Today’s guest is plural. I’m fortunate to be joined by the entire band The Problem With Kids Today just before they hit the stage. Tate, Silas, and Reena talk about the music that inspired them, some early band experiences, and how the band came together. Tate tells me about their unusual name, their less unusual previous band name, and gelling as a band because of COVID. These guys are self-described goofballs who have a lot of fun with their music. They’ve got a new album out called Take It! It’s an energetic blast of crazy fun punk rock with a few left turns sprinkled in. Make sure you check it out on streaming platforms. If you’re like me and need physical copies, check out Bandcamp. Give them a follow on Instagram @theproblemwithkidstoday. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Get our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send coffee money through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And you can still get a copy of the Spinal Tap tribute album with 35 Spinal Tap covers at teencanceramerica.org . Click the shop button and it’ll be right there. Now prepare for a high energy talk with Tate, Silas, & Reena of The Problem With Kids Today on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This week’s guest is very grounded. That could be because he’s British. Or it could be because his career spans several decades. Welcome the singer and guitarist for Kula Shaker, Crispian Mills. This episode is so interesting. Crispian talks about growing up in a family rooted in entertainment. He started playing gigs in pubs at a pretty young age. In fact, his first gig was with Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. But success wasn’t instant. He reveals how one of his earliest pub gigs didn’t go over so well. 

He played with friend and former podcast guest Lora Logic in the reformed version of X-Ray Spex. And when you give it a listen, you can tell it’s him.

Crispian talks about forming Kula Shaker and why he became the singer. I learn the truth about Cricklewood, the wild success of the band’s debut album, K, and how it affected the band. It probably didn’t help that they headlined Glastonbury twice in one weekend. It was due to Neil Young’s finger injury, but it still means that Sting opened for Kula Shaker once.

The band broke up and reformed. Crispian talks about life during the gap and how the band reformed. They’ve been expanding their sound ever since and have just recently released one of their best tracks ever. Look for a new album soon. Follow them @kulashakerofficial on Instagram. Check out their new music at kulashaker.co.uk, on Spotify or wherever you get new music. Look for tour dates! 

Follow us @performanceanx on socials. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send us coffee funds at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now get ready to have your chakras blown away by Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This episode of Side Projects is a little different. THey’re all different, if I’m being honest. But this one is…unusual. I welcome two members of the National Symphony Orchestra to the show; principal flute player Aaron Goldman and cellist David Teie. 

It’s a quick hitter so I’ll have to have them back on. But we discuss how young they were when  classical music grabbed them. They enlighten me on some of the workings of an orchestra, how auditions are done (it’s really fascinating), and David’s connection to Metallica. This episode was so much fun to do. I’ll be taking my first trip to a performance at the Kennedy Center so they prep me on what to expect, even though they won’t be performing (it’s for French pianist Alexandre Kantorow). 

I encourage everyone to check out kennedy-center.org or @kennedycenter on YouTube or Instagram. And be sure to check out orchestral music wherever you live. You might be surprised at how “metal” it is!

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Welcome to the third installment of our Spinal Tap series. In this episode we welcome four members of Teen Cancer America' Play It Back Program; Nathan Hooper, Savannah Mason, Juan Razuri, and Elissa Waller as well as the co-founder of the program, Kenli Mattus . They all participated in the Tap project by recording a version of The Majesty Of Rock, from Spinal Tap’s second album, Break Like The Wind. Turns out, a lot of them were not familiar with Spinal Tap, the band, prior to the project! We get some history about the program and how it was started, how each of my guests became involved with the program, and their approach to making the Spinal Tap song their own.

Please check out each person’s music. They tell you how at the end of the episode. But just as important, please pick up a copy of the album they worked so hard on; The Majesty Of Rock: A Spinal Tap Tribute for Teen Cancer America. You can go to www.teencanceramerica.org/product/spinal-tap/ or just go to TCA’s site and hit the shop button. Your donation gets you 35 Spinal Tap covers but it does so much to help adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer. Thank you to Teen Cancer America, The Play It Back Program, and The Pantheon Podcast Network for all the support and guidance, their belief in the project, and help getting it over the goal line. Please enjoy this episode.

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Today’s guest is probably the most international guest I’ve ever had. Welcome guitarist Timothy Reid to the show. Timothy comes to us from Japan via North Yorkshire, England. How did he end up in Japan? It’s a really interesting story about obsessions. But that’s not where we begin. We begin with Timothy getting into Northern Soul and the punk band that cemented his musical course. After going to school for music, he made the decision to move to Japan. But he prepped for years before leaving. That turned out to be a very good idea. 

Timothy talks about the realities of living abroad, including the inability to practice using an amp. That led to his entry into a guitar contest just so he could play through a Marshall stack. Turns out, the judges loved his improvisational approach and he won. That led to a job as a demonstrator for several years until COVID went and ruined everything. But when one door closes, a window opens. That’s when writing music for video games begins to happen. And all the while, he’s writing and releasing solo albums.

If you’re a fan of Satriani, Vai, Lynch, Eric Johnson, and guys like that, you’ll love Timothy’s music. He’s got some new stuff in the works, including a possible video game soundtrack release. Follow @timothyreidofficial on instagram or go to timothyreid.com for more information. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Our stuff is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or slip us some dollars at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. We present Timothy Reid on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest was a gift and I mean that in a variety of ways. Of course, his music is a gift. This conversation was a gift. But even connecting with him was a gift for which I have to thank Jeremy Toback. Jeremy suggested I listen to Shane’s music. When I did he connected us. Unfortunately, I put the interview date in the wrong month in my calendar and we rescheduled for the next day. That meant a crash course in all things Shane Alexander. 

Shane talks about how his less than ideal childhood has been a driving force in his art and how that seems to be the case for a lot of creative people. He also tells me how important late 80’s metal was and being his own harshest critic. Shane also discusses early bands and the unusual way one of them gave him the seed money to start his solo career.

It wasn’t too long after that when he decided he had to be in control of his own musical destiny and the freedoms and problems of being self managed. He couldn’t stress enough how important it is to gain an understanding of the music business.

Shane’s latest album, Forever Songs, hasn’t been out that long and he’s already finished writing his next. Go to shanealexandermusic.com to check out and buy his music. Follow him @shanealexandermusic on socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Get merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. I hope you enjoy this chat with Shane Alexander on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today is the first of a few special episodes. We’re talking Spinal Tap with Scott Reeder of Kyuss, Kellii Scott of Failure, Dizzy Reed of Guns N Roses, and Jason Achilles, who’s put microphones on Mars with NASA’s JPL. What brings all of these amazing people together? A charity album for Teen Cancer America that I started three and a half years ago. It’s coming out on Sept 16th and the only way to get over 30 tracks of Spinal Tap covers is to follow the show and Teen Cancer America’s social media. 

In this episode we talk about what the movie means to each of us, favorite scenes, favorite songs, and how these guys chose the song they covered. They also discuss some real life Spinal Tap moments in their own careers, the key to singing comedic songs, and pro tips on buying the best rubber chickens.Keep following here and Teen Cancer America for covers by these amazing musicians, Robyn Hitchcock, Crippled Black Phoenix, Alain Johannes, members of Soul Asylum, Tool, Foo Fighters, Mastodon, and so many more, as well as a very special song performed by cancer survivors who’ve been helped by  TCA. Follow us  @PerformanceAnx and @teencancereamerica or go to teencanceramerica.org to learn more. Here’s Scott Reeder, Kellii Scott, Dizzy Reed, and Jason Achilles on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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In an unusual turn of events here, this week I have doubleVee on the podcast…the entire band! Welcome both Allan and Barb Vest to the podcast. They are a duo with a very interesting past and a wonderful new EP. 

Allan was a musical late bloomer while his wife Barb has it in her blood, literally. Her grandmother was a composer. That led to a really beautiful project, later on, for Barb and Allan. And Barb’s career started in radio, not on the radio. In a bizarre set of coincidences, the two of them met prior to being formally introduced, in a few unconventional ways while Allan was in his previous band, Starlight Mints. 

But once they got together, the musical magic started. They have such a unique sound. That’s part of what has helped them master the art of sync. Their music has been in movies including Barnyard, Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, Smiley Face, and The Art of Getting By. They have also made the cut for shows like Malcolm In The Middle, One Tree Hill, Californication, Gossip Girl, and Tim Burton’s Wednesday.

They have recently released their latest (and possibly last) EP, Periscope At Midnight and it is possibly their best set of songs to date. The six song release is pure doubleVee. The sound is unmistakable. And submarines play a crucial part on the EP and in their discography. We debate whether or not you can do a cover of one of your own songs. They also reveal a few opportunities that didn’t work out. Go grab the album, buy it, stream it, get the limited run CD at doublevee.net! Follow them @doublevee_band. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And listen to the amazing things Barb and Allan Vest have done here on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest is Chris Stamey. He’s done A LOT! He grew up in North Carolina, playing bass with Mitch Easter and Peter Holsapple. They played in churches and coffee shops because those were the only places at the time that encouraged original music. Around this time he began studying music at the University of North Carolina. He transferred to NYU but because of some weird scheduling issues, his music studies translated to a degree in philosophy. But his time there also introduced him to Alex Chilton and Richard Lloyd. Richard played a huge part in the formation of one of Chris’ early bands, The dB’s. We barely scratch the surface of his career here. 

Chris is very candid about his time in The dB’s as well as his latest album, Anything Is Possible. It took shape in a unique way and there are some unusual musical ideas there; like combining Humphrey Bogart with Roy Orbison. That’ll make more sense once you listen to the episode. The album is a journey through Chris’ evolution of musical loves and influences. Check it out on streaming platforms. Buy it wherever you can. Check out chrisstamey.com for more info, social media links, and ways to buy the album. Follow the show @PerformanceAnx on socials. Our merch, including a Spinal Tap inspired design, is at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety.

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