Chi McClean

Cool little wooden bridge in a park adjacent to Liquid Assets Wine Bar in Ashland, OR. This town is full of little gems like this park!

Wow! October 23rd brought me back to my now FAVORITE wine bar in Ashland, OR: Liquid Assets Wine Bar! I had so much fun on the way up to Eugene, OR that the venue and I decided to do a repeat performance on my way back on the evening of October 23rd! I had a terrific time and it was so great to see the same faces from the week prior come back – this time, with new friends and fans for the show. (Thanks, guys!) AND… I had my new, live, solo acoustic release available for this show, and folks gobbled them up like hot cakes – especially since I sold out of the first album (and, uh… didn’t reorder it yet… oops!).

It was awesome to finally have my new, raw, solo acoustic release "A Thing Or Three" available for this show!

The usual hilarity ensued, a few sing-alongs happened, and after breaking down my gear, we all somehow ended up hanging out and having fun until the wee hours of the morning (Uh, like… until 5am! Owie!) When I pulled into my little La Quinta Inn on the I-5, the guy at the front desk was wondering where the heck I had been all night. He said I might as well just bag it as check out was at 11:00am. I needed the sleep, if even for just a few hours, so I crawled into bed, and it was lights-out for a solid, seven or so hours (fortunately, they let me slide on a late check-out when I sheepishly showed up a little after noon).

Long story short, this place rules. Lucie, Caitron, Doug, Jessica, Caleb and the rest of the crew there rocked it on my behalf and ran things super smooth all the way through the entire performance. I can’t thank them enough and I absolutely can’t wait to get back up there to do it all again!

Gettin' the folk out in Eugene, OR!

Man! No matter how you prepare yourself for a music conference like this one, you never go into it with enough sleep and you never have enough energy to manage the whole thing. By the end, you’re just running on fumes… On Thursday afternoon, October 20th, 2011, I arrived in Eugene, OR at the Hilton Hotel & Conference Center, checked in, showered up, ate a quick bite, then warmed up my guitar, my voice, and hit up four showcase performances for industry, songwriters, house concert hosts, musicians, and more. It was a ton of fun and I felt really strong after six days on the road honing in my set beforehand, despite a lack of sleep and some allergies doing their darndest to get the best of me!

My hotel room mate, Mr. James Lee Stanley, mesmerizing the house concert crowd at one of the many showcases at FAR-West this year.

I generally don’t room with folks on the road as I like my privacy and need some quiet time in between performances, especially at a conference, but due to a number of reasons, I ended up rooming with songwriter James Lee Stanley. To be honest, I’m not too clued into what’s been happening in the folk scene, but as soon as I looked up this guy’s name online, I knew he was a heavy player, and not just in the folk circle. He’s played with just about everybody (Stephen Stills and Chick Corea being just a few top names) and has toured/performed almost everywhere and is a truly accomplished writer, singer, and guitar player – not to mention, a hilarious comedian. I had a great time getting to know him and even more fun listening to some of his performances at the conference. While there were a number of talented performers and writers showcasing at this conference, James Lee Stanley is a healthy cut above them all. If you ever need to brush up on your on-stage presence, writing or playing, just check out one of his sets. You’ll learn a lot.

Happy Halloween from Ninkasi Brewing Company!

Not ALL of the past four days were filled with music non-stop. Yesterday afternoon, after an awards presentation and luncheon, I bumped into artist manager Steve Garvan and artist/songwriter Beth Wood whose husband is the sales manager the “fastest growing independent brewery in the US”, Ninkasi Brewing Company. As my parents love to say, “Timing is everything.” Turns out, those guys were headed over for a private tour of the brewery followed by a tasting and asked me to come along. Of course! We got there and took a tour, enjoyed tasting a ton of terrific beers all made right there on site, and even had a few gourmet hotdogs from the local cart outside the brewery. What an afternoon!

Mmmmm... Beer! A delicious tasting of Ninkasi Brewing Company's finest!

