Talk About the Passion

#92: Do It Again (Another Conversation With Michael Brousseau) Nov 15, 2022

Episode 92 is another conversation with my good friend Michael Brousseau. On this episode we talk about rediscovering stuff you were into as a kid before you got turned on to the good stuff from your cool friend at school, and realize that stuff is good as well. This is a long loose conversation about music discovery, music listening habits and not having guilty pleasures. Michael has some really cool ideas and opinions on music, I was happy to have him on again. Check him out on the excellent podcast Gleaming the Tube!

#91: In A Certain Life Before You (Another Conversation With Damien Moyal) Nov 01, 2022

Episode 91 is a conversation with returning guest Damien Moyal (As Friends Rust, Culture, On Bodies, Damien Done and more) On this episode we are talking about his newest project, a death metal band called Ekstasis and their new release, Paralyzing Impermanence. We talk about how this project came to be, what the future holds for the project as well as what some of the differences are making music and being a fan in the hardcore scene vs making music and being a fan in the metal scene. This was another great conversation with Damien who has some great ideas and opinions on music that I am always happy to give a platform to. Check out Ekstasis now!

#28: Low FIdelity (Behind and in Front of the Counter at the Record Shop) Oct 25, 2022

Episode 28 is me alone talking about record stores. Starting at going to Tower Records on Sunset Strip as a kid to working at a few different record stores in New England, and now in the present time being a frequent customer at various shops. I also answer questions like "Does one need nine copies of the same Minor Threat record?", "Can you really impress a woman just by playing a Replacements record?" and many more. Note: This actual 90th episode is Episode 28 because the original Episode 28 has been removed.

#90: Dance in the Pale Glow (A Conversation With Joseph Grillo) Oct 18, 2022

Episode 90 is a conversation with musician Joseph Grillo. Joseph has and does play in a number of bands including Garrison, Gay For Johnny Depp, Her Head's On Fire and Judas Knife among many others. We talk about most of the projects he's been involved in, as well as what it was like to record with J Robbins, the process of recording the Judas Knife record with Drew Thomas at God City. Joseph was great to talk to and has some seriously great music out there, do yourself a favor and track it down!

#89: Sitting Here Like A Loaded Gun (A Conversation About Black Flag With Kevin Grant) Sep 12, 2022

Episode 89 is a loose conversation with my friend and returning guest Kevin Grant about the band Black Flag. We have an essentially open discussion about the band, how we got into them, their records, the 82 demos, the many connections to skateboarding and much more. This was a lot of fun to do Black Flag are one of my favorite bands and it was great to talk to have Kevin on again to talk about one of his favorite bands as well.

#88: Sin’s A Good Man’s Brother (A Conversation With Tony Erba) Sep 06, 2022

Episode 88 is a conversation with Tony Erba. Tony is a veteran of the Cleveland punk and hardcore scene, doing time in a number of bands, Face Value, Fuck You Pay Me, Nine Shocks Terror and many more. In this episode we step a little bit away from the hardcore world and talk about hard rock, boogie rock and not having guilty pleasures when it comes to music. This was a lot of fun to record, Tony is hilarious and a great storyteller. Welcome back to Talk About the Passion.

#87: A Conversation With Ike Turner About Neil Young’s Ditch Trilogy Jan 25, 2022

In this episode I talk to my friend Isaac Turner (Episode 82) about Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy, three dark records from the early 70's (Time Fades Away, On The Beach and Tonight's the Night) that were recorded and released during a period in Neil's life where he was just coming off the huge success of Harvest and the deaths of two of his closest friends from drugs. We have a casual conversation about each of the three records, Ike is a huge fan so it was great to have him talk about these records.

#86: Sing And Make No Sound (Kevin Grant Talks About Wire Lines Harvest Verses) Dec 07, 2021

In this episode I talk with Kevin Grant about the latest record his band Wire Lines released called Harvest Verses. This is Kevin's second appearance on the podcast (First being episode 38) Here we talk about how the new record came about, what it was like to put it together during a pandemic, and Kevin goes into detail about the meaning behind some of the songs on this record. The new record on Blind Rage Records is great and it was great to have him on to talk about it and get some background on it.

#85: Slapnot (A Conversation With Steve Risteen and Jamie Sciarappa) Nov 16, 2021

On this episode I talk to Steve Risteen and Jamie Sciarappa who both did time in the Boston hardcore band Slapshot, and Jamie was also a member of SS Decontrol. Slapnot is a band comprised of dozens of ex-members of Slapshot gathering together to play a show on November 21, 2021 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Slapshot as well as to give fans and friends the opportunity to sing on stage with various members providing the music part. We get into how exactly this will work, what it's like playing these songs this many years later as well as their time in Slapshot in the 80's into the 90's. Although short, this was a great conversation and I am looking forward to seeing this live!

#84: Point of Entry With Bob Mayo (Pt. 1) Nov 09, 2021

Episode 84 sees Bob Mayo return for a third appearance on the podcast, this time we are talking about the "point of entry" phenomena wherein the first record you hear by an artist orients your idea of what they should sound like. We talk about getting into bands like Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Cheap Trick and Iron Maiden to name a few. When you first heard Judas Priest did you then move backwards through their catalog, or were you there for the beginning of some of these bands? We talk about the new Iron Maiden record and what other bands are still putting out solid records as well as how being a fan of music and a collector informed how he presented the excellent reissues of his band Wargasm. Look for a second episode soon where we get into underground and thrash metal!

#83: Another Time‘s Forgotten Space (A Conversation With Drew Stone) Oct 12, 2021

In this episode I talk with film director, producer, musician and host of the New York Hardcore Chronicles about his life as a fan of the Grateful Dead. As someone prominent in the early Boston hardcore scene as well we go from Radio City Music Hall seeing the Dead in 1980 to the Gallery East seeing bands like SSD and Bad Brains. What's it like to hang in both of these scenes? With Drew's great story telling skills and sharp memory he paints a picture in an hour that is interesting the whole way through.

