Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Dave Hamilton & Friends
  • 4.9 (47)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Gig Gab—the podcast sanctuary for working musicians and anyone fascinated by the vibrant, often unseen world behind every note played on stage. Whether you’re a musician, a member of the crew, or just someone who loves peeking behind the curtain to discover the secrets of live performances, you’ve found your tribe.

  1. De-Feedback Plugin for Working Musicians: More Gain, Less Feedback with Devin Sheets

    1D AGO

    De-Feedback Plugin for Working Musicians: More Gain, Less Feedback with Devin Sheets

    You’re invited into a legacy family audio business that refused to accept “good enough” on feedback control and instead chased the impossible: a truly zero‑latency, AI‑driven way to push your PA louder without squeals. You follow Devin Sheets from growing up on sound gigs to roaming European stages, then back home to build De‑Feedback plugin for working musicians, a live sound feedback plugin and on‑the‑fly impulse‑response generator that listens like a seasoned engineer: separating human voice, room reverb, background noise, and feedback in real time so you can grab at least 6 dB more gain before things start to howl. Along the way you see how NAMM sparked the idea, how inverse impulse responses and probability math beat old EQ and gate tricks, and how “homebrew AI” meant sneaking into every empty church at 3 a.m. just to teach the model what real rooms actually sound like. You also learn how to think like a modern working musician: using social media to find the right AI programmers across the world, leaning on LLMs to translate, collaborate, and even rate contractor work so you can move faster without losing control. You come away knowing you can drop a dedicated De‑Feedback box or plugin into almost any rig, from churches to touring consoles to tiny clubs, take it with you even when someone else is behind the board, and quietly stack the deck in your favor. In the end, it’s a roadmap for how you run your own gigs and career: stay curious, embrace new tools, protect your sound, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 524 – Monday, March 9th, 2026 March 9th: National Meatball Day Guest co-host: Devin Sheets from Alpha Labs 00:02:12 Let’s Grow this Legacy Family Business Grew up doing sound Also a musician Lived in Europe Then came back and said, “let’s grow this family business!” 00:03:44 We haven’t “just solved” this feedback problem Went to NAMM for the first time, and was inspired There are automated EQ-based or gate-based systems PSE plugin from Waves 5045 for feedback 00:04:57 Why isn’t there a “balanced audio”-type solution for Feedback Balanced Audio fixes hums and it just works. 00:08:24 NAMM is a great inspiration…and it inspired Devin and his team to seek a feedback plugin solution People get entrenched Inverse Impulse Response methodology 00:12:35 Training the AI to listen for three things: human voice, reverb, and feedback Created a de-reverb algorithm and went beyond that A probability calculation does the math 00:16:05 Truly zero latency for the plugin Workflow latency remains 00:19:32 I don’t have any coding or AI background, but I have a gut feeling AI will fix this feedback problem Others: It’s harder than you think Devin: I knew that it needed to happen 00:20:58 Finding an AI programmer who was interested in doing Experimented with some programmers, failed, learned some things! 00:21:09 Social Media to the rescue! Late 2023: Devin found a group of AI programmers who would be interested Sending large amounts of money to China…it’s a risk! 00:26:30 At 3am, a text message: I think I’ve done it. Devin immediately started testing it himself “It seemed to work.” 00:27:17 Installing De-Feedback in Churches Sponsors 00:30:57 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit Claude.ai/giggab 00:32:43 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB. 00:34:20 What is an impulse response? Impulse Response: An audio picture of how the room sounds Popping balloons in a room/environment and recording the sound is a common approach for creating impulse responses 00:38:33 De-Feedback is an on-the-fly IR generator …and analyzer that’s trained on the human voice, room reverb, background noise…and feedback 00:41:55 Finding the right programmers was the key …in addition to actually having the idea and the bullheaded persistence to make it happen. 00:44:46 Mind-melding was necessary And LLMs helped with translation! 00:48:39 Using AI to make it possible to collaborate with other humans 00:50:03 Using an LLM to rate the work of your contractors and employees 00:51:54 How do we get De-Feedback into the hands of working musicians US$499 for the De-Feedback plugin VST3 or AU plugin A higher-end Windows laptop can likely run it on its own Apple’s Core Audio tech makes it difficult, but they’re working on it. De-Feedback also sells a perfectly-tuned headless computer to do this Alpha Labs tried tons of interfaces that the Focusrite Scarlett keeps glitches out of the mix Waves SuperRack LiveBox 01:01:37 Where do we expand? Allen & Heath mixers? Midas/Behringer mixers? Paul Falcone, mixing Mariah Carey, wanted to use it! Robert Scovill talking Rock Hall on Gig Gab 01:05:18 Homebrew AI! Training EVERY room he could find “Can you let me into your empty church at 3am?” – To record IR to then train the data set for De-Feeback 01:07:25 Creating your own AI model 01:08:13 What’s the future look like? Acquisition? Demands for security? – Planning for it all 01:09:26 You can get this and bring it with you to gigs where someone else is doing sound De-Feedback Option 1 Allen & Heath Qu-5’s Feedback Eliminator De-Feedback gets at least as 6dB more gain before feedback 01:17:46 Gig Gab 524 Outtro Follow Devin Sheets And Alpha Labs Facebook and Instagram YouTube for Alpha Labs Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List   The post De-Feedback Plugin for Working Musicians: More Gain, Less Feedback – Gig Gab 524 with Devin Sheets appeared first on Gig Gab.

