Videoooo

Well, I'm on vocal rest... but like most singers, I find it very difficult to be quiet for too long (maybe it's because we're all in love with the sound of our own voice).  Soooo I made y'all a little video blog. 

Loves <3

Golden Rules

I've been having a lot of fun keeping in touch with you guys on formspring this week.  For whatever reason, it's been easier to reply than twitter...  anyways, I got asked to read over an article that talks about the ten golden rules of touring.  I figured you might have a laugh reading over them... I certainly enjoyed myself responding. 

below is a link to the article:
http://www.virtualfestivals.com/latest/features/9238/-/The-10-golden-rules-of-touring


1 - Keep your van keys on you at all times
N/A... we had a key code to get in the bus... i suppose if anyone got too tipsy to remember it, they might have had a problem!

2 - Keep a watchful eye on all band mates, particularly those with AWOL tendencies.
Also kindof an N/A... since we are all hired musicians, we could lose our jobs for dissapearing haha... although there might have been some close calls :p

3 - Hide the sharpies (permanent markers) or learn to stay awake.
OMG I GOT MONTY SO GOOD ONE TIME!!! BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  I think he woke up with a bunny on his arm and an arrow to his crack among some other fun sayings in assorted places.  And another time everyone might have taken turns drawing on me... I was awake for that one.  Those pictures were pretty incriminating.

4 - Keep a bucket in the back of the van.
Bill was always sweet enough to stop when we needed an emergency pit stop... and that happened a few times.

5 - Book gigs in towns with leisure centers (so you can bathe).
HAHA. Everyone was so dang fussy about hygiene, this wasn't an issue. Val and I were probably the least concerned with showering every day (and sometimes more than once) like other people... perhaps because I'm more used to the diy touring life. Regardless, we would get flack for not taking each and every opportunity to shower... which realistically is courteous when sharing a bus with 12 people. 

6 - Do push your luck. (Going of the beaten path)
One of the most memorable nights of tour was when i snuck away from the group with a two friends of mine in iowa. We played hide and go seek in downtown Des Moines and then drove an hour into the corn fields to see the milky way. I still am in awe when i remember it.  Another time I went galloping horses through the forests of Texas (yes they do exist), only to tie the ponies to a tree, and eat Mexican food from a shack at the edge of the woods.  Then we raced home.  Val and I also made a practice of looking for restaurants featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives every time we had a day off.  :) so much good food. 

7 - ...but don't push it too much.
Um. We played an abandoned slaughter house. Enough said. And don't even get me started about the one time I ran into my ex boyfriend randomly in Cleveland. Ohhhh man.

8 - Don't bring your girlfriend or boyfriend.
Haha. Coed tours are like summer camp.

9 - Do take a camera.
I wish i had taken more pictures. More videos. More diary entries. More everything. Four months went by so fast... but i will say that i still nearly pee my pants when Val and I go over some of the ridiculous videos we took... like the one time we jumped into a fountain and some fans drove by and caught us. And this other time we rolled down a hill and got grass itch... and this one time where we narrated an entire soap opera about squirrels in the park. And those are the mild ones.

10 - Don't complain.
In a perfect world, this is the golden rule... but nearly impossible to follow.   Even when living the dream, things went wrong. Blowups happen, you miss people (or horses), you have bad days, you pms, the entire world around you seems like it's pmssing... but in hindsight i would gladly relive the worst day... or more hopefully i will be back on the road soon enough so i can make more memories with old and new friends.



here are a few photos i took on my blackberry and on my camera from the summer.   Enjoy ;)

The last BannerHill show before tour



The entire tour went Go-Karting as our first bonding experience and I burned my arm on the engine.



Met all these crazies at Foxwoods. <3




No comment :]


 Definitely enjoyed getting makeup tips from that girl


this little guy snuggled with me in my bunk at night... still does




Val and I got SO CLOSE to the singer of Phoenix on our day off in Missouri.


 My two besties from California celebrated the 4th with me in ATL


 This is what i saw every night... but with you there haha.



 i played barefoot that night because i took my shoes off in the dressing room and when i went back to grab them, Adam was doing an interview and my shoes were where they were filming. rofl.


 Valerie, Kristen (Ori's stylist) and I climbed the rocky steps


getting hollered at by all you lovelies/crazies :p


the girls



 
The midwest in all its glory

Uhhh... Yum...

 AAAaaaaand we played a baseball stadium.  Riiidiculous.



Thanks for reading.
News to come very soon about Logan, Val and my music to come.
Love always,
Liz Anne

You Start to Feel Cool When:

You start to feel cool when:

1.) You are at a show and you know the band.

2.) You are at a show and you know the band and they are killin it.  (Musician talk for "awesome")

3.) You are at a show and you know the band and they are killin it, but you have to rush outside before you can congratulate them for killin it because your producer friend calls you to pitch a new idea.

4.) Your producer friend has a british accent.

5.) Your producer friend has a british accent and is Austin Powers reincarnate.

6.) Your producer friend has a british accent and pitches a new idea that has to do with wild animals.

7.) Your lawyer is calling on the other line while your producer friend with a british accent pitches a new idea that has to do with while animals.

8.) This happens at least once a week.

9.) You and your lawyer like to get frozen yogurt sometimes.

As much as I feel like your normal, average, run-of-the-mill girl... I have come to realize that my life isn't quite normal.

Exhibit A:

FRIDAY

Bannerhill played our first show with the new linuep.  We chose to play a secret show because we wanted to take time to polish our set before we start playing for... well... you!

Now, follow me with this....  Imagine playing for thousands of screaming folks a night.  As the bassist and backup singer, your job is to not mess up and look like you're having a blast.  Realistically, no one is there to see you, so the pressure is relatively low.   Now imagine playing to a room just small enough to see the face of every kid... and they don't know a single word.  As the lead singer, it's my job to carry the show, to make us memorable, to give every single person in the room a reason to care about our music.  It was the first time I've had butterflies in years.

So, if that weren't abnormal enough, what happened afterwards just put the night over the edge.  As I walk to the sound board... my former band mate walks up.

...

That's right.  The one I wrote about before.  Now, I'm sure you can imagine that it was a tense interaction.  After all, we hadn't spoken in months, and there are some high emotions running on both sides of our conflict.  As we are in the process of working everything out, I will refrain this time from going into detail.  But still.

Verdict: Abnormal

Exhibit B:

SATURDAY

Yellowcard played their first show in three years.  Valerie was onstage during the whole set, drum teching for LP, and I got to rock out from the crowd with Joan, LP's fiancee.

A little bit of back story, I remember being 14 and waiting outside in the rain to see Yellowcard play.  And since that show, I had seen them play at least another half a dozen times. I know every song by heart.  I am that girl.  So imagine the suppressed freak out when i learned 1) I would be touring with LP, 2) we would be sharing a bus, and 3) my bunk was directly over LP's.  Yep.  Silent freak out.  Fastforward back to the show, what a beautiful memory for both Val and myself (she loves them just as much as I do haha).  I couldn't tell you if I was more proud to see Val onstage or more excited to be dancing and singing in the crowd with Joan.  (She also knew all the words and we had quite a blast singing them to one another).

Verdict: Abnormal, but freeking awesome.

Exhibit C:

THURSDAY

I saw my friends' band, The New Limb.  All four of them live in a house together in Costa Mesa, and they are in my opinion, the best indie band locally.

They killed it.  From antics like jumping into the middle of the crowd and singing a cappella, to covering Cindy Lauper's "time after time" to the crazy instruments they used, they killed it through and through.  And then... My dear producer friend called.  :)  Haha see the top of entry for the rest of the night.

Verdict: Ridiculously Abnormal

There are more flavorful episodes that happened this week, but I fear that I fell rather behind in blogging with the house guest i've had for the past six days. More to come, and thank you for reading.

Always,

Liz Anne

First Day Back

<3

Today is Valerie, Logan, Carter and my first show back.  We kept it a secret because... well... we had to!  (Grrr) Either way, we're excited to be playing.  The lucky folks at ____ ______ will be the first to hear our new tunes live... and they don't even know it yet.  Haha, it definitely hasn't been the first time I've played to a crowd who had no idea who we were.  Keeps ya humble, right?

Regardless... for any occasion such as this, (and considering that I am a girl), one necessary question is "what the crap am I going to wear?"  I mentioned this a few times on twitter before, but here are the rules that guide my style choices:

Rule 1: Liz is a cheapskate. 
             a. Liz likes to shop at thrift stores, Forever 21, Marshalls, and her mom's closet.

             b. Liz likes to use the free gift with purchase makeup they give away at dept. stores
Therefore, make do with what is affordable.  Fashion does not have to make you broke!

Rule 2: Liz needs help getting dressed.
             a. Liz shamelessly consults www.lookbook.nu to snag trends.
             b. Liz always takes Carter when she goes to shop because he has better taste of the two.
Therefore, there is no shame in stealing tips from others!  That's how trends start.
 
Rule 3: Comfort and modesty are necessity
             a. Liz is a clutz and shoes are therefore a high-risk safety hazard.
             b. Liz is a clutz and wardrobe malfunctions must be preemptively avoided at all times.
 Therefore, you don't hafta let it hang out to feel flirty.  Being comfortable in your own skin = WIN!

While I'm still not sure what I'm going to wear (...and i have to leave in 20 minutes.  crap) I did take the liberty of documenting how I did my makeup today... especially because I have been promising a makeup tutorial for MONTHS.  Soooo here ya go!



And by the way, that snazzy shirt I'm wearing is from our dear friend's company LETGOdwork.   We all love their apparel, please take a minute to check out their store.  http://shop.letgodwork.com/


Thank you again for checking back!
More love tomorrow.

Always,
Liz Anne Hill

These are all the products i use :)

Nakey Face!  I start with a moisturizer w/ spf 15

A little eyebrow shaping

My secret weapon, chap stick helps keep eyebrow hairs in place

I used a flat brush and dark brown eyeshadow to fill in my (formerly nonexistent) eyebrows. 

This is the eyeshadow pallet I used, dark brown, bronze, and cream works well w/ blue eyes

I put a base of cream shadow all over the lid up to the brow, and then added bronze around most of the lid

I then put dark brown in the crease of my eyelid and underneath the eye as well

er... sometimes spit helps the pigment stay.

I first lined my eyes with a brown pencil, this looks less harsh than just black liner

Then i lined the lashline and inner eye with black pencil, and swept the line out to make a wing 

I skipped a step here, first I put on foundation (clinique acne solutions... i LOVE it) and then pressed powder

Bronzer under my cheekbones to help contour my face

Then some mascara to finish

And VIOLA.