Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest really didn’t have a choice in what he did. Rock and roll chose him. Please welcome Dizzy Reed to the podcast. You may know him best as the keyboardist and second longest tenured member of Guns N’ Roses but that’s not the beginning (or end) of his story. From learning to play organ from his grandmother to his first gig playing Smoke On The Water on an unusual instrument, all the way to meeting GNR and releasing two solo albums and everything in between, Dizzy has some of the best stories I’ve heard. He talks about perfecting the after-party and being a part of The Dead Daisies and Hookers & Blow to play some of his favorite covers. We talk about the four songs Guns has never played live, improv Christmas songs, and meeting Ronnie James Dio at the mall. He also tells me the story of how he got the nickname Dizzy, playing with Spinal Tap as The Legendary Wheatabix, and the career he MIGHT have chosen, had not rock and roll chosen him. And I want to wrap up with a thank you to Jason Achilles for connecting me with Dizzy and introducing him to the Teen Cancer America Spinal Tap project. And a special thank you to former guest Timothy Reid (no relation) for technical audio assistance on this episode. I owe you one!

Go to dizzyfnreed to pick up the limited vinyl version of his latest solo album, go see Guns N’ Roses on tour, and give man a follow @dizzyfnreed.

Follow the show @PerformanceAnx, grab our merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And I thank you for choosing US and Dizzy Reed of Guns N’ Roses on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest is an entrepreneur par excellence. Welcome the founder of Rhino Records and Shout! Factory, Richard Foos. We go back to Richard’s early days and find out how music became so important to him. He talks about his early attempts in the record business and how that eventually evolved into Rhino Records. He then tells how Rhino Records, the record store, became Rhino Records, the record label. We talk about how Rhino singlehandedly created the reissue market, how it evolved to include bonus material, and how they find that stuff.

He sold Rhino and used the same formula with his next venture, Shout! Factory, but turning the focus to TV and movies, including my favorite, Mystery Science Theater 3000. He sold Shout! Factory and is now focusing on nonprofit work and a possible podcast. Keep an ear out for it! Follow us @PerformanceAnx and check out performanceanx.threadless.com for our merch. Or just send some money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety so I can buy coffee. Please enjoy this chat with Richard Foos on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest is special. And he has special things. Welcome Dan Cuddy to the podcast. Dan plays bass in The Special Pillow. He used to play bass in Hypnolovewheel. He’s here to talk about Hypnolovewheel’s new compilation, Parallel Universe. It’s a great mix of their music and it has a bunch of really cool songs that are previously unreleased. And of course we talk about Dan’s career. Where did he start? How did Hypnolovewheel start? What’s behind the name? How did it all end and The Special Pillow begin? Also, what’s so special about this pillow? But, of course we get sidetracked with Hypnolovewheel’s place in the Marvel Universe, how they confused prospective drummers, some tour stories (including some strange touring matchups) and more. We also talk about cassettes vs CDs vs vinyl. It’s gripping stuff. Check out Parallel Universe on Bandcamp and streaming platforms. Follow the band @hypnolovewheel & @thespecialpillow on Instagram. Follow the show @PerformanceAnx. Grab some merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or send funding to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Now grab YOUR special pillow and check out Hypnolovewheel’s Dan Cuddy on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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So my guests today are just the epitome of cool. They spearheaded the lounge-style music revival of the 90’s. Welcome Ben Daughtrey and Jonathan Palmer of Love Jones to the podcast. The band has just released their fourth album, The Greatest Show and it’s definitely the band’s sound, distilled into six tracks. Before we dive into how the album came to be after a 15 year hiatus, we talk about how they became a part of Tool lore, opening for the band for the legendary show at the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Center.

Ben & Jonathan also discuss their thoughts on the band’s trajectory; what went right, what went wrong, and two breaks of over a decade each. They discuss the birthday party that reunited the band, the writing process for the new album, and the song on the new album that was inspired by both Blondie and Philip K. Dick. Go grab the album at love-jones.com. Stream it on your favorite platform. Follow them @lovejonesband on Instagram.

Follow us @performanceanx. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. So grab a beverage and chill out with me, Ben, & Jonathan of Love Jones on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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Today’s guest made me feel…liked. I was fortunate enough to talk with actor French Stewart. And it wouldn’t have happened without the kindness of two wonderful people, Laurel Green and Matt North. Thank you both so much. French’s story is wild. His acting stems from a mix of a high school elective and having a con man for his biological father. He had no idea he was going to college, let alone for acting, until his mom told him so. But his talent shone through and soon he was in LA doing Professor Bodywise’s Traveling Menagerie. French reveals how he got his SAG card, got fired from that job, rehired, pulled over in the Flintstones mobile, and got fired again.

He did a lot of work prior to his big break, like the Stargate movie, The New WKRP in Cincinnati, and Glory Daze. But he tells me the special something that got him the part of Harry Solomon on 3rd Rock. He has a ton of great stories from all of his roles and he was happy to share them, including some of the roles he was offered that didn’t exactly stretch his acting chops. But he’s so much more than a comedic actor who only does variations on the Harry Solomon theme. If you want proof, check out the Jennifer Lynch movie Surveillance, his work with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, his guest spot on Psych, or one of his most recent films, Bob Trevino Likes It. That movie is something special. So follow French on Instagram or Facebook. He’s pretty easy to find. Follow us @PerformanceAnx. Pick up merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or just send money through ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And I hope you enjoy this episode with French Stewart as much as I did on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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