MARC'S MUSINGS -- June 3, 2009
- Marc's Music News
- Celtic Invasion of Ireland
- Pre-Order: Happy Songs of Death
- On Tour Texas, MO, IA, IL, KY
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Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
Italy. Wow, what an experience! The whole trip exceeded my expectations of what a Celtic Invasion Vacation could be. Good food, good drink, good company, and a great ceilidh. More about that in a bit, because I am back in the country with a lot of exciting news to share about my music and the weeks to come.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWSWhen last you you left your intrepid musician, I talked about releasing five CDs in five months. As much as I thought that might happen, it won't. That's okay. I have plenty to keep me occupied as well as an update regarding upcoming projects.
Happy Songs of Death is almost done. While I was abroad,
Ari Koinuma took my recordings and set about recording additional instrumentation, mixing, and mastering the album. He finished everything except... One track from the last song that I recorded had an error on it. I did my best to get that fixed in Italy, with no luck.
As a result, the album is delayed a little bit. It will be July before it is released to those select few who pre-order it.
Yes, the album is
now available to pre-order. AND you can also pick your favorite CD cover.
I wanted to try something new this time, and so I commissioned TWO album covers. One by Ingrid Houwers and the other by Nikki O'Shea. Both are done as you can see below and wow! Do they look spectacular or what?!
When you pre-order a copy, you can choose your favorite CD cover or get both for a discount. When the albums arrive, around the beginning of August, I will autograph the CD and send it to you. Otherwise, you will be able to officially purchase the CD on August 23, 2009 (without the autograph sadly).
Meantime,
order your copy now! and read reviews of it in
my Weeklies.
So what happened to that other album I was working on with Rich Brotherton? It too was delayed. I hope to finish recording it at the end of the summer. And after much consideration, I have decided it will quite appropriately be called
The Bridge, featuring many more original songs and a bigger fusion of Celtic music with contemporary jazz and blues.
I should have a new
Pub Songs Podcast coming your way with bits from my Italy trip. So stay tuned for much, much more.
OH! And I have new T-Shirts coming that you can pick up in my
swag store. Every little bit helps me immensely to continue making a living as the independent Celtic American musician that I am.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
If you watch my blog, you know that Jamie has taken over my booking. And whoa! She's doing an awesome job. I have my first tour of the summer coming in the middle of the month, kicking off with my debut performance at the Saxon Pub in Austin, Texas... on Father's Day!
I need your help spreading the word about all these gigs. So please bring your friends, and if you're not too far away, consider making a trip. Love to see you at the shows where you can pick up a copy of the limited-edition tour t-shirts.
Meanwhile, the tour will take me to Chicago and back. You can see below that the schedule has filled up nicely for June.
6.5-6 (ARLINGTON, TX) Texas Scottish Festival
6.12 (COVINGTON, LA) St. John's Coffee House
6.21 (AUSTIN, TX) Saxon Pub
6.24 (SPRINGFIELD, MO) The Coffee Ethic
6.26 (CEDAR RAPIDS, IA) Cummings House Concert
6.27 (ELMHURST, IL) Benefit Concert for Feral Fixers
6.28 (BROOKFIELD, IL) Irish Times Pub
7.1 (WINCHESTER, KY) Panzarella House Concert
7.8 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Neutral Ground Coffeehouse
7.11 (COVINGTON, LA) Etoile Restaurant
7.25 (RESTON, VA) Fogel House Concert
7.30 (DENTON, MD) Market Street Public House
8.12-16 (INDIANAPOLIS, IN) GenCon
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
1.16.10 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Concert with Jed Marum
I know I wasn't able to hit ALL the places you wanted, but keep the requests coming to
booking@marcgunn.com so we can try. In July, I am heading up along the East Coast to Maryland and New York, and I could really use your venue suggestions to get those shows booked. And also, don't forget to
make a demand to see me perform.
Now check out the first gig on that list above. I have something interesting to share about it...
REBIRTH OF THE CEILIDH AND CELTIC INVASIONS
Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with Royce Perry, a Gunn, who works with the Texas Scottish Festival, about the ceilidh.
A ceilidh (or "ceili" in Irish) is an Irish or Scottish social gathering with traditional music, dancing, and storytelling. I will be playing music for the Friday night ceilidh at the Texas Scottish Festival. It sounds like a total blast! But what got me really interested was when I realized the CEILIDH is a big part of what I hope to do with the
Celtic Invasion Vacations.
As I said, the first vacation was a tremendous success. Sure, there were very few minor issues as with any vacation. But more imporantly was the glow on everyone's face at the end of the trip as we sat at this cool restaurant on the edge of the street in Rome on our second to last night and talked about what we loved most about the trip.
What did they love best? The community. The ceilidh. Good food, good drink, good company. We had two magical evenings where we made food together, sat around the table, drank wine, talked, told stories, sang songs. That's what a ceilidh is all about. That's what sets the Celtic Invasion Vacations apart from typical whirlwind tour of Italy or Ireland or wherever. It's the community that I love. And this trip was beautiful!
So much so, that I decided to go ahead and start planning another one THIS SEPTEMBER! The dates for the
Celtic Invasion of Ireland 2009 are September 16-23. I am now accepting applications. I am taking a very small group with me to Dingle to experience the magic and beauty of the country. I hope you will consider joining me. Details are coming, but click the link above for all the latest updates.
Drop me a line and say hi when you have a moment. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
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Marc Gunn is Celtic American Musician and Podcaster from Austin, Texas. Good food, good drink and good company. Folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp. Embrace independent Celtic music!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Thursday, June 04, 2009
MARC'S MUSINGS -- March 3, 2009
- Marc's Music News
- Mardi Gras
- New CDs: Heart's Ease and Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
- Tour Texas: Minnesota, Texas, New Orleans Birthday Bash
- Where Do You Want to Go Next
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Marc's Musings
Greetings Amici,
My new CD is HERE!!!!
The album is called Heart's Ease. It's a my first solo instrumental album. All autoharp and it sounds sooo beautiful and relaxing. *sigh* Peace. That was much needed after Mardi Gras.
I heard the talk about Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but it just didn't click how much fun it would be. Wow! What a great experience. How exhausting too. It took me a couple days to recover from countless parades and revelry.
Now March is here and the St. Patrick's Day rush is in full swing. No time fo rme to relax. Course I've been working hard since January. In a moment, you'll find out why...
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
There's a great feeling of accomplishment when I release a CD. I have projects that take years to complete. Heart's Ease was one of them. I started that album five years ago. It finally hit CD Baby last week and should be up on iTunes any day now. The album is all instrumental autoharp music. Very, very relaxing and beautiful music. I hope you find it as beautiful as I do.
Having sent Heart's Ease to the printers in January. I spent February working on my next big project Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. This is a compilation CD for my podcast. It features 17 tracks of amazing independent Celtic music. Some of my favorite artists, songs, and tunes from the show. You can now get a copy just by making a donation to the podcast. The CD should be up on CD Baby just after St. Patrick's Day.
Now if that wasn't enough, I went into the studio to record Happy Songs of Death a couple weeks back. I recorded most of the album. Then Mardi Gras hit and the I've all but forgotten about the CD.
But that's okay. I made a big decision to postpone the release of the CD until May. That leaves me plenty of time to finish mastering songs I recorded last summer at my Whiskers in the Jar CD release party. I hope to release a live CD entitled Live at the Cactus Cafe by the end of the month.
At this point in time, you're probably saying, "Dude! I can't keep up. You have too many albums."
I know, I know. I'm sorry. My mind and notebook are swamped with projects. I just have time for all of them. But darn it, I wanna try and do them ALL.
But to help you out, I put together a CD special offer--5 CDs for $60. It's good until my birthday. Speaking of which...
MARC GUNN LIVE!
March 17th is not only St. Patrick's Day. It's also my birthday. Destiny drew me to Celtic music and this year I'm having a special party to celebrate Paddy's day AND my birthday.
The show is at Baccanal, a schwank wine bar here in New Orleans. During the day you can see the parades, but come evening I'd love for you to join me for a fun evening of Celtic songs.
And while you're in the neighborhood. I have a cool house concert on March 13th. It's a house concert with Irish harpist, Clarie Roche. She perform on the Bards Ireland trip last year. She is mesmerizing.
March is filled out with two conventions. The first, MarsCon, happens this weekend in Minnesota. This is THE comedy music event of the year. The last weekend, I'm heading back to AggieCon.
Remember, the demands are growing. Make yours today. Don't forget to download the latest Pub Songs Podcast. This show features a live show done at a house concert in Destin, Florida.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT?
Now that my first Celtic Invasion of Italy is filled up, I'd like to know where you want to go next.
Originally, I was thinking of Scotland in August, but I started too late organizing a trip to Europe. So I'm pushing Scotland back until 2010.
However, I'd still like to do a vacation in early August. So the best place to do that is in the United States. So where would you like to vacation in the U.S. spending a few days singing with me and seeing some local sites. Since it's summer, I think cool weather is in order. Any thoughts?
Meantime, if you haven't yet, sign up to the mailing list, and join the discussion on the Sunset Connoisseurs Society website.
Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "slainte@marcgunn.com" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! Forward this newsletter to five friends.
Marc Gunn is Celtic American Musician and Podcaster from Austin, Texas. Good food, good drink and good company. Folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp. Embrace independent Celtic music!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, March 02, 2009
MARC'S MUSINGS -- January 24, 2009
- Marc's Music News
- Life in New Orleans
- New CDs: Heart's Ease and Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
- Tour Texas: Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin
- Listen to the Sunset
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings
Greetings Amici,
I went for a walk yesterday to do a few chores. The weather warmed to a pleasant 68 degrees as I strolled the Garden District, stopping to literally smell the flowers. At the end of it, I felt thirsty. So I walked down to Parasols to grab a pint and some gravy fries. Yum!
I must confess, I really love living in New Orleans. Twice a day, I hit the streets to escape my computer and get to know the city better. It helps a LOT to give me a break from work.
