I Wish That I Were Gay
My TV Friends
Always Be
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From San Diego, The Bigfellas write and perform “smartass rock". Piano-based, but aggressively eclectic. They’re best known for their more humorous tunes such as “I Wish That I Were Gay”, “4:20” and "Dollar For Every Dime" all of which are on their debut schizophrenic CD, Chubbed Up ... but they can be sensitive, too.
Also known for: cooking delicious grilled cheese sandwiches or hot dogs on stage during shows.
At times The Bigfellas can be identified as drawing comparisons to early Ben Folds Five or Warren Zevon. In practice, they're all over the stylistic map with Beck-style jams, 1920 French accordion jazz and straight up rock guitars.
As said in the San Diego Reader: "Our local scene is entirely too serious. The Bigfellas couldn't care less about the band's image." They're probably right.
You might have heard their golf rap, “On The Green” as the theme music to the Super 70's Sports Podcast.
New album "Hiya" is available. Click here to check it out.
The Chuck Charles project is a collective of Charlie's music rounded out with talented his San Diego musicians/friends on songs that might not fit the mold of The Bigfellas & Leaders In The Clubhouse (his other band w Spud Davenport). Basically, anything without Shay on it becomes Chuck Charles instead of The Bigfellas.
Interesting factoid: Was sued by the publishers of the Ziggy comic strip.
Charlie has written the score for an acclaimed independent documentary (Don't Change The Subject), has music placed in basic cable TV shows, and does some studio playing for other artists in San Diego.
Chuck Charles was once referred to as "the stupid man's Randy Newman". We like that.
Why are indie music reviews becoming more positive? One musician-hyphen-critic explores changing music criticism, internet snark, reviewer incentives, empathy, honesty, and the challenges of covering independent artists.
Posted by Charlie Recksieck on 2026-07-14 Read post
"Beloved San Diegans reflect more wittily and tunefully than most on their normally displaced lives."
"Zevonesque."
"The Bigfellas are a pretty big deal in San Diego and only getting bigger."
"Words that I would kill to hear on primetime radio."
"Good songs, clever, irreverent. Right up my alley. It's really well done, strong. I hope to hear you live sometime. It's really fun to listen to."
"The melodies are so beautiful, a complete left turn from what you would expect to hear lyrically. It's like hearing Stevie Wonder playing keys and singing about "slappin' a bitch". Amazing!!"
"The Bigfellas are an intellectual pop fan's dream."
"Great piano driven music for the mind as well as the soul; type of satire that Randy Newman used to do so well."
"We're delighted."
"Trust me, allowing these guys to be the soundtrack to my valuable drinking time is no minor praise."
"It sounded like the intro to a Queen song. It touched a whole lot on the indulgence of Southern California."
"This record is truly one of the best I have heard in almost twenty years."
Best Local Band in San Diego
it Looks like we're on a hiatus; we should be adding more shows soon.
The Bigfellas' most recognizeable/danceable songs like "On The Green", "4:20" and "Moving Day" are here. Described as "the kind of satire that Randy Newman used to do so well."
Upcoming Chuck Charles solo record "Hiya" with 15 new songs. Official release is in September 2020.
The EP/remix treatment that "I Wish That I Were Gay" deserves: Hollywood, political, polka and studio release versions. Plus "In The Daytime", a Bigfellas 1.0 staple.
Two Bigfellas originals commissioned for an indie documentary and full movie score from Charlie It's experimental, filmic and still fun to listen to, don't let the movie's topic fool you.
Debut album of an ongoing collaboration from The Bigfellas' Charlie with Spud Davenport. Fun fact: all 10 songs have had some radio airplay.
Special, sweet cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again" with Charlie and singer/songwriter Sierra West.
Very first Bigfellas EP with original Big lineup. Unfortunately, currently out of print, but available on request to folks on our mailing list.