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Why? The Podcast

Heidi Hedquist/ Luke Poling

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Naked skydivers. Jeopardy champions. Rodeo clowns. Suzi Quatro. Professional mascots. Competitive eaters. Astronauts. Cherry Vanilla. Renaissance fair kings. Benjamin Franklin. Olympic Curlers. Mandalorians. Gay erotica writers. Mermaids. Fruit cake tossers. Martha Wash. Dolphin Lovers. Hair collectors. Strippers. And satanists. We've talked to them all. On Why? every week we talk with another guest leading a fascinating life.
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Rock 'n' Roll Grad School

Heidi Hedquist/Luke Poling

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Does the world really need another music podcast? Yes, it needs this one.Rock ‘n’ Roll Grad School brings audiences along on a ride that feels like a late-night conversation on a tour bus traveling to the next gig.
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They say those who don't learn the past are doomed to repeat it. What does that have to do with our guest? We're not really sure. Dr. Carol Queen, phd is the curator of the Antique Vibrator Museum, located inside the Good Vibrations store in San Francisco. (Other branches of the chain have some items on display too.) What is the history of the vibr…
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Ian Koblick has made a living exploring underwater and learning about how man can live there. From his building of habitats for NASA to turning one habitat into an undersea hotel, Ian has devoted his life to sharing his love of the ocean with everyone. For more information about Ian's work, you can check out the Marine Resources Development Foundat…
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You may know Peter Holsapple from his work with the great db's. Or you know him from his work with R.E.M.. Or you know him from his really great and smart songwriting. In case you don't, he's got a new record out, so you can get to know him. The Face of 68, is available right now wherever you get your records. For more information, you can follow P…
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Musician Talia Keys knows of which they speak. As a fierce advocate for people buying music before streaming it, their new album, From the Ashes is available on vinyl for over a month before streaming. The idea of supporting musicians shouldn't seem revolutionary, but, it kind of is. To get your own copy of From the Ashes, check out their website.…
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Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft offers visitors a fascinating into the world of witchcraft and the history of the practice. Staffed and run by well educated folks, the museum offers both practitioners and non-practitioners a look into the history through objects and artifacts. We sat down with museum director Steven In…
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Paul Rappaport has had a fascinating career in the music industry that has led him to crossing paths with some of the most important musicians of the last century. Folks like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. Now Rapp (as he's known to his friends) tells all the stories with his new book "Gliders Over Holl…
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As promised, here is part two of our fascinating conversation with Grant Philipo, the founder of the Las Vegas Showgirl Museum. How fascinating? There was so much of it, we had to split it up into two episodes. Though, when you hear Grant's story, you will be aching to see his incredible work on display at the museum. For more information on the mu…
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Queen's fourth record, "A Night at the Opera," was the one that set them apart from the rest. A rock album unlike any others, with all the various tricks and treats that have become part of the Queen style, is now celebrating it's 50th anniversary. Author Gillian G. Gaar has written a great new book, filled with fascinating information about the ma…
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Mr King is the creator of a fascinating podcast designed for you to not stay awake for the whole thing. Calling back baseball on the radio, The Northwoods Baseball Network is designed to help you fall asleep- no big hits, no exciting plays. It's a wonderful way to drift off to dreamland. You can find Northwoods Baseball wherever you get your podcas…
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This is a special one for Heidi. She talks with Jon Magidsohn, author of a new book about her favorite band- Crowded House. Part of the "On Track" series by Sonic Bond Publishing, Magidsohn does exactly what is says on the cover- break down every Crowded House song. (And he does so with the help of an interview with Neil Finn to provide some of the…
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This week is a fascinating conversation with Gran Philipo, the founder of the Las Vegas Showgirl Museum. How fascinating? There was so much of it, we had to split it up into two episodes. (And we barely touch on the museum in the first part.) Though, when you hear Grant's story, you will be aching to see his incredible work on display at the museum…
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This week, we talk with one of the members of Sex-O-Rama. (What's his real name? What's his band name... we find out!) The group was originally formed to create fake porn music for folks to enjoy and, shockingly, things got out of hand and now they're onto volume 5. Sex-O-Rama volume 5: Invaders from the Pleasure Planet is available wherever you ge…
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Isn't annoying when you see someone who parks so terribly, it makes life harder for everyone else? Well, there is a vigilante out there, placing insulting bumpers tickers on offending vehicles. He's called The Bumper Sticker Bandit and his stickers are now turning up all over the world. If you want to see some of his work, you can find him on TikTo…
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Don Airey is metal royalty. He has played with some of the greatest artists ever and on songs you've heard thousands of times. With his newest solo record Pushed to the Edge, Don gathered some of his incredibly talented friends to make a real blast of a record that shows his great skill as a writer and, most importantly, as a musician. Pushed to th…
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You know how we feel about the Mael brothers and their band Sparks. So it was with great delight that we heard about Chris Sutton's new book, "Sparks 1969-1979: Every Album, Every Song" from Sonicbond Publishing. In the book, Chris takes a detailed look at the first decade of this incredibly influential band. For more information, check out the Son…
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Gabriel Meyer has spent his life working towards encouraging peace between everyone. And in his new novel, On a Verge of a Verb, Meyer loosely adapts his own story into a tale of working for peace across the globe. Needless to say, it's a fascinating conversation when you get Gabriel talking about his experiences and what he's learned along the way…
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Ellis Mano Band is a Swiss band, who have been making music in various guises for decades. With their most recent album, they again use their skills to craft quality rock. (And it's not just us saying that- they opened for Deep Purple last summer.) Their new record Morph is available now wherever you get your music. For more information, check out …
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In another lifetime, Dr Glenn Berger found himself working at A&R studios in New York, along such music legends as Paul Simon, James Brown, Phoebe Snow and Bob Fosse. In his memoir, Never Say No to a Rock Star, Glenn recounts some of the most memorable moments in a career filled with them, at a time when musicians ruled the earth.…
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JP Riley has had quite the life so far, and he's not even close to done. After making the hit independent film Act Naturally in 2011, he's back with the follow-up, Act Supernaturally. On top of writing, directing and producing, (he's also worked on Eddie Murphy's Axel F and the video for Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down") he also wrote the mus…
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Refereeing any sport is hard, but boxing? You try keeping a level head and pay attention to the right things with the lights, the judges, the cameras, the crowd... oh, and two people hitting each other very hard. Jack has taken his experience and is helping prepare other referees to be ready to go when the bell rings. For more information on Jack a…
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This week it's another installment in "Tribute: A Tribute to Tributes," where we discuss another tribute album. This time it's one of the most 90's tributes ever made- featuring Liz Phair, Sublime, Sponge, Matthew Sweet and the Butthole Surfers, "Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits."By Heidi Hedquist/Luke Poling
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Alex Therriault might have it all figured out. He's turned his love of animals and dog sledding into a successful business and racing career. Coming from a family of dog sledders, Alex still races and now offers tours and trips for people looking to learn more about these animals and the sport, or just to have a unique weekend in Maine. For more in…
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It's the only mud that's been used in major league baseball for almost 75 years- there's something about Lena Blackburne's Baseball Rubbing Mud. We talked with Jim Bintliff, the third-generation of his family to farm, harvest and supply rubbing mud for so many professional teams and sports. (The NFL also uses the mud too!) For more information, (an…
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LA-based prog band Final Gravity has released a new EP and are promising a 2025 full of music. We talked with Mike Clark about the recording process and the love of prog rock bringing everyone together. You can download the new EP, Stormchaser, as well as their other releases on Band Camp and you can follow the band on Facebook.…
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This week it's another installment in "Tribute: A Tribute to Tributes," where we discuss another tribute album. This time it's one of the most 90's tributes ever made- featuring Liz Phair, Sublime, Sponge, Matthew Sweet and the Butthole Surfers, "Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits."By Heidi Hedquist/ Luke Poling
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We get to sit down again with the great John McCutcheon. On top of being an amazing song writer, John is also a fascinating guy to talk with. We talk about the writing of his newest record, "Field of Stars," and new songs he's written about all sorts of things including Hank Aaron and the MS St Louis. For more information including tour dates, chec…
