MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5 THE FLUTTERBIES Summer 2014 Newsletter
Thursday, August 7th, 2014
|
|
Happy Spring! Flowers blooming, birds are chirping and the bands are busier than ever…..
THE FLUTTERBIES Thank you all for the Pandora Radio & Spotify Plays! We are writing/recording new songs and hope to debut them for you this summer! Top radio hits continue to be “Faith In Rain” and “Hummingbird Heart” as heard in George Clooney’s Oscar Winning film “The Descendants”. In the meantime, Flutterby Adam continues to co-write songs for M&M 5 as well!
MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5 – our Jump Swing Rockabilly Thang – just won 2nd Place in the 5th Annual Rockabilly Showdown at the Orange County Marketplace! We shared the bill with The Americans, who recently appeared on Late Night With Letterman. The event was hosted by the sassy Karling Abbeygate, who with her band, The Kadavar’s, is queen of the rockabilly scene.
In May, Maureen travels to Paris for a wedding (pleasure) and then will appear May 21st with Sanseverino, Duportal, Chopin and other Parisian all-stars at the Origin of Blues & Boogie Tribute at Club Balajo (monkey business). Formidable Mes Amies!
FLASH MOB / LINDY BOMB! In February, the band hooked up mics & guitars to not only Roland battery-operated amps but to the battery of a ’63 Chevy Longbed truck and played 2 sets for donut-driven dancers! The confectionary concert was captured on fan Iphones and personal cameras, and finalized by dancer/film editor Christopher Fessenden. Click here to see “Drink Him Down” (written with Flutterby Adam Daniel!) danced on donuts! Speaking of dancing, On May 22, Maureen will have danced 101 consecutive days – in honor of Mom who’s not able to dance at present. Go Mo! To catch up on the that dance challenge and for other news, please click here
M&M5 LIVE at DOWNTOWN DISNEY’S ESPN STAGE!
Friday: May 2, June 20, July 18, August 15
Saturday: May 3 (others TBA)
Sunday: May 25
Shows are at ESPN ZONE — 1545 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, ALL AGES, NO COVER – You do not need a Disney pass to attend and you get 3 hours free parking! DJ Dr. Nate will play between sets and the dynamic Dancee Angie will teach new steps!
As always, thanks for all your love & support with our musical adventures!
Listen to us on Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody – Buy us on Itunes, Amazon & CD Baby
Hope to see you soon!…..xo Maureen
April showered us with incredible fortune and May is flowering into an a-May-zing month!
Our secret sideshow – the Jump Swing Rockabilly thang, MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5 is truly taking off! We’ve recorded some tunes and have several gigs coming up!
Click here for our Facebook & Reverbnation links: http://www.reverbnation.com/maureenandthemercury5
BBQ CLASSIC ON THE QUEEN MARY
Whose barbecue style reigns supreme? The Queen Mary presents the first-ever West Coast BBQ Classic – Enjoy a full day of finger lickin’ good competition with Pitmasters from around the country battling for the title of Ultimate Pitmaster. Then, dance off that great food with THE FLUTTERBIES and MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5! Click here for more info: http://westcoastbbqclassic.com/
Here are the details:
SATURDAY MAY 12, 2012 – BBQ CLASSIC AT THE QUEEN MARY
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802
4:30pm The Flutterbies
6:00pm Maureen & the Mercury 5 w/special performances by Swing Dance Sensations – The Hollywood Hotshots!
Between Sets – DJ Little Steven’s Underground Garage! Please come early for 11:30am-Them Novus and 1:30 pm Shoemaker Brothers
Gates open at 11 a.m. General admission to the West Coast Classic is $10 and includes one tasting ticket. Purchase one additional taste for $2; six tastes for $10; or 13 for $20. Children 12 and under are free; admission to the kids’ zone is $5. Parking is $12.
LET’S MOVE TOGETHER AT THE LOS ANGELES ARTHRITIS WALK!
Sing and dance with us for a cure at the Los Angeles Arthritis Walk, Saturday, May 19th, 7:30am to 11:30am on the Santa Monica Pier, Lot 1 North. We know it’s early morning on a Saturday – but come enjoy the beautiful beach weather and meet The Eagles’ Glenn Frey, as he gets an award from Flutterby Maureen and the Arthritis Foundation for his tireless efforts to find a cure (Maureen will sing “Desparado”). We are donating our talents as part of Let’s Move Together, a nationwide movement that encourages people to move to prevent or treat arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. Sign up to walk at 7AM. More info here: http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1001905
Here are the details:
SATURDAY MAY 19, 2012 – ARTHRITIS WALK LOS ANGELES
7:30AM THE FLUTTERBIES – and Glenn Frey presentation
9:00AM – 11AM — Maureen & the Mercury 5 w/the Hollywood Hotshots
COURSE: 3-mile with a 1-mile course option; Pets welcome. Parking is $8 per car
OUR NEW FRIENDS
Ryan Schiff, of Americana band Lou Pine and our cool music director pal from West L.A. School of Rock will sub for Adam Daniel, May 19th. We’re thrilled to add his harmonies to THE FLUTTERBIES family. Also, Peter Kavanaugh, of (all star player of Phat Cat Swinger, among other notables) will sub for Eitaro Sako in MAUREEN & THE MERCURY 5 May 12 & May 19th. THE HOLLYWOOD HOTSHOTS are joining us for both gigs this month too! These dancers have been featured on Super Bowl 2012’s Budweiser Eternal Optimism Commercial, Gloria Estefan’s music video “Hotel Nacional”, Foster The People’s “Houdini” video and even JibJab E-Cards. HOTSHOTS Founder Minn Vo is one of LA’s favorite Swing Dance competitors and was inducted into the California Swing Dance Hall of Fame in 2004. Additional accomplishments include the Los Angeles Finals for the FOX reality series “So You Think You Can Dance” (Season 1), The 55th Annual Emmy Awards, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY, and sponsorship from Aris Allen Dance Shoes, Adidas, Vitamin Water and RedBull.
Hope to see you out and about…
xo
Maureen and The Flutterbies
Maureen & The Mercury 5
© 2011 The Flutterbies
Official website: www.theflutterbies.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/theflutterbies
Maureen at Facebook: www.facebook.com/theflutterbiesmaureen
The Flutterbies at Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/THE-FLUTTERBIES/62293491361?ref=s
Hey Flutterbies fans, welcome to our August newsletter… Keywords this month: Come Alive, Cartoon Network, and Cats!
Come Alive
We have a new single for you this month, and it’s debuting with a bang! Our track "Come Alive" will be featured on the Adult Swim/Cartoon Network show Children’s Hospital August 11 at midnight (so that’s actually August 12, technically). They’ve taken our sweet romantic ballad and made it extremely funny, and we love that… The show boasts an ensemble cast with serious star power: Rob Corddry, Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler, and Erinn Hayes. Flashback: Maureen shared an early career dressing room with Erinn at Disneyland. Erinn was there for sketch comedy, and Maureen was making music.
We couldn’t be more thrilled to be checked into Children’s Hospital!
"Come Alive" is the first song Maureen and co-conspirator Adam Daniel wrote for The Flutterbies. An alt-country duet about the thrill ride of falling in love, the track has been a live favorite for some time now, and was even performed at a fan’s wedding! It’s available now at iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, etc. Click the cover art below for a streaming sample and direct links to purchase.
Cats for Cats
Also this month, Flutterby Maureen will appear in the concert Cats for Cats Saturday August 6 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Another impressive cast here includes Fred Willard, Mindy Sterling (from Austin Powers and The Flutterbies "How I Get Over you" music video), Jean Louisa Kelly (from Yes Dear and also another of Maureen’s early career compatriots, from Into the Woods on Broadway), Mandy Moore and this year’s So You Think You Can Dance finalists! All proceeds benefit Kitty Bungalow, a local nonprofit saving stray cats and kittens. Click here for tickets, and use the promo code "friends" and get 50% off!
