Greetings Friends, Listeners and Folks joining us for the first time,

Welcome to our NEW WEBSITE!  Yes, the old one was grand and this one is even better!  We hope you like it and can find everything you need and more.  There are plenty of songs to listen to, all the lyrical content included, pod-casts, membership & press information and a new look because you know…new is better right?  Ha, well…not always, but we do hope so in this case.

Cruise over to the calendar page and see where we’re playing while you’re in town, or see descriptive on the many different types of venues we play. You can also check out the booking page for opportunities to book your own event with us. Yep, it’s all there and more is coming! So check back in with us once in a while, stay in touch, and add your e-mail to our newsletter.  This way you’ll know where we will be playing, the latest songs we’ve been working on, and our tour plans.

We are still celebrating our NEW RELEASE, “The Sun Runs”.  The songs on this CD came out just in time, not only for me personally but for many whom I know.  People who are dealing with some tough things, myself included, can listen to a song and remember what’s truly important.  

For me (and Mo), we’ve lost a great friend and our “tour manager”.  She was beautiful; long black hair, soulful brown eyes, and a dazzling white smile from ear to ear.  She was always happy, always up for a trip, and loved to sit and listen to us rehearse for hours on end.  She traveled with us everywhere! Up to Montana, through Washington, California, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada and of course lived with us in Idaho. She met many of you and had many friends.  Folks sought out her advice and comfort as she was so good at calming people down, and bringing lightness and joy to so many.  I learned a lot from her and it’s been a truly difficult adjustment being without her these past 3 weeks. She truly taught me how to wag more and bark less.  Yes, Osa Mae Black, aka “Big Dog” will live on in all of our hearts and in our music forever. She was that special.

People underestimate the power of a canine.  Many think of hair, slobber and doo-doo pick-up.  That is the extent of their experience.  I can understand if you see it from only this perspective.  It’s no fun being jumped on, slobber stamped, or having food stolen off your plate.  I get it.  

But for me, dogs have always been so grounding, understanding, compassionate, and inclusive.  They “get me” emotionally and give me a comfort more than most humans.  I happened to have had the most polite, charming, and sweetest girl, and I could continue to brag about her yet, I digress.  

Soulful Osa Pic

My point is, music helps us remember what’s important.  I love my old dog, my old mic stand, my old guitar, but I think I will love this new website and one day, when we heal over, perhaps there will be another four-legged sweetie that wants to go on the road with us.  What a journey it has been!  Thank you for visiting with us here and we hope you enjoy the “new” in your life as well as these pages!  Be well!!!

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Something for the first time!

Hey Friends and Listeners!

We just got back from our travels in Montana on Friday where the evening temperatures were 24 degrees.  We were in our “tour bus” (trailer) and had to drain the water so it would not freeze the pipes.  Only to come home to nearly 100 degrees on Sat. and play in the baking sun for 2 hours at Art in the Park here in Boise!  Wow!  What a shift! Needless to say, we sweat our butts off! Summer is here one day then leaves the next, then it’s Fall then it’s Summer…welcome back to Idaho!

We had a terrific time in Big Sky Montana! What an epic place.  So vast and big and beautiful!  The people were amazing and I’m pretty sure we will have some block bookings locked in to play at the ski resort this winter!  Yippie!  I’m dreaming about snowboarding those slopes!  While we were there we met with inspirational giants such as Mary Morrissey , Jean Houston, and Karen Drucker.  We also had the chance to sing “Life is Beautiful” for 250 new listeners and be in a choir lead by the awesome Michael Gott and Karen Drucker.  Wow!  It was a life changing phenomenal event.

During one of Mary Morrissey’s talks, she asked us, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”  Well, it just so happens that there was a trampoline outside of the hotel with bungee cords on it.  It’s the kind of thing they strap you into, the bungee bands get cinched into the harness and you start bouncing.  Well, you bounce and get tossed like a sling shot up in the air!  It feels like 20 feet that your body lifts off the ground from your weight and momentum on the trampoline!  AMAZING!  EXILLARATING and EXHAUSTING all at the same time!  Talk about a workout!  My lungs felt like they exploded and I swear it literally MOVED MY HEART!  My heart is sitting in a different spot than it was before I got on that thing!

One bounce sent me high in the air and coming down was such a rush!  Mo was a natural.  She bounced around and trusted the “rubber bands”. Doing back flips and forward flips while cracking up.  Me however, I was more reticent about the thrashing of my body up and down with gravity.  First of all…I was not sure my bra would hold upha ha!  I mean, let’s face it girls, that is something to consider!  AND there a people watching you!   It’s funny how Mo and I can roll reversal at any given moment.  We even surprise ourselves!  So we did it and had a ball.  We both loved the back flips. My first flip was not so graceful.  I made it harder than it had to be (hmmm…?  No psycho-analysis there) and about landed on my face.

I DO have to say, that two days later, we hit it again…and: I was a champ!  I was back flipping a lot!  I got the hang of it and fear wasn’t operating me any longer.  Hmmm…make the life parallel there will we?!  The next day after our trampoline experience I decided to push the envelope and do the “GIANT SWING”.  What is THAT you ask?  Well, you climb up a 20ft. ladder while wearing a harness.  The guy clicks you in to a 5 point system.  You hold a rope, that keeps you from falling (WTH?!!)  They machine crank you up, it feels like 40 ft.  and THENget this…THEN…you are suppose to LET GO of the rope!  WHAAAAATTT!!!!???   I got cranked to the top and almost cried!  Ha!  I literally had fear gripping the life out of me!  Terrified to let go I’m looking down at tiny little Mo and the guide all shouting at me to “let go…let go”  and I was seriously in a panic.  I started to get embarrassed that I was such a wuss and in the middle of explaining it to them and myself I just let go.  In the middle, as if to surprise myself, my fingers just let go of this piece of rope that was holding me 40 feet up!

And then…I screamed bloody Mary and swung nearly a football fields worth of distance.  It was quite a rush.  Wow, a bit of self torture, but freeing too!  Ugh!  It’s that, “not knowing what to expect” feeling.  Wow!  And I use to be a dare devil in my youth.  I used to ride motorcycles and jump over things with them all the time.  Wow!  I have really gotten away from the risky thrill seeking activities.  Whew!  Mo, of course, “monkey Mo” let go with such ease and grace and trusted.  Ha!  She even hung upside down and let her hands go. I had NO idea I was such a control freak!  I tease her about being a control freak from time to time.  She likes to have a plan and be in the “know” and I can ride by the seat of my pants just fine…but hang me from high heights and I lose it!  Ha!  But I did it!  I over came some fear there.  I feared for my life that I was going to die some crazy death, but instead…I flew!  And it was amazing!

Mo coming out of her beautiful back flip!!!

high in the sky, the rock behind me has nothing to do with the picture

Imagine what could happen if you JUST LET GO!  Isn’t that the truth?  I know you’ve heard this before, but if you KNEW you weren’t going to go SPLAT…what would you do?  If you knew you couldn’t fail?  We spent last week expanding our own minds at the Big Sky Retreat.  I listened to some of the most magnificent speakers and hung out with some amazing, loving powerful women that I now call friends.  But that little voice that “dared me” to go on the trampoline and giant swing sealed the deal.  Everything the speakers talked about I put into practice by letting go of that rope, of letting go and bouncing to the stars!

Contemplating the drop from below

Mo getting cinched up

Since coming home, I’ve been on a cleaning spree.  Old drawers are getting purged and I am ridding myself of old stuff.  It feels wonderful and productive.  I was also struck with a novel concept on Face Book.  One of my friends posted something like, “Teachers and parents don’t teach our children that they must be extraordinary, instead teach them to find value in the ordinary”…that way their lives can be fulfilling no matter WHAT the circumstances are.  I’m paraphrasing here, but this hit me because I think I’m from that generation that we simply believe, “we are not enough”, “we must DO more”.  And I am making my way to re-invent myself as being enough and enjoying the ordinary, the “Simple Things”.  And yes, my heart is definitely in a different, more centered place than it was before going to Montana!

I hope my words in this newsletter and our music we play can literally “move your heart” more to center and you grow and stretch and enjoy every blessed day you are here on Earth!  Thanks for reading about our journey.
I will be posting our video of our “wild ride” on the trampoline and giant swing on our VIP page for those of you who are on it…AND those of you who would like to join…go here http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/  and catch up on what you’ve been missing!

Much love and many thanks to you all!

Niccole & Mo

Winter time lounging and songwriting!

Happy Holidays Friends!

I know I’ve been a recluse on the blog activity.  I’ve been in my transition mode between Fall and Winter.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!  There are so many things we are grateful for.  One of them is YOU!  For listening and supporting our musical journey!  The other is being blessed by the “song ferries”!  They gifted me with a tune that came straight from another orbit on Thanksgiving Eve. I’m so happy about that!  We had just returned from a dear friend’s holiday feast and Mo crashed out on the couch with big dog, Osa.  While they snored away in unison, I put my trusty guitar in hand, and started to pluck away a sweet melody. It felt like a new master piece dropped out of the cosmos!  It’s called, “I Give Thanks” and I really love the song.  It’s stuck with Mo and I since I wrote it.

We are also so grateful for our winter gigs and private parties.  They keep us a float in the winter time (when we “chew our fat” ha!) We are happy to provide warmth in the winter cold with good cheer, songs and friendships!  So thank you for joining us in the winter and we truly appreciate those of you who have hosted parties!  If anyone would like to host a party, please check out our booking page here:http://blazeandkelly.com/contact-us/booking-form/

You can also go to the Blaze and Kelly Face Book page now and click on the “Booking” button on the main picture to book too! Face Book has come a long way for those who are on it.  If you “Subscribe” to our blazeandkelly page (not just “LIKE” our page but “subscribe”) that will allow our events to show up on your event calendar so you won’t miss out!  Yay!  So if you will, please go to:https://www.facebook.com/BlazeandKelly   and “like” and “subscribe”.

How good can you stand it?!

Howdy Friends,
We are back from our travels and into the “thick of things” here in Boise Idaho! And this week is gonna be a HOT one! The weather forecast is in the triple digits topping out 110 degrees on Sunday! YIKES! So for those of you who are local, ha…come on out and sweat with us! Let’s talk about a cooler time, such as our tour through Washington and Oregon just two short weeks ago.

Basically, our trip to Washington and Oregon was absolutely amazing! Like three trips in one. Thank you to all the friends along our journey that made it extra special: Steve & Tess, Bob, Paul & Michelle and “the Rock” gang, Sue & Ellen, Karen, Wendy & Diane, Jayne & Tammy, Stu & Sharon, Rudy and Marilyn, Joni, Keith & Susan. It was fabulous to spend quality time with you. Time has been running fast these days. Some of you got to hear a brand new song I wrote called, “The Sun Runs”. We were blessed with such beautiful audience members, it really meant a lot to us that we could share such a vulnerable tune that was so well received.

When songs are first written, some of you may not know, but they are like newborn babies. So fragile and so pure and you covet them as a mama would. It’s quite a process, bringing them out into the world and sharing them. Some artists think nothing of it, and some songs are meant to be shared easily. But some, like this new song, I’m feeling selective of when we sing it. So, if/when the audience energy is just right, or if I’m feeling the muse of this song come through, maybe you will be lucky enough to catch it. I DID make it available on our “membership page” of our web site, if you’d like to join or have questions, please feel free to click on the link: Cyber Campfire!

Highlights from our trip consist of spending some awesome moments with folks both on and off the stage and seeing the geology of this amazing country we live in. We were thrilled with the reception we had at the Port Angeles, “Juan de Fuca Festival”!

Also, at the Seattle Center Sunday, the crowd at Northwest Folk Life quadrupled in size during our 30 minute set! It was epic! The MC said he’s never seen anything like that happen before and he’s been there for 25 years!

Journeying through the Washington Peninsula was a highlight too! We saw green moss and trees for miles and miles in quiet temperate rain forests. Even a spotted owl posed for a picture! And the Eagles were phenomenal! I bet we saw over 40 eagles at different times! We had a super intimate house concert in Mt. Vernon that was a pure delight and spent some time with good friends.

Once in Oregon, we discovered Silver Falls State Park. This place was amazing! An absolute MUST see if you’ve never been there. Over 10 waterfalls and miles of trails within a small area took you to the most remarkable and beautiful scenery. We walked behind many falls where the water dropped up to 177 feet! Incredible!

Then we made it to the coast. We had a phenomenal house concert at Rudy’s Piano Bar. We played to a sold out show in Lincoln’s City. We met wonderful friendly and hospitable folks, and had a super fun time. Rudy has a baby Grand piano that plays itself through a midi program. He’s got all the classics and when I first arrived, the piano was under a dark sheet on the stage. He had music piping through it and I thought, “man that sounds live”. He pulled back the sheet to reveal its key’s pressing themselves down in just the right places and I was fascinated. Of course I sat down and acted like Elton John for a while. Here’s a video of me being silly. Super fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vk2x1HGd2I

HOURS of entertainment after a stellar show! Needless to say, we stayed up many a many night past our “bed time” (whenever that is) on this trip. In the morning while we were at Rudy and Marilyn’s, they made the most amazing espresso I’ve EVER tasted! And I’ve been to Italy! Wow! I’d go back to Lincoln just for the coffee! LOL!

We had a day to unwind in Manzanita, one of our favorite hang outs. We walked the beach and as the sun set while our old doggy frolicked, many tears of gratitude streamed out of my eyes. Ever so blessed and ever so grateful! People listened. People were moved and friends were made. How utterly incredible, that I have had the chance in this lifetime to touch and be touched by so many, on such a soul level! I am so grateful!

Now, were there any bummer factors? The hardest one was both Mo and I catching a bug. Whew, that was hard. I fought it off but it was exhausting. It’s frightening when you play for a pin drop audience and you don’t know if your voice will “wobble” due to the infection going on in there. Mo followed in my footsteps singing, “anything you can do I can to better” and she caught the cold with full force for the ending of the trip. Ugh! That was tough. Upon leaving Boise mid May a person about clobbered into our trailer while they were running a red light. That was a near miss. Mo said, “Ok, got that out of the way. No more close calls.” We put 2906 miles on our car and about 80 hours in the “saddle”, which you can imagine the ol’ butt cheeks start yelling after a while. And we only had one not so cool venue with a crappy business deal, but other than that, we sold out of CD’s and had to have a local friend ship us more. (Thanks Kimmy!) And I think we made a wave! Let’s pray for some more waves. How joyful can you stand it? How good can you let it be? Good questions. I’m opening to that idea and I hope our words, music and what we share brings you closer as well. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Upon our return we ran into 4 straight shows and the daily doings of life. We play 6 more this week! It can become difficult to keep the mind slow when you run at that pace. Sharing my thoughts and these pictures has helped me remember just what it is I’m doing this for and I hope you enjoy!

Meanwhile, for the regional peoples reading this:
We will be in McCall @ Crusty’s on July 5th whew hooo! 7-10pm

Also in Donnelly we will be part of the Roseberry Festival Wed. Concert Series July 8th with Rochelle Smith on mandolin and back up harmony! 6-9pm

Idaho Falls: You will see us at Derailed on Fri. July 17th 7-10pm

Jackson Hole Friends! We will see you at Hayden’s Post on July 18th and 19th. 8-11pm

Sun Valley & Stanley folks we will be your way on Aug. 9th The Arts and Crafts Festival in Ketchum 12:30-2pm and Redfish lake Lodge, same day on the green from 5-7pm.

And don’t forget about the 1000 Springs Festival at
Ritter Park outside of Hagerman Idaho Sept. 26th
***we will also be hosting a public concert at Miracle Hot Springs in the giant yurt the evening of Sept 26th to celebrate another epic summer! If you’d like to camp or reserve a yurt please give them a call Miracle Hot Springs.

All details are on our website www.blazeandkelly.com

And for those of you in the BOISE area, here is where we are this week!

