Mad Agnes
Stories & Pics From the Road
Adrienne’s Travel Diary Archive
Not this one. Ones with a date…
Back from Florida, where we each put on several pounds, thanks to folks who fed us righteously. We had a really good experience with Delta Song — I think it was the first time we’d flown direct anywhere, and I have to say they provided excellent service that was not just friendly but musician-friendly. Not only do they allow 3 checked items rather than the traditional 2, but if you’re hungry for more than pretzels you can buy lunch on the flight. We had a surprisingly excellent roasted veggie sandwich on focaccia. They also have a free video screen for every seat where you can watch movies or play trivia or whatnot. (I didn’t actually use this, but Mark could tell you about it.) Anyway, our first stop was at WMNF in Tampa, where they are just putting the finishing touches on the big, spectacular, new studio building.
I think we did the last show in the old building, but Bill Dudley gave us a tour afterwards of the new space. The new building is curvy, and painted in all those colors we love (it would fit perfectly in South Austin!) A mural on the outside of the old place.
The old studio… we had to sit on each other’s laps… but we’ve always had great fun here.
Our tour started with about a mile of CD and LP racks.
The new studios and offices are large and state of the art. One of our little monitor speakers had broken and needed to be taken apart, and Mark magically found all the tools he needed (soldering iron, wire, pliers, etc.) where the workmen were still installing things.
We found a great breakfast diner in Lake Worth, where we watched Ellen DeGeneris’s birthday show. We filmed ourselves in the wall mirror singing happy birthday to her, but alas, we were unable to find a way to download and send the video in time for her natal celebration. The food was pretty good, though.
impatiens.
Margo’s parents were kind enough to let us stay at their condo on some of our days off. Here’s the view out the back.
You can see people are still recovering from hurricaine damage in places, too.
Lots of new roofs in Florida now! We’re happy to say that we inaugurated two new songs on this trip, Margo’s Green and my Primadonna. We’ve been working on them for some time, so it’s nice to have them out of the oven! We loved our gig at Fogartyville, which sounds like a town but is really the name of a cafe in Bradenton. Here is some of the company we keep.
They have incredible food, too. I think we had the best wrap of our lives there. And the audience wasn’t bad, either.
We also stayed with our friends Pete and Laura again, and found a rail trail to walk on while in Floral City.
In case you can’t read the second picture, it’s put up by the Floral City Garden Club and says “Birdies Diner Delights, Free Bird Seed.” Now that’s a diner.
In the third week we got to spend a couple of hours in South Beach. It was falling apart a couple of decades ago, but in the 80s some enterprising (and moneyed, I imagine) people got together and restored the whole downtown into this stunning Art Deco universe. There must be a hundred hotels and restaurants, and they all look very Jetsons-like. These photos don’t do them justice at all, really.
They’re all painted these fabulous pale colors. Many of the restaurants have sidewalk seating — I mean that the sidewalk actually goes right through where people sit, so you’ve no choice but to gape and salivate over everyone’s dishes.
Stop! In the name of Love! Is it Mad Agnes’s new gig uniform?
Yeah, we wish! At least not in CT in February. And not after all those big meals. We got back effortlessly and it was in the 40s for a couple of days — and, miraculously, no shoveling was required. We’re in for another big one tomorrow, though. Margo is happy! Actually, we’re all happy — it was a good tour and we’re thankful to everyone who booked us, put us up, fed us, came to a gig, bought something there, and said hello. We lo-o-o-ove Florida.
Cheers, Adrienne forMargoMarkMe
On this, the eve of our semiannual Texas Tour, we offer a Kodak moment from our recent trip to NJ to see the marvellous vaudeville clown, Kubinek. You can see some videos and other fun things on his website. Mark got chosen among half a dozen lucky fellas to be in Kubinek’s “corps du ballet,” a sketch we can’t even begin to describe. It was an amazing show! He tours all over the world, and can occasionally be seen in the U.S. (California seems to be a favorite stop), so do try to see him if you can. He’s positively inspiring, and does incredible things with a nightshirt and a feather duster.
Meanwhile we’re looking forward to seeing our Texas fans this month. When we get back, it’ll officially be Spring, which makes us very happy — since there’s a snowstorm raging outside even as I write this. Those of you who get our newsletter know that the licensing finally came through for our DVD, so Mark is finalizing it right now. The license means that we will be able to include our Gardening Song (based on Frank Loesser’s “Inchworm, Inchworm”) and our version of Sandgate Dandling (which includes a portion of Stephen Stills’ “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”). Hooray! Big thanks to those of you who have pre-ordered, and waited patiently since before Christmas. It’ll be worth the wait, I promise!
The other news of note is that we have finally, officially, begun recording the 3rd Mad Agnes CD. No working title yet, and we’re still working up the songs, but it feels good to have started. This one will be a wee bit different from the last, and, we think, quite delicious. That’s it. I have packing to do; can’t sit around typing all day. Be well, come to a gig, bring a friend. We’ll sing and tell stories.
Cheers, Adrienne, for Me Margo & Mark
Post-Texas.
This was Gary Powell’s studio in Austin, where we played the second half of our house concert.
(No, those aren’t OUR guitars. We all counted instruments when we left.) We set up recording style, and some audience members got to sit in the recording room with us and listen through headphones… …while the rest of them sat
in this control room and looked at us through the window. This was after the first set in his “screening room” in the house. We tried hard to keep ’em awake, although everyone had their own personal recliner! (I don’t think we lost anyone.)
Another highlight of our Texas tour was the Camp Street Cafe and Store in Crockett. It’s run by Guy and Pipp Gillette, and we had the pleasure of staying at their ranch and hearing lots of their tour stories, as well as some local history.
Well, you can’t see the big fireplace or the enormous enamel coffee pot, or the cattle outside or any of the views, but here we are next morning in the cook shack. Spot the Yankees for five points!
We also played a first-time house concert in San Antonio. We always admire folks who are brave enough to host these, and Nuala brought in a great crowd! The room was lovely, too — the tree you see in the background is inside… slightly reminiscent of the plant in Little Shop of Horrors. As far as we know, though, the same number of guests left as arrived, so no one was eaten. Can you tell this is a timed shot with the camera on the coffee table, and Mark has just run up?
Then, of course, we went to Neverlandia. God bless you, K&T, for housing us, feeding us, and putting together another spectacular concert. It’s where our down time is up. If I knew how to put movies on the Road Notes you might see how absolutely ridiculous and debauched we were in our spare time (I’m talking costumes here…), but, perhaps thankfully, I can’t.
But I CAN show you the finished bungalow that Kay renovated…
It’s Little Jo! She was a plain, rundown little place before, and now she’s sparkly and beautiful. And sold! HAPPY Kay! 🙂
(This is the “shedio,” a former shed that could be used as an art studio. Can you see the little tree growing through the front of the roof? It has plenty of space to get big.
This is the front window at Neverlandia.
Volcanic rock and mosaic… and fairy lights on the trees. We arrived home without incident (boy, we’ll try never to take a connecting flight again), just in time for Spring, and played in Vermont last Thursday.
We’re recording a little bit this week, then hopping over to gigs in NY and NJ over the weekend. We’re trying to just breathe a little. Life is often so busy… I want to remember to watch the leaves as they come out, because there’s that one day when suddenly everything is in leaf and it’s all already occurred. Don’t let that happen! Give your attention to this rite of Spring. This immutable truth. This is one of the best times to be in New England. As always, we wish you well and hope to see you at a gig soon.
Cheers, Adrienne
(forMeMargoMark)
Those of you who receive our newsletter may have detected a hint of secrecy surrounding a new project. This would refer to the phrase, “secret project” towards the end of the newsletter. Well, it’s no secret really, we just wanted you to dig around and find the answers in our Road Notes! But before I tell you about it, here are some images from our recent tour to Wisconsin.
This is the Cedarburg Cultural Center, on the rainy day when we arrived. It’s a great gallery and nice room to play in. On exhibit were a couple of artists, one of whom is named Michael Santini. His themes are quite bizarre, and bright and beautifully rendered, and each piece tells a long story.
Anyway here’s the stage inside the Center.
