News & Updates
APRIL 2025 NEWSLETTER
THE INVITATION
The moment I saw Bri Gately’s photograph, I instantly knew it would be the cover of my first concert recording, Live In Rockport: Mark Erelli + His String String Quintet, out this month on April 16th. Head thrown back, eyes closed, mouth opened as wide as the black void surrounding me. I can’t tell what specific song I’m singing, but I recognize this photo as the perfect visual distillation of the place I go to when I sing my songs.
Maybe it’s my background in musical theater, but closing one’s eyes is a bit of a performance no-no, often perceived as a disengagement to a private, interior space excluding the audience. But when I look at this picture, I see something very different. Each live performance is an invocation, an invitation to the essence or the core spirit of each song to move through me. I strive to open myself wholly, to be fully vulnerable and, therefore, fully alive. I’m not trying to score bravery points with this interpretation. I’m trying to “go there,” preemptively, as if to say “it’s ok, we can do this, let’s all ‘go there’ together.” In other words, when I look at the cover image, I see an invitation.
I don’t like the feeling of performing songs “at” an audience. For me, once I release a record it feels like the songs kind of seep into the air, each one a thing I can longer truly own, but also something that can be more fully shared. Performing live is a way for me to connect to the inherently positive, creative energy that each song contains, and also an opportunity for the audience to hopefully do the same. We don’t all observe the same things or feel the same way, but in practice the division between audience and performer falls away, and all we are left with are songs and witnesses.
We don’t always get there, do we? Or maybe we’re all there for a song or two only to be derailed by something, the fleeting connection indelibly broken. But man, on those nights that we all get there and stay there? Those are magical, spellbound evenings…and rarely the occasions when the tape is rolling! But one night last summer in a little town by the sea on Massachusetts’ North Shore, I feel like we all went and stayed there, together.
Anyone who has ever come to one of my shows had a small part in getting me to the point where I could pull off something like this. I offer this special document to you in gratitude, as a sort of invitation to let yourself be reminded of the power and the promise of live music.
MP3 of the MONTH
This month’s free song is a live version of 2008’s “Abraham,” a song that feels like it’s coming around again, unfortunately. It’s available for free for the month of April on my Bandcamp page. Enjoy!
TOUR DATES
LIVE IN ROCKPORT Album Release Shows!
Thu May 1 - Groton Music Hall, Groton MA - 8 pm
Fri May 2 - Great Friends Meeting House, Newport RI - 7 pm
Sat May 3 - Bass Hall, Peterborough NH - 7 pm
I’m very excited to perform 3 special shows backed by a string quintet (featuring arranger/double bassist/Barnstar! co-conspirator Zachariah Hickman) to celebrate the release of my first official concert recording Live In Rockport! These shows are shaping up to be positively exquisite, with a sumptuous string quintet backing me up in three unique and sonically-inspiring venues. I will reprise this show format when the opportunity presents, but these are the only string quintet shows on the books for now, so you know what to do!
HAVE A SPRING FLING WITH BARNSTAR!
Tue May 6 - Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA - 7 pm
Wed/Thu May 7-8 - Passim, Cambridge MA - 8 pm
Fri May 9 - Word Barn, Exeter NH - 7 pm
Speaking of my Barnstar! brother Zachariah Hickman, we’re getting the band back together for a very short run of bluegrass dates. This band is a vital and barely-containable beast…but only rarely glimpsed in public these days. Don’t blink, you’ll miss our entire spring fling tour! Treat yourself to a dose of Furious Kindness and over-the-top positivity and joy. We’re gonna throw down and leave it all on the stage.
A WORD ABOUT PATREON
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY!
One of my hopes for 2025 is to double my number of Patreon subscribers.
I know we can do it!
The best way to sustainably support my creative output is by getting a subscription to my Patreon. As you're thinking about what you want to support in the coming show, I'd be honored if you made my music one of those things. For as little as $5/month ($60/year), you can help me do things like release new songs, make new albums, and tour consistently. In return, you get early access to all new music, and starting in 2025, invites to quarterly virtual community events.
peace,
mark
Watch Mark’s performance from the 2019 Americanafest at the Ryman Auditorium!
You can check out a special episode of Austin City Limits featuring highlights from this year's Americanafest (like yours truly performing with Lori McKenna, Josh Ritter, J.S. Ondara & Shawn Colvin) on PBS starting this Saturday at 10 pm CT! Check out this teaser video & go to http://acltv.com/watch/tv-schedule/ & click on "check your local PBS listings" to find out exactly when it will air in your market.