I worked hard these past three weeks with some fantastic results: new gigs, a CD finished, another one close to, podcasts recorded, the list goes on and on, plus, I still make time to relax in NOLA.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
The CD I finished is called Heart's Ease. It is an album of instrumental autoharp music that I recorded over the last three years. It sounds lovely. Now I just need something comparable for the graphics. I was thinking artwork, but my friend Jamie, who said the album was "perfect for releasing tentsion", suggested I use the photo above for the cover instead. What do you think? We'll see. I'm trying out different ideas. I hope to release the album in March.
After finishing Heart's Ease, I started work on Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, a compilation CD of Celtic music that I want to release in time for St. Patrick's Day. The tracks are all picked. I just need permission from the artists, and again, graphics. Keep an ear open. If you have any good photos that you think might work for the cover, feel free to send them my way.
Happy Songs of Death is the next album I hope to start on this week. I've talked about this album for years. Upbeat cheerful, fun songs about death. It makes me giggle thinking about it. If I'm REALLY lucky, I'll have that out in March too... But I may be getting a little overzealous thinking I can release three CDs in under two months. So I'm not gonna promise anything until I actually start recording.
Plus, there's a cool St. Patrick's Day song that I want to release on The FuMP (Funny Music Project). I need to record it first. My last FuMP, "A Drop of Vulcan Blood", made it to Dr. Demento so I'd LOVE to get another song on Dr. D for my St. Patrick's Day birthday.
But the most exciting thing about the past couple o'weeks is the number of gigs I've booked...
MARC GUNN LIVE!
I haven't done any serious booking in about eight years. So I was a bit worried about having to book gigs for myself. But over the past couple of weeks, I went, well, overboard. I booked far more gigs than I originally intended. Now I'm gonna flying around the country from New York to Minnesota to Colorado, and even starting it off with a tour through Texas at the beginning of February.
2.04 (LITTLE ROCK, AR) Studio Joe
2.05 (DALLAS, TX) Tipperary Inn
2.07 (WATAUGA, TX) House Concert
2.08 (AUSTIN, TX) Things Celtic
2.15 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) The Kerry Irish Pub
2.27 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) The Kerry Irish Pub
3.6-8 (BLOOMINGTON, MN) MarsCon 2009
3.26-29 (COLLEGE STATION, TX) AggieCon 40
4.3-5 (BRENTWOOD, NY) I-Con
4.17-19 (DENVER, CO) StarFest
5.13-22 (TUSCANY, ITALY) Celtic Invasion of Italy
Oh! Remember also that if you can get 20-30 people to demand me on eventful, I will find a way to come play in your town.
Heck! Allee asked me if that included Japan. I said, "Yes. I'll go anywhere around the world". Now she's trying to make it happen. Wouldn't that be cool? A Japan debut of my music. Hehe, awesome!
LISTEN TO THE SUNSET
This Thursday, I want to invite you to join me, listening to the sunset. Yes. I said, "listen".
Too often, I allow too many distractions to compromise my peace of mind. The computer, watching TV, cleaning house, kitties pouncing one another. They're fun to be involved in (especially the last), but I still remember watching the sunset at Cromleach Lodge in Ireland. That's where I stopped to "listen" to the sunset.
Thursday is the weekly meeting of the Sunset Connoisseurs Society. Normally, I suggest you listen to my music and watch the sunset. But this week, find a quite place and listen. You might be surprised at what you hear.
Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
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About Marc Gunn
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Marc Gunn is Celtic American Musician and Podcaster from Austin, Texas. Good food, good drink and good company. Folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp. Embrace independent Celtic music!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Saturday, January 24, 2009
MARC'S MUSINGS -- January 6, 2009
- Marc's Music News
- Living in New Orleans
- Feedback for 2008
- Weeklies and Pub Songs Podcast
- Gig This Thursday in New Orleans
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Marc's Musings
Greetings Amici,
Happy New Year!
Moving is a great way to begin a new year. I am now at last fully moved into my new apartment in New Orleans. I gotta say, I love it.
For years now, I blogged about how I wish I lived in a place within walking distance of stores, restaurants, pubs, people. Now at last I have it!
I'm living a block off Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District near some great friends. When I need a break, I walk downstairs and through the streets of New Orleans. Old homes line the lanes. People walk by, bike, smile and wave. It's delightful.
Last night, I walked to Parasols, a pub in the Irish part of the Garden District, had a drink, chatted with locals, and walked home. What a great way to start the year. Out with the old and in with the new...
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
But before that happens, I have a few questions. I consider it important to know what You thought of my music, podcasts, and performances last year. So I created a survey. I would REALLY appreciate it if you would copy and paste the survey into an email and reply. Let me know how I did last year.
In the meantime, I am bravely making plans for the new year. Followers of my blogs will have seen the "Marc Weeklies" that I started publishing on Mondays for the past few months. I will continue the Weeklies. But I decided I want to podcast more. So I plan to swap the Weeklies every other week with the Pub Songs Podcast, as a sort of audio version of the Weeklies, if you will. Plus, I will continue to provide all the great content you've come to expect from the podcast. The first one of the year is coming soon.
The Sunset Connoisseur's Society is growing too, as are the downloadable gifts inside. I posted a live performance of "Lord of the Pounce" on the SCS website a week ago. It was recorded at my Whiskers in the Jar CD release at the Cactus Cafe in July and features Cedric the fiddler and Michelle Hedden on bodhran. Join the SCS, and you can download the live MP3.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
My first gig of the new year is booked. It's right here in my New Orleans at the Kerry Irish Pub, one of a handful of Celtic-flavored venues in the French Quarter. It has a neighborhood feel. A wide variety of acts perform there nightly.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Kerry Irish Pub @ 9PM
331 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 286-5862
This is my debut at the Kerry. I need to make an impression. So please come out and bring some friends. I'd love to pull in a regular show in NOLA. YOU can help make it happen.
On a side note, I might have a con booked in Wheeling, IL. To get it I neeed to score a couple shows in the Chicago area in late February. Any help in that direction would be grand.
What is eventful? It's an website that will instantly notify you when I am playing in a town near yours. The more people who sign up in a specific area, the more likely I'll perform there.
LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE
I have an exciting year ahead of me. I started it off by releasing the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast's Best of 2008. It is already getting a tremendous response. And now I'm already thinking about the next Celtic compilation CD, St. Patrick's Day, and even next year's People's Choice Podcast Awards.
Plus, I plan to return to the studio and finish my second album with Rich Brotherton, called How America Saved Irish Music. I have an autoharp instrumental CD coming, and Happy Songs of Death. And of course, I have my first Celtic Invasion Vacation in the works.
I can't wait to take people to Italy. I lived in Italy in high school, and it is still my home away from home. I hope you can join me for a week under the Tuscan sun, seeing Florence, Rome, and Siena. You don't want to miss it.
Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "slainte@marcgunn.com" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! Forward this newsletter to five friends.
Marc Gunn is Celtic American Musician and Podcaster from Austin, Texas. Good food, good drink and good company. Folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp. Embrace independent Celtic music!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, January 06, 2009
MARC'S MUSINGS -- December 17, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Heading Home for the Holidays!
- Celtic Christmas Music
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Marc's Musings
Greetings Amici,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!
I am getting ready to fly back home for Christmas. Then peace, joy and goodwill to all men... and women... or something like that.
It snowed in Louisiana last week, so I've been in the Christmas mood, catching up on my favorite seasonal movies. Now I'm all psyched for the holiday. Plus, I now have an apartment in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. What a lovely way to start the season.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Guess what?
I recorded a Brand new song!
Okay. This time I actually did. Well, sorta. While I was snowed in last week, I came up with an interesting concept for a song--Christmas Elf Conscription. The idea is largely based on "Arthur McBide", except it is about a leprechaun who gets conscripted by Santa's elves to work his workshops for the season.
I was so excited when I finished writing the song yesterday, I recorded an a capella version. You can download it if you are a member of the Sunset Connoisseur's Society, which is still free to join until Christmas.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
Now that I finally have a place to live in New Orleans, I am back at trying to book some gigs. If you have some venue suggestions, please read this, then contact me.
Oh! And don't forget to sign up at eventful.
CELTIC CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
The Celtic Christmas music special of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is complete. It's a doozy. Plus, there are two Christmas specials of the Cleveland Celtic Podcast. And past shows. Hopefully, that'll give you a ton of great Celtic Christmas music to enjoy for the holiday.
Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! Forward this newsletter to five friends.
Marc Gunn is an independent Celtic American songwriter and podcaster from Austin, Texas. He combines a passionate affinity for folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp.
Support Indie Celtic Music!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Wednesday, December 17, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- November 25, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Happy Thanksgiving!
- Discounts on CDs for Christmas
- Celtic Sing-Along at LARF
- Sunset Connoisseurs Society
- New Openings in the Celtic Invasions Vacation
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Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
It's an early morning in Southern Louisiana. I'm awake because I am so far behind on my various podcasts, blogs, and web sites that I couldn't sleep last night. It helped that I had a productive day yesterday when I updated
MarcGunn.com and setup a special new group for fans of my music. I'll have more about that in a bit.
For now, I wish you all happiness this Thanksgiving. I know I have so many things to be thankful for--an exciting new direction with my music, great new friends and loved ones, a new home that has welcomed me with open arms, and look at that sun this morning. Beautiful!
Thank you for your generous support of my music and helping me to continue the ancient music trade. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
MARC'S MUSIC NEWSGuess what?
I recorded a Brand new song!
Okay. Not really. I just wanted to see how it felt to say that. *sigh*
I haven't moved into New Orleans yet. Right now, I'm living in a trailer not far from the Louisiana Renaissance Festival where I've performed the last four weeks. But not having a solid home (and various other petty excuses)... Well, let's just say I just haven't recorded anything new.
I guess that's okay though. It's the nature of me and my art. I work in cycles. Some days I blog. Some days I record music. Some days I podcast. Other days, I take a break. Right now, it is break time as I gear up for the future, including booking gigs for next year and finding a weekly show in New Orleans for the upcoming months.
While *I* have nothing new, the final Brobdingnagian Bards' CD,
Real Men Wear Kilts, is now on sale. There are a couple of reviews up already hailing it is our best album ever. That's pretty cool, but let me know what you think of it.
Remember that Christmas is rapidly approaching. I put together a
Celtic Christmas Music website to prepare for the holiday. Whether you like Christmas music or not, it is a great time to give Celtic CDs, and I have a bunch of them.
