Best Troubledmen Podcasts (2024)

1
TMP291 RODDIE ROMERO: HUB CITY STAR 1:22:46

14h ago1:22:46

1:22:46

The multi-Grammy-nominated Lafayette singer, accordion player, guitarist, and songwriter hit the international festival circuit as a 13-year-old prodigy, having already spent years recording and playing roadhouse dances alongside cajun and zydeco masters including Lil’ Buck Senegal and Buckwheat Zydeco. He continues to electrify audiences with his …

1
TMP290 REED WATSON MUSCLES IN 1:29:07

6d ago1:29:07

1:29:07

The Grammy-winning drummer, Single Lock Records label owner (Jon Cleary, Loose Cattle, Blind Boys of Alabama, Cedric Burnside), and artist manager left Tuscaloosa to put down roots in the fertile loam of legendary Muscle Shoals. A decade on, he has relocated to New Orleans as he launches his one-stop music company, Well Kept Secret. Reed’s got a lo…

1
TMP289 DR. SICK MAKES A HOUSE CALL 1:22:04

13d ago1:22:04

1:22:04

The acclaimed violinist, singer, producer, composer, and musical saw master with Jimbo Mathus’ Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Late Greats, and Career Suicide spent years with the Asylum Street Spankers and various circus sideshows and burlesque troupes honing his punk-jazz-vaudeville aesthetic. The product of his musician father’s amateur genetic engine…

1
TMP288 SEAN KELLY TELLS THE CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS STORY 1:20:11

20d ago1:20:11

1:20:11

The musician, producer, and author of the new Continental Drifters bio, “White Noise and Lightning” started corresponding with band members Susan Cowsill, Russ Broussard, Peter Holsapple, and Vicki Peterson when he was 13 years old. Leading his own art rock band A Fragile Tomorrow with his fellow triplets, he forged a familial bond with the Drifter…

1
TMP287 DANNY NICK GETS HEAVY 1:28:50

26d ago1:28:50

1:28:50

The founding bass player, vocalist, and songwriter with hard rock veterans Suplecs (with Durel Yates and Andrew Preen) has also toured internationally as the bassist with heavy music heavyweights EYEHATEGOD. As proprietor of the Portside Lounge, he operated the premier tiki bar and Mardi Gras Indian headquarters in New Orleans. Decades working in t…

1
Feral Zone 19 MARGIE PEREZ'S LIGHTNESS OF BEING 1:14:37

1M ago1:14:37

1:14:37

The Latin, soul, and jazz singer with Muévelo, Kumasi Afrobeat, and now Los Tremolo Kings journeyed from her Cuban parents’ D.C. home to New Orleans after a chance karaoke encounter launched her professional career. Guest co-host Jeff Treffinger (Tribe Nunzio, the Geraniums, Strawberry) joins René and Margie in the Feral Zone to trace her path back…

1
Feral Zone 18 CHRISTOPHER STRAWBERRY REPRESENTS 1:30:46

2M ago1:30:46

1:30:46

The enigmatic singer and guitarist behind Big Ass Mustache and Strawberry Presents and drummer for Dolly Dillon with Jeri Cain Rossi has always possessed a quiet intensity on stage. Starting out playing on the streets of the French Quarter, he now fronts the reformed STRAWBERRY with Jeff Treffinger of the Geraniums and Tribe Nunzio on guitar. Tonig…

1
TMP286 JEANNE-MICHÈLE CHARBONNET SINGS 1:22:13

2M ago1:22:13

1:22:13

The renowned dramatic soprano diva has spent decades performing at the highest levels of the opera world. Having studied at voice at NOCCA, she now teaches at Haute Ecole de Musique in Switzerland as a Professor of Voice and at studios around the globe. After a career soaring to the heights of European culture, Jeanne-Michèle returns to her old sto…

1
TMP285 WAYNE TOUPS: ZYDECAJUN POWER 1:17:40

3M ago1:17:40

1:17:40

The Grammy Award-winning singer, accordion player, and songwriter started his career as a teenager playing dances in his hometown of Crowley, La. Recordings with legendary producer Jay Miller led to a deal with Mercury Records and international acclaim as a powerhouse performer combining Cajun, Zydeco, and Southern rock. Wayne’s music has taken him…

1
TMP284 KEITH O'BRIEN: LITERARY HUSTLE 1:23:51

3M ago1:23:51

1:23:51

The NY Times bestselling author’s latest book, “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball,” has been hailed as a masterpiece of sports writing. An award-winning journalist who’s written for the Boston Globe, the Atlantic, and the Washington Post, he covered Manny Chevrolet’s first campaign for mayor of New O…

