Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who showed up in real life (IRL) to our show in North Beach this past Saturday! 

We dedicated a Marcia Ball tune (Get You a Woman) for International Women's Day. We had fun, and everyone seemed to have a good time.

And a thanks to my bandmates in Mari Mack & Livin' Like Kings: Arne Frager, Dave Powell. Richard Wood, and Martin Cunningham.

We will be back at The Saloon every Second Saturday from 4 - 8 pm until further notice, so save those dates!  

East Bay friends, please join us at Lucca's in Benicia on Friday, April 4th. Downbeat is 6:30 pm.

Speaking of Lucca's, Dave Powell released a

single back in November, so we are hoping he will sing it on that gig. Give it a listen and some support!

If you are not able to be with us IRL yet, thanks for listening and subscribing on Spotify or Apple Music wherever you listen.

Apologies if my music being listed as Mari Mack for some songs and Mari Mack & Livin' Like Kings for some others is confusing. It's a long story, and suffice it to say, I'm still doing that inner work we all need to do at some point.

In the meantime, hang in there. If you are feeling anxious about current events, read this for some historical perspective.

Stay active, even if it is just taking a walk in your neighborhood and calling your elected representatives. 

Be kind to yourself. 

Speak truth. 

Ox,

Mari 

Bandcamp Friday!!

Hey Everybody, 

Bandcamp Fridays are back! 

So, if you are feeling generous today, please visit some bandcamp pages and support independent music makers in the monetary fashion. 

This is not just our joy, it's our job! 

At least that's how it is for some of us - we don't make music to make money, we make money so we can make more music!  Humans have to eat, after all!

I can't quit this thing just yet. It's what I do best. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Saturday, March 8th

link to fb event

Back to the Blues

Hey Everybody, 

Music first: we learned some new tunes and tightened up some old favorites!  

If you can make it to our gig on Saturday, March 8th from 4 - 8 at The Saloon, please say hello. 

As for everything else going on in the world, hope you all are doing something to ease the stress of current events. 

Kudos to all citizens, from Vermont to Point Reyes,  expressing our First Amendment rights. 

Please, when you read or watch the news, make sure you consult more than one source. I'm already seeing some new big lies circulating on social media. Memes are meant to sow division. Please do not use them as a base for truth. 

Since it's so challenging to figure out what is truth and what is fiction these days, it's important to support true journalism. 

That's all for now. Sending love. 

Ox, 

Mari 

Channeling Anger Into Action

I don't understand the cruelty and the stupidity. 

These DOGE tech bros are dismantling departments, firing people who are simply  doing their jobs, all the while bragging that they are cutting government waste. Instead, they are messing things up because they have no clue what they are doing. 

You've heard the term "Haste makes waste," haven't you? 

For example, our National Parks - do you have any idea how much money Yosemite makes for our country? In addition to being beautiful and a great source of pride, it's a very profitable endeavor, attracting people all over the world -- people who spend money in the surrounding communities, creating jobs and supporting small businesses. If you don't think so, please do some research.

This isn't about left or right, Republican or Democrat - we are talking about what is good or bad, common sense and nonsense at this point. 

Do you want to see our National Parks drilled for oil and mined for minerals? I don't.

Please call your representatives and tell them to put the brakes on this madness. Look, I understand the frustration about how slowly government moves and I want to see more transparency, but what is happening - this "move fast and break things" hostile corporate takeover tech bro BS is NOT how it's done. 

Thanks, and take care.

Best, 

Mari 

p.s. I think I have finally kicked this bug, which I would not have been able to do had I not taken time to rest. 

Roberta Flack

Posting in tribute to Roberta Flack's artistry. She passed away today.

This song brings back some precious memories -- of my mother dancing between the kitchen and the back door, that old GE radio playing from the shelf above the washing machine...

I'm so grateful to have that memory. 

Sending love and light to you.

Ox, 

Mari 

Music As Medicine

Today would have been my brother's 68th birthday, but as you may already know, we lost him at the age of 22, 46 years ago. Not a day goes by that he is not missed. 

I share this song, "My Brother's Smile" in his remembrance. It's track #9.

https://marimack.bandcamp.com/album/cant-go-back

Ox,

Mari 

Don't Give Up...

It's been an interesting week.

Doing my best to stay hopeful, stay healthy and get ready for March 8th, our next gig at The Saloon.  4 - 8 pm.

I received an unexpected phone call from my nephew yesterday, who called to tell me that he listened to our latest album and thought it sounded really good! He seemed surprised. 

I had to chuckle at that one. 

Humans can be so wrapped up in our own lives that we miss a lot of what is happening all around us, and sometimes we can be so distracted by everything that is going on all around us, we fail to be truly present in our own lives.

The challenge is to be aware what is happening around us enough so that we are not blindsided when change comes knocking at our front door. Of course, the unexpected happens on occasion- so we have to learn to adapt and prioritize.

We need to help each other. 

Remember - a heart filled with love has no room for hate, and the opposite is also true. 

That's all I have to share at this moment. 

I wish you peace, love in your heart, and safe travels. 

Ox, 

Mari