Thoughts from the road...

Pushing Boundaries

Sun, 9 Jan 2011 15:11:24 -0600

Let's see here...where was I?
Oh, right, riding my bicycle across Europe for the last 5,000 miles and 6 months on a 100+ lb bicycle with a band of gypsy musicians performing 100% bicycle powered music...oh yes, that is it. The last I wrote, we were in Hungary and heading back West. Here is a brief summary of he roads we have followed since then....first the physical, then the internal.

Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France

The Pleasant Revolution went to Ljubljana, Slovenia where we preformed a street festival and then parted ways for a two week vacation from the group. I left with a man who has become my closest companion on this journey. We cycled south through Slovenia (STUNNING!) to northern Croatia and the island of KRK where we swam in the Adriatic Sea. Fresh sea food and figs growing everywhere! Unfortunately, I lost my camera in a train station in Bratislava, Slovakia...so I have no proof of anything! and no record to the immense beauty, except in heart and mind. Then we took a train from the coastal city of Reijka, Croatia, to Milano and Venice, Italy. What does one say about Venice ??? Ummmmm. It seems utterly impossible and dream like....Ummm, what else, oh right, we drank wine and ran through the city streets in fits of passion all night. After Venice, we took another train to the border of Italy and France were we continued cycling along the southern french riviera coast along the Mediterranean Sea in Cotes de Azur. Then it was time to return to the Pleasant Revolution, in Marseilles, France.

France, Pyrenees, Spain

After an amazing week swimming in the Mediterranean and playing music in on of Europe's oldest port cities, we went to Toulouse. I was organizing the Bicycle Music Festival in Toulouse, so I went ahead of the team and enjoyed and extended stay with my new best friend, Frederic Tallier. Frederic gave me the royal treatment, letting me sleep till noon, stay up to 2 am, and insisting on feeding me all the best local cheese, bread, wine, rum, apple liquor, cured meats....you get the idea. Top that off with long nights of intellectual debate, and well, I gained about 6 pounds in two weeks! Ugg. But what an experience! A real taste of France. Riding your bike through the french countryside on a sunny autumn day is beautiful beyond words.

But, you can only spend so much time getting fat and happy, so I was off to climb the Pyrenees Mountains....one of the best adventures of my life. I decided to ride without the group so that I could go at my own pace and take good care of my body during such a trial. It took 9 days to cycle from Toulouse, France, to Barcelona, Spain - crossing the peak of the Pyrenees mountains at Col Du Puymorens...a 7,000' climb. It took me above the tree line with no body but mountain goats to spy on for days. Imagine Pacific Northwest coast meets Lord Of the Ring's Rivendall's...super magical villages with white headed couples perched on there stoops with a watchful eye...cascading brooks on all sides....misty mornings and fiery sunsets. All the while, your pushing yourself up a mountain that seems endless and certainly impossible, but you have given yourself no escape routes, so you continue forward, perpetually discovering that your limit is still one stride, one moment of sheer will further ahead. And so it goes, chasing one step behind the impossible, until you find yourself at the summit. So many things we tell ourselves are impossible become possible when we stop creating and believing your own self limiting stories. Okay...momentary preacher attack, excuse me.

So the reward to climbing the mountain is in the challenge itself, but don't believe them if they say it is not for the thrill of the downhill on the other side, it is! Three days of winding down tiny one lane roads that follow the river valleys and old forgotten one-pony villages of Catalonia, Spain...all the way to Barcelona and the ocean.

Unfortunately, that great big downhill got a hold of one of our most cherished members and she suffered a sever injury to her arm. Heather Normandale of StitchCraft, the only other female artist on tour, had to end her journey with us in Barcelona. Which leads me up to now. The rest of the show went on to northern Spain, while I stayed with Heather through her hospital experience (over 4 days and nights) and the last week and one half of recovery. She is making a fantastic recovery, so I will be leaving soon to catch up with the rest of the group to cycle and play shows in the Vasco country of northern Spain. Then onward to catch a ferry back to England, play a few more shows, and then board the Queen Mary 2 for our return voyage home. There you have it...the facts and figures of my last few months. Now onto the fluffy stuff.

