chrisbaronmusic

[chrisbaronmusic]

PNW Troubadour Carves Out A Left Coast Life

This is an article by the freelance Jason Olcott, handsomely from Lake Chelan WA. All photos by Jason. This piece appeared in The Comet, Issue #70, August 2024…a print-only monthly focused on central Washington State. Editor in Chief: Ron Evans. Contact The Comet at thecometmagazine@gmail.com

Chris Baron is thinking about his friends today. 

He’s been on the road for a good long while now, kicking out his raucous, infectious acoustic-powered rock n’ roll to audiences all over this chunk of land. On tour again. Most recently, in his favorite part of the country: right around here.

A scant few minutes after meeting the man, you’re certain to hear the term ‘Great Pacific Northwest.’ He’ll talk about the landscape and the people and the sky and the water.  He loves this place he calls home. He’ll tell you that last night, he was around a fire up Icicle Creek near Leavenworth and that he’s heading back there after tonight’s gig. The forest beckons. As does the river.

But just now, tonight’s show at McGlinn’s is getting him excited. Revved up. He’s been here before, he knows these folks. He’s got a standing offer here that he’s linked up with gigs at Munchen Haus in Leavenworth for the past three years running. Both places “are very cultivated, and they really care about what they do,” he enthuses. He’s always stoked about these gigs.

This particular time through has a bit of a different flavor to it: “My friends have been on my mind a lot,” Baron muses, sitting in the warm Wenatchee sun next to the river, a few hours ahead of the show. 

He seems a touch wistful, but more so inspired, charged. Maybe a recent dormant streak has tweaked his “normally bombastic self” onto this thoughtful, electric tangent. “Before tonight’s gig I’ve had four days off!” The tone in his voice speaks alongside his words, suggesting “how ridiculous is that?!” 

His mind is humming, his eyes alive, his constant grin infectious: “What mood am I in? What do I feel like doing?” You can see the wheels turning. That’ll happen when you’re in this headspace and your friends happen to be some of your favorite musicians. “They write great songs!” He’s psyched. “They’re coming up with brilliant ideas! I’m listening all the time, seeing if maybe there’s an idea I can borrow or steal or use to pay tribute, help it reach an audience it otherwise wouldn’t get to.” And then, almost as if he’s revealing a secret (or maybe something that just dawned on him), he spouts “I’m gonna play songs by friends tonight!”

It speaks to his character that he would think to do this, as the man’s own songs are tremendous layered blasts of songwriter rock n’ roll, well strong enough to grab your attention and vastly overfill any set-list card. His decades-long songbook of original material is bursting at the seams with killer stuff, but today he wants to do both.

And tonight at McGlinn’s Public House in Wenatchee, Washington, he does just that. 

From an almost comically small stage, this man and his guitar (with that magical kick-drum!) absolutely fills the air with lyrical and musical thrust and boom and charm – creations from his own guts and those of his friends.

He rolls out his own songs, tightly-crafted interesting lyrical rock n’ roll, and those of his brothers “Ryan Ferris, Jake Riggs, Will Downing,” he’s rattling them off, “Ben C., Shane Brown,” making sure to remind me to find them online. The fact that he can easily command the stage with his own great stuff, and has the memory and skill to seamlessly play his friends’ music, that’s huge.

Despite his introspective nature earlier this afternoon, Chris Baron rocks the joint tonight at McGlinn’s. His aggressive, rousing guitar and soaring voice belies his earlier thoughtful mood. Highly spirited acoustic folk n’ rock n’ roll, an energizing treat to behold. 

Welcome back to Wenatchee indeed, Mr. Baron. Tell us, how did all this start? “I was a weekend warrior in Portland from ‘07 to 2015,” he recalls. “I was in five different bands at any given moment.” He squints “I was fronting three different bands with three different line-ups at one point.” Turns out, most of these bands didn’t pan out. The usual suspects, of course: “breaking up, falling apart, bickering, fighting, creative differences. More covers? Less covers? Who’s bored playing what, job offers, transfers…”

The bummer of repeated collapses rushes in on him:  “...all that work that we put in with all these bands, which meant the world to me, would just be…over with.”

At some point in 2015, a straw broke a camel’s back. “I decided no more bands. I’m going solo.” He lit a fire under his own ass with his Two-Year Plan, focused and hit it hard. A full six months before that alarm bell rang, Baron found himself ‘all systems go’ “with a bunch of gigs lined up. So I just hit the road.”

He makes it sound so simple. “I recommend this to every pure-blood singer/songwriter out there: start with who you know. Pick a friend of yours who lives in another town,” he advises. Then you gotta work the phones, calling venues. “You get a gig in their town and then you kinda stair-step it.” This approach worked for Baron, a man who greased the skids by being willing to crash wherever he needed: “friends’ houses, guest rooms, couches, campgrounds, hotels…”

His touring was close to home at first, but with his enthusiasm and circle of friends, it grew quickly with him “just filling in the gaps.” He says he still does “stretches like that, where I kinda busk my way forward,” but now he likes to “sit down in advance, plan where I want to go and make those calls.”

Somewhere on that long American West road he’s been on for years now, he came upon a notion regarding what his future could look like; touring and playing and traveling. That notion grew into an idea, which he developed into a concept. It’s currently a loose plan, which Baron is fine-tuning into a reality. 

It goes, quite simply, like this: “From BC down to the Bay Area, west of the Rockies. Plus Texas. That’s the thing,” he states plainly. “It feels right to me.”

Alright then. There it is. A nice, tight, touring/life plan that keeps Baron where he thrives, where he feels most at home, kicking ass all over the Western states. Kind of a sweet little program. “It’s not so bad!” he laughs.

“All my formative years are in the Pacific Northwest, which is why I want to center here. I leave a lot, but I keep coming back.” He’ll be doing a whole lot of both into the foreseeable future, as 2025 is already booking up: “I’ve got confirmed dates in Texas, Tucson, across Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. And then I fill in the blanks!”

The image of slugging out a life on the road, town after town, with no guaranteed results, might make some folks queasy, but this guy says “it works for me,” noting that it didn’t play out for some of his original bandmates. “I felt that fear,” of an unpromised future he admits, “but it’s not so scary once you do it.”

And now, the man IS doing it. I asked him about success. What is it? He told me that he views success as “not begging for opportunities anymore; you start getting invited to be a part of something cool.”

When asked to travel to Alaska for a circuit of gigs, he jumped like a hungry trout, bringing along his whole band and winning over audiences all over the Last Frontier. Recently, an offer came back from that same contact to return and play the  Alaska State Fair. Kiiind of a big deal. 

He realizes my prompting: “It’s hard to see when you’re doing it, you always think you need to hustle harder, try harder. Am I trying 110% Or just 105%?”

Then, after a pause, the magic happens: this West Coast musician, this Pacific Northwest (and beyond) troubadour realizes “yeah! I AM getting those invites!” 

This thing might just be working. Do yourself a favor. Go see this man play music. 

[Chris Baron is playing live at McGlinn’s in Wenatchee on 8/28 and Munchen Haus in Leavenworth on 8/29. Www.ChrisBaronMusic.com]

by

Jason Olcott, July/August 2024

[chrisbaronmusic]

Words on Songwriting, and Drummers

March 2022

I loved playing with Dusty Beats.  He would always play the exact right beat for the proposed new song.  It was efficient, simple, and emphasized all the right points.  A mark of professionalism, a keen ear, and a satisfaction in pockets.  Midnight Leo is different, he surprises me every time.  Even though most of his rhythmic musings can’t possibly fit in the eventual song, the free-flowing experimentation leads to twists and bursts of reimagining that is the crux of the fusion music I love to listen to as a fan.   Since my songwriting process to create the source material often comes from dreamy free-writes and fanciful risky riffage, I can identify with Leo’s instincts, and let the song develop as it will.  However, since one of my goals over time is to create…”perfect recordings”… (not to mention performance process!), I can identify with Dusty’s reactive predictability.  

There are two ends of the spectrum of songwriting, and in between all the creatives employing various blends. On the one side, the dogmatic, exemplified with gusto in the classical composer world, the composer imagines the music in a certain way, writes it all out specifically, and expects the highly trained and respectful human beings to read it and play it perfectly.  The Punch Brothers and Tom Waits exemplify this end of the spectrum for me in at least half of their music (conservative estimate, I’d have to interview them to know for sure).  For their style of music to work, everyone has to be proficient and efficient, not to mention trusting of the composer and of each other.  Especially trusting of the Composer.  

On the other side of the spectrum, the organic, you allow for free-form...letting each individual musician do what they want, and then make adjustments from there.  You can’t, and don’t, try to predict too directly what the final result will be, because that would limit your bandmates’ individual creative impulses.  Instinctual reactions to the source idea.  Two other bands I like, Incubus and Dave Matthews Band, to my ears, operate closer to this end.  For this style of music to work, you need a collective of “personalities”, and for as high on the charts as you might imagine the tune going, their instincts need to be proven well-informed and stylishly identifiable.   The dogmatic side insists that the Composer always knows best, without fault.  The organic insists that Music is alive and breathing, and gets to where it wants to go via un-nameable laws of music physics.  It trusts in collaboration rather than dogma.  

In one curious exercise, this is analogous to the debate of “when does human life start?”  Nobody argues that a Human being, or a Song, (or a Tree!), grows more important to society with time.  But is it’s first moment of realized significance upon its physical or aural birth, or at its raw unformed conception?  

A song spends its entire life living in society, drifting in and out of peoples’ hearing or memory.  But before it is Heard, it is conceptualized and tested within the mind of the original beholder.  At what point does it become a notable artifact?  And How should it? 

[chrisbaronmusic]

Words on Thrums, a visit to L.A.

(Oct 2020) When I get a new melody stuck in my head, its more than the simple melody itself or even the transition to the next melody in line.  There is an undertone beneath it, like a wind, a whispering chorus, shoring it up.  Like a distant tractor humming in the exact key I'm thinking in.  A layer of depth to the tone that is unique to the newness of the music.  With time and rehearsal, the piece thins into its actuality.  The honeymoon of the invention is replaced by the memory of the mechanics.  

But in the beginning...that buzz...

Changing environments is critical for creativity for me.  That’s a big reason why I enjoy touring.  Being self-stuck at home, even for a good cause, was a tough one for me.  So in the midst of the worldwide quarantine situation, when Farm Records offered a creative space for cracking into a new studio album, I made a plan to drive from Portland, see what was happening along the west coast, and spend a few weeks in Southern California.  Normally this would involve live shows all the way there and back.  Also camping in places I don’t get to see very often (southern coast, Redwoods).  Or a short comfortable flight.  But because of the sudden uptick in wildfires, plus COVID-19, all those plans fell apart.  I decided I would drive on anyway, leaving on the 27th of September, the day before my brother's birthday.  

I arrived in Los Angeles well and on time, two days later.  Because of the nature of things, this was not a typical visit.  There were no local showcases set up, no tickets bought (or sold!), no Magic Castle, no going out for sushi.  For the first time ever on a visit, there was no long list of old friends and family to schedule time for.  

Instead there was reflection of the self in a very comfortable room.  And lots of practice-time.  Examination of old notes and lyrics.  I always tend towards the vintage when I’m in Los Angeles...since I was ten when my family moved to Oregon, I get a rush of childhood memories driving through the area, even flying over.  I looked at the view of the city from the backyard and let my mind wander.  I listened to Tool and Chevelle, at the producer’s direction.I listened to Them Crooked Vultures, and the Punch Brothers, and Tom Waits, at my own direction.  And I rediscovered pieces of myself that had been left behind in the propellation since *Habits* and the 2019 tour.  Old bits of songs were re-discovered and re-imagined...then re-written. Pure Rock & Roll thrummed center stage, instead of the northwest grassroots folk-rock I'd enveloped myself in over the past few years. 

It is the end of the trip, which came too soon.  I have accumulated twenty-three songs I am interested in pursuing for 2021, a mix of old refinished and new unpolished.  Producer Farm has selected five, put them in order of priority, and sent me north. I am typing this in a hotel room in Santa Rosa California.  I’ve been in touch with the band and we are (hopefully) ready to tackle these tracks when I arrive back in Portland.  

My drive home will be within a shade of engine noise, in the key of northbound Interstate. 

More to come.  

[chrisbaronmusic]

Words on diversity

(Aug 2020)

When I set out to do my first Cover Songs episode on my #LiveFromHome series, I decided I wanted to make it as diverse as possible.  I was born in 1981 and my formative musical years were the 90s.  Everyone is partial to their “own decade”, and will fight fiercely with anyone who disagrees that the greatest songs in history were written “then”.  But I have friends and bandmates and viewers I see as being of all backgrounds and ages, so, I picked a song from the 40s, a song from the 60s, one from the 70s, two from the 80s, two from the 90s, two from the 2000s and one from the 2010s.  Ok. 

As I sat back to dive in and prep for the broadcast, I noticed that the songwriters I had selected were from five different countries: America (yeah, of course), Canada, Ireland, England, and South Africa.  Cool, Canada.  Companies there don’t necessarily pour as much into international marketing as American companies do, so great Canadian artists aren’t necessarily easy to discover even though they are close by.  This is cool.

So.  

Seven different decades, three different continents, and five different countries of origin.  This was looking pretty positive.  I’m a guitar player primarily, so the songs I picked had mainly caught my attention via famous guitar players and guitar-driven bands, but, there were also two songs in the mix that originated as piano-driven, and one where the signature riffs were written by the bass player of the band.  Good.  

Then someone ruined everything.  “Oh!” she exclaimed.  “I noticed there are no FEMALE artists on your list.”

“Oh!  There is not a single Hispanic or Latin songwriter on the list, anywhere.”

“Hmmm, interesting. Not even one BLACK artist, huh??”

Sigh.

I guess I’m not as diverse as I thought. 

[chrisbaronmusic]

Summer 2020 update

(Aug 2020)

A Lot has happened since I last wrote prose.  

The Kansas City Chiefs won a Super Bowl, the Toronto Raptors won an NBA Championship.

I toured solid across 2019, backing @MeganCroninMusic and separately solo, all across the north american continent and all states west of the rockies, logging over 200 shows and five (5!) festivals.  

Global Pandemic. 

Renewal of an ABSOLUTELY necessary Civil Rights campaign hopefully this time with farther-reaching effects than the 80s, 90s, 00s, 2010s managed to achieve.  

Since the COVID situation, I have been broadcasting live every Thursday night, as of this writing I am producing my 19th consecutive Episode.  The archive is on the YouTube channel #LiveFromHome playlist.  I have completed a studio album co-produced with friendly friend Glyndon and have definite plans for two more distinct recording projects to be at least begun before 2021 begins.  Most of this you already know. 

I still believe in *Habits* and *Relics* albums (from 2019 and 2018 respectively). 

So that’s the recent past.  

The future looks positive, albeit agoraphobic.  I will release that new studio album shortly.  I have a power trio put together for regional live shows and a recording session being negotiated for our official first EP.  2021 concert dates in Mexico and Canada are penciled (with #2 lead).  I survived the initial impact of COVID-19 and my friends and family have banded together to keep the whole circle as well as can be.  

If you want the renewing energy of new music, keep an eye on what I’ve got cookin.  All the best, time to stand up and Pick. 

[chrisbaronmusic]

On 2019 Touring

(July 2019)

To catch you up: I opted out of my 12-years-running day job in November 2018. The glow of a computer screen, steaming hot chocolate, wintery gmails to people and places I've never met. Portland gigs. Super Bowl. March solo tour.

I set off on that solo tour. 

25 days from Portland Oregon through California and Nevada and back again.  My heartbank returned +confidence, +attention to detail, +attention to reality, and more credit line.  Financially I barely broke even by the end.  Every place I played invited me back. I left Megan with cash to buy a van. When I returned, we had Thundervan. I sold my my trusty sedan Thunderbonus to my epic friend #K8npdx.  

We gave notice to landlords April 1st. May 1st, we set out looking for "love".  I indeed came to love many places we've been booked at so far. I can't mention them all. I am very much in the moment moving along, small towns, proving myself over and over again every night. To most folks, my music is very unfamiliar.  Every gig so far had big charm. Since my former hometown is Portland, I want to THANK YOU all for coming out to support my homecoming show @WhiteEagleSaloon on June 13th, along with Ben Browne and Paul Prato and #Glyndon . It was a pleasure to play music for you. I Love Paul's bass playing, but even more importantly, he is classy and professional. Glyndon is producing my next album, and I am proud to say that I co-produced Ben's first-ever EP just this year.

With my band The AO we had the great honor of sending south The Doverlaff, with an outdoor concert under their iconic backyard sequoia tree the next day.  The ultimately final concert of the final week of DoverlaffHouseConcerts in Portland Oregon.  

For more details on the past month, see Megan’s Travel Blog. 

Today, it is July 19, on a sunny afternoon in Eugene, and I am prepping for a recording rehearsal tonight in Canby, two gigs tomorrow (PSM and McMenamins), The Secret Sessions at Secret Society on Sunday night, two  days of AO rehearsal, then co-hosting PCMFX in Pacific City.  Turns out, summertime in the Pacific NW is an invigorating time to be alive.  

I ask "...am I doing the right thing?" Every night by the third song I have seen the turning warmth of strangers' eyes and posit that awkward and suspicious as rural country is right now, Music is alright for a habit.

[chrisbaronmusic]

On Role Models

(Nov 2018)

I'm thinking about musical role models, mentors, teachers.  The opportunity to be an apprentice to someone who is focused, driven, professional, and accomplished.

When I was just starting out playing guitar, at age twelve, I had a great guitar teacher, who showed me that he could listen to a song on the radio, figure out what chords or melodies were being played, and how to imitate them.  He also taught me music theory, dangling the carrot of "we'll learn your favorite Smashing Pumpkins song together Next Week, IF you do your music theory homework correctly…"  John Sharkey taught me for two years in Eugene Oregon, and I learned The most important thing: How to teach myself.  

Since then, I think alot, and teach myself.  

I recently saw the movie "Whiplash".  This is an outstanding film, with very human-gray-area characters.  The teacher in the formal music school pushes the student beyond his own boundaries, systematically breaking every pre-conceived physical and mental limit in order to build new limits.

I recall a Guitar Player magazine article I read about a 90s band called Seven Mary Three, where one of the two guitarists candidly said that if it wasn't for the other guitar player in the band giving him a guitar and teaching him how to play along, he would have never become a musician.  This was a smash-hit success 90s band…and here was a member who was just lucky enough to be a part of it thanks to a specific mentor.

Last night at an open mic, I was talking to my friend Shane Brown about his new-found success utilizing social media (Instagram specifically) and maximizing his good-ole-fashioned Email List.  He appears to me to be All over it, very effective, very smart about it.  He claims he is learning by watching his friends (probably more closely than they suspect!) and accepting their advice all over the place.

