MARC GUNN

Marc Gunn at Savannah, Georgia House Concert

2010-02-08T09:07:00.001-06:00

Friday, May 7, 2010
Lawson House Concert
5 Winding Way
Savannah, Ga 31419
Please RSVP to 912-224-1587 or hawaiianshirtshow@gmail.com
$12 donation

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans and rooted in the American Celtic song tradition. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Want to see me perform live? Make a demand!

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: New CD of Comedy Music Coming Soon

2010-02-03T12:12:00.003-06:00

The past couple o'weeks were extremely productive. I was in the studio recording "Kilted For Her Pleasure" for most of it. Yesterday, I recorded, what I hope is, the last song for the album. Now it's time to do some mixing.

"Kilted For Her Pleasure" is probably my first entirely comedy album. It features a mix of comedic songs I've written and found over the years. While I'd say the album seems most like "What Color Is Your Dragon?" in it's production, even that album had a few serious songs on it. This one really doesn't. Some of the songs were originally released on The FuMP (The Funny Music Project). Others are brand-spanking new!

Here is a list of some of the songs: "A Drop of Vulcan Blood", "The Sailboat Armada", "St. Patrick Never Drank", "Jock Stuart (A Man Who Wears a Kilt Every Day" and "Call of the Bodice". There are a couple traditional songs like "The Mower" and "Maid Went to the Mill", and also, a couple cat parodies of "Old Fenian Gun", "To the Begging I Will Go" and "Mary Mac". It's awesome mix that will go over great at the many Sci Fi Conventions I'm scheduled to attend this year. With any luck, I'll have it out in time for MidSouthCon in March.

Speaking of gigs, I added an extra date to my calendar at the Sherwood Forest Faire, outside of Austin. I'll be there the first two weekends. The first weekend I am playing solo. The second is an extra special treat as Jamie Haesuer joins me on stage playing bodhran and singing backup. I LOVE her harmonies. So seriously, don't miss that second weekend.

Oh! And it seems the Louisiana Renaissance Festival's Midwinter Music Party went so well last week that Jamie is planning on hosting more every few months. That's brilliant news! Friday's show was amazing fun! So many great artists and stories. And it will happen again.

Alrighty, that's all I have for now. I'll be back again next week as we gear up for Mardi Gras, and I hopefully finish mixing the new CD.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn

Listen to the Song of the Month: "Gypsy Rover" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "Don't drive angry. Don't drive angry!" Bill Murray as Phil Connors in Groundhog Day

CD of the Week: The Bird in the Bush by various artists. A compilation of traditional bawdy songs performed by A.L. Lloyd, Anne Briggs, Louis Killen, and Frankie Armstrong. You won't find some of these songs Anywhere else.

New Videos: Bam Said the Lady!. Video project designed for Toys for Tots. I show up in the video somewhere near the end.

Vote for Marc Gunn in the Celtic Top 100. I'm not entirely sure how often they update this. But to vote, click the link and then enter the website. Scroll down. Last I saw, I was at #48. Click my link and you'll even be able to download my free CD "Confessions of a Celtic Music Junkie".

Promotion of the Month: American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Your review will help me to climb the charts on iTunes. So please help out.

Celtic Invasion Vacations. Oban, Iona, Mull. Relax and enjoy the majesty of Scotland with me. I still have a couple spaces available for the trip. Don't miss out!

Join the Celtic Folk Club. Introduce yourself and chat with other fans about Marc Gunn, his podcasts, Celtic Invasion Vacations and more.

The 2009 Renaissance Festival Hall of Fame inductees are now listed on the Ren Fest Podcast websites along with two new shows.

A Few of my Random Links: St Patrick's Day Party Music, Irish Song Lyrics, Tribute to Excalibur Fantasy Faire, Celtic Music CD Store.

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: Review: "The Music Plays Me" by Beyond the Pale, MP3: "Highland Farewell" by Spriggan, MP3: "Greenland Whale Fisheries" by Nine-8ths Irish, Review: "Ships Are Sailing" by The Langer's Ball, Review: "Wild And Wicked Youth" by Tullamore, Review: "Party In A Box" by Trinity River Whalers, MP3: "Lily of the West" by Locklin Road, Review: "Seize the Moment" by Derek Byrne, MP3: "Waves of the Wind" by Maidens IV, Review: "Invite The Light" by Banshee In The Kitchen

Marc Gunn in the News:

"Foggy Dew" was played in the Wandering Geek Podcast.

"The Bonnie Ship the Diamond" was played in the North Country Ramblings Podcast.

Upcoming Gigs:

Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 6-7, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouthCon, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
Apr 16-18, 2010, StarFest, Denver, CO
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts @ 7:30p, Sutherland, NE
May 17-24, 2010, Celtic Invasion of Scotland, Oban, Scotland
Jun 4-6, 2010, Texas Scottish Festival, Arlington, TX
Jul 2-4, 2010, InConJunction, Indianpolis, IN

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Celtic Folk Club, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Celtic Italy

2010-01-21T15:32:00.000-06:00

From the Celtic History Newsletter:

While we normally think of the Celts in the British Isles, or northern Europe, an archeological site known as Monte Bibele in the province of Bologna, Italy revealed a picture of rural life in Celtic-ruled Italy. Unlike their northern relatives the "Italo-Celtic" people seem to have assimilated into a more "urban" life-style rather than the rural environments that they came prior to the Gallic invasion of north Italy.

The Monte Bibele site consisted of a village terraced into the hillside and made up of 40, or 50 buildings laid out in small groups, suggesting the settlement may have been planned, as opposed to simply growing with its population. Housing 200 to 300 people, the village was first settled between 400 and 200 B.C. Excavations of a cemetery show the early population (between 350 and 330 B.C.) was primarily Etruscan, with a gradual increase in Celtic influences over the course of time.

The houses were built of stone and timbers, some even appear to have had second floors, and were most likely roofed with thatch. Inside were earth floors with clay hearths. Water was supplied to the village by a well-constructed cistern which was fed by a nearby stream.

The village was destroyed by a fire about 200 B.C. which actually aided in preserving some of the wood and foodstuffs through carbonization. Excavations of a storehouse suggest a fairly varied diet when they revealed several hundred pounds of wheat, oats, broad beans, lentils, peas, flax, acorns, olives, nuts, apples and grapeseed. Other finds included pottery for storing or preparing food, loom weights and animal bones.

Although these Italo-Celts seem to have adopted many of the Roman/Italian ways of life, one of the things helped identify them was the weapons found in some of the male graves including the La Tene-style Celtic swords they continued to favor. In Googling around for more information about Monte Bibele I stumbled on to an artisan who was commissioned to make a replica of one of the swords, and a javelin found at Monte Bibele. Here is a Google translation of the Italian webpage describing the making of the replica sword: http://tinyurl.com/ykb7hp9 , and here: http://tinyurl.com/yb4xdvu for the javelin.

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If you enjoy our monthly newsletter, please support it by visiting out our online stores, or seek us out at the events listed on our web sites.

The Celtic Croft and MacGregor Historic Games

Make sure you check out Marc Gunn's latest CD The Bridge (Celtic and Folk Music). And don't miss the award-winning Irish and Celtic Music Podcast for a free downloadable radio show of Celtic music twice a month.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Focus, Focus, Focus in 2010

2010-01-15T12:20:00.001-06:00

I'm sitting in Virginia overlooking a frozen lake catching up on work. Yesterday, I updated my calendar with a bunch of festivals and conventions I currently have booked. It's nice to see my calendar filling up already. Today, I finally sat down and wrote up my Mission for 2010.

The big news is that I will not be driving around the country near as much as I did in 2009. I want to build my local market. That's one of the first rules of business is to focus, focus, focus. Last year, I hopped around all over. Some of the tours I wanted to do, back to Chicago and the Northeast, sadly won't happen. Instead, I hope to have more local gigs in New Orleans and in the surrounding states.

That doesn't mean I won't fly up to Boston or Seattle for a show. I would love to. But it does mean, I'm gonna need a strong, active fan base in those areas to make it happen. So that's my challenge to you.

Course, I'm still trying to make it as easy as possible. That's why I offer free celtic music downloads and allow you to share my music under a Creative Commons license. I hope you will get excited enough to do just that.

In the meantime, I'm revved up for my Reston Virginia House Concert. I think there are still spots available, so please email me if you want details.

PS. I know many of us are concerned about Haiti. Jamie (who works in health care) recommends sending donations to Doctors Without Borders. It's a great organization with low overhead, already on the ground in Haiti, running 3 hospitals. So send money to http://doctorswithoutborders.org/. If you can't send money, please repost. Thanks!

