Mike Felten, AKA Johnny Lunchbucket

The 1980's saw Mike Felten in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan living on a farm and playing with country rock cover bands until guys like Pete Seeger and Utah Phillips discovered Mike's folkier/political side. He played the 75th Anniversary of the I.W.W. and places like the Hiawatha Folk Festival, Rhinelander Festival and Pike Lake. Returning to Chicago in the 1990's , Mike found work playing heavy metal bass in a band called Lobotomy. Played some roots rock with the Redones and, coming full circle, settled into a weekly blues gig with Bellyful of Soul where guys like Pinetop Perkins, Roosevelt 'Booba' Barnes, Pete Myers, or Dancin' Perkins were likely to sit in. Mike has contributed to the television show 'Cupid" and the motion pictures,"Love Jones" Dualmania" and "High Fidelity" as an set advisor and an extra. He just finished another acting turn in a video for the band "Hotel Lights" featuring members of Ben Folds and the Archers of Loaf. Finally in 2002, Mike, tired of 'playing rhythm guitar behind Jesus' booked some time at Acme Studio and recorded 'Landfill' with Devin Davis engineering. After a couple of surgeries and some rehab on a bad knee, Mike went in the studio again. With BILL GLAHN producing, Mike laid down the basic tracks at LOU WHITNEY's (SKELETONS,MORELLS) studio in Springfield, MO. He took the rough tracks up to Third Ear Studio in Minneapolis where TOM HERBERS (LOW,JAYHAWKS)engineered sessions with JOHN ELLER and DAVE BOQUIST of SON VOLT adding multi-instruments.The result was "Tossin' It Away". Mike has continued his never ending tour from sold out shows in New York City to raucous country clubs in Dallas playing for neo-punks , evangelical Christians and everyone who would listen for a moment or two. Mike is happy to play in your living room, concert hall, saloon, coffee shop or the back of your flat bed truck. Folkways artist, Bob Everhart tells us that “Woody would’ve been proud” of what Mike is doing. Hope you’ll agree and check him out real soon.