A splendid time was had by all at Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California 3.23.14 when Tim & Nicki Bluhm invited about two dozen or more (see photo below) of their closest musical friends and family to get together and play a benefit for their injured cat, Robbie… and for the ASPCA.
The stage was filled all evening with mind-boggling singing, songwriting and musicianship as well as a very real sense of community and mutual respect among all present. I only wish there was a quality recording so we could all enjoy some of those magical moments a second time.
Thanks for including me in such a special night you two… 😉
group photo from TXR, 3.23.14
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earth to you…
Many thanks to Jeff Miller and the New Monsoon guys for asking me to join them at the San Francisco civic center on 4.19.14 to celebrate Earth Day with them. We had a great time playing each other’s songs and it was also cool checking them out with my pals Dan “Lebo” Lebowitcz and Sunshine Garcia-Becker.
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water, water everywhere & not a drop to drink…
420 weekend was a good one for me this year. The night before I joined the New Monsoon boys for Earth Day I was tapped to sit-in with my new friends in Poor Man’s Whiskey at another of my all-time fav-o-rite venues, the Great American Music Hall.
I’d been hearing about these guys for quite a while, but I’d never heard their music or met them until that day…
What a treat. They’re super nice guys, I really enjoyed their rocked up bluegrass approach and their guitarist Sean and I hit it off bigtime (look for collaborations in the near future). I had a blast and hope to do it again.
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cancer sucks!!!
Most of you know I had a pretty scary run-in with throat cancer back in 2007. You folks, my friends and fans from Ratdog tour and from my years of playing, had a great deal to do with my healing and recovery and I will be forever grateful and I do what I can can to say thank you and try to give back whenever possible.
This year I had the extremely good fortune to reconnect with an old friend, Joe Pulitano, who I connected with a while back due to his own cancer experience. Joe offered to donate a generous sum of money via his company to both the Dana Farber Institute for Cancer Research and the Oral Cancer Foundation if I’d join him and his Grateful Dead tribute band, Deadbeat at a couple of shows in the Boston area.
Well, that was a no-brainer. We got together, did the shows and I was pleased and surprised when I saw the two giant checks handed out at the final of the three shows, totaling $15,000!!!!
On behalf of cancer patients and researchers everywhere, thank you Joe!
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spooky tunes…
The Ghosts of Electricty have risen once again. For the first time in nearly a year we got together for a show at the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol, California. We had a blast (we always do) and are working on adding a few more dates coming up…
Ghosts of Electricity – Hopmonk Tavern 3.30.12 Masters of War
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studio fun…
As summer progresses I am being bitten by the recording studio bug as well. My partners and I are pulling our new recording space together and I will be beginning work on my next solo record as well as beginning to produce a few bands… starting with my dear friend and co-writer Deb Grabien’s band, the Sound Field.
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Did you know…
MK’s solo studio album, Walk Through the Fire, was recorded over the course of four years, at six studios by eight engineers, and features 25 musicians?
Let’s Get Social
SUMMER SOULSTICE EVENT
with MARK KARAN
& special guests
I’m looking forward to the upcoming summer soulstice show on 6.21.14 at good ol’ Sweetwater Music Hall.
It should be a super fun nite, starting with a rare acoustic show, chock full o’ summer tunes and very special guests… including Sunshine Garcia-Becker (Furthur, Sovoso) & my old pals from Bob Weir & Ratdog, Jay Lane & Robin Sylvester… followed by a fully electrified stroll thru our special brand of psychedelic soul & americana.
In 2011 Mark Karan’s Buds made our debut appearance at one of my all-time fav-o-rite events, the Fairfax Festival in my hometown of Fairfax, California. This is always a wonderful time with a warm family vibe, great music, food, art & a grand opportunity to frolic in the sun…
We’re really looking forward to returning this year and will hit the stage Saturday, June 14th at 3:00PM… it’s free. it’s fun. come out come out wherever you are…
I will be heading east again this July to join his east coast “Buds” Mookie Siegel (Ratdog, David Nelson Band), Joe Chirco and Klyph Black (Zen Tricksters) for our first run through the northeast in 2014…
I’ll be sitting in at the Bears Picnic in Liberty, PA with my pals the New Riders of the Purple Sage & Stir Fried on Saturday 7.18.14 and will be appearing at the picnic Sunday, 7.19.14 with the Buds.
Mark Karan’s Buds will also do a show in Baltimore, MD at the 8×10 with our new pal Cris Jacobs (the Bridge). I’ve always had a great time playing this venue and jammed with Cris’ band last time I was there… loads o’ fun. This should be a great show.
Finishing up our eastern sojourn, we’ll be playing two, count ’em – TWO – small, east coast family summer festivals…
7.26.14 we’ll be at Jammin’ For the Animals, a benefit for the Humane Society of Berks County. This is being put on by some very kind folks and promises to offer a lot of good music and great vibes…
The second festival, wrapping up our run through the east, will be the Honeyhole Hoedown in Drums, PA. This is the third Hoedown and should be an awesome event as well.
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blue rose ball…
This summer has been an AMAZING time to spread the word and offer whatever help and support I can to people going through cancer treatments and to those doing the research to find a cure for this all too prevelant disease.
In addition to the events separately mentioned in the sidebar, I’ll be participating 6.14.14 in a very cool event in Sonoma at the venerable old Sebastiani theater. The event is called the Blue Rose Ball and is being put on in memory of a wonderful man, Mr. Joe Capone, who lost his battle with cancer this year… as well as to benefit the Old Adobe School.
Music will be provided by Steve Forbert, Jason Crosby, Tim Gorman, Josh Joplin, Kelly Fitzgerald, Lorenzo Wolff, myself and a great dead cover project from the east coast called “Dead On” being fronted by Marc Muller.
Last, but certainly not least, I will continue to get out and around the country with Melvin Seals & Doug Hagman in Terrapin Flyer. I’ve been doing a fair amount of shows with this band over the past year or so and we’ve had a lot of fun. Melvin’s always a joy and this is one of the few purely Grateful Dead oriented projects I’m currently involved with. Please check out the website for dates and come out to see us play…
