(Joe McSorley - Producer/Engineer)
The Junior's Cave Interview
New Songs Premering Everywhere
Final Shows/Last Days Of "Tell Tony What To Play" Contest
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November 16, 2011
THE JUNIOR'S CAVE INTERVIEW
Tony has recently been interviewed by The Salisbury Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland), Junior's Cave (Brunswick, Georgia) and Underneath Magazine. Last month we featured an interview with The Salisbury Daily Times anticipating Tony and the Bands two performances in that area. This month we spotlight Tony's interview for Junior's Cave Online Magazine. Isaac Davis Jr gets deep into Tony's head for his opinion on the plight of the independent musician, and the one thing he would do to change the music business. You can visit our PRESS PAGE, or you can just CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW.
NEW SONGS PREMIERING EVERYWHERE
You may have noticed several new song titles in the recent set lists. While "The World Is..." debuted November 2010 at THE 2ND STREET IRISH SOCIETY, and "Truth Or Fiction" and "The Farmer" first appeared at VAN BLUNK'S in May 2011, "Lonely Lisa" and "I Ain't That Stupid, Anymore" were recently introduced at the GREEN TURTLE (Salisbury, MD) on 11/5/11 and "I Am She" (a new one written for Steph) quickly followed in both sets at BIRDIE'S CAFE (Westminster, MD) on 11/12/11. The talk of a new album is more frequent these days, with other candidates for the new project (so I'm told) being the yet to be christened "Two Trees" - "Annie Goes Home" - "Margaret" - "Fall-Fade-Forget" - "My Girlfriend Lied" - "The Fun House" and several others currently in the works. Stay tuned!
CONTEST ENDING 11/30/11 - FINAL 2011 SHOW @ COOKIES
Time is running out to suggest a cover song for Tony & The Gypsys to perform. Don't miss your chance to win all four of Tony's CD's plus the "Pre-Fun Fan Appreciation Utility Disc" by suggesting the winning song, or being selected via a drawing of all the contest participants - CLICK HERE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION - The drawing will take place at the Gypsys final show of the year at COOKIES on December 3rd - Many gifts and surprises are planned to commemorate Tony's most successful year, and we'd love for all our friends to help us celebrate.
Until next month, always remember we love you - Annie Helicopter
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The Salisbury Daily Times Interview/Article
New Contest - Tell Tony What To Play
Final Shows Of 2011
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October 15, 2011
THE SALISBURY DAILY TIMES INTERVIEW
Tony has recently been interviewed by The Salisbury Times (Salisbury, Maryland), Junior's Cave (Brunswick, Georgia) and Underneath Magazine (Parts Unknown). We'll be featuring these interviews/articles over the next two months starting with the Salisbury Daily Times in this edition. In anticipation of Tony & The Heavy MeNtal Gypsys Salisbury visits to Common Grounds and The Green Turtle on September 17th and November 5th respectively, writer Josh Davis asks Tony about his beginnings, his singing voice and the cast of "misfits" that usually populate his songs. Both the article and the entire interview appear on our PRESS PAGE, or you can just CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW.
NEW CONTEST...
YOU TELL TONY WHAT TO PLAY!
Tony and the band are looking for a few new "cover songs" - That'd be songs by other artists - Put on your thinking caps and suggest one or two songs that you think The Gypsys would really do well. Whoever responds will be entered into a drawing with the winner getting all four of Tony's CD's plus the "Fan Appreciation Utility Disc" which features live material, interviews and our most requested songs that we never play live. Oh, and if you suggest a song that The Gypsys perform, you'll also be receiving the above mentioned booty. You've got until Midnight, Halloween. This contest is the brainchild of our good friend Ken McCoy who suggested "Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet and "No Sugar Tonight" by The Guess Who - Good luck Ken! CLICK HERE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION!
THE FINAL LIVE SHOWS OF 2011
Sadly, "The 2011 Smiling Goat Tour" is coming to an end. This year has really been an adventure for Tony & The Gypsys having played a total of 24 shows that covered 5 states and some pretty prestigious venues. With November shows in Salisbury and Westminster, Maryland and Dunellen, North Jersey, Tony and the gang will return to wrap things up on December 3rd in their hometown and favorite bar, COOKIES! There will be plenty of surprises, free giveaways and shenanigans, so mark you calendar right now. You don't want to miss this show!
Until next month, always remember we love you - Annie Helicopter
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The Jim Santora Show Interview/Radio Crystal Blue
All CD & Download Prices Slashed!
Tin Angel Live Recap
The Archival Recording Project - Habits, Mecca & More
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September 15, 2011
THE JIM SANTORA SHOWA Podcast out of Hammonton, NJ that has been going strong since 2007 - In ROCKCAST #4, Tony is one of three artist interviewed by host Jim Santora - Jim and Tony discuss several topics including Tony's musical style and the thematic writing process employed on the FUN album/CD - There are also a couple of songs mixed in for good measure - Tony's segment runs from 43:48 to 1:21:20 (about 38 minutes) at our MULTIMEDIA PAGE.
RADIO CRYSTAL BLUE
Also, over on the MULTIMEDIA PAGE is a new podcast from Radio Crystal Blue. Coming out of Philly, host Dan Herman does a great job of re-creating the old FM radio vibe by serving an eclectic set of great music, both new and old, with a warm low keyed delivery. Dan plays "Sweet Sunshine" and chats about Tony and the band.
CD & DOWNLOAD PRICES SLASHED!To make it a bit easier to buy our music we've decided to cut the prices on all of our CD's and downloads. FUN and HELLO, GOODBYE & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN are now only $10 each. PRINCES OF THE NEW DARK AGE and PURPLE MONKEYS are now only $8 each. There's also discounts for multiple purchases of each CD, and if you ask for the "Gypsy Discount" when you order, we'll give you these specially discounted packages: MONKEYS & PRINCES for $12 / MONKEYS, PRINCES & HELLO for $20 / MONKEYS, PRINCES, HELLO & FUN for $26 - CD's can be purchased at OUR STORE - CD's and/or Downloads can be purchased at the equally wonderful CDBABY.COM which is accessible via OUR STORE
TIN ANGEL RECAPThis show took place on Friday night August 26th. Opening for our good friends EVER/AFTER, and it couldn't have a much better experience. The sound was excellent, the crowd was incredibly receptive (we made several new friends) and both bands played with great energy. I hope we can do it again sometime so more of our friends get the chance to experience the magical vibe that oozes out of every crevice of that wonderful venue. The next day we we're scheduled to travel to Salisbury Maryland to play THE GREEN TURTLE, but Hurricane Irene put a prompt end to that show. Warnings against day trips through Delaware and a "state of emergency" hanging over Maryland sealed the deal so we stayed in Philly, cleaned out the studio and awaited further orders. THE GREEN TURTLE show has been rescheduled for November 5, 2011 - VIEW ALL LIVE SHOWS HERE!
