Chi McClean

A beautiful Texas sky en route to the venue in Fort Worth.

I’d never been to Fort Worth, TX before… unless, of course, you count flying through the DFW airport. So, when I drove down from Amarillo, TX, I didn’t know what to expect, really. At first, I gotta say, it felt like Los Angeles, CA: so much traffic, a ton of construction, fairly spread out, and pretty crowded. But, when the traffic subsided, the sun set, and the party people made their weekly pilgrimage to the downtown bars, I immediately knew I wasn’t in California. This was Texas, and people are serious about their Friday nights!

Friends and fans hanging after the show: (L-R) Shameela, Chuck and Randee.

The gig was at this cool martini lounge turned music venue in a renovated loft area in downtown Fort Worth, TX called M Lounge. These guys made more types of weird but delicious martinis than you could shake a stick at and commanded a pretty massive crowd. It was a fun time, a great group of people, and a terrific sounding stage and venue. I played for about two hours, then without any sign of the crowd subsiding, I kept it going and unleashed some fun covers for kicks that I hadn’t played in ages. We had a great time, a sing-along or three, and then closed the place down in the wee hours of the morning.

BIG THANKS to Echo and the crew at M Lounge for putting together a fun night, and a big shout out to my buddy Chuck for making me feel so welcome in town and my friend Randee for driving all the way from Tulsa, OK to see the show! Wow! It was a terrific evening and I hope to see you all again in Fort Worth, TX soon!

Hanging outside of The 806 in Amarillo, TX after the show. Photo: Nancy Smith-Blackwell

Man… last night was so much fun, and fairly unexpected. I started the morning off in Albuquerque, NM after playing the night before, then drove the five or so hours east on I-40 through crazy winds to Amarillo, TX where I spent many an hour looking for a PA repair shop and a hook up for a last minute gig since my schedule got a little out of whack on this leg of the tour. I ended up finding a shop or two first, but no luck on getting the part/repair done, so I moved onto looking for a gig. I lucked out and found one at The 806 on Sixth Street.

The River Monks from Des Moines, IA laying down their indie folk mojo after my set.

It turned out that these guys, The River Monks, who were on tour from Des Moines, IA, were scheduled to perform, but I guess the opening act had cancelled earlier in the day. As they say, timing is everything, so I jumped at the opportunity to hop on the bill and was psyched to check out this cool venue along the historic Route 66. I played a short little acoustic set, then got a chance to meet the folks in the audience, sell some merch (people went nuts over the ChiMcClean.com logo pint glasses), and then kick back and enjoy The River Monks’ set.

Hanging with photographer Nancy Smith-Blackwell from Amarillo Music Scene, after the show at The 806. Photo: Jimmy Joe

In attendance last night was local photographer from Amarillo Music Scene, Nancy Smith-Blackwell. It turns out that she shot most of my set, so we got to talking and I met some of her buddies who came to join her for the show. We had a great time catching up during the performance from The River Monks and decided to shoot some photos for a minute, so shoot we did… I’m not a camera guy, but we had some fun anyway and got a few really interesting shots, too. Big thanks to Nancy for hanging and posting all the great photos. If you ever come through Amarillo, TX, be sure to check out her page on Facebook for all the local happenings. It’s awesome.

Surprise! You're on camera! Watching The River Monks after my set at The 806 in Amarillo, TX last night. Photo: Nancy Smith-Blackwell

BIG THANKS to the crew at The 806 for hosting me last night (and for giving me a couch to sleep on afterwards) and to The River Monks for giving me some stage time to warm things up for them before their set. I had a terrific evening, met some great folks, and got to listen to some amazing music. Now, it’s time to get back on the road in search of another town and another gig. Hope to see ya soon, Amarillo!

On the road again... Somewhere in Texas.

My view for the better part of Sunday, March 18th.

