Six Questions With Matty C

On this installment of Six Questions, we welcome our old friend Matt Berenson. Matt and I kick things off with the debut single from a band that would go on to be one of the biggest acts in rock and roll history.From there, Matt hops into the Six Questions Time Machine™ to travel back to witness a legendary show at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles in 1966. That show featured a trailblazing headliner that would sadly go under-appreciated in their own time, while also featuring the coming out moment from one of LA’s most famous musical exports.We talk about the rambunctious band and punk poet that first motivated the political mind of a young Matt Berenson, and how the messages of that band are still so vital to our struggles today.In the second half of our discussion, Matt centers his love on a little band from Dayton, Ohio for more than one answer. We talk intensely about the genius of the Bobs; both Dylan and Pollard. There is talk of sublime vocal melodies, motorcycle accidents, and 100 song setlists.Matt also shares the story of his very first concert; an intimidating experience that features a legendary west coast punk outfit, an iconic LA venue, and Matt’s hair catching on fire.Come join me and Matt Berenson for six musical questions. Here we go.Cheers,Matty C------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Matt for joining me. Be sure to subscribe to his Substack, Matt Berenson’s Newsletter for Musical Obsessives, you’ll find a link in the show notes. Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written and recorded by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimakingUntil next time, we will see you on the Substack, my friends. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

Hey folks. Just a quick production note. This week we have an episode from the Six Questions vault with our old friend Kevin Alexander. We’ll be back next week with a new episode. Let’s get to the show.Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks at What Am I Making. In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into.This week’s guest is Kevin Alexander, the man behind the fantastic music Substack, On Repeat Records.In this go-round, Kevin and I talk about the records that shaped us as young children. We discuss the power of art and music on young people and talk about a a time when records were a sort of classroom. Kevin hops in our time machine to travel back to see a legendary multi-night run that became one of the greatest concert films of all time.We talk about the two bands that began to help Kevin form his political beliefs. He says he came for the beats, but stayed for the message. There is also talk of a beloved Ohio singer/songwriter that helped Kevin, a native Oregonian, come to terms with and better understand his midwestern surroundings living in Wisconsin.Talk of favorite shows leads to discussions of lifelong connections across the merch table or standing behind a cargo van at one o’clock in the morning. And of course, Kevin tells us why New Order would be the last band he would ever let go from his record collection.Come join me and Kevin Alexander for six musical questions. Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C------------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Kevin for joining me. Please go follow Kevin and his work at On Repeat Records at https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/Six Questions With Matty C is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

Jon Carroll is the sort of guy who lights up a room. Sure, he’s a world class piano player, singer, and arranger. He’s been a long-time musical collaborator with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s touring outfit. You might even know him as a founding member of the Starland Vocal Band. Despite his talent and experience, the first thing you notice about Jon is his ebullient persona.Jon is a born storyteller, and when two talkers such as he and I collide, you can be sure it’ll be a lengthy conversation. As much as we tried to stick with the five minute limit, it was too hard to contain Jon to just a half an hour for his myriad thoughts and ideas. I promise you that every minute in this deep and delightful chat is worth the time.During these six queries on film, Jon and I cover a massive amount of cinematic ground. We follow a terrifying Robert Mitchum through a black and white wilderness of terror. Jon takes us through the machinations of Paul Newman’s greatest performance, and winds us through the tender world of filmmaker, James L. Brooks.This is a wonderful conversation with one of my very favorite people to talk to. Here now are me, Jon Carroll and six questions about cinema.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C- - - - - - - -End CreditsThank you so much to Jon for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work at https://joncarroll.orgSix Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I welcome back my old friend and frequent What Am I Making guest Barry Hummel for a sextet of musical conundrums. Barry is, of course, one half of the great Pops on Hops podcast, where he and his daughter Abigail discuss music and beer and so much more. In addition to Barry’s terrific work at Pops On Hops, he has also recently taken to writing on Substack about the world at Pops On Hops and covering his exploits as a long distance runner.During our half dozen queries, Barry and I cover his childhood episode with mumps and the adjacent musical memories that are entwined with that time in his life. We take a trip to the most famous rooftop show in the history of rock music and Barry shares how he was awakened to the realities of race in America with the help of a young female singer/songwriter.Barry shares his connection with a terrific North Carolina band that he wished had garnered a larger audience in their day, and then regales us with an emotional tale of seeing one of the biggest bands of all time during a time of national mourning. We then wrap things up very near where we began as we discussed the musical catalog that would be the last to leave Barry’s record collection.This episode is rather special as Barry and I were able to record it together in person at an event we were both attending in Las Vegas back in April. We recorded the episode on the patio of a restaurant, so the audio may sound a tad different than our usual episode, but the quality is still quite good for a location recording. So, here we are together again, this time in-person.It’s me and the great Barry Hummel with six questions.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C- - - - - - - -End CreditsThank you so much to Barry for joining me. You can find out all about him and his work at https://popsonhopspod.substack.com/Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

