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Tony Mecca: News





Live On 2nd Street (Redux)
Meet Jimmy and John
New Album News
Shows & Shirts - November 28, 2008



Amidst the late-breaking realization that the club had been mistakenly double booked (there was an event also scheduled from 3 PM to 7 PM that prevented the sound company and bands from a normal afternoon set-up and sound check), 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. Look for Jim's bio on our site very soon. 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. Of the questions that I've been asked by our incredibly enthusiastic friends about the album, I can say that there will be at least 16 songs; we will use live drums on most all of the tracks; Steph, Joe, John, Jim and Dave Decca will all play on the record, and there will be at least two other guests; the plan is to call the record "FUN", and to divide the songs into 3 or 4 sub-titled sections according to their mood and subject matter. Sounds like fun, no?

Our plan to play one show per month resumes at the KRUNCH INN on Friday December 5th 2008, and at the NORTH STAR BAR on Saturday January 10th, 2009 - 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 - 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" - Have a look just below and 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.

Live at the North Star - 9/10/08





Reviews From Around the World
New Album - The First Steps
Scattered Live Shows
Jukebox Hero - Vote Now! - July 11, 2008



GarageBand.com is one of the most popular and respected on-line music communities in the world. Its primary objective is to provide a platform for artists and bands of all genres (both signed and unsigned) to expose their music to other musicians and fans of independent music. One of the cool features provided is a system where artists can elect (if they dare) to have several of their songs reviewed. While many of the reviewers are often "hard-markers", we've managed to chart very well - In some cases we've even earned special awards and recognition. Just click here to read these interesting worldwide reviews!

Well, baby steps has been the theme for the last few weeks as we prepare to begin recording a new album while simultaneously staying sharp for the flurry of live shows that we've been offered. It sure has been a long time since the old man has had to balance live performance with his beloved studio antics. So we are finally about to begin and hope to be well into things as the summer progresses. Several of the new songs (Patricia Knows, Which Jenny?, The Happy Hop, Fun and Annie Crime-Fighter) have been a big part of our live show over the past year, but we promise there will many more musical surprises before we're through. We still hope to mix in a few Live Dates here and there while we tend to the business of recording - You just know we will keep you up-to-date.

Speaking of live shows, on June 3rd we played our inaugural set at the legendary North Star Bar as part of their New Music Tuesday program. After the promoter initially previews (and likes) your recorded music, this event serves as a testing ground for future employment opportunities at the North Star Bar. On a stormy mid-week night over 50 of our faithful friends braved the nasty weather and the eternal temptation to just stay home and watch TV, and attended the show - making it a total success in terms of an incredibly fun evening, and also our future aspirations of playing this great venue again. Thanks to your support, we were asked back for the July 3rd show, and a "prime-time" Saturday show on August 9th. Joe, Steph and I thank you so much, and can't wait to perform for you again - really!

The next time you're at your favorite bar/club, check the jukebox. We finally got our licensing agreement straight, and now all three of our albums are up. And while you're enjoying the songs from "Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between", "Princes of the New Dark Age" and "Purple Monkeys", take comfort in knowing that we receive a whole 2.5% of every dollar that you put in that jukebox. That means your favorite local Philly artist needs about 50,000 plays to make next month's mortgage payment. You'd be accurate in thinking that I shouldn't depend on those jukebox royalties to cover that next check to GMAC, but at the very least you now know one of the many reasons that the recording industry is a putrid mess that continues to crumble before our very eyes - On that pleasant note, please don't forget to stand-up and be counted by voting for your favorite CD's and songs!

The Show Goes On
Publishing deals for 4 more! - May 3, 2008


Well, another couple of months have flown by since our last news update and there is much to report. We've met some more wonderfully kind folks while playing at some great places like The Krunch Inn and J.R.'s (both with our good friends DRIVE 56) and Cookies Bar (with old buddy DAN SULLIVAN). We do have a few more Live Dates lined up before we slow-down a bit to begin recording the next album (more on that next time) - Oh, speaking of DRIVE 56, we just finished their incredible new EP entitled "Word On The Street". It was my pleasure to produce this talented and powerfully energetic band of gentlemen/musicians - And of course Steph and I had a total blast contributing vocals & slide guitar.

Since my main focus has always been on songwriting, I am always most proud when we get to announce that we've signed one of our songs with a publishing company that believes in the song enough to make a committment to shop it to other recording artists. Well, this time we're especially thrilled because we've just signed 4 of our songs with two hard working and very cool publishing outfits. One of my personal favorites, "Love To Me", was placed with RICK LEVY MUSIC (St. Augustine, Fl) and "Father Dear" - "You're Not As Tough As You Think" and "Morning Coffee" were all signed-up with JAMESTAR PTY LTD (Brisban Queensland, Australia) - Now that's a pretty cool thing, huh?



The Bar Tour
What do you think we sound like?
So you like those new songs, huh?
Vote on our new web poll!
 - February 24, 2008


I guess you can tell by the over-crowded headline that much has happened since our last entry. "The Bar Tour" kicked-off with a history making visit to COOKIES BAR (3rd & Mercy). This was the first time in its storied history that COOKIES has had a live band. And what a great night it was as many friend both old and new joined us for the first show of the new year. Anyone that knows a neighborhood bar owner with an open mind similar to Petey and Donny from COOKIES, and Casey from THE KRUNCH INN - and would like to try live music, please contact us. A quick and much appreciated thanks to all who have bestowed the wonderful compliments on our new songs: "Patricia Knows", "Which Jenny" and "The Happy Hop". We sincerely thank you - as does Patricia, Jenny, Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Busy.

Hey, we're having so much fun reading your descriptions of our music. If you haven't given it a try, do it now and email it to us through our site. I've already started to use these creative comparisions on a number of important communication tools including my official bio, MySpace, GarageBand.com and more. Very soon I'll post the top ten (with the authors name) on our poll so you can vote for your favorites. By the way, get to that poll now and vote for your favorite CD, songs and a few other things. Finally, we now have web-pages up at GARAGEBAND.COM and CDBABY.COM where you can sample and buy CD's and Downloads from the "Hello..." album. You can also write a review of a song or the album, or just leave a comment - something like 'this album rules' - Hope to see you at one of the upcoming shows!



Live On 2nd Street
Publishing for "Annie" & "Girl from the Sand"
YOU TUBED in Manayunk! - December 2, 2007

With the summer shows ending in grand fashion at the Krunch Inn and Gene's Rooftop Theater, we bounced right into the fall program which kicked off with an October outdoor show in Manayunk that featured a start time temperature of 45 degrees (unfortunately, nobody brought a camera to document the wide assortment of winter gear we all sported), and climaxed at the Second Street Irish Society on Black Friday in front of many of our beloved childhood friends. The show was captured on digital video and we hope to have some clips up on this site in the next few weeks. Oh, we have been asked back to this wonderful venue, and hope to set a late winter date very soon. We promise more musical surprises, and by all indications (emails and phone calls we've received from many folks that couldn't make the first show) an even larger crowd of both new and old friends - we can't wait!

We are extremely pleased to announce that in mid October we signed two more songs with our new friends at BRANDON HILLS MUSIC (BMI) / HEATH BROWN MUSIC (ASCAP) of Brandon, Wisconsin. This time the PRINCES OF THE NEW DARK AGE album was tapped for "The Further Adventures of Annie Helicopter" and "The Girl from the Sand". That's a total of five songs that we've signed this year that are now being shopped to a wide array of national recording artists. Hey publishers, "New Green Shirt", "Boy Meets Girl", "Logic" and many more of our catchy little tunes are still looking for good homes ... What are you waiting for?

We've been bootlegged! We've been You Tubed! That's right! An anonymous filmster captured us live in Manayunk sometime this past July toward the end of "Suzie Lone Star Hero" - Quality and perspective are a bit challenging but pretty cool all the same.



The Summer Shows
New Publishing Deal! - September 22, 2007

From 2nd Street to Manayunk, Cape May to 28th & Reed, the summer leg of the "2007 LIVING ROOM, DECK & SIDEWALK TOUR" rolls on into the fall with the great promise of playing new and exciting venues for great friends both new and old, to whom we extend our eternal thanks and love for thier continued support. We look forward to seeing you at the next show! Check out the Live Dates page for upcoming shows.

