The Musician's Guide To Everything

He’s a man of the road.  So much so that he’s technically homeless.  And he likes it that way.  He’s been touring with all your favorite bands for the last 20 odd years as a tour manager, and engineer.  From Boz Scaggs to Bright Eyes to My Morning Jacket to Neko Case to Spoon and Father John Misty, he’s been all over the world making shows happen.  He’s the guy you want on your team when you’re out on tour.  This is a great conversation about life on the road and how to make it work long-term.  A lot of great info for aspiring tour folk and a lot of laughs as well.  Give it a listen.

Darren Baum is the owner and engineer at Sonic Piranha.  He's the one-man band Ripples in Runoff.  He's the technician behind the podcast. He's the fun-loving, easy-going engineer/producer of quite a few wonderful records.  We're talking about the history of Sonic Piranha, recording, studio life, and the art of music and what to expect when going into the studio.  

A powerful voice, amazing songs, and an inventive, curious mind conspired to form this lovely human's intriguing musical adventure.  From Vancouver to the Sonoran desert to Chicago, Vermont and beyond, she's been enriching music scenes, recording loads of critically acclaimed records, and touring the world.  And all on her own terms.   The New Pornographers, Case/Lang/Veirs, The Sadies and many others have all benefited greatly from collaboration with this wellspring of energy and creativity.  You will definitely want to hear this insightful and joyful conversation with one of the greats.  

Ethnomusicology.  That's right.  Rich is an expert on human cultures and their musical goings-on.  Which comes in handy when you are curating one of the largest collections of musical instruments in the world, the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM).    But it's not all just book learnin'.  He's a champion banjo player and not too shabby on the guitar and mandolin too.  He's also a driving force in the effort to communicate the value of art and music in people's lives.  Come on in and enjoy this wide-ranging conversation about instruments, music and the human drive to create it.

An interesting life makes for an interesting dude.  And Joe Vallee has had a very interesting life.  He builds and repairs guitars, teaches at Roberto-Venn school of Luthiery, and has been the long-time guitar tech for the Doobie Brothers.  He's been all over the world and rubbed elbows with quite a few of the biggest bands of all time.  He spent some time as a runner in Chicago where he was responsible for such things as getting a couple  hundred pounds of dry ice for Pink Floyd and retrieving Phil Lesh's briefcase from his hotel room.  Find out what was in that briefcase and much, much more in this fun-filled episode.

Dana Armstrong.  A strong name for the stronger force behind the pioneering Phoenix music machine known as Valley Fever.  The legendary Sunday night country music party where she  spins loads of her favorite country vinyl and even lets some bands play.  Her Quarantine (way before COVID) shows are legendary for their all-day fun and huge roster of bands and the creation of one of the best country music scenes anywhere.  Dana is also one of the founders of the reinvented music venue, restaurant and bar called The Dirty Drummer in Phoenix.  She's get talent, ambition, vision and is one of the coolest, most genuine people you will ever meet.  Come on in and see what she's up to!

Where to start.  Actor, author, punk rock pioneer John Doe called in from the road in Montana where he is no doubt thrilling throngs of campers with his riveting campfire performances.  Add this to the long list of contributions to the world of musical and performance arts.  We talk about his new book about the early LA punk scene, his continued work as co-founder of the legendary punk band X, his unusual acting career and his thoughtful insight into living in the times of COVID.  He's truly one of the greats so come on in and get a brain-full of truth and wisdom from this legendary human.

You may know him as the organist for the Boston Red Sox, or as a keyboard player for bands such as The Split Squad and Jim's Big Ego, or for his live-streaming show "7th-Inning Stretch", or from his work at a small school referred to locally as Harvard University.  This Boston icon is a very busy man and we are very excited that he took the time to hang out for bit and share some fantastic stories and unique experiences.  Come on in and join us for a great hang with a damn fine human being.

Country-soul singer Sundance Head calls in from the road to talk about winning "The Voice" and living a life on the road.  He's a touring machine playing hundreds of shows a year and has some valuable insight into what happens after you win one of these iconic contests.  Spoiler alert, it's not that great.  He's got a big personality and a big voice and tells a great story so come on in and hang out for a bit. 

Arizona native and Phoenix institution Mark Zubia comes to the studio to talk about his bands, his songs, and his enviable career as a musician.  He was a founding member of the band Chimera who later morphed into the Pistoleros and scored a major label recording and publishing deal.  Mark continues to write, record and perform solo with his band Los Guys and various acoustic projects.  He's a great songwriter, a fountain of stories and a damn fine human being so grab a download give it a listen.