Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest has been through it. But he hasn’t let it stop him.Welcome T Bear to the show. Born Richard Gerstein, he grew up spending time in both New York City and the Caribbean. He was playing pretty early on. In fact, he was invited to his first studio session at the age of just 17…by Richie Havens! Soon after, he was discovered by the KISS camp and began writing with the band. That helped him secure his first record deal, which led to the name change and a disco smash hit called Sunshine Hotel. Yeah the 70’s were wild! Now rebranded as T Bear, he continued writing, recording, and playing with artists like Stephen Stills in Manassas and Crosby, Still, & Nash as well as his own solo albums. He has some great stories about recording the Daylight Again album. But after spending time writing with Stills and working with Greg Kihn and others, T Bear went on a 25 year hiatus. He talks about what happened, what he was doing instead of music, and what (and who) brought him back. He has recently released a new album that has some amazing cameos and a killer core band. It’s called The Way Of The World and if you like songs that tell stories, you’re going to love it. T Bear opened up and was very candid about some of the rough times he’s gone through and I’m grateful I can now call him a friend. Go grab the album, on Quarto Valley Records. Follow him on social media @richard_tbear on Instagram and T. Bear on Facebook. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Feed us coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now it’s time for some stories with T. Bear on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This episode of Side Projects sees the return of Steve Dawson and Mark Mallman. They join me to discuss song structure. We go over some basic terms and structures that are typical and atypical. We talk about songs like The Wreck Of The Edmunds Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot, Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey, Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin, and others.

Is a successful song necessarily a GOOD song? Are streaming services, algorithms, & metrics changing pop song structures? Does the music delivery system (records, CD’s, streaming) play a part in the song structure that’s popular within that system? Steve studies the structure of a Taylor Swift song and Steve and Mark discuss where song structure might be headed in the future. Wrap up talking about Steve’s new album, which was recorded live, and Mark’s book, new music he’s writing, and how this conversation has inspired him. Go to stevedawsonmusic.com or Pravda Records to grab his new album. Follow him @stevedawso on Instagram.Follow Mark Mallman @markmallman on Instagram, TikTok, and X. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram and X. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money for coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now get ready to know everything you wanted to know about song structures on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guests made me laugh. A lot. I’d like to welcome Jake Zavracky and Elizabeth LeBaron to the show. Together they make up The Dream Eaters. And this entire episode could have gone off the rails at any moment. From the very beginning things were different than just about any other show. For example, doing the actual podcast took Elizabeth by surprise. And once we got everything going, Jake and Elizabeth had different views on things like how they met and how they came up with the band’s name. 

There are a ton of hilarious stories in this one; like Jake’s contributions to The Sopranos, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, NCIS and the GamePlay Network. And Elizabeth discusses the legend of the stolen clarinet. I also learn what patent leather pants have to do with having a large vocabulary.

The Dream Eaters is not your normal band. In fact, the idea was initially for a show, not a band. That explains things like why many songs are under 30 seconds in length. And speaking of the music, going back and listening to their catalog blew me away. Not only is the music good, they play in a lot of different styles. The reason for that could be because, as Elizabeth says, Jake is the songwriter and she is the director/sidekick.

There has always been an element of humor to the music but there was a point at which it comes to the forefront and doesn’t leave. Jake and Elizabeth talk about how they come up with some of their most ridiculous songs. In fact, we kind of almost write a song during the podcast. That alone is worth the price of admission! So check out Jake & Elizabeth @wearethedreameaters on Instagram and @thedreameaters on everything else including TikTok, where they post a bunch of their videos. Pick up all their music on Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Our merch can be found at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can keep us awake with money for coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now prepare to expect the unexpected with Jake & Elizabeth of The Dream Eaters on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me feel so excited and I just can’t hide it. It’s The Pointer Sisters. No. No it’s not. Please welcome David Hakopyan of Antenna The End. And I have to thank Jamie Park and Teen Cancer America for connecting us. 

David grew up in one of the biggest Armenian communities in the world outside of Armenia, itself. He was influenced equally by rock and Armenian folk music. But music wasn’t always his focus. For a while as a teen, he thought he might be an illustrator. He was the counterfeit Pushead guy in his school. And if that doesn’t make sense, it will after you listen. Or go look up Pushead.

He got serious about music when he started playing in an Armenian, revolutionary, folk, alternative rock band with Serj Tankian called Forever Young. After cheating on that band with another, he started Soil with Serj and Daron Malakian. David discusses the one and only live show they played and its biggest pitfall. 

David and his bands, like Apex Theory & Mt. Helium, have always been hyper-focused on sounding original, to the point of making sure no one was listening to the big rock stations in LA. They’d do spot checks on each others’ radios.

David’s new band is Antenna The End. And you can absolutely tell that it’s David’s band. He started writing after the kinds of personal issues that get a guy writing music. He also tells me when he came up with the band’s unique name. The debut EP will be out soon, but David gives us a sneak peak at the music and stories behind the band’s formation and the music he’s created. Check them out @antennatheend on Instagram & Facebook. Keep an eye out for the EP release in early August. And give him a call at…you know what, don’t do that. BUT, follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out, we don’t bite. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or donate some coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now I hope you enjoy the awesome conversation I had with David Hakopyan of Antenna The End on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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The Side Projects series of this podcast gives me a lot of latitude regarding subject matter. Occasionally, I like to go down a rabbit hole on a specific band. But I think this is the first time I’ve been able to do that with band members, themselves. Please welcome Robert Poss and Karen Haglof of Band Of Susans. They’ve both been on the podcast. In fact they were very early episodes and we were past due for a catch up session. Both Robert and Karen have new albums out so it seemed like the perfect time to do a deep dive into Band Of Susans and talk about their new music, at the same time. We actually ended up doing it the other way around. 

Band Of Susans is one of the bands I can point to and say “They changed the music I listen to” without being hyperbolic. And it all stemmed from an album cover with my favorite car on it.

Karen left the band after the Love Agenda album and went on to do a few minor things, like medical school, oncology, you know…not music stuff. Robert has kept his feet firmly in the business by doing all kinds of unique projects, including solo albums.

As I mentioned, they both have new releases this year; Drones, Songs, & Fairy Dust by Robert and One Hand Up by Karen. Look them up wherever you get music. Both albums really touch on so many different styles of music. Get them both and you’ll definitely find something for you in there. Follow them both on social media; just look up their names, they’re easy to find. Look us up @PerformanceAnx on socials and grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Keep us awake at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now prep yourself for my Love Agenda on Band Of Susans with Robert Poss & Karen Hagloff on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest reminds me that there is some amazing talent out there that needs to be heard. Welcome Jackie Popovec from Youngstown, Ohio’s own The Vindys. She’s a powerhouse vocalist whose voice is a Venn Diagram of some heavy hitters like Amy Winehouse, Christina Aguilera, & Carrie Underwood. And the rest of the band ain’t so bad either. They rock with an early Chicago sound. Think Terry Kath meets Eddie Van Halen with killer horns. They’ve been around for over ten years now, but Jackie has been singing for a bit longer than that. She and the band started off doing covers and sneaking in an original here and there. Now they’re doing their own stuff and throwing in covers you wouldn’t think of!

But this whole conversation starts off with horror movies. And Spinal Tap. And how Jackie started writing songs. She was in her teens and her dad knew some people in some venues who would let a teenage Jackie play her own music. She was always drawn to belters but hearing jazz greats like Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, & Ella Fitzgerald really changed her approach.

The band was poised to record a new album this summer when they were asked to join Pat Benetar on tour. So they made the obvious choice to put the album on hold and explore some new markets opening for a legend. And their live show is amazing! They’ve written a song for the Pittsburgh Pirates that was picked up by ESPN, they’ve played with a symphony orchestra, and are on a steady upward trajectory. Check out their music wherever you check out your music. See them on tour this summer with Pat Benetar. Follow them @TheVindys on social media. Check out their YouTube channel for great unreleased stuff. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on social media. Our merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Keep us up with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now brace yourself for the amazing Jackie Popovec of The Vindys on Performance Anxiety; part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest proves that hard work and patience will pay off. Welcome Tom Kanach of KANAK to the podcast. Tom is from New Jersey, so naturally we start razzing each other almost from the start. Tom talks about manipulating his situation so his brother would get an unwanted plastic drum set in order to start his first band. But he would really get serious about being in a band after a chance meeting in a school bathroom. Relax…everyone is a kid in this story. He’s been writing music longer than he can remember. He even has recordings of some of these songs. Maybe we can get him to re-record Happy Tonk Town for the next KANAK album.

After doing what teenagers do (sneaking into clubs underage to see his favorite bands) he played in some bands with potential but could never seem to get the break they needed. But he made some great connections along the way. One of those connections had him playing with Doro on one of her albums. But after a while, life things happened. Tom started a family and got a job. But he never stopped writing. That’s why his first solo release is 30 songs long.

Tom has a new project and it’s the best work I’ve heard from him. It’s called KANAK and it’s obviously a palindromic simplification of his last name. But that ended up complicating things, instead. The band and new EP feature some great players like Pete Wood, Jow Rowley, Jonny Rao, & Ed Stasium. Pick it up at kanakmusic.com or wherever you find music now. Follow them at KANAK Music on Facebook or @TomKanach on Instagram. Follow us @Performance Anx. Our stuff is located at performanceanx.threadless.com. Keep us awake with coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s get down to some serious business with Tom Kanach of KANAK on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me feel inspired. I welcome Lex Borrero to the program. He’s the very definition of rags-to-riches. Born in Bogota, Colombia, he emigrated with his mother to the US to start a new life from scratch. His first taste of success came after selling candy and burned CD’s to buy a pair of Jordans when he was a kid. But Lex wasn’t (and he’ll admit, still isn’t) a musician. Instead, he has an innate ability to know a good story and a talent for communication. He talks about his professional arc; how he started as a young producer trying to update the sound of Christian artists. That led to one of two times he was kicked out of church!

But Lex always believed in himself, even when he moved to New York City for a music internship and wound up homeless for about a year.

But his persistence and altruism has paid off tenfold. He has worked with artists like Tainy, Maroon 5, and Bad Bunny. His architectural approach to building up artists and companies coupled with his drive to create has led to the success of NEON16, AM16, and NTERTAIN. That’s why he has branched into TV and movies. He is the force behiind hit shows like La Firma on Netflix and The Montaners on Disney Plus. His drive is relentless!

If you want to know what’s up & coming in music and TV, follow Lex and his companies @lexborrero, @neon16, @am16agency, & @ntertainstudios (w/o the N) on all the socials. You can follow us @PerformanceAnx on those same socials. You can check out merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can slide us some coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now, you can be inspired by Lex Borrero on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest embodies retro in the most fun ways possible. Welcome Chelsea Nenni of Late Slip to the show. She grew up with music all around. Her dad worked in rock radio since the 70’s. He even gave Carson Daly his first shot. In fact, Carson would often come over to Chelsea’s house for spaghetti. But her lifelong obsession with oldies, Elvis in particular, came from her mom. But Chelsea didn’t go the normal route into rock music. This is the point of the show where I learn about opera outreach programs.

Chelsea began performing in operas by the age of eleven. She earned a scholarship to study opera in college at Chapman University. She soon moved to NYC to take her shot in the theater district.

This is where she takes a turn into rock, kind of. There’s an interesting detour into a cabaret version of the history of rock in there. Chelsea reveals that she will sometimes write songs during yoga class, which probably doesn’t go over so well with the instructors. After a series of projects and bands, Late Slip was formed and recorded their first EP through a strange set of circumstances involving Amoeba Records.

Late Slip has a new album out called I Love You. And I love IT! It’s such a fun trip through the heyday of rock. And Chelsea is the perfect custodian. Not only does she emulate the sound, her album designs are influenced by early rock albums, too. She even wears vintage clothes for the covers! Grab I Love You on Bandcamp. Check out @lateslip on Instagram for more info on shows. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & X. Our stuff is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can support us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Get ready to shake a tailfeather with Chelsea Nenni of Late Slip on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest makes me feel exotic. Welcome David Nagler to the show. David grew up in a very musical house. In fact, his first performance was at age 1 or 2 in a stage production of The King And I. But that was just the beginning. A very early beginning. He began taking piano lessons a few years later. 

He began his musical career with the band Stretch. That soon became Nova Social. Same guys, new name. The band was initially a guitar-based band with smart lyrics. But that was the first album. The second took a hard left turn into electronics, still with excellent lyrics. When David decided to go solo, he took yet another left turn. This is where his Brazilian influences began to bubble to the top. He’s written some themed albums; one based on Donald Trump appointees and another written to the poems of Carl Sandburg.

David’s latest work is called As For The Future. He tells me how he came up with that unusual name and who else is involved in the band. The project began during the pandemic, so much of it was created remotely. That included Spotify-stalking people to be in the band. The album is filled with masterful songwriting. I love the music and the lyrics fell right in line with David’s previous work. It’s one of those albums that I’ll listen to when I need a break from the heavier rock I normally listen to. Go grab it on Bandcamp or stream it from your favorite service. I recommend the deluxe CD version with the extra tracks on it. Follow the band @asforthefuture and hopefully you can catch a gig in the near future. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on X & Instagram. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. You can help support us through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And I hope you enjoy David Nagler on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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