Zig at the gig is a long-form interview-style show. The host Dave Deitke is a full-time Musician from Cleveland, OH. Who plays in an original band called C-level and teaches an adapted music class. Zig at the gig started as a podcast for Negative Space, a non-profit art gallery, promoting events and artists from the galley. The show has grown to include all facets of entertainment, including artist authors and musicians.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Drummer, songwriter, and producer. Bill Stevenson is best known for work behind the drum kit for the Descendents and Black Flag. He is also an in-demand punk rock producer and co-owner of The Blasting Room, a studio located in Fort Collins, Colorado!
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Elizabeth McCullough of Alpha Cat:
How do you take the image of a black hole and make it positive? According to Elizabeth McCullough, aka Alpha Cat, "When I wrote that song I'd just read how astronomers had determined that you could actually escape a black hole, but only by going all the way through and out the other side. And that leads to all this worm hole and time travel theory, where not only do you avoid annihilation, but you arrive at a place you might never have reached otherwise. It's an amazing metaphor for transformation, and ultimately hopeful. That's why the end of the song is: you gotta go deeper it's the only way out.
A friendship with Television bassist Fred Smith, who agreed to produce a demo, became 1999’s EP Real Boy. With only 150 copies sent to college radio stations, Real Boy ended up in the CMJ National Add Charts not once, but twice, receiving more airplay adds than such formidable and widely distributed offerings as Beck's Midnight Vultures, and Metallica's S&M. It went on to spend six weeks in the national airplay charts, unusual for an EP.
The follow up to Real Boy, October 2001’s Pearl Harbor, was, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, unfortunately timed. With an image of a bomb and the sound effects of a glass building falling down, the CD was eerily prescient. It was not well received initially, for obvious reasons. Upon rerelease in February 2002, it did much better, receiving significant airplay on college radio, and winning a couple “best of” awards that year.
With the Alpha Cat song “Pearl Harbor,” it' becomes apparent how longtime photographer McCullough's previous passion has informed her current love. Without an understanding of how equally light and its absence form the world we see before us, it's difficult to imagine McCullough having had the vocabulary to describe that world musically. "It occurred to me that this place was called Pearl Harbor before it was bombed, and that it must be because literally, there were pearls in the harbor. I tried to imagine what it might take to get back to where that place was about treasure, rather than destruction.”
In 2005, following the ending of an unfortunate romantic entanglement, McCullough decided to move to L.A. to work with drummer Jason Smith, who had gigged with Alpha Cat several times in Los Angeles over the previous years. Recording began on the album Venus Smile in April of 2006, and 15 instrumental tracks were completed with the help of engineer Jon Mattox, guitarist Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, John Mayer), bassist Reggie McBride, (Elton John), and Jason Smith on drums.
Seven vocal tracks were completed as well, but by July, McCullough fell into a real life black hole, losing her voice and experiencing a profound emotional and psychological breakdown. She was unable to complete the record.
Years of depression, hospitalizations and treatment, including a round of ECT followed with no result. But in 2013 an experimental treatment yielded some relief from the devastating suicidality that had plagued her, and she attempted a return to music. She booked the first of two gigs in London at the legendary 12 Bar Club. However, her perceived betrayal by both her heart and her music, rehearsals and the prospect of returning to the stage brought extreme anxiety and fear. She began to drink to cope. The 12 Bar gigs were virtually unattended, a sense of hopelessness set in again, and the drinking continued.
Fortunately, McCullough decided to revisit the Venus Smile recordings that actually had been completed. She enlisted engineer Brett (Cosmo) Thorngren to do mixes of the songs, with encouraging results. And as it turned out, she had found a new champion in Thorngren. But it wasn’t until early 2019, with newfound sobriety and the retreat of long held fears, that she began to listen to those mixes anew, and began to appreciate them and realize that maybe there was something in this music after all. And then, in early June, McCullough experienced an epiphany, and decided to put out those songs as an LP. The result is the new record Thatched Roof Glass House. At long last, her journey through the worm hole seems to be complete
Elizabeth McCullough info
https://www.facebook.com/alphacatband/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LLx0yaBiRPaPXPZOgAqoz
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
Wednesday Feb 10, 2021
James Muschler drummer extraordinaire, formally of Moon Hooch is a near and dear friend to C-Level, and we are excited to help him celebrate the release of his up coming project The Evolution of Life Forms on Earth.
Jame's Info
https://jamesmuschler.bandcamp.com/
https://www.patreon.com/jamesmuschler
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Matthew Roads : Tropidelic
Matthew Roads is a singer songwriter of the Cleveland based band Tropidelic.
“Every single second is a blessing if you count them all,” sings frontman Matthew Roads. You can hear the sincerity in his voice; the joie de vivre that oozes from everything Tropidelic does is apparent. When they take a stage, their synergy flows member to member – horns blow, knees kicked high and grins are passed from one man to the next. Almost immediately, it spreads to the crowd, lifting hands in the air as their feet begin to move. The pulse collectively becomes that of one.
The six-piece band from Cleveland, Ohio may be far from any tropical islands, but that doesn’t stop them from dishing out an interesting mix of reggae, hip-hop, and high energy funk for audiences across the country. Unapologetically original, Tropidelic has a deep and widespread appreciation for music that can be heard in each note. Some of the members are hip-hop heads, while others are into metal, funk or reggae. Each of these genres lends something to their collective sound. “We pride ourselves in being original in our musicality and personality as a band,” says Roads, “but also in not taking ourselves so seriously that it ruins the fun.”
Quickly elevating themselves in the live circuit, Tropidelic can be found spreading their soulful sound across the country in both intimate venues and music festivals, having shared the stage with and supported such acts as 311, Slightly Stoopid, The Dirty Heads, Pepper, The Flobots and Wookiefoot. Previously, Tropidelic has been featured at Electric Forest, California Roots Music & Art Festival, Reggae Rise Up, Warped Tour and 311 Caribbean Cruise, as well as the host of their own annual Freakstomp Music Festival.
Following on the success of their 2019 release, Here in the Heights, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard reggae charts, Tropidelic has released a series of impressive singles featuring guest appearances from Dirty Heads, Matisyahu, Devin the Dude and Shwayze. These singles have amassed over five million streams in 2020, and they are featured on their latest album, Of Illusion, which debuted on November 13th, 2020. Of Illusion was released on Billboard’s number one reggae label, Ineffable Records. Tropidelic has put in their ten thousand hours, and they have arrived on the national scene to the delight of their ever growing and rapturous fans.
Matthew/Tropidelic's info
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2SGFnb6c73UJd1vT6aGBMl
https://www.facebook.com/tropidelic/
Matthew's solo work
https://www.facebook.com/RoadsIcarus
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Christopher Butler (born May 22, 1949) is an American musician, writer, and artist best known for conceptualizing and leading the 1980s new wave band The Waitresses. Among Butler's, the most notable songs are "I know what boys. like", "No Guilt," "Christmas Wrapping," and the theme song for the T.V. sitcom Square Pegs.
Butler grew up in Ohio and majored in sociology at Kent State University. He was among a crowd of students fired on by the Ohio National Guard on May 4, 1970.
Butler was active in the Kent OH music and art scene that also spawned The James Gang, Devo, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. In several films by KSU's film professor Richard Myers, he played guitar in the blues band City Lights with Jack Kidney. He followed Kidney into The Numbers band aka 15-60-75, founded by Jack's brother Robert Kidney, and played bass with them from 1975 to 1978. Butler was fired from the band for skipping a rehearsal to attend a photo session for his Waitresses band project, which were to be part of stiff records ' "Akron: Shine On, America" compilation, which also included tracks by Tin Huey, Jane Aire & The Belvederes, Rachel Sweet, The Rubber City Rebels, The Bizarros and chi Pig.
Chris talks, Cats, Covid, social media, Kent State, Film, Art, The Numbers band, Tin Huey, The Waitresses, The Return of the Tear drop, hold the world record for worlds longest pop song, Living in the Jeffrey Dahmer house,The Akron scene, Finding ways to keep the DIY house show scene and the Akron venue scene alive during covid, and Much More!
Chris's Info:
https://www.futurefossilmusic.com/
https://chrisbutler1.bandcamp.com/
www.facebook.com/christopher.butler.167
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
Wednesday Jan 13, 2021
DON RAUF (VOCALS) loves W.C. Fields, Preston Sturges, and Nikola Tesla. He lives with his lovely beekeeping wife, Monique, and his cartooning, surrealistic son, Leo. He is a writer whose books include Killer Lipstick and Other Spy Gadgets. He is the proud founder of The Blowhole Theater, an annual Brooklyn variety show featuring the Blowhole Theater Players and their characters Puckerballs the Garbage Can Elf, Scottish Jesus, and Abraham Lincoln.
Life In a Blender
A SHORT HISTORY For over 25 years, Life in a Blender has been the canvas for singer and songwriter Don Rauf's blackly comic landscapes. The group has released albums ranging from screaming punk to orchestrated chamber pop, and has brought the high theatrics of its live act to stages from Berlin to Austin to Toronto to Brooklyn and Seattle.
Don Rauf formed the band with high school friend Dave Moody (then bassist, now cellist), and within a couple of years had acquired the drumming services of Ken Meyer. Guitarist Al Houghton and bassist Mark Lerner joined in 1992, and violinist Rebecca Weiner Tompkins signed on in 1993. While the band's core lineup has remained remarkably constant for the past 18 years, the list of former members, guest artists, and collaborators includes Chris Butler (The Waitresses, Tin Huey), Chris Rael (Church of Betty), Jonathan Gregg, John Linnell (They Might Be Giants), Gavin Smith (Les Sans Culottes), Susan Hwang (Debutante Hour), Brian Dewan, and Olivier Conan (Chicha Libre, Las Rubias Del Norte).
Life in a Blender's "Friend from Quebec" was featured in Michael Moore's Canadian Bacon, and "Mobile Wash Unit" appeared in Sara Lamm's documentary, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox.
The band's most recent album, SATSUMA, is being released on November 20, 2020.
Don Talks, Poetry, his musical journey, the CBGB scene, Life In A Blender, The New Album SATSUMA, Writing books, NYC life, Rage Puppets, Chris Bulter, They Might Be Giants, The Blowhole Theater, Bushwick book club, and much more!
Don's Info
http://www.lifeinablender.net/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/lifeinablender
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
Wednesday Jan 06, 2021
Glenn Morrow, vocalist, and guitarist for the 1970s rock band the Individuals, Rage To Live, and Bar/None Records owner. Glenn was a leader in the Hoboken music scene. His first group A band was the first band to play Maxwells. Maxwell's would later become a CBGB like venue for NJ. Glenn's current project, Glenn Morrow's Cry For Help, is releasing a new album Glenn Morrow's Cry For Help 2!
Glenn Talk's Art, the importance of Art galleries, Punk rock, Hoboken NJ history, his musical journey, editing for the NYRocker, the CBGB scene, working with Richard Lloyd of Television, The Individuals, Rage to Live, Bar none records, They Might Be Giants, X, and Much More
Glenns Info
https://www.facebook.com/glennmorrowscryforhelp/
https://linktr.ee/glennmorrowscryforhelp?fbclid=IwAR14maqJZzx7XpYvqrvd77irtnlzafySzpIoxcTZdF6otUvdvWJ3hRlntao
http://www.bar-none.com/?fbclid=IwAR1OZWU3HHlro8wnDF1QT1vlWxNcV7rmapSzPo4Hnu1vHNtIMi7czOo0Y4I
Wednesday Dec 30, 2020
Wednesday Dec 30, 2020
Scott Ligon ( NRBQ)(The Flat Five )
Scott Ligon, a multi-instrumentalist singer from, is a for the Chicago area. Scott plays in the band NRBQ and The Flat Five.
Scott's Band the Flat Five, released a fantastic new album, Another World, out now on all streaming platforms.
Scott talks New music, dealing with the COVID 19 shutdowns, Writing music, Thelonious monk, His musical journey, Joining NRBQ, The Flat Five, Playing your brothers songs, and Following blind faith until it becomes a reality!
Scott's Info
https://www.flatfivechicago.com/
http://www.nrbq.com/
Monday Dec 21, 2020
Monday Dec 21, 2020
Tobias Nathaniel
Tobias Nathaniel co-founded San Diego band The Black Heart Procession with Pall Jenkins in 1997. He has also played with the bands Three Mile Pilot and Blonde Redhead
Tobias's New project is The Red Step
"The Black Heart Procession co-founder Tobias Nathaniel conspires with Belgrade thaumaturges to invoke a singular resonance for souls after the sun."
Tobias Talks new music, , his musical journey , The beauty of punk houses , The early years of the black heart procession, working with Three mile pilot and , Blond redhead, and new adventures with educating the youth to rock !
Tobias and The Red Step info
https://www.facebook.com/theredstepband/about/?ref=page_internal
https://www.instagram.com/theredstepband/?hl=en
https://theredstep.bandcamp.com/
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Wednesday Dec 16, 2020
Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist, and songwriter.
He is best known for co-founding and playing bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen, Dos, and Firehose. He is also the frontman for the supergroup Big Walnuts Yonder, a member of the art rock group Banyan and involved with several other musical projects. From 2003 until 2013, he was the bass guitarist for The Stooges.
Watt has been called "one of the greatest bassists on the planet. CMJ Music News called Watt a "seminal Post-Punk bass player." Readers of NME voted Mike Watt one of the "40 Greatest Bassists of All Time," and LA Weekly awarded him the number six spot in "The 20 Best Bassists of All Time.
In November 2008, Watt received the Bass Player Magazine lifetime achievement award, presented by Flea.
Mike Talks, Rock operas, John Coltrane Miles Davis, Sun Ra, The Stooges, Philosophy, Minutemen, Punk Rock, and Punk Rock Philosophy, Jamming Econo, Flannel, Dos, His Musical journey, and Much much more in this two-part podcast!
More on Mike Watt