To Blog, Or Not to Blog. THAT is the question!

So yesterday, I actually remembered that I was once a blogger. I started up my computer and with much trepidation, I hit the bookmark on my browser that says, LAST GIRL ON EARTH. I hadn’t been over here since May. That’s right MAY. That’s FIVE MONTHS! I’ve often thought about coming over here. But ever since I changed my homepage from LAST GIRL ON EARTH to FACEBOOK, this page has become a stranger to me.

I know that many of you have moved to the dark side because we’re friends over on Facebook. And life over there is just so much easier and breezier. One quick little Twitter, and I’ve said all I need to say.

When I was a blogger, I would stay up until all hours of the night slaving over words that I hope made me sound semi-intelligent! I would look for pictures that went with my posts until the wee hours of the morning. When I’d find “the ultimate” picture, I’d smile, and post it up there with the words that I slaved over. Satisfied with my post, I’d put it out there and wait to see if anyone would comment on what I had to say.

Between posts, I’d visit my blog buddies. I got involved with so many people’s lives. What they were thinking and doing. Catching up week after week on the joys, the highs and the lows of strangers. But even though I never met most of these people, for a while, for a few years, I really cared what they were going through.

And the time flew by. Week after week. Month after month. Post after post. Until I realized that maybe I didn’t want to experience the “virtual” world. I just wanted to experience the substantial, REAL world around me.

I’ve started writing MUSIC again. I’m observing the wonderful buzz around me, including the people I love, and the people I don’t know, but I’m seriously amused by!

I’m not going to quit blogging. Sometimes I actually have something I want to say, and a little line in Twitter that ends up on my Facebook page just won’t hack it! BUT… I’ll blog when I want, not when I feel obligated to. If anyone reads what I have to say, that’s totally groovy. But I don’t want to feel the pressure any more to write here. I’m SO grateful for the wonderful people that I met online in the blogospere and I hope everyone is having a great life. For now, I’m just way too busy ENJOYING life to go down my list and visit one by one.

For those of you who have never been here before, feel free to work your way backwards on my blog and check out my words and the pretty pictures that went with them. Check out my Facebook artist page HERE and please… Rock on.

I’m relaxed and ready to rock THIS WEEKEND with my full band. We’ll be headlining the CHICKFEST in Dewey Beach, Delaware on SATURDAY, May 16. I got a very flattering mention in THIS article. Check it out! We’ll be performing on STAGE A on the outdoor deck of the Rusty Rudder @ 11 PM. (We’ve even worked up a couple of new tunes for the occasion!) The annual festival will feature 27 female-fronted music acts from throughout the region and country performing on four stages inside and on the tented, outdoor deck. Admission is free.

On SUNDAY, May 17, we’re off to play the FINE ARTS FIESTA at the Bandshell in the Public Square in Wilkes Barre, PA. @ 3.30 PM. This is a fun, free, outdoor, artsy fest. This is also a free show! (What a deal)

Joining me on stage this weekend will be Austin Donohue – guitar & vox, Kevin Moon – bass & vox, and Andy Mac – drums & vox.

On a personal note, I just got back from an incredible vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii. I picked up a beautiful new ukulele in Hilo and I’m TOTALLY in love with my new instrument! I’ve been staying up until 2 AM every night since I got home playing the damn thing. I’m hooked! Look for its debut at a show sometime in the coming months. I promise the uke won’t be replacing my violin any time soon, but it sure is fun!

Hope to see you this weekend, or at a show sometime this summer. Check my website HERE for future dates.

Tags: Chickfest, Dewey Beach, Ukulele, Wilkes-Barre

What’s It All About?

I’ve been in a musical whirlwind for the past few weeks. It’s all good stuff going on, but I feel like if I don’t get some sleep soon, I’m going to collapse! There just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to accomplish. I’m charged and feeling full of creativity. I’ve been working on a new, musical project every night into the wee hours. (I’ll tell you more about it soon.) It’s a positive thing. But my evenings are getting longer and later. That’s NOT a good thing!

I’ve been playing LOTS of shows with my band. They’ve been going great, and we’ve been having a ball playing to people who seem to like what we’re doing. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful bunch of musicians to play with. These guys are HOT!

The press has been pretty swell, too. Click HERE to read a great article that came out about us last week in Binghamton, NY. And click HERE to see a blog post from Chris Kocher about the show that night. And HERE’S a little review, complete with a video, from Gordon Nash about the show this Saturday night at the Living Room in NYC.

In other news, a couple of weeks ago, I did the unthinkable and left my wheeled backpack with most of my expensive electric violin gear on the backseat of a yellow cab here in NYC. It was one o’clock in the morning and I was coming home from a gig and I was REALLY tired (obviously). Unfortunately, I had paid in cash and didn’t have a receipt with the cab number on it.

Through a major stroke of luck, and the NYC Taxi Commission’s use of GPS, they were able to find the driver and return my bag back to me late the following night. I believe that there are still good, honest people in the world, and I want to send out a REALLY big huzzah to Kasem, my cab driver for turning my bag back in that night. And to Mrs. Jones at the NYPD for talking me down at 9 AM by telling me that I had to BELIEVE with all of my heart that I would get my bag back.

In one day, through a pretty stressful incident, I was introduced to several exceptional human beings. I REALLY love this city and its people like Kasem and Mrs. Jones, and Sean, the guy at the taxi dispatchers that took my calls every hour on the hour trying to track down my stuff. They help make NYC the great town that this is.

REALLY BIG NEWS: I’ve just renewed my endorsement with BARCUS-BERRY VIOLINS! I’m at the top of their list of endorsees. Check it out HERE. This is my quote from their website about the Barcus-Barry violin:
 
 ”For years, while I was the violinist on NPR’s Mountain Stage Radio show, I got the chance to play just about every electric violin on the market, but none of them compared to the Barcus-Berry I got while still in music school. While touring with various acts, I’ve collected just about all the Barcus-Berry violin finishes that have been in production and audiences love the way they look on stage! Most importantly, they SOUND amazing! I’ve used the Barcus-Berry in all my electric recording sessions and on all of my albums. There’s no question about it.. The quality and performance of the Barcus-Berry violin can’t be beat.”

In honor of the occasion, the good folks over at Barcus-Berry are sending me a brand-new violin in AMETHYST. Expect to see me playing it at live shows real soon!

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to VOTE FOR ME for the Radio Crystal Blue Contest. See my last post. Thanks.

FINALLY… My birthday is this Friday, I’m going to London on April 9 to do some writing and gigging, and my long-awaited vacation to Hawaii with LG is in May. LOTS to look forward to. I’ll keep you posted!

Tags: Barcus-Berry, Deni Bonet, Updates

Vote For ME – (please)

Listen up folks. I need a little help here. RADIO CRYSTAL BLUE is having a contest called the 2009 Airplay Vote. You can vote once each calendar day, per computer, from now until 4/22. The prize is MORE AIRPLAY, and I could always use THAT!

If you would be so kind as to go HERE. When you get on the voting page, scroll down to bracket #15, click DENI BONET, and give me your vote. I would really be forever grateful, and I’d love you even more than I already do. Let’s rally that Blogging spirit, and I’ll vote for YOU next time you ask. Really I will!

Thanks very much. You rock!

Tags: contest, Music, shameless self promotion, vote

I Missed My Blog-a-versary!

If any of you have happened to stop by this blog recently, you might have noticed that I’ve been totally playing hooky! I stepped away from my blog right around Christmas, and I’ve been so busy enjoying life that I didn’t even notice that my Blog-a-versary came and went. I actually started my blog FOUR YEARS AGO on December 1, 2004. I can’t believe it! Time has REALLY flown by. LET’S CELEBRATE!

I want to thank all of the kind folks who have been reading this blog, and encouraged me to keep it up. I’ve met some amazing people. On line and off. Thanks for four wonderful years!

My first blog post was 50 facts about MOI. So much of what I wrote is still true today, but in honor of four fabulous years of sharing my life with you, I would like to add a little bit to the old list I originally published. Here goes…

1. I was talked into writing this blog!
I’ve often lamented to my loved ones that maybe I should stop blogging as I’m just WAY too busy these days, but I’m always talked into keeping it up, even if I’m not terribly consistent.

2. I’ll do most anything on a dare!
I’m still pretty daring, but I won’t go skiing, skateboarding, or ride my bike in traffic!

3. I love to use exclamation marks!!!!
Some things never change!!!!

4. I live in Manhattan…that’s New York City for you suburbanites
New York, NY. So great they named it twice!

5. I used to live in Suburbia… but now I’ve finally found a place to live where I’m not a freak
4 years later, I’m STILL happy to call this place my home!

6. I’m fairly normal compared to most people I know here in the city
I know a lot more normal people now. I’ve distanced myself from the freakier folk! (Thank goodness.)

7. I am a musician
And proud of it!

8. I play a fabulous blue violin
And a black one, and a white one, and a brown one, too!

9. I’ve been playing music since I could walk
Hopefully, I’ll be playing when I CAN’T walk any more, too!

10. I just finished touring with Cyndi Lauper…(OK, maybe I’m a little bit of a name dropper, but hell, it wasn’t a bad way to pay the rent!)
It was a great run! I got to see the world and even be on her live DVD, titled “AT LAST”.

11. I’m in the studio as we speak working on my second CD
DONE! As a matter of fact, we finished a third one… LAST GIRL ON EARTH is available from my website, www.denibonet.com Come and get it!

12. My music has been called, “Sheryl Crow meets the B-52’s”
And “Debbie Harry fronting the Dave Matthews Band”

13. I may grow older, but I REFUSE to grow up!
YEAH!

14. I absolutely REFUSE to give up!
THAT’S RIGHT!

15. I’m newly married to lovely Brit
It was FIVE YEARS in August! (Damn, time flies!)

16. He has 2 little girls, so this makes me a STEPMOM…oooooh
And the girls are four years older, and still fabulous!

17. I love kids, but hate “breeders” and people that can only talk about their their offspring
Which is why I’ll never move to Park Slope!

18. MY “babies” are 2 little girl cats named FIFI & DJANGA
We still have Fifi and Djanga, and now we also have ROSIE-The-Wonder-Dog! She’s a Therapy dog and we’re a team at St. Vincent’s Hospital here in the city. This little baby brings TONS of happiness to people on a regular basis… including me.

19. I maintain a TANK OF DEATH, and have managed to kill just about every fish I’ve ever bought
We’ve had 5 fancy goldfish which have survived for two months so far. Maybe this time around we can stop the curse of the 20 GALLON TANK OF DEATH!

20. My peeps are from the Motherland…of New Jersey
A nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there!

22. I’m absolutely PISSED OFF about Bush getting reelected
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN. YES WE CAN… FINALLY!

23. My sister is a Republican.
But even my Sis voted for Barack! It was about time she woke up!

24. I find that very strange. She must have been conceived by the mailman.
I still think she was conceived by the mailman!

25. My Mom and dad are stereotypical Jewish parents who migrated to… where else…FLORIDA!
Sadly, Mom is gone, but Dad is still thriving in Florida. Oy!

26. They eat dinner at 4:30
And Dad still does!

27. Dad once told me that I drive like a horse’s ass. I wonder what a horse’s ass drives like?!?
Now I wonder about HIS driving! OY again!

28. My folks have a REALLY ugly dog named Peppy. Peppy hates my husband for some unknown reason. Maybe because he’s a Brit?
Peppy is still ugly, but she’s warmed up to LG finally!

29. I’ve been married 3 times.
AND HOLDING!

30. I don’t date. I marry.
Three’s the charm!

31. I used to be married to my manager. He’s still my manager.
We are still working together. In fact, he produced my last CD!

32. He’s also a Brit
Actually he’s from Wales.

33. I’ve been accused of being a serial Anglophile. I swear I’m not.
People STILL accuse me of this. I didn’t plan on marrying 2 out of 3 Brits. It just happened that way! Maybe they get my sense of humor better?

34. The buck stops here. Three’s the charm. I’m in love. Truly, madly, deeply!
AMEN SISTER!

35. I’ve been asked to guest onstage with R.E.M., Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, and a bunch of other people
But I’m most happy on stage with my OWN band. Austin Donohue and Kevin Moon are THE BEST!

36. I’ve been playing out in with my band for a while, and will keep it up as long as people keep coming out to see me!
And based on our upcoming busy calendar, I hope that TONS of people will come out to see us play!

37. I love gadgets, computers, my iPod, my Palm Pilot
Move over Palm Pilot. My iPhone ROCKS MY WORLD!

38. In 2004, I got to travel all over the States, the Bahamas, Japan, Australia & England.
Since then, I’ve been to China, Egypt, Israel, Bermuda, Hawaii, Morocco and Thailand! And in less than three months, we’re back in Hawaii. I CAN’T WAIT!

39. I stay up most nights reading novels.
Wow, lately I’ve been staying up late watching episodes of Desperate Housewives on my iPhone. I’m SUCH a geek!

40. I love fiction and really don’t get into any book that doesn’t have a good story
Which is why I’m loving Desperate Housewives!

41. Fantasy…any kind, yours or mine ROCKS!
Maybe that’s why I’m a happy person. Maybe THAT’S the SECRET!

42. I would have Neil Finn’s baby.
Don’t know about that these days. Now I’d just settle for listening to his CD’s!

43. I would also have one with The EDGE
U2 is still a great band. And the EDGE STILL can play the HELL out of guitar!

44. My husband knew this about me when we met. That’s why I fell for him!
When he gave me the garden gnome with a knife in its back, I fell for him all over again!

45. I’ve always lied about my age. When I was in high school, I was the one that looked older, so that I’d have to be the one to buy the Beer. Now, I’m REALLY happy if I get carded. I recently leaned over the counter and actually KISSED the guy that asked to see my ID!
Some things NEVER change!

46. I HATE TO WORK OUT! (But I work out several times a week.)
I’ve learned to love it. I would work out every day if I could.

47. I take a class called “REBOUNDING” where you jump on a tiny trampoline for an hour, The class is taught by a lovely gay man who has the energy and attitude of Richard Simmons
Still bouncing, and spinning, and doing lots of Pilates.

48. I studied piano at Julliard when I was little
And I recently got to play Carnegie Hall!

49. I got a college degree in APPLIED VIOLIN. So…this means that I have an applied license to play!
And play I must!

50. I go both ways. I love my Mac, but I still use my PC. I guess this makes me Bi-computer literate?
Now it’s Mac all the way, baby – on two separate computers. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I’m still proud as Hell to be a geek!

Tags: blog anniversary, personal facts about Deni Bonet