Fans With Bands

A chat with Nina, Bobby, and Joe of Nina and the Buffalo Riders as well as fans Noel, Maria, Brenda, ShiAnn and Xlo. We begin with our original stories of discovering Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Then we hit the road with Nina and the Buffalo Riders to hear stories of adventure. We dive into some fan questions about tour plans and the hassles finding parking for the RV. Finally, we explore what everyone’s dream concert would be. This episode is packed, so grab a beverage and settle in.

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It has been a minute since we had seen Nina and the Buffalo Riders live. The last time was at the socially distanced outdoor gig at Grove Studios over the summer. Which was our first time seeing Bobby in the band. 

To get things rolling, I asked the fans how they discovered Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Brenda became a fan after seeing the band open for the Steepwater Band at HopCat in Detroit. Within a song, the hairs on her arms were standing up and she was asking “Who is this band?”. It was a happy chance to be there that night, but it made for a lasting love for Nina and the Buffalo Riders.

ShiAnn met Nina and the Buffalo Riders through other local Detroit bands. One time was all it took to become a fan. She has been supporting them ever since.

Marie became a fan from the moment of Nina’s conception. She knew her beautiful daughter had the gift of music when she heard her singing at age 2 to Whitney Houston. Marie and Noel (Nina’s dad) couldn’t believe what they were hearing. 

Noel would bribe Nina for a dollar to sing songs at family get togethers when she was little. Eventually, she started playing guitar and wowed the family with a flawless rendition of “American Pie” by Don McLean. One of Noel’s cousins suggested Nina play at an open mic night. Nina at the young age of 13 and escorted by her dad, played that open mic night and it set her on a course to pursue a life in music.

Xlo had been scouting out venues in Detroit for artists involved with Soundproof Detroit to perform. After stopping in at the Rusted Crow in Detroit, Xlo heard Nina on stage and dug the music. Reaching out to network led Xlo into becoming a fan and eventually working with Nina to produce a video. Be sure to check out the rap, dance, and nerdcore of Soundproof Detroit.

In order to keep playing music, Nina and the Buffalo Riders have had to migrate south for the winter. They have been posting short videos of some of the fun along the way. I asked Nina, Bobby, and Joe what have been some favorite moments so far.

For Nina, a favorite moment occurred in Asheville, NC on the day that Biden won the election. The band setup on the streets to perform and there were people out celebrating the election. One overly excited woman nearly ran over other folks with her baby stroller trying to get closer to listen to Nina and the Buffalo Riders.

As Nina and the Buffalo Riders are getting to the end of the song “Wish I Could Stay” a woman runs up out of nowhere and starts dancing. She dances into the street and ends up laying back on the hood of a car. The car then drives away with the dancing woman resting on the hood.

Every single moment of being out on the road has been awesome for Bobby. If he had to pick one favorite it would be meeting actor/comedian Peter Dante in Key West. He took them to various bars and bought drinks. He even sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the band at karaoke. 

Joe’s favorite moment was the first night in Asheville. The band setup across the street from a park. Once they started playing people gathered around at a safe distance. Seeing the joy on people’s faces that day and each day since have been a highlight. The entire band agrees. Nina added that it is clear that people are starving for live music and being able to play music for them has been awesome.

We flipped the questions over to the fans. Noel jokingly asked if Nina has enough strings and batteries. This brought a round of laughs. Noel then asked if Nina and the Buffalo Riders have any new gigs. Nina mentioned that they are currently in the Fort Myers area of Florida. They have played gigs at the Pink Piano in Lakeland and gigs at the Lani Kai Island resort.

Maria wanted to know what has been most difficult about playing shows right now. The key issue is parking the RV and permits. Most cities require a permit for musicians to play on the street. In some cases, the requirements include background checks and insurance. All of which makes it nearly impossible to play unless you have a gig with a venue that will support live music during these times.

This isn’t to say that Nina and the Buffalo Riders haven’t tried to work outside these restrictions. They were able to play in Miami for one day. They even tried performing in a cemetery, but this was shutdown by the police. Evidently the groundskeeper was all for it, but not so much the city authorities.

Brenda asked if Nina and the Buffalo Riders have any summertime gigs lined up for Michigan. Turns out they do. On June 19th at Campit Outdoor Resort in Saugatuck, Nina and the Buffalo Riders will be part of the annual Saugatuck LGBQ Festival. They hope that more shows will spring up as the warmer temperatures allow for outdoor shows again. In particular, looking to get some gigs at Tangent Gallery and in Utica.

In the midst of a pandemic, a lot of folks don’t want to travel. And it makes sense; you may not feel safe at a motel or even an AirBnB. Xlo thinks the idea of hitting the road like NIna and the Buffalo Riders is inspiring. He wanted to know who came up with the idea to get an RV and head out of town.

Bobby relayed that it was sort of happenstance. He was at a buddy’s house and his friend's dog jumped the fence. They ran to find the dog at a house with an RV in the driveway. Bobby mentions that he loves the RV and starts talking with the owner. Next thing you know, Bobby’s driving home with an RV.

Maria and Noel hosted Nina and the Buffalo Riders at their house while the band worked on getting the RV ready for the road. They then set sail for the south in search of musical adventure.

In mid-February, look for Nina and the Buffalo Riders to steer their van into New Orleans. Afterwards, they plan to head west into Texas, Colorado, and then back to Michigan. Eventually they would like to head out to Montana, then down south to New Mexico and Arizona.

I love to learn about the origin of an artist. I asked Nina and the Buffalo Riders what led them to seek out a life in music. Bobby was quick to answer that he has always loved music. The movie and the soundtrack to the Lion King was incredibly inspiring as a child. He would sing along to all the songs and loves them today. He never expected to be a musician. He attended Feral Fest in Michigan and that is where he met Nina and Joe. He was inspired by them and became great friends. Ultimately this led to Bobby becoming a member of the band he loves.

Joe is fairly sure his great-grandparents met at a piano bar. His dad was a DJ and his mom played piano. Music has always been a part of Joe’s life. At the age of 14, Joe got to see Bob Weir live. The energy of the fans and the band was captivating. After dozens of failed projects, Joe joined a band that played at Feral Fest and Nina and the Buffalo Riders opened. He was completely blown away. He and Nina became fast friends. 

The project band that played at Feral Fest fell apart and Nina reached out to ask Joe to join. He had an opportunity in another band, but felt his passion stirred by the music of Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Today, Joe couldn’t be happier with his choice.

When Nina was young, she loved the emotional power of artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Selena. She wanted to share that power with people through her voice. Once she started to play guitar Nina found singer-songwriters like Michelle Branch, Damien Rice, and Iron & Wine. From an early age, Nina has wanted to write and perform music. That drive carries forward today.

Nina, Bobby, and Joe have been working with Mike (keyboards) and Oscar (guitar) to record new music. They have a five song EP ready and just need to get album art completed. Three songs were written in 2020. The other two are older songs that have seen plenty of live rotation, but have not previously made it into the recording studio. Nina is particularly excited for this release as both Joe and Bobby add in vocal harmonies. Sounds like this new album will be stellar.

To engage with fans and provide them with an inside scoop, Nina and the Buffalo Riders will be launching a Patreon page. This will help the band make their music while giving fans some unique content to savor. In addition, be sure to check out Nina and the band on Twitch.

For our last topic of conversation, I asked everyone what would be their dream concert. For Nina, that dream concert would have been to see Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and The Band when they toured by train on the Festival Express tour. Bobby would have loved to have seen Bob Markely. Ideally, Bob would have seen Bobby grooving on the djembe and invited him up on stage to jam with Wailers. Joe was super specific in wanting to see The Grateful Dead at the Springfield Creamery Benefit show in Veneta, Oregon on Aug 27, 1972.

Maria’s dream concert is Aerosmith. Doesn’t matter if it's the current day or back in the 70’s. Rocking out with Steven Tyler and the boys will work. Noel would have loved to have seen Santana at Woodstock. Just talking about the power of that performance by Santana had us all wanting to be there.

Prince and Michael Jackson in concert is the dream concert for Xlo. We all completely agree that it would have been amazing to see them both together on stage. Brenda had an incredible experience seeing Chris Cornell and feels the same about seeing Nina and the Buffalo Riders. So her dream concert would be Nina and the Buffalo Riders with Chris Cornell. Wow!

A chat with Laura, Jeff H, Joel, and Scott of Duende as well as fans Renee, Jeanette, Dany, Sarah, Ryan, Lauren, Kate, Steve, Jeff M, Ben, and Matthew. We did the round table with the fans to get their stories of discovery with Duende. We shared the love of Duende music and the community that they create through their shows and associations with other bands. Ultimately with Duende you become part of a large and loving extended family that loves to dance. Finally, we explored the controversy surrounding the mighty pineapple.

