Mike McMann Live at Bye-i Brewing 01/14/22 By: Melody Lemony

It had been a long time coming to see Mike McMann play and to finally meet him.  Friday 01/14/22 I finally made that happen!  Mike played at Bye-i Brewing in Cohoes, NY.  What a treat to watch him.  His originals hit a string.  For example on ‘True’ a line goes “When I am a porcupine she will smooth me out sometimes”, hits me because of my love of porcupines and the need to be smoothed out myself…sometimes.  I love Stephentown, being new to the area and Walleye Vision has some bad ass pickin’!

He has a huge repertoire of cover songs to delight any audience.  For example on his cover of ‘Magic Power’ originally done by Triumph a line goes:  “let the music be your power, it’s your chance to be free”. It’s pure magic how one line can say so much.  I hadn’t known it was a cover and when I asked Mike the name of the song he told me and credited the artist.  Mike’s pickin’ on his cover of Joe Shaver’s ‘Fast Train to Georgia’ is insane, how one can’t stop what they’re doing to take a listen is beyond me.  Mike played one of my all time ‘reminds me of my days in Idaho’ favorites ‘Friends in Low Places’ by Garth Brooks and nailed it!  Did he play it because I was there and knew I’m a country girl from Idaho?  I doubt it, but a girl can dream.