A Dream Resurrected
by Stacy Swim
‘Rockstar: Supernova’ conducted a mini-tour to promote the show which included performances by some of last years rockers. The first stop was The Roxy in Los Angeles on July 13th. The line-up for this gig was our MiG, Marty Casey and the Lovehammers, and Panic Channel featuring Dave Navarro. As Laura Alber (co-owner of ez-entertainment.net and Team MiG) and I took our assigned places on the red carpet, the excitement was building. The contestants from ‘Supernova’ were the first down the red carpet, and they came in pairs. Since they are largely secluded in the ‘Rockstar’ mansion during the competition, they were more than happy to chat with Laura and I. We discussed everything from
the critiques they receive from Dave Navarro and the Supernova guys to their song selections and strategies.
Fun was also having Tommy Lee, Jason Newsted, and Gilby Clarke standing right in front of me! We only had time to ask one question, so I said, “You guys give such a different vibe from last year. Did you watch ‘Rockstar: INXS’ last year, and what are you looking for this year?” Tommy told me he’d “watched a little bit.” And Gilby said what they are looking for is a “rockstar! Some one different, man!” Tommy chimed in with, “We’re not looking to find someone to fill somebody else’s shoes.” Jason continued, “We have a space open that is equal to the size of our spaces. We’re waiting for someone to fill it appropriately. It doesn’t matter if it’s female or male. It just has to be the right person.”
The right person to front the Lovehammers is Marty Casey, and that’s who was up next! Marty said they are, “Working on the new video for our second single Casualty, and we’re headed out on our own North American tour, headlining Marty Casey and the Lovehammers, which starts on the 27th of July. We’re kicking ass and doing a bunch of these ‘Rockstar: Supernova’ shows.” After Marty & the Lovehammers, it was time to go inside because MiG was on first! Laura and I were late getting inside but I had heard that the audience cheered enthusiastically as they announced him! After his first song, Sting’s ‘Wrapped Around Your Finger,’ MiG went to the piano while “life-long friend” Darryl Beaton
accompanied him on acoustic guitar, and performed to perfection Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ and Frampton’s ‘Baby, I Love Your Way.’ During his set he kept referring to himself as the appetizer for the other performers that night, but the audience was loving MiG and he was loving the audience! He closed his set with a beautiful, new arrangement of the Rolling Stones’s ‘Angie.’ It may have been ‘only’ four songs, but MiG rocked the Roxy and sounded better that ever doing it!
Marty Casey and the Lovehammers also rocked out and did practically all the songs from their CD! They were intense and working so hard that sweat was pouring from all four of them! It was then time for the Panic Channel featuring Dave Navarro. MiG said about their performance in his My Space blog that, “I finally got to hear Dave Navarro’s incredible new band The Panic Channel. Dave was in top form, with the super kilted-one, Steve Perkins on the drums, and a new singer called Steve... (unbelievable voice!!!). These guys are going to blow up.”
MiG also said in his blog that it was “such an honour to be part of the line-up.” As I said, The Roxy in Los Angeles was just the first of many performances this month. From the west coast then to...
Have Keyboard, Will Travel!
by Gisèle Williams
…the east with numerous stops along the way, what initially started out as a small four-song gig, on a four city promotional tour on consecutive Thursday evenings in July for ‘Rockstar: Supernova’, became a troubadour’s adventure! “This trip has been a baptism of fire for Darryl and I, but it's like going back to the very grass roots days when we busked the streets of Sydney in our teens...We feel like Rock SWAT...we play anywhere, anything, anytime! This ain't glamorous but it's awesome fun” is how MiG describe his touring experience this summer. And with the help of the ‘MiG Team’ street team, there were plenty of opportunities to perform!
Long-time friend and accomplished musician, Darryl Beaton left his family in Australia to accompany MiG on this tour. Together MiG and Darryl tore it up night after night as they performed impromptu sets at various locations and in an assortment of venues, sometimes even jamming with the local house band, throughout the North/Eastern United States. Here are just some of the highlights of their adventures in America!
First stop the Windy City ~ Chicago, Illinois
“For a city that I’ve never been to before I got such a great response and was greeted with great warmth.” ~ MiG
Itinerary:
(July 20-23) Park West, ‘Rockstar: Supernova’ (and interview with the Chicago Herald) ~ Navy Pier ~ Third Coast Café ~ Howl at the Moon Nightclub ~ The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Championships, North Avenue Beach.
