Today’s guest is probably the most international guest I’ve ever had. Welcome guitarist Timothy Reid to the show. Timothy comes to us from Japan via North Yorkshire, England. How did he end up in Japan? It’s a really interesting story about obsessions. But that’s not where we begin. We begin with Timothy getting into Northern Soul and the punk band that cemented his musical course. After going to school for music, he made the decision to move to Japan. But he prepped for years before leaving. That turned out to be a very good idea. Timothy talks about the realities of living abroad, including the inability to practice using an amp. That led to his entry into a guitar contest just so he could play through a Marshall stack. Turns out, the judges loved his improvisational approach and he won. That led to a job as a demonstrator for several years until COVID went and ruined everything. But when one door closes, a window opens. That’s when writing music for video games begins to happen. And all the while, he’s writing and releasing solo albums. If you’re a fan of Satriani, Vai, Lynch, Eric Johnson, and guys like that, you’ll love Timothy’s music. He’s got some new stuff in the works, including a possible video game soundtrack release. Follow @timothyreidofficial on instagram or go to timothyreid.com for more information. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Our stuff is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or slip us some dollars at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. We present Timothy Reid on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to the second installment of our Spinal Tap series. This time I’m speaking with Abby Travis, Chas West, and David Hakopyan. Due to a personal obligation, I had to record this differently than I normally do. I was in the middle of Amish country in PA and I used Zoom for the entire show. Somehow, it became the busiest place on the planet, but only while I was recording. I also discovered that Zoom gave me a lisp. Anyway, we discuss each person’s involvement in the Spinal Tap project and why they chose the songs they covered and David reveals the unfortunately abandoned take involving Sir Mix-A-Lot. Chas talks about wanting to rev up his track, Abby had a specific artist in mind when recording hers, and David had his idea turned down a step by John Dolmayan of System Of A Down. We also talk about personal Spinal Tap experiences and Abby tells her epic story for the final time! So you don’t want to miss that! Follow each of these wonderful artists @abbytravis, @antennatheend, & @westboundofficial. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Follow @teencanceramerica and go to https://teencanceramerica.org/product/spinal-tap/ or go to the website and hit the shop button. By donating, you’re helping teens and young adults through the most difficult battle they can face. And in the process you’ll get some great music. I hope you enjoy this episode. How much more Spinal Tap can this be? None. None more Tap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest was a gift and I mean that in a variety of ways. Of course, his music is a gift. This conversation was a gift. But even connecting with him was a gift for which I have to thank Jeremy Toback. Jeremy suggested I listen to Shane’s music. When I did he connected us. Unfortunately, I put the interview date in the wrong month in my calendar and we rescheduled for the next day. That meant a crash course in all things Shane Alexander. Shane talks about how his less than ideal childhood has been a driving force in his art and how that seems to be the case for a lot of creative people. He also tells me how important late 80’s metal was and being his own harshest critic. Shane also discusses early bands and the unusual way one of them gave him the seed money to start his solo career. It wasn’t too long after that when he decided he had to be in control of his own musical destiny and the freedoms and problems of being self managed. He couldn’t stress enough how important it is to gain an understanding of the music business. Shane’s latest album, Forever Songs, hasn’t been out that long and he’s already finished writing his next. Go to shanealexandermusic.com to check out and buy his music. Follow him @shanealexandermusic on socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Get merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. I hope you enjoy this chat with Shane Alexander on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today is the first of a few special episodes. We’re talking Spinal Tap with Scott Reeder of Kyuss, Kellii Scott of Failure, Dizzy Reed of Guns N Roses, and Jason Achilles, who’s put microphones on Mars with NASA’s JPL. What brings all of these amazing people together? A charity album for Teen Cancer America that I started three and a half years ago. It’s coming out on Sept 16th and the only way to get over 30 tracks of Spinal Tap covers is to follow the show and Teen Cancer America’s social media. In this episode we talk about what the movie means to each of us, favorite scenes, favorite songs, and how these guys chose the song they covered. They also discuss some real life Spinal Tap moments in their own careers, the key to singing comedic songs, and pro tips on buying the best rubber chickens.Keep following here and Teen Cancer America for covers by these amazing musicians, Robyn Hitchcock, Crippled Black Phoenix, Alain Johannes, members of Soul Asylum, Tool, Foo Fighters, Mastodon, and so many more, as well as a very special song performed by cancer survivors who’ve been helped by TCA. Follow us @PerformanceAnx and @teencancereamerica or go to teencanceramerica.org to learn more. Here’s Scott Reeder, Kellii Scott, Dizzy Reed, and Jason Achilles on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In an unusual turn of events here, this week I have doubleVee on the podcast…the entire band! Welcome both Allan and Barb Vest to the podcast. They are a duo with a very interesting past and a wonderful new EP. Allan was a musical late bloomer while his wife Barb has it in her blood, literally. Her grandmother was a composer. That led to a really beautiful project, later on, for Barb and Allan. And Barb’s career started in radio, not on the radio. In a bizarre set of coincidences, the two of them met prior to being formally introduced, in a few unconventional ways while Allan was in his previous band, Starlight Mints. But once they got together, the musical magic started. They have such a unique sound. That’s part of what has helped them master the art of sync. Their music has been in movies including Barnyard, Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj, Smiley Face, and The Art of Getting By. They have also made the cut for shows like Malcolm In The Middle, One Tree Hill, Californication, Gossip Girl, and Tim Burton’s Wednesday. They have recently released their latest (and possibly last) EP, Periscope At Midnight and it is possibly their best set of songs to date. The six song release is pure doubleVee. The sound is unmistakable. And submarines play a crucial part on the EP and in their discography. We debate whether or not you can do a cover of one of your own songs. They also reveal a few opportunities that didn’t work out. Go grab the album, buy it, stream it, get the limited run CD at doublevee.net! Follow them @doublevee_band. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And listen to the amazing things Barb and Allan Vest have done here on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest is Chris Stamey. He’s done A LOT! He grew up in North Carolina, playing bass with Mitch Easter and Peter Holsapple. They played in churches and coffee shops because those were the only places at the time that encouraged original music. Around this time he began studying music at the University of North Carolina. He transferred to NYU but because of some weird scheduling issues, his music studies translated to a degree in philosophy. But his time there also introduced him to Alex Chilton and Richard Lloyd. Richard played a huge part in the formation of one of Chris’ early bands, The dB’s. We barely scratch the surface of his career here. Chris is very candid about his time in The dB’s as well as his latest album, Anything Is Possible. It took shape in a unique way and there are some unusual musical ideas there; like combining Humphrey Bogart with Roy Orbison. That’ll make more sense once you listen to the episode. The album is a journey through Chris’ evolution of musical loves and influences. Check it out on streaming platforms. Buy it wherever you can. Check out chrisstamey.com for more info, social media links, and ways to buy the album. Follow the show @PerformanceAnx on socials. Our merch, including a Spinal Tap inspired design, is at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest makes me feel blessed because his story illustrates just how fortunate I am. Meet Jon Muq. He’s a singer/songwriter from Austin TX via Uganda. Growing up, music was not a presence in his life. But sound was. He grew up without electricity so music was not a priority. But once he discovered music, it became an obsession; particularly the song We Are The World. Jon learned to play guitar on a borrowed acoustic. His first gig was playing in a hotel for food. The first song he ever wrote was for a friend in need. He began posting his music to social media which landed him a gig on Norwegian Cruise Lines. That gig was a huge culture shock. But once his contract was over, he was stuck in the Bahamas. He made his way to Austin and met people who helped him. But because of his visa, he wasn’t allowed to perform for three years. Jon tells me how Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys found the videos he was posting and reached out to him. After spending time getting to know each other, they went into the studio. It took a grand total of four days to make Jon’s debut, Flying Away. We talk about Jon’s approach to writing, his next album, and his theory on perimeters and burritos. Follow Jon on social media @jonmuq. Check out jonmuq.com for more information. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now enjoy Jon Muq’s story On Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. It’s pretty amazing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest mellows me out while also thinking about new revenue streams. Welcome David Motamed from The Royal Arctic Institute to the show. Mo, as his friends call him, has a long career in music mixed with a long career as a liver specialist; in medicine, not Silence of the Lambs kinda stuff.He started playing bass with his long-time friend and collaborator Lyle Hysen and wound up with him in the band Das Damen. He’s also played in Cell and with Tim Foljahn in Two Dollar Guitar. Through these bands he was also able to play with other artists like Arthur Lee and Townes Van Zandt. While playing music, he also decided he needed to have a “real job” so he studied medicine and is now a liver specialist at Mount Sinai hospital! He stepped away from music for a while to work and raise his family. But he couldn’t stay away; not if Lyle had anything to do with it. So, Mo is the bassist for the band The Royal Arctic Institute, who have recently released a new album, which is self-titled just to make things easier on me. Non-scientific tests have shown that their music reduces (my) road rage by 108%. So pick it up on bandcamp; there are physical copied available. Keep an eye on nice restaurants in your area because they will probably be playing somewhere close by on upcoming tours. Check out theroyalarctic.com for info and links. Follow @theroyalai on Instagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Merch is found at performanceanx.threadless.com We have a special Spinal Tap logo up now. You can also just send money purportedly for coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And welcome David Motamed of The Royal Arctic Institute on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode of Performance Anxiety Side Projects is almost a religious experience. Welcome Morgan Geer of Drunken Prayer and Matt Patton of Drive-By Truckers. Today we’re talking about Gospel music. Morgan and Matt talk about the Gospel music that made the first impact on them and give some great recommendations on where to start your own journey. Matt and Morgan each give their accounts of how they met. Matt talks about finding small radio stations that play Gospel music all over the country while touring. Morgan has released a new Drunken Prayer album called Thy Burdens and it’s deeply rooted in country Gospel music. But, it has the Drunken Prayer spin on it.Matt plays bass and spearheaded the entire project. To make the album even more authentic, part of it was even recorded in a church. Check out Drunken Prayer’s new album, Thy Burdens, on Bandcamp and streaming. Follow Morgan on socials @DrunkenPrayer. Matt can be found on the road with Drive-By Truckers or in his Water Valley, MS studio, DIal Back Sound. And make sure you keep an eye on their upcoming releases. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Get merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send some money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s have a Come To Jesus moment with Morgan Geer & Matt Patton on Performance Anxiety on the Patheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest is the definition of commitment. Please welcome Lemoyne Alexander to the show. Lemoyne really had no choice BUT to go into show business. His dad was a session drummer for Chess Records and started a family band starring Lemoyne and his siblings, even though he was way more into martial arts.The story of that band is filled with all kinds of changes, including a Peter Brady-like vocal problem that changed the dynamic of the band. But even though he had some music make the charts, he really hit his stride when he began producing rap artists. He talks about some of the amazing people he’s worked with as well as some of the, let’s say, infamous. But Lemoyne experienced a horrible tragedy that made him leave the rap world behind, shunning offers from people like Jay-Z and Beyonce to follow his muse. He talks about his first rock band St8 Of Grace and how that eventually just became a solo project. He’s released a few singles that have just EXPLODED all over TikTok and other platforms. He talks about how that feels and how it changed his plans for his latest album called Alone. Follow him on social media. Check out welemoynealexander.com for tons of music and merch. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Get our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send dollars to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And look for the Spinal Tap tribute album I’m producing for Teen Cancer America, out in early September. Lemoyne’s on it. Thank you for listening to Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest is a fan of birds. Not really. I don’t know. He’s been in two bands named after birds, so maybe. Welcome guitarist Arad Evans to the podcast. I think Arad may be my first Alaskan on the podcast. Now he wasn’t born there, but he did grow up there. He tells me what got him into music and what kind of music scene there was in 1970’s and early 80’s Anchorage. Arad moved to New York City specifically to play contemporary, avant garde music. Well, he was pretty successful. His first gig was with the legendary experimental composer Glenn Branca. In fact, Arad played with Glenn until his passing in 2018. Arad has played in several bands. He talks about one that was inspired by Captain Beefheart and Alaska. This band, Heroes of Toolik, is so unique. Arad said the premise of the band was making a conscious effort to not make a conscious effort. His new band, kind of new, is called The Whimbrels and the lineup is stellar! In addition to Arad, there’s Norman Westberg and Luke Schwartz on guitar, Steve Dibenedetto on drums, and Matt Hunter on bass. Their debut, self-titled album is out and is so catchy. With so many experimental artists in the band, you might think it’s an avant garde album. But it’s wonderfully accessible, no matter if you like experimental music or not. Check it out on Dromedary Records. Follow The Whimbrels on social media and keep an eye out for live dates. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now I hope you enjoy this chat with Arad Evans of The Whimbrels on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My guest today is a regular guy who happens to do a lot of creative stuff! Welcome Robert Scheffler to the podcast. Robert started on guitar after finding the one his mom had when she tried to take up the instrument. He played in school, he played in cover bands (because where he was living, no one wanted originals), he played solo gigs. He played supper clubs where you had to compete with food for the attention of the audience. He joined a band and enjoyed playing. But he also started freelance writing and researching. Soon, the music started taking a backseat to what was paying the bills. He found himself writing and playing less and less, until he finally stopped. He started writing humor full time and did that for about 20 years. He didn’t put music away completely, though. He’d sequester himself in a cabin and try to write. He did some composing for short films. Robert explains who and what got him back into writing, what it’s like to have a good song in a bad movie, and we take a detour through our mutual