Last week, You’re Among Friends, a local indie rock group, experienced a terrible tragedy. The group had just finished playing on WRUW’s Live from Cleveland when Mike Janowitz passed away as a result of a medical emergency he experienced.
“This situation has been very difficult to process so far, and we have found it to be hard to put what we are feeling into words,” the group (Anthony Doran, Kevin Trask) says in a statement about his passing. “Mike was the person we would turn to in situations like this because of his level-headed wisdom. We will try our best to channel some of that now.”
The group had a revolving door of drummers before Janowitz joined the fold.
“We knew almost immediately at our first recording session with Mike in January 2020 that this lineup was going to be something special,” writes the band. “As we continued working together, this bond grew deeper and stronger. Mike played in a bunch of really great blues bands over the years, including Mr. Downchild, the Bluestones and Blue Lunch. Right before we played on Live From Cleveland, we walked around the WRUW studios and saw their extensive collection of vinyl records and CDs. Mike proudly pointed out the section of Blue Lunch CDs that he played on. Mike played regularly in a cover band called Mixx Tape (formerly Tres Cervezas). Mike was also a former high school music teacher that everybody around town seemed to know and respect. We were lucky to have him. In some odd way, it is a huge honor for us that the last set of music he played ended up being a bunch of songs that the three of us worked on during our nearly six years together.”
Janowitz leaves behind two adult children, Morgan and Tori.
“There was a light in Mike’s eye every time he mentioned them. He was such a cool dad, and it was always fun to hear about the concerts he was going to with Tori and her friends. Mike shared a lot of great advice with us about fatherhood that we are sure will continue to be helpful as our own kids grow older. We have really enjoyed watching Mike find love and happiness with [girlfriend] Donica. It is heartbreaking that their relationship has been cut so short. They had so many plans for their future together. Please keep Morgan, Tori and Donica in your thoughts and prayers. We will also pray for Mike’s many friends because we know they are probably struggling just like we are to make sense of this sudden and immense loss.”
The band had built some momentum in the wake of the release of its latest album, As Normalcy Slips Away, a couple of months ago. The guys say their release party at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights was the most fun they’ve had onstage in a long time (maybe ever) and they were very excited for an upcoming gig opening for Mike Viola on Feb. 22 of next year at the Beachland Tavern.
“We will surely get back to playing these songs again at some point because this is what we love to do,” reads the statement. “It is what Mike loved to do, and he did it right up until the end. This on again, off again band that always draws us back together will likely keep rolling until we join Mike in heaven, and then everybody up there better get ready for the reunion tour.”
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