We hope you enjoy the new single! See ya next month…
xo
Maureen and The Flutterbies
Hey Flutterbies fans, welcome to our June newsletter… This month: a new single, and live concert footage!
Ace of Spades
Our new single is out now! By popular demand, we’ve finally recorded our raucous acoustic cover of Motorhead’s "Ace of Spades." A longtime live favorite, now you can download the track and listen loudly in the privacy of your own home while sipping Ms. Maureen’s new drink of choice: Jasmine & Jack (jasmine green tea and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Whiskey). The single features Mo and the fiery fingers of Flutterby Adam, and was co-produced with Kenny Lyons (Jim Bianco, The Divinyls, Lemonheads). Click on the cover art, below, to open a webpage with a streamable sample and links to purchase at iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby!
Flutterbies on Film
Our recent concert at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles, CA was webcast live, produced by five Flutterbies fans! Dawn and Ben Goldstein (Ohio), Kyle Gebhart (Deleware), Dave Rodgers (Hollywood), Charles Nainan (Los Angeles) and Helen Downing (Maryland) all contributed to the cost of filming the show, which is now posted for your enjoyment on YouTube! Our sincere thanks to our gig’s generous sponsors. Also, thanks to Jose Amaral Jr. of Amaral Productions for a fine filming job, The Ghostwriters and Mather Louth & Radio Noir for sharing the bill that evening, Jay Tinsky, Robin, Jim Vitale, Soundman Nicolas, and all the kind folks at Genghis Cohen.
Click here to watch the show!
Coming Soon
Our next single will be out in July, accompanied by some exciting news… Stay tuned!
xo
Maureen and The Flutterbies
Howdy, everyone! It’s been awhile since we’ve been in touch, and there’s lots to tell…
First Rain of October
We’ve spent the winter recording new songs, and we’re very excited to have you hear them! We’ve decided to release them one at a time, a song a month, as digital singles available at iTunes, Amazon, etc. First up is a tune that’s been a live audience favorite the past year, "First Rain of October." A pop country confession about an ex-lover finding happiness with someone new, the track is available now for just 99¢ at all your favorite online retailers! Click the cover art, below, to visit a webpage with a streaming sample of the track, liner notes, and direct links to purchase.
First Rain Tour PRODUCTION PACKAGES
April showers bring First Rain Tours! We’re celebrating the release of our new single by hitting the road! We’re flying to the East Coast next month, where we’ll be playing live in Central Park in New York City and also returning to our good friend Paul Gumerman’s Cooldog Concerts in Delaware. To help fund our micro-tour, we’re offering "First Rain of October" production packages for purchase. If a downloaded MP3 just isn’t enough Flutterbies for you, and if you’d like to help get us east in April, please check these out!
$25 Flutterby Fan
$50 Band-Aide
$100 Monarch
For those of you uncomfortable with PayPal, feel free to send checks to:
The Flutterbies
5419 Hollywood Blvd. #C123
Hollywood, CA 90027
Thank you for your support! We hope you enjoy "First Rain of October."
A Dedication
Finally, we’d like to salute actress Betty Garrett, with whom Maureen studied voice/acting at Los Angeles’ Theatre West. Aside from numerous films and Broadway shows, you know Betty best from Laverne and Shirley and All In the Family. She directed Maureen in "Spoon River Anthology" (with Lee Meriwether, Bridget Hanley and Jim Beaver). Betty passed away February 12, 2011. We will miss her so very much.
xo
Maureen & The Flutterbies
Hey, y’all… Hope you’re having a groovy summer! We have some gig news to share with you, both past and upcoming.
