This is where I will write about my shows, feelings, thoughts, and other things on music, and my musical life. Please be warned, entries may be a bit rambly, and constructed with poor grammar. However, I would have it no other way, and would like to get things like that up on this site, and updated as soon as possible. So, that's where we are. I guess, I just then want to say, thanks for being interested.

Totally rad to play at the tin angel. I played with three other musicians, in the round, that if i tried to spell their names right now, i might butcher them. so i figured, i would just say they were awesome. there was a great crowd, and i had a really good time. it was fun to sit on the stage in between songs, and try to use all my will power to not make faces at people. ha. thanks to everyone! for coming to the show.. namely laura, and katie sawicki, who was stopping by right before her very own show at sisters a few blocks away. also, beth, nicki, jess, jacquie, jo, ginger, neil, alexis, nat, vic, alicia, sarah, dave, rafi, harris, amy, and so many more that showed up!!! what an incredible show. i hope i'll get to come back to that place again. it's a beautiful. and peaceful venue. also!! thanks to george for taking care of the sound, and so excellently.

This was a cute and intimate show. Thanks bob for putting it together! and thanks again to laura for playing a long with me, and being so willing to jump in and sing with me! thanks to mark, jill, kristen and carolyn for coming out for the show! i had a good time, and had never done a show in trenton yet. and i hope to be back there soon!! it's a nice little place to play out as well.

I can't believe it's October already. whew. The time sure flies. Playing the Queer Cafe at Temple university was interesting. It was a packed show, and well, it was weird being back at the school i went to... But it was a good time. thanks to Alexis for putting the show together, and making it happen. this was also the first show that laura sang and played with me, and thanks lady for being so willing for me to push you along and for being so freaking talented. i loved it.

OH MAN. what can I say about this show. a dream, this show.. ha. a decent crowd, kara kulpa! jeremiah birnbaum! and myself, all jamming in the same room. What a good time!! check these artists out www.karakulpa.com, and www.jeremiahbirnbaum.com, you might just love them like i do. thanks to them for putting on such a great show, and coming through town. and also thanks to laura for letting them crash on her floor so nicely after a late night of living room jamming. seriously. what a good time.

First of all... I love DC. and thanks to Mara Levi for having such a fun show, at a fun place. I hope to get to play there again sometime. Laura, myself, and her friend Nicole packed into my car on a weeknight, and headed on down into the district. Nicole Reynolds (the friend we brought) actually made her stage debut!! www.nicolereynolds.com buy her CD, and support her, go see her shows, she's awesome and full of life :) but all in all it was a good time. and laura drove home. which I loved, even though I couldn't sleep. I am very lucky.

SOOOOO much fun. Emily Schweighardt and her crew at the PRIDE house of the MC know how to have a good time. I played the pride house, open house, and got to hang out with some friends during the weekend. It was a rainy, but welcomed trip out of this city, where all we found were friendly face, and good times. A very relaxing two days for me. Thanks Emily for all your help!

This place was interesting. I think I mostly liked competing with the big screen video games that were going on outside. Everytime someone opened the door I felt like I had to duck or get shot at. HA. But the College Perk is a really cool coffee shop, that serves alcohol, and amazing food. And it's in the heart of a college town, of University of Maryland. I think. There was a decent 'regular' crowd, and a bottomless coffee cup that had my name on it. all was well in the world that night.

This show had TONS of talent performing. we had ABNY, lori johnson, luca stone, sharis, innocence bello, myself, and ashley phillips, and more (i think) the show's sound wasn't working but that didn't stop us from hanging out in the park and trying to gain awareness for such a great event as sisterspace .i had a great time, and got laura to even sing with me on a song! there were lots of great performers, and lots of great friends. :).

This was a good show. this place is always so hot. there are lots of people that come, which is great. but the whole room is just ac'd by a window unit. but all in all it was a good sweat anyway. i was opening for aiden james, and he had his cellist with him. who sounded great. and then laura, aiden, myself and another fella that i can't remember his name.. all got up and sang 'i'll fly away' as the ending to the show. i thought that was cute.

I was supposed to play in indiana, but the details didn't work out, and we had to cancel the show. so i decided last minute, after dealing with some things in the city that i should head up to the falcon ridge folk festival in ny. laura was already there, so i just had to show up, no matter how late. there was some incredible performers. the neilds, dan bern, cheryl wheeler, to name a few. and aside from the camp catching fire on saturday night, it was a great weekend. sounds weird to say that since, it rained a lot, and there was a big bad fire. ha. but there were some amazing performers in the emerging artist stage as well. ellis was there, i'll be doing a show with her and chris pureka in september. chris pureka was there also, but she played emerging last year, and she just came back this year.what a great festival.

