2.1.12

Lord help you if you missed that one... Hotel Carolina: Philly was in a word: amazingandatotalblastnottoomentiontoofuckingshort! Getting to see some old friends and make new ones was a total pleasure, as well as witnessing some of the talent... just... wow. Do yourself a favor and get to the next one, it will be in South Carolina on Sept 20-22nd!

I will be announcing a few dates coming up soon, mostly to try and work out some new material. I hope that will be coming somewhere close to you!

-JM

1.24.11

Hey guys- hope to see everyone at the big Hotel Carolina festival this weekend in Philadelphia! This show will be amazing, with acts like my good friends Ernie Halter, Jerad Finck, Keaton Simons, Ingram Hill.... too many to mention. Alright, I'll mention one more... ME!!!

The show is sold out, so hopefully you already have your spot, but if not there is a waiting list- check out www.weclometothehotelcarolina.com for details.

That's all for now... planning/plotting....

-JM

12.31.11

So this is the last day of the year... I hope 2011 was as much fun for all of you as it was for me!

I just wanted to say thank you  to all the new people I met, thank you for all the couches I crashed on, and thank you for all the support! Thank you to the acts that I had the absolute pleasure of playing with, and the ones who helped me spread my touring and promotional wings a bit further. Thank you to my friends, family and the people that made all of the incredible things I did this year possible- you guys are the greatest (and believe me, you aint seen nothing yet!). Finally, thank you to the people who showed up to shows and sang along with me. You guys are the greatest- I literally could not do this without you.

Please everyone be safe tonight, and I hope to see all of you real soon. So long 2011.

-JM

12.26.11

MERRY (belated) CHRISTMAS!! I hope everyone had a good holiday, I can say  that it was pretty good on the ol' McCloud home front.

Now, as all of you know, I recorded a live show in November to be released as a live record. Everything is ready to go on it, and now I have to decide on how to get it into your hands... Do I release it on 8 Track? Maybe get one of those vans with the speakers on top and drive to all of your towns blasting it? Or, since you have all been such good boys and girls... DO I RELEASE IT FOR FREE RIGHT ON THIS F*!!$# WEBSITE?! I have to be honest, the van idea is still my fav...

Anyway, here ya go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. Thank you to Jeff, Slainte, and everyone who made it to the show and shared the night with me.

Again, Merry Christmas. I love you all, and I will see you real soon!

-JM

12.12.11

The track list is set, the artwork is finished, and soon kids, SOON you will all be able to get a copy of my new live record! I hope to have details in a few weeks...

-JM

11.24.11

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, hope you guys all have a great and safe holiday!

-JM

11.14.11

WOW. First off, THAT is how you make a live record! Thank you to everyone that was a part of it, I can't wait to hear what you guys think about it, and I have some pretty awesome ideas on how you can get a copy... you will have to stay tuned...

Also, if you have been following over at the Facebook or Twitter pages (which, why the hell wouldn't you be? I mean, I thought we were friends?!) than you already know that I have been invited to be a part of the 1st Hotel Carolina: Philadelphia fest in January! This thing is going to be a blast, as Rock Ridge DEFINITELY knows how to throw a party. Make sure you get your tickets here- only $60!!

That's all for now, BIG things coming down the road..

-JM

11.12.11

Eh.. what to do today... I know, how about make a KICK ASS LIVE RECORD?!?! Get down to Slainte in Portland, ME tonight and be a part of it!! Also, my very good friend J. Grinner will be there opening the show so DEFINITELY show up early! Kicks off at 9- tell your friends!

-JM

11.11.11

HAPPY NATIONAL METAL DAY!!! Turn that shit up to 11!

11.8.11

Tonight is the first of a few dates to warm up for this weekends LIVE RECORDING! It's at Tommy Doyles in Cambridge, MA, so I hope to see all of you Boston area people out tonight. I have some tricks up my sleeve and will be trying some new stuff out as well- see you there!

-JM

10.31.11

Happy Birthday Tommy. RIP

10.13.11

Writing, writing, writing.... hopefully you all will hear this stuff real soon! Make sure you check out the shows page, I will be trying a lot of this new stuff out in the coming weeks to get ready for the live record recording in Portland on 11.12!

-JM

9.30.11

Hey everyone, just to let you know, I have the pleasure of opening up for WILLY MASON on Oct 11th at Arch St in Hartford CT! Tickets are only FIVE DOLLARS and this is sure to be a great time. You can get your tickets here, and I will see ya there!

-JM

9.26.11

I feel like I have finally gotten enough rest to voice my opinion about the INCREDIBLE festival that is Hotel Carolina. Easily the best fest I have ever played, with the craziest talents and most insane crowd BAR NONE.

Everyone I met was all about having a good time, and couldn't have been nicer. The Windjammer is one of the best venues I have played yet (you need some crab legs and tots in you ASAP), and the whole Rock Ridge staff was in a word: awesome.

Then there was the talent. I got to see my good friends, the phenomenal Ernie Halter again, as well as Jerad Finck who is just blowing up like crazy right now. AND I met a bunch of the people I had been listening to for so long. Ingram Hill, Matt Duke, Todd Carey, Keaton Simons, Tony Lucca... it just got better and better. There was not one act on the entire roster that didn't KILL it so if you want my advice, look them up, buy their records. You can thank me later.

Lastly, I just want to say thanks to the friends and family that made the trip with me, as well as the new friends I made down there. You guys are what I will think of when I look back on this amazing 3 days. Well, you and the tots..

Big things coming...

-JM

9.21.11

Off to Hotel Carolina, this is gonna be fun....

9.12.11

So here goes.... Tuesday the 8th will kick off a weeks worth of dates, and at the end of it I will be recording a show on November 12th at Slainte in Portland ME for a LIVE RECORD!! This thing will be full of stuff that you know, stuff you don't, and a few that you guys have been asking for for a while!

Hope to see all of you out there- should be a BLAST!

HOTEL CAROLINA IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

-JM

9.8.11

Something big coming Monday....

8.30.11

I hope this finds everyone safe after the storm! I am just writing to thank everyone I met on the road this week- had a blast and couldn't have done it without you! I think that Burlington was my favorite show of the run, but they were all different and fun and I can't thank all of you enough for coming out!

I will be playing an all acoustic show at The Webster Underground in Hartford, CT on September 10th- this one is going to be a blast! I hope to see all of you out there.

Stay tuned- I have some pretty awesome plans coming up...

-JM

8.21.11

Hey guys- I am writing this just a few short hours before I hit the road again, this time with my dear friend Jill Cagney! We are doing a whole lot in just a short week, here are the dates:

8.22 THE UNDERGROUND LOUNGE- New York, NY

8.23 THE CROSSROADS- Garwood, NJ

8.24 NECTAR'S- Burlington, VT

8.25 GRIFFIN'S PUB- Utica, NY

8.26 VAPOR CENTRAL- Toronto, ON

8.27 THE CENTRAL- Toronto, ON

I will be updating from the road on Twitter and Facebook, so make sure you are following along-see you all out there!

-JM

7.28.11

Thank you to my latest sponsor, FootBass!

