Further volumes became delayed indefinitely as his performing, recording and production career intentionally stalled in the late 90s. Lawson dove into understanding the needs of his daughter, Kelly, diagnosed on the autism spectrum when “Ticket to Fly” released, and sorting out an alternative musical path for a while. He performed in dozens of shows with/and or opening for Merl Saunders, around the San Francisco Bay Area, and there were some in-store appearances and solo gigs here and there. There were also a couple of shows with Eugene Chadbourne and others, and he did an occasional guest appearance in New York, Nashville, Los Angeles and other cities with friends, but he was “off the road,” and not releasing more albums during that period.

He contributed to the 2001 album Gifts from the Dead, with Vince Welnick, Merl Saunders, Pete Huttlinger, Vassar Clements, and Fred Bogert. Fred had produced “Ticket to Fly.” Mike continued songwriting, and launched a music industry book, video, and periodical publishing company. This allowed him to stay close to home and be a dad. Still, he was writing and recording dozens of demos for new songs. He recorded with Vince Welnick, and Vassar Clements, for the two singles not released until 2019.

He wrote liner notes for a Les Paul album, and Merl Saunders’ “Keepers” album. Additionally, two of his songs were used in the independent Two Rats Film production “Goodbye GuyGuy” in 2002. That same year, Merl had a debilitating stroke. It was difficult seeing his mentor in such shape, and Mike played the Haight Street Fair that year with Merl’s son Tony and a large supporting cast of musicians in honor of Merl. In 2003, he played his last HSF fair show, with Vince Welnick, Melvin Seals and many more, in which Merl made an appearance on stage. In 2004, he played his last Merl Saunders birthday show at Great American Music Hall in SF, CA, 

Mike relocated briefly to the Lake Shasta area of Northern California in 2004. In 2006, he experienced the devastating loss of his close friend Vince Welnick to suicide. He decided it was time to move home to Nashville, TN in December, 2006. The following November, his former bass player and good friend Stan Rawls succumbed to depression and took his own life. These two deaths put Mike into a stalemate musically, and he began performing online live streamed Internet audio concerts under a non-de-plum as “Von Johin.” He released an album on LocoBop records under the cartoon bluesman charecter’s name, and for about six years did not perform outside of that virtual venue. In 2011, he pieced together Hooteroll? to pay tribute to the origins of the music of Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia.

The following year, however, Mike was dealt another personal hit when his best friend Bob Welch shot himself. For the next few years, he helped care for his widow Wendy, pushed through a divorce, but continued to perform dozens of Hooteroll? shows this time instead of retreating into his home studio. Also in 2011, he again began making solo appearances at festivals, and hosted the Grateful Garcia Gathering in Wisconsin for three years. Wendy passed in November 2016. Mike married Shannon Kebschull in March 2019, and is continuing his own long, strange trip.