Three years ago, singer-songwriter Mike Genovese was featured as Band of the Week in The Post. An Ohio University senior on the brink of graduation, he was faced with a decision: Go all out in pursuit of his dream of performing music full time, or hedge his bets and accept a job with NASA, chasing a music career on the side.
He chose the latter, setting up shop in his hometown of Cleveland and playing shows around the region while establishing himself financially with his day job. NASA eventually sent him to Southeast Virginia, where he spent a little more than a year before taking a new job in Columbus last November and returning to his old Ohio haunts.
It was almost like I was out of sight
out of mind just being away from the scene not buzzing in terms of getting my name out there and playing shows for a year
Genovese said. I've had to build that back up.
When Genovese opens for Tim Reynolds at 10 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Gator, 63 N. Court St., it will be his first Athens show in two years. The concert will also mark the end of a three-night stint playing with one of his major influences.
It's almost surreal in a sense that I get to share the stage with one of my people that I look up to
Genovese said.
Like Reynolds, Genovese performs solo but makes use of looping equipment to create the sound of a full band, recording the loops live on stage and adding layers of sound as he goes.
Genovese's stage show is much the same as it was during his time in Athens, though he has a crop of new songs and has incorporated an electric guitar - nothing over the top - to diversify his sound. He also has begun to experiment with his vocals, inspired by singers such as Gavin DeGraw and Matt Wertz.
On the personal front, he just bought a house and got engaged to the woman he started dating his senior year at OU. He returned to Athens to pop the question, telling his girlfriend he had a show at Donkey Coffee.
I proposed to her on the porch of the house that she lived in senior year
where we met
Genovese said.
Although buying a home and getting married are life changes that lend themselves to settling down, Genovese is preparing to take his shot at making a name for himself in the music business. He is starting work on a new record and setting up more and more shows - he played his first headlining gig at Cleveland's House of Blues last week.
Sometimes I think about 'Should I have taken that leap and just tried music full time out of college and made that my job
just toured relentlessly and built up a name?' and all that
Genovese said. I think this year is going to be a good sort of sign on what's to come musically for me.
- Chris DeVille
17
