No big party for me this past weekend. No elaborate costume planned. Yet I did get into the spirit of things, in my own way.

I watched the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre for the very first time. At home, in my pjs. I’m not a big fan of the horror genre, but I did appreciate its creative creepiness and absurdity. And the 70’s flashback!

On All Hallow’s Eve, this Eve donned cat ears and went to Grace Cathedral to watch the original Phantom of the Opera (1925 silent film) with live organ music. What a thrill to take in those ghostly-dark gothic arches above the screen and the maniacal organist lit up below.

I did see some similarities between these two movies: a whole lot of chasing for one. And masks. Depravity, isolation, loneliness. Creepy shadows – light and dark. Like this image I caught of myself that same morning. Hello Creepy Cat Lady!

Sometimes I do like to stay in with the cats. Nothing wrong with that. Especially as the weather changes, there’s more tendency to want to hibernate. Yet I want the social connection, too. How about you, want to get social with me?

No need to go out. Stay in and let me serenade you on a cozy fall night. Next Wednesday, you’re officially invited to Eve and Steven’s last Concert Window concert of the year. We bring the warm feelies.

Yes, it feels good to take a quick break from all the mid-week busyness. The “Hump-Day-Slump” concert is only 30 minutes. Instead of idly surfing the Net, land on my Concert Window page and interact with us during the show. Send messages while we perform, stump us with song requests. We’re game! It looks like this:

We’re gaining momentum and we hope to grab an even larger number of watchers this time. So join us! We need you! Let’s make this a party – bob some apples, dance around in your underwear, play your air uke, we don’t care – just be there! (And by there, we mean your living room, kitchen, parked car under the stars….) As long as you have a computer or mobile device, you can watch from anywhere. Even from a lonely Texas town or the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera.

Hibernate, but don’t deprive yourself of fun! Be gone, Phantom and Leatherface! It’s November and we’ve got some singing to do.

Eve and Steven live at Concert Window
Wednesday, November 11th
8:30 pm Eastern/5:30 pm Pacific
Pay What You Want
Reserve Your Tickets Now

A week from today I will be singing my heart out in a land where hundreds of balloons take flight. That’s right, I’m headed to New Mexico for three gigs coinciding with Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot air balloon festival in the world:

• October 9  Art of the Song Creativity Radio  Albuquerque
• October 10 Balloon Fiesta in Old Town  Albuquerque
• October 10 The High Note  Santa Fe

New Mexico has been good to me lately – this is my fourth musical landing there in four years. I’m especially thankful to the Cochranes, a family of musicians who has been hosting me, supporting me, even performing with me in this “Land of Enchantment.”

Dr. Keith Cochrane, who invited me twice to perform with the San Juan College orchestra in Farmington, has retired from his music director job and moved with his family to Albuquerque. This time he is putting together a jazz trio for my shows – he will play keys and horns and his daughter (Brooklyn Cochrane) will play and sing with me as well. Did I mention they are a musical family? Props to wife/mother/player, Kristen Cochrane, who will also be helping in a myriad of ways over the weekend.

And here are two more people in New Mexico I love to love: Viv Nesbitt and John Dillon. Four years ago, they interviewed me on their Art of the Song radio program when I was traveling through on my Peace or Drama tour. Now they’ve asked me back, this time for an interview/concert in front of a live audience.

Viv and John support artists in so many wonderful ways, including The Standing “O” Project. If you haven’t yet joined this music lovers’ collective, what are you waiting for? Become my tip jar hero and be introduced to many more songwriters and creative types like me, over 300 featured artists to date. Thanks, John and Viv, for giving people a way to support us!

In addition to my Art of the Song show on Friday night, I somehow landed a gig singing to Balloon Fiesta tourists at Old Town Plaza on Saturday morning. Yep, that’s right. I get to lift my voice to a flying fantasia of balloons in the desert sky. Now that’s a first! Later on we’ll head north to romantic Santa Fe to perform an evening of jazz at The High Note.

So I am flying high, over the moon,….what other balloon puns can I unearth? Who knows what delights and mysteries await me in New Mexico this time? I’m ready for anything with the unending support of friends I hold dear, including all of you! Sending love and gratitude your way.

If you’ll be in New Mexico next week, check here for details about these shows.

Confession: I wish I was kinder to myself. Busy busy busy. Go go go. Even in my “off” time, I’m feeling guilty for what needs to be done.  I don’t have a 9 to 5 job, and yet I still get an A+ in creating a stress-filled work week.

That’s why I’m so grateful to make music with my friend, Steven. We both agree that it’s like working out – sometimes you don’t wanna go, but you always feel better afterwards. It’s a gift we give ourselves – a true break from the busyness.

Now we’ve been flexing our music muscles to give YOU a gift. How’s about it, a welcomed perk-me-up in the middle of your work week? A sweet summer stay-cation, if you will.

