April 19, 2025 • 42 mins
The Real Rundown!In this no-holds-barred convo, Goldy goes full throttle with Ben Coat, Boston-born shredder, stage slayer, and Berklee-bred axe master. They tear into Ben’s wild ride through the music scene, from sleepless nights at Berklee to the blood, sweat, and broken strings of building a band that doesn’t just play gigs, it blows minds.Ben drops truth bombs about what really goes on behind the curtain of rock and roll. Spoiler: It ain’t all backstage passes and pyrotechnics. It’s grit, grind, and nonstop hustle. He opens up about the magic of live shows that leave fans breathless, and how today’s rockers have to master more than just their instruments; they've gotta conquer the digital stage, too.This episode is a backstage pass into the guts and glory of chasing the dream with a band of brothers. Raw, real, and louder than life. This is what rock is made of.Golden Nuggets!
Chapters00:00 Introducing Ben Coat: The Guitar Virtuoso02:50 The Rock and Roll Revival: Keeping the Flame Alive06:09 Berklee College of Music: A Launchpad for Success08:57 Navigating Band Dynamics: The Challenge of Lineup Changes11:46 The Hard Work Behind the Glamour of Rock
- Ben Coat is a rising star in the rock music scene.
- He performs three to four times a month across the Northeast.
- His band plays a mix of original songs and covers.
- Berklee College of Music has been instrumental in his career.
- Maintaining a consistent band lineup is challenging.
- Treating music as a business is essential for success.
- Creating a memorable live show experience is a priority.
- Social media has become a vital tool for musicians.
- The music industry requires hard work beyond just playing music.
- Collaboration and chemistry among band members are crucial.
Chapters00:00 Introducing Ben Coat: The Guitar Virtuoso02:50 The Rock and Roll Revival: Keeping the Flame Alive06:09 Berklee College of Music: A Launchpad for Success08:57 Navigating Band Dynamics: The Challenge of Lineup Changes11:46 The Hard Work Behind the Glamour of Rock
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
From the heart of Massachusetts comes a six string slinger
with fire in his fingertips and thunder in his tone.
With five original albums under his belt. This dude isn't
just playing guitar. He's channeling the spirit of the greats.
A killer writer, a next level shredder, and a performer
who plays like every solo might be his last because
(00:50):
he knows someone in that crowd came to have.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Their face melted.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
They're calling him the next Eddie van Halen.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
And not just because of the speed or the flash.
It's the soul.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It's the feel. It's the raw, unfiltered passion that reminds
us that rock and roll ain't dead. It just moved
into a new pair of boots. And tonight it's stopping
across our stage Goldie's Closet.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Ladies and gentlemen, strap in and.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Plug up, because you're about to meet the man keeping
the flame alive, the one the only Ben Coat.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Welcome to Goldies Closet.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
All right, sounds good?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Ben? Tell me, like what part of the world do
you hail?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
And you don't have to get specific, but like where,
like where are you performing, where do you live, what's
your what's your vibe there, and again you don't need
to get specific, just like where's home?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, Boston, Massachusetts?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Okay, cool?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Cool? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I see all of these shows that you have
online all the time, like how often are you I
hate that word gigging what it is word?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
But how often are you playing?
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, we're probably three or four times a month I
think at this point, you know, and there we play
all over the Northeast and East Coast region. My goal
for twenty twenty five is to try to you know,
get us more nationally playing shows.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But which I mean, you're doing it. You're doing everything
that you're supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Your shows are one hundred percent original. Do you guys
ever do any covers at all? Like, what's your mix?
How does that work?
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, we do. We do a lot of covers,
you know, as well as well.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We have five original albums out right now, so we
have plenty of plenty.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Of original material.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
But you know, it's like I try to put on
the type of show that I would enjoy as someone
in the audience. So we try to really, I guess,
the whole point of of my band and everything that
we're doing was was trying to kind of keep the
flame of of rock and roll alive.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
So even at our live shows, we.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Try to play some some of our favorite covers as
well as our original music.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And we just did a show with an opening spot,
and I remember one of the podcasts that I did before,
they were saying like, is it going to be all originals?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I mean, it's like I remember getting out there and
like it was so rock and like.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
You got a car going by, I'll give it a beat.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Be sorry, it'll happen to me too.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It was so rock and I was just like, you
know what, I just was looking out at the crowd.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And like these people don't really know us. We're in
a new market, and so I was like, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Let's do a mix, because you made a really great
point and I'm going to steal that. You said you
would like to put on the type of show that
if you were in the crowd, you know that that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
People would would enjoy.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That's that says a lot about you, though it's not
all like oh, you know what I mean. I mean
if people people want to hear stuff once in a
while that's reminiscent or nostalgic and then then you got
up by the balls and then you could be like, hey,
if you like this, we've got this, you know, and
then you can play your stuff too. So where did
your you have a full band?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, where did you find these gals? Girls?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I don't know who's in your band? Tell me a
little bit about your band to find out more about you.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Okay, So I went.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
To Berkeley College of Music, you know here in Boston,
and saw that actually I work.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I work for Berkeley Now it's my day job.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
So I doing what I'm the senior coordinator for the
guitar department there.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
So dude, how much of a dream gig is that
that you get to still be around music for your
we call it in wrestling, we call it our shoot job.
And then you get to just go be like you know,
Batman at night or after work Like that's the perfect. Wow,
that's a blessing. That says again a lot about you.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
So yeah, I got the best day job in the
world for for what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So what is your day job? What do you do
during your day job?
Speaker 5 (04:36):
So essentially, I guess my main role is I'm the
academic advisor to the chair of the guitar department there.
So it's got a lot of the more of the
behind the scenes stuff I think, you know, academically.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
For for all these tunes.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
But yeah, but I mean, you know, being an alum
from Berkeley too, and it's they're very accommodating and very understanding,
you know when I have a gig or I have
to go, you know, do something for my band.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, it's really really.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah, that's a tough school to get into. That's just
a Now, Berkeley is different. There's two different Berkeley's. There's
the California Berkeley and then yours, right.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yes, yes, they're totally separate, yes, yes, separate. Yeah, yes, yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
The Berkeley in California is spelt with a y.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, there's no a.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
A lot of people, you know, think that there's there's
a connection, but they're totally separate schools. The Berkeley College
of Music is its own, separate just a music music college.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Well, your vibe is different. And then there's what's the
one in Nashville, Belmont.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Okay, that's right, it is Belmont. Well, then there's yet
this Juilliard.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
I think Berkeley and Juilliard are probably Argue and then
Musicians Institute in LA which I actually I went to
Musicians Institute.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
For a little while before I went to Berkeley.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And how was that?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Uh, there was a lot of great teachers there, but
it just it wasn't it wasn't the right fit for
what I was trying to accomplish, you know, with my career.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
So interesting at a lot more for how how many
years had you spent at Berkeley?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Four years?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Okay, four years?
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Yeah, four years as a student and I've been there
ever since.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
Then I was like, did they approach you or was
there an opening and that you saw.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It or did you organically happen or what so?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Ray when I graduated in twenty eighteen from Berkeley, and
then right after I graduated, they asked me to come
back and teach for the summer programs part time.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
So I did that for two.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Years and then the position opened up, which was a
full time position as the you know, as part of
the administration staff.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So I was able to transition into that and I
get that job because as much as I love teaching,
it's like, well, this is health insurance and.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
You know, no, and.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That's that's that's smart and like there are so many
people out there listening that have something that they want
to do, Ben, and I don't know, I guess you
have such a great you have such a great vibe,
Like that's why I asked you on the show, Like
you just seem like a half be person and you're
just kind.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I really think that the universe.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Or God or whoever you believe in rewards you with
that with great opportunities.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And there's so many people that.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Want to do something, but they're like stuck in something
that isn't understanding about what else they want to do
or I don't know, sometimes I think they're almost like
self sabotaging.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Like I would say, if.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
This is what you want to do and this is
what you love, then really start exploring opportunities that surround that,
you know. I mean I love to do what you do,
and I shoot photography and do graphic design and you
know other crazy jobs are us that allow me to
be able to go.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Rock and do what I need to do.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And then some of that's a sacrifice too, you know,
like sometimes everything can't just be Like I'm glad that
you get health insurance and benefits, like that's killer, Like
that's not the case with everybody. So that's a really
you really have a good thing and it's fueling you
to go out and.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Kick some ass. Let's talk about you already have five
albums that are out.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Yes, yeah, so name them. So the first one was
called tit Chans and Sunglasses. That was in twenty sixteen.
Twenty eighteen was our album Gets Your Licks. In twenty
twenty we recorded during the pandemic and released it and
it was titled What the Doctor Ordered. Then last year
twenty twenty three, we had the album album come out
(08:23):
We'll Use It or Lose It, And then this past
summer we just released our latest album.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Cell You La Babylon the same guys. How long the
guys are they all men?
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah? Yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So the dudes that you have, now, how long have
you been with them?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
This lineup probably about a year.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
We called a lineup I called a cast.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Okay, So the lineup before that, did they do one
or two albums?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Like?
Speaker 4 (08:46):
How long do your lineups usually last? For your your group,
your original acts.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Let's see, So we've had pretty much, for the most part,
almost a different cast, you know, for almost every album cycle,
but a lot of it was you know, it's because well,
when I formed this band, which is you know, it's
called the ben Cody Band, which the reason being is
actually uh my drummer at the time when we formed
this band, which you know, I'm sure you and any
(09:14):
musician you know listening to this can attest to. You know,
it's it's very difficult to keep a band together, you know,
for various reasons.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
So when whenever you have some sort of lineup change,
and a lot of times, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Then there's issues with what's the band name? You know,
you know what, what's the identity? So my drummer at
the time this was, you know, probably almost ten years
ago now, so why don't we just call it the
ben Cody Band. He's like, you're you're fronting it that way,
there's a consistent image, and then you know, there's a
revolving door of musicians, then we can still keep one
one identity.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So that's that's kind of how that.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Band, how the band came came to fruition that way.