Making memories
Why do some people like to feel the edge of the blade to check if it is sharp, how far do we need to push ourselves to really feel alive. We know life is short, so some us try to slow it down be living carefully and savoring the subtle details and consistency of daily life and the people we love. Sometimes we decide life is short so we better run as fast as we can to grab it all before it is over. If you are hungry, do you run as fast as you can to find food, or do you move slowly to conserve you calories. And once you get to the top of the mountain, that transformative moment you have been searching for when you are fully alive, is like sand in your fingers. Do you try to capture it in words and photos...do you try to tell the story. Or do you watch it blow "like dust in the wind," and hope that it stays with you in the shimmer of your eyes and inherent wisdom that reveals itself in simple, subtle, silent ways...Maybe we seek great adventure so we can fully occupy the rest on the other side. Maybe we seek the foreign and novel so we can love what is familiar and so often taken for granted. Who knows.

Pushing Boundaries
I came on this journey, in part, to push my boundaries, to get so far away from my comfort zone that I could not simple step back in when things got uncomfortable. I have demanded an inquisition into who I am outside of the nation, town, career, socioeconomic level, political affiliation, friends, and family that I identify myself by. This feels good. But I have no shining beacon of wisdom to write down from it. Only that I have discovered that many stories I tell myself about who I am and what is right and what is wrong are actually completely arbitrary. I have a bicycle load of questions that I do not belive can be answered; the questions and answers have so many variables. But I do have a word of caution against striping yourself down so far, exposing yourself so completely to the world, that you endanger some of the finest gifts of person and place and roots that are found on earth. All you elders out there...do you recognize this as youth? I accept that.

Self preservation or free spirit...can you have both?
I think so.

I have written far too much for one email...
I agree with this one also.

I am very excited to return home, crawl into my nest for the winter, and try to translate my experiences into new music. Excited to do a little less questioning and a little more enjoying. But you know, that cycle always comes and goes. Excited to be back with my loved ones. Excited to not live like a nomadic street person...although it is amazing what you can do with a bike, sleeping bag, pocket knife, flash light, and guitar.

Big hugs all around!

Amanda Mora

East to West Dancing in the streets of Amsterdam

Sun, 9 Jan 2011 14:30:25 -0600

The Travel Log
Get comfy, it is a long one!