… and it was a cool Spring in Wisconsin, so when we went to the kite festival in Milwaukee that weekend, we were almost blown out of our jackets. I’m hoping Mark will be able to put a little kite footage here somewhere, but meanwhile, here’s a buggy we almost rented:
Everybody has to pedal, but only the designated driver can actually steer. The right steering wheel is just for play.
The kites were amazing!! Just hundreds of them at once, and a big frog and a big fish and things whirling and spinning and diving… and the stunt kites were breathtaking.
Somehow I didn’t take any pictures in North Carolina, but we did play there, and it was warmer and lovely. Then we drove about thirteen hours home in one day. Do not try this if you are not a professional! However, the trip was made easier by this great book on tape called, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” by Mark Haddon and narrated by Jeff Woodman. It was one of the best we’ve ever heard and we highly recommend it. I’m sure reading the book yourself would be good, but this reader is SO excellent, you should try to find the audio book. (Incidentally, we’ve had a recent recommendation to go see The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which historically has been one of my favorite book series. But, who offered us this tip? Who could it be? Is it possible it’s connected to the… Secret Project??!)
Oh, come on, it’s not secret! You’re just playing with us!
Stop acting all coy and just tell us what it is!! Okay. It’s all about the next CD, which is underway. We’ve done some work in our own studio, but last Thursday we went to Signature Sounds in Pomfret, CT to lay down a few tracks with a certain drummer named Dave Mattacks. Present were: Mark S. and Mark Thayer
our engineer; myself (Adrienne),
aaaaaaaand… Margo,
Our hired gun, Tyler.
Mark again, and what are you wearing, Mk?
Oh, FISHPANTS!
I don’t want to embarrass Mr. M. because he might read this, but it was a very cool, very happening dream come true to work with him on these songs. I’ve only been admiring his drumming for a couple of decades. True to our tradition, we couldn’t let him get away without the smooch photo, so here it is:
The session really fired us up because it got us out of our normal recording routine. We’re newly excited about the songs. Look for more album info in the JULY newsletter. We’re looking forward to our gigs in MA and VT this coming week, and of course to playing at Kerrville on the 8th. I’m sure we’ll have more to post when we get back mid-month. Meanwhile, play nicely, because you never know who’s watching!
Cheers, Adrienne (for MeMargoMark)
Just to prove that we’ve been everywhere, here are three digital moments from the last month. The first is the 1794 Meetinghouse in New Salem, MA. It’s such a beautiful, quiet little town we wanted to move in immediately.
Then we found ourselves in Texas again, and had a wonderful few days at Kerrville, playing our set at the Threadgill stage and hanging out at the all-night campfires. Our arms got very hammy from toting guitars all over the site, and we saw a Walking Stick on the car and a huge black snake on one of the roads.
We also got to hear some very inspiring music, and you can visit Anais Mitchell’s website to see what she’s about. We came away with her album and have been playing it with rather annoying repetition ever since.
Anais was the winner of the 2003 New Folk competition.
Then we got to see our friends at Neverlandia very briefly — long enough for a dinner. They find faces everywhere. It’s one of our games to leave faces all over the house. So when my dinner arrived in almost this exact configuration, I was thrilled:
Okay, I stuck the rosemary on the top and added the eyebrows. But c’mon, the hen was just lying there, lolling about on her hemisphere of stuffing, waiting for the photo op.
Philly Thursday (with Freebo & Jim Photoglo!) and then PA and NH. Come on out if you’re in the area.
Cheers,
The Mads
Some of you may not get the newsletter on time this month. Our bulk mail software has developed a mysterious reluctance to send (existential crisis?) and we’re searching for answers. Of course our full gig schedule is always here on the website; go to the homepage and find the link in the upper right.
Cheers, Adrienne
Here are some images from our recent Michigan tour. It was slightly shorter than we planned, owing to a nasty bout of laryngitis which pretty much eradicated all of Margo’s material from the set, BUT we’re happy to report that things are mending nicely.
We played at a cute little place called Kejara’s Bridge, and impressed ourselves by fitting onto this stage:
We’d gone to Michigan in all good hope and faith, but this was the night we realized that Margo shouldn’t be singing. I had laryngitis two years ago, and it takes a long time to get over it! So we had to make some fast plans for the rest of the weekend.
