To everyone that came out to my showcase at The SYNC, I THANK YOU!

AND... lots of love to everyone at Nettwerk Music, they did a GREAT job hosting the event and making sure that we all felt at home in their beautiful space.

It was an amazing night and it was such a blessing to have so many close friends there to enjoy the experience with me. We ROCKED THE HOUSE!

I am sure I will be doing a lot more of the same in the near future, so if you missed it... get ready for the next one... it’s only going to get better!

Last week, after finishing a song that I had been working on for weeks, I sat down with the guitar to watch the pouring rain outside. It felt amazing to see such wetness in a land that is usually unbelievably dry!

As I began to strum, a song emerged within seconds... the first draft goes like this:


The Homeless Aren't Laughing
Its pouring rain outside again…
It makes me smile… the homeless aren't laughing though

Where are they on nights like this?
It makes me sad… my smile has flattened out

Cardboard walls and shopping carts…
It's a faceless world caught in our cracked sidewalks

Through panes of glass I've seen them there
I never thought to ask, "Brother, how did you get here?"

I've passed them by too many times
And now I wish that I had… just said hi

… To show that I care…

The rain comes down and the wind blows louder
That's Mother Nature singing songs while her lost children run

Flooded out to who knows where?
There are 40,000 homeless in LA alone

If I lost my mind and got left behind
Would anybody notice that there's one more man homeless?

If I saw "me" there would I even care?
Would I pretend I didn't know "me" and move along slowly

I've passed them by too many times
And now I wish that I had… just said hi

… To show I care … to show I care...
… to show I care… that the homeless aren't laughing!

I have spent weeks crafting ONE song... and I have finally finished it!

This song was a roller-coaster ride of lyrical discovery! I spent days going deeper and deeper into the lyrics of this song... each time I uncovered a new layer, everything that proceeded seemed to lack context and meaning.

I spent hours and sometimes days contemplating things like "does the word 'the' here make the verse clearer or does it clutter the meaning with too many words... is it merely a rhythmic filler, or does it carry lyrical weight..." yes, I can go on and on for pages about the word "the" - and I did!

I completed something like five or six versions of the same song... and all of them were totally different. I started to notice around version five that my mood each day was coloring my approach to the lyrics so much that I was re-writing the song every time I played it! And still, I was nowhere closer to capturing what it was I wanted to say.

I was basically writing myself in circles!

After weeks of traversing the depths of a bottomless lyrical void... the song finally revealed itself!

The very next day, after completing the song and feeling accomplished and fulfilled... I picked up the guitar and strummed as I watched the rain outside... and within about ten minutes, I had written one of my best songs ever!

The song literally unfolded... with almost no lyrical changes!

The moral of this blog - don't think too hard... sometimes it just comes easy!

I have recently found what I have been looking for, a fantastic place to play that is also the kind of place I like to hang out at.

Not since I played regularly at the 12 Bar Club in London have I seen a club that felt like home. There are very few clubs in the world that have the ability to cultivate community, support up-and-coming artists, and still offer the public the highest quality music night after night - The Hotel Cafe does that!

I have been very impressed with the musical community that has been built around The Hotel Cafe. This past year it has become one of my favorite hangouts. The Hotel Cafe is one of the only, if not THE only, venues in LA that attracts an audience that is there to see MUSIC - no matter who is playing.

I feel very blessed to be a part of this new community and for all the support the club and staff have given me. For my first show there, I was asked to be a part of a benefit night - proceeds were going to community musicians to help replace instruments that were lost in a house that burned in the recent fires - the night was SOLD OUT!

I will keep you posted on upcoming shows!

I have gotten so many emails from people in all the cities I played on the tour, expressing their appreciation for my music. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
If you didn't email me yet .... GET ON IT:))

Actually, I feel so blessed to be a part of a growing network of friends that has manifested as a result of this tour. I have met so many talented people… many of them are now my friends on myspace.

Since the end of the tour, I have been spending my days working on new songs and practicing yoga in the park! After not doing much of anything for a few weeks other than traveling and playing, it feels good to get the body and mind opened up again.

Thanks for reading and thanks for listening, I really appreciate it!
Lots of love

chris

I am just back from my 2 week tour supporting the UK band Bat for Lashes.
AND... it was truly an amazing and eventful experience!

I had promised myself that I would blog every day to keep a written diary of the tour happenings. As it turns out... 2 days after my return and this is the first time I have had to relax and collect my thoughts!

The tour, for me, started in Denver... it was a surreal experience to drive straight from the airport in a shuttle bus to the venue and then transfer all my gear onto a massive tour bus that was sitting right outside the club we were to play that night!

My day was spent in an organic market/cafe down the street.... when you are on a tour bus, you are limited to the distances you are willing to walk or the amount of money you are willing to spend on taxis (if you can find one).... and with boots and jeans in 90 degree heat.... that meant 5 blocks for me!

they were super cool there... and in fact, you can now pop in and ask for "the chavez," the best tasting grilled sandwich i have ever experienced.... inspired by me asking the chef to "make it funky!"

After the show, we had a 2 am bus call.... that night i got settled into my bed on the bus.... if you have never been on a tour bus (while it is moving)... it is the equivalent of eating, sleeping, and even urinating on a boat in choppy waters (messy) ... Often times i woke during the night with either my feet, arms, or legs hanging over the edge (i was sleeping about 5 feet off the floor of the tour bus!)

the next day we stopped somewhere in Arizona so our bus driver dave could sleep (I had slept though my home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico... bummer!!!)

I checked into my hotel room and decided to have a bath.... it is the weirdest feeling to still feel like you are on a moving bus while you are standing in a stationary shower!

The next day we rented 2 cars and drove to the Grand Canyon… yeah, it's not as big as it looks in pictures… just joking! It was unreal!

I had been there a few times… and every time, it manages to blow a part of my brain that wasn't blown before! We spent the whole day, until sunset, marveling at the immense beauty that surrounded us.

The next day, we were in San Diego at the House of Blues' Delta Room.
What an amazing space… the entire floor was covered in carpets… it was a great vibe, loads of people sitting, just taking in the experience….

The next night… we had a mega night!!! A SOLD OUT show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles!!! That was an unbelievable experience!!! To play for so many people in such an intimate atmosphere… Percussionist Jamie Morison joined me on stage… It was truly magical! I had a blast!

Two days later Graham, a long time friend from the UK, and I rented a car and drove to San Francisco to join the tour…. Graham was visiting me and decided to come along on the tour to help out – he ended up being an integral part of the tour, selling merchandise and taking photos!!! We had a great time!!

After the San Francisco show, Graham and I drove up to Vancouver together, traveling through the Redwood Forest! It was AWESOME! I will post a couple of photos….

A day and a half later, as we approached the Canadian border on our way to the gig in Vancouver, my tour manager calls to let me know that when they went through earlier on the tour bus, they left my paper work with immigration… so as we pull up to the immigration officer… I let him know that I was there to share my Conscious Acoustic Rock message… to spread the Chavez culture and vision… surely he knew, because my tour bus had already been through with all my paper work… notifying them of my imminent arrival!!!

Well, apparently he had no idea what I was doing there or what I was talking about!!!
His only words to me were "pull up here on the left, get out of the vehicle, and step inside… an agent will be with you shortly!"

I don't know if you have been to Canada lately… just to let you know… they are pissed at us!! So after an hour of discussion, background checks, vehicle searches (no body cavity checks – thankfully!) and numerous phone calls to my tour manager (on my new iPhone – which will probably cost me a fortune) I am finally released … and a mad dash begins to make it to the show!!!

I walk into the Plaza 10 minutes before doors open… I sound check in 5, go back stage, tune my guitars, and I'm on! It was a GREAT set!!!

That night after the show, we went to eat at Soma.. an amazing restaurant in the SoHo district of Vancouver…. We had great food, great local drink AND great conversation with new friends!

The next couple of days seemed to blend into one another…. We played in Seattle and Portland back to back…

Oh, I almost forgot… after the Seattle show… Graham and I were driving towards Portland…. As we chatted about the show that night…. we were oblivious to those lines they put on the highway to keep cars moving forward in an orderly fashion….

Next thing we know, there are police lights behind us…. A voice on a loud speaker says, "Exit on the next off-ramp and park on the right."

I had just finished checking my emails on my iPhone and still had it in my hand.
The officer walked up to the side of the car and Graham rolls down the window… he looks in and the first thing he says is, "how do you like your iPhone?"

We had about a 10-minute conversation about the iPhone and then he finally says, "well I pulled you over because you were weaving; nothing major, I just wanted to make sure everything was ok. You guys have a good night!" And that was it!

After the Portland show… our tour bus was headed for the east coast to start a tour with another band, Bat for Lashes were all heading for the airport to fly back to the UK, and Graham was going to bicycle back to LA from Portland…. Taking 3 weeks to do the trip!

So, I started my 1,000-mile drive back with all my gear and my thoughts of the past couple of weeks dancing in my head. I arrived back in LA EARLY Wednesday morning… and have been sleeping non-stop ever since!!!

Well, that's it! Two weeks of full on rock and roll living in 3 minutes of reading!
Thanks for taking the time!

Lots of love

chris

I have just completed the sessions for my new EP The Observer and I am in the process of getting the CDs finished for the upcoming tour with Bat For Lashes.

Every step of the way I have had the opportunity to work with the VERY BEST!
Clif Norrell produced the EP and he is an amazing producer that has worked with some of the... well just about everyone!

I also had Jamie Morrison over from the UK to lay down percussion... Jamie is the drummer for The Noisettes... and he too has recorded with some amazing artists!

The past few days have been spent getting the art work tightened up .... Domenico Tedone, an Italian designer, did an amazing job of capturing the spirit of the songs in true graphical poetry!!!

I feel blessed to be connected to so many talented and AMAZING artists and people!
Thank you to anyone that takes the time to listen to my music or read this blog! THIS CONNECTION is why I love making music!

lots of love
chris

Today was day three of my recording sessions with PHENOMENAL producer Clif Norrell.
AND...Jamie Morrison, drummer for the Noisettes, came in to lay percussion down on a few tracks.

It is always a blast! to work with Jamie, he is THE most creative drummer I have ever seen! A session with Jamie will find the studio filled with anything from springs from a car to a megaphone taped to a drum or a cymbal! And when needed, a simple, well-hit shaker with a stick will do the trick:)

As we sat listening to tracks... Jamie commented on how great the vocals sounded and he asked what mic was used on the voice... Clif told him, and also explained that this is an exceptional sounding mic, and has used it on some amazing performances, like "Everybody hurts" by REM and "Man on the moon," as well as many other great takes.

Jamie just about internally combusted.... This was the dialogue that followed:
Jamie: "Michael Stipe of REM sang through that mic?!"
Clif: "yeah... in fact most of the album was recorded on that mic."
Jamie: "On that very mic RIGHT there?!"
Clif: "yeah... that mic."
Jamie: "You're telling me that that same mic RIGHT THERE was used to record Everybody hurts by REM and Man on the moon?!!!"
Clif: "yes."
Jamie: "Ahhh... I don't believe it.... that is amazing! I can't believe that that mic was used to record Everybody hurts!!!"

as Jamie got ready to lay tracks down... he shuffled through all his bits of percussion equipment looking for the right feel and sound for the next part he was going to track... as he honed in on the sound... Clif, feeling Jamie's inspiration, positioned "the mic" over Jamie's hands... and now... it's all on my recordings:)

It was a great day!