This week, Ira spoke with Mike Dawes, performing in Myron’s at The Smith Center, August 17. In this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Mike talks about when he knew the guitar would become his life; why he loves the free-styling method; how his guitar playing brings his music into a more “contemporary realm”; how he worked on projects in Las Vegas; why he uses humor in the show and makes his performance an immersive show; the British guitar invasion; the social connection with music; how we have lost our attention span; his new album Galactic Acid; the importance of “Cloud Catcher,” his lead tune; his love of vinyl; why he records his albums in a castle; why producer Josh Clark is his “third hand”; why he loves performing live shows; how he “mics” his acoustic guitar; and his “rock show” using one guitar. (Photo by Chiara Lucarelli)

Mike Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is regarded as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists with a repertoire spanning original viral videos and popular arrangements, alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues.

Mike was named “best acoustic guitarist in the world” two years in a row (2017 & 2018) by Total Guitar Magazine & Musicradar reader polls. with numerous 2nd place rankings in the proceeding years. YouTube personality Rick Beato named Mike “one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world.”

His debut release, a solo guitar arrangement of Gotye’s “somebody that I used to know,” quickly became a viral hit with tens of millions of views on YouTube, a success duplicated and expanded upon numerous times since with songs like “one,” “the impossible” and “jump” across multiple video platforms.

His reputation has invited him opportunities to collaborate with grammy award-winning artists such as Tommy Emmanuel, with whom he recorded the duet record “Accomplice vol. 3,” and the Grammy-nominated metal band “Periphery,” with whom Mike joined on their 2024 double single release.

Mike is featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases including “spirits…live,” which debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard chart. He also has a strong reputation as an educator, acting as a columnist for guitar world and acoustic guitar magazines as well as teaching guitar masterclasses all over the world, creating apps, publishing degree level literature, appearing as a TV judge on Sky TV’s “guitar star,” and more.

Recently he contributed electric guitars to Mentrix and Gareth Croker’s stunning soundtrack to Ubisoft’s “Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown,” with other session work featured on tv shows such as AMX’s “Better Call Saul.”

Mike’s passion, however, is performing. having shared the stage with acts as diverse as Tommy Emmanuel, Christopher Cross, Periphery, the Aristocrats, Justin Hayward and the Athens State Orchestra in 2023 alone.

His third studio album, Galactic Acid, is now available.