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Black Velvet Band" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "You are here to enable the purpose of the universe to unfold. That is how important you are." ~ Eckhart Tolle

What Color Is Your Podcast? I came up with this special promotion to raise money for DragonCon a couple years ago. The response was so great that I decided to revitalize it. This month, you can have your very own live show of me performing songs for you! There are only a SIX slots available. So you can support my music AND you get a unique performance when you tell me What Color Your Podcast is? Visit my homepage for details.

CD of the Week: Jiggery Pokery by Poitin. Rollicking, lollicking jigs and reels, haunting songs and melodies from Ireland, Scotland, England and Brittany. Fantastic music!

New Podcast: Twin Cities Irish Music Podcast and Celtic Dreamtime Podscape

Promotion of the Week: American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Your review will help me to climb the charts on iTunes. So please help out.

Celtic Invasion Vacations. Oban, Iona, Mull. Relax and enjoy the majesty of Scotland with me. I still have a couple spaces available for the trip. Don't miss out!

Join the Celtic Folk Club. Introduce yourself and chat with other fans about Marc Gunn, his podcasts, Celtic Invasion Vacations and more.

A Few of my Random Links: St Patrick's Day Party Music, Irish Songs from Capt Black Jack Murphy, Renaissance Festival Podcast, Internet Archive Free Downloads of Marc Gunn, Autoharp Radio

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "The Warlock" by Atlantic Wave, MP3: "Barley Bree" by Roscoe Vacant, MP3: "The Cobble Road" by The Scottish Rebel: Haro..., MP3: "Farewell to Carlingford" by Hank Cramer, MP3: "The Princess Royal" by Daphne Quigley-Freund..., MP3: "Always For Me" by Char Butler, MP3: "Raglan Road" by Luke Daniels, MP3: "Fairy of the Moor" by MaterDea, MP3: "Galway Shawl" by Collen Raney, MP3: "Ancient Song" by John McGaha

Ever wonder what it's like to host a House Concert? This new PDF from Concerts In Your Home breaks down the experience of how to get started.

Marc Gunn in the News:

The High Fiber Diet Podcast played my "Christmas Elf Conscription Song" as did EduGeek and the Autumn Lakes Podcast.

Sci Fi Picks marked my appearance as Guest of Honor at I-Con Science Fiction Convention in Stonybrook, NY in March.

"Peggy Gordon" won in the Celtic Top 5 of Show #76 of the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast. Thanks to everyone who voted for it! :)

Sacred Shaman Drums played "The Hobbit Journey Home" from the soon to be late CD, A Tribute to Love.

Upcoming Gigs:

Jan 16, 2010, Fogel House Concert, Reston, VA
Jan 29, 2010, Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party, New Orleans, TX
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouthCon, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
Apr 16-18, 2010, StarFest, Denver, CO
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts @ 7:30p, Sutherland, NE
Jun 4-6, 2010, Texas Scottish Festival, Arlington, TX

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Celtic Folk Club, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Gunn, Guest of Honor, at MidSouthCon in Memphis in 2010

2010-01-15T11:12:00.001-06:00

MidSouthCon has grown over the years to become the Mid-South's premier multi-genre convention. It covers a diverse section of fanish culture that includes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science, Comics, Horror, Education, Costuming, Anime, and Gaming. We have over 100 authors, editors, publishers, scientists, artists and other guests, with an annual attendance of approximately 1200 people.

We have an average of over 140 hours of programing in multiple tracks during the Con (and that's not counting the Video Room, Anime Room or gaming tracks). Masquerade, Writers' Conference, Readings, Autographs, Dealers' Room, SCA demonstrations and events, Board Games, Role-playing and LARP games, CCG tournaments, and lots of other fun stuff.

This event is not just a gathering of old and new-found friends hanging out for a fun filled weekend. While we like to enjoy ourselves, we also want to do our little bit to make the world a better place to live in. We are organized primarily as a non-profit educational group but we also support more traditional charities. For more information check out our Good Causes and our Educational Projects Pages.

Look for me as the Multimedia Guest of Honor!

March 12-14, 2009
MidSouthCon
Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center
11200 East Goodman Road
Olive Branch, MS 38654

Showtimes:
Friday    7:00 PM    Opening Ceremony
Friday    9:00 PM    Marc Gunn Concert
Saturday    11:00 AM    Podcasting as a Marketing Tool
Anyone can set up their own podcast with virtually no expense - so how can you use one to effectively market your products?

Saturday    1:00 PM    Autograph Signings
Saturday    3:00 PM    Marc Gunn Filk Concert
Saturday    5:00 PM    Banquet
Saturday    10:00 PM    Masquerade
Sunday    11:00 AM    KaffeKlatsch III
Sunday    12:00 PM    Sunday Social with Guests
Sunday    1:00 PM    Marc Gunn Filk Concert

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans and rooted in the American Celtic song tradition and Sci Fi Geek Comedy. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Gunn at Sherwood Forest Faire in 2010

2010-01-15T10:12:00.001-06:00

Sherwood Forest Faire, the enchanted forest of merriment, magic, and medieval magnificence today announced its inaugural 2010 season every weekend from Feb.. 27 through April 4, 2010.

The Faire is situated on 106-forested acres in Central Texas. Located 35 miles east of Austin, Texas on U.S. 290, The Sherwood Forest Faire is between the towns of McDade and Paige, near the junction of U.S. 290 and Texas State Highway 21, within easy striking distance of Austin, San Antonio, and Houston

"We are excited to launch the inaugural season of the Sherwood Forest Fair," said George Appling, co-founder of the Sherwood Forest Faire. "San Antonio is the largest city in the United States currently not served by a major renaissance festival. Instead, people must travel hundreds of miles on a pilgrimage for the renaissance experience.

"The heavily-wooded land lends itself to the 12 th century experience, and is being transformed into medieval times," said Appling.

The Faire will feature gallant men and fair maidens, harking back to 12 th Century England, during the time of Richard the Lionhearted, Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck and The Crusades and the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham.

February 27-28, 2010
Sherwood Forest Faire
Paige, TX (outside of Austin)
Phone Sales: 888-695-0888

Showtimes: 10:15a, 11:45a, 3:15p, 5:00p

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Gunn, Guest of Honor, at I-Con Sci Fi Convention in New York in 2010

2010-01-14T15:28:00.006-06:00

2002 was the first time I ever went to a science fiction convention. That Sci Fi convention was I-Con. The first year, I felt like I was home. I made some amazing friends. I laughed and sang. I think it even snowed that first year. I can't imagine not being at I-Con. So I did my best, and succeeded at getting booked once again at the the Northeast's largest convention of Science Fiction, Fact and Fantasy.

I-Con is a 3-day convention of science fiction, fact and fantasy and related genres, attended by over 7,000 people each year. Guests from film and TV, Authors, artists and scientists, speak and meet with I-con's members in a causal setting. Games, events, demonstrations, performances, awards, films and shows are also showcased during the 3 day convention.

This year, I am proud to be the Guest of Honor!

March 26-28, 2010
I-Con 29
Stonybrook University

Stonybook, NY

Show Times: TBA

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans and rooted in the American Celtic song tradition and Sci Fi Geek Comedy. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Past Years Attended: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Gunn at StarFest in Colorado in 2010

2010-01-14T15:17:00.004-06:00

Starfest is an annual Denver convention encompassing all aspects of popular media, film and television. Started in 1977, it attracts several thousand fans of popular culture for a weekend of social interaction, games and fun. There are over a hundred activities on the multi-track programming schedule. Events include film studio presentations, onstage Q&A sessions with actors - producers & directors, autograph and photo sessions, costume and talent contests, film festivals, model and art shows, collectible merchandise, educational seminars, discussion panels, kids events, fan club presentations, and assorted Klingons, Jedi and other strange and unusual creatures.

April 16-18, 2009
StarFest
The Marriott DTC
4900 S Syracuse St
Denver, CO 80237

Show times: TBA

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans and rooted in the American Celtic song tradition and Geeky Comedy. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Want to see me perform live? Make a demand!

Past years attended: 2009

Marc Gunn at Texas Scottish Festival in 2010

2010-01-14T15:14:00.003-06:00

The skirl of the Pipes, the cheers of encouragement for the Athletic events, and the swirling of the Highland Dancers reminds all Scots of our rich and glorious heritage. It's the Texas Scottish Festival, one of the largest Scottish gatherings in the United States and known as the preeminent Scottish Entertainment Festival in North America.

