It was an honor and thrill to attend The Sundance Film Festival for my third year in a row, performing at the #IndieLounge and Music Lodge on Main Street during Weekend One!  My friends at LaLaScoop asked me to cover my personal Sundance experience as an artist and attendee, so here’s a fun recap of some highlights from my unforgettable weekend!

My Sundance began with a taste of ChefDance, first celebrating ChefDance founder Mimi Kim‘s birthday at her and Kenny Griswold‘s spectacular private home.  The intimate birthday bash was a perfect way to begin the weekend… When I walked in, Mimi screamed, “Are you singing this weekend?!”  It was a lovely and warm welcoming, and she and Kenny made me feel right at home in Park City.  The night was marked by amazing food and fabulous new friends in a breathtaking home, complete with a stream running through the front entryway and eclectic jungle-inspired decor throughout the home.  If you know me, you know I love leopard print, so I was a happy guest!

Night One of ChefDance was the perfect dining experience to wind down the busy first day of press interviews and meet & greets.  The menu featured a delicious four-course meal by James Beard Award recipient chef Shawn McClain of Las Vegas’ Sage and Libertine Social and Chicago’s Spring, Green Zebra, and Custom House.  A festive cocktail hour preceded the lavish sit-down dinner, including my favorite mountain-inspired dish of the weekend, spiced short ribs with roasted kabocha squash.  The event was aptly tagged “#invitegreat,” as I found myself dining with a sparkling group of some of the hottest event promoters, publicists, creatives, directors, and film producers, as well as  Paul Oakenfold and Julie Ormond, who were in attendance that night.  SYSCO and GiftedTaste sponsored the fabulous evening along with Voss Water and Four Daughters Wine, in support of international pediatric medical non-profit, Operation Smile.

My first show was on Saturday afternoon, at Power & Industry‘s #IndieLounge on Main Street, produced by Jade Umbrella.  It was a packed house for its 7th year in a row, full of energy and amazing people.  With sponsors including The Creative Coalition, Jacuzzi, Leadslingers Spirits, and Pinner Test, the #IndieLounge had something for everyone – Getty Images photo shoots by celebrity photographer Michael Bezjian supporting The Artists Project, as well as gourmet catering, an open bar, complimentary make-up applications, massages, and the ever exclusive gifting suite.  As a performer at the lounge, I was gifted with a brand new sleek black Olympia carry-on suitcase (perfect for bringing to gigs!) and a bottle of RabbitHole whiskey.  BellaDonna beauty products were gifted, as well as “Watch Ya Mouth” by Ellen DeGeneris, Neff beanies, Magic Bullet energy drinks, and some other fun cosmetics and beauty products.  EyeOnSouthFlorida was in the house, as well as media correspondents from PopWrapped. #IndieLounge was definitely one of the hottest spots on Main Street, and I’m so happy I was able to share my new music with everyone in attendance!

My second show was on Saturday evening at the uber-exclusive Music Lodge.  Produced by Power Media Entertainment and hosted by the lovely Lisa Precious, this was an intimate show in a cozy, elegant setting.  I shared my single “What Love is All About” as well as other original love songs co-written with Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn, and there was some wild applause from the ladies in the house when I opened the set with “You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman.)”  The Music Lodge has always been a popular Main Street destination at Sundance, particularly for musicians like myself…  In past years at Music Lodge, I’ve met friends from MTV News, Toyota Mirai, and Members Only.  But this year ushered in some exciting new brand sponsors like Tesla Motors and Associated Press.  I was gifted with some of my most favorite swag from the entire weekend here at Music Lodge this year – some amazing pairs of leather and suede winter boots by Coolway, and a gorgeous black fur poncho by Freed & Freed.  (I’ll be sure to sport these items in New York City next month while I’m there for my show at Feinstein’s/54 Below!)  Mary J. Blige and Zack Black were spotted at Music Lodge, so it was definitely a stop not to miss!

As any Sundance vet knows, the parties are unparalleled throughout Weekend One – so I celebrated my two performances with a few fabulous parties on Saturday night!  My first stop was the annual Dream X Nylon Apres Ski Party sponsored by Dream Hotels and Nylon Magazine!  It’s a blast every year, packed with celebs, fantastic drinks, photo booths, great DJs, and a high profile red carpet.  Then my friends and I crossed Main Street to hit the Facebook Occulus VR Cocktail Party for some gourmet hors d’ouvres and some fun virtual reality demos.  Next, we visited one my favorite ski resorts, The St. Regis Deer Valley, for the exclusive SPG / Amex Party sponsored by American Express and Starwood Preferred Guest.  It’s always an adventure riding the funicular up the mountain – and it was worth the ride for the delicious seafood bar, the Kahlua infused purple hot chocolate, and the spectacular magic show by Justin Willman, featuring “Sidney Hall” star Michelle Monaghan (I’m a total geek when it comes to magic shows!).

The next day brought nearly ten inches of snow, and more events, parties, and of course, gifting suites!  One of my favorite gifting suites is the EcoLuxe Lounge, produced for the tenth year by Debbie Durkin in support of Shriners for Children Medical Center.  Chariot Travelware gifted some fantastic designer luggage (fantastic for traveling for songwriting trips!), Barefoot ECO Outfitters gave out some comfortable retro mountain apparel, Colour Pop Cosmetics provided some glamorous make-up products, and AutismFoundation.org was present as well.  Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Christine Rossi interviewed me about maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the music industry at the Choices Recovery Media Center, and it was fun running into Jason Ritter and Shar Jackson, who also stopped by!  Perched high atop Main Street at the Blue Iguana, the EcoLuxe Lounge is always a celeb favorite and I’m so happy that I went!

Sunday was filled with many more notable adventures, including press with Marie Claire at The Hub, a media interview at the Chase Sapphire House, hot totties at the Women in Film event at the Deadline / Stella Artois Lounge, VR experiences at the Upload VR House, a sip of wine at the Coppola IndieWire Party, gifting by 361 Degrees athletic wear back at The Hub, the premiere party of “Columbus,” starring Parker Posey, at the Kia Supperclub, and a private VIP One Republic concert filmed for The Artist Den at Park City Live!   After a fun photo shoot in the snow for The Artists Project, it was time to head back to L.A. for another Sundance in the books!  I’ve posted personal photos from several of these suites and events on my Instagram @carlyrobyngreen – follow me there for an inside peek!  Thanks to LaLaScoop for following me on my exciting Sundance 2017 journey!