"Music should be healing; music should uplift the soul; music should inspire. There is no better way of getting closer to God, of rising higher towards the spirit, of attaining spiritual perfection than music, if only it is rightly understood." -Hazrat Inayat Khan
NiteRail is back in action and taking bookings again. Please visit www.myspace.com/niterailband for updated tunes and gig dates!
From the NiteRail biography page:
Lead singer and harmonica player Mike Fugazzi has
studied diatonic harmonica from two of the world’s top
harmonica players, Chris Michalek and Clint Hoover,
over the last four years. Career highlights include
opening for Indigenous, playing with Michalek-Strone
at the 2005 Mid Summer Jazz Festival, and sharing the
stage with harmonica giant Jason Ricci in 2005 and
2006. Fugazzi has developed the unique ability to
play chromatically by using the “overblow†technique.
His approach to the diatonic harmonica, although much
more difficult to achieve, is in many ways more
expressive and communicative than traditional
harmonica playing. The sophisticated sound produced
by Fugazzi is lyrical, soulful, and aggressive, while
constantly paying tribute to the greats of the
instrument.
While fronting the band NiteRail from 2004-2007, Mike played at some of the area's biggest festivals including the Tree Frog Music Festival and headlining a stage at Mankato's Ribfest. He and the band also headlined events like the Dead of Winter Jam and Old Town Summerfest in Mankato. Other noteworthy festival work includes headlining the 2006 Crawdad Festival in Chatfield, MN, playing in the KMSU Performance Series, opening for Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and playing sets at the Summer Solstice Festival as well as Oktoberfest in La Crosse Wisconsin. Besides playing in the group, Mike was also responsible for managing the band, booking, and some of the band's promotion.
Mike has played in over 50 venues throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, and even in the Caribbean! Some of the venues he as played include Buster's in Mankato, Hooligan's in Mankato, the Kato Ballroom, The Cabooze in Minneapolis, Famous Dave's in Minneapolis, The Viking in Minneapolis, The Half-Time Rec in St. Paul, and Nighthawk's in La Crosse Wisconsin.
Mike's work as a singer, harmonica player, and song writer has been featured in various publications (a partial list includes: the Mankato Free Press, Rochester Post-Bulletin, Owatonna People's Press, Faribault Daily News, Blue Monday Monthly, Static Magazine, and Applauze Magazine). His and NiteRail's original recordings have been played by radio stations like KFAI, 96.7 The Dog FM, and KMSU.
