The Overnightscape Underground

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2:17:48 – We know everyone’s been waiting and asking themselves the question: “Do we still know what Smidge did last Summer?” Ok, ok… that actually is the alternate title for this episode. But the point is we are back with the BIG conclusion of our recent travel extravaganza for the podcast! And what better way to conclude than with an even BIGGER meetup that happened on the streets of NYC?

So join Smidge and sons as they meetup with two legendary podcasters here for a day spent trekking around NYC. Utilizing the likes of trams, trains, and ferries… this was a day filled with adventure that took the group from Times Square, to Roosevelt Island, to the South Street Seaport areas around NYC. Along with seeing the diversity of fascinating & historic sites, we also have much great conversation here (heavy on a plethora of pop culture themes). Simply put, this episode has it all!

As with the first part episode, this one is also soundtracked by one of Smidge’s current bands. Invisible Sun (which is a tribute to the music of The Police) is captured here both in the studio and live in performance for your quality musical entertainment!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, The Hustle, & Rock Solid.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released October 2021 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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43:46 – In case you were wondering where the podcast has been, we are here to tell you that rumors of it’s demise have been greatly exaggerated! That’s right, Gunkcast is back for 2021 with an old school style rollicking road adventure for the show! Join Smidge and his two sons as they trek from Chicago back East to Washington D.C. & through to NYC. From the turnpikes of PA, to Gettysburg, to the nation’s capital, side journeys to Baltimore & Philadelphia, & finally NYC! This episode has it all!

Some random teaser notes for this episode: old school GPS technology still works, the turnpike tunnels of PA, Smidge’s sons re-brand his podcast, Gettysburg & finding the abandoned (zombie apocalypse) Eisenhower house, the big D.C. tour, Arlington Cemetery, Fort McHenry, the “Rocky Steps” in Philadelphia (& not seeing the Liberty Bell), the big NYC tour, Port Authority, Times Square, the Soup Nazi, Central Park, Lennon/Strawberry Fields, Rockefeller Center, the Staten Island Ferry, Uptown vs. Downtown, giant underground mall, & the emotionally overwhelming 911 Memorial. So much happened during this eventful road expedition that we are making this a two-part episode (for which the 2nd part includes a BIG surprise meetup)!

Also to note, Smidge’s current band The GMO’s provide the soundtrack to this episode for your quality music entertainment! Featured are tracks from their latest 2021 e.p. called Superspreader (as well as bonus studio outtakes and live performances)! Further musical inclusions are classic & well-placed snippets from indie bands The Pulsars & Skanatra.

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, The Hustle, & Rock Solid. A special intro tribute was done in this episode to the legacy of legendary podcaster Sam (from Insignificast & The Not New Review podcasts). He also is remembered and discussed extensively in a Static Radio episode done earlier this year (for which a group of us podcasters convened to take part in)… Farewell Sam.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released August 2021 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:34:25 – Join Smidge as he concludes his big two-part interview with Rick Valentin & Rose Marshack of the legendary Indie Rock band the Poster Children! This picks right up where Part #1 left off… so if you haven’t heard that one yet, then you best catch it here 1st! In the midst of the 90’s Alt Rock explosion, we find the Poster Children signed to a major label which suddenly undergoes a regime change. For most bands this would mean an imminent crash & burn scenario as their safety net is pulled away. But the Poster Children had played the game smart and were ready to go full independent status again. Armed with their passion for their own unique brand of indie rock / “post wave” music (as well as a recording studio built with $$ made from the major label), they recorded a series of excellent albums which would take them into the 2000’s.

Also by this time Rick & Rose had found careers as university professors, as well as becoming parents (& even had become fairly influential podcast hosts themselves). As can be expected, the output of the Poster Children (especially their trademark for incessant live touring) dramatically slowed down during this time. But then came the re-release of Daisychain Reaction in 2016 (for a special anniversary edition combined with a live tour). This reunited them with famed audio engineer/producer Steve Albini and resulted in them going back into the studio with Steve to record a fantastic new LP called Grand Bargain (released in 2018). Smidge praises this LP as a return to form for the band (while Rick is bummed that it is still tragically relevant to current events)!

