Valentine's Day has always felt a bit like a setup, a lot of pressure whether one is in or out of a relationship. So I was delighted when songwriter Ira Marlowe put together a night of sad songs by other local troubadours to commemorate this pseudo holiday now associated with romantic love. Plus it's a benefit for Bay Area suicide prevention efforts.
Come take a listen. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you may or may not eat too much chocolate...and you're always welcome to bring flowers:
HEARTBREAK HELL @ The Monkey House,
February 14, 2014 7pm Berkeley, CA
with music by Ari Fellows-Mannion, Donna Lou Stevens, Jhene Canody, Kwame Copeland, Deborah Crooks, Monica Pasqual, Caylia Chaiken, Paul Griffiths, Ira Marlowe, Dawn Oberg and Mokai.
Mario of course, was a guitar player long before he became a guitar maker, and he'll put aside his luthier orders Friday, September 5, to perform at the CD release for his band The Secret Identities at the Starry Plough. More good music — The Secret Identities are sharing the bill with Shelley Doty X-tet (Shelley's a great guitarist & gifted performer) — and another chance to see Desio guitars in action. 
After a wonderful couple weeks of holiday rest and celebrations, I'm getting ready for a run of dates in the Pacific Northwest and San Francisco. Here's my route: 