After another great gig in Arizona the night before, I woke up around 4:00 AM, showered the sleep out of my eyes, grabbed my gear, and tip toed out of my buddy Josh’s place to drive the hour to Phoenix, AZ and catch a 6:45 AM flight to Oakland, CA to take part in a television performance / taping for MTV at the legendary Freight & Salvage. If I had planned my travel properly, with connections, a cab ride, and all… I’d arrive just in time to load in, say hello, tune up, take a deep breath, and go on stage. The stars aligned, fortunately, and I made it there with a few minutes to spare to run down the street and grab a chai latte. Winning!

Hanging with friend and Executive Director of West Coast Songwriters, Ian Crombie, during the MTV taping yesterday.

While I technically am not allowed to share the name of the show we were taping for, or when it will air, etc., I can tell you that it was a ton of fun. I got to perform a full song on a killer stage with wonderful sound in front of a packed house and a number of industry professionals, all while on camera. It’s always tough to pick just one song to perform, but based on all the traveling and minimal sleep I’d had recently since being on the road, I decided that I was feeling a little bit like the third track from my new, solo acoustic release, “Hole In My Heart“, so that’s what I went with. The lack of sleep, caffeine, nerves, and constant travel added a bit of a quiver to my voice which I just went with and, in the end, seemed to add to the vibe of the song for that particular moment. It was sort of cool… Before and after my performance, I listened to/watched a handful of other performers do their thing, including friends David Luning and Karmina, and then the featured act perform a great, new, original song. Without giving away too much of the gig, this kid really did a terrific job and has a great future… it was fun to watch him play his first industry showcase and neat to learn about his journey from never having performed a note in a “live” performance setting to where he sat yesterday on stage in the spotlight in front of a crowd. Cool story…

My new friends from the band KARMINA performing a tune at Freight & Salvage yesterday.

After the event wrapped up, I did an interview about the event with the camera crew from MTV, then chatted it up with some industry folks, the other performers, my friend, Ian Crombie (Executive Director of West Coast Songwriters) and then split for lunch with my friend, and a terrific songwriter and performer, Kaitlin McGaw. We found some crazy Indian place in Berkeley and I did my level best to eat that place under the table. Sadly, they won… I could only put away two plates worth of food, a chai (of course!), and some weird Indian dessert that was just about the most delicious thing, ever. Before the food coma settled in, Kaitlin drove me back to the Oakland, CA airport so I could log more time at the Southwest Airlines terminal, take a much needed nap, and get ready for my flight back to my truck that would hopefully still be waiting for me at the short term parking lot at the Phoenix, AZ airport.

A brief break to enjoy some sunlight and fresh air on a layover on Southwest Airlines yesterday.

Every time I take a flight and travel with my guitar, I get looks from my fellow travelers… some are curious, while others are sneering (“How is that man going to fit that GUITAR in the overhead bin?! Why doesn’t he just CHECK that thing?!”). Now, Southwest Airlines has always been really terrific in terms of being helpful whenever they can with my guitar sidekick, but yesterday, they even asked me to perform on the plane. Ha… Now, this happened once before on a flight to Colorado mid flight, but yesterday, they had me perform by the cockpit as the plane loaded for the second leg of my trip back to Phoenix, AZ. It was hilarious. I was in an alternate tuning that I use for just a few songs, so I was stuck playing those and gave the unsuspecting passengers a taste of “Hole In My Heart” and “Build Me Up” from my new release, “A Thing Or Three“. Almost everyone took photos, some passengers in front took videos, others just smiled and waved hello. The flight attendant and the pilot/co-pilot were all having a great time and it was an experience that, pretty much, only could have happened on a day like that. Hilarious… Of course, my phone died earlier, so the only documentation I have might be from the passengers last night. So, if you’re reading this and were on my flight, contact me and send me some photos and video, a way to contact you, and I’ll return the favor by sending you a free, autographed copy of my new release!