THE ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS PROJECTThis upcoming CD release will feature most of Tony's recorded output prior to the Purple Monkeys era (2003). The material included will be an equal balance between HABITS, MECCA, home demos and some live material. The transferring/dumping the songs from tape into the computer (digitizing) is now underway. The MECCA "Fearless" album (with two additional songs not used on the album) and a 12 song album of acoustic material (that no one has ever heard) recorded by Tony just after the release of "Fearless" have been digitized to this point. There is still quite a bit more of these transfers and mastering that remains.
A BROTHER MOVES ON - GOODBYE T.S.
On an incredibly sad note, news came in mid August of the passing of our old band mate and dear friend Tom Stroyek. The long time drummer of all bands leading up to and including HABITS from 1979 to 1983, Tommy will always be remembered here for his smile, compassion and great friendship. Tom's drumming will be present on several songs from the aforementioned ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS PROJECT.
Tony & The Gypsys Live @ The Tin Angel
Our Wonderful World Cafe Live Concert
New Links To Lyrics, Album/Live Show Reviews & More!
Review Our CD's, Please!
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July 23, 2011
We are pleased to announce that we've been ask to lend support for our good friends Mark Evans, Jim Drnec, John Dennis & Reggie Wu - collectively known as EVER/AFTER, at the esteemed TIN ANGEL on August 26, 2011. They will present their current repertoire, and some HEAVEN'S EDGE classics "unplugged-style" at this long time destination for folk music royalty and Philadelphia institution. You'll surely want to jump up/down to 2nd & Chestnut and join us for this celebrated evening.
Our recent WORLD CAFE LIVE show was everything we had hope. The staff was incredibly hospitable and the sound was totally top notch (thanks, Rob). Our good friends MARK EVANS/JOHN DENNIS, along with THE THOMAS CHRISTOPHER BAND were excellent in chilling things as the 100 degree temperatures did little to deter our wonderful friends who didn't let us down. Thank you for another great night of encouragement, support and for being there for us at this important show. We'll be going back in the fall for a big weekend date - Stay tuned ... (Read a review of the show)
Throughout this website you will soon begin to see prominently placed links that will take you directly to pages containing "Reviews of Our Albums" / "Reviews of Our Live Shows" / "Album Lyrics" / "Living Room Concert Information" / "Random Quotes from Press Folk & Friends" and anything else that you want - just let us know! We've resisted flash, bells & whistles in an attempt to keep this site as simple as possible - This is just another step in that direction.You have an opinion, right? You always tell us how you feel about our songs, albums and live performances when we see you. Well, we'd love for you to write a review of our new "FUN" album (or any of our albums) on both CDBABY.COM and/or AMAZON.COM - It's easy and it really helps us! Just follow their directions. Feel free to email or call us with any questions or problems you encounter when attempting to write your review. Come on, we know you can do it! By following this AMAZON.COM link, you can read the first few reviews of our brand new "FUN" album.
Tony & The Gypsys To Headline World Cafe Live
Gypsys On The Road
Living Room Concert - Review #1
New Material, Recording Talk?
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June 20, 2011
It took a little longer than we thought, but our goal of starting a working relationship with WORLD CAFE LIVE will begin with our July 20, 2011 performance. Everyone in the Gypsy camp considers this a privilege and incredibly exciting opportunity to play at one of the top venues in our own hometown. We've ask our good buddies MARK EVANS (Heaven's Edge & Ever/After) & THOMAS CHRISTOPHER to get things started, and we hope that all of our friends will come out and help us celebrate this great evening. Get show and ticket details at our Live Shows Page.
Tony & The Gypsys began the out-of-town phase of The 2011 Smiling Goat Tour back in April with shows in West Chester PA and New York City. June has seen the quartet and the full band visit Salisbury MD and Bellmawr South NJ respectively. With upcoming shows already scheduled in Havertown PA (Living Room Concert Series), Salisbury MD (The Green Turtle) and Dunellen North NJ (Roxy & Dukes Rockabilly Roadhouse), the Gypsys interminable crusade to find "real music lovers" is well underway, and succeeding! If you would like to hit the road with Tony & The Gypsys, or plan a "Living Room Concert" of your own, reach us through our Contact Page.
To give you a feel for the special intimacy and uniqueness of a "Living Room Concert", we've asked several friends who have attended these shows to share their feelings and observations. The first of several to arrive is from Jay Schweitzer. Jay is a beautiful person who has watched us "grow-up" by gracing our shows on several occasions with his wisdom, wit and a general good nature and aura that makes it all very real. Enjoy Jay's reflections right here, and look for more commentary on the "Living Room Concert Series" in the upcoming months. To inquire about having your own "Living Room Concert", call or email us by visiting our Contact Page.
Well, once again, the familiar talk of recording is in the air. With new songs like "Truth or Fiction", "The Farmer" and "The World Is..." already establishing themselves as fixtures in the live set, it won't be very long before the "tape" (showing our age there just a bit) is rolling again. Tony says:"For the next project, we'll record the songs in sets of four, and release them digitally in pairs before committing them to a full album. From a strategic and budgeting standpoint, this will allow us to record the drums, bass and rhythm instruments first, like you're suppose to do. Conversely, the FUN album was recorded totally backward in order to capture the proper psychological state necessary to facilitate the abounding mirth." Wot?
Send us your bootlegs - Photos, audio, digital video - whatever you have!
This month from our beloved Kim Falcione it's a digital video. Kim captured Tony & The Heavy MeNtal Gypsys in February 2009 performing "SWEET SUNSHINE" - Live at The North Star Bar.
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The Tony Mecca Radio Special
Kbeach Radio (California State University - Long Beach)
Living Room Concert Madness
Send Us Your Bootleg Photos, Audio & Film
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May 22, 2011
Tony Mecca is the Featured Artist on this KBEACH RADIO special aired in April 2011. The broadcast emanates from California State University - Long Beach, and is hosted by Earl Beecher - Earl is the president of both Morrhythm and Outstanding Records, which released our first three CD's (Purple Monkeys - Princes of the New Dark Age and Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between) - The show is 82 minutes in duration and features songs from the aforementioned albums and Mr. Beecher's passionate and probing commentary - Thanks Earl!
Tony was also one of the Featured Artist ("Morning Coffee" & "The Girl from the Sand") on Episode #293 of a great podcast called MICHAEL ANGEL'S COSMIC GRAB BAG from Dallas, Texas on May 23, 2011 - If that program sounds familiar, it's because Tony was featured on the same podcast show this past January - Be sure to check-out this funny and "way-out" podcaster over on our Multi Media Page
"The Return of the Townhouse Goat" is how we titled our latest visit to Joe Van Blunk's in our native South Philadelphia for another "living room" concert. Our 5th such venture with Mr Van Blunk, which started back in 2004, was once again a total blast for both us and the wonderful assembly of invited friends that have continued to support us through the years. If you've never been to a concert of this nature, you truly do not know what you are missing. To give you a true feel for the uniqueness of this event, several of our friends have agreed to share comments, opinions and general impressions of their experience at our latest "living room concert" which we will print in the very near future - Once again, thanks to all involved for another extremely remarkable evening, and don't forget to ask us about doing a "living room concert" at your house.
Send us your bootlegs! Photos, audio, digital video - whatever you have! This month from our friend Ronnie Groz it's a digital video. Ronnie captured Tony & The Heavy MeNtal Gypsys sometime in 2010 performing "PLAIN JANE & AVERAGE JOE" - Live at Cookies Bar.
"We Always Lie" Released Internationally
Tony & The Gypsys Headin' Out-Of-Town!
Amazon and CDBaby Reviews
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April 23, 2011
As reported in our February News headline, we are proud to announce that our song "We Always Lie" from our Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between album has been released by NBT Records as part of their popular "Ride The Train" compilation CD series - NBT Records is based in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia and has released many wonderful compilation CD's throughout the years with a constant theme relating to trains, speed, movement etc - The music is selected from both national and international artists, and styles as diverse as Rock, Country, Folk, Gospel and more are proudly represented. We truly believe you'll enjoy all of the fun music and excellent artists on this CD, so we are now making it available through OUR STORE. Just look for Ride The Train - Volume Twenty Six (NBT #987).
When you visit our LIVE SHOWS page you'll notice that we've played or will be playing in West Chester, PA / New York, NY / Bellmawr, NJ and Salisbury, Maryland (with even more road fun ahead). Yes, we are making an honest effort to spread our music outside of Philly and so far so good. We've picked-up new fans at our first two stops and hope to continue. By the way, if anyone wants to make a road trip with us, please contact one of the band members. We'll either jam you into one of the Gypsys' cars, or organize a ride for you.You have an opinion, right? We know you have an opinion about our music because you always tell us how you feel about our songs, albums and live performances. Well, we'd love for you to release that inner music critic, and write a review of our new "FUN" album on both CDBABY.COM and/or AMAZON.COM - It's easy and it really helps us - just follow their directions - feel free to call us with any questions, or if your attempt to review our albums is being delayed because you've never purchased at these sites - Come on, we know you can do it! You may not want to stop after you do it once. By following this AMAZON.COM link, you can read the first review of our brand new "FUN" album.
The Smiling Goat Tour Begins
Gossip & Facts
Your Copy Of FUN is Waiting
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March 16, 2011
After a four-and-a-half month hiatus to recover from various surgeries, and to begin independently promoting our new FUN album, me & The Heavy MeNtal Gypsys are ready to hit the road. There are two shows in March and four shows in April - including our first N.Y.C. performance - already booked. Other shows - including the World Cafe Live - are currently being negotiated. We can't wait to see and play for you real soon. For more information on our upcoming live dates Click here.
*As reported last month, we have received confirmation that "We Always Lie" will appear on NBT Records - "Ride The Train" #26 compilation CD which will be released this coming June.
*True dat - With our dear friends Frank & Sheila D'Elia, Steph, Joe and I played at both Downey's Irish Pub & Stogie Joe's open mic nights this past Monday (3/14/11).
*Steph's hair is now light brown, I think / Joe has added an acoustic guitar to his arsenal
*Joining us at The North Star on April 8th:
Mark Evans & Reggie Wu / Thomas Christopher / Real - Get your tickets early!
*Rumors are swirling about another "Living Room" concert at Van Blunk's - Stay tuned!
Do You Have Fun?We are thrilled that our new FUN album is finally here. It does make us blush that so many folks have written us to say that FUN is their new favorite album - but we do love the attention. What makes us sad is that many of our long time friends have yet to get their copy of FUN. If you simply don't have the dough, let us know via email and we'll send you one for free. But if you can help support our projects just visit CDBABY.COM, AMAZON.COM or OUR STORE for quick and safe shopping for any of our CD's and downloads.
Our Song Chosen For International Release!
Free Download Wednesday
Do You Have Fun?
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February 17, 2011
We are proud to announce that our song "We Always Lie" has been selected by NBT Records to be part of their popular "Ride The Train" compilation CD series - NBT Records is based in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia and has released many compilation CD's throughout the years with a constant theme relating to trains, speed, movement etc - The CD will be released this June (2011) as NBT #987 - "Ride The Train #26. These CD's are distributed in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and have featured a variety of musical styles from artist representing all of these continents.Aside from this exciting opportunity to gain broader exposure for our music in these vast national and international markets, the "Ride The Train" compilation series has also been a key source for industry connection as many of the past artists and songwriter participants were afforded the opportunity to sign with prestigious record labels and major publishing companies as a direct result of these CD's. We'll let you know how that goes, and how you can get a copy when the CD is released!
Welcome to Free Download Wednesday
Each Wednesday we've been sending all of our mailing list family a link that they can follow to a free song download from one of our four albums or an exclusive live track. The link will most likely deliver you to one of our CDbaby pages. When you find the featured song you'll notice that the price will be set at $0 - Simply select and download the song. In return we only ask that you encourage your music loving friends to join our mailing list so they can take advantage of this free offer - We hope our songs find a nice home on your ipod.
Do You Have Fun?
We are thrilled that our new FUN album is finally here. It does make us blush that so many folks have written us to say that FUN is their new favorite album - but we do love the attention. What makes us sad is that many of our long time friends have yet to get their copy of FUN. If you simply don't have the dough, let us know via email and we'll send you one for free. But if you can help support our projects just visit CDBABY.COM, AMAZON.COM or OUR STORE for quick and safe shopping for any of our CD's and downloads.
Salisbury Daily Times Interview/Article
New Contest - Tell Tony What To Play
Final Shows Of 2011
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February 14, 2011
THE SALISBURY DAILY TIMES INTERVIEW
Tony has recently been interviewed by The Salisbury Times (Salisbury, Maryland), Junior's Cave (Brunswick, Georgia) and Underneath Magazine (Parts Unknown). We'll be featuring these interviews/articles over the next two months starting with the Salisbury Daily Times in this edition. In anticipation of Tony & The Gypsys Salisbury visits to Common Grounds and The Green Turtle on September 17th and November 5th respectively, writer Josh Davis interviewed Tony for an article that appeared in the Go! Magazine section of the Salisbury Daily Times. Both the article and the entire interview appear on our PRESS PAGE, or you can just CLICK HERE TO READ THE INTERVIEW.
