Chelsea McBee and The Random Assortment

Have. you. heard. this. yet?

We recently had the honor of working with Ben Ford of Invisible Technique to create this beautiful video for our new single "Gone A-Rye"... I hope you like it!!

The trees in my town are all bursting with early blossoms, the tulips have come up and I am running in circles with excitement. IT MUST BE SPRING!

I'm sure you have caught the spring fever too, so I'll get right to the point:

We will be pressing a new run of Tshirts this Spring and I am Super Excited to be working with local (to me) artist Meg Ryan!  Here is a little sneak peek of the design she came up with for the Random Assortment...

pretty cool...

Here are the links to two lovely interviews that have recently come out...

The Whole (S)Tory by Visual Victoria

          and

The Roots Continue... by Todd Coyle for Fluent Magazine

 

 

 

Here's some shows:

April 11th- Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport PA- 9pm

April 13th- Lancaster Dip Co. in Lancaster PA- 9:30pm, $3

April 19th- Mint in Richmond VA- 10:30pm

April 20th- Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream in Richmond VA- 8pm (in support of Kirsten Hazler)

May 3rd- The 9 Singer Songwriter Series at Opera House Live- Shepherdstown WV- 8pm, $10

May 4th- Valerie Hill Winery in Stephens City VA-4pm

May 10th- Port City Brewery in Alexandria VA- 7pm

 

ok. phew! I gotta go get the car ready for this weekends shows! Hope to see you soon!!!

xo, Chelsea

What's more exciting than shooting a promo video in the cold of February? Add some of your favorite fans to the mix and then share a sneak peak! Ben Ford of Invisible Technique did a wonderful job at the shoot last weekend and I can't wait to see the final results. I'm sure you can't either! Here are some photos from the day...

We had just gotten our hair did by the talented Jess Brunot of The Hair Company...

 

The sun was setting at just the right time for us!

 

Thank you Alisha for this lovely shot!

Last week we sequestered ourselves into the recording studio to begin work on our new album. Justin Rodgers came to take some beautiful photographs of the process and he made us look quite handsome! What do you think?

 

 

 

 

You can see the rest of the album on Justin's FB page...

 

Phew! I forgot to wish you a Happy Valentines Day! so, Happy Day, unless you don't celebrate that, in which case, Happy Thursday. Up next is a few days tracking in the recording studio and then on Thursday February 21st @ 8pm at The Shepherdstown Opera House for $10 at the door, THIS is happening:

This is a great way to be able to enjoy lots of styles of music in one space!!

Here is the promo video with more information about how this project got started...

February is stuffed full of exciting things. Here is what's going on this weekend:

Friday the 15th we will be at the Winchester Book Gallery on the walking mall in Winchester VA.

Then on the 16th this is happening:

I am truly honored to be co-hosting this event with Christian Lopez. This is a wonderful opportunity for these young singers and instrumentalists to be able to perform in a professional setting and they will blow you away with their talent! It will be at The Shepherdstown Opera House in Shepherdstown WV and is only $10 at the door.

 

I'll post the info about the next several weekends soon...

                   

This trip has been filled with such beauty and fun! The house concert was great in Modesto and I got to get a little dose of the surrounding area. The fruit was at a bustling Farmers Market in Oakland CA and that gorgeous coast line was just north of San Francisco.  I can't wait until I can bring the whole band out here for some shows. Maybe later this year?? 

 

        

 

Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. Beauty. I'm a lucky girl.

A few weekends ago we were performing at Valerie Hill Winery in Stephens City VA and this gem of a video was captured. Ben does a great job with this song. Let me know what you think!

We also have some good news:

My Random Assortment and I have been selected to perform at the Singer/Songwriters showcase in Cape May NJ! We will perform at Carney's Other Room on Saturday March 23 at 9pm.

We also have the opportunity to compete in a battle of the bands hosted by Hard Rock Cafe. In order to qualify for the battle, our song has to be voted for. You can help us out by downloading the free song (that counts as a 'vote'). The free download is waiting for you right here!

Thank you for your continued support!!

If I could give you one piece of advice for today, I would say that if you want to be on time for your 7:30am flight out to Salt Lake City, you should arrive at the correct airport. That's where I went wrong yesterday. I am spoiled in that I live so close to so many airports. It gives me the option of shopping around for the best price on tickets and when you do that, you have to make sure you know which airport is printed on said ticket. sheesh... Anyway, I made it to my destination and warmly welcomed to Ogden UT and then this is what I woke up to this morning!

 

Snowy Mountain Majesty. I'm not skilled in the art of winter sports, but it sure looks lovely.  Do you have a favorite snowy spot?? Where is it? 

Well, all the holiday frenzy has died down a little bit. The weather is teasing me with its unseasonal spring-like warmth and I am busy booking shows and writing songs and, oh right, getting ready to hit the road! Or, the sky as it were... Ill be flying out to Utah and California at the end of January to visit folks and perform some house concerts and I can't wait. I did an interview this week in preparation for this trip. Here is the link to that so you can hear it if you would like. My part of the show starts around minute 61.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2013/01/11/on-watch-with-athens-abell

Thank you Athens Abell for such a wonderful interview!

If you are thinking about having your own house concert this year, don't hesitate to let me know. Our calendar is already filling up!

Happy Feliz Bon - whateveryoucelebrate!!

The Random Assortment has compiled our top 10 highlights from the year (in no particular order):

1. killing a 5th of whiskey, as a band, over the course of a 3 show day- Ben

2. playing the loveliest of house concerts in Berkeley Springs this fall - Chelsea

3. busking in Charlottesville, VA in 40 degree weather - Jeremy

4. riding and jamming through PA on a short bus with friends Key Of V - Jeremy

5. hours and hours and hours and hours spent laughing in the car between shows - Chelsea

6. Winning 2nd place at the Watermelon Park Band Competition and then playing on the main stage -Ben

7. our 10 day tour across the midwest in July - Ben

8. meeting and jamming with so many new folks- Chelsea

9. sneaking into Prince's recording compound - Jeremy

10. All of you that have continued to support us and come to shows and buy our music and invite us into your homes and feed us delicious meals and send us care packages and dance to our music! - Chelsea, Ben and Jeremy

Well, we are getting closer and closer to the end of 2012. This past year has been the best so far for us! We had a great touring schedule, met a ton of awesome folks and had the opportunity to do make some great music. I feel really excited when I look at the new year and think of everything else that we can do. I've already started booking shows and writing new material. I would like your help with a few things though:

If you came out this past year to see any of our live shows, Thank You! I would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to comment here or email me directly with your comments. Did you like the venues you saw us in? Did you enjoy the music? Were the performances missing something? Truly, any critiques (both positive and constructive) will help us become better performers and musicians. I look forward to hearing what you have to say!!

We have a few more shows coming up in Dec (that is, as long as the world is still here)...

Dec. 22 @ Bloomery Plantation Distillery in Charles Town, WV 6-9pm.

Dec. 28 @ The Winchester Book Gallery on the walking mall in Winchester, VA 7-9pm

Dec. 29 @ Valerie Hill Winery in Stephen City, VA 6-9pm

 

Thank you again and enjoy the little bit of 2012 that we have left!!

Chelsea

Thank you so much to Cory Grace ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracec/ ) for putting together this video! We will be working with her again soon... Let me know what you think of the song and video!

 

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 A few weeks ago, these two beautiful women and some helpers took the time to create a lovely video of my mom, sister and I performing one of my songs. The finished video will be posted soon, but she sent me this lovely still shot that I wanted to share with you. A little sneak peak, if you will...

 

Later that day, we had a show over at Beans in the Belfry, and she got this great photo!

Thank you so much Cory and Susan! To check out more of the phenomenal photographic talent of Cory Grace, you can go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracec/

Show info:

We will be in Kinsale VA tonight (Friday, Sept. 7) at Port Kinsale Marina 7pm

4/5ths of the Random Assortment will be competing in the Band Competition at this years Pickin In the Panhandle on Saturday afternoon. http://www.panhandlepickin.com/

Saturday night, I'm honored to say, that we will be performing for a special wedding in Hedgesville

and if that isn't enough for you, we will also be performing at Bluegrass Brunch at Dish Bistro in Charles Town WV from 12:30-2:30pm! http://wvdish.com/

Phew!

Monday I will be sleeping in...

 

Here we are at another weekend. That means I am gearing up for a full schedule of shows and driving and fan hugging!

Last weekend was great and here are two photos to prove it...

On Saturday afternoon I performed for the Appalachian Trail 75th anniversary. It was a beautiful day and there were tons of cute dogs to pet.

Then on Saturday night, I was at my favorite place in Berkeley Springs WV, The Fairfax St Coffee House! This is Jeremy performing some of his own tunes opening up for me (then he jumps back to that beautiful bass and rocks the night with us)!

 

In September some friends of mine are going to be hosting a telethon to raise money for Autism Speaks. I'll be donating some albums for the auction and I wanted to be sure to let you know in case you wanted to help out and donate/bid on some things! Here is the info sent from Blake Clayton of IBWIP that is organizing the event:

These are from Unistock 2012 in Purcellville VA

This one features mandolin player Ben Witman!

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

I've been thinking about a few things this week and I wanted to get them out into the universe. Actually, that's what has been on my mind... 
My mom tells me that putting positive thoughts out into the universe brings positive actions into her life. More specifically, if there is something in particular that you would like to see in your life, positively affirm it and it will come to you. A good friend of mine often says "think it, link it". Well, alright then universe (that includes you, internet), here are just a few things that I want to see.

I want to continue playing music. It is a wonderful feeling to have a job that I really enjoy. I want this to continue and expand. 

I want to stay thankful for everything that I already have/have experienced.

I want to be able to take my band lots of places. We want to play festivals: local, national and international. We want to play house concerts for all of your friends. We want to play hole-in-the-wall treasures. We want to play on the street corner. We want to play on Mountain Stage and A Prairie Home Companion and all those other fun NPR stations. We want to play.

I want to remember to say thank you everyday.

I want to have a few days when I need them to turn it all off, to decompress. To have a writing retreat where the only distraction that keeps me from putting new songs down on paper is the tapping of my own foot on the floor (or dirt or rock or hammock).

I want to thank YOU!

I want to keep learning all that I can about all this technology and how it can help expand the reach of my music.

I am thankful.

I want a touring vehicle that runs on bio-fuel made from recycled vegetable oil so that each trip that we take feels a little less guilty about the carbon foot print.

Thankful.

I want to put out a new album with the very talented musicians I am working with now. This band is so fun and I can't wait to be able to share this collaboration with you all.

I am thankful for everything that I already have and look forward to what ever the future (that's your cue Universe) may bring!

 

Enough ranting for now. How are you doing? What are some of the positive things you want to put into the universe? What are some of the things you are already thankful for? 

Thank you again for all the support and love! 

Until next time,

 Chelsea

 

 

 

What are you doing this Sunday (July 15th)? I have a busy day and wanted to be sure you knew where all the cool kids were gonna be so you can join in!

The Random Assortment and I will be playing Bluegrass Brunch at Dish Bistro in Charles Town, WV from 12:30-2:30

Then we will be scooting over to Rebecca's Place for a lovely house concert from 4-6pm. If you haven't been to a house concert before, I strongly suggest that you check it out! You get  all of the fun and live music of a regular show, but it takes place in the relaxed atmosphere of someones home (or garden as is the case this week). If you do come, you are encouraged to bring some sort of snack or drink to share with the group and a hat will be passed around the group to collect the "suggested donation". These donations are the only way the musicians get paid for these types of intimate shows.

Hope you can join us this weekend and stay tuned for updates about all the comings and goings of next weekend too!

 

 

So, I really like this idea of showing what we have been doing and where we have been going through photos! This weekend found us in 3 beautiful locations: rolling hills in VA, Hauser Estate Winery in Biglerville PA and, my hometown mystical hangout, The Folly in Shepherdstown WV.

Ben sound checking at the winery... no shade = sunburn for this girl!

what lovely rolling hills

This handsome fellow decided to roost on stage. He has wonderful taste in music.

Have a great week and you will see more of me soon!!

I love our fans! This bracelet was made for me by 9 yr old Mikayla last weekend. Thanks!!

and here is just one example of some of the beautiful places that music takes us!

This Weekend we will be in Front Royal VA at the Lucky Star Lounge on Friday and C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville VA on Saturday night..

.

            

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My Random Assortment and I had another eventful weekend. Jeremy is going to write a book and call it "Oh The Places You Will Go With Chelsea McBee" and it would be a great story! Friday started out as any other Friday might with all of us pilling into one little Toyota Tacoma and heading off to a show. This time, however, a tornado was following us. Our First Friday Chambersburg event was cancelled due to the inclimate weather, but that didn't stop ol' Friday from being awesome. No Way.

We just scooted on up to Shippensburg to meet up with friends of The Happy Hour internet radio show, BJ and Coley Christy and their two awesome little dudes. We were gifted cold PBRs and bacon wrapped chicken wings and were then ready to rock some tunes for all of the internet to hear. So. Fun. Thanks again BJ! Saturday was met with fuzzy heads and very untornado like weather. We got to play on the square in Carlisle and then continued on to our final destination of Harrisburg and the Suba Tapas bar there. Also, So. Fun. Enough with the boring words. Here are some shots from our travels in PA: Ben really loves that mustard and they both enjoy a nice relaxing river view. 

 

And an audience member submitted a photo of us at Bluegrass Brunch at Dish Bistro in Charles Town WV this

                                                                afternoon. Thanks Justin!

 

                                                                  Alright. See you soon.

Well, Thank You so much to the folks that continue to make The Timberframe Folly a magical place to perform! I had such a great time sharing the stage with good friends Key of V and Clawfoot Slumber! These are some inovative and talented performers that are currently touring down to Georgia and back so if you get a chance, hear them live!

Here is a youtube video of one of their songs from this weekends performance. Thanks Pretty In The Panhandle for uploading this!

 

Good Luck on tour guys!!

What a wonderful weekend! I love this feeling of coming home from a long weekend of shows and being totally exhausted and totally excited. We keep meeting such great folks at each of our stops and, of course, we love visiting with the friends we already knew! All of you are what make this "job" so wonderful. A special thanks to Black Bear Burritos in Morgantown, The Park House in Pittsburgh and Bullfrog Brewery in Williamsport,PA for having us!

We managed to fit 3 musicians, 4 instruments (one of which is that danged ol' upright bass!), and a few special thrifted items into Eloise the jetta wagon and can't wait to do it again next weekend when we hit up Staunton VA, and Port Kinsale VA!

Yes, that's right. I love playing music in living rooms (and kitchens and patios and pontoon boats for that matter) This is a great website that connects folks that want to experience great music in the comfort and intimate setting with the artists that want to share their music with listening audiences. My band and I will be working the roads for the rest of the year so contact me now about setting up your very own concert!

             

This is going to be a fun weekend for me! And hopefully for you too! 

Thanks in advance for supporting your local music!!

While touring through PA last weekend, we played a delightful house concert in Lansdowne PA and decided to record this gem. Our own version of a classic tune.

So, happy Tuesday to you! 

We had a wonderful time this past weekend at Dish Bistro and Beans In The Belfry! It is really great to know that we have such fun places to play (and eat for that matter) so close to home. Thanks to everyone that came out!

The wheels keep on turnin' this weekend as we head up north a ways...well, actually, I'll be down in DC on Friday night in support of BloomBars and their tribute to women artists for Women's History Month. My mom and sister will be joining me with their beautiful harmonies.

But then on Saturday evening the band will be making an appearance at the lovely Cherry Alley Cafe in Lewisburg PA. I super love this little town and all the folks that I have met that are there. Key Of V will be splitting the bill with us so you know it is going to be a night of inspired music (and delicious coffee!)!

Sunday we will have to leave Lewisburg to make our way over to Landsdowne PA, a suburb of Philly, for a much anticipated show at Concerts at the Beach House ! Bob and Deb Beach always host the best house concerts and I am really looking forward to getting back there and introducing them to my latest assortment of musicians. If you find yourself in any of these places this weekend, come and hear us. We will sing for you and maybe even hug you if that isn't too weird!

side note- I have just learned to hyperlink... could you tell?!? See you soon!

 

Fun fact: I tend to feel pretty motivated when it starts to get close to spring time. Maybe you do too!

 

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.facebook.com/chelseamcbeemusic - be sure to 'like' me while you are there for good measure.

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"

www.reverbnation.com/chelseamcbee - has a good EPK that you should feel free to pass on to any of your friends/booking agents!

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 :)

 

 

I'm really looking forward to our show this weekend down in Front Royal Va at The Lucky Star Lounge! Hope to see you there.

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??

Tell your Grannies!

 

We are hitting the road for a long weekend of shows... snow or no.

Staunton Va, Brightwood Va, Johnson City TN

here we come!

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!

Happy almost Feb everyone!

 

Here is another video for you. You are looking at Chelsea McBee and The Random Assortment (of sorts)...

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

:)

 

I almost forgot to add some pics from the Halloween celebrations this year! I went as a Dia de los Muertos sugar skull.

I had two others with me too

Spooky!

Here is what the new tshirts look like! The screen was made by artist Lindsey Guild (who also created the cover art for "Put This In Your Jar"

Each shirt is hand printed and I'm sure they make excellent holliday presents...

If you would like a shirt of your own and you cannot wait until the next show, email me and we will get one to ya!

 

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...

http://www.facebook.com/chelseamcbeemusic#!/chelseamcbeemusic?sk=app_155326481208883

 

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

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chelseamcbee2

or email me

chelseamcbee@chelseamcbee.com

and I'll let you know how to order a signed copy!

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