Musicians
Musician
Podcast guestMad Mike
Host of Mad Mike's Funhouse Jam at Route 47, a former Hairball roadie, and a singer known for sitting in on Crazy Train.
Mad Mike, whose real name is Mike Frank, is the host and ringleader of Mad Mike's Funhouse Jam, the Thursday open jam at Route 47. He says Mad Mike is just Mike Frank turned all the way up. Mike started writing songs with his friend Bob Jensen, later of Hairball, as a teenager. He went on to roadie and shoot video for Hairball, sat in singing Crazy Train with a long list of local bands, and built his confidence at Twin Cities open mics before starting his own band and then the jam in 2021.
On the Minnesota Music Note
Fun facts from the interview
- As a kid in the early 1980s he co-hosted a public access cable show with his friend Dave St. John, learning to run studio cameras.
- He and Bob Jensen started writing original songs as teenagers, using instruments his parents bought at garage sales.
- From about 2009 to 2012 he was a roadie and videographer for Hairball.
- He once filled in on vocals for Hairball at Stillwater Lumberjack Days, coming out as Ozzy for Crazy Train with no rehearsal.
- He has been called up to sing Crazy Train by bands including Arena, High Octane, Hollywood Boulevard, Boogie Wonderland, DSG, Hairball, Halfway There, Sugar Buzz and Gel.
- He sharpened his stage skills at open mics, including Serum's and the TC Hit Squad open mic at Route 47.
- His tagline is 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed.'
- His band opened for Rock Gods on September 7, 2019.
- Mad Mike's Funhouse Jam started at Route 47 as a two-week trial on August 20 and 27, 2021, and runs on Thursdays.
- The jam recently marked its five-year anniversary.
- Bands that formed at the jam include the Judas Priest tribute Hellion.
- He has emceed several large community benefit concerts.
- He recommended blues guitarist Jimmy Love as a future guest.
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