Browncoat Songstress Marian Call in LA. . .
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 18:17:30

'Case anybody has listened to Marian Call's stuff -- she's a Browncoat singer/songwriter in Alaska who's done some FF-themed songs -- she is in L.A. now. Here's the text of an email she sent to me... ----------------------------------------------- LA Tour Dates Greetings, friends! This is a special e-mail update since I'm playing in LA all month. So come out to a show! Bring a friend! **Having 4 or 5 fans come out for each one of these shows makes the difference between life and death, career-wise, at this stage in the game. So make the effort to show up and bring someone! You count! And the music is great, so you'll always be glad you came. Everyone who comes to my live shows wishes they'd brought a friend. ** If you're not in SoCal, forward this to someone who is! Addresses and other concert details are on the website or myspace. Sat. 11.8 - 6:30pm - House Concert & Party in San Diego RSVP to chewyduey@yahoo.com for the address. Open to the public with RSVP. Donations appreciated. Thurs. 11.13 - 7:30pm - Stanford Singer-Songwriter Showcase at Molly Malone's in LA Marian performs two of her own songs as arranged by composer Jonathan Beard, in part of a showcase of Stanford alumni talent. Open to the public. 21+, $10 cover, friendly mixer at 9:00pm. Fri. 11.14 - 7pm - The Squeaky Wheel Tour at the Talking Stick in Venice A forty-minute set with other 'Nette Radio artists, featuring LA guitarist Scott Barkan and Seattle drummer Colter Lemons. Free, all ages, donations encouraged. Tues. 11.18 - 7pm - Club Derby in Los Angeles A set at the famous and historic music venue. Come out and stay with Marian for drinks after! 21+, cost TBA Wed. 11.19 - 11pm - Acoustic Cordiale at Caf? Cordiale in Sherman Oaks Free show, free parking, full bar, and an excellent set list. Dinner served until 10:30. 21+, free Fri. 11.21 - 9:30pm - The Talking Stick in Venice Showcase at a great free all-ages venue. Sat. 11.22 - private event - Concert at Creation's Salute to Firefly & Serenity in Burbank Marian will perform at the Gold Members' dessert party at the convention, and she'll be present all weekend to meet and greet any and all attendees. For information on the convention and ticket details, visit

The Big Damn Blu-ray Release!
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 18:24:49

I originally posted a review for the new Blu-ray release of Firefly on www.bluray.com but hey! I'll post it here as well! I’m sure there are many fans out there who have been anticipating this Blu-ray release for some time now. Being one of those fans, I picked it up bright and early this morning at my local Best Buy and have reviewed most of the set’s 3-discs. The 1080p transfer is a welcome upgrade from its DVD release several years ago, but the image lacks by more recent TV Blu-ray releases. There is slight edge enhancement throughout and special effects shot in particular are a rather soft. Black levels are never right on either especially in darker scenes. Despite what some people are saying on a few boards out there, this show was shot on film and transferred to HD shortly after. The audio however is finally being mixed in 5.1 (dts-HD none the less). While not overly aggressive, the surround sound is a nice upgrade as well from the shows original 2.0 dolby digital track. As for special features, all the originals from the DVD are ported over here in standard def. There are two new exclusives on this set: a 24 minute Reunion clip with Joss Whedon, Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass and a new audio commentary for the episode “Our Mrs. Reynolds”. Both are fun additions and I’m sure fans will enjoy seeing and hearing these four together again. The $60 price tag may be a lot for a few fans but I’m going to recommend this to all the browncoats out there. For those of you who still haven’t gotten on board with this show and love Blu-ray, I also recommend it. Even if this set is lacking in picture quality, you won’t be disappointed by the show’s entertainment value.