Soul Rock

 While at Gone Wired Café to take advantage of their kids-eat-free Monday deal this week, I ran into DeShaun Snead and Larry Neuhardt from local band Mighty Medicine.  The duo is psyched for a number of upcoming shows, but Mighty Medicine sees themselves as more than just performers trying to scratch out an existence in a competitive music landscape: they emphasize the warm sense of community among Lansing-area musicians.  “We’re a bridge to other bands,” says vocalist/percussionist Snead.  Her and guitarist Neuhardt take pride and pleasure in hearing other bands credit Mighty Medicine as their catalyst.  Here's the video for their song Today, produced by Lansing Public Media and shot at the Wild Goose Inn...

 

MM’s own inspirations range from Stevie Wonder and The Beatles to the fringes of the soul, rock, jazz and blues genres to the likes of the Grateful Dead.  The band is all about fresh, subtle takes on a wide variety of covers that appeal to all ages.  In addition, they explore their own material, most recently with such simple, song-writerly tracks as "Michigan Rock and Roll" and other tunes from their new album now in pre-release, a follow up to the 2009 release Bloom.

The local music scene veterans—MM has played over 300 shows—are eager to shout out some of their favorite bands on the scene: Burton’s Garden, Elden Kelly, The Love Brothers, Cloudmagic…the list goes on.  Neuhardt, an MSU grad and former Lansing School District high-school teacher, credits Snead’s voice for much of their popularity:  “DeShaun has the voice of an angel, and I’ve been playing finger-style guitar for 30 years," he says.  When the two take the stage, the musicianship is the focus:  “One thing we’re not, is loud.  We don’t scream—we sing.”

 Mighty Medicine is also playing this year’s Old Town Blues Fest in September.  For more info check their site, they’re also on Facebook.