Michael Gobel Smith aka Mik Gobel began playing guitar at an early age and was already playing in bands when he was in high school in the Atlantic City NJ area.  One of those bands included Seth Justman who went on to J Geils Band fame. In 1971, Mik formed Imaginary Cowboys playing the Washington DC / Baltimore MD areas. Under the name ‘Group 9’ they staged a ‘rock opera’ called La Vita Nova, which got decent reviews in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. Nils Lofgren, who at the time fronted a band called ‘Grin’, mentored the band.

Oddly, in 1979 Mik became performing juggler. By 1981 he had assembled a group of vaudevillians that took on the name Calamity Circus. The troupe varied from 4 to 10 members and did stage shows throughout the Northwest. Calamity Circus continued amidst many other pet projects from 1981 to 1999 and is a story in itself.

In 1980, Zebracadabra Productions was conceived, an attempt by Mik to offer assistance to other artists. Although Zebracadabra mainly assisted Calamity Circus productions and a handful of musicians, poets and writers, many copyrights were filed under the name.

By the mid-80’s Calamity Circus splintered into satellite acts and traveled the world extensively. Those acts included ‘The Defying Gravitini Brothers’, Babarino Gravitini and his Big Underwear Review’ and ‘The Waldo-Woodhead Show’.  Mik was part of The Gravitini Brothers who after performing hundreds of show stateside were invited to join ‘Theatre In Motion’ in Munich Germany.  Tours were done in 1986, 1989 and 1991 covering dozens of cities in Europe. In that time, Calamity film spots included ‘Bavaria Blue’ and ‘Enemy Mine’ as well as numerous television appearances.

During the 90’s Mik continued as a singer / songwriter, hosting open-mikes at several Oregon establishments. Also in the 90’s, a comradory formed among several artists with interests in filmmaking. Mik, his wife Joanne and six other artists formed Thrown Crow Productions. The successful production of a short film called ‘The Unpleasant Café’, is still available today.

Mik has written three novels and several short stories. They include; ‘Calamity Circus’, ‘Bo_No1’, ‘Three Disturbed Men’, ‘The Thrown Crow Reader’ and a ‘how to’ guide called ‘Vintage Vinyl Record Restoration Guide’

Today Mik Gobel plays today as soloist, as vocalist and bassist with JT & The Tourists and a dedicated advocate of Harbinger Northwest.