I want to share my passion for travel and empower you to see the world. I've traveled in more than 25+ countries, flown millions of miles and lived in China. A professional at both business and leisure travel, I can coach you to spread your wings and experience the best of what the world has to offer. I hope my videos help inspire you to take that first step and start planning your next adventure but, if you need more personalized help, please contact me directly.
Nothing says “HAPPY HOLIDAYS!” like a flight of whiskey to savor and compare. Forget bargain shopping. Nobody really needs all that crap anyway. Belly up to the bar with the family and toast having the good sense to avoid the crazy crowds at the mall. Cheers!
Red, white and whiskey
My sis and I!
Just up the road from South Bend, Indiana, you can experience the lovely small town vibe of Three Oaks, Michigan AND visit Journeyman Distillery. Over 100 years ago, E. K. Warren offered corsets and buggy whips in this factory in lower Michigan. Journeyman Distillery opened in 2010 in the beautifully renovated factory space as a family-run business that not only turns out craft spirits but tasty food as well. The lunch crowd packed in to eat pizza, burgers and more on the day after Thanksgiving but the star of the show was no doubt the homemade hooch. A whiskey flight with their five shots was only $4. That’s right-handcrafted spirits that went down like silk for a couple of bucks. Got to love the Midwest!
The cocktail ingredients ranged from shrubs to reductions combined with their own small-batch spirits. No beer, no wine-just a wide variety of homemade gin, vodka, limoncello, and whiskey. My kind of place! Cocktails were inventive like the Beetlejuice cocktail with red arrow vodka/simple syrup/house beet-basil reduction or the Fall Classic with whiskey/navy strength road’s end rum/simple syrup/ lime juice/McClary Bros. lemon ginger shrub/house amaretto. WOW. I could go there every night for weeks and sip unique drinks. Probably good for my liver that I go home Monday to Seattle.
After trying all five whiskeys, my tongue and lips were numb but happy. I loved the W. R. White Whiskey that had notes of banana, mango and ripened fruit as well as white pepper and spices. The only thing stopping me from buying LOTS of bottles of different spirits was the damn TSA liquid restrictions. A return trip on our next visit will no doubt be a priority. Tired from shopping or dealing with crazy relatives? Try a whiskey flight (or two) and have a happy holiday!
Taking a road trip on the dreaded day before Thanksgiving, declared the WORST travel day of the year by the media and anyone who has ever been silly enough to travel on this day, I keep reminding myself why this journey must take place.The rainbow at the end of the trip.Mom.She’s worth it.She’s our pot of gold.
Living in Seattle, far away from my family, I haven’t spent a holiday with my Mom and Sister in ages, perhaps 20 years or so.This is the year to break that spell.While spending Thanksgiving away from my kids for the first time will be tough, off to Indiana we will go.Planes, trains and automobiles lay ahead of us today and I’m not just quoting a fav holiday movie title.LITERALLY, we will Uber, fly, hop on the local C line from Midway to downtown Chicago, drag our asses and luggage through the streets of Chicago to the South Shore Line and tonight at 9 p.m. arrive at South Bend airport where my sister will pick us up, if and when we arrive alive. Our travel day will take as long to go from Seattle to South Bend as what we experienced travelling back and forth from Seattle to China, which was an easy 14-hour day at most, spent in Business Class being wined and dined with a nap in between and some movies throughout to keep me entertained.Ahhh…I miss those travel days for sure.
But, I surely don’t have it as bad as the fellow traveler observed this morning at 7:30 AM at the wine bar at SEATAC sipping a champagne tasting flight while waiting for her journey.How bad do your relatives have to be in order to do that?I walked by, did a double take and told Thom to sneak a picture.WTF!Not a wee nip to get you going or a gentle hair of the dog to get over a bad night but 3 full glasses of the bubbly for breakfast.Wow.
