Mike Geier

Michael Geier (born March 12, 1964), known as Big Mike Geier, is a singer, entertainer, and leader of the band Kingsized, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.[1][2] Geier's most critically acclaimed act is his alter ego: a Pagliacci-type clown named Puddles Pity Party. As Puddles, Geier has appeared in YouTube videos since 2013, including some with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox.[3] Geier now performs almost exclusively as Puddles, marketing himself as nothing more than a delivery man.

Mike Geier
Geier performing as Puddles in Ghent, Belgium in 2014
Born (1964-03-12) March 12, 1964
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationSinger, performance artist
Years active1990s–present
Height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Musical career
GenresCabaret
InstrumentsVoice, guitar, drums, bass guitar, harmonica
Associated actsPostmodern Jukebox, Useless Playboys, Kingsized, Tongo Hiti
Websitepuddlespityparty.com

Biography

Geier was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States,the fifth of seven children of "Big Oz" and Peg Geier.[4] He says that he "grew up in a houseful of giants", with his two brothers and four sisters all growing to at least 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) in height. Geier is 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia.[4] Living in, and based in Atlanta since 1995, Geier is married to his business partner, Shannon Newton.[5]

In the early 1990s, Geier led a touring "Swing Noir" band, The Useless Playboys, before settling in Atlanta in 1995. Around this time, Geier started up an Elvis tribute band, Kingsized. Several years into Kingsized, Geier began experimenting with a clown-themed side project called Greasepaint, which laid the foundation for his later alter ego, Puddles.

Puddles Pity Party

Originally, Puddles was a Shriner clown, but eventually developed into Puddles Pity Party, wearing a whiteface clown costume.[6] Geier considers himself and Puddles to be separate people, and refuses to break character. Like Geier himself, Puddles has a baritone singing voice, and sings mostly covers of songs. Puddles has a depressed persona and refrains from speaking on stage or giving interviews.[7][8][9] His shows include a mix of silent prop comedy, mime, and audience participation with songs interplayed throughout creating a narrative structure. [10] Puddles Pity Party performed in Aqua Teen Hunger Force's 2010 tour.[11]

In 2011, Geier appeared regularly at the Manderley Bar in New York's immersive theater show Sleep No More. In 2012, he moved to Seattle to appear in a European-style vaudevillian cabaret, Teatro ZinZanni. In 2013, he opened for Eels during their U.S. and European tour.[12]

In October 2013, Geier recorded a cover of Lorde's "Royals" with Postmodern Jukebox on YouTube. As of June 2020, the video has been viewed over 28.6 million times.[13] Lorde declared his cover to be her favorite cover of "Royals".[14] Geier, in the persona of Puddles, has collaborated with Bradlee on YouTube several times since.[15]

Since 2014, Geier has toured the world, playing concerts in the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, and Australia.[16] On September 27, 2014, his live performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, was filmed by director Gary Yost and was later described by HuffPost as "A Strange Kind Of Beautiful".[17] As of January 2020 the video on YouTube had received over 7.4 million views.[18]

In 2017 Geier, as Puddles, participated in season 12 of the reality series America's Got Talent.[2] He advanced to the quarterfinals at the Dolby Theatre, where he performed his version of "Royals" and received an "X" from Simon Cowell. He was ultimately eliminated the following night.[19] In October 2017 Geier, as Puddles, made an appearance in a Cartoon Network ad promoting new episodes of Teen Titans Go! and OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes.[20] Geier previously collaborated with Cartoon Network's Sunday Pants series writing music for the show as well as playing the Slacks' band leader in the live action segments.[21]

In January 2019 Geier, as Puddles, began a headline act residency at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.[22]

Discography
gollark: Or possibly impure beeide containing bismuth.
gollark: LyricLy appears to be inhaling pure beeide.
gollark: Acceptable.
gollark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macron_(diacritic)
gollark: ++delete <@319753218592866315> for heresy of some sort

References
  1. Gleim, S. (2016). 100 Things to Do in Atlanta Before You Die, Second Edition. 100 Things to Do Before You Di. Reedy Press. ISBN 978-1-68106-044-6. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  2. DeVore, Sheryl (September 18, 2017). "Puddles Pity Party brings humor, baritone voice to Genesee". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  3. Goodman, William (October 31, 2013). "Sad Clown Rendition Of Lorde Song Will Certainly Haunt Your Dreams". HuffPost. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  4. "Headshot, Resume, Contact". Michael Geier official website. Archived from the original on January 5, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  5. "Michael Geier". Facebook. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  6. Heckert, Justin (March 11, 2014). "Let Me Live That Fantasy". Grantland.
  7. Kennedy, Gerrick D. (January 20, 2015). "Puddles: Sad clown, big voice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  8. Bowers, Paul. "The wisdom and sorrow of Puddles, the clown with the golden voice". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  9. Zaino III, Nick A. (January 7, 2016). "Puddles Pity Party brings mystery, joy to Sinclair". Boston Globe. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  10. Willis, Daniel. "Puddles Pity Party mixes laughs with a golden voice" Riff Magazine. 23 January 2019. https://riffmagazine.com/reviews/puddles-review-20190122/
  11. Stafford, Jeff (August 30, 2013). "Preview: King-sized Mike Geier continues to follow his ever-growing, ever-eclectic muse". ArtsATL.com. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  12. "Puddles Pity Party – Tickets – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA – January 23rd, 2015". Troubadour. Archived from the original on September 20, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  13. Royals – ("Sad Clown with the Golden Voice") – Postmodern Jukebox Lorde Cover ft. Puddles Pity Party on YouTube
  14. Goodman, William (March 4, 2014). "Puddles Pity Party, The Sad Clown with the Golden Voice, Is Back with a Cover Of Lorde's 'Team' (VIDEO)". HuffPost. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  15. [home page]. PostmodernJukebox. Retrieved September 24, 2017. cite does not support claim January 2020
  16. Young, Amy (December 30, 2015). "Puddles Pity Party Is the Most Bizarre Cover Band Around". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  17. Barness, Sarah (October 16, 2014). "A Pitiful Clown Singing 'Hallelujah' Is A Strange Kind Of Beautiful". Huff Post. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  18. Hallelujah – Puddles Pity Party at the SF Regency Lodge Ballroom. Postmodern Jukebox – via YouTube.
  19. Ho, Rodney. "Did Puddles Pity Party, Angelica Hale make it to the 'AGT' semi-finals?". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  20. SerCom_KC (September 30, 2017). Teen Titans Go! New Episode Promo – Talent Show (October 9, 2017). Cartoon Network. Retrieved October 9, 2017 – via YouTube.
  21. Rodney Ho, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Atlanta's Puddles Pity Party survives 'America's Got Talent' first round: 'This hulking Pavarotti with a retro hipness'". ajc.
  22. Angermiller, Michele Amabile; Angermiller, Michele Amabile (October 17, 2018). "Puddles Pity Party Sets First Las Vegas Residency". Variety.
  23. "Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox* – Top Hat On Fleek". discogs. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
  24. "Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox* – The Essentials". discogs. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
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