Thursday 6/25 Hyde St. Pub 7-10pm
Friday 6/26 Sandbar 2-5 pm **please note the time, mid day show.
Sat 6/27 Eagle Market 10-1pm
Sun 6/28 Smokey Mtn. Pizza 18th and State 6-9p
Mon 6/29 Payette Brewery for a fundraiser 5:30-8pm (benefit starts at 3pm)
Tues 6/30 Sockeye Brewery 7-9:30pm

Thanks so much for reading and being in touch with us! Here’s a few more, I couldn’t resist. Hope you all can see the pics. If not I will be posting them on our website too! Under “News”. Just in case the technical gremlins are up to their tricks! 🙂

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Friends!

We arrived home safely from our trip to Idaho Falls and Jackson Wyoming. The weather was amazing and we spent some wonderful time with new and old friends. We played our “heads off” at the Trap Bar in Targee and I also got to snowboard on this “ol foot” for the first time since surgery. We haven’t been all season, so it was sure nice to be on the slopes and take in the sights.

Done for the day!

We want to give a shout out to Bob and Joyce for scheduling their vacation during our time in Jackson. They came all the way from Michigan to see us play and to get their runs in on the hill! Super fun times with these amazing beautiful people! Thank you both for such a great time!

I’m sure many of you are wondering, since our last Newsletter, what is going on with “America’s Got Talent”. Although we had an amazing experience trying out for it last month we did not receive a call back. So, onward and upward we go! *smile*

Sometimes the potential is there and you just have to monopolize on the right moment.

We are excited to be selected for the Juan de Fucca Festival in Port Angeles Washington in May and we were also selected for Northwest Folk Life Festival. The two festivals ironically are happening on the same weekend, so our logistics is a bit nutty, but we will keep you posted on how it will all work out. I find it funny that the one year we get these gigs they are at the same time! Ha! Washington/Oregon people we are asking for your assistance in filling some dates while we are out your way! Please check out the link under “Travel Plans” below.

Upcoming Local Shows:

Tuesday, March 17 – Sockeye Grill on Cole (near Ustick) from 8-10 pm, with SPECIAL GUESTS, **ROCHELL SMITH. Rochelle always makes music fun with her beautiful voice and wonderful accompaniment on the mandolin and box drum.

Saturday, March 21 – Willi B’s off of Chinden from 7-10pm. This is a super fun venue! It’s big enough for people to dance and intimate enough to play some beautiful ballads, so come on down for some fun music, good food and full bar!

Saturday, March 28th– Boise Brewery off of Broad St. downtown Boise, from 7-9:30pm. We are honored to feature special guests and friends at this show too! The lovely ** Wade will be joining us from Reno. Mel lived in Boise years past. She brings a soulful sound with every song she sings. Rochelle Smith will be playing with us and with Mel so that makes it EXTRA SPECIAL! This is the same weekend as the Tree Fort Festival so if you are out and about downtown, stop in for a great local beer and some special tunes from all of us gals!

Sunday, April 5th – Happy Easter! @ The Center for Spiritual Living @ 10:30 a.m. – Everyone is welcome at “CSL”! We always get our cup filled with Rev. Jackie Holland’s talk and the boys in the band do such a great job backing us up. If you want to get your cup filled this Easter, put this on your calendar and join us!

We have some private events and personal travel plans booked for a few weeks in April, then we will be back at the Crush, Willi B’s and the 365 @ Riverside Inn. Please check the website if you would like more details about any upcoming shows or to make a booking with us for your own private event go to **LINK**. We make it super simple to have a rockin’ good time! J

Travel plans:

We will be heading off to the Seattle WA area the 15th of June with the Juan De Fucca Festival we will be headlining in on May 22 & 23rd. We have several shows booked around these dates but are looking for more private parties and venues. If YOU know of a place you think we’d fit or want to book a house concert or party, please get in touch with us by responding back to this e-mail or going to the booking page **LINK**

We will also be in the Oregon area the first week of June for a private event. We are looking for shows, venues, places to “crash” June 1st-8th. Any and all help with this would be super wonderful!!! A small gathering of friends by a campfire, to a major celebration…we are heading WEST, so let us know if we can play for you!

Mark the date:

Saturday, Sept. 26th at Hagerman ID Miracle Hot Springs,   we will be in the dome hosting our own listening concert. Mo and I were amazed with the quality of the sound in the dome one time visiting the springs. We thought, “What a place to host a concert!” So this is the year! We will most likely be playing at the 1000 Springs Festival too, so make plans to get to Hagerman and finish up a lovely summer with us at the dome. Exact time will be announced and the cost will be a love donation. There are campsites available and yurts for rent on the premises too, but make reservations because the place fills up! We’d love to see you there and soak in the hot water after the show! 😉

Members Corner:
This is a special corner of our website dedicated to give you exclusive free downloads, exclusive stories, pictures and movies from the road. Our members are part of our special team. “Keep Facing the Sun”, a brand new original song is a new download made available now on the membership corner only.  This month we will post a beautiful song called, “The Eye” by Brandi Carlile! This is off her latest new album and I think Mo, Roxx and I cover it super well. So sign up today!  VIP Corner!

We would like to thank ALL of you who have taken the time to read this message and to listen to our music.  We are extremely grateful to you!

Niccole & Mo

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“Though our time here may be small and seemingly insignificant, there is a great destiny in each one of us!”  -NB

It’s time to launch!

Howdy Friends,

We are on the road again, heading West to Oregon!  We will be playing many big shows this month and what a great way to spend our “birthday month” 😉

Both Mo and I are “Rocktober” babies, we are October bookends, with Mo turning my age in the beginning of the month and me slipping away into “older age” at the end of the month.  But for right now…we are the same age *big smile*!  She catches up with me once a yearha ha!

Isn’t it amazing how time flies?  12 years ago I wrote and released “Smile”, our second CD.  I’m sure with some of you, you look at your children in this way.  You just can’t believe how old they are and how fast that time went.

I look at our catalog of music that way, especial this time of year.  Fall brings out the reflective spirit in me.  It is my “New Year”.  As the summer busyness comes to a close we get to slow down and reflect on our path.

I am looking forward to playing for the people of Oregon. I am looking forward to giving our best shot to the Juried Showcase and sharing the best of what we can.  But I am also looking forward to sitting on the ocean and listening to the waves come in.  In hopes that my mind is filled with “no-thing” and the sound of the waves pound out all the “to-do-lists” and things I think I HAVE to do.

I love that about music too.  It just puts me in the now.  And although the business of it may take me out of the “now” at times, I am grateful that I know that special spot of a minor chord meeting it’s major.  Happy that my fingers are flattened like “Frankenstein fingers” and numb to the pain of any string pressure.  Calloused and getting older, you do wonder in this business, how long you can “schlep” equipment in and out of buildings, drive for hundreds of miles and have the energy to give people some joy and meaning from your words and art you’ve created.

It blows my mind what we do, and I am forever grateful!  The power of music always sees me through.  And I hope it does for you!  When you are down, try turning on your favorite 80’s rock band and just see where you go!?  It’s trasportive and that is why I LOVE it so much!

Thanks to all the listeners out there, who’ve believed in us and have been swept away by our tunes.  Thanks for letting us transport you to another place and space.  Thanks for telling us so and for greeting us with big smiles on your faces and hugs.  We so appreciate you and hope you are enjoying the Fall Season!

Namastes’

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Mt. Peal Animal Santuary Needs YOUR Help!

Hey Folks,

We will be heading off to the beautiful state of Utah to help our furry friends at the Mt. Peal Animal Santuary!

“Mt Peale Animal Sanctuary and Healing center is an integrated center of Healing. At Mt Peale we believe in looking at the totality of life. The plants, the animals, the land and the humans are inseparable. What befalls one effects the other. Mt Peale center holds that we are here to learn with all life through spirit that is manifest upon this earth. At Mt Peale center we believe that true deep healing arises out of the knowledge of this integration.”

If you would like to make a contribution to help this wonderful organization or learn more about what they do please click here http://www.mtpeale.com/   We’ll be playing on June 21st if you are in the area. Cris Williamson, Kathryn Warner and Kate MacLeod will be joining us in a grand celebration!

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Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Hey friends!

We arrived safely back from Grand Targhee Resort and the Trap Bar in Alta, Idaho/Wyoming. We met some new friends in Idaho Falls, and saw some “old ones” too! (They weren’t really old, but you know what I mean).

Playing at an altitude of about 8000 feet honestly, kicked our butts! Ha! It made me take stock in the fact that I best keep myself in shape if I want to continue this career. We felt as if we ran for 3 straight days! If we had not partaken in certain practices and physical exercises we surely would have been suffering because of it. We basically bounced back and snowboarded and skied the next day. So it was a good dose of motivation for us to be at our best physically!

If you ever wondered about what we do to keep our energy up, stay healthy and balanced, I will be posting a blog on our VIP membership page that will include more detail about this. I am eager to share with you all this knowledge as it’s been quite a journey the last 14 years of my life. People always ask, “How do you do it?” I am grateful to have a platform like the membership page to elaborate with those who wish to know. If you are one of those folks who desire to “dig deeper”, go here and check out the VIP membership. : http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/

For the rest of you, this Newsletter provides a point of contact for us to simply say, “Hello, this is what we’re up to and we appreciate you!” It will cover some of the details of our recent journeys in music, though VIP’s get the whole enchilada!

The VIP Corner allows YOU to be a part of our journey in a more intimate, exclusive way. We share our new creations, whether we post an mp3 that is just an idea or completely finished. We are committed to adding new pictures, movies, blogs and music on a monthly basis. You get your own password that gives you access to the VIP corner whenever you’d like! There are discounts, gifts, and other wonderful things to share as well. Come sit by our “cyber fire” and feel the warmth!

Meanwhile, for those of you who just want the skinny on when and where we are playing, we have lots of LOCAL (Boise) shows this week! You Boise folks are probably saying, “it’s about time!” Ha! Know you are LOVED Boise! And we would/could never abandon you!

We’ve been on the road A LOT this year already and will be throughout the rest of the season. Plans for Seattle area the beginning of May, Utah area third week of June, McCall ID area throughout the summer, Stanley ID, Eastern Oregon in August, and mid to Western Oregon in Oct.

So you local folks, when we play home, we want to see you and celebrate you! So come on out and join us for some fun!

Those of you in the areas we mentioned we are traveling, if you know of anyone who wants to have summer parties in the area, or house concerts, please feel free to contact us regarding this as we still have some “road dates” that are open during those tours! Super fun times to be had!

Local folks, I’ve never asked this before, but if you have a minute, please jump on line at: http://www.idahostatesman.com/best-of-treasure-valley/
and vote for your favorite “Best of Boise” band. We are in there, I’m not assuming we are your favorite, but if you pass us a vote we would love you more! (ha…we’ll ALWAYS love you regardless, but it would be cool to be recognized in that publication AND if we do, that means MORE doors locally could open up, which means MORE gigs for us to play for you! Yippie!) You don’t have to vote for everything to turn the form in, it’s an extensive list. Just do what you would like and know we appreciate every vote!

I highly encourage all of you to “jump on the VIP membership corner” and check it out! http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/ . There’s no obligation to sign up, but know that with your support, the possibilities of creating musical moments and living this dream are realized and we love you for it!

Thanks so much in advance! Here are the up-coming shows this week! Oh and our show at the Botanical Gardens has been moved from Sept. 11th to Aug. 21st !!! 6-9pm
Door: $10

4-20 Easter Sunday – Boise’s Center for Spiritual Living, service starts @ 10:30 and we will play a few songs. Rev. Jackie Holland always gives such a powerful sermon. Come get your cups full!

4/22 Tuesday, Happy Earth Day – The Lucky Dog from 7 till whenever! We are hosting an ALL WOMAN’s Jam!!! A traveling girl band, TheUndercurrents, http://violetvonderhaar.com/violet-and-the-undercurrents-3/the-undercurrents/
from Missouri will be a highlight of the night and we local ladies will do “mini-sets”. Get ready for a night of creativity, ad lib, excitement and camaraderie! Joining will be Rebecca Scott, Emily Tipton, Rochelle Smith, Pat Folkner and perhaps some “others” who might decide to slip in a note or two! J $5 cover.

4/24 Thursday – ADD THE 4 WORDS BENEFIT @ the Balcony! 7:30-9:30 – Here in Idaho there is a lot going on as far as equal rights. We will be at the Balcony down town Boise to help raise funds for those who stood up for the rights of ALL humans and unfortunately got arrested by our legislation. L So help us do good things if you can!

4/25 Friday – The Buzz Café 7-9 pm. A fun place to have some coffee and listen to some tunes, sometimes it gets really quiet in there and can be like a private concert. Let’s see!

4/26 Saturday- Café’ Capri 6-9pm. Join us for a fabulous BBQ as our lovely hosts celebrate another turning year of doing business. This Café is located off of the Gowen exit in Boise. There is a GREAT vibe at this venue, and we really appreciate the people running the café. There will be plenty of food, beers, wine, coffee and tunes! Hope to see you there!

Come get your “cup” filled! We are super excited to be home in Boise for the next 10 days! Hope we get so see our “old friends” (no, your not old…but you know what I mean! *wink!)

All of our best to you and yours!

Niccole & Mo

P.S.
For everyone, especially those avid bicyclist and folks that want to see some of Idaho’s finest country side and get in shape! There is an organization we play for each year called RIDE IDAHO. They roll out the red carpet to cycle some amazing terrain of Idaho’s finest country side offering you a fabulous trip! This year they will explore the Sun Valley area down to the City of Rocks. Please check them out @ http://www.rideidaho.org/ . All the proceeds for this tour go towards funding Idaho and making this state great! Tell a friend and pass the word! Thanks again!

New Membership Corner has launched!

Friends around the campfire

Today is the day! It’s NO APRIL FOOLS trick! We have a new VIP Corner of the website and it is up and running! So even though it’s raining in Boise today, I’d say anyone up for a toasty cyber space campfire with some hot toddies, new tunes, stories, pictures, MOVIES and an inside track that is COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVE, for your enjoyment, go HERE: http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/

I am thrilled of offer to our most avid supporters (YOU) a chance to catch an inside glimpse of our music while it’s being created and also to share some footage of our wacky moments while on tour. Come along for the ride at your own time and leisure through our designated corner of our web site that is available to you 24/7.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a musician you will get first hand insights to the trade of music in a super real, down to earth way. Plus you’ll get to keep downloadable mp3’s, gifts, discounts and much more!

We were inspired to create this membership based on listener’s desire for us to share more. We literally had our friends, followers, avid fans say, “do this”…and so we did! We hope you partake in the fun and we appreciate any and all membership proceeds, as they help get us on the road and stay on this path of creating music!

Thank you so very much!!! Happy “Fools” day! 😉

Niccole & Mo

Spring thoughts!

Wowsa Folks!

I have been thinking of you SO MUCH!  I know Boise folks have been asking, “Where are you girls playing next locally?”  And honestly, we’ve been out of town a LOT this winter, more than normal. And now it’s Spring, which takes us out of town still!

Video: Mo is filming up a storm!

Down time is good, but it hasn’t been down time for us at all.  I feel like I’m wrapping a HUGE CHRISTMAS PRESENT for all of you!  I’ve been working on this VIP page and putting things together and learning so much about technology.  I’m pleased to say my usual temper-tantrums with “Miss Mac” have subsided, as I’ve selected to make “nice” with “her” instead. (I have a PC too for when Miss Mac is just beyond moody!)

We are hand selecting mp3’s for our members and I made a fun movie of our travels to Sandpoint recently.  This “thing” that we are creating is BIG in so many ways.  It really extends into what we do and who we are as music makers and is quite vulnerable.

I’ve noticed this when trying to determine which mp3 to select for you.  “It’s not quite perfect, it still needs work. Am I really going to put that out there? Are they really going to catch this idea when I’m not even complete with it myself yet?”  Bold, brave and a bit scary at times, I wonder if I’m up for the task.  But something inside me says, “go into the fear”, simply because growth lives there.

We want to grow as artists and we want to share that experience with you.  I don’t know of any other artist doing this in such a way, so… we have no one to guide us on this journey.  We will certainly be open to feedback (but not “slams” of course).  I will want to hear your ideas if you join and of course there is no obligation to join, nor stay a member.

So, when will it be up and running?  Ha!  I thought this week, however…Miss Mac is making me wait…she’s keeping me wai a a a a a ting (think Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” song then you’ll know where I live in my head with this! Ha!)

