Gypsy Life Update: Two Month Mark

Sitting on my parents' Frank Lloyd Wright -inspired porch in North Carolina, with a picture window view of a tiny mountain town and the peaks of Grandfather Mountain in the distance, it's hard to believe that two months have already passed since I moved into a storage space and committed to this gypsy life indefinitely. In that short but endless span of time, I've toured eastern Canada, worked in the desert at both Coachella and Stagecoach, retreated to the mountains more than once, and even snuck in a couple quick stop-overs in Los Angeles - you know, for old times' sake. I've learned, discovered, and re-discovered things about myself that have helped me break a few old habits, while (hopefully) instilling new ones. I've met probably 200 or more new people (I can't imagine how many people I've actually met in my life), made at least a dozen new friends, and been fortunate enough to see some of my old favorites. I got to see Thom Yorke, Mutemath, The Avett Brothers, Lucero, and a bunch of other incredible and inspiring artists perform. I've managed to stay healthy, happy, and energetic, and I've been able to get around the continent without losing my luggage or my mind. In short: gypsy life is good.

But there are always downsides. The fact that I have no money and can barely afford to get from place to place is one big downside, and puts a damper on my otherwise uplifting adventure. Avoiding calls from bill collectors has become a game, and so far I'm definitely winning. Not being able to spend time visiting friends in different cities because I can't afford to buy food or rent a car to get around isn't the biggest self esteem booster. It's all I can do to pull enough money together (thanks, Mom) to buy cheap plane tickets out of each town. I've had to rely on the help of all my friends to get from place to place, meal to meal, plane to plane - and I hope they all realize how grateful I am, but I doubt they'll ever really know. So I'll hope that I quickly find a rhythm and a pace within this new life that will allow me to move forward while catching up, and start earning the dollars to pay off those debts, and I'll climb out of this financial hole and only have to worry about a couple of bills, food, and getting to the next gig or the next job.

To say the least, the Great Experiment has been a fascinating thrill so far. It isn't for everyone, that's for sure, and it might not be for me - but it's a surefire way to clean the slate, which is what I'm after. I'm anxious and excited to settle in to my new life, whatever that ends up being. For now, I'm taking the month of May to rest and regroup at my parents' house in the Appalachian mountains, which is a place I've been retreating to since before I was born. It calms me, and puts me back in touch with my roots, and fills me with joy. So it's the perfect place to be while I catch up on the past few months and prepare for the craziness that will be my summer on the Warped Tour!

Anyway - now that I have the mushy, self-analyzing, psuedo-philosophical rant out of the way - let's get to the functional purpose of this update: updates!

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GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE

The first-ever Canadian Tour was a complete success, thanks mostly to Adam and Zach from Underground Operations, and Crazy Diamond, my tour partners-in-crime! Click each date for pics and videos from the tour:

> 03.24: Toronto, ON @ The Drake
> 03.25: Brantford, ON @ Two Doors Down
> 03.26: Windsor, ON @ The Phog Lounge
> 03.27: London, ON @ The Fort
> 03.28: Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
> 03.29: Toronto, ON @ The Hideout
> 03.30: Kingston, ON @ The Mansion
> 03.31: Ottawa, ON @ Tough Times
> 04.01: Montreal, QC @ L'Esco
> 04.02: Quebec City, QC @ Le Scanner
> 04.03: Sudbury, ON @ The Jubilee Centre

Rumor has it that I might be going back as soon as this Fall, which would be amazing! Thank you to everyone who came out to the shows, hosted the shows, put us up, fed us, took us out, and showed this first-timer a good ol' Canadian time.

Meanwhile, this little Warped Tour gig has really been helping build a buzz around G,NA. Who'd'a thunk it? I'm seeing lots of new activity on the Myspace, iLike, Facebook, Twitter, and other G,NA profiles. Very exciting! Not only that, but Fuse contacted me asking for an mp3 and a music video to feature as part of their Warped Tour Programming, which launches in June and lasts all summer! Perfect timing, since I was already planning to premiere the music video for "Stop, I Get It" in early June. Now it will be an exclusive premiere on Fuse, which rolls very nicely off the tongue, don't you think?

A couple of other G,NA things to think about (especially if you have a few bucks to spare):

(1) The limited edition Remix EP is still available online and at shows! Not sure how many are left, but I'm hoping to sell a bunch in the next month to help pay for my new stage decor for Warped Tour. (Oh yeah... new set design, sans lights, for the summer! Eep!)

For $30 (which includes shipping), you get:
*Five-song "Remix EP" featuring remixes of "Proof" and "Stop, I Get It" from all over the world
*Live recording of G,NA's Hotel Cafe show (opening for Jonah Matranga) on February 19, 2010
*Music video for "If You Only Knew" directed by Coatwolf
*Preview of album cover for this summer's Warped Tour edition CD release of "First LP"
*Two G,NA desktop wallpapers designed by Verdilak
*My unending love and gratitude ♥

(2) The G,NA hoodie has arrived! I never got a chance to announce the latest and greatest addition to the G,NA merchandise family (probably because I was in Canada and knew I couldn't fulfill any mail orders until I got back to the States), so here it is:

THE GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE
BLACK-ON-CHARCOAL HOODIE
AND MISLEADING PHOTO!

I've wanted to get some "artsy" merch for a long time (meaning: not for the sake of promoting, as much as for the sake of looking rad) -- and what's more artsy than black ink on a dark charcoal hoodie, with the design on the back, no less?! This photo makes it seem like you can see the design clearly, but trust me, it only shows up in certain light. These hoodies are either extremely high-end or extremely ridiculous, but I don't care because I love love love them, and so does everyone else who has seen them so far. They're AFX by Independent Trading Co. brand, which are like the softest, thinnest, nicest hoodies ever. Way better than American Apparel. Yeah, I splurged a bit, but I think it was worth it.

Unisex hoodies in Adult XS, S (that's the size I wear, for example), M, L, XL are $30 each, and shipping is included if you order online! So go do it! Better/cuter photos of the hoodies coming soon... but don't let that stop you from ordering yours right now!

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EARN IT YOURSELF

I'll be spending the next month putting together the first-ever EIY Handbook, which will include articles and commentary on 50+ different questions that I've been asked by bands and kids hoping to get more involved with the music industry. I've got over 40 contributors so far who I'm putting to work this month, answering said questions with their own personal insights, opinions, and experiences. It's an insanely huge project, but in the end it is going to be one of the most valuable things I've published, and I think everyone who reads it will get something out of it -- whether or not they are in a band or even involved in music at all! That's the beauty of EIY as a philosophy; it spills over into every other facet of life.

I'm also going to be working on getting the word out about this summer's EIY Workshop & Scene Meet-Up, which I'm super excited about and also totally overwhelmed by. Read about it and let me know what you think, or if you can help spread the word, or if you want to get involved somehow!

I'm going to need help every single day this summer on Warped, both for G,NA and EIY. I think I might find one or two people in each region who would be willing to drive to 5-7 shows and help me in exchange for guest passes and other cool stuff, like hanging out with me and watching me go crazy. Anyone? Anyone?

The EIY Spot on the Kevin Says Stage is going to be finalized in the next couple weeks, too. We made it a lot more difficult to submit for that spot this year, to try to weed out the lazy spammers, and it worked! We're going to make sure that the bands we pick are truly deserving and representative of the EIY way of life.

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THE END, FOR NOW...

Keep in touch with me here: Flavors.me/sarahsaturday

Tell the world you like G,NA here: Facebook.com/gardeningnotarchitecture

Learn about the EIY philosophy here: Earnityourself.com

And if you want to send me a postcard, I will send you one back.

♥SS