Queen City Music Podcast: Recent Episodes
Matthew Ablan
A podcast dedicated to the local music scene in Charlotte, North Carolina. The show host speaks with local musicians, music venues, shop owners and artisans in around the Charlotte metro region.
This month on episode 101 of the QCMP I'm sitting down with the amazing Carrie Ann. She's carved out a wonderful niche for herself as a solo cover performer, but is also a member of The Black Crowes tribute band - Hard 2 Handle and One Bar Short - which performs jump blues and good time rock 'n' roll of the 50's. She's filling us in on how she developed her unique solo show, what it's like playing in a tribute band and so much more.
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Carrie Ann
Spotify
Hard 2 Handle, The Black Crowes Experience
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
Earshot Events
Well, here we are 100 episodes deep into the QCMP. I'm proud to have been spotlighting our local Charlotte music scene since 2017 by speaking with musicians, artisans, business owners and others who make up our music community. This month I'm speaking with Tina "The 1 Civilian" CEO of Tap In - Music & Entertainment LLC. Tap In is known for hosting local music showcases, open mics, and networking events for underground and independent artists across the Carolinas. However, they are also involved in artist management, event curation and so much more. But, I'll let The 1 Civilian tell you all about it.
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Tap In - Music and Entertainment, LLC
Website
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
Earshot Events
If you've been listening to the QCMP over the years you know I like to speak with people from across the musical spectrum. This month is no different as my guest is Stan Cocheo, host of the internet radio show Musical Conversations. Stan has spoken to a wide range of artists from local Charlotte musicians like our friend Peyton Velligan to international stars like Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull. So this month I'm putting Stan in the hot seat and finding out how he became an interviewer.
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Stan Cocheo
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 98 of the QCMP I'm talking with guitarist Mike Prescott. You may know Mike best for his amazing guitar playing with The Hawthornes - a genre bending group whose music is hard to classify. Mike's unique sound and broad range of influences make him one of Charlotte's shining voices on six strings.
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Mike Prescott
Website
The Hawthornes
Typsy Gypsy
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 97 of the Queen City Music Podcast I'm sitting down with singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Payton Rose Velligan for what is the longest episode of the QCMP to date. You may recall Payton was on the podcast back in 2020 with her band mates in Irrashional - which was episode 31 to be exact. However, in the last 6 years Payton has been doing so much that I wanted to make sure we had time to talk about everything she has been up to. One of the highlights includes recently completing an epic tour as one of the newest members of the "Weird Al" Yankovic's band on the 2025 "Bigger & Weirder" tour and getting to play Madison Square Garden!
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Payton Rose Velligan
Website
Landslide - A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
The Camera Eye - A Tribute to Rush
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 96 of the Queen City Music Podcast. This month I'm speaking with guitarist Edward Crowther who is quickly making a name for himself on the Charlotte scene. He's a musician unafraid of wearing his influences like a badge of honor and his music reflects the true spirit of rock 'n' roll. Edward was kind enough to sit and talk about his journey as a young musician navigating the current landscape of the music business.
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Edward Crowther
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
2026 is off to a great start and on this episode 95 of the QCMP I'm pleased to be speaking with my friend singer/songwriter Kristi Ormand. Kristi has released several new singles recently and fronts the cover group StellaRising. I sat down with her discuss her musical history, the release of new music and who this Stella person actually is...
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Donate to the QCMP
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Kristi Ormand
Website
StellaRising Band
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
Goldie's - Live Music & Food
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Local Partners
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
To kick off 2026 and this episode 94 of the QCMP I'm speaking with members of Charlotte's most notable cover group - Coconut Groove Band. The group formed in the late 90's and have developed a broad repertoire of songs which spans decades as well as genres. The band's deep catalog, along with their dedication to musical excellence has earned the Coconut Groove Band an impeccable reputation in the Charlotte area as well as being a top choice for entertainment for corporate events, weddings, festivals, and venues throughout the region.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Coconut Groove Band
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 93 of the QCMP I'm speaking with local music legends The Spongetones! The group formed in 1979 from a desire to play the music of the Beatles and other artists of the 1960s they admired. Their music can best be described as "Power Pop" highlighted by jangly guitars and Beatlesque vocals. Although their lineup has slightly changed over the years - the current lineup of Jamie Hoover, Steve Stoeckel, Pat Walters and Eric Wilhelm are in the studio to talk about The Spongetones past, present and future.
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Donate to the QCMP
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The Spongetones
The Spongetones - Big Stir Records
Steve Stoeckel - Big Stir Records
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 92 of the QCMP I'm speaking with Rick Thurmond from Confluence. If you are not familiar with Confluence, it is the must-attend annual gathering for music professionals, artists, and industry leaders across the Carolinas and the Southeast. Confluence was held here in Charlotte in October from the 8th - 11th. There were guest speakers and panel discussions during the day and evening performances throughout the city at some of our most popular venues like The Evening Muse.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Confluence
website
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Music Everywhere CLT
website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
The Evening Muse
This month on episode 91 of the QCMP I’m speaking with self-trained composer Sean Michael Smith. Sean has an interesting background as a metal musician, with a foot in the classical realm. His first symphony “The Wolf” is to be performed on October 24th by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra at the Dale F. Halton Theater. A symphony is quite an ambitious work for a new composer, especially when it is the first piece they have written.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Sean Michael Smith
website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 90 the QCMP has its first rountable! We're talking the business of music as a local musician. Host Matthew Ablan is joined by Ephraim Scott Sommers, Pam Taylor and Nicholas Rhodes. It's an interesting discussion between four musicians who are navigating the Charlotte scene.
Featuring the songs "Man Enough" by Ephraim Sommers, "Mountain" by Pam Taylor and "It All Depends on You" by Matthew Ablan.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Ephraim Scott Sommers
Website
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Pam Taylor
Website
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Nicholas Rhodes
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 89 cover artist Philip Funderburk who can be found tickling the ivories as a soloist and dualing pianist. Philip digs into his background as a pianist, what brought him to Charlotte and a whole lot more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Philip Funderburk
Reverb Nation
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 88 rap artist Big Greg also known as PLK “The Punch Line Kid”stops by to talk. Big Greg can best be described as "genre less" and has been cited as one of the most diverse artists in the south. Not to mention he’s received accolades from: Charlotte Music Awards, Carolina Music Video Awards (CMVA) and Indie Grind Music Awards (IGMA) to name a few. Equally at home in the studio or on a stage you can be sure Big Greg will always bring his best.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Big Greg
Tik Tok
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 87 of the QCMP I'm speaking with bassist Desmond McDonald who recently finished a tour with blues/rock guitarist Eric Gales. Dez fills us in on his music background, what attracted him to the bass, plugging into the Charlotte music scene, the pressure of jumping into a tour and a whole lot more.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Desmond McDonald
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 86 of the QCMP vocalist and good friend Tara Taylor stops by to discuss her musical history, plugging into the Charlotte music scene and the various groups she performs with.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Tara Taylor
Buffet and Beyond
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 85 of the QCMP local cover artist Matt Stratford stops by to discuss his musical background, the local Charlotte scene, live sound and lots more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Matt Stratford
Chunky Daddy
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 84 of the QCMP I’m speaking with Nathan Harris. Nathan is multi-talented and is a touring and session guitarist as well as a singer/songwriter. His recent release is the EP Moving On.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Nathan Harris
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
This month on episode 83 of the QCMP I’m pleased to be speaking with independent artist Joe May. You may remember Joe from episode 40 of the QCMP when he was on with several band members from his Pluto Gang. This month Joe is back talking about his dive into being a solo artist, his new single, upcoming album and studio Alta Mira.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Joe May
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Blacker the Berry Lemonade
Happy New Year and I hope 2025 is off to a great start for you. This month on episode 82 of the QCMP Greazy Keyz is back and this time in the studio! The last time he was featured on the podcast was back in 2020 on episode 33 and we needed to do a virtual interview as the pandemic had just started. He’s had a lot going on in these few short years so I’ve asked him back to fill us in!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Greazy Keyz
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month on Episode 81 of the Queen City Music Podcast Matthew speaks with guitarist Troy Conn. The two talk about Troy's musical history, performing, working with like minded musicians, teaching and navigating social media!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Troy Conn
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month on Episode 80 of the Queen City Music Podcast Matthew speaks with Flame Tides. A melodic heavy groove duo featuring Hayley Moran and Rocketman McNeely. The duo discuss how they came together, navigating the Charlotte scene, what defines their sound and a whole lot more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Flame Tides
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew talks with DJ Citron. Citron talks about the history of DJ'ing - what it is and what it's all about, how he became a DJ, a run down of the Charlotte scene, and a whole lot more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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DJ Citron
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew talks with Charlotte native Nicholas Rhodes who works under the moniker "The Raven & The Road". The two discuss Noicholas' journey in music from jazz to rock, from ensemble to solo performer guitar teaching, his podcast and much, much more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Nicholas Rhodes
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month on Episode 77 Matthew speaks with Douglas Armstrong owner of Midwood Guitar Studio. It's been some time since Douglas was last on the podcast, but he's back to update us on what's been happening at MGS.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month on episode 76 of the Queen City Music Podcast host Matthew Ablan speaks with Patrick "PJ" Justice and Warren Wheless founding members of the metal band Fault Reset. The guys discuss how the band came together, the song writing process, the local metal scene, the "in's and out's" of harsh vocals and so much more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Fault Reset
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
The Queen City Music Podcast celebrates its 75th episode! This month the microphone is turned on Matthew Ablan as his old friend Ken Kellner visits and sets out to interview the interviewer. Ken and I dig into growing up and getting into music together and where my journey in music has taken me.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Ken Kellner
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew Ablan speaks with media-composer, multi-instrumentalist and former music educator Scott McLaughlin!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Scott McLaughlin
Website
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew Ablan speaks with Matthew Hedrick, founder of Prog for Wishes. Prog For Wishes is an annual Progressive Rock Concert of All-Star Charlotte Musicians Benefiting Make-A-Wish.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Prog for Wishes
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew Ablan speaks with solo acoustic cover artist Neal Carter. Matthew and Neal discuss playing out, cover tunes, being a solo acoustic player, stage attire and more!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Neal Carter
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew Ablan speaks with John Bureau from Earshot - an events promotion platform which connects hosts & creators through a digitized booking process & shares event details with fans. The platform enables people to find and follow profiles to keep up with local live music events and venues and musicians can book and coordinate upcoming gigs in one place.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Earshot
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsor
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
Happy New Year! To kick off 2024 host Matthew Ablan speaks with The King Of Seven Strings - Vadim Kolpakov. Vadim is one of the most prominent and renowned Gypsy 7-string guitarists in the world, as well as a vocalist, dancer and composer. He specializes in in Gypsy music from Europe with fusion of Jazz, Pop, Flamenco, Latin and other World Music.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Vadim Kolpakov
Website
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Kevin Marshall from Smiling Moon Guitars. Kevin is a luthier and sing-songwriter who has been a staple on the Charlotte music scene for over two decades.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Smiling Moon Guitars
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Chris Suter of Ginger Cat Sounds - a recording studio designed to meet all of your audio production needs. Queen
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Donate to the QCMP
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Ginger Cat Sounds
Website
Tik Tok
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Troy Kryzalka the Number Drummer. Troy is a former educator, curriculum and instruction trainer, coach and developer. He is the creator and teacher of the Number Drummer program which he brings schools all over the east coast. The Number Drummer program demonstrates the connection between math and music, and how when you learn a musical instrument you are also learning math.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Jason Hausman who is a composer, sound designer and fouder of the audio branding studio Hot Sake. The two discuss Jason's evolution into composition and sound design, developing Hot Sake, what it takes to stay relevant in the field, recent/upcoming projects and becoming a falconer!
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Donate to the QCMP
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Jason Hausman
Hot Sake - audio branding studio
Groundcrew Sound
Spotify
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Chris Suter and Paul Ward who form Lowcats - an enigmatic duo who's sound can best be defined as "Lo-Fi Indie Pop." The two discuss how they the duo came to be, how the gravitated to their current style of music, their songwriting process and developing their sound.
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Donate to the QCMP
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Lowcats
LinkTree
YouTube
Spotify
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with drummer/composer Curtis Wingfield who has been a staple on the local Charlotte music scene since the later 90's! Curtis talks about his back ground, the formation of Jazz is Led, his gistory with Old House Studio, his approach to composing and of course his latest music releases!
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Curtis Wingfield
Website
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
For this final episode of 2022 I go back and take interesting parts from the years past episodes (52 - 56) which feature:
- E52 - Daniel Grimmett, Dark Label Music
- E53 - Ron Brendle, bassist
- E54 - Marina Alexandra, classical guitarist
- E55 - Jim Brock, percussionist
- E56 - Jeremy Radio, Four Finger Records/Thousand Dollar Movie
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with singer/songwriter Jennifer Givens. Jennifer talks about her love of music, evolving into a songwriter, her new recording and a whole lot more!
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Jennifer Givens
Website
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
Support Local Carolina
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Sponsors
Banzoogle
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with musician Pete Lents from the entertainment company Brookstone Bards. Pete spills the facts on his Twitch stream, original music with Art & Pete, the yacht rock spectacular Thurston Howell a much more. If that wasn't enough we geek out at the end of the episode and continue their online debate on the Disney+ show Kenobi!
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Brookstone Bards
Linktr.ee
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Matthew Ablan
website
Support Local Carolina
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Sponsors
Banzoogle
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with musician Todd Johnson who you may know from his solo recordings or performances with Todd Johnson and the Revolvers. The two discuss Todd's music background, studying audio recording, his approach to songwriting and much more!
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Todd Johnson
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
Support Local Carolina
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Sponsors
Banzoogle
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with musician Todd Johnson who you may know from his solo recordings or performances with Todd Johnson and the Revolvers. The two discuss Todd's music background, studying audio recording, his approach to songwriting and much more!
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Todd Johnson
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
Support Local Carolina
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Sponsors
Banzoogle
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Courtney Lynn & Quinn - who's amazing harmonies make them a stand-out in Americana music! The ladies discuss how they met, their approach to songwriting, the role social media plays for indie artists, their business pursuit away from music and a whole lot more!
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Courtney Lynn & Quinn
YouTube
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Matthew Ablan
website
Support Local Carolina
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with guitarist Chad Andrew Harris who has been making a name for himself on the Charlotte scene as both a teacher and performer. The two discuss Chad's music background, his evolution into Bluegrass music, living in Belize, playing in the Enrage Against the Machine Tribute band and many other topics! _________________________________________________
Chad Andrew Harris
Enrage Against the Machine
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with singer/pianist Colby Dobbs. The two discuss Colby's music background, coming into his own as a singer, the murder mystery of the Lawn Friends, what it's like working with booking agencies and so much more! _________________________________________________
Colby Dobbs
Lawn Friends
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Jeremy Radio from Four Finger Records. The two discuss Jeremy's music background, how Four Finger Records formed, it's devotion to the Charlotte music scene, his band Thousand Dollar Movie and so much more! _________________________________________________
Four Finger Records
Website
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Jeremy Radio
Thousand Dollar Movie
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Matthew Ablan
website
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
_________________________________________________
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting From 20XX
Queen City Live Music
Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with renowned percussionist Jim Brock who is an innovator in the world of drums of drums and percussion. Jim has traveled the world extensively as a performer and appeared on hundreds of recordings with artists such as Joe Walsh, Joan Baez and Joe Cocker. He has five solo recordings, a DVD entitled The Nature Of Drumming and has also being nominated for an Emmy for his music in the film “The Spirit of Sacajawea”.
