Scott’s in Lancaster tonight with the LIFERS movie — so we figured we’d run this in lieu of an actual episode: A recording of Ben, Gabe & Scott presenting a showing of LIFERS: A LOCAL H MOVIE to a packed house in Hobart, Indiana on January 2nd of this new year. Special thanks to the great audience and crew at the Hobart Art Theatre. We had a great time!

Ho ho ho and all that jazz!

Christmas is here so be of good cheer

More LIFERS you say? Well have no fear!

Far be it for us to brag and to boast

but we've got Steve Economou and Paul Zamost!

That's right, a yuletide visit from The Effigies

On show day at the Metro, if you please.

Plus, Max Headroom, hissing at the Music Box, and a Family Feud edition of WHAT'S THE BEST?!?

Help! We’re trapped inside our 200th episode and we can’t get out!!! The celebration extravaganza continues into a second week with a fond look back at our favorite episodes — featuring a legion of special guests (both past and present) that includes Kelly Wey, Kyle Kinane, Jeff Murphy, Andy Gerber, Walter Schriefels, Tamar Berk, Michael Alago, Kay Hanley, Rick Ness, Rick Froberg, Blake Smith, Max Crawford, Jess Margera, John McCauley, Joe Bosso, Chip Z’Nuff, Justine, and Scott’s dad. This one’s a doozy!

200 episodes and we still haven’t solved the mystery of Zoetrope. On this tenscore extravaganza we welcome our favorite panelists Steve and Mahmood to help us celebrate, reminisce, and (most importantly) try to put the whole Iron Maiden vs. Replacements debate to bed.

You probably wouldn’t think that becoming a tattoo-sporting member of the FBI-listed Insane Clown Posse Juggalo gang would lead to a long career in the music business. But according to Bob Lugowe — you’d be wrong. And seeing as how Bob is one of the most stand-up dudes we’ve ever encountered in this biz; we can’t really argue with the results. On this episode we talk to the Brutal Panda honcho about running a record label, working at Relapse, starting out on the Local H street team, having the cool mom, Sony, Beyonce, Priest, Mariah, Christmas downloads, alt-rock reissues, the late Mike Lara, Fight Amp, Couch Slut, Cherubs, and we play an insanely/brutally hard round of WHAT’S THE BEST?!? featuring Prince.

Lorri Francis was there. She doesn’t remember a lot of it, but she WAS there. On this episode we talk to one of Chicago’s great movers and shakers and connectors about Medusa’s, the Rock Room, Cubby Bear, Double Door, G.G. Allin’s chair upholstery, Rights Of The Accused, Death Angel, Gabe’s tattoo, the P.P.P., whippets, the continuing saga of Zoetrope, Mark Stephens, Tom Popp, Joe Shanahan, Wrigleyville Tap, The Rolling Stones, Richard Ashcroft, D.D. Halloween shows, Nirvana hatred, and Jesus Christ LIFE MOVES FAST!!! As usual, we had a great time catching up (and trying to KEEP up) with the great Lorri Francis. We love you!

Frank Phobia is a sweetheart. He’s also the leader of Anthrophobia (who happen to be releasing their new J. Robbins produced record GOING OUT SWINGING on the 22nd of this month). But mainly — he’s a sweetheart. One that has been a low key hero to countless touring bands that have made their way through various venues in Pennsylvania for God knows how many years. The man’s an institution. On this episode we talk to Frank about his mentor Carol Schutzbank, Chameleon Club, bouncing around PA, major label lessons, pseudonyms, being a punk-rock pillar, Steve Harris, Bob Stinson, booking Local H, booking the Local H movie, Zoetropolis vs Zoetrope, pussy and money, Lititz, hair farmers, Rights of the Accused, New Coke, and WHAT’S THE BEST?!?: 1985.

Jesse Malin is about as New York as you can get. How New York is he? Well, he’s in a Martin Scorsese movie for starters. Jesse got his start in the hardcore band Heart Attack before pivoting to the rough and ready D-Generation in the ‘90s. After that band’s demise, Jesse made an even harder pivot when he turned to his acoustic guitar and released the Ryan Adams-produced THE FINE ART OF SELF DESTRUCTION — in effect, reinventing himself as a rock and roll troubadour and NYC ambassador. And then about a year and a half ago, Jesse suffered a rare spinal stroke that threatened his ability to ever walk again. But in true LIFER fashion —and with the help of his community and his friends— Malin has soldiered on and is gearing up for a pair of benefit shows at the Beacon Theater on December 1st and 2nd that will mark his return to the stage. It’s a pleasure to have Jesse on the show this week to put some shit into perspective for us and talk about Johnny Thunders, CBGB’s, Bruce Springsteen, Ian Hunter, “Bringing Out The Dead”, Green Day, Rickie Lee Jones and a WHAT’S THE BEST?!? with The Clash. The future is unwritten, everybody!

Full of anxiety about the upcoming election? Well, in troubled times it’s good to know that you can still rely on your friends. So join us —and two of the show’s best friends: Steve “Sleeve” Reidell and Mahmood Shaikh— as we take a long, lighthearted LIFERS-look into the yawning American abyss. You’ll laugh. You’ll definitely cry. And you’ll be faced with Dennis Quaid’s asshole. But one cannot live on fear and loathing (and Dennis Quaid’s asshole) alone — so here to save the day is PAVEMENT (just like in the ‘90s!!!). We talk about their great new movie directed by Alex Ross Perry and then we pick our favorite songs by the magnificent slackers from Stockton. PLUS: Steve Reidell outdoes himself (trust us — you’re gonna want to stick around for the final song). Happy voting, America!

It’s been just over a week since the two events that constituted the “grand finale” of Local H’s WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P. J. SOLES? 20th anniversary tour — but Scott’s head is still swimming. Both the LIFERS movie screening at the Music Box and the epic 3-hour set at Metro have left him feeling like a bit of a whisper of a husk of a shell. So forgive us while we perform a post-tour postmortem to sort it all out. It’s a decompression process that includes werewolves, harmonicas, Paul Di’Anno, Freddy Kruger, cartoonish physical reactions, future LIFERS screenings, P.J. encores, Gabe’s acting process, Eddie Mahoney, and we answer some burning questions from our listeners.