Why Music Matters With Jeff Miers

Jae Skeese: Putting Buffalo Hip-Hop on the Map

Hey there, music lovers. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 
I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today on the podcast, I’m psyched to welcome a cutting edge artist whose work represents a major step forward for both Buffalo hip-hop in particular, and contemporary national hip-hop in general. 
Jae Skeese grew up in Buffalo, and from the get-go, he displayed an indelible talent for the authentic, gritty realism and deft, poetic rhymes that are fast becoming a hallmark of our region’s sound. For the past decade, he’s worked tirelessly to hone his craft, over the course of several albums and collaborations that brought him to the attention of the folks behind Buffalo’s Griselda records - in particular, the renowned rapper and Griselda co-founder, Conway. 
Jae’s refusal to give up on his dreams and his unflagging work ethic ultimately earned him a slot as the first signing to  Conway’s recent record label venture, the Drumwork Music Group. 
Jae just dropped his latest effort, his 8th mixtape overall, in the form of Ground Level, which UndergroundHipHop.com called “a testament to Jae Skeese's evolution as an artist blending raw emotion & storytelling with cutting-edge production.” 
Now, Jae is taking Ground Level on the road, beginning with his first show as a headliner in his hometown, at The Rec Room in Buffalo, on Thursday, November 14. He’ll also be headlining at the legendary Mercury Lounge in New York City, on Wednesday, November 20. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Jae Skeese. 

10,000 Maniacs: 40 Years of Indie Excellence

Hey there, music lovers. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 
I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today, I’m joined by three musicians whose work has intrigued me for decades, from the first time I heard them - while studying at the State University of New York at Fredonia in the late 80s - through to the present day.  
Mary Ramsey, John Lombardo and Jerry Augustyniak of 10,000 Maniacs are all significant names in the world of indie and alternative music, and were prime movers in the College Radio-fueled alternative explosion of the late 80s and early 90s. 
Over the past few years, 10,000 Maniacs have been touring, playing a setlist that covers 40 years of material to an audience composed of many people who have been following the band from the beginning. These days, some of those people are attending these concerts with their children, signifying the band’s cross generational appeal. 
The band plays its first Buffalo show in many years on Saturday, October 19, when they return to the Center for the Arts on the University at Buffalo’s North Campus at 8 pm. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Mary Ramsey, John Lombardo and Jerry Augustyniak of 10,000 Maniacs… 

Bobby Previte on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and The Thrill of Living in The Musical Moment

Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. I’m your host, Jeff Miers. Today’s episode is a special one for me. Way back in 2002, I watched the renowned drummer, composer and Western New York native Bobby Previte lead a hand-picked band of musicians through the tumultuous and strangely beautiful terrain of Miles Davis’ game-changing 1970 album Bitches Brew, at the former Tralf, in Buffalo. That performance changed my life, and taught me in a deep and lasting way what the concept off freedom in music truly means. In the time since that fateful evening, I’ve followed Bobby’s richly diverse career, and gotten to know the man a bit. As a drummer and composer, he has been guided by a singular musical wanderlust, one that seeks to live in that dangerous space where form and chaos meet and commingle. “If it’s not balancing on the edge of chaos, then it’s no good, and I’m not interested,” Bobby once told me. I’m honored that Bobby is joining me here today on Why Music Matters, and it’s fitting that we centered our conversation on Miles Davis and his enduringly influential Bitches Brew album - which, by the way, Bobby will perform with a curated band of top-tier Buffalo musicians at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Monday, October 7 at 7 pm, as part of the Classic Vinyl Live with Jeff Miers concert series. Welcome to Why Music Matters, Bobby Previte!

Eric Crittenden, David Cloyd and Damone Jackson Roundtable

Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 
I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today, we’ve got a special edition of the podcast, featuring a roundtable discussion with three diversely talented musicians and music educators, who also happen to be movers and shakers in the Buffalo and Western New York music scene. 
Damone Jackson, Eric Crittenden and David Cloyd are three very different people with varied musical outlooks and a broad spectrum of life experiences. But all three are bound by their deep belief that music elevates all of us, musicians and listeners alike. 
Recently, Crittenden and Cloyd - who are co-founders of the Buffalo Music Club music education collective - teamed with the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation and the Borderland Festival to create the Borderland Band Camp. The Camp offered an opportunity for young musicians in the area to create a set of music to be performed as part of this year’s Borderland Festival, which takes place September 13 - 15 at Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora. Jackson is one of 7 professional instructors who took part in the camp. 
Our conversation ran the gamut, from raw comedic asides, to deep and intensely personal reflections on what it means to be a musician, and why music matters more and more, the deeper you dig into it. 
Thanks for listening, and we hope to see you at the Borderland Festival! 

