Where The Living Room Used To Be

Salsa music star, EhShawnee , shares some of the places she likes to hang out and dine at in The Ocean State.  Plus, we cover some of her favorite Rhode Island events! At the end of the episode, I've included EhShawnee's hit song "Snake" for you to hear... but also make sure to check out the hilarious video she created for the song on her YouTube channel!    // Interview recorded November 8th, 202...

On the bonus episode, EhShawnee discusses how education and preparation can lead to new opportunities, plus she gives some examples of overcoming challenges with her music career.  I also included the song "Titanic" that she did with fellow superstars, Revolución Salsera . As we discussed in the full episode, the video for this was done in the Dominican Republic during the pandemic and definitely...

EhShawnee is a renowned salsa star and in our conversation, we talk about how growing up in both the Dominican Republic and Rhode Island has informed her music, the feeling of having a #1 song in her home country, how she stays motivated to create, and what it's like for her to promote during Covid times!  Interlude song order: "La Vida Es Muy Shula" "Mas Mala Que Tu" "Ana Gabriel (Medley)" // Int...

I caught up with Nick Ryder and Christopher Roy from the heavy blues/rock duo, Adapter Adapter on Instagram Live to talk about their latest release, "No Comfort". We get into how Nick and Chris started playing together, the emotion that went into this album, recording at Galilee Productions , and how the artwork came together in a very serendipitous way! Check out the record on their Bandcamp page...

Last week I caught up with Paul Dechichio on Instagram Live to talk about Tor Johnson Records ' 20th Anniversary Subscription Series. In our conversation, Paul and I discuss what goes into planning and producing a series such as this, the diversity of bands he's included, and he lets out a few secrets of what special goodies come with the subscription! Enjoy the episode and please consider purchas...

This is a unique episode as it's a bit of a reunion of the band Cedros that I was a part of about 10 years ago. On Friday, November 5th, Where The Living Room Used To Be is releasing the album we made back in 2011 - entitled The Red Knight - that never actually came out on limited-edition lathe-cut vinyl 7", cassette with exclusive bonus tracks, and digital download. Caleb, Phil, and I got togethe...

Emcee and entrepreneur, Joe Bruce , talks about early music discovery, shouts out a fantastic independent business that made the choice to do what's right for their community, shares a little about what it was like growing up where he did, his personal show goals of where he'd like to perform, and calls out some of the practices that can happen when shows are booked in RI.  I've also included one...

Joe Bruce shares some advice about how to shift your perspective to unburden yourself as an artist... as well as what it takes to connect that missing link to move to the next level. For quite a few years now Chachi Carvalho has been curating an art & music festival called Culture Shock. Joe has performed at this event a couple of times including last year which pivoted to an online stream. The sh...

On this episode, I speak with rapper and entrepreneur Joe Bruce . We get into his new album Serpent , the relationship he has with his producers (such as ClarkWork and Larry Ohh ), what he's doing to shine a light on Rhode Island's hip hop scene, and how a serendipitous rideshare was the catalyst to get him back into music Interlude song order: "Soul" by Joe Bruce & Clarkwork from their album The...

Bluegrass singer and guitarist, Alex MacLeod, shares some of the finds on Wickenden Street in Providence that he holds dear, how he fuels up for a long fishing trip (hint: "Cumbys" is involved), a spot in Central Falls that he must visit whenever in the area, and how one of his favorite RI events is one he's actually never been to. Included at the end is the song "Stagger Lee" from Rock Hearts alb...

Alex MacLeod passes along some of the wisest advice I've heard about how to connect with an audience and truly be a pro musician. He also gives some tips on how to learn and advance your bluegrass talents. Also, as you heard in the full episode, Alex had the opportunity to play in one of the most well-known New England bluegrass bands of all time, Northern Lights. And to me... it's just such a won...

Alex MacLeod has a long history in the RI bluegrass scene! In this episode we talk about his stint playing in the legendary band Northern Lights, how his latest group Rock Hearts got their start, some fun stories recording their debut album, and what events such as the Ocean State Bluegrass Festival - that's happening this weekend, Sept. 18th +19th - can mean for the community of musicians in our...

Mark Taber shares his Rhode Island theory for prolonged health, his experience going to the early days of Newport Jazz Festival, the poetic journey he would take to buy music in his youth, and I call him out for his questionable pizza choice.   Includes the song " Gotta Travel On " performed by Two Tabers    // Interview recorded August 3rd, 2021 at Lippitt Park in Providence  // Intro music by  C...

On this special edition episode, I sit down with vocalist Evan Warren and drummer Devin McGrath from Alley Trash to talk about the history of the band and some of their key influences. Plus, we get into their latest release " New Failures " and you're going to want to listen to the end to hear about a couple of very cool things they have in the works as well! I hope you enjoy and definitely make s...

Mark Taber shares some very practical advice on how to be a better musician and a better bandmate, as well as what he feels the overall approach should be toward creating art and music And, as Mark talked about in the full episode, Tombstone was known for their powerful live shows - playing anywhere from small bars to big arenas - which helped lead them to major label record deals. So what I have...

On this episode, I have the honor of speaking with the legendary, Mark Taber. As you can imagine, we discuss a lot over his 60+ year music career including how he first got into playing the piano, the start of Tombstone Blues Band , how music is a great mechanism to give back to the community, and his experiences playing shows with some of the most acclaimed artists over the last half-century. Int...

I've been very fortunate to speak with so many talented musicians over the last few years. One of these people was my father-in-law, Paul Dube , back in February of 2020. As you hopefully heard in that episode, Paul is an accomplished musician, booker, and music educator, but one thing you didn't hear was how his father Paul Dube Sr. was a master accordion player and educator as well. Paul Dube Sr...

Jon Hope takes us back to his favorite RI record store, how his love for engaging with an artist has evolved over the years, where he hangs in the Ocean State, and how becoming the host of Providence College Basketball games at The Dunk came about! Also, included his track " Rhode Less Traveled ", which Jon and I discussed quite a bit in the full episode . // Interview recorded July 8th, 2021 via...

Jon Hope shares some things he's learned from other hip-hop stars, what he feels you can do to find your truest self, and what it is that moves him down his musical path.  I've also included a performance of Jon's song "Black Rose" from his appearance on BAMS FEST . He recently did this livestream show and interview and I highly recommend checking out the full event. [ CLICK HERE TO WATCH ]  Also,...

Jon Hope is an acclaimed rapper, entrepreneur, and educator and on this episode, we have a long conversation that delves into all of these. We cover his early years, what he puts into his writing, how he reps Rhode Island, and we spend some time highlighting a couple of tracks from each of the albums he's done .  Plus, we talk about his new book " Respect Your Passion " and how his Hope Scholars I...

I sat down with Jack and Vinnie of Warwick party emo /sad jazz band Strip Mall to cover their start, how the band constructs their intricate songs, the experience they had recording the " Strip Mall EP ", and what to expect at the release show on 7/15 at Dusk !!! (if you're listening to this in the future check the internet for some videos from the show... it was a good one and definitely did have...

Levitt AMP Woonsocket has been featuring top-notch music in Rhode Island's northernmost city since 2018. On this episode, I catch up with event director, Meg Rego, to talk about the goal of bringing diverse music to Woonsocket, what goes into booking a 10-event series like this, and we go week-by-week covering what this year's lineup has in store!!! As you'll hear in this special edition episode,...

RI 5 has become a really fun conversation to have... and with Bill Bartholomew that is especially true! He shares a story of "taking trips to the city" (which refers to Warwick), exploring rural Rhode Island, we tick off some tried-and-true RI-isms, and he writes the beginnings of a song on the spot that could take him in a new direction :) We also go a little deeper into the Elmwood Songwriters C...

On this mini-episode, Bill Bartholomew and I get into the duality of needing to be self-sufficient as an artist but also the importance of being a part of a scene and showing up for others. We also talk about the thing that really motivates and inspires him.    I also share with you a song he did with Silverteeth back in 2016 as part of the New Porch Live Sessions that Newport Art House put togeth...

In this interview, Bill Bartholomew illuminates the life of a full-time artist, how being a podcaster has informed his music and tells the story from one of the most important days in his career. We also chat about his new EP " Bats " which came out digitally on June 11th and got to discuss how this particular record was made and what he's striving for with the release. Interlude song order: "I'm...