Mindi Abair Interview Page 4

Smitty:  Yeah.

MA:  So I took the chance.  We’re doing an online CD release party and it’s gonna be May 1st at 7 p.m. Pacific Time and we’re gonna go on, we’re gonna play a bunch of new songs from the new CD, we’re gonna play some old songs that everyone knows, but what’s cool is you can interact during the concert.

Smitty:  Really?!

MA:  It’s not like you turn on your computer and watch a concert.  You turn on your computer and you can talk with everyone who’s watching the concert.

Smitty:  Oh, I’m lovin’ that.

MA:  You could talk to me.  I can see everything on the screen and you can vote for songs, what’s gonna be the next song in the set, and you can be a part of the concert.  You can even do—they show you the cameras and you can choose the camera angle that you want.

Smitty:  How cool.  Now, how can people be a part of this?  I mean, how do they log on or how do they get to the CD release party?

MA:  The site is called www.deeprockdrive.com. And I’m gonna have information on my Web site about exactly how to log on as well as www.myspace.com/mindiabair, and so you can just kinda click and log on.  It’s very simple.  I did it just to see how hard it was.

Smitty:  Yeah.

MA:  And I’m kind of an idiot.

Smitty:  (Laughs.)

MA:  And it was very easy for me, so it’s basically a couple clicks and you’re in.  You don’t have to go through all this craziness and whatever.

Smitty:  Oh, cool.

MA:  It’s very easy.  And I’ve also got two invites up on YouTube, so if you go to www.youtube.com you can type in Mindi Abair.  Well, there’s a bunch of stuff up there, but there’s one promo for my Deep Rock Drive concert and then I was actually in the airport, London Heathrow Airport, last week and I filmed my own invite.  I was kinda walking down the airport, it was loud, it was crazy, but I kinda held the camera out and was like “All right, come down to our concert.  It’s really cool.”  So, yeah, You Tube, we’ve got a couple things up.

Smitty:  Very cool.  Well, I will certainly look forward to that and I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to more information and logging in.

MA:  Yeah, I mean, what cooler way to get music out there, you know?  You just gotta go with technology.  It’s fun, it’s ground breaking.  I wanna be a part of that.

Smitty:  Yeah, that’s why it’s there.  Let’s stretch it.

MA:  Yeah.

Smitty:  Very cool.  And you also have some traditional CD release parties coming up too.  I mean, in Florida you have some coming and many other locations too, right?

MA:  Yeah, I usually do kind of a little acoustic tour.  Whenever I have a new CD come out, I usually go out with just my guitar player and we kind of just go around and do our little unplugged concerts, so I’m gonna be in my hometown of St. Petersburg the night the CD comes out.  We’re gonna do acoustic shows in Orlando, Melbourne, Florida, of course San Diego.  I always do San Diego for my CD release.  They’re just the best city in the world and they absolutely made my career, so San Diego’s—you gotta do a huge CD release party.

Smitty:  Gotta do that one.

MA:  We always do it at the Borders there.

Smitty:  Oh, cool.

MA:  And usually, yeah, we just fill the whole store.  It’s three or four hundred people—it was last time—and just crazy and we have a blast.  (Both laugh.)

Smitty:  How cool.  Wow.  Well, we’ll look forward to all of those great dates and this record coming out officially and just to hear some of the responses already and many more to come.  Wow.  Mindi, I know I’ll see you on the road somewhere before too long and it’ll be fun to see you again, and at the live show setting it’s always fun, always excitement around that, you know?

MA:  Oh yeah.  I mean, new music, new fun.  I love being on stage.  I mean, that’s absolutely my favorite place to be, so it’s always fun to translate a new record into live and these songs will be really fun to play for people, so come on out.

Smitty:  Yeah, it’s always fun to see what you’re gonna be wearing too, you know?  (Both laugh.)

MA:  You know, it’s all about that.  The guys, maybe not so much.

Smitty:  Yeah.

MA:  You know, we all have to have our thing and I have my new little shiny sax straps that I designed, so I think it’s kinda fun.

Smitty:  Yeah, you’re just into all kinds of cool things, man.  You’re just having this cool life and this cool career and we’re so excited and so thankful that you share it with us all.  It’s really cool. Thanks for letting in Mindi World.

MA:  It’s my pleasure.  I’m having a good time, so come along for the ride.  I think it’s great.

Smitty:  All right, well, I know I’ll be seeing you soon.  Hey, and thanks so much for taking some time to talk about this great record and all the beautiful things you’re doing, and it’s always a pleasure, you know that, to talk with you.

MA:  Thanks, Smitty.

Smitty:  My pleasure.  All right, we’ve been talking with the incredible and amazing Ms. Mindi Abair.  Her great new record is called Stars.  It’ll officially be released May 6th.  Don’t miss it and don’t miss all of her upcoming great events, including that great online CD release party May 1st.  Look for an announcement on that on her Web site, www.mindiabair.com.  Mindi, thanks again, my friend, and we will speak very soon.

MA:  Thanks, Smitty.  I had a great time.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.mindiabair.com and www.myspace.com/mindiabair and www.mindiworld.org and www.deeprockdrive.com and www.peak-records.com