As some of you out there know, September is a very special month for me because my BIRTHDAY is September 9th! (will accept birthday wishes now ) SO, in honor of my birthday month,
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I finally have the video from the cabaret I did last week…. here it is!
It was so cool to be a part of this new cabaret series… Mark Shunock has done an AMAZING job putting together some really fantastic shows at this gorgeous venue! The whole Supper-Club vibe of the “Fedora Room” was the inspiration for my song choice and attire!
(Dress, by the way, is an A*Voyce original and available to order on my WEBSITE )
A few of my friends showed up for support, and we all had a really great time. I’ll definitely let you know if I do another “Session Series” at First & Hope again in the future! You guys should definitely come check it out!
So, last night was the 88’s Cabaret 3rd Anniversary Show, and it was really cool to be a part of it!
I met Ryan Black only a few months after he started 88’s Cabaret, and I’ve been performing there off-and-on for all three years it’s been around. In fact, Ryan gave me the sweetest little shout-out after I sang my song saying, “she has been there for 88’s almost since the very beginning, so we’re very pleased to have her here tonight!” Aw. Thanks, Ry.
Last night the show was at Gonpachi in Beverly Hills (normally we are at it’s sister restaurant La Boheme, in West Hollywood) it was our first time performing there and my first time being there and MAN, This place was GORGEOUS! The bartender told us that everything in there, the solid wood bar top, the light fixtures, the artwork, etc. was all imported from Japan, making this Japanese restaurant look like the REAL DEAL. I loved it. I want to go back sometime when I’m NOT performing to try their “Sakegria”, and some sushi and the hand-made soba noodles that you watch the chef make (he’s actually inside a kind-of glass box when he makes it… kinda weird when you think about it, but it was still cool to watch!)
After the sound check we were able to catch a little bit of the Celtics game while we hung out at the bar. I was super happy about this because my wonderful husband was probably DYING inside that he was hanging out at a cabaret when there was a Celtics Playoff Game AND a Red Sox game going on! Now THAT is real love and support! What a good hubby I have
The show, of course, was great. Great songs, big laughs, and a fun crowd. Most of the time there is some sort of theme for the shows, but last night there wasn’t, we could choose whatever we wanted… so I chose one of my all time favorite songs, “Time is a Healer” by the amazing Eva Cassidy. I’ve been singing this song in my bedroom for YEARS but this was the first time I ever sang it in front of anyone…
Thanks to everyone who came out last night! And, thanks to everyone who clapped after my high note! hahaha. Until Next time….
Yesterday was a very powerful day that I was honored to be a part of….
A couple of weeks ago I got a call from my friend Wendy asking if I would help her out by singing at a memorial service she was helping to organize for some friends of hers. She went on to tell me the heartbreaking story of her good friends Lenore and Zen and their beautiful and brave 3 1/2 year-old son, Hunter, who had lost his long and painful battle with leukemia about a month ago. The memorial service was to be a celebration of his life, a gathering of friends and family who want to show their love and support and remember Hunter…
Of course, I said yes without hesitating.
I think it’s almost impossible not to feel moved and saddened by a story like this, but at first I didn’t know much about them other than what Wendy had told me. I had never met Lenore or Zen, and did not have the pleasure of knowing Hunter. So I went to the blog they had created during Hunter’s battle, HeaingHunter.com, to learn more about them.
The website was created as a place for support during his fight, for words of encouragement where people could help to rally with prayers and hope, and donate money to help the fight continue…. but of course, by the time I got to the blog, the fight was over. Suddenly I was immersed in the unbelievable sadness of what this family had experienced…
There were pictures of little Hunter from all stages of his life, and disease…. the times where he fought for his life, as well as the times of remission. The words of heartbroken parents trying to express the magnitude of Hunter’s fate… this little boy had endured 4 rounds of chemo-therepy and every amount of extreme measures they could possibly take to save him. But as hard as “Iron Hunter” fought, I was now reading about “The Death of a Superhero” and how these loving, incredible parents now had to deal with it all being over. I honestly can’t verbalize it in a way that’s appropriate… I was crushed, and I didn’t even know them. I didn’t have to go through the 2 years of ups and downs, hope and pain… I spent only a few minutes inside a window of their lives, and it was almost too much for me to bear…
I had asked my songwriting partner, and good friend Lucy Graves to accompany me for the performance, and she too felt suddenly immersed in the sadness of what they went through… as I said, it’s nearly impossible not to be moved by their story and the incredible strength of this family.
They had requested “Woman’s Work” and “In the Arms of an Angel” to be sung at the memorial, in-between eulogies from friends and family… It was a beautiful event, but also overwhelming at times. Pictures of Hunter were placed all around the home, and home videos played on tvs. There were a lot of people crying ad grieving for the loss, but also some smiling at stories and good memories.
The memorial was powerful, and I felt truly honored to have been a part of it. I really hope that Lucy and I were able to add something special to an already special occasion, and that the celebration was everything they hoped it would be.
“Hunter spread his love and joy far and wide and it was well received by many. And for that, we are forever grateful he was here for all of us to cherish.”
One of the most inspiring parts of the story… Lenore and Zen are pregnant and will be blessed with another child this summer. No one is more deserving.
OK, so for those of you that know me, you know that I have real BIG problems with Kesha. I pretty much believe she’s the downfall of the music industry… but whatevs…. So I found this video, and I’m so impressed with this little starlet, Miranda! I’ve been a fan of Miranda’s for a while now, and this video proves what a talent she really is… this is how the song “Tik Tok” should really be sung!!!!
“DRINKING OUT OF CUPS”, I LOVE YOU!
So, this video has been around for like, three years, but I just saw it or the first time last night and OMG I watched it fifteen times and was crying from laughter!!
If you’ve seen it before, I think it’s time you watched it again! If you haven’t seen this piece of genius before, here’s the backstory…. As legend has it, some dude from Long Island was tripping like crazy and his buddy decided to record him babbling, THEN his unbelievably awesome soliloquy got animated with this lizard guy.. this is a MUST SEE! Remember kids, Drugs are BAD!
Everyone’s talking about the new Lady Gaga video ft. Beyonce…. I think the video is pretty cool, but my favorite part is that my good friend Jai Rodriguez has an cameo playing the reporter!! What do you think of it???