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Michael McNevin
Folk Rock / Americana / Rock

Michael McNevin - Songs, Etch A Sketch, & Napkins



FREMONT, California
United States

Profile Views:  9586




Last Login:  6/10/2009
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   Michael McNevin: General Info
Member Since5/22/2006
Band Websitewww.michaelmcnevin.com
Band Members
Sounds LikePaul Simon, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Browne, ...
Record LabelMudpuddle Music


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   Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Sep 19 2009 12:00P
American River Music Festival Coloma, California
Dec 30 2010 4:00P
Nov. 28 - Dec 29 "Train of Lights" FREMONT, California
Dec 31 2010 8:00P
About McNevin Tours for 2009 Everywhere, USA

Michael McNevin's Latest Blog Entry  [Subscribe to this Blog]

Sand Jam  (view more)

I’m On CDBaby! +Michael’s November Gigs...this calendar... well, pasting at the blog instead  (view more)

My first blog attempt on myspace... After how many years on myspace?  (view more)

[View All Blog Entries]

   About Michael McNevin
With 15 years of US touring and 5 CDs under his belt, (and a couple rare cassettes), Michael McNevin is a regular at clubs and music festivals. He's been billed in halls and stadiums with the likes of Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Donovan, Iris Dement, Greg Brown, Christine Lavin, Rosanne Cash, Robert Earl Keen, Kelly Willis, Dar Williams, Adrian Bellew, Laura Nyro, U. Utah Phillips, and 100s of others on the songwriter circuit. He is a winner of the Kerrville New-folk award, a 5-time winner of the West Coast Songwriters Association "Song Of The Year" award, nominated "Artist Of The Year by the National Academy Of Songwriters, and was chosen by Performing Songwriter Magazine as a Top 12 "DIY Artist Of The Year". He also won the Napa Valley new-folk competition, the Columbia River new-folk competition, and placed 3rd at both the Telluride and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest troubadour competitions.

Highlighting a seasoned voice, innovative guitar works, Michael's songs read like short stories, full of humor, heart, and a keen eye for Americana. Gig to gig, he drives the blue roads, rigging a desk where the passenger seat used to be. His tour journals are published semi-regularly as magazine segments titled "Napkin Literature - Stories From The Road". He writes it all down; from being caught in a Nashville tornado, to chasing down a robber in Carbondale, Illinois. He chronicles the people and towns of his travels, and also the Huck Finn childhood he had growing up in the rail town of Niles, California. "Two Feet Ahead Of The Train" reenacts a close call he had on a train trestle over the Alameda Creek when he was ten years old, "Bagger" describes his days working at the town grocery store, "John's Cocoons" details the spring ritual of his eldest brother hatching a shoe box full of giant Polyphemus Moths all over the house, and "The Pride Of Niles-Centerville Little League" depicts his days booting infield grounders for the Niles Electric Braves. (That song is now part of the official baseball song collection at the National Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown, NY).

Michael picked up his Dads guitar at age 14, playing anything his older neighborhood friends would teach him - folk and folk-rock, Dylan, Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkle, to the pop & hard rock of Zeppelin and Boston. At 16 he bought a used Gibson SG and a black face Fender Deluxe. He formed a garage band in highschool as a lead guitarist playing UFO, Aerosmith, Rush, Montrose. At 18 he was given an Alvarez acoustic for his birthday. He started writing songs during a three year stint at a local state college, while also studying classical guitar, short fiction, and theater. He dropped out of college, worked odd jobs, and started playing pubs around the San Francisco Bay Area as an acoustic solo act. At 22 he moved to New York where he cut his troubadour teeth playing the subways and streets of Greenwich Village. He also played the Monday open mic nights there at the legendary Gerdes Folk City night club (it was here that Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty heard Michael play; they were researching their roles in the movie "Ishtar" as failed songwriters). Of the six months he spent around NYC, the most defining experience was a night he spent in the slammer for jumping over a subway turnstile. This would become a song titled "Jersey Jail", off his debut CD "Secondhand Story". Both Jersey Jail and the title cut (about an abandoned letter he found in a blue travel bag at a thrift store) won him "Song Of The Year" honors from the West Coast Songwriters Association in 1991 and 1992. Those songs took him to Texas where he won the Kerrville New-Folk Competition, and that started his full time touring as an indie singer-songwriter.

As a sidebar to his music, Michael is also a renowned Etch A Sketch artist. Not kidding. He illustrates his songs on that little red toy. Mastered it as a kid, then picked it up again for fun on a tour in 1996. Delicate drawings he did for audiences during a five week road trip through the South and Midwest landed him in an art gallery in Nebraska and a TV special on FOX in Dallas. By the time he got home, his art and music had merged into the idea for an illustrated CD. The art and music of Sketch have since been featured on CBS, NBC, and ABC, and numerous other magazine and news media. The Ohio Art Company, maker of the toy, sponsors drawing workshops for him at music festivals and schools. His still exhibits occasionally as a songwriter/etch-a-sketcher in art galleries, and he's been commissioned for drawings as well, carefully preserving and delivering drawings to various parts of the country, praying they don't turn the drawings upside down in the airports.

"I don't know what's best about this CD - Michael McNevin's music or his Etch A Sketch drawings that accompany each song. McNevin is a singer-songwriter of the highest order."

-Acoustic Guitar Magazine

"The talent of Michael McNevin lies in his ability to extract juicy bits of life from his surroundings and let a tale unravel from each one."

-Performing Songwriter Magazine

"McNevin has moved to the forefront of the New-folk movement. Captivating stories told with heart against a backdrop of clean, optimistic guitar."

-Brian Turhorst, KVMR Nevada City, CA

"Michael McNevin has been kicking around from coast to coast for years now, a maven who delights his audiences with story-songs and patter... Here are sketches of people, places, and events..."

-Sing Out! Magazine

"Secondhand Story is an evocative peek at a strangers life"

- Chicago Tribune

"Heard you on the KFOG acoustic Sunday morning show. Bagging groceries and an Etch-A-Sketch. Two of my historical accomplishments--dig the tunes."

-Tony Bennett

Visit Music, Etch A Sketch art, and Napkins at: www.michaelmcnevin.com

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   Michael McNevin's Friend Space (Top 4)
Michael McNevin has 330 friends.
 TOM PRASADA-RAO & CARY COOPER 


 Linda Sharar 


 Charlotte Gibb 


 Tracy 





Michael McNevin's Friends Comments
Displaying 25 of 45 comments  ( View All | Add Comment )
Joslyn





Jun 19 2009 7:34 AM

Mikey!! Don't be a stranger! I never check this thing really but if you do write me back, I'm right over the hill in Santa Cruz and I would love to come to Niles sometime this summer with Thomas.
Melissa Rapp





Jun 10 2009 6:39 PM


Free Melissa Rapp Music from trueAnthem!
Jim





May 21 2009 8:50 PM

This comment was sent by your friend via the Cheers!! app. To block this app and all communications from it, click Here.


-------------------------------------------
Hey Michael McNevin, I am sending you a Big Mac Daddy.


Send me a drink back!

ROBERT





May 9 2009 12:51 PM

Thank You for Your Friendship..PEACE..Robert..
Sean Lightholder





Feb 14 2009 5:04 AM

Sorry I can't make tonight, might catch ya next week!
Jeff Williams





Jan 24 2009 5:03 AM

Thanks for adding me! I loved your show in Bakersfield. Your songs, especially the ones about childhood really reminded me of growing up in CO. As kids we had a mean old neighbor or two, we threw rocks, we had a tree house a little ways from the neighborhood, we played outside all the time and the whole world was an adventure. Your music made me go there again in my memories. Awesome songs! I hope to see you again someday. Thanks.
tangus chatter





Jan 19 2009 10:54 PM

We had a great time this past weekend. Finally able to show our friends the incredible and talented Michael McNevin. Hope you get some kind of response from the radio interview. We are all looking forward to a trip to Niles!
Paul
Bay Area Open Mics





Jan 15 2009 5:31 PM

Crack open a mic and have a seat!
Russ & Julie's House Concerts





Jan 2 2009 3:17 AM

Hi Michael,

Happy New Year! We wish you a very happy and healthy year. We hope it's a year of peace and prosperity for all. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

All the best,

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie's House Concerts
www. houseconcerts. us

-
Laurel jones





Nov 26 2008 8:09 PM


MySpace Graphics & MySpace Layouts
Sean Lightholder





Nov 13 2008 6:51 PM

moon the moon!!! *grin*
Cary Cooper





Nov 4 2008 5:36 AM

mikey mikey mikey, when u coming to see us??? when when when???

need a little mudpuddle fix. need a little back row abuse.
Stevie Coyle





Oct 31 2008 7:48 PM

Russ & Julie's House Concerts





Oct 29 2008 12:17 AM

Hi Michael,

It was great spending time with you at the FAR-West conference this past weekend. We hope you had as much fun as we did. It's always tough to have to get back to the real world afterwards.

We hope to see you again soon.

All the best,

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie's House Concerts
www. houseconcerts. us

-
Sean Lightholder





Oct 23 2008 10:32 PM

Hope Arizona treats ya well. Say hello to the cacti and we'll have a cold one waiting for ya when yer back . . .
Laurel jones





Jul 19 2008 6:45 AM

Myspace Images / Funny Pictures
Myspace Images / Funny Pictures at YourSpaceIsBest. com
Cary Cooper





May 13 2008 3:26 AM

mikey are ya coming to kerrville to pal around with me???? huh huh huh?? c'mon, you know you want to.
Russ & Julie's House Concerts





Apr 12 2008 9:41 PM

Hi Michael,

We just wanted to drop by and say hello.

We hope you are having a great spring and that all is well with you.

See you soon.

All the best,

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie's House Concerts
www. houseconcerts. us

-
tangus chatter





Apr 2 2008 9:35 PM

I'm dying for some new music from the amazing Michael McNevin. My cd's are wearing thin from all the use.
Are you still willing to do house concerts?
ladyj photo





Mar 24 2008 6:50 AM

MySpace Graphics
<a target="_blank"
Cary Cooper





Mar 4 2008 8:03 PM

got your message. i liked all of except the part where you called me a big baby.

:D

miss you!!!
Cary Cooper





Feb 10 2008 9:41 PM

so all afternoon i've been humming the song about your mom. and i'm so frustrated because i can't remember all the words. will you call and sing it for me???? PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE? you owe me you know. you didn't come see us.

miss you!
ladyj photo





Jan 31 2008 5:55 AM


MySpace Comments / Glitter Graphics
Cary Cooper





Jan 23 2008 9:42 PM

hey mcgetoffthephone - (still my fave)

i was under the impression that you were a comin for a visit.

where the hell are you?
Russ & Julie's House Concerts





Dec 26 2007 5:03 AM

Hi Michael,

We want to wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Thanks for the music... and for your friendship.

All the best,

Russ & Julie
Russ & Julie's House Concerts
www.houseconcerts.us
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