Between Awesome and Disaster with Will Carey

In a new holiday tradition on Between Awesome and Disaster.  Will's Backdoor BBQ teammate and friend Paul Cohen returns to discuss all of the excellent pop punk that 2020 had to offer.  Favorite Albums, Favorite EPs, Live Streams, favorite discoveries and the 2020 playlist Their was some excellent pop punk this year and Paul and Will are gonna discuss it all.   Will and Paul's 2020 Pop punk Playli...

Before Ryan Fitz was the lead guitarist in the band Bearings began when he would book them on DIY Shows in Ottawa.  He talks to Will about the recording and writing of the band's new album Hello, It's You, the music scene in Ottawa, booking shows as a Teenager, joining Bearings, working with Alan Day from Four Year Strong, recording tips and plans for Bearings after the end of the Pandemic.   List...

Comedian James Mattern's podcast The Commissioner of Comedy was inspired by stories of The Undertaker and Wrestler's Court.  He talks to Will about the recent closings of NYC Comedy institutions The Creek and The Cave and Dangerfields, Andrew Dice Clay's The Day The Laughter died 2, growing up and starting comedy in Las Vegas far from the glamour of the Strip, getting into comedy clubs in NYC, wha...

Chris McGrath is the guitarist and vocalist for Chicago punk rock band Much the Same.  He talks to Will about growing up a Christian, D&D Punk rocker in the Suburbs of Chicago, how cardio is an important part of being able to play fast punk rock. Releasing the first Much The Same album on A-F Records, Playing iconic punk rock venues like Fireside Bowl, the bands break up, reunion and excellent new...

Bassist and Vocalist for The Lawrence Arms Brendan Kelly finds it funny for the silliest projects he takes on garner the most attention. He talks to Will about the culture behind the Chicago Ska and Punk scenes, the beginnings of Chicago's Fireside Bowl, the working class populism of Punk Rock,the influence of the Goo Goo Dolls on The Lawrence Arms working with Fat Mike when The Lawrence Arms were...

Dragged Under Guitarist and Youtuber Fluff's current success was born out of a time when his life was in a dark place.  He talks to Will about his upbringing in the Seattle Music Scene, favorite guitars and gear, his Youtube Channel Riff's Beards and Gear,  The unlikely source of his video and audio editing skills during his time in California, how his former band Rest, Repose began at a time when...

Ryan Baldwin's High School punk rock band Urban Sombrero was the first time Will heard punk rock played live.  Ryan and Will talk about their shared history growing up in St. Leonard Maryland, the local diy shows that Urban Sombrero and other bands would put on during high school, his next band Remember Daylight, a dark night of the soul that occurred in a convenience store parking lot, his curren...

Comedian Bryan Preston is one of Will's earliest comedian friends he made in Baltimore back in 2007.   He talks to Will about how he approaches a career in comedy in the Baltimore area, stand up comedy, comic books, anime, Star Wars, podcasting, and avoiding the toxic parts of nerd culture and fandom, and plans for comedy after the pandemic.   Bryan on Twitter: @skullbase   Bryan's podcast: https:...

Nick Thompson is the lead vocalist of two of Will's favorite bands Hit the Lights and Thief Club.  He talks to Will about being on tour in Japan right before the pandemic, favorite places and bands in Japan, writing pop punk songs in low tunings, the formation of Hit the Lights in Ohio, moving from guitar to lead vocals in Hit the Lights, major record labels, songwriting, the creative freedom a si...

For Light Years Guitarist/Vocalist Pat Kennedy everything circles back to when he first heard Blink 182's Enema of the State.  He talks to Will about the conception and production of the recently released No Pressure EP, working with Parker Cannon, Tom Delonge's influence on guitarists and punk rock guitar tone, how his Pop Punk band Light Years formed amongst the Cleveland hardcore scene, touring...

Hit The Lights guitarist Kevin Mahoney describes his band as a blend of 80s Pop and Pantera.  He talks to Will about producing the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, his approach to recording and producing bands, his origins in the Rochester, NY Punk and Hardcore Scene, Touring Japan, Hit The Lights, the major label experience, and being able to play with hometown friends in Joywave. Kevin on...

Comedian Brandon Broady and Will go all the way back to their Freshman year as theater majors at Towson University.  Brandon and Will discuss their acting and theater education, finding stand up comedy while still a student, how working in radio lead him to Los Angeles, touring with Donnell Rawlings, hosting shows on BET and Nickelodeon, why the Kids Choice Awards is the most fun Awards show to at...

