mrscartershow Archives - Adison Evans

beyGOOD Christmas Extravaganza in the Bronx

June 26, 2018December 22, 2013 by Adison

Last night the Mrs Carter Crew put on a Christmas Extravaganza for families in need in association with Beyonce’s Beygood program! All thanks to Denee Baptiste and the Mrs Carter Dancers for putting it all together!

These kids all wrote us their Christmas wish lists and everyone in the crew bought them their presents all wrapped and ready to go! We had lots of festivities for the kids including a dance area,
Arts and crafts, reading to the kids, and taking pictures with Santa Claus!

Naturally at Adi’s Jazz Kitchen we have to run the cookie/cupcake decorating station, which was a complete success! Who doesn’t like christmas cookies and cupcakes?! Come on now.. I started baking as soon as I got back into town from our Boston show at 430 AM all day until the event.. Now keep in mind there were hundreds of people and all this baking took place in one oven w 2 racks and a very small nyc kitchen! What a blast though…

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The gingerbread recipe I used was killer! I highly recommend it. (They come out chewy and very flavorful)
http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/411823

Here’s the red velvet cupcake recipe I used (also highly recommended!)
http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/478166
In addition to making regular cream cheese frosting, I also made my own recipe: NUTELLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING! Can you say dabombdotcom? Here it is:

3 cups conf sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter softened
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Nutella
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Blend all the ingredients together. Frost cupcakes when cooled completely. Store extra frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator!

It’s so important to remember to give back to those who might need a hand this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Life on the road with the Mrs Carter Crew and Beyoncé

June 26, 2018December 12, 2013 by Adison

Just like any other leg to this tour there have been ups and downs.. Mostly ups! I love being on the road in the US just because of the simple fact that it’s not TOO far away from home, and I still get to use my phone and have internet :D. Plus, this leg is shorter than the others, which is nice since the holiday season is here and we all just want to be home with our families. Meanwhile, I have my lovely tour family and here’s some of the adventures we’ve had so far this leg…

We had a blast in San Jose at Christmas in the Park..

getting in the Christmas spirit with my favorite movie..

We go to rehearsals and rock out…

Kind of like Larry (Les Twins) and Derek did today on the bus in Kentucky..

We catch lots of trains, planes, boats, and buses..

There’s ups! like seeing my suite mate from Interlochen (high school) in Houston, Emily for lunch!

Then there’s more ups like getting picked up in cool dude cars on occasion..

The best part about this leg so far was the COOKING PARTY that we had at Jennita’s! Here’s a sneak peek (full episode to appear soon)!

I made apricot glazed turkey meatballs, and they were a hit! I love sweet and savory. yum yum yum!

Lots of the crew cooked too including Katty, and her “Not Paula Deen’s Banana Pudding”

Crissy even gave LT a peanut butter facial! She’s very convincing. 😉

Then there’s the times where we are killing time backstage (everynight) so we watch Ancient Aliens.. Dun Dun Dun!!!

and Rie always falls asleep.. she’s dreaming of aliens..

Then there’s the Mrs Carter Show..

It’s a good job.

Halloween down under with the Mrs Carter Band

June 26, 2018November 2, 2013 by Adison

Hey Everyone! Here are some shots and videos from the Mrs Carter Show Halloween party and the band carving watermelons! I didn’t buy a costume so I tore the sheets off my bed and made a toga! It came together with the help of some of Crystal’s birthday flowers.. Always finding ways to improvise over here.. Here’s the stuff!

I hope you all had a very spooky halloween!

In other news.. Stay tuned for a new episode of Adi’s Jazz Kitchen.. Featuring a very talented special guest!! Take a guess who..

Dun dun duuunn!

Fish Tacos down unda with the Mrs Carter Crew!

June 26, 2018October 25, 2013 by Adison

The lack of a kitchen on the road really infuses a deep sense of excitement (over the normal amount) within me when it comes to good food.. As you can see by this video, I am more than thrilled when our “after show” food is us getting our own taco truck. You can also see, that I’m not the only one! (Both of the Larry’s, Crystal, and Rie seem to agree)!

Been having a blast, Melbourne. See you for show number 3 tonight!

Land of the Kiwis

June 26, 2018October 18, 2013 by Adison

I am happy to announce that Mr. Bear and I now have a new traveling buddy (thanks to my sister Katty and her hubby Keyon)… Meet Mr. Kiwi! Yahoooo! Straight from the first stop on the Mrs Carter Show Tour with Beyonce.. Auckland, New Zealand!

And since this is Adi’s Jazz Kitchen and it’s about food and music, I had to get a picture of LT in the background eating the very delicious chicken teriyaki from catering. Speaking of catering, I have to say New Zealand takes the best catering award of the tour so far. The food has been absolutely delicious here. Everywhere I’ve gone the food was on point. What I loved most about it, is it is simply made and all of the ingredients were able to stand out on their own and really come through in the dish.

Our very first day here Rie, Jennita, and I went out to a great restaurant that we found on the “where chefs eat app”, called Coco’s.

Coco’s is a really hip spot with a Brooklyn-ish charm that serves rustic italian food. We ended up ordering a few different entrees and antipasti and sharing family style (of course, that’s the best way to taste everything!)

Bruschetta with mashed broadbeans, pea, mint, and faggotini (ricotta stuffed mozzarella). Bruschetta is such a great vehicle to try out new flavor combinations,. You can go the traditional route of tomatoes, a lovely olive oil, basil, etc.. or you could.. do I even dare say try making dessert bruschetta (you know, you gotta expand your nutella horizons) or even maybe try a savory sweet combination like brie cheese and semisweet chocolate chips? Any takers?

Grilled cod over panzanella with smoked paprika aioli. I’m a total seafood junkie, especially when we’re somewhere with the clearest and prettiest blue green water I’ve ever seen. Yum. By the way, New Zealand is home to the largest mussels I’ve ever come across.. they almost scared me.

Asparagus with Pecorino Romano, lemon, and fried garlic chips. Fried garlic friend garlic fried garlic. ESPECIALLY while on tour.. Besides garlic’s amazing health properties.. I’m 13,000 miles from my boyfriend in New York City? I don’t think he can smell me from here. 😉

An amazing pile of homemade spaghetti… enough said.

Last but not least, a perfectly cooked Veal Scallopine with capers. THE END of a beautiful dinner. mmm mm mmm! Go to Coco’s on K street next time you’re in Auckland!

Also in that adventure filled day we hit up a quaint, rustic bakery and the most amazing museum!

For those who are not Kiwis, did you know that NZ is mostly made up of volcanoes?! Don’t worry, the last one erupted 550 years ago.. So Rie and I climbed to the top of one, Mt Victoria!

The view doesn’t get any better than that! Rie and I had to take a ferry to get over there!

I would like to conclude this post and my first trip EVER to Auckland, New Zealand with the yummiest lamb burger I’ve ever tasted in my life:

Thanks for such a blast New Zealand! It was so nice to meet you and experience your culture! I hope you enjoyed the Mrs Carter Show!

Much love,

Adi

PS- Melbourne, I’m comin’ for you next! 😉

Eating my way through Sydney Airport

June 26, 2018October 14, 2013 by Adison

Hey all,

Sorry I’ve been gone, but since the end of the South American leg of Beyonce’s Mrs Carter Show involved a whole lot of jet setting and no sleep, my immune system crashed on me when I finally got home.

So I spent a good two weeks in bed being sick. However, I did manage to get out of bed to go to a gala event with my sweetheart!

Damn. I accidentally just erased all that I wrote.. Now I have to type it all again. (On this iphone) agh.. Ok here goes take 2..

Besides getting in a lot of rest this break I also did work on the second episode of Adi’s Jazz Kitchen cooking show! I’m very excited to put it all together and release it to you guys as soon as I recover all of the data that is on my hard drive that just crashed :/ it sounds bad, I know.. But I’m sure that once I come across a Genius Bar, we’ll be set!
Anywho, back on the road again. Stuck in Sydney airport.. See video below.

Mr Bear is here too..

That’s all for now. See you soon,
Kiwis!

Bye South America, Hello New York! (roasted butternut squash soup)

June 26, 2018October 2, 2013 by Adison

Now that I’ve been home for a day or so, I’ve really been able to reflect on my tour to South America with Beyonce. I have to say, it was really rough! Not a lot of sleep, lots of traveling, the life of a musician. Fortunately, the pros outweighed the cons! Just the people alone that I met in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico were so beautiful and incredibly inspiring! I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone that I came across! You have a place in my heart forever and I’m so grateful for all of you! Here’s a little video after our last show in Puerto Rico:

One of the things that I was looking forward to most in New York (besides seeing my family of course) was the fall time! These 2 weeks will be the only fall I experience this year since we’ll be heading to Australia and New Zealand next! So the next 2 weeks are all about me making my favorite fall dishes! First one’s up!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: serves 2

What you need:

1 medium butternut squash peeled, deseeded, cubed (the smaller you cube it the faster it roasts)
2 shallots halved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp plain green yogurt (with extra for garnishing)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 450° F. Season squash and shallots generously with salt and pepper. Toss in olive oil until coated evenly. Spread squash and shallots out evenly on a cookie sheet and bake until tender all the way through (30-45 minutes) flipping every once in a while. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over med heat (watching carefully to not burn the nuts!). Once squash is tender put in a blender with 2 cups chicken stock and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency. Remove from blender and pour into a stock pot over medium heat. Stir in cardamom powder and Greek yogurt. Pour into bowls and garnish with toasted pine nuts and a dollop of yogurt. Serve with a toasted baguette.

Improvise

Try toasted almond slices instead of pine nuts
You can use heavy cream instead of greek yogurt
Try roasting root vegetables like parsnips or carrots as the soup base

This recipe is so warm and comforting. Perfect for the autumnal season in New York! All we need left is that air outside to get a little colder and crisper! (why does it still feel like summer, NY?!) The perfect song to go with this recipe is none other than, “Autumn in New York” performed by Joe Lovano and the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra (this is a throw back to my Jailyard days.. that’s me on baritone)

Ciao!

Backstage Experience: Medellin, Colombia

May 15, 2018September 26, 2013 by Adison

While backstage a few nights ago in Medellin, Colombia, lots of interesting discoveries occurred. First, while finishing up our makeup and hair we had a visit from La Escuela Kolacho (The Kolacho School). This was a group of kids that studied hip hop and dancing as a part of a program to keep kids off of the streets. They were just yet another very inspiring group of people that I have met in South America. Here’s a clip of one of the kids showing us how it’s done:

Part 2 of my discoveries in Medellin come from Dani and I in catering. I discovered one of my new favorite foods! The granadilla! It’s a fruit native to Bolivia, Venezuela, and Colombia and tastes similar to a passionfruit but is sweeter!

The granadilla has black seeds on the inside and surrounded by a pulp. It may look weird but it’s so yummy and packed with Vitamins C, A, and K, phosphorus, iron, and calcium! As you can see by this video however, I need to work on my eating technique of this fruit. That last bite wasn’t so lady like.. :p

Have a beautiful day, everyone!

Caracas, Venezuela and Medellin, Colombia

May 15, 2018September 22, 2013 by Adison

I know I’m a little late on your post, Venezuela! Thank you for the most adventurous show I’ve ever experienced! I’m grateful for you! At this point in the tour, just the traveling alone is enough to wear you out.. So I decided to stay in the hotel for our time in Caracas, but loved experiencing the mountains of Venezuela on the way from the airport to the hotel!

While at the hotel I had some pretty good food! I think one of the top dishes of this leg so far is this one: crema de auyama: (pumpkin soup)

It was the most comforting dish and reminded me of home. (Can you tell I’ve gotten a little homesick, yet? Lol) Comes with the territory.
One of the best moments in Caracas was going to Benihana with Rie and sitting next to two couples from Venezuela (both speaking Spanish and one couple knew Italian too) Rie didn’t know a word of Spanish or Italian.. And mine is very broken in both languages, yet we had a full dinner’s conversation talking about where we were from and how we like South America and all.. What an adventure that was. Rie and I left the dinner and she said “Adison, that was SO MUCH FUN! Like one giant game of charades!” Hahaha and it was!

Today is actually the day of the show in Colombia.. So I hope you guys are ready, Medellin! We got here yesterday, after the quickest plane ride I’ve ever experienced.. (2 hrs but I was passed out for the entire thing) I fell asleep before the plane took off and when it landed, I woke up and started freaking out because I didn’t know where I was, but the more alarming question was, who was underneath my bed shaking it. I really thought I was being attacked by the boogie monster. (Rough, I know). To give you a better idea of my flying experience yesterday.. here’s Mr Bear and I after 2 hrs of sleep and waiting for 5 hours in the airport. Wait, this one needs a proper intro.

Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce to you the most glamorous part of the road..

I’m going for Miss America with that shot.. Jeez Louise. My point is people.. Is that this job isn’t all makeup, heels, and fabulousness. It involves a whole LOT of looking like that. Anywho..

Luckily I woke up enough to experience the winding mountainous roads and beautiful landscape of Colombia. I wouldn’t of been able to sleep even if I wanted to the way the bus driver, Weavie Wonder (ba dum psh) was flying around the corners like we were in an Aston Martin.. Plus the whizzing by of the motorcyclists.. Turning the corners like they’re in a video game and going by so quickly it sounded like a bumble bee was permanently in my ear. The views and the weather were stunning, though:

I’m looking forward to playing for you tonight, Colombia!
Have a beautiful Sunday, all!

Projeto de Meninos/Meninas de Rua

June 26, 2018September 19, 2013 by Adison

The whole reason that I do what I do lies in this picture. These kids give me the energy and the inspiration to keep on performing and strive to be a better artist. I cannot thank enough the Projeto de Meninos e Meninas de Rua for visiting with the Mrs Carter Show a few nights ago in Sao Paolo.

Most of the time when I get to the venue, I grab my horn and go straight to a place where I can practice. Usually this means practicing in a stairwell, a bathroom, a loading dock with all of the trucks, or in some cases when the crew let me.. the crew room. I remember in Sao Paolo I went to practice and finished just in enough time to take my horn out to the stage when I ran into the kids from this project. Thank goodness I did, because I didn’t realize the amount of joy that they were about to bring me. Our first meeting went a little like this:

This whole trip to South America is a huge affirmation that the simplest things in life can bring the most happiness. Not money, not fame, not material items, not a huge house, not a nice car.. none of that. The majority of people here don’t have that. They are the happiest, most passionate, most grateful people I’ve ever met in my life. Take note, America.
Here’s a few clips from their performance:

Translation by Daniele Ribiero

Dear Projeto de Meninos/Meninas de Rua,

I know you guys said that you came to see the Mrs Carter Show a few nights ago, but the way I see it, is I came to work that day to see you guys perform. It was one of the most honest, inspiring performances I’ve ever witnessed in my career. Music can change the world, and I am eternally grateful for who you all are and what you do. Thank you. With much love..

From one of your biggest fans,
Adison Evans

To check out more on The Project of boys and girls of Rua go to their website: http://www.pmmr.org.br

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