Going Off Track

We've got a classic G.O.T. episode this week - be a fly on the wall as two drummers have a laid-back chat about their early influences, cool shows they were at and shared experiences. Jared Shavelson has played with The Bronx, The Hope Conspiracy, Paint It Black, and even Seal! Currently drumming for Joyce Manor and on tour with The Gaslight Anthem, Benny took him aside at the hotel in Cincinnati...

Live from the road! Benny chats with Luke, Kyle and Sam of the great Canadian rock band, The Dirty Nil. From Bartholomew the bully to visors as fashion? It's a real off-track experience. The Dirty Nil website

Frontman, Dylan Slocum and keyboardist, Meredith Van Woert of Spanish Love Songs talk about time zones, Nashville's "acceptable bagel", touring with The Gaslight Anthem and learning band mental-health from Metallica. Benny also digs deep into their personal relationship, confessing that while touring with them, he never realized that they were married! It's a deep dive into some very on-point and...

This week, Hopeless Records founder, Louis Posen regales us with tales of how he cold-called both NoFX and Green Day, offering to make music videos and ended up doing "Bob" for Fat Mike and the gang. Guttermouth pushed him to release the first Hopeless Records single, using money made from his baseball card collection and he beat Tim Armstrong to Monster Plug by showing up.

We had an amazing talk this week with New York Times journalist, Nick Corasaniti. His new book, "I Don't Want to Go Home: The Oral History of the Stone Pony" just dropped and it is a very fun read. Our esteemed host, Benny himself is in the book! Besides a lot of rich stories about the legendary New Jersey venue, we go off track discussing Aerosmith's legacy and the Taylor Ham vs pork roll controv...

How's this for off-track? Let's get a hilarious comedian and talk about when he ran an illegal poker game and then a brothel! Neil Rubenstein is for real in many ways and this was a roller coaster conversation that we had with him. The punk rock way of comedy, words you can't say on Tik Tok and a love of libraries. Dude is deep (and funny).

Oh boy, have we got a show for you this week... the amazing Butch Walker of Marvelous 3, The Floyds, SouthGang, also a renown producer/songwriter working with Green Day, Weezer, Pink, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco to name a few. Butch has seen eras come and go and played a part in all of them! From being an LA hair metal band MTV star to what is happening with A-listers this week, the man is on...

Guitarist for Thursday, Steve Pedulla joins us to talk about the band and its history as well as his other gig as a director of photography for cool, food shows (among other reality shows). There's also a lot of "Jersey" talk and of course the mandatory AI discussion. photo by Michael Dubin

Hot Water Music's Chris Wollard joins us this week with guest-co-host, Jon Snodgrass to discuss the Gollum songwriting curse, praise for Stever Miller Band and how he and HWM drummer George Rebelo hated each other on site at their initial meeting.

Is Laura Jane Grace the best podcast guest ever? She has certainly always been on for us and brings it again in this awesome interview. From Elvis marrying her in Vegas, to singing "Just Like Heaven" with Dinosaur Jr., this episode bounces with fun and stories.

Danbert Nobacon has seen the full range of it all - from the streets of Manchester UK in the 70s to the wilds of eastern Washington state; from 80's anarchist punks to anarchist major-label, big-hit darlings in Chumbawamba. Along the way he never sold out his ideals and quite literally put his money where his mouth is. A super interesting conversation with a very real dude. Check out his new album...

The Gaslight Anthem's FOH engineer, Tiffany Hendren on a "Road Dogs" episode that was actually taped on the road! Benny sits down with their wonderful live-mix engineer between gigs in Europe to chew the fat about what she does and how she got there.

What better time than now to revisit the mountain man himself, the honorable Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music fame along with solo artisting and of course... mountain manning.

Drummer for The Bouncing Souls and Joan Jett, just to name a few, Michael McDermott is another Jersey treasure. From his early ska days and Murphys Law, to Budokan, the kid's got stories and he's telling! And be sure to check him out in The Kilograms with Joe Gittleman and Sammy Kay.

Hardcore NJ drummer for Ensign, P.E.D. and many more, Chris Ross has known Benny since the latter was a wee punk. We go deep into the lore of New Jersey punk & hardcore, from the magic of 67 Hardy St. and the Bouncing Souls house basement shows to The Melody & The Roxy. There are also many fun, (some embarrassing) young Benny moments.

Coliseum singer/guitarist, Louisville native, Ryan Patterson gives us the lowdown on 'zines, throwing shows and managing a record label. He talks about pushing forward to escape his small town and how "everywhere is a creative outlet". Be sure and check out his new band, Fotocrime .

Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio joins us this week to talk mustaches and basketball. Oh yeah, he's got an awesome day-job too. We get deep into AT's new album and drummer as well as going back to those VFW gig days and the beloved Fireside Bowl, Chicago!

Popeye Vogelsang of legendary hardcore band, Farside, joins us this week to discuss pizza and sex, growing up a puny little punk kid, "bowling it out!" with Jimmy G. of Murphy's Law and his new band, Calling Hours. photo: Josh Nesmith

Senior NBA Writer for The Ringer and contributor to the NY Times, LA Daily News and Sports Illustrated, Howard Beck also knows a thing or two about music. Benny has a blast talking hoops with him and comparing basketball positions with band members.

In another, 'pal-of-the-podcast' episode, we talk to the 2nd nicest drummer in the biz, The Menzingers' own Joe Godino. Yoga with the Descendents' Bill Stevenson, muscle maintenance with Hot Water Music's George Rebelo and hangin' with Kevin from The Office. It's all in there.

Dave Hause is a great songwriter, singer, performer and an awesome podcast guest, especially for this show. Benny and Dave dig into their shared past, the rewards and pains of being a professional musician and Fat Mike's over-reaction to Dave's article on how punk-rock Taylor Swift was.

Listening to Donovan Woods talk is almost as good as listening to him sing. The lyrics are there! Maybe the backing track of Benny and Brad cackling at his stories isn't quite as nice as Donovan's sweet acoustic guitar but hey, it's storytime. Tim McGraw in a garbage can, check it out.

Deep thinking drummer, podcaster and renown singer/songwriter, Emil Amos joins us gets way deep with Benny. "Melt down this whole machine so people can see what's inside the Matrix." Then he tells us about how hid dad used to be sailing pals with John Oates of "Hall and". It's a very Emil episode.

Hot on the heels of finishing up his brilliant new album, Hellmode - our most popular, and represented guest of all time, singer/songwriter, music maniac, nice guy, Jeff Rosenstock! This is Jeff's 11th or 12th appearance on the show, his 4th solo episode and he is very happy to have coincidentally made episode #420. Please enjoy, we did.

Guitarist/vocalist from Taking Back Sunday, Brody and The Color Fred, Fred Mascherino regales us with a few epic tales including an early, wild trip to California that irreversibly impacted both his personal and professional life.