Once again (as with Part #1), this episode features many fascinating stories. Some interesting random notes (just to tease your interest) are tales of how the last major label they were signed to became an Invasion of the Bodysnatchers scenario at the bitter end, meeting Fred Schneider (of B-52’s fame) at a small bar on the outskirts of Chicagoland, playing with Fugazi who had their stage monitor stolen by Nazi skinheads at an out of control show, Rick going through the Kübler-Ross 5 stages of grief when he decides to be the band’s recording engineer, talk of the late Jay Bennett & his ties to Titanic Love Affair/Wilco, Smidge getting Rick & Rose emotional when asking about their song meanings, and much much more! In short folks, this episode is a must listen… cheers!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, The Not New Review, & Radio Zero.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released October 2020 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:36:00 – Join Smidge as he welcomes very special guests Rick Valentin & Rose Marshack to the show. They are the husband & wife team who are the core of the legendary Indie Rock band the Poster Children! Hear the story of their band which started on the local college scene of Champaign-Urbana (Illinois) in the mid-to late 80’s. From the beginning they made it their goal to write & record the music they are passionate about and to play live shows. They strived for longevity and not to fall victim to the corporate music machine which started snatching bands up (especially during the Grunge/Alt Rock explosion of the 90’s). The tragedy was that many of those bands had their brief moment in the sun only to be unceremoniously dumped & forgotten. But by staying true to their music & figuring out how to survive making a living at it, Poster Children have weathered the (at many times turbulent) music scene over the course of 3 decades!

So tune-in for the first part of our conversation with Rick and Rose. Many fascinating stories abound in this interview and you are in for a real treat here (especially if you are any kind of music fan)! We will be back with the second part of this interview very shortly!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, The Not New Review, & Radio Zero.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released October 2020 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:26:34 – Here it is folks… the podcast episode which truly almost didn’t happen (between pandemics & remote recording technology disasters)! But we were able to pull it all together and present here for you a blast of Quarantine fun!

Join Smidge as he welcomes special guest Pat Francis to the show for a very timely episode! Pat hosts one of Smidge’s favorite weekly music podcasts called Rock Solid. Pat tells the tale of his humble start in a small town in PA, to his successful career touring around the country as a stand-up comedian, to finally rooting himself in L.A. and becoming a popular podcast host.

Hear how his insistence on only interviewing music guests in person have led to such things as trekking to Stewart Copeland’s house, having the likes of Greg Kihn & Wang Chung come and jam at his podcast studio, how he made 3 legendary musicians cry (in his “Oprah” interview moments!), dealing with Rick Springfield’s horrible handlers, witnessing the down-to-earth coolness of the “Red Rocker”… yes, many fascinating stories abound here!

Also focused on is our current pandemic situation and how it is affecting the music scene on a global scale. Why do we really need new music more than ever right now? Just how are bands going to navigate the current scene when they are not able to play shows or tour for the foreseeable future? Why will Pat not invite Smidge to his house?? All the answers to these questions and much more are to be found here!

Finally, Pat gives some valuable tips for people thinking of starting there own podcasts and Smidge debuts a very timely new song from his current band The GMO’s! Simply put… this episode has it all folks! Cheers… and stay safe!!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, The Not New Review, & The Pods & Sods Network.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released May 2020 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:33:28 – Join Smidge as he brings in 2020 for Gunkcast with another all-out music extravaganza! Fot this one he meets with very special guest Balthazar de Ley in the studio. Balthazar was the frontman for (as some have referred to them) the greatest band you’ve never heard! Menthol came from the humble origins of a college town in Champaign-Urbana, IL. Originally know as Mother, they were part of the wave of bands on the scene following the explosion of grunge… when the likes Indie Rock, punk, & shoegaze all were finding a home together under the umbrella of “Alt Rock.” Balthazar relates a fascinating tale of how the very unlikely chance that his band’s demo ended up on a record label executive’s desk in LA changed everything for the band. Suddenly Menthol found themselves thrust into the spotlight! Signed to a major label they released their big budget debut LP as Menthol and were off on a whirlwind tour for a few years (supporting some big name bands from that era)! Then came time for their follow-up LP, and Menthol (who were by then evolving as a band) went into the studio and fully finished an album inspired largely by a retro 80’s New Wave sound. Hear the unbelievable account of what happened next. We don’t want to give away too much here… so you will just have to listen!

This episode is packed with many cool & interesting tales of what Balthazar encountered on his music journey. From taking music lessons from one of the members of REO Speedwagon in his youth, to playing bass in the band Hum, developing crazy guitar tunings as his signature sound, playing at the legendary CBGB’s in NYC and running into a big-name actor in quite the unlikely spot in the famous punk bar, & working for Billy Corgan to maintain the studio equipment that the Smashing Pumpkins were doing their best to destroy! And just how could a series of bizarre events & Courtney Love have had an impact on how things played out for Menthol in the end? Yes, you will just have to tune-in to this episode for all these details & much more!

Balthazar later became a sound engineer, played in another band called La Scala, was a studio repair tech, and presently designs and builds custom guitar amps with his Chicago-based biz called Balthazar Audio Systems. Also, the BIG news here is that Menthol are reuniting on May 24th this year for a reunion show! To find more on Menthol online you can find their music on Discogs, Amazon, & iTunes. Also check out a Facebook Page as well as and another really cool podcast a guy named Marc with a C did several years ago! Cheers!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, The Not New Review, & The Real Congregation.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com.

Released February 2020 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:24:51 – If you have been wondering where the podcast has been, Smidge has been trekking across Europe for much of this Summer (hinted at during a special intro here)! But now he’s back and he brings you the long awaited follow-up episode to the all-out music extravaganza which began back in May. So if you did not hear Part #1, we highly recommend you go back and listen… because this second part hits the ground running right where we left off!

Join Smidge as he continues his conversation with special guest Michael Lenzi (Chicago Indie-Rock musician and owner of Sweet Pea Records). While the first part episode focused on his musical journey with the band Number One Cup (from their rise, until their untimely end in the late 90’s)… the story was not over for Michael by any means! While his former band was known for their catchy brand of Indie pop, Michael now desired to start something that had much more of a searing post-punk edge to it. So he joined forces again with former Number One Cup bandmate Seth Kim-Cohen & devised yet another brilliant Indie Rock project called The Fire Show. Michael tells how The Fire Show pushed their experimental & creative ambitions to the max over the course of three albums, during which they gained critical acclaim while never conforming to any music industry standard.

Michael also chronicles his career following The Fire Show (from the early 2000’s until the present) during which he has continued as a solo artist with a series of excellent albums released as Resplendent, LENZI, and Tough Solar. And now he has re-united once again with Seth Kim-Cohen for a brand new LP release as Nil/Resplendent. This episode is a must listen as we hear many fascinating stories and explore some extraordinary music!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, & The Not New Review, The Unblinking Ear, & The Pods & Sods Network.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released August 2019 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:46:24 – Join Smidge as he welcomes a very special guest to the show for an all-out music extravaganza! Michael Lenzi was one of the key members of a pivotal Chicago Indie-Rock band from the 90’s called Number One Cup. Hear the story of how a Bowie/punk rock fan from DC followed his music dream to Chicago, and ended up forming a  band which found an audience very far away! Learn how mailing their 1st single to the legendary John Peel in the U.K. in the early 90’s changed everything for the band. From tales of being stranded out West on their 1st U.S. tour, to playing festivals throughout Europe, to such onstage antics as the destruction of their instruments/gear, an encounter with Thom Yorke of Radiohead, to recording in the same famous studio used by Nirvana for their final LP (while former Husker Du drummer Grant Hart wandered in!)… this episode is packed with many fascinating stories of Michael’s music journey with Number One Cup!

A special note that Michael & his wife run their own independent record label called Sweet Pea Records, and all the music used to soundtrack this episode may be found & acquired through this site. Please also check out their Facebook page as well. Besides Number One Cup, many of the other music projects Michael has been part of can be found on Sweet Pea Records as well. Cheers!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, The Hustle, Rock Solid, The Not New Review, The Unblinking Ear, & The Pods & Sods Network.

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released May 2019 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:11:18 – Join Smidge and his son as they bring the podcast out of winter hibernation & trek out to a huge event which just happened in Chicago. Yes it was the Star Wars Celebration 2019! Listen to Kurdlebaum Junior & Senior as they team up for a full podcast together for the very 1st time! From the perilous adventure through a Spring (Hoth-like) blizzard to make it to their destination, to a full day filled with all sorts of surprises and fun… this episode is one not to be missed! Trust us the Farce (oops sorry… that was our Space Trek series), I mean the Force is strong with this one! Cheers!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, Insignificast, & The Hustle!

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released April 2019 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.

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1:21:18 – In the history of Gunkcast, one thing we are particularly fond of is when a podcast meetup episode comes together. And here you have just that… a BIG meeting of the podcast minds for 2018! Join Smidge and his very special guest Bob LeMent (of Static Radio fame) as they meet for lunch in Chicagoland. Tune in for some fascinating discussion on the subject of all things pop culture! Some of the topics here include travel horror stories, being confused by all the technology improvements (& screw-ups!), why being an Uber/Lyft driver may not be your dream job, our Hollywood doppelgängers, past run-ins with Wil Wheaton & the Goo Goo Dolls, visiting Jim Morrison’s grave, Miles & Manny, having life-theatening podcast jobs, the college prankster years revisited, & following Bob’s most important rule in life… “just try to stay out of jail!” If you listen to just one meetup episode this year, this is one not to be missed! Cheers!

A special note that the soundtrack to this episode is provided by a Tribute band Smidge is currently part (a hint to a blond-haired trio from the 80’s) called Invisible Sun. Look for them on the live scene very soon!!

Also, please share the love and listen to some of our favorite podcasts at: Onsug, Static Radio, & Insignificast!

License for this track: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). Attribution: by Smidge Kurdlebaum – more info at onsug.com or trashcanrock.com

Released November 2018 on The Overnightscape Underground (onsug.com), an Internet talk radio channel focusing on a freeform monologue style, with diverse and fascinating hosts.