Reading news articles about the apprehension many people face over the possibility of interactions with dysfunctional family members, not often seen or heard from but present at the holiday dinner table, always makes me appreciate our family more.We don’t fight over who cooks the meal or what is included in the menu. Thom and I will both be very happy to just show up and enjoy what is beautifully presented to us by my sis and her husband, both very good cooks.We will let them have it and instead go see my Mom and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade the morning of Thanksgiving before the big meal.It will bring back great memories of our time spent in NYC during the holidays, wandering the parade route in 2012, seeing the ginormous balloons up close and personal.Everyone should do that one time in their lives.It was special.
We spent this past weekend cooking up an early Thanksgiving feast so that our son and his girlfriend could partake in our family favorites of stuffing, corn casserole, green bean casserole, yeast rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and, of course, turkey.A carbolicious buffet that sent me straight into a coma after watching the new Ghostbusters movie with the kids.Not the best movie I’ve seen lately but at least it didn’t have any embarrassing scenes that weren’t family friendly.Even at 23, my son is very protective of me and filters what he considers “appropriate” material to watch with his mother.When I expressed that Sausage Party looked like a fun film, he shuddered and declared that there was NO WAY we should watch that together.What could be so bad about a film featuring a party where you cook and serve sausages?In speaking with a co-worker who experienced the film, she had to agree with my son. Apparently,I was spared an embarrassing and tragic movie-watching experience.
During and after our hectic travel day, I am concentrating on being calm, relaxed and tolerant.Here’s hoping the Trump supporters and neo-Nazi confederate flag-waving Midwesterners stay out of our paths.I grew up in Indiana amidst the KKK so I’m just being realistic of that demographic being real, not that I’m saying that of all Hoosiers, though they are a conservative bunch in general.Blinders on and diligent to avoid politics at all costs this weekend, Thom and I both need at least a brief respite from the despair and terror we experience daily reading Twitter or watching the news.Now, it’s all about family and love and kindness.Happy Thanksgiving all!
It was a dark and stormy afternoon with sheets of torrential rain coming down. In other words, a typical Seattle day-perfect for a stroll through the fantastic fashion exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum featuring Yves Saint Laurent in all his glory. YSL truly experienced an amazing journey from teen fashion prodigy to world famous designer and this exhibit running through 1/8/17 invites you into his world of fashion through a behind-the-scenes look at the designer’s life.
The exhibit is so much more than the 100+ gorgeous outfits that YSL created. You can see his early sketches and paper dolls that he created as a teen fashion prodigy, the swatches and drawings that he used to create his collection, personal photos and much more.
YSL was born to create unique and original works of art that spanned a long and turbulent career. Like most artists, YSL fought childhood bullying first and then, later in adulthood, depression and addictions while somehow creating masterpieces that you can now view at the Seattle Art Museum. I loved seeing not only the final product but the genius behind the creations.
Optimism followed by shock then sadness morphing into pure terror to my core and now a call to action. He Who Will Never Represent My Values is our nation’s new leader, elected by less than a majority of our citizens. Why? How? WTF!
Spending the first Presidential election apart since we met, Thom suffered in Idaho, the most red of red states while I will forever be bonded with Whitney and Cat as we experienced the heartache together in Seattle. At one point after it became obvious Cheeto Jesus was in control, Cat pulled out the smokes and we drowned our sorrows first in tobacco quickly followed by strong alcohol at a bar across the street from The Westin where the Dems had gathered to celebrate and ultimately cry together. Normal behavior for me? Nope-haven’t had a cigarette in years and probably won’t ever again but desperate times and all.
Leaving my friends around 9 p.m., I made the cold walk home alone to walk the dogs. I went to bed amidst a self-imposed media blackout, not wanting to face the awful final decision confirming that the American people had gone crazy. Up early to take care of the pups, I caught the newspaper headlines out of the corner of my eye in the street box around the corner that verified the awful truth. Oh. Hell. No.
Spending the following weekend in Boise with our lovely granddaughter, Mia finally made us smile and forget. Sadly, Mia would not see a woman elected to our highest office. Yet. Damn.
