Author: Mike Frasier

Musician, Teacher, Entrepreneur

Tuba + Comics? đź‘€

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!

Black History Month

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

Happy New Year!

New cat alert! Internet, meet Trixie

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.

No, your eyes have not deceived you

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!

I’m going to Disney World!

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/

Spooky Season Shows

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.

Solo Set at One Allegiance Brewing this Saturday 7-10PM!

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!

Tour Dates + More in October and November!

I’m geared up and ready to go!

Lots of exciting shows coming up! First is this Saturday, where I’ll be playing with Ricky Liontones at Metal Monkey Brewing Company in Romeoville for the release party for Unto the Earth’s new album “The Dawning.” Then on Sunday I’ll be rejoining the Taylor Street Organ Trio for a brunch set at Mockingbird Bar and Garden in East Dundee. That’s two shows this weekend from completely opposite ends of the musical spectrum, united by the mission to have a good time.

Next I’ll be back on the road for a short stint in Iowa. We’ll be opening for punk legends The Dead Boys, just before headlining the “Alley Days” street music festival in Burlington. I can’t believe it’s only been three months since our last big tour through multiple states, and we’re already set to go out again. We had a blast the last time we were in Burlington, though, so I’m excited to make a return.

On October 22, I’ll be performing solo keys at One Allegiance Brewing Company. This will be my first time performing an entire 3-hour set by myself, so I have a lot of music to prepare. The benefit of performing solo, though, is that I can play whatever I want!

Finally, at the end of the month, we’ll be celebrating spooky season at Reggie’s Rock Club performing as Led Zeppelin. Also featured on that night will be Daisy Chain as Pink Floyd, and Blue Dream as Cream. Come see me as John Paul Jones!

November brings the most exciting news of all—Presidio Brass is going back to Disney World! After two Thanksgiving seasons without a trip to Disney, we’re finally making our return to Orlando for a special show that’s been in the making since 2020. As in years past, we will be the featured group in the Thanksgiving Day Parade of Bands, featuring several hundred high school marching band students from around the country. This trip is made possible with the help of our corporate sponsors at KHS America.

As you can see, I’ve been keeping busy with music lately—and I have even more big shows to announce in the coming months very soon!

More shows in September and October!

We played a sweet show at Boat Drinks in Chicago this Tuesday!

I’ve been hard at work performing for the good folks of Chicago and beyond. In addition to playing bass at Boat Drinks and other bars, I’ve also been playing plenty of tuba and keys (check out the latest Smooth Tuba Tuesday!).

Chicago has such a great diversity of musical opportunities—I’ve even had the chance to play rock, blues, jazz, and classical sets all in the same week! Even with everything I’m already doing, I’m still striving to acquire new skills as a musician, and seeking new creative outlets for musical performance.

If you’re interested in supporting my music in its various forms, you can come see me at these shows over the next few weeks:

Saturday 9/24 – Taylor Street Organ Trio @ One Allegiance Brewing (Chicago Ridge)

Friday 9/30 – Ricky Liontones Trio @ Honky Tonk BBQ (Pilsen)

Saturday 10/8 – Ricky Liontones Revue @ Metal Monkey Brewing (Romeoville)

Sunday 10/9 – Taylor Street Organ Trio @ Mockingbird Bar & Garden (East Dundee)

I have more shows to announce soon, including some exciting tour dates in October and November, so stay tuned for those announcements!

Home again, major show announcements coming soon!

The tour with Ricky Liontones was a success–we hit up Michigan, Nashville, Indianapolis, and Iowa. During that week I played a whole lot of bass but not much piano, and no tuba at all. I’ve been spending the last two weeks getting back into playing shape for some exciting projects I’m taking on in the Fall.

Last week I had a busy slate of Chicago shows at Reggie’s On The Beach, Fitzgerald’s, and Liar’s Club. Next month I have even more shows, including some major events that I’ll be announcing very soon. I also resume teaching at St. Xavier University next week for my second year as an adjunct faculty member. With such a busy schedule, it seems like the dog days of summer are long gone for me… but I wouldn’t have it any other way!