Mike Packard – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Mike Packard – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

MP: I think I only hover around any specific genre, not in the pocket with any of them. In particular, I never really tried to steer myself in any one direction, as far as genres are concerned. Americana is a nice open-ended genre of folk, country, soul. For me, it’s all about telling a story and I don’t care what kind of vehicle gets me there.

RRX: Cover art is cool. It shows listeners what the artist thinks the album is all about. Because music can be felt visually. If you had to give the public a visual image that you think they would see and just “get” your groove right away, what would it be?

MP: Maybe like a big pot of stew with all the ingredients set up around it. Besides the meat, veggies and spices, I definitely need some onions for the tears, coarse salt for grit and maybe some arsenic that set a little too close to the stove just for the drama.

RRX: What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

MP: After my first proper band had broken up, of course, I decided to do a solo recording. One of the songs was about a young lady door-to-door evangelist that the narrator falls in love with. A bass player acquaintance of mine heard a rough mix of it and asked if I wanted to put a band together. That band was Ultra Sheen Velvet Head and after years and lineup changes, I’m still playing with some of the same guys 30 years later.

RRX: We have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place.

MP: I would have to start with Saratoga Winners. We played there back in the early ’90s and got to feel of what a rock and roll venue is all about. The stage, the smoking lights, the smell, luckily we all were up on our tetanus shots. It was invigorating to play on the same stage that some of your idols had played on.

The coolest place I ever played was The Riverwood in North Creek. It was basically a residential home that the bottom floor was turned into a bar and grill. The room sounded fine, the jukebox was eclectic, the food was fantastic and the people were equally eclectic and fantastic.

Duffy’s Tavern in Lake George is where I put in the hours, sometimes 15 hours per weekend. We played outside but under cover for primarily tourists. I learned how to pace myself… in many ways. Besides, I met my wife there.

RRX: Playing out is tricky because you never know what’s going to happen when you get there. Sometimes everything goes wrong. What was your worst show like?

MP: My worst shows have always been caused by ill health or nasty weather. But one show in particular, had everything going to be a disaster. At the time, 1999, I was playing with a friend as an acoustic duo called Dreaded Wheat. I got a phone call from a local promoter looking for an acoustic act to open up for a band. The band was Quiet Riot! I said yes, hung up the phone and we laughed for about a half an hour straight.

When the night came, we were set up in front of two microphones, two guitars and about 300 people standing directly in front of us. Us. We played for 45 minutes, grabbed our guitars and got the hell out of the way. I never would have expected that kind of response from a heavy metal crowd. Everybody was cool, we even played as Simon and Garfunkel tune.”

RRX: Would you rather have one of your songs blow up and make you a one-hit wonder and household name, or would you rather have all your songs be solidly received, but no chart-climbers? (You have to pick one or the other here.)

MP: I’m fascinated by one-hit wonders and the majority of my favorite songs are. I play a bunch of one-hit wonders during my cover gigs. But, it’s probably not the best idea for a long-term career. Besides, at some point, I would be sick and tired of that song and would start to Bob Dylan it, never playing it the same way twice. So I guess slow and steady wins the race.

RRX: Every band has a song that they really thought was going to be popular, but it wasn’t. What was that song for you? Did you have a song become popular that you didn’t expect?

MP: Anytime one of my songs gets any attention, to a certain extent, I’m surprised. But one song in particular that I assumed was a throwaway track on my first solo album, got some unexpected attention on TikTok. It was an upbeat love song called “You’re an idiot”. It had an obnoxious harmonica intro and a drumbeat that I never really got fully behind. In 2020, it was brought to my attention that it was being used in a handful of politically motivated TikTok videos. As far as digital mailbox money is concerned, that is my highest earner. Never saw that coming.”

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