Michael Todd (musician)
The former bassist for Coheed and Cambria whose melodic low-end anchored their epic sci-fi rock before a dramatic career shift into law.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American rock musician·Birthday: August 19·Generation X
Biography
Michael Todd, known to fans as Mic, was the rhythmic backbone of Coheed and Cambria during their rise from cult favorites to progressive rock stalwarts. Joining early on, his bass lines were not mere support but integral melodies woven into the band's complex, concept-driven soundscapes. For a decade, his stage presence and musicianship helped define albums like 'Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV'. His departure from the band in 2011 was public and tumultuous, marking a stark turning point. Todd then channeled his creativity into the psychedelic project Flux Fortuna, but pursued an even more unexpected path: enrolling in law school, trading the tour bus for textbooks in a remarkable second act.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michael was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played bass on four studio albums with Coheed and Cambria, including the commercially successful 'Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV'.
- Co-wrote and performed on some of the band's most recognizable songs, such as 'A Favor House Atlantic' and 'Welcome Home'.
- Founded and led the experimental rock band Flux Fortuna (later Flux Forteana) after leaving Coheed and Cambria.
Did You Know?
He was known for his distinctive, often fretless bass playing style that added a unique melodic layer to the band's music.
Todd left Coheed and Cambria shortly before a tour in 2011 following an arrest for armed robbery of a pharmacy, a incident tied to prescription medication addiction.
He is reportedly a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity.
His band Flux Fortuna released an album titled 'A History of the Human Machine'.
“The bass line is the story's pulse, the heartbeat of the narrative.”
