Hello Friends! I hope you are all well.

Tomorrow is my birthday; I'll be 53. An auspicious, weighty number, if I do say so. I almost named my upcoming ten-song album 53, but, at the last minute chose Non-Judgment Day. The songs on this record contemplate death, divorce, addiction, class struggle, patriarchy, spiritual transcendence, societal collapse, and revolution--it's definitely not a kids album like the last one. One thread that connects Non-Judgment Day and Magic Beans: 16 Songs for Sprouting Children & Other Human Beans, besides my voice, is that they are both very Montana albums. I think you'll know what I mean when you hear them. 

Non-Judgment Day was recorded by award-winning Salish-Kootenai-Blackfeet Producer and rapper, Shadow Deveraux. It showcases over twenty local musicians playing a wide array of instruments such as pedal steel guitar, trombone, fiddle, drums, piano, stand-up & electric bass, cello, acoustic & electric guitar, Wurlitzer, saw, mandolin, dobro, harmonica, tuba, and even a slide whistle. There’s a rap cameo by Foreshadow (AKA the aforementioned Mr. Deveraux), a sample from Dr. Martin Luther King's final powerful speech, vocal harmonies from a host of friends, a visit from the Sussex School Children's Choir, and a revelatory scat solo by Montana jazz legend, MJ Williams. Our collective band name is (drumroll please) . . . Chris Sand & the Beloved Vagabonds! 

My core trio consists of Grace Decker, Ian Smith, and myself. Here's a :59 second clip from two weeks ago of us singing a verse about a hard-luck refugee couple who get stranded in Bethlehem for the night. Be sure to wait until the fiddle kicks in: https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxNFX8r-ET9mZ1OGkUaEc5iwD_hgNoUWQ4

Speaking of vagabonds, migrants, troubadours, drifters, etc., I'm very excited to announce that I will be commencing on a solo USA tour starting in early February and would love to play in your town. Any chance you'd want to host a concert at your place? House shows are easier than you may think. They proceed as such: 1) we scheme to find a date that's good for you to host it, 2) you invite your friends and/or neighbors, 3) on the night of, as guests begin gathering, encourage them to throw some cash into a bottle, bucket or boot (or Venmo), 4) I play for about 90 minutes, and 5) if folks like what they hear, they're welcome to purchase merchandise to help me keep on truckin' down the highway. Here's a two-minute how-to-host-a-house-concert video tutorial I made on the subject years ago. It's dated, but informative and funny.

These days, with inflation and all, I try to make at least $225 a show on weeknights and $300 on weekends. That means finding 15-20 folks who can pay $15/each or 22-30 folks chipping in $10/each, depending on the day of the week. That said, I can be flexible with my rates. Sometimes just having a place to hang my hat for the night is good enough. My tour itinerary is currently scant (see below). More dates will soon follow.

SANDMAN'S WINTER TOUR, '24 ☃️
2/1: 
2/2: Olympia, WA, at P. Maley's house
2/3: Portland, OR, at R. Pearcy's house 
2/4: 
2/5
2/6: 
2/7: 
2/8: Healdsburg, CA @ Little Saint
2/9: Sacramento, CA @ Reva & Matt's house
2/10-2-28: I'm looking for more shows in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, you name it. I might even get as far as the eastern states, if things work out.

Just a reminder, you can listen to (or download) any my previous albums at Sandcamp HERE.

If you have any youngsters in your life, please peruse the Magic Bean Club website. It features music videos and a store. If you're looking for quality birthday gifts for, you can buy the 36-page interactive MAGIC BEANS Songbook and other MAGIC BEANS-related merchandise there. 

Here's my comprehensive www.rappincowboy.com website which has everything from a bio and press photos, to my soon-to-be-updated tour schedule. 

Oh, and here's a birthday-themed story you might enjoy (with accompanying song & video) that recounts how I ended up back in Missoula twelve years ago.

Ok, I'm still 52. I'd better sign off before midnight. 🌝

Happy almost 2024 to you and yours! 

Love,

Chris “Sandman” Sand: Montana's Rappin' Cowboy
www.rappincowboy.com

Recent Testimonials

“I'm listening to your kids album now. I've had blinders on. Your music is so, so cool. Really liking it. I want my grandkids to groove with me to your music.” - Hal Cannon, folk musician and former director of the Western Folklife Center

"Chris Sand is the real deal, a musician who has dedicated most of his life to songwriting and performing music—alternative, fun, astute, charming, and very entertaining music for a wide range of listeners." - Melissa Kwasny, poet/author

“Nobody’s making music like this and it’s so damn good.” - Muhammad Seven, podcaster & Americana rocker

And, finally, this loving video-tribute from Eros Ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzf2SXbGUow