Blue Plate Special was a swing band formed in Chico in the early '90s by acoustic bassist Todd Clark. The band's earliest incarnation was as a Western swing quartet, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Kevin Wright (The Kingpins, Starkweather Boys). Eventually the band added horns and moved into the big-band and jump blues genres. Throughout the '90s they were a prominent fixture on the neo-swing scene, including clubs like Bimbo's 365 in San Francisco, The Derby, and The Viper Room, both in Los Angeles. Their sole CD release A Night Out With Blue Plate Special is available in two versions, one featuring vocalist Fred Stuart, another featuring later vocalist David Oulette. The band's original songs Night Out and Work That Skirt were picked for inclusion on the "Swing This, Baby" compilation CD's, which served as a who's-who of modern swing bands.

In 1996, the band performed Ray Charles' Outskirts of Town with Stevie Wonder at the Polygram records party the night he received his lifetime achievement Grammy. Sitting in that night was jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and in the audience were Chuck Berry, Blues Traveler John Popper, Michael Keaton, Fran Drescher, Sheryl Crow, Ru Paul and other LA luminaries. The event was covered on Entertainment Tonight and InStyle magazine.

Later that year the band performed a month-long engagement at Las Vegas' legendary Sands Hotel just prior to its demolition. In the late 1990's, the band relocated to Los Angeles and changed personnel.

Members of the Chico incarnation of the band included: