Michael McNevin & The Spokes

SEEKING

Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums, Other Percussion, Keyboard, Piano, Banjo, Mandolin, Fiddle, Dobro, Steel guitar, Upright bass, Accordion.

ABOUT

Singer Songwriter, acoustic and electric guitars, all original. Touring US and parts of Europe. Not on tour a ton, mostly choice festivals and areas of US, based in CA and work mostly in CA. Out of state traveling I'm usually going as a solo songwriter (unless there is a budget to bring a combo), but in Northern CA I get offers to put combos together for various sized rooms and budgets, halls, house concerts, festivals.

Screen name:: MichaelMcNevin
Member since:: Jun 03 2022; Active within 1 week
Level of commitment:: Very Committed
Years together:: 10
Gigs played:: Over 100
Tend to practice:: 1 time per week
Available to gig:: 1 night a week
Age:: 61 years

Influences

Michael McNevin Bio:
Michael McNevin's songs read like short stories, full of heart, humor, and a keen eye for detail. Accomplished guitar work and seasoned vocals underscore the characters and places he comes across in his travels. Tales take odd and interesting twists, from odd jobs to narrow escapes, teenage years to old man years, scarecrows in love to ice fishing in Michigan. He’s written about life in the woods of a cabin in the Sierras, to trailer life in Barstow and Niles. Michael grew up up in the train town of Niles, CA, where Charlie Chaplin filmed The Tramp. Niles is also where the first set of tracks of the Transcontinental RR entered the SB Bay Area in 1869. It has a biker bar, a head shop, a couple cafes, and 14 antique stores. Michael and his brothers romped in the lakes and creek and tracks around town, ran paper routes, and once ran a returnable bottle scam for the church. Oops, Dad caught them, and let them keep half the money. The annual Niles Flea Market is bigger than the 4th Of July, and is still an end of August junk bonanza for his dad and brothers.

Michael started playing underage in San Fransisco East Bay bars, mixed in a six-month stint busking the streets and subways in New York City, and has has since logged 25 years on the U.S. songwriter circuit and parts of Europe. He's shared hall stages with Johnny Cash & The Carter Family, Donovan, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Robert Earl Keen, Iris Dement, Rosanne Cash, Greg Brown, and many of others. He’s been a main-stager at Strawberry, High Sierra, Kerrville, Redwood Ramble, American River, Philly Folk Fest, and SummerFolk in Canada. Winner of the Kerrville New-Folk award in Texas, Performing Songwriter Magazine “DIY Artist Of The Year”, 8-time grand finals "Song Of The Year" for West Coast Songwriters. Placed 3rd at both the Rocky Mountain Folks and Telluride Troubadour Competitions in Colorado, and was nominated Artist Of The Year by the National Academy of Songwriters.

In addition, Michael is an Etch A Sketch artist of some renown, delighting and dumbfounding audiences. Not kidding, he illustrates his songs on the little red toy. When not on tour, Michael owns and operates The Mudpuddle Shop, now in it’s 15th year. A converted 1920s barbershop on Niles Blvd, it is a creative hive for songwriter concerts and workshops, jams and song swaps. His Etch A Sketch drawings hang proudly on the shop walls, waiting for an earthquake.

“...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

“I don’t know what’s best about ‘Sketch’ - 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

“Secondhand Story” is an evocative peek into a stranger’s life.”
~ Chicago Tribune

“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.”
~ The Performing Songwriter Magazine

Members Of Band

Rotating musicians who join the combo when i'm offered band slots - a couple bassists, a drummer/accordion player (who also plays good bass), fiddle/guitarist. Keyboards (who tours with Starship but can sit in on gigs with us when he's not touring). Seeking other pro players to color the sets as a band: Acoustic and Electric guitars, dobro, mandolin, pedal steel, keys, accordion, fiddle, drummers, etc. Harmony vocals a plus, good ears a must. Not looking for lead singers at this time, but if you do sing lead well, maybe a player who sings can step up on a few, and i'd get to play some electric lead and slide without the fronting duties.