We have come a long way. Our travel log now includes the major cities, the largest festivals, and tiniest villages throughout England, Holland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Slovenia. I would guess we have covered over 3,000 miles by bike. We have been following a huge snaking river, The Donau, south east through Germany, Austria, and Hungary for the last month. After traveling through Vienna and Budapest, we parted with the Donau last week, marking our eastern most point of the journey and our gradual return west. People everywhere stop us and ask us where we are from and how long we have been riding our super sized bikes. They either look like they will fall over in disbelief, or they have laughing fits while shaking their heads saying “crazy, crazy, crazy” – and I have to agree!
Perhaps it was in Berlin that all the wonderful elements of Europe really crystallized for me. In terms of magnetic draw to a city, this was beyond anything I have ever experience before. The history of the rise and fall of the eastern block and the soviet occupation is so tangible, but the feeling was of a phoenix rather than damaged goods. I love to see how people are shaped by the presence of history in their daily lives. I really feel like living among ruins gives you a bigger perspective on your life and reminds you of what can happen…the mistakes and triumphs are constantly there to warn and inspire you. It creates a political and social awareness in the people that manifests in a mature civil dialogue about how to live; self organization, the role of government, the boundaries of self responsibility and collective responsibility, the value of art and descent. The anti-fascist movement and the artistic/creative reactions and resistance to fascism is everywhere. The young people are rallied around a social movement that they really understand and think deeply about – more so that anything I have seen in the US.
We have a ticket into the heart of alternative bicycle and pop culture in every city because of what we are doing. I have been deeply compelled by the relationship between bicycle and music culture. It is cliche to say that music is the universal language, but so are bicycles. I see that bicycles are available everywhere you go, not dependent on socio-economic status or geo-political circumstance. Both music and bikes offer empowerment, a outlet for self expression, an centralizing point for community, and a positive influence on the health of humanity one a whole. Okay, I know that sounds a little wo-wo-shee-shee, but it is really a bigger picture between music and bikes that is starting to come together in my mind and heart.
A Foreign Tribe I would describe this tour as one of the most trying things I have ever done in my life. I like to say that we are not exemplifying a sustainable lifestyle, we are experimenting with ideas about it. Sometimes I think we are all perfectly crazy and doomed to reinforce the negative stereotypes of American’s as ignorant, self absorbed, inconsiderate, arrogant, and rude…but many times I get a soaring view into the profundity and beauty of what we are doing, and it takes my breath away.
For example, in Budapest, we were hired by the US Embassy in Hungary to preform at Europe’s largest music festival, The Sziget, with over 600,000 people. It was such an awesome juxtaposition: We set up in front of 4′x5′ posters of Condoleezza Rice, the Clintons, and other past secretaries of state. Here we are, going to the greatest links to stop participating in oil wars and occupations and waste and careless consumption, and yet, this is what America stands for in so many foreign countries. We were a rag-tag group of hippies, in front of a proud stand of American flags, bringing a highly political message. And to our great joy, our presentation brought a lot of confusion, curiosity, and civil debate to the venue. People were brought in by our bicycle performance and alternative message, and then wandered into the embassy station and bringing pointed criticisms and open ears to the representatives of America’s foreign relations policy.
Some days, when we are all riding through the country side and we are drafting, I see the sun setting on our little tribe…I am struck by the notion that we are part of the first generation of a new nomadic tribe, setting out to heal the world and heal ourselves along the way. It makes me wonder what the old Aboriginal or Native American tribes would think of us, such a post modern and foreign tribe. None of us is connected by blood, we drive machines that come from machines, we use technology and tools to navigate, we do not travel by natural necessity, but by some urgent quest to heal our world and ourselves. I think they would have a lot to teach us.
The Music I feel like I have finally “come into my own” in terms of my musical presentation on this tour. It has taken a while for me to feel comfortable and confident being part of a line up of five bands in a collective presentation. I am used to booking my own shows in accordance with the audience I think will like my music best and the environments I like to preform in. This tour has been less in my control, so it has pushed me to preform at times and places that I am not naturally comfortable in, and that is a great opportunity for growth. There has not been much time to write new material, but I can feel my inner well filling up with new material. I am also becoming a better harmony singer, which is great fun and easy to practice because I love all the other artist’s music on tour.
I perform with a rotating group of musicians, including cellist CelloJoe, flutist Louis Alexander, bassist Kelly Patton, and guitarist Alex Meek.
I am marking my map with cities where I felt the greatest musical recognition and resonance. There are many places I would like to come back and live for a month or two to really tap into the music scene a bit more. In the meantime, I am selling CDs and envisioning each one of them as little seeds that are floating out into Europe and while be germinating for an Amanda Mora tour in 2011, when my next album comes out.  The Tough Stuff The constant negotiations and logistical nightmares of a 16 person group with monstrous bicycles that weigh more than we do can be unfathomably tiresome. The constant loading and unloading of the bikes, the sore legs and aching ass, trying to keep everyone feed, trying to figure out where the *&^$ we are going next and where we will sleep, and general sleep deprivations…well, I try to think of it all in the spirit of Jack Kerouac and the beat poets who view the sufferings of the road as a kind of poetic gift to your self in the end…but sometimes I just see it as a nearly unbearable pain in the ass and insane self punishment!
I have had to deal with a long string of traveling misfortunes…more than my fair share of theft, loss, and sickness. It is almost comical, but I can say that I feel as stripped of my fear and attachment to material possessions as I am stripped of my valuables! I had my main bag stolen in Czech Republic – a danger that I was warned about – which had my passport, money, bank card, jewelry, journal, and everyday goodies like headlamps and pocketknife, address book, ipod, etc. It is embarrassing to admit, because I know better than to put all my eggs in one basket, but it happened none the less, so let this be a lesson. It is so difficult to keep your things together and protected at all times while living on bike…such exposure. Two other crew members had their bags stolen in the next town of Czech Republic. When I arrived in Prague a few days later, I came down with a kidney infection which lead to a flu which lead to me feeling like death and forcing me to go to the emergency room for a quick dose of antibiotics. By the time I had recovered, I caught a violent stomach bug that, well, lets just say it was not pretty and lasted about two weeks. Then I lost my iphone, one of my only valuables I had left. Then I got a head cold…which pretty much concludes my brief history of travel woos and brings us up to now. I fully intend on perfect health and security from this point forward!

