Chi McClean

Soulshine Pizza Factory - Awesome grub, a cool vibe, and some good sounds.

After a quick hit in Athens, Georgia to play a few shows at some really fun venues, and then a little video shoot in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, I’ve found myself back in Nashville, Tennessee preparing for some recording, writing, starting a new housing search, and wrapping up some bookings for a summer run out to the West Coast. My week here would be incomplete, however, without a little time on stage to keep my chops up and share some music with friends. So…

Tonight (Wednesday, May 29th, 2013), I’ll be joining the crew from the Durango Songwriters Expo for their monthly songwriter series at Soulshine Pizza Factory. This is always a fun hang, and there will be more than a few great writers/artists playing their tunes starting at 7:00pm. I hit the stage around 9:30pm to close out the night, so grab details here and swing on by if you’re in the Nashville area - I’d love to see ya.

The best sounding hotel bar I've ever seen...

Later this week, I’ll be joining my friend Bill Griese for a writers round at The Commodore, also in Nashville, TN on Friday, May 31st, 2013. We’ll be trading songs with one other writer (Payton Taylor) from 9:00pm until 10:00pm. While I’m not too familiar with Payton’s music, I know that Bill has been writing up a storm and I’m excited to hear what he’s been up to these days. (He’s a really good writer/performer that calls to mind the likes of James Taylor.)

Lots of good stuff is coming down the pike here in Nashville, so stay tuned here for updates and come on out for a show or two if you’re nearby. Until then, take care and happy summer!

Stoked to be playing this iconic venue TONIGHT at 9:00pm, May 22nd, 2013 on the rooftop!

So stoked to give ‘er for one more night here in Athens, Georgia - this time, at The Georgia Theatre! This historic venue has played home to such Athens greats like Widespread Panic, REM, and more… One of the best sound systems around with the coolest vibe now has a new, rooftop stage under the stars, and I’ll be rocking a solo acoustic set there TONIGHT starting at 9:00pm. This performance is FREE, and the weather is beautiful this afternoon with a forecast for a cool breeze and clear skies this evening, so grab the event details here or visit The Georgia Theatre website for more information. A terrific bar, a wonderful menu, warm summer weather, and groovy tunes - it’s gonna be a doozy! See you soon, Athens!

Digging into a few chords in between verses at Green Room in Athens, GA. Photo: Hailey

So much fun last night performing at Green Room here in Athens, Georgia! It was such a welcome relief to get back up on stage for a few hours after taking a nice little break from my last marathon tour in February and March and, oh yeah… a 10.5 hour drive from the West Palm Beach, Florida area yesterday! (What?!) Anyway, this joint offered up a terrific stage, kick ass sound, a cool vibe (Umm… overhead room lights made out of old kick drums and floor toms?! Cool!), and just an amazingly friendly staff. I think I’m starting to like Athens, friends.

No, we're not talking about the surfer's "tunnel of love", but a reference to the backstage area. Green Room is as slick as it gets... Very cool.

Anyway, big thanks to Wil, Scott, Roger, Hailey, Rick, and Ben at Green Room for hosting me last night and making for a really fun evening at this cool, new club. It was a great way to come back from a good long break and I can’t wait to make a return trip to do it all again!

Speaking of which, I’ll be performing at The Georgia Theatre, just next door to Green Room, TONIGHT (Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013) kicking off at 8:30pm for another extended solo acoustic set. So, if you missed last night’s event, here’s your one last chance to catch the action before I return to Nashville, Tennessee. BONUS: tonight’s performance will be OUTSIDE on the rooftop stage under the stars! A great bar, a terrific menu, and the perfect backdrop make the rooftop of The Georgia Theatre an awesome hang on an early summer evening, so come on out, Athens! This show is FREE / 21+ ONLY, so grab details here and meet me there! See you soon, Athens…

After 46 days on the road, I'm back in Nashville, TN.

Man, this was the longest run of shows I’ve booked to date and, let me tell ya, it was a hoot. I had so much fun performing 43 shows over of 46 days from Tennessee to Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Georgia and back. Honestly, I can’t wait to get out there and do it all again in a few months!

One of countless road shots from the tour. This one is on the 24 somewhere in Colorado en route to shows in Vail.

There were so many awesome events, performances, views, radio and television appearances, hangs with friends and fans, ski and surf sessions, and more along the way. As crazy as it sounds, being “out there” feels more like home than just about any place I’ve ever actually “lived”. It’s amazing… now that I’m back, I hardly know what to do with myself! But, I’m back in writing mode, looking for an apartment where I can settle down, and getting ready to do some recording with a full band in the near future. There’s lots going on, but I’ve always got one eye searching for the next road gig and one foot itching for the pedal… I know it won’t be long before I’m back out there, so stay tuned here and on Facebook and Twitter for upcoming dates near you. In the mean time, here’s to a terrific spring and (hopefully) and early summer!

A beautiful, west coast day, out on the road. While the surf will have to wait for a little while, I'll be back performing up an down the California coast before too long.

Mini PA system, stands, cables, extra strings, all sorts of merch... It's the makings of a tour, alright.

My US Winter Tour has, indeed, officially begun! After a 24-hour road journey from Nashville, TN to Vail, CO ending last night, my performances kick off in earnest this evening at Shakedown Bar in Vail, CO with a solo acoustic set from 4:00pm until 6:00pm. From there, I continue to points west throughout Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and more, so stay tuned to my Shows Page for an always up to date list of performance dates, times, and locations. This is going to be a fun one, boys and girls, so be sure to spread the word to your friends and families, and come on out to a show near you! Thanks for your support and see you soon!

The open road: there's a lot more of this ahead of me, with many adventures along the way, so stay tuned here and at www.facebook.com/chimccleanmusic for daily updates from the road!

Live video stream from my performance on the Jumbo-Tron at Westfield UTC in La Jolla, CA on Thursday, January 31st.

I’ve been on television, I’ve been on web streams, I’ve done the YouTube thing, but I haven’t ever been on a Jumbo-Tron! Last Thursday, January 31st, I woke up at 3:45am, flew out from New York, NY to Boston, MA, then San Diego, CA, just in time to rent a car and get to the Westfield UTC in La Jolla, CA to perform for a few hours under the stars. It was a whirlwind of a day, but so much fun to get back to a warmer clime and a great, Southern California crowd. The Westfield UTC is a brand new, outdoor lifestyle center in the town of La Jolla, CA (San Diego County). Beautiful shops, an ice skating rink, amazing restaurants, and lots of fun activities make this a pretty cool spot for families to hang. In the evenings, they’ve been hosting a live music series, and I was fortunate enough to have been invited to perform as part of their calendar. I had an absolute blast and enjoyed sharing stories, songs, and more than a few smiles with the crowd.

Afterwards, I stuck around for a few extra days to check in with the folks at Taylor Guitars about some work on one of my instruments before my upcoming tour starting this coming Friday, February 8th in Vail, CO and visited with Mark at Mission Playground to chat about a performance scheduled there on March 4th, surfing, music, his clothing/lifestyle brand, and more. In between, I also managed to catch my friend, Savannah Philyaw, perform at her CD release and Tristan Prettyman sell out the Belly Up - nice! Of course, knowing me as you probably do, I got a little surfing in at Carlsbad, Encinitas and Solana Beach, too. All in all, it was a pretty amazing trip, I must say.

Big thanks to the crew at Westfield UTC for flying me out for a wonderful event, Taylor Guitars for taking great care of me and my guitars, and Mark at Mission Playground for hanging, showing me around, and providing a loaner wetsuit and board to get my surfing fix. Thanks, too, to everyone who came out to Westfield UTC on short notice to support the show. We had fun! Last, but not least, huge kudos to the flight crew on my Jet Blue flights for taking extra special care of my guitars there and back. With a few empty seats, my girls got a little spoiled on this trip (see below).

I swear... sometimes these guitars get better treatment and more attention than I do! My ladies traveling in style...

So great to be back on stage in my home town at The Bitter End in New York, NY.

Last night defined the reason I do what I do: terrific sound, a great stage, an absolutely killer venue with great staff running the joint, a packed house full of friends from all stages of my life from all over the country, loyal fans, and an electric vibe that ran through the room from start to finish. The Bitter End is a legendary spot, as it’s the oldest rock club in New York City, and the list of iconic performers who have graced its stage goes on and on from Bob Dylan to Stevie Wonder to Norah Jones and many, many more. I always love playing there and last night was no exception. Huge thanks are in order to everyone who posted in the sub zero temps, as well as Adrian running the board, Pete and Kenny who ran the show and invited me back to play  last night’s set, and the hardest working door/security crew around. I can’t wait to come back to New York, NY and do it all again. Thanks, everyone, for making this a night to remember. Spread the word and see ya soon!

Established in 1961, The Bitter End is the oldest rock club in New York City, steeped in history and great performances.

I am so stoked to be returning to New York, NY for a one-night-only, solo acoustic performance at my favorite club in town, The Bitter End. I’ll be performing here for the first time in a good, long while, and I can’t wait to get back on this stage to showcase some new material along with some old favorites from my first two releases. I’ll be performing an early set from 7:00pm until 8:00pm on Thursday, January 24th, 2013 for just a $10.00 ticket at the door, so mark your calendars now and plan to meet me after work at this historic venue. For additional details and directions, click on over to The Bitter End’s website or call the venue directly at (212) 673-7030. I hit the stage at 7:00pm SHARP, so be sure to arrive early to grab a lounge table next to the stage for the show and a cold one to keep you company. See ya soon, New York! I can’t wait… [NOTE: The Bitter End is an 18+ club.]

The all-new, 100% organic cotton, Chi McClean totes are here in time for the holidays! Order yours now!

I am so pleased to announce that the latest Chi McClean merch’ is now in-stock and available to ship, right to your door. These totes are the perfect grocery getters, just the right size to haul your lunch along with your workout gear to work, sturdy enough to carry your laptop, headphones, magazines, etc. as your carry-on for air travel, perfect for a beach bag for your towel, sunscreen, surf wax, wax comb, etc., and more. 100% organic cotton and heavy duty bar tacking on all seams and handles make these a great way to reduce, re-use, and go green while supporting your favorite, independent artist: me! Order yours today for just $15.00 (includes standard USPS ground shipping) and receive your tote in time as a present to yourself or the music fans on your shopping list this holiday season! Contact chi (at) chimcclean (dot) com and get yours today. PLUS, the first 25 orders will receive a FREE copy of my latest acoustic release, “A Thing Or Three”, and a Chi McClean sticker pack! (Sweet, right?!)

Writing at home here in Nashville, TN with Taylor Guitars GS Mini with anything but a "mini" sound.

It seems like just about every time I get back to Nashville, I leave! I’ve had gigs in California, New York, traveled to Florida, South America, South Africa, and more for music and fun over the last few months. It’s been a crazy whirlwind, but for once, I’m back and staying put (for a least a few weeks) here in my new home of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve enjoyed performing at a few writers rounds, have played a few solo sets, have a few more coming up before year-end, and am continuing to write new material, both on my own and with some other songwriters. It’s a fun time here, so keep in touch and, if you find yourself in Nashville, take a look at my Shows Page and come on by to say “hi” and hear a few songs. I’d love to see you! In the mean time, Happy Holidays to all. Be well, take care, and see you soon!