This show I would have enjoyed MUCH more if... I wasn't covered in Poison Ivy at the time. The day before the show, i had been in the ER all day, and then in the DR's all morning for the worst case of PI people in this city have seen in a while. ha. oh man. i feel bad for those who get it often. the show was good, but i couldn't walk much so it was a lot of cabs, wasting money, and me whining. but laura took good care of me. and i felt lucky for that. the crowd was talkative, and the show wasn't loud enough, and then the sunset. but ani was chipper, cheerful, and just excited to be back in ny. or at least, that's what it seemed. i love seeing her play in nyc because it's totally a piece of her.

This was a pretty decent show. it's hard to try to put your best show forward when you know you're playing for four hours, and the bookstore will be very noisy. but i still love playing at kramer's. maybe it's because it's so laid back, and i just jam out, and have a good time playing, like i do when i'm home. ha! my voice left something to be desired that night, since i was pretty raspy, and having a hard time getting through to the end. but i did it! i love dc, and it was nice to walk around the city that day.. getting there early, and walk around with laura on the mall, or just through downtown. it was a beautiful day for it.

so... i've never been to a solstice gathering before. but i don't know when the last time i had this much fun. i'm sure it has a lot to do with the company laura keeps, and the people that she allows into this world of her. we burned a wicca man in the fire, and it fell on me as the body burned, and they said i was blessed. ha. and then i thought that i don't doubt that. i felt very blessed in that moment. it was an amazing experience, and i felt very comfortable and accepted in the cirlce we were in. these were all new and exciting people to me. well, all but laura. and i had a blast. it's hard for me sometimes to admit that i get a little shy about playing or jamming with other musicians. here i had come and visited a previous evening, and was able to observe a little before jumping in. jeff is this incredible force of a person, filled with positive energy, and love and peace. there's so much about him that i can see in the air, and in him, that i probably would never be able to put to words. it's so refreshing to meet people like that. and they are so few and far between sometimes. it inspires me to be more ok with the energy that i give off, and just be a more positive person in every aspect of my life. the ideas in solstice i know little about. however, i think i would love to learn. i would love to learn more about the spiritual energy of the earth, and how it relates to me in my life, and in who i am, and what i do. jeff talked about the sun as this one consistent thing. as this one thing that we can count on to come up every day, for however long. and well, i've been thinking about that a lot lately. it's becoming quite thematic in some of my newer material. i think about the sun more often than i think about the rain. and that makes me think funny thoughts since my second CD is called 'soaked in rain'. but that's a period of my life that i went through, and still think about and emotionally revisit, but it was more of a phase and a cleansing than a constant. the sun creates a much more permanent theme in my life. it creates something that i can think and refer to as a withstanding integral piece of my constant environment. like a constant home. if i'm aware of nothing else. i have this. whereas the rain reflects an emotion or a growth. and a cleaning. interesting. so now, i guess i just have to find the sun anywhere i can. in every way. to see it. from all different worldly and global constants. there's much more music to be made from this. i know it.

how moved are you? ha. well, laura and i attended the ms. ani difranco show in dc this weekend. and let me tell you. it was incredible. i was more moved than i have been in a long time. perhaps that's because ani was on a break from the issues she was having with the tendinitous(-sp?). she played very well.. and hammell on trial opened for her. and he was more incredible than i have ever seen. i really need to get my hands on his new cd. it's really good. at least from everything i've heard so far. i'm really excited for it. and i should have gotten it already.. i've just been a little lazy. i think i'll work on that asap. ani played some new love songs, and played some more political stuff, and brought me to a tear or two when she jumped deep into some very touching emotional issues in politics and humanity... i felt moved, and i felt like i want to do more, and do all kinds of things... i have to feel out what that really means to me. and how i can better myself in this world, and be a more useful tool for people who could use me. i cannot wait to see ani when she comes to nyc next month.. you know i'll be there!!!

