Episode 363: The Contenders

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i'm still in a recovery mode from sxsw 2015. if you were here for it, i hope you're recovering. i had an eventful ending to the conference and now i'm just trying to get back to a normal life. it's surprising how much people are working during sxsw. i mean, i got out for 3 nights of it. otherwise, i just worked. i had so many podcasts to do and i was so tired from playing all week the week before with skyrocket. anyway, the result is a month of shows with bands from all over the world. i had some great conversations. i met some really cool people. if you're new to the show, welcome, enjoy, browse through old episodes on this site. my guests for episode 363 are americana duo, the contenders! singer/songwriter jay nash and drummer/songwriter, josh day, met on tour and pulled their strengths together and started this amazing duo. hey came ove to the aprtment during sxsw and we had a great talk about their journey and how they came together to form the contenders. jay lives in vermont and josh lives in nashville and we talked about how they make that work in this modern era. they have a fantastic new e.p. out called, meet the contenders. you can find out more about them at http://www.wearethecontenders.com/ i hope you enjoy getting to know jay and josh as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 354: Roxy Roca Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i'm feeling good. i've been busy as shit. for one, skyrocket played a show on tuesday in houston also, we have a big corporate show coming up the first week in march that we have to learn a bunch of songs for. the night before that i'm playing my first show back with johnny in the ladies room where i'm re-learning songs for that and i've been doing podcasts every day and booking sxsw.... things are crazy. no gig this weekend, but i'll be at the quiet company release show at empire control room on saturday. if you're going to that show, you should come out early and see wild adriatic. they play at 7:30. make a night out of it.my guests for episode 354 are full-on funk pushers, roxy roca! errol and taye make their second appearance on the show. they have big news, their debut album, ain't nothin' fancy, comes out next tuesday, 2/24/2015! if you live in austin, they have a record release next wednesday, 2/25/2015 at c-boys on south congress. they're also heading out on tour so look them up at www.roxyroca.com    anyway, errol and taye came by and we got to talk about recording ain't nothin' fancy completely live, getting a new bus, how they use tito's vodka to get the funk out of their suits, their view on spotify and much, much more. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 344: Lincoln Durham & Matt Ott w/ Black Fret

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you slaying the evil dragons of life and rejoicing afterwards. things are good here. i've ben trying to figure out what i'm going to play next wednesday. i haven't done any solo shows since last september. i might need to figure it out soon. also, i'm looking for band people for a new band. i don't know exactly what i want to do, but i'm willing to try some new shit. we'll see. i'll keep you posted. i feel like i've had some false starts over the last couple of years. time to jam.my guests for episode 344 are matt ott from black fret and one-man-band gothic rocker, lincoln durham. lincoln is one of the recent recipients of black fret's $10,000 grants. we have a great three-way conversation about black fret and how it works from one of it's founders (matt) while getting an insider's view to what it's like to have won a grant. all the while learning about lincoln durham and his amazing and unique musical journey. great guys, great conversation. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 337: Greg Williams

hello friends! i hope you all a fantastic christmas! i did. i spent it with my family in houston doing what we do best, hanging out drinking, dancing, eating and celebrating. good times! what do you do the day after christmas? i'm back home. i get back to work playing with skyrocket tomorrow in san antonio. but what should i do today? well, i'll tell you. i got a $75 gift certificate to whole foods and i'm going to go there and spend it. thank you coni, my ex-stepmom. she's nice. i got some good gifts, had a good time, you'll hear all about it in the intro. i hope you all had a great week. my guest for episode 337 is saxophonist and entrepreneur, greg williams! i've played some shows with greg over the years and i've always loved his playing, he's a total pro and we always have a good hang. anyway, i've been wanting to get him on the show to talk about how he makes it happen. he always has a lot of things going on and stays busy and makes a living. that's not an easy thing to do these days. well, check it out, greg is not scared to work. he's learned music and the business inside and out and is now forging some new professional ground with some ideas that are turning heads. check it out. he's a great talent and a great guy. my friend, greg williams. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 333: Bob Schneider Returns! / We Stop By Antone's Records

hello friends i hope you're all doing well. i hope you're getting prepared for the holidays. i just realized today that i've done nothing about my shopping... i know i'll be buying my christmas gifts at local record stores here in austin. i have a plan. i did it last year and it was pretty cool. i buy music for people that they might not know, but is in their taste range, at local record stores. well, this year, i'm trying to get out to some record stores so that the owners can you what they're known for. today we stop by antone's record store here in austin, tx and talk to musician/co-owner, eve monsees. great chat about the record store that has graced "the drag" since 1987. get out to your local record store and get involved!my guest for episode 333 is the immensely talented singer/songwriter and all-around great hang, bob schneider. this is bob's second appearance on the show. he's started a pledge music campaign for his new album, "king kong" and there's two weeks left for you to give. simply go to bob's pledge music campaign and give. i met bob at an undisclosed location and we talked about everything from our dislike of taylor swift and creed to communicating with just our hearts. yeah. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 332: Ian Moore Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i've had an emotionally draining week. big ups, big downs and all-arounds. i feel like our music community lost one of our elders. someone we could look to as a beacon of what we can elevate ourselves to as musicians and people. ian mclagan was that guy in our community and now he's gone. he touched a lot of people in this community and his loss is felt. big time. the big ups this week had to do with the mr. rocket baby reunion. after more than 20 years of not playing together, we reunited and played a show. it was an extremely cathartic experience. it was really fun playing those songs again. it was good being around those guys again. it was great! there was some real healing through rock and roll going on there. i'm proud and honored to have been a part of that experience. crazy, right?my guest for episode 332 is my dear old friend, making his second appearance on the show, the amazingly talented songwriter/singer/musician, ian moore! ian and i have been friends for around 30 years. i got the chance to tour with him 7 years ago when he released his album, to be loved. he's in town this week because he's on a christmas tour. which stops in austin, galveston and houston this week. find out if he's coming to your town y going to ianmoore.com to find out when he's coming to a town near you. ian is amazing artist who's followed his heart and and worn it on his sleeve for for the past 3 decades. if you like this episode and want to hear our conversation for episode 10 go to http://howdidigethere.podbean.com/e/episode-10-ian-moore/ hear about how he got started and our tour together and much, much more. i hope you enjoy my conversation with ian. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 328: Thee Dollar Shows' Lauren Bruno & Sarah Rucker

hello friends! i hope you're all surfing through life on the "big wave" and owning it! i've gone one week without a cigarette, so i'm going kinda nuts. i'm doing the blu electronic vapor cig... it's okay. i kinda feel like being an asshole but i think i'm doing a good job of curbing my anger and counting to 10. i think i can do it. this time seems o be the easiest of all. i just have to make sure that when i'm out having the cocktails, i don't get cocky and be a;;, "hey man. give me a cig. i can have just one. i have tht kind of power over myself and my addictions..." i don't. that's how i slip back into the smoking. gotta stay away. i can't have just one. my guests for episode 328 are both making their second appearance on the show, lauren bruno and sarah rucker! they have teamed up and started a non-profit called, 3 dollar shows. the point is to have events that connect the arts community with the social issues community. you can find out more at here! $3 shows anyway, lauren and sarah came by a couple of weeks ago and we talked about $3 shows, dating, non-profits, making music, lauren's recent appearance on pbs' "art in context" and much, much more. at the end of the show lauren graces us with a live performance on my piano. good times! i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 327: The Bluebonnets

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. keeping warm. enjoying the cold, not fighting it. i'm deep in battle right now... with myself. it's awful. it's like the civil war, i'm the only one losing. i'm quitting smoking. this is day 4. day 4 sucks my ass. ultimately, i'm glad i'm quitting, but it just sucks to go through days where all you're thinking is, "i wanna smoke! don't smoke! I wanna smoke! don't smoke!" all day long. ugh! i'm smoking this blu vapor cig that stephen dorff endorses.... is he cool? anyway, wish me luck. my guests for episode 327 are one of my favorite rock and roll bands around, the bluebonnets!!! the bluebonnets have just released a new album last week, play loud, and it is awesome! it's the kind of album i've been waiting for and lucky for me, my friends made it! they just got back from an east coast tour with jane lee hooker, they've been playing release shows all week and doing press, and they're doing one last instore today (tues. 11/18/14) at waterloo records in austin at 5 pm1 anyway, i love the bluebonnets. i've gotten to play with them. i have a band with kathy and dominique. kathy and i write songs together and we get along fantastically. they're an amazing band and some of my favorite people. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 320: Chris Frenchie Smith Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are good here. i've had a busy week... i played with SKYROCKET!, recorded with kimmie rhodes, did a couple of podcasts and went to a party. it's been a good week. i'm about to hit the road to houston for a show tonight. so yeah. busy times. speaking of busy times, i have a couple of solo shows this week. tomorrow, sunday october 26th, i'll be playing a fundraiser at the spider house ballroom at 4 pm. come out and support the children. on tuesday, october 28th, i'll be playing a celebration of the volstead act at the volstead here in austin. i play at 8:30. also on the bill, nathan harlan! come out and say hi.my guest for episode 320 is musician/producer/label owner and now manager, chris frenchy smith! you might know frenchy as the musician behind sixteen deluxe and young heart attack or as producer or as owner of the bubble. this is frenchy's second appearance on the show. he was on in the summer of 2013. anyway, we got together last week and caught we talked about everything from the foo fighters vs. U2 and the way they're releasing their albums, spotify, buying music, his new adventure as co-manager of the band purple, frenchy smith records and much, much more. frenchy and i have been friends for 23 years and i always have a great time talking to him. i hope you enjoy it. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg i did. 

Episode 306: Wrenfro

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. maybe you had a short week because of labor day. if so, congratulations. i'm back at it tonight with SKYROCKET!. we're playing the finish line of a fun run tonight here in austin, then we're flying out at 7:30 in the morning to oklahoma city to jump on a shuttle that will take us to some crazy disco-golf tournament a couple of hours outside of okc. i'll be back sunday. should be fun. i want to remind you that tuesday is my last "johnny goudie & friends" residency at strange brew. i have a great line-up that night... ryan holley, joe reyes and the legendary kathy valentine! if you're in austin, come THIS tuesday sept. 9th at 8 pm and let's say goodbye to this summer residency in style!my guests for episode 306 are tony scalzo and kevin mckinney from the band, wrenfro! kevin and tony have both been on the show and you might know tony from the band fastball and kevin from his band, soulhat. anyway, these amazing talents have joined forces and started a band called, wrenfro. after settling on the right line-up, chris gebhard on bass and ed jarusinsky on drums, they've released  two singles on itunes and cd baby, they're getting ready to embark on a wednesday residency at strange brew starting on wednesday, sept 17th at 8 pm. anyway, we have a great conversation about the state of the music business, fastball,  spotify, wrenfro in the studio and much more. i love kevin and tony. i recommend checking out their music on itunes and if you live in austin, get out to a show and see what they're all about. let's get down!ciao! -jgsponsored by: strange brew lounge side