MIKE LANGLEY—outline of a life in music
--Mike started playing guitar at the age of 9, taught by his dad, Jack Langley (2005 recipient of the Danny Matousek Lifetime Achievement Award and Inductee into The Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame).
Mom Sheila played piano and sang harmony with the family at home;
Mike's younger brother Jon followed the calling too, and became a singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, painter, photographer, graphic artist—a quintessential artist of rare mastery and beauty.
--Mike played his first gig at the age of 10 in a dirt-floor,
hole-in-the-wall joint in the Sioux City Stockyards.
--Through junior high and high school Mike played guitar and sang with Jack at a multitude of clubs from Sioux City to Nashville and back.
--Mike studied Linguistics, French and German at Morningside College from 1981-85, making friends with Austrian musicians; he made several trips across the pond before graduating Summa Cum Laude and making the move to Europe in '85.
--Mike lived and toured in Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany,
France and the UK from '85-'97, developing a free-lance career
that ranged from performing on cobblestone streets to playing at international jazz and folk festivals; appearing in nightclubs to writing and recording movie soundtracks; working as a singer, instrumentalist and arranger in studios
to touring solo and with rock, folk and avant-garde groups.
--Toured in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia and recorded
"European Reunion Tour" with Jack in 1990.
--Toured the US solo from New York City to San Francisco in '93.
--Mike hooked up with brother Jon in Europe in early 90's to form The Langley Brothers Band, recording "Upstairs In The Basement" in Vienna, Austria and touring Normandy, Brittany and the UK (including a lengthy stint as House Band with Rudi Strauss at the legendary Rock Garden club in London)
before returning to the US in '97.
--Mike formed independent record label, Orange Carpet Music in ’97, and
played with Jon in The Langley Brothers Band,
and with Jack and Jon as The Langleys.
-- Jon Langley passed away December 30, 1999; Mike has released Langley Brothers Archives records every Christmas in Jon's memory.
--Mike has produced 10 of his own records since returning to the US:
"Prehumous", "Langley Brothers Band", "Gnu Ewe", "Faves",
"Know What? Chicken Butt", "Westside Mikey & Westside Bobo: N. A. Blur", the "Dark Ones" series, "'67 Quarter", “Cheers, Love” and “Via Dolorosa”,
as well as 4 records with Jack: "Portraits", "Looking Back", "Harleys In Heaven" and "Guitar Man"--which won the 2010 National Traditional Music Association's Songwriter Album of the Year Award.
--Mike and Jack were featured performing live on South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s television music showcase “No Cover No Minimum” in 2008, and in a video by Melissa Lanzourakis featuring Jack’s song, “The Mighty Muddy Mo” in 2011.
--Mike played bass guitar on occasion with longtime friends Jain Jeffer (Mindy Winchester, Ray McAvoy, Buckley Mills and the late Jerry Kessler, who passed away in June of 2011) and Wavelength (Jerry Kessler, Charlie Hoberg and Pat Miller).
--Proud Dad of Jonas and Lucy, Mike continues to run Orange Carpet Music's independent record label
R & G Records and recording studio The Guitarsenal, teaches guitar at Western Iowa Tech and Morningside College, and performs live either solo or with fellow music veterans Bob Larson, Jamie Bowers, Walt Peterson and Chad Stewart (Mike Langley Band/The Groovediggers) and with Jack Langley and Jamie Bowers
(The Langleys Trio).
--Mike goes on tour yearly in Ireland with life partner Mary Kay Weir.
Some of the fine folks worldwide
on Westside Mikey's list of
FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES
and CLASSMATES in the
SCHOOL of SHOW-BIZ:
Matt Molloy's Pub
Mick Lavelle
The Wild Geese
Norman Wylie
Jimmy Molloy
David Dee Moore
Meister
Westport, County Mayo, Ireland
...
Azzi Finder
Michl Tobisch
Lukas Goldschmidt
Hans Moser Revival Combo
Graz, Austria
Martin Sommer
Uli Ruppnig
Robert Lepenik
Die Niederschoeckl Buam
Niederschoeckl, Styria
Azzi Finder and the K.U.K. Strings
Vienna, Austria
Gerhard Wessely
Tonstudio Soundborn
Vienna, Austria
Tonstudio Leo Bei
Willi Resitarits
Ostbahn Kurti und die Chefpartie
Vienna, Austria
Roter Engel
Vienna, Austria
Martin Pattart
Petzl Herrmann
Stammcafe in Aufruhr
10. Bezirk
Vienna, Austria
Tonstudio Lovro Novak
Vienna, Austria
Ronald Artlieb
Lisa Meyn
Paul Braunsteiner
L. M. Balloon
Vienna, Austria
Ronnie Urini
Vienna, Austria
Peter Henisch
Vienna, Austria
Reinhard Fendrich
Vienna, Austria
Peter Janda
Vienna, Austria
Jimmy Cogan Band
Styria, Austria
Avalon
Ulm, Germany
Vizonto
Budapest, Hungary
Taltos
Budapest, Hungary
Michl Tobisch Productions
Styria, Austria
Guillaume Hugot
Fredo Mahe
Farid Laakel
Fabrice La Fontaine
Caen, France
"Blind Lemon" Leon (R.I.P.)
St. Brieuc, France
Casse-Pipe
St. Brieuc, France
Le Scenario
Le Piano Bleu
Le Scaphandre
L'Esperanto
St. Brieuc, France
Le Mustang
Le Regent
Festivale Les Transmusicales
Rennes, France
Rudy Strauss
The Rock Garden
Covent Garden
London, UK
Ray Manzarek and The Doors
The Langley Brothers Band
The Rock Garden
London, UK
The Cole Shedd
Langley Brothers Band
Kilburn, London, UK
Denny Hemingson
Tim McGraw Band
Nashville, Tennessee
Clay McClinton
Clay McClinton Band
Nashville, Tennessee
Zarah Kenter
Austin, Texas
Sioux City, Iowa (and surrounding areas):
Shrine To Music National Music Museum
USD Campus
Vermillion, SD
Kevin Patten
Paul Guggenheimer
South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Vermillion, SD
Western Iowa Tech Community College
Fiona Valentine
Eddie Dunn
Sioux City, IA
Leo Kucinksi Academy of Music
Morningside College
Sioux City, IA
Jesse Claeys
Sioux City Journal
The Weekender
Sioux City, IA
Momo's in The Orpheum
Saturday In The Park 2000 and 2006
Dave Bernstein
Sioux City, IA
Tom Kingsbury
Nancy Bradley
Kingsbury Electronics Systems
Sioux City, IA
George Larvick
Larvick Speaker
Sioux City, IA
Sioux City Country Club
Dakota Dunes Country Club
Dakota Dunes, SD
Jesse Miller
Rob Ritter
Bev's On The River
Sioux City, IA
Eddie Dunn
Gretchen Gondek
KWIT FM Radio
Western Iowa Tech Campus
Sioux City, IA
Randy Renshaw
KSCJ AM Radio
Sioux City, IA
Rick Moore
Ghost Ship Band
Sioux City, IA
Mindy and Tony Winchester
Winchester Pottery
Persia, IA
Jamie Bowers
Abstract Painting Studio
Benson Building
Downtown Sioux City, IA
Garie Lewis Comedy
Sioux City, IA
Mark Karrer Photography
Sioux City, IA
Bob Larson
i29 Sound
Sioux City, IA
Jerry Kessler
Kessler Pottery
Wavelength Band
Castana, IA
Paul Bilsten
Joe Pieper
Dave Hill
Moldy Fig Band
Paul Bilsten
Jim Madsen
The Three Tennies Band
Mark Allard
Marty's Tavern
Sioux City, IA
Ed Forest
First Edition (R.I.P.)
Sioux City, IA
Marcia Waitt
Uncle John Records Music Cafe (R.I.P.)
Sioux City, IA
Max's At The Mall (R.I.P.)
Southern Hills Mall
Sioux City, IA
Dennis Schuett
Firehouse Market (R.I.P.)
5th and Floyd
Sioux City, IA
Ted and Nikki Herbold
Theo's Steakhouse
Lawton, IA
Kerry Steele
Sweet Fanny's Pub
Sioux City, IA
Mac Dolen
Cindy Behr
Mac Behr's
Historic 4th
Sioux City, IA
Mike Salviola
Buffalo Alice
Sioux City, IA
Rick Swanson
The Chesterfield Live Music Club
Historic 4th
Sioux City, IA
Deana Whistler
Winn-A-Vegas Casino
Sloan, IA
Lily Jack Saloon
Castana, IA
Dave Zollo
Trailer Records
Iowa City, IA
T. Wilson King
Vermillion, SD
The Skyline
Joanie Christiansen
North Sioux City, SD
Minerva's
Marketplace
Sioux City, IA
Woodbury Medical Society
Sioux City, IA
First Financial Bank
Dakota Dunes, SD
Mercy Medical Center
Sioux City, IA
Hospice of Siouxland
Sioux City, IA
Siouxland Music Foundation
Sioux City, IA
Brent and Paula Stockton
Sioux City Live Music Club
Eagles Club
416 Jackson
Sioux City, IA
Phil Claeys
Riverssance Festival
Sioux City, IA
Meet Virginia Coffee and Art House
306 Virginia St.
Sioux City, IA