Generally speaking, science fiction authors starting religions is a bad idea

John Scalzi likes pie.  Of course, a lot of us like pie, so that's not the reason I wanted to talk to him for this very special episode with the number on hundred on it.  John Scalzi happens to be my favorite author at the moment, but that's also not our main topic of conversation.  No, dear listener / reader, I'm staying mostly on brand here, and we talk about music.  Scalzi is a musician who lives in Ohio, just like me!  What…

It's pretty cool to live in a place that has a venue where you can see 50 free concerts a year.  That place for us is Levitt Pavilion Dayton, and my guest of honor is their Executive Director, Lisa Wagner.  How do they make sure the concerts are diverse?  How much work does it take to put on a show at Levitt?  How in the world can they afford to deliver 50 concerts without charging for admission?  You'll learn the answers to these questions in this episode.

Levitt Pavilion Dayton

I've actually used this photo of OriSoaring before, back when I did an email interview with her for my blog. We were overdue for a podcast chat, so here she is!  Ori's a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and painter.  You'll get a look into her creative mind in this conversation.

LINKS

Instagram

Soundcloud

Facebook

YouTube

I get funny when I get irritated or mad…

The last time I was in Los Angeles, I found myself at a local comedy show.  There were a handful of funny folks there, five or seven performers.  LeeAnn Tooker was one of them.  She made me laugh.  I wanted to learn more about how she approaches her craft, and she was kind enough to agree to talk to me for this episode. She's an actress and a writer, in addition to being a stand up comedian.  How did she get started in comedy?  How much does emotional trauma have…

The ways that we can be broken are also part of the pieces that put us back together…

Briget Boyle is a songwriter with new single called “Mandolin” out today!  This is the second single from her upcoming album, Heartbreak Residue.  We get into Briget's writing process, the meaning behind this particular song, and detail on Briget's background in the music industry. There is some real poignant moments in our conversation, and you'll really get to see into Briget's heart in this conversation.

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Official…

Deep down, I'm a softie

Nora Rahimian is an anti-capitalist business coach and fascinating individual.  Nora is well-traveled, multilingual, thoughtful, and a strong communicator.  She was the first music manager in Liberia.  Who makes the ideal client? What did her childhood smell like?  What does it mean to be “anti-capitalist" in business?  You'll learn the answers to these questions and more from our conversation.

LINKS

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LinkedIn

It fascinates me how people have such different backgrounds, but we still come together... and we make music together as one unit...

Simona Smirnova is from Lithuania, but currently based in New York City.  She's a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, teacher, generally interesting person, and true music professional. She specializes in the kanklés, which is a traditional Lithuanian instrument.  (I'd tell you more here, but I want you to listen to Simona talk about it.)

Simona has just…

It's about the right people seeing your product, it's not about the masses...

Josh grew up in Middletown, Ohio. Liv grew up in Australia.  They both live in Los Angeles now, and are both musicians and filmmakers. They are currently on the road promoting a new independent punk rock feature film called Wrong Reasons.  Josh wrote and directed the film.  Liv produced and starred in the film.  Kevin Smith is executive producer.  Cameron Mosavian composed the film's score.

Josh and Liv are on the road…

Exactly one year ago, on 30th December 2021, Juliet Fromholt joined me for a chat about our favorite albums of 2021.  I released that conversation the next day, 31st December, and it was Episode ½ of this podcast.  It was so much fun, I just HAD to have her back this year. Taylor Ruckle joins us for this conversation.  You might remember him from Episode 27 and Episode 43, where we talked about our favorite albums of the first and second quarters of 2022 respectively. 

All three of us are completely…

This is about to be you and I on an adventure that may sometimes appear to be a little bit more rough and unrefined than what you may be accustomed to, but it is genuine

You might remember talented Dayton-based rapper TINO from a previous appearance on my blog.  He's on the podcast today, because today is Bandcamp Friday when they waive their cut of artist payments, and he has a new album over there right now.  Midwest Sorrow covers different sonic and emotional ground than TINO's other work.

How did…

that train has sailed...

Brandon Berry makes his triumphant return to the podcast for this episode. He directed my latest music video, which was released on Tuesday, June 21st.  The idea behind this conversation was for us to talk about that, but as you'll soon see, our conversation went in all sorts of completely different directions. In the links below, you'll find several of my videos that Brandon directed.

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Music Video for "Str8 Up Downhill From Here"

Music Video for "Hold the Wick"

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It wouldn't make sense for me to call this 'For Dayton By Dayton' if it doesn't encompass everything Dayton has to offer... I want inclusion in all aspects... this is a city-wide house party...

I welcome my first rapper to the podcast with K. Carter.  Carter is based in Dayton, Ohio.  He is a poet, artist, and small business owner who clearly loves the Gem City and has a desire to bring people together. His most recent album, The Prototype, was released this year.  You'll learn what he is up to…

Taylor Ruckle is a freelance music journalist who has written for Post-Trash, Flood Magazine, and Merry Go Round, among others.  We had a lovely chat a couple of years ago when he was writing for The All Scene Eye, and if you wish to do so, you can still listen to that conversation here. For this conversation, well, one fourth of 2022 is already gone. Both Taylor and I put on our music fan hats and talk about our favorite albums of the year - so far.

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Taylor's interview with Elise from Oceanator

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Bux and I had this conversation back in December 2021.  We talk about Fountains Of Wayne, the brilliant self-titled debut album from one of our favorite bands. We talk about how these songs make us feel. We talk about the twinge of melancholy lurking just beneath the surface in insanely catchy power pop.

Adam Schlesinger, one of the two songwriters in Fountains Of Wayne, died two years ago today, on April 1, 2020.  (This was early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and sadly, millions of people have since died…

I love putting together videos to a rhythm and music videos are a great way to do that

In what may very well turn out to be a decision I live to regret, I present to you my conversation with Brandon Berry mostly unedited. We had this conversation on Wednesday, December 22nd of last year, after the shooting of the first music video for "Hold the Wick".  Brandon directed 7 of the 8 music videos that accompany the various versions of "Hold the Wick". I think the first one is a quality work of art, and I…

higher education... has very little to do, I've found, in my experience with really being intelligent and clever, it has more to do with wherewithal, determination, and stick-to-it-iveness...

Doctor Jenny and I have the nerdiest conversation on my podcast thus far. We talk about science, education, art, board games, science fiction, and music.  Would it surprise you to know that stress has adverse effects on one's performance, whereas proper diet and exercise improve performance?  Probably not, but…