I’m so excited to return to some of my favorite places to perform! Ever since moving to Texas, it’s rare we get to come back over to this part of the country for performances! When we do, it’s a celebration! We have a short trip planned to visit Kentucky and Tennessee this month, so we have to pack it in tight. Not only are we looking forward to performing and seeing old friends, and new faces - we’re also looking forward to touring a horse ranch or two and maybe even a distillery in Kentucky and visiting some of our old stomping grounds in Nashville such as Jeni’s Ice Cream or the Pharmacy in Nashville. One of my favorite things about touring is the fun stops along the way. We get to visit with friends and family and do a little sightseeing.
But first, let me tell you about these upcoming shows…
Our first stop is Talon Winery in Lexington, KY. The grounds are just beautiful. They have a vineyard on site with rolling hills and pristine scenery. The staff there is super friendly and the wine is divine. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and sit out on the beautiful lawn, or sit out on some of the tables they provide. You can also bring a nice dinner or some appetizers to create your own special atmosphere. One of my favorite wines they have there is the Sugar Lips Mango. It’s sweet, with a strong mango flavor and goes down real smooth. We’ll be performing there Friday, June 21 from 6-9pm. Click here for details.
The next day we’ll be at Talon’s other location in Shelbyville. Our show there will be Saturday June, 22 from 4-7pm. This location is also a picture of beauty. The tasting room is situated to make you feel like you’re at home kicking it with family! Sheila and the staff there will take really good care of you. I’ve been performing at Talon for years so I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing familiar faces and dare I say friends!
I’ve met so many good people here, it’s unreal. Thank you to the special people who have come year after year to hear us celebrate music in these intimate settings. And a very special thanks to Talon Winery for making independent music a strong part of your business model! If you’re planning on catching our Shelbyville performance see details here.
In addition to friends and familiar faces, over the years as I’ve come to Kentucky, I’ve had some interesting things happen. One year, I had a minor case of food poisoning show up in the middle of one of my sets. I felt dizzy and my stomach was doing the worst. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I started feeling really hot. This all was happening during the middle of a song. I whispered to Rob to try and find me a cup of water so I can drink it at the end of the song. By the time he left and came back, it had gotten worse. This is how he found me…
I took an extended bathroom break after that. LOL!
The overall vibe at Talon Winery is amazing! People dance, cry, laugh, joke, and just have a good time. I was in the middle of a song and all of a sudden people just started dancing all around me and then we ended up in this picture. I don’t know if you can tell, but I’m still singing the song in this picture.
Our next show will be in Nashville, Music City!!!! Having lived here for almost two years it’s always great to come back and see how everything’s progressed. Being a musician living in such a musically oriented city has it’s pros and cons. For one, there’s a huge network of other musicians and industry professionals you can tap into face-to-face. There are lots of venues which embrace live music and for some reason people think you’re more credible if you’re hailing from Nashville rather than somewhere not necessarily known for music. However, because Nashville is so densely populated with musicians eager to catch their big break, the scales are shifted in the venues favor, so they don’t compensate musicians for they’re worth and it’s exceedingly difficult to even get a gig due to the highly competitive nature of the market.
That’s why house concerts are so vital for independent musicians! It’s a completely different experience to work with regular people to put on an intimate show for their friends and family. Competition is not a factor when we’re all working together for a common goal - to support and experience art in a more genuine, authentic space. This way, people can get together in safe environments in the comfort of their own home, with people they know while experiencing live music in close family-stye settings. So for our time in Nashville, we will be doing a house concert! Because these types of shows are at private residences, they are not always open to the public. This one in particular is a closed house concert and the host will be inviting people from her network so I can’t share any of the details here other than it will take place Sunday afternoon. But if you’re interested in learning more about house concerts and working with me to set up one of your own, click here for more information.
Stay tuned. For our next trip, we’ll be returning to Arkansas! I’ll tell you all about it soon.
Cheers,
Anitra
