Washington, D.C.

(U.S. Capitol with Washington Monument in foreground)

I think I'm still recovering from walking approximately 30 miles in 4 days. Washington, D.C. was absolutely gorgeous! We tried to see it all, but it just couldn't be done. Parking is nuts and getting into the city is expensive, but once you get there, almost everything is free. The Smithsonian museums, the monuments, the memorials, it's incredible. Tony and I wanted to see as much as possible without spending money just to get from point A to point B. So we walked. A lot.

I went to Washington, D.C. about 10 years ago on a school trip, and some of the monuments and memorials still stuck with me this entire time. Everything is so incredibly beautiful, and very unique. Tony wrote a really nice blog about our time in the city, so I won't duplicate the entire trip. I invite you to take a look at his blog because it sums up the trip perfectly.

I have attached a few pictures that we took with our new camera. I hope you enjoy!

(Vietnam War Memorial)

(Lincoln Memorial)

(U.S. Capitol Building)

Thanks for reading. :) Have a great night!
Lesleigh

Back to Wisconsin... then Atlanta to the Carolinas to Washington, D.C.

Two weeks ago, Tony and I were wrapping up our first week on the road in Texas. What an incredible week. Then on Sunday, I flew back to Milwaukee with my only tour souvenir being an uneven magenta sunburn. My folks picked me up from the airport in the 30 degree freezing rain. I felt like I was in the music video for "I'm Not Crying" by Flight of the Conchords... ("I'm not crying.... it's just been raining... on my face..") I was glad to have landed, but sad to be away from Tony for the next week or so.

I work full-time as a registered nurse, and I love it. I have a crazy (but awesome) schedule where I work 7 days in a row, and then have 7 days off. This gives me the chance to go out on the road with Tony a lot, but I usually have a week or two back home by myself. Not my favorite.

The work week flew by, thanks to a very busy unit, and the help of my awesome co-workers. I got 2 hours of sleep on Sunday night, then left for the airport at 3:50am on Monday morning. Two flights later, I was in Atlanta with Tony. Reunited, and it felt so good. :)

We played in the songwriter night competition at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA, and out of 20 acts, we were fortunate to place in the top 3! Such incredible talent. Met some really nice people from all over, and got to see a few friends from Wisconsin that have transplanted to Atlanta. It was a really great night.

The next day, we made our way to Charleston, SC, and stayed with Tony's aunt and uncle. They took us out for some AWESOME seafood and we had a great time exploring the city. It was our first time in Charleston, and we loved it. Can't wait to go back.

We spent 2 days in Charleston, and then made our way to North Carolina and stayed with my aunt and uncle. Fun fact: I was born in Raleigh, NC (hence the "-eigh" spelling of my name). I haven't been back since, so it was really cool to see my old stomping grounds (or crawling grounds, I guess. We moved while I was still a baby, so I don't remember NC at all). I got to see some of my cousins, and we ended up playing some music at the house (with the help of my cousin's 6-yr-old son on drums! He was actually really good!). Music, food, wine, and family that I don't get to see enough. It was a wonderful evening.

My uncle helped us set up a show at Mac's Tavern in Cary, NC, just outside of Raleigh. The bar was PACKED!! People were singing and raising their glasses and having a ton of fun. We met some awesome people there, and we can't wait to go back!

Today, Tony and I made the drive to Washington, D.C. I was here when I was 16, and it's Tony's first trip. We are really fortunate to have a few shows here, but also a few days to see the city. We can't wait!

Off to bed. Exploring D.C. tomorrow. :) Have a great night... thanks for reading!!

-Lesleigh

Texas

First I must apologize for the hiatus in blogging. The last time I blogged, I posted a fantastic picture of Clay Matthews, just a few weeks before the Packers won the superbowl. It's been hard to top that news........ until now. :)

I've been busy working and helping book the spring tour. Tony and I left on Tuesday after a performance on NBC's "The Morning Blend." We made our way to Dallas in 2 days, and we've had such an incredible time in this beautiful city. We visited the site of John F. Kennedy's assassination, which was surreal and somber, but a necessary visit. We played at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, TX. That was such an incredible experience.

I have to extra-highlight something from the past few days/weeks:
A few weeks ago, Adam Duritz of the Counting Crows announced that he would be releasing a solo project: an album of cover songs ranging from Bob Dylan to Ryan Adams to Tom Waits. This project would be called "All My Bloody Valentines." Adam called on his fans to design the artwork for the album. Over 1,200 submissions were sent in, and I made it to the top 25!.... and then the top 5........ and on St. Patrick's Day, enjoying some Texas BBQ and green beer, I checked my iPhone and found that the contest had come to a close. Adam Duritz had chosen 2 covers because he said that he "couldn't live without either one." And MY ARTWORK WAS CHOSEN FOR ADAM DURITZ'S NEW ALBUM!!! I'm so thrilled to have been a part of this amazing project. The songs are so beautiful and special, and there were so many talented artists that submitted their artwork. I invite you to listen to and download the album for free at http://www.countingcrows.com/allmybloodyvalentines.

Here's my submission:

Tony and I went out and celebrated tonight, and now we're settling in for some much-needed sleep. We're playing in Grapevine, TX tomorrow for the "Hands Down" support group -- a support group for children with limb differences. Tony and I will be playing at Love & War at 11:00am. We are so excited for this show. Tony has worked so hard to figure out how to play music, and I'm so proud that he gets to share his story for this unique and special group of people. I'll definitely let you know how it goes!

Until next time... thanks so much for reading. Have a good night!
Lesleigh

Whip your hair

LET'S GO PACKERS!!!!

Live on WMSE tonight! (1/18/11)

Tonight at 8pm, we have a live interview on 91.7 WMSE in Milwaukee. We'll be playing a few songs and doing an interview. They had some very nice things to say about Tony:

"Tune in this Tuesday at 8 for Local/Live, this week’s guest is Tony Memmel. This Milwaukee singer and songwriter plays acoustic folk rock, with a helping of Americana. Memmel has confronted more than the usual challenges facing musicians, he was born missing his left forearm and still taught himself to play guitar, piano and harmonica. With a sound a little reminiscent of the Counting Crows, Memmel has toured extensively and is making a name for himself outside of Milwaukee in places like, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Minneapolis. Take a listen for yourself this Tuesday at 8 on WMSE’s Local/Live."

If you live in the Milwaukee area, please tune in to 91.7 fm WMSE. You can also stream it live at www.WMSE.org.

Have a great night!
Lesleigh