Please drop by my CD store and pick up some albums. You can save 10-30% when you buy multiple copies of one CD.
My CDs are like M&Ms, they make friends. :)
MARC GUNN LIVE!I never imagined that performing solo would be so much fun. It is. My days at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival have gone amazingly well with a Celtic Sing-Along every morning, followed by wine and whisky tastings in the afternoon. Sadly, there are only two more weekends to go!
Weekends in November and first weekend in December, 2008
Louisiana Renaissance Festival Hammond, LA
Showtimes:
10:45am Queen's Stage
1:00pm Wine Tasting
3:30pm Whisky Tasting (on sat)/at front gate (on sun)
It is almost over, so hurry on out and sing with me. Oh! And don't forget to sign up at
eventful.
SUNSET CONNOISSEURS SOCIETYA couple years ago, I came up a neat little organization called the
Sunset Connoisseurs Society. The goal was to get people around the world to take a break on Thursdays and watch the sun set.
It was a fun little idea. Such that when I decided to setup a my own social network at ning.com and needed I name, I chose the SCS for that purpose.
I am still looking for a real name for my "fan club". So if you have a thought on what it should be, send me your thoughts.
You should know that the SCS is open for free admittance only until Christmas. After that it will be a private, pad members only network. Call it a Christmas gift, if you like, but I want you to be the first to join the conversation.
Just head over to
www.marcgunn.net, sign up and wait for me to approve you. Then you can add photos and videos, blog, chat in forums, and soon you will find some exclusive MP3s.
P.S. I have two new spots open for the
Celtic Invasion of Italy. With the dollar/euro conversion at the best it's been in years, now is your time to join the trip.
---
Let me know how you are doing. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues! Forward this newsletter to five friends.
Marc Gunn is an independent Celtic American songwriter and podcaster from Austin, Texas. He combines a passionate affinity for folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp.
Support Indie Celtic Music!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, November 25, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- October 16, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Brobdingnagian Bards Exclusives on eBay
- Get a Free CD
- Elysium This Friday, Pawstock and LARF
- National Feral Cat Day
- Celtic Invasions Vacations
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter.
Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings
Greetings Amici,
The last Brobdingnagian Bards show was this past weekend at the Browncoat Ball here in Austin. We had a fun time commemorating nearly ten years of bardic music making. It was a pleasure playing music with Andrew these past ten years, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
However, I'm really excited about what is to come. I have a ton of music ideas, CDs, songs, and trips, that I can't wait to explore once I finish my move to New Orleans in just under two weeks. Then it begins!
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Music recording is a little light of recent. I'm spending all my time filtering through years of junk, throwing stuff away, and trying to get rid of things so I can move unhindered.
In fact, I started an eBay page to sell off a ton of things. There are a bunch of exclusive Brobdingnagian Bards CDs, and one of the last few copies of Ichabod's Geography, my first solo CD. You will also find the original song lyrics to "The Ring of Hope", one of the most-popular songs from Memories of Middle Earth, the last Celtic Cat Pint Glass, a Lord of the Rings Oscar Bags, and a scarf crocheted by me in 1995. You can see the complete list on my eBay page.
The new copies of Real Men Wear Kilts arrived. They are off to CD Baby. Look for them online around November 1st.
I haven't posted anything new to the MarcSongs Podcast, being so busy as I am. (But there is a new Pub Songs Podcast) But I have a few more things planned. Keep an eye open.
Oh, hey! Did you get a free CD?
MARC GUNN LIVE!
Now that I'm officially performing solo, I have several fantastic gigs lined up starting this Friday at Elysium. Help me celebrate a new direction, with a few new Sci Fi/fantasy songs at the second annual Space Madness event!
Friday, Oct 17, 2008
Space Madness @ Elysium
Austin, TX
Sunday, October, 19, 2008
Pawstock at Casa de Luna's El Arroyo
Bee Cave, TX 78738
Weekends in November, 2008
Louisiana Renaissance Festival
Hammond, LA
At LARF, I am currently scheduled only for the wine and whiskey tastings. However, I am still hopeful that I will have at least one show a day featuring Celtic Sing-Alongs. So clear your throat and prepare to sing with me. Oh! And don't forget to sign up at eventful.
NATIONAL FERAL CAT DAY
October 16th is National Feral Cat Day. This annual event is part of Alley Cat Allies' national education campaign. Many advocates and supporters take this opportunity to distribute educational products or host local events, workshops, fundraisers, and special spay and neuter clinic days for stray and feral cats. You can help spread the message about feral cats, why they need a different kind of care, and how communities can band together to stop the killing of cats in their local animal control pounds and shelters on National Feral Cat Day and all year round.
Those interested in my Celtic Invasion of Italy will be disappointed to hear that the vacation is already sold out. It didn't last the week. However, I am still accepting people on the waiting list. Sign up to the newsletter. Then send in the form.
Now, I'm already thinking of another vacation to Prince Edward Island for an Anne of Green Gables vacation with the prerequisite music accompaniment. And Scotland? Get on the mailing list if you'd like to be a part of these amazing vacations.
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Drop me a line and say "hi". Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
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Marc Gunn is an independent Celtic American songwriter and podcaster from Austin, Texas. He combines a passionate affinity for folk ballads, Irish drinking songs, fantasy, Sci Fi, and cats on the autoharp.
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Wednesday, October 15, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- October 1, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Bilbo's Birthday Party
- Brobdingnagian Bards Split
- New CD: Real Men Wear Kilts and New EP
- FenCon, Browncoat Ball, and Space Madness
- Celtic Invasions Vacations
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Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
I had the most-amazing weekend. I spent it in The Shire celebrating Bilbo Baggins' birthday. It was an event unlike any other I've experienced. An absolute perfect weekend, magical. You can
read about the event on my website.
But if you saw the
Lord of the Rings movie, you know what happened, complete with a crowd of people shouting "PROUDFEET" and Bilbo Baggins magically disappearing. I really hope they do this event again. I want more people to experience the magic!
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS There's a bunch of news since last I wrote in August. First on the list is that the
Brobdingnagian Bards are no more. We have two more shows together, and then we are officially going our separate ways. You can read about it on our website. Andrew is starting a new group with Michelle Hedden (an amazing bodhran play who's recorded on several of my albums) called
Flynn's Follys. They are currently in the studio working on their album. Watch
The Bards website for details.
As for me, you can read my
Plans for the Future here. It includes plans to move to New Orleans, record more, and keep my podcasts growing. I also mention my Celtic Invasion Vacations, which you can read about in the next section.
All in all, this means lots of new music for you. In fact, the Brobdingnagian Bards finally finished our long-awaited CD
Real Men Wear Kilts. It will be on CD Baby in a couple weeks. But you can
pre-order it here. And I also have a brand new demo...
A couple weeks ago, I went back into the studio and recorded three new songs with Rich Brotherton and remixed a fourth. They sound Incredible! The songs will eventually be released on a new CD, but for now I'm releasing them as an EP. However, you can't buy this EP. You can only
get it for free.
If you want to hear my new recording of "
Wild Mountain Thyme", it is featured in this week's
MarcSongs Podcast.
MARC GUNN LIVE!Your last chance to the Brobdingnagian Bards perform together is in the next two weekends with FenCon and the Browncoat Ball. Then on October 17, I kick off my first official show as a soloist at Elysium when I return for more Space Madness. Check the link to find out how you can get a special gift at the show.
Oct 3-5, 2008
FenCon Addison, TX
Oct 10-12, 2008
Browncoat Ball Austin, TX
Oct 17, 2008
Space Madness @ Elysium Austin, TX
Now that I'm gonna perform solo more, you really should sign up at
eventful. That's one way that I plan to keep track of fans and find out where I should tour to. And I can always use new people on
my Street Team.
CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS
While I was living it up in Ireland this summer on the Brobdingnagian Bards tour, I resolved to myself that I want to keep visiting other places with you. But I didn't want to do it by spending days on end in a tour bus. Thus came the Celtic Invasions.
The idea of the
Celtic Invasion Vacations is to take a small group of people to a destination, for a vacation. This is not a tour that you spend in a bus, driving around non-stop, it's a vacation. During the day, we relax in the area we're visiting, or we see and experience the local sites. At night, we gather in fellowship, and I play music for you. Or we might have a jam session. The goal is to spend it together.
I organized my first invasion already. I'm taking a small group of people to my home away from home, Italy. We're gonna spend eight or nine days living in Tuscany and visiting Rome. We will see Siena, Volterra, and Florence. And we will live
la dolce vita (the sweet life) relaxing under the
Tuscan Sun.
The vacation is nearly sold out, and I just announced it last week on my website. How quick was that!? However, I do have a waiting list if you want to see Italy with me. Please visit the website and
join the mailing list for details and pricing about this trip.
If this goes well, then I have two other destinations I am tentatively planning for next year. There are so many great places to see and experience. I hope you will consider joining me in some of them.
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Many thanks for your continued support. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
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About Marc Gunn Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
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Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Thursday, October 02, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- August 11, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- 4-Hour Work Week
- New CD: What Color Is Your Dragon?
- GenCon and DragonCon
- Twitter
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Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
I started reading a book yesterday called The 4-Hour Work Week. Wouldn't it be great to work just four hours a week, earn what you are earning now, and get to do the things you do?
It has me thinking about changes that I want in my life, like seeing more of Europe, making more music, and being more in the present. I must say I've a lot on my mind right now. But I'll only touch on a little of that in this Musings.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I have a new CD out. I know you're, thinking, I haven't picked up a copy of Whiskers in the Jar yet (okay, I'm hoping your thinking that if you haven't bought it already). But yes, I have a brand new CD out called What Color Is Your Dragon?.
This latest edition to my maddening music schedule of recordings features a bunch of folk songs about some of my favorite fandoms like Lord of the Rings, Bugs Bunny, Firefly, Star Wars, Dr. Who, and Harry Potter. Most of the songs are completely original, but there are a couple gems written by others like "The Lusty Young Sith" and "My Father Was a Werewolf". And if you're not into the cat songs, then this album is definitely for you. But I hope cat lovers will still enjoy my voice and unique musical style as well.
