In this episode of After the Gig, Jesse delves into the upcoming Grammy Awards, focusing on the controversy surrounding the country music category. He discusses the impact of Beyonce’s win for Best Country Album last year, the evolution of country music, and the changes the Grammys are making this year by introducing separate categories for Traditional and Contemporary Country Albums. Jesse examines the nominees, the judging process, and the implications of these changes for the future of country music.

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00:00 Introduction and Today’s Topic

00:08 The Grammy Controversy: Country Category

02:30 Evolution of Country Music

07:02 Splitting the Country Category

08:36 Nominees and Predictions

12:45 Final Thoughts and Viewer Engagement

Jon Markel stops by the studio and we end up talking about everything—First Amendment audit videos (and why Jon’s obsessed with them), sovereign citizens, getting frisked by cops as teenagers, and why I will never forgive my neighbor for the BB gun incident. We also get into stage accidents, Jon’s ongoing feud with his neighbor over backyard fires and asthma complaints, and what happened when Lola passed out on stage mid-performance. Plus: why touring musicians still make 1980s money, Shawn Mendes canceling his tour, and Jon’s dream of becoming the Pedro Pascal of bass players.00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:09 First Impressions of the Studio00:31 First Amendment Videos Discussion08:15 Sovereign Citizens and Police Interactions11:59 Personal Stories and Police Encounters19:35 Neighbor Feuds and Petty Conflicts34:32 Addressing Personal Issues34:58 Concert Incident: Lola’s Collapse36:08 Analyzing Lola’s Fall41:28 Stage Mishaps and Embarrassments45:54 Public Bathroom Etiquette48:20 Shawn Mendes: Fanboy Moments and Critiques52:48 Touring Challenges and Music Industry Insights01:02:55 Gaelic Storm and the Life of a Bass Player01:08:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

If you’d like to take a deeper dive, check out After the Gig on Patreon for bonus content. We’ll be going live for a November recap next Wednesday (11/26)! Don’t miss it!

Hope you all have a wonderful rest of your week!

Best,

Jesse

Inside Zildjian’s historic building, I sit down with Eric Gross (Head of Artist Relations at Zildjian/Vic Firth) to trace the winding path from Berklee days to backstage access—how internships, chance meetings, and a few well-timed risks opened real doors. We compare notes on choosing “music business” over a pure performance track, surviving Nashville on hustle, and the mentors who changed everything.

Eric pulls back the curtain on artist relations and product development (think: how ideas become the gear drummers obsess over), plus the balance between following trends and setting them. It’s equal parts career roadmap and drummer candy

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