Gary Coleman

Referenced in 11 episodes

🤘 Iron Maiden

#246: Russ Spice and the East Side Kids of 1983

January 23, 2026

Scott Lucas and his bandmates from Local H host lifelong friend Russ Spice, a sound engineer who grew up with Scott in Zion, Illinois in the early 1980s. They reminisce about their shared childhood experiences, including learning guitar together, forming teenage bands with songs like "I Hate You," ordering pizza to their teacher's classroom, and a memorable incident where a young Gary Coleman punched Russ in the gut after being asked for an autograph at their elementary school. The group discusses their favorite cultural moments from 1983, including albums like Iron Maiden's "Piece of Mind," Genesis's self-titled record, and Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut," as well as movies like "Scarface," "Risky Business," and "The Dead Zone," with the conversation devolving into a heated debate between Scott and Ben about the merits of different film scores and David Cronenberg adaptations.

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#201: Hey, everybody! It’s STILL our 200th episode!!!

December 12, 2024

In this 200th episode of the Lifers podcast, hosts Scott and Gabe discuss their favorite episodes and guests over the show's history, as voted on by listeners. Top episodes feature guests like Jeanine Andersson, Jeff Murphy, and Andy Gerber, with Scott's dad taking the top spot. The hosts also reflect on the show's evolution and recurring segments like "road reports".

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#71: Ed Valauskas

June 24, 2022

Ed Valauskas, a producer and bassist who works at Q Division Studios in Boston, discusses his music career and involvement with the annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity event. Ed shares stories about playing with various artists like Graham Parker, making records with Juliana Hatfield, and the untimely passing of his friend and Fountains of Wayne member Adam Schlesinger.

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#66: Mike Lustig

May 20, 2022

Mike Lustig, former guitarist of the band Ruth Ruth, shares stories about his early music career, from getting signed quickly to Mercury Records with his high school band Janata, to the ups and downs of playing with Ruth Ruth in the 90s alt-rock scene. He discusses opening for major acts like the Kinks and Stevie Ray Vaughan, coping with frequent label changes, and some lowlight moments involving the radio host Mancow and an unfortunate gastrointestinal incident before a big showcase.

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#65: Pittsburgh and the Night of the Living Picklebacks (with Justine + Rookie + Karen)

May 13, 2022

The band Local H was on tour in Pittsburgh with the band Rookie. They hung out in a hotel room on their night off, drinking Jameson and pickle juice shots called "picklebacks". The members of both bands had a rambling, humorous conversation covering topics like the early days of Rookie, their mutual love of classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, and funny tour stories.

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#64: Tamar Berk

May 6, 2022

Tamar Berk discusses her long music career, from early bands like Starball in Chicago to her recent acclaimed solo albums. She opens up about the challenges of being a woman in rock, her musical family, and continuing to make music after losing her father. Berk also expresses admiration for artists like Fiona Apple and Lana Del Rey who have stayed true to their artistic visions over many years.

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#62: Road Report #9

April 22, 2022

Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss their favorite movies and actors while on the road for their band Local H's "LIFERS" tour. They debate the merits of films starring actors like Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Molly Ringwald and Kurt Russell in a free-flowing conversation typical of bandmates killing time together on tour. The discussion reveals the hosts' different tastes in movies and serves as the inspiration behind the band's latest t-shirt design.

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#58: Blake Smith

March 18, 2022

Blake Smith, formerly of the bands Fig Dish and Caviar, joins the podcast. They discuss the Chicago music scene in the 90s, touring mishaps and pranks, and the ups and downs of being in major label bands during that era.

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#28: Michael Bland

August 20, 2021

Michael Bland discusses his career as a drummer, starting in church at a young age before joining Prince's band the New Power Generation in 1989. He reflects on Prince as a musician and bandleader, and shares behind-the-scenes stories from his time working with Prince. Bland also talks about drumming with Paul Westerberg and Soul Asylum, the Minneapolis music scene, and the challenges facing the music industry today.

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#22: Jeff Murphy

July 9, 2021

Scott Lucas of the band Local H talks with Jeff Murphy of the band Shoes about their shared experiences growing up and starting bands in Zion, Illinois. They discuss the challenges and benefits of coming from a small town with strict rules, Shoes' early home recordings and unique album-making process, and working with record labels. Throughout the conversation, Murphy shares fascinating stories about Shoes' career and imparts valuable wisdom about staying true to your musical vision.

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#13: Joe Bosso

May 8, 2021

Scott Lucas interviews Joe Bosso, the A&R representative who signed Local H to Island Records in the 1990s. They discuss Bosso's background as a music journalist, how he discovered Local H's demo tape, and his experiences working with the band and helping them develop their career. Throughout the conversation, Lucas and Bosso reminisce about the music industry in the 90s and share behind-the-scenes stories from Local H's early days.

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