girl party always rocks. this time that had a funky different set up. that i loved. and yet again all the deaf people sat right up front. but that's totally cool. maybe i should consider having someone to sign the shows! :) there was a decent turnout, but the summer for a college venue such as this is always harder. i still played my heart out. played some brand new stuff that had a great response. thanks to new friends that showed up to the show to see my stuff. jeff, and his lady friend. and a new staple in my days laura. thanks for coming! it's always easier to play when i feel that listened to. i'm going to be playing girl party again in september as well. i love this party... and the people that show up at it. it's totally a laid back crowd always a good time. strange however, that nicki wasn't there. that was a little bit of sadness that's for sure. i don't think i've ever played a girl party without her there.

another good show from this man here... it's a cute little venue that i may look into playing sometime down the line. there was this granola chick that opened for him.. who had an incredibly sweet voice, and was very.. poetic. i forget her name, she had a lot different of a sound than aiden, which complimented the show nicely. here's a cool idea... there needs to be more coffee shop type of places that sell beer. and corona. best corona i ever had... and during the show, i had to write my set list, since i was also playing that night at another venue later on.

whewie. this one... well, aiden was amazing as always... and it was a lot of fun to play with him. he's got a knack for the performance thing. i had a decent show, haven't played at the treehouse in quite sometime, and i did miss it so. and it's always nice to come and hang out in collingswood one of my old stomping ground. i was quite nervous at this show... because it was attended by a special girl. and well, i think i survived without messing up too badly. ha. i will be back to play at the treehouse again in september... very excited!!!

i've decided that i'm going to post about shows i attend as well. because well, why not? and when i am that moved. people should know! or... if they want to anyway :) so aiden james played at the raven lounge in philly (where he and i played together last time) and it was amazing. www.aidejamesmusic.com check it out. he's amazing. really... incredibly talented. this boy's got soul, and the new CD is out!!! and he sold out of them that night, so i didn't get to hear the whole thing yet, however, as soon i get my hands on one, and have a listen.. i'll tell you all my words. :) so come out to one of his shows. incidentally, he's playing with me at the treehouse in collingswood for my next show this saturday the 10th. rock out.

i played at kramer books both of these saturdays. the first weekend was awesome. and i made a new friend/fan sarah. we had a great time, and matt was there, he works there, and always loves hanging out. he's a great guy, and he digs my stuff so much. it's really nice and refreshing to have such eager ears around me. the second saturday i had a killer cold. and i still do. but i'll live. two many shows maybe in too short amount of time? NAH... just gotta sleep more? NAH... what then? hah. i don't know. just gotta get used to it.. that must be it. word. alright. until next time.

i played the raven lounge. It's in the rittenhouse square area of philadelphia. it's actually a really cool new bar. www.ravenlounge.com i got to play with aiden james again. www.aidenjamesmusic.com and i love him. he's incredibly talented. so everyone should check him out. the owner of the place is really sweet. it was, however a 100 degrees in the room we were playing.. but we were playing on cinco de mayo... so it was like mexico!? :) it was a good time as always.

Played at sisters to help kick off the Equality Forum (Gay Pride Events) in Philadelphia. It was a lot of fun. Much more than i would have imagined. There were lots of people there, shout outs to a few Nicki, Jacquie, Jess, Lisa, Mel, Dani, Sandy, and i'm sure many other that i'm forgetting. Don't take it personally. my head is drugged up on cold meds while i'm trying to catch up on the shows i've played. heh. i felt like i played a really great show. pulled out some new and exciting covers, and premiered some new tunes... that were just written. i played nicole's song for her... and that made me happy to see her smile out of the corner of my eye. i just was fairly nervous and excited to play such a well attended event, and i got to play with christine havrilla www.christinehavrilla.com, and that was amazing since i had bought one of her CDs 6 years ago, and thought she was incredibly talented then, and now i got to play on the same bill as her. it was truly fantastic. i had a lot of fun.

so.... it's nearly a year later. i'll start updating this little thing again. this little 'tour' journal. if you will.. and i will. oh.... yes. ha. ok. anyway, last night, i played upstairs at the pontiac grille. and opened for aiden james. and he was incredible. www.aidenjamesmusic.com, check him out. the show was amazing. i also played with ron morris, and lili angel, it was a lot of talent, and a good time. i would play there again. the sound guy was very cute, and the place filled in quite nicely. i had some new fans come, and some oldie but goodies.. one of my friends from high school came that i hadn't seen in like 10 years!!! the show is apparently featured in the citypaper this week. so go and check it out. always good to play close to home too.

this weekend wore on me musically. but i felt good about music all weekend. the kids responded great, and things ran smooth. i was running another retreat's music, sing along section. what was nice... was when i stood at the lakeside firecircle just becfore the rain, with my guitar, and strummed and sang.. with all the little faces just silent, and watching. it reminded me of, when i was younger, at family camp. when jenn, and lisa played 'strange fire' around that very same fire circle. i was in such awe back then. senior in high school.. or a freshman in college... i can't remember. either way, i was in awe, and it was nice to think.. wow, broberg and i just played and sang the exact same song.. just about three weeks before. that's kind of neat. it was like i was so inspired, and i got there. and i'm still going. so, it just makes me see that i can just get there.. patience, and awe.. is all i need. ha.

