Diana Rein's Blog

A Great Holiday Surprise....

2008-12-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Great news..as you might know from previous blogs, I have started acting and I am happy to say that I booked the lead for a pilot with the title still to be disclosed. It's about 20-somethings in the midst of a social networking, technologically infused time and the truths and detrimental lies that are told within the relationships that exist or begin to exist. The double whammy is that not only do I get to act and have some great material to dive into, but I get to play an indie rocker chick about to break into the big time! I have gotten together with my band on the show and we have written two songs already that will be featured in the pilot! That's like the best of both worlds for me and I am so happy to be a part of this project!!! As we get to the shoot, I will definitely post some more info and pics(!).
Otherwise, it has been snowing a lot and it is freezing. boo. Glad I have projects to keep me busy to get my mind off of this gloom, cuz I get moody very easily when I don't get sun.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Diana

Second City and Dentist Office Commercial

2008-10-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! So I have been having a great time since getting on the acting train! I just filmed a commercial for a dentist office this past weekend. I will definitely post it up as soon as I get a copy or word that it's finished. It a funny little commercial where I play a fortune teller and its main purpose is to advertise the dentist's introductory offer of a complete examination and a full set of x-rays for only $1. No Joke! The office is Big Smile Dental here in Chicago. So definitely check it out because $1 is all it takes to check your teeth out!
I have also been taking some improv classes at Second City! What a rush! I seriously leave there really hyped up from all of the laughter and fun that we have. I have also been writing music and will be singing some songs in mid-November at Reggies with my friend Aaron's new blues fusion band. I will post up the date and time when I know more. But I will be getting up to sing a few songs which I am looking forward to! Talk to you soon, Diana

PAWS Walk!!

2008-09-28T15:30:00.000-07:00

This morning was so awesome!! I participated in the PAWS Chicago Walk/Run for Their Lives with my doggie Zoe and my hubby! It was so great to see hundreds of dogs walking to raise money for their furry friends. The dogs may not have known the details of why they were walking, but there was a really uplifting spirit in the air and all of the dogs were walking and smiling from ear to ear!!! Our team was called Ruff It Up! and our goal was to raise $2,000. We raised $2,045!!!! We did it!!! I want to thank everyone who donated to our cause and in being so supportive! I have to admit, I am a softy, so I almost broke down with tears of joy multiple times!! I would get caught in moments of awe at what the day was all about. To see all the little doggie angels and their owners walking and running filled my heart up so much that it could burst! I have some short videos and pics to share with you. The first is of Zoe, my doggie, getting ready for the walk and a view of all the dogs surrounding us. The second video is coming up to the finish line!! The wind is pretty loud in the vid, but catch a glimpse of Zoe's smiling face!!! Thanks again to all of our wonderful friends and family who contributed! It was so worth it! In total, everyone that participated raised $277,653 for PAWS. Yeah!!!

Bookings!

2008-09-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone! So I booked some acting gigs! I am actually participating in a Directing Scene for a graduate student at Columbia this coming week and I will be shooting the role of a fortune teller in a commercial for a Chicago Dentist's office. We get to shoot that in October and I am super excited about it! I was also placed on the roster to sing and play guitar at a concert being held at Loyola University on Nov. 11th!!! more details to follow!! Today, I participated in a 4K run for PAWS Chicago, a no kill animal shelter!! It was so amazing. I will post pics and video and tell you all about it in my next blog! Have a wonderful Sunday!! ~Diana

Check out the new look!

2008-09-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Since you are on my site right now you have probably noticed the new look!! Much thanks to Stevie for doing it all for me. It's pretty slick with lots of cool features, especially free downloads of live versions of my songs on the right hand side of the home page!! Pretty cool right? Well, stick around, click around and I will be keeping you updated with more vids, music, news and fun stuff!

New Youtube Video- Rihanna Disturbia

2008-09-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there!!
I put up a new video on Youtube and it is soooooo worth watching. You know how I always do the "record on the couch and do an acoustic cover type thing"? Well, it was time to step it up a notch because I was getting really bored with the same 'ol backgrounds. So I took Disturbia, went to Garageband to lay down the vocal and guitar tracks and then added some cool beats, then I wrote out a little script in the hopes of getting it on video. I had no idea what to expect but I knew that I would have a blast! I had Steve help me with the videotaping, then came back to iMovie on my desktop, dumped the files and started editing!! There are a ton of cool effects in iMovie that made it so fun to see it morph into an actual video!! I would love to keep doing vids like this, at least until it is still warm here in the Midwest. Enjoy watching it and pass it along to your friends! Thanks a bunch!
Adios,
Diana

Summer 2008....amazing!