#82: Where Ya Been (A Conversation With Ike Turner) Oct 05, 2021

Episode 82 is sort of a two part episode. The first 1/3 of the episode I talk about seeing King Crimson this past summer as well as some other updates. The rest of the episode is a conversation with my friend Isaac (Ike) Turner. Ike is an English professor from Kalamazoo, MI who teaches a class on the history of rock and roll. We talk a bit about that class, how he got into music from punk rock stuff like the Circle Jerks and later in life the Grateful Dead. This was a lot of fun to record, this was my first time ever talking to him on the phone and the casual lad back nature of the conversation made Ike a great guest I'll definitely have back on.

#81: Back To School Again (Another Conversation With Eric Komst) Sep 28, 2021

Episode 81 is a conversation with my friend EK who has played drums in Sick Of It All, Warzone and many others. This is his second appearance on the podcast and we talk about his time in Warzone a bit more and what it was like working with Dr. Know, what he's been up to lately on the musical front (Note: The musical project EK talks about in this episode no longer exists, unfortunately this episode was already done and edited before that!) This was a fun talk, it's always great to catch up with people you've known forever.

#80: Take What Is Bold (A Conversation With Eddie Sutton) Sep 21, 2021

Episode 80 is a conversation with Eddie Sutton, best known as the vocalist for New York Hardcore/crossover band Leeway. In this hour plus casual conversation Eddie gives an update on his health (Eddie was diagnosed with cancer in early 2020), talks about the importance of being a hardcore kid, drug addiction, touring with the Bad Brains and how he keeps his head up and maintains a humble, down to earth hopeful person throughout all of the ups and downs life has dealt him.

#79: All The Aces (Another Conversation With Keith Bennett) Apr 27, 2021

On episode 79 I talk to my friend Keith Bennett (Boston's Wrecking Crew, Panzerbastard) for the third time. Keith gives me a deep and personal insight into his last year which began extremely dark as he talked about on Episode 57 to the present sober Keith. This was one of the most candid conversations I've had on this podcast and I'm glad Keith wanted to share his story of sobriety. The honesty and happiness in his voice even when talking about some intense and dark times makes this one of my favorite episodes I've done.

#78: Band Spotlight - Euro-Asia Band Apr 20, 2021

Episode 78 is part of a new series of episodes focusing on a new or up and coming band. On this episode I talk to leader of Miami, FL band Euro-Asia Pedro Ortiz about how he came up in music as well as his process creating music alone and with various different players. Included in this episode are three songs from the new release Signals: A New Vision, Remote World and You Thought Wrong. The Signals release is available on all streaming platforms as well as on their Band Camp page https://euro-asia.bandcamp.com/

#77: Restless Movement In An Empty Room (A Conversation With Brian Gathy) Apr 06, 2021

Episode 77 is a conversation with Brian Gathy. Brian hosts the excellent podcast End on End which is covering the entire Dischord Records catalog by release. Brian along with his co-host Jeff do an amazing job digging deep into these records, and have had a who's who of Dischord related folks on the podcast. We of course talk quite a bit about Brian's time getting into music in Washington DC, seeing shows at The Wilson Center and we talk about the process of podcasting, something I was looking forward to talking about. Great conversation, great guest. Brian will definitely be on the podcast again.

#28: Stuck Inside Providence With The Memphis Blues Again Mar 30, 2021

Episode 28 is a quick update on the podcast and an excuse to fill in two old episode numbers that needed to be replaced. There is a quick 7 Seconds story here as well as some cool news about the podcast. A regular conversation episode will be back next week. This episode includes the song "Skies Filled With Wizards" from my old band Presley.

#76: Somewhere In Time (A Conversation With Steve Brooks) Mar 23, 2021

Episode 76 is a conversation with Steve Brooks, Steve is best known as the guitar player and singer of bands Torche and Floor. I've been a big fan of both of these bands who play some of the heaviest and catchiest music around. We get into where that inspiration came from to create the music in those bands, starting like a number of my guests, with Kiss, and we end up in the present where Steve gives me an update on what Torche has been up to so far in 2021 (hint: new music has been recorded) Steve was a great guest, as one of my favorite musicians working today I appreciate him taking the time to chat.

#75: Remember Tomorrow (Another Conversation With Bob Mayo) Mar 16, 2021

Episode 75 is another conversation with Bob Mayo of the Boston area metal band Wargasm. This episode almost serves as a prequel to the first one we did (Episode 27) where we mostly talked about the history of Wargasm. Here we talk about the music that Bob grew up with starting around 1978 with Sabbath and Kiss, hitting the NWOBHM in 1980 and going up to around when thrash metal hit. Bob is a great storyteller and loves talking about music, I'm glad we were able to talk again and plan to do some more episodes in the future.

#74: Rip It Out (A Conversation With Fred Estby) Mar 09, 2021

Episode 74 is a conversation with founder of death metal band Dismember, Fred Estby. Dismember were a pioneering death metal band out of Sweden and Fred I talk about how that band came about as well as his roots way before that in the metal tape trading world. Fred is an amazing story teller, check out his story about Dismember facing obsenity charges in London because of one of their records. This was one of the episodes that made me remember why I like doing this podcast. Thanks Fred!

#73:Just Making Noise (A Conversation With Kenny Chambers) Mar 02, 2021

Episode 73 is a conversation with Kenny Chambers who is most notable for Moving Targets as well as playing in a number of other bands including Jones Very and Bullet Lavolta. We talk about the history of Moving Targets, the different lineups he's had through the years including how he hooked up with his current rhythm section who are amazing and have recorded a bunch of new music including 2020's excellent Humbucker record. Kenny is one of my favorite songwriters of all time and is a humble and nice guy, I'm glad I was able to hear some of these stories.

#72: Came Without Warning (A Conversation With Enoch Thompson) Feb 23, 2021

Episode 72 is a conversation with Enoch Thompson who you may know as Skeeter Thompson. Enoch has played bass for the band Scream for over 40 years now. Rather than start at the beginning of time like I normally do we start in 1981 and talk about his time in Scream from their first tour with Government Issue to trips to Europe, recording various records and more recent shows all the while forming a family like bond with his bandmates that still exists today. Enoch also talks about a number of current projects as well. Music is in his DNA and his bands music has been a big part of mine so it was great to talk to him here.

