Viva La Live Music Podcast

10/16/2020

A midday Question of the Day: What band have you seen live the most? I think mine is maybe The Menzingers (like 8x). I know my friend Landon has seen The Wonder Years like 25 times.

10/09/2020

Another Question of the Day: What's a band you saw for the first time live that you didn't know about that blew you away?
Mine are Jax Anderson (fka Flint Eastwood) seeing her and her band play in like 2011 at Mac's Bar in Lansing with Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers.
Another was also 2011 when Screaming Females opened for Lemuria and Against Me! in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Both bands blew my mind. Screaming Females are now one of my favorite bands.

10/02/2020

Here’s a late Question of the Day: What’s a memorable house show concert you’ve seen?
I saw Lansing, Michigan’s The Cartridge Family play an “eviction party” house show (in 2011?) where the house got trashed. It was crazy.

09/25/2020

Question of the Day: What is the longest distance you have traveled to see a concert?
I traveled with friends of mine in a band called Elliot Street Lunatic on their tour in 2012 from their show in Midland, Michigan all the way to Denver, Colorado for their show there, and then they played shows in Lincoln, Nebraska; Gabe's Iowa City in Iowa City, Iowa; The Ottawa Tavern in Toledo, Ohio, and a few other places in Chicago, all the way back to Michigan over like a week, ending the tour at Mac's Bar in Lansing, Michigan. The band played the since-closed Benders Tavern in Denver on May 12, 2012. It was a 19+ hour drive from Midland to Denver. Such a fun time!

09/22/2020

Bartees Strange loves playing Pie Shop DC and Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe when he can. Hear more about this and other topics on ep. 17 of ! Thanks for listening!

Washington, D.C.-based musician and producer Bartees Strange talks on episode 17 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast with host Sean Bradley about writing and recording music (for his own project or for other bands) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of his favorite music venues to play in the Wash...

09/22/2020

is back with a new episode featuring
Bartees Strange! The episode launches at 10 a.m. Tuesday on Spotify, so follow the podcast so you won't miss it!

The “Viva La Live Music!” podcast, where live music fans and performers talk about its impact on their lives amid the coronavirus pandemic. The podcast is hosted by Sean Bradley, a live music lover from Michigan. .

09/18/2020

I'm going to add something a little different to the social pages: a "Question of the Week" every Friday.

The first question is: What's the most amount of money you have spent on merchandise at a concert?
I spent more than $100 on Into It. Over It. merchandise at the Fusion Shows 5th Anniversary Show at The Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan. Most of the spending came on the awesome, collectible "52 Weeks" 4-LP in red vinyl with a cool book inside the jacket with lyrics and photos.
Buying merchandise is a great way to not only show your love for a musician but it helps them keep doing what they love, too.
In 2016, sales of music merch hit $3.1 billion, a 10 percent increase from the year before, according to the Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association, via a 2018 Rolling Stone article.

09/16/2020

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I’ve been busy with some personal stuff and haven’t had much time for the podcast. But I’m getting to it again soon!

09/10/2020

On the latest , Marshal Rones of Montgomery Drive concert promotions company talks about if people will come to concerts amid, and after, the pandemic, and more! Thanks for listening!

Montgomery Drive concert promoter Marshal Rones, based in Orlando, Florida and who Baltimore, Maryland, thinks about a lack of live music during the COVID-19 pandemic as "losing my air". Rones is the guest on episode 16 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast, where he talks to host Sean Bradley about wor...

09/09/2020

The next episode of with Marshal Rones of concert promotion company Montgomery Drive goes live on Spotify at 10 a.m. Thursday! I will post a link when it's live. Thanks for listening!

09/02/2020

Rapper James Gardin loves Mac's Bar. It's where he got his start rapping, and where he saw rappers like
Miz Korona. He talks on ep. 15 of about this, his latest music made during the pandemic, and his fashion line.

Lansing, Michigan rapper James Gardin counts local venue Mac's Bar as his favorite venue and as a place where he was able to start rapping, launching a career in music he's held since 2005. Gardin talks on episode 15 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast about how the venue impacted him and its importan...

09/01/2020

Here's the latest with The Hat Madder singer and guitarist Isaac Vander Schuur, who talks about how his recording studio is being impacted by COVID-19, how live music impacts recorded music, and playing venues such as The Southgate House Revival and Blind Bob's Bar.
Be sure to follow the podcast on Spotify, and to like the podcast on Facebook, and on Twitter . Thanks for listening!

Isaac Vander Schuur of Lansing, Michigan band The Hat Madder joins host Sean Bradley on episode 14 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast to talk about how his recording studio has been impacted by COVID-19, taking precautions now when recording with others, how live music impacts recorded music, and his...

08/24/2020

Charlotte, N.C.'s Alright love playing record stores like Microgroove in Tampa, Florida, and Creep Records in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On ep. 13, Alright's Sarah Blumenthal discusses the band's debut LP on Self Aware Records, impacting North Carolina live music + more. Thanks for listening!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. On episode 13 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast, Sarah Blumenthal of Charlotte, North Carolina band Alright talks about why she loves playing at record stores, how venues in Charlotte are adapting to survive COVID-19, the lack of people the...

08/23/2020

A new edition of the Viva La Live Music podcast will be premiering tomorrow with Sarah Blumenthal of Charlotte, N.C. band Alright!
I'll post it on socials when it goes live so be on the lookout.
Thanks to everyone who has listened so far.
It means a lot!

08/21/2020

What do Insane Clown Posse, Mason Ramsey, and Against Me! have in common? They're all shows Grand Ledge, Michigan-based live music fan Landon Defever has seen at The Loft in Lansing, Michigan. Defever talks on episode 12 of The Viva La Live Music Podcast about seeing Insane Clown Posse live, the importance of The Loft in Lansing, and seeing Marc Rebillet at a drive-in concert in Indianapolis, Indiana. Thanks for listening!

What do Insane Clown Posse, Mason Ramsey and Against Me all have in common? They're all shows Grand Ledge, Michigan resident Landon Defever has seen at The Loft in Lansing, Michigan. On episode 12 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast, Defever talks w...

08/14/2020

On the episode 9 of The Viva La Live Music Podcast, Chris Vinyard, Clarion Call Media owner and music publicist for bands such as Against Me! and American Football, talks about how his job has changed since the pandemic started.
Thank you for listening!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. Chris Vinyard of Clarion Call Media talks to Viva La Live Music podcast host Sean Bradley on episode 9 about how he's had to adjust his approach to his job as a music publicist since COVID-19 has shut down the live music and entertainment i...

08/14/2020

Cool story from NPR Music with many great viewpoints on the issues of socially-distant concerts, when live concerts will return, and more.

The damage done to independent live music by the pandemic has been catastrophic – and a future where it thrives will, regardless and inevitably, arrive.

08/13/2020

The Pyramid Scheme co-owner Tami VandenBerg talks on episode 8 of says people who work in - or own - venues have sacrificed their livelihoods during this time, and Congressional assistance should be provided to help them.
"We're not asking for much, we're just asking for like enough to keep a bunch of us from being done," VandenBerg said.
Listen to the show to hear more about how the venue is coping during this time, interacting with lawmakers regarding legislation, VandenBerg's take on the future of live music, and more.
Thanks for listening!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. Tami VandenBerg, co-owner of the Pyramid Scheme Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan talks to Viva La Live Music podcast host Sean Bradley about how the venue has stayed afloat during the pandemic, obtaining financial assistance from the federal g...

08/12/2020

What do you think about this? Is this the future of concerts after COVID-19?
The raised platforms for concert-goers (and even a mini-fridge at each station) sounds enticing. An interesting concept overall, but whomever would do this on their own would have to either have a lot of money, or be willing to raise ticket prices considerably to cover the costs.
Not to mention how fans get around live music (rowdy, wanting to move around, mosh, etc) and, especially in America, mask wearing seem to be optional to Americans, even if they're required to wear them. I'm not sure something like this could work in America.

Sam Fender kicks off a series of concerts where audience members have their own viewing platforms.

08/12/2020

At least $15,000 is how much one sound technician lost in the spring this year due to jobs being cancelled because of , according to Local Spins editor John Sinkevics.
This is just one story Sinkevics talks about on episode 7 of the Viva La Live Music podcast.
Take a listen to hear the veteran music journalist's take on how the virus has impacted the western Michigan music scene, including Founders Brewing Co.'s Founders Fest, Hoxeyville Music Festival, Mo Pop Festival, and more. He also talks about the act and venues possibly getting help from Congress.
Thanks for listening!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. John Sinkevics is the editor of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based music news website Local Spins, and a former Grand Rapids Press music critic and entertainment reporter.He talks on episode 7 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast, hosted by Sean Bra...

08/10/2020

Jake Simmons & the Little Ghosts's leader Jerk Simmons has had a lot of time to write and record new music while being stuck at home in Kalamazoo, Michigan since the spring due to . Listen to the latest episode of to find out more about that, house show culture in the city, why he loves playing at Kalamazoo venues such as Shakespeares Lower Level, OLD DOG TAVERN, and Bell's Eccentric Café. Thanks for listening!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. Jake Simmons, of Kalamazoo, Michigan-based band Jake Simmons and the Little Ghosts, is on episode 6 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast. He talks about a new EP he's working on, his favorite venues in Kalamazoo and elsewhere, and more. Follow...

08/09/2020

Episode 5 of features Jeff Snyder of Orlando, Florida-based band Expert Timing. He talks about how venues such as Will's Pub, The Beacham, and House of Blues Orlando are being impacted by . Playing with Against Me! and Stef Chura in Orlando in March was supposed to be their biggest gig to date before it was cancelled. Since concert cancellations have put live music to a halt, venues have been struggling but Snyder said he doesn't think Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are doing anything to help them. Tell them how much venues there mean to you and that they need help to survive!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. Jeff Snyder, guitarist and singer for Orlando, Florida-based band Expert Timing joins host Sean Bradley on episode 5 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast to talk about how venues there such as The Social, House of Blues, Will's Pub, and others...

08/07/2020

Episode 4 of the Viva La Live Music Podcast features concert photographer Matt Hallowell! He talks about how a 2010 concert in Brighton, Michigan with Kevin Devine and Koji he photographed impacted his pursuit of concert photography, making photos at venues he loves such as Magic Stick, Sanctuary Detroit, and The Loving Touch and why he doesn't want to see the venues disappear. He also discusses his favorite photos, including of save face and Touche Amore.

Ferndale, Michigan-based photographer Matt Hallowell talks with host Sean Bradley on episode 4 of Viva La Live Music! about how he found his way into concert photography, his photography philosophy, favorite photos, favorite venues to make photos ...

08/05/2020

Unfortunately, going forward, I won't be playing any more music on that I don't own. Spotify has a rule for people who publish podcasts on its service that no copyrighted music can be used, regardless of the licensings status of the music. Basically it means that written, explicit granting of permission from an artist to use their music - let alone buying a license from an artist to use their music (even a snippet) - is not enough to stop Spotify from taking down your podcast.
So my point is, I'll be still providing the same kinds of content, just without music from the artists. I don't want to take the risk of having my podcast shut down because of this.
Here's a link to the Spotify FAQ with info on this: https://podcasters.spotify.com/faq
- Sean

08/04/2020

Episode 3 of is now live here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/65AUR5Zql3z6AF8MAta20z?si=EPrF3M_7SXWHy-JDCEJMFg

It features Jason Kotarski of Singing Lungs who talks about how the band recorded its latest EP "Phone From Car," out now on Count Your Lucky Stars Records, and shot the video for single "Came Down Hard".
Michigan venues The Pyramid Scheme, and The Avenue Cafe, and bands he's been checking out like Thank You, I’m Sorry, Expert Timing and Answering Machine also get talked up, too.
Continue to support venues and artists that need help to survive and help .
Listen to the episode on Spotify and follow the podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify. Thanks for listening!

08/01/2020

Be sure to check out these streams of bands via Breadbox Shows and Church Street Booking for other ways to see bands while .

08/01/2020

with fans in Britain isn’t going as well as initially hoped, as detailed by Frank Turner and organizers of his recent gig and reported by BrooklynVegan. If this is what’s happening there, we have a long way to go before fans can safely be around each other at concerts, and for venues to make enough money to stay afloat.

What do you think about this?

