Nite Owls

Oil, Energy, and America - Jack Kerfoot

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 13:00:00 -0400

Capitalism's upside down when cheaper, cleaner, and safer energy isn't the first go-to option in the US market. Nite Owls sits down with analyst, energy executive, outspoken renewable energy advocate, and author Jack Kerfoot to talk about this conundrum and his book, Fueling America: An Insider's Journey.

Nite Owls chats with Jack about his life story and 40 years of experience in the energy sector. From the Texas oilfields to the corporate boardroom, the history of whaling, robber barons, and the competing political interests that keep America from progressing to a brighter and more affordable energy future - this is a great conversation.

Grab a copy of Jack Kerfoot's book Fueling America here.
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On The Run with Bandits On The Run

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 23:00:00 -0500

Great conversation with New York's Bandits On The Run, an indie-folk pop trio of genuinely kind and charismatic folks! I'd first seen them at a SoFar Sounds show in the summer of 2018 and was an instant fan - and instantly jealous of their suitcase bass drum. They've been working on music in quarantine and their latest, 'Hurricane', releases March 19th (pre-save link in show notes).

Nite Owls chats with the Bandits (Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn) about coping with the highs of being a rising band, their journey, and adaption during Covid, making music, finding solitude on tour, privilege, race, and the importance of storytelling. Not to mention, a wonderful performance!

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Bandits On The Run online:
Follow on Instagram and Facebook and Twitter
Their Youtube (Tiny Desk Concert Entry)
Pre-Save their latest, Hurricane, here.

Get Your Band 's Music On TV / Steve Nice

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:00:00 -0500

Season 2 of Nite Owls is here! What makes it Season 2? I had a buttload of work through the holidays and also wanted to make sure that everything was going to get back to some kind of normalcy by February; It got pretty dicey there for '21!

OK so - how does a band's music get on tv and film? Synchronization licenses are the name of the game. It's a very different world from radio and artist manager Steve Nice aka Nice Management stopped by Nite Owls (remotely) to talk about how he accidentally, mightily some would say, had his life fall into place and how it leads to pitching and handling synchronization licenses and guiding artists careers: Siddartha Khosla (Goldspot, NBC's This Is Us), Scars on 45, and Van Hunt - to name a few.

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Learn more about Steve Nice at https://nicemgmt.com/

Acting, Writing, Comedy-ing - Mares & Kaps

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 22:00:00 -0500

Going out of 2020 with episode 20! Lost a friend, lost a tooth, and got back into UFOs.

Nite Owls chats with the creative duo that is Marianne Bayard and Jonathan Kaplan, the creators, writers, and actors in a new show, "Mares & Kaps", the progeny of their sketches from "Killing It!" web series. The logline? Inspired by a promising actors’ suicide, a delusional woman and her loyal best friend leave suburbia to find fame in Glitzburgh. It's a funny authentically manic study of friendship and following a dream. Like so many things in 2020, the show is on a short pause, but you can help them out via donations (see notes below) and I encourage you to consider.

Nite Owls chats with Marianne and Jonathan about writing, clown school, being creative with other people, band scenes, Fringe Fest, Long Island, pursuing darkness, and hash out Eric's 20-year complicated relationship with Jonathan.

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Follow Mares and Kaps on Facebook, Instagram, and support them HERE.
Watch their PILOT EPISODE!

Artist Manager, Tech Entrepreneur - Christa Shaub

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 22:00:00 -0500

Depending on where you're listening from, the election is apparently alive and well as we enter December with Nite Owls.

On tonight's episode host Eric Gottlieb chats with Christa Shaub, music business jane of all trades, and EVP at Holr Media Group.

Nite Owls chats with Christa about her wide-ranging career and personal journey into the music business; From Nashville to early A&R days at Cherry Lane, diving headfirst into managing a young Rihanna, followed by her discovery, and success with Luke Elliot. Listen and commiserate about being an intern surviving on seven dollar pitches of beer and hotdogs at dive bars. Plus Eric asks what's up with Delaware.

