ABBA Tribute Band at 3rd and Lindsley tonight! They're rocking!!!

I'm going in.....

Singing at Sycamores Terrace

I am so blessed to have amazingly talented friends, who have such giving hearts and are willing to give of their time and talents to go with me and entertain the wonderful folks over at the Sycamores Terrace Retirement Community. My Mom and Dad moved there 2 years ago, so I've gotten to know alot of the residents, as well as the staff there and it's really a great place for seniors to live and fellowship together.

This time, my friends, Carolyn Martin and Gary Jenkins went with me and we had a blast! Carolyn is one of my FAV singers and she can play the heck out of the guitar too! Gary went with me last time and was requested back by all the residents because he is an amazing entertainer!! We also got Karen Banach to sing with us too. She is the activities director there are Sycamores, but let me tell ya.... that girl can SING! She is a delight!!

You can see Miss Carolyn singing for the crowd in the first picture here.... then the next pic is Karen, me, Carolyn and Gary singing the closing number "Take Me Home Country Roads".. (of course) ..LOL

I also was blessed to have my friends Vickie Martindale and her mother, Mary Gilbert come along with me to the show. Mary is my neighbor and like another "mom" to me and it was her 77th birthday!! It was a treat to have them with me...

My Mom wasn't feeling too well, and didn't come down for the show, so what did we do? Well, we took the show to HER!! We all went up to her apartment and did a private show for her and it just made her day!! You can see Carolyn, Vickie, Mary, Gary, Mom and Dad in the third picture here while we were up in their apartment visiting/singing with them.

The last picture is me, Mary and Vickie....we look really happy, probably because we are leaving tomorrow morning for Harrah's in Metropolis, IL... It's our yearly "girl trip" and we always have a blast! Wish us luck!!!

He's getting his new glasses today!

I love working in a studio with lava lamps.... :-)

July 20th, 2009

Hey ya'll....

Well, I'm still working on my new EP this week... can't wait to get it finished! I'm also playing this Tues. night, July 21st at The Commodore Lounge here in Nashville, TN. I'll be playing ITR w/Janice Gilbert & Wayne Baird. 7pm!!

Saturday night I'll be up in Hopkinsville KY, playing with Brice Long and his band....it's a benefit for the Back2Back Foundation. For more info on the great organization, check out www.back2backfoundation.org

Hmmmmm.... Hopkinsville is SO close to Metropolis..... I wonder if I can find a way to swing by Harrah's for a couple of hours??? HA!! I hope you guys have a great week!!!

Don't forget to visit my other sites: www.myspace.com/marciaramirez... AND.... www.marciaramirez.com.... AND follow me on twitter!!

Love ya!

Marcia

Michelle's Angels...

Just a reminder that I'm playing at a benefit for "The Michelle's Angels Foundation" at The Listening Room in Nashville, TN this Friday night, July 17th. Show starts at 6pm. For more information, please go to: www.michellesangels.com

Please come out and hear some great singer/songwriters, as well as support a great cause!!

Monday, July 13th

Hey ya'll....

Two exciting things are happening for me this week! First off, I'll be in the studio working on my new EP! Hopefully I will have it done by my show in Alpharetta, GA on Aug. 1st... at least that's what I'm shooting for! It's going to be 5 of my "most requested" songs, some old, some new... I think it will be fun to put together!

Then, on Friday night, July 17th, I'll be part of a benefit for "Michelle's Angels" at The Listening Room Cafe here in Nashville, TN. It starts at 7pm with lots of great singer/songwriters... for more info: www.michellesangels.com

Don't forget to visit my other sites: MarciaRamirez.com

AND: www.myspace.com/marciaramirez

and follow me on TWITTER, of course!!

Hugs......Marcia

He just loves a good blow dry!!!

Wow!

I just started reading "Cure for the Common Life" by Max Lucado. I'm only on the 3rd chapter, but I'm LOVING it!! Powerful stuff......

Kind of like Superman.....

Well, this morning it’s really hitting me. I am un-employed. REALLY un-employed. What am I going to do now? Yesterday was my last Patty Loveless show. I had put in my notice with her organization a few weeks ago, so I could stay home and concentrate on writing. Then, my writing deal ended with Friday Records on July 1st. Good timing, huh? So now, I find myself on this overcast Monday morning in July wondering which way to turn. I am hoping that God will take this clean slate that I have given him and paint something beautiful for me!! I am praying that my heart will be open to anything that he puts in front of me too. Maybe it’s not in music…??? Maybe my life is about to take a completely different direction. OR maybe God is clearing things out of my life to make room for another musical opportunity...??? Whatever it is, I’m excited and hopeful. I feel like a little child on Christmas Eve who can hardly sleep because of the anticipation of finding what present Santa will leave for her under the tree. Today, there is no Santa…. But there IS my heavenly father, who has always provided for me. He has always answered my prayers. It hasn’t always been in the way I envisioned for him to answer them, but I’ve always gotten an answer. Always been provided for. So, I’m leaning on that faith today. Today, is officially the beginning of a new chapter in my life. Beginnings can only happen if there is an ending first, right?? Well, I’ve now had two endings. SO….

