beautiful wool that a beautiful fan brought me last night... it goes perfectly with my favorite notebooks - clairefontaine.... ce sont les seuls cahiers dont je peux composer mes morceaux.

(mes choses preferes....cahiers clairefontaine, un grand vin pomerol, un croissant beurre chaud le matin,  la bouffe ici,  meme dans les petits endroits inconnus,... la france, la france, et la france!!

After being blown back home on Saturday night, two different flights to Paris cancelled... I trekked back Sunday to try again. This time we sat at the gate for an hour and a half because one woman on the plane was having an anxiety attack, another couldn't stop vomiting, and no one seemed to be able to make the decision to get them the hell out of there so the other 300 of us could finally get to PARIS. These are situations where you are powerless but so wish you could just march up front and tell the damn gate agents what to do. My new BFF Bill,

(who works for Louis Vuitton, double ooh la la!) and I would have tried, but then, the irony would be that WE would have been gently taken off the plane and left stateside. In his defense, the pilot, (whose decision should have ruled) wanted the the sickos OFF.

Anyway, we made it. Paris. Gorgeous crisp Monday, the beauty and the squalor, much like coming into NYC from JFK.

Sometimes I can't believe New York is the "great city of the world" when I'm en route home from the airport. What a dump it is on first look. Paris too. garbage everywhere along the autoroute, people living in trash camps right along the breakdown lane.

My taxi driver was two months from his "retraite" and looking forward to getting OUT and moving to the very south of Spain. He blamed everything, I mean EVERYTHING on China.

And then, there we were, in full sunlit splendor. How does she do it?

coeur apres-midi

Turns out Gail is here playing with Christophe for two nights at "Cite de la Musique." So I got to go and hear an exquisite evening of one of France's most treasured gems.

I have to say, Gail was incredible too. She flew in Sunday, luckily her plane happened to be blessed, rehearsed for two days straight, right into the gig... it was deep. And she and Christophe were BOTH just riveting!

"tonight, tonight, tonight...."

even the entreacte was super

Gail and Zerkalo!

This morning, oh such luck, sun again.

coeur matin

On to rehearse with Ms. Nolwenn. Ca va etre super!!

Lille, et Paris, allons y!

("la cigale, ayant chante tout l'ete"......)

It's blowing like a hurricane here in New York City. I've spent the week rushing around taking my guitars to the appropriate guitar hospitals. My Guild Valencia cracked wide open somewhere between London and Manchester. My poor lovely Olson was tired and cranky,

so I had to take it to my beloved guitar whisperer Flip Scipio,

He's even worked on the famous Wes Montgomery all time most worshipped guitar....

He has a great workshop that he shares with his wife Mitzi, the gorgeous handmade bookbinder. This is her book guillotine

Comes in handy if anyone is misbehaving!

Then I went to storage to start the resurrection of my older beauties.

What a mess!!

Not enough hours in the day I swear. 

I leave for Paris tonight (I know, poor me!) I'm going to rehearse and then play with Nolwenn Leroy for two concerts. A little short opening set, and then we will get to sing our little duets "Aucune Idee" and "Safe and Sound" LIVE. So thrilled to be playing in France again, and as part of Nolwenn's beautiful showcasing of her new record "Le Cheshire Cat et Moi."

Lille is the 17th, and Paris, at "Le Cigale" the 18th. Ooh la la.

SUPER!!

No mishaps, no nasty connections, no missing guitars. It's a miracle. Hopefully that last blast of snow in Hamburg was winter's limp into the home stretch.

It is so nice to be home. The Prinzenbar was a really sweet way to sing out the tour. There were angels at large,

angels in the audience, and a great hang at our favorite place "Bullerei" after the show.

Even got to say hello to the chef!! (Johannes Strate, Tim Malzer, JB)

Johannes and his posse represented! Thank you thank you thank you Johannes and Patrick. J's new record is being released imminently. And it's burning up the charts. If you haven't already, check out "Revolverheld."

I had another super, albeit it COLD, visit with Balcony TV. We'll let you know when that airs. (meanwhile, the warm august appearance!)

And there's another "feels like home" concert coming on May 27. Philipp Poissel will be playing...

We toasted friendship, good wine, and music.

Patrick, Johannes' roommate and videographer

Tine from "Elbe Jazz" and the other Patrick.

JB and the lovely master of merch.

Ben, JB Luzie

Hamburg does feel like home. Happy spring.

My husband took the overnight flight last night, to be in Hamburg for this last gig, and fly home with me tomorrow. Love of my life.

But of course the Heathrow connection demons had to screw that up. He had supposedly ample time to make it to his flight from London to Hamburg. An hour and a half... 6:25 until 7:55 really ought to do it. But, of course NO. It's Heathrow. They cancelled him even though he had time, and now he's sitting there for three more hours. Who knows now if he will actually make it here in time for "Balcony TV" and the Prinzenbar load in/sound check. He may make it by the gig.

Oh, and true to the weather whimsy of this whole trip, it snowed about 6 inches in Hamburg last night. Come on, now, it's March 6!!

I walked around this morning. it's FREEZING. (god bless my new hat, AGAIN)

 poor birdie.

My band finally did get their suitcases and gear back a full 2 DAYS after Heathrow lost it. Rich said there was a tag on his that said "perfect delivery" WHAT??

In other news, I had a little visit and interview with my friend Angela Gobelin at NDR 1.

Her associate, Anton seems to be a big fan too

There's a big organ right in the lobby of their spanky new buildings

And you can listen to any show while you're waiting.

Yesterday I did a Skype blast with my brother Todd and his tiny school in Maine. They put me up on their "jumbotron" and all the kids crowded in...

They've been doing around the world whirlwind sessions to give the kids an idea what other people are doing in other places. So they wanted to know what I had for Breakfast, and what I was doing in Hamburg, and do you call people that live in Hamburg Hamburgers? And would I sing them a song? So I sang them "Taste of Danger" into my computer. We might do another Skype session next week from PARIS!  Ooh la la.

Hamburg has been treating me very kindly. I am not making much headway with my German, but there is a Berlitz right across the street from the hotel. It may just be time to at least learn some basics. The guy at the antique store just didn't like my sign language.

See you at the Prinzenbar.

How do you spell Chuss? tchiusse? tschooos?  ;) 

So.... the "journey started out with good intentions," but Oh, My, did it go terribly wrong. 

I took a trip, on a train. (in my mind I'm hearing Shirley Horn Live at Vine Street, singing "I thought about you." but oh, no.)

What was supposed to be a direct fancy pants train from Copenhagen to Hamburg deteriorated quickly into what today is a little comical, but yesterday had me practically in tears. Ok, by the end, I WAS in tears.

Trains are usually punctual, clean, perfect over here. Yesterday, there I was on platform 6 at the Copenhagen central station. 11:45. Now, I am just not able to travel light... I've been on the road for more than a month now. So I have a big suitcase, a computer bag, a gear bag and a guitar. (who would have thought I'd be grateful now that my other guitar completely cracked open in Manchester UK and had to be sent home.) It is only by extreme will and adrenaline that I am able to carry all this at once, by myself. But I can do it.

There are no porters here. There are no baggage carts, and I have this feeling that people are looking at me thinking, what an idiot to bring so much stuff. Well, I have microphones, a pre-amp, a power transformer, a computer, two cameras, three cell phones and all their various chargers.... and that's just my carry-on bags.

So far so good? First glitch. Five minutes before the train is due to leave, they switch platforms. Great if you have a knapsack and a little bag lunch. For me? A backbreaking charge down the platform, up the escalator, over four entries, down another escalator,  (remember my stuff all together weighs more than I do, so one false step and I am flying down a metal death trap.)

I make it to my appointed spot. I am relieved, now I will have four hours to recover. But, what's this? The train isn't moving. 20 minutes, 25 minutes. This train is not bound for glory. We are told to get off, it's broken and a new one will be delivered in half an hour. We are to wait on the cold platform.

An hour and a half later, we are all disheartened and chilled to the bone. Thank goodness I have Torben's hat. (god forbid your throat is already sore) We board our new train. We make it the first half of the journey. We make it on to the ferry. the lovely conductor regularly tallies how late we will be, it's now 2 and one half hours late....no apologies.

Suddenly at the stop after the ferry, (we are at the northern tip of Germany now) we sit for 15 minutes. An announcement in German only. Everyone is quickly gathering their things. What's this? We are to get off immediately. There will be another train to take us to Lubbeck. Where the hell is Lubbeck? Is it near Hamburg? Is there a hotel, just in case? It's getting dark.

Across the platform is a tiny one car local train. We are to get on this one. The conductor speaks no English. I somehow get all my stuff together, and off the old train, and follow some spanish trekkers who are as confused and frustrated as I. They are trying to get to Berlin. We get on the putt putt train.

guitar, hat, computer bag, gear bag, knitting....

At this point (thank god I have so much chocolate that people have given me at gigs) we are in survival mode. The spanish trekkers have apple juice.

spanish girl.

I share my "green & blacks" two danish guys are playing chess. We stop at EVERY SINGLE STOP ALONG THE WAY FROM THE FERRY TO LUBBECK!!!

haff WHAT???

I'll Sierksdorf YOU!!!

At one point the train grinds to a halt in the middle of NOWHERE. there's a funny smell. smoke is rising from the middle of our cars undercarriage. No announcement. I am taking pictures, thinking, ok, at least there will be a trail.....

After half an hour, a train whizzes by in the other direction. We are starting to think we'll have to walk along the tracks from here.....but no. It seems we have simply been waiting for this train, and now we can continue. It's now past 7pm. Still no announcements, no explanations.

that light? a friggin' McDonalds!!

There are two German guys in our car. They have already drunk a case of beer that they bought on the ferry. They are our only translators. There's a Canadian guy from Calgary on his way to see a Scottish band in Lubbeck! The drunk German guys think that from Lubbeck there will be another train to Hamburg.

We finally pull into Lubbeck. No announcements. I hear through our bedraggled grape vine (god bless my spanish trekkers) that we must find track 7. How did you know? It's the absolute farthest track, and the train leaves in 5. More adrenaline, extra will, more chocolate. I make it to the train. By now, I'm just pissed. I somehow get my stuff on the train. it's almost empty but of course a couple and their really obnoxious little girl sit right across from me. 100 other seats to choose from, but they plop down in those seats that are facing, where your feet are uncomfortably too close.  The little girl starts kicking me with her stupid boots, she's whiny and shrill, and she's poking at my knitting. NOT TODAY SWEETHEART!!

By 9pm I am finally in Hamburg. Of course the taxi stand is a half mile from the track. I can't feel my fingers, my forearms are completely in spasm, and, yes, the tears. I am clearly first in line for the next taxi, but a really pushy broad just whisks past me and gives me a scathing glance when I protest. What is it here? No manners!! I have to fight off three burly guys who try to take the next taxi. For chrissakes. Give a girl a break. This is one thing I don't like about Germany.

I survived. Found my hotel, washed my hands, came down to the lobby. The joint was jumping. There was a crazy guy at the piano in the bar, with a complete synth/loop over the top pop trash rig... crooning, "I don't know why, I, keep coming back to you girl" Kind of like a 70 year old Fabio. Perfect! Beyond surreal. I ordered a bad glass of wine. When he went into the best, cheesiest, butchered version of "Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over," I finally laughed.

I just can't get enough of this place. Copenhagen just makes me happy. I love all the little kids walking around in these massively too big snow onesies. It's so smart. they're warm, even when they're bundled into those bicycle carts, and they are so bloody cute. 

I love how everything works. People obey the lights, even at three in the morning when there's not a car in sight? You wait until the green man says "go." I LOVE it.

Most people bicycle to work, or to wherever, even when the weather is crap.

I love this knitting store I happened across.

I think I got the story a little  crooked, but my new best friend told me that the Faroe Island yarn spinners just burned all their yarn because of some weird rule about sending it to the UK to be washed and OK'd before selling? And the danish yarn, the colors, Oh MY!!! LOVE.

I'ts called, "Bette Design" and it's Klosterstraede 20!!

And the brand spanking new Bikram yoga studio here? forget about it. it's off the hook beautiful. heated wood floors, gorgeous showers and changing rooms, Great teachers.... try it, your body will thank you.

I got to go to "Cafe Wilder" with my pal Teitur (he produced the gorgeous new Nolwenn Leroy record)

Ok we had some wine....

I got to see my beautiful photographer friend Linda Hansen. Of course she had to try my new hat.

She's the dreamy photographer.... who's taken so many of my very favorite photographs over the last ten years. Oh my.

We went to a great Thai place where they treated us like rock stars. And it WAS "Spicy Licious."

Last night I was invited to do the "Good Evening Denmark" Show. Well, even they were super cool, super sweet, super organized.

The woman on the show before me had a story that really was hard to follow though. Apparently, just yesterday morning she only had two teeth. frick and frack, her bottom eye teeth. Somehow during a marathon session, "presto" they implanted a whole mouthfull of gorgeous new choppers. And there she was on the show, to show them off. She said she wasn't in any pain at all!! How could that be possible?? Do they even have better pain killers here too?

So then I sang "Taste of Danger" and luckily didn't think of the irony until just now. Just go see your dentist if it's been a while, ok? Tell them I sent you!!

And can you believe, they have a place called "DOLLHOUSE" for the sexy time. They just think of everything!!

"What you don't know won't hurt you!!!"

for real.