Music In My Shoes

We argue over the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2026 inductees and the bigger issue of whether the Hall still means “rock” or has quietly become a general Music Hall of Fame. Along the way we call out who we think got in for the right reasons, who feels like a stretch, and which overlooked bands deserve a serious second look. • reactions to the 2026 performer inductees list and what it signals about the Hall’s identity • memories from visiting the Hall and why artifacts make the history feel real • frustration with non-rock inductions and the case for renaming the institution • our snub list and why influence matters for Smashing Pumpkins, Thin Lizzie, Phish, Devo, Pixies, Television, Motörhead and Jane’s Addiction • music time capsule picks including John Lennon, Peter Frampton, Rod Stewart, Joan Jett, Def Leppard, Robert Palmer, Psychedelic Furs and Ozzy Osbourne Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

We celebrate three years of making the show by chasing the stories that live inside songs, from U2’s reinvention on Achtung Baby to the radio moments that made 1991 and 1992 feel electric. We trade chart facts, tour memories, and weird-but-true backstories that make you hear familiar tracks in a new way. • marking the three-year milestone and why music talk never runs out • U2’s shift in sound on Achtung Baby and what “Zoo Station,” “Mysterious Ways,” and “One” reveal • why “One” helps hold the band together and why it can be tough live • the late-1991 wave that resets alternative rock energy • “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and how “More Cowbell” rewires a classic • why Billy Joel’s Songs In The Attic works as a career bridge • Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” as a cover with a tragic timeline behind it • “Bizarre Love Triangle” dance-floor memories and New Order’s evolution from Joy Division • Rick Rubin’s production lens on “Give It Away” and borrowed riffs • Beatles Anthology 3 demos that prove less is more Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

Desert Trip still sounds like a rumor you’d hear from a friend who swears they were there: Bob Dylan opening for the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney sharing a weekend with Neil Young, and The Who somehow slotted before Roger Waters running through Pink Floyd giants. We break down what made the 2016 Indio run such a defining classic rock live music moment, from the jaw-dropping economics and VIP culture to the real fan dilemma of “do I spend the money now or regret it forever?” We also get into the most interesting wrinkle of all: when an artist like Dylan agrees to lean into the hits, what does that change about the night? We slide back into our musical time capsule with Queen and Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold,” Billy Joel’s underrated “A Matter of Trust,” The Smiths, Weezer’s Pinkerton redemption arc, and Sublime’s “What I Got” with its bittersweet backstory. Subscribe for more music history and sharp left turns, share this with a friend who still argues about setlists, and leave a review with the band you’d book for your own once-in-a-lifetime weekend.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

Two people. One shared obsession. More than 10,000 live shows. We’re remembering Lois Kahlhert after her passing on October 8, 2026. The story of Dennis and Lois, the kind of music fans most scenes only dream of having, the ones who never stop showing up, even when life gets hard. Their names might sound ordinary, but their footprint stretches from CBGB in New York to the Madchester orbit, touching everyone from the Ramones to the Happy Mondays.We talk about why their legacy goes beyond being “super fans.” They don’t just buy tickets and clap from the crowd, they help bands survive the road by pitching in at the merch table, earning real trust in a world where every dollar and every set change matters. Along the way we highlight Chris Cassidy’s Dennis and Lois documentary, the wild museum-like home filled with pop culture artifacts, and the bigger question it raises: if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame can honor gatekeepers and legends, why not the fans who quietly keep the culture alive?https://youtu.be/e15_KS5n204?is=40RoY1sS6m0J877vThen we pivot into a pure nostalgia rush: 1991 concert memories with Sting, Rod Stewart, and Tom Petty in Atlanta. We also hit quick, punchy favorites across punk and alternative history, from The Damned to Rick James’ “Super Freak,” Billy Idol’s club-ready breakthrough, and WLIR “Screamer of the Week” gems that still sound fearless.If you love live music, music history, punk, alternative, or the people behind the scenes who make it all move, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who never misses a show, and leave us a review with the song that made you fall in love with concerts.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

There’s a moment before every concert where you look at your closet and ask a ridiculous question that somehow feels important: do I wear the band’s shirt to their own show, or is that “trying too hard”? We jump straight into the unspoken world of concert etiquette, from band merch “rules” to the myth that it’s bad karma to listen to the artist on the day of the gig. We tell the truth about why we wear what we wear, how a rare tour tee becomes a conversation starter, and why the spirit of rock and roll probably isn’t served by gatekeeping anybody’s outfit.Then we take you to Athens, Georgia and the 40 Watt Club for a first-time experience seeing Cosmic Charlie, a Grateful Dead cover band with serious energy. Showtime is its own kind of thrill, but the real win is the crowd: younger fans singing along to deep cuts, dancing nonstop, and proving that a legacy can stay alive when a new generation claims it as their own. If you care about live music, cover bands, and music scenes that actually renew themselves, this story will land.We close by geeking out on classic rock history and pop culture: the 50th anniversary of Boston’s debut album, the radio era that made “More Than a Feeling” unavoidable, Jeff Lynne’s studio magic with Electric Light Orchestra, and how overplay can change what we reach for years later. There’s also a quick detour to Christopher Cross and Arthur’s Theme, plus a fast “Minute With Jimmy” spotlight on Hoodoo Gurus and the college rock pipeline. Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

One tiny musical decision can change everything, and That Thing You Do is basically a love letter to that truth. We’re talking about Tom Hanks’ 1960s band movie, why it still feels sharp decades later, and how a single tempo jump turns a forgettable ballad into a song that makes a whole room move. We also dig into the movie’s best running joke, the Wonders name, and the details that make the band feel real instead of “movie real.”We give credit where it’s due and 55 years later The Who "Who's Next" album is still a classic. We talk about Baba O'Riley, Won't Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes and deep cuts, synth talk, and why those songs endure. Then the conversation opens up into a quick music-history run through Little Richard, Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” and disco debates.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

We chase the weird and wonderful corners of music history, from a star-packed tennis fundraiser that somehow happens without the Eagles to a rap-rock collaboration that permanently shifts what radio can be. We also swap boots-on-the-ground stories from Shaky Knees in Atlanta, including a perfect Strokes set, a storm evacuation, and Wu-Tang turning a festival night into a celebration. • the Eagles Rock and Roll Tennis Festival as a charity event with a surreal guest list • the Eagles missing their own festival while finishing Hotel California • Run-DMC and Aerosmith making Walk This Way a breakthrough hip hop and rock crossover • the MTV video concept and why it fuels the song’s impact • Shaky Knees Friday recap with Turnstile crowd energy and The Strokes delivering big • Saturday weather chaos, evacuation confusion, and the sting of canceled favorites • Sunday highlights with Jet and a surprisingly uplifting Wu-Tang Clan set • rapid-fire music history picks: The Hollies, The Kinks, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

One song can act like a wrecking ball, not because it’s louder than everything else, but because it makes the old rules feel instantly outdated. We go back to Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and talk through why its 1991 rise didn’t just create a hit, it helped slam the door on the hair metal era and kick open the 1990s grunge and alternative rock mainstream.We dig into the details that built the myth: the true story behind the title (yes, Teen Spirit deodorant), the way Kurt Cobain’s lyrics landed even when you couldn’t make out every word, and how the iconic MTV video turned curiosity into obsession. Then we zoom out to Nevermind as a complete album experience, from “In Bloom” and “Lithium” to the sequencing, the songwriting range, and the production choices that fused raw energy with a big, room-filling sound.The conversation turns into a live music travelogue across New York: Drivin N Cryin in Woodstock with Lenny Kaye, an electric Webster Hall night with the Bogmen, and a trip to My Father’s Place for Scottish post-punk favorites APB. We finish with “Minute with Jimmy,” featuring the ultimate gig heartbreak: a Sex Pistols show cancelled at the last minute.If you love music history, and real concert stories, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave us a review.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

We connect the dots between music, memory, and the way stories around 9/11 keep resurfacing through pop culture. We swap video facts, share a song that helped the country breathe again, and then turn it all into a competitive 1980s trivia battle before we nerd out on classic tracks. • Depeche Mode and Limp Bizkit videos filmed atop the World Trade Center and why the timeline hits hard • “Minute with Jimmy” on The Kinks’ “Better Things” and Fountains of Wayne performing it on Conan after 9/11 • 1980s music trivia rules, real names, band facts, and lyric follow-ups • quick takes on “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, Pet Sounds, and why Beach Boys harmonies feel unreal • Beatles “Yellow Submarine” as a lifelong entry point • Foreigner “Urgent”, and Thomas Dolby’s surprising session work If you enjoy music history, 80s nostalgia, behind-the-scenes recording stories, and the way songs connect to real events, hit play now. Subscribe, share this with a fellow music nerd, and leave a review telling us which song takes you right back in time.Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!

The hardest part about 9/11 isn’t only the day itself. It’s the long echo afterward, when grief collides with everyday life and you don’t know what’s allowed to feel normal anymore. We start by revisiting the way music showed up in those first months, from America: A Tribute to Heroes to the Concert for New York City, and why certain performances hit like a hand on your shoulder. For us, it’s the contrast that matters: solemn moments that honor the loss, and loud moments that give people four minutes of breath.Then we’re joined by Billy Campion of The Bogmen, a band rooted in New York whose world was shaken on a personal level. Billy talks candidly about the group’s breakup, addiction, and fractured relationships, and how 9/11 snapped priorities into focus. The Bogmen reunite to play benefit shows for a community that lost friends, fans, and family, including Brendan’s wife. We also dig into the documentary We Will Go to Them Tonight, the idea of music as something spiritual and communal, and how the band’s mission shifted toward service, charity, and staying connected to the people in the room.https://thebogmen.com/The second half moves from concerts to consequences: 9/11 illnesses, toxic exposure, and the fight for first responder health care. Kathleen Aspenleiter and Joe Pfeifer share the story of their brother, FDNY firefighter Ray Pfeifer, from working the pile to facing cancer and taking the battle to Washington alongside allies like Jon Stewart. We close with what the Ray Pfeifer Foundation does right now for families who need help immediately, not after a form is processed. If this matters to you, subscribe, share the episode with someone who should hear it, and leave us a review.  https://theraypfeiferfoundation.org/Learn Something New orRemember Something OldPlease like and follow the Music in My Shoes Facebook and Instagram pagesReach out to us at [email protected] us a one-way message. We can’t answer you back directly, but it could be part of a future Music In My Shoes Mailbag!!!