Performance Anxiety

Poet Joseph Massey was kind enough to spend a little time with me. He discovered poetry after a particularly troublesome childhood which included neglectful parents and spending one school year by himself in an auditorium. He spent his time after that reading and writing poetry; corresponding with some of the most influential poets alive, like Cid Corman, Robert Bly, and Allen Ginsburg (who gave him a lot of advice and encouragement). Joseph was so dedicated to his art that he wound up living alone in a shack and almost drinking himself into oblivion. And just as he was turning everything around, he was blindsided by unfounded and anonymous accusations which cost him his livelihood. But he is rebuilding and has found a strength that he didn’t know he had. But that probably won’t keep him from getting texter’s thumbs, like Kanye. Follow Joseph on social media @jmasseypoet. Subscribe to his substack for regular poetry fixes. Follow us @PerformanceAnx for regular podcast fixes. Give us a coffee fix at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s ease into our conversation with poet Joseph Massey on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This episode is another Performance Anxiety first. I heard about my guest Suzie Stapleton through a listener, Sandy Olivia. We got to chatting through social media (and I am always open to that) and Sandy was so enthusiastic about Suzie that I had to check her music out. It’s moody, atmospheric, and heavy without getting bogged down. After listening to her debut, I reached out and Suzie agreed to do an episode. So here we are. We go pretty deep, like how she began playing in Australia but moved to London; meeting Cyprus Grove and contributing to the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions; touring with Mark Lanegan; and self producing her full length debut. Give Suzie a follow on social media. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on Twitter & Instagram. Reach out if there’s anyone you’d like to hear on the podcast. You can buy us some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety (Yes we can be bought). Merch is for sale at performanceanx.threadless.com. Now let’s get the show on the road with Suzie Stapleton on Performance Anxiety, a proud member of the Pantheon Podcast Network, the one stop shop for all your music podcast needs.

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Richard X Heyman and Nate Wilcox join me to discuss the songwriting of Ray Davies. Is he underappreciated or not? Richard and Nate discuss how they discovered and obsessed over The Kinks. They share some wild stories and favorite songs. Ray has been a big influence on Richard’s writing. He has a new album out and we discuss where Ray’s presence might be felt. Nate talks about how he started his wonderful podcast, Let It Roll, and where he sees it going in future episodes and series. Check out Richard X Heyman’s new album, Copious Notes, wherever you get music these days. Listen to Nate’s podcast, Let It Roll on the Pantheon Podcast Network or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. We take coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is found at performanceanx.threadless.com. OK enough of all this, let's get going on the songwriting of Ray Davies with Richard X Heyman & Nate Wilcox on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Anne Husick is our guest. She talks about growing up in New York but missing the entire early NYC punk scene because she went to Miami for college. She joined Band of Susans after being VERY persistent and almost immediately went on a European tour for six weeks with people she didn’t know. She reminisces about playing in an incredibly loud band with 4 guitars! She eventually left Band Of Susans to play with Ronnie Spector, Joey Ramone, and Wicked Wilson Pickett, among others. She also lost her voice for six years!

Recently she recorded Lulu’s To Sir With Love with Rew Starr and the ReWlettes and getting the approval of Lulu herself and some other, unexpected people! Give Anne a follow @annehusick_music on Instagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on all the socials. We love coffee from ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is found at performanceanx.threadless.com. Rate & review the show and check out the other great podcasts on the Pantheon Podcast network like Long May You Young, Let It Roll, & Highway Hi Fi. Now make some noise for Anne Husick on Performance Anxiety.

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This is a very loose episode of Side Projects. After talking with my panel, which consists of Jimmy Gnecco from OURS, Chef Celina Tio of The Belfry in Kansas City & several Food Network competitions, and Astrid Young, Astrid suggested the three stages of drinking. It sounded like a fun challenge. We defined each stage for ourselves, chose a drink and a song, and attempted to explain them while drinking. It gets a little loose and a lot of fun. Check everyone out on the socials, follow us @PerformanceAnx. Give us a review. Or sober us up with some coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com (sorry, no shot glasses or beer mugs, yet). So grab your own beverage and enjoy the Three Stages of Drinking on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Jimmy Gnecco joins me for this one. His voice is one of the most powerful instruments I’ve ever heard. But he didn’t start off singing. He started as a BMX racer. He got a sponsorship from TNT bikes but he also got hit by a car. Jimmy describes seeing the power of music as a kid and discovering his own voice in the studio with a Black Sabbath tribute band playing a Motley Crue song.