Everyone should head over and check their site out!

7.22.11

Hey guys, just wanted to announce a few new shows. First I am doing a sort of "rare" hometown show at Backstage in Torrington on August 4th- this will be my first time there, and I can't say when I will have another so close, so I expect to see all of my hometown people to show up! Should be a blast.

Also, I am hitting the road again in August with my good friend Jill Cagney for a quick weeks worth of dates! There are still a few that we are awaiting confirmation on, but so far it looks like this:

8.22- NYC, NY The Underground Lounge

8.23- Garwood, NJ Crossroads

8.24- Burlington, VT Nectar's

8.26- Toronto, ON The Vapor Lounge

I hope to see all of you out there! The rest of the summer has some pretty exciting things going on, can't wait to let you guys in on them.... see ya soon...

-JM

7.19.11

I am finally back home from the road and I couldn't have had a better time! Last time I updated, I was about to play Hartford. There were some technical difficulties on that one (so of course we would be broadcasting it on the internet, right?) but all in all I had a good time, and it was great to see some of my friends that came out for it.

From there, Andrea and I shoved off towards Boston, and had a VERY decadent night on the water. It was a tough night crowd wise but there was nothing we could have really done about it, and we were both a little liquid at this point anyway, so I think that we could have been playing in the street and still had a good time. We ended up back in the hotel room and crashed soon after... but not until a very drunk Andrea called up some room service (the video is funnier than anything I could post here).

From there we drove back to Burlington to play down towards the water at The Skinny Pancake. This city is quickly becoming one of my favorites, and the crowd was really into what we were doing. Also, thanks to Taz Michaels for coming down to the show! See you guys real soon...

We left Burlington around 9:30 and drove straight to Portland, so we could crash with some friends and do the next day right. Boy did we! Ended up spending the day on a boat in the Atlantic, followed by a lobster dinner and then closed out the tour with hands down the best show I have ever had. J. Grinner was great, and kicked off the night, followed by Andrea who killed it. The whole crowd really loved both of them. I planned on playing about 50 minutes, but after telling the crowd to call out what they wanted to hear, ended up going for about 2 hours- and didn't even realize it til later. Everyone in that room was pretty crazy, and people were helping me sing and dancing along... A perfect, perfect end to the tour.

So now what? More tour dates, that's what! I will be announcing them soon, and I hope that you all can make it out to see me!

Thank you, all of you, for allowing me to do this.

-JM

7.11.11

Hey guys, just wanted to leave a quick note for ya. This leg of dates I am doing is about half over and it has been great. I started out in Delaware as a guest on the Tim Qualls show, which was fun and I am sure to have some links for ya real soon. From there I got a bit lost and eventually found my way to Stanhope for the kickoff show at The Stanhope House! This is a place that I have read about, and it was a honor to play the same stage that a bunch of my heroes had.

The next night I ended up in Delaware at Mojo13, which was... interesting. Very cool room- had a whole freak show vibe to it. That show was with Andrea Nardello, and she will be joining me on all of the dates this week!

After that it was Paddy Reily's in NYC, which turned out to be a blast. I even tried some NEW MATERIAL that I hope you all get to hear very soon... This show and the last minute add the following night were with my dear friend Jill Cagney- check her out!

So that brings me up to now. I will be streaming some of the shows this week, as well as doing some radio, so make sure you are following along on facebook and/or twitter so you will be in the know!

Looking forward to seeing all my friends in Hartford, Cambridge, Burlington and Portland this week. I love you all...

-JM

7.4.11

LEAVING FOR THE ROAD IN 48 HOURS!!!

6.24.11

So I am older... hahaha. Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes! I appreciate all the bday love. I have an updated tour date list for ya- there may still be one or two more added, but here are the majority of the dates:

7.6- TV taping for the Tim Qualls Show in Wilmington, DE

7.6- Tour Kickoff at The Stanhope House, Stanhope NJ

7.7- Mojo13, Wilmington, DE

7.8- Paddy Reily's Music Bar, New York City, NY

7.12- Radio performance on The Taz Michaels Show, 105.9 Burlington, VT

7.13- Arch St, Hartford, CT

7.14- Lilypad, Cambridge, MA

7.15- The Skinny Pancake, Burlington, VT

7.16- Mama's Crowbar, Portland, ME

If all that weren't enough, it looks like my good friend Jill Cagney will be joining me on a few dates, so you are all in for a treat! I hope to see all of you really soon.

Now, off to get my senior discount coffee, and free breakfast slam...

Love you guys

-JM

6.13.11

Hey guys, Here are the first round of dates for my upcoming tour of the Northeast. This will be a quick run, but there are still a few dates that are being filled.

7.6- TV taping for the Tim Qualls Show in Wilmington, DE

7.6- Tour Kickoff at The Stanhope House, Stanhope NJ

7.7- Mojo13, Wilmington, DE

7.8- Paddy Reily's Music Bar, New York City, NY

7.9- PA (TBA)

7.13- Arch St, Hartford, CT

7.14- Lilypad, Cambridge, MA

7.15- Portland, ME (TBA)

I hope to have the other dates (plus a few that arn't on the list) for you real soon. Everyone make sure you get your tickets now! Can't wait to see you all.

-JM

6.6.11

Quick update for everyone following along- The video shoot has been pushed back (for the last time, I swear) to June 25th. I hope all of you can be a part of it! Then, stick around and help me celebrate being a year older..

Also, I will be hitting the road on July 6th with the lovely Ms. Andrea Nardello. If you live in the Northeast we are coming for ya! "..So you can run 'n tell 'dat!"... Expect an announcement on dates in the next few weeks. I hope to see all of you out there, it has seriously been way too long...

-JM

5.25.11

Hey guys, just a few quick things- just wanted to say thanks to everyone at the I CAN MAKE A MESS show, I had a blast, and you guys were great! Definitely cool to see some new faces.

It looks like the video shoot will be on the weekend of June 11. If you are interested in being a part of it, drop me a line at the facebook link... we would love to have ya!

Also, please stay tuned in the next week or so for some pretty awesome news- at least it was awesome in my opinion...

-JM

5.15.11

Hey there, would you like to go to a show? How about I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS at the Webster Underground with yours truly opening? Well it's your lucky day... I will be opening for them on May22nd! You can pick up your tickets here... only five bucks!!!

-JM

5.9.11

Good news! Today you can get your tickets for the 2011 HOTEL CAROLINA festival! It's going to be 3 days of awesome singer/songwriters in the Isle of Palms in South Carolina, right on the beach! SURE to be an incredible time... Also, there will be incredibly talented performers including Ernie Halter, Tony Lucca, Jerad Finck, and yours truly (by yours truly I mean me..)! You can pick up your tickets here, but I would act quickly!

-JM

5.1.11

Hey everyone, a quick bit of info for ya, more like a question really. Who wants to be in the next McCloud video? We are looking for a bunch of people for an outdoor party scene. You would have to be local to CT, or willing to commute. There might be a few roles if you are interested in acting, but mostly, just have to go and hang out. Interested? Go to the facebook page and let me know!

