This was posted by "I gotta wear shades" on the o-boards so I thought I'd put it here to:http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/1230carlton1230.htmlLarry Rodgers
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 30, 2006 12:00 AM
Pianist-singer Vanessa Carlton will have her work cut out when she co-headlines with Third Eye Blind on the main concert stage at this year's raucous Insight Fiesta Bowl Block Party, which is expected to draw 150,000 revelers to downtown Tempe on Sunday night.
Carlton, who rose to fame in 2002 with her single A Thousand Miles, will perform without the band that enlivens several songs on her two albums, but she sounds fearless about the gig.
Perhaps that's because her boyfriend, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins, will be watching as she performs songs from her two CDs, 2002's Be Not Nobody and 2004's Harmonium.
Carlton, 26, called from a restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif., to talk about the New Year's show.
Question: A huge crowd of partyers, many of whom start early in the afternoon, is expected at this year's party. Are you worried that some of your mellow songs might be overpowered?
Answer: I can party as hard as the best of them, play my piano and join the party.
Q: Will it just be you and your piano onstage?
A: Yes. I'm the more contemplative chapter of the evening. People can still get a buzz on while watching me and getting prepared for the New Year's celebration.
Q: What do you have planned for the set? Will you spotlight Harmonium?
A: I'm going to play a couple of songs from Harmonium, a couple from Be Not Nobody and a couple of new songs. We'll have a little mixed salad. I'm in the midst of finishing up my third record, and I'd like to test it on the crowd. Audiences are the best judge for me, how they react to a song.
Q: With Harmonium being less polished than Be Not Nobody, you've mentioned that your live show is a bit more rough around the edges. How so?
A: I really enjoy playing by myself; I control the entire sound of the show. It's a very intense, intimate, like you're-in-my-living-room, VH1 Unplugged vibe. I (provide) this pure, kind of raw version of my performing self.
Q: Have you spent much time in Arizona during your tours?
A: I love Arizona. I'm actually going there, outside of Tucson. My parents, my family and I get together at this dude ranch and we ride horses for two weeks. Then I'll just hop over to Tempe from there. I love the desert.
Q: Third Eye Blind is also on the New Year's bill. Was that planned or a coincidence?
A: We met the promoter at one of their gigs . . . and he said, "You guys should come and do a show together." So they invited both of us, which is nice because we get to spend New Year's Eve together.
Q: Have you preferred to play on New Year's Eve over the years or have it off?
A: New Year's Eve, for me, ends up being a really anticlimactic moment. I'm sure everyone has related to the idea of there being so many parties going on but you can't really find the right one. So you just end up going to bed, which has happened to me many times. So I'd rather be playing music.
Q: Is there a chance you might end up onstage with Third Eye Blind in Tempe?
A: Maybe as a background singer or a pole dancer.
Q: You ran in the New York Marathon last year for charity. We have the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon here Jan. 14, in case you want to tackle another one.
A: I have continued running, but I don't think I will ever run in another marathon. It was an incredible experience, and I realized I'm a tough (woman), which is what I wanted to figure out.
Q: The charity you supported, Musicians on Call, connects artists with sick people. Has your schedule allowed you to do some playing as well as the fund-raising?
A: It's life-changing. I've visited the children's hospital on (Manhattan's) Upper West Side. I've gone in there and had a little keyboard and just went from bed to bed and played. The kids are in such a depression and darkness. Their eyes light up and get wider when you play. I think music has a huge impact on sick people.
Q: When will that new album be released?
A: I think spring of next year. It's the happiest I've ever been in preparing for recording a record.
