Mark Geary is an Irish singer-songwriter born in Dublin, Ireland into a large family with seven siblings, one of whom is actor Karl Geary. In 1992 he emigrated to New York City with a one-way ticket after winning a lottery green card. Living in New York’s East Village, Mark honed his craft and sang alongside the best of them in Sin-é cafe, including the late Jeff Buckley.
Time Out NY said, “His delicate songs about love and defiance recall Richard Thompson and John Lennon.”
When Geary arrived in New York he had the chance to jump right in at the famous Sin-é bar. However, he felt a little intimidated at that early stage in his career. “It was a huge amount of pressure,” said Geary. “I walked in and saw Jeff Buckley, Katell Keineg, Sinéad O’Connor.” So Geary began to seek out gigs at less exalted local spots. He built a reputation playing at Sidewalk Café and won a regular slot at the Pink Pony.[1] Eventually, working his way back to Sin-é, where he found himself on a regular bill sandwiched between Keineg and Buckley.[2] Geary also worked and regularly performed in the popular New York bar The Scratcher.
In 2002, his debut album, 331⁄3 Grand Street was released on SonaBLAST! Records.
His second album, Ghosts, released in 2004, brought him critical acclaim in Ireland and the States and was voted Album of the Year (2005) by the Irish Voice. The album also features songs with guest vocalists Glen Hansard and Josh Ritter.[3] The album came in at number 68 in the HotPress readers’ poll for the Top 100 Greatest Irish Albums.
In August 2005, Geary played at the Kennedy Center.
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