tag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:/blogs/news-from-wookie-garcia?p=1News From Wookie Garcia2024-03-18T13:26:39-07:00Wookie Garciafalsetag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73689042024-03-18T13:26:39-07:002024-03-20T18:16:10-07:00Wookie Garcia Included in Music Awards Showcase<p>Wookie Garcia will be part of a San Diego Music Awards Nominee Showcase at <a class="no-pjax" href="/shows" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Shows">Navajo Live</a> on Friday April 26. We will play first at 8 pm, and four more nominated bands will follow. This event is one of a few such showcases throughout the city that will take place in the week leading up to the actual <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.sandiegomusicawards.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">awards show</a> at Humphreys by the Bay on Tuesday April 30. A reminder too that <a class="no-pjax" href="https://dosd.com/p/sandiegomusicawards" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">voting in all categories</a> is continuing daily through 5pm March 27. If you haven't yet voted today, please do so. Remember our favorite category is Indie/Alternative Album, where our record <i>4 Days in the Valley</i> is up against some strong competition. </p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/64527/dfab06efcab646838eee368fee5d1a4c10ee69ae/original/barnone042624.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="1080" width="1080" /><p>As with the awards show, proceeds from the showcases go to the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.sandiegomusicfoundation.org/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">San Diego Music Foundation</a>. Come on out and support Wookie Garcia, a good cause, and live music in San Diego!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73668532024-03-14T10:43:30-07:002024-03-14T10:43:30-07:00Empty Out My Head Gets Airplay Locally<p>Thanks to Tim Pyles for including our song “Empty Out My Head” on his radio program Stomping Grounds earlier this week. The radio show features local artists and bands from Orange County to Tijuana and plays Monday nights on KNSJ 98.1 which is <a class="no-pjax" href="https://spinitron.com/KNSJ/show/271013/Stomping-Grounds" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">archived here</a>.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73655452024-03-11T19:40:14-07:002024-03-13T22:37:29-07:00A New Tool to Help With SDMA Voting<p>Cathryn Beeks, the guiding force behind Listen Local, has completed a <a class="no-pjax" href="https://soundcloud.com/listenlocalradio/sets/2024-sdma-nominee-preview-podcast?fbclid=IwAR1d9SsuTIroZ0uauGBpccrlrGwbQZjFr2Ij0ve9gz3YuMceuyBj5P0uVJY" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">comprehensive playlist</a> featuring all the artists nominated in next month's San Diego Music Awards. Let's see…there's 25 categories and 7 nominees in each, so that's…that's a lot of songs. The playlists are broken down into the specific categories, so you can listen to 1 genre or award type, then consider your personal favorite to vote for (Wookie Garcia is an excellent choice in the Indie/Alternative Album category BTW). Speaking of voting, we can tell you from experience, the more you do it, the faster it becomes, and the more you'll want to do it. Like right now, while you're thinking about it. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://dosd.com/p/sandiegomusicawards" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Don't forget, vote now</a>!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73583072024-02-27T15:16:36-08:002024-02-27T16:09:18-08:00We Have Voted. Have You?<p>Here is the link again for the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.sandiegomusicawards.com/" data-link-type="url">San Diego Music Awards</a> page. Almost right at the top is the voting link for the nominated artists. Click there and you can open a dropdown menu in each category. Seven worthy artists are nominated in each category, so vote for all your favs (one vote per category, of course). May we suggest in the<strong> Indie/Alternative Album of the Year</strong> category a vote for <strong>Wookie Garcia </strong><i><strong>4 Days in the Valley</strong></i><strong>?</strong> Type your name and email at the end and submit. It's that easy. In fact, it's so easy, you'll want to do this everyday today through March 26. That's right, working days, weekend days, days when it rains, days when the surf is up…you get the idea. Tomorrow we will get you excited about persuading your friends and family to vote Wookie too. Unless you'd like to start today. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://dosd.com/p/sandiegomusicawards" data-link-type="url">Vote here!</a></p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73578722024-02-26T21:22:46-08:002024-02-27T07:42:37-08:004 Days in the Valley Nominated for Indie/Alternative Album of the Year!<p>Wookie Garcia is proud to announce our inclusion in the 33rd annual presentation of the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.sandiegomusicawards.com/nominees/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">San Diego Music Awards</a>. On February 26 our name was heard on the SDMA <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/live/rXMntZJbUgU?si=uJVMRWscWjiRuP78" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">live presentation</a> of the nominating announcement. <i>4 Days in the Valley</i> is listed along with 6 other nominees in the 2023 Indie/Alternative Album category. As in years past, the winners will ultimately be decided on (at least in part) by you, the audience, the fans! There will be voting on the awards site set up soon. Of course we will follow up with all the info on that as soon as we know it. In this moment, it feels good to be recognized.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73294772024-01-07T09:00:00-08:002024-01-07T09:00:02-08:004 Days in the Valley CDs Ship This Week!<p>After an unfortunate and unexpected delay, the <i>4 Days in the Valley</i> discs will begin shipping on Thursday January 11! To those who have been waiting patiently to receive your purchase, thanks. We appreciate your support. To those who haven't yet made a purchase and still like your music on CD, the opportunity to purchase 1 (or more) is now yours! If you like to collect cool album artwork, you'll have your own copy of Sophie Kelly's front and back cover drawings. Just follow the link <a class="no-pjax" href="/4-days-in-the-valley" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="4 Days in the Valley">here</a>.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73294562024-01-06T13:00:00-08:002024-01-06T13:19:29-08:00A New Show with Some Old Friends<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/64527/9eaadd78fc7ad17a94ecd7cb07f6e0c6da66a195/original/wg-and-the-grift-3.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p><p>Wookie Garcia is prepping for our first show of the new year on Monday January 22. The band will be playing on a bill with 2 current members of the Vermont band, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://thegrift.com/home" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">The Grift</a>. Accompanying them will be former bandmate, Neil, who obviously is the same Neil occupying the drum chair in Wookie Garcia. All this excitement will be happening at <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.navajolive.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Navajo Live </a>beginning with The Grift's set at 7:30, and Wookie starting at 8:45. This should be a great night, 2 bands, no cover, songs and jams, and plenty of fun and dancing for all! Come hang out with Wookie and our new/old friends!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73087052023-11-24T00:11:33-08:002023-11-24T13:02:34-08:00Today is the Day!<p>Have you heard it yet? It's been playing non-stop at our houses since midnight. It's <i>4 Days in the Valley,</i> and it's out now! You may listen <a class="no-pjax" href="/4-days-in-the-valley" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="4 Days in the Valley">here on our own site</a><a data-link-type="page" data-link-label="4 Days in the Valley">. </a></p><p>If you listen on this page, go ahead and click the ‘lyrics’ link. Doing so will let you sing along (as expected), but it will also let you check out the song-by-song musician credits. The CD won't even let you do that. Speaking of the CD, those slippery little discs are still being manufactured as we write this. Give us about 2 more weeks on those. As soon as we get ‘em, we’ll get 'em out.