We all know stories about our favorite artists:
That time Eric Clapton played an entire show laying down because he was too drunk to stand
Jim Morrison's arrest for allegedly exposing himself in Miami
Iggy Pop cutting himself onstage
But what do you know about your favorite local rock stars? How did they get started in the music business? What makes them keep going to the bars and clu
bs every weekend to entertain us? This podcast focuses on the lives, personalities, and (sometimes) crazy stories of local musicians and artists. Because believe me, they have just as many cool stories to tell, just as many compelling tales from the road, just as many ups and downs, as any "major" star. My name is Bryan Fischer, and I was once, like my guests, regionally well-known. So... why "Regionally Well-Known"? I was a professional musician from age 16 to 49. In that time, I've made a lot of great friends, seen some really cool places, and had a ton of great experiences. I've also met some real sketchy characters, played some super sketchy *ahem* "venues," and had things happen that seriously challenged me to evaluate if this is really what I want to do. I've been the singer/frontman for Northern Michigan-based band Mojo & the boogieman, as well as the West Michigan-based BMF Band, and DC-90. I've run my own bands, did the hiring/firing, ran websites and social media pages (anyone remember MySpace?), put together promo packs, sold merch, wrote and sent out fan club mailers (both email and snail mail!)... I've done it all as a "weekend warrior" musician., and I've loved almost every bit of it. Along the way, there would be times when someone would say something to the tune of, "You're famous!" My response was always the same...
"Nah. I'm just regionally well-known." In late 2019, I finally "retired" from my job as a full-time musician, and settled into life as a "regular" guy. I listen to a few different podcasts, and love learning things from them, especially when they interview people I admire. I know a lot about my musical heroes like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Lee Roth, and Steven Tyler, but I really don't know much about my local heroes and friends - my (former) fellow "weekend warriors." I bet you don't know much about the members of your favorite local bands, either. So in August of 2020, I decided I'd try to change that and start a podcast celebrating the local rock stars. My goal with this podcast is to bring my listeners a better understanding of the people they see on a weekly basis in their local clubs in a fun and entertaining way. Each episode, I will sit down with a local artist and get to know them on a deeper level- What was their early musical life like? Who inspired them to become a musician? What's craziest thing to happen to them on the road? How do they respond when someone says they're "famous?" We'll talk about this, and anything else on our minds, in each episode of Regionally Well-Known.
