We welcome a very special guest this episode—Nathan Dueck, Winnipeg-born author now calling Calgary home. Nathan has written poetry, tried unsuccessfully to win hearts with it, and has just released his latest book: a collection of self-deprecating anecdotes that may or may not be funny. He's cautiously optimistic.

But before we get there, we have a crisis on our hands. Sean shaved his beard. The complaints are rolling in. The polls are not looking good. It may be the single greatest controversy in the show's history—and that's saying something.

Nathan's Mennonite upbringing in Winkler opens up a fascinating conversation about cultural identity, language, religious heritage, and what it means to grow up inside a community so tight-knit you don't even realize it's unusual until you leave. It turns out Sean and Todd's Acadian Catholic roots have more in common with Nathan's experience than anyone expected—railroad tracks, basement drinking, and detention for speaking the wrong language included.

From there the conversation takes some genuinely unexpected turns involving book covers, Netflix, water cooler culture, comic books, and one very important Spider-Man suit. Plus a deep dive into a guitarist so talented that Sean thinks his current gig is a waste of his abilities. And Prince. Lots of Prince.

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We're diving into some juicy updates this week, starting with Sean's epic air conditioning saga that had him sweating bullets and Todd's shed construction woes that are battling Mother Nature. We'll also jam out to some tunes from the band Bliss, whose tunes are as diverse as our podcast chats! It's a mix of laughter, stories, and a sprinkle of nostalgia as we reminisce about our experiences with local music and the good times that come with it. So kick back, grab your favorite drink, and join us for a fun ride full of banter, updates, and some sweet sound bites from Bliss. You'll be glad you did!

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Takeaways:

• Sean provided a hilarious update on his air conditioning saga, making us all laugh at the absurdity of a heatwave without AC.
• Todd shared his ongoing shed project, which has been hilariously hampered by unpredictable weather—classic DIY woes!
• We dived deep into the music of Bliss, exploring how their diverse musical styles kept things fresh and exciting for listeners.
• The discussion about Bliss led to a nostalgic trip down memory lane, showcasing the band's evolution and how it resonated with their fans.
• Sean's heartfelt tribute to his late friend Ray, revealing how his encouragement during tough times helped Sean find his way back to joy and music.
• We wrapped up the episode with a playful banter about the quirks of being a DIY musician, leaving listeners with laughter and inspiration.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Turnstone
• Bliss
• Gin Taxi
• Fastball
• New Meanies
• Paul Rogers
• Studio 21
• Studio 11
• DJ Rain
• DJ Narcotic
• DJ Phosphor

Todd had a surprise birthday party. Sean kept recording anyway. Happy birthday, Todd.

This week Sean sits down alone with author David Jon Fuller, whose debut novel Venue 13 is out now through Turnstone Press. What starts as a conversation about a ghost story set in a haunted Winnipeg theater quickly becomes something much deeper — a wide-ranging discussion about creativity, the bohemian life, what it costs to make art, why Icelandic culture produces so much of it, and how you keep your creative self alive when real life gets in the way.

David has a background that covers theater, acting, the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, two years living in Iceland on scholarship, journalism at the Winnipeg Free Press, and now fiction writing. The connections between all of those things — and between his life and the life of his novel's protagonist Robert — turn out to be more intertwined than even David realized going in.

Along the way: the creative parallels between Iceland and Winnipeg, why doom scrolling is the enemy of reflection, what it means to romanticize the bohemian artist life versus living it, the Fringe Festival, INXS and Michael Hutchins, Def Leppard at Christmas, Kiss in October, the Killer Dwarfs and a handmade wooden box set that David built himself and got the whole band to sign, and why asking your library to stock a book is one of the best things you can do for a Canadian author.

About the book:

Venue 13 follows Robert, an actor who buys a haunted downtown Winnipeg theater while working a restaurant job to keep the lights on — a man at a creative crossroads, trying to hold his artistic dream together while real life pulls in every direction. It's a ghost story, but it's also much more than that. If the main building sounds familiar, Sean figured out exactly which one inspired it.

About the guest:

David Jon Fuller is a Winnipeg writer, journalist, and former actor whose Icelandic heritage took him to Iceland for two years on scholarship, where he became fluent in the language, performed in student theater productions in Reykjavik, and developed a deep connection to Norse folklore and ghost stories that runs through his writing to this day. He also copy-edited Chadwick Ginther's Ravenstone books, which is a very Winnipeg small world moment.

