Blake Abbey is a Sacramento-scene singer, guitarist, and songwriter best known as a co-founder and lead vocalist of the local indie-pop group Musical Charis.[1][2] Beyond the band, he co-founded a community music school in Oak Park, hosted scene events, and played in several side projects, making him a recurring fixture in Sacramento's music community across the late 2000s and 2010s.[3][4][5]
At a glance
- Co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist of Sacramento indie-pop band Musical Charis, whose name derives from the Greek word "charis," meaning gift — translating literally to "Musical Gifts."[1][2][6]
- Previously a member of Sacramento-based pop-rock band Self Against City before it broke up in late 2008.[7]
- Co-created the all-ages Musical Charis Music School in Oak Park (grand opening May 2, 2009).[3]
- Relocated to Sacramento from Florida (with his brother Bradley and Colin Vieira) in 2008, the move that preceded Musical Charis's formation.[2]
- Engaged to, and later married, Musical Charis co-vocalist Jessie Brune (later Jessie Abbey).[8][9][2]
- Victim of a June 2015 Midtown Sacramento stabbing later classified as a hate crime.[5]
- Musical Charis remained active well past 2015, releasing singles including "Lucky" (2023) and "IYKYK" (2025).[10]
Origin and local status
Abbey's documented musical career is rooted in Sacramento. He was previously a member of the Sacramento-based pop-rock band Self Against City, which broke up in late 2008.[7] The Abbey brothers (Blake and Bradley) and bassist Colin Vieira relocated from Florida to Sacramento in 2008, and Musical Charis formed there following that move.[2] Musical Charis is repeatedly described in the sources as a "local" / "Sacramento band," with Abbey himself referred to as a "local musician" and a "seasoned local."[8][11][5] On this basis he is treated as local to the Sacramento scene, with the caveat that he is originally a Florida transplant.
Self Against City and the Musical Charis split
Before Musical Charis, Abbey was a member of Sacramento-based pop-rock band Self Against City, which "imploded" in late 2008. The breakup sent its members into two successor groups that became Musical Charis and Owltrain.[7] At a March 18, 2009 show at Marilyn's on K that reunited the two factions, Abbey performed with Musical Charis (alongside Jessie Brune) and was noted for openly ribbing his former bandmates from the stage.[7]
Musical Charis
Abbey is a core member of Musical Charis, sharing lead vocal duties with Jessie Brune and playing guitar and keyboards.[1][2] The band is characterized as a collaborative "musical entity" rather than a conventional band, known for high-energy, unplanned shows in which auxiliary players and audience members are invited on stage.[3][8]
The band name "Musical Charis" draws from the Greek word "charis," meaning gift; according to the Visit St. Augustine musician profile, the name literally translates to "Musical Gifts."[6]
Recordings associated with Abbey and Musical Charis (all on JMB Records unless noted):
- Electra Church Bells — slated for a late-May 2009 release.[7]
- People People — full-length featuring Abbey's lyrics; reviewed 2010.[4][10]
- Ace of Space — 2011 album.[1][10]
- FOOL$ GOLD — seven-track album recorded with engineer Joe Johnston at Pus Cavern, released Oct. 11, 2012 (release show at the Townhouse Lounge); described as the band's fourth release.[1] For Folk's Sake called it "a little gem of a record" with "uplifting harmonies," and noted the band had "graced these pages multiple times with their whimsical records packed full of ideas."[12]
- Cherish the Charis — 23-track collection spanning five years of material, released July 18, 2013 at Harlow's; the band described it as their fifth full-length.[9] Apple Music catalogs it as a Compilation rather than a standard studio album.[10]
- A live EP/DVD recorded Nov. 11, 2013 at Velveteen Laboratory in Los Angeles (studio of Taylor Locke of Rooney); released via JMB Records Jan. 1, 2014, debuted at a Dec. 6, 2013 Harlow's show opening for Dishwalla.[2]
- Abbeycadabra — 2018 studio album.[10]
- Lucky — single, 2023.[10]
- IYKYK — single, November 2025, confirming the band's continued activity.[10]
The band toured heavily — as many as 150 shows per year, including an annual 65-day national spring tour and an appearance at SXSW.[1] They earned Sammies nominations in 2010 (Best Album of the Year) and 2012 (Best Indie Band of the Year) and won Best Indie Band of the Year in 2011.[1] On the FOOL$ GOLD sessions Abbey performed alongside Brune, his brother Bradley Abbey, and bassist Colin Vieira, with contributions from Jarrod Affonso (drums), Brian Brown (keys), Shawn King, and a remote collaboration with Florida musician Chris King.[1]
Musical Charis Music School
Together with Jessie Brune and other musicians, Abbey co-founded the all-ages Musical Charis Music School in Oak Park, which held its grand opening on May 2, 2009 at 3600 Stockton Blvd.[3] Brune credited Abbey with the idea — he spotted a vacant building (later described as the one next to the Colonial Theatre) and decided to call about it, and the project came together "overnight."[3][1] The school offered a free place to play music plus inexpensive lessons, and its community work drew the attention of then-Mayor Kevin Johnson, who met with Brune.[3] By 2012 the band was teaching lessons out of Beatnik Studios, mentoring youth in guitar, piano, singing, songwriting, and performance, sometimes letting students open for the band.[1]
Other roles and side projects
- Host / MC: Abbey hosted the first Non-Drummer Drum-Off, a comedic contest staged Dec. 4, 2011 at the Westfield Downtown Plaza Mall in Sacramento, delivering sarcastic remarks after contestants' performances.[13]
- Sea Legs: In 2014 Abbey joined the local folk/rock group Sea Legs (guitar/vocals) alongside former members of The Inversions (Adam Varona, Scott McConaha, Will Comstock) and Todd Weber of Blame the Bishop; the band's debut EP Slow & Steady was tied to a July 18, 2014 Concerts in the Park slot opening for !!! (Chk Chk Chk) and a release show at Pour House.[11]
June 2015 hate-crime attack
Around midnight on Sunday, June 21, 2015, Abbey was walking near 21st and O streets in Midtown Sacramento with his brother Bradley and friends Alex Lyman and Wes Richmond (of the band Slaves) when a man wielding a large knife confronted them, yelling homophobic slurs and taunting them over their "skinny jeans."[5] Abbey was stabbed in the arm, sustaining a roughly 12-inch wound; Lyman received a 4-inch cut near his spleen.[5] According to the Sacramento News & Review, Richmond sustained a stomach wound and a broken hand — injuries that prevented him from joining Slaves on Warped Tour that weekend, not merely from the upcoming Concerts in the Park appearance described elsewhere.[14] The attacker, identified as Timothy Brownell, 25, was arrested; the case was reclassified by Sacramento Police as a hate crime.[5] The local music community organized benefit shows under the banner #SacramentoStrong to offset the victims' medical bills, including an all-day event at Blue Lamp on July 19, 2015.[5]