Marc Gunn and a group of intrepid travelers have arrived in Tuscany. They are ensconced in a luxury villa overlooking vineyards and Lombardy cedars. Can't wait to hear more! In the meantime, back here in Louisiana, this is Jamie Haeuser, Marc's booking agent. I'll be conveying some news of the Invasion as it progresses, and sharing some news and perspectives on some of the great work Marc has been doing lately.

SUMMER TOURS

See the gig schedule below for details – Marc's schedule for this summer (I think he just wanted to get out of New Orleans in the summertime) takes him to the Midwest in June, the Mid-Atlantic states in July and the New York/New England area in August. I've got a number of things cooking but am always happy to hear from you all about venues. Just send a note to booking@marcgunn.com and we'll see what we can do. And don't forget – everyone whose suggestion results in a booking gets a free “Marc Gunn Summer Tour 2009” T-shirt!

HOUSE CONCERTS

My favorite venue to hear Marc play is a house concert. It's a national phenomenon that is bringing great independent music to the most intimate and comfortable of settings. I've done a bunch, and hope I can talk some of you in the tour areas to consider doing one. Lots of fun! Again, drop us a note at booking@marcgunn.com and we'll handle the rest.

NEW MUSIC

Just you WAIT! I've gotten to hear some of what Marc Gunn's been working on and I can't tell you how excited I am. “Happy Songs of Death” is going to be brilliant! I wasn't sure at first but I am completely sold – and you get to pick from two different CD covers.

See the posting below to pre-order. And even MORE great stuff coming later in the summer!

Song of the Week: In honor of travel and cats – “Roll the Cat Chariot Along” from Live at the Cactus Cafe: Cat Songs and Celtic Music

-Quote of the Week:  “The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo” – Mark Twain

-CD of the Week: “Bootleg Six-Pack” by the Mammals – great live folk music from Ruthie and Mike. We saw them play at Jazz Fest in New Orleans this year with Pete Seeger – fabulous stuff!

-Book of the Week: “The Enchantress of Florence” by Salmen Rushdie – here's what the Amazon review had to say – “Trying to describe a Salman Rushdie novel is like trying to describe music to someone who has never heard it–you can fumble with a plot summary but you won't be able to convey the wonder of his dazzling prose or the imaginative complexity of his vision. At its heart, The Enchantress of Florence is about the power of story–whether it is the imagined life of a Mughal queen, or the devastating secret held by a silver-tongued Florentine. “

— UPCOMING GIGS. Don't forget to make a demand to see Marc perform. 

5.7 (COVINGTON, LA) St. John's Coffeehouse
7.8 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Neutral Ground Coffeehouse
5.13-22 (TUSCANY, ITALY) Celtic Invasion of Italy
6.5-6 (ARLINGTON, TX) Texas Scottish Festival
5.12 (COVINGTON, LA) St. John's Coffeehouse
6.21 (AUSTIN, TX) Fiddler's Hearth
6.26 (CEDAR RAPIDS, IA) House Concert – Laura Cummings
6.27 (ELMHURST, IL) Benefit Concert for Feral Fixers

8.28 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Bacchanal Wine Bar
11.7-12.13 (ROBERT, LA) Louisiana Renaissance Festival
1.16.10 (NEW ORLEANS, LA) Concert with Jed Marum

— Check Marc out on Sunset Connoisseurs Society, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, SoundClick,Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, Livejournal, Sonicbids, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD…

More from Marc and the Invasion next week. In the meantime, sit back, pour a tall glass of something cold, put “Heart's Ease” on and relax!

Love and respect from Jamie

— Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.

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Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.