May 6th, 2005

Tonight i played the threshold cafe. run by passionworks. chuck is really getting together a nice place for community resource. this building is great. it's an intimate space, and all the people were super friendly, and a lot of new people too. Thanks to chuck and his wife, and rachel zerbe for being so hospitable, and totally chill. i hope to play back at the threshold cafe really soOn!

Tonight i played three on tuesday at Sal's on 12th. this was a lot of fun. the place was packed, and there were lots of people from trader joe's there. it was nice.. since a lot of them had never seen me play before. we played three rounds.. and dian and kurt sounded great too!

April 8th, 2005

i got to play ithaca college tonight. well, i opened for katie sawicki. she rocks!!! come see her at the world cafe live on june 3rd!!! i'll be there (at least.. i very well hope to be) i have her CD you should all buy it (and BUY MINE) just some fine ladies trying to make a buck. check her out though.. seriously... RIGHT now. www.katiesawicki.com the show was great. katie was very friendly. i was kind of nervous, just because she was a little intimidating, but in that greatly talented way. it was rad. i had a good time. and props go out to jaime and laura for driving all the way up to ithaca from philly. ITHACA IS GORGES. ha. ok. yes. i bought the shirt. i can't lie.

April 1st-3rd, 2005

Harry asked me to run music for the junior high retreat. so there i was. getting the kids to sing along with me. to songs like 'lord i lift your name on high' and 'open the eyes of my heart' you know. it was actually a really good time. i was really nervous, but i got over it.. eventually. and it's something else when you get a whole room of kids to sing a song that you wrote. totally something else.

So, for the senior high retreat at camp johnsonburg, the open mic sign up event.. on saturday night bombed. no one signed up. so harry, just asked me to do about a half hour or more set. and i was like.. sure, it was tricky cleaning my songs up enough, well, no. they're not dirty. but you know. it's just tricky. so it was a blast.. tell ya the truth, and i loved playing there. i hadn't performed in that room, to that caliber since probably the CD release in 2003. heh. fun stuff. so i think it went really well, and then harry asked me to do music for the next retreat!

The 'soaked in rain' fundraiser was a great success! There was a decent amount of people there, and we even made some money for the cd!!! WE NEED TO GET IT OUT ASAP. Thanks for all the folks that showed up, all the teams that played, and all the fun that was had. OH and there was much fun had!!! I would like to give a special thanks to Brigit, Giulia, and Stevo, who put forth so much effort in making it all happen, and for helping me tie loose ends, and get things togehter. It was a smash! And, I think everyone else had a great time too!! And congrats to the winning team: 'school on saturday' for 'schooling' everyone else... haha. get it? AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIULIA. I LOVE YOU DUDE

Played the treehouse coffee shop in Jersey on Saturday. I love playing that place. It's so quaint, and comfortable. The people are lively, and laugh at me. I can also sit down... I love that! There was a good number of people there. Doug Norrie Opened for me. He's SO good. Someone asked if him and I were married. Ha. That was cute. I played a long set. Nearly 2 hours, and played a ton of brand new stuff. Felt pretty comfortable with nearly everything I played, and it was a refreshing evening. Some new folks, and some old friends that just hadn't seen me play in a while. I was wonderfully exhausted by the evening end. And we sold all the CDs!!! awesome. I remember again sometimes why I love this so much. And, I miss playing as much. I'm glad that I got to play twice in February. How about playing every week? Every day? Oh man. I would love that. working it. working it. Email me! info@arlenemccann.com. AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT.

