Mt. Peal Animal Santuary Needs YOUR Help!

Hey Folks,

We will be heading off to the beautiful state of Utah to help our furry friends at the Mt. Peal Animal Santuary!

“Mt Peale Animal Sanctuary and Healing center is an integrated center of Healing. At Mt Peale we believe in looking at the totality of life. The plants, the animals, the land and the humans are inseparable. What befalls one effects the other. Mt Peale center holds that we are here to learn with all life through spirit that is manifest upon this earth. At Mt Peale center we believe that true deep healing arises out of the knowledge of this integration.”

If you would like to make a contribution to help this wonderful organization or learn more about what they do please click here http://www.mtpeale.com/   We’ll be playing on June 21st if you are in the area. Cris Williamson, Kathryn Warner and Kate MacLeod will be joining us in a grand celebration!

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Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Hey friends!

We arrived safely back from Grand Targhee Resort and the Trap Bar in Alta, Idaho/Wyoming. We met some new friends in Idaho Falls, and saw some “old ones” too! (They weren’t really old, but you know what I mean).

Playing at an altitude of about 8000 feet honestly, kicked our butts! Ha! It made me take stock in the fact that I best keep myself in shape if I want to continue this career. We felt as if we ran for 3 straight days! If we had not partaken in certain practices and physical exercises we surely would have been suffering because of it. We basically bounced back and snowboarded and skied the next day. So it was a good dose of motivation for us to be at our best physically!

If you ever wondered about what we do to keep our energy up, stay healthy and balanced, I will be posting a blog on our VIP membership page that will include more detail about this. I am eager to share with you all this knowledge as it’s been quite a journey the last 14 years of my life. People always ask, “How do you do it?” I am grateful to have a platform like the membership page to elaborate with those who wish to know. If you are one of those folks who desire to “dig deeper”, go here and check out the VIP membership. : http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/

For the rest of you, this Newsletter provides a point of contact for us to simply say, “Hello, this is what we’re up to and we appreciate you!” It will cover some of the details of our recent journeys in music, though VIP’s get the whole enchilada!

The VIP Corner allows YOU to be a part of our journey in a more intimate, exclusive way. We share our new creations, whether we post an mp3 that is just an idea or completely finished. We are committed to adding new pictures, movies, blogs and music on a monthly basis. You get your own password that gives you access to the VIP corner whenever you’d like! There are discounts, gifts, and other wonderful things to share as well. Come sit by our “cyber fire” and feel the warmth!

Meanwhile, for those of you who just want the skinny on when and where we are playing, we have lots of LOCAL (Boise) shows this week! You Boise folks are probably saying, “it’s about time!” Ha! Know you are LOVED Boise! And we would/could never abandon you!

We’ve been on the road A LOT this year already and will be throughout the rest of the season. Plans for Seattle area the beginning of May, Utah area third week of June, McCall ID area throughout the summer, Stanley ID, Eastern Oregon in August, and mid to Western Oregon in Oct.

So you local folks, when we play home, we want to see you and celebrate you! So come on out and join us for some fun!

Those of you in the areas we mentioned we are traveling, if you know of anyone who wants to have summer parties in the area, or house concerts, please feel free to contact us regarding this as we still have some “road dates” that are open during those tours! Super fun times to be had!

Local folks, I’ve never asked this before, but if you have a minute, please jump on line at: http://www.idahostatesman.com/best-of-treasure-valley/
and vote for your favorite “Best of Boise” band. We are in there, I’m not assuming we are your favorite, but if you pass us a vote we would love you more! (ha…we’ll ALWAYS love you regardless, but it would be cool to be recognized in that publication AND if we do, that means MORE doors locally could open up, which means MORE gigs for us to play for you! Yippie!) You don’t have to vote for everything to turn the form in, it’s an extensive list. Just do what you would like and know we appreciate every vote!

I highly encourage all of you to “jump on the VIP membership corner” and check it out! http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/ . There’s no obligation to sign up, but know that with your support, the possibilities of creating musical moments and living this dream are realized and we love you for it!

Thanks so much in advance! Here are the up-coming shows this week! Oh and our show at the Botanical Gardens has been moved from Sept. 11th to Aug. 21st !!! 6-9pm
Door: $10

4-20 Easter Sunday – Boise’s Center for Spiritual Living, service starts @ 10:30 and we will play a few songs. Rev. Jackie Holland always gives such a powerful sermon. Come get your cups full!

4/22 Tuesday, Happy Earth Day – The Lucky Dog from 7 till whenever! We are hosting an ALL WOMAN’s Jam!!! A traveling girl band, TheUndercurrents, http://violetvonderhaar.com/violet-and-the-undercurrents-3/the-undercurrents/
from Missouri will be a highlight of the night and we local ladies will do “mini-sets”. Get ready for a night of creativity, ad lib, excitement and camaraderie! Joining will be Rebecca Scott, Emily Tipton, Rochelle Smith, Pat Folkner and perhaps some “others” who might decide to slip in a note or two! J $5 cover.

4/24 Thursday – ADD THE 4 WORDS BENEFIT @ the Balcony! 7:30-9:30 – Here in Idaho there is a lot going on as far as equal rights. We will be at the Balcony down town Boise to help raise funds for those who stood up for the rights of ALL humans and unfortunately got arrested by our legislation. L So help us do good things if you can!

4/25 Friday – The Buzz Café 7-9 pm. A fun place to have some coffee and listen to some tunes, sometimes it gets really quiet in there and can be like a private concert. Let’s see!

4/26 Saturday- Café’ Capri 6-9pm. Join us for a fabulous BBQ as our lovely hosts celebrate another turning year of doing business. This Café is located off of the Gowen exit in Boise. There is a GREAT vibe at this venue, and we really appreciate the people running the café. There will be plenty of food, beers, wine, coffee and tunes! Hope to see you there!

Come get your “cup” filled! We are super excited to be home in Boise for the next 10 days! Hope we get so see our “old friends” (no, your not old…but you know what I mean! *wink!)

All of our best to you and yours!

Niccole & Mo

P.S.
For everyone, especially those avid bicyclist and folks that want to see some of Idaho’s finest country side and get in shape! There is an organization we play for each year called RIDE IDAHO. They roll out the red carpet to cycle some amazing terrain of Idaho’s finest country side offering you a fabulous trip! This year they will explore the Sun Valley area down to the City of Rocks. Please check them out @ http://www.rideidaho.org/ . All the proceeds for this tour go towards funding Idaho and making this state great! Tell a friend and pass the word! Thanks again!

New Membership Corner has launched!

Friends around the campfire

Today is the day! It’s NO APRIL FOOLS trick! We have a new VIP Corner of the website and it is up and running! So even though it’s raining in Boise today, I’d say anyone up for a toasty cyber space campfire with some hot toddies, new tunes, stories, pictures, MOVIES and an inside track that is COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVE, for your enjoyment, go HERE: http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/

I am thrilled of offer to our most avid supporters (YOU) a chance to catch an inside glimpse of our music while it’s being created and also to share some footage of our wacky moments while on tour. Come along for the ride at your own time and leisure through our designated corner of our web site that is available to you 24/7.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a musician you will get first hand insights to the trade of music in a super real, down to earth way. Plus you’ll get to keep downloadable mp3’s, gifts, discounts and much more!

We were inspired to create this membership based on listener’s desire for us to share more. We literally had our friends, followers, avid fans say, “do this”…and so we did! We hope you partake in the fun and we appreciate any and all membership proceeds, as they help get us on the road and stay on this path of creating music!

Thank you so very much!!! Happy “Fools” day! 😉

Niccole & Mo

Spring thoughts!

Wowsa Folks!

I have been thinking of you SO MUCH!  I know Boise folks have been asking, “Where are you girls playing next locally?”  And honestly, we’ve been out of town a LOT this winter, more than normal. And now it’s Spring, which takes us out of town still!

Video: Mo is filming up a storm!

Down time is good, but it hasn’t been down time for us at all.  I feel like I’m wrapping a HUGE CHRISTMAS PRESENT for all of you!  I’ve been working on this VIP page and putting things together and learning so much about technology.  I’m pleased to say my usual temper-tantrums with “Miss Mac” have subsided, as I’ve selected to make “nice” with “her” instead. (I have a PC too for when Miss Mac is just beyond moody!)

We are hand selecting mp3’s for our members and I made a fun movie of our travels to Sandpoint recently.  This “thing” that we are creating is BIG in so many ways.  It really extends into what we do and who we are as music makers and is quite vulnerable.

I’ve noticed this when trying to determine which mp3 to select for you.  “It’s not quite perfect, it still needs work. Am I really going to put that out there? Are they really going to catch this idea when I’m not even complete with it myself yet?”  Bold, brave and a bit scary at times, I wonder if I’m up for the task.  But something inside me says, “go into the fear”, simply because growth lives there.

We want to grow as artists and we want to share that experience with you.  I don’t know of any other artist doing this in such a way, so… we have no one to guide us on this journey.  We will certainly be open to feedback (but not “slams” of course).  I will want to hear your ideas if you join and of course there is no obligation to join, nor stay a member.

So, when will it be up and running?  Ha!  I thought this week, however…Miss Mac is making me wait…she’s keeping me wai a a a a a ting (think Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” song then you’ll know where I live in my head with this! Ha!)

I’m on a learning curve with the technology.  I’ll tell you all about this process in the VIP blog once the “door” to membership opens.  But…all I can say now is….It’s Coming!  J http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/  Feel free to sign up on the “interested” list connected to this link.

Meanwhile, here’s our schedule in the next upcoming weeks!

March 30th  send us your good thoughts as we are teaming up with “Purple Carrots” to write more songs!!! Yippie!  If you go to our Blaze and Kelly Face Book page we will try keeping you in the loop with what is going on.  That will be another 24 hour experience with Rebecca Scott and Dan Costello!

April 3rdVino Rosso in Idaho Falls 7-9:30pm

April 4th   The Trap Bar in Driggs Idaho 3-5:30pm

April 5th   The Trap Bar in Driggs Idaho 3-5:30pm

April 25th the Buzz Café’ 7-9 Boise ID

April 26th Capri Café’  6-9 Boise ID

*Boise friends, mark your calendars for Sept. 11th Botanical Garden’s Concert Series!! This is one of our favorite places to play!

Seattle friends, we have some bookings for May, but are looking for more.  Is there anyone who would like to do a house concert in the Seattle area the first or second week of May?  Or do you know of good venues we would fit well with?  Shoot us an e-mail!  We’d love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for being a part of our journey in music; we appreciate you all so very much!

Niccole & Mo

New CD and DVD for the New Year!

Hello lovely people! We have been hard at work creating FABULOUS NEW MUSIC for you to enjoy!

Our “Live at the Sapphire DVD” has just recently been release as has our “Live at the Sapphire CD” too!!! This body of work is a complete LIVE recording, you can hear the audience and experience this magical night for yourself whether watching or listening.
Also, the PURPLE CARROT album will be release this month! Get your tickets here: PURPLE CARROT TICKETS! And read about this awesome collaborative below:

Three of Boise’s most gifted musicians; Rebecca Scott, Niccole Blaze, and Dan Costello, seated themselves around a tray of purple carrots, hummus and some garlic olives. On a journey for newness they decided to collaborate writing songs together based on a web driven idea called, “Album in a Day”. The end result was a “smokin'” CD!!!

On Jan. 31st, they will release “Purple Carrots” for all of you to “munch on”. “The Sapphire Room”, one of Boise’s most premier venues, will showcase these amazing artist together for the first time in “singer-songwriters in the round” fashion!

Drawing on over 40 years of musicianship among them, these artist will fill your cup with sweet grooves and harmonies from their fresh creations! You will get an inside look into the song writing process as they share about what it was like to stay up for 24 hours and create with each other for the first time.

Come be a part of this magical, creative energy and share the camaraderie as you connect with some of the finest songwriters of the Treasure Valley! Show starts @ 7:30 (doors open 6:30). Seating is first come first serve, and only 150 tickets will be sold. This is sure to be an intimate and sold out show, so get them soon!

CD’s will be sold at this event. If you would like to purchase the Purple Carrot CD, please send me a direct e-mail and I will make sure we get it to you: niccoleblaze@hotmail.com

Have an AWESOME New Year!

My car rolls over 200K this trip and so do I!

Good morning friends and listeners (if it’s morning for you)

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It’s morning for me.  I’m up early thinking, “I’ve wanted to write an update to everyone, telling them about our trip, and about the DVD progress and what’s happening now”.  Basically, I want to write.  Spill it all out there cause there has been so much of life recently I just can’t “grab hold” of, and it helps to put it in writing.

Shows: 
So for those of you who want the quick “knitty gritty” show information:
Friday 11/1 we will be appearing for the FIRST TIME @ The Kilted Dragon from 7-10pm.  It’s a new brewery in town and we are hoping to pack it!  Panzano brick oven Pizza will be there too and their Pizza is fabulous!

Sat. 11/2 a favorite place, The Wood River Cellars 7-9pm.  This is a GREAT venue to hear music.  Most times the audience is a listening audience and this room is amazing for sound.
All details about the shows can be found on blazeandkelly.com

Next week we are in Arizona.  We will be playing a private party in Scottsdale and a private house concert in Tucson.  If anyone lives in that area and wants a private invite, it is very possible to attend.  Just e-mail me and I’ll give you the information.

Opportunities:
We had the best times in Washington!  Indeed!  We had 3 house concerts and they were all a “smash”!  They were all very different and very fun.

What a house concert is:  Someone hosts a concert in their living room, patio, garage, closed restaurant, where ever you can put 20 people or more.  We ask for a “love donation” of $10-20 from each person.  Sometimes there’s a pot luck, sometimes the host serves wine/beer…or maybe maple cookies (wink!)   We play a set and tell stories and you can hear EVERYTHING and interact with us a bit.  We take a little break, mingle then play another set.  People listen, close their eyes sometime, laugh, cry, relate, and sometimes we all “go up 100 feet”!

I must digress into the most amazing moment I’ve experienced to date!!!   We were at the end of our set at a Mt. Vernon house concert.  There was about 25-30 people there.  It was a magical night, so many cool souls in that room!  As we finished “Life is Beautiful”,  I opened my eyes and everyone was silent for a very long 5 seconds.  They didn’t even clap…we were all transported so high up we had to stop and look around at each other and no one wanted that moment to end! There was such energy in the room that is indescribable as I try to convey it to you now.  We were all “enlightened” for just a second. Their mouths agape and my own consciousness checking back in with my body, realizing I was still on this planet!  Then I told them they were beautiful and they clapped and clapped and clapped and it made me cry!  Ha!  (such a sap!)  Seriously…it was AMAZING!!!

House concerts, I’ve discovered, makes those moments happen more frequently than anywhere else.  So why not have one?  If you have friends and family and a few feet of space you can do it and we will help you!  For some of the hosts in Washington, it was the very first time they have ever done this.  They didn’t know what to expect and were quite please with the outcome.  Surprised in fact!  Elated with the experience, they want us to return.  And that is a great feeling because that is the kind of energy exchange we are after.  When everyone feels “filled up” we know we did our job.  So, if you are tired of trying to listen over conversations of others, let us help you put on a show in your own living room!

Alternate opportunities:
Now if that sounds too vulnerable and too scary with the lot of friends you pal around with, go for the “party”, that’s a whole different energy.  That is where you invite your friends, they don’t pay a suggested donation (but can tip and buy CD’s) and you and I come up with a flat fee. If people listen, great, and if they chat it up that’s o.k. too.  Parties can sometimes turn into house concerts (because that can be the nature of music) but all fees are negotiated before hand and you’re not asking your friends to contribute.

We’ve had some awesome parties too I must say.  I really LOVE the house concert format.  People can be intimidated by it and worry about people showing up, but I tell you…once you experience the whole room floating on a cloud and all your friends being amazed and impressed by you putting this thing on…you’ll want to do it again.

What’s happening with the DVD? 
For those new to the Newsletter, we did a live show at the Sapphire Room here in Boise and had the most amazing night!  We filmed it with about 5 cameras and have been anticipating a professional video to come hopefully by the end of the year.

We are getting a proof copy of the DVD this week!  Yes!  The audio and video got “married” earlier this month.  I have written out all the credits and talked to the artist who is designing the cover.  The local manufacturer is ready to take on the project too.  We are good to go…just have to approve of the video, get the art work finished and then put it all together!  I’m shooting for early December!  Just in time for CHRISTMAS!  😉  I will be so excited to get the film out there and share that amazing night all over again. Thank you for your patience and support!

200,000 miles – the Panida Theatre and getting Older! 

Well, our truck and I rolled over another click on our odometer!  Ha!  “Betty Lou 2” my Ford Explorer clicked 200K and I turned another year older last Sat.  Yep…happens to the best of us, I guess *wink!
I’ve been thinking about all the miles we’ve traveled. I had such the fortunate opportunity to play one of my favorite theaters.  I got my big start at the Panida theatre and what a treat to be invited back.  On so many levels going back “home” to open arms was very surreal.  The Daily Bee put us on the front page! You can see it HERE.  And there were posters up on every window of the town, pellted in all the shops! Also the marquee was lit up like a Christmas tree with our names right on top!

“How amazing,” I thought.  I left this town, its’ beauty and those dear friends and family and that awesome ski mountain.  I left that whole other life behind, as I needed too.  “But now I’m back”, looking across that beautiful lake with friends from Boise who made the trip.  How did these ten years go by so fast and how did I get here?  That whole tour was the biggest birthday present I could have ever asked for, so special, so many amazing people on this journey.

I had an older Ford Explorer that turned its’ numbers high, a little over ten years ago.  I had an old graying dog then too.  With every gray hair that pops out of my head, or out of Mo’s head or my dog Osa’s face I wonder about the “miles” we’ve put on life.  I think about what is important, the growth, the love I’ve shared and have gotten to witness.  The hearts that have cracked open in the middle of a song.  The opportunity to be the one standing behind the microphone trying to make a difference, witnessing the real show.  The show of life.

We aired on two radio stations while in Sandpoint, KPND and KRFY.  The hosts of each show asked GREAT questions.  Reflective and insightful questions about what it was like to make music. “How do you come up with melody lines?  When did you and Mo meet?  How did you start playing music.” It causes me to answer and seek myself over.  I love live radio for that reason.  It use to terrify me.  I have literally stepped myself into terrifying situations voluntarily.  Ha…who does that? Why do I do that!?  David Gunter interviewed me for the Daily Bee and asked me that very question.  He plays music too.  He asked, “Why do we do this?  Put our hearts and souls out there for others to judge, or reject?”

I said, “I think I’m trying to prove to myself over and over that love is the only energy that exists and the rest is all B.S.”  I need to keep believing that.  I lose sight (as most of us do from time to time) but if I can just stay “on that line”.  That line of love and truth and knowingness and belief in myself and the best in others.  If I can continue to BE THERE and LIVE from there, others can see it and feel it and choose it for themselves too.  And…we can all float up 100 feet together, and when we come back down, laugh like hell, cry tears of gratitude and start clapping!  Ha!

I’ve literally been around the world over 8 times in the last 10 years (24,900 is a loop around the Earth – thanks google!  )  It was an epic tour – to date.  It’s been an epic journey.  It’s been a VERY cool trip around the sun for me this year.  Thank you for your support and I am grateful to have been on this journey with you! Have an awesome day!
Much love, Nicc, Mo & Osa!

The Panida Theatre, 2 CD’s a DVD and 2 Tours!

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Hey Folks,

Wow time has certainly slipped away and I have “updated” you all in my mind, I swear…but that doesn’t do you much good huh?  Anyway, you have been in my thoughts as we’ve motored along on our local and distant shows.

Big news…the Purple Carrot Collaboration is done and going into replication this week!    This is the “album in a day” we worked on in March with Rebecca Scott and Dan Costello!  It turned out AWESOME, I’d have to say!  It was SO cool to work with those two and the songs are groovy and fun!  Let me know if you’d like a copy, I’m hoping to have some fresh copies on our way to Sandpoint!

NEXT WEEK:  We play the Panida Theatre in Sandpoint!!!!    Oct. 10th 7:30 pm! 

This is such a full circle!  I released my first album “Despite the Dents” on this stage almost 10 years ago!  We were selected at last year’s Northwest Booking Conference to play for the Panida this year and are so excited to see some old friends!  We hope those in the area can come to this special event!

The DVD….yes everyone is wondering WHEN that will be out.  The good news is…the audio has been completed and a big part of the video has been edited.  Now we are ready to marry the two…video and audio and I can’t wait to see the results.

We will do a final edit in the next month and I am working with an artist to complete the artwork.  Then it goes to replication, but not until final editing and art work is finished…but it’s getting there.  Hopefully before the year is out we’ll have the DVD finished AND a CD cut of the live show as well!  So if you want to HEAR the songs from this show, we’ll have the “Blaze and Kelly Live at the Sapphire Room” CD.  This is really exciting!

Pushing a huge body of work forward feels good!  It’s been a GIANT undertaking getting Purple Carrots, Live at the Sapphire DVD and the Live at the Sapphire CD up and running.  Wow…when I do something — I go BIG!  Ha!

We are also working on new local venues and planning a tour to Seattle next week AND a tour in Arizona Nov. 7-14th!   I’m happy to say Mo has been in on the full time music crusade with me since June and if feels wonderful to have her working with me on the administrative stuff for this “job”  J

So we will be in touch when all these new items hit the public and hope you partake in the new goods!  Our upcoming schedule is below:

Friday10/4The Blue Moose@ 6:30-8:30ish….OUR FIRST SHOW HERE, we are hoping to make a good impression!

Sat.  10/5The Wood River Cellars @ 7-9always amazing acoustic sound

Sun. 10/6The Harvest Festival @ the Botanical Gardens3-6 pm w/Rochelle Smith, this looks like a fun event, hay rides and things for “big kids” too!

Off to Sandpoint!!!!

The Panida Theatre!!!!  Thursday Oct. 10th7:30 pm

You can tune into public radio for our interview while we visit Sandpoint @ KRFY 88.5FM

http://www.krfy.org/  happening Oct. 9th @ 9:00a.m. (PT)

Wed.  10/16Cellar Café in Wenachee*

Friday 10/18Open House Concert– public welcome   Mt. Vernon WA area*

Sat.     10/19Open House Concert – public welcomeTacoma WAarea*

*see details on the web for these shows  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/

We hope to see you in our home town, or in our travels and we hope our music has brought some joy to your life.  Thank you for partaking and being on this lovely journey with us.  If you have information for us in our travels, don’t be a stranger, feel free to write!

Much love to you all!

Niccole & Mo

Summertime gigs

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Hey Folks,

I hope this finds you looking forward to your weekend!   Mo and I just returned from meeting up with some friends in the Tetons.  I got to spend some time with friends I’ve made over 33 years!  Wow!   Anyway, it was a great few days and for the first time I sang “Sweet Wyoming” to the audience I wrote it for.  Yes, there were tears and of course laughs too.  It is impossible to sing and cry at the same time!  (It’s also impossible to sneeze and sing too, just in case you were wondering!  However, it almost happened to me a few weeks ago!)

Anyway, I wanted to give you the latest on what’s going on with us and the music schedule:

Friday, 7/19@ The Piper Pub right down town with Rochelle Smith! 8:30-11:30pm

Sat.  7/20 @  a Private Party   – YOU can schedule one too!!!

Sun. 7/21@ the Sandbar at the Riverside Inn on Chinden2-5pm

Wed7/24 @ Sa-wa-dee 6:30 – 9:00

Friday 7/26 @ Carl Miller Park in Mtn. Home from 6:30 -8:30please bring lawn chairs or blanks and come enjoy some hot music in the cool shade!

Wed 7/31 @ Smoky Mtn. Pizza Eagle 7-9a GREAT patio!!!

This will do it for a bit locally.  We will be off and running to other states and places so we hope to see you and some of your friends at these great local venues!

Also!  Mark in your calendars…we will be playing the Harvest Festival at the Botanical Gardens this year on Sunday Oct. 6th from 3-5pm.  This looks like a great time for kids too and you big kids because there will be hay rides too! JWho doesn’t like a hay ride?

Many hugs!

Niccole & Mo

Off to Oregon and DVD Update!

Hello friends and listeners,

The “meat and potatoes”  of this newletter can be found here: UPDATE.

We are off and running to the Oregon coast for a 2.5 week tour starting THIS WEEKEND!  We are very excited and if you have friends or family in the Oregon area, please feel free to tell them about our shows or shoot them our web site, www.blazeandkelly.com ! We’d love to meet them!

For those of you interested in more details about  the DVD and how it’s coming along, please click here:
UPDATE

To see our Oregon dates please click here:  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/
And for those in the Bosie area we have one last show before the tour at:
Wed. 5/22  @ Sa-wa-dee  in Meridian 6:30-9pm 🙂 yummy Thia Food in  a very relaxed atmosphere!

Keep touch with us on facebook/blazeandkelly for posts of our travels and our radio shows!
We hope you are enjoying the last weeks of Spring and are ready for the summer fun!!!

Niccole & Mo

Here’s our “ride”  🙂  A 1970 referbed Shasta! The inside is a bit “log cabin style”- home away from home!

Refrerbbed 1970's Shasta! All the comforts of home, well...almost!

KICKSTARTER FOR DVD! We NEED YOU!~

The time is NOW!!

Now is the time for getting Blaze and Kelly on the map with the help of a music video!!! Yep!  It’s true!  It’s SO important.  It’s not our ego talking, we need film.  Why?  We’ve been missing the boat on major shows because we do not have a worthy enough video that captures what we do.  (I know right?)  How can this be?  We’ve been doing this for how long?

It comes down to this, you get what you pay for…yep!  Just like most things, if you don’t go professional…it won’t BE professional.  No surprise there huh?

So in that…I am firing off a “Kickstarter Champain”.  If you click on this:  KICKSTARTER          you will be able to see EXACTLY what we plan to do.  We have rewards for you too if you decide to pledge.  We REALLY need your assistance with this.

Check out the rewards for your contributions and know that if you are local and have already contributed you will not be expected to contribute again if you’d like to join us for the LIVE FILMING which will take place on:

April 7th Sunday @ 2 pm
At the Riverside Hotel in Boise (off of Chinden –Garden City)
In the Sapphire Room (way super cool room)

There will be breakfast before hand that is amazing from 10-2 with bottomless mimosas & cocktails at the 365 bar as well.

This is going to be a VERY special event and we’d LOVE for you to join us.  You will see the “behind the scene” view of it being made right in front of you!

We are putting out a jar for suggested donations ($20)  but no one will be turned away on the count of proceeds.

What do we need to raise and why?
The breakdown is…the film company is estimated approx. 4000.00
The rental hall $300
Audio professionals $1500 (minimum.)
Artwork, graphics $300
Manufacturing Costs$2000
Misc. (like getting the other players some grub and drinks) $100.00

Can you see it adding up?  A great idea turns into a HEAP of money! Ha!  Isn’t that the case?!   Kickstarter is a program that helps fund things safely, so…I put our mark at $5000, though…if you do the math you will see I will take MUCH more than that.  Here’s the catch…if you, “Miss your Mark” you get ZERO!  This is because people deserve to know if the project was fully funded and if their rewards will come their way or not.  There will be NO CHARGE to ANYONE if the program is not FULLY FUNDED.  That means Mo and I will be taking out a big loan, selling some things, loosing more weight to try to “kickstart” our career as self-employed independent artists!  Ha!!!

I ask you this…has our music ever moved you?  Have you been touched by a show, a song, a hello from one of us?  Has it lifted you? Made you think?  Made you feel?  Got you closer to someone?  Got you closer to yourself?  Turned over a new leaf?  Turned your life in a new direction?  What DOES music do for you???  In that…we would be ever so grateful to receive any pledges you might have to offer.
PLEASE TELL YOUR FREINDS!  If 800 people put in $10 bucks…we’d have our goal met in a millasecond! Dreams would come true!  Indeed!  The time is now!  It scares the absolute ba-jeebees out of me…but when WON’T it?  “Do it anyway” I always say!

Thank you so much for your love and support.  My computer was centering all my paragraphs being weird as I wrote this. Now that I’m at the end I finally got it to work right.  Perhaps it means that this letter comes to you from the very “center” place in my heart and soul!  I believe in YOU and I believe in US!  Let’s make it happen TOGETHER!!!

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL AS WELL!  ENJOY!!!
Niccole & Mo

Happy 2013!

Welcome to 2013!  Yes, another year passes “Swiftly By” and we are hit with the disillusionment of, “that one’s done” and the wonder of, “what’s this next one going to bring?” Is it no wonder people are internal this time of year, processing what happened this past year and what they wish to make for themselves this new year?

I am ever so grateful for 2012.  This was a very growing year for me personally and also for Mo and I in music.  We had the pleasure of visiting LA for the ASCAP expo in April.  We had a great time with some of you on the road to our travels North through Montana and other parts of Idaho.  Opening for Olivia Newton John was a special treat.  Rolling down the Snake River with BEAUTIFUL people, taking in the breathtaking sights was spactacular. I’ve managed to “chisel out” some new tunes, read some great books, met some amazing folks and made shifts to my diet that work in my favor (OMG it’s about time!).
As I look over the highlights of this past year, the love that flowed from 1000 Springs Festival, being embraced and moved by amazing folks at CSL service, getting a showcase at the NW Booking conference and meeting Tom Jackson.  Watching my 9 year old guitar student play “Lena’s Lullaby” right in time with me (which brought me to tears!)  I am just amazed and touched by all of it.  Even the hard parts, because you know..there are always “bumps” along the road.
Looking back to the after glow can cause my rampant mind to wonder…”how do you ‘top’ that one”? But the reality is, the turning of the calendar is just another page in the grand chapter of you!  More of the same?  Something new? I suppose it’s all up to us to make it what we will.  What will it be for you this year?

Mo asked me a great question while we rehearsed the other day…”where do you want your thoughts to live?”
Spending time in our minds can either deprive us of an epic experience or BE the epic experience depending on what we let oursleves focus on at the time.  Where ever you go…there you are, right?  So to be conscious and awake is a good goal I will continue to work on and of course there are other things, like writing more tunes, recording, meeting more beautiful people. 🙂
We have some opportunities to help with raising funds for needy children called the Child Fund, when I know more I will devulge.  And I’m basically excited to play and sing for all of you who we so appreciate.  Feel free to stay in touch with us.
For those of you in Oregon and Washington : we are gathering information on possible places to play, house concerts, worship services, cafe’s, concert series.  Please let us know if you have any ideas!  We’d love to hear from you.  We are hoping to embark your way in May/June.  For folks in N. Idaho we are hoping to see you sooner possible Feb. in Sandpoint.  We’ll keep you posted. To our new friends at CSL thank you for all your warmth.  And to our Boise listeners, the “back bone” of our fan base we thank you and you can see us this week here:

Wed.  1/9  @ 7-9pm  Divine Wine  This is a NEW venue, so we hope to pack it and have a blast!  🙂
Friday 1/11 @ 7-9   The Buzz Cafe’  This is a great place for a fun mini-concert and over all great time.
Friday 1/25 @ 8:30-11:30  The Piper Pub  right downtown Boise
McCall folks!  Look for us at Crusty’s Pizza 1/20 @ 7pm  can’t wait to see you!
Friday 2/1 & 2/2 @ 8-11pm  The Owyhee Plaza right downtown Boise

Much love and peace to you all!  Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of our dreams come true!
Niccole & Mo

People have asked…”so how was opening for Olivia?”

and I say….

It was a blast…and it was.  What makes it a blast?  Seeing all of our friends get excited for us.  Hearing comments on facebook that rewards us for doing a good job and even those folks saying, “how was it to have Olivia Newton John close for you” as they snicker.  As we were preparing for the concert I said to Mo…let’s just take our time and have fun, let’s believe in our set list and what we have to give the audience.  And we truly did. We had a ball!  There was a great audience of a couple thousand folks and they were all very receptive or at least seemingly patient as they waited for the act they paid to see.
As we drove to the venue I said to Mo, “you know what I like best about doing stuff like this?”…she said, “what?”  I responded, “ACCESS”.  Ha!  It is fun to go into places you normally can’t go, like back stage or the house where they serve the food and have a cool collection of signed guitars on the walls.  You can drive right up to the monster buses that held the “real musicians” and it’s an exciting feeling being on a stage with so much stuff around you, full drum kits, giant lights.  We sound checked to a bunch of empty chairs, and then moved off stage to let the audience come in.  We did get to meet Olivia and she seemed like a nice lady.

We waited back stage and I think that’s when  most nerves hit you.  But I really didn’t get nervous this time, plus our buddy Steve Fulton was there and we gabbed it up with him and had a great time. It was one of the most sweetest crews we’ve ever worked with.  Playing was a ball, free flowing, great set list and a step out of our comfort zone as we took on Lenard Cohen’s Hallelujah for the first time in front of a large audience with Mo singing back up.  It was awesome to celebrate with our friends after our segment and also great to listen to Olivia and all those hits that are so familiar.  So over all, a very positive experience!

We are off to the 1000 Springs Festival in Hagerman for a show on Sat. 9/29 @ 2:30 this week.  This is a great way to close our hustle bustle of a season.  There are beautiful waterfalls that surround this festival and we love the audience there, as they are always listening with open hearts!  It’s quite a time and we are honored to play there again.  If you are in that area come on out for this treat!

