Throwing Copper Transcript

https://bit.ly/Throwing_Copper

Music Rewind welcomes Meryl Klemow to discuss Throwing Copper by LIVE. A great conversation about the seminal LIVE album: Throwing Copper

Album: Throwing Copper

Artist: Live

Year: 1994

Our Guest, Meryle Klemow, is the co-host of the Campfire Sht Show comedy Podcast. https://campfire-sht-show.simplecast.com/ IG: @campfireshtshow Twitter: @campfireshtshow Meryl is also the founder of Pre-Cancelled Apparel, an apparel brand for cancel culture and conspiracy: @precanceledinc on Instagram

Transcript as follows:

Participant #1:

Hello and welcome to season two of Music Rewind, a podcast where we love to tell the stories behind our favorite albums. I'm your host, Steve Epley, and in each episode, I will invite a guest on them to tell us about their favorite music album, how they discovered it and what makes it special to them. Musicians, podcasters, audio engineers or anyone with a passion for creating quality audio content needs the right equipment to make it happen. Look no further than zZounds. zZounds is the perfect place to get everything you need at a good price, delivered right to your home. Guitars, keyboards, microphones, amps. Anything you need, Zones has it. Please use the link in the show notes for the best music equipment sales online. Joining me today is writer, podcaster and content creator Meryl Klemow. Yay. Did I say that right? Very close, Klemow, but you said 80% better than most people. I'm a bad host because I didn't ask beforehand. You're not. And as a podcaster myself, it's so funny because we do the introductions to our guests separately because it is such a weird thing to do that we do it just in a corner by ourselves. So you did great. Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. Meryl is the co host and co producer of Camp Fire Shit Show, a weekly comedy podcast with her podcast partner, Boford. You know it. Meryl is the co founder of Pre Canceled Apparel and also works with several podcast production companies in numerous roles, including copywriting, talent, booking and project management. Welcome, Meryl, and thank you for being on the show. Thank you. I've always just done a live kind of thing. That's great. We always do the intro link by ourselves just because it's so awkward, but we love that. Okay, Meryl, let's jump right into this. What album would you like to bring to the table and why is it special to you? Okay, this is a no brainer on Live. The band Live, I think, if I'm correct, of throwing copper.

Participant #1:

I'm not going to make a judgment, but you kind of look a little bit in my age category, so I'm guessing you've heard of his album before. This album had a big place in my high school years. Yes, definitely yes. I think it was one of those ones like Green Day or Alanis Morris, who is another one of my favorites. But I think we all had it in our CD sleeve. But to me, I picked it because it just stands out as so much more. And I think we'll go into this, but I think Ed Kolchik, the lead singer as a lyricist, just was really ahead of his time and the way that he wove a lot of Eastern philosophy into these lyrics that made it on rock stations where people were just singing along and didn't really look further into it. And then the stuff that he was writing about was really ahead of his time and I think almost forecast like, how we are today in society, so we'll go into it. But the album really truly changed my life and further sent me on my career, the career I do now. And it was just a very pivotal CD and really like a moment for me. That's great. That's great that it sets you on that path. I was one of those guys in high school that was just humming along, not paying too much attention to the lyrics. I mean, because these songs were everywhere. They were heavy radio, heavy MTV. You really couldn't escape the tracks off this album. At least the four main songs. Yes. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited I just talked about this. Okay, can I share just quickly how I discovered Live too, not to like absolutely, please tell. Okay, so picture a young me, I was probably like 15 or 16, and my concert at this point had only been to two concerts and one Sesame Street Live and then Paula Abdul Music Live. And my parents had listened to disco and I kind of knew a little bit about bands here and there, but I didn't really have a music taste yet, I would say. And I wasn't allowed to watch MTV for the first couple of years. And then I had finally turned like 15 or 16 and I think and I had beg to my parents for I think it was like maybe 1994, 995. And I had begged my parents for MTV and that was my trade off for doing well in school. And one of the first videos I saw was just this strange bald guy with a long rattail hair thing and he was shirtless and running up to the camera and I really was like thunderstruck where I just stood in front of the TV and was like, I've never seen anything like this before. And it was so odd and just different than anything I've ever seen and it really spoke to me. It was so weird because I really had a moment where I connected and just felt like forever changed to be quite weird, but this is the moment like, how I felt. And then it just happened that Live, I'm from Pennsylvania and Live is also from Pennsylvania and they were touring that month, I think. And so I begged my parents and my parents took me and we all went as a little recently and just seeing their performance really changed my whole life. And I was really like in awe of Ed's performance and just all the band, so much so that I went home and really studied the CD notes and was the liner notes and then I just learned about roles in the music industry and then like that very long story short that led me to pursue music industry in college and then that ended up led to me working at a music venue for eleven years. So like, the CD for a real change. My whole trajectory. Really? That's amazing. A career, basically. Yeah. Oh, that's great. We get a lot of different stories, but that's a really good one as far as it led you directly into the music industry. That's awesome. Yeah. And then a weird twist. Intern of events, they're just boyfriends or ex boyfriends and weird stuff. I actually ended up meeting the guys in Live and then oh, really? Yeah. Through the music industry, I got to know some people that knew them. And then one of the strangest, weirdest moments of my life was ending up in this crazy circumstance where I helped Ed was moving from California back to Connecticut, and I was there when he was packing his turtle in a car to move. So if you could have told a 17 year old, me laying on my floor looking at the liner notes of, like, that one day you'll be packing Edge turtle in, like, an oxygen safe tank, it was just wow. Yeah. Very weird and serendipitous. But I just think live music is so much more than I think a lot of people tag them a lot is just like kind of, oh, a throwaway band. Or I like them in the 90s, but I think a lot of their work is just so, like, really underrated. I agree. I think that they kind of got lumped into the post Nirvana era. Obviously, Pennsylvania is as far away from Seattle as you can almost get. And their sound, to me, was not Seattle. They're like the embodiment of just alternative, you could say. Yeah, definitely. And they really covered the East Coast angst of coming from a coal mine town. And just as a teenager in Pennsylvania, really embodied to me just like, what it was like to live in kind of like a factory. I'm from Scranton, Pennsylvania, so, like, Northeast PA, very old coal mine town. And it's gray a lot and it's very backwards in terms of just, like, opportunities. And so Live really was like, I know people can relate to bands that come from their town. And I felt like Live was that for me because it covered my inks. Yeah. There were several songs on this that you could tell. They were obviously describing their hometown and where they came from. It hits home to me a little bit because I come from a very small town where there's not a lot of opportunity. Sometimes you strike gold and you do get a great opportunity there and sometimes you need to get out and move to Atlanta. But I understand exactly where those lyrics are coming from. Absolutely. Yeah. And honestly, because I was just such a super fan of Ed's, then I became really entrenched with just his own influence. And that was everything from Eastern philosophy to independent artists that he likes. And I feel like he really helped his likes helped me discover different music that I feel like I would have never discovered. Vic Chestnut is one artist that comes to mind that he recommended, who I would have never known, as I'm sure we'll talk about. But this album was produced by Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads. And so that led me to like shamefully. I really hadn't even heard of the Talking Heads before. And so just hearing the other musicians that Ed admired, Ren, clearly I've heard of REM. But it made me appreciate all new genre of music. Yeah. I was not expecting the deepness and the spiritualness of these lyrics. Like I said, I was the high school kids just humming along. I'm not paying a second thought to what I was humming. But he touches on faith, religion, poverty, all kinds of stuff in this album. So much. And honestly, this album and probably the album before Mental Jewelry has like a tinge of almost in like the Christian music flavor. And they have the same a lot of people have asked me, are they a Christian band? And they're definitely not. But I think some of his messages are tied in with sometimes some of the messages that are in Christian music. But actually it's funny when people call it a Christian album because kind of anything but that. He questions God and religion a lot, especially in the album. And I did read a new story. I didn't realize that their band manager was the same manager of the Ramones and Debbie Harry and some of the offshoots of the Talking Heads. And that's how they linked up with Jerry Harrison for the Talking Heads who did their first album as well. Yeah, and then they were part of that kind of the CBGB, like the second generation of It club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania called the Chameleon Club. That was like the Space in Pennsylvania. That was the version of CBGB. And I remember just like when I finally went to it when I was 18 or 19, I was like cry on the floor. Because I'm like, this is like a historical you're at your concert. It's a rock and roll venue. And honestly, in full disclosure, I am not that nuts. Where I'm not going to say on record that their later stuff is that good. They really lost me in of course I'm happy to be there back together now. They have now rekindled and they're back touring together. But their album After Five, there's one that's like the Roman numeral for Five. That is what I feel is kind of their last best, their last good CD and then the ones after that. It's hard for me, even as a super fan, to even listen to because I feel like it's gotten so bad. I did listen to Secret Samati a lot, the follow up to this one and that's kind of where I stopped listening alive. Life took me different directions, but that was an excellent album itself. Oh my gosh, you're so smart. And then the one after that distance to hear those are like two other insane ones. And then I just tried so hard to still keep liking it, and I didn't. But it is funny when they play live, no pun intended when they play live concerts now, they really don't do any newish stuff from 2015 on. So we're all in secret live fans. We're all happy about that. Those are some really good album names. Oh, my God. That was the first one you mentioned. That's a great name like Ed in that category. I feel like there's nothing like a band like Pearl Jam or Smashing Pumpkins. They're in their high school years and they're feeling all those feelings. And when they first put out their first or sophomore album, there's nothing special as before. They get really ingrained into the industry. And I think as life goes on, you can kind of hear them get a little bit softer and just of course, like they're in their 40s or 50s. But it's like that initial fire within them. And Mental Jewelry is just amazing to me. This album was heavy on the and we'll get into when we go into the tracks, but the quiet, loud format, that was their sweet spot. Yes, absolutely. So walking through the album, the way you listen to it, do you go straight through or do you skip around? Oh, you got to go straight through. So do you ever talk about the cover art really quick? Oh, sure. Yeah. That's a memorable piece of art there. It's a Scottish artist, and I think it's called Sisters of Mercy. Sisters of Mercy. Yes. Okay, good. Oh, my gosh. I still remember by artist Peter Hauson. I made it. Yes. Okay. Yes. And a lot of people like it's a weird choice, especially as this is the album. Mental Jewelry had them on the cover, like in kind of a purple faded form. And then this one, I like that the record label didn't want them to do some cool, like, bio railroad pose or whatever. They chose a weird ass poster, a weird ass picture. And I feel like it ended up working in their favor because people just like that. It's such a weird kind of ugly image. But I know that that's really what the theme is of just the whole throwing copper itself. Just like kind of dealing with ugliness in the world, but then some betrayal and all that stuff. So I think the album is one that also probably all sticks in our mind, too, the album art. Absolutely. I mean, as soon as you mentioned it, the actual cover art popped into my head before any of the songs. Just that specific cover art. Exactly. And they could have easily done like a No Doubt type of thing. I'm putting Ed in the front like Gwen and then the rest of the back, which they have done later on in albums. But I like that such a band chose, like, a weird photo or for their biggest album. I think that's cool. I always thought it was just a weird artsy version of a band portrait because I thought the front and center thing guy on the art was supposed to be the dude. He's holding the Bible, I think, right? I'm not even looking at the art now, too, because I don't want my computer to freeze. But I just got that two dimensional side view of that creature when you got the eye looking at you. I just always thought that was supposed to be like, say, just almost a Dolly style version of the band. Exactly. My poor parents had to deal with me being like a 17 year old girl and having that poster everywhere in my room and then having like I would like I know boys liked me because I was like the weird one wearing the throwing copper T shirt all the time. But, yeah, I mean, this album for real definitely is one that I listen to from start to finish because I feel like the beginning with the song, the damn it, Utter Creek is just, like, such a powerful way to start and build up an album. And I feel like the first song at Otter Creek and then the last song on the album, there's some hidden ones, but the last actual song, White Discussion, definitely has kind of like a postapocalyptic feeling where it's kind of like we've done a lot of damage and now we're looking at what we've done and kind of like going over the damage we've done almost. And that's the feeling. So I just feel like the damage creek from the start to the finish, it definitely tells a story

