I’m counting it.  It was awesome.  The bar was packed, tons of people I know & love were present, and I got to sing songs I wrote in the town I grew up in.

Omaha, which I assumed would be very flat, filled with corn,  and a max 4 hours away from Chicago, was hilly (the Missouri river is there) and 8 hours away. (8 > 4).  My friends, Juliet & Matt, were gracious hosts and we had an all-around incredible weekend.  Because stereotypes are hilarious, their neighbors brought over fresh corn while I was there.  I get the feeling that it’s how Nebraskans roll.

This is also my first attempt at messing around with some Adobe video editing software, and I’m pretty sure it’s Juliet & Matt’s first attempt at recording anything on my camera. I’m super excited I got to see them, and now you get to see them as well! ha.

And to fellow musicians, file under Things I Have Learned: Southwest lets you carry on guitars!  Don’t forget to loosen up your strings before the flight.

“Why is that, Emily?”  I’m glad you asked.  Usually when I pick a cover, I either try to play something I can acoustically “re-mix” or it’s semi-obscure to begin with – I play a lot of folk or indie stuff. So when an international group of people gather around the campfire, I don’t know the songs they want to sing.

John Schieber, violinist extraordinaire, came by the other day and helped me to learn some songs that people know, love, and recognize. We just picked some songs that we thought might sound cool with a violin mixed in, and with just one run-through, we recorded these songs in one take. This means that there are some mistakes, and my voice is hoarse, but we wanted to share them with you anyway because it’s cool what happens when you throw a violin part into pop songs.  And when two musicians try to do something off the top of their heads.

So, for your listening pleasure: (to download, right-click on the link and select “Save As”)
Viva la Vida
Painted Black
and then we tried out one of mine, Missouri Lullaby.  I can’t believe how different this sounds with the violin there to support it, and as a songwriter, I’m really pumped about how the song has evolved.

We played until the neighbors complained about the noise.  Enjoy the one-takes, and feel free to recommend songs for us to do!

Please enjoy! Also, you can download it here.

Lyrics:

It’s winter in Chicago, every day’s the same, it plays out like a montage, where every scene is lame
Dressing up in layers, long underwear ‘neath pants, it never seems to help much, Chicagoans don’t stand a chance
A long and dim-lit tunnel, a metaphor for few, it might describe the blue line, it might explain the mood,
A seasonal depression, we’re stuck inside a trance, and though we saw it coming, Chicagoans don’t stand a chance.
They put signs on the sidewalks to warn of falling ice, they claim the sky is falling, but lack to give advice.
It only seems litigious, a callous legal stance, with skyscrapers attacking, Chicagoans don’t stand a chance.
We can’t remember springtime, with music in the park. and children in crown fountain, and fireworks at dark.
The Cubbies and the White Sox never did advance, the summer boys in hiding, Chicagoans don’t stand a chance

What I didn’t know throughout his training was that he’s going to run the marathon to raise money for his fraternity’s philanthropy, Push America, which is a larger organization to helping those with disabilities.  [official page, Wikipedia page].

If you’d like to support the cause, or if you’d like to show your support for Paul on his race day, you can donate to Push America through Paul’s page, here.  26.2 miles is SO FAR, and I’m looking forward to being along the course and cheering for him!!

Below is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my parents.  There are a lot of good ones, but I absolutely love this one.  They were at a university function for Valentine’s Day, and when they told me ahead of time that Zippy would be taking pictures, I asked them to have this one taken.  I couldn’t be more pleased with the result.

So, in order of my set list:  Forever and Then Some, The Only Thing We Have to Fear, Thoughts of a Traveler, Rich & Famous, I Don’t Want To Live on the Moon (Cover), D. T. R., It’s Hard Out There for a Catholic, Throw Me a Line, and Missouri Lullaby.

Just right click and Save Target As to download!  I’ll keep this page up as long as I have space for it, so if you feel so compelled, you can forward this address to a friend.

The image is of a little ladybug who I found next to me on the bus (on the window sill) on my way home on a rainy day.