Performance Anxiety

Today I chat with Elana Justin of Motive Black. Her debut album is dropping and after I had a chance to listen to it, I asked if she would do the podcast. I knew we’d have a great talk about the album. How could we not? It was produced by Nick Rowe who’s worked with Madonna, Vampire Weekend, Snoop Dogg, & Lamb of God, among others; but it also features a duet with Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies, a guitar cameo by Marcos Curiel of P.O.D., and Ray Luzier, drummer for KoRn, is all over the place! 

The album has taken a long time to come to fruition. And there are a lot of reasons why. But none more important than her sister, Mia. It’s no stretch to say that this album was created for her. But it took a lot of life in New York to get Elana to LA to create the album, Auburn. It’s a story that you have to hear. But make sure you have some tissue nearby. 

The album is an energetic, loving tribute and I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s out this week, so pick it up wherever you get your music. Follow Elana and the band @motiveblack on Instagram, @motiveblack1 on Twitter. There’s also Facebook and the website, motiveblack.com. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out there, Facebook or email [email protected] and let us know who’d you’d like to hear from. Now get ready for a heavy show in so many ways with Elana Justin of Motive Black on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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In an usual turn of events, this episode features something a little different. I have 80% of the band Carver Commodore on the show! So that’s lead singer and guitarist Payton Pruitt, lead guitarist Phillip Blevins (who is also a long-time member of the Mason Music family as Assistant Operations Manager), multi-instrumentalist Clayton Christopher, bassist David Smith Jr.. We’ll give drummer Noah Freeman a pass due to having a baby. We immediately start off with the tough questions…Roll Tide or War Eagle? After a tense moment or two, we relax and discuss how this five piece band from all over the state of Alabama got together. There are on-stage near misses, one of the guys rescues a truck in the middle of the episode, and I find out who Carver Commodore is…or was…or was supposed to be.

The band has a great sound that is always evolving but always recognizable as Carver Commodore. The band and I have their friends Monsoon to thank for all of this, which makes this one of my favorite kinds of episodes; a referral of sorts. These guys have new music in the works as well as touring. Get out there, see the shows, buy the music, and spread the word about Carver Commodore. Follow them on social media. They’re pretty easy to find. You can followus @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. Feel free to reach out there or email us at [email protected]. You can help the show with a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. You can buy stuff with our logo at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now open your ears for the new sound of southern rock with Carver Commodore on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Barrett Davis has just released his debut album. It’s been a long time in the making. In fact, he started one of the songs over 10 years ago. But that’s not to say he hasn’t been busy. That’s actually why it’s taken so long for it’s release. Music has always been a huge part of his life. His dad is a blues guitarist who’s played with Marshall Tucker and Jeannie C. Reilly (which should be a podcast unto itself).His mom is a singer who helped train his sister, who now sings opera in Amsterdam. Barrett was playing with his dad as well as his own band,The Foxfire for years when he decided to step away and take a break. But he had met his wife, started a family and needed to give them time. He focused on construction and building a business in North Carolina, where he grew up. And when he decided the time was right, he took his time, incorporated everything he could from his favorite artists and the surrounding Appalachian music and has released The Ballad of Aesop Fin. There’s a story behind everything with the album. That extends to the album title as well as the album length! Nothing is left to chance, here. Barrett has a deep connection to this music, to Appalachia, and surprisingly, gouda cheese. We recorded this right around the time of the World Cup and college football playoffs, so we even venture into sports just a bit. Give Barrett a follow on instagram @barrettdavismusic, Facebook, or his website barrettdavismusic.com. Pick up The Ballad of Aesop Fin wherever you buy music. Stream it, share it, get it out there! Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram.Reach out there or [email protected]. You can send us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy something with our logo at performanceanx.threadless.com. And now we get to the roots of Barrett Davis on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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If you’re like me, sometimes you get obsessed by a band and find out that they broke up several years earlier. You think to yourself, “Where the hell was I”? Well, that happened with my guest, Steven Dayvid McKellar. His first and only band was Civil Twilight. Steven formed the band in Cape Town, South Africa, with his brother Andrew and their friend Richard Wouters just when the country started to open up from Apartheid. Their career got off to a quick start when they were offered a gig before the band even actually formed. After hitting a ceiling in South Africa, the group packed up and moved to Los Angeles with absolutely NO plan! After recording an album and receiving zero label support, the band caught a break in Texas and toured the US with bands like Jimmy Eat World, Silversun Pickups, Florence + The Machine, and Smashing Pumpkins. After years of touring, recording, and drinking, things finally caught up with Steven when he suffered back to back seizures from alcohol withdrawal. The band broke up and he took some time to regroup. Eventually music drew him back. He started writing music again and built up the courage to share it. In addition to a few EP’s, he’s finally released his full album, NAMA. It’s a departure from Civil Twilight and sounds more experimental. Steven also talks about what the future may hold. So if you want to stay in the loop, check out his Instagram @wine_gums_, and pick up his album on Sonic Ritual. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram or Twitter. Reach out there or at [email protected]. Let us know who you want to hear from. And support us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or performanceanx.threadless.com. I hope you enjoy this WILD story with Steven Dayvid McKellar on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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My guest is Eszter Balint and her story is really unusual. It’s so unusual, in fact, that her latest project is a memoir. She was born in Hungary and lived there until she was about 10 years old. But the rise in communism at that time forced artists who were more avant garde, like Eszter’s family, to leave the country. She found herself in New York City with her immediate and extended family, creating the Squat Theater where some of the most amazing artists created their work. Eszter worked with a diverse array of people. Sometimes she was behind the scenes with sun Ra, while other times she was right in the middle of it all, from acting in Jim JArmusch movies to playing violin in a Jean Michel Basquiat production. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that she began writing and performing her own material. And when the acting bug reappeared, she went to LA. But she eventually came back to New York, raised a family and got back to music. Her aforementioned new project is a combination theater production and accompanying album, called I Hate Memory that pairs her with Stew from Stew & The Negro Problem. She’s got shows coming up in NYC, so check out her Instagram page @eszter.balint. Pick up I Hate Memory on Bandcamp or wherever you get music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out there or [email protected]. We have merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. We accept cups of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s dive head-first into this chat with Eszter Balint on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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David Libert is our guest. And he’s got such a wild story to tell that he actually did write a book about it! His career in music began singing doo-wop with his friends just to be able to hang out and meet girls. But his band, The Happenings, were good. So David went to Tin Pan Alley to convince the industry. He and his partner, Bob Miranda eventually got jobs writing music for a label run by The Tokens of The Lion Sleeps Tonight fame. The took the job with the stipulation that The Tokens would help The Happenings with their music. Sometime after the band’s biggest hit, See You In September, David saw the writing on the wall and left The Happenings (which he was managing) to manage other bands like Rare Earth. His success there led to him working with the legendary Shep Gordon and Alice Cooper. And what a baptism of fire that was! After feeling burnt out, David started his own agency which ended with David in prison. But it was OK, he started playing in the prison jazz trio.

After prison, David had to start from the ground up again. But he did it, eventually working with George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince, and one of my personal favorites, Living Colour.

Pick up his book through Amazon or his website rockandrollwarrior.com. Follow him on social media to see what he’s up to. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can help us manage this podcast through merch purchases at performanceanx.threadless.com or with some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now saddle up for a wild ride with David Libert on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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I’m joined by Buffalo, NY singer Jim Crean. Jim grew up around music. His dad was a drummer and really helped Jim form and appreciate for music. But he was also big into sports, which makes sense for a guy from Buffalo. But once he started playing music, he was all in. He started playing bars at a really young age. He’s been putting out music for decades and is a member of the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame. So when Carmine and Vinny Appice toured with their Drum Wars bands, they did some scouting before each show so they could include local musicians in the show. That’s how they found Jim and began working with him on a regular basis. Jim also tells the story of why the brothers each pronounce their last name differently. 

Jim’s new band (and it IS a band) features Vinny Appice and guitarist Steph Honde and it is 100% the product of the pandemic. This band is different for Jim. Even the songwriting used a different approach. They are playing their live debut in January at the heavy metal Hall Of Fame. So check out the new album Kill The Beautiful. Grab a merch bundle while they last. Check them out on Facebook. Check us out @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. We’re also on YouTube & Facebook. Reach out through all those platforms or at [email protected]. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or buy us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now prepare to have Jim Crean of Scream Taker take YOUR breath away on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. 

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Welcome back Mark Bingham and Louis Michot to discuss a special project. Louis’ label, Nouveau Electric, is releasing 22 albums from now through most of 2023, documenting 50 years of Mark Bingham. Mark has made a career out of people not knowing what he’s doing. He has been recording music at an astounding rate. And he doesn’t do that to keep it hidden. Mark & Louis talk about how they began working together and the first two albums in this unreal release schedule. Those would be Goo Seneck, and Mushroom Crowd. But they aren’t necessarily being released in chronological order. Some albums are reissues of old and out of print, others are freshly recorded, and still others are collections of odds and ends. And in the middle of all this, we end up discussing the proper pronunciation of Adele’s name and what happened to Madonna’s face. And I almost choke to death thanks to the story Mark tells of a song slated to be released later in 2023. So go check out nouveauelectric.com to start picking up the albums that start the 50 Years of Mark Bingham project. Follow them on Instagram as well. Follow Mark @markbingham_2666. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. We’re also on Facebook & Youtube. Reach out at [email protected] or help support the show at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. And now let’s jump right in to a discussion about 50 years of Mark Bingham with Louis Michot…and Mark Bingham on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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If you listen to this podcast, you’re most likely a fan of music. And chances are, you’ve seen a live concert. Have you ever wondered what goes into getting a band from one show to the next? What kind of preplanning is needed? And how much more goes into an overseas tour?

Well my guest and friend Chris Bergstrom joins me to give us all a taste of what it takes to make a tour successful and how it has changed over the years.

He’s worked with some incredible acts, like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Dandy Warhols. But he’s also worked with acts I wasn’t expecting, like The Oregon Symphony Orchestra and country music star Tracy Lawrence. He’s done everything from load-ins & load-outs to Front of house, to tour management. He’s got great behind the scenes stories as well as a collection of live recordings that I would kill for! But it’s not all sex, drugs, & rock & roll. In fact, that stereotype has changed so much over the years. But for many, the hardest part is still acclimating to post-tour (or normal) life.

Chris is candid about all of it. So if you want to follow his touring exploits, check him out @blackeyedprod on Instagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on IG & Twitter. You can show us some love through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or with a merch purchase at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now prepare for an insider’s look at touring with Chris Bergstrom on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This is an episode of a different kind, even for the Side Projects series of the podcast. I’m joined by Larry Hall. Larry is the Chairman of The Jim Irsay Collection; one of the most amazing private collections of musical and historical artifacts in the country, if not the world. Jim Irsay is the owner of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts. But his love of music, history, pop culture, and in many instances, their convergence, set off a spark that resulted in an unbelievable collection of artifacts. The Jim Irsay Collection spans over 2000 pieces and Larry is in charge of it all. He reveals how the collection started with the original 200 foot long scroll of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road and has grown exponentially over the years to include some unbelievable items. There’s Prince’s Yellow Cloud guitar, Jerry Garcia’s Tiger, John Lennon’s antique piano that he used on Sgt. Pepper’s, Kurt Cobain’s Fender Mustang, and a grand piano played by Elton John, John Lennon during his last live performance, Freddie Mercury, AND Paul McCartney at Live Aid. Then there’s the guitar that saved acoustic guitar making in America and Dylan’s guitar from the Newport Folk Festival.

Larry also discusses some historical pieces like a hat that was to be presented to JFK on the day he was assassinated, a knife owned by Abraham Lincoln, and an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The collection tours the country, visiting a new city every few months. Larry talks about the logistics and safety measures taken when everything hits the road. This truly was a unique conversation and one that I’m so glad I can share. If you get the opportunity, go see The JIm Irsay Collection. You can check out the website, jimirsaycollection.com to see where the collection is heading as well as the social media links, which are getting a complete overhaul as we speak. 

You can follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. You can help to support out collection of great conversation by buying us a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety or by picking up our non-historical merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now get ready to be blown away by Larry Hall of The Jim Irsay Collection on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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