Hey there!
It's still above 100 degrees here in Austin, Texas, but a recent trip to Chicago reminded me that beautiful fall weather -- and all the joy it brings -- are right around the corner. I am especially looking forward to a few shows I'll be playing in the northeast in the month of October, and I wanted to tell you about them now so you can mark your calendar and pass word along to your live-music-loving friends in the Northeast:-)

UPCOMING NORTHEAST SHOWS:

10/05/11 --Boston, MA @ The Red Room at Cafe 939. 8 pm, All Ages! $10 ($8 students). 939 Boylston Ave. http://www.cafe939.com

10/07/11 -- TBA
 
10/08/11 -- Franklin, MA @ Circle of Friends Coffeehouse. 8 pm, All Ages! w/Anthony da Costa! Advance Tickets Available at http://www.circlefolk.org

10/18/11 -- New York City @ The Living Room. 10 PM, CMJ Showcase! http://www.livingroomny.com

That's all my news for now. I'm so looking forward to spending some of the falltime in the northeast! Til then I'll just gaze longingly at the sweaters hanging in my closet and keep sweatin it out here in TX :-)
Be well! Please keep in touch!
xoxo
~becca
 
www.rebeccaloebe.com | tour dates, music
www.rebeccaloebe.net | monthly live album releases
www.facebook.com/rebeccaloebe | digital friendship
www.twitter.com/rebeccaloebe | very short sentences

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who has written asking for advice about your auditions for season 2 of The Voice.  I've tried to write back to all of you, and I'm flattered that you would seek my advice.  One questions I've gotten a lot is "What should I sing?" That's a great question.  I don't really know the answer...in fact, I don't even have any idea what your audition will be like.  From all the contestants I met while filming Season 1 of The Voice, I have heard very different stories of how their auditions went -- some auditioned in person, some online, some sang full songs, some were only allowed snippets, some sang to a track, others accompanied themselves or went a capella.  Some auditions ran long, some were very short... And that was just for season 1 when most of America was not aware that auditions were even happening and, therefore, the turnout was probably a fraction of what the casting team will see this go-round.

So I can't tell you what to sing at your audition.  What I can tell you, for sure, is that you should sing something you believe in, something that you enjoy singing and that you believe showcases your talent and creativity in a way that you are committed to.  You have to remember that the audition process is NOT a talent competition -- it is a casting process.  They are looking to cast a group of singers with various stories, personalities and modes of creative expression.  I've come to believe that, at the audition, they are looking for talent,  story and personality in almost equal proportion. I certainly haven't heard this directly from anyone involved in the show, it's just my observation/opinion. 

I think the most important thing to know is that, when you get into the audition room, you absolutely have to be yourself. I don't mean this in a 'good-luck-at-the-cheerleading-competition-sweetie-just-be-yourself' kind of way. This is cold, hard business advice.First of all, you are the ONLY person in the world who can be you. Secondly, if you do make it through the auditions, you will be cast as the person they see in the audition. If you try to mold yourself into what you think, rather than who you actually are, then you could be stuck playing that person for the whole season! Thirdly, if you don't make it through the audition (which, sorry to say, is more numerically probable than not) wouldn't you rather come out feeling like you were true to yourself, rather than that you tried to be something you're not and were rejected for it? I would.

Oh wait! One more thought -- when you get to the audition, know that it starts as soon as you get to the parking lot.  It's my personal belief that being kind to strangers is a great way to improve the quality of your own life (if you emit kindness and love at all possible moments, then you just get to be surrounded by kindness and love all the time and you can't go wrong there :-) but, again, from a business perspective it's pretty simple: every single person there could be important to your future on the show. Every random person you meet could be involved in the show either at some level of the production, or as a future contestant. The crew taking your information when you get to the audition are in very close contact with the casting team inside the audition room and will, most like, be involved in the show if/when you get to LA...You just can't go wrong being very nice to everyone you interact with. Trust me.

Be prepared to wait! Bring a book! And a sandwich!  And water! And sunblock! Earplugs! There will be complainers all around you -- DON'T BE SUCKED IN to their nervous/frustrated energy. Follow the day where it leads you, keep your heart light, and walk into the room to show some open minded, friendly people who you are and what you do.  It can be helpful to bring a friend to wait with you, if you know someone who doesn't mind waiting in line for a long time and can help you stay relaxed and laugh off the hassles of the day that you will undoubtedly face (like long lines, confusing instructions, waiting for the judges lunch break to end, filling out paperwork, etc). This is probably obvious, but don't bring anyone who will make you more nervous or will get frustrated by a long wait, I think it's better to go alone than to feel responsible for someone else's mood.

Lastly, GOOD LUCK! Let me know how it goes :-)
xoxo
~Becca

www.rebeccaloebe.com (music & tourdates)
www.rebeccaloebe.net (monthly live releases)

ps: in case you’re wondering what I mean about “story,” check out the artist pages of the 32 contestants of "The Voice," here on NBC.com. Next to each singer is a description that is a few sentences long; that is the contestant’s “story.” A lot of this content was developed from the answers we gave on our application paperwork on audition day, so give some serious that to what is interesting/unique about your background while you’re filling that stuff out. Just a thought :-)

Phew! I was about to write "I had a great week in Nashville" but then I realized I've been here for less than 3 days! I probably crammed about a week's worth of activity in, once we finished the 800something mile drive from Austin.

We got here on Tuesday night and, very luckily, were able to crash at the apartment of a touring musician friend who is currently off in another part of the country playing music. Wednesday, I met with a friend of a friend who explained a bit to me about how the Nashville co-writing/publishing world works and then had lunch with the radiant Abi Tapia. I also got to meet with one of the artist reps at ASCAP and learn a bit more about how that organization works.  Later that night we went to see Robby Hecht perform on the Music City Roots radio show, which was really incredible! I had never heard of Music City Roots, but as soon as I got there, I knew it was something special. The show is in a barn on the grounds of the Loveless Cafe/Motel, and the parking lot was beyond packed when we pulled in ten minutes before showtime.  We found a spot in a field being used for overflow parking, and trekked over to the barn, There we found at least 200 people were already seated in folding chairs, and many more were milling around drinking beer and eating barbecue, fanning themselves with cream-colored programs and waiting eagerly for the music to start.  

As soon as we walked in I ran into a bunch of people I know, including songwriters Cassie Peterson and Andy Gullahorn, and Austin-base player Jesse Dalton.  Jesse was there to support an Austin-based bluegrass band that he's good friends with (and I'm a big fan of) called Milkdrive.  There were 5 acts total on the bill, and they were all really talented and interesting.  The show is also broadcast live on the radio and on the internet, so if you're ever chillin out on a Wednesday night and want to hear some cool music live from Nashville, I recommend visiting www.musiccityroots.com, those guys are onto something really cool :-)  Anyhow, Robby really nailed his set -- he performed with a 7 piece band, and it honestly sounded like the live performance of a record coming from stage!  I snapped the picture of them above with my phone, though it doesn't really do justice to the splendor my eyes and ears enjoyed...

Thursday began with a late brunch visit with a writer/friend named CJ Watson. He's trying hard to pull me out of my co-writing shell and, although we didn't quite have time to kick around song ideas, we had a really nice visit over delicious chicken salad that he made.  CJ has great stories from decades of touring and songwriting, and got me very excited about all the splendor and opportunity that the world has to offer a burgeoning young songwriter. I pulled myself out of his apartment almost reluctantly, promising a longer visit that included some songwriting next time (and hoping that it also included that walnut dill chicken salad. Yum!)

Next stop was a wonderful visit with one of my dearest friends from college, Jen Wallwork Dominguez, a very talented singer/songwriter. It was great to see her and her husband Mike (also a very talented musician) and their three beautiful children -- especially since this was my first time meeting their youngest, Juliette, who is only 9 months old! It was also a little mind-blowing visiting with their oldest, Zoe, who is 8 years old and going into third grade.  The first time I met Zoe she was maybe 2 hours old at most; I think I was her first visitor in the Boston hospital where she was born. I stared in wonder as she moved gracefully around the house, thoughtfully picking up mislaid items and exuberantly coloring with fat magic markers.  Again I left with apologies and promises/wishes for a longer visit next time. We headed over to The Basement, and began loading into the gig.

Gigs in Nashville are funny, and by funny I mean that more often than not you are performing in-the-round style with people you have never met in front of an audience of people who are waiting to play later in the evening. This show was neither of those things, and I was really happy to have the opportunity to perform a full-length set in a beautiful little basement club.  Had a great time! Wish we had recorded it for the Bona Fide series. Ah well, next time!

After the gig we met up with modern folk legend Amy Speace and her friend Milton for dinner and drinks.  We stayed out sipping beer and talking shop on the patio until the restaurant closed, which makes us sound kind of cool until I tell you that the restaurant was, for some reason, completely closed down at 9:30.  We moved to a second location for some fancy cocktails and more conversation and did, I think, a great job of talking about fun stuff and not work (as a self-employed, slightly obsessive type it can be hard for me to hang out with other musician friends and not talk about business).  I hadn't ever really gotten to hang out with Amy one-on-one (or two-on-two, I suppose more accurately) and it was really nice to get to know her better.

We got home at five minutes til midnight, completely exhausted and not quite mentally prepared for a 400 mile drive the next day...which is probably why I'm sitting on this futon typing this blog instead of driving. That's actually not true -- I've got some time to kill because we wanted to leave our friends with clean sheets and towels, which are all now in the dryer. But I think I hear the buzzer going, so I should probably go make the bed and hit the road.

And there you have it, folks! 2 days in Nashville, Loebe-style. Next stop: Columbus, OH!

Keep in touch! Love your face!
xoxo
~becca

Greetings from gate 46A of LAX international airport.  It is 5:14 am, Pacific time, and I have arrived safely at my gate.  As usual, I have more than an hour to kill before boarding starts, so I thought I'd take a minute to update you on what I've been up to.

I flew out to California almost two weeks ago.  This impetus for this trip was an invitation to play at the High Sierra Music Festival, an annual event in Quincy, CA over the 4th of July weekend. My very good friend Raina Rose has played the festival several times and she and her tour/life partner Drew Pressman have both recommended strenuously that I try to play there.  I applied to the festival promoters late in 2010 and, after a few follow up emails, gave up/got distracted by life. 

Late one afternoon in mid-April, days after flying home from Los Angeles where I had spent 6 weeks sequestered in a hotel filming NBC's "The Voice," I sat on a couch in South Austin, blinking at a blank calendar.  As a full-time independent musician who makes my living performing original music and selling CDs at live shows, I find the prospect of an empty calendar to be completely terrifying.  A blank calendar translates to a financial future even more uncertain than usual. I don't like it. Almost on command, an email appeared in my inbox inviting me to perform at the High Sierra Festival. I accepted the gig immediately, relieved to have something exciting on the horizon, and I got to work booking other shows on the West Coast.

Raina and Drew agreed to join me at the festival as my band, and Drew suggested a few of his longtime friends to join us as my "crew."  Drew's friends, Ross, Reid and Reese turned out to be total saviors of my trip! In addition to selling ALL of the CDs that I brought with me to the festival, they each transported me on a leg of my northern California journey.

My California trip began with a flight to San Francisco.  Ross arranged for Reese, who I had never met, to pick me up at the San Francisco airport on just a few hours notice and put me up on his couch.  In the morning, Reese left me with the keys to Ross' car, which was sitting unused while Ross was home in North Dakota visiting family.  I woke up and re-packed my two bags and hauled everything I had brought back downstairs and loaded into Ross' car.  Because I'm a little crazy, I had agreed to spend my only day off in San Francisco driving 250 miles roundtrip to/from Carmel, CA to meet with a booking agent who has been friendly with me via email. It was really nice to put a face to the name and get more information from him about how a national agent would fit into the jigsaw puzzle that is my music career.

While on the road to Carmel, I received an email from the promoter at Hotel Utah, the venue I was performing at that night in San Francisco, regretfully informing me that their 21+ age policy is completely and totally inflexible. This was disappointing to me because I was hoping that Sara Oromchi, my darling eighteen year old roommate from my time in LA with the Voice, would be able to join me that night. I called her with the sad news but, happily, realized that San Jose, where she is currently living, is kindasorta on the way back from Carmel to San Francisco.  I knew it was cutting it kind of close with traffic, but I really wanted to see Sara, so I stopped in for a quick visit on my way back the city.

Sara and I had a nice visit.  We caught up at a diner, talked about the show, about our experiences after it aired (hers being quite different than mine, seeing as she was in high school until very recently), and our plans for the future. I played my newest song for her on the acoustic guitar that Blake Shelton had given her on the Battle Round day and then I got back on the road.  To my surprise, I made it to San Francisco in plenty of time for soundcheck at Hotel Utah.

I had never played at Hotel Utah, and I really enjoyed the venue -- it's small, quirky, and I've heard rumors that it's haunted! It also has a balcony that looks like a boat suspended in mid-air.  I really liked it.  One thing I hadn't considered however, when I agreed to play the 10 pm closing set, is that I would still be on east coast time and therefore it would feel more like 1 am to me.  The previous night's cross-country flight, combined with the early morning, day spent driving in a borrowed car and a little jet lag made for an interesting show. Not bad, in fact, I kind of liked it -- I was very worn out, and therefore had to let down some guards that I may usually keep up when I'm performing. I also made some jokes that just flat out didn't go over well, resulting in some very awkward silences which, for better or worse, I take some sense of perverse satisfaction in.

At the end of the night I found myself in the guest room of a fabulous mansion on Haight Street, a last minute crash space provided by a dear college friend who has recently lucked into a magnificent living situation. He and I caught up briefly before bed, and again over breakfast in the morning. As I woke up that day I learned via email that my newest single, "Swallowed by the Sea," had been released to iTunes (I had submitted it the week before, but you never know exactly what day these things will actually show up live in the store) so I quickly sent out an announcement to my mailing list while trying to hold down my end of a conversation and scarfing mouthfuls of granola and weapon-grade coffee.

I was in a rush because Ross, whose car I had been using for the past 24 hours, was flying home and I really, really didn't want to re-pay his kindness by being late to pick him up at the airport.  I left Haight Street hastily, hopped on the highway and pulled up curbside just as he stepped outside from baggage claim.  Ross and I had met a few weeks earlier when he came to visit Drew and Raina in Austin, so he was easy to spot.  I gladly surrendered the driver's seat to him and let him drive us home on streets that were familiar to him.  I spent the day on his couch, working on the internet, working to spread the word about my new single and preparing to be 'off the grid' for a few days. 

While Ross interviewed for and got a new job, I stayed at his apartment and attempted to watch a live feed of the final episode of "The Voice," on the internet.  The broadband lurched and sputtered as confetti poured down on a stunned but ecstatic Javier Colon.  I wished that I could have been there, knowing that so many of my friends from the show were just a few hundred miles south celebrating, but moments later Ross bounded in the door, excited about his successful job interview, and we packed up the car to drive north.  To be honest, I was surprised by how comforting it was to watch the final episode of The Voice; although my involvement in the show had ended weeks earlier, until the finale it had remained an open book in my heart. As night fell and Ross drove us into Chico, I think we both felt energized by the ending of one chapter and the promise of something new.

Raina and Drew were waiting for us in Chico. Just a few days earlier, Raina had officially announced her pregnancy to the world via Facebook, and it was wonderful to see her even more deeply settled into the glow of impending motherhood than when we had parted ways a few weeks earlier in Austin.  For Drew and his friends, who all went to college together in Chico, gathering there to attend High Sierra has become a sacred yearly tradition.  By the time the three of them (Drew, Ross and Reid, the final member of our party) were convened that night they were all vibrating with enough excited energy to power a small city (like, say, Chico). Raina and I caught up drowsily on the couch as the boys bounded out the door to visit one of their favorite bars and pool their enthusiasm for the weekend adventure we were about to embark upon together.

I was a bit of a slowpoke in the morning; Drew packed the car, Reid and Ross went to the grocery store for supplies, I sat on the bed of an 11-year-old girl who was away at summer camp, hammering out emails and trying to prepare my inbox and my brain for a weekend of no internet.  Not my forte. Everyone was patient with me, I think mostly because they are compassionate, easygoing people but also maybe slightly because they were all getting into the festival as my band and crew. I rode in the back of Ross' car and worked on editing the newest Bona Fide Bootleg live album for www.rebeccaloebe.net on the drive up to Quincy.

Time to get on the aeroplane, I'll try to find some time soon to tell you about the rest of my trip!

Keep in touch! xoxo

~becca

www.rebeccaloebe.com (for tour dates and whatnot)
www.facebook.com/rebeccaloebe (for digital friendship)
www.twitter.com/rebeccaloebe (for very short sentances)