#71: Expectations Exceed Reality (A Conversation With Nathaniel Shannon) Feb 16, 2021

In this episode I talk with photographer Nathaniel Shannon about his journey from Michigan to New York, photographing such artists as King Diamond and Dismember to marches in New York after the murder of George Floyd. All of his stories are great and he's extremely passionate about all of his work as you will hear in this episode. I will definitely have Nathaniel back on in the future.

#70: A National Acrobat (A Conversation With Chris Johnson) Feb 09, 2021

Episode 70 is a conversation with Chris Johnson. Chris is recording and mix engineer from the Boston area who also plays in the bands Summoner, Deafheaven and Doomriders. We talk about how he got interested in the sound end of music as well as performing music. How he got into the band Deafheaven and what that's has been like. Chris has his hand in a number of different projects and is extremely passionate about all of them which made him a great guest for the podcast.

#69: Why Be Something That You're Not (A Conversation With Al Quint) Feb 02, 2021

Episode 69 is a two hour long conversation with my good friend Al Quint. With his fanzine Suburban Punk which turned into Suburban Voice Al reached countless people with issues packed with tons of record and live reviews, interviews and photographs of the punk and hardcore scene. On this episode we talk about his early musical influences from the first show he saw at The Rat with the Plasmatics to how we started his fanzine Suburban Voice. Al has always been a great story teller, I worked with him, was in a band with him so this was a comfortable and laid back conversation that covers a lot of ground, I'm glad some of these stories I've heard him tell and ones I was there for are told on this episode. Thanks Al!

#68: Step It Up (A Conversation With Rich Thurston) Jan 26, 2021

Episode 68 is a conversation with musician Rich Thurston who has played with a number of bands from Culture to Terror to On Bodies and his current projects Treason and Lowest. We get into all of these projects as well as others and what it was like to get into hardcore in Florida. Rich has some great stories from that era of his life. A great guest I will definitely have back.

#67: Feeding The Fire (A Conversation With Wes Keely) Jan 19, 2021

Episode 67 is a conversation with drummer Wes Keely. Wes has played with a number of bands, most notably Walls of Jericho, Earthmover and Until the End. On this episode we talk about those and other various bands he has played with as well as the amazing story behind his drum kit sliding prevention technology company KBrakes. I had a great time talking with Wes, a driven and passionate person who is just the type of person I love having on.

#66 No Tolerance For Silence (A Conversation With Josh Welshman) Jan 12, 2021

Episode 66 is a conversation with Josh Welshman. Josh sings for the death metal band Defeated Sanity. In this episode we talk about how he went from being a fan of Defeated Sanity to becoming their singer, their record from 2020 called The Sanguinary Impetus, and their tour with Origin in March of 2020 that was cut short as a result of the pandemic. This was a great conversation, Josh is enthusiastic and passionate about music and made a great guest.

#65: Fire On High (A Conversation With Damien Moyal) Jan 05, 2021

Episode 65 is a conversation with Damien Moyal. Damien has been in a number of bands, notably As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture as well as one of his newer projects Damien Done. We talk about how he got into music, we go through his various bands and what it's like to be a musician in the midst of a pandemic. Great conversation with a very talented and passionate artist.

#64: Watcher Of The Skies (A Conversation With Christian McKenna) Jul 07, 2020

Episode 64 is a conversation with Christian McKenna. Christian started the record label Translation Loss which includes bands such as Mouth of the Architect, Rosetta, Cable as well as some of the bands he's involved in including Hex Inverter and Empty Flowers. We talk about growing up outside of Philadelphia and the music he listened to as a kid. Most of this conversation is very loose and we hit on a lot of different subjects and artists in a short amount of time. It's always great to have guests on with tastes all over the map, and Christian certainly listens to everything.

#63: Search And Destroy (A Conversation With Joel Gausten) Jun 15, 2020

Episode 63 is a conversation with journalist, drummer Joel Gausten. In this episode we talk about growing up in New Jersey, his time as a teenager in the 90's rehearsing with The Misfits who were auditioning new singers at the time, playing in The Undead, as well as Pigface and Electric Frankenstein. We talk aboutwhat it's like to interview famous musicians and not "fanboy" out. Joel is a great storyteller and was a perfect guest for Talk About The Passion, also thanks to his knowledge and love of all genres of music.

#62: Frame By Frame (A Conversation With Douglas Sherman) Jun 08, 2020

Episode 62 is a conversation with Douglas Sherman, guitar player for the Boston based metal band Gozu. Douglas and I had a pretty loose conversation, while we talked about him growing up and how he got into music we talk about life during the COVID-19 pandemic, what the future holds for entertainment as well as funk music, film and a number of other subjects. Douglas is a hilarious guy and is passionate about the music and film he likes which made him a great guest and hopefully we'll get him on another episode in the future.

#61: Mad World (Another Conversation With Randy Larsen) Apr 28, 2020

Episode 61 is a conversation with Randy Larsen, this is the second time Randy has been on the podcast.You may know him from his bands Cable and Empty Flowers. On this pretty free form episode we have a conversation about various subjects including the ending of Cable, a new musical project he's involved in now as well as a bunch of different bands we go back and forth about. This was a lot of fun and I love talking to Randy about music, especially in a loose format like this.

#60: Let It Grow (A Conversation About Cannabis With Julia Agron) Apr 20, 2020

Episode 60 is a conversation with my friend Julia Agron about cannabis and hemp, particularly in Massachusetts where marijuana is now legal recreationally as of 2016. Julia grows hemp and has been involved in many different arms of the hemp and cannabis industry, we talk about the road to getting marijuana legalized in Massachusetts as well as. come of the challenges cultivators are having the last couple of years. This was a different episode than normal but it was extremely informative and I was happy to hang with an old friend.

#59: Deeper Than Inside (A Conversation With Eric Komst) Apr 17, 2020

Episode 59 is a conversation with Eric Komst. Eric grew up in Boston (Jamaica Plain to be exact) and was around music as a kid playing in his first band with friends, including Jordan Knight who would go on to be a New Kid on the Block. Later on EK got himself into a number of great bands like Straw Dogs out of Boston and then of course Warzone and Sick of it All. I had a great time talking to EK, he's a great story teller, a well spoken and good hearted guy I'd definitely have on again.

