Nashville and DC Concerts, or, I Owe You Guys One

09/28/2010 at 12:18 pm | Posted in 49>50, News & Explanations, Stories from the Road | 2 Comments

I think by the end of this insane 50 states tour I will have to rename it (or at least subtitle it) The Kindness of Strangers tour.  It’s insane, obscene, overwhelming how the small nice things a thousand people do add up.  Next time you’re discouraged about something, just call me and I’ll tell you that there are still good things about humanity, even good things about America, and potential for more everywhere.  I know, crazy.  But I’m living it.  So I’ll be hard to persuade that people are really all that bad.  (Or that people are good, but then I already knew that people aren’t inherently good.  I knew it way too well.)

There’s hardly a car you can drive 30,000 miles without a single breakdown, particularly a car already over 100,000 miles.  So it was time for my tour car repair.  I was expecting it — I just wasn’t expecting it to be so bad ($2000+ since they have to get inside the transmission; crossing fingers it’s not more by the end). Thankfully these repairs occurred in a time and place where I can leave my car and double back to retrieve it.

The good news is this huge repair won’t sink me, or the tour.  The better news is that I saved for it a little.  The best news is that you guys are incredible, and your album purchases and tips over just a few hours have helped tremendously to defray the cost of the repair (and rental).  Right now I’m sitting in a Starbucks in Cincinnati — I hitched a ride here at 5am to pick up a much cheaper rental car than I could find in Kentucky due to the World Equestrian Games.  I know, weird.

I want to thank you guys.  I don’t have that many ways to do it, except by making more music.  So that’s what I’ll do.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 9/29/10, in Nashville TN I will be doing a concert with guitarist Bryan Ray in a gorgeous recording studio which will be recorded, mixed, and mastered (by producer Bryan Ray!) for you guys.  I was going to release it for $$ someday, but in light of how much you all have helped me, I’m changing strategies and releasing it for free (tip if you must).  I’m very excited about this because it means I’ll have a high quality recording of how my songs have come to sound after five months on the road — they’ve evolved a lot, and my voice has changed with wear, and it’s fun to get a really good live recording.  I hope I don’t screw up.

(Tickets are still available in Nashville — we need a live studio audience for the recording to sound good!  If you know anyone there, send them! Only $10-15 in advance or at the door, 7:30pm 9/29/10, Playground Studios in Nashville TN.  Limited seating, but please tell folks so we fill that limited seating!)

Next week, Wednesday 10/6/10, from Fairfax VA you will be able to sit in on a less-high-quality concert live, for free, from anywhere in the world!  We’ll be webstreaming from Thinkgeek headquarters in the DC area a little after 7pm EST (keep an eye on Twitter for the exact start time).  The stream will appear on my website’s home page, or at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/marian-call-live-from-thinkgeek-hq.  In fact at that URL you can RSVP and you’ll get an e-mail reminder to tune in when it’s time!  That show with guitarist Scott Barkan *should* be recorded by Ustream and stay online for later viewing (though we had a problem with that once in the past).  So say a prayer for no technical difficulties, set a reminder, and watch the show from far away!  I hope we crash Ustream.

(Tickets to the live studio event at Thinkgeek are sold out, but there are two concerts in Maryland that are striking distance from DC on 10/5 and 10/7, and you are certainly invited to those! Details at http://mariancall.com.)

This is really what I have to thank you guys with, and I hope you like it.  You’ve been amazing.  This tour has been facilitated by hundreds of people and attended by thousands.  The helpfulness of folks, when I make bids for help and stay positive about my situation, is mindblowing.

I kind of want to repurpose my tour to give you all hugs.  But I’m a little tired to do this all again.

(And I couldn’t handle a repeat of all the amazing food.  I have definitely gained weight.  Thanks, The South.)

Marian

The Northeast: here I come.  The only places still to book are NYC, Philadelphia PA, VT, RI, DE, ME, and HI.  Y’all are stubborn in the last few states.  If you have a home, bookstore, science center, comic shop, cafe, or other space for me, I have fans — get in touch. mcminion42*at*gmail.com.  Don’t miss me!

Plus some Canada stuff: Montreal, Ottawa or Kingston, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort St. John, and Whitehorse — I would be more than happy to play for you if you want me!  Just e-mail me to set up a show. mcminion42*at*gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of @nickprogrammerman, taken in a backyard Omaha despite noisy cicadas.

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