2008-08-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends~
This summer is sadly coming to a close soon but it was so fun. I finally got a taste of the sun and the beach and I love sandals!! yay for being able to wear sandals!! It's the simple things in life that really make me happy! Since writing my last personal blog, I have had some great experiences that have me inspired and ready to write again.

First off, I played the Taste of Chicago with some amazing players: Aaron Weistrop, Gerald Dowd and Matt Thompson. Like I said in my previous post, I put all of these newtunes on my myspace page where you can download them for Free, just like I promised, so hurry up and go do that and pass them along to your friends. Everyone loves good free music! :-) Here is the link for myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dianarein

Also, in July, I went to Cabo along with 50 family and friends and I got married! yay! It was the best time ever! Right by the Ocean, right before sunset, all of the elements were there that just make my heart soar! My husband (Steve) and I were very excited about how smooth everything went and that we were taking this important step! I am posting a few pics at the bottom of this blog for you.

Otherwise, I am starting a yoga teacher training program in October. I love yoga because it really allows me to find the space that I need to be inspired for my creative endeavors. The ideas just flow through me and it's the most positive thing that I can do to help me with my creativity. I am taking the teacher training program to help me dive deeper into the practice and if I ever choose to pass the knowledge onto others, then I will have the certification to do so. As the summer winds down, I am finding more time to write new material, that is my favorite part of the process. It's the greatest feeling when you finish a song and can play it from beginning to end.

Talk soon! Glad I was able to finally get you caught up on what has been going on!
Diana

Live songs from Taste of Chicago posted on Myspace

2008-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all!
I have so much to write, but until I can sit down and have enough time to do it, I wanted to share some Live versions of mostly new songs from The Taste of Chicago Show on my myspace page!! Check it out HERE!
I will be writing soon with all the latest! Diana

Diana Rein and Bonnie Raitt!

2008-07-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! The Taste show was a freakin' blast!! I had such a great band and the sound was amazing. The weather was unbelievably beautiful and the crowd was enthusiastic and totally present......I couldn't have asked for a more memorable show!!
Afterwards, I heard a few comments from people that I reminded them of Bonnie Raitt which is a huge compliment. I have adored her ever since I was in high school. I would always listen to her and sing her tunes. Now I guess you could say that my sound is a bit of mix between Bonnie Raitt and Jack Johnson.
My family and friends all mentioned that they could hear passers by and their great comments upon hearing my music. I intentionally didn't play any covers at my show at The Taste. I have so many songs that I have written that I coudln't wait to expose in this awesome setting with my awesome band that I just wanted to keep it focused on originals. I am happy that I did!! Even though people may not have known all of my tunes, they were still getting into it and enjoying it which tells me a great deal about the fact that my music actually touches people. It was really cool for me to experience this.
Afterwards, I found out that Bonnie Raitt was playing the main stage at The Taste that night!! I was sooooo excited! I had to pinch myself!! We were able to get into the seating area in the 7th row! Can you believe it????! It was such an awesome night, other than my birthday present this year which was fifth row center at Alpine Valley to see Jack Johnson. That show was just unreal, the amount of people that were there. It is such a great arena to play I bet. Anyway, Bonnie kicked some serious butt. The amount of soul in that woman is so palpable and what a guitar player! She is such a major inspiration. I am very happy that I was able to hear her and see her play live!!!
That is about all for now. I am looking forward to writing some new material and getting some video of the show at The Taste up on the site as well. Hope everyone is having a great summer!!! ~Diana

