Michael McNevin
A San Francisco Bay Area native, Michael McNevin started his career with a six-month stint in New York City, cutting his troubadour teeth in the subways and streets of Greenwich Village. Now a veteran of the folk scene, Michael has logged close to 20 years worth of concerts across the U.S., and he’s been a main stager at some of the bigger music festivals around, including the Strawberry, Kerrville, High Sierra, and Philadelphia music festivals.
He’s been billed in clubs and halls with the likes of Johnny Cash, Shawn Colvin, Donovan, Richie Havens, Christine Lavin, Utah Phillips, and 100s of others on the songwriter circuit. He has a seasoned voice, accomplished steel string guitar work, and a vivid brand of storytelling. He is a past winner of the Kerrville New-folk award in Texas, a 6-time winner of the West Coast Songwriters Association “Song Of The Year” (‘91, ‘92, ‘97, ‘98, ‘05, ‘09), and was chosen by Performing Songwriter Magazine as a Top 12 “DIY Artist Of The Year”. With 5 releases under his belt, and a few hard to find cassettes, his next CD is tentatively titled “Kickin’ Tires”. Tracks include ‘Broom’ & ‘Scarecrow’ (both winners of the WCS ‘Song Of The Year’ award), ‘Phoenixville’, ‘Pioneer Shindig, & ‘60 Years Of Sand’. Two of the tracks – ‘This Town Is Gonna Change’ & ‘I Shot Broncho Billy’ – are also heard in the indie film “Weekend King”, an indie film that features five of his songs in the soundtrack, and casts him in a cameo role as a broke and lovesick bartender. In addition, Michael is an Etch A Sketch artist of some renown, delighting and dumbfounding audiences with his song illustrations on the little red toy. Michael has been a guest on CBS “Evening Magazine”, numerous news and entertainment segments on NBC, ABC, and dozens of cable music shows. He also owns and operates the Mudpuddle Shop, in downtown Niles, CA.
He’s hosted 70+ concerts there, and well over 200 jams in the 6 years he’s operated it. It also serves as the Golden Spike Headquarters – a volunteer crew that Michael facilitates for the town, to help the local steam trains gather passengers for rides through the Niles Canyon.
His original Etch A Sketch art creations are also a shop attraction — 20 of them hang on the wall, waiting for an earthquake.