Here’s the month of Oct. in a nutshell:
10/5  ** New Venue – Bonefish downtown Boise 8-10pm
10/6 **  Private Party
10/12 Season’t Bistro 7-9pm
10/13 Bonefish 8-10pm
10/19 Piper Pub 8:30-11:30pm
10/20 Owyhee Plaza 8-11pm
10/26  Happy Birthday do meee  🙂
10/27 Private Party

If you’d like to make a private party happen for you or a loved one or,  just to celebrate anything, drop us an e-mail, we’d be honored.
Please go to www.blazeandkelly.com  for any details regarding the shows at any time.

So Fall is here…we’ll begin to go inward, take a rest, reflect, draw on some creativity, song-write, do some recording, practice practice practice, teach some guitar and generally enjoy the slower season!  Thank you all so very much for being a part of our musical dream!  We really appreciate your support, love and warmth you’ve shown us through the years of this journey!

Best Regards,
Nicc & Mo

Big News! We get to open for Olivia Newton John!

Yep it’s pretty surreal.  All those years ago, listening to the sound track of “Grease” (on 8 track LOL!) Knowing every word by heart,never imagining for one moment that our paths would cross on the same stage!  How wild!  We’ll be opening Thursday 9/6 @ the Eagle River Pavilion, more details to follow in the “show” section of this newsletter.  

This goes to show that sometimes just showing up and doing what you love, matters.  Yes, there are 50 million opportunities that might not ever call on you…but you might get that one.  That is what is cool about the music business, (or criminal some colleagues might confess).  You can be playing at a Pizza joint one day and then off to the big giant stage the next and through it all you are still the same “schmuck” with a guitar and a hand full of songs!  Haaaa!!!

It’s perfect psychology food, at least at the level that I play.  I can’t get “too big for my britches” and Lord knows, I wouldn’t want to.  But we get a couple “bones” thrown our way and we are so delighted!  Everyone needs a “bone” coming to them once in a while.  If I knew what it was for you…I’d throw it!!!!  Some people withhold the bones on purpose…they don’t like giving people a thing…usually a person like that has nothing to spare inside.  The best thing for those folks is compassion.  They may have so much but can’t see it…and we’ve all been there at a time or two.

Coming off our Montana tour I am in such gratitude for the people that I met and the landscape that I got to witness…and I should say BEAR witness cause we saw some BEAR up there in the Glacier area!  How FUN!  Our trip started with 3 shows out the gate in Great Falls…the people were fantastic…I particularly LOVED Belt Montana…home of “Pig Ass Porter” what a great group of people and a cute little town!

Getting to vaca. is always a treat on the road and we did just that, heading north to the Canadian Glaciers with trailer in tow.  Then across to the Kalispel/Whitefish area for more shows. Then down to Missoula back to familiar territory of Stanley (which a lot of terrain was on fire). Though it was smokey we played a fun show to great local crowd at Sawtooth Luce’s in Stanly…thank you Josh and the gang for all your amazing support and warmth!  

Now back in Boise we are at it this week at these places:
Wed. 9/5  Smoky Mtn. Pizza  7-9pm
Thrus 9/6  Eagle River Pavilion to open for Olivia doors open @ 6 we’ll play 7-8ish then kick it with you all and watch Olivia do her thing!!!
Friday 9/7  Art in the Park  (Julia Davis) Boise  5-7
Sat.  9/8  Eagle Farmers Market  10:30-1
Sun – Thurs.  MOUNTAIN RIVER Outfitters TRIP  down Hells Canyon
Tues.  9/18  Edward’s Green House for an UNPLUGGED SHOW   6-8

I have so much to share and of course I’m running up to the wire…so I’ll leave you all with that…thank you for all your support and encouragement.  Our opportunities are because people like you believe in us and we appreciate it so much!

Much gratitude!

Niccole & Mo

Who’s got the time?

Those who make time.

I’ve noticed some folks have popped off the e-mail list and some have added themselves.  Life is a fine line of doors closing and opening isn’t it? My motto lately has been…”NO OPINION”.  I’ve been trying to look at things with no opinion, try it…it’s not that easy all the time.  You feel your little “opinion” popping up in your head when conversations are slinging around.  Some people sit back and listen, others get in there and participate in conversation, some folks bully themselves around to be heard.  Some folks you want to hear but dare they disclose their insight.  I love being around people, I learn so much and with “no opinion” I try desperately to “stay in the middle”  of course I HAVE and opinion…everyone does…do you like vanilla? chocolate? Mac or PC?  Coke or Pepsi?  Hendricks Gin or Bombay (ha…had to get that in there for those who’ve been following along!)

I love to people watch and I’ve always said I have the best seat in the house as a performer.  I tell Mo, “I don’t know any one that would be aloud to stand up in a restaurant, bar gig and just look around”…it would be weird if I weren’t singing right?  I mean, could we all agree on that or is it just my opinion?  If I didn’t have a guitar in my hands or a voice popping out harmony…it would be a strange seat for me to just look into everyone’s eyes and stand up in the middle of a place on some random Sat. night.  The show from my perspective is a completely different show than you all might see.

This might freak some people out.  Am I watching YOU?!  LOL!  People might have an opinion about that…some folks might drop off the list and NEVER want to see another show…paranoid I may be thinking something too while I play and gaze around the room.  Some people want to be watched (I’ve noticed) others avert their eyes and others catch a moment and somehow that moment becomes ours.  That shrunken piece of time  where I can see into someone’s soul and they see into mine.  I see their true selves and it makes me smile and they smile back at me for whatever they see.  I just LOVE that.  I think it use to scare the hell out of me at first…”what will they see” ha!  And sometimes when I’m feeling not so confident I can still get a bit nervous and avert my own eyes.  It DOES take some concentration to play, remember your words and to now and then to be hit with a stare that runs so deep,  can derail most any musician.  I’ve seen it happen many times, to myself and others…we are human after all.  Our confidence levels are random on any given day and performing definitely puts a gage out there to be in touch with it.  No opinion helps though.  No judgment about what you did or didn’t do, said or forgot to say, bumbled chord or flawless arpeggio.  Music is great practice for “no opinion” and these newsletters are too.

Half the time I sit down and write a title like I did today, “who’s got the time” and I go completely in another direction!  I was going to tell you about my dog chasing chizzlers in Stanley (chizzlers = chipmunks)  stomping like a bear with both feet into a wood pile.  I was going to mention about how yesterday I was waiting for a friend so I laid out in her yard and stared up at a GREAT tulip tree blowing in the wind and it swallowed me up with it’s unspoken language.  I was having an opinion that if I shared that, would people think “all I do is lay around staring up at trees and write songs…must be nice to have that kind of time”.  But who has the time to just go out an lay in the yard for 5 minutes and watch the wind blow?  Letting it fill them up?  Anyone who MAKES the time to do that can.  And if you are on your lunch break gazing up at some maple or cottonwood (the best is lying on the grass stretched out…my preference) and cars are passing you wondering if you had a heart attack or if you passed out from heat stroke…that is their opinion or view point.  You can’t control what others think about you…it’s virtually impossible and I always say, “their thoughts are none of my business.”  So…give yourself the freedom and the time to do what feeds your soul.

We hope that you find good “soul time” with us at our shows and with these writings!  Be well and hope to see you this week here:

Tues. 7/31 @ the Liquid there is a fundraiser for Angela…a very important event for this little lady.  We’ll play sometime around 6:30-8 and the details about her are here http://benefitforangela.blogspot.com.  Please make a contribution if you can to the cause. No amount is too small, she really needs financial assistance!

Wed. 8/1 @ the Bardenay in Eagle 6-9 pm for an all ORIGINAL (that means self penned songs) set list!!!
Thurs. 8/2  @ Hyde St. Pub 7-10 pm for another all Original set!  🙂

We will be playing for RIDE IDAHO this Sat. in New Meadows.

How do you know if you have “road-ass”?

Your back end starts to take on the impression of the car seat! 

Or at least your lower back starts to gel into your knees.  Yep!  It was a sweaty drive to Jackson Wyoming last week for me.  A marathon drive to spend a little bit of time with my family.  No, I’m not from Wyoming, but if you listen to “Sweet Wyoming” you’ll know that I’m very connected to that area and so is my family.  They all drove in to the “Hole” as we call it, to kick it for a few days and though it was short it was a sweet trip.

I brought food and packed up our little ride of a trailer.  Mo stayed in Boise to visit her Mom and Big Dog came with me.  I was proud of myself for getting an early start only to be pulled over by a motorcycle cop to my surprise.  Turns out, for as organized as I thought I had been, I forgot to put the TAGS on my trailer!  Ugh!  I HAD the tags…and I knew right where they were once I got out of the truck and looked at the tag that clearly said 2011~ !  DAMN!

