05/20/2026
At This Age, What Happens Next?
Once, I was a kid on MTV Fear, then I blinked, and now my friends' kids call me "Unc."
Growing older is something I think about a lot. At my age, it’s hard not to. My experience with brain cancer makes that even harder, as I have another MRI scheduled next week. So these ideas of age stay closer to my mind than they ever have before. In other words, this s**t is wild...
The one thing that makes me most curious is whether the ways I’ve changed come from a doctor carving into my brain or just getting older. Older people forget things, but so do brain cancer survivors. Older people struggle with their health, but so do brain cancer survivors. Older people are done with going out all night, but so are brain cancer survivors (and everyone over the age of 40).
What I’m most curious about is whether or not my songwriting ability has changed. The two things I’ve done consistently in my life are being a Camp Texas counselor for all four years in college and writing songs. It’s as if I figured my life out at 14 when I wrote my first song, but didn’t appreciate that until I was 34 and choosing songs to bring songs like older songs like Rival City’s Luke Cage to my band, Hypnotic Fist Technique in Cambodia.
Of course, the entire point of songwriting is that people have different tastes. Some people want to hear 5 minutes of rap lyrics, while others only want to hear Morgan Wallen’s take on country music. Lots of people don’t care what music they’re listening to, and some hate music altogether, like Jeff Bezos. I’ve never liked Jeff Bezos, and now I know why. I’ve never stopped writing songs and happened to end up singing my own compositions on stages with bands. When I went solo with Black Asgardians in 2016, it was strange for me to be in charge of every lyric coming out of my mouth. This is especially true when working with two French guys and being recorded by a German child star. In other words, Cambodia was wild.
Music breaks down into choice. People don’t analyze it in the same way that I do. That’s why I hate Hey, Soul Sister by Train. That “I’m so gangster, I’m so thug” line will always put a bad taste in my mouth when Pat Monahan seems to be seducing a Black woman. I had a long conversation about this on my Mike Dynamo page. You can find it if you want, but it’s admittedly a silly argument.
In many ways, I don’t know how well I write songs anymore. Looking back, I don’t think I ever knew. Sometimes it just feels right! I pepper current tracks with things I create, remember from the past, or older songs I remember well. I’m a reference machine, but now I’m an OLDER reference machine, and I recognize acutely that I do not know what these kids are talking about. Type s**t.
There was a time when telling a woman you were in a band raised your profile a few levels. These women and their friends would come and check out your band. People wanted to be a part of something, and that opportunity was yours to offer. Now it’s hard to get your friends to listen to your stuff. Everyone has kids, and your ranting at the government doesn’t go far enough for people to care or sue you. It’s not nearly as cool to be in a band after passing 40. It’s like I should be buying a motorcycle and taking a cross-country journey with my high school friends. I think women might respect that more.
Regardless of these ideas rolling around in my head, I’ve no plans on stopping the ,music any time soon. I love it too much. I held on to ambitious musical partners over the years. Like CIC in Italy, and Dubberman in France. Plus, the ideas keep spewing out of my mind like a broken sprinkler. It is my duty to offer all this to the public. That’s the truth of it. Mike Dynamo will not leave you behind!
Mike Dynamo X Dubberman are releasing a new album called Night Ledger on May 26, 2026. Dubber is the guy who worked with me originally on my first solo EP a decade ago. Night Ledger will be on Bandcamp and the rest of the internet on that day. Go forth and listen, “or the devil, he may take ya.” Why yes, that is a reference from a Thin Lizzy song that Metallica covered. Welcome to my reference machine.
In my head, I’m great. I demand greatness with every line. Despite “best” not being an existing concept, I want my lyrics to be the best. In this particular endeavor, I want to be the best. That is the best goal for an older, brain cancer survivor to chase. I’m still here for it.
