As an opening line to the start of my resume, “Has guitar, will travel…” among other things, I found myself in an interesting predicament as the national pandemic was beginning to start being announced at the top of 2020. I had just gotten home in late February from a stint in Oregon, Colorado, and Pennsylvania for a mini tour promoting my single “Silent Sleeper”. I was super excited to really start cutting my teeth as a traveling musician, playing 2-3 hour gigs here and there, opening for big local Denver bands such as Dead Phish Orchestra, and gearing up for a NorCal tour in April. It was all happening, as Penny Lane would say… and I was happy to be enjoying the ride.
Meet your author, Kendra Muecke from Kendra & the Bunnies Music. You may know me from several avenues. From meeting me on lot at shows like Dead & Co, Phish, Widespread Panic, SCI, or in the campground of heady fests like Arise and Lightning in a Bottle, I really do make the rounds. I started my music jaunt in a noble way by interning, volunteering, and hosting workshops such as my class on spirituality and improvisational acting called “The Politics of You: Acting in Dimensional Alignment”. I taught this healing workshop in 2015 and 2016 at Spring Frequency Psytrance Festival in La Jolla, CA and had my name officially on the line up for 2016’s Sonic Bloom in Colorado. I grew up performing classical and contemporary plays, musicals in the theater, and acting for film as well; so I felt it key to start sharing my point-of-view upon discovering the heartbeat of my own life. Those moments that transcend time and space. Those moments rehearsed and synchronized. I wanted to start dropping a little knowledge to start teaching others to pick up on what I was putting down. You know show the ducks the way to the bread. You may know me from a few other places too… like from my days working for Jay at Be On Key in Denver, jamming out late night at a Burner Parties in LA, or from being a Venice Beach local in 2015-2016.
I find the full encapsulation for me of spirit arrives through music and song. I’d be at a Dead & Co concert or, heck, Primus at Red Rocks, and think, “Wow! This is really the ticket. These people really get it. What it’s all about…” Then I would get home and think, “Well, what is it all about?” I guess it’s transparent while also architecturally temporary, and yet, infinite and everlasting. That’s music. That’s the statement, “I don’t know, man. You had to be there!” Recently, I read two particular quotes that popped up on my Instagram feed within a couple days of one another. The first one is by the late and great Frank Zappa. He says, “Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted intro something.”
Zappa got my gears turning, pedal to the metal. He was speaking on that elusive statement I had been witnessing for years. How did the virtuosos craft and organize their environment through specific guitar riffs and precisely sung word choice? Two days later, my friend Jes Schneider from Jes Music posted a quote by Goethe that reads, “Music is liquid architecture. Architecture is frozen music.” I truly let that roll around in my noggin. I am composed of all of these different facets and fluid cell membranes bouncing off one another and collecting information, yet quintessentially, I remain the same. This same fragment of thought appears in one of my favorite films, Waking Life, by Richard Linklater. In it the two females sit in a coffee shop discussing dreams and personalities. One of the character speaks, “And the funny thing is, our cells are completely regenerating every seven years. We’ve already become completely different people several times over, and yet we always remain quintessentially ourselves.” The music then keeps me stable, and my life on the road keeps me sane. It’s like I am constantly binging and purging what makes me me. I take on three new characteristics, dump two to the fire, and find myself as me, renewed again.
I bring all of this up, as I am sitting in seat 8A on the plane in a medical grade face mask. Southwest flight #442 back from Houston, TX to Burbank, CA. I like to fly Southwest Airlines as often as possible. They give the absolute least hassle to musicians carrying a gig bag on-board. Always smiles, and let me know if you need any help storing your instrument. It’s full of strings that are elevation and temperature sensitive. Props to the stewards who cares to hear another individual out before jumping to conclusions. So flashback: I spent my March, April, and May 2020 live-streaming over 45 shows from my apartment in the Hollywood area. Due to the tragic and disappointing pandemic of Aunt ‘Rona, my tour up the coast of California landing to play my first shows in San Francisco were cancelled or shall I say, postponed. [My heart goes out to all who have been affected by this pandemic.]
As I was playing online shows though, I realized, there is a gold lining to everything, and I found myself building up a new type of stamina. Playing countless shows in-front of my computer and iPhone throughout the time at home; I got to know my songs inside and out, how I sing on a nightly performance basis, and how to bend and reach around the trees of self-insecurity to land directly in-front of my live-stream audience smiling and thanking them for enjoying the journey
with me. It taught me a lot. It gave me a lot of strength. To forge past unforeseeable circumstances and rise to the occasion. I wonder if this is a representation of Murphy’s Law. Plan for A to Y, then Z happens.