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When we started Why's sister podcast, Rock n' Roll Grad School, top of our dream list of guests was Redd Kross. We have been longtime fans of the band, and dreamed of discussing their work, along with that of Donny Osmond, Cheap Trick and the Velvet Underground with them. When it finally happened, it did not disappoint. The legendary band Redd Kros…
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Here's an episode that we originally released on our sister show, Why? but if this isn't Grad School, well, we don't know what is. If you're like us, you need more Cheap Trick in your life. Thankfully, Ross Warner is here with his new book, American Standard: Cheap Trick from the bars to the Budokan and Beyond. It's a look at one of the great Ameri…
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Several years ago, Nick and Lins decided to chuck it all and do what made them happy. And that was traveling around the world, exploring all the places for nudists to go and experience life. They've parlayed that love of naturism into a job, with a popular website, Patreon and YouTube page. For more information, check out their website.…
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This is one that is some time in the making. The legendary band Redd Kross started in the early 80’s when Steven McDonald was just 11 years old. Along with his big brother Jeff, Redd Kross has been carving their own unique path through rock music. They've just released their 10th album (a double album), a memoir (Now You're One of Us) and a documen…
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Movie Madness is a one-of-a-kind video store. Containing over 90,000 movies on a variety of formats, it is also the home to an amazing collection of film memorabilia. We talked with Matt Parnell, the the managing director and head curator for the store. For more information, check out their website.By Heidi Hedquist/ Luke Poling
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The last time we talked with Roger Street Friedman, he was talking about his most recent album, produced by Larry Campbell. Now with his new record, "Long Shadows," Roger has taken over the producer role and emerged with an incredibly personal record that resonates. For more information, check out Roger's website, or follow him on Facebook.…
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This week, our guests are from across the pond. As members of British Naturism, Ed and Keith worked together to organize a naked night at the Dorset Museum. And the event was a rousing success with amazing press coverage. (Ed and Keith had just finished up talking with the New York Times when we spoke.) We talked about the organization of the event…
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Wait... the CDC has a museum? They sure do. And it's a fascinating collection of items that show the width and breadth of the work the Centers for Disease Control has been doing for almost a century. We talked with Mary Hilpertshauser, the CDC Museum Collections Manager, about some of the unique items in the museums collection. (And there's show an…
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We're not the first people to point out that Johnathan Lee Iverson did what so many of us have considered doing, but it's really true. As the ringmaster at Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey, Johnathan Lee Iverson learned his craft from some of the most talented people in the business. Now, as part of Circus Vargas Johnathan is helping the next g…
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What records define the '90s as a decade to be remembered? Is it NSync? Nirvana? What about hip-hop? Thankfully, music writer and editor Gary Graff is here to muddy the water and start all sorts of disagreements with his new book, "501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide," available November 5th from Motorbooks.…
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When you want to talk theme park entertainment, you want to talk with Dewey Joe Beene. Starting as a teenager at Six Flags in Oklahoma City, he took to the stage, performing multiple shows a day, and now as an adult, he's consulting and producing the show, bringing a performer's eye to making something that can enchant and entertain any age.…
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Jovin Webb is a singer and songwriter who just put out his first album on the Blind Pig record label. He's also a former American Idol contestant. Neither of these things will give you a sense of how amazing his voice sounds. "Drifter" is out now and available wherever you get your records. You can follow Jovin on Facebook or find him on Instagram …
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What records define the '90s as a decade to be remembered? Is it NSync? Nirvana? What about hip-hop? Thankfully, music writer and editor Gary Graff is here to muddy the water and start all sorts of disagreements with his new book, "501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide," available November 5th from Motorbooks.…
  continue reading
 
The Cowsills evoke a certain time and place, but, as artists, they've continued to grow and develop their voices. And, when they decided to make a record together in the early 90's, they knew it would be the next step in their evolution. However, it didn't exactly work out that way. But now, Global, is coming out widely, available to everyone. For …
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