In other news...
I am preparing to move from my apartment. So I'm clearing out a bunch of stuff and posting it for sale on my merch page. If you'd like some cool stuff from used DVDs to leather pouches and who knows what (I sold a Venetian mask last week), keep an eye on the webpage. I have a LOT of stuff that I need to unload.
I have a brand new song that you can download for free on the MarcSongs Podcast. It is called "Monahan's Mudders Milk". It's a song I wrote based on Firefly and everyone who's heard it has loved it as much as I do.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
My CD releases for Whiskers in the Jar went great. Sadly, they are all over. However, I have a bunch of shows this month with the Brobdingnagian Bards.
Aug 13, 2008
Studio Joe
Little Rock, AR
Aug 14-17, 2008
Gen Con
Indianapolis, IN
A week after that, and we are on our way to Atlanta, Georgia for another fantastic year at DragonCon. Yes, that was a surprise for me too. So we WILL be at DragonCon.
We'll also have several house concerts on the way back. I don't have the details yet, but if you're on eventful or just keep an eye on my website, I'll let you know as soon as I know..
TWITTER
What is Twitter? Twitter is a service for friends and family to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?
I tried my best to avoid signing up to it. But someone told me how I could use it effectively. Basically, I could send out a notice when and where our shows were at DragonCon and voila. I tried out the site. Now I just find it kinda cheesily fun.
So if you too are on Twitter and would like to find out what I'm doing as I'm doing it, start following my Twitter.
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Many blessings. Drop me a line and say, "hello". Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, August 11, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- July 19, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Swan Songs
- Autoharp for Sale
- Three CD Release Parties for Whiskers
- Dr. Horrible
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Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
Last week, I had the priviledge of playing music at a hospice through a non-profit in Austin called
Swan Songs. It was an intensely powerful experience as I watched someone cross over.
After the tears, I felt blessed that I have the opportunity to share my music with so many people in the world... to emotionally move people with smiles, laughs, and sometimes tears. It is that emotional commitment that guides my music to new places and helps me to grow as a human being. Thank you for being a part of that growth.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Yesterday, I started to do some major work on my autoharps. It's stuff I haven't done in a while, but needs doing. You know the type.
In the process, I decided it was time to unload one of my autoharps to make room for a new one. The one to unload is an Oscar Schmidt Electric Autoharp with a 4-band EQ, internal pickup, and fine tuners. It's in great shape. I have barely played since I bought it three years ago. You can find out
why I am putting it on sale on my website, or just
buy it on my merch page. So if you want a Marc Gunn keepsake... :)
Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers is selling better than I anticipated. Thank you for telling your friends about the album. The word seems to be spreading like feral kitties in the summer (Don't forget to spay and neuter your cats). Please keep the momentum going and post a blog or tell a new friend every week. You can use the widgets at
ReverbNation to make your promotional efforts even easier and even get some freebies.
Keep an ear open! I have several CD release parties planned in the next two weeks...
MARC GUNN LIVE!That's right. I have three more CD release parties planned for
Whiskers in the Jar in New Orleans, Austin and Fort Worth. Come join me for a fun mix of Celtic and feline favorites.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Haeuser House Concert @ 8PM
Robert, LA
Suggested donation $10
RSVP to ghislainederouen@hotmail.com or call 225-266-3979
Saturday, July 26th, 2008
Saltwater Grill @ 2-4 PM
1340 South Carrollton Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
Benefiting the
Louisiana SPCAFree parking - Kids Welcome
Weds, July 30, 2008
Cactus Cafe @ 8PM
23rd & Guadalupe, University of Texas at Austin
Texas Union
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 475-6515
Benefiting
Thundering Paws, a Central Texas animal shelter.
Saturday, Aug 2, 2008
DFW House Concert @ 8PM
Watauga, TX
Suggested donation $15. BYOB.
RSVP to raevyn3450-iwg@yahoo.com
Of course, you will already know ALL about these gigs if you made a
demand on eventful.
In other news,
GenCon with the Brobdingnagian Bards is a go. DragonCon, however, is not. We were not invited back as guests this year. However,
we are going to visit anyway. With any luck we'll have a couple shows. I WILL be there for a podcast promotion panel and also for the
pirate party.
DR. HORRIBLE!
Have you heard of
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog? It's a new web TV show by none other than Joss Whedon, creator of
Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Angel. It stars Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible and Nathan Fillion as his arch-nemesis, Captain Hammer.
It's about an evil scientist, Dr. Horrible, who is video blogging about his attempt to join the Evil League of Evil. He also has a crush on a girl at the local laundramat. The show is a musical that reminds me a bit of Jonathan Coulton's song "Skullcrusher Mountain". It has the fun, witty dialogue that Joss Whedon is a master of. Fun show! Go check it out.
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Many blessings. Drop me a line and say, "hello". Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, July 18, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- June 17, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Climbing the CD Baby Charts
- CD Release at Things Celtic
- Tribute to Turlough O'Carolan
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
Good food, good drink, good company. That was my mantra for the last Brobdingnagian Bards Vacation Tour of Ireland.
The weather was cool, cool, cool. Lush, green vegetation, and a dozen good friends to share company with. It was absolutely magnificent. I wish I could say we had another one planned, but alas, we'll just have to make do with the photos and memories of the good food, drink and friends. I think it will tie me over for a while. But I miss everyone already. That's the sad part about ending a tour.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
I have some exciting news for my music. Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers is now on sale at CD Baby. I set the official CD release date as July 14th, but that doesn't affect you at all. You can buy your copy now and get it direct from the friendly folks at CD Baby where the album has already climbed to #13 on the Top Now CD Charts. Course, if you already own the album, I'd really appreciate it if you would post a review.
Speaking of reviews, I am looking for some more to post online. I was looking around to see what reviews I could post on my ReverbNation site and realized I didn't have many official solo reviews from magazines, blogs, newspapers, etc. Which means, I need to try and garner a bunch of blurbs and such for this album. It is by far the best sounding album I've ever done. While there are a lot of reviews on CD Baby, it's always nice to have more professional-looking reviews for publicity purposes.
Yesterday, I posted a new Pub Songs Podcast. It was recorded live in Gougane Barra, Ireland. What a beautiful place! That's where that picture above was taken. Perfectly serene. The podcast features a few a cappella songs sung in a sing-a-long fashion.
I'm also trying to edit a few pub shows for A Brobdingnagian Minute and maybe the next Pub Songs Podcast. And if I really pull it together, I'll have a MarcSongs Podcast with a live track for you as well.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
To honor the release of Whiskers in the Jar, I have an instore this Saturday at Things Celtic.
Summer Solstice Cat CD Release
Sat, June 21, 2008
Things Celtic @ 2PM
1806 W. 35th Street
Austin, TX 78703
I'm gonna try and do a few songs from the new CD, which means I need to re-learn some of these lyrics. It won't be all cat songs though. I have a bunch new music I plan to share as well.
As always, if you'd like to see me live, make sure you demand me on eventful. The demands in Dallas seem to be growing. So I'm gonna try and put together a CD release somewhere up there this summer, but it will take some maneuvering as I'm not that great with booking gigs.
TRIBUTE TO TURLOUGH O'CAROLAN
Turlough O'Carolan was the most-famous harper of Ireland. He wrote and preserved hundreds of tunes that are still popular today. To the right, you can see me at O'Carolan's tombstone in Ireland. It's kinda funny how we autoharpers seem to connect with O'Carolan.
The day we visited his grave held special meaning for me. Andrew and I played "Eleanor Plunkett" and afterward, when I was alone, I composed a lovely little tribute to O'Carolan.
Interestingly, "The Lady of Setliff Manor" was partially inspired after listening to some O'Carolan music. I released it on Soul of a Harper. I'll have to see if I can record this new tune at some point. Maybe when I finally release that instrumental autoharp CD I'll add it there?
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Thanks for listening. I hope you are well. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, June 17, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- May 30, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Whiskers in the Jar Arrives
- CD Release Parties
- Street Teams
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
I was woken early this morning by the apartment maintenance crew. They arrived to replace the power box for some reason. Fortunately, I went to bed earlier than usual less night. I hope to be well-rested for Ireland when we leave next week.
But there's still so much to do. I have three podcasts to finish, and I still need to figure out who's gonna be cat sitting for me while I'm gone. Plus, I have a lot of promotion to do because Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers has finally arrived.
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers has arrived. I spent a couple weeks impatiently following the progress of the production order on the Diskfaktory website. Last week, I saw it was shipped. Two days ago, there was a knock at the door. The CD was here.
I can't begin to explain my jubilation. You would think that after a decade of recording music and 30+ albums that I would get used to the idea of a new CD. I guess not. I was more excited than ever.
Admitedly, I'm really proud of this album. When you are trying to produce a traditional Irish CD... and you play the autoharp... it helps that you have a producer who knows Irish music inside and out. Rich Brotherton does.
Don't get me wrong. Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers met all my expectations and then some. It even had my autoharp as the main rhythm instrument. But Whiskers, well, you really have to hear this CD. The music that backs up the fun, cat loving vocals is just top notch. In some ways, it's almost a more serious Irish album than the first one (excepting being about cats of course).
In any case, it is done. When it arrived, I immediately filled the orders of everyone who sponsored the album early. Those are now in the mail. I should have the rest of the CDs for all the pre-adopters out before I fly to Ireland. So we both will be able to listen to some amazingly fun Irish music... about cats!
Oh! And this is your last chance to pre-adopt the CD. Sunday, I will close off the orders on the website until the album is available on CD Baby.
Don't forget to download the latest release from Whiskers called "When the Dairy Farm Caught Fire" (by Jean Prior, Nancy Pearsall, Marc Gunn). It's free from the MarcSongs Podcast.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
I had a fun time at the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival these past four weeks (read about it on my website), but I confess, I'm glad to be home. So much preparation before I fly to Ireland.
For instance, now that Whiskers in the Jar is done, I want to do some CD release parties. I have the first instore planned at Things Celtic on June 21st. It's the summer solstice and afterward there will be a Celtic author, Michael J. McCoy, introducing his book Celtic Spirit-Fire: An Adventurous Journey Into The Sacred World.
