The LIFERS Podcast

Scott is in Texas. Texas sucks for cellular coverage. It is May 1st. Gabe is eating pizza. Ben is growing a beard. Scott is in a van. Movies are discussed. Texas is discussed. Pantera is discussed. Will this episode stay up on Spotify? Doubtful. Will this episode stay up anywhere after today? Doubtful. Listen while you can, but don't worry if you can't. In the meantime, come see Local H on tour with Toadies!

It’s Gabe’s favorite time of year AGAIN! We pick over this year’s crop of nominees for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and decide which ones we love, which ones we hate the least, and which ones we’re not touching with a ten foot pole. Is this Iron Maiden’s year? Will Ben ever get over Joy Division being lumped in with New Order? Who keeps nominating Billy Idol? And who gives a shit??? PLUS!: Local H driver and Karen wrangler Pete Beeman checks in with a new prank call project.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we heard from Scott. In that time there’s been a change of vans, disgruntled fans, pizza pans and road dog bans. Tune in, turn on if you can.

After having to last-minute cancel a podcast recording plan earlier this week, the guys make a spontaneous decision to quickly record an episode over Gabe’s lunch hour today (Friday, March 6th) and then just toss it up, unedited for ya! Scott is in a sprinter van heading to Colorado Springs, Ben is manning the Wisconsin Film Festival box office, and Gabe is WORKING, so apologies in advance for this episode, but also, it’s better than nothing, right? Right?

Balthazar de Ley has a show with Menthol tonight. He also had a show with his other band Lightfoils last Friday. Plus — he makes his own amps with his own name on them (that you can buy, by the way). And if you pay him enough, he’ll even fix your broken non-Balthazar amps. The point is — he’s a busy guy. But he made time to sit down with us and talk about the BEST!?! debut albums of all time. What a guy! We also talk about the ‘90s Champaign scene, the ‘90s Chicago scene, Menthol is Mother, Poster Children, Hum, Honcho Overload, Menthol’s beleaguered and brilliant second (third?) record DANGER: ROCK SCIENCE!, working at R. Kelly’s studio, working for the Smashing Pumpkins, and OH, YEAH! Menthol is playing with Smoking Popes and Scott tonight in Milwaukee at X-Ray Arcade. Don’t forget your amp, Baltie!

Scott’s back from his vacation and if you think that means he’s going to be all mellow and well-rested — well, then you don’t know Scott. This week’s episode is going scorched earth as we cover all the drama around the 30th Anniversary AS GOOD AS DEAD reissue debacle — which means plenty of rants about major labels, indie labels, and bootlegger bootlickers. But that’s not all! Scott is mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore — so he also unleashes his inner-Howard Beal on internet trolls, mean music festivals, loud yawners, contractual indecencies, AI dogs, and (especially) those dipshit comment sections. It’s one battle after another over here at The LIFERS Podcast and nobody is safe.

Saxophones. Am I right? Some people hate ‘em. Some people tolerate ‘em. Join us as we welcome returning champion John McCauley (of Deer Tick!) back to the podcast to discuss the BEST sax solos to ever sex up a rock song. Warning: This episode could get you pregnant.

Picture the scene: It’s 1983 on the East side of town in Zion, Illinois! You’re hanging out at your buddy Russ Spice’s house. Playing Judas Priest songs on your Harmony guitars and watching “The Song Remains The Same” on MTV. Instead of James Dean in “Rebel Without A Cause”, our movie idol is Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli (is it still playing at the Dunes?). Maybe later we’ll ride our bikes down to the lake and swim in the heated shadow of the nuclear power plant and pray that we don’t grow up to be toxic avenging freaks. And then, hopefully, we can scrape enough pot seeds together so we can smoke ‘em through a beer can and get a cheap buzz going — after which, we’ll convince ourselves we have the munchies and try to get Curt to spend his News-Sun paper route money on lunch at Pizza House. It was a glorious time…

Selena Fragassi publishes more books before 9am than most people do all day. Just last year, the always hustling music writer and journalist wrote and published books about Alanis Morissette, Sabrina Carpenter, Greta Gerwig AND her latest:  PEARL JAM LIVE — a hefty and thorough tome covering the band’s 35 year history as one of the world’s best live acts (it also features a forward written by Scott, but we digress). In between all the manic book writing, Selena somehow finds time for her regular gigs writing for the Chicago Sun Times, monthly appearances on WFLD 32 and contributing to every publication and outlet from SPIN to Loudwire. This week we talk to Selena about life moments with Cameron Crowe, fan letters to Donnie Wahlberg, looking Chrissie Hynde in the eye, what to do when Jim DeRogatis trashes all your favorite bands, the ineffable awesomeness of Bonnie Raitt, the sue-happy UN-awesomeness of Gene Simmons, and getting mammogram advice from Debbie Harry. Pretty awesome. PLUS: Ben gets gonged and our buddy John Oakes calls in with a report from the front lines in Minneapolis.

This week’s episode is a two-parter. In Part 1: Writer-director Richard Shepard is certainly NOT the kind of director that insists upon himself. He rejects the idea of being labeled an auteur and chooses the path of the journeyman — splitting his time between directing for television, while quietly chipping away at a filmography that is no more insistent than he is. Are you a fan of GIRLS, UGLY BETTY or HANDMAIDEN’S TALE? Then you’ve seen Richard’s work. Do you have a history of stalking around arthouse movie theaters since the halcyon indie-film days of the ‘90s? Then you’ve DEFINITELY seen Richard’s work: THE MATADOR, DOM HEMINGWAY, THE LINGUINI INCIDENT, THE PERFECTION. Do you have a weakness for essayistic documentaries about the even more revered cinema of the ‘70s? Then you LOVE Richard’s work. His seminal documentary on John Cazale (I KNEW IT WAS YOU: REDISCOVERING JOHN CAZALE) is a must for anyone wanting to know more about the late, great character actor. But if you want to know anything at all about Richard Shepard — look no further than Richard’s wonderful autobiographical FILM GEEK (now showing on HBOMax) — a personal remembrance of his father and the ‘70s movie theaters (and movies) that turned a young kid into a movie directing lifer. Not that you shouldn’t listen to this episode. You should totally listen to this episode. (Plus, Richard’s got a great David Bowie story for you.) And there’s Part 2!: 2025 was a great year for movies (if not the movie business). Grab a pencil and take notes as Scott, Ben and Richard discuss their favorite films of 2025. It’s an informal WHAT’S THE BEST?!? that will give you some great ideas about what to watch next. Also, Gabe coughs a lot and sometimes uses the mute button.

Meatheads of all stripes populate this year’s LIFERS Christmas episode as we say goodbye to Rob Reiner, F U to Trump, and spout all sorts of wack shit to each other. Yup. It’s pretty black over here. And we’re sure we’d feel much worse if we weren’t under such heavy sedation. So join us as we blur that fine line between clever and stupid and NO! we’re not doing fucking Stonehenge! Merry Christmas, Marty.

Stacy Jones grew up thinking he was a drummer. Nope. Turns out he’s a "musical director". And no — that’s not a fancy euphemism for “drummer”. Don’t worry, Stacy will explain it to you. He’ll also talk about Letters To Cleo, Veruca Salt, American Hi-Fi, Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Aimee Mann, John Brion, Joan Jett, Fuzzy, Flaming Lips, Sheryl Crow and Madonna. That’s right. He’s played with all of them. (Still no Skunk Baxter sighting, though.) PLUS!: A new American Hi-Fi song?

Punching through the post-Thanksgiving gravy malaise — the guys welcome returning champion Josh Caterer back to the podcast for a third time to talk turkey about the Smoking Popes/Scott Lucas/Menthol shows happening this weekend in Chicago (at the Bottom Lounge) and Milwaukee (at X-Ray Arcade). Sounds harmless, right? Surely, there’s no need for things to get dark. Or for anyone to bring up Eric Clapton. Right?

Just when Vinnie thought he was done with Scott — The LIFERS Podcast pulls him back in! Vinnie Dombroski —vocalist for the Detroit, Michigan band Sponge— is a hustler, baby. He’s a guy who fully subscribes to the inspiration/perspiration formula. Which is to say: Vinnie’s not afraid of a little hard work (he is, however, apparently afraid of food). On this episode we talk to our pal about Sponge’s unlikely origin story, switching from drumming to singing, growing up in the shadow of Motown, touring with Iggy Pop, driving George Clinton to the airport, career advice from Buzz Osbourne, and the joys of not remembering the ‘90s. ALSO: What’s The Best?!? is BACK!!! And we’re coming for you, Detroit!

And that’s a wrap! After two months and 43 shows, the Everclear/Local H/Sponge juggernaut is OVER! Ronnie DiCola and Pete Beeman beam in to look back fondly on our favorite shows, favorite pizza, and anything else that comes to our frazzled mind about a tour that will surely go down as being one of our best ever. Thank you.

Local H is heading down the home stretch of their tour with Everclear & Sponge — so Scott calls in from the van to file one last(?)road report. Note: This episode contains only 3% of your recommended Halloween content. We BLEW IT!!!

This week on the podcast: That rarest of unicorns — a Road Report from the van! A salty green grape eating Scott calls in as the Local H tour travels from South Carolina to North Carolina. Plus: A Led Zeppelin What’s The WORST?!?

This week on another Road Report edition of the podcast: Gabe joins the band (and Karen) on the road for a few shows in his home state of Florida — so we make him drink a shitty NA IPA and record his reactions. That’s all that happens on this episode.

Local H is halfway through their tour with Everclear and Sponge — so Scott called in from Tennessee where the band is staying in a cabin by the lake while they prepare to resume the tour in a cave underground. You’ll understand when you hear the episode. Local H tour dates: Oct 3 — The Caverns — Pelham, TN Oct 4 — The Eagle Theatre — Sugar Hill, GA Oct 5 — Vinyl Music Hall — Pensacola, FL Oct 7 — The Plaza Live — Orlando, FL Oct 8 — Bilheimer Capitol Theatre — Clearwater, FL Oct 9 — The Parker — Fort Lauderdale, FL Oct 11 — Sunrise Theatre — Fort Pierce, FL Oct 12 — Ponte Vedra Concert Hall — Jacksonville, FL Oct 14 — Charleston Music Hall — Charleston, SC Oct 16 — Neighborhood Theatre — Charlotte, NC Oct 17 — The NorVa — Norfolk, VA Oct 18 — Asbury Lanes — Asbury Park, NJ Oct 19 — The Paramount — Huntington, NY Oct 21 — Big Night Live — Boston, MA Oct 22 — Irving Plaza — New York, NY Oct 23 — Toad’s Place — New Haven, CT Oct 24 — Xcite Center at Parx Casino — Philadelphia, PA Oct 25 — Black Cat — Washington, DC Oct 27 — House Of Blues — Cleveland, OH Oct 28 — Bogart’s — Cincinnati, OH Oct 30 — Egyptian Room at Old National Centre — Indianapolis, IN Oct 31 — The Vixen — McHenry, IL Nov 1 — First Avenue — Minneapolis, MN Nov 2 — Thalia Hall — Chicago, IL

The Local H tour with Everclear and Sponge is headed back east - so Scott called in from a hotel in Baker City, Oregon and this time Gabe and Ben were ready. With YOUR questions! Well, at least it's something.

Local H is on tour with Everclear and Sponge - so Scott called in from a hotel in Medford, Oregon to file a Road Report about being on tour with Everclear and Sponge.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Local H's major label debut album, Ham Fisted. To celebrate this milestone, the band has recorded and released a brand new re-imagining of the album, which they are calling reFISTED. On this special edition of song imploder Ben Reiser sat down with frontman Scott Lucas and G&P records head honcho Gabe Rodriguez for a deep dive into their thoughts and feelings about the original Ham Fisted as well as a thorough exploration of every track on the new release. https://gandprecords.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooP2kEik_ANOdGL4WDSG6ZN-cEDL9dapWO1xasE0c7Be7ZwIvDv

This week we welcome our ol’ buddy Art Alexakis to the podcast to talk about this little tour he’s doing with Scott in about two weeks from now. No big deal. We also talk about Art’s band Everclear, their major label breakthrough SPARKLE AND FADE (which turned 30 this year and is the reason for this little 2 month tour that Everclear’s doing with Local H and Sponge, by the way), their indie label breakthrough WORLD OF NOISE, California projects, Portland haters, ditch digging, sobriety, girl dads, smoking cigars with Butch Vig, Geddy Lee, Paul Stanley, and we pick the best(?!?) California songs (don’t worry, we didn’t let Art pick “Santa Monica”). PLUS: Scottie Rose tries to put the kibosh on all of it.

