SHOWCASE

Well, we did it. We survived the almost twelve hour trip to Coeur d'Alene and back for the Rocky Mtn. Association of Fairs Showcase:) Once we got to The Resort it was smooth sailing and late nights of music. Our first night in Cal was out making contact with the great musicians he met 10 years ago when he showcased with the Jacknife and Cache bands. He was excited to renew his associations with people who inspire us to keep doing what we are doing. Cal stayed awake for the jam session, but I hadn't really arrived yet. I was floating face down in the pool and then holed up in the steam room for as long as possible. Thank goodness for hot euycalyptus steams.

Friday was the big day. We spent some time listening to a few other showcases and got to do a sound check. (I LOVE SOUND CHECK! Seriously, I do, more than once we have had no sound check. That dude with the computer tweaking the sound so I didn't have to back off on the high notes of "Help Me Make It Through the Night" has given me a lightbulb moment. I didn't know it was possible to sing FULL voice without backing off.)

When it came to the performance this is what I remember. Mom took enough pictures during our pre-show run through that we were half blinded to begin with, then I glued an eyelash ONTO my eyeball, I re-did the makeup on my right eye, I saw through a haze of glue and mascara that Cal was getting a bit concerned that his sister wasn't going to make it:) Downstairs in the hall we stood on stage and watched the shark promo on the big screens and suddenly, it was us. Instict took over and through Country Roads, Probably Wouldn't Be This Way, Bye Bye Love, Help Me Make It, Western Nights, and Rocky Top the world stopped and all that mattered was the music and the audience. It was GREAT. We stayed pretty high most of the night and stayed up until 4:00am for the jam session and when we got up with the pro's, John Dunnigan, The Doo-Wah Riders, The Bad Larry's (and so many more) It was the perfect beginning to the next day:) What the other musicians added to Cal and Jake's original song blew me away! I could have done this all night long!

What I did the next day is top secret, lets just say there is a new member to my family and I will be giving him his own post soon:)

We spent some time with our cousin Heidi who lives in town and then did an impromptu internet interview (details posted when I get them) with a giant turtle and a frog. I know! You can't make this stuff up:)

Saturday night we got to play in a smaller group and Cal and I were both inspired and humbled. There is nothing like playing with serious musicians to make you feel like a monkey playing the guitar. I was just praying no one would notice all my screwed up chords. I'd be playing along but listening to all the crazy awesome stuff people were doing and play some bizarre wrong chord. It was so fun though probably my favorite part of the trip.