This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Michael Bishop, otherwise known as The Beserker Blothar from the band GWAR. GWAR is a heavy metal band hailing from Richmond, Virginia known for their outrageous music and live shows. GWAR confronts the audience with their larger than life personas as well as their stinging satire and social commentary. GWAR is a circus, cabaret, amusement park, intergalactic spaceship and wrecking ball all rolled into one. And their enduring success speaks for itself. This week GWAR is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their classic album Scumdogs of the Universe. To celebrate, GWAR has announced the Scumdogs Triple X Live live streaming concert event that will no doubt be welcomed by their adoring fan base. 

 Many people may not know that the lead vocalist of GWAR (which Bishop has been since the death of the late GWAR founder David Brockie) also holds a Ph.D. in music from University of Virginia. When considering GWAR’s persistent examination of our cultural norms and societal patterns through their music, Bishop’s expertise is clearly evident. And one only has to listen to Bishop’s TED Talk on the concept of musical and regional identity to get a sense of the depth of his curiosity and understanding of human nature. In our conversation, Bishop talks about being from Richmond and explains how GWAR’s emergence and development can be understood in part as a reflection of the culture and socio-economics of Richmond. 

 To a certain degree, many of us understand ourselves based on where we live and what music we love, and in some cases, both. But beyond it being a fun topic of discussion, understanding the connection between our regional and musical identity holds a great deal of potential to improve our health and well-being. There is already substantial evidence that music therapy – whether listening to or playing music, can have mental health benefits, including reduced depression and anxiety. And yet these studies do not focus on how, in addition to the basic enjoyment of interacting with music, a connection with one’s musical and regional identity could be harnessed to influence well-being. When considering the more general importance of identity in our physical and emotional health, the potential of advancing our understanding of musical and regional identity and how they may interact to promote a healthy self-concept is worth further study. 

 So, check out our conversation and hear what Bishop has to say about musical and regional identity. If you like what you hear, please consider leaving a rating and review – we would appreciate it so much!

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