Lorri Francis was there. She doesn’t remember a lot of it, but she WAS there. On this episode we talk to one of Chicago’s great movers and shakers and connectors about Medusa’s, the Rock Room, Cubby Bear, Double Door, G.G. Allin’s chair upholstery, Rights Of The Accused, Death Angel, Gabe’s tattoo, the P.P.P., whippets, the continuing saga of Zoetr…

Frank Phobia is a sweetheart. He’s also the leader of Anthrophobia (who happen to be releasing their new J. Robbins produced record GOING OUT SWINGING on the 22nd of this month). But mainly — he’s a sweetheart. One that has been a low key hero to countless touring bands that have made their way through various venues in Pennsylvania for God knows h…

Jesse Malin is about as New York as you can get. How New York is he? Well, he’s in a Martin Scorsese movie for starters. Jesse got his start in the hardcore band Heart Attack before pivoting to the rough and ready D-Generation in the ‘90s. After that band’s demise, Jesse made an even harder pivot when he turned to his acoustic guitar and released t…

Full of anxiety about the upcoming election? Well, in troubled times it’s good to know that you can still rely on your friends. So join us —and two of the show’s best friends: Steve “Sleeve” Reidell and Mahmood Shaikh— as we take a long, lighthearted LIFERS-look into the yawning American abyss. You’ll laugh. You’ll definitely cry. And you’ll be fac…

It’s been just over a week since the two events that constituted the “grand finale” of Local H’s WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P. J. SOLES? 20th anniversary tour — but Scott’s head is still swimming. Both the LIFERS movie screening at the Music Box and the epic 3-hour set at Metro have left him feeling like a bit of a whisper of a husk of a shell. So forgiv…

Okay… Well, that was a LOT! In many ways, this last Tuesday & Wednesday in Wrigleyville (let’s call it LOCAL H DAYS 2024) was a culmination of everything that’s been in the works since that day when Scott got the call that Helmet was cancelling the tour — just BEFORE he’d received the call that the LIFERS movie was getting a release date at the Mus…

Ben's got a head cold. Gabe's got cats. Scott and Ronnie are holed up in a haunted hotel room in Utah so naturally the conversation turns to merch lines, REM vs Van Halen, the LIFERS movie, and our favorite subject these days: dinosaurs. Also, you've got lots of questions, and we've got some answers. It's a road report, people!…

Hey, everybody! It’s Ronnie DiCola!!! The WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES? tour is in the home stretch as we welcome the third partner in the Local H throuple to the show. For the very first time! You’d think we’d take this opportunity to query Ronnie about his hopes and dreams and history playing drums in Chicago institutions like The Arrivals and…

Local H are STILL on the road. So you know what that means. ANOTHER ROAD REPORT!!! But this time we’re dragging Sincere Engineer’s Deanna Belos into the hotel chat room to talk about laundry, P.J. Soles movies, Riot Fest, New Found Glory tours, M.A.S.H, Hootie & The Blowfish, Bruce Springsteen noogies, and (as promised) a supersized round of WHAT’S…

Local H are back on the road. So you know what that means. ROAD REPORT!!! On this episode we talk to Scott and Ryan about their hotel in Pennsylvania, teenage hoods who won’t shut up during “Beetlejuice”, Figdish, Deer Tick, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES? shows, Buffalo Wild Wings, Unpunk Ryan, Gabe’s local gas station/UPS store, days off, the ap…

You’re listening to SONG IMPLODER — where musicians take apart their songs piece by piece and tell the story of how they were made. And then talk shit about those songs and make you embarrassed you asked about them in the first place. On this episode we conclude our examination of Local H’s 5th studio album: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES? Release…

You’re listening to SONG IMPLODER — where musicians take apart their songs piece by piece and tell the story of how they were made. And then talk shit about those songs and make you embarrassed you asked about them in the first place. On this episode we examine Local H’s 5th studio album: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO P.J. SOLES? Released in April of 2004, …

When people think of Electrical Audio Recording in Chicago they usually only think of the late, great Steve Albini. But the studio is (and has been) home to a distinguished troop of engineers and operators that continue to keep the venerable institution running — including our pal Greg Norman, who’s been doing the Lord’s work over at Electrical sin…

