My First Car

While in Minneapolis I sit down with bassist extraordinaire Noah Schafer a seasoned player with credits in bands like Toxic Shock Syndrome, Bonesaw, War On God, The Funeral And The Twilight, and many more. Noah and I trade chairs and reflect on our time playing music and touring together.  He shares memories of his first car, a 1990 Mazda MPV, and we exchange stories about life on the road includi...

This week on the show I'm joined by Justin Cancilliere, the radio host of ParaTruth: Reborn. Justin kicks things off by reminiscing about his first car a 1989 Toyota Corolla that met an untimely end in New Jersey. From there we discuss his journey into the world of podcasting including some of his personal paranormal experiences.  We also get into some intriguing discussions about cryptids, conspi...

Musician and educator James McMahon finally comes by the studio to share some stories of his beloved 1986 Pontiac Parisienne Station Wagon, complete with classic wood paneling. James reflects on the formative years that shaped his musical journey with family road trips from Idaho to North Dakota and early days of his first band Speak Easy. He opens up about how music theory unlocked a whole new wo...

Singer songwriter Mike Swenson has a gift for music and a curse for vehicles. His first car begins with a 79 Chevy pickup careening downhill after failed brakes. Then his vehicle's luck gets worse from there with blown engines, spontaneous fires, and rabbits turning his car into a snack. We vent about the agony of backing up trailers, the unpredictable highs and lows of gig life, and trace Mike’s...

David Martel is a longtime friend and legendary musician who joins me in the studio for a ride through his life and career. We kick things off with a tale about his cool dorky '81 Chevy Chevette and dive deep into his roots of growing up as a farm kid in a small town where boredom was beat by pulling sleds with his car, blowing up G.I. Joes, and smashing guitars. A born entertainer, David always k...

Darren King's '85 (½) Mercury Lynx was a perfect first car for his upright bass to ride shotgun.  That Lynx caught air, caught fire, and even caused a bit of a stir at a retirement home. From a young age his dad immersed him in sports, literature, music, and culture, setting the stage for a lifelong artistic journey. After watching a documentary on R&B, funk, and soul, became enamored with the...

Singer songwriter and word nerd Sonda Sauers joins me for some laidback conversation. How very trusting of her to leave the keys to her '92 Pontiac Grand Am on a soda machine for friends to borrow. So it's easy to see how she was so warmly welcomed into the music scene after moving back to Bismarck,ND. Sonda shares some of her story of journaling since a kid, being a community organizer,  and runn...

Make them a bassline they can't refuse. Timothy 'Timo' Reed stops by the studio to catch up with me this week.  A fan of history and music Timo is a  bassist currently playing with Green Boots, The Swentones, and Johnny Spud. Back in Davenport Iowa Timo used his first car, a 82 Pontiac Grand LeMans to speed deliver Godfathers Pizza to Happy Joe Whitty. After relocating to North Dakota he dove head...

In this episode, I sit down for a cup of joe and a deep conversation with my uncle D.W. Groethe a true cowboy of the arts. A ranch hand by trade and a poet singer-songwriter by calling, D.W. shares stories from a life lived off the beaten path. He may have never technically owned a car, but his first ride was a 66 Dodge van fully outfitted with a fridge, cabinets, and a bed. As lifelong musician h...

This week I’m joined by Gus Lindgren the owner of Rhythm Records and we share our love for comic book fandom and music. Gus shares stories of his first car a 2005 Chevy Aveo nicknamed "The Flash" and how this lil car became the backdrop for some of his most pivotal moments. A road trip to San Diego Comic Con where he met his future wife and the inevitable wreck that led to a second Aveo "The Flash...

Singer-songwriter Kit Pines joins me in the studio with stories of reinvention, traveling, and rock 'n' roll. After a few too many close calls she was forced to sell her beloved New Yorker and make some major life changes. Moving in with her guitarist uncle sparked a new chapter by trading bad influences for garage band jam sessions and diving headfirst into the Bismarck music scene. We talk about...

Bass player and rocker for life Dustin Geiger drove the piss out of his first car a 1991 Ford F-150 XLT Lariat. Geiger and I reminisce about years of playing gigs, recording sessions, and the raw energy of the music scene. He takes us on a trip down memory lane sharing the evolution of his early days with Perosity and the band's transformation into the powerhouse that was Omnipotent Belligerence....

Before he could even drive musician Lucas Conlon had already claimed his first ride, a 93 Chevy Blazer. It didn’t last long before he totaled it but the stories live on. In this episode we talk about ordering CDs by the cover art, growing up in a home buzzing with music, and his early obsession with instruments which carries over to his ever growing collection. Call it musical hoarding or an arsen...

Musician Andrew Larivee hits the road in his 2006 Subaru Impreza to cross the country. Born cursed but blessed with serious musical chops, Andrew opens up about his life, his love for the trombone and the local music scene. Things go from hot and steamy to a run-in with Johnny Law as we talk sackbuts (not sack butts), scabs, and deep dive into Andrew’s world. 

In this episode we ride shotgun with Stacy Sturm, the creative force behind URL Radio. She kicks things off with hilarious tales of her very first cars from a Mercury Lynx barely held together with bubble gum and shoelaces, to a 91 Toyota Tercel that tore up the desert with its killer sound system. Spoiler alert: she’s managed to wreck every car she's owned and a few belonging to friends and famil...

Singer songwriter Ben Suchy looks back on his early days with deep rooted reverence. From shredding skateboards and snowboards to cruising in his ’93 Dodge Shadow and obsessing over vintage Volkswagen buses, Ben isn't a car guy per se but is quite the YouTube mechanic guy. Ben shares stories of buying and selling vehicles, getting into skirmishes, and breaking his tibia. NGL, I squirmed a little w...

Musician Kelly McCormack of The Pink Slips opens up about how her journey into music began with a brutal rejection from a choir director that only fueled her passion. We take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the good old days of playing punk bands. Kelly gets real about facing adversity when a tumor left her on crutches at a young age, an injury made permanent due to a doctor's F-up. Al...

Singer-songwriter Jennifer Lyn began her rebellious days behind the wheel of an 87 T-top Camaro equipped with a deer siren that was more often used to spook friends than wildlife. Building her career from the ground up, Jen started in coffee shops, learning every nuance from guitar solos to mixing, mastering, and the often overlooked business fundamentals. Leading to a collaboration with seasoned...

Here's a laid back and hilarious chat with musician Matt Foster, the creative force behind Penumbra, GreenBoots, Lords of Sorcery, and Inaudible Monster. Matt's 1985 Pontiac 6000 LE, complete with a disco-inspired ceiling lined with CDs, takes us on a nostalgic ride to the old days of the local concert scene. We dive into stories of road trips, camping adventures, and the wild, carefree days of be...

Meet Dakotah Faye, the legit nice guy and rapper whose demo disc got hopelessly jammed in his 2004 Ford Explorer for years until its final demise. Now two years sober and more driven than ever, Dakotah is a powerhouse constantly grinding out music, booking shows, and hitting the road on tour. From being dismissed as a hip-hop artist in North Dakota to proving himself as a true musician and entrepr...

Computer wiz Ryan Schweitzer’s journey on four wheels began with a humble 1989 Chevy Cavalier, but it was his second car, an 83 red Cavalier station wagon, that truly left its mark. With his Ham radio call sign NØSXY emblazoned on the license plate, Ryan sparks a bit of confusion and curiosity among fellow drivers who can't help but wonder what the mysterious code means. We talk about collecting L...

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Richard Torrance takes us on a thrilling ride through his incredible 60+ years in the music industry. In 1965, Richard cruised into the scene in his parents' sleek 55 Black Cadillac, hitting up drive-in theaters and Big Boy burger joints before leveling up to a Porsche. From his early days of rocking out in The Tradewinds to touring with the Canadian group Gettysb...

Kameran Ali of The Funky Arabs takes us back to the early days of forming bands with friends. Kam takes an epic road trip to Denver for Lollapalooza 96 and we end up just BSing about our shared love for concerts despite the skyrocketing ticket prices. Stories of unexpected run ins with musicians, grabbing KFC with Vanilla Ice, and launching 40s at a group of rowdy rednecks. Kameran also opens up a...

Ben Weisinger takes us back to when he got his license at 14 and drove off in his grandmother’s 84 Honda Accord, complete with a rusted out floorboard where you could see the road beneath him. A snake decides to hitch a ride ending up in his underwear while he's barreling down the highway. We also dive into the golden days of our roommate shenanigans and Ben explains how cruising Main was the Face...

Join Tom Hill as he shares the brief but unforgettable story of his 1984 Honda Civic. This 5-speed hatchback was totaled in a head on collision just three months after he got it leaving him with a broken neck. We dive into working as food delivery drivers and the risks of joy riding motorcycles. Along the way we veer off into nostalgic memories of high school, playing in bands, and the friendships...