AHWAHNEE – Coolwater host Robin Ralston calls Antsy McClain “The Shel Silverstein of Rockabilly,” and a review of his song titles, including Prozac Made Me Stay seems to bear that out.
McClain’s shows combine great comedy and superb musicianship, and you’ll definitely be in for something different when he takes the stage at the Coolwater Ranch on Sunday, Apr. 13, at 4 p.m.
On his website, http://www.reverbnation.com/antsymcclain, you get a flavor of the unique brand of entertainment that is Antsy McClain.
McClain is quintessential Americana, but not in the musical genre kind of way. Oh no, McClain is Americana in the reared-in-a-trailer-park-by-a-truck-driving-father and Avon-selling-mother kind of way. Like a surreal Norman Rockwell painting come to life, McClain is the embodiment of the small-town, blue-collar life he experienced growing up in a little Kentucky trailer park.
Singer, songwriter, humorist and small town philosopher, McClain writes what he knows: The good life. Staging his live shows from a small, fictitious trailer park called Pine View Heights (patterned after his own childhood surroundings and experiences), McClain is free from an over-abundance of material things and appreciates time with family and friends.
Sharing his mantra of “Enjoy The Ride,” McClain has won friendship and collaboration with some of the most talented artists in the world. With mentors like Waylon Jennings, Tommy Smothers, guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, and cowboy poet Baxter Black, McClain’s influences don’t stop there. His live shows touch upon Country, Rockabilly, R&B, Swing, and a number of pop culture references.
McClain’s poetry, heart-felt ballads and humorous tales have garnered praise from such artists as Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Lindsay Buckingham, and David Wilcox,to name a few. After a Nashville record deal proved unfruitful in 1999, McClain took the reins himself and blazed one of the industry’s first fiercely independent campaigns, producing some of Americana’s most innovative projects, and cleverly relying on fan involvement (They call themselves Flamingoheads) to finance each album, and help promote live shows and events.
Calling himself “a life enthusiast,” Antsy McClain is eager to see what’s around every corner, and watches the horizon intently for each new change that comes.
“My life is my art,” explains Antsy, “l am painting my life one day at a time, one brush stroke at a time. As I spend time with my wife and children, or as I go on the road toward new places to make new friends, as I write a new song, as I draw or paint something for people to look at and enjoy… This is my life, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share it with music, with words and with pictures.” McClain looks out the window as a car whirs past, “l am enjoying the ride.”
Passes are available at Oakhurst Feed and Mountain Feed and Nursery or call Robin for a firm reservation at 559-760-1134.
Suggested donation for the artist is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. All proceeds go to the artist.
