Middle Class Rock Star

Fair warning, this is probably my longest monologue yet. I try to keep 'em short and sweet, but I had a lot to say this week. If it's not your thing, skip ahead to about the 10 minute mark.

Nic Clark is my first repeat guest on MCRS. His first appearance was in episode 5. We tired not to repeat too much, so feel free to go back and check out that interview as well. Nic was also a co-host when I interviewed David Dondero (on NPR's list of best living songwriters) in episode 17.

Nic has enjoyed success as a singer/songwriter, fingerpicking guitarist and world class harmonica player. At just 24, he has performed and recorded with many popular artists including Big Head Todd & The Monsters. He also has a few records under his belt as a producer. In this episode, we talk about all that, his big move from Denver to San Jose at the end of this month, and his long battle with health and weight loss. Nic at one point weighed in at almost 400lbs. He's living in a new, much smaller body now, but still has a lot of work to do to get where he wants to be to feel healthy.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF.

For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicclarkmusic/?hl=en

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: *live performance* "Leave It To The Wind" by Nic Clark

Cass Clayton's latest release, Play Nice spent several weeks atop the Roots Music Report Top 50 R&B Album Charts and is receiving rave reviews from press outlets all over the world. Perhaps Onstage Magazine gives the best elevator pitch: "[her] singing oozes of smoke and honey while her slide guitar playing is simply badass."

Cass grew up mostly in western Nebraska before ending up on a spiritual journey and living in an Ashram for a year at the age of 20. She eventually moved to Denver where she became a grant writer. It wasn't until after settling down and having a kid that Cass put all of her force into a successful music career.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF.

For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

Website: https://cassclayton.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassclayton108/?hl=en

Facebook: https://b-m.facebook.com/cassclayton1/

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "Doesn't Make Sense" by Cass Clayton

Chase Wessel's musical journey will keep you on the edge of your seat. From a trumpeter on scholarship at UNC, to a sound person, to a Music Business Major at CU Denver, to a couch surfer, to doing backlines on Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel.... did you catch all that? That's just some of what Chase did before joining The Levitt Foundation in California and eventually moving to Denver to help open Denver's Levitt Pavilion and become its talent buyer. Levitt Denver puts on 50 free concerts each summer that include artists big and small across all genres of music. Some of last years guests include: The Bright Light Social Hour, Greyhounds, Reverend Horton Heat and Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears. Oh.. and he also runs his own Kettle Korn business with his wife and two young boys. You can see their truck at Levitt concerts and other locations around Denver.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF. For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

https://www.levittdenver.org

https://levitt.org

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro/Outro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Since I started this podcast in August of 2018, I've had an ongoing list of people I want to interview. Ryan Chrys was one of the first people I wrote on that list, and we finally made it happen! I have a lot of respect for Ryan as he's someone who after years of performing in different bands, is still pounding the pavement and touring heavily as if he is to be forever 22 years old. It's hard to be a DIY touring musician, but Ryan and his band (Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts) continue to play well over 100 dates a year and have coined the term, "modern outlaw country." I had a great time chatting with Ryan about his experiences, successes and failures in the music biz. I really believe in his band and their music, so please listen to the show then go CHECK OUT THEIR MUSIC! Links at the bottom of the page.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

SHOW CORRECTIONS:

This episode was scheduled to air on Thursday, January 2, but because of the holiday we missed our deadline and had to release it the following Thursday (January 9). Because of this, the promotion of Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts show with Shane Smith & The Saints at the Gothic Theater on January 4 is out dated. My apologies!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF. For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts Website: https://www.roughcutsband.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanchrys/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpFromTheNorth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanChrys

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "No Leash No Chain" by Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts

This is a sit down with my old friend, Andrew Harrison. Andrew and I met in middle school. He moved to our Colorado suburb in 7th grade and brought his wavy California hair, long board, checkered shoes and electric guitar with him. We'd never seem anything like it. We became fast friends and through the years have more or less stayed in touch through our mutual pursuit of music. He currently lives in Portland, OR and has an enviable home studio where he records his projects, Blue You and Brother Not Brother. I've talked about having him on the podcast for a while, and it finally came to be when Andrew decided to take a couple days off from life and come to Denver for a visit. He was staying in our guest room, so I convinced him to make his way to the basement for an interview.

We chat about Andrew's childhood, our relationship, and his newest project, Blue You which is self-proclaimed, "bummer pop." And for all you music nerds, he talks about the necessary steps and must haves in a home music studio.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF. For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

"Brush My Teeth" by Blue You: https://youtu.be/bclohHiwUQA

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "Hard To Say" by Blue You

In this episode, I chat with Denver country music mainstay, Buckstein. We chat about his time as an American Idol contestant, his long standing run at the Grizzly Rose, and what it's like to be a bandleader with your own name on the cover. Things got personal as we laughed and shared mimosas all morning. He even fixed my toilet after the interview! What a guy! This is a must listen for country music fans, bandleaders and anyone who likes a good conversation.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music help us out a lot!