1
TMP283 MIKE DOUSSAN: MUSICAL HEALING 1:16:09

3M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

The award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and singer began his career as Westbank Mike and the Fischer Project. He also plays with the Iko Allstars and the Desert Nudes. An arts education activist and mental health advocate, Mike has spent years promoting the healing power of music. Maybe he can help the Troubled Men. Topics include cold showers, ol…

1
TMP282 CHRIS LANE CRIES WOLF 1:26:03

4M ago1:26:03

1:26:03

The actor and comedian produced and hosted the Comic Strip burlesque show and was the emcee for the Fleur de Tease Burlesque Revue. Chris is also a film worker with a starring role in Henry Griffin’s free jazz comedy, “Mutiny.” Tonight the Valparaiso Men’s Chorus veteran joins the Troubled Men as they play it by ear. Topics include Essence Fest, th…

1
TMP281 STEVE LOWERY: DRAWING FROM LIFE 1:21:16

4M ago1:21:16

1:21:16

The acclaimed portrait artist and illustrator with the NY Yankees, the NY Times, and Madison Square Garden; friend of Dali, Ali, Frazier, and Roberto Duran; and tour photographer with Weather Report and Jaco’s Word of Mouth featured in episode 257 returns for a second round. It’s a free-associative gabfest covering art, sports, music, and a double …

1
TMP280 JAY GONZALEZ: A TRUCKER HITS THE ROAD 1:28:36

4M ago1:28:36

1:28:36

The keyboard and guitar player with Southern rock powerhouse band Drive-By Truckers is also a pop music fanatic, having released a string of candy-coated solo records over his career. His latest collaboration, “Roll Up A Song” with “Space Ghost” writer Pete Smith, is a power pop gem garnering a 4-star review from Mojo magazine. Developing an affini…

1
TMP279 CR GRUVER: UNUSUAL SUSPECT 1:25:40

5M ago1:25:40

1:25:40

The co-founding keyboard player and singer with the New Orleans Suspects spent years playing funk and soul music on the Southeastern club circuit before landing in town. Noticing a vacuum in children’s music training, he established two local branches of the School of Rock, where he passes on lessons learned over a lifetime on the bandstand. Tonigh…

1
TMP278 TOM THAYER'S NEW SUIT 1:20:47

5M ago1:20:47

1:20:47

The DBA co-founder ran the Frenchmen St. nightclub and booked talent for over 20 years. Selling the iconic institution last year, he resurrected the beloved Chazfest, promoting 2024’s event at the Broadside along with several other shows through his New Suit Productions. Having worked in clubs his entire life, like the Troubled Men, Tom does some o…

1
TMP277 MIKE STRECKER MAKES THE BOOK 1:15:24

5M ago1:15:24

1:15:24

The acclaimed writer and comedian has recently published his debut novel, “The Knights of Wade,” a comic tale set in New Orleans. Having written several successful children’s books, including “Jokes for Crescent City Kids,” his latest work has been favorably compared to “A Confederacy of Dunces” for its quirky local flavor. Tonight Mike encourages …

1
TMP276 CHERYL GERBER: DANSE MACABRE 1:16:38

6M ago1:16:38

1:16:38

The award-winning photographer and freelance journalist’s focus on New Orleans culture dates to her work for the legendary Michael P. Smith. While working as Gambit Weekly staff photographer, she’s chronicled the city’s contrasts and contradictions, producing images both comic and tragic, sacred and profane. Her new book, “The Danse Macabre: Celebr…

1
TMP275 SAGE MAAS & JAY HOLLAND: MANDATORY THERAPY 1:19:51

6M ago1:19:51

1:19:51

Musician and electrical/HVAC contractor Sage Maas and Narcissy guitarist/mastermind and registered nurse Jay Holland have been running partners going back to the heyday of the Mermaid Lounge. Sage survived a chaotic childhood to become a heroic and generous instigator. Jay is a guitar hero who plumbs the depths on stage and off, performing feats of…

1
TMP274 DOUG BELOTE: DRUMMING BELOW SEA LEVEL 1:22:22

7M ago1:22:22

1:22:22

The master drummer with credits including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, and Alison Krauss has completed his documentary film project,”Street Beat: Drumming Below Sea Level,” that examines New Orleans drummers and the second line tradition. Interviewing elders, such as Zigaboo Modeliste, Johnny Vidacovich, Carlo Nuccio, and Raymond Weber, a…

1
TMP273 BRAD ORGERON/JACK ORION AND DAMIEN YOUTH: BELLADONNA LOVERS 1:23:31

7M ago1:23:31

1:23:31

Brad Orgeron/Jack Orion is a 1st generation glam and punk rock singer and guitarist from the Contenders/Backstabbers and Aces 88 who started a band after seeing the New York Dolls, and was a witness to the local scene from its earliest days. Damien Youth is a reclusive, prolific psych/folk rock singer and guitarist who’s recorded over 50 albums of …

1
TMP272 MAX BERNARDI'S BIG REVEAL 1:18:15

8M ago1:18:15

1:18:15

She’s a muralist and painter with work at the Audubon Aquarium and the Orleans Casino, as well as a burlesque performer and producer with the legendary Shim Shamettes, and leader of her own band, the Souvenaires. Max is a sensitive artist, who hopefully remains unsullied by her time at the Christmas Club with the Troubled Men. Topics include Friday…

1
TMP271 CHARLIE KOHLMEYER GETS COMFORTABLE 1:05:43

8M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

The veteran drummer, pianist, and composer started his career playing Tyler’s Beer Garden with the James Rivers Movement. He spent years in NYC slinging bonds on Wall Street by day and making the downtown jazz scene by night. In spite of his family’s nearly 200-year history in New Orleans, Charlie had never been inside Snake and Jake’s Christmas Cl…

1
TMP270 ALISON FENSTERSTOCK ON THE CULTURAL RECORD 1:17:58

8M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

The former Times-Picayune and Gambit writer has spent her career covering arts and culture in New Orleans and beyond. As the Ponderosa Stomp Program Director, she helped showcase legendary figures of rock’n’roll for contemporary audiences. Currently writing the definitive book on beloved “Vic 'n Nat’ly” cartoonist and artist Bunny Matthews, along w…

1
TMP269 STAN BERTHEAUD COMES FULL CIRCLE 1:29:50

8M ago1:29:50

1:29:50

The architect, screenwriter, and college professor has always followed his instincts. Whether designing high-rise hotels, writing a film with Dwight Yoakam, or producing the decorated series “Architecture School” about post-Katrina residential rebuilding, he brings an enthusiasm that is infectious. Tonight Stan joins the Troubled Men. Let’s see who…

1
TMP268 SNAKE & JAKE'S 30TH BIRTHDAY PARTY 1:17:51

9M ago1:17:51

1:17:51

The stars align on the triple witching day of Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and Snake and Jake’s 30th Birthday celebration as the Troubled Men assemble among the penitents and partygoers. Luminaries drop in for cameos, and bar owner Dave Clements offers insights on the origins of the Christmas Club Lounge and the future of the Clempire. Topics in…

1
TMP267 CC ADCOCK: LAFAYETTE MARQUIS 1:18:48

9M ago1:18:48

1:18:48

The guitar player, songwriter, record producer, and cofounder of Lafayette swamp pop supergroup Lil’ Band O' Gold has spent the last years recording and touring with the legendary singer and “Sweet Dreams” composer Tommy McLain. Their album “I Ran Down Every Dream,” cowritten with Elvis Costello, has led them to national TV appearances and prestigi…

1
TMP266 MICHAEL GIRARDOT: THE REVIVALISTS 1:10:19

9M ago1:10:19

1:10:19

The trumpet and keyboard player with the platinum-selling Revivalists is also a veteran of Rotary Downs and Big Rock Candy Mountain. The hard-touring Revivalists released their 5th studio album, “Pour It Out Into the Night,” last summer, and have spent the year making TV appearances, playing festivals, and selling out concert halls. Proving you’re …

1
TMP265 LYNN DRURY'S HIGH TIDE 1:15:11

9M ago1:15:11

1:15:11

As the beloved singer, songwriter, and guitarist releases the single “Love Bomb” in anticipation of her album “High Tide,” the former rodeo rider returns for a Part 2. It’s been a whirlwind year that included epic recording sessions at Dockside Studio, a devastating shoulder injury, and a music community-wide “Lynnefit” tribute show. With her body …

1
TMP264 ANTHONY (TURDUCKEN) DELROSARIO: COMFORT IN DECAY 1:12:29

10M ago1:12:29

1:12:29

The artist and cultural documentarian behind the NOLA ’Nacular gallery, focusing on New Orleans vernacular culture, is also the mastermind of Turducken Productions. Through Turducken he presented over 500 indie rock shows, 400 of which were held at the beloved Mermaid Lounge. Anthony is a tireless champion of the city’s unique character. Indulging …