#58: On Returning (A Conversation With Richard Brown) Apr 14, 2020

Episode 58 is a conversation with Richard Brown of The Proletariat, a Massachusetts based band formed in the early 80's, The Proletariat spent time in the hardcore scene (including tracks on the This is Boston Not L.A. compilation) playing with the likes of SSDecontrol and Minor Threat, while adopting a sound that was part Gang of Four part Wire but with an anger much more intense than most of their counterparts. We talk about how Richard got into music as a kid and go pretty deep into the history of the Proletariat. Richard is a great story teller and was a perfect guest!

#57:Bad Fun (Another Conversation With Keith Bennett) Apr 06, 2020

Episode 57 is a candid conversation with my friend Keith Bennett. This is Keith’s second appearance on the podcast, the first episode (# 14) was an origin story about how he got into music, his bands, most notably The Wrecking Crew & Panzerbastard. Recorded in early April 2020 during the Coronoavirus pandemic this episode starts off pretty dark and then I throw some records at him, the second DYS album, Celtic Frost – Cold Lake, and other divisive albums from our world we talk a bit about those types of records as well as when el established bands would change singers. I had a great time talking to Keith, his love and passion for this music is deep and real and I’m glad I got to take us there for an hour.

#56: Off To Ruin (Another Conversation With Nate Newton) Apr 03, 2020

Episode 56 is a conversation with Nate Newton (Converge, Old Man Gloom, Doomriders) that took place over the phone in late March of 2020 during the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. We talk quite a bit about how this has affected creative people who create for a living, what he's been doing to stay busy and focused. Nate also talks about the great new Old Man Gloom record and what it was like to play his late friend Caleb Scofield's music with Cave In. This episode has some heavy overtones but as always, Nate is a pleasure to talk to and is a great guest for this podcast.

#55: If You're Alive (A Conversation With Duncan Wilder Johnson) Mar 30, 2020

Episode 55 is a conversation with Duncan Wilder Johnson a Massachusetts based musician, writer, spoken word performer, photographer and film maker (He made the excellent Sam Black Church documentary Leave Behind a Groove in the Earth: The Sam Black Church Story) We talk about his time playing music, doing spoken word shows around the world, as well as how he got the Sam Black Church film made. Duncan was a great guest, he's an extremely enthusiastic and passionate story teller and I would love to have him on again.

#54: Help I'm A Rock (Solo Ramblings While In Crisis) Mar 22, 2020

In this filler episode I'm stuck indoors during the Coronavirus pandemic letting you know I'm old and like to tell stories, I tell you how many times you've heard Bungle in the Jungle by Jethro Tull, argue that Stairway to Heaven is not the most overplayed Zeppelin song, recall the last time I was stuck indoors during a snowstorm in 2015. Also tacked on the end of this is the track "Jennifer Lopez" from my old band Presley. This song is occasionally featured at the end of episodes and faded. I figured since it's just me talking I'd leave the whole song. Enjoy.

#53: Emotional Feedback Pt 2 (A Conversation About Neil Peart With Brian And Guy) Feb 26, 2020

Episode 52 & 53 is a two part long, free form conversation with Brian Smith and Guy Wetherbee about the late Neil Peart. Rush is a big band for the three of us and with the news of Neil passing in January of 2020 we gathered to hang out and talk about all things Neil from our first impressions of him to fascinating detail about some of his drum sets through the years. This is a long conversation and it get's silly and/or salty on occasion but the ship is always steered back to Rush and Neil Peart.

#52: Emotional Feedback Pt 1 (A Conversation About Neil Peart With Brian & Guy) Feb 26, 2020

Episode 52 & 53 is a two part long, free form conversation with Brian Smith and Guy Wetherbee about the late Neil Peart. Rush is a big band for the three of us and with the news of Neil passing in January of 2020 we gathered to hang out and talk about all things Neil from our first impressions of him to fascinating detail about some of his drum sets through the years. This is a long conversation and it get's silly and/or salty on occasion but the ship is always steered back to Rush and Neil Peart.

#51: I Don't Belong (Recollections, Collections & Ideas) Jan 28, 2020

Episode 51 is a short episode where I talk about an upcoming project happening with the Boston Hardcore aspects of this podcast, my introduction to hardcore music in Boston in the early 80's and I start off on a sad note and talk about the death of Reed Mullin who I learned died a couple hours before I recorded this.

#50: American Town (A Conversation With Glen Stilphen) Jan 21, 2020

Episode 50 is a great conversation with Glen Stilphen. Glen plays bass in the band Northern Skulls, and got his start playing bass for Gang Green as a teenager during their Another Wasted Night era along with his brother Chuck. We talk quite a bit about his time in that band as well as the time that lead up to that and what he's been up to since. His new band Northern Skulls are great and I'm glad we talked a bit about their formation and song writing process. Glen is a great story teller, funny and down to earth guy that was a great guest.

#49: Careful With That Axe (A Conversation With Brian & Guy About Guitarists) Jan 14, 2020

Episode 49 is a dive into guitar players, and not the same ones you always hear talked about. We talk about the more unheralded guitar players from Jim Babjak of The Smithereens to Geordie Walker from Killing Joke. There are a few more well known names on here but we wanted to shine a light on less-household names. As with other episodes I've recorded with Brian and Guy this one was a lot of fun and the passion the two of them have for everything they talk about here is always front and center.

#48: Get The Lead Out (A Conversation With James Koury) Jan 07, 2020

Episode 48 is a conversation with James Koury of Boston based metal band Meliah Rage. James is one of the original members of the band and in this episode we talk about the long history of the band, from the formation in the 80's to what the band is up to now. James is a great storyteller and has some cool stories about growing up outside of Boston and how he found music and the journey it took him on including a great story about showing up at Boston singer Brad Delp's house as a teenager, becoming friends with Brad Whitford's of Aerosmith's mother and some great touring stories. James is extremely passionate about music, and made the perfect guest.

#47 Till The End (A Conversation With Jeff Morris) Oct 21, 2019

Episode 47 is a conversation with my friend Jeff Morris, Jeff was a founding member of The Bruisers. We talk about his time in that band as well as how a couple of upcoming reunion shows came to be. Jeff grew up north of Boston and talks about getting into music at an early age, his first time at a hardcore show and everything else that happened in between. Like all of my guests, Jeff's story takes a similar path (Although I don't think Kiss was mentioned once!) and he is a great story teller so his memories and thoughts on music are all worth hearing. This was a great episode to record and it was great catching up with an old friend.

