Oh Spring! Where are you? ²

As I write this, the snow is (still) glistening white, and I can’t see my car.  I keep thinking someone has stolen it, but it’s where I left it, behind that MASSIVE snowbank in front of my friend’s house.  Oh spring, where are you?

There’s no better time to go on a Western Canadian Tour than in the dead of winter!  Wait.  Is that true?  Well, it’s been an awfully cold winter, but it made my Jan/Feb tour that much more fun and memorable!  It also made me revel in the +12 degrees I experienced on Vancouver Island.  Wow.  Green grass, buds on the trees, warm sunlight…

The other wonderful part of the tour was being able to share the stage with fellow artist and friend JD Edwards.  JD is one of the finest musicians I have had the pleasure of singing with, and I was delighted that we were able to perform so many shows together.  The feedback we got was incredible.  Heartfelt thanks to all the promoters who hosted us (and me solo!), and to the faithful and new fans who came out to the shows.  So grateful for your support!

Some highlights of the tour:

– teaching JD how to drive a stick-shift, in the mountains, in the dead of winter.  He rocked it!

– playing to a full house in Canmore!!! Wow!!!  AND a sold out show in Calgary for Manitoba Night!

– hanging with the Hephers in Fernie.  Love you guys.

– learning how to pack the car so we could sit somewhat comfortably (giant game of Tetris every day).

– arriving at the Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal, with the temp at +7 C, and realizing I could finally take off my parka and Sorel boots.  I literally stood in one of the lanes with my face to the sun, soaking up all the vitamin D I could find.

– sharing the stage with The Fretless, SUCH an amazing band, and playing to a sold out room in Vancouver!

– reconnecting with old friends, family and friends-like-family all across AB & BC.

– playing a sold-out house concert in Calgary, with my high school art and chem teachers in the audience, and having so many Superfans there sporting their Cara Luft socks!!!

– LOVED seeing SO many PSGW & FAMI people (incl doing some shows with fellow instructor Norm Rooke)!!!

A “not sure if this is a highlight” moment of the tour: watching the odometer in my 2006 Toyota Matrix make it’s way up towards 300,000 Km, and having it get stuck at 299,999!  HA!  I SO wanted to take a picture of it hitting that magical number, and it still reads 299,999.  Sigh.  Interesting, too, that the “Check Engine” light came on at that exact time.  Maybe my car wants a party, it has driven many Kms and has seen me through many a snow-storm, a most trusty and reliable vehicle.  It could be time, though, for something a bit bigger, esp for future tours.  As skilled as JD and I became at packing the car, it sure would be nice to have a bit of extra leg-room & be able to see out of all the windows  🙂

I’ll be back on the road in April, playing places I haven’t been to in quite some time, and places I’ve never played (Fargo!!!).  I’ll be armed with some new songs AND great new merch (new sock designs, hand letter-pressed posters and t-shirts).  Joining me for 5 of the Ontario dates is my new musical partner-in-crime JD Edwards.  I can’t wait for you all to hear us together!

Friday April 4  Fargo, ND  The Listening Room http://www.thelisteningroomfargo.com/

Saturday April 5  St. Cloud, MN   Granite City Folk Society at Bodidley’s http://www.granitecityfolk.org/

Sunday April 6  Chicago, IL  Windy City House Concerts   For info and reservations please contact windycityhouseconcerts@gmail.com

Wednesday April 9  Toronto, ON  Hugh’s Room w/ JD Edwards  http://hughsroom.com/

Friday April 11  London, ON  The Aeolian Hall w/ JD Edwards  http://www.aeolianhall.ca/

Saturday April 12  Kitchener, ON  The Registry Theatre w/ Maria Dunn and JD Edwards  http://www.registrytheatre.com/category/events/registryevents/folknight/

Sunday April 13  Hamilton, ON  The Pearl Company w/ JD Edwards  http://thepearlcompany.ca/

Tuesday April 15  Ottawa, ON  House Concert w/ JD Edwards   For info and reservations please contact gl@grahamlindsey.com

Thursday April 17  Uxbridge/Port Perry, ON  House Concert   For info and reservations please contact lynnemcilvride@icloud.com

Saturday April 19  Kingston, ON  House Concert w/ special guest Tim Aylesworth.  For info and reservations please email jrosseel@cogeco.ca or call 613-583-6601

I’ll be sending out an email soon & writing a journal entry about the upcoming new album, and will also be putting the call out to all you amazing Indie Music Angels!  SO EXCITING!!!  New directions, new horizons, new material…  In the meantime, I’m looking for a condo or apartment or house or somewhere in Victoria, BC for 2 people to stay at, while working on pre-production for the album.  It would be from Sunday April 20th to Friday April 25th.  Two rooms, no pets or cigarette smoke (darn those allergies).  Anyone have any leads, ideas, suggestions, friends, big houses?  🙂  I’m also looking to see about borrowing a vehicle during that time (or an inexpensive rental), to be able to cart bodies and instruments back and forth from rehearsals.  If you think you can help or have an idea/lead on either the house or car front, please contact me.  Also feel free to pass this along to anyone you know out in the Victoria area.  Thank you!!!

On that note I shall sign off.  Album info soon, as well as info on summer gigs and the autumn (back to Europe!).

Peace, love and hope for new life this spring,

Cara

**who are these crazy guys?!?!??!  🙂