Kelley McRae

We were so honored to be invited to play the Red Barn Concert Series in Montgomery, MN this past Sat. night, joining a list that includes Eliza Gilkyson, The Jayhawks, Dan Wilson and Chris Smither.  The show is held in a beautiful old renovated barn and it’s just one of those places that has the magic.

A huge thanks to the folks at the Red Barn Concert Series for having us!

This past week in Chicago we got to do a show with the Golosa Russian Folk Choir.  We have played over 150 shows in the last year, and this was a truly unique experience.  Not only because there were about 20 people in the choir, but because no one has ever busted out a toe touch in the middle of a show before!

1. Our van hanging out with another VW Camper Van on a Brooklyn street.

2. That’s Creighton and Jessi of Workshop, a badass Dumbo Brooklyn based design firm.  Jessi and I took ballet together in Starkville, MS and she is now a rainbow loving, thrift wearing design rock star (check out her amazing blog Lucky So and So) and I had the pleasure of visiting her studio to deliver a birthday present from Chattanooga based company Color Cloud Hammocks.  I love me some Color Cloud Hammocks + it was awesome to be a part of these birthday shenanigans.  It is a small, colorful world.

3.  That is a really terrible picture of a really magical night.  My friend Ed Romanoff had his CD Release Party at the Rockwood Music Hall and I am so glad we were in town to catch it.  The self-titled album (which we got a preview of and I think is officially released in May) sounds ridiculously good.  It’s one of those very rare albums that from the first moment to the last, sounds delicious and lush, but it still has a lot of room in it.  There’s not a note or word out of place.  Ed was joined on stage by a great band and tons of fun guests, including Mary Gauthier and Tift Merrit.  So friggin’ fun.

4.   At this point you’ve probably already heard me slobber on and on about Carter Sampson.  We were thrilled she could join us this past Saturday in NYC with her friend Joe Mack at the Living Room!!

5,  6, + 7.  We did a show in Baltimore a week and a half ago and got to spend some time with my sailor Richard on his boat.  I wrote ‘Never Be’ for Richard and he never ceases to inspire me and cause those kind of gum showing smiles you know are for reals!  Ha.  It was a beautiful, sunny, perfect weather kind of day in Baltimore on the harbor and we ate crab cake sandwiches, drank beer, played music and stole song ideas from a sailor.  HAPPINESS.

8.  Pre-Show van nap!

9. That’s just Baltimore again, showing off.