Seeing Them Live

Charles is joined by longtime friend and concert enthusiast Andy to recap their 24/7 Live Music Challenge — an ambitious attempt to see 24 live music events in just seven days, inspired by "Concert Joe" Sarkis of New York, who famously attended 1,000 shows in a single year back in 1992. Based in the Chicago area, Charles and Andy plotted their week using ChatGPT to build efficient nightly itineraries, hitting 24 shows across ...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, Charles interviews Alan Rosenberg. Alan is the creator and host of The Alan Rosenberg Show on YouTube, a channel dedicated to his lifelong passion for music. Growing up on Long Island, New York, Alan was introduced to rock and roll at an early age through his older sister, whose bedroom walls were covered in posters of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Allman Brothers. By age 10, Alan wa...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, Charles sits down with Ben Daughtry and Jonathan Palmer of Love Jones — the Louisville-born, LA-based band that has been crafting their unique blend of lounge, soul, pop, and sharp-witted storytelling for over three decades. The conversation kicks off with a shared love of live music, as both Ben and Jonathan trace their concert-going roots back to the same unlikely starting point: Van Hal...

In this episode, Charles sits down with Mike Bernard, a Boston-area author, screenwriter, and playwright who came to writing later in life and hasn't slowed down since. Mike has published eight novels, written a stage musical, and optioned multiple screenplays through prestigious competitions including the Academy Nicholl Fellowship, the Page International Screenwriting Awards, ScreenCraft, and the Nantucket Film Festival. The conv...

In this episode, Charles interviews filmmaker and vinyl enthusiast Steve Herold, best known for the award-winning short film Death of an Umbrella Salesman. Steve takes us back to the summer of 1984 and his first concert — the Thompson Twins on their Into the Gap tour at the Garden State Arts Center in New Jersey. He shares how the show almost didn't happen, thanks to a failed attempt to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden,...

In this episode, Charles sits down with Victor Gurbo, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and guitar builder from Brooklyn, New York. Victor's musical journey began early — literally from infancy, when his father discovered that Traveling Wilburys recordings were the only thing that could calm a crying baby Victor. That early imprinting on Dylan's collaborators set the stage for a lifelong obsession with live music, particularly ...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, host Charles sits down with brothers Matheus and Thiago Khouri of the Brazilian rock band Banda AL9. The duo shares the story of their first concert experience — seeing Paul McCartney at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo in 2010, when Matheus was just 12 and Thiago was 10. Raised by rock-and-roll-loving parents who saw Queen at the same stadium in 1985, the brothers grew up immersed in the musi...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, host Charles Zona is joined by his daughter Lily for a conversation about her journey into live music — starting from the very beginning. The episode opens with a throwback to Charles's first-ever podcast test recording, where an 11-year-old Lily had never been to a concert. From there, Lily traces her love of Harry Styles back to the COVID era, when her mom played his album Fine Line arou...

This episode of "Seeing Them Live" features Eric Vollweiler, a seasoned producer, marketing consultant, and strategist in the film, festival, and entertainment industry with nearly two decades of experience. Charles explores Eric's journey from his early concert experiences to his current work helping festivals and creators connect with audiences, sponsors, and industry partners, including major festivals like Sundance, Cannes, and...

In this episode of "Seeing Them Live," host Charles welcomes back Paul Peterson, a retired technology manager and lifelong audiophile who hosts the podcast 'An Avid Listener.' Together, Charles and Paul explore the complex world of bands performing with significantly changed lineups. The conversation was sparked by Paul's recent concert experiences, including seeing Alan Parsons and the Doobie Brothers with almost entirely new memb...

Welcome to Part 2 of the second annual Seeing Them Live Year End Concert Review show, where a panel of returning guests share their favorite live music experiences from 2025. Host Charles brings together an eclectic group of music enthusiasts including Andy, Jessica, Steve, and superfan Dawn Fontaine to discuss the most memorable live music experiences of 2025.

Dawn shares highlights from her incredible 55-show year, including intim...

Welcome to the second annual Seeing Them Live Year End Concert Review show, where a panel of returning guests shares their favorite live music experiences from 2025. Host Charles brings together an eclectic group of music enthusiasts including award-winning documentary filmmaker Eric Green, podcast host Jessica Catena, nurse practitioner Summer, antique shop owner Art Gregg, executive assistant Dawn Fontaine, accountant Steve Pothe...

In this episode Charles interviews the core members of the Chicago-based punk band Horace Pinker, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Scott Eastman, drummer Bryan Jones, and bassist and vocalist Greg Mytych. Charles delves into the history of the band, which was originally formed in Tempe, Arizona. Horace Pinker has toured extensively, performing in over 20 countries and sharing stages with renowned acts such as Green Day, The Off...

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, Charles and Doug welcome back Andy, a school teacher and avid live music fan, to share his an After Show Report on the 2025 Bonnaroo Music Festival. Despite carefully planning his trip with his friend Teddy and driving nine hours to the festival, Andy faced a series of unexpected challenges and adventures. The trip kicks off with a tense interaction with law enforcement when they are pulled over...

In this episode of 'Seeing Them Live,' Charles and Doug explore the intersection of True Crime and Rock and Roll with guest Jim Berkenstadt, also known as the Rock and Roll Detective. Berkenstadt has a worldwide reputation for uncovering the hidden histories and mysteries within popular music. His exhaustive investigative works span from serving as a historical consultant on several high-profile documentaries to publishing award-wi...

This episode of Seeing Them Lives features an engaging conversation with Matt Carmichael, a seasoned live music fan and concert photographer, known for his long-term association with Poi Dog Pondering. The discussion delves into Carmichael's early concert experiences, starting with seeing the Jackson 5 at the Silver Dome in 1984. Matt shares intriguing anecdotes about the first concert he attended with his dad and reflects on the e...

In this special anniversary episode of 'Seeing Them Live,' producer and co-host Doug takes the helm to celebrate the podcast's third year. With Charles on a break, Doug guides listeners through a curated selection of some of the most compelling and memorable moments from their library of 44 episodes. The journey begins by acknowledging the podcast's inception, inspired by Charles's book 'Ticket Stub Stories,' and how the team aimed...

In this episode on Seeing Them Live, Charles shares one of his ticket stub stories taken from the pages of his book, Ticket Stub Stories:  A Memoir of Live Music’. This story details his experience at a Nirvana concert in October 1993. Charles recounts the second show of a Nirvana concert he attended where the band, upset by a critical review in the Chicago Tribune, did not perform their hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' Discove...

In this episode of 'Seeing Them Live,' Charles interviews Zach Paradis, a Cleveland-born artist now based in Los Angeles, known for blending pop, hip hop, and R&B influences. Zach discusses the overwhelming success of a viral video he did with Crash Adams, which garnered millions of views across various platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. He delves into his early music experiences, including his first concert at a mu...