Event

Mike Mangione

Mike Mangione grew up playing in Chicago. With roots in folk and blues, he began writing and touring in 2004. Over the years, he began adding musicians including violin, cello, upright bass and drums, eventually developing an orchestral folk sound. Mike Mangione and the Union's debut album, Tenebrae (2008), received favorable press from all corners of the country, including the honor of being an All Music Guide Album Pick, while Blurt refers to their tearstained folk, Memphis-styled gospel and bluesy-flavored pop as luminous. In 2011 they released Offering on their own imprint, RODZINKA Records, with sync and digital licensing by DUALTONE Records. The album and band were nominated for best of the year by RadioMilwaukee (88.9 FM), along with receiving other kind and warm accolades. September 3, 2013 they released their fourth album, Red-Winged Blackbird Man, produced by Grammy-nominated producer, Bo Ramsey (Lucinda Williams, Greg Brown, Iris DeMent). American Songwriter Magazine gave the record a 4 out of 5 rating adding "lyrically, the tunes are reminiscent of Bruce Springsteens ability to describe characters in such exquisite detail that by the end of five minutes it seems as if youve known them your whole life. These are people and songs youll want to revisit and spend more time with. Thats the mark of a timeless album, which is exactly what this under the radar gem is. Play it once and youll be calling your friends to rave about Mangione, his chamber folk and one of the hidden musical highlights of the year."

Billboard Magazine also featured them in their scouting report, noting the bands ability to capture every ear in a Manhattan rock club.