The Official Mike Keneally Website

THE KENEALLIST: This Bandcamp Friday, it’s Tar Tapes Vol. 1!

The Keneallist!

Greetings of the incipient holiday season to you and yours! All of us over here wish you all the best.

Now, here’s an MK rarity for Bandcamp Friday…

The Tar Taoes Vol.1

As alluded to in last month’s Keneallist, the recent sale of Bandcamp to Mephistopholean Industries, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as MII) has had some unhoped-for ramifications, but hey it’s 2023 and what are you gonna do?! We’re gonna keep on adding to our roster of recordings there, and MII has (for the time being at least) pledged to keep Bandcamp Friday going.

It would seem that there is now more incentive than ever to take advantage of Bandcamp Friday (the one day a month where 100% of all revenue generated at Bandcamp goes only to the artists and labels, and not to the overlords)!

This month our new Bandcamp entry is THE TAR TAPES VOL. 1. This was originally an extremely limited-edition CD, released in the late ‘90s, compiling some of the best tracks from the Tar Tapes cassette releases I put out with my brother Marty Keneally throughout the 1980s. Mostly home recordings, but also containing live and studio recordings done with our band Drop Control. Definitely young and innocent days.

The songs I selected for VOL.1 (and the later VOL. 2) are the cream of the crop of the original cassette releases. On VOL. 1, you’ll find original versions of some tracks which later became live favorites throughout my whole career (like “Killer Fish,” “Tug” and “Performing Miracles”), but mostly you’ll hear songs which never got re-recorded or introduced into the live repertoire later on.

It all makes for an interesting listen – if you haven’t checked it out before, you might like to now. Thanks!

Over-nite Sensation was released half a century ago!

Last week I was chuffed to join several friends at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Frank Zappa’s endearingly enduring Over-nite Sensation album. Dolby Atmos engineers Karma Auger and Erich Gobels,along with Vaultmeister Joe Travers, were there to describe how they fashioned another multi-channel masterpiece with their brand-new surround mix of the album, taking their cues from Frank’s own quadraphonic mix.

Snapped hanging in the lobby (above) after this stunning aural presentation were (l. to r.) my essential Exowax partner Scott Chatfield, indispensable engineer Mike Harris, crucial guitarist and longtime cohort Rick Musallam, the vitally important Ahmet Zappa, and the arguably fundamental me.

Chris Opperman’s got a brand new album

Chris Opperman and I have been dear friends and collaborators since way back in the the 20th century – you might remember Chris doing the work of an entire horn section on my Dancing album.  He’s a successful composer of wildly original music, a top orchestrator/arranger, a visionary educator, and a trusted music industry advisor (he’s been a great asset to my career).

This Friday, Chris is releasing Still Waters, a superb collection of solo piano recordings to warm you up as it simultaneously chills you out on a cold winter’s night. Still Waters features music written by Chris and other excellent composers including Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Ann Southam, Philllip Schroeder, Kimberly Osberg, and Tyler Kline.

You can listen and buy at his Bandcamp page (he also gets all the dough on Bandcamp Friday!), or pick up a CD copy at his website.

So, just to wrap up a couple of things:

The final four ProgJect California shows, and the three One Shot Deal shows in LA last week, were all an amazing time for me. The audience response was so gratifying, the music was completely satisfying, and every one of the musicians was inspiring and fantastic. What good fortune I’ve been granted to be able to take part in these kind of shows, both with, and for, such wonderful people.

The upcoming Devin Townsend shows in Australia will be similarly moving for me, I know. These shows will mark the end of this year’s Devin touring cycle, with this particular quartet, a band I’ve really come to love. I’ve logged a lot of hours on the road with them in 2023, and Devin is about to enter a lengthy period of no touring, covering all of 2024 and possibly 2025 as well – and once he decides it’s time to tour again, it could easily be with an entirely different ensemble.

So just in case this Australian run is the last roundup for this particular bunch of guys, I’m going to treasure every second of it.

All the best to you, good people! Talk again soon.

Love,

Mike!
Sluggo!
Exowax Recordings
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THE KENEALLIST: Next up this Bandcamp Friday – Sluggo!

The Keneallist!

“Happy Bandcamp Friday yet again, yet again! Happy Bandcamp Friday yet again!”

(I still remember that old singalong tune from sixth grade camp, which was, strangely enough, many decades before Bandcamp existed.)

This beautiful world is not a fantasy!! For THIS is the month we finally add Sluggo! to the roster of titles on our rapidly swelling Bandcamp page!

Sluggo!

This is the 2013 remix of Sluggo!, superbly executed by Mike Harris, and is fortified by two vitamin-packed bonus tracks from the Sluggo! era, “Bob Dylan’s Nose” and “Craney.”

Is it my best ever album? Probably maybe!

(For a completely outlandishly Slugtastic listening/viewing experience, I mustn’t neglect to mention that the physical four-disc Sluggo! 2-CD/1 DVD-A/1 DVD-V special edition set is still available here, in case it doesn’t live in your home yet.)

As a reminder, Bandcamp Friday is the day that Bandcamp surrenders every drop of its dollar percentage to the artists on the service.

