Library tour, Kickstarter and Father’s Day weekend funIt’s been a while since I wrote to y’all! We had a really fun time at Banks Street Bar last Friday and in Baton Rouge on Saturday. And I just got back from a short trip with Dave, Chris and Greg, traveling around the adjoining Parishes on our annual Library Mini-Tour. I believe this was our fourth year out in Point Coupee Parish and it’s really cool to see the same kids year after year. They’re always one year older and a little bit taller, kind of like that cousin you only saw once a year at family get togethers. Those of you who follow us on Facebook have probably seen the pictures. Here’s one I haven’t shared yet…it’s an overhead shot because some of the libraries are so small the kids are right under our feet and I can’t back up to take a photo!
The group shot was taken in Innis, LA in the municipal room of their brand new, BIG library. Besides being a social hub and important resource for these small communities, the library also serves as a storm shelter. The old buildings are SO small that a larger building is just more practical and I’m so happy for them and their beautiful new facility! A big THANK YOU goes out to Young Audiences of Louisiana for keeping us working with the kids. I should also mention that the Point Coupee Library really hooked us up with some pretty stellar digs in New Roads, LA this time around. If you ever need a place to stay while in the area, I highly recommend the LeJeune Guest House. It’s a cute little two bedroom bungalow with nice, upgraded amenities and screened in porches. We wanted to move right in! I’m feeling a little wiped out, but I still have a couple of important things to tell y’all. First of all, our KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN has finally been submitted to the website for approval! If all goes correctly, you should be able to view it next week. We’ve been writing more songs and I’m very, very excited to get something new out to you all! Secondly, we have some shows that I need to tell you about!… This weekend, we’re playing two places in New Orleans that we have never played before. Friday June 14, we hit Mid-City stompin’ at the Bayou Beer Garden for a show out on the deck. I can’t wait! (Obviously, this show has already happened and it was AMAZING…we’ll definitely be back at the Bayou Beer Garden!) And then Saturday June 15 we’re doing a special night at the Howlin’ Wolf: Den, a small-ish listening room adjunct to the larger venue. It’s a pretty cool, intimate spot. Dave James, one of our favorite people in the world, will be joining us on guitar. You never can tell what shenanigans shall ensue with that guy in the mix. And then of course, Sunday is Father’s Day! We’ll be out at Audubon Zoo for the Southern Fried Swamp Fest. Dads get in for free that day so bring the kids for some great food and family friendly fun! Alright, I’m starting to see double! Time to call it a night. Yaaaaawwwwwnnnnn……  
JazzFest Week 2Okay! I survived my birthday again! It was actually quite tame by comparison and was the perfect segue into JazzFest Week 2 here in NOLA. We been seeing SO many folks from out of town and made some new friends at our shows last week. Which, by the way were all AMAZING thanks to you guys. Really amazing actually. Today we have a big rehearsal for our JazzFest sets out at the fairgrounds and we’re getting so excited! We’re out there on Friday morning, but if you’re festing this year you already know that. AND we’re opening the stage for Willie Nelson, whose birthday happens to be today. Yes, one day from mine. Tau-rus!!! But I jump ahead… There are a couple of other events that I’d like to let y’all know about, other than our shows. Both tonight and tomorrow (Tues 4/30 and Wed 5/1) there is a country fest going on at Allways Lounge, across the street from Siberia and connected with the All-Star Covered Dish Country Jamboree that happens there on Tuesdays. The Wasted Lives, who host the night are keeping country music alive and thriving here in New Orleans! They have a stellar line-up planned for both nights, including one of my all time favorite New Orleans’ bands, By & By String Band who will make a rare appearance tonight. Also Wednesday is ChazFest, the 9th Ward Music Festival hosted by the man with the washboard, Mr. Chaz Leary. It’s an all day and evening thing so swing by there early and then come see us at Siberia! In my last email I told y’all that our Thursday night show at Mimi’s was cancelled due to a court ordered injunction against the neighborhood bar. We’re so sad for the loss of a favorite music venue and hope that they can return soon. The venue is still open so stop for some fabulous food and support them! Also, we decided not to do a house party that night in lieu of promoting the heck out of our Siberia show on Wednesday. We did get an offer though, so thanks for that! Friday 5/3 we’re out at the Fest opening up the Gentilly Stage for Willie as well as closing out the Kids’ Tent with a raucous set. And picked up a show this Saturday 5/4 at The Prytania Bar on Prytania Street for their Homegrown JazzFest. They’re a new-ish music venue uptown and we’re always glad to have more of those! We hope some of you will venture out to see us and openers Something Burning, a local band who are riding the cello’s wave of popularity in modern music. I think that’s all I need to tell you this week in this quick email. I’m glad I found a minute to sit down and write to you amidst all the craziness! (I did think of one more thing that’s happening tonight. The New Orleans Nightingales will descend on the tiny Three Muses to sit in, one at a time with the band. I’ll be there for a short time, but if you happen to be on Frenchmen Street, pop your head in for a drink!) Once again, be safe, be smart and look out for and love each other. Until we meet again… Your gal pal, Vanessa
“Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Wednesday 5/1 @ Siberia w/ opener Gregory Good 2227 St. Claude Ave. (NOLA); Gregory Good opens solo acoustic @ 9pm; Gal Holiday 10pm-1am  
We, The PeopleThis week was a rough one for all Americans. I’ll not say too much about the Boston terror bombings except that no matter what happens, we’re all in this crazy life together and as a strong people, will make it through. Our thoughts are with all the Bostonian Buckaroos and their families. On a more positive note, this year’s 30th Annual French Quarter Fest weekend was spectacular as usual and we were honored to be included for the sixth year in a row. Y’all came out in force for our show on the river and from all over the world, too. Hey, St. Louis! Hey, Colorado! And hello, San Francisco! Still though, we have yet to see one single picture from our performance, if you can believe it. (Post facto note: there are actually two cell phone photos up on my personal page…thanks Roblynn and Ron!) Please share the love by posting any photos on our Facebook page. If you’re not on social media you can email photos to the band by simply replying to this email. We’d really appreciate it! I wanted to send a HUGE “Thank You!” to everyone who expressed your support both in person and financially to the family of Allison Pitcher, our friend and long time fan who passed suddenly a few weeks ago. The turnout at the benefit was awesome! You can still make a donation to the family online by clicking here to go to the website. Tonight brings the Big Easy Entertainment Awards at Harrah’s Casino, and while Gal Holiday was not nominated, I was asked to be a presenter again this year. I’ll be wearing another beautiful dress from Trashy Diva, the fabulous New Orleans dress shop who sponsored the New Orleans Nightingales this year for French Quarter Fest. (Did you see the picture of the ‘Gales FQF performance yet? Now THERE’S an eyeful….) Trashy Diva has graciously sponsored me for both the awards show tonight AND our JazzFest performances. Too bad the guys in Gal Holiday don’t wear dresses. Great…now I’m picturing them all in frocks and it’s a little frightening!
And that of course brings us to the upcoming New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and all the build up prior. We’ve got some great shows lined up this season! Unfortunately we had one cancellation due to ongoing noise ordinance issues in the city. Mimi’s in the Marigny has been served with a court injunction to cease and desist from all music. As far as I know that includes all Deejays, too. This issue is a many sided one and you can find tons of extra reading on the subject by doing an online search. Being a musician and having lived in the boisterous French Quarter, I certainly have my opinions, of course. My feeling is that if you need peace and quiet you shouldn’t be living in this city. That said, there ARE quiet neighborhoods here. Shocking, I know. I do however, agree that too much noise can be downright annoying and that there should be rules and regulations. (All of which Mimi’s have complied with, FYI.) Anyway, we’re trying to find a replacement show for the cancelled one next Thursday 5/2. Does anyone feel like hosting a house party? If you’re curious how that would work, please contact me. Also, keep an eye on our online schedule. Stuff pops up last minute all the time! This week we’ll do a pre-Fest show at Rock ‘n’ Bowl for Swing Night on Wednesday 4/24. If you still haven’t been to this local insitution I will not chastise but simply encourage you to check it out! Friday 4/26 you can find us in the CBD at The Rusty Nail, which is the old Mermaid Lounge for those of you who go back that far. The fellas who own the bar have done a really beautiful renovation and it just keeps improving over the years. On Saturday night 4/27, the ever tiny and super stellar Three Muses is the destination with our four piece band. Get there early and don’t be scared to squish…the food is superb and the service is, too. Then we have a few days off to fest with the rest and for me at least, celebrate a birthday! I feel like such a lucky gal to have my birthday during JazzFest each year. All the bulls in the house say, “Oh yea-yer!” I’ll try to get another email out before the second weekend and our performance out at the fairgrounds on the second Friday. “Try” being the operative word. Once we get started we might just roll straight on through. We’re VERY excited about our slot this year, opening the Gentilly Stage for the great Willie Nelson! So please make sure to check our website, like us on Facebook and even follow me on Twitter. Plus, all the dates through both JazzFest weekends are below so keep scrolling. Be safe, be smart and look out for and love each other. Until we meet again… Your gal pal, “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Wednesday 4/24 @ Rock ‘n’ Bowl 3000 S. Carrollton Ave. (NOLA); 8:30pm-11:30pm  
TrulyI’m struggling with how to start writing this tonight as my heart is heavy with the news that Allison Pitcher from New Orleans has passed. She was a music lover, friend and fan of the Gal Holiday band from the start and leaves behind a lovely daughter who is graduating from high school this May. I just hung out with them this past Mardi Gras on Bacchus Sunday and we had some laughs between parades. Her passing was a true shock, as she had been improving after slipping into a coma right after a routine surgery. There were already plans being made to hold a benefit to help cover aftercare expenses and now sadly, the benefit will cover funeral costs. Many of the bands that Allison supported will be playing and we hope to reach beyond our goal and donate to her daughter’s college fund as well. I’ll have more details soon but the tentative date is Thursday April 11 and we hope you’ll mark your calendars if you plan on being in New Orleans during French Quarter Fest this year. Our weekend schedule is three shows long with a variety of venues for you to choose from. Thursday night we’ll be at Siberia with the always fabulous Lynn Drury who starts out the night at 10pm. Friday we head across the river to Old Point Bar from 10pm-1am and on Sunday you can find us again on St. Claude Avenue at Kajun’s Pub for an Easter Sunday soiree from 5pm-7pm. Kajun’s is not a usual spot for our band and I’m excited to try a show there. For you foodies, Chef Chris Smedley just reopened their kitchen, naming it Borracho! and serving up delicious housemade sausages and other bar food delights. It should prove to be a fun evening and we’ll have Steve Spitz on that pedal steel, too! Beyond the sadness, life carries on and so with spring in our hearts we enter out of Lent and Passover to Easter and the festival (and food) season close at hand. Your gal pal, Vanessa “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Thursday 3/28 @ Siberia (NOLA) w/ Lynn Drury; LD 10pm, GH 12am Friday 3/29 @ Old Point Bar; 10pm-1am Sunday 3/31 Easter Sunday show! @ Kajun’s Pub (NOLA); 5pm-9pm Tuesday 4/9 The All-Star Covered Dish Country Jamboree @ Allways Lounge (NOLA); GH set TBA Friday 4/12 French Quarter Festival (NOLA); Pavilion Stage 12:30pm-1:45pm Friday 4/12 @ The Rivershack Tavern (Jefferson, LA); 10pm-2am Saturday 4/13 @ Mojitos Rum Bar (NOLA); 7:30pm-10:30pm Wednesday 4/24 Swing Night @ Rock ‘n’ Bowl (NOLA); 8:30pm-11:30pm Saturday 4/20 Cajun/Country Fais Do Do @ Maison (NOLA) w/ T’Canaille; 4pm-7pm Saturday 4/20 @ Circle Bar (NOLA); 10pm-1am Saturday 4/27 Gal Holiday Quartet @ Three Muses (NOLA); 9pm-12am  
Springing: Get the News, Buckaroos!Has it been almost a month since I last wrote to y’all? It has indeed and what a month it has been. I feel that time is flying by at such a rapid pace that I can scarcely keep up. Although I’m trying to get ahead of the wave, it’s definitely been a wild 2013 so far. My trip to South America with the Squirrel Nut Zippers was intense and a lot of fun. It was nice to have someone else doing the “work” part of the job. All I had to do was show up to sing and dance! I’ll post a link to the pictures from the group on the SNZ Facebook page if anyone cares to take a look see. There are tons of comments, pictures and videos up there already, too. It is GREAT to be back home though, and performing with the Gal Holiday band again. The last few shows in February were totally fun and I missed our musical family while I was gone! We’ve already had one show in March, last Saturday at Mojitos and there are many more on the books (and the website) since I last wrote. We start TONIGHT, Tuesday 3/12 at the Hard Rock Cafe with a our first show on Bourbon Street EVER. Their new location is hiring local acts on Tuesday nights and we’re happy to pop our Bourbon Street cherry. Come be a witness to the carnage, if you dare. We’ll also be at Rock ‘n’ Bowl’s Swing Night again this week on Wednesday 3/13 and are making a return to the Circle Bar on Friday night, 3/15, Dave James in tow. Many great memories were made there over the years, including a Gal Holiday fueled introducion resulting in a Gal Holiday wedding reception! This Saturday afternoon, 3/16 is a very special event on the westbank benefitting Cafe Hope, where they help at-risk young adults get training in the restaurant and hospitality industries while serving the public great food. There is to be a BBQ contest and live music all day long, so bring the family out for some daytime fun!  Again, sorry for any delay in my communications resulting in any missing of Gal Holiday shows. Please note that the best way to get the info is to check our website regularly. I write these newsletters when I can but I’ve been writing music, too! There are only so many hours in a day which brings me back to my opening lines. Here comes the tidal wave… Your gal pal,
Vanessa “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Tuesday 3/12 @ Hard Rock Cafe (NOLA); 10pm-1am  
Post Carnival “Normalcy”It’s Friday night and I’m sitting at home, keeping an eye on a sick kitty who is sleeping on the sofa next to me. The past few days have been spent catching up on things that fell through the cracks over the past week or so, mainly dishes and booking. No one in New Orleans functions “normally” during Mardi Gras, and unless you’ve been here to experience it firsthand there’s no way to relate it to anything else in terms of how much you have to rearrange your priorities. We had a great time this year though, even if it WAS more than a little weird to take a week off for SuperBowl. Below are a few pictures of our magical and foggy Mardi Gras, two I captured and one taken by our friend, Thaddeus who is the fella dressed as Star Trek crew with Dave in photo #1. Brian “Big Country” Ayres of our brother band, Country Fried and his lovely family are the subject of the third photo.
Also, some of you may be aware that I was invited to sing leads with the acclaimed band, Squirrel Nut Zippers, albeit on a very part time basis. I’ll be heading to South America (!) with them in a little over a week for a short, three day trip to Ecudor and Colombia. After only one show with their band last September it’s a little nerve wracking, but also quite an honor as I’ve been a huge fan since the mid-90′s. Wish me luck! I’ll take pictures… Before I head down south though, there are a few more Gal Holiday shows here in Louisiana and I’m looking forward to playing again! We’ve definitely been playing less shows that we’re used to and I’m There’s only one chance to catch us this weekend and that’s Saturday 2/16 at our old haunt, The BMC or Balcony Music Club. If you’ve been seeing us for a while you might have come to one of our Sunday evening shows that we played there for two years. While this isn’t going to turn into a weekly show again, it IS still a great room and we hope you’ll join us if you’re in town. Next week we’ll be back at Mimi’s in the Marigny on Thursday 2/21 with our quartet and then a return to Mid-City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl on Friday 2/22. We’re FINALLY making a return to Baton Rouge on Saturday 2/23 for a show at the new, and apparently super cool new venue, Mud and Water in downtown. As always, check our website for more info! And now that we’re done with “Super Gras” we move on to festival season. I’m proud to announce that we’ll be making appearances at both French Quarter Festival and JazzFest again this year! If you’re headed to New Orleans for the fests, we hope to see you. Keep dreaming of spring… Your gal pal, “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.”  
It’s Carnival TimeIt’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. And yes, the Super Bowl has just landed here. Welcome to any of our fans who are visiting us this week. It’s a crazy world out there! This email will be brief and then I’ll let you get on with more important things… Thanks to everyone who came out to our one and only show last week at Mojitos on Friday. Up until today the weather has been so lovely in New Orleans and it was truly a perfect night for a little courtyard concert. I was also reminded that it’s been a while since my last email, a couple of fans finding out about the show last minute. Please remember to check our website regularly for updates to the schedule. New stuff sneaks in all the time! We’re getting in on the Super Bowl action this week and playing two shows on Friday at the Super Bowl Boulevard, staged on the riverfront at Woldenburg Park. There’s more info on the band line-up as well as a downloadable map HERE. This is a FREE event and New Orleans knows how to make a party, so join in the revelry! Also this week is our return to the Rock ‘n’ Bowl TONIGHT (Wednesday) for swing night and on Thursday we strip it down for Mimi’s in the Marigny. Then it’s Mardi Gras week and three chances to see us, starting with a Tuesday night show with Jayson Wayne Knox at Siberia. We have an exciting show next Friday, February 8th at Chickie Wah Wah. We’re calling it “The Hillbilly Ball” and we’ve teamed up with our friends, The Haunted Hearts. They don’t have a website but you can read about their experience meeting Hunter S. Thomson at the Circle Bar by clicking that link. And check out the poster I “designed.” It’s no professional job but you get the idea.  And just a quick mention of a new, monthly show at Mojitos we’ll be doing called Second Saturdays which starts on February 9th and continues through the spring. Now you know where to find us every second Saturday! As always, please check out our website for more info on all the upcoming shows. This is me, signing off. A Happy Mardi Gras to everyone. And Happy Super Bowl…may the best team win. Down here we’ll be wearing our Black & Gold, but secrectly I’ll be rooting for Baltimore. I am a Maryland girl, after all.Be safe, be smart but most of all…have fun! Your gal pal, “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Please join and share the Facebook events to help us spread the word! Wednesday 1/30 @ Mid City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl (NOLA); 8:30pm-11:30pm Facebook event  
Krewe du Vieux WeekendJust a couple quick snaps from my crazy weekend here in New Orleans! My band played Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday night our gig was actually on the parade route. Nutso. I also attended the “Best of the Beat” Awards and had a blast singing with the fabulous New Orleans Nightingales. Every girl a gem…www.neworleansnightingales.com  Krewe du Vieux parade is the most irreverent of the Mardi Gras parades, with revelers on foot rather than riding on floats, which in this parade are often pulled by mule or man.  Offbeat Magazine’s annual “Best of the Beat” Awards were held on Friday with a bevy of beautiful Nightingales on hand to kick off the festivities.  
Mid-winter UPDATEGet the News, Buckaroos! Happy New Year! I can say that again, right? It’s still January after all. And having gotten my resolution breaking out of the way early, we can get on with things…. The recent cold, and now rainy weather here in New Orleans has been keeping this song bird inside, warm and dry. I’ve been occupying my time revisiting our older recorded material as well as listening to songs I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. On Elvis Presley’s birthday, I decided to teach myself to use iMovie and made a video to go along with “Elvis, Elvis”, a silly little track off our debut album. And for a limited time, I’m offering you a free download of the song! All you have to do is visit our website and click the link. While you’re there make sure to watch the video, too. I’m getting really excited about recording a new, as yet untitled album in 2013. I’m not even sure I have the title song written yet, but there are lots of ideas bouncing around in my head and one will likely shout out to me soon. In anticipation of launching our funding campaign, I’ve been researching crowd, or fan funding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. For those of you who are new to the concept, it’s exactly what it sounds like. YOU help us reach our funding goal and get fabulous rewards in return! If we reach beyond our goal we can do more than “just” record an album. Things like: We’ve started to add some new songs into our live set, testing out to see what works and what needs tweaking. My thought has always been that, if y’all aren’t dancing, we’re definitely doing something wrong. The whole reason I started this band was to make music for dancers, and over the years we’ve been honing our sets to reflect the dancefloor. I hope that our next album continues in that tradition. I’m really proud of the way the new songs are fitting in and “Thank you!” to everyone who has let us know what they think. Just a couple notes about upcoming events before I sign off. An incorrect show time for our 1/26 show at Mojito’s has been corrected, so if you were planning to come to that one, please check the listing below. Also, two shows at Mimi’s in the Marigny have been added to this month’s line-up! Lastly, I want to highlight the show at Hangar 13 this Friday (tomorrow! today!) 1/11. Some of you long time Gal Holiday fans will recall our FIRST EVER SHOW when we really stunk. It happened at The Hangar, recently reopening as Hangar 13 at The Rendon Inn. Come revisit our roots with us, albeit with a much improved sound. And check out this Google map for the exact location as finding it can be a little confusing. Cheers! Thanks for tuning in! Your gal pal, “Without the courage to fail there is no progress.” Please join and share the Facebook events to help us spread the word! Friday 1/11 @ Hangar 13 (NOLA); 8pm-11pm Facebook event
Saturday 1/12 @ The Maison (NOLA); Cajun/Country Fais Do Do 4pm-7pm Facebook event Wednesday 1/16 @ Mid City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl (NOLA); 8:30pm-11:30pm Facebook event Thursday 1/17 @ Mimi’s in the Marigny (NOLA); Gal Holiday Quartet 9pm-12am Saturday 1/19 @ Three Muses (NOLA); Gal Holiday Quartet 9pm-12am Facebook event Friday 1/25 @ Mojitos Rum Bar (NOLA); 7pm-10pm Facebook event Wednesday 1/30 @ Mid City Lanes Rock ‘n’ Bowl (NOLA); 8:30pm-11:30pm Facebook event Thursday 1/31 @ Mimi’s in the Marigny (NOLA); Gal Holiday Quartet 9pm-12am Friday 2/1 @ Woldenberg Park (NOLA); Verizon Super Bowl Boulevard 12:15pm-1:30pm (AFC Stage) AND 3:15pm-4:45pm (South End Zone Stage)  
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Welcome to the flip side. Whether you glided smoothly like Grace Kelly or bumped and hobbled into 2013, time marches on and brings in a new year, full of possibilities. Personally, my 2012 was full of learning experiences and new relationships forged and fostered. I’m hoping that 2013 will bring more of the same as I continue to explore the music business and travel our country, meeting people and playing music that bring us together. December found me unpacking and settling back into New Orleans life, with a sprinkling of live shows. Here in the Crescent City we’re gearing up for a busy start to the year with Twelfth Night and the official start to the Mardi Gras season a mere five days away! We’ll roll through Carnival season, hosting Super Bowl somewhere in the middle and come out on the other side in mid-February. New Orleans really knows how to throw a party and we’ll be playing around town the whole way through. We have some great shows coming up including a couple family friendly ones and two new venues this month alone. Check out the schedule a little futher down in this message and please share the Facebook events. Speaking of Facebook, we’re almost to 3000 Likes on our page! In a lot of ways I don’t really know what that means, but hopefully it translates when we launch our upcoming crowd funding campaign. We have a bunch of new songs and want to get our third album out this spring so look for more news soon about how you can help us to get it done! Your support is what keeps us going and we really appreciate all the love in 2012. Let’s roll this love fest over and make 2013 a spectacular year. Your gal pal, "Without the courage to fail there is no progress."
Please join and share the Facebook events to help us spread the word!
 
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