It’s always good to clear your head when you have to come up with a solution. So, on the way to Boyne Falls, we stopped at one of the many self-service fruit stands and got some homegrown cherries. I didn’t know they were such a big seller in MI, but they were everywhere and just delicious. Then we stopped at Lake Michigan, which looks like the ocean except there aren’t any shells on the beach, and had a little wade.
The water was just wonderful — Mark went for a dip, and Margo and I did the toes-in-the-sand dance.
Somewhere we ended up having lunch, and paused in a shop that specialized in hats. Particularly red ones. If you need a red hat, this is definitely the place to come. There were also Harry Potter type hats, and other novelty items like these fetching spectacles, which Mark bought.
I don’t know, I think they do something special for Margo…
Aten Place was delightful. They have a big garden with a few little friends…
…which we kept mistaking for real animals. Our hosts, Bill and Maxine, put in a last minute call to Jay Webber (check him out here) and he agreed to come in and do the second half, so we’d only have to do The Adrienne Show for one set. He’s a delightful performer and a lot of fun, and he and his percussionist can really scat. This “house concert” is actually held in their beautiful, converted barn with lots of theatre seats and church pews, and all sorts of cool stuff on the walls — quilts, road signs, farm implements. We owe them a debt of gratitude for riding the changes on our behalf that weekend, and helping us come up with a happy solution for the evening.
Since our return Margo has steadily improved, and just in time for a visit from our friends from Austin (from Neverlandia, see top of this page). We had an incredible weekend — went to a AAA baseball game, hiked a bit, nosed around Northampton, saw movies, ate like pigs (see picture below) and spent a day at the CT Agricultural Fair. It’s hard to believe they’ve gone home already.
And here it is August 2nd, and Mark and Margo are already in Maine, kicking off our writing retreat. I’ll follow tomorrow and we’ll be there through the weekend, hoping to conjure some new songs for the season to come and doing some last minute arranging for the album we’re currently recording. I hear tell they’ve already had lobster. Save some for me!!
Mark’s addition to the notes is this picture he secretly took one night after I arrived. Margo and I are fine tuning some new a cappella material I arranged for the band.
One more thing: like last month, we’re having some problem with our bulk mail software, so the newsletter will be delayed. We’ve done a local mailing for the Connecticut gigs and the next one isn’t til mid-month, so you won’t miss anything. Meanwhile you can always check our full schedule here.
We hope you’re staying cool and staying cheerful.
Best, Adrienne (forMeMargoMark)
I’m sitting here thinking how amazing it is to have water, dry clothes, food, and a roof above sea level. Our hearts are with those who have been uprooted and devastated by Katrina. We know folks who have family in New Orleans, and are grateful that they’re accounted for.
It’s little enough we can do, but this month we’re donating a portion of our CD and DVD sales to AmeriCares again (as we did after the tsunami). C’mon down to the store and browse.
********
Well, we’ve had our second Maine retreat, and it was rather gloriously rainy for several days. You go up and take what it gives you, and all of it is beautiful, rain or shine. We didn’t walk much at first, and when we did, my sneakers turned into sand-suckers, and I had to take them off and shake them out every few minutes. (Note to self: GET SOME NEW SHOES.) By Thursday (the day I left) the sun had come out. We hung our towels on the back deck to dry, and Mark reshingled part of the house that had been leaking, dislodging a colony of carpenter ants in the process.
Numerous people have told us they’d like to hear more a cappella songs from us, so we’re working on some new ones. One’s an English traditional, one a contemporary Bulgarian folk song. They’re difficult. Sometimes I wonder if I’m too ambitious when I start a project, but we’ve been known to pull rabbits out of hats before, so I forge ahead. I have faith that we’ll push our borders enough to master these musical challenges! Even if there IS no place to breathe in 68 measures. Ahem. Margo has written a couple of great new songs, too, which we’re planning to put on the album, and one of the new vocal tunes might appear as well.
Beyond that, M&M have been enjoying their new screen porch at home, and I’ve been spending inordinate amounts of time painting my apartment. I have one room to go, plus the kitchen ceiling. I’m awash in color. So are my fingernails — but it doesn’t affect my playing.
