The LIFERS Podcast

Latest Episodes:

169. LIFERS - Scott Quist and Real Rock’n’Roll Movers May 03, 2024

Show notes

When the LIFERS Podcast moved offices and we needed movers — we wanted real movers, real service… real rock and roll. So we called the guys at REAL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MOVERS. These guys delivered rock solid service. If you’re planning a move —residential, commercial, whatever— you gotta call the REAL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MOVERS. Plus their boss man used to play drums in Starball and Moreno (and was also the drum tech for Local H). You’ve seen their cool black skull moving trucks everywhere. That’s them! REAL ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MOVERS. These guys know the meaning of rock!

168. LIFERS - Scott McCaughey Apr 26, 2024

Show notes

Behold the quintessential lifer in these matters: Scott McCaughey. Now this podcast is getting somewhere. Scott was a king of Seattle before it was cool while his band Young Fresh Fellows were roaming the untested wilds of the ‘80s college-rock countryside. This led to now-mythical tours with The Replacements and a crucial and long-standing musical friendship with Peter Buck — which, of course, led to The Minus 5 and Scott being something of a 5th member of REM. From there, he went on to play with EVERYBODY. We’re not kidding. You could do a Kevin Bacon-style six degrees of separation game with Scott that would probably make the universe fold in on itself like a slice of New York pizza. Anyway — Scott’s great. He hung out with us. We are grateful. Take a listen.

167. LIFERS - Jake Burns Apr 19, 2024

Show notes

It’s legend time again around here at the LIFERS podcast. Of all the bands to emerge from the punk explosion of the late ‘70s, few were as adept at fusing melody and fury in quite the same way that the great Stiff Little Fingers were. Seminal in every way, SLF would go on to influence Naked Raygun, Green Day, and pretty much every punk band that ever cared to carry a tune. This week we welcome the voice of that band —a one Mr. Jake Burns— to tell us about growing up in Belfast, seeing Rory Gallagher on TV, soccer, getting a call from Pete Townsend, touring with the Tom Robinson Band, Eric Clapton and Rock Against Racism, soccer, KT’s Kids, Sir Kenny Branagh, moving to Chicago, moving to West Virginia, soccer, and how to cut down on touring without quitting.

166. LIFERS - Kii Arens Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

Twin-Cities ex-pat, L.A. transplant, and Local H’s album cover go-to guy in the ‘00s — Kii Arens joins us on the show this week. But as you’ll hear, all is not smooth and bump-free in podcasting land. Nevertheless, we managed to talk with our ol’ pal about huge boy bands in the UK, singing on KISS records, opening up for DIO as a mime, Jack The Rapper, working at Twin Tone, photo-shoots with P.J. Soles, “12 Angry Months” vs. “Heart On”, brutalism, Liza Minnelli, photo shoots with Dolly Parton, and we TRY to give ABBA the WHAT’S THE BEST?!? treatment.

165. LIFERS - April F-f-f-foolin’ Apr 05, 2024

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Around here at the LIFERS Podcast — we kinda HATE April Fool’s Day. And now you people are gonna hear about it! PLUS: Taco Bell, “Rampage”, a mini-round of WHAT’S THE BEST: Lemonheads, Japanese “Alias” bootlegs, Un-punk Gabe, River vs. Rivers, Joe Flaherty, The Wisconsin Film Festival, “Tuff Turf” vs. Tuff TERFs, dumbbells, and we may or may not be waiting around for Kevin Tihista again.

164. LIFERS - Doni Blair Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

Doni Blair is the kind of lifer that isn’t content to just sit around between tours and wait for the call. He likes to get his ass kicked. Literally. You probably know him as the bass playing dynamo in The Toadies — but an ever growing number of people know Doni as a practitioner, instructor, and advocate of martial arts training. In fact, he wrote an amazing and REALLY funny book about becoming a black belt in his 40s called EVEN IF IT KILLS ME — and you should totally buy it and read it. But even with all that, all Scott really wants to talk about is Doni’s old band Hagfish. So on this episode we do that — BUT we also talk about Willie Nelson, Judo, Doni’s brother Zach, having a DJ for a dad, mailbox baseball, mooning, straight-edge, a new way to say Zoetrope(?!?), first tours with Bad Brains, Only Crime, learning to play bass with a pick to get the Toadies gig, recording their new album with Steve Albini, and —thanks to Doni— the long awaited Iron Maiden round of WHAT’S THE BEST?!? is NOT going to go the way Gabe had planned.

163. LIFERS - What's the Best?!?: Led Zeppelin (with Bruce Lamont) Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

It's been a bit of a rough week over in LIFERS podcast land. Ben had unexpected oral surgery, Scott had to unexpectedly travel, and Gabe is still unexpectedly living in Florida. But don't fear, faithful listener. A few weeks back we played a mighty fun round of What's The Best with Bruce Lamont, and this snowy blowy day in the midwest seems as good as any to share it with you. Enjoy!

162. LIFERS - Kevin Tihista Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

Scott has a lot of friends who are also great songwriters. But none of them are geniuses. Except for Kevin Tihista. This week we finally welcome the legendary singer-songwriter to the show. We talk to Kevin about his musical influences, growing up in Santa Cruz, being an extra in “The Lost Boys”, playing bass for Triplefastaction, the difficult transition to solo artist, embracing life as a recluse, his new band Housesitters, and the valuable advice he received from Bob Dylan. Don’t miss out on this one.

161. LIFERS - Scott Lucas and the Married Men Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Scott’s “solo” band —Scott Lucas & The Married Men— is actually a fairly large and open ended collective of Chicago music scene veterans and dyed in the wool lifers (it’s also a close-knit family of friends, but we’ll get to that). The list of bands that the members of The Married Men have been in (and continue to be in) could make up its own podcast series: The Tossers, Caviar, The Joy Poppers, Cisco Pike, The Cells, The Girls, A Band Called Horse, Sourball, Ness, and Jesus Christ! Our head hurts!! As we were saying — each member of The Married Men is a lifer with their own story to tell. But this isn’t that episode. On THIS episode, Ben and Gabe catch up with the band at the Local H practice space as they get ready to practice for their first show in a year: Playing The Metro in Chicago on March 16 — opening for The Tossers at their annual St. Patrick’s Day show. Topics include: Most of the bands that have already been listed, Double Door Halloween shows, how Randy created the first double Quarter Pounder with cheese, UFO, shitty videos, scary dolls, and THREE(!!!) rounds of Iron Maiden vs. The Replacements. This one is fairly chaotic. So watch out.

160. LIFERS - Bobby Talamine Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

When word got out in 1982 that Wax Trax Records was looking for a house photographer, Bobby Talamine stepped up to answer the call. And he’s never looked back. Still out there photographing and championing bands he loves, you can spot Bobby in the pit of just about any show in Chicago (large or small) — looking to get the shot. On this episode we talk to Mr. Talamine about Gary Numan, sneaking a camera into Led Zeppelin, Skinny Puppy, Depeche Mode, Anton Corbijn, Roger Waters and David Gilmour, Peter Gabriel, Riot Fest with Corey Feldman, Peter Hook and New Order, Gene Ambo, JBTV, Pixel Grip, Sisters Of Mercy, Idles at Lollapalooza, and Gabe vs. Bez.

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