The Mahp Old News:
THE PICTURE FOR THE EMAILED PICTURE CONTEST
If you don't know about the picture contest... well... it's too late. It's over. Sorry
Mark
2/20/08
The show must go on...
I've been asked to be the first performer for an Acoustic Concert Series that 716 Art Gallery will be starting in March. Humbled, I said yes. The show will take place on Saturday, March 29 at 8pm. 716 Art Gallery is located at 401 Main Street, Racine, WI.
I can't tell you how excited I am about this show. It will be very intimate and have a Storytellers feel to it. Seating is limited. Tickets are $10 and can be ordered by clicking here. Complimentary wine will be served at the tables, but there are a limited number of tables (8 with 4 chairs at each table).
I haven't seen many of you in some time. This will be a great opportunity to catch up and just hang out. Let me know if you need a place to stay if you're coming in from out of town. I'll check the air mattresses for holes. :)
2/6/08
Update - To the left... to the left...
The carpel tunnel release surgery I had 3 weeks ago on my left wrist appears to have been a huge success. I no longer have the discomfort I've had over the last few years... and THAT IS AWESOME!!! I'm very excited to get back out playing and get to recording. So much to do, so little time to do it.
Keep your eyes pealed on the website. I'll be adding shows for the upcoming months. I also hope to be sending out some sample tracks and possible video of live performances. Has anyone else heard of this MySpace or YouTube?... (tee hee)... I should have been utilizing the features of this stuff long ago. Oh well. Better late than never, right?
Stay safe everyone. Breathe slower on these snowy days. No sense driving like an idiot trying to save some seconds only to be reacquainted with the harsh reality of the season.
mh
2/1/07
I'm actually home sick today. Got the sniffles. I hate going to work with a cold. Then you get everyone else sick, and one sick day that you could have taken turns into several sick days stemming from your cold. That's why I stay home. Like I briefly said earlier, recording is going slow. It's difficult when there's no release date set. There's an infinite amount of time without a release date. I think we'll need to set a date just to get a deadline on the calendar.Chris & I are at the Yardarm this weekend with our buddy Steve Hawkins. It's always a good time with those guys and at that place. Try the grilled, cajun catfish. Yum! Until again. (mh)
1/4/08
Happy New Year!!! I hope everything was safe and fun for you over the holidays. I burned some trees, drank some cocktails, spoiled my niece & nephew, and played with playdoe. It was great.
NEW NEWS: Well, some of you already know this, but I've been having some problems with my left hand that have made it hard to play guitar over the last year. That said, I'm going in to have carpel tunnel release surgery later this month. It should clear up the issues. Wish me luck. I'll have to cancel the near future shows because of the "hand job" (pardon the pun).
NEW NEWS II: I've purchased a significant amount of recording equipment over the last few months to kick into gear the 3rd album. Now then, I've become more realistic with this album. It will probably take me the entire year to finish. I plan on doing several smaller shows throughout 2008 to give people a taste of what I'm doing, so watch out for shows.
Again... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
9/23/07
The Packers are 3-0!!! That makes me happy. The Bears are losing. That makes me happy. The Brewers & Cubs... well... that scenario is not making me happy.
I haven't heard from American Band, so I'm assuming we didn't make the cut. I'm not going to let that get me down. There's a lot of music to record right now and no time to wait. For those of you that know the music, here are some of the songs that will potentially make the cut: Happy, No Better Than, Storm, Some Things Remain, Sandy Beaches, Looking for an Outlet, Grey, and several others. I'm psyched.
I need to send a THANKS out to Steve & Chris for joining me up in Milwaukee at the Ale House. Also, THANKS go out to all the fans and friends that came out to see us. Muchas gracias!
Have a great week all. It will be a bit before we talk again, but there will be more to say.
m.h.
7/25/07
Wow!!! Lot's of stuff happening in these parts. We've finished our submission to AMERICAN BAND, the spinoff of American Idol. I'll be sending it in tomorrow or Friday. Wish us luck. We'll need it.
Chris, Steve, Matt & I played at Humbolt Park in Milwaukee last night, and it was fantastic. What a cool place to play. If you ever get a chance, look it up, take some food and drink, and go have yourself a picnic in the park. You won't regret it. Welcome to all the new friends and fans.
We've got some free time now, so I think we'll get some recording done. Hope to see you all soon.
m.h.
7/3/07
Harborfest was AWESOME!!! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone that came out, and a special thanks to Steve Hawkins, Matt Specht, Garrett Kornman, and Joe Kennedy for helping make the music what it was... Fantastic. I hope to see and gig with all of you again soon. Speaking of soon...
We'll be performing at Summerfest on Thursday (July 5) at 5pm at the Cascio Interstate Groove Garage. It's not too far from Marcus Ampitheater. Garrett & Matt will be sitting in with us again, and Steve will be keeping the beat. We're only playing for 50 minutes to an hour, so come early.
We've also been asked to perform at Mo's Irish Pub in Milwaukee on Friday night. Mo's is one of the newest and most talked about venues in Milwaukee. We're opening for Bascom Hill. We'll start around 9:30. Check the website for the rest of the specifics (address and all).
More shows are on the way, so stay tuned.
6/15/07
What a fantastic week in SE WI. I heard someone say the other day that it feels like San Diego in the Midwest. I've never been to California, so I only assume that's a good/great thing.
New shows y'all... SUMMERFEST... HARBORFEST... and more. New news on the band. Well... some "new" news and some "not so new" news...
Steve Hawkins (drums), Matt Specht (electric guitar), Big Joe Kennedy (piano) and Garrett Kornman (saxophone) will be joining Chris & I on the Cool Cats Cove stage at Harborfest Sunday, June 24 (i.e. lots of good songs and great talent on the stage at the same time). It's going to be an ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC set with a handful of new tunes. I hope you're ready.
Brad & Scott are working on a new project called Revolving Doors. It's experimental/ambient rock. No vocals, but tasty. Not sure about that "theatrics" comment on their myspace site, but whatever.
Brad is also starting to drum with a band called The Projection People.
The plan for the 3rd album is to have it done by winter '07/spring '08. I'll be playing a lot of the new songs at the summer shows. Let me know what you think of them. Help me give them names. I hate that part.
4/7/07
It's Saturday morning here. Jean & I are just finishing up some coffee. I've got to go into work in a bit to finish some things that I'm overprioritizing in my life. It pays the bills though.
I've been working on some new music that has inspired me quite a bit. I'll through up some audio clips on our MySpace account soon. I want to practice it a bit more though.
I've been adding a couple shows to the calendar. Check them out. We're waiting on a couple things, but it looks to be a pretty mellow summer for us which is calming in one respect and discomforting in another.
Take care of yourselves. (mh)
3/6/07
Kudos to all of you that came out for Abi Luren's benefit in the crappy, blizzard-like conditions. Really. I've got a new found hope in humanity. 2nd Kudos to the folks that came out to Thoughts for Food. The full band played and rocked like there was no more tomorrow. We rocked so hard, I think it may have inspired this boy who never grew up to take things a bit more seriously again. That said...
I'm being interviewed on Kramp & Adler this Friday at 9:30am. They do the morning show for 102.1FM out of Milwaukee. We've gigged with Brian Kramp before, so it will be nice to see him and shoot the s#*t with him again. (mh)
2/8/07
JUST ADDED - We're doing a benefit at JJ Mcauliffe's place (McAuliffe's Pub) later this month. It's for young Abi Uren (Click VISIT and type in abigailuren at the site linked here). These are her words...
"I was born on April 28th 2006 at Froedtert Birthing Center in Milwaukee, WI. We knew that I would have a heart problem so I took a field trip to the NICU at Childrens Hospital for a while. I was born at 3:34pm, weighed 6lbs 13oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. I was born at 36 weeks but was considered the size of a full term baby! I'm a big girl!!! I have Cardiac & Liver Fibromas and I also have a cyst in my lung. When I was a week old, I developed Necrotizing Enterocolitis, which is a very critical intestine infection that premies get. I had to go for Surgery 2 times in 36 hours to have the majority of my intestines removed because of the infection. I have an ostomy and a gastrostomy tube Then I had to go back to surgery to have my abdomen closed a week later.. Since then I've been trying to recooperate and get better...I have my good days and bad days..."
Listen, the older we get the more cynical we get. This girl isn't even a year old. She hasn't had the chance to be cynical or happy or inspired or anything yet. Come help us help them raise much needed funds for her recovery. (mh)
1/27/07
Happy New Year everyone. We've got some shows on the calendar. Recording is going slow. Gotta go bowling. I'll write more later. (mh)
10/22/06
Thank you for sending us into this next phase of band life with smiles on our faces. Our first show at the Brat Stop was so much fun. Big thanks to 89 Mojo and Matt Meyer Band for letting us share the stage. Good times. Thanks to all the friends, family and fans for showing up. You guys are the best. I hope the writing process doesn't take that long, because I miss you guys already. Check in from time to time. I'll keep this section updated with thoughts and ideas and progress. We're heading into the studio in 2 weeks to start some recording. Wish us luck. (mh)
10/12/06
I hope this comes across the way I want it to, but inevitably, it won't. So I'll just say it... Our last show is Saturday, October 21 at the Brat Stop. No, it's not the last show forever, but it is the last show for a while. There are several reasons, but the main one, for me (Mark), is that I need to write new music. I love everything that has been done to this point, but writer's block has gotten the best of me for the better part of the last year. And I'm sick of it. Creativity is why we're in this business, and if we're not making something we're faking something. Ok, that's not entirely true, but it's along those lines. We have some things we'd like to record, and hopefully that and new songs will happen in the next few months. I can't promise anything about that, but what I can promise is that every show up to this point and every show after this point I was and will be passionate about. If we get back on the horse, come ride with us. It will be worth it, and it won't be without purpose. Thank you for following us this far. Never forget to check the water, but sometimes... dive in... nomatter what. (mh)
8/17/06
Guess what? Talks are starting for recording our 3rd album. Now, before anyone gets too excited, I just wanted to let you know that we're taking our time on this one. Slow and steady. No rush for a deadline. No loss of sleep. No need for panic if the tracks just aren't perfect. We're taking our time, and it feels good. We may throw out snippets for your listening pleasure along the way, so stay tuned for those. All I ask is that you keep it on the DL for a bit. Let's say its our little secret. Ok? (mh)
7/11/06
The Big Gig has come and gone and we are
both happy and sad. We
thank our loyal fansters for coming out
and supporting us once again. Hope many
of you can join us at our Summer's Best
concert in Jackson Park in Milwaukee on
Aug 15th. Bring your Webber and some Hot
Dogs and a Frisbee (we've been teaching
Mark some new tricks!) -Oh and bring your
family and friends too.
- Chris
6/20/06
Man we a had a great time at Harborfest
last weekend. The breeze, the lake view,the
big stage, and our fans! Thanks to all who
came out. For those of you wondering what
happened to Scott's equipment- He was rockin
so hard his amp blew a tube! So we had to
start Sandbox w/o him. The show had to go
on and it did. We ended up using 38 Special's
amp - dont tell 'em. I'm giving a free CD
to the first person who can come up to me
at a gig and tell me what band wrote the
song we were singing while Scott was diagnosing
the problem. Hope to see many of you at
Party in the Park or Milwaukee Ale House
this weekend.
- Chris
5/05/06
Cinco de Mayo! Hey Amigos. Can't wait to
be sippin back Coronas, throwin back shots
o Cuervo Gold, shouting obcenities in Spanish
and demonstrating repulsive behavior tonight
but I'm taking a few minutes to announce
that its Official, we're in the Big Gig
again! July 8th 2:30 PM - a Saturday afternoon.
Our sombreros go off to all the fans who
came out to support us last year at Summerfest.
Hope to see you again this July 8th!
-Chris
3/27/06
Well, 2006 is cruisin along. We're playing
a little bit less often but we're working
hard on booking more summer festivals this
year. If you have any suggestions of festivals
you'd like to see us play, please email
me at mark@themahp.com. I
want to send a shout out to the musicians
that we played with so far this year, thanking
them for keeping original music alive... The
Dammitheads... Thomas Diaguardi... Lindsay
Mac... Sunspot... Matt
Specht. These are great performers and
even better people. Please try like hell
to get out and see them. You won't be disappointed.We
hope to have a festival report to you soon.
Be well all, and if you're looking for a
good movie to see, check out Capote.
09/07/05
So, some of you might be wondering, "what the hell have you guys
been up to?" Well, I'll tell you....not much! We've played a handful of
shows, helped raise some money for some great charities, played with some old
friends again, and enjoyed what's left of the summer. For those of you who were
wondering how much was raised at said charity events: the Kenosha Relay for
Life raised some where around $400,000 for the fight against cancer, and Rock
the Block raised between $9,000 and $10,000 for the Boys and Girls Club. Yeah
team! As for what's to come, keep the Friday of September 16th open
so you can come rock with us at the Mirimar
Theatre in Milwaukee. And for all of you Racine and Kenosha people, arrangements
are being made for a shuttle to drive any interested parties to and from the
show. If this sounds like something you'd want to be involved in, shoot Mark
an email
(mark@themahp.com) and let him know. There's also a slew of small shows coming
up in the Racine/Kenosha area for all your acoustic needs, so be sure to check
them out as well. Take care everyone. We'll see you soon. b.h.
07/14/05
Wow! Just wow! Anyone that caught the Harborfest or Summerfest shows
know exactly what I'm talking about! Harborfest was a great time on a beautiful
day. Thanks to everyone that came out to share the day with us, especially a
those lovely people
from MN. Thanks to Harborfest for having us and giving us the oppertunity to
warm up for our Summerfest show, which was easily our best show ever!!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that came out to see us, and to
all of you newcomers that bought a CD...or two! Thank you so much Summerfest
for being such a great host.
To those of you that are upset because you missed Haborfest and Summerfest,
have no
fear. You'll have one more oppertunity this summer to catch us in a festival
setting this sunday at Bastille
Days. We're gearing up for a show of pure enjoyment with the four
of us rocking our hearts out. So come share this Sunday afternoon with us, and
check the shows
section for all the details you might need on upcoming shows!
And last, but nowhere near the least, a GIGANTIC
THANK YOU to the man we've dubbed as the unoffical "fifth
member" of The Mahp, Padden!
You kick ass man! Thanks so much joining us at these shows!
Take care everyone, we'll see you soon! b.h.
04/18/05
Well, three cd releases down, and one more to go. We're happy to say that each
show has exceeded our humble expectations. Thanks to everyone that came out
to support us and for those who picked up our new disc, Stories. Also, a huge
thanks to Hayward Williams, Kalgren, Chris Miller Band, The Lowdown Holdup,
and Matt Wolf & The Deceivers for coming out and warming up the stage for
us. We had a great time fellas, and we hope to do it again soon.Summer is coming up, and we couldn't be more excited. Please
be sure to check out the shows section to find out why! And while you're here,
stop by the forum and leave us a message. We'd like to put the thing to good
use!We sincerely hope you're enjoying the new album as much as we
enjoyed making it, save for the frustrations every band goes through when putting
so much time into something like this. But all of those difficult moments are
totally worth it once you have the finished product in your hands. Take care
everyone, we'll see you soon.
03/25/05
Welcome to the new website! It’s a little weathered, a little quirky,
a little more mature and a lot like us. We’ll do our best to keep everything
up to date as long as you promise to check in on us every once and a while.
And while you’re here, make sure to pay particular attention to your cursor.
There may be hidden links in the text that you are reading or images that you
are looking at. For example, check out the link when you click on our little
dude in the upper left corner… go ahead… click on it. These links
will randomly change. It’s a byproduct of our creative craft. We hope
you have a good time with it and the rest of the new site. Even more than that,
we hope to see you all out at the CD release shows.