    1h 20m
  2. From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees

    MAR 2

    From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees

    You get dropped into a two-show day where you’re juggling festival chaos, a paramedic emergency during set change, and a mysteriously mudded-out bass that turns out to be a rogue low‑pass filter at 90 Hz, all while keeping the gig on the rails because you Always Be Performing. Then you pivot into first‑timer survival tactics for attending SXSW: locking in reservations weeks out, over‑planning so you can gleefully abandon those plans, and treating the whole thing as a marathon and a sprint while your calendar app becomes your best friend…and your worst enemy. Throughout it all, you’re thinking like a pro: dialing in efficient monitor setups for festival stages, dealing with sketchy solder joints on a microphone (or is that a mic cable issue?), staying sane amid SXSW security, and never underestimating the power of great brisket, BBQ, and a solid spot to reset your brain. You’ll also get the practical stuff no one tells you: what to wear, why you always keep your badge on you, and how finding a seasoned SXSW Sherpa can save your week (and your feet) before you ever hit your first line. ​From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Essential Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees 00:00:00 Gig Gab 523 – Monday, March 2nd, 2026 March 2nd: International Rescue Cat Day Guest co-host: Lisa Hamilton 00:01:41 Two Show Day for Dave First gig, Bitter Pill – Festival And there was a paramedic Bitter Pill: It’s Rock and Roll… It’s Rockabilly… It’s Blues… I don’t know! 00:10:43 Second gig – somehow the bass got a low-pass filter set at 90hZ! Problem solved, gig a success! 00:18:23 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at https://gusto.com/giggab 00:20:00 Attending SXSW for the first time 00:25:45 Learning how to manage SXSW 00:27:30 SXXpress passes become Reservations And now they’re 3-weeks out instead of 2 days! 00:33:21 Reserving things in advance 00:37:25 It’s all about planning in advance And then throwing away your plans and making a series of Sophie’s Choices 00:39:24 It’s a marathon…and a sprint 00:39:42 Managing the Calendar 00:43:39 With the App 00:48:43 Managing your monitor needs with efficiency at festival gigs 00:52:51 Security at SXSW 00:58:15 Luke Warm Solder Joint on the Microphone Heil PR-40 00:58:57 Eat good food! Brisket and BBQ Eastside Cafe in Austin 01:01:11 What should I wear? 01:06:36 Find a SXSW Sherpa! 01:07:58 Finding your badge? 01:08:59 Always have your badge with you 01:11:38 Gig Gab 523 Outtro Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List   The post From Festival Gigs to SXSW: Survival Tips for Musicians and Attendees — Gig Gab 523 with Lisa Hamilton appeared first on Gig Gab.