Where we go from here
I am in a little cafe in Ljubljana, Slovenia at the moment. Tomorrow is the beginning of our two week vacation, during which we are all responsible for getting ourselves to Marseilles, France. I plan on staying on the Croatian island of Krk for a week, then cycling/training through northern Italy and the southern coastline of France to arrive in Marseilles on September 4th. Then we go to Toulouse, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Porto.
We will have our last show in Porto Portugal on Halloween. Still do not know how we are getting back, but most likely we will return to London and catch the Quenn Mary 2 back to New York on November 10th.
I apologize this letter is sooooooo looooooong, but you have to strike while the iron is hot.
I send my love and would welcome your own updates! Amanda Mora

P.S. Three things I will never take for granted in the USA again: free hot water at every convenient store, free toilets, and the bottomless cup of coffee, all things that are hard to come by over here.
P.S.S. The fact that I actually own a car back home seems utterly bizarre to me right now, and the idea of getting in it and driving seems gross. Pretty deep transformation going on here.
follow our tour blog at www.pleasantrevolution.net

England, Holland, & Germany - 1st Quarter of Tour

Sun, 9 Jan 2011 14:25:21 -0600

As you may know, I have been cycling for over a month now, playing music with The Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Festival Tour in Western Europe. I am finally settling into life on a bicycle and feel like the true adventure has just begun…

Some of the highlights of the trip so far:World Naked Rides in London and Brighton, England, where we rode with thousands of nude cyclists through the city with our mobile bike speakers pounding! Later in the day we had a dance party in the streets of London that Hollywood could not have touched! People coming out of their apartments, business men putting down their cases and jackets, people parking their car and running over, all to join in on the frenzy and bliss of our spontaneous dance party in the street.
A bicycle music festival in a small town in Germany where the whole town came to the show with their oldtime music, homemade goats cheese, bread, homemade beer, and jam to share with us. We spent all night in an old dance hall out in the countryside and then cried when we had to leave the next day.
Randomly running into a dear old friend from my home town in Texas in a central square of Amsterdam.
Taking a three day solo cycling trip through the Germany countryside on a lovely bike path that followed a river. I was so happy to experience the vulnerability and quite of being alone after a month spending every minute with 15 vivacious new friends. I got overtaken by a swarm of bees and was not stung once…one of the most magical experiences ever. The three days ended with a swim in a cold lake and a sunset dinner of crackers, smoked fish, red wine, and cheese in a field of red poppy flowers as far as I could see.
Right now, I am at Fusion Fest, a gathering of 60,000 people in an old bunker yard that was used to store missiles during the Cold War. The scale of the landscape and artistic expression are beyond description. It is boiling with anti-fascist ideas and looks and feels post-apocalyptic – like the party at the end of the world.
I am learning to love everyone in the crew. Each person is so unique and brings something really valuable to the group. We share a lot of laughs and good food and really create a support system that is much needed when we are challenging ourselves so much.
I am the sound woman, which is quite a job. At festivals I will build and break down the PA four different times and run sound for 9 bands on any given day. It is a lot of work, but I feel like I am good at it and it is becoming easier.
We are moving really fast all the time. It is hard to imagine how much work goes into trying to keep my gear together to live on a bike, navigate a new city just about every day, maintain a job as sound woman, be a performing artist trying to put together a new band and perform major shows, keep my clothes washed and my face feed, set up camp each night and tear down and pack up each morning….then ride hundreds of miles a week. Much less do publicity and planning for the tour. And add into the mix all the different personal relationships between the 15 members of the crew. It has been exhausting, but worth while. I am getting much better at using my time efficiently and my body is stepping up to the challenge…sleep derivation and all.
Needless to say, it has been difficult for me to get online or make phone calls. I want to do better, but in the meantime, our website is kept very current and you can follow our blog to know what is happening: www.pleasantrevolution.net
On a deeper level, my love for the mission of this Pleasant Revolution and sense of doing the right thing at the right time envelopes me and I feel re-energized and so incredibly glad to be on this tour. We tend to work with other activists and people who are exploring ways to live more sustainably, so I am learning a lot and being deeply inspired to clean up my life back in the “real world” – off tour.
So, on that note, I have to run! No time to edit my email very carefully, so please excuse my typos. I play a showcase tonight at midnight here at the Fusion Fest.
I send my love to you! Amanda Mora
P.S. I love my bike. Did I say that already? I love my bike.

