My First Band Podcast

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120 – Kyle Shelstad (Barbaro, Kitchen Dwellers) Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

As a vocalist and guitarist in Barbaro, Kyle Shelstad has toured all over the country, played some massive festivals, shared the stage with lots of notable bands and had his music heard by millions upon millions of listeners all over the world. Long before he started the up-and-coming Minneapolis bluegrass outfit, Shelstad was growing up in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and learning the ins and outs of songwriting.

Recently, while spending some time in Milwaukee between tours, Shelstad spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about Barbaro getting back on the road after more than a year away, the band's forthcoming Under The Covers EP and upcoming appearances at Bonfire Music and Arts Festival and Blue Ox Music Festival. Of course, the conversation also focused on Shelstad's musical past, including the early interest he took in bluegrass while living in the sleepy Milwaukee-area town, high school cover projects, moving to Montana for college and joining Kitchen Dwellers, and moving to Minneapolis and throwing himself into Barbaro after a brief experience with the soul-crushing 9-to-5 grind. Along the way, they talked about Shelstad's favorite experiences from his years on stage, Cher, horse racing and Cedarburg's famed quilting museum.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering, Lakefront Brewery and Blue Ox Music Festival. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Barbaro ("Barbaro").

119 – Caley Conway Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

These days, Caley Conway is fresh off the release of her excellent new EP (Bliss Or Bust), is gearing up to play out again and is also contributing her talents to other accomplished projects like Field Report and OQ. Long before she was putting her stamp on Milwaukee music and hitting her stride as singer-songwriter, Conway was performing at regional and national Irish dance competitions, starting a fake band called The Angels and earning the best money of her career (so far) by singing on a Cool Whip radio commercial.

Conway recently dropped by Milwaukee Record headquarters to speak with My First Band host Tyler Maas about how the pandemic changed her creative approach, her June 4 show as part of Dandy's "Somewhat Unplugged" series and her early artistic attempts. Along the way, she opened up about getting serious about music during her abbreviated time in college, getting a creative nudge while farming in Maui, her stints in Myles Coyne's "Rusty Nickel" band and Cairns, the decision to release music under her own name, and goals she has in the near future and in the long-term.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Caley Conway ("I Love You So Much I Don't Want To See You").

118 – Shane Hochstetler (Call Me Lightning, Howl Street Recordings, Hero of a Hundred Fights) May 28, 2021

Show notes

These days, listeners probably know Shane Hochstetler as the owner, operator and recording engineer at Howl Street Recordings. In addition to recording hundreds of projects from all corners of the Midwest (and beyond!) at his long-running and highly respected studio, Hochstetler is also one of Milwaukee's favorite percussionists. Through the years, he's drummed in renowned bands like Call Me Lightning, Hero of a Hundred Fights, Managra, Zebras, Haymarket Riot, Bad Grades and more. Before that, however, he was a kid living in Rhinelander who was performing at northern Wisconsin bars with his uncle's country band.

Recently, Hochstetler invited My First Band host Tyler Maas to Howl Street Recordings to talk about his lengthy tenure behind a drum kit, his turn to recording and where his career in music all started. Over the course of the conversation, Shane talked about challenges the COVID-19 crisis brought to the recording industry, being on tour with Child Bite when the pandemic made its presence known in the U.S., his country cover band origins and all the memorable moments from his various projects over the course of his 30-year musical run. Along the way, Hochstetler also discussed standout shows (both good and bad), each of Call Me Lightning's outstanding albums, and a new band he's working on called Shit's Fucked.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering, Lakefront Brewery, and Music Go Round Greenfield. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Bad Grades ("Whatja Doo").

117 – Nate Sipe (Pert Near Sandstone) May 21, 2021

Show notes

As a longtime member of Pert Near Sandstone, Nate Sipe has performed throughout the U.S. and Europe, shared the stage with some well-known acts, watched the project become one of the Midwest's most celebrated bluegrass bands, and — along with his bandmates — been instrumental in the growth and curation of Blue Ox Music Festival. Long before he was a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist for the established Minneapolis outfit and thoroughly involved in the development of a massive fest, Sipe was playing grunge in suburban basements, taking a liking to folk and learning to play a mandolin as he searched for people who shared his musical interests.

As he prepares for Pert Near Sandstone's Road to Blue Ox Tour, Sipe found some time to speak to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the upcoming run of shows, what to expect at this year's Blue Ox installment (Aug. 19 to 21 in Eau Claire!) and how his band got connected to the festival. Along the way, Sipe also talked about his own musical history that includes taking guitar lessons, a so-called "revelation" he had in the form of a folk anthology he bought from Best Buy, playing music with strangers while he hitchhiked and hopped trains in his 20s, and some of his favorite experiences he's had with Pert Near Sandstone through the years.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering, Lakefront Brewery, and Blue Ox Music Festival. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Pert Near Sandstone ("Peace Of Mind").

116 – Dr. Frank (The Mr. T Experience) May 14, 2021

Show notes

Frank Portman is better-known to listeners as "Dr. Frank," the musical moniker the singer, guitarist and founding member of The Mr. T Experience has used for close to four decades. Over the course of the seminal Berkeley punk project's long and accomplished run, the band has managed more than a dozen releases, performed all over the U.S. and Europe, and shared the stage with some legendary acts. Even though there have been lengthy breaks and lineup changes through the years, The Mr. T Experience and its ever-present leader are still releasing music, playing shows to packed rooms (in pre-pandemic times, at least) and influencing new generations of musicians along the way.

Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Frank about The Mr. T Experience's impressive over-35-year run, some of the ups and downs the project has experienced through the years, and all his pre-MTX musical endeavors. Over the course of the conversation, Portman talked about the process of collecting "disparate" and hard-to-find Mr. T Experience songs for the third/final volume of its Shards series of releases (pre-order from Sounds Rad now!), the role college radio played in developing his musical taste as a kid, his stint in The Bent Nails in high school, and MTX's opportunity to open for Green Day on a European arena tour (during which audience members threw sandwiches at him). Before the interview's end, Dr. Frank also talked about his career as a novelist, where he feels The Mr. T Experience fits in the punk rock pantheon and much more.

115 – Dan Wolff (Dead Horses, Offend Your Friends) May 07, 2021

Show notes

As a member of Dead Horses, Dan Wolff has performed relentlessly, opened for legendary bands like The Who, toured all over the country with renowned bands like Trampled By Turtles and Mandolin Orange, played at legendary venues like Red Rocks Amphitheater and Alpine Valley, and (along with longtime bandmate Sarah Vos) has earned a reputation as one of Wisconsin's — if not the Midwest's — most accomplished Americana acts. Before he was making a living exclusively as a musician, Wolff was getting in trouble for playing Bloodhound Gang and NOFX covers in high school and killing time in his college years with decidedly less ambitious musical endeavors like Cocktooter.

Recently, Wolff joined host Tyler Maas at Milwaukee Record headquarters (thanks, vaccines!) for the first in-person My First Band recording in more than a year. After the requisite conversation about how weird it was to be in the same room and how excited they both are for the safe return of live music in some capacity, Wolff talked about abruptly ending a tour last March, spending the past year-plus learning how to record, the mixed returns from the handful of socially distant shows Dead Horses tried last summer and reforming an old band (Offend Your Friends) over Zoom. Of course, the discussion also turned to Wolff's musical past, including invaluable music lessons in the small Wisconsin town of Berlin, bawdy bands in his teens, the musical opportunities Oshkosh afforded him, the start of Dead Horses, the band's eventual move to Milwaukee and some of his most memorable on-stage and in-studio moments in the years since.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers"), Dead Horses ("All I Ever Wanted") and NINETEEN90S ("Zombie Apology").

114 – William Goldsmith (Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate, Assertion) Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

Whether you know William Goldsmith as a founding member of Sunny Day Real Estate, as the original drummer of Foo Fighters or from his time in the short-lived-but-outstanding band The Fire Theft, you're absolutely aware of his work. Following his tenures in those world-renowned projects, the accomplished percussionist — citing "musical PTSD" (and actual PTSD) — recently ended his decade-long hiatus from playing music to get back behind the kit with Assertion.

A few weeks removed from the release of his new band's debut album on Spartan Records, Goldsmith spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his decision to return to drumming, the response the new record has been getting and his renewed musical motivation. Of course, the conversation also turned to his past work. Over the course of the conversation, Goldsmith talked about growing up in Seattle and quickly taking to the drums, early on-stage experiences in middle school and high school bands, meeting Jeremy Enigk and playing together in a hardcore band called Reason For Hate, the project that eventually turned into Sunny Day, being invited to jam with Dave Grohl, memorable anecdotes from his time in Foo Fighters, and much more.

113 – James Bowman (Against Me!, The $cam$) Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

As the guitarist of Against Me!, James Bowman has spent the last 20 years performing all over the planet, sharing stages with some of music's most iconic acts and releasing albums that have earned both critical acclaim and commercial success. Before he was an integral part of one of modern punk rock's most celebrated bands, Bowman was a teenager playing in punk and hardcore bands in St. Petersburg, Florida, and working as a tire technician with no idea he'd eventually be performing in arenas and soccer stadiums.

Recently, Bowman spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his two decades worth of experiences in Against Me! and everything that came before. Over the course of the conversation, the guitarist spoke about striking up a friendship with Laura Jane Grace in high school, moving to St. Pete as a teenager and quickly latching onto the city's music scene, his stints in bands like Shot Heard Round the World and The $cam$, the unexpected circumstances that found him joining Grace in Against Me!, the band fibbing its way into a Fat Wreck Chords deal, and being signed (then unceremoniously dropped) by a major label. Along the way, Bowman talked about his love of the Tampa Bay Rays, opened up about throwing the first pitch before a game and discussed his new Bowman Audio Endeavors guitar pedal company.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Against Me! ("Delicate, Petite & Other Things I'll Never Be").

112 – Koo Koo Kanga Roo (Bryan Atchison, Neil Olstad) Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

Over the last 12 years and counting, Bryan Atchison and Neil Olstad have entertained audiences of all ages with the goofy, wholesome and undeniably fun music they make as Koo Koo Kanga Roo. Since its unassuming start as a project initially intended for a college talent show, the duo has performed at venues of all sizes and scope all around the world, spent a summer on the Warped Tour, shared the stage with acts like Frank Turner and The Aquabats, and made videos that have been viewed millions upon millions of times. Before they were a favorite among educators, children and anyone looking for catchy anthems about anything from pizza to fanny packs to Panera Bread, Atchison and Olstad were in a music fraternity and playing together in a folk-rock band.

Recently, the Koo Koo Kanga Roo guys spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about the project's origin, its unexpected rise in popularity and the importance of maintaining an independent approach to releasing their music. Over the course of the upbeat hour-long discussion, Atchison and Olstad talked about working with Lazerbeak on their forthcoming album (Slow Clap, out May 21!), the ways remote learning has changed how they reach people, the process of releasing a record with Mike Park on Asian Man Records, and many of the notable experiences they've had along the way. Of course, the conversation also touched on Neil's punk rock past in Hometown Zeros, Bryan's sordid show choir history, their years as college roommates and much more.

111 – Paul Collins (Paul Collins' Beat, The Nerves, The Breakaways) Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

Over the course of his nearly half-century career, Paul Collins has experienced some dizzying highs, crushing lows and almost everything in between. The "King Of Power Pop" was chewed up and spit out by the music industry in the '80s, only to resurface in the early 2000s with a newfound DIY approach, renewed energy and new listeners who were eager to hear material that never really had an audience the first time around. With his Julliard training, a major label past and thousands upon thousands of shows under his belt from his decades on stage, you can be sure Collins has no shortage of amazing stories to share.

Recently, Collins spoke to My First Band host Tyler Maas about his extensive and altogether impressive history as an artist, his musical origin in a New York basement, his time in The Nerves and The Breakaways, The Beat's unexpected rise to notoriety, his "fallow" years away from music, the path back to performing, and the appreciation he has for his ongoing second act. Along the way, Collins read an excerpt from his new book, talked about his strong connection to the Milwaukee/Wisconsin music scene, discussed his appearance in the music video for a song Midnight Reruns wrote about him and much more.

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