March Madness and a Dream Fulfilled.

Last day of March after what was the mildest winter in Chicago history. No such thing as climate change? Please! Anyways, I am grateful for it. Usually i find January and February an opportune time to get out of town to sunnier shores but this time I managed to stay home. I love Chicago. Funnily enough, I don't get to spend too much time here so I always feel new in town even though it has been my address for 10 years.

I do have big news...well,for me it is big news. You will wonder what the fuss is about but I got to fulfill a dream of mine this week, more important to me than singing.....yes, that is saying something. You can read about it below but for now let's touch on March madness as Irish performers worldwide call it, it was a blast. It was the most arduous but funnest tour ever. I had 15 or so out on the road with me and we hit every corner of the US. It was hectic but hilarious. I have a lot of fun with my band and dancers who deal with tough circumstance with a sense of humor and joie du vivre.
Click here for an example of that humor.

A rainbow from my hotel room in Oregon on Saint Patrick's Day morning. Tis Glocca Morra - Faith n Begorrah! I always get a bit homesick on St. Patrick's Day but this year's tour was so fun that it didn't drag me down at all.

I cannot tell you how many miles we covered but we had standing ovations in many states, sold out in many cities and the reaction was the same; we give the audience a great night out. This audience in Wenatchee Toyota Arena has still to show up obviously but when they did, they certainly were the loudest on the tour. Awesome night.

Rob Schneider here is obviously endorsing our show.



I've a few bits of news for you. We have a few new people on board to help spread the word. First I got a new agent to get me out there. Parallel 49 is a brand new agency out of Santa Monica. A division of S. L. Feldman in Canada they are an incredible team who will compliment the work done by Harmony Artists. They've got great artists on their books like The Canadian Tenors who I think are just brilliant and the likes of Tracey Morgan. What a mix!

I signed a new manager in Nashville. Robert Williams is a veteran in the field. He manages John Oates (as in Hall & Oates) and Guitar Legend Larry Carlton. I met with lots of management over the past few months but I liked this guy a lot. He makes me laugh and has a proven record over the years so I am excited to work with him and his team.

So now to my big news....yesterday, I experienced the proudest moment of my career in entertainment when I signed a publishing deal with Shapiro Bernstein, one of the biggest, most renowned music publishers in the business. I like being a singer but being acknowledged as a writer is fulfillment of a dream for me. I get to work with some of the best songwriters there is, write songs for other artists and I get great songs sent to me. What's not to love? Anyways, in May I head to Nashville for a month to work with some of those great writers. It makes me feel like a grown up! I may also end up like I did last Sunday, walking up and down the streets of Nashville listening to amazing talent in all those honky tonks. LOVE THAT TOWN!

I ended up celebrating that and more by heading out to The Girl and the Goat. Love it there. It really was the proudest day for me, bigger than Riverdance on Broadway or my PBS Special. This was fulfilling a dream I had in my twenties that I thought would never happen; someone who knows what they are doing, saying that I am a good writer and should be writing great songs. AWESOME FEELING!

So what's next? Well, the winter tour dates are coming in hard and fast. A bigger tour and a bigger show. I won't announce dates until mid summer probably but it looks like we will hit every corner of the US again, ending on December 23 with a shuffle up to Buffalo. I will record some more new material. We have a a lot finished but I am looking for new songs to reflect my new place in the world. This year I feel like mixing it up a little.

By the way, I've been getting emails asking me if I am going country. Nashville is the heart of country yes, but it is also the heart of the music publishing business and the center of where it is all happening in entertainment these days. Aside from everything else, I like the place. I love country music, but I am certainly not going country. You just might see some influences in the next recordings.

I go to Ireland late April to see everyone in Wexford and when I am there I will do a concert on May 5 with some great guests like Daniel Furlong who I think is a huge addition to Celtic Thunder's new show. Have to say I love the new special. The arrangements for the new songs are fantastic and seeing Neil up front is great too. Emmet had big shoes to fill replacing Paul but his voice is stunningly clear and he's doing a fine job. The one to watch in the future in my opinion. Anyway's Wexford will be a lot of fun. I've also got Niall O Sullivan on board. He's an amazing trumpet player from Dublin who is destined for great things internationally, in my humble opinion.



Joining me on the night will be Brenda Brooks, an incredible singer/actress. One of my former singing partners in musical theater, she was always a lot of fun to work with. It will be fun to sing showtunes again and to hear her amazing voice live for the first time in many years. The night promises to be special.

Anyways, that is it for now. I will send you all a report from Ireland and lots more news from Nashville.

Thanks to everyone who sent me presents for Saint Patricks Day. The messages, cakes and Starbuck's cards are always a treat!

Big love

Michael

That was the week that was!

Well I am home after a random week of touring with my favorite people, my lovely band and dancers. We only did 3 dates but had a week in the South to savor good food, the odd beer and great company.

First stop was Radford University, VA. What a nice school in the middle of a beautiful area! The campus itself is just gorgeous and the performance hall was just perfect for us, with about a thousand seats. Got to speak to the President, Dean and their donors about their contributions to the arts. I, of course talked about Wexford and the Opera Festival...wow, I'm like a broken record.

It was nice to have people ask me about the presidential election at home and indeed about the recovery happening at home(at least the think it is happening!) It was also just great to talk to people about my trip to Ireland in May 2012 with Colette Vacations. I was telling them that the next webinar is on October 13. Register Here

So after a really successful concert we headed on our merry way to one of the most gorgeous towns in the South. Capital of all things polo and horses, Aiken, SC. Seriously, I want to move there. We were performing for 2 nights in their really amazing Arts Center. The theater staff and indeed, their catering was the best we have had. They wrote the book on South hospitality. I stayed at The Willcox which is just spectacular.

Got to meet the nice people who had donated to SCETV during pledge and got a nice surprise from a really nice Japanese man and his wife who had travelled a long way to hear me sing. Hiro, it was great to meet you and I am so humbled that you made the journey to meet me.

I am home but my poor band had all sorts of flight issues and are still en route back west. They always seem to get stuck. Thanks to Jackie Moran, Kathleen Keane, Mellad Abeid, David Schulz for making my week so special. To Owen, Claire and all of the other dancers, I appreciate your hard work. My new stage manager Ashley Evanson made everything so easy.

So next stop New York. I have a week in Chicago first but then I start doing radio and TV to spread the word on Beyond Celtic and The Road Not Taken.
I also have an event supporting Concern being hosted by my friend Jean Clancy(manager of Celtic Thunder) and Maeve O Malley long time advocate for Haiti and probably the most fun person I know on earth. The event will be held in Claret in Sunnyside and you can find out more here

Coming soon I head west to sing at a Hollywood event and then on to San Francisco to sing at the opening of the Union Sq Holiday Ice Rink on Nov 9. Watch for live performances on WGN, Better TV and WFUV

So it starts to get busy again.........

Damien, Wexford and more.......

So tonight, Monday September 19 at 7pm Central,we are having a webinar to chat to fans. I am hosting a tour to Ireland next May and we want to answer questions fans have about the tour. I am excited to host a group not only travelling around Ireland but also in my home town, Wexford. You have heard me at the concerts talk about how great the place is and now you can come with me to see it for yourself. To register for the webinar click on Wexford

Proud to tell you that Damien McGinty, formerly of my friends in Celtic Thunder who has gone on to great things in Hollywood, getting into the cast of Glee.....is now a supporter not only of Concern Worldwide but also a supporter of Haiti with a new program called Your Dollar, Our Future.




My link to Haiti and Concern

Your Dollar, Our Future: Michael Londra with Concern in Haiti from Concern Communications on Vimeo.

I am very happy to announce that after debuting on the PBS network nationally in August, Michael Londra's Beyond Celtic, my exciting production involving a cast of the finest Celtic musicians and dancers will begin touring North America in November. We have aired over 250 times nationally with more airings and live pledges for tickets coming in September through December. We begin touring in late fall and are currently looking at 50 dates nationally through 2012 so far. Phew, I am exhausted even saying it.

The pledges last week on the West Coast were a lot of fun with stops in Seattle and San Bernardino.....and a few days in the Hollywood Hills by a pool! Shout out to the Celtic Thunder fans who called in to the station to say hello and to the lovely lady who made me scones.

This summer has been thrilling, tiring and fun. It was just wonderful to get the reaction from people to the show. I feel like I am at journey's end and have such a sense of satisfaction but the funny thing is that it is only beginning. It will be great just to get going. I have asked some fantastic musicians to join me including the great Steve Holloway and Tony Steele from the band of Riverdance on Broadway. Also joining me along the way in various ports will be Caitlin Warbelow, Jackie Moran, Kathleen Keane, Mellad Abeid, David Schulz and a lovely orchestra. With guest artists Sephira joining us occasionally and World Champion Irish Dancer Owen Barrington plus a troupe of dancers, this all adds up to be a great night out. Amazing to me to get to work with these brilliant people on and off stage in my own show.

The album and dvd are available now for preorder on Amazon with an Oct 11 release date on the Razor and Tie label. Along with those releases is a new studio album featuring studio versions of some of the songs from the show along with some previously unreleased tracks of covers and originals including a nice new version of my tribute to my friend Eoin Colfer's great character Artemis Fowl and a cover of U2's classic Ground Beneath Her Feet. The Road Not Taken has the same release date: October 11. So all you people out in blog world can be the first to know that we have had our first meeting to talk about Beyond Celtic 2. We've decided on a date in Spring 2012 and on a general direction. Details to follow but it is certainly exciting. Onwards - Upwards!

Best Week Ever

I have no idea what is going on astrologically but something has certainly altered to benefit me in the past few weeks. If anyone can explain this out there let me know(my birthday is April 13)

1. This week I got my approval notice that makes me an Alien of Extraordinary Ability making me FINALLY eligible for a Green Card. After all these years of 1 - 3 year artistic visas and interviews with agents on the border everytime I go back and forth to Ireland I can finally relax a little.This country has been so good to me and has offered me so much opportunity. I finally feel like I belong here. For the longest time I have been in no mans land. Thank you to Barbara McCormick, the best immigration lawyer in the US. If you know of anyone who needs help send them to Dornan and Associates


2. I guess the biggest news is that I have been approached about filming my own show for TV. I wont give you details yet in case I jinx it but it will be recorded in early 2011. There will be a dvd and cd recording of the show. I promise to give you more info soon.



4. On September 16 I am doing a private concert in NYC for an audience of 75 people. We are charging $150 per person with a view to sending all money raised to Concern's projects in Haiti. The concert is being held in a luxurious Central Park West townhouse. If anyone in NYC is interested in coming to this exclusive show, email mjb@michaellondra.com for details.

5. The High Kings are playing Chicago August 17 and I wanted everyone to know about it as they are brilliant live and I know it will be a great night. For details go to Irish American Heritage Center