In a new holiday tradition on Between Awesome and Disaster. Will's Backdoor BBQ teammate and friend Paul Cohen returns to discuss all of the excellent pop punk that 2020 had to offer. Favorite Albums, Favorite EPs, Live Streams, favorite discoveries and the 2020 playlist Their was some excellent pop punk this year and Paul and Will are gonna discuss it all.
Will and Paul's 2020 Pop punk Playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1KjMyOIe08LFnrw24c1ZMQ
Paul on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealpaulcory/?hl=en
Will's Social Media, Band, Patreon and Merch: https://linktr.ee/WillCarey
Before Ryan Fitz was the lead guitarist in the band Bearings began when he would book them on DIY Shows in Ottawa. He talks to Will about the recording and writing of the band's new album Hello, It's You, the music scene in Ottawa, booking shows as a Teenager, joining Bearings, working with Alan Day from Four Year Strong, recording tips and plans for Bearings after the end of the Pandemic.
Listen to Bearings:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qpDBxRgLp6g0k2esJlUDn?si=StiLf7TyR1O-jR4ep884tg
https://twitter.com/telecasterdad
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian James Mattern's podcast The Commissioner of Comedy was inspired by stories of The Undertaker and Wrestler's Court. He talks to Will about the recent closings of NYC Comedy institutions The Creek and The Cave and Dangerfields, Andrew Dice Clay's The Day The Laughter died 2, growing up and starting comedy in Las Vegas far from the glamour of the Strip, getting into comedy clubs in NYC, what goes into being an effective host, and what it has been like to do live comedy during the pandemic and what he sees happening for comedy after there is a vaccine.
James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesLmattern
James' podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-commissioner-of-comedy-with-james-mattern/id1511831048
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Chris McGrath is the guitarist and vocalist for Chicago punk rock band Much the Same. He talks to Will about growing up a Christian, D&D Punk rocker in the Suburbs of Chicago, how cardio is an important part of being able to play fast punk rock. Releasing the first Much The Same album on A-F Records, Playing iconic punk rock venues like Fireside Bowl, the bands break up, reunion and excellent new album Everything is Fine as well as his other band Winning Streak.
Listen to Much the Same:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3muI3PfsNRMVGnqNX3NQKZ
Listen to Winning Streak:
https://winningstreaktx.bandcamp.com/
Chris on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GunnerMcGrath
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Bassist and Vocalist for The Lawrence Arms Brendan Kelly finds it funny for the silliest projects he takes on garner the most attention.
He talks to Will about the culture behind the Chicago Ska and Punk scenes, the beginnings of Chicago's Fireside Bowl, the working class populism of Punk Rock,the influence of the Goo Goo Dolls on The Lawrence Arms working with Fat Mike when The Lawrence Arms were signed to Fat Wreck Chords. Creating the Twitter account Nihilist Arby's, working for The Onion, The Hardtimes, and his prediction for the future of live music after the pandemic ends.
Listen to The Lawrence Arms:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aQ8Ow9YAkGxr5bbehjkcS
Brendan on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/badsandwich
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Dragged Under Guitarist and Youtuber Fluff's current success was born out of a time when his life was in a dark place. He talks to Will about his upbringing in the Seattle Music Scene, favorite guitars and gear, his Youtube Channel Riff's Beards and Gear, The unlikely source of his video and audio editing skills during his time in California, how his former band Rest, Repose began at a time when he literally had nothing to lose, the surprise success of the first Rest, Repose EP, some great songwriting advice, and more from his trip to Japan.
Listen to Dragged Under:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3D1uNqaasEWzallSxKo1cH?si=DQdZMijZSjq75EJaQyNOqg
Fluff's Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/fluff191riffsandbeards
Fluff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiffsAndBeards
Fundraiser for the Creek and the Cave's Owner:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ne-york-will-miss-the-creek-and-cave
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Ryan Baldwin's High School punk rock band Urban Sombrero was the first time Will heard punk rock played live. Ryan and Will talk about their shared history growing up in St.Leonard Maryland, the local diy shows that Urban Sombrero and other bands would put on during high school, his next band Remember Daylight, a dark night of the soul that occurred in a convenience store parking lot, his current project Steady Now, and some great stories from opening for Cartel, The Ataris, and a very unusual live gig.
Ryan's SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/ryanbaldwinaudioengineer
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian Bryan Preston is one of Will’s earliest comedian friends he made in Baltimore back in 2007. He talks to Will about how he approaches a career in comedy in the Baltimore area, stand up comedy, comic books, anime, Star Wars, podcasting, and avoiding the toxic parts of nerd culture and fandom, and plans for comedy after the pandemic.