Weekend, June 4-6, 2010
Texas Scottish Festival
Maverick Stadium
1307 W Mitchell St
Arlington, TX 76013

Show times: TBA

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans and rooted in the American Celtic song tradition. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Want to see me perform live? Make a demand!

Previous Years Attended: 2009, 2003, 2002

Mid-Winter Music Party from the Louisiana Renaissance Festival

2010-01-14T13:15:00.003-06:00

Some exciting news! Canadian Celtic musician Heather Dale will be joining Marc, Vince Conaway and Jamie Haeuser at a performance in January. In addition, there will be book-signings by artist and author Marrus. We're calling it the Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party. It's on Friday, January 29 at 7 PM in New Orleans at the Deutsches Haus. In case you are not familiar with the "Haus," it's the German cultural center in New Orleans. It's a great music venue, and is also the location for the New Orleans Irish music community's ceilis. It's in the Mid City area at 200 S. Galvez. Parking is easy, safe and free. Tickets are $10 at the door. Come join us for what sounds like will be a great winter party. Dancing may ensue. The "Haus" has great and inexpensive German food and a full - and inexpensive - bar, so make an evening of it. Smoke free, too! Children are welcome.

Friday, January 29, 2010 at 7PM
Deutsches Haus
200 S. Galvez Street
New Orleans, LA
Advance tickets are available for $8 at https://secure.la-renfest.com/.
Tickets at the door will be $10

Find out more about:

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: A Brand New Year as Prolific as the Last?

2010-01-07T17:11:00.000-06:00

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Last year was a big year. I released three new CDs (Heart's Ease, Live at the Cactus Cafe, and Happy Songs of Death) and finished recording a fourth (The Bridge) which is scheduled to be officially released on January 15th. I also released a compilation through my hit Celtic podcast (Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast). I played a ton of gigs from Denver to New York City, New Orleans to Chicago. Now I'm ready to do it all again in 2010.

What's in store fro 2010? I'll fill you in next week, because this weekend, I will lay down some goals for the year. So until then I want to throw out a quick reminder about the Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party on Friday, January 29 at 7 PM here in New Orleans.

So have a great week and Slainte!

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Black Velvet Band" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions." - Joey Adams

CD of the Week: The Starlit Jewel: Songs of Tolkien by Broceliande. After seven years of negotiations, Broceliande has finally obtained the rights to re-release their album of original music set to the lyrics of JRR Tolkien. Only 2000 copies are currently being printed. That means, they may not be around for long. It's a beautiful album. Don't miss it!

Promotion of the Week: American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Your review will help me to climb the charts on iTunes. So please help out.

Celtic Invasion Vacations. Scotland has only a couple slots available for the May trip. This will be an amazing trip that you don't want to miss. So sign up soon. Right now, I'm working with Celtic Ways and Renaissance & Celtic Adventures to bring you a Women of Ireland tour of Ireland in August. Specific dates will be coming in a couple o'weeks.

Join the Celtic Folk Club. Introduce yourself and chat with other fans about Marc Gunn, his podcasts, Celtic Invasion Vacations and more.

A Few of my Random Links: St Patrick's Day Party Music, Irish Songs from Capt Black Jack Murphy, Unsigned Bands Promotion, A Dragon's Eye Fantasy Art.

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: "The Princess Royal" by Daphne Quigley-Freund and Tom Bradfish, "Always For Me" by Char Butler, "Raglan Road" by Luke Daniels, "Fairy of the Moor" by MaterDea

Ever wonder what it's like to host a House Concert? This new PDF from Concerts In Your Home breaks down the experience of how to get started.

Marc Gunn in the News:

The new Firefly compilation CD from The Signal Podcast, The First Rule of Flying: Songs from the Black II features "Monahan's Mudder's Milk" and the only live recording of the Brobdingnagian Bards playing "She Said Her Name Was Saffron".

MarsCon Dementia Track Fund Raising CD features live songs by Marc Gunn.

The Top 100 Comedy Songs of 2009 on iFunnyRadio.com listed "Beer, Beer, Beer" at #73 and "Johnny Jump Up" at #63.

Upcoming Gigs:

Jan 29, 2010, Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party, New Orleans, TX
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Celtic Folk Club, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Whoops! And Bonne Annee!

2009-12-28T12:15:00.006-06:00

Marc is still out of town, and I am a week late in publishing this edition of the "Weeklies!" (Shush - don't tell him.) I did have a family medical emergency last week - really, I did. But we had a lovely Christmas anyway, and I hope your holiday celebration was just as wonderful.

Some exciting news! Canadian Celtic musician Heather Dale will be joining Marc, Vince Conaway and me at a performance in January. We're calling it the Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party. It's on Friday, January 29 at 7 PM in New Orleans at the Deutsches Haus. In case you are not familiar with the "Haus," it's the German cultural center in New Orleans. It's a great music venue, and is also the location for the New Orleans Irish music community's ceilis. It's in the Mid City area at 200 S. Galvez. Parking is easy, safe and free. Tickets are $10 at the door. Come join us for what sounds like will be a great winter party. Dancing may ensue. The "Haus" has great and inexpensive German food and a full - and inexpensive - bar, so make an evening of it. Smoke free, too! Children are welcome.

I gave "The Bridge" for Christmas, and I am just blown away by the reaction. I gave it to a lot of people who aren't into Celtic music per se, but have gotten so many phone calls of surprised delight. Turns out it's a great CD for people as an introduction to contemporary Celtic and original music. Not too late - use it to bring people into the light...they'll thank you for it.

Starting up the big Marc Gunn Booking Machine - I sort of lightened up during the six weeks of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival - but as always, delighted to hear from you about venue suggestions or if you want to think about hosting a house concert. Check out the venues listings and if you live anywhere NEAR any of them, let us know - I can usually route Marc to venues within 100 miles or so. So if you're just a little too far to drive to see Marc where he'll be, let me see if I can bring him to you.

Notice I said "Bonne Annee" in the title - French for "Happy New Year." I wanted to get a little culture in before Marc comes back with some Hogmanay sort of thing. And also, Marc's next gig will be at the Market Cafe in New Orleans, playing after the second annual St. Joan of Arc Parade through the French Quarter. That happens on Twelfth Night - Jan. 6, so come on out for the parade at 5:30. Guess what the parade throws are? Books of matches! Get it? Joan of Arc? OK, I'll hush now.

Seriously, peace and love to you all, and a wonderful "Bonne Annee!"

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Auld Lang Syne" from The Bridge
(Yes, I know it was last week's too but you might need it on Thursday. I describe this as a sort of muscular version - no whining here.)

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." ~Mark Twain

CD of the Week: "Momento" by the high-spirited band Wolgemut. Wolgemut (pronounced vol-guh-moot) is an ancient germanic word which simply means, "to be in a good mood". Great music from some good friends.

Book of the Week: "Wild Irish Women" by Marion Broderick Doing research for the "Women of Ireland" tour next August...keep your eyes open for more details soon!

Vote for The Rogues. The Rogues are a rockin' pipe and drum quartet from Houston. They are in a Battle of the Bands to perform in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day. Give 'em a vote.

Celtic Invasion Vacations. Just a couple more slots open for the Celtic Invasion of Scotland. Join the magic May 17-24, 2010.

Join the Celtic Folk Club. Introduce yourself and chat with other fans about all things Marc Gunn.

Promotion of the Week: Marc set up a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like, well, Marc. Head on over there and review it.

Marc's Music: As might be imagined, "Christmas Elf Conscription Song" got a lot of airplay this past week, on the "And Now.." podcast, "Podcast Ping," and the Autumn Lake Podcast. The Studio 3 Podcast went a little more spiritual with 'Song of Assisi," and the "Get Your Own Show" podcast out of the UK played "Jasper Tabby Kitty Cat-y"

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "Galway Shawl" by Collen Raney, MP3: "Ancient Song" by John McGaha, MP3: "The Reel Riot Session" by In Search of a Rose, MP3: "Waxie's Dargle" by Icewagon Flu, Review: "Emily Bronte" by Anois, Review: "Idylls Of The King Of The Road" by Gerard..., Review: "Bill Grogan's Goat" by Bill Grogan's Goat, Review: "Traveling Man" by The McKrells, Review: "Green Energy" by The Irish Experience, Review: "Spirituality: 1983 â€“ 2008" by Spirit of the West

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. Take a look and see if we can link something up for you!

Jan. 6, 2010, The Market Cafe, New Orleans, LA
Jan. 29, 2010, Louisiana Renaissance Festival Midwinter Music Party, New Orleans, LA
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Marc Weeklies: In The Dark of Winter - Celebrate the Santa Lucia Festival of Light

2009-12-10T13:51:00.002-06:00

I love to sing "Santa Lucia," which is a traditional Neopolitan song that it turns out was completely ganked by the Swedes to celebrate the end of the longest night of the year. This is a really cool Christmas tradition. My friend Jamie lived in Sweden for a while, as did Michael Garter, artistic director of the great band Wolgemut, and a visiting musician at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival this weekend. They were talking about i last night.

On December 13, the oldest daughter in the house dresses in a long white dress with a crown of candles in her hair, and serves coffee and "luciakatten," saffron buns made in the shape of a cat.

Cats! Christmas! Saffron! So many of my favorite things! So, on Sunday, sit down with a cup of coffee, listen to "Santa Lucia" and celebrate the beginning of the return of light in the world. Like so many Christian traditions, this one likely has pagan roots. Cool thing is we can all gather to enjoy the good things the season brings.

And so I'm thinking about another good thing - a Celtic Christmas CD. I've talked about it for while. Time to do it. So send me your favorite Celtic Christmas songs you'd like to see us cover for release sometime next year.

One more weekend at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, then I'm off to Austin for celebration with family, and then to Germany for Christmas! Jamie will be writing the blog for me while I'm gone.

So I will take this opportunity to wish each of you the very best holiday season; happiness with family and friends, lots of good food, good drink, and good company. And most of all, peace and joy!

Slainte!

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Auld Lang Syne" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred." - Anthony Bourdain

CD of the Week: Celtic Christmas Music CDs. Looking for some Celtic Christmas music? Well if you're not already downloading the Celtic Christmas Podcast, then check out my gallery on CD Baby.

Vote for The Rogues. The Rogues are a rockin' pipe and drum quartet from Houston. They are in a Battle of the Bands to perform in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day. Give 'em a vote.

Celtic Invasion Vacations. Just a couple more slots open for the Celtic Invasion of Scotland. Join the magic May 17-24, 2010.

Join the Celtic Folk Club. Introduce yourself and chat with other fans about all things Marc Gunn.

Promotion of the Week: I setup a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Head on over there and review it.

A Few of my Random Links: Celtic Christmas Podcast, Brobdingnagian Bards, Unsigned Bands Promotion, A Dragon's Eye Fantasy Art, Irish Christmas traditions.

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "Galway Shawl" by Collen Raney, MP3: "Ancient Song" by John McGaha, MP3: "The Reel Riot Session" by In Search of a Rose, MP3: "Waxie's Dargle" by Icewagon Flu, Review: "Emily Bronte" by Anois, Review: "Idylls Of The King Of The Road" by Gerard..., Review: "Bill Grogan's Goat" by Bill Grogan's Goat, Review: "Traveling Man" by The McKrells, Review: "Green Energy" by The Irish Experience, Review: "Spirituality: 1983 – 2008" by Spirit of the West

Marc Gunn in the News:

The David Tanny Show played "Middle Earth Bragging Song".

FanRealm visited the CD Baby offices and got a nice picture with my "Happy Songs of Death" CD.

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. But this weekend I head back to my home faire, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, plus the wine tasting. Arrive early and come sing with me.

Nov 7-Dec 13, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA - 3 weekends left
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Give "The Bridge" for Christmas

2009-12-03T11:15:00.002-06:00

It's here! It's here! "The Bridge" has arrived!

Every time I release a new CD I get excited. But something about this album is extra special. Maybe it's the fact that I hand-painted the album cover myself... and love the look of it. Or maybe it has one of the most mature sounds I've ever recorded. But I love it!

The album features 12 songs which cover a wide range of my music that I just love. Some of the songs I wrote years ago, like "The Bridge" and "Liquid Sunshine" (wrote that one around 1997). Others are reimaginings of songs of played for years like "Wild Mountain Thyme", "Gypsy Rover" and "Black Velvet Band". Others are newly original songs like "No Songs Left to Sing", "Healy Pass" and "A Lil Bit O'Love".

Then there's the traditional songs that I'm just now exploring like "Auld Lang Syne", "Peggy Gordon", and Samantha Gillogly's "Furball Set". And then there's the modern jazzy song "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" which is by far my favorite song to sing right now, especially with my friend Jamie Haeuser who sings back up on that (and "Gyspy Rover").

And OH! The music! Rich Brotherton provides brilliant multi-instrumental backup all the songs. Samantha Gillogly plays her amazing fiddle set. Bethany McLyr texturizes "No Songs" with beautiful elegance.

The album is just gorgeous to listen to. It has style and beauty that I don't feel like I've ever accomplished before on a CD. It's full of beautiful moments. Just wait til you hear "Peggy Gordon"... In fact, listen below.

In case you can't tell, I'm VERY proud of this latest addition to my growing compendium of CDs. The album arrived from the printers yesterday and is heading off to CD Baby today. Right now, you can buy it direct from me, AND you can give it as a Christmas present. When you do, we'll even gift wrap and mail it to that special someone at no extra charge to arrive just in time for the holiday! I've made it easy for you to do just that when you head over to my homepage at www.marcgunn.com.

If you enjoy my music, then this album is an absolute MUST to own. I'm confident it will bring you just as many smiles and joy as it has me. So please order your copy today.

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Peggy Gordon" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?" Albert Camus.

CD of the Week: "The Bridge" by Marc Gunn. It's finally here. Celtic and folk music with a twist of blues and a ton of joy.

Celtic Invasion Vacations trip changed the Invasion of Scotland dates this week. The Trip will now take place May 17-24, 2010. Limited space is still available.

Join the Celtic Folk Club and chat with other fans of Marc Gunn's music.

ATTN: Happy Songs of Death Podcast. I am still looking for people who want to be involved in the creation of this podcast. Just start writing.

Promotion of the Week: I setup a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Head on over there and review it.

A Few of my Random Links: Celtic Christmas Music, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, Celtic CDs.

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "Galway Shawl" by Collen Raney, MP3: "Ancient Song" by John McGaha, MP3: "The Reel Riot Session" by In Search of a Rose, MP3: "Waxie's Dargle" by Icewagon Flu, Review: "Emily Bronte" by Anois, Review: "Idylls Of The King Of The Road" by Gerard..., Review: "Bill Grogan's Goat" by Bill Grogan's Goat, Review: "Traveling Man" by The McKrells, Review: "Green Energy" by The Irish Experience, Review: "Spirituality: 1983 – 2008" by Spirit of the West

Marc Gunn in the News:

The MarsCon 2010 Dementia Track Fund Raiser CD/MP3 set is now for sale! The set is comprised of tracks recorded live at MarsCon 2009, and includes music by Rob Balder, Possible Oscar, Positive Attitude, The Nick Atoms, Devo Spice, Worm Quartet, Power Salad, the great Luke Ski, MC Lars, The Feng Shui Ninjas, Wally Pleasant, participants in the Dementia Fan Showcase, DJ Particle, Carrie Dahlby, Marc Gunn, W. Randy Hoffman, Beth Kinderman, Soggy Potato Chips, and Insane Ian.

FanRealm sends a thanks to me and wants to be another home for Celtic music reviews online.

The David Tanny Show played "Gollum Blues".

A few of my songs appear in Paolo Garbanzo's new DVD, "An American Juggler", about how he was the first American to win the International Jester Competition.

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. But this weekend I head back to my home faire, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, plus the wine tasting. Arrive early and come sing with me.

Nov 7-Dec 13, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA - 3 weekends left
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

La' an Altaithe - Thanksgiving Day in Gaelic!

2009-11-25T15:30:00.004-06:00

A generous and heartfelt Thanksgiving to all!

I have so many things to give thanks for, I hardly know where to start.
Wait. Yes, I do.

For you. For fans who care about me and my music. For friends, near and far. For the people I love and who love me.

And over this past year, for the gift of music. It's been an amazing year, overflowing with creativity and fulfillment. I have been graced with the capacity to write and produce more music than ever before. Few times when I didn't feel inspired. And for a working musician, that's a gift beyond measure.

Thank you all.

Some news-

Both "Best of The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast" and "Happy Songs of Death" are now playing on Highlander Radio! You can view the details on its new music page. Go request songs from the CDs.

Expecting a great 3-day weekend at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival - come out and see my shows at 12:15 and 2:30 on the Queen's Stage.

Slainte!

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Rosin the Bow" from Happy Songs of Death

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away." Hitch.

CD of the Week: "The Perfect Pint" by Adam Alexander and Joe Travers. The first release by this talented duo, this CD is wowing the critics. From touching ballads to rousing drinking songs, this collection of traditional and original songs is a Celtic music lover's dream.

ATTN: Happy Songs of Death Podcast. I am still looking for people who want to be involved in the creation of this podcast. Just start writing.

See The Celtic Top 5 as listed by the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast as it happens. Your pick of the best Celtic music on the podcast.

Promotion of the Week: I setup a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Head on over there and review it.

A Few of my Random Links: Celtic Christmas Music, Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, Celtic CDs.

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: - Review: "Idylls Of The King Of The Road" by Gerard Smith, Review: "Bill Grogan's Goat" by Bill Grogan's Goat, Review: "Traveling Man" by The McKrells, Review: "Green Energy" by The Irish Experience, Review: "Spirituality: 1983-2008" by Spirit of the West, Review: "Secrets Of The Day" by The Killdares, Review: "Home Brew" by 3 Pints Gone, Review: "The Perfect Pint" by Adam Alexander and Joe Travers, Review: "On Better Paths" by Beth Patterson, MP3: "Eamonn an Chnoic" by Dark Patrick

Marc Gunn in the News:

"Happy Songs of Death" was reviewed by Fan Realm.

P.G. Holyfield used "Stardust Serenade" in episode 2 of Tales of the Children.

The Celtic Music Fan was awed at Marc's many resources online.

Wizrocklopedia mentioned "My Father Was a Werewolf" in their listing of not-quite, but definitely Wizard Rock songs.

Northern Druid Podcast opened the show with "When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling".

The David Tanny Show played "She Said Her Name Was Saffron" and "St. Patrick Never Drank".

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. But this weekend I head back to my home faire, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, plus the wine tasting. Arrive early and come sing with me.

Nov 7-Dec 13, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA - 3 weekends left
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Celtic Folk Club, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Thoughts of a Happy Celtic Christmas... With A New CD

2009-11-10T13:34:00.000-06:00

I've had Christmas songs stuck in my head all morning. I know it seems way to early to be thinking about Christmas, but running my own music business I tend to think ahead. That's why I'm in the planning stages for my Celtic Christmas Podcast (coming soon). I was even practicing my "Celtic Christmas Elf Conscription Song" with the thought of recording a full version to release as a single. Not sure I am quite ready to record again, but the thought is there. I guess it's the feeling that the year is winding down that mekes me think of Christmas and what is next...

I guess that will be my next CD, "The Bridge". I made the album available for pre-sale last week, and it features one of my current favorite songs to sing, "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". The song has racked up over a thousand highly-rated views on YouTube and is just a blast to sing.

The whole album, in fact, is fun and has a sort of beautiful, elegance to it. Rich Brotherton's ability to produce CDs is just amazing. And the songs... Ah! Some of my absolute favorites to sing and play.

Thinking way to far ahead with Christmas has its advantages. Because you can now pre-order "The Bridge" for your Christmas present to yourself or to a friend. Stay tuned. I'll have songs to listen to in the weeks ahead. So keep an ear open for those.

Slainte!
-Marc Gunn

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Isn't It Grand Boys?" from Happy Songs of Death

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "Never give up, never surrender!" - GalaxyQuest

CD of the Week: "Trip" by Bad Haggis. Celtic-based world music with jazz, rock, alternative, African, Latin and groove influences. Celtic Funk at it's all-time best. Dang good CD!

New Videos: Danny Boy... for Cat Lovers. A friend in Italy sent me this video cartoon using my parody of "Danny Boy". This uber cute! I love it, so please rate it and share.

ATTN: Happy Songs of Death Podcast. I am still looking for people who want to be involved in the creation of this podcast. Just start writing.

See The Celtic Top 5 as listed by the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast as it happens. Your pick of the best Celtic music on the podcast.

Promotion of the Week: I setup a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Head on over there and review it.

A Few of my Random Links: Celtic Music CD Store, Free Irish Music Downloads, Pub Songs Podcast, Lord of the Rings Music, Red Dwarf T-Shirt

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: Review: "Home Brew" by 3 Pints Gone, Review: "The Perfect Pint" by Adam Alexander & Joe..., Review: "On Better Paths" by Beth Patterson, MP3: "Eamonn an Chnoic" by Dark Patrick, MP3: "Saucy Sailor" by Burning Bridget Cleary, MP3: "The Conundrum" by Brad Reid

Marc Gunn in the News:

"I'll Drink From Dusk Til Dawn" was played in my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was nominated in the People's Choice Podcast Awards. Voting begins November 13th.

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. But this weekend I head back to my home faire, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, plus the wine tasting. Arrive early and come sing with me.

Nov 7-Dec 13, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

THE BRIDGE (Acoustic Celtic and Folk Music)

2009-11-04T08:56:00.015-06:00

The Irish diaspora to America brought the happy gift of Irish music, informing and influencing folk, ragtime, blues and even jazz. In this unique collection of original and traditional music, Celtic American musician Marc Gunn leafs through music known, remembered and new to find common themes, melodies and memories.

The Bridge is just that - a connection not only between Irish and American music, but also between Marc Gunn's previous work primarily in Celtic music and his roots in folk, and newer influences of blues and jazz for this New Orleans-based musician.

Above all, the Bridge expresses Marc Gunn's deep love for the music of both his home and where his heart resides.

Track listing (not in order):

The Bridge (M. Gunn)
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (H. Arlen, T. Koehler)
Black Velvet Band (Trad.)
The Furball Set: Dobby Goes to Dublin (S. Gillogly)/The Cat in the Corner (trad.)/The Can of Salmon (S. Gillogly)
Peggy Gordon (Trad.)
Auld Lang Syne (R. Burns)
Liquid Sunshine (M. Gunn)
No Songs Left to Sing (M. Gunn)
A Lil Bit O'Love (M. Gunn)
Wild Mountain Thyme (F. McPeake)
Healy Pass (M. Gunn)
Gypsy Rover (Trad.)

Produced by Rich Brotherton. Marc Gunn, autoharp and vocals. Jamie Haeuser, bodhran and background vocals. Samantha Gillogly, fiddle. Bethany McLyr, flute. Rich Brotherton, Guitar and octave mandolin. Cover art by Marc Gunn. Graphic design by Charles Davis (CLNDavis@bellsouth.net).

Marc Weeklies: Band Naming Contest and the Vampire Ball

2009-11-03T09:10:00.001-06:00

Wow! The Vampire Ball was amazing fun. And it occurred to me that I didn't tell you enough about it. For instance, did you know I created a band for the ball? Yup. Samantha Gillogly came down from Boston to play fiddle with the group. And one of my best friends, Jamie Haeuser, rocked the night out on the bodhran and backup vocals. Considering we had no rehearsal time with Samantha, I was blown away by just how great it all sounded. I heard quite a few compliments for the show too.

Over the weekend, the three of us jammed some more and there was a beautiful connection such that by Sunday we were asking ourselves what we were gonna call the band.

So yesterday, I was listening to the CD Baby DIY Podcast and got the idea to do a Band Naming Contest. Here's how it works. Every day this week, starting today, I want to hear your favorite band names for a Celtic band. At the end of the day, I will pick my favorite band name and that person will receive a free download of one of my albums. It'll last about a week. So start naming the band!

Oh and if you want to post, I started it up on Twitter, but you can also post names right here. Let the games begin!

Listen to the Song of the Week: The Foggy Dew" from Happy Songs of Death

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad." Edwin Way Teale.

CD of the Week: "On Better Paths" by Beth Patterson. Best described as "SWAP" (Songwriter World Acoustic Progressive). A bit of Celtic and a bunch of world music.

New Videos: "When She Held Me In Her Arms" sung at MileHiCon for my sweety.

ATTN: Happy Songs of Death Podcast. I am still looking for people who want to be involved in the creation of this podcast. Just start writing.

Promotion of the Week: I setup a new American Celtic Music iMix on iTunes. It features a bunch of Celtic American groups like yours truly. Head on over there and review it.

A Few of my Random Links: Cat Music Blog and Cat Lovers Podcast, 4 Fans of Irish Celtic Music, Celtic Christmas Music, Great Irish Drinking Songs

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: Review: "On Better Paths" by Beth Patterson, MP3: "Eamonn an Chnoic" by Dark Patrick, MP3: "Saucy Sailor" by Burning Bridget Cleary, MP3: "The Conundrum" by Brad Reid, MP3: "Dance With Me" by Jenna Greene

Marc Gunn in the News:

Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers was reviewed at FanRealm.com.

Jigsaw's Lair has a photo of a cat drinking from an Irish whiskey glass and mentioned my first cat CD.

The Second Floor Lounge played "My Father Was a Werewolf" for their Halloween episode. While Podcast Ping played "A Rabbit for Halloween".

Upcoming Gigs:

The schedule is slowly starting to fill up for next year. But this weekend I head back to my home faire, the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, plus the wine tasting. Arrive early and come sing with me.

Nov 7-Dec 13, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA
January 10, 2010, Concert with Jed Marum, New Orleans, LA
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows. As always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform and email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Free CD from Marc Gunn - "Confessions of a Celtic Music Junkie"

2009-11-01T21:35:00.005-06:00

Marc Gunn is an acoustic folk musician based in New Orleans. His music is rooted in the American Celtic song tradition, and his preference of musical instruments-the autoharp-make him stand out as something unique in the Celtic musical community. He has been called "The Godfather of Celtic music online" for his steadfast support of indie Celtic music, free Celtic music downloads, and his award-winning Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

Free CD - Confessions of a Celtic Music Junkie (76.8 MB ZIP)
This free compilation CD by Marc Gunn features songs from 9 albums ranging from traditional Celtic songs to his autoharp instrumentals, American Celtic song fusions, and as well as some comedy. The album is absolutely free to download and you are welcome to share all the music with your friends. Burn it to a CD. Email MP3s. Post a link to it on your website. Just share it to your heart's content.

Tracks:

Beer, Beer, Beer
Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits
Fairy Tale Waltz
Finnegan's Wake
Gypsy Rover
Jasper Tabby Kitty Cat-y
Lil Bit O'Love
Lord of the Pounce
Molly Malone (Cat's Perspective)
Monahan's Mudder's Milk
Silhouette of Longing Love
Stardust Serenade
The Bridge
The Lady of Setliff Manor
The Leprechaun
The Lusty Young Sith
What Shall We Do With A Catnipped Kitty
When She Held Me In Her Arms
Wild Mountain Thyme

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Review Happy Songs of Death on iTunes

2009-10-28T16:05:00.002-05:00

I just got back from MileHiCon in Denver, Colorado where I was the Musical Guest of Honor. How cool is that! Everyone up there was so warm and welcoming despite the wee bit o'snow that fluttered down to my heart's delight. The shows went well and the other guests were a total delight. MileHiCon is the largest Science Fiction Literary Convention and well worth a visit. Pre-register now!

I'm heading to rehearsal in a moment. The Vampire Ball is just two days away. And I still have a bunch of prep to do. I can't wait for the show. This is gonna be one hell of an event!

Let's get on with the news...

Listen to the Song of the Week: "High Jeannie High" from Happy Songs of Death

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine

CD of the Week: "The Essential Weird Al Yankovic" by Weird Al Yankovic. The foremost song parodist of the MTV era, "Weird Al" Yankovic carried the torch of musical humor more proudly and more successfully than any performer since Allan Sherman. In the world of novelty records -- a genre noted for its extensive back catalog of flashes-in-the-pan and one-hit wonders -- Yankovic was king, scoring smash after smash over the course of an enduring career which found him topically mocking everything from new wave to gangsta rap.

Review It! Happy Songs of Death is now on iTunes! Get your copy today. If you have a copy, please post a review or place in your iMix to let others know you love the CD.

The Celtic Invasion of Scotland now has ten people signed up. That means we have space for just four more people before you get put on the waiting list. Get your deposit in soon!

New Videos: My performance at the Texas Renaissance Festival with Jamie Haeuser was captured on video as we performed "Irish Ballad".

Promotion of the Week: Post your iMix review the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can help promote my music by reviewing this iMix of music from the podcast. There's a TON of great music to choose from. And while you're there, buy a song or the set.

A Few of my Random Links: The Dubliners' Tabby Cats,

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "Eamonn an Chnoic" by Dark Patrick, MP3: "Saucy Sailor" by Burning Bridget Cleary, MP3: "The Conundrum" by Brad Reid, MP3: "Dance With Me" by Jenna Greene

Marc Gunn in the News:

The David Tanny Show has played my song "Tiziano Gunn".

Belle of the Ball has played my song A Rabbit For Halloween.

Podcast Ping has played my song A Rabbit For Halloween

The Wandering Geek "Gen Con Clip Show" features an interview with me as well as fellow filker Tom Smith from Gen Con.

Author Nancy Kress gave a nice review of my music at MileHiCon. On a side note, she is a wonderfully sweet person. J Alan Erwine found my pre-Masquerade performance at MileHiCon highly entertaining. Also, he loved my impromptu concert on Sunday.

Upcoming Gigs:

Just a few more shows to finish out the year, but I have a bunch more popping already for next year, and we're starting to look for house concerts and venues. Email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year. And as always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform.

Oct 30, 2009, Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club's "Blood and Gold" Ball, New Orleans, LA
Nov 7-8, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA
January 10, 2010, Concert with Jed Marum, New Orleans, LA
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, YouTube, Flickr Photos, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Bridging the Gap With Monet

2009-10-21T12:55:00.004-05:00

I'd like to start by thanking everyone who sent me photos of bridges over the last few days. I felt stumped as to what sort of album cover I wanted for my next cd, entitled "The Bridge". Your pics helped me decide.

I had a loose image in my mind of a foot bridge over water filled with plants and flowers. So this weekend I decided to pull out some acryllic paints and make some unique album covers with that loose idea in my head. The second cover I painted was it.

The image was a Monet painting I saw back in college of that little pond and footbridge he painted over and over again. That's what my painting was inspired by. It turned out to be such a lovely cover that I am using it for the final album cover.

The dark greens sorta fit the mood, feel, and style of the album which pulls together songs from my past and present, folk and jazz, traditional and original, ballady and fun. Recorded with Celtic producer Rich Brotherton, it has an elegant sound with stunning background instrumentation by him as well as backing vocals and drum by Jamie Haeuser, fiddle by Samantha Gillogly, and flute by Bethany McLyr.

I hope to mail the album off to printers next week. Once that happens, I will open it up for pre-orders. In the meantime, here's the song I wrote in March that made me want to record this CD in the first place.

Listen to the Song of the Week: "No Songs Left to Sing" from The Bridge

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "We have done the impossible, and that makes us mighty." -Mal from Firefly

CD of the Week: "The Day After The Night Before" by Dust Rhinos. The band that I learned the "Jedi Drinking Song" from has a brand new CD. Rocking Celtic fun!

Happy Songs of Death is now on iTunes! Get your copy today. If you have a copy, please post a review or place in your iMix to let others know you love the CD.

Thanks for nominating the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in the Podcast Awards. I should find out how well we've done in a couple weeks.

NEW Marc Gunn CD Special Offers. I posted three new special offers for people wanting to experience my music firsthand.

New Videos: Wild Mountain Thyme at GenCon

Promotion of the Week: Post your iMix review the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can help promote my music by reviewing this iMix of music from the podcast. There's a TON of great music to choose from. And while you're there, buy a song or the set.

A Few of my Random Links: Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers, Song Henge, New Orleans Food Reviews, Free Music Blog, Celtic Christmas Music

10 Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "Eamonn an Chnoic" by Dark Patrick, MP3: "Saucy Sailor" by Burning Bridget Cleary, MP3: "The Conundrum" by Brad Reid, MP3: "Dance With Me" by Jenna Greene, MP3: "The Day After The Night Before" by Dust Rhinos, MP3: "The Hanging of Jamie Macpherson" by Grey Aen..., Review: "When Humans Walked The Earth" by Mason Brown, Review: "The Day After The Night Before" by Dust Rhinos, Review: "Tejas Go Bragh" by Don Gabbert, MP3: "Long Island High" by The Killdares

Marc Gunn in the News:

Phil's Radio Experience will be playing songs from "Happy Songs of Death" in an upcoming show. Go get your requests in.

Open Book Society mentioned my performance at the Vampire Ball next Friday, as did the Tru Blood Community on LJ.

The Daily Space, The blog of the Thunder Child SF & Fantasy Webzine announced my performance at MileHiCon this weekend.

Beth suggested fans of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast should nominate it in the Podcast Awards on Scott Sigler's website.

The Celtic Music Fan posted a link to my personal website on theirs. Yay for people posting links to me!

Upcoming Gigs:

Just a few more shows to finish out the year, but I have a bunch more popping already for next year, and we're starting to look for house concerts and venues. Email booking@marcgunn.com if you'd like to host a house concert next year. And as always, don't forget to make a demand to see me perform.

