Mikey Wax - The Man To Watch (and hear)

Mikey Wax - The Man To Watch (and hear)

Sometimes the most talented people have the most humble beginnings.  Singer and songwriter, Mikey Wax started his music career by performing small house shows for friends and family.  Now, Wax's career has taken off with the release of his label debut album, featuring his single, "You Lift Me Up".  We chatted with him about this exciting time in his career, his latest show at SPACE, and pizza.  

photo courtesy of 4x4 Artist Management

Halfstack Magazine:  So, Mikey, tell us a little about yourself!

Mikey Wax:  I'm a singer/songwriter from Long Island, NY, currently on tour supporting my new self-titled album. I have a deep love for my fans, friends, family and guacamole.

HS:  Your label debut album was recently released, can you tell us about that?

MW:   I recorded the album in Nashville with two incredible producers/brothers Ed and Scott cash. It's my 3rd full length album, and as you mentioned my first release on a label, Toucan Cove/Universal.

HS:  Your single "You Lift Me Up" has been gaining quite a bit of attention!  What was your inspiration behind the song?

MW:  Thanks! The real inspiration for You Lift Me Up was my fans, friends and family who have literally lifted me up as I've tried to grow my music career over the past 4 years. Without their support I probably wouldn't have been able to record a new record, so I'm grateful for all that they've done for me.

HS:  You also have an exciting debut of a few of your songs on TV and in film, right?

MW:  Yeah, I've been lucky the past few years to receive some cool TV and film placements for my songs. It's always such an honor when I'm able to provide music for a specific scene or segment. The So You Think You Can Dance placement was very cool because they aired it weekly as their elimination montage song. I don't think the dancers being kicked off the show liked hearing it though. 

HS: You recently played a show at SPACE in Evanston.  How did that performance go?

MW:  The show was a blast! The Space is a beautiful venue and it was a packed house. The audience was very fun and responsive which always makes it more enjoyable to perform, plus the technical sound at the space is great so that helps us to get lost in the performance.

HS:  What is your favorite part about creating music?

MW:  I think my favorite part is the ability to have freedom and be in complete control of putting out what I hear in my head. There is no greater feeling then bringing to life something you hold in your imagination.

HS:  Now, time for the serious question.  Deep dish or flat bread pizza?

MW:  In Chicago we had to try the deep dish and it was incredible! However, for the most part I'll opt for flat bread!

HS:  What is your favorite, guilty pleasure TV Show/Movie?

MW:  New Girl for TV and Just Friends for movie.

HS:  What's next for Mikey Wax? 

MW:  I'll be on tour with the band Parachute later this month which I'm excited about. Followed by that, I'll be doing some private house concerts, which is how I got my start. Basically, my fans are able to book me to come perform a set in their living room just for their friends and family. You can find out more at my website, mikeywax.com.

Frankie Ballard Heats Up Joe's with "Sunshine and Whiskey"

Frankie Ballard Heats Up Joe's with "Sunshine and Whiskey"

Frankie Ballard’s “Sunshine and Whiskey” tour was what Chicago needed on a chilly Friday night. The Michigan native baseball player who would ask his coach if he could take the guitar on the bus (the answer was no) delivered an energy packed show at Joe’s on Weed Street that made them forget about the wet cold and any worries from the week that may have plagued them.

Joe’s is an intimate venue tucked away off North Ave, perfect for acts to bond with fans. Audience members get to make eye contact with performers who sell out larger venues and get a feel for how their music and presence felt when they were performing bars and coffeehouses. Nick Sturms, a Nashville resident and very talented songwriter, opened the show. Frankie took the stage with an assertive presence that jolted the crowd awake. He played three songs in a row to get blood pumping and feet moving. “He’s got a grittiness to him,” someone near me said. Yes. This country music rocked with a power that was not going home quiet.

When I interviewed him, Frankie said performing live was all about the energy and the relationship he developed with the crowd. He over delivered on both. After the high octane warm up, his song “Don’t Take Much” had a haunting, almost menacing air. You could feel the fictional small town, blue collar chins rise and chests broaden behind the words. The eager crowd waited for “Sunshine and Whiskey” and pounced on it as soon as he started, singing it as loud and as clear as he did. Frankie had control of the crowd’s energy at all times. He performed two covers, Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” and the Wallflowers’ “One Headlight”. The crowd mellowed and played along with “Sue” and bellowed down memory lane with the Wallflowers, shooting the energy back up. Country Weekly got it right when they called him a “true guitar hero” with “an elegant, supple style of playing rarely seen in these days hard rock country.” From an eloquent solo to decorative riffs that added to the song instead of distracting, Frankie is a very good guitarist. He showed his blues influences opening “Sober Me Up” with languid licks, the type that make you feel drunk and want to lean against someone.

Frankie’s a Bob Seger fan. He almost brought down the house when he dove into “Old Time Rock and Roll”, jumped offstage, got up on one of the bars, walked across it, and jumped down into the crowd. He meandered around the crowd continuing the song. The crowd centered with “Helluva Life.” It’s a song everyone can relate to and make their own. Many of us know “the bad times make the good times better” as the song say, but it’s nice to know someone else does too. Frankie put into words what so many of us feel, showing he gets it. Whether he’s onstage or on a bar about to hop into the crowd, he’s one of us.