Deblois: Blog

The whole night was so glittery and glamorous!!!! From the news cameras to the poker chips to the hundreds of screaming fans it was really kind of like an out of body experience! The Big House Band killed it, they really came through for me and even though I tell them how much I appreciate them, its like I can't say it enough! What a spectacular group of guys, musicians, big hearted wonders! The show was really fun and even though I didn't win I met William Osceola (a council member of the Seminole Indian Tribe), and Joe Bell, (the manager of the radio station Kiss Country), and they both asked for my CD's and said very nice things about the music. Buffalo and I are in an interview, see it here:
http://www.wkis.com/index.php?page=964

A fine time was had by all...

more soon,
xo
Deblois

What's up? I am waiting for Monkey to pick me up and we are headed down the keys for 4 shows. We have big plans (of course) Sam (our drummer), and Buffalo, (our Buffalo), will meet us in Key Largo for tonight's show at the Key Largo Grand where we have hotel rooms and everything! Tomorrow we have the day off till evening so we will spend it at the beach. Then Saturday Randy (another drummer) will maybe take us out on his kayaks. One of my favorite bands from Miami "Experimento" is playing at the Green Parrot in Key West, and then we have our own show there on Sunday night at the Rum Barrel, Monday we drive home.

Whoo! are you exhausted just reading about it?

Plans for the summer include a Concert in the Graden at the Big House for my birthday, and a New York, Cape Cod tour.

till next we meet,
deblois

A friend wrote to me after seeing me play the song a few times in Key west: Who is Jill? Are you still close? does she know that you see her in such a beautiful light?...

Just Jill is about a woman who I am close to her whole family. Her husband Mac and I grew up together but not really. Same town, same interests, same friends, but never tight ourselves. When he came to Costa Rica he made sure to stop by my surf school with Jill and all three kids and we all learned to surf. When I came back to the States a couple of years later and started touring full time, Jill and Mac were my first stop in Jax Beach FL. They gave me a place to stay (read: rock-star housing, the best in my whole touring life) and had me sing their kids to sleep, helped me get set up with shows in their town, their daughter Abbe is frequently seen setting up a lemonade stand outside their home, Free lemonade with your purchase of a Deblois CD..... you get the picture. So For Jill's birthday this year a whole pile of us went down to the Bahamas to celebrate and I got all the kids together to write the song "Just Jill". It was actually "That's Jill", but Mac misunderstood in the performance and everyone agreed that it was a good unconscious re-write, so we kept it.
Jill was thrilled when all the little kids gathered around the microphone to sing it to her. We stayed up talking that night just Jill and I till forever and have some funny pictures to prove it...

So Jill is a Mom and a great Friend, and yes we're still close, and yes, I bet by now she knows that I see her in the beautiful light.
xo
oh yeah I surfed Blacks Beach a bunch when I was in Cali, good times but the swell was cross-eyed. Lucky Greg and Rosie were in the water to comfort me!

My sister just brought me a cute little present for my office, (can you believe that even artists have offices these days?). Anyway on the gift it said "happy first day of summer", which I am swelteringly aware of as summer officially started for me when the air-conditioning in both my car and my house called it quits. I am trying to remember as I burn through cold showers and deoderant sticks that I am so lucky to have a car and a house, hot though they may be.

I am writing tons these days, signing off with you to work on songs now,
xoxo
ps if you like soul music, check out Alice Smith, download Fake is the new Real.

Hey Deblois!
LOVED reading your latest message and will keep the folks you mentioned at the end of the note in my prayers for healing and guidance.
Sounds like you are living every moment of your life and,....... in an attempt to do the same at 69 years of age,......I just returned from three weeks in Asia! It was a fabulous adventure,........traveling and enjoying the amazing people, arts, culture and beauty of each area I visited.
A "dream come true" for me was spending four days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and having the chance to finally see the temples of Angkor Wat! This is one of those incredible spots on the planet, Deblois,.........lost to the jungle for a couple hundred years and rediscovered (accidentally) by a French Naturalist in the 1860's. In some of the temples they have left the HUGE old trees still entangled in the stones of the ruins,....quite the sight to see!
It was also very heartwarming to join Swedish friends in Singapore and get a taste of that fascinatingly multicultural country, located at the tip of Malaysia. I ended with a return visit to the Indonesian island of Bali, which has changed considerably since I first journeyed there 10 years ago, but still retains a delightful charm!
It feels good to be home again, but, since I can't let too much grass grow under my feet, I am headed for Playa Ostional on June 28th for a couple weeks to hang out at our family beach retreat there! Pura Vida, no? '->
All goes well with Jim, Jake and Cody too. Summer is in full swing and they are all working for Rick at his summer surf camp in Huntington Beach.
Thanks for keeping in touch and may God continue to Bless you with loving opportunities to share good times and music with family and friends!
Here's a hug!
from,
Karen

The Barnacle is the historic home of Commodore Ralph Monroe, in the heart of the Grove. The lawn slopes down to the bay shore, and the hardwood hammock reaches out towards the street hiding the house from the street.
I'll be playing on May 20th with a full band, (Buffalo, Monkey and Alan). It's a Tuesday, but the show starts at 6 pm, you'll be home way before curfew. Bring a picninc and a blanket. Kids are welome, dogs are not. Okey dokey, see you there!

It's that time of year again, the "quick throw a party before its so hot that we melt" last ditch effort to enjoy the yard at the Big House. And what (ask the rookies) might be the Big House? , Well, in the 30's my Grandparents on my Dad's side bought a beautiful couple of acres for a song in what was then the boonies and is now practically downtown South Miami. They bought and moved (on a flatbed truck!!)a 1900's farmhouse onto the property. My Grandmother Lucille planted an English style Garden in the back, a 100 year old oak tree as the center piece. The pool is 9 and a half feet deep and filled from a well with fresh spring water. We used to have the coolest, springiest diving board in captivity until the inspectors got wind of it last year and made us remove it. (I know! we have cried in our beers for hours morning the passing of the diving board. We love it so much we haven't the heart to throw it out so it sits like a couch in the backyard with several cats on it usually.)
We don't have two acres anymore but its still the biggest, jungliest, best backyard that ever was and you are really missing out if you don't come and hang out with us. We have been doing yard work for weeks and the band holds another rehersal tomorrow, its going to be a smashing evening! Bring a blanket and a bottle of wine, or your kids and some friends. 6-10 pm $10 at the door.
4700 SW 74th ST
Miami FL
right on,
deblois

Hi everybody,

Here's what: I am going to only do a few concerts every month, it is a crazy place to get to from where I was when only doing three shows a week seemed like not enough to put butter on my bread. I am excited about each concert counting for more, I will have more time to prepare and promote each show, and my voice will be strong.... The venues I have always played for however are a little fiesty about the price doubling......

Well when I was working in Costa Rica I had to ask my boss at the surf school for a raise, a big one, and I was scared to do it because I liked my job and didn't want to lose it! I finally came up with a number that I thought was so fair that if he couldn't meet it I decided that I would be willing to walk away..... He didn't even blink, just cut the check. And one day when I had worked there long enough it came time to walk away and no amount of money could have kept me.....
So hopefully somehow I find the new fair price, and start working again. For May here are my concerts:

May 4th Concert In The Garden (at the Big House) 6pm, $10

May 20 Moonlight Concert at The Barnacle State Historic Site 6pm, $7

Have you ever waited around for someone to call? And waited and waited and waited? That's how I feel. And no (Dad) its not for a boy.
Well I'm off on a bike ride to contemplate my blessings.

I am writing a new song, and training for a 5k in the outer banks, and trying to keep my mind off the telephone and the passing hours without it ringing.

xoxo
to all
Deblois

Hello all, I am in San Antonio TX again hangin with my Grandfather. He is the best influence I have, and I am trying to live like a monk for a bit... too many late nights and loud bar gigs and singing songs with all sorts of characters in all sorts of settings has finally caught up to me and so now I am taking some time off. Where my aunt and uncle live is beautiful, the run out the back door (what Carl would call the "back door four") is beautiful and shady, with very little traffic. And Grandfather lets me borrow his iPod.

We are watching Country Music Television, making fun of all the stars, and listening to Merle Haggard as we do our workout... for 94 he is kicking butt on his exercise bike.

Dempsey and Lucinda have got me on all kinds of vitamins and supplements and wrinkle cream.... if I am not gorgeous in two weeks it won't be their fault. So until I get a little less boring, that's all for now,
caio,
Debloisy

Here is the tale of the tune:
the sun went down over the Northern rocks of Guionnes and there I still was making a little music on the beach ( Susan would often interject ¨talking to a boy¨ here) when I decided to walk home it was not quite dark but getting there fast enough that I could see the stars exposing themselves in the sky like so many exhibitionists. Over said boy´s profuse offers to walk me home I decided to go it alone. The trail back is high grass, then a stand of trees, into a high canopy forest with not much undergrowth but plenty of antpiles and crabs, snakes?
Yesterday Susan and I walked the trail by my old house; the Reserve by the boca del Rio Montana, and we decided to walk silently for a few minutes. I could see her ahead of me walking in and out of the high grass and patchy sunlight...it was like a movie with Scary place playing in the background.

costa rica is so beautiful.

see you at home.
d

Hey everybody in Florida, VOTE TOMORROW. If you don't vote then you can't complain!!!!!

Also, Lizzie and I went on a shake down cruise in the Element to see Xavier Rudd in concert with Mishka opening.... SUPER. Check them out on u tube, and when they come to your town go! you won't be dissapointed.

love
deblois'

Lizzie and I are hitting the road again. Rosie and Lucky are currently accepting signatures on their petition to be allowed along, to vote for them call Lucky's personal assistant, Dempsey.

We will leave on March 10th and travel by ELEMENT to Austin for the festival and then on to Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, Asheville, Atlanta, Jax Beach, and home to Miami. It is a bit of a whirlwind tour with about 2 days in each place, and hopefully a place to play in every town.
I hope this letter finds you well and if you have been to SXSW call to tell me about your experience.
Thanks!

When my Dad was in college, younger than I am now, he bought with a group of buddies a place West of Lake Okeechobee, a little peice of land accessable only by canoe, or john boat, or now in the new millenium, by Swamp Buggy. They built a little cabin, two rooms, a kitchen and a porch. Outside they made a fire circle, dug a well, built an outhouse. From the time that I was six months old and continuing through last weekend I have had the great opportunity to learn to love the swamp, alligators, blue herons, and beautiful spanish moss on the trees. It is a place that allows you to realize the importance of silence, it is a master Zen lesson, just by being there.

There are some great photos from our last trip there...

Thanks Dad for not buying a car, or a surfboard, or a trip to Europe all those years ago, Fisheating Creek is priceless.

Such a lovely little cabin tucked away, far away.....

oh it is so beautiful there.

I'll tell you about it sometime.

love Deblois

My friends Jim and Nancy Fant are living on their sailboat in Key West. We met when I was teaching surfing in Costa Rica, and Nancy and I used to paddle out together quite a bit. Of an evening Jim and I would pick the guitars, everybody swilling back Imperial; the Tico beer.... These are obviously the indistructable building blocks for a life long friendship. So when they heard that I had relocated to the states and was making music full time and in their town on tour, of course we reconnected. Nancy has picked up Kite Surfing and in typical fashion (she is a badass; ex: we went spearfishing, and before I even had my mask and fins on she was tossing hog fish in the boat)) she is teaching now for a company in Key West. So she managed to get me along for a pretty good day winds at 20, beautiful crystal clear on the sand bar. She set me up with a 10 meter kite, got all my lines worked out for me and we spent most of the day learning how to fly the kite. How to change directions, how to launch (get started) how to stop (I mean besides crashing) To fly with one arm, then the other arm, how to get on my board, that the kite comes first, you can go get your board later.....
wow, information overload. But she was patient and kind and I had sooo much fun it was like learning to surf only it doesn't take ten years. It does however take more than one day. I'll let you know how I progress....

At the end of Christmas Dempsey, cousin Cameron and I all went up to Austin to stay with Pat and Connie (and Gumbo, who is Lucky's friend). They have a great place walking distance from downtown... so of course we went out. We saw a show at the Saxxon Pub, a girl called Carolyn Wonderland. She was a blues artist, she played the heck out of a telecaster electric guitar. She had a keyboard player and a drummer with her, she took all the leads, holy macaroni! plus her voice was amazing, her original compositions were great..... I loved it.

The next day we went for a LONG walk all around the river. Gumbo went swimming, even though it was cold out. Back at the house we were preparing for a house party. Pat and Connie have some great friends and Pat and I played John Prine tunes till the wee hours.
It was a lovely trip and I hope to get back to Austin for South by Southwest!!!!

Dempsey and Lulu and Chris (Lu's husband) and I all flew out to San Antonio for Christmas with our family. My Grandfather Vernon (my mother's father) is the ultimate patriarch, he rules over a very eclectic nest of folks:
here is a rundown of the cast of characters,
Aunt Sarah, my mother's sister and the queen bee. It is her and my Uncle Bryan's house where we all crashed for 3 days of family fun.
Their kids: Cameron, the ranching Cowboy who lives in Montana, literally on a mule. He has some of the best back country songs and stories.
Erin, an artist and a dancer, beautiful singing voice too.
My Uncle Johnny, the sweethearted Doctor who is very hip, he had already downloaded my new cd from iTunes.
His kids MaryAlice, Vernon and Rebecca, Mary Alice's husband Bob, Vernon's wife Susan.... Aunt Vicki's kids Travis and Tracy plus her two adorable little kids, Cousin Megan, the absolute coolest, even when you count her brother Blake who spends all his time with rockstars....you might be getting the idea, there are about 20 of us, all 21 or older and not telling how much older because we are young at heart!!!!!! We have such a good time being all together. Everyone should be so lucky to have a family like mine. We take all kinds, no questions asked!

So the most beautiful time of the year has arrived, holidays and cold fronts and christmas trees....
I am trying to stay home, or at least near Miami so I can work on some things in the "big picture" folder, like satellite radio airplay, and selling digital tracks directly from my website, and designing my custom tour bus (ha ha)
Anyway, this is my plan and I am bravely ignoring the fact that I have very few gigs lined up, hoping that people will want me for their holiday parties.

if so call me
305.310.2163

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving,
I am thankful for all of you who read these little letters, and thankful for the chance to make music every day.

God bless,
Deblois

I am ever so slightly nostalgic packing to go to Nosara, I can't wait to see all my friends and surf good warm waves. Dempsey is coming with me and Lulu is taking care of Lucky and company.
We'll see you when we get back.