The story of the band Ours is a fascinating one with so many detours. It starts with a bidding war after the band had played just five shows. But there are a lot of lessons learned in this story, the most important of which is sometimes missed opportunities aren’t bad, just a chance to get the work done the right way. Jimmy describes how the new self-title Ours album brings the band full circle and how pasta saved his voice. Follow the band @oursmusic on Instagram. Look for them on FaceBook. The website is ours.net for merch, tour dates, and more.

Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety is where you can show us some love with a cup of coffee. Now settle in for a rollercoaster ride with Jimmy Gnecco of Ours on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Joe Cardamone joins us on this episode. Even as a kid, Joe was creative (his dad WAS a child actor). He started singing by humming the star wars theme during long car trips as a kid. And he found that art was very therapeutic for him; it’s been a driving force that has gotten him through some tragic times, including the deaths of two friends and band members. He started off as a punk kid in Kanker Sores, transitioned into The Icarus Line, and now to a solo career. He has also collaborated with some incredible people like Annie Hardy, Queen Kwong, Ian Ottaway, and Mark Lanegan. Their joint album Skeleton Joe vs Dark Mark, will hopefully be out soon. His latest project, Quarantina, is a wonderful multimedia release that is both musically & visually stunning. Follow him on social media and check out Quarantina on YouTube. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on the socials. Merch is found at performanceanx.threadless.com. Coffee can be donated to us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. So let’s just jump into this one with Joe Cardamone on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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This episode is one of those that came about due to a prior guest. Scarlett Sabet introduced me to the band Modern Guilt. I listened to the singles and reached out to drummer Scott, Bassist Andreas, & singer/guitarist Jaz about doing the podcast. I’m so glad I did. The guys were so much fun to speak with. We discuss why it took a year to decide on a name, Andreas’ love of Kenny G, and how the one thing Jaz can do is two things.

We had some timing issues with Zoom (and Andreas), so there’s some interesting edits in here. We go off on a few tangents but we always manage to bring everything back around. And keep listening after the initial sign-off. I listened to the extra bits that are usually left on the editing room floor and enjoyed them so much that I included them at the very end. There’s a lot of interesting talk about the state of new music in the bonus material. So follow Modern Guilt @modernguiltofficial on the socials. Pick up their very first EP, You’re Welcome, wherever you get music. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Merch is found at performanceanx.threadless.com. We love it when you treat us to coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And You’re welcome for an episode featuring Scott, Andreas, & Jaz of Modern Guilt on Performance Anxiety, part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Jay Reifel returns with a menu based on a playlist sent by yours truly. There were no parameters other than to use a minimum of three songs. Jay reached into his historical bag of tricks and came up with a menu based on an event hosted by Roman Emperor Domitian, called The Black Dinner or alternately, The Dinner From Hell. Every course he served was black. In addition, the Senators in attendance didn’t know if they would survive the meal. Literally.

And let’s give a shout out to Apicius! 

Follow Jay @jayreifel & @ediblehistory. Check out other historical menus at ediblehistorynyc.com. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. You can pick up a cup of coffee for us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. And check out all the other great podcasts on the Pantheon Podcast Network like Highway Hi-Fi. That show always makes me laugh between the subject matter & the dry sense of humor. So belly up and check out the Soundtrack to The Black Dinner with Jay Reifel on Performance Anxiety.

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This week we take a left turn. I invited a chef to be my guest this week. His name is Jay Reifel and he just beat Bobby Flay! With a mincemeat pie. And that’s why I reached out. His supper club, Edible History, takes recipes from ancient manuscripts and recreates them to give diners a literal taste of history. But he didn’t start out as a chef. We talk about his early life, somehow dual enrolling in high school & college and finding an interesting loophole; writing movies in LA; and eventually leaving to bake bread in the midwest.

We also discuss how bread is like puppies, whipped cream guilt, ordering herbs from witches, and a whole lot more. Jay gives us a little behind the scenes peek at how cooking competitions are created, as he has been on both Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. Check out Brooklyn-based Edible History on social media. Go to ediblehistorynyc.com to check out some amazing menus. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on social media. Rate & review us, please! Merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. We love coffee and you can treat us, if you like, at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. This story takes some really interesting twists & turns, like a pretzel. So grab a mead and a plate of table cheese or fruits & nuts, and settle in to Jay Reifel on Performance Anxiety; a proud member of the Pantheon Podcast family.

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