Participant #1:

that was the feel I got from this track, was exactly what you just said. Look at what we've done. I don't know if there's a story behind the dam at Outer Creek as far as historical, but it seems like they're talking about the people that built it and one of them died and they're burying them. I don't know, it's kind of very poetic lyrics. Yes. Leave the hearse behind, leave the curse. What a dark way to start. Like, it's dark and stormy and that's what got me. And they would start their live shows that way, too, and people would just go insane when the lights would be off and then you would just hear the beginning riffs and then everyone was like and then Ed loves his effects and so basically he would do the beginning part of it from the side and sometimes even bring out, like, a megaphone and everything. So I just feel like that I can see a world where they start with something more, like, all Over You or something kind of more cutting. But I like that they start with this weird dark track. I can see this one being very theatrical and a good intro for a last set. Absolutely. It sets an atmosphere for the entire album right off the bat. And I really apologize to your audience that I'm so hyped, up and annoying because, as you can tell, I'm so passionate about this. So I'm usually not this, like, cracked out. So I really apologize if I'm way over if I need to take a chill pill. But we're talking about, for real, one of the top eight things in my life that I'm excited about. I'm glad you came on to talk about it. This is great. Track two goes into Selling the Drama, which is really a great track. It really is. I've always loved this one. Me too. And I try not to like, of course, the radio ones I'm like, this crashes. But this one, I think, is so special. And I think if someone wants a great live performance of it when they did MTV's Unplugged, I feel like this song really stood out to me. And when I was driving right before this and listening to the album, I forgot his lyric. It said, it's the way we sing that makes them dream.

Participant #1:

And that always stood out to me as I was, like, a teen listening to it because I'm like, Oh, that's so true. It really is. For me. That was exactly it. That is a good lyric. Yeah. I love the wavy bass line of this track. It's very memorable. And this is the first song I ever heard off the cell. Yeah. Oh, it is. Yeah. I heard this well before lightning crashes. Interesting. Yeah, I can see that. And this one kind of also has that the chorus has a little bit of, like, an REM. Like, that's kind of my definitely see a little comparison on this. Absolutely. But, yeah, I love this song, and I think it's beautiful. And I'm glad that it got on the radio. I'm glad that it was definitely a weird song, once again, to have, like, be a hit on the radio. But it's cool that it made its way and enough people liked it. On a side note, have you seen the video lately? No. I know. He's standing like a fire or he's standing on something big. But he has his long Eddie Vetter hair. Oh, yes, his long, long hair. I know. Ed has had so many weird ass long hairstyles. I love it. And then probably it was just like, fuck. Of their first three videos, you could tell there was a progression of just more style, more artistic choices made. Because the first one, if you put Pearl Gem in there singing Jeremy, doing exactly what they're doing, it would work. Rocking back and forth. Yeah, absolutely. Standing in the woods with some flannel and they're just looking all solemn. It's a terrible video. And there's always a bonfire and they're just like, Yeah, absolutely. We'll get to Iloan in a second. But the second video for Iloan you've got the drummer with nothing to do in the video. He's dancing around the stage or the sound stage doing nothing. What the hell is going on here? I know, and Ed talked about it. They've done some interviews where Ed kind of explained it and he said, that right, Offset. There was a really cute camera girl that was coaching them and they're just like, okay, we'll do whatever you want. You're, like, hot and you're 20 years old. And it's so funny, too, because the drummer, Chad Gracie, is definitely, like, the quote unquote cute one of the group. All the girls like Chad Gracie. I think that was also one where he got his attention because of how, like you said, there's no drum set, it's just him holding sticks. But I think they definitely gave him his due in this video where he looks cute. The video for ILO looks so awkward when you watch it. Watch it nowadays. It's weird. And then the rattail coming down. Koalas got the Hindu or monk style long braid. And I always loved that he was shirtless, but he kind of has the moby body or just like almost like the body. He's shirtless, but he's, like, not really ripped, but he's not an awful shape. And it's kind of he was the original, like, linky dad bond, which I like. The moby body. Yeah, this spiritual rock star body. But, yeah, that video was so weird. And I missed the days of MTV, like, showing highlighting videos like that where they're not overly produced. Yeah, those two videos were bad, I would say. But then the video for Lightning Crashes is a work of art in itself. It's like a completely different level of just visual art. Definitely. I forget, is Iris number four or what's number? Yeah, I was jumping around to talk about the videos. I was trying to think, because it's so funny, I have them in green. Number two is Selling the Drama, and then three is I Alone. And then four is Iris. Okay. Yeah. And I think Iris is one of my top favorites, for sure. I think that's another underrated song.

Participant #1:

And I really like that one. It's a decent rock, too. Yeah, it's well placed. I had never heard it before. Don't remember this one at all. Really? Yeah, it's one that it's like it's like This Child. I forgot I love this child. When I was listening back, I'm like, it's such a solid song, but yet it kind of just gets forgotten about, I don't think. I've never seen them do it live, even though a lot of diehard live fans like me. It's always in the top. Like, twelve of our six of all live songs. But they tend not to do it live. Looking at the lyrics as I was listening to it, this guy needs some therapy, though. This is one that had some weird ones. It's about a person who's afraid to love and commit, but all he wants is the physical to an extreme side.