#46: It's Alive! (A Conversation With Brian & Guy About Live Records) Oct 15, 2019

Episode 46 is a deep and long dive with my co-hosts Brian Smith and Guy Weatherbee about live records. More than just a discussion of our specific favorite live records, we get pretty loose and open about the live album as an archive of a band at a certain point in time, infamous "fake" live recordings, and we somehow manage to cover everyone from the usual suspects like Rush and Kiss to artists like Dave Brubeck and Sammy Davis Jr. This was a lot of fun to record and there will most likely be a volume two to this one

#45: God Of Thunder (A Conversation With Chris Giguere) Jul 16, 2019

Episode 45 is a conversation with Chris Giguere. Chris plays guitar in the band Conclave, he has also done time in Tenebrae and Panzerbastard. In this episode we talk about growing up in Blackstone, MA which borders Woonsocket, RI. As the title indicates and as a good amount of these episodes go, Kiss is an early influence on Chris so we of course talk a bit about them, as well as other heavy music, classic rock music and everything in between. Chris made a great guest, he and I have a lot of the same ideas and opinions on music and life so this conversations is natural and sounds like I'm talking with an old friend, when in fact we had just met.

#44: Get On The Mic (A Conversation About The Beastie Boys With Brian Smith) Jul 09, 2019

In this episode of Talk About the Passion Brian and I talk about one of our favorite bands, the Beastie Boys. We share our experience first hearing them and what they meant to us early on and what they mean to us now. We talk about their legacy on pop culture, underground music, and hip hop. Going through most of their catalog album by album and song by song, this is a bit of a deep dive but also a loose episode that meanders a tiny bit but mostly stays on course, just like their discography, as we discover here. Join two friends talking about one of their favorite bands.

#43: Loose (A Conversation With Daniel Brockman) Jun 11, 2019

Episode 43 is a conversation with Daniel Brockman. This episode, recorded over the phone, is named after The Stooges song of the same name, the nature of this episode is indeed pretty loose. We don't really get into Dan's former Boston area bands Medea Connection and The Hidden at all but instead focus more on his experiences writing about music, interviewing artists from Danzig to Robyn Hitchcock. Daniel has some unique and fascinating takes on music and I've always enjoyed talking to him about music. His writing has appeared in such places as Vanyaland, Spin and Rolling Stone.

#42: Reaction Making Impact (A Conversation With Brian & Guy About Rush) May 24, 2019

On episode 42 I sit with my co-hosts Brian Smith and Guy Wetherbee and we talk about Rush. Five minutes before we hit record we each wrote down five Rush songs and we would then go around the table and talk about the songs, why we picked them, some we gave a little background and history. We get deep enough that long time Rush fans should enjoy our takes on these fifteen songs but never too far out there that a non fan won't appreciate the conversation and hopefully track the songs down themselves. This is the first round table episode with Brian and Guy and we look forward to doing many more like this as well as other subjects and formats.

#41: Even In His Youth (A Conversation With Duane Bruce) May 07, 2019

Episode 41 is a conversation with Duane Bruce, Duane is best known for his work as a DJ on WFNX out of Boston (Well, Lynn), Massachusetts. He got into radio at a very young age, listening to and eventually working in radio in Maine where he grew up. We talk about his time as a DJ and how he eventually made his way to Massachusetts and everything else in between. Duane is a great storyteller and has some great stories about everyone from Stephen King to Nirvana who this episode is named after. Duane has a current radio show called American Debauchery and also authored a book called Hang the D.J. which talks about his time in radio.

#40: So Long Ago (A Conversation With Kevin Norton) Apr 30, 2019

Episode 40 is a conversation with Kevin Norton. Kevin played bass in the excellent Boston hardcore band Eye For an Eye and now he's still playing music with his current band The Eulogy based out of Southern California. We talk about growing up in Lynn Massachusetts and what it was like getting into metal and hardcore in the early and mid eighties when metal and hardcore were regularly crossing over. Kevin has never stopped and his passion for music make him a perfect guest for this podcast, his work in the labor movement is discussed as well and Kevin talks about how being involved in the hardcore scene has informed his career and work ethic.

#39: Chemistry (A Conversation With Brian Smith and Guy Wetherbee) Apr 02, 2019

Episode 39 is a conversation with Brian Smith and Guy Wetherbee. Brian and Guy are lifelong friends and also collectively have a group called Four Way Anal Touchfight. They talk about the origins of that project here. We spend over two hours talking music from their formative years, sharing music with each other and by the end of the episode you'll understand why the title "Chemistry" (after the Rush song) is so fitting. We talk about everything from Rush to Gorilla Biscuits to Asia to the B-52's and Krokus. As we talk about in this episode Brian and Guy will be appearing on some future episodes as well.

#38: Break My Body (A Conversation With Kevin Grant) Feb 19, 2019

Episode 38 is a conversation with Kevin Grant, this first episode of 2019 is a long episode and it covers a lot of ground. Kevin talks about Fall River, MA where he is from, what it was like growing up there. We talk at length about his experiences singing in a number of bands including The Hidden, Gaskill and his latest project Wire Lines. Kevin has some fascinating ideas about music and what role it takes in his life as well as to people in general. This episode is named after The Pixies song Break My Body, Kevin references the record that song came from (Surfer Rosa) and talks about his experience recording music with Steve Albini. Kevin is an intense and intelligent guy, his ideas on hardcore music and what it means to him are very much in line with myself as well as most of the guests I've had on, he was the perfect guest for this podcast.

#37: My War (A Conversation With Randy Larsen) Dec 11, 2018

Episode 37 is a conversation with Randy Larsen. You may know Randy from his band Cable who have been putting out good quality heavy music since the 90's and are set to release a new record next year as he explains late in this episode. We talk about how he got into music, other musical projects he's been involved in as well as his guest hosting on the Everything Went Black and Metal Matters podcasts. Randy was a great guest for this podcast, his enthusiasm and humble, down to earth personality made this feel like I was talking to an old friend.

#36: Death Comes Ripping (A Conversation With Mark Vieira) Nov 27, 2018

Episode 36 is a conversation with Mark Vieira. Originally from Massachusetts and now on the west coast we talk quite a bit about his time getting into music on the east coast. Mark has been around the music scene in various roles for years, currently he manages a number of bands including 1349, Ringworm, Tombs, The Atlas Moth and The Casualties among many others. Mark has some great insight on the music scene, not just the heavy music scene where he works, but the music industry in general. He knows his stuff and has a lot of great opinions and ideas on music. Mark is a great story teller, his enthusiasm is infectious and he was the perfect guest for this podcast, especially when it comes to passion.

#35: Spillage (A Conversation With Michael T. Fournier) Nov 20, 2018

Episode 35 is a conversation with author Michael T Fournier. Michael has authored a few books including the 33 1/3 series book on The Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime record, his work appears in Maximum Rock & Roll, Razorcake and RS500. We talk about growing up in New England and getting into music, his writing both fiction and writing about music. Michael is a great writer and made the perfect guest for TATP, his enthusiasm and knowledge of music is extensive as shown in his writing, so it was great to be able to sit down and talk to him in person.

#34: Words I Manifest (A Conversation With Brian Coleman) Nov 06, 2018

Episode 34 is a conversation with Boston area author Brian Coleman. Brian has written a few absolutely essential books for fans of hip-hop, Rakim Told Me, and Check the Technique Volumes 1 & 2. His new book, Buy Me Boston is a look at advertisements, flyers and vintage posters from Boston in the 60's, 70's and 80's. In this episode we talk about his evolution in getting into music, and his process writing about music as well as what it's like interviewing people like Chuck D and Ice Cube. Brian is a fascinating guy, a great story teller and a perfect guest for TATP.

#32: I'm So Bored With the USA (Mark McKay and Hank Peirce backpack around Europe in 1988) Oct 16, 2018

Episode 32 is a special episode, Mark McKay, founding member of Boston hardcore band Slapshot and Hank Peirce, long time roadie for Slapshot among other bands get together and talk about a backpacking trip around Europe they took in 1988. This 90 minute conversation is filled with some hilarious and interesting stories, covering just about all of their stops along the way. This is the story of two good friends taking an important and timeless trip outside of the USA in the late 80's.

#31: Restless Dreams of Youth (Angie C Shaw interviews me) Oct 09, 2018

In this special one year anniversary episode, former guest, radio personality and my good friend Angie C Shaw talks to me about where I grew up, how I got into music and how I got to doing this podcast.

#30: Hot Blooded (A Conversation With Scott O'Dowd) Sep 18, 2018

Episode 30 is a conversation with Boston area guitar player Scott O'Dowd. Scott has played in various bands in the Boston area, his current band Cortez are a great hard rock/stoner rock band, and Scott draws influences from all over the place as he talks about in this episode. Scott has a diverse taste in music and we talk about all different types of music from Black Sabbath to Foreigner (who the episode is named for) as well as all of the different bands he's played in including hardcore band Suckerpunch. Scott was a great guest as his passion for music is unparalelled and this conversation shows that throughout.

Episode 29: The Power to Believe (A Conversation With Coleman Rogers) Sep 11, 2018

Episode 29 is a conversation with Boston area photographer Coleman Rogers called The Power to Believe. As you'll hear in the conversation Coleman is more than just a photographer, he has a long history working as a recording engineer, and is extremely passionate about all of the creative outlets he's been involved in. We talk about his beginnings growing up outside of Detroit, through his time in Boston working in various recording studios, up to his process capturing live music. Coleman was a great guest, his enthusiasm and drive is inspiring to say the least.

Episode 27: The Chase Is Better Than The Catch (A Conversation With Bob Mayo) Jun 05, 2018

Episode 27 is a conversation with Bob Mayo. Bob is a founding member of Massachusetts thrash metal band Wargasm who operated between 1985 and 1995. Bob talks about getting into hard rock and metal in the 70's and 80's, how he got Wargasm together and then walks through the whole story of that band. Wargasm were an amazing metal band who have an amazing story and Bob is the perfect story teller to get through all of the ups and downs they went through. Bob's lifelong love of music as a performer and a fan is on display in this episode and makes him a perfect guest for TATP.

Episode 26: Fly Robin Fly (A Conversation with JJ Gonson) May 22, 2018

Episode 26 is a conversation with JJ Gonson. JJ is a photographer from the Boston area who has shot everyone from Youth of Today and the Descendents to Janes Addiction, Nirvana and everyone in between. JJ's photographs of bands on stage, off stage as well as her amazing shots of the crowds at hardcore shows in Boston from the mid 80's to the early 90's are amazing and capture moments in time that are important and historical. JJ is a perfect guest for this podcast, her passion for all different arms of the creative world, cooking, travel and life in general is on full display here from stories of how she got started taking photos for xXx Fanzine, a few Nirvana stories as well as running her catering business Cuisine en Locale and club ONCE Ballroom in Somerville, MA.

Episode 25: Same Old Song And Dance (A Conversation With Mike Lucantonio) May 01, 2018

Episode 25 is a great talk with my friend Mike Lucantonio. I've known Mike since I was a child and we talk about his connection to my family and getting into music as well as his times years later playing with thrash band Temporary Insanity (the story of how his song My Brush was first recorded is hilarious), his time in the seminal Boston band GangGreen as well as numerous other musical endeavors. Mike is a humble, down to earth guy, and absolutely hilarious. Glad to have him as a guest for my 25th episode.

Episode 24: Hand of Doom (A Conversation With Darryl Shepard) Apr 24, 2018

Episode 24 is a conversation with Boston area musician Darryl Shepard. Darryl has played guitar with numerous bands including Milligram, Slaughter Shack, Slapshot, Road Saw and many others. We talk about every single one of these bands and more. Darryl is a very funny guy, a great story teller and is a perfect example of the hard working Boston music veteran. Darryl truly loves playing music and it's clear in this episode as he talks with passion about each one of the many projects he's been involved in.

