About
While it would be dramatic and literary to imagine Michael found, shortly after his birth, in a wooden basket floating on a river laden with reed and tulle along its banks, the truth of the matter is that he is most often discovered by the average person on an already archaic form of media transfer, the compact disc—probably with his name scribbled in Sharpie across it—or better yet, in the environment he feels most comfortable in: cramped on a stage with a bunch of sweaty musicians, pouring their hearts out for an engaged audience.
Born and raised in Visalia, CA, and a later transplant to Orange County, Mike has slowly built an audience for his music through earnest and heartfelt performances all over the vast confines of Orange County, California, The West Coast, and now the United States—one college, university, coffee shop, and venue at a time.
Having cut his teeth while attending Cal State University Fullerton at the now defunct Plush Café in downtown Fullerton every Wednesday night for a packed house of eager listeners, Mike has engaged and fascinated audiences with his unique blend of storytelling and musicianship as a solo artist, initially garnering interest with his jaw-dropping tenor voice, eloquent lyrics, stellar guitar chops, and the digital looping equipment and sonic textures he manufactures with modern guitar foot pedals.
His 2010 release WHEN HAPPINESS AND HOME, mastered by Kevin Bartley at Capitol Records, is the predecessor and dry run to a new leaf: Mike Vitale and The Hawkline Monster. Having tapped the shoulders of some of the finest musicians in Orange County, Mike is taking this project on the road in order to help finance his newest full-length studio album, as of yet untitled.
Having had the unique luxury of listening to many of the songs on this, as of yet, new and unreleased album, his self-produced effort evokes the imagery and imagination of a world traveler in intimate conversation with the listener. Whether through the ethereal haze of a lover in “Lovely,” the African rhythms of “Latchkey Kid,” the Calypso/Afro-Cuban storytelling “Recess,” or the Ska Aesopian Fable “That Sheep and Those Sheep,” Mike and the Hawkline Monster’s first effort, in my own humble opinion, is a labor of love as well as something worthy of falling in love with. However, you don’t need to take my word for it, you just need to see them live—I promise, you’ll swear you’ve never felt better.
- Joshua Jon Day
PRESS
If Mike were half the chichi man he looks (and let’s face, does that guy to the left look pretentious? He looks like a fool to me), he might go on and on about how great he is—-that could be construed as conceited. So we won’t do that—-we’ll leave that to the critics:
LA Story Interview as well Nu Americas Interview
VENUES
Friday 9/9/2011 9:30 PM The Cellar Door Visalia, CA, US
Saturday 8/13/2011 6:00 PM Rockwood Music Hall New York, NY, US
Saturday 7/30/2011 8:00 PM Jeremias’s House Show Columbus, OH, US
Monday 5/10/2010 12:00 PM Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA, US
Sunday 4/25/2010 8:00 PM The Kilns Bend, OR, US
Friday 4/23/2010 8:00 PM Red Rock Coffee Co. Mountain View, CA, US
Monday 4/19/2010 8:00 PM 210 Cafe Visalia, CA, US
Sunday 4/18/2010 12:00 PM Fresno State University Fresno, CA, US
Saturday 4/17/2010 8:00 PM The Public House Temecula, CA, US
Wednesday 3/10/2010 12:00 PM Alabama State University Montgomery, AL, US
Monday 3/8/2010 12:00 PM University of Florida Gainesville, FL, US
Tuesday 1/26/2010 8:00 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Tuesday 1/19/2010 8:00 PM On The Rox Los Angeles, CA, US
Wednesday 10/21/2009 12:00 PM University of La Verne La Verne, CA, US
Sunday 10/11/2009 9:00 PM Scripps College Claremont, CA, US
Tuesday 9/29/2009 12:00 PM Fresno State University Fresno, CA, US
Friday 3/13/2009 8:00 PM The Kilns Bend, OR, US
Thursday 3/12/2009 7:00 PM Barnes and Noble Seattle, WA, US
Wednesday 3/11/2009 8:00 PM Seattle University Seattle, WA, US
Saturday 2/7/2009 5:00 PM San Diego State University San Diego, CA, US
Sunday 11/23/2008 8:00 PM The Kilns Bend, OR, US
Tuesday 11/18/2008 12:00 PM Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA, US
Wednesday 11/5/2008 11:30 AM Northern Arizona Universitry Flagstaff, AZ, US
Tuesday 10/21/2008 9:00 PM The Starline Fresno, CA, US
Tuesday 10/21/2008 12:00 PM Fresno State University Fresno, CA, US
Sunday 10/12/2008 8:30 PM The Abbey Santa Cruz, CA, US
Wednesday 9/17/2008 11:45 AM Chapman University Orange, CA, US
Thursday 9/4/2008 3:30 PM ASR Action Sports Trade Show San Diego, CA, US
Wednesday 9/3/2008 8:00 PM DiPiazza’s Long Beach, CA, US
Monday 8/11/2008 8:00 PM Room 5 Los Angeles, CA, US
Thursday 8/7/2008 8:00 PM Plush Fullerton, CA, US
Friday 8/1/2008 8:30 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Monday 7/21/2008 8:00 PM Room 5 Los Angeles, CA, US
Monday 7/7/2008 8:00 PM Room 5 Los Angeles, CA, US
Saturday 6/14/2008 9:00 PM eVocal Costa Mesa, CA, US
Saturday 6/7/2008 6:00 PM The Irvine Spectrum Irvine, CA, US
Friday 6/6/2008 8:00 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Friday 5/23/2008 8:00 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Sunday 5/11/2008 8:00 PM The Libertine Los Angeles, CA, US
Sunday 5/4/2008 8:00 PM Scripps College Claremont, CA, US
Sunday 4/27/2008 12:00 PM The Libertine Los Angeles, CA, US
Wednesday 4/23/2008 12:00 PM Fresno City College Fresno, CA, US
Tuesday 4/22/2008 12:00 PM Fresno State University Fresno, CA, US
Friday 4/18/2008 8:00 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Tuesday 4/1/2008 8:00 PM Method Film Fest Calabasas, CA, US
Thursday 3/13/2008 12:00 PM Cal State Fullerton Fullerton, CA, US
Wednesday 3/12/2008 12:00 PM University of La Verne La Verne, CA, US
Monday 3/10/2008 12:00 PM Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA, US
Wednesday 3/5/2008 8:00 PM Seattle University Seattle, WA, US
Monday 3/3/2008 12:00 PM University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA, US
Sunday 3/2/2008 12:45 PM Unity Edgewood Church Edgewood, WA, US
Thursday 2/28/2008 11:00 AM Mt Hood Community College Gresham, OR, US
Wednesday 2/27/2008 12:00 PM Portland State Univeristy Portland, OR, US
Tuesday 2/26/2008 11:00 AM Clatsop College Astoria, OR, US
Monday 2/25/2008 11:00 AM Clatsop College Astoria, OR, US
Friday 2/1/2008 1:00 PM Chaparral High School Temecula, CA, US
Wednesday 1/30/2008 12:00 PM Chapman Univeristy Orange, CA, US
Friday 1/4/2008 8:30 PM The Gypsy Den Santa Ana, CA, US
Thursday 12/27/2007 9:00 PM Plush Fullerton, CA, US
Wednesday 12/26/2007 9:00 PM Lestat’s San Diego, CA, US
Thursday 12/6/2007 8:00 PM Lestat’s San Diego, CA, US
Monday 11/26/2007 8:00 PM Room 5 Los Angeles, CA, US
Tuesday 11/20/2007 12:00 PM Cal Poly Pomona Pomona, CA, US
Thursday 11/15/2007 8:00 PM Cuppy’s (formerly Java Jo’z) Murrieta, CA, US
Wednesday 11/7/2007 8:00 PM OC Tavern San Clemente, CA, US
Friday 11/2/2007 7:00 PM Birch Street – Downtown Brea Brea, CA, US
Tuesday 10/30/2007 7:30 PM Chapman Coffee House Orange, CA, US
Saturday 10/27/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Long Beach, CA, US
Friday 10/26/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Rancho Cucamonga, CA, US
Saturday 10/20/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Costa Mesa, CA,
Friday 10/19/2007 6:00 PM Irvine Spectrum Irvine, CA, US
Wednesday 10/17/2007 8:00 PM Plush (w/ Ernie Halter) Fullerton, CA, US
Saturday 10/13/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Montclair, CA, US
Friday 10/12/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Tustin, CA, US
Sunday 10/7/2007 2:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Costa Mesa, CA, US
Saturday 10/6/2007 6:00 PM Irvine Spectrum Irvine, CA, US
Friday 10/5/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Pasadena, CA, US
Thursday 10/4/2007 9:00 PM Lestat’s San Diego, CA, US
Thursday 10/4/2007 12:00 PM Sunny Hills High School Fullerton, CA, US
Saturday 9/29/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Chino, CA, US
Friday 9/28/2007 8:00 PM Border’s Books and Music Yorba Linda, CA, US