Participant #1:

Maybe not everyone can relate to that, but yeah, I think now in my thirty s, I can relate to that a little bit in a very long monogamous relationship. But yeah, I think it's a beautiful song. But yeah, totally. And it's so funny and annoying to me that this song also got kind of like, I think pushed down a little bit because Goo Goo Dolls had a song called Iris that was really famous and big. And I think, I don't know, I think in the searches or whatever now this song comes up like 30th, just because I think there was another popular song in the 90s called The Iris that was even better. It could be. Then we get to track five, which is a very rarely played tune. You never hear this one, ever.

Participant #1:

Oh my God. Are you guys please, if you go to see live, I will pay everyone to not screen lightning Crashes playlist. The amount of time I've had to hear that in my life, I want to cry. But I mean, honestly, it's a song that transcends the human experience. Not to be ridiculous, but it's one of those songs that just becomes bigger than the band itself and bigger than the album really. And it's just a beautiful song and obviously it's about the cycle of life and I think it had a vision of just what happens every day in a hospital where you have a new baby born and then you have someone dying and it's just tragedy and it's beauty. I think it's just a song that obviously everyone experiences that in one way or another. So I love it, honestly. It's not a song that hits me in my top three or four, but I respect it for what it is and if it made them bigger and able to play it more stable, I think it's the kind of song that as a teenager, it's an awesome tune and I'm speaking from my point of view, whereas me now, obviously many life experiences and kids have been through a lot and the lyrics can mean a lot more nowadays. This is a song that can definitely, at different points in your life, means different things. Yeah, definitely. And then I think I forget what album, I think it's Distance To Hear or Birds of Prey, but Ed has a song called Heaven and it is about his daughters and I feel like that kind of has the same feeling as Lightning Crashes, where you're just kind of looking at life from an aerial view and just how much we love people, but then how much we lose people. So I think that's like an overall arching theme for sure. And then Live, they also have another song called Overcome, which kind of became one of the main songs of just 911 on just like a lot of the people just trying to rebuild. And they put a really beautiful video of it to just like, showing firefighters and stuff. So it definitely I think it's really good at kind of writing almost like in like a palm accurate type of way of just the songs that really connects with people in there, like an overall view of life. I've been to York, Pennsylvania, for work in that area, but the United 93 crash, was that near there? I don't know. I don't know. I've only been in and out of state, scranton, New York, and Harris for work now and then in Lancaster. But I don't know the geography of where the plane actually landed. You mentioned I don't know, maybe due to geography, they might have been real big into support for that. Yeah, I don't know where shanksville, Pennsylvania. It might not be towards by where I just looked it up. It might not be towards where I am or where they were. But yeah, maybe it is. I should know that. Oh, yeah, it looks like it's an amish county. So honestly, that may be because Lancaster in New York is very close to that. I feel like there's probably people screaming at their computers right now. In my old job, when I had to travel up there to those sites, goldsboro and other places, you go from one site to another through Lancaster and we have warehouses and all up and down the eastern side of Pennsylvania. And you pass those little towns that are I could have drove over copper Creek. I don't even know. So they're blinking. You'll miss it? Kind of. Yes, absolutely. And I think that had a lot to do with live, where they came from, because it's like yeah, we mentioned before, just Seattle. And it's crazy how people where they grow up, their sound just really affects them. And I love another band from Pennsylvania, fuel. Remember fuel? Oh, yeah. See, they're like forever in my heart, too. I mean, not as good as live, obviously, but that's kind of grunge is definitely a weird thing. I'm from northern Illinois. At least I can claim the pumpkins. Yeah. Oh, man. Oh, my god. The pumpkins are made. Yeah, I got pumpkins and well, the pumpkins, we won't do much out of it. I was just listening to some old pumpkins he put away. Was it Jimmy Chamberlain or something? Oh, my god. One of the best drummers, and I think he was really responsible for a lot of the driving feeling of them. Just like that. Yeah. When he was not with the band due to his drug issues in corgan had just full range. It was not the same. I agree. Yeah, I was learning about that. I feel like no one gives him the credit. I was sad that he passed away, but anyway, that works. Long 90s, man. Well, moving on to state track six, which is top. Okay, this is one of my top favorites you can take this one in many different meanings, but Ed is kind of like, I take it, a little bit about religion or just the people telling him what to believe. I'm not going to live my life according to you type of feeling. Pick me up.

Participant #1:

No, sir. It could also be romantic about just kind of that feeling of someone, like spinning you around like you are a top. You know, if someone is just spinning you around in a relationship and then finally you're just like, no, I'm not going to live like this. But I think it's just a lot about sacrificing yourself to fit someone else's vision and how he decides he's not going to do that anymore. And I took it as similar, but not religion specific. Just a cautionary tale against false idols in general. Yes, exactly. That's something better than I did, for sure, because he mentioned Hitler in there, which nowadays wouldn't even get you on the streaming platforms. I know they canceled, but I mean, it's almost topical in today's environment, depending on how you feel about things coming down from the top these days with fall titles. Definitely good cautionary tale in there to anyone that listens to that one. It's a great track and really good use of the drummer, Chad Gracie. I love his symbols in here. I love his kind of offbeat symbol playing. Yeah, this one's kind of funky. Yes. Then we get to track seven, which is All Over You, another radio hit. Another popular radio hit. Very good at, like, malls. I feel like All Over You is a great, like, we're walking around the mall type of song.