Along with my NorCal shows in April, I also had Texas shows on the books for June. I grew up in Houston, TX, so I would be flying in to stay with family, then driving around the state to play at various venues. Luckily, most of the in-person physically real shows were kept on the books.
This is their story.
First place I performed was in my hometown of Houston, TX. It was at a place called RE:HAB Bar on The Bayou. The bayou is a body of water that snakes around the city in the shape of a moat or something similar. RE:HAB Bar is located in northwest Houston and boasts a large outdoor area, as well as an indoor bar. Because of the current climate of the oscillating pandemic, only the outdoor area as open. I played as “Kendra & the Bunnies”, opening for the act “Wild Rabbit Salad.” It was a night of bunnies, but also a night of kittens…considering that the bar had a hefty group of field cats and kittens who lived outside in the grassy area surrounding the stage. For this night, I focused mainly on my Americana catalog, as to outfit the vibe of the venue. [Individuals were mindful of each other’s space and comfort-ability factors when it comes to groups, health, and wellness.]
A few days following my Houston gig, I drove up to Austin, TX. I was supposed to have a show at The Townsend on Congress Avenue right in front of the capitol, but it seems the venue was closed indefinitely. In-fact most of the area around downtown Austin, 6th Street, and the Capitol were closed off, boarded up, or closing earlier than usual. It felt like a ghost town, and quite a literal bummer. After growing up traveling to Austin almost yearly, maybe twice a year, it was difficult to see the city struggling to find its footing. Even though my gig at the Townsend was cancelled, my mom and I decided to stay in downtown Austin, because I still had a show coming up in Georgetown.
Georgetown, TX is such a quaint town. It is nestled right by the college of Southwestern University about 30 miles north of Austin. The venue I played at is a place called Roots Bistro. They had a beautiful inside scape in the restaurant too. There were two floors of wooden architecture and plenty of space for people to stretch out and enjoy themselves. I played for about three hours. This included me playing most of my catalog, as well as several cover songs. There was a great turn out, and I enjoyed meeting the inhabitants of the area. Some notable moments of the night would be my rendition of “Edge of Seventeen / White Winged Dove” that got everyone singing, the recitation of my poem “A Series of Self: Joy”, and the performance of my song “& Leave it On.” Additionally, I was very grateful and amused to see local press attend the show to take pictures.
The next destination was Fort Worth, TX. Fort Worth is about 2.5 hours north of Austin, TX. The last time I was in this town was for a softball tournament in high school. We decided to stay at a hotel in Sundance Square. This neighborhood was so delightful, and honestly, I had the best barbecue I have ever had. Fully endorsed by me are the beef ribs at Riscky’s BBQ in the square. The Kendra & the Bunnies’ FTW performance was held at Ridglea Theater in the Lounge. Also on the bill was Kim Donnette Band. Since Kim Donnette band is primarily blues, I decided to follow in that flow.
Some show-stopping moments of the night were of my song “NYKO, NYKO”, “Silent Sleeper”, and “1776 to 1976”. “NYKO, NYKO” is a song inspired by the Grateful Dead’s versions of “Iko, Iko” by The Dixie Cups and “Not Fade Away” by Buddy Holly. This track is off of my upcoming album, of Thank You, and is going to be the first single off of the release. I am super excited to release this song. Jam band guitarist Marcus Rezak is playing lead electric guitar on the track, layering nicely with my acoustic guitar and heartfelt, bellowing vocals. “Silent Sleeper” is the most recent release of mine, debuting in February 2020.
It has such a twangy, sultry country feel to it, stirring up many feelings of awakening. Then of
course, “1776 to 1976” is a song I wrote while studying at the Musicians Institute in 2019. It’s
about the freedom of having a place to call home, while also maintaining the ability to roam.
Much like I feel when I am on tour and traveling to play music.
I have a guitar and will travel. If you are interested in booking me. You can book me for a Curbside Concert, live-stream, or regular event. Curbside Concerts are the music community’s response to changing times. It is live music delivered directly to your doorstep.
You can book Kendra at https://kendraandthebunnies.curbsideconcerts.rocks — You can also reach out directly via her booking agent at bsquaredmgmtbookings@gmail.com.
Kendra Muecke – @kenbunny – https://kendraelisabethmuecke.com
