I'm Not Kittying

Touring to Maryland and New York

2009-07-13T03:33:51Z

I have five shows scheduled for my East Coast Tour. Only four of which are open to the public. Here's the list:

7.25 (RESTON, VA) House Concert
7.30 (DENTON, MD) Market Street Public House
8.1 (BRONX, NY) An Beal Bocht Cafe
8.3 (BROOKLYN, NY) Ceol Irish Pub
8.5 (GREENBELT, MD) New Deal Cafe

You can find out details at http://reverbnation.com/marcgunn if you're not familiar with the venues. It's also not too late to schedule your own house concert. Just email Jamie at booking at marcgunn.com

I'm heading up early to visit friends and leave this Thursday! Look for plenty of texts from the road. Hope to see you at the shows.

Slainte!
Marc Gunn

GenCon and DragonCon

2009-07-08T04:28:10Z

I am booked for both. Just curious. Who all is planning on attending those two Cons?

New Orleans Show Weds Night at Neutral Ground

2009-07-08T03:13:26Z

It's my 4 year anniversary as a musician. I quit my job on July 8, 2005. Come celebrate with me.

Neutral Ground Coffehouse @ 10pm
5110 Danneel St.
Uptown New Orleans
504-891-3381
www.neutralground.org

New Weeklies Posted + New Shows in NY & MD

2009-07-07T15:09:35Z

The Weeklies are posted. Check 'em out here.

I also have a few new shows listed in New York and Maryland in early August. Hope you East Coast folks will come join me.

Last Chance to Pre-Order Happy Songs of Death

2009-07-03T20:15:50Z

Greetings Amici and Happy 4th of July!

The summer is in full swing, and I just got back from my first solo summer tour that included two weeks up and back from Chicago. It was a tremendous success, and I want to thank everyone who joined me on the road and made it so. Now I'm back with my cats Tiziano and Torre who are happily shedding all over me. I need to remember to bring some cat hair for the next tour to remind me of home.

After the 4th, I will start gearing up for the next tour which begins in mid-July, up to Maryland and New York. I have several shows scheduled and more coming. And I also hope to setup a couple of meet-n-greets. If you're interested in either, check out my calendar (more details next week) and make sure you email booking@marcgunn.com to tell Jamie you'd like to be a part of either/or, and we'll see what we can do.

LAST CHANCE TO PRE-ORDER 'HAPPY SONGS OF DEATH'

The biggest news right now is that Happy Songs of Death is finished! I sent it off to the printers a couple days ago. The official release is Thursday, August 20, 2009. That is a month later than planned, but since I'll be on the road, it's the best I could do.

HOWEVER! You can pre-order a copy until tomorrow July 4, 2009 with either or both of the cool CD covers offered by Ingrid Houwers and Nikki O'Shea.
If not, you will have to wait until the end of August to get your copy.

AND as a special bonus, my agent Jamie loves this album so much that she has offered to email her Super Secret Recipe for Green Chile Stew to everyone who pre-orders the album. (I still need to find out if that includes me. Because *I* don't have this recipe and yet, it is one of my absolute favorite foods ever! mmm... Drooling just thinking about it.) Oh! And I will also autograph every pre-ordered CD.

So go pre-order the Happy Songs of Death now!

When will you get your copy? The CDs will go out as soon as I have 'em. That means it will be at the beginning of August when I get home from the tour... unless... I can find a way to get them to you sooner... I will do what I can. I know you're as excited about this CD as I am. So I'll try sending them ASAP.

Thanks as always for you continued interest in my music. Slainte!

- Marc Gunn

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New Weeklies and Marc in NY?

2009-06-29T16:02:28Z

I've been working hard trying to book a tour up to New York. But right now, all I have are shows up in Maryland.

Unfortunately, it looks like we started too late to really book any shows up there. But we haven't given up hope. We have about a week to go to before we're gonna have to stop worrying about it and just accept that most of the touring up there won't happen.

That said, I need your help!

I'm looking for house concerts now. Or if you know a venue, email booking at marcgunn.com and talk to Jamie, my agent. I really want to come up there, and you can make a difference. And if it comes together you'll even get a free t-shirt for your efforts.

Thanks a million. Slainte!
-Marc Gunn

Marc Weeklies: Hope in the Form of a Musical Tour

2009-06-16T17:27:25Z

My cat Tiziano is gazing at me lazy-eyed. He was daydreaming before I took notice of him. I haven't had time to do the same as I finish a ton of work perparing for my first solo tour.

It was a produtive day. I finished recording the Pub Songs Podcast with special thanks to Summer Brooks of Far Point Media who helped me migrate the show to their new servers. It motivated me to release another show. What with touring, recording new albums, organizing Celtic Invasion Vacations, and podcasting, the Pub Songs Podcast was neglected. But here it is again, and here's hoping I can release more while I am out on the road.

Meantime, I am packing for my tour with a sense of excited anticipation. Two weeks on the road. I've done it before, but not quite like this, as a soloist. There will be a lot of driving. But I hope to take some breaks on this adventure to watch the setting sun and soak in the beauty of this great country of ours that filled me with pride at JazzFest as I sang along to Pete Seeger performing "This Land".

America is a land of beauty and opportunity. I forget about that all too easily with the flashiness of the cities and my immersion into the internet. That's what this trip will be for me--opportunity. A chance to share to my music with scores of people, to connect with old fans, and to invite new ones into my world.

The tour is based around the input of people like you saying, "I want to hear Marc Gunn perform live," and then going to venues, looking stuff up on the net, and sending it my way so that opportunity might become reality. It's based around you sharing my music with your family and friends, but in a more personal arena, face-to-face, just ten feet away as I play your favorite songs. I hope you will come sing with me.

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Big Strong Cat (My Puddy Tat, Sylvester)" from Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers

This Week:

-- Quote of the Week: "Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working." Pablo Picasso.

-- CD of the Week: "The Hotting Fire" by Kennedy's Kitchen. One of my favorite bands from the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. They have a brand new CD out that I hope to feature it in future episodes.

-- Book of the Week: The Indie Band Survival Guide: The Complete Manual for the Do-It-Yourself Musician by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan. I finally started reading this book by my friends the Beatnik Turtles. It's a good book. Up-to-date with the latest internet music promotion ideas. I've even learned a few new tricks. That's always nice.

-- Interesting article: Grow Your Own Fresh Air. With only three varieties of plants, you can "grow our own fresh air" indoors, to keep you healthy. Is that true? I'm not sure, but it definitely makes me want to bring some of these plants into my home.

-- Pre-Order Happy Songs of Death Now!. I just got word from Ari that the album will be done Before the end of the month!!! He loved the last song I sent him, "Twa Corbies", which completes a delightful 13 songs of death on this CD. I should have an official song order coming soon too. Thanks for all your patience. Now let me know which CD cover you prefer, pre-order the album today!

-- The latest Pub Songs Podcast is now live. It's a 30-minute show where I tell you all about the Celtic Invasion Vacation, some interesting facts about Happy Songs of Death, and let you know about my upcoming gigs. Plus, lots of music and a brain new affiliation with Far Point Media.

-- Bards Comic. The Bards Comic is alive and growing with new stories coming from artist, Nikki O'Shea. See what my cats think of me going off on tour.

-- Celtic Invasion Vacations. The next Celtic Invasion is picked. We're gonna spend a week in Dingle, one of the most-beautiful and peaceful parts of Ireland. You catch a glimpse of the town and surrounding countryside at West of Dingle.

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

-- Celtic Music Reviews and Features.

-- Cool videos: Hoops and Kilts featured a couple live songs from my Texas Scottish Festival performance. And here is Marc Gunn's Renaissance Festival Demo. If you like the bodhran, I recorded my friend Lucrezia Playing the Bodhran several years ago.

Marc Gunn in the News:

"Johnny Jump Up" and "Beer, Beer, Beer" were played in The David Tanny Show.

"Lord of the Pounce" was played on Mostly Folk.

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

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 at Fitz's Pub
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
9.4-7 (ATLANTA, GA) DragonCon
9.16-23 (DINGLE, IRELAND) Celtic Invasion of Ireland 2009
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

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

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

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

Good Things, Scottish Play in Austin

2009-06-11T15:54:39Z

Renaissance Austin Theatre

in association with VORTEX Repertory Company

presents

Good Things

A romantic comedy

Liz Lochhead

When: June 12-June 27, 2009

Thursday-Sunday 8pm

3 weeks only

Where: The VORTEX, 2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX 78722

Tickets: $30-$10

Available at 512-478-LAVA (5282) or www.vortexrep.org

$30-$25 Priority Seating, $20-$15 General Admission, $10 Starving Artists

Thursdays and Sundays, 2-for-1 admission with donation of

2 non-perishable food items for SafePlace.

Limited seating. Advanced purchase recommended.

“Liz Lochhead’s delightful new play is as funny, as touching, and yet as emotionally true as anything this supremely humane writer has yet produced”

---London Times

Renaissance Austin Theatre in association with VORTEX Repertory Company presents the U.S. Premiere of Liz Lochhead's romantic comedy, Good Things, directed by Karen Jambon. Good Things is a deliciously light romantic comedy recently penned by one of Scotland's finest literary award-winning female playwrights, Liz Lochhead (Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off, Medea).

Newly-divorced 40-something Oxfam volunteer Susan has finally settled on life as a single parent when a series of chance encounters and a procession of colorful characters turn her quiet life upside down . . . Witty, whimsical, funny and poignant, there is someone for everyone in this delightfully humane play.

Good Things stars Lorella Loftus, Craig Kanne, Michael Hankin, and Angela Loftus. The design team includes David DeMaris, Elaine Jacobs, Patrick Anthony, Andy Agne, Jonathan Urso, and Adam Gunderson.

http://www.vortexrep.org

Marc Weeklies: How a Commercial Can Give Guidance to Life, or Some Such Nonsense

2009-06-09T14:13:23Z

It's funny how "sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't." Who would've thought that old commercial could have such a deep meaning for life. Today, I'll have a Mounds, thank you.

Back once again in New Orleans, I have about a week before I head off on tour gigging in Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Kentucky. Then I make my way back home in time for the 4th of July with my friends.

Meanwhile, I just got word that Happy Songs of Death will be done sooner rather than later. I just heard the last song that I was waiting on, "Twa Corbies". It sounds amazing. I take a mellow Scottish song about two crows discussing how they will eat a dead knight (Now That's a folk song!), and chippery it up a wee bit.

Speaking of Scots. I had a great time at the Texas Scottish Festival last weekend. The Friday night Ceilidh was a smashing success, and it sounds like they want me back next year to host it again. That would make me happy. My show pulled in a lot of folks who sat and sang along with me. I had such a great time hanging out with Jed Marum, Hugh Morrison, Don Gabbert, and Tullamore. Plus, the Clan Gunn tent and meeting up with The Rogues, Brother, Clandestine, Ed Miller, and finally meeting Deanna of Jiggernaut. I brought home a ton of CDs I need to start ripping so I can get these groups on the next Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

Oh! I keep getting emails asking me "How was Italy?" Didn't I tell you? It was AWESOME!!!! A universal success which is why I want to do another one, this time to Ireland in September (and Scotland next May). We saw the magic of Tuscany. But even better, we shared some great craic singing songs and sharing one another's company in one of those must-see locations. Check out the Sunset Connoisseurs Society for many more comments and pics.

That's most of the news for now. I could probably go on and on, but I won't. I have other things to do for now. So pass the Mounds.

Listen to the Song of the Week: "I'll Tell My Ma" from Irish Drinking Songs

This Week:

-- Quote of the Week: "When you make music you are acting as a philosopher. You can either do that consciously or you can do it unconsciously, but you're doing it." John Cage from interview with Brian Eno

-- CD of the Week: Anchor Management by The Poxy Boggards. Songs of drinking and revelry, performed by the drinking group with a singing problem.

-- Book of the Week: The Great Cat: Poems About Cats. This delightful anthology gives us a teeming litter of literary tributes to the ever-fascinating, ever-mystifying cat.

-- Interesting article: Quality vs. Quantity. Which is better, producing one great work or a hundred average works? It's the question that taxes artists of all kind. Derek Sivers' has an interesting look at it the topic.

-- Pre-Order Happy Songs of Death Now!. I just got word from Ari that the album will be done Before the end of the month!!! He loved the last song I sent him, "Twa Corbies", which completes a delightful 13 songs of death on this CD. I should have an official song order coming soon too. Thanks for all your patience. Now let me know which CD cover you prefer, pre-order the album today!

-- Celtic Invasion Vacations. The next Celtic Invasion is picked. We're gonna spend a week in Dingle, one of the most-beautiful and peaceful parts of Ireland. You catch a glimpse of the town and surrounding countryside at West of Dingle.

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

-- Cool video: "When Kitty Eyes Are Smiling" was featured in a Dingle fun with Fungie in the Sun

Marc Gunn in the News:

"The Cat Came Back..... Cat's Perspective" was played in the Boise and Beyond Podcast.

"Stardust Serenade" was played in Murder at Avedon Hill Podcast Novel.

My Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was picked as a favorite by One Woman Show.

"Monahan's Mudder's Milk" and several other songs from a show at Studio Joe's in Little Rock, AR are now on YouTube.

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

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 at Fitz's Pub
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
9.16-23 (DINGLE, IRELAND) Celtic Invasion of Ireland 2009
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

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

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

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

New "Weeklies" up at www.marcgunn.com...

2009-05-25T21:25:57Z

Lots of new shows posted, plus news from the Celtic Invasion of Italy and track reviews of "Happy Songs of Death." Remember to pre-order you copy now!

ITALY Updates

2009-05-19T12:21:58Z

Celtic invasion news posted at www.marcgunn.com!

New "Weekly" Posted

2009-05-15T12:19:04Z

More about summer tour plans!

Joined an Exclusive Club of Musicians! You Can Help

2009-04-15T17:41:53Z

I was notified late last night that my latest CD "Live at the Cactus Cafe" has added me to an exclusive club at CD Baby. CD Baby writes:

"We love your "MARC GUNN & THE DUBLINERS' TABBY CATS: Live At the Cactus Cafe: Cat Songs and Celtic Music" CD so much that we're going to feature it on the CD Baby front page for a day, and in our Editor's Picks section from now on.

We're *really* picky about what we feature. We receive about 300 new albums a DAY, (over 300,000 total), and yours is one of the best we've ever heard."

Is that awesome or what?!

The CD will be posted on the front page of CDBaby.com on Sunday, April 19, 2009.

Here's the review they wrote for the album:

"You can now read the review they posted as well. Mixing Celtic drinking songs with lyrics about cats seems like a no-brainer–wait a second, no it doesn't. In fact, it sounds a little nuts. But the way in which this group has done it makes it not only loads of fun for feline fanatics, but also a hootin' and hollerin' time for fans of traditional Celt folk rock. Sure, there are elements that are highly comedic, but the popularity of this series makes one thing clear: these guys aren't some goofy novelty act. Their musical chops are evident in the arrangement of each track, and the lyrics are sharp-witted and cutely weird, sure to keep you paying close attention to each stanza. This is a live recording of some of their best numbers, and hearing them pull off the fast-paced intricacies of some of the songs (especially the ones with meowing) is great fun. If you're in the mood for something light-hearted but also sing-along catchy, you've gotta check this out. You may never think about cats in the same way again." - CD Baby

Coolness, eh?

Well, this feature presents an amazing opportunity for me. I'm gonna get thousands of folks viewing my CD page here. Right now, I have one glowing review from CD Baby, but I could use others. If you have a copy of the CD, could you please write a review. If you don't, now's a good time to get one! ;)

If you can't get the CD now, could you please share this information with your friends, ESP on April 19th. Especially those cat lovers out there. But beyond that. It's not just cat songs. There's a wonderful mix of music... well, just re-read the review. You'll see.

Head on over to http://cdbaby.com/cd/mgtdtc5/from/celtic/ to check out the CD.

Summer Tour News

2009-04-09T16:13:41Z

I am excited to announce not one, not two but THREE tours in the works for this summer!

That's right -- on the road again and can't wait. Late June takes me to the Midwest, July to the East Coast and August to the Northeast.

And I need your help!

While I have anchor events in each region, I plan on filling with other events such as house concerts or shows in other venues such as Irish pubs or coffeehouses.

Here's what you can do:

Consider hosting a house concert. Jamie Haeuser, who has thrown a bunch of house concerts, has updated the "Guide to Hosting a House Concert", a comprehensive look at one of the most fun ways to see your favorite musicians perform. Take a look and contact Jamie at booking@marcgunn.com to see if we can make the timing work.

Recommend a venue. Just let Jamie know the name and, if possible, contact person at your favorite pub, coffeehouse or other venue, and she'll take it from there.

And everyone whose suggestion results in a show will receive a FREE copy of "Heart's Ease," my new instrumental CD, AND a limited edition "Marc Gunn - Summer Tour 2009" T-shirt!

So -- to ensure that you can hear some of the GREAT new music I've been working on over the past few months, get cracking and contact me or Jamie. Thanks!

Marc Weeklies: I-Con Fairy Tales

2009-04-09T03:46:39Z

I'm just back from a great weekend in New York at I-Con. I confess I was a little blown away that people knew me. I've played that convention with Brobdingnagian Bards for, what, seven years now, but I never really realized that people knew ME individually. It was a bit of an eye-opening experience to see people come out for my headlining of the Cabaret and all the wonderful responses before, after, and during shows. So thanks to everyone who made this weekend great!

You won't believe it. I'm heading out on tour this summer. I have more details coming in a follow up blog.

Listen to the Song of the Week: "Fairy Tale Waltz" from Heart's Ease

This Week:

-- Quote of the Week: "Justice is what love looks like in public" - Justin Dillon, Call + Response.

-- CD of the Week: The FuMP, Vol. 13 by Artists of The FuMP. Features my song "A Drop of Vulcan Blood" and many great songs by some of the best comedy musicians out there.

-- Celtic Invasion Vacations. Anyone willing AND able to join me in Ireland in this September? I'm thinking of going and would LOVE to have you join me. But a tentative head count.

-- Celtic Music Reviews and Features: "The Twa Corbys" by Scott Boswell, "Pigeon on the Gate" by Annie B. Jamieson Elementary School Grade 7 Irish Orchestra, "Park the Car" by Doug Folkins, "The Butterfly/Miss McLeod's/Pigeon on the Gate" b..., "Toss the Feathers/Cooly's Reel" by Leprechaun Water, "The Dolphin Song" by The Blarnacles, 17 Free St. Patrick's Day MP3s for 2009.

-- The Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast compilation CD is now on iTunes.

-- My Lasik folks in Austin have a new blog. Have I told you how much I have loved having my eyes fixed?