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Matthew Ablan Links
webpage
YouTube
Instagram - Matthew Ablan
Facebook - Matthew Ablan
Facebook - Queen City Music Podcast
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Sponsors
Middle C Jazz
Midwood Guitar Studio
Local Partners
Records on the Wall
Reporting from 20XX
Queen City Live
Charlotte New Music
This month Matthew speaks with Teddy Johnson from Middle C Jazz. The two discuss what happening at MCJ regarding Covid updates, local artists, rennovations and a whole lot more! _________________________________________________
If you'd like to DONATE to the podcast we would appreciate you help!
Sponsors:
- Middle C Jazz
- Midwood Guitar Studio
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Local Partners:
- Records on the Wall
- Reporting from 20XX
- Queen City Live
- Charlotte New Music
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with classical guitarist Marina Alexandra. The two discuss Marina's musical background, her various recordings, solo vs ensemble playing and the Southern Guitar Festival & Competition among other things. ----------------------------------------------- To donate to the QCMP
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This month host Matthew Ablan speaks bassist Ron Brendle who is staple on the Charlotte music scene. Ron has been named "Best Bass Player" by Charlotte magazine and "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Creative Loafing. Then two discuss Ron' s music background, how he came to play bass, what he enjoys about being a sideman and many of his musical projects. Please visit our sponsors: * Middle C Jazz * Midwood Guitar Studio
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Daniel Grimmett founder of Dark Label Music. Daniel talks about his music background, his journey into the music business and everything that DLM does.
Follow Dark Label Music on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
This month Matthew Ablan speaks with Chris and Ben from The Wormholes a band who's music has been described as a blend of "art-pop and psychedelic rock". The duo discuss the band's history, their unique sound, their creative process and the story behind their most recent recording "Light in the Dark". Follow The Wormholes on: Instagram and Facebook!
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with The Mood Kings - Herman Ospina - guitar/singer, Joey Townsend - bass/vocals and Mark Schwarze - drums. The band discusses their history, the fun of creating music later in life, their acclaimed single "Dust and Bone" and about their overall creative process.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Justin Honigstein from a Jambox - a rehearsal studio in South Charlotte. Justin fills us in on how the idea for Jambox came about, what makes it such a unique rehearsal space and future happenings.
This month Matthew speaks with Joni Deutsch host of WFAE's Amplifier podcast which is devoted to the local Charlotte. NC music scene. Joni discusses how she got involved with broadcasting, her interest in podcasts, what brought her to the CLT, how the Amplifier podcast came to be and developing the Charlotte Podcast Festival. You can find Joni on: Twitter and Instagram,
This month Matthew is happy to welcome Chris Garges from Old House Studio! Chris is the first in-person interview the QCMP has had since the Covid outbreak. The two discuss Chris' rich musical background as a drummer/percussionist, his development as a recording engineer to now studio owner and all things Old House Studio. Check out Old House Studio on Instagram and Facebook!
If you'd like to help out North Carolina musicians struggling with mental health and substance abuse please visit Be Good Yourself which Chris spoke about in this episode!
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with members of the heavy metal band The Silencing Machine. The band discuss how they got into music, their influences, how the band came together, the appeal of heavy music, their songwriting process and more! You can find The Silencing Machine on Spotify, Facebook and Instagram.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with the multi-talented Emanuel Wynter best known around the Charlotte area for his amazing skills on the violin. Although you may have seen Emanuel as a sideman to a variety of local Charlotte artists, he is quickly becoming known for his own music.. In this interview Emanuel opens up about his musical path on the violin, how he "broke away" from the traditional route most violinists take, playing the sideman and much more!