The New Orleans rock band Zebra has always existed out of time. Despite having one of the fastest selling debuts in Atlantic Records’ history, Zebra never really fit in with the glammed up ‘80s metal bands they were being lumped in with on the pages and airwaves of Hit Parader and MTV. But that apparent inability to fit in may be exactly what endeared them to a herd (or a zeal) of avid fans who would wear out their bare bones cassette of ZEBRA and eventually go to Kmart and stealthily rip open a vinyl copy of the record to steal the lyric sheet so he could figure out what Randy Jackson was singing. Okay. We may be talking about Scott here. ANYWAY — this week we’re thrilled to welcome Mr. Jackson to the podcast to talk about the 50th anniversary of Zebra, recording with Jack Douglas, being a rock band in New Orleans, being a rock band in Long Island, befriending Twisted Sister, touring with Cheap Trick, seeing The Beatles live, being forced to talk about Bon Jovi, and the lyrical prowess of the Moody Blues. And more black beans.

The fallout from the Great Chips & Salsa Incident continues as we invite Dino Proserpio from the I EAT MOVIES podcast to help us stage a cultural intervention for Gabe. As most of you are aware, interventions are never pretty — so we’ve lightened things up with some petty squabbling over East Coast vs. Third Coast, Sean Connery impersonations, Jennifer vs. Bailey, Greg Giuffria, potatoes vs. tomatoes, and we pick the best(?!!) uses of food in pop culture. You’ll understand when you hear it.

Picture the scene: You’re a young screenwriter getting your first taste of success — but it’s with a movie that didn’t quite come out the way you wanted and the victory feels hollow. Suddenly, you find yourself being typecast as a writer of silly comedies while the industry boxes you out and the opportunities and (self)respect begin to slip away. What do you do? If you’re Larry Karaszewski (and long time screenwriting partner Scott Alexander) you swerve hard out of that lane and typecast YOURSELF as auteurs of your own re-invented genre: The Anti-Biopic! Out of this savvy strategy the enduring classic ED WOOD is born and you are swept up in Hollywood’s warm and loving embrace. Cut to a montage of THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, MAN ON THE MOON, BIG EYES and a lifetime of accolades, happiness and total fulfillment. THE END! On this episode we talk to Larry about going to inappropriate movies at the drive-in with his dad, a college experience that actually paid off, writing PROBLEM CHILD and then watching Robert DeNiro watch it, having a roommate that wrote HEATHERS, resurrecting Frank Perry, producing AUTO FOCUS, David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, orphan films, Milos Forman, and we pick the best(!!!) New York movies.

R.I.P. Ozzy Osbourne.

More than any other band from the ‘90s, Failure was a perfect fusion of technology and art. If you put on a Failure record — you knew it was gonna sound great. So it stands to reason that Failure’s new documentary — EVERY TIME YOU LOSE YOUR MIND (now on HULU) — is gonna LOOK great. Perfectly shot. Perfectly edited. But what really elevates it above the current glut of streaming documentaries is an innate understanding of the simple art of storytelling. It sucks you in and never allows itself to become a cheap advertisement for the band. It helps that singer-guitarist-director Ken Andrews has a background in film and video production, but it also speaks to Failure’s entire career of meticulous high-production values and DIY quality control. It’s an ethic that persists to this day with a remarkable run of post-hiatus classics that began in 2014 with their comeback album THE HEART IS A MONSTER — an album that kicked off a successful and well deserved second act for one of America’s finest rock bands. One that actually merits a documentary about itself. On this episode we talk to Ken about ALL that stuff. We even touch on some stuff that ISN’T in the doc. ALSO: We pick our favorite documentaries.

This week it’s the conclusion of our special Album Imploder episode commemorating the 30th anniversary reissue of Fig Dish’s THAT’S WHAT LOVE SONGS OFTEN DO. Rick, Mike and Blake are still on hand as we take a deep dive into side two (or at least what we assume is side two) of the band’s beloved major label debut. FINISH IT!!! Elsewhere: Scott’s mad at Sharon Osbourne, Ben loves Yungblud, and Gabe’s afraid of pompadours.

It's 4th of July - so that means it's time for hot dogs, fireworks, and Fig Dish! On the eve of the 30th Anniversary re-issue of That's What Love Songs Often Do (first time on vinyl), 3/4s of Fig Dish (Blake Smith, Rick Ness, and Mike Willison) stop by to shoot the shit about their upcoming live gigs opening for Letters to Cleo, and stick around for a special edition of Album Imploder!