</p><p>Of course if anyone has become accustomed to just streaming all your tunes from one place, we should have you covered there as well. Spotify, Apple, Tidal, and on and on…</p><p>What we would love (while we're waiting for our review in Rolling Stone to publish), is some feedback from you, our most fervent listeners. Tell us which songs you like best and why. Tell us which tracks are good for working out, or chilling out if that's what you prefer. Respond using our <a class="no-pjax" href="/contact" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Contact">contact form</a>. Or on Instagram or FB. </p><p>We hope you enjoy this music as much as we do!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/73051962023-11-17T10:58:30-08:002023-11-17T10:58:30-08:004 Days in the Valley is One Week Away!<p>Wookie Garcia has released our final preview single from the upcoming album <i>4 Days in the Valley</i>. The track is called Meter and Rhyme, and it is currently streaming on our site as well as others around the web. The mostly acoustic song features Jessy Greene on violin, and Ben Peeler on lap steel and pedal steel guitar. Listen here on the <a class="no-pjax" href="/4-days-in-the-valley-digital-album-pre-sale" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="4 Days in the Valley digital album pre-sale"><i>4 Days in the Valley</i> pre-order page</a>!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72980442023-11-03T09:00:00-07:002023-11-03T09:00:03-07:00Where the Trees Reach the Sky Single is Out!<p>Our second single from 4 Days in the Valley is out streaming at all the usual places. The song is called Where the Trees Reach the Sky and is an upbeat rocker featuring Bob Sheehan on drums, <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.ramijaffee.com/" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Rami Jaffee</a> on organ, and background singer <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kristin-mooney-mn0000106142#songs" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Kristin Mooney</a>. The “Tommy” referred to in the first line is indeed Chula Vista legend Tom Waits who figures prominently through each of the song's verses. Only three weeks left until 4 Days in the Valley is released. The <a class="no-pjax" href="/4-days-in-the-valley-digital-album-pre-sale" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="4 Days in the Valley digital album pre-sale">pre-sale continues here</a>.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72946592023-10-27T13:25:16-07:002023-10-28T11:29:47-07:00HOA Man - Now With Moving Pictures!<p>Wookie Garcia's resident writer/director Emily Ince has produced the first <a class="no-pjax" href="/video" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Video">music video</a> for our new record <i>4 Days in the Valley</i>. The film chronicles a day in the life of a frazzled homeowner who just can't seem to get out of the way of his neighborhood association rep. At least until they unexpectedly find some common ground. The “HOA Man” is played by Joey Kirkpatrick, and cinematography is by Mason Cazalet. Now playing on the band's <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/WookieGarcia" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">YouTube page</a>!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72881802023-10-16T09:00:00-07:002023-10-25T11:10:28-07:00A Spooky Show Lies Ahead<p>Wookie Garcia will headline an early Halloween event at Navajo Live on <a class="no-pjax" href="/shows" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Shows">Sunday October 29</a>. The band will play 1 set from about 8:45 on. Once again, Doug Harrison will be playing guitar, Bob Sheehan will be sitting in on drums, **update** and Robert Fedeli will be at the keyboard. Also on the bill will be Manzanita Blues who will play first around 7. Tricks and treats are expected in between sets as well as all sorts of ghoulishness throughout the evening. Follow the link to advance tickets and save a couple of bucks. 21+.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72874322023-10-13T11:16:25-07:002023-10-15T16:41:56-07:00HOA Man Playing Now!<p>Our first single release ever, HOA Man, is now streaming everywhere including our own <a class="no-pjax" href="/4-days-in-the-valley-digital-album-pre-sale">/4-days-in-the-valley-digital-album-pre-sale</a> page. And while you're listening, you may also pre-order our new record <i>4 Days in the Valley</i> which releases on Black Friday November 24. Downloads will deliver to purchasers on the release date.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72781432023-09-25T09:00:00-07:002023-10-01T11:10:13-07:00Wookie Garcia's New Record Out November 24!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/64527/a358f1ed6c892ad4e94050b0db83dd0afb34a124/original/cover-art-image.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Our new record, <i>4 Days in the Valley</i> will drop Friday November 24. The album will be available as either a CD or a download or, of course, both! We will offer fans a pre-sale opportunity here on our website that will begin Friday October 13. This is the product of the same sessions documented here from this past February on. So that means this has all come together much quicker than we are known for. These twelve songs have all been written since our last release, <i>Stand the Fall, </i>in 2019. Many of these songs were worked up during (outdoor, masked & distanced) rehearsals in ‘20-’21. Here are the titles:</p><p style="text-align:center;">A Man on a Tightrope</p><p style="text-align:center;">When the Sky Fell Down</p><p style="text-align:center;">Empty Out my Head</p><p style="text-align:center;">Thirty Feet of Steel</p><p style="text-align:center;">Salvation Mountain</p><p style="text-align:center;">Times Remembered</p><p style="text-align:center;">HOA Man</p><p style="text-align:center;">Where the Trees Reach the Sky</p><p style="text-align:center;">Meter and Rhyme</p><p style="text-align:center;">Oh No</p><p style="text-align:center;">Holiday for Sharks</p><p style="text-align:center;">Last Cowboy Standing</p><p>We simply can't wait to share what we have done!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72648032023-09-24T09:00:00-07:002023-09-24T10:17:13-07:004 Days in the Valley<p>There you have it. Now we have something to call our upcoming album as we discuss the recording with our friends and fans. A title for our new record. We decided the best way to commemorate the 4 great days we spent in the San Fernando Valley back in February was to put it right in the name. Movie buffs may recognize the name also pays tribute to a not-to-be-forgotten movie from back in the nineties. </p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72591492023-09-22T09:41:37-07:002023-09-22T09:41:38-07:00We've Got This Covered!<p>When we last talked about the new Wookie recording there was still a few items to be decided on, much less acted on. We had completed the audio portion of the product without having given much thought to the CD itself, so we have spent the summer working on that. Now we think we've got that part covered too. Artwork that's actually art on the cover, pics and credits on the inside, a CD for folks who listen to their tunes that way, and streaming practically everywhere if that's your preference. In fact, we are ready to announce an announcement…</p><p> </p><p>So, enjoy your weekend, but don't stray too far from Wookie. Something big is about to kickoff!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72647862023-08-28T15:12:27-07:002023-09-16T16:05:58-07:00Wookie and Friends Impromptu Reunion<p>Thanks to all who came out to Navajo Live last night to see the band. We had a great night of music, dancing & re-connecting with friends. We are doing our best to recreate the big sound of our upcoming record, and we were very fortunate to have Robert Fedeli on organ, and Doug Harrison on guitar for last night's performance. What was unexpected was to have Bob Sheehan in the house who played drums on two songs and Ted Stern (Hatfield Rain) who played violin on one. From the stage it all sounded fantastic. It's great to have such talented friends! Thanks to the Ballad Mongers who opened the show. Oh, and we also announced the name of the new record!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72116332023-06-12T17:34:55-07:002023-09-24T10:17:13-07:00Yes, It Looks Like a CD Release<p>Work is ongoing on Wookie Garcia's third album, which just like its predecessors will be released on CD as well as a digital download. We did have the ‘is a CD really needed anymore’ discussion, but for now we think it's best to offer it. The band also considered the possibility of pressing a LP of this new collection, but those plans are on hold for now. It seems that the 50-minute length of the album is not a good fit on a modern two-sided record. The band was not interested in trying to decide which 1 or 2 songs to cut after we had just worked so hard to record them, so we'll work on what can be done <i>now</i> and revisit the record idea later. </p><p>What is new and exciting (and kind of modern <i>and</i> retro) is that Wookie will be releasing at least one track as a single prior to the record's release. Everyone will be able to hear and purchase the singles here on our website and listen from your favorite streaming service. More to follow soon on the release of our first single!