With all the music biographies and articles I read, some stuff is still way over my head. Talking to Pete Crooks of Diablo Magazine felt like touching the tip of a massive iceberg of knowledge about the Bay Area Scene and how it has evolved over 2 generations. From Tom Petty’s old bands to Credence and Green Days’ explosions, the more I learn the more I have to learn. And yet how lucky am I to be influenced by these great writers! I reveled in his interview of Adam from Counting Crows and every word I hear makes me want to read more. And Jessica Neighbor, another judge and also vocal teacher, glows with positivity after years of gigging at places I strive to make my way to. I know the band will get there. The steps we take every day and the things we learn from your feedback attest to that. I have taken your feedback and started playing some Ben Folds Five songs, John Legend and others at my long cafe shows. I’ve gotten a great response. Last night we also had another judge from Unfun Records- Max Shen. He and his record label produce everything local from electronic to New Wave to Metal. We are all working hard and I feel a strong bond and comraderie among these people. I enjoyed talking to Randy and Eric about their bands and meeting some newcomers as well. I hope that people use me and ask for help in any way that they can. I want to help as much as possible. As Jake Brill said in our recent interview, I want to make music with my best friends. Thanks for making that possible with your positive words and constant presence.

Mike Zawitkoski has been pressed for time these past weeks and so I filled in for him last night at the Bistro. When I walked in they were playing the rock over the PA that they usually do. I was a change to that. The crowd liked having something other than blues though and my voice felt healthy and stretchy like taffy. I really want to nail those John Legend and Jamie Cullum songs to lengthen my set, and the new original, “Hot to Make You”, is really coming along nicely. This kind man named Vic helped me set up a monitor and the sound was the best I’ve had it there. Usually Scotty Rock n Roll comes in and messes with the EQ around 11pm to finally get the balance right. I met some new friends- Jeremiah and David were really nice to hang out with in the back. There were some regulars who told me the music was refreshing. I bought some pants for 25 bucks at the Gap yesterday. I felt bad about it given that I try not to support chains and try to keep the profits in the community. It was the only place within 50 miles that had extra long pants (non-denim) for my 6 foot tall frame. I may try the internet more next time, but one really needs to try these things on. Oh, btw I finished Mike Gyulai’s novel and I really liked it. It’s going to be at Barnes and Noble for a short run in April so be sure to search for “Midnight in Rome” on Amazon or to stop by the Lafayette bookstore too. I am also grateful for the people who have reached out to me on facebook. I really think that site lets you get to know someone better than myspace- you get the real name and schools, hobbies everything. I feel lucky so many people have found me there. I interview Jake Brill and Vanessa Van Spall tonight for the Bay Area Green Room podcast. I’ll let you know when they are posted. Thanks for reading these posts and for the comments you have made on others! Come see some new additions to our show at Anna’s Jazz Island Thursday April 24th!

On the heels of our grand success with the full album “Metaphoreality”, we began recording again this past Saturday for the next CD. We started with the song “Could Be Today” and Jacob brought his video camera. I’ll let you know when we have uploaded episode 1 of our recording experience to youtube. I will say that it involves some carpel tunnel (sp. right?) anecdotes and Whitnay and Joe quoting some pretty silly things. It was definitely the most fun recording session that we have had. We are more relaxed now and at the same time more picky about how many mics are on the snare and where the mics are placed near the acoustic bass. Whit made up some fills at the last minute and the song is developing layers that were never there before. The weekend culminated with a barbacue at Jacob’s house and a dinner date with Denaya and Jesse. Life is good right now. I hope to see you again at Anna’s and El Rio. Thanks for listening. -Grace

