In Part One of Episode 7, our father-daughter duo digs into the music, memories, and cultural moments that shaped their lives across two very different generations.

From growing up with MTV and Billy Idol to life backstage with Sammy Hagar, this episode is full of hilarious family stories, unexpected revelations, and a little rock 'n' roll history.

We revisit the early days of touring, an unforgettable (and slightly mortifying) moment onstage at the Universal Amphitheatre, and the musical influences that continue to connect generations.

Along the way, we celebrate Charlie Watts, talk about the art of sampling and musical influence, and reflect on how technology has changed the way we preserve our most meaningful memories.

Plus, we dive into listener questions about growing up on tour, embarrassing gig moments, and the experiences we wish we could travel back in time to witness again.It's a conversation about family, music, legacy, and all the little moments that become the big stories of our lives.

In this episode:

• Boomer vs. Millennial: the cultural references that define us
• Charlie Watts, James Brown, and the musicians who shaped our musical DNA
• Growing up on MTV, Billy Idol, and Pat Benatar first words and idols
• Childhood memories from the Sammy Hagar touring years
• Backstage adventures, father-daughter embarrassment, and the Universal Amphitheatre "waitress" moment
• Navigating the rock 'n' roll boys' club as a young womanLife before smartphones, home videos, and the original "FaceTime" from the road
• Listener questions about unforgettable moments and life-changing encountersBecause sometimes the best stories aren't the ones we planned to tell—they're the ones we remember together.

Can you dig it? Episode chapters and timestamps

Time | Topic

00:21 Reflections on a recent father-daughter interview

01:43 Introducing the generational theme and listener questions

03:49 Boomer vs. Millennial: defining the generations

04:56 Musical influences, sampling, and cultural connections

06:47 Embarrassing moments onstage

07:45 A hilarious childhood inside joke at a gig

09:19 Charlie Watts and the first drummer Dad emulated

10:39 MTV, Ed Sullivan, and generational touchstones

11:22 Billy Idol, Pat Benatar, and growing up with music

12:55 Why giving up television changed college life

14:23 Education, distractions, and unexpected wisdom

15:35 Growing up on tour and a terrifying flight

17:49 Childhood memories of the Sammy Hagar years

19:02 Being a young woman backstage in the music industry

20:36 The unforgettable Universal Amphitheatre waitress story

23:47 Listener question: What moment would you relive or record?

24:29 The first drum kit and a life-changing rehearsal

26:44 Childhood home movies and birthday memories

28:18 Sending videotapes to Dad on tour: the original FaceTime

29:45 Listener question: A stranger who changed your life... to be continued in Part TWO of Episode 7!

#rockandrollstories #growingupbackstage #candyoudigitpodcast #ellalauser #davidlauser #sammyhagar #fatherdaughter

Episode 6 — Trust the Groove

Sometimes you know exactly where you’re headed. Other times, you just have to trust the groove.

In Episode 6, David Lauser and his daughter “Ella” Danielle pick up where their Chuck Berry story left off, exploring the moments when instinct takes over and you make the leap before you know where you’re going to land.

David recalls taking a musical chance onstage while backing Chuck Berry — despite Berry’s reputation for being notoriously tough on musicians — and getting an unforgettable reaction. Ella shares her own Chuck Berry memory from childhood: being brought onstage, having Chuck’s guitar placed around her, taking a very public tumble during his famous duck walk, and finding the courage to get back out there.

From there, father and daughter explore the people and decisions that helped shape David’s life: a mother willing to put a drum kit in a small house, a gym teacher who saw potential in him, Sammy Hagar believing in him when he struggled to believe in himself, and the frightening decision as a 19-year-old musician to leave home and head to San Francisco with a band.

David also talks about another leap of faith — becoming a drum teacher despite having never taught professionally. That decision not only made him a better drummer, but created friendships and connections that have lasted for decades.