NEW CONTEST - YOU TELL TONY WHAT TO PLAY!
Tony and the band are looking for a few new "cover songs" - That'd be songs by other artists - Put on your thinking caps and suggest one or two songs that you think we'd do a really do well. Whoever responds will be entered into a drawing with the winner getting all four of Tony's CD's plus the "Fan Appreciation Utility Disc" which features live material, interviews and our most requested songs that we never play live. Oh, and if you suggest a song that we pick to do, you'll also be receiving the above mentioned booty. You've got until Midnight, Halloween. This contest was the idea of our good friend Ken McCoy. CLICK HERE WITH YOUR SUGGESTION!
THE FINAL LIVE SHOWS OF 2011
Sadly, "The 2011 Smiling Goat Tour" is coming to an end. This year has really been an adventure for Tony & The Gypsys having played a total of
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Fun Is Everywhere!
Fun In Texas, Poland
Review The "Fun" Album On Amazon, CDbaby ...
Our "Geographically Extended" Family
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January 19, 2011
Yippee! Wow! Yea! The much anticipated released of our new FUN album finally arrived on Tuesday January 4, 2011 - Now, in addition to our website, FUN is available at all of the major internet music stores in both CD and DOWNLOAD formats. We do favor CDBABY.COM - the reigning epicenter for the independent musician - but AMAZON.COM and iTUNES (access through your own itunes store) are also wonderful if you prefer their services. If you want to get involved and really help us out, voice your opinion of the FUN album by writing a review at CDBABY, AMAZON or iTUNES. Let the whole world know who you are and what you think of our music! Just use the links above to navigate to those internet music outlets. Fans of SPOTIFY and RHAPSODY will be happy to know that the FUN album is also available for download at those fine locations.What Does Dallas, Texas & Warsaw, Poland Have In Common?
Well, probably many things, but for our purposes it is our new FUN album. That's right! In case you haven't heard, Tony Mecca was the featured artist on a recent internet podcast program from Dallas, Texas called "MICHAEL ANGEL'S COSMIC GRAB BAG". "Witch Jenny?" kicked off the show amidst a flurry of very kind words of adulation by the show's host who would later close the program with "Sweet Sunshine" - Thanks Michael - You can listen to the entire podcast by visiting our MULTI-MEDIA PAGE. And, if that weren't enough, "Witch Jenny?" was just played on the "M'OJ ODTWARZACZ" show from Warsaw, Poland - This is our 2nd spin on this show in just the past few weeks. They had already played "Sweet Sunshine" just a few weeks ago - Hey, if any of our polish friends can translate the dialog before and after our songs, we'd gladly buy you a kielbasa and a brew upon our next meeting - These shows can also be heard at our Multi-Media Page.
In 2010 we made many new friends across the USA and around the world through our music. These curious visitors arriving at our website via the many internet sources that play our music, took the time to drop us a line and take an interest in our music. So we'd be pretty ignorant not to mention the great cities, states and countries that they represent. Hell, we'd even list their names if we had permission. So let's give a huge "South Philly" hug to the new friends that have joined our family from ... Alpharetta & Atlanta, Georgia - Dorothea, Sweden - Cape Coral & Orange Park, Florida - London, England – Warsaw & Pleszew, Poland - Wareham & Waltham, Mass - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Sydney, Australia – Madrid, Spain – Dexter & Plymouth, Michigan – Halifax & Hampton, Canada – Derby & Salamanca , New York – Vilnius, Lithuania - Aigues Mortes, France – Dallas & Richardson, Texas - Wellston, Ohio – Newark & Wilmington, Delaware – Nashik, India - Mosinee, Wisconsin – Blackwood, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, (hell, all of South Jersey) New Jersey – Whitehall, PA – Chicago, Illinois - Cordova, Alabama and our friends in the great countries of Italy and Finland who didn’t include their exact whereabouts. Oh, and of course ... we would never forget to mention all of the beautiful hometown guys and gals - Philly, we love you!
Fun Is Here ... Fun Is Here!
Rockin' The Irish Society
Three Gypsys Re-Tool With Surgical Tweeks
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November 14, 2010
We are thrilled to announce that our new FUN album is finally here and in our hands. The formal release date is not until January 4 2011, but we are making the CD available to all of our friends right now. Just visit Our Store or BUY THE "FUN" CD BY CLICKING HERE! But before you buy this album, we feel it our humanitarian duty to issue a purchase warning by instructing you to ask yourself the following questions.PURCHASE WARNING
-Can your fading libido resist the beauty and seductive whisper of "Witch Jenny"? -Are you physically healthy enough to let your hips and feet succumb to the carefree bounce of "The Happy Hop"? -We hope booze isn't a problem, because it's almost impossible to refuse a drink when it's on "Charlie Jones". -Now if you're a whiner, always bellyaching about the bad luck you have, you'd better skip that #8 track called "Black Cloud" - It'll spike your blood pressure and really piss you off. -What about the truth, can you handle it? Are you ready to accept your failings and live for just one more day of "Sweet Sunshine"? -And finally, the biggest health consideration of all - Are you truly capable of letting yourself have fun? We mean like you did before you were told to "grow-up". We hate to say it, but if any of the preceding questions present the potential for distress or physical injury, do not buy this album!
Rockin' The Irish Society ... Well, for those who attended, it should come as no surprise that the 2010 edition of "Live At The Second Street Irish Society" was the most successful of our three visits. We'd like to thank Mark Evans and Reggie Wu for opening the show in spectacular fashion. You guys are great. To all of our loyal and supportive fans, we just can't thank you enough for not only coming out, but for maintaining your passion and enthusiasm throughout the entire show. It truly fueled our performance and made it all worthwhile. To the new friends we met that night, thanks so much for your kind words, and for buying our CD's. We hope you enjoy them and we look forward to hearing from you and seeing you again! Oh, we were asked if we would like to play The Irish Society again in the spring. What do you think - wanna do it again?
So, with the album finally done and the Fall shows complete, several of the Heavy MeNtal Gypsys will re-tool with various surgical procedures to limbs and organs. Nothing terribly serious, but necessary all the same. Bill attended to his wrist issue on November 10th, and Jim and Tony with "go under" on November 18th - This will put all "full band" live Gypsy activity on the back burners for a couple of months. We will be performing some trio and quartet shows soon so stay tuned. Any and all "Well Wishes" and "out-of-work" financial contributions will be accepted via email at TonyMeccaMusic.com Just give us a click.
Huge Pre-Order Discounts on "FUN"
Second Street Irish Society Hosts "Fun" Listening Party
Three Live Dates Round-Out 2010
Catalog - Our First 3 CD's for $16.99
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September 23, 2010
Well, it's only a few weeks away. That's right, our beloved new FUN album, promised since the spring, will finally make it's pre-release debut in November. But now is definitely the time to get 'em while they're hot, and cheap! The FUN album is now being offered exclusively through our web site at a 20% discount until the end of October. There are also additional discounts available for multiple CD purchases. Concert favorites like Witch Jenny?, The Happy Hop and Sweet Sunshine are in full bloom along side of our other brand new songs. To pre-order your CD's, just visit OUR STORE by clicking here >>> BUY THE "FUN" CD HERE!
(Pictured at left is the esteemed life-coach and guru, "Blind 'N Shaken". He is also known in some parts of the uncivilized world as "The Grand Wazoo")
To celebrate the occasion of our new album, we are delighted to announce that The Second Street Irish Society will host the "FUN CD Release Party" on Saturday night November 6, 2010. The food, booze and excellent company are included in the price - so don't miss out. If you would like to reserve your seat at this special event, visit our LIVE DATE page for more show details and several purchasing options >>> BUY IRISH SOCIETY TICKETS HERE! We've also added 2 other "full band" live shows to round out our 2010 schedule. The first is a club concert on October 8th (hey, that's my birthday) at Mojo 13 in Wilmington, DE. The second is bar show (our favorites) at our home base, Cookies Bar, on October 16th. Go to our LIVE SHOW page for more details.
Finally, a reminder from last month's news that "CATALOG" is what we're calling the package that gathers our first three CD/Albums in one place. It is now available at our store for the insanely discounted price of just $16.99 - So if you need new copies of Purple Monkeys, Princes of the New Dark Age or Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between, grab fresh versions of all three at a super-cheap price right now!
"FUN" Is Coming Soon!
Catalog - Our First 3 CD's for $16.99
Just Say Hello!
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July 24, 2010
While taking leave from live performance during the brutally hot months of July and August, we've been both vacationing and applying the final touches to the "FUN" album. Editing, mixing, mastering and artwork chores are all being coordinated at this very moment. We hope to release two Download Singles ("Witch Jenny?" & "Sweet Sunshine") by the end of next month through CDBABY, and the full CD/Album by the end of September/beginning of October. We do plan on releasing the "FUN" CD/Album with a deluxe 12 or 16 page booklet on our very own Urban American Heavy MeNtal Records label. The CD/Album and Download Album of "FUN" will be available at just about all internet stores (CDBABY, AMAZON etc) as well as this web site. Also in the planning stages is a proper album release party/bash/show. We're currently considering several venues for this event, and will inform you as soon as we have all of the details. We are so excited for all of our friends to hear the "FUN" album - It took a little longer to record than first anticipated, but we couldn't be more proud of the results. We will tell you that the "FUN" album is comprised of 14 songs totaling about 52 minutes - Half of the songs have been a big part of our live set for the past few years - Of the other half, 5 of the songs have never been performed live and 2 were played just a few times. There were 17 songs written for the album, but two of the songs ("Just Because" and "Beautiful Lie") didn't fit into the album concept, and a satisfying arrangement of one of the earlier songs written for the project, "Smiling Sam", just never developed. We do plan on releasing all of these songs as Download Singles sometime in the near future - Stay tune for the formal release date announcement coming very soon!"Catalog" is what we're calling the package that gathers our first three CD/Albums in one place. We're selling it at our store for just $16.99 - So if you need new copies of Purple Monkeys, Princes of the New Dark Age or Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between, grab fresh versions of all three at a super-cheap price right now!
You know, during this down time we really do get lonely just sitting in the studio all by our lonesome - Nothing would cheer us up more than an email from our best friends in the world, YOU!!! Just click here to send us a quick thought, and we'll gladly respond with news, gossip and love. We'd even be able to send you a few bucks, but the studio electric bill has been in the vicinity of $10,000/month lately. Love and care always!
Gypsy Drummer Drnec - His Brush With Super Stardom
Mixing & Releasing The "Fun" Album
Hello To Our New Friends
A Big Thank You For Your Wonderfully Kind Comments!
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May 15, 2010
In a recent article for the Delaware newspaper, The News Journal, talented writer Ryan Cormier did an outstanding story on our beloved drummer - Jim Drnec - and his brush with super-stardom while playing with international rock stars (and our old Galaxy play mates), Cinderella. Jimmy really opens up about this exciting and difficult time in his career. "It was amazing – the stuff of your dreams," Drnec says of the moment he made it into the famed studio with an equally famed producer to work on his band’s major label debut. "The drums there sounded like God talking to me."
Also interviewed are Tony Mecca and Adam Balick, the managing partner of the law firm Balick & Balick (Jim is now a civil defense attorney) - so you'll want to be sure to read the whole story entitled Short-Lived Fairy Tale.
The good news regarding the progress of our new album "FUN", is that we are finally in the mixing/mastering stage. This is the final process before dressing the music in artwork and getting into your hands. The bad news is that we will not meet our planned June 2010 release date.
However, we will be releasing several singles hopefully sometime in June. We will keep you informed as to the album's eventual release date which we now anticipate to be sometime this August.Over the past few months we have met many new folks at the bar shows and open mic nights we've played. We just wanted to thank them for their kind words and sincere interest in our music, and give them a special welcome to the NEWS PAGE of our web site and our family of Heavy MeNtal Gypsys (I kind of favor this spelling of Gypsies, don't you?). Anyway, look around on our web site and tell us what you think. You can listen to our music, download free songs, buy any of our CD's and even send us your photo so we can show-off your smiling mug like our friend scrolling by up above. Hope to see you soon!
Finally, we'd like to thank everyone who helped us with our recent identity crisis by emailing us their beautiful feelings about our music and live shows. We've posted some of the quotes at the top of each web site page, and we're currently trying to decide the best way to display the balance of your sentiments. Hey, if you didn't get a chance to send us your thoughts, it's never too late! Just email them to us anytime - See you at the shows!
