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:

120. LIFERS - The No Fun E.P. Imploder and more Kyle Kinane Jun 02, 2023

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Ugggghhh…

119. LIFERS - Kyle Kinane May 26, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode: Chicago comedy hero Kyle Kinane stops by to shoot the shit. In more ways than one. Having booked himself to appear on our podcast the same night he had to -um- “prepare” for a colonoscopy scheduled the next morning (it happens) — this is an episode with an air of suspense that’s worthy of Hitchcock. Kyle grins, bears it, and tries to sit still for Scott’s probing …questions. How do you get a guy who’s a C-hair away from shitting himself to honor his non-“binding” commitment to this silly podcast, you ask? Well, it might help that Kyle is a bit of a fan of Gabe’s deadpan style of comic cluelesness (although, in typical Gabe fashion, that didn’t stop Gabe from ramming in an oblivious insult or two). It also helps that Kyle has maintained a non-pretentious working class attitude about his career that’s allowed him to keep his head, not buy into the show-biz bullshit, and protect the part of his job that he loves the most: Telling jokes and making people laugh. We couldn’t be happier to have Kyle on as our first comedian — and before he had to run off to the bathroom, we managed to get him to talk about his new comedy special (“Shocks & Struts”), shutting down his long running podcast “The Boogie Monster”, honing a stand-up style in the eye of the Chicago music scene, how to shit in a box (again), Chipotle (also again), the meaning of success, “Casino” Rickles vs. “Natural Born Killers” Rodney, the Katt Williams effect, Loverboy adjacent stories, Kyle’s first run-in with Scott, always galloping on a desert island, and dropping wavs in folders. Back to basics, baby!

118. LIFERS - Jerry Newbrough May 19, 2023

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We all have that friend that got us into punk rock and was in our first bands with us. Jerry Newbrough was Scott’s. On this episode we talk to Jerry about going to high school with Gabe and Scott, Christian rock, moving to Madison, He Who Cannot Be Named, O’Cayz Corral, Cathy Dethmers, designing the “As Good As Dead” cover, loving music too much to play it, Greg Norton, Jerry’s bands Mr. Peabody and Pound, WI, and (of course) Zion food-punk legends The Family Cruisers.

117. LIFERS - Tommy Stinson May 12, 2023

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And the legends just keep on coming. This week we’re pleased as punch to have Mr. Tommy Stinson on the show. If you’re like Gabe and you don’t know — Tommy is one of rock’s great bass players, great stars, and great lifers. Getting his start at age 11 (ELEVEN?!?) in the undeniably seminal Replacements , Tommy went on to form the bands Bash & Pop and Perfect before lending his bass chops and cool factor to Guns N’ Roses, Soul Asylum, and Puff Daddy. On this episode we talk to the man about being a punk star in high school, sneaking into clubs that he’s playing in, Husker Du, Wendy O. Williams, legendary SNL performances, disastrous tours with Tom Petty, and Tommy’s great new band Cowboys In The Campfire. Viva la lifers!

116. LIFERS - Michael Alago May 05, 2023

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Hey! Waddya know? We got a legend on the podcast this week. Michael Alago knows everybody. No. Seriously. He knows EVERYBODY. So we asked the former A&R superstar (and current photographing king) about some of them. We also talk about Michael signing Metallica to Elektra records, living in (and embodying) New York, signing White Zombie to Geffen, working at the Ritz, making a ‘zine for the Dead Boys, Cliff & Simon & Garfunkel, making a blues record with Cyndi Lauper, L’Amour, Mike’s documentary (“Who The Fuck Is That Guy?”), Steve Earle, signing Nina Simone, being responsible for “Hands On The Bible”, Eric Bogosian and “Talk Radio”, Ether Coven, the PIL riot, and Gabe getting better questions. PLUS!: LIFERS goes live, and AI goes Local.

115. LIFERS - Eric Oblander Apr 28, 2023

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Eric Oblander —everybody’s favorite vocalist and harmonica player for everybody’s favorite heavy-rock blues band (Toledo’s 5 Horse Johnson)— is our guest this week and you are WELCOME! This episode’s been a long time coming and we got to talk to Eric about Detroit, going on tour with The Necros, forming the Johnson, going to strip clubs with Frodo, Motorhead, Aldo Nova, meeting Rights Of The Accused, the Megadeth backstage chicken story, Big Chief, temporarily joining Clutch, playing on a Local H record, firecracker fights, and Eric gives us HIS thoughts on U2. Goddamn, we love this guy! (We also make a little announcement that you MIGHT be interested in.)

114. LIFERS - Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter Apr 21, 2023

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It’s Bring Your Daughter To Work Week over here at The Lifers Podcast. First up we welcome Ben’s daughter Lily to the show — seems like she’s got a beef with her ol’ pops about his unflattering impersonations of her (as well as Ben’s way with a tall tale or two). And then it’s time for our favorite 11-year-old Green-Mountain-Garwin student — Helena Brandt (and her awesome mom Cara Gwinn). Turns out Helena’s doing a school paper on Scott (that’s right!) and has a few questions for him (questions that may or may not involve candy). Also on this totally beep-arific episode: Big Mac sauce, Canadians, COVERBOY, “Bunny Lake Is Missing”, the Therapy Cabal, bananas, and Gabe learns a new word. BEEP!!!

113. LIFERS - What's The Best?!?: U2 Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

This week we flash back to LAST week to finish what we started with Mahmood Shaikh: Counting down our favorite U2 songs. The answers may surprise you. Or not. PLUS: Scott talks about Michael, Ben talks about Springsteen tickets, Louise Post drops by to talk about her new single and tour (and the useless Local H shirt she bought), and Gabe locks himself in his office. So un-punk.

112. LIFERS - Mahmood Shaikh Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

We’ve been trying to get Mahmood Saikh on the show almost since the podcast started. And finally, he has relented, but with the caveat that he be allowed to appear not as a traditional guest —oh, no, no!— he wanted to be treated as “just one of the guys”. A panel position, if you will. Fine. We accept you. One of us. The indie-rock booking-agent maestro DID send us a bio, however — so here it is: “Mahmood Shaikh is an agent at Concerted Efforts. He represents a wide range of artists including Algiers, Boris, Frankie Rose, Jawbox, Karate, Mr Twin Sister, Nothing, SURVIVE, Ted Leo, We Were Promised Jetpacks, and many others in North America and other territories. Previously, he was an agent at Flowerbooking, Inc. where for over a decade he sat next to the guy that booked Local H. Last name is pronounced “Shake”.” Anyway, on this episode we talk about Mahmood’s love of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Scott’s Global Entry worthiness, 1982, Michael, Commie Liberal Pinko Tuesday, upside down pizza, U2 cover bands, Gabe’s fever for Pac-Man, and finally — COVERBOY: Chicago’s newest super-group. This is Ben’s kind of episode. Gooble gobble.

111. LIFERS - Mike Zelenko Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

It’s not like Material Issue is the most obscure or overlooked band in the history of Chicago music, but no matter how many power pop music fests get named after them (like the long running International Pop Overthrow festival — which takes its name from their classic debut album), they will always land towards the top of the list of the city’s most underrated bands. And now there’s a new documentary —“Out Of Time: The Material Issue Story”— that seeks to rectify that injustice. We talked to drummer Mike Zelenko about the love the band’s been getting at the recent sold out Q&As for the movie, as well as his experiences recording in Scott’s hometown at the Shoes studio, going to high school with Mike O’Connell, opening the Replacements’ final show, Michael Chapman, tuna subs, fucking Enuff Z’nuff, the aftermath of Jim Ellison’s suicide, and Ted Ansani’s legendary pompadour.

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