Catching Up With Kyle Megna

Always among the fan favorites, Kyle Megna & the Monsoons have been sharing their talents with us every year since Mile of Music first launched in 2013. The band returns to play our first Mile of Music Presents Live! at The OuterEdge show of 2019 this Friday, so we thought it was a great time to catch up with Megna and get his thoughts on all things Monsoons! Interested in attending Friday’s show? Get your tickets here today!

As returning artists each year since Mile 1, how has your band evolved over the years?
The band has changed quite a bit over the years. Starting the project when I lived in Nashville as a lost 21-year-old, I’m now 32 and the year I moved back was also the first for The Mile. There were different musicians then and the band has evolved into the lineup it is today (and what it’s been for the last three years). I met most of the guys at various jazz nights. I didn’t know I was recruiting at the time … I just got to know them as they played, and the rest fell into place.

Even now, we still surprise each other when playing live. If you see a smile or someone give a look while playing, one of our bandmates did something new. We all seem to know why we’re in this project. That makes it fun and easy!

What was a highlight for your group in 2018 and what’s in store for 2019?
For 2018, we had a show canceled due to a generator issue at Washington Square during Mile of Music. We decided to play a stripped-down pop-up for “Singing in the Shower” at Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley that was put on by Tundraland. A nice crowd gathered, and we had one of those pure moments that reminded us why we play music. It was a blast! For 2019, we look forward to getting more festivals and some traveling in.

What can fans look forward to on your new album, “The Great Divide?”
“The Great Divide” was a studio album. This one includes more catchy hooks and playing to the song. Our live show can be very different. That’s why we like to mix it up with both studio and live albums.

As you continue playing bigger shows like Summerfest and your tour route expands, what is it about Appleton that makes it a such special place to perform?
We’ve been hitting shows pretty hard over the years, playing venues like Summerfest for four years in a row and others like Meyer Theatre, The Capitol Theatre, Leach Amphitheater, Elkhart Jazz Festival and more. We’re looking to up the quality of our shows with beautiful venues such as OuterEdge Stage and make sure our set is quality and entertaining. We do travel once in a while and it really makes us appreciate Appleton. The support shown to us and other bands coming to town really blows us away as does the way this community supports the arts.

See some of those catchy hooks in action this weekend as Kyle Megna & the Monsoons perform along with The North 41 at OuterEdge Stage on Friday night!

Get your tickets today: http://bit.ly/JAMuary