Venue 13 is available at local bookstores, Chapters, Amazon, and — David's preference — by request at your local library.

Find David:

• Website: https://www.davidjonfuller.com/
• Bluesky: @davidjonfuller.bsky.social
• Instagram: @davidjonfuller

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Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Ravenstone
• Turnstone
• Killer Dwarfs
• Helix
• Kick Ax
• Def Leppard
• Sigur Rós
• Weakerthans
• Manitoba Chamber Orchestra

Featuring Corey and Mark from And The Podcast Will Rock

There's a guy in Tennessee who thought Canadian music was just Rush. He was wrong. This is the episode that fixed that.

Sean, Todd, and Corey from And The Podcast Will Rock spent 12 hours on prep work — between them — to put together the ultimate Canadian music education for Mark, Corey's American co-host on the Van Halen podcast And The Podcast Will Rock. The playlist covers four corners of Canadian music — classic, newer, rock, and metal — and Mark's reactions are everything you'd hope for.

Along the way there's a debate about what makes something a bar song, whether Kim Mitchell is the Canadian David Lee Roth or the Canadian Huey Lewis, why Canadian bands are apparently mandated to have singers with impossibly high upper registers, the difference between a Spinal Tap bassist and a Triumph bassist (it is not as much as you'd think), why Nickelback's problem is their fans and not their music, what happens when you buy beer in Canada versus Tennessee, and whether the Headstones doing Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald at 4 minutes 46 seconds is better than Gordon Lightfoot doing it at 17 minutes.

It is.

Welcome to Canada, Mark. You're one of us now.

This episode features:

• Triumph — the power trio from Ontario who were massive in Texas for reasons nobody has fully explained
• Devin Townsend — whose Addicted album is the one you need to sit down before pressing play, and whose connection to Steve Vai most people have forgotten
• Max Webster — Kim Mitchell before he went solo, Battle Scar with Geddy Lee, Alex and Neil playing along, and Mark immediately recognizing Rush before being told who it was
• Kim Mitchell — Go For Soda, Rock and Roll Duty, Easy to Tame, and the video that features what looks exactly like Bugamo
• Killer Dwarfs — the band that gave Mark Iron Maiden and early Judas Priest vibes and apparently played to a certain someone's tape deck back in the Moncton days
• The Northern Pikes — the Saskatchewan bar song that Corey picked specifically for the day Mark comes to visit
• The Odds — Heterosexual Man, featuring Kids in the Hall in the video, a Corner Gas connection nobody knew, and everybody ending up in drag
• The Headstones — Tweeter and the Monkey Man, a Traveling Wilburys cover, the beer CD promotion story, and a casting session for the movie version of the song
• The Tragically Hip — Ahead by a Century, the SNL appearance, the Dan Aykroyd introduction, why they're Canada's Bruce Springsteen, and why Dave Matthews is a poor man's Tragically Hip

Guests:

• Corey — Fine Wine Corey — And The Podcast Will Rock
• Mark — Craft Beer Mark — And The Podcast Will Rock

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Back on Zoom. New shirts. Same chaos.

Noman and Rory are back — and they have absolutely no idea who those two old guys from that other podcast are. Never heard of them.

Two hours of music discovery this week. Some of it heavy. Some of it theatrical. Some of it from places you wouldn't expect. All of it worth your time.

There's a pirate metal origin story that predates everything you think you know about pirate metal. There's a band from Quebec whose mythology runs so deep it connects to other bands you've never heard of. There's a Swedish band formed in a high school music competition that has absolutely no business sounding the way they do. There's a guilty pleasure that turns out not to be guilty at all. And there's a vocal performance that stops everyone cold.

Also — Sabotage. And what happened to them. You're not ready.

Georgia has been spotted elsewhere. The investigation is ongoing.

The Kraken has been released. 🦑

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The Wheel O' Spite makes its world premiere. Max Webster gets the deep dive it has always deserved. And the shed is still not done.

Episode 602 starts as a catch-up and turns into something much more — a sprawling, deeply Canadian conversation that somehow connects lawn maintenance, beard oil, a cat with strong opinions, and one of the most passionate music deep dives the show has done in recent memory.

The Wheel O' Spite stinger debuts on air for the first time. A spin leads somewhere unexpected. As it always should.

Then Kim Mitchell. Max Webster. A Versus segment that most listeners won't see coming. Two legendary guest appearances by the same iconic voice — head to head. Only one can win.

Along the way there's Canadian nostalgia you didn't know you needed, a corporate cancellation saga that will make you feel seen, and a Montreal music story that stopped both of them cold.

A new patron joins the family. The Wheel has officially spun.

This episode features:

• The world premiere of the Wheel O' Spite stinger — written and recorded by Sean and Todd
• A Versus segment involving two legendary guest vocal appearances by a very familiar voice
• A deep dive into one of Canada's most underappreciated rock careers
• Angine de Poitrine and a Montreal music story nobody saw coming
• Todd's shed update — rain, humidity, and a neighbor's suspiciously bare lawn
• A new patron announcement

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Support the show: patreon.com/seangeekpodcast

• 🎙️ Certified Geek — $5/month
• 🎸 True Geek — $10/month
• 👑 Supreme Geek — $20/month
• 🤘 Metal Shoppe Tier — $75/month

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This one comes courtesy of patron Tony Griggs — whose killer playlist sparked the inspiration to pull this two-part classic from the vault and bring it back as one epic combined episode.

Daryl Dwarf — drummer, founding member, author, and one of the most genuinely engaging rock personalities you'll ever hear on this show — joined Sean, Todd, and Corey Geek for nearly two hours of conversation that goes everywhere.

The Killer Dwarfs have been around for 40 years. They've survived grunge, label chaos, pandemics, and the complete collapse of the music industry as they knew it. They're still standing. They're still touring. And Daryl has some very specific thoughts on why.

This episode covers the full story — the highs, the lows, the hiatuses, the comebacks, the tours you wouldn't believe, the producers you'd recognize, and the famous names who showed up along the way in ways you wouldn't expect.

There's also a recording studio story involving Andy Johns, a cardboard box, and one drumstick that you genuinely need to hear to believe.

And yes — there's a necklace story that will change how you think about 45 records forever.

This episode features:

• The complete Killer Dwarfs story — four decades in the trenches
• The Monsters of Rock Cruise and what it took just to get on the boat
• Famous names and unexpected connections throughout rock history
• The recording sessions that defined a sound
• What the music industry looks like from inside after 40 years
• The philosophy that kept them going when everything else said stop
• One of the greatest recording studio stories ever told on this show

Guest: Daryl Dwarf — Killer Dwarfs, Laidlaw, Automan, Sphinx

With: Corey Geek

Inspired by: Patron Tony Griggs and his killer playlist

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Website: seanmcginty.ca

Support the show: patreon.com/seangeekpodcast

• 🎙️ Certified Geek — $5/month
• 🎸 True Geek — $10/month
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Official Band Website

killerdwarfsband.com

Facebook

facebook.com/killerdwarfs

X / Twitter

x.com/KillerDwarfs

Instagram

instagram.com/killerdwarfs

YouTube

youtube.com/@KiLLeRDWaRfS

Bandcamp (Merch)

killerdwarfs.bandcamp.com/merch

Tour Dates (Live Nation)

livenation.com/artist/K8vZ9171250/killer-dwarfs-events

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Todd updates us on the continuing saga of his backyard shed build—gravel stamping, Red River gumbo soil challenges, Costco door orientation problems, and his decision to buy plans from a Regina DIY guy on Etsy (rather than giving money to Costco). We also check in on Fitbit progress and celebrate Abby's first soccer goal in a perfectly called play that had Sean scrambling for his phone too late.

The conversation meanders through TSN's pricing versus Netflix, the joy and frustration of streaming subscriptions, and memories of going to the movies including a fascinating discussion about intermission culture in Portugal and how Europe does a few things better than North America. That leads into a rant about proprietary charging cables, Apple's lightning connector, and why USB-C finally makes everyone's life easier.

Todd accidentally name-drops two song titles while discussing his sod work—becoming the accidental Segway King—triggering a classic Pass or Go session. First up is Cinderella's "Falling Apart at the Seams" from Long Cold Winter, with Sean and Todd debating Tom Keifer's clean voice versus his signature rasp. Then comes Ratt's Lay It Down connected to "laying sod".

The back half of the episode dives deep into Rush's reunion tour featuring new drummer Anika, who Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee discovered playing with Jeff Beck. Sean and Todd watch her perform online in real time and are visibly blown away—comparing her fluid time signature changes to Eddie Van Halen falling down a flight of stairs and landing on his feet. Ticket prices for the Toronto show (sold out, resale at $456+) prompt a conversation about concert costs, Taylor Swift's Red Tour, and whether Rush coming to Winnipeg would be worth $300 a ticket.