Seashells, Sand, All Inside

2008-04-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach yesterday.....the first time this year! I was wearing a coat and a scarf and boots.....but once I got there I took my coat off and pretended that it was 80 degrees.
The day before, I bought this awesome countertop clay vase...the thing is huge! I filled it with sand pebbles, seashells and polished rocks and candles. It's like a little beach oasis indoors! Coupled with the sound of water splashing from my little homedics fountain and I am a happy girl! If I have grass, a body of water, some sand, I am the happiest girl alive. Going to the Lake yesterday was the best therapy for me. The fact that I can have my window open today is the best gift in the world too. I know I sound like a cheese ball, but I am so appreciative of the time that the Green comes around in Chicago since we live for so many months in the cold. Some people really appreciate the winter, it makes them feel alive. I feel most alive when I can smell Spring in the air, when I can take long walks with my dog and I can see her smiling face as she prances next to me, when the breeze is blowing my hair in my face and it's warmth wraps itself around me. I am in a beach state of mind always. That makes me happiest.
I have some exciting shows coming up! My friend Aaron Weistrop is going to be joining me at Lucille's this Saturday night. I am also still doing my weekly gigs at Suite Lounge and Cortland Garage. Recording is still in the works for next month, I am working on pre-production right now. This weather is definitely inspiring me!
My mind is all over the place right now.....maybe I should straighten out my messy desk area to get my thoughts in order too. It really works!
See you soon!
Diana

What would it be like?

2008-03-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

6am alarm
the sun
flirty, transparent curtains billow
the breeze brings in ocean air

caffeine? no, oxygen. pure.
eyes half open, sand under toes,
stretch to the blue blue sky and
twirl in circles through the warmth.

gym? no. nature.
run through the water.
swim through the sand.
swing on the trees.

tv? no. space.
space to not think.
space to be.
space to create.

internet? no. time.
time to read.
time to understand.
time to live.

money? no. happiness.
happiness in smiles.
happiness in stillness.
happiness in unity...love.

simple. things. in. life. freedom.

Downtime/Sleep/Shows

2008-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

I have become a night owl. Getting to bed at 3/4am. Crazy. It's so hard to wind down after shows. I am so "on" when I am singing and playing for 2-3 hours at a time, how can I possibly shut down? Not a robot. I have been reading the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle to try to get my mind to slow down a bit which had been helping.

My weekly shows have been awesome. I performed for a benefit presented by Artists for Harmony to raise money for Chicago Public Schools last Friday. The turnout was amazing. I shared the stage with the bands: Danger is My Middle Name, State and Madison and the Urbanites and Lukas From Lift Point. All acoustic, we had a great time. Suite Lounge was completely packed, we had to turn people away because we were at capacity!

Other than that, I have been gathering material to start recording songs...in a new way....more on that later, can't divulge my plans yet! But it'll be fun, exciting and always fresh AND intimate. Internet Intimate. Just takes a lot of work to get all of the pieces of the puzzle in order. Being an Independent Musician Rocks!!! So thankful that I have this forum to bring my music directly to you.

Peace,
Diana

Fitzgerald's Show Feb. 15th Diana Rein Opening For Anthony Gomes MUST SEE!!

2008-01-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Fans,
I have a REALLY important show coming up at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn and I need to get you there! I will be opening for Anthony Gomes , who if you haven't seen before, you will be blown away with his songs, his guitar skills and his wonderful band (The New Soul Cowboys).
This is going to be a night to remember! I promise! Here is the info that was on the Fitzgerald's website:

Go to my Shows Page for more info, or to the Fitzgerald's website at:
http://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/listings.html
[where:60402]

Nashville Road Trip.....one of many to come!

2008-01-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

In Your Business Interview Posted!

2008-01-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
I wanted to let you know that the host of In Your Business, Tim Scales, kindly gave me the permission to post the interview and live songs that I did on his show In Your Business. So now I can share them with you! This was filmed at Indiana University East on my performance day there in August 2007. In the player that I have embedded below, you will find a two part interview and then three of my songs, so five videos all together!
I hope you enjoy them!
As for other news, I will be going to Nashville this week. I am looking forward to meeting some great people and enjoying the music scene there. I'll be back on Thursday for my first show of many at Cortland Garage every Thursday night at 8pm. I will also be starting an acoustic show every Wednesday night at Suite Lounge starting on January 30th!!
2008 is starting off with a bang!! Enjoy the vids!!

