Signature Sounds Presents: Mark Mulcahy featuring Lou Barlow
Saturday, November 11, 2017, 7:30 pm
All Ages. Doors: 7:00 PM/ Show 7:30. Tickets $17 Adv/ $20 Doors. Tickets available online or by calling the Signature Sounds Box Office at (413) 341-3317.
Mark Mulcahy is the former singer of the well regarded and influential Miracle Legion. He also formed the band Polaris and wrote the music for the Nickelodeon show ‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’.
Mark’s solo career began with Fathering, an album that received universal praise including Album Of The Month in Uncut and Album Of The Week in The Guardian and featured the track “Hey Self Defeater” which was featured in Nick Hornby’s book 31 Songs.
From there followed the albums Smilesunset and In Pursuit Of Your Happiness, several tours of the UK and Europe, countless radio sessions and huge critical acclaim for both his songwriting prowess and his remarkable voice. In 2008 he quit everything to look after his children following the tragic death of his wife. To assist him through these troubled times many of his long-time friends and fans banded together to record an album of his songs as a tribute to his wife and the result was 2009’s Ciao My Shining Star, featuring the likes of Michael Stipe, Thom Yorke, Frank Black, Mercury Rev, Dinosaur Jr, The National, and many others.
Mark Mulcahy will embark on his first solo tour in three years. A short run of seven dates in November will begin a year of endless live performance. Mark has been touring with his other bands, Miracle legion and Polaris for the past few years.
“It’s been way way too long.I need to play these songs.It’s me again. Me.”
Mulcahy’s most recent album, ‘The Possum in the Driveway’ received stellar reviews and he appeared on the Marc Maron WTF podcast on May 1st.
The November tour will be in delayed support of ‘Possum’ as well as songs from Marks entire catalogue.
9 out of 10! - Uncut Magazine
“A rare and wise treat…” - Mojo Magazine
"4 Stars! A gift" - Record Collector
“Sublime” - The New Yorker
Lou Barlow
Hi, my name is Lou Barlow. This is Brace the Wave. Here is my short bio. One of my first songwriting attempts occurred in 1983 — it is called Lou’s Anxiety Song,” released by my first band, Deep Wound. The original title was Pressures, but the singer decided to scream “Lou’s anxiety song!!” at the beginning (his commentary on the overly earnest lyrics). The title stuck.
Deep Wound evolved into Dinosaur Jr. While playing in that band I began recording short songs on a baritone ukulele that I modified with heavier strings and flexible tunings. I called myself Sentridoh. My first solo LP Weed Forestin’ was a cassette that I duplicated and gave away. I was too bashful to play any Sentridoh songs for my slightly older, much cooler bandmates. I eventually started a band of my own called Sebadoh. We gained some momentum in the 90s. And then in 1994, I started another band called Folk Implosion.
By the early 2000s, everything had crashed and burned. I was alone again with my 4-track and a basic knowledge of recording. I still had a ukulele and was most comfortable writing uncomfortable songs. I love the cozy self-delusion of the creative process. Finishing songs, making records, and holding the finished piece in hand is incredibly satisfying. In 2005, I made my first official solo LP under my actual name instead of a made-up, nonsense word. Around that time, I sensibly began touring with Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh again which brings me to now… 2017.
Having moved back to Massachusetts (after 17 years in Los Angeles), I recorded Brace The Wave in 6 days with Justin Pizzoferrato at Sonelab studios in Easthampton. Justin was the engineer for the 3 Dinosaur Jr. “reunion” LPs. My ease with Justin meant I approached the sessions with focus and confidence. Songs like Redeemed, Wave, and Moving reprise my early methods of tuning my ukulele down low and writing the songs during the recording process. Others like Lazy and C+E are traditional-style folk songs that I performed live in the studio.
Here it is, Lou’s Anxiety Song(s) 2015, less fretful, still restless.