Oct 23-25, 2009, MileHiCon, Denver, CO
Oct 30, 2009, Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club's "Blood and Gold" Ball, New Orleans, LA
Nov 7-8, 2009, Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond, LA
January 10, 2010, Concert with Jed Marum, New Orleans, LA
Feb 27-28, 2010, Sherwood Forest Faire, McDade, TX
Mar 12-14, 2010, MidSouth Con, Memphis, TN
Mar 19, 2010, House Concert with Claire Roche, Robert, LA
Mar 26-28, 2010, I-Con 29, Stonybrook, NY
April 23, 2010, Nebraska Outback Concerts, Sutherland, NE

See details at Marc Gunn Shows.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, YouTube, Flickr, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Texas and Denver, Vampires and Wine Tastings, Grammies and Goddesses

2009-10-14T13:54:00.007-05:00

Salut, tous (that's hi, everybody in French), c'est Jamie, reporting on a great opening weekend at the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF), upcoming gigs for Marc, and plans for next year!

Marc and I played four shows at TRF, plus the wonderful Pub Sing - great crowds opening day, even with so-so weather. As usual, the cast was stellar, and got to see lots of good friends like Owain Phyfe and Cantiga, the Bard O'Neil, Cristophe the Insulter, the gorgeous Queen Margaret of Scotland, the Bilge Pumps and others. And special thanks to the Lady McArthur who hostess-ed us there. Just beaucoup fun.

Marc's next up at MileHiCon in Denver October 23-25, so get ready for a kitty kilt filk invasion (try saying that real fast three times). "Happy Songs of Death" will accompany him, of course. Plays nice at high altitudes!

And we are happy to announce that Marc will appear March 12-14 at MidSouthCon in Memphis as the Media Guest of Honor. He'll being doing three shows there and participating in other events.

SO - if you are in, around or near Memphis - or enroute from Louisiana - please think about a HOUSE CONCERT! Yes, my favorite two words...email me at booking@marcgunn.com.

Three of Marc's CDs are qualified for Grammies this year, with "Happy Songs of Death" and "Live at the Cactus Cafe" in the Traditional Folk category, and "Heart's Ease" in the New Age category. So - all you members of NARAS - please nominate Marc Gunn!

And you should see my dress for the Anne Rice Vampire Lestat Fan Club "Tru Blood and Gold Ball" on October 30. Tickets are going fast...and here's the only place to get them: www.vampirelestatfanclub.com. Marc and I will play, joined by the fabulous Samantha Gillogly from Boston.

And speaking of going fast - 4 of my 12 winestastings at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival are SOLD OUT! Yup. So, you might want to get some folks together and come out to play - Marc is the featured performer, of course. And here's where you get reservations: www.la-renfest.com/festival/winetasting.asp

Finally - have chosen the theme for the tour of Ireland that Marc and I are planning for next year - yes, Renaissance & Celtic Adventures, and Celtic Invasion Vacations are collaborating on what will be a unique and exclusive travel adventure. "Goddesses, Pirates, Saints and Rebels: The Women of Ireland" will visit wonderful locations associated with Brigid, Maeve, Grainne O'Malley and others. Late August/early September is the time frame - details coming soon!

Music, great food, travel, adventures - and of course, good friends like you. Life is good, and will only get better next time we see you.

PS - Have heard the tracks from the next CD, "The Bridge." *sigh*

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Red, Red and Black" from Happy Songs of Death Now on Sale!

This Week:

Quote of the Week: "It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens." Cynthia E. Varnado

CD of the Week: Digital Flashbacks by Celtic Stone. One of the early Renaissance festival performers to release music, that's now on CD.

Nominate the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in the Podcast Awards for Best Music Podcast. Some of my other favorites are Irish Fireside for Best Travel Podcast and The Signal for Best Movie/TV Podcast.

NEW Marc Gunn CD Special Offers. I posted three new special offers for people wanting to experience my music firsthand.

New Videos: Buttercup's Lament linked to the Princess Bride

Promotion of the Week: Post your iMix review the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can help promote my music by reviewing this iMix of music from the podcast. There's a TON of great music to choose from. And while you're there, buy a song or the set.

A Few Random Links: Lord of the Rings music, Free Real Men Wear Kilts Stickers, Celtic Weddings.

Celtic Radio. Listen to Celtic radio shows and podcasts.

Celtic Music Reviews and Features: MP3: "The Day After The Night Before" by Dust Rhinos, MP3: "The Hanging of Jamie Macpherson" by Grey Aengus, Review: "When Humans Walked The Earth" by Mason Brown, Review: "The Day After The Night Before" by Dust Rhinos, Review: "Tejas Go Bragh" by Don Gabbert, MP3: "Long Island High" by The Killdares, MP3: "Sailor's Prayer" by Queen's Gambit, MP3: "Celtic Rainbow" by The Gothard Sisters, MP3: "Murscheen Durkin" by Deep Green Light, MP3: "Tippin The Jar" by The Sheridan Band

Marc Gunn in the News:

Heart's Ease was reviewed by Celtophilia.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast had promos played in the Second Floor Lounge.

"Black Is the Colour of My Cat's Fur" was played on Restless Mornings with Roger, KGNU.

"Molly Malone, The Cat's Perspective/Planxty Hewlet" was played on Hootenanny Power on Baton Rouge's NPR affiliate WRKF.

Hippiq posted a review of Whiskers in theJar.

Radio De Danaan played "Wild Kitty".

Upcoming Gigs:
Don't forget to make a demand to see me perform.

10.23-25 (DENVER, CO) MileHiCon
10.30 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club's "Blood and Gold" Ball
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival

Some shows for 2010: Sherwood Forest Faire, MidSouth Con, I-Con 29. See details at Marc Gunn Shows.

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, YouTube, Flickr, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Swing the Peppers of Happiness

2009-10-06T15:16:00.004-05:00

Greetings und salutations!

Ireland, England, and now back home. Yes, I had a great time on the 2nd Celtic Invasion Vacation. Dingle, Ireland is marvelous little town. We had a great time there, hikes around the peninsula, boating to Blaskett Island and seeing seals and dolphins. We enjoyed another perfect weather vacation with cool air and virtually no rain. We drank in the local pub. I played music and jammed with some locals... *sigh*

Now I'm back in the swing, getting a ton of work done at home. And I have a few shows coming up. It all starts this weekend. I'll be a roaming entertainer at the Texas Renaissance Festival. So look for me. But if you want a more specific place to look, I will play two street shows outside or near Mrs. McArthur's Pepper booth at 11:30am and 2:30pm on Saturday and Sunday. That's booth #503 in Plantersville, Texas. I'll have a bunch of CDs, including Happy Songs of Death. So come on by and say hello.

A couple weeks after that, I fly to Denver where I'm the Musical Guest of Honor for MileHiCon. I don't remember the exact show times yet, but I seem to recall I have a big Friday show with Odd Austin, a local comedy musician. Then the week after that is the "Blood and Gold" Vampire Ball back here in New Orleans where again, I will highlight Happy Songs of Death.

Next month is the big month too. I'm back for a full fun of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I have two shows daily, a Celtic Sing-A-Long and a Happy Songs of Death show, sharing the stage with the great Paolo Garbanzo and Robin and Maid Marion. And of course, I will be back for the wine tasting. So make sure you get your wine tasting tickets asap. I think a couple weekends have already sold out and Madame Ghislaine has a brilliant assortment of wines to taste. You won't find a better, more fun wine tasting than at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. Not to mention, you can see me!!!! :)

Well, I hope you will stop by and say hi. I'll see you soon.

Slainte!
-Marc

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Jug of Punch" from Happy Songs of Death Now on Sale!

This Week:

Nominate the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in the Podcast Awards.

Quote of the Week: "As you slide down the bannister of life, may all the splinters face the right way." -Anonymous

CD of the Week: "The Borrowed Angels" by The Borrowed Angels. A CD I picked up in Dingle, Ireland at the Dingle Record Shop. Features songs written by Mazz O'Flaherty. You can hear one on the latest Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

New Videos: "Green Grow the Rashes". Recorded live in Dingle, Ireland at O'Flaherty's Pub with Mazz and her brother. "My Father Was a Werewolf" recorded at DragonCon 2009.

Raven's Nest Fashioins. Lisa was by my side at DragonCon helping me sell CDs. And she designed some WAY cool shirts for Dr. Horrible and Dr. Who fans. Hmmm... I wonder if she likes doctors?

