Cyd and Kelvin are 11th and 9th graders in New Orleans – not bad for a school production – my mom filmed it and she apologizes for the slight blurriness…peace, lauren

What a tour!!! Playing with Leo Nocentelli (Meters)was probably the high point for me. Leo, who is the father of syncopated funk (winner of Grammys and has played with more famous folks than you can shake a stick at) is a guitarist extrordinaire. Leo played lead guitar with me on my performance of Murky Water at the Republican convention and then jammed at the end with Big Sam of Funky Nation. It was an unbelievable experience. Big Sam is a trombonne player out of New Orleans who is hot, hot, hot on the bone. We had a fabulous tour through Denver, Aspen, Jackson Hole and Minneapolis.

Im hoping to collaborate with another significant musician I met on this tour and continue with this fabulous experience.

I have to say a few words about my weeks in Nashville before this tour – once again I was given the opportunity to collaborate with some of the top writers around. Got 3-4 good tunes out of the week and actually went to a Montgomery Gentry BMI # 1 party.

Last but not least, I’ll be getting married at the end of this month and then going off for a little while. I hope to be back here next month with some new stuff. I love it here on Ourstage – great musicians with a comraderie that can’t be beat.

See you soon…peace, Lauren

Ok, well, the democratic and republican conventions are huge gigs for me. Today I was leaving for Denver and it turned into one of those kinds of days where what could go wrong did. My flight to the Dem convention was to leave LAX at 8 am and I I was being picked up at the Denver airport and whisked off to rehersals with the likes of Tab Benoit (fabulous Lousiana blues player)and others.

So this morning I arrived at the airport 2 hours ahead and procede to wait and wait and wait in line at LAX. I tried talking to agents, other folks in line and nothing got me to check in on time for the flight. Ok, so I’ll just get rebooked, I thought….I spent at least 2 hours being bumped from one desk to another, completely ignored, spoken really rudely to, and generally given the run around.

There was a camera crew from Channel 7 news in Los Angeles and they suggested I start playing my guitar and put a sign up for tips to help pay to get me on another flight to Denver. Channel 7 thought it would make a good local story and they would film it. Unfortunately,I had little time and I was too caught up in trying to get to Denver. I was crying, actually sobbing and the United airline agents wouldn’t give me the time of day.(I did get the name of the rudest United agent and I will write a letter. The travel agent that originally booked me didn’t return my messages either. I was finally rebooked on a much later flight to Denver… missing all of the rehersals for today. I have tried to take a philosophical approach to this and somehow convince myself that this all happenned for a reason. Ok, so Day # 1 of this fabulous gig not the best so far.

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for their support and will try to keep writing while on this magical tour – if time permits…peace, lauren

Off to Nashville this week for cowrites and meetings – then to Denver and Minneapolis for the conventions. I’ll be playing and backing-up, at the conventions and private parties in Aspen and Jackson Hole. Too exciting!!! Lots of great stuff on Ourstage this month – I continue to be amazed at all of the unbelievable talent here. Thanks for everyone’s support!