We are very proud to announce that while still in the early stages of the "song shopping" process of the "HELLO, GOODBYE... album, we have entered into our third publishing agreement. BRANDON HILLS MUSIC (BMI) / HEATH BROWN MUSIC (ASCAP) of Brandon, Wisconsin became our newest publishing affiliate and friend when they signed "We Always Lie" earlier this month. Speaking of the "HELLO, GOODBYE..." album, it is now also available through AMAZON.COM - Hey, buy an extra copy for a friend, and write your own review of the album while you're there.



"Hello, Goodbye..." CD released & reviewed! - - Joe's, Stephanie, Live Shows & New Publishing Deal! - June 30, 2007

"HELLO, GOODBYE & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN" was officially released in late march. Both the special deluxe edition of the new CD and individual song downloads are available directly through this site - We sincerely thank everyone who has laid down the $15 to purchase the CD, and then taken the time to write or email us with their heartfelt compliments on the music. As in the business of life, the music industry continually presents an artist with a sack-full-of disappointments and frustrations. And although it may sound like a cliché, it is the kind words and recognition of the folks that we aim to please that keeps us on course in the pursuit of our dreams, and makes this strange journey seem worthwhile.

The "2007 LIVING ROOM, DECK & SIDEWALK TOUR" kicked off on May 19th at Van Blunk's - The live performance was preceded by a very cool CD release party, and the show itself was a total blast that formally introduced new members Lonesome Joe's Owenso (guitar) and Stephanie Davis (vocals, clarinet) - Show review by Jay Schweitzer - The second show of the "2007 L.R.D.S. TOUR" took us to the lovely "MANAYUNK 2ND SATURDAYS" event. This outdoor show turned out to be a really nice experience for us and we've been invited back each month to terrorize the 'Yunk for the balance of the year.

We are extremely proud to announce that in the very early stages of the "song shopping" process of the "HELLO, GOODBYE... album, we have signed a publishing agreement for the songs "Plain Jane and Average Joe" & "The Night We Danced". Specializing in the promotion and placement of country flavored music, A.D.N. PUBLISHING (Nashville, TN) becomes our newest publishing affiliate and friend. Also, the prestigious international progressive rock publication, PROGRESSION MAGAZINE, once again reviewed our work and awarded HELLO, GOODBYE... 12 of 16 stars - Read Progression review - Pretty special when you consider that we are not necessarily out of the Yes, Genesis or King Crimson mold.

Finally, some answers to your questions. Of course I had a crush on Tuesday Weld - Yes, I hope to continue the "Annie Helicopter" saga. She is my idol - Yes, Dennis (is/was?) real - Yes, there were several songs written (to various degrees of completion - some even partially recorded) that did not make it onto the album - Yes, every person mentioned in "Let's See What We've Become" is someone that I know and have not spoken with in a long time. Your assignment, should you accept the challenge, is to identify these friends for me upon our next meeting!



"Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between" - - The Outstanding Records' Tony Mecca Podcast - February 18, 2007

The long months of painstaking attention to both creative and technical detail, that often seemed an unending and impossible task, is now just a distant memory that only recalls the joy of creating and doing what we truly love. It has been almost 2 years since our last album, and needless to say we are very excited and pleased to announce the release of our new album, "HELLO, GOODBYE & EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN". There are 22 songs that run over 70 minutes - That’s a “double album” to us old folk - We are extremely proud of the diversity, quality and performance of this new material, and we can’t wait to hear the thoughts, opinions and questions (and I’m pretty sure there will be a few) from all of our wonderful friends.

Outstanding Records (our label) have initiated a program of PODCASTS that you can download and listen to from their web site. A PODCAST is similar to a radio show with a "d jay" (now called a "p-jay"). We are featured with 2 other bands on their "Rock 'n' Roll" show. Just click the icon to the right and listen. You will be linked directly to that show. Our segment begins 12 minutes 40 seconds into the show.



