News & Updates
SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
GOOD FRIENDS
This month is very unique in that I’ll primarily be exploring a couple of different duo performance formats, each with a songwriter with whom I share a deep, long, and supportive friendship. Being a singer/songwriter is often a solitary endeavor, and there are many times when I am grateful for the literal independence that allows both a maximum of musical flexibility and a minimum of negotiation. But no man is an island, and the longer I do this the more I cherish the long arc of relationships that rejuvenate and support me, musically and otherwise.
Dinty Child and I have long shared many mutual friends, but back in 2014 I was more familiar with (and a fan of) the music than the man. When I got the invite to a multi-artist songwriting retreat at the AMC camp where Dinty’s family members have been caretakers for generations, I jumped at the chance to collaborate with him. When we first sat down together, Dinty said he’d always wanted to write “a song about the janitor at the Sistine Chapel,” and he suspected that I was just the man for the job. That first co-write lasted eight and a half hours, resulting in “Look Up,” and we haven’t looked back since. Dinty, who has about 20 years on me, is the guy I want to be when I grow up. His loyalty, friendship, and deep love of family and community has been a real inspiration for the past 11 years and counting. It’s those shared values that will drive these duo performances of our jointly written works in the early half of September (see dates below).
September’s other musical duo draws on a more brotherly/sisterly relationship, with an artist I’ve loved and respected for just about 30 years. Lori McKenna and I came up together through the ranks of the open mics and songwriters-in-the-round shows, and I’ve been an enthusiastic multi-instrumentalist in her band since 2005 or so. Like some of the dearest friendships, the actual data and stats of ours are a bit hazy, but the love is never in question. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I probably wouldn’t still be doing what I do if not for Lori. Her example as a parent, spouse, and artist has been a North Star for me, and she has supported me and my art through some times when I was very close to giving up. She’s my folk big sister, and I can’t wait to open for her and then join her for a night of acoustic duo performances.
The history, love, and mutual respect I share with Lori and Dinty can’t help but result in some pretty meaningful, transcendent moments. These kinds of songs and performances are the result of an artistic investment measured in decades, and it’s not something you can otherwise re-create or reverse engineer. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in song with compatriots like these is a real privilege and, I might add, a real antidote to the despair and malcontent I sometimes feel. And here’s the thing: that lift we share from working together? It’s contagious! The whole point of these shows is for us all to leave feeling a little more connected than we arrived. If that’s your kind of thing, I hope to see you out there at some of these shows this month.
MP3 of the MONTH
Every once in a while I’ll go back and look at the songs I’ve abandoned, just to make sure I didn’t miss something. Here’s a worktape of a song called “Old Friends” that feels appropriate for this month’s newsletter. The recording is a bit rough—my voice is struggling with too little sleep and too much campfire smoke, and you can hear me wrestling with my notebook mid-performance—but it’s the only documentation I have of this song, which I feel like sharing. It’s available for free for the month of September on my Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
TOUR DATES
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. You bring the woodchipper, I’ll bring the songs!
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
Oct 10 - The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis MO - 8 pm
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 opening and then joining Lori for 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.