    1h 13m
  3. From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz

    FEB 23

    From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz

    You’re riding along with Kaitlyn Raitz as she breaks down the real mechanics of touring at scale: staying human on a bus, finding tiny routines that keep you sane, and surviving the sleep math when you’re one of twelve buses on a massive run. Then it’s straight into the onstage reality of modern country arena production: 24 musicians, a full string quartet, choir, and horns, plus the challenge of making strings translate in a loud arena. You get the practical gear-and-tech layer too: DPA mics and pickups, dynamic EQ, managing cello loudness, and how tools like ToneDexter fit into keeping tone consistent when the room is working against you. You also get the career side, unfiltered: how the Eric Church gig happened through the Nashville relationship web, why being excellent and easy to be around matters, and why “Nashville is a ten-year town” if you want longevity. Kaitlyn’s stories span arranging and learning charts mid-tour from iPads, to the whiplash of getting a Grammy call with barely any runway, to recording in LA and wondering how anyone actually functions there. The episode closes with the mindset and performance skills that keep pros durable: protecting your brain and nervous system, flipping a stage persona on and off, and the practical win of transitioning to IEMs for a cellist when monitors are run well. Bottom line: this is how you keep your craft sharp, your head steady, and your show consistent night after night. Always Be Performing.​ 00:00:00 Gig Gab 522 – Monday, February 23rd, 2026 February 23rd: Curling Is Cool Day Guest co-host: Kaitlyn Raitz 00:01:55 Protein and Joy on the bus 00:02:14 Passing the time productively on the bus…and on the tour Swimming Swimply OR PlacesToSwim.com Thrifting 00:05:53 Sleeping on the bus! Twelve tour busses on this tour 00:07:26 24 Musicians on stage String Quartet 8-Person Choir Horn/Woodwind Quartet 00:09:45 Micing a string quartet in an arena DPA Mics AND pickups Dynamic EQ 00:14:47 Cellos and Loudness ToneDexter 00:18:50 Writing, arranging and learning charts mid-tour! Reading from iPads Eleanor Denning, String Lead and Arranger on the Eric Church Tour Bitter Pill has a cellist, too! 00:21:33 Getting the Eric Church gig Sub list for the Nashville Symphony Everything in Nashville is relationship-based Be good at what you do, and also be a pleasant person that people want to be around Nashville is a ten-year town 00:25:07 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB. 00:26:55 You played on the Grammy’s? Used to play with Brandy Clark, and occasionally gets a one-off gig call still. AND, a week-and-a-half before the Grammy’s, the call came in Do you want to play the Grammy’s with me? Kaitlyn has questions for LA-denizens: How do you live in LA? Do you see people that you know? Do you take public transportation? Recorded at Sunset Sounds in LA 00:33:05 Protecting your brain and nervous system Take on a persona “You are Kaitlyn Motherfucking Raitz” “We are bad bitches, we have earned this” Gary Cherone is the master of turning the stage persona on AND OFF Let the lights blind you 00:40:25 Transitioning to IEMs It’s great for a cellist! IEMs are better than having to use bone conduction Kaitlyn’s IEM mix – she hears the band It comes down to who’s running monitors Ultimate Ears UE7 Pros IEMs 00:47:06 Kaitlyn Raitz’s Music 00:48:52 Gig Gab 522 Outtro Follow Kaitlyn Raitz On Instagram On Facebook Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz – Gig Gab 522 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    50 min
  4. Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse

    FEB 16

    Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse

    You kick off this week with Dan Ray by reframing failure as a tool, not a verdict. Instead of obsessing over the “vanity listen” after a gig or rehearsal, you do the check-in listen and extract the lesson. You learn to fail fast the right way by making small bets that generate real data quickly, including testing demand before you invest rehearsal time. That mindset carries into band direction changes and the leadership realities that come with them: different people want different levels of ownership, and the job is to be a benevolent dictator who listens widely but decides cleanly. You also get practical about managing public perception and egos, taking cues from bands that protected the brand by being intentional about roles and visibility. Then you dig into Dan’s origin stories and the nuts-and-bolts that keep working musicians moving: starting a band young, landing monthly gigs, and learning obvious-in-hindsight lessons like not running a vocal mic through a guitar amp. You hear how scrappy tools like a Tascam 4-track can solve real problems, why running a PA from the stage demands discipline, and why the room you rehearse in changes what you think you’re hearing. From there it gets wonderfully nerdy with quick hits that matter in real life, like using low-pass filters aggressively and remembering that time alignment starts with where sound sources physically live. You close in the feels with theater life and the emotional punch of closing night, a reminder that the tech and the business serve the same goal: show up ready, stay present, and Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 521 – Monday, February 16th, 2026 February 16th: National Rationalization Day 00:02:08 Guest co-host: Dan Ray Last visit: July 19, 2020 for GG 265 and CBC 100 00:03:23 Having a productive relationship with failure Failure can a lesson you lean into After gigs or rehearsals: the check-in listen vs. the vanity listen Fail fast the right way: “make a bet” by setting up something that you can quickly get data from 00:08:47 Transitioning a band’s direction Dan’s Big in the 80s band 00:10:10 Test your market before committing too much Book the gig before you rehearse the songs. Make sure there’s demand and interest. If not… move on! (You failed fast!) Cover Band Confidential 00:12:52 AI solves the blank page problem – use it often! 00:14:28 Leading bands (and people) Be ready for people who want to engage with different levels of ownership Learning how to be a benevolent dictator… but also learn to be the leader, and the decision-maker, the ultimate arbiter. Don’t do it in a vacuum, but I’ll be the last word. The Pork Tornadoes are a democracy-ish. But decision-makers are pre-decided by a healthy division of labor. Learning to manage the public perception of your band (and your egos) like R.E.M. and RUSH did. 00:22:37 Do you name your band after yourself? My Thanks to Our Sponsors 00:25:09 SPONSOR: Claude.ai – Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude today and get 50% off Claude Pro, which includes access to Claude Cowork, too, when you visit Claude.ai/giggab 00:26:50 SPONSOR: Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with flavorful and nutritious ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Visit FactorMeals.com/giggab50off and use code giggab50off for 50% off! 00:28:38 First kid in high school to start a band Grew out of the school-run rock band Decided to play some originals and covers at home, and got a gig! The school librarian booked them monthly! Lesson: don’t put a vocal mic through the guitar amp Tascam 4-Track cassette recorder to use as a mixer 00:33:27 Dan Manages the PA from the stage We rehearse in a 15×20 indoor, climate-controlled storage unit 00:36:32 Quick Tip: Use Low Pass Filters on everything 00:37:35 Time Alignment: A reminder that sound source locations matter Check out the 16-minute mark of this episode with Robert Scovill for more 00:40:36 Having theater kids Stagelights in Greensboro, NC 00:43:05 The emotions during closing night in musical theater 00:50:12 Gig Gab 522 Outtro Follow Dan Ray @DanRayMusician @CoverBandConfidential Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List   The post Cover Band Confidential’s Dan Ray: Test the Market, Then Rehearse – Gig Gab 521 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    53 min
  5. Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story

    FEB 9

    Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story

    You jump into this episode balancing the reality of working gigs with the mindset that keeps musicians moving forward. From Dave’s recent experiences playing atypical rooms with Bitter Pill to cramming new material for Casual Gravity, you’re reminded that momentum matters even when the crowd is small. Always Be Performing is not about scale, it’s about consistency. That theme carries straight into the conversation with Laura Whitmore, whose career has been shaped by connecting people, creating opportunities, and knowing when to pull back just enough to build a sustainable life alongside the work. As Laura walks you through the birth and growth of the She Rocks Awards, you hear what it actually takes to build something lasting. It started small, grew through trust and partnerships, and evolved by treating the event like a show, with pacing, flow, and intention. You dig into what real visibility looks like, how to define success on your own terms, and why borrowed platforms are never enough to build a career. The takeaway is practical and clear: start with a big vision, set measurable goals, build community deliberately, and own your audience. This episode is a reminder that longevity comes from intention, preparation, and showing up with purpose, gig after gig. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 520 – Monday, February 9th, 2026 February 9th: National Pizza Day 00:01:00 Dave’s Gig Updates Playing atypical venues with Bitter Pill Learning new songs with Casual Gravity Always Be Performing…even for the small crowds! 00:17:10 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB. 00:18:34 Guest co-host: Laura Whitmore 00:22:20 The love of connecting people and making things happen 00:23:08 Pulling back a little…to have a life Backstory in partnership with Guitar World and Parade 00:26:28 The green room at The She Rocks Awards is the ultimate networking event! 00:29:33 The Birth of the She Rocks Awards Writing a women-in-music blog at Guitar World, realizing the women in music didn’t know each other… yet! Started as a breakfast (with sponsors…the cheapest meal of the day!). Orianthi performed, serendipitously. After two successful years, NAMM invited She Rocks into the event officially, and The Bangles performed. “You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you’re challenged and take that leap of faith.” – Laura Whitmore 2026 was the 14th year of She Rocks Awards. 170 She Rocks Awards have been presented in the last 14 years. 00:34:51 “Is this ever going to come together?” is scary Reframe it with “how is this ever going to come together?” It takes a village, folks! 00:38:12 Having good partners helps 00:38:59 Create the event for yourself as an audience member That way you’ve got a stake in how it “feels” to attend, which means the audience is represented 00:41:16 Assembling the featured women Nominations at TheWimn.com Crafting the arc of the night by slotting the right people at the right spot. It’s a show! 00:43:49 Managing the flow of the night She Rocks Awards YouTube Channel 00:46:58 People whose names became known after they were on She Rocks Queen Herby (as Amy Heidemann) Beaches PRS Guitars brings in the opening act, with a fantastic Artist Relations team 00:49:40 Defining valuable visibility What’s your end goal? What are your metrics? What defines success? For your band, those might be: Did I get contact information? Did I build on success that I had before? Did this exposure opportunity help me grow to a new place/level? Start with big vision, small goals 00:54:16 You don’t own social media platforms, so don’t leave your audience there. Facebook used to let you message all your followers. Used to! If your audience is a subset of Facebook’s audience, that’s not your audience. Give them a reason to give you their email address. Gather those email addresses. Keep those pieces of paper – scan them! Spam laws might require you to prove it! 01:00:18 Gear Gab! Laura Whitmore is Sr. VP of Marketing at Positive Grid Spark practice amps (with an app!) Project BIAS X – Standalone or Plugin 01:07:36 Designing high-quality technology for a market with a budget 01:13:02 Gig Gab 520 Outtro Follow Laura Whitmore Check out TheWIMN.com (sign up for the mailing list for free! On Instagram On LinkedIn Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Creating the Room You Want to Be In: Laura Whitmore and the She Rocks Story – Gig Gab 520 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    1h 14m
  6. Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519

