Latest News

Feb 11th and 12th

Plane ride. 3 plane rides. Brutal. The headphone jack is busted on my computer so there will be no Soprano getaway. The flight’s video system is down so all my hopes of getting lost in 8 movies are shattered. Fortunately, I’ve made myself stay up the entire night before in hopes of sleeping on the plane and adjusting to whatever jet lag lay ahead, but I find out later that it does no good. Damn. My trusty Japanese cds are loaded in the ipod however, so that keeps me busy for about an hour. Meet up with the band in Detroit in all it’s reunion glory and we search our layover time for the one bar that still lets you smoke. Thank heaven for little deadly pleasures. Twelve hours later we land at Narita and find Chaves (our badass guitarist and swiss army knife guru) and in a disheveled mess almost miss our next flight finding another smoking room. One hour later we are almost to Nagoya and hop in a van for the hour drive into the city. We have arrived. Swank hotel (thank you Blue Note) complete with heated toilet seats and amazing water pressure. Quick drink in the lobby bar (it’s night the next day from when we left, although I witnessed two sunsets and am totally confused). Run into the drummer and bassist and full crew of Death Cab for Cutie as we’re leaving and get introduced and I think I don’t make too much of a fool of myself and isn’t it surreal and lord this is so much better than my waitressing days. Years of 2am bus rides in the snow after a long shift seem worth it now. A crew of Japanese girls and guys stop me and ask for my autograph so I sign away and take pictures wondering how indeed did they know we would be here. I also decide I’m moving to Japan as soon as I’m able.

Next stop – chicken wings. Nagoya is famous for them. Luckily there is a place next door to the hotel so we head out and find ourselves removing shoes and plopping down at a table complete with picture menus and hot towels. We point and guess and order our favorite displays and after my hour study session I can manage ‘thank you’ and ‘good evening’. All is well with the world (not really of course, but at this moment, yes) and we take pictures of eachother and pour sake and eat rice and get giddy. Eventually, jet lag wins and we depart and return to our heated toilets and foam beds. Slumber slumber.. tomorrow is our first show.

Our sincere apologies to everyone in Philly, but the TLA show on March 12 has been cancelled. We have not rescheduled the date, but refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Check out this new video interview with RY! http://spinearth.tv/articles/921

Rachael will perform as part of "The Music of REM" at Carnegie Hall in NYC on March 11. Other performers include Patti Smith, Kimya Dawson, Glenn Hansard, Ingrid Michaelson, Darius Rucker, Bob Mould, Guster and Rhett Miller. The house band for the evening ...Calexico!

check the Tour page for dates and to buy tickets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/arts/music/25play.html?_r=2&ref=music

Just a quick little note that "Reason Why" is featured on the soundtrack for "Hotel For Dogs"

'Faster' is confirmed to air on MTV’s show The City this evening, Monday 1/12 at 10PM.

Tune into Private Practice on Thursday, January 15th to hear the track ‘Don’t’ by Rachael Yamagata. Thursday, 1/15 at 10PM on ABC.

Rachael's latest interview is live on Shockhound.com!