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Follow Christa Shaub on Instagram.
Learn more about Holr at holrback.com

On-Air Personality, NYC's Q104.3 - Jonathan Clark

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Bit of a delay thanks to some pandemic quality internet!
Nite Owls host Eric Gottlieb continues his journey into NYC radio with guest Jonathan Clarke, on-air personality and host of Q104.3's "Out of the Box" new music show.

From college daze to his Billboard phase, Jonathan has an interesting history and like many in broadcast, it's rarely a straight path. Jonathan and Eric talk about his career, Billboard charts, not getting on the guestlist, airchecks, how Out Of The Box got started, and much more. It's a great chat about music and working the mic.

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Follow Jonathan Clarke on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
And catch Q104.3's "Out Of The Box" Sunday's at 9!

Musician, Activist, Theologian - Rev. Sekou

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Things are heavy out there and Eric needed to talk to someone connected to a higher consciousness musically, spiritually, and civically.

Noted activist, theologian, author, documentary filmmaker, and musician, Reverend Osagyefo Sekou was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in the rural Arkansas Delta. Rev. Sekou's music is an unique combination of Arkansas Delta Blues, Memphis Soul 1970s funk, and Gospel. His most recent record, When We Fight We Win - Live in Memphis was released in March 2019. He is featured in Orlando de Guzman’s 2015 documentary film Ferguson: A Report from Occupied Territory and also spent 6 weeks on the ground in Charlottesville, VA training clergy in response to the Unite the Right rally.

Night Owls and the Reverend go deep on the Gospel of Mark, the healing aspects of music, Jesus Christ as a revolutionary figure, social media, writing songs on stage, the 2020 presidential candidates, and his history and perspective in activism.

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Follow Rev. Sekou on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

See Rev. Sekou's NPR Tiny Desk!

Brandi and the Alexanders - Live from Brooklyn

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 01:00:00 -0400

Is 2020 over yet?!

Just before The Before Times got started, Brooklyn soul-rock band Brandi and the Alexanders played at Brooklyn Bowl in February. Little did they (and your Nite Owls host) know it would be their last performance for some time. As a happy accident, they recorded the raucous beer-fueled set and have released it on all streaming music platforms as Brandi and the Alexanders: Live In Brooklyn.

Nite Owls catches up with the band to talk about what lead up to that night, their recent partnership with Instagram, how they're coping without music, and most importantly what shows Eric Gottlieb needs to watch while in quarantine.

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Follow Brandi and the Alexanders on Facebook, Instagram, and listen to their New Album

Playwright, Lyricist, Librettist - Sara Cooper

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:00:00 -0400

We're going from Broadway to beyond on Nite Owls!

I've known Sara Cooper for some time and am amazed (and a little jealous) at the pace of her creative output. From plays to musicals, operas, and even getting into TV Sara's depth and breadth of knowledge are so extensive she could teach a class - and she does that too!

Nite Owls asks Sara when the old musical/new musical split was, the many locations of off-Broadway, plus Urinetown and class politics, her writing process, Emma Goldman, and what movie she'd like to do as a musical.

Learn more about Sara Cooper over here!
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Author and Cultural Anthropologist - Maureen Mahon

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 22:00:00 -0400

Back with a great guest!

Maureen Mahon is the author of Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll (out 10/30/20), an exploration of the pivotal part African American women have played in the development of rock and roll. She was pivotal as Chief Academic Advisor for “Soundtrack of America,” the five-night concert series commission by filmmaker Steve McQueen that opened the inaugural season of The Shed in 2019. Professor Mahon teaches in the Department of Music at New York University.

Nite Owls chats with Maureen about her new book, Little Richard, DC suburbs, The Shirelles, rock music, artist survival, the challenges and power dynamics of race and women in music, and a lot more.

Pre-Order Black Diamond Queens now!
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Brandi Thompson - Singer/Songwriter, Brandi and the Alexanders

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 23:00:00 -0400

It was only a matter of time until Brandi Thompson, the singer, and songwriter for Brandi and the Alexanders came onto Nite Owls. In addition to leading the band that Eric play drums in, Brandi has sung and toured across the country (and a few other countries) as a professional singer and backup vocalist.

