• Speed Style Magazine (11/07)
  
  
• Good Times Santa Cruz (10/07)
  
  
• Silicon Valley Community Newspapers (7/07)

• Maverick Country (4/07)
• Rootstime (11/06)

Like his song "Jack of All Trades" says, singer/songwriter Michael Gaither has done a bit of everything: journalist, corporate trainer, even joke writer for Jay Leno. All roads danced around - and eventually led back to - writing. And music.

His debut CD, the 2006 release "Spotted Mule and Other Tales", is an Americana mix of folk, bluegrass, and a little gospel. Leaning towards storytelling songs, Michael loves telling tales of the everyday: big cars, bad drivers, a baby's first steps, and yes, mules. (Okay, so maybe you don't see a mule everyday, but you write where the muse takes you. Sometimes she has four legs and her dad was a donkey.)

He is currently finishing work on "Dogspeed", his next CD which features more Americana story songs and is centered around another animal motif.

Besides performing his own material, Michael runs a monthly open mic and songwriters night at the Wooden Nickel Bar and Grill in Watsonville where other writers can try out new songs or polish older ones. He has also organized, promoted, and played at small local festivals, including the annual "Vintner's Festival Weekend" at Roudon-Smith Winery in Scotts Valley and "November-fest" at Pacific Crest Apiaries in Watsonville, California.

Michael produces and hosts "Songs and Stories", a bi-monthly songwriting podcast which features stories behind his songs and interviews with other songwriters. Songs and Stories can be heard on his web site at www.michaelgaither.com, in iTunes (it's a free subscription) and Friday evenings on Grateful Dread Radio, a Baltimore-based Internet station carried by the Live365 network.

Michael's song "Entertaining an Angel" was one of 20 winning entries in the Indie Artists Alliance songwriting contest for their "Songwriters and Storytellers" compilation in May 2007.

Contact Michael by email for booking info.

Here are recent quotes on Michael's work:

Good God, Michael Gaither Gets It Right!
Written by Bill Moore

Let's face it, the only thing more exciting than a good car is a great woman! And that fact has inspired songwriters ever since an internal combustion engine was affixed to a hay wagon you could steer.  

A couple of songs come to mind, but my favorite is Neil Young’s “Trans Am”, which runs something like this: “The wagons in the valley had pulled up for the night. Seth said, ‘Go get the plow out Merle, this place looks just right.’ By then they were surrounded, by dawn they all were dead. I heard this from the old Trans Am, up the road ahead.”

But darn it, that’s about a car. What if you love the big-boy poise and power of a truck? Well, let's get to the answer by taking the long way: Once upon a time we would park our blue VW Bug alongside a mountainous highway and pull on the backpacks. Then, after a day of hiking, it would be time to either camp out in the rough, or we would have made it to a rustic shelter somewhere along our week-long trek.

But, let me tell you something: Those days are gone! These days we need a SUV to get all of our things to a campground. So, there we were a few months back, our Coleman tent all set up, a few burgers cooking on the small Weber grill, and in rolls this big Ford F-150 carrying a Palomino camper in the back. A woman and a man hopped out, along with a white Labrador retriever. Five minutes after getting there, Mike and Cyndy, along with Roma (the Lab...see photo above), were neighbors.

On the second night we were sitting around a fire, like billions of other homanids have done for a million years, hypnotized by the yellow and orange flames. Naturally, we got to talking about trucks and cars. I mentioned I had recently driven the Hummer H3. Mike mentioned he had written a song about SUVs, and then ran off to fetch his guitar. Because it was after 10 p.m.—and after 10, camp rules say you have to use your “whisper” voice—he sang the song, but didn’t add the harmonica parts because harmonicas can’t whisper.

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Heading home / Late at night / Blinded by two white lights / Rear view mirror / All I could see / Big and bright and it was coming at me

Thought I saw a UFO / Tried to run me off the road / A blue Suburban / Seats 15

Good God man, how big a car do you need?

There's a Hummer ahead / I just don't understand / Why not just get a Jeep? / And just torch 80 grand? / They're crowding the freeways / Lined up 'round the block / I wouldn't mind it so much if they'd just learn how to park

Roads are such a mess / Everyone's compensating for something I guess? / Maybe it's ego / Self-esteem

But Good God man, how big a car do you need?

You get the idea. And, now, with gasoline prices skyrocketing and the sales of some SUVs stagnant, you at least have to smile at the words. However, we've included several small SUVs or crossover vehicles in this article that even Mike will like!  And, because we're convinced you will too, we have full test drives on each in our Reviews Section.

