On Episode #73 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, we air part #2 of our interview with drummer/producer/arranger/consultant/et. Elliot Jacobson. In part #2 of the interview, we talk stories from playing late night talk shows, getting super-powers from Serena Williams, playing while bloodied at South by Southwest, and what Ryan was like in high school

Ryan and Cassidy also give a (long) update on Band Together Buffalo, say goodbye to Luis, and play music from The Kalahari Merman Experience, The Last Reign, Ryan and Elliot’s high school band, a new easy way.

NOTE: One correction: Tom Varco is NOT in The Kalahari Merman Experience

0:00 - INTRO

4:28 -  BUT FIRST.. Band Together Buffalo marches on. Round #2 continues!

23:49 - MUSIC - “Lord Funk” (Live at Showplace Theater, circa 2000) by a new easy way

29:27 - INTERVIEW - Elliot Jacobson (continued from last episode)

37:47 - MUSIC - “Monkey’s Uncle“ by The Kalahari Merman Experience

42:43 - INTERVIEW - Elliot Jacobson (con’t)

1:05:06 - MUSIC - “Annihilation of the Ancients” by The Last Reign

1:09:41 - OUTRO

On Episode #72 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast is the first of two episodes with former Buffalo resident (and former band member of Ryan’s) Elliot Jacobson. Since leaving WNY, Elliot has gone on to play for Ingrid Michaelson, Regina Spektor, Elle King and many others. He’s now a producer/writer/arranger/consultant in NYC. We’ll talk about the road that got him there, what it was like when Ingrid Michaelson hit it big, meeting Elle King for french fries the day she got signed and much more! Ryan is also going to yell about wanting to start a local radio revolution and we play new music from John Moore and Missing Star and Genecist.

NOTE: Sorry about the pinging noise in some of the segments. I’ll get my microphone situation figured out for next time. I think I was pounding on the table.

0:00 - INTRO

2:44 - BUT FIRST… Ryan Yells About Entercom

13:33 - MUSIC - “Burn It All Down” by John Moore and Missing Star

17:00 - INTERVIEW - Elliot Jacobson

57:04 - MUSIC - “Rain!” by Genecist

59:50 - OUTRO

On Episode #71 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, the scheduled guest no-shows, but the gang gets Band Together Buffalo volunteer and Farrow bassist Andrew Pillette on short notice. They talk about how to help bands get paid more, the Band Together Buffalo Shutdown Showcase and the importance of marketing and promoting your band.

Luis and Ryan also talk about a recent Buffalo music scene post full of vitriol and play music from Farrow and Organ Fairchild.

0:00 - INTRO

1:45 - BUT FIRST… A toxic post from the Buffalo music scene

24:55 - MUSIC - “Seepin’” by Organ Fairchild

29:02 - INTERVIEW - Andre Pillette

53:53 - MUSIC - “Rise Up” by Farrow

58:40 - OUTRO

On Episode #70, Ryan, Luis and Cassidy interview local music legends, 10,000 Maniacs. We talk about the first time they heard themselves on the radio, selling plasma to pay the rent in Atlanta, opening for the Grateful Dead and much more! We also play a game over “Over 10,000 or Under 10,000” with the band, play music by Stress Dolls, Fungus Amongus and Grub, Ryan defends Spotify, and much more!

0:00 - Intro

1:54 - BUT FIRST - In Defense of Spotify

14:26 - MUSIC - “Airica” by Grub

18:23 - INTERVIEW - 10,000 Maniacs

48:05 - MUSIC - “Mall Walker” by Stress Dolls

51:37 - GAME - “Under 10,000 or Over 10,000”

1:11:04 - MUSIC - “Bird & Caterpillar” by Fungus Amongus

1:14:44 - OUTRO

For episode #69 (nice), we bring you The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast’s Best of 2020 Podcast. In a year that was awful, we still brought you the struggle twice a month with amazing guests, great new local music and some truly memorable segments.

So sit back and enjoy the The Struggle is Real’s Best of 2020

0:00 - INTRO - Welcome to the Apocalypse

1:36 - INTERVIEW - Genecist talks about his headware

5:45 - Ryan, Kevin Kauffman and Chelsea O’Donnell (aka Stres Dolls) talk about Steve Harwell from Smashmouth eating (or not eating) eggs for charity.

9:40 - Ryan and Kelly find the resolution. Did Steve Harwell eat the eggs?

13:25 - MUSIC - “White Man” by Mike Farrow (featuring Anxious Kids Make Good People)

18:36 - INTERVIEW - Eric Crittenden

30:11 - INTERVIEW - Donovan King

33:39 - MUSIC - “History” by Shannon Vanderlaan

37:12 - INTERVIEW - Jaali Cypher

47:15 - GAME - Jon Bon Jovi or Disgraced World Leader with Tortoise Forest

On episode #68 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, Ryan and Luis talk with singer/songwriter Philip Stephen. They talk about the songwriting process, what he’s been up to in quarantine and bar that thinks hippies and bikers can get along. They also play a game of “Green Day Real/Not Real”, play music from Philip and Green Schwinn and Ryan yells about people not returning messages.

0:00 - INTRO

1:35 - BUT FIRST… The Struggle is Real’s New Year’s Eve stream on AllWNY.com, Just Say No!

