News & Updates
AUGUST 2025 NEWSLETTER
GOODBYES, IRISH & OTHERWISE
I’m of basically half Italian and half Irish descent. I joke that I prefer to eat like the former and say goodbye like the latter. I’d much rather slip out a side door and focus all my energy on a warm greeting the next time I see someone, than have my awkward farewell linger as a last impression. The ol’ “Irish Goodbye” works pretty great for me, but there is one category where I make a big exception: my kids.
Particularly since the impossibly tragic mass shooting in Newtown CT, I’ve tried to really focus on every goodbye I say to my kids. The odds of such a tragedy befalling anyone are statistically very low, and while it’s not something I dwell darkly upon in my day to day, it does inform my actions and intentions. With only a few exceptions, every goodbye I’ve said to the boys has been heartfelt, though thankfully short-lived and temporary.
Later this month, our oldest son Owen goes off to college. I’m impossibly proud of and happy for him, truly excited about the beauty, wonder, new experiences, and lessons awaiting him in the world beyond my home. Sure, I will get a lot more quiet time for home recording, not having to sandwich overdubs in between him banging away on the piano above my studio or kicking me out of my office so he can play the drums. But if I’m being honest, it’s gonna be a hard goodbye.
Becoming a dad changed not just the way I do business as a touring artist, it profoundly transformed the art itself. Of course, that’s because the boys’ birth changed me as a person—how could I possibly be the same after their arrival? They gave my art purpose, they inspired a level of intention and focus to my career that I did not have (or need) before children. It wasn’t just having to support a family that did it, but also having to be the kind of example that I wanted my kids to follow. How do I want to live? That question is examined time and time again in every album from 2006 to the present. And, I assume, the boys have been watching the whole time.
I’m not working much for the first half of August. In fact, Owen is gigging more than I am, and I’m happily filling the role of drum tech, roadie, and live sound engineer for his various band projects. After he leaves, I’m hitting it pretty hard for several weeks—solo shows, songwriting with soldiers, duo shows with Dinty Child, a duo acoustic tour with Lori McKenna. I’ll be surrounded by people I love, doing the thing I love—thank God. And, of course, we will still have another son at home who, for the first time in his life, will have our undivided attention.
The days are long, but the years are short. Kiss those babies. And never let ‘em go without a proper goodbye.
MP3 of the MONTH
Earlier this summer, I wrote a song named for Owen. It started as part of a friend’s “Dude Name Song Challenge”—write a song titled after a male name—but it quickly morphed into a lot more. If you’re part of my Patreon community, you can hear a fleshed out full-band demo of “Owen” this month, but I wanted to share the worktape solo acoustic version with all of you. It’s available for free for the month of August on my Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
TOUR DATES
Fri Aug 22 - Music Hall Lounge, Portsmouth NH - 8 pm
I love this cozy venue up on the NH seacoast. Great vibe and great sound in a great town. You might even be able to find a lobster roll somewhere, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Wed Sept 3 - Broadway Square Summer Music Series, Fargo ND - 6:30 pm
North Dakota!?! This will be a first for me, having never performed in the state before. I wish I could say it is part of a larger western sojourn, but alas, it’ll just be myself and Andrew Stern on electric guitar heading west for one show only. Maybe we all travel for this one and meet in Fargo, with (hopefully) nary a woodchipper in sight.
Masterclass Songwriting Workshop & Performance
Sun Sept 7 - Arts Wayland, Wayland MA - 2 pm
I’m excited for this multi-faceted event, which will feature a bit of history and perspective on my career, some discussion on my architectural approach to songwriting (and listening!), a Q & A, all followed by a solo acoustic performance. Intimate, informative, and interactive is what we’re going for here, and I hope you can join me.
A Night of Co-Writes with Dinty Child
**Please note, the Word Barn Show has been moved to 9/10**
Wed Sept 10 - The Word Barn Meadow, Exeter NH - 7 pm
Sat Sept 13 - Scenic Songs at World’s End, Hingham MA - 3:30 pm
Sun Sept 14 - Tourists, North Adams MA - 8 pm
Some of you may have caught one of the shows I did back in January sharing the stage with my friend Dinty Child, jointly performing an entire set comprised exclusively of the songs we’ve written together (“Look Up,” “The Western Veil,” “Rose-Colored Rearview,” and many more). We had so much fun that we’re reuniting for another trio of dates…and since January we’ve even written another song to add to the setlist!
Tied To You Tour - Acoustic Duo shows with Lori McKenna
**I will open each show with my own set,
then join Lori for the rest of the night**
Thu Sept 11 - Jane Pickens Theater, Newport RI - 7:30 pm
Fri Sept 12 - Groton Hill Music Center, Groton MA - 8 pm
Thu Sept 18 - Spire Center for the Arts, Plymouth MA - 8 pm
Fri Sept 19 - Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport MA - 7:30 pm %
Sat Sept 20 - Colonial Theatre, Laconia NH - 7:30 pm %
Oct 8 - The Ark, Ann Arbor MI - 8 pm
Oct 9 - SPACE, Evanston IL - 8 pm
% My opening set is yet-to-be-confirmed for this date
What can I say about working with Lori McKenna that I haven’t already said? She is one of our best and consistently hard-hitting singer/songwriters working today, and I get to watch her do it from about 6 feet away. In recent years, Lori has toured with a full band but this tour will be something different. In celebration of her more stripped-down new single “Tied To You,” we will be performing as an acoustic duo. This is kinda how we started out, more than a couple decades ago now, and I’m very much looking forward to these performances. **Please note: Lori will also be performing in Anapolis MD and Alexandria VA on Oct 4 and 5, and regrettably I cannot make those shows. Those two shows only will be "An Evening With…”
Sun Oct 19 - Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs NY - 7 pm
It’s always an honor to return to this legendary upstate NY folk club. I can’t really dwell on all the famous people that have stood on that stage before—they won’t be there on 10/19 and I will—but I do feel privileged to be a small part of the legacy in that room. I’ll be joined by James Rohr on keys, and you basically won’t find a better time on a Sunday night within a 50 mile radius, guaranteed.
Fri Oct 24 - Passim, Cambridge MA - 8 pm
My musica home and epicenter of my creative community, nights on this stage are never anything less than magical. Full stop. But having Elizabeth & The Catapult opening the show will somehow elevate the magic quotient even higher. She is one of my favorite writers and singers, period. Expect collaborations! Tickets go on sale to the general public on 8/14.
A WORD ABOUT PATREON
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
One of my hopes for 2025 is to double my number of Patreon subscribers.
I know we can do it!
The best way to sustainably support my creative output is by getting a subscription to my Patreon. As you're thinking about what you want to support in the coming show, I'd be honored if you made my music one of those things. For as little as $5/month ($60/year), you can help me do things like release new songs, make new albums, and tour consistently. In return, you get early access to all new music, and starting in 2025, invites to quarterly virtual community events.
peace,
mark
Watch Mark’s performance from the 2019 Americanafest at the Ryman Auditorium!
You can check out a special episode of Austin City Limits featuring highlights from this year's Americanafest (like yours truly performing with Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, J.S. Ondara & Shawn Colvin) on PBS starting this Saturday at 10 pm CT! Check out this teaser video & go to http://acltv.com/watch/tv-schedule/ & click on "check your local PBS listings" to find out exactly when it will air in your market.