But you know, I've had this band right through my
time as a student at Berkeley, So there's a lot
of times where you know, we'd have band members that
you know, might have been older than me, and then
they would graduate and you know, go move off to
different parts of the country or sometimes you.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Know, you know, they would move move home, which sometimes
is international as well, you know, and then you know,
some some got fired. You know, some.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
People don't understand that that's a good point, that this
is a topic that you don't really hear a lot
spoken about just because it's kind of taboo or which
you know, I've got such thick skin that you know,
I read all these things that people write about me,
like just because I'm this raging bitch and everybody quipped
and it's just like whatever, Like they don't realize, like
(10:34):
you just made some really great points. Like people move on,
Like they meet somebody and they want to get married,
They move out of the country. They they need health insurance,
and take a job that doesn't allow them to.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Do anything but work way more than a forty hour week.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Like it is such a it's it's a testament again
to you.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Like I think about that sometimes because.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Well, if you looked at my ceiling, my ceiling is
like I'm going to show everybody my ceiling. It is
because it's a good point. So my ceiling is like
a graveyard. It's literally the graveyard of every body that
you know. Once they're not in the band anymore, I
just put them up on the ceiling and I keep
it ben because there's always one person that's consistent in
(11:20):
all the photos, me.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What I mean, and my our.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Drummer has been with me for fifteen years, like and
that's she's just my greatest everything. It's very very hard
to keep anything going, yea. All these people start up
a podcast and then they realize, like, oh, it's work.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Like I've been doing a podcast.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
For nine years every single week, Like that's a lot.
I've been in a band since I was fourteen fifteen
years old, and I'm not fourteen or fifteen years old anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And I keep showing up like that.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Is one of the things about making it in any business,
not entertainment, not plumbing, not medical, it's showing up. And
there's some quote that's out there somebody said that ninety
nine percent of success or whatever percentages is showing up.
So that's a great point that you that you make,
like and that that drummer ten years ago was very
(12:17):
sweet and very wise. And obviously not a narcissist in
any way. And I hope you still talk to that guy.
It's curious, Uh yeah occasionally.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So you're not like you don't have heat with them,
You're not like.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Uh no, no, not like that.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
I think just you know, life just kind of took
us different directions, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, but he was a wise guy, Like that's smart.
I can just keep it going and you just keep
keep keep going.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Yeah, and and uh, it's really you know, being in
a band, it's a lot of hard work and not
a lot of payoff, you know, for for a while anyway,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I said, a lot of hard work. Tell me about it.
I want to hear you saying.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Especially nowadays, you know, there's you have to it's more
than just playing.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Music, you know. It's it's you have to do everything.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Especially all your graphics, all your stuff I do.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, it's it's a you gotta gotta be a graphic designer.
You gotta be you know, a manager, you got to
be a booking agent. You know, you gotta be a producer,
an engineer, you know, a marketer. You gotta do every
And it's like I'm at the point now with my
band that.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Which I guess I never really answered the question about,
you know, the lineup, which I can get to in
a minute.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
But my rhythm guitar player, you know, plays in.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
A lot of you know, other local bands as well,
and he was just telling me he's like, you know,
he's like all these other bands that that he's in,
He's like this one, he's like the ben Cody Ban's like,
it's just so organized. I mean we have Google sheets,
we have Google docs, we have a band Google calendar.
It's like we put everything down in there, you know,
we have you know, it's it's kind of nerdy almost,
you know, because I approach it like like an office job,
(13:54):
you know, at least part of it as an office job,
just being as organized as you can, because it's just,
you know, the more the more that you have going on,
you know, the busier it.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Is, you know, the harder it is.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
So it's just a matter of just trying to stay
on top of everything and treat it, you know, with
treat the band and treat the job, you know, with
the respect that you would any other job, you know,
and that's I think easier said than done, because I
think just especially with rock and roll. You know, there's
a I think it's just the vibe or that the
aesthetic that it's it's just you know, roll all night
(14:30):
party every day, and it's you know, you see something
on stage, you see the glitz and glamour of a
band on stage, but you don't see the tens of
thousands of hours behind the scenes that you know, make
that happen.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I want to talk about that more, but I want
to insert something that is just relevant to what you're
saying and go back to your cast that keep that question.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I tend to jump jump jump chess game.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
You know, you said people think it's rock and roll
party every day, quoting you know, one of the greatest
rock bands of all time.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And then you go and you look at that mother trucker, who.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Was the most business oriented dude ever, even down to
the songs that Kiss wrote, Gene would not allow any song.
And I think about this, I think subconsciously I think,
and consciously I think in a.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Little bit of a different way.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
But for people listening, Geene Simmons would never allow a
song that put their band in a place that wasn't
of power. It couldn't be this sad boo who like
it could be about a girl, but it still had
to put them over. It had they had to be
in control, in power. They had to be Their stuff
was very positive.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That was just party it was.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
But anything that made them look weak or just undesirable,
he wouldn't pass it.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Jane was horrible with just he was going to put
everything in his name.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Everything was going to be like he talked about a businessman,
like everything down to merch and write some royalties like
that guy. Just the other guys were just partying up.
And I don't think he even drinks. I don't think
she even drinks alcohol.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Oh wow, Yeah, that's that's what it takes, you know,
is having that self discipline and in multiple aspects.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Of your life.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Because he was just making sure that he was gonna,
you know, get it all like some bands are like that.
I try to share equally and do a lot, make
sure all our guys are covered. But it is it
should be, and that's what's missing. When people say I
can't get ahead, I'm not successful, this business sucks, blah
blah blah blah, It's like, yeah, but then what are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Well? We didn't have anybody show up at our show.
Did you promote it?
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Well, that's the club's job, not really, not really anymore.
Maybe back in the days it was that was the
club's job. But I wouldn't count on the club doing
jack shit. We buy ads, we do the graphics, we
make sure we invite people, we've got email lists.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
It's like a like a job.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
And I guess, like if there was more on the
line for people ball but they're just kind of treating
it as yeah, we'll go play that, Like I don't.
I don't take a show, Ben unless every show that
I look at every opportunity that I can suck out
of it, whether it be another booking or a private
party because we were exceptional.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
That night or x y Z. You know.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So I love that you treat it like a business
and you can tell and now I'm gonna check your
graphics out even more because I was already looking at
them because they were great.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So that's thank you.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Yeah, it's it's just you know, you gotta you just
gotta put as much production value into it as you can,
and a lot of times that means just you know,
doing everything other than the music as well as the music.
You know, what's your show like uh So, usually, well,
I guess it depends on on the type of show
that we're playing.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
I mean, sometimes we'll book a gig that we're the
only band on for the nights.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
We have you know, three or four sets, and then
that that's definitely you know, a pretty fifty to fifty
even mix of you know, covers and originals. You know.
Then we have, like we have a couple shows coming
up in a few weeks, you know, we're the headlining act,
and they'll be pretty more original heavy, you know, and
then we have a couple of opening acts.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
And it's more of like a concert, you know.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Yeah, I try to really put on the best and
again kind of go back to my comment, you know,
I try to put on the type of show that
I'd want to see in the audience.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
So I mean, we we bring our own lights, you know,
we bring fog machines.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
You know, we try to just we try to make
you know, a little club you know in you know,
rural Massachusetts, you know, wherever we're playing, you know, New Hampshire, Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
We try to make that look like you know, the
Whiskey Go go or you know, yeah, those guys are
blues or something.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Like that.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You know, did you get any of those guysers yet,
you know, like the fake pyro ones.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
No, no, I haven't yet, but I have seen those.
They look really.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Cool, really cool. What what do you guys wear?
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So usually uh kind of something like I'm wearing right now.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
I mean I don't I don't go too too crazy,
you know, as far as you know, stage clothes. But
you know it for me, it's just kind of, like
I said, trying to pass the or you know, carry
the torch of just kind of that great.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Golden age of arena rock, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
And and you know, I'm a guitar player first before
I'm a singer, you know, so it's you know, definitely
very guitar.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Heavy, amazing guitar player, amazing.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Well, thank you, thank you, But you know, and I
ended up I'm also the lead singers because you know,
sometimes you just have to do it yourself.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
But yeah, what we were going to bookmark there was
one other thing that I wanted to address before I
move down to the next part of the pod.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
You said I didn't answer that question.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
YEA, yeah, I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
So there's this lineup we have, We're four. We used
to always be a three piece. Then we were a
four piece for a little while with a lead singer,
probably six or seven years ago. And now then we
went back to a three piece and I kind of
took over lead vocals. Now we're a four piece again,
so as myself on guitar and vocals. Then we have
Adam Corlito who's a Berkeley drummer actually just graduated this
(20:03):
past spring, who's probably the.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Best drummer ever worked with, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
And then we have Rob Moore on rhythm guitar, who
is also another Berkeley alum who also works for Berkeley
as well, so cool in the same same boat.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
He's works for a department. And then my bass player,
who actually does do a lot of the lead vocals
as well with me, has been one of my best
friends since high school. So so just it's a good
good balance.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Has he been in the band for a while.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Then the bass player, so we were in a bunch
of bands together in high school.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
And then you know he uh he actually works for
a John Deere uh, and you know, but so he
kind of went went that route with life. So he
would always just kind of be like, uh, because I
treat my band kind of like a sports team almost,
like you have the starters, then you have you know,
the second string, you know, so if there's ever a
gig that comes up and someone can't do, it's like,
(20:56):
all we have someone on the bench that So he
would always just kind of be like, yeah, just keep
me a backup, you know, if you ever need a bass.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Player for something.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
That and then and it got to the point that
now where he's at in his career, he's at a
point where he's able to take any time off for gigs,
and that's when he's kind of like, you know, I'm
available to be kind of the.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Starter, you know, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
If and he's just not only as a phenomenal vocalist
and musician and songwriter, it's just when you play with
which I'm sure you probably know, when you play with
someone for such a long time, it's like you can
just read each other on stage, you know, in a
way that that you can't work with other people. So
so having him in the lineup is really really helped
(21:38):
a lot.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
That is such a gift, and it's cool to talk
to you just because like this is something and maybe
some people listening would resonate with us or be able
to identify. But there's I don't know how to explain it,
Like so I everybody kind of knows like I'm not
a big drinker, don't really do any drugs, or just
never really been into all that because and it's the
(21:59):
same kind of dudes. It's like there's just such a
thing like what you were just describing when and it
could be very similar to like a person with a
police partner or just somebody that you have such a
connection with. And it's I guess when I say police partner,
because it's a little bit different than just somebody that
(22:20):
goes to a nine to five with somebody and then
they go home, Like you're breathing these people's air for
like days on end. Sometimes when we're touring and got
to get along. It's I think I think everybody in
life should be in a band. I think everybody should
have a very large vehicle that they have to drive,
like a C class, so that they know what the
fuck is going on out on the road when they're
mad and they're in people's blind spaces and they're like
(22:42):
move and it's like this is a big rig that
we drive our we all have licenses to drive our
tour in vehicles. They should be in a band just
because like there's so many times when I'm just so
sick of the very voice of the people that I'm
with and I just want to break, but like there's
nowhere to go because they're sitting next to me, and
I'm sure they just are ready to like knock me
(23:02):
out at any given second because they're just you know,
you're just on each other's nerves and you're annoyed, but
you you have to just like have peace and find
grace and put up with everybody and just keep on
going and decide that the next place people want to.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Stop for lunch or whatever is going to be their call.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Or it's such a beautiful, interesting, I don't know what,
just scenario being being in a band and like, yeah,
connection with people.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
It's very different than other people's gig.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
Oh yeah, And it's definitely a big, a big part
of I think picking a band, and especially too with
the way this band's set up. It's like I always say,
like it's not at the end of the day, it's
not really a democracy, you know, it's it's you know,
my name's on it. So I need to kind of
sign off on the decisions. But at the same time,
it's like, you know, I still want it to be
a gang. I want to be a collaborative effort, and
(23:53):
I get that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
That's a really great way of putting it.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Everyone you know in this lineup are mature enough and
profession enough to understand that they need and making to
understand you know, their role. And and also, I mean
the most important part too, is just our personalities, mesh,
I think in a really good way, because that's something
that I think that gets overlooked.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It's like I'd rather take someone that you.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Know, maybe isn't necessarily the best musician best player, but
I get along with them in a deeper level because
you're gonna get a lot more out of that musically
than someone who can just you know, shred and but
you know, the.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Really hard to get along with.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
But luckily I lucked out and I have players that
are phenomenal players and great people too.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
So no, that's I'm so happy for you talk about
what's going on like the next year, not let's let's
let's hit. Let's just promo the heck out of everything
going on and where we can find you and how
we can support you.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:43):
So well, uh, my main I guess area of kind
of reaching me, and I think the thing has been
really feeding the success of.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
My band is my Instagram.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Okay, in Instagram and TikTok because actually during during the pandemic,
you know, when the world shut down, you know, I was,
I was furlowed like most of Berkeley.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
You know, I was furlowed from Berkeley for a year.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Obviously I couldn't gig because you know, everything was shut down.
So that's when I started kind of paying more attention
to social media and live streaming and things like that,
because up until that point, I never really had too
much interest.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I was.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I was always kind of old school about I want
to play live. But that kind of forced me to
kind of.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
With the times, and so I started really kind of
focusing on building up my social media and unfortunately, what
kind of helped kind of snowball me into you know,
the following I have now on Instagram, unfortunately, was when
my hero Eddi van Halen passed away in October of
twenty twenty. Because then all of a sudden, everything I'd
been doing since I was like fourteen years old became
(25:43):
really mainstream, like whenever a big artist dies, and that's
when you know, everyone starts. You know, people that weren't
even a huge fan, that's when they kind of come
out of the word work. So that kind of made
everything that I was doing really relevant for you know
a few months, and then that was kind of started
this wave now. So I never, you know, had any
Tristan kind of being a social media or Instagram guitarist,
but you know, I have a very very dedicated following
(26:07):
on Instagram and which is interesting too. And I was
having this conversation the other day with someone that you know,
even like ten years ago, there was like physical scenes,
you know, physical music scenes like oh this is the
Boston scene, this is the Nashville scene. And now it's
not quite like that.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
There's like a niche, like everything that I do is
very kind of eighties hair metal kind of revival, and.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
There's a big scene for that. But it's all online now,
so it's like it's not one physical area. So I
have you know, fans in England at fans of school
and fans in LA So it.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Does make it more difficult to physically.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
Tour because it's like, well, it's like you know, one
hundred thousand people, one hundred thousand followers, you know, might
look like kind of a lot, but then once you
realize it's spread across the globe, it's really.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
You know, you can't really go to one area and
you know, expect right turn out.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
You can get. You can get your music going like
you're doing, and.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Just fuel that as much as possible and use that,
use that gas to figure out pockets and places.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
That you can go play and team up with other people.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
And and I love, I love the kind of music
that you're and I get you know, people will say, oh,
rock is dead.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
I'm like, it's not dead at all. Like there's like people.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Riding around on fake horses, and that's like a thing.
There's like all this freaky ship that's out there, like
nothing is dead. Maybe you only pay attention to one
niche and that's what comes across your algorithm and your
feed is you know, your pop or your R and
B or whatever, the your diddy freak offs, whatever, your click.
This is all I get now because I'm just so
fascinated on what's going on with them that everything on
(27:44):
my feet is just because I lived and and you know,
you did too if you went to like where did
you live in Hollywood?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Where about I live on Orchid Aves right behind the
Grahmin's Theater.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So yeah, so you've seen some ship like some other thing.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
I was trying to get some work done yesterday, but
it popped up about some influencer and he had like
a bunch of his segments all stitched into one, so
it was like an hour long, and I was like
trying to not listen to it, but I had to
just because because he was talking about like this party
that he got invited to and like Laurel Canyon or
you know, and then just like should hit the fan
(28:20):
and it got really weird and it was like culty
and they were doing initiation things, and I'm just so
fascinated by that because I because I was in the
midst of all of it, and I ditched all of
it because it's just like, I mean, I'm just somebody
that's like if I don't want.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
To do something, there's no like persuading me. Like it
ain't happening.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Like I said, I don't even drink or like do anything,
and people are still like trying to get me.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
And I'm like, this is.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Really like come on, high school's over, Like I didn't
do it, then I'm sure not going to listen to.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Your blame ass and come to career pressure.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
But I was so fascinated by this creepy shit because
because I just remember being at so many parties and
just like you can feel like something shifting or changing,
and I'm like, I'm out, and I just used the good,
good old glory excuses.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh my god, I've got diarrhea. Do you have a
bad No, I better leave. I have explosive diarrhea.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
I think I'm gonna show I have shipped my pants
and like people just like they immediately pull away from you,
and then that's my out. So if you ever are
on a date to where you're married, but if you
ever need a really great out, the diarrhea one where,
oh my god, it works every time. My mom had
Crone's disease, so I got to witness it firsthand. God
Rest your soul. Like she was always shitting her pants everywhere.
(29:31):
She made a joke about it, but it was really
hard on her self esteem.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
But I just have Mom. Wherever you are, I birol that.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
So if you were ever in an uncomfortable situation where
you feel like things are gonna be bad soon, just
pull that card out. I'm gonna give it all to
you guys listening. Use the diarrhea card.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
It works.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah yeah, I'll have to keep that in mind now.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
But there's some did you see some weird stuff when
you were in LA or we're just kind of like
busy doing your thing, because I really, I mean I was.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Out there to you know, to go to school, and
I was I mean, I was out there.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
I was eighteen.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
That was my first time I ever. That was the
farthest I'd ever been from home. I have no family
or any roots out there.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
The predatories are looking for.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah, so I was as far away from from home
that I could possibly be in the continental US.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
But yeah, this was I mean, I was out there
twenty thirteen. Oh wow, So it wasn't quite as I mean,
it was still in hollywoods always been a dumb but
I used to have charm and then I was out
I was.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
I was out in LA this past January, and that
was the first time I've been since, you know, since
I lived out there years ago. And I was pretty
heartbroken just how far gone it's it's gotten, you know,
and getting pretty pretty gross and horrible. But I didn't
really see too much because you know, when I was
out there, I was pretty much just going to class
and just crackicing guitar and even I mean even still.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Now, but especially back then, like at that age, just
like my blinders.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
It was just you know, especially in like high school
through college. I mean, I was just I was just
always the loser at home, just practicing my guitar on Friday.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And Saturday nights, you know, but I'm still that loser.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
But but yeah, that was I didn't really see too
much there. But I guess to get to get back
to your original question, I'm sorry, I keep I keep
taking this out truck.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I'm taking you off because it's fun. People expect that.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But yeah, so I guess, you know, as far as
you know, the next year.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
But that's looking like so all that being said about
you know, Instagram and all that, it's like, I know
I have I know I have the following out there,
so I'm trying to get to them physically. So you know,
I'm trying to get us out of the Northeast area
as far as you know, playing live shows, and we're
looking to right now, in the process of booking some
shows actually, speaking of l A, you know, trying trying
(31:53):
to get some shows out there. You know, probably be
coming down South a bit, and we're trying to you know,
get out nationally as much as we can. So definitely,
you know, booking for twenty twenty five, you know, spring summer,
some tour dates there, and then, like I said, we
just released an album this past summer called Saylo Babylons.
