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Greetings to all,
This is my favorite time of the year....though
autumn usually signifies the end of the season, we
have some new things dawning this autumn. Gregg
Bell, my dear friend and manager of several years,
is no longer managing me and an old friend named
Dawn Maze now is. Dawn originally introduced me to
Gregg years ago. Dawn has a lot of industry
experience and has long been a supporter and friend
of mine, and with the
timing of Gregg's departure and her looking to
branch out on her own, it seemed like the perfect
move for me to make. I'd like to thank Gregg for
everything and welcome Dawn into this family of
ours. Dawn is reachable through the website so I
would encourage any and everyone to welcome her and
wish her much success in trying to deal with me.
Seriously though, I'm sure she'd love to hear from
you. A couple of projects are in the works,
including a new record that I am extremely excited
about having you all hear. It's an album called
"Beneath The Ashes." Not sure of the
release date officially but I believe it will be
November 9th. I would also encourage those of you in
Chicago
and
Boston
and Philly and
Memphis
...San
Fran...LA...to call your radio stations and request
they play something from this new record. We have to
keep this thing going and it's on the edge of a
knife right now. Please, I ask for your support. God
bless you all....
- mm -
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*
BENEATH DETAILS: Ok, since Michael talked about it above, we thought we'd
share a little bit more information about the
upcoming album with you! "Beneath The
Ashes" will be released with
"Ashes" (as a holiday set) on
November 9th. It will be available for
pre-order shortly on the website. It's a
limited edition run, so pre-order yours ASAP
at: order
now!.
Tracks on the record will be:
1. Feel A Little Further
2. Upside Down
3. Belong
4. What You Think, You Become
5. The Silent Will Soon Be Singing
6. Around the World (with strings)
7. Ridin' the
Spare
8. Right Here With You
9. Puzzle
10. Can't Sleep Tonight (Demo)
11. Little Drummer Boy
*
YAHOOOOOOOO!:
For future newsletter delivery,
we've instituted a Yahoo! Group for
distribution. You should have gotten an email
with a link to join the group. If you are
reading this online and would like to
subscribe, go to: Yahoo!
Group.
*
NEW WEBSITE: There is a new Michael McDermott website up and running,
so if you haven't checked it out already, run
(don't walk) to: new
website. On it is a brand-spanking-new Blog
from Michael entitled "Michael's
Madness" where you can go for regularly
updated notes from him. You can also post your
own thoughts in response to Michael's writings
if you wish. Plus there are all sorts of other
goodies on the site to keep you in the loop on
everything McDermott.
*
USO-YEAH: Michael will be performing at the USO Star Spangled
Salute Ball on October 23rd in
Chicago
.
Given the name of the event, I'm sure you'll
be surprised to hear that he is not
performing our nationa
anthem! Instead, he's been tapped to play
"Arm Yourself" acoustic. They expect
1000 people. For more information, go to: USO.
*
BIRTHDAY SURPRISE: Yet again, Mil has outdone herself in putting
together a birthday surprise for Michael in
August which gathered greetings and
well-wishes from many fans into one
remarkable, memorable gift. To see the results
of her efforts (and everyone else who
submitted materials to her for it), go to: Birthday
Surprise. Michael was greatly touched by
the gift and the sentiments expressed by all
who participated. Thanks to Mil for making
Michael's birthday extra special for him.
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Occasionally I get notes from
people for Michael that I find especially moving and
that I'd love to share with newsletter readers. This
is one of them, and I asked the writer's permission
to post it here. Without further ado, a note from
Janet:
Michael, I hope in some way that this email, or the
gist of it gets to you. I hope you know that you are
reaching folks out there, with your music and your
talent and your passion. My husband and I are so
moved by your music. And dear god, I have been
listening since your first came out (
I converted him later when I met him!). And,
you know, lots of favorites of mine have fallen to
the wayside. But, you truly perform with your heart,
and it shows. You do seem to be a very genuine
person, from all the things I have read about you,
and the couple of times I have spoken with you, and
every time I see you pour your heart out on stage. I
cannot imagine how hard it must be to keep going on
after all you have been through, especially with
your first record company. I know that is all behind
you! I tell everyone about you! I hope I can send
some more folks your way. Is it worth asking Barnes
and Noble and Exclusive Company to carry your
albums, or are they not marketed that way?
Also, here in
Milwaukee
,
what radio stations would I call to ask them, kindly
of course, to play your music? I would like to help
however I can.
From being a social worker, I know how lonely it can
be when you are a healer, which you are. I guess our
medium in some ways is different. I really needed to
thank you, with a very personal thank you. In a
couple of days is my 37th birthday. I am working so
hard to create a life of goodness and health and
good friends, after a childhood of fear and hell.
Your music truly, and without a doubt, helped me get
out mentally and physically. I cannot explain the
hell from where I have come for it is too hard, but,
I can thank you. On your most recent album, there is
the line about not being able to change where we
come from, but being able to change where we are
going to. I have sat with my husband and listened to
that over and over, usually crying. It has become a
mantra. And, so as you helped so many years ago,and
so many years in between, you helped again. At this
pivotal point in my life, I have a new healing
message to carry with me. I may be wounded, but, a
wounded healer I c an be.
I can change where I am going, and I can listen to
the voices who are imploring that I continue to try.
I have to listen because I have to continue to meet
the poor and the oppressed in the ghetto every day,
and I have to offer them some kind of hope for life.
And, this is what your music gave me, in trying to
get out of the "ghetto" of my childhood,
all those years ago, and even now. Thank you and God
bless you, and yours. Take very good care of
yourself!
Peace, Janet Van
Peursem
Milwaukee
,
WI
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Since Michael parted ways
recently with his manager, Gregg Bell, and a new
manager, Dawn Maze, has come on board, I thought it
would be a great time to get some scoop from her and
fill you in on this new vital person ON the
McDermott team. Here is what Dawn had to say in a
recent email Q&A:
MM Newsletter: How did you meet Michael?
When?
Dawn Maze: I first met Michael in May of '96.
I had recently come to know of him and went to a
show (
Luna
Park
in LA) when he was on the Jars of Clay tour. He
signed my poster. I met him again in Dec. of 2000
and we became friends.
MMN: Give us a little bit of background on
your work resume so our readers can get a feeling
for what you've done/who you've worked with.
DM: I've always tried to do music related
stuff. I worked at Universal Music for a few years
doing licensing and project coordination for their
various labels including MCA, Interscope/Geffen/A&M,
UMe & Lost Highway.
When I left there, I went to manage Pete Yorn's
indie label, Trampoline,
along with Rami Jaffee
(The Wallflowers) and Marc "Doc" Dauer
(Jukebox Junkies). I still work on a few things with
them and I also look after Business Affairs for a
Japanese rockstar.
MMN: What are your
biggest management focuses for Michael at the
moment?
DM: My focus right now is on getting him in
front of some new audiences and building his fanbase
in different markets. We're also looking into having
'Ashes' released in
Europe
as well as doing some dates over there next year.
MMN: What do you see as next steps for
Michael -- with regard to this album and perhaps
recording another?
DM: He certainly has enough material for
another record already! But he's got the 'Beneath
the Ashes' package coming out, so we'll work with
that for awhile (along with 'Ashes') before we start
thinking about putting out another full-length
album. There are some really great songs on
'Beneath' so I'm excited for it to get out there.
MMN: What are your thoughts on Michael the
artist and why did you agree to manage him?
DM: Michael is my all-time favorite artist
which is why I agreed to manage him. There is a Nick
Hornby quote:
"Admiration is a very different thing from the
kind of transference I'm talking about. I'm talking
about understanding - or at least feeling like I
understand - every artistic decision, every impulse,
the soul of both the work and its creator."
That's exactly the way I feel about Michael and his
music. Plus, we've had so many conversations about
his career over the years, it just seemed like it
was time.
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For
this month's live show review, I had really
wanted to write it myself. But I wasn't able
to make the
Philadelphia
show I'd planned to cover, so I once again
asked Mil if she would be kind enough to
review it for me. Here is what she had to say
about a night that featured not one but two
amazing performances:
Although I'm sure no one review could possibly
capture all of the highlights of this
wonderfully full evening of Michael's music,
I'll nonetheless attempt herein to offer at
least a glimpse into the overall feeling,
along with a few of the specific moments, that
made this night so special.
That said, I should note that it's been over
two years since Michael last played this
venue, one that had in the two years since he
first appeared there become a regular stop on
his ongoing tour schedule. And, on each (not
infrequently sold-out) occasion, he invariably
brought his very best - rediscovered favorites
almost never elsewhere played live, brand new
compositions 'til then never played live at
all, a host of subtle witticisms, and the
heartfelt tales of love and sadness that
inspired many of these songs. And, indeed, he
brought precisely these things with him once
again.
A significant difference regarding this
evening, however, was the unusual scheduling
of two headlining performances in one night.
But, lest this lead one to believe Michael
merely presented two cookie-cutter versions of
one show, he or she should think again; for
never has the dynamic nature of art been more
clearly illustrated than it was in the two
completely different (and wholly interactive)
experiences that were each of these live -
i.e. life-filled - events.
The first show, although dictated in part by
the time restrictions needed to allow a second
show to take place at all (very necessary
restrictions, I should add, as it was clear
the audience would have otherwise gladly kept
Michael playing well into the second show's
allotment), might best be identified as a
"vintage" Point performance. By that
I mean it featured new songs ("The
American In Me", "Just A Little
Blue", "Long, Long, Long Way To
Heaven"), rediscovered favorites ("A
Wall I Must Climb", "Never Going
Down Again"), and a couple of new twists
on ones that might be said to fall somewhere
in between…an
example of which was the wonderful surprise of
Van Morrison's
"I'll Be Your Lover, Too", serving
as a beautiful and perfectly appropriate
introduction to "Arm Yourself". And,
of course, the set couldn't possibly be
complete without several selections from
Michael's latest album, Ashes, including that
last title mentioned above, along with
"Hellfire In The Holyland"
and "O ne Way
To Go". And, to offer just a glimpse into
how popular this release has proved in the
Philadelphia area, after sharing its recent
(radio station WXPN-supported) hit single,
"Everything I Got", the applause was
both so loud and lasted so long that for a
moment it seemed we were back at the outdoor
amphitheater which housed July's
Singer/Songwriter Weekend performance (and its
enthusiastic crowd of 8200) than the much more
intimate (and normally much quieter!) setting
that is The Point.
Naturally, with that kind of reception, time
restrictions or not, the fact of at least one
encore quickly became a given circumstance.
And, this expectation Michael gladly met with
one of his newer (and arguably among the best
of his thus far unreleased) songs (well, among
the best from this century, at least…and
if you've been in the McDermott camp for any
length of time you realize, of course, that
I'm referring to the fact there are countless
unreleased gems written throughout the 1990's
equally worthy of that superlative). In any
case, the tune in question here is the
angelically melodic and lyrically brilliant
"When It Comes To You."…which
was followed by a seemingly quite literal
journey toward a "Closer Walk With
Thee" - aptly concluded by Michael's
walking off the stage to the sound of
thunderous applause.
During the between-show break that followed,
the line of attendees anxious to purchase
merchandise and meet Michael spoke for itself
as to how favorably those new to his work in
the acoustic format had been impressed. As a
result, I would surmise that many who had
purchased tickets to only the first show
scrambled to snap up any yet remaining for the
second - which, needless to say, quickly
became sold-out as well.
And, while the earlier set had indeed provided
a hint as to what this second one might
consist of - great music delivered with even
greater passion - still, the lateness of the
hour, a more vocally participatory crowd, and
an impromptu decision to basically toss the setlist
out the window all combined to create
something more like a group of family and
friends huddled around the piano, sipping hot
toddies on a winter evening, than anything
resembling a planned event some had traveled
far from their home bases to attend.
Underscoring this impression, at one point,
Michael looked up in mock surprise and asked,
"Hey, what are you guys doing in my
living room?!"
With that in mind, I'm sure it comes as no
surprise that fully half of what was
ultimately performed proved the result of
either Michael's spontaneous choice or
insistent requests from the audience. And, of
course, layered onto the surprises in terms of
song choice came additional surprises… a
few, shall I say, footnotes within the music -
such as embellishing the story of insane(?)
romantic risk behind the lovely "Hold
Back A River". (When newly composed,
Michael had left this with the doorman of a
girl who'd caught his eye - only to later
learn she'd listened to "well, part of
it". "Part of it', he echoed in
knowing dismay…"but
the whole thing's only a three minute
song!")
And, of course, there were once more
additional titles from Ashes thrown into the
mix ("Can't Sleep Tonight",
"Baby, I") including another
performance of the already well-established
crowd favorite, "Everything I Got".
"Bells" (a selection from Michael's
1996 self-titled release), also found its way
into the setlist,
as did one of my favorite of his oft-played
covers, "Time After Time". And, what
proved a particular highlight for me in the
first show proved no less spectacular in the
second, the raw yet richly textured anthem of
faith and determined will, "Never Going
Down Again".
More lighthearted commentary and audience
repartee ensued as well…including
the rather odd question of whether Michael in
fact hails from
Chicago
("No, I just tell people that...")
and an arguably odd response to the blurted
cliché, "What's your sign?"
"Demonic", Michael quickly quipped
back before embarking on the scripture-based
"Hand of the Hunter". Based on that
I'd say "eclectic" might best serve
as the key term to describe the whole of this
evening's show number two.
As previously stated, however, there were a
number of consistencies between the evening's
sets, and I would surely be remiss in
concluding this review without sufficient
conveyance of the genuine gratitude Michael
repeatedly expressed -- to both audiences in
attendance on this evening, XPN for their
generous support over the past several months,
and Philadelphia music fans for their warm
embrace of both his recent live performances
and his latest recorded work. "I always
figured I'd be discovered after I was
dead," he told the crowd at one point…adding
with a sly smile, "which still might be
the case!" Growing serious once more, he
concluded, "But you're here…with
me. I'm humbled. It's a real honor."
No greater honor, surely, than that of being
present on this truly unforgettable night -
for which I offer my own sincere thanks to XPN,
The Point, and of course, Michael himself.
You may recall in my Singer/Songwriter Weekend
review I expressed the hope that event might
prove "only the first of many, many more
such amazing days to come"…
This may well have been the second.
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Our winner of last month's
contest (an unreleased song of Michael's) is Mary in
Texas
.
Michael has selected the song
"Searchlight" for her, and we'll be
getting her a copy of the song soon. Enjoy! If you'd
like to read people's responses regarding their
favorite live Michael McDermott performance, skip to
the Fan Fare section below to see what people had to
say!
This month, we'll be giving away a second copy of
the limited-edition "for jukebox use only"
45 RPM single of "Summer Days" on the A
side, "Bells" on the B side. No artwork,
just a plain white sleeve. But, since it's a plain
white sleeve, I'm going to have Michael decorate and
sign it for the winner.
Wanna win? Here's
how.... Send an email to us at ENTER
CONTEST. You have to make the subject line:
"Summer in December!" If you don't have
that exact subject line, we won't consider your
entry. Then, in the body of the email, tell us what
song you'd like to hear Michael cover that, to your
knowledge, he's never covered before. Tell us why
you choose the song you do. We'll take all of the
entries who put the right subject line and include
their cover song choice, and have Michael randomly
select a winner.
We'll print the winner's name, and the results in
the next issue!
Entries must be received by November 15th. Good
luck! Only one entry per person, please. Thanks!
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AUGUST
CONTEST RESULTS
We mentioned who won the song above, but in order to
enter that contest, people had to respond with their
favorite Michael McDermott show. It's not really
something I can count up votes for per se, but
instead I thought I'd share with you the wonderful
things folks had to say about their favorite live
McDermott experience. Read on!
Comments About McDermott Shows
Mary (our winner) said:
October
27, 2000
. The Last Chance Lounge release party at the Double Door,
Chicago
IL
.
Purely emotional reasons. My "virgin" McD
experience. My first time to
Chicago
.
The pre--party get-together; where I met my two best
friends and so many amazing others! Meeting Michael
for the first time, he was generous, kind and made
me feel like part of "the family." Epiphany,
is the only term I can think of that describes
seeing Michael live that first time. It was like
coming home, to feel a part of something so special,
to be among people I'd never met, yet it felt like
we were old friends. An evening I will never forget.
Cloughfada said: My
favorite Michael McDermott concert experience was at
the Metro on May 1 for his cd
release....that was awesome!
Connie said: I've unfortunately only been to two of
Michael's shows. The first was very momentous (Sept.
2003 in Greenbay the
night before Michael sang the anthem at the Packer
game). I had not heard much of him before this (had
gone to see the Gin Blossoms, actually) but we were
so blown away by Michael's performance...he's been
filling my house with his beautiful voice ever
since. The second show was this summer at Mill Creek
Blues in
Appleton
,
WI
.
The band didn't get there on time...but well worth
the wait. They put out tons of energy to a very tiny
'crowd', then they hung
with the few of us diehards after the show. Michael
and I spoke a bit about my special needs baby and
that this was the first time my husband & I had
been out in months due to the care our child needs.
He was so sweet and kind to put some very thoughtful
words into the signing of my copy of 'Ashes'. As we
left he came and gave me a hug & kiss. I hope
Michael knows how deeply he touches people by just bei
ng himself.
Kat said: I'd like to say that my favorite Michael
McDermott concert experience was my house concert
last September, 2003 but I had so much on my mind
that day and night that honesty, I could not relax
and enjoy the show. It was an awesome evening and a
truly awesome performance by Michael, TJ and Lance,
and I know that everyone else enjoyed themselves but
as for me...it's one big blur! Therefore, I'll have
to say that my favorite Michael concert experience
was Ravinia in August
2001. Michael opened the show for Celtic Festival at
Ravinia and although it
was a short set, it was absolutely fantastic.
Michael, TJ, Jack, and Anne Harris on fiddle lit up
the stage with an amazing performance. I remember
the second tune was "When the Irish Were Kings
of New York" and by the the
second line...my eyes pooled up with water.....ok
, they were tears; the whole atmosphere was
just incredible and it really could just take your
breath away. I think the best part of the
performance was jus t seeing Michael up on that
stage in front of an enormous, attentive crowd. It
was a beautiful scene.
Tom said: My favorite Michael concert was back in
'99 at the Cafe Monmarte
in
Madison
,
WI
.
I had just been laid off from a job that was going
nowhere fast. I had recently been hired on in the
wonderful world of retail for the first time, but
was interested in something else. About two days
before the show I had interviewed for a part time
job at 105.5 FM with Michael's long time friend Pat
Gallagher. Basically, we sat around and chatted for
a while at the show until the song came on. The song
in question? None other than "Unemployed."
I had been getting a fair number of brews under my
belt, so when this came on it was so appropriate.
Ken said: My favorite Michael McDermott concert
experience is the very first time I saw him perform.
It was on Mother's Day in
Valparaiso
,
IN
at the Chicago Street Theater a few years ago. He
performed acoustic and just blew mw away. My wife
was not quite as big a fan as I was, but when the
performance was over, she was hooked. I've only seen
him perform twice since then, last year at the
Chicago Street Theater again and in May in
Cleveland
.
But like most things you will always remember your
"first time" the most.
Luthardt said: My fave
concert experience was at
Harper
Community
College
in
Palatine
,
IL
.
a few years ago. My
roommate and I had the privelege
of meeting Michael's father and chatting for 15
minutes or so after the show. Interesting
perspective...
Janet said: The best concert experience I have had
was going with my husband to see Michael at Luther's
Blue's in
Madison
,
WI
.
The venue itself was incredible. The place just
seemed like it was filled with legendary folks, and
Michael fell right in. The whole band was amazing,
but, Michael was at the forefront. I just remember
how excited I was. I had had major surgery and could
not dance, but, the music just washed over me. There
was much passion and plenty of feeling in his music
that night. It moved my husband and I
to tears. I almost met him for the first time then.
Jacobo said: One year
ago, I flew just to Chicago to see Michael playing
live at Kat's house...It was a great experience, not
only for Michael's music but to have the chance to
meet to the great people that I made contact by
internet, specially to Kat, that opened his house's
door for my wife and me. I will really love that
Michael writte a song
about how much his music can mean...and why not, a
song about two strangers, separates by an ocean that
make contact thanks to his music.
Brad said: I saw Michael at Schuba's
a long time ago and I noticed he was chewing gum
through the show. After the concert I got a chance
to talk to him and I asked him what type of gum he
chewed. He responded Cinamon
Trident without blinking an eye. Same gum that I
chew. I figured his reason for chewing it was the
same as mine.....it is the only type of gum our Moms
let us chew!
Doreen said: I've seen Michael perform live only
twice (I live in
Arizona
).
The very first time was my favorite - Jammin'
at the Zoo in 2002 (I believe that was the year - he
opened for the gin blossoms). It was the first time
I heard Junkie Girl and found it to be such an
intoxicating song. He was charismatic on stage -
just him and his guitar (band members, too, but of
course our focus was on Michael) and he was just so
interesting to watch. I left before the gin
blossoms' encore and they were the headliners
(they're from az too and
i've met the guys - one
of them dated my friend - but they were no where as
fascinating as Michael). Great show - would love to
see him at a summer zoo show again (i'm
usually visiting family in
Chicago
the week of July 4th every year - hint hint!).
Thanks for the memories!
Sheila said: My favorite MM concert
experience......8/21/04
Beverly
Arts
Center
Miles: 600 (round trip) Hours driving: 10 (round
trip) Sleep: none!!!!!! Seeing Michael's birthday
show in
Chicago
which just so happened to fall on my birthday:
priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! What an awesome show!
I clapped so hard and so long that my hands hurt!!!
This one is definitely my all time favorite MM
show!!!! First there was an announcement of a couple
of birthdays including Michael's mother, then we all
sang "Happy Birthday" to Michael before he
came out on stage. The first thing he said was
"it's a good thing I'm singing tonight."
He told stories about most of the songs and made us
laugh several times. It was just incredible! After
the show, there was a line of people waiting to talk
to Michael, we happened to be in the right place and
were about 3rd or 4th in line. I had Michael sign my
McDermott #49 baseball jersey that I had made and
then got a picture with him. I told him it was my
birthday so he wished me a happy birthday and gave
me a kiss on the cheek. My friend
Shari
who went with me to the show was very impressed and
has become a fan. Was it worth the 600 mile, 10 hour
round trip? Absolutely!!!!!!! Would I do it again?
Absolutely!!!!
Jon said: I have never had the privilege of seeing
Michael perform live. I look forward to the chance
on his next swing through
Texas
!
Brian said: My favorite live show experience was at
The Point, in Philly. I think it was April 2002, but
I could be wrong. It was the very first time Michael
left the stage singing Walk With Thee while he
walked to the dressing room. It was so spur of the
moment and spontaneous, and it worked great because
the whole show was solid. It was one of the better
shows I’ve ever seen
him do. He got a standing ovation that night, and it
was a very responsive crowd during the show as well.
From start to finish, everything came together that
night.
Henrik said: As far as I
know MMcD, have
never had a gig in
Sweden
,
so I am still waiting...
Karen said: I have seen a number of awesome Michael
shows, but I think my favorite concert experience
was this summer's show at the Naperville Ribfest.
I always prefer the band shows and this one was a
full 2 hours long. Show highlights were Arm
Yourself, Everything I Got, Leave It Up to the
Angels, and a cover of Sympathy for the Devil. My
kids came with and didn't even whine about sitting
so long. It was a beautiful night!
Bob (and Eric) said: Well. My favorite "Michael
" concert experience involves two shows, one I
was at and the other I wasn't ,lol,
I'll explain, I saw Michael at the cubby north in lincolnshire
il. a few years ago he
was doing the "last chance lounge" tour
and I got to the show early, being a writer myself I
hoped to be able to talk to Michael before the show,
and sure enough he was there walking around talking
to family and friends. after several sightings I
finally got the nerve to approach Michael and talk
to him for several minutes, and I have to say
Michael is really a nice guy, once i
told him i was a song
writer he asked me about what I did and how I went
about it and was just generally very very
nice, I had a copy of Gethsemane in my pocket and
asked him to sign it, and he did, graciously I might
add, I had a copy of a self made really really
bad demo cd I had made
in a freinds basement
and the cd had a very
odd picture on it and the title was "slackjaw
johnson" he lo oked
at it and said what is this? lol,
I said it was a cd of
some songs written by me and a friend and i'd
like him to have it and with out laughing he
accepted it, even thanked me for it! I really didn't
care if he flung it out the window of his car on the
way home or dropped it in the nearest garbage can I
had been able to put it in his hand and talk to him,
more than I'd ever expected! The show was great!
Honestly, I took several friends there that evening
and they were all blown away at what they saw and
heard that evening, No Bullshit, it was a moving
experience, the likes of which i'll
never forget.
Anyway, the next part of the "Michael"
experience I wasn't in attendance oddly enough, my
nephew lives in California near fresno
and frequents music venues often, and I told him
about what an unbelievable show we had seen and he
said he was going to see if Michael ever came out
that way, well, the next day My nephew Eric calls me
and says Yes Michael is playing an accoustic
show somewhere near by! and
hes going to go. I told
him, for a laugh to take one of my cd's
with him and hand it to Michael and I bet him if
nothing else he'd get a really odd look from him,
you'd need to see the picture on the cd
to really understand what I meant by that, lol.
So, Eric goes to the show and calls me that night at
like 4 am ,lol.
and says guess what? I
said who the hell is this? lol,
he says its, Eric, I went to see Mcdermott
and gave him the cd and
he looked at me like I was nuts,lol,
and the asked Eric where did you get this? and
Eric said it was his uncle's cd,
lol, and michael
said yeah I met him a couple weeks ago his name Is
Bob right? , lol, and he
talked to Eric for quite a while about our meeting
in Lincolnhshire and to
say Hi,lol
. Eric had on a zildgian
T shirt and Michael asked Eric if he was a drummer
and Eric said yes he was a drummer and Michael
invited him to come up and play some lap drumming
while he played! Well, Michael made one hell of an
impression on a young drummer that evening, Eric was
to nervous to go up and
thanked Michael, and than sat down and watched
Michael blow the roof off the place! well,
needless to say Michael Mcdermott
has two life time fans here! Thanks Mike! Keep dreaming
, keep believing!
I'm going to add something here since I have the
soap box,I
believe that there are people born to this world who
are meant to do particular things, Michale
Mcdermott was born to do
what he does, he's truly gifted, you can see it you
can hear it, and if your lucky enough to get close
enough to Michael for a moment you can even smell
it! There are people who have a presence, Elvis for
instance, great people have something others don't
and you can sense it immediatly,
now I don't mean to jokingly compare Michael to
Elvis, I did see Elvis when I was a boy by the way,
no shit! really did, won
tickets on wcfl a labor
radio station in
chicago
in the sixties and seventies, thats
a whole other story,lol
anyway.............. Michael has this I don't know
what to call it??? hmmm
I've met priests who by just being near them you can
feel and smell holyness,
well Michael is like that, lol.
Michael has a very distinct connection with
something very Holy, and I believe like a Prophet he
is m eant to deliver
what he knows to anyone who will listen, and I am
listening! and so are
many others Michael! Peace be
with you!
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This month, we'd like to give a
big shout-out to the person who spent countless
hours designing Michael's new website, Lori. Not
only does Michael's new site look really amazing,
but Lori really outdid herself by making a website
that looks fantastic, yet is structured in such a
way and simplistically enough that Michael's
managers can keep it updated themselves. Thanks,
Lori, for a job well done!
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10/29/2004
:
Chicago
,
IL
VENUE:
Martyr's
(power trio - McD,
Danny, Dominique)
11/6/2004
:
Palatine
,
IL
VENUE:
Durty Nellie's
(solo acoustic - seated)
12/17/2004
:
Philadelphia
,
PA
VENUE:
World Cafe Live
(full band)
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9/18/2004
: The Point, Bryn Mawr,
PA
(7PM)
The American In Me
Arm Yourself
Wall I Must Climb
Long Long Long
Way To Heaven
Hellfire
Just A Little Blue
One Way To Go
Everything I Got
Never Going Down Again
When It Comes To You
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
(10PM)
Arm Yourself
Hellfire
When It Comes To You
Hold Back A River
One Way To Go
Hand Of The Hunter
Everything I Got
Can't Sleep Tonight
Never Going Down Again
Bells
Baby I
Time After Time
Around The World
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
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Ugo's
question:
I heard the song "One Way To Go" for the
first time live and felt as though the song was
written particularly for me. It so related to some
things I was struggling with at the moment I first
heard it. So thank you for writing it and sharing it
because it is comforting to know that you aren't the
only person in the world feeling things, beating
yourself up over mistakes, etc. Nice to know others
(talented, insightful others) are fighting the same
demons you are! So I am quite interested in the
"story" behind the song, if you care to
share it (or maybe you already have and I haven't
heard).
Michael's answer: It was written about a
particular event in my life. The genesis of the song
was from a run-in with the law a few years ago, one
of those revelatory moments when you can't
understand how this all came to be your life kinda
moments. Obviously, knowing that my particular boat
wouldn't be one that people could relate to exactly,
I was worried about it being "too inside"
but really when it all comes down.....everybody has
the same problems. Though we might play those
frustrations out differently, we may react to our
situations differently. I think that everybody is
pretty much cut from same cloth and that we all are
enveloped by self-doubt, we all self-medicate, we
all get angry at some of our decision making... and
sometimes you have to find that bottom to know where
you are. You can free fall sometimes for only so
long until there is a "wake up call."
Otherwise you float, you drift, you
sink. Sometimes for a lifetime. Sometimes you crash.
But then you kn ow
where you need to go. Obviously, this is all my
opinion. Don't try this at home...
Donna's question: Michael - don't know if you
remember, but while at the Point in Bryn Mawr
on 9/18, you signed a photo for me - it was a cool pic
of my little niece and I with you at Singer
Songwriter weekend. You signed-off with a word that
I'm not familiar with...it looks like "slaintu".
It's very intriguing and I was hoping you could
enlighten me. In the meantime, just want to say that
your music gets me thru the day, and can't wait
until your next stop in Philly.
Michael's answer: I do remember you. Thanks
for coming to the show. The word is "slainte"
which is Gaelic for "Cheers"! Learn
something new everyday ...thanks again.
John submitted the following questions for
Michael:
Question: Best advice you were ever given.
Michael's answer: "Don't let the beast
become too strong" and "You get what you
pay for." Those seem to be the ones I ponder
the most....
Question: We all had our say a while back, now,
do you "prefer" piano or guitar in the
solo shows?
Michael's answer: I guess piano and I'm suprised
to write that. Just seems more fitting and more
comfortable when I'm there. Also being a lazy ass, I
get to sit down while I play it. But seriously, it
also depends on the tune. I'm not that good of a
keyboard player to be able to rock out on piano...
not that good of a guitar player to make it (the
guitar) that interesting for a whole show. That's
why I need both. Thinking about incorporating a
monkey that plays accordian
too...
Question: Aliens...real?
Michael's answer: BIG fan of the X-files, so
the truth is out there. I certainly think it's a possiblilty.
I wonder why there isn't more info. And if I were Mulder,
I'd say, "Well, the info is out there but you
have to look for it...." I guess I wouldn't disappointed
if they didn't exist, but i'm
guessin they do.
Question: How good of a guitar player is
Stephen King, really?
Michael's answer: Alright... we didn't spend alot
of time playing, so I can't say I have a real
knowledge of what he can do. I think he'd be the
first to tell you he ain't
gonna quit his day job,
but then again, he's smarter than me and would
probably add, "Why'd you quit yours?"
Question: I think the fans want a duet. Was
"Paint You a Song" written as a duet? Ever
written a duet? I don't mean like a bullshit duet
like Kenny Chesney and
Kid Rock - 2 people singing - I mean like a
male/female duet.
Michael's answer: I love songs that men sing
from a woman's perspective and vice versa. However
it can get pretty tricky. I've never sat down to
write one, but am always looking for ways to have a
female voice... I love females and the sound of
their voices. "Paint You A Song" wasn't
written specifically for a woman... just kinda
turned out that way....
Here's how "Ask Michael" works: you send
your question(s) to us, and we'll print his answers
in an upcoming issue. It's as simple as that. Please
send your questions to: ASK
MICHAEL. Ask away!
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This newsletter is special
because of submitted material from the fans!! Please
continue to submit anything you'd like to share. If
we have the space that month, we'll print it (or
save it for a future issue)! Please send everything
to: NEWSLETTER
SUBMISSIONS.
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