love of the mighty Led Zeppelin. We do bring it all back around and talk about his latest album, Truce. It’s my favorite in his catalog. Robert reveals the novelist who inspired his new musical outlook. We also talk about the furniture he creates. Go check his music out on streaming platforms. You can also check that and his furniture at robertschefflermusic.com. That’s also got his socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials, buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now let’s get into this chat with the might Robert Scheffler on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This guest is the very definition of resilience. Please welcome singer/songwriter Willie Nile. He has a new album out called The Great Yellow Light that shows Willie is still in top form. But he has a long, storied career and that’s where we get started. He reveals that music has run in the family for generations! He went to college because the school needed people in the dorms. It was in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing to do, so he started learning how to play the guitar. He moved to New York City to start his music career and set himself apart by just being true to himself. Well, mostly. He did go through a series of nom de plumes like Umberto Snortz & Osgood Pequad before settling on Willie Nile. His debut was critically acclaimed. But when he got sick after his sophomore album, he couldn’t perform and stepped away from music for a decade. He released another album and then stepped away again. He decided to give music one more shot in 1999 and has been putting out great music ever since. His new album has some great cameos and rocks pretty damn hard. Check it out wherever you stream music or buy a physical copy from Bandcamp or willienile.com. Follow his socials, they’re easy to find. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now please enjoy Willie Nile on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest hates traffic as much as I do. Plus he helped invent an entire genre of music. Welcome David J. Haskins to the podcast. He has a new album out, but you may also recognize him from his previous bands, Bauhaus and Love And Rockets. His love of music began with reggae and sneaking into clubs when he was a kid. His biggest inspirations were Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Roxy Music. He started off playing guitar but switched to bass when music started getting serious. Daid talks about early bands and getting banned from venues. He also reveals when and how he switched to fretless bass. It’s a pretty funny story. He also talks about writing Bauhaus’ most well-known song, Bela Lugosu’s Dead. Once Bauhaus ended, Love and Rockets begins. David discusses that transition and where the bands broke first. David has had an impressive solo career and he has a new album, The Mother Tree. It’s a unique album, both in its concept and its execution. The album is beautiful and touching. It also has a companion book of poetry. Go to davidjhaskins.com to grab both. Check out his social media links while you’re there. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send us money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And I hope you enjoy David J. Haskins on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This guest just blew me away on every front imaginable. Welcome drummer David Abbruzzese to the show. If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because he was in the biggest band in the world at what I consider their peak. Dave played drums for Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. For me, this was when the band could do no wrong. But, as David tells me, there was a lot of crazy stuff going. That includes a cursed music video that was so bad it was not only trashed, it almost destroyed Dave’s musical career! But that’s jumping ahead. Dave joins me from a distant time zone, just after a dental procedure. But he was kind enough to hang with me for a couple of hours. A lot happened between his birth and Pearl Jam, so Dave sheds a little light on that. Once we get to the Pearl Jam years, Dave tells some incredible stories, like how he got the job, the time he met Spinal Tap, that cursed video, and some stories behind some favorite songs. Dave is also candid about how he was let go from the band and what he’s been up to since. He’s worked with some incredible artists in Green Romance Orchestra, Guns N Roses, Peter Cornell, Shawn Smith, and the two folks who helped connect me with Dave, Jeff Fielder and Scott Reeder; thank you, both! Follow Dave on Facebook, on Instagram @davidabbruzzese1968, Free Ass Records on YouTube, and on Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Please enjoy my discussion with David Abbruzzese on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s guest is a family favorite. That means I’m talking with Erika Wennerstrom from Heartless Bastards. There are times when I’m completely blown away that an artist agrees to be a guest on this podcast and this is one of those moments. But Erika was and is incredibly kind and gracious. We start off like we usually do, talking about what got her into music. It turns out that she knew she was going to be a singer by around the age of four. We talk about early bands, like Shesus, the transformation from a shy, awkward person to fronting a band, and how she came up with the name Heartless Bastards. The band’s sound has evolved over the course of six albums. Erika talks about struggling with writer’s block, stepping back from the band to regroup, and doing her solo album. After a brief tangent on designed obsolescence, Erika pulls the curtain back on the latest Heartless Bastards album, A Beautiful Life. Disney and James Bond were influences to a few songs and Laurel Canyon asserts its influence. Erika is full of great stories, like how Patrick Kearney of The Black Keys ended up with her demos, growing up with The Ohio Players (at least one of them), and swinging by Robert Plant’s house to pick him up for drinks (he had shotgun, of course). Erika is currently writing music for the next Heartless Bastards album so keep following their social media accounts and theheartlessbastards.com for updates. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or just give us money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And I hope you’re as excited for this one as I was. It’s Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s guest makes me just want to have fun. No, it’s not Cyndi Lauper. But he did play with her for years. Welcome multi-instrumentalist Knox Chandler to the show. He moved around a lot as a kid, so music really meant a lot to him. His parents told him that he used to hug the stereo speakers when he was a toddler. He studied guitar and upright bass in college. But his cello playing got him just as much work as anything else. The funny part about that is he never technically learned how to formally play the cello. It began on a whim from Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs. From that, we’ll call it a suggestion, Knox learned how to play the cello night after night, live in front of thousands of Psychedelic Furs fans. That turned into playing cello for R.E.M. on Automatic For The People, among other amazing credits. Knox also tells a hilarious story about how he met Cyndi Lauper in the studio and then got heckled by her at a live show that night. He’s got a bunch of projects in the works and one that he just completed. It’s his multi-media release called The Sound. It’s a beautiful, instrumental album that was inspired by friends, tech, and fly-fishing. Check it out on all the streaming platforms or buy the multi-media version from knoxchandlermusic.com or Bandcamp. His website also has links to his socials. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Here’s Knox Chandler on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode of Side Projects features a duo of duos: Charming Disaster and Lung. So naturally, we started the show by discussing musical duos. Somehow we wrapped everything up by talking about sad kazoo music. I don’t know how we got there. It really doesn’t matter because this episode goes completely off the rails very quickly. But that’s why it’s so much fun. We do talk about drum shoes, setting microphones on fire, and new albums for both Charming Disaster and Lung. Charming Disaster’s is out and about and Lung’s will be released shortly. Give them both follows @charmingdisasterband and @lungtheband. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Buy merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just throw money at us at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now brace yourselves for whatever this episode is; because I’m not sure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everything about today’s guest is unusual. From writing his first song (which he performed at his high school graduation, unbeknownst to anyone but him) to being in the cast of Stomp before joining O.A.R., to the way he plays guitar, nothing about MikelParis fits into a neat description; with one exception. He’s a great guy! He pursued acting before music and played piano in Europe for a year before moving to NYC and joining Stomp. After that, he wound up playing with Pink for a year. Then he found himself auditioning for a band he never heard of called O.A.R. Much like the rest of his life, this was unconventional. But 20 years later, he’s still there! He’s developed his own unique style of playing guitar that he’s dubbed guitar drumming. He tells how that came about and how Folger’s coffee played a part. He’s released the first in a series of albums. This one is aptly titled, GuitarDrumming 01. It’s got some great cameos in it and the music is so unique. Give him a follow @mikelparis on social media. Listen on Spotify and check socials for tour dates for Mikel and O.A.R. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials, get merch at perfprmanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety and now I’m excited to present MikelParis on PerformanceAnxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This guest never sits still. Welcome guitarist Zak Loy. If you’re in the Austin, TX area, you might know him from any number of bands or projects like Damesviolet, Alpha Rev, Mother’s Anthem, and more. If you like classic alternative rock from the 90’s, you may have seen him playing guitar for the band Live and he was kind enough to take a break during the final stages of his new solo album, Dinero, to talk about his career. He started playing guitar at age eight but didn’t graduate to playing in bars until he was the ripe old age of thirteen. He formed his first band, Damesviolet, with his brother Beaux and that was it. He’s been working non-stop ever since. He’s played in Alpha Rev so often that I accidentally praised him for someone else’s guitar solo. But in my defense, he IS credited on the album. Zak tells me how he met and started working with Ed Kowalczyk and how it evolved from Ed’s solo tours to playing rhythm in the back for Live to being the lead guitarist and Ed’s right hand man. He also talks about the unique challenges of playing in a legendary band. As I mentioned, Zak has a new solo album coming out called Dinero. Pre-order it through zakloy.com or wherever you get music these days. Follow him @zakloy26 on Instagram. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Merch is available at performanceanx.threadless.com. Support our caffeine supply at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now, one of the only guests with a shorter name than me, Zak Loy, on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices