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James McGarvey

part folk. part rock. all soul.

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Getting Updated

If you’ve been following my Facebook page, you know that I’ve been fortunate enough to find the best community of musicians in San Diego County.

A few day into the new year, I performed at Open Mic Night in Fallbrook, one of many local music experiences created and produced by Kenneth Rexrode. I was thrilled with the reception in the room; it was an honor to play for so many people who appreciate and understand live music.

Just a few days before I returned for my second performance at Open Mic, Ken asked me to be part of the upcoming Six String Society‘s Mardi Gras Cruise. Of course I said yes.

james-mardi-gras

I can’t wait to head out on this boat for awesome tunes and fun. Word on the street is folks are getting all dressed up and fancy for this shinding, so Maggie’s been having fun planning what she’s going to wear. Me? I’ll just wear what she tells me to. It’s easier that way.

I’ve got some other gigs planned for next month, check out the list below, and be sure to follow me on Facebook for more updates and info!

march-2017

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Catching Up

As I’ve been thinking about 2016, one word keeps coming to mind: eventful.

The world lost a lot of celebrities and artists, including some whose music had a profound impact on me.

Maggie and I celebrated Molly’s first birthday, Jacob’s fifth, and our sixth anniversary.

I got a beautiful new Seagull guitar, named Lana.

We took a road trip to The Gorge for the Dave Matthews Band’s three-night stand and helped raise some serious dough for conservation efforts.

We met some amazing new friends, and a guy in a Superman shirt bear-hugged me so hard it felt like I broke a rib.

We brought the kiddos with us as we voted in the primary and general elections.

I watched the Packers turn a rough season into another NFC North title.

I played tunes for and with some incredible people.

We found a new spot to live in beautiful Oceanside – our official California hometown – and I’m hard at work getting my home studio up and running so I can write and record new music.

Like I said, eventful.

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Life in La Mesa

After spending a couple of weeks in Oceanside, we’ve migrated further south to La Mesa, CA.

I spent a couple of afternoons up in Carlsbad, practicing for the upcoming Perfect Strangers debut show (Sept. 10th @ the Wrench & Rodent in O’Side); then I started taking in some of the local scene down here in San Diego and the surrounding areas.

I have to say, busking at Ocean Beach may be my new favorite thing; I’ve met some great people, and the view is pretty easy on the eyes.

Tonight Maggie and I had a quick dinner at DiMille’s in Normal Heights (possibly the best pizza I’ve ever had. Seriously, the spicy Alfredo sauce is the bomb dot com). Then we headed over to Java Joe’s to check out their Sunday open mic. It was quite an experience to play on the same stage that so many incredible artists have performed on.

Tonight I had the pleasure of meeting (among others) our host for the night, Isaac and next week’s host Nina. Both of them are excellent performers, and I’m definitely looking forward to hearing more from them.

In other news, we’ve got our internet connection figured out, so I’m planning to update much more frequently; so keep watching this space for news, and the Gigs page for places you can come see me play.

James McGarvey playing at Ocean Beach

 

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California Living

We got to Oceanside, CA late last Friday night. After we got everything set up, Maggie and I headed out to get a quick bite. Since it was almost 10, and we were really, really hungry, we stopped into the first open spot we found, Carmine’s. The staff was very friendly, the slices were good, and they had garlic knots! East Coast friends, this place reminded us a lot of La Festa in Dover, NH, so keep it in mind.

Saturday, was a day for errands, Maggie, her mom, and the kiddos headed off to check out the Vista Farmers’ Market, and managed to score me my first official West Coast gig barely 14 hours after we got here – check out the Gigs page for more  details.

Sunday, I finally got to have my first rehearsal with Perfect Strangers, my newest project: a cover band featuring tunes from the ’80s and ’90s. Dustin & Stef are awesome bandmates, and I’m looking forward to playing out with them soon.

Monday, we had another rehearsal, and Maggie came out at the beginning to do a photo shoot. The pictures look great, and they’re working perfectly for posters, business cards, and online images.

We had more rehearsals on Wednesday and Friday, though I couldn’t let Thursday go by without playing, so I headed down to the Oceanside Sunset Market to busk at the end of Pier View Way. The vibe here is incredible, so many people were getting into the groove of what I was doing; I’m definitely going down to busk again this week.

The rest of the week has been filled with getting our online accounts up and running (shout out to Maggie for all of her help), recording some demo videos with Perfect Strangers, and practicing for our debut gig at The Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub here in Oceanside.

There’s still a ton to do, but I’m so motivated to get it done. Thanks to everyone who’s supported me thus far.

More to come #itsallhappening

California Dreams

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