Happy (Almost) New Year!

 Hi all, 

Hope you like my new website look - it got  bit of a facelift, complete with some photos from past and present in the headers of me and my favorite people I've had the pleasure of playing music with. 

So - what did "Vanja James Music" accomplish in 2009?
1. I completed my first full length album.
2. I did my first tour - which was a month long tour covering 15 US states, and playing 27 show dates. 
3. My album got some awesome writeups locally in the San Diego Entertainer, and the San Diego News, and also on websites like Bullfrog Music, Wildy's World, Citybeat, LunaKafe, etc.
4. The album got play on internet radio in Italy, Australia, and here in the US in Tennessee, Connecticut, Portland, and other cities.
5. I got to audition LIVE in front of Randy Jackson from American Idol. 
6. I got in touch with some great people from Nashville who assure me that I don't need to pay anybody any money to "get my foot in the door" and if I do it right by spending some time there playing open mic nights and establishing a name for myself there, I will be able to get my record into the right hands.
8. I made friends with the talented Aja Alycean and her family, and (I think!) helped mentor her/the fam in putting her best foot forward as one of San Diego's best country acts. 
9. Although short lived, I got to jam/play along with one of my fav. local bands, The Gift/Curse - and I learned that given the opportunity, I would LOVE to play keys and do some backup singing in a side type rock project. 
10. I sang on Laserwolf & Thunderbolts album. Singing in a different way is fun. 
11. I did a show w/The Penny Lanes (a beatles cover band) and figured out playing covers (especially beatles!) can be fun, but also challenging. 
12. We got to play at the Las Vegas Rock N' Roll Marathon, for thousands of people running in the very-COLD early morning. This was the first time traveling with my band, and it was one of the best times I've had all year. Even though Adam couldn't play with us, Garrison played drums and it was a great time. 
13. Got to play my first LIVE performance on TV  - on fox 6's San Diego Living. 
14. We got to play multiple shows on HOUSE OF BLUES' main stage - which is so much fun. Thank you Black Cherry Group for supporting us. 

Many Special Thank Yous to:
Ishmael Velasquez for letting us use your van and heading to vegas - its been a blast
Jason Kwak for playing all the HOB shows and being so much fun to play with
Garrison Bailey for jumping in last minute to play the marathon - we loved it!
Steven Welker for being on board as my last minute guitarist
The Harbison Canyon crew for letting me put a tip jar out and buying my CDs
Leyva, Ryan and the Black Cherry Group for your continued support
Scott @ Seosmartsites.com for helping me learn so much about web stuff
Jen & Tracy for helping make the LA audition happen, and for helping me out. 
Billy for keeping up the encouragement - its always appreciated
Robert Ivy for having a good spirit even for our LA Jaunts. It helps!
Randy Mayes for helping me have the best show on tour all year
Peewee Moore for visiting us and showing San Diego what you got!
Lety McKenzie for doing your best to book the best shows for us you can
Haley and Nam Chi for helping the beatles thing to come together. I learned a lot from you guys. 
Lance/Quinn/Blue/all my Couchsurfing friends/Chemy/Brian/Jen/Melissa/G.R. Storey/The Shefstads/Kevin from Cornerstone/Tommy/Shane/D.S. Yancey/Marshall/Mick/anybody I forgot for helping tour be great.