HUGE thanks to Ian Crombie from West Coast Songwriters, the crew from MTV, Freight & Salvage, my friend Kaitlin McGaw, and the crew at Southwest Airlines for making yesterday an incredible experience from start to finish. It just as easily could have been a nightmare all the way around, and instead, it was a day full of memories that will last a lifetime. THANK YOU and see you all again soon!

Tour poster for my performance at the original Ground Control location in Goodyear, AZ.

I saw lots of green… everywhere. It was St. Patrick’s Day at Ground Control in Goodyear, AZ and I was scheduled to perform a solo acoustic set there [the original location] for a few hours. Having performed at their second and newest location in Buckeye, AZ the night before, I was sort of curious to see what the spot that got it all started would look like. It did not disappoint: probably more craft brews than I’d seen anywhere else along my travels, an absolutely HUGE wine selection from the cavernous wine cellar adjacent to the performance area, the same great food, coffees and teas that the Buckeye location had, and just great people working there along with fun folks in the audience. Throw into the mix some St. Patrick’s Day energy, and we had the makings of a fun night…

My compact performance area at Ground Control in Goodyear, AZ.

I performed for about two hours straight before thinking about taking a break. The acoustics were terrific, the vibe was cool, and the audience seemed to be in the same groove I was, so why stop? But, hunger prevailed and I succumbed to a killer burger and salad to refuel before getting back up there to finish out the night. A new cast of characters filtered in after my little break and we closed out the night together as I dusted off a few cuts from my first record, “Something Out There”, and experimented with a new spin on some of my old favorites. I had so much fun and couldn’t believe I had played for about 3.5 hours when all was said and done. Despite being tired, I just didn’t really want to stop. However, looking ahead to a 4:00 AM wake-up call the next morning to catch a flight from Phoenix, AZ to Oakland, CA to do a taping for the MTV show “MADE”, I knew I had to call it quits. So, I packed it up, said my goodbyes, and got back to my buddy Josh’s place to try and catch a few hours of sleep before another epic day on the road and in the air.

Just one of the many cool scenes from a little hike I took prior to my show on 3/17 here in Arizona. So awesome...

As I fell asleep that night, I had to smile from all the good folks I met here in Arizona in both Buckeye and Goodyear, and began to dream about the cool desert stroll I took earlier in the day, just outside of town. Absolutely beautiful… BIG THANKS to my new friends at both of the Ground Control locations and, especially, to Josh and his family for so generously tolerating my crazy schedule and putting me up for a few nights. I couldn’t have imagined a better couple of days here in Arizona. THANK YOU and see you all again soon!

Tour poster for the show last night at Ground Control here in Buckeye, AZ.

Having had perhaps a little too much fun in Las Vegas, NV the night before after wrapping up my gig at The House of Blues, I had a hefty drive across some pretty barren, dry, but beautiful desert country to Buckeye, AZ, just outside of Phoenix. The scenery was wild and the roads were winding, so the 5+ hours in the truck went by relatively quickly. I arrived about  an hour before my set in the development of Verrado in Buckeye and unloaded my gear, sound checked, had a minute to throw some water on my face, wake up, and then get to work.

A quick snapshot before starting the show last night at Ground Control in Buckeye, AZ.

It was definitely a different scene than the night before in Sin City, but it was a ton of fun to hang and play an extended set in a cozy venue with good people, a great staff, warm acoustics, and awesome food in between! Huge thanks to Tara and the gang at Ground Control for hosting me, and big ups to Josh for putting me up for the night afterwards here in town. All in all, it was a terrific evening and I am looking forward to performing at their second location TONIGHT on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, in Goodyear, AZ from 8:00pm until about 11:00pm. I’m sure it’s going to get rowdy, so why don’t ya come on down and have a little fun?

This crazy cactus, the dry desert, and a neat span bridge in the distance. Lots of cool stuff like this here in Arizona!

Hanging at The House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV after my performance this Thursday, March 15th.

Quite possibly one of my favorite gigs, The House of Blues in Las Vegas, NV offers up great sound, a killer stage, a professional sound crew, and a great audience from all over the world. In just a one hour set, I had so much fun and made some new friends and fans from almost every corner of the globe. And, just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than that, I ate some killer barbeque from their kitchen! Yep, this is a good gig…

The best company a guy could have on the road... my twin 814ce's all tuned up and ready to rock backstage at The House of Blues.

After the show, I walked out and caught up with some new fans, talked music, and, of course, hit up that barbeque I mentioned earlier. So good! When the night was through and the last band wrapped up their set, I packed it up, said my goodbyes, and walked my gear back to my room that I splurged on upstairs at Mandalay Bay. Every time I play Las Vegas, I have to do it… They have the MOST comfortable beds and rooms around for less than a lot of dives I’ve stayed at elsewhere on the road and it’s always nice to get one good, solid night’s worth of sleep on the road. BUT, before I did, I took a stroll down on the casino floor and then found myself getting some VIP treatment at The Foundation Room on the top floor of the hotel (part of The House of Blues). This place has INSANE views of the Las Vegas strip and you wouldn’t believe the craziness that, I have to think, probably happens up there every night.

View of the infamous Las Vegas strip from atop Mandalay Bay on the outdoor patio at The Foundation Room.

Huge thanks to the on-site crew from Soli Concepts and Live Nation for booking, promoting, and putting on a terrific night of music and taking good care of me. I had an outstanding time and can’t wait to get back there and tear it up again. Until then, take care, keep rockin’, and be good, Las Vegas!

Performing at Brad Colerick's "Wine & Song" songwriter series at Firefly Bistro. Photo: Cleo Dia

Every time I come down to Southern California for some shows, I try and line up a performance with my friend Brad Colerick as part of his weekly songwriter series called “Wine & Song”, which he hosts at this really cool venue, Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena, CA. It’s the mellowest, most relaxed, and most unpredictable gig I’ve ever done, mostly because you never really know if there are going to be celebrity musical guests in the audience taking cameo slots on the bill or not. It keeps you on your toes and keeps the night moving really well, which makes it fun for everyone.

The entrance to the outdoor/indoor garden patio and performance area at Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena, CA.

Brad Colerick opened up the night with some of his signature, self-penned songs that his home town audience ate up. He is a terrific talent. A really natural, easy going voice, a relaxed style of guitar picking, and thoughtful songs make Brad a triple threat behind the mic and I’m always glad to have an opportunity hear and watch him perform. A few other guest artists joined the bill this past Wednesday, including Severin Browne, Ed Tree, and others. It was a nice mix of music for the evening and so fun to hear all of the various styles, stories and influences.

Host of "Wine & Song", Brad Colerick, opening up the night at Firefly Bistro.

Big thanks to Brad for hosting the night, huge thanks to all of my friends and fans for making the trek throughout the greater Los Angeles area to join the fun, and thanks to all of the songwriters and musicians that shared their talent and inspiration throughout the evening. I had a blast. Take good care, friends, and see you again in Southern California again soon!

A couple front row fans and friends getting fired up in between sets!

Performing at Room 5 Lounge in Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Onnie Miyawaki

I really, genuinely love performing at Room 5 Lounge in Los Angeles, CA. The sound is top notch, the vibe is really slick, the lounge-style seating is old school, and it’s just so much fun. I had a long day of driving and running around leading up to the show, so when I finally unpacked my guitars, plugged in, and got to singing, it was a welcome relief. There just never seems to be enough playing time when I’m on the road, so every minute in a 50 minute set counts.

I played almost all the cuts from my new, solo acoustic release, “A Thing Or Three“, and then a new co-write titled “Going South”, though it just might change up to “Heading South”. I’m toying with that now, but we’ll see! Sound man, guitarist, songwriter, singer, and all around good guy joined me on stage for my last tune and sat in with some funky, electric guitar. We had a blast and it was great to get one more jam in with Joel before heading out of town for a little while. That dude is good…

In attendance that night were a number of friends, fans, and some industry folks that I met at a recent conference, who I was happy to see. Almost everybody in attendance that night also got a cool, limited-edition ChiMcClean.com pint glass (pictured below) along with their ticket purchase. Later on, a crew of us gathered at Canter’s Deli for some late night pastrami, corned beef, and music. It has become a ritual!

