Episode 446: Kanude

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are good here except, i took my car in because the window wouldn't roll up. they called today and told me they could fix my window, but then went down a list of like $1,200 worth of work that needs to be done to it. that's a little stressful during a slow work month and the christmas season. i also have to go to houston and back twice over the next week. might be time for a new car...my guest for episode 446 is singer/songwriter/actor chris knudson also known as kanude! i've known kanude for a few years and he's always been a great guy and great songwriter. he has a christmas song, "best christmas ever" available now at his bandcamp page along with several great albums. we have a great conversation about rooming with owen wilson at boarding school, scoring "el mariachi", living in berlin, nyc, houston, making records, playing at church and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know kanude. i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 445: The Welch Family (Kevin, Dustin & Savannah) / Dwight Twilley Checks In!

hello friends! i hope you all had a great weekend! i did. i was back in the saddle with skyrocket. we went to houston and played a corporate christmas party. it was good, but i didn't feel well during the show. like the whole show. i soldiered through though. came back to austin on saturday, did this podcast with the welches took a two-hour nap and played hanover's with skyrocket. i felt much better. we had a good time. i'm struggling with wearing earplugs on stage... i hate it.episode 445 is a super-sized episode loaded with extra goodness! first up, i have a quick skype conversation with power pop legend and one of my heroes, dwight twilley! dwight is playing a solo acoustic show THIS thursday, december 17th at the hole in the wall here in austin, tx. here's some more info on the show twilley @ the hole in the wall anyway, dwight and i catch up since our last chat (around a year ago) about playing solo shows, his art book, smoking and more! it's a good time. next up, we're joined by kevin, dustin and savannah welch! they're taking their "welch family throwdown" around texas this week. they'll be in wimberley, the woodlands and ft. worth. find out more here welch family throwdown we have a fantastic conversation about making music as a family, dustin's non-profit, soldier songs, kevin's songwriting retreats, nashville then vs. now, broadway faces and much, much more! i love the welches. i'm sure you will too. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 442: Narc Twain / Sam Means

hello friends! i hope you've all had a great week and are heading into the weekend with purpose. i'm good. still stopped up from having a cold but i feel a lot better. i had a great time moderating the austin music foundations's "expanding your horizons" booking panel on wednesday. i recorded it for a podcast, but there was so much interaction with the audience, who didn't have microphones, that  we can't put it out. next time. anyway, it was informative and i suggest that if you're a musician here in austin, you check out the austin music foundation. they can help you find your way.episode 422 is a double-header skype show! first up, i have a great chat with tommy siegel from brooklyn based band, narc twain. their new e.p. is out today. check them out on soundcloud. we have a great conversation about the band and how they came together, his other bands, drunken sufis and jukebox the ghost, what the brooklyn scene is like and much, much more. next up i talk to phoenix, arizona'a own sam means! sam's newest album, "10 songs" produced by steven macdonald from redd kross, doesn't come out until january 22nd, but you can check out some tunes from the album and find all things sam at sammeansmusic.com. sam and i have a great conversation about his old band, the format with nate ruess from the band, fun.,  scoring movies, his company hellomerch,com, how he's not fronted a band live but is willing to try and much, much more! i had a great time talking to these guys. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 440: Casey McPherson Returns!

hello friends! i hope you all had a great holiday weekend. i had a very laid back holiday weekend. i played one show with skyrocket and did a couple of podcasts on saturday and sunday. i got the chance to sit down and talk to paco estrada on saturday at orb recording studios and then sunday morning, bright and early, the trishas came over and we had a great conversation and a lot of laughs. look for both of those in the coming weeks. my guest for episode 440 is one of my favorite people and best friends, the amazingly talented singer/songwriter from alpha rev and flying colors, casey mcpherson! casey has had a busy few years since he was last on. he's released several albums and toured europe a few times with his prog/rock/pop band, flying colors which features mike potnoy and steve morse. he's released a lot of new music with his band, alpha rev. he's also been finding ways to build a community and help his community by raising awareness about affordable housing. this year casey is a black fret nominee and he's performing at the 2nd annual black fret black ball gala at the paramount theater in austin, tx this friday, december 12th. you can find out how to get tickets by going to black fret black ball gala. i hope you enjoy my conversation with casey. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 438: The SIMS Foundation Turns 20!

happy thanksgiving everyone! i hope you all have plenty to be thankful for. i'l be missing my family this thanksgiving, but i'll be with my girlfriend's family here in austin and that should be a good time. are you thinking of frying a turkey for thanksgiving? well, my pal, aj vallejo and i have a special thanksgiving edition of "cooking/drinking with johnny and aj" where fry a turkey cajun-style and teach you how to make this delicious and quick way to make your thanksgiving turkey go to our youtube page and learn how to make a fried turkey! i hope you all have a happy thanksgiving!my guests for this very special episode are heather alden, jennifer vocelka and kyle ellison from the SIMS foundation. for 20 years now, the SIMS foundation has provided support for austin musicians and their families. to find out more or just get involved go to simsfoundation.org.  along with the KGSR "live broadcast # 23" release this friday, kyle ellison has produced "friends of SIMS" an album of some of austin's best artists playing some of their favorite covers including, charlie sexton, alejandro escovedo, doyle bramhall ll and many more. we have a great and insightful conversation about mental health care, how SIMS can help and much, much more. i'm thankful for the SIMS foundation. they were there for me when i needed them. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. happy thanksgiving! ciao! -jg