Yes, it’s time for another Eve ‘n Steven show on Concert Window! If you joined us for the last online soirée in March, then you know how much fun we have dishing out the tunes. People watching from all over the globe.

You can join us from the pool party, the pool hall, or even the car pool lane. (Yes, I’ve watched a CW concert on my iPhone while cruising in the passenger’s seat.) Concert Window makes it easy – reserve your tickets ahead of time (pay what you want) and they’ll send you a link when the show is about to go live.

So take a half hour escape with us – you can send us messages, leave tips and make song requests. It’s like a big group Skype only with ukulele and better streaming quality. And feel free to show up in your pjs (you can see us, but we can’t see you). Virtual high five!

Eve ‘n Steven on Concert Window
Wednesday, June 24 5:30 Pacific Time/8:30 Eastern Time
Live streaming from Eve’s living room to yours (or wherever you may be)
Half hour of rapid-fire music, don’t be late! Reserve your Tickets Now.

I was born in North Carolina (which inspired my song, Carolina Girl). But those who know me well can attest that I am first and foremost a Florida Girl. That’s why I’m so excited to head to my hometown of Gainesville, Florida for a lightening round of shows. Yippee!

So bring me a warm welcome, Florida fans! You can find a list of all my FL shows here, but your best bet is the Friday night house concert on May 8. This will be the most intimate setting, where I get to do my storytelling thing with the music. I’ve got a whole new list of songs and stories that I’m dying to share with you – including my own Carolina Girl and Al Green‘s gem, Let’s Stay Together. Heck, we may even conjure up the ghost of Blossom Dearie (extra points if you recognize that name and voice).

For those who aren’t in the Sunshine State, I offer you a little sunshine right here:

And don’t you fret – I’ll be doing another worldwide Concert Window online concert soon! The first one was waaaaay too fun!

On this Throwback Thursday, I’m reminded of when I was 16 – hanging out with my best friends in the park, discussing what my future album titles would be called. One of them was, “What’s Eve Doing Now?” A very apt title for today’s post!

Giving in to peer pressure (much like a teenager), I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon of Concert Window. Oh, how much fun! We did a trial run this week with two long-distance audience members (thanks, Mom and Dad), who were able to send us messages throughout the show.

If you haven’t enjoyed the Concert Window experience yet, you’re in for a treat. It’s a live online concert; all you have to do is sign in and “pay what you want.”  It’s like a house concert, from my living room to yours. Steven and I get together and play on Wednesday, so why not let you all in on the act? Here’s what it looks like:

Wouldn’t you love to have live, fresh music delivered straight to your door? For 30 minutes on a Wednesday night: a little Perk-Me-Up to get through the Hump-Day-Slump. Sounds great, huh? That’s what Mom and Dad said! 🙂

So with my parents’ endorsement, I’m inviting you all over to my house on Wednesday, March 25 for party time, excellent! It begins promptly at 5:30 pm Pacific/8:30 pm Eastern – if you sign on late you will miss it!  I highly recommend buying tickets in advance so you’ll be ready to join in at show time. Here’s the link to reserve your spot:

https://www.concertwindow.com/evefleishman

Anyone, anywhere can listen (that goes for you, my Egyptian fans who like to stay up til 3 am). It’ll be a half hour of pure delight; remember you can type in comments and song favorites as we perform. Maybe someone will request Sweet Sixteen (the Billy Idol version, of course).

Can’t wait to see you on the 25th!

I’m grateful for this memory of last month’s concert – how great it feels to give! We helped raise several hundred dollars for PeaceTones, a nonprofit that supports musicians around the globe:

“We see ourselves as a fair trade music movement, empowering unknown musicians in developing nations with marketing and legal knowledge and access to online platforms to share their music globally. Using innovative learning and incentive models, we conduct expert-led workshops to educate these artists on their rights and tools to grow their careers.”

Stay tuned for more collaborations with PeaceTones coming soon!

(namely this little guy…er…gal)

Give a truly unique gift by steering clear of the masses this year. Supporting independent artists and merchants makes you a Holiday Hero!

Jingle on down to Eve the Elf’s $5 Madness Sale – now through the end of the year! Boom!

Speaking of truly unique gifts, I was given the chance to perform my original Christmas song, Peace on Earth, at Grace Cathedral again this year. What a San Francisco treat!

And I’m thrilled to perform some of my songs with original paintings at the Holiday Salon this weekend. If you are interested in this event, please email me for details.

Finally, my niece – who says her Aunt Eve is “kinda famous” – sent me a new friend last week. He’s kinda famous himself! We had a mad shopping spree down at Union Square. Anybody else got a Flat Stanley story out there? Do tell!

A bonus San Francisco treat: check out my latest Alice and the Rabbit Hole post on my Top 5 favorite SF gift items. May it inspire you to buy local and SUPPORT THE LITTLE GUY!

Last year I dazzled you with Lazy Susan Tuesday (just ever-so-slightly missing the mark of Black Friday boisterousness); this year I thought I’d head in the opposite direction by “eve-oking” the holiday spirit way earlier than usual.