    FEB 2

    Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519

    You walk into NAMM 2026 thinking you will just wander and see what grabs you. You leave reminded that wandering works best when paired with a plan and a willingness to torch a few sacred cows along the way. This episode is a fast-moving field report from the floor, where the real takeaway is not just gear but mindset. You hear why talking with people matters more than chasing booths, why listening beats pitching, and how staying flexible turns a chaotic show into a productive one. NAMM rewards curiosity, but only if you stay intentional and remember that Always Be Performing is not about being loud, it is about being present. From there, you get a tight rundown of what actually stood out. You hear about clever mic and monitoring solutions, portable PA ideas that punch above their weight, smart tools for managing stage volume and feedback, and electronic drums and keyboards that feel less like compromises and more like real instruments. There is a clear throughline here: gear is getting smaller, smarter, and more musician-centric, solving real problems instead of adding features for the spec sheet. By the end, you are not just caught up on what Dave saw at NAMM 2026, you are thinking differently about how to approach shows, stages, and decisions long after the badges come off. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 519 – Monday, February 2nd, 2026 February 2nd: National Tater Tot Day NAMM Coverage Sponsors Ultimate Ears Pro Earthworks Audio Rock-N-Roller Carts 00:02:23 NAMM Guidance Wandering is fun. But have a plan also. Be ready to abandon sacred cows Talk with people… share and listen 00:05:11 DPA Microphones on the Yamaha Stage 00:13:12 JBL BANDBOX Solo ($250) and BANDBOX Trio ($600) 00:18:37 D’Addario IR Mic Mute 00:21:05 Card Chords 00:24:55 UE 350 from Ultimate Ears 00:27:57 Sensaphonics IEM dB Check Pro 00:35:27 Efnote Electronic Drums Efnote 3 (with optical hi-hats) – $2,499 00:36:52 KickPort KickTone Pro microphone 00:40:12 Alpha Labs De-Feedback in action 00:43:57 Nord Electro 7 00:46:27 Allen & Heath Qu-5 00:49:49 iCON P1-M (on Amazon) 00:52:31 QSC CB10 00:55:21 Gig Gab 519 Outtro Thanks to Parthenon Huxley for today’s outro song. And thanks, Hux, for everything you gave us all while you were here on this earth! Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Gear, Gimmicks, and the Good Stuff at NAMM 2026 – Gig Gab 519 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    1h 2m
  7. Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path

    JAN 26

    Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path

    Dave’s back from NAMM 2026 and has a little something to share about that. Actually three little somethings, so that’s where we start. But there’s more to say about that, and it’s not yet time, so we’ll extend the NAMM discussions into next week (and beyond?). For today, well, you don’t become the Sauce Boss by chasing a gimmick. You hear how Bill Wharton built a real, working-musician career by leaning hard into what felt natural to him, starting with a Datil pepper, a pot of gumbo, and a simple idea: turn the gig into a gathering. From cooking onstage on New Year’s Eve 1989 to feeding hundