I’m in Memphis! After a half day of the amazing YWCA Edmonton “Power of Being A Girl” conference back home, I rushed to the airport to get to my flight on time. Of course as it always works outs when I fly for some reason, my flight was delayed 2 hours…
My coworker had given me a book to read (Host by Stephenie Meyers) so the hours passed quickly, and we were off. Well, onto the runway at least. Electrical problem, another delay. Originally I had about 2 hours to make my connecting flight in Denver, and now I was going to miss it. Long story short (or not so short as I have a habit of making things) we took off, the captain “flew it like he stole it” (his words) and we got to Denver with minutes to spare to make my connecting flight! Yay! Once I got onto the Denver – Memphis plane, another issue. The plane was too heavy in the front, and needed some passengers to move to the back. I volunteered. The one bonus within this whole shmozzle (Jered’s favourite word) with my first delayed flight, and my second flight volunteerism I fortunately got free drinks on both planes!
Got into Memphis around midnight, and they lost my bags. I caught a cab to my hotel. THIS is where I got my first real taste of Memphis. It was a Tuesday night (a weeknight to most working drones) and nearly 1am, and there was a wicked live band playing in the lounge of my hotel. I listened for a while as I checked in, and then hit the hay.
After a decent night’s sleep I got up and put my gross travel clothes back on, and went and registered for the conference. Holy “so much to do and so little time to do it” batman! (insert nerd reference here). It nearly took me all morning to go through the conference schedule and program. There is so much to do & see as far as live performances and workshops. I will have no problem filling my time here! I also met a very friendly dude named Justin who is the social media coordinator for the conference! We chatted a bit, he educated me on some conference dos and don’ts, we exchanged twitter ids and then I made my way back to my hotel…. to find my luggage! Yay!
I showered, changed & headed back to the conference. I attended the Folk Alliance International Lifetime Achievement Awards, an open mic, a few official showcases (Betty Soo & Doug Cox, The Lost & Nameless Orchestra, & a beautiful flamenco dancer from Brazil) Then began the PRIVATE showcases.
I literally could spend the entire conference in the Alberta Room. Last night the performers were T. Buckley, Brooke Wylie, Tim Leacock, Chloe Albert, Braden Gates & Emily Jill West. I am 150% aware of the incredible talent of my province, but so many of these artists I have heard (and featured on the podcast) but never actually seen live. After 2 hours in there, I had to force myself to go elsewhere (read: INTERNATIONAL conference hello!). I checked out Tom McBride from Boston, Michaela Anne from New York and the AMAZING Tuttles from California.
This festival is filled with freaks. As in, ridiculously talented MUSICAL freaks. The Tuttles (two sons, daughter & father quartet) blew me away. The daughter Molly’s songwriting was literally so precious, and beautiful and farrrr beyond her years. I couldn’t help but feel a little old and untalented by the end of that one I’ll tell ya!
Anyways I digress, I am off to check out some songwriting workshops and then showcase myself tonight in the Troubadour room – twitpic.com/8l811v.
More updates to come! Now to go “walking in Memphis” again (nope, never gets old sorry!)
Cheers!
LNG