High Sierra Music Festival has spent the last 23 years creating an utterly unique festival experience. Described as the "musician's festival," there is something about the energy of the picturesque fairgrounds in Quincy, CA that brings out the best in any band or artist that performs.  This is one of the rare festivals where you actually see the musicians hanging out with fans and roaming out in the campgrounds.  You can also detect a deep sense of pride in the people who attend the festival, people who help co-create the magic. Mostly veterans of the scene, these people create elaborate theme camps, march in parades, host their own events within the festival like crawfish boils or cocktail hours, build rogue stages on top of RVs, and stay up all night just to get weird and play a raucous and hilarious game of kickball at sunrise.  The type of community achieved here is one that most other festivals could only dream of.

Throwing a party like High Sierra is not an easy task.  From setup to takedown, food courts to security, hospitality to ambiance, it takes an army of employees and volunteers to pull it off.  Dave and Casey are two of only a handful of full-time employees that work year round. Their constant dedication to all things High Sierra is a major reason this is a success every year.  

Here's a tip of the hat to the rest of the full-time employees as well, thanks for all that you do: Roy Carter, Rebecca Sparks, Matt Bryant and the amazing Debbie Crockett!

Ep.3  Casey Lowdermilk & Dave Margulies: The Producers

Listening to a recording of myself trying to have a conversation with one of my idols has proven to be personally painful.  Since I was a teen I've been mentally preparing a list of questions of what I would ask John Scofield if I ever had the chance.  Here was my chance and not a single one of those questions came out.  Instead my brain went into fight or flight mode.  My heart was racing like a teenybopper sitting across from Lady Gaga.  All I can hear is how shaky my voice was, and after watching the video how extremely fidgety I can be when I'm nervous.

With that being said, what a dream come true it was for me to actually have a conversation with Scofield.  There is not much I could add to the accolades he has already received worldwide from musicians, critics, and fans.  With his instantly recognizable guitar tone, out of the box use of harmony, and sound twisting effects he has helped revolutionize electric rock and jazz guitar. The amount of groundbreaking artists he has collaborated with is nearly endless -- Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, MMW, and Bill Frisell are just a few on a list full of legends.  The man has been in the top of his profession for over 30 years and after listening to his new release Uberjam Deux, he shows no sign of stepping down any time soon.

Ep. 5 John Scofield: Uberjam Duex

White Denim performs a very intense brand of progressive and psychedelic rock and roll.  Their live shows are full of key changes, tempo shifts, and controlled chaos.  The music moves at the speed of a freight train that is about to derail, but never does.  It's their trust in each other's musicianship that allows them to pull off their impressive live show.  There is also a delicate and melodic side to James Petralli's songwriting.  His songs can be catchy just as much as chaotic and I assume that is what helped grab Jeff Tweedy's ear.  Not only did he take White Denim out on tour with Wilco, he helped produce their upcoming album Corsicana Lemonade.  There seems to be a ton of great momentum behind these guys right now and I highly suggest you catch them live if you can, as much as you can.


Ep. 6 James Petralli: White Denim

Jennifer is a superstar to an enormous community of music lovers.  With both the sound of her voice and the sound of her trumpet, she has been blowing away the audiences of all of the projects she is involved with, and gaining the fans of the countless other bands she has performed with around the country. Let's just say she has a knack for stealing the show.

Ep. 7 Jennifer Hartswick: Living the Luckiest Life

An old soul is somebody who is described as being wise beyond their years.  Some people even believe that they might have acquired their knowledge from past lives and experiences.  I'm the kind of person that can be quite skeptical when hearing a term like that, but listening to Natalie speak about her music makes me somewhat of a believer.  She speaks both about her music and the business that she is trying to make it in with the maturity of a life long musician yet she is only in her very early 20's.  Take a listen and hear for yourself.

Ep. 8 Natalie Cressman: The Old Soul

Jay Blakesberg is not just your typical rock photographer -- some of his work has become as iconic as the performers he's capturing.  With an archive spanning over 30 years, Jay is about to open up the vault and release his new coffee table book JAM. Take a listen to this week's episode as Jay discusses touring with the Grateful Dead as a teenager, working with Tom Waits, and what it takes to snap those special concert moments. 

Ep. 9 Jay Blakesberg: Shooting on a High Frequency

I'm not really sure what it means to be a "band on the rise" anymore.  There is no proven business model to follow in the music industry these days, but the path that Fruition is on seems to be working for them. With an never-ending tour schedule and a new album to promote, Fruition is making noise all around the country --and the country is listening.

Ep. 10 Fruition:  On The Rise

Guitarmageddon is not for everyone. It is blatant, unadulterated guitar wanking at its finest. It is over the top and out of control.  A modern day battle at the crossroads but instead of playing for your soul we play for a hangover in the morning.  Hosted by some of the Bay Area's top guitar players, Guitarmageddon is in its 10th year of turning it to 11!   Check out what Josh Clark, Sean Leahy and Simon Kurth have to say about my favorite shit show.


Ep.11 Guitarmageddon: A Decade Of Shredding

On The Rocks is a weekly podcast hosted by San Francisco’s Jeremy Korpas. Korpas has been a professional musician for 15 years, touring the country with
multiple acts and gaining intimate knowledge of the ins and outs of the music industry. In addition to his experience as a touring musician, he has also held positions within the many layers of the music industry­ from roadie to security guard to booking and management.  Using his nuanced knowledge of all things music, Korpas will lead in-­depth discussions with a variety of musicians and industry folk about the nature of life in the music industry--performing, touring, and balancing life on the road with home life.  Conversation will not be limited to the music world however, it may meander to current events, politics, the universe and beyond. 


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