Badass Records

Kate Taylor is a daughter, a sibling, a wife, a mom, and an expert craftswoman. She's also my guest for Episode No. 183.

Learn more about Kate's awesome artwork at @matchboxkansascity on Instagram. Find her on Facebook at Matchbox KC, or reach out to her regarding a commission piece you'd like her to create for you at matchboxkansascity at gmail dot com. She's also on Threads.

It was lovely meeting Kate and learning a little bit about her story. She's often posted up at First Fridays, so keep your eyes peeled for...

I can't take credit for it 'cause Suzie told me that one of her friends already made the statement, but typing, saying, or thinking Suzannah Johannes sounds like you're talking about a cousin of Roseanne Rosannadanna.

Regardless...Suzannah Johannes -- my guest for Episode No. 182 -- is a resident of one of the finest towns this side o' The Mississippi'.

It's called Elle Eff Kay if you're keepin' score at home.

Anyway...Suzannah was kind enough to drop by to chew the fat with me about collaborating...

Mikey Wheeler is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a musician, and a tattoo artist. He's also my guest for Episode No. 181.

Every now and again I wax emotional about what a good human with whom I've had the privilege of sitting on the other side of the table of, and when I do so it is 100 percent not in an effort to speak any less of the other fine folks that've been kind enough to join me.

We've all got a story or stories. We've all rowed the...

Eric Martens is a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, and the owner of Border Brewing Co.

He's also my guest for Episode No. 180.

Eric was kind enough to carve out a small slice of his Tuesday evening a week or so ago to come spend it with me. And for that I am grateful.

Border Brewing Co. is located in the proverbial heart of downtown KCMO at 512 E. 18th Street, and you can give them a holler at 816-469-5287 or find their stuff online...

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

This is Episode No. 179, and it features the lovely Sherrie Ortiz, who is the owner of Just One Day Travel Tours.

Sherrie is a daughter, a wife, a mom, an entrepreneur, and a business owner. You can find out more about Sherrie's Kansas City-based guided-tour operation at justonedaytraveltours.com, as well as on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Sherrie and I talked about her previous life in the retail-bakery world, her leap to launch Just One Day Travel Tours, as well as a few...

FYP too local? IYKYK, amirite?

@Dus10 is (if I'm not mistaken) the first TikTok-er I've connected with and seen an interview through to the end.

And I'm a better person for it.

@Dus10 is a son, a sibling, a father, a human, a man, and a Kansas Citian (whether he wants that last part to be the case or not). He's also my guest for Episode No. 178.

@Dus10 and I sat down for a few to chew the life fat a couple of...

Gather 'round, gather 'round! It's Episode No. 177, and I am stoked to share with you that this week's guest is Joshua James Warren of Joshua James & The First Aid Kit.

Joshua joined me for a conversation about growing up in Arkansas, pit-stopping in St. Louis, and calling Kansas City home (for the time being, anyway). We also talked about the gigs he puts on at Grinder's, The First Aid Kit's singles and EP (available where you stream) their current LP project, and lots of stuff in between all of that.

We...

Hanna Nicole was kind enough to join me for Episode No. 176. She is a daughter, a sibling, a model, an influencer, an entrepreneur, and she is also the brand manager for Health X Fitness, a clothing brand that specializes in athletic/lounge wear for women.

When we sat down a couple of Saturdays ago, we talked about family, growing up in a small town, being the oldest of five kids, joining the armed forces as a parachute rigger, transitioning back to life after services, the launch and the learning curve of getting her modeling career...

In the first couple of these solo episodes I did, I tried to time the tracks playing with me listening to the same clips. Turned out to be tedious and lacking in desirable results. The last one I did featured a five-spot of albums, and I went a different direction. Maybe it was better; maybe it wasn't. I think I ultimately realized that the script didn't mesh with the song excerpts in a very story-friendly fashion, so I (possibly subconsciously) tried to do a better job on that particular piece this time around.

Either way...

Miguel Antonio is a son, a sibling, a husband, and a father of four. He's a solo musician, and he's also a member of Run With It Band. Of greater importance, he is my guest for Episode No. 174, and of even greater importance, he is the host of the #LiveandCreate podcast.

I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed sitting down with Miguel to bullshit for a handful of hours, and I am grateful for his time. Please give him a follow at @justthemiguel on Instagram, and give the band a follow over at...

Tasha Ransom is an artist.

More specifically, she is a musician, a painter, a photographer, and a writer. She's also a great conversationalist, and she is my guest for Episode No. 173.