-JM

4.27.11

Hey guys, just wanted to say thanks for all the time spent casting your votes. Unfortunately we came up a bit short, but what are ya gonna do... I'll tell ya what you do, you release REALLY AWESOME NEWS! It's official, I have been added to the 2011 HOTEL CAROLINA FEST in South Carolina! This thing is bound to be awesome, and is STACKED with great acts, among them my friends Jerad Finck and Ernie Halter! Make sure you find yourself down there, it's gonna be great. For more info, click here! See ya soon..

-JM

4.18.11

So I could not have had a better time on tour with Ernie Halter. Every day was an absolute blast and I loved playing to all sorts of new people/friends that I made on the way. Thank you to everyone that came out to the shows or watched online! I hope to see you all real soon.

ALSO- exciting news, I have made it to the Semi-Finals in the contest to open for Bon Jovi at Mohegan Sun Arena! This would be HUGE exposure to open this show, so I need all of your help. Make sure you head over and place your votes!

VOTE FOR JARED MCCLOUD!!

I have some pretty exciting news coming for you, as soon as I can I will let you all in on it. I can't thank all of you enough for your support, it means the world. See you all soon

-JM

4.5.11

Hey guys, things have been pretty crazy here! Life on the road with Ernie has been great, and the shows are going really well. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that I have met so far, and that has been following on twitter and facebook, you guys are awesome!

Also, everyone that has signed up for the facebook page, or recommended it to your friends- thank you again!

I am headed to Charlotte tomorrow, I will try to keep up more frequently on the updates. Stay tuned!

-JM

3.30.11

THANK YOU to everyone that came out to the Wolfden show. We had an incredible time doing it, and hope that we will get there as soon as we can! Tomorrow I will be heading out on tour with Mr. Ernie Halter, and I am really looking forward to this! I hope to see all a lot of you out there, and meet a bunch of you that I haven't been able to yet!

-JM

3.27.11

Back home from Cape May, NJ after attending the fest there. Had a great time with some old friends, but glad to be home... Tomorrow night is the big show at The Wolfden at Mohegan Sun! It starts at 8:00 and is a FREE show so make sure you get there early! From there I will be meeting up with Ernie Halter for a leg of his tour, check the dates to see if we will be heading near you!

Wishing all of you the best, hope to see all of you soon.

Be well,

J. McCloud

3.10.11

IT'S OFFICIAL! I will be joining Rock Ridge Records recording artist ERNIE HALTER on his tour! I am going to meet up with him at the end of the month, and play through to April 9th. I could not be happier and more excited about this, Ernie is a crazy talented guy! If you aren't familiar with his stuff, well- you should be! Check out his site here. More details to follow!

-JM

3.7.11

I am so excited about something, and actually not allowed to say what that something is yet... let me just say it's several types of awesome, and you will all be "in the know" just as soon as I can tell ya.. yes I know this is kind of a tease, and again, yes, I think it's at least a little funny. TRUST me, this is the first of many announcements that will be made in the next few months, and it my friends is a doosie!

-JM

2.28.11

Had a blast last night with Patty at 411 Underground WBCR, thanks to everyone that called in! Next show will be this Friday at Downtown in Bristol, CT, hope to see ya out there! Also, should have some water cooler fodder for ya soon...

P.S. Keep those "likes" coming on the Facebook page!

-JM

2.21.11

So, I am officially back from MMC- had a blast with Jill & Kyle, Andrea, Josh, Rob, Isaac, and a slew of others as well as got a chance to catch up with Rubal. The weekend was a lot of fun, and while I had a great time, it was also an educational experience of how this business works (both the good, and the remarkably, how in the hell do you sleep at night, bad). A lot to take in, and even more to think about...

For now the next few weeks will be spent playing a few shows, and working on a bunch of new material that I have been slowly piecing together. There are some very, very big things in the works, and as soon as I can, I will let you know what they are- I will say this, I could not possibly be more excited and completely impatient (as I usually am) about this...

Also, if you are reading this and haven't yet, please take the time to go over to the facebook page, and hit the "like" button. I am trying to see how many fans we can gather over there. Maybe suggest it to your friends as well!

Everyone take care, and don't take shit from anyone. I hope to see you all soon.

-JM

2.16.11

Hey everyone, just a few quick things:

First off the new record is doing great- everyone I have talked to that's heard it says how much they like it, and it has already received a few reviews! Go here to see what CT/MA Music thought, and here to read a write up about it in Songwriter's Monthly Magazine!

Also, the official McCloud Merch store is OPEN FOR BUSINESS! Make sure you hit the "merch" link at the top of the page and check it out.

This weekend I will be back in Harrisburg, PA (where "PWOLG" was recorded) for this years Millennium Music Conference. This event is a pretty big one, if you are in the area, maybe check it out! Plus, it's an excuse to go get a little crazy with old friends, and Rubal and co...

-JM

2.9.11

WOW. Thank you to everyone that helped me set this record off with a bang! The Hartford show was maybe the most fun I have ever had, and I was thrilled to share with all of you. Thank you again to Rusty and the crew of the Webster, as well as Rex and Stephen Wayne from WCCC for making the night so special, and of course Midtown News, Project 7, Forgotten By Friday, and ALBUM!!! This was a long time coming...

The next night at Slainte in Portland ME was a total blast as well. My dear friend Andrea Nardello (buy her records now!) drove up to play with me, as well as local and good friend J.Grinner making his debut solo appearance. They both played great, and everyone had a blast. The crowd was fantastic, and helped me sing what I was told was the "song of the night", Ballad Of Xavier J.

We hung out in Portland for the Super Bowl, and then headed back home by way of Cambridge MA for a spot at The Lizard Lounge. I love this room, and was pumped to get back there again!

After heading right into a snow stom that doubled my ride time home, I am back, rested and ready to take on The Hungry Tiger tomorrow night. Make sure you guys come out and have a drink with me! See ya there, thank you again... you guys make this possible.

-JM

2.4.11

TODAY IS THE DAY! You can offically get your copy of "Painful Words Of Loving Grace" at a multitude of different locations; iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon... just google it and I am sure you will find it. This record was pretty ambitious for me, and I had a total blast doing it. From the comments I have read, you guys seem to be pretty into it, so thank you! Tonight is the big show at The Webster Theatre, I hope to see all of you there!

-JM

I.18.11

I AM THRILLED to let you all in on something- it's official! I am now sponsored by SIT STRINGS! This is a dream come true and I couldn't be happier to work with these guys. Make sure you head over to www.sitstrings.com and check them out! Thank you to Hoogie and PJ for making this possible. McCloud's takin' over y'all...

-JM

1.17.11
It's late Sunday night/Monday morning and NAMM is officially wrapped. Once again, the show was amazing and didn't disappoint! it was great hanging with old friends and meeting some new ones as well! Also bumped into Corey Miller, Tony Campos, Rita Haney, and my man Dave Navarro. Also was invited to some incredible after parties and over all had a awesome (and blurry) few days! Can't wait for next year.

So now all systems are go for the big release show at The Webster on the 4th- this show is going to be killer!! Make sure you get your tickets soon, you do not want to miss this.