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72204632023-06-04T13:38:30-07:002023-06-04T13:38:30-07:00See Wookie Garcia on the Fourth of July<p>Wookie Garcia will be performing at the Spirit of the Fourth celebration in Rancho Bernardo. The day-long event kicks off at Webb Park at 9 am, and includes an afternoon parade, leading up to the concert at Rancho Bernardo High School. We will follow the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus and Santino and Friends onstage, then the fireworks display will start immediately afterwards. Follow the <a class="no-pjax" href="/shows" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Shows">link</a> for all the info. We'll see you there!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/72121652023-05-26T15:21:15-07:002023-09-24T10:16:51-07:00Rami Has Friends Too!<p>Recording is officially complete on our project begun back in February. Our producer, Rami Jaffee, enlisted a few of his friends to add some final touches to our new record. Of course, he played organ, electric piano, mellotron and/or accordion all tracks. Jessy Greene (Wilco, Jayhawks) has now contributed to all three Wookie Garcia albums and once again played violin. Ben Peeler (Mavericks, Wallflowers) played lap steel and pedal steel and performed on three tracks, and finally, Kristin Mooney (Peter Himmelman) sang background on one song. Each of these industry pros played and sang like pros and have added immeasurably to the overall sound.</p><p>Rami and our engineer Oliver Roman are now monitoring levels and tweaking knobs and laying out the final sequence of the tracks. Thanks to all who have helped on this project. We are moving on.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/71865472023-04-14T08:00:00-07:002023-09-24T10:16:29-07:00We Can't Listen to Anything Else!<p>Listening, listening, listening…this is what Wookie Garcia has been up to these last couple of weeks. We have been listening nonstop to basic tracks, overdubs, and rough mixes of our newest recording. Oliver, our mixing engineer, has been hard at work incorporating guest overdubs into the band tracks to create a seamless overall sound. We think it's safe to say that most of the songs are nearing final mix status as we write this. </p><p>This is the first time our group has worked with an outside producer on a recording project, so it has been an adjustment for us to trust others with creative decisions with the same ease we've relied on professionals for technical guidance. Our producer, Rami, has the knowledge of how to create records that sound great and push the songs to their absolute best.</p><p>Next for the group will be to consider things like what order the songs will be in, what the artwork will be, and (of course) what it will be called. Stay tuned.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/71752132023-03-21T08:00:00-07:002023-09-24T10:16:07-07:00San Diego Overdubs Appear Complete!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/64527/8863cdf09b222243fc28dcbc74f8bd8bd59fde3e/original/9598.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Wookie Garcia and a few of our closest friends have gathered twice in the past month to work on the band's latest recording. More than half of the 12 tracks have received additional vocals-some harmonies, some oohs and aahs. With this in the can, we also added a little more guitar and called it a day. Thanks to Rob and <a class="no-pjax" href="https://studiowest.com/studio/" data-link-type="url">Satellite Studio West</a><a data-link-type="url">,</a> and Mike at <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.facebook.com/EarthlingStudios/" data-link-type="url">Earthling Studios</a> for their time and attention.</p><p>Meanwhile, back in LA, our producer/keyboardist Rami and engineer Oliver are also at work on this project. Organ and other keys will likely be added to nearly all the songs, possibly along with some lap steel on a couple of tunes. Then, we will listen to what we have and decide if recording is indeed complete. </p><p>Thanks to the Wookie choir: Bob S.; Doug; Jen; Diane; Emily; Kyle & Brian. It takes a village, as they say.</p><p><span class="text-small">(Photo by Mark Tucker)</span></p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/71566312023-03-06T15:25:51-08:002023-09-24T10:15:34-07:00Wookie Recording is Off to a Great Start!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/64527/14d4c0299db406a9ae363d8bcfc849961f54a14c/original/dougs-foot.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />In February, the band (and a few close friends) spent a Los Angeles weekend recording basic tracks for our next CD release. Basic tracks generally mean the band as we sound live: guitar; bass; drums and vocals. To this we had time left over to add some additional guitar parts and various percussion instruments (shaker, tambourine etc.). We exceeded our own high expectations, leaving town after four days with 12 almost completed songs. At least they <i>seemed</i> almost completed after starting from scratch. </p><p>Back in San Diego, we have begun recording additional backing and harmony vocal tracks. This work is still ongoing. Keyboard parts will also be recorded soon. At that point, we should be just about finished and ready to mix. But knowing the band's penchant for adding this and that to our previous recordings, we still may find some additional pieces to these puzzles. To close with the ultimate recording band cliche; this sounds like the best thing we've ever done!</p><p><span class="text-small">(photo by Mark Tucker)</span></p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/70735982022-10-03T14:38:33-07:002023-03-06T15:13:25-08:00A New Wookie and a New Show!<p>Wookie Garcia is welcoming our new drummer Neil Anders Matthews to the band with a <a contents="live performance" data-link-label="Events" data-link-type="page" href="/events">live performance</a>! Join us on Sunday evening October 16 at Navajo Live. We will play from 8:45 on after a set by Shark Jones (a seriously good band). So, bring some friends and come dance with us at Navajo Live!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/69796412022-05-25T12:15:12-07:002022-10-03T12:43:19-07:00Back to Navajo Live for Two Sets!<p>Wookie Garcia will be playing two sets at <a contents="Navajo Live" data-link-label="Events" data-link-type="page" href="/events">Navajo Live</a> on Sunday June 12 from 8:30-10:30. Joining Mark, Kyle and Brian onstage will be Wookie's original drummer Jason Sumner-LaRussa and Doug Harrison on guitar. Come out and see us live!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/69557022022-04-24T00:15:08-07:002022-07-22T11:15:43-07:00Wookie Garcia and a Couple of Usual Suspects<p>Wookie Garcia will be back performing this Thursday April 28 at 8:30 pm at Navajo Live in San Diego. Thursday nights are Open Jam with Jeff Ousley, and we will again perform one short set as the Artist of the Week. And it won't be your imagination: the new Wookie Garcia will resemble the classic Usual Suspects line-up with Bob Sheehan on drums and Robert Fedeli on keyboards and guitar. Come out and see all five of us together again!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/66924262021-07-19T14:22:25-07:002022-08-16T13:40:51-07:00Back in the Saddle Again<p>Wookie Garcia will be back out in public this Thursday July 22 at 9pm. The show will be at <a contents="Navajo Live" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.navajolive.com/" target="_blank">Navajo Live</a> in San Diego, part of Open Jam with Jeff Ousley. We will perform 1 set as the Artist of the Week. The original Wookie line-up will be back, plus our friend Robert Fedeli on keyboards and guitar. It should be a fun night, don't miss it!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/62154362020-02-14T11:50:35-08:002020-02-14T11:50:35-08:00Well...Not a New Video Exactly<p>Now up on our video page, is a new version of the <a contents="Breadcrumbs video" data-link-label="Video" data-link-type="page" href="/video" target="_blank">Breadcrumbs video</a> that premiered last Friday. It seems the first upload was not in stereo sound like people have been accustomed to for, oh, the last 50 years or so. Now you can plug in those earbuds, and enjoy the sound that we meant for you to. Thanks, John, for bringing this to our attention!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/62007992020-02-02T14:18:58-08:002020-02-02T14:45:06-08:00A New Video and Another New Video!<p>Watch below to check out Wookie Garcia's latest video featuring songs from the CD Stand the Fall. Our newest vid is for the song Just a Second and was once again directed by David Barragan. Check out Mark's cool double bass. Usually he only plays a single bass. </p>