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I picked on Renee first to hear her Duende discovery story. She couldn’t pinpoint when, where, or how she became a fan, but it was an undeniable force. The Duende trance created by the music ignited Renee’s interest. Yet it was the band and how they love and appreciate their fans that transformed Renee into a lifelong fan. 

The immediate draw for Lauren was Scott (Duende bassist and her husband). With a laugh, she added that she was glad the rest of the band kept her on. Laura (Duende drummer) mentioned that they always have fun together on the road.

Sarah is in the band catl with her husband Jamie who hail from Toronto, Detroit is the perfect launching point for tours across North America. In 2006, Sarah met Duende when they played a show together at the Painted Lady Lounge in Hamtramck. Sarah loved the energy of the music. In particular, Sarah being a drummer herself admires the powerful playing of Laura. They have remained friends ever since.

Also hailing from Canada are Jeanette and Dany who make up the band Dany Laj and The Looks. They met Duende via a show they played with them at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit. This was roughly six months after Sarah had met Duende. It was Dany and Jeanette’s first time in Detroit. Jeff H (guitars/vocals) and Laura invited Dany and Jeanette to stay at their home. Between the love of Duende’s music and their hospitality, they became great friends.

Jeanette and Dany enjoyed Jeff and Laura’s company so much, they have dropped in after shows in Detroit. They even turned down a vacation in Florida during the winter to stay with Jeff and Laura. Clearly the beautiful souls in Duende are strong attractors.

The first time Ryan saw Duende he remembers with nostalgia, was at Club Bart in Ferndale (which closed in 2011). It was a “DuendesDay” and it made a lasting impression. Ryan explained that like other pivotal artists he enjoys, hearing Duende was a shock to the system. As Ryan explains the music is sonically dense requiring many listens and teaches you to appreciate it along the way.

Kate’s first exposure to Duende was at the Cadieux Cafe when her Trio (Kate Hinote Trio)  performed with them on a show. She remembers one last impression was that the music was loud (in a good way). Later Duende asked Kate if she would perform on one of their songs. After many shows and dance parties, Kate is still in love with the band.

Matthew is a newbie to Duende having first seen them just before the pandemic. Matthew was playing keyboards for the Algebra Mothers who were on the same bill with Duende. Matthew talked with Jeff H between sets and found that Jeff had listened to another band that Matthew has been part of for many years. The musical connection and synchronicity made for a new friendship along this strange and winding road of life.

Whipping out the cool card was Jeff M who saw Duende at their second show ever in 2006 at Jacoby’s. Jeff met Duende at about the same time he was beginning his work as a music writer. He has many Ideas Adrift shall we say. He felt like their paths were entwined from the start. Over the course of time, they have developed into great friends and mutual fans.

Ryan turned Ben on to Duende. A couple of years ago, Ben along with Ryan in his band Ryan Dillaha and The Miracle Men played with Duende at a show in Toronto. The experience was fun and solidified Ben’s appreciation for the band. In fact, he’s been listening to Duende so much that their music is starting to influence his own songwriting. The power of Duende, ole!

Finally Steve was introduced to Duende through Scott and his wife Lauren. He thinks Duende is highly underrated. He loves their cool laid back sounds. On top of that, Steve said the band has a great name. We agree. Ole!

Jeff M commented about how much fun it is to be at a Duende show. Obviously, we are all fans of the band and while their music is great, Jeff hit on a key aspect. Their live shows are supernatural.

Dany recalls the story of Duende playing with catl at the Dakota Tavern on New Year’s eve. Apparently there is a video of a guy in a monkey suit who gets on stage with Jeff H. The monkey was in fact the DJ at this Duende rock fest. The monkey was also Dr. Swankenstein’s alter-ego named Coco-Bongo. He played piano with Duende while sporting a fez. We all immediately thought that Joel (Duende guitarist) should have a fez. Actually, Joel was surprised he does not own a fez. If you are looking for a gift for Joel, there you go.

Another insight from Jeff M is that as fans go to shows, they are pulled into the Duende neighborhood. The music, the performance, and the warm embracing nature of the band gives you a sense of community. Add in a fan base that welcomes everyone with open arms and it becomes easy to settle into the neighborhood.

As we talked about the community around Duende, Dany shared a story of the Optigan. He and Jeanette were staying over at Jeff H and Laura’s. Dany mentioned over morning coffee that in all the times they have stayed over, he had never seen the band’s practice space at Jeff and Laura’s house. 

Loaded up with coffee they descend into the Duende magical music factory. Here Dany saw the Optigan. Jeff explained that it is an organ that uses optical discs to play sounds. Basically a precursor to samplers. Jeff’s friend Matt V had bought it years ago and left it. They had been trying over the years to get it back to him in New York.

Dany thought that it probably would fit in their van. After some quick van Tetris, the Optigan was loaded up. Dany arranged with Matt V to pick up the Optigan. After hanging out post show, Matt mentioned that he wanted to record with Dany and Jeanette. The end result is their album Everything New is New Again.

Because of the Duende community and a visit to their magic music factory, Dany Laj and the Looks recorded a great album. Sadly, the Optigan did not make it on to the recording. We can only wonder as to what cosmic tones the Optigan is singing today.

Renee brought up a great point about the community of Duende includes many of the great Detroit bands that they jam with. Bands like The Muggs, The Beggars, and Ryan Dillaha and the Miracle Men. I wondered what the members of Duende think about the myth of Detroit music. It seems that most stories of Detroit music focus on the past and not necessarily the present.

Joel replied that it is difficult to really gage the scene of current Detroit music as there is so much going on all the time. When we could play shows, there were a ton of options. It is difficult to see the present, yet easy to view the past.

Jeff H added that the myths of Detroit grow over time. What may have seemed like a golden age where in reality brief bursts of musical glory. The MC5 or The Stooges were brief, yet impactful aspects of Detroit music mythology. That mythology leads to a radiation that lends a bit of cred to the bands who continue to originate from the city.

Dany hit upon a great notion that the myth of Detroit music is really a soul of the city that oozes rock and roll. That impacts the music that is made here and draws touring bands here to feel that vibe. Sarah agreed that they sought out Detroit to connect with Jim Diamond. Adding that there are only a few cities like Detroit, and Memphis which generate that blue collar gritty rock feeling.

Sarah asked about Sonny the Cat. Evidently everyone on the call has cats. The cats were out and part of the show. Sarah shared a story where after a show at PJ’s, all the bands sat around and talked about their cats. The more we talked, the more we found that nearly all the fans also have cats. A new spin off series called Bands With Cats is in the works.

You’ll have to tap into the last bit of the show to learn about the origins of Duende’s band name. It is a compelling story. A story that is mesmerizing, if you will.

To wrap things up, we dove into controversy: Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza? In this episode, nearly everyone was into pineapple on pizza, with the exception of myself and Joel. We are firmly on the savory side. Go ahead and grab a slice of pizza. Then go back and listen to this great episode featuring Duende and their fans. Ole!

A chat with Matt and Ryan of Cruthu as well as fans Korey, Brandon, Daniel, Paul, Matt, Erik, and Matt. We started out with the fans who span the globe to discover how they found Cruthu. We learn the origin behind the name of the band as well as their latest album Athrú Crutha and how to pronounce it. We explore the craftsmanship behind Cruthu’s music. Finally, we explore what everyone is listening to these days and the mysteries of pineapple.

We kicked off this episode by asking the fans how they discovered Cruthu. Paul saw them at PJ’s Lager House where they opened for Spirit Adrift. He was glad he got there early as he loved the doom metal Sabbath vibe. 

Matt C has known Ryan (vocals for Cruthu) since high school and has known Ryan’s wife Misty (who joined the call with Ryan) since 7th grade. Regardless of timeline, Matt was enthralled after the first listen of Cruthu comparing the experience to his first listen to Metallica’s Master Of Puppets.

Erik heard the rough demos of the first Cruthu album (The Angle of Eternity) and was blown away. The experience still resonates with him today. Matt C added that he enjoys the storytelling aspect of Cruthu’s music. It is as if he is sitting around a campfire and hearing the story told.

Brandon discovered Cruthu at FuzzFest in Ann Arbor at the legendary Blind Pig. While all the bands were great, Cruthu’s doomy vibe captured his attention. He has been following the band ever since. Matt H has been a friend of Matt F (drummer for Cruthu) for some time. He felt he couldn’t really top the descriptions by Matt C or Erik, but agrees that the music of Cruthu speaks for itself.

