Hello friends – Marian here – I’m spending the whole winter in Juneau for the first time. It’s amazing to be in the place where I live for weeks on end! I’m writing and recording new music, doing some local theater, playing concerts online, and starting a new all ages Open Mic at the Rookery. I’d love to see you there!
Mountainside Open Mic & Art Night
Karaaaooooookeeeeee!
It takes a little love and harmony…
On April 21st, Marian presents a ridiculous live concert fundraiser event. It’s the ultimate request show: the Karaoke Jukebox Challenge. YOU choose the songs Marian sings, whether she knows them or not! Update: the show is now finished and bids are closed, but you are still welcome to contribute to the spring fundraiser with a donation through ConcertWindow, Patreon, or Paypal.
Watch live online at https://www.concertwindow.com/mariancall on April 21st!
Fans have submitted 42 songs for your consideration, and Marian will sing the top 12-15 contenders. Bid on your favorites at https://paypal.me/mariancall by donating and mentioning the song title/s in the comments.
…………. Post-Show Update: these were the finalists for spring 2018!
- “Crazy on You” by Heart
- “Heroes” by David Bowie
- “Come Sail Away” by Styx
- “Summertime” by George Gershwin & DuBose Heyward
- “Linger” by The Cranberries
- “So Long, Marianne” by Leonard Cohen
- “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
- “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night
- “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General” by Gilbert & Sullivan
- “The Bard’s Song” by Blind Guardian
- “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas
- “That’s Not My Name” by the Ting Tings
- “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
- “Red Dwarf Theme” by Howard Goodall
- “The Ballad of Serenity” by Sonny Rhodes
- “You Don’t Own Me” by Leslie Gore
How does this show work? Fans proposed songs for the Karaoke Jukebox Challenge. Bid on any listed song by donating at https://paypal.me/mariancall (any number of times, in any increment, and you can divide a single payment among multiple songs). On April 21st at 2pm PDT/5pm EDT the concert will begin, and the songs will be performed in order of their popularity – which can change during the show!
To bid and boost a song up the list, just visit Paypal.me/MarianCall, choose an amount that works for you, and include the song title in the comment field.
If you don’t want to use Paypal, you can tip directly at ConcertWindow.com and we will get in touch in the chat or email to clarify which songs you are bidding on. Questions? Read the fine print below.
The Fine Print
- Submit songs you want to hear at this Google form: https://goo.gl/forms/418peLidzJtUHjPz2. Once songs are approved they will appear on the master list above. You can bid on songs here anytime with donations through Paypal or ConcertWindow.
- Songs must be submitted by midnight on APRIL 19TH. Submit multiple songs if you want! But that will spread the votes thin, so think about what would actually be fun to see Marian perform.
- You may bid on as many songs as you like as often as you like by sending a tip to Paypal.me/MarianCall and specifying the song title/s in the comments, or by tipping at ConcertWindow. Feel free to rally friends and other fans to your song’s cause, on social media or in the concert chat.
- Marian will perform a short acoustic set on Concertwindow while the last few bids come in, then she will perform from the karaoke song list for about an hour (or more, as long as she can). She will sing songs in the order of popularity **which may change throughout the show as people bid.** Songs will be crossed out on the list after they are performed.
- This is a special live event — the archived concert will only be available to Donors’ Circle members.
- It’s an all ages show so Marian may spontaneously bleep or rewrite or mess up words.
- Marian does not know a lot of these songs, so you will be getting a lot of made up and improvised melodies.
- We reserve the right to not approve any particular fan-submitted song, sorry.
- If you plan to watch the show on a mobile device/tablet, note that it will be hard to participate in the bidding or the ConcertWindow chat during the show. **Bid ahead of time** on your favorite song(s) here and follow the discussion on Twitter at #LoveandHarmony.
On the Song “Standing Stones”
The long-awaited studio album Standing Stones has arrived, thanks to massive fan support from Kickstarter. Find it on Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, Youtube, and wherever you enjoy music.
I wrote “Standing Stones” about the human need to scratch our symbols on the world.
When I was in school, I covered all my textbooks in brown paper bags and duct tape so I’d have a blank canvas for scribbling. Song lyrics in every corner, notes in every direction, doodles dividing and transecting every word.
Two New Songs
Latest Originals and Cover Songs
Fan favorites like “The Liberal Arts Degree Waltz,” “Space Weird Thing” with Molly Lewis, and “The Elements, Expanded” by Mike Selinker are now available on the collection Fun Singles in Your Area.
A bevy of new cover songs are loosed upon the world with Marian Call Sings the Classics, vol. II, including fan-requested covers of They Might Be Giants, the Muppets, Monty Python, Schoolhouse Rock, and Joni Mitchell, among many others. An intimate jazz combo setting of “Pure Imagination” joined the cover song lineup in December 2017.
SDCC 2016 Highlights
Highlights from San Diego Comic-Con
Marian shares: Comic-Con was wild and wonderful again this year – and beyond all the hype, it’s still brimming with the energy of artists and creative minds all there to play. This year I got to present my own variety show with all the things I like in it: songs by Seth Boyer, comedy by Joseph Scrimshaw, staged radio drama by Josh A. Cagan & Kayla Cagan, unintentionally hilarious history by David Malki, tragic fiction and hilarious space harmony jingles with Nicole Dieker. To top it all off we had an interview with two of my favorite Martians, Kim Maxwell and Scott Maxwell, who have sent a little robot to a faraway planet for adventures.
