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Birds on a Wire folk Festival was quite a great event. I went into it excited about the lineup but not really knowing what to expect for turnout at the stage and time slot I was assigned. The lineup did turn out great and as with most well done festivals it was even difficult to see all the bands I wanted to see! Al James, Justin Townes Earle, Tony Kevin, Jenna Conrad (Avian’s Alight), Joel Smith, Hueco, Cataldo, The Old Believers, Laura Gibson and Damien Jurado. I thoroughly enjoyed each one. And I felt special to witness Horse Feather’s performance in the Belltower where they got two standing ovations and played one of the most beautiful, breathtakingly intimate sets I have seen them perform.

My set happened at the Belltower also, an old church that has been renovated into a event/venue facility. High ceilings, stained glass, thick etherial reverb and pews for chairs all added to the wonderful vibe. I played at 5pm so it was still light out and I could see each bright face in the audience gazing towards me. I knew as I sang the first notes of my beginning song, that it was going to be a genuinely good feeling performance.

The audience was with me during every song and even in between songs. I felt like I could talk to them and they even laughed at my silly remarks! Not to mention their applause sounded huge in the room with so much natural reverb. I felt confident enough to share a few new songs that I haven’t played out yet and I even got an encore at the end of the set. Boy that felt great.

Sometimes I don’t believe in myself, even just a little bit. And I need the help of other people to show that they believe in me to start believing in myself again. This weekend I got that help I was really aching for.

So, thanks Larson and Bethany Hicks (and all the other festival volunteers) and everyone who came to watch my set this weekend. I so deeply appreciate it and am so excited for this festival to continue in the future. It was such a great expression of the music community in the Northwest.

The sky is in rhythm. Spreading out below me a methodical hymn.
The waves sing and sway. A canvas of cumulus and white under-cast.
A colorful goodbye, like the closing credits.
Orange to blue, if they could be mixed.
The sun leaves some kind of trail.
Miles wider than any eyes.

For a moment, the thought of earth escapes me.
As I drift, I imagine a dwelling above this cloudy canvas.
Our craft will float till it finds home and then quietly
Glide onto one of it’s many arial decks.
Perhaps, I have seen it in a dream or a motion picture.

These days I am full and rich in my earth-bound footing.
Walking across a stained tapestry of hue and line.
But today, between these time zones, this heavenly window
This dreamscape expanse…
It swallows up my soul with it’s horizon-lined nothingness.

(a little bit of writing from my travel to portugal last month.)

Sorry I have been absent from posting. Lot’s brewing in mind and heart, especially regarding this life of music business. Lot’s of poetry being read, lot’s of music being listened to and world being seen. Not to mention lots of wedding plans in motion. I will no longer be a Fairbanks after July 23rd, but Caleb says he won’t mind if I keep my artist name as Karli Fairbanks. We will see…maybe this is prime time for a new moniker.

Here’s a song. I wrote it over a year ago. It has been anchored in my harbor ever since I wrote it. Always unsure of it’s sailing capabilities…pretty nonetheless. Very inspired by Damien Jurado’s last album I assume…as I wrote it during a time where I listened to nothing else!

Enjoy!

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In other news, I won a Sommy for Best Singer-songwriter! Thanks for voting for me. I feel really honored and excited. Unfortunately, I was in Portugal when the ceremony happened and wasn’t able to receive the prize in person, but my brother accepted it on my behalf. He told me his speech went like this…”Karli’s in Portugal, she’s very thankful.” Not much more to say really!! I love Spokane and that we have our own little awards ceremony with dress-code, red-carpet and guest artists. So fun.

Also, I have some shows on the horizon that I just couldn’t resist. Haha, so much for not performing. (: I’m playing the Birds on a Wire folk festival in Pullman, Washington put on by Stereopathic. There’s a great lineup for that and tickets are going very fast. So be sure to consider making the trip. www.birdsonawirefest.com

In April I will be playing some shows as well in Missoula, Spokane and Bellingham with a certain indie-rock icon. It’s not totally confirmed…I will post details when it is. But that will be exciting and a good chance to start playing some new material.

That’s all for now…happy spring days!