Jonny’s Secret Stash

Dan Moore from the Dan Moore Band started out as a drummer (and even travelled with a drum corps group after high school); Marcus Safirt from Stealin the Farm also joined Adam Conley and I.  The Three of them had the chance to back up Jim Belushi a few weeks ago when Jim came to town to play some blues to some investors in a venture Jim is starting in Harbor Country.  I was lucky enough to get to...

Great to have Adam back on the show.  Howie is a drummer who has played with Tree and the Beer Hippies.  Most recently, both of them provided back up to Jim Belushi for a blues set at a private gig in Buchanan.  

Brian Barber is a musician and sound engineer.  He's a little unusual in that he avoids live performances, but his music is no less creative.  He has incorporated his love of sound engineering into his love of music composition and is creating music using advanced mixing tools.  Check out the show and look out for his new creations coming your way.

Rob Lemon has been playing the drums for more than 40 years.  This is Randy's 5th time on the show.  They are back with Bone Naked and this is their debut.  Glad to get a chance to talk with them and looking forward to their upcoming shows.

Kait Rose is a singer/songwriter from Kalamazoo, Michigan.  She has been singing, playing guitar, and recording music since high school.  She is releasing her next album, "Balance", in August at an album release party at Bell's Brewery, but before that she is coming to the Acorn Theater and The Livery during the second week of July.  Check out her music on Band Camp and don't miss her Harbor Count...

Johnny Iguana began playing classic piano at a young age.  He gravitated to Punk Rock and then an uncle introduced him to the blues. He set an intention and suddenly found himself playing with Junior Wells and his band and then Otis Rush.  Johnny's piano playing has been described as Punk/Blues; regardless of the genre, it is completely authentic and original.  In 2013, he and drummer Michael Cask...

Abe Partridge is a singer songwriter from Mobile, Alabama who has taken a different path to the music world.  He was a fundamentalist preacher in Kentucky for 9 years and was inspired by Son House to find a new way to express himself.  He began writing songs and painting pictures to release the negative feelings he had.  After returning from the Air Force in the middle east, he entered a singer so...

Joe George is a singer songwriter from Chicago, but that does not even begin to tell the story.  A graduate of the Berklee Colege of Music in Boston, he has played in punk bands, written scores for movies, toured all over the world, started the Red Room in Bucktown with his cousin, produces and writes with other musicians, and creates video content for Reverb's You tube channel.  He is coming to t...

Mike Struwin is a local singer songwriter who has been playing and writing songs since he was 13.  He has been involved in bands such as Hammertoe and Steamboat, but is keeping it simple with his latest band called the Mike Struwin Band (which JSS interviewees Mike Nelson [Ep 8] and Matt Sypian [Ep 1]).  Check him and the band out at the Livery on April 29 and also at the Acorn Theater on July 20.

The Resurrection Blues Band is a three piece band (can you say Power Trio) based out of Harbor Country.  Rodney Mills on Guitar and Vocals, Scott Ovens on drums, and Mike Balmes on bass.  Keeping the blues alive with their original tunes.  Don't miss their show at the Acorn Theater on April 2 where they are opening for The Erly.

Beth Bradfish is a sound artist, currently in the process of curating an installation at the Chicago Cultural Center.  She began playing piano at the age of 7 and became quite accomplished; she studied music theory and piano through high school and into college.  It was at that point that she pivoted and became a folk singer travelling around Europe during her sophomore year of college.  She then...

Josh Shilling is a songwriter, singer, and piano player.  He began playing piano at a young age at the level where he got to play gigs  before the age of ten.  In 2007, he joined Mountain Heart (which had been around since 1998) and immediately found success.  In his first few months, he played at the Grand Ole Opry and went on tour opening for Lynard Skynard.  In between runs with Mountain Heart,...

Ron Spears has been playing guitar since he was 15.  He took a little break after he got married and built his French Wine import business.  In 2010, he got his old Martin repaired and began playing again with purpose.  He now teaches guitar and practices 2-3 hours a day.  He currently play jazz with as a duo and with a big band out of New Carlisle, IN.  Welcome back to Ron (he was on episode 22).

Robert Rolfe Feddersen is the hardest working man in show business (to borrow a phrase).  Lead guitarist and singer of the 90s hard rock band Loudmouth, he transitioned to solo work with his singer percussionist wife Teri Ann and they have not looked back.  Together, they play 150 shows a year at breweries and wineries from Wisconsin to Michigan.  They make every show a party and Bob is getting re...

Tony D'Annunzio is the director and producer of the documentary movie, "Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story", which is being shown at the Acorn Theater on February 11, 2022.  Open from 1966 to 1972, the Grande Ballroom was modeled after the Filmore West in San Francisco and featured musicians from MC5 and The Stooges to The Who and BB King.  

Jack Droppers is the lead guitarist and lead singer for the Grand Rapids, Michigan based Americana/Indie Rock band "Jack Droppers and The Best Intentions."  Jack started out playing original punk rock music with his buddies in junior high until he was introduced to Bruce Springstein.  He then found out that his Dad was a big fan of the Boss and he began gravitating towards music with a story.  Fas...

Ann Campbell and Adrienne White are sound healers, yoga teachers, and Reiki practitioners among other skills.  In this episode, we discuss what happens in a soundbath, the instruments that are used and their sources, and the wonderful benefits that a soundbath can provide. 

Bob Swan was going to be a doctor, but couldn't imagine being stuck inside all day long.  So instead he began an entertainment career where he started as a stage actor, then became a voice over artist, then became a movie actor (remember the assistant coach in Hoosiers?), which led him to a career in opera, which brought him to Harbor Country as a land developer.  For the last 17 years, he and his...

Jillian and Nathaniel are a husband and wife duo who met during high school in South Bend, Indiana when their art teacher pushed them to write a song together to represent their school in a statewide competition (they finished in the top ten).  They have been playing together around the country ever since.  In 2016, they set out to document their upcoming 263 show tour and ended up with a document...

Miles Nielsen is the lead singer, guitarist, and principle songwriter for his band Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, but also happens to be the son of Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick.  Miles talks about the joys of growing up and raising his family in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois, getting to meet his musical idols, and traveling with his Dad on the road when he was growing up.  Check out Mi...

Bass player Bill Bielby and his friends formed a band called The Newports when they were in 8th grade in the south suburbs of Chicago.  Fast forward to an open mic at the Acorn theater in 2014:  Bill called up some of the old members of the band and his friend Jumpin' Gene Halton (on Harmonica) from South Bend and made a plan to play a few songs for old time sake.  Thanks to an article by Larry Vo...

Rodger Kelm and Kevin Mansfield are the drummer and bass player respectively for The Red Deluxe Band, a local favorite that continues to evolve.  Both were introduced to music as kids growing up in the 50 and 60s and played in bands in high school. While Rodger worked a day job and raised his family, Kevin lived in different parts of the country playing drums with various house bands.  When The Re...

Zev Russ is a yet to be discovered guitar player from Austin, Texas (and also my nephew).  He is the lead guitarist for the band, "Wolfman's Brother".  In this episode, we talk about Zev's writing style, his compositions, his view of the music scene in Austin, and his plans for his band.

Bryan Lubeck is a Smooth Jazz guitarist and composer.  He just released his album Midnight Sun in August 2021 which hit number 1 on Amazon's list of best sellers.  He is also hosting the Open Mic at the Acorn on November 11.   Don't miss it!

Randy and Bradley Rogers are members of the Bridgman, MI based Red Deluxe Band.  The brothers have been playing music together since Bradley was 7 and Randy was 13 and we were fortunate enough to get them to play a couple of songs.