The LIFERS Podcast

This week we flash back to LAST week to finish what we started with Mahmood Shaikh: Counting down our favorite U2 songs. The answers may surprise you. Or not. PLUS: Scott talks about Michael, Ben talks about Springsteen tickets, Louise Post drops by to talk about her new single and tour (and the useless Local H shirt she bought), and Gabe locks himself in his office. So un-punk.

We’ve been trying to get Mahmood Saikh on the show almost since the podcast started. And finally, he has relented, but with the caveat that he be allowed to appear not as a traditional guest —oh, no, no!— he wanted to be treated as “just one of the guys”. A panel position, if you will. Fine. We accept you. One of us. The indie-rock booking-agent maestro DID send us a bio, however — so here it is:...

It’s not like Material Issue is the most obscure or overlooked band in the history of Chicago music, but no matter how many power pop music fests get named after them (like the long running International Pop Overthrow festival — which takes its name from their classic debut album), they will always land towards the top of the list of the city’s most underrated bands. And now there’s a new document...

Hey, everybody! It’s Jimmy Flemion from The Frogs!!! And we can scarcely believe it. To coincide with the elusive Mr. Flemion’s rare public appearances this week (tonight in Milwaukee and Saturday night in Chicago —with Scott opening up!) we were lucky enough to get the man on the podcast to talk about the forthcoming Frogs documentary, growing up in Milwaukee with his brother Dennis, glam rock, T...

Todd Philips has it all figured out. He’s got an artistically fulfilling day job in film editing that affords him the time to go on tour when the opportunity presents itself. He’s made a wonderful life in L.A. for himself while remaining super-tight with his Boston rock family. And —most importantly— he knows “Paddington Bear 2” is the best movie of all time. On this episode we talk to Todd about...

Cool people don’t really like to talk about themselves — and Aly Jados (of the super awesome Chicago band Blood People) is really cool, so she REALLY doesn’t like to talk about herself. But all that reserved reticence won’t stop the guys from pestering Aly about her dad’s guitar, scary band names, her new Monday bowling nights, making heavy music that’s catchy as fuck, singing Steven Tyler songs i...

After a crazy weekend featuring a Local H show at The Metro, the guys get together and talk about underwhelming concert shirts, the Chicago mayoral election (sorry, Lori), and being on baby watch. And then our new pal Jim Rota of Fireball Ministry & The Company Band pops in to liven up the joint and talk about touring with Dio, making movies with Dave Grohl, Pop Up Video, Sonic Highways, Lemmy, Sc...

On a happy Local H At The Metro Day, the guys count down their favorite covers. What’s the best?!? PLUS: Devil Gaby, These Are The Daves I Know, the Boston Globe calls us “dude-centric”, Gabe sold some books, Shmoo sucks, Mix Master Ben dredges up a traumatic childhood memory for Scott, and What’s The Most Un-Punk Thing Gabe Did This Week?

We finally got Walter! Our ol’ buddy Walter Schreifels has been in more bands than you’ve had hot lunches and on this episode we tried (TRIED!) to get to all of them. We failed, of course — but here’s some of what we DID get to: Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Rival Schools, Youth Of Today, Gabe’s “Good & Plenty” zine, recording “Slip”, CIV, Don Fury, The Ramones, Walter sings the hits, Gabe’s Gorill...

At 29, Dee Radke is the youngest guest we’ve had on the show — but even if you were to stack a group of 50 year old lifers twenty feet high, you still couldn’t out-lifer the guys in Radkey. On this episode we talk to Dee about bands of brothers, the influence of Richard Linklater’s ‘School Of Rock’, Fishbone hitting on your mom, touring with Foo Fighters, Jack White’s big hugs, dodging Covid on to...

Chicago photographer Gene Ambo has shot more bands than you’ve had hot meals (and some of you really need to stop posting pictures of those meals). On this episode we talk to the long lens legend about his excellent photo book (HEAVY METRO: ACCESS ALL ERAS), shooting Motörhead (minus Fast Eddie), Lemmy’s short shorts, the heyday of rock magazines, fake blood with Samhain vs. real blood with Iggy P...

Sullen is one of the great bands of the ‘00s and Justin Slazinik —who, along with Shanna Kiel, was the co-leader of that band— is one of the great songwriters of the era. And now he’s back with a new band (called Slazinik, appropriately enough) and a great new record that comes out in April (called LICK ‘EM TOMORROW — equally appropriate!). On this episode we talk to our ol’ buddy about Sullen, Le...