New Look, New Year

2008-01-02T10:03:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone!!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and fun time welcoming the New Year! The website has a new look now as well. A frame was added at the top with all of the places where you can find me and connect with me on the Web. It's pretty cool, like a one-stop shop! We are also working on building my fanclub page and Reinmakers Street Team page next. I get impatient sometimes and want things done right away, but it's going to take time and it's going to be well worth it!
The Holidays were fun, I ate a lot, a lot, a lot!!! But New Year's ended the food celebration and I was back to boring, I mean healthy eating on the 1st. ha! I have the biggest sweet tooth so it takes extra discipline to not go to the cookies!
I am featured in Campus Activities Magazine for the months of January/February for Hot Music to watch out for in '08!! That was really cool when I found out that I was chosen!! I will post up the article below. It will also be online on the Campus Activities Magazine Website.
I have a really cool gig starting January 10th and going on every Thursday after that from 8-11pm at Cortland Garage here in Chicago. It's going to be an acoustic gig. Hope to see you there. I will be playing originals and cover tunes, including some of my youtube covers :-)
This is going to be a great year! I am putting on my seatbelt now because I know it's going to be a fun and fast ride!!

New Video On Youtube

2007-12-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hi there~
Just really quick....I posted a new video up on youtube...actually two new videos and here is one of them!! This one is really special because my cat makes an appearance, just wait until the end to hear her little voice!!

Patrick Swayze.....in the neighborhood!

2007-12-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

So, I was out and about yesterday and I came upon some serious looking film trucks and equipment. It's been awhile since I have witnessed some film activity in Chicago, so I stuck around to see if I could spot anyone that was famous. There were all of these men with ear muffs on, I knew they had to be from around the West Coast because it looked a little too cold for their liking. Then one of the men stood up and it was Swayze! Good 'ol Patrick Swayze. I REALLY had the urge to start singing "Now I, had the time of my life..." and I did start BUT my fiancé's eyes grew huge with embarrassment so I decided to spare him and everyone else. Wouldn't that have been fun though? Just get all FAME on everyone in the street and start dancing "the dance" with the Swayze. ha! My mind goes in weird places sometimes. Anyhow, I did a little research on the net and I guess they are filming a TV show called The Beast for A&E and his character is an FBI Agent named Charles Barker. Travis Fimmel plays his trainee and he is known for being in ABC's Tarzan as......Tarzan! I am really happy that they are bringing some filming action to Chicago again! About time! If you live in Chicago, you never know when the Swayze will be around the corner, so have your dancing shoes at the ready! God that would have been great! :-)
[where: 60622]

Chicago Acoustic Underground Podcast

2007-12-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to hear me on Chicago Acoustic Underground. A well respected Chicago Podcast that is heard in over 28 countries in the world and gets 70,000 hits a month! It was a great experience!

Diana Rein at Joe's Bar This Saturday!

2007-11-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!!
Have you ever been to Joe's Bar in Chicago?! First off, they always have great National Music Acts that come through there, they have awesome food and beverages in the front area, they always host sports events and have big screens everywhere you look AND I, Diana Rein, will be performing there this Saturday December 1st with my full band!! We will be opening for Infinity, they are a Journey Tribute band.

This will be my last full band show for 2007 so don't miss the fun! I am excited to play some new originals for this show!! See you there! Show starts at 10pm.
I have included a link to Google Maps for your convenience. :-)
http://maps.google.com/
maps?f=l&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=
&q=Joe's+Bar&near=Chicago,+IL&ie=UTF8&z=
11&iwloc=A&om=1

Street Team Supreme

2007-11-21T21:48:00.001-08:00

Alright, I am feeling very candid right now and I am not ashamed to say "I need your help!" I am going to be working on adding a Street Team section to my site. I'll set up missions and goals and hopefully get street team representatives from different States to help and spread the word. I sent out an email to people on my immediate newsletter list (if you are not on that list click here to get on that list! )
Anyway, I am asking people to email me with ideas for what the Street Team's name should be. The person with the best name will win a prize! A cool prize!
I am also on purevolume.com now. A friend told me about it and then I started noticing other artists that I know who are on it, so I thought what the heck? Could be another good way to get out there! Here is the link for that site: Pure Volume
All I know is that I am not going to stop until I am heard and I want everyone to know that if I get help from you, I will never forget it and I will take care of all my devoted fans! I have a memory like an elephant! Ask my fiancé, I remember EVERYTHING!!! haha!!
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
OH! Ps. If anyone is interested in keeping and updating a myspace street team page for me just email me and let me know and we can talk more about that!!
D

Zip your fly!!