“Chicago loves MiG!!!” Co-Owner Nancy Marver-Ilhan (sunshine) exclaimed following MiG’s stint in Chicago. “The momentum seemed to build daily here,” she continued “We started out in front of 60 people on Wednesday and ended up in front of 7000+ on Sunday!!!”
Whether MiG and Darryl were performing for established fans or singing in the park to passers by, “MiG has such a gift for connecting with people,” Kay (ange4mig) told me. “When he performs people are mesmerized by him. After people meet MiG, they walk away with a smile and a warm glow that wasn't there before.” The highlight of this stop for MiG may have been the opportunity to sing for 7000 volleyball enthusiasts but the street teamers I talked to can’t say enough about MiG and Darryl’s dueling piano set at Howl at the Moon! "They are great together,” Toni Talley (2ton) of Ohio told me, “They seem to be of one mind!” And Mary Beth (mbucksfan) continued, “Seeing MiG and Darryl perform together was magical. The music they make together comes from
years of friendship and that kind of bond comes through in the trust that they have for each other… having the opportunity to see MiG perform was such an AMAZING experience”
Hello Cleveland! (Ohio), the Rock and Roll Capital of the World!
Itinerary:
(July 24-25) Millenium Park ~ Galleria Lunch Patio ~ Jacob’s Field
This was an unexpected, last minute detour for MiG and Darryl, who were accompanied by MiG’s tour manager, Matt MacNaughton. With the help of their street team, they were able to bring MiG’s artistry to the people, generating further interest in his music. Despite record breaking temperatures, MiG created a stir wherever he went, whenever he performed. The highlight of this stop, no doubt, was Jacob’s Field where during an outdoor set they met Slider, the Cleveland Indians Club mascot who joined in the fun! Having never actually seen a professional baseball diamond, Darryl and MiG were able to take a break and watch at least part of the Indians vs. the Tigers game!
“I joined TMers Mary Beth (mbucksfan) and Toni (2ton) for a fantastic day of MiGmania on the streets of the city whose hallmark is "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!" Carol Tunnicliffe (Carol in Ohio) told me. “The day was very surreal and pretty much of a blur to me, but one thing DID stand out in sharp relief. With all the changes MiG has been through this past year, I was astounded that he is STILL the same man I met in Houston [last fall]...still humble and still extremely devoted to his fans! I was so worried about being in his way, but he welcomed us with open arms (literally) and just seemed amazed that he has so may fans who are willing to "go the distance" for him!”
Next Up, the Big Apple ~ New York City, New York
“New York is New York, I love it!” ~ MiG
Itinerary:
(July 26-29) Delancey Bar and Nightclub, Lower East Side ~ Bowery Ballroom, Lower East Side (Rockstar: Supernova) ~ Caravan Boutique – Noho Historic District ~ The Bitter End – Greenwich Village, (New York City’s oldest Rock Club)
From one venue to another, MiG continued to make an impression ~ and new fans ~ while Cheryl Sullivan (purpleclown13) and Andrea (MiG Central) spearheaded the street team and did their part to spread the MiGGy love!
“Seeing MiG for four days in a row was incredible. My first grandchild will be born in November. Until that day arrives, I can’t think of anything more exciting that could happen in my life than meeting MiG and seeing him perform,” is how Cheryl described her ‘MiGperience’ in New York. Similar sentiments were echoed by MiG Central gal, Andrea who said, “Seeing him perform at the Bitter End was such a highlight because it was such an intimate setting, we really got to see the "real MiG" in action, doing what he was put on this earth to do.” After all this time spent recording his CD, TM member Diana noted that, “It was good to see him out and around after all of these months.”
But we’re not finished...........
Pit stop: Philadelphia ~ the City of Brotherly Love!
Itinerary:
(July 31 – Aug 1) Sole Food Restaurant (Loews Hotel) for 2 nights ~ Classic Rock 102.9 MGK, Morning Show with John DeBella ~ World Café Live
Joined by Hedy (mom2boys522) and Suzie (SuzieQ), MiG and Darryl enjoyed the Philly nightlife. I say nightlife because the extreme daytime temperatures were too uncomfortable to be outside during the day. Their sojourn in Philly surely was a success for after performing one evening at the Loews Hotel they were asked back to sing again the following night!
