A lot is coming full circle for singer Michael Williams and the band Telehope , all local artists co-headlining a national tour beginning at Covington's Madison Theater Saturday, Sept. 28.
For starters, both acts essentially kick-started their careers at Madison Theater's concert hall, Madison Live. Telehope – made up of Mason natives Ben Malson, James Malson and Adolph Goetz – hosted its first-ever album release show in 2016 at Madison Live. Williams, the Mason-born singer and an alum of "The Voice" and "American Idol," performed his first sold-out show at the same Covington venue in June 2023.
After their Covington kickoff, Telehope and Williams will travel together as co-headliners on their respective tours: the Chasing Nostalgia Tour for Telehope and the Kiss Me Goodbye Tour for Williams, running from Sept. 28 through their final show Nov. 30 in Columbus. Tickets are available on Telehope 's website and BandsInTown.com .
"I am feeling so, so excited," Williams said about the upcoming tour. "The biggest thing that I'm feeling is I wish it was coming sooner."
A connection going back years
The upcoming venture, which marks Telehope's fourth time touring and Williams' first, is a natural collaboration for the artists who have been friends for years.
Williams met James Malson in a high school homeschool program in 2017, as the pair got to talking about their shared love for music.
Through that relationship, Williams met Ben Malson, who later produced his debut single "See You Again" in 2020. He also helped organize Williams' breakout June 2023 show at Madison Live following his stint on "American Idol" earlier that year. James Malson and Goetz backed up Williams on drums and guitar during the performance.
"The (Telehope) guys have been a part of my music journey since I first started putting out music," Williams said.
Their connection has everyone feeling "super pumped to tour together," says Ben Malson.
"We played many shows together as (Williams') band, but we never toured together as separate artists," he added.
'We want to spend time with everyone'
A portion of the proceeds for the tours will go to City Gospel Mission – the Cincinnati-based nonprofit that hosted Telehope's first-ever performance in 2013 when the band members were still in high school; before the group even called itself Telehope (that move came three years later).
The name – inspired by a fan's social media message that said the band's music was instrumental to her overcoming her mental health struggles – is a mix of "telescope" and "hope." It's an ode to believing there's always hope in the distance.
"It really impacted us because we didn't know how powerful music can be ... (so we) changed our name to have something to do with hope," Ben Malson said.
Williams prioritizes connecting with fans as well. He's constantly engaging with people who enjoy his music through his followings on Instagram and TikTok . As a thank you to their respective fan bases, the artists are not allocating VIP tickets on tour.
The exclusion of VIP was "very intentional," Williams explained.
"We want to spend time with everyone; we don't want anyone to feel like they can't talk to their favorite artist or the people that make their favorite music," he said. "Especially coming off ('The Voice' and 'American Idol') people can look at you like you're this 'thing' but I want people to know I'm a guy that loves to make music."
Williams is relishing the opportunity to share this experience with Telehope, he said. And he thinks his fans will be equally grateful to share the experience with the band's fans.
"Everyone is going to have such a blast at these shows because our fans are just the most special people in the world," Williams said.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati-based 'American Idol' alum to co-headline tour with this rising local band
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