The Trap Set with Joe Wong

The legendary Billy Gibbons joins Joe to discuss: his love of Fugazi; studying percussion with Tito Puente; attending art school in Hollywood; Roky Erickson; his uncle, Cedric Gibbons, the most awarded art director in history; and why--after over 50 years as a band--it's still a joy to play with ZZ Top.

Mike Bordin delivers trance inducing rhythmic patterns with earth-shattering power. This inimitable style places him in the pantheon of all-time great rock drummers. Mike and Joe discuss: Mike's journalist grandfather who worked as editor of The Milwaukee Sentinel; how Mike and his childhood friend, legendary bassist Cliff Burton, began playing their respective instruments together; how music save...

Chad Clark's parents were attorneys positioned at the vanguard of the civil rights movement, representing the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Baldwin. Ergo, Chad feels that--however lofty his ambitions--he'll never impact the world to the same degree as his family. That said, his music is enormously impactful on the folks lucky enough to have heard it. He and Joe discuss: his first...

Before attaining massive success with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea was a wild child, roaming the streets of Hollywood. He and Joe discuss: the unfamiliar vulnerability he faced when writing his excellent memoir Acid for the Children; the cathartic experience of translating traumatic memories to text; the spiritual connection between jazz and punk rock; the seeming decline of active listening; and t...

Cedric Bixler-Zavala is best known as the explosive vocalist for bands like The Mars Volta and At The Drive-In, but he is also an accomplished drummer. He and Joe discuss: a punk rock video arcade in El Paso, TX; drumming in punk band Foss with Beto O'Rourke; the unique story behind his surname; selling bootlegged cigarettes on tour to make ends meet, just before experiencing explosive success; 90...

Joan Wasser began her career as a session musician for artists like Elton John, Lou Reed, John Cale, and Sparklehorse. It wasn't until she was in her 30s, that Joan began writing her own, highly-acclaimed material as Joan As Policewoman. She and Joe spend an hour discussing the songwriting process and how personal loss pushed them both to discover their creative voices.

Sean Tillmann and Joe met when Sean played in Joe's basement in the late '90s. Sean tells Joe about: his early love of community theater; the origins of his ambitious nature; creating his Har Mar Superstar alter ego; losing his way in LA; why he decided to get sober; and how a series of coloring books can help those in need. During the age of social distancing, we're recording remotely and releasi...

For nearly 40 years, The Melvins have been an astounding live band and peerless in their prolific ability to create a consistently adventurous body of work--a musical universe unto itself. Buzz Osborne discusses: his childhood in WA; feeling comfortable around firearms; being too smart to enjoy school; writing his memoir; the discipline required to maintain a career as a professional musician; dog...

Because many of you are on lockdown due to the Corona virus outbreak. We're bringing you new episodes of The Trap Set every day for the foreseeable future. Today's episode features the inimitable Meshell Ndegeocello. Meshell has charted a wildly adventurous artistic course over the past 30+ years, and throughout it all, she has retained a unique creative fingerprint. Meshell and Joe talk about: ac...

Life has slowed down as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, so we're using the extra time at home as an opportunity to create and release a new episode of The Trap Set everyday until further notice. We'll record by phone, and--by necessity--experiment with a more raw and immediate production style. It's our hope that these daily episodes will give you a sense of community amidst the larger socia...

Mike Post started out as a studio guitarist, recording on hits such as Sunny and Cher's "I Got You Babe." As a producer, he won a Grammy for "Classical Gas" in 1968 and worked with artists ranging from Sammy Davis Jr., to Dolly Parton (on her smash 9 to 5 album), to Van Halen. But Mike is best known as the preeminent television composer of his generation. Often in conjunction with his longtime com...

Jeff Friedl drums with well-considered precision and a soulful groove. Jeff and Joe were born in the same year and discovered some interesting similarities in their respective life trajectories. Jeff discusses being raised in Tuscon by a visual artist and a pharmacist; how drumming kept him from making bad life choices; and how his life changed in 2008.

Jason Sutter is a consummate professional with a command of the craft of drumming that has allowed him to thrive in seemingly disparate situations ranging from Cher to Marilyn Manson. Jason grew up in upstate NY, but through a strange twist of fate, he and his cousin were friends with Joe's next door neighbors in Milwaukee. Jason talks about growing up with an artist father; the business of gettin...

Creative polymath, Money Mark, visits The Trap Set to discuss: working as a carpenter at a film studio; why his parents' bi-racial marriage forced them from their home state; occasionally sleeping in his car after attending LA punk shows; how touring with The Beastie Boys forced him to give up a job remodeling kitchens; his invention--the Echolodeon; and how empathy is a practice rather than a tra...

Hunt Sales discusses his itinerant childhood (his father was legendary comedian, Soupy Sales); being mentored by Shelly Manne; beginning his professional career at age eleven; overcoming addiction; and why he doesn't have a desire to listen to legendary albums he made decades ago.

Like many children of the 90s, Ben Lee started a band that was inspired by artists such as Sonic Youth, The Breeders, and Sebadoh; but remarkably, that band--Noise Addict--quickly joined the ranks of its heroes. By the time Ben was 16, he was signed as a solo artist to the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal Records; and by the time he was 18, he moved to Los Angeles. Ben and Joe discuss: the overlooked dis...

Josiah Wolf possesses a uniquely compositional drumming style, coupled with a gift for dynamic sensitivity. He tells Joe about Why?, a band he co-founded in 2004; his creative partnership with his brother; being raised by Jewish parents who led a Jesus-centric synagogue; becoming part of a creative community; his exercise routine; and shifting self awareness.

Steve Gorman's natural sense of groove and knack for rhythmic hooks helped propel the Black Crowes to massive success. Over the course of a two hour conversation, Steve tells Joe about: growing up in Kentucky and Maryland; his love of Basketball; channeling obsessive-compulsive tendencies into rhythmic precision; his dysfunctional relationship with his former bandmates; the experience of writing a...

Janet Fucking Weiss! 2019 has been an eventful year for Janet Weiss. She left Sleater-Kinney after a twenty-four year run and soon after suffered a major car accident. Janet tells Joe about growing up in LA; discovering drumming in San Francisco; finding an artistic community in Portland; the creative dynamic of Quasi; the emotional vulnerability required to be a great collaborator; what she loved...

Anna Waronker was born into a storied music family, but--as a child--she dreamed of working at the post office or becoming an accountant. Her gift for angular melody and vivid lyricism led her to pursue the family trade after all. She tells Joe about: attending artsy alternative school Crossroads; recognizing her gift for songwriting; the evolving band dynamic of That Dog; co-parenting with anothe...

Mary Lattimore deploys her classical harp training to construct immersive, improvisatory sound worlds. A relentless road warrior, she routinely spends over 200 days a year on tour, both as a band member and a solo artist. She visited Joe on a rare day off to discuss: falling out of moving cars; growing up with a harpist mom; studying at Eastman; how meeting the Arcade Fire changed her trajectory;...

Paddy Boom began his career in the 1980s New York punk scene. In the early 2000s, his metronomic groove helped launch Scissor Sisters to wild international success. But a series of tragedies derailed his life, ultimately leading him to get back in touch with his creative roots. Make sure to check out Paddy's solo work, featuring alumni of David Bowie's 70s band.

Chris Carrabba's gift for melodic hooks and his sincere, vulnerable lyrical approach won him a devoted and durable fan base. He tells Joe about: growing up in a "wealth adjacent" environment; sleeping in Washington Square Park; how his music was informed by skateboarding; almost committing to a career as a teacher; leaving a band comprised of lifelong friends to develop his own creative voice; how...

Hugh Grundy's catchy rhythmic hooks and swinging groove helped The Zombies become on of the greatest and most influential rock bands of all time. He and Joe discuss: growing up in post-war England; how he almost wound up spending his life working at a bank; the fine line between hard work and luck as it pertains to his career; recording hits like "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and the classic O...

Ali Koehler's propulsive drumming paints vivid pictures with a deliberately minimalist palette, but--due partially to an abusive teacher--she has always had a difficult time identifying as a drummer. Ali tells Joe about growing up in New Jersey; school band; her talent for resolving interpersonal conflict; playing with Vivian Girls and Best Coast; working in clothing production; becoming a mom; an...