36 May 30 • 2019
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T
ouring part of the country on
foot, just because he wants to —
that is musician Mike Posner’
s
birthday gift to himself. If all goes
well, his steps will take him from the
Atlantic to the Pacific by December.
Posner, a Southfield native, is an
in-demand, Los Angeles-based alter-
native/indie singer and songwriter.
He turned 31 on Feb. 12. His song, “I
Took a Pill in Ibizia,” received a 2017
Grammy nomination.
“The Walk Across America,” as
Posner named his adventure, is his
next move following the January
release of his new album A Really
Good Kid. Acknowledging that his
decision to travel now was not an
agent’
s dream, Posner said, “There’
s
never a good time to drop out and take
an extended break like this.”
His sister, Emily Posner, a crimi-
nal defense attorney in New Orleans,
broke the news about his upcoming
trip to their mother, retired pharmacist
Roberta Henrion of Southfield.
“My first reaction when I spoke
to Michael was: ‘
You’
re doing what!
Walking across America? Why?’
”
Despite Henrion’
s surprise, she’
s
not concerned about him reaching
his goal. Posner’
s always been athletic
— playing soccer in elementary and
middle schools and lettering in track,
cross-country and basketball at Groves
High School in Birmingham.
Posner also developed an early
interest in music as a percussionist in
band camps. He started performing
while attending Duke University and
interned at a Detroit hip-hop station
after his freshman year. Record com-
panies got interested when his free
mixtape released on iTunes gained a
large fan following.
As his senior year began, Posner
was invited to sign with J Records,
a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music
Entertainment. A school counselor
found a way for him to graduate from
Duke with enough credits in 3½ years.
Posner achieved fame in 2009 with
his hit song, “Cooler than Me.” The
three albums he’
s released since then
are “
all different,” he said. “I was never
interested in making the same thing
twice. I’
ve lived more life and learned
different things.”
In a review of the newest album, a
Variety music critic wrote that Posner
“has matured without losing his child-
like charm.”
Planning the walk was one way for
Posner to get out from under his sor-
row over recent tragedies: losing his
beloved father, civil defense attorney
Jon Posner, to brain cancer on Jan. 11,
2017, and later the suicide of producer
Avicii, a good friend and collaborator.
Asbury Park. N.J. — “because Bruce
Springsteen played here a lot” — is
where Posner and “Walk Manager”
Colin McAndrews launched on April
15.
“The city has a nice beach,” Posner
said. “
And though it was really cold, I
got into the water. That meant a lot to
me.”
He aims to be past the Rocky
Mountains before winter and celebrate
the end of his nine-month walk with
friends in Venice Beach, Calif.
“The Walk Across America” is
advertised on Posner’
s website
(mikeposner.com), and he puts up
photos and videos on his Instagram
account. His routine is to start at 7 or
7:30 a.m. daily. Initially walking 10
miles, he says, “I’
m building up my
mileage to do 20 miles per day.” He
expects to wear out several pairs of
walking shoes before he’
s done.
Fans along the way walk with him
and bring food. Although he bought
an RV camper for cooking and sleep-
ing, he’
s accepted home hospitality for
himself and McAndrews.
Invited by a fan and her mother
in New Jersey, “they enjoyed a lovely
dinner in a house with a big bath-
room,” Henrion said. “Michael seems
to fall into these lovely situations.”
Something Posner finds fun
while traveling is performing free,
impromptu “ninja shows” in area
parks. The location details go on his
Instagram.
The “
coolest experience” he’
s had
so far was visiting Graffiti Highway,
the abandoned Highway Route 61 in
Centralia, Pa.
“The road is closed down and cov-
ered in all kinds of art and graffiti,”
he said.
Posner remains close to his family.
His parents taught him and Emily
about Jewish ethics and responsibility
toward others, reinforced by Sunday
school at Workmen’
s Circle/Arbeter
Ring. “My bar mitzvah topic was
‘
The Role of Jews in the Civil Rights
Movement.’
”
He took a break from walking to fly
from Ohio to New Orleans for his sis-
ter’
s recent wedding to Jennifer Vitry.
On Memorial Day, he flew to Detroit
and gave a benefit concert on May 29.
He will continue his journey in Ohio.
“I expect to walk with Michael in the
summer,” Henrion said.
While his walk is likely to yield more
songs, Posner said he isn’
t doing it for
that reason.
“Everything that happens in life gets
into your art,” he said. “It makes my art
deeper and more layered.”
For now, “I’
m having a ball and
meeting new people,” Posner said. “I’
m
enjoying every step.” ■
‘Enjoying
Every Step’
Popular indie artist from Southfi
eld
is on a “Walk across America.”
music
arts&life
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Alternative/indie singer-songwriter on the
road during his “Walk Across America”
BELOW: Posner has given impromptu con-
certs in area parks during his trek.
COLIN MCANDREWS
COLIN MCANDREWS