Mulligan Stew Podcast

EP 131 | Geeking Out on Island Pinot!

hello

The Stew Podcast has a subtitle

Music. Film. Food. Wine.  Those are the fields where my interviews come from.

Lots of music.

Increasing film conversations.

The Food file is getting thicker

But I’ve been shortchanging the Wine stories.

I do many wine features for Tasting Room Radio but the podcast interviews have to be special.

This week it’s a complete geek out on Point Noir.

The most complex grape on the planet. Growers call it “the heartbreak grape”

It requires care, time, and attention to detail with no guarantee that the wine will be drinkable after a year of growing, harvest, and cellaring.

Great Pinot loves certain growing conditions found in France, German, New Zealand, Chile, and California/Oregon in the USA.

Now, because of global warming,  it may become  Vancouver Island’s turn. The winemakers of VI have long talked about such a possibility. Now they’re certain.

This gathering all took place at this year’s Victoria Wine Festival.

It started with a panel discussion and ended with a one-on-one group gathering (with masks) outside in the courtyard.

Mike Rathjen – Winemaker. Rathjen Cellars (Saanich)

Daniel Dragert – Winemaker Kutatas (koo-ta-tass)  (Salt Spring Island)

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth  (Cowichan Valley)

Layne Craig – Winemaker  40 Knots  (Comox)

Brent Rowland  – Winemaker  Averill Creek (Cowichan Valley)

Mike Neirychlo – Winemaker  Emandare (Cowichan Valley) and panel host

Please remember, these are WINEMAKERS who love to geek out on Pinot.

IF you ever wanted to know more about the heartbreak grape this is your Podcast.

If you have a comment or opinion let us know…and Please subscribe on your favorite platform.

We’ll just “show up” after that.

NEXT week artist/producer/writer  Daniel Lanois.

EP 130 | Kurt Vile

hello

It was always the name that got me.  Kurt Vile. Got to be a punk, thrash metal guy right?

Turns out Kurt became a truly great singer/songwriter.

The voice is blue-collar but the songs and the way he sings them are unlike 99.9 % of the others.

He’s gone through the band phase with The War on Drugs. Then launched his solo career with a band of misfits called The Violators.  Nice misfits mind you.

Dude has released a handful of albums and 18 EPS.

The latest is Sound, Speed, Lonely KV (EP)

It begins with a John Prine song and the second to last track is also a John Prine song, .WITH John Prine.

Enjoy the stories and the man.

Two Words….

Kurt Vile

John Prine

EP 129 | Sam Roberts- ALL OF US

hello

Happy Halloween…make it a safe one.

Sam Roberts (Sam Roberts Band) joins us on this week’s Mulligan Stew Podcast

They have just released their 7th album All of Us.

Sam had most of the songs written out and recorded when he had a change of heart and something started making him re-write..

  He’s glad he did. These are outstanding “open my heart “ songs. His fans are going to love these tunes.

We found Sam at home in Montreal on the Zoom machine.

Ladies and gents – Sam Roberts

 

EP 128 | The Trial of The Chicago 7- Aaron Sorkin

hello

For people of a certain age…The Chicago 7 represents a disturbing time in
American History.

For those who were too young to have experienced the events all across
America, simply look around you today.

Large groups of protesters in the streets and parks.

Violence between police/militia and citizens. Politics at its center with
changes in cultures a close second.

Racism was a spark…Martin Luther King Jr had been assassinated months
earlier.

1000’s had died in the war in Vietnam and Richard Nixon was in the White
House.

The Democratic National Convention was in Chicago,  along with the National
Guard, 12,00 Chicago Police Officers, and 10,000 demonstrators.

The demonstrators were lead by the Yippies (Youth International Party) and
their leaders were Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin along with Tom Hayden and
Rennie Davis.  There was an 8th defendant Bobby Seale a founder of the Black
Panther Party.

The lawyers who represented the accused were perfect for this legal battle.
William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass.  The action in the courtroom was so
wild, The 7 and their lawyers were charged with over 150 contempt’s  of
court

It’s fair to say that the timing of this film and its subjects are perfect
for today’s audience which has been watching the Trump administration make
many of the same moves as Nixon.

Our guest is Aaron Sorkin, the writer, and director of The Trial of the
Chicago 7. (just premiered on Netflix this week)

You know him from The West Wing and Network. He wrote the screenplay for A
Few Good Men, Moneyball and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
for The Social Network

This film ranks as one of his very best.

The audio was captured from a virtual press conference several weeks ago…

Enjoy Aaron’s great background on the story and the shoot.  Makes the film
experience even better.

EP 127 | Afie Jurvanen/ Bahamas

hello

“I have music; I have a family, a house, a barbecue. I’ve got pants and a
hoodie, I got all kinds of whatever,” he says. “So that’s what I am
struggling with, this deeply internal thing. What are we doing here? We’re
just here on this rock for such a short time, and then we die.”

Afie Jurvanen’s  comments from  an article in American Songwriter

Afie Jurvanen is the creative spirit behind the artist known as Bahamas.

Afie has just released his fifth album – Sad Hunk

In Sad Hunk he writes and sings about – Forgiveness, dreams. belief, making
a living, family dynamics, cool/not cool,

Afie and his family moved from Ontario to Halifax and it’s reflected in his
spare, settled narration.

And music? His fans are going to love these tunes and it will win over
non-believers.

He’s the real deal..a Juno winning  singer/songwriter who’ll be back at the
podium for next year’s awards.

Enjoy this Zoom interview with the funny and very direct Afie/Bahamas.


 

 

EP 126 | The War and Treaty

hello

Michael Trotter Jr – Tanya Trotter.  The War and Treaty

They are the most interesting couple and the music they make is a heady mix
of blues, gospel, R&B, and country.

Their first album Healing Tide was so good, they  ended up with a Grammy
nomination.

They were scheduled to open for John Legend for most of 2020 but you know
what happened there.

Now comes the all-important follow-up Hearts Town.  Are they a one-shot wonder or artists
who will be making music for a looooong time?

(I’ll take door #2 Terry!!)

I love the shortlist of influences in their music

Ray Charles

Nina Simone

Aretha

AND

Johnny Cash

Here’s the deal: They bring real stories with their music. Michael’s post
war trauma, Tanya raising 3 kids, and her love for her Mother Judith.

Hearts Town is also about the people around them and their fans.

Listen to the life and death story behind the track 5 more minutes.

The call and response in Lonely in my Grief.

We welcome Michael and Tanya.  The War and Treaty and their new album Hearts
Town

EP 125 | Bang! The Bert Berns Story

hello

Don’t know Bert Berns?

Maybe you’ve heard some of the songs he wrote and gave the World.

Twist and Shout.  Piece of my Heart. Here comes the Night. Hang on Sloopy. Brown Eyed Girl. Under the Boardwalk. Cry To me.

He produced Solomon Burke. The Drifters. Ben E King. Wilson Pickett, LaVern Baker,  Isley Bros, and  Van Morrison.

Bert was the first American Producer to record British bands in London.

One was Them, featuring Van Morrison.  Led Zeppelin recorded Baby Come on Home for their first album. Was released later in a box set.

He started his own label BANG. It featured artists like McCoys, Strangeloves, Neil Diamond. Van Morrison recorded his first solo album with Bang Records. It featured Brown Eyed Girl, the great TB Sheets, and the first-ever version of Madame George.  Van has said “Bert Berns was a genius”

Berns was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in 1967 of childhood rheumatic fever at age 38.  A lot of songs died with him.

This is an interview I did with his son Brett who was one of the directors and producers of Bang!  The Bert Berns Story, a documentary on his father’s life.

The film is narrated by Miami Steve van Zant from the E Street Band. It’s an inspired choice as Steve is known for playing a mob gangster, which is exactly what Bert  Berns was known for. Hanging around mafia guys when he wasn’t working.

Enjoy the story.  I believe you can find this documentary on Netflix.

EP 124 | Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes

hello

Based in LA, the Philly band Dawes will release their 7th album Friday October 2.   Good Luck with Whatever is  their first on Rounder Records.

 

(It’s a great fit ,  their lawyer is now  president of the label)

Taylor Goldsmith is an original member of the band, the primary songwriter and lead singer.

This is no one-man-band.

Dawes  is a true band. Great players front to back and top to bottom.

We’ll talk about

. the loss of Justin Townes Earle

. the loss of Justin Townes Earle

.Ingmar Bergman and Bob Dylan

.Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

.artists from the 60-70-80’s trying to stay creative.

.being labeled with having “the Laurel Canyon Sound”

.the stories behind 3 tracks.

                                St Augustine at Night

                                Who do you think you’re talking to

                                Still feel like a kid

Taylor Goldsmith – Dawes!

EP 123 | Matt Quinn of Mt Joy

hello

Hello All:

Like all great songwriters, Matt Quinn from LA band Mt Joy started all of his formal music training – in his bedroom in Philly

Even though Matt always had a desire to write and create music, he eventually started law classes.

He was deep into  tort law class when he saw that his first release Astrovan had 60,000 plays in one day on Spotify.

So much for the law career.

The second Mt Joy album is called Rearrange Us

Matt  describes the release  as a “breakup album” with an ending that speaks to personal growth and progress in the face of sorrow and is filled with hits!

These guys are really good.

Next Week – Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes.

EP 122 | Mike Plume and Tom Seaver

hello

A rare double Guest Podcast!

We had always planned to showcase Mike Plume and his latest album Lonesome Stretch of Highway.

Mike has two dates coming up  Monday/Tuesday, Sept 7&8 at The Ironwood in Calgary.

We include four tracks from the album. His 10 years in Nashville show up in the songs. Solid work all around.


Then this week one of the greatest clutch pitchers to ever play baseball Tom Seaver died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

I had interviewed Tom by phone at his vineyard on top of  Diamond Mt. Calistoga at 7am Feb 18 2013.

(He started his days early)

I loved the conversation. A mix of baseball moments/memories and watching over his vineyards every day.

Tom was a storyteller..have a listen, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Enjoy Mike and please remember Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver.

Thank you

Stay SAFE