The Official Mike Keneally Website

THE KENEALLIST: Surprise! Mike and Bryan acoustic live album coming September 6!

The Keneallist!

Doot! Doot! Ding-a-dang-dagalong, boot!

All right, not my best-ever opening, but you know what?

FREAKS IN A MELLOW MOOD, VOL. ONE – LIVE UNRELEASED ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES BY MIKE KENEALLY AND BRYAN BELLER – COMING TO BANDCAMP ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6!

We at Exowax are exceptionally excited to bring you this little gem.

Freaks in a Mellow Mood, Volume One consists of live recordings of me and Bryan Beller in November 2003, rampaging from music store to music store, playing and singing and talking acoustically on behalf of Taylor Guitars.

Back in those infant days of the 21st century, these acoustic workshops were something that Bryan and I did with some frequency, and the recordings on this album are a highly effective capturing of that moment in time.

MIKE KENEALLY AND BRYAN BELLER

This link to Freaks in a Mellow Mood, Volume One goes live at 11:59 p.m. PDT Thursday night, September 5!

If you’ve got an itchy clicker finger, go here now for all the other available MK titles…

Scott Chatfield, the road manager on the Taylor tours, made pristine digital recordings of the shows on this particular run, and it’s from these recordings – unheard for over two decades! – that the tracks on this album are drawn.

I spent a good chunk of time mixing these songs over the past few weeks, and I am entirely happy (I think the 45-year-olds nowadays might say stoked?) with how this album has turned out.

I suspect that you’ll get a kick out of it as well, or my name isn’t Boseman Willacow, and it isn’t!

Here’s what you will find on FIAMM, Volume 1:

  1. RADIO KENEALLY JINGLE (3 Variations) – Soundcheck, Fairview United Methodist Church, Fairview, PA – Nov 09 2003 
  2. THE CAR SONG – Victor’s House of Music, Paramus, NJ – Nov 12 2003
  3. 1988 WAS A MILLION YEARS AGO – Victor’s House of Music, Paramus, NJ – Nov 12 2003
  4. ANKLE BRACELET – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003 
  5. HELLO – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003 
  6. OUR BEST CAMPFIRE SONG – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003 
  7. AYE-AYE MONSTER – Lauzon Music, Ottawa, ON – Nov 4 2003
  8. BOBER – Northern Lights, Littleton, NH – Nov 3 2003 
  9. LIGHTNIN’ ONION ROY – Soundcheck, Lauzon Music, Ottawa, ON – Nov 4 2003
  10. MACHU PICCHU – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003
  11. PHYSICS – Fairview United Methodist Church, Fairview, PA – Nov 09 2003 
  12. CAREER POLITICIANS – Guitar Center, Tanawanda, NY – Nov 5 2003
  13. LOVE THEME FROM VULTURE FUN – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003
  14. AND YOUR BIRD CAN SING – Sides Family Music Center, Williamsport, PA – Nov 10 2003
  15. POTATO – Victor’s House of Music, Paramus, NJ – Nov 12 2003
  16. COWLOGY (Broken String Variation) – Fairview United Methodist Church, Fairview, PA – Nov 09 2003
  17. CHECKING A SECTION OF LIVE IN JAPAN – Soundcheck, Victor’s House of Music, Paramus, NJ – Nov 12 2003

Maybe you yourself were present at one or more of these shows, and you may now relive the golden glow of those nutty days.

For me it’s a heavy nostalgia trip to finally hear these performances more than two decades after having played them, but more importantly, I think it’s really good music, and I feel great about sharing it with you. And Beller is a MONSTER on these recordings, holy cow.

You’ve heard it before, but you’ll hear it again now:

Bandcamp Friday is the name for the occasional, very special Friday when Bandcamp takes no percentage of any income generated from purchases, so if you choose to buy Freaks in a Mellow Mood, Volume One on Bandcamp Friday, all the proceeds will go directly to Exowax Recordings. This is a very significant thing in the current music landscape, where income streams for independent musicians and labels are becoming ever more scarce.

To those of you who’ve been supporting Exowax with our Bandcamp releases over the past couple of years, we offer you utterly sincere thanks, and we hope you enjoy the heck out of this new album.

I’M GUESTING AT PROGSTOCK IN RUTHERFORD, NJ, OCTOBER 17-20

I played at the ProgStock festival with The Zappa Band in 2022 and had a wonderful time, so I’m exceedingly happy to be returning there this year as a roaming troubadour: I’ll be popping up here and there, guesting with different bands and participating in different sessions.

Ticket info for the festival is here, and the schedule is here.

I can tell you now that I’ll be participating in the Last Call Live Pro-Am Showcase on October 17, as well as sitting in with ABACAB: The Music of Genesis earlier that same evening, but I’ll also be making several other appearances throughout the festival, and you’ll just have to come and find out when and with whom!

There will also be ample opportunity to just hang out having a good time and wallowing in the pure progginess of it all. Hope to see you there, especially you crazy east-coasters. You know how you are! I know you know!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Love to you and your families! And your pets!

See you out there,

Mike!
Freaks in a Mellow Mood, Volume One

This link to Freaks in a Mellow Mood, Volume One goes live at 11:59 p.m. PDT Thursday night, September 5!

In the meantime, you can check out all the other delightfully diverse Keneally releases at Bandcamp now!

Exowax Recordings
Visit the Mike Keneally Store!

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THE KENEALLIST: Nonkertompf Live Premieres On Bandcamp This Friday!

The Keneallist!

Buenas noches! La llama es un cuadrúpedo!

THE KENEALLIST: Nonkertompf Live Premieres On Bandcamp This Friday!

Links to Nonkertompf Live go live at 11:59 p.m. PDT Thursday night, May 2!
If you’ve got an itchy clicker finger, go here for all the other available MK titles…

For this month’s Bandcamp Friday (which is the last Bandcamp Friday until September – BC Friday being that glorious occasional Friday when all financial proceeds are given to artists/labels without Bandcamp itself taking its customary cut), we are premiering Nonkertompf Live – Groningen, The Netherlands October 19, 2001.

This album documents an evening when I, along with ten other trusted musical compatriots (and the music-preparing assistance of equally-trusted Exowax confidante Chris Opperman), offered a special live performance of music from the Nonkertompf album. That instrumental album had been played in the studio by me alone, so the music underwent significant transitions in order to be played live by this sizable ensemble.

For this special festival event, the band were:

  • Me on guitar and a little piano and very little vocal
  • Rick Musallam on guitar and equally little vocal
  • Nick D’Virgilio on drums and just as little vocal
  • Bryan Beller on bass
  • Tricia Williams on vibes and percussion
  • Evan Francis on alto sax and flute
  • Marc Ziegenhagen on keyboards
  • Bart van Lier on trombone
  • Jan Willem van der Ham on bassoon and alto sax
  • Oene van Geel on violin
  • Ruben van Roon on electronics and samples

The event was produced by Pieter van Hoogdalem and Co de Kloet, and Scott Chatfield was charged with keeping us all in line and ready to play.

This was my first experience crafting charts for a relatively large group (I consider more than ten musicians to be relatively large – the Dancing charts were for a mere eight players), and a crucial step on the journey that eventually led to The Universe Will Provide.

In early 2002, Co de Kloet asked me and Scott to prepare a special edit of the concert for an NPS Radio promotional CD to be distributed at a convention in The Netherlands, and that edit is what you’ll find on Bandcamp.

Apart from that one convention, it’s never been distributed or presented in any form. The quality of the recording and mixing is absolutely top-notch and everyone put all of their hearts into the gig.

Nonkertompf Live

Included in the download is a ginchy booklet with the complete story of the project, lots of photos, art from the concert program, and the original score from “Hum,” one of the Nonkersongs souped up just for this one-off performance. (Li’l sampler above.)

It’s a real pleasure to finally welcome Nonkertompf Live, an official edit of a one-time-only performance, to the Exowax catalogue. We hope you enjoy it tremendously!

THE NEWEST KENEALLY/RADULOVICH COLLAB, WEDNESDAY

THE NEWEST KENEALLY/RADULOVICH COLLAB, WEDNESDAY

Marcelo and I continue our series of day-of-the-week instrumental releases with a new installment, Wednesday. I’ve loved them all, but this one feels really special to me. It’s completely impossible for me to describe it, but I’m hopeful that you’ll give it a listen – maybe you can describe it to me?

You can find the four albums we’ve done so far, along with the rest of Marcelo’s remarkable catalogue of recordings, here.

I’M GUESTING WITH THE FLORENCE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR FSO ROCKS 2024

I’M GUESTING WITH THE FLORENCE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR FSO ROCKS 2024

I’m honored to be guesting as guitar soloist (along with a little bit of piano and vocal) with the Florence Symphony Orchestra for FSO Rocks 2024 at the FMU Performing Arts Center in Florence, SC, a beautiful venue.

Last year’s special guest at this event was the transcendent Andy Timmons, so I’m pretty floored to be the guest this time around, unleashing fusillades on classic rock tunes we all know and love. You can see some of the artists whose music will be played if you visit this ticket link. It’s a long time since I’ve played with an orchestra, and I’m eager to get onstage with this wonderful ensemble.

PROGJECT ARE GOING BACK ON THE ROAD

PROGJECT ARE GOING BACK ON THE ROAD

We are excited to welcome Alessandro Del Vecchio, a brilliant and powerful lead vocalist, into the ProgJect lineup for our 2024 gigs (Jonathan Mover, Ryo Okomuto, Pete Griffin and I will also be there). The first batch of shows have been announced – we’ll be in Chicago, Hamilton/Toronto, Quebec, New York City and Glenside, PA. Many more shows will be coming in 2024.

I’m especially jazzed for this first bunch of shows for two reasons: these will be our first gigs in Canada, and the NYC and Glenside show will have a very special opening act: Bill Bruford will be interviewed live onstage by Innerviews’ Anil Prasad. Bill doesn’t set foot on very many stages nowadays, and although he won’t be playing, he will still be hugely entertaining, and any opportunity to see him in person is one to be treasured.

Find ticket links here.

MK/BFD WILL BE AT THE BAKED POTATO JULY 19/20

MK/BFD WILL BE AT THE BAKED POTATO JULY 19/20

Ticket links are not yet live for these shows, but I wanted to give you a heads-up in case you need to make travel plans. This will be me, Joe Travers, Rick Musallam and Pete Griffin.

We obviously love to play this room, it’s so intimate and completely focused on the music, and I consider myself really fortunate that this venerable institution has been so welcoming to me over the years. It’s always over the top and intense and hilariously fun and fiercely musical in there, so I hope you can join us.

Thank you so much for reading this! You’re great! Bye bye!

Mike!
Nonkertompf Live

Links to Nonkertompf Live go live at 11:59 p.m. PDT Thursday night, May 2!

Exowax Recordings
Visit the Mike Keneally Store!

Sign up for The Keneallist

THE KENEALLIST: Out-Of-Print You Must Be This Tall Returns This Bandcamp Friday!

The Keneallist!

Heya, fellow humans! How’s it going? I aim love at you!

THE KENEALLIST: Out-Of-Print You Must Be This Tall Returns This Bandcamp Friday!

Links to You Must Be This Tall go live at 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday night, February 29!

You Must Be This Tall from 2013 is probably one of the less-discussed titles in my album catalogue, but I think it’s really nifty.

I’ve been thinking more about this album since the BFD gigs at the Baked Potato a few weeks ago, during which the song “Cornbread Crumb” was featured pretty heavily (as it will be again at our upcoming gigs at Alvas). The album is an eclectic collection of mostly instrumental material (although there are four vocal tracks, including “The Rider” which is one of my most classic-rock-type tunes), largely played by me, and I think it makes for a very involving listen.

The CD has been out of print for a while, so when Scott Chatfield proposed it as the newest addition to our Bandcamp roster for this week’s Bandcamp Friday, I metaphorically leapt to my feet, and literally said “yes!” with great enthusiasm.

Fortifying this Bandcamp release is the addition of three bonus tracks: “Pitch Pipe (Vocal Version)” (which is completely bonkers), “The Upkeep of My Volcano” (a radical reinvention of the song “Kidzapunk”), and “Popes Instrumental Mix” (which is just groovy as heck). Plus some additional artwork and promo ephemera which come to you alongside the complete original artwork in digital format. It’s a neat package of neat stuff.

Just in case you never got this album when it first came out, this might be a nice opportunity for you to invite it into your life. And even if you do have it already, perhaps the bonus enticements will, er, entice you.

It premieres on our Bandcamp page THIS FRIDAY, March 1, aka Bandcamp Friday. Yes! (And as yet another enticement, the artists get every cent o’ the dough you spend on Bandcamp Friday!)

NEW KENEALLY/RADULOVICH COLLABORATION: it’s called TUESDAY

NEW KENEALLY/RADULOVICH COLLABORATION: it’s called TUESDAY

Marcelo Radulovich and I released two albums last year, called Monday and Bask – now comes the sequel to the first one, the all-instrumental Tuesday (do you sense the beginning of a trend?).

This ongoing series of albums can be viewed as an episodic examination of Marcelo’s and my friendship and musical collaboration, which has gone on for decades now. Or can just be viewed as a bunch of really unusual and hopefully interesting music.

Tuesday has got a lot more of me on guitar than Monday did, but it’s a minimalistic approach compared to my usual playing, and almost cinematic at times in its vibe. Marcelo’s arrangements, production choices and multi-instrumental contributions remain as vibrant and unique as ever.

Please investigate Tuesday, which premieres on Bandcamp Friday, along with our other two collaborations and Marcelo’s many other stellar projects here.

GIGS A-COMIN’:
BFD at ALVAS, and ONE SHOT DEAL at THE GRAPE and CAMPUS JAX

BFD at ALVAS

Gonna sneak in a few gigs in March –

Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins (me, Rick Musallam, Pete Griffin and Joe Travers) will be appearing at Alvas in San Pedro on March 29 and 30, 8pm each night. These gigs are going to be absurd, I can tell already. You should be there.

Alvas is at 1417 W. 8th Street, San Pedro, California 90732. I love it there and I love this band.

If you go to this page and scroll downward, ticket links to both Alvas gigs await you.

ONE SHOT DEAL at THE GRAPE

And I will twice again be guesting with Joe Travers’ scintillating Zappa band, One Shot Deal…
first at The Grape in Ventura on March 9 (link here, click the purple button that says “8:00 PM show”)…

ONE SHOT DEAL at CAMPUS JAX

…and second at Campus Jax in Newport Beach on March 15. New room for me, I’m very into it. Tickets very, very easily located here.

DEVIN TOWNSEND PODCAST EPISODE #5: MIKE KENEALLY

‘twas nothing but a delight to appear recently on Devin’s podcast – if it pleases you, you can watch it on YouTube right here.

Now I’m gonna leave you to it! More later! ‘Bye!

Love,

Mike!
MK & BFD - LIVE AT LYNAGH’S - LEXINGTON, KY   MAY 18, 2001

Links to You Must Be This Tall go live at 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday night, February 29!

Exowax Recordings
Visit the Mike Keneally Store!

Sign up for The Keneallist