We've been pushing that, but we have a live album,
(32:15):
which I haven't haven't officially announced yetter I guess I'll
do it here. We recorded a live album this past
summer one of our shows outside of Boston because no
no one does live albums anymore, so we had We've
played one show at a venue called the Rockwood in
Boston and someone brought like.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
An old an actual old school tape recorder I still
I still know who it is and recorded the whole
album on a boot leg and put it on YouTube.
And I saw that and it was like this really.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Grimy kind of old tape recording, like really low fi thing,
Like you know, it'd be pretty cool if we tried
to do like our own bootleg album.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
So we just set up a couple of mics, and
so I'm hoping to have that album out hopefully by Christmas,
just because, like I said, no one, he stays as
a live album.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
And it's also I'm trying to shed the whole Instagram
guitarist things. I know a lot of people, Oh Ben Good,
he's an Instagram guitar players, He's a TikTok guitarist.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
And it's like I'm trying to get people to see
that I don't just sit in my apartment and just
I don't think any of that. I never got that
vibe from There's there's plenty, there's plenty of comments I'm getting.
So it's like I'm trying to say, look, you know
I'm I'm I'm paying the dues. You know I'm out there.
You know I'm out there playing live. And then we
have we have our next studio album.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
We're writing and planning on getting that recorded this winner,
and hopefully we'll have our next sixth studio album out
for next summer to to coincide with hopefully some tour dates.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Who is your buddy? What's his name? Ricky something?
Speaker 3 (33:47):
What is it Ricky?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I'm not he was was any with Steel Panther for
a while.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Oh oh yes, uh yes, so he well he's an
Instagram A quick and say, I mean actually made him.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I was going to say, like, what's his name, Ricky?
It's not Ricky Rocket?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
What is it right, Ricky Rocket's point Ricky. I'm like,
you've got it myself right, No, act me Ricky Ricky Thrash.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah, Like I mean, is there anything that you could
like reach out to him? Like you guys are the
same type of kind of vibe like some shows together.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Like yeah, actually, that's so that's part of what what
I've been doing as far as trying to book some
shows and reaching out to a lot of my Instagram.
He in your area, though, I actually I'm not sure
where he is, to be honest, I.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Know we've sure seems like it and I don't think
he's LA based.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
I should reach out and ask him because you should.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
No, I mean, just like I mean plant seeds with people,
if we were doing any original stuff that was we
just don't play around here, you know what I mean,
Like we're just getting our origin. But when we get
rolling more with the original stuff, if there's ever anything
that makes sense, you know, and then people don't people
don't understand, Like what makes sense is that there's a
budget that you come from your town and like food
(35:06):
and travel is paid for you at least break even,
and then a lot of a lot of people can't
just break even anymore on originals, like you have to
be making so that means that's a lot of money
that's in the budget, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Like people don't realize that, like, oh, can we open
for your band?
Speaker 4 (35:20):
It's like we're barely making any money. There's no money
for you to oh, we'll play for free. Okay, well
people still need to stay then an extra hour or
union workers have to be extended, and there has got
to be enough inputs on the.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Mixing board and blah blah blah. Like they just don't
get it.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I'm just I'm just saying, if there's anything that
I can ever think of that I can help you
with and that makes sense, like I'll definitely holler at
you or send it your way. It's just you got
to you got to start looking at some of those
connections that you have and figuring out, you know, how
can how can you guys collaborate on something that's beneficial
for both, you know, yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Because yeah, because I've definitely been looking for a booking
agent because I think that's our next step, and I'm
not really sure how to look right now.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
It's like, you know, myself and and my band, you know,
we just we have a spreadsheet of different venues all
over the country that we google and we reach out
to them and we kind of track all that.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
And it's it is getting to the point now where
it's like, like I said at the beginning of this,
you know, it's like you got to do everything, but
it gets to a point it's like, well, you need
to try to find you know, some people try.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
To help you out with some things because it of
course it has to be too much. And then at
the end of the day, you don't want the main product.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Which is the you know, the music for suffer because
you're trying to do too much at the business end.
But I will say, you know, I'll give a couple
of shout outs because Pete Evick, who's become a good
friend of mine.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
He's the guitar player for the Brett Michaels band. He
mixed a.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Couple of the tracks on this last album and he's
been kind of taking me under his wing a little
bit and kind of helped me with with some things.
And actually the Ben Cody Band is going to be
opening for Brett Michaels November fifteenth the Auditorium, So if
anyone's in the Massachusetts area, you can come check us
out there. But yeah, it's definitely the next step is
(37:10):
just trying to get us out of Massachusetts.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
That's really I just took a picture. I'm gonna send
it to Pete Pizza, friend of mine.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Oh yeah, your Pete is amazing. And then you know
Gavin his son. Actually I played a couple of shows
with Gavin.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Yeah, yeah, well Gavin came up to mass he had
a leg on his tour up in mass We did
a couple of shows together. But yeah, Pete Peet's great.
Like I said, yeah, he mixed a couple couple of
songs on on the latest album, so he's been he's
been really amazing.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Well that's really really cool.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Maybe when your album is out, we could just get
Pete on for five minutes with you to promo all that.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
That would be really cool.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
Yeah, well he looks the album that came out the
summer so really Yeah, so the the first two tracks
on Selo Babbel on Pete mixed for us.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
That's a great nugget. That's that was worth a podcast
just to hear about that. And then did you meet Pete.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Actually through Gavin?
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Yeah, because because Gavin started following me on Instagram probably
a couple of years ago, and then you know, Gavin
I started talking, and then I think I'm assuming Gavin,
you know, you know, was the one who told told
Pete about it, and then you know, then Pete and
I kind of hooked up on on social media as well.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Yeah, I love it. Tell everybody where we can find you.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Yeah, so, uh, my my handle mainstream handles at the
ben Cody. You can find me there, TikTok at the
ben Cody as well, or you just go to bencodyban
dot com. And that's where we have all of our
info on you know, show dates.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
You know, we can stream all of our all of
our five orisinal albums on pretty much all streaming services Spotify,
Apple Music.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
ITunes, you know, or for your old school and cool
and want to buy a physical copy, we have you know,
physical copies of our albums on our website.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
You can buy as well.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
I love that I was I was actually checking that out.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Well.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
I can't thank you enough for taking time on a
Saturday morning, really appreciate you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
I was really good you come back again now that
people you know.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Know who you are, and I just I've had a
podcast on a really huge platform for like seven years
and then I got bumped and then gave it a
break for a little while and was kind of feeling
anybody that's made it this long and the podcast knows
what's up.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
So yeah, I was feeling a little hurt.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
And then I had a huge company picked me up.
And before it was on a paid platform, so lots
of people, big audience. But now it's like on a
huge push on every single platform, So which is good
for you, Ben, because so many people will hear this
and it's in their best interest to promote it because they.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Make lots of money off the advertising.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
So so anyways, I'm glad that a lot more people
than even last year when I was podcasting will hear
about you and they can follow you. And you're a
hot dude, so all the chicks will dig you and
all the gays out there will love you too.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
My friend, and you need everyone to do, everyone to
love you. So I shout out all of those people listening.
You know who you are.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
I won't call you all, but you know who you are,
and you'll definitely enjoy this guy because he's easy on
the eyes, but he's.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
A kind soul and he's so so, so so talented.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
So hi to everybody in your camp, and we thank
you again for being on Goldie's Closet episode two fifty one.
Oh it's so weird, man. I can't say the network
that I've been on for seven years, and that's fine.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
The network is me. Sometimes you just got to go
with yourself, but stay safe, out to everyone and always
stay golden. And then we clap at the end, yeay
like the Muppets. Jolly, you've got. What's up everyone?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
It's Goldie Impact Wrestling, TLC's cheap Skates, Ted Nugent's running
wild from him somewhere in the woods. And maybe you've
seen our band, Goldilocks Band.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
We're out there, we're on tour, but now we're connecting
on cameo.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
So I want to tell you that I am here
to be your humble servant and that's whatever you need.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Said for you, for a friend, a shout out, a
golden shout out.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
You name it here and on it now, just reminding
you keep it classy, keep it cool, and keep it
above the belts. But I want to offer you something
a little bit, a little bit different. Just remember, if
I'm not on the road and I've got access to
these next beauties, we can always have. You want to
(41:35):
make this the most amazing experience for you ever because
you deserve it, your friends deserve it, your loved ones
deserve it. And just remember I can sing you a
few lines of a song can be from from anywhere
like it can be from song, or it could be.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
Fun.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
It could even be Honor highway way.
Speaker 5 (42:13):
It need to beacon there.
Speaker 6 (42:14):
Oh and keep in mind not all requests are the same.
Maybe your motivation comes with a harder edge. Maybe you
need a more jagged little pill. There's nothing that I
love more than playing the heel. So if you need
your message delivered with more uh oh, what's the word
I'm looking for?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Intention? Please specify.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I can't wait to connect with you on cameo. Thanks
so much for being here. Stay golden,
From the heart of Massachusetts comes a six string slinger
with fire in his fingertips and thunder in his tone.
With five original albums under his belt. This dude isn't
just playing guitar. He's channeling the spirit of the greats.
A killer writer, a next level shredder, and a performer
who plays like every solo might be his last because
(00:50):
he knows someone in that crowd came to have.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Their face melted.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
They're calling him the next Eddie van Halen.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
And not just because of the speed or the flash.
It's the soul.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It's the feel. It's the raw, unfiltered passion that reminds
us that rock and roll ain't dead. It just moved
into a new pair of boots. And tonight it's stopping
across our stage Goldie's Closet.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Ladies and gentlemen, strap in and.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Plug up, because you're about to meet the man keeping
the flame alive, the one the only Ben Coat.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Welcome to Goldies Closet.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
All right, sounds good?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Ben? Tell me, like what part of the world do
you hail?
Speaker 4 (01:29):
And you don't have to get specific, but like where,
like where are you performing, where do you live, what's
your what's your vibe there, and again you don't need
to get specific, just like where's home?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah, Boston, Massachusetts?
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Okay, cool?
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Cool? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
So I see all of these shows that you have
online all the time, like how often are you I
hate that word gigging what it is word?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
But how often are you playing?
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Well, we're probably three or four times a month I
think at this point, you know, and there we play
all over the Northeast and East Coast region. My goal
for twenty twenty five is to try to you know,
get us more nationally playing shows.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
But which I mean, you're doing it. You're doing everything
that you're supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
Your shows are one hundred percent original. Do you guys
ever do any covers at all? Like, what's your mix?
How does that work?
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, yeah, we do. We do a lot of covers,
you know, as well as well.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We have five original albums out right now, so we
have plenty of plenty.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Of original material.
Speaker 5 (02:23):
But you know, it's like I try to put on
the type of show that I would enjoy as someone
in the audience. So we try to really, I guess,
the whole point of of my band and everything that
we're doing was was trying to kind of keep the
flame of of rock and roll alive.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
So even at our live shows, we.
Speaker 5 (02:40):
Try to play some some of our favorite covers as
well as our original music.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
And we just did a show with an opening spot,
and I remember one of the podcasts that I did before,
they were saying like, is it going to be all originals?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
I mean, it's like I remember getting out there and
like it was so rock and like.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
You got a car going by, I'll give it a beat.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Be sorry, it'll happen to me too.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It was so rock and I was just like, you
know what, I just was looking out at the crowd.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
And like these people don't really know us. We're in
a new market, and so I was like, let's do it.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Let's do a mix, because you made a really great
point and I'm going to steal that. You said you
would like to put on the type of show that
if you were in the crowd, you know that that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
People would would enjoy.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That's that says a lot about you, though it's not
all like oh, you know what I mean. I mean
if people people want to hear stuff once in a
while that's reminiscent or nostalgic and then then you got
up by the balls and then you could be like, hey,
if you like this, we've got this, you know, and
then you can play your stuff too. So where did
your you have a full band?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, where did you find these gals? Girls?
Speaker 4 (03:51):
I don't know who's in your band? Tell me a
little bit about your band to find out more about you.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Okay, So I went.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
To Berkeley College of Music, you know here in Boston,
and saw that actually I work.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
I work for Berkeley Now it's my day job.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
So I doing what I'm the senior coordinator for the
guitar department there.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
So dude, how much of a dream gig is that
that you get to still be around music for your
we call it in wrestling, we call it our shoot job.
And then you get to just go be like you know,
Batman at night or after work Like that's the perfect. Wow,
that's a blessing. That says again a lot about you.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
So yeah, I got the best day job in the
world for for what I'm doing.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So what is your day job? What do you do
during your day job?
Speaker 5 (04:36):
So essentially, I guess my main role is I'm the
academic advisor to the chair of the guitar department there.
So it's got a lot of the more of the
behind the scenes stuff I think, you know, academically.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
For for all these tunes.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
But yeah, but I mean, you know, being an alum
from Berkeley too, and it's they're very accommodating and very understanding,
you know when I have a gig or I have
to go, you know, do something for my band.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, it's really really.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I love it.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Yeah, that's a tough school to get into. That's just
a Now, Berkeley is different. There's two different Berkeley's. There's
the California Berkeley and then yours, right.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Yeah, yes, yes, they're totally separate, yes, yes, separate. Yeah, yes, yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:14):
The Berkeley in California is spelt with a y.
Speaker 6 (05:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Yeah, there's no a.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
A lot of people, you know, think that there's there's
a connection, but they're totally separate schools. The Berkeley College
of Music is its own, separate just a music music college.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
Well, your vibe is different. And then there's what's the
one in Nashville, Belmont.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Okay, that's right, it is Belmont. Well, then there's yet
this Juilliard.
Speaker 5 (05:36):
I think Berkeley and Juilliard are probably Argue and then
Musicians Institute in LA which I actually I went to
Musicians Institute.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
For a little while before I went to Berkeley.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
And how was that?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Uh, there was a lot of great teachers there, but
it just it wasn't it wasn't the right fit for
what I was trying to accomplish, you know, with my career.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
So interesting at a lot more for how how many
years had you spent at Berkeley?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Four years?
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Okay, four years?
Speaker 5 (06:05):
Yeah, four years as a student and I've been there
ever since.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
Then I was like, did they approach you or was
there an opening and that you saw.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It or did you organically happen or what so?
Speaker 5 (06:17):
Ray when I graduated in twenty eighteen from Berkeley, and
then right after I graduated, they asked me to come
back and teach for the summer programs part time.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
So I did that for two.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Years and then the position opened up, which was a
full time position as the you know, as part of
the administration staff.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
So I was able to transition into that and I
get that job because as much as I love teaching,
it's like, well, this is health insurance and.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
You know, no, and.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That's that's that's smart and like there are so many
people out there listening that have something that they want
to do, Ben, and I don't know, I guess you
have such a great you have such a great vibe,
Like that's why I asked you on the show, Like
you just seem like a half be person and you're
just kind.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And I really think that the universe.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Or God or whoever you believe in rewards you with
that with great opportunities.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And there's so many people that.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Want to do something, but they're like stuck in something
that isn't understanding about what else they want to do
or I don't know, sometimes I think they're almost like
self sabotaging.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Like I would say, if.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
This is what you want to do and this is
what you love, then really start exploring opportunities that surround that,
you know. I mean I love to do what you do,
and I shoot photography and do graphic design and you
know other crazy jobs are us that allow me to
be able to go.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Rock and do what I need to do.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And then some of that's a sacrifice too, you know,
like sometimes everything can't just be Like I'm glad that
you get health insurance and benefits, like that's killer, Like
that's not the case with everybody. So that's a really
you really have a good thing and it's fueling you
to go out and.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Kick some ass. Let's talk about you already have five
albums that are out.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Yes, yeah, so name them. So the first one was
called tit Chans and Sunglasses. That was in twenty sixteen.
Twenty eighteen was our album Gets Your Licks. In twenty
twenty we recorded during the pandemic and released it and
it was titled What the Doctor Ordered. Then last year
twenty twenty three, we had the album album come out
(08:23):
We'll Use It or Lose It, And then this past
summer we just released our latest album.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Cell You La Babylon the same guys. How long the
guys are they all men?
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah? Yes, yep.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So the dudes that you have, now, how long have
you been with them?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
This lineup probably about a year.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
We called a lineup I called a cast.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I like it.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Okay, So the lineup before that, did they do one
or two albums?
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Like?
Speaker 4 (08:46):
How long do your lineups usually last? For your your group,
your original acts.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
Let's see, So we've had pretty much, for the most part,
almost a different cast, you know, for almost every album cycle,
but a lot of it was you know, it's because well,
when I formed this band, which is you know, it's
called the ben Cody Band, which the reason being is
actually uh my drummer at the time when we formed
this band, which you know, I'm sure you and any
(09:14):
musician you know listening to this can attest to. You know,
it's it's very difficult to keep a band together, you know,
for various reasons.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
So when whenever you have some sort of lineup change,
and a lot of times, you know.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Then there's issues with what's the band name? You know,
you know what, what's the identity? So my drummer at
the time this was, you know, probably almost ten years
ago now, so why don't we just call it the
ben Cody Band. He's like, you're you're fronting it that way,
there's a consistent image, and then you know, there's a
revolving door of musicians, then we can still keep one
one identity.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
So that's that's kind of how that.
Speaker 5 (09:47):
Band, how the band came came to fruition that way.
But you know, I've had this band right through my
time as a student at Berkeley, So there's a lot
of times where you know, we'd have band members that
you know, might have been older than me, and then
they would graduate and you know, go move off to
different parts of the country or sometimes you.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Know, you know, they would move move home, which sometimes
is international as well, you know, and then you know,
some some got fired. You know, some.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
People don't understand that that's a good point, that this
is a topic that you don't really hear a lot
spoken about just because it's kind of taboo or which
you know, I've got such thick skin that you know,
I read all these things that people write about me,
like just because I'm this raging bitch and everybody quipped
and it's just like whatever, Like they don't realize, like
(10:34):
you just made some really great points. Like people move on,
Like they meet somebody and they want to get married,
They move out of the country. They they need health insurance,
and take a job that doesn't allow them to.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Do anything but work way more than a forty hour week.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Like it is such a it's it's a testament again
to you.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Like I think about that sometimes because.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Well, if you looked at my ceiling, my ceiling is
like I'm going to show everybody my ceiling. It is
because it's a good point. So my ceiling is like
a graveyard. It's literally the graveyard of every body that
you know. Once they're not in the band anymore, I
just put them up on the ceiling and I keep
it ben because there's always one person that's consistent in
(11:20):
all the photos, me.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
What I mean, and my our.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
Drummer has been with me for fifteen years, like and
that's she's just my greatest everything. It's very very hard
to keep anything going, yea. All these people start up
a podcast and then they realize, like, oh, it's work.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Like I've been doing a podcast.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
For nine years every single week, Like that's a lot.
