Middle Class Rock Star

I've known Tony Mason for quite some time. He was one of, if not the first person to put me in a real venue as a college student at CU Denver. A lot of local musicians can say that about Tony. He started off by putting together shows under his promotion company name, Tone Dynamix, then moved on to be the talent buyer at Herman's Hideaway, and eventually became the senior talent buyer for Lost Lake, Larimer Lounge, and Globe Hall.

The last time Tony was on the podcast was the last episode I did in person before the pandemic. He came over and we chatted about how his time in Denver was coming to a close, as he'd be moving to Dallas in just a few short weeks to become the talent buyer for the Gas Monkey venues. Then the shutdown happened, and after waiting it out for months, Tony was told that Gas Monkey would no longer be able to offer him a position. Since that time, he's joined forces with Bandwagon Presents to book shows at lots of venues throughout Colorado and Wyoming. Bandwagon has so many venues off of i-25 between southern Colorado and northern Wyoming that they've put together their own circuit to take artists through the two states.

During our conversation, I chat with Tony about what's new in his life and the booking industry, and we also share a couple plates of sushi!

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to my YouTube Channel help me out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Bandwagon Presents: https://bandwagonpresents.com/

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is Canadian based singer and songwriter Pura Fé. Pura Fé, whose name means "Pure Faith," was born in New York City and an heir to the Tuscarora Indian Nation. She is an artist, an activist, and much more. Her musical journey, running the gamut from folk to mainstream through an artful use of the blues, reflects the concerns of an artist who grew up in the Motown era, while citing Buffy Sainte-Marie, Charley Patton and Joni Mitchell as her true mentors. And, more widely, “traditional music from all over the world, wherever the spirit is connected to our roots.”

Pura Fé has studied and performed with The American Ballet Theatre Company, and has been in several Broadway musicals and TV commercials. She has sung for countless jazz, R&B, and rock bands, and has stamped her distinct vocals on many recordings, demos, jingles, music videos and movie sound tracks/trailers throughout her career. She is a founding member of the internationally renowned native woman’s a capella trio, Ulali, and is recognized for creating a new genre, bringing Native contemporary music to the forefront of the mainstream music industry.

Pura Fé won a Nammy (Native American Music Award) for Best Female Artist for ‘Follow Your Hearts Desire’. She also won an L’académie Charles Cros Award (French Grammy) for Best World Album for "Tuscarora Nation Blues".

(above bio copied from Pura Fé's website)

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to my YouTube Channel help me out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Pura Fé Website: https://www.purafe.com

Ulali on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2e3DNErHr0z83LSzfhSRPx?si=UC0yFNkqTk2ex3z-g0cC3g

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is Asheville, NC based DJ, Bruce Swan. Bruce went to college after of high school and earned his degree just a few short years later. Or at least that's what he thought. Nearly 25 years later, he was informed that he didn't quite finish and would need to go back to fulfill his final requirements. Upon his return to Hunter College in New York, NY, he discovered the college radio station, WHCS. He filled out an application and went in for an interview, and at the age of 50, began his career as a radio DJ.

Since his time on air at Hunter College, he's been at several different stations including: 10 years at 89.5 WPKN independent radio in Bridgeport, CT, 7 years at 93.3 WRFR community radio in Rockland, ME, and now he's on air at 103.3 Asheville FM in Asheville, NC.

At the start of the pandemic, Bruce started a live remote show called, Music My Mother Would Not Like. The program should not be confused with the show he hosted on WPKN (Bridgeport, CT) bearing the same name. The pandemic version of Music My Mother Would Not Like features 3-4 artists playing in succession on Tuesday nights. Originally, the show was only supposed to be five weeks, but nearly two years later, it's still going strong and is popular among the singer-songwriter community.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

https://www.musicmymotherwouldnotlike.com/

https://www.ashevillefm.org/

https://www.bakerbooking.com/

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is award winning singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player, Ray Bonneville. When it comes to playing rack harmonica, Ray might just be as good as it gets. To accompany his truth telling lyrics, he's able to seamlessly pull off complicated finger picking patterns and play elaborate counter melodies on the harmonica between verses.

Often called a “song and groove man,” Bonneville has lived the life of the itinerant artist. From his native Quebec, he moved to Boston at age twelve, where he learned English and picked up piano and guitar. Later, he served in Vietnam and earned a pilot’s license in Colorado before living in Alaska, Seattle, and Paris. Six years in New Orleans infused his musical sensibilities with the region's culture and rhythms. And then, a close call while piloting a seaplane proved pivotal: After two decades working as a studio musician, playing rowdy rooms with blues bands, and living hard, Bonneville’s lifetime of hard-won experience coalesced into an urge to write his own music.

Ray recorded his first album, On the Main, in 1992. He’s since released nine albums, earned wide critical and popular acclaim, and won an enthusiastic following in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His awards include a prestigious Juno, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy, for his 1999 album, Gust of Wind. In 2012, Ray won the solo/duet category in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge. His post-Katrina ode, “I Am the Big Easy,” earned the International Folk Alliance’s 2009 Song of the Year Award, placed number one on Folk Radio’s list of most-played songs of 2008, and was recently covered by Jennifer Warnes for the BMG label.

Other notable artists who have recorded his songs include Ronnie Hawkins (“Foolish”) and Slaid Cleaves (“Run Jolee Run”). Ray has shared the bill with blues heavyweights Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Dr. John, J.J. Cale, and Robert Cray, and has guested on albums by Mary Gauthier, Gurf Morlix, Eliza Gilkyson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and other prominent musicians. He has performed at renowned venues around the world, including South by Southwest, Folk Alliance, and Montreal International Jazz Festival, and plays over 100 shows per year across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. When not on the road, he resides in Austin, Texas.

During our conversation, we chat about his early life and first musical groups, his time in the military, life as a pilot, and the finer points of songwriting.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Website: https://raybonneville.com/

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is Colorado based producer, Joe Michaels. Though residing in the town of Broomfield (northwest of Denver) Joe does a large portion of his work at Dockside Studio in Maurice, LA. (I was first put in contact with Joe because I was heading to Dockside to record a record in July of 2021 and had a couple of questions about the studio). He's been taking bands and various collaborations there to record for years. We chat about some of his experiences at Dockside, his early life first getting into the music industry as a young teenager, various artists he's worked with over the years (such as Ivan Neville, Cris Jacobs, and Deanna Bogart), and his past side hustle as a professional poker player. He's also launching a new indie record label in January that will be a subsidiary under Sony Music.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.snappedontheriver.com/

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is LA based singer-songwriter, performer, and composer, Abby Posner. As a solo artist, Posner considers herself to be "genre-fluid" mixing elements of folk, roots, pop, soul, and bluegrass into her music. She's also a successful composer, having scored four films: Across Land Across Sea, Through Their Eyes, Elizabeth Sees, and Lady Buds (2021).

At the end of the episode, we get a live performance of her song, Wishing Well, off of her new album, "Kisbee Ring."

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.abbyposner.com/

"Return" by Abby Posner featuring Queertet on Bandcamp:

https://abbyposner.bandcamp.com/releases

Lady Buds (film): https://www.ladybudsmovie.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4HwDnSGknwnSPJbN6dUZVs?si=g9kssXiZR6u1gqWg6B05IQ

Baker Booking: https://www.bakerbooking.com/

Guest Music:

"Middle Class Rock Star" by: Nic Clark

"Dinosaurs (Where Did You Go)" by: Nic Clark

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

This episode of MCRS is a little bit different. Rather than an interview with an artist or industry professional about their career, this is a discussion about Randy Newman's somewhat controversial 1974 album, "Good Old Boys."

This interview was recorded by Dan Cable for his podcast, Dan Cable Presents (I DIG RECORDS ep. 29). He invited me on his show to discuss one of my favorite records and this is the one I picked. It's not running music, or even cleaning the house music, but there's something I've always loved about this album and Randy Newman's storytelling in general. In our conversation, we go in depth on each track on the album.

Please note, this is the same interview that Dan Cable recorded and edited. I merely added my own monologue at the front and back end. He edited all the other audio that's on this episode. Special thanks to Dan for that. If you haven't, please check out his podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/42D3EGKQ0rmOYL4kLyI3X0?si=ah41aLllQP6Dc6uov23t2Q

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

Welcome to season 4 of Middle Class Rock Star! It was nice having a break, but I'm excited to bring a bunch of new, wonderful guests to the show this season.

This first episode of the new season (84th overall) features Crystal and Pete Damore (Duh-more)of Ordinary Elephant. The Louisiana based husband and wife folk duo is a melting pot of their favorite influences(such as Gillian Welch, Guy Clark, and Anais Mitchell)yet have a sound that is completely their own.

