I am slowly coming around to all of this online frenzy of information that is known as 'social media'. I didn't jump on the Myspace band wagon until I started playing gigs and then facebook came along and was MUCH easier to navigate and get the information about shows to the fans. Then I got my iPhone and I started my twitter account. Now, I'm checking my instagram all the time too, and then today, I really got into the whole pinterest thing.
While I still have trouble with Myspace, I am learning to love all these other ways to reach out and touch you (and get great ideas for crafty projects while I'm at it).
So, if you are also wrapped up in this social media feeding frenzy, then search me out in any of these various outlets:
www.twitter.com/chelseamcbee - for those of you who like to read short sentences about what I am doing. right. now.
www.pinterest.com/chelseamcbee - in case you were wondering about the things that other folks have created that I find interesting/ what I might do if I had more "spare time"
and if you use instagram on your smart phone, search chelseamcbee and then you can look at snipets of my everyday life presented in the form of photographs using cool digital filters.
As always, www.chelseamcbee.com is an ad-free place to check the calender of gigs, write on the ol' guestbook and read fascinating blog entries :)
Well, we made it home safe and sound. A ton of fun was had by all and we will surely be back to those venues again!! We drove through some crazy weather and made lots of curious new friends. What's next??
This Spring seaso is goig to be busy! Look right over here ----------------->
for the full calendar of shows. This weekend Ill be at Dish Bistro in Charles Town WV and my good frieds Lisa and Carl are hosting a fun after party and you are invited:
When: Friday, February 3rd, 7 pm Where: Party starts at Dish in Charles Town with and continues at Carl & Lisa's after the band stops playing at 9. Why: Chelsea McBee and the Randon Assortment, why not?!?!&$@! What: Listen to good music, eat, and drink at Dish, then continue the party around the fire at Carl & Lisa's Who: Whoever would enjoy the above festivities. Feel free to invite a guest.
Bring your own drinks, a snack if you feel like sharing something, and an instrument if you feel like playing. I have 3 guitars (with questionable strings), 3 ukuleles, and drumming & shakey things to share.
AND There Is More...
Saturday the 4th is the Clam Jam (in support of the Vagina Monolouges) at The Blue Moon Cafe in Shepherdstown WV. I'll be performing with Jesse Boyd on guitar and lead singer Kara Hansburger. There will also be tons of other great performances that night and money goes to The Shenandoah Womens Shelter here in WV. Not to be missed!
Here is a little video of my song 'Widows Walk'. It is available for download on itunes and cdbaby.com off my debut album 'Don't Close Your Eyes' recorded with The Fox Hunt (or, email me and I can mail you a copy)...
In Lewisburg PA there is a charming and talented photographer / Jane of all Trades. Heather Adams. While I was giggin up in that neck of the woods, Heather took some truly beautiful photos of my performance and I wanted to share them with you!
Thanks so much Heather!! and thanks to friends Key of V (and their eclectic entourage) and Cherry Alley and Bullfrog Brewery! Phew...
I didn't realize this until I was headed out to my first gig of this weekend, but my brain really needed all these driving hours! Reason #125 why I love my job is the great thinking and figuring that gets done while driving down an open road. Come tomorrow morning when I point my car towards home, I know I'll start looking forward to being home and drinking coffee in my own house but today I am thankful for the freedom of playing shows!
Morgantown was fun and delicious! and I got to meet several curious characters in Pittsburgh and it has been so great to see friends in the Williamsport PA area! AND thank you to whom ever is responsible for the gorgeous weather. You must know that I am a terrible wuss when asked to drive in uncertain weather conditions...
I am really excited to tell my band about these new venues and bring them back around with me in a few months!
Yep, that's right! I've got a whole weekend full of shows so get ready!
Thursday evening I'll be at The Black Bear in Morgantown, WV
Friday night, at The Park House in Pittsburg, PA
Saturday night, at Stories On Tap in Lewisburg, PA
and Sunday evening, at The Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport, PA
with my good friends The Key of V and Doug McMinn!
Once I get back to town, I'll be sure to FINALLY post some pics of my recent trip to sunny Costa Rica...
There is still some time to order things like, I don't know, an album or two for stocking stuffers, or a handprinted tshirt for that last person on your holiday list
So, thanks to cdbaby.com, I have a brand spankin new music store on Facebook. Go and see it! It's a great place for you to download the new album if you haven't already...
I had such a wonderful time at the release party we had last week. I can't express how happy it made me to be a part of such an enchanting evening! Thanks so much to all of you who were able to come out! Also, a special thanks to all the great folks at The Folly that make it so nice to have a party out there. For those of you that were not able to get there last week, don't worry. I am sharing some photos from that night and I'll include in this post the link where you can go to purchase the new album! Thank you all again!
They have a greenroom of sorts even at this outdoor stage.
This was Lilly Noels debut performance! The song she wrote is called "Wednesday Afternoon" and is available on my album.
My beautiful mother and lovely sister joined me on stage to perform the song they sing with me on the album ('The Wind and Rain')
I played the songs from the album as well as all the requests I got from your participation in the call for songs :)
Then I was joined by musician friends Bob Keel, Steve Cifala and Rob Receavuer to close the night.
If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of this latest release you can visit
Hi Fans and Friends (etc.) I may have mentioned something about an upcoming Album Release Party... My next solo album will be available on October 15th and I'm throwing a party here in Shepherdstown to celebrate. There will be plenty of live music and fun to be had by all. It will be located at the enchanting Timber Frame Folly at the edge of town and I'll be sending an email with directions and details soon. I would love it if you could help me with a little something... Help me make my set list! Do you have a favorite song of mine that you would like to hear me play at the release party? Do you have a cover song that you think would be perfect for me? Let me know!! I'll be sure to include any requests in my set list that night. Please leave your requests in the comments section below.
Thanks so much to YEP Media for their recent article about my music! It's very exciting to have this new online forum for news in my area. Take a look at the write up and share it with your friends!
http://weareyep.com/clawhammer-queen-chelsea-mcbee/
It's Spring again! I'm sure I was able to hear the collective sigh of relief on the evening of the Spring Equinox. After spending the Winter close to home I'm feeling the stirrings of excitement about traveling during these warmer months. Through out December and January I have been working on my next album. I am super happy with how the recording and mixing process has been so far and will start accepting pre-orders soon! I'll be sure to let you know all about that, as well as a few contests and give-aways... Are You Excited??
The Lady Dies is also finalizing our first album! The tunes sound good and I just saw the cover art and it is wonderful. :) If you haven't already, please be sure to check us out at www.reverbnation.com/theladydies and we are on facebook as well!
Are there any great summer festivals in your area that you would like to see me at? Leave a comment and I'll do what I can to come play for you!
Until I see you next, know that I am spending my free time walking the dog through the budding trees and preparing the garden for new seeds and singing songs with my banjo.
xoxo,
Chelsea
Located in Washington DC in the middle of the Columbia Heights neighborhood is a great art space called Bloom Bars. This not-for-profit community space runs on the dedication of volunteers and the generous donations of community supporters. All sorts of classes are held in the upstairs of this renovated historic building including yoga, tap and capoeira. It is used as a community forum where folks get together to discuss topics from across the board. It is used as a movie screening venue and a live performance space. Art from local artists hangs on the walls. It's a wonderful space. It needs our help. Times are tough for all of us and that is no different for this gem of an art space. I played a show there last night and was warmly welcomed by the volunteers and audience. If you are in the DC area and are looking for a new venue to frequent, I would recommend that. There is a $10 suggested donation to attend shows and this fee supports both the artists and the venue. Check out www.bloombars.com for more info. They have links there to direct you to their twitter and facebook pages as well as a donation page.
If you were wondering what to get me for Christmas, make a donation to Bloom Bars in my name :)
Hi there!
Whew... This morning I woke up to a beautiful fall-like breeze here in Shepherdstown WV! It is perfectly timed with the beginning of school. I have very fond memories of heading to the school bus on crisp mornings getting to wear my new fall clothes!
I have been busy setting up shows and planning a west coast tour at the beginning of December. If you know of any great venues or folks that want to host a house concert let me know! I will (tentatively) be going from Las Vegas to San Diego, to LA to Santa Barbara, to San Fran to Portland then over to Salt Lake City.... We will see how it turns out.
In other news, I have finally figured out how to create an online store so that you can purchase the latest and greatest of Chelsea McBee Merch! Right now I have my latest album (with Bob Keel) available for digital download but will soon have more music, stickers and t-shirts too! There have been rumors of Chelsea McBee underwear as well... I'm not sure how true that is... If you like the store (and supporting my music) you can add the widget to your own website, facebook profile or blog!
Here is the link!
Check out Chelsea McBee's StoreWidget with t-shirts, downloads, and ringtones, http://www.reverbnation.com/controller/widget_code/audiolife_store_popup/artist_309014?widget_id=38 if you like it put it on your website!
I think that only a few short blogs ago I said that I was gonna try my hand at this blogging thing and "really stick to it" or something like that...So much for that! Now it's been probably a month since I wrote anything for you. My absence could be blamed on any number of things (that way I don't have to really be responsible) including spring gardening and car trouble. That's right, my trusty little diesel engine got a clog in it and is currently being mended by the great folks at Foreign Auto Excellence in Frederick MD. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel and off and running for this summers shows and, dare I say it, vacation time!!! This is the first summer in a lllooonnnggg time that I have purposefully not scheduled shows on certain dates so that I might have some summer left exclusively to leisure. aaaahhhhhh I can feel the relaxation already...
There are so many new and wonderful things that an independent musician can do with the wide and wonderful web. I just read about things like Ustream and indieonthemove.com and am excited to keep exploring all the really cool things available to me. Now I just have to spend the time getting acquainted with these sites and use them to my advantage. Any suggestions from you? Any insider tips to make my transition into a more internet based existence?
On a side note, my ducklings arrive tomorrow!
Cheers!
chelsea
There is nothing better than waking up your soul from winter by playing a rockin show in your hometown! I (and the rest of the Lady Dies group) had such a blast at Stonewalls this weekend. Thanks so much to everyone that came out and dance dance danced the night away with us! We have been in the studio for the last several weeks working diligently on our first album and it was a relief to play for some real live faces. Also, a special thanks to Alisha Hanlin and Josh Stella for warming the place up for us. If you aren't familiar with these talents, check them out pronto!
www.myspace.com/alishahanlinmusic
As spring approaches ,however rainily it likes, I am getting more and more excited about playing and booking shows (both solo and with The Lady Dies) as well as garden dirt, baby ducks, long hikes through spring flowers and all the other great things that happen this time of year!
A few things to remember:
March 20th - I'll be at the Meck in Sheptown with Bob Keel (www.bobkeel.com)
April 10th- The Lady Dies will be at the Meck (www.myspace.com/jesseboyd1)
Cheers!
Chelsea
The last show that I played was at Wilson College in Chambersburg PA. I shared the bill with one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Tara Toms. As usual, her live set was wonderful! Tara has amazing stage presents and her voice is beautiful. She also just put out a new record. I'm not very good at reviewing music because it is difficult to put into technical words the way that music makes me feel, but I've gotta let you know about this new release! Snap The Earth's Way is a collection of two Tara Toms and The Tumbleweeds originals and five covers that are done in the best kinda way (the only way that Tara knows how to do it). Both this album and her first release are the kind of cds that you want to keep in your car all the time. I replayed Too Cold To Be Alone (#2 on the album) until I could sing along just on the way home from the show. Each song has lyrics that you want to know and the instrumentation that the band cooks up is always just right. The recordings are simple just like the packages, each one is hand made.
Tara lives in PA and has been traveling around a bit to spread her music. Just last year Tara and Josh Dean toured around the country making music. Hopefully they will give it another-go-round in a town near you! I will surely get them to Shepherdstown this spring/summer so pay attention if you are in the area!
"i recorded this album at pat berberich's studio in carlisle, pa. it features myself, justin arrawjo, matt dean, and pat berberich on assorted instruments. pat also did the mixing and mastering.
about music in general, i am really thankful to be friends with my biggest influences and favorite artists. i think the talent and passion i have experienced in the musicians i know has inspired me and motivated me more than anything else ever. i love everything about music period." - Tara Toms
She sells her music for donations at shows but I think that you will want a copy of these stylings... Look her up and send her a letter (or a message I guess) and see if you can't work out some sort of exchange. She would get a kick outta that and you would get some amazing tunes to drive to, or do laundry to, or knead bread to, or bounce your baby to or whatever else you might do when you listen to great music!
www.myspace.com/somethingcompletelyridiculous is where you can find her...
Cheers for now, I'm off to keep singity singing...
xo
Chelsea
If I were a bird, I might be the kind that flies south for the winter. What's the best thing to do to squash that annoying spring fever I mentioned earlier? Dump 2 feet of snow on it! 28" to be exact... I spent this blizzard holed up at my cottage with good friends and I couldn't ask for much more than that. I won't get down about the weather. It's truly beautiful out here, majestic even...
I have been working on some new tunes for my show at Wilson College in Chambersburg PA this week and that always makes me feel good. I also got to spend some loving time with my cello. I'm such a lucky girl. Hmmm, I'm sure that I have something interesting (or at least witty) to say... Perhaps my witt has flown south! If I figure it out, I'll let you know!
Musically yours
xo
Let me start by saying that I think that my little town looks beautiful covered in snow. I also love the feeling of snow drifting against the walls of my cottage and snuggling under blankets and sipping mulled wine... as long as I don't have to go anywhere or do anything. The reality of the situation is that I have to get to work, and to the store and my little car just doesn't have the same gumption as 4-wheel drive! I love that I live in a place that gets all 4 seasons; bring on the next one!!!
I am, however, attempting to make the best of the situation by planning tours, booking shows and dream dream dreaming of the garden that will be started post haste and the day-old ducklings that will arrive in March! You might not know this about me, but I am absolutely in love with raising plants in a garden and ducks in the yard :) Something I want to try this year is adding a few guinea fowl to the yard. The excitement that I am feeling at this moment when thinking of these new funny looking birds is absolutely nerdy. I can't help it. I can feel my bones longing for the warm spring days with crisp evenings when I can sit on my porch and watch the meadow... now everyone take a deep breath with me...aaaaahhhhhhhh. I also do my best writing in the spring.
Alright, now I have to go put on some boots, a coat, mittens, a hat and a scarf to head to my next job for the day...hrumph...
xoxo
Each morning I wake up to a new surprise... that is to say, my hair surprises me every morning! After 5 years of dreadlocks, I cut my hair off. I thought that now would be a good time to get some new photos taken for the new look of the website. I got in contact with Robin Day who is a local photographer because I loved the look of her portraits that I saw on her own website www.robinday.net. Take a look over at the Photo Gallery section of my site to see the great work that she did (and see my new hair!).
So, at the beginning of January I took a trip up to NY city with Bob Keel to do a couple of shows. It was my second time playing in the Big Apple and I love the city... I also really love coming home from the city! Our first show was at Googies Lounge above The Living Room. We had just whooshed in on a bus from DC and went straight to the gig to set up. There was not much of a crowd (at all...) but that is typical of any first time gig at a new place. Bob played his set and sounded great, but when I got up to play, my banjo wouldn't stay in tune. That can be really frustrating since it is hard to get a banjo in tune any way (I'm sure you've heard of more than one joke about that). About three chords into my first song the neck of the banjo separated from the head and folded itself like a sandwich! Ever have one of those dreams about performing and realizing that you are naked? Well, magnify that feeling by 100 and that is what I felt. Fortunately, it was late in the evening and I was only "playing" to Bob, a very good friend Angie, and the sound guy so we called it a night. I managed to wash away the pain of the broken banjo with a few beers, and got to bed. I was able to find a guy in the village that could fix it for me the next day before my show at Goodbye Blue Monday that evening. So much for making any money on that trip... oh well
I'll try to post some photos soon :)
Over the last two years or so I have made a serious effort to travel around and spread my music. I've travelled with The Fox Hunt across the US to promote my album with them, I've played locally as a solo act as well as with my other band The Lady Dies, and the last big tours I did were solo ones that took me up the east coast into Maine (in May of 2009) and across the South Eastern part of Spain (September 2009). More recently I have been traveling with another solo act, Bob Keel (www.bobkeel.com)
and we have hooked up with a few other solo acts along the way. These trips are always learning experiences. For example, priceline.com is a really helpful last minute tool, my car does not do very well in the cold temps of the north (diesel engine), and for the most part, boys are generally pretty smelly...
There are two major reasons that I have really enjoyed playing shows with other artists.
The first is that when there are two or more people traveling to the same show, things like gas and accommodations are cheaper. This factor makes it possible for me to go farther out for longer periods of time on the same skimpy dollars. So far I have been really lucky that my traveling partners have been both pleasant to talk to and not as smelly as they could have been!
Reason number two: At the end of the show, most musicians are willing to swap cds with me so I get to take a piece of them home with me. The disc inevitably ends up right in my cd player in the car because I've got nothing but time to kill going down the highway...
Last week I did a show in Johnson City, TN. I was on the bill with my friend Bob as well as Perry Fowler (Charlotte, NC) and Jeremy Davis of Elonzo (Charlotte, NC) I haven't stopped listening to Elonzo's album "All My Life" and the EP that they have just put out. The first thing that caught my attention was the great melodies that Jeremy comes up with. They are great to sing along with and completely compliment the musicality. He sings songs that are written like letters and remind me of the Avett Brothers. The fact that the album was recorded at home doesn't hurt the quality of the recording and the message is not lost on me... i've been trying to spread his album among friends so that they will go and check out Elonzo. I can't wait to get down to Charlotte and check them out... Hey Jeremy, if you read this, I wanna come play a show down your way!
Find out more about Elonzo at www.elonzomusic.com
Cheers