2007-11-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
I was in Portage, IN on Friday at an awesome coffee house called Higher Grounds Cafe. I did an acoustic show there and I had a blast! The owners are absolutely the best and the food is great. I had the California Turkey on Focaccia bread and that was seriously the best sandwich that I have ever had!!
I want to thank everyone that came out and made it a night to remember. I was a little embarrassed when after I had finished my first set I was politely told that my fly was open! ahhhh!! It was like that for the whole set! Luckily my guitar is big enough to cover me up for the most part!
I am looking forward to being back in Portage, but next time I will be careful about my zippers!
It's Sunday night and I had rehearsal tonight with my band for our June 1st show at Joe's. It's going to be a blast and I am really looking forward to it. Hope to see you out!
Pretty soon, the show that I did for Chicago Acoustic Underground will be available online. I will write with info as soon as I find out that it's live! Till next time, keep checking my youtube channel because I update with new videos often. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel while you are there! www.youtube.com/dstar781

Rein in Spain!

2007-11-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!!
I just got back from a trip to Europe, it was so beautiful! My first stop was London for an overnight stay before taking the first flight in the morning to Barcelona, Spain!
I had a great time walking along Las Ramblas everyday. The gelato was amazing, the sights were unbelievable, the hotels were so sleek and modern. I walked/was on my feet for 10-12 hours a day. You can pretty much walk to most places in Barcelona if you like to walk. The weather was holding in the 60's during my stay so it made for really nice walking weather. I was really impressed with the churches, buildings and the advanced thinking that architects had hundreds of years back. I also had the opportunity to visit the Picasso museum and to see a large collection of his work. Very inspiring!
The last hotel that I stayed at had a beautiful aquarium in the lobby with huge gold fish. I made good friends with one of them. Everytime I would go by the aquarium to give it a kiss, it would rush towards me and bounce it's little nose on the glass in an attempt to kiss me too. It melted my heart right away! It made it that much harder to leave!!
Before coming back to the States, I stopped in London for three days. Stayed in the Holborn area, rode the tube, checked out Buckingham Palace after riding on the London Eye, walked around Oxford Street and I got inspired to get a new haircut! Fringe is all the rage in London and I suppose it was my way of taking Europe back to America with me since I had such a great time.
The toughest thing about being away for so long was missing my cat and dog. Zoe and Zuzu were being taken care of while I was away by my folks but it was so difficult not to have them be around me for that long! I am super attached to them.
But I am back home now!! Had to get a new video camera because the old one is malfunctioning. Needless to say, more Youtube videos will be going up soon!
I also just did at a show at The Store this past weekend and it was a blast! Thanks to everyone for coming out for that.

YouTube Mania!!

2007-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks~
I have joined the ranks of youtube, not only with my own original songs, but also with my take on some cover songs....including cover songs that you would never think of for acoustic guitar like "Stronger" by Kanye West. For Reals!!!
Let's just put it this way... I LOVE MUSIC!!! Whether it's hip-hop, pop, rock, blues, if I like it, I am all about making it my own and trying it out on the guitar.
If you would like to view the bunch of videos that I posted yesterday and today (fyi...I recorded them all yesterday and today) you can view them at :
Diana's YOUTUBE PAGE http://www.youtube.com/dstar781
I am so excited by the additions! It's so fun to sing untraditional acoustic covers!!
I will most likely be playing some of these at gigs as well....requests are welcome!!!
All the best,
Diana

Chicago Acoustic Underground Tonight!

2007-10-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone~
I had such a fun experience tonight!! I just did a podcast called Chicago Acoustic Underground with Michael Teach! We just had fun and talked about the album, life, stealing candy bars!! I was able to sing four tunes live, including a new one that hasn't even been released on a cd yet! What is really cool about this podcast is that it reaches 28 countries and is now getting about 70,000 hits a month! They have just started videotaping the sessions as well, so when it's all said and done, you will be able to hear the hour long interview and then visually see footage as well! So you can see and hear LIVE music! Isn't that the point? Who was the person that thought that people and fans would be entertained by a recording that they could hear at home? I just don't understand the concept. Never did and never will. I remember long, long ago when I had pigtails and would watch cartoons every Saturday morning...even at that age, I made a vow that I would never lip synch...EVER!
Keep your eyes peeled to find out when the Chicago Acoustic Underground interview will be exploding on your computers!! Yay!!
Diana