Singer, Songwriter, and “Old Soul,” Michael DeLano

Hello, music lovers! 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 
I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today, I’m pleased to welcome a young singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has been making devoted fans of original music connoisseurs in Western New York over the past few years -  including yours truly. 
Michael Delano may be young in the chronological sense, but one listen to his singing, his songwriting, and his elegant use of sophisticated open guitar tunings makes it plan that he’s an old soul. 
I’ve come to know Michael through his work with the bands 77 Stone, Sunday Reign and Five Round Bout, all unique projects that pushed the envelope of modern alternative rock music. Lately, Michael has been stretching his wings, sitting in with various regional bands and artists, performing solo gigs, and working on new material. 
Our chat covered a lot of ground, including music’s therapeutic role in Michael’s own life, his ongoing quest to fine-tune his vision as a songwriter, and his enduring belief that “art is everything, and everything is art.” 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Michael Delano! 

Music Advocate, Club Owner and Musician, Josh Mullin

Hey there, music lovers. Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. I’m your host, Jeff Miers. Today, my guest is Buffalo music advocate, club owner and musician Josh Mullin. As owner of both Jack Rabbit and Riff City, Josh has worked tirelessly to boost the Buffalo Music scene, by providing artist-friendly spaces that act as hubs for the region’s music-loving community. Josh is also a fighter, and he never backs down from his principles, whether that means pushing back against the city of Buffalo’s proposed “Amusement License” fees, or pointing out the negative influence of certain concert venues that seem intent on disturbing our delicate live music ecosystem. Throughout our conversation, Josh pulled no punches, and his love for the Buffalo music scene was wholly evident. Listen in…

Live Music Curator and Lifelong Music Lover, Dave Wedekindt

Hello, music lovers! Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. I’m your host, Jeff Miers. Today, I’m excited to welcome an old friend to the podcast. Dave Wedekindt has been working behind the scenes to enrich the lives of music fans throughout the Western New York region for several decades. A tireless advocate for the arts in general and music in particular, Dave is currently the interim President of Artpark, in Lewiston, NY, where he’s worked to curate live music programming that appeals across generational lines, ranging from indie and alternative rock to the evergreen classics, boasting a broad appeal while maintaining a cutting edge. Dave is also a musician and a lifelong music-lover who, whenever he isn’t hard at work behind the scenes, can be found near the front of the stage, basking in everything from modern indie music to the blues and back again. Join us as we talk about Dave’s long and impactful career, and his enduring love for music…

Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Producer and Bandleader, David Michael Miller

Hello, music lovers! Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. I’m your host, Jeff Miers. Today, I’m pleased to welcome my friend, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and bandleader David Michael Miller. Lovers of live music in Western New York know David as leader of the searing southern soul band Miller & the Other Sinners; the former co-guitarist and vocalist with the great Dive House Union; through his work with the Campbell Brothers; and as the man behind such stellar albums as Poisons Sipped and Rise. I also know him as a deeply talented and thoughtful man who is a generous musical mentor, a guy with a serious work ethic, and a true seeker who views his life in music as a quest with spiritual aspects. Miller & the Other Sinners have just released a new album, Thieves in the Breadline, and I chatted with David about the album’s significance in his ongoing musical journey, about his belief that engaging the imagination plants the seeds for empathy, and why music continues to matter so much to him in his life. Thanks for joining us!

Legendary Rock Musician, Son of Western New York, and Virtuoso Bassist, Billy Sheehan

Hello, music lovers!
Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today, we’ve got a very special guest - legendary progressive and hard rock musician, son of western New York, and virtuoso bassist Billy Sheehan. We know Billy from his groundbreaking work with Talas, David Lee Roth’s band, Niacin, Mr. Big, Sons of Apollo, and many more.
Currently in the midst of a farewell tour with Mr. Big, which includes a homecoming gig at Electric City in Buffalo on June 6, Billy chatted with me from the road, where he’s been enjoying a string of sold-out dates with his bandmates. I started things off by asking Billy if he recalled that fateful night night in December of 1980, when a then-unknown band called U2 opened for Talas at Stage One in Buffalo - on what turned out to be the night that John Lennon was murdered, in New York City. Billy and his Talas bandmates reacted by performing a set of the Beatles tunes they’d grown up revering, as a tribute to Lennon…

Organ Fairchild's Dave Ruch and Corey Kertzie

Hello, music lovers! 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, a podcast where we examine the power and influence that music can wield in our lives. 
I’m your host, Jeff Miers.
Today’s guests are two of my favorite musicians in all of the Western New York area, and they also happen to be two-thirds of one of my favorite bands - the postmodern, jam-based trio Organ Fairchild. 
Guitarist Dave Ruch and drummer Corey Kertzie have been playing in bands together since meeting as high school students. They’ve been a major part of the Buffalo-area music scene for decades, but instead of sliding into complacency and plucking the low-hanging fruit, they challenged themselves and their audience by forming Organ Fairchild five years back, employing the deep musical bond they’ve been nurturing for years as a springboard to a fresh, forward-looking instrumental sound. 
With their latest effort, Songs We Didn’t Write, about to drop, and a long summer of local, regional and festival appearances about to kick off, Dave and Corey took some time to chat with me about the role that music has played in their lives and their friendship, and about why music continues to matter so much to them at this stage of their careers.
Welcome to Why Music Matters, guys…