Awards 2007
Finalist- Plowshares Song Contest-Pheonixville, PA Record
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Marc's electronic Press Kit:
Marc Douglas Berardo is a different kind of singer/songwriter. In what amounts to song length works of fiction, Berardo’s sharply drawn portraits cast a net on unusual and interesting characters and places. With a painter’s eye for detail, and music firmly rooted in the great American sound, he sings about towns full of circus retirees, expatriates in Florida rum bars, union iron workers, aimless New York City debutantes, near death car crashes and of course, the changes that experience brings to everyone. All of these songs are brought to the stage with a relaxed and disarming stage presence, that makes for a fine night of music, laughter, emotion and insight. Wpkn-FM Bridgeport, CT called it the "rare feat of being thought provoking and a pleasure to hear." What this all means is that you should see him play. He's good. Seriously. Born
in the wild delta country of Westchester County, NY, Marc Douglas lit out of the
hard streets of the suburbs in 1987 and landed in Boston, Mass. It was there,
living in the big city, sometimes attending Northeastern University and inspired
by the "local color and and temptation," that he began to play and
sing in the back rooms. "Even though I had only owned a guitar for a few
months, I played wherever I could…mostly at house parties to a small, late night
crowd, that was too drunk to leave and too tired not to listen" It was a formative
time. "I learned pretty quickly (by playing other people's music) about what
makes a song work, and how a great song can stop a room cold." | ||
Around this time Marc and his two brothers (Chris and Scott) with some assorted friends formed the country rock influenced DesBerardo Band during a visit's home to New York. The group developed a large regional following, sharing the stage with national acts like Little Feat, Southern rockers Molly Hatchet, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts and Great Southern and Beatle protégés BadFinger. A CD entitled "American Dust" followed. It was during the recording of the American Dust CD (1997) that Berardo met songwriter and Hayloft Records owner Michael Branden, who was moved and excited by some songs that Marc played for him one very late night. Plans were made, handshakes were proffered, recording machines were oiled and started, resulting in two CD’s for the Connecticut based Hayloft Records: the stark and ethereal Further On Tomorrow (1998) and the well received follow-up Second Chance (2000). Both recordings are available nationally through Amazon.com, Folkweb.com, CDBaby.com and Hayloftrecords.com. Now based in the ocean port town of Westerly, RI, Marc performs everywhere from bars and coffeehouses to theaters and national festivals throughout New England, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Texas, California, Delaware, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and Florida. Along the way he has shared the stage with notables such as, Peter Rowan and His Texas Trio, Donna the Buffalo, Boston Music Award winner Jenny Reynolds, Florida fingerstyle guitar master Sam Pacetti, Texas legend Guy Clark, New York City jazz great KJ Denhert, fiddler Vassar Clements, bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, Falcon Ridge Most Wanted Trina Hamlin and Kevin So, Nashville’s Jim Lauderdale,Texas soul singer Ruthie Foster, humorist Diedre Flint, Norman Blake (Oh Brother Soundtrack), 2002 Telluride Troubadour and Kerrville Folk Fest Winner Meg Hutchinson, folk poet Eric Andersen, the great Steve Forbert, Mustard's Retreat, Catie Curtis, The Kennedy's, Red Molly, Tim O'Brien, Garnet Rodgers, Kate Taylor, Amy Speace and others. In a interesting side note, Berardo also performed as a member of the roots rock and country Those Guys Band in St. Augustine, Florida, a group that can list Banner Thomas (Molly Hatchet), Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Jim Essery (The Allman Brothers), Danny Roberts (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and a host of southern rock legends as one time members. How Berardo spent most of the year 2001 with such a wild and cool rock and roll band, is a whole other story for a whole other day. In the meantime, Berardo is back doing what he does best...making up songs and singing them with what Minor Seventh Magazine called: "...his lonesome, clear voice." Marc and his songs have been recognized in many of the country's biggest song contest and awards including Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Suwannee Springfest, Wildflower Arts Festival, Telluride Troubadour Conest and The Plowshares Song Contest. In January of 2005, his song The Story (Life After Hemingway) was chosen among 140,000 songs and 10,000 CDs to be one of 11 nominations for best song by a male singer songwriter at the Just Plain Folks Awards in Los Angelos, CA. If you have read this far, you are obligated (in 18 states and all US territories, void where prohibited), to check this guy and his music out. In
April of 2006, Munga Music
will release Marc Douglas Berardo’s fourth CD (his first for the CT based label),
entitled HARBOR. The highly anticipated collection
produced by Prof. Dick Neal
(Plexigrass, Larry Deming, Mockingbirds) is musically adventurous, oozing with
integrity and just plain good for your soul. The thirteen new songs are framed
by emotional string arrangements, exhilarating front porch clap a-longs and fine
grooves that ease in like a quiet fog and leave a lasting impression. The February
2006 National Folk DJ Radio Survey listed HARBOR at #35, tied with a trio of legendary
names: Jackson Browne, Pete Seeger, Rodney Crowell. The title track (Harbor) will
be included on the Martha's Vineyard Radio Sampler (Fresh Produce Vol. 2) that
will be available in over 10,000 independent retail stores. Plans for 2006 include
live shows and radio appearances from Maine to Timbucktu , and anywhere else with
a some neon in the window and room to play
with what Minor Seventh Magazine called : "Berardo's lonesome and clear voice." " I like his voice
and the songs. It is easy to feel like you really know Marc through his songs.
”
Internet Publicity:
------------------------------------ Marc Douglas Berardo is a member of the North American Folk Allaince
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