When word got out that Allen Epley from Shiner and The Life And Times was moving to Chicago, folks were pretty happy about it. Not surprising. You know when people use that phrase “he’s a solid dude”? They’re usually talking about Allen. On this episode, Mr. Epley takes time out from hosting his own podcast —the excellent Third Gear Scratch— to talk to us about his excellent new solo album (called...

Here it is, folks! The best episode ever. Our 100th episode. All of our favorite bits and guests are here. Compiled for you in one digestible episode. So, if you’ve been on the fence about listening to this show — here’s your chance, newbie. Get on board. And if you’ve been listening to this thing from the beginning — THANK YOU! Here’s to the next 100.

We all have stories. It’s just that Pat Healy’s are better than yours. If you’re Gabe, you know Pat from his directorial debut “Take Me” (now streaming on Netflix!)— but if you’re like the rest of us, you know Pat from fucking EVERYTHING! “Ghost World”, “Magnolia”, “Cheap Thrills”, “Compliance”, “The Post”, “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford” — fucking “Better Call Saul”!...

In anticipation of Local H’s DUMB AND DUMBER themed New Year’s Eve shows this weekend in Milwaukee and Chicago (at Shank Hall and Bottom Lounge, respectively), the guys sit down and watch the unrated “extended” version of the 1994 Farrelly Brothers classic starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, and Duff. To provide some history and much needed analysis, we asked our resident D&D expert —Justine McMaho...

Sometimes you go out on tour with a band and you can’t wait for the tour to be over so you can get away from that band. And then sometimes you go out with a band and they become your new best friends. For Local H, that band is Helmet. On this frigid Christmas weekend we are joined by Wisconsin native, Helmet drummer, and all-around swell guy Kyle Stevenson. We talk to Kyle about moving to L.A., ha...

On a super sized episode of the show: Scott returns home from the final leg of the HERE COMES THE ZOO tour (in Canada!) and joins Ben and Gabe for a chat with KT’s Kids founder Katie Augustyn about the annual benefit show happening at Liar’s Club this Saturday. As an added bonus, Ben went and set up a special social media Zoom invite so we could do a Q&A with anybody who wanted to tap in. Was it a...

On their day off, Local H decided to play an acoustic show at a dispensary in Holyoke. And then this happened. The guys ramble about Boston (the town), Deee-lite, pickle quesadillas, Christine McVie, un-punk things that Gabe does, Pat Healy movies, Chinese food, the Shues, soccer, and being Poo-Bum kingmakers.

On a road report from Charlotte that can only be described as Poo Bum Poo Bum, the guys discuss Robert Conrad, Kanye Twitty, bowling vs. soccer, how to say “Blacow”, getting tongue tied in front of James Hetfield, Ben’s not a banana guy, Ryan’s a “Ghost” fan, no one’s advocating for Ted Nugent, Scott comes around to the Bad Religion Christmas album, the greatest whistle songs of all time, Gabe hol...

On this week’s episode we have a laid back hang with our friend Chris Anzolone — a great drummer and a long time fixture of the Boston music scene who, in a stroke of mid-life clarity, decided it would be fun to run a record store. So he bought Boston’s Stereo Jack’s and VOILA! He’s the proud owner of a record store in the Somerville area. There’s a little more to it than that — and we get into it...

Mike Willison is one of the lifers in Scott’s life, so this episode is full of — shall we say “inside baseball”? Some of that baseball includes: Figdish, Caviar, The Prairie Cartel, beard growing contests, salt water colonics on the road, sommeliers, Lou Reed taking all your money, Merit Badge, Portland, and the LONDON Suede. Also: The guys get Gabe to say a bad word.

Steve Barton is living the dream. After years of near-misses and being ignored, Barton has finally hit the indie-horror bullseye as an executive producer of Damien Leone’s surprise hit “Terrifier 2” — and he’s savoring every goddamn minute of it. Steve tells us about being a life-long horror devotee, his time at Dread Central, being Uncle Creepy, hero-peeing in George Romero’s hotel bathroom, smok...

Pointless doesn’t even begin to describe it. A Road Report with nothing to lose — featuring the charms of Wausau, the pros and cons of Jerry Lee Lewis, Ben’s skepticism over Todd Field, Dracula Juice, REVOLVER, the Daves we know, Gabe’s fever for the Pac-Man, adjectives, old bags, and Scott’s X-rated Sarah Silverman impersonation. Good luck.

After a “few” drinks at dinner, Ryan and Scott answer questions that Ben collected from the audience at the 10/21 Metro show. Topics include the squandering of Rod Stewart’s God-given gifts, the squandering of Steve Miller’s killer pop instincts, color Kubrick movies in black and white, the firing of Dewey Cole, booze hounds, useless hot sauces, sitting next to Udo Kier, Ben’s man love for Justin...