Home Wreckers
We had a wonderful evening last month in Laguna Beach, playing a house concert for one of our loyal fans who helped fund our East Coast tour in May. The sponsorship package he purchased included a live appearance, so we played an acoustic set and then took requests from his 1980’s metal loving friends. Who knew you could rock Rush on a baby grand piano? Hope we didn’t break anything…
Two Worlds One
You know those angelic harmonies on "Hummingbird Heart" and funky Motown backups on "Kill Him With Kisses?" They were performed on our CD by our good friend Molly Pasutti. Her new band Two Worlds One is playing one of our favorite venues, Kulak’s Woodshed, Saturday night July 24 at 8:00 PM. We’ll be there and wanted to turn you on to what’s sure to be a great evening of music. Come on down! Full information is here.
Grand Theft Audio
Finally, come out in August for a unique Flutterbies show! Carl Kozlowski, winner of the Laugh Factory’s "America’s Funniest Reporter" contest, invited us to be house band for the first anniversary show of Grand Theft Audio—a hilarious fusion of music and comedy.
Here’s details:
The Flutterbies full-band electric!
Tuesday August 3 at Busby’s East
Wilshire & LaBrea in Hollywood, CA
Comedy show starts at 7:30 PM, followed by a smokin’ set by The Flutterbies at 9:30 PM
And here’s a flyer:
Hope to see you there!!
xo
Maureen & The Flutterbies
Hey Gang! Our Cooldog East Coast Tour was a hoot and a holler 🙂 We’re editing videos and live audio for your enjoyment and a collectible CD. We will have links at www.theflutterbies.com very soon….
GIGS:
TUESDAY JUNE 15TH – 9:15PM
THE STRONGHOLD
1623 Abbott Kinney Blvd – Full band electric set with Maureen Davis, Adam Daniel, Christopher Allis, Steve Whalen and special guest Marty Rifkin on pedal steel
We’ll be opening for the incredible Chris Joyner (a sometimes Flutterby as well!)
Full gig info is always posted and current at our website’s Shows page.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COOLDOG TOUR:
National Underground in NYC — we bookended our tour with 2 performances at Gavin Degraw’s main room on Houston Street in the infamous East Village. The first night our pal Heidi brought the cast of Broadway’s “Mama Mia”! The last night, we took the Double Happiness bus (that just sounds nasty) from Delaware to NYC, Oliva Restaurant manager Ramon gave me homemade Mama Juana (rum & honey) to warm my voice and we closed out our tour with college buddies in tow. I ended up roaming the East Village until 3AM, got stuck in Tomkins Square Park and had to hop a five foot fence in dress/cowboy boots. Yeah — I’m badass. Hee.
The Delaware Friends of Folk Memorial Singer Songwriter Circle – Dover, DE — glorious chapel benefit concert at Wesely College – stained glass and vaulted ceilings carried the sound up and away… Adam played killed on a solo of “hallelujah” on grand piano — it was a church, right?
Cooldog Concert – Smyrna, DE — the gig that inspired the tour! Paul Gumerman booked us at Cooldog and hooked us up with Helen Downing from Group E who planned the rest of the tour. Dan Navarro was in town, so we invited him to play too! SRO house, killer BBQ, Nothin’ But Trouble Band backing us and those awesome dancing dogs — not to mention a duet w/Dan Navarro on “We Belong”. Who could ask for more? You can buy a live concert CD of both our sets for $20 by writing maureen@theflutterbies.com
Bike Night @ Trader Lee’s in Ocean City, MD – Bourbon with bikers and a Classic Rock jam session where we joined in on Metallica, Starship & Zeppelin songs. Special thanks to Ocean 98.1 (www.irieradio.com) for the awesome 1 -hour interview & airplay/video streaming — We love DJ B.K.!
MANY MANY THANKS TO: other wonderful tour nightclubs Frazier’s and the sweet, homey, Golden Fleece; George Dash & Tom Moran for posters/postcards and hospitality; Melinda Hall for lodging and concierge; Helen Downing @ Group E for keepin’ us busy and Paul Gumerman & son Tai at Cooldog Camp for Wayward Musicians for hosting The Flutterbies an entire week.