1
TMP263 GREGG HILL SEES THE LIGHT 1:19:21

10M ago1:19:21

1:19:21

The Americana singer-songwriter, software developer, and former TV executive at Bravo/AMC has accomplished enough to fill several lifetimes. After riding the cable television explosion through the ‘90s, he dropped out to study Buddhism with master Thich Nhat Hanh and later spearheaded Occupy Wall Street following the 2008 financial meltdown. Celebr…

1
TMP262 RAY MOORE: THE BLUE ROOM REVISITED 1:20:00

10M ago1:20:00

1:20:00

The sax, clarinet, and flute master is a veteran of the Al Belletto Big Band, the CAC Jazz Orchestra, and the Fairmont/Roosevelt Hotel’s swanky Blue Room supper club, where he backed up national acts including Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Natalie Cole. He currently plays with a variety of headliners such as the Temptations and the O’Jays. Man…

1
TMP261 TROUBLED IN THE CHRISTMAS CLUB 1:11:34

10M ago1:11:34

1:11:34

René and Manny return to their roots as they hunker down at the Christmas Club Lounge to discuss good times and air grievances (and open listener gifts) in this final show of the year. Topics include a first guest, the Lynn Drury benefit, Doug Belote, Glenn Hartman, a Keith Duncan mural, the 2024 election, political violence, a tuna sandwich, Grey …

1
TMP260 JIMMY VIVINO ON THE AIR 1:30:37

11M ago1:30:37

1:30:37

The guitarist and bandleader on all of Conan O’Brien’s TV shows has spent his career working with artists including Laura Nyro, John Sebastian, Al Kooper, Levon Helm, Dion, and Phoebe Snow. Currently with legendary blues scholars Canned Heat, he remains an in-demand session player, arranger, and music director for a wide array of blues, soul, pop, …

1
TMP259 GREGORY BOYD: THERE'S SOMETHING ROCKIN' IN DENMARK 1:25:12

11M ago1:25:12

1:25:12

The globetrotting steel drummer, vocalist, and songwriter learned to play the steel pans during his 3 years in the U.S. Navy Steel Band. His passionate approach led to work with Michael Ray’s Cosmic Krewe, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Charmaine Neville, Kermit Ruffins, and Jon Cleary. Relocating to Denmark, he’s toured extensively throughout Scandinavia, W…

1
TMP258 ANGELLE TROSCLAIR BRINGS IT HOME 1:14:33

11M ago1:14:33

1:14:33

The venerable jazz and pop singer, pianist, and songwriter began her career at 11 years old, playing trad jazz in Dunc’s Honky Tonks kids band. While a student at Loyola, she landed the Playboy Club gig as the singer in the Al Belletto band. An Epic Records deal brought her to L.A., where she recorded several solo albums and worked as a session voc…

1
TMP257 STEVE LOWERY: PORTRAITS OF REMARKABLE MEN 1:31:05

11M ago1:31:05

1:31:05

The artist’s scholarship to the Art Students League of NY led to befriending Salvador Dali, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Roberto Duran; working as a NY Times illustrator, the NY Yankees’ art director, and a Madison Square Garden ringside portrait artist; and touring as a photographer with Weather Report and Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth. He’s now…

1
TMP256 JIMMY ANSELMO: NIGHTCLUBBING IN THE WAR ZONE 1:15:11

12M ago1:15:11

1:15:11

The owner and manager of the fabled Jimmy’s Music Club grew up in French Quarter bars owned by his former prizefighter father. As a delivery boy, Jimmy knew all the Quarter luminaries, from restaurant maitre’ds to the dancers at the strip clubs. His namesake nightclub served as ground zero for punk rock, R’n’B, and roots music acts. Tonight Jimmy j…

1
TMP255 DARREN HILL: RED ROCKERS REUNITED 1:21:33

12M ago1:21:33

1:21:33

The bassist and founding member of the legendary Red Rockers/Rat Finks, who recently reunited after 40 years to celebrate the reissue of their breakthrough LP “Condition Red,” has also managed the New York Dolls, Roky Erickson, Paul Westerberg/the Replacements, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones through his Ten Pin Management agency. A busy guy, Darre…

1
TMP254 JEFF MASSEY ANSWERS THE CALL 1:30:21

1y ago1:30:21

1:30:21

The in-demand Happy Talk drummer, formerly with post-punk favorites Malevitus, has recently joined the cinematic Early Day Miners. Signed to a new record deal, the group is poised to hit the road like a pack of teenagers in support of their new release. Jeff has lived all over the country, so he has friends everywhere. Tonight he joins the Troubled…

1
TMP253 JQ PALMS GETS MOUTHY 1:28:38

1y ago1:28:38

1:28:38

The stand-up comic, writer, director, and co-host of the Seen Partners podcast is well known on the local scene, headlining at the N.O. Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest, and the Comedy House. Following her escape from indentured servitude on a Mendocino weed farm, the former Circle Bar bartender stumbled into an improv show which ignited a passion th…

1
TMP252 PHILIP MELANCON: PIANO BAR CONFIDENTIAL 1:15:21

1y ago1:15:21

1:15:21

The pianist, vocalist, and long-time owner of the Neutral Ground Coffee House is a veteran cabaret performer, holding court at some of the swankiest rooms in the city for decades. His musical satire and American Songbook shows featuring composers including Henry Mancini, Allan Sherman, and Anthony Newley/Leslie Briccuse always have crowds smiling a…

1
TMP251 JUDE ACERS, DEREK BRIDGES, & BAYLEE BADAWY: CHECK MATES 1:24:05

1y ago1:24:05

1:24:05

With the documentary chronicling chess icon Jude Acers, “The Man in the Red Beret,” making the film festival circuit, filmmaker Derek Bridges and Chess Cave founder Baylee Badawy trace Jude’s epic life from orphan to world record holder and chess promo giant. His World Chess Table on Decatur St. is instantly recognizable to locals and tourists, and…

1
TMP250 HUGO MONTERO SERVES IT UP 1:24:07

1y ago1:24:07

1:24:07

The Casa Borrega founder was among the first wave of spray can fine artists in his hometown of Mexico City following graduation from an elite teachers’ college. Making his way to New Orleans, he wowed Frenchmen St. crowds with his live painting exhibitions, making contacts that landed him shows at the CAC and the Smithsonian Museum in DC, among oth…

1
TMP249 BEN JAFFE PLAYS HARD TO GET 1:31:17

1y ago1:31:17

1:31:17

The iconic tuba and bass player with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and creative director of the Hall has led a revitalization of the legendary institution cofounded by his parents in 1961. Growing up in an apartment above the business, he was surrounded by a who’s who of trad jazz giants from an early age, and ran loose on the streets of the Fren…

1
TMP248 SEARCH PARTY A' GO-GO 1:02:51

1y ago1:02:51

1:02:51

When a guest goes missing on the streets of New Orleans, René and Manny suspend judgement and forge ahead. Never at a loss for words, the Troubled Men have no problem filling the void. Is it an oversight, a happy accident, or something more sinister? Only time will tell. Topics include a change of season, a new record, a tragic birthday, airlines, …

1
TMP247 WASHBOARD CHAZ LEARY COMES CLEAN 1:13:10

1y ago1:13:10

1:13:10

The beloved washboard master and singer with the Tin Men, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, Washboard Rodeo, and his own blues trio was also a cofounder and namesake of the legendary Chaz Fest, which ran for 11 years as the bohemian 9th Ward alternative to Jazz Fest. With a kit that adds woodblock, coffee cans, and a front desk bell to the traditional was…

1
Feral Zone 17 MARIO MONTEROSSO: MASTERING CHAOS 1:18:46

1y ago1:18:46

1:18:46

The guitarist, composer, and record producer with Tav Falco’s Panther Burns caught the rock’n’roll bug during the rockabilly revival of his youth in Sicily, where he devoured the records of Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, and the Stray Cats’ Brian Setzer. His passion for music brought him to Rome and ultimately to Memphis. Mario grew up in…

1
Feral Zone 16 HAMMOND SCOTT: BLACK TOP CROSSROADS 1:24:57

1y ago1:24:57

1:24:57

The Black Top Records co-founding president, record producer, and A&R director was personal manager for the legendary Gatemouth Brown as well as an assistant district attorney for Orleans Parish. Between releasing over 100 albums of new blues, soul, and r&b, traveling the world with bands, and practicing law, he’s seen enough to fill several lifeti…

1
TMP246 IAN BOWMAN: HEAD OF THE CLASS 1:17:28

1y ago1:17:28

1:17:28

The in-demand tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger with jazz/funk wunderkinder Naughty Professor played his way into the group as a freshman at Loyola. Developing a national following, the band became a hard-touring powerhouse playing over 100 dates a year and releasing a string of LPs and singles featuring collaborators like Ivan Neville, Cha…

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