The Official Mike Keneally Website

The Zappa Band at Progstock and The Baked Potato this month

We got a few things happening…this Friday we’re playing at ProgStock, a three-day festival in Rahway, NJ. We’re headlining the first night, Oct. 7. It’s gonna be good to play again! Been a few months right? I’ve spent the last week brushing up on all my parts, trying to even more extensively micro-analyze all the details, so if you hear any increased authority and/or authenticity in what I have to deliver, I shall know ‘twas not for naught.

(Separate from Zappa Band happenings but relevant to ProgStock, on Sunday Oct. 9 at the same dang festival I’ll be sitting in with the absolutely marvelous Rachel Flowers on her set, playing on two of her compositions as well as on an ELP classic. Joe Travers mentioned in an email to me this week that Rachel is “inspiring.” This is absolutely correct and I’m very happy to finally, for the first time, share a stage with her.)

ProgStock! Here!: www.progstock.com/2022/tickets/
(some of the other artists appearing: Stick Men! Adam Holzman! District 97! Pattern-Seeking Animals! Matt Dorsey! Dave Kerzner! Lots of other luminaries! Come on!)

At the end of this month we will continue what appears to be shaping up as an annual tradition – four nights of The Zappa Band at the Baked Potato, Oct. 28-31. Halloween, as y’all know, is a major Zappa holiday, and last year’s Halloween Potato run was so much freaking fun…two sets a night (set one will be different from set two every night), so there’s eight opportunities for you to be there with us.

Halloween at the Baked Potato with The ZAPPA Band

Baked Potato! Here!: www.thebakedpotato.com/events-calendar/
(scroll down and you’ll find all four nights)

Thank you!
Thank you!

Mike

Progject at Alvas in San Pedro this weekend, Sep. 24 and 25

It is true, I swear to you it’s true, that Alvas in San Pedro has been home to some very memorable performances in my life. San Pedro in general has exerted an energy throughout my life which is unique in my existence. It is somehow fish-related and it has strong family undercurrents and it claims a hold on my consciousness which is true and somehow orange-hued. Anyhow, that’s the first paragraph, I hope you liked it!

But the reason I’m here right now, typing this whilst also reeling from delighted exhaustion and gleeful overwork, is because this very weekend I’m doing two shows at ALVAS SHOWROOM with my dear pals in the entirely-too-entertaining band PROGJECT. I’m here in LA this week rehearsing with these guys. I can’t even express how exhilarating and just plain fun it is to be playing these prog ‘70s classics – just song after song after song that I grew up loving so much when I was a kid – and playing them with these dudes that I enjoy hanging out with so much, it’s just such a treat. These rehearsals have been frankly fantastic and I’m very excited about these gigs.

I know some of this energy will be making its way to the people in attendance at these two shows, and I hope circumstances allow for you to be one of them. This is my solemn desire! I know it’s true because I just typed it with my own dang ten dang fingers! (I really need to sleep – let me wrap this up…)

Progject at Alvas in San Pedro this weekend, Sep. 24 and 25

Here! These are the ticket links that will allow you to gain admittance to see
MICHAEL SADLER
PETE GRIFFIN
JONATHAN MOVER
RYO OKUMOTO
and yours truly, Clyde Crashcup…I mean
MIKE KENEALLY

at Alvas on either Saturday or Sunday this weekend. Or both! Go for it!

THESE ARE THE TICKET LINKS!:

Saturday Sep 24 at 8pm https://alvasshowroom.com/event/progject/

Sunday Sep 25 at 4pm https://alvasshowroom.com/event/progject-2/

Thanks pals!

Mike!

Mike Keneally Report headlining Zappanale on July 17

What goes on?

Antal’s MK Tour Chronology informs me that it has been precisely five years since The Mike Keneally Report (consisting of Jaan Wessman, Schröeder and yer ‘umble narrator) have produced waves of sound for the entertainment of music-enjoying humans, including ourselves. Time to create another round of waves! This time, for the attendees of the venerated Zappanale festival in Bad Doberan, Germany. And, for ourselves. We’ll be headlining on the last night of the festival, which is Sunday, July 17.

Zappanale #31

It’s been a tidy nineteen years since the last time we played Zappanale. It’s a little bit hard to believe that it’s been virtually two decades since the last time I attended this shindig, and even though it’s a bit of an insane time to be world-traveling right now, I gotta say: I’m excited. I wish we had been able to book another couple of weeks of dates around this one (we tried; didn’t happen), but in some ways the fact that it’s just the one date makes it that much more special. We have a very fun program of music prepared for you. Mostly my stuff, but also including a few choice FZ nuggets. We got one song from my upcoming album (title and release date to be announced soon). There are a couple of nice special guests planned for you as well. It will be both fun and good. (I’m also grateful that Ahmet and the Zappa Trust are officially cool with the existence of Zappanale in the world. It’s nice when people get along.) I love Schröeder and Jaan very, very much and can’t wait to rehearse and play with them again.

Please also be aware that on July 14 of the festival, Mikko Keinonen will be presenting the world premiere of The Complete Adventures of the Unrelated Sound Guy, the short film consisting of five songs from my upcoming album. This will be part of the Exhibition at Am Markt 3. I hear it will be taking place “as early as 1pm”; I will still be airborne at that point so sadly I won’t be able to join you at the premiere, but I will absolutely be there in spirit and my songs will hopefully fill in for my absence. I’m looking forward to seeing the final product myself – there’s a good chance that festival attendees will see it before I do! There’s also a good chance that this will be a “work-in-progress” version that will differ in some ways from the final product. So if you want to see this unique rendition of the film, get yourself there if you can.

In another interesting connection to the new album, playing onstage before us on the 17th will be the reconstituted Colosseum, featuring none other than Malcolm Mortimore on drums (who played on Gentle Giant’s Three Friends, and also plays on the song “The Carousel Of Progress” which is the closing track on the new album).

Anyway, loads of good times ahead. If you can join us that would be fantastic. Mask up and come on over.

Love,

Mike!