SCHEDULE EMAIL SOLO LESSONS BOOKING INFO LINKS
The Mike Lenz Band features Mike (winner of the Marietta, Ohio based BJFM 2005 Blues Challenge) on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Jason Edwards on drums; and Dennis Meyers on bass and vocal. They specialize in a raw, stripped down sound, influenced by everything from delta and piedmont blues artists such as Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Blake and Tommy Johnson to Jug Band stomps and rags of the 20’s and 30’s to classic 50’s and 60’s electric Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, and Howlin’ Wolf to the juke joint boogies of Hound Dog Taylor and modern North Mississippi blues. You'll hear some swing, rockabilly, classic country, improvisations, and tastes of just about every genre of American roots music.
Please see the schedule for dates.
The Mike Lenz Band (taken from the 2004 Mohican Blues Festival website)
The Mike Lenz Band
really put on a great show at last year’s fest. Their set ended much
too soon for the crowd that as the band was leaving the stage got to its feet
giving them a bon a fide standing ovation. The positive impression they made
on the audience was further proven by the fact that they sold out of their
entire stock of CDs & merchandise literally within 15 minutes after their
closing song. We continue to hear good comments about the Mike Lenz Band’s
appearance and the question, “Are they going to be back?” Our
answer, yes they are.
For the uninitiated, the Mike Lenz Band is a three piece outfit grounded firmly
in American Roots Music and Blues. They play a mix of originals and covers
many of which are not your ordinary “standards”. They have a raw
and stripped down sound featuring as appropriate vocals, guitar, slide, bass,
drums and harmonica. Their sound is Piedmont and delta style Blues with influences
ranging from Robert Johnson, Son House, Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Blake,
Mississippi Jug Band stomps and rags to electric Muddy Waters and the Juke
Joint Boogies of Howlin’ Wolf and Hound Dog Taylor. Add in a little
spice from Funk, swing and rockabilly and you have some unusual and very enjoyable
music happening.
This band is very professional, seasoned and polished through years of playing
the club circuit and experience playing nearly every type of American Music.
This has honed them into an exciting act well on the road to success. If you
were there to see them last year, we know that you will be back for more.
If you missed them, here is your chance catch this innovative group in the
act. Mark your calendar August 21, 2004 and plan to be a part of Ohio’s
Blues Invasion at the Sixth Edition of the Mohican Blues Festival.
THE MIKE LENZ BAND'
Good Medicine at Mohican
By Daniel Shy
Loudonville, Ohio - August 16, 2003
When it was over,
I had to ask, "What would drive five middle-aged men to travel 1-1/2
hours to tent camp at a rain-soaked campground for two days with minimal amenities?"
There could be only one answer: An eight band all-star lineup of the hottest
Blues in the state. The Mohican Blues Festival at the Mohican Reservation
Campground was just such an event. The festival is in it's fifth year and
is the brainchild of Fred and Barb Coffin, directors of the North Central
Ohio Blues Association.
While each of the eight acts offered up an extraordinary caliber of music,
The Mike Lenz Band stood out, in this author's opinion, as a favorite of those
seeking a visceral, instinctive personification of Blues music. Self-described
as American roots music - a raw, stripped down sound, influenced by delta
and piedmont blues - the band does not disappoint those who seek to hear a
non-commercialized down-in-the-trenches blues power trio.
The 'rootsiness' of Mike Lenz extends well beyond his choice of songs. In
holding to American folk heritage of using homemade instruments, Mike wields
a Telecaster that he assembled himself. He also teaches out of Ross Music
in Akron, an establishment known for it's nostalgic décor of musical
collectibles. Even the band's sold out CD's at the artist's tent reflected
the home-spun aura that encompasses the group and is manifested in their sound.
From the first note, the omnipresent brass slide on Mike's pinky created haunting
howls and cries, making evident his mastery of the Six String. The band's
repertoire included yesteryear songs of Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Muddy
Waters, Elmore James and Jimmy Reed, as well as a few Mike Lenz originals
that demonstrated innovation within the Blues structure. Mike's guitar virtuosity
is paralleled at the microphone, as his voice possesses a primal passion which
perfectly supplements the band's style.