My show will feature a lot of songs from the new CD, as well as a wide mix of my music to fill you with peace and joy.
Summer Solstice Cat CD Release
Sat, June 21, 2008
Things Celtic @ 2PM
1806 W. 35th Street
Austin, TX 78703
PS. I am looking for other places to hold CD releases. If you're interested in having me release the album in your town, then please help me set up a gig at a coffee house, cat shelter, pub, or house concert. I would love to play my cat songs (and much more) in as many places as I can to promote the album. So email me and lets talk about how we can make it happen.
DR DEMENTO AND NEW STREET TEAM PROMOTIONS
Last week, I was thrilled to see "I'll Tell My Cat" from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers was played on Dr. Demento. I'm such a huge fan of Dr. Demento, and that is one of my favorite songs to play live. I'm excited to have it there.
If you enjoy the song, I am asking fans to request it so the song might reappear on the Funny Top 10. I'd love your support.
No sooner had I switched my mailing list to ReverbNation than I started my first street team promotion for Whiskers in the Jar. The goal is just to spread the word about the new CD so your friends will hear about it. And the biggest promoters will get one of my brand new Celtic Cat T-shirts. In the future, look for exclusive limited-edition CDs and other great gifts for street teamers.
Oh! What's a street team? It's basically a group of fans who are willing to help promote my music on- and offline.
Finally, I just started selling my music on AmieStreet.com, a brand new music download portal, and to kick things off, they are giving my fans $5 to download my music.
All you have to do is click on the link below to get $5 to download our music or browse through their catalogue, if you already own all our stuff (which I don't doubt is the case ;p).
Just click the link below and you'll be all set!
http://amiestreet.com/_l/cdbaby
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Thanks for being a part of my musical development. I hope you are well. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Labels: marcs_musings
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New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, May 30, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- May 1, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Going for Brogue and more New CDs
- Last Chance for an Ireland Tour
- My Blog Could Save Your Life
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings amici,
Texas, having beautiful spring days, who would've thought?
Every time I stepped outside after the big thunderstorm last weekend, I was amazed. The weather was delicious, cool, and lovely. The only problem is I haven't been out to enjoy it. I had a lot planned and not enough time to do it. But the results are getting me excited
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Thanks to my acupuncturist, I am at last feeling great. My sinus problems are all gone, and my motivation kicked in over the weekend.
You see, I've had several CDs that I planned to finish this spring. The first and most important was Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers. It is at the printers as we speak and should arrive by the end of May.
The second was a CD called, What Color Is Your Dragon? Folk Music with Delusions of Grandeur. It's a CD that I've been recording over the past year and releasing as singles on the MarcSongs Podcast. There were a couple songs that still needed recording. So I kept putting it off... until this weekend. The music is now recorded! I hope to mix it this week.
The third was a last minute decision. It's a an album of Irish songs and sea shanties that I recorded over the past few years with an Irish accent for my Irish-Song-Lyrics.com website. It's called Going for Brogue: Irish Pub Songs Songs and Sea Shanties with an Accent (go fig!). That album was my big accomplishment for the weekend. I remixed it, and sent it off to the printers. You can now pre-order a copy, and you should have it by the time I make it to Ireland in June.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
Speaking of Ireland, we came to a big decision. This year's Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland is the last tour we're gonna do. Quite sadly, this is the second year we're losing money on it. While we have a great time, we're still indie musicians and can't afford to take big losses. So that's it.
That said, we do have
four more spots available on this year's tour. This trip will be a one bang up party that you don't want to miss. So if you're interested in going AND you can afford it,
email me ASAP. Right now, the trip lists for $2600. But if you let me know immediately, I'll knock off $100 from the price until Monday.
Meantime, we're heading back to the
Oklahoma Renaissance Festival this weekend and the next three. This will be our last engagement before we fly off to Ireland.
READ MY NEWS AT MARCGUNN.COM. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Okay, maybe it really won't save your life, but I hope you'll enjoy it! hehe! :)
I made a big change a couple weeks ago. I decided to start using my homepage blog more. In the past, I blogged on Livejournal or Myspace quite regularly. Both are great websites, and I haven't abandoned them. But I feel I can offer more when it's coming straight from my homepage. I have a new RSS feed which will allow you to add my blog to your newsreader--
http://www.marcgunn.com/blog.xml .
That said, there's a LOT of news I posted in the past week as I made updates to my website. I reorganized my CDs and merchandise page to make it easier and more accessible. There are some questions that need answering (here and here) and much more. You can even get email updates of blogs. Lots to do. I hope you'll be a part of my community.
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Thank you for interacting with me. Please drop me a line and say hi. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Thursday, May 01, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- April 15, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Austin Music Award Winners
- Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers
- New MP3 - "Molly Malone... The Cat's Perspective "
- Join My Street Team
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings,
A lot has happened since my last email. March was a busy month. I had gigs and was podcasting like crazy while promoting for St. Patrick's Day. I finished my new CD, "Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers". I also got the flu.
The biggest news is we scored our THIRD win in the Austin Music Awards. And it was the big one!
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Austin is known as the Live Music Capitol of the World. So I was thrilled in 2004 when Brobdingnagian Bards won 'Best Novelty Band' in the Austin Music Awards. It was a huge honor. We were the first Celtic band in Austin to EVER win in the AMAs. My first solo CD, "Soul of a Harper" also won Best Album Cover thanks to the photography of Nancy e. Pearsall.
Then in 2006, we followed up our win with 'Best None of the Above' in the Austin Music Awards. I was blown away with delight. We were getting recognized as more than a 'novelty band'. Our music is folk music though. So that's really what I was hoping to win. And this year, we finally did it. We won "Best Folk Act!
So I want to thank EVERYONE who voted for us in the Austin Music Awards. We placed really well throughout the awards and even helped some of our friends to place well in the awards. See more results. Maybe next year, we can win Best Band! ;)
A week after receiving our win in the Austin Music Awards, Rich Brotherton finished mastering my new CD, "Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers". I got the graphics back from Ingrid Houwers a couple days ago. The new cover looks fantastic. But then, I expect nothing less from Ingrid! I'm sending it off to the printers this week. You can now adopt "Whiskers in the Jar" and you'll own your copy before it hits the streets.
You can now listen to the entire album online and hear just how cool Rich is as a producer. You can also download "Molly Malone... The Cat's Perspective". Email it to your friends. Burn it to a CD. Make a video and post it on YouTube. And help me get the word out about "Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers" and don't forget to add a link to www.catdrinkingsongs.com.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
April started out at I-Con. That was the first Sci Fi Con I ever went to, and I love going there. But something odd happened during the Cabaret. I got a nosebleed. I think it was in response to the meds I was still taking to get over the flu, but it made for an interesting closing to Cabaret and to our last show of the weekend as I played on with toilet paper shoved up my nose. Go to YouTube if you want a mild laugh. It was... um... interesting.
Now we have a couple weeks off before the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival. During that time, I hope to work on some new songs and start looking for some more venues to book here in Austin. I really want to perform in Austin more. So keep an eye open for some of that on my tour schedule. It gets busy once we're off to Ireland.
OH! HEY! That reminds me. We are looking for gigs in Europe in mid-June after the Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland. Right now, we don't have any gigs planned, but we need some. So if you know of any paid venues in Europe or can help us get booked in places where we can't speak the language, that'd be brilliant!!!! Email me.
Meantime, keep an eye open to my calendar and don't forget to sign up at eventful to find the latest shows.
JOIN MY STREET TEAM
Thanks to everyone who helped me promote away for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast over St. Patrick's Day. The numbers were down a little bit this year, but the show still climbed to the #1 Music Podcast and a top 20 of all iTunes podcasts. Brilliant!
I'm excited to see everyone so passionate about the show. The number of fan emails I get from the podcast grows every day. I even started a Street Team to help promote the podcast as well as my many Mage projects. If you want to lend a helping hand, sign up. I hope to offer some unique freebies to members of my Street Team in the near future.
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Thanks for all your love and support of my music. It means the world to me! Please stay in touch. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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Or sign up to get email updates and
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, April 15, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- March 1, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers
- New MP3 - "What Shall We Do With a Catnipped Kitty"
- Promote Celtic Music for St. Patrick's Day
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings,
What a tiring month! After spending a weekend in Yuma, Arizona doing a Renaissance festival, I returned to Austin to start recording my second cat CD--"Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers".
I started off by recording three songs with Rich Brotherton. Rich produced CDs for Ed Miller and The Tea Merchants. The three songs we recorded sounded so amazing, I decided he was who I wanted to produce this second album. So we immediately set some dates and have spent the month recording. All I can say is, "Wow!"
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
It was seven years ago when Andrew and I were last in a professional studio. I love producing albums at home, but there's nothing like having a professional producer on his turf. Ari Koinuma did fantastic job on my first cat album, but he was forced to record it in my living room. There's nothing like having your own studio and knowing your own gear. Rich has shown that.
The music is rich and full, and that is thanks to Rich Brotherton. Rich performs with Robert Earl Keen when he's not producing albums. He was a music major in college, and his skill with stringed instruments is stunning. You can hear it right now on "Molly Malone/Planxty Hewlett", but that was by far just the start of it.
Today, we recorded a tune called "To Catch a Cat". It was written by Vicki Swan of Serious Kitchen fame. She and Jonny Dyer allowed me to use the tune on this album. I added a groovy autoharp part, but Rich... Rich played mandolin and knocked out this fast-paced, intricate tune, a tune he didn't even know, in just a couple o'hours. The final tune is still stuck in my head.
The CD stands out different in other ways too. Over half the album was written by cat loving fans of the first album. So it's taken me to exciting new places. The themes and moods are different. Some of the melodies are new to me. But it's all come together in such a way that I can honestly say this will be my best sounding CD yet!
Right now, I'm not sure when "Whiskers in the Jar" will be released. I have a three-song single coming out on CD Baby any day now, where you can start sampling the album. Or heck! You can download a song right now, if you are subscribed to the MarcSongs Podcast.
