Bakersfield Sound Tribute at Belly Up >> Aug 2

I'm hosting another Barroom Ball this week at Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach CA

Join us for a tribute to the Bakersfield sound, 

with songs by Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Wynn Stewart and more!

Also included will be original California country by Brawley and Gethen Jenkins.

Special appearance by Graham Nancarrow.

Gethen Jenkins (formerly The Freightshakers)

2015 Ameripolitan Music Award winner "Outlaw Group"

“This hard-driving, honky-tonk group lead by Gethen Jenkins is a perfect way to spend any night, wherever it may take you.” – National Country Review

With his powerful, gut wrenching, baritone sound, Gethen Jenkins is on a fast train to stardom. Gethen is an award winning singer and songwriter from Huntington, West Virginia. His songs are of considerable depth and meaning, driven by passion, and full of heart and spirit which are sure to run the gamut of human emotions.
“The relationship between the listeners and music is what I feed on” Gethen’s journey began surrounded by American music, from the purest of Bluegrass to whiskey soaked Honkytonk. Music took hold at the age of eight, beating on his dad’s Gibson guitar. His teenage years were spent in Galena, a rural indian village on the Yukon River, deep in the Alaskan tundra. After 8 years in the U.S. Marines, Gethen landed in Southern California. Returning from Iraq, determined to sing his own song, he found a home in Country Music with his five piece band The Freightshakers (since revamped as Gethen Jenkins). Over the next several years Gethen immersed himself in his music, working hard to create a unique sound keeping true to his roots.

Belly Up TONIGHT 10/19 Keep-A-Breast.org benefit

 

I'm hosting another Brawley Barroom Ball tonight at Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach CA. October's event will be a night of honky-tonk for cancer prevention, supporting Keep-a-Breast for Breast Cancer Awareness Month as part of their #Fit4Prevention campaign.

Did you know that just 30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week lowers the risk of developing breast cancer by 30-50% ?!  Did you also know that men and children can also get breast cancer? TWO-STEPPING and DANCING is exercise!

Brawley's BarRoom Ball is hosted by Brawley's lead singer, Nena Anderson. Every show features 3 live bands, local or guests, in the genres of American music: Country, Western Swing, Outlaw Country, Alt Country, Americana, Roots Rock, or Rockabilly.  ---> October 19 features Los Angeles' Jolenes, Brawley, and western swing outfit, Ginger Cowgirl & The Silver Spurs. Bring your dancin' boots and your thirst for a heck of a shindig on a school night! Jolenes take it home, Brawley in the middle, Ginger Cowgirl to open. Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm.
 
Jolenes are four veteran Los Twangeles roots musicians - Dan Janisch, Grant Langston, David Serby and Dale Daniel - who spend every night out in their giddy up garage, elbow deep in groove and grease, while putting the twang and bang to their granddaddy's old hillbilly heap.
• Dan is the spellbinding, soul-shaking shaman who digs black-winged lovebirds, gutbucket blues hounds, and laying down a smutty Chuck Berry guitar riff.
• Grant is the high octane hillbilly, music city muscle car who loves tearing up an open road, getting into the occasional fist fight, and making grown men cry with a tough but tender ballad.
• David is the lean, laconic grin and tonic with a weakness for pawnshop pulp, dime store noir, and the honkytonk hustle in a slow country shuffle.
• Dale is the rock island racketmaster who swings his sticks in spit shine kicks and digs vintage pearl snap jackets, rock-n-roll hobo poetry, and making sure the trains run on time.
Dan, Grant, and David also front their own bands and between them have put out a dozen critically acclaimed records. Dale banged the cans for one of the greatest bands of all time, The Hacienda Brothers, and currently plays for the Ameripolitan award winning band, The Freightshakers (and Brawley!).



Named after the legendary “Cattle Call” town, Brawley is a mix of San Diego, Joshua Tree and Los Angeles-based working musicians with decades of history and dozens of projects, including the Hacienda Brothers, Smith's Ranch Boys, The Forbidden Pigs, Rancho Deluxe, and many more. Influenced by all the honky-tonk heroes like Faron Young, Ray Price, Buck Owens, and too many more to mention, Brawley's originals mix seamlessly with classic favorites. Sets are laced with shuffles and train beats that force you to dance or make you wish you had taken those two-step classes years ago! Brawley is Nena Anderson (vocals, guitar) Adrian Demain (vocals, guitar) Jim Austin (bass) David Berzansky (pedal steel) Dale Daniel (drums) and has been featured on KPBS tv "Live at The Belly Up" (watch here, skip to minute 30, we're the second half of the show) http://video.kpbs.org/video/2328691319/ and has shared stages with Lucinda Williams, Dave Alvin, and Albert Lee.  

