Hey all -
For the past month, I have been touring across the country as part of the "March on Stage" Hard Rock tour. Here are my tour diaries from the road. I also have posted pics from the various shows. Thanks to all who have come out and supported me! I have one more show left on Mar. 26 in San Antonio, TX at the Hard Rock. Hope to see you there!
3/1-2 New Orleans, LA
New Orleans
What an incredible city is this place. I can feel the culture and tradition ooze out of every brick. We are staying in the French Quarter and it is as I had imagined it, but so much more beautiful. We have been overwhelmed by the friendliness and openness of the people. I felt giddy like an excited child at Christmas, ...or maybe it was because we only had 4 hours sleep and had to perform on TV.We played for the Eyewitness News WWLTV Morning Show and it was great. They let us play in and out of the ad breaks, it was as if we were New Orleans answer to Paul Schaffer.
Then tragedy struck...on changing hotels this afternoon, my bag containing my lap-top, video camera, iPod and keys to my keyboard case (all essential tools for the tour) were left on the taxi. We have been trying all day to get in touch with the taxi we used. I hope that the driver is an honest man and will return my bag. I have so many unsaved files on my computer I am nauseus thinking about the loss of it all. I am so incredibly stressed about it. I know I mustn't place any value on material things, but anyone with their whole lives on their computer know what I mean.
Please, please be an honourable man. I know you are!
Tomorrow we play at the Hard Rock. We visited the venue today and I can't wait!
3/4 - Chicago, IL
Chicago, Chicago!
I've just been to the Windy City, the Windy City is mighty perty...
Cold but beautiful. Chicago! Just flew in last night. Am so excited tp be back here, one of my all-time favourite cities.
Thank you all so much for helping me try to find my stuff. You guys have been amazing! Geting cctv footage etc and actually getting the police to get the guy. I never expected to get my stuff back, and I have to let them all go, but I never expected to get such support to try. Thank you!!
Never mind, I have my health.
3/6 - Foxwoods, CT
Arrived in Foxwoods, after picking up a car from Providence, Rhode Island (hi Lisa!). So nice to be driving again. We have a Jeep Commander, and have just enough room for all our luggage and the 3 of us. Nice car, and Connecticut is beautiful.
Had an awesome time in Chicago. Did my last Wella/Sebastian Future Vision Show. It was the best gig ever. Such great people, and so much fun. I will miss all of them!
Can't wait for tomorrow's Hard Rock gig.
3/8 - New York, NY
The MiG Apple Again!
How great is it to play Times Square, NYC. It doesn't get more 'Centre-of-the-universe-ish' than that. Thrilled to meet Daniel Beddingfield there (I'm a big fan) and to see so many people there (including Michael 'Tony Blair' Sheen - sorry to name drop, but am still very proud!). Thanks to make NY band, Dave Halpern on drums and Jonathan Maron on bass. Awesome work, and Dorian was spectacular as ever. Nice to spend some time with the competition winner Rebecca and Dustin. Hope you had a wonderful time.
3/11 - Toronto, ON
Just came back from the Toronto Hard Rock Cafe gig, and was overwhelmed wih the turn out. Thank you to all those who made such an effort to be there. It was a very welcoming feeling. I always knew Canadians ROCKED!!
3/13 - Pittsburgh, PA
The Return of My Bag - Pittsburgh
I am in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, typing on my own MacBook (to hear the story of MiG's bag...check out New Orleans, 3/1-2). It has been returned!! I can only thank all those people who tried everything to get it back for me. You are my angels! I had already let it go, but to have it back in my possession and to have all my photos back, and my demos and lyrics and charts etc, I am exploding with gratitude. Nicky from New Orleans, Julie Sandford from the New Orleans Hard Rock Cafe, I am eternally grateful. To Laura and Nancy who also tried relentlessly, I thank you so much. I am so blessed to have you in my life.
Toronto was a great gig! Probably the best one yet! Thank you to all those who made the effort to be there and wait for me to go on. I hope to get back to Toronto as soon as I can.
Pittsburgh is a lot prettier than I imagined. The bridges over the river make this hilly landscape quite spectacular. The development around the Hard Rock Cafe is awesome. I am looking forward to tonight!
Off to Pittsburgh tomorrow after some interviews with MUCH MUSIC and STAR! I am really starting to have a ball now.
3/14 - 3/16 - Shecky's Girl's Night Out in NYC
THE MiG APPLE FREEZES OVER AGAIN!
I thought that maybe my nickname of MiG-Frost would be short lived as we drove into a balmy NY on Wednesday, but yesterday the change in weather made me even question whether I really was Jack-Frost in a MiG costume! It's snowing today! Yay!...At least I am not flying out tomorrow. We are driving...slowly.
The GIRLS NIGHT OUT gigs have been great fun. So many girls, so little time... I felt like I was trapped in a surreal SEX AND THE CITY episode. Truly awesome. Sure, it's only a fantasy in my head, but that's fine with me.
The more I gig around, the more people I meet, the more I realise how much I love what I do. I have to be the luckiest man in the world.
3/19 - Atlanta, GA
Georgia on my mind...
Atlanta Georgia has been the most incredible surprise. I didn't expect such a beautiful city! We stayed at at a hotel in Buckhead, and the neighbourhoods around Garden Hills are some of the picturesque I have ever seen. Spring has definitely arrived in the South, with trees exploding in beautiful blossoms of whites and reds and pinks. The houses are out of this world beautiful. If Atlanta was closer to LA or New York, maybe we could move there...
The gig at the Hard Rock was awesome. Thanks to all those who came to see the show. Some people even came from Florida! I have to make my way to Florida soon, promise. Southern hospitality lived up to it's name. Atlanta was one of the best stops on the tour so far. I guess I just did not know what to expect. My only view of Atlanta was the Olympics in '96. Very impressed. I'm coming back!
Great to catch up with Momma Hef (Heather) from ROCKSTAR. She is truly gorgeous in every way.
Wish we could stay a little longer...
3/20 - Myrtle Beach, SC
Nothing can be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning...
Myrtle Beach! I feel like I'm on an MTV Spring Break episode, but got there too late. It's a little empty at the moment, but I can imagine this place blowing up in a couple of weeks. I want to come back! The Hard Rock here is a pyramid, and we rocked the joint. The staff was awesome and we partied with them a little last night. Had to be done. They were wicked!
The sun is shining and its shorts and t-shirt weather. Off to the beach I go!
Oh I do like to be beside the sea-side,
Oh I do like to be beside the sea...
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Comments: 16
Gather is a place for actual normal people, not for people to come and shill for their products. Please go to some place that is designed for that purpose. Your appearance here is offensive as it is obvious you are not coming here to "gather" but to "market". "
Tom,
Just wanted to reply to your comment- you make perfect sense but I think maybe some of MiG's 'fans' like myself have perhaps left you with that impression because of our comments that include promoting MiG's upcoming album and his website.
In all fairness to MiG, I think he should be given the benefit. He is a very humble and loving person, and I'm sure once you get to know him a bit through his blogs you might feel differently.
No disrespect intended, just food for thought. :-)
And MiG is featured artist here at the moment, so that may be another reason why some of us are trying to promote him. We do it cause we like him (a lot lol) and believe in him.
And this gather community seems to be a great group of people! Looking forward to getting to gather with more of you who like MiG's music.
Lily
I have enjoyed your stories from your tour. Thanks for giving us a view into the life of a rising star.
Tom,
MiG Ayesa is one of the finest people I have had the pleasure to meet. He brings joy to so many people with his music. His voice is a beautiful instrument. He is a wonderful performer in live concert and is witty to boot. First timers at his concerts walk away amazed and touched by his talent. I celebrate with him here the upcoming release of the album he has waited and worked for for such a long time. It is an incredible artistic work and deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. I see at your site that you are a writer. If you had your first published book, wouldn't you want your friends here to celebrate with you and help get the word out to the world? I think that you too would take the opportunity to network to get something that you would be so proud of the recognition it deserves. I think that is one of the reasons for this community and think you have been unfair to MiG. Give his album a listen or the songs on his MySpace. I think you too could become a fan.
Best wishes on your own artistic endeavors as a writer.
It would be great to know the upcoming calendar of where you will be performing at, so if you are close, then we could support you by being ther in person...
Congrats on the album...
In addition to mig-music.com , MiG frequently updates his MySpace (myspace.com/miguelayesa) with information on his upcoming gigs. Be sure to check both those places. There is also a mailing list (on his myspace) that you can join, that will send you direct emails with the latest information.
MiG recently said during an interview that he will be touring again after the release of the album on the 10th of April! So hopefully he will come to a city near you and you can go out and show him the love!
"Anyone remember Mark Burnett's reality show where the object was to find a new lead singer for the band INXS?
A man who placed right near the top (and who I always said had the best voice of the entire group of contestants) was in town tonight.
He was playing the last date on a world tour of all the Hard Rock Cafe's to promote his upcoming debut CD on Decca, as well as to raise money for Music Rising, the organization founded by The Edge of U2 to raise money to replace instruments lost in Hurricane Katrina and to benefit other worthy musical causes like providing support for impoverished school systems who need help to keep their music classes running.
Mig Ayesa didn't disappoint my expectations.
This young man from Australia had an amazing voice, with power and control and an effortless ability to inject just the right amount of emotion to help the listener connect with the lyrics without being sappy.
Years spent in starring roles on both the Sydney and London theatre circuits have served him well.
I was the sound engineer at the show tonight, and Mig and his wife Simone couldn't have been more gracious to the crew and fans.
After performing, anyone who wanted an autographed promo CD and/or a photo taken with Mig were cheerfully accommodated, despite a 7am flight to LA tomorrow.
Of all the singers I have worked with during my 27 years in the business, Mig will always be remembered as a consummate professional who was humble and funny and friendly and charming, even at the end of a long tour all over the world. He came across as just a regular guy, who happened to have a ton of talent.
I wish him well as his career is about to take off to another level. "
Check it out, there's a nice pic of MiG too!
www.shuttertalk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=53531#p53531
I am so in awe that I am on a site with someone like you!
Reading this was almost as great as being there!
You are a true performer in every sense of the word, and not just your music, but acting and stage work as well.
I wish you the best always. Try to make it to Las Vegas in the near future! It would be a privledge and honor to get to see you perform in person.
Namaste'
Make it to Minneapolis sometime, and I might be able to come out for a show :)
Have fun.
Looking forward to the CD, as is everyone here! Best of luck!