Flash mob virgins + American Idols + Michelle Branch = Blissdom 2011

– February 1, 2011

BLISSDOM 2011 = BEST TIME EVER

I’m tired.  I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck full of … Freschetta Pizza and Jockey underwear…and I kind of was!

I’ve just landed back in LALA land from Nashvegas, TN where I performed at the 2011 Blissdom women’s blogging conference.  I am no amateur to this sea of (amazing, fun, wild, inspiring, drink you under the table) women as I previously performed at Blissdom two years ago when it was about 1/3 the size.  It’s been amazing to see how this phenomenon has grown!

If you’ve read MANNblogs before (religiously, duh) you’d know all this and wouldn’t be scratching your heads…but if you haven’t…I think Mom Bloggers are the modern day mother–they are young, hip, zexy and are tech and business savvy.  Between juggling kids and jobs they maintain blogs focused on women’s interests from families to Wii games to cooking a month’s worth of food at once, flash-freezing it, thawing nightly for easy meals and, thus, saving you 24 hours in the process (my new favorite discovery).  They gather from all over the country to network, learn…and take a break from the aforementioned juggling.  This time they gathered, en masse, at the Opryland Hotel in Nashvegas, TN where cocktails flowed (along with Tide and Bounty dryer sheets), lectures were had, flash mobs were mobbed, music was played (by yours truly, Michelle Branch, Crystal Bowersox and Mat Kearney) and dances were danced.  I have video proof of all this.  Read on.

MY FLASH MOB VIRGINITY = LOST!

How the hell do 800 women keep a secret?!  800 dudes couldn’t keep a secret for goodness sake so my mind exploded when these Blissdom Babes managed to pull off a flash mob at the closing speakers event and surprise the founders, Barbara Jones and Alli Worthington.  They asked me to join and i humbly accepted…at 1am…the night before.  Like a true digital genius Jana Lynn Warnke created a facebook page with videos of the progressive choreography for us to learn from.  It was to Miley Cyrus (“ay…it’s Miley, y’all!”) Party in the USA.  I got home after Michelle Branch and Mat Kearney’s shows, a little tipsy and then proceeded to dance to Miley Cyrus in my bedroom, quietly, as to not wake up my hosts.  It was an experience.  Check out the final product…it’s epic.

(i enter the video at 1:04…wearing the required sequent glove…happily)

the unsuspecting Blissdom founders, Barbara Jones and Alli Worthington, about to be mobbed with flash

MAT KEARNEY, MICHELLE BRANCH, CRYSTAL BOWERSOX

(Mat Kearney, Chris Mann, Michelle Branch; Chris, Raisin, Crystal Bowersox)

Sitting back stage with Mat Kearney and Michelle Branch I learned that this world/industry is definitely one degree of separation.  It’s creepy.  For ejemplo (si, that’s spanish for “for example”…so bilingual up in here):

Mat and I played the Sony iTunes showcase together in San Fransisco in 2009, his guitarist, Tyler, played on my Sony record and his Live Sound Engineer and good buddy is my good buddy Adrian who also produced part of my upcoming album. I met Michelle at her birthday last year in Nashville through our mutual friend Ashley who I just had dinner with in LA.  Michelle is about to write with Bleu who produced my new record.  Mat and Michelle’s manager Gregg signed Bleu do his first record deal.  My buddy Chris, who was just hanging out, is from the same neighborhood as Gregg and they went to the same church.

All of this was determined in about 10 minutes while we were reintroducing ourselves backstage.  Creepy right?

Michelle and Mat played great sets and were awesome to hear.  I forgot how many amazing songs Michelle Branch has…rumor has it (slash we talked about it) she’s about to record a new record.  Get ready for that.

Crystal Bowersox (from American Idol) and I played a show together the next night.  She was amazing 1- as a person.  (nice as could possibly be) and 2- as a singer (dayum she can sang!).  We had a blast hanging out with the life-sized California Raisin who sponsored our event.  crazy.)  We also took some rather hilarious pictures in the Freschetta Pizza photo booth (which i’ll post when i get a copy…fingers crossed).

I played mostly uptempo songs as i know, at this point, these ladies love to dance.  I played a new song “Love Lied” as well songs off the upcoming record like “LOVE,” “Fireworks,” “Foolin’ Me” and “Phone Phone.”  I also played “I want your sex” which sparked a massive dance party by closing speaker, Scott Stratten.  Check out these ridic pictures from the dance party–they’re my favorite of the whole weekend:  Be jealous…it was THAT fun…

(Scott Stratten @unmarketing jamming to “I Want Your Sex”…yep…(photo by Angie Arthur); Jana Lynn Warnke dancing after a successful flash mob choreography)

Check out these videos from the dance party.  PS–i used my “ipod band” to amp up the party so it would be bumptastic…aaaaand it died in the middle of a song.  ha.  did i charge my ipod before playing a concert?!  NO!  WHY WOULD I DO THAT?!?!  fuckin’ay!  So i played “Heartless” as an interlude while thinking “WTF am i gonna do NOW?!  these ladies are on the dance floor and I’ve just KILLED the party (story of my life)…but wait…my lap top is behind me on the floor…if i could just grab it quickly and plug it in all would be saved!”  So i grabbed the mic and chatted while casually grabbing my backpack and laptop.  Not strange at all right?!  ”doo dee doo…nothing going on here…just pluggin’ in my lap top real quick.”  Then…”play!”…MUSIC, BEATS, ASSES SHAKING…whew!

BLISSDOM LADIES = DANCIN’ FOOLS

(can someone please tell me who these ladies are? they are f’in incredible. “you KNOW it’s serious when the purses get thrown down!”)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these videos that are popping up on youtube of you ladies dancing to my music.  it makes me smile more than making fun of that texting woman who fell in the mall fountain….OR that news reporter who fell off the platform while stomping grapes (even though i think she like punctured a lung or something).  I heart you all very much, is my point.

PICTURES ARE WORTH A BAZILLION WORDS – THANK YOU BLISSDOM!!!!

(w my original Blissdom Boos @sarahinMI; @mrsflinger, lick, @vdog….classique)

(Photo booth love w @Tidymom @simplebites @DineandDish @FoodforMyFamily @bakescupcakes @bakeat350tweets; with @cecilyk)

(thanks for listening obsessively @colorado_mom!!; w Amy Locurto)

(crowd of awesomeness; me, @childhood, @vdog, @mrsflinger)

(@laurenlankford)

Thank you SO much to all my Blissdom Boos for supporting my dreams, becoming amazing friends and the BEST drinking buddies of all time. Y’all hold it down! See you soon! please stay in touch!

MANNchatWEDNESDAY THIS WEDNESDAY

It’s ABOUT time!  Let’s do a chat and hang out a bit, chat and play a few songs…

When:  Wed, Feb 2, 6pm (pst)/ 9pm (est)

Where: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mannchat-wednesday

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