Goalkeeper Bassist and Vocalist Ryan Beebe and Will's influences align almost perfectly.  He talks to Will about recording bass for the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, playing pop punk in lower tunings, his approach to songwriting, favorite records, and the band's approach to the modern music business.   Listen to Goalkeeper: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1foCMRbxVRo99EWPglSD3n?si=ko-2mND...

Goalkeeper drummer Cody Allen sees one of the goals of his band as creating community.   He talks to Will about the process of recording drums for the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, he and Will's mutual love of all things Pop Punk, growing up in South Jersey, the Philadelphia area music scene, how he approaches Goalkeeper's social media and his part of the Goalkeeper songwriting process.  ...

Cartel Singer and Vocalist Will Pugh has amassed an extensive list of writing and production credits through his career. He talks to Will about how Cartel learned to be headliners from early tours with The Starting Line, and New Found Glory, The punk and hardcore scene around Atlanta, Cartel's breakthrough with the album Chroma and touring in Japan, The Band in a Bubble show on MTV, Songwriting, h...

Comedian Jesse Jones and Will knew each other from their time in the Trenches of the New York Comedy Scene.  Jesse tells Will about first moving to New York City, his time in improv at the beginnings of UCB, transitioning to Stand Up, how the common troupe of common open mic jokes has evolved over there time in comedy, how his career evolved after leaving New York City and plans to expand road gig...

Comedian Jay Szech was one of the first comics Will met in Baltimore back in 2007 He talks to Will about growing up in Maryland, the Baltimore Comedy Scene, his time in Los Angeles, working as an educator before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic, working as an announcer for minor league baseball, and what he feels his role as a comedian is when he performs. Jay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaysz...

The mission statement of Guitarist Marc Juliano's band Goalkeeper is good times, and catchy songs   He talks to Will about the band's ability to write sad songs that are fun and optimistic, incorporating his work as a Mental Health Counselor into the bands songwriting, approaching his music career in incremental steps, guitars, writing pop punk lead melodies and the band's upcoming EP Life in Slow...

Storyteller and Moth Grandslam Winner Marc Abbott begins this episode with the story of the time we worked security at a Tupac Concert in Atlanta.  Then he tells Will about meeting a surprisingly down to earth Michael Jackson, growing up in Brooklyn, how big an impression Star Wars made on him as a child, studying film, the moment he realized he had to make his own path in show business, self publ...

Steve "Lips Kudlow" is the Guitarist and Vocalist for the massively influential Metal band Anvil.  He talks to Will about the uncertain future of live music during and eventually after the Covid-19 Pandemic, having to abandon the European tour for their newest album Legal at Last, his custom V shaped guitars, guitar solos, songwriting, dedication to one's craft,music critics, Anvil's impact on Met...

Chris Amato is the Bassist for Drive-Thru Records Post-Hardcore band Hidden in Plain View. He talks to Will about the New Jersey Punk and Hardcore Scene, forming the band that would become Hidden in Plain View, Signing to Drive-Thru Records, and the business of being a touring band playing clubs.  Recording at the Legendary Salad Days studios, the dissolution of the band, how there friends lead to...

Mike Ruocco toured the world with his band Cinder Road and transitioned away from the music business to be there for his family. He tells Will about starting the band that would become Cinder Road as a teenager in Baltimore, playing up and down the east coast alternating between original and cover gigs. Joining SR-71 as a bass player for the album Here We Go again, touring with Daughtry, Kiss, and...

Comedian Violet Gray was one of the first friends Will made in Stand Up Comedy.  She tell's Will about starting comedy in Baltimore, the tone and style of Baltimore comedians, performing on Wyatt Cenac's Night Train on Starz, Nerdcore, countries they want to travel to after the pandemic is over, and plans to create Hip-Hop during quarantine.   Violet Gray on Twitter: https://twitter.com/violetsilv...

Comedian and Podcaster Mike Moran and Will share a lot of interests but just missed each other in the Baltimore Comedy Scene.  Mike and Will Discuss the Baltimore Comedy Scene, DIY comedy albums, punk rock, Mike's Podcast Confessional and plans for future comedy releases. Mike's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/confessional-podcast/id1390856222 Mike's album https://mikemorancomedy.ba...

Bassist for Punchline and host of the One Hit Thunder Podcast Chris Fafalios and Will have a lot in common with one hilarious exception.  Chris tells Will about growing up in Pittsburgh, how R&B attracted him to playing Bass, his introduction to Punk Rock, Punchline's beginnings in Pennsylvania, touring in Japan, and common threads he has discovered among one hit wonders from creating his podcast...