Road Journal #8: Join The Parade Live EP

July 4, 2008

I just wanted to check in with everyone before heading out to Colorado for the second leg of our summer tour. I hope July is treating you well and that you’re listening to your local weathermen and women, who no doubt have told you to stay hydrated and to wear loose fitting clothes with light colors. Please listen to them; they’re pros and they know what they’re talking about. Summer is nothing to kid around about.
 
I also wanted to let you know that when I got home from the winter tour last February or March I think, I eventually started listening to board mixes of at least 12-15 shows that we had recorded in hopes of being able to put together something to offer up this summer. Well…I’m happy to tell you that as of July 8th, our new Join The Parade Live EP will be available on iTunes, at MarcCohn.net and at all upcoming shows. The EP features the great new band you’ve come to know and love, performing four brand new live versions of songs from Join The Parade, as well as a new live version of "Walking in Memphis". Normally, I would have voted against releasing another version of the Greatest Hit, but I love the way this band plays the tune… simple as that. The EP opens with "Live out the String," then "Levon," followed by a lovely version of "Giving up the Ghost" featuring Ms. Amy Correia. Then we close it up with "My Sanctuary" and the aforementioned Cher cover. We hope you like it!
 
Hope to see you all on the road somewhere this summer. If you can’t make it to the show for whatever reason, remember to drink plenty of fluids and download a copy of the new EP. You’ll be as good as new in no time.

Road Journal #7: Camaraderie and Community: A Thank You

February 4, 2008
 
With at least 40 cities behind us and only 4 shows left on the JTP Fall/Winter tour, our trusty driver Roger has taken the Prevost tour bus back home to Tennessee where it waits for another band of gypsies to haul around the country night after night. I’ve loved playing these shows, with these players, more than any other shows I’ve ever done. I’ve loved the camaraderie, on and off stage, with the boys (and girl) in the band and crew. I’ve loved mixing the new songs with the old; searching for a set list that had an arc, a story to tell. I loved playing drums on If I Were An Angel. (Levon: no one could ever touch you… but hey you…Don Henley…you better keep looking over your shoulder; there’s a Jew with a microphone and a badass backbeat coming up behind you! Don’t mess with me Henley…I’m warning you).
 
I loved meeting all of you that stood in line and said hello after the show. To those of you who told me you felt frustrated because you couldn’t find the right words to express how much the music had meant to you: Never fear…those were EXACTLY the right words.
 
I hope everyone is getting comfy with the new digs here. I’m extremely happy with the way the site has already grown and expanded in just a few short months and would like to thank Greg and everyone at officialCOMMUNITY for all their help. I would also like to join the choir of voices rising up to thank Eric Nevin once again for the beautiful site he created on my behalf all those years ago, when there was nowhere anyone could go to righteously *** and moan about what was taking me so friggin’ long to put out a record, to find out when or where I might be playing a gig, or to ask what a Beale was. Thank you so much Eric for everything you did to keep the interest in me and my music going and for providing a forum…literally…for the most loyal and patient fans any artist could ever hope for.
 
A few quick responses to some interesting comments, questions and complaints that have come up on the message boards lately:
 
Why are my shows shorter than James Taylor’s?
 
First of all, almost everything and everyone is shorter than James Taylor.
Secondly, James almost never tours with an opening act, leaving him the ability to do two sets with a short intermission. I’d love to do that at some point. Other possible factors that may contribute to a shorter show:
-Curfews at the theatre
-Over anxious lighting person that puts up house lights after first encore while artist waits in wings ready to go back out only to discover that exit music is playing and audience is already gone.
-Altitude sickness
 
The Great True Companion Debate:
 
The artist reserves the right to make his own set list.
One song does not a concert make…I would hope.
That said, I play the song at least 90-95% of the time.
Thank you for making it part of your lives, I truly do appreciate it.
 
Last but not least, a special thank you to Shawn who inadvertently gave me a fantastic concept for the next record by commenting that he would probably enjoy listening to me play spoons.
 
Talk to you soon everyone.

Road Journal #6: Marc's Musical Recommendations

January 22, 2008

More songs from records I've been listening to lately. Enjoy...and remember...BUY music!!

• "Your Own Worst Enemy" - From the cd Magic by the Boss
• "Naked As We Came" - From the cd Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron and Wine
• "We Meet, We Part, We Remember" - From the cd Simple Truths by the Holmes Bros.
• "Court and Spark" - From the cd The Joni Letters by Herbie Hancock feat. Norah Jones
• "Don't You Wish it was True" - From the cd Revival by John Fogerty
• "Nettie Moore" - From the cd Modern Times by Bob Dylan
• "Mollena" - From the cd People Gonna Talk by James Hunter
• "Aint That Good News" - From the cd Good News by Sam Cooke
• "Father and Daughter" - From the cd Surprise by Paul Simon
• "Back To Tupelo" - From the cd Shangri-La by Mark Knopfler
• "Crazy" - Shawn Colvin single
• "Wayside/ Back In Time" - From the cd Soul Journey by Gillian Welch
• "Old Man" - From the cd Dreaming Wide Awake by Lizz Wright
• "I Was Watching You" - From the cd Black Cadillac by Rosanne Cash
• "Love of Mine" - From the cd Slow New York by Richard Julian
• "The Valley" - From the cd The Town and the City by Los Lobos
• "Because of Toledo" - From the cd High by The Blue Nile
• "Shine" - From the cd Shine by Daniel Lanois
• "Step Into the Light"- From the cd Have a Little Faith by Mavis Staples
• "Your Mind Is On Vacation"- From the cd Alison Wonderland by Mose Alison
• "Coney Island, USA"- From the cd Lakeville by Amy Correia

Road Journal #5: Two Lives: Scary Music You Can Dance To

January 17, 2008

It feels great to be back out playing shows again. The first show after a long time off usually feels like you're shaking off cobwebs for most of the set, but the show in Atlanta two nights ago felt surprisingly good. The first night back, part of me is always thinking..."do I remember how to DO THIS?" Slowly but surely, you get your stage legs back, but it does take some adjusting.

I loved being home with the family so much, but I wasn't prepared for how much I also missed the band and how much I missed PLAYING. The adulation aint bad either of course.  I kept waiting for the Misses and the kids to applaud whenever I walked into the room, but that never quite materialized! They really are two such different lives, and decompressing from one while re-entering the other can be tricky. I have to say though, I've never felt so comfortable in BOTH of my lives concurrently.

On a completely different note, I thought I'd pass along some music I've been listening to lately and really enjoying. BUY some music..ANY music!

1) The new Alison Krauss and Robert Plant record is beautiful. "Please Read The Letter" is my favorite track of the year My old friend and band mate Jay Bellerose plays beautifully throughout the whole cd, as does the entire band. Check it out.

2) Still can't stop playing Sam Phillips. A Boot and a Shoe and Fan Dance are both gorgeous records.

3) Several great songs on Easy Tiger, the new Ryan Adams cd especially the song "Two."

4) Tracy Chapman. Nobody really notices, but Tracy keeps making records of remarkable depth and beauty. "Let it Rain" and "Where you Live" are both quiet master works.

5) Johnny Cash. His last record, A Hundred Highways, was at first, too sad to listen to for me. He sounds so frail. I put it on again a few weeks ago though and haven't stopped playing it since. "Gods Gonna Cut you Down" stopped my five year old Zachary in his tracks. At first I think it scared him, now he just starts dancing every time he hears it. Scary music to dance to...sounds like rock-n-roll to me.

Road Journal #4: Gratitude

December 18, 2007
 
28 shows in 28 cities and the fall tour is over. Gone, just like that. Many thanks to all of you who spent your hard earned money, and in some cases, traveled great distances to see us. The simple fact that there is an audience waiting to hear us wherever we go never fails to fill me with gratitude. I’ll never forget sitting in the back of the tour bus in a parking lot across from a club we played in DC back in ’91. My first record was just breaking and I watched as the audience started to line up outside the club hours before we were scheduled to go on. It felt like I had been working my whole life just to get to that moment where I could sit and watch an audience line up to see a show and hear my songs. Nearly seventeen years later, the wonder of that moment has never really left me. To this day, as we’re leaving sound check to go have dinner or relax before the show back at the hotel, I look at the people lining up outside the venue and feel that same mixture of excitement and gratitude. There are a few things in life that I can think of that feel better than that…but only a few. Thank you for that.
 
I wanted to mention that the last week of the tour included our first trip back to play Denver since the summer of ’05. As the day approached, we all started talking, little by little, about the night of the shooting. Mostly it was the members of the band who hadn’t been there that night, sensing it was all right to ask those of us who were there, what had really happened, what we learned or felt in the aftermath, and what it felt like to be going back. Ultimately, it was healing for all of us to talk about it and I think it helped pave the way for an even more healing and cathartic show at the Gothic Theatre. I wanted to say a special thank you to the amazing audience at the Gothic that night and to so many of the lovely people of the great city of Denver who greeted us with open arms upon our return. Hell, the mayor even showed up at a radio station we visited to introduce us and welcome us back! Now that’s showbiz!
 
I’ve done a lot of talking over the past couple of years about that night in Denver. I understood people’s interest in the story. It’s a good story. Obviously, it’s much more than that for me though. I had to be careful about how often I talked about it. Sometimes talking about it helped me work through it and sometimes it didn’t. As I started to do interviews for the new record, I knew the subject would come up again because so much of the new record is informed by what happened that night. The truth is though, now that I’ve been back to Denver, stood in front of an audience and played a show, and got back to the hotel safely…it all feels like it’s more in the past than ever. I’m not sure I’ll need/want to talk about it as much anymore. It reminds me of a time about twenty years ago in the Hollywood café when Muriel leaned over and whispered in my ear and said, “It’s all right child, it’s time to move on now.”
 
Happy Holidays everyone. Here’s hoping that 2008 is a healthy, happy and peaceful one for all of us. See you down south in January.

