Why Music Matters With Jeff Miers

Elliott Hunt and Chris Lillis of indie-pop buzz band Letter To Elise

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 excited to welcome two members of Letter To Elise, a young indie band that has already left a mark on the Western New York music scene, and is poised to take its soaring, anthemic sound out into the broader world. Vocalist, songwriter and band founder Elliott Hunt and keyboardist/vocalist Chris Lillis bring an edgy urgency to their emotional, grandiose take on modern indie pop and alternative rock.  Their sound is at once familiar and fresh, and offers a unique take on indie tropes and the sort of pop hooks that helped to build the careers of artists like The Killers, Cage the Elephant and Catfish and the Bottle Men. And Hunt’s emotionally intelligent lyrics and indelible vocal melodies reveal the influence of heritage artist like U2 and Bruce Springsteen. During our chat, Elliott and Chris discuss their earliest musical epiphanies, their diverse musical influences, their recent joint cover of the Killers’ ‘Mr. Brightside’ with Goo Goo Dolls co-founder Robby Takac and members of the Bills Mafia, and their soon-to-be-released new EP, the result of a new and exciting partnership with producer Lennon Leppert. Welcome to Why Music Matters, Elliott Hunt and Chris Lillis of Letter To Elise. ---Follow Why Music Matters on social mediahttps://instagram.com/whymusicmatterspodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/whymusicmatterspodcasthttps://twitter.com/wmmpod

Dweezil Zappa: Return of the Son Of…

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 beyond thrilled to welcome a longtime musical hero of mine, the guitarist, bandleader and songwriter Dweezil Zappa.
Growing up with the late composer and guitarist supreme Frank Zappa as a father meant that Dweezil was exposed to some of the bravest and most adventurous music of the 20th century on a daily basis, from a very young age. 
At 12, a random phone call to the Zappa home led to Dweezil meeting his hero, Edward Van Halen, and to the formation of a friendship that would last until the effortlessly brilliant guitarist, keyboardist and composer passed away, in October of 2020. During that time, Edward produced Dweezil’s earliest forays into the professional music world, and remained a friend and mentor. 
Dweezil is currently in the midst of his RoxPostrophy tour, which finds him celebrating a seminal era in his late father’s canon of work - the early 1970s, when Frank Zappa release both the Apostrophe and Roxy & Elsewhere albums. The tour arrives in Buffalo for a performance at Kleinhans Music Hall, on Thursday, April 29. (Tickets and VIP packages are available now, through DweezilZappa.com.) 
During our conversation, I asked Dweezil about this particularly rich period in his father’s life and work; about just why Van Halen continues to matter to him and so many of us; about his brilliant, authoritative Van Halen podcast, Runnin’ With the Dweezil; and about the difficulties of releasing and touring  behind ambitious, complex music in the streaming-centric world of the early 21st century. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Dweezil Zappa…
 

The FAR Trio on the power of improvisation

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 guests are three musicians who seemed destined to end up playing together. Guitarist/vocalist Drew Azzinaro, bassist/vocalist Eamon Rayhn and drummer Ethan Fox all hail from Buffalo, NY, and they met in the music department at the State University of New York at Fredonia a decade back. 
It would take them a few years and a handful of varied musical ventures for them to finally come together as the FAR Trio. But when they did start playing together as a unit, to borrow a phrase from Robert Fripp, “Grace was present.”
Performing what they describe as a blend of “earthy fusion and soul-drenched rock’n roll,”  with a healthy dose of improvisation and a keen ear for adventurous song structures, the Far Trio quickly earned a reputation as a top tier live act. They’ve since released a pair of studio albums, and are currently at work on a third, in Woodstock, NY. 
In between, they’ve managed to perform more than 150 shows a year across the Northeast.  
During our chat, we touched on musical inspiration, the power of improvisation, and music’s ability to elevate both the musician and the listener. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Drew, Eamon and Ethan - the FAR Trio.  

Songwriter Sam Marabella on Bob Dylan, Nietzsche’s, and Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood

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 lucky enough to spend some time with my friend Sam Marabella, a musician, songwriter, local music advocate, and co-owner of the legendary Buffalo, NY, live music venue Nietzsche’s.  
A veteran of beloved Buffalo indie-jam band Sweatin’ Like Nixon, and a leading light in Buffalo’s roots music scene, Sam is also a bit of a Dylan-ologist, whose love for Bob Dylan’s music runs deep, and has informed his own work as a songwriter and performer. That work includes a brand new EP, Level 50, which is out now and available wherever you stream music.  
Sam is passionate about the Allentown neighborhood that Nietzsche’s calls home, and we talked about the challenges facing that neighborhood following the recent back to back losses of the fabled nightspots Mulligans Brick Bar and the Pink Flamingo. He’s also more than a little about excited about the plans that the new team of owners has for the club’s future as a primary live music destination in Buffalo. 
During this episode, we talk about all of the above. And Sam was prescient enough to bring along a guitar, which he duly employed in service of a tune written by the immensely talented Buffalo underground songwriter JeffGoldstein.
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Sam Marabella…

Brian Higgins: Politics, passion, and the power of music

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 happy to welcome former Congressman and current President of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY, Brian Higgins. 
After growing up in Buffalo, and graduating from Buffalo State College and Harvard University, Brian worked his way from the Buffalo Common Council through the New York State Assembly and finally, to the US House of Representatives, where he served as Democratic representative of New York’s 26th congressional district for more than a decade. Brian left office in early 2024, citing what he called “a growing dysfunction in Congress” as his reason for moving on.  
So why is a career politician a guest on a podcast dedicated to the majesty of music? Well, for as long as I’ve known him, Brian has been a passionate supporter of music & the arts. And a career in politics did nothing to dull his deep love for music. 
Brian remains a true fan, one who speaks of certain concert experiences in his life as nigh on religious events. His career’s second act , as the President of Shea’s, places him in a position to have significant impact on music and the arts arts in our region’s culture. Brian has turned his passion for music into something tangible. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters,  Brian Higgins…

Josh Holtzman & Grace Vesneske: Buffalo Iron Works and the future of live music in WNY

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.
More than a decade back, I hopped on the bus as an embedded reporter, covering a Northeast jaunt for then up-and-coming indie band Aqueous. 
I’d never met any of the band members, or their manager, Josh Holtzman, previous to that road trip. 
By the end of that mini-tour, I knew that I’d laid the ground work for some friendships that, time has proven, were built to last. 
Today, Josh Holtzman and his business partner Grace Vesneske are the driving force behind premier music venue Buffalo Iron Works and independent production company Twenty6 Productions. 
Long before pundits were tossing around terms like “the Buffalo Renaissance,” Holtzman and Vesneske were working tirelessly to help resurrect the long-abandoned Cobblestone District of downtown Buffalo through their inventive and forward-looking booking at Iron Works. Their fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude helped them guide their businesses through the pandemic with their integrity intact. That same spirit has the pair excited about what the future holds, and what form their continuing contributions to Buffalo music and culture might take. 
Welcome to Why Music Matters, Josh Holtzman and Grace Vesneske. 

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!