A career roadie (B) sits down with creators, artists and other interesting people he has met along the way. (L) runs the socials.
© 2026 Burn the Lease
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A career roadie (B) sits down with creators, artists and other interesting people he has met along the way. (L) runs the socials.
© 2026 Burn the Lease
Copyright: © Bernie Guerra and Lisa Lederman
This week we sit down with John Zaskoda, the production manager for Billy Bob's Texas also known as “The Worlds Largest Honky Tonk.” Located in the Ft. Worth Stockyards, Billy Bob's host some of the biggest names in music entertainment as well as regional acts and up-and-comers. John walks us through what a normal day looks like for both small and big shows. We talk about the various jobs he’s done (and excelled) in the past, and what he’s doing now outside of Billy Bob’s.
On this week’s episode we sit down with Dallas based country singer, Big Joe Walker! We talk about what it was like for him growing up playing piano and how he tried to create a trio out of a duo with his best friend and drummer, Chris Johnson. Joe gives us his thoughts on songwriting, shares a story about the time he was covered in pizza at a Pat Green show, and tells us all about his upcoming album, Countryversal, produced by Jon Jon Traxx.
On today’s show I sit down with my friend and Duran Duran co-worker, Phil Kemp. Phil is a fellow guitar tech who got his start in this business working for Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders) and the story of how he landed the job is even more unbelievable! He also tells me about the time Phil Collen (Def Leppard) played his custom Jackson guitar live, who else he’s toured with, and what he loves about being a guitar tech.
instagram: @philipkemp13
This week we talk to Ian Rendall, founder of The Guitarwrist. The Guitarwrist is a nonprofit organization which repurposes guitar strings donated by artists to make amazing jewelry. 100% of the profits go to a charity of the artist’s choice. Ian talks about how he started The Guitarwrist, the string treatment process, and what he has planned for the future!
In today’s episode we sit down with a guitarist and songwriter who I've known for the better part of 30 years, Ted Levin. Ted heads up a trio called Sweet Crooner who play all the hits from the 50’s and early 60’s. In our discussion, Ted tells us a few stories of what brought him from NYC to Texas, what it’s like playing in the Dallas metal scene and about the time he auditioned for Marilyn Manson.
In this week’s episode we have my good buddy Tim Craven on the show. Tim is a former FOH engineer and tour manager who now spends the majority of his time working out of his home studio. He chats to us about his career with NFL Films, mixing Slayer, and the time he spent with Chuck D! We even talk a little bit about our time on the road together.
Today we sit down with my friend and singer/songwriter, Ben Danaher. Ben is a writer of “sad songs” and takes us through what it’s like to be an independent artist in Nashville. He discusses touring with national artists and breaks down the merch split. Ben also shares a hilarious Waffle House story, what it's like to tour and how he's just making it happen!
In episode 37 we venture out to the City of Angels to check in with guitarist Nick Emde aka Cultprit. Nick plays with the industrial rock band Contracult Collective and we sat down to chat after their recent performance at the Welcome to Rockville Festival. Nick and I have been friends for a long time and I wanted to find out what he’s been up to (musically) over these last few years. I ended up finding out so much about him I didn’t know! I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I did having it.
In this week’s episode we have the pleasure of chatting with the multi-talented Noelle Jordan! Noelle is a graduate of Howard University and works in the live music industry as a lightning designer, stage manager, backline technician and digital media producer. Noelle is a strong advocate for mental health and hosts a podcast called “What’s Up Roadie, How You Doin?” which puts a spotlight on this overlooked topic.
On today’s show I catch up with my old friend and fellow tech, Detrick Lowman. Detrick is the long-time stage manager & drum tech for the band, The Roots. He’s also the Senior Music Coordinator for Late Night with Seth Myers - which makes him one of the busiest guys in the business! Despite working two jobs, he made time to chat with me and break down a typical day in his life. We shared a couple stories and he let us know that it’s okay to fly to Italy and back in 52 hours!