Episode 437: Star Parks

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. the weather in austin has been gorgeous the last couple of days and that's always a good thing. i hope wherever you are, it's gorgeous too. fall is the best! i'm playing a solo show on tuesday, november 24th at the volstead here in austin. i'll be opening for the big fix which should be a good time. come out. the volstead is a rad bar and the have a fantastic patio. other than that, i'm heading to fredericksburg tomorrow with skyrocket tomorrow to play at the crossroads. those are always lively and interesting shows with at least three bachelorette parties in the audience. each party thinks their bachelorette is the best and as they drink more, they become more and more competitive. should be lively and interesting. i'll let you know how it goes on tuesday's show.my guest for episode 437 is andy bianculli from the band, star parks. their album, don't dwell will be available in january 2016, but for now you can go to starparks.bandcamp.com to hear some jams. andy came by back in early october and we had a fantastic conversation about touring with a cajun band, the legitimacy of john cusack as brian wilson, making lo-fi pop music on your own and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know andy. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 434: Laurie Gallardo Returns!

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i had a crazy weekend of shows. hey! speaking of shows, i'm playing a solo show next tuesday, november 17th at the townsend. the show starts at 8 and i go on at 9. there will be a special guest playing from 8-9. i'll post a link on our facebook page when i have all the details. i'm looking for an old drum machine that's reasonably priced and is from the 70's. do you know of one. write me on our facebook page. my guest for episode 434 is the voice of KUTX 98.9 fm in austin, laurie gallardo! this is laurie's second time on the show. we sat down a month or so ago and caught up on her various endeavors including her d.j. shift on KUTX 98.9 monday-thursday 8-11pm, her support of local music and touring bands with her "austin music minute" heard daily on KUTX and "the good music club" which can be found at thegoodmusicclub.com/ and much, much more! laurie has been a great friend and tireless supporter of the podcast and my music career. i have a genuine respect for her. i see her out at a lot of shows and music functions. she's definitely an important part of this crazy austin music scene. i hope you enjoy our conversation as much as i did. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 432: Robert LaRoche

hello friends! i hope you're all easing into fall. getting out those sweaters and jackets and hats. i want to welcome all of the new listeners. i hope that the show is serving you well. informing and entertaining you. please feel free to "like" and leave comments on the episodes here on the podbean page. also, we encourage you to "like" our facebook page and you can follow the whereabouts of our former guests, see what shows are coming up, see pictures of me with the guests and much more. please go there and get involved with the show!my guest for episode 432 is guitarist/singer/songwriter releasing his debut solo album, patient man robert laroche! robert has a record release show THIS friday november 6th at strange brew lounge side in austin, tx! i've known robert for over a decade and i've always had a great time hanging out with him. you might know robert best from being the guitar player for patricia vonne for over 15 years.  maybe you know him from his north hampton, mass band, the sighs which were active from the early 80's through the 90's. anyway, robert has gone through some life changes and struck out on his own with his gorgeous solo album, patient man produced by my pal, darin murphy. i hope you enjoy getting to know robert. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 431: LOLO

hello friends! i hope you all had an enjoyable halloween weekend. if you live in austin, i hope that you made it through the floods on friday. i had a pretty harrowing 6 1/2 hour trip to houston on friday getting around closed highways etc. i hope all that were affected by the floods are okay. hey gang! tomorrow, tuesday 11/3 at the townsend here in austin, i'll be playing with my rock band, ladyband johnson along with the bluebonnets, eve & the exiles and more. we'll be celebrating dominique davalos' birthday. she plays bass in ladyband johnson and in the bluebonnets and i love her. the shindig starts at 7:30. come out and party on a tuesday!my guest for episode 431 is singer/songwriter/actor and force to be reckoned with, LOLO. you might know her as lauren pritchard star of the hit broadway show, "spring awakening".  she's written the songs for an off broadway play called "songbird". she's just released an e.p., comeback queen on DCD2 records and is currently on "the wilderness politics tour" with andrew mcmahon in the wilderness, new politics and the griswolds. i caught up with LOLO when the tour stopped in austin at emo's last night and we had a great conversation in the backstage courtyard. her e.p. comeback queen is absolutely amazing. and i suggest you go to her website, weaponforsaturday.com and see when she's coming to a town near you. i hope you enjoy getting to know LOLO as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg 

Episode 428: Autumn

hello friends! i hope you're all living it up this weekend. i'm good. i'm playing an F1 party with skyrocket tonight here in austin. i guess the town is gearing up for this huge car race. there's a special event in austin every weekend isn't there? wild. this is a giant worldwide car race and i hear it's very exciting. maybe someday i'll go. my guest for episode 428 is jazz/soul/funk singer, autumn! autumn just released her self-titled, debut album in september. she is also a vocalist in the nightowls who play out around austin a lot. i heard about autumn through my friends at the austin music foundation. she was their artist of the month for september. anyway, autumn came by and we had a fantastic conversation about growing in oklahoma in a conservative family, growing up singing in church, dating, making music with someone you're involved then not involved with, working in the oil business, beyonce'-esque outfits and much, much more. i really enjoyed getting to know autumn. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg