Brian Oake Show

It's not every day that Bob Dylan pulls the car over and spots you on the street and then asks you to come to the studio to hear you play...her story doesn't end there.  Scarlet Rivera has had an amazing life, and it's only getting better.  She has a new album dropping in January, and she'll be performing tomorrow night (9/5) at the Silver Bay music festival Indoors.  Check out her great songs, an...

JC Lippold is one of a kind. A Minnesota musician with an inspirational mission statement. We do a deep dive on his music, our mutual cultural nostalgia and the importance of service. The word of the day: Enoughness. Enjoy!

Today, our guest is Ryan Rud. Ryan (along with his brother Matt) is founder, program director and show host of Rabbit Hole Radio, an internet radio station found on Live365. We talk music, our shared history of growing up in Coon Rapids, and the importance of certain sartorial choices, even in a non-visual medium. Enjoy!

We were joined by country music royalty in Sherwin & Pam Linton today! Sherwin has played the Gand Old Opry and most likely in your town in the upper Midwest.  He just celebrated his 86th birthday and they'll be playing in Silver Bay on Thursday and the South Dakota County Fair soon.  Pam drops a new music video soon too.  

Matt Levitt (Sycamore Gap, Ledfoot Larry) stops by to talk about Treylor, his Taylor Swift tribute band. We talk Taylor, the decades-long impact of The Cure, and get all medieval on the Renaissance Festival, pirate pants are NOT optional. Enjoy!

Our favorite punk-rock librarian visited us from Vermont.  Jon Copeland has been through hell and back with medical issues and spent nearly a month and a half in the hospital.  He's back!  He's seeing tons of shows again.  Listen to his story.  So glad he's okay!

On this episode, a couple of pervious guests appear on the 'cast together for the first time. David Anania (Blue Man Group, Greazy Meal) and Brian Z (Dr. Mambo's Combo) are both members of Those Medley Kids, a prog rock tribute band. They have a gig coming up at Crooner's on the 15th. We talk about the event a take a serious Prog Rock deep dive. Let's get weird!

Ben Cook-Feltz is back! This time, he's got a brand new release. A song-for-song re-creation of Harry Nilsson's 'Son of Schmilsson' (out today!). He has a big release party/concert at The Parkway on 8/10, featuring a truly stellar line-up. Here, we talk about the process and the result. Enjoy!

Let's dance! This Saturday (8/2/25) there's a massive street dance in northeast call D.E.I.: Disco Energy Infusion. It runs from 2-9 at Dutch Bar (2512 Central Ave NE) and features a day full of building community and sweet, sweet grooves. Family-friendly, this event is free and open to the public. Event MC, producer and main brain, DJ Tricky Micki tells us where it all began and how it's going to...

Fascinating! Hopeful! Today, we spoke with Hailey Bailey, Chief Advancement Officer of the ACLU Minnesota. She has lived and worked all over the world, almost always in the most war-ravaged, famine-stricken locations. These days, she is a crucial component of a group working tirelessly to protect the Constitutional rights of every single Minnesota. Great energy, and even better tatste in music. En...

One of our favorites is back! Local storyteller and stand-up comic Jason Schommer stops by to tell us all about his new Fringe Festival show 50: A Totally Rad Comedy About the Gnarly Reckoning of a GenXer. Jason is quick-witted and very funny. He made me laugh really hard and you will likely too. Enjoy!

Wow! Just had a rousing conversation with Miss Georgia Peach (Beebe Gallini, et al.). She's a guitar player, singer, fashionista and so much more. Opinionated, insighful, and absolutely hilarious! She's got some brilliant stories, great music and a couple of excellent upcoming gigs. I hope you enjoy this half as much as I did. I don't remember the last time I laughed this hard in the podcast. Enjo...

Our favorite Future Dude ever, Jeffrey Morris stops by to  talk all about his new feature length film, The Eagle Obsession. Jeffrey is a Director, Futurist and, most impotantly, a Humanist. So smart, so talented and genuinely thoughtful, we couldn't be happier to have had him as our featured guest on Episode 500! Listen and enjoy!

Dave Egemo returns for his 4th visit to the SmartStart MN studio to promote the 3rd Annual Parkinson's Foundation Fundraiser feat. Flamin' Oh's and Annie & The Bang Bang. A great lineup for an even better cause. Listen, learn and come out to The Hook & Ladder on the 16th. Cheers!

Mary Strand (Mary Strand and the Garage) makes her inaugural visit to the SmartStartMN studio! This lawyer-turned-novelist-turned-musician has a new album on the way. I Don't Need Your Permission will be released Aug 1, and the big release party at the Hook and Ladder is happening the night before, July 31st. We get to hear a lot about her wild ride thus far and three new tracks! Enjoy!

Michael Anschel, the main brain behind OA Design Build Architecture (a sponsor of this fine podcast), stops by for another rousing discussion. This is far more than an hour long infomercial, it's a robust discussion of community, our relationship to the natural world and the ongoing battle against the erosion of human decency. He's also conjured up a fictional company, complete with a website and...

Andra Suchy shares great stories about growing up in North Dakota, Daisy the cow, performing with amazing musicians and Poky here sweet pooch!  

Jenny Case was on the show today! She's an amazing guitar and bass player in so many bands and she heads up SheRockSheRock.com to teach girls to rock!  She had some great song picks and we talked about the Laurie Lindeen scholorship for her camp and her connection with Jill Sobule, who recently passed away in Woodbury.  Enjoy the show!

Matthew Hope certainly lives up to his name! Matthew, a musician in his own right, has organized an incredible benefit for Open Arms MN coming up July 12. The musical line up is killer and it couldn't be for a more important cause. Learn all about the event and enjoy the music! Cheers!

Claire Luger and Mikkel Bee join us to talk all things Minnesota Music Resistance.  It's a new organization that puts on events to raise money for great causes.  Their first event is Sunday at Hook & Ladder Theater & Lounge in Minneapolis starting at 2pm and going until 7.  A killer lineup of bands including Silent Treatment Buffalo Weaver, Turn Turn Turn, Dad Bod, Christy Costello and more.  It a...

She's a force in the Twin Cities music scene and a fierce advocate for people's rights, Tina Schlieske joins us on this show to talk about her show at Lowertown Sounds on Thursday and her show atop the Hewing Hotel on Sunday.  We commemorate Sly of Sly and the family stone, Brian Wilson and hear a great Tina song!  Enjoy!

Legendary Canadian rocker Dave Rave (Teenage Head, The Shakers) and MN musical everyman Craig Teiken (Edie Rae Band, Bleek & Grimm) join us to talk about the latest expolits of their mutual music endeavor, Dave Rave & The Governors. The band is finish up sessions for their 9th (!) album at Rich Mattson's Sparta Sound, and we caught them just before they hit the road up North. Enjoy!

This episode features MN music stalwart Randy Casey along with Nate Westgor (aka 'Willie' of Willies American Guitars). They both joined to talk about a great show coming up this weekend. Sunday night (6/15) at The Parkway Theater in South Minneapolis it's a special Father's Day celebration of the legendary Joey Molland of Badfinger. We hear some great stories about Joey and hear all about the wic...

More great local music! This time we are joined by Ben, Chris and James of Minneapolis-based band The Federales. Are they Country? Are they Rock? Are They Roots? YES! Listen and learn. Also check them out live Friday April 13 at Palmer's. Cheers!

What a treat! Zippy Laske makes her inaugural visit to the SmartStart MN Studio to talk about her new self-titled EP (out 6/13) and the big EP release celebration at the Green Room (also 6/13) with other luminaries like Chastity Brown and Leslie Vincent! Zippy is real, funny and definitely lives up to her nickname. Enjoy!