‘Hail Mary’ scores for 49ers-loving country duo
It took moving some 2,200 miles away from home for two promising Midpeninsula musicians — Shannon Haley and Ryan Michaels — to finally meet. “We grew up three miles apart from each other and never met until we were both in Nashville,” Haley says. “I am from Los Altos and Ryan is from Palo Alto.” That shared geography translated to them having no shortage of topics to talk about when their paths finally did cross in Music City. After all, they both grew up shopping at the same record store (the old Tower Records on San Antonio Road in Mountain View) and frequenting such restaurants as Armadillo Willy’s and Hobee’s. And there was one particular radio station that was near and dear to both of their hearts. “One of the things that we bonded over when we first met was that we grew up listening to 95.3 KRTY in San Jose,” Michaels says. Not surprisingly, the two had moved to Nashville to pursue careers in country music. And they would decide to join forces in that pursuit — as the duo Haley & Michaels — as well as in their overall lives, as they were married in 2015. Haley & Michaels also shared the same allegiance when it came to football. Both grew up big fans of the San Francisco 49ers. And that made the latest turn of events for this promising country music duo, whose songs have amassed over 30 million online streams, all that much cooler. They were looking to make a video for their latest single, “Hail Mary,” and thought, “How fun would it be if we could get the 49ers to get involved — our hometown team?” Michaels says. So the duo reached out to the team and the Niners were definitely game. Team officials not only offered up Levi’s Stadium for the shoot, but agreed to produce the video as well. Niners VP Robert Alberino Jr. directed the piece. “Anytime you can turn a world-class venue into a stage while a band like Haley & Michaels puts on a show, the final piece is going to be amazing and that’s exactly what happened,” said Alberino. Yet the story didn’t end with the video shoot. Haley & Michaels have also been invited to perform “Hail Mary” during halftime of the “Monday Night Football” game between the 49ers and Cleveland Browns on Oct. 7 at Levi’s. Talk about a major dream come true for these football fans, who might live in Nashville now, but still tune in every week during the season to watch the Niners play. “We got to basically use our music to get the best VIP tickets into Levi’s Stadium we ever could have dreamt of,” Michaels says. On top of all this, Haley & Michaels are set to release a new album — also called “Hail Mary” — on Friday. For more information, go to www.haleyandmichaels.com.
Stroll Down Penny Lane
Paul McCartney fans should definitely check out Stroll Down Penny Lane, a totally fab-sounding concert experience that traces the life and work of the master singer-songwriter. This labor of love from McCartney uber fan Professor Stompensplatt (aka, Piedmont’s Joe Anastasi) covers some 60 years of music, reaching all the way back to Sir Paul’s early rock ’n’ roll influences and continuing through his landmark work with the Beatles, Wings and more. The next performance is Saturday at California Theatre in Pittsburg. Showtime is 7 p.m. and tickets are $35; www.pittsburgcaliforniatheatre.com. “This is not a Beatles tribute band,” Stompensplatt underscores. “The music we present in this show goes all the way back to Little Richard’s ‘Long Tall Sally.’ Then, as the Beatles, Paul and John (Lennon) wrote 200 or so songs — approximately — so there is that accretion to draw from. “But recall, after the Beatles, Paul has written another 300 or so songs; some with Wings, and others on his own, or with Linda — so that is also a remarkable collection to explore.” The Penny Lane band includes Stompensplatt (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), El Cerrito’s Mike Sugar (bass, electric cello, melodica, recorder), Matt Twain (keyboards, electric bagpipes), San Francisco’s Mark Abbott (percussion, bass harp) and Emeryville’s Winter (lead guitar). The music is accompanied by a bevy of original films, intended to provide a deeper understanding and appreciation of both the songs and the man who created them. “There’s an important storytelling aspect of this show, Stroll Down Penny Lane, where we explore the life of Paul McCartney through his music,” Stompensplatt says. “And to get the storytelling element across, I’ve written screenplays for 25 or so films; these films are displaying above the stage as we perform the songs live.” For more information, go to strolldownpennylane.com.
Boy Scouts
Taylor Vick is singing about heartbreak and change on her new album, “Free Company,” which marks the debut of this Oakland-based singer-songwriter-musician — better known by the stage name Boy Scouts — on the Anti- record label. It’s a breakup album, written in the aftermath of Vick’s own split from a relationship, and her pain and sense of loss can be heard on such songs as “Expiration Date,” a track that “tackles that universal human quandary of impermanence,” according to a news release. “Everything changes all the time. Nothing will last forever,” Vick is quoted as saying. “It’s such a hard concept to grasp because we just get so attached to things and people and situations. But stuff can’t stay how it is forever. That’s also to be said about bad stuff that happens. It won’t weigh you down forever.” “Free Company” has garnered attention from a number of media outlets, including NPR and Paste magazine. Boy Scouts performs Oct. 10 at Starline Social Club in Oakland. Dick Stusso and Abe Hollow are also on the bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $10-$14 at the door; www.eventbrite.com.