So I turned around (as life can “Turn around on you” at any given moment) and drove to the other side of town (still in Boise thank God) where home was and stuck the tags I bought back in Feb. on the trailer.  Now I had a whole 6-8 hour drive ahead of me to call myself names LOL!  Instead of kicking my own butt all the way across the state I decided to dip into some music I haven’t listened too in a long time.

People ask when Mo and I are on the road, “what do you listen to” and really…we don’t.  We get into philosophical conversations all the time.  That’s the great part of Mo…she definitely can philosophize with me about most anything and as you well know by now…I think a lot!  Ha!  But on this day, I decided to rummage through some Allison Krause and then onto a killer collection of random up-comings Rochelle gifted me.  It was great!  The heat was forgiving but the wind swept my fuel away faster than you can drink a milkshake!  DAMN!

I pulled into the “Hole” by 4pm and my family put on a feast.  Infact, I contributed nothing to the table…not even olives (a favorite of mine, green always), Dad had that covered.  We had ridiculous conversations around the campfire.  You know families… the weird things you talk about.  I discovered a great Gin my brother was doling out called “Hendricks”.  Fabulous gin if you like gin.  Essence of cucumber and Juniper…yum.  The last time we all got together in the “Hole” my mother was alive.  So it’s been 10 years.  Wow!  Can it be that long?  It seems impossible how fast time goes.

I sang songs around the campfire with my sister and the dogs figured out their pecking order.  The journey home was a long HOT drive. 105!  Sizzling across the desert!  Just for kicks I put in my older CD’s (Dents and Smile) which kept me occupied for a few hours. I laughed and cried…it was the most bizarre experience.  To listen to  my younger self sing those songs and remember where I was at the time.  To listen through on how we arranged each song and think about ALL that growth! Wow!  My voice has shifted it’s place and I can HEAR THAT!  Blows me away.  It seems to come from a place so much deeper now. How fortunate am I to have a “scrap book” of life on audio.  I don’t listen to my own stuff all that often and I’m always tripped out by those that tell me they are going on a road trip and taking me with them.  I get it now.  I’m quite proud of the whole collection and more and more certain that there will always be more to come.  More songs to write, deeper to go and improvements to make as I hopefully get wiser.  What a trippy experience that I’m ever so grateful.  I will always make music for as long as I can.

And now it’s off to Stanley this week!  Another jaunt but not as far and hopefully a bit cooler!  Here’s where we are playing up there…

Wed. 7/25  Sawtooth Luce’s  6-9  this was such a great show last time.  The owners are such sweet people and the Pizza and view are well worth the drive!

Sat. 7/28  Idaho Rocky Mtn. Ranch 6:15- 9.  This is an epic place to play.  Panoramic view of the mountains and gourmet meals.  They only have spots available to the public for about 15-20 people so if you would like to attend please call and make reservations (208) 774-3544

NEXT WEEK

Tues. 7/31 @ the Liquid there is a fundraiser for Angela…a very important event for this little lady.  We’ll play sometime around 6:30-8 and the details about her are here http://benefitforangela.blogspot.com.  Please make a contribution if you can to the cause. No amount is too small, she really needs financial assistance!

Wed. 8/1 @ the Bardenay in Eagle 6-9 pm for an all ORIGINAL (that means self penned songs) set list!!!
Thurs. 8/2  @ Hyde St. Pub 7-10 pm for another all Original set!  🙂

We will be playing for RIDE IDAHO next weekend in New Meadows.  If you are in Boise, come on out to one of these shows next week and take a trip down memory lane with us!  Should be a great time.  And if you are up in the “hills”, we hope we catch you up there!  Meanwhile, go snag one of your old journals and read through a paragraph just to blow your own mind.  You’ve really come a long way baby!!! 🙂

The moral of the story?  Why beat yourself up (for forgetting tags) life will do that enough.  Be kind to yourself…drink good Gin!  LOL!

Nicc & Mo

Quality vs. Quantity which wins?

Quality vs. Quantity…which wins?

Well, you may say…”it depends.”  I remember a board game back in the 90’s (of course I forget the name of that game ha!) and it was a matter of “True”, “False” or it “Depends”.  You had to play with friends you knew so you could call their bluff…and 9 times out of 10, I always said, “it depends”.   The joy and pain of seeing both sides sometimes pissed off my friends or made them more appreciative…it “depended” on the situation.  (o.k. I had to look it up…the game was called Scruples and it was out in the 80’s  holy cow…gotta love Google! who needs a memory?)Quality wins broadly with me, however if you have a hundred one dollar bills it really doesn’t MATTER the quality of the pressed paper to pay for this or that…so in some circumstances…quantity wins out.  However, why eat cheap ice cream?  If you are going to go the distance and indulge…by God, get the good stuff!  Ya know?

This is my thought of this last week.  We played quality shows and not everyone was a “sell out” (meaning there were still tickets at the box office heh heh) but they were truly fun and powerful.  We had a load of shows in the heat and the smoke filled air, though the air quality was terrible, we managed to breath easily, almost surprisingly so.

I give credit once again to being in the “flow” of life.  I have been filled with so much gratitude for the simplest things.  There has been a calmness that is indescribable.  Each life is like a river.  We all have our path we cut though in the earth.  We all make a mark here, some how and some way.  We flow around things, through things, over things, underthings.  We fall into sink holes and cascade down mountains. We get caught up in the “eddies” of our processes or sucked up by the turbulence of the outer world we live in…but going deeper to the underbelly of the bed rock, getting comfortable with the rush of things going by or the current that takes you to a place “unknown” or in some cases “always known.”  This river, this life,  is an interesting journey that fascinates me each day.  And perhaps my explanation of my grandest “ah-ha” moments are not presenting themselves clearly to you  in the reflection of my waters but I have been mildly blown away with the subtle awarenesses that have come over me (or shall I say, “over come me?”)

The quantity of my mailing list subscribers my decrease due to these philosophical musings and my apologies for my inner ramblings, but I do believe the quality of our audiences have gotten better and better as time goes by.  Is it me?  Am I MORE appreciative?  Am I just getting old! HA!  Do I see the infinite in the finite time we have together?  As listeners, teachers, learners and friends?

Shutting my eyes to a song I played to 10 people at the end of the night,  I was transported, to another space, another time zone it seemed and they all went with me…or at least it felt that way and when I opened my eyes I was dizzy.  It was FABULOUS!  Perhaps I’m just starting to find my niche,  or just remembering more of myself or just “rolling down the river” and not getting caught up.  It sure was GREAT to SPEND QUALITY time and exchange with those lovely people who stayed aboard at Wood River Cellars Sat.   Thank you for being open hearted.  Thank you for such a great exchange of energy and for making my week.

The image I have been shown in my minds eye has been of a river bed rock.  Sitting at the bottom of that fast moving current I have been noticing the waters rushing past me.  I have deadlines on the East Coast to take care of, and students to plan for, engagements to keep, people to connect with, business to do, phone calls, bills, dogs to walk (ha…thought I’d throw that in there!)  practice practice practice….and here I am…observing from the bottom looking up from my bed rock.  Deciding what is important.  Recognizing the eddies I find myself floating into, correcting myself, moving down stream, forgiving myself, moving down stream, stopping to check out things along the way, getting caught up, freeing myself once again, moving down stream, floating where I am now, thinking about past river bends, disconnecting from past, forgiving others, forgiving self, moving down stream, preparing for water falls, letting go, trusting my currents…moving downstream.  I am the bed rock, the river, the obstacles that are in my way, the force to over come those obstacles…andSO……   ARE…..    YOU….!!!  

Is’nt it beautiful????

Oh…and a side note…   a quality show will be happening at Smoky Mountain Pizza in Eagle Wed.  7/18 from 7-9  🙂 

Would love to see you quality folks there.  It’s our only show this week so we’ll make it a good one!    See you down the river!

Nicc  & Mo

Continuation of Lawn Furniture from June’s Newsletter.

Ok…onward to the babble of my brain….

First let me just say in review of last weeks 6 shows in 5 days,  wow!  From Alive after 5 and all the people, to a fantastic new deck at Smoky Mountain Pizza with a rowdy crowdy there, to fans baking in the sun with us, and the extra bugs on our windshield from driving to Fruitland for a wedding, to the awesome Sue Komen event the Busting Out of Boise folks put on…what a stint of amazing experiences!  I could write a book on just this one week alone!  Thank you folks, for sharing yourselves and being part of these gigs.