Like most lifers, Johnny Wator has no intention of going back. He’s not going back to a life of shit jobs, he’s not going back to being told what to do by assholes, and he’s definitely not going back to his hometown with his tail between his legs. But after 11 years of ups and downs on the road with his band The Last Vegas — those outcomes were sta…

This week: Ben is on the road again so we catch him at his hotel in Pennsylvania to talk Metallica weekend in Chicago, new seats for the Music Box, Stan Bush’s “You’ve Got The Touch”, the history of government cheese, and WHAT’S THE BEST?!? “Seinfeld”.Par The LIFERS Podcast

Our ol’ buddy Dave Rockland comes to the show ready to play — which means he’s wearing his X-tra large Gabe Rodriguez “God’s Gift” Local H shirt. What does THAT mean? Find out on this week’s episode as we talk to Dave about spending over his half his life working at JAM Productions, living down the street from Gabe & Scott, litigious Local H shows,…

If you were at all worried that famed Chicago rock critic, SOUND OPINIONS co-host, and prickly pear-par excellence Jim DeRogatis might be mellowing with age — fear not! We’re here to assure you that Jim is just as fearless and opinionated as ever. And it’s a delight. On this episode he talks about being transformed by Lester Bangs and The Velvet Un…

In these hopelessly divided times, is it possible to come together and talk about our differences while understanding and revelling in our commonalities? Uhhh… Nope. So instead we talk about tiny alligators, old jokes, vegans, keyboard warriors, and farting in the tub. Viva la diplomacy!!!Par The LIFERS Podcast

Let’s get political! This week we’ve got punk rock legend Vic Bondi on the show to scare the hell out of us and talk about the specter of fascism in America. Fun stuff! We also talk about Vic’s band Articles Of Faith, his other band Jones Very, Howard Zinn, Microsoft, KFC, The Clash, Chicago punk rock, John Haggerty, Reed Mullins, Husker Du, Redshi…

“A bartender is the aristocrat of the working class”. Douglas Coughlin said that. And he could’ve been talking about Mike McIntyre. Like all great bartenders, Mike is an iceberg: You look behind the bar and you see a guy with a sharp sense of humor and wicked way with a cocktail shaker — but underneath the water is a hustler with gravitas and a shi…

“An art house version of ‘Friday The 13th’ from Jason’s point of view” is the kind of brilliantly simple movie hook that makes every armchair director slap their forehead and shout “Why didn’t I think of that?!?” And from the moment he was given the script to Shudder’s very fun horror hit IN A VIOLENT NATURE, editor Alex Jacobs knew he had to work …

This week we’re all about rockers and their movies. After Scott engages in some hemming and hawing over the threat of competing “pseudo-narrative” concert films, the guys welcome rock and roll movie director Dimitri Coats to the show to talk about his new OFF! flick: FREE LSD. We touch on the upcoming final OFF! shows and his first band Burning Bri…

Some have claimed that Freud thought the Irish were impervious to therapy. While we may never know if he actually said that — we know for goddamn sure that John Haggerty is impervious to any of Scott’s lines of questioning. But that’s okay. Like all great heroes, John’s stoicism belies a heart of gold beating with generosity, fairness, and a firm b…

This week on LIFERS we’re getting schooled on goth, punk, the ‘80s club scene, Diamanda Galas — shit, we’re getting schooled on EVERYTHING! We must be talking to Chicago legend DJ Scary Lady Sarah. Sarah just celebrated her 36th year as a professional DJ and producer of the longest running goth event in North America: NOCTURNA. Take that, whippersn…

Angela Mullenhour’s voice is like a force of nature. And nature is kinda scary. Luckily, her band Sybris is the sort of band that can keep up with that force — loud, bold, and capable of summoning up hurricane squalls of melodic noise. After an extended haitus, the beloved Chicago band is back with their long-awaited third record “Gold On Hold” (se…

It’s great to have an old friend on the show — and this week we’ve got Jonny Polonsky. Lucky you. This is a great episode where we talk to the great singer-songwriter-studio rat about moving to and prospering in LA, growing up as a backstage-teenaged Chicago presence, bossing around Rick Rubin, Mark Lanegan, playing on a Neil Diamond session, being…

Unleashed in the East! Gabe and Ben talk to Scott and Justine while they’re doing laundry in a hotel in Osaka before making their way to Monkey Island. Confused? You won’t be after you hear this episode featuring Japanese metal bars, overconfident deer, Hear ’N Aid, Bali belly, Japanese toilets, Louise Stratten, rainy neon umbrella nights, Facebook…

Scott is supposed to be on vacation in Bali, but Gabe and Ben are relentless. So they dragged him out of bed from half a world away to record this goddamn podcast! This week the guys talk about fine Balinese cinema, spice-averse Australians, Brittany Grinder, cat poop coffee, Steve Albini’s love of Costco, Susan Backlinie, Roger Corman, “One Handsh…

On another edition of the QUITTERS Podcast: Tim Edwards used to be Local H’s booking agent until he decided enough was enough and he walked away from the entire industry. What would drive a person to throw away the good fortune to be working with Scott? Well, if there’s an answer — good luck trying to get it out of him. On our shortest interview ev…

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 pla…

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…

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 ev…

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 Rap…

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…

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…

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…

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 tra…

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 podca…

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 t…

Bruce Lamont is a lifer’s lifer and a true embodiment of the fabled midwestern work ethic. His band Yakuza is celebrating its 25th year this Sunday at Thalia Hall with a show that will surely feature selections from their latest (and greatest?) album SUTRA. But that’s not all that Bruce has cooking — and Yakuza is far from his only band/project. Oh…

If you grew up anywhere near Chicago, the history of JAM Productions is probably a mirror image to your own history as a concert goer. Founded over 50 years ago (and still independent and going strong), JAM has done more to shape the live music landscape in Chicago than just about any entity we can think of. In the late ‘80s and straight out of col…

We couldn’t book a guest so Scott got drunk, Ben got high, and Gabe sold a bunch of Superbowl squares.Par The LIFERS Podcast

This week on The QUITTERS Podcast: The last time we had Freda Love Smith on the show it was to celebrate/lament her decision to retire from a long and illustrious drumming career. Turns out that was just the tip of the quitting iceberg. In her terrific new book I QUIT EVERYTHING, Freda chronicles her year of furiously and very un-quietly quitting e…

You could call Jack Douglas the world’s greatest living producer and you probably wouldn’t get a whole lotta blowback from people who obsess about these things. Jack has produced seminal records for everyone from Cheap Trick to Aerosmith to Patti Smith to John freakin’ Lennon (he also produced a record for Local H, but we don’t need to get into tha…

To the list of perfect and fully formed debut records — a list that includes “Nevermind The Bollocks”, “Murmur" and the first Ramones album — one has to include Electric Six’s “Fire”. 20 years and just about as many albums later, Electric Six and Tyler Spencer (aka Dick Valentine) are still going nuclear as Tyler joins us on a (getting into the) ja…

The LIFERS Podcast is STILL on stage! Night two at Gman Tavern in Chicago was (impossibly) even more drunken and uproarious than night one at Gman Tavern. This could’ve been due to Scott’s general exhaustion, the crowd’s general rowdiness or Figdish being locked in a basement for two hours — but the smart money is on Gabe’s Frank Booth performance.…

The LIFERS Podcast is back on stage! We started 2024 off right/wrong with a special LIVE New Year’s hangover party at the Gman Tavern in Chicago (it was Kelly Wey’s idea). Was it a success? Well… mostly. After talking about Gabe’s horrific performance as Jambi from Pee Wee’s Playhouse (and witnessing Gabe’s horriFIED performance as Richard Roma fro…

Another year gone by — another LIFERS Podcast wrap up. The year in rear-view includes Rick Ness, Rick Froberg, Walter Schriefels, Tommy Stinson, Kyle Kinane, Brendan Kelly, Pat Healy, Allen Epley, and apparently no women! God, we suck.Par The LIFERS Podcast

Brendan Kelly and his excellent punk-rock combo The Lawrence Arms have been waging a war on Christmas at various Chicago venues for 9 years now. Just a couple of weeks ago, their beloved and annual anti-Yuletide concerts lovingly dubbed “War On X-mas” sold out two nights at The Metro. So we figured Brendan would be the perfect guy to drop by and ve…

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