INSIGHT Magazine November 2013 | Page 45

“I watched him do stuff for ZZ Top and Cheap Trick,” recalls Erwin. “It was only six months but I learned so much.” Erwin uses his technical know-how in unexpected ways, like those drum sounds. His bass drum is actually a box that he fitted with the internal components of a microphone, and he actually stomps on it to get the effect. “I realized that mic-dropping sound was loud and awesome,” says Erwin, “and I thought, ‘That’s what I need!’” Erwin’s focus is on entertaining. He writes original songs, and has a full album of them available on his website, but when he plays live he tends to lean toward covers that will get a crowd moving. “As much as I love to write music,” he says, “what I really want to see is people dancing and singing along and enjoying themselves.” INSIGHT You can catch up with Mike or grab a free copy of his album with Sonic Stew on his website, sonicstewmusic.com, or keep up with his live dates on his Facebook page at facebook.com/ mikeerwinmusic. November 2013 45