A Chair—and a Tour

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“If a chair were a pedometer, it might be lousy at its job—or maybe it wouldn’t have one—and if it were just a chair, it can be fun to sit in.”

I’m working on my aspirational quotes. I was figuring the internet needs more of those.

The internet also needs to know me touring using bad grammar, with pictures courtesy of the sorceress supreme Mushka @lightstonpix

June 5 - Songwriters at Play at Humdinger Brewing - San Luis Obispo, CA

June 8 - Santa Cruz House Concert w/ Echoes and Artifacts - Santa Cruz, CA

June 9th - Secret Song Club - Sebastopol, CA

June 12 - La Baguette Music Cafe - Ashland, OR

June 14 - Levy & Stone House Concert - Portland, OR

June 15 - Backyard at the Barage - Vancouver, WA

June 16 - Spinellas Off the Wall - Gresham, OR

June 18 - Artichoke Music - Portland, OR

June 21 -  Quarterdeck at the De Moines Marina - Des Moines, WA

June 29th - Teton’s Shadow and Sound - Victor, ID

June 30th - Fresh Folk Festival at Clydesdale Outpost


I’m under the influence of my ventriloquist’s wishes.

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, singer, songwriter, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

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UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Two Shows in Southern California Before I Hit the Road Again

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What up party people. I’ve got two shows in Southern California before I hit the road again for the month of June on my Spring Tour on the United States, through California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.

The first show is this Sunday June 2nd in my home away from home, Long Beach, California playing at Vine on 4th Street with my buddies Brenda Carsey and Manuel the Band. That is from 4pm to 7pm, followed swiftly by more friends, Alyssandra Nighswonger and R. Scott performing from 7pm to 10pm. All of this goodness is free and 21 plus

The second show is in Hollywood, California playing at The Hotel Cafe with Aaron Bowen and Jesus Gonzalez coming up from San Diego, California as Marc Erickson, my fellow Angeleno.

Tickets are available in advance and are ten bucks:

https://new.hotelcafe.com/event/mike-vitale-aaron-bowen-jesus-gonzalez-and-marc-erickson/

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, singer, songwriter, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

SOCIAL LINKS

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

The Kickstarter Campaign is 22% closer towards Success!

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We are at 29 backers on Kickstarter as I write this.

22% of the project is funded, with a goal of $25,000.

The current amount raised is $5,394, which I am so thankful for. The campaign ends in seven days on Sunday May 26th at 9:15PM PST . If we do not meet the goal of $25,000, I get nothing.

My friend Matt is stellar, and signed up for the $2,000 tier to host a house concert at his place in Michigan. I met him just a few months ago while playing in Nashville, Tennessee at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge. You are such a blessing my brother. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Speaking of thank you’s…

Thank you to Rudolph Finamore for joining the $750 songwriting tier along with Derek Horne! What a blessing. I met both of these Gentlemen when I was living in Fullerton, CA playing a weekly Wednesday night show at Plush Cafe. I built my first fanbase there. I am fortunate to have you both in my life. My gratitude.

My cousin Mia Whiting Thompson is extraordinary, along with my cousins Bob Whiting and Helen Terrell Whiting, all three of which signed up for the Autographed Vinyl and T-Shirt tier at $100.

My friend Nicole signed up for a $25 pledge, along with my friend Jeanine who pledged $50 for the Desert Dog T-Shirt and digital download.

Here is a link to pledge if you are interested in doing such:

http://kck.st/44seqP8

Please know, your pledges do not need to be so large. Anything and everything helps to get to such a large goal. It all amounts to success. I believe in this. I want you too as well. It is amazing what can be accomplished, together.

I am leaving for the Kerrville Folk Festival to perform on Thursday May 23rd and will be there in Texas when the campaign ends, next Sunday May 26th. Fingers crossed.

This is a video I made, discussing the Kickstarter campaign in more detail, including what it is going towards and the reason why I am asking for such a substantial sum of capital to invest in my business:

A special thank you to everyone who has pledged:

Devon, Nicolassa, Dustin, Ruth, Dane, Geoff, Taylor, Don, Jonny, Michael, David, Bob & Helen, Derek, Laura, Jeff, Heather, John, Jeremy, Vince, Devan, Sigi, Susan, Matt, Tesh, and Christine.

I am a very lucky person. Thank you for being in my constellation and for allowing me to be in yours.

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UPCOMING TOUR DATES

You're Gonna Live Forever in Me | John Mayer

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I love the sentiment of this song. It’s beautiful. It made me cry the first time I heard it. John has grown into such a wonderful songwriter. He’s always been special, but he only grows to new boundaries with every album he releases. May this trend continue as we grow old, together, in the same lifetime.

He starts with the Macro, and as the song progresses, into the Micro of Human Relationships.

It’s a stunning piece of work. If you are unfamiliar with the song, I highly recommend listening to it. He performed it on piano, but I have a deep fascination with adapting piano songs to guitar, so I did that with it.

Most importantly: we are animal, living symbiotically on a planet in orbit around a sun, which is one of a billion solar systems, orbiting around a super massive black hole, which is one of a trillion of other galaxies, in a rapidly expanding Universe. We are all part of that—and perhaps that is what so many religions describe in their sacred texts—simply asking or maybe urging: treat others the way you would want to be treated yourself, because we are all a small piece of the same thing, and we live eternally inside that. Forever and ever. Amen.

YOU’RE GONNA LIVE FOREVER IN ME

words and music by John Mayer

A great big bang and dinosaurs
Fiery raining meteors
It all ends unfortunately
But you're gonna live forever in me
I guarantee, just wait and see

Parts of me were made by you
And planets keep their distance too
The moon's got a grip on the sea
And you're gonna live forever in me
I guarantee, it's your destiny

Life is full of sweet mistakes
And love's an honest one to make
Time leaves no fruit on the tree
But you're gonna live forever in me
I guarantee, it's just meant to be

And when the pastor asks the pews
For reasons he can't marry you
I'll keep my word and my seat
But you're gonna live forever in me
I guarantee, just wait and see

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, singer, songwriter, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

SOCIAL MEDIA

UPCOMING SHOWS

Just the Way You Are | Billy Joel

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I’ve been hearing that Billy Joel just released a new song.

Hallelujah.

The first song of his that I remember connecting with was “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. That was 1989. I was 10 years old, jumping on a gigantic trampoline, at my friend Deiter’s house. Deiter was Belgian. He still is Belgian. Not quite sure why I am talking of him in the past tense—perhaps because we haven’t seen one another in 35 plus years. I digress though. He had this giant trampoline, and we were bouncing on it, doing back flips and forward flips, listening to Billy Joel be incredible.

That’s how Billy Joel makes me feel: like I’m jumping on a trampoline when I’m 10 years old. He always will. Thank you for making more music and putting it into the world. I imagine it means the world to a lot of us. It does to me.

This is me playing the first few sections of “Just the Way You Are” feeling like I’m 10 again, jumping on a trampoline.

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UPCOMING SHOWS

"Friend of the Devil", The Grateful Dead, and GIVING SONGS

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When I was a young man—I figure I was probably around 15 years old, I had these two friends: Josh and Jeff. This was in Visalia, CA, where I grew up. I was learning how to play guitar at the time—and I liked singing a lot too. I was very much interested in a lot of the music that was permeating the airwaves in the 1960’s, as well as, music that was part of the counter-culture in that era. This came fast on the heals of a lot of the grunge music that was big at the time of my teenage years, for my generation. It’s been humorous watching all the teenagers around now, 2023, wearing the clothing of “grunge” era musicians—much as we did at their age, wearing the tie die clothing, bell bottoms, and making the same aesthetic choices as those of our parents when they were are age. It’s a 30 year cycle of sorts that perpetually rears its head once more, as a way of making us laugh thirty years later, and perhaps to remember where we came from.

The Grateful Dead seemed to me to be the pinnacle of that counter culture. At the moment, at the age of 15, I had never listened to their music aside from an MTV music video for a song of theirs called “Touch of Grey.” Yet, I constantly saw Josh and Jeff wearing these beautiful tie-die t-shirt designs that screamed for a person’s attention: namely mine. So, eventually I asked: “Who are The Grateful Dead?” We were swimming in a pool at Jeff’s house at the time of my query.

