Bay Shore's Don Miggs has an awakening

Don Miggs' recent homecoming concert at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore wasn't exactly what he expected.

"It was surreal," says the singer-guitarist from the band Miggs, which also features bassist Michael Lombardo from Central Islip. "It's different from playing for a crowd of fans. When you're playing for family and friends - either they're worried you're going to mess up or they're just so proud that you're up there living your dream - it's hard for them to lose themselves in the music."

Maybe it will be easier when Miggs' new album, "Wide Awake" (Rock Ridge Music), hits stores Tuesday. Miggs, who splits his time between Tampa and Los Angeles, says the album's mix of rockers and pop ballads reflects his tastes from growing up in Bay Shore. "When I was making this album, I wanted people to feel it was nostalgic and fresh at the same time," he says.

For Miggs, "Wide Awake" feels like an artistic breakthrough because it's a new approach. "Something just clicked two years ago, when my wife [Lisa] asked, 'Why don't you make an album that sounds closer to what you listen to?' " he says. "It was like I stopped worrying what people would think. I no longer care about fame. I'd still like to be popular, but if some people don't love the music, I don't care. I used to care a lot."

The new approach has worked for Miggs, who will tour to support the album all summer, including a handful of dates opening for Maroon 5 on its tour of amphitheaters. "I know I don't fit into a niche very easily," Miggs says. "But I'm going to keep trying to be who I'm supposed to be."

Contact The Long Island Sound at glenn.gamboa@newsday.com or follow @ndmusic on Twitter.