It is a remarkable show of support for musicians, and I’m grateful that they’ve been doing this – thank you so much, Bandcamp – and we hope that it is able to continue the practice into the next year, even after its recent sale to Mephistopholean Industries, Inc.

LIVE DATES!

ProgJect

Four shows remain on this ProgJect tour I’m currently on, which has been so much damn fun I can’t even tell you. It means a lot to be able to play this amazing music with these guys for crazy prog fans across the US. Next year we’ll be spanning more of the globe – more news on that will come to you as it’s finalized.

The remaining ProgJect shows for this month are all in California, and they are here:

The Grand Ritz in Escondido – Friday Oct 6. Come celebrate Bandcamp Friday with us!

The Mint in Los Angeles – Saturday Oct 7. I used to play the Mint frequently in the late ‘90s with BFD and I’m excited to return.

The Lafayette Town Hall Theatre – Sunday Oct 8. This is our San Francisco-area gig, in a room I’ve never been in before, and I’m very intrigued to play there.

And the final gig of the tour at The Grape in Ventura – Monday Oct 9. Lots of my friends have played this room but this will be my first time there and I’m eager to see what the hubbub’s about, bub.

One Shot Deal

I’m doing three nights at the Baked Potato with Joe Travers’ One Shot Deal band in late October, playing the ever-glistening music of Frank Zappa, and featuring the dulcet magnificence of Pete Griffin! Jamie Kime! Billy Hulting! Scheila Gonzalez! Ben Thomas! These people aren’t screwing around.

I’m playing on the complete sets, every song. Three nights, two sets a night:

Wednesday Oct. 25, 8pm and 10pm

Thursday Oct. 26, 8pm and 10pm

Friday Oct. 27, 8pm and 10pm

Devin Townsend

My final gigs of this year (I INSIST ON SPENDING THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF OF 2023 SITTING UNMOVABLY IN ONE LOCATION AT HOME) will be with Devin Townsend in Australia in November.

These dates mark the end of this year’s Lightwork tour cycle with Dev. It’s been completely fantastic – the Feb/March Europe and UK dates, the summer North America dates with Dream Theater and Animals As Leaders, the one-off ArcTanGent Festival in August – it’s all been so dang fun and wonderful.

There won’t be any Devin touring for quite some time after these November dates, and who’s to say if I’ll even be in the band next time he decides to do it (by which I only mean that I respect and support Devin’s choice to head in whatever direction he wants to at any time…I am grateful to report, though, that I’ll be going to his studio early next year to contribute musically, in whatever way I can, to his upcoming 2025 orchestral/theatrical extravaganza – about which, much, much more later).

All of this is to say that I’ll really be relishing these upcoming dates in Australia with Devin, Darby and James, and if you’re in the neighborhood it would be amazing if you could come by:

Fremantle, Nov. 8

Melbourne, Nov. 10

Sydney, Nov. 11 (which is apparently sold out, but you just never know with concert tickets these days – for all I know three rows of seats might become available on show day or something so just to be on the safe side):

Brisbane, Nov. 12

MONDAY by KENEALLY/RADULOVICH NOW WIDELY STREAMING

Monday

The new collab between me and Marcelo Radulovich, Monday, can now also be found at these links:

Amazon

Apple Music

Spotify

And on Marcelo’s Titicacaman website

Get ready for our upcoming second album, coming sooner than makes any sense.

SO…

I’ve done more touring this year than I’ve done in a very, very long time, and it’s definitely been something. I’m feeling every mile I’ve traveled for sure, but mainly I’m feeling grateful and fired up and ready to keep doing this for a long long time.

Next year will see a lot more live ProgJect, and I want to do as much live Beer For Dolphins as is possible, as well as aiming towards the live debut of The Bird Brain. I hope to see you out there, somewhere, sometime soon!

Love,

Mike!
Sluggo!
Exowax Recordings
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THE KENEALLIST: Scambot 2 & Inkling on Bandcamp Friday!

The Keneallist

Hi! I very much hope you’re well!

And now –

SCAMBOT 2/INKLING ON BANDCAMP THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 4

Scambot 2 & Inkling

This coming Friday is the first Bandcamp Friday for a few months, and we’ll be expanding our Bandcamp catalog with the addition of (tympani roll……..) the Scambot 2 and Inkling albums from 2016! Well I guess I already said that in the headline, so I probably didn’t need the tympani.

This will be the first time that the album Inkling has been available for streaming online anywhere ever ever! Both albums also include the usual exhaustive booklets and liner notes.

These titles will now join our old pals Scambot 1Songs & Stories Inspired by Scambot 1, and the Scambot Holiday Special in our Bandcamp inventory of exciting Scambot-oriented material.

As it happens, and if you’re feeling particularly Scambotty, I recently did a deep think-slash-talk about the entire Scambot saga with my bud Chris Siebold for his YouTube channel, and you can see it right dang here if you’ve a mind to.