The episode wraps with Sean mentioning a future episode dedicated to the band Bliss and their album, a tribute to his late friend and colleague Ray, who introduced him to the band and evolved from a pretty good guitarist to a really great one. Sean also invites the In Obscuria guys to come on the show after they attend the Rush Toronto concert.

Special thanks to Patreon supporters Ronald George Moore, Sam Thompson, Ruby, Tony Griggs, Corey Morissette, Kevin Brown, and Danny Pabst.

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The countdown to 600 is on, and Sean and Todd go back to basics — just the two of them, the old formula, and a deep dive that turns into one of the most thoughtful conversations the show has had in a while.

It starts with real life — sod cutters, Red River gumbo, sewer maintenance gone slightly wrong, and severe weather that hit Manitoba hard. Then Sean reveals something genuinely impressive: he pulled the entire back catalogue of the show into a spreadsheet, tagged every episode by segment type, and even built a working spin wheel inside Excel for the Wheel of Topics segment.

From there the episode turns into a proper Eddie Van Halen tribute deep dive — comparing how various artists have honored Eddie since his passing, debating whether emulating a legend's style is more respectful than finding your own voice, and landing on a clear ranking by the end.

This episode covers:

• Home improvement chaos — sod cutters, Red River gumbo, and building a shed in tight quarters
• Sewer maintenance gone slightly sideways and an inventive defense system involving Saran Wrap and kitty litter
• Severe Manitoba weather — tornado warnings, hail, and flooding memories from years past
• The big data project — Sean catalogued nearly a decade of episodes into a spreadsheet, tagged every segment type, and built a custom spin wheel for the Wheel of Topics in Excel
• A full tribute song breakdown comparing how different artists have honored Eddie Van Halen since his passing, including tracks inspired by his playing style and a tribute by his former Van Halen bandmate David Lee Roth
• A real debate about authenticity in music — whether trying to emulate a legend's exact style serves them better than simply being inspired by them and creating something original
• A side-by-side comparison of two very different tribute approaches, one channeling the spirit of the music and one trying to replicate technique directly
• Reflections on the Rush farewell concert footage, Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, drummer Anika Nilles stepping into Neil Peart's role, and the emotional weight of watching a band's legacy carry forward
• A recommendation of a deeply researched music biography that reframes how the band's early influences shaped their sound
• A preview of new original music coming for episode 600, including a tribute piece dedicated to longtime patron and podcaster Kevin Brown
• Pass or Go and Versus segments return — Incorrect Headlines saved for the 600th episode
• Patron shoutouts and the full breakdown of all four Patreon tiers, including the new $75 tier from The Trailer Behind the Metal Shoppe

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Website: seanmcginty.ca

Support the show: patreon.com/seangeekpodcast

• 🎙️ Certified Geek — $5/month
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Before the studio. Before the gear. Before FastFret was a permanent co-host. Sean was recording in his car — and somehow it worked.

This episode is a love letter to the On The Road era of SeanGeek — the raw, unfiltered, gloriously imperfect days when the show was just a guy with a microphone, a moving vehicle, and something to say. No studio. No setup. Just go.

Sean looks back at what made those early episodes so compelling — not despite the chaos, but because of it. The sound quality had its challenges. The conversations went wherever the road took them. And listeners loved every unpolished minute of it.

It's also a conversation about what podcasting looks like now versus then — how technology has made everything easier and somehow harder at the same time. The unrealistic expectations. The marketing costs. The pressure to be perfect. And why none of that matters as much as just showing up and being genuine.

This episode covers:

• The origin and spirit of the OTR segments — recording on the go before there was a studio to go back to
• How raw sound quality became part of the charm rather than a liability
• The spontaneity of on-the-road conversations and why they hit differently than scripted content
• How podcasting has changed since the early SeanGeek days — technology, expectations, and the cost of chasing perfection
• Why authenticity and passion will always outperform polish when it comes to building a real audience
• Reflections on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert and what long-form authentic podcasting looks like at scale
• Shoutout to Corey Morissette, Mixtapes from Hell, and the Cinderella connection that keeps coming back

Mentioned this episode:

• Mixtapes from Hell
• Cinderella
• Stanley Simmons
• Corey Morissette
• Dax Shepard / Armchair Expert

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