-JM
 

1.9.11

Hey everyone, just a quick note to tune in tonight at www.wifiam1460.com to hear me on Danny Coleman's ROCK ON RADIO! If you like, you can call in at 609-447-0236 or email at rockonradio1460@hotmail.com to request a song or ask a question! I will be performing some stuff live, as well as playing some of the new record, so make sure you listen!

-JM

1.5.11

So this is a few days late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2010 was pretty good to me- and I have you guys to thank for a lot of it.

I started the year off getting nominated, and later winning the "Best Folk" award in the My 411 Source awards, and soon after I found myself at NAMM. This was something that I had always heard about, but never thought I would get to do, and it turned out to be WAY better than what I had heard! Shortly after that I went out on the longest tour I have done so far, and had the time of my life. Playing a new city every night, seeing friends that I don't get to see to often, and sharing the stage with great friends Jared Costa and the lovely Ms. Andrea Nardello was about all I could ask for. Those were times that I will never forget. I also played some of my favorite festivals (MMC and Cape May) for the second year in a row. I opened the 104 fest this year, and few short weeks after that, I got to see a project I had wanted to do for a while when we made the video for "'Cath". I fulfilled a few more dreams a few weeks later, playing both the legendary Toad's Place, and the main stage of The Webster, both within a week of each other. Following that, I took home a win in the Hartford Advocate's Grand Band Slam in the Best Folk Category.

Then came the new record. I had a ball in PA with Rubal making this thing, and getting to know Roy and Michelle better was a way cool bonus. Everything since then has been incredible and moved incredibly fast, but it has SO been worth it.

So, for 2011. I am actually getting ready for this years NAMM, only this time, I will actually know people out there so I plan on having a way better time! Just a few weeks after that, the show schedule starts with a bang, as I have the big record release weekend! The first show is February 4th at The Webster, and then the next night at Slainte in Portland, ME. There will be a few more planned, and I will let you know as soon as I do. There are some big.... BIG.... FREAKING HUGE thing in the works, that I can't really talk about now, but I get giddy just thinking about them. Soon enough guys...

See ya soon

-JM

12.25.10

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Hope this finds everyone doing great and having a great holiday. Just a few things for everyone- the first is after many, MANY changes, the first official release party for the new record will be Friday, Feb 4th at The Webster Theatre in Hartford CT! This one is SURE to be a blast, as I have the privilege of playing with some of my favorite hometown bands. The bill so far is MIDTOWN NEWS, FORGOTTEN BY FRIDAY, PROJECT 7, and our good friends in ALBUM! Like I said, this show will be huge... You can actually head to any FYE store to get your tickets (only $10!) or go to the Webster's site and purchase them there!

Then the following night, I am going to pack everything up and head to one of my favorite places to play, Portland, ME and head to Slainte's for the second official party! This one so far has myself along with good friend of mine J. Grinner on the bill- and there are sure to be more announced soon.. working on a few surprises for y'all! This night will also be a dear friend of mine's birthday bash, so it is SURE to be a great night, with close friends and an intimate show to boot. I wouldn't miss this one...

You will also be able to pick up all your new McCloud merch at these shows- some awesome new stuff coming out, and no, I am not just saying that 'cause it's me...

There are a few more things that I am working on in the next few weeks, so stay tuned... You guys are the best.

-JM

11.28.10

Hey guys, just a quick note on a few things. The show tonight at the SIP Lounge has been postponed. I hope to get there early next year, and will let all of you know when.

Also, hopefully you noticed the new cover has been posted! It's a painting I did, and with it I was trying to paint a picture of the one song on the record that kind of sums the whole record up. That song is "The Comet" and has quickly found itself among the top of the requested tunes. I think that there is a YouTube version of it somewhere...

Last, but never least, I am pleased to report that the official release party for Portland, ME will be on Feb 5th at SLAINTE, which is quickly becoming mine and a lot of other peoples favorite place to play up that way... Make sure you are there, last time was crazy, a bit of blur honestly, and one of my top 3 shows I have ever played.

More soon!

-JM

11.22.10

Wow, time flies, right? The past few weeks have been CRAZY busy, so I apologize about the lack of updates around here. Let me bring ya up to speed. I was fortunate enough to play at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge the other night, and had a blast doing it! I met a lot of great people there, and something tells me that I will be back there just as soon as they let me!

After that, I spent the weekend in Northampton, MA for the 2010 Independent Music Conference, which was great! I had the chance to meet some new people, hook up with some old friends (Jill, Kyle, and TJAY!) and mad some great connections. Hopefully some things will be coming down the line as a direct result of that conference.

Other than that, I have been hard at work finishing up the artwork for the new disc. I am approaching all the artwork a little differently this time around, and I think it will all look really great when it's all done and in your hands. I should have the cover up here soon!

Keep checking back in, the next few weeks promise to be full of forthcoming details... about what you might ask? Well, the line up for the record, as well as the line up for the Hartford release and SEVERAL other release parties around the Northeast? How's that?

You guys are awesome!

-JM

10.7.10

Things are gettin' interesting around here... Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that things are going well with the new record. Artwork has begun, and a select few have heard the raw tracks. I am thrilled to report that those that have heard it seem to be really into it, and some said it was the "best thing I have done yet!"... just wait until it's actually done!

The next few months are going to be spent getting the record, in all of it's incarnations done, rehearsing all of the new material, and most importantly playing! I did a small show outside of Boston the other night, and realized how much I miss playing, even though it's only been a little while. Make sure you check back soon as I will be adding a wave of dates as soon as I confirm them.

I also just wanted to say thank you to everyone for all the comments and well wishes! I can't wait to hear what all of you think of the new tunes, and I assure you I will see all of ya soon...

I can't give too much away right now, but 2011 will be H U G E!! I can tell ya that it will start with a bang, as January is already shaping up to be a VERY busy month... I will tell you this- 1.22.11 is the official CT record release party! It will be held at my "home base" The Webster Theatre in Hartford, CT. There will be other releases in other states, but this one promises to be pretty amazing... more on the details later.

That's all for now...

-JM

9.19.10

-JM

8.25.10

Man, the past few weeks have been pretty busy! Thanks to everyone that came out to the show in Bristol, as that will be the last one for a while, at least until September 25th when I will be opening for Griffin House at The Webster! Griffin is in the middle of a HUGE tour, and I am proud to be a part of it (check out his stuff at www.griffinhousemusic.com). Other than that, everything has been about getting ready for the new record- which I couldn't be more excited about! I have spent the last week with Jason getting ready to record, and it officially starts next week. I will be checking in from time to time to let all of ya know how it goes!

Also, that you to everyone that voted in the Hartford Advocate's "Grand Band Slam", I am happy to announce that I/we took the "Best Folk" award! It's really nice to be noticed once in a while, and I have all of you to thank for it.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank Steve Clayton for officially adding me to the company as an endorsee! Couldn't be happier about using their products as I am not sponsored by them for all my custom pics and accessory needs... very cool!

I hope to see all of you very soon, and I can not wait for you to hear this record- big things are in store... BIG!

-JM

7.30.10

Last night was the big Candlebox show at The Webster, and I had an absolute blast! I think that our set really went over well, and the crowd seemed to agree. Also the first time that I got on the "big boy" stage- pretty awesome. Thank you to Candlebox (for the shout out), Rusty, The Webster crew, and everyone that came out for making it a pretty memorable show.

I will be playing Bleacher's in Bristol, CT on the 5th, and you may want to check it out, as it will be the last time I play for a while... why you ask? Well... (cue the drum roll...) I will be recording a BRAND NEW RECORD in September with JASON RUBAL in Harrisburg, PA, and need time to get all the material together! I could not be more excited to do this, and I hope to get copies in all your hands very soon...

-JM

7.26.10

Well, I promised you it would be soon, here ya go! Directed by Herzog, Sevigny, and Camera- my first video from arguably the best song on the record, "St. Catherine's Anthem"!

Jared McCloud - "St. Catherine's Anthem"

7.23.10

The show at Toad's was in a word: INCREDIBLE. I don't think the band has ever sounded better, and to have played that stage, where so many people I have idolized played (Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, The Stones, Bowie, Iggy, Jane's... I could seriously go on all day...) just awesome. There was actually a point in the night where all I could here was my guitar and vox coming back at me off the walls, and I started to think of all those people who heard the same thing. Needless to say I got very giggly! Thank you so much to everyone that came out, you have no idea how special it was to me.

Candlebox next week!

7.11.10

So the last few weeks have been an absolute blast! After wrapping the vid (should be here soon) I was fortunate to go see FAITH NO MORE in Brooklyn on the 2nd (AWESOME), and then played the big Riverfest show on the 10th. Great day for an outdoor show, and had a blast playing with old friends Tommy Lourdes and Project 7 again.

The end of this month will be pretty amazing for me, in the same week not only will I open up for Candlebox at The Webster (7.29), but I will also play the completely legendary Toad's Place on the 22nd! To be doing either of them is an honor and both in the same week is something pretty extraordinary.... see ya there!

6.28.10

Yesterday, we invaded Aliehn Productions and shot the footage for the "St. Catherine's Anthem", and had a total blast! It was directed by Herzog & Sevigny and starred us along with Sail Earle Beithe, and Mel McCloud.. From what I have seen it looks great, even better than I had in my head (which is usually pretty unattainable...). Thanks again to everyone that helped out, I can't wait for you all to see it!

July will be just as busy as we are on the bill for the big RIVERFEST show on July 10th, then playing the legendary Toad's Place on the 22nd, before rolling into the Webster Theatre on the 29th to open for Candlebox! Make sure you get your tickets for the last one, it's going to be huge!

Some more news will be on the way, I assure you it will be huge.

-JM

6.23.10

So I am writing this with about 20 minutes until I offically turn 30. What a rollercoaster ride the past few years has been!

Radio 104's BIG ASS BLOCK PARTY was a ton of fun, and we had a great time. Can't wait for next year! Big thanks to the Jerad Finck band for all the kind words, and the Radio 104 crew for being cool and getting us on the air.

This weekend will be pretty busy- first Saturday we pull into Tuxedo Junction in Danbury and then Sunday is the video shoot for "St. Catherine's Anthem". If it turns out half as cool as we think it will, it should be pretty awesome...

Time to go savor the last few moments of my twenties...

-JM

6.18.10

Thanks to everyone that came out to Wallingford last night, the show at Cherry St Station with Tommy Lourdes was a lot of fun. Have to get back there soon! Today/tonight is the Radio 104 BIG ASS BLOCK PARTY! We go on at 4:00, so make sure you get down there early and come hang out! There are 12 great bands playing including Vertical Horizon, Smile Empty Soul, Jerad Finck, and Fear Nuttin' Band (who KILLED it at Rock Ur Ink Off)... see you there!

-JM

6.15.10

Hey everyone! Rock Ur Ink Off was a blast this year... WAY bigger than last years! If you didn't go well then you missed out. We ended up getting bumped about an hour and a half to a later spot which wouldn't ya know was right when the rain started. But the crowd couldn't have been better, singing and dancing along in the rain. Thanks to all of you that stuck it out and made it one of the more memorable shows I have done in a while! It's not everyday you think that lightning will strike you down during a set.. what a way to go though, right? Another big shout out to John Dotson from BFD for filling in that night, we had a blast!

Tonight is the show at the Webster Theatre with CIVIL TWILIGHT! These guys are blowing up right now and I am honored to be opening up the Hartford stop of their tour. See you there!

P.S. It's been confirmed that we will be OPENING the first annual Radio 104 BIG ASS BLOCK PARTY this Friday with Vertical Horizon, Smile Empty Soul, and more! Make sure you get down there for that one, should be HUGE...

-JM

6.5.10

So the show at the Red Door was a lot of fun, and Local Band Review was nice enough to come down and film a bunch of the tunes- you can check them out on youtube. That was a very busy start to what is sure to be a CRAZY month! We will see everyone next week at the ROCK UR INK OFF festival in Hartford!

-JM

5.31.10

Wow, I haven't updated in a while... sorry! The past few weeks have been a blast and incredibly busy. Hopefully you have been following along at the twitter and facebook pages!

All the shows lately have been great, thanks to everyone that has come out to them. Most recently I played Tom Wise's CD release last Friday night in Putnum at Victoria Station. It was a lot of fun and I was happy to be a part of it. Make sure you all check out his new disc, "In Love At War"- you won't be disappointed...

So new news, I will be playing a bunch of shows coming up... June will be busy! First, on the 3rd we will be taped by the good folks at Local Band Review at The Red Door in Watertown. Make sure you get there and be on video! Then on the 12th it's the annual Rock Ur Ink Off festival at 125 Riverside Drive. This one promises to be a good time! Then I will be opening for Civil Twilight on their national tour at the Webster Theatre in Hartford on June 15th!I am thrilled to be a part of the bill so make sure you are there (tickets are only six bucks!)!!

There are a bunch more shows to catch, so check out the live page... I promise I have some pretty exciting news for you coming up.

-JM

4.14.10

So after a few deserved weeks at a slower pace, I will be picking up where I left off in the next few weeks. Thursday the 15th, I will be playing at Bleachers in Bristol, CT and will have a stack of free tickets to the WCCC Homegrown Showcase I will be doing the next night (Friday, the 16th) at The Webster Underground. There are a bunch of bands on this one, but one of my favorites ALBUM will be on the bill and I am sure they will kill it like always.. Make sure you get there early, as these things will most likely go pretty quickly. Then next Thursday is a show at Papa's in New Britain, CT with Project 7. All of these are likely to be a great time, hope to see you there!

P.S. exciting news is headin' your way... I'll keep ya posted..

-JM

3.28.10

I just got back from SS Cape May, and I don't think I could have had a better time. It was honestly way too short, way too much fun, and kind of a blur...

I went to Yardley, PA to play Thursday night with Jared Costa and we had a total blast. It was Jared's brother Jordan's birthday so the place was mobbed, and Jared played a great set. He even got his brother to come sing with him. I played and we spent the rest of the night toasting the coming weekend, and watching Katie do the "creeper"..

After getting up MUCH later than we wanted and running a few errands, we arrived in Cape May on Friday afternoon and quickly hooked up with old and new friends. Jason Rubal, Somers, Jill and Kyle Cagney, Kat Falcey, Wil McCranie, Roy, Shawn... the list goes on and on. I really love these conferences- not only can you make lasting connections to help your career, but I love seeing the friends that I have made... it just never seems like there is enough time! I headed up to the venue where I was actually running sound for the night and Jill was up first. She played a great set and everyone came out to see her. After the rest of the evenings performers finished their set, I ended up at Rubals hotel party, that had blended into some other peoples party. It was WAY more intense than I was prepared for at 1:30 in the morning, so we quickly ended up going back to Jason's and having a quieter party. Somers was very proud to show me her AMAZING video game console (you had to be there...), and I met a few other people, who's names escape me right now. It was REALLY late by this point, so we ended up retiring to the incredible house that our new buddy Joel was gracious enough to let us crash at.. I could seriously live there.

Saturday was a little rough getting up, but we ended up back over at Congress hall to catch Rubal's panel and talk to some people. After all the days events had winded down, I headed back to the venue to set up for that show, which pains me to say, was the official "end" to the 2010 Romance Of The Atlantic Tour. There were a few performances to start off the night that were great, but my girl Andrea Nardello had a ton of people there to see her. If you know her like I do you know that she didn't disappoint. Her voice sounded great, and everyone ate it up. After her set, Costa came up and killed it like always. I even got him to do a cover of "Wagon Wheel" which was awesome because I love his version of it. Both Costa and Andrea never had a bad set the whole tour and I felt so lucky to be doing this with them.

I played my set, and was pretty well into the night if you catch my drift, but it seemed to go over well. A drunk Andrea Nardello even joined me on "American Girl" which was probably the highlight of the night for me. I also played a new tune, that I wrote in about 5 minutes, that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. New friend Shaun Ruymen closed the night and had a great set- that boy can work a room! After the end of the scheduled performances, we continued sort of a new tradition where everyone that I invited got up and played one or two more- which was a blast! The place closed, and the tour, Cape May, and- for the most part- the night was over.

I awoke today, pretty beat up- but nothing a great breakfast couldn't cure. I picked up my car, said goodbye to Jared, Katie, and Joel, and headed home.

This past month and a half has been incredible, here is what I remember most about it:

2.13 Hartford, CT - UP or ON THE ROCKS

     -Thanks Scott for booking an amazing show, and Mel, Anna and everyone  else that came out to send me off right!

2.14 New York City, NY - THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND

     -Thanks to a great soundman, the other bands that night and Scott Genereau for coming out and playin' with me

2.17 Philadelphia, PA - LICKITY SPLIT

     -First show with Andrea, thanks to her, her fam, and "boy Wonder" for putting the show together. Also, The crew of the JT Morgan Show.

2.18-21 Harrisburg, PA -14th MILLENNIUM MUSIC CONFERENCE

     -This thing is always a blast. The soundguy finally showed up, and we had a good show. Thanks to everyone that was there, and Gene Foley ( you sir are the man).

2.22 Cleveland, OH - THE BARKING SPIDER

     -First show with Costa. Thanks to Van and his family for all the hospitality!

2.23 Erie, PA - PRESQUE ISLE GALLERY

     -Knitting is dumb. Thanks Laurie and the people that were there to listen!

2.24 Buffalo, NY - CLARENCE CENTER

     -Only show I got to do with Tim Emmerick, thank you to the Emmericks for all the hospitality! Team Russia... seriously....

2.26 Memphis, TN - THE EDGE

     -Costa and I drove separate cars from Buffalo to Mississippi for this one. I was so tired after that I was damn near hallucinating. Sun Studios was incredible, thanks to the Edge, and of course- Johnny, Sam, Elvis, Carl, Jerry, Wolf, etc.

2.27 Nicholasville, KY - MAPLE AND MAIN

     -Last minute add in KY, got to meet some new people. Thanks for the opportunity Cheals!

2.28 Richmond, VA - THE CAMEL

     -Was a blast, thanks to the staff, and the crew of the JP Godsey show.

3.3 Asbury Park, NJ - TWISTED TREE

     -It was nice to check out all the Springsteen spots I have heard about for so long, thanks to the staff at the Twisted Tree.

3.4 Yardley, PA - THE CONTINENTAL

     -One of the most fun shows of the tour. Thanks Sean, Dan, Jordan, Ray and the Costa's for putting me up for a few days!

3.5 Shepherdstown, WV - BLUE MOON CAFE

     -Thank you to Jake and co for coming out, and the staff- this was actually one of my favorite shows of the tour. Also, Katie, for driving our collectively tired ass to Denny's after the show.

3.11 Worcester, MA - RALPH'S ROCK DINER

     -This was probably the coolest room I have ever played. Thanks to the great soundguy, and the other bands that played. Also, Anna, Mel and Sara for coming out... BEAUTIFUL NIGHT!!

3.12 Keene, NH - FRITZ'S

     -Great place to play. Thanks Jessica and co- hope to be back soon. Also Eric at WKNH- we had a blast!

3.13 Portland, ME - SLAINTE

     -Probably the most fun show of the whole thing. Thank you to Pete and everyone that showed and made it special for me. Also, Jeff, Kath, A-bomb, Cas, and JJ- had a blast with you guys!

3.26-28 Cape May, NJ - CAPE MAY SINGER/SONGWRITER FESTIVAL

     -The end of the road. Great time, Thanks Joel, Katie, Jason, Somers, and everyone else...

Time to take a few days to regroup and start planning the next one.. The mundane makes the special that much more special, right? Keep telling myself that...

-JM

3.22.10

Wow, apparently I am not the best at updating this thing... So where was I? Oh yeah, last time we were getting ready for the gig in Yardley. Although it was a last minute add and there were some problems with the PA, this show could not have been more fun! The place was mobbed, and everyone was there to have a great time. People were dancing and singing along all night- I honestly didn't want that show to end. Dan Gallagher played with us and closed the night. I thought his set was incredible, and if he wasn't such a nice guy, I would insist that he drop out of college to play music full time, but noooo... he wants to teach children. What a jerk... (hahahahah). Afterwards, I was introduced to something called "Wawa" which is "better than Denny's" (it wasn't) and went home to CRASH sometime around 3 or 4...

The next day was a VERY late start, and we were off to Shepherdstown, West Virginia to play at the Blue Moon. These people could physically not have been nicer! The place had a great atmosphere, and although we only played for a few people, the ones that were there really wanted to listen. Thanks Jake and co for making the drive! After a late night stop at Denny's (yeah, take that "Wawa") we arrived back at Jared's house around 5ish. I don't know if I have ever slept as hard as I did that night. I awoke the next day and made the drive home as I had a few off days. The Providence and Somerville gigs were canceled (BOOOO!!!) so it was cool to spend a few days off with the fam.

I hit Worcester on that Thursday to play at a place called Ralph's Rock Diner. I had never been there before and the outside of it reminded me of the truck stop in "From Dusk Til Dawn". Then I got inside... the place was INCREDIBLE. It is an old diner cart, but upstairs there is a totally awesome stage and the walls are COVERED with some of the most creepy/incredible art I have ever seen. The show went well, and I hope to get back there as soon as possible. Thanks Mel, Anna, and Sara for coming out! The next day found me in Keene, NH for the show at Fritz's, with Mr. Costa and Mrs. Nardello meeting me up there. This place was much more of an intimate listening room, and was very cool. Jessica couldn't have been nicer and the show seemed to go pretty well. We had a few drinks after the show and headed over to WKNH at Keene State College to do a radio interview/performance. Eric, if you are reading this, we had a blast- hope to get back as soon as possible!

So we (and by we I mean me) had the bright idea to drive to Portland that night, getting us into town about 2 am. Eh, what are you gonna do, right? The next night was the show at Slainte Wine Lounge. Thank you everyone that showed up (and a warm and fuzzy F U to the ones that didn't!) and made this by far the best show of the tour so far. It was nice to see a bunch of old friends, the sound was great, and the people there were familiar enough with my stuff to call out their favorites, and even get me to do one more for an encore (which I think the DJ after was a little annoyed with but whatev..). I love that city so much....

I ended up hanging out in Portland for a few to catch up with some people and then headed back to CT for a band show at Arch St in Hartford. It was nice to see the guys again, for a month and a half off I thought we sounded great. The room was really cool- but I think the nice weather sorta shot us in the collective foot. Hopefully we'll get back there soon and pack the place. Now I am eagerly awaiting this weekend to attend the SS CAPE MAY festival. I had a great time last year, and I know a bunch more people this year so it should be a blast... Andrea, Costa, Jason, Sommers, Lisa, Kat- hope you all have your drinkin' shoes on!

It's almost over... I want to do it all over again.

-JM

3.4.10

So now I am in Newtown, PA getting ready for a "last minute add" to the tour schedule at The Continental in Yardley. This past week has been a blur- I'll do my best to recap.

Kentucky turned out to be pretty sweet, nice people and the few that were there seemed to be really into what Jared Costa and I were doing. We knew the next day was going to be a long one to Richmond, so we decided to take a chunk out out of the driving that night and go to Charleston, WV to stay the night.... so why wouldn't a storm pop up? It made us get to the hotel about an hour and a half later than we wanted, but it has been the only storm that we have hit thus far so I guess we can't complain too much. We met up with the lovely Andrea Nardello for our show at The Camel in Richmond, and had a blast there! Leo Blais was also on the bill and had some really cool stuff, definitely worth checking out. We left Richmond and headed to Chesapeake (which was BEAUTIFUL) to be on the J.P. Godsey show the next day. That was a lot of fun, turns out COSTA recognized him from being on the Daily Show a few years back. From there we headed to Bristow where my boy Bushka lives- it was cool to chill out for a day and see some old friends before heading out again. I met up with everyone in Asbury Park for our show at the Twisted Tree which was a good time. It's awesome that I get to go tour, but to be hanging out with Costa and Nardello, who are as funny as they are talented is definitely a pleasure. After driving around to see some "Boss" hotspots, we left to head to Jared's house outside of Phily. That basically brings me to now... everyone should be having as much as I am.

2.27.10

I'm writing this in Memphis as we are about to leave soon- but I just wanted to give a quick update. Where I last left off, I was going to play the Barking Spider in Cleveland. The show went pretty well and was the first that Jared Costa was able to join me on. He is too nice of a guy and a great songwriter so he has help make the shows a lot of fun. We left Cleveland (thanks Van and co.!) and went to play at the Presque Isle Gallery in Erie, PA and that show seemed to go a little bit better. Big thanks to Laurie, and new fans Amelia and Alexis for all the kind words!

After the show in Erie, we went straight to Buffalo to crash at another Singer/Songwriter friend of ours Tim Emmerick. Tim is an amazing songwriter and one of the funniest people I know so it was great to spend a few days of beer, hockey and music with him (big thanks to the Emmerick family for putting us up!). The Buffalo show was actually put on by JPF (just plain folks) so that was nice to be a part of it.  We actually played footsteps from where that plane crash in Buffalo was not too long ago, which was kind of eerie...

SO the next morning (after Team Russia let me down... seriously guys...) we raced the snow and started to make the FOURTEEN AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE to Memphis... not really one I want to make again any time soon, but well worth it! Memphis may be my new favorite place. We went to Sun Studios (on Johnny Cash's birthday no less) which is something that I always wanted to do and was pretty incredible. All the stories I have ever heard about that place... to be standing where it all happened.... pretty amazing. From there we wondered around Beale St where "the blues was born". It's hard to imagine a place where either side of the street is crankin' out tunes, the road is blocked off and there is no open container law, and people are all just out to here live music. I have been all over the country in the biggest music markets in the world and have never seen anything like it. The show at The Edge went good and we came back to get some sleep.

Which brings me to now. I am about to go get an oil change for my "time machine" and head to a last minute add show at Main and Maple in Nicholasville, KY. Should be pretty cool... til next time.

-JM

2.22.10

So I just got up, and I thought that I would take a sec to let everyone know about the last few days. MMC was a a blast this year, better than the last! I got to hang out with new friends, make some great connections, see some AMAZING musicians (TJay, 23 Rainy Days, not to mention Andrea, just  killing it!). I also got to hang out with Eugene Foley, who has done wonders for me, and everyone else who is fortunate enough to work with him. I should have some BIG news to report on that in a little bit.

Also, Saturday found me hanging with new friends Jill Cagney, Jason Rubal, Sommers, as well as old friend Jared Costa (who will be joining me for this weeks dates) and a bunch more. Many drinks and laughs later we returned to the hotel.

MMC is an INCREDIBLE opportunity for musicians, songwriters, anyone really, to talk to industry professionals and steer your career in the right direction. It is really sort of hard to take it all in! If you don't come back with some new phone numbers/contacts/friends, you did it wrong.

There are unfortunately people involved with this conference (and I am sure all other conferences) that are only there to take from you and lie to you and take advantage of you. That is the ugly side of this business that is all to real and something that everyone should be careful of and watch out for. I believe if any of them actually read this, they will know I am speaking about them... FUCK YOU.

Yesterday I woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and drove to stay with some great friends in Cleveland for tonight's show at the Barking Spider. I don't get to see them often so a total plus to be hanging out now! Jared Costa is joining me for this leg of the tour, so it should be a great time.

Having a blast.

-JM

2.18.10

Hey everyone, the tour is off to a great start! The kickoff in Hartford was a blast, and we (the band and I) really did it right I think. From there I headed to New York City to play the National Underground, and was joined by Scott Genereau. I have had the pleasure of knowing Scott since he produced my record last year, and it was great to have him on the bill!

So after a snow storm canceled a bunch of my plans, I arrived yesterday in Philadelphia to play Lickety Split with Andrea Nardello, who is one of my closet buds, as well as a hell of a singer/songwriter! I think we both did well and ended up leaving early as we had to be up for the radio interview on WHCE this morning. So of course there was FREAKISH traffic... interview went well though, I will post as soon as I get my hands on it.

I am in Harrisburg now, awaiting the start of the Millennium Music Conference 14. I played this thing last year and made great connections, so I am anxious to see what this year holds (although last year will be pretty tough to beat).

That's all for now, I'll check in again soon. Take care!

-JM

2.13.10

Tonight is the first show of the tour! I am happy to be playing the kickoff show at Up or On The Rocks in Hartford, CT- as it's my favorite place to play at home (or at least that I have found yet!). There are a bunch of bands on the bill tonight, and apparently someone is getting married at midnight. Should be interesting... Here is the tour poster, hope to see you there!

-JM

2.9.10

Wow, things are gettin' crazy around here! I am VERY pleased to announce that I am officially hitting the road in a few days for ROMANCE OF THE ATLANTIC 2010 tour! I am so excited to get back out there, and hopefully see many of you along the way. I am still working on trying to fill a hole here or there, but here are the dates:

2.13 Hartford, CT - UP or ON THE ROCKS

2.14 New York City, NY - THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND

2.17 Philadelphia, PA - LICKITY SPLIT

2.18-21 Harrisburg, PA -14th MILLENNIUM MUSIC CONFERENCE

2.22 Cleveland, OH - THE BARKING SPIDER

2.23 Erie, PA - PRESQUE ISLE GALLERY

2.24 Buffalo, NY - CLARENCE CENTER

2.26 Memphis, TN - THE EDGE

2.27 Nicholasville, KY - MAPLE AND MAIN

2.28 Richmond, VA - THE CAMEL

3.1 Leesburg, VA - BALLS BLUFF

3.3 Asbury Park, NJ - TWISTED TREE

3.5 Shepherdstown, WV - BLUE MOON CAFE

3.7 Kingston, RI - 193 DEGREES

3.9 Somerville, MA - ARMORY CAFE

3.11 Worcester, MA - RALPH'S ROCK DINER

3.12 Keene, NH - FRITZ'S

3.13 Portland, ME - SLAINTE

3.26-28 Cape May, NJ - CAPE MAY SINGER/SONGWRITER FESTIVAL

I have the pleasure of playing with the lovely and talented Andrea Nardello for a bunch of these dates, as well as Scott Genereau- who produced my record, and is one of my favorite musicians/people/etc. There will be other special guests in certain cities, which I will announce as soon as they are confirmed. I hope to catch all of ya out there!

-JM

2.4.10

Well, thanks directly to all of your support, I am stoked to announce that I won the "Best Folk" category in the www.my411source.com "Best of '09" awards! It's an honor, and also the first thing I have won for music (although I seem to get nominated a lot...hahaha). Tonight is the show at The Hungry Tiger in Manchester, CT with our friends RECOIL. We would love to see any and all of you there!

Also, next Saturday, the 13th is the a BIG show at Up or On The Rocks in Hartford, CT. I say big as it's the kickoff show to the 2010 tour that I am doing! I will have all the dates for you soon, but please come out and send me off right- I won't get to see you guys again until like April... I can not wait to get back to some cities that I haven't played in a while, and a bunch of new ones too! Be on the lookout for dates, hopefully there is one near you!

-J. McCloud

1.25.10

Man, where do I begin? Well, NAMM was a total blast. I got to meet some people I grew up listening to, try out some new products, and make some more connections in this business with a bunch of pretty cool people. Each night found me at a bigger and better after party than the night before and I got a chance to watch some INCREDIBLE musicians form the comfort of backstage VIP lounges. Not a bad way to spend a weekend...

The following weekend, I had 2 shows lined up. These were our first of the year and it felt great to get back out there with the band. We played the first show opening up for Frank and The Beans in Bristol and had a great time. My voice seemed to give out on me during one song, and it looked like the set was going to be over, but somehow it came back... then, the next night found us at Maloney's in Meriden with Social Darwin opening. They are a great band and couldn't be nicer guys- we will definitely be playing more shows with them!

So now that brings me up to speed. Thanks to everyone that voted in the my411source.com "Best of '09" awards, we will have to wait and see how I did. I have an announcement coming, it should be up soon... pretty big deal...

-J. McCLoud 

1.14.10

So I am all packed up and ready for NAMM! It really should be incredible, I have been reading all week about who was going to be there.. pretty incredible (Quincy Jones is going to be there...crazy). I will be keeping up with everyone over on the twitter account and should have some good stories/pictures when I get back. Then it's on the Maloney's in Meriden for the first show of the year! Wish me luck....

-J. McCloud

1.7.10

Exciting news! Thanks to all of your votes, I have been nominated in FOUR categories in the 411source.com's "Best of '09" contest! Best Acoustic (singer/songwriter), Best Pop, Best Alternative, and Best Folk! I am humbled, thank you for all of the votes... now you have to go vote again! This is the home stretch, I promise! You can check it out at www.my411source.com. I hope you all can take a sec to head over there and cast your votes my way!

Only a week left 'til NAMM... seriously can NOT wait...

-J. McCloud

1.1.10

So 2009 is officially over... I am a little sad to see it go, as I had some amazing times this year. I ended up finishing this record that took SO long to get accomplished and was a bit of a gamble on my part that I honestly believe paid off in spades. I got to be a part of some amazing festivals that I will be returning to this year, as well as adding a whole bunch more to my list. I also found incredible musicians that help me beef up my songs live for full scale band shows. Then the record was finally released in May and we did it right by having a blowout release party. It was met by a ton of press that honestly could not have been any nicer. Did a bunch more traveling around, and met some amazing people that will definitely continue to be a big part of my life. I also got closer with some family and friends and generally had a great year.

There were some events/people that seem like they are in your life only to piss you off and make you crazy- I won't name names or anything like that... but like I said, all in all a pretty good year.

I have big plans (monumental, actually) for 2010 that I will let you all in on as soon as they are ready- but stick around, it's going to get interesting, I promise! 

Everyone stay safe, and try and have a great new year!

-J. McCloud

12.25.09

Hey everyone, just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas- hope you all had a good one!

-J. McCloud

12.17.09

Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry for the lack of updates around here, but hopefully you have been following over at the Myspace and Facebook accounts to know how busy I have been! Things are winding down and it's time to put 2009 to bed. This year has been incredible for me- but I am sure that I will gush more on that from some random (yes, drunk) New Years Eve post. All that aside 2010 promises to be an INCREDIBLE year! I am starting it off with my first trip to Los Angeles for the big NAMM show out there, as I am now officially sponsored by my absolute favorite guitar company, Alvarez guitars! It's a dream come true and I can't wait to get my grubby little mitts on all those pretty new guitars they will have waiting for me...

A few weeks after that and I will be hitting the road with some very good friends of mine for about 2 months. Jared Costa out of Philadelphia, Andrea Nardello, also out of Phily, and Tim Emmerick by way of Buffalo and I are setting out to claim the east coast for our own. More on that later.

Thank you all for your continued support- I couldn't do it without you!

-J. McCloud