Bryan on Twitter: @skullbase
Bryan’s podcast:
https://lfp.fakingitradio.com/
Bryan on Twitch:
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Nick Thompson is the lead vocalist of two of Will's favorite bands Hit the Lights and Thief Club. He talks to Will about being on tour in Japan right before the pandemic, favorite places and bands in Japan, writing pop punk songs in low tunings, the formation of Hit the Lights in Ohio, moving from guitar to lead vocals in Hit the Lights, major record labels, songwriting, the creative freedom a side project allows and the upcoming new Thief Club release.
Nick on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/htlnick/
Listen to Hit the Lights:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5fyHpJg1xW8OZqPyzmQv2C
Listen to Thief Club:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XYxmWiWzgBzEeS3332VfR
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
For Light Years Guitarist/Vocalist Pat Kennedy everything circles back to when he first heard Blink 182's Enema of the State. He talks to Will about the conception and production of the recently released No Pressure EP, working with Parker Cannon, Tom Delonge's influence on guitarists and punk rock guitar tone, how his Pop Punk band Light Years formed amongst the Cleveland hardcore scene, touring in Japan and Europe and plans for the band Post-Pandemic.
Listen to Light Years:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0WtKAc6wgVpiqQZekFdFgJ
Listen to No Pressure:
Pat on Twitter:
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Hit The Lights guitarist Kevin Mahoney describes his band as a blend of 80s Pop and Pantera. He talks to Will about producing the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, his approach to recording and producing bands, his origins in the Rochester, NY Punk and Hardcore Scene, Touring Japan, Hit The Lights, the major label experience, and being able to play with hometown friends in Joywave.
Kevin on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kevinmahoney_official/
Listen to Hit the Lights:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5fyHpJg1xW8OZqPyzmQv2C?si=pCctYod6SrG9aJr-LTe0ow
Listen to Joywave:
https://open.spotify.com/album/6YpsVkMPd32CuKX0tJwJzr?si=UIG8bqcJReeehA6KUmyTNg
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian Brandon Broady and Will go all the way back to their Freshman year as theater majors at Towson University. Brandon and Will discuss their acting and theater education, finding stand up comedy while still a student, how working in radio lead him to Los Angeles, touring with Donnell Rawlings, hosting shows on BET and Nickelodeon, why the Kids Choice Awards is the most fun Awards show to attend, hanging out with comedy giants, and being a parent while being in show business.
Brandon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broadythejoker/?hl=en
Brandon on Caffeine:
https://www.caffeine.tv/broadythejoker
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Goalkeeper Bassist and Vocalist Ryan Beebe and Will's influences align almost perfectly. He talks to Will about recording bass for the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, playing pop punk in lower tunings, his approach to songwriting, favorite records, and the band's approach to the modern music business.
Listen to Goalkeeper:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1foCMRbxVRo99EWPglSD3n?si=ko-2mNDNTOK5bsD9ctt6og
Ryan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryancbeebe
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Goalkeeper drummer Cody Allen sees one of the goals of his band as creating community. He talks to Will about the process of recording drums for the new Goalkeeper EP Life in Slow Motion, he and Will’s mutual love of all things Pop Punk, growing up in South Jersey, the Philadelphia area music scene, how he approaches Goalkeeper’s social media and his part of the Goalkeeper songwriting process.
Listen to Goalkeeper:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1foCMRbxVRo99EWPglSD3n?si=ko-2mNDNTOK5bsD9ctt6og
Cody on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CodyARitchie
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Cartel Singer and Vocalist Will Pugh has amassed an extensive list of writing and production credits through his career.
He talks to Will about how Cartel learned to be headliners from early tours with The Starting Line, and New Found Glory, The punk and hardcore scene around Atlanta, Cartel's breakthrough with the album Chroma and touring in Japan, The Band in a Bubble show on MTV, Songwriting, his approach to producing bands, his electronica side project Taurids, and where he sees himself going musically in the future.
Listen to Cartel:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wQMF27xWhSyJFnO9L5mQk
Will's Side Project: https://taurids.bandcamp.com/album/ep
https://www.willpughmusic.com/
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian Jesse Jones and Will knew each other from their time in the Trenches of the New York Comedy Scene. Jesse tells Will about first moving to New York City, his time in improv at the beginnings of UCB, transitioning to Stand Up, how the common troupe of common open mic jokes has evolved over there time in comedy, how his career evolved after leaving New York City and plans to expand road gigs in the after pandemic times.
Jesse on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jessejones
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian Jay Szech was one of the first comics Will met in Baltimore back in 2007
He talks to Will about growing up in Maryland, the Baltimore Comedy Scene, his time in Los Angeles, working as an educator before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic, working as an announcer for minor league baseball, and what he feels his role as a comedian is when he performs.
