A Couple of Damn Yankees

We left our hotel room in high spirits. During the days leading up to the tour, I planned out the whole itinerary, with maps, information about each landmark and of course YouTube playlists to go with each leg of the journey (Click below to listen!). We were making our way to the heartland of America, to our gig in Neosho, MO. The gig was booked by a booking agent we found on Indionthemove.com, Distractions was the name of her business and for a very reasonable price she was able to book our entire tour. If she hadn’t gotten us this gig we never would have known the small town of Neosho existed. We were hoping that our Missouri stop would be in Kansas City. Before we had hired a booking agent I had reached out to the famous BBs Lawn BBQ. They were not available for booking on the day we were looking at but the lady I spoke to was very friendly and asked us to send her some of our music for her radio show. Between the exhilaration of being on the open road and the KC blues soundtrack, we were drawn to the idea of going the longer way through Kansas City. After some discussion about the possibility of a BBQ lunch, our growling stomachs persuaded us to go for it. We changed our direction and added BB’s address to our GPS.

When we arrived in KC, I was struck by the beauty and size of the city. We found BB’s on the south side of town. The eatery had images of great blues artists on the walls and long picnic tables for a fun social atmosphere. We ordered our food and enjoyed the live jazz band that was serenading happy lunch guests.

We spent quite a while eating and listening to music before heading out again. We were now racing the clock to get to our next gig by load-in time. I have never seen an armadillo before, and still have not seen any alive. That stretch of road from KC to Neosho had more dead armadillo than I cared to count but the landscape was serene. We drove through beautiful country and finally arrived just before our scheduled load in. We stopped at our hotel just to check-in and pick up our CDs, which had arrived the day before. The woman at the counter was talking to an older gentleman and as we left he asked us where we were from. “Denver” we responded. “I knew you were a couple of damn yankees” he laughed. We wondered what our welcome would be like at the venue…

All Birds go to Kanorado

“So, you are leaving after work and spending the night in Kansas?” a co-worker asked as we watched the far-off storm through our narrow office windows. “Yes, 5 hours of road will be behind us when we wake up tomorrow morning.” This plan seemed like a great idea, but I had not planned on bad weather. When Andrew and I got off of work that mid-April Friday, we thought we were prepared. We had been planning for months. I booked all of our hotel rooms in advance, had our trip mapped out, ordered merchandise to sell at our shows and reached out to local papers and blogs with our flyers. Our EP was completed just in time. We had both called several times to make sure we received the CDs before our first show. I had shipped them using my work’s FedEx account (later reimbursed) since I was already broke from the cost of everything. A box of 100 EPs would be waiting for us in Neosho, MO.

Our trip started out normal enough. We talked a lot and listened to loud music while taking turns driving. We had actually escaped the weather in Denver and everything was going smoothly. Then it started raining. Then pouring. Then a blinding curtain of water pummeled down on us and the road. There was flashes of light all around us and I could not see well enough to drive but was afraid to stop in the middle of nowhere not knowing when it was going to let up and knowing we were not far from where tornadoes could appear. I was shaking, whimpering, and pulling over when I could but I was determined to get to the next town to find shelter before things got worse.

Before we had hit the storm I saw signs for Kanorado and it made me laugh out loud. A town on the border of Colorado and Kansas is called Kanorado, pretty silly. This first leg of the journey I was in the passenger seat and looked up at the then clear sky. After commenting about the abundance of birds flying around we jokingly said that they must be hiding out in Kanorado. Now we found ourselves hoping we would reach that little town on the state border soon. When a town fenally started to emerge building by building through the storm, I pulled into the first cover I could find. Ironically, we had to park in a car wash bay to stay dry. Andrew jumped out to go use the bathroom I and took out my phone to document the crazy weather…

 

When the rain had subsided we left and wearily drove on to our first destination, Hays Kansas, to get some rest before our adventure began again the next day. When we drove into the hotel parking lot, I was eager to check in and get into our room to rest. It was now the middle of the night and the night clerk was a young woman who started talking to me about how her and her boyfriend were musicians just getting back into playing and she sounded happy to have some traveling musicians staying at her hotel and was genuinely interested in our tour. Even though I was exhausted, I talked to her for a bit and thanked her for her friendliness and help. It was then that I knew we were going to meet some amazing people on this trip and I was more excited than ever to be on tour.

The next morning as we watched the news reports talk about the storms in the area, we were served a good breakfast by a friendly, attentive older gentleman who loved to chat. Andrew said he reminded him of his grandpa. I was glad he got to meet a kindred spirit during our stop in Hays. These people gave us just the encouragement we needed to take on this long trek after such a difficult journey the night before. We had over 1100 miles to go before we reached our anchor date performance on this tour, and with no time to lose we still made an unexpected detour that day… Found out where in my next post 😉

 

 

The Path

I have tons of photos and videos from our tour in April. I was hoping we would be able to make a few videos out of the footage but every time I try to get Andrew to do any type of commentary, I am told “Now is not the right time.” Well, today is the fist day of September, and I am not waiting anymore. It is time to share this grand adventure we had before the details fade from my memory. You will just have to settle with hearing about it from my point of view only 😛 . Here is a little teaser video, I will start writing about our first couple of days on the road tomorrow.

 

Happy Cactus

I recently joined Sing Me a Story, a foundation that raises money for organizations helping children in need. The children write stories for songwriters to turn into songs and the songs are sold online for donations. I fell in love with this story written by a child at Camp Hobe, a summer camp for children diagnosed with cancer. I have lived among cacti, I love jackalopes and the twist at the end was quite imaginative! Please help me spread the word about “Happy Cactus” by sharing the link and donating to this great cause if you can. All proceeds go to Camp Hobe and the Sing Me a Story Foundation. Thanks!

http://singmeastory.org/songs

UPDATE: We’ve raised $10 so far, that’s 10% of our goal! Keep making this cactus happy 😉

Look at the Lyrics: Doomed To Repeat

This song is one of the oldest that I still play. It exists because I made an impulse buy when I went into a world instrument store in Flagstaff, AZ. I bought a simple, small wooden flute. The cheapest they sold but still very expensive. I almost immediately regretted it, thinking I could have bought a better sounding one online for 1/5 of the price. Still, I wanted to use it in one of my songs. I came up with a chord progression in the correct key that had a little Latin flavor and built on that. The lyrics were about inner reflection and growth, an idea I thought about a lot as I was becoming an adult.

V1:

Fall away that which I’m latched to

I would like my freedom back

letting go of self-destruction

killing what was innocent

meditate to calm my soul

releasing tension each exhale

drawing in the vibes of peace

harmonies that calm the beast

Pre-Chorus:

I need Balance and I need light

for state alterers in my life

cure what ails my chemistry

my blast-active recipe

Chorus:

Too much poison in my veins

please heart renew purity

for if I draw strength from pain

I’ll never reverse this energy

pride is blocking self-esteem

fear is fading all my dreams

hope still blazes a bitter reminder

of what I’m doomed to repeat

V2:

Self-restore communication

to what lies deeper than I

balance hangs on this connection

of the chaos to divine

organize my information

where inside might I find the key

we are made of contradictions

so I fight for serenity

Listen Here

June Crazy update.

Greetings readers and fans!!!!

I got the mastered versions of Femininity and Jagged Edges so it is time to open my Arizona Stronghold in celebration. The Bandwagon Network Radio has added them to their catalog and I am hoping to get more airplay soon. Vice Studios offered to help me record these songs for free and I am very grateful to Dave, Danny and my friend Kevin who all helped with the recording, because otherwise I would not be able to afford such awesome production.

