I've just fallen in love with Loreena and the band live, having seen my first two shows in the past week. Of the hundreds of concerts i've attended, she's easily in my top 5 performers. I'm so sad that the tour's over (well, for me); I got spoiled, seeing her twice in one week!

How often does she tour? And of that, how frequently does she hit the States?

Hi, Jenn, I'm like you -- the Lakewood, Ohio, concert was my first ever Loreena concert. I can't wait till she releases her next album and tours again! (Yeah, I still call 'em "albums.") I watched "Alhambra" last night and relived what it was like live. There's just a wonderfully different experience to see/hear Loreena and band live. Wow!

Jennn, I would say Loreena probably tours with every new album, so we'll probably have to wait for another one. I think we were quite fortunate to have her swing thru the States twice in this year. Maybe she was making up for lost time since she hadn't toured since I think 1998.

I was first smitten with her music in 1999 when I first heard "The Visit" and this was her first tour since the late 1990's that I know of.
I also saw her twice this year, once in Boston, once in Portland, and I haven't been the same person since.
I have seen everybody from The Allman Brothers to Z.Z.Top in my rock & roll concert days. In all of those concerts I have never heard anything sound as good as Loreena and her band.
Never did I personally meet anybody in those bands either but I met everybody in Loreena's band at one show or the other (with exception
of Tal Bergman). Met Loreena, Brian, Caroline & Hugh in Boston. Tim, Rick, Donald & Ben in Portland, all very nice people and awesome musicians.
I'll be first on the phone or internet when I get the e-mail about a tour or new album, until then we must learn ways to rediscover what we already have, old or new.
An old song that I rediscovered was "She Moved Through The Fair", and a new one is "Never Ending Road". Sitting just 10' away this past Monday those songs just seemed to grab me. Watching her play that harp, that close up was intense.
When she talks about the taking pictures problem, she mentions she is trying to set a mood. Well to me the perfect song to set that mood is "She Moved Through The Fair" especially
when Brian starts making all those spooky, howling sounds. The Lyra playing, the way they do the lighting, and especially the sound, it all comes together and automatically creates an atmosphere.
I wonder what goes on in that womans head while she is home planning, and while she is on her trips doing research. What does she hear in her mind, and what is she seeing the makes these songs all come together that we love.