Robin Zander

Referenced in 16 episodes

#255: Jack Douglas R.I.P.

May 14, 2026

Jack Douglas, legendary producer behind albums like Aerosmith's Rocks and John Lennon's Imagine, passed away after a battle with cancer. The episode features a previously recorded interview where Douglas shares stories about his career, including how he met John Lennon after being deported from Liverpool in 1965, his work with all four Beatles members, and his contributions to iconic albums by Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, and the New York Dolls. The interview was conducted by Scott Lucas at G-Man in Chicago, where Douglas discussed his friendship with Lennon, the creation of "Walk This Way," and his later venture into running an artist-centric record label.

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#249: Balthazar De Ley

February 26, 2026

Balthazar De Ley, founding member of Menthol and former Hum guitarist, discusses the Champaign music scene's evolution, the band's major label struggles with Capitol Records, and his current work building and repairing guitar amplifiers after spending a decade with Smashing Pumpkins. The episode includes a "best debut records" segment where the hosts and guest debate classic first albums from Jesus and Mary Chain, Violent Femmes, Iron Maiden, and others.

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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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🎸 Replacements

#158: Nick Miller

February 16, 2024

Nick Miller, a legendary Chicago concert promoter, discusses his decades-long career booking shows for acts like Cheap Trick, Bruce Springsteen, and Jeff Beck. The hosts and Miller share stories of their most memorable concerts, including seeing the Replacements, Depeche Mode, and Metallica early in their careers. Miller recounts his unconventional start in the music business and reflects on how the Chicago music scene has evolved over the years.

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#155: Jack Douglas

January 26, 2024

Record producer Jack Douglas recounts working with John Lennon on the Imagine album after a fateful meeting years earlier when Douglas, as a young musician, had traveled to Liverpool and made headlines for getting deported. Douglas shares anecdotes about his relationships and experiences working with Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Aerosmith, and Cheap Trick throughout his producing career.

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#127: Bleeps, Barbies, Boxes & Bubonic Butter

July 21, 2023

In this episode of the Lifers podcast, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss a wide range of pop culture topics including Scott's celebrity encounters, Barbie and Oppenheimer movies, offensive terms, childhood TV shows, and the top 10 talk box songs in rock music. The conversation is filled with humorous tangents and nostalgic references.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#115: Eric Oblander

April 28, 2023

Scott Lucas and co-hosts Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser interview guest Eric Oblander, harmonica player from the blues rock band Five Horse Johnson. Oblander discusses his musical journey, touring extensively in Europe with Five Horse Johnson in the early 2000s, and recording with the band Clutch. The conversation touches on various topics including favorite cover songs, the preparations involved with getting a colonoscopy, and announcing upcoming live Lifers podcast shows in Chicago and Madison.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#110: Jimmy Flemion

March 24, 2023

Jimmy Flemion, founding member of the band The Frogs, discusses the band's history, creative process, and upcoming documentary in an interview. He shares anecdotes about collaborating with notable artists like Sebastian Bach and Beck, and discusses The Frogs' unique blend of catchy pop songwriting and controversial, comedic improvised home recordings.

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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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🎸 Replacements

#78: Brian St. Clair

August 12, 2022

Brian St. Clair, best known as the drummer of the rock band Local H from 1999-2013, discusses his music career on the Lifers podcast. He talks about his time in bands like Triple Fast Action and Rights of the Accused, touring with acts like Ministry and Liz Phair, and recording the album Here Comes the Zoo with Local H and producer Jack Douglas. St. Clair also admits to an incident involving defecating in a hotel room and letting a bandmate take the blame for years.

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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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#36: Brian Blockinger

October 15, 2021

Scott Lucas and his bandmate Ryan both tested positive for Covid in the middle of their tour, forcing them to cancel several sold-out shows and quarantine at home. Despite feeling relatively okay, Scott is bummed about having to miss shows right as the tour was hitting its stride. However, the band plans to resume the tour at the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta which will take place outdoors.

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#32: Road Report #5: On The Road With Soul Asylum (Final Week)

September 17, 2021

Scott Lucas recounts playing Soul Asylum's hit song "Runaway Train" at a show, which angered frontman Dave Pirner at the time, though Pirner later claimed it was a joke. The episode features several interview clips with Soul Asylum band members discussing how they joined the group and what touring has been like during the pandemic.

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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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#20: John McCauley Part Two

June 25, 2021

John McCauley discusses his early years working at a movie theater, his love of horror films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the moment he decided to pursue music seriously despite naysayers. The conversation touches on his move from Nashville back to New England with his family, his musical tastes and influences, and funny tangents about movies and pop culture. Throughout, McCauley displays a laid-back, humorous rapport with the hosts.

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#16: Troy Van Leeuwen

May 28, 2021

Troy Van Leeuwen discusses his music career, from starting as a drummer and learning guitar at age 13 to playing in bands like Failure, A Perfect Circle, and Queens of the Stone Age. He talks about enjoying the role of being a multi-instrumentalist "secret weapon" in bands rather than the frontman. Van Leeuwen also shares anecdotes about the intense touring lifestyle with Queens of the Stone Age and the bands' evolutions across different album eras.

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