Ames and Cedar Rapids

I have a cold now....and I'm fully blaming lack of sleep. But it was a fun weekend, that pretty much started on Wed night of last week :-)

Wed night I saw Papa Roach, Saving Abel, Jet and Red all in the same night all in the same place. For Alternative Rock fans, that's a pretty big night. I did well until the headliner, Papa Roach, came on - - and I couldn't enjoy the show because the sound got cranked to brain-explosion level annnnd the drunks were out in full fashion by then.

What I love:

I love rock music. Alot. I love rock shows. It's hard to beat the energy and straight forward music and great lead singers and the excited crowds.

What I don't love:

I don't love people who can barely stand up trying to yell along with the talent.

I also don't love the people who are paying zero attention to the band. Especially anybody who isn't paying any attention yet would call themselves a 'fan'.

In general, I don't understand the person who goes to a show to get wasted.
I just do not. If I'm gonna get wasted, it's usually in a situation where being oblivious is the only option for a decent time. Not during the once in a lifetime chance of hearing a band I claim to love. Freakin' weird to me. So, you really love it sooo much, you hope to never remember it? And you paid money for that. Awesome.

But whateva - it was still fun if I take a step back. And the bands still made their $29/drunk...so that's good.

And yes, I know, I'm teetering on sounding like a prude.

Sidenote: Yay! Yankees...sorry I missed it, but I was with you in text

I also got a blink of sleep after our show in Dubuque Friday night to make it to the Iowa Football game on Saturday. I'll leave that at that.

But now I'm fighting for the right to taste food...although I'd win any sneezing contest out there. I guarantee it. ;-)

We play at Mothers Pub in Ames, IA this Friday night and at Mahoney's in Cedar Rapids on Sunday. Mike Hall and I also will be doing a special acoustic set for the BE Women on Saturday. www.bewomenonline.com is their website :-)

Much love - keep warm,
Bonne

Video Clip from World Food Festival 2009

It was FREEZING outside!....but here is a clip of 'Possibly Impossible'

Silver Dollar Cantina

Hello!

I'm back from vacation with a fresh mind and new tan - Josh gets back Thursday - and then the band heads to Dubuque, Iowa to perform at the Silver Dollar Cantina.

I'm SO ready for it...I missed performing tremendously......

Here is a picture of two ladies I met at the Surf Ballroom who told me they'd be at the Silver Dollar...yes - I remembered =-)

We start around 10pm - see ya then!

All Ages Show - Vaudeville Mews - Fri, Nov. 27th

Please mark your calendars....I'm very excited about our (possibly) only full band performance this winter in our hometown, and it's FRIDAY, November 27th at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, IA. It is an ALL AGES show...so please, teenagers I met this summer at Farmers Market, come on out!! :-)

Due to the all ages invite, we'll be starting early, and the $8 cover will not only be for our band, but we're sharing the evening with other great female acts....here's the lineup:

Daphne Willis & Co (Chicago, IL - acoustic/blues) 6pm

Roxi Copland (Des Moines, IA - jazz/pop) 7pm

Bonne Finken and the Collective (Des Moines, IA - alt pop/rock) 8pm-9pm

I'm very excited about it...and hope to see you there!! Ok...I'll be on vaca soon...see everyone in November!

Band Vacation

(Photo of Bonne Finken taken by Ket Quang of Haute Foto)

That's right....the band blocked time from shows to get in some vacation time. Josh is already gone....I think his plane left immediately following the World Food Festival this past weekend and he's gone until NOVERMBER! :-(

So...everybody is getting caught up on some relaxing. I sing the National Anthem at the Des Moines Marathon, get to make a Vikings game, and then I go into hiding in Phoenix, AZ until November myself. Which is good timing because I've been a little extra hard on my back recently and need an excuse to just lay around.

I hope to get rested, relaxed, tanned and I also hope to gain a pound or two from overeating.

...can't WAIT =-)

I did just get the first few dates to a tour worked out - we'll be going on our longest tour to date in January 2010. I'm sure January is a genius time to travel through Nebraska, Colorado and Utah...? ;-) Hey....if it was easy everyone would do it, right?

So I'm very excited to have that to work on when I get back, too.

I am looking forward to some fun shows in November - - the one I'll mention is FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27th in Des Moines, IA at Vaudeville Mews. We'll be doing a new thing....an EARLY and an ALL AGES SHOW!!! Good friend and musician, Ms. ROXI COPLAND, will be starting the night off at 6:30pm. We go on around 7:30pm.

We'll hope all the shopping the day after Thanksgiving drives you to come relieve some stress that evening via Bonne Finken and the Collective.

Much Love,
Bonne

World Food Festival 2009 -- thinking optimistically

photos of Bonne and Josh from World Food Festival 2008



I've been getting asked about whether we're still playing or not.....per the scary weather predictions... As of right now? Yes. Yes we are.

See you *more than likely and hopefully* tomorrow night =-) We'll be the bundled up ones up on a stage in the middle of the east village...trying to sing/play instruments =-)

Bonne, Jamie, Josh, Adam and Mike

Bonne's first blog

Bonne Finken and the Collective:
Josh Schryver, Bonne Finken, Jamie Mahan, Adam Ross
(Mike Hall not pictured)

So....I think this may be the first time I'm happy that I have a blog. I've not been angry to have one up to now...just not crazy excited about it and probably would get a 'D' in the world of blog grades. If blogs were graded.

As shy as I am, and as hard of a time as I have promoting myself, I feel like I have a valid concern right now.....and want to vent to someone other than my poor, patient and awesome boyfriend, family and friends.

In the past week I've had some things to vent about....like my new mixing board not working - or about my numerous arguments with the guy at McDonalds over why they can, I bet, sell me only 2 nuggets. Someway. Somehow. This s**t is possible. I'm not asking for 8,000 of them. I'm asking for 2. For the love of God.

But now I'm going to vent about the mother of them all.....

The weather.

I'm torn in what to wear during a show this Saturday night.
Yes. That's it. But it's not as simple as it sounds.

The weather says a high of 52...low of 33...and we play at 8:30pm. Gonnabealilcold.

My first thought is to just trust the weatherman is wrongola and go about my week carefree.

But..I feel like the way my life is structured, that's almost life-negligence lol. Since everything is a domino effect.

I can't get sick...period.

But....I also can't stand the fact of being held back in my movement on stage.

Do I protect against the cold - or do I protect against my enjoyment of the performance.

I know, I know....tough call.

Layers seems like the easy answer - but it's not. I zone out and will no doubt lose or ruin the layers that get taken off. So 'Pay more attention, Bonne'. BUT, I don't want to mess with that either...if I'm conscience enough to know where I'm laying a sweater, then I'm too conscience to be putting on a true performance.

These are the thoughts that go through my head. I remember a past bandmate commenting to me 'Bonne, does your head hurt?' and yes....yes it does lol.

Plus, It's very tricky to find clothing that allows me movement w/o showing alot of skin on stage.

So I think....just stand still weirdo.

But.....I've tried the standing still trick and I feel like I'm reciting a monologue put to a melody line, which puts me in a bad mood.

So....I'm looking into athletic gear. I see runners out in the middle of winter and while I'm no athlete, I may have to start dressing like one.

...but is the first time I look like I'm going to aerobics class going to be at the World Food Festival. lol Well...I'm not sure yet. I'm. just. Not. Sure.

I'm going to go hunt down a glass of wine and a cigarette now and try not to think about this.

Thanks for reading lol Any suggestions please send to bonnefinkenmusic@gmail.com

God Bless,

Bon