Participant #1:

Would you consider this a love song? Yeah, I think so. I don't know if it's more about like I mean, it's interesting. I don't know the way that Ed fee this one. I'm not sure of what Ed's real intention is. I don't even know if he's talked about it. But I definitely see it as obviously like he sees beauty in another person or another thing. That's kind of what I put, like Forbidden Love or Strange Bedfellows. It's kind of a love song, but kind of more of a longing, maybe. I don't know. Yeah. And it's also maybe also to go way deeper than he probably would mean it, but when you see the universe through someone else or through something, he's like seeing the stars in the sky and so that kind of like you're experiencing the universe as a bigger thing through love. Yes. And it was very catchy. This is one that chorus will repeat in your head over and over again. Yes, definitely. And some of the even the lady Ed has that gutter down. I love all different things that Ed can do with his voice. And he is such a great vocalist. And I think this one kind of has the rougher, more rock vocals to this one, but I think it's like he's a very powerful singer. That's one of the things I liked about 90s alternative music in general was the different voices of the band front people, whether it's Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Live, they all had such unique voices. They weren't all just, I can sing this amazing range. They just had such unique sounds to them. Absolutely, yes. I mean, there's nothing like Billy Corgan the tone of it. And I think with Ed, too, he had such a recognizable voice that it's hard for me to listen to modern music. I hate to be one of those people now where I'm like, back in my day they were real singers, but I'm officially turned into that when I hear a lot of the auto tuned stuff and I'm always on the lookout. If your people or you if you like, live and you feel like there's some new modern bands I should check out, please message me. It because I'm always interested in hearing bands that they don't have to sound like live, obviously, but bands that people think, okay, if you like, live, like, this is Today, who you might really like. I just found out yesterday that Sunny Day Real Estate, which our episode on Sunny Day goes live on Monday as we're recording this from their debut album, Diary. But they are reuniting and they're putting out a new album in a tour in a couple of months. Oh, cool. I'm excited about that now. That's awesome. That's super cool. Is Shittown next? It is Shit Town. I love that. It is a smart choice to have it end all over you and then go into Shit Town because it's like, oh, a sweet, happy thing. And then all of a sudden,

Participant #1:

I think the town of York had some feelings about them putting out the songs called Shit Town, but they encapsulated the feeling. Like I mentioned before, just growing up in the kind of backwards, industrial, northeastern Pennsylvania town, and someone that was at the time just like, really raring to get out, that was exactly my anthem. And even my parents, they still live back in Pennsylvania, but my parents will still know all the lyrics. And they're like, we're going to get out of this shit town. And I'm like, well, it's been like 30 years. So your parents who wouldn't let you watch MTV, they like, live? Yes, now they totally do. And they finally took me to the concerts, and I think they just knew that once they probably knew, like, okay, once she gets MTV, it's going to be a game changer. But yeah, they're very supportive and, I mean, they've just had to like, I'm a rock and roll girl, and me working at the music venue for as many years as I did, they just had to grow into me being insane. That's cool that they appreciate the music. You like that's good. Very much so. Absolutely. And I also got them hooked of course, the more parent friendly Veronica ladies, they love them. That's a great fan. I've seen them live. Yeah, that's a fun show. Ship sounds pretty self explanatory on what they're trying to say there. Well, I'm not surprised. I never even really thought about it. But does the city of York embrace them as hometown heroes? Now they do. Yeah. Now they definitely do. I know that they were all really active in marching band and just band in general, so I think they're really looked up for just as examples that you could be a musician and just the arts in general,

Participant #1:

especially. There's a lot of artists that they helped grow. And the guitar player, Chad Taylor helps produce a lot of bands and their own recording studio. So they definitely gave back to the community. That's good. Yeah, for sure. But I think with the song, of course, some people probably didn't like it, but everybody has their angst against their hometown. I mean, my little farming community of 300 people, I've got some negative things to say, sure. But it still holds a place in my heart. Where was it? Can you tell us now? It's the Illinois Valley. It's north central Illinois, right in the middle of nowhere. All 300 people are going to be very upset of you. I have the number one podcast in the Illinois Valley. Yeah, I love it. Probably sticking to, like, a cow or something. That's awesome. That's cool, though, but good for you. And now maybe you feel the same way. But going back to Pennsylvania now, I feel so much gratitude for growing up there because not to Knock, California, but I'm very thankful to have a grown up and kind of the East Coast. And I feel like I'm just a little more gritty and more like I don't want to say sharp. That's anything to say, but I don't know, you're kind of tougher in your soul when you come from, like, a cold, awful place. I think I would have been even more annoying if I grew up in San Diego. I would have been like zero brain cells. But then shit sound goes into CBD. Damn. This one is all Patrick Bellheimer, the bass player. Yeah. I'll just be honest, this one didn't really do it for me. Really? Okay, please listen again one time when you're like, I don't know if you take drugs or anything. No one has to take drugs. But this one, obviously, I like this one because I kind of got into the Tibetan Book of the Dead. And so this song is good if you're laying in the dark with headphones on. And I think headphones is where it's at,

Participant #1:

but I can see it. It's a little bit like slow. Yeah. It's a slowly baseline for like three and a half minutes, and then all of a sudden they rock out for like 30 seconds. Yes. And then they go back to slow until the end. I know. This is such an odd fact for me. And this was another one that when they played live, it kind of was like a good almost middle thing because it just kind of helped break up time. But I Hear You where it's time to get a beer when they play that one, I guess. Yeah. That's so funny. I would be like Front Row Crowd, but yeah, so it's funny. You got Shit Town, which is a rocking tune. And then you got the TVD, which is a slow moving four minute song. And then Stage, which rocks right out the gate. Yes. Okay. So Stage and Top are probably my two favorites. Stage is Frenetic and very punk rock. And that's the one that shows that if people were going to mosh, they would do that. Yeah, I could do that.