Episode 23: Restless and Wild (A Conversation With Scott Helland) Apr 03, 2018

Episode 23 is a conversation with Scott Helland. Scott has been playing music for over 30 years, getting his start as a teenager forming the hardcore bands Deep Wound and Outpatients. We talk about both of those bands, as well as his various musical projects he's been involved in through the years and ones that are still very active. Scott is an extremely passionate and intense guy, especially talking about music, so of course he was the perfect guest for the show. Scott talks about the things behind his drive to play music, including a tragic event when he was a teenager that fueled a lifelong motivaton to live life to the fullest. This episode is named after a record by the heavy metal band Accept, which ties into the early part of Scott's musical journey.

Episode 22: Electric Eye (A Conversation With Steve Karp) Mar 27, 2018

Episode 22 is the longest episode yet, at almost two and a half hours. My guest is Steve Karp, guitar player and founder of the New York Hardcore band Yuppicide. Steve is one of the funniest people I know and is a hell of a story teller. Steve is a perfect guest for this podcast, as you'll hear he is intensely passionate about everthing he talks about here and I was glad he talked about so much in this jam packed episode. Listen to Steve talk about discovering music as a young kid with his friends through his time in Yuppicide. Also, most importantly find out if Steve is a Faith guy or a Void guy!

Episode 21: Values Here (A Conversation With Chris Lordan) Mar 20, 2018

Episode 21 is a conversation with my friend Chris Lordan. I met Chris from the hardcore scene when I was a teenager in the suburbs of Massachusetts. We talk about music for the first part of this interview, we also talk about his job in education as well as the book he wrote called The Factory: A Journey Through the Prison Industrial Complex. As you will hear in this episode, Chris is a well spoken, smart and interesting guy with some great ideas and attitudes, a good amount of them developed from his involvment in the hardcore scene early on.

Listen to this episode, and then answer a trivia question for a chance to win a free copy of The Factory: A Journey Inside the Prison Industrial Complex. Details on that are in the intro to the episode.

Episode 20: You Might Ask Me What (A Conversation With Nate Newton) Mar 13, 2018

Episode 20 is a conversation with Nate Newton, most known as the bass player for hardcore band Converge. Nate also is in Doomriders and Old Man Gloom. We talk about all three of those bands as well as how he got to work with Cavalera Conspiracy, and we get a bit into skateboarding which ties the whole episode together. Nate is a down to earth, passionate guy and it was great to have him as a guest.

Check out the newest (Nov 2017) Converge record The Dusk in Us on Epitaph and Deathwish Records!

Episode 19: All Apologies (A Conversation With Allison Dick) Mar 06, 2018

Episode 19 is a conversation with my friend Allison Dick. Allison is a stand up comedian in the Boston area. We talk about her experiences in that world as well as her time involved in roller derby in Boston. Allison and I briefly thought about doing a podcast together which we talk a little about. Check this episode out and find out where she'll be performing next.

Episode 18: So Long Ago (A Conversation With Jonah Jenkins) Feb 27, 2018

Episode 18 is a conversation with Jonah Jenkins. Jonah is best known as the vocalist for seminal Boston hardcore/metal band Only Living Witness. We talk about his time in that band as well as other bands he's been involed in like Milligram, Miltown and his current band Rawradarwar. He also talks about a new project he's involved in that sounds great. Although shorter than most episodes this one is full of some great stories, and I finally have someone to talk about the first Boston album with.

PS the title of this episode is a reference to The Freeze song of the same name!

Episode 17: Find The Arise (A Conversation With Buz McGrath) Feb 06, 2018

Episode 17 is a conversation with Buz McGrath, guitarist from the band Unearth. We talk about the origins of that band, some pretty crazy tour stories, as well as the song writing process he uses to write music for Unearth. We go all over the place in this hour long episode.

Unearth are a metalcore band from Massachusetts who formed in 1998 (Note: I mentioned knowing Buz and Point 04 in "the early 90's", I should have said "late 90's", doh!) They are one of the best live acts around. Buz is an amazing guitar player, and a hilarious guy with some great story telling skills as you'll hear on this episode.

Episode 16: Georgia On My Mind (A Conversation With Christopher DeBari) Jan 29, 2018

Episode 16 is a conversation with my friend Christopher DeBari. You may know Chris from his time in Today is the Day, recording the epic Sadness Will Prevail record, which he talks about in this episode, as well as how he joined that band. Chris also tells some intense stories about times music and life collided to create some powerful memories and emotions. I had a great time hanging with Chris and hope to have him on again.

Episode 15: Candy Girl (A Conversation With Angie C. Shaw) Jan 23, 2018

Episode 15 is a conversation with Boston area DJ Angie C Shaw. Angie is a close friend of mine so of course it was a natural conversation. Her lifelong love of music and the enthusiasm to talk about the stuff she loves made her an obvious choice for the podcast. We cover a lot of ground from her early days in radio through the current state of terrestrial radio. Angie is a great story teller and there are some good ones here, including some cool behind the scenes stories with some big name musicians. Angie was on WFNX in the early 90's right as Nirvana broke and into the early 2000's, she now can be heard on the classic rock station WZLX 100.7 FM. Enjoy!

Episode 14: Ace of Spades (A Conversation With Keith Bennett) Jan 16, 2018

Episode 14 is a talk with Keith Bennett. Keith is a veteran of the Boston hardcore and metal scene and has played in multiple bands, most notably Wrecking Crew in the 80's and currently PanzerBastard. Keith talks in length about getting into music as a kid, his stories are intense and hilarious. Keith speaks from his heart and gets into some pretty heavy subject matter at times, and yes there is some salty language on this one. All said, this 90 minute episode is packed with a ton of great stories and I definitely hope I can get him back on for another one.

Episode 13: Definite Choice (A Conversation With Mark McKay) Jan 09, 2018

Episode 13 is a conversation with my friend Mark McKay, founding member of Slapshot. Mark and I talk about all different types of music from The Clash to Kiss and Dead Can Dance, how Slapshot came to be and their role in hardcore history. We share similar stories of meeting a grumpy Henry Rollins, his love of reading and he talks about some amazng writing endeavors he's involved in right now. This was a great chat, Mark has some great stories and any fan of 80's hardcore will enjoy this episode.

Episode 12: Be a Part of It (A Conversation With Kevin Cafferty) Jan 02, 2018

Episode Twelve is a conversation with Kevin Cafferty. We talk about the film he made called It's a Bash about RI band Neutral Nation, growing up in Rhode Island, his radio show he had for a long time as well as his work in television. Kevin is an interesting and funny guy and I learned quite a lot from him.