My motivation? Captivation before the onslaught of end-of-year over-promotions. (Man, that’s a lot of hyphens.) And a deadline that hits in 3 days. Yes, in only 3 days the Easy Peezy Pee Test campaign comes to a close.  Remember the song I was asked to write to heighten awareness about pediatric OSA (obstructive sleep apnea)? Well, the Easy Peezy video has garnered 13,286 hits so far on YouTube! Please show your support for this cause (and my song) by donating to fund their research and testing. If everyone who watched the video gave just $5, they’d reach their $100,000 goal. A small amount DOES make a difference.

To put you in the giving spirit, here’s a video with slightly less hits (as I just posted it last week). Be among the first to help me sing along and test your memory in the reindeer names game. I’ve got my head up in the clouds while Steven is doing his best to help me in this rarefied Rudolph rendition.  It gets off to a sputtering start, but then oh, how it flies!

Ok, that’s my gift to you. Maybe it’s early enough that you won’t curse me for putting that song in your head. Though 2014 may soon be pitter-pattering away on Prancer and Dancer feet, I’m excited for what’s ahead. New adventures, new songs, and a new music/art project with my friends at PeaceTones charity.

I love it when I can work on something that feels bigger than myself, making music that reaches people in so many different ways. I’ll stay tuned if you will! Deal?

$5 off all Eve products now through the end of the year.

The long-awaited day has finally arrived: my Easy Peezy song is out there in the universe! I was asked to write this song to bring attention to Pediatric OSA – Obstructive Sleep Apnea, that is. I learned that an estimated 2 million kids in the US have this condition, though it is often mistakenly diagnosed as ADD.

So all that stuff had to go in the song, in addition to singing about a urine test that would replace the need for hooking kids up to a bunch of wires in a sleep lab. This was definitely the most challenging songwriting assignment I have ever had. I scratched my head, danced around on one foot, and came up with a tidal wave of pee puns!

I enlisted Steven Strauss to play ukulele and Daniel Dennis (Prime Cut Studio) to provide the rest of the instrumentation and produce the track. I’m absolutely tickled pink with the outcome. This brilliant marketing campaign features an animated music video that brings to life the “Easy Peezy Pee Test.” Be one of the first to hear the song by clicking the video link below:

Do me a favor and support this song by heading over to the Easy Peezy site and learning more about this worthy project. Spread the word, buy the song on iTunes, dance with the “Peezies” and come back to donate when they open up their Indiegogo campaign on September 16. They are raising money to get the pee test approved and available nationwide. I wish them rip-roaring success and hope the song dances it’s way into thousands of heads: Let’s Make It Easy Peezy – let it be!

Now for those of you who are local here in the Bay Area, I have a show this Friday night at The Monkey House Theater in Berkeley. Steven Strauss and his mighty uke will accompany me on some jazz songs and Eve originals – heck, I might even break into Easy Peezy if I get a request from the audience!

Friends of Old Puppy (Steven’s East Bay band) will also be joining us on stage.  We will be performing this next tune for sure – a humorous take on a classic Wizard of Oz song – shown here with the SJC big band orchestra last month in New Mexico.

Stay playful, my friends! Urine my thoughts and in my heart!

I’m excited to share some very unique opportunities that have come my way recently. But first a warning: this content may contain several references to bodily functions. Read on, if you dare!

I was recently commissioned to write a song about pee. That’s right, pee. Those of you who know my children’s songs will not be surprised by this. My new song will be part of a fundraising campaign for a urine test that detects obstructive sleep apnea (and yes, I had to sing “obstructive sleep apnea” in the song). Believe it or not, the tune is quite catchy. Stay tuned for the animated video of Easy Peezy, appearing next month. Urine for a treat! (Puns, I love puns.)

Ah, now where were we? Oh yes, opportunities! I was also asked to make a video of the Gershwin tune, The Man I Love. Steven Strauss and I enjoyed performing in our favorite outdoor spot. Enjoy this intimate live rendition, as if you were strolling through the park on a sunny day, waiting for the one you love.

Speaking of Gershwin, I’ll be crooning Summertime along with new original material at my City Light show with the SJC Summer Orchestra. This is my second time performing with a big band and I couldn’t be more excited. Dr. Keith Cochrane arranged all of my songs for orchestra and will conduct the show this coming Tuesday, July 29 at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. Stay tuned for videos from that as well!

And finally I’m launching a new blog site under a secret name. You guys are hearing this first. It’s all about what the super diva does when she’s not onstage. So if you have no interest in reading about my armpits, please do NOT click here. Though it would be a shame to miss the featured new video of the classic Eve & Mare song, I Smell.  If you do end up delving into Alice and the Rabbit Hole, I’d love to hear what you think! Follow me, leave a comment. Tell me about your armpits….

That’s all for now, folks. Hope you’re experiencing lots of “flow” this summer, too!