Michael John Ahern (MJ) is a Northern California songwriter who began his musical journey in 1983 performing at dinner houses and taverns as a solo acoustic performer while an undergraduate at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In 1985 MJ stepped into the role as guitarist in a popular college radio dance band The Croutons. It was during that time MJ shared the stage with a young Toad the Wet Sprocket and guitar virtuoso Alan Holdsworth. In 1986-87 MJ returned to the Bay Area to work as an environmental educator and on weekends as a doorman at the Keystone Palo Alto a popular live music venue. It was during this time that Michael recorded his first commercial release Along The Edge which sold 1500 copies through the newly founded Nature Company.In 1988 MJ returned to Cal Poly completing his degree and teacher credential and accepted a teaching position in Cambria, CA. While living in Cambria MJ went to work teaching high school science playing out occasionally solo, with The Michael Ahern Band or the Pismo Beach rock and roll cover band Fine Line. In 1994 Michael returned to the Bay Area and went to work for S.E.T.I. and NASA in education and curriculum development. During that time Michael worked as a NASA Mission Specialist flying on board the Kuiper Airborne Observatory based at Ames Research Facility. In 1994 Michael released his second solo album - Revelation. It was also during the summer of 1994 that MJ traveled to Australia with a NASA research team to observe and record the Shoemaker-Levy Comet strike the planet Jupiter. In 1995 Michael was introduced by a friend to piano player and vocalist Lachlann Kane. Realizing their tremendous potential together MJ and Lachlann formed Strawman an all original rock band featuring Bobby Foster on drums, Michael Reich on sax/flute and JB Jones on bass. Success came fast to Strawman however tensions in the band led to a breakup in 1997 shortly after the release of their debut Strawman's El Dorado CD an all-original and masterful recording. In 1999 MJ was introduced to Rick Riess . Rick offered MJ the Director of Entertainment position at the Lodge at Skylonda. It was there that MJ began performing acoustically again on a regular basis. It was also at the Lodge at Skylonda when MJ made the decision to study the art of songwriting and the work of many great American songwriters who until then he had not been exposed to. A desire to write new material followed as did a longing to have a talented band to play the material out. MJ reached out again for Lachlann Kane in 2001and they began working together on Michael's She's the One CD . The experience of working together again inspired the desire to build a new band but with an Americana style. Hence began The Little Wheels Band which shared the stage with Sara Evans, The Dave Nelson Band, The Flying Other Brothers, James Nash, and Jefferson Starship. MJ and the Little Wheels Band performed at the 2003 and 2004 Jerry Day Celebrations in McLaren Park in San Francisco while MJ was asked to musically produce the historic Jerry Garcia Amphitheater Dedication Ceremony in October 2005. The Little Wheels Band also performed at the Grand National Rodeo and mainstage for the 2005 and 2006 Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival Mainstage . In 2006 Michael received two Bay Area Emmy nominations for a live television performance of his original song "So Done With You" with musicians James Nash, Steve Shufton, Michael Anderson, Gary Chiapetta and Dean Cook .
To date Michael has produced 9 commercial albums including The High Road (March 2007), She's the One(2006), The Liberty Court Session(2005) and the Little Wheel Band Debut.(2005) In 2005-2006 MJ's songs She’s the One and "Heaven" aired on 550 radio stations in 26 countries. MJ is a member of A.S.C.A.P and contracts occasionally as a producer in the San Francisco Bay Area. All good things come to an end and in September of 2007 the Little Wheels Band played their last show. Michael began to woodshed with an emphasis on the blues studying with guitarist Chris Cotruvo and instructional DVD's by Warren Haynes and the Reverend Billy Gibbons. Spring of 2008 finds MJ working on an original blues rock album with includes Michael Emerson on keys and Robin Campbell on vocals and performing in the classic/southern rock band The Lords of Tone recent headliners at Half Moon Bay''s 3rd Annual Rock The Block Party Concert.
Michael continues to perform acoustically at events throughout the Bay Area including the first Thursday of every month at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company with guitarist Chris Cotruvo.
Notable Events
Performer and Stage Mgr. - Half Moon Bay Rock the Block - May 2008
Lords of Tone Winter Shows 2007 - 2008
MJ's Birthday Jam October 2007
(4) San Francisco Union Square Park Shows
Rock the Block with guests Robin Campbell and Sonia Jason June 2007
Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands March 2007
Friends of Fender Musical Instruments Artist Relations Agreement Jan 07
Mainstage HMB Pumpkin Festival Oct 2006
Solo Acoustic Performance -Shades of the Blues Festival August 06
LWB Summer Tour 2006
(4) San Francisco Union Square Park Shows
LWB headlines the Leo Ryan Amphitheater 2006 Foster City July 4th Celebration
Minarik Guitars Artist Relations Agreement
SF Emmy submissions for television performance of original song
"So Done With You"
with James Nash, Mike Anderson, Dean Cook and Steve Shufton
NAMM Show Jan 2006
The Bruce Latimer Show December 2005
Musical Producer - The New Jerry Garcia Amphitheater Dedication Ceremony -Oct 05
LWB opens for FOB and Dave Nelson Band HMB Pumpkin Festival Oct 2005
MJA Acoustic Performance with James Nash
Artist Support by Digidesign and Alvarez Yairi Guitars September 2005
"Songwriters In the Round" Throckmorton Theatre Mill Valley August 2005
LWB at Driscoll Ranches Family Rodeo July 2005
LWB at the Leo Ryan Amphitheater 2005 Foster City July 4th Celebration
MJA opens (duo acoustic) for Nina Storie July 2005
MJA’s song “Heaven” – Receives International Airplay July 2005
The Little Wheels Band Winter/Spring Tour 2005
MJA’s song “She’s The One – Receives International Airplay March 2005
Little Wheels Band Debut CD Released Nov 2004
Second Pressing of MJA’s solo album Nine Lives Oct 2004
LWB and Charlie Daniels at Grand National Rodeo Oct 04
The Little Wheels Band Fall Tour 2004
The Bruce Latimer Television Show, #640 September 2004
MJA opens (solo acoustic) for Tab Benoit May 2004
MJA opens (solo acoustic) for Railroad Earth April 2004
The LWB opens for Sara Evans Feb 2004
The Little Wheels Band Fall Tour 2003
Artist Support by Line 6, HAZ Labs, and LM Products December 2003
LWB at Little Fox Theatre w/Bartron Tyler Group (sold out) Nov 2003
Summer 2003 Tour w/Garrick Davis and Freddy Brooks and the Corrupters
Little Fox Theatre w/Freddy Brooks and John Conqueroo Sept 2003
NCSA Songwriters Showcases April and June 2003
The Bruce Latimer Television Show, #596 February 2003
Bay Area Showcase Television Show, February 2000
LWB August 2002 Quail Hollow w/Railroad Earth
MJA Biography
Vocalist / Songwriter / Producer / Acoustic and Electric Guitars / Stage Management / Studio Engineering
Along the Edge 1984 New Age
Revelation 1994 Alternative Rock
El Dorado 1997 Folk Rock
Strawman Live 1999 Retro Roots Rock
Anthology 2000 Retro Roots Rock
Live From the Great Room 2002
Acoustic Solo
Nine Lives 2003 Retro Roots Rock
The Little Wheels Band 2004
Live at the Little Fox,
The Little Wheels Band 2004
The Little Wheels Band
The Liberty Court Session
2005
The High Road
The Little Wheels Band 2007
