What makes a performer a star? Musical chops, charisma, dance moves, and a terrific singing voice? All of that helps, but a true musician knows that the picture isn’t complete without the passion and understanding of music history. Mychael Gabriel has it all down pat. As the musical collaborator and lead guitarist for the legendary percussionist Sheila E, his performance skills and stage presence are beyond argument. Just in case you’re wondering whether he’s got that out of the box creativity, he’s brought along his vivid imagination for the video for “Ghost In The Midnight,” his official solo single. The funk-rock singer-songwriter performs right in a series of outrageous outfits, all of which he pulls off with style to burn. Hanging behind him are garment racks with a number of nostalgic outfits connected to his musical upbringing in the heart of what has become to be known as the Minneapolis Sound.
Mychael Gabriel, is a musician with deeply rooted connections to the Minneapolis Sound, through his association with the creative minds behind the 80’s and 90’s Minneapolis music scene and Paisley Park. Growing up in the shadow of music history, Mychael Gabriel learned the science of groove in the midst of a master. While Mychael would be the first to tell you that there’ll never be another Prince, he’s the rare musician with the chops, the attitude, and the knowledge to carry on the storied tradition of Minneapolis pop-funk. Mychael Gabriel is an ambitious songwriter: “Ghost In The Midnight” is the first of a sophisticated pop confection that develops in all sorts of unconventional ways. Like a legendary artist, once he locks into a rhythmic pattern, he’s not likely to let his listeners go. Reminiscent of the music of a bygone era, he isn’t afraid to drop a scalding guitar solo in the middle of his track.
A Minneapolis funk-rocker can’t be camera-shy: he needs to flash across every frame of every video he stars in. The “Ghost In The Midnight” clip demonstrates that Mychael Gabriel is up to the challenge. The young rocker dons threads that make him look like an ’80s pin-up, a Day-Glo monk, a dandy, a superhero, and plenty more. Throughout the video, no matter what he does, he looks natural. He’s as commanding and magnetic with a bass guitar or a six-string as he is when he’s goofing around with a plastic light-saber or a stuffed animal. He jumps rope like a champion, too. Mychael Gabriel is a character, a born entertainer and the personification of exuberance, and this delirious clip is his enthusiastic handshake with the pop audience.