You can find Emanuel Wynter on: Facebook, Instagram and LinkTree.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Eduardo Cedeno - conductor of the Lake Norman Philharmonic. The two discuss Eduardo's music background, performance fears and the challenges of conducting an orchestra.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Carolina Vibes - who mix rock and reggae with jam band flair! There new release will be coming soon, so be on the look out. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Fred Lee from the band Late Night Special. The discuss Fred's musical background, the bands evolution, the songwriting process and what's ahead for them in 2021. You can find the band on Facebook and listen to them on Youtube.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Jonny "G" from the Charlotte based blog "Reporting from 20XX" which discusses Gaming, Music and Entertainment. Don't forget to "like" them on Facebook and Instagram for they are a new local partner!
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Brennan, Dillon and Joe from Pluto Gang - a six piece soul jam band. The band mans the ground between traditional southern soul and the contemporary jam band scene by fusing funk rhythms, progressive rock leads and jazz influenced textures. They talk about how the band came together, their writing and recording process and how Covid-19 has impacted them. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
Also check our local partners Records on the Wall and Reporting from 20XX.
This month as we close out 2020 host Matthew Ablan speaks with photographer Hannah Lee - who has photographed everyone from Guns 'N' Roses to Charlotte's own Michael Tracy. The two discuss how she got into photography, musicians she has photographed, what is involved with getting to shoot big name artists and how the on-set of Covid19 has affected her photography business. You can check out Hannah's work on Facebook and at the Level 1 Studio webpage.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Teddy Johnson who is the managing director of Middle C Jazz - Charlotte's premiere jazz club. Teddy discusses how the club came to be, Middle C's place in the Charlotte music scene, the artists who perform there and how they have be impacted by Covid-19. Check Middle C out on Facebook.
This month host Matthew Ablan talks with independent recording artist Michael Tracy. The two discuss Michael's late start in the music industry, his songwriting process, what it takes to be an independent artist and how artists have been dealing with on-set of Covid. You can find Michael Tracy on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Pete Lents and Cliff Stankiewicz from the Genesis tribute band ABACAB. The members discuss their music backgrounds, how the band came together and the pro's and con's of being in a tribute band. Follow them on Facebook here.
This month Matthew speaks with independent recording artist Mark Kroos. The two discuss Mark's solo career, his approach to song writing, how his career developed as well as their love of Ovation Guitars!
This month QCMP host Matthew Ablan speaks with Dave Harris founder and chief mastering engineer of Studio B Mastering. The two discuss the what is entailed in the mastering process, the history of Studio B and how Covid19 has impacted the music business. You can also follow Studio B Mastering on Facebook.
This month Matthew speaks with Jason Atkins, aka GreazyKeyz! Jason is a keyboardist and freelance musician for hire for live and studio work work, but may be most well known as the organist for the Charlotte Checkers. The two discuss his work as a freelance musician, various sessions he has done and how he came to be the organist for the Charlotte Checkers!
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Rahsaan Lacey, bassist for The L.A. Maybe about his online series the Quarantine Music Masterclass. The two talk about how the QMM came about, who it caters to, the topics it covers and what the future holds as the quarantine is lifted.
This month Matthew heads to Albemarle, NC to speak with musician/teacher/producer Braden Hardwood. This multi-instrumentalist is also a talented teacher, songwriter and producer. His music is straight up rock with a little southern flair thrown in for good measure. You can find Braden on Facebook and Twitter.
The Corona Files is an extra episode of the Queen City Music Podcast which focuses on how the Corona Virus and subsequent quarantine/lock-down has affected local Charlotte, NC musicians.
In this 1st installment of The Corona Files host Matthew Ablan speaks with Mike Graci - drummer, small business owner and regional touring musician with the tribute band Chicago Rewired. The two talk about the implications of the virus as his band was in the middle of a tour, the impact on his business Mike Graci Music Lessons and more.
