now is as good a time as any

Day 14! OMG Y’all! We made it! Here’s to Los Angeles. My Life, My inspiration. 

i took this the other night on the descent into los angeles. i get emotional over this city. this city saved my life, and that’s no joke. i moved here in 1999 with no money and no self-esteem, a soul full of shame and fear, and this city took me in and not only accepted me for who i really am but helped me discover and nourish that person back to her younger and simpler self. it would take a lot to pull me away from here again. thanks, los angeles. i’ll always owe you one. 

this is a photo i shot in england last year. i was on a writing retreat in the countryside- this would have been my second trip over. man, that scenery is so beautiful. we were staying at this old cottage my friend’s family friends own- they were gracious enough to house a bunch of songwriters for a week. and they fed us!!! now, the food over there isn’t that great, but still- we were living in the lap of luxury. this here is a toad. i thought it was a pretty cool picture, especially since it was taken on my phone. yes, my iphone. anyway, when i was a kid, my mom used to read me “the wind in the willows”. this little toad kinda reminded me of that story. hey little dude. 

New Friends, Old Friends, and Amazing Experiences

This photo was taken by sara bareilles, my new favorite person. every year, my buddy jay nash puts on a concert in clayton, ny, around the 4th of july to benefit the st. lawrence river foundation. it’s 9 years running now, and for the past 5 years, i’ve been invited to join. joe purdy, amber rubarth, chris pierce, matt delvecchio, joey ryan- we’re all regulars now. i’m telling you- this place and event is such a magical experience. this year, we were a couple people short, and sara joined us. we were finishing up a day of croquet and cocktails, getting ready to head on an evening boat ride when the sunset stopped us in our tracks. i don’t know what she did, but this pic is pretty damn special. thanks, sara b. 

TATTOO!

here’s the amateur. i got this little guy in koln, germany, and this is literally upon finishing. a big dude name jango did it. he was funny- looked really intimidating, but he liked sensitive music. my friend jay nash and i were on the “feels like home” tour through germany with andrew belle and madi diaz. i had never been to germany before- i was completely riveted. my only complaint was that due to schedule, we weren’t able to sight-see as much as i would have liked. hopefully it will still be there so i can revisit. anyway, as it turned out, i was in the market for a new tattoo and there just so happened to be a tattoo parlor in the parking lot of the venue we were playing in koln. worked out like a charm. all my tattoos are very meaningful to me- it’s funny- i didn’t start getting them until my late 20’s. really, i didn’t start experimenting with life until i was in my mid-20’s. i’m truly a late bloomer, which has been the source of a lot of shame for me. i’m not sure why…. i digress. 

Whats your favorite tattoo? Do you have a crazy tattoo story?

My tour bus piggy bank. 

i used to play at a place in memphis when i was first starting out called “newby’s”. there was a big, black dude there named big willy or something like that- he was so amazing. the kind of dude who looked really intimidating and when it came down to it, would probably beat the crap out of somebody on your behalf if necessary, but had the heart of a saint. really sweet guy. he loved hearing me sing, and he gave me this tour bus piggy bank one time, saying “kid, someday you’re gonna have one of these”. well, big willy, i’m still working on it. thanks for your love and kindness, wherever you are.

Art! and winning brownie points

this is a drawing i commissioned for my girlfriend last valentine’s day. she used to be a model, and she’s always been a huge fan of richard avedon. i have a friend in des moines, ia, jenny kohls, who started randomly drawing people and things for her friends… she thinks she’s not very good at it, but she can draw whatever you want, and i’m pretty sure she uses butcher paper and some kind of pencil. pretty amazing. needless to say, i won points on the home front and have a nice mantelpiece to show off to my friends.  plus, this thing is gonna be worth a lot more one day. at least, isn’t that what we always say? 

In case you missed it!

I’m filming a video for my song “Slow Crawl” and we need you! 

When? August 26th 2012

Where? Redondo Beach, CA. More info to follow. Please RSVP for more updates.

What else do I need to know? A $20 donation is suggested. That also includes an after show in which Garrison will be playing songs from her new album “Amateur” as well as some old favorites and maybe a few surprises mixed in. 

RSVP Here Slow Crawl on Facebook or shoot an email to 

garrisonstarrbooking@gmail.com

See you there! 

Want more updates? Sign up for the Garrison Starr email list and get a free EP download!

Amazing (not so) Single Serving Friends

this, friends, is denetia lacretia wells. she’s from hernando, ms, but she lives someplace else- i believe in north carolina. we were train buddies a few months ago from raleigh-durham to dc. what fun we had riding that train…. she is a lovely, lovely human being. after this ride, she friended me on facebook. i hope wherever she is, she’s as happy as she is in this picture. one of my favorite things about my life and subsequent job is meeting new folks. hearing their stories- getting into situations i’d never have the opportunity to experience if i had a more predictable life. thanks, god. 

My One True (Musical) Love

this is my prized possession. now, i’m not a gear head by any means, but i did manage to nab this little guy in new orleans back in 1998 or so. this is mr. sensitive, an early seventies tele custom i nabbed from a guitar shop in the french quarter. he had some water damage, so i got him for only $750. can you believe that shit? you can’t tell from the pic, but he has a little warping on his pickguard there. anyway, this guitar is badass, and if all else fails, we’re running away together. 

I LOVE quirky tshirts! this is a fan in england who comes to my shows wearing awesome t-shirts. the last one before this one said “fat people are hard to kidnap”. genius.