Tour Blog Numero Uno

Our Maiden Voyage in Miss America

And We're Off!!!!!

Tonight is the first night of our tour with the Avett Brothers! I saw some pictures of their Terminal 5 show in Brooklyn last night and the sheer volume of people that were there has me equally excited and nervous. It was mobbed!!! House of Blues in Boston tonight...cannot wait! The drive up from Jersey was pretty hilarious. My friend Shane Nelken of the Awkward Stage in Vancouver is joining us on keyboards and guitar for this tour and everything that comes out of his mouth is beyond funny. I laughed so hard in the van I think it made my voice a bit hoarse. Although, being in the van with 5 guys I think I might have reached my "dick and poop joke," quota by the first day. hahah!
We are gonna play mostly new songs this time around because we wanna test out the songs on an audience before we go into the studio this winter to FINALLY record the next record. Roadside preproduction. These songs are alot heavier and a bit vocally taxing so I gotta figure out how to kick my coffee habit during this tour. Not sure if its gonna happen so I might have to make some sort of pin for my jacket that says "i'm not a bitch, i'm just on vocal rest" so I can keep my talking to a minimum after shows. I'm a loudmouth tho so that'll probably be tough too. The Jersey/Sicilian/Lover of all things Acidic combo is my voices enemy but i'll get it straight soon enough.
So happy to be out on the road again and so are the guys. We stayed the night at my manager's assistant Tom's parents house. The Wironens. Such nice people. I stayed in one of their sons rooms and there were fishing poles and shotguns by my bed. POWAAA! And they made us breakfast. Now the Black Sea are watching football. I think these blogs might end up being a bit too long to read for ya'll as I don't get football and am boredtown. Anyways, stay tuned for some tour videos!!!

i miss rodney dangerfield

procrastination. i had this idea to handpaint totebags with comics on them to sell on tour. so far my livingroom is filled with 50 primed bags unadorned and 4 painted ones. between writing this and watching rodney in Back to School, i dont know how i'm gonna get these things all dudded up before tour on friday. i will make it happen tho. gotta get crackin on drawing men with fancy mustaches that spell out our band name. be on the lookout for these things on the road. i'll post some pics soon. i'm kinda growing attached to them. i guess thats why i ended my painting career ten years ago. i could never sell them once i finished them. grew too attached.

Major Victory for Low Powered FM!!!

Local Community Radio Act Passes House Subcommittee in 15-1 Vote
October 8, 2009
Washington, D.C.— On Thursday, October 8, the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 passed out of House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet in a sweeping 15 to 1 vote. The Act would clear the way for hundreds of Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcasters in American towns and communities — stations that can help fill the void in local programming created by a consolidated commercial radio marketplace.

“Future of Music Coalition is very pleased that policymakers have recognized the fundamental role Low Power FM can play in local communities,” said Michael Bracy, Policy Director for Future of Music Coalition. “LPFM is vital to musicians around the country, who rely on local radio as a way to reach audiences. It can also help undo the tremendous damage to localism as a result of rampant consolidation in the commercial broadcast industry. There’s no good reason not to allow more LPFM in more American towns and cities. Quality local radio is too important a resource to hold back.”

One clear way to put the community back in radio is to lift the unnecessary restrictions on LPFM stations in larger American towns and cities. LPFM stations are community-based, non-commercial radio broadcasters that operate at 100 watts or less and reach a radius of three to seven miles. LPFM provides a platform for underserved musical genres, minority, religious and linguistic groups and offers a forum for debate about important local issues.

Today’s Subcommittee vote represents a major victory for community radio advocates including Future of Music Coalition, Prometheus Radio Project, United Church of Christ and more. Yet there is still work to be done before new stations can begin serving local communities. “The bill still has a long way to go in the legislative process, but I am optimistic that by the end of the year the Local Community Radio Act will be signed into law,” said Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), lead co-sponsor of the bill with Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE).

On Tuesday, October 5, Congressman Doyle appeared alongside New Jersey songwriter/musician Nicole Atkins in a special conversation at the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The two discussed, among other policy matters, the importance of Low Power FM to arts and cultural communities.

http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2009

In April 2009, Atkins joined Doyle at a Hill Briefing on LPFM. “My hometown community station was the first station to play my music, which gave me confidence as an artist,” said Atkins. “There’s no longer any stations like that in my town, and LPFM would be a way to give other artists the same chance I had.”

In June, FMC launched the I Support Community Radio campaign, which features established and emerging musicians talking about how local radio has positively impacted their lives, both as artists and listeners.

I & Love & You

Tonight is the Avett Brothers debut on the Letterman show! Please tune in and watch this wonderful band perform their single "I & Love & You" Also, tomorrow their record of the same name comes out on Columbia records. Please support the band and pick up a copy. I'm sure it will become one of your favorite records. I'm so proud of these boys. It was only a couple years ago we were all playing in the backs of any restuarant that would have us, feeling on top of the world if more than 50 people showed up to a gig, and relying on our folks to lend their van when ours broke down (or my their case, for their pops to lend me gas money. haha!) And right about now they are braving the cold that is the Letterman set. Air so cold you can actually see mist, and in about an hour, they are gonna burn that fucker down as they introduce the world to their heartfelt, real and timeless music. I'm so excited! Witness it tonight and watch out for us on tour with them starting the 18th!

Sir Parker in Austin!

Above is a little video of the beginning of the maiden voyage that is to be my new side project with my good friend Robert Harrison that we are calling Sir Parker. We wrote a couple songs last winter that we loved but didnt quite fit on my solo record and he had crafted a bunch of wonderful songs that fit with those. Some for us to duet too! So here I am in Austin again at his studio the Star Apple Kingdom laying down some vocals on James the tape machine. Sadly Robert had to sell the Star Apple Kingdom so this will be the last thing recorded here. The first thing recorded here was one of my favorite records, the Big Picture, from his old band Cotton Mather. More details on Sir Parker soon and hopefully once things get a bit more fleshed out we can let ya'll have a listen to these magical songs.

I've been in a phase of listening to others music lately. The new Flaming Lips Embryonic Ep is really inspiring. If you guys have any suggestions on music you're diggin these days that you wanna share please comment here. Hope all is well!

Shows this Week!!!!

So we have two very fun shows on deck this week! The first one is at my very talented photographer friend, Danny Clinch's, gallery opening for his portraits of Mr. Bruce Springsteen. The show is called Be True and its on the Asbury Park Boardwalk. It starts at 6pm and is free and open to the public. I'll be doing a little acoustic set and am hoping for the first time to throw in a couple Bruce covers for the occasion. Afterwards one of my favorite new local bands, Rivercity Extention will play a full band set. They are wonderful and it will be a great night so come on out.
www.dannyclinch.com


The next night the Black Sea and I are set to play NYC's Webster Hall supporting our buddy Rhett Miller! Some tickets are still available for this online and at the box office. We will be playing some old songs and some new songs so we're really excited for you guys to hear what we've been up to. Opening the show is Jim Ward formerly of At the Drive In, so of course the boys in my band are stoked. As Chris said once, "Bands like At the Drive In really hit your inner-man tones." um, yea. hahah! See you guys there!
www.websterhall.com (the show is posted as rhett miller and we are opening so just click on his pretty face for details)

love,
Nicole

PS! We will have our new t-shirts this Saturday night at Webster Hall!!! They are tri-blend super soft heather gray and they are multicolored and hand pulled so each shirt is unique! The design above is a pencil drawing of the artwork designed by Secret Serpents! Pick one up at the show and look good! reeeeal good.