This week on the podcast: We’re babysitting. We’re also protesting on the mean streets of Madison, talking about Danzig at 70, watching the trailer for the Bruce Springsteen movie, pondering Puff Daddy, calling Pegboy, disparaging fake Father’s Day, wondering who the hell Fun Boy Three is, and picking the best songs of summer.

Ben Kweller’s excellent new record COVER THE MIRRORS comes with a heartbreaking back-story —it was borne out of the tragic death of his teenage son Dorian— but in typical Kweller fashion, the album is an inspirational and life affirming collection  that also happens to be the best thing he’s ever recorded. On this episode we talk to “the kid” about producing himself, growing up in Texas with a drummer dad, Face Time collaborations, his first slug-bugging meeting with Scott, Jewish rockers, Nirvana and Garth Brooks, why you’ll never make it through his new song “Letter To Agony” with dry eyes, and we pick the best(!?!) Beach Boys songs.  Upcoming Ben Kweller Tour Dates: Tickets at benkweller.com Follow BK's socials @benkweller July 9, 2025 Wednesday Aspen, CO Belly Up July 11, 2025 Friday Denver, CO Bluebird Theater July 12, 2025 Saturday Fort Collins, CO Aggie July 14, 2025 Monday Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge July 17, 2025 Thursday Seattle, WA Neumos July 18, 2025 Friday Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret July 19, 2025 Saturday Portland, OR Mississippi Studios July 21, 2025 Monday San Francisco, CA Independent July 22, 2025 Tuesday Venice, CA The Venice West July 23, 2025 Wednesday Los Angeles, CA Troubadour July 25, 2025 Friday San Diego, CA Casbah July 26, 2025 Saturday Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom

After a week off, the boys are back on their mics (Gabe's is working!) for a fond look back on an iconic Local H morning television appearance. Also: An informal What's the Best Spielberg?!? What's the Best grilled cheese?!? Gabe contemplates breaking his exclusive LIFERS contract, Ben goes third person, Scott stays limber, and Justine dares Gabe to say it to her face. Enjoy!

After an attempt at a laid-back hangout episode is marred by Gabe’s faulty computer — things get out of hand when the guys engage in an escalating game of Uninvited Guest that quickly spins out of control. Will anyone survive? Cast of characters: SCOTT LUCAS — The helpless host. GABE RODRIGUEZ — The careless computer operator. BEN REISER — The hapless tech “expert”. MAHMOOD SHAIKH — The outside agitator. DEANNA BELOS — The unwitting ingenue. STEVE REIDELL — The mysterious train passenger whose motives remain opaque (what does he want?). MIKE LUSTIG — The ‘original’ uninvited guest (what does he KNOW?!?). HERB ROSEN — Herb. JOE CARSELLO — The ominous spectator behind the curtain whose evil knows no bounds and maybe all of this is his doing and we’re just pawns in his sick game and we probably should’ve just taken the week off but here we are. Listen at your peril. You’ve been warned…

Returning champion Deanna Belos just released a new documentary about her band called NOBODY’S GONNA DO IT FOR YOU: TEN YEARS OF SINCERE ENGINEER. You can watch it for free on YouTube right NOW (just like 2 out of the 3 of us did — guess who didn’t) and then you can come back and listen to us talk about it on this episode. We also talk about real amps vs. fake amps, Big Boi vs. Andre 3000, Scott vs. Deanna, and we try to pick our favorite comedies of the ‘90s.

This week we’re all about the art of the hustle in the land of multi-hyphenates. Or the art of multi-hyphenating in the land of the hustle. Whichever the case — we’re facing our fears and talking shop with Chicago expat and longtime lifer-ing comrade Bethany Dwyer. The LA-based comedian-actor/writer-director-musician has a new self-help book out (BREAK FREE FROM FEAR) that’ll fit in nicely with the media-spanning body of work that she’s amassed through her single-minded willingness to try everything. Of course, who knows if she’d even agree with that assessment? It’s hard to pin Bethany down. And she likes it like that. PLUS!: Scott’s voice is cashed while we dive into conspiracy theories, tease a new Haunted Heir single, and pick the movies that shaped us. Or something like that.

Ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome: Scottie Rose Lucas.

One of the all time great bands, L7 fused laugh out loud humor with a caveman punk aggression that made them stand out like a blistered sore thumb against the L.A. hair metal landscape of the late ‘80s. But they were chicks, man — so rather than be spoken about in the same righteous breath as the Stooges or the Ramones, the members of L7 had to put up with inane questions about Vixen(?!?). No matter. As with most awesome things, L7 are still here and their influence looms larger than ever. On this episode we talk to co-founder Donita Sparks about Matthew Sweet covers, Epitaph records, the siren song of LA surf music, Slash records, Sub Pop, yacht rock, Rock For Choice, Milwaukee book makers, fights at Exit, John Waters, SMELL THE MAGIC, and we play the best round of what’s the best ever!

This week: They finally killed Gabe’s car. Don’t worry. My dad’s got this ultimate set of tools. He’ll be able to buff it out, no problem. Trust us! ALSO: Mulholland Drive, roundabouts, red Barchettas, crosswalks, red 4-doors, fender benders, band vans, manic mechanics, Chevy Novas, and what’s the best songs about cars? (By the way — you’re gonna wanna stick around for the end of this episode. You’re welcome!)

To a generation of misfits not all that interested in what John Hughes was serving up in the ‘80s, writer-director Tim Hunter is a god. And his twin teen-movie testaments OVER THE EDGE and RIVER’S EDGE remain quotable sacred texts that serve as a secret language to communicate to other like-minded individuals that you too are a member of the anti-Breakfast Club. And in the land of television, he’s a bona-fide legend — filling the director’s chair on some of the greatest shows ever made: TWIN PEAKS, MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, HOMICIDE, DEADWOOD and that’s right, Gabe! He even directed the pilot of BEVERLY HILLS 90210. So how do you interview THAT?!? That’s the kind of gravitas that turns Scott into something resembling an awestruck 12 year-old backstage at a Led Zeppelin concert in 1973. Or a 54 year-old talking to Tim Hunter via Zoom. At any rate — it was a thrill. PLUS!: The complete and total breakdown of WHAT’S THE BEST?!?

Operating in direct opposition to the never ending barrage of anonymous content being foisted on us by algorithmic goose-steppers - film programmers are cultural rebels and excavationists entrusted with the sacred duty of helping you find your new favorite movie. The best ones even manage to turn it into an art. And Jim Healy —director of programming for the Cinematheque at the University of Madison-Wisconsin— is definitely one of the best. On this episode we talk to Jim about the upcoming 2025 Wisconsin Film Festival, 16mm, The Clash on “Fridays”, Argentinean noir, David Koepp and “Apartment Zero”, George & Linda Eastman, Steve Buscemi, Richard Widmark, working with Ben, Jim’s brother Pat, “Conan The Barbarian”, the filthy mouth of Groucho Marx, and we pick the best movies about movies. Oh, yeah. It’s about to get real nerdy up in here. Gabe’s gonna have to wait.

Dag Juhlin hasn’t NOT been in a band since 1978. A mainstay since he formed The Slugs with his brother Gregg in 1983, Dag has wandered the Chicago music scene —ronin-style— lending his guitar prowess to bands like Poi Dog Pondering and, most recently, Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy’s successful REM tribute tour. In between all the gunning for hire, Dag keeps himself busy with (among other things) solo records, his cover band Expo ‘76, a daily podcast with Steve Dahl, and the project closest to his heart: Sunshine Boys. If you want to know what it takes to be a successful working musician — check out this interview. PLUS: We pick the best solo Beatle tracks.

Scott started the LIFERS movie tour last week in St. Louis at the Arkadin Cinema & Bar — and this episode finds him in his hotel after a particularly long day that took him from a showing in Portland, Oregon at the Clinton Street Theater to a showing at the Clairidge Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. The dude was a little rough. (AND there was a fucking Tesla involved!) PLUS!: Micro-cinemas, cat-pigs, Enuff Z’nuff at The Whiskey, The Lumiere in L.A., Gabe’s face in IMAX at the Esquire in Sacramento, cineastes, Ryan’s nipples, Married Men at the Metro on March 15, the fall Everclear tour, ripping off Amadeus, English accents, and the royal “we” game. (Not discussed, but definitely felt — The Coolidge in Boston and the Film Society Center in Philadelphia.) Remaining dates on the LIFERS movie tour: MARCH 19 — Oriental Theatre — Milwaukee, WI APRIL 6 — Wisconsin Film Festival — Madison, WI APRIL 7 — Screenland Armour — Kansas City, MO APRIL 8 — The Varsity Cinema — Des Moines, IA APRIL 9 — The Trylon — Minneapolis, MN

