Two of my favorite things are concerts and girls who sing, and this weekend will be filled with both.

One of my best friends, Melissa, is celebrating her birthday day — happy birthday, Melissa! — and tonight a bunch of us are going to see Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire (at Freedom Hall in Louisville) to celebrate.

I’m not really a Reba fan, but I ache for Kelly Clarkson.

I’m actually hoping to somehow get her to notice me in the crowd and hire me to become the chef on her tour bus, where we’ll fall in love and life will be wonderful every day until the end of forever.

Seriously, Kelly. Think about it. I’ll make you laugh. I can cook whatever you like. It’ll be fun. I promise!

Please?

I should get home from the Kelly show just in time to see my original favorite female songbird, Lisa Loeb, on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

If you can stay up that late, please check it out.

Lisa is finally releasing The Purple Tape on CD next Tuesday, January 22. It’s a collection of songs she recorded before her song “Stay” became, in 1994, the first number one song by an unsigned artist.

Her first official album, Tails, followed in 1995.

Her Firecracker album (from 1997) is one of my all-time top-five albums. Be sure, also, to pick up her more recent releases like Hello Lisa and The Way It Really Is.

Lisa’s currently working on a second children’s album and another studio record for grownups. More information on those projects will show up here as soon as I know it.

And then on Saturday, several us of are going to see one of my favorite gals, Garrison Starr, at a house concert in Louisville.

Details here.

So if you live in Louisville, be there!

And if you don’t live in Louisville, start driving, because this will be a show you can’t miss.

You won’t believe what her voice can do. Which is why you have to hear it for yourself.

Garrison’s most recent album is The Girl That Killed September. Check it out. And The Sound of You & Me. And Airstreams & Satellites. And Songs from Take-off to Landing. Just get them all. It’ll be easier that way.

It’s going to be a very good weekend.