The Local H Lifers Database

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Taylor Swift

Referenced in 19 episodes

Episode 245 cover
🎸 Replacements

#245: Selena Fragassi

January 16, 2026

This episode features a conversation with author and music journalist Selena Fragassi about her recent book "Pearl Jam Live," along with discussions about her journalism career, interviews with rock legends like Chrissie Hynde and Debbie Harry, and the Chicago music scene. The hosts and Fragassi engage in a "What's the Best" segment where they debate their favorite Pearl Jam songs.

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#232: reFISTED reIMPLODED

August 27, 2025

In this episode, Scott Lucas and Gabe Rodriguez discuss the re-recording and reimagining of Local H's debut album Ham Fisted on its 30th anniversary. Lucas explains his motivations for revisiting the album, the challenges of the recording process, and the artistic choices made on each track of the new version titled reFISTED.

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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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#189: Road Report #19 or: How To Stop Worrying and Learn To Pronounce Lititz, PA.

September 18, 2024

In this episode of the LIFERS podcast, Scott, Ben, Ryan and Gabe catch up while on tour in Pennsylvania. They discuss the shows so far, issues with rowdy audience members, and ongoing tour logistics. The conversation meanders through various topics including 80s novelty songs, recent movie remakes, and Gabe's struggles shipping merchandise. Overall, it's a casual, humorous chat between friends sharing the trials and tribulations of life on the road.

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🎸 Replacements

#185: Johnny Wator

August 23, 2024

Johnny Wator, longtime Chicago musician and founder of Daredevil guitar pedals, discusses his experiences touring and playing in bands like The Last Vegas and The Evictions. Wator and the hosts have an in-depth discussion about 80s hair metal bands and songs, debating their favorites from that era of rock music.

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🎸 Replacements

#182: Jim DeRogatis

August 2, 2024

Jim DeRogatis, a veteran music critic, joins the Lifers podcast to discuss his career, the R. Kelly case he helped expose, and his favorite drummers. DeRogatis shares anecdotes about interviewing Kurt Cobain, touring with the band Wire, and turning down an opportunity to participate in the Surviving R. Kelly documentary.

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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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#156: 156. QUITTERS - Starring Freda Love Smith!!!

February 2, 2024

Freda Love Smith discusses her new book "Quit Everything", which explores her experiences giving up alcohol, sugar, caffeine, social media and other vices. While not a self-help guide, the book examines the role of addiction and the challenges and benefits of quitting things in midlife. Smith also talks about drinking songs and the sometimes problematic ways alcohol is romanticized in pop culture.

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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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#149: Road Report #18

December 15, 2023

Scott, Gabe and Ben discuss Christmas songs and movies while Scott is on tour with his band Local H. They each share their top picks for best Christmas songs, debating the merits of traditional favorites versus more alternative selections. The lighthearted conversation also covers 70s and 80s pop culture nostalgia.

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🎸 Replacements

#147: Michael Tedder

December 1, 2023

Michael Tedder discusses his book "Top 8: How MySpace Changed Music" and shares his thoughts on selling out in the music industry. The guests also play a game picking their favorite songs from 2003.

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#144: What’s The Best?!?: Green Day

November 17, 2023

The episode discusses the band Green Day in honor of the 30th anniversary of their album Dookie. The hosts share their favorite Green Day songs and debate the band's merits, with some praising their catchy pop-punk songwriting while others find the music less compelling.

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🎸 Replacements

#143: Freddy Herrera

November 10, 2023

In this episode of the Lifers podcast, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez, and Ben Reiser interview guest Freddy Herrera, the bass player from the band Everclear. Freddy discusses his musical journey, from starting out playing punk rock in California to eventually joining Everclear in the 2000s. The group also plays a game where they each name their picks for the best bass performances and bass lines in songs, with selections ranging from the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" to Iron Maiden's "Killers".

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#141: Halloween IV: The Final Chapter

October 27, 2023

In this Halloween-themed episode, the hosts are joined by Ryan Oestrike, the general manager of the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. They each share their picks for the best horror movies of all time, discussing classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing, Night of the Living Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and more. The conversation also touches on the challenges of programming horror movie marathons and events.

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🎸 Replacements

#92: Mike Willison

November 18, 2022

In this episode, Scott Lucas and Gabe Rodriguez interview Mike Willison, formerly of the bands Fig Dish, Caviar, and Prairie Cartel. Willison discusses the history and evolution of those projects, his songwriting process and use of sampling, touring mishaps and adventures, and his current career in the wine industry.

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#74: Michael McMahon and the Paqui Chip Challenge

July 15, 2022

Scott Lucas and Gabe Rodriguez from the band Local H are visiting Scott's father-in-law Mike McMahon in South Carolina. They discuss Mike's first concerts seeing AC/DC and Ted Nugent in the late 70s. Scott tries an extremely spicy Paqui chip challenge, which causes him intense pain. Mike talks about his career as a police detective in New York and South Carolina. The group also discusses recent Def Leppard and Motley Crue concerts, favorite sea creatures, and answer fan questions about upcoming Local H plans.

Episode 71 cover
🤘 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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#61: Gwen Ihnat

April 11, 2022

Gwen Ihnat, a longtime writer for The A.V. Club and other publications, discusses her career in music and pop culture journalism. She shares anecdotes about interviewing musicians like Tom Jones and Liz Phair, accidentally misquoting Phair's lyrics in a review, and her experiences working at The Onion and A.V. Club offices in Chicago. With The A.V. Club moving to Los Angeles, Ihnat reflects on this end of an era and what the next chapter of her writing career may hold.

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#33: Wes Kidd

September 24, 2021

Scott Lucas interviews his old friend and bandmate Wes Kidd about their wild times touring together in the 90s in the bands Rights of the Accused and Triple Fast Action. They reminisce about crazy pranks, trashed hotel rooms, getting beat up by gangs of kids, and disastrous major label debuts before Wes reveals what he's up to these days managing bands like Old 97's. Despite the painful memories, Scott and Wes share laughs over their unhinged youthful hijinks.