For me the cherry on top was appearing as a guest at w00tstock 8.0, a night of fun and cleverness and madness. I love w00tstock because I never know whether I’ll wind up singing the Elements with Mike Selinker – or “Shake it Off” with Wil Wheaton – or sea shanties with Paul and Storm – or jazz standards accompanied on sousaphone by David Silverman.
But I’m up for anything. And Comic-Con always stretches what I mean when I say ‘anything.’
Space Time 2016!
S P A C E T I M E !
The incomparable variety show SPACE TIME! returns to San Diego this July. Tickets available now!
Songwriter Marian Call hosts her 6th annual showcase of science and art in San Diego during SDCC. This year’s guests include:
- Historical comic artist & man-about-the-internet David Malki ! of Wondermark!
- Comedian and writer Joseph Scrimshaw!
- Songwriter Seth Boyer, with new original songs about space and time!
- Writers Kayla Cagan and Josh A. Cagan!
- Author (and financial advisor to the internet) Nicole Dieker!
- A discussion of life on Mars by emeritus Mars rover driver Scott Maxwell and Mars rover instrument technician Kim Maxwell!
Come ready to sing and learn and laugh with friends old and new.
$12 online tickets are available until 5PM PST on the evening of the event. If the show has not reached full capacity, the remaining tickets will be available at the door for $15. Seating for food and drinks begins at 6:30pm ($10 minimum per person). Learn more about the venue at http://98bottlessd.com/.
No SDCC pass is required, and locals encouraged to attend! The event is in Little Italy, away from most traffic and parking woes associated with the con. Easy public transit available via light rail (use the Middletown or Little Italy stops) and by bus (take the 83, 280, or 290).
Get tickets in advance, in the past this show has sold out!
Summer Shows in Texas
Texas & Tacos
Marian Call returns this summer to Austin, Houston and the Dallas/Fort Worth area, touring with guitarist and songwriter Seth Boyer:
- House Concert in Round Rock (near Austin) // June 24th, 8pm, BYOB
- House Concert in Houston // June 25th, 8pm, BYOB
- Roll2Play Games in Coppell, TX (DFW) // June 26th, 3pm, BYOB
More details and RSVP info here!
Juneau Concerts with Seth & Molly
…with a little help from my friends
I’m playing a few shows in Juneau, AK with my friends Molly Lewis and Seth Boyer. And one of them will be streaming live online – so join us from anywhere in the world!
- Thursday April 21 – Tiny Post Office Concert at Kindred Post, 7pm
- Friday April 22 – Alaska Robotics Mini-Con Kickoff at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library, 6pm, free
- Saturday April 23 – ***Online Concert at ConcertWindow.com,*** RSVP and tune in from everywhere! Noon in Alaska, 1pm PDT, 4pm EDT, 9pm GMT, 10pm CET.
- Saturday April 23 – Mini-Con Ukulele Jam & Mini-Concert at the JACC Gallery, featuring FySH with an opening set. Uke jam at 3pm, Concert 3:45pm.
The Great 2016 UK Mixtape
Hello, friends on the British Isles —
I am on a fantastic spring tour, currently enjoying green fields full of sheep on a bumpy train. I’ll be playing Bath, Birmingham, Manchester, London, and Cambridge this week.
I brought tons of CD’s from across the ocean for you, they were so very heavy getting on and off of trains, but they have nearly all been bought over on the continent!!! And I’d hate to have you miss out on a signed CD from far far away…
SO I MADE YOU A MIXTAPE
OF MY SONGS
FOR YOUUUU
I have been making mixtapes for my friends since I could illegally record songs off the radio as a kid. And this mixtape is not even illegal because it’s all songs I wrote & own and stuff! If you pick up the UK Mixtape at a show, here is the track list and links to credits:
- “Whistle While You Wait” from Something Fierce, guitars by Scott Barkan and Jordan Shindle, cello by Ellen Kilcup
- “Elementary” from Sketchbook, guitar by Seth Boyer
- “Dear Mister Darcy” from Something Fierce, lengthy credits at the album link
- “Paper and Pen” from Sketchbook, guitar by Seth Boyer
- “Good Morning Moon” from Something Fierce, lengthy credits at the album link
- “I’ll Still Be a Geek After Nobody Thinks It’s Chic (The Nerd Anthem)” from Live in Europe, Scott Barkan on guitar
- “The Liberal Arts Degree Waltz” from Fun Singles in Your Area, Paul Pew on piano
- “I Hope My Discipline Improves in Time” from Sketchbook, guitar by Scott Barkan
- “Dark Dark Eyes” from Live in Europe, Scott Barkan on guitar
- “The Avocado Song” from Something Fierce, guitar by Scott Barkan, harmonica by David George Gordon
- “Temporal Dominoes” from Something Fierce, lengthy credits at the album link
- “Hope” from Sketchbook, guitar by Seth Boyer
You can hear lots more music, including the albums that contain these songs, at the best little indie music website in the world Bandcamp.com. I’m at http://mariancall.bandcamp.com. You can find Scott Barkan’s original music at https://scottbarkan.bandcamp.com.
Enjoy this mixtape and feel free to rip it, burn it, spread it around — and if you like it, tip us, get on the mailing list, or buy another album!
