taylor austin dye

Austin City Saloon

Friday, March 4, 2016

Austin City Saloon 3/2/16

My friend, Wes Smith is a regular at Austin City Saloon with his band, Brother Smith. Wes has started what he calls the "Hometown Mess-around" where he brings in local talent on Wednesday night. He brought me in on Wednesday, March 2nd and we had the best time!

Of course, if you know me and Wes, we didn't practice together. We both like to act on the fly and "wing it." I think things turn out better that way (some may disagree). When I got there, we kicked it off with a duet of "When You Say Nothing at All." We went back and forth playing songs we liked and even sang some more together. At one point, we started a pretty heated rap battle that lasted a good 15 minutes. It's always a good time playing with Wes. I had some friends come to watch and my friend Tyler shouted from the back, "GRUNDY COUNTY AUCTION." He snagged this video with the caption "my night has been made."

I can't wait to come back to Austin City and of course I'm excited to perform with Wes again! I'll be at the Twisted Cork on Saturday, March 5th! Check my schedule to see more upcoming shows!

Did you like this post? Share it on Facebook and like my page if you haven't already at www.facebook.com/tayloraustindye! Comment below and let's talk about music (or food, or clothes, or life, or anything ok I just like to talk). If you want to see more videos of me singing, head on over to www.youtube.com/taylordyemusic.

Something big is happening on Songbird Radio! UPDATE

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Win FREE Brantley Gilbert Tickets!

Brantley Gilbert will be at Rupp Arena on Friday, January 29th at 7:00 pm! You could win a FREE pair of tickets for you and a lucky guest just by tuning in to my show, Songbird Radio on January 27th from 3-6pm.

HOW TO ENTER

Go to WSKV's Facebook www.facebook.com/WSKVFM
Like and share the post about the tickets.
For your name to be entered twice (an extra chance), like www.facebook.com/tayloraustindye

It's that easy!

Songbird Radio call line: 606-663-2811

Tune in! WSKV 104.9 FM

The Birth of Songbird Radio

Monday, January 4, 2016

On January 4th, 2016, I will embark on a brand new journey in my life and music career. Last year I made the decision to sign on with WSKV 104.9 as their newest on air personality. You probably recognize this station if you have read my previous posts, because WSKV has DJ'd for several of my shows around eastern Kentucky. I made the connection with Ethan, manager at WSKV, at my shows. He thought based on my style and music taste, that I would be a good fit for the station. Although I never planned to get into radio (on this end), I am so thankful this opportunity knocked at my front door.

I wanted to relate my show somehow to my personal music and my claim to be a "professional songbird." And thus, the birth of Songbird Radio. On my show, you can expect an eclectic selection of music from country to classic rock. I will also be having local talent, so stay tuned to see who some of my guests will be.

I will be live on air Monday-Friday from 3:00 - 6:00pm

WSKV 104.9

So tune in and check it out!

To visit my WSKV page, visit www.wskvfm.com/songbird-radio

Did you like this post? Share it on Facebook! Comment below and let's talk about music (or food, or clothes, or life, or anything ok I just like to talk). If you want to see more videos of me singing, head on over to www.youtube.com/taylordyemusic.

The Twisted Cork

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Where do I begin with the Twisted Cork? The owners and workers at the Cork are some of the best people you will ever meet, the atmosphere is so cozy, and the music is phenomenal. When you pull up outside of the Twisted Cork it looks like your typical liquor store, but it is far from that on the inside. There is a full blown bar, walk-in beer cooler, and a corner stage! Go give them a "like" on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The-Twisted-Cork-280987672015347/?pnref=story And even better, go and see them in person! You won't be disappointed.

My first gig at Twisted Cork was October 29th and I played from 8-11pm. When I first walked in, I met the owners Prentice and Momma Sue. They are truly some awesome people! I felt so welcome when I came for the first time and you can really tell they treat their customers with the same sentiment. Here's a picture of us!

My second gig at Twisted Cork was Saturday, December 5th. I ended up playing 8-almost 12am. Being a Saturday night, there were a lot more people there and as Momma Sue put it, they were "rowdy." I don't mind the rowdiness, though. I like to use it to my advantage :) There was a guy yelling "PLAY SOME JOHN PRINE" so I invited him up to sing "In Spite of Ourselves" with me. He declined, but another girl jumped up on stage with me and we started singing. I always love getting the crowd involved. Here is a picture of me and Devin (aka my John).

The next time I played at Twisted Cork was in a different setting. It was a songwriter round! I had never been in a songwriter round before and I have always been hesitant playing my originals in front of a crowd.

I had the best time with this! I met so many talented singer/songwriters and made so many great connections! The round lasted for about 3 hours and we each performed 3-4 original songs. Hearing all the songs made me want to start doing more songwriting and songwriter rounds! (Hit me up if you have anything in mind).

I asked my good friend from college, Wes Smith, to be a part of the round and I'm so glad he came! He was such a hit at the Twisted Cork! Listen to his amazing stuff here: https://www.reverbnation.com/wessmith7

In a redundant conclusion: I LOVE THE TWISTED CORK. GO THERE.

Christmas Gift Guide for the Music Lover in Your Life

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Each year, December rolls around and we all lie to ourselves...

I'm going to get my Christmas shopping done early...

I'll do it all online...

I can make everyone handmade gifts from the heart...

And each year, we find ourselves a week before Christmas in a blind sprint around the mall for something...ANYTHING for little Suzy and uncle Bob. Suzy ends up with a pair of socks with fruit on them and Bob ends up with a random tool that you have no clue what it does (and neither does he). It doesn't have to happen like this... I have some great gift ideas for the music lover/musician in your life!

1. Bose noise canceling headphones - I received a pair of Bose noise canceling headphones last Christmas. They are, without a doubt, the best headphones I have ever used. For example, I can put them on and I can't hear my dog barking next to me. They're that good. With a simple flip of the switch you go from regular headphones to a completely silent paradise. Perfect for travel, too!

I have the white pair pictured below:

https://www.bose.com/products/headphones/over_ear_headphones/quietcomfort-25-acoustic-noise-cancelling-headphones-apple-devices.html#v=qc25_white

2. iTunes card - Honestly, you can't go wrong with an iTunes card. If you know that the person you are shopping for has an iPhone, iPad, or Macbook, they can use an iTunes card! From games to ringtones, to audiobooks, to music videos, the card has got you covered.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/gifts/

3. Personalized guitar picks - I actually received personalized guitar picks one year and I loved them! There are a few ways you can go about getting them. I would suggest eBay or Etsy for these. You can do a search for the color, thickness, and personalization specialties and lots of options will pop up!

4. Personalized instrument cleaning cloth - This is something a lot of people would not think of and a gift that the recipient would want to keep for a long time. When I was very young, a family friend stitched my name into a cleaning cloth and I still have it! It is great to keep in your instrument case to wipe it off and keep it super clean and shiny! You can even buy a cleaning cloth and take it to a kiosk (like the ones in the middle of the mall) and have it embroidered with anything you want!

5. Gift card to Guitar Center - As a musician myself, there is nothing I love more than a good "quick" trip to guitar center (aka sitting in the acoustic room playing every guitar on the wall). I shop at guitar center for a variety of things from guitar strings, picks, stands, straps, basically anything music related. Gift cards are a great way to let your musician pick out their own items and get something they will actually use!

http://www.guitarcenter.com/eGift-Card

6. Music lessons - If you have a young kid, or just someone who is a beginner, this is a great option. You can buy them music lessons! I give guitar lessons myself and I think this would be a great idea. Generally, the teacher would let you pay for a months worth of lessons and it is also a good way to make sure the person is interested! You can google "guitar lessons in my area" or whatever instrument you want and there will be some options to choose from! If you are in or around Owsley, contact me for details about lessons!

7. Concert tickets - Help inspire the music lover in your life by giving them tickets to see their favorite artist! Tickets are so easy and accessible thanks to lots of new apps and websites. If you use StubHub, you can print the tickets off on your home printer! Perfect for a very last minute gift! I would stick to sites you know and can trust. I have linked some of them below. I do not recommend places like Craigslist, as I have had bad experiences with fake tickets in the past.

http://www.stubhub.com/

http://www.vividseats.com/

http://www.ticketmaster.com/

I hope this gift guide gave you some ideas and hopefully it will make your Christmas shopping a little less hectic! Comment below what you would get or what you have already got for the music lover in your life!

Did you like this post? Share it on Facebook and like my page if you haven't already at www.facebook.com/tayloraustindye! Comment below and let's talk about music (or food, or clothes, or life, or anything ok I just like to talk). If you want to see more videos of me singing, head on over to www.youtube.com/taylordyemusic.

Festival Frenzy: Wooly Worm

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Wooly Worm Festival - 10/23

Welcome to my eighth and final installment of Festival Frenzy! Thank you to everyone who has taken time out of their day to follow my festival performances around the Bluegrass! I am already yearning for next year's festival season to kick off... For those of you who don't know and have been wondering, Where's Taylor and why hasn't she been posting anything lately?, well first of all thank you for caring. Secondly, I got married! Now that all the showers, parties, and cross country honeymoons are over, I am back in full swing and ready to get down to business! So without further adieu (blabbering)...

The Wooly Worm is an annual festival held in Beattyville, KY. It is complete with a pageant, parade, vendor booths, and live entertainment. I have sang at the Wooly Worm for a number of years and I was glad they asked me to return this year. First, I sang on a smaller stage from 4:00-5:00. My good friends from 104.9 WSKV ran the sound and did the DJ work; it is always a pleasure to work with them. There was a pretty good crowd there despite it was early in the evening. There was even a nice lady that brought me a Billy Joel record when she heard me say he was one of my favorites before singing "Piano Man."

At 6:00, I hopped over to the main stage to entertain for another hour. The main stage is located in the heart of downtown Beattyville. It is located right next to the Wooly Worm races. Yes, you can watch little black fuzzy creatures race up a string...thus the Wooly Worm Festival. The stage itself is wooden, decorated in flowers and fall arrangements, and the audience sits in front under a giant white tent. I was happy to look out under the tent and see some people I knew in the crowd. The guys from Mister DJ sound worked this stage and they are also some friends of mine. Like I said, lots of familiar faces that day :)

I loved performing at the Wooly Worm, especially since it is so close to home for me. I can't wait for next year's festival and I hope they have me back!

Musician's Makeup: 10 Products to Use on Stage

Friday, November 27, 2015

It's hot on stage. And bright. Between the lights at an inside event, and the sun beaming down at an outside gig, you are guaranteed to sweat.

Here are the products I use to help beat heat and unflattering lights:

(all links are listed below description)

1. Becca Ever Matte Poreless Primer - I always start off with a primer if I am going to perform. First of all, it minimizes the appearance of pores. Secondly, it keeps your makeup from sliding down your face like it's at Wet & Wild Water Park. If you're as oily as me, you do all you can to keep it in place.

2. MAC Studio Fix Fluid - This is always my foundation of choice, especially when I'm doing an outside gig. It has SPF 15 in it to protect the skin and it has a great finish that never agitates my acne prone skin. It also happens to be a medium to full coverage foundation which is great for if you have an unwanted visitor pop up on the day of your show.

3. Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess Bronzer - Fact: Stage lights wash you out. It is good to give your face some color so you don't look like a ghost from those dreaded lights. I load up on this stuff because...can you ever use too much bronzer?

4. Anastasia Brow Wiz - It is also important to enhance your brows because sometimes they can get lost in the lights as well. I just follow my natural shape and fill in any sparse areas!

5. Loreal Shocking Telescopic Mascara (Waterproof) - This mascara takes the cake for waterproof mascara. I will use this over any high-end mascara any day! When it says waterproof, it means waterproof. After performing at a dead of summer outside show, the sweat was pouring down my face and so was my mascara! It was all in my eyes, stinging and burning, so I kept them closed. People probably thought I was really getting into it, haha. After that episode I knew I had to find a good waterproof mascara and this has been the best--hands down!

Also a little tip: Waterproof mascara helps hold your eyelash curl throughout the day.

6. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector - I was lucky enough to get my hands on the limited edition Becca highlighter in Champagne Pop (Jaclyn Hill collaboration) and I have been wearing it out! The lights may wash you out, but with a little bronzer and a highlight, you can make them work to your advantage. Pop this on your cheek bones, inner corner of your eyes, and high points of your face to look like you're glowing (instead of sweating). If you couldn't snag this one, Becca has a selection of other great highlighters.

7 & 8. Lip Liner and Lipstick - I used MAC lipstick and Smashbox liner in the picture just because that's what I've been using lately, but any brand will do the trick. The main thing is that you have color on your lips to define them because (once again) you don't want to be washed out. I love wearing a dark brown or berry lip on stage and...my harmonica is starting to look a little rough.

9. Urban Decay Primer Potion - This stuff will make your eyeshadow cling on for dear life. No creasing, and no running. I like to use this when I use eyeshadow which is only on occasion. I sometimes use it when I'm not wearing any because it keeps my eyelids from getting oily.

10. Clinique Black Honey eyeshadow - When I do wear eyeshadow, it is most likely this color. I love using it it to define the crease with a simple and natural color without too much shimmer.

Below are some pictures of my makeup at various performances, using all the products mentioned above!

If you can't tell, my main goal when doing stage makeup is to define and accentuate my natural features with simple products that are long lasting.

I know some people like to go all out--and that's okay! This is what works best for me, and I hope it can help you!

Did you like this post? Share it on Facebook! Comment below and let's talk about music (or food, or clothes, or life, or anything ok I just like to talk). If you want to see more videos of me singing, head on over to www.youtube.com/taylordyemusic.