On November 2, Mihali brought his one-person solo act to Gypsy Sally's in Washington, DC. Mihali is no stranger to the DMV nor Gypsy Sally's, where he last performed in November 2014 with his band Twiddle. Gypsy Sally's was filled as fans of Mihali traveled from near and far to see him perform live. Mihali normally fills much larger venues when playing with Twiddle, and this was an opportunity for fans to get up close and personal in an intimate setting. Mihali is a consummate professional and, what's more, a truly grounded and appreciative artist. He would later spend the twilight of the evening taking photos and connecting with fans, signing autographs, and, most importantly, expressing sincere appreciation to each and every person for coming out.

The opening act was Sam Huge, a very talented musician who also happens to be Twiddles sound guy. If you paid careful attention to the interaction between Mihali and Huge throughout the evening, you would quickly pick up on the close, affectionate, and playful interaction between the two. Mihali would occasionally come on stage to share a hug with Huge but spent the majority of Huge's performance standing by the green room door, applauding and cheering his friend on and at times, would playfully throw a lollipop from the green room entrance beside the stage towards Huge. Sam Huge played a tender and heartfelt set that included a dedication to one of his relatives in the audience and a beautiful rendition of The Faces classic, "Ooh La La." It was great to see Huge emerge from the shadows of the music industry to being front and center on stage, letting everyone see and hear his wonderful musical talents.

When Mihali first announced his solo career in 2018, he had a simple set up: an acoustic guitar and one or two supporting electronic devices. Mihali's solo career has continued to develop and evolve since 2018. Over the past two years, Mihali's musical vision has clarified and has worked hard to dial-in both his music and the equipment required to make his vision become a reality. Not only has his music evolved, but so has his stage setup. This year he is backed up by an electric bass, drum, and also a wide array of complex technical wizardry which he has truly mastered. The new stage configuration allows Mihali to build incredibly intricate and complex songs right before your very eyes.

Mihali came prepared for the performance with a few samples already loaded on his equipment, but for the most part, these were lightly sprinkled on the music that seem to be carefully crafted on the spot for the audience. Throughout the evening, Mihali would lay down one complex layer after another. These layers were quite intricate, and at times you would hear a multi-bar song introduction only to realize that Mihali would use this the intro as the foundation of the song he was building. Turning to his left, Mihali would then walk over to the microphone and beat-box in another lengthy tune before sampling that piece. Added to the mix was a wonderful bright bubble-gum effect produced out of his acoustic guitar. He was clearly in command of his craft where he would not only add layers to his music but would, at times, peel back a layer or two in order to insert a blistering guitar solo or provide poignant lyrics before adding layers back into the song.

The evening's performance was a blissful journey through Mihali's solo catalog as well as songs from Twiddle. As the clock struck 11 PM, Mihali was settling into the best part of the night where he performed newly released, "Heart Song", followed by "Hattie's Jam" and "When It Rains It Pours." By the end of this song sequence, you could feel a palpable and positive energy radiating as the enthusiastic audience sang along and danced with ear-to-ear smiles. It seemed as though the vibe in the venue was intense and filled with gratitude, especially by many in the audience who only a week earlier heard the news that Gyspy Sally's was closing their doors in January. The sad announcement combined with immense joy held in the venue only amplified the celebration of this beloved artist, especially as the poignant lyrics to "When It Rains It Pours" washed over the crowd:

Awake now listen to the words I'm

Saying in this line that your life will be just fine and

Troubles do not stay they

Get replaced with good times

Now you got a great life

Smile as you walk by

Thinking about the Day

Its late your legs wont rest today

Your body seems to ache

Your mind will win the race

Burning by your sleep again

The light blooms from the sun

The long dark night un-done

Another day of fun Awake now listen to the words I'm

Saying in this line that your life will be just fine and

Troubles do not stay they

Get replaced with good times

Now you got a great life

Smile as you walk by

Thinking about the Day

Its late your legs wont rest today

Your body seems to ache

Your mind will win the race

Burning by your sleep again

The light blooms from the sun

The long dark night un-done

Another day of fun // "When It Rains It Pours" by Twiddle - words by Mihali // "When It Rains It Pours" by Twiddle - words by Mihali

The evening ended with Mihali's latest beautiful and uplifting song, "Stubborn Smile". Mihali remains a stunning lyricist and performer whose songs and music bring about a smile to anyone who listens to his song, even if it is a stubborn smile. Even if that smile came across begrudgingly, you could not help but move to the music he creates. DC Music Review eagerly awaits Mihali's next performance in the DMV on December 8th when he supports Chadwick Stokes & The Pintos at Sixth & I Historic Synogogue in Washington DC. If you have not seen Mihali perform live, there is still time to see him perform as the second half of his acoustic tour starts on November 19th in Hartford, CT, and concludes on December 15th in Nashville, TN.