ANORA dominated the 97th Academy Awards last Sunday and as Sean Baker superfans — we’re still riding high. Well, maybe not Gabe. Nevertheless! We invited our good buddy and Boston-based music writer Michael Cristopher on the show to talk to us about movies, DVD collections, Philly pride, interviewing Brian Johnson and Tony Iommi, Van Halen vs. Depeche Mode, Scott’s movie tour, uninvited guests, Scott Ian, the Duck of Death, and we pick the BEST?!? best picture winners of all time. None of that made sense, right?

It’s that time of year again! The nominees for this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. Exciting, right? Yeah — we didn’t think so, either. That won’t stop us from talking about it, though. Because what else are we gonna do? Air that lost Larry Damore interview we’ve been sitting on? Oh, Larry…

Let’s face it. Most rock documentaries suck. But not BORN INNOCENT: THE REDD KROSS STORY. Why? Lots of reasons. There’s the great music, of course. And the way it’s sweet instead of cloying and self-effacing where it could be self-serving. But mostly? It’s the joy of listening to two funny guys telling a good story that’s worth hearing. Well, this week we have one of them on the show: Steven McDonald. A true lifer who’s been doing it since he was eleven (ELEVEN?!?) — he also happens to be one of the best rock bassists out there (AND an all around swell guy). On this episode we talk to Steven about “Crazy Horses”, Moose lodges, his brother Jeff, misbegotten childhoods, runaways, THE Runaways, Black Flag, Rodney Bingenheimer, taking a beer can in the face for the Melvins, comparing notes with Tommy Stinson, Air Supply’s gangster manager, and the I-told-you-so’s of life.

Brothers, right? We all got ‘em. Well, not Ben or Scott. But Gabe does! And this week we have his brother Tom on to help us unlock the enigma that is Gabe Rodriguez. You’ll laugh! You’ll gasp in awe!! You’ll bear witness to unbreakable fraternal bonds!!! And you might find yourself unexpectedly moved. So step right up — this is the LIFERS episode you never knew you needed. We’re not crying — YOU ARE!!!

Boston-bred singer-songwriter Will Dailey has a new record out called BOYS TALKING. Well, it’s not “out” out. As in: It’s not streaming on all the usual platforms — which means it’s not available to be randomly and conveniently ignored. If you want to get Will’s new record, all you have to do is… 1. Get out of the house. 2. Go to a club that’s hosting one of his live performances. 3. Look him in the eye and purchase it from him. Simple, right? But in this world of complacent digital bubbles, this basic act of human connection feels like a clarion call of spiritual rebellion. And we at the LIFERS podcast are here for it. Join us for a deep (deep) conversation with Will about art, music, commerce, and being fucking ALIVE!!! Also: Gabe forgets that he already showered for the day.

When Scott and William Goldsmith first met in 1993, Local H and Sunny Day Real Estate were sharing a bill at the Avalon in Chicago (RIP). The next day, Sunny Day went into Idful studios with Brad Wood and started recording one of the best and (turns out) most influential indie-rock records of the ‘90s. Who knew? On this episode we talk to Will about Sub Pop, Neil Peart, Emo, hardcore, walking away, coming back, being in a band as a child versus being in a band as an adult, Will’s brother Brian, Will’s band Assertion, Greg Suran, Lionel Ritchie, and then we pick the best music from David Lynch movies. Silencio!

Who’s the coolest guy in the world? No question about it. Sean Rice by a fucking mile. Designed and born in a lab funded by rock and roll, Sean started working at the Cubby Bear when he was 20 — and from there he was transformed into a mythical Chicago Sasquatch who could be spotted attending every show, working every bar, and inhabiting the center of every tall tale. A true legend. These days —over at his company LAWLESS LURES— he’s down in Mississippi manufacturing and selling his own kick-ass fishing bait. Which, you know — OF COURSE, he is. Hey, everybody! Meet our buddy Sean Rice.