-- I received a fantastic introduction at the I-Con Cabaret this weekend by John Sheehan of the No Parking Web Comic with funny references to the Bleeding Nose Bards event from last year.

-- Marc Gunn in the News:

"A Lil' Bit of Love" hit #2 on the Blues Charts of SoundClick with no promotion at all!

"St Patrick Never Drank" has a new video from this year's St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. It's now on YouTube.

"Don't Go Drinking With Hobbits" was featured on It's A Frog's Life Acoustic Podcast.

"The Leprechaun" was featured in Guy in a Tie.

My cat version of "Danny Boy" was played on Much to Do About Nothing. Much To Do About Nothing is an eclectic podcast where you will find a mix of podsafe music and odd news views and essays and what ever comes out of my slightly strange brain . All from my vantage point here in beautiful and wild west end of our Nations Capital Ottawa Canada

-- UPCOMING GIGS. Don't forget to make a demand to see me perform. I have a booking agent organizing three tours this summer heading up to the mid-West and Northeast. We need your venue suggestions. Email to booking at marcgunn.com. I'll have more details coming in a blog very soon.

4.12 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) The Kerry Irish Pub with Craig of Farrington
4.17-19 (DENVER, CO) StarFest
4.23 (COVINGTON, LA) Etoile
5.13-22 (TUSCANY, ITALY) Celtic Invasion of Italy
6.5-6 (ARLINGTON, TX) Texas Scottish Festival
6.27 (ELMHURST, IL) Benefit Concert for Feral Fixers
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival

ATTENTION! I am looking at touring this summer. I need you to send me 3-5 non-smoking venues in your area. Not pubs.

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

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

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

I-Con Update... Feeling Better

2009-04-03T18:15:26Z

UPDATE: Feeling Much better. Sounds like many of the events are happening here at Holiday Inn. So hopefully, *knock on wood*, everything will go smoothly. At the very least, I'm feeling more relaxed.

My I-Con Music Schedule

2009-04-03T04:51:44Z

April 3-5, 2009
I-Con 28

Show Times:

Fri, Apr 3

FuMP Showcase @ 7pm
Marc Gunn, Celtic Geek @ 10:30pm

Sat, Apr 4
Renaissance Festival Podcast Live @ 11am
Celebrate Your Celtic Geek @ 2pm

Headlining the Cabaret @ 11pm

Sun, Apr 5
Celebrate Your Celtic Geek @ 1:30pm

Free MP3 - Buttercup's Lament

2009-04-02T01:53:18Z

Who doesn't love The Princess Bride? I sure do. I wrote this song in December 2000. It began with the idea of a woman who's True Love was lost at sea. But as the story developed, it reminded me of Buttercup's "True Love"--Wesley--in the cult classic. So I named it after her. It's a sad, but beautiful song. I first recorded the song for my first solo CD, Soul of a Harper. It went on to be a fan favorite.

"Buttercup's Lament (Princess Bride)"
From: Soul of a Harper
Download MP3: 128 kbps
Buy MP3 for 99 cents: 192 kbps or iTunes
Read Lyrics: "Buttercup's Lament" Lyrics

You can support independent Celtic music and me.
Join my Street Team and buy my CDs!

Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy the music, please purchase the MP3, buy the CD, post a review, repost this blog, or tell a friend. Every little bit helps to make to keep these free MP3s coming. Thanks! Find out more about the MarcSongs Podcast now, or subscribe here: http://www.marcgunn.com/podcast.xml.

Originally published at Irish-Song-Lyrics.com. Find lyrics, free MP3s, and chords to Irish folk songs.

Free MP3 - A Lil' Bit of Love

2009-03-25T03:31:19Z

A couple years ago, I was performing at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival when The Mews... I mean Muse struck. No mews was correct. The frequent meowing came from a black cat named Lil' Bit. That talkative cat inspired this bluesy song that turned into a boogie woogie with the masterful guitar of my producer Rich Brotherton.

I recorded it because after the Brobdingnagian Bards broke up I knew I needed a new solo demo. But I didn't quite realize how much blues would affect my music, especially when I moved to New Orleans. I feel it creeping into my new arrangements in a beautiful way, mixing in with my Celtic background and adding a little swing. How cool it would be to have people swing dancing to my new version of "Black Velvet Band". Meantime, I posted this recording on Soundclick the other day and it hit #1 two days later. Best of all, it's great for some West Coast Swing dancing.

"A Lil' Bit of Love"
From: Marc Gunn EP and an upcoming CD
Download MP3: 128 kbps
Buy MP3 for 99 cents: 192 kbps or iTunes
Read Lyrics: "A Lil' Bit of Love" Lyrics

Want to see Marc Gunn perform? Join my Street Team. Buy my CDs!

Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy the music, please purchase the MP3, buy the CD, post a review, repost this blog, or tell a friend. Every little bit helps to make to keep these free MP3s coming. Thanks! Find out more about the MarcSongs Podcast now, or subscribe here: http://www.marcgunn.com/podcast.xml.