Participant #1:

Yeah. That one is very just like it unleashes from the beginning and it stays that way the whole time. Yeah, this was a good track. I guess it's about a rock and roll relationship giving up the stage should he or shouldn't hear, sort of thing. Yeah, that's right. He was a rock and roll messiah. She was known for her childcare. So also just a very

Participant #1:

expensive now I can have a conversation with the lyrics that are so ingrained in me. But I think Ed was really obsessed and will hear this in the next track, which I think is Waitress. But I think he really had a thing for just the normal, boring, kind of lower middle class person in this album. That's what came from York, Pennsylvania. So I think he was kind of obsessed with the working class, like industrial class. I totally get that from these lyrics. Yeah. Because then Eleven is Waitress. This is a fun song. Kind of about pleading to leave a tip. Yes.

Participant #1:

And this is where I think a lot of ads obscurity comes through of just describing the waitress with like, a funky brain. This one, everyone laughs because it has a whistle break. He whistles. And he's a very talented whistler. So he would like everyone when he whistles during live shows, everyone would go crazy. But yeah, it's just all about helping others out. And this is one of the songs that I think today carries over where it's just like we're also divided, but just being kind to each other is a lost art. Yeah. He says flat out that the waitress was mean, gave bad service by those standards, doesn't deserve a tip. But then he goes all in as far as down to the basic claim that just humanity must stick together. So let's give her a tip. Yes. Some fucking change. Yeah, just some change. I want to know the origin of that song. If that came from just almost a Reservoir Dog style roundtable of the band deciding whether or not to tip a waitress. I could just totally picture the band at like, a diner and the waitress is a bitch and she hates her job, but it's like, just give her the $98 whatever. And now I think about the World, where I have to tip basically on, like, a $7 coffee because it's all electronic, and I missed the days of just being like, let's just throw this crumpled, like, $2. Just throw the change on the table. Yeah, exactly. And it was half the price. The tip is half the meal anyway when you're at the truck stop. Yes. And that's one thing I kind of like about Live, is that they did have an earnest message, I think, about coming together and just being kind to one another. In their weird way, they did that. So I think I like that. That's a good point. I mean, a lot of bands that kind of push these messages can come across as very pompous and elite. Yes. Whereas they do not. This sounds very grounded and, like you said, the blue collar origins of where they came from. Absolutely. Yes. Which leads right into Pillar of Davidson. Oh, my gosh. I had to search what this was about because I was very curious to have to listen to the lyrics. And I guess it's about the caterpillar and Harley Davidson plants in York. Yes. And once again, it's about just kind of that industrial life, and we're not machines that can only make money. So it's basically like the bosses just seeing people as expendable. Almost like robots at this point. Yeah, exactly.

Participant #1:

People may feel that it's draggy, but to me, I feel like it's really beautiful, and I think it definitely builds to the end. It does have just kind of like a sweeping feeling to it at the end. To me. Yeah. This one was near seven minutes, but it didn't feel that long. So yes, this was a good one. Yeah. I think some of this album has to be enjoyed. Some of it, you could just be driving and listening, and then ones like this are just like, ones to slow down, too. TVD felt like it was ten minutes long. I love that you get Duped. I need you to try it, like, four or more times, because I love it. I don't know if you partake in cannabis, but I feel like doing that would change your game for you. I got to work in the morning. I know. This one at seven minutes. It was compact, I guess you could say. It felt structured. It didn't drag like TVD did to me. Interesting. That's totally interesting. And then we get to number 13, which is white discussion. Oh, yeah. And this one closes it out. And this one is kind of like nuts. Like, you almost picture I don't know why I have trouble saying that word, but apocalyptic feeling of, like, the world has ended, and now someone's coming on the news program to basically be like, I warned you. I told you. And so

Participant #1:

the clock is finally dead.

Participant #1:

Yeah, the song is crazy. They always saved it for less when they played as well, just because it really goes out on a high note and it's kind of like, look where all this talking got us. And I think at this point, and it still holds true today, where in politics and in the news, there's just so much talking and not a lot of real change. Yeah, and it's exactly what I put. There's a lot of circular talk about wanting change, but nobody takes the steps to enact that change. Exactly. And it's pretty much we've damaged the earth now. Look at where it's got it. And on like a micro level, I kind of feel that even with relationships, too, sometimes it's like you just talk and talk. With some people, sometimes things don't change. But yeah, I like this one. Once again, this is one of the more popular ones on the album. This one isn't one of my personal favorites, but it's fun and it's wild. You mentioned it closes out their live shows often and I could see that because it's a gradual build up, and then the second half is almost like a jam session, if you like. I could totally see them stretching that for probably ten minutes, if they really I've never seen them live, so I don't know what their long jams look like, but I could totally see them stretching this song and then being fun to listen to. I think this song also brings me trauma because I know that it's their last one, so seeing it live, I'm just like, Oh, no, they're going to go out on this one. My whole life is going to come crashing down. So it's almost like this one's bittersweet. To me, this one always just symbolizes like, the end, whether it's the end of the night or whatever. They don't close out the live shows with Horse. No, the hidden track good, you covered it, you really know what you're doing. Horse has a very country feel to it, very kind of like steel guitar type. I like this one a lot and I'm not a huge country fan, but I liked his voice and their playing of a country esque song to close out the album. I like that

