Hello everyone!
Exciting News! Lee DeWyze has released new tour dates and has tweeted that there are more to come!!!!!!! He is currently in the Midwest, but making his way this way!
**This was created by Lee, not me
Knowing Lee DeWyze is on the road traveling makes me incredibly happy and excited.
Why am I so excited you ask? It’s funny because I have seen him live many times and there are some fans out there that can double, even triple my number!
What keeps people going back for more? What makes people travel across the country to see this one person perform? The answer is Passion. You can see it in him, every. Single. Time.
I grew up going to concerts, As a matter of fact I am sure I mentioned this before, but I was taken to my first was when I was 6, I was in 1st grade. Skid Row & Bon Jovi. My parents were very much into music, especially rock.
My dad played bass in several bands, supported friend’s bands, worked the sound boards, played roadie and even wrote a couple songs… you name it. So I wonder where I got my love of music from? Anyway, I can not even count the total number of concerts I have been to in my life. Heck, I saw the band LIVE 23 times alone!
You know what though? No other concert gives me the same feeling as I get when I go see Lee perform. My favorite shows are when you can see the fire in Lee’s eyes when he is performing- you can feel that he is putting 100% of himself into it and joking in between songs and telling stories… in that moment, it is honest to God my favorite place to be….
I have read several articles that talk about touring not making sense for indie artists today because social media is more effective. I disagree with this. Nothing beats seeing someone perform live… you SEE their passion, you SEE the gratitude on their faces…. Sometimes you can tell they are tired or homesick, of course…. That is natural… but at the end of the day, they are traveling the world sharing there gift with the very people that support them and share that passion. No amount of tweets or face book posts can top that.
No matter what words you read on social media, they are just words until you can see the sincerity on that person’s face, see the look in their eyes as they sing along, etc…. Touring is important for a musician. When you go to a Lee DeWyze performance, he never does a song the same way… ever. I found a quote by Taylor Swift that I liked:
She is right because I know that as a fan, every time I see Lee on a stage, you can see him finding his place and it is amazing. He belongs there. Gosh, I love music…..
You know another quick story about music and my dad, Over x-mas I had the best conversation with him.
It started off with him talking about his Grateful dead tattoos. I have always knew he was a huge fan, but I found out that night that he saw them perform live 137 times and can remember every detail about every single one of those shows.
Now we all know I was raised by my grandparents and never had a close relationship with my parents, but that night was the first time in 35 years that I felt truly connected to my dad. To hear the passion in his voice when he talked about a certain guitar riff in a certain song…. We have something in common! It never ceases to amaze me what the power of music can do. I mean, it has connected me to so many people that have become a huge part of my life… I love that! I feel like I belong somewhere, people that love all the same things as me!
Ok, ok, enough mushy stuff!
How about an Art update?
I have completed and delivered my commissioned piece I was working on! It was for Annie and her daughters. I am so glad they loved it!
I have done a few sketches over New year’s while camping:
This was a picture that Jonna had taken of Lee and Bear. There was no way I couldn’t NOT draw that, right? Lol so with the permission of Jonna, I did it!
This is a piece from an awesome BoHo store I follow in Instagram. Lol I only had pencil & pen, so I used a Q-tip & blush for the color in the rose. They are called OfAMuse and they are in Texas. You should check them out, they have amazing home décor and clothes!
This was just a random doodle I did because I was bored and did not feel like drawing, but I did… I’m sure you know what I mean!
I did this while sitting at Owen’s swim practice. It was just a visual I got in my head from something I heard. And I am incredibly happy with the way it turned out!
This is my first sketch of Lee's new song "Stone"
And last but not least, While in the camper on our last night, I created this little guy and put it out on Instagram for people to help me name him. After his name was chosen, I posted that I’d be doing another interactive drawing. This is still open, so please go find me on Instagram: @JennMHarding. I need 3 more “scenes” .. what happens to Reginald Boney III next????? Go to Instagram to read the store so far and post your idea there!!!
Other than this, Work has been incredibly busy, but I am looking forward to making more time for creating.
I am currently working with a local musician friend that I’ve known for almost 20 years. He is working on a solo album and I'm helping on the cover art concept. I am excited to share it with you when it’s done!
Hope everyone enjoyed the post and will have a chance to get out to one of Lee's shows!!!!! Keep checking his site!!!!
-Jenn
