The Local H Lifers Database

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Band

The Smoking Popes

Referenced in 14 episodes

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#250: In a Van

March 4, 2026

Local H frontman Scott Lucas records this episode from a tour van en route to Colorado Springs for the band's first show, joined remotely by Ben and Gabe who are both working through busy schedules. They discuss Scott's recent solo show at X-Ray Arcade where Jake Newborn redeemed himself with a successful stage dive, upcoming tour dates including a 30-minute set on the Filter tour, and plans to release a 30th anniversary vinyl of "As Good as Dead" in time for the April milestone. The conversation meanders through topics including Gabe's confrontation with someone trespassing in his HOA dog park, Dylan O'Brien's performance in "Twinless," and current political anxieties, while the hosts juggle their various work obligations during the recording.

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#248: The Doozie

February 20, 2026

Local H frontman Scott Lucas discovers that Enjoy the Ride Records announced a 30th anniversary reissue of the band's album "As Good As Dead" while he was on vacation, even though the band and their label GMP Records were already in the process of acquiring licensing rights from Universal Music for their own official reissue. Lucas criticizes Enjoy the Ride for only attempting contact through a Facebook Messenger DM rather than using easily available contact information, and expresses frustration that Universal had already licensed the album to another label without informing the band, resulting in lost sales for their planned release. The episode also covers backlash from fans over the band's participation in an anti-ICE benefit show and upcoming tour dates with Filter and the Toadies.

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#241: Tha Caterer III

November 28, 2025

The episode features guest Josh Caterer from the band Smoking Popes. They discuss his band's upcoming shows with Scott Lucas and the band Menthol, reminisce about touring together in the 90s, and play a game called "What's the Best" about the best guest spots on songs.

Episode 240 cover
🎸 Replacements

#240: Vinnie Dombroski

November 21, 2025

Scott Lucas from Local H interviews Vinnie Dombroski, lead singer of the band Sponge, about touring together recently and Dombroski's long career in music. They discuss the challenges and joys of being on the road for extended periods, Sponge's musical influences, and swap stories about the Detroit music scene. The hosts and Dombroski also play a game picking their favorite songs by Detroit artists.

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#239: Road Report #27: So Much for the Afterglow

November 14, 2025

The band Local H discusses the highlights and lowlights of their recently completed 43-show tour opening for bands like Everclear and Sponge. They reminisce about their favorite pizza places on the road, standout shows in places like Minneapolis, Boston and Cincinnati, and the grueling final days of the tour. The band also previews some of their upcoming solo acoustic shows and New Year's Eve gigs to close out the year.

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#236: Road Report #24: Backstage in Orlando

October 10, 2025

Scott Lucas and his band Local H are backstage in Orlando while on tour with Everclear and Sponge. Gabe Rodriguez joins them for a few shows in Florida and tries a non-alcoholic beer that he finds terrible. They discuss the tour so far, including playing in an underground cave venue in Tennessee, upcoming shows, and some confusion around their touring schedule.

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🎸 Replacements

#206: Will Dailey

January 30, 2025

In this episode, Scott Lucas interviews musician Will Dailey. They discuss Dailey's unique album release strategy of only selling his new record Boys Talking at live shows rather than online. Dailey explains he wants to encourage human connection through music and rebel against the current streaming-centric model.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#148: Joel Spencer

December 8, 2023

Joel Spencer, formerly of the band Menthol from Champaign, Illinois, discusses his music career and current work as a librarian. Menthol recently reunited to play shows after disbanding in the late 1990s when they were dropped from Capitol Records.

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#140: Halloween lll: Monsters & Villains

October 20, 2023

The hosts Scott, Gabe, and Ben discuss their favorite movie monsters, villains and serial killers for Halloween. Their guest James Van Osdol also shares his top picks, which include the entity from It Follows, Annie Wilkes from Misery, and the office drones from The Cabin in the Woods.

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🎸 Replacements

#123: 123. LIFERS LIVE!!! - In Chicago with Josh Caterer

June 23, 2023

Josh Caterer of the band Smoking Popes joined the Lifers podcast for a live episode in Chicago. They discussed the band's history, Caterer's songwriting process, and funny tour stories. Caterer also played a few acoustic songs for the audience.

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#81: Paul Massaro

September 2, 2022

Paul Massaro discusses his experiences working as a live sound engineer and tour manager for bands like Local H, Cheap Trick, Mastodon, and Andrew WK. He shares wild stories from the road, including getting kicked off the Ozzfest tour after Brent from Mastodon insulted another band and trashed a bathroom, and an infamous incident where Paul destroyed a hotel room after partying too hard. Paul explains how the grind of constant touring and partying eventually led him to stop working on the road so he could focus on his family.

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#49: Joe Dapier and The French Dispatch

January 14, 2022

In this podcast episode, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss the movie The French Dispatch and other pop culture topics with their guest Joe Dapier, who was the drummer for the band Dovetail Joint. They debate the merits of various Wes Anderson and Woody Allen films, reminisce about the 90s Chicago music scene, and argue about Led Zeppelin songs.

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#23: Hey, Killer

July 16, 2021

The Hey, Killer album by Local H touches on themes of religion, blues, and death across its 11 songs. Recorded in 2015, it was drummer Ryan Harding's first album with the band. The album artwork depicts a sinister figure flashing devil horns, representing a cross between serial killer Richard Ramirez and a character from the Ghost World comic. The songs range from hard-rocking, Metallica-esque riffs to more introspective tracks reflecting on tragedy and the meaning of life.

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#6: Josh Caterer

March 19, 2021

Scott Lucas interviews Josh Caterer, lead singer of the band Smoking Popes, about their upcoming album The Hideout Sessions which releases on March 26th. They discuss the album's mix of classic American songbook covers and reinterpreted Smoking Popes songs, Caterer's songwriting influences, and the ups and downs of the band's career. Caterer also shares plans to record another live album called The Space Sessions in May.