Tasha stopped by last week and sat across from me at the table. We swapped a great many phrases and touched on things like growing up, family, self-discovery, and music. Somewhere in the mix, we managed to have a brief gander at a few of her favorite records. Those were these:

Our Mother the Mountain (1969), Townes...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls --

It is my privilege to share with you that Brian Kraemer and Nic Aguero of GFM Recording Studios in Blue Springs joined me for a fine, fine conversation that became Episode No. 172 of this here podcast.

Their spot lives online at gfmrecording.com and I encourage you to follow them on Instagram, as well. They are learned (shouts out to Chuck) in the recording arts and geared for creating custom beats, mixing, mastering, and are just the right fit for artists, bands, agencies, and...

Vanessa Kramer is a daughter, a wife, a mother, an author, and one heck of a fun, funny, and sharp conversationalist. She's also my guest for Episode No. 171, which gives me great honor to say.

Vanessa and her husband, Kyle, stopped by for what turned out to be a delightful chat a couple of weeks ago, and we rolled through the morning and into the afternoon, talking family, upbringing, marriage, partnership, parenthood, publishing, and so much more. We also managed to devote a little bit of time to a few of Vanessa's favorite albums, which...

Ernie Yates of Stone Eagle joined me for Episode No. 170, and it was an honor and a privilege to meet him and chat for a few. Ernie's pipes Stone Eagle's blues-influenced, southern/stoner rock, and you can keep tabs on them on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter; and you can check out their stuff where you stream. Were you to seek them out in the digital world, you'd likely find "Sirens" from April of this year and their EP, Backside of the Mountain, from 2024.

But enough about Stone Eagle; let's talk Ernie.

...

I may've mentioned this before, but -- more often than not -- when I open the front door to greet a guest, it's our first time meeting one another. And the vibes in that initial moment vary. Sometimes they're neutral. Occasionally they're curious. Every now and again, the good energy is palpable, and such was the case when I met John Knell on my porch.

John is a local artist, a son, a husband, a father, a fantastic conversationalist, and he joined me for Episode No. 169.

We chewed the fat for...

Marcus Rattler joined me for Episode No. 168, and -- while none of my guests have been mental slouches -- Marcus has to be one of the sharpest dudes I've sat down with to date. Mr. Rattler is a son, a sibling, a father, and a musician. He's one heck of an educated guy, and he brings good energy with him as he navigates this life.

Marcus plays steel pan and drums in sundry outfits, and you can check out his content on TikTok (@marcus.rattler.music), on Instagram (@marcusrattler), on Facebook, and on YouTube. He's...

"The purpose of this record is to demonstrate a neglective factor in funnel pickup design. Namely, the ability of the pickup to stay in contact with the groove modulation over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. In other words, to track the groove..."

-- DJ Magic Mike, "The House of Magic," Bass is the Name of the Game (1988)

I've been peeling back the layers of the music-world onion for as long as I can remember.

One of my fondest chapters in that book of memories is...

My guest for Episode #166 is a daughter, a fiancée, a mother, and an artist.

She has a tremendous aura about her. She's been blessed with compassion, intelligence, talent, determination, fantastic conversational skills, and she has boldly faced that which life has dealt her.

Her name is Morgen Agesen, and she deserves steadfast applause for being an awesome human being.

As Executive Assistant for Art Garden KC, Lead Designer for Worlds of Fun, and In-House Muralist for Vignettes Bar, Morgen still manages to find time for her o...

I couldn't be happier to share that -- not only is the wonderful Lisa Alpert back, but -- the Becoming a Swifty series has had new life breathed into it.

Yes.

It's Episode No. 165 of Badass Records, but installment number four of Taylor Swift talk.

If you didn't happen to catch Lisa's first episode, please check out No. 147, and -- in today's episode -- take note of all of the phenomenal guests Lisa has sent my way.

Anyway...Lisa and I had a...

After a couple of weeks off for rest and recalibration, Badass Records is back with a new episode, and this one features the fantastic Cole Bales of Black Light Animals.

Cole is a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a bandmate times two, and he's my guest for Episode No. 164.

Black Light Animals has an upcoming RecordBar gig. That's Thursday, May 1st at RecordBar. They also have a new album out. It's called Last Call Love Songs, and you can find it digitally or get yourself a vinyl copy via their Bandcamp...

Pleased as punch to share that Til Willis made his return to Badass Records after an 80-episode gap; if you're doin' the math at home, he was here for Episode No. 83 back in September of 2023, and it was a great one. Highly recommend you visit (or revisit) it.