This week we looked forward to David Sedaris sharing his wisdom and wit during his appearance at Benroya Hall. Surely David, the funniest writer and humorist around, would make us feel better, perhaps even laugh. Paul Constant, co-founder of Seattle Review of Books, introduced David. “Fuuuuuuccccckkkkk” followed by “Shhhhhiiiiiittttt”. Paul shared his election reaction that we could all relate to. Election eve, Paul shared that he got terribly high as he dealt with the anxiety. Paul, you and everyone in the place could relate as we are all in this together, struggling mightily to make sense of it all while multi-tasking to explore the Canadian real estate market as we drink LOTS of hard alcohol. Crazy times.
Avoiding the topic for most of the night and sporting bold culottes cut from curtain-like fabric, David finally had to address the orange elephant in the room when one gal asked him during the Q & A, “What can you say to make us feel better?”
At that point, he called to the stage a local Seattle friend of his, Suze. He must have anticipated this type of question because she was ready to encourage the audience with a passionate call to action: spread love (kissing booths perhaps?), offer sanctuary to all who are targeted by this administration and be subversive. Really, really subversive. I like her.
David mocked recent protests where people rallied and held hands peacefully around a lake. What a bucolic scene that would be but he suggested instead that we should gather around a lake and drown those who didn’t vote. I think he was kidding. Maybe.
Suze, David’s Seattle friend, encourages audience to take action
So, here we are profoundly sad, broken, pissed, fearful, and the emotional list goes on and on. We are a mess. What to do now? Get involved, make your voice heard, contribute to those in need.
I will march with the Women’s March on Washington movement right here in Seattle on 1/21, the day after the inauguration, which I will not watch. Anyone who wants to show, in a peaceful way, that women’s rights should matter to everyone is welcome to join us.
I will donate to causes who will need help now more than ever-Planned Parenthood and the ACLU among others.
I will call the House Oversight Committee (202-225-5074) to support a bipartisan review of Trump’s financials and conflicts of interest. Call early, call often.
I will call my congress person and demand they stand up against the appointment of Bannon and use this as a script: ” Hi, my name is xxxx and I am a constituent. I am calling to ask that Rep/Sen xxxx refuse to work with the Trump transition team until Bannon is removed from his staff. His history of demeaning and dangerous racist language is unacceptable. He/she needs to step up and protect American values now.”
I will encourage others to make a difference and not move to Canada or avoid the frightening news that will be coming at us daily. Stand tall and fight the good fight.
Here’s hoping that the sun will continue to rise, that people will continue to stand up for their rights and our country remains safe for ALL people. Be safe, be strong my friends.
Few celebrities would draw a crowd as large as Trevor Noah during a busy Friday lunch hour in the workplace. However, thousands of folks jammed the room for a chance to hear Trevor passionately speak about his atypical childhood living in South Africa, a time filled with challenges that few of us have experienced. Born to a black mother and a white father, who left the family quickly, his tough upbringing in a society where he didn’t quite fit anywhere shaped who he is and how he views the world. He was a fascinating and animated storyteller describing scenes from his new book, “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood”, a memoir of the observations of his childhood in a country when apartheid was unraveling.
Drafting off the “celebrity” status of a friend of mine who scored us front row seats, I got to view the talk up close and personal with no obstructions. Thank you my friend! Being that close allowed me to really observe the facial expressions and hand gestures of a wildly entertaining comedian who not only elaborated on his book but also shared his views on the craziest election any of us have ever seen but one that he predicted. How might you ask could anyone foretell the “Coming of Trump”? Growing up in a third world country, Trevor saw first hand how leaders would prey on people’s fears and anger, championing their darkest prejudices out loud in simple-to-understand sound bites. Trevor told colleagues early on that Trump would go far in the election process given that he was a reality TV star of questionable morals who knew how to speak and connect to these uninformed voters, lying and promising them whatever they wanted, playing the “outsider” vs. the government who has forgotten about them and their economic struggles.
Similar to what Gloria Steinem told the audience when I saw her recently in Boise, Trevor also was emphatic that this segment of society that is following Trump won’t go away after the election no matter who wins and will need to be heard and their issues addressed for the country to heal and move forward. He also suggested that what the U.S. needs is more than 2 parties to allow for more choices. Should Bernie run as a Democrat? No-he’s a socialist. Should Trump run as a Republican? No-he’s a nut but also probably a nationalist or alt-right candidate. I get it but not sure this change will happen anytime soon.
Trevor elaborated on his other observations from this election cycle: watching Trump move forward in the primaries was like having a front seat row to a “charismatic car crash” and that if he were elected, it would “press pause on all progress” that Obama has made the last eight years. That people like Trump can “create” facts on the internet that people believe as gospel is flat out scary to Trevor. The public is “engaged in a bubble of misinformation” the likes of which we have never seen before in the U.S. Trevor takes his job seriously on The Daily Show because, as one attendee related during the Q & A, most millennials get ALL their news from The Daily Show. To that comment, Trevor said, “Comedy is the spoonful of sugar to make the news go down.” and “Laughter is the medication to get through it.”
While I enjoy comedy and, God knows we all need to laugh more, the stress of this election has been hard to take even when delivered by a comedian as smart and funny as Trevor. Tuesday it will all be over. Vote.
The Seattle Times review today of Trevor’s book was very flattering-read here: Book Review
Being married to your best friend is a wonderful thing. The only problem with that is when your partner is gone, your soul feels incomplete. Days are an empty vacuum without your sidekick accompanying you to take on life’s adventures. Damn I’m lonely. I. Miss. Thom.
He’s been in Boise now for several weeks working on much-needed home renovations to a house we own. While we did just hire someone to do the heavy lifting, Thom is doing much of the work himself. It will be awesome when it’s done but, for now, we must live apart. I am just finishing up working a second assignment at work in addition to my day job so my life in Seattle has been super busy no doubt. Yet, when I started feeling sick this week I immediately started to panic. Who will take care of me? James is still living at home and has been a huge help with the daily walking of dogs but he can only do so much. I need my Thom.
Drinking my morning coffee, going to the gym, watching endless political news, eating, shopping, cuddling with the pups-it all seems blah without Thom. Married for 28 years, some couples by now would have formed tight friendships with others of their own gender and not rely on their partner so much but Thom and I are so happy with just being with each other that we haven’t really felt a need for that extended group of friends. Quite frankly, we would really just prefer to be with each other. I appreciate and like other people don’t get me wrong but Thom is just the funniest, smartest, kindest person I’ve ever met and I enjoy his company so much. He’s hilarious and makes me laugh every day of my life. Now, he gets to crack up Mia too!
Mia and her GiGi taking a walk in Boise before getting ice cream.
And it’s not enough that Thom isn’t here and I’m lonely but I’m also terrifically jealous that he gets to be in Boise with our family, babysitting Mia when he’s not working on the house. Yes, my daughter will miss her daddy and Mia will miss her GiGi when he has to leave and come back to me. Oh, if we could just live in Boise full time! Dream. Unfortunately the jobs there just don’t compare to Seattle and supporting my family means that this NaiNai needs to stay the course. I will look forward to the holidays spent with the entire clan in Boise and many wonderful memories to be made.
Thom’s scary costume for Trunk and Treat event in Boise where people decorate their car trunks and kids go around the parking lot to Trick or Treat. Must be a Boise thing.
How lucky I am to live in a progressive city like Seattle where citizens rally to prevent gun violence and support the election of the first woman President. Unlike the small crowd that turned out in Boise to see Gloria Steinem last week, the liberal folks in Seattle were out in force on Saturday as I went from rally to rally. As I remarked to my friend Whitney who joined me at the Clinton rally, it was nice to be with people that share a similar passion to make a difference in our crazy world. Communities united!
