Singer/Songwriter/Storyteller Michael Gaither

Maggie Needs a Home Near Sacramento

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:57:17 +0000

Blame the old physics rule that says “Opposites attract”. Sometimes like-minded souls just do not get along. Even when they’re a couple of spunky, very cute Labrador/Border Collie mixes.

Three year-old Maggie lives in Sacramento with her “sister by adoption” Bailey and their owner, Sara. Unfortunately, both pups are female, both want to be the alpha in their packette, and neither of them is budging. Sara’s tried her best, but Maggie and Bailey simply won’t gel. (Separately, they’re both wonderful dogs.) Bailey was there first, so Maggie is now at a friend’s house until she can find her new forever home:

Maggie’s in the Sacramento area. She’s a typical Lab/Border Collie mix: She’s affectionate. Loves exercise. Is great with people and is house- and leash-trained. She also prefers a yard with a fair bit of running room. And she really does get along great with all other dogs. Her only caveat is that she probably can’t live with another female.

If you’re interested in learning more about Maggie Mae, contact Sara at 916-213-0951 or by email at saraisbrown@gmail.com.

I’d Rather Be In Redding…

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:38:33 +0000

…and I will be this weekend. Playing at two fun shows with two good pals.

Every time I’ve been in Redding it’s either 45 degrees or 107 and smokey. Apparently there’s a two-day window in the spring when it’s perfect. So it’s spring. I’m headed back. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Redding’s a great music town, plus I have friends and family up that way. I haven’t played there in well over a year.

Tomorrow night (Friday) I’ll be drafting along to play with Jay Howlett and Rolfe Wyer at the Post Office Saloon. This semi-lengendary little music spot is located downtown at 1636 Market Street. (It really is the old post office. The men’s room even has a metal “Mail” sign on the door.) We’ll play from 7:30 pm to 11:00 pm…or until when everyone’s simply had enough. No cover, and I completely expect a few local friends to drop by and join in, as well. (Hint, hint…Jim Dyar, are you reading this?)

On Saturday, Jay, Rolfe, and I take part in Damboree 2012, located in Clair Engle Park. A whole bunch of stuff takes place at this local festival. There’s a pancake breakfast starting at 6:00 am, a parade at 10:00 am, the festival itself – with free admission – beginning at 11:00 am. Jay and Rolfe kick off the music at 11:00 am. I play at 3:00 pm. More info is in the flier below:

Of course, even the casual visitor to this site knows that Redding always immediately brings to mind the late, great (and man, do we miss him) Chuck McCabe. Chuck was very fond of Redding, and chronicled some of that sentiment in the song “I’d Rather Be In Redding,”, which appeared on his final album, “Creatures of Habit”. Chuck also made the run up north many times with Jay and Rolfe. I’m hoping and expecting to hear some great Chuck stories on the way up and back this weekend.

Fun with Drive-In Nostalgia and Sound Effects

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:53:20 +0000

Sounds effects. Do you add them to your record or not? This is a good dilemma. I think when you’re at the point where you’re slightly agonizing over whether or not to add a few sound effects to songs on your new record, the music itself on that project must be in good shape. I keep saying this, but I couldn’t be happier with how this record sounds.

This last little effort has been a fun combination of research and field work. Explains why I was wandering on Buena Vista Road one foggy night capturing the sounds of “acres of frogs” next to the airport. Or trying to record the “sizzling fajita noises” at a noisy local taqueria. Or scouring the interwebs for public domain recordings of coyotes. (Our *own* coyotes are too unpredictable.)

The real nostalgia trip, though, has been digging up public domain drive-in commericials from the 60s and 70s. (We might lift some of the audio for “Starlite Drive-In Saturday Night,” the title track. See if this one takes you back a bit.

In a few hours, we head back to Bear Creek Studios for our next-to-last day of mixing. (We had to add a couple of days after my last post. These things take time, ya know.) I’m really excited about wrapping this up and turning these 11 little songs out into the world. And there are shows at the ready:

On Sunday June 10th, I’ll be doing a sparse, storyteller-type show at a house concert in Gilroy. Dayan Kai (who produced this CD) will be accompanying me. For details, send an email to starranchmusic@gmail.com.
And on Saturday, August 11th, it’ll be a full-band show at the Watsonville Fairgrounds. This will be a benefit in conjunction with the Ag History Project. Details to come on that one later this summer.

The Starlite Drive-In Photographs

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:59:46 +0000

Sometimes a seemingly innocent research quest can turn into a brief obsession. Before starting the new record, “Starlite Drive-In Saturday Night,” I decided that photographs of our now-defunct little drive-in theater (the subject of the title song), would be great for the CD artwork. Drive-in photographs. How hard could those be to find?

So I asked around. I blogged about it here. I posted a similar blog on our local Patch web site. I tried the local historical societies. I talked to Sandy Lydon. He referred me to some private collectors. Still nothing. I was about to give up and just mock up a drawing from scratch, and then Tarmo Hannula, my new best friend at the Watsonville Register Pajaronian, was able to dig up some prime negatives after I did more research and found the “tear down” date of old Watsonville Starlite Drive-In. The newspaper has their negatives listed chronologically, but they’re not indexed.

If you’re wondering, here’s what what was bestowed upon us to work with. See if scenes like this take you back a bit:

Photographs courtesy of the Watsonville Register Pajaronian

My pal David Hays has worked these photos – or pieces of them – into the layout for the new CD. We’ve also added some of the original ad printing that I was able to dig out at the local library. The theater opened on March 2nd, 1950. And yes, I’ve learned way more about our local drive-in than I originally intended. But if you know me, you know that I secretly love the amount of over-research that goes into a song or a record.

The recording itself is almost done. We do the final mixing next week, and I should have preview tracks and a pre-sale link up here on the web site before the end of the month. Stay tuned.

Jax: Fluffy. Adorable. Available Soon.

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:09:40 +0000

Everyone has a story. Though sometimes, they can’t tell you their story, so you make one up. And if you make up a really good one, you make it into a song, but that’s a topic for another post.

This is Jax. (Yup, we named after the main character on “Sons of Anarchy”.) Jax is a five-year old Pomeranian. No idea how, but he recently ended up at the Stockton Animal Shelter with no collar or chip, and seriously underweight. He was literally on the list (yes, there’s a list) to be put down. His luck turned when Sue, our local pal from Animal Friends Rescue Project, happened to be on the phone with the shelter, heard about him, and said, “we’ll find him a home”. So he’s now in our care. Our job is to fatten him up a bit, so he can be fixed (yeah, he wasn’t even fixed) and adopt him out. (Volunteers like this are so important to animal rescue; so if you have time and/or veterinary knowledge, maybe you can find a way to help.)

We almost kept a Pomeranian named “Tink” that we fostered last year. Poms are just great little dogs (and I don’t like little dogs, so that’s saying something.) In Tink’s case, we figured we have three dogs already, which is a bit of a push. If we’d kept a fourth, our friends would start talking. So Jax is on his way out eventually. If you’re wondering, he’s great with other dogs:

But no one knows his story. It’s possible he was the fallout from a foreclosed home, which isn’t an uncommon story in this economy. (Cats can go off and fend for themselves; dogs end up in shelters). It’s also feasible that he belong to an older owner who had to go in a home. What we do know is that he was *someone’s* house dog. He’s mellow, house-trained, and is most often laying here next to my desk. (Nope. We’re not keeping him. He’ll be available soon.)

Editor’s Note: Okay, I lied. A good friend of mine is seriously interested in Jax, but if that falls through, this cute little guy will still need a home. Plus, there are (fortunately or unfortunately) many more where he came from.

Dayan Kai Comes Home to Kuumbwa

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:32:24 +0000

Quick info: Dayan Kai Band at Kuumbwa / Saturday March 17th at 7:30 pm / tix link

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dayan Kai was born in Maui, grew up in San Juan Bautista, and up until two years ago was raising his family in eastern Washington. These days he lives in Watsonville. For many reasons, though, you could call his show at Kuumbwa this Saturday a trip back home.

“Home” in this case means several things: Dayan’s show will be a reunion of sorts with his bandmates Art Alm and Steve Uccello from the jazz-influenced trio Water. It’ll revisit some of his older material. And much of the show will feature Dayan’s wife Angell, a professional dancer, accompanying him in pieces they developed together. (Dayan and Angell met when they were both on the road and working with Juan Sanchez. They now live here in south county with their two adorable little kids, and in less than two years have transformed a weeded lot into a thriving organic garden.) You can learn more about the nutritional benefits of growing your own produce at nutritiondegreeonline.org.

Dayan’s played Kuumbwa many times backing up a variety of performers. What makes Saturday’s show special is that this is the first time Dayan will play an evening of his own music on that stage. Dayan calls Kuumbwa “the finest listening room in the county” and adds “I’ve waited 20 years for this. I wanted to develop my fanbase and my material. And I’m excited to feature my friends on this show with me. I’m honored at the time they’re putting in”.

And what friends: Besides his Water bandmates, Dayan will be joined by some of Santa Cruz’ finest: Jimmy Norris on drums, Sharon Allen on harmony, and Mike McKinley on mandolin.

Local promoter Dick Brundle, of Fiddling Cricket Productions, calls Dayan “a soulful and passionate performer across several genres,” and that’s just what you’ll hear at Saturday’s show: a bit of the Americana sound you might know from Dayan’s work with Keith Greeninger, the bluegrass sidework he’s done with Harmony Grits and Quackgrass, or the jazz that goes back to his roots. Dayan also promises “lots of new songs that no one’s heard yet”.

It’s going be a great night, and tickets are going quickly on this one. To get yours, call Snazzy Productions at 479-9421 or order online at snazzyproductions.com

Hear a preview: Dayan will be doing several local radio appearances to promote this show:

Thu 3/15 – “Good Morning Monterey Bay” – KSCO 1080 AM at 8:30 a.m.
Fri 3/16 – “Bushwacker’s Breakfast Club” – KZSC 88.1 at 8:30 a.m.
Fri 3/16 – “Out to Lunch” – KPIG 107.5 at noon

Songs and Stories #115: Asyst Watches a “Setting Sun”

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:19:45 +0000

Click to hear episode #115 (time = 36:01, size = 49.6 mb)

We’ll take a slight detour from the usual (and very talented) run of singer/songwriters usually featured on the “Songs and Stories” podcast. This time out, we talk to Asyst, my very favorite local metal band. (Okay, so they’re the *only* local metal band I really know…but I digress.) Asyst is Mike Sylva (drums), Dipendra Bagchee (guitars/vocals), Tim Sankar (guitar), and Vic Rodriguez (bass/vocals). Their new album is “Setting Sun”, and I recently chatted with them during a rehearsal at Silva’s Custom Classics (drummer Mike’s garage where he restores Chevy Muscle Cars).

We discussed how they recorded this new project (pieces of which were done both as a group and tossed back and forth over the interwebs), what it’s like to be in a band that’s been keeping it together for over ten years, and just how diverse a metal band’s influence can be. (See this Map of Metal that we discussed during the interview.)

Asyst (click for band bios)

Besides combining great songs, fine musicianship, and some very cool harmonies, Asyst gets the “friends and family” bump here: I met Dipendra several years ago (seven? eight?) when he walked into the open mic I host at the Wooden Nickel Bar and Grill. His brother Ahin (“Aaron”) started coming soon afterwards. Aaron now plays with me and has been on my last two CDs. We then met Breanna Eddy, who was Dipendra’s girlfriend, then fiance, and is now his wife. For a nice sentimental rewind, check out “Songs and Stories” #4, and you’ll hear Dipendra proposing to Breanna at The Wooden Nickel…along with our cheers in the background.

Want to hear “Setting Sun” live? You can, and it’s free. Asyst is having their CD release party this Saturday, March 10th, at the Caravan Lounge, 98 South Almaden Ave in San Jose. Storming the Skies, which features Dipendra and Ahin’s brother Kiren, opens the show at 9:00 pm. I also recommend you check out Kiren’s artwork. Kiren did the cover art for “Setting Sun” as well as the release party poster.

Editorial note: As I rattled off names during this podcast, I mentioned Breanna but neglected to mention what a fine singer she is. As noted earlier, she’s on my “Dogspeed” CD and will be on my new one “Starlite Drive-In Saturday Night”. You can also hear her on her blog at Breanna Dawn.

Concert Recap: Keith Greeninger Sells Out Corralitos

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:10:50 +0000

Short version: It’s simply a night that could not have gone any better.

Longer version: My wife and I have been hosting a “house concert”-style series at the Corralitos Cultural Center for nearly two years. Sometimes I bring in a couple of other songwriters, and we share the night telling the stories behind our songs. Other times I’ll just host and “show off” an artist that I want other people to experience. Every show is different, and each one is special. But I think we outdid ourselves last Friday.

Keith Greeninger played the cultural center. Not only is he an award-winning songwriter, Keith’s also become a good pal over the past few years. He’s one of the most gracious performers around and for me has always been at the ready with support and advice. (I easily put him in the same ranks as local favorites Dayan Kai, Alisa Fineman, or the late Chuck McCabe: People just *that* good who want to help you along your way.) Keith is also a hell of a performer and works a crowd like no one I’ve ever seen.

He and I have been talking about him playing down here since the series started. We both knew he’d be a big draw. Keith specifically said he wanted to do the show to make people aware about this venue we’ve been grooming in south county. After last Friday, a lot more people definitely know about it.