Click here if you’d like more information about getting Michael Gaither's CD "Spotted Mule and Other Tales", which includes the SUV song and also a tune about driving the treacherous Highway 17. 

Mike sounds a bit like a young Gearhead Dylan, and we’ve suggested several songs he should start working on. First of all, there’s that old chicken farmer and racecar driver, Carroll Shelby. Sure, there was a song about his little Cobra, but, hey, how about something about the old man?

Next, maybe something about Bonneville where the cars and trucks hit blistering speeds. Maybe something about the Freightliner that we wrote about one time that hit 223.991 mph. But instead of a softly rolling folk song, it would have to be hard-charging rock and roll! 

Zoom-Zoom, Boom-Boom!      

Note: For the complete text of this article, including links to reviews and photos of hybrid and smaller SUVs, see "Haulin' Song" at SpeedStyle Magazine.

Ultimately, Gaither would find a less trial-by-fire outlet for his comedy in what he calls story songs. “Creatively, it’s been the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done,” he says, praising songs for their portability and longevity in comparison to jokes’ short shelf-life. “I think songwriting is a lot more nurturing.” Gaither’s sense of humor and keen observation of the human experience preside over his clever Americana originals. Take the first song he ever wrote, “Highway 17,” in which Gaither relays the microcosm of human idiosyncrasy, neurosis and stupidity that characterizes the over-the-hill commute. “Motorcycle splitting lanes even in the pouring rain,” he sings in his conversational twang, “people ain’t too bright on Highway 17.”

In another song, Gaither sings “I don’t mind being a jack of all trades, wish I could master one,” tracing the all-too-familiar quandary of those who can boast diverse vocational exploits but never specialize. “You meet a lot of people and you learn from anybody you meet,” he says in defense of his Whitman’s Sampler-style résumé that includes stints as a corporate trainer and stringer for The Sentinel. “But you can feel like you never really get good at any one thing, especially if you happen to be an insecure songwriter type.”

When asked if he would trade it all for the chance to be born with a single virtuosic talent, he thinks for a minute; “Part of me would say sure, but then I wouldn’t know the people I know now. So I would have to say no.”

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On the first Friday of July, downtown Campbell became Main Street USA, with all ages and races blending together into the melting pot of America. People dined on Ethiopian food al fresco while they listened to bluegrass music. Children tried their hand at tossing beanbags, and adults reminisced about the first time they saw Grease, which was shown for free on a parking lot wall. It was an evening that catered to families.

The event was part of the "First Friday" series, sponsored by the Downtown Campbell Business Association as a way to bring the community together and contribute to the social environment of historic downtown Campbell. Campbell residents Jan and Bill Hammerlund, Walter and Patty Hammerlund and Presley Prieto had dinner at Aqui's Cal-Mex and were sitting outside Starbucks enjoying the live music and parade of people. The family had their portable chairs and was headed over to the Sundown Cinema for the showing of Grease.

"We love the small town atmosphere of Campbell," Jan Hammerlund says. "Here you have all the big city conveniences with a small town attitude." There was entertainment for all ages. The Home Church presented a puppet show on the Darling Fisher front lawn, to the delight of the children. Puppeteer Ashley Reeves, 20, created the puppets and props. Melanie Reeves, 14, Rebecca Conevit, 14, Ann Liu, 15, and Chelsea Reeves, 19, all assisted her. Ashley Reeves said the secret to a successful show is having fun while performing. She's a student at Santa Clara University, where she is majoring in accounting.

The Michael Gaither Band played Americana and roots music and featured Michael Gaither on rhythm guitar and mandolin, Aaron Bagchee on lead guitar and banjo, Russ Van Scoy on harmonica, and Greg Scott on bass. The band played the First Friday in November and was asked to return.

The Michael Gaither Band wasn't the only sound on the street. Plan B performed in front of Blendz. The group has been strumming blues, folk, country and rock tunes together for five years. The group includes Campbell resident Ron Heimbuecher, who sang and played guitar, T-Bone Walker on guitar and Jackie Loken on bass.

The July evening also marked opening night for Sundown Cinema. Campbell resident Manuel Viveros of Casa de la Cultura Mexica started the outdoor movie series three years ago as a way to bring communities together. This year's movie line-up focuses on the classics, and all of the titles are family-friendly. Movies start as soon as it's dark enough to start the show, usually between 8:45 and 9 p.m. Approximately 300 people turned out for the July 6 showing of Grease.

Embellishes owner Priscilla Flynn says First Friday events bring people together in addition to being good for business. "The summer months are slower in my business, but First Fridays put me in the black every time," Flynn says. Marji Gilmore of Radio Daze was offering 20 percent off merchandise for the night. She says her store is already busy on Friday nights, but that First Friday events bring in more "artsy people." Radio Daze offers memorabilia from the 1950s through the 1980s.

Twice Nice Doll Shop owner Bonnie Peterson doesn't usually stay open at night, but was curious to see if the event might bring in traffic. Peterson sells collectible dolls from all over the world. "First Fridays don't necessarily increase my business, but I'm for anything that brings more people to downtown Campbell," Peterson says.

The next First Friday event takes place Aug. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m., with classic cars and music from the 1950s and 1960s.

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"A storyteller with an eye for detail"

As he tells us in one of his songs, “Jack of All Trades”, California-based singer-songwriter Michael Gaither has turned his hand to a variety of occupations in his time. This is his debut album, and apart from “Running Down a Dream” which was written by Tom Petty, Gaither takes responsibility for the remaining eleven songs.

An observant writer partial to a little homespun philosophy, his songs are well constructed and cover a wide range of subjects. The album opens with “Still Walkin’ “, a reflective song in which he outlines his life from first unsteady steps to the walk of a grown man. He returns to this subject on “Takin’ Baby Steps”, a precise observation of his little cousin Emily’s first steps. Gaither concludes that every youngster displays courage in letting go of the support which brought them to their feet – a courage which often fails us as we grow older.

Gaither seems to have a tendency to pair his songs, as he does with “Spotted Mule” and “Not Stubborn, Not My Mule”. Both are something of a misfit, concluding with the line in “Spotted Mule” “If you’re a misfit, friend, you’re a friend of mine”.

Another loose pairing of songs comes with “Highway 17”, in which he wryly describes the lunacy of many drivers during rush hour traffic, risking life and limb in their mad scramble to get to their place of work and “Good God Man How Big a Car Do You Need?”

“Entertaining an Angel” is completely different, portraying the belief that it is not for us to know that angels are among us, for they may appear in numerous disguises. While “Broke” is something of a songwriting exercise to see how many different ways that word can be applied, Gaither draws our attention to the fact that some things can only work when they are broken. Clever and quite amusing.

Gaither is no distinctive vocal stylist, but his style suits his material, and he puts his tales together well. He plays acoustic guitar and harmonica and is helped out on tracks by the inclusion of electric lead guitar, mandolin, Dobro, banjo, bass, keyboard and harmony vocals, courtesy of Karin Phoenix. An interesting debut from a writer with a keen eye for detail and a gentle sense of humor.
-Larry Kelly

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Michael Gaither lives in Watsonville, California, and from the look of the sleeve this is the place to be. To get down to business at once, “Spotted Mule and Other Tales” has got it all, it’s became an album that gives you the feeling that Americana has just been invented.

This razor-sharp acoustic guitar playing troubadour rushes through no fewer than a dozen songs in less than forty minutes. Even though, because of that fact, they are well-thought out. The offered varies from sweet vocals, beautiful melodies, strong lyrics and everything of such a breakable intensity that it seems that Warren Zevon has come back to life.

He also looked for inspiration at Ray Davies, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Tom Petty and John Prine. Most of the songs are fantastic samples of Americana, a mix of modern folk, bluegrass and country.

The careful whispering voice of Gaither is not a voice that will make you fall off your chair, but he makes excellent use of the limited possibilities. Instrumentally, Gaither takes account for the guitar and harmonica, even though he gets modest support on some tracks on “Spotted Mule and Other Tales” from the mandolin, dobro and banjo, which gives the album a pleasant character. He wrote most of the songs but did not hesitate to record, for example, a song from Tom Petty (“Running Down A Dream”).

If you see Americana-artists as people who describe their surroundings and chroniclers of the daily life in the United States, then no-one will satisfy that description better than Michael Gaither.

He writes about himself in connection to the people around him and writes songs about the landscapes surrounding him, even uses some sarcasm in “Good God Man How Big a Car Do You Need?” or some gospel in “Entertaining An Angel”.

Other high-fliers are primarily “Highway 17”, “Jack of All Trades” and “Takin’ Baby Steps”, all songs covered in beautiful lyrics and a bit of Americana-sauce.

Together with his accompanying band this has become a very glorious cd, a cd that results in an intimate atmosphere, still ballads that cannot be touched by many singer-songwriter, whereas he also doesn’t have a problem with a bit of unadulterated bluegrass.

Everyone who just likes tranquil Americana, will probably feast on this as well

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