{image1} Mike Fredrickson paints with many brushes as an artist, teaching life drawing classes at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, but he also dabbles in music as a vocalist and guitarist. Collaborations with bands such as The Mosleys allow Fredrickson to share in a form of expression that extends beyond the canvas.
Fredrickson will meet up with The Mosleys for a reunion and performance on Friday, April 22 at Linneman's Riverwest Inn, 1001 E. Locust St. It's been four years and six CDs since they've gotten together.
And there is some new music to get excited about.
Fredrickson gathered up his musical talents and released a solo CD, an effort incorporating all he's learned as a musician.
"It's a group of songs that touches upon old stuff," Fredrickson says. "For this CD, I went back and listened to Mosleys CDs that we've done and built off of that."
The result is the cleverly titled "Hollywood Indians," a dozen songs that ooze poppy folk rock and clear vocals that run smoothly track to track. Just when the album is on the verge of predictability, in comes the fourth track "Just Exactly," an entertaining jam that begs for the repeat button. Subtle piano in the background adds to the flow of the album and demonstrates Fredrickson's versatility.
"The group of guys that helped me with this album felt right," Fredrickson adds. "We usually go country, but this time we didn't."
Music isn't a new venture for Fredrickson either.
"Hollywood Indians" is his ninth CD. It all started with a group called the Spanic Boys that Fredrickson performed with from 1986 to 1991.
Fredrickson's moment to shine with the band was in May of 1990.
"We got to perform on Saturday Night Live," Fredrickson says. "I believe the guest host that night was Andrew Dice Clay."
After SNL, Fredrickson merged with The Mosleys, a band that grabbed the rhythm section and guitarist from Spanic Boys, and he has been with them since the early '90s.
But the list of bands doesn't stop there.
For the last three-and-a-half years, Fredrickson has added bass to Robbie Fulks, a Chicago-based country musician signed to Yep Rock who has been featured all over National Public Radio as well as Rolling Stone and USA Today.
Fredrickson has thoroughly enjoyed his musical roller coaster ride and doesn't plan to hop off the tracks anytime soon.
"I love to write and will keep trying to write. It's a personal quest for me. And if I'm not writing, I'm painting, so it works out," he says.
For more information on The Mosleys, visit themosleys.net. Mike Fredrickson can be contacted by e-mail at fredricksong@aol.com.