He was happy hop out of the pool, and to show me their music, and I was so surprised by what it sounded like. It was country and rock and bluegrass and jam… all mixed into a lovely little package of beautiful.

The lyric writing on many of these songs were sublime. They told stories.

I’m 44 years old now. I love the Grateful Dead. I remember when Jerry Garcia passed away and how many people felt his loss. I remember attending a tribute show to Jerry in the Angeles National Forest with my brother Clark.

I remember a lot of things. Music often is the border collie that herds our memories out of the darker pastures of our subconscious, bringing memories and experiences, once again to the forefront.

At any rate: I was in Michigan on tour again this Summer, and every time I come to Michigan, I perform a cover song for a charity called GIVING SONGS.

You can learn more about what they do HERE, however, in short, the music they release every month helps fundraise and provide wheelchair accessible vehicle grants for families in need.

This year, I decided to get stoned and perform “Friend of the Devil” with another local talent from Michigan named Rob Nelson, who sang background vocals and also played lead guitar on this track, while I played rhythm and sang. Rob sounds sublime and inspired.

Written by Jerry Garcia, John Dawson, and Robert Hunter, FRIEND OF THE DEVIL was released by the Grateful Dead in 1970 on an album called AMERICAN BEAUTY. To this day, it make me smile playing it. It was one of the first songs I ever learned to play. It has been covered by countless others—and I hope that we did a great job in its rendition.

You can download a free copy of the song here, or you can make donation to GIVING SONGS while also downloading the song. It can be as big or as little of a contribution as you would like.

https://payhip.com/b/E7HAs

If you are interested in giving it a listen first, you can do so here:

However, all proceeds from your donation will go directly to GIVING SONGS.

WHO IS MIKE VITALE?

I am a storyteller, singer, songwriter, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify:

SOCIAL MEDIA

UPCOMING SHOWS



SOLD OUT show at PORCH SESSIONS in Pasadena and WINE AND SONG this Wednesday

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Wow, last night was so incredible. Thank you to Brenda and Will with Wonder and Awe Productions for making last night so special, along with all the music talent who performed: Jaywoozy, Guyville, Daisy Abrams, and Tom and myself.

Everyone had a blast and were so kind and the evening was immensely special to me.

A huge thank you to everyone who found me on Instagram as well.

Speaking of which, here are the links to all of my socials if you are having a hard time finding me online:

I have one more show in Pasadena that I am playing this Wednesday August 30th at the Lost Parrot for an event called Wine and Song. I will be playing a short set between Shane Alexander and Susan Ritchie.

https://wineandsong.com/event/5199110/647052014/wine-song-susan-ritchie-shane-alexander

Tickets are $22 for the event. This is a listening room environment.

You can purchase your seat for the event here:

TICKETS

UPCOMING SHOWS

Grand Island, NE House Concert Review

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The Spencer Family were my Hosts in Grand Island, NE

Steven Spencer and the family were so kind as to host me in Grand Island, Nebraska for this tour I just arrived home from a few days ago.

Steven wrote me an email with a review of the show. I was so stoked to finally have the opportunity to read it today.

While I may not make this painfully honest: my world and my dreams of playing music and telling my stories definitely hinges on the kindness of those who are willing to listen to them. My hope is that those who do listen, find humanity in my stories. The humanity is the story. It is the story of all of us.

I have no doubt where my place is in the world. It is doing what I am currently doing. Thank you Steven, for painting my endeavors in such a colorful and favorable light, as you have done here. I am immensely grateful to you and your family.

Here is Steven’s review of the concert:

I maintain that I am a somebody, who is a nobody, trying to be a somebody. I am immensely grateful for all the folks I meet along the way and who show me love and kindness and what it is to be a good person. I learn more on that with each of you that I meet. I hope to follow your course myself, in that trajectory, towards the heavens of good grace.

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UPCOMING SHOWS