Sara Hamilton, Singer-Songwriter

Sunday, January 29, 2006

I was, as usual, late picking Miles up to get on the road. But since we had no place to be til Wednesday, Miles and I took turns truckin' until we crossed the Mighty Mississippi into Memphis. We pulled off onto a road to check into a hotel, and almost got into a rumble with some Memphisites looking for a fight. They were pulling in front of us and slamming on the breaks. Luckily, we outsmarted them, we slid down a side street, and pulled into the lodging parking lot just in time to avoid real trouble. After a drink or ten and some grub, we are winding down the first day on the road. Tomorrow we are on our way to Nashville!

New Year, New Projects

Well, well...it is 2006 and I have a few goals or some may call them resolutions.  The first one is to get a new computer because this dinosaur is wearing me out.  It's kind of like driving a horse and buggy down I-35.  And the way I plan on paying for a new machine is by playing a whole bunch of gigs like the tour of the southeast that we are embarking on this Sunday.  Miles and I are driving to Nashville to meet and greet with some of the big wigs on Music Row and then we're playing in Knoxville, Birmingham, Oxford, Mississippi, Memphis and a few others.  If you're up and around those parts check out the calendar and come and see us, or see us when we get back.  We're going to have a journal of the tour also, so check back for stories from the road...see y'all soon!!

Getting in the Spirit

Last night Steve, my manager, and I went to a Christmas party put on by Crystal Clear Sound.  It was so much fun, they had great music, I got a chance to see Doug Burr, who had a great set.  He played guitar and harp and sang, and Todd Pertll played pedal steel.  Check him out at www.dougburr.com.  We had unlimited drink tickets so we got in the "holiday spirit" so to speak.  Good times, those folks at CCS really know how to throw a party.

Tonight promises another night of debaucherous fun as Todd Mankin and El Guapo are playing their first headlining gig at Adair's.  I'm going to be there playing a few songs about 9pm to warm things up, so if anyone wants to get in the "spirit" with me and the boys, come on out, it'll be wild if I know a thing or two...and I do.

Sometimes Late at Night...

I hung out with a friend of mine last night who is starting up a career as a singer-songwriter.  It's hard for me to remember how things were for me yesterday, or a year ago let alone when I first got started in this business.  But talking with him reminded me of how exciting and scary the music world can be.  And not much has changed to this point.  It's still the best thing that I have going in my life and the thing I'm most unsure of.   Last weekend we played at the White Elephant Beer Garden and it was a beautiful night, kind of a chill in the air, really clear.  Playing music was the best thing I could think of to be doing right then and there.  And being on the radio with Justin on the Front Porch Show was a blast, we had a really good time.  Bonnie Bishop and Maren Morris were also guest this week, and it was inspiring to be among such talented ladies. 

So, this week I'm fired up for some more music.  Miles and I will be playing at Sue Ellen's in Dallas on Thursday night and we're in Arlington on Friday.  Saturday afternoon we will be at the Maypearl Fall Festival (it's slightly smaller than the State Fair), and at Central Market in Plano on Sunday.

Grande Granada

What an amazing experience...I can't even begin to describe what it was like for me to get the opportunity to play a venue like the Granada. We had a really spectacular crowd and the show went great, and to top it all off, we got to open for Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez. That's a pretty good day. And even before all that: Miles and I went to Bill's Records to do an in-store before heading over to Greenville to load in and sound check for the show Saturday night. I really enjoy playing Bill's because it's such a unique record store with even more unique patrons. People who really love music, heart and soul. And that's the same kind of crowd that was out at the Granada. No matter what the gig, you're bound to get something great out of it, but this was a one of a kind experience for me and thank you to all the people who came out and everyone at the Granada who made our show so enjoyable!

Saricana E-blast 9.21.05

This Saturday, Sara has the great fortune to play two shows with the
wildly talented Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriquez.

To call Chip Taylor's life an incredible story is almost an
understatement. As a songwriter, Taylor has hit the charts in five
decades now. He wrote "Wild Thing," one of the primary songs of the
rock-n-roll canon since it was a #1 hit for The Troggs in 1966. His
song "Angel of the Morning" has been a hit for Merilee Rush, Juice
Newton and most recently Shaggy,whose chart-topping version earned
Taylor the status of having the longest span of #1 hits in music
history. As No Depression magazine noted, "Maybe somebody else has had
cuts by Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson, but it's got to
be a pretty elite club."

And, here's what the May/June issue of No Depression had to say about
Chip & Carrie's new album, Red Dog Tracks:
           "folk music - Americana, singer-songwriter, alt country -
            doesn't get much better than this.  Here is the new
            standard of duets that all others should be judged by."

Saturday afternoon at 3:00, Sara joins Chip & Carrie and John Platania
at Bill's Records & Tapes for a kid-friendly show, featuring free Blue
Bell ice cream.

At 8:00 Sara and the band take the stage at Dallas' best venue, the
Granada Theater on Greenville Ave. This venue is a place of art, from
the classic building itself, to the many diverse artists who perform
there. Out of all the venues in Dallas, its our opinion that the
Granada gives you the most for your entertainment dollar. Comfortable
seats, the nicest servers in town, great service, 3 fully stocked bars
and the most incredible lights and soundsystem you've ever seen in a
local venue.

Come on out Saturday and get a 2-for-1 shot of great singer-songwriting
talent!

And now, for the shows....

********************
TONIGHT!
WED, 21 SEP  Cherokee Resort Casino, Catoosa, OK
             http://www.cherokeecasino.com/

SAT, 24 SEP  Bill's Records, Dallas, Spring Valley & Coit, 3pm
             Acoustic duo w/Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez and John Platania
             http://www.billsrecords.com

SAT, 24 SEP  Granada Theater, Dallas, 3524 Greenville Ave.
             with Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez
             Full band 8p-9p
             http://www.granadatheater.com
             http://www.trainwreckrecords.com/

SUN, 02 OCT  Mucky Duck Katrina Relief Benefit, Houston
             Sitting in w/Jesse Dayton (acoustic); also appearing are
             Hayes Carll, Sisters Morales and Carolyn Wonderland
             http://www.mcgonigels.com/

SAT, 08 OCT  White Elephant (Beer Garden), Ft. Worth Stockyards
             Band starts at 8p
             http://www.whiteelephantsaloon.com

SUN, 09 OCT  Love & War, Plano - Shiner Sunday pre-show
             Acoustic duo from 2:30-3:30
             http://www.loveandwarintexas.com

SUN, 09 OCT  99.5FM The Wolf "Live from the Front Porch"
             Live in-studio w/Justin Frazell, 6p-8p
             http://www.995thewolf.com

WED, 12 OCT  Love & War, Plano - Songwriter Series
             Acoustic duo from 8-10pm
             http://www.loveandwarinplano.com

THR, 13 OCT  Sue Ellen's, Dallas, 3903 Cedar Springs
             Acoustic duo w/Miles, beginning at 9p
             http://www.caven.com

FRI, 14 OCT  Arlington Tennis Center, 500 Mayfield Rd.
             Full band from 7-10pm
             http://www.arlingtontennis.org

SAT, 15 OCT  Maypearl Fall Festival, Downtown Maypearl, Texas
             Acoustic duo from 3-4pm

SUN, 16 OCT  Central Market, Plano, 320 Coit Rd. (at Hwy. 190)
             Trio performs from 1p-6p
             http://www.centralmarket.com

THR, 20 OCT  Adair's Saloon, Dallas, 2624 Commerce St.
             Full band at 9:30
             http://www.adairssaloon.com

FRI, 21 OCT  Fat Moe's, Waxahachie, Rogers Hotel on the Square
             Acoustic duo w/Miles at 9p

********************
Purchase Sara Hamilton music at:

Hastings, Texas & Oklahoma stores
Tower Records, Dallas & Nashville
Bill's Records & Tapes, Dallas
Waterloo, Austin
CD World, Dallas & Addison
Cacuts Records, Houston
Online at http://www.sarahamilton.com

********************
Corporate events, private parties, backyard barbeques...we've got a
band for ya!

BOOKING & MANAGEMENT:
Steve Dieterichs
214.585.3523
booking@sarahamilton.com

*********************
Have the Saricana E-blast delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe at www.sarahamilton.com.

Best Yet at Adairs

Sunday night's show at Adair's was my best yet! Although it looked pretty grim at 9:30, all of a sudden, a steady stream of folks started coming in, and by the time we kicked it off at 10:00 we had a good crowd. I knew it would be fun night when a girl on the dance floor fell backward over my monitor and spilled my Lone Star during the FIRST SONG!.

It only got better from there. Mark David Manders showed up, and he got up between my sets and played several songs with Charlie and Russ and Mark Lafon (on guitar). Those guys played together for so long, it's always fun watching them in action.

Mark must have a memory associated with the song "Different Drum" because when we played it during the second set he went a little spastic. Big Joel got on the intercom afterward and said someone should help Mark, because he was having a seizure. And that's about what it looked like.

At 2:15 Big Joel and Grant kicked Mark and everyone else out. Wow! We held 'em there til the end!

Now, it's all about getting ready for my show at the Granada Theater in Dallas on Saturday, Sept. 24. I'm playing support for Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, and I'm pretty excited about it. This is the second time in as many months that I've shared the bill with a Top 5 Americana act (Hayes Carll, 8/6), and this is my first time at the Granada. What a place to see a show! Unquestionably Dallas' best live venue. I can only imagine what it's like to play there....come on out and fill some seats.

Something New

Tomorrow Miles and I are going to Waxahachie to do an in-store performance at the Hasting's. Now I've done the in-store at Bill's in Dallas before, but this is going to be a new kind of experience. Bill's is an independent, unique place and they have performers in there all the time, and Hasting's is more of the corporate type of music store, so I have a feeling the set will be very different. We're really excited to give it a shot and see how it goes.

And before we head south, Miles and I are going to work up some harmonies so that there will be an added layer in live shows. I am really thrilled about that, I love harmonies, I think they make all the difference. So, come out to a show sometime and check out the new sound!

Last week I had jury duty, and I have to say, it was fun judging someone else for a change. But this week it's back to the grind...on Saturday the guys and I played a summer festival in Greenville, Texas, it was hot but fun. And a private event on Tuesday kept things rolling. Now tonight we're going to practice a tight show for this Saturday when we'll have two events to play. First, we'll play at Bill's CDs and Records in Dallas at 3pm. Bill's is a great place if you've never been there, they have everything from stickers to buttons to that CD you thought you'd never be able to find. Brian Houser will be playing also. And Saturday night we will be at Sons of Hermann Hall with Eleven Hundred Springs! This show should be an absolute blast, 1100 is always great and the crowd will be raging. You can check them out at www.elevenhundredsprings.com or www.1100springs.com. See you all Saturday!

Sara's E-blast 6.02.05

(The Saricanan E-blast from 6.2.05...sign up for timely updates at http://www.sarahamilton.com)

Call all your best friends and get on down to Adair's Saloon Thursday
night!

It's a big show for Sara in more ways than one. First, Nuevo Tejas with
Charlie (drums), Russ (bass) and David (fiddle) will once again be
backing her all night. Plus, Miles Penhall will add some killer
hollow-body lead guitar during the first set.

More importantly, this is Sara's first Thursday night at the venerable
Deep Ellum honky-tonk, and we need a good showing of supporters in
order to step into the weekend rotation.

Finally, you just never know what might happen at Adair's. The last
time Sara and the boys were on that stage, MCA Records Top 40 country
act Hanna-McEuen showed up and played with the band between sets, then
invited the whole gang out to an afternoon game at Ameriquest Field the
next day. You can read all about that and see some photos on Sara's
blog, linked to her home page at http://www.sarahamilton.com.

********************
More and more radio stations across Texas are playing Sara's single
"Lord Help My Soul," and she'll kick off a heavy radio tour next week.
A lot of miles and early wake-up calls await her!

The single was the sixth most requested song on Texas Music Theater
Radio http://www.tmtr.net last week! Just six more requests, and she
would have been right at the top of that list, so log in there, click
Requests, and go to the "S" page to find Sara Hamilton.

********************
More than 270 Americana and Triple A stations across the country were
serviced with Sara's new album, Call My Name, this week, and Al Moss
will begin working those that report to the Americana Music Association
Chart. He's pushing for June 13 adds. If you have friends in other
states (or countries), it wouldn't hurt to tell 'em about Sara and her
great music.

********************
Speaking of the Texas Music Theater in Waxahachie, this Saturday's
acoustic song-swap between Sara's producer, Jesse Dayton, and Davin
James is not to be missed by any serious music fan! These two guys are
a couple of the best crooners, guitar pickers and songwriters in the
state, and the opportunity to see them in a setting like this doesn't
happen very often in these parts.

Check http://www.texasmusictheater.com for details and ticket
information. We'll see y'all there!

http://www.jessedayton.com
http://www.davinjames.com

********************
Reviews Unlimited, a publication with a circulation of 37,500, will
review Call My Name in their June edition, and they've already tagged
it for their Year's Best edition in late November.


And now for the shows....

********************
TONIGHT!

THR, 02 JUN  KNON 89.3FM Texas Renegade Radio w/B.P.
              Live on-air interview and performance, with Miles
               Penhall accompanying on acoustic lead, 5 pm
               Streaming online at http://www.knon.org

             Adair's Saloon, Deep Ellum Dallas, 2624 Commerce
              Five piece band starts promptly at 9:30. Have a
              few beers, catch the first set and be on your
              way by 10:30 (if you must).
              http://www.adairssaloon.com

SAT, 04 JUN  KSTV 93.1FM (Stephenville)
              Live on-air with Shayne Hollinger's 'Texas Style
               Saturday Night', 6:00 pm

SAT, 18 JUN  Main Street Summer Fest, Downtown Greenville
              Sara and the band start at 2 pm, followed by
              Kevin Deal at 3:30.

SAT, 25 JUN  Bill's Records, Dallas, Spring Valley & Coit
              In-store performance with the band at 3 pm.
              Bring the family. http://www.billsrecords.com

             Sons of Hermann Hall, Dallas, Elm & Exposition
              w/Eleven Hundred Springs. Details to follow, but
              go on and mark your calendars for this one!
              You'll get your money's worth with Sara and her
              five piece band, but wait til you see Eleven
              Hundred...these guys are daper AND suave, and
              boy, can they make some music!
              http://www.sonsofhermann.com
              http://www.1100springs.com

"LORD HELP MY SOUL" RADIO TOUR

MON, 06 JUN  KSCN 96.9FM Mt. Pleasant, 9am (confirmed)
             KOYN 93.9FM Paris (tentative)
             KITX 95.5FM Hugo, OK (tentative)
             KIKT 93.5FM Greenville, 2pm (confirmed)
             KMKT 93.1FM Denison, 4pm (confirmed)

TUE, 07 JUN  KYCX 104.9FM Mexia, 8am (confirmed)
             KHBR 1560AM Hillsboro (tentative)
             KBCT Waco (confirmed)
             KNES Fairfield (tentative)

WED, 08 JUN  KRXT 98.5FM Rockdale (confirmed)
             KHTZ Brenham (tentative)
             KSAM Huntsville (tentative)
             KVST Conroe (tentative)
             KORA Bryan (tentative)

THR, 09 JUN  Texas Music Theater Radio http://www.tmtr.net
              In-studio taping for broadcast at a later date.

The second leg, to points south and west of Austin, kicks off June 14.

********************
Corporate events, private parties, backyard barbeques...we've got a
band for ya!

BOOKING & MANAGEMENT:
Steve Dieterichs
214.585.3523
booking@sarahamilton.com