Dad Rocks!

To mark the 20th anniversary of his father's passing, Josh set about talking to people his dad played music with during three periods of his life. On this episode, Josh talks with Dave Rubin and Jeff Tyler, who are members of The Almost Original Synthetic Urban Swampgrass Jug-Band, of which both Josh and his father were members of (though not at the same time). The guys talk about how Josh's father joined the band, some memorable gigs, and the effect of Josh's father's passing on the band, as well as reminiscing about some gigs when Josh was in the band. (Interview recorded on February 6, 2023.)

To mark the 20th anniversary of his father's passing, Josh set about talking to people his dad played music with during three periods of his life. In this episode, Josh talks with Jack Schwartz, a member of his father's high school band Powdered Milk. They talk about how the band got started, gigs that they played, shows they saw together, how the band ended, and what Josh's father was like as a teen. This was the first time Josh and Jack ever talked to each other, so it was a special conversation for both them. (Interview recorded on January 19, 2023.)

Glen Fant returns to the show to talk with Josh about what it means to be a hardcore fan of a band. They talk about their obsessions with Ben Folds Five (Josh) and Smashing Pumpkins (Glen) as teens, how their levels of fandom went up and down over time, and what caused those changes. At the top of the show they give quick life updates and also discuss how being parents to two kids instead of one is a big change, as Josh has recently experienced. (Conversation recorded on November 11, 2022)

On this episode Josh talks with radio DJ Alisa Ali. Alisa is the midday host on New York City radio station WFUV, along with being the mother of a toddler. The conservation touches on a range of topics including parenting, working in radio, and influencing her son's musical taste, among others. (Interview recorded on October 25, 2022.)

Josh talks with Andrew Giles, a photographer, educator, and father of three. They talk about their time working at Appel Farm Arts Camp together, the importance of empathy, and Andrew's tough journey getting sober and going through a divorce while also dealing with COVID. The two then discuss rap music, something that Andrew loves and Josh has had a hard time getting into. A special Spotify playlist made by Andrew can be found here: https://spoti.fi/3TsLYqI. (Interview recorded on July 28, 2022.)

With so many life changes going on for the guys, they decided to repost their interview with Chris Ballew, who has a few new albums out. 

Josh, Joe, and Steve talk with Chris Ballew, front man of The Presidents of the United States of America, and now known to parents and kids as Caspar Babypants. They discuss Chris's career as a beloved children's music artist, along with how his early career led to the creation of PUSA, the surprise success of the band, and what his current plans are for his career in music and art. (Interview recorded September 23, 2020)

Spotify playlist for this episode: https://spoti.fi/3BNHJ20

On this episode Josh talks with the hosts of the Rock Docs podcast, Andrew Keatts and David Lizerbram. They discuss how the Rock Docs podcast came about, how the guys are able to do a podcast without missing family obligations, being parents to young boys, and, of course, music documentaries. It was a fun conversation so we hope you enjoy! (Interview recorded on July 12, 2022.)

On this episode, Josh talks with musician Ed Alstrom. Ed is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist who has played with many well known musicians, along with own bands, and is an organist for the New York Yankees. Josh and Ed talk about fatherhood, how Ed got into music, his career playing music, and his time working for Casio. There's a lot of great stories, so take a listen and enjoy! (Interview recorded on June 22, 2022.)

Links to the albums mentioned at the end of the episode: https://bit.ly/3bY7qm5

 

With Joe and Steve on a break from the show, Josh decided to talk with his old friend and former bandmate, Glen Fant. Glen’s a father of two boys who has been playing in original bands since middle school, including Bang Camaro and The Fatal Flaw. During the conversation Josh and Glen discuss fatherhood, their time being in a band together in middle school, getting kids into music, and how to maintain a healthy marriage while being in multiple bands. You'll also hear about what music both Glen and Josh are enjoying lately. A Spotify playlist of the music on the episode can be found at https://spoti.fi/3xsYKMT. (Interview recorded on May 26, 2022)

In order to prepare for Record Store Day 2022, the guys invite back the biggest vinyl-head they know, Adam Shanker. They talk about the history of Record Store Day, their experiences going in the past, and their most memorable purchases, before going through what they are eying to buy from this year's list. (Interview recorded April 6, 2022)