But first, a description of the movie:

Plot Summary for

Love Don’t Let Me Down (2010) More at IMDbPro »

A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Paltrow). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Meester).

Gwenyth Paltrow                                                                               Garret Hedlund
Tim McGraw                                                                                       Leighton Meester

The movie is basically your typical love triangle (or in this case square) featuring the classic manager-husband (McGraw) and his struggling singer-wife (Paltrow) and the drama that thusly ensues.

How I managed to get cast as an extra:

I was contacted in the middle of our break by a Sugarland fan (Sarah) who had come across an email from the casting office looking for people in Nashville with flexible schedules to be extras for the film.  I’d also recently watched “Yes Man” and had adopted an attitude of saying “yes” to just about anything that came my way.  So I filled out the form, including my measurements, past experience, (I didn’t know if country music award shows counted but I wrote them down anyway) attached a picture and got a phone call 2 days later letting me know I’d been cast! Woohoo! When the lady on the phone said “I think everyone should be an extra at least once in their life” I probably should’ve had second thoughts…

But what about those myths I promised to dispel?

Myth 1. Actors and Actresses have fancy dressing rooms.

Reality: We were corralled at an abandoned strip club.

No joke. The production company needed to find a facility to house, feed, and store the possessions of about 50 extras for the 12-14 hours a day that we were on the set. What better place to do so than the old, abandoned strip club “Cocktails” located right off the interstate downtown? Cocktails had plenty of seating, a buffet downstairs, mirrors where we could do our makeup, and even a pole in the middle of the room where we could stretch out. Needless to say, I didn’t touch anything.

(My friend Eddy gives the pole a try)

Myth 2. I’m going to be in a movie!

Reality: The back of my head is going to be in a movie.

I was placed in several scenes where I was asked to pretend to engage in an animated conversation with other extras while one of the principal actors walked down a hallway backstage. I was always placed with my back to the camera. So you’ll probably get a good idea of what the back of my head looks like if you happen to see this movie.

Myth 3. I’m going to become best friends with Tim McGraw!

Reality: Despite the fact that I was placed in a scene where Tim, a makeup artist, and I had to wait in a room a little bigger than a utility closet together and walk out into a hallway on cue, I never mustered up the courage to introduce myself to him.

Here’s the set up. Gwyneth has just performed. Tim walks through a door (presumably from the stage or an office – not a utility closet) and into a hallway backstage to shake hands with the promoter. After Tim’s line, I walk out of the same door, carrying an armful of manilla folders with a look of hurried determination on my face like I’ve got someplace really important I’ve got to go with these papers. (I actually just walk across the hallway out of the shot which then cues 2 other extras to walk back across the hallway into the closet Tim and I just left.)  We had to tape this scene over and over again. Which meant that I was in this tiny room with Tim waiting for the crew to reset the scene over and over again for almost an hour.

And I didn’t have the nerve. I couldn’t find an “in.” I was too chicken to just say, “Hey man, I’m Annie, a fellow Louisiana native and Sugarland’s bassist.” Instead I just stood around smiling in between takes as Tim sang songs, whistled, and put water bottles in Garret Hedlund’s footpath to trip him up as he came bursting out of another door behind Tim at the end of the scene. The water bottle prank was pretty freakin’ funny actually.

Will I ever be an extra again?

I’m pretty torn to be honest. The whole experience was so bizarre. There was so much sitting around, waiting to get picked for a scene that it made me feel like we, as extras, were like dogs at the pound, hoping someone would come along and pluck one of us from the pack and take us home. Every time the casting director would walk into the room, we’d all look up hopefully from our seats in our folding chairs, holding our breath, keeping our fingers crossed. The reality is that extras are really nothing more than walking, talking props – and that’s not the greatest feeling.

On the flip side, I met a lot of great people, made a little money, and will probably get to see the back of my head in a movie.

Extra Perspective:

I found this article called “Love Don’t Let Me Down’ needs extras in Nashville” asking for folks to volunteer as extras and come to the auditorium for a big crowd scene. But more importantly, the discussion beneath the article pretty well sums up the 2 different ways you can view being an extra. Here are the words of 2 people who were extras in the big concert scene…

Ron February 10, 2010 at 12:14 am

This was the climactic scene, however, the majority of the crowd footage from Feb. 2nd will be dubbed over with footage that was filmed on the 3rd with paid extras. Being an extra is boring work, and the chances of showing up in the finished product are slim to none. The only benefit to the role of extra is if you get paid the standard $58/8 daily rate…free $$$, and they might feed you at least once during the time you’re there on set.

