Musician Mike Coykendall living his dream
A funny thing happened to Mike Coykendall during his third decade of grinding it out in the music business.
He hit the big time.
Concerts at the Apollo, Ryman and Hollywood Bowl. Appearances on Letterman, Conan and Ferguson.
Granted, Coykendall has performed as a sideman — not headliner — in those venues, backing indie music darlings Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. But still, it's a long way from the Flicker, Spot and Coyote clubs in Wichita, where Coykendall cut his musical teeth in the 1980s.
Coykendall will play two shows — as the headliner — in Wichita this weekend, backed by an electric band at Fisch Haus on Saturday and in solo acoustic mode at the Donut Whole on Sunday.
A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Coykendall is also adept on bass and drums.
"It's going to be great to play," said Coykendall, who now lives in Portland. "I like a lot of different kind of stuff — everything from the most sincere folky music to the most obnoxious ruckus you can ever imagine. If people come to both nights, they'll hear all of that."
Coykendall jokes that old friends may have trouble recognizing him. Sporting long gray hair and beard atop a rail-thin frame, the effect is a little like the Unabomber's head has been stuck on Mick Jagger's body.
"Time has not stood still on my appearance," he said.
Coykendall (pronounced "Kirk-en-doll"), 47, grew up in Norwich. He moved to Wichita in the early 1980s and started a band with a couple of Norwich friends, Tim Hueback and John Raida. They even rented the requisite band house, on south Fern, where they planned to rehearse all the time. The first time they did, a neighbor named Klyde Konner knocked on the door to complain. Naturally, the band's name became Klyde Konnor.
Heuback and Raida eventually left to be replaced by guitarist-bassist Ron Smith and drummer Cameron Gourley, with whom Coykendall performed until 1991. That year he took a buyout from his day job, relocated to San Francisco and started the Old Joe Clarks with his wife and musical collaborator, Jill. A 1997 CD by the band went to No. 16 on the Americana charts.
The Coykendalls shifted to Portland in 1999 and Mike began doing shows with Ward. Coykendall, who'd owned his own recording equipment since the mid-1980s, opened a home studio used by Ward and other acts, including She & Him, Ward's collaboration with the actress-singer Deschanel. Coykendall began touring with the pair as well.
By 2004, he was able to quit his job as an accountant and pursue music full time. That includes heading a band, Mike Coykendall and the Gold Shag, that plays in the Northwest.
During a practice Wednesday night at Fisch Haus, Coykendall seemed as eager to play an old haunt as to appear before millions on TV. "I miss playing that," he said to Smith as they finished one song that built in volume and complexity, finally veering into the "ruckus" category.
Asked if he imagined back in the 1980s where he'd be now, Coykendall said yes.
"You have to dream of those kind of things, otherwise it would be the stupidest career in the world to get in," he said. "I've never really made (music) second place, even though I worked day jobs from '84 until about 2004. During that whole time, I was working in music and hoping."
If you go
mike coykendall
What: The Mike Coykendall Band (including Ron Smith, Steve Hatfield and John Probst) will play Saturday at Fisch Haus. The band Klyde Konnor (Coykendall, Smith and Cameron Gourley) will play Sunday at the Donut Whole with four other acts.
Where: Fisch Haus, 524 S. Commerce; Donut Whole, 1720 E. Douglas,
When: Both shows begin at 8 p.m.
How much: Admission is $5 on Saturday and $4 on Sunday.
For samples of Coykendall's music, visit mikecoykendall.com
This story was originally published January 14, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Musician Mike Coykendall living his dream."