Our Identity Crisis
New "Fun" Album Getting Final Touches
Live Shows - The Past And What's Coming
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March 24, 2010
Who are we? Where are we? What will become of us? I'm sure all of these questions were running through the minds of me and my 16 year-old friends pictured to the left in Wildwood N.J. back in 1972 (visit our PHOTO PAGE for a closer look at this memory contributed by that good looking blonde - ?). Well these dilemmas are still following me to this day. But now you can help! Once again we are besieged by requests from our music industry friends to supply them with a description of our music and our sound. While it true that all songwriters and musicians would like to believe that they are doing something a little different, the truth is that publishers, A&R folks and everybody else on the selling and pitching side of the business must know how and who to market your music to. So we come to you for help in identifying who we are. No one knows our music better than you - so please help us label our music! We call our music "Urban American Heavy MeNtal" and will continue to do so, but music business folks like more industry accepted categories such as "Adult Rock", "Pop Rock", "Alternative Rock"... There must be hundreds of genres and sub genres. One tip would be to look at the category genres of artists whose style you would compare with ours. But please feel free to come up with your own label if you prefer. We've also been asked to post testimonials on our web site and in our press kit from the folks who enjoy our music. At the top of this page there is a recent and very kind Facebook posting from a couple of our new friends (thanks Mark and Jeanne) that demonstrates the general spirit of what we're looking for. Hey, you can really lay on the love! Anyway, take a moment and have some fun with these labels and testimonials! Just click here with your label and/or testimonial entrees!
We are finally coming down the "back-stretch" of the recording process for our new album, "Fun" - Some backing vocals here, a guitar solo or three there, a stray bass line and rouge piano lick is all that remains. Our goal of a late May or early June release still seems realistic, and with a little help from the mixing and mastering "gods" we just might make it. 
We will be releasing a deluxe CD version as well as individual song and album downloads. We are so excited for all of our friends to hear the 14 (rather eclectic) songs that comprise the "Fun" album. Hey, drop us a line sometime and let us know if you are more interested in the physical CD or the Digital Download version of this album.
We recently played our most consistent run of shows since we began recording our new album in earnest back in early 2009. The Krunch Inn, Stogie Joe's, JR's Bar and Cookies Bar, featured both the full band and the Heavy MeNtal Gypsy Trio. We had a blast at Stogie Joe's monthly "open mic" program, and have been asked back on April 5th. Of course The Krunch Inn is always a good time, and at JR's Bar we rekindled the "MeNtal Meets Metal" series as we opened for our South Philly brethren, Stop The World. Of course our home-hood crowd at Cookies Bar made us feel right at home once again, and many new friends picked this show to pile into the bar and help us shake-up our old haunts. Check out our upcoming shows!
"The Girl From The Sand" Wins Honors
Sporadic Live Shows Being Planned
New Album Getting Close
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January 18, 2010
We are very proud to announce that our beloved "The Girl from the Sand" was selected as one of the 20 most requested songs-of-the-year on UC RADIO. "The Girl from the Sand" (from "Princes of the New Dark Age" - 2005) had appeared on several of UC Radio's programs throughout the year including their monthly "best of" SONIC WALLPAPER show; the beach theme special - "Surf's Up, Baby" and the year end "New Years Eve Bash 2009 - The best of UC Radio for 2009". We thank UC Radio for the recognition - Listen to the "New Years Eve Bash 2009 - The best of UC Radio for 2009" by clicking here - Our segment begins at 27:42 - Subscribe to these great sites while you're there.While completing the new album, we are planning to do one live show show per month for the first half of 2010. We will be limiting activity to our favorite smaller bars and maybe even a new "small bar" venue.
As we did at our December show at Cookies bar, we'll be playing some rarely attempted material from earlier albums, and many of the songs from the new album. We will have the entire HEAVY MENTAL GYPSY band for most of the shows, but smaller configurations of the unit will also be featured along the way.Speaking of the new album, things are really starting to intensify as we near its completion. Live drums will be added over the next few days, and it's all hands on deck as all band members (including our dear friend and collaborator David Decca) are scheduled to make recording contributions in the coming weeks. It's hard to believe that the recording process for the 14 songs that comprise the "Fun" album began in the late summer of 2008. While our original goal was to have a new album out by the end of 2009, the learning curve presented by the new recording equipment and trying to maintain a steady live schedule eventually put an end to that possibility. Now, as we steer steadily toward a spring 2010 release date, we are finally beginning to hear the rewards of our hard work (yes, recording an album is very hard work that seems to get more difficult with each passing year). As our anticipation to have our friends and loyal supporters hear this new album grows, we double our efforts to bring this project to a creative zenith that will outshine anything we've accomplished in the past. We have great faith that we will achieve our goal. As I like to tell fellow artist of any creative endeavor: The work is the reward. And if passion is your true motivation, you will always succeed! Until next time...
Live Again in a Bar Near You!
Mischief Night @ The North Star reviewed by Cyndy Drue
Meet Bill, our new bass player
New album progress/Fan Appreciation CD's still available
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November 9, 2009
After a six month layoff from live performance to record the bulk of our upcoming album, we took the stage at the North Star Bar on October 30th for our first annual "Mischief Night Massacre". This show was the first of three we will play to close out the '09 season - Get all of the detail at our LIVE DATES PAGE! We were joined by the wonderfully rambunctious "Missiles" (aptly renamed "The Vampires" for this occasion), and the always cool "Midnight Bottle Club" - Both of whom performed their beautiful Rock 'n' Roll with great skill and passion. We also had the good fortune of having legendary Philadelphia radio personality Cyndy Drue not only attend the show (as she has on several occasions in the past), but write a very nice review of our performance which appears on our PRESS PAGE - THE CYNDY DRUE REVIEW!
The North Star show also marked the debut of our new bassist, Bill Saltzer. Like Jim, Bill is also a recruit of the great Delaware blues band, The Delcats (who we love and respect very much). Aside from his unquestioned and obvious musical proficiency, Bill is a total sweetheart and fits right in with our scattered and eclectic band of passionate Heavy MeNtal Gypsies - A select group on a noble crusade, for sure. We encourage you to get to know Bill better at our BIO PAGE!
We are happy to announce that the new album, “Fun”, is still on course for a spring release. The recording of the live drum tracks should begin by the end of year with final touches and mixing to follow at the beginning of the new year - Yes, you did read correctly - we are recording completely backwards in doing the drums last - but we believe we are up to the challenge. And in keeping with the most recent industry practice afforded by the digital phenomenon, we do plan on releasing 2 to 4 single songs from the album as downloads prior to the release of the actual physical CD. This way you can check-out what we've been up to before committing the final few bucks from your stimulus dough on a full album of tunes by the aforementioned fanatically passionate "Heavy MeNtal Gypsies". Finally, we'd like to remind you that we have a half-a-box of the "Fan Appreciation" CD's awaiting your email request. Over 40 minutes of exhilarating live stuff, brain-teasing interviews and our very favorite – but seldom performed - studio tracks. See you at the shows! Click Here For Your Free CD!
Russian Radio & Pre-Fun Surprise!
"Morning Coffee" on Russian Radio
Fan Appreciation disc now available
A Mischief Night return to the stage, finally!