Episode 11: Something for Nothing (A Conversation With Breaux Silcio) Dec 13, 2017

Episode 11 is a conversation with my friend and former bandmate Breaux Silcio. Breaux and I talk about him growing up in Louisiana. Him moving to Massachusetts and his journeys through different genres of music. This episode is a long one at almost ninety minutes. Breaux is an intersting and smart guy and we talk quite a bit about Rush, Kiss, Sabbath and everything in between.

Episode 10: Baggy Trousers (A Conversation With Kevin Patey) Dec 05, 2017

Episode 10 is a conversation with Boston area musician Kevin Patey. Kevin played in the rockabilly band Raging Teens, and now performs under the name Jittery Jack performing rockabilly/50's inspired rock and roll. He talks about growing up in England and discovering music on the radio, moving to the United States as well as a comprehensive story about how the Raging Teens formed around the rockabilly scene in Boston in the 90's. Kevin is yet another hilarious guest and his stories are filled with anecdotes and details that make him a great guest I hope to have on again.

Episode 9: Out In the Street (A Conversation With Tommy Hardy) Nov 28, 2017

Episode 9 is a conversation with my friend Tommy Hardy. He's sometimes called Tommy Somerville, here he's my friend Tommy Hardy talking to me about music, comedy, the band Kiss, growing up in Somerville, Massachusetts, the infamous "Rosalita Man" video, more Kiss as well as more personal stories. Tommy is a great story teller, an all around hilarious guy. Check it out.

Episode 8: Light My Fire (A Conversation With Richard Guerin) Nov 21, 2017

A long conversation with my friend Richard Guerin who works for Orange Mountain Music, the company that releases the music of Philip Glass as well as other artists. Richard is also part of Salem Classical, bringing live classical music to Salem Massachusetts.

Richard is from the classical music world with little knolwedge of the hard rock music world I come from and I know little about classical music, so this episode explores some of the differences as well as some of the similarities within both worlds.

Episode 7: Red Shoes (A Conversation With Gretchen Shae) Nov 15, 2017

Episode 7 arrives a day late and a little shorter than all of the other interviews I've posted. Regardless, this was a great conversation with my friend Gretchen Shae of the Boston based band The Knock-Ups. She talks about the role her mother and godparents played in her musical development, getting back into playing music after a break for a few years, getting to play on stage with U2 in Boston in front of thousands of people, teaching at Berklee as well as being on the board of directors for New Beginnings Re-Entry Services which helps incarcerted women re-enter society after prison.

Gretchen is an extremely driven person and was a perfect guest for the podcast, enjoy!

Episode 6: Easy Livin (A Conversation with John Brookhouse) Nov 06, 2017

Episode 6 is a talk with John Brookhouse, vocalist and guitar player from Worshipper, a great metal band out of Boston, MA. John talks about getting into music as a kid in Maine, through college as well as some of the other musical projects he's been involved in throughout the years. John talks about how they recordd a Pink Floyd cover for an upcoming tribute to The Wall, as well as his involvement with the new internet radio site Gimme Radio. This is a music nerd heavy episode that is great and covers a lot of different genres and artists, enjoy!

Episode 5: Diary of a Madman Oct 31, 2017

Today's episode is a short one. This is not an interview episode; like the first episode of the podcast this is just me talking. I talk about some myths I heard as a teenager involving Ozzy Osbourne, Dio and Neil Peart, how the larger than life rockstar aren't as larger than life as thet were in my time. I talk a little about growing up in Swampscott, MA and what type of enivornment that was for longhaired teenage outcasts.

I'm working on doing more of these types of episodes in the future. Until then, bare with me wth these! that

Episode 4: Elevate Me Later (A Conversation with Michael Brousseau) Oct 24, 2017

Episode four is a talk with tattoo artist and owner of Hope Street Tattoo in Providence, RI, Michael Brousseau. We talk in detail about his artwork and how he went from an early love of Mad Magazine, to grafitti, to tattooing and everything in between. We spend a good amount of time on hip-hop music as well as 90's indie rock. Michael talks in detail about the infamous "Guilty of Being Delicious" tattoo he did on his close friend.

Michael has a great personality, is hilarious and is a great story teller. The perfect guest for Talk About the Passion, a good friend that can hold an in depth coversation about anything. His passion and love of his artwork and an intense love of music are glaring throughout this conversation.

Episode 3: Dance of Days (A Conversation with Jason Kooken) Oct 17, 2017

Episode Three of Talk About the Passion is an in depth conversation with my friend Jason Kooken. Jason talks about his time growing up in New Jersey, Washington DC and other parts of the country. His time getting into hardcore in Washington DC just as the "Revolution Summer" hit, his time serving in the Coast Guard as well as working as a policeman in Massachusetts. He also talks about his recent injury that almost left him permanently paralyzed as a result of a stage diver at a hardcore show in NJ. His numerous bike tours raising money for families of fallen police officers as well as many other charities.

This was my first interview I did for this podcast, Jason is a great storyteller, an intense, smart guy that has a lot of great things to say. His story and his outlook on life is the very definition of passion.

Episode 2: Look Back & Laugh (A Conversation With Peter Bebergal) Oct 09, 2017

Episode Two is the first "conversation" episode of Talk About the Passion. My guest is author Peter Bebergal (Season of the Witch, Too Much to Dream, The Faith Between Us) We talk about growing up in the suburbs of Boston discovering outsider music, hardcore music, punk rock music, playing Dungeons and Dragons, adventuring into the city and where we're at now with music.

There is a companion Spotify playlist I made with some of the artists we talk about on this episode here

You can buy Peter's books here

Episode 1: Meet the Press Oct 04, 2017

This first episode is an introduction of sorts. It's my introduction to interviewing people, being around famous people, not so famous people and people who love what they do.

Once you get through my umm's and ahh's I talk about interviewing Keith Morris of the Circle Jerks at age 15, feeling taller than Tommy Shaw of Styx at age 7 and where I'd like to see the podcast go in the future.

This is a short episode, around sixteen minutes. I expect most of the interview episodes to be around an hour or so.

Music in this episode is from my band from 2000-2009 Presley.

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