Hi Friends,

I hope the bloom of Summer is upon you and lighting a path of adventure and discovery. Lindsey and I got to see ‘Our Town’ by Thornton Wilder last night at the Blackfriar’s Playhouse in Staunton. It hit me, as it has at other stages in my life, as a call to soak in all of life’s wonders. Saints and Poets sometimes notice the true undertows of life. That’s the power of Art and Music–communicating those experiences of wonder and celestial order.

That’s what I’m trying to do over here in my little corner of the world. Shine The Light. Still hanging my shingle out: Caleb Stine — Troubadour. It’s all I ever really wanted to do, and I’m so lucky to be squarely in the stage of life when my work, is my life, is my art. It’s all the same thing. I get to play music for people, record, write new songs, make art. . . in exchange for holding up my end of the bargain: report back all those moments of wonder. Thank YOU for helping me along the way. As I like to say these days: the World needs what I do, and my babies need me to be good enough at it to pay the bills.

Tonight, I play in Charleston WV, at Taylor books from 7:30-9:30pm, if you know someone there let them know. Also, my Fourth of July Gig has been cancelled due to Construction. If you have any work for a troubadour or a band on July 4th, let me know.

Thanks again! Have a great time out there! Hope to see you at one of these shows coming up. I been working hard on several recording projects I can’t wait to share. . . soon!

Cheers,
Caleb

May 2025

Hello Friends,
Lately, I’ve been clearing out an overgrown chunk of land to plant a garden, and thinking a lot about resilience.  What is it that makes weeds and grass so tough?  One thing I noticed as I roto-tilled and dug down into the earth was an intense root system.  The tiny weeds on top were connected by a hearty tangle of roots, and unless I got to that, they would just keep coming back.  Similarly, we know that groves of trees are connected by elaborate root systems so that they can share nutrients with each other.

When asked what type of music I play, I will often say “Roots Music”.  This has a lot to do with the old Blues, Country, and Folk I constantly learn from, and there is another element I’ve come to think about with ‘Roots Music’: the living, adapting, resilient approach to community music.  I’ve been able to make a modest living playing over a hundred shows a year, making albums, and singing songs because of the deep roots system that connects me and thousands of people– venues, breweries, farms, musicians, fans, public radio stations, farmer’s markets, hotels, small businesses. . . the list goes on and on.

This grass-roots approach takes a long time to come to harvest, but to me, it is the only way to live with integrity and resist the top-down corporate machine.  I love my life, because I’m constantly surrounded by fellow Rootsy folks!  It’s much easier to grow when you’re connected to others who share your vision.
  
Thank YOU for being a part of that growth, and for doing your part to make life vibrant, beautiful, and resilient.  Many of you have been along for the journey for a LONG time, so I’m excited to share with you that we are planning a 20th Anniversary Concert celebrating Caleb Stine & The Brakemen’s first album: October 29th.  Yes!  We will be playing on October 29th, 2025, at St. Luke’s on The Avenue to mark the occasion when 20 years earlier we recorded a full album in one day.  So please save the date for Wednesday, October 29th, 7:00pm and plan to come out and see the original Brakemen lineup with special guests.  It will be a night to remember. 

Also, we are working hard to put together a deluxe, remastered Vinyl of the album!  Stay tuned.

Cheers,
Caleb

April, 2025

Hello There,

I’ve been reading the Patrick O’Brian seafaring novels lately—somehow I associate these as ‘Dad Books’ and having become a father a year ago, I felt I’d entered the stage of life required. The first novel ‘Master and Commander’ introduces the daring captain Jack Aubrey and his companion, ship surgeon Stephen Maturin. Through the course of the novels (I just finished #5 and I think there’s more than twenty) the men sail around the globe for the Royal British Navy, fighting Napoleon and surviving the impossibly harsh conditions of 1800’s ship life.

‘Adventure’ is a concept I think we all can relate to—the desire to travel, break free from everyday routine and experience new things. One element I’ve come to see as necessary for a true adventure is suffering. You don’t feel as though you’ve accomplished much if you haven’t faced trials and overcome them, and this is a real secret of life. If we long for adventure, don’t we also long for pushing ourselves past our sense of comfort? This can be a very helpful truth to remember when you’re stranded on the side of the highway with a broken car, or when you lose the map entirely and wonder where you are and why you left home.

For me, the journey of being an independent musician has been filled with adventure. I’ve travelled and played my songs all over the world, seen places I never imagined, and met incredible people. There has also been struggle—the entire landscape of the music business has shifted like tectonic plates on fast-forward. Things change so fast, there never seems to be any solid ground. It’s never been easy. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I’m not interested in ‘the music business’: this is a spiritual journey for me. Writing songs, recording albums, and performing music is my way of being human: music gives me a lens to see the world, and it’s the offering I give back.

As the adventure continues, I’m setting the intention to build connections with my musical community in new ways. Perhaps not all that new, but like a Naval General, I am redirecting the forces I have from certain fronts to others. Specifically, spending more energy on direct emails, my website, and. . . a physical mailer. I think we’re all taking stock of technology, social media, and its impact on our lives. I’ve felt it shift, and while I will still be using Instagram and Facebook as ways to broadcast shows and events, I feel that community building and creative output may be better served by a more curated experience. That being said, expect some more email list communication, a request for updated email addresses, and, for those interested, a sharing of your physical address. My goal is to curate a bi-annual mailer—like, yeah, real mail.

In the direct weeks ahead, there are several great chances to hear me play some music and experience the community of the live show: April 26th at 4pm I’m in Woodstock VA at Muse Vineyard; April 27th at 4pm come out to Union Square Park in Baltimore’s Sowebo neighborhood, and May 10th I’ve got a double header – 2pm at Remfest and 5:30pm at Monkton Festival. All the dates and details at calebstine.com

Wherever your adventures take you, I wish you the best! One thing the Master and Commander books drive home, the journey is always better with a friend. I think that’s one of the guiding forces for me as a musician—helping to create and sustain community, the kinds of events where people meet up, talk, laugh, cry, and just be together. In the seafaring novels, Jack and Stephen meet up in the Captain’s quarters to play fiddle and cello together—no matter how rough the seas have been, they convene to play together. It’s one touch that makes the books so readable, and it’s a great metaphor for how to survive the adventures of life.

Keep Goin!
Caleb

Here’s a batch of Four New Songs from Caleb Stine and Nicholas Sjostrom

https://nicholassjostrom.bandcamp.com/album/human-being-things