Ginger Cowgirl (aka Stacy Antonel) fronts this 5-piece band dedicated to the spirit and style of vintage country music. Two years ago Stacy chanced to hear a Waylon Jennings tune from a dollar-bin record and fell in love; already a working jazz & rock vocalist, she soon put together her own country outfit. Composed of both veteran country players and young newcomers to the genre, the band performs regularly throughout San Diego, interpreting an eclectic selection of classic country tunes.
They’re currently working on their first EP of original material, which combines modern lyrics and traditional instrumentation for a unique approach to the classic country style.

Tickets at the door and at http://www.bellyup.com
Reserved seating is also available.

March 16, Belly Up benefit for Candye Kane

 

 I'm producing a special edition of Brawley's BarRoom Ball this month to support our friend Candye Cane. Join us to raise funds and make joyous music to help her through her continued battle with cancer.  Advanced tickets here: http://bellyup.com/brawleys-blues-ball-for-candye-kane-ft-james-harman

As of March 4 via Laura Chavez:

"Candye Update: The procedure took place on Wednesday and the doctors were successful in provoking and locating the bleed. Unfortunately, once it started it was very difficult to control and she suffered tremendous blood loss throughout the procedure and over the night. Things have stabilized more now and she is resting comfortably in the ICU. We knew this was a risk of the procedure but I don't think anyone expected the level of blood loss that occurred. As always, she proves she is the Toughest Girl Alive and the medical team here at Cedars worked and worked along with her and never gave up. They cannot stop commenting on just how strong and tough she is. But she still needs all of our prayers and energy and light in hopes she continues to stabilize and they are able ween her off of sedation and the breathing tube and most of all, that the bleeding stops for good.

 Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send white light and continue to visualize her back onstage, in all of her beads and feathers, where she belongs and belting out "I'm The Toughest Girl Alive" for all of us.

 

You can also help by donating directly to Paypal, at candyekanetour@aol.com or donating blood at your local blood bank.

Show: Dec 23 at Belly Up w/Rosie Flores

It's that time of the year again, and it's our

2nd Annual Country Christmas show

 at Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA. 

This show will sell out...get tix HERE!

I'm thrilled to bring you a killer roots rockin' and honky-tonkin' lineup:

7pm: Sleepwalkers

The Sleepwalkers have been playing authentic Americana & Roots Rock since 1992. They specialize in original American music styles ranging from Blues, Country, Tex-Mex, R&B, Cumbias, and their own brand of down-home Rock & Roll.

8pm Brawley w/Rosie Flores

 A set by Brawley AND a set with Brawley backing up Rosie Flores!

Born in San Antonio, TX and raised in Southern California, Rosie Flores' music blends the best of honky-tonk, rockabilly, and jazz with the traditional sounds of her Tex-Mex heritage. Since the late 70s, she has been an important figure in the Los Angeles, Austin, TX and Nashville music scenes. Rosie's reputation as a high octane rockabilly star is well established. Critical raves from prestigious publications such as the Los Angeles Times and Guitar Player magazine leave no doubt about her talent for filling dance floors and lighting up rooms with her blazing guitar solos. 

10pm NancarrowFronted by singer/songwriter Graham Nancarrow, the band infuses raw energy and classic tones to create and perform their own unique brand of the American song. The style is pure, and rooted in the rich traditions of country and alternative music. 

What's Up at the Belly Up Podcast Feature

Via "What's Up at The BUT": 

New Episode out!! Don't mess with Nena Anderson!

A singer songwriter, honky tonk, blues and Americana chick that suggested we drank whiskey in the mid-afternoon. We tell the truth on what can happen if you drink too much carrot juice, talk about turning fan letters into songs and compare Damian to a giraffe that looks like Prince. We drank Bulleit Rye with Bundaberg Ginger Beer. 

Catch the podcast here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/bellyup/Episode201320-20Nena20Anderson.mp3

Featuring 2 live in-studio tracks, I Fall In Love Too Fast and Kiss You Goodnight

Brawley shows: Aug 23 in LA @Echo & Sept 2 in SD @BellyUp

Join me with my honky-tonk band BRAWLEY at The Grand Ole Echo (at The Echo, Los Angeles) this Sunday for a late afternoon show!  Presented by California Roots Union. Lineup is: Brawley @5pm,  Rick Shea & The Losing End @6pm, I See Hawks in LA @7pm,  with Grant Langston & The Supermodels on the patio.  Free before 6pm, $5 after. ALL AGES



Also, don't forget:
I'm hosting another Brawley's Barroom Ball No.3 on Wed, SEPT 2 at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.  Doors at 7:30pm  $10 
This show features:
The Lonesome Billies (from Portland) 10pm
Brawley  9pm
Roy Ruiz Clayton & The Grave Diggers   8pm



and the usual residencies:
Sunday Sept 6 @Solace, Encinitas
Friday Sept 11 @Ace Hotel, Palm Springs

Brawley's BarRoom Ball - May 20

Got plans for Wednesday night?  You do now!

Wed. May 20, 2015  ||  7pm doors • 8pm show

Brawley's BarRoom Ball 

at

Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach Ca
Tickets HERE or at the door

I'm hosting a great night of music featuring my band, Brawley, 

along with two Award-Winning Americana bands, 

The Freightshakers and Sara Petite & The Sugar Daddies.

I am thrilled to finally be bringing you Brawley's BarRoom Ball! The BarRoom Ball is a series of concerts featuring 3 live bands, local or guests, in the genres of American music: Country, Western Swing, Outlaw Country, Alt Country, Americana, Roots Rock, or Rockabilly. With an open wide dance floor and a world-class sound system and staff, we are proud to present these shows at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, CA.  Original music only (no tribute bands or cover bands)

Here's a little more about the bands this month:

Sara Petite & The Sugar Daddies: Sara Petite is a gifted singer-songwriter who possesses the unique ability to reach the hearts and souls of fans young and old. She has the rare gift to craft songs that appeal equally, but are interpreted differently by fans of diverse perspectives. This comes through in her live performances as well. A true original, Sara's music does not conveniently fit into any one musical genre or sub-category, but rather traces her influences in country, bluegrass, rock and folk, and emerges into a sound completely her own. As welcome in senior citizen centers as she is in biker bars, nightclub venues and festivals, Sara is as American as apple pie and Harley Davidson. She is gritty, she is wild, she is tender with a soul of a child.

Freightshakers : Ameripolitan Award Winner 2015, Outlaw Country. So while everyone sits around moaning the blues about the "death of the LA Country scene"...these boys fly a big finger in the face of the 70's rock that is being passed off as country music on the radio. Led by Gethen Jenkins who arrived in Southern California via West Virginia and Alaska (somebody get that boy a damn map!!) these boys are keeping country alive regardless of FM radio. Throw on a worn-out truckers cap, pop open something cold and cheap, and get ready for a good time!
  And for fun, a video from our BarRoom Ball in December

BarRoom Ball March 26

I'm hosting (with Brawley) a new series of shows at Belly Up Tavern...starting March 26.  Join us for Brawley's BarRoom Ball for the best in Americana, Country, Roots, and Western Swing... homegrown and bands and our friends that happen to be passing through town!

Thursday's show features: 

<< Brawley at 8pm >>
Featuring Nena Anderson, Adrian Demain, David Berzansky, Dale Daniel and Jim Austin

<< Sam Outlaw at 9pm >>

Sam is the talk of the town...he has just recorded a record with Ry Cooder and has been featured as one of Rolling Stone Country's "one to watch."  His band also features San Diego's own Molly Jenson. Sam writes original songs that seek to capture the spirit of the classic country music he learned from his favorite singers: George Jones, Willie Nelson, Gene Watson, Don Williams, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam, etc.  This band is a new, original upcoming artist you won't want to miss.

<< Alex Woodard at 10pm >>

Alex is an incredible storyteller, crafting tales of love, loss and life and supported by a band that hints at influences of Springsteen and Petty, yet completely his own.  He has toured nationally behind five critically-acclaimed albums, earning prestigious industry nods and sharing the stage with some of today’s most popular acts. His book/album package "For The Sender" (Hay House) features his story of release and redemption woven through songs written about real-life letters. When he’s not surfing in his beach town north of San Diego, Alex lives with a big dog and bigger horse in the mountains of Idaho.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Jan 23 Birthday Show at Pappy & Harriets

In celebration of surviving another year, we're throwing a party for my birthday.  Join me and my band, Brawley, on Friday January 23 at one of my favorite places on the planet, Pappy & Harriets! 

In addition, we'll have a few special guests joining me for a few tunes, including Timothy Joseph (The Palace Ballroom), Alex Woodard (For The Sender), and Graham Nancarrow (Nancarrow).

Here's a fun video of our show Dec 18 at Belly Up Tavern!


Here's a cool short film about Pappy & Harriets!
The Pioneertown Palace from Filmwelder on Vimeo.

Happy Merry December

So much happening for the holidays!

Save The Dates:  Much touring and shows happening the next few months. CALENDAR   Save the date for January 23 at Pappy & Harriets for my 2nd Annual 21st Birthday Party.  For Valentine's Day weekend, I'll be rockin' Havasu with Cash'd Out at the Rockabilly Reunion festival.

Vinyl fans : I've got 7" singles of "Kiss You Goodnight" ; pick one up at a show!  They are limited edition, recorded at Lost Ark Studios and include Alex Woodard's "Never Let You Go" on the flipside. (I'm singing backup vocals on it too)

Holiday bundle : Get both of my albums, award-nominated Beyond The Lights, acoustic Serenade, and a keychain, all gift wrapped and mailed for only $25 + shipping. Until Jan 2.

Shows of note: All of these shows are at my hometown (and favorite) stage at Belly Up Tavern ...hope to see you at one or all of these shows!
Dec 14 - For The Sender : Turning Your Letters into Songs. Our first show since 2011 that will include our entire For The Sender family: Alex Woodard, Sean & Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Molly Jenson, Jordan Pundik (New Found Glory), Nena Anderson, Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Jack Tempchin (Peaceful Easy Feeling), and Graham Nancarrow. Expect a one-of-a-kind music & multimedia experience, and maybe a few Christmas songs. This is a seated show and it will sell out, so get your tickets now.
Dec 17 - Brawley : A night of original honky-tonk!  We're on first at 7pm for all of you early-birds, happy hour drinkers and two-steppers. Stay later for Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash and Nancarrow. I might have to make up a batch of whiskey cakes for this one...
Dec 26 - Cash'd Out : Our annual Christmas show DEC 26 at Belly Up Tavern (Solana Beach CA) with special guest Rosie Flores!  AND Dead Rock West will be warming things up with originals and their gorgeous renditions of Everly Brothers songs, so get there early. This show always sells out, so sign yourself up for advanced tix at BellyUp.com.

And as always, I'll be at Ace Hotel, Palm Springs every second Friday of the month, and Solace, Encinitas, every first Sunday.  I am so grateful to all of you for making it possible for me to do what I love...play and write and sing. Looking forward to sharing more new music with you in 2015!

xo N

November Cash'd Out Dates

November dates w/ Cash'd Out :

11/8 - Ramona CA - Cheers of Ramona
11/14 - Las Vegas NV - Beauty Bar Las Vegas
11/15 - Tempe AZ - Marquee Theatre
11/26 - San Diego CA - Casbah San Diego
11/28 - Hermosa Beach CA - Saint Rocke

Nena as June Carter at The Belly Up

view full image

"#JohnnyCash fans! I'll be touring with Cash'd Out in 2014 as #JuneCarter. Great pic by Dennis Anderson from last Friday's @bellyuptavern show. #gsmini #taylorguitar #outlawcountry #rockabilly #bighair"

Nena performs on KPBS TV's new series "Live at The Belly Up"

Are you a fan of Austin City Limits?  If so..."Live at The Belly Up" is a new KPBS series featuring live performances by San Diego's top bands. Every friday night @10pm.

I was lucky enough to be included in the first season of this show with my band Brawley. The episode aired January 25, 2103 and also features hip-hop/world music band, Vokab Kompany.

Episodes are now available to stream online at Live at The Belly Up

Brawley starts at 34 minutes.  Enjoy!

Watch Live at the Belly Up: Vokab Kompany and Brawley on PBS. See more from Live at the Belly Up.