The LIFERS Podcast

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**The LIFERS Podcast**

A LOCAL H podcast with Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez, Ben Reiser, and a revolving door of friends, luminaries and beloved “lifers”.

Latest Episodes:

149. LIFERS - Road Report #18 Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

From a Holiday Inn outside of Rochester: It’s the return of the Road Report! Hang out with us.

148. LIFERS - Joel Spencer Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

There are all kinds of lifers. There’s the lifer that starts a band and then spends their life playing in that band. And that’s great. Then there’s the lifer that starts a band, watches that band fall apart, returns to the hometown scene that made him (in this case the wonderful and influential town of Champaign, Illinois), and then dedicates his life to giving back and cultivating the community around him. And in the process finds a life far richer and rewarding than he could’ve imagined — while simultaneously honoring the very ethos that made him start a band in the first place. Might as well stop being coy about this — we’re talking about our ol’ buddy Joel Spencer of the criminally (CRIMINALLY!) overlooked band Menthol. And his story has got us a bit sentimental and misty eyed over here. Sorry. On this episode we talk to Joel about reuniting a summer version of Menthol, the ‘90s Chicago music scene, the ‘90s Champaign music scene, Honcho Overload, Smoking Popes, Triplefastaction, Capitol Records, lasers shooting out of Louise Post’s mouth, two versions of DANGER: ROCK SCIENCE, that infamous practice space on Broadway, the Winter Dance Party, and the indestructibility of Herb Rosen. This is a good one. We’re glad we know you, Joel Spencer!

147. LIFERS - Michael Tedder Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

This week on the podcast: We can’t stop the plugs! One of our favorite music writer lifers —Michael Tedder!— joins us to talk about his new(ish) book “Top Eight: How MySpace Changed Music” (published by Chicago Review Press, by the way). We also argue/chat about his old(er) articles, Boston (the town not the band), Harvey Danger, the Oughts, Jann Wenner and his beef, Stereogum (that’s a plug), the quaint ‘90s dilemma of selling out, SPIN gaffes, and the magical music year that was 2003. WARNING: This episode doubles as a drinking game. Use caution! Check out Michael’s stuff here: https://michaeltedder.com/

146. LIFERS - Jess Margera Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

Bored teenagers start bands. That’s about as ambitious as they usually get. But Jess Margera and his buddies in West Chester didn’t just decide to start a band — they started a media empire. CKY (the band) went hand in hand with “CKY” the video series — a bestselling string of pre-viral DVDs (and VHSs) that featured skateboarding, proto-Jackass pranks, and music from Margera’s band. Juvenile delinquent entrepreneurialism at its finest. These days, Jess spends his off-time from CKY with an impressive roster of extra-curricular bands and recording projects that include The Company Band, Viking Skull, and Sovereign Eagle. The dude is inexhaustible. PLUS!: In honor of Black Friday, we pick the best songs with “black” in the title. And oh, yeah — we’ve added a second LIFERS LIVE! show at Gman on January 1st. Sorry, Colin! Get your tickets here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/84718562/

145. LIFERS - Gabe Rodriguez’s Thanksgiving TV Corner: WKRP Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! On this special mini-edition of The LIFERS Podcast we discuss the greatest Thanksgiving TV episode of all time: Episode 7 of WKRP IN CINCINNATI — “Turkeys Away”. Oh, the humanity.

144. LIFERS - What’s The Best?!?: Green Day Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

Okay! We’re doing this. Whether Ben likes it or not. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of their major label debut —DOOKIE— we try and pin down the best (WHAT’STHEBEST?!?) Green Day song. Ben bitches and moans, Gabe waxes rhapsodic about the band’s glory days on Lookout! while Scott defends the move to Reprise, and returning guest panelist Steve “Sleeve” Reidell gets super high and has his own green day. PLUS: Jonathan Hertzberg returns to answer a certain question, “Welcome Back, Kotter” on Gabe’s TV Corner, pondering the fluteness of the new Andre 3000 record, and LIFERS LIVE! is back on stage at Gman in January! Get your 2023 hangover tickets right here: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/37589755/

143. LIFERS - Freddy Herrera Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

This week it’s EVERYBODY’s favorite: Freddy Herrera! Former bassist of The Exies —and currently Art Alexakis’ right-hand man in Everclear— Freddy is the kind of guy you always want in the room with you. Positive, funny, and the kind of musician that will always make your band sound better. Which makes him the perfect guy to help us figure out the WHAT’S THE BEST?!?: Bass Lines. Plus:!: Freddy wins the golden ticket for skaters, Taylor Swift re-records Iron Maiden’s entire back catalogue, Freddy ALMOST gets fingered, and Gabe Rodriguez takes another bite of the Gorilla Biscuits.

142. LIFERS - Jon Hertzberg, T.R. Baskin and Chicago Movies Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Meet Jonathan Hertzberg. After years of working for companies like IFC Films and Kino-Lorber, he decided to start Fun City Editions — a boutique home video label that specializes in re-issuing overlooked movies from the ‘70s and ‘80s on a stellar roster of collectible Blu-Ray releases. It’s a totally DIY operation that he runs out of his home in New York (think of Jon as the Gabe of forgotten cinema) — and it’s attracted the attention of hardcore cinephiles everywhere. Fun City’s newest offering is the 1971 gem T.R. BASKIN — filmed in Chicago and starring Candice Bergen — and it just so happens that Ben and Scott recorded the audio commentary on the disc. So we had Jon on the show to ask him what he was thinking. And while he was here, we asked him to help us pick the best Chicago movies on a new FunCityChicago installment of WHAT’S THE BEST?!? The answers may surprise you. At least Gabe’s will.

141. LIFERS - Halloween IV: The Final Chapter Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

This is the one you’ve been screaming for! On this final episode of our Halloween-obsessed October, we’re all about the movies. Specifically—horror movies (no shit?). And since the Music Box Theater has been terrorizing Chicago all month with their “Bride of Music Box of Horrors” series (not to mention last weekend’s infamous, annual and SOLD OUT 24 hour horror marathon) — we thought we’d recruit the theater’s sleep deprived general manager Ryan Oestreich to help us pick the BEST scary movies ever made. Did we succeed? Probably not. But here it is anyway. Happy Halloween!!!

140. LIFERS - Halloween lll: Monsters & Villains Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

On another special Halloween-centric episode we enlist our ol’ pal —and host and creator of the CAR CON CARNE podcast— James VanOsdol to help us with a “What’s The Best?!?” featuring our favorite movie monsters, psychos, and villains (oh, my!). PLUS!: Gabe Rodriguez’s TV Corner.

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