Road Journal #3: Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and the Long Ride from Solana Beach to Tucson

December 9, 2007

Just starting our 7 hour Sunday drive from Solana Beach to Tucson. Most of the band is in the front lounge watching the Giants game on Satellite tv. I've had a bit of a sore throat for the last day or two, so i'm in the back lounge with Shane with the humidifier going and Flight of the Conchords cued up on the dvd player. Another great run of shows this week marked by the presence of some very special guests.

First, Bonnie Raitt sat in with us at The Palace of Fine Arts in San Fran. One of the most beautiful venues we've ever played and one of the most memorable nights of music for all of us because of Bonnie. Bonnie played slide and sang on 29 Ways and her guitar duel with Shane brought the house down. As Shane said on stage that night, a life-long fantasy of his had finally been fulfilled. I think he enjoyed the playing part too!

At the end of the show, Bonnie came back to sing the second verse on Witness, and as she always does, made the song her own. For me, great singing involves craft and control and intelligence and ultimately transcends all three. In the end, it's about soul and depth of feeling. Inarticulate speech of the heart, as Van said. Bonnie's singing/artistry embodies that for me. What a gift it was for all of us to have her join us on stage. Thanks Bonnie.

Our next show was at the El Rey in LA, and my dear friend and mentor Jackson Browne joined us to sing a verse on Witness as well. Jackson and I didn't get a chance to even run the tune down together, but he sounded great as always. Priceless image I won't soon forget: The great Jackson Browne standing center stage at the El Rey reading the scribbled lyrics to Witness from a paper plate that he found backstage. (See photo.)  It was a great and heavenly night in the city of angels.

Despite being graced by the presence of two such esteemed musical luminaries, the greatest guest of the week had yet to appear. That title goes to my older brother Steve, who rocked the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano for his long overdue star turn at the piano on a great rendition of Bill Withers' Lean On Me. Words can't possibly describe what it meant to have one of my older brothers on stage with me, especially since Steve was my first musical mentor. It was Steve who taught me how to play the opening riff to What'd I Say on piano when I was eight or nine. It was Steve who introduced me to the music of Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Les McCann, Ramsey Lewis and many many more. It was Steve who let me sit in on bongos when his high school band (The Hi-Fi's) used to practice in our basement. It was high time I returned the favor.

Road Journal #2: The Road to Petaluma

December 2, 2007

Major snow and wind storm at the moment driving through Grant's Pass and over Mt. Shasta on our way from Medford, Oregon to Petaluma. Roger, our fearless tour bus driver seems to have it all under control. I hear back home in nyc it's pretty much the same heavy weather. Up at this elevation though things get pretty treacherous pretty fast. Good time to distract myself.

The second leg of the tour has gotten off to a great start. The first three shows...Seattle, Portland and Medford were, from our vantage point, among the best so far. GREAT audiences all! The crowd last night in Medford was so effusive and loud in fact that our ears hurt after the show...not from the amps and monitors this time, but from the audience! I can't overstate how much I'm loving getting on stage every night with this band. The crowd senses our enjoyment I think and responds in kind. Our drummer Joe Bonadio calls it circular energy, I call it folk-rock rapture... or a damned good job.

The after show festivities last night also happened to be particularly interesting. It was an early show so we all went back to the hotel and convened in the Rogue Regency Inn Karaoke bar. I've never been to a Karaoke bar before so it was an anthropological wonder to me. My wife always tells me that most people secretly want to be singers and I guess the Karaoke phenomenon is proof. There on stage was a lovely woman singing her heart out to You Were Meant for Me, the song where Jewel sings about her pajamas and her toothpaste. That was followed by a middle aged man singing Rebel Yell and two sweet women dressed up like it was prom night singing(?) You're so Vain.

The highlight of the night though was when our own Amy Correia took the Regency Inn stage by storm and brought the house down with a stirring Midnight Train to Georgia. Our drummer Joe did something remotely Pip-like, but some people in the bar might have thought he was just another white man who needed to up his dosage. Amy fell to her knees James Brown style and Shane quickly responded by covering her with his coat/cape and escorted her off the stage. Shane covered Joe too, not because he was deep in soul review mode, but because he kept saying "I'm so cold" over and over again.

I left after this performance, but there is video (Youtube?) of Amy and our bass player Jon Ossman doing an inspired Dont Go Breaking My Heart. Long live Kiki Dee.

Well...that seemed to work. We made it through the snow storm safely and have about 2-3 hours to go until Petaluma. No show tonight, unless the Petaluma Sheraton has a karaoke bar.

Road Journal #1: Hope of Glory

November 21, 2007 

Just a quick note to say thank you to everyone who came out to see us during the first leg of the tour. For me, this was the best run of shows we’ve ever done, and I can’t wait to get back out there in a little less than two weeks. I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever felt more connected to both the audience and the other musicians on stage. It was a thrilling three weeks. Thanks again everyone…we can’t wait to see you sometime in late November or December.
 
We’re posting some pictures from the first leg taken by our tour manager/soundman Tom Dube. Most are live shots at various venues, but my faves are of the band standing by an old abandoned gospel tour bus I spotted somewhere outside Harrisburg, Pa. A man driving a fork lift nearby told us that the bus had been left there over a year ago and said we could have it if we paid for storage. We left the bus but took the pictures.

Hope of Glory Gospel Singers indeed.