Now, on with the “cliff hanger”.  Mo busts my chops cause I have a hard time lying…lieing…no, not lying down…being deceitful.  I think she admires that quality so I don’t know why she teases me about it.  She says I get  a look in my eye any time I try to fib.  It’s pretty annoying.  I can’t get away with much and she laughs at my transparency.  Of course, I have noticed as I’ve gotten older…I really can’t stand to be nothing but honest.  It suits me easier.

Some of you might remember a show where I was telling a story and trying to keep a guys name out of it, then slipped…that’s how loose my mind is…I can’t spend energy on holding in truth…it just bubbles out.  Classic example, if we try to get in some place and I don’t have a ticket…you know, the ol’  sneak in…Mo says I look frantic, and I probably do.  I just hate doing stuff like that, maybe it’s the consciousness my mother raised me with, but I like to be upfront with the extra change the lady gave me at Winco or the guy that I just saw drop a $20 spot on the ground.

So, I went to the store to return some rotten peppers…ha!  The same store I got the chinsey furniture. (Now you are thinking, where do they sell furniture AND food, she’s going to ” __________” ) It was the principle of the matter.  We were all geared up to make stuffed peppers and we cut two of our four peppers open and they looked GREAT on the outside but on the inside they were nasty.  That’s another thing that annoyes the daylights out of me…being deceived! Ha!  The veggies were bad.  Have you ever cut into a brand new avocado to find it simply gross?  And of course you aren’t going to take it back to the store, you have no time.  Well…maybe I have too much time (don’t think so) or I’m just a principle girl but those peppers went back and I got my whole 3 dollars and change for it. LOL!  It’s not the money, it’s “DON’T SELL ROTTEN FOOD TO PEOPLE!!!” lesson ! Arrrrggg!

While exchanging my bad peppers I told the lady about my fight with the lawn furniture.  She recognized and conspired to my agitation.  She had to assemble some things in the stock room and it was a mortifying experience.  So, we swapped war stories and laughed at ourselves and the crap that we buy.  She said, “just bring it back and swap it out for the demo, I’m sure they’ll do that for you.”  Mind you, this woman is in charge of customer service and I’m sure there are all different departments that have to know about this and that when it comes to exchanges.

Well, I put the table together, the simplest of all the items, and I took off the cushions to the chair.  The chair was not going to be completed due to a screw hole that was WAY off the mark.  If I had a drill gun maybe and a tap, possibly but I wasn’t going to get THAT involved over it.   I walked in with my faulty chair and as I passed through the doors I thought, I’m just going to swap this out.  Mo always said, “just act like you know what your doing” and people seem to leave you alone.  So…I tested her theory.  I clearly had my receipt in hand had anyone thought I was stealing the chair.

I walked in the store carrying the bulky item.  Placed it next to the demo, began to take the cushions off the demo.  A lady passed by who worked there and said, “are you finding everything you need” and I piped up and said “YES!”  She quickly kept walking, not noticing the transparent look I might have had on my face.  I picked up the demo, walked out and put it in the truck.  In the parking lot I was wondering if there would be a guy approaching me to say, “hey lady”,  but there wasn’t.  It took me 2 minutes, in and out. My heart up in pulse.

So, is that stealing?  No.  Being defiant…maybe.  They definitely stole my time and I was not into hanging in a line explaining to so and so that the screw was just not going to go in this chair.  Who knows, I could have been faced with a manager of the furniture department hell bent on “screwing” something and I wasn’t going to waste further time finding out.

Sunday morning,  I make my coffee.  A latte’ in fact, hazelnut…my favorite.  Our 6th show of the week still to play.  My eyes are fuzzy and I sit in our new furniture out back.  Osa, my big dog, joins me.  I listen to the birds chirp and think…”I can lie…if I need to…is that good thing?”   Then I look at the table I just assembled,  a bird had freshly pooped on it.  I start cracking up.  Well that’s what I get I suppose.  As I take my 5th sip of “coffee” I realize, I forgot to add the espresso and was enjoying a Hazelnut steamed milk and with that I roared!

May you find a light heart and a peaceful state of mind, even if there is no coffee in your “coffee”.

Hope you enjoy the “inner ramblings of Nic”. Feel free to spread the word and have others subscribe to the Newsletter.

July’s Newsletter

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?

a one, a two… a three…a THREE

If you are over 30, you probably got the answer correct.  🙂

Or shall I ask, how many times can Niccole out drive a very large animal in the road???  Read on, but first here’s our slew of shows for those that want to get down to business!

Tues. 7/10 Sockeye Grill @ 8-10 with Rochelle Smith (we call her Roxx for short and she’s awesome on the Mandolin, Box Drum and a perfect 3rd vocal harmony!

Wed. 7/11 Owyhee Plaza “Splash Bash” 7-10  Out there on the patio swimming in the pool and staying cool, listening to your favorite tunes, fun for the whole family!

Friday 7/13  Piper Pub @ 8:30-11:30  a down town treat

Sat. 7/14  Wood River Cellars @ 7-9 for those that like wine bar ambiance…this is it!

Wed. 7/18 Smoky Mtn. Pizza in Eagle 7-9pm ...a brand new patio, full bar, great menu…this place has done a fabulous job upping the scale of fun!

For directions and more details check our calander here  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/

OK…in review, we had a stellar time at the Botanical Garden’s Great Escape Concert on the 28th.  600 folks came out to the show and supported the gardens and us…thank you thank you!  That was a blast.  We took to the mountains to play Idaho Rocky Mtn. Ranch and Sawtooth Luce’s.  Both shows were awesome and the mountains were a well needed treat to get out of the heat and get some hiking in.  Big Dog “Osa” managed to find her way to the snow patches for a roll around in the cool white stuff and I walked away with only 3 mosquito bites, yippie!

Well…the answer you might be still reading for…let me qualify big animals…Elk, Moose, Buffalo, Horses and Cattle.

I’ve managed to dodge in past years, 2 very huge Elk and one Moose on a Motorcycle.  I hope to God I have 9 lives!  Last week while driving up to Stanly in the dark hours of the night I was very aware of all the animals on our travels.  I would flinch at any green eyed glow and come to a slow to pass a plethora (yes a “plethora) of deer (that means a LOT)!

Our last 5 miles we were on a straight away.  The speed limit 65 and I had people passing me by easily doing 80 in cars much smaller than mine.  I wondered, “what are they thinking…don’t they see all these animals”.  So I figured lady luck was with them.  I kept my speed around 60… and I’m usually a 5 miles over kinda gal…but, I’ve gotten wiser as I’ve aged LOL!

Last year when we were in Oregon we did a festival with the 13 Grandmothers (a side note…they are original  indigenous folks with many beautiful insights and great wisdom)  I listened to a woman speak of “Heart Math”.  Through scientific experiments, it has been proven, yes PROVEN, that the heart responds to incoming information 8-10 seconds BEFORE the brain! So, without knowing or realizing something cognitively, one can FEEL things beforehand that could indeed save their lives.  I found that fact interesting but really didn’t think about it too much all year.  Sure there was that one time during my teaching years that a volleyball came straight at my head and I gave it a one-two Kung Fu block before it smashed my face.  Yes there was that time I yanked my niece away from a car about to wildly back out of a parking lot.  But my near misses I figured was just reaction time.

So, back to Stanly…sleepy, driving the dark highway…my foot suddenly goes to the brake in a snabbing coolness to slow my Ford Explore to an immediate halt to which I find a Mama Elk and her baby stumbling out on the street!  4 FEET they were from my front bumper.  The Mama and baby both looked at me.  Mo and I looked at them…we both said “Holy Shit”…and found that Osa was buried in equipment that had flung it’s way to the front of the cargo area.  After unburying the dog and catching my breath Mo said, “how did you see them?” I simply didn’t…well, not immediately, it was unexplainable!

Not enough to react in time if I had.  It was that “thing” that phenomena that the woman spoke of…it had to be KNOWING, before I knew.  Now…some might read this and make the “coo-coo  coo-coo” noise and think I’m a freak…that’s cool, you can stop reading, or believing…but haven’t you had a time like that?  Where you motioned before any logic and saved yourself some serious misery?  Some call in divine intervention and yes, part of me believes that too…perhaps it wasn’t my time, or the Elks time or Osa is the good luck dog that happened to be piled on (not so lucky…she was fine, she just laid low til we unburied her).

It also seems to me, when something weird or terrible happens, it could always be worse.  Like  a friend of my pulling his handlebars off his motorcycle after he just parked it.  WHAT!!!  Near misses.  May you all be granted near misses!  There is something to be said for trying to be open enough for “spirit” to move through and kick all logic out.  Logic would not have helped in that situation.