. Speaking of Arizona…

April 29th-May 9th I traveled back home to visit family for the first time in a year and a half. I have not been away from my home and most of my family for such a long time. It was nice to visit and take in everything Arizona has to offer as if I was experiencing it all for the first time. When I lived there it was easy to ignore a lot of the beauty around me. I was inspired to write 4 or 5 songs from the experience and I took many pictures and video. A song I wrote called Sedona Daze will be out soon. I will be releasing it as a music video, featuring footage from my trip, so be checking on my YouTube channel for it.

During my trip I saw some exciting wildlife but what surprised me was the amount of llama in peoples’ yards I saw as I traveled through the country roads of the southwest to my hometown. I have recently been on a llama kick since I came up with my genius joke about how llamas all have Rod Stewart haircuts. When I returned, I attended Denver ComiCon and found the cutest purple llama, dressed in a cowboy hat and bandanna. I had to have it! “Yeehaw” as I have named him, will be accompanying me on my gigs and acting as my mascot. I have some cute llama cartoons in the works that I may slap on some merch so that you too can show your love for silly cute purple southwestern llamas as well.

 Speaking of merch…

After my Comicon experience I went home and started working on merch designs. “Do I really want people walking around wearing a shirt with my face on it?”, I asked myself, probably out loud. The idea just seemed a little creepy to me. So I decided to work on creating a logo. However, with comicon still fresh in my brain this is what I came up with:

I haven’t actually ordered anything but I think this simple, cheesy flame with my initials is pretty wearable. I may create some merch that incorporates quotes from my songs and hell who knows, maybe I can find a wearable picture of me after all. I would appreciate any input on the matter before I invest in any weird junk. Weigh in by contacting me at andreaflanaganmusic@gmail.com or through my social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, ETC.

NOW FOR THE EXCITING PART!!!!

June is going to be a BUSY month for me and I hope you join me for the journey. I will be writing a lot of songs, playing a gig every week and doing some collaborating, releasing sneak peeks of everything going on along the way. So please stay informed on my crazy June and thank you so much for your support!

SHOW SCHEDULE

Look at the Lyrics: Femininity

I wrote this at a point in my life where I was surrounded by people who entertained the idea that the people around them are merely vehicles for obtaining short-lived pleasures. I was smart enough to understand when this was a situation I faced after meeting a man and out of frustration sought to find a middle ground between being fooled and being lonely. This song is about realizing someone is out to hurt you but not getting attached enough for that to happen. Instead being able to enjoy what they can offer you while thinking they have the upper hand. A “take what you can use and leave the rest” approach of dating someone you know will never be able to commit to you. Of course this isn’t something I am able to actually put to use because I will always want a deeper connection with someone.

VERSE 1:

I think I found my new boy toy

I could recognize one from a mile away

The kind that will randomly

Sweep me off my feet

Only when he needs a place to stay

And if I was a little bit younger,

I’d fall for it like many times before

But now I know when men are just playing

and to take the game seriously turns it into war

CHORUS:

Baby baby baby

go ahead and treat me like a goddess

Strong and sexy give me

your best Antonio Banderes

For now I will buy

into the fantasy

just feed, feed my

femininity

VERSE 2:

For now I will just

resist a little at first

so that you think that this

was all your charm at work

you break me down by

making me feel like your queen

But a little tender worship

is just what I need

CHORUS

SOLO

CHORUS

Look at the lyrics 1 – By The Sea

I have had requests to see lyrics for my songs for a better understanding of what my songs are trying to say so I decided to start a little blog of lyrics for people to consider as they listen to my songs. This first entry is about “By the Sea.”