If you like what you hear, adopt "Whiskers in the Jar". The album is pretty expensive to make for an indie musician, and since it'll be a few months before the official release, I hope to recoup the cash for the album as quick as possible. Your CD adoption will help me to do that. And best of all, you can hear how the album is evolving. Right now, I have 10 songs you can listen to if you adopt it now!
So go ahead, download "What Shall We Do With a Catnipped Kitty". Email it to your friends. Burn it to a CD. Make a video and post it on YouTube. And help me get the word out about "Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers" and don't forget to add a link to www.catdrinkingsongs.com.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
I want to send a special thanks to everyone who showed up for my Valentine's Day CD release of "A Tribute to Love". For a Thursday noon show, I didn't expect people to be there and was blown away with the number of fans who ditched work to hear me sing. Thank you!
March is the beginning of a busy gigging schedule for the Brobdingnagian Bards. This weekend, we're back the Four Winds Renaissance Festival, followed by gigs in New York, Oklahoma and of course, Ireland.
Speaking of Ireland, we have few more slots available. So it's not too late to join the Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland. This will be adventure you don't want to miss!
Aside from celebrating my bithday on March 17th, I'm not yet sure what kind of St. Patrick's Day gigs we'll have. So keep an eye open to my calendar and don't forget to sign up at eventful to find the latest shows.
PROMOTE CELTIC MUSIC FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
I love March. And I love that I was born on St. Patrick's Day. And I love that I play music that people love to hear on my birthday. That just makes me giggle.
Every year, I put together a big St. Patrick's Day music show for my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to highlight some of the brilliant Celtic musicians I find throughout the year. This year is no exception. I have at least a couple amazing shows planned for listeners. And once again, I need your assistance.
The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast is the most-popular podcast online for Celtic music. More than that, it's also regularly one of the Top 15 Music podcasts on iTunes. I get about 40,000 downloads of each show. Last year, I pulled in 60,000 in March. And I'd like to push that higher.
Now some of you may think, "Wait! I don't even know what a podcast is?"
The exciting thing is that, at it's basic, it's just an MP3. You can go to the website and download over 40 MP3s, that are kinda like radio shows. You can listen to them at your leisure, on your computer, or on an MP3 player. Or you can burn them to CDs and listen to them in your car or on your stereo. Yes, there is more to it than that which makes it a "podcast", but that's basically it.
So how can you help me get the word out? Post a blog about it. Email a friend. Print a flyer. Or burn shows to CDs, give them away or play them at your St. Patrick's Day party or pub. At the basic, tell a friend. And if you want some banners or flyers, grab, print and post: ttp://www.celticmusicpodcast.com/banners.shtml
Anyway, I have some more cool news coming in a week or so. So keep reading!
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Thank you so much for caring about my music. And please drop me a line to let me know how you're doing. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is Celtic Geek songwriter from Austin, Texas with a strange affinity for ballads, Irish drinking songs, acoustic Alternative Folk, podcasting, Sci Fi, and cats.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
join my street team!
posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, February 29, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- January 8, 2008
- Marc's Music News
- New Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation
- New MP3 - "Auld Lang Syne"
- New Shows in 2008 Listed
- Vote for me in the Austin Music Awards
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings amici,
Happy New Year! Did you have a good time? Mine was pretty exciting. So exciting in fact that I spent the entire evening at home watching "When Harry Met Sally". Ah what a dork I am. hehe!
Well, it was fun though. The afternoon was spent recording "Auld Lang Syne" which I released in the first MarcSongs Podcast of the year. Then as the clock ticked down, my sister and her beau showed up, and we had some prosecco. And I also chatted with friends online. So that's a nice way to start the year for a geek. Right?
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Another year. I sat down and wrote out a bunch of my goals for the year. And I have several new CDs I hope to release this year. It all starts with my new "Renaissance Festival Podcast Compilation" CD. There's 23 tracks of, I gotta say, some brilliant faire musicians.
Ye know, when I started playing music at faires, I remember listening to a lot of faire music and thinking, "Oy. Not so good." But since I started the Renaissance Festival Podcast, that has NOT been the case. There's just a lot outstanding musicians on the faire circuit. I found them. And it seems a shame that more people don't know about them. I'm fortunate that I get to share all this great music with people. Independent music is awesome!
In February, "A Tribute to Love" comes out officially. I'm trying to get reviews and features for the album. But again, it's tough as an indie artist. But I have faith, it will work well. If you haven't heard the album, you can listen to the whole thing for free online. And you can download the entire album through the MarcSongs Podcast... for free, no less. So download. Listen. If you like, please buy a copy or two to share with others.
And there's a lot more great music coming. I hope to start recording "More Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers" as well as the "Companion" CD. I have a filk album, a bluesy folk album, an instrumental CD, a compilation CD, and a lot more stuff that I hope to record and release this year.
Meantime, download "Auld Lang Syne", the latest song from my the MarcSongs Podcast. I hope to add it to a CD in the very near future. You can see all of my CDs in my CD Store. Thank you for supporting my music.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
In December, I flew to Germany to visit my mom. I had a great time visiting her and my nephew Danny. Thanks to Ceili Moss, I was able to secure a couple gigs in Germany. The first was a Christmas party in a German winery. I just walked around and played. The music was well-received, and I got a personal tour from the owners after the party ended.
Then a couple days later, I played at Pub Dudelsack (German for "bagpipe") in Rudesheim, Germany. It was total trip! My autoharp was amplified, but I sang unamplified in a Scottish pub with barstaff dressed in kilts and me, well, unable to speak German. And few there speaking English. But two hours flew by with a mix of great old Irish and Scottish songs. It was a total trip! Definitely something I need to do again.
My live music schedule is filling up. Andrew is booking a lot of gigs for the Brobdingnagian Bards this Spring and all around the nation. In fact, this weekend, we're doing shows in Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. We have a few faires, some Sci Fi conventions, a hobbit gathering, and then there's our tour of Ireland (we still have room, but not for long, which I am hoping will also take us into England as well). As much as Andrew is booking, I'm hopeful we will play coast-to-coast this year. So keep an eye on the schedule and sign up at eventful to find the latest shows.
VOTE IN THE AUSTIN MUSIC AWARDS
The Austin Music Awards are back! Last year, we won "Best None of the Above Band". It's an awesome award to win, but I must confess, my eye has long been on the "Best Folk Band".
The Brobdingnagian Bards might sound different from every other band in the world, but we ultimately play folk music. And that's one of the categories I hope you will vote for us in the Austin Music Awards. And the best part about it, you don't need to live in Austin to vote for us. Anyone can vote. So please vote for us!
And some BIG NEWS! We extended the deadline for the Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland because a few people told us they wanted their tax returns to come in first. So we're accepting your deposits until January 23rd. We hope you will join us on this magical tour of Ireland this June.
---
Thanks again for all your support, Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
join my street team!
posted by Marc Gunn @ Tuesday, January 08, 2008
MARC'S MUSINGS -- November 30, 2007
- Marc's Music News
- Enchanted
- New CD: A Tribute to Love
- MarcSongs Podcast
- Live in Louisiana and Germany?
- New MP3 - "Tiziano Gunn"
- Blessed with Care
- Vote in the Renaissance Festival Awards
- Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland Deadline Approaching!
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings Greetings,
I've been totally enchanted ever since I saw Enchanted at the theaters last week. It's a delightful movie. And I find myself listening to "That's How You Know" over and over again on YouTube. It's the romantic in me.
So I guess it is only fitting that I make an announcement about my new CD, "A Tribute to Love"...
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Officially, the CD won't be released until February. That's when I want to do some heavy promotion for the album, just in time for Valentine's Day. But with all the talk among fans about the album, I decided I wouldn't wait any longer to make it available. So I sent it off to CD Baby a few weeks back, and now you can buy "A Tribute to Love" or pick up multiple copies sand save.
"A Tribute to Love" is what I call my love CD. But it's not just the mushy kind of love that you find in most Disney movies. Come to think of it, I think this album is much more in tuned with the movie Enchanted, which takes a somewhat more realistic look at the sweet, lovey dovey, romantic movie genre that they established over the years. I won't spoil the fun of the movie for you, but it's not a typical Disney flick. This isn't Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. But it's just as beautiful.
Well, my CD runs the gammut of love. Because... I believe in love. All kinds. It may be imperfect, but I will take falling in love over never having loved at all any day! But this album may not be for you, and that's okay. My hope is that one day you will find the same passion that I embued in recording this album.
If that doesn't send you soaring on love's wings, then please give a listen to MarcSongs Podcast. Not only can you download free MP3s every Tuesday, but you can hear a great sampling of the different styles of music I'm writing and recording these days. And I have some amazing things in store. Oh yes! It's gonna be awesome!
Meantime, download "Tiziano Gunn", the latest song from my love CD and the latest in the MarcSongs Podcast. And please check out my CD Store and maybe buy some albums for Christmas for you, your friends, and your family.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
I spent the last four weekends at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival with such amazing entertainers as The Limeybirds, Vince Conaway, Craig of Farrington, Paolo Garbanzo, and many more. And we have two more weekends to go. Sadly, my lovely Limeybirds won't be there, but we will.
We are performing on the peninsula at the festival. No, you won't find us in the schedule, but keep an eye and ear open. We spend a bunch of time at the Midwyffe's Cottage and the wine tasting (Madame Ghislaine puts on an amazing wine tasting that is Well Worth it).
Once the faire ends, I'm off to Germany to visit family! That will be an exciting trip, and I am currently working on booking a show at an Irish pub in NW Germany. Nothing solid yet, but as soon as I get a confirmation, I'll post it at eventful and on my calendar.
BLESSED WITH CARE
On the downside, it's been a trying couple o'months. You may've heard that Andrew and I got hit by an internet fraud scheme. Then, I ran into a dental nightmare. And (knock on wood), the last of my problems struck when I was in a car accident that totaled my car. Andrew and I are fine, thank goodness. The car? Not so much.
Despite these problems I find just how blessed I am. Thankful in fact. Fans came to the rescue with the internet fraud. Friends came to my rescue after my car accident with their sympathies. Add to it, that my music continues to grow in popularity. I have countless people emailing about my podcasts. I've had several interviews this week. And I have all the great companions at the Haeuser Hotel in Louisiana. I am greatly thankful for all your support. So thank you!
