The infamous Coach Pete
Las Vegas to San Diego.
One night.
One impossibly small stage.
After completing a major corporate engagement at the Wynn in Las Vegas, Michael and crew hit the road straight to San Diego for a special fundraiser benefiting the Immunotherapy Foundation — sharing the stage with rock icon Billy Idol for an unforgettable night of live art, music, and philanthropy.
Only there was a huge...or should I say small obstacle that could have prevented everything.
The stage was too small! The moment Billy Idol's crew started rolling gear into the building, reality hit fast.
Stage-too small.
No margin for error.
The stage was so small there wasn't even enough room for all of Billy's gear. As equipment cases, lighting, monitors, instruments, and cables rolled out of the trucks and into the venue. Then much of it rolled right back out to the trucks because there simply wasn't enough space.
"Billy's crew were great, they didn't have enough room for his gear and yet they made every effort to make room for mine." —Michael
Amazingly, Michael Israel's crew then carefully built an entire live art production setup directly inside the middle of Billy Idol's stage environment… and somehow made it all work flawlessly.
What happened next bordered on impossible.
During the performance, Michael painted three pieces live in front of the crowd without spilling a single drop of paint on Billy Idol's equipment, or the crew, or the audience packed only feet away from the action.
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Three paintings created.
Seven paintings sold.
An unforgettable fusion of art, music, and compassion.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of the night came during the auction.
Michael just three canvasses live on stage, the auctioneer sold SEVEN!. That’s one of the unique things about MIchael. The impact doesn’t end when the painting is complete. The energy in the room, the emotion behind the cause, and the experience of watching the extraordinary unfold in real time carries well beyond the final brushstroke.
Then, almost immediately after the Auctioneer said SOLD on the last painting, Michael’s crew made the entire production disappear like magic. Easels, paint, backdrop, art lighting—gone—the stage was ready for Billy Idol to close out the evening.
On paper, the whole idea sounds crazy. Live painting. Flying brushes. Splashing paint. Giant canvases. A stage already to small for billy's gear.
If you’ve ever seen Michael paint live, it looks like a wild man has gone insane on stage throwing paint and brushes everywhere. The only thought is gear would be knocked over and paint would be on everything.
Michael's performance was high energy. Paint and brushes did go flying… exactly where Michael made them go.
Not a drop of paint landed where it wasn’t supposed to.
Instead, it became one of those rare nights when everything came together perfectly—live art, legendary music, generosity, and purpose. The paintings raised money. The experience raised something even more powerful: hope.
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