PRESS:
Ol’ Skool Rods, May 2010 lauds “…It is true what they say about lead singer Maureen Davis’ voice — smooth as glass and just as sharp…whose expansive vocal range and oil-well depth truly brings the always thoughtful, often poignant lyrics to a steaming, blistery boil. Davis can belt out a sultry sadness or rage that leaves one’s soul black and bluesy….” (By the way, our CD cover artist Jim Owens has a regular feature called “Rodz Noir” in this retro mag. Dig it!)
Craig Horleman @ the Deleware State News gave us a great full-page feature writeup! Click here to read it.
See you at Stronghold June 15th!
xo
Maureen & The Flutterbies
Dear fans and friends of The Flutterbies,
We’ve recently been presented with an exciting opportunity to tour the East Coast in May! A full weekend of shows in New York, Baltimore, and Delaware is leading to more bookings in more cities, but before we can confirm any new gigs we need to raise some money for traveling, hotel, and other expenses. To that end, we’re very excited to offer you the chance to wrap your ears and eyes around some Flutterbies collectables and, in the process, to become co-sponsors of our tour!
Here’s how it works: Below are five sponsorship packages, each including additional unique items. Whichever interests you, please click its PayPal link and you’ll instantly become an official sponsor of The Flutterbies East Coast Tour 2010. Thank you so much!
PayPal takes all major credit cards, but for those of you who prefer paper, checks can also be sent to:
The Flutterbies
5419 Hollywood Blvd. #C123
Hollywood, CA 90027
Here are your package options:
$25 Flutterby Fan
Website tribute at Fans! page
CD & autographed pin-up pic of Maureen
$50 Band-Aide
Website tribute at Fans! page
CD & autographed pin-up pic of Maureen
Framed handwritten lyrics of your favorite Flutterbies song
(2) Tickets to (1) Flutterbies concert in 2010
$100 Monarch
Website tribute at Fans! page with your photo!
CD & autographed pin-up pic of Maureen
Framed handwritten lyrics of your favorite Flutterbies song
Fan Exclusive download of the unreleased Flutterbies track "Swear U Might Be Him"
(2) Tickets to ALL Flutterbies concerts in 2010
$150 Spoonerist (one who says "Flutterbies" instead of "butterflies")
Website tribute at Fans! page with your photo!
CD & autographed pin-up pic of Maureen
Framed handwritten lyrics of your favorite Flutterbies song
Fan Exclusive download of the unreleased Flutterbies track "Swear U Might Be Him"
(2) Tickets to ALL Flutterbies concerts 2010-2012 *venue maximum capacity 200
Fan Exclusive DVD of live Flutterbies concert clips!
Tea date with Maureen!! *within 100 miles of Los Angeles, CA or along our tour itinerary
$250 Hummingbird-Hearted
Website tribute at Fans! page with your photo!
CD & autographed pin-up pic of Maureen
Framed handwritten lyrics of your favorite Flutterbies song
Fan Exclusive download of the unreleased Flutterbies track "Swear U Might Be Him"
(2) Tickets to ALL Flutterbies concerts 2010-2012 *venue maximum capacity 200
Fan Exclusive DVD of live Flutterbies concert clips
Tea date with Maureen *within 100 miles of Los Angeles, CA or along our tour itinerary
LIVE ACOUSTIC HOUSE CONCERT!!! *within 100 miles of Los Angeles, CA or along our tour itinerary
Here’s our tour itinerary so far:
May 13, 2010 at National Underground in New York, NY
May 15, 2010 at NightCat in Easton, MD
May 16, 2010 at Cooldog Concerts in Dover, DE
We’ll be adding more shows as soon as we’re able, hopefully in your town!
—
Meantime, back home in Los Angeles…
Upcoming Gigs
TONIGHT: a full-band electric set! The Flutterbies are bustin’ up Ronnie Mack’s legendary Barn Dance in Burbank, sharing a bill with Lynda Kay, Karen Tobin, 50 Cent Haircut, and Sideshow Preachers (special thanks to Ronnie Mack and Mark Tortorici). Come for the music, stay for the Swing dancing!
Monday April 5, 2010 at 9:30pm
Joe’s Great American Bar & Grill
4311 West Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
And later this month we’re playing an intimate acoustic set at downtown Americana hang, Redwood Bar & Grill, hosted by our good friend Adam Mackintosh:
Wednesday April 21, 2010 at 8:30pm
Redwood Bar & Grill
316 West 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Flutterbies are Maureen Davis on lead vocals, Adam Daniel on guitar/vocals, Christopher Allis on drums, Steve Whalen on bass, and special guest Marty Rifkin (Bruce Springsteen, Jewel, Keith Urban) on pedal steel.
Full gig info is always posted and current at our website’s Shows page.
—
Thank you so much for your support… Our fans mean the world to us! And happy April, y’all!
xo
Maureen & The Flutterbies
Hey, y’all! Welcome to The Flutterbies March newsletter. Keywords this month: heartache and sex.
Joonbug
This month The Flutterbies are featured at Joonbug, the ‘net’s coolest new nightlife/culture website. Kareem Anderson interviewed Maureen and wrote a stellar review of our EP The Flutterbies featuring Maureen Davis. Here’s a snippet:
…the Flutterbies sound can best be described as Bonnie Raitt on a blind date with Beck while being served a shot of Southern Comfort by Janis Joplin in a Louisiana juke joint… When asked about the Flutterbies inspiration, Mo, laughing, searches for the words to describe the bands influence and unique sound. "Heartache and sex…"
The full article is readable online here.
Thanks, Kareem!
The Future is Now
From the stranger-than-fiction file… Rock n’ Roll Psychic Andrew Brewer interviewed Maureen for the website Blog Talk Radio, and the entire conversation is streamable online! Andrew predicted big success for Mo and the band in 2010-11.
Click here to hear his full Flutterbies forecast. And stay tuned this year to see which predictions come true…
Video Killed the Radio Star: Status Report
The Flutterbies video for our single "How I Get Over You" is approaching 1600 hits on YouTube! If you haven’t seen it, click here to check it out. Deepest thanks to fans and friends for helping us go viral.
Upcoming Gigs
TOMORROW NIGHT! The Flutterbies are playing Los Angeles’ hottest venue: Hotel Café. We’re opening for RJ Chesney as part of his CD release party, and we’d love to see you there.
Monday March 8 at 7:00 PM
Hotel Café
1623 North Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
We’ll be playing as an acoustic power trio: Maureen, Adam Daniel on guitar, and Marty Rifkin (Bruce Springsteen, Jewel, Keith Urban) on pedal steel.
—
Maureen and Adam will be singing "Sail Away" at a Neil Young tribute show, backed by an amazing house band featuring The Flutterbies bassist Steve Whalen and Marty Rifkin! The evening will also feature Circe Link, Daniel Leanse, Amelia K. Spicer and many more ferociously talented alt-country locals. Come on down…
Sunday March 14 at 7:00 PM
Molly Malones
575 South Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
—
Finally, a full-band electric show! The Flutterbies are back tearing up the Westside, headlining at The Stronghold in Venice. Will Knox is opening for us, and he’s amazing. Hope to see you!
Wednesday March 31 at 10:00 PM
The Stronghold
1625 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
The Flutterbies are Maureen Davis on lead vocals, Adam Daniel on guitar/vocals, Christopher Allis on drums, Steve Whalen on bass, Chris Joyner on Wurlitzer/organ/piano, and special guest Marty Rifkin on pedal steel.
Full gig info is always posted and current at our website’s Shows page.
Flutterbies For Sale
Our EP The Flutterbies featuring Maureen Davis is for sale online, still and always, at iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, Rhapsody, etc. We’re also still in stock at one of the last great retail stores: Amoeba Records in Hollywood. Buy us, baby, buy us! And for St. Patrick’s day, may we particularly recommend downloading our singalong drinking ballad "Faith In Rain". Goes well with Irish Whisky.
—
Happy March, y’all!
xo
Maureen & The Flutterbies