I've been in a band since I was fourteen fifteen
years old, and I'm not fourteen or fifteen years old anymore.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
And I keep showing up like that.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Is one of the things about making it in any business,
not entertainment, not plumbing, not medical, it's showing up. And
there's some quote that's out there somebody said that ninety
nine percent of success or whatever percentages is showing up.
So that's a great point that you that you make,
like and that that drummer ten years ago was very
(12:17):
sweet and very wise. And obviously not a narcissist in
any way. And I hope you still talk to that guy.
It's curious, Uh yeah occasionally.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So you're not like you don't have heat with them,
You're not like.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Uh no, no, not like that.
Speaker 5 (12:31):
I think just you know, life just kind of took
us different directions, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah, but he was a wise guy, Like that's smart.
I can just keep it going and you just keep
keep keep going.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
Yeah, and and uh, it's really you know, being in
a band, it's a lot of hard work and not
a lot of payoff, you know, for for a while anyway,
you know.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
I said, a lot of hard work. Tell me about it.
I want to hear you saying.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Especially nowadays, you know, there's you have to it's more
than just playing.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Music, you know. It's it's you have to do everything.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Especially all your graphics, all your stuff I do.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, it's it's a you gotta gotta be a graphic designer.
You gotta be you know, a manager, you got to
be a booking agent. You know, you gotta be a producer,
an engineer, you know, a marketer. You gotta do every
And it's like I'm at the point now with my
band that.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
Which I guess I never really answered the question about,
you know, the lineup, which I can get to in
a minute.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
But my rhythm guitar player, you know, plays in.
Speaker 5 (13:31):
A lot of you know, other local bands as well,
and he was just telling me he's like, you know,
he's like all these other bands that that he's in,
He's like this one, he's like the ben Cody Ban's like,
it's just so organized. I mean we have Google sheets,
we have Google docs, we have a band Google calendar.
It's like we put everything down in there, you know,
we have you know, it's it's kind of nerdy almost,
you know, because I approach it like like an office job,
(13:54):
you know, at least part of it as an office job,
just being as organized as you can, because it's just,
you know, the more the more that you have going on,
you know, the busier it.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
Is, you know, the harder it is.
Speaker 5 (14:07):
So it's just a matter of just trying to stay
on top of everything and treat it, you know, with
treat the band and treat the job, you know, with
the respect that you would any other job, you know,
and that's I think easier said than done, because I
think just especially with rock and roll. You know, there's
a I think it's just the vibe or that the
aesthetic that it's it's just you know, roll all night
(14:30):
party every day, and it's you know, you see something
on stage, you see the glitz and glamour of a
band on stage, but you don't see the tens of
thousands of hours behind the scenes that you know, make
that happen.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I want to talk about that more, but I want
to insert something that is just relevant to what you're
saying and go back to your cast that keep that question.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
I tend to jump jump jump chess game.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
You know, you said people think it's rock and roll
party every day, quoting you know, one of the greatest
rock bands of all time.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
And then you go and you look at that mother trucker, who.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Was the most business oriented dude ever, even down to
the songs that Kiss wrote, Gene would not allow any song.
And I think about this, I think subconsciously I think,
and consciously I think in a.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Little bit of a different way.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
But for people listening, Geene Simmons would never allow a
song that put their band in a place that wasn't
of power. It couldn't be this sad boo who like
it could be about a girl, but it still had
to put them over. It had they had to be
in control, in power. They had to be Their stuff
was very positive.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That was just party it was.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
But anything that made them look weak or just undesirable,
he wouldn't pass it.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Jane was horrible with just he was going to put
everything in his name.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
Everything was going to be like he talked about a businessman,
like everything down to merch and write some royalties like
that guy. Just the other guys were just partying up.
And I don't think he even drinks. I don't think
she even drinks alcohol.
Speaker 5 (16:07):
Oh wow, Yeah, that's that's what it takes, you know,
is having that self discipline and in multiple aspects.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Of your life.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Because he was just making sure that he was gonna,
you know, get it all like some bands are like that.
I try to share equally and do a lot, make
sure all our guys are covered. But it is it
should be, and that's what's missing. When people say I
can't get ahead, I'm not successful, this business sucks, blah
blah blah blah, It's like, yeah, but then what are
you doing?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Well? We didn't have anybody show up at our show.
Did you promote it?
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Well, that's the club's job, not really, not really anymore.
Maybe back in the days it was that was the
club's job. But I wouldn't count on the club doing
jack shit. We buy ads, we do the graphics, we
make sure we invite people, we've got email lists.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
It's like a like a job.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
And I guess, like if there was more on the
line for people ball but they're just kind of treating
it as yeah, we'll go play that, Like I don't.
I don't take a show, Ben unless every show that
I look at every opportunity that I can suck out
of it, whether it be another booking or a private
party because we were exceptional.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
That night or x y Z. You know.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
So I love that you treat it like a business
and you can tell and now I'm gonna check your
graphics out even more because I was already looking at
them because they were great.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
So that's thank you.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
Yeah, it's it's just you know, you gotta you just
gotta put as much production value into it as you can,
and a lot of times that means just you know,
doing everything other than the music as well as the music.
You know, what's your show like uh So, usually, well,
I guess it depends on on the type of show
that we're playing.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
I mean, sometimes we'll book a gig that we're the
only band on for the nights.
Speaker 5 (17:47):
We have you know, three or four sets, and then
that that's definitely you know, a pretty fifty to fifty
even mix of you know, covers and originals. You know.
Then we have, like we have a couple shows coming
up in a few weeks, you know, we're the headlining act,
and they'll be pretty more original heavy, you know, and
then we have a couple of opening acts.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
And it's more of like a concert, you know.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Yeah, I try to really put on the best and
again kind of go back to my comment, you know,
I try to put on the type of show that
I'd want to see in the audience.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
So I mean, we we bring our own lights, you know,
we bring fog machines.
Speaker 5 (18:21):
You know, we try to just we try to make
you know, a little club you know in you know,
rural Massachusetts, you know, wherever we're playing, you know, New Hampshire, Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
We try to make that look like you know, the
Whiskey Go go or you know, yeah, those guys are
blues or something.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Like that.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
You know, did you get any of those guysers yet,
you know, like the fake pyro ones.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
No, no, I haven't yet, but I have seen those.
They look really.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Cool, really cool. What what do you guys wear?
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Uh?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So usually uh kind of something like I'm wearing right now.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
I mean I don't I don't go too too crazy,
you know, as far as you know, stage clothes. But
you know it for me, it's just kind of, like
I said, trying to pass the or you know, carry
the torch of just kind of that great.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Golden age of arena rock, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:09):
And and you know, I'm a guitar player first before
I'm a singer, you know, so it's you know, definitely
very guitar.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Heavy, amazing guitar player, amazing.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Well, thank you, thank you, But you know, and I
ended up I'm also the lead singers because you know,
sometimes you just have to do it yourself.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
But yeah, what we were going to bookmark there was
one other thing that I wanted to address before I
move down to the next part of the pod.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
You said I didn't answer that question.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
YEA, yeah, I guess. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
So there's this lineup we have, We're four. We used
to always be a three piece. Then we were a
four piece for a little while with a lead singer,
probably six or seven years ago. And now then we
went back to a three piece and I kind of
took over lead vocals. Now we're a four piece again,
so as myself on guitar and vocals. Then we have
Adam Corlito who's a Berkeley drummer actually just graduated this
(20:03):
past spring, who's probably the.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Best drummer ever worked with, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
And then we have Rob Moore on rhythm guitar, who
is also another Berkeley alum who also works for Berkeley
as well, so cool in the same same boat.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
He's works for a department. And then my bass player,
who actually does do a lot of the lead vocals
as well with me, has been one of my best
friends since high school. So so just it's a good
good balance.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Has he been in the band for a while.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Then the bass player, so we were in a bunch
of bands together in high school.
Speaker 5 (20:35):
And then you know he uh he actually works for
a John Deere uh, and you know, but so he
kind of went went that route with life. So he
would always just kind of be like, uh, because I
treat my band kind of like a sports team almost,
like you have the starters, then you have you know,
the second string, you know, so if there's ever a
gig that comes up and someone can't do, it's like,
(20:56):
all we have someone on the bench that So he
would always just kind of be like, yeah, just keep
me a backup, you know, if you ever need a bass.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Player for something.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
That and then and it got to the point that
now where he's at in his career, he's at a
point where he's able to take any time off for gigs,
and that's when he's kind of like, you know, I'm
available to be kind of the.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Starter, you know, so to speak.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
If and he's just not only as a phenomenal vocalist
and musician and songwriter, it's just when you play with
which I'm sure you probably know, when you play with
someone for such a long time, it's like you can
just read each other on stage, you know, in a
way that that you can't work with other people. So
so having him in the lineup is really really helped
(21:38):
a lot.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
That is such a gift, and it's cool to talk
to you just because like this is something and maybe
some people listening would resonate with us or be able
to identify. But there's I don't know how to explain it,
Like so I everybody kind of knows like I'm not
a big drinker, don't really do any drugs, or just
never really been into all that because and it's the
(21:59):
same kind of dudes. It's like there's just such a
thing like what you were just describing when and it
could be very similar to like a person with a
police partner or just somebody that you have such a
connection with. And it's I guess when I say police partner,
because it's a little bit different than just somebody that
(22:20):
goes to a nine to five with somebody and then
they go home, Like you're breathing these people's air for
like days on end. Sometimes when we're touring and got
to get along. It's I think I think everybody in
life should be in a band. I think everybody should
have a very large vehicle that they have to drive,
like a C class, so that they know what the
fuck is going on out on the road when they're
mad and they're in people's blind spaces and they're like
(22:42):
move and it's like this is a big rig that
we drive our we all have licenses to drive our
tour in vehicles. They should be in a band just
because like there's so many times when I'm just so
sick of the very voice of the people that I'm
with and I just want to break, but like there's
nowhere to go because they're sitting next to me, and
I'm sure they just are ready to like knock me
(23:02):
out at any given second because they're just you know,
you're just on each other's nerves and you're annoyed, but
you you have to just like have peace and find
grace and put up with everybody and just keep on
going and decide that the next place people want to.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Stop for lunch or whatever is going to be their call.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Or it's such a beautiful, interesting, I don't know what,
just scenario being being in a band and like, yeah,
connection with people.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
It's very different than other people's gig.
Speaker 5 (23:32):
Oh yeah, And it's definitely a big, a big part
of I think picking a band, and especially too with
the way this band's set up. It's like I always say,
like it's not at the end of the day, it's
not really a democracy, you know, it's it's you know,
my name's on it. So I need to kind of
sign off on the decisions. But at the same time,
it's like, you know, I still want it to be
a gang. I want to be a collaborative effort, and
(23:53):
I get that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
That's a really great way of putting it.
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Everyone you know in this lineup are mature enough and
profession enough to understand that they need and making to
understand you know, their role. And and also, I mean
the most important part too, is just our personalities, mesh,
I think in a really good way, because that's something
that I think that gets overlooked.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
It's like I'd rather take someone that you.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Know, maybe isn't necessarily the best musician best player, but
I get along with them in a deeper level because
you're gonna get a lot more out of that musically
than someone who can just you know, shred and but
you know, the.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Really hard to get along with.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
But luckily I lucked out and I have players that
are phenomenal players and great people too.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
So no, that's I'm so happy for you talk about
what's going on like the next year, not let's let's
let's hit. Let's just promo the heck out of everything
going on and where we can find you and how
we can support you.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Sure.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:43):
So well, uh, my main I guess area of kind
of reaching me, and I think the thing has been
really feeding the success of.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
My band is my Instagram.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Okay, in Instagram and TikTok because actually during during the pandemic,
you know, when the world shut down, you know, I was,
I was furlowed like most of Berkeley.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
You know, I was furlowed from Berkeley for a year.
Speaker 5 (25:06):
Obviously I couldn't gig because you know, everything was shut down.
So that's when I started kind of paying more attention
to social media and live streaming and things like that,
because up until that point, I never really had too
much interest.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
I was.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
I was always kind of old school about I want
to play live. But that kind of forced me to
kind of.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
With the times, and so I started really kind of
focusing on building up my social media and unfortunately, what
kind of helped kind of snowball me into you know,
the following I have now on Instagram, unfortunately, was when
my hero Eddi van Halen passed away in October of
twenty twenty. Because then all of a sudden, everything I'd
been doing since I was like fourteen years old became
(25:43):
really mainstream, like whenever a big artist dies, and that's
when you know, everyone starts. You know, people that weren't
even a huge fan, that's when they kind of come
out of the word work. So that kind of made
everything that I was doing really relevant for you know
a few months, and then that was kind of started
this wave now. So I never, you know, had any
Tristan kind of being a social media or Instagram guitarist,
but you know, I have a very very dedicated following
(26:07):
on Instagram and which is interesting too. And I was
having this conversation the other day with someone that you know,
even like ten years ago, there was like physical scenes,
you know, physical music scenes like oh this is the
Boston scene, this is the Nashville scene. And now it's
not quite like that.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
There's like a niche, like everything that I do is
very kind of eighties hair metal kind of revival, and.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
There's a big scene for that. But it's all online now,
so it's like it's not one physical area. So I
have you know, fans in England at fans of school
and fans in LA So it.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
Does make it more difficult to physically.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
Tour because it's like, well, it's like you know, one
hundred thousand people, one hundred thousand followers, you know, might
look like kind of a lot, but then once you
realize it's spread across the globe, it's really.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
You know, you can't really go to one area and
you know, expect right turn out.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
You can get. You can get your music going like
you're doing, and.
Speaker 4 (27:03):
Just fuel that as much as possible and use that,
use that gas to figure out pockets and places.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
That you can go play and team up with other people.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
And and I love, I love the kind of music
that you're and I get you know, people will say, oh,
rock is dead.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
I'm like, it's not dead at all. Like there's like people.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Riding around on fake horses, and that's like a thing.
There's like all this freaky ship that's out there, like
nothing is dead. Maybe you only pay attention to one
niche and that's what comes across your algorithm and your
feed is you know, your pop or your R and
B or whatever, the your diddy freak offs, whatever, your click.
This is all I get now because I'm just so
fascinated on what's going on with them that everything on
(27:44):
my feet is just because I lived and and you know,
you did too if you went to like where did
you live in Hollywood?
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Where about I live on Orchid Aves right behind the
Grahmin's Theater.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So yeah, so you've seen some ship like some other thing.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
I was trying to get some work done yesterday, but
it popped up about some influencer and he had like
a bunch of his segments all stitched into one, so
it was like an hour long, and I was like
trying to not listen to it, but I had to
just because because he was talking about like this party
that he got invited to and like Laurel Canyon or
you know, and then just like should hit the fan
(28:20):
and it got really weird and it was like culty
and they were doing initiation things, and I'm just so
fascinated by that because I because I was in the
midst of all of it, and I ditched all of
it because it's just like, I mean, I'm just somebody
that's like if I don't want.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
To do something, there's no like persuading me. Like it
ain't happening.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Like I said, I don't even drink or like do anything,
and people are still like trying to get me.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
And I'm like, this is.
Speaker 4 (28:44):
Really like come on, high school's over, Like I didn't
do it, then I'm sure not going to listen to.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Your blame ass and come to career pressure.
Speaker 4 (28:51):
But I was so fascinated by this creepy shit because
because I just remember being at so many parties and
just like you can feel like something shifting or changing,
and I'm like, I'm out, and I just used the good,
good old glory excuses.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
Oh my god, I've got diarrhea. Do you have a
bad No, I better leave. I have explosive diarrhea.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
I think I'm gonna show I have shipped my pants
and like people just like they immediately pull away from you,
and then that's my out. So if you ever are
on a date to where you're married, but if you
ever need a really great out, the diarrhea one where,
oh my god, it works every time. My mom had
Crone's disease, so I got to witness it firsthand. God
Rest your soul. Like she was always shitting her pants everywhere.
(29:31):
She made a joke about it, but it was really
hard on her self esteem.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
But I just have Mom. Wherever you are, I birol that.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
So if you were ever in an uncomfortable situation where
you feel like things are gonna be bad soon, just
pull that card out. I'm gonna give it all to
you guys listening. Use the diarrhea card.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
It works.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Yeah yeah, I'll have to keep that in mind now.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
But there's some did you see some weird stuff when
you were in LA or we're just kind of like
busy doing your thing, because I really, I mean I was.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Out there to you know, to go to school, and
I was I mean, I was out there.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
I was eighteen.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
That was my first time I ever. That was the
farthest I'd ever been from home. I have no family
or any roots out there.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
The predatories are looking for.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (30:13):
Yeah, so I was as far away from from home
that I could possibly be in the continental US.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
But yeah, this was I mean, I was out there
twenty thirteen. Oh wow, So it wasn't quite as I mean,
it was still in hollywoods always been a dumb but
I used to have charm and then I was out
I was.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
I was out in LA this past January, and that
was the first time I've been since, you know, since
I lived out there years ago. And I was pretty
heartbroken just how far gone it's it's gotten, you know,
and getting pretty pretty gross and horrible. But I didn't
really see too much because you know, when I was
out there, I was pretty much just going to class
and just crackicing guitar and even I mean even still.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Now, but especially back then, like at that age, just
like my blinders.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
It was just you know, especially in like high school
through college. I mean, I was just I was just
always the loser at home, just practicing my guitar on Friday.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And Saturday nights, you know, but I'm still that loser.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
But but yeah, that was I didn't really see too
much there. But I guess to get to get back
to your original question, I'm sorry, I keep I keep
taking this out truck.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
I'm taking you off because it's fun. People expect that.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But yeah, so I guess, you know, as far as
you know, the next year.
Speaker 5 (31:32):
But that's looking like so all that being said about
you know, Instagram and all that, it's like, I know
I have I know I have the following out there,
so I'm trying to get to them physically. So you know,
I'm trying to get us out of the Northeast area
as far as you know, playing live shows, and we're
looking to right now, in the process of booking some
shows actually, speaking of l A, you know, trying trying
(31:53):
to get some shows out there. You know, probably be
coming down South a bit, and we're trying to you know,
get out nationally as much as we can. So definitely,
you know, booking for twenty twenty five, you know, spring summer,
some tour dates there, and then, like I said, we
just released an album this past summer called Saylo Babylons.
We've been pushing that, but we have a live album,
(32:15):
which I haven't haven't officially announced yetter I guess I'll
do it here. We recorded a live album this past
summer one of our shows outside of Boston because no
no one does live albums anymore, so we had We've
played one show at a venue called the Rockwood in
Boston and someone brought like.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
An old an actual old school tape recorder I still
I still know who it is and recorded the whole
album on a boot leg and put it on YouTube.
And I saw that and it was like this really.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Grimy kind of old tape recording, like really low fi thing,
Like you know, it'd be pretty cool if we tried
to do like our own bootleg album.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
So we just set up a couple of mics, and
so I'm hoping to have that album out hopefully by Christmas,
just because, like I said, no one, he stays as
a live album.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
And it's also I'm trying to shed the whole Instagram
guitarist things. I know a lot of people, Oh Ben Good,
he's an Instagram guitar players, He's a TikTok guitarist.
Speaker 3 (33:10):
And it's like I'm trying to get people to see
that I don't just sit in my apartment and just
I don't think any of that. I never got that
vibe from There's there's plenty, there's plenty of comments I'm getting.
So it's like I'm trying to say, look, you know
I'm I'm I'm paying the dues. You know I'm out there.
You know I'm out there playing live. And then we
have we have our next studio album.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
We're writing and planning on getting that recorded this winner,
and hopefully we'll have our next sixth studio album out
for next summer to to coincide with hopefully some tour dates.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
Who is your buddy? What's his name? Ricky something?
Speaker 3 (33:47):
What is it Ricky?
Speaker 2 (33:51):
I'm not he was was any with Steel Panther for
a while.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
Oh oh yes, uh yes, so he well he's an
Instagram A quick and say, I mean actually made him.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
I was going to say, like, what's his name, Ricky?
It's not Ricky Rocket?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
What is it right, Ricky Rocket's point Ricky. I'm like,
you've got it myself right, No, act me Ricky Ricky Thrash.
Speaker 4 (34:15):
Yeah, Like I mean, is there anything that you could
like reach out to him? Like you guys are the
same type of kind of vibe like some shows together.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Like yeah, actually, that's so that's part of what what
I've been doing as far as trying to book some
shows and reaching out to a lot of my Instagram.
He in your area, though, I actually I'm not sure
where he is, to be honest, I.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Know we've sure seems like it and I don't think
he's LA based.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
I should reach out and ask him because you should.
Speaker 4 (34:42):
No, I mean, just like I mean plant seeds with people,
if we were doing any original stuff that was we
just don't play around here, you know what I mean,
Like we're just getting our origin. But when we get
rolling more with the original stuff, if there's ever anything
that makes sense, you know, and then people don't people
don't understand, Like what makes sense is that there's a
budget that you come from your town and like food
(35:06):
and travel is paid for you at least break even,
and then a lot of a lot of people can't
just break even anymore on originals, like you have to
be making so that means that's a lot of money
that's in the budget, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Like people don't realize that, like, oh, can we open
for your band?
Speaker 4 (35:20):
It's like we're barely making any money. There's no money
for you to oh, we'll play for free. Okay, well
people still need to stay then an extra hour or
union workers have to be extended, and there has got
to be enough inputs on the.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Mixing board and blah blah blah. Like they just don't
get it.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I'm just I'm just saying, if there's anything that
I can ever think of that I can help you
with and that makes sense, like I'll definitely holler at
you or send it your way. It's just you got
to you got to start looking at some of those
connections that you have and figuring out, you know, how
can how can you guys collaborate on something that's beneficial
for both, you know, yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:55):
Because yeah, because I've definitely been looking for a booking
agent because I think that's our next step, and I'm
not really sure how to look right now.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
It's like, you know, myself and and my band, you know,
we just we have a spreadsheet of different venues all
over the country that we google and we reach out
to them and we kind of track all that.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
And it's it is getting to the point now where
it's like, like I said at the beginning of this,
you know, it's like you got to do everything, but
it gets to a point it's like, well, you need
to try to find you know, some people try.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
To help you out with some things because it of
course it has to be too much. And then at
the end of the day, you don't want the main product.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
Which is the you know, the music for suffer because
you're trying to do too much at the business end.
But I will say, you know, I'll give a couple
of shout outs because Pete Evick, who's become a good
friend of mine.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
He's the guitar player for the Brett Michaels band. He
mixed a.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Couple of the tracks on this last album and he's
been kind of taking me under his wing a little
bit and kind of helped me with with some things.
And actually the Ben Cody Band is going to be
opening for Brett Michaels November fifteenth the Auditorium, So if
anyone's in the Massachusetts area, you can come check us
out there. But yeah, it's definitely the next step is
(37:10):
just trying to get us out of Massachusetts.
Speaker 4 (37:14):
That's really I just took a picture. I'm gonna send
it to Pete Pizza, friend of mine.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Oh yeah, your Pete is amazing. And then you know
Gavin his son. Actually I played a couple of shows
with Gavin.
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Yeah, yeah, well Gavin came up to mass he had
a leg on his tour up in mass We did
a couple of shows together. But yeah, Pete Peet's great.
Like I said, yeah, he mixed a couple couple of
songs on on the latest album, so he's been he's
been really amazing.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Well that's really really cool.
Speaker 4 (37:41):
Maybe when your album is out, we could just get
Pete on for five minutes with you to promo all that.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
That would be really cool.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (37:46):
Yeah, well he looks the album that came out the
summer so really Yeah, so the the first two tracks
on Selo Babbel on Pete mixed for us.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
That's a great nugget. That's that was worth a podcast
just to hear about that. And then did you meet Pete.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Actually through Gavin?
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Yeah, because because Gavin started following me on Instagram probably
a couple of years ago, and then you know, Gavin
I started talking, and then I think I'm assuming Gavin,
you know, you know, was the one who told told
Pete about it, and then you know, then Pete and
I kind of hooked up on on social media as well.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
Yeah, I love it. Tell everybody where we can find you.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Yeah, so, uh, my my handle mainstream handles at the
ben Cody. You can find me there, TikTok at the
ben Cody as well, or you just go to bencodyban
dot com. And that's where we have all of our
info on you know, show dates.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
You know, we can stream all of our all of
our five orisinal albums on pretty much all streaming services Spotify,
Apple Music.
Speaker 5 (38:47):
ITunes, you know, or for your old school and cool
and want to buy a physical copy, we have you know,
physical copies of our albums on our website.
Speaker 3 (38:54):
You can buy as well.
Speaker 2 (38:55):
I love that I was I was actually checking that out.
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Well.
Speaker 4 (38:58):
I can't thank you enough for taking time on a
Saturday morning, really appreciate you so much.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
I was really good you come back again now that
people you know.
Speaker 4 (39:06):
Know who you are, and I just I've had a
podcast on a really huge platform for like seven years
and then I got bumped and then gave it a
break for a little while and was kind of feeling
anybody that's made it this long and the podcast knows
what's up.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
So yeah, I was feeling a little hurt.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
And then I had a huge company picked me up.
And before it was on a paid platform, so lots
of people, big audience. But now it's like on a
huge push on every single platform, So which is good
for you, Ben, because so many people will hear this
and it's in their best interest to promote it because they.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Make lots of money off the advertising.
Speaker 4 (39:44):
So so anyways, I'm glad that a lot more people
than even last year when I was podcasting will hear
about you and they can follow you. And you're a
hot dude, so all the chicks will dig you and
all the gays out there will love you too.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
My friend, and you need everyone to do, everyone to
love you. So I shout out all of those people listening.
You know who you are.
Speaker 4 (40:05):
I won't call you all, but you know who you are,
and you'll definitely enjoy this guy because he's easy on
the eyes, but he's.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
A kind soul and he's so so, so so talented.
Speaker 4 (40:13):
So hi to everybody in your camp, and we thank
you again for being on Goldie's Closet episode two fifty one.
Oh it's so weird, man. I can't say the network
that I've been on for seven years, and that's fine.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
The network is me. Sometimes you just got to go
with yourself, but stay safe, out to everyone and always
stay golden. And then we clap at the end, yeay
like the Muppets. Jolly, you've got. What's up everyone?
Speaker 1 (40:47):
It's Goldie Impact Wrestling, TLC's cheap Skates, Ted Nugent's running
wild from him somewhere in the woods. And maybe you've
seen our band, Goldilocks Band.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
We're out there, we're on tour, but now we're connecting
on cameo.
Speaker 1 (41:01):
So I want to tell you that I am here
to be your humble servant and that's whatever you need.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
Said for you, for a friend, a shout out, a
golden shout out.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
You name it here and on it now, just reminding
you keep it classy, keep it cool, and keep it
above the belts. But I want to offer you something
a little bit, a little bit different. Just remember, if
I'm not on the road and I've got access to
these next beauties, we can always have. You want to
(41:35):
make this the most amazing experience for you ever because
you deserve it, your friends deserve it, your loved ones
deserve it. And just remember I can sing you a
few lines of a song can be from from anywhere
like it can be from song, or it could be.
Speaker 5 (41:57):
Fun.
Speaker 2 (42:03):
It could even be Honor highway way.
Speaker 5 (42:13):
It need to beacon there.
Speaker 6 (42:14):
Oh and keep in mind not all requests are the same.
Maybe your motivation comes with a harder edge. Maybe you
need a more jagged little pill. There's nothing that I
love more than playing the heel. So if you need
your message delivered with more uh oh, what's the word
I'm looking for?
Speaker 2 (42:33):
Intention? Please specify.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
I can't wait to connect with you on cameo. Thanks
so much for being here. Stay golden,
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