I’m on a learning curve with the technology.  I’ll tell you all about this process in the VIP blog once the “door” to membership opens.  But…all I can say now is….It’s Coming!  J http://blazeandkelly.com/vip-corner/  Feel free to sign up on the “interested” list connected to this link.

Meanwhile, here’s our schedule in the next upcoming weeks!

March 30th  send us your good thoughts as we are teaming up with “Purple Carrots” to write more songs!!! Yippie!  If you go to our Blaze and Kelly Face Book page we will try keeping you in the loop with what is going on.  That will be another 24 hour experience with Rebecca Scott and Dan Costello!

April 3rdVino Rosso in Idaho Falls 7-9:30pm

April 4th   The Trap Bar in Driggs Idaho 3-5:30pm

April 5th   The Trap Bar in Driggs Idaho 3-5:30pm

April 25th the Buzz Café’ 7-9 Boise ID

April 26th Capri Café’  6-9 Boise ID

*Boise friends, mark your calendars for Sept. 11th Botanical Garden’s Concert Series!! This is one of our favorite places to play!

Seattle friends, we have some bookings for May, but are looking for more.  Is there anyone who would like to do a house concert in the Seattle area the first or second week of May?  Or do you know of good venues we would fit well with?  Shoot us an e-mail!  We’d love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for being a part of our journey in music; we appreciate you all so very much!

Niccole & Mo

New CD and DVD for the New Year!

Hello lovely people! We have been hard at work creating FABULOUS NEW MUSIC for you to enjoy!

Our “Live at the Sapphire DVD” has just recently been release as has our “Live at the Sapphire CD” too!!! This body of work is a complete LIVE recording, you can hear the audience and experience this magical night for yourself whether watching or listening.
Also, the PURPLE CARROT album will be release this month! Get your tickets here: PURPLE CARROT TICKETS! And read about this awesome collaborative below:

Three of Boise’s most gifted musicians; Rebecca Scott, Niccole Blaze, and Dan Costello, seated themselves around a tray of purple carrots, hummus and some garlic olives. On a journey for newness they decided to collaborate writing songs together based on a web driven idea called, “Album in a Day”. The end result was a “smokin'” CD!!!

On Jan. 31st, they will release “Purple Carrots” for all of you to “munch on”. “The Sapphire Room”, one of Boise’s most premier venues, will showcase these amazing artist together for the first time in “singer-songwriters in the round” fashion!

Drawing on over 40 years of musicianship among them, these artist will fill your cup with sweet grooves and harmonies from their fresh creations! You will get an inside look into the song writing process as they share about what it was like to stay up for 24 hours and create with each other for the first time.

Come be a part of this magical, creative energy and share the camaraderie as you connect with some of the finest songwriters of the Treasure Valley! Show starts @ 7:30 (doors open 6:30). Seating is first come first serve, and only 150 tickets will be sold. This is sure to be an intimate and sold out show, so get them soon!

CD’s will be sold at this event. If you would like to purchase the Purple Carrot CD, please send me a direct e-mail and I will make sure we get it to you: niccoleblaze@hotmail.com

Have an AWESOME New Year!

My car rolls over 200K this trip and so do I!

Good morning friends and listeners (if it’s morning for you)

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It’s morning for me.  I’m up early thinking, “I’ve wanted to write an update to everyone, telling them about our trip, and about the DVD progress and what’s happening now”.  Basically, I want to write.  Spill it all out there cause there has been so much of life recently I just can’t “grab hold” of, and it helps to put it in writing.

Shows: 
So for those of you who want the quick “knitty gritty” show information:
Friday 11/1 we will be appearing for the FIRST TIME @ The Kilted Dragon from 7-10pm.  It’s a new brewery in town and we are hoping to pack it!  Panzano brick oven Pizza will be there too and their Pizza is fabulous!

Sat. 11/2 a favorite place, The Wood River Cellars 7-9pm.  This is a GREAT venue to hear music.  Most times the audience is a listening audience and this room is amazing for sound.
All details about the shows can be found on blazeandkelly.com

Next week we are in Arizona.  We will be playing a private party in Scottsdale and a private house concert in Tucson.  If anyone lives in that area and wants a private invite, it is very possible to attend.  Just e-mail me and I’ll give you the information.

Opportunities:
We had the best times in Washington!  Indeed!  We had 3 house concerts and they were all a “smash”!  They were all very different and very fun.

What a house concert is:  Someone hosts a concert in their living room, patio, garage, closed restaurant, where ever you can put 20 people or more.  We ask for a “love donation” of $10-20 from each person.  Sometimes there’s a pot luck, sometimes the host serves wine/beer…or maybe maple cookies (wink!)   We play a set and tell stories and you can hear EVERYTHING and interact with us a bit.  We take a little break, mingle then play another set.  People listen, close their eyes sometime, laugh, cry, relate, and sometimes we all “go up 100 feet”!

I must digress into the most amazing moment I’ve experienced to date!!!   We were at the end of our set at a Mt. Vernon house concert.  There was about 25-30 people there.  It was a magical night, so many cool souls in that room!  As we finished “Life is Beautiful”,  I opened my eyes and everyone was silent for a very long 5 seconds.  They didn’t even clap…we were all transported so high up we had to stop and look around at each other and no one wanted that moment to end! There was such energy in the room that is indescribable as I try to convey it to you now.  We were all “enlightened” for just a second. Their mouths agape and my own consciousness checking back in with my body, realizing I was still on this planet!  Then I told them they were beautiful and they clapped and clapped and clapped and it made me cry!  Ha!  (such a sap!)  Seriously…it was AMAZING!!!

House concerts, I’ve discovered, makes those moments happen more frequently than anywhere else.  So why not have one?  If you have friends and family and a few feet of space you can do it and we will help you!  For some of the hosts in Washington, it was the very first time they have ever done this.  They didn’t know what to expect and were quite please with the outcome.  Surprised in fact!  Elated with the experience, they want us to return.  And that is a great feeling because that is the kind of energy exchange we are after.  When everyone feels “filled up” we know we did our job.  So, if you are tired of trying to listen over conversations of others, let us help you put on a show in your own living room!

Alternate opportunities:
Now if that sounds too vulnerable and too scary with the lot of friends you pal around with, go for the “party”, that’s a whole different energy.  That is where you invite your friends, they don’t pay a suggested donation (but can tip and buy CD’s) and you and I come up with a flat fee. If people listen, great, and if they chat it up that’s o.k. too.  Parties can sometimes turn into house concerts (because that can be the nature of music) but all fees are negotiated before hand and you’re not asking your friends to contribute.

We’ve had some awesome parties too I must say.  I really LOVE the house concert format.  People can be intimidated by it and worry about people showing up, but I tell you…once you experience the whole room floating on a cloud and all your friends being amazed and impressed by you putting this thing on…you’ll want to do it again.

What’s happening with the DVD? 
For those new to the Newsletter, we did a live show at the Sapphire Room here in Boise and had the most amazing night!  We filmed it with about 5 cameras and have been anticipating a professional video to come hopefully by the end of the year.

We are getting a proof copy of the DVD this week!  Yes!  The audio and video got “married” earlier this month.  I have written out all the credits and talked to the artist who is designing the cover.  The local manufacturer is ready to take on the project too.  We are good to go…just have to approve of the video, get the art work finished and then put it all together!  I’m shooting for early December!  Just in time for CHRISTMAS!  😉  I will be so excited to get the film out there and share that amazing night all over again. Thank you for your patience and support!

200,000 miles – the Panida Theatre and getting Older! 

Well, our truck and I rolled over another click on our odometer!  Ha!  “Betty Lou 2” my Ford Explorer clicked 200K and I turned another year older last Sat.  Yep…happens to the best of us, I guess *wink!
I’ve been thinking about all the miles we’ve traveled. I had such the fortunate opportunity to play one of my favorite theaters.  I got my big start at the Panida theatre and what a treat to be invited back.  On so many levels going back “home” to open arms was very surreal.  The Daily Bee put us on the front page! You can see it HERE.  And there were posters up on every window of the town, pellted in all the shops! Also the marquee was lit up like a Christmas tree with our names right on top!

“How amazing,” I thought.  I left this town, its’ beauty and those dear friends and family and that awesome ski mountain.  I left that whole other life behind, as I needed too.  “But now I’m back”, looking across that beautiful lake with friends from Boise who made the trip.  How did these ten years go by so fast and how did I get here?  That whole tour was the biggest birthday present I could have ever asked for, so special, so many amazing people on this journey.

I had an older Ford Explorer that turned its’ numbers high, a little over ten years ago.  I had an old graying dog then too.  With every gray hair that pops out of my head, or out of Mo’s head or my dog Osa’s face I wonder about the “miles” we’ve put on life.  I think about what is important, the growth, the love I’ve shared and have gotten to witness.  The hearts that have cracked open in the middle of a song.  The opportunity to be the one standing behind the microphone trying to make a difference, witnessing the real show.  The show of life.

We aired on two radio stations while in Sandpoint, KPND and KRFY.  The hosts of each show asked GREAT questions.  Reflective and insightful questions about what it was like to make music. “How do you come up with melody lines?  When did you and Mo meet?  How did you start playing music.” It causes me to answer and seek myself over.  I love live radio for that reason.  It use to terrify me.  I have literally stepped myself into terrifying situations voluntarily.  Ha…who does that? Why do I do that!?  David Gunter interviewed me for the Daily Bee and asked me that very question.  He plays music too.  He asked, “Why do we do this?  Put our hearts and souls out there for others to judge, or reject?”

I said, “I think I’m trying to prove to myself over and over that love is the only energy that exists and the rest is all B.S.”  I need to keep believing that.  I lose sight (as most of us do from time to time) but if I can just stay “on that line”.  That line of love and truth and knowingness and belief in myself and the best in others.  If I can continue to BE THERE and LIVE from there, others can see it and feel it and choose it for themselves too.  And…we can all float up 100 feet together, and when we come back down, laugh like hell, cry tears of gratitude and start clapping!  Ha!

I’ve literally been around the world over 8 times in the last 10 years (24,900 is a loop around the Earth – thanks google!  )  It was an epic tour – to date.  It’s been an epic journey.  It’s been a VERY cool trip around the sun for me this year.  Thank you for your support and I am grateful to have been on this journey with you! Have an awesome day!
Much love, Nicc, Mo & Osa!

The Panida Theatre, 2 CD’s a DVD and 2 Tours!

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Hey Folks,

Wow time has certainly slipped away and I have “updated” you all in my mind, I swear…but that doesn’t do you much good huh?  Anyway, you have been in my thoughts as we’ve motored along on our local and distant shows.

Big news…the Purple Carrot Collaboration is done and going into replication this week!    This is the “album in a day” we worked on in March with Rebecca Scott and Dan Costello!  It turned out AWESOME, I’d have to say!  It was SO cool to work with those two and the songs are groovy and fun!  Let me know if you’d like a copy, I’m hoping to have some fresh copies on our way to Sandpoint!

NEXT WEEK:  We play the Panida Theatre in Sandpoint!!!!    Oct. 10th 7:30 pm! 

This is such a full circle!  I released my first album “Despite the Dents” on this stage almost 10 years ago!  We were selected at last year’s Northwest Booking Conference to play for the Panida this year and are so excited to see some old friends!  We hope those in the area can come to this special event!

The DVD….yes everyone is wondering WHEN that will be out.  The good news is…the audio has been completed and a big part of the video has been edited.  Now we are ready to marry the two…video and audio and I can’t wait to see the results.

We will do a final edit in the next month and I am working with an artist to complete the artwork.  Then it goes to replication, but not until final editing and art work is finished…but it’s getting there.  Hopefully before the year is out we’ll have the DVD finished AND a CD cut of the live show as well!  So if you want to HEAR the songs from this show, we’ll have the “Blaze and Kelly Live at the Sapphire Room” CD.  This is really exciting!

Pushing a huge body of work forward feels good!  It’s been a GIANT undertaking getting Purple Carrots, Live at the Sapphire DVD and the Live at the Sapphire CD up and running.  Wow…when I do something — I go BIG!  Ha!

We are also working on new local venues and planning a tour to Seattle next week AND a tour in Arizona Nov. 7-14th!   I’m happy to say Mo has been in on the full time music crusade with me since June and if feels wonderful to have her working with me on the administrative stuff for this “job”  J

So we will be in touch when all these new items hit the public and hope you partake in the new goods!  Our upcoming schedule is below:

Friday10/4The Blue Moose@ 6:30-8:30ish….OUR FIRST SHOW HERE, we are hoping to make a good impression!

Sat.  10/5The Wood River Cellars @ 7-9always amazing acoustic sound

Sun. 10/6The Harvest Festival @ the Botanical Gardens3-6 pm w/Rochelle Smith, this looks like a fun event, hay rides and things for “big kids” too!

Off to Sandpoint!!!!

The Panida Theatre!!!!  Thursday Oct. 10th7:30 pm

You can tune into public radio for our interview while we visit Sandpoint @ KRFY 88.5FM

http://www.krfy.org/  happening Oct. 9th @ 9:00a.m. (PT)

Wed.  10/16Cellar Café in Wenachee*

Friday 10/18Open House Concert– public welcome   Mt. Vernon WA area*

Sat.     10/19Open House Concert – public welcomeTacoma WAarea*

*see details on the web for these shows  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/

We hope to see you in our home town, or in our travels and we hope our music has brought some joy to your life.  Thank you for partaking and being on this lovely journey with us.  If you have information for us in our travels, don’t be a stranger, feel free to write!

Much love to you all!

Niccole & Mo

Summertime gigs

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Hey Folks,

I hope this finds you looking forward to your weekend!   Mo and I just returned from meeting up with some friends in the Tetons.  I got to spend some time with friends I’ve made over 33 years!  Wow!   Anyway, it was a great few days and for the first time I sang “Sweet Wyoming” to the audience I wrote it for.  Yes, there were tears and of course laughs too.  It is impossible to sing and cry at the same time!  (It’s also impossible to sneeze and sing too, just in case you were wondering!  However, it almost happened to me a few weeks ago!)

Anyway, I wanted to give you the latest on what’s going on with us and the music schedule:

Friday, 7/19@ The Piper Pub right down town with Rochelle Smith! 8:30-11:30pm

Sat.  7/20 @  a Private Party   – YOU can schedule one too!!!

Sun. 7/21@ the Sandbar at the Riverside Inn on Chinden2-5pm

Wed7/24 @ Sa-wa-dee 6:30 – 9:00

Friday 7/26 @ Carl Miller Park in Mtn. Home from 6:30 -8:30please bring lawn chairs or blanks and come enjoy some hot music in the cool shade!

Wed 7/31 @ Smoky Mtn. Pizza Eagle 7-9a GREAT patio!!!

This will do it for a bit locally.  We will be off and running to other states and places so we hope to see you and some of your friends at these great local venues!

Also!  Mark in your calendars…we will be playing the Harvest Festival at the Botanical Gardens this year on Sunday Oct. 6th from 3-5pm.  This looks like a great time for kids too and you big kids because there will be hay rides too! JWho doesn’t like a hay ride?

Many hugs!

Niccole & Mo

Off to Oregon and DVD Update!

Hello friends and listeners,

The “meat and potatoes”  of this newletter can be found here: UPDATE.

We are off and running to the Oregon coast for a 2.5 week tour starting THIS WEEKEND!  We are very excited and if you have friends or family in the Oregon area, please feel free to tell them about our shows or shoot them our web site, www.blazeandkelly.com ! We’d love to meet them!

For those of you interested in more details about  the DVD and how it’s coming along, please click here:
UPDATE

To see our Oregon dates please click here:  http://blazeandkelly.com/calendar-of-events/
And for those in the Bosie area we have one last show before the tour at:
Wed. 5/22  @ Sa-wa-dee  in Meridian 6:30-9pm 🙂 yummy Thia Food in  a very relaxed atmosphere!

Keep touch with us on facebook/blazeandkelly for posts of our travels and our radio shows!
We hope you are enjoying the last weeks of Spring and are ready for the summer fun!!!

Niccole & Mo

Here’s our “ride”  🙂  A 1970 referbed Shasta! The inside is a bit “log cabin style”- home away from home!

Refrerbbed 1970's Shasta! All the comforts of home, well...almost!

KICKSTARTER FOR DVD! We NEED YOU!~

The time is NOW!!

Now is the time for getting Blaze and Kelly on the map with the help of a music video!!! Yep!  It’s true!  It’s SO important.  It’s not our ego talking, we need film.  Why?  We’ve been missing the boat on major shows because we do not have a worthy enough video that captures what we do.  (I know right?)  How can this be?  We’ve been doing this for how long?

It comes down to this, you get what you pay for…yep!  Just like most things, if you don’t go professional…it won’t BE professional.  No surprise there huh?

So in that…I am firing off a “Kickstarter Champain”.  If you click on this:  KICKSTARTER          you will be able to see EXACTLY what we plan to do.  We have rewards for you too if you decide to pledge.  We REALLY need your assistance with this.

Check out the rewards for your contributions and know that if you are local and have already contributed you will not be expected to contribute again if you’d like to join us for the LIVE FILMING which will take place on:

April 7th Sunday @ 2 pm
At the Riverside Hotel in Boise (off of Chinden –Garden City)
In the Sapphire Room (way super cool room)

There will be breakfast before hand that is amazing from 10-2 with bottomless mimosas & cocktails at the 365 bar as well.

This is going to be a VERY special event and we’d LOVE for you to join us.  You will see the “behind the scene” view of it being made right in front of you!

We are putting out a jar for suggested donations ($20)  but no one will be turned away on the count of proceeds.

What do we need to raise and why?
The breakdown is…the film company is estimated approx. 4000.00
The rental hall $300
Audio professionals $1500 (minimum.)
Artwork, graphics $300
Manufacturing Costs$2000
Misc. (like getting the other players some grub and drinks) $100.00

Can you see it adding up?  A great idea turns into a HEAP of money! Ha!  Isn’t that the case?!   Kickstarter is a program that helps fund things safely, so…I put our mark at $5000, though…if you do the math you will see I will take MUCH more than that.  Here’s the catch…if you, “Miss your Mark” you get ZERO!  This is because people deserve to know if the project was fully funded and if their rewards will come their way or not.  There will be NO CHARGE to ANYONE if the program is not FULLY FUNDED.  That means Mo and I will be taking out a big loan, selling some things, loosing more weight to try to “kickstart” our career as self-employed independent artists!  Ha!!!

I ask you this…has our music ever moved you?  Have you been touched by a show, a song, a hello from one of us?  Has it lifted you? Made you think?  Made you feel?  Got you closer to someone?  Got you closer to yourself?  Turned over a new leaf?  Turned your life in a new direction?  What DOES music do for you???  In that…we would be ever so grateful to receive any pledges you might have to offer.
PLEASE TELL YOUR FREINDS!  If 800 people put in $10 bucks…we’d have our goal met in a millasecond! Dreams would come true!  Indeed!  The time is now!  It scares the absolute ba-jeebees out of me…but when WON’T it?  “Do it anyway” I always say!

Thank you so much for your love and support.  My computer was centering all my paragraphs being weird as I wrote this. Now that I’m at the end I finally got it to work right.  Perhaps it means that this letter comes to you from the very “center” place in my heart and soul!  I believe in YOU and I believe in US!  Let’s make it happen TOGETHER!!!

HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL AS WELL!  ENJOY!!!
Niccole & Mo

Happy 2013!

Welcome to 2013!  Yes, another year passes “Swiftly By” and we are hit with the disillusionment of, “that one’s done” and the wonder of, “what’s this next one going to bring?” Is it no wonder people are internal this time of year, processing what happened this past year and what they wish to make for themselves this new year?

I am ever so grateful for 2012.  This was a very growing year for me personally and also for Mo and I in music.  We had the pleasure of visiting LA for the ASCAP expo in April.  We had a great time with some of you on the road to our travels North through Montana and other parts of Idaho.  Opening for Olivia Newton John was a special treat.  Rolling down the Snake River with BEAUTIFUL people, taking in the breathtaking sights was spactacular. I’ve managed to “chisel out” some new tunes, read some great books, met some amazing folks and made shifts to my diet that work in my favor (OMG it’s about time!).
As I look over the highlights of this past year, the love that flowed from 1000 Springs Festival, being embraced and moved by amazing folks at CSL service, getting a showcase at the NW Booking conference and meeting Tom Jackson.  Watching my 9 year old guitar student play “Lena’s Lullaby” right in time with me (which brought me to tears!)  I am just amazed and touched by all of it.  Even the hard parts, because you know..there are always “bumps” along the road.
Looking back to the after glow can cause my rampant mind to wonder…”how do you ‘top’ that one”? But the reality is, the turning of the calendar is just another page in the grand chapter of you!  More of the same?  Something new? I suppose it’s all up to us to make it what we will.  What will it be for you this year?

Mo asked me a great question while we rehearsed the other day…”where do you want your thoughts to live?”
Spending time in our minds can either deprive us of an epic experience or BE the epic experience depending on what we let oursleves focus on at the time.  Where ever you go…there you are, right?  So to be conscious and awake is a good goal I will continue to work on and of course there are other things, like writing more tunes, recording, meeting more beautiful people. 🙂
We have some opportunities to help with raising funds for needy children called the Child Fund, when I know more I will devulge.  And I’m basically excited to play and sing for all of you who we so appreciate.  Feel free to stay in touch with us.
For those of you in Oregon and Washington : we are gathering information on possible places to play, house concerts, worship services, cafe’s, concert series.  Please let us know if you have any ideas!  We’d love to hear from you.  We are hoping to embark your way in May/June.  For folks in N. Idaho we are hoping to see you sooner possible Feb. in Sandpoint.  We’ll keep you posted. To our new friends at CSL thank you for all your warmth.  And to our Boise listeners, the “back bone” of our fan base we thank you and you can see us this week here:

Wed.  1/9  @ 7-9pm  Divine Wine  This is a NEW venue, so we hope to pack it and have a blast!  🙂
Friday 1/11 @ 7-9   The Buzz Cafe’  This is a great place for a fun mini-concert and over all great time.
Friday 1/25 @ 8:30-11:30  The Piper Pub  right downtown Boise
McCall folks!  Look for us at Crusty’s Pizza 1/20 @ 7pm  can’t wait to see you!
Friday 2/1 & 2/2 @ 8-11pm  The Owyhee Plaza right downtown Boise

Much love and peace to you all!  Thanks for reading and thanks for being part of our dreams come true!
Niccole & Mo

People have asked…”so how was opening for Olivia?”

and I say….

It was a blast…and it was.  What makes it a blast?  Seeing all of our friends get excited for us.  Hearing comments on facebook that rewards us for doing a good job and even those folks saying, “how was it to have Olivia Newton John close for you” as they snicker.  As we were preparing for the concert I said to Mo…let’s just take our time and have fun, let’s believe in our set list and what we have to give the audience.  And we truly did. We had a ball!  There was a great audience of a couple thousand folks and they were all very receptive or at least seemingly patient as they waited for the act they paid to see.
As we drove to the venue I said to Mo, “you know what I like best about doing stuff like this?”…she said, “what?”  I responded, “ACCESS”.  Ha!  It is fun to go into places you normally can’t go, like back stage or the house where they serve the food and have a cool collection of signed guitars on the walls.  You can drive right up to the monster buses that held the “real musicians” and it’s an exciting feeling being on a stage with so much stuff around you, full drum kits, giant lights.  We sound checked to a bunch of empty chairs, and then moved off stage to let the audience come in.  We did get to meet Olivia and she seemed like a nice lady.

We waited back stage and I think that’s when  most nerves hit you.  But I really didn’t get nervous this time, plus our buddy Steve Fulton was there and we gabbed it up with him and had a great time. It was one of the most sweetest crews we’ve ever worked with.  Playing was a ball, free flowing, great set list and a step out of our comfort zone as we took on Lenard Cohen’s Hallelujah for the first time in front of a large audience with Mo singing back up.  It was awesome to celebrate with our friends after our segment and also great to listen to Olivia and all those hits that are so familiar.  So over all, a very positive experience!

We are off to the 1000 Springs Festival in Hagerman for a show on Sat. 9/29 @ 2:30 this week.  This is a great way to close our hustle bustle of a season.  There are beautiful waterfalls that surround this festival and we love the audience there, as they are always listening with open hearts!  It’s quite a time and we are honored to play there again.  If you are in that area come on out for this treat!

Here’s the month of Oct. in a nutshell:
10/5  ** New Venue – Bonefish downtown Boise 8-10pm
10/6 **  Private Party
10/12 Season’t Bistro 7-9pm
10/13 Bonefish 8-10pm
10/19 Piper Pub 8:30-11:30pm
10/20 Owyhee Plaza 8-11pm
10/26  Happy Birthday do meee  🙂
10/27 Private Party

If you’d like to make a private party happen for you or a loved one or,  just to celebrate anything, drop us an e-mail, we’d be honored.
Please go to www.blazeandkelly.com  for any details regarding the shows at any time.

So Fall is here…we’ll begin to go inward, take a rest, reflect, draw on some creativity, song-write, do some recording, practice practice practice, teach some guitar and generally enjoy the slower season!  Thank you all so very much for being a part of our musical dream!  We really appreciate your support, love and warmth you’ve shown us through the years of this journey!

Best Regards,
Nicc & Mo

Big News! We get to open for Olivia Newton John!

Yep it’s pretty surreal.  All those years ago, listening to the sound track of “Grease” (on 8 track LOL!) Knowing every word by heart,never imagining for one moment that our paths would cross on the same stage!  How wild!  We’ll be opening Thursday 9/6 @ the Eagle River Pavilion, more details to follow in the “show” section of this newsletter.  

This goes to show that sometimes just showing up and doing what you love, matters.  Yes, there are 50 million opportunities that might not ever call on you…but you might get that one.  That is what is cool about the music business, (or criminal some colleagues might confess).  You can be playing at a Pizza joint one day and then off to the big giant stage the next and through it all you are still the same “schmuck” with a guitar and a hand full of songs!  Haaaa!!!

It’s perfect psychology food, at least at the level that I play.  I can’t get “too big for my britches” and Lord knows, I wouldn’t want to.  But we get a couple “bones” thrown our way and we are so delighted!  Everyone needs a “bone” coming to them once in a while.  If I knew what it was for you…I’d throw it!!!!  Some people withhold the bones on purpose…they don’t like giving people a thing…usually a person like that has nothing to spare inside.  The best thing for those folks is compassion.  They may have so much but can’t see it…and we’ve all been there at a time or two.

Coming off our Montana tour I am in such gratitude for the people that I met and the landscape that I got to witness…and I should say BEAR witness cause we saw some BEAR up there in the Glacier area!  How FUN!  Our trip started with 3 shows out the gate in Great Falls…the people were fantastic…I particularly LOVED Belt Montana…home of “Pig Ass Porter” what a great group of people and a cute little town!

Getting to vaca. is always a treat on the road and we did just that, heading north to the Canadian Glaciers with trailer in tow.  Then across to the Kalispel/Whitefish area for more shows. Then down to Missoula back to familiar territory of Stanley (which a lot of terrain was on fire). Though it was smokey we played a fun show to great local crowd at Sawtooth Luce’s in Stanly…thank you Josh and the gang for all your amazing support and warmth!  

Now back in Boise we are at it this week at these places:
Wed. 9/5  Smoky Mtn. Pizza  7-9pm
Thrus 9/6  Eagle River Pavilion to open for Olivia doors open @ 6 we’ll play 7-8ish then kick it with you all and watch Olivia do her thing!!!
Friday 9/7  Art in the Park  (Julia Davis) Boise  5-7
Sat.  9/8  Eagle Farmers Market  10:30-1
Sun – Thurs.  MOUNTAIN RIVER Outfitters TRIP  down Hells Canyon
Tues.  9/18  Edward’s Green House for an UNPLUGGED SHOW   6-8

I have so much to share and of course I’m running up to the wire…so I’ll leave you all with that…thank you for all your support and encouragement.  Our opportunities are because people like you believe in us and we appreciate it so much!

Much gratitude!

Niccole & Mo

Who’s got the time?

Those who make time.

I’ve noticed some folks have popped off the e-mail list and some have added themselves.  Life is a fine line of doors closing and opening isn’t it? My motto lately has been…”NO OPINION”.  I’ve been trying to look at things with no opinion, try it…it’s not that easy all the time.  You feel your little “opinion” popping up in your head when conversations are slinging around.  Some people sit back and listen, others get in there and participate in conversation, some folks bully themselves around to be heard.  Some folks you want to hear but dare they disclose their insight.  I love being around people, I learn so much and with “no opinion” I try desperately to “stay in the middle”  of course I HAVE and opinion…everyone does…do you like vanilla? chocolate? Mac or PC?  Coke or Pepsi?  Hendricks Gin or Bombay (ha…had to get that in there for those who’ve been following along!)

I love to people watch and I’ve always said I have the best seat in the house as a performer.  I tell Mo, “I don’t know any one that would be aloud to stand up in a restaurant, bar gig and just look around”…it would be weird if I weren’t singing right?  I mean, could we all agree on that or is it just my opinion?  If I didn’t have a guitar in my hands or a voice popping out harmony…it would be a strange seat for me to just look into everyone’s eyes and stand up in the middle of a place on some random Sat. night.  The show from my perspective is a completely different show than you all might see.

This might freak some people out.  Am I watching YOU?!  LOL!  People might have an opinion about that…some folks might drop off the list and NEVER want to see another show…paranoid I may be thinking something too while I play and gaze around the room.  Some people want to be watched (I’ve noticed) others avert their eyes and others catch a moment and somehow that moment becomes ours.  That shrunken piece of time  where I can see into someone’s soul and they see into mine.  I see their true selves and it makes me smile and they smile back at me for whatever they see.  I just LOVE that.  I think it use to scare the hell out of me at first…”what will they see” ha!  And sometimes when I’m feeling not so confident I can still get a bit nervous and avert my own eyes.  It DOES take some concentration to play, remember your words and to now and then to be hit with a stare that runs so deep,  can derail most any musician.  I’ve seen it happen many times, to myself and others…we are human after all.  Our confidence levels are random on any given day and performing definitely puts a gage out there to be in touch with it.  No opinion helps though.  No judgment about what you did or didn’t do, said or forgot to say, bumbled chord or flawless arpeggio.  Music is great practice for “no opinion” and these newsletters are too.

Half the time I sit down and write a title like I did today, “who’s got the time” and I go completely in another direction!  I was going to tell you about my dog chasing chizzlers in Stanley (chizzlers = chipmunks)  stomping like a bear with both feet into a wood pile.  I was going to mention about how yesterday I was waiting for a friend so I laid out in her yard and stared up at a GREAT tulip tree blowing in the wind and it swallowed me up with it’s unspoken language.  I was having an opinion that if I shared that, would people think “all I do is lay around staring up at trees and write songs…must be nice to have that kind of time”.  But who has the time to just go out an lay in the yard for 5 minutes and watch the wind blow?  Letting it fill them up?  Anyone who MAKES the time to do that can.  And if you are on your lunch break gazing up at some maple or cottonwood (the best is lying on the grass stretched out…my preference) and cars are passing you wondering if you had a heart attack or if you passed out from heat stroke…that is their opinion or view point.  You can’t control what others think about you…it’s virtually impossible and I always say, “their thoughts are none of my business.”  So…give yourself the freedom and the time to do what feeds your soul.

We hope that you find good “soul time” with us at our shows and with these writings!  Be well and hope to see you this week here:

Tues. 7/31 @ the Liquid there is a fundraiser for Angela…a very important event for this little lady.  We’ll play sometime around 6:30-8 and the details about her are here http://benefitforangela.blogspot.com.  Please make a contribution if you can to the cause. No amount is too small, she really needs financial assistance!

Wed. 8/1 @ the Bardenay in Eagle 6-9 pm for an all ORIGINAL (that means self penned songs) set list!!!
Thurs. 8/2  @ Hyde St. Pub 7-10 pm for another all Original set!  🙂

We will be playing for RIDE IDAHO this Sat. in New Meadows.