Michael Aarons rocks Broadway in Tony-nominated musical…
June 13, 2010 Leave a Comment
(Michael Aarons)
Michael Aarons rocks Broadway in Tony-nominated musical
By Cristina Moreno, New York Rock Music Examiner
Michael Aarons rocks Broadway in Tony-nominated musical
By Cristina Moreno, New York Rock Music Examiner
Michael Aarons spends six nights a week playing to a packed crowd. As the lead guitarist of the rock musical American Idiot, Aarons helps bring Green Day’s songs to life and, unlike many other Broadway productions, he remains front and center while doing so. American Idiot, nominated for three Tony Awards, is all about the music and the band is an integral part of the show. I spoke to Michael Aarons about his heavy metal past, his connection to Liza Minnelli, and his involvement with some of the biggest Broadway hits in recent years.
When did you start playing music? Who were your musical inspirations growing up?
I grew up in Washington D.C. and northern Virginia. I started off playing piano at the age of 4 and switched to guitar at 9, after hearing the Beatles from my mother’s old Revolver LP. My mother was a big classic rock fan and had an old Harmony acoustic guitar in the house; she taught me my first song.
I got into Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and by the time I was a teenager, I was heavily into punk and metal. D.C. is famous for their hardcore scene: Bad Brains, Fugazi, and Minor Threat. My dad actually dated Brian Baker’s (Minor Threat) mother and he did legal work for the band in the early 80’s!
In Virginia, I had a neighbor that played drums and we jammed every day after school in his basement playing metal like Slayer, Metallica, and Iron Maiden. We ended up playing in various bands together all over town. I wasn’t allowed to get into most of the clubs I was gigging!
How did your love for music translate into a career in the industry?
My mom passed away when I was 15, so I moved in with my dad in D.C. I got into the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, and at a high school level, I started to get an intense college-level music education. There were so many great experiences there. These were intense years for me and life-changing in many ways.
I practiced like my life depended on it and became somewhat of a jazz snob. I decided New York City was the place to be, so I auditioned and got into Manhattan School of Music. I moved up here in 1994, got my degree, and I’ve been up here ever since non-stop working as a musician. I am very lucky and thankful to be doing so for a living.
I guess I never thought I would do anything else but play music and since I had such a supportive family, there was never any pressure on me to do anything else but follow my dreams.
Who have you performed with? Which of your non-theatre gigs have been the most memorable?
I’ve been fortunate enough to back up many of my heroes like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. The one gig that was kind of the turning point was an all-star concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On the bill were Michael McDonald, Gloria Gaynor, Deniece Williams, Chaka Khan and some others. I was working for David Gest, an impresario and promoter, and he ended up calling me for many other concerts in the future as part of his regular house band.
I’ve played with Luther Vandross and Ray Charles at Madison Square Garden. I performed with many legends because of my working relationship with David and also made some close lifelong friends at these gigs. I was eventually hired to be in Liza Minnelli’s band for her big 2001 comeback. We toured the U.S. and Europe. Those were an amazing, eye-opening couple years.
When did you start getting involved with theatre? What made you want to go in this direction?
Liza Minnelli really opened my eyes to the art of acting a piece of music. I had never seen that before. The experience helped me as a musician and accompanist.
A bassist and I became buddies on the Liza Minnelli tour. He played at The Lion King, introduced me to the guitarist over there, and I began subbing at that show. I was the regular sub there for a couple years and that got the ball rolling for me in the Broadway scene. One thing led to another and I ended up originating the guitar chairs at Laugh Wh*re, High Fidelity, Grease, 9 to 5, Next to Normal, Memphis, and currently American Idiot.
Talk about your relationship with Tom Kitt. How did the Next to Normal collaboration come about?
I met Tom through a mutual friend somewhere around 1999. This was before any of us were involved in theater. Tom had a band and they were looking for a new guitarist. I joined and we played all over NYC as the Tom Kitt Band (TKB). We went to L.A. to record at Sony Studios and were all on track to be the next big thing…then the record industry imploded.
When Tom was working on Next to Normal (then “Feeling Electric”), the TKB was the band for the initial workshops. In fact, 4-5 of the songs in the show currently were originally TKB songs (with different lyrics) that we played over 10 years ago! When Tom was orchestrating and arranging the show for 2nd Stage, he called me to collaborate with him on the guitar parts. It was a thrill to actually break apart some of the things I did on naturally on guitar and actually score them out with Tom. I played all the NYC incarnations of “Feeling Electric” up until it became Next To Normal at 2nd Stage Theater; I have an arranging credit on the Broadway production.
Tom is an incredibly loyal person and a good friend. With all the success he has had, he’s still the same Tom I knew back then. He could work with any guitarist he wants and I am really honored that he still calls me for all his projects.
Aarons (left) and the Tom Kitt Band
How did you get involved with American Idiot?
I got the call to do American Idiot (or the then “Untitled Punk Musical”) from Tom Kitt. I didn’t really know what to expect, as it didn’t seem like this was going to be a typical reading. When they asked me what gear I wanted rented, I went by instinct and said 100-Watt Marshall Half Stacks! We had an Ampeg SVT 8×10 bass rig, too! In case you aren’t familiar, these are very big, loud amps!
Our first run-through was at a rehearsal space and Green Day was there. We were so loud, it was incredible. I really do believe that the ridiculously loud band set the overall tone and vibe from day one. We were all looking for authenticity. It was necessary, with this music, to literally feel the air from the speakers in your chest. Kudos to the creative team for not telling us to turn down. It really showed that they understood the music right off the bat.
I did a bunch of other workshops over a year long period. Until American Idiot, I had never been involved in a piece from the ground up like that because I am a guitarist and most musicals use piano and drums for rehearsal purposes. I was able to watch the team actually create the piece before my eyes. It was a thrilling experience.
How was the transition from the Berkeley Rep to Broadway?
I got really busy in 2009 and was working on three different Broadway shows back to back while they were gearing up for the Berkeley run. I couldn’t make it work with my schedule and as a result, I wasn’t a part of it. Later in 2010, when they decided to open in NYC, I was thrilled that they asked me back to play lead guitar. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I left Memphis to come over to American Idiot. It’s always a tough decision to leave a successful show, but I went with my heart and gut and it was the right move.
The experience so far has exceeded all my expectations. Green Day have been very active and hands-on with the production. Billie Joe Armstrong gave me two of his guitars and one of his live amp rigs for the show. That never happens.
To play this music on Broadway every day–authentically, in this show–is a dream come true. These gigs don’t come around very often so I feel very lucky.
Were you familiar with the album, American Idiot?
I was familiar with American Idiot when it came out in 2004. I bought it and liked a lot of the songs, especially “St. Jimmy.” I also loved the long songs like "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming." I am an enormous Who fan, so I saw a lot of similarities with the thematic rock opera material.
Can you describe some of the changes that have been made to the original source material in order to adapt it for the stage?
The songs were all there already, but it was a matter of finding the right keys for some songs for the female cast members and arranging some of the songs to fit the scenes. Tom Kitt did a great job arranging and adapting the music for the stage. It’s not so far off from the record in the sense that it stays true to Green Day’s sound, but at the same time, he took liberties and added 3 string players and arranged some of the music to include them, so there is a lot of different stuff there. Every night I’m shocked at how awesome strings sound on “St. Jimmy,” which is the heaviest song!
Were you a Green Day fan before this project?
I’m not going to lie and be a poser and say I’ve always been the biggest Green Day fan on earth, for my whole life, or since I was a kid. I was a teenager when Dookie came out. I thought it was ok, but was really into death metal then, so it didn’t fit on my mix tape. However, I have become a huge fan of Green Day as an adult. They are an unbelievable band.
I thought they had matured as a band enormously by the time American Idiot (album) came out. They obviously had taken the writing to the next level and I always respect and appreciate when artists do that. 21st Century Breakdown came out as we were working on the show, so I of course bought it and was floored. What an amazing album. Again, the band has evolved and transformed.
Getting to know Green Day on a creative and personal level, it’s inspiring to see how they take artistic risks and are constantly reinventing themselves. Now, they’re doing a musical. I think Green Day’s music has stood the test of time, and that is the ultimate challenge–to see if it transcends, which it has proven to in every area of their career. They are amazing writers. They will go down over time as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
What are some differences between this show and others you’ve worked on?
I’ve played a lot of shows, some of them had an on stage band. However, this is the first show where I feel like the on stage band is actually part of the show, not a piece of scenery or a prop. This is guitar-driven rock music. This is Green Day’s music and we are the band that plays it. I think the show would be lame if the band was in the pit. Michael Mayer gets this and did a brilliant job of staging us and incorporating us into this show.
This is also the first show where I really feel like I’m being heard. That may sound ridiculous, but I can’t tell you how many “rock musicals” I’ve played on Broadway where the guitar is buried and all you hear is vocals and drums. In American Idiot, the guitar is unavoidable! Brian Ronan did an amazing job making this show rock, be loud like a real concert venue, but at the same time like a theater piece where you can also hear the lyrics.
It’s so refreshing that the creative team understands the critical important role the band plays in this show, and they respect us. They know we are part of the show and we give 110% because we feel the energy from the cast being there right with them every night. As a result, the audience reacts to this energy and the show is better as a result, no question.
Green Day actually played a surprise performance at the St. James, after American Idiot opened. How did it feel to share the stage with them?
I physically shared the stage with them, but didn’t play with them. It was unexpected and a total surprise – the audience didn’t have any idea. After the curtain call, they came onstage, took our instruments, plugged in and played “American Idiot” and “Basket Case.” It became a rock concert. It was awesome to see them up close, and I filmed it! There have been so many surprises on this journey to Broadway, and this was the icing on the cake. It was a real treat to see the original creators of this music play it in front of our eyes.
What about your own music? Are you working on any original material?
I am a songwriter and composer. My wife, Anya Singleton, has a few albums out and we wrote the songs for it. The material for her album The Other Side was picked up for a bunch of spots on networks like MTV, LIfetime, and other networks. I also co-wrote the theme song for the TV show, "How Do I Look?" on the Style Network.
I don’t really sing, so the stuff I write is mostly for other people or for TV. Right now, I’m getting into scoring for film so I’m working a lot these days in my home studio.
What are some of your favorite spots for live music in NYC?
The spots for hearing or playing music in NYC are dying. I don’t usually end up seeking out live music unless it’s at a bigger venue. It’s really hard these days to see good original live music. I know there are still spots, but I guess I have to get out there more.
On a day off, the last thing I feel like doing is going into the city (I live right outside NYC in NJ). The clubs I end up at are where I’m gigging: Joe’s Pub, Bitter End, Highline Ballroom, Bowery Ballroom, Arlene’s Grocery or Pianos. I usually end up sticking around for other acts and checking them out.
Let’s talk about the Tony Awards. American Idiot was nominated for three awards, including Best Musical, but I know a lot of fans were surprised by the lack of recognition in other categories. What’s your take on this?
True art is polarizing and American Idiot is that: a true theater art piece. Some people have said it’s the first true rock opera of the 21st century. Others have said it’s more of a concert than a Broadway show. Whatever you want to call it, I think our show is groundbreaking and an amazing experience either way. It comes from the heart and everyone involved from the top down is passionate to the core about this piece.
Having said all of this, since it is so groundbreaking, different and polarizing, I’m not sure it fits into the traditional Broadway theater mold. I don’t mean this is a pretentious way. I’m not saying we are better than any other show, just so different in so many ways that maybe it’s hard to put it in the same category as other shows. Tony voters are unpredictable, but then again, this is an unpredictable season.
All of that aside, we did great! I am thrilled we were nominated in three categories, including Best Musical. I know that people are upset because they expected more nominations, or a possible American Idiot sweep at the Tonys. I always say if you expect nothing, you’ll never be disappointed. I personally am grateful and thrilled we got recognized as a nominee for Best Musical and I think that is huge. That is an amazing accomplishment.
This type of show comes around once in a lifetime. I personally am living the dream, so I can’t complain about anything.
For more information about Michael Aarons, check out his website: www.MichaelAarons.com. The Tony Awards air tonight at 8/7 central on CBS.
If you liked this interview, you can read my other Examiner articles here. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or visit my website: www.CristinaMoreno.com.
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