First up, I found buried deep in the newspaper an article alerting me that at my local church, First United Methodist, there would be a rally to support the I-1491 initiative restricting guns access to those who threaten violence. Too often teachers, parents, etc. see tragedy coming and don’t have the tools to stop it. The I-1491 initiative is just complete common sense and gives us a chance to prevent tragedy like what happened to the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Speaking at the rally was one of the Sandy Hook moms who founded the Sandy Hook Promise that helps people recognize warning signs and intervene appropriately with potentially violent offenders as they are allowed by law. After she lobbied all the Senators to pass a background check proposal in 2013 and it failed, she didn’t quit. Just like Hillary, she kept right on working for laws that would protect us from those who would harm others and themselves with guns. Ultimately, this is all about saving lives. Common sense, right? Not to the gun lobby who would arm anyone and everyone no matter the cost.
After Governor Inslee voiced his support, he introduced Gabby Giffords who walked right up to the stage in the narthex and strongly urged us all to come together and make a difference with I-1491. “Be bold, be courageous.” Gabby is a true inspiration to us all to put aside our petty daily distractions and take on a bolder, wider purpose to help others.
Walking to the Clinton rally afterwards, I saw Gabby, who was sitting in the front of a black Suburban SUV at a stop sign. After I gave her two thumbs up, she blew kisses to me and clapped in response. Wow, what a strong and wonderful woman she is to never give up and keep bringing her energy and positive attitude to this important fight to help so many people. I hope this initiative passes in Washington State and spreads to other states. We must give everyone the tools and power to prevent violence wherever they live.
Luckily I got to the Clinton rally early as the line was already forming, full of passionate supporters. I grabbed a spot for myself and two friends, which allowed us to sit right behind the girl scouts near the front as Chelsea spoke from the heart about her mom. An excellent speaker (she comes by it honest from both parents), she told stories of what it was like to be the daughter of the President and her mom, the soon-to-be President. She was low key, authentic and full of love for her topic of the day-electing her mom to be the first woman President. Not dwelling on the antics of Trump, she focused on the good her mom has done in her career and what she would bring to the White House. Taking many questions from the audience, primarily from the youth there, she didn’t deflect like they do in the debates and thoroughly answered the questions asked. When asked how her mom has coached her to take all the negative criticism about her family, she responded with sound advice for anyone: “When serious people give serious feedback, take it seriously. When not serious people give not serious feedback, do not take it seriously.” Well said Clintons!
Today, I voted for Chelsea’s mom. For me, this is the most important vote for President that I have ever made. Never before did I think that the “other” candidate I did not vote for would be a disaster and ruin our country. I do feel that way about Trump. He just CANNOT be our leader. He doesn’t represent the kind and good people who live in America. He has brought out the racist, divisive and disgruntled demographic that Hillary will need to work with to improve their economic situation, to understand their anger and to ultimately move them forward to prosper in this great nation. I believe in her and know that she will represent ALL the people, even the Trump supporters. She is a better person than me and smarter than me and that’s what I look for in a President. That’s why #IMWITHHER
Gloria Steinem showed up in Boise, Idaho on Monday afternoon.Amazing.Sadly, there aren’t a lot of Dems who are courageous enough to live a Blue life in a Red state so the crowd to see her was small.It’s hard and it’s discouraging to fight the tidal wave of Red.We did it for 14 years in Coeur d’Alene and while there are more Dems in Boise, especially in the North End where we have a house, Dems are still a major minority.For the few who showed up yesterday, they were treated to an intimate hour with an awesome woman who has and always will make a difference.
As Mayor Dave Bieter, a Dem, announced to the audience when introducing Gloria, we were all in a “safe place” for the next hour spent together surrounded by Hillary election signs.Let’s enjoy it.“How many of you have been in a room where you were the only Democrat?”Hands up EVERYWHERE.Just as I have often been the only women in meetings at work, you learn how to snap to the norm of being the outsider and understanding no one will listen to your ideas.Just the way it is.You never give up and you keep working hard.That’s what Hillary does and I respect her for it.
Gloria spoke of the election and how Hillary is the most qualified candidate there ever was or probably will be but, since she is a woman, she has always had to justify her desire to do good work and aspire to be a First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State and now President.A man with ambition like that would be regaled as a strong leader, the woman a pushy bitch. Not fair but true. As far as her views on Trump, he is “a con man and not a successful business man” as he would like to boast and have everyone believe.Gloria comes from NYC and has seen his shenanigans up close and personal.She knows.
When I asked her how we would need to heal as a country after Trump has brought out the violent, racist rhetoric that has frightened us all, she gave an interesting reply.The people supporting Trump are revealing their truth about themselves so we can have the opportunity to address the real underlying problems–their feeling of white entitlement and living in the past waiting for jobs vs. proactively preparing for the jobs of the future.Gloria quoted Gandhi, “The truth is revealing itself.” Those well-paying but hazardous coal mining and logging jobs aren’t coming back to Ohio and Pennsylvania and Idaho.We need to train those workers to take on new roles and spur the economy.Let’s not lie to them that once Trump makes America great again that he can restore those jobs.He can’t and he won’t.Period.
Gloria reminded us that Trump doesn’t represent the majority of the people and has always had a hard time polling above 40%.We can’t give him power to speak for the people of this country.We can’t let hate trump love and kindness and real conversation about what we need to do to further our America that is already pretty damn awesome.Thom and I often reflect that if more people had passports and travelled widely that there would be a deeper appreciation for how great America already is.Once you have seen the pollution in China or seen how hard the citizens of Hanoi work to just eat and have a roof over their heads, you can thank God that we have laws and regulations here that keeps Americans safe to breathe the air, eat the food and work in a healthy environment.We are blessed and our government system, while not perfect, protects it’s citizens.
When asked by a former Bernie supporter how to vote in this election, she encouraged him, as a lifelong socialist herself, to follow Bernie’s lead and support Clinton.Bernie did what he felt he had to do and was successful in raising important issues like college debt. Together, he and Hillary have found a compromise with a real chance of working to reduce debt for those in need.That’s Hillary’s strength and why she will be a good President.She understands mediation and finding a middle ground to get shit done.God love her and let’s get out the vote to make sure that a President Trump never happens in his or our lifetime. I’m. With. Her.
“This will be the best 4 seconds of my life.” Really??? My husband made this pronouncement this morning in advance of the upcoming meet and greet with Bruce. What about…hmmm…the birth of your children, marrying me, etc.? “Okay, the fourth best 4 seconds of my life.” Better. “What AM I going to wear?” Oh, Thom, settle down. Bruce is just a normal guy. “No. He. Is. Not. He is THE BOSS.” Okay, I get it and so the day began.
I made Bruce laugh!
Social media is powerful and Thom and I are wired almost every hour of the day so we found out quickly that Bruce Springsteen was going to make Seattle one of the few stops on his book tour to promote his new autobiography, Born to Run. WOW. At exactly 10 a.m. several weeks ago, we both were logged in to Elliott Bay Book Company with fingers poised and pounced on tickets (cost of the book) to get a ticket to meet Bruce, get a photo and a pre-signed book. Sold out in several minutes, tickets were later going for up to $600 on StubHub and wannabes were circling the lines today to meet Bruce begging to buy tickets or be the “plus one” for a ticket holder to meet Bruce. No way!
Thom making friends in line
I have to say that Elliott Bay Book Company had a big challenge and they did an awesome job communicating the rules often and in advance of the big event, as well as being staffed well, organized and friendly on the big day. We arrived at 10 a.m., 2 hours prior to the start time of the event and promptly got into a line with hundreds of others already lined up. We promptly fell into conversation with a lovely couple, Ollie and Fletcher, who had come up from Northern California and Tacoma. Fletcher told us stories of her dad’s love for Bruce and how, though her car had just been stolen and she was busy finishing up her degree, they had made time for this experience. Their dream is for Ollie to retire from her job and stay home to raise the kids they hope to have. They were lovely and I hope their dreams come true.
Finally, as the line moved forward, we got our blue wristbands and hands stamped in the bookstore and moved to another line, the “blue” line. By this time, we were two hours in and nature called. so off I ran to the nearest coffee shop while Thom held our place in line and made new friends, some old rockers who knew every Bruce song. Making it back in time to continue our journey towards Bruce, Thom was still in an altered state, so excited to meet his rock hero. We debated what to say in our 4 seconds with Bruce. Thom settled on thanking him for writing the songs that made up the soundtrack of his life-from the heart and meaningful.
As we gained entry to the bookstore and out of the rain that had started, we saw signs proclaiming “180 more steps to Bruce” and so forth and posters where you could share your favorite song, where you were from, your favorite Seattle sight/restaurant, etc. to keep you engaged while inching closer to The Boss. They even provided a “Spruce for Bruce” mirror to make sure you were still looking good for your photo opp. Great job, Elliott Bay, you pulled off a wonderful experience for everyone.
The bookstore staff quickly checked belongings and took your camera/phone from you so you were unencumbered and they could take the picture. Bruce was warm and friendly just like I thought he would be. Instead of a heartfelt comment, I chose to be honest but made him laugh with a sincere compliment, “You are TOO CUTE!” and then followed with a plea to keep the pressure on Trump. Seriously, HRC needs all the help she can get. He chuckled and hugged me tight and then we were done. It was truly a great 4 seconds. Afterward, we hopped over to EDM to get his new album that is the musical companion to his book that features 5 previously unreleased songs called, Chapter and Verse.
Bruce, it was great meeting you. You are a spectacular talent and inspiration to generations of fans, including me. Thom loves you too. Well done.
Even with terrible jet lag and packed in like sardines with a standing room only sold out audience, I still managed to thoroughly enjoy Foy Vance’s performance on his Wild Swan Tour at Columbia City Theater this week. WOW. What a talent to play in this small venue. Foy pours his heart into his music, lifting your spirits so high you can’t help but smile and move to the beat. Whether banging it out on the piano or jamming on his guitar, Foy has passion and energy to spare. With a careful branding of his Irish roots, he has great style, sporting a handlebar mustache, traditional tweed cap and a cheeky glint in his eyes.
After just coming back from our Ireland vacation, it was a joy to hear that lilting Irish accent again. As the Irish would say, Feck it sure it’s grand. Yes, that’s what they say. He and his band decided that, like most musicians, Seattle is a grand fecking place to play. Of course it is.
Foy opened for Elton John’s tour in Europe and was the first artist to sign on with Ed Sheeran for his new label. When I heard he was going to play at Columbia City, I was thrilled. Boise friends, he is there this week so go see him! He is that good.
With a full band and a large voice, Foy would have been better suited at The Moore or Paramount theaters so hopefully next time he makes the long trip from Ireland, he will move up to a much larger hall so we can enjoy his soaring vocals and excellent band with room to breathe. To say it was aromatic with all the sweating bodies after a long day would be putting it mildly. Ewwww….
After standing for over an hour in my heels, my feet were numb but I just couldn’t leave quite yet. I love all the songs on his new album and enjoyed seeing them performed live.
Foy’s opening act was a shrill Bob Dylan wannabe who I could have lived without seeing. Usually the opening acts I have seen in the last year or so have been truly excellent but that was definitely NOT the case here. Only a lovely whiskey and ginger cocktail got me through that crap that he was throwing all over the stage trying to be artistically crazy.
Finally, the jet lag won out though and, knowing I had to work the next day, we left Foy singing his heart out on the stage. Come back to Seattle soon, Mr. Vance. You are a true talent.
Travels with Melinda 