Enjoy this late summer time, this beginning of transition. The transition from steamy days to cool nights, from corn to apples. No blue moons this year, or in 2006; all those things that only happen then will have to wait. Meanwhile we’re still out playing, so come see us at a gig sometime.
Cheers,
Adrienne (for the Mads)
If you receive our newsletter, you’ll have heard that we all either have read, or are reading, Rita Golden Gelman’s book, Tales of a Female Nomad. Mark and Margo got to have lunch with her recently! Here they are:
She’s led such a remarkable life, seeking out other cultures and tribes all over the world and integrating herself into these communities, finding the common human connection. A truly brave and adventurous soul with a deep love of community.
Meanwhile, work leaps on apace with our CD. We have nine songs ready for mixing now, and more in the hopper. We’re very happy with it so far! In addition to new songs by M&A, this CD will feature some great instrumental work by Mark.
While we’re mostly local for the rest of ’05, we’re gearing up for our long trips to Florida and Texas in January/February, which will include the National Folk Alliance in Austin. In preparation for visiting our Austin friends at Neverlandia, I’ve been finding faces everywhere. This is one of our favorite games at their house — and it naturally requires practice. The first one is a tree I saw on a trip to NY state with my sister; the second is an egg I’d just cracked into a bowl that would soon be cornbread.
No, the egg did not say anything. Just smiled.
It’s been a rather eventful month, radio-wise… we were on Colin McEnroe’s show in October, and a WFUV, NY appearance will be broadcast this coming Sunday; last Monday we were on WUMB in Boston to promote our North Andover gig this weekend.
The idea of a Mad Agnes songbook has also come up again, as we frequently get music requests for certain songs. Mark has a new software that would enable us to make our own sheet music, so although it would take time, it’s within our grasp. We’re mulling and strategizing.
Meanwhile it’s Fall in earnest, and soon we’ll have to start making sure our guitars come in out of the cold. I’ve already pulled the storm windows down, and gotten the down comforter out of the attic. It’s time for that cup of cocoa and Bridget Jones’s Diary again! Enjoy the changes, and remember that raking leaves is a lot cheaper than joining a gym. And if you look closely at the picture below, you’ll see the dancing man with the flame in his heart.
Cheers,
A, M & M
It’s a windy, rainy day in Connecticut, fully in keeping with the odd weather we’ve had all month. We think we’ll just pop down to Florida tomorrow and see how they’re getting on with winter — in that way that they have, all warm and sultry and so forth. We might even play a few times while we’re there.
Meanwhile we just returned from Charleston, WV, and here are a few photos from that trip.
We arrived Friday night after a twelve-hour drive, and checked into the beautiful Embassy Suites Hotel. This was the view from outside my room door:
There were perhaps ten floors, all facing an inner courtyard, and Iheard Mark call down from the seventh floor as I was passing the elevators. Can you see him?
The whole ceiling here is a skylight.
A walk through the local mall showed us that we were famous in Charleston for a week:
We got the cover story on the local arts insert, and a very nice writeup inside. This was the photo I think the Montessori kids were referring to when they asked why we look older than our picture. That’s why I’ve made this photo really small.
Meanwhile, here’s Margo warming up at the Clay Center:
It was a beautiful space, and very crowded! The Clay Center also has an 1800 seat theatre, a museum, a planetarium, an educational complex, and much more. It’s an amazing cultural focal point.
Sunday we were at the Kanawha Unity Church, which is a cute little building in what almost looks like a beach town.
This is the window from inside. It was just before Martin Luther King day, and we got to hear some of his speech on an Mp3 player the speaker had brought in. It was quite moving.
Monday we were at the Montessori School, singing and having fun with several groups of kids. Afterwards we drove the 12 hours home, so we’d have a whole two days to turn around before heading to Florida. Thanks, Ron Sowell, for orchestrating the grand weekend for us. West Virginia is beautiful, with its wooded hills and curvy highways. I always remember the cedars, which are so prevalent there.
I hardly dare say it, but if there must be storms, let them come while we’re in Florida! I won’t have to move my car for the plow, then… although if we return to snow, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had to shovel Mark and Margo’s driveway out before we can get into the house (and get my car out of the garage!)
Happy travels, everyone.