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Manton Benefit Show & Donation Info!

For those who may not be aware, a fundraiser is being held in hopes of raising money to help Mike Anton pay the huge medical bills incurred after he was the victim of a violent crime. The assailant or assailants knocked on his door and then moved off into the shadows somewhere in front of his home. When Mike opened the door, a single shot was fired that struck him in the face. Mike was lucky, if you call it lucky, to survive the attack. Had the bullet entered his head a bit higher he could have been killed. Still, Mike suffered physically and emotionally. The bullet shattered his jaw and put a hole in his cheek. He had to get surgery to put his jaw back together and then spent six weeks with his jaw wired shut. The whole unfortunate ordeal has not only been disturbing, but expensive.

When we found out he had no medical insurance a benefit was thought of to help Mike pay the many thousand dollar medical bill accrued as a result of this insanity. If you’re interested in contributing to the fund created to help Mike then please attend the benefit show October 7th at PJ's Lager House in Detroit. All door proceeds and sales of donated items will be placed in the fund. If you’re unable to attend the benefit show, but would still like to make a donation then click on the "Help Manton" button on this page. Interested persons may also donate directly to the Michael Anton (aka Manton) Benefit account at any Fifth Third bank.

Whether you are able to attend this event or offer a donation please let us join as one to Stop the Madness. The victory must be peace!

Know your kindness and all contributions, financial or otherwise, are greatly appreciated. On behalf of myself and the other benefit coordinators, Kyle McBee, Anthony Retka, and Matt Luke I would like to sincerely thank you for any help you can offer.

Click Here for the Mike Anton Relief and Benefit Show Fundraiser on Facebook

-Mike Welby

In 2004, Mike put his first ever band together with drummer Mike Welby. They became “Mike Anton & The Mantons”.

The Mantons are a four-piece folk rock band from Detroit performs timeless, catchy, revolutionary, original songs; with virtuoso harmonica, signature vocals, and true grit.

Mike Anton has about 100 songs with four solo records; the band is rapidly assimilating them. There is room to grow, new songs to write, and The Mantons have demonstrated the tenacious fortitude it takes to stay together, sticking to the mantra of “Doing The Thing that Must Be Done”.

There was once a time when there were no Mantons. But one day, in East Lansing, John Perry was musing on a letter signed by his roommate Mike Anton. He noticed that Mike signed his name with a large “M”, a dot, then the last name with a large “A” for Anton. John condensed the name whimsically calling Mike, “Manton”… And then there was one.

Years passed, Mike learned many things about the world. He played all over the country, busking and living and loving and hurting and bleeding, but Forging On. Every now and again Mike would see John, and John would refer to him as “Manton”. The name gained adhesion, and Mike began using the name as a persona to match his high-energy performances. Other words followed, like “Bigmikebob”, “The Highway Guy”, “GIMMIE ALL YOUR MONEY!! AAHH!!”, “Flibbidie Floo”, “CHAW!!”, and others. This kind of vernacular became “The Manton Schtick”. As “Manton,” Mike created an ulterior world of words to communicate his feelings. Mike had certainly proved a consummate solo performer by this time. But then came the band.

At the very end of Ought Four, Mike put his first ever band together with drummer Mike Welby. They became “Mike Anton & The Mantons”. Mike wanted the name to be printed in only Copperplate Gothic Bold type. But, “That font is like $25. I ain’t paying $25 for a font,” says Anton.

Since then The Mantons have played consistently throughout Detroit. They’ve had a few bass players, but the one constant is the two founding members. One of the first bass players to play with The Mantons, Stephe Brown, left after just two early practices to pursue Jazz and Heavy Metal, but rejoined with glee just this year, in early Ought Nine. Stephe also plays keyboard, which is being incorporated into the band. Also on bass is Robin Simpson, who is a seasoned pro with Mike Dorn, a Detroit subculture legend.

But once a Manton, always a Manton. The bass player on their first record, “Squeeze The Fish”, is the venerable Dave Martin from Clay Adams Band. Dave and Anton have been friends for years, worked together as mechanics, and between the two of them have a deep sense of understanding not too often seen in this world. His influence courses through the veins of the songs they play.