Description
If wanderlust has a soundtrack, I've spent the last 10 years trying to write it. I'm singer-songwriter-traveler Mike Mentz.
My two brand new albums, SOUVENIR and LIVE IN THAILAND, have each been nominated for Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards, and their companion music videos have been Official Selections of five international film festivals and counting. Perspective is priceless. Travel opens your eyes. When you watch the sun rise from somewhere new, your world gets a little bit bigger. I love that.
Work Sample
Filmed and recorded live in Floyds Knobs, Indiana in November 2018. This recording is part of an album that will be released in 2022, nominated by the Independent Music Awards for Live Performance Album Of The Year.
Filmed and recorded live in Koh Samui, Thailand. This recording is from the album Live In Thailand, also nominated for Live Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards.
Filmed and recorded live in Bangkok, Thailand. This recording is from the album Live In Thailand, also nominated for Live Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards.
All 3 videos show Mike's actual live sound, whether it's in a carefully mic'd listening room or on a boardwalk in Bangkok. His songs and stories are ripped from his actual experience traveling all over the world. His souvenirs are the people, places, and moments he's collected from one adventure after another, and he is adept at creating a sense of wanderlust to audiences large and small, old and young.
History
After growing up in Chicago, Mike's home base has been anything but permanent, having spent the majority of his time traveling.
Named “One To Watch” by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, Mentz was frequently hosted as a featured songwriter at Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe. "Living in Nashville for a few years was like a de facto Master's degree in songwriting", he explains. "At writer's rounds, I heard at least a song a night that would give me chills."
Since 2014, Mentz has been traveling full-time and has played in 49 countries and counting.
His latest studio album, entitled Souvenir, features songs Mike has written almost entirely in transit -- from the streets and cafés and airport bars of Paris, San Juan, Dublin, Barcelona, Bangkok, Tallinn, Istanbul, Chicago, Nashville, and a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Industry ears have taken notice: Souvenir (released December 2020) was nominated for Adult Contemporary Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards, and Mentz's music has been played on Sirius XM Radio.
A companion album simply titled Live In Thailand (released May 2021) also picked up an IMA nomination for Live Album Of The Year.
Mentz's upcoming 2022 album Live In Floyds Knobs has already been nominated for Live Performance Album Of The Year by the Independent Music Awards.
With a lot more to see, Mike is focused on connecting with fans all over the world and taking his tunes to cities both foreign and familiar.
Artistic Vision
"I want to inspire people to get off their couch, out of their home town and to go see somewhere they've never seen before. When you see the sunrise in a new country, the world literally gets bigger. I think that's amazing. When you see what life looks like through someone else's eyes halfway around the world, it's a whole lot harder to fear or hate that person. I believe the farther we travel, the closer we all become."
Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise
Mike has a great deal of experience playing shows for crowds both small (10-30) and large (2000+). Depending on the venue, he can play solo or with a full band. Mike loves to tell stories and sing songs from his travels.
Name
Mike Mentz
Type
Individual Artist
Address
1241 Wendy Drive
Northbrook, IL 60062
Contact Person
Mike Mentz
[email protected]
847.302.2356
Web Site
Artistic Discipline(s)
Music
- Solo/Recital
Spoken Word/Storytelling
Geographic Availability
Central Illinois
Chicago/Chicagoland
Northern Illinois
Southern Illinois
Western Illinois
Fee Ranges
$2,000 - $10,000
Additional Services
Lectures
Residencies
Core Audience(s)
Adult
Seniors
Youth