Daniel called in from Chile. A friend of his asked him if he had heard of Cruthu as he knew that Daniel loved doom metal bands. It was love at first listen for Daniel. For him, the music is powerful doom with great blues roots. Daniel particularly enjoys the vocal phrasing and melodies. He thought it was fantastic that Cruthu released their latest album (Athrú Crutha) during the pandemic.

Ryan kindly guided me through the pronunciation of the title of the latest Cruthu album called Athrú Crutha. Like the band’s name, the album title is gaelic and means “to transform into” in a supernatural form. This dovetails nicely with the first track as well as the overall theme of the album. By the way, Cruthu roughly means creation or to create.

We talked a bit about the evolution of the music of Cruthu. From the initial demos with Matt and Dan (guitar) through the addition of Ryan on vocals and Derek on bass. While their first album The Angle of Eternity is great, you can clearly hear a more cohesive sound on the new album.

We explored the songwriting process of Cruthu. This typically involves riffs from Dan that are shaped by the rest of the band into the final version of the songs. The lyrical content is developed after the music is created. In some cases, Ryan has existing lyrics that fit perfectly with a melody. In other cases, inspiration comes in an avalanche. This is how the lyrics to “Crown of Horns” were born.

Paul was curious if Athrú Crutha is a concept album. Ryan explained that it isn’t a concept album in the true sense. However, it is thematic where story ideas within songs can extend into the others. 

Erik wanted to know where the latest Cruthu album had been recorded. Ryan indicated that it was recorded at Dan’s home in Lansing. The house is an older home with lots of natural wood that provides for a dynamic sound environment.

The recording engineer is George Szegedy who worked with Cruthu on the first album. George has also worked on the recordings of Ryan and his wife Misty’s other band Seritas. They recorded on tape to capture the continuous waveform of their music via analog signal.

Daniel posed the question of taking Cruthu on the road. Not just to North America, but whether the band would consider some of the bigger doom festivals in Europe such as Hammer Of Doom Festival or Doom Over Vienna. Cruthu had been working on plans to play Hammer Of Doom, however all plans are currently on hold given the pandemic.

In addition, Daniel was interested in what Cruthu thinks of doom metal in South America. Ryan feels the doom scene in Latin America is very strong. Daniel mentioned it would be cool to have Cruthu play some shows with King Heavy and Apostle of Solitude. Let’s hope that in the near future we can see this happen.

Something we learned while talking is that the members of Cruthu are spread out across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from Petoskey (up in the northern lower) to Lansing, Saginaw, and Grand Rapids. To some extent this has limited the band to doing just a few small strings of shows. Matt F mentioned that Cruthu really hasn’t gotten into the van to do any true turing. Ryan added that they haven’t yet done a Black Flag run which brought many laughs.

Paul continued that he didn’t really see Cruthu as a van band. He felt they should really be using a stagecoach or carriage for that old world Transylvania feel. Matt C quipped that they would have to keep the Stonehenge monuments to a minimum.

As we talked more about songwriting, Ryan relayed that in the band Seritas the lyrics are personal. With Cruthu, the lyrics are complete fiction. Matt F added that their first singer had written more personal lyrics and he always felt that the H.P. Lovecraft themes of cosmic horror would be a great direction to take. When Ryan joined the band, he jumped on this notion.

While talking about how we all have found music to be our savior while we deal with the pandemic, the topics of what everyone is listening to and their first album popped up. Matt C has been enjoying the new Mr. Bungle album.

Matt F has been listening to Ryan’s new side project (Ubuntu). His first album was Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Misty added her first album was Freeze Frame by J Geils. Matt C’s first album was Weird Al’s Polka Party. Paul’s first tape was Europe’s The Final Countdown. 

Korey has been listening to the new Pallbearer. His first album was actually the entire collection of Led Zeppelin that he snagged from his cousin. The Go Go’s Beauty and the Beat was Erik’s first album. Brandon started out with System of a Down Steal This Album. However, lately he is fascinated with Bill Fisher’s solo album called Mass Hypnosis and the Dark Triad. Matt H is really missing live shows and remembers the Offspring as his first album.

As we talked about new music and what everyone is listening to, Matt F mentioned that he, Erik and Matt H had been in a band called Budahas. After several years, they will be releasing their album Explore via bandcamp. As mentioned earlier, Ryan has a side project of eclectic ambient music called Ubuntu who recently released their album called Jupiter.

A classic wrap-up on Fans With Bands is the great debate of pineapple or no pineapple on pizza. Matt C is firmly on the no F pizza: No Fruit, No Feta, No Fish, and No Fungus. Matt F is not a fan of pineapple. Ryan and Misty are more traditionalists with pizza, however they did experiment with pineapple and it wasn’t too bad. 

Paul went to Michigan State and during his years of experimentation at school he dabbled with pineapple. Now that he has kids, he has left pineapple behind. Erik is straight up no pizza. Instead he’ll go for tacos and throw on pineapple just for fun. Brandon doesn’t really like pineapple, but he loves pizza enough to suffer the pineapple if that is all that is available. Korey is one of the few pineapple fans on this episode as Matt H gives pineapple the down vote.

Dig into the stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Cruthu. We hope you enjoy it! 

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A chat with Karen, Gordie, and Nick of the Lucid Furs as well as Kate, a fan of the band. We talk about surviving the pandemic while recording new music. Our chat turned to the challenges of retrofitting older music, touring stories and favorite destinations. Frequent topics such as musical influences and first albums were fun and insightful. There are plenty of gems in this episode, so dig in.

Just before the pandemic struck, The Lucid Furs were working on another tour. They had planned to get back to Texas as well as do a bit of international touring by visiting Canada. I asked what the band has been doing to ride out the storm.

Karen mentioned that in addition to having to cancel their tour, they had to put recording of their new album on hold. Once things were safe enough to enter the studio last summer, they were able to finish up recording. Now they are just waiting on mixing and mastering to be completed. The Lucid Furs are thinking that they will hold on to the new album until they can get out on the road to promote it.

In the meantime, the Lucid Furs have been doing some DIY recording in their vintage kitchen. This project includes working out rearranging older tunes for acoustic and writing new music. They have a few surprises in store, including a cover or two.

The Lucid Furs music leans on the heavier end of the rock spectrum. I was curious how well their older tunes translated to acoustic. Gordie and Karen both mentioned that for some songs, they just did not work out. However other tunes actually started life as acoustic riffs and it was easier to retrofit those back to their origin. 

It takes a certain level of dedication and drive to go from making music for yourself to wanting to join a band and tour the country. I was curious when and what inspired each member of The Lucid Furs to perform and tour. Gordie mentioned that he knew as soon as he started playing guitar at 17 that he wanted to be in a band. Touring always seemed like a dream until he joined The Lucid Furs. Karen laughed and said that they threw Gordie into touring just a few months after he joined.

Nick mentions with a laugh that part of the drive to tour is to avoid anything not music related. Gordie jumped in adding “Work sucks, I’m going to go play guitar”. As for desire to play music, Nick comes from a family that is heavily into music. It has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Nick adds that touring with The Lucid Furs is a riot.

Karen never thought she would actually be in a band. Prior to the first band she was in called Karmic Lava, she had never performed in front of people. It took a while to develop the confidence in her voice. She laughs adding that she shook like a leaf the first time she played a show.

Eventually she fell in love with performing. This led to wanting to become more involved in all aspects of the band. Ultimately with her partner and drummer Dan, they created The Lucid Furs. Over the years, the band has morphed into its present shape and is firing on all cylinders.

Since we were talking about touring, I asked what were some of the places that The Lucid Furs enjoyed visiting the most so far in their journeys. Everyone agreed that New Mexico was awesome with the beautiful landscape. One thing they remember most is that there are chili peppers everywhere. As ornaments, as ornamental lighting shaped like peppers, and of course making for some great food.

Karen also loves Texas. Everywhere they have played, the people have been fantastic with great crowds. Another fun run is New York City. Nick mentioned that one of the best aspects of being on tour is great food. He isn’t sure every band has this experience, but the Lucid Furs have happened upon some tasty grub. Drop into our chat to hear about Nick and Gordie’s taco adventure. Karen missed out on the tacos, but scored some killer chow mein.

I asked Karen, Nick, and Gordie where they would love to travel to once they are open to tour again. Gordie is all about going to the North Pole. We laughed and then riffed on The Thing and Snake Plissken. Nick is really down for anywhere as he loves being on the road. Wherever the road leads, Nick is happy to be in the van.

Karen wants to hit California. The band has done most of the U.S, but never made it to California. Gordie cautioned that they have to avoid fire season. Evidently while on tour in Montana, Washington, and Oregon the skies were full of smoke. Gordie definitely doesn’t want to deal with that again.

A common question on Fans With Bands is to find out what were the musical influences for each band member. Nick feels his family are big influences given family gatherings typically involve playing music. In terms of bands, Nick is a fan of 90’s grunge area bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Tool, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. 