There is no doubt that being lucky enough to have a direct role-model, mentor, or teacher…to be an apprentice…is a huge advantage towards success in the music industry and any aspect of life you are bound to tackle.  

Music is pleasing and fun, and can be enjoyed by anyone.  Beneath all of this, Beyond all of this, there is the potential for anyone to tinker darker arts in pursuit of Mastery.  You can teach yourself and enjoy yourself up to a certain limit.  If you want to break beyond those limits…you need to have a directive Presence in your life.

At least, I do.  So I am seeking a mentor!

[chrisbaronmusic]

On travel, on versus

Oh, hello there, 2019!

Why am I interested in giving up my comfortable job, comfortable lifestyle, and predictable income to travel the country and risk the world, in just a few months time?  In a way, my day job is Great, especially compared to my day-job-colleagues around America.  It has allowed me to blossom as a part-time musician, which is a thrilling lifestyle, for over a decade now.  But living in the United States is all about trade-offs, one-or-the-other, balance within the system, dancing the dance, competition, money, and of course, chasing more Money.  

So I suppose the answer is: I can clearly imagine a most perfect lifestyle, for Me.  My thinking speculatively soars.  

One goal I have is to live in such a way that Retirement is not really an end-game, where everything is suddenly and finally bearable, thanks to the sacrifice of most of my life.  Rather, I want to spend each day on a larger project that does not really ever need to end.  What if…?

On more than one occasion, I have worried that I am inherently lazy, if left to my own devices.  As in, if nobody ever forced or coerced or incentivized me to do anything,

would I do Something,

or nothing?  

You ever suspect yourself of being lazy?  I've been acting over-productive for a good portion of my life because I did.  I am not sure that is a bad thing.  I do know that  am inherently afraid of being bored, as in Boredaphobia.  In a comfortable, predictable routine…am I necessarily at my best?  I can't expect myself to "never be bored", nor can I expect myself to "always be fully efficient".  A great challenge for me would be forcing myself to survive on a daily basis, as a traveller, no routine, no home, no expectations other than my own.  And I would find out thus, how strong Are my expectations of myself??  What would happen day to day?  Should I be nervous about it?

Of course, if I am ever to be a real musician, I need to get my music to a wider audience, road-test it, and test myself to see if I have what it takes to continually get better.  I have seen enough movies based on books to know this step is necessary.  Me against the World?  Hardly.  Me against Myself!  To be a better man.  I've learned a lot so far in life…discovered major personal shortcomings.  Traveling will ideally put me more in touch with my inner instincts, my more primitive mind, uncluttered by the pressures and competitions and temptations of American City Life, and The Great Path To Retirement.  I am lucky, lucky, lucky enough to believe in the music I write…I Can thrive amongst others of my kind.  At least, I think I can.  Only an official road-test, where it all falls back on how much you believe in the words and music you are presenting to every small audience, will tell you for sure.

the Big Questions:

- How much money is needed for food, daily, by estimate?

- How do I make money on the road?

- WHERE do I want to see?  Am I welcome there?

As my friend Jesse Tomaino says, “…anyone would love to think that they made a mark in the dirt that lasted a minute…”

[chrisbaronmusic]

On Habits

Sept 20, 2018

My timeline is a river, pushing exhaustively towards an unknown end, propelled by its very nature, mine, and its.  My part of the river is clear to observers, but to me, swept up in the current, there is only forward motion, and the individual pieces.  

My habits join me to the current and navigate my collected pieces through Life.  Let me buy pieces, let me find pieces, let me come home.  When I can’t take it with me, I give it away.  My river has an end, but its part of something bigger…and ultimately, the individual pieces matter none.  Its popular to say you have no regrets, optimism will surely always be In.  And why not?  Rivers do not run in a loop!  

My rituals and routines are #Bluedogkayaking paddles; habits that keep my momentum going and my safety secure.  They can be virtues or vices depending on the bend; mostly, they are innocuous, or useful.  They navigate rocks and logs, or adjust in ferocity based on the weather.  

Dreams are dreams, and our favorite habits push us closer to realizing them.  Flooding or unexpected travel is the leveler, the top of all the teachers, and we take our habits with us when the expected banks are breached.  Through the peripheral trees on the banks of the journey, we glimpse beautiful people singing to the roses.  Soft temporal eddys are my cabin in the woods, and stillness.  I want to take care of turtles.  I want to bravely brave a frontier for future travelers, future floaters, future wet dreamers.  I want to welcome you to The Show.  #Hello2019

[chrisbaronmusic]

On learning new things...

You know how when you always think "I have a million things to do every day!" and "I wish my things to do didn't keep piling up and I could get...to...the...end...of the list!"

Turns out that in music, like most everything, advancement comes with a platitude of endless efforts towards the unknown.

I recently heard that Scientists purposefully watched the brain patterns of two people: one a non-musician playing a scale, and the other a professional performer playing a difficult piece. Reportedly, the brain patterns registered activity in the same area.

Doing something that challenges you. Learning new things, Really new things, pushes evolutionary boundaries that want to be pushed. The complexity of the challenge matters little, the Newness of it is what counts.

My nephew learns weird little things at an incredible rate. So does my friend's year-old. They say you learn a great deal in a great comparative hurry in your first few years.

When I started playing with keyboards at age 9, I knew I wanted to be a songwriter someday, and started writing simple songs. When I realized I Iiked guitars better, I picked up one of those, and carried on.  I tried putting a band together at 16, reahearsals, even shows. By 17, I recorded my first album, real studio and everything. That group would go on, with a few lineup changes, to complete two more albums by age 22. It was then, when we broke apart, that this story begins.

I practiced hard to become a lead guitarist, or a studio guitarist, so I could join an existing semi-successful band and grow with them. After two years of that, they all slowly fell by the wayside, and I forced myself to learn how to be a lead singer. This took years. I started other bands, joined other bands, and worked on projects. By age 25, I had lots of musical skills and experience. But it wasn't enough. It Couldn't be enough. Thru the insistence of my friend Kris, I figured I had to teach myself to record myself. Studios, engineers, producers, this is all Expensive! Being successful in music takes a considerable amount of luck, and like anything else, where preparation meets opportunity... So, I started down that road. Along the way, I learned bass, drums, and a few other instruments just in case more bandmates fell by the wayside. They did, but by age 30, I had over twenty completed albums/EPs. The story felt intense by this point to me, and my brain felt full with the constant wheel of creative spitfire of a lifestyle I had carved out, but I still hadn't achieved any goals of "success", so, time to learn even more. I realized that recording myself was a huge advantage, but it turned out that having the right MIX was a whole separate ballgame. I'm currently still developing this part of my story. Also, I have realized that SOCIAL MEDIA/modern creative marketing is yet another thing.  I’m in the midst of posting more.  Again, Kris: “Don’t let perfect get in the way of Good.”

Thus, in addition to challenging myself to consistently churn out "material w potential", i.e. "good songs", and keeping my performance chops up, and managing bandmates, and booking gigs, and networking with the local scene (this means showing up to other people's shows...Never a night off), and applying to festivals, and recording myself, and mixing myself, and producing my own artwork/layouts, and keeping my confidence up throughout...I need to also start managing a social media campaign.

Exactly how far away has my brain gotten from Just.Playing.Music???

I've also just picked up the banjo (twelve months in), and my 2018 “Habits”  album will be chock full of that sound!

More to come.  Thank You for reading.  

[chrisbaronmusic]

The making of “Relics ’16-17″

I have decided to combine my three independently produced seven-song EPs into one album to represent 2016-2017, which I will name Relics ’16-17. Fourteen of the twenty-one tunes have been selected, and this collection will take the place of my homemade EPs over the last two years on my merch table.  These are home recordings, in a home studio (a garage??)…but they don’t sound like it. They turned out pretty artsy!  How?

Well, I’ll tell you.  

First off, I was sponsored and pushed by my dear friend Kris Farm over a decade ago to learn, and fail, and learn again, how to produce quality tracks in a home studio.  I was tutored by my amazing friend Ryan Ferris for several years on techniques and tricks.  When I was lucky enough to find myself in a “real studio” with a “real engineer”, I paid more careful attention to the technical things going on than Anyone else suspected.  Obviously it is expensive for studio rental time, plus a producer, a studio engineer, a mastering engineer, a disc replication company and a promotions expert…in order to produce and share the Newest Songs…and is that investment worth anything more than personal vanity, if the record doesn’t “connect” with an audience “somewhere out there…”?  

I’ve got songs, and I believe in them, so here’s what I do to get them produced at home.  Thanks for reading my blog!

I start as soon as I first imagine a new tune.  It comes out of nowhere, and I get obsessed with it.  We make it to the demo stage after an aspect or two of it gets stuck in my head for around twelve hours.  Not every song idea gets to this stage!  

The drafting happens all inside my head, rolling through the hooks and turning over and over again in a meditative fog until they start to congeal into progressive parts.  Then, it is time to attempt to record a demo.  

I bide my time, imagining and drafting, until I come upon a day where I know I have a minimum of eight hours to myself.  

I clean The Space.  

I pull out all the instruments I think I might need.  

I pull out microphones, cables.  I wire everything up, create a computer file, link up all my inputs.

I try to relax, and let the music flow out of me.  By the time the first studio performance is done, I have a pretty good idea whether I should leave it as a solo performance piece, a raw piece...or spend some time layering it with various supporting instruments.  If I have enough time left in my "time block", I start This following process:

Tracking parts, first.  

Not worrying about "how they will settle in the overall, eventual, theoretical future mix"...just playing music, free and clear and as close to the original hauntings as I can muster.  

By the time I get through a few of these bursts, even for a three-minute song, my time block is usually up.  So I tear down, clean up entirely, and rest.

And reflect.

I imagine even more.

I try to relax.

If the tune is good enough, the intrinsic hooks continue to constantly pound in my head.  Sometimes, going through the initial demo process teaches me that the song idea itself is actually pretty dumb, and I abandon it!

I wait patiently for my next chance to do more work.  Maybe I burn a CD with whatever I have so far...and drive around listening to it both first thing in the morning on my drive to New Seasons, later at night, lots of various situations and in various moods, by myself.  Trying to get a grasp on whether or not I am on the right path with communicating this particular idea.  

In the few and best of cases, my original recording is built upon, layered, added to, explored with mixing techniques, and turned into something that I self-master and add to an EP that I give away at shows.  In many cases, something goes creatively wrong or gets lost in translation, and I face the daunting emotional task of STARTING OVER (OH GOD...this involves more waiting, the worst of all scenarios);

OR

adding to, re-adjusting, re-balancing, trying to work with that soon-to-be-elusive original "vision" and trying to make some kind of two to six minute "listening experience" that makes me "feel good"...like I have accomplished something, Done something, made my momentary existence worthwhile.

When I get to a stage where I feel like the recording itself makes sense to me, in a recorded, independent-listening, any-mood situation, I painstakingly remove all the technical errors, one by one, very carefully, as far as my knowledge will allow.  

I create artwork somehow, print it all up, and share.  Then, I spend the rest of my life second-guessing every aspect of the mix!  Each of the seven-song EPs from the past two years took about 4 months to track, mix, and finalize.

Thus, does the music advertised as “…Sessions” come to be found on a table labeled "make a small donation and take a free CD" or "Support Local Music" or some such wordage at a live performance of mine.  

"to Keep Us Close" (spring 2016)

"The Baron Ward Spring 2016 EP"

"Wherever I've Been, Wherever I Go" (fall 2016)

"About What You'd Expect" (March 2017)

“Relics ’16-17” —> (coming February 2018) (preview at https://soundcloud.com/chrisbaronmusic)

And Now:

This home-production effort was a valuable and rewarding experience.  Tunnel-vision artistry can (eventually) be appreciated.  However, there is something Great to be said for having an outside influence during the creative process...a balancing act...an attuned and Objective ear...Thus, I decided to kickstart my 2018 solo album with James Book, and Ninkasi Studios in Eugene.  Mr JB is mixing our tracks now!  The final full-length album will be rounded out with several traditional home-style tracks and released by Spring 2018...

[chrisbaronmusic]

Texas Reflexis Spring 2017

Another successful trip to Texas and back, from May 10th to May 22nd.  Dawn and Henry picked The Baron Ward up on Wednesday in Houston, and we made it back to the beach that very night, after a Welcome Back dinner at Sake To Me in Lake Jackson (sushi!).  The beach house was cleaned up scrubbed and totally ready for us…and we were overcome with gratitude…and nerves, for the tests to come.

Thurs

Our first gig day was a double-header: Bridge Bait (Freeport) in the afternoon from 2-4, and Sake To Me (Lake Jackson) that night from 5-9.  Bridge Bait was another classic…hot sun, cool crowd, hoots and hollers, Here.We.Are.In.Texas.  We started off with an enthusiastic bang, and almost wore ourselves out those first two hours.  At Sake, we played acoustic in front of the aquarium, and the stage was nicely set, and the mellowness of it was perfect.  Friends were popping in left and right, including Billye and Sam, Matt and Julia, even Jake Riggs, who drove over from Austin to spend a couple days.  We met Dianna Chenevert.  We plan to book both places again in October.  

Fri

Once again: Bridge Bait in the afternoon…and by this point, the locals seemed to remember us…memories flooded back from prior years there, and we got some great pictures for Facebook and Instagram.  HUGE SALLY was fully present…I talked Jake into coming up to sing Never Rain Again, and after that, he just grabbed his guitar and started busting out.  The version of Emily we did that afternoon, with three-part harmony, is one of my favorite phone video performances ever.  We played Dido's that night, all acoustic, once again with Jake in the band.  We knew he had to take off on Saturday, so we made the most of that night, body-surfing in the ocean until 3a.  

Dianna

Dianna is a woman with a long history of acting, music booking, promoting, charity organizing, and social medianating.  This point in her life finds her with a worldwide network of friends, a son who once held an NFL contract in his hands (now he's a pastor and activist), a small yacht that she currently pilots between Florida and Freeport TX, and some fascinating memories that are steadily being transcribed into a memoir.  She made a connection with The Baron Ward through Henry and Dortha Pekar, our stellar and hospitable hosts in the Texas Gulf.  We hung out for the next ten days straight.  

Columbia Lakes Resort

La Casona was our Saturday night show: the mexican restaurant that resides at Columbia Lakes Resort.  The last time I was at this place, it was 2010.  Will Downing was alive and jamming.  Jake and Megan and I were staying in "The Beatles Room", a rental cottage on the premises.  We were all in the midst of a visionary cacophony that was shivering our connections to each other.  There was tension, there was venturin', there was raw interaction.  

Now that I am sitting in the future drinking coffee and scotch, I realize fully just how foundational that trip was for William and I, for Dawn and I, for Megan and I, for Jake and I.  Small memories came rushing back as I walked the grounds.

The gig itself was outdoors and very pleasant.  John Downing was there…so we sang him His song, "Johnny On The Farm" (Track #1 on Will's forthcoming, postheumous third album).  We shot more videos with Dianna.  And then we ate mixed fajitas, charro beans, y guacamole.  Home by midnight, with a check in hand, and with an inkling that it was all getting stronger.  

Mothers Day

We played a long brunch set at Dido’s on Sunday morning, and then we climbed aboard Nancy and Fred and Bob's paddleboat.  It was a glorious ride up the Brazos River!  We played a few songs, told a few jokes, whipped out a dance number for Sissy and Fred, and of course, dedicated everything to Captain Bob.  This show marked the first time we were requested to play "Outlaws" (another Will Downing tune from that third album) more than three times in the same set ("…umm, we already played that, it was our first song" … "Well Play it again!")  We actually obliged…and that dustballed into performing it three or more times per night for the rest of the trip…hm…

Mon-Wed

We had these days off, and spent them writing, rehearsing, filming videos with Dianna at the Yacht Club and on her boat…beach walking, beach cleaning, swimming, brisket smoking, string buying, email writing, TURTLE PATROLLING.  

Yes, on Tuesday May 16th, we witnessed a Galveston scientist and her crack team evaluate a sea turtle nest site, and prepare to dig up the eggs and transport them to South Padre Island, a protected area.  They measured the lengths, made notes on the facts.  They drove a regular truck.  I wrote a song.  We filmed a very short version standing in the surf and put it on Facebook.  We debuted it live on Friday afternoon…and as of this writing, its been requested at every single show I've played since then.  Thank you to Henry for putting that short video up on FB and sharing it around.  Thank you to Dors for not being annoyed at the catchy annoying melody, and memorizing the lyrics real quick.  Thank You to the scientists who actually do the real work.  I never got her name…

The Haus'

Wursthaus in Lake Jackson was one of my first big gigs in the area: 2014.  It was a leap-of-faith solo jaunt in the midst of a Huge Sally tour.  Huge stayed behind in Austin, and I rented a car and drove out on an instinct.  I met Dido's, Wursthaus, and Bridge Bait on this fateful trip.  Richard Wood and I made a connection, and ever since, he has booked my band when we come through!  First, it was Thursday night at Growler’s Pourhaus, his new place.  Our local friend Eli opened the night with a startlingly funny introduction, and we had a Great time with the staff and all our fans.  Then on Friday we did the Wursthaus thing.  Both nights were super fun, high-energy, and with an aura of peace, professionalism, and power.  I can't recommend these two spots in Lake Jackson highly enough.  Both have inventive menus, both pride themselves on their beer selections, and both hire real good people.  

The Heights, Houston

We met Jeannette Waldie, and saw Houston's superb house concert venue Visionary Heights.  Wow.  Doverlaff House Concerts in Portland has a surprisingly similar outlook on lifestyle, community, and song circles…they are two thousand miles apart, and have never met, and yet have each arrived at the, I SAY, right conclusions!  Jeannette's son Owen, Ted Miller, and Ken Gaines also play a big role in this vibrant and seriously interesting Scene.  We met a new band member: the amazing Addison Freeman.  He is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-singer, and comfortable jammer.  We hung out with him nonstop our last two days.  He is invited to come up to Oregon in July and join us for quite a few gigs.  Can't wait to welcome Addison to the Pacific Northwest!

Its good to be home.  Oregon is beautiful.  Texas is welcoming, amazing, a unique experience.  And yes, turns out not where but who you're with that really matters.

We hope to come back in October.  And The Baron Ward hopes to visit the southeast coastline from the Carolinas to New Orleans next spring…

[chrisbaronmusic]

About What You’d Expect

Every recording project begins with a heady, driving confidence; a self-perpetuating optimism; a pride and a care for the eventual Grande result.  The almost inevitable apathetic reception is never imagined, until it is too late!  

A friend of mine, Paul Dage, wrote: "A man does what he's got to do, eventually."

I lost most of my bands, and circles one by one over the last three years.  Instead of giving up, I taught myself to play their instruments in my home recording space.  The result is three different seven-song EPs: to Keep Us Close (April 2016); Wherever I've Been, Wherever I Go (October 2016); and About What You'd Expect (March 2017).  Since 2014's Light Up The Sky, I've stayed busy.  Thank you to those of you who have followed along thus far.  And thanks for reading my blog, which you will enjoy!  

I am a pure singer-songwriter at this point, and despite what you may hear on the recordings, when I perform live, these songs have a lone acoustic guitar, a lone voice.  Its never felt like a hobby��more like a Love.  I've played with a lot of great musicians.  I found myself getting quite emotionally involved in our projects, and stuck with them loyally through slow and fast times.  I appreciated more than they will ever know their individual senses of style.  As it turned out, we "never made the scene", we never did much of anything commercially, and although such an idea of "success" was always my overall Goal personally ("the band Works!  It Works...!!" I always wanted to say), I stuck with my bandmates out of blind love and pure loyalty.  

Once everyone had melted away, I found myself left with a very empty feeling.  This was 2015.  I wanted things to be different.  But they weren't.  

to Keep Us Close was an eruption of creativity that I just had to share, in a desperate attempt to stay connected and make musical progress.  Wherever I've Been, Wherever I Go is a thesis, and a reflection of the road I travel to get to get to my mental state.  About What You'd Expect picks up the story at present, and hints at a future you can't help but expect.  It tells of an artist slowly deteriorated by external apathies and eventual isolation.  He withdraws permission for himself to Be creative.  This does not halt the music, though…just makes the colors sound darker.

I feel comfortable with my six steel strings.  Songs begin, and end up, here.  When it came time to add the other instruments to these tracks, things turned out how they would, I suppose.  

Joe Bass was the ultimate bass player for my style of songwriting, for close to a decade.  His natural nuances and approach to the instrument are what I modeled the entire bass composition around.  Sad that we are not playing together anymore…but his influence is all over this collection of songs.  I played the bass the way I thought he would have.  He would have done a better job overall…but this was supposed to be a personal challenge for me.

Dusty Beats is a stalwart favorite of mine, for all time.  Working creatively with a drummer was never easier than with him.  When left to my own devices to perform percussion tracks, his skill in the pocket turned out to be beyond my ability to channel.  I don't possess his steady sense of pace.  Leo Aguirre is the percussionist that I model the latest performances after.  Leo is wildly creative with backbeats, upbeats, and fills…and his influence is found throughout these songs on the percussion side.  Trying to imitate what I think he would do.  I.Love.Leo's.Style.  He would have done a better job overall…but this was supposed to be a personal challenge for me.

The Artist felt the finger of self-pressure, self-expectations pushing down.  It would be a long time, but that did not deter…it stimulated.  It motivated and drove.  The ultimate imagined result was going to be Grande.  

He knew that it was much about the journey…and had taken time to note many interesting things along his way.  He had been wholly present, for many and a few more than many, times.  But he also wanted to get to the future as fast as he could, driving driving.  He could see the jelly bean clear on the horizon, and had even on occasion gazed into its predictive depths.  The ultimate end result is supposed to be Grande.

He hears echoes and voices and wonders if there might be a deep end he someday won't crawl out of.

He lost the desire to play the game…to play anything at all…for a significant amount of time.

He gazed around at his city, and all the people who seemed lost in it.  

He reflects that the universe really doesn't care!

My favorite track is #2.  Thank you for listening and I hope to see you around the bend,

Chris

https://soundcloud.com/chrisbaronmusic

www.chrisbaronmusic.com

[chrisbaronmusic]

Hello 2017, ya big jelly bean.

Hello, Chris here.  Boy has it been a long fall.  2016 summer and fall was GREAT for The Baron Ward.  Busy.  Lots of music.  Lots of driving.  Lots of car time.  I have been writing on my own (2 new solo EPs), and Dors and I have been writing some new tunes for the Road.  Lots of stuff has happened, and he and I have grown more fond of each other every month, every trip, every show.  I can't catch you up in detail…just know that its Good.

The near future is what counts.

The Baron Ward is looking to get serious again as a core.  This is a cool thing.  Getting out and around and meeting people through Music once again has been revitalizing my life from the inside out.  I am healthier, more positive, and more optimistic than ever before…well, since I was 21 at least.  You know how it goes.  I still have nagging negative narratives, ferocious fake fantasy conversations, and diabolically debilitating doubts…they are getting more easily squashed, chuckled off as ridiculous, un-bought.  

Our goals for this year are to travel the country, through music.  We don't want to hide out in our home city, our routine, our Bubble.  We want to get dirty, get loud, get friendly, and Earn it All.  The new songs are excellentifying.  Since recording and releasing our spring 2016 EP from our home studio, we've tracked with Daniel Work / Mike Snyder / John Dwyer (part of a Portland band called 'The Noted'), Gabe Johnston @ Falcon Recording Studios (downtown Portland), and James Book @ Ninkasi in Eugene.  We've sharpened our resolve to break into the festival circuit, taking advice from seasoned vets like Dan Weber, Doverlaff, the late Lisa Lepine (RIP Dear Sweet Lisa!), James Book…and we will make our own luck through and through.

Looking forward to seeing you out there, and to all those who have high-fived us along the way so far…THANK YOU for giving us a chance!

[chrisbaronmusic]

[B]aron’s Blog - Texas Reflexis

[B]aron’s Blog.

Today’s topic: The last four days of the Texas Spring Tour.

One month back from the tour, and I reflect.  

Travel is the Leveler.  The greatest, purest mirror.  The five of us learned more about ourselves, individually, and also about each other.  Thirteen sets in twelve days.  Two great indicators of character to me: How you handle yourself under stress/pressure, and How you handle hospitality and kindness.  

Dors blogged about a good bulk of the trip already.  For me, the last four days were magic.  Faced with financial disaster due to high rental car prices (we needed something for five people, with two weeks-worth of luggage, plus instruments, plus CDs and t-shirts), we jumped into the last four situations with a very ready attitude: it was time to Kick Ass.  

Wursthaus on Thursday in Lake Jackson was a Huge Success.  We got generous hospitality and also a song request (an original song!) from the owner Richard.  We found some fellow Avett Brothers fans by performing an obscure cover, whom we saw Again on Saturday afternoon at the bait shop gig.

Friday night at Ronnie's ice house was one of those where everyone looks you up and down on your way in, and the bartender asks "ya'll are not a rap group, are ya?"  But we won 'em over with a high-energy three-hour set, and Megan Cronin was a star.

The next afternoon, outside of Bridge Bait in Freeport, a truck pulled up and two guys hollered "Hey, ya'll are the band from Ronnie's!  We loved it!  Have some shots!"  And they pulled out a half gallon of canadian whiskey and started pouring shots…from their car.  Then, we went into the bait shop, where we knew there was an opening, but we weren't actually booked…and they agreed to give us a chance.  Our Wursthaus friends showed up to cheer us along, and we rocked that bait shop.  Hard.  Check out K8npdx's photos for proof!  

Saturday, The Local in Lake Jackson was very hospitable, and had a Killer menu.  We were very grateful to be given a chance to perform there!  For our Portland fans, it was kind of like Prontobella (Clackamas) meets Sauce Box (downtown).  The bartender there is very talented.  

Sunday, we finished out at Dido's, just like last year.  We rocked our tired bodies for about three hours, unplugged; we caused a rainstorm by stomping barefoot in the middle of "Searchlights In Mexico"; and finished the tour out in intimate fashion by singing "The Beacon" to each other in a circle in the middle of the patio.  We were given succulents by the owners.

I miss Texas already.  I always have a Great time there, except that one time five years ago.  Remember Will Downing.  And, while you're at it, don't forget that Huge Sally still exists!

[chrisbaronmusic]

[B]aron’s Blog

Today’s Topic: Texas Spring Tour 2016, Day 3.

Here we are on Day 3 of the Remember Will 2016 spring tour.  In February 2015, I was solo, from Austin to the Rio Grande Valley to Surfside Beach/Lake Jackson.  This year, we are a crew of five: Megan Cronin on violin, Dors Ward on vocals and shakers, K8npdx on photo/video/socialmedia management, and Erin Ward on merchandise.  Going on any road trip, especially when your only chance to afford it is based on merch sales, performance contracts, and the appreciations of others...is a tremendous leap of faith.  You never know what to expect.  

THANK YOU so much to Dosey Doe, in Conroe TX.  It was our first night, just landed, and we walked in, and were greeted with the kindnesses that travelers desperately need: coffee, water, dinner plates, and gifts of hand towels.  They had never met us, probably never heard us (other than the booking agent), and there was barely anybody there at the gorgeous big room venue.  But we were inspired, and ripped off our ‘power set’.  Soundman Kevin Langford is apparently a sonic genius, and a highly skilled vibe technician as well.  I loved Dosey Doe, and am very very grateful we were lucky enough to get a booking, and be able to pull it off.  It set the tour off Right, convincing us we were doing the right thing.  Later that night, we drove 2 hours south to Surfside Beach to stay with my friends Henry and Dortha Pekar, set up by their daughter Dawn, our main local promoter for the trip!

Dawn stayed up late to meet us, and the next day, we met up with her at our first Will Tribute gig...at Dido’s in Brazoria!  Fred and Nancy were incredibly kind to me last year, booking me two nights in a row and befriending a lone traveling musician playing weird music that they had never heard before.  This year, I knew, of all the places that I wanted to return to, Dido’s was at the top of my list.  The show was so much fun, and we met a lot of great people.  I had met much of Will’s family and local fans before of course, and Megan had met a few as well, and it was very cool to be able to introduce Dors to everyone!  There was much goodwill (ha!).  We performed a full set of Will Downing tribute music, and then a short set of our originals.  We were asked to come back on Sunday the 24th, our last day before heading home, and perform on their boat tour!  

Night 3: Brownsville.  My first time ever in this particular town.  El Hueso De Fraille means “The Home that is all Fired Up”.  I know good musicians when I see them, and I know good people.  These folks were the BEST people.  EVER.  Their story is fantastic.  Follow them on Facebook for current events, and their website is http://www.brownsvillecafe.com/.  They are multi-talented instrumentally and vocally as a “family & friends band”, and have a stage countenance that bespeaks great depth of character, the same on, the same off.  This place is truly a GEM.  It reminds me of Artichoke Music in Portland Oregon, when the place was under the direction and vision of Richard Columbo.  We got to jam with Dabs’ trumpet player Walton (sp?)...and his ear and skills are quite pleasing.  We were beyond honored and excited to have been a part of what was an insanely magical night, and want very much to have a chance to come back.  GO TO THIS PLACE if you are EVER anywhere near Brownsville...its worth the trip.  

On to La Palapa in Mercedes to reunite with Johnny on The Farm, Bob Coleman, and ALL the crew from the days when Will and I first met, and became close.  More words to come...thank you for reading!

[chrisbaronmusic]

Just a few months away from the annual Texas Trip…and I reflect.

 William Downing was my former bandmate, and my friend.  He lived in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas until he passed away in 2012.  When Will recorded Outside The Mission, his first album, in Portland Oregon in 2007, he and his mom were invited to stay at my friend Dors Ward's house, where I was also staying as it were.  The album took a week to make, and in that time, Barons and Wards and Downings intermingled.  Rob Lewis produced that album, his first…and then went on to produce much more music, including 2008's Claire Avenue, 2009's unreleased I Ain't So Dumb, and of course Huge Sally's Cold-hearted Bastard and my Searchlights In Mexico.  William's songs always struck me as brilliant and beautiful… and I was most certainly biased.  Of this widespread community of musicians and makers, Will was closest to Rob, and then Jake Riggs of Huge Sally and myself…but Dors was there from the very beginning of it all.

 And that is why it is so cool that The Baron Ward will go to Texas in April 2016 and perform a Remember Will Downing Tribute Tour, with Megan Cronin accompanying on viola.  Of course Dors and I have snuck a few of Will's songs into our setlist over the years…but this is going to be Different.  

 William lived his last days in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, in the town of Mercedes.  We will visit "The Valley" and perform at La Palapa, Johnny Downing's farm and restaurant.  We will perform in the town of Surfside and Brazoria county, where Will's surviving immediate family have made their home.  We will reunite with Huge Sally and Jake Riggs in the Austin area.  We will Remember Will Downing.

Here's the link to last year's tour page:

https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBaronPlaysWillDowning

More info to come in the near future, the calendars for Baron Ward,  SearchlightsInMexico.com, and ChrisBaronMusic.com will be updated.