February 22nd, 2005

I played the open mic night at Bulfeeney's in Portland Maine on tuesday. It was a good time. I must say... It's interesting how different open mics can be depending upon where. I haven't really ever seen an open mic that's as laid back as that one. I think that's particulartly because.... Maine can be a pretty laid back state. And, even though, Philly is pretty laid back as far as cities go.. it's still a city. And all cities are at least a little uptight. So I played a bunch of songs. The dude said i could play more. But, I was already played out. Hadn't really pepared for it considering. AND. Cassie Frayer, of the hit air band...'C'mon Pancake', was doodling. She doodled this fine portrait of me... getting used to the Maine culture. Unfortunately her air band did not perform. As, that would have been confusing at an 'open' mic. Where air bands are most commonly found on dance floors of 80s pop music. Perhaps another night... for C'mon Pancake. I had a great time. Many more great times in Maine seem en route. Thanks for all who came to hang out, and those we met. Thanks for coming.. Holly, Pam, Cassie, Mandy, Max, and Alex?. And the people we met!! Matt, Lee Anne, Ed, Mike, and Doug. Maine, 'worth a visit, Worth a lifetime'.

December 21st, 2004

Yay for three on Tuesday! I like it! There was a great crowd, and lots of support and alcohol flowing. I had the chance to play with Kelly Ricketts, and Nicola Visaggio. They are two extremely talented ladies. They pushed me too, to be better. It's like that when you're playing in excellent company you know. Not competing against them at all. It's competing against yourself. When you're playing in the company of incredible drive and talent, I tend to want to achieve like they do. We all had very different styles that I think complimented each other well, and we had a lot of fun. I wish I had talked to either of them more, I get shy at shows, and flock to the few faces of familiarity. So, come say hi! I won't bite.... heh. Had an old buddy come to the show. Hadn't seen him in years. Warmed my heart. (Mike, that's right. you. ha) And a lot of ladies came. It was a beautiful show all around! Thanks all for playing, coming, and hosting!!

I played the Elipsis Cabaret show that was being held at the Adrienne theater on Sansom. It was a very eclectic performance, and the other performers were so talented I was slightly nervous. But, I had fun, and was introduced to a lot of new local musicians. This guy called Soulstice did a hip hop performance, and he was incredible. There was such much art, and talent in that room that evening, I was slightly intimidated. Anything from story telling, to poetry, to rapping, to hip hop, to singer/songwriters, to despina's beautiful greek music, to screaming poetry and synthesizers. What a great show to see.

I had taken a little break from some shows in the early of November. It was nice, since I went to some Ani Difranco shows in NYC, and then recorded the last two final tracks of the soaked in rain!! Yes. The show on the 27th, right after thanksgiving was amazing. It was at the treehouse coffeeshop in Collingswood NJ, and there was standing room only by the time I went on at 9 PM. It's always nice when that happens. There was a great crowd, very diverse, and just very attentive, quiet and listening. It was nice. I was really sick too, with a bad cold so it was rad when the place set me up with the largest tea they could hold in a cup. Tasty!!!. I played the better part of two hours, and held strong the entire time. It was very exciting to have Matthew Allen Lyttle, and good buddy of mine open for me also. He has so much talent, and is a rad person in general. He even tributed a song to me.. what a sweetheart. I tributed a song to my friend Leah, and a really poorly written poem that I wrote her. "your life is a string of romance for every human being" is my favorite line.. but I will not be including the rest. I played so long, and was so nice and sweaty, and exhilirated after that show. very exciting. Saw some new faces, and some old... And, just had a great great time. I would like to say that it was one of my favorite shows that I've played... in a long time! I hope to play there again. I think it also greatly helped that so many local college kids were around and home for the holidays. So thanks Matt! and thanks to all that came! and thanks to the treehouse!

I played the Brass Monkey Saloon last friday. I guess.. I wasn't sure what to expect exactly. A small bar. I didn't make any money. Ha, but that's not new. I played last, and went on... at about 1:15? or something like that. I can't even remember. I want to give a special thanks to those that trekked out to see me at such a late hour... Wade and Megan, Alyssa and her friend... April and Kiersten, who stuck out the whole night.. what troopers, and of course Melissa. I closed the bar that night.. what a night. The first time that someone had to ask me to stop playing.. since, usually I through sets like a blink of the eye.. woohoo. I also want to thank Crystal for being so helpful and friendly upon our arrival. I had a really great set, and I think that i seemed more comfortable than usual. I just love playing... really. I could play for hours and hours if my voice allowed me. and all the people around me allowed me also... ha. and, I'm excited for the new website going up!!! UPDATED.. very soon. so keep coming back!!!!!!!