Originally published at Irish-Song-Lyrics.com. Find lyrics, free MP3s, and chords to Irish folk songs.

Marc Weeklies: St. Patrick's Day Successes Unending

2009-03-23T05:53:40Z

St. Patrick's Day was smashing fun and probably the most-relaxed one I've had in years. That is the way I should celebrate my birthday every year. Despite that, it was also one of my most-successful, with the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast climbing to #11 on the iTunes Podcast charts, plus the news. Wait till you get to my news below. It's packed filled with features, radio play, podcast play and more. Woohoo!

The St. Patrick's Day successes were just what I needed to head back into the studio and record most of the final tracks to Happy Songs of Death. In fact, I am nearly done. I want to add maybe two more songs. Then I am sending it off to Ari Koinuma to be mixed and mastered. Four CDs in four months. Thanks for all your support. I couldn't do it without you, and I hope you enjoy the album as much as I am!

Listen to a song:

This Week:

-- Quote of the Week: "The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scotts as a joke, but the Scotts haven't seen the joke yet." Oliver Herford.

-- CD of the Week: "A Cock and Bull Story" by Bedlam Bards. Be afraid. I am. This is the new LIVE CD from the Bedlam Bards. Recorded live at the Oklahoma Renaissance Festival last year, it features dirty, smutty, nasty, bawdy songs. Sounds like fun, huh? I walked in on one of their shows. I hope that one didn't make the cut... (okay, I relly hope it did. I didn't hear how they were making fun of me, but I think it involved cats...)

-- Book of the Week: The Kindle. Okay, this really isn't a BOOK per se, but I got to look at one of the new electronic reading device from Amazon. Way cool! I wouldn't mind trying to read a book on it. Looks just too cool.

-- The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast climbed to #11 on iTunes' Podcast charts. I've seen scores of glowing reviews for the two St. Patrick's Day episodes. Thanks to everyone who dropped me a line about it. Meanwhile, Victims of Irish Music was another smashingly popular CD on iTunes. Will the Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast be just as popular. I hope so.

-- Interesting article: "Music and Your Health - The Relevance of Concert Pitch" by Patrick Thilmany. An interesting look at the differences between concert pitch and how it could affect your health.

-- Celtic Invasion Vacations. The cat is out of the bag. I have two trips planned for 2009, one to Scotland. Sign up to the mailing list for details which I hope to release in about a month.

-- My friend Marrus is not only a brilliant artist, now she's an author. She has a new book called "Lightsurfing: Living Life in the Front of My Mouth". It's not yet out. But keep an eye open for it on Amazon. Check out her art online while you're at it.

-- Celtophilia is hosting a St. Patrick's Day Photo Contest where you can win a copy of Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

-- Bethany McLyr was the whistle player who performed on my new song "St. Patrick Never Drank". She has a new CD that was just completed called "Eye of the Storm". I think it'll be on CD Baby in a few weeks.

-- Anther friend named Bethany is running a Triathalon to benefit the SPCA. You can support her run by making a donation.

-- Celtic Music Reviews and Features: "St. Patrick Never Drank" by Marc Gunn, "Pour Me Another" by Doug Folkins, "Ready for the Storm" by Slan, "Scatter the Mud" by The Irish Experience, and CD reviews: "Ten Thousand Miles To Bedlam" by Ockam's Razor, "Tri" by Haggis Rampant, "Clement Street" by The Gas Men, "Irish Makeover" by Skully, "Epiphany" by Silver Spire

-- Marc Gunn in the News:

Eclectic Mix #224 did a special feature on my music! Thanks George!

The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast climbed to #17 on the iTunes Podcast charts beating out the White House Podcast, the Onion Podcast and many others.

"St Patrick Never Drank" and "Happy Birthday from Ireland" were both featured in Shillelagh Safari with DJ Seamus, plus many more songs. DJ Seamus highlights a lot of my music. Thanks a million!

"St Patrick Never Drank" was featured the last TWO weeks on the Dr. Demento. Head over to Dr. Demento's website and make a request for it.

"The Cat Came Back... The Cat's perspective" was played in You Can't Make It Up.

Little Reds Writing Hood featured "The Leprechaun", as did Guy in a Tie.

Insert Awesome Banner Here has a new storyboard featuring When the Dairy Farm Caught Fire. Looks like Mike is working on a full version of it.

"The Leprechaun" was featured in the Skyline Podshow's St. Patrick's Day Special.

Catholic Under the Hood featured "Wild Rover".

PR Canada featured a press release from the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

My article "17 Free Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day" was a huge hit in the blogosphere. It was featured on Lifehacker's Gadget and Gear of the Day and many other sites.

The Gomem Show played "St. Patrick Never Drank".

Insomnia Radio featured my new song "St. Patrick Never Drank" as did the CB Rocker Show.

-- UPCOMING GIGS.

3.26-29 (COLLEGE STATION, TX) AggieCon 40
4.3-5 (BRENTWOOD, NY) I-Con
4.12 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) The Kerry Irish Pub
4.17-19 (DENVER, CO) StarFest
5.13-22 (TUSCANY, ITALY) Celtic Invasion of Italy
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival

ATTENTION! I am looking at touring this summer. I need you to send me 3-5 non-smoking venues in your area. Find details here. But don't forget to make a demand to see me perform.

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

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

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

17 Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-16T05:26:40Z

Every year for St. Patrick's Day, I compile a new list of St Patrick's Day MP3 downloads that are 100% free and legal. Many of these artists are played regularly in the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. And ALL of these artists were generous enough to offer their music for a brand compilation CD entitled the Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast.

This compilation CD benefits the podcast as well as a Celtic non-profit. I've donated over $6,000 to Celtic non-profits around the United States. So when you buy a CD, you support both this podcast and your fellow Celts.

But please don't stop there!

The main point of this compilation and these free MP3s is to help promote independent Celtic music. If you find an artist that you really love on this compilation, then head over to the artist website, drop them an email to let them know you found them through the CD. Then buy their CD.

While you're at it, if you want to find out what it's like getting an annual subscription to Song Henge, you'll get a good idea when you download this free zip file of 17 Free St Patrick's Day MP3s for 2009.

Download "17 Celtic Music Downloads
for St. Patrick's Day" (64 MB)
(p.s. these MP3s will only be up for a month, so download them soon)

17 Free Irish & Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day

"Sweeney's Buttermilk" by FIMM
from Roiboos e Disappunti
"The Whiskey Never Lies" (Burns, ASCAP) by Sligo Rags
from The Whiskey Never Lies
"The Girls Set" by Banshee in the Kitchen
from Live at Painted Sky
"Star of the County Down"
by Jed Marum with Hugh Morrison and Mason Brown
from Sands of Aberdeen
"Hot Days" (Siegl/Brabec/Trad.) by Poitin
from Hot Days
"Chi Mi Na Morbheanna/Sleepy Maggie" by MacTalla Mor
from The New Colossus
"Almost Irish" (Halloran) by Ceann
from Almost Irish
"Considine's Grove" by Anne Roos
from A Light in the Forest
"Boys Of Tandragee/Tuesday Morning/Checkered Blanket" (Trad./Lewin-Tiarks) by Athas
from Athas
"Ye Jacobites By Name" (Burns) by Beth Patterson
from Hybrid Vigor
"Loch Lomond" by Jesse Ferguson
from Old New Songs
"The Mason's Apron" by Rattle the Boards
from The Parish Platform
"Jig Jag" by Jamie Laval and Ashley Broder
from Zephyr in the Confetti Factory
"Rocks of Bawn" by Maidens IV
from Emerald Fire
"Auld Triangle" (Behan) by Patrick's Head
from Arse Biscuits
"Ormond Sound/Liberty Joe's/Broken" (O'Brien/Hurley/Trad.)
by Pitch the Peat
from Far From Home
"Wild Mountain Thyme" (McPeake) by Marc Gunn
from Slainte!

Well, I hope you have a brilliant St. Patrick's Day. Drink responsibly and Slainte!

Marc Gunn is an Irish and Scottish folk singer with a strange affinity for Celtic ballads, drinking songs and cats. He is also Celtic music podcaster and promoters as well as publisher of Celtic MP3s Music Magazine.

Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast Now On Sale

2009-03-13T20:03:37Z

I was just notified that the CD is HERE! So you could potentially have it in time for St. Patrick's Day!!!

St. Patrick's Day Music and Links

2009-03-13T20:01:00Z

Here's a few things you might be interested in for St. Patrick's Day, music and otherwise:

Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
St. Patrick's Day Party Music
Free Funny St. Patrick's Day MP3
Poem/Song: "The Leprechaun"
Irish Happy Birthday Song
Things Celtic, a great store all things Celtic
The History of St. Patrick's Day from History.com
Irish Drinking Songs
or the comedic variety: Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers
Compilation CD: Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast
Celtic Music CD Store and St. Patrick's Day Songs of Ireland

I'm sure you can find a lot of great music and entertainment through those links. Enjoy!

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

New Song on The FuMP

2009-03-10T16:56:20Z

I have a new song posted on the The FuMP. Go download it and make a comment. It was featured last weekend on Dr. Demento.

Marc Weeklies: St. Patrick's Day Party

2009-03-09T16:33:21Z

I flew back from Minneapolis last night. MarsCon was a ton of fun, and whoa, they had some parties! Awesome seeing and meeting all the Dementia musicians who I've only heard about through Manic Mondays and The FuMP.

Oh! And I got to try out the new wireless setup for my autoharp. It Rocks!

The last couple o'weeks were uber productive. I finished mixing and mastering Live at the Cactus Cafe, a new CD of The Dubliners' Tabby Cats. I hope to get the graphics this week and release the CD at I-Con if I'm really lucky. This is my third CD to be released this year. That blows my mind! But I won't be keeping that up for long. So I'm relishing it while it lasts.

Today, I plan to put together the first of my St. Patrick's Day shows for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I want to jump back onto Happy Songs of Death. But for now, I think I need a week or so to regroup. St. Patrick's Day and my birthday are almost here. I need to just be in the moment and spend a few days determining what happens next.

This Week:

-- Quote of the Week: "I was not built for Sunlight, I was built for Pub light". Anonymous

-- CD of the Week: "Heroes and Scoundrels" by The Lost Boys. Their latest album is now available. Much teal fun!

-- Book of the Week: Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. Being an introvert, I just started this book. Barely 20 pages in and I already love it. Read the Prelude. If you're an introvert, I think you'll see a LOT of similiarities and find new ways to communicate in an extrovert world.

-- Download and Share Live Shows like this one. Have you recorded a live show of mine? Share it with others. I give you permission to do just that. I setup a site on archive.org to allow you to freely post your recordings of my live shows.

-- Video of the Week: Tailchaser's Song with music from Whiskers in the Jar.

-- Irish Songs & Lyrics. My personal collection of Irish song lyrics. Great place to start when learning songs. If there's something you want to see, let me know.

-- ATTN: Musicians - Guerrilla Music Marketing. If you're a musician trying to plug your way through the music marketing jungle, then check out these masterful books by guerrilla music marketer, Bob Baker. He's the guy I learned from the, the best.

-- Heart's Ease Now on CD Baby. My new instrumental autoharp CD is now available on CD Baby as well as on iTunes. Get a copy and/or post a review.

-- St Patrick's Day Party Music! St. Paddy's Day is almost here. This site has a bunch of St. Patrick's Day resources I compiled.

-- Marc Gunn Live at Salerno, Italy. I release my music under a creative commons license and archive.org is kind enough to host live shows. So if you've recorded a live show of mine, go post it. Or just download this one for free.

-- Rock Your Celtic Roots. Ingrid Houwers was working on a design for my Happy Songs of Death CD. She came up with this Awesome image and we both thought it would make a brilliant St. Patrick's Day T-shirt.

-- Faire Magazine. A new magazine dedicated to all things Renaissance festival.

-- Walkabout Images. Lisa's pictures of nature.

-- Celtic Invasion Vacations. Sorry. You missed out on the Celtic Invasion of Italy. However, I have three other invasions I'm thinking about. Sign up to the mailing list to find out more.

-- Tim Dodge's podio book Acts of Desperation.

-- Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers. The album that launched the new Celtic Cat music genre!

-- Marc Gunn in the News:

St. Patrick Never Drank featured on Dr. Demento. My latest song on The FuMP has lyrics written by Spaff and music by me. The song was featured this week on Dr. Demento and you can download it for free on The Funny Music Project tomorrow.

"Bella's Highland Jig" was featured in the Misfits Audio Production.

What Color Is Your Dragon Reviewed by Wildy's World. Wildy is open to do more reviews.

Canipping Green Featured on Shillelagh Safari with DJ Seamus Friday

"What Color Is Your Dragon?" was reviewed by Wildy's World earning 5 out of 5 stars.

"Lusty Young Sith" was featured on Into the Dark.

P.G. Holyfield landed a publishing deal for his new novel. Dragon Moon Press will be publishing his novel "Murder at Avedon Hill". He announced the deal in his podcast and played "Stardust Serenade" as the background music.

Grumbledook praises the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast in his blog When Is a Geek Not a Geek.

-- UPCOMING GIGS. Yup. There were some new shows added for the next couple of months including info now available for the Florida house concert and my birthday party that you can attend on my birthday, March 17th, St Patrick's Day. Don't let that weekday stop you from joining what I hope to be an annual birthday party extravaganza!

3.13 (ROBERT, LA) House Concert
3.15 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) The Kerry Irish Pub
3.17 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Baccanal Marc Gunn's Birthday Bash
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

Don't forget to make a demand to see me perform. Seven Trees is trying to build the demands for me in the Pacific Northwest.

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

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

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

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Marc Weeklies: I-Con Fairy Tales

I-Con Update... Feeling Better

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Free MP3 - Buttercup's Lament

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Marc Weeklies: St. Patrick's Day Successes Unending

17 Celtic Music Downloads for St. Patrick's Day

Best of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast Now On Sale

St. Patrick's Day Music and Links

New Song on The FuMP

Marc Weeklies: St. Patrick's Day Party