This month Matthew speaks with the power trio Irrashional which features Payton Velligan - vocals/bass/keys, Patrick Dukes - guitar/vocals, Christian Sturt - drums/vocals. The group talk about the difficulties of being a young band, what got them into classic rock, the band's song writing process and their newest EP Beyond. Check out Irrashional on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
This month Matthew speaks with rap artist Royal City LiF. The pair discuss his new recording MORE.MAJOR, the creative process, the Hip Hop scene in Charlotte and the Royal City Collective. Follow Royal City LiF on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
This month Matthew sits down to talk with Elizabeth Kowalski the founder and Executive Artistic Director for Charlotte New Music. The CNM promotes the creation and performance of contemporary music in Charlotte and beyond. Elizabeth discusses why she formed CNM, bringing new music to every day places, workshops and their new initiates for 2020. If you are interested in Charlotte New Music follow them on Facebook and if you'd like to volunteer or offer support you can do so here.
This month Matthew speaks with film composer Bryan Holt about his musical background, how he got into composing for film, what goes into writing for a short film like Coventown and all things sound design. You can find Bryan on Twitter, Soundcloud, YouTube and Facebook.
This month Matthew speaks with rapper and local personality ReeCee. The two discuss her evolution as a rap artist, her new EP The D.O.A.P., developing her YouTube channel ReeCee World, hosting a new open mic and what's coming up in 2020!
This month Matthew talks with Dallas Dwight and Rahsaan Lacey from The L.A. Maybe to discuss how the band came together, their songwriting process, their new EP and the bands place in the Charlotte music scene.
This month Matthew talks with Wes Steenburgh co-founder of the rock quintet Waterworks. Founded on the West side of Charlotte in an old WaterWorks building the five piece ensemble (sax, guitars, bass, vocals, drums) brings influences spanning generations and genres. You can follow them on Facebook to for updates!
This month Matthew speaks with multi-talented singer/songwriter Lisa De Novo. The two sit down to discuss her musical background, her latest recording The Big Bang, the local Charlotte music scene and all that she is involved with here in the Queen City. You can find out more about Lisa through here web page and Facebook page.
This month Matthew sits down with two-thirds of the band Jamundo - an eclectic acoustic/electric jam band which mix world, middle eastern, gypsy, funk, folk and surf music to create their distinct sound. The conversation touches on how the band formed, livestreaming performances and their place in the Charlotte music scene.
This month Matthew sits down with voacalist Ade' Herbert from The Hawthornes to discuss the band's history, their 2018 self titled recording, the song writing process and the Charlotte music scene.
This month Matthew speaks with music promoter Ryan Williams from Time2Fly Music. The two discuss:
- The Crown Town Get Down 2 which takes place at Heist Brewery on June 15th, featuring all original Charlotte bands and artists.
- House of Funk - taking place on June 25th at Heist Brewery this event features live music, but also serves as a place meet others involved in Charlotte music scene.
- Time2Fly Music - a booking and promotions agency based in both Charlotte and Texas.
- The burgeoning Charlotte music scene
This month the QCMP broadcasts live from the Charlotte SHOUT! festival at Coco and the Director coffee house in Uptown Charlotte. The QCMP was invited by the Queen City Podcast Network to participate in a three day event of live podcast events. Our guest for this special event is Eric Levasseur from Records on the Wall - a local live music resource filled with an events calendar, artists interviews, video and local venue listings.
This month Matthew talks with Nick and Tony from one of Charlotte's top rock bands The Business People. They discuss the bands history, their songwriting process, the local music scene and what's coming up in 2019 for the band.
This month Matthew stops by Tiny Stage Concerts to speak with Louis Beeler. The two sit down to discuss how he got started, singer/songwriters in Charlotte and everything that goes into a Tiny Stage Concert video.
This month Matthew speaks with DZ Mauldin from Shotgun Saints and Union Jax to discuss the musical influences, what it means to be performing on-stage, the local scene in Charlotte and why he put together DZ's Weekly Carolina's Live Music Listing.
This month Matthew talks with Brad Davidson and Greg Moore from Province of Thieves. The trio discuss the bands history, their process of songwriting and listen to tracks from their upcoming recording Weight of the Sky.