I did a few songs to open the night, then turned it over to Keith. He started with a cover of Jesse Winchester’s “That’s What Makes You Strong”, and then spent the rest of the first set doing mostly new material that I’m sure we’ll hear on his next album. Keith also fits right in with the “songs and stories” aspect of this intimate little venue, giving us the complete background on every song.

The second set featured lots of favorites including “Ruby and Rosie”, a song written for his grandmothers. (It’s one of my favorites, and I’m sure a favorite of Keith’s parents, Al and Carla, who were also at the show.) He took requests for songs like “Glorious Peasant”, gave us the whole tale behind “Arsenal of Doves”. And after suggesting, “I think it’s about time you all stand up and sing”, Keith closed the show with a big singalong of “I Shall Be Released”/”Three Little Birds”, with an invitation for his friend John and myself to accompany him onstage.

Yeah, it wasn’t a bad night.

Shows like this don’t happen by themselves. It takes a special artist. Lots of planning. And a lot of support from an audience who shows up and makes a simple concert into a community event. Here’s one more thanks to Keith, along with another nod to everyone who came out and made Friday night special. Thanks for supporting Keith, and thanks for supporting the Corralitos Cultural Center.

The next show at the center will be a night of two local performers probably best known for their jobs as supporting players. We’ll feature the songs of Jim Lewin (Lacy J. Dalton, Todd Snider, Great American Taxi) and Scott Musick (The Call) on Sunday, April 1st at 6:30 pm. You can reserve your seats ahead of time by sending me an email.

Chipping Away on the New Record

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:23:17 +0000

Eleven songs. How hard could that be? Really? As I’ve been gathering and working up material for the new record the past couple of years, I’ve been joking that “writing the songs is the easy part”. And it is. Sorta. But while recording isn’t necessarily easy – it’s work – it’s a fun process when you’re in the right hands. If you’re looking for formal instruction, audio production schools
might help you understand the recording process in more detail.

Today we finish our third, two-day stint in as many months – that’s two days, once a month, for the past three months, if you’re doing the math – at Bear Creek Studios in Santa Cruz. Justin Meyer is engineering this new record. Dayan Kai is producing, playing drums, and listening intently to every take, and we’ve brought in just a small handful of musicians to give this storytelling record a sparse band feel: When we finally wrap this up (end of April is likely), you’ll hear Steve Uccello (standup bass), Steve Kritzer (mandolin), and Brynn Albanese (violin) on different tracks. Yesterday, my pal Aaron Bagchee added his telecaster to a couple of songs. And in a few hours, Breanna Eddy will drop her wonderful vocals into a few songs.

It might seem odd that we’ve had almost a whole month between sessions. But that between time seems like where the real work lives: After each session, you listen to what you’ve done and then schedule and practice with the other players for the next couple of studio sessions.

You also make sure you don’t spent too much time on a blog post talking about it, so you have time to hit the road and be in the studio by 11:00 am…

I found a stray dog. Now what?

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:33:12 +0000

I dread it. I keep quiet, and I always feel a tinge of guilt, but I still dread it. We’re driving along, totally minding our own business, and then we see a loose dog, obviously not street smart, haphazardly sniffing his or her way through an unfamiliar neighborhood. I secretly hope my wife won’t see the critter. But she does. And I oblige, since I’m also worried about the dog even though we’re late – we’re always late – for wherever we’re heading, and stopping to find this pup’s home certainly isn’t to help.

But it beats returning later and seeing that same animal flattened on the pavement – hey, it’s happened. So you see a stray and want to help. What do you do? Pretty simple:

See if the dog will come to you. If it runs, don’t chase it. That can make things worse. There’s not a lot you can do at that point.
If the dog has a collar, look for a phone number. Call the owner.
If the dog does NOT have a collar, this means whoever “owned” him or her didn’t deserve to have a dog anyway. One option is to take it to the local shelter (something we’ve never done.) You can also contact your local vet. If the dog is chipped, the vet likely has a scanner and they can read the chip to see if the dog has a registered owner.

Option #3 happened recently. A huge wad of stray puppy (four-month old Bullmastiff mix) ended up at the East Lake Animal Clinic. No chip, so they contacted us via Animal Friends Rescue Project (we foster dogs for them). And last Saturday, we dropped off “JoJo” on the way to a gig in Morgan Hill (seriously, it could not have worked out better). Nicole and her husband were waiting with a pile of dog toys, a huge yard, and a collar with JoJo’s name already on it. Sometimes – more often than not, actually – things work out just like they’re intended.