Mike Bass Podcast

I'm so glad Caleb Johnson stopped by to podcast together!

I met Caleb through his work as the event coordinator for Piper & Gold Public Relations while he was organizing Imagine the Avenue (part of a longterm effort to spark more traffic on Michigan Ave here in Lansing, MI). Caleb invited SarahJean Sews and I to participate; me as a musician and Sews as a featured artist. The event went great!

And THEN! I find out that Caleb is an amazing illusionist! 😃

He has a new show titled THE RUSE, which he'll be performing at Windwalker Underground Gallery in Charlotte, MI on October 5th and 6th at 8pm. (👉Click here for the Facebook event)

I got teary-eyed as Caleb told me the meaning behind the show. Based on his own life experiences of the rejection and acceptance within the faith community, Caleb's goal with THE RUSE is to help people become who they are meant to be; their most authentic selves.

I love everything about what he's doing, and loved this conversation. Enjoy!

Here's where you can find Caleb Johnson online:

Caleb Johnson Live: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook event for THE RUSE at Windwalker Unground Gallery

Just me, practicing and writing music for an hour. (Link in bio! 🎧)

This will give you some insight into how I create new stuff 🎶

Enjoy!

The lovely SarahJean Sews is making it rain tea towels! ☂️ She just finished a flash sale test, so we wanted to podcast about the results! 🚀

Because she had a surplus of sassy tea towels, Sews held a time-sensitive flash sale on her Instagram account, her Facebook Page, and her Facebook personal profile to test which one did the best. She learned a lot from the experience, and I'm glad she's willing to share it with all of us!

We also talk about community over competition, ScrapFest, the Grocery IQ app, and much more! 😁

Enjoy!

Here's where you can find SarahJean Sews online:

SarahJean Sews: Website | Instagram | Facebook

SOOOO excited I got to hang out and podcast with Masaki Takahashi and Grace Carras from The 517 Poetry Room!! 💥🚀🙌

This is absolutely one of the coolest things I've been to in town.

Dylan Rogers from The Robin Theatre saw there was a need to showcase local poets, and sought out Masaki and Grace (both equally rad AF poets) to organize a group that would meet regularly to do readings. The Poetry Room quickly grew a following, providing an open mic poetry space to consistently packed audiences.

While it's mostly poets, they also allow musicians and comedians to participate. Masaki invited me to come perform at an open mic a few months ago, and the vibe there completely blew me away!

This is different than open mics musicians are used to participating in. You sign up ahead of time, and you get one poem/song/bit, so the night moves along quickly. Also, given that this is primarily poetry focused, the vibe is more intense, and people are INTENTLY listening to your lyrics. Without a doubt, it has helped me grow as a musician.

Whether you're a musician, poet, comedian, or just someone who appreciates artistry, you HAVE to check this place out. Their Season 2 opening on August 14th at The Robin Theatre is a great place to start!

We talk about The Poetry Room's beginnings, where it's headed, Lansing, and Grace won a competition and is getting her poem etched in the sidewalk in REO Town! How cool is that?! The unveiling of her poem, "for the poets who gather here," based on The Poetry Room, will be on Thursday August 30th at 7pm at the Lansing Art Gallery. You can find the Facebook event for dedication here!

Enjoy!

PS -- Masaki and Grace would like to give a special shoutout to Ruelaine Stokes at the Lansing Poetry Club and Dennis Hinrichsen at the Lansing Poet Laureate for all of the work they do in fostering the growth of the poetry community!

PPS -- Also, here's a special shoutout to DJ Hieu, whose music is played between acts often at The Poetry Room open mic! Check out his music here 👉https://soundcloud.com/djhieu

Here's where you can find Masaki Takahashi, Grace Carras, and The Poetry Room online:

The Poetry Room: Facebook | Instagram | Season 2 Opening: Open Mic

Grace Carras: Instagram | The RCAH Center for Poetry at MSU | Michigan State CUPSI Team

Masaki Takahashi: Instagram

Ohhhh this is an exciting one 🙌 I've been wanting to podcast with Nick Berry from Blue Owl Coffee for a long time, and we finally made it happen! I LOVE this episode so much ❤️😊

I first met Nick and the co-owners of Blue Owl, Rich Whitman and Adam Klein, back when Nick and Rich were baristas at Starbucks. They also have a booking company, Great Lakes Collective, and booked some gigs for me.

I remember when they mentioned they had an idea for a coffee shop. It's amazing to think about what that idea has become 🚀

Blue Owl Coffee is more than a coffee shop. Located in the heart of REO Town, it's a place where creators, artists, musicians, collaborators, and dreamers become the change they want to see in the world. You can feel it in the walls, and can't help but be consumed by it.

Almost any night of the week you can experience different things there. Their open mic on Monday nights has taken back Monday. (I'm a regular, of course!) They also have game nights, knitting club nights, hip hop nights, and many other themed events. You simply have to experience this place if you haven't been there before.

Nick and I talk about their original vision, their core principles that drive any decision they make (from what events to have to the hiring process), their future goals, and about Nick's experiences as an Uber driver!

Enjoy!

Here's where you can find Blue Owl Coffee & Great Lakes Collective online:

Blue Owl Coffee: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Great Lakes Collective: Facebook | Instagram

This is probably the most jaw-dropping podcast I've done so far. I'm so glad my friend, Vicki Hamilton-Allen, had time to stop by for a podcast! 🙌

Vicki is the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity - Capital Region. She's phenomenal at her role, and I'll provide links for Habitat below, but that's not the main thing we discussed.

I had no idea what Vicki had been going through in her personal life over the past year. Imagine waking up to find that your family's reality is very different from what you thought it was. Vicki goes into full detail on the podcast, so buckle up and keep your arms and legs inside the cart, folks!

We also talk about Lansing and Habitat and other cool stuff. :)

Here's where you can reach Vicki online:

Habitat for Humanity - Capital Region: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Vicki also said you can email her at [email protected] if you have a similar story to tell, or if you need someone to talk to as you go through it 🌞

It can be hard to explain the importance of Windwalker Underground Gallery to people. You simply HAVE to see this place in person to understand everything it encompasses.

It's an art gallery. It's a live performance venue. It's a living space for artists. It's an office and collaboration space. Aside from all of these things, one thing is for sure -- this 501(c)(3) changes the way you view life.

SO excited that I got to sit and chat with Board of Directors, Kalli Dempsey and Vincent Brady!

We cover Windwalker's beginnings through the vision of its President, Richard Turbin, where the organization currently is and how it has developed a great rapport with the city of Charlotte, MI, and some of its future goals. Enjoy!

PS -- Vincent is a PHENOMENAL photographer! You NEED to see this dude's work 👇

Here's where you can find Windwalker Underground Gallery & Vincent's photography online:

Windwalker: Website | Facebook | Instagram | [email protected]

They also have a page showing ways you can help support 👍

Vincent Brady Photography: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

If you haven't heard of Taylor Taylor, you need to stop what you're doing and listen to her music (and this episode)!

Taylor and I met when she performed at ScrapFest a few years ago. I was performing and emceeing as usual. I had heard through the grape vine that Taylor is an awesome musician, but seeing her play live...DUDE, I can't even 💥🙌

We've encouraged each other's music careers since we met, and it didn't surprise me at all when Taylor said she decided to move to LA. She still comes back to Lansing once in awhile for gigs and to visit family, though, so I'm glad we could podcast last time she was in town!

We talk about releasing music in today's world, video editing, Lansing vs LA, where creativity comes from, The Poetry Room, wine, and Taylor plays a few tunes! Enjoy!

Here's where you can find Taylor Taylor online:

Taylor Taylor: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Bands in Town

Always an awesome time hanging with my good friend, the myth, the legend, Matthew Shannon!

He's an amazing songwriter and guitarist. That's all there is to it, folks.

We talk about morel mushrooms, music theory vs self-taught, the keto diet, politics, and Matthew plays some of his great tunes.

Enjoy!

Here's where you can find Matthew Shannon online:

Matthew Shannon: Facebook | Instagram

LOVED this episode with Morgan Hall from Big Shot Video!

I met Morgan and her husband, Chris, when they were working at Michigan Business Rap. Since then, they've built their own video and content creation company called Big Shot Video 📹

They are creating a ton of free resources on their website, and also provide focused consultations for their clients to help them build their brands.

Plus! They are offering a $50 DISCOUNT to listeners! They always provide a free consultation to see how best they can help you, but if you end up using their services for a project (big or small), use the promo code MIKEBASSPODCAST and get $50 off! Holla! 🙌🚀

Enjoy!

Here's where you can find Big Shot Video online:

Big Shot Video Website (You can find all of their social media and video channels there!)

Morgan's Email Address: [email protected]

$50 Promo Code: MIKEBASSPODCAST