Mike Frasier Music

No, I don’t know how to tap dance. Yes, the actual tap dancers are terrific! I’ve been rehearsing with the Chicago Tap Theatre all week to put together this incredible show from the mind of Sterling Harris, and I’m super excited to be contributing my talents on keys this weekend at the Den Theatre.

Shows are happening at the times below, so find a date and get your tickets now!

Plus, you can catch me tonight playing bass with Ricky Liontones at Subterranean. We’ll be opening up for the awesome power trio Silvertone, along with Rainbow James and Lever. It’s a fun week of shows, and as usual the music is all over the place!

Happy Friday! I haven’t posted here in awhile because I’ve been kept pretty occupied for the last few months. As we roll in to summer I’m still busy as ever making as much music as I can, including a few upcoming projects that I’m too excited about to not share:

This Sunday at 7PM I’ll be playing a tuba soundtrack for a live comic book reading. Believe it or not, this is something that I’ve never done before. Man Boy is a great comic (And Duc Boi!), and I’m excited to help the good people behind Snack King Comics as they launch their kickstarter for Season 1. It’s free, so come check us out at the Sipping Turtle Cafe if you’re in Chicago on Sunday!

Next Thursday, May 25, I’m playing Golden Dagger with Ricky Liontones and crew. Flake Michigan and Julia Morrison are also entertaining that evening, so it’ll be a good night for great music.

As for us that night, we’ll probably be celebrating the monumental success of our new single release, a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Dancing Days set to come out on May 24 (the 50th anniversary of the song’s original release as a single). You can presave the single on Spotify through the link here!

This is only the first of many releases we have planned for this summer, so keep an eye out for news on those as well as more exciting collaborations happening in the summer months!

As we all enter Black History Month this year, conversations about race and society are as prominent as ever. The recent murder of Tyre Nichols has reawakened discussions about our failure as a society to prevent such meaningless institutional violence, which is a direct consequence of substantial inequalities among communities. While the narrative of today’s racial inequality has adopted this and other tragic cases as a focal point, we do need to remember that the problem of inequality is much broader than occasional instances of police brutality in the news. The best way to a more equitable world, in my opinion, is for us to have more honest conversations about these issues with one another—not to correct one another’s opinions and values, but to understand them.

In other news, I’m playing some shows this month. Save these dates and stay tuned for more to be announced soon!

• Friday, February 3 (Tonight) at Underground Cocktail Bar

• Saturday, February 4 at The Outta Space (Berwyn)

• Wednesday, February 15 at Reggie’s Rock Club: Ricky Liontones w/Jason Kane

• Saturday, February 25 at Golden Dagger

One more thing… for those of you who follow Smooth Tuba Tuesday and Slapsauce Music, we’re giving away a free Slapsauce T-shirt! Just fill out the survey at the link below before Tuesday (February 7) for your chance to win.

https://forms.gle/Xdva8s1FRzDUfqnZA

Slapsauce Music is gearing up for another smooth year, and we need your help!

We’ve created a fan poll to learn more about what you all want to see from us this year. Fill it out by the end of the month and you’ll be entered to win a free Slapsauce T-shirt!

Click here to enter the poll!

Okay, so the year is already a week old at this point. But what a week it’s been! Last weekend I played bass in Galena, IL, close to the Iowa border. The very next day I was in New Buffalo, MI, playing marching tuba in a disco-themed New Orleans brass band at Four Winds Casino (yes, you read all of that correctly). Last night I played bass in a sold out show at Cole’s Bar with Ricky Liontones, supported by Sunflower Headlights and The Alright Maybes.

By far the most time and labor, though, has gone into taking care of the kitty pictured up top. 5-month-old Trixie is playful, sweet, and full of kitten energy. I’m happy to report that she and Mac are getting along great, although Mac has had to learn to play gently with his new adopted sister of a quarter his size.

Here’s a few shows I’m playing this month:

Saturday 1/14 – w/Ricky Liontones at Leader Bar

Sunday 1/22 – w/Taylor Street Organ Trio at Hey Nonny

Sunday 1/29 – w/Ricky Liontones at Liar’s Club

Stay tuned for more fun show announcements coming soon!

In less than a week I’ll be traveling to Orlando to perform with the rest of Presidio Brass as the featured group in the Walt Disney World Thanksgiving Day Parade of Bands, organized by Bob Rogers Travel. Along with several high school marching bands from around the country, we will be closing out the morning parade in front of the iconic Magic Kingdom castle.

Thanks to the hard-working folks at Banddirector.com, the show will also be live-streaming for free! Tune in at 9:15 Eastern Time using the link below, and start your holiday off with a show!

https://banddirector.com/live-webcast/live-from-the-magic-kingdom-bob-rogers-thanksgiving-parade-of-bands-2022/

This weekend I’ll be wearing a lot of different costumes!

First I’m playing at the legendary Green Mill on Saturday afternoon, then heading straight to Reggie’s for a set of Led Zeppelin classics with the Ricky Liontones Revue.

Monday I’m playing with the Chicago Freedom Ensemble in Hyde Park for their annual Halloween celebration. It’s great to be playing with this group again and supporting the community in the process.

Last week’s mini-tour in Iowa was a great success! Despite lingering back issues, I weathered the trip to Burlington for our opening set for the pioneering punk rockers Dead Boys, not to mention the incredible Suzi Moon. Afterwards we played a set in the alley next door, where concertgoers and band members mingled and ate “challey” dogs and “made-rite” sandwiches. It was a stereotypically midwestern scene, and though we were hours away from Chicago we felt right at home.

After such a rigorous few days I’m happy to have a rare weekend off to recuperate. I’ll be at it again on Monday night, though, with a show at the Liar’s Club celebrating Ricky Liontones’ 37th birthday.

I’m especially excited for this Saturday, when I’ll be performing solo at One Allegiance Brewing. I rarely perform live by myself, so it will be a lot of fun for me to flex my creative muscles. I’ve been working hard to devise a list of some of my favorite tunes, and songs that I believe people will want to hear.

If you’re looking for an entertaining night, come to my set at One Allegiance this Saturday at 7PM!