Chi McClean

I love this gig… I’ve done the “in the round” gig once before up at Hotel Utah, and I was psyched to do it again. Local songwriter/performer Heather Combs puts on a monthly event there and it always makes for a really fun evening. This time, we basically did a repeat of the last show back in April with me, Heather Combs, Austin Willacy, and Stewart Lewis sharing the stage.

From left to right: Austin Willacy, Stewart Lewis & Heather Combs at The Hotel Utah Saloon

I was honored to be able to spend some time with these guys and, as much fun as it was playing music, it was almost more fun in between songs re-enacting the comedy from the last time we all shared the stage together. Honestly, these folks are hilarious… not only do they write amazing songs, but the banter in between the performances is gut busting. Seriously… the sexual innuendos, the political jabs, the mindless chatter… all pretty impressive.

Anyway, we had a great turn-out for the night with an interactive experience for the crowd during a few sing-alongs and just a great time all the way around. Thanks to the bartenders and the soundwoman for making it a memorable night. You girls are great!

When I woke up on the 4th of August, I was pretty psyched. I had a lot to do! After taking my friend Kate out to breakfast as a “thank you” for inviting me to crash her pad, I made my way back over to Jenni Alpert’s place to try my hand at a little co-writing. We got it started off of a riff that I had developed after coming back from Nashville when I was in my open tuning phase. Actually, it ended up being a great start to a pretty cool tune. I think we ended up rocking some pretty good music (Jenni taking the song/idea a step further with her insane piano playing and composition skills). We wrapped up before we could finish some lyrics as she had to get to a show her boyfriend was playing at the Santa Barbara Bowl with Stevie Nicks (Woah! Are you kidding me?!). Plus, I had to get going to my show up in Grover Beach… orrrr, so I thought. Actually, just as I was getting set to go, I got a call and an e-mail from the promoter that the show had been cancelled. (Grrr…)

This place rocks! So happy I found it on my way back from LA...

What to do? Well, I started to hitting the phones and the internet trying to find some options. Jenni found what seemed to be a cool songwriter contest up in Ventura at Zoey’s Entertainment Loft (really, really cool venue) and I got in touch with my friends up at Live Culture Lounge in Santa Barbara. In any case, it seemed like I could piece something together. In the end, I hauled tail up to Ventura, got the last remaining spot in the the Zoey’s songwriter contest (by cancellation, no less) and actually won! Yep… not bad, eh? I played a new tune called “Hole In My Heart” followed by “I Know”. The judges (three industry folks from LA and Ventura) ate it up and and I got some great feedback. Actually, I had no idea it was going to be like American Idol, so when I finished my songs and suddenly was receiving commentary from the judging panel, I was a little freaked… In the end, none of them had anything to say other than “it’s great… there’s nothing I can say…”. That’s good, right???

After the following nine performers/contestants played, the judges held a conference and chose the top three songwriters. They called me up on stage along with two other performers/songwriters and I won! Plus, I won $50.00 and an automatic entry into the finals in November to compete for $1,000 grand prize and recording time at a reputable Ventura studio.

In any case, after chatting with a few folks, I cruised up to Live Culture Lounge in Santa Barbara to jam out at Live Culture Lounge, where I played earlier in the week. (Thanks, Darin and Sierra for hosting me so last minute!) Darin, one of the owners of the venue, sat in on cajon and CRUSHED IT. It was SO much fun… plus, his buddy, Dylan, sat in on piano for a few tunes and we had a really great time. Plus, jamming on the the 11′-high stage is always a ton of fun.

Afterwards, I headed back to Darin’s pad, we baked some frozen pizzas, watched some ridiculous horror/thriller movie called “Species” and finally crashed out at around 4:00am. (Sound familiar?!) As I was falling asleep in a nice, comfy bed, I thought that the night turned out pretty darned well considering I started off with a cancelled gig and no alternatives earlier in the night adding some meat to the line, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. Indeed…

Yes, it’s true… Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles DOES have really, really, really good Chinese food. Mm… Anyway, after a really fun time in Santa Barbara and minimal sleep (that’s what a three/four am bed time will do for ya) it was fun to get down to Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 2nd and play this favorite spot of mine on North Fairfax. The sound is generally really good, and the food makes it even better.

The myth, the legend, the Genghis...

Anyway, I caught up earlier in the day with buddy, fraternity brother, and movie writer Jesse Johnston. We hadn’t caught up in a while and got together a little lunch meeting at this amazing Mexican place he introduced me to at The Farmer’s Market in the Fairfax neighborhood in LA.  It turns out that Jesse just finished what appears to be a really amazing script. I can’t tell you anything about it (hey, I promised him I wouldn’t tell) but it sounds AWESOME. I really hope it sells and that he gets to shoot it… it sounds so good. (Good luck, Jesse! And, by the way… if you get it placed, make sure you license one of my songs for the soundtrack!)

Later on in the afternoon, I met up with singer-songwriter Jenni Alpert. I met Jenni after a gig at Room 5 Lounge a while back and we stayed in touch with the goal of trying to do some writing. Long story short, she has an amazing voice and is a great pianist. We worked out a couple of arrangements for “Hard As I Try” and a new song of mine “Hole In My Heart” for the night and she joined me on stage later that night at Genghis Cohen. Turns out that it went really well! (Thanks for joining, Jenni!)

A bunch of LA friends posted for the show, which was awesome, and we had a good time catching up after my set. I threw back a few pot stickers for good measure and then crashed with my friend Kate for the evening on, perhaps, the most comfortable air mattress I have ever tried (well, it’s only the second one I’ve ever slept on, but still… it was pretty awesome). Thanks to everyone for such great support at the show! (Onnie, you rock and your cookies are AMAZING! Mm!)

After crashing with a friend in San Luis Obispo for the night, I packed up the Tacoma again and headed south, whereupon I realized I was grossly overdue for a service on my truck. With a bunch more miles ahead of me, I knew it was time to get ‘er done. Fortunately, there were more than a few Toyota service centers along the 101 south to choose from. Ultimately, I pulled into a shop in Santa Maria and got in and out of there in a split. Pretty nice… I got a free car wash at the end of it, too! With all the bugs on the road this time of year, it was much needed.

Cleaning up the chariot a.k.a "bug killer".

Anyway, after wrapping that up, I continued on down south towards Santa Barbara, careful to mind the CHP guy that caught me the last time I made the same drive (and let me off!). In any case, I am always reminded of how beautiful this stretch of California is along the central coast: wine country, waves, rolling hills, ranch land… it’s amazing.

Open road with amazing scenery en route to Santa Barbara.

Well, when I finally arrived in Santa Barbara, I naturally looked for some surf. This town is so surf-rich (or should I say, break-rich) that it’s crazy. There’s Rincon, Sands, El Capitan, and of course, the entire stretch of coast north of Gaviota known as “The Ranch”. The problem is, it was as flat as a pancake when I pulled into town. No surf. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo… So, like any good guy on the road, I sought out my favorite burrito joint and had my one meal for the day at Super Cucas on “The Mesa”, as they call it. One word: DEEEEEELICIOUS!

Mexican Coke and burrito as big as my forearm. 'Nuff said.

Since there wasn’t any surf, and I had a truck full of gear, I decided I had no reason NOT to crash out in a park for a while, so I did! I pulled into a beautiful little park somewhere on “The Mesa” and caught some zz’s before heading to the club for my show. It was MUCH needed, and I’m so glad I got a nap in… ahh…

When I woke up, I hi-tailed it over to Live Culture Lounge to set up and get going. Parking was a complete drag this time, for some reason, but I finally made it and, after a quick conversation with the owner, we decided I should play outside. So, they set up the PA outside on their deck and I went to town for about three hours. The crowd was a blast, there were a ton of folks walking by, and I even got a nice portrait drawn for me by a local passerby!

Aww... I got a portrait drawn for me during the show!

After the show, the club owners invited me over to their pad to hang/crash out (thanks, guys!) and we had a hilarious time watching “The Rocker”. Have you seen it? It is SO funny… perhaps more so if you’re a musician on the road. Anyway, check it out! We finally hit the hay at some ungodly hour and, for me, as soon as my head hit the pillow, it was “lights out”. Zzzzz….

Okay… so I knew I was forgetting something when I set up to play at Spyglass Inn in Pismo Beach yesterday: SUNCREEN! Aack! I have a v-neck design on my chest now along with racoon eyes and lobster-red arms, face, and feet. (Rookie move, McClean!) Oh well… on the bright side, this place featured one of the coolest views I have ever had (other than once playing on a cruise) while playing a show. Everywhere I looked, I saw crazy stuff: beautiful landscaping out front, dudes surfing a nice left down the coast, ridiculous cliff lined beaches to the south, guys paragliding above me, and an unbelievable sunset directly west of me.

If only every venue could have views and weather like this!

This was another long gig… I was set up to play for three hours, but folks kept coming by so I stretched it to four hours. I exhausted all of my original material, played a few covers, broke a string, ran my voice ragged and, in general, had a great time. (Feeling it today, though!) I sold a few CDs, got some travelers signed up on my e-list from all over the California coast, and then got to sample THE BEST cheesey bread and hot crab sandwich I’ve ever had. If you EVER come down to Pismo Beach, got to Spyglass Inn and order the cheesey bread and hot crab sandwich. You will be in love (and you will also not be able to move for at least 30 minutes afterwards). Man… so good!

Afterwards, I packed up and visited with a friend just north in San Luis Obispo. I was glad to have a comfy couch to crash on and a nice, safe place to rest my head for a few hours. (Thanks, SB!) In the morning, I woke up, packed up my gear, and hit the coffee shop in downtown SLO to eat some grub, grab a Chai (yeah, I know… dorky!) and update you guys (my friends, family and fans) on my whereabouts, etc. A few hours later, I’ve found myself at the Toyota service center in Santa Maria en route to Santa Barbara for my gig tonight at Live Culture Lounge from 6:00pm until 8:00pm. I was late on my 70,000 mile service and my baby needs some new shoes. I will have to skimp on those for now and try to eek out a few more miles on ‘em, but she should be running like new, now! (Yay!)

For now, I must bid you adieu, grab my truck, re-pack my gear, and head down to Santa Barbara to sample some world-class surf before setting up for my gig this evening. If you’re in town and want to grab a surf, get in touch! Otherwise, be sure to swing by tonight at Live Culture Lounge and say hi! Awesome food, great service from the owners Darin and Sierra, superb sound, and the absolute HIGHEST stage you’ll ever see (11′ to be exact). See ya soon!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I absolutely LOVE paying at Cava in Capitola, CA. The acoustics are awesome, Cliff (the owner) is so great to work with, and the people there are always just so fun. Plus, it seems like I’m building a little bit of a following down there (also nice!). This time was no different: lots of good times, packed bar, good sound, lots of CD sales, and e-mail sign-ups, and great memories.

Tired, but happy after three hours of playing at Cava.

A bunch of good friends, new fans, old fans, and walk-in’s showed up for this one and it honestly just couldn’t have gone any better. Cliff played the perfect host, made some great introductions, ramped up my CD sales, got my e-list going, and just hooked me up across the board. (Thanks, Cliff!) For the first show on this mini tour, it was a solid first go out.

That night, I crashed with friend Geoff and Katie in their new home just a mile or so from Cava. A very cool spot and they even had a bed made up and ready to go for me. Ahh… a bed! So nice…  After logging in a solid nine hours of good sleep, I woke up and went to my favorite breakfast burrito spot in town: Chill Out Café. This place makes such amazing breakfast burritos, it’s insane. Plus, if you’re mas macho, you can get the “super fatty” version which is gargantuan. (Yes, I did get the “super fatty” version, just in case you were wondering.)

Friends Geoff & Katie getting psyched to destroy their "super fatty" breakfast burrito from Chill Out Café.

All in all, it was an amazing time down in Capitola. The only bummer? Not enough time to surf… I heard from Geoff later in the day that it was firing on the East Side in Santa Cruz while I was driving to my next gig in Pismo Beach. Ah well… I’ve got my boards with me and I hear there’s a little swell in the water… Pray for surf!

Hah, hah… Good friend Jon Rayner invited me down to Redwood City before I kicked off my mini tour a few days ago to hang out as it had been a while since we had caught up. I’d been playing and traveling, he’d been busy and had been traveling for work, etc. and we both thought it would be a good time to catch up and give me a head start on my drive south for my first show in Capitola, CA on Saturday, July 31st. In theory, this was a really grown up, intelligent move… in practice, not so much.

The devil has another name, and it's Jon Rayner. ;)

So, Jon seemed to think it would be a good idea to catch up over a beer at a blues club in the “CORC” (City of Redwood City), which, as the town motto goes, has been “Voted Climate Best by Government Test”. They might be right… In any case, we got started with a beer or two, and then somehow, things escalated. Next thing I know, we’re riding his tandem cruiser bike around town hopping from one venue to the next until finally, at about 2:00am, we end up at the drive-thru window at McDonald’s. Hilarious… I didn’t even know they took orders by bike (especially from punks like us at 2:00am).

A few hours later... Rayner picking up our take-out meal on the tandem at the McDonald's drive-thru windo. This lady must have thought we were crazy.

Long story short, what was supposed to be a mellow night turned into a rager with (before McDonald’s) stops at some sports club, then a stop at a salsa club where we got kicked out for wearing flip flops (what the?!), a quick stop at Tacos El Grullense for tacos (I hope we had carne asada and not beef head… eeew!), and more… Suffice to say the next morning wasn’t so great. (Thanks, Jon! Err…. Ugh.) Anyway, it was great to catch up with a good buddy, but perhaps not the smartest time to do it just before heading on the road for six shows, eh? Next stop: Capitola, CA at Cava Wine Bar for a July 31st show.

After six or so hours in the truck yesterday, I made it to Walnut Creek, CA for a rehearsal with my buddy D-Lucca. We’re doing some sort of gig on 8/14 in his town and I had completely forgotten about the rehearsal until he called me half way from LA. Good thing I had to pass by Walnut Creek coming from I-5 to San Francisco! (Oops!) At any rate, I was pretty wiped out from a few days down in LA and all that driving, but we had a good rehearsal.

The ever nagging question: do I bother putting away the gear or do I just keep it out for the next trip this Saturday?

In any case, I’m back through Saturday morning before heading out on the road again for another six shows up and down the California coast. Hoping to get some sleep here, catch up on some house chores and, ahem… bills (gulp). Anyway, I’ve got some new material since having left for Los Angeles and a bunch of fresh ideas, too, so I need to find some time to get those on paper/on tape before heading out. Oh yeah, and there’s this video camera, too, that I need to figure out. Oh, and I suppose I need to keep booking and promoting and rehearsing and… whew! It’s going to stay pretty busy for a while, me thinks… Okay, enough for now… see you guys out there! Remember to check my calendar here and at MySpace, Facebook and Sonicbids for the latest updates to my show schedule.

Back in Los Angeles for a bit. I have been hanging out, meeting with some folks, writing some new material (always seem to get some inspiration as soon as I get out of my apartment in San Francisco) and playing some music, including a fun set at Room 5 Lounge last night over on North La Brea. I love that venue! I have been hanging out with some good friends, experiencing the town from a slightly different angle this time, and have just been enjoying some sunny (and warm) weather for a change. San Francisco has been a complete drag - cold, windy, yucky! Anyway, I’ve got two newly finished songs after my stay down here, which I’m pretty psyched about. They’re both sort of country. I guess that’s what happens to people after they spend some time down in Nashville, right? I also had two great meetings with songwriters Dave Yaden and Jenni Alpert this afternoon. If you haven’t checked out either of these folks, you definitely should - they both are amazing! Dave is an accomplished, veteran songwriter and also sings and plays keys in a group called David & Devine while Jenni plays, writes, produces, and is an ever present figure in the local scene down here. Look them up and see if you can catch one of their shows the next time you’re in town. I guarantee you will be super impressed. Seriously. Do it…

My babies and my newest baby... played it last night at Room 5 Lounge. Finished at 5:35pm, performed at 10:30pm.

Anyway, it’s my last night in town before I head back to San Francisco tomorrow morning for a few days before packing up the truck again to head down the coast for some solo acoustic shows in Santa Cruz (7/31), Pismo Beach (8/1), Santa Barbara (8/2), Los Angeles (8/3), Grover Beach (8/4), and San Francisco (8/5). Can’t wait to drive this beautiful coastline again (will be taking the I-5 tomorrow which is sort of an exercise in tedium) and will definitely be bringing my boards and wetsuits with me with a prayer for some surf, safe passage, and fun music. Stay tuned here or on Facebook for updates and come on out if you’re in any of those towns on those dates. I’d love to see ya!

A little history and a lot of fun at Johnny Foley's.

At about 4:30pm today, I got a call from friend and musician John Lawton about doing a gig tonight. TONIGHT! Yeah, well… I was just busy learning some tunes and updating my calendars so I said I’d be psyched to do it (and I am!). So, come on down and join me for a pint at this raucous, historical, and tremendously fun pub this evening starting at 9:00pm. I’ll be trading songs with John for a few hours and it promises to be a fun time so get your game face on and meet us down there. For more details, check out the venue’s website or just walk, cab, BART, or trolley it on over to 243 O’Farrell Street between Powell Street and Mason Street. See ya there!