And because this is Can You Dig It?, the groove eventually leads backstage: opening for Aerosmith, a funny encounter involving Ella and Bay Area radio personalities, and the day Steven Tyler unexpectedly sat down behind David’s drum kit at soundcheck.

At its heart, this episode is about following what you love even when you’re insecure, afraid, or unsure of the outcome.

Sometimes you don’t need to know exactly what comes next. You just need enough courage to play the next beat.

• David’s instinctive onstage gamble while playing with Chuck Berry

• “Ella” Danielle’s unforgettable childhood encounter with Chuck — including attempting the duck walk

• Why David told Ella that Chuck Berry’s autograph was something special

• The early encouragement David received from his mother

• A school coach who recognized something in him — and let the budding musician keep his long hair

• How Sammy Hagar believed in David during difficult periods

• Moving to San Francisco at 19without knowing whether it would work

• Becoming a drum teacher when his performing career hit an uncertain period

• Why teaching ultimately made David a better musician

• Loving music even while feeling insecure about your abilities

• Opening for Aerosmith in 2010

• The unexpected day Steven Tyler played David’s drums

• Why taking chances can create opportunities you couldn't possibly predict

David's pick: “I Got the Feelin’” — James Brown

Ella’s pick: “Dance Yrself Clean” — LCD Soundsystem

Ella challenges David to check out LCD Soundsystem's fusion of electronic music with live musicianship — particularly the drumming — while David sends things straight back to the funk with James Brown.

Episode theme: Trust the groove. Take the chance. Do what you love — and leave room to be surprised by where it takes you.

In this episodeTrack Swap 🎧

Episode 5 — The Strange Wisdom of Rock & Roll

In this episode, a father and daughter pull back the curtain on what life as a touring musician actually looks like. The stage may be glamorous, but most of the job is airports, buses, hotel rooms, soundchecks, late night meals, and occasionally needing a sign onstage reminding you which city you are in. David talks about touring with Sammy Hagar, the strange rhythms of road life, and why the two hours onstage can feel like heaven even when the other eighteen hours of the day are exhausting.

The conversation turns to the unexpected lessons that come from spending months on the road with the same group of people. A touring band and crew become something resembling a dysfunctional but deeply connected family. You learn quickly that talent alone is not enough. You have to be someone other people can live with, travel with, eat with, and depend on when everyone is tired, hungry, stressed, sick, or simply sick of each other. They also reflect on the sacrifices touring demands from families, including missed birthdays and long stretches away, while remembering how meaningful the ordinary time together became whenever Dad was home.

Then come the rock and roll stories. David remembers playing with Stephen Stills and Neil Young, trading spots with drummers including Lars Ulrich and Matt Sorum, and the one legendary musician who actually left him shaking when they met: Smokey Robinson. His daughter shares her own unforgettable backstage encounter with Stevie Nicks while working production at just 19 years old, desperately hunting down the right Snapple before finally meeting one of her musical heroes and getting an unexpected velvet wrapped hug.

The episode closes with the beginning of an incredible Chuck Berry story. After Berry walked off a New Year's Eve performance at Caesars Tahoe, David's band was recruited to back him the following night. Suddenly David found himself behind the drum kit playing the songs he had grown up listening to, trying to keep his nerves under control while realizing he was performing with one of the architects of rock and roll. When instinct took over and he threw a little extra flourish into the ending of “Roll Over Beethoven,” Chuck turned around, looked at him, and gave him a high five. The rest of that story will have to wait for the next episode.

People & stories featured: Sammy Hagar, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Nicks, Chuck Berry, Lars Ulrich, Matt Sorum, Michael Anthony, plus memories of touring, backstage life, family sacrifice, and the friendships that make life on the road possible.

Songs discussed: “Love the One You're With,” “Down by the River,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Nadine,” “Rock and Roll Music,” and “Dreams.”

We have put together a soundtrack to listen between episodes! Enjoy tracks discussed on Can You Dig It Track Swap playlist, short cut link below...