So here they are. Every single question you had for Mike. Enjoy. Come back Monday for the next round of “Ask MercyMe” *Did that sound like a game show?*
Click “More” to see the answers.
Thanks for all the great questions guys!!!!! See you on the road soon!!!!
Mike
Abi
Q. What is your favorite song from MM? And which band member do you hang out with the most while on tour??Thanks Mike!
A. Favorite song….hhhmmmmm. I have to echo Nate’s answer on this…they’re all gonna have some special place in my heart, but my current favorite hands down is God With Us. The response from that song when we play it live has been amazing, and any song that brings us and a the audience to a place of worship, is always a band favorite. Who do I find myself hanging out with most on the road?we are truly like a brotherhood and honestly we don?t really have anyone who?s a lone ranger in the band, however, of the 6 of us, there are 2 that go to bed early, and 4 that go to bed LATE. Myself, Nate, Barry, and Bart are in the later group, so there are many a stupid movie, or round of guitar hero, or demo listening session, or episode of Lost, that is shared by the 4 of us.
Jenny
Q. Hey! I just have one quick question. WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO TEXAS IN 2008? I LOVE your music. Come on back ya?ll! : )
A. We live in texas, so not soon enough if you ask me!!!! We’re playing in Alverado, Tx. on April, 26. Also we’re doing a run of shows the 31st of July- the 3rd of August, that will be from San Antonio-Dallas?keep an eye on our schedule!
PapaRon
Q. What was your first car? Did it have a nick name?
A. Well hey there, Pap Ron….hhmmmm…the screen name?s giving this one away. My 1st car was a glorious little 1982 escort station wagon. My dad had bought it from a friend of his. Not the sweetest ride on the road, but it did get me to and fro?as far as nicknames for it, I had a few?mostly used them when it was broken down, or in the summertime as it had no A/C and I lived in Fl. Thanks for bringing back the memories, dad.
Joel Stapleton
Q. Gabriel Amps. Are you digging them? Our guitar player covets one very badly but sadly has no cash?anyway, how are they? Which are you using? Hope to run into you guys at GMA.
A. I LOVE MY GABRIELS!!!! I have a Voxer 18 and a custom amp that Gabi built me?.it?s a 1×10? combo and ended up being used for at least 50% of my guitar parts on All That Is Within Me. On Winter Jam, I used my Voxer 18 for the whole tour?Barry was using his 36 watt Voxer. They?re not the cheapest amp out there, but for the money, you?re getting the best of the best in hand built amps!!!! Plus Gabi?s an amazing guy to work with!
Bowron Family
Q. How many flowers do honeybees have to visit in order to get enough nectar to make one pound of honey?
Also, how long should a couple keep the couch they got when they were first married???Additionally, If a couple has had six girls and then a boy, what are the odds that they might have a second boy? (No?were not pregnant).
Lastly, if a boys name is Ben, what?s the odds that he might marry a girl named Olivia?
By the way?you sure are smart!
We love you Mike!
A. I?m gonna go with?.7??? 7 honey bees. Couch?.definitely, 5 1/2 years, but you?ll probably have to wait 8-10 weeks for delivery on your newest couch. I?m gonna go 50-50 on the gender question, and I can only hope Ben will land a little sweetheart like Olivia!!!! Although, she?d be pretty lucky too if I do say so myself!
Brenda
Q. Hey There Mike, Do you have a favorite song from MM that you love to play? How old are you? You look young !! Do you have a certain /favorite scripture that really speaks to you? Saw you guys at the Florida Strawberry Fest. NICE ..:) Blessings & Peace
A. Favorite song to play…good question…hard question…I always enjoy playing When You Spoke My Name, from Undone, also, but by far my favorite song to play is God With Us. The crowd response for this song has been unbelievable since the 1st time we played it live. We started playing it months before the album was done. Even before the album was done, the crowds were singing the song like they?d heard it 100 times!!!! I?m 32?I?ll be 33 on June 8th.
Fav. Scripture?hard to pick one that?s not life changing. Lately I find myself clinging to Phillipians 4.8. To think on the things of God in the trials of life is the only thing that can keep things in focus. I guess not just the trials?even when things are going swell?maybe even more so then. If I can stay focused on the righteous things and not the things of mike, I think I?ll be a lot better for it.
