Zoë Keating

 Dress: Scalloped Boudoir Lace Dress from Kiyonna via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Boots: Gripfast 

Necklace: etsy seller no longer on etsy

Earring: etXarte

Photography: Me & Kate

I wore this lovely lace dress out for dinner & drinks with my girlie, then to see the amazing Zoë Keating play cello last Thursday evening. I liked this dress a lot. I thought it might be too clingy or too strange with that nude lining...but it worked for me. Seeing these photos, I would not choose to wear black stockings with this dress. Perhaps in the spring, I'll get it again, go bare legged, & wear red sandals. It is the most perfect shade of red...not too bright, not too dark, not pink...just right. And comfortable! All the dresses & skirts I wear are cute & comfortable. I could wear them to bed. I don't understand women who think jeans are comfortable. The last time I owned jeans was in high school. I had 2 pairs. I mostly wore dresses & skirts then too. I remember a pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans I had in 9th grade, size 10 stretch jeans. I had to put a bandaid on my right pointer finger & lay down on the bed to zip them up. They were the tightest skinny jeans ever. 

Kate & I met at Merchant because they have the most fabulous cocktails, they are next to the venue we were seeing Zoë at, & they take 20% off your bill the night of your concert at The Majestic. Merchant just introduced their new winter drink menu, so we had to try several. My favorite drink of the evening was the first I tried, Ginger Rogers (pictured below). It was dreamy. From the menu:

Ginger Rogers | 11
High West Double Rye, Lemon Juice,
New Century Farms Egg White*, Bittercube Cherryback Vanilla Bitters, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram and Housemade Ginger Honey Syrup
Legendary Academy Award-winning actress Ginger Rogers was best known for her equally legendary dance partner, Fred Astaire. Together they wowed audiences of stage and film for decades. This cocktail focuses on a similar kind of dance ─ a Rumba between citrus and egg white, and a Tango between rye and ginger. And as
you watch your bartender do the conga with a mixing tin... remember this: Sure, Fred Astaire was great, but don’t forget Ginger Rogers did everything he did backwards...and in high heels. 

We also shared some delicious food (cheese curds, warm olives & bread) & some ok food (roasted sweet potatoes). But the best thing of the night was the homemade pasta dish Kate had her heart set on. I LOVE when I am *eh* about something & it turns out to be amazing. From the menu:

Pasta Coperta (V) 20

fromage blanc and butternut squash puree, sautéed spinach, roasted hazelnuts, pasta blanket, brown butter, Grana Padano 

On our way out of the restaurant, we spotted Zoë having dinner with a gentleman companion just one table over from us!

 Time to wait in the cold for the doors to open...

with a pretty girlie...who left me to walk around the block so she could get more steps in (Fitbit addict). 

We were first in line & got front row center seats! Anne & Kael met us there & Anne took this photo of the girlie & I. My tongue is trying to escape.

There was an opening act, Brandon Beebe, & he was quite good...he's from Madison & I would go see him again. He lists himself as being Chamber Folk/Soul...sounds about right. He ended his set with a cover of When Doves Cry that I need to hear again. 

Zoë was spectacular. I feel fortunate that we got to see her live again so soon...she was just here last May. She told many of the same stories between songs, but because of the cold, she had to stop several times to retune & during one of those breaks, a member of the audience asked her to tell us about her cello. It has a name that I've forgotten (Ariege! link to Madison interview of Zoe)...she named it after the French city it was made in. She met the man who made it in NYC while she was touring with Rasputina. She's had him for 7 years & it is only her second cello, her first was named Sebastian & she got him when she was 8 years old. Also, she was wearing fabulous shoes & leg warmers she had made by cutting the arms off a sweater she shrunk. 

Above photo taken by Ross Harried Photography