The rhythm section is comprised of Jason Edwards on drums and Dennis Meyers
on bass. The two provided a harmonious backdrop to Mike's guitar. Jason has
wowed me for several years since I was first introduced to his percussive
prowess with The Barnburners. Dennis runs Thursday open jams at the Main Street
Saloon. Both musicians are staples for the musical diet in the Akron area,
teaming up in a variety of lineups.
The almighty clock on the left side of the stage showed 4:20 PM, exactly one
hour after the band took the stage. Time ran out for the third act of the
festival and the crowd realized that the experience was about to end. One
by one, the audience rose to it's feet and offered a standing ovation to the
group for sharing their unique talent and addictive sound. This act of veneration
sent chills down my spine.
We were packing up camp on Sunday morning, and I could hear in the distance
Mike's distinguishing harmonica sound. I realized that a camper a few sites
away was playing The Mike Lenz Band CD. Might this be the start of hearing
The Mike Lenz Band coming from stereo systems at parks, beaches, in traffic,
and on the radio? You can order a CD and see where the band is playing around
the greater Akron area at www.mikelenz.com <http://www.mikelenz.com>.
Northsider's
Create Their Own Bluesfest
By Daniel Shy
As published in The North Central Ohio Blues Association newsletter “Blues
Views” (Winter 2003)
It's been almost a year since I first visited the North Side Grill on North
Main Street in Akron, seeing the now-disbanded Barnburners. That was a pivotal
experience that launched my interest in the local blues seen. It was blues
guru Jim Hudson who admonished me to see that act, and who now succeeded in
getting me and Dean to see the group of musicians who evolved from that group,
gathering on Thursday evenings to produce a unique blend of standard and country
blues.
Guitarist Mike Lenz, Drummer Jason Edwards, and Bassist Kip Amore colloquially
call themselves 'The Northsiders', but only on Thursdays, as they all have
other things going on throughout the week. On this particular night, Kip subcontracted
the bass role to Len Fatagati. (Kip is gigging at the Carousel in the 'Always,
Patsy Cline' show, but managed to make a cameo appearance late in the night,
playing what he referred to as Self-Indulging Jazz).
Armed with a vintage butterscotch Telecaster (possibly a '52 reissue), Mike's
singing and finger picking style allowed for fast tempo renditions of Muddy
Waters standards to Johnny Cash classics. The Tele was equipped with a lever
system to quickly switch from standard to open chord tuning for slide. The
single coil pickups transformed Mike's vibrato slide motion into the crisp
Fender blues sound. The fluid movement of Mike's fretting fingers over the
length of the neck revealed that he has indeed solved the mystery of the guitar
fretboard. The night was well balanced between sliding and fretting, between
finger and conventional picking, between covering and innovation. To add dimension
to the performance, Mike occasionally donned a harmonica headset, producing
sweet blows and bending draws to compliment his guitar virtuosity. It has
been reported that Mike knows over 400 songs. Jim had advertised Mike as a
'do-not miss' guitarist, and now I know why. Mike's area venues can be found
on his website www.mikelenz.com.
Jason was his reliable, stoic self. When a drummer is that good, the percussion
becomes interwoven with the guitars, and as a listener it's easy to miss the
artisanship. But for our benefit, Jason was given opportunity to solo. And
for those of you who can only picture a drum solo as wild pummeling of drum
heads and cymbals, let me tell you that Jason maintains the integrity of the
drum set as a musical instrument.
Len wielded a giant 6-string bass, occasionally receiving chord change call-outs
from Mike. But if I didn't see and hear Mike vocally transmit an occasional
off-mic "A!", I would have thought that all the songs were pulled
from Len's repertoire - he was that good. In the past, I've always thought,
"How many strings does a bass player really need?". But Len utilized
the full length and width of his 6-string fret board, even playing high-end
chords simultaneously with the baseline. And singing - Len also provided vocals,
including covers of B.B. King and Eric Clapton. This hired-gun earned his
pay.
Giving consideration to the mystical nature of live music, my words fall short
of doing justice to the Northsider's production. Just go see them for yourselves:
Thursday's 9:30-12:30 at the North Side Grill 111 N. Main St in Akron.
(Daniel Shy is a freelance writer and can be reached at dshy@neo.rr.com)
Note: The Northsiders no longer play Thursdays at Northside as of May 1st. Thanks to everyone who supported us and all the folks at Northside for a great gig!