Remember The Lightning is a love letter to guitar pop. Its author and our guest, S.W. Lauden, has been firmly in the grasp of rock and roll since he can firstremember. S.W. has truly lived a life in rock trenches and lived to tell the tale. He’s not only spent a life writing about rock and roll, he played drums in one time major label darlings, Tsar, as well as in his current band The Brothers Steve. Lauden’s writing on music has been a lifelong love affair culminating in several non-fiction books on the subject, and with a series of punk rock detective novels featuring musical PI, Greg Salem. S.W. has even collected the best writing from his Substack along with several guest contributors for an annual pair of physical books on the subject of guitar pop and its various iterations and purveyors.On today’s episode of Six Questions, S.W. and I pored through a half dozen musical conundrums, covering his earliest home recordings, a mercurial English mastermind, the overwhelming impact of one particularly raucous band from the midwest and so much more.Please note that there are some audio imperfections in this particular episode. You’ll likely notice a slight hum during much of my chat with S.W., and the recording quality of my mic is not its usual pristine clarity. My apologies for the digital garble, but it shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying the chat.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

On this week’s episode of Six Questions with Matty C, I welcome in my friend and previous WAIM pod guest Bill Boyle into the Sheddio for six sonic riddles. I first got to know Bill Boyle from his insights and analysis at Stand Up with Pete Dominick. While Bill’s day job is owning and running a series of parking garages around the DC Metro area, his real genius is breaking down complex information into discernible chunks. I have learned as much from him about the war in Ukraine as I have from any single news outlet.Bill is not a journalist, and would never promote himself as such, but he has an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He’s incredibly well read, well researched, and well traveled. He has also had the good fortune not only to see much of the world, but he also possesses the curiosity and background to genuinely understand the stories behind that travel.During our six musical queries, Bill covers a great deal of ground from a broken nose in a college cafeteria to a Cambodian rock legend, and a ton of sonic territory in between. We start things off with a bit of roving discussion before jumping into the six questions. I decided to keep the entire chat because it actually does a wonderful job setting up the meat of the conversation.So, enjoy this rather inflated installment of Six Questions with me and Bill Boyle.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C------------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Bill for joining me. You can listen to his first appearance on the WAIM pod at https://whatamimaking.substack.com/p/what-am-i-making-017-travel-talk?utm_source=publication-searchSix Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

On this week’s episode of Six Questions with Matty C, I welcome in music writer and Substacker, Robert C. Gilbert for a half dozen sonic queries.Robert kicks us off with a trip back to one of the true origin points in the history of rock and roll. We talk about an icon whose legacy has often overshadowed his actual work, and we explore the dark, mysterious power of first wave rock and roll in the mind of a youngster. We travel on to New York in our next query for a legendary concert that happened in February of 1964, just down the street from where the Beatles were making their famed appearance at Carnegie Hall.In our third query, we take a deep dive into the life and work of a musical mastermind that Robert describes as someone who makes art that makes the audience more empathetic. Question four finds us exploring the work of a misunderstood and often overlooked singer/songwriter with a powerful, singular voice.There is talk of a 2011 show featuring one of Robert’s lifetime idols playing in his home city. That concert even ended with something of a personal interaction with the artist for Robert, and led to a night he will remember forever. And we wrap things up in the same spot where we began as Robert’s listening habits come full circle. Here now are me and Robert C. Gilbert with Six Questions.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C----------------End CreditsThank you so much to Robert for joining me. You can find his terrific Substack, Listening Sessions at https://www.listeningsessions.ca/Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I welcome Substacker, music writer, and Navy veteran Jason Thompson into the Sheddio for a half dozen musical queries. Jason spent 24 years serving in the United States Navy. During that time, he managed to see all seven continents and spent time visiting 57 different countries. After his career in what he calls Uncle Sam’s Yacht Club, came to a close, Jason returned home to the Detroit area where he has thrown himself into his terrific music based Substack, Ear Candy Update.As Jason and I careen through a half dozen musical riddles, we cover a great deal of ground from the early days of first wave rock and roll through the use of artillery at a live performance, and to a boutique label in Cinicinnati churning out the very best in modern soul and R&B.Jason shares his unabiding love for a quartet of English lads that led the way for his political activism and education. We hit upon a rare show by a songwriting genius that Jason was lucky enough to witness. And, we channel the raw power and unbridled energy of a pack of Detroit kids that helped to define the very sound of garage rock.Cheers,Matty C---------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Jason for joining me. You can find out all about his work at https://earcandyupdate.substack.comSix Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back to Six Questions With Matty C. It’s a simple short-form interview show from the fine folks here at What Am I Making.In each episode I’ll use the same half dozen questions about film or music, each with a five minute discussion limit to learn more from each guest about how the culture we consume shapes the people that we turn into.--------------------------Before we jump into the show, I do need to remind you that this podcast and all of the work that I do at What Am I Making is powered solely by listeners like you. I cannot continue this work without your support.Please sign up today for a paid subscription. Plans start at just $5 a month, and all of that money goes back here to support me and my work.--------------------------This week, I welcome Patrick Hicks, a music historian, podcaster, and Tik Tok host into the Sheddio for a half dozen questions focused on film. Patrick, who was a great guest last year on the WAIM pod, shared with me that he was thrilled to have the chance to discuss movies, even though he is known for being a music guy.During our chat, Patrick and I cover a beloved animated film that has only improved with age for him. We dip our toe into the water of American race relations through the lens of a genuine cinematic classic. Patrick also makes a rather unusual choice when discussing the portrayal of love on screen, but his answer is beautiful in its simplicity.We travel deep inside an art installation that began as a jokey form of protest, and became something much larger and more significant. Patrick synthesizes the elements of his cinematic doppelganger, who fittingly, also hails from the Windy City. And, we finish things off with an hilarious story about a mother-son movie experience that changed the family vocabulary.You’ll find all of this and more as we delve into six questions with Patrick Hicks. Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C--------------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Patrick for joining me. You can find out all about her work at https://patrickhicks.substack.com/Six Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I welcome Kristen Lopez, a writer and film historian who captains The Film Maven, a terrific site that keeps tabs on Hollywood’s daily machinations, while also looking back at film’s fascinating history. Kristen not only publishes on her own site, she has also had her work appear in esteemed outlets such as Variety, The L.A. Times, the Golden Globes, and The Hollywood Reporter, to name a few. Lopez has also penned a pair of books, including one on a topic very close to her heart. In addition to being an accomplished film writer, Kristen is also a dedicated activist for disabled representation in the movies. Her second book, Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies debuted in November 2025.During our discussion, Kristen and I talked about our collective loss of civic pride, and we wonder if times were ever really simpler, or if they have always been this complicated. We hit upon the ideals of self-improvement, and ponder the power of self awareness.Kristen shares her love for “moody, swoony, romance pics” as she explores a forgotten 80’s classic. We dive into camp, dumb ambition, and the glory days of 90’s trash films The pair of us also cover the days when Hollywood made a few meat and potatoes films every year. You’ll also find talk about childhood film crushes, tweed-clad English teachers, and the importance and value of the movie theater experience.Here now are me and Kristen Lopez with six cinematic questions.Let’s get into it.Cheers,Matty C--------------------End CreditsThank you so much to Kriten for joining me. You can find out all about her work at https://thefilmmaven.comSix Questions With Matty C is a production of What Am I Making. The show is hosted, written, and produced by me, Matty C. Our theme music was written by the great Pete Coe.You can subscribe to all of our work today at whatamimaking.substack.com. Our work is solely sponsored by listeners and readers like you. Please lend your support today with a paid subscription at whatamimaking.substack.com. You can email the show us at [email protected]. You can also leave us a voicemail with your questions or concerns at speakpipe.com/whatamimaking Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe