September 10th-13th

Brianna Lane will be supporting Peter Mulvey on his 2nd annual bicycle tour.

Brianna will be biking right along with Peter, guitar in tow, and opening a handful of shows for this amazing singer/songwriter. This might just be the beginning of more two-wheel adventures in gas-free touring for Brianna!

These days there is nothing better than riding my bike from here to there with my headphones on. I feel more free and beautiful when I’m singing loudly along to music hat no one else can hear but me, pedaling at a mere 15 miles an hour at most. I’m watching the world around me as a movie with the perfect soundtrack. I feel that I am in a dream yet I am fully aware of everything around me: the wind, the trail, the cars like beasts.

Since working at CRC (coffee shop/cycle garage) I’ve begun to hate Al. That’s my car- don’t tell her I said this. I feel guilty every time I have to get behind the wheel. I suppose that my growing disdain is wonderful and appropriate since CRC stands for Cars-R-Coffins (morbid…I know) and gas prices are ridiculous, not to mention the environmental impact of driving that haunts me almost daily. The problem is- I still LOVE driving long distances. I love the road trip and I love tour (for the most part).

July, plus a few days on either end of this hot and humid month, was the first month in nearly six years that I have not traveled outside of the cities. In fact, I only made it to St. Paul once and no further than a first ring suburb. The steadiness and groundedness of home has been a godsend. I have gotten to know my city more intimately in the last few weeks. I have spent more time with my bike and my two feet than I have since oh, maybe high school.

I spent my twenties in confusion over the idea of home that I may have missed out on the making of an actual home until just recently. Although, I don’t want to vilify the road and touring and accuse my wandering ways of depriving me of a home. As I shift my thinking on transportation my thoughts of home shift right along. Maybe this string of manpowered motion filled days just feels nice and homey because it’s new. Maybe this is just what I’ve needed after six years on the road.

All this to say that I’m grateful for my bicycle, my two feet, and my desire to move. I suppose this would also be a good time to announce that I’m going on a bicycle tour…with Peter Mulvey…in eastern Wisconsin…in September! Ask me how excited I am.

7.31.08 Mpls., MN

When I run by the river in the evenings I see bunnies. I like to think that they only come out for me (selfish me). By nature bunnies end to have unfortunately frightened looks on their faces. I imagine them to less frightened and more laid-back, with skater-boy voices and if they could really talk they’d say, “hey, what’s up B? good to see you out here!” I reply with a half-smile and a cool kid reverse head nod.

All I seem to think about when I run (aside from my pacing) is blogging. I’ve never been a good little blogger but I’ve never been completely opposed to the idea of starting my own blog. When the pressure is on to write with the intent of publishing however - I choke. I end up sounding trite, foolish, and unimportant then I quickly fall into a familiar pit of despair, a cavern that echoes, “You will never be a good writer.” When I run it’s as if the cavern and the pit and the imaginary echo never existed. When I run I think of all these wonderful things to write about and poetic phrases eek out smoothly with the 5/4 meter of my breath against my footbeats.

I push through this life often thinking- I wish I was more ambitious. Really what it comes down to is the desire for more time for my ambitions. More time for passion while keeping those precious hours to knit and catch up on what I’ve TiVo-ed for the week: Project Runway, So You Think You Can Dance, Oprah, Psychic Kids, In Plain Site, Weeds, Intervention. I shamefully love my TV.

While I’m running, however I think I AM ambitious and passionate indeed. The things that I don’t have time to dig into and learn fully I can still touch upon, take-in, and possibly most importantly, write about. I can pair my love of writing with the clear headedness that comes with running. I can turn this passion for writing into an ambitious pursuit in order to become more intimate with the things I wish I had more time to do.

Part of me needs an audience and part of me despises the idea of people reading my self-indulgent journalistic accounts of mundane activities and hidden personal interests. I suppose, if I’m honest with myself, I enjoy knowing that someone is listening or reading what I have to say. Just the prospect that one person might even care, be moved, or inspired to come back for more might be enough to keep me coming back to a blog…here begins my blog, tentatively called The Jog Blog…brought to you weekly…my writing passion for your reading pleasure .

Thank you for all your wonderful support with the new record. And a big Thank you to Gillian at Wicked Fish for your hard work on this here site!

(That’s me and Gillian)

AND Liz Stahler and I just put up a new page to kick-off our Boston-Austin tour.

www.MySpace.com/briannalane

www.MySpace.com/bostontoaustin

The name of the CD is “Let You In”. Congrats to Gillian Reynolds and Barb Palmer - the winners of the name-my-CD contest.

I will be sending out all of the pre-orders in 2 weeks. If you think your mailing address has changed since you ordered the disc please let me know as soon as possible. e-mail me at brianna @ briannalanemusic.com

Thank you so much for your support and patience.

more soon.

Contest Rules:
~ e-mail brianna@briannalanemusic.com with ANY and ALL ideas
~ you may enter as many times as you wish
~ deadline is…well…until I pick a winner!

The Winner receives:
~ bragging rights!
~ two CDs (one new one and another Lane release of your choice)

Hints:
~ think of my live performances and what you’ve taken away from that night
~ I really love when a title is a line of a song (but it doesn’t have to be)
~ if you want a track listing for the new disc to help you to find the best title…you’ll have to ask nicely.

The fundraising has been a little slow going so I don’t have much of an update on the CD process- although I should be receiving the final mixes this week! I’m so excited.

Check him out:
http://www.onefootinfront.com