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Ben Kweller, Rocky Votolato and I are members of a club that we didn't ask to join, don't want to be in, and can never leave. All three of us lost children suddenly and unexpectedly - Ben lost Dorian on February 27, 2023, Rocky lost Kienan on December 6, 2021, and I lost Liv on June 4, 2018.Hopefully, by the three of us sharing our stories, we can offer insights into what it's like to lose a child and provide some sort of hope for new and old members of this club. My deepest and sincerest thanks to Ben and Rocky for joining me and for sharing their stories. Songs featured in this episode: "Shattered Stars" by Rocky Votolato "Oh Dorian" by Ben Kweller (featuring MJ Lenderman) "Star String Radio" by Rocky Votolato "Olivia Midnight" by Paper Airplane

Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins joins me to discuss the new compilation, Industry and Seduction, featuring a comprehensive package of early material, MTV hits, post-Thompson Twins material, B-sides and more.

Michigander's debut, self-titled full-length album is packed full of hooky earworms with insatiable choruses that you'll be singing along with the first time you hear the songs. Michigander's Jason Singer is one of the greatest humans I've ever had the chance to chat with - and this is the third time we've had this opportunity. We talk about songwriting, working with co-writers, social media and podcasts in this episode. https://www.michiganderband.com/ https://breakerbox.podbean.com/ https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

Members of the San Diego band Mrs. Henry drop by for a post-holiday discussion about their epic concept album, Keep on Rising, and discuss their The Band tribute act, Chest Fever. Guests: Daniel Cervantes, Blake Dean, Jody Bagley Music heard on this episode comes from Mrs. Henry's Keep on Rising - https://mrshenry.bandcamp.com/album/keep-on-rising Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

With a new album - his first in 10 years - hitting streaming services and stores, Sebastian Bach joins me on this episode to talk about Child Within the Man, his vinyl collection, the inspiration for the song "Hard Darkness," his favorite new song ("(Hold On) To The Dream"), why he doesn't stick with a consistent band lineup and what fans should expect when they come to see him live. https://www.sebastianbach.com/

Stewart Copeland opens up about the influx of Police-related projects in 2023 — including two albums and a book — which he sees as an opportunity to create space for pursuing his other passions in the upcoming year. In this interview with the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer, Copeland delves into his deep affection for composing orchestral pieces, shares the emotions evoked when encountering The Police’s music unexpectedly, and discloses his keen interest in keeping tabs on the current endeavors of both Sting and Andy Summers. ------------------------------------------ For all things Stewart Copeland visit https://www.stewartcopeland.net/ Watch this interview on the CHIP CHATS YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/icVhAHPcEtQ?si=vjvALInJqQDX8QA1

With an illustrious five-decade, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career as one half of the Hall and Oates duo coming to an end, John Oates discusses how writing and recording his own material has made music fun again. Oates has a handful of sold-out tour dates to end the year and he shares what fans should expect from these shows, from how he'll tell stories behind the songs to what might be on the setlist. www.johnoates.com www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist

A bucket list interview, I had the chance to chat with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Andy Summers of The Police on my birthday. Andy released a coffee table book of his photographs called A Series of Glances during the summer of 2023 and has spent time on the road doing a mixed-media performance including music, storytelling and sharing photos from his collection. For tour dates and more info, visit www.andysummers.com

For nearly 30 years I've been trying to find a recording of the March 9, 1994 Blind Melon concert at the State Theater in Detroit, Michigan. Lead singer Shannon Hoon spotted me in the crowd and said my name from the stage. Getting a copy of the show has been my white whale - I've been searching forever and never thought I'd find it until I interviewed Blind Melon guitarist Rogers Stevens on CHIP CHATS Episode 19 and he mentioned that, in the early days, the band recorded a lot of shows from the soundboard. Would I finally catch my white whale? Listen to the episode to find out.

Pop-punk veterans Samiam released their ninth album, Stowaway, in March. On this episode, guitarists Sergie Loobkoff and Sean Kennerly join me to discuss the making of the album, the challenge in keeping a band active for 30+ years, how they feel about pop-punk music in 2023, songs that remind them of certain specific moments in their lives, eating hot wings while drunk and more. Visit http://samiamband.com/ for more info on the band. Follow Samiam on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/samiam.band/ Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule joins this episode to discuss the music he grew up with, the band's new album, Peace ... Like a River, this summer's Dark Side of the Mule tour and more. Gov't Mule tour info and news: https://mule.net/ Gov't Mule live show downloads: https://www.nugs.net/govt-mule-concerts-live-downloads-in-mp3-flac-or-online-music-streaming-1/ Follow Chip Chats on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

This episodes features a conversation with Tarek Jafar and Justin Tessier of the Canadian rock duo The Blue Stones. Having released their third album, Pretty Monster, in November 2022, the duo is finally getting the chance to do a headlining tour in the U.S. We chat about the tour, song inspirations, bands we've outgrown, merch, and what's on their camera rolls. The Blue Stones tour dates can be found at: www.thebluestonesmusic.com

Blind Melon guitarist Rogers Stevens and bassist Nathan Towne began writing songs together in 2017. During the pandemic, the duo continued writing and started recording those songs. In May of this year, the debut album from TOWNE & STEVENS dropped onto streaming platforms and is filled with classic '70s rock sounds. For more info on TOWNE & STEVENS check out: https://www.instagram.com/towneandstevens https://www.facebook.com/towneandstevens https://twitter.com/towneandstevens https://towneandstevens.com/ Follow Chip Midnight at: https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist https://twitter.com/chipmidnight www.chipmidnight.com

Mike Portnoy's name is one of the most recognizable in the hard rock community. As the co-founder of Dream Theater (1989-2009), Portnoy's either recorded or toured with artists such as the Transatlantic, Sons of Apollo, Metal Allegiance, Neal Morse, and Avenged Sevenfold. In 2012, he hooked up with Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan to form the supergroup The Winery Dogs who released their third album, the simply titled III, on Feb 3, 2023. Learn more at: https://www.mikeportnoy.com/ http://www.thewinerydogs.com/ 

Guitarist Paul Crook joined Meat Loaf's band, Neverland Express, in 2003 and has been in the band ever since. When Meat Loaf's health took a turn for the worse in 2016, Neverland Express began playing shows, with Meat Loaf's blessing, with American Idol season 13 winner Caleb Johnson handling vocals. The band's purpose is to celebrate Meat Loaf's musical legacy while adding their own flavor to the songs that so many people have loved for decades. Neverland Express re-recorded Meat Loaf's debut, best-selling album Bat Out of Hell and released it with the title, Paradise Found: Bat Out of Hell Re-Ignited, as a gift to the fans who have been coming to see the band perform.  In this chat, Paul and I talk about how he discovered Meat Loaf's music, what his role was in the band, the time he spent as a guitar tech for Blue Oyster Cult, and his short stint in Anthrax. Paul Crook's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul.crook.music Neverland Express: https://batexperience.com/