Nite Owls chats with Brandi about drinking and Zoom karaoke with her Mom, Chicagoland, her journey to becoming a professional vocalist and songwriter, Brandi and the Alexanders, how bands work, plus where she wants to play when this all ends. Eric and Brandi also share some urban apocalypse prepper tips.

Follow Brandi and the Alexanders on Instagram and Facebook.

And follow Brandi herself, too.

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Podcasting with MK Burnell, More Music Please Podcast

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 02:00:00 -0400

A lot going on this week besides this little podcast and I was in a jam, but my friend and fellow podcaster, MK Burnell, came through for a fun chat on Nite Owls about this thing we've been doing. A broadcaster and musician in her own right, MK's podcast, More Music Please! talks with artists, managers, venue owners, booking agents, independent promoters about what they're up music-wise in the time of Corona. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts at!

MK and I chatted about Connecticut, people being displaced and bougie gentrification, her time at WDST in Woodstock, comic book stores, Brooklyn drama, and what it's like doing a podcast from background noises to listening to your own voice.

Follow More Music Please! on Instagram

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Radio, Radio - Erik Olesen, Lee Leipsner

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Two Guests for the Price of One! It's a jam-packed record biz episode of Nite Owls with Erik Olesen, Head of Pop Radio Promotion and Strategy at Crush Music, and Lee Leipsner, head of Pop Radio Promotions at S-Curve Records/BMG.

So the three of us got right to it about "mailroom days" for the record business, radio during COVID-19, what artists and managers are trying to figure out, missed opportunities with Napster, Metallica fans, TikTok, plus leather pants and The Scorpions. Eric shares a St. Vincent story, too. Great talk, great dudes. Could have talked for another hour!

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Singer/Songwriter - Al Olender

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 22:00:00 -0400

Hudson Valley by way of Baltimore, singer-songwriter Al Olender is on her own musical journey, debuting her heartfelt and earnest songs later this month.

Nite Owls chats with Al about living in the mythic musical grounds of the Hudson Valley, moving around, the writing process, and the process of letting go, plus we get real about what touring in a band is like as well as her time spent in folk-rock band Upstate. There’s also some light Satan worship and you’ll hear Al perform one of her wonderful songs.

Check out Al Olender online:
On Instagram and Facebook and Twitter
Her Youtube (Tiny Desk Concert Entry)
Her music debuting August 29th on Soundcloud
and her Merch.

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Music Scenes, Brooklyn Style - Sam Sumpter, Bands do BK

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:00:00 -0400

Sam Sumpter is the brains behind Bands do BK; A roundup of some of the best spots in the borough, based on the recs of the indie artists who live it and love it. A combination of music journalism, insider's guide, and backstage pass to the many, many, many bands all vying to get your attention in their home borough.

Nite Owls chats with Sam about growing up in Texas, the allure of New York City, making big moves, Bands do BK, her forthcoming book, and what constitutes an actual music scene. Also, the tables are turned to find out what some of Sam's favorite spots are like The Crown Inn.

Check out Bands do BK online
Follow Bands do BK on Instagram
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Person. Producer. Engineer. Studio. - Quinn McCarthy, The Creamery Studio

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 22:00:00 -0400

Quinn McCarthy is a producer and engineer, and part of the creation of The Creamery Studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. With an education in bass and composition and some big dreams, he moved to NYC, and built and opened The Creamery as a space for co-creating great music with great musicians. He also engineered, mixed, and provided the creative canvas for Brandi and the Alexanders to record their 2018 debut, How Do You Like It.

Nite Owls catches up with Quinn about growing up Pan-South Western, Tucson venue goals, producing albums, bougie music studios, hip-hop legend Madlib, plus the story of how The Creamery was built and established, and playing the parent to bands recording music.

Show notes:
Check out The Creamery online for recording information.
Follow The Creamery on Instagram
Follow Brandi and the Alexanders on Spotify
Follow Nite Owls on Twitter and Instagram

Death, Philosophy, and Social Media with Theodora Karatzas

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 23:00:00 -0400

It's a pal from another era! Theodora Karatzas is a UX writer, researcher, currently completing a master's degree at The New School in media studies, focusing on digital media theory, death and technology, and interaction design. Before that, Eric knew Theo in the music industry as a jack of all trades and master of a few too.

Eric and Theodora talk about losing loved ones, junior high libraries, philosophy, record labels, social justice, and her research on digital memorialization and how social media companies manage death on their platforms.

Show notes:
Theodora's website
Reference for our discussion on Elie Wiesel's Night

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Will Bars Survive? With Beverage Expert Anthony Caporale

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 22:00:00 -0400

Anthony Caporale is an award-winning producer for live theatre, including The Imbible, his online series like The Art of The Drink, and Director of Spirits at the Institute of Culinary Education. Anthony is also well-known for his long career in restaurant management, consulting, and education, specializing in beverage programming and training.

Eric and Anthony chat about culinary and beverage education, how bars will (or won't) survive COVID-19 and the ripple effects on big cities, making moonshine on-stage, Budweiser, Maker's Mark, and changing careers. But mostly, this is a conversation about why we drink, how we drink and what we drink...and how this time is both unprecedented for the beverage industry and also a repeat of the past.

Additional information:
Latest on bars in NYC
The Imbible: https://imbible.com/
The Art of The Drink
Anthony Caporale's website: https://anthonycaporale.com/
Follow Anthony on Twitter and Instagram

20/20 Foresight in 2020 with Radha Mistry

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0400

Radha Mistry is a leader of Strategic Foresight at Auto Desk, where she explores the impact of emerging technologies for the future of architecture, engineering, construction (AEC), and manufacturing, and media & entertainment.

Eric and Radha chat about her family legacy, what Foresight is, and how it applies to navigating technological, environmental, economic, and political domains. Plus, America's housing crisis, homogeneity crisis, William Gibson, and their shared love of New Orleans. Plus, Eric shares a proposal story.

Additional information:
Radha Mistry https://www.radhamistry.com/
Radha's TEDx Talk "Our Tangible Future".
Follow Radha on Twitter.

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This Music Industry with The Syndicate's Bill Burrs

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 23:00:00 -0400

Bill Burrs is SVP of Artist Development and Global Commerce at entertainment marketing agency The Syndicate, and a friend of Nite Owl's host Eric Gottlieb. Bill's a true music industry character, a bon vivant, and witness to several epochs of rock and roll.
Eric chats with Bill on what the hell bands can do during COVID-19, what the future of the music business could be, what growing up around Minneapolis and trying his hand at comedy was like, plus his time at RCA and 300 Entertainment and what it was like seeing, signing, and working with The Strokes at their start.

Eric also makes a weak apology for dissing a well-known band who's career Bill was responsible.

Brooklyn Paper's Editor In Chief Meaghan McGoldrick

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Meaghan McGoldrick's a Brooklyn Original!

A journalist, a muckraker, digging into the details of a good scoop and now Editor In Chief at the Brooklyn Paper, a weekly newspaper that covers news and cultural events that have taken place throughout the borough.

Eric and Meaghan talk about growing up in the Bayridge area of Brooklyn, losing a parent, journalism getting nationalized, Bayridge characters, and why local news coverage is so important (and how it gets done during a pandemic).

They'll also discuss well her work with Cancer Can't Kill Love, an annual benefit concert where Eric first met Meaghan.

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Economics and Labor with Brian Callaci

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 00:00:00 -0400

We get into the weeds of labor policy with economist and self-described former upright bassist Brian Callaci of Data & Society.

Hear why it's weird to argue against unions with republicans, Brian's visit to Amazon, drinking economics school kool-aid, why robots would be great, the brief and privileged history of labor unions, and that maybe the world's not going to end.

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Follow Brian on Twitter

Lauren Ledoux

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 23:00:00 -0400

It's the first late-night conversation episode!

Lauren Singer Ledoux is a social worker and private practice therapist based out of Western Massachusetts.

Lauren and Eric speak on harm reduction and trauma, sex therapy misconceptions, working on reproductive justice work with the Prison Birth Project, love in the time of coronavirus, and growing up on Long Island.

Follow Nite Owls Pod on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter: @niteowlspod

or visit online: www.niteowlspod.com