Music Performance
Michael Garfield writes music for which new words must be invented. Simultaneously tender and apocalyptic, chill and energetic, intensely technical yet vulnerable tunes that reimagine folk and psychedelic rock alike, updating “solo artist with guitar” to suit our age of planetary renaissance. Marrying the singer-songwriter and electronic live producer, Michael’s live sets nimbly shift from ecstatic instrumental improvs to deftly executed fretboard-tapping etudes to athletic songcraft of heart-breaking sweetness – pointing past the genre and techniques to bring his audiences into lush and atmospheric, driving and dynamic spaces spanning folk tradition and the avant-garde…
The sheer diversity of acts with whom he’s shared a stage speaks for itself: Gaudi, Papadosio, Taylor McFerrin, Willy Porter, Random Rab, Tim Reynolds, That 1 Guy, Zach Deputy, The Floozies, Rena Jones, Andreas Kapsalis Trio, DVS*, and side projects of both Beats Antique and The String Cheese Incident. Exploring and embracing the creative possibilities of new media has always been at the heart of Michael’s work. In 2013, he became the first musician to stream point-of-view video from Google Glass through a projector on stage, allowing audience members to watch the show through his eyes.