<p>Then on Friday morning check back to our <a contents="YouTube page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=wookie+garcia" target="_blank">YouTube page</a> for a premiere of our next newest video for Breadcrumbs. Also directed by David Barragan, this one has Wookie performing live at the late Mickie's Pub in IB, and an awesome storyline demonstrating that it's never too late to find happiness. </p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/58673632019-08-23T00:49:53-07:002022-03-22T03:09:28-07:00A New Video from Wookie Garcia out Friday!<p>Look to our <a contents="YouTube page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://youtube.com/user/WookieGarcia" target="_blank">YouTube page</a> for the premiere of our latest video for St. Brendan's Land. Once again, the video was directed by David Barragan and features the band on land and sea. Well, sort of...Watch for yourself at 9 am PDT Friday.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/58591652019-08-15T13:55:35-07:002019-08-15T14:09:37-07:00Wookie Garcia's First Video is Released<p>See our Home page to watch Wookie Garcia's first video release for our new CD Stand the Fall. The song is called "Don't Surrender Today" and the video was directed by David Barragan. Check it out!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/58444772019-08-01T14:23:52-07:002019-08-01T14:23:52-07:00Stand the Fall is Finally Ready!<p>Starting today you may purchase a download or a CD version of our brand new recording entitled <a contents="Stand the Fall" data-link-label="" data-link-type="album" href="/album/998386/stand-the-fall"><strong>Stand the Fall</strong></a>. The actual discs, expected a couple of weeks ago, came in this week are stacked up and ready to ship. You just tell us where.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/58007172019-06-22T15:24:30-07:002021-12-18T10:32:05-08:00Ray's Garage Hosts a Video Shoot<p>It takes a lot to interrupt a regularly scheduled Wookie Garcia rehearsal. Thursday night the band gathered as planned, but the glare of the lights was stronger than usual. It was time to film the band's portion of a video for "Don't Surrender Today," the third track on Wookie's upcoming CD release. We didn't have to stretch ourselves too much, we just played a band in a garage, something we're already pretty good at. The real acting will be left up to others, and we expect to get back to practicing as usual next week. Hopefully, we'll be able to post the completed video here soon.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/57964422019-06-19T09:00:00-07:002023-12-10T10:34:35-08:00New CD Release Edges Closer<p>This week Wookie Garcia will be starting our pre-sale for our upcoming album release. Four years in the making, the record will include fourteen original songs, mostly written during this period, but including one song that dates back all the way to our time as Usual Suspects. Pre-sale downloads will include one song to hear now with the rest of the album to be made available to purchasers on release day. CD pre-sales will include delivery to you on or as near as we can to the release date. We are almost home!</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/57927322019-06-16T09:05:00-07:002019-06-16T09:05:16-07:00Wookie's Back!<p>Wookie Garcia has (finally) completed work on our new recording. As we write these words, manufacturing is proceeding on our CD, and song files are being uploaded to this website and others that will make downloads available for purchase soon. The new album contains 14 original songs recorded in three locations over the last few years. Our own Kyle Ince produced the recording with our longtime engineer John Hendrickson, and much of the work was completed at the venerable Capitol Studios in Hollywood. Hopefully, we will be able to organize a pre-sale for the disc in the upcoming weeks. As the lady says on TV: watch this space...</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/41264312016-04-07T23:05:37-07:002016-04-07T23:05:37-07:00More Recording Just around the CornerBefore the month is over Wookie Garcia will be back in the studio working on another recording. Wait, you say. Wookie is <em>already</em> working on a recording, right? Well, yes. Both things may be true. Currently, Producer John is getting the final mixes together for the first third of our next CD, which we hope will be done soon. Then there's our submission for Homegrown consideration, of which we hope news will be good (and also coming soon). No, this recording is something else entirely. We have acquired some time at a local studio and promptly have decided to use it for recording our newest songs. Just because we didn't have enough in the works already. There's no point in even speculating where these new songs may wind up. All we can say for now is that there are many possibilities.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/41064882016-03-28T10:00:00-07:002022-01-25T00:09:52-08:00Wookie Garcia to Play Second Annual Ride for AutismBecause last year's event was so much fun, and raised both dollars and awareness for the Sweetwater Union High School District's Special Services Department, we're returning to perform for the ride's second year.<br><br>From the <a contents="Event" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://suhsdautism.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Event</a> web site:<br>On Saturday, April 23, 2016 the SUHSD Special Services Department will be having the 2nd Annual RIDE FOR AUTISM. The Ride for Autism invites the motorcycle community to ride to through the South Bay area and visit several SUHSD school sites while raising money for students on the autism spectrum. All the proceeds from this fundraiser will stay in SUHSD Special Services Department to be used in creating or purchasing additional support items for the classroom not funded by the state budget. At the end of the event, riders and friends will gather for an afternoon of great food, music and raffle prizes.<br><br>Last year we played for about an hour before the riders took off. This year, we will play both before AND after the ride, at the same location: 670 L Street, in Chula Vista.<br><br>We'll see you there!<br><br> Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/41064982016-03-26T00:27:23-07:002016-03-26T00:27:23-07:00Wookie Garcia Enters a Song for HomegrownLongtime San Diego music fans may remember the annual KGB Homegrown records from the seventies and eighties that would feature local artists crafting songs that celebrated our community while still providing good listening. Well, it's back! Thanks to <a contents="Cathryn Beeks" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://listenlocalradio.com/" target="_blank">Cathryn Beeks</a>, <a contents="Jeff Berkley," data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.berkleyhart.com/" target="_blank">Jeff Berkley,</a> and the former KGB jock himself <a contents="Jim McInnes" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/jam-session/2011/jun/10/when-djs-ruled-the-air-jim-mcinnes-and-the-birth-o/#" target="_blank">Jim McInnes</a>, the Homegrown album will be making a comeback this summer. Wookie Garcia could not resist this opportunity to contribute a locally oriented song, now that we finally have one. "Almost Like Superman" is a track we recorded last summer for our still-to-come second album. The song is about the Chargers' and Oceanside High's legendary linebacker Junior Seau. The producers will surely be busy making their selections, as more than 60 songs were submitted. So, Wookie fans, keep your fingers crossed that our tune makes the cut...Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/37914412015-07-26T09:40:00-07:002017-01-14T13:14:17-08:00More from Basic Tracks Day...<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/357af6270a67d0b854179e62011f3feb42b21141/original/11703210-10200658900430400-5220302350862199467-n.jpg?1437887549" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Yes, through those doors have passed some of the most talented musicians in classical, jazz, pop and rock music. Since 1956, countless classic singles and albums have been recorded here in two studios, named, cleverly enough, studio A and studio B. Recording here was pretty much like recording anywhere else: we checked in with security guard at the front gate who directed us to our reserved parking spaces; we walked into the building and signed in with security; multiple people offered to help us load our gear in; we walked down the hallway to studio B and passed beautiful framed photos of everyone from Sinatra to Katy Perry; and of course, wondered who people thought we were as we passed them in the hall. What a day!