Promotional Tour with Ringo!

A few weeks ago, a surreal dream of mine came true. I played the guitar, sang, and played violin with a Beatle! I'm still pinching myself, and I must say that the experience was a bright spot in my musical career. Ringo was such a lovely man and the musicians from the Dave Stewart Band were phenomenal. We only played three shows, but the sweetest tours are always the shortest.


I could have asked the make up artist to give me a mustache! I saw this while I was getting my make-up done for the Craig Ferguson Show.


Backstage at the Craig Ferguson Show


I took this picture with the very lovely Nadira and Cindy Gomez right before we went on Larry King.


This photo was taken on stage at the House of Blues in LA.

Vai tour in South America

This journal update is an ode to the overdue. Since I left for the South American tour with Vai, the leaves in Virginia have changed color and fallen to the ground. I feel particularly guilty that a season has practically passed since I last posted

Speaking of seasons, South America was particularly delightful because it was the peak of spring bloom in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. The air was perfumed by exotic flowers, and in a way, fall was mimicked by the jackarand trees shedding their purple blossoms in a floral snow storm upon the city streets. I was also reading “Love in a Time of Cholera” during the tour, and in retrospect, I’m sure it made me see everything through a rosy romantic filter. Still, I’m very nostalgic about this South American tour, and I will picture myself in a beautiful Argentina café when the cold winds of Virginia come calling the next few weeks.


Mikey was my faithful partner in seeking a caffeinated beverage every morning. In Buenos Aires, we found this lovely cafe.


On our precious day off in Argentina, we visited the cemetery and church were Eva Perone (Evita) was buried.


I was so impressed by the green spaces in the city. This park was in the middle of Buenos Aires.

Vai US tour

The US tour flew by too quickly for my liking, and I find myself swimming in too many highlights to post. I’ll just share a few especially sparkly moments.

Speaking of sparkle, this tour marked my first trip to Vegas. Seeing the city glitter and glow its way into view during a nighttime bus ride is something I’ll never forget.

This tour also marked my first foray into Canada. After briefly experiencing Vancouver and Toronto, I can officially add them to the list of places I fantasize about running away to.

Even though I traveled to many new cities on this tour, I especially loved coming close to my home town in Alexandria, VA. My sweet mother and father actually came to their first rock concert to see me play! Vai also toured near the hometowns of other band and crew members. Our bus became stocked with homebaked goodies- in addition to the massive quantity of chocolate in our rider.

I’m currently suffering from severe chocolate withdraw. Reflecting on the past tour in photos has helped take the edge off of my pain.


This was the view from my hotel room in Vegas


Brian came out to visit me in San Francisco. I couldn't resist cuddling in the trolley.


The farmer's market in Seattle was incredible.


I got to meet one of my violin heros at the Chicago House of Blues. Here I am with Rachel Barton Pine!


The Mark Wood Experience joined us for our shows in the New York area. Mark is THE rock violin pioneer, and his band and family were some of the lovliest people I have ever met.


I walked around Boston with Dave and his i-phone. Dave loves his i-phone almost as much as Steve loves his i-phone.


We played at Steve's old school.


Ending on a sweet note, this was the chocolate spread in one of our dressing rooms.

On tour with Vai

Oh how lovely it is to be a woman on tour with the Vai band! I get to live on a tour bus full of boys, share a dressing room full of boys, and perform on stage to an audience full of boys. It’s a good thing that I like boys, especially the boys in the Vai band and crew. Being the only girl in the band has taught me some unique life lessons that I would like to share.

1. It IS possible to put on a little black dress in a room full of guys without flashing anything scandalous. My modesty in the high school locker room finally pays off.

2. It takes the perfect pair of heels to rock out on a stage littered with cables and pedal boards. The “prance-test” in the shoe store is embarrassing but crucial.

3. Boys look cute in the morning when they wake up on the bus. I’ve learned how to pretend that I look cute too.

4. I’ve learned that the guys in the band don’t spare me from teasing just because I’m a girl. They call me “stinky” and are always honest with me.

5. I’ve learned how to de-odorize a very stinky pair of performance shoes. (See previous lesson)

6. I learned that I need an i-phone. Steve, Mikey, Dave, Paul… I’m jealous.

7. Starbucks. I can’t resist the siren call of the two-tailed mermaid and her green ring of fury. I’ve also learned that buying Roger (on stage monitors) a medium mocha keeps him from practicing karate moves on me. Mikey’s quad grande lattes keep him from killing people.

8. “Meh” is a perfect word. Meh. Meeeeeeeh!

9. Including chocolate in the dressing room rider is absolutely brilliant and necessary. Jeremy concurs.

10. It is good to be a girl in the Vai band. I have fifteen boys that I’ve come to love and respect like brothers.

Steve Vai Tour in Europe

I know that this blog posting is overdue (My mother reminds me daily....). I have been all over Europe and have way too many experiences to share all at once. All the stories are knotted up inside of me and the threads will have to be pulled out slowly and at the right time. In retrospect, I realize that I should have posted a separate blog for each country I visited, as I was visiting them. I know that some other members of the Vai band posted blogs that way. Unfortunately, I have an aversion to spending time on my computer when I am traveling the world. I also love procrastinating to the point of pain.