Tony February 13, 2010 at 12:46 am

I’ve been a paid extra for 2 years now and “yes” it’s boring.”yes” i got paid.”yes they fed me.”yes” some of my scenes were cut while others were not.   And “YES” it was the most fun the best learning experience, and least “work” that i have done EVER!

It’s not about getting paid or even making it past the cutting room floor. It’s about being part of a project with hundreds sometimes thousands of people.

You wont get rich being an extra but you will meet some of the most brilliant, talented, fascinating people on the planet, and some of those people are in a position to find you other work that does pay very well.

I guess I tend to agree more with Tony. Keep an eye out for the back of my head when “Love Don’t Let Me Down” hits the theaters!

The List…

iTunes Reveals Top 25 Downloads Of All Time
(Updated) “iTunes changed the way you buy music, making songs and albums available for download, day or night,” declared Apple on the site. “Seven years later, we’re about to celebrate our biggest milestone for music, yet—10 billion songs downloaded.” The 10 billionth downloader will win a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
As part of the promotion iTunes is also offering a rare glimpse at its most downloaded songs of all time:

1) “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas
2) “Poker Face,” Lady Gaga
3) “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas
4) “I’m Yours,” Jason Mraz
5) “Viva la Vida,” Coldplay
6) “Just Dance,” Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis
7) “Low,” Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain)
8.) “Love Story,” Taylor Swift
9) “Bleeding Love,” Leona Lewis
10) “TiK ToK,” Ke$ha
11) “Disturbia,” Rihanna
12) “So What,” Pink
13) “I Kissed a Girl,” Katy Perry
14) “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Beyoncé
15) “Hot N Cold,” Katy Perry
16) “Stronger,” Kanye West
17) “Live Your Life,” T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
18) “Hey There Delilah,” Plain White T’s
19) “Right Round,” Flo Rida
20) “Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus
21) “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey
22) “Bad Romance,” Lady Gaga
23) “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon
24) “Fireflies,” Owl City
25) “How to Save a Life,” the Fray

Ok, here’s what I’ve downloaded: 5) “Viva la Vida,” Coldplay, 8.) “Love Story,” Taylor Swift, 14) “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” Beyoncé, 23) “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon, 24) “Fireflies,” Owl City.

I love all of the songs I downloaded, particularly “Single Ladies” and “Fireflies.” Don’t much about Flo Rida. Am I missing something? Please enlighten me…

You can’t read this very well so I’ll type it out for you. I’m going to enjoy re-typing this…

ORDER -This matter is presently set for a jury trial on Monday, February 1, 2010. Considering the historic victory of the New Orleans Saints, the Court finds that the trial will not be able to proceed as originally scheduled. The Court takes judicial notice that Saintsmania

permeates the City of New Orleans. Many prospective jurors for the Parish of Orleans, several attorneys involved in this litigation and Court personnel plan on traveling to the promise land -the Superbowl in Miami, Florida. The Court recognizes that this pilgrimage enhances the chances of the Who Dat Nation to acquire the long sought after Holy Grail – the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the jury trial scheduled for Monday, February 1, 2010 is continued to Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.

This is so freaking awesome. I love that “Saintsmania” and “The Who Dat Nation” are real live entities that have to be considered in a Court of Law. This rules.

I love New Orleans. Go Saints!!!

Speaking of high school…

Perhaps most notably in the highlight reel was the moment during the set when I felt it prudent to let my dad have some time on the microphone to sing a song that he and I used to perform when I was a wee little lass in high school at our regular Wednesday night gig at the Howlin’ Wolf. The song title: “Sperm Bank Nurse.” 

Sperm Bank Nurse only has one verse. And it’s a doozy. I’m attaching the video for your enjoyment/horror. I’ll type the lyrics out so you can follow along… And listen for Katherine Klimitas saying “Oh my God” over and over as she watches the drama unfold…

“Sperm Bank Nurse” Key of G ( – as if it really matters)

“I fell in love with a Sperm Bank Nurse. 

She found my heart, she found it first.

Never knew love could feel this way.

Now I’m donating three times a day.

She’s got me in the p-p-p-palm of her hand.

She’s my sperm bank nurse, and I’m her Spec-i-Man.”

Pure poetry. “Sperm Bank Nurse” is followed by a really great song that my dad wrote called “Love Won’t Do” featuring D’arcy Malone and me on vocals. This was another song dad and I used to play back in the day. So basically every Wednesday night, my dad, our friend Doug Belotte (drums) and I would join forces as The Cranston Clements Healing Machine and play a late-night set. Then I’d have to get up Thursday and go to school. Lame. 

Here’s a very rare photograph from those days:

This picture was taken somewhere between ‘98 and ‘99. Let’s talk about my outfit. This is a typical show outfit for me in high school. Multi-colored spandex tank top, black velvet mini-skirt, giant fish-scale patterned stockings, hot pink wig with neon green sunglasses on top, and pink plastic “slinky” bracelets. A masterpiece if I do say so myself. And apparently I’m still not tired of wearing wigs onstage. (See videos of Sugarland’s cover of “Love Shack.”)

I also appreciate the fact that my eyes are closed in this pic, which indicates that I’m either so into the music or so embarrassed about “Sperm Bank Nurse” that I don’t want to open them. 

Well, those were some crazy days and I enjoyed an opportunity to tap into those old Healing Machine days with dad during our show. For those of you who were present, thanks so much for being there! It was a blast! Hope you’ve enjoyed the show as well as this glimpse into a fairly unconventional childhood…

Speaking of New Orleans, I will be playing a big show on Friday, Jan. 15th back home in N.O. with a project called The Chillun’s. The Chillun’s began back in 2001 when I was in college and was the brainchild of good friends Harry Hardin and Andre’ Bohren (a fellow Chillun.) Basically there are a bunch of really talented musicians in New Orleans and those musicians have gone on to breed more musicians. So… why not start a band of rockin’ dads and their aspiring offspring? And so The Chillun’s were born. Literally and figuratively.

The line up is my dad Cranston on guitar, me on bass and vocals, Dave Malone (The Radiators) on guitar and his two kids Johnny and Darcy on vocals, and Spencer Bohren on slide guitar and his son Andre’ on the drums. We perform once a year around the holidays at Tipitina’s and play our favorite Beatles, Motown, and dad-penned songs. 

We played a very special show back in May of this year and got to open the stage for Sugarland when S.Land played Jazz Fest! So I got to start the show and end the show. It was one of the best days of my life and I don’t think I’ve ever seen more of my family all in one place. It was bigger than Christmas. 

Some pics from that day:

  Here’s all the Chillun’s 

From left to right: Johnny, Darcy, Andre’ and me – opening the show with an a cappella number

 The dads, rockin’ out!

From left to right: Spencer, Dave, and my dad Cranston!

  Then Sugarland closed the show! Quint Davis (head of Jazz Fest) said he didn’t think anyone had ever opened AND closed the same stage on one day. It’s Jazz Fest history! And check out me and Jen’s feathered wings and tail. The Mardi Gras Indians joined us on this number as well. Awesome.

So, it’s highly recommended that if you’re in the area, you come on out to this show. The show starts at 10 pm and it’s gonna be a late one! The address is 501 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans, LA! If you need more details, advance tickets or directions check out this link here.

Hope to see you there! Who Dat!

-Annie

In our family, this dish is called “Bing Cherry Salad.” Also known as “The Dreaded Bing-er.” My sister has another nickname for this salad which I won’t write here as this is a family-friendly blog. 

Here’s the recipe for the Dreaded Bing-er.

Strike one: It’s a Jello salad. Like, nobody makes gelatin salads these days. They’ve had their rise and fall in popular culture and it’s now generally known that they are gross.

Strike two: Bing cherries. Have you ever even heard of a Bing cherry? This dish is so outdated that the fruit it calls for has practically disappeared from existence. It’s like making a Dodo bird salad. They don’t really exist anymore. In fact, mom couldn’t even find a can of bing cherries at the grocery store this year. We thought we were off the hook until she found a lone can of them at the back of our pantry. No telling how long it’d been there…

Strike three: Cream Cheese. What? Cream cheese and jello? And coca cola? What? 

Here is the Dreaded Bing-er in all its glory:

Terrifying! I always have a tiny spoonful just to carry on the family tradition but I have a feeling that this dish will inevitably disappear from our Thanksgiving line-up unless mom can find Bing cherries for sale on the internet. 

To add insult to injury, my little brothers have begun growing, harvesting, and juicing their own wheatgrass. It’s packed with immune boosters and antioxidants but it’s also just gross. Even when mixed with apple juice.

The boys are ready to serve the healthy juice to the entire family. Also, Tyler photo-bombed this picture. He’s on the left. 

I give it a try. Even mixed with 2 parts apple juice, it’s still a tough thing to swallow. 

Those brothers of mine never cease to amaze me. So anyway, I’d love to get feedback from everyone on their family’s one random dish that no one seems to really like but gets served every year. Maybe I could put together a cookbook?!? Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

And here’s some pictures from a recent show in Baton Rouge.

That’s me and Lindsay watching the boys play an opening instrumental. That’s my brother Austin on the bass looking sharp!

And here I am singing some background vocals with Lindsay. My dad is on the left and our friend Greg is behind me on guitar. You can see my brother Tyler’s drum set behind us.

I’m enjoying an opportunity to make music with my family and hope you will check out the CD! You can visit their website here.

Hair and Makeup is the best for many reasons. (First of all, I get free, professionally styled hair and makeup. I get to keep whatever ends up on my head and face. Tonight’s booty yielded 17 bobby pins and a pair of fake eyelashes. Score!) But the best part is being in the heart of the action of the award show. All kinds of people come in and out of hair and makeup for all kinds of crazy reasons. At one point, Joey and Rory came in after their photo op on the red carpet because Joey’s Pochahontas-style suede dress had shed all over Rory’s corduroy overalls. 

  It was so sweet. She had hugged him in this picture and when they pulled apart, they realized that Rory was covered in little bits of suede granules from her dress so they rushed to hair and makeup for help. The staff pulled out a couple of lint rollers and went to town onRory but to no avail. It was a valiant effort but sweet Rory spent the evening covered in dress sheddings none the less. I’d say life is still pretty good for him anyway. 

For Sugarland’s segment, our stylist wanted the band to wear tuxedos. She picked out a fun, girl version of a tuxedo for me and I decided to go with an up-do for a more formal look. In the end I think I looked like a cross between the girls in Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” video and a pirate/librarian. You be the judge:

 Our stage setup included a live string section and a laser light show. They kept reminding us not to look directly at the lasers as we could suffer eye damage. I have a dangerous job! (And no, people, I was not one of the gals behind Jen playing cello. I was the librarian/pirate on the bass.)

I was ecstatic when we won Duo of the Year. I really thought Brooks and Dunn would win it this year and thought it was very kind of Jennifer to ask them on the stage to share in the award. I thought B&D’s reaction was pretty hilarious too. Quick, twitchy head shaking with a tight locked mouth. I have the same reaction when someone tries to get me to eat sweet potatoes. I hate sweet potatoes. 

Now I know some of you are pondering Taylor’s sweep of the awards, particularly the wins for “Female Vocalist” and “Entertainer of the Year.”  I have to say that I was expecting her to win both of these awards.  She sold out TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW at Madison Square Garden this year. She packs the house. She puts on a very elaborate production. I do think that perhaps the category of “Female Vocalist” should be changed to “Female Entertainer.” I think that that is how people are voting within that category these days. Obviously, Taylor is not the strongest vocalist nominated in the category, but she has had the most success this year out of everyone else listed, which is why she won the award. I believe she is a genuine, sincere person who is truly grateful for all of these opportunities and I’m happy that someone so kind, honest, and hard working is making such a name for themselves. I was personally pulling for Keith to win for EOTY as I think he embodies the spirit of the award but a win for Taylor is fair in my book. 

The highlight of the evening for me came when we were all walking out of the building at the end of the show and I ran into Little Big Town. There was Karen Fairchild, almost 6 months pregnant, looking stunning. She gave me a hug and invited me to touch her belly. It’s possible that I may have had my hand on 2040’s Entertainer of the Year. Now THAT is something I’m looking forward too!