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Showing posts from October 11, 2010

Magical Moment 255, "The One That Almost Got Away"

I decided to post another video from last week's performance at People Kitchen and Lounge because I realized that that was the first time that I've ever performed my song, " I Still Think About You ." I wrote this song in 2004 and never gave much thought until I decided to plow through all of my songs a couple years ago and record them whether I like it or not. This one turned out better than I thought and may even be on the upcoming EP with Modern Vintage Recordings . Funny when I remember how I nearly wrote this one off as no good and condemned it to a life in the" trunk of lost and unfinished songs." So enjoy the video, even though the lighting and sound are horrible.

Magical Moment 254, "The Sweetest Words"

I heard a remarkable radio interview of a woman who experienced a brain hemorrhage. As a result, she went completely paralyzed in a matter of minutes, beginning with her fingers tips, then her arms, then her legs, and then suddenly, her mind. She described with amazing detail, how she lost the use and meaning of words. Her brain chatter ceased completely. In those moments, she did not know about the floor or the sun or the wind. Those things did not exist to her because her mind was totally void of language, like an animal or an infant. Yet, she came out of the episode and can still vividly recall the feeling in those moments. She fondly described a sense of calm and serenity. Nothing in her mind saying, "I'm tired, I hurt, I'm late, it's cold, the dog is barking, that is a wall, the clock is ticking, shut the door, what's going on?" I envy that woman in those moments. Why can't I have an "off switch" for the words that torture my mind? I hav

Magical Moment 253, "Autograph Let Down"

My best friend Deb recently came to visit me in NYC. We had blast shopping and visiting all the sights of the city . Before she made the trip, she explained to her sister-in-law, Melissa, just why on earth I'm living out here in the first place. I have no idea what she said, but she must have made it sound pretty good because her sister-in-law's only request was that Deb return to Nebraska with a postcard for her, signed by me. Deb handed me a blank post card and a pen, explaining why it needed my signature. Something about how I was gonna be a huge music success and my signature would be worth thousands someday. Rolling my eyes and giggling, I grudgingly took the pen and thought about how to sign it for my dedicated "fan." Her sister-in-law may have felt slightly let down when she finally read what I wrote, " Melissa, don't get your hopes up.  -Elizabeth Grimes "

Magical Moment 252, "A Husker and a Friend at People's Lounge"

Last night I performed a 30-minute set at People Kitchen and Lounge in New York City’s Lower East Side. I agreed to the performance very last minute and quickly invited all the people I knew who might be able to make it. I arrived at the intimate, trendy lounge to find absolutely no one I knew had come. Even Eddie was unable to make it on time. As I prepared to begin, I couldn’t help feeling a bit down about it. I looked around at the strangers' faces who were relatively uninterested, and only there to see the performer after me. Just as the manager gave me the nod to begin, I saw someone arrive out of the corner of my eye. It was a friend and fellow pianist I had met when we did a performance months ago. We remained in touch and go to open mic nights whenever possible. And as coincidence would have it, he is also from Nebraska!!! I ran to the door, hugged him in his bright red Husker jacket, and told him how glad I was that he came. And I really was. It gave me a boost of conf

Magical Moment 251, "Girl Traps Herself in Bedroom"

Since everyone seems to enjoy stories where I make a  fool out of myself , I thought of another one to share: This was years ago when I lived in an apartment in El Paso for my Army Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic Course. Back then, I lived, ate, and dreamt Army. It was my number one priority and I dedicated every fiber of my being to becoming the best officer possible, at any cost. I was never late or out of uniform, and I studied like a mad woman for the challenging written and practical tests. One night, asleep in my bedroom, I woke up to use the bathroom. I got out of bed and walked my closed bedroom door only to find that I could not open it. I thought maybe I had accidently locked it, but when I looked at the door knob, I discovered, there was no lock at all . Since it was a matter of being stuck, I jiggled the knob every which way possible, while pulling and yanking with all my might. Nothing. Now I actually started to panic a little. I lived alone and had just moved to the

Magical Moment 250, "A Backwards Writer"

I recently applied for a writing internship at a prestigious New York City magazine who caters to “affluent” clients. To prepare for the interview, I fixed up my resume, printed out writing samples, and spent a half hour deciding what to wear. After trying on a dozen outfits, I noticed the time. I had about 4 minutes to get to the corner bus stop in order to catch my ride and arrive on time. So in a blind frenzy, I threw on my faithful, easy to wear dress that always looks good no matter what, grabbed my purse, and made a dash for the bus stop. After the typical New York City adventure of subways, street signs, and traffic, I finally arrived at the upscale, streamlined office. I was asked to take a seat in the waiting area and breathed a sigh of relief at conquering the chaotic morning. As I waited to be called in, I felt something itch my collar bone. Absent mindedly, I rubbed it when I realized what it was. The tag. Yep, the dress was on backwards. Again, my old friends, panic and

Magical Moment 249, "When You Wish upon a Star"

In honor of yesterday's post , I thought I would keep the theme going with this video shot at Prospect Park in Brooklyn near the carousel. I thought it was an appropriate song to play with the children near by because I just love the message in it. I've noticed something in the little girls from ballet class who put their heart and soul into dancing because it's their dream . I love this lyric from the song: "If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star as dreamers do." To see photos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project, click here . To see more videos, click here .