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September 13, 2009
In August we were notified via email that our song "Morning Coffee" had been played several times on a Russian radio show called "Night Diary" (we can't obtain the station's "call letters" or the DJ's name). We were able to get one of the broadcast clips and have it translated. Listen now by checking out our brand new MULTI-MEDIA PAGE which features interviews, concert visuals, podcasts and more - Just Click Here!While barricaded in the "Urban Closet Of Destiny" (the official new name of our little wing of The Opera House Recording Studios) diligently recording our new album, it was decided that we should do something special for the folks that have been buying our CD's, visiting this web site and attending our shows. We felt a gift to show our deep appreciation was certainly in order. So we came up with a CD project that includes the live songs posted to this site this past July, clips from Tony's interview also posted in July and studio versions of a few favorite songs often requested but not usually performed live. TONY MECCA'S PRE-FUN/POST SUMMER FAN APPRECIATION UTILITY DISC AND VANITIY MIRROR will be available for free by email request beginning September 20th - We will be selecting 25 names of our most active friends at random, and mailing them a copy beginning today -
If you don't receive a copy by September 20th, simply request a copy (include your address) by emailing us, or by visiting our CONTACT US page - Just Click Here - and we'll send you a CD straight-away!With a good bit of the basic tracks complete for our upcoming album (which is now looking more like a 2010 release), we feel better about getting back out on the live circuit. First we'll do an outdoor set at the Epiphany of Our Lord's annual Italian Festival in late September, and then we'll be hosting a huge concert bash at the North Star Bar that we're calling "The Mischief Night Massacre". We are really revved-up for these shows and do hope you join us for some screaming rock 'n' roll! Get all of the details at our LIVE DATE page.
The Tony Mecca Interview / Cookies Live!
The first installment of live material posted - Finally!
Tony talks about his music, influences and the future
"Fun Photos" and recording news
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July 9, 2009
As promised in the May news update, we've just posted the first installment of live material to our MUSIC PAGE - Click here to listen! We hope to make this a regular practice when we have more time to sort through our recorded live shows. The initial offering is 4 songs by the trio configuration of the unit (Tony-Joe-Steph) recorded way back in May 2008 at Cookies Bar. Comprised of songs not performed much anymore and an unlikely "cover tune", this segment is aptly entitled "COOKIES LIVE! - MAY '08". We remind you that these recordings are made from the audience and that the quality will sometimes be a bit dicey. We believe the passion within these performances out-weigh the sonic deficiencies, and we encourage you to download and enjoy them free! We'd love you to post your comments and opinions on the MESSAGE BOARD PAGE of our web site. In addition to your comments about the music, let us know what you think of this planned series of live material.
In late June Tony finally broke from the rigorous recording schedule he and the band have been following the past few months, and sat down with promoter/producer (and avid band supporter), Ronnie Dawg of RON DAWG STUDIOS, for a candid conversation about making music, personal influences and the future. About an hour worth of Q&A was recorded that we've posted in three separate segments. Listen now by checking out our brand new MULTI-MEDIA PAGE which features interviews, concert visuals, podcasts and more. Click here to listen to the Tony Mecca Interview!
Do you remember "FUN"? Do you remember what it feels like to have it, or look forward to having it? Anyway, as you may or may not know, "FUN" is the title of our next album - which we are diligently working on right now. While the artwork is far from finalized, we have this crazy idea of putting photos throughout the CD booklet (maybe even the cover) of what faces look like when someone (you) is having an incredibly "FUN" time. So we are encouraging you to email us a photo of you with the biggest shit-eating grin you can possibly muster. It doesn't matter how young or old you are in the photo - As long as it is a “close-up” of you. In fact, you as a teenager would be way cool. Send it to TonyMecca@TonyMeccaMusic.com - Then look for your mug on the new and improved PHOTO PAGE of our website, and on our next album. We know that our attorney and record label will want us to tell you that by sending your photo, you are giving us permission to use said photo on our web site and in/on our CD/album artwork. So there, you've been duly warned!Other News Tidbits
Work on the new album continues at a brisk pace. The planned winter release still seems like a realistic goal, but a more definite timetable will become more apparent by the September newsletter - Speaking of the new INTERVIEW PAGE, check out our new and improved PHOTO PAGE. We can now post more photos in a larger format, and we plan on changing them on a monthly basis - A reminder that we've decided to keep "Our Wonderful Fan Sale" running for the rest of the summer. You can buy our CD's at near half price!
Live Shows Slowing / New Album Takes Priority
The hard work behind "Fun"
Live tracks coming soon
Movie and soundtrack work
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May 5, 2009
Well, we tried as hard as we could to play live and record a new album at the same time, but the old man's once potent stamina level for multi-tasking is running a bit low these days. So we've decided to disappear from the live scene for awhile and finish the album. A ton of hard work has already gone into the "Fun" CD, and yet, there is still so much more to do. We are so excited about the songs on this album; we just can't wait to get it done and share it with all of our wonderful friends and fans. Okay, since you've been asking, we now will reveal the names of the songs that will most likely appear on the new CD (in no particular order):Laugh, Lucy Laugh, Patricia Knows, When Eileen Dreams, Fun, The Broken-Hearted Song, Black Cloud, Charlie Jones, Sweet Sunshine, The Happy Hop, Annie Crime-Fighter, Mercy Street, Funny Fred, Dotty and Me, and Which Jenny?
At several recent shows we've been ask about posting live material on this website. Well, we do have some live recordings in the can from a number of venues that we hope to make available soon. Of course, the sound quality is less than optimal, but the spirited performances more than make-up for the technical deficiencies. Finding some time to edit and perk-up the overall sound of the recordings has been the challenge so far - but we're getting close and we promise to drop you a line when we get some songs posted.
We're very proud to announce that our song "You're Not as Tough as You Think" from the "Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between" album has been selected by Philadelphia filmmaker Nick Lanciano as the opening song for his new film 9th & Bay which will premier later this month. To support this fine local artist, visit Nick's site and get all of the details about his film, and information regarding tickets to the premier. Like finding gold in your own back yard, if you take time to investigate your local art scene, you will most always be pleasantly surprised. Finally, just a few reminders from the CAOMA (Chief Administrative Officer of Monkey Affairs): In an effort to make it easier for our friends to own all of our CD's, we are having a huge sale on all of our albums. Just visit OUR STORE for the details. Ah yes, this is yet another subtle reminder to play our songs on the Juke Box at your favorite bars and clubs. They're in there - all of them. Finally, we'd like to remind you that we still want to know which of our songs and albums are your favorites. We'd also like to know your favorite bands and singers from the 60's/70's - CLICK HERE TO VOTE! Speaking of singers from the 70's, one of my crowds favorites to this day, Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople), will turn 70 years old on June 3rd. Yes - 70! We saw Ian in '04 and '07 at Finnigan's Wake and he was just outstanding.