Afterwards, I decided to take the long way home and walk back to the hotel to, err, sober up and get ready for my four final showcases last night. It was an absolutely beautiful afternoon in Eugene, OR and I got a chance to get a feel for the town a bit by taking it on by foot. The funny thing about this town is that it’s apparently not zoned, which is to say that you can have a brewery right next to someone’s home, a car repair spot next to a day care facility, etc. It’s crazy cool as you can end up living right next to some neat places if you’re lucky. (Imagine being next door to this brewery! Ooh… I’d never leave.) Later on that evening, I had dinner with a few new friends, talked music, caught a few showcases, then performed my butt off four more times making it a total of twelve showcases from Thursday night through Saturday night. It was the last evening of the conference, so I left everything there in those showcase rooms with nothing to spare. Go big or go home, right? I ended up jamming with a this really talented accordion player, Lee Garland (I know, I know… sounds weird, but…), who just killed it. We had so much fun playing my final showcase at 2:10am, as late as it was, in the Whiskey Poets showcase room to a full house. Man… what a way to close out the conference!

Heading back south to play Liquid Assets this evening, October 23rd, 2011 at 8:00pm.

Right now, I’m hanging in Starbucks typing out this blog post, mapping out my drive south on the I-5, and ramping up to play in Ashland, OR again at Liquid Assets Wine Bar from 8:00pm until 10:00pm this evening before continuing on south into California to play Cottonwood, then Sacramento, followed by Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and finally, Sonoma. Go ahead and check out the show listing for tonight in the upper right hand corner of this page or click on over to my SHOWS page, grab the details, and meet me there if you’re in the area. It’s a nifty spot with great wine and food, and the acoustics are killer. Well… here’s to keeping this show on the road. Take care and see you all soon!

One of the cooler wine bars I've played... this joint is terrific!

Again, my streak of good luck continued yesterday afternoon when I rolled into Ashland, OR en route to the FAR-West conference in Eugene, OR. As soon as I got into town, I hit the pavement, poked my head into a few bars, venues, etc. and introduced myself, and finally landed a gig at the one and only Liquid Assets Wine Bar from 8:00pm until 11:00pm. I had so, so much fun! The acoustics were really warm and rich, the folks at the bar and around the tables were all smiles, and the wine and food were outstanding. I couldn’t have asked for a better, impromptu night than this one. Lucy, Caleb, Jessica, Denise, and the rest of the crew at the bar were totally awesome and brought in a nice crowd for me, too. In fact, things went well enough that they asked me to play again on my way back down from Eugene, OR this coming Sunday, October 23rd! So, mark your calendars now, Ashland-ites! I’m coming back to Liquid Assets Wine Bar this Sunday from 8:00pm until 10:00pm for another free, solo acoustic performance. Hope to see ya soon!

This place is THE place in Mount Shasta, CA. Great people, awesome vibe, and last night... great music!

Yesterday, I got a last minute cancellation and just started scrambling as soon as I left Redding, CA to find something to fill in for the night to help cover the gas and inevitable Motel 6 stint to come that night. It’s generally slim pickings when you try to do this, but I just kept calling different venues and actually showing up to their front door, checking in with the bar staff, and givin’ it the old college try. Finally, just north in the town of Mount Shasta, CA, I struck gold at the Gold Room Saloon. After a bit of conversation, I got the old “what the heck… go for it!” from the folks behind the bar and it was on. So, I set up, tuned up, and got started around 7:30pm for a small local crowd on a random Tuesday night. I figured, better to be playing than not, so I’d better give ‘er. Three-plus hours later, I wrapped up to a crowd of smiling faces, good times, and plenty of laughs. What started out as a last ditch effort to save a night on the road turned into a terrific, impromptu gig that, apparently, broke a long, long run of no music at all at the bar. (Yay for music at Gold Room Saloon!)

While this place wasn't really set up for music, amidst the spooky Halloween vibe, I found a corner and it sounded pretty darned good!

Afterwards, there was some hanging out, taking turns playing everyone’s favorite tunes on the juke box, playing more guitar, singing, debate over who sang what, etc. and then, out of nowhere, it went to karaoke! Yes, karaoke. So, the band of die hards remaining late night helped me pack up my gear and we headed farther into town to sing some rock anthems to some computer generated karaoke soundtracks. Awesome.

Part of the late-night crew at Gold Room Saloon. Big thanks to Christina (second from right) for making it all happen.

Turns out, I’ll be making another stop down at Gold Room Saloon on my way back from Eugene, OR on Monday, October 24th from 9:00pm until midnight, so if you missed the fun last night, consider this fair warning: you’re on call for this coming Monday! See ya soon.

Strange things happen on the road... like, turning into a "burrito bandito", for instance... just a mere hour or two before my gig in Anderson, CA. It was difficult playing guitar as a gun-slinging burrito, but you do what ya can.

Man, I just love the Redding, CA area… great people, lots of acoustic music fans, beautiful views, and supportive venues. Last night at Woodside Grill at the Gaia Shasta Hotel here in Anderson, CA was a ton of fun. My buddy Grant Rudolph sat in on keys again and played a bit of his alto sax, too. The room was full, which was very cool to see on a Monday night, thanks to friend and now local music promoter by default, Beth and Co., and people were just in a good mood. Afterwards, while breaking down the gear, one of the guys from the staff came over and asked if he could play one of my Taylor 814ce’s for a minute. I’m generally pretty protective of my girls, but this guy seemed like a good dude, so I gave him the go-ahead. Turns out he was a killer player! So, we ordered up some drinks from the bar keep and continued to jam unplugged for a few hours with Grant on the house piano. We had a blast and it was a wonderful way to wrap up the evening and my time here in the Redding, CA area before heading north.

A quick snapshot of the bar at Woodside Grill while setting up. Mm... cozy!

Big thanks to everyone who made the effort to come out on a Monday night to support my performance, a bigger thanks to those that bought copies of my record, and and even bigger thanks to my new friend Brittany who booked me on the way back down from Eugene, OR next week at her local watering hole… What a night. Thanks, everybody! See ya again real soon.

Some local promo for the performance last night in Palo Cedro, CA.

Stop #4 on my mini tour up to Eugene, OR and back went something like this: Last night, a friend of mine helped put together a killer show. I called her up about a month ago in a last ditch effort to booking a few performances en route to the FAR-West event in Eugene, OR in her home town and, despite the eleventh hour notice, she wrangled together two venues off of the I-5 around the Redding, CA area and made it work. Last night (Sunday) was the first of the two at Red Rock Bar & Grill. This spot was so much fun – an old-time vibe with a great bartender (thanks, Christina!), colorful regulars, and a heap of new friends and fans that my friend Beth rustled up out of the woodwork to attend. I couldn’t have been happier. To boot, my old friend Grant Rudolph showed up and sat in on his Hammond B-3 and even offered up a few licks on his alto sax, which was pretty cool to hear. We ended up the the night playing liar’s dice with Merle Haggard’s tour bus driver (yes, really!) and a few other interesting characters before wrapping it up and calling it a good evening. HUGE thanks to my friend Beth for putting together the event, Grant for sitting in and adding some color on keys and the alto, and, of course, Hester for hosting the night at Red Rock Bar & Grill. If you’re in the area for any reason, come on by the Gaia Shasta Hotel tonight (October 17th, 2011) at 6:00pm for another solo acoustic performance at The Woodside Grill just south on the I-5 from Palo Cedro, CA in Anderson, CA. It should be a cool night at a really slick restaurant. See ya soon!

Picture perfect: the back garden outside the tasting room at Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, CA.

On Saturday afternoon (yesterday), I and my buddies Dan “D-Lucca” Parenti and Tommie Bradford traveled up to scenic Kenwood, CA to play as a trio for the Landmark Vineyards harvest celebration. It was a terrific afternoon outside by the tasting room and I had a lot of fun playing with drums and bass again for the first time in a while. We played for about four hours or so to a nice audience of nearly 200 people and were lucky enough to enjoy a little roast pig, hand made, wood fired pizzas, delicious wine, and a few laughs with the attendees and winery staff. At around 4:00pm, Dan and Tommie packed it up, and as we said our good-bye’s while I began to strike my gear, a few folks lingered in, so what was I to do? Play another acoustic set, of course! With ears ringing, fingers nearly bleeding (ok, maybe the finger part is a slight exaggeration), and a voice that was more than more than a bit scratchy after four hours of singing with the band, I busted out some of my favorite originals and my go-to, most favorite cover in the world, “The Wind Cries Mary”. As it turns out, a few of those folks sitting in the group in front towards the end of the day were involved in the wine biz, so we ended up chatting, talking about music, other wine-fueled spots to play up and down the California coast, and upcoming events that Landmark Vineyard and a few other folks have coming down the pike. Lots of fun, great people, and interesting conversation, for sure. In any case, a huge “thanks” goes out to Nick, Brendan, Amber, Melanie and the rest of the gang at Landmark Vineyards for generously hosting me and the band, and for putting on a truly wonderful event. Day two on the road couldn’t have been any better!

Obivously, I didn't like the chicken enchiladas at all during my set break. Seriously... these puppies are KILLER.

This past Friday night was a hoot, as per usual, at Maria Maria in Danville, CA. This is always a tricky gig as the sound isn’t so great on stage (well, there’s no monitor and it’s loud) but the front of house speaker they DO have isn’t half bad. Plus, the restaurant staff pumps a direct feed from the PA through the house system, so you can hear me as you’re sitting on the can. Err… maybe that’s a little much? In any event, I had a great time playing for a packed house and enjoyed meeting some new friends while reconnecting with some old work colleagues (thanks, Bernie!) and fans from the East Bay. Plus, the always-tasty chicken enchiladas made for a great set break! Big thanks to Mihaela, Carlos and the rest of the crew at Maria Maria for hosting me, yet again, and for putting together a fun evening. It was a great way to kick off a run of shows up to Eugene, OR and back.

"I've got a large soy Chai for, uhh... Chi?! Cool..."

That line always cracks me up… yes, I’m a Chai Tea fan. I love it, in fact. And Peet’s Coffee & Tea makes the best, in my book. Spicy, hot, and smooth at the same time – a great way to wake up! And, this past Saturday, October 1st, from 10:00am until noon, I woke the local Alamo, CA coffee and tea crew up with some acoustic music at their grand opening event. I played a ton of material from my own cuts to some favorite covers in a 60% instrumental, 40% vocal fashion. I wasn’t sure how it was going to shape up since I’m used to singing a lot, but it worked out great, folks really enjoyed it, new people arrived, folks stayed, we laughed, we joked, and everyone seemed to have a great time… myself included.

The newest Peet’s Coffee & Tea location in the East Bay is now OPEN in Alamo, CA at 215 Alamo Plaza, Suite E in Alamo, CA 94507. If you’re in the area, stop on by to check out this super sweet location or check ‘em out online here and find your way on over! It’s just about the nicest spot for coffee and tea I’ve found (and as a traveling/home-challenged musician who spends most of his time working in one coffee shop or another, that’s actually saying something).

Man, every day is a brand new adventure. It’s not always on par with climbing Kilimanjaro, but the point is that I never know what exactly is going to happen. It’s an exercise in patience, laughter, and ingenuity at times.

The bright side: waking up at New Brighton State Beach campground in Capitola, CA after my gig at Cava Wine Bar. Simply beautiful!

After a performance at my favorite wine bar in Capitola, CA the other night, I found this nifty campground just down the way. I pitched my tent, crawled inside, then settled in for a night of attacks from a local posse of raccoons. They tried their hardest to penetrate my tent walls in search of who knows what (Ok, so I had a Clif Bar inside, but could they REALLY smell the food through the wrapper?!), but it turned into an exercise in futility as those pesky critters were no match for my sturdy tent fly and tent walls. Should they have broken through the gates, I had a pocket knife ready and waiting…

Working from my mobile "home" office here at Kinko's in Capitola, CA. Yeah, I'm THAT guy.

Yes, I carry all this stuff with me on the road because you never know when you just might need to fire off a mailing label, press kit, or W-9 to a venue. It comes in handy, but this is the first time I’ve set up my gear at a Kinko’s. I’ve got to confess, I feel a LITTLE awkward and I’m getting a few sideways glares from the other customers nearby in the self-serve area, but guess what? This doesn’t cost me a dime. Free wi-fi, I’m using my own paper, labels, printer, computer, etc. What a great discovery, as long as I can continue to check my ego at the door.

Tonight, it’s back to San Francisco, CA to catch a performance from one of my favorite songwriters, Josh Damigo, at The Hotel Utah Saloon. I’m going to be sitting in for a song or two, I believe, so it’s going to be a great time. If you haven’t been to “The Utah” before, tonight’s a great night to check it out. The show starts at 8:00pm and you can get your tickets here, so get on the stick, make it happen, and meet us there. Otherwise, stay tuned for some upcoming performances from me this week including a set at Maria Maria in Danville, CA on Thursday followed by a performance at the store opening event for the newest Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Alamo, CA this Saturday.

From the road, have a great week, and have fun! See ya soon!