New Mexico Tour

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:15:38 -0500

We are headed to New Mexico!
Ruidoso, Albuqerque, Santa Fe, and Taos
Amanda Mora, Mollie Fischer on Cello, and special guest, Jill Jones

Dearest Friends and Music Supporters,

I wish I could fit everyone of you into the old suburban and take you with us to the mountains. Oh well, I guess the next best thing is to tell all your friends and family in the area to come out to one of our shows for you... We have three public shows scheduled, and will surely be seen playing our tunes at house parties and street corners at every chance we get:

Friday 14th, 6-9pm *Duet Show*
Ruidoso, NM - The Courtyard at Ruidoso

(Monday, 17th - we will play a small house concert in Albuquerque...please contact amandamoraj@gmail.com)

Friday 21st, 7-10pm * Trio Show*
Taos, NM - Eske's Brew Pub

Sunday 23rd, 8:30-11:30 * Trio Show*
Santa Fe, NM - Cowgirls Bar & Grill

For those of you who do not yet know my mother, Jill Jones, she is a wonderfully talented western swing musician who has earned the title of "Best Band" "Best Female Vocalist" and "National Champion Yodeler" from the National Western Music Association for multiple years now. She is going to be performing in Ruidoso with Asleep At The Wheel August 13th-16th and will then join Mollie and I for the rest of our time in New Mexico on hand drums and harmony -a special treat!

New Website & Youtube
The new website is a little cleaner and has some new photos by my friend Emily Fitzgerald..
I posted some new videos of a performance at Cactus Cafe opening for Eliza Gilkyson.
Just check out the links below or go to you tube and search "Amanda Mora Music" - but don't be fooled, the Mexican Stand Up Comedian is not me...but if that is the only online competition for my name, I am okay with that.
My new website

Amanda at Gatti's
I recently entered a contest for the new Gatti's Jingle. If I win, I would get Gatti's Pizza for a year (which I would give to my mom, but call me, I'll take you out to dinner too:-) and $10,000...wow! That would be just enough to finish paying my student loans and cut another album. Heck, maybe you should take a shot at it too!

So needless to say, I would be infinitely grateful if you would listen to my jingle (and watch my cheesy - no pun intended- video) and, most importantly, give my jingle a fabulous rating. I mean, doesn't it make you want to go get an all you can eat plate of Gatti's pizza right now..hee hee ha ha.

Gatti's Pizza : Keeping it Real - this one has the video
Gatti's Pizza : Best In Town

P.S. There is a sign hanging on my kitchen window that says " Congratulations Amanda Mora wins 10,000 for Gatti's Jingle...positive thinking, you know.

P.S.S. They changed from Mr. Gatti's to just Gatti's.
We are looking forward to being around Central Texas later this fall, so if we miss you in New Mexico, hopefully we will see you at a show around Austin sooner than later. Hope you are thinking good thoughts!

Happy trails until then,

Amanda Mora

Cactus Cafe

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 16:10:25 -0500

Dearest Friends and Music Lovers,

Well, we are home again and had a great time in California. Measured in all terms - enjoyment, musicality, companionship, and performance - it was a great success. I am here to tell you, Mollie Fischer is one fun lady! She had everyone crying and begging her to stop making us laugh. I think we have found ourselves to be quite road worthy!

Back in Austin, I will be OPENING for ELIZA GILKYSON at 8:00pm at THE CACTUS CAFE on SATURDAY, JUNE 27th (I'll be playing a 30 minute duet set). Let it suffice to say that I am dizzy with the opportunity to share the stage with this woman and consider her to be one of the most poignant and fearless songwriters I have ever heard.
Learn more at www.elizagilkyson.com

I will be making a tour through New Mexico in August (13-24th) with Mollie (cellist) and my western swing / yodeling champion mother, Jill Jones. We are going to put together a little three piece show for the road and take it to Ruidoso, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. I'll let you know when we get our shows nailed down, should be fun!

As for the rest of June and July, I will be writing away in my little air conditioned room with a smile on my face. All the material for the next record (or two) is just about ready. Just a little more polishing before I take them into the studio this fall.

Hope you are enjoying your days in good health and great company.
Lots of Love - Keep in Touch,

Amanda Mora

P.S. Thanks to Jeannine, Devon, and Cheri Gossett and Lucy for putting together a great house concert event for us in Houston last week - we had a blast! Can't wait to return.

Frances McMaster's ( a.k.a. My Grandma) New Book!

I am sputtering with pride to announce the arrival of my grandmother's new book, Blue Pebbles and Other Gifts of Spirit - Dreams, Intuition, and Synchornicity. This is my father's mother, Frances McMaster - retired psychotherapist and, at 87 years old, on hell of a wise woman. The book chronicles her own lifelong collection of dreams as a framework for exploring their function and meaning as well as examples of intuition and synchronistic events. She shows how this material can be used for self-awareness and to enhance the unfoldment of the personality. Her new website will b up soon, but in the mean time you can find a little more information on her at

http://www.francesmcmaster.com/