Participant #1:

it has a weird twin and I love it. I think that's like ed all of them, really as just such diverse musicians and you don't find a lot of rock bands putting in such varied types of music in one album. To me, it screams, we need something for time to balance out a cassette or a CD and they were just kind of messing around and let's make a semi love song with a country twang to it. Absolutely. Nothing too deep. Just having fun. Exactly, yes. And I would be remiss to say that we won't go through there's three of them. We won't talk about it, but they rereleased the tracks for the 25th anniversary of this album and they put on my all time favorite live song, which is the song called Hold Me Up. Growing up, that was always, like, the B side to some album. So they'd have a throwing copper on, like, a cassette tape and then the B side would always hold me up on it. But they never played it live and I really couldn't find it besides other cassette tapes. And then when they re released it, I was just, like, so thrilled. It was in the movie Zack and Me make a Porno, or Zack and Miri make a porno. I don't know. So that's from that. And it's called Hold Me Up. I think that's, like, my favorite favorite lifestyle. Now, did you follow Ed into his solo career? Yes, I did. I know nothing of it. I just know he did it. Yeah, he did it. I would go to kind of, like, the more sad shows at casinos when it was 200 of us and it was beginning to feel, like, almost too intimate. But, I mean, I always thought he was so talented and I went to maybe, like, five or six live shows. Then it was just so funny because I have two live tattoos. I have one of their lyrics on my back. But then when I met him and ultimately, I kind of dated someone that ended up working with them, which is a very weird thing. But I always tried to hide my tattoos and so anytime I met him, even if it was 80 deg, I'd always wear, like, a sweater to try to cover up my lyrics because it was so embarrassing. And he always must have thought I have some weird condition where it was, like, 90 deg. And I just never showed him. In a very ridiculous twist of events, he was getting interviewed on a radio station in San Diego and my friend was the DJ and my friend said, like, you know our friend Meryl, right? He said, Yeah. He's like, do you know that Meryl has your lyrics tattooed on her back? But then it was like I was humiliated and I was just so embarrassed because it almost was weird. Like, I took so long to tell him that. You know when you're trying to tell someone something and it's like, so much time goes by that it's like, now it's just creepy. And so, anyway, like, Ed totally joked around with me about it and made me feel, like, 10% less insane because it was like, I interact. It's good that he's cool with it. He was so cool with it. I met him as a normal person where I was working in a music venue and I met him as just, like, a random human. And he didn't know I was this beyond superfan. And then enough time went by where now it was like, Oh, this girl has posters of me in her bedroom. Hopefully he hears this episode and you're like, Meryl, hey, you are the super fan. Yeah, exactly. I followed his career, honestly, I liked his career way better than the guys of Live kind of splintered off, too. And they did a band called the Gracious Few and I did not like them. I didn't like their music at all and it was hard to listen to. I went to one of their shows and it was just like it's so weird because with bands like Bear Naked Ladies or Live, it's just like, you take the factor away. You can't have Live without Ed, so they had a few, like, guest vocalists and I'm just like, this is blasphemy. I mean, you really can't have any of them. I don't know if you feel like the bands, but it's not live for me without a different drummer or with a different drummer or whatever. Like I mentioned earlier, with those voices of the alternative scene in the 90s, so hard to replace. Look what happened with, say,

Participant #1:

with Stone Temple Pilots. Exactly. And I was a fan of the Leo Brothers and what they had to do musically just on their own end. But, yeah, like, trying to have a new singer and calling it STP is just like, no one's going to like that. So, yeah, I felt like that. And I was so happy when Live had a reunion and I went to go see them at a festival in Napa and I was sick to my stomach the day before because it had been, I think, ten years since they broke up. And seeing them driving to the festival, knowing that I'm about to see all four of them again, was just, like, so crazy. That's awesome. I feel for sure they sound all right, like, didn't miss a beat. They sound so freaking good. They sound so good. And also, it wasn't a money grab. They seemed genuinely happy to be together and I feel like they spent enough time to kind of get over their hurt feelings because I feel like a lot of bands will just reunite and you can tell they still secretly hate each other, but I think they waited until it was authentically fun for them. So, yeah, I feel for people there's people listening who like, if you have a favorite band and they broke up and then it's such a sad thing when they're just no longer. So I feel like, very enthused that my favorite band is back together now. Hopefully they get a few more tours in there and hopefully it will come through Atlanta. Maybe I can talk my wife heading down there. You're going to request TBD, right? I will request Horse. I want to hear Horse. Oh, my gosh, thank you. Like I said, I'm so sorry. I'm so hyper about this whole interview, but I'm kind of not sorry. No, I was really glad that you suggested this one because this was a big part of my high school days, because my high school was 94 to 98. So this came out 94. It was just there. And they get unfairly lumped into the post Kurt Cobain alternative scene where no one quite lived up. But two completely different bands, two completely different scenes. To me, Seattle is one thing, and then there are several other elements of alternative. And like I said, I throw Radio Head into alternative. It's a very big tent. The term alternative and Live had that unique sound that really stood out. And this album was just phenomenal. It really was. Then I think the magic still continues to secret. Samadhi, like we mentioned, and then Ed just kind of continues to explore his spirituality. People don't have to commit yourself, but I would really, if you like this album, at least give the next one a try. Because it's a different chapter for sure, but they still rock it. Yeah, leukemia's Juice is a great song. Oh, my Juice. Are you kidding me? Yeah, that's another great this album, Throwing Copper helped them get into Woodstock and I think Woodstock really put them in the map, too. I'm just kind of like, okay, they're one of the bands, Woodstock 94. Yes.

Participant #1:

