Another Suitcase in Another Hall...Nic's Bloggie

moving over to blogspot.com

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:04:55 -0400

hey there! from now on you can read my blog here: www.nicoleatkinsblog.blogspot.com

see you over there!

the silent treatment

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:33:00 -0400

so last week i was told i had a bruised vocal cord and pretty bad acid reflux damage from my throat doc. i thought something was wrong but damn, it didnt feel THAT bad. anyways, so i spent the week silent or as silent as i possibly could. which was a pretty big stretch for me as i am a tawwwlker. i found it amazing how differently i started listening to music again. just within a day or two of being quiet listening to albums seemed so much richer. i paid attention in a whole different way. i rediscovered alot of music that meant alot to me a few years ago that i’ve really missed like mark lanegan’s bubblegum record and derek and the dominos and the ring a ding ding sessions from sinatra that my friend jim in california sent me. thanks for that! so what i thought would be a frustrating week struggling to keep my jaw shut ended up being a pleasant relaxing week of me just getting back to doing what i enjoy best, writing, listening and watching. i think i’ll be quieter more often. plain and simple its just easier. or at least while the suns up its easier. gives and takes.

getting ready to go down to charlotte on wednesday for these two halloween shows in greensboro and greenville with the avetts. my friends matt, dk, john, shawn and stephen all rallied together and will be my band for these shows. they are great musicians and cool as heck dudes to boot. should be a hell of a time. now i just gotta find a suitcase. they go missing alot lately.

oh and scott and sarah avett had a baby girl today!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!

win $200 to buy records from the avett brothers!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:07:21 -0400

this is a contest for the show we’re playing with the avetts next week in greensboro. good luck!

via the avetts:

A note from Dolphus Ramseur, of Ramseur Records:

For over thirty years Gene Berger has been at the helm of his independent record store Horizon Records. His store has become an institution, not only in Greenville, SC but within the music industry on the whole. When major and independent record labels think of the key independent record stores in the South, Horizon Records is one of the first that comes to mind. Gene and his staff are first and foremost lovers of music and it shows when you walk inside to shop at his store. Gene has also been someone that I could call and pick his brain about the music industry. People like Gene insprired me to start my own record label. So, Ramseur Records is honored to offer a $200 shopping spree at Horizon Records on November 1st to a lucky winner of a contest we are throwing. You must have a ticket for the Avett Brothers show on November 1st at the Peace Center in Greenville, SC.

To enter, please send an email to avettmail@gmail.com with the words “Greenville Contest” in the subject line as well as your name, phone number and address in the body of the email. We will pick a winner at random and announce it on Wednesday, October 29th. If you win, you will receive a $200 shopping spree at Horizon Records, courtesy of Ramseur Records. You have to be there to claim your prize between 12 and 5PM on November 1st (the day of the show) and you MUST have a ticket to the show and a picture ID to present to the staff at Horizon!

Also, for those of you going to the show, Horizon Records is offering 10% OFF any new CD or LP in their entire stock and 20% OFF anything used CD, LP, DVD, or BOOK for one day only (Saturday November 1) —- you must show your ticket to receive the discount. There is no limit to purchases. They are located on Main street, same as the Peace Center. Visit www.horizonrecords.net or call 864-235-7922 for more info. Store is open 10am til 10pm… you can even have a pre-show beverage or a meal in The Bohemian Café, which is located next door.

Tickets are selling fast for this show, so make sure and click here to get yours now. We will also be selling Jim Avett and Family, the new Gospel album from Scott and Seth’s father, Jim, which features Scott, Seth and their sister Bonnie as well as Bob Crawford. For now, this album will only be available at shows, and this will be the first one - so make sure to pick up a copy!

Thanks and see you there!

Photos of The Avett Brothers @ Horizon Records; May 2007

obsessions for the week

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:15:15 -0400

the melvins- nude with boots

honeycrisp apples- in season now! the best apple i’ve ever tasted!

jon brion’s live show- friday nights at Largo at the Coronet theatre

piano bars!

“signed dc”- Love

catching the last days of bike riding

“murder in the city”- the avett brothers

pumpkin everything

“the ark”- dr. dog

Photo

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:10:19 -0400

five dollar foot long

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:10:54 -0400

is it bad that i think the “five dollar foot long” subway jingle is more interesting than anything i’ve heard on the radio this year?

playing with the avetts!

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:41:35 -0400

So in a couple weeks I’m playing Halloween and the night after (all saints night!) with my good buddies the Avett Brothers. I was just informed that although Greensboro on Halloween is sold out, the venue just released 50 more tickets. Yay! So if you are thinking about going or tried to get seats before and couldnt, now is your chance!

Nicole Atkins & the Avett Brothers

Oct 31, War Memorial Auditorium, Greensboro, NC

Nov 1, Peace Center, Greenville, SC

See ya’ll there! BTW- what are you guys gonna be for Halloween? I’m at a standstill. No idea.

Photo

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:49:59 -0400

the road.

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:47:59 -0400

remember that show “california dreams?” about the rock band? surf dudes with attitudes. oh man.

driving up the pacific coast highway is the nicest stretch of road i’ve been hipped to in a long time. all that is missing is 101.1 CBSFM. all i need is west coast roads and east coast radio. actually it would be best if it was CBSFM from at least 10 years ago when the only oldies they played was from the 50s and 60s. now they tend to sneak in journey and way too much kenny loggins. it still beats buttrock any day though.

happy birthday to me. pre-cheesesteak in boots!

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:18:59 -0400

happy birthday to me. pre-cheesesteak in boots!

Ramblin.....

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:17:40 -0400

This has been a busy week so far. Started out doing some shows with the band in Shreveport and Austin. we played a 2 set show in shreveport and then a party in austin the next night for austin city limits fest after party. the party was alot of fun. it was in this american legions mansion right by zilker park. vodka dave over at divine was sponsering the booze. apparently they went through 218 bottles of divine that night. insanity! but not that shoking as everyone there was in visibly good spirits. my sister especially! hahah! courtney is a savage! i met one of my favorite songwriters that night, robert harrison formerly of cotton mather and now of future clouds and radar. what a nice guy! super funny and warm and cool. i think we’re going to try to make some music together. i have a really good feeling about it.

the next morning we played our set at acl. we were on the big stage and it was 12:30pm so i was a little worried that the crowd would be sparse but there was a decent sized crowd that was into it. yay! there were tons of teenage girls with some of the coolest sunglasses ive ever seen. they were handpainted neon! i want some! we also played 3 new songs. darkness falls so quiet, lick from the bones, and the tower. it felt so good to play them and at the end of the tower it was like you could hear the wind amidst all of the people. it was magic. after that me and mintz and dave went and played the kiddie stage. i was petrified but soon relaxed and enjoyed it. kids are the best audience ever. they practice gymnastics to your songs. word up. i think that dave and mintz might have a future in childrens music. i’ve never seen them have such fun. hahah!

it was blazing hot out so by the time we finished our sets and a bunch of interviews i could go no further. walking to see the racontuers i hit a wall and just hopped a cab back to the hotel where i was showered and in bed by 7:30pm. yeah, WOW! lame i know. it felt kinda nice to do all that though and just be in bed watching true blood and getting some rest. that show is so ridiculous and cheesy but i think i might be becoming a little obsessed with it.

the boys went back home and i headed to augusta, ga, to meet up with my paul and the parlor mob on their tour. yes, i fully believe in no rest for the weary so when my tours are over i like to go join others. hahah! but ya see, i had my 30th birthday coming up and wanted to spend it with my boyfriend and best friends. they were out on the road with a couple of metal bands that i’ve never heard of but were very nice people. it was kinda nice to not be in major cities and to see some other parts of the country. the first night we found a sports bar that had kareoke so after the boys set we headed over there. it was so much fun. mark sang some old r&b song that i can’t remember the title but all i could think of is, “damn, mark’s so smooth!” and then davey and sam sang no diggity. hilarious. the most atonal wonderful renditon ever with sam freestyling over it. good times.

the next day we went to columbia, sc and my buddies liz and marlon from charlotte came down bc at midnight i entered the twilight of my youth. hahah, jk. but we holed up at some arcade bar called jillians and drank jamesons and played deal or no deal all night trying to win a nintendo wii. no dice. then we met some gals that brought us to this weird college bar that made alcohol milkshakes. no dice. couldnt drink one. i can’t do drinks that are the same color as cartoons. but it was a nice warm night out and we sat outside and had a great time. that is until i went to take a bite of paul’s cheesesteak and proceeded to drop it where it went inside of my boots. ughhh. haha.

lots of driving in the van. smelly man van. our last destination was libertyville, ill. kind of a weird place but close to chicago. our friend tina from charlotte just moved there so she came out with her family which was nice. i sat at the merch booth and watched the vp debates. all i can say to whoever may be reading this. please vote. don’t forget. if you don’t want another 8 years of bullshit, we need to win this election by alot. bc you know what happens when the race is close right? ;) vote peoples!

so after a good few days of quality time with my favorites, and a hilarious viewing of the tv show nightrider! (the boys had some songs in an episode, for reals it was hysterical) i got up yesterday to catch a flight at 5am to los angeles. i went to rick rubin’s house to play him some new songs. such a cool guy with an even cooler sheepdog. dog looks like a bear. i want one.

then headed over to butch walkers house to work on some songs there. we played around with a couple ideas and then decided to go see jon brion’s set at largo. that man is a genius. or an alien. he creates songs onstage by building them on every instrument. it was incredible. during his second set he asked me up on stage to play a couple of my songs. i was pretty tired and nervous. the guitar he gave me to use was elliot smith’s and it was the nicest most comfortable acoustic i’ve ever played. we did neptune city, war torn and darkness falls so quiet. we created an orchestra behind me and my little acoustic songs. it was probably one of the coolest moments of my life because i’m just such a fan of him and couldnt believe that i was on stage playing my own songs with him. such a good night.

now i’m procrastinating and trying to get my shit together to go back over to butch’s and make some songies. off we go……..

Later....with Jools Holland!

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:36:00 -0400

So we just got back from London from taping the Jools Holland show. Wow what a night. We met some really nice people like Metallica, Carla Bruni, Kings of Leon, VV Brown and rapper Sway (he put my name in a freestyle and actually rhymed with Atkins, wtf!!!)

During the show Carla Bruni told Jools that she loved my songs and then later ran up to me to tell me the same. swwwwwwoooooooooooon! she is too hot for words! maybe we could play at the palace someday! hahah! after the show i hung out with metallica for a bit and seriously, they are the most down to earth nicest dudes ever. they remind me of my metal friends here in asbury like my boyfriend paul and his buddies half eaten. metal dudes are the best. passionate and kind.

anyways, here is a clip of the show. i’m going to hang out with some high school buddies for one last beach day. tears.

COVERS EP IS OUT NOW!!!

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:32:11 -0400

Hey Ya’ll! So my covers EP aptly titled “nicole atkins digs other people’s songs” is out now! It’s only available digitally right now so if you’d like to get it, head on over to iTunes. Hooray! I included songs from the Church, Cass Elliot, the Doors and Nada Surf. Hope you dig it!

The band and I have been at our rehearsal space this week demoing new songs for the new record. Shit is going sweet. In the beginning I was unsure of what I had going on but now I’m feeling pretty great about what I have come up with so far. I’m realising how much I missed making songs, just with being on the road so much this last year I havent given it too much attention. Now I’m back in the mode and the ideas are enticing and flowing easily. Thank goodness. Anyways, the Sea and I leave this weekend for London to perform two songs on my favorite late night music show…Later, with Jools Holland! YAY! and dude, ya’ll arent even going to believe who are on the bill with us, because I still can’t grasp it, Metallica!!! and Paul McFuckinCartney!!!! Oh my GAAAAHHH! more to come soon……..

eyes wide shut

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:45:46 -0400

ugh…. its a beautiful day out today. i have done absolutely nothing. i’ve sat with all my song ideas in books and a tape recorder and a guitar and just stared at them since 10am this morning. its almost like being paralyzed. i have all of this time now to write songs without distractions. just a few gigs and its just a bit overwhelming. i’m hoping i’ll be over it by tomorrow bc there is just so much to do. i need to start drinking coffee again and being a savage. maybe i’ll move back into my parents place and use that motivation again. or perhaps i should just give myself a break for today. its just one day. one sunny gorgeous breezy wasted fucking day.

lollapalooza tornado

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:19:57 -0400

Oh man, where do i even begin?! Finally back in NJ and somewhat decompressing. We actaully have a show in Baltimore and the boys are running late so i have some time to write. Anyways, got home for less than one day from Isaak tour before going to Lollapalooza. I had an extreme fit of ADD on my one day off so instead of unpacking and resting I decided to go get my hair dyed red. Very Impulsive. I had borrowed my sister’s car and she had this old Cranberries cd in it. It brought me back to when i saw them at the Arts Center in high school and she came out on stage in a wedding dress and blazing red hair. I just thought, man, my hair could use a bit of something. Now its red, like super red. I like it but its just for now, i’ll probably go back to brown very soon. it kind of limits the colors you can wear. meh.

So, Paul got home from tour that night. He had played Lollapalooza on the friday and said it was insane. I’m so glad they are finally getting out there to play good shows. I know i’m biased slightly but I really think that his band, the Parlor Mob, are gonna save rock n roll. If they don’t something is seriously wrong. So I got to spend about 4 hours with him before getting up at 4am to catch a flight to Lollapalooza.

My parents, Dutch and Connie came along. Our awesome friend, Vodka Dave from Divine Vodka in Chi-town decided he wanted to fly them out. I was a bit scared that they would pass out from the heat but then realized that my parents are way more savage then me. By the end of my set everyone I knew had already met them and were like, “dude your parents fucking rule”

We went straight to the festival after landing. Got to go to this Deisel gifting suite that my old friend Marni Herald was working at. She hooked us up so big. I could never afford a pair of jeans like those. Love it! After we headed to our stage. Blazing hot out! the street was about half full at the beginning of our set and then by the end it was packed. The crowd was dancing and clapping, singing, calling out requests. It was the stuff of dreams. I think i sweated out about half of my body weight but I had the best time ever. All i could think about was “wow, i went to this in 1995 and saw Pavement and Sonic Youth, and now I’m playing it. yay!”

After our set we did a few interviews and ran into our new buddies The Whigs. Ran into the National too. Those dudes are so nice, i bet they think we’re stalking them though. hahah! Next up, i had to DJ at the Divine Vodka party.

We get there and although its a nice venue, the crowd is a little bit guido and the dj hadnt shown up with a cable for my ipod. i’m used to djing with actual records so i had kindof a hard time just programming shit on an ipod. it was fun though. my parents were chatting everyone up and i played CAN and love and the kinks and we all drank lots of vodka and had a good time.

after that we went to a party at the hard rock cafe and i went back to the hotel to sleep. the next day, everyone’s daytime flights get cancelled bc of weather. bogus. i had a night flight and it was still on but then i get to the airport and the flight keeps getting delayed hour by hour. i run into marni again so we go get a beer to kill time. then BAMMM out of nowhere, lightning, shitloads of it. a voice comes over the loudspeakers…get away from the windows. after about an hour of this the loudspeaker informs us that there was a tornado sighting and that we all had to evacuate to the lower level. scary! it felt like we were in an apocalyptic movie.

so we get downstairs and 20 minutes later they tell us its ok to go up again. BUT first they had to check everyone through security again. THE ENTIRE AIRPORT! so we decided to just leave and get a flight in the morning. on the way out we ran into these guys aziz and rob from that show human giant. they were leaving as well so we all decided to split a cab back into town. very nice dudes.

so marni and i get back to the hotel and meet up with my folks and vodka dave for, what else? more vodka! my liver crying out in pain but unable to stop we joined aziz and rob and this guy heathcliff who works for wu tang to a bar in wicker park. the flight cancellation could have been such a drag but i’m so glad i ran into marni and those dudes. saved my night! a few pool games, shots and 2 chicago hotdogs later, back to the hotel for sleep again and finally in the morning, home. Home home home. it felt like i hadnt been there in years. paul picked me up and we both sat for hours just staring at our dust filled, semi abandoned apartment with our overstuffed smelly suitcases on the floor. knowing that in only 2 more weeks we would have to leave yet again.

this is me sitting on the side of the Arena in Nimes, France

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:28:57 -0400

this is me sitting on the side of the Arena in Nimes, France

The West is the Best...

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:28:15 -0400

we’re driving from olympia back to portland, troutdale to be exact, to rejoin chris isaak tour. we just did a weekend of our own shows in seattle, victoria and vancouver. it was nice to be able to have some time and stretch out a bit onstage. in seattle we played at the triple door and met some really cool and nice local musicians. this guy mark pickarel who has a band mark pickarel and his praying hands. a great songwriter and a sweet guy to boot. he used to play drums for the screaming trees too and we were all a bit in awe because we are nerds for that band. we also met kristin ward and her guitarist gary. really sweet people. everyone out west is just so relaxed. jordan from mono in vcf came out to the show too. we played with them in portland and i would absolutely recommend checking them out. they a mix of angelo badalementi with julee cruise, portishead, my bloody valentine. i love it. also met up with my friends raymond and meisha who are chiropractors. raymond adjusted me before the show and said that my neck was in trauma like i’d been in a car accident. probably from stress. man, i need to start sorting that shit out. breathing and stretching, gotta get back into it or i’m gonna lose it. i love touring but i’m really getting excited to be home even if its just for a little bit. gotta tend to my life and get things balanced again.
vancouver, all i can say is if i could move somewhere it would probably be here. we played the show and it was one of the funnest ones we did in a while. kindof a weird venue but the sound was perfect (thanks rob!) and out of nowhere i see my old friend trent and his wife in the crowd. i was friends with trent back in 99’ when i did a semester of school in australia. i havent seen him in 8 years and he and lara just happened to be in vancouver and their flight back to oz was delayed so they came to the show. such great people. its so easy to pick up right where i left off with him and his wife lara is a sweetheart just perfect for him. we went out after and had some drinks and then met up with borahm at some reggae club. it was pretty hilarious. i danced, i never do that. afterwards i met these cool drifters outside who were hungry so i took them out for pizza. came back to the hotel and passed out. such a fun night.
we spent our day off back in olympia for one last night at derek’s folks house. bbq and a campfire in the backyard. smores. inspired me to plan a camping trip in good ol’ jersey when i get home. sounds like what the doctor ordered.

on another note, my bf paul and his band the parlor mob are in LA right now as they are being featured in an episode of the new Knight Rider. yes! that was my favorite show when i was little. life is so weird.

Photo

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:54:37 -0400

Vancouver

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 19:54:03 -0400

So we’re in Vancouver now. Land of wonderful fishes. The best salmon sushi you’ve ever tasted. yay! We’re playing at the Plaza where we played with the Pipettes last time. There seems to be a pretty cool psych-rock scene here so I’m excited to see alot of the people we met last time again. Getting ready to be home though, just a few more days, then Lollapalooza, then home. I forget what my apartment looks like, hopefully it’s still there. This tour has been the tour of AfroBeat. Dan is way into it. Its haunting my dreams. I like it!

Here is a picture of me on the cover of Italy’s Hot Magazine. Never saw it coming. Pretty sweet. Too bad i can’t read it!

OHHHH-LYMPIA!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:12:42 -0400

So we’re in Olympia Washington right now getting ready to play our own show at the Triple Door in Seattle tonight. It’s one of my favorite places to play in the US. A classy joint, banquets, stars on the backdrop. Very Sinatra. We’re also gonna see our friends Raymond and Meisha. They are chiropractors so we’re all very excited to get cracked after a few months in the van and on planes. hip alignment, yay!

Its so beautiful out here. I love Jersey, its my home. but sometimes I wonder if living out here amongst the trees and the mountains, good coffee, easy livin, perhaps this is where I should be. Thinking about it, I feel that it would mellow me out so much I wouldnt even be able to write songs anymore. Hmmm, stress and music or stillness and trees?