Mike Vial, with special guest Lyal Strickland (from Arkansas!), will play a joyful and reflective set of original pop folks songs. Vial, known for his guitar styles on stage (and ranting stories!), will take the stage at the North Star Lounge's wonderful listening room for the first time.
Ann Arbor based singer-songwriter Mike Vial has been living two passions: teaching and touring songwriter. With his wife’s encouragement, Vial took a hiatus from teaching in 2011 to embrace music and writing career: He played 1000+ gigs across the country and Canada, released four records, wrote a book of poetry–all independently. He was a CT Folk Finalist in 2016, a Blue Owl Award Winner in Michigan in 2015 and a feature in American Songwriter Magazine in 2014.
Then he was struck by a car, saved by his guitar! The officer on the scene was a former student of Vial's first class he taught, so he took that as a sign: He returned to teaching full-time English. You can find him teaching writing at Community High School across the street from Northstar, and he continues to play music on the weekends, during the summer, and sometimes after class.
In 2025, Vial is premiering more songs from his new project, Profiles of Courage. His song project shares inspiring historical moments where Americans have bravely changed our world, one small moment at a time. WPVE recently wrote about Vial's project, writing, "Mike Vial and The Great Lake Effect had blown into the room, and afterwards, for quite a while, we remained adrift in a big wave of love." Vial can't wait to see where his sails take him next. He's happy to cross the street with his Taylor guitars, some open tuned like Joni Mitchell, and play at North Star Lounge with the energy of an eccentric teacher. He will be joined by Lyal Strickland.
Lyal Strickland is an Americana singer-songwriter, whose music is as authentic as the Ozark hills from which it hails. With a background deeply embedded in the rural landscapes of Missouri, his lyrics resonate with the experiences of small-town life, weaving tales of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding human spirit. Strickland’s songs are a reflection of his upbringing in a small town, where the values and hardships of rural life imbue every note and word. Apart from his musical endeavors, Lyal is a dedicated seventh-generation farmer, balancing his passion for songwriting with the responsibilities of running a family farm. Lyal Strickland's journey is not just about music. It's about conveying a way of life that honors tradition while embracing the challenges of the present. With each performance Strickland champions a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly genuine. At the root of it all, Strickland is a singer, songwriter, and farmer.
