Meet Pat McBride | Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pat McBride and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pat, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It’s kind of funny, because I never really thought about performing as my own business. I’ve always played music because I love to play. I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old. My Dad was in bands back in the day and had an Alvarez acoustic guitar that I would “make noise” on, that would drive my brothers crazy. Now here I am!

My parents always had a pretty incredible record collection, and I’ve loved The Beatles as long as I can remember, but I’d never played an instrument before. It wasn’t until my arms were long enough to get around my Dad’s guitar that I started teaching myself how to play guitar off the internet and very briefly taking lessons from my guitar teacher, Mr. Snow in my hometown of Wilbraham Massachusetts. After finally learning some actual Beatles tunes, I was hooked.

Still though, even playing throughout high school and in bands throughout my 20’s, I never really thought of this as a business. I just loved playing. It’s only been in more recent years, as I’ve branched out as a solo artist across Southern California that it has begun to feel more like a business for me. That said, I’ll forever be grateful for local businesses like Hennessey’s Tavern in La Jolla, The Roxy in Encinitas, and Winston’s in Ocean Beach, who all took a chance on me and have supported me and my now small business from the very beginning.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would say my energy sets me apart. It’s so much fun being able to play music. I get lost in it. All my worries seem to float out the window the second I start playing. Paul McCartney once said how great it is being able to play music because it doesn’t feel like work. You get to Play music, not Work music. I couldn’t agree more with that. You can see the excitement on my face at my shows. I feel like a kid again. I can’t believe I get to do this!
I’m most proud of myself for continuing the journey. It’s far from easy and there is certainly a lot of rejection that can be incredibly painful. I try to remind myself to take this seriously but not take myself too serious and to keep having fun. Everything will unravel as it should. It’s landed me this article in ShoutOut SoCal so I must be doing something right!

I’ve pursued an artistic career, simply because it’s always been my dream. Music was the first thing that ever truly clicked with me. I was so lucky to be blessed with parents who had an impressive classic rock record collection, and I played them all. There is a power in music. It’s like magic the way these notes can move you. They’re special frequencies that I can’t explain. Music has gotten me through all of the darkest times in my life. My mother passed away when I was 17 years old, and there’s no way I would’ve been able to get through that without The Beatles. Her name was Judy, so the song Hey Jude really means a lot to me. To be able to return the favor by writing a song that could potentially help someone else get out of a dark place, that would be a dream come true for me. That would be a far greater reward than any amount of money I could ever make, and that’s the power of music. I love being creative and I feel so appreciative to be able to do this. Every show I do, it’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. They’re all different, but the objective always remains the same… I have to make whoever is in the audience feel better about themselves than before I started playing. Life is crazy and you never know what people are going through. They need it and my soul needs it. It’s synergy at its finest. If I can make someone laugh or smile by the end of the show, I’ve done my job. Yes, it is my career, but it’s also about the music giving me and the people listening the peace of mind to continue moving forward.

Beyond that, I love how music continues to evolve and challenge me. I started out only playing guitar, but right now in my current act I’ve also incorporated using a looper pedal to add piano, bass, drums, and rhythm guitar to help me fill out the songs in my set, with the overall goal of sounding like a one man band. I can’t imagine what I’ll be doing 10 years from now, I just know I’m going to continue to grow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well San Diego is an easy sell. I have had multiple friends move out here after visiting. I used to live in Pacific Beach, so some of my favorite spots I took them were little gems like Leilani’s Cafe, a great Hawaiian breakfast and lunch spot. Latitude 32 or “Tudes” as we called it, was our local watering hole. Both of those places are down the street from each other on Cass St. They also make an excellent cheesesteak. My favorite burger place is Rocky’s Crown Pub. They keep it simple and it has to be the best burger I’ve ever had.
A solid date night would have to be Blue Boheme on Adams Ave in Normal Heights or Piatti’s in La Jolla.

I would have to say the many beautiful beaches are a must see. Aside from music, going to the beach has to be my favorite activity. It’s really hard to choose a favorite but you can’t go wrong with any of the beaches in La Jolla. I also love kayaking in Mission Bay.
I’m a caregiver for individuals with special needs as well and one of our favorite activities is going to the Fleet Science Center on the first Tuesday of every month. It’s free to get in with your California ID and half off movies in the IMAX Dome. I also have gotten to know so much of San Diego from going on hikes with some of the individuals I support. There are endless spots to hike around here but one of my favorites is to the Los Peñasquitos waterfall in Sorrento Valley.
I would love to give a big SoCal ShoutOut to my best friend David Cross’s company Civitas Supported Living. Be sure to check them out if you or a loved one with special needs is looking for exceptional around the clock support!
To sum it all up, I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported me along the way and all the amazing people of Southern California that I have had the pleasure of meeting. Embracing every sun-soaked moment over the last 14 years, I am eternally grateful for this sweet SoCal life of mine.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It would be really difficult to do this job if not for the love and support of my family and friends. My fiancé Bianca is the one who really encouraged me, and continues motivating me to put myself out there. I wouldn’t be able to do this if not for having a partner in life like her. My parents are the ones who gave me my musical taste, and my older brothers Sean & Kelly that give me unconditional support. Same with my friends. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been playing to a near empty bar, and the set is starting to drag a bit, when all of a sudden, a big group of my friends walk in the door. They give me that jolt of energy I need to keep giving it my all the rest of the night, and more importantly, to keep doing what I’m doing.

Website: https://linktr.ee/mcbride_music

Instagram: @McBride_Music

Youtube: @McBride_Music

Image Credits
Featured photo courtesy of Joni at Wild & Free Elopements