Sponsors:

A huge thanks to our sponsors, PQ Mastering and Narrator RF. For any sponsorship inquiries, shoot me an email at [email protected]

http://pqmastering.com

https://narratorrf.com

Guest Links:

Buckstein's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebuckstein/?hl=en

Buckstein's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BucksteinMusic/

Buckstein's Twitter: https://twitter.com/bucksteinmusic?lang=es

Buckstein's Website: https://www.bucksteinmusic.com

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "The Grizzly Rose (100 Proof)" by Buckstein

Other Links Discussed in Podcast:

Dry Balls Towels: https://www.dryballs.com

In this episode, I sit down with Denver musician, Seth Beamer. Seth plays in several projects around town and is best known as the guitarist for the indie rock quartet, Wildermiss. This is the longest episode of MCRS to date, and for good reason. Seth goes deep and gives a real introspection into his life, upbringing and spiritual musical journey. We also hash out for the first time why he quit the Andy Sydow Band back in 2017. We've remained great friends and our talk is one of the best and most authentic conversations I've had in the MCRS era.

Contact the podcast:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/andysydowband

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review on Apple Podcasts. Your help makes a huge difference in getting this podcast out to more people!

***If you enjoy Wildermiss' music, please support them by checking out their tunes, or connecting with him at one of the links below!!

Links:

Seth Beamer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethbeamermusic/

Wildermiss Website: https://www.wildermiss.com

Wildermiss Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildermiss/

Wildermiss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7K9fyLw4RPBp8PIFkif2eB

Wildermiss Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildermiss

Wildermiss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChHTtTr9YKGM5TZNAXXvI3g

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "Paralyzed" by Wildermiss

In this episode, Denver (soon to be Nashville) based singer-songwriter, Alec Ryan joins me in my bedroom for a... conversation about music... on a really nice interface (I'm a nerd). The "Ben Folds meets your favorite early 2000s Emo band-esque" songwriter recently released the first half of his debut album, Paper and Pen. In his own words, "I believe love is found in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. Paper and Pen is a collection of stories about love." In our conversation we chat about his new release, what it's like taking piano lessons from your parents at a music college, and a few tips on what independent artists can do to better their facebook ads to improve audience growth. Alongside his musical pursuits, Alec has made a successful side hustle in the field of digital marketing, and is also a facebook moderator for Ari's Take Academy Streaming and Instagram Growth facebook group. This episode is a page turner for muggles and a must listen for musicians.

Corrections: In the ending monologue, I said you could email me at middleclassrockstar.com. Obviously, you can't. The correct email is: [email protected]

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. Your help makes a huge difference in getting this podcast out to more people!

***If you enjoy Alec's music, please support him by checking out his music or connecting with him at one of the links below!!

Links:

Alec Ryan's Website: https://alecryan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alecryanmusic/

Stream Paper on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/59jXD7jYRUXMN9yVY6FPqv

Episode Music:

Theme: "Secret Rodeo" by Andy Sydow

Interview Intro Music: "Who I Want To Be" by Andy Sydow

Outro Music: "Love and Joy Avenue" by Alec Ryan

In this episode, I chat with grammy winning recording engineer, Clark Hagan. Clark has had an illustrious career all over the music industry. After graduating from CU Denver's music program, Clark found himself as the head engineer of a studio in Nashville. He got to work with many artists including Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel. After a serious car accident that put him in a coma for a week, Clark moved back to Denver in 2002. Since then he's worked as a producer, studio engineer, live sound engineer, songwriter and real estate agent in the Denver metro area.

If you enjoy the episode, please let others know, subscribe or write a review.

Links:

Listen to Chet Atkins album "Almost Alone" (engineered by Clark) on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0G9lYinR7bhGSytnXOtX6A

Clark's Website: http://clarkhaganproductions.com

Alex Mackenzie-Low aka "A-Mac" is my guest this week. He is a true entrepreneur in the Denver music scene and beyond. He fronts his alternative/reggae/hip-hop/rock outfit, A-Mac & The Height and books/runs Spread The Word Music Festival, which happens every spring in Denver.

In this episode, we talk about everything that goes in to running a music festival including liquor licenses, contracts and finding venues and sponsors. We also get an insight into touring as a DIY artist. Near the end of the episode, we chat about the difficulties of feeling like the music business side sometimes seems to distract us from actually making music.

If you enjoy the episode, please rate, review and share. Also, feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] or message me on facebook: www.facebook.com/andysydowmusic (or)

instagram: www.instagram.com/andysydowband

Show Links:

https://amacandtheheight.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7AurlI32RE6eHqqc4Dz9T6

https://moesdenver.com/englewood-bbq-restaurant-sports-bar/

https://spreadthewordfest.com/