Florida, Alabama, and Davidson College! November tour!

Hello from Nashville!

That’s a new photo of me from a photo shoot at my great-grandfather, John Rufus Smith's, cabin. He built the cabin in the late 1800s and generations of Smiths lived there until the 1960s. Now, the cabin and the land around it is owned by the gas company who have sunk a gas well nearby. But the intrepid Smith can still get there with dresses in her backpack! Photo by Graham Frear.

It's been great to be in Nashville after more than a year away! At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed seeing all of my old things. I wrote an essay about that and you can read it on my blog at Little Yellow Sewing Box. But now, my journey ahead seems a bit clearer and I am brimming with ideas about the future! But, first, time for a tour! 

Tomorrow, I begin my journey by heading further south to Florida! First stop is Gainesville for a house concert on Saturday night, Nov. 4th, at the home of banjo aficionado Chuck Levy and his lovely wife, Sandy. If you’d like to come, just write to Chuck: levyce@aol.com. 

On, Sunday, Nov. 5th, I’ll make my way down to Lakeland for a 2pm concert at the Lakeland Public Library. I haven’t been there in several years and I remember when I played there last, a woman wrote a beautiful poem based on my singing! Who knows what will happen this time around. 

Then, I am heading down to the greater Tampa area for four concerts: 

Tues, Nov 7, Jan Kaminis Platt Library, Tampa, 7pm

Thurs, Nov 9, New Port Richey Library, New Port Richey, 6pm

Sun, Nov 12, Lake Echo House Concert, Odessa, 3:30pm

Thurs, Nov 16, Hugh Embry Library, Dade City, 1pm

 And before I head back to Nashville, I will be stopping in Huntsville, AL, for a benefit concert for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI supports thousands of families struggling with mental illness. They do vital work that saves lives and I am very honored to be playing for them. That concert will take place on Friday, Nov 17th, at United Church. Doors open at 6:30, concert at 7. Tickets are only $10.

I am thrilled to say that the last concert of my tour here in the USA will be held at my alma mater, Davidson College! Please join Professor Randy Ingram and the students of English 240 for an hour-long performance on Thursday, Nov 30, followed by a Q&A at the Carolina Inn. Doors open at 6:30, and the concert will begin at 7pm. I will also be available on campus throughout the day, so, if you’d like to have a cup of tea or lunch, let me know! I will be meeting with students at the career center from 1pm to 3pm on the 30th. So, if you know any current Davidson students who would like to talk with me about a career in the arts, I would love to meet them!

You can always find details of my concerts on my tour page. And you can buys CDs at bandcamp, cdbaby, and iTunes!

Thank you to all of you who came out to the concerts in MD, PA, and VA! I had such a great time seeing old friends and making new ones. If I missed you, I’ll hope to see you in 2018! 

Happiness, peace, and kindness to you all,

Jeni

Sewing around

Finishing up some pillows thanks to Harriet & Bruce and their Singer 6215c - an oldie, but a goody. I really love sewing on different machines around the globe. I found the manual online and it was off to pillow happiness! 

Just Dance

I obviously find my job very tedious and, evidently, I'm a highly serious person. 

Fan photo I just got in my email from our Wednesday concert in Naples. 

Back at the GarageMahal

It's very nice to be called a "hoot" when you are a storyteller! So, I consider the review below this concert blast to be one of the best I've received, and my expression in this photo only confirms it. Billy is very patient :)

Jeanne Holton Carufel, WMNF's Acoustic Peace Club and Jim Strickland, "Mr. Ethnic" present:

Jeni & Billy in Concert

Their 3rd appearance at the GarageMahal in San Antonio, FL.

Saturday, January 16th, 2016

Doors open at 7 PM, concert starts at 7:30 PM

Suggested donation $15 (or more) with all proceeds to the artists.

Norm will make his famous coffee.

Feel free to bring some goodies to share for the snack table.

For more info, message Jim on Facebook or write him at mrethnic1@gmail.com

Jim says: As most everyone knows, I'm a big Jeni & Billy fan, great musicians, plus Jeni is a hoot and a wonderful storyteller.

Please join us for a truly magical evening at GarageMahal !

See you in 2016, Florida!

What started with a trip to the attic to find our tents and camp stove ends with a visit to my parents to get my new used computer up and running and design a cd package or three. In between, we've done eleven concerts in Florida, laughed with friends -- new and old -- visited family, and made a start on a couple of new songs! 

Mr Tomato has performed admirably and may have earned his own Jeni & Billy bumper sticker by the end of this! 

We went out with a bang thanks to a community concert organized by our beautiful friends, Gerry & Fred. Every time a friend organizes a concert for us, I stand in awe of their gumption. We saw our friend Peggy Osborne who grew up down the road a piece from Jewell Ridge in Lebanon, Virginia. Peggy's mother was at the concert, too, and invited me to their family reunion which was one of the best after-concert compliments I've ever received. 

We are heading up to North Carolina in a light drizzle with our hearts full of friendship and thanks for all, near and far, who made this trip with us. Love to you.

Making house concert magic

Thanks to the very magical group of people who decided they'd like to hear some Jeni & Billy music last night and came to Chuck and Sandy Levy's. You filled the house quite literally with your laughter and kind spirits! Heading to New Port Richey for the last concert of the Florida tour, full of smiles and new song ideas! Love to you all.

Photos by Diana Smith and Bettianne Siegel Ford.

Pajama-walking

Report from Ft Pierce, FL: Business first. Our two final Florida tours for 2015 are this weekend!!! Gainesville on Saturday. New Port Richey on Sunday. Both promise to be loads of fun! Truly. Tomorrow night is filling up! Details on both at  http://www.jeniandbilly.com/tour/

You can also contact Chuck Levy regarding Saturday night or Gerry McNamara Cload for the Sunday afternoon show. 

Wearing pajamas to go hiking accomplishes two things. First, the Eco-center guide completely underestimates my hiking prowess, so the pressure is off. Secondly, when I return and she learns that I've done the whole trail twice in my pajamas, she starts thinking about hiking in pajamas, wondering what kind of edge she could get out of that kind of gear.

You don't need special gear to walk. Go out and get those 10,000 steps a day! I'll be your friend across the miles! I've made a commitment to do my steps every day this year and it's been a blast watching those step numbers creep up each day and walking around living rooms and driveways at night just to get those last 1,000 steps. Start a pajama-walking revolution! It's fun to surprise people. I think I'll go for polar bear or penguin PJs next time. 

Dino might

Report from Hudson, Florida: If only Cyrus were here!

Dancing on to new ground

We danced right out of Naples and now we are headed up to Hudson, Florida, where we'll play at the library tomorrow. (2pm, if you are in the neighborhood). Then we have a bit of a break until our last two Florida concerts next weekend in Gainesville at Chuck Levy's and New Port Richey -- Gerry & Fred Cload, hosts.

You know, we were a bit bewildered when we started this tour in a fully packed tomato car, but the joy of this  tour has utterly exceeded all of our expectations!

Thank you, friends, near and far who have brought a smile at our concerts or right here with your encouragement. Happy weekend to you!

Thanks to Joyce for this terrific photo from our last Naples concert for 2015. See you in 2016!

Rainbows in the rain

Report from Camp JillyBenny, Naples, Florida: Business first, due to the very inconsiderate rain that persists on falling in sheets & drizzles the concert has been moved to the screened room just at the front entrance of the campground. Still at 2pm and they will have tacos.

The camp is holding fast. Despite torrential rain last night, we stayed completely dry in our tiny sleeping tent and our living room tent is water tight as well. Woohooo! On the other hand everything is damp and our hair just gets curlier and curlier.

If the rain stops in the next hour we will be able to do our load-in without getting completely soaked. Otherwise, I may look like a Pomeranian for the entire concert.

Spirits are high, though, in some part because everything in our tent happens to be rainbow colored so it's like we're in a cartoon of our own.

Happy adventures wherever you may be today! And stay dry!

Indifferent worlds

Report from The Hammock, Collier Seminole State Park, Florida: How many worlds flourish unseen and indifferent to us? Trees grow, then fall down. We do not move them, time does. And time moves us, too. My favorite scene from our walk on our first day off in Naples. 

Hungry for Hungrytown

How absolutely thrilling to get to hear our dearest friends Hungrytown perform in Naples. And how happy we were to have them come hear us, too. Like us, they are on a tour around Florida right now, so check out their calendar and go hear them before they head over to New Zealand or something wild like that. www.Hungrytown.net

I took this snap as they sang a gorgeous a capella version of Woody Guthrie's Pastures of Plenty, which I am glad to say is on their next record!!

Jeni & Billy's own festival village!

Report from Collier Seminole State Park, Florida: Look out Kennedys, it's the JillyBenny compound complete with hovercraft bedroom, green apple living room, and screened dining room! Pitter patter goes the rain, but no matter, we can rehearse in our tent domain! Mr Tomato says, "Where's the garage?"

The GarageMahal, Boodini, & Blue Men

Report from Southern Georgia: Mr Tomato has already jumped fully into the spirit of being a touring vehicle by kicking off one of his hubcaps, eschewing fancy adornments. I hope he doesn't think we play grunge, even though I am not opposed to the idea of learning a Nirvana cover. I think he's just anxious to get to our concert tonight at the GarageMahal in San Antonio, Florida! It sounds like a place cars would like to go! I don't know how to tell him it's more like a living room with couches and comfy chairs for music lovers. Concert is lovingly hosted by two of our favorite DJ friends, Jim Strickland and Jeannie Holton Carufel. Shoot Jim an email for directions at mrethnic@msn.com. Doors at 7, concert at 7:30. $15 suggested donation to Mr Tomato and us.

Here's a picture of Boodini who is behind the scenes on every Jeni & Billy tour and was even shipped from London to Yorkshire once when he got into a very deep discussion about marmalades with a very British bear who lives with our friend Graham. He forgot to jump in our suitcase and ended up being posted. He really hoped that would somehow give him dual citizenship in the United Kingdom and the USA. 

The Macon, Georgia, Super 8 was actually pretty super at $57 with fast wifi, black-out curtains, hot shower, fluffy pillows, and soft but nicely starchy sheets. I think that's our only planned hotel stay for the tour and it was brief given that we rolled in at 1:30 am. I had to smile when the certificate by the desk said the hotel was owned by Blue Krishna Enterprises because it took me back to when I went to see the Blue Man Group in NYC with Letitia Campell's Divinity school class. They were so loud I had to stuff my ears with all of the tissues in my purse and probably anything else I could find in there. But I loved it all the same. We promise not to be too loud at the GarageMahal, so just bring tissues for the sad songs and your laughs for the happy ones!

First concert of 2014! Boynton Beach, FL

Well, just like that, the touring year has begun!!! Starting things off at the Boynton Beach Library in Florida. Very pretty here today. 2pm. Special concert of songs based on some of my favorite books!