A couple quick, final notes. There's just one more month for you to vote in the Renaissance Festival Awards. I and the Brobdingnagian Bards can't win, but there's a LOT of great music and entertainment out there. So if you go to Renaissance Festivals, please vote for your favorites.
And last, if you were hoping to be a part of the Brobdingnagian Bards Tour of Ireland, get your depost in soon. The deadline is December 3rd! So don't waste any time. Join us for an amazing trip this summer, seeing the hidden gems of Ireland.
---
Thanks again for all your support, Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
join my street team!
posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, November 30, 2007
MARC'S MUSINGS -- October 8, 2007
- Marc's Music News
- Help Brobdingnagian Bards Hit #1
- New CD: LIVE - Nex Monoceroti, Per Risibus
- New CD: Three Movie and TV Songs for Geeks Like Me
- New MP3 - "A Rabbit for Halloween"
- Brobdingnagian Bards at Middlefaire This Weekend
- Musical Growth
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
New CD! New CD! And you can help make it #1 by ordering the CD today! Here goes...
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
Yes, the Brobdingnagian Bards new album, "LIVE: Nex Monoceroti, Per Risibus" is now on sale at CD Baby. WOOHOO!!
I've been waiting for this for a long while now because I wanted to do a special promotion for the album. The last time we did promo for an album, "Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales", it shot up to #1 on CD Baby's charts beating out tons of amazing bands. We want to do that again. So all this week, this fun, new, live CD is on sale. And we would love Your help to make the album number one. Just purchase the CD or MP3s on CD Baby. If we can pull in a good 100-120 sales in the next couple of days, we will meet our goal.
We started this promo today, and we're nearly halfway there. So please help us hit #1 and purchase a copy of this fun new CD by the Brobdingnagian Bards.
And hey! While you're there, you can pick up a copy of my new single Three Movie and TV Songs for Geeks Like Me. It was just released on CD Baby today!
Listen and download the lead track, "A Rabbit for Halloween" in the MarcSongs Podcast. I'm excited that this Bugs Bunny filk is ready to go for Halloween. Enjoy! And feel free to share it with others.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
All went well this weekend at Middlefaire. I was easily able to pull off four solo shows a day at a Renaissance festival. My first time ever. I didn't know I had it in me.
While it was nice being able to play my cat songs, which the Bards never play, I must admit Andrew was greatly missed. He adds so much to the faire musical experience. So I'm looking forward to this weekend when he will join me in Hillsboro for the final weekend of the faire.
Also stay tuned this week to the Pub Songs Podcast. I plan to record another live show very soon. Meantime, remember to Demand Me and the Brobdingnagian Bards, and mayhaps we will see you at a venue near you.
MUSICAL GROWTH
A woman approached me this weekend and told me how cool it was to finally see me live. She first heard about the Brobdingnagian Bards back in 1999, our first year playing music. Then she sailed around the world with the Navy came back last year and exclaimed, "Now everyone knows who you are!"
It's exciting to see musical growth. I love turning dreams into reality and to look back and see how far I've come since those days when I played guitar, plugged into my tiny Peavey amp. Whoa! You wouldn't recognize me.
Now I have CDs, books, wooden mugs, podcasts, and even plan tours of Ireland in my life. And the development continues as I start adding a little bodhran (a type of Celtic drum) into the mix. Who knows what the future has in store? But I'm hoping for big things.
Then again, maybe that CD title I was planning works better, "Folk Music with Delusions of Grandeur". Hmm? Well, we'll see.
---
Thanks for supporting my music. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, October 08, 2007
MARC'S MUSINGS -- September 29, 2007
- Marc's Music News
- New CD Single!
- New MP3 - Summer's End
- Solo at MiddleFaire
- 2nd Ireland Tour
- MarcSongs Podcast
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter. Visit My Store Now!
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
What a month! After DragonCon, I spent the last few weeks coughing, sick and wallowing in my own misery. Now the cough is almost gone. I even feel up to getting work done...
Yeah, I guess that's a different kind of sickness, huh?
MARC'S MUSIC NEWS
First of all, I'm excited announce the release of my new single Three Movie and TV Songs for Geeks Like Me. This three-song CD features, well, exactly as it name says, music from movies and TV. Namely: Bugs Bunny, Stardust, and Firefly! The CDs just arrived in the mail yesterday and are already on their way to CD Baby. But you can pre-order an autographed copy right now.
Last week, while wallowing in my misery, I took a moment to sit on my porch and I wrote an instrumental song. Then I asked fans on Livejournal and Myspace to name it. I tallied the votes and decided to call it "Summer's End", based on those votes. You can download it free from SoundClick. And if I keep writing as many instrumentals as I have, you may hear an instrumental CD from me in the near future.
It's cool that I am recording as much as I am. One of my New Years Resolutions was to complete a number of albums this year. And I'm proud to say, I've made a BIG dent in that goal. My latest full-length CD, A Tribute to Love, will arrive in about a week. However, I made a strange decision. I decided to postpone the official release until late January. Ye know, the whole Valentine's Day thing... Even if it's not quite mushy romance CD, I still think it'll make a good addition to that holiday.
My latest project is Renaissance Festival compilation. My plan was to have a bunch of traditional songs that I've recorded with a handful of Ren Fest artists submissions. It's not quite working out that way so far. I have SO MANY bands wanting to be a part of it. I'm not sure what to do. In any case, I am happy that I am this productive. I love making new music and sharing live music as well, so thanks for taking the time to listen to it.
MARC GUNN LIVE!
The first two weeks of October will see the Brobdingnagian Bards at MiddleFaire in Hillsboro, Texas. But what will be really different is the first weekend. Andrew has a prior commitment, so I'll be playing MiddleFaire solo. This is the first time I've ever done a solo show at a faire, so I'm a bit nervous. I'd love to have your support.
Oh! And don't forget to Demand Me and the Brobdingnagian Bardstoo. We hope to use that Eventful to find out where we're gonna tour in the future. So make a demand.
JOIN ME IN IRELAND
Probably the most exciting news of the week is I finally have all the details posted for the Brobdingnagian Bards second Vacation Tour of Ireland. Once again, we're taking our fans with us to see Ireland. And we would love you to join us. All the details are now posted on our website. And it's gonna be an Amazing tour. John Wilmott of Celtic Ways is hosting the tour. And the sites and sounds that he has planned are, like, wow! I just can't wait!
There's only a limited number of slots available. So hurry up and reserve your place today. And if you want to hear a glimpse of what we experienced last time, check out my Pub Songs Podcast and A Brobdingnagian Minute. There's a couple MP3s you can download and hear us go on about it.
Speaking of podcasts, I've had a new one out for the past few months that is different. It's also gone through quite a few name changes. The latest name is MarcSongs Podcast (formerly Marc Gunn's Irish Songs & More and Irish Songs & Lyrics Podcast). It features a new song every week recorded by me. Hope ye like.
Oh! Our performance on the The Signal Firefly Podcast was awesome!
---
Drop me a line and tell me how you are doing. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn
Please add "marc@thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Friday, September 28, 2007
MARC'S MUSINGS -- August 22, 2007
- Marc's Music News
- Marc Gunn Live! - Demand Me
- Saffron Wins Best Filk Song
- New Celtic Cat Wooden Mugs
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter.
Marc's Musings 
Greetings,
I mae a lot of updates to my websites recently. I wanted to clean up my websites and make them more accessible. As you can see, I made some changes to Marc's Musings too. It's tough deciding to cut content that you like. I love posting poems, but since I haven't written many recently, it's kinda hard to continue that feature when I don't have new ones to post. But don't worry, I'll still post links to new poems as I write them. On to the musings...
MARC'S MUSIC NEWSLast month's CD release went great. My solo audience is growing. So well, I got a
couple o'satirical reviews that we joked about at the show. They were too funny not to share.
As for my new CDs? Well,
"A Tribute to Love" (Listen) is nearly complete. I need to do a wee bit o'editing on one song before it is done. Otherwise, I'm really pleased with the album. It beautifully highlights so many different aspects of love. It just fills my heart with joy listening to it. You can hear to it on
my redesigned homepage where I post all my latest news.
I am currently recording a lot of new instrumental pieces. At this rate, I might have ANOTHER CD by Christmas. This one will be dedicated to the fae. You can
listen to my latest tune "Stardust Serenade" in my blog.
For those of you who just love Irish music, I just received a new pressing of
my latest compilation CD, "Victims of Irish Music". This album features 17 instrumental Irish tunes by a wide variety of Celtic artists featured in my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. The music is top-notched and continues to receive rave reviews. If you enjoy independent Celtic music, you will love this CD
MARC GUNN LIVE!Our Fall schedule is just now fleshing out. It's gonna be a busy one since we were just confirmed at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I was also throwing around the idea of flying up to Boston to visit friends and maybe play a gig or two. As the idea developed, I decided I needed a better way to share my upcoming gigs. So I signed up with Eventful.
Eventful is a fantastic site where you will be notified every time I decide to perform in your area. Just go make a
Demand at Eventful. It's quick and easy to do.
Meantime, you will find us performing
next week at DragonCon. Our complete schedule is now on our website. Hope to see some of you there.
SAFFRON WINS BEST FILK SONG AND CELTIC CAT WOODEN MUGSThe last big news is that my song "She Said Her Name Was Saffron" did, in fact, Win in the recent Sing-A-Song for Saffron Contest. It won Best Filk Song, and we were invited to sing the song on
The Signal Firefly Podcast at DragonCon next week.
OH! And I told a few people about
my new wooden mugs. They are designed with my Celtic Cat Logo and look brilliant. I place an order for them and they are now on sale. Not sure how many of these I'll actually sell. So if you want one, order soon.
---
Peace and love in your life. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Quick Links to Marc Gunn
About Marc Gunn Please add "marc @ thebards.net" to your whitelist or email address
book, so that you have no trouble receiving future issues!
Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
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posted by Marc Gunn @ Wednesday, August 22, 2007
MARC'S MUSINGS -- August 6, 2007
- Feature Poem: Here's to the Dreamers
- Musings: CDs, Firefly, and Other Notes
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter.
