About

Mike Finazzo is not a renaissance man; he just makes a lot of things.

When he was 12, Mike got his first guitar, and like any other chubby, pubescent boy in 1997, he quickly became obsessed with the 3 B’s: the blues, the Beatles, and Bob Dylan. This, coupled with multiple undiagnosed mental health conditions such as anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, made Finazzo quite the hit among his middle school classmates and, obviously, the girls.

After years of playing in local blues and rock bands as a kind of child prodigy, Mike released his first album, a folk record titled Sunday Morning, which sold dozens (if not hundreds) of copies to middle-aged tastemakers across the East Coast. Playing local bars and colleges, along with radio appearances, Finazzo enjoyed some regional success as a guitar player and singer-songwriter.

The next two decades saw Finazzo wearing many hats as an artist and performer. His love of film led him to write and direct the feature films Pavement Tune (2009), Wits End (2016), and Bored in the USA (2019). These films received critical acclaim and played at festivals across the country. In between, Finazzo performed as a stand-up comedian and storyteller, touring the country as both a headliner and an opener for comedy legends such as Drew Carey, Kevin Pollak, and Brian Posehn. Finazzo’s ten-year run as a stand-up comic made him a better writer and more confident performer. It also helped him realize that his life wasn’t so bad after meeting hundreds of comedians who were just as messed up (or even more damaged) than he was.

In 2020, a terrible thing happened that kept everyone stuck at home. We don’t have to talk about that… but Mike used this as an excuse to step back from comedy, spend time with his family, and rediscover his love for making music. Listening to records and playing guitar nonstop, he reconnected with his roots and began creating relatable and catchy folk and blues music, and showcasing some damn good guitar playing.

The future is looking exciting, as Finazzo will release his long-awaited second album, Stories to Tell, in the spring of 2025. You can catch Mike sharing his blend of sad folk songs and amusing banter at a club, bar, or theater near you. If you're in the mood for something louder, you can also catch Finazzo’s blues band, Riley and Company, tearing it up wherever the blues is being played. Either way, you'll be seeing Mike do what he does best: Making things. 

And now, since this bio is over, I’ll stop referring to myself in the third person.