“All I can say about the concert was that he was wonderful. I don't think ROCKSTAR:INXS did him justice. His voice has incredible range and he has such control. As a professional singer, I can tell you that he has top-notch chops.” Suzie posted. “My favorite part of the event [World CaféLive] was just watching MiG interact with fans,” Hedy shared, “and then sitting down with us for a bit and just relaxing!”
And finally Beantown ~ Boston, Massachusetts
Itinerary:
(August 2-4) Bob’s Southern Bistro ~ Paradise Rock Club (Supernova show) ~ The Rack Nightclub ~ Hard Rock Café ~ Purple Shamrock
LeeAnne Bergevine (sweetie1010), owner of the Numbbutt Sistahs Yahoo site and fellow Sistah Donna Greener (grannyd41) couldn’t wait to catch up with MiG in Boston. Unfortunately the never-ending heat wave kept MiG and Darryl from busking during the day but no mind, they had a number of venues booked for the evenings! Donna had travelled 1,500 miles (2517 kilometres) from Lawton Oklahoma to meet MiG and help street team with LeeAnn. Although booking the Hard Rock Café was quite a coup for MiG, Donna much preferred the intimate setting of Bob’s Bistro where MiG mixed it up with everything from original songs, newly recorded and soon to be released ballads to Steve Wonder and George Benson classics! About MiG’s performances, all Donna could say was, “ I loved watching
him interact with people. HE’s so animated; he just enjoys himself so much. He’s there for the people, he really is!” Wanda(Tigerlily), emmabelle and Clair (carle) Julie (joolzann) joined the Sistahs and in true TM form did their parts to promote the talent that MiG is.
Of this experience LeeAnn told me, "It was a an experience I will not soon forget. Seeing MiG finally perform and at different venues and settings was just plain awesome. And the different demographic of people who also got to experience MiG's music and dig it was absolutely amazing. Playing booking agent for a few days was fun too, I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of cool people that I would never of met if not for MiG."
Going Home…..maybe!
From Boston, Matt, Darryl and MiG parted company. Darryl would eventually return to Australia while Matt would find his way back to California. MiG however was not quite done touring. His next stop included a reunion with Rockstar pals, Tara, Suzie, Deanna and Ty in Canada! “Thank you for all your support through this chaotic adventure,” MiG blogged at the conclusion of what he referred to as his ‘experimental mystery tour’.
Street Teaming At It’s Best!
MiG’s team stepped up to the plate this past month donating their time and energy to promoting MiG and his music as he and Darryl Beaton touring parts of the USA! In a real hands-on way, these fans planned and executed effective street teaming strategies doing everything from scouting for potential opportunities for MiG to perform and booking venues to handing out CD samplers and postcards and collecting email addresses for MiG’s On-Line registration. “It seems like it would be hard before you try it but it is actually very easy – and loads of fun,” Toni Talley (2ton) told me when she arrived in Canada for her third street team mission of the tour!
In addition to the excellent street teaming efforts by members of Team MiG, the Numbbutts Sistahs and MiG Central in the USA, we saw similar efforts being made in a few other places around the world! In Canada, street teaming was going on in full force with postcards and flyers donning restaurants and venues all over Southern Ontario while the team collected email addresses from people who really got into MiG’s groove at the ‘After Rockstar Party’ AND the Marty Casey and the Lovehammer’s concert at Lee’s Palace Nightclub in Toronto on August 10th!
If that weren’t enough (and we can never do too much!), The Filipino Street Team from the MiG Ayesa Pinoy (MAP) Yahoo fan site was ready to do its part in Manila, Philippines the week of August 13th as MiG met with fans and strutted his stuff both on television and on stage!
Mary Beth who lent a hand in Chicago and Cleveland summed things up beautifully saying, “I think there are a lot of new MiG and a lot of new Darryl fans thanks to their concerts and impromptu shows. Their talent just overwhelms people and they certainly reached people that had never heard of [MiG] by the type of touring they did. I felt honored that they have so much respect for Team MiG that they trust us to help in promoting MiG and I hope we don't ever let him down. I am so glad that we have such a great group-diverse in age, personalities and talents that can help him.”
Way to go MiG Team! MiG couldn't be happier with everyone's efforts. Congratulations on a job very well done!
MiGBits
MiG Releases His First Single!
On August 22nd, Universal Music Group is exclusively releasing ‘Baby I Love Your Way’ to Yahoo Music. Yahoo Music is a subscription service which means that if you're subscribed, you will be able hear the song with no restrictions on the number of times played. If not a subscriber, you can still go to their software and hear a :30 clip of it, or download the track for 99 cents.
On August 29th the track will be available on all digital vendors ~ iTunes, Napster, Real/Rhapsody, MSN, etc…
A Special Birthday!
August 26th is a significant day for Team MiG! It is on that day in 2005 that Nancy Marver-Ilhan (nmicash on the MSN board) who, following up with someone’s earlier suggestion, campaigned on the ‘Rockstar: INXS’ message board to create a voting block for MiG Ayesa. In her post, she suggested a ‘rallying of troops’ to vote for MiG during the course of the show and offered possible names for the group. On August 26th at 12:49 pm, just a few hours after Nancy’s original post, Stacy Swim (starstacy), who agreed with Nancy’s proposal, christened the group and confirmed that we would from then on be officially and forever known as ‘Team MiG’!
Happy Birthday, Team MiG ~ what a year it’s been!
She’s At It Again!
Michelle Mirkovich, creator of Divinity Jewelry Designs, is at it again! The designer of MiG’s infamous turquoise necklace, which he wore again at the Roxy ‘Supernova’ gig, has designed a number of pieces worn by the ‘Supernova’ contestants on the Roxy red
carpet and the ‘Supernova’ show itself. Who wore what on the red carpet? Lukas wore a white rosary while Dilana wore a garnet and skulls choker and Josh wore black onyx rosary. On ‘Supernova’ Patrice, Toby, and Storm have all worn her custom pieces. Tommy Lee has a black onyx piece, similar to the piece Dave Navarro owns that is on her site, that he hasn’t taken off for eight months! You can view these pieces and more on the Divinity website where similar creations are for sale by Michelle.
The Rockers Hit Canada ~ Again!
When we thought that a concert in Toronto, Ontario and another in North Bay last May was a treat, imagine another ‘After Rockstar Party’ just a few months later smack dab in the middle of the summer! Once again the Sean Cotton Band kicked it with some of our favorite ‘Rockstar’ rockers in Kingston and Burlington on August 6th and 7th! Suzie McNeil, Tara Slone, Ty Taylor, Deanna Johnston and of course MiG had a great time singing, dancing and ‘yukking it up’ with each other and their fans who were thrilled to welcome them all
back to Canada!
Tara Slone and Suzie McNeil were spotted later that week in Toronto rocking to Marty Casey and the Lovehammers who were doing their ‘thang’ at Lee’s Palace Nightclub in Toronto on August 10th! Marty and the Lovehammers were in top shape belting out original and cover tunes with such energy that just watching them perform made us sweat! This was the Lovehammer’s second gig in Toronto, having opened for INXS last February at Massey Hall.
Another ‘Rockstar’ Rocker sighting!
The fans in Chicago caught a glimpse of and in at least one instance chatted with rocker Jessica Robinson who was ‘in line’ at Park West to catch the ‘Supernova’ show and meet up with friends, Marty Casey, Neil Carlson and MiG! Jessica continues to perform her music in the Chicago area where she lives.
Thanks Dad!
Two of Team MiG’s newest members, Karen Shaw and Kelly Shaw are really glad that they did well in school last year. As a high school graduation gift to his girls, Dad Jeff flew them to Burlington Ontario, a mere 2,700 miles (4,350 kilometres) from their home in San Francisco, California to meet MiG and to watch him perform!
“When Gee (canukfan) told me to find her after the concert so that she could make sure I actually met MiG”, Karen said “my heart literally stopped beating! I couldn’t believe it! Not only was MiG going to perform right before my eyes, but I was actually going to meet him in person! I am so fortunate…[this was the] most memorable night of my life! MiG was so incredibly and unfathomably kind, sweet, wonderful, and of course handsome!”
He’s Just Like the Energizer Bunny…
…he just keeps going and going and...
Give MiG a couple of days to rest and rejuvenate and he’s ready to get back to work! Following a month of touring, MiG returned to Los Angeles and his lovely wife Simone who packed her bags this time to be with her husband in Manila, Philippines where MiG was booked for a number of engagements including a large scale meet and greet with his fans at the SM Mall of Asia, presenting at the MTV Music Awards and a guest performance at the INXS concert on Aug 16th. Team MiG and MAP fans were thrilled to see and catch up with MiG and Simone!
(Thanks to Mari Arquiza for the Manila photos!)
