February 18, 2011
On stage in Japan
I know it's been a while. Really, I do my best, but the time just gets away from me. I've been trying to keep up with my Facebook page (much as I don't like Facebook, it is stupidly easy to deal with, especially while traveling), posting a quote every night and trying to "friend" as many strangers as I can so I can have lots more people I don't know in my life...
<smile>
Does anyone else notice that the economy seems to be improving? Cautious optimism says that after only one Living Room Concert in the past 28 months (thank you Judy Jance and Bill Schib!), I now have three booked. Merchandise sales, down almost 70% in 2009/2010, are edging back up. Friends who've lost their traditional 9-5 jobs seem to be locating other work that ultimately pleases the more. And while no one I know is getting rich, everyone seems to have enough.
Let's hope.
With Kevin Eubanks
I had a productive few months - spent some time with new friend Kevin Eubanks at his amazing new home in Cambria. Yes, I had my own private bed & bath, overlooking the Pacific - and yes, we started a few things with an eye toward both his and my next album projects - but the real icing on the cake was just sitting around, listening to Kevin play. Sheesh! Made me feel like a beginner!!
With Angela Aki and Natalia Zukerman
From there, straight into rehearsals with Natalia Zukerman, with a side dinner of sushi (in preparation) with old friends Chris Valada, Len Wein, and Bill Prady, fresh from a brand new contract for his show Big Bang Theory. Needless to say, Bill bought dinner....
Len, by the way, made up one of my all-time favorite quotes: A true friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else. So true, so true.
Banana Milk Memo
We landed in Osaka and had three gorgeous days off to recover and rehearse, then plunged straight into the Billboard Live shows. I have to say, their clubs are still the most beautiful I've ever played, and the tech crews are unbelievably good. What a joy when everything works!! I was doubly spoiled because, while regular tour manager Debra Hyslop couldn't come (she's waiting on her green card, and can't leave the US until she gets it. It's only been three years... they estimate another four or five... ridiculous, really...), her replacement was John Mooy. In addition to being a fabulous TM, John is also a guitar tech - which means for 10 shows, I never changed a set of strings!
Fog Bars and Fog Tool
Spoiled is right!
One of my favorite things to do in Japan is walk around the markets, trying to figure out what things are. "Fog Bar", for instance. Or the ingredients on this menu. We ate shabu-shabu, sushi, sashimi, and anything else we could get our mouths around - with the exception of this...
Angela, Janis, Natalia on stage
The capper of the trip was when my dear friend Angela Aki joined us on stage for the last night in Tokyo, and we all sang "Every Woman's Song" with her. What an unforgettable send-off!
One of the things I love about Japan is the attitude toward age. Since I'm turning 60 this April 7th, a lot of people gave me good wishes - and I heard over and over again that for the Japanese, 60 is not "old". Rather, it's the beginning of a new cycle. My old friend Reiko Yukawa stressed this at our traditional catch-up lunch, and I'm not going to pretend that it didn't make me feel really good about maturing. (As it were...)
Banana Milk Memo
Well. I need to get packing - Pat and I are headed off on vacation next week!! I have a two-day turnaround when we get back, then Debra, Lee and I clamber into the Queen Mary and head out on the road. We'll be gone until May, hitting half the country - from Colorado to Vermont to Florida. Phew. I'm tired just thinking about it. A few new songs, a couple of guitar solos, a bunch of dates with Natalia and the incredible Tom Paxton - then we'll quiet down so I can get some writing done this summer! I'll be hitting the Swannanoa Gathering late July, then preparing for my upcoming Europe/UK tour this fall. All in all, another busy year.
Interesting Japanese grill menu
Much as I love performing, I'm beginning to feel like that's all I do in life, so I'm carving out large chunks of time in 2012 for writing, with an eye toward some future recording projects. I also want to continue my short story writing, at least long enough to decide whether I'll ever be any good at it! And the older I get, the more I realize how much I miss being home when I can't be there. They don't say "Home is where the heart is" for nothing!
On that happy note, hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Have a wonderful spring, and I'll talk to you when I can!
Best,
Janis
New Message From Janis in the Website Newsroom
It was another good year for the Pearl Foundation, so thanks to everyone who bought merchandise, attended shows, held a Living Room Concert, visited our re-opened eBay Store, or just plain donated a buck or two in thanks for the free downloads! I’ll be publishing a final report on my Facebook page and the forum, but as of this moment we are adding $75,000 to our scholarship endowments, bringing the grand total up to $1,191,250.00
[more]
The Great Divide now available as a free download!
Go here to download a free mp3 of "The Great Divide", with free sheet music and lyric! But there's more...
[more]
2020 tour dates almost set!
Here's a list of places on the 2020 touring schedule - venue list coming soon!
[more]
click on any date for full information
click again to close that date
All tour dates updated on January 23, 2020
Wednesday February 26th
Memorial Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Memorial Hall
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Phone: (513) 977-8838
Visit the venue's website
An evening with Janis, some new songs, some old songs, some funny stories and some heart-wrenching moments! Expect a shout out to the science fiction community of Cincinnati, and of course, Janis plans to stay after the show to greet people and sign whatever they may buy or bring!!
Friday February 28
E. J. Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Sunday, March 1
Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Bloomington, IN
Phone: 812.323.3020
Visit the venue's website
With Livingston Taylor.
Tickets available via OvationTix.Monday, March 2nd
Monroe County Public Library, Bloomington, IN
Monroe County Public Library
Bloomington, IN
Phone: 812-323-3020
Visit the venue's website
7:00PM
* This class is free but because of limited space, you must get tickets! Janis Ian has given master classes in both conventional and unconventional settings; as an adult, she's studied with such luminaries as Stella Adler (a close friend), Chao Shao Lin of the Peking Opera Company, Dora Krannig of the Royal Ballet, and Bart the Garage Mechanic from down the street. Illustrated with live performances, you'll hear her take on the history of music (“from the caveman to syphilis and its effect on the arts”), personal anecdotes based on Ian’s five decades of experience as a writer, performer, and business person. There will also be a free-wheeling Q&A, no holds barred.
This class is for anyone interested in the arts, musical or otherwise. In fact, it's for anyone interested in humans. As Janis says, "What have I got to lose at this point in my life?" There will also be an extended Q&A period at the end.
The Stone Age Institute, through a gr
Monday June 29 to Friday July 3
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone: N/A
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 6 to Friday July 10
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 13 to Friday July 17
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 20 to Friday July 24
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 27 to Friday July 31
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. The final week will also feature a second, more interactive class tentatively titled "War Stories". Time of classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Wednesday August 5
The Kate, Old Saybrook, CT
The Kate
Old Saybrook, CT
Phone: (860) 510-0473
Visit the venue's website
Janis returns to The Kate a scant year later, at their insistence. She's sure it's too soon, they're sure it's not. She's writing furiously so she can present some new material, and looking forward to visiting one of her all-time favorite venues again! Expect some good, relaxed fun, some tears, an after-show appearance for signing things you've brought and things you may purchase at the "merch table"!!