Jay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayszech
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
The mission statement of Guitarist Marc Juliano's band Goalkeeper is good times, and catchy songs
He talks to Will about the band's ability to write sad songs that are fun and optimistic, incorporating his work as a Mental Health Counselor into the bands songwriting, approaching his music career in incremental steps, guitars, writing pop punk lead melodies and the band's upcoming EP Life in Slow Motion.
Listen to Goalkeeper:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1foCMRbxVRo99EWPglSD3n?si=ko-2mNDNTOK5bsD9ctt6og
Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcAJuliano
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Storyteller and Moth Grandslam Winner Marc Abbott begins this episode with the story of the time we worked security at a Tupac Concert in Atlanta. Then he tells Will about meeting a surprisingly down to earth Michael Jackson, growing up in Brooklyn, how big an impression Star Wars made on him as a child, studying film, the moment he realized he had to make his own path in show business, self publishing, and how a storytelling show at his local bar led to him Winning the Moth Grandslam, developing solo shows, and how he and Will may be doing socially distanced shows in Tents until the pandemic ends.
Marc's apperance on RISK
http://risk-show.com/tag/marc-abbott/
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Steve "Lips Kudlow" is the Guitarist and Vocalist for the massively influential Metal band Anvil. He talks to Will about the uncertain future of live music during and eventually after the Covid-19 Pandemic, having to abandon the European tour for their newest album Legal at Last, his custom V shaped guitars, guitar solos, songwriting, dedication to one's craft,music critics, Anvil's impact on Metal, the documentary Anvil: Story of Anvil, and his experiences meeting former peers, music legends and the bands his band inspired after the success of the movie.
Listen to Anvil:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0maNhqGx60ucjS4UaAH6cP?si=EhJGnf_KSd-OJuq_kXlMtA
http://my.tbaytel.net/tgallo/anvil/
Lips on Twitter:
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Chris Amato is the Bassist for Drive-Thru Records Post-Hardcore band Hidden in Plain View. He talks to Will about the New Jersey Punk and Hardcore Scene, forming the band that would become Hidden in Plain View, Signing to Drive-Thru Records, and the business of being a touring band playing clubs. Recording at the Legendary Salad Days studios, the dissolution of the band, how there friends lead to the band reuniting for a new EP on Rise Records, and the Jersey Interchange project he contributed to.
Listen to Hidden in Plain View:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rXLC3lGmx2JjclFJYZud4?si=svq9oP-ZTS6dv8-pFAH7Mw
Jersey Interchange on Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/njpparchives/sets/jersey-interchange
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Mike Ruocco toured the world with his band Cinder Road and transitioned away from the music business to be there for his family.
He tells Will about starting the band that would become Cinder Road as a teenager in Baltimore, playing up and down the east coast alternating between original and cover gigs. Joining SR-71 as a bass player for the album Here We Go again, touring with Daughtry, Kiss, and Alice Cooper, and his experiences with record labels and the business side of the music industry.
Listen to Cinder Road: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1tjVVjTJTxvby2u8bBYTdY?si=vldg4AsFRF6vwrt4OmaQSw
Listen to Mike's Solo album:
https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-rise-the-ride-the-risk/535709268
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch here:
Comedian Violet Gray was one of the first friends Will made in Stand Up Comedy. She tell's Will about starting comedy in Baltimore, the tone and style of Baltimore comedians, performing on Wyatt Cenac's Night Train on Starz, Nerdcore, countries they want to travel to after the pandemic is over, and plans to create Hip-Hop during quarantine.
Violet Gray on Twitter: https://twitter.com/violetsilver
Violet Gray on Youtube: https://youtu.be/cDeDnoQIzkw
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch all here:
Comedian and Podcaster Mike Moran and Will share a lot of interests but just missed each other in the Baltimore Comedy Scene. Mike and Will Discuss the Baltimore Comedy Scene, DIY comedy albums, punk rock, Mike's Podcast Confessional and plans for future comedy releases.
Mike's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/confessional-podcast/id1390856222
Mike's album
Bassist for Punchline and host of the One Hit Thunder Podcast Chris Fafalios and Will have a lot in common with one hilarious exception. Chris tells Will about growing up in Pittsburgh, how R&B attracted him to playing Bass, his introduction to Punk Rock, Punchline's beginnings in Pennsylvania, touring in Japan, and common threads he has discovered among one hit wonders from creating his podcast One Hit Thunder. Plus Will and Chris nerd out on favorite Japanese bands, favorite comedians, and Will shamelessly pitches song ideas for One Hit Thunder.
Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisfafalios
One Hit Thunder: https://one-hit-thunder.pinecast.co/
Listen to Punchline: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1CK7niAEBeKXci8KtBvxbG?si=pQhCNxFWRdqo64BMSxfJFw
Will's Social Media, Patreon, Band, and Merch all here: