Speaking of day off, and I don't normally, but several of us just had the nicest day yesterday. We went horseback riding up in the Utah mountains, which was a real treat for the majority of us city folk. We ate dinner at a fancy-shmancy restaurant where we sat at a large oak table in leather, living room-like chairs and ate like queens. We walked around Main Street and window shopped for a bit before taking a cab back to the hotel, where we quickly changed into our bathing suits and headed for the outdoor hot tub. If you can try and picture it, we sat in a blue swirling bath of super hot water despite the 50 degree temperature, looking up at the stars and talking about how this was one of the best days off we've had. (I sure hope my boss isn't reading this...)

But back to today....

3:00 pm
4 month pregnant Mary Lou Lord is on the Village Stage and since it's her last day on the tour, we are all sad she is leaving. She is playing to a decent-sized crowd despite the freezing cold rain. We just got an interview with Margo Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies (one of my favorite bands of all time) for today and frankly, that's all I can really think about right now.

4:00 pm
Probably one of the most down-to-Earth, laid-back and sheepish artists I've spoken with to date, Margo Timmins sat with her feet folded underneath her, sipped wine and sewed her pants while she talked with us. Explaining how she has been fortunate that her family has shielded her from the crap of the music business, as both her youngest brother and oldest brother are in the band, she hadn't personally experienced discrimination that other female artists have faced.

This may not come as a surprise to Cowboy Junkies fans, but she also said how much she disliked grand finales and how Sarah had talked her into coming on stage for her finale. Ironically, it was Natalie's last night during the circus performance and cake fight that she first went on, so she was a bit hesitant to go out again.

I really could have sit there all day and talked with her, but we had other shows to watch and other interviews to do. The cool thing was that she asked if we could do her a favor by interviewing her 11-year-old niece in Calgary next week. Of course we can!!!!!

5:00 pm
Just saw a 12-year-old boy with a T-shirt that read, "Hanson Sucks."

Ahh, there is hope yet.

6:00 pm
If I haven't explained this already, the Park City, Utah venue we are at today is normally a ski lodge. Nestled high up in the Utah mountains, there is a ski lift, bar and restaurant here and what is our catering area today is normally a bar and sandwich place--complete with a moose's head perched high above the diners. I'm eating early, because, well, yes, Cowboy Junkies will be playing soon.

6:45 pm
They are playing some of my all-time favorites, "Misguided Angel, "Sweet Jane," "Common Disaster." This is such a treat, it hardly feels real. I'm standing backstage, sidestage really, in this make-shift, portable stage. I've brought one of my friends back with me who is just as huge a fan as I am and several of us are singing and swaying to the music, but I notice that all of us have goose bumps from Margo's voice.

8:00 pm
I'm watching Joan Osborn's set for the first time, and holy cow does she rock or what!!! Strangely enough, her band is dressed in what resemble asbestos-removing, white jumpsuits. It looks like there has been a chemical spill and that they are the only ones prepared. It is a religious experience to watch Joan, actually just to listen to her live. Her raspy, soulful voice fills up the stage, stadium and hills beyond as she sings, "Oh, St. Teresa, leaving so soon, Oh, St. Teresa higher than the moon."

10:00 pm
Many of us are standing behind the stage on the deck outside of catering watching Sarah's performance. The backdrop on the stage is transparent, so we are able to see the stage and the band from behind--which means we also see the audience the way the band sees them, which is pretty cool.

Well, the wind has been blowing, fiercely at times, and a particularly forceful gust has just knocked the backdrop off it's hinges, so it's bottom part is wildly blowing around, right up in our faces since we are so close. About 10 people ran out to try and hold the thing down, but to no avail. They cleared us out and brought down the entire structure. Luckily, it was near the end of her set, but once the overhead lights started to blow about madly, and the rain began to pelt the stage and Sarah as she sang "Adia," they skipped the finale and headed for the dressing rooms as all of us scattered to our buses. Despite the treacherous weather, thunder and lightening, though, the fans remained true and did not even budge until the show was over. Amazing.

Midnight
There is no hanging out in front of the buses tonight, the weather has forced us all onto our respective buses earlier than usual. We will be leaving soon and since there were no showers here, I am ready earlier than usual to depart, plus I'm exhausted.