First a little background. I used to live in Arizona. Before I moved to Colorado, Arizona is the only state I had ever lived in. I love to travel and have visited many places throughout the US but I am familiar with and comfortable with everywhere in Arizona and have lived several places there. Arizona is only a state away from the beaches of California and therefore most people living in Arizona, including myself, often took trips there for vacations. I would drive for 8 hours and be in San Diego or LA. From Denver, it is easily 2 days of traveling. I knew that when I moved to Denver I would probably not get the chance to visit California for a long time so the summer before I moved, I went on a California road trip. The trip itself was beautiful but the amount of driving was tiring and I took my mother with me, who was not used to traveling so much in so many days. Then there was the awful traffic and of course the fact that someone broke into my car and left me without a window for a length of the trip. It just didn’t turn out the way I had hoped but the one time that I did feel at ease was when I was on the beach. Away from all the traffic I could feel the openness of the ocean relieve my stresses of travel and remembered why the trip was worth it. I didn’t know when I would be able to see the ocean again. It’s a light, simple, feel-good song so I wrote some simple words to express my feelings at that moment.

Chorus:

I played for the pelicans while they danced on air for me

As seals nearby clapped along and belted out of key

The waves crashed a steady rhythm like natures timpani

And I sang for the last time by the sea

Verse 1:

I’ve been waiting for a chance to escape

But those roads never seem to head my way

The waterways have all been rerouted

And I’m just a fish trying to swim upstream.

The sharks are circling tighter

But they don’t know im a fighter

Too bad apathy is running rampant

People all stand there just to see what will happen

Chorus

A dolphin jumped to say hello

And then it jumped again just so I’d know

I’m not alone, no I‘m not alone

Shells are crackling in the sun like

Snappers under my feat when I run

Just another part added to Poseidon’s symphony

Chorus

(whistling)

Seagulls, seagulls fly by laughing

At my attempts to be free

Seagulls fly by laughing

At my envy

My envy to be free

Chorus

STP at the Fillmore

Someone actually walked up to us last night at the concert asking who was singing. Its funny how many people didnt know but had the nerve to be outraged about it. If you didnt know Chester was singing for STP you havent been a fan for a long time anyways. After growing up listening to bands that had different singers in the 80s I don’t see what’s so crazy about it. As a musician who’s been in bands that changed members -even singers- due to lack of cooperation etc., I don’t think its fair to want them to throw in the towel because Scott isn’t singing for them anymore. They worked just as hard to get where they are at. I think the new lineup works.

CB is an amazing singer who deserves to front a great rock band. I always thought Linkin Park was the springboard project that would help land him better vocal roles. Scott hasn’t been left out in the cold, he’s got his own project that seems to be working out for him. You can still hear him sing and show your support. I think all this anger comes from people who are stuck in the 90s and were more fans of the nostalgia than the music. “Its not the same” is a pretty weak complaint considering how many years its been. Anyways besides the horrible sound of the Fillmore this show was amazing!

The Studio Studio!

I have a very small space but I utilize it to its fullest potential. I think I have finally have everything I need to create. Let me give you a sneak peek of where I do my thang…

 

Behind me to the very left is a desk where my TV, laptop, and movie projector sit. Next to that you see a small PA speaker, a heavy-duty music stand and a spotlight next to one of my guitars, casting its shadow on the wall.

Here is my Shure SM58, my Yamaha keyboard and peeking around my shoulder is my Kustom guitar amp with my in-ear monitoring system sitting on top of it.

 

 

To the left of that sits my SZ Lefty electric guitar and my Behringer Bass amp with my audio interface and Shure 440 headphones sitting on top of it. Not shown here is my Yamaha mixer sitting in front of the amp.

On the wall to the left of my desk hangs my Uke and bass guitar.

 

Did I mention that behind my keyboard I have a backdrop hanging with black, white and green screen for pictures and video? Also seen in this picture is my acoustic/electric Fender Hellcat Lefty. To the right of the backdrop is a standing shelf with hooks for all my cords. It houses my harmonica, harmonica holder, my Shure SM57 and other mics, a wooden flute, spoons, batteries and other accessories.

 

On the other side of the room is my bed, a chair, a nightstand with my record player on it and some fitness equipment. This is the room I live and work in. I have a small kitchen and bathroom but really this space is all I need! I write all my songs as well as record some of them here and I love my little home 🙂

Thanks for taking the tour,

Andrea