Virtual Concert Recap: Festival of the Valkyrie, Benefit for Jessa Roquet, Patrick's Transatlantic Cabaret, and Desert Islands Mixtape Show
May has been a flurry of weirdness, newness, solitude, sweetness, loneliness, and also a BURSTING of community through the virtual seams. I am grateful and stoked to have been involved in four SUPER COOL virtual events on different platforms. This blog highlights the events and if you missed the shows you can re-watch right here!
Festival of the Valkyrie // Valkyrie Music Collective
"The Valkyrie Music Collective was founded by Vicky Emerson, Annie Fitzgerald, Sarah Morris, Jess Rau, and Haley Rydell who are friends, colleagues, and fierce advocates for women of all gender, racial, and sexual identities who have joined together in an effort to increase women's power in the music industry. We look forward to our mission evolving, to identifying feminist allies within all gender identities, to finding inclusive spaces to work within, and to building a sustainable, supportive community.
Super sweet to be a part of this virtual Festival that ran from 8:30 in the morning all the way to like 7pm! It kicked off with "a panel discussion moderated by Vicky Emerson will focus on the challenges and future solutions of working in the masculine/male dominated music industry. At 10:30am, following the panel discussion, Andrea Swensson, host of The Current’s ‘Local Show’ and author of Got to be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound will make a keynote address." Watch Below! Definitely worth listening to and learning from, especially if you do not identify as femme.
You can watch ALL of the artists' performances at Valkyrie Music Collective's FACEBOOK PAGE where they all live
Performances by: Kat Perkins, Diane Miller, Annie Mack, Theyself, Ellis Delaney, The Nunnery, Venus DeMars, Jillian Rae, Gaelynn Lea, Kiss the Tiger, Faith Boblett, Mary Bue, Lena Elizabeth, Ashley Gold, Shannon Blowtorch, Joyann Parker, Mayda, Katy Vernon, Erin Grand, Julia Floberg, Julie Eddy, Davina Lozier, DJ Michel.Be, Mary Cutrufello and Maria Isa.
I was stoked to perform a 20 minute set - please note there is some cussing. Enjoy!
Going Live with Love: Songs of Support for Jessa Roquet
Jessa is a wonderful human, musician, and mother of three living through a rare cancer diagnosis in the time of Covid-19. I met Jessa a few years back and it turns out her cousin is Josh Gamble who was one of my early music collaborators (he did the awesome echo-y guitar loops for "Found Myself Sad" - listen below)
Anyway, some of Jessa's dear friends and fellow musicians got together to throw this online benefit show for her. It raised over $5000 to support her and her family as she goes through cancer treatments. You can watch the entire seven hour concert below (I perform around the 6:19 mark ) and donate to Jessa's GoFundMe Here. We love you Jessa! Here also is a gorgeous article about Jessa's situation in City Pages.
Jessa's GoFund Me is here - support if you are able!
Next up, Patrick's Transatlantic Cabaret!
What an honor and delight to offer musical entertainment at famous Patrick's Cabaret! It was a truly transatlantic event, spanning the ocean with talent and eclectic performances from Berlin, Romania, and Minneapolis. Please enjoy dance, spoken word, music (piano and sitar from me), and performance / shadow art below. Thank you, Patrick!!
Stay in the know about Patrick's next Cabaret by joining his newsletter here!
Desert Islands Mixtape show on KFAI FM radio w/ Doc
I love chatting with Doc, a talented musician who performs under Theyself, and a champion of the local music scene, and music far and wide. Every Wednesday Doc offers a "mixtape" style radio show on KFAI.org where they have guests share 10 albums they would bring to a desert island. Doc then curates a mixtape surrounding pics from these albums. It's a great theme for a radio show!
Here is the list I sent to Doc with my Desert Island picks if I were to be stuck with these albums in 2020 (it changes every year, ya know!!):
Top Ten in no particular order
- Tom Petty - Wildflowers
- Beatles - Revolver
- Jeff Buckley - Grace
- Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
- Portishead - Dummy
- Ravi Shankar - Chants of India
- The Supremes - Box Set
- Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
- Emily Haines - Knives Don’t Have Your Back
- Belly - King
- Daft Punk - Homework
- Cocteau Twins - Treasure
- Sunny Day Real Estate “Diary”
(You might note that is more than 10 albums). Click below to listen! I am also a proud Patron of Doc - you can be too for as little as $1 / month and get notified of all of their awesome mixtapes! Join here.
And lastly, YOU ARE INVITED to a #LiveFromHome Virtual Concert - Friday, May 22nd 7:30pm CST
Dear ones, I look forward to singing to you once again through the screen LIVE on the facebook (and instagram) Friday evening from the strange solitary comfort of my Minneapolis living room. I hope you'll meet me in your living room, office, or smartphone!
In celebration of what WOULD HAVE BEEN the album release date for my 8th album "The World is Your Lover" I'm hosting a virtual party! Come and get fancy in your sweet and cozy home! (PS new release date Aug 21, and actual party is hopefully Oct 23rd Mary Bue & The Monarchy with Turn Turn Turn and Alan Sparhawk)
Tune in HERE on my music page and maybe even host a little "watch party." I'll be performing for 30-45 minutes or so, just a hot tick!
If you prefer instagram live, be on the lookout here!
I'll have some new songs, some old songs, and maybe a sitar ditty for you on this evening. The candles will be lit. The incense will be smoking. The eyeliner will be heavy. The curling iron will be hot.
If you would like to pay a virtual cover or tip:
Venmo @marybue
Paypal.me/marybuemusic
Zelle + Cash App: marybue@gmail.com
I will also be launching, yes indeedy, ANOTHER KICKSTARTER on this show! Just an itty bitty one this time to raise funds to recoup some investments for the album that was set to release on THIS VERY DATE (postponed to August 21st).
The Kickstarter will be a pre-order for vinyl, CDs, and it will also support some kick ass gorgeous new music videos, and promotion for the new album to spread the music as far and wide as I can with raising $2020 to try and cover all of these aforementioned items! And thank you to all who have previously pre-ordered on my website - you are AMAZING and your albums will be sent out in August prior to the release (if I haven't reached out to you about this new shipping date, I will be ASAP - my spreadsheet is rocking).
I CAN'T WAIT to sing to you through the internet ether again.
BIG LOVE!
Mary