2009 Live Tour Kicks-Off
Live at the North Star Video
Download Us at Itunes, Rhapsody and Anywhere
Fill Tony's Gas Tank
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February 27, 2009
The 2009 live schedule started off very deliberately as we've tried to focus most of our attention on recording the new album - which is coming along fine and should be released late summer or early fall. We played two fun and energetic sets at the Krunch Inn in January and were back at the North Star Bar on February 20th as part of a show that we put together with some friends that turned out to be a great success. For those who couldn't get out to that show, we are pleased to present video of a couple of performances from the North Star (Thanks Kimmy) - Click here to watch us at the North Star! You can also be transported to the wonderful world of YouTube where you can watch these performances and find a whole bunch of other songs from the same North Star show courtesy of "Justin TV", who broadcasted us live that night (Thanks Ronny!) - Click here to watch us on YouTube
We do have a much more active live schedule in the coming month or so including a special appearance at the Tappers Club. Check-out all of the details on all of our upcoming LIVE DATES.All of our CD's and the individual songs are now available as downloads through just about all of the major digital music internet outlets. That's right! Stores like ITunes, Rhapsody, CDbaby, Amazon and Napster, to name just a few, are now featuring our beloved "Purple Monkeys", "Princes of the New Dark Age" and "Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between" albums. Just go to OUR STORE and check out a few of these internet shops. You can even write your own review of our CD's at some of these locations.
As the last few iconic major record labels scurry to find new ways to survive in today's progressively "less-tangible" music business, there is one final money-poaching entity that still roams freely in bars and clubs around the world. No, it's not Clive Davis. Nor is it Universal boss Doug Morris. It's not even Edgar Bonfman of Warner's. None of these company big wigs are surreptitiously extending their sticky hands into the musician’s pockets as much as every ones familiar old standby. Yes, you've guessed it - 'tis none other than that friendly purveyor of your favorite tunes, the Juke Box. Did you ever stop to think that when you feed a buck into that slot to play a song, how much of that dollar does the artist actually earn? Would you believe it’s less than a dime for every six plays. So after perusing our last royalty statement, we started to wonder how many plays it would take to pay various bills. One of these expenses has now presented us with a "quest-opportunity", and we'd like to ask for your help. How many Juke Box plays would it take to fill Tony's gas tank? The answer = 2,240. So we humbly crawl to you with our guitar and clarinet scarred hands out, and ask you to make an effort to play some of our songs on that snazzy flashing AMI Juke Box every time you enter your favorite local bar or club. And don't be shy, tell everyone around you that may be listening to the song you just played who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. Surly, one tank of gas is not too much to ask for all of that wonderful musical entertainment we are providing. Right? And for all of our fellow struggling musician, writer and actor friends, always remember, "The work is truly the reward and the passionate play on." Tony said that.Finally, we'd like to remind you that we still want to know which of our songs and albums are your favorites. There are a few other things we'd also like to know just for fun. CLICK HERE TO VOTE! Go ahead and do it - you know you really want to.
Live On 2nd Street (Redux)
Meet Jimmy and John
New Album News
Shows & Shirts
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November 28, 2008
Our return to the SECOND STREET IRISH SOCIETY was a total success. Thanks to the tireless work of the sound crew, and our wonderful friends who continue to support us with great enthusiasm, we were proud to announce the event as a "sellout". Special kudos to the JONES GIRLS who bravely fought off the flu and opened the show with their beautiful songs and super-sweet harmonies. For our part, we got a chance to do some long requested material that we don't often play live (Holly 1-2-3 / Burn, John Burn / We Called Her St Anne / Logic), and we were finally joined on several songs by my long-time musical partner, DAVID DECCA. (Thanks Dave!)
The show also served as the official debut of our new drummer, JIM DRNEC (pronounced Dur-nic). Jim is a terrific drummer (and human being) that I had last played together with in the band HABITS back in 1984. We kind of found each other via the internet sometime back in 2006 and have been thinking about this night for a long time. It was also a debut of sorts for our keyboardist, JOHN MERLINO. John has been with us since May, but usually only plays on a handful of songs. At the Irish Society, John took on the responsibility of handling all of the bass parts and much more. Jim and John did a fantastic job given the little time that they had to learn the material and prepare for this performance. Work on the new album continues, but with a greater intensity and urgency than in the past few months. We veered away from our initial plan of playing one show per month during the recording process when we were offer several really nice Live Dates, and it definitely put too much strain on the precious little time that we actually get to rehearse or record. Things seemed to have found a good groove and are now progressing more optimally. Our plan to play one show per month resumes thru February>Show Details - And finally, the new green "I'm A Metropolitan Phenomenon" shirts for the gals, and the black "Skull & White Rose" shirts for guys are now available at Our Store
Fall Activities
Youtubed Live from the North Star
Fall Shows
Back in the Studio
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September 20, 2008
Our final performance before taking a brief vacation was at the North Star Bar on Saturday August 8, 2008. Kim Falcione was "Johnny-on-the-spot", capturing the premier of our newest song "Sweet Sunshine" which features Steph on lead vocals - Kim acted quickly to get this performance on "youtube" - To have a look just CLICK HERE - Let us know what you think - Thanks so much Kimmy!!!
Well, I can't say I wasn't warned. When I told a fellow musician that I was planning to take 3 or 4 months off so I can concentrate on recording, he said "there is no way you can just turn off the urge to perform." Sure I can, I stopped from 1989 to 2006. He responded, "I'm telling you, this is different. You've been re-smitten." Well he was right. The offers to play for friends new and old in these great venues are just too wonderful to refuse. The brand new STONEHOUSE PUB; another IRISH SOCIETY bash; an always debauchery laden KRUNCH INN show, WOW! Get all of the details about these Live Dates
But we have definitely relocated our base of operation to the Opera House Recording Studios for work on the next album. It is a little different this time since many of the songs have been in our live set for a while. It also seems quite strange not having Dave Decca on board for the proceedings. Dave, as you may know, was my partner for the first three albums.
Co-arranging, co-producing and playing all of the keyboards and harmonica, Dave will be limited to a guest role this time due to other musical obligations he has accepted. We will try to drag "the old man" out for some live work this fall so that you all can see that he really does exist. That being said, Steph, Joe and I have had a blast during the early sessions. We are incredibly excited about the new songs, and we just can't wait to introduce you to Lucy, Jenny, Fred, Patricia, Charlie and the rest of our eternally mixed-up and fun crazed friends.And finally, a very loving congratulations to my son and Steph's sister - Yes, Tony Mecca and Gina Davis were successfully married on September 13, 2008 officially making Steph my Niece-In-Law. It will literally be months before the reception "after-party" ends.