The new, limited-edition ChiMcClean.com pint glass photographed by Cat Mercado.

Huge thanks to Joel, Room 5 Lounge, my friends, fans, and everyone else who made this night a success. I had a ton of fun and I can’t wait to come on back and do it all over again. Take care and see you all soon!

Performing at Kreuzberg California in San Luis Obispo, CA. Photo: John Patrick Images

I was introduced to Kreuzberg California by my friend, songwriter, promoter, and booking manager, Steve Key. It’s a huge space that is part coffee house, part bar, part lounge, part art gallery, and part music venue. Long story short, it’s a bit of just about everything cool… The acoustics are terrific, it’s got a neat vibe, and the audience is always really attentive. It’s a fun gig!

After finishing a radio interview and performance on The KRUSH 92.5 FM with on-air host, Suzanne, earlier in the afternoon, I headed over to Kreuzberg California to set up, check out the scene and get settled for the 3+ hour show. I was pretty excited as my friends, and terrific songwriters, Jody Mulgrew and Stephen Styles had agreed to join me for the night. I couldn’t have thought of a better blend of talent and song for my last night in San Luis Obispo, CA for a while, and it did not disappoint.

Hanging with on-air host, Suzanne, at The KRUSH 92.5 FM studios in San Luis Obispo, CA after my interview and performance.

I invited Jody up first, then Stephen, and it was just so much fun to hear these guys. I’ve always enjoyed their music, but to hear them live again was a real treat for me, and for everyone in the audience that night. Jody has sort of a retro, vintage vibe that I can’t quite put my finger on, but it stays with you for a while. Definitely look him up, buy his music, and check out one of his shows when you can. You will be glad you did. Stephen writes some great country music and has the voice to match. Why he isn’t famous now and all over the radio waves, I can’t imagine… His time is coming, and when it does finally come, you had better be ready. He’s going to hit with a splash.

HUGE THANKS to the gang at Kreuzberg California for hosting me and the guys on Monday. We all had a terrific time and I know our friends, fans, and the folks from The KRUSH 92.5 FM did, as well. Keep on rockin’, San Luis Obispo, and see you again soon!

"Get back in your corner, boy!" It's a tiny corner, but it's a COZY corner here at CAVA.

Quite possibly, my favorite… No, this IS my favorite wine bar along the California coast. Cava Wine Bar, first and foremost, is run by some terrific individuals. My buddy, Cliff, is just about the most genuine person you’ll ever meet. He also knows his way around wine. Sporting more bottles than you can shake a stick at, Cava Wine Bar offers up a huge selection of wines to suit any palate. The venue also has terrific acoustics, a warm, relaxing vibe, and makes for a perfect hang out on a Sunday afternoon.

I cruised down and set up shop at Cava Wine Bar this past Sunday evening, March 11th from 6:00pm until a little after 8:00pm to perform an extended, solo acoustic set for friends, fans, and the tourist crowd in one of the most beautiful cities by the sea: Capitola, CA. I had a wonderful time, met all sorts of new folks, made some new fans and friends, and enjoyed having one last hurrah with the gang at Cava Wine Bar before continuing on my travels towards Nashville, TN. It was a terrific evening that ended with some crazy fun that just won’t ever be repeated, as far as I can imagine. Suffice to say, it was an epic evening at Cava Wine Bar.

Big ups to Cliff, Bob, Nancy and the rest of the crew at Cava Wine Bar, and huge thanks to my friends and fans (both new and old) that came out to support my performance, my new acoustic release, and more. Hope to see you all again soon! Until then, keep it real in Capitola, catch some waves for me, and hoist one in your new ChiMcClean.com pint glasses for me from afar!