9:49 - MUSIC - “Sandwiches” by Green Schwinn (Live at Mohawk Place)

12:28 - INTERVIEW - Philip Stephen

35:23 - MUSIC - “Ooooohhh” by Philip Stephen

39:32 - GAME - Green Day Real/Not Real

52:09 - MUSIC - “Merry Christmas, Anyways” by Philip Stephen

55:27 - OUTRO

On Episode #67 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, Ryan and Cassidy talk with singer/songwriter Devin Mullen (Anxious Kids Make Good People). They talk about his prolific album release schedule, his different roles around the Buffalo music scene and his approach to songwriting. Ryan and Cassidy also talk about Buffalo going orange again, the Struggle is Real New Years Eve show on AllWNY.com, and Buffalo Infringement Festival’s Festivus fundraiser. They also play a game of “Excessively Long Band Name or Excessively Long Emo Song TItle”, play music from Anxious Kids Make Good People, Orange Corner, and Kanuton.

0:00 - INTRO

4:16 - BUT FIRST…. Buffalo is orange again, Buffalo Infringement Festival’s Festivus fundraiser (December 26th), our New Years Eve Countdown Show on AllWNY.com.

15:43 - MUSIC - “Dreamers Dream” by Kanuton

19:45 - INTERVIEW - Anxious Kids Make Good People

43:05 - MUSIC - “Truncheon” by Anxious Kids Make Good People

46:45 - GAME - Excessively Long Band Name or Excessively Long Emo Song Title

53:39 - MUSIC - “Hippie Baby” by Orange Corner

1:02:11 - OUTRO

On Episode #66 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, Ryan and Luis talk to Syracuse-based singer-songwriter, Sydney Irving. They discuss Sydney performing on stage with Barns Courtney, how she was able to get management at such a young age and her upcoming album, “Relax With Fiends”. Luis and Ryan also discuss Chuckie Campbell’s upcoming retirement, a huge slate of previous shows and some upcoming Buffalo Infringement Festival fundraisers and play new music from Trick Room (formerly Scathed), nuspeak, and Sydney Irving.

Note: Ryan says that Scathed changed their name to Trick Show a few times, it’s actually Trick Room (and Ryan is an idiot).

0:00 - INTRO

2:15 - BUT FIRST…. New SLA Guidelines (that were updated again after we recorded)

13:31 - MUSIC - “Evertune” by Trick Room (formerly Scathed)

17:08 - INTERVIEW - Sydney Irving

32:53 - MUSIC - “What Have You Done” by Sydney Irving

36:28 - PREVIOUS SHOWS including Before Manhattan, Pompous Rat, Cypher, P3P3, TJ Cutajar, Imperial and an UPCOMING SHOW with Buffalo Infringement Festival’s Virtual Festivus Fundraiser

50:26 - MUSIC - “Deny” by nuspeak

54:00 - OUTRO

On Episode #65 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, Ryan and Luis talk with Tom Varco and Max Davis of progressive rock, electro-space jam band Tortoise Forest. We talk about the joys of naming instrumental tracks, their favorite Western New York venues, and debut two BRAND NEW SONGS of theirs. We also discuss burning bridges for small amounts of money, play a game of “Jon Bon Jovi or Disgraced World Leader” and play music from thrax, Greg Hill and Early Bird.

0:00 - INTRO

1:50 - BUT FIRST… How much is it worth to burn a bridge?

7:58 - MUSIC - “Fuck It” by Early Bird

11:00 - MUSIC - “Tweaking” by Greg Hill

13:31 - INTERVIEW - Tortoise Forest

28:48  - MUSIC - “Squelches Brisket” by Tortoise Forest

34:39 - GAME - Jon Bon Jovi or Disgraced World Leader

44:39 - MUSIC - “Scratch and Sniff, Bait and Switch” by Tortoise Forest

48:24 - OUTRO

51:30 - MUSIC - “Pretty as Peach“ by thrax

On Episode #64 of The Struggle is Real Buffalo Music Podcast, Ryan, Luis and Cassidy talk with singer/songwriter Mike Farrow (MYQ F, Farrow, Lightwalker). They talk about songwriting, his many projects and throwing spaghetti at the walls. They also play music by MYQ F and Farrow, new tracks from CeeGee and Genecist, and The Tines AND a live performance on kazoo by Ryan himself with accompaniment from Amy Connell. They also talk about previous incidental music happenings, the Sportsmen’s Tavern lawsuit, how to treat your band members and much more!

0:00 - INTRO

1:44 - BUT FIRST… Ryan rants about the importance of treating your band members like humans.

5:05 - MUSIC: “Follow the Leader“ by CeeGee and Genecist

9:22 - Sportsmen’s Tavern News & Previous Incidental Concerts

21:50 - MUSIC: “Thin Blue Line” by The Tines

26:00 - INTERVIEW: Mike Farrow

35:01 - MUSIC: “White Man” by MYQ F (with Anxious Kids Make Good People)

39:43 - INTERVIEW: Mike Farrow (continued)

52:14 - MUSIC: “Rise Up” by Farrow

56:23 - OUTRO

58:42 - MUSIC: Ryan’s Rusty Kazoo and Amy Connell