Maribelle Westcoast Tour

2010-06-29T18:23:00.001-07:00

Home.

Salt Lake City

2010-06-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

Good Evening! Tonight we are staying at a house in Salt Lake City. It was a nice show tonight with other musicians. Last night was spent in Boise at a house show that was also successful. We were paid a very generous amount by people's donations. Hopefully it will be enough money to get us home.

Two days of tour left - tomorrow we will be in Denver and Lincoln, NE the next day. This has been quite an interesting experience. It's been very emotional. Sometimes I feel like I am the happiest I can be and other times I feel super depressed and tired of it all. Overall I would say this tour has been exhausting but fulfilling.

I'm nervous for the life that awaits me when I get home. It will definitely be an adjustment to get back into working (although I am SO excited to see my boys), looking for a job as much as I can, figuring out my social life, etc. One thing I cannot wait for is the ability to sit down at the Piano and WRITE! I've been inspired by countless musicians and people. I am really amazed by people's generosity on this trip. If you helped us out in any way... THANK YOU!

We have fallen short on taking pictures lately so i'm not sure if there will be more. Hopefully I will just see you in real life real soon!

Love,
Sarah

Seattle!!!

2010-06-24T17:29:00.001-07:00

We are leaving Seattle in a little bit on our way to Olympia and from there... Denver? Only a few days left and then Maribelle will be found in a theater near Chicago watching the new Twilight movie on the 30th! More pictures when I can.

2010-06-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

The last few days

2010-06-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

It has been difficult to take time to get to a computer for the last few days. We played a show in Oakland, CA and then in San Jose and we were able to stay in San Jose for two nights in 'The House of the Dead Rat". Thankfully, it was not what it sounds like at all. In fact, I was very sad to leave San Jose because that house was so welcoming and I think the people living there are very cool.

We spent an afternoon in San Francisco where we walked up steep hills, got a little lost, and had pretty bad chinese food. I still thought it was fun. Dara was able to meet up with her roommate from college, who then brought about five people to the show that night. Lots of fun

After Cali we made out way to Reno Nevada. I made 75 cents! But then I spent one more dollar the next morning and lost it. We played a show with an INCREDIBLE duo in Reno that I think will one day be big. The next morning we got up at 7 a.m and drove all day through mountains to get to Eureka, California where we hiked in the Redwood Forest. That was pretty cool.

Being at the Grand Canyon and then the Redwoods made me understand how Native Americans thought these things to be so sacred. There is something about these natural things that demand respect.

We are now in a hotel between Eureka and Portland where we will spend two nights. It turns out we will probably be home on the 29th, not the 2nd like I originally thought. And there will be no show in Chicago. I think our last show is in Omaha, Nebraska.

I hope you all are doing very well.

This post is called I miss you

2010-06-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

Staying in San Jose tonight. We have a bed for everyone, washer and dryer, and are able to stay in one house for two nights. Life is good. Tonight we played a show in a coffee shop and it was very enjoyable. Last night we played on a wooden "stage" at a co-op in Santa Barbara. I wish I could explain all of the crazy things that happen every day, but there are no words. We are currently working on a top ten list. It should be ready by tomorrow. Not much to say except that I miss you... Yes, You!

Arizona and LA

2010-06-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

This morning is our third day in L.A. but we are on our way to Santa Barbara this afternoon. L.A. has been awesome. The first night we played at the Tribal Cafe. The show had some difficulties and was probably the roughest one we have had so far, but the place was cool and later we got to hang out with some of Aaron's friends.

Yesterday we went to Venice Beach and walked around all afternoon. It was too cold to swim, but we had fun looking at the different kinds of people there. They also have a pretty sweet little skatepark where we watch people for awhile.

Last night we played at some of Aaron's friends' house. It was so nice. There were about fifteen people and we were able to relax and hang out all night. I am sad to leave L.A. but on to the next I guess! Here are some more pictures from Arizona and L.A.

Touring Dreams

2010-06-13T22:25:00.001-07:00

We just played in Tuscon. There are a couple more bands who are still going to play... it is a beautiful night here. Tomorrow we head to L.A.!!!

This morning when we woke up we told each other what kind of dreams we had. I thought you might find them interesting.

Dara had a dream that we were watching Survivor Man (We watched this for a couple of hours yesterday... it was great). On survivor man it was raining so hard that she thought it might be raining in the house. The dream was spent trying to figure out if the rain was real or was on TV.

Aaron had a dream that he had to take Dara's annoying little brother around with him on tour. (This little brother doesn't actually exist and I'm pretty sure it is based off of the annoying little boy from Jurassic Park, which we also watched yesterday... we had a lot of down time). In this dream the little brother was carrying Aaron's accordion. They were trying to go to the next show and the little kid got on the wrong bus! Aaron yelled at him to get off, which he did, but he left the accordion on the bus! What a nightmare.

I had a dream that I was in high school walking down the hall ways... thinking about how strange it was that I was a senior in high school again. Suddenly, I remembered that I was in two math classes that I had not been attending since the beginning of the semester! Oh no! I rushed to one of the classes and, of course, had no idea what they were talking about. I spent the rest of the dream trying to figure out what I was going to do about the finals that I was going to fail.

And these, ladies and gentlemen, are that kinds of things that the members of Maribelle dream about. Rain, lost accordions, and math.

Dara also wants you all to know that on other occasions during this tour she has had dreams of many large beetles crawling all over her. Poor thing...

Goodnight!

Arizona

2010-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Good morning from Phoenix. Yesterday we drove from ABQ to the Grand Canyon and spent a few hours there. Then from there we drove another 4 hours to Phoenix. I am pooped! The Grand Canyon was awesome. We got there around six so the weather was cool and delightful! We took about a two hour hike down into the canyon where we took lots of pictures and even worked on a video. It was absolutely gorgeous. Aaron was like a little kid since he had never been there. Dara was the leader who kept us going when we wanted to stop and die.

Today is exciting because we are playing two shows in Pheonix. One in a couple of hours at a venue and then another in a Vegan restaurant where they will give us free food!

Some of the following pictures are all the way back from Houston at the Super Happy Fun Land (Yes, that is really what they call where we played) ENJOY!

NEW MEX

2010-06-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hello from Albuquerque! We got here this evening after sleeping in really late in Amarillo. The show last night went very well. Aaron sold some records and a shirt. I played a couple of songs (and didn't mess them up!) The crowd was very receptive and nice and we were able to stay in a couple of girls' apartment and get showers and beds! I cannot get over how lucky we have been with having beds to sleep in.

Today we walked around Albuquerque for a few hours, ate some really bad diner food (it turns out the best Mexican food is in Chicago, not the southwest), and we got frozen custard! The guy who served us used to live in Naperville so we talked with him for awhile. He seemed depressed to be here, which tells me that even though it's nice here I probably would not want to live here.

Tonight's show is in an art warehouse/coffee house. Dara gets to play the piano instead of the keyboard and there is an adorable little pug running around. Life is good on tour. Tomorrow we head out super early to drive to the Grand Canyon.

Amarillo, TX

2010-06-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hello out there. We are in Amarillo tonight hanging out in a nice little cafe. The drive was about ten hours from Houston so we are pooped! Maribelle is the featured guest at a local open mic night. I may or may not also be playing.

Being on the road is a very interesting experience. It makes you reflect on different aspects of your life. For me this means thinking a lot about work, what I want to do with my time, where I live, if I want to move to the city or to another state, the relationships that I have and don't have, and what my ultimate goal is with my music. That's a lot to think about especially when I don't have any solid answers to any of those questions. I feel very restless sometimes and very often dream of leaving Illinois and starting somewhere fresh. The last year of living in Naperville has been a good one, but many times I think I want to do something else.... i'm just not sure what that is yet.

Singing with Aaron and Dara has been incredible. Maribelle is tearing the south UP! Last night's show in Houston was a lot of fun. We played in a space that also serves as a commune where a small group of people live together. Pictures will come soon.

Tomorrow we are off to Albuquerque, NM and the day after that to the Grand Canyon! Right now Dara is passed out and Aaron is working on his computer. This pretty much exemplifies how we are most of the time.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

P.S. Malones, if you read this... I miss you guys and i'm waiting for your texts!!

Pictures

2010-06-08T10:24:00.001-07:00

Pictures for your Pleasure!!!

2010-06-08T01:13:00.001-07:00

We just went from Oklahoma City to Austin, TX to Denton and now back to Houston. Last night in Texas is tonight. All of us are sick with colds/allergies but loving tour. Helen posted on my facebook that I was living the dream. Helen, I totally am living the dream. I love being on tour.

Oklahoma City, OK

2010-06-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

Buenos Dias!

We are waking up in Oklahoma City this morning after a really fun night. We said goodbye to Arkansas with some pancakes and eggs (the people we stayed with were VERY nice)

We arrived here yesterday with enough time to spend relaxing. It was a very hot day so we decided to play in a water park near where we played.

We played a good show with three other "folky" bands. It was nice to listen to other people's music. The space where we played is an open spot for musicians and artists to display their work. After the show we headed to a local bar for some Karaoke! Dara sang a nice rendition of Destiny's Child, Say My Name. I stuck with a Dixie Chicks song. Aaron sat in the corner and cheered us on. He tried to sing, but the DJ never chose him. Sorry Aaron. We stayed in a really cool house and we were all able to sleep on a bed! I think we've been lucky so far with beds and showers. I hope our luck doesn't run out. We are headed for Austin, TX next!

Fayetteville, Arkansas

2010-06-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

We have arrived safely to Arkansas and after a good night's sleep and a shower are ready to head out to Oklahoma City, OK. Here is a brief overview of our day yesterday.

The bad news is that our show in Little Rock was canceled

The good news is that Aaron was able to set up another show in Fayetteville

The bad news is that we had a little problem that needed to be addressed along the way

The good news is that it was fixed within about a half an hour

The bad news is that what was supposed to take us ten hours actually took closer to eleven

The good news is that, due to my stellar driving skills, we were still able to miraculously make it to the show on time.

The bad news is that when we got there, no one was there (other than the couple who set up the show) Since is was so last minute they were unable to get a crowd.

The good news is that this couple works for a radio station. We headed over to the station and did a one hour show of Maribelle music AND SaraBelle music. So I guess last night was my radio debut! It was pretty fun and the people we stayed with are very nice.

The good news is that Aaron and Dara got a nice bed and I got a nice couch to sleep on.

The bad news is that my allergies are going CCCCRRRAAAAZZZZZYYYYY :)

We only have a three hour drive today so we are going to try to do some fun things in Arkansas and in Oklahoma. So far so good.

2010-06-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

Here we go!

Recording, Packing, and Preparing

2010-05-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight Aaron and I are working on some music that I will hopefully be able to perform and give to listeners while on tour. I'm recording 8 songs on a CD that, unfortunately, will not be complete until after tour. However, Aaron convinced me to make a 4 song version to take along on tour. My biggest problem... I still don't have a name for my music... any ideas?

The next few days are going to be a little crazy trying to get ready.

1. Write a paper about ELL/bilingual education
2. Finish recording enough to get a CD ready to burn
3. Create some sort of packaging for my CDs
4. Pack
5. Work a couple of days with my boys
6. Say goodbye to loved ones
7. Recover from the Emergency Room visit I had last night (don't ask...)
8. Apply to as many jobs as possible in four days
9. Sleep?
10. Spend time with friends and family that I have promised I would see before I go

... and the list goes on...

One week to go!

2010-05-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Next Friday kicks off the Maribelle West Coast Tour! We will be gone for about a month (minus Dan). I am planning to update this blog as much as possible... mostly for my own benefit. I am very excited for tour and a figure this would be a nice way to chronicle the experience. I figured some of you may also be interested to know what's going on with us as well.

Aaron, Dara, and myself will be going to the following places:

4th - Little Rock, Arkansas
5th - Oklahoma City, OK
6th- Austin, Texas
7th- Denton, TX
8th- Houston, TX
9th- Amarillo, TX
10th- Alba, New Mex
11th- GRAND CANYON!
12th- Phoenix, AZ
13th - Tucson, AZ
14th - Santa Barbara, CA
15th - To be determined
16th- To be determined
17th- Oakland, CA
18th- San Jose, CA
19th- Reno, Nevada
20th- Portland, Oregon
21st- Portland, Oregon
22nd- TBD
23rd- TBD
24th- TBD
25th- Boise, Idaho
26th- TBD
27rh- TBD
28th- Lincoln, Nebraska
29th- TBD
30th- TBD

July 1- TBD
July 2- Chicago, Illinois!

One short day of school left, five days of therapy, and then away I go!!!