Gordie’s dad was a big influence as he plays guitar. Early musical influences included Hendrix and Metallica. Once he started playing, he really got into jazz riffs and licks of Grant Green. 

As a kid, Karen listened to a lot of R&B and folk with Jewel being an early influence. As she got older, she became a punk rock fan and especially loves the surf rock punk of The Amino Acids. Vocally, Karen found her love in the vocals of Ann Wilson of Heart.

I wanted to know if anyone in The Lucid Furs had stories of meeting famous musicians. Nick met Paul Stanley of Kiss. He was shocked at how tall Paul is. He got his autograph and Paul asked him “Have you seen the new KISS DVD?” Nick said that he hadn’t. Paul replied “It Rocks” leaving Nick with an awesome story to share.

Karen thinks it is best not to meet your idols. She had a chance to meet Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and turned it down. She was afraid that Mark wouldn’t approve of the band name “The Lucid Furs” given it sounds like Lucifer.

Gordie met Travis Meeks of Days Of The New. Travis was very cool giving Gordie an autograph and writing out the setlist for him. While on tour, Gordie and Dan met the drummer of The Meters, Zigaboo Modeliste in a music store. They got a picture of him and he said “Don’t stop playing, don’t let me down now” after finding out they were on tour from Detroit.

When Karen mentioned that she didn't want to potentially offend Mark Farner by telling him the band’s name, it sparked the question of how they arrived at the name “The Lucid Furs”. Karen said it comes from lyrics in the song “Rock Bottom” by UFO. She added, “at least I think that is what they say”. Google the lyrics to see what they really say.

This sparked laughs and talk about misunderstanding lyrics. I’m sure everyone has stories of hearing one thing and discovering you weren’t even close. Karen said she doesn’t like playing covers after getting called out for singing the lyrics in reverse when covering a Pentagram song. But hey, maybe we are making the songs better through our lyrical interpretations.

Another frequent topic on Fans With Bands is first albums. Nick remembers his first album (on cassette) was Billy Idol. Karen’s first album was Dookie by Green Day. She really loved the song “Basket Case”. However, the Green Day album American Idiot was a real bummer and ended the Green Day following. Gordie’s first album was Band of Gypsies with Jimi Hendrix.

Speaking of albums, I mentioned my first album being Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. This led to conversation about Rod Stewart and Elton John with Rod covering the song “Country Comfort” from the Tumbleweed Connection album. Karen mentioned that the best landlord she ever had Mr. Danny D is also a great Rod Stewart impersonator and Hamtramck legend. I learn something every show.

What is typically a question that evokes a bit of controversy in a band had no effect on The Lucid Furs. When asked about pineapple on pizza, everyone was fine with it. Karen did qualify that it must be paired with feta. Gordie is in the sweet and savory camp by adding jalapenos. Nick actually only likes pineapple when it is on a pizza. Go figure. 

Dig into the stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with The Lucid Furs. We hope you enjoy it! 

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A chat with the super talented guitarist and songwriter Mark Lavengood as well as fans Steve, Jacob, and Rick. We talk about how the fans discovered Mark Lavengood. Our stories ramble into how Mark has been making the best of the pandemic and his new studio. We get into Mark’s soundtrack to life and leap into playing the dobro. We wrap things up with our dream show venue and who we want to see there. Along the way, we share many laughs.

We kicked off our chat by exploring how the fans became fans of Mark Lavengood. Steve became a fan through his work on the tech crew at the Ark. He had the pleasure of working during several performances by Mark.. The first time was during the Erin Zindle (Ebird & Friends) holiday show when Mark was with Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys. Steve fell in love with Mark’s playing and energy on stage. He’s been a fan ever since.

Jacob became a fan of Mark’s when he saw him at a Rob Reiderr basement show when Mark was playing with Lindsay Lou. Jacob continued with a happy accident ordering Mark Lavengood’s No Part of Nothin album thinking he was getting a Lindsay Lou album. Despite the initial surprise when spinning the disc, Jacob loved the album and looks forward to more from Mark Lavengood.

Rick became a fan through me (Chuck). He went to a show at the Chelsea Alehouse for one of their Wednesday night bluegrass sessions where Mark was jamming with Jason Dennie of Thunderwude. After seeing Mark live, he became an instant fan.

The pandemic has been a bit of a forced sabbatical for Mark. He is keeping busy by working on his new house in Coral, Michigan which is about 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Mark is also doing live streams, some outdoor socially distanced shows, and working on his new studio.

Mark’s children have been helping him out around the house. They are enjoying making music with Dad. Check out the videos on Mark’s Facebook page for a taste of the fun.

Mark is jazzed to get his new studio up and running. He has converted the detached garage on his property into a studio with a control room, isolation booth, and live room. While there are some tweaks to be made, the work is nearly complete. In fact, Mark used the new studio to lay down some guest tracks on the new Desmond Jones album

I asked if the new studio is an extension of his Bear Mark Productions. Mark relayed that Bear Mark is more about booking and promotion currently. Unfortunately, with the pandemic, this aspect of his livelihood is on hold until we get live music rolling again (hopefully later in 2021).

Being able to spend more time at home allows Mark to focus not only on family, but on dialing in his playing and his overall performance. It is difficult to get others together to jam, but this opportunity to work on recording and songwriting makes the downtime from the road rewarding.

One new goal is writing a new song a week and using that as another avenue to keep his fans on Patreon engaged. Ultimately, Mark would like to expand the studio to record other artists on a variety of projects.

Jacob was curious what Mark is using to record in the studio. Mark mentioned that currently he is recording via Logic into his iMac. Mark is in the process of picking up a Universal Audio Apollo recording interface which will provide an array of plug-ins to expand the versatility of his studio.

Steve was interested in how Mark got into playing the dobro. Mark started out in middle school and the first year of high school band. However, at the time, being a wrestler was his focus. Mark got back into music playing drums. A friend asked him to jam in his senior year in a band called Frisco Denaro.

Mark’s first serious band started out with some friends playing together on acoustic guitars. He met up with Bed Fidler to create music for winter/sessions. In that band, Ben offered Mark his resonator guitar and he fell in love with the instrument. The band morphed into the self proclaimed  “Rebels of Folk Grass”. Mark then got into the slide playing of Joe Wilson and Drew Howard. Mark did a great tour with Joe and Drew called Dobros Heal The World.

Steve asked if Mark still has his Mule. He does, although he may need to sell it to make ends meet. A reminder to all our music fans that artists are hurting due to the pandemic. If you can buy music and merchandise during this tough time, it will go a long way to helping out.

Earlier, Mark mentioned the term “folk-grass” to describe the blending of genres that he started in winter/sessions. This hybrid of Americana continued with Lindsay Lou and ultimately within his solo work. Rick really dug that term and was curious how Mark got interested in the variety of music he enjoys and performs.

Throughout Mark’s life, the soundtrack to his life has evolved. This soundtrack includes a variety of sounds from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to Bruce Springsteen. Mark’s first CD was a single by Snoop Dog “It’s a Doggy Dog World” which got him into west coast rap along with artists Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Growing up, Mark’s brother played drums which influenced him to start off with drums. In addition, Mark’s dad is a guitar player and classic rock connoisseur. While there were guitars in the house, Mark didn’t tackle the instrument until he was a senior in high school. This would be the time he started playing with his buddy Ben (which eventually led to winter/sessions). It was during this time frame that Mark got into folk, bluegrass and bands like The Grateful Dead and Bela Fleck.

The current soundtrack to Mark’s world when he isn’t making his own, is in Spanish. He is a big fan of Andres Calamaro. Mark feels his songwriting is impeccable. 

Jacob was curious about what tunings Mark uses, hoping the question wasn’t too nerdy. Mark confirmed it was definitely nerdy, but given that most of us on this episode of Fans With Bands are guitar nerds, it’s all good.

The dobro is tuned to open G (GBDGBD). However, Mark likes Open D or capo to an Open E to spice things up. On his 8 string slides Mark uses a C6 tuning. Hit up Mark for a full guitar lesson if you want to dive more into tunings.

Steve wanted to know if there was a particular artist or group that Mark would drop everything to jam with. Mark laughed saying there are so many. At the top of the list is Billy Strings. Having had the opportunity to see Mark open up for Billy Strings and join him on stage, I can attest to this being a musical moment to savor.

Mark would love to collaborate with artists in South and Central America given his love for the music from the region. In the course of our conversation, Mark shared that he has tons of ideas and is working pulling them together with an artist from Uruguay.

To wrap-up our chat with Mark Lavengood, I asked everyone where they would love to go see (or play a show) and who they would see. Mark would be down with seeing and opening for Tedeschi Trucks at Red Rocks in Colorado. Jacob would love to be attending and performing at the Wheatland Music Festival in Michigan.

Mark stole Steve’s idea of Red Rocks, so Steve shifted to The Caverns in Tennessee to see a show by Ariel Posen with Joey Landreth. Rick would love to check out a show at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville perhaps with Jason Isbell. For my part, I’d love to see Mark and Sturgill Simpson jam in my living room. In all seriousness Sturgill, if you need a mandolin or dobro player on your next tour, call up our friend Mark Lavengood.

Dig into the stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Mark Lavengood. We hope you enjoy it! 

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A chat with Aaron, Ryan, Alex and Rick of Asylence as well as fans Lizzy, Joe, Katie, and Candice. We talk about their new EP called Eulogy of Man (which was released just before the pandemic...what is up with that) as well as their awesome music videos. We also chat about putting out music during a pandemic, the origins of Asylence, the Utah monolith and extraterrestrial visitations, and pineapple on pizza. Check it out!

As usual on Fans With Bands we start out with the fans and what they dig about Asylence. Lizzy loves the videos that the band has put out for their EP called Eulogy of Man. These videos include “Arrows for Christ”, “Suicide Net” and “Gasping for Fire”. 

Joe chimed in that he is also very impressed with the videos and the bands overall promotion which has landed them on Metal Injection among other large music publications. For a band that is just getting an EP off the ground in the midst of a pandemic, they are swinging for the fences.

Katie loves the videos, but mentioned the bands stage presence as what a key part of Asylence. The fire erupting from the music is released on the stage. Having had the good fortune to see Asylence live, I can testify to the ferocity of their shows. If you aren’t in the pit having a good time, it is on you.

Speaking of the “Arrows for Christ'' video and Metal Injection, I asked Asylence how they ended up getting their video premiered on this great publication. Aaron gave a shout-out to their publicist Elijah White from Mission Media Group for his stellar work in getting the band some visibility. Once again, the key to getting your music out to the masses is great music and great marketing.

I just had to once again point out that just after the band released Eulogy of Man, a pandemic took hold of the world. Alex wants to blame the pandemic on Cattle Decapitation and their song “Bring Back The Plague”, but that came out just before 2020, so I’m not buying. I mean we could also blame Plague Years, but we’ll leave them out of it. Asylence followed it up with a record release at Diesel Concert Lounge at the end of February just a few weeks before everything was locked down.

If you try to look up the word Asylence, you probably will be disappointed as it is not in the dictionary. I asked how the band came up with the name. Ryan mentioned that he is a fan of miss-massing words to make new ones. In this case, asylum and silence slammed together to create Asylence. Now only does the band create crushing music, they create their own words. Rick likes the band name, but hates having to explain to anyone that asks that it isn’t a real word. Lizzy offered a great suggestion of getting it into the Urban Dictionary. Homework for you fans out there, let’s see what your most creative definitions are for the word Asylence.

Not sure if the recent monolith sightings in Utah prompted the question, however Joe wanted to get the band’s take on extraterrestrials and their influence on the government. Rick quickly responded that he only believes in Eddie Torres - The Extra Testicle. Joe congratulated Rick on this fine reference to the scene from Cheech and Chong’s Still Smokin’ movie from 1983.

Ryan and Alex felt that Aaron was probably best suited to tackle this question. However, Aaron didn’t feel prepared to give his expert opinion. I asked about the recent monolith sighting in Utah. Ryan mentioned that apparently the monolith has now moved to Europe. While Ryan has no answers now, he plans to investigate. We’ll look forward to a report out on the monoliths from Asylence in the near future.

Regarding the original question of alien influence, Ryan is sure that the aliens are here and they are influencing the government. He just isn’t sure if the influence is driven by direct alien involvement or if it stems from seeking control of alien technology.

Katie asked what everyone’s favorite memories are of making the video for the song “Arrows for Christ”. Everyone laughed and agreed that Ryan topless in the woods ranks high. Evidently, Ryan was an extra in the background scenes and to disguise himself, he went without a shirt. 

Rick’s favorite memory was getting up at 3am to drive out to a scenic beach on Lake Huron and hauling equipment down for filming. Alex adds that it was the first week of October and the cold added to the overall experience.

I mentioned that the story behind “Arrows for Christ” is very interesting. Ryan wrote the lyrics after reading about the Christian missionary who tried to contact the last hunter-gatherer tribe on Earth on North Sentinel Island off the coast of India. There the missionary died. During an encounter before he was killed, he wrote in his diary about a young native shooting an arrow at him which struck his bible. The missionary went back to try to contact the tribe again and was never seen again.

The “Arrows for Christ” video is extremely well done and the band was happy to give praise to Jeff King at Abstract Eclipse Productions for his direction on the project. Joe asked about the budget for the videos. Since Asylence is currently unsigned (hint hint Napalm Records), all expenses came from the band fund. The band fund may be depleted, so check in on the band’s page to get some merch and help them out.

Lizzy said she was extremely impressed with the quality of all the Asylence videos. I agree, they all look and sound amazing. The first two videos for “Suicide Net” and “Gasping for Fire” were shot and directed by Alex Zarek from Alex Zarek Art and Design. They were shot in Rick’s brother and sister-in-law’s barn. Alex did his magic to make each video look distinct even though the location was the same.

Lizzy asked which of the band’s songs are their favorite. Rick mentioned that everyone in the band comes with different musical tastes, so song creation and agreeing on which is best is a process. Rick loves “Gasping for Fire”.

We detoured from favorite songs for a bit to comment on Ryan’s festive background which featured Christmas decorations as this episode was recorded before the holidays. Ryan’s typical conference area is under the stairs which is a bit like a padded prison cell. We all agreed that Ryan’s festive background ruled.

Back to favorites, Ryan’s favorite is their first demo called “Soulless” which Asylence plans to record to enhance the hard hitting nature of the song. Aaron enjoys “Soulless”, but resonates with the power of “Gasping for Fire”. Alex is also on board for “Gasping for Fire” with the contrast between lead and rhythm standing out for him.

I asked the band what artist or album had the biggest influence on them to create their own music. Ryan found inspiration in Rob Zombie whose career spans not only music, but film. Rob Zombie’s freedom of expression spoke to Ryan. Rick got his start with the rock of Fuel and Creed. He eventually got really into metal core with August Burns Red and Born of Osiris being key influences.

Alex was inspired by Marty McFly rocking out at the high school dance in the scene from Back To The Future. He saw it when he was about 5 and thought that looks like so damn much fun. Alex who plays drums for Asylence, originally wanted to be a guitarist. He thought for a hot minute when trying out for high school band that he wanted to play sax, but found his calling with drums.

Aaron’s mom was a big proponent of music, taking him to see Aerosmith and Kiss when he was 10. However, the biggest impact was through local musicians Alex Ricketts and Kelly Tucker (RIP) and their band Silent Divide. Seeing that if you have the determination, you can create your own music and perform it for others to enjoy.

A fun topic on Fans With Bands is getting to learn about everyone’s first album purchase. Aaron’s first album was a double album by Garth Brooks. Rick was sincerely impressed with Garth’s continued youthful appearance. Rick wanted to chime in on first concerts and got to see The Rolling Stones with his dad. Rick is also a Columbia house fan and picked up The Beastie Boys, Sublime, and then got into Pantera. 

Alex’s first album was REM’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi as his parents were fans back then. His first concert was the legendary Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young with his parents. Ryan’s first concert was Ben Harper with Blink 182 and Bush for an 89X (local radio) show. Shortly after was Tattoo The Earth with Slayer and Slipknot. Ryan’s first album was Green Day’s Dookie. A solid introduction to music.

Lizzy’s first concert was a trial by fire with an old boyfriend taking her to see Dream Theater. Rick commented that he once was left in a room with a Dream Theater video playing for four hours and wanted to end it all that day. Aaron jumped in to add that he is not a fan of Dream Theater. He greatly appreciates the stellar talent of the musicians, but feels the tunes ramble on a bit too long for his taste.

Freak on a Leash by Korn was Joe’s first album purchase back in sixth grade. His first concert was the Offspring. A good fun start into music. Katie’s first album was either The Eminem Show or an Ella Fitzgerald compilation. Clearly two wildly different musical paths by a couple of remarkable artists.

We wrapped up with a classic and controversial question: Pineapple on pizza? Yes or no. Listen until the end of this episode for the answers. As a teaser, check out Deadpool’s pizza choice. Dig into the fun stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Asylence. We hope you enjoy it! 

