Why Music Matters With Jeff Miers

The iconic independent artist talks about the importance of ‘showing up’ in these unprecedented times 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’s episode is a very meaningful one for me, because it features a musician, poet, activist, and independent music icon whose life’s work was an inspiration for the creation of this podcast. If anyone can stand as a representative of 'why music matters', it’s Ani DiFranco. Over the course of nearly 35 years and the release of 23 albums, DiFranco has carved a path that is wholly her own. A dyed-in-the-wool independent artist, Ani has never taken the knee, steadfastly refusing to follow trends or bend to the will of self-appointed tastemakers and music industry gatekeepers, all while crafting a body of work that speaks truth to power, spits fire, and embraces the beauty found in simplicity, in equal measure. When I spoke with Ani, she was enjoying a brief break in her current tour, supporting her brilliant, groundbreaking newest album, Unprecedented Shit. That tour brings Ani back home to Buffalo on August 31, at the Terminal B Amphitheater on the Outer Harbor, for her first hometown gig since 2016. During our chat, we talked about the new record; about the disturbingly strident march toward authoritarianism in this country and around the world; about the importance of, in Ani’s words, showing up for the job at hand; and about music’s unerring ability to speak to what is good and true in all of us. It’s an absolute honor to welcome Ani DiFranco to Why Music Matters…

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. On today’s episode, we’re celebrating the Goo Goo Dolls, and in particular, the 30th anniversary of their mainstream breakthrough album, A Boy Named Goo. Though the band had already been around for a decade by the time they released this album, which would go on to reach double platinum sales status, A Boy Named Goo pushed the band over the edge, largely on the strength of the timeless hit, Name. This summer, the band is on the road, co-headlining the Summer Anthem Tour, alongside Dashboard Confessional. That tour hits KeyBank Center in Buffalo on August 9 - nearly 30 years after the Goos played the very first show in what was then known as Marine Midland Arena, on September 21, 1996. I caught up with Goos co-founder and bassist Robby Takac from the road, a few days into the Summer Anthem Tour, and we talked about A Boy Named Goo; the new generation of Goo Goo Dolls fans who discovered the band through social media outlets; the level of excitement surrounding this summer’s shows; his upcoming Music is Art Festival - which takes place in and around the Terminal B Amphitheater on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor on Saturday, September 20 - and the whole long, strange, and largely wonderful trip that has led the Goo Goo Dolls from the stages of Buffalo clubs to the arenas of the world. Welcome back to Why Music Matters, Robby Takac! Produced by 678Main Studio and Creative Serviceshttps://678main.com

Hey now, 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, my guest is the legendary guitarist, performer and band-leader Jamie Holka. As a musician whose name is mentioned in hushed, reverential tones by his peers, Jamie has earned a reputation as a virtuosic guitarist and a fearless improvisor, whether he’s playing blazing electric blues, fiery progressive rock, or effortlessly hip finger style jazz. The Niagara Falls native is well-loved across the Western New York region, but he’s also caught the attention of many of the finest musicians he grew up revering. That’s how he ended up as an influential member of the rekindled 1970s progressive rock/jazz fusion ensemble Captain Beyond, with whom Jamie performed between 2017 and 2020. And that’s also how he befriended the brilliant rock drummer Bobby Rondinelli, a veteran of Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and Blue Oyster Cult, among many others. Jamie and Rondinelli teamed to create The Gathering, a new album of guitar-centered instrumentals that features heavy input from legendary guests like Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey, and iconic bassists Billy Sheehan and Kenny Aaronson. Jamie, Rondinelli, Aaronson and friends will celebrate the release of The Gathering with a show at The Cave, 71 Military Rd in Buffalo, on Friday, June 6, at 7 pm. During our chat, I asked Jamie about the genesis of his love for the guitar, how it feels to be making music with his childhood idols, and what it means to be an eternal student of music. Welcome to Why Music Matters, Jamie Holka… --Produced by 678Main Studio and Creative Serviceshttps://678main.com---Follow Why Music Matters on social mediahttps://instagram.com/whymusicmatterspodcasthttps://www.facebook.com/whymusicmatterspodcasthttps://twitter.com/wmmpod

Hey there, friends. 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 “Music Nerd” edition of the podcast, featuring a roundtable discussion with two friends of mine, who also happen to be deeply talented musicians with long tenures in the music business. During a recent episode of Why Music Matters, I spent some time with the great Dweezil Zappa. Naturally, we discussed Dweezil’s ongoing deep-dive into the music of his father, the late composer, bandleader and guitarist supreme Frank Zappa, as well as his April 29th appearance at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY. But we also spent an awful lot of time talking about a shared passion - our love for the iconic and dearly missed Edward Van Halen. Going down the Van Halen rabbit-hole with Dweezil gave me an idea, so I called my friends Michael Lee Jackson and Geno McManus and invited them to stop by the studio and join me in a free-form chat on all things Van Halen. Michael is a guitarist, songwriter and bandleader with a long history in entertainment law and artist management. Geno is a professional musician who certainly qualifies as one of the hardest-working men in Buffalo show-business. All three of us have been bonding over our love and admiration for Edward Van Halen for a few decades, at this point. And the topic never gets old - for us, at least. So sit back, grab a beverage, and join us as we dig deep, and do our best to get to the heart of Why Van Halen Matters, to us and so many others.

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

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.