The rock music history books tell us that Bob Dylan performed his first electric live set since his high school days while playing as the headliner at the Newport Folk Festival in the summer of 1965. I, too, had played my last electric live set back in high school up until this past weekend.

Thanks to my old friends Filligar, my full band was able to make its live stage debut at the DC9 Nightclub in Washington, D.C. It went well and I’m really happy with the outcome but that performance — like anything else — had its flaws. And as it would turned out, those flaws are exactly what made me appreciate the experience that much more.

Instead of using my Seagull acoustic, I used Johnny (of Filligar’s) acoustic Gibson guitar for my set. He warned me before hand that he really needed to change the strings but I wasn’t worried, just figured I’d soldier on like usual. Continue reading »

A Rock n roll Saturday night in the nation’s capital featuring:

*FILLIGAR* An American rock band. Get a FREE download of Filligar’s Independent Music Award nominated album: http://Bit.ly/Filligar

*THE GREY AREA* New Artist of the Year nominee at Washington Area Music Awards

*RACHEL LEVITIN* A blues guitar playing, singer-songwriter who’s been penning songs to paper for over a decade.

GET TIX $8 IN ADVANCE: http://bit.ly/RockNiteDC

Photo by Charlie Wachtel

“This is starting to sound like a record.”

***

When I heard those words uttered while listening to a play back of the guitar tracks producer Dave Mallen and I had just recorded, I felt tears of joy in my eyes. It was insane! In a good way. That moment was so satisfying. A song written four years ago not only got a new life but a makeover. And that song is looking good.

There’s going to be so much life in this album. That’s the difference between the musicianship displayed on my 2005 release and my 2008 studio session — the songs weren’t truly finished. They had soul but no resolution. There was no logical summary or story told. These songs for the new album, though, are fleshed out emotions set to music. That music then enhances the experience to give the story character. I think the end result will be really powerful.

We’ve started work on two songs out of the seven to-be-recorded thus far: Lucky Penny Blues and Circles. If you’ve ever seen me live then you’ve likely heard LPB. It’s a staple in my repertoire that I use to get myself warmed up and the crowd raring to go. The song’s a straight up blues jam that makes room for some sweet licks and dancing. Circles is more of a country folk-rock hybrid that tells a story with a moral to it. There’s a haunting quality to the music and a powerful lesson in the vocal line that makes it memorable.

Can’t wait for everyone to hear this thing. I’m already so proud of it.

- Rachel

Illustration by Elizabeth Graeber

Super cool illustration by Elizabeth Graeber, captured during the TEDxChange event at TEDxDupontCircle last Friday. Check out more behind-the-scenes coverage via FHI360‘s TEDxDupontCircle Recap!

The lovely @rhlevitin is running through a sound check in preparation for #TEDxChange on Friday! Have you RSVPed yet? twitter.com/TEDxDupont/sta…

— TEDxDupontCircle (@TEDxDupont) April 4, 2012

Pictured: Rachel Levitin and Rachael Yamagata

The world of day dreaming and fantasy seems so real when you’re a kid. It’s a vivid environment brought to life by the imagination. It devours hours’ worth of your time with creative, mental landscapes to explore. It’s magical.

Now that I’m an alleged “grown up” – despite the fact that I’d prefer to veto that thought – I find solace in the fact that I’ve always been a dreamer. That is something I expect will never change.

The reason why I plan on never stop being a dreamer is a simple one: I believe with every fiber of my being that dreams do come true. And I have proof. Continue reading »