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A chat with Matt Helt, Nate Cohn, and Matt Smith of Bonehawk as well as fans Ramone, Chris, Wes, James, Curt, Mike, Michelle, Louis, and Terbly. We talk about how the fans fell in love with the awesome grooves of Bonehawk. Our conversation wanders into our thoughts on their incredible new album, Iron Mountain. We journey into stories of epic sea quests, recording at Ghetto Records, awkward moments in rock, Record Store days at Green Light Music, Pizza and much more.

We started off with the fans and how they became fans of Bonehawk. Ramone kicked things off saying he learned about Bonehawk from Chris who runs the outstanding Kalamazoo record store called GreenLight Music. As Ramone describes, when Chris wants to tell you about a band you might dig, his catchphrase is “Dude!, You down with…”. In this case, “Dude! You down with the Bonehawk?”

Ramone’s first encounter with the band was actually after they had played at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids with Valient Thor and Nashville Pussy. Turns out that Trans-Siberian Orchestra was playing the same night. Ramone and Chris made it over to the Pyramid Scheme, but missed Bonehawk. However, he did get to meet the guys, catch future shows, and along with Chris are big time fans.

Speaking of the Nashville Pussy show, Matt Helt talked about meeting Blaine during load in. Evidently, Blaine was enjoying a Subway sandwich when Matt says “Hey! What’s up man?”. Matt got the long stare with no reply until Matt awkwardly walked away. I can speak from experience, that I’ve felt the awkward goofiness of meeting someone you admire and totally feeling like a dork.

Chris discovered Bonehawk through a long standing friendship with former guitarist Chad Houts. Chad brought out Bonehawk’s stellar debut album Albino Rhino to GreenLight Music. Which as an FYI, this monster album has been re-released on vinyl. It is definitely worth being in your collection if you dig big grooves, guitar harmonies, and burly riffs. Chris is a staunch supporter of local music and in particular loves the music of Bonehawk. The new album, Iron Mountain, has been on display at the front counter and selling well.Many new Bonehawk fans are discovering the band through Chris’s praise of the band.

In addition to killer music, Bonehawk excels at killer merch. Ramone shared a story of getting Bonehawk booked on the Kalamazoo RibFest featuring Blue Oyster Cult. Bonehawk destroyed the stage and then proceed to setup a merch booth featuring a million different t-shirts, koozies, records, and condoms (ok, condoms are an exaggeration, but you get the idea)

Meanwhile, the legendary Blue Oyster has a single shirt in two sizes. To say the least, Bonehawk’s music and merch drew in a slew of fans. This is how you create a buzz: great music and great marketing.

Chad Houts also brought Wes into the Bonehawk fold. He met Matt Helt and they shared cold beverages and cheese balls. Wes’s first encounter with Matt Helt and Nate was actually pre-Bonehawk when they were in a band called Nobody’s Favorite. Wes kept up the friendship with the guys and remains a fan of their music today.

James got into Bonehawk through his friend Max in Ann Arbor (Hey, I know that guy :)). They caught the band in Hamtramck with Bison Machine and Kommander. For those who love heavy stoner riffs played with passion, this was an outstanding line-up. This one show hooked James and he’s been following the band religiously. James feels the new Iron Mountain album is one of the best rock albums of 2020. A complete Pure Michigan rock journey.

Bonehawk put out a shirt at the end of 2019 with their name and underneath it an image of an iconic landscape just off the coast of the Thumb area of Michigan called Turnip Rock. Get it, turn up rock. James took a voyage in search of the rock featured on Bonehawk’s shirt. He captured an image of himself with the shirt at Turnip Rock which the band enjoyed. If you get a chance, take a kayak out to Turnip Rock and bring along some Bonehawk jams for fun.

Actually, Curt is a long time friend of Matt’s going back to school days. Back when they would rock some Mario Kart. Curt actually jammed with Matt in his first band. While Curt isn’t playing much himself these days, he is stoked that Bonehawk has turned up the volume on the Michigan music scene.

We found out that Louis is a brand new fan. He saw the picture with Nate advertising this episode of Fans With Bands and decided to check it out. You see Louis is a big fan of Nate’s other band Mustard Plug. They are a legendary ska punk band. Louis is happy to support local music and get into the music of Bonehawk.

Louis mentioned that working up in Ishpeming at Cognition Brewing, there isn’t a lot of live music (even without a pandemic going on ). However, Cognition plans to expand in 2021 and bring in some live music. We talked a bit about the band collaborations that Cognition has done with Burial Oath and Arctic Sleep. The brewing team has a love for heavy music and beer, so I’m thinking that a Bonehawk beer would be a perfect way to celebrate the pure Michigan rock fury of the band.

The new album from Bonehawk called Iron Mountain is stacked with monumental rock music. The songs flow like a rapid river and take you on a trip through their patented guitar harmonies, crunching riffs and rhythms. We talked a bit about how this new album reflects the growth and solid foundation the band has achieved in their sound and songwriting.

While they love the first album Albino Rhino, the new album is a more cohesive whole. Matt indicates that Nate’s musical approach has helped Bonehawk become a better band with greater sonic focus. Nate adds that each album is completely different with Iron Mountain being grittier, deeper, and slightly more nuanced.

While the band can’t tour to support Iron Mountain, Bonehawk is still reaching out to the fans virtually. Their latest project is a live performance recorded at The Livery in Benton Harbor. Nate shared that the band has been rehearsing and writing new music with new members Matt Smith and Cam Mammina.

Nate mentioned that putting out a new album during a pandemic isn’t optimal given they can’t tour. However, Ramone pointed out that this year has been a boon for new music. As we talk, it becomes clear that we all feel that music has been sustaining during this period of crisis. Chris added that while Green Light Music has had to pivot to shorter hours and fewer days open due to pandemic mitigation tactics, their sales are equal or even slightly better than the previous year.

Another boon to Green Light Music has been the extended series of Record Store Days this year. Bonehawk teamed up with Green Light Music to sponsor giveaways for each of the record store days. This has helped both the store and the band to reach even more music fans. Yet another testament to the power of music, marketing, and collaboration.

We swung the conversation back to Terbly to get his story on becoming a Bonehawk fan. Terbly self-identifies as a “Matt Helt Groupie”. He has known Matt since childhood. He has followed his musical exploits starting with a 14 year old Matt playing in McCurly’s Caterpillars. Terbly’s favorite show was seeing Bonehawk open up for Local H at Shakespeare's pub. This was yet another awkward band encounter, this time with Local H. 

James asked about Bonehawk’s experience working at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit. Matt and Nate had actually gone there with their prior band Nobody’s Favorite. They really enjoyed working with Jim Diamond. His studio featured a ton of vintage effects and amps. I can imagine it was a candy store for any recording musician. They came back to Ghetto Recorders with Bonehawk to record Albino Rhino and a split EP (with Kingnomad) for Ripple Music. 

Jim was closing down the Ghetto Recorders and this was the second to last session. While there, Matt noticed an old Bic turntable that was the same turntable that his parent’s used to have when he was a kid. He bought the turntable from Jim and Matt’s mom found that she still had the original owners manual. Quite a fun find and a great memory that keeps giving with every spin of a disc.

Talking about the recordings at Ghetto Recorders led to a discussion about the music recorded on the split. Matt Helt said he doesn’t really enjoy the songs on the split EP. While he had no issues with the recording that Jim did, he felt the band missed the mark. He’s even thought about potentially re-recording them.

Chris and Ramone were quick to point out that they feel the songs on the EP are some of their favorite Bonehawk tunes. Matt felt that perhaps he had some issues that he just hadn’t been able to let go of. We all offered our encouragement to treat this as a therapy session and just let it all go.

Fans Mike and Michelle joined our chat to share how they became Bonehawk fans. Mike is the stellar drummer of the now defunct Blue Snaggletooth. Mike and Matt met at the record release show for Albino Rhino. Apparently Mike was staking out his territory in the club for his drums. Matt came by and said “Dude. Just chill out. It will all work out” in his easy going manner. Ironically, both Matt and Mike are two sides of the same coin. Both shared that they are a bit OCD when it comes to setting up for a show, but demonstrate (or conceal) that stress in their own loveable ways. This meeting has led to a lasting friendship.

Mike mentioned he had received an advanced copy of Iron Mountain and offered to share his notes with us. Overall he loves the album, so there wasn't any criticism to level. Except for the placement of the last song “Lake Of The Clouds” which Mike felt made for an anti-climatic ending. However, the rest of us felt that the placement was perfect. It just goes to show that everyone is entitled to their opinion and we can agree to disagree on occasion.

You’ll want to listen to the end to hear about what makes for a perfect Bonehawk pizza. Then head over to Pizza King in Portage to order one. Dig into the fun stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Bonehawk. We hope you enjoy it! 

Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.

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A chat with award winning blues artist and The Voice finalist Laith Al-Saadi as well as fans Jaime, Jane, Ron, Sylvia, Jerry, Jodi, Gale, Tobi, and Greg. The fans share their stories of discovering Laith through The Voice and local performances in Ann Arbor. We discuss our amazement at Laith’s riff weaving abilities by layering songs within songs. We chat about the influence of the Beatles. And Laith shares the story of meeting his guitar hero, Joe Walsh  

Ron and Sylvia became instant fans of Laith after hearing him perform on The Voice. They collected all of the performances that were recorded and available on iTunes. In fact, they are such devoted fans that their sons call them Laith Al-Saadi groupies. They met Laith at a show in Indianapolis and have seen him a total of seven times including a drive-in show at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts this past July. They have also seen him up close at the City Winery in Chicago. Laith loves those venues as they are great listening rooms.

Sylvia and Ron would love to see the YouTube video of Laith’s blind audition on the show. Sadly, the show only keeps the videos up for a couple of years. If anyone from The Voice is listening, how about releasing the videos of past performances for fans to enjoy at any time?

Jane and her husband met Laith back around 2008 when he was growing out his most awesome beard. They became fans not only of his music, but of Laith himself. Jane shared how kind and friendly Laith has been over the years. Jane and her husband would see Laith as often as they could at the local venues in Ann Arbor. Laith even played at Jane’s daughter’s wedding drawing folks from a couple other weddings being held at the same venue.

Jerry and Jodi caught Laith in Summerville a few years ago. While there are many things they love about Laith, one thing that stands out is his ability to interject a medley of other songs while playing another. When Jerry and Jodi saw Laith, he threw in a piece of “La Villa Strangiato'' by Rush as part of a cover of Tom Petty’s “Running Down A Dream”. Jerry admits he and Jodi aren’t always on the same musical page, but they agree on the phenomenal performances of Laith Al-Saadi.

Laith shared that he is a huge Rush fan having seen them 17 times. He had a fanboy moment during a meet and greet with Rush during their R40 tour. This led us into reminiscing about waiting in line for tickets or album releases at Tower Records.

Laith’s journey into guitar began with wanting to sing along with his friends playing Beatles music. The portability of the guitar offered a way to sit around with friends and play the music they love. Starting out with a blue Magnum Explorer copy and a Yamaha Budokan amp, Laith called up his buddy on the phone and jammed. He couldn’t play a lick back then, but he sure can now.

Laith’s affinity for stringed instruments took off at Community High in Ann Arbor, where he excelled in bass guitar. After a couple of years at Western he transferred to the University of Michigan where he double majored in bass and guitar. At Michigan, Laith played in the big band studying under Paul Keller. He also had the opportunity to study with greats such as Rufus Reed, Edgar Meyer, and the legendary Ray Brown.

Jaime is astounded with Laith’s ability to remember each meeting with fans including where and when. She asked Laith if he has a photographic memory? Laith laughs saying that he isn’t sure it is actually photographic, he does have a great memory for music. He can play a song in his head and then translate it on the guitar. As Laith relates, songs are the short stories of music.

Jaime had another question about what one artist has influenced or inspired Laith the most. Since Laith can remember, The Beatles have been a pivotal influence in his life and music. His favorite album is Abbey Road. The message of love resonates with him to this day, particularly “The End”.

After sharing a thought about the final chord in the Beatles “The End”, Jerry turned our discussion to what everyone’s favorite Laith song is. A very tough question where the answer evolves over time or changes based on the day you ask. Jerry loves “Complete Disgrace”. It is a tough call for Ron, but he digs “What It Means”. Sylvia was quick with “Should’ve Questioned Her Motivations”. Jaime’s favorite song by Laith is “Gone”.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Laith has been livestreaming his Quarantine sessions on Friday nights. Jerry and Jodi haven’t missed one. Ron and Sylvia ironically missed one livestream as they were visiting in Honor, Michigan. This sparked a conversation about the Cherry Hut in Beulah. Laith spent summer vacations as a kid in the area.

Talking about the livestreams, the conversation turned to the great show Laith had at Otus Supply which Ron and Sylvia caught on the boardwalk vacationing in Michigan. Thinking back, Sylvia remembered being up front with Laith and his band at Lone Oak Vineyard in Grass Lake, MI. Laith mentioned that he misses playing that venue as it felt just like being in someone’s living room. Jerry was quick to offer up his living room in New Hampshire once all this blows over.

Tobi shared that she met Laith at The Write-Off Room in Woodland, CA and then later at the Maui Sugar Mill in Tarzana, CA with Geoff Pearlman on bass. Geoff is a hell of a guitar player as well and is featured on the soundtrack to Echo In The Canyon which documents the music that emerged from Laurel Canyon in the 70’s.

Jaime asked if Laith had made any lasting contacts from his appearance on The Voice. Laith mentioned that he became good friends with Owen Danoff and Ryan Quinn. They shared a love of spicy food and would meet for dinner while sequestered during taping of the show. The security was strict and getting good takeout was a blessing. 

The highlight of Laith’s experience on The Voice was performing with his guitar hero Joe Walsh. Laith never expected to get as far as he did. However, playing with Joe was a dream come true. He was able to later get on stage with Joe when he played at Pine Knob (ok..DTE Music). According to Laith, Joe is the nicest guy and he was thrilled that he contacted him to play after The Voice.

It Turns out that Joe Walsh’s wife Marjorie is sisters with Ringo Starr’s wife Barbara Bach. We imagined what holiday dinners are like. We also dreamed about being able to witness Ringo’s All Star Band with Joe, Nils Lofgren, Gregg Rolie, Steve Lukather, Levon Helm, and Jim Keltner. 

Laith has a new album coming out in 2021 which includes Jim Keltner on drums. Jim mentioned that he loved the last record he worked on with Laith called Real. This prompted Laith to get Jim involved in his latest project. It turns out that Jim and Ringo are good friends. Laith asked Jim while they were in the studio if he would pass along a copy of Real to Ringo. Jim said sure. This means that the kid influenced to become a musician by the Beatles, may have his own music playing in Ringo’s house right now. What a trip.

Since we can’t travel right now, we share our dream of where we would like to see Laith play. Tobi wants to see Laith at the new Write-Off Room when it opens. Laith has yet to play there and it sounds like Tobi has connections. Jodi would love to see Laith play in Nashville since they have not yet visited this fine music city. Jerry would keep it local to New Hampshire in his backyard. Ron and Sylvia would love to see Laith at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival or The Blind Pig. 

Greg gave another shout out for Nashville. Specifically, BB King’s. He would also like to see Laith in his hometown of Coldwater at JT’s. Finally, Jaime would like to see Laith at a campfire anywhere in the U.S.A. However, if she could pick one place it would be to see Laith in New Orleans. As New Orleans inspired the tremendous song “Gone” and other songs from his album, Real. Sounds like a road-trip is in order.

Dig into all the intriguing stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with Laith Al-Saadi. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.

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A chat with Kristi, Shaun, Tim, Rick, Erich, and Ryan of The DayNites as well as fans Lori, Antonio, Dan, and Danielle. The fans share how they found The DayNites through connections at Eastern Michigan University and Grove Studios in Ypsilanti, Michigan. We share our mutual love for The DayNites new self-titled EP. We delve into the musical gumbo of creative influences that shape the band’s sound. Along the way we share laughs and appreciation for our rich musical community.

We started out with how our fans got into The DayNites. Antonio went to Eastern Michigan University (EMU) with Kristi. Turns out many of us on this episode are EMU alumni. Go Eagles! Antonio loves Kristi’s voice (as we all do and you should too) and became a fan of The DayNites when she joined. 

Lori became fans while seeking out local bands to feature on her blog, The Stratton Setlist. She met Rick and Erich covering the Grove Studio Equinox party and learned that in addition to running Grove Studio, they were also part of The DayNites. One listen to their single “Cherry Blossom '' from the self-titled EP and Lori was hooked.

Danielle’s friend Brian turned her on to The DayNites. She enjoys their live shows. She also finds their music soothing. Apparently her rabbits do as well. Danielle will play The DayNites for them and they just chill out and enjoy a carrot or two. 

I was curious how the band came up with their name. Their website hints at Yin and Yang, Night and Day. Turns out that the origin is that the band started out as a side project on Friday nights. The early incarnation being called The Friday Nights. Kristi, Tim, Erich, and Rick were playing in a band called Abe Maybe. Shaun had played with Erich and Rick previously in a band called Jamison. 

Shaun was looking to play some guitar and his friends offered up the Abe Maybe space. As things started to gel during these Friday Night sessions, the roots of The DayNight took hold. The session name eventually morphs into the final name to capture the combined musical chemistry of the band that embraces the full spectrum.

