Throughout his entire performance, Mike. thanked the small crowd that had gathered to watch him perform and repeatedly emphasized his deep appreciation for the journey he has taken over his decades-long career. “All of these songs are about a standout moment in my life,” Seander said. “I came here because I played shows the size of this front row.”

Seander’s humility touched me. No matter the size of the crowd, his gratitude was palpable. Both of his parents even made the trip to support him in this career milestone. “When I look into the crowd I see some people, in fact my parents are here,” Seander said. “The older you get, the better friends you become with your parents. I’m also better friends with my dads.”

He even mentioned an unexpected connection to Austin. “I was never really a club guy. I lived in Hollywood for a while, but that wasn’t my pace,” Seander said. “I had a house on Lake Travis for about a year and we went to a bunch of bars out there on Sixth Street.”