<br><br>Obviously, we must thank John Hendrickson, our long-time engineer and co-producer (and who actually used to go to work there everyday) for all his valuable time and patience, and above all, his "ears." We also spent the day with Steve Genewick, a long-time Capitol engineer who was there to help our recording go as smoothly as possible. Thanks again to Patrick Espinosa who was there from start to finish to document the day. Thanks also to our friends & family members who kept up with what was <a contents="happening " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://twitter.com/WookieGarcia" target="_blank">happening </a>by text & <a contents="social media" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wookie-Garcia/95416343985?ref=sgm" target="_blank">social media</a>. It was a day we'll all remember for a long time. Now...on to the next part. Overdubs...<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/40a051470da24c02b4f5bede8abcb277c7e40f21/original/1510990-10200658900750408-4847246145578766148-n.jpg?1437892295" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/37895132015-07-23T19:46:47-07:002017-01-14T13:14:17-08:00Wookie Starts Work on the Next CDOn Thursday July 16 Wookie Garcia entered Capitol Studios in Hollywood to begin recording our next CD. Our ambitious plan was to record at least the basic tracks (drums, bass & rhythm guitar) for the eleven songs we had been rehearsing pretty much exclusively for the last two months. Well, we did that, and we also got most of the lead vocals done as well. Needless to say, we are off to a <a contents="pretty good start" data-link-label="Photos" data-link-type="page" href="/photos">pretty good start</a>. Work will be continuing locally over the next several months, as we add the additional parts that we hear in our heads now. Who knows what we might be hearing in our heads six months from now? The eleven songs we recorded include many favorites that you may have heard us play live over the last two years. One song began its life as a <a contents="Usual Suspects " data-link-label="Usual Suspects" data-link-type="page" href="/usual-suspects">Usual Suspects </a>song more than 15 years ago. One song was just completed last month.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/34323f1e644ac20b3d02dcf9c2f26b6408b9979d/original/11742881-10200659955536777-2894249003303541568-n.jpg?1437705232" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>The sound??? Well... it sounds like Wookie. But a little more assertive. A little louder. The basic line-up of guitar, bass & drums will be highlighted more...But who can say just yet? We might record with a symphony and a choir for all we know now. This is where the fun begins. John Hendrickson will be co-producing with Kyle (more than likely) and we'll probably streamline some of the process that bogged us down last time. Or maybe we'll embrace all that process and add even more. All we can say is that it feels great to be in the midst of recording again!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/31496012014-08-22T09:55:00-07:002023-12-10T08:32:21-08:00We Like This Two Set ThingFresh off a long 2 set 30 song show last Saturday at the All Stars Sports Bar and Grill, the band is set to do it all again in a couple of weeks. Wookie Garcia will be returning to the <a contents="Go Lounge on El Cajon Blvd" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://thegoloungesd.com/" target="_blank">Go Lounge on El Cajon Blvd</a>. on Saturday September 6 for (you guessed it!) two sets starting at 10 pm. Everyone who saw the band last weekend is invited back, and everyone who missed it? Well.. you'll be expected to attend. See you there!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/30615102014-07-07T11:56:45-07:002014-07-07T11:56:45-07:00'Back' at the Merrow Tuesday night!Stuck at work after a fun long weekend? Well, the fun can keep right on coming during a night out with Wookie Garcia. Tomorrow night we make our debut at<a contents=" the Merrow " data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://themerrow.com/index.php" target="_blank"> the Merrow </a>even though we've played there before, back when it was the Ruby Room. Torn Shoes kicks things off at 8. We'll start about 9:30. The cover is 5 bucks. We'll see you there!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/30204462014-06-17T00:50:14-07:002017-01-14T13:14:17-08:00Remembering Tony<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/5e18de7ef86a952e5a8bcc3dc4f96c0e6085ca35/medium/570-tony-gwynn-214x300.jpg?1402991257" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" height="823" /><div style="text-align: justify;">It only makes it harder to watch our current Padres, who truly make hitting a baseball look as hard as Ted Williams always said it was, when one can still remember seeing Tony Gwynn come to the plate. Nobody ever worked as hard to make hitting a ball look so easy as Gwynn did. And no one in my memory was as successful at it.</div><br>Maybe I should start at the beginning. My dad grew up in the Northeast, and he loves baseball and he loves basketball. When I was in high school, he and I would go to the San Diego State basketball games. Tony Gwynn was the point guard on the team. They had a pretty good team in those years, and Tony was really good. He wasn't a huge scorer, but he 'handled the rock,' as they used to say, and saw the court well. He made his teammates a little bit better than they would have been without him. I think it was during his sophomore season that we found out that he played baseball too.<br><br>Legend has it that he was drafted by the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Clippers on the same day. History will record that he made the correct choice in the days that followed.<br><br>Not that the Padres were such a great destination for someone with such greatness inside. No, the Padres of my youth would be a team that you would wish on someone that you didn't like. They had never finished higher than fourth in their division, they were never able to afford to pay enough to attract star talent, they were completely ignored on a national and sometimes even a local level, and (maybe worst of all) they always seemed to wear some of the ugliest uniforms you'd ever seen. But that was all soon to change. Respect, if not success, was coming our way. <br><br>Even the years when the team was bad (which there were many, even with Gwynn) you didn't have to be embarrassed to be a Padres fan, because Tony was part of the team. I was with my wife & kids in 1997 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia where the Padres and Phillies (because of an earlier rain-out) were playing a doubleheader. In the first game Tony went 3-3 or maybe 4-4, but the Padres were hopelessly behind. Bruce Bochy took Gwynn out of the game for a pinch-runner after his last single, and he left to an ovation so loud, you would have thought you were at the Q. <br><br>In 1999, Tony was chasing 3000 hits, but as would become common in his later years he missed some time due to injuries. He'd just come off of the DL before a Sunday afternoon game I was at, but he didn't start. Late in the game, the Padres had the go-ahead run at third with only one out. The cheers began when #19 stepped out to the on deck circle. It was so loud when he was announced as the pinch-hitter that I never really heard it. I just sensed that his name had been called. Tony hit the first pitch that he saw deep to left field where it was caught. Of course, it was deep enough to drive the run in from third. It was like he was saying, 'sure, I could get a hit, but this is what the situation called for.' The ovation was tremendous as Gwynn trotted back to the Padres dugout.<br><br>Later that summer the team was headed on a long road trip that Padres fans had been dreading. We knew that barring another injury, Tony would be getting his cherished 3000th hit in another city. It was some comfort to know that six of the games would be in St Louis and New York, where at least, there would be good baseball fans on hand to appreciate the achievement. They were also going to Montreal. I think we've all seen the highlights enough to know how that turned out. What might not be as well remembered though was that the night before, in St. Louis, Gwynn got hits 2997, 2998 & 2999, while being cheered as loudly as Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire, who only happened to hit his 500th home run in the same game. It wouldn't be the last time Tony would share a special day with another player. In October 2001, Tony's last game in the big leagues, teammate Rickey Henderson made <em>his</em> 3000th hit. Henderson, never particularly known for his humility, insisted on being removed from the game so as to not further take the day's spotlight away from Tony.<br><br>Even as a statue was being put up, and a street outside Petco Park was being re-named for him, Tony Gwynn kept going to work each day as the Head Baseball coach at his alma mater. When the college season would end, he'd sit in with the Padres broadcast team and try to figure out why today's hitters have such a hard time doing what he always did so well. And made look so easy. For so long.<br><br>It might have been the one hitting question he couldn't answer.<br><br>Rest in Peace Tony. <br><br>(Brian, perhaps taking some liberties with the band site. We promise more on Wookie Garcia next time...)<br><br><br><br><br><br><br> Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/29308772014-05-09T00:41:43-07:002017-02-03T19:56:12-08:00Going Back to the Go LoungeJoin Wookie Garcia at the <a contents="Go Lounge " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/venue/thegolounge" target="_blank">Go Lounge </a>on Saturday night May 17 at 9 pm. We will be playing 1 set opening for LA band <a contents="Eye the Realist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/eyetherealist" target="_blank">Eye the Realist</a>. Come early and shoot some pool, watch the play-offs on TV, and have a couple of cold ones with friends. Hey, it's Saturday night!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/28818852014-04-18T13:43:40-07:002017-01-14T13:14:16-08:00At Least We Know the Songs will be GoodThis Tuesday April 22 Wookie Garcia will be playing the Delta Room at the <a contents="House of Blues " data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/sandiego/" target="_blank">House of Blues </a>downtown. The all-ages show will be a celebration of the music of John Prine and Ryan Adams, and will feature many top local artists performing their favorite songs from these two writers. The added benefit for us as the closers, we will get to play a 30 minute set including some of our Wookie favorites. We don't want to give away which songs we're going to cover, but let's just say that one song mentions wine glasses, and one mentions pop bottles. See you there! Did we say, "NO COVER?!?"<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/609792010dd3474fabac036683a3dcc8a1213290/original/prineadams2.jpg?1397853623" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="433" style="width: 234px;" />Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/27541802014-03-15T22:28:53-07:002023-12-10T08:48:11-08:00We Think We've Got it Now: Headers that Don't Suck!Okay, it seems as though we might have a handle on this. Bandzoogle has given us the ability to have multiple headers cycling across the top of our pages. We've selected five to rotate. We've added our logo (brand is important), photo credits (lawsuits are expensive), and a CD review so cool we could have written it ourselves. What do you all think? What can we do better? Tell us. We want your opinion!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/27442892014-03-13T20:45:40-07:002014-03-13T20:45:40-07:00Wow! Those Header Images Keep ChangingOur friends at Bandzoogle, hosts of our web page, are always working on cool new features that we can use to update our sites. Now we can have slideshows for headers as well as still images. Pretty cool. For now, we're just playing around with it, but we'll try to have some 'header-worthy' images up soon. Thanks to Kathy Tucker, Patrick Espinosa & Pierce Harrison for the images we're using so far.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/26747142014-03-02T17:08:09-08:002014-03-02T17:13:32-08:00Did Our (Great) Review Get Lost in the Shuffle?We can't seem to remember for sure but we might have been keeping some pretty cool info a secret from everyone. It wasn't ever posted here in our blog anyway, but that's about to be corrected. Back in November, Bart Mendoza's column in the San Diego Troubadour included a mini-review of Songs from Ray's Garage. We definitely posted about it on <a contents="Twitter " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.twitter.com/wookiegarcia" target="_blank">Twitter </a>and <a contents="Facebook" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.facebook/pages/wookie-garcia" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. We quoted the review on the home page of our web site, but there's more that you probably haven't read, like when we're compared to Paul McCartney. No, really,,,See for yourself <a contents="here" data-link-label="wookie-garcia-sfrg-mendoza-review.pdf" data-link-type="file" href="/files/128326/wookie-garcia-sfrg-mendoza-review.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/26736652014-03-02T11:32:50-08:002017-01-14T13:14:16-08:00A Neighborhood Bar and a Fun Time<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/dc5d9495b61c1453d5bd9576c20012f18b681089/original/wg022814kt.jpg?1393787862" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Friday night the band had a great time at Pal Joey's, a super neighborhood bar with a cozy little niche in the back where bands can play. Cathryn Beeks from ListenLocalSD was there and had us on some sort of webcast where people could watch the show live on their computers or something. We'll have to look into that a little closer. We had some extra time after our regular set so we pulled out some of our clever covers including the rarely played, "Stand by Me" to celebrate Brian & Mary Anne's anniversary. You see, you really have to come to a show. You never know what will happen! (photo by Kathy Tucker)Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/26320972014-02-23T21:40:37-08:002017-01-14T13:14:16-08:00Wookie's Debut at Pal Joey's is Friday!<a contents="Pal Joey's" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.paljoeysonline.com/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/f17eae90653155d5cbf2ea43fa31248e10d17979/small/paljoeys022814.jpg?1393218650" class="size_s justify_center border_" height="484" width="195" /></a>Come on out this Friday to see the band debut at a new place, Pal Joey's. All told there will be four bands, with Wookie playing last at 11:00. Last time out we played three brand new songs and a couple of older ones from the Usual Suspects days. Who knows what's in store this week? No cover!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/15210142013-09-02T11:37:01-07:002013-09-02T11:37:01-07:00The Last Call Didn't DisappointA place that uses the phrase, "Get Ugly Early" as a sort of rallying cry/brand just has to be fun. And it was. We played an hour, debuted a new song, and got to meet a cool band from Seattle called <a contents="The West " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bandthewest.com/" target="_blank">The West </a>that was just starting a tour of the west. Thanks to everybody who came out to see us. Pix and maybe some video to follow soon!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/15067542013-08-29T14:03:57-07:002013-08-29T14:03:57-07:00Show Tomorrow at The Last Call!Don't forget, tomorrow, Friday August 30 is our show at <strong>The Last Call</strong>. We play at 9:00. Yelp says that drinks are cheap there, and you know you've been meaning to buy the band a round, so come on down. Or up, depending on your lattitude. See you there!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/6536732013-05-01T17:16:53-07:002013-05-01T17:16:53-07:00First Review of our CD! We're not the Only Ones Who Like ItMay 1 saw the new issue of San Diego Troubadour hit the proverbial newstands. And with it came the first review of <i>Songs from Ray's Garage. </i>Read it <a target="_new" href="http://sandiegotroubadour.com/2013/05/wookie-garcia-songs-from-rays-garage/">here</a> now. We have seen the future of rock criticism and its name is Jon Kanis. Thanks, Jon. And thanks SD Troubadour!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/5831342013-04-22T05:50:44-07:002013-04-22T05:50:44-07:00Great Time Friday, More to ComeThanks to everyone who came out to 98 Bottles Friday night. We had a lot of fun performing as the unplugged version of ourselves. The band will take this week off and then we will be back next week with two shows on Tuesday April 30 at the House of Blues and on Friday May 3 at the Sapphire Sports Bar and Grill. We hope see you there!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/5615042013-04-18T09:43:02-07:002021-11-11T09:26:27-08:00Tonight: Website Demolition, Tomorrow: 98 BottlesAs we mentioned in our last <a href="./contact.cfm">email</a>, tonight we are meeting up with the Bandzoogle folks who are promising to give our website the once-over twice, looking for ways we could be communicating with you better. I'm sure they will have some good suggestions and it will be cool to welcome the guys to sunny SoCal. If we survive tonight, we will be making our debut at <a target="_new" href="http://98bottlessd.com/">98 Bottles</a> in Little Italy tomorrow night, playing 1 very special acoustic set starting at 9:45. We hear this place fills up early, so don't lag coming out, you wouldn't want to miss our first song!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/3613602013-03-01T14:00:00-08:002013-03-01T14:00:00-08:00Thanks to Everyone Who Came Out to the HOB!We had a great time at the House of Blues on Feb 24. We had a good turn-out (thanks to all!), we made some great new friends, and most importantly we heard first-hand how many great Americana-ish bands there are around town. Once again we were joined by Robert Fedeli on keys as we ripped through five songs in twenty minutes. Two tracks from <i>Songs from Ray's Garage</i>, two newer ones, and an old Usual Suspects song made up the set. Check out our new web site banner. The photo was taken at the show by John Hancock Photos. Special thanks to the House of Blues staff who treated us like rock stars, and props to Cathryn Beeks who loves local music enough to put up with 14 bands in one night. Can't wait for the next one.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406652013-02-22T02:13:49-08:002013-02-22T02:13:49-08:00We Still Have Some Tickets for Sunday!Come join us early Sunday evening at the House of Blues downtown. Wookie Garcia will be among 14 bands performing on alternate stages in the main music hall downstairs. The cover is only $5, but for you, it will be free if you can find a band member between now and the showtime. We have tickets to give you that will let you in for free, giving you some extra pocket change for a root beer or maybe a stop at our merch table. We play the big stage promptly at 6:20, and lots of great bands will follow. But get there early, because rumor has it that someone from Wookie past will be sitting in with the first band at 6. Oh, the mystery!!!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406522013-02-10T15:25:22-08:002013-02-10T15:25:22-08:00Something's a Little Different Lately......and we don't know what it is. Actually, <i>we know </i>what's different. Everyone else will find out Wednesday February 13 at the House of Blues when Wookie Garcia takes to the Voodoo Stage at 10 pm. No cover, full bar and a full set of tunes featuring many from our own <i>Songs from Ray's Garage </i>CD. CD's will be available for sale at the show as well.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406612013-01-31T09:50:45-08:002013-01-31T09:50:45-08:00All is Well. We're Playing on Wednesday Instead<p>The House of Blues show originally scheduled for Tuesday February 12 will now take place the following day at a new time. Wookie Garcia will be playing Wednesday February 13 at 10 PM on the Voodoo Stage upstairs. The other details will remain the same: no cover, and 21+ (because it's after 9). So bring your honey and celebrate Valentine's Day just a little early with the band.</p>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406532013-01-30T14:50:08-08:002013-01-30T14:50:08-08:00Did We Really Say We Would be Playing HOB on the 12th?Apparently determined to make us look like liars, the House of Blues has changed up the dates again for our debut on the Voodoo Stage upstairs at the downtown club. We <b>will not be playing </b>on Tuesday February 12. We <i>are </i>hoping to be able to play another date that week, but that is not confirmed yet. Stay tuned, we'll let you know what's going on as soon as...well, as soon as we know what's going on.<br><br>
We will of course, be playing the big stage downstairs as scheduled Sunday February 24. We will have tickets to distribute within the next week. A ticket will gain you admission to the club for free, and the tickets are also free, you just need to have one ahead of time. We be sending them out by mail if you send us a SASE and give us enough lead time. We will also have T-shirts and plenty of copies of our new CD, <i>Songs from Ray's Garage </i>available for purchase.<br><br>
Stay tuned...<br>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406642013-01-21T11:05:00-08:002013-01-21T11:05:00-08:00House of Blues Main Stage Show Info!On Sunday evening February 24 Wookie Garcia will be among 14 local bands featured at the americana edition of the Local Brew Local Grooves All Access Fest at the House of Blues downtown. We will be the first band playing the main stage, and second band overall. Our slot is from 6:20-6:40, but there will be lots of good bands to follow including our friends, The Farmers. In the next couple of weeks we will have tickets available for the low price of free that will save you from paying the $5 cover. Since we are in the main room and not the resturant, this will be a 21+ event.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406562013-01-05T15:10:00-08:002013-01-05T15:10:00-08:00Wookie in the NewsCheck out the January edition of <a target="_new" href="http://www.myhometownchulavista.com/MHTCV_currentissue.php">My Hometown</a> magazine for a short feature on our CD release. The story appears at the bottom of page 8. Thanks to Mike Minjares for the kind words, although music fans will have to wait until February 12 for <a target="_new" href="http://pub38.bravenet.com/calendar/viewevent.php?usernum=3217042420&y=2013&m=02&d=12&id=152605">our next show</a> at the House of Blues.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406492013-01-04T17:21:16-08:002013-01-04T17:21:16-08:00You're Free to do What You Want on TuesdayDue to circumstances way beyond our control, our upcoming performance scheduled for this Tuesday January 8 at the House of Blues has been cancelled. We will still be performing at the same location on Tuesday February 12. Sorry for the late notice. Again, it wasn't our doing.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406502012-12-06T11:45:00-08:002012-12-06T11:45:00-08:00If You Need Another Reason to Listen to the RadioWookie Garcia will be on the radio for the first time this Sunday, December 9 on the Homegrown Show on KPRI 102.1 FM. The show is hosted by local musicians Cathryn Beeks and Jeff Berkley each Sunday night between 8 and 9PM and features songs from various local artists. We don't know yet which song will be played, but it will definitely be one found on our new CD out this week, <i>Songs from Ray's Garage</i>. Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406622012-12-03T02:20:00-08:002012-12-03T02:20:00-08:00Walk in Time is the Final CD Track to be HighlightedTomorrow is the big day: <i>Songs from Ray's Garage </i>will be available for purchase exclusively (for now) on this website. The CD will be available for purchase to be shipped directly to you, or you have your choice of mp3 or wav files to download and enjoy right away. We've worked long and hard on this and we hope you all enjoy the results.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406552012-12-02T01:48:14-08:002012-12-02T01:48:14-08:00What Gives? Rock Show Tonight!Don't forget to come out and see Wookie Garcia at The Ruby Room tonight Sunday, 12/02!Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406472012-11-30T15:35:00-08:002022-05-23T00:46:11-07:00Respect for the Beat Farmers"It's finally the weekend, and we're headed for the bar..." Those words begin our tribute to arguably the finest San Diego band ever, and more importantly, to their legendary founder, Country Dick Montana. It would be impossible to estimate the influence this group had on Usual Suspects/Hatfield Rain/Wookie Garcia, just as it would be impossible to remember much of what transpired before, during and after many of the Beat Farmers (now known as simply, The Farmers) club appearances. Suffice to say we know a great band when we see one, and for much of the last 30 years the Beat Farmers were a great band. "Our own best band is playing, at 11 pm they start." "Goodnight Montana" is another song we played right from the begining of the band. Dedicated to Dan McClain and Buddy Siegal.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406682012-11-29T17:20:12-08:002012-11-29T17:20:12-08:00And I had to Walk Back and Forth to School..."Uphill Both Ways"Friday's track is the first song Kyle & Brian wrote together after a break of several years. It was written over several weeks in the garage days before Wookie Garcia was a band. The father in the story obviously exaggerates just how tough he had it growing up as he tries in vain to show his son how much easier his life is. Later the song changed quite a bit in the overdub process as the band had the luxury of experimenting with different approaches.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406712012-11-28T16:45:00-08:002012-11-28T16:45:00-08:00"That's an Obscure One!"The one thing that sets today's song apart from the rest of the album is that it's the one song that we didn't write. We're big fans of <a target="_new" href="http://stanridgway.com/">Stan Ridgway</a>, and when a couple of us got to meet him some years back, we told him that we had recorded his song "Harry Truman," he exclaimed, "that's an obscure one." Maybe so, but that just adds to its charm. A cool western sound and characters both real and imagined populate this really clever song. Here it is in all its obscurity.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406632012-11-27T15:27:54-08:002012-11-27T15:27:54-08:00Five Have been Heard, After Today, Five RemainWe're in the middle of our CD preview. Five songs have already been heard. After today, there will only be five left to play. Since we're in the middle, there's no time like the present to start at the beginning. The album's first track is one of the most romantic songs you'll ever hear, albeit with a Wookie Garcia twist. "Rosabelle Believe" is dedicated to Harry Houdini and his wife whose love was so strong for each other that it extended into the afterlife. Or did it? Listen for yourself, and find out. This track features the beautiful violin playing of Jessy Greene.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406672012-11-26T16:16:32-08:002012-11-26T16:16:32-08:00We're only a week Away!Today's preview is "Brand New Life" a Usual Suspects-era song that somehow never made it onto any of that band's releases. Here the sound is big with drums and guitars carrying the day. The lead vocal is squished down as if the character himself is finding it hard to be heard in the new world that he finds himself in. He'll break out by the chorus though. Just you wait...Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406512012-11-25T17:54:09-08:002012-11-25T17:54:09-08:00We Have Lots of Songs, but only one is "Special"The third track on the album is unique among our songs in that the songwriting credit is shared by the whole band. When we began recording for this project this song was but a month old and we had only played it for an audience once. The song has huge vocals courtesy of the Bobs, and is always dedicated to our wives who put up with us so well.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406572012-11-24T15:28:53-08:002012-11-24T15:28:53-08:00Sunday's Track is Young AgainOne of the first new songs that the band began playing even before we were called Wookie Garcia. Don't know if we've ever played a show without including this one. The recording features Robert Fedeli on keyboards.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406702012-11-23T18:30:00-08:002012-11-23T18:30:00-08:00Saturday's TrackSaturday's track is the earliest recording that made it on to <i>Songs from Ray's Garage</i>. "Fortune Cookie" goes back to the Usual Suspects' days and the basic tracks were actually recorded by Hatfield Rain. The overdubs were added around the same time that "Harry Truman" was recorded. Once again, Rami added his special touch, this time on piano.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406662012-11-22T16:59:20-08:002012-11-22T16:59:20-08:00Black Friday Kicks Off Eleven Days of Wookie!Over the next eleven days our website will feature one complete song from our forthcoming album <i>Songs from Ray's Garage </i>on the music player found at the bottom of every page. Simply click play and hear each track as many times as your heart desires. Black Friday 11/23 features the album's final track, "A Walk through the Desert" which in addition to the band features our old buddies Bob Sheehan and Robert Fedeli on vocals, as well as Producer Patrick Espinosa on mallet percussion, and new friends Rami Jaffee on keyboards, and Jessy Greene on backing vocals. It's a pretty big sound and a pretty big statement too. Check it out for yourself.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406482012-11-22T16:46:49-08:002012-11-22T16:46:49-08:00CD Release Date Announced!Wookie Garcia's debut release <i><a href="./songsfromraysgarage.cfm">Songs from Ray's Garage</a> </i>will be available for purchase and download on Tuesday, December 4. Initially the album will be only be available from our web site, however there will be more places to buy added in the next few weeks. Any orders for CDs made before 12/04 will be shipped to arrive as close as possible to the release date. Pre-orders for CDs only will be set up in the last week of November. Downloads will be available on 12/04 in both mp3 and wav formats. Pricing info will follow in the next few days. Start checking those lists and get ready to cross off Wookie Garcia for all your friends and neighbors. Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406602012-10-30T12:15:00-07:002012-10-30T12:15:00-07:00Artwork is approved, CD's to be manufactured!Tonight we stopped looking at our artwork proofs long enough to pronounce them "damn near perfect," and let Groove House know to commence manufacturing tons and loads of CDs. These soon-to-be collectors' items will be in our friends'/fans' hands in time for holiday gift-giving and will make the perfect present to give and receive well into the new year. Please visit the <a href="./songsfromraysgarage.cfm">Songs from Ray's Garage</a> page to hear portions of each track.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406692012-09-02T16:44:34-07:002017-01-14T13:14:16-08:00New CD Update!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/96836e24fba1173687d3125227d0b592770fb2d8/medium/WG_01.jpg?1376411957" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="300" /><br>
As you can see, we've made some changes to the site. Firstly, our new header uses the same graphics as our upcoming CD release, <i>Songs from Ray's Garage. </i>The background photo is also the background for the back cover of our CD. Finally, the store has a lot of updated info as well as 1 minute snippets of each of the eleven tracks to listen to. Lots more of the web site needs to get updated, the CD has been mastered by Grammy award winner Gavin Lurssen, and the art work is complete. We are awaiting the actual manufacture of the discs. For now, please enjoy three tracks playing on the site-wide player on the bottom left. There are more to follow...Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406542012-05-08T07:25:00-07:002012-05-08T07:25:00-07:00CD Artwork just about CompleteThe graphics team has been assembling to piece together our CD, booklet, and back cover for <i>Songs from Ray's Garage</i>. We're at the looking-over stage right now, making sure every detail is correct (if you know us, you know how we love details), so that everything looks as good as the audio sounds. The audio will soon be off to be mastered, then the CD's themselves will be manufactured and printed. Next, will be planning our release, with media & selling & release parties to plan. You know how we love details. Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406592012-04-25T04:00:00-07:002017-01-14T13:14:16-08:00No Place Like Home<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/64527/36d0dd4f196bd3f58c57e39c2f5ebe5778d830ae/medium/IMG_6025.JPG?1376411957" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="200" width="300" /><br><span style="font-size: smaller">Wookie Garcia at The Brew House in Eastlake 4-21-12<br><br><span style="font-size: medium">Thanks to the Brew House staff and so many of the band's friends who came out to make our first South Bay show in a while so successful. I'm sure we'll be back there again soon. Maybe for a CD release party?!?!</span></span>Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406462012-04-18T17:20:20-07:002012-04-18T17:20:20-07:00Think Global, PLAY LOCAL!Saturday night Wookie will be at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.brewhouseeastlake.com/">Brew House at Eastlake</a> starting at about 9PM. We're going to play 1 long set and then another band, Tower XVI, will perform. The Brew House, if you haven't been there yet, is a great place for not only drinks, but also dinner. So come early, stay late, but most importantly, be there for us. We would love to have a super big turnout and demonstrate that an original band can draw as well as a cover band.Wookie Garciatag:wookiegarcia.com,2005:Post/406582011-05-11T16:14:35-07:002011-05-11T16:14:35-07:00Wookie Tees Now Available for the Little Ones!Because you asked for it, our basic brown <a href="./store.cfm">Wookie Garcia T-shirt</a> is now available in youth sizes, S (8-10) M (10-12) and L (14-16). Plus, we've got our adult sizes ( M, L, & XL) back in stock as well. What else would you like in Wookie gear? Please <a href="./email.cfm">let us know</a>.Wookie Garcia