Seasoned listeners of this podcast will note that the episodes vary pretty widely in length. I like having the guests present their stories without prescribing a predetermined amount of time. But I usually edit it to be sure it doesn't go over an hour or so. Not so with this epic series of stories from People With Bodies, a lovely band of buds from Reno, Nevada. I mean, I did in fact edit it down, but it's still 95 minutes even with a bit of editing. They had a story planned out, which they tell wonderfully. And then they realized they had a whole other show that was much worse. So I let it roll, and I'm glad I did. Listen to it in sections if you have to, but I highly recommend you hear the whole thing. Next week's will be shorter, I promise.

Worst Show Ever

75 People With Bodies @ Park Place in Reno, NV (8-25-18)

At a Joyful Noise Recordings Xmas party in 2018, while some of the finest rock stars and weirdos were mingling and getting wasted on vegan chili, I was sitting in the office of dear friend and label owner Karl Hofstetter, talking to labelmate Jasamine White-Gluz of No Joy about some of her most harrowing tour stories. Jasamine was a blast to talk to, and had me on the edge of my seat trying to take in some truly awful and amazing events on the road.

74 Jasamine White-Gluz (No Joy) @ Joyful Noise in Indianapolis, IN (12-8-18)

Marisa Demarco had me over to her studio, where, in front of a table full of cheap gold earrings she was currently turning into a circuit board, she told me about her worst show ever. There's no way for me to accurately describe this amazing person without saying she's a living pioneer of experimental music and one of my personal musical heroes. It was an honor to have her on the show and get deep into intersections of politics, experimentation, and performance. Not only does she bring years of experience playing in some of my favorite musical acts (Bigawatt, Chicharra, Big Hen, and more), but her unique perspective as a founder and curator of Gatas y Vatas festival in Albuquerque made for some great stories and observations.

73 Marisa Demarco (Bigawatt) @ her Studio in Albuquerque, NM (2-20-19)

Rence is a road dog if ever there was one, and I knew when I asked him to be on the show, he'd have a story that packed a punch. Boy howdy was I right.

72 Rence Liam (Dear Rabbit) @ Flux Capacitor in Colorado Springs, CO (9-6-18)

I had the pleasure of seeing Melanie perform twice last year at Treefort, and both performances blew my mind. First as the bassist in a harp-led chamber pop ensemble called Wend, and then in the legendary rock band Built to Spill. She was gracious enough to meet up with me to discuss some of her most awful shows, coming from her time with her previous band, Marshall Poole. The stories range from the tragic and somber to the humiliating and indignant.

71 Melanie Radford (Built To Spill) @ Hotel Modern (Treefort Music Fest) in Boise, ID (3-24-19)

Liz Hysen tells an incredible story of turning into a wolf on tour, while also dealing with some of the most sexist and ridiculous behavior by her driver / tour manager that has appeared on this show, which is saying a lot because (as is no surprise to women musicians, but still seems to shock some of the guys) women deal with a lot of bullshit on tour that men don't experience, and seem to rarely even notice. Thanks to Liz for sharing her remarkable account.

70 Liz Hysen (Picastro) @ her house in Toronto, ON (10-4-18)

William Goldsmith played in the legendary bands Foo Fighters and Sunny Day Real Estate and has the crazy stories to show for it. Just a heads up, things get pretty gross pretty fast in the first of several stories William shows.

69 William Goldsmith (Foo Fighters) at his home in Port Orchard, WA (6-4-19)

Dear friends and Joyful Noise label-mates Ohmme share the story of their most bizarre tour experience at a haunted hotel in upstate New York, as well as a show in which the venue disputed the fact that there was a show at all.

68 Ohmme (Sima Cunningham & Macie Stewart) @ Postal Recording in Indianapolis, IN (12-8-18)

Lung are one of my very favorite bands currently touring, and it was a delight to sit down and discuss so many ways shows can be shitty. This is a longer episode, with lots of twists and turns from these veteran badasses.

67 Lung (Kate Wakefield & Daisy Caplan) @ About Space in Cincinnati, OH (11/26/16)

Wether its her stellar drumming or her personality that fills up a room, Lupe Flores is a powerhouse of a lady. And it was pretty incredible to hear some of the crazy places touring has taken her.

66 Lupe Flores (Wild Powwers) at Sunset Tavern in Seattle, WA (5/31/19)

Last winter, a bunch of us musicians who release albums on Joyful Noise met up for their holiday party in Indianapolis, and this also included us all recording a bunch of music for a holiday compilation, which ended up being more fun and more interesting musically than I had ever thought it could be. Adam Harding had a song with Thor Harris, which I ended up playing on, and there was a general love of cross-pollination all around. I clicked with Adam right away, and appreciated him taking a bit of time to tell some stories about awful shows. We were talking in the kitchen of the recording studio while Kid Millions recorded a song in the next room, which accounts for both its brevity and the sound in the background.

65 Adam Harding (Dumb Numbers) @ Postal Recording in Indianapolis, IN (12-8-18)

It was a true delight to sit down with Matthew and hear about the show in which this full bill of fantastic Cincinnati local bands was commandeered by a certain celebrity-focused television network. It was also funny to hear us talk so much about my own life, particularly with respect to permatour. I'm releasing this episode on my first day living in an apartment after almost 12 years of nothing but living in vehicles. The episode is from over a year prior, and so I'm still talking from the perspective of staying on the road for the foreseeable future. Still, Matthew's perspectives on music, ambition, fame, and hustle resonated deeply with me. And so I can't help but wonder if this conversation was one that tipped me toward finally taking a break from touring to focus on other things for a spell.

64 Matthew Shelton @ his apartment in Chicago, IL (9/23/18)

Nilan Perera has been playing what he calls "adventurous music" in the Toronto scene for 35 years. We get deep into the ethics of improvised music and how it can go wrong.

63 Nilan Perera @ his apartment in York, ON (10/4/18)

A staple in the Montreal experimental music scene, my dear friend Catherine Debard recounts an adventure in the US that had huge ups and downs, and how she managed to keep her calm through it all.

Catherine Debard (YlangYlang) @ her apartment in Montreal, QC (10/9/18)

Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart tells the story of their worst tour ever. But his approach to this common theme is unique in how, on the one hand, he labels himself an asshole and takes full responsibility for how terribly he treated his tour-mates (Tune-Yards). On the other hand, he makes a compelling case for having the moral high ground in this dispute, despite acknowledging how shitty he treated them. I was absolutely fascinated by what I could only call Jamie's political insight into appropriative music, and equally pleased by his unabashed dickish behavior, as it was clearly coming from a place of conscience. I can't think of the last time I've so appreciated someone attacking music and musicians I love and have loved.

61 Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) at Alternative Library in Bellingham, WA (5/24/19)

Permatouring bassist C.J. Boyd meets up with fellow musicians while on the road to ask them about the worst shows they've played. Ranging from the hilarious to positively tragic, these stories give a glimpse into how things can go horribly wrong while just trying to play music for people.

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Worst Show Ever

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