Stu Dias and The Ephemeral Sea Turtles

This week on Gig Gab, you’ll dive into the wild, creative energy of Stu Dias, creator of Diaspora Radio, co-founder of Soggy Po Boys, and more, sitting in with Dave Hamilton. You’ll hear how albums, once carefully crafted statements, inspired Stu’s pandemic-born project to breathe new life into full-length records on stage. From Taylor Swift’s track order to Pink Floyd’s legendary flow, the talk turns to interpretation: should songs always evolve, or do they need their “rockin’ version” first, like Layla? Add in some debate over encores, the Sea Turtle attitude toward music scenes, and whether musicians actually want to see more bands on their night off, and you’ve got a ride that feels as lively as a late-night set. The conversation moves into the grit of band dynamics…knowing when you’re the engine and when you’re the fuel, handling GB gigs without losing your soul, and making sure new people feel welcome in the scene. Stu and Dave dig into rhythm, habit, and the beauty of live art that’s gone the second it happens; ephemeral, like sea turtles drifting by. You’ll explore the 80% Rule, the risks of saying no too often, and what it really means to keep people calling. Along the way: George Clinton, Funkadelic, and the reminder that what you play matters far less than how you make people feel. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 499 – Monday, September 15th, 2025 September 8th: National Linguine Day Guest co-host: Stu Dias from Diaspora Radio, Soggy Po Boys, and More 00:03:35 Diaspora Radio came from Pandemic Thoughts Sitting in the car with a buddy listening to albums… why not play them live? People used to put a lot of time and care and passion into construction an album Does that still happen? Does Taylor Swift care about running order? Pink Floyd did. And so did other artists. And such… Diaspora Radio was born 00:09:19 No encores… Except Lovelight with American Beauty 00:10:54 Band negotiations over songs Should you do a different interpretation? Layla’s second life as an acoustic version…but would it have happened without the original, rockin’ version first? 00:15:36 When you gig and have a night off… do you want to go see another band in another club? 00:16:08 Having a Sea Turtle attitude to approaching music Every scene is different 00:21:45 Forming different bands for different projects Each group of people have different strengths 00:23:54 Comparing New Hampshire seacoast to the New Orleans traditional jazz scene The word “band” means a different thing Sponsors 00:25:40 SPONSOR: Gig Performer is a plugin host, an audio mixer, a backing tracks player, and more that gives you real-time control…live. Visit GigPerformer.com/GigGab for 10% off. 00:27:40 SPONSOR: GigSalad. Always Be Performing means “Always Be Booking”, too. Head to GigSalad.com to create your free profile today! 00:29:02 The shame of playing cover music in the wrong scene Playing GB (aka General Business) gigs Don’t break up the band! 00:41:48 Taking a good scenario for granted 00:44:46 Understanding when you’re the engine and when you’re the fuel Dave Bang Drum Learning to be the fuel to serve the engines of your band 00:50:19 Bringing new people into the scene And supporting those new people! 00:53:30 The 80% Rule from Business Brain 00:58:11 What happens when you say “no” too many times in a row? People stop calling. And then you get in your head. Did I upset them? 01:02:23 On Stu leaving the Soggy Po’ Boys Being a creature of habit in rhythm 01:05:01 Don’t Think, Just Concentrate 01:06:34 The ephemeral beauty of live art “What are you gonna do? Go Back In time and change it? You’re in the future, man.” Ephemeral Sea Turtles 01:10:43 What drummer influenced Dave the most? 01:13:57 What musician would Dave want to see if he could go back in time? 01:17:45 Check out George Clinton’s work today Stu: favorite band is Funkadelic 01:18:16 What made Stu wanna play guitar? What you play doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what you make people feel. 01:23:43 What artist would Stu wanna see? 01:26:06 Gig Gab 499 Outtro Follow Stu Dias DiasporaRadio.com Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram [email protected] Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Stu Dias and The Ephemeral Sea Turtles — Gig Gab 499 appeared first on Gig Gab.