This autumn has been productive transition, from a full-time high school teacher to a full-time musician, for me. I set my goals high with an important show at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Oct. 11 with my full band (The Great Lake Effect), and we finished the third EP, which will be released next month!
Tues. Oct 11 - Blind PigAnn Arbor$5; 18+ doors 9:30 PM
Playing at the Blind Pig has been a goal of mine for years, and it was great to bring Stuart Tucker (drums), Kevin Vines (bass) along for the ride. Leah Taylor, a Feist/Nora Jones like singer-songwriter, opened the show and sitting in with my band on keys/vocals. She’s just returned to her hometown of Ann Arbor after graduating from Rochester University in New York last spring! Dare we say this show is a little graduation celebration for Leah?
Catherine North Studios in Hamilton, Ontario
At the Blind Pig, The Great Lake Effect and I will be showcasing the four songs from the new EP. Recording the new EP happened in September. I returned to Catherine North Studios and we put in 10 hours days to finish four new songs in three days. All songs feature a full band including some great Michigan and Canadian musicians. Michael Chambers from Catherine North Studios is finishing the final mixes for me this week, and our tentative release date digitally is Halloween, Oct 30.
Between gigging, recording and writing, I’ve also been having a blast teaching private guitar lessons! It’s nice keeping one foot still in the teaching world, and I’m enjoying preparing my lesson plans that feature a balance of note reading, contemporary songs, guitar technique, and music theory! One of my students is working on Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” this week!
Anyways, thanks for the support this month as I embrace my full time musician life! I’ve been having a blast, been writing weekly, and embracing a lot of driving across the state.
Set List & Show Recap – 9.23.2011
Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect
Capital Music —- HAYA Benefit
Holly, MI
This was our first show together as a trio, with Stuart Tucker on drums and Kevin Vines on bass!
Last night, we raised slightly over $200 for Holly Area Youth Assistance to fix musical instruments that they donate to kids in need. Special thanks to Corey Kapanka and his trio, Natalie Burg for arming the merch table, and Brad and Nancy Capital Music for hosting our first band show at the Great Lake Effect.
Everyone who donated and signed-up for my mailing list will receive my third digital EP, Where the Sand Meets the Tide, for free next month upon it’s release!
Set list
- Intelligent Fool
- Change Your Tune
- Driftwood
- Julie’s Monsters
- My Lovely Enemy
- I Know I Made a Mess This Time
- Ohio*^
- Change the World*#
- Empty Cup
- Love and Be Proud
- One Way Road
- Mahogany
- I Will*
- Only the Rain Knows Why
* Mike Vial solo
^Neil Young cover
#Eric Clapton cover
Photo Credits: Natalie Burg
I’m heading back to Catherine North Studios to record another set of songs with producer Michael Chambers this month! Marshall Block at RealiiReel Studios and David Mosher from his home studio will be doing some tracking for me too.
Recording dates are Sept 19-Sept 21st and tentative release date is Halloween. This will be a full band creation that features Stuart Tucker on drums, David Mosher on fiddle and maybe mandolin, Michael Chambers on bass and piano, Hannah Fralick on vocals, and possibly more.
Current songs being demoed include:
- Empty Cup
- Love and Be Proud
- I Know I Made a Mess This Time
- I Will (If Your Plane Is Late)
- I Just Want to Be Your Last
- Ohio (Neil Young cover)
I’m thinking four will be on the EP. It’s going to be a whirlwind of three days of recording and then a day or two of mixing. My goal is to kick this EP out in a week!
Hi everyone, how was your return to school last week? It still feels weird not to return to the classroom. I left my teaching position last spring to pursue music fulltime, and it’s been a wild summer. When the school year approached, it felt strange to not be preparing my lesson plans and preping my classroom. I’m missing everyone in the hallways, but I have to admit, being able to focus on music right now is an amazing gift.
This focus has helped me reach some goals: I’m debuting my full band–Mike Vial and the Great Lake Effect–featuring Stuart Tucker (drums) and Kevin Vines (bass) at a Holly, Michigan showcase. Then, we will be playing some full band shows throughout the fall. The talented David Mosher (mandolin, fiddle) will be accompanying us at select shows too! If those gigs weren’t enough, I’m heading back to Catherine North Studios in Canada to record a third collection of songs at the end of the month. David Mosher, Stuart Tucker, and Michael Chambers (producer at CNS) and others are playing on the record.
So while I won’t be grading papers this month, I have quite a bit of homework for myself. Anyways, I hope you all are doing well. Thank you to everyone from Manistee who recently signed up for my newsletter at the Port City Street Fair.
Hope to see you soon,
Mike Vial
Vialator Song Club. Once a month, I’m sending out a newsletter that will be including free song downloads, gig schedules, contests for tickets, stories, guitar lesson features, interviews with bands, and other musings. The Sept. newsletter will feature a free download one of the demos for the third EP being released on Halloween.
You can subscribe below:
