Eastern Michigan University English professor Joe Csicsila takes his band Mayflys on stage for a benefit performance, and a release party for their new EP “Down and In,” this Saturday at the Corner Brewery.
In an incredible show of generosity, all of the proceeds from the show will go directly into a scholarship fund that would pay for the books needed for qualifying English majors.
Consisting of fellow college professors, Mayflys was pieced together two years ago by core members Joe Csicsila (guitar/bass/vocals), Jim Knapp (guitar/bass/vocals), Charles Cunningham (lead guitar) and Jeff Clark (drums) as a friendly weekly jam session.
Cohesion was rapid and it wasn’t long before their garage riffing snowballed toward some small gigs and right into Big Sky Studios in Ann Arbor.
Absorbing new members Brian Smith (drummer) and EMU alums Kristy Renaud (singer) and Roz Hingelberg (pianist/singer), Mayflys put their chops to the grindstone with studio producer Goeff Michael and came out with “Down and In,” their first full length EP.
“It’s a mixture of roots, a little alt-country and indie rock; stuff that’s typical of college radio stations,” states Csicsila in response to his style. “It has sort of a Wilco vibe.”
Tentative plans for rampant gigging are still up in the air.
“You know we have families and jobs. It’s just something we do for fun,” he said. But expect to see Mayflys on the line-up for this year’s Ypsi Jamboree.
As far as scholarship information is concerned, it has not yet been decided how the qualification process will pan out, but the faculty intends to reimburse the recipients fully for their text books.
The show will be at The Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti on Saturday February 20, 8-11 p.m. Tickets at the door are
five dollars.