Robyn Harris is feisty. She gets down on the ground for her guitar solos. She tells funny stories. She makes fun of herself while maintaining and sweet and striking visage. Her fans are the kind of people who buy your cd and your t-shirt if they like you. I talked to a couple Robyn Harris fans who had brought 3 or 4 friends with them just to see her and her backing band, John, Amelia and Elizabeth (I think it was Elizabeth). I felt really humbled that so many of these wonderful people enjoyed our show too and signed our e-mail list. We had an electric set, with John’s lighting sequences shining at just the right moments. Nothing like a fade to black to let the audience know the song is over. Tom was a good sound man; very positive. Every time Joe switched instruments, which happened often and even suddenly when a technical difficulty struck, Tom was on it. Our back up plan, Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” went well. It was good to see friendly faces, to finally meet Karma, see Melissa and meet her roomate, get Gwen and Kristen out to a show, and hang with Maureen and Elizabeth among many others. Jake Brill was very confident onstage. RTB brought a huge crowd of positive, energetic people. Check em out in our photos section. Will McCosker continues to make me smile, as he always has. I smiled especially wide when he sprung a second drumroll on his bandmates in their finale. What a playful band, RTB! Their lead guitarist got so into his solos. I yelled out “nice guitar solo!” and he yelled back “which one!” to which Whitney yelled “all of them!”. They also congratulated Whitney and I on our engagement, with a nod to Joe as well for being the coolest human being on earth. Good friends and good company. We made it over the bridge just in time to miss most of the contruction. If you were there and enjoyed yourself, signing up for our e-mail list would be a big compliment! We e-mail quite rarely-ask around and you’ll find it’s true! And we like to send free mp3s and other bonuses out as well. Thanks so much for making last night happen. We are very lcuky that you have decided to support us! -Grace

I have been playing some new songs at Starbucks and other cafes multiple times a week to prepare for the big band shows. I have noticed some amazing things. Since Starbucks has perfected selling “atmosphere”, they encourage local musicians and appreciate my presence regardless of city. That seems a bit backward to me considered that they are the franchise that has saturated the globe in an arguably impersonal manner. The local Peets has a no live music policy and so does Coffee Bean. So I salute you Starbucks for that! Your selection of loose leaf teas could be better, but you believe in a musical environment! I felt broken hearted when one in which I played told me they loved me but “if I could be more background” that would be great because “people were stopping studying just to listen” while another kept telling me to turn it up and the clientele urged me to play rock cover songs. I feel like I am hanging out with different friends when I play cafes. Some just want to sit and drink. Some are very serious. Some are super social and loud. This Sunday at the Make Out Room will be loud. I am excited to meet my new facebook friends in person and find all the little connections between the guys and our band. I hope you have untensed your shoulders and Friday has shakin you silly. Have fun tonight and see you this weekend! PS, my friend Julie is in love and Miriam wants to go to Vegas in June. Will the 14th time be that much better? Oh, and Brian Enright is selling his amazing artistic furniture. Ok, so I could keep going, but I won’t. see you soon!

Grace writing this one again. My most recent activities include the Jack London Square Crab Crawl, Arturo Sandoval’s Mambo Mania Big Band at the SF Yoshi’s, a home screening of “No Country for Old Men” and the most packed Starbucks I have ever played at. Crab enchiladas from Cocina Poblana (could be Cucina) are amazing. The Blues bands for the event were underwhelming (if you can’t hit Credence Clearwater notes, please just lower the key!). A couple nights before, the big Mambo band at the new Yoshi’s was well worth it. I recall sipping prosecco and at first feeling jipped when the musicians looked slightly bored in between songs. This was the music of technical prowess. These were the hard-to-impress trumpeters and I-live-off-reading-sheet music people who raised an eyebrow when the piano solo finally hit on something they hadn’t heard; something challenging and different. These were artists’ artists. Whitney could understand it. He knew the drum solo was fantastic. I only noticed the lack of expression on everyone’s faces and the fact that they stared at pages the whole time. I wanted them to look at us and tell us what the music was saying, but they were better than that. It was written in perfect runs of melody and cascading rhythms. The mambo’s and the solos spoke for themselves. Improvisation and musical intelligence. I want more of that. I want to have more than message and emotion. I will work hard so that my years start to show more of that! I liked “There Will Be Blood” more than “No Country for Old Men”. One of our academy friends lent us the DVD and thought “No Country” was good, but not Best Picture Good. In 2 weeks we record more for the next album. It’s all bubbling up right now- the new thoughts and the new feel. I can’t wait for you to hear it! One of the new songs will come out to play this Sunday the 9th at the Make Out Room in SF. Can’t wait to see you!