Liquid Mike – Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot Deluxe and US Tour!

Marquette, Michigan’s Liquid Mike is a power pop band that has been releasing yearly albums since 2021. Their latest record, Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot, was released in February this year and has proven to be something of a breakout release for the band. The band’s high energy, crunchy guitar riffs and catchy vocals have gotten them compared to bands like Guided by Voices and Weezer, and since its release the album has garnered attention from publications like Rolling Stone and Stereogum. Just a month ago, the band released the deluxe version of the album, featuring two new songs: “Man Dies” and “Man Lives.”

According to a recent Stereogum article, frontman Mike Maple has finally been able to quit his USPS day job to focus on the band, which is exciting news for any fan of the already prolific group. The shift coincides with the release of the deluxe version of the album, a brand new single entitled “Crop Circles,” and a 17-show U.S. tour.

One of my favorite aspects of the record is that Liquid Mike takes pride in their roots in the Upper Peninsula. In fact, the name Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot refers to a no-longer-extant tourist attraction in Gladstone, Michigan. For me, the album’s recurring themes of life in the rural Midwest evoke all-too-familiar scenes of growing up in the U.P.

“The American dream is a Michigan hoax

You can see it from your window

Rust on the frame from the salt on the road”

I had the pleasure of seeing this band play live at the end of February alongside Marquette’s Charmer and Kalamazoo’s Saturdays at Your Place at Bell’s in Kalamazoo. Liquid Mike rocked the sold-out room with songs like “K2” and “Mouse Trap.” For the tour that started on 9/28 in Bay City, the band will be performing at The Intersection in Grand Rapids on 10/8 alongside The Wonder Years and The Menzingers. They won’t be coming to Kalamazoo this time around, so get your tickets to the GR show while you can!

Listen to Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot here on Spotify.

Written by:

Benjamin Smith

89.1 WIDR FM

Oct 3rd 2024