Joey's Song: Mike on Freezing Man and Epilepsy Awareness (part 2)

Joey's Song raises money for epilepsy research through a concert unlike any other in the country, and Part 2 of this Reignite Resilience conversation is where hosts Natalie Davis and Pamela Cass get the full picture of how it works. Mike, founder of Joey's Song, continues his conversation with Natalie and Pam by walking through Freezing Man, the two night concert event held every January in Madison, Wisconsin. Mike describes what makes the show different from a typical tribute concert. Musicians from bands like Cheap Trick, the Goo Goo Dolls, the Bangles, and Tears for Fears do not perform separate sets. Instead they form one time only groups and play together, backed by the house band the Know It All Boyfriends, alongside a rival group called the Know It All Girlfriends who show up every year to steal the show. Mike explains why the event only happens once a year, why January works best around touring schedules, and how the 2,500 seat Sylvie theater sells out two nights running while the concert also live streams for free to anyone, anywhere. From there the conversation shifts to impact. Mike breaks down how listeners can support Joey's Song without spending money, starting with following the nonprofit's social accounts and watching video content long enough to trigger the platform algorithm. He shares the scale of epilepsy in plain numbers: one in 26 people will develop it in their lifetime, and 50 million people live with it worldwide today. Mike also talks honestly about where epilepsy research stands, including the one in three people who still cannot find relief through medication or surgery, and closes with practical advice for recognizing absence seizures and prioritizing self care as a caregiver. In This Episode: • What makes the Freezing Man concert format different from a typical tribute show • Why Joey's Song only holds one event per year, in January • How to support the nonprofit without spending any money • The real numbers behind how common epilepsy actually is • Where epilepsy research and treatment stand today, and where progress is still needed Listen to Part 1 of this conversation for the full story behind Joey's Song and the son who inspired it. Listen to Reignite Resilience: https://reigniteresilience.buzzsprout... Learn more about Joey's Song: https://joeysong.org Music from #Uppbeat https://uppbeat.io/t/qube/uprise License code: DLXDWSVGLPIKVXNU