Promotion of the Week: Post your iMix review the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can help promote my music by reviewing this iMix of music from the podcast. There's a TON of great music to choose from. And while you're there, buy a song or the set.

The Celtic Myth Podshow tells you ancient tales and legends of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man bringing you the bravery of heroes and heroines, the magnificent pantheon of gods and goddesses and the magic and wonder of druids, faeries and folklore. It weaves together the rich, beautiful tapestry of mythological history, battles and sagas of the Celts.

Folk and Roots. The online guide to the Folk, Roots and Acoustic Scene around the UK, providing information on events, festivals, workshops, venues, reviews and artists.

A Few Random Links: Lord of the Rings music, Free Real Men Wear Kilts Stickers, Celtic Weddings.

Celtic Music Reviews and Features: "Long Island High" by The Killdares, "Sailor's Prayer" by Queen's Gambit, "Celtic Rainbow" by The Gothard Sisters, "Murscheen Durkin" by Deep Green Light, "Tippin The Jar" by The Sheridan Band, "Rain Over Rahoon" by The Skelligs, "Beer Belly" by Paddy's Boots, "Out on The Ocean" by BardicRose, "For My Grandfathers" by Terry Griffith, "Thistle" by Scott Boswell

Marc Gunn in the News:

"Waxies Dargle" from Happy Songs of Death was played in the latest Cleveland Celtic Podcast.

The One Ring dot Net announced the news about ALEP 2 in September 2011 and mentioned my tweets.

The EZ Folk forums were talking about my recording of "The Old Fenian Gun".

Paging Through the Core Rulebook loves my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

Soul Geek is talking about my upcoming performance at MileHiCon in Denver, Colorado.

The Brobdingnagian Bards were mentioned in TMC Net Blog.

My Pub Songs Podcast was published before I left for Ireland, but it looks like I need to reupload it.

A Harry Potter fan posted a video they made at DragonCon this year. A clip from that video was posted in a video highlighting DragonCon.

The Langer's Ball mentioned their song played in my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in their blog.

Wandering Geek played "When the Dairy Farmer Caught Fire.

Soul Geek mentioned my upcoming show at MileHiCon as did Odd Austin who I'll be sharing a stage with at the convention.

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was reviewed by The Podcast Review.

Poitin mentioned my podcast in an interview with 67 Music Celtic Broadcast.

NRFB Toy Review listed me as a "Pro" for going to DragonCon.

You Sound Like a Robot tagged me in their DragonCon review, as did Sheena Harden who was at The Signal Podcast where I played.

Have you seen my music video yet? Please head to YouTube and rate it! Tell a friend.

Upcoming Gigs:
Don't forget to make a demand to see me perform.

10.10-11 (PLANTERSVILLE, TX) Texas Renaissance Festival
10.23-25 (DENVER, CO) MileHiCon
10.30 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club's "Blood and Gold" Ball
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, YouTube, Flickr, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc's Weeklies: "Happy Songs of Death" Finally Up on CD Baby!

2009-09-18T09:05:00.006-05:00

Salut, mes amis! Since Marc doesn't speak French, that should clue you in to the fact that this is Jamie...Marc's in Ireland on the Celtic Invasion of the Dingle Peninsula. He watched a dolphin and ate oysters (or was it the other way around?) and stayed out late in a pub drinking Guinness. What a surprise!

But here's the BIG news: after an unfortunate delay, "Happy Songs of Death" is now available on CD Baby!
I can't tell you how proud I am of this CD. It's just Marc's best work ever, and shows his growth as a musician. The original songs are just awesome, but you'll also enjoy reinterpretations of trad favorites like "Johnny Jump Up" and "Twa Corbies."

And you can chose from these two beautiful covers - or, for just a little more, own both!

Here' the link to CD Baby: www.cdbaby.com/cd/marcgunn12

So celebrate "Talk Like a Pirate Day" by ordering your very own!

Finally - doing some booking work today. Have some new shows lining up, and want to remind you that HOUSE CONCERTS are my favorite way to see Marc perform. Emali me at booking@marcgunn.com to discuss hosting a house concert. We want to make it easy for you. I promise you'll have a great time!

Au revoir!

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.

Marc Weeklies: Dragon*Con 2009 Report!

2009-09-08T15:20:00.009-05:00

Jamie here...Ach achon ach am toirsech monuar! That's Irish for "Alas, I am so tired, alas!" The first "Alas" is because I - like everyone else who was there - am exhausted and the second because I have to wait another year for Dragon*Con...

Marc utterly triumphed - his first two shows were terrific, but the last one was amazing! The Filk Track Room was standing-room only. Lots of great friends and fans from the past and lots of new ones, too. And his new T-shirt, "Kilted for Her Pleasure," was a sell-out - I think every man in kilt bought one. (Marc's reordering, so you can get yours soon.) The new CD, "Happy Songs of Death," sold very well, as did "What Color is Your Dragon." And the "Happy Songs" fans - by which I mean the kind that cool you off, not you wonderful people - were a big hit in the sultry confines of the Marriott.

Marc got to meet Felicia Day! And NOT at the Walk of Fame! Clever Lisa, who helped Marc at the table, had the good sense to take her a copy of "Happy Songs," and she jumped and squealed and later told me when I was at the Walk of Fame that she could not wait to listen to it.

As usual, Dragon*Con is the only party that can give my hometown event - Mardi Gras - a run for its money in terms of joy and energy and enormous creativity by everyone there. This was the year of Steampunk - or more precisely, alternate history. I wish I had a dollar for every pair of goggles I saw. I costumed up as Mina Murray from "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" for my panel, which turned out to be a blast because a guy who worked on the film showed up and joined the panel - three sheets to the wind but hilarious.

Whew! Now, Marc gets to go off and recover in Ireland on a Celtic Vacation (and be thinking about Scotland next May) while I stay home and finish up the plans for next year. Don't forget that house concerts are my favorite way for folks to enjoy Marc's music! We just booked another one on April 23rd in Nebraska, so this is the chance for any of you fans out in the Colorado/Nebraska area to book Marc now. Do it soon or the best days of the week will be gone! Just send me an email at booking@marcgunn.com, and I'll be happy to send along our house concert guide and poster.

Special thanks to everyone we saw at Dragon*Con. Thanks for your support of Marc as a solo performer and songwriter. It was great to see you all!

Peace and love-
Jamie

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Johnny Jump Up" from Happy Songs of Death Now on Sale!

This Week:

Marc's New Shirt: "Kilted For Her Pleasure" is now on sale in the Gunn Store. ;)

ALEP Returns: A Long Expected Party was one of the most-amazing times of my life. I had the pleasure of performing at this reenactment of Bilbo Baggins' birthday. It was spectacular. And I am happy to announce they are planning another one for the last weekend of September 2011. Mark your calendars. You don't want to miss it!

The third Celtic Invasion Vacation to Scotland is scheduled. Make sure you send in your deposit and registration form ASAP. There is limited space and a lot of folks who want to go. I hope to see you there.

Quote of the Week: "A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." Martin Luther King

CD of the Week: Lyrics of Gold - Songs of Robert Burns by Ed Miller. A beautifully produced and sung collection of 16 songs by Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns.

Book of the Week: The Blood Books, Vol. 1 (Blood Price / Blood Trail) by Tanya Huff. Vicki Nelson is an ex-homicide cop turned private detective. Mike Celluci, Vicki's former parter, is still on the force. Henry Fitzroy is an author of bodice rippers-and a vampire. Together, the trio find themselves caught up in mysteries with a supernatural slant-from demons to werewolves and every otherworldly creature in between.

Funny Shirt: "Lincoln Shot First"

Promotion of the Week: Post your iMix review the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can help promote my music by reviewing this iMix of music from the podcast. There's a TON of great music to choose from. And while you're there, buy a song or the set.

Celtic Music Reviews and Features: Review: "Beer Belly" by Paddy's Boots, Review: "Out on The Ocean" by BardicRose, Review: "For My Grandfathers" by Terry Griffith, Review: "Thistle" by Scott Boswell, MP3: "Play For Them" by The Booze Brothers

Marc Gunn in the News:

Rhetta posted her encounter with me at DragonCon.

Whispers from Space mentioned my involvement with ALEP.

UPCOMING GIGS. Don't forget to make a demand to see me perform. Want me to see where I plan to tour this summer?

9.16-23 (DINGLE, IRELAND) Celtic Invasion of Ireland
10.23-25 (DENVER, CO) MileHiCon
10.30 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat Fan Club's "Blood and Gold" Ball
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival

-- Check me out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, Livejournal, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.