Mike ” DJ Mike on the Mic”

Meet Mike “DJ Mike on the Mic”

Born in Olympia, Washington, and now calling Kearney home, Mike—is a self-described lost child of the ’90s and early 2000s. He loves the music, TV, pop culture, and simpler times before the internet took over everything.

Growing up, Mike had a few different career plans—including astronaut, professional skateboarder, voice actor, and comedian. While none of those quite became the day job, his love of music and entertaining people has definitely stuck with him.

Mike attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he started out studying psychology before moving into music education. As a member of the marching band and UNK Music Department, he hoped to share his love of music with the next generation. One lesson from those days has stayed with him: “If you’re on time, you’re late.”

Professionally, Mike is a painter with Coat All Painting LLC, but “painter” doesn’t quite cover his skill set. Over the years, he’s also worked as a carpenter, drywaller, flooring installer, and plumber. One of his proudest accomplishments was rebuilding a chimney from the ground up, while one of his most unforgettable experiences involved working 80 to 120 feet in the air on boom lifts while painting hotel windows in McCook, Nebraska.

Mike enjoys the problem-solving side of his work and the satisfaction of seeing people’s reactions when a project is finished. His philosophy is simple: Be nice to everybody—you never know what someone else is going through.

Outside of work, Mike loves video games, skateboarding, and music. He’s a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, and Husker Football, and Santa Monica, California, is one of his favorite places to visit.

Family is also a huge part of Mike’s life. He and Tasha have been together for 10 years and have two boys, Maxwell and Miles. Their household is rounded out by two dogs—Chief and O.D. (short for “Other Dog”)—and two cats, Murphy and Peaches.

And here’s a fun fact that makes for a pretty great conversation starter: Bruno Mars is Mike’s fifth or sixth cousin on his mom’s side!

Whether he’s working on a project, meeting new people, enjoying music, or spending time with his family, Mike’s goal is to bring smiles, good times, and positive energy wherever he goes. His advice to anyone figuring out their own path?

“Find the thing you want to do and have fun getting there.”

Sorry, Mike can’t get you tickets to Bruno’s concerts!(lol)