Dear God,

Please do that thing you always do, where you show up and save me right when I need you. Kind of like Superman, but bigger and better. I’ll be waiting….

Love,
Marcia

July 4th, 2009

July 4, 2009

What a crazy day…. We were in Freeport, ME for the L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series Festival. LOVED the cooler weather, but when the thunderstorms suddenly rolled in early afternoon, we started worrying that the show might have to be cancelled. I had been SO excited about the opportunity to open for Miss Patty Loveless and was really bummed about the weather possibly interrupting that chance!! However, I told Patty that she must have a little “Moses” in her, because close to showtime the storms just parted north and south of us and left us with perfect weather for the concert!!

The biggest damper of the day was hearing the sad news about Steve McNair, our beloved former Tennessee Titans Quarterback, who was tragically shot to death in Nashville earlier in the day. We all spent most of the afternoon being glued to the tv on the bus, going back and forth from ESPN coverage about McNair to The Weather Channel so we could find out if we were actually going to be playing a concert that night.

When the storms parted, I finally took the stage around 7:15pm with my friends Garry Murray and Matt McKenzie. They so sweetly offered to help out during my set, playing mando and bass with me! It was SO fun! The crowd was amazing and attentive and it is always a joy to hear what Garry and Matt bring to the musical table…. My friends, Kat and Monica had brought me “Peace and Relaxation” gifts earlier during the day AND they had a cool poster which read “NY and NJ loves Marcia” which they held up during my set!! THANKS GIRLS!! You make me smile….

Also got to see friends and PL supporters, Bob and Barbara, Richard and Patti, and Nicole Spaller who runs the biggest PL fan based website out there. If you are a true Patty fan, you need to check out her site…www.patty-loveless.net

Patty came out for her set around 8pm and did an amazing job as usual. That woman is simply one of the most gifted voices God ever made…. And a wonderful person on top of that!! I have thoroughly enjoyed working with her and her amazing band! This was my last show with that group for awhile and I will miss them…..

Thanks again to all the folks behind the scenes at the L.L. Bean Summer Concert Series for taking such great care of us and making such a wonderful place for music to be enjoyed!! Thanks to PL and the band for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing group of musicians and individuals…. And thanks to the fans, who are the heart and soul of the concert experience!! Love you all……

Friday July 3rd, 2009

Today we played the Stone Mtn. Arts Center in Brownfield, ME. As we were pulling up to the venue, we found out that there was no cell service and no internet. When we all realized that we might be faced with no contact with the outside world, it was horrifying. “You mean, we might have to actually TALK to EACH OTHER?!?!”, was Pete Finney’s comment at the news. It was sobering. What would we all do?!?! I’m happy to report that it was wonderful! The landscape around the venue was beautiful. The folks there at the SMAC were amazing. The food they fed us was awesome. There IS something “freeing” about being out in such gorgeous nature and not feeling the need to check emails, phone messages etc……

OK….I’m sitting in my bunk typing this and Deanie walks by…. She says “Oh! Are you blogging? Can you blog about me spilling tomato on my breasts and having to wipe it off and making more of a mess on my shirt?” There ya go, Deano…. It’s now documented for everyone to see.

Back to my story… SO…. If any of you live around the Brownfield, ME area, you should really go check out a show at the Stone Mtn. Arts Center. It’s just lovely. The dinner will be amazing and I’m sure you will want to come back again and again. I sure would if I lived up here. The thought actually crossed my mind several times today. “Gee, I wonder if we could MOVE here?!?!” It’s THAT gorgeous!!

Tomorrow…. The L.L. Bean Festival in Freeport, ME…. I kick-off the show at 7:30pm, then Patty Loveless at 8:00pm… ya’ll come see us!!

Waking up on the bus with still two hours to go....

Just me and my trusty laptop, hanging out in my bunk before I get some shut-eye!

Now it's Mr. Finney who is keeping me company......

Mr. McKenzie is too cool....

On our way.....

We are finally on our way up to Maine.... first show is in Brownfield, ME at the Stone Mtn. Arts Center. The show is tomorrow night, but of course we are leaving a day early because it's a L-O-N-G bus ride from Nashville. The band and crew are already making fun of me for blogging/twittering/facebooking all the details of our trip, but I know that secretly they love it!! Gonna settle into my bunk and read a bit..... maybe nap... .... the bunk is KIND OF like a hyperbaric chamber, right? I should be safe and sound for a couple of hours...

By the way... Jimay... if you're reading this... WE MISS YOU!! LOVE YOU!!

Jerry Lee Lewis ain't got nothin' on this one!!