This month Matthew heads to the NC Music Factory to speak with Steve Stoeckel about musical history,electronics repair, Hofner basses, songwriting and his current projects. If you are not familiar with Steve he is one quarter of The Spongetones, one-half of the Jamie and Steve duo, a member of the Pop Co-Op and until his recent retirement ran a successful electronics repair business frequented by many local musicians.
This month Matthew heads over to NC Guitar Works to speak with owner and luthier Nick Plesz. NC Guitar Works is a full service guitar repair shop which also works on all types of fretted instruments.
This month Matthew speaks with Patrick Buckley, drummer and co-founding member of the newly formed funk band Akita. The two discuss what got Patrick into music, his musical journey and the evolution of Akita.
To listen to or purchase more tracks by Akita head to: akitafunk.bandcamp.com. For booking contact the band at: booking.akita@gmail.com.
This month celebrates the one year anniversary of the Queen City Music Podcast! Matthew sits down with local music legend Randy Franklin to discuss his musical history in Charlotte, the album Bloodlines, songwriting and his upcoming album.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Shannon Lee who may probably be best know for locally for hosting the open mic night's Shannon's Jam. The two discuss her found her way from the world of opera into rock, her album Crystal Butterfly and the evolution of her open mic night.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with classical guitarist Robert Teixeira. The two discuss how Robert got involved with the classical guitar, the guitar programs at Queens University and CPCC, performing with the Bechtler Ensemble and composing. The music heard in this episode is from the cd Shade Grown by Robert and his wife Tanja.
This episode is dedicated to the memory of Nathan Richie.
This month Matthew sits down with The Charlotte Blues Society president Mary London Szpara to talk about the society's history, outreach program and all things blues. Look for CBS on Facebook. QCMP intro voice-over work provided by Nathan Ritchie.
This month Matthew interviews James "Mick" McMahen from Piedmont Artist Profiles. The two talk about a the local music scene, the in's and out's of podcasting and where PAP is headed. Check PAP out on YouTube and Facebook. QCMP voice-over intro provided by Nathan Ritchie.
This month Matthew speaks with Charlotte's elder statesman of Jazz Bill Hanna - a staple of the local music scene. Bill discusses how he fell in love with jazz, his journey as a music educator for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the jazz program at CPCC and the places in town he spreads his music. QCMP voice over intro provided by Nathan Richie.
In this episode Matthew interviews Jennings Compton regarding tour merchandising, management and the crazy things that have happened out on the road. QCMP intro voice-over courtesy of Nathan Richie.
This month Matthew speaks with local musician and music educator Kevin Brawley about his solo performances, working with his new group Twenty Three Over Four , his recordings and what he likes about teaching.
This month host Matthew Ablan speaks with Central Piedmont Community College's audio engineering instructor Dan Guerrie. The two discuss the CPCC's continuing education program for audio engineering, the career track and how the music industry has evolved as it pertains to recording. QCMP voice over intro by Nathan Richie.
This month host Matthew Ablan heads to 202 North Main Wine Shop and Music Room to speak with owner Michael Parker. The wine room is a unique spot with an acoustically designed room for music. Also, the QCMP is now affiliated with Nu Sound Charlotte - check out their website for info on the Charlotte music scene. Queen City Music Podcast intro by Nathan Richie.
This month Matthew returns to Midwood Guitar Studio and speaks with owner Douglas Armstrong about opening the shop, boutique guitars and what lies ahead for MGS. QCMP intro voice-over work by Nathan Richie.
In this episode Matthew speaks with one of Charlotte's premiere luthier's Craig Landau of Midwood Luthiere - who talks about the craft, famous players who have stopped by and the strange things one will find in vintage guitars. QCMP intro voice-over work by Nathan Richie.
The Queen City Music Podcast is devoted to the local music scene in Charlotte, NC. In this introductory episode of the QCMP the host briefly introduces himself and what the format of the podcast will be. QCMP intro voice-over by Nathan Ritchie.