Heidi
Q. What is your all-time favorite MM concert that you played in? Why?
A. Hard to say?every show has it?s own special moment for sure. But if I had to pick one?I?d probably have to go with either the 1st time we played in Hawaii?2 sold out nights in a row in a beautiful theater in Honolulu, or maybe the 1st Billy Graham Crusade we played?.or maybe the last Billy Graham Crusade we played. The last one was in NYC and may possibly be his last crusade ever. It was a HUGE honor to be a part of such an amazing work of God.
RobbieQ. When is your birthday? What other jobs have you had prior to MM?? How did you meet your wife?
A. June 8, 1975. My dad owned a lawnmower sales/repair shop. I delivered mowers, fixed starters, degreased transmissions, and sharpened blades for him for a long time?so glad I didn?t have to take over the family business. I then moved on to be a part time weekend DJ at a local am radio station. I wasn?t so hot at that?got fired?moved on to an ice cream shop?I love ice cream!!! When we stared the band, I worked at blockbuster video for 2 1/2 years. About 2 years in I was held up at gun point?being the idiot that I am, after I handed him the bag of money, I asked if he wanted a movie with that. He declined.
Rachel
Q. Hey Mike, I like asking randome useless questions so mine is what kind of hair gel do you use? and this question I actually care about the answer.. what is your favorite bible verse and why?:) Thank you for taking the time and answering these questions! MM, familes and crew are in my prayers!
A. Bed Head products before I started shaving my head?.shaving the head makes for more sleep in the mornings? ? See he answer to Brenda?s question for fav. Bible verse. Thanks for the prayers…they make all the difference for us!!!!
Joshua
Q. Mike,?I love the guitar work on all the albums. It seems like there?s always one doing one thing and one doing another.Anyway, what is your favorite guitar you own, and what is your effect set up look like?
A. Thanks man..Barry and I try and play of each other. I think it tends to make for a bigger sound and a cooler vibe. Favorite guitar….hard question…they’re like my kids. My ES135 is great and I’ve fallen in love with it again since I had a Bigsby put on it and dropped in some Seymour Duncan Antiquities. Also my ?72 gold top deluxe?My newest guitar love is my Supro DualTone?check ?em out online. They?ve only recently been being built again. Mine is the 10th one to be built?rumor has it that the 1st couple belong to the Rolling Stones!
anders
Q. Aside from the guitar, what other instruments do you play?A. Not much of anything. I can play piano a bit, and Bass, but that?s only because it?s 2/3?s of a guitar.JordanQ. Are you proud of your Bartow heritage?
A. Let?s say I have a lot of great childhood memories. Bartow is a great little town to grow up in?it was hard to get in trouble since everyone knew everyone, however, I am glad I?ve gotten to se so much of the country. If I had to choose, I doubt I?d live in Bartow again?I?ve decided I like places with more than 2 seasons a year?oh wait?I live in Texas?we only have 1!!!!!
Tim
Q. What is your favorite guitar, amp, and effects unit? Do you have any other instruments you play besides guitar?
A. Like I said earlier…I can play keys a little bit, and bass. So hard to pick a favorite amp or guitar, but I answered the guitar one earlier, (see Joshua?s question.) As for amps, my favori amp is my 1966 Vox AC30. My wife bought it for me as a surprise from Tyler Burkum of Audio A. It sounds unbelievable, and it was purchased with love?.ahhhhhh. My Gabriels, my Zinky, my ?76 Marshall, ( also a gift from Abby?yes, she rules!) hard to pick just one, but it would have to be my Vox.
Krystal
Q. Hey Mike! How did you meet your wife? Your kids are so cute! I saw you all at the Rangers game last year. LOVED IT! That was the first time I ever heard MM. Now, I?m stuck! Thanks!
A. ok…long story…We were playing a show in West Monroe, La. I saw her in the crowd, and man…she was gorgeous…(and has only gotten more so in the past 6 years!!!!) I was watching her during worship and noticed something different about her. It always drives me a little nuts when we?re singing a song that?s asking God to break us down and someone?s singing it with a big old cheesy worshipy grin on their face. I mean really?.who wants to be broken down by God?!?!? Well she had her head down and and was just praying?it struck me as very worshipful?did I mention she?s hot??? So I asked the college pastor about her and he told me, ? she?s amazing?? and proceeded to ask me if I wanted to meet her. Not wanting the rep of a band guy who?s traveling the country picking up girls, I declined, however a year later when we played there again, I HAD to meet her this time. She had haunted me in the back of my mind for a year, so I finally ended up with her email address after still not meeting her that night, and connected with her that way. A few days later I drove back to Louisianna from Texas, and the rest was history?she had me at hello?..Thanks on recognizing the cutest 2 kids in the world?they?re awesome!!!!
Randy Megathlin
Q. Hi Mike. Love your music and guitar sounds. Have you ever tried a guitar processor like some kind of line 6 floor pod etc. to get your guitar sound instead of all of the pedals you use? Is there a down side to such pedals? Thanks for taking the time to read and answer questions! God bless you all!
A. Hey Randy, Great question?I have tried some digital guitar floorboards and amp/effect simulators, and while I think they?re not a bad place to start out since you can get so many sounds in one box, I don?t feel they sound as good as the real thing. The closest I?ve ever been with an amp/effect simulator is Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3. It sounds unbelievable, but it?s all computer based?no amp at all. Great for demoing songs in @ the house whilst the kiddos sleep. It even comes with a control board that you can program to make the system do virtually ANYTHING!!!! I think overall, no one will ever truly be able to beat the sound of an old tube amp with a bunch of pedals on the front end of it.
West
Q. Do you help Robby with his hair?
A. I tried?he won?t let me.
Daniel Crowe
Q. How can we pray for you?
A. Our standard answer is to pray for our families. Our wives work 100 times harder than we do?they?re playing the role of a single mom for a little over half a year, and while they are a HUGE part of this ministry, they don?t get to see a lot of it 1st hand. For our kids?we miss a lot of things that daddy?s shouldn?t have to miss?t-ball games, 1st day of school, and so many of the day to day discoveries that these little guys make. Pray that we can truly be good shepherds to our families over a cell phone and that we can be the husbands we need to be while we?re away. Also, we have some pretty grand schemes for a big tour that we?re praying could have a HUGE impact on the kingdom?we?re working out details for it to take place in the Spring of ?09, so prayer that we would wait on God and follow His leading in this. Keep your eyes open and hopefully you can all be a part of it as well!!!!
Susan Robinson
Q. Please!! On what Album have you recorded the song ?Light the Fire??
Sincerely.
Susan
A. Susan?sorry to report that we don?t have a song called ?light the fire.? I know Audio A had one a few years ago called ?Start a Fire,? and Pillar has ?Fireproof,? but we as of yet have no affiliation with Fire?.maybe that?ll be a good theme for the next record?. ?
Josh
Q. The Office, Lost or Scrubs? You must pick one
A. Wow?tough one…Now Scrubs, I don?t watch…I have caught an episode or two and I think it’? pretty funny, but I must disqualify it from the running. Now Lost and The Office?.that?s a different story. I religiously watch them both. I will have to go with The Office however. I?ve got the 1st 3 seasons on my iPod and rewatch them all the time on flights or on the bus in my bunk. Lost doesn?t have that rewatchability?.is that a word? I?m a little more than upset that I can no longer download The Office from iTunes??
Emma
Q. Alright you asked for it. What?s your favorite hair product?
Have you ever been so in love with a pair of shoes that you feel depressed when you have to throw them out?
What?s your middle name?
What is your favorite day of the week?
A. Hair product?Bed Head, but currently am in a shaving my head phase
Middle name?John
Fav. Day of the week?Mondays and Tuesdays?.we?re almost always home on those days.
Fav. Shoe?.no?I?m not a girl.
Dominique
Q. What is the order of ?Ask MercyMe??? AKA Who is next?
A. I have no idea who?s next?not only is it exciting for you guys to find out who it is, it?s just as much of a surprise for us!!!! Brody, who is the genius behind getting this blog up and running tells us all who?s next. Everybody say?THANKS BRODY!!!!!!
Mandy Butler
Q. Why do you do such crazy things that Bart can film and stick on this blog?
A. Mandy?I do them for 1 reason and one reason only. I do it for you people?because I care.
stacey
Q. Hi Mike!How many years have you been with MM??How do you balance your faith and famliy??Now as far as hair products use mousse.? Just kidding!! God Bless you and your family.
Stacey
A. Bart, Jim and I started MM August of ’94…almost 14 years ago. Now 14 years in band years is like 140 in normal job years?bands rarely stay together this long without killing one another?not that we haven?t tried? Balancing faith and family, and traveling is definitely a challenge, but like any job, it?s just another thing to be a distraction from the important things in life, we have to stay focused on Christ as much as anyone else.
Daniel Crowe
Q. do you ever jam with other bands when you?re touring with them?and whats your favorite pre-label-signing mercyme song?
A. Good question?There?ve been a few times when we would combine forces on stage like with Michael W. and his band a few years ago, also once with Audio A, Mark was so sick that every other artist on the tour pitched in and picked they?re fav. Audio A. song. Matter of fact one of my favorite musical moments was when John Ellis of Tree63 sang Glory with them from the Lift album?it was unbelievable. Fav. Pre-INO song. Really hard question?Cannot Say Enough was both before and after signing, and it has always been a favorite of mine. Early on we used to cover The Stirring by 2nd Chapter of Acts. I LOVED playing that song.
The Honey Family
Q. What?s most dangerous while driving?
1. Sending text messages??
2. Singing & praising to MM with your eyes closed??
3. Reading your latest blogs??
4. Playing drums on the steering wheel and air guitar while driving with your knees?
My Papa has done all these today on our trip to Florida!?Naomi
A. I would go with eating honey, while texting with your eyes closed?.that honey gets on everything and is hard to get off!!!!!
The Honey Family
Q. We?d like to know all the band members birthdays. Can you post them for us?
A.Mine is 6/8/75
Nate 5/26/78
Jim 1/11/68
Bart 12/1/73
Robby 11/14/75
Barry 5/18/61
The Honey Family
Q. What is your favorite MM song?
What part of which song is most challenging for you to play?
What is your favorite Disney World attraction? We?ll take our picture for you this week. (yes, we even think of you guys on our family vacations!)
A. Fav. MM song?See Abi?s question at the top.Most challenging song to play?they all become about the same when you?ve played them as much as we have?muscle memory and all, but for me as a whole, I tend to get a little too excited when we play live and have a tendency to play faster then everyone else?we call it rushing the pocket.Disney?I grew up going to Disney since Bartow is only about 45 minutes away. I will always have to go Space Mountain. Have fun!!!!!
Rebecca
Q. What are all the names of the band member?s kids, oldest to youngest. Just thought I would keep you on your toes!
A. Sam, William, Riley, Ben, Gracie, Kaliegh, Millie, Jack, Levi, Charlie, and Abby and I are expecting our 3rd in mid-late August, (boy)?.we?re kind of stuck on names right now?any suggestions???
mcwesty
Q. Hi Mike,Who would you say plays the most jokes on everyone?Do you all study the word together as a band when on tour?Do you see each other on your time off and if so how much?Any prayer requests?
A. Jim in his younger days was quite the prankster?he?s old and slow now, but from time to time, he still has it in him to crawl into the foot of someone?s bunk on the bus?(usually a new crew guy,) and stay balled up until that guy tries to get in bed. He then proceeds to scream and grab them and scare the living daylights out of them.
B. We don?t usually have a corporate bible study on the road, but we do have a sense of accountability. It?s not up to the rest of the guys in this band to read my bible for me. I?m the one who has to answer for that.
C. We tend to get together from time to time when we?re off the road. With 10 band kids, there?s usually a birthday party or something. We also find ourselves huddled in a corner hanging out with each other instead of everyone else in the room.
Sara
Q. Do you know any foreign languages, if so which ones?
A. Un poquito espanol?.is that right???
Sandi
Q. Hey Mike! When are you guys coming back to Northern CA?
A. Not soon enough?I need some In-n-Out Burger!!!!!! Keep an eye on our schedule.
Jennica Wallis
Q. Hello! I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys!! Your music makes me so happy and sad at the same time (in a good way)! I listen to all of your cd?s everyday and just went to one of your concerts (Appelton, WI) for the first time, and it was the best concert I?ve EVER been to!! Thank you so much for your faith and sharing it with everyone! I have a question about your music though. I was wondering if I could put one of your songs on my website? I?m a photographer and need to put a song on and I wouldn?t want anyone else?s. Please please. Let me know! Thanks so much! God bless, Jennica!
A. Jennica, Thanks so much for the kind words. Glad you could come out to the Appleton, Wi. show. Usually there?s probably some red tape for putting a song on your website, but you know what?today is your lucky day. I say go for it. I?ll take the heat for you!Good luck with your photography?maybe we will see you at a shoot one day!
Thanks for all the great questions guys!!!!! See you on the road soon!!!!
Mike
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