I'll just share a few lovely memories from the tour, and let the pictures do the talking.


The band rehearsed in North Hollywood for four weeks. Steve demanded the nearly impossible out of me, and challenged me with his brilliant compositions. He was so kind and patient with me as I learned how to work a pedal board, play the five-string violin, and play the keys! The picture shows me with my shrunken head ornament at my keys station.

The tour started began in Luxembourg and I had a day off to explore the beautiful city. The picture above and the two pictures below were taken on my free day.





I didn't have time to see the Lourve or the Eiffel Tower, but I had the most wonderful day wandering the streets of Paris. My friend Mikey and I stumbled upon the National Opera house and this picture shows the gilded interior of the impressive building.

I never imagined that my first Rock Festival would take place in the Netherlands! The picture shows me standing backstage at the Aerosmith concert.

When we arrived in Ulm, Germany, I was pleasantly surprised by the gypsy circus vibe. We performed in a colorful tent and mingled with the venue volunteers around a campfire after the show.

The striking skyline in Barcelona

I was surprised by the sandless beaches near our hotel in Barcelona. The paved shores and the large sculptures were uniquely beautiful.

The organically designed Gaudi Cathedral in Barcelona made me see churches and the splendor of nature in a new way.

It was such a treat to spend the afternoon by the beautiful beaches of Almeria, Spain.

We performed at the stunning remains of a castle in Lorca, Spain. The landscape and the view were amazing.

I spent the afternoon walking around with my friend Zack in Porto, Portugal. We found this sign in the middle of a tiny mall.

I had a lovely morning in Lisbon, Portugal walking with Steve and Mikey. We took this picture on the way to a cafe.

I spent the afternoon walking around with Zack and Pia (Steve's wife) in Barcelona. Pia snapped this picture of me. I really need to learn an attractive pose for occasions like these.

Even though I've seen the Duomo in Milan three times, I've never seen it without scaffolding until this tour.

I wished that I had more time to spend in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. The outdoor venue was a short walk to a beautiful lake, a charming town, and a crazy crowded beach. I snapped this picture of the boys relaxing by the lake.

I got to meet the Eric Sardinas band at a festival in Pistoia, Italy. Eric let me wear his hat for this picture with him.

The Vai crew let me hit the drums at sound check in Pistoria. I was hoping I would be a natural.....

I can't believe I laid my own eyes on the Coliseum in Rome. Sometimes when you see something so many times in pictures, seeing it in reality is a shock.

I climbed all 550 stairs. In heels. The view from the top of the St. Peter's Basilica cupola was worth every step.

I climbed down all 550 stairs. In heels. Walking around St. Peter's Basilica was more than worth it. I gazed at Michelangelo's Pieta for twenty blissful minutes and will never forget how profoundly moving it was to see the sublime sculpture in person.

Jeremy and I bought rock-star sunglasses in the airport before flying to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam was such a feast for my senses. I was overwhelmed by the charming shops, the zany architecture, the glittering canals, the exquisite people watching, the eclectic food, and the world class museums. I especially enjoyed visiting the Van Gough museum.

Our performance in London marked a high point in the tour. I loved every minute on stage and I only wish that every show could feel so good.

I was really looking forward to seeing Ireland, and I am happy to report that Dublin surpassed all my expectations. It was the perfect Ireland of my dreams and more. The vibrant flowers I saw around town made me want to plant flower boxes at my own home. (I was disappointed later to learn that flower boxes are a seasonal thing.... I couldn't find them at Lowes. Boo hoo hoo!)

I spent quality people-watching time at this lawn garden in Dublin.

Moscow, Russia is too beautiful to capture in words. Just look at this view from The Red Square.

I have to thank our lovely hosts in Russia for their generosity and attention to us on our free day. Yuri, Michael, and Arthur gave us a guided tour of the city highlights, including the war memorial depicted here.

Vusi Mahlasela

I met Vusi earlier this year when I saw him performing in Washington, D.C. He blew me away as a musician and he impressed me even more as a person. Within minutes of meeting me, he affectionately called me "sister" and meant it. The joy he brings to the stage is only rivaled by the joy he brings to his friends. His smile, his hugs, and his poetic way of speaking have endeared him to my heart. It is easy to see how he is a star in South Africa and the esteemed friend of Dave Matthews. The picture above shows me in concert at Starr Hill in Charlottesville with Vusi and his band. He invited me to play with him at the last minute (I had to race home for my violin) and I was honored to play a few tunes with him. I hope we can play together more often!

Kantara in Virginia

I've always toured with Kantara abroad, and it was such a refreshing change to tour with them in my home state. I even got to host the band at my home for a few days while we were rehearsing. Even though our pranking wars continued to pepper rehearsals, nobody was permantly injured by the super-soaker water gun or the whipped cream pies. The tour was a success on many levels and we played to packed audiences at some of my favorite venues (The Kennedy Center and The Theater at Lime Kiln). We also managed to record a big portion of our studio album at Bobby Read's studio. Both pictures were taken in the studio.