NICK BEARDEN

please feel free to contact me:

nick (at) nickbearden.com

ALBUM RELEASE & THE ROXY 03.16.08

The new Bryn Loosley record I've been working on since August gets officially released this Friday, March 21st at LaSalles with Buffalo Creek. We then have a radio interview and performance on KZFR 90.1 FM in Chico, CA and a Bryn & Nick duo show later that night at Cafe Coda. Then it's off to a mini tour duo style with bryn in Sacramento and San Francisco until I fly back down south to do the show at The Roxy with Alyssa Jacey on the 27th of march.

New Album "The Wrecker" 02.01.08

I had the pleasure of engineering as well as playing drums, guitars, baritone guitar, vocals, etc on the new Bryn Loosley (Buffalo Creek) solo record titled "The Wrecker". It is complete and will be mastered by JJ Golden & Nick Bearden on February 13th, 2008. Record release is Friday, March 21st with mini west coast tour to follow. Album features guest appearences by Tim Bluhm (Mother Hips), Jackie Greene (Solo & Phil Lesh & Friends), Nick Bearden (Buffalo Creek), Audley Freed (Black Crowes), Shannon Curtis, Dru Pressman (Fabulous Richie Feltons), Brian Daste (The Last Minute) among others.

Recorded in various studios in Aptos CA, San Francisco CA, Auburn CA, Portland OR, Orange County CA, Chico CA, Nashville TN from August '07 - January '08.

Audio samples and tour information available soon...

humbling times & your help 01.08.08

Hi friends,

My friend Tonya's sister was recently involved in a fire in her apartment in the early morning hours of New Years Eve. She is currently recovering in the burn unit of Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco suffering from intense burns and severe lung / smoke damage, and has not awoke since sunday.

In short, she lost everything. Her home, clothing, etc.

This type of situation is very humbling, and quite literally, could happen to any of us, at any time. Tonya has set up a website with information updates on her condition, in addition to donations to go towards getting everything back together, hospital bills, etc.

Every little bit helps, and I thank you for taking the time to read this.

For more information, or to make a donation please visit www.brookearthur.com

Thank you,

OFFERING GUITAR LESSONS 11.13.07

I am now offering individual and / or group lessons in the South Orange County area.

I will teach you how to play with other musicians and in a band situation. You can read my BIOGRAPHY for a list of resume credits as to who I have worked with.

I have real-world experience in performing, writing, and working with real world-class working musicians, whereas some other music teachers have just been sitting in a room for the last 5-20 or so years. I teach because I love the art, passion, and life changing experience that music brings, and believe that there are literally thousands of musicians out there who don't realize that they are musicians, only because they have not tapped into that resource of their life yet.

I am self taught, industry taught, and traditionally taught all at the same time. I have learned a lot of things through the school of hard knocks and only wish that someone would have shared some vital information years ago that one only learns by really being actively involved in music. There is a HUGE difference between learning to play the guitar, and learning the guitar to play with others. All too often I encounter guitar players who are good on their own, but can't play well with others.

I work well with both kids and adults alike, and have teaching facilities in my home studio, or can teach in the comfort of your own home.

There are also other important aspects such as having the right gear for your style, guitar & amp combo setup, tone, practice styles and what would work best for you, stage presence, how to market and present yourself as an artist, how to get along with clubs, bookers, media, other artists, life on the road, and more. So much to talk about!!!

My rates are extremely reasonable and my hours are very flexible. First lesson is free so that we can get a feel for our dynamic, evaluate your level of skill, interest, and we'll take it from there. Lessons are 1 hour, once per week unless you request more. I also prefer to book one month in advance, with a 24 hour cancellation period.

Please feel free to email me or call me at 530.680.3374 to discuss more.

Calton Cases are the bomb 9.20.07

If you are a traveling / touring musician, it is in your best interest to get a hefty case for your instrument. I have had the privilege of borrowing a Pegasus case on extended loan which has served me very well and I have racked up manyyyyy a miles on it. I picked up an Anvil case for the ES-330 & ES-335, but it's a huge awkward box to lug around.

I kept hearing all of this hype about Calton Cases and decided to look into them. They are custom molded from Canada, cost an arm & a leg, and have a 6-8 month waiting list. I really wanted something hefty for the J-200 because I beat the hell out of the original case on tour this summer. Well, a Calton finally arrived and I have to say that they are everything they are hyped up to be. I feel as though I am cracking open fort knox every time I take the guitar out. Kudos to the folks at Calton for truly building the worlds finest acoustic guitar cases.

rough mixes of new records 9.18.07

So I have some rough mixes of recordings for the new Bryn Loosley record. I don't want to post them up here in free-for-all form, but if you shoot me an email I'd be more than happy to provide the links to them. It was a lot of fun working with Tim Bluhm and Jackie Greene at Mission Bells studios in San Francisco for some of these sessions. Many other special guests will be on the record, so stay tuned.

BACK FROM TOUR & RECORDING 8.26.07

Hi friends. I'm back from the US Summer Tour with Shannon Curtis, and have also finished up the initial stages of recording the Bryn Loosley record down in Aptos, California. Right now I'm just trying to play catch up, however some pictures have been posted in the pictures section. I had a wonderful time meeting all you folks out on the road, you really made it a pleasure.

Here's a sneak peak at some pictures from the road:

Cafe coda | CHico review 7.18.07

Another thank you goes out to those of you who attended the Bryn Loosley & Nick Bearden shows in Chico, San Francisco, and Sacramento. Additional pictures, audio, and video (if there is any) will be posted as soon as it is received.

Until then, here is a nice clip from the review in the The Buzz section of The Chico Enterprise Record:

source: www.chicoer.com/entertainment/ci_6396402

"Bearden and Loosely, old favorites of the Chico music scene having lived here for seven years, followed Shannon's performance. Although Bearden now resides in Nevada City, CA, and Loosely in Portland, OR, they stop by Chico whenever possible.

They began their set with "Happy to Be Here," always a favorite with their fans, followed by "Peace of Mind," a personal favorite.

The crowd really came alive when they switched from acoustic guitars to electric and performed a good old drinking song that they wrote, "Tonight's the Night."

Bearden's distinctive vocal style always compliments Loosley's, and both are accomplished guitarists.

Most of the crowd already knew Bearden and Loosley; they have a loyal local following among the young and young at heart. Those who dropped by Café Coda to see them were not disappointed."

I heart yard sales & Fender's 7.2.07

So Danielle and I had a great weekend down in Capitola and San Francisco over the weekend. We went to a "block sale" of Yard Sales where I managed to pick up a sweet vintage Fender Bassman Ten tube amp with a 4x10 and she got a purse and some jewelry and a purse. $25 for the Fender amp, $5 for the purse & goods. Man I love yard sales. When I first approached the guy about "hey how much for this amp?" he said "I'd like to get twenty-five for it..." and thinking he was being lofty and wanted $2,500 for it I clarified, jokingly, and said "so $25 eh?" and he said "yah, I think that's fair..."

I promptly pulled out $25 and gave it to the guy. My buddy Ryan (from BC) helped me lug it into the truck of the Volvo and off we went. I didn't ask too many questions about it or tinker with it too much... I just wanted to hand the guy the $25 and get outta there. I didn't have a chance to mess with it for a couple days because we were in the city, but once I got home and checked it out the only problem was it was missing a power tube. The Vibrolux uses the same kind of tubes and I had some kickin' around, so I swapped them out, fired it up, and it sounds awesome! I did not have too much experience messing around with Bassman amps in the past, but have definitely heard a lot of folks talk about how kick-ass they are. Now I know what all the hype is about. Definitely a swampy tone, and a Telecaster sounds really good through it. Based upon the research that I did, it puts the amp somewhere around 1968-1974. I think I'll have to hit up yard sales more often!!!

My Sweetness of venus demo 6.18.07

Nick Bearden - "Sweetness of Venus" (right-click / save file as)

Recorded 6.18.07

Gear used:

1965 Gretsch 6120 Nashville Chet Atkins electric guitar through a 1950's Leslie 145 speaker cabinet. Ribbon & small condenser mic's used on Leslie cabinet.

NEW: GEAR | ALBUMS | DATES 6.12.07

OK, so I admit- it's been a while since some updates have come this way, however there is some news to share. Picked up some new gear over the last few months which has been fun to tinker with, which is a vintage Leslie Model 45 converted to a 145 speaker cabinet / amplifier, a Danelectro Baritone guitar, and a super-old Gretsch New Yorker archtop acoustic.

The Leslie is sweet, and a tone that I have been trying to achieve and acquire for a pretty long time. I hear it on a lot of records, and there is really only one way to get the sound of a leslie: use a leslie. I really did not know much about Leslie's when I first starting looking for one, and quickly became overwhelmed with all of the various models, sizes, options, pro's & con's, etc. However, I would like to thank my friends Ryan and Tim for helping me out and sharing their knowledge so that I got the right thing for me. I would also like to thank Ryan for the 2 speed conversion kit to make it essentially a model 145. The slow speed is awesome. Sad news is I did a little Joe Walsh modification to the amplifier in the Leslie (swapping tubes out to increase the volume and overdrive) and proceeded to blow out the 50 something year old 15" Jensen, which is currently being re-coned. Doh!

Next on the list is the Danelectro Baritone. Essentially a baritone sits in between a guitar and a bass in terms of range... it has 6 strings like a guitar, but is tuned low (in B) closer to a bass. Essentially you can play all the same chords as one would do with a guitar, but you have to re-learn that for example an "A" on a baritone equals an "E" on a guitar, etc. The baritone is perfect for adding new and interesting layers on recordings, accompanying another guitar player, or transposing songs down lower. The great thing about Danelectro guitars is that they are relatively affordable, lightweight, easy to play, and have incredible tone.

Finally, I just picked up a vintage Gretsch New Yorker in sunburst finish. I have yet to take the time to investigate the age of it, but I am presuming that it is from the late 30's, early 40's. It needs some work done to it in terms of a new bridge, a few frets added, and a good set-up, but I have a guy that I trust who does top-notch luthier work on my guitars and I have confidence that he'll get it up and running as best as it possibly can be.

On the album front, I have been on a album-shopping binge lately and have picked up a good 30 or so CD's over the last couple months, but most-notably am in awe of a few records. Namely:

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
JJ Grey & Mofro - Country Ghetto
Kelly Joe Phelps - Tunesmith Retrofit
Tim O'Reagan - self titled

Wilco & Co really brought their "a-game" on this new record. I can't get enough of it. Everyone whom I have spoke to (accept for 1 person) that owns this record agrees that it is some of the finest Wilco has put out in a while. I need to catch these guys live next time we're in the sample place at the same time.

Mofro has always been a group that I like... and the first disk of theirs that I picked up, Blackwater, was in heavy rotation for a while.. but I really like the swampy / greasy vibe they brought to CG.

Kelly Joe Phelps I discovered at a listening station at Borders one night and was instantly one of those "holy shit, why have I not known about THIS guy!" moments. Kelly is a hell of a picker, singer, and songwriter.

Tim O'Reagan is the drummer of one of my all-time favorite groups, The Jayhawks and I would consider him a secret weapon. While with the Jayhawks Tim's primary job was drums and backing vocals. On later records he contributed on more vocals and songwriting, but with his solo record, he brings it all to the table with stellar song craft. Tim does most of the instrumentation, but has several other Jayhawks blokes on the record as well.

Finally, more tour dates are still filling up. While other sections of this web site may not get as updated as others, I can assure you that the moment something gets confirmed tour date wise, I see to it that it gets put on the site as soon as possible.

Take care everyone, and I look forward to seeing folks across the country real soon. Which reminds me, if you have a place to crash in any of the cities we'll be in, please shoot me an email!!!

xoxo,

~Nick

thank you thursday-sunday 04.30.07

This last weekend 04.26 -> 04.29.07 was the best that I have had in a LONG time. That's all I will say about that. For those of you that were there in participation, thank you. I appreciate you.

bryn & Nick duo show dates 04.25.07

So my very good buddy and Buffalo Creek comradeBryn Loosley will be joining forces with me on some of the Western US tour dates that I'll be doing with the lovely and insanely talented Shannon Curtis, namely Chico, San Francisco, and Sacramento thus far. Check out the ever-growing tour dates for more details. After the tour we're headed to the beach house to record his next record which I am warning you now, is going to be epic. I hope he titles it "awe dang".

web site facelift 04.15.07:

This will be quick... if you take a look around, you will notice a huge face lift in just about every corner of this web site. You will find new:

Please feel free to contact me if something is broken on here... or even if you just want to say hi. Many of you come from all around the world and it's always fun to hear from you. I enjoy all of the gear talk, comments, and simple "hello!" emails I receive from you.

CAFE CODA RECAP 04.14.07:

Thank you to those who came out to the Bryn Loosley & Nick Bearden duo show at the Cafe Coda on March 10th. A live recording was made which will be available online soon.

photo credit: MaryJ - Sweetheart Studios

photo credit: Ward G.

Here's a video clip of Bryn doing "If I had a boat" from the show. Sorry about it being sideways, there is nothing that I can do about it. This video clip was posted by someone else.

video credit: Ward G.

Cinnamon Girl:
video credit: Lauren

SNOCAP: BUY SONGS DIRECT 4.13.07

So I get a lot of emails inquiring "hey where can I purchase your music?" and 99.9% of the time I point people in the direction of iTunes because both Buffalo Creek records are available there. However, some folks don't really like iTunes for one reason or another. I have set up a Snocap player on the site here which enables you to purchase any track that you desire from either of the two Buffalo Creek records. Enjoy, and let me know if you have any issues with anything.

booking Western tour now 4.10.07

So this is just a quick update... Shannon and I are in the process of booking up a nice hefty tour of the entire west beginning in mid-July. Take a peek at the shows page for a general idea of where we'll be. As the dates, venues, and other acts on the bill are confirmed, the information will be posted here as well as the MySpace page.

If you have suggestions of venues you would like to see us at in your town, or someone you think we should team up with to do a show, by all means shoot me a line at nick (at) nickbearden.com

I look forward to hearing from you, and playing for you in your town soon...

NEW PICTURES - PRESS - SHOWS 4.01.07

So it took some time, but there are finally some pictures up here, as well as links to some press and more show dates added. There is a lot more press that I have to sift through and add to the site, as well as pictures. I'm also currently working on getting a Snocap profile underway so that I can put up more tunes from Buffalo Creek | Caveat | W.H.A.T. | Solo and other side projects.

Additionally, as west coast tour dates get added, I'll be putting them up here.

THE SUN IS OUT 3.17.07

First of all, Happy St. Patty's Day to all!

Man the weather has been awesome as of late. It's hard to believe it was snowing just two weeks ago, and now the sun is out, sky is blue, and it is so inviting to be outside. It has been helping with the writing process, which seems to be flowing lately. My buddy Lee told me an analogy the other day that there is a pipeline of creativity that is always flowing above his head... and he feels as though he is reaching up to grab ideas out of it, and when the time time is right, the supply is endless. I can see what he means by that... because I feel as though I pushed my own stuff onto the back burner for so long working on other peoples material and arrangements and just being a supportive role for so long, that I never really focused on my own material. I ignored the pipeline. I think that part of it was because of the high caliber of song writers that I was constantly surrounded by. It's hard to keep up with Bryn and his lyrical genius, or Chetta and his non-stop flow of new ground breaking material, or Lee and his song-scapes of California. Kai has really been an inspiration to me lately, in that he just writes... and writes... and writes... and WRITES. I mean, I always thought that Bryn had an incredible array of material, but I'm not sure I have ever been around someone who writes as much as Kai does. It just shows me that all you need to do is put pen to paper... and voice to chords. The rest will flow. I often found myself being too critical too soon... scraping idea after idea. What I have learned lately, is that it doesn't matter. Scribble shit down... put it on recording... kick around the idea... bounce it off other song writers... and if something came of it, good. If not, no big deal. It's the creative process that is the most important part.

The acoustic show with Bryn at The Cafe Coda in chico went over well, and Bryn and I both really enjoyed the evening. I was so pleased to see so many people come out and listen and retain attention throughout the whole evening. As a singer and songwriter and performer, it is evenings such as the coda show that really mean a lot. I would rather play a listening room where everyone is focused on listening to the arrangements, lyrics, etc... than a rowdy bar. Don't get me wrong, I also love playing full rock n roll style with a packed house shaking the place off the foundation... but when it comes to acoustic shows, nothing is better than a room full of people really intensely listening to your performance. So, for that, I thank all of you who were there. I made a recording of it and will have some clips up here soon. Thank you to Ward, MaryJ, Lauren & Paige, and Naomi for taking pictures of the evening... and once I get all the collective pictures they'll be put up on the creek site (and maybe here once I get a picture section squared away).

I'm working on going back to Nashville for a bit. It's been a while since I have been out there and think it's time to go back for another visit. Burhan has his own place now and there are a lot of festivals and other things taking place back there right now that would be fun to attend. I'm working on booking some dates while I'm back there and also need to get a feel for some creek related dates that may be taking place in April before I nail down a time when I'm going back. The pancake pantry is calling my name...

new audio & DATES posted 3.01.07

So a buddy of mine in Nevada City is letting me borrow this awesome 1950's era Gibson Explorer Tweed amp - in other words: an old ass tube guitar amplifier that sounds awesome no matter what you do with it. I did some recording the other day which resulted in two tracks which you can either stream online over on the myspace page or right-click (save as) either of the two links below:

Track 1: Starfishing

Track 2: Don't Believe The Man

Also, as a side note, will be playing quite a few shows this week: Coopers in Nevada City Tues night, Old Ironsides in Sacramento Wed Night, on air-radio interview & performance Thursday in Nevada City, Club Car in Auburn Thurs night, California Club in Auburn Fri Night (going to be a big show), on air radio interview / performance Saturday in Chico, and Cafe Coda Saturday night. Week after that I'm taking off!

JUST A QUICK UPDATE 2.26.07

Again the lag factor has kicked in full-force on the updates with this web site. With as much time as I spend online one would assume that this web site would have the slightest amount of attention paid to it, but, alas, such is not the case.

The SHOWS page has been updated... there is some exciting stuff coming up with the super-group evening that will consist of Bryn Loosley, Kai Clark, Justin Ancheta and myself that I am really looking forward to, as well as the On-Air performance on KZFR 90.1 and Chico show that Bryn and I have booked in a couple of weeks. Check out the shows page for more info...

Finally have kicked the various incarnations of colds & sinus infections that have plagued me since around the New Year. Antibiotics and a more mellow schedule as of late has contributed. However things are gearing back up in the next few months and will return to being busy. Portland in March, back to Nashville & Bonaroo in June, Ethos in July, and so on. Starting to book up some more dates and fill the calendar.

On the gear front, have added a few more guitars to the family (no, it will never stop, so don't even waste your breath). The one that I have been waiting several months for and finally arrived is the Gibson J-200 Artist acoustic... called "The King of Flattops" - it's a guitar that I have been searching for now for years... and I finally found the exact color, age, condition, and mojo that I have looking for. These guitars were made famous by such artists as Elvis, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty The Everly Brothers, and many of the old-school country and western musicians. I find that the more I play, the deafer I get... and the bigger my acoustics get. Anything bigger than a J200 and I am going to start playing a Baritone.

Also picked up a 1967 Gibson SG over the weekend. It was not something that was planned, and more of an impulse that I found on Craig's List (love that damned thing). The price was right, it wasn't too far from home and the guy was even more flexible on his already existing ridiculously good price... so I couldn't pass it up. It looks like THIS guitar but in black, and with dual humbuckers. The tuners were changed to grovers (originals came in a separate bag) and it's missing the trem bar, but who cares. It's an SG and I got it for next to nothing (in Gibson SG terms) so I'm not going to complain.

It snowed in Nevada City last week which was fun. I have always enjoyed the snow and it's tranquil quietness and blanketing beauty. When I lived on top of the mountain it was fun to just bundle up and go walking in the snow. Of course, shoveling snow and being without power is the downside to the stuff. Word around the campfire is that it is supposed to snow again this coming week.

My birthday is coming up in exactly one month. Always an interesting time...

a new year: time for new blog 1.14.07

WOW. So it came to my realization today that this web site has some cobwebs on it and was in dire need of an update (seems to be the case usually). So in short, here is a few highlights of what has taken place since the last update:

Been down south about a million times ** More details below
Been very busy playing solo acoustic shows
Been playing quite a bit with Sinclair and having a blast doing so
Added a new guitar to the family
Did some recording sessions with Shannon Curtis
Will be doing some recording sessions with Kai Clark.
Details below...

Socal:

So with respect to Southern California, here is what I have recently come to the conclusion of: It is not fair to lump ALL of Southern California into one big turd - granted there are some areas that are turds, and other areas that are beautiful.

It would be like having your only visit to Northern California be to Oroville... or Stockton, you know? It would probably not leave much of an impression. To many, this is obvious, but there is a stark difference between areas of Los Angeles vs. areas of Orange County. Not ALL areas of LA are slummy (although most are), and not all areas of the "OC" are bro'd out and fake bitches everywhere. (Although they still exist). I have learned that I never really gave either one much of a fair shot... but all of the trips down there as of late have been changing my opinion of the various places, and I have always been one to say that "To call yourself a true Californian, you owe it to yourself to live in as many different regions of California as you can".

Danielle has been doing a fine job of showing me around various areas of Orange County (even though I still cringe when people just say "I'm from Orange County" ... that's nice, I'm from Placer County) and there is more diversity there than I thought. There are areas that are tech hubs, areas that are "white flight" suburb areas as my buddy Scott would say... areas that remind me of Santa Cruz / Grass Valley / Los Gatos, etc. A lot of the coastal beach cities along HWY 1 are awesome and I really like going to them. So, in short, I think that before one forms a hard opinion on either region of California, be it South, Central, or Northern, please invest some time in exploring and getting to know the area before you form a blanket opinion with little merit.

Acoustic Shows:

As for the acoustic shows, I have been continuing to stay busy playing out acoustically lately. It is something that I realized that I really missed doing. Pre-Chico, Seth and I used to do quite a bit of it. I wish now that when I was playing a lot more a few years ago with Caveat and Buffalo Creek that I had kept a strong focus on playing more acoustic shows both as duets with Seth & Bryn and others. However, at the time, my focus was on being the drummer and so the 'singer / songwriter' side of me took a back seat. It's good to be back in the saddle however, and look forward to more of it.

Playing With Sinclair:

In addition to a lot of solo acoustic shows, the boys of Sinclair have been quite gracious lately in inviting me to join them on Lead Guitar duties for various Northern California Shows. If you have not seen these guys lately, you really owe it to yourself to check them out. They are one of the only bands that I know that really and honestly keeps evolving... constantly challenging their boundaries and songwriting. It is always a good workout for me to join them because there is constantly something new to learn, not two songs are played the same any given night, and their ever-growing styles are always something that is a little out of my regular comfort zone of what I am used to playing... so the challenge that they all present on the table to me is always a lot of fun.

New Edition To The Fam:

I am waiting until the February 9th Buffalo Creek show to officially say what exact guitar it is that has been added to the family (keeping it a surprise for Bryn because I know he'll want to play it that night, but I don't want him to know what kind it is yet)... but what I can say is that I have been searching for this exact guitar, year, color and character for about 5 or 6 years... they have just always ben waaaaaaaay out of my price range and hard to find. However, I found a guy in Kalamazoo Michigan who had one for a price I couldn't refuse. So, after the 9th I'll spill the beans further. :)

Recording with Shannon:

I received a phone call from the lovely and extremely talented Shannon Curtis (Of Paradigm Fame) some time back, and she expressed that she was going to be working on a new full-length record, and inquired if I would like to join in on the project doing drums & guitar. Before she was even able to finish the sentence in asking I immediately said "hell yeah!" and that was that. We spent several days working on drum and guitar tracks, and all I can say is that this girl REALLY has her shit together with lyrics, song structure, dynamics, vocals, everything.

I am really looking forward to hearing some rough mixes of everything, and I honestly believe that her record is going to be awesome.

Recording W/ Kai Clark:

Over the last few months I have been doing quite a bit of performing with my buddy Kai Clark. Kai is one of those guys who every time I see him, he has a pile of papers with lyrics scratched all over them and he says "Hey man, I wrote like 5 songs today, check these out..." and 99% of the time, the songs are awesome. His songs shift all over the board stylistically, and Kai's vocals and vocal range are very unique.

What many don't know, and what Kai does not talk about much is that the apple doesn't fall from the tree in his family: Kai's father Gene Clark was a Co-Founder of the legendary group, The Byrds. Gene was responsible for much of the hits from The Byrds, and also had a solo career that spanned some 13 something records. And while the gift of songwriting is in the genes, Kai focuses mostly on his own material and his own style and his own delivery, which is very respectable.

At any rate, Kai is working on recording a solo record down in Southern California in early '07 and has asked me to team up with him to help with guitar tracks, which will then be followed by a Europe tour. So keep an eye out for a lot of good new music and tour dates with Kai soon.

Back from back east & sf: 11.13.06

Hey every one... it's been a while. I'm back from being back east. We had a great time in Philly and NYC. It was right in the prime of fall colors of October for Philly. The town that we stayed in was called Wayne, PA, which is a little on the outskirts of Pennsylvania. All of the trees were beautiful, the food was good, the people were nice, the highways were clean, etc. Philly itself was pretty overwhelming in terms of history, but I actually enjoyed the outer parts of Philly better. I spent a whole day just getting lost in little small college towns (which probably 3 out of 5 towns are college towns), driving through interesting neighborhoods, and just goofing off.

I played in a really sweet venue called The Milkboy and met a wonderful singer / songwriter by the name of Carsie Blanton while there. She tours back east in PA, NY, NJ, and surrounding areas often, so if you get the chance to check her out, I would suggest it.

After philly and surrounding areas, it was off to Manhattan in NYC for several days. It was good to be back, and the weather was surprisingly good. We were a little worried that it was going to be really crappy. The $7 a day all-you-can-ride metro card (all access to subway / bus / above ground rail systems) is really the way to go.

We rented a flat in Harlem (yes, me, pasty white guy roaming around harlem, although Danielle's cuban / mexican mixture made her fit in a *little* better than myself) which was awesome. Apparently a rich attorney purchased this 5 story flat in harlem for $2.5 million dollars and has been remodeling the entire inside from the ground up for about a year. The accommodations were excellent and I would recommend his facilities to anyone. Just go to craig's list for Manhattan and type in "sam" under the apartments section, you will see several of his listings. For $125 a night, it sure beat the hell out of any hotel in terms of price and accommodations. The room was huge, the service was friendly, the bathroom was clean (and brand new), etc.

We went to a taping of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire which was a lot of fun. The studio is surprisingly smaller than I expected it to be. Additionally, Meredith, the host, is kind of fake, and annoying in her mannerisms. The tickets for this show were yet another Craig's List score.

Upon the return, the Halloween costume show with Sinclair went over really well, although I learned the hard way that rockin' a nun costume (yes, I was a nun, AGAIN) on stage with all the stage lights and a venue packed full of people makes for a very sweaty evening.

I am taking a *little* bit of a break from some music shows and am trying not to book as much stuff right now, as for I have been playing a lot of shows lately. The show at The Beat was a lot of fun and will probably book something there soon, perhaps after the first of the year. The holidays are coming up and I have a lot of travel coming up in the next few months, which I am looking forward to.

I have been trying to focus on completing a lot of these songs that I have been working on lately. I find that I have about a dozen half-completed songs, and about a dozen half-recorded songs. If I could just get my act together on both, I might actually have some decent material to release. I find myself recording a song for a couple of days solid... then I will give it some time, go back and listen to if later, and find myself just deleting the whole project. It's not very productive.

Additionally, some updates to this site have been put on the back burner because I have been experiencing some major problems with my dreamweaver crashing, which is very annoying. Once I get all that crap squared away I'll start putting up more audio | visual content. So far this blog is the easiest thing to update.

So, you may not hear from me until after Thanksgiving, but if you're on myspace feel free to swing by and say hello...

.nb.

POST PORTLAND RECAP: 10.25.06

The Buffalo Creek shows up in Portland, OR were a blast. The Jennifer Lynne band rocked my face off... that girl has some serious talent and a grounded personality to boot. We missed our little Organ player who wasn't able to make it. One other point, if you haven't caught word yet, the Buffalo Creek show that was originally booked for Friday, Oct 13th at LaSalles in Chico is no longer taking place, and has been postponed. LaSalles got into some trouble and had to wipe their calendar clean.

what's new: 10.8.06

So my previous web site had grown stale. It is one of the downfalls of having a web site I suppose. There has been quite a bit taking place lately, but I imagine that those of you who have been keeping up on the myspace page are fairly in tune with what is the latest.

I'll be headed down to Southern California in a few days. My buddy Scott has moved into a new place with his special lady and I am really looking forward to going to Rosco's Chicken & Waffles again. The last time we went to the one in Long Beach it was a blast. We were a little out of place but the food was grubbin and the company was even better. We'll see what the LA Rosco's has to offer this time.

Then it's off to Philly, possibly Jersey, and NYC again. First time for Philly and second time for NYC. Previous visit to NYC was not long enough so it is time to go back. This time of year back east with the fall colors is going to be beautiful, especially around PA. I will be taking plenty of pictures and eating as many Philly Cheese Steaks and hole in the wall pizza joints as possible.

Additionally, for those of you fellow musicians or fans of music who are in the Auburn-ish area, come by the Club Car on Thursday nights. They have been very kind in asking me to host their weekly Singer Songwriter Showcase event that is from 8-?. Excellent crowd, good food, and so far over the last few weeks there have been some excellent performers. It's pretty mellow, the vibe is good, and it is a really good way to see some fresh new artists and hear some fresh new music.