So some are still waiting for the answer…how many times have I almost been obliterated by a very large beast?  A one, a two, a three!  One Elk ran into me up North…very scary…sent my Jeep 3 feet over. She rolled down the side and kept going.  Two, a Moose ran out next to me and looked at me on a motorcycle…she was higher than me and we traded speeds until she passed in front of me, and now this.  There’s also that time when I was 8 years old and not so lucky, nor tuned into the “Heart Math”. I was hit by a car waiting for my bus in the second grade.  Yeah…that was a bruiser…they kept going.  I broke my leg and was hospitalized for a few weeks.

An 8 year old kid in a plaster cast all the way up to the top of my thigh. Ugh.  I use to stuff a coat hanger down it to scratch any itch.  6 months in that cast…so, I haven’t gotten lucky ALL the time.  Here’s just hoping that my karma is cleared and I can ALWAYS follow my heart, even when I don’t KNOW what I’m doing!

I hope that goes the same with  you.  Cheers to “Heart Math” and the wonderance of fate and chance…it’s a pretty magical world we live in!

Hope our paths cross soon friends in resonance of ease and grace~!

Nic & Mo

Lawn Furniture

So, how many hours should it take to get 4 pieces of lawn furniture together?  

(and excerpt from June’s Newsletter)

For those of you that want to get right to the “knitty-gritty” on the show schedule, here’s what we are up to this week.  It’s quite a week.  A reason we bought new patio furniture to collaps on once the shows are over. 

Those of you curious of Zen and the art of assembly, by all means…read on after the schedule!  🙂

Wed. a double header (starts with a BANG!) We will be opening for the “Pole Cats” @ Live after 5 (approx. 5:15-5:45) downtown Boise on the Grove!

Then off to Smoky Mtn. Pizza in Eagle from 7-9

Thursday at a new venue “Busters” off of Broadway  7-10pm

Friday a Private Party

Sat. a wedding

Sunday a Sue Koman benefit that YOU are invited too, BBQ, great prizes and a good cause.
All details about the shows you can find here on our calander with links and everything!

Click  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/

Next week is Botanical Gardens Concert Series Thurs. the 28th!  Yay!

Now onto that patio furniture story for those who share the frustration of cheaply made things you pay too much money for here in America! We’ve been talking about getting some new “digs” for our back yard patio.  The ones we’ve had for the past 7 years was a hand me down from my sister and the pieces where shedding.  Not to mention, the squirrels did a number on the cushions.  Most of the batting is up in the tree, providing wonderfully for their nest.
The fat and happy squirrel stretches out on the tree limb gazing down, laughing at me.  Plotting it’s plan to attack our new furniture when big dog Osa is off duty.  While making coffee one morning, I looked out the back window to see this little rodent cheek a yard of batting after ripping apart the cushions.  Stuffing it’s face it looked like a kid in a marsh mellow eating contest with green batting foaming out the mouth.

So, the torn cushions was part of our motivation and also the frames were shedding and who knows, on a day when I was really full from one of Mo’s mighty burritos, I could collaps one of these chairs.  (She makes 10 lb. burritos…the size of an infant baby!)

We of course check into different places and yes, Craig’s List too.  I’m sure I’ll get a dozen people to respond and say,  “I could have GIVEN you our furniture had I known”…but it’s too late.  The damage is done and I should know to ALWAYS ask my listeners questions regarding stuff like this…my bad.  So, thank you in advance to  your response, be we are invested now.

We go to the department store (of which we will not mention…why should they get free advertising for selling cheaply made stuff!?)  After 3 shows in 2 days we are collapsing at the store…checking things out…truly relaxing.  We had lots of people walk by, and many who stopped that wanted to do the same but were off on their shopping agenda.  It’s of course a toss up between two styles so we go get some other things and let the decision roll around in our heads and agree…”O.K. this one”.  Yep…agreeing is nice, and we usually agree about most things thank God.

We take the mere 138 pound box home!  All of that fit s in this box and dare we try to lift it out of the truck? Nope!  Part of Zen mastery of lawn furniture…let it REST where it is and bend as necessary.  I’m serious…bend the hell out of it!  Those screws don’t fit…and the holes aren’t lined up.  The guy that drilled the original holes was asleep or hungover on a Monday talking to his friend on the job!  I attempted the task myself, it took me 2 hours to put one chair together!  And I’m GOOD at stuff like that!
The chinsey allen screw that they give you is made of a metal that will flake eventually, which is why they give you 3. But no extra screws mind you, if you lose it in the grass, your toast. The whole thing is a set up…a test.  There should be a real life TV show based on putting crap like that together.  You’ll see the dynamics of the relationship form before your eyes.  Kind of like watching a couple back a trailer up at a camp ground.  The guy is in the driver seat yelling at his wife…she’s trying to direct him and yelling back at him.  It’s hilarious!    You need a stiff drink to help your patience along and if you are like me…from New Jersey…there is a whole slew of limited Neanderthal vocabulary that we call around this house hold as “truck driver talk”.
I kept it together, but was amazed at what a pain in the butt it was!  Letting go, acquires a sense of humor.  We get attached to our goal.  We figure, o.k. we’ll have this up to sit in it by dinner time.  No such luck.  4 hours the first night, and hour last night and I still haven’t put the table up.  The Zen of it all is…don’t sweat the small stuff.  I will put that damn table up when I’m good and ready…plain and simple…it’s frustrating as hell.  No amount of mind altering substance could make a task like that better, only the sheer release of bitching about such a task.  Which has led me to now.  You people are providing me with the levity to “take on the TABLE!”  The last of the lawn furniture!  I mean, it looks great and is comfortable…but man, the way it is put together!  It could be a pre-test for a psychological diagnosis!  For those of you old enough, think of Pink Panther and the lawn chair that would not remain open.  Think of Mo holding this metal chair leg and me pushing to align the screw and then the damn washer falling in the grass.  Now listen to the truck driver talk…you get the picture?  The whole time I’m laughing as well cause it’s truly ridiculous.

So, pick a time when you have the patience to be annoyed as hell.  It really makes you wonder how things like that get built.  Buy American would be best, but do they sell American made stuff like that?  Probably not.  I had a hunch it might be a bugger to assemble, listen to your gut.  If you can, buy the demo on clearence, save yourself hours of frustration.  We should have had one of you run over here with a video camera to film it, perhaps America’s Funniest Video would have given us a prize.

This story is to be continued.  The table is the last to go…so far it’s 5 hours and counting!!!  Breath deeply, laugh loudly, swear, get up and pet the dog, let it rest, come back when you are ready, don’t go at it alone and hug your partner or friend after successfully putting it together and giving it the sit test!  And to the squirrels, does anyone have a pellet gun they’d like to get rid of?  Ha!  (Just kidding squirrel lovers!)

Pondering

I am often amazed that the tulips find their way out of the dark deep earth and stretch themselves to the sun each Spring. Often I feel winter leaves my eyes a bit blinded to the new spring sun, warmth overtakes me and as I enjoy all the aromas Spring has to offer I am filled.

A year of processing I have undergone, through music and writing, relationships and connecting my own dots from childhood to this place called now. Old beliefs patterns that are unserviceable I have been identifying for myself to inevitably experience freedom. Freedom from the automatic processing, automatic reactions. I want to live NOW, fully in the passionate moment. So many seconds tic away as we go from one thing to the next.
I wish to be mindful, yes of others, but now, after so long, of myself. It’s a different place for me to ever come from. I thank my “teachers” along the way! They have taught me through the agony of their hard lessons how to care for myself. And isn’t that all we really need to do?
Paying attention to the “Little Voice” inside and asking what you or perhaps your “little girl/boy” needs. That phrase has been made so cliche but it holds true. What did that child not get and how are you displaying your life to try to fill that void? Something to ponder as I sit…finally, still. As I sit looking out over the water from a long memory of yesterday. How many lives have I lived?
I share this not for you to creep into my head, nor my psyche. There have been too many that have done that in the past wanting to gain from me what they couldn’t get from themselves. I share this, because I am strong enough to share it.
The music starts from these thoughts and aren’t we all alike? We all have our work to do. I am unafraid to do mine, even though it sets my body in a fever. The veil of fear comes away and I stand clearly, regardless of the outcome.
How many ledges I have fallen from? How many times I have thrown my heart into the flames or have been tumbled from a disillusion? Countless it seems, but what hasn’t broken me, does make me stronger, and the things that have had made me learn how to heal over.