"Purple Santa" - December 10, 2006

Ironically, with the holiday season now upon us, we received a few gifts a bit earlier than the traditional December 25th delivery date. The first arrived while ironing-out the details of a new overseas publishing arrangement. In addition to shopping our songs to other artists for their recording consideration, our European publisher (who is based in the Belgium/Netherlands market) expressed a strong desire to release PRINCES OF THE NEW DARK AGE in those countries. So in January 2007 we will be getting heavy radio airplay on the PRINCES album. The second parcel was delivered (literally) in the mail. The fall issue of PROGRESSION MAGAZINE gave a very flattering review of both PURPLE MONKEYS and PRINCES OF THE NEW DARK AGE (click the ALBUM/SHOW REVIEWS to read the review). We knew that this prestigious magazine would eventually be reviewing the albums - We were a bit concerned because while we are fans, we are certainly not "Progressive Rock" artists. We graciously thank Mr. John Collinge for hearing only the music and not the genre.



Live in the Park / New CD! - October 17, 2006

Thanks to all who braved the potentially ominous weather conditions to attend the "Burke Family Day Street Festival" - I must admit that returning to play at the very place I grew-up (and I only mean that figuratively) was a bit spooky - but the crowd made us feel very comfortable and I thought all went well. Hopefully, this show will mark the beginning of a long line of live performances.


The set-list:
1) Suzie (Lone Star Hero)
2) Mary Claire with Silver Hair
3) The Land of Upside Down
4) Plain Jane and Average Joe
5) William the Great

The new album will be a "double-length" CD featuring 22 new songs and is entitled "HELLO, GOODBYE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN" - Final overdubs are being recorded as we speak and the mixing and post production process should begin in December.



Live in Cape May - August 14, 2006

See LIVE DATE page - Click "Show past dates"



Update/Archives - May 14, 2006

Since our last rant we have made only moderate progress with the recording of the new album. Two weeks were lost to a brutal virus infection that attacked both Dave and Tony. Another two weeks went down-the-drain when Tony inadvertently stabbed himself in the left hand attempting to remove his daughter's new rod and reel combo from the near impenetrable packaging that protects many of today's products. Of course it was probably foolish to attempt this feat with one of those "big frickin' Harley Davidson shanks" - In response to the many requests that we've received for a CD of the old MECCA and HABITS songs, we are now in the process of compiling material , and hope to release a retrospective set that will be available through the web site in the future (thus the new/old pictures now appearing on our photo page). This package will also include many home demo recordings and an entire album of acoustic material that Tony recorded just after the release of the MECCA "FEARLESS" LP. We would love to augment this project with a live CD, and we are currently interrogating fans and friends as to the whereabouts of their old HABITS and MECCA bootleg cassettes. If you have any live audio or video tapes, photos or pertinent documents to validate the existence of these bands, please contact us through this web site. We only want to copy your stuff, and will promptly return your originals. Finally, on the "pretty cool" front, our first ever national/international ad appeared in the Spring issue of PROGRESSION MAGAZINE.



"Princes" live at Van Blunk's - October 23, 2005

Thanks to all of our great friends (both new & old) who attended the listening party/performance celebrating the release of the "Prince of the New Dark Age" CD at Van Blunk's. Check the photos from that great evening on the photo page. Much love to Joe, our kind and generous host.

Setlist: Suzie (Lone Star Hero) / Do I Do? / Simple Cindy and the Great Unknown / William the Great / Annie Walks Through Town / Annie Helicopter / Jack / Jack the Ripper / Love to Me / New Green Shirt / The Land of Upside Down / I'll Wonder / We Called Her Saint Anne / Read All About It



Hello, Hello, Hello! - September 27, 2005


Greetings from Purple Monkey Headquarters! Today will forever be affectionately remembered as the day we finally published our official website – “THE PURPLE PAGES”. That’s right! On this day we boldly open the doors of our humble and intimate family affairs to anyone interested in what we happen to be doing. We encourage you to drop by often and enjoy the photos, music and conversation that we hope to inspire. We encourage you to join our mailing list and regularly contribute your ideas and recommendations for the site. Of course you will be able to link with our record company to purchase our CD’s, and keep up with our live exploits.