A series of shows like this trial show for the return of indoor live music to the UK would ”bankrupt everyone involved,” Frank Turner said.

08/01/2020

Watching band The Plurals play at Replay Entertainment Exchange in during the band’s 16th anniversary show. It’s great to see again even if it .

07/31/2020

Episode 2 of featuring Timmy Rodriguez of The Wildhoney Collective ( ) is now available to stream on Spotify!

Listen to this episode from Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. Timmy Rodriguez, member of Michigan folk band "The Wildhoney Collective" is featured on the second edition of "Viva La Live Music!" He talks about the group's formation, influences, and, of course, live music. Follow the podcast on Facebook...

07/31/2020

Below, you'll find the transcribed interview with Timmy Rodriguez of The Wildhoney Collective below. It has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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When an unavoidable problem like coronavirus brings your band’s momentum to a screeching halt - such as in the case of Michigan indie rock band Drinking Mercury - what do you do? You form another band, of course. That band is The Wildhoney Collective.

On episode 2 of the “Viva La Live Music Podcast,” Timmy Rodriguez of The Wildhoney Collective talks to host Sean Bradley about his musical transition from the rock music of Drinking Mercury - a band he formed in 2000 with friend Tommy McCord, who is also in the Collective - to a genre he said he knew little about: folk.

“We just kind of were toying around with this idea of adding in, folk standards to the mix, to our set. It just kind of became something that Tommy and I were really, really interested in pursuing to like a different level, basically having a project that rotates around that folk style, folk inspiration. And so, we kinda just started meeting up at his parents' house in Ionia, where we could properly social distance during practice, and sit on the back porch. Things just kind of like snowballed from there.”

The band - named after a Beach Boys song and album - is made up of Rodriguez, McCord, Danielle Gyger, and Dan O’Brian.

“Danielle was raised on folk standards, Bob Dylan, stuff like that. Tommy has recently gotten into The Byrds like crazy. My folk is very limited. I would say the biggest inspiration for me would be like that Americana music boom, almost 10 years ago. The Mumford and Sons, Lumineers, but The Avett Brothers were one that really stuck around.”

Rodriguez said O’Brian brings an eclectic mix of funk and hip hop influences to the group as well.

“But we bring these inspirations together, that vast knowledge that goes between the four of us. It's a pretty big umbrella of what we can bring in,” he said.

When the band formed earlier this year, Rodriguez said he suggested covering songs such as “Laundry Room” by the Avett Brothers and “Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones.

“We’ve got about, I'd say between our set, we got about 50% originals and then 50% or covers or stuff like that.” he said.

The current world without live music has been difficult for Rodriguez to adjust to. Since he was 19, the 34-year-old now has been in bands with McCord.

“There's nothing more soul cleansing than going to see some of your best friends play,” he said. “I love performing live, too, but there's something about just seeing your friends, your close friends that you love doing something that makes them feel the same way as you do.”

The band doesn’t plan to stop any time soon.

It's working toward creating a full-length album and will continue to perform on live streaming platforms. Find the band, and listen to their music, on Facebook at The Wildhoney Collective.
-----------------------------------------------------------You can now stream “Viva La Live Music!” on Spotify. Follow the podcast there to get the latest episodes as they are released. The podcast now has a page, and is on Twitter . Use when sharing the podcast. Follow the podcast on those platforms to keep up with the latest content, and let me know whom you think I should talk to next.

07/30/2020

The next episode of with Timmy Rodriguez of The Wildhoney Collective premieres tomorrow on Spotify and Buzzsprout! I hope you enjoy it!

07/30/2020

For those that are interested, here is a transcript of the first podcast interview with Cale Sauter of Cavalcade. If you'd like to me to post transcripts of interviews, let me know!

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“Viva La Live Music!”’s first guest is Cale Sauter, guitarist in Lansing, Michigan metal band Cavalcade and founder of Bermuda Mohawk Productions, a concert promotion company and record label based in Michigan's capital city.

Cavalcade was formed in the mid 2000’s by Sauter and several of his friends. Along with Sauter on guitar, the band is fellow guitarist Brad Van Staveren, vocalist Sean Peters, bassist Craig Horky and drummer Christian Urabazzo.

Their latest release, the three song, “The Quarantine EP,” released in May, had its parts recorded separately.

“Christian had recorded his drum tracks for a number of songs that we had just set up, a few originals that were in a demo state and then some covers we've never recorded, and then some older songs that we were going to re-record,” Sauter said. “Not being able to be in the same room to finish recording posed some challenges.”

The recording session, which he described as “having a mess of cables and wires” was done at the height of people in general not knowing a lot about coronavirus.

Horky’s synths and other instruments used in their blend of psychedelic, sludge, stoner, and doom metal genres were set up outside on the back porch at Sauter’s house with cables, microphones, amplifiers, and power sources running throughout his house, Sauter said.

He and Horky were extra careful to be distant from each other while still recording their music.

“I had him set up on a nice day, on a patio, and then kept a screen door between us, and obviously more than six feet apart the whole time. So really it was the only place we could just not only social distance, but keep a door at all times, and still accomplish what we need to do.

Here's a song from “The Quarantine EP” called “Distilled Desire,” The EP and the rest of their discography is available at cavalcade.bandcamp.com.

Cavalcade had at least four out-of-state concerts set up along with others across Michigan that were later canceled when coronavirus had Michigan en masse.
“It was a bummer to have to cancel some of those,” Sauter said. “One of them was taking us to Pittsburgh, which is the place we haven't played in probably like eight years at this point, or maybe even longer.”

The last concert Sauter said he attended was the all-day metal fest Oigs Fest on Feb. 29 at Mac’s Bar in Lansing.

“That one is definitely a memorable one in the sense that it was kind of an all-day show and it was a good time and there was a lot of people there,” he said. “And now it's like, you kind of cherish that thinking, ‘you know, I don't know when the next time I'm going to be able to hang out with 10 or 15 of my closest friends, plus a bunch of bands and stuff from other towns that we’re friends with or get along with pretty well that we don't get to see that often.”

He said he had tickets to other concerts later in the year by bands such as Faith No More, but those concerts have been canceled.

“A lot of really good people are going to be forced to pursue other career options. I know a lot of people in that world that really have to hustle,” he said. “It's not exactly something you go into, if you're trying to get rich or anything. I know a lot of great people that just really have to hustle all the time anyways. “I think a lot of them are starting to really think about what their options are.”

A state of quarantine has brought some positive things for the band's music writing process.

“That time each week, that we’d be getting together to practice, we're filtering that into writing new stuff and getting those B-sides and cover stuff recorded before, you know, before we forget how to play and all of that,” he said.

07/29/2020

The next guest on is Timmy Rodriguez, member of Michigan's The Wild Honey Collective , that also includes Tommy McCord and Danielle Gyger. The group's music favors folk music and acoustic instruments over the louder, punk rock of bands the collective's members are part of such as The Plurals.

I will be interviewing Rodriguez today, Wednesday July 29, 2020 and plan to have the podcast available on Spotify and Buzzsprout on Friday, so please be on lookout for that!

Check out an excellent video of the song "Red Wing" by The Wild Honey Collective.

07/28/2020

Here's some info via Rolling Stone magazine about why Sen. Amy Klobuchar co-introduced the Save Our Stages Act. Do you think the Act goes far enough to help venues and their employees? What else do you think should be done?

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Minnesota senator explains why she co-introduced the Save Our Stages bill to help independent venues across the country

07/28/2020

"Viva La Live Music" is now on Spotify!
Be sure to follow the podcast there.

Listen to Viva La Live Music! on Spotify. The “Viva La Live Music!” podcast, where live music fans and performers talk about its impact on their lives. Hi! My name's Sean Bradley, a live music lover from Michigan. Live music has done a lot for me. It has brought me a lot of joy, made me countles...

07/27/2020

Here is episode 1 of Viva La Live Music! featuring Cale Sauter of Lansing, Michigan metal band Cavalcade and who has promoted live music for years under the Bermuda Mohawk label.
Take a listen and please share.
Thanks!
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Welcome to the “Viva La Live Music!” podcast, where live music fans and performers talk about its impact on their lives, especially given the lack of it during the current shutdown of the live music industry due to the coronavirus pandemic. I’m yo...