During our conversation, we discuss touring and life on the road, leaving the stability of a day job, and the folk scene around the US. We also chat about Pete's banjo style and dig in on Crystal's ability to write from unique perspectives.

*Named International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year.

*Mary Gauthier says, “Two become one, in song...hand-in-glove harmonies surprise the listener with focused intensity and musical mastery.”

*The Associated Press is calling their latest album, Honest, “one of the best Americana albums of the year.”

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! www.patreon.com/andysydow

Guest Links:

Website: www.ordinaryelephant.net

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ordinaryelephant

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KDRZ2NwxT9UZ0RyG8gHFs

Guest Music:

"Honest" by: Ordinary Elephant

"Before I Go" by: Ordinary Elephant

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

Sponsors:

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

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

pqmastering.com

narratorrf.com

My guest today is singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica dude, Nic Clark. Nic is the "chairman" of the Middle Class Rock Star guests. He's been on the show more than anyone. Five times to be exact. Three times as a guest, and twice as a co-host (17. David Dondero and 68. Mickey Raphael).

His accomplishments include playing harmonica with Big Head Todd & The Monsters at Red Rocks, being a finalist in the International Blues Competition, and being the best cheerleader for all of his musical friends.

His new full-length release, Love Your Life: Songs for the Whole Family, is the "Shrek" of children's albums. It's made for kids, but the parents will enjoy it just as much. It's quality music that will make you smile. What more can you really ask for in life? The record includes many special guests ranging from famous people like Charlie Hunter, to not-so-famous people like me!

Nic is one of my closest friends, and I think it's obvious in our conversation.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.pamelamachala.com

Guest Music:

"Middle Class Rock Star" by: Nic Clark

"Dinosaurs (Where Did You Go)" by: Nic Clark

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

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

My guest today is singer-songwriter and pianist, Pamela Machala. We first met through the dueling pianos company, Howl At The Moon in Denver. I trained there for about six months but decided to go a different direction. Pamela joined the team after I left, but since my roommate at the time was still playing there, I got to know her through him. She eventually left the gig as well to pursue a solo career as a songwriter.

(copying from her website):

The Boulder, Colorado-based singer/songwriter calls her latest album Something Simple. It’s a milestone artistic feat that has one foot in the lyric-focused Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter tradition and the other foot tapping the grooves of Motown and R&B. Pamela strikes an earthy yet elegant aesthetic balance with influences ranging from jazz and soul to musical theater and folk. Signatures of Pamela’s songwriting include sprightly hooks, effortless vocals, subtly complex chord changes, feelgood funky grooves, and boldly vulnerable lyrics. Pamela’s songs would fit comfortably on a playlist featuring artists such as Sara Bareilles, Carole King, and Lake Street Dive.

The past few years have been a creative watershed for Pamela as an artist and songwriter. The soon-to-be-released songs on Something Simple have already earned her some accolades: the esteemed publication American Songwriter awarded Pamela an Honorable Mention in their July 2018 lyric contest for her original song "Cardboard Cutout”, and her song “Bleeding Me Dry” received the Grand Prize in the 2019 SongDoor International Songwriting Competition. Tony Zotta, President of SongDoor, says, “Pamela's song was a runaway winner...It's the largest margin for a winning song we've ever had, a real testament to the songwriting ability of Ms. Machala.” In addition, Denver’s Westword nominated Pamela for “Best Pop Act of 2019.”

(end quote from pamelamachala.com)

In our conversation we chat about what it was like doing a release show 9 months after her album was released, songwriting, growing up in a musical family, dueling pianos, and sync licensing.

If you enjoy the podcast, please let others know, subscribe or write a review. 5 star ratings and reviews on Apple Music as well as subscribing to our YouTube Channel help us out the most!!

IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST IN A MONETARY WAY, I'M NOW ON PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/andysydow

You can support my artist career and this podcast for as little as $3 per month. The price of one cup of coffee helps keep this podcast on its feet. Any and every contribution is greatly appreciated!

Guest Links:

Website: https://www.pamelamachala.com

Guest Music:

"Leave You Alone" by: Pamela Machala

"I Trust Myself" by: Pamela Machala

Episode Music:

**All original music by Andy Sydow

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