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
The sun is setting as I sit out on my porch. Torre is lying on the planks, basking in the final rays of sun. Op! Here comes Tiziano too. It's warm outside, but this has been a mild summer. I almost miss the Texas heat, but I think I've made the best of it as I did last week, falling into the waters of Pedernales Falls. But for now, I've a lot to do. In fact, I have two CDs in the works.
TWO CDS? YOU JUST FINISHED ONE!
Yes, I know, I know. I did just finish my third solo CD "Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion". And this Saturday, I have a CD release party for that album at Things Celtic, here in Austin.
- Cat Companion CD on iTunes
Sat, August 11, 2007
Things Celtic @ 2PM
1806 W. 35th Street
Austin, TX 7870
But didn't I also mention earlier this year that I have a LOT of CDs planned this year? And this one... wow! I'm REALLY excited it, because the album is something different.
It's called "A Tribute to Love", and it's not your typical love CD. Instead of just love songs, the album is an expression of an idea. It sounds nothing like anything I've ever done before. It feautres songs and ideas about the many types of love, some sweet and loving, some comical, some touching, some heartwrenching, some sad. Love is all of that, and I hope I might touch on a small piece of that beauty and magic in this album.
- Help Bring More Love into the World
While I finish mixing and mastering this CD, Andrew is finishing a new Live CD of the Brobdingnagian Bards. To celebrate that new album which will be officially available in about a month, I setup a new website to highlight other live bootleg recordings that we make at BardBootlegs.com. You can download copies of a few past shows, all broken into nice convienent MP3s to listen and share.
FIREFLY, CD REVIEWS, AND OTHER NOTES
"Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion" has received quite a few glowing reviews since it was released. Associated Content calls it "unique, fun, and purr-fectly wonderful". You can read more at the Celtic Music CD Store.
- Cat Companion CD Reviews
I want to thank everyone who voted for me in the last issue of the Musings. My song "She Said Her Name Was Saffron" was up in a stiff competition for the popular vote. And I pulled in a close second. After the competition closed, they asked if they could add my song to a compilation CD benefitting Equality Now. Of course, I'm all over that. What a great honor! I'll tell let you know when this Firefly CD is done.
Oh! And I almost forgot! Today's poem features one of the songs from "A Tribute to Love!". I finished mixing most of the songs. I have some nearly finished recordings that I posted on SoundClick. So you can now listen to many of the songs on the album before I even release the final CD.
- Listen to "A Tribute to Love!"
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I hope you enjoy and please stay in touch. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Marc's Lyrics & Poetry Here's to the Dreamers
by Marc Gunn, Feb 8, 2004
The movie, Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery and staring Megan Follows has long been an inspiration to me. I first saw it in high school. It's sort of a comfort movie for me. While watching in before bedtime late one evening, a song came to me. The inspiration of Anne came back to me.
Here's to the dreamers
And the children all alone
Imaginations
Evoke a world of a happy home
A wild cherry tree
To bed down late late night
Horse-drawn pavillion
Will carry you to the growing light
Arm in arm
They'll ride by seaside
While our dreams... drift in
With the rising tide.
Here's to the orphans
Who's dreams are ever aloof
Imaginations
Are only shadowed by the truth
They sail cross the ocean
And drift up through the trees
Through the White Way of Delight
Flowers bloom with the coming Spring
Arm in arm
They'll ride by seaside
While our dreams... drift in
With the rising tide.
---
Like this poem? Share your thoughts.
You may also enjoy my book Bella Filiocht.
MARC GUNN'S PUB SONGS PODCAST
"Pub Songs Podcast #26 - Traveling through Italy
Download: Featured CD (Call 1-800-BUY-MY-CD): Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
Marc's Musings Archive
SONG HENGE - the Celtic Music Archive
Recent Articles and Webpages:
Quick Links to Marc's Projects:
About Marc Gunn Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
join my street team!
posted by Marc Gunn @ Monday, August 06, 2007
MARC'S MUSINGS -- July 11, 2007
- Feature Poem: She Said Her Name Was Saffron
- Musings: Ireland and Italy Stories, Vote for Me in Firefly Contest
Published 1-4 times per month. To manage your subscription, go to the end of this newsletter.
Marc's Musings 
Greetings Amici,
Yes, I'm back home. Woohoo! As much as I loved Europe, it's nice to be home. But ah, do I miss the craic in Ireland and Italy!
Course, since I'm back, that means I need to catch up on a LOT of stuff, but we'll get back to that in a moment...
IRELAND AND ITALY PODCASTS
One of the first things I did upon returning is edited podcasts that I recorded in Europe. And there were a LOT of them!
There's a couple from the Cliffs of Moher. One LONG one from Venice, Padova, and and Rome. And while you're listening you can now look at pictures from the trip as well. I finally got those posted on Flickr.
Now I just need to edit some of the live show recordings that I made of the trips. There was some brilliant stuff. And I haven't even caught up on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast which'll have more stuff. Hopefully, I'll finish that show in a couple o'days.
- Brobdingnagian Bards Podcast
- Pub Songs Podcast - Ireland and Italy
- Marc's Flickr Photos from Europe
- Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
NEW CD MAKES GOOD STRIDES
While I was in Europe, I released my new CD, "Irish Drinking Songs: A Cat Lovers Companion". I was hoping it might climb the charts on CD Baby, but no such luck this time. Maybe for the next album which I surprisingly hope to complete before the end of the summer. It's called "A Tribute to LOVE!" and has been in the works for a while now. That combined with the Brobdingnagian Bards next CD "Real Men Wear Kilts" (and maybe a live Bards CD too), and you can bet I have a busy summer ahead filled with recording.
But in the meantime, check out the Cat Companion CD. And if you have it I'd love to see your reviews on CD Baby an iTunes. Oh! It's now available on iTunes.
And if you want to sample the album, I started a podcast to feature much of my new music, including songs from this CD. It's called "Marc Gunn's Irish Songs and More". You can download some of the new songs there.
- "Irish Drinking Songs: A Cat Lovers Companion"
- Cat Companion CD on iTunes
- "Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers"
- Marc Gunn's IRISH SONGS and MORE Podcast
- "A Tribute to LOVE!"
- "Real Men Wear Kilts"
VOTE FOR ME IN FIREFLY SONG CONTEST
Last month had a number of cool things happen, outside of just being in Europe. First, my song, "The Cat Came Back... The Cat Lover's Perspective" was picked up by Dr. Demento thanks to The FuMP (Funny Music Project). I was so excited to get an email from the Doctor telling me that. So feel free to request the song.
Second, I got an email from the Sing-A-Song for Saffron Contest requesting a song for the contest. So I wrote one. I've been dying to write a Firefly song for a while, and nothing came together. Yet, while I was in Ireland, Vroom! It came to me and I wrote.
I was also extremely lucky. I lost my notebook with those lyrics on the way home from Italy! But amazingly, I remembered most of the song. You can read the lyrics below.
Now I need your help.
They have a popular vote for the contest. And you can go to SerenityStuff.com and vote for my song. I'm not sure what I'll win if I do, and I'm not too worried about. But it would be cool. I mean Christina Hendricks, aka YoSaffBridg herself, will be judging too. And *patter* she's one of my all time favorite villainesses.
Meantime, you can download the song below. Thanks a million and I hope you like the song.
- Dr Demento
- The FuMP
- "The Cat Came Back... The Cat Lover's Perspective" Lyrics
- Vote for me in the Sing-A-Song for Saffron Contest
- Download: "She Said Her Name Was Saffron"
PS. For you Texas folks, we're doing a show at Elysium on Thursday, July 19th at midnight.
---
Hope you're well. Slainte!
- Marc Gunn
Marc's Lyrics & Poetry She Said Her Name Was Saffron
by Marc Gunn, June 13, 2007
I received an email while I was in Ireland for a contest by SerenityStuff.com to write a song about Saffron (or YoSaffBridge), the beautiful and manipulative vixen from Firefly. She was one of my favorite bad guys in the show. And being in Ireland, a melody came easy. I wrote the song to "May Morning Dew", a beautiful Irish ballad.
I met her on the Outer Rim.
She was a beauty. There's no denial.
We danced around the fire that night.
In the morning, I awoke all smiles.
But when my boat hit atmo,
And she said that we were married.
T'was then I vowed I'd never again
Leave quick when I should tarry.
She said her name was Saffron,
A prize for work done well.
I know we'd done some good works,
But this time I guess excelled.
For her smile it made my legs weak,
And her breasts they made me wheeze.
Oh if I were a different man,
Then I'd show her the Real me.
That night I found her in my bunk
Lying naked in my bed.
She gave me the Goodnight Kiss
And I thought that I was dead.
We'd all be but for Inara...
Oh, I wonder how she knew?
But what I really wish is I could've seen
The kiss between those two.
But that's not the point of this song, right now,
From this lesson I learnt too well.
If you take strange women into your bed
You may go to the Special Hell.
Either pin her down or set her free
Just don't let your plan go South.
If that doesn't work, follow Jayne's advice,
"Never kiss them on the mouth."
---
Like this poem? Share your thoughts.
You may also enjoy my book Bella Filiocht.
MARC GUNN'S PUB SONGS PODCAST
"Pub Songs Podcast #23-26 - Ireland and Italy
Download: Featured CD (Call 1-800-BUY-MY-CD): Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
Marc's Musings Archive
SONG HENGE - the Celtic Music Archive
Recent Articles and Webpages:
Quick Links to Marc's Projects:
About Marc Gunn Do Marc's Musings ever inspire you?
If so, there's something you can do.
Help me out. Pass the inspiration on.
Share with others, and I'll keep sharing songs.
Marc Gunn is a musician, photographer, poet, author, American Scotsman, songwriter, music download connoisseurs, web designer, Rennie, online entrepreneur, and a bunch of other labels that don't mean a whole lot but are all entirely independent.
The world is dominated by massive organizations that strangle the life out of the independent arts. You can stop it at the source. Your good will and support of the arts through kind donations, purchases, and friendly word of mouse will make your feel great!
Labels: marcs_musings
---
New to Marc Gunn's blog? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed.
Or sign up to get email updates and
join my street team!
posted by Marc Gunn @ Wednesday, July 11, 2007