But honestly, I don't mean to hate on Green Bay or hate on other bands, but it just shows to me how when I listen back to Throwing Copper, I'm still like, Hell, yes. I think these songs are so good still. And then I just went to a festival and saw Green Day and I couldn't even watch for like 30 minutes. It's just like, they give me a headache. And so, yeah, there are some bands that just stand the test of time, and for me, they're one of them. Green Day, as a comparison, Dookie was a great album, but after that, it's more individual tracks. To me. They'll put out a great track and then there'll be four or five lesser tracks. But like I said in the beginning, this is a full album and it's complete. Yes. And I hate to throw my Scar loving side under the bus, but now I used to love the Boss tones, and then now when I go to listen to their impression that I get CD, I'm like, Oh, now I have a headache, too. But whatever makes people happy. It's amazing how your music aesthetics change over time, and yet there's still be those stand out albums from your past that you always come back to. Yes. I just went to the Celebration of Jack Little Pill of Alana, and that was one where we were just like, now my best friend was breastfeeding her child and we're just still screaming the lyrics and Garbage was the one that opened up for her. All those Tory Amos tory was another one that really weaved spirituality into her playing. I missed that in the missed some of the declarations in music for sure. That's like really spoke to me a lot. Yeah. We gave our friend Luke on our classic rock round table a lot of crap for having Jagged Little Pill in his car. Oh my gosh. His response was, the girls always wanted to listen to it and I can't fault that logic. If there's any single dudes where you at Alana, it was just like 10,000 women just screaming. And honestly, there were so many metal dudes at Alanis and I think now men are starting to realize that she could rock out and now that it's gotten a little bit more balanced, like, she's a great musician, not just like an angry female. So Throwing Copper made the top of your list. What was on your short list? On my short list? What do you mean? If you had to talk about three to five other albums that you would have talked about, but Throwing Copper was never made. Oh my gosh, that's a really good one. I'm trying to think of so many others. I know Alan. I'm not going to dive too deep into them, just throwing them out there. Okay. This is so random and out of nowhere, but I really like the there's Richie Havens. Do you know who he is? I've heard of them. I couldn't tell you a song, though. Definitely back in like, the don't know the names of his albums. He's not one that I don't know an album, but he's a musician. That really stands out to me in terms of he was kind of more in the early Woodstock, like one of the very first Woodstock ones. And he blends like jazz and New Orleans type music. So I feel like Richie Havens is one to me that I love. I wish I knew the album, so I'm unprepared for that. But Concrete Blonde, specifically, Deletes Napolitano, she's a really amazing vocalist and working at a music venue for eleven years, she was someone that came in and I didn't know that much about and she really blew the roof off our venue and has such an amazing voice. I think it's called Someday. It's like one of those stand out tracks from her work. I'm trying to think about who I've seen live, obviously, like Stevie Nick complete one back that's just kind of like, I love them and that's amazing. Yeah. I mean, I would say that's, like, there are hundreds of bands and music I like, but in terms of stand out albums, I don't have a ton of other ones. I'm bad about listening to a lot of other albums through and through, but I have like 100 musicians that I like. But I like world music a lot. Femme Cootie. I don't know Seani. That's a new one to me. Okay, check him out. He's a beautiful family, like, really great soulful world music and it's Femi. And then his last name is Kuti and he has a family, two sons, I think. And they went on to have world music, just a really great kind of blues, reggae, all that stuff. I have a million artists that I like, but only live albums. I could throw all of the other ones away. It's very diverse in terms of my artist portfolio. Not very diverse. At a minimum, I'm going to check out Mental Jewelry because I want to hear their beginnings there. Oh, my gosh. Mental Jewelry is the best. Absolutely. Yes. Absolutely. That sound, like Operation Spirit kind of made its way onto 120 minutes with Matt Penfield and another person that I was lucky to meet working at the venue. I'm like, you're met Penfield? Nice. Yeah. That's really cool. You got to meet all those people. Oh, my gosh. It almost happened so fast. Even though I was there for a long time, now that I have some space of working, there just the artists that I got to see. And it was a smaller venue, 600 people, so it's intimate. But we would have people like Vanessa Carlton, and the owner would always joke that we would get people on the way up and on the way down. So we'd have, like, foster the people one night and then Buddy Guy the next night. And I got to podcast with Robert Cray and Jimmy Buffett. I feel like I really got to see a diverse, just, like, treat into music. That's always something I'm so grateful for. That's really cool. Yes. I got to see Jimmy Buffett front row at Bonneroo show. That was really neat. If you signed up for their mailing list or secret app at the time, then you got a push notification. Go to this stage now. And we did, and holy shit, it's Jimmy Buffett. Oh, my gosh, that's cool. Podcasting with him, too. He's like the nicest human in the entire world. I bet he just comes across as someone like, I want to have a drink with you. I just want to sit and shoot the shit. He wanted to talk forever. I'm like, Mr. Buffett, I have to go home, and then you're going to laugh so hard. But honestly, another kind of album. I forget what it's called, but I really used to love the Van Gusta a lot. Oh, yeah, I remember them. They were kind of the Gusta, Oar, Our Lady Peas. Those were kind of my college bands, which now they don't bother me as much. My friends would also give me shit because I love Sister Hazel and all those I'm a 90s girl through and through. I'll listen to OER often. They're my favorite. Well, before we wrap this up, please tell our listeners what you're working on and where they could find you or anything you would like to pitch. Thank you so much. Okay, so the first thing is my podcast called The Campfire Shit Show, S-H-T and we talk to people about their shit show moments in life. So that is one, and that's out every Tuesday. And my second thing is that I have a T shirt company called Pre cancelled. So we talked about a little bit about what lyrics would get life canceled here, and I decided to cancel myself before society cancels me. So that's precanceledinc.com. And then I think that's it, right? Yeah. Of everything. That's enough for people. And then on Instagram excuse me. You want to follow me? I'm at Meryl. Klemo M-E-R-Y-L-K-L-E-M-O-W. Outstanding. Yeah, we'll put links to all those. Yes. But I had such a fun time, and you do a great job. If you got any music friends that want to come on our show, by all means. Ed. If you're listening, Ed, I love you. Reach out. You can come on and say how you've got the Shit show opening lines tattooed on his back, right? Yes. That's so funny.

Participant #1:

Well, Meryl, I'd like to thank you for your time today. It was a pleasure to sit and talk with you about Lives throwing copper. Thank you so much. I had a wonderful time. Thank you for listening to music rewind a podcast from the Sidereal Media Group. And as I always say, listen to the full album. Until next time,

Participant #1:

A podcast from the sad Sidereal Media Group. Back to you. Anchors.

https://musicrewind.podbean.com/e/live-throwing-copper-with-meryl-klemow/