Whether it is a riff or a melody, the songwriting process is all about collaboration and exploration with The DayNites. I mentioned I loved the song “Coastlines” and that began with an exploration by Shaun of a guitar riff that pays homage to the lyrical melody in the Big Brother and The Holding Company song “Summertime”. 

Kristi mentioned that she and Tim had developed the framework for the song “October 17”. They then brought this to the band and the magic began. Each member adds their own essence to the song to create something that speaks with the combined voice of The DayNites. The songwriting is enhanced because everyone in the band is coming at the music from different angles. 

Danielle asked how the songs change over time. Shaun and Rick explain that as the band performs these songs in rehearsal and on stage, they solidify. The tempos change as the band and the songs find their sweet spot. The DayNites continue to simmer with their music and each performance offers a chance for improvisation and growth.

Antonio was wondering why the song “Black Sheep” by Metric (famously part of the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World movie soundtrack) wasn’t on the new DayNites EP. Sadly, the band doesn’t have the rights currently to record it. They have thought about doing a covers album, but would need to get legal rights to do so. The band promises that anytime Antonio is at one of their shows, they will play it just for him. If you want to check out how much Antonio loves this song when played by The DayNites, check out his video on YouTube. Kristi loves this song and was happily surprised that the band embraced her love of this tune.

Antonio asks what the first song was that The DayNites recorded for the EP. This would be “Cherry Blossom” and “October 17” which were recorded on the same day at Tapwater Studios in Detroit with Dilan Wade. Unfortunately the studio is no longer located in Bricktown as they were priced out of the spot. However, they are still open in a new location.

The superman of mixing on the EP was Jeff Michael from Big Sky Recording. It just so happens that in a former lifetime, my old band Battalion recorded and mixed with Jeff Michael back in the day. Back when Rick, Erich, and Shaun were in Jamison, Jeff was the man behind the console as well. 

The remainder of the EP was recorded with Taylor Greenshields at Fundamental Sound Company. The DayNites certainly were sharing the love with a variety of studios in pursuit of this recording.

Lori asks about the song order on the EP and if it was planned or did it fall into place. Rick mentioned it was definitely planned. Kristi relayed that like their setlists which change with each show, the band is always looking for the best flow. However, the band agrees that Shaun is not allowed to create the setlist as he likes to start out heavy which leaves both the band and the fans exhausted.

Ryan on keyboards is the newest member of the band. Antonio wondered how his integration in the band was going. Ryan has been a fan of the band since the beginning. For him, joining the band is a dream come true. He loves the way the band works together and makes the most of each minute they have together. Rehearsals are fun and creative. 

The rest of The DayNites agree that Electrifying Ryan is a great addition to the band. He provides a unique insight into the band. The band also agrees that Shaun (guitar) has the most fun. He’s the guy bringing the food, beverages, and laughs.

The DayNites are definitely working on new music. However, they are not in a rush to record. After learning from the first EP, they know that taking their time is important. Ryan (keyboards) is also adding a new voice to the overall sound. This is pushing the band to explore new sounds while staying true to their original form of being eclectic, energetic, and creative.

Just as Steely Dan was being mentioned, Ryan’s friend Dan joins the call. Dan became a fan as he and Ryan also play in the band Violet Sol. They had played many shows with The DayNites. Kristi mentioned that she is a big fan of Violet Sol. In Particular, she loves the vocals of Angelena Sicilliano. The beauty of these conversations is that you always learn about more music to enjoy.

A regular feature of Fans With Bands is to dive into what was the first album that everyone bought. As expected, the albums (or tapes or cds) run the gamut. First albums included Prince, Jay-Z, Fallout Boy, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, The Starting Line, Run DMC, Mariah Carey, System Of A Down, and a U2 cas-single. The cas-single was a bummer as Erich had been hoping to get a full album instead of just two songs. We all wonder what exactly is the point of a two song cassette tape anyway. 

We wrapped up with a question on where everyone would want to travel if we could. The winner of this episode is Brazil. Everyone wants to go visit Binho Manenti who originally played keyboards with The DayNites. His wife was here on a residency and they have since returned to Brazil. Sounds like a DayNites tour to Brazil will be in the works.

Dig into all the stories, laughs, and much more in this episode of Fans With Bands with The DayNites. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.

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A chat with Chris, Shaun, and Adam from Overdrive Orchestra with fans Jason, Denise and Mike. We talk about the new Overdrive Orchestra album Electric Mind and get into a bit of the history of the band. Then we all dig into favorites. Favorite songs to play, favorite stages, and favorite albums. Along the way we explore musicians who inspired the band, prospects of new music, and what is the point of pineapple on pizza.

Our chat took us all the way back to the formation of Overdrive Orchestra in Hartland, Michigan. Denise and Mike have been following the band since the earliest incarnations of Chris and Adam playing a Van Halen cover at a high school talent show. After a brief stint down in Nashville, Chris and Adam met up with fellow Hartland alumni Shaun, Cam, and JC (James Blevins) to round out what we now know as the Overdrive Orchestra.

In February 2020, just before all hell broke loose, Overdrive Orchestra released Electric Mind. This is a must for anyone that digs emotive rock music with a progressive almost psychedelic lean. What is even better is that they released it on vinyl. The concept behind the album is the light, the spark, the energy within each of us. Overdrive Orchestra transform the inner fire of existence into a broadcast of electric rock music. It is a beautiful thing and this band has done a great job of capturing the fire within.

A special song on the Electric Mind album by Overdrive Orchestra is called “Glass Kingdom”. A pulsating drum loop, accented with acoustic guitars and Chris’s soulful vocals is hauntingly beautiful. The main riff was developed by drummer Cameron Hill and the rest of the band fell in love with it. This riff spawns a moving composition that hints at loss and reflection. Each band member felt the drive to add their own texture and color which adds to the special vibe of the song. As Adam says about the main riff “It was a post and we were the vine crawling on it”.

Mike was interested in what is the favorite song for each band member to play. Which could be their own or any other artist. Shaun mentioned that the vibe of a show can drive which one their songs feels favorite on a given night. However, in general Shaun is down with playing anything by All Them Witches. A super solid choice for those who dig a grungy stoner psychedelic tunes pulsing with bass. Chris seconds this as he was representing with an All Them Witches shirt. Sounds like we need to get All Them Witches on the show.

For Adam the favorite song to play varies, but recently it has been “Release” off the Electric Mind album. This song features big burly foot stomping riffs and some tripped out harmonica (courtesy of Craig Griffith of the Verve Pipe). When journeying outside the Overdrive Orchestra catalog, Adam digs “No Quarter” by Zeppelin. Who can argue with that? Chris enjoys playing “Harvest”. Its moody syncopated intro builds into a torrent of fist pumping riffs.

Jason piggybacked off favorites songs into favorite albums. Adam was quick to jump on 10000 Days by Tool and in particular the stellar bass playing of Justin Chancellor. Shaun digs Songs For The Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age. This album never disappoints. For Chris, the album that resonates with him is Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin. This timeless classic features perfect albums sides on A and B. Diehard fans Mike and Denise love the new Overdrive Orchestra album. We flipped this question back on Jason and he feels a great deal of nostalgia for Tommy by The Who as his dad played it quite a bit. That album when played with a candle burning will set you free.

Favorite stages made it into the conversation and the clear winner was Founders in Grand Rapids. This is based on the fan and band interactions and sound quality. Honorable mention goes to the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. This historic venue evidently was the loudest show by Overdrive Orchestra. As Shaun said louder is more better.

After talking about favorites, we moved into inspirational musical artists which includes Dimebag Darrell, Josh Homme, Justin Chancellor, Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, and Frank Ocean. A well rounded list that gives you a peek into the diverse spectrum of influences that guide Overdrive Orchestra.

Mike asked about a new album. The band has been using the quarantine period due to COVID to write new music, but want to wait to release until they can play live. This is the first time that all the band members have been working together on new tunes. The music on Electric Mind is actually a collection of music that is several years old. The new songs are more of a construction from the ground up with each member offering their unique inputs to the songs.

Jason asked about the naming of the band. Chris relays that it started early on when the band was just a trio (prior to Shaun, Cam and JC joining). The concept behind the name is layered music like an orchestra, yet the hard rock vibe captured in the word overdrive. The actual first name kicked around was simply Overdrive with Orchestra being added to complete the concepts of the band. A bonus is you can abbreviate as O2, the fuel for our lives.

Dig into all the stories, laughs, and the merit of pineapple on pizza in this episode of Fans With Bands with Overdrive Orchestra. We hope you enjoy it! Subscribe to Fans With Bands on your favorite podcast service such as Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible or Stitcher.  Be sure to rate the show and please send us feedback. We would love to hear from you.

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