Seeing Them Live

This episode features Benny, a musician and producer who performs under the name Muted Circus. Benny, originally from Orange County, California, is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He spent seven years in Tokyo, Japan, and attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. The discussion starts with Benny sharing the story of his first rock concert at the age of 13, where he saw The Get Up Kids in a small, intimate venue in his hometown. This concert sparked his lifelong passion for live music, leading him to attend concerts frequently, including during his college years and time...

The podcast episode features Jesse Rifkin, the owner of Walk on the Wildside Tours NYC, a music history walking tour company in New York City, and the author of the book 'This Must Be the Place: Music, Community, and Vanishing Spaces in New York City.' Rifkin shares his background, including his consultancy roles as a pop music historian and his 12 years as a touring musician. They discuss his first concert experience, watching Bob Dylan with Ani DiFranco as the opening act at the Filene Center in Vienna, Virginia, and the interesting intersections his life has had with notable...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, we are thrilled to have Jose Rivera, founder, manager, and lead vocalist of the band Five Guys Named Moe. Jose shares his extraordinary journey from a budding musician to a prolific performer. He narrates how his fascination with the trumpet began in his early childhood and flourished during his time as a section leader and soloist for the United States Marine Corps. Jose describes his experiences performing before U.S. Presidents and numerous heads of state from 1972 to 1977.

He shares captivating anecdotes about sharing stages with trumpet legends like Doc...

Jamie James, guitarist, singer, and songwriter, joins Charles on Seeing Them Live to discuss his musical journey and new album Straight Up, released on Oglio Records.

Jamie reflects on his early musical influences, growing up in Woodstock, Ontario, and his transition from aspiring hockey player to musician after a knee injury. He shares how he taught himself guitar on a damaged acoustic and recalls receiving his first real guitar as a Christmas gift in 1966. 

The conversation turns to Jamie’s formative concert experiences, including seeing Tommy James and the Shondells, Deep Purple, Sly and the Fam...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, host Charles Berman interviews Giuliana Funkhauser, a transdisciplinary artist known for her innovative blend of digital code and synthesized audio to create immersive art installations. Giuliana, based on the U.S. East Coast, completed her graduate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute, concentrating on art and technology, with a particular interest in sound synthesis. Besides her artistic endeavors, she teaches courses on data sonification and video game development. Her collaborative projects include working with musical artist Elizabeth Verosa and visual artist Alison Tannenhaus, performing excerpts from their EP '2021' in...

In this conversation, John Dominguez, co-founder and chief strategist of Songbird Collective, discusses his extensive background in music and his initiative within the Metaverse aimed at creating immersive and collaborative environments for artists. Songbird Collective has facilitated over 1000 live concerts in the Metaverse, allowing artists to showcase their work, even during the pandemic when live music was largely inaccessible. The initiative has also opened new revenue streams for musicians through NFTs and virtual performances, providing a unique and innovative way to engage with global audiences. 

He recalls the exciting early days of music exploration via the internet i...

This episode of Seeing Them Live features an in-depth and in-person conversation with Ray the Roadie and Hollywood Mike, hosts of the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast. Joined by producer and co-host Doug Florzak, the episode was recorded inside the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 in downtown Joliet, Illinois, where the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast is also recorded. 

The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast provides a platform for bands and musicians from the Chicago area, delving into the history of rock and roll in Chicago and Illinois, the current scene, and the challenges and o...

In this interview on Seeing Them Live, the guest, Ben Apatow, shares his insights and experiences in the music world. Ben is an accomplished author of the books Metallica, the $24.95 Book, and Body Count, part of the Bloomsbury 33 1/3 series. Ben's writing has been featured in various well-known music publications. He begins by recounting his first concert experience, seeing Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead at RFK Stadium in 1995, a formative event for him. He also highlights memorable concerts, including two Prince shows at Madison Square Garden, citing Prince as an extraordinary performer. However, he also shares his most disappointing...

In the first-ever year-end concert review show for the 'Seeing Them Live' podcast, host Charles and his panel of previous guests, including Eric Green, Jessica Catena, Doug Florzak, Steve Pothel, Summer, and Scott Patrick Wiener, review their concert experiences from 2024. The panel members take turns speaking about their most memorable shows, spanning a wide range of venues, cities, and genres, providing vivid anecdotes along the way.

Eric discusses his rich year, including covering bands like Bim Skala Bim, the Dandy Warhols, and Foo Fighters. Summer shares her experiences of attending Lollapalooza and seeing Green Day at Wrigley...

In the final episode of Season 2, Charles welcomes Jim Turbert, an American communication technologist and podcaster residing in Rotterdam. Jim reflects on his first concert at age 13, where Ringo Starr's performance left a lasting impression, partly thanks to his music-loving uncle who influenced his musical tastes. He recounts various memorable concerts, including a powerful Afghan Wigs show in Boston, where lead singer Greg Dooley's storytelling made the performance unforgettable, even despite later learning Dooley's on-stage declaration of being on acid was untrue.

Jim shares his appreciation for technically proficient artists like Mike Watt and Nels Cline, recounting...