This time around -- for Episode No. 163 -- it was smooth sailing' for Til and I to pick up where we left off last time, and talk about a healthy bunch of cool stuff.

At the forefront of said stuff, Glass Cactus, the...

It was an honor and a privilege to meet Marilee Rose and chew the life-story fat with her a couple of weeks ago.

She is a daughter and a sibling and a mother and a fiancee. She's a years-long entrepreneur, a lover of planning and travel, and a gangster in her own right. She's also my guest for Episode No. 162.

Marilee and I talked growing up, being a businesswoman, acknowledging adversity and flourishing in spite of it, and being an artist/creator, a connector, a dreamer, and one who manifests. We...

Please put your hands together for Mr. Jamie Campbell!

Jamie is a son, a brother, a husband, an actor, a stand-up comic, and he's also my guest for Episode No. 161.

Find Jamie at jamiecampbellcomedy.com, on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and where you stream. If you go the YouTube route, be sure to check out his hour-long special, Big Dad Energy, and if you go the social-media route, keep an eye out for not only his upcoming new hour (courtesy of Dry Bar Comedy), but also a handful of movie projects...

Derrick Benitz joined me for Episode No. 160, and I'm super-grateful that he stuck with me through a period of correspondence, ultimately making the trek over in late January to bullshit with me about photography, growing up, Spotify playlists, and being happy/healthy in life.

Find Derrick on Instagram under the @nomadphotog handle, and please peep his handsome Web site, derrickbenitz.com.

Whilst we were fat chewing, Derrick and I managed to touch on a few of his favorite albums. They were these:

Metallica (1991)

Dr. Dre's...

Solomon Alpert joined me for Episode No. 159. Solomon is a son, a brother, a husband, a father figure, and a Reentry Counselor at Benilde Hall, a facility which helps folks by fostering sustained recovery, stable housing, economic self-sufficiency, and improved mental and physical well-being. An honorable career and facility, to say the least.

This week's guest came highly recommended courtesy of his wife, Lisa, who joined me for Episode No. 147 (and is tentatively slated to join me once more, this time for the newest installment of Becoming a Swifty), and he did not disappoint. There's...

Pleased to've met Jeremiah James Gonzales and learned all about Redder Moon for Episode #158. Redder Moon's blend of gothic new-wave/post-punk can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Bandcamp. They've got something in the neighborhood of eight releases available to check out, including a single from late last year, with more stuff coming soon.

Jeremiah was kind enough to share a portion of an evening in January with me, and I enjoyed hearing about his songwriting, recording, and band history. We talked about growing up, family, friends, and a few of his favorite...

Ladies and gentlemen...It's Lukas!

The brain child behind Sentimental Creatures was kind enough to make the hour-long commute to the B.R.P. studio amidst winter conditions last month, and I was grateful he did, as we talked growing up, God, earning first-gig cap feathers, and a ton more.

Lukas and his outfit can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, plus all streaming services.

Learning about all that has transpired in a short time for both Lukas and Sentimental Creatures was exciting, as was our conversation...

Amber Lea is a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother figure to her husband's two kids. She's an incredibly intelligent woman with a great sense of humor that has taken on the challenge of facing health and medical issues with an admirable sense of strength.

She's also the owner of Dear You Tattoo (4470 Rainbow in KCK), and she's my guest for Episode No. 156.

I usually chat with my guests for a few minutes before we launch into the conversation, and somewhere along the way in that transition, I cut...

Kyle Maggart of Brothers Music in Shawnee joined me for Episode No. 155, and I enjoyed the heck out of our conversation.

His joint can be found at 12206 Johnson Drive, and they can be reached at 913-766-3869, or followed on Instagram as @brothersmusickc.

We talked about growing up, getting into music at a young age, starting a business, and collecting a ton of vinyl.

Naturally, we talked about a few of Kyle's favorites, which were these:

Blue Train (1958), John Coltrane

The...

Jamie Searle, a.k.a. @jjeromemusic, joined me for Episode No. 154, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to've met him and gotten to know him a little bit.

Jamie is a son, a husband, a father, a musician, a songwriter, a producer, and he's the guy that runs The Westport Bowery, so holler at him for any of your booking/entertainment needs for that venue.

Our conversation touched on family, growing up, the lenses of perspective and identity, making art, being outdoors, and the love of music, just to name a...

James R. Wilson, Jr. is a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, an artist, and -- amongst many other things -- he's my guest for Episode No. 153.

James and I sat down to talk about family, growing up in KCK, fatherhood, the world of creating and making art, skating, and his creations on both YouTube and Instagram.

We also talked a little bit about a few of James' favorite albums, which were these:

Easter Everywhere (1967), 13th Floor Elevators

Muzak Orchestra's Muzak Stimulus Progression 1976 (1976)

Ladies and Gentlemen --

Please put your hands together for...Jason Adams!

Hey, hey, hey...It's the second freaking week of January in 2025, and -- to quote my future ex-wife, Gwen Stefani, "this shit is bananas."

Stoked, nonetheless, to have Jason in the studio.

It was lovely to meet him, and I'm jazzed to tell you that, together, we made Episode #152 happen.

Jason is the brains behind Supplemental Sound, and you should not only check his work out on...

Robert Bearce is a son, a sibling, a husband, and a father. He's the brains behind The Free Rent Band, and he's my guest for Episode No. 151.

In addition to his numerous other talents, Robert is also an app developer, a music lover, and he's the founder of Briar Fest (briarfestkc.com). It was a pleasure to meet him, and chat with him about his journey so far. We touched on writing, recording, the longevity of the band, his seemingly fearless knack for birthing ideas and launching them into the world.

...

The list of descriptors to accurately depict Luke Harbur, a.k.a. musicbyskippy, would rival Santa's gift list, so I'm only touching on a few here. He's a son, a brother, a transplant survivor, an artist, a producer, a beatboxing specialist, an entrepreneur, a wonderful human being, and he's my guest for Episode No. 150.

Luke's stuff all lives at musicbyskippy.com, but you can also find him on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, Apple Music, Spotify, etc.

Luke and I talked about family, life experiences, career visions and dreams, the creative...

"And the man on the cuts! Twice as nice with the slice...his name ain't Tommy...but he's my boy!"

Yes, that's right. A little apropos-of-nothing (Chicago's own) Liquid Soul quote to celebrate the fact that Dylan Johnson joined me for Episode No. 149.

Very pleased that Dylan joined me for this conversation, and I feel it's important to let you know that his stuff is as follows: dylanjohnsonlive.com; humbledpride.com;, and dylan_johnson_music on Instagram. You can find stuff to listen to on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Amazon, Pandora, and...

I was pleased as all get-out one day this summer when Dr. Erika C. Martin messaged me on a thread I'd started a few weeks prior. She mentioned she'd be coming through town the following day and -- were I available to schedule something last-minute -- she'd be happy to slightly alter her travel plans to come sit and chat with me for a few.

She is an Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Emporia State University. She's a biostatistician and a science correspondent for the Fish Nerds podcast, and she's the Editor of Transactions...

When Facebook suggested Lisa Alpert as a person I might know, I peeped her profile, and thought, this lady seems pretty cool. And oftentimes, that hunch is accurate. Not always, but often. This one was no exception.

Lisa Alpert is cool, rad, awesome, and good vibes, and that's precisely the sort of thing I'm seeking when looking for guests.

Lisa's a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a business owner, and a muthaf***in' hustle. Ya' betta' ax somebody. For those reasons and more, she's my guests for Episode #147, and...

Hey!

This is so fun.

I'm so happy to've been afforded the opportunity to record a small handful of on-location conversations, but none of those have been as exhilarating as my conversation with Ella Gantz (for Episode #146) of Perry Farm to Fork.

Ella and her sisters own and run the lovely co-op of sorts that offers local produce and proteins and other goodies to the fine folks of their Perry/LeCompton community. They are fifth-generation farmers and you can find out more about their operation on their...

Brock Wilbur is a son, a brother, a husband, and an author. He's my guest for Episode No. 146, and he's also the Editor-in-Chief of The Pitch, Kansas City's independent source for news and culture.

It was a pleasure to meet Brock and learn about the different stops his life journey have taken him to, and I'm grateful for both the time and the conversation.

We talked about family, being a stand-up comic, a published author, a podcaster, a supporter of different walks of life, and a proponent of mental health. We...

In late July, I was honored to have Tracy Hoth back in my home again, and it took both time and convincing to get her here.

Nearly a decade ago, I hired her for some professional-organization help, and she was fantastic. Our package was broken into tiers, and -- due to some critical life changes -- we had a little bit of a gap in between tiers one and two. Many moons later, she appeared in the people-you-might-know section of one of my social-media platforms. I reached out and pitched her on the idea of...