As you may recall, Bandcamp Friday is the day when Bandcamp doesn’t take a percentage of income from downloads and all the proceeds go to artists/labels. We at Exowax Recordings appreciate Bandcamp doing this (and you for choosing to buy this Friday)!

DREAMSONIC HAS ENDED AND THE PROGJECT TOUR IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

THE PROGJECT TOUR

The Dreamsonic 2023 tour of North America ended a few nights ago (I played in Devin Townsend’s band on this tour, we were the middle act between Animals As Leaders and Dream Theater).

It’s not easy to express what a powerful experience it was for me, both musically onstage every night and also as a member of a traveling community. It was heavy in unexpected ways and the bond that formed among all the bands and crews was strong. And it was just amazing fun. I want to express extreme gratitude to everyone who was a part of it, came to a show, or helped to make the whole thing happen.

(I had a mailing list at the merch table during Dreamsonic and as a result, this is the first Keneallist a number of you will have ever received. Welcome, and thank you for signing up!)

I got to spend two entire days at home and I loved those days a lot. Now I’m sitting on Joe Travers’ couch in LA and today was the first day of rehearsal (or at least the first one I was able to attend) of the new lineup of ProgJect, and I’m really thrilled to report that we’ve got something special to offer at these upcoming shows. We’re playing in the USA starting in a few days and stretching into October a ways.

New dates are being negotiated, but this here is the tour schedule as it currently sits, twirls its computer chair around and reaches for a Cheeto.

ProgJect for the upcoming tour consists of Jonathan Mover, Ryo Okumoto, Marc Bonilla and our new bassist, the most eminent and wonderful Ric Fierabracci. I showed up at rehearsal today expecting it to sound good, but man it went way beyond good, this band is sounding just ridiculous. Mover says things are looking good for us to make it to Europe in 2024, which is exciting news.

Meanwhile, I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be as jazzed as I am to be going immediately out on the road, after having just spent seven weeks touring, but the vibe of the band has filled me with a legitmate glee to get out and play this classic progressive music for people. Hope you can make it out, you US residents you!

BUT THERE IS YET MORE DEVIN TO COME

If you have looken at the ProgJect tour itinerary of which I have just spaken, you’ll note a gap of some girth between Aug. 13 and 24. That gap exists because I have to leave the ProgJect tour for that moment, fly over to the UK, and play with Devin Townsend at the ArcTanGent Festival in Bristol.

Devin Townsend @ the ArcTanGent Festival

The festival takes place Aug. 16-19 at the idyllic Fernhill Farm; we’re headlining on Saturday the 19th. is very highly regarded (it’s won awards and is warmly spoken of by festival cognoscenti) and my senses are abuzz with anticipation to perform there. Look here’s the lineup, and all the other information you need is at that site too. 

When I’m done there I get on another plane and get back to the rest of the ProgJect dates in the US. I’m a ramblin’ guy!

And then in November we’ve got four Devin dates in Australia. Been a number of years since my last visit to Australia (I was with Satriani at that time) and I’ve loved it there since first visiting it with Steve Vai in the ‘90s. Here are ticket links for the Australian dates as well as ArcTanGent.

A BOUQUET OF LINKS

Quickly now, because I need to sleep!:

1 There was a good piece with me in the June 2023 issue of Vintage Guitar magazine.

Vintage Guitar magazine

At this page there’s a short video of me playing some of “Celery” to promote the article, and this here’s a link to a pdf of the article.

2   I played on Steve McAllister’s beautiful new album I Hope You Are Okay. Here is a wonderful review of it, and here is where to get it. Dave Gregory plays on it too and it is marvelous, intelligent pop music.

3 I played on Mats Oberg’s stunning new release Visa från Inneröra. I appear on his delightful composition “Dream Loops.” Mats’ genius is of course on full display and his writing and playing is just as awe-inspiring as ever. It’s a privilege to be on his new album, which you can sure find here

4  Jeez, speaking of privileges: Anthony Garone asked me if I would join him in interviewing Derek Shulman, Kerry Minnear, Gary Green and John Weathers of Gentle Giant, on the occasion of the release of Steven Wilson’s remix of the glorious Interview album. There really aren’t words to capture how eagerly I accepted that invitation.

Gentle Giant

What a true honor, and what a truly spectacular band to whom I’ll always be grateful, and you can watch our discussion here.

5  The immensely charming Hammond Chamberlain has interviewed me once again for his excellent Beyond the Playlist podcast.

6  Listen to this podcast also! It’s an interview I did alongside the legendary Art Tripp while at 2022’s Zappanale, supplemented by a lot of really good music.

7  I did an interview with the boxing website The Ringside Report! I’ve never boxed but they must know that I’m a boxer at heart. Read the interview, during which we discuss nothing about boxing, here. It’s actually a really good little interview, I dug the questions.

8  And final! A review of The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat from good Pete Pardo at Sea of Tranquility.

The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat 

AND NOW TO BED

Actually, first I’m gonna post a couple of phone videos I took during the Dreamsonic tour to my Patreon page, and THEN to bed. Either way, good night!

Love,

Mike!
Scambot 2 & Inkling
Exowax Recordings
Visit the Mike Keneally Store!

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