Michale Graves got his big break after nailing an audition for the role of Not Glenn Danzig in Jerry Only's 1995 re-boot of campy pop-punk rock crew the Misfits. And ever since, his musical career has been on a singular and vertiginous path that makes his story one of the most idiosyncratic in the history of corpse paint.
Although he had never heard of the band before trying out, Graves came under the wing of then-drummer Dr. Chud, and quickly landed the gig. Then when band politics forced Danzig's replacement to be replaced, he struck out on his own with a number of short-lived ensembles and solo endeavors that seem to be from a universe parallel to that of the Misfits B-Movie Halloween-core aesthetic.
And now he's a Libertarian who loves puppies.
On St. Patrick's Day 2013, Graves performed at a concert benefitting Paws for a Cause, a South Amboy, New Jersey organization that rescues stray dogs.
Of course, the one-time Misfit is no stranger to causes. Back in the mid 2000s, when NOFX frontman and Fat Wreck Chords honcho Fat Mike was farting across the nation about his milquetoast liberal punk voter caucus, Michale Graves joined -- and subsequently dramatically increased the profile of -- the absolutely confounding "Conservative Punk" website.
In other words, a long-lost member of a classic punk band that was famous for dressing up like a gang of spooky greasers devoted a great deal of energy toward encouraging young people with mohawks and bondage pants to vote for George W. Bush.
In 2013, though, nobody wants to be a conservative. It's all about Ayn Rand, baby! And that's why Graves has shifted his position on the political spectrum ever-so-slightly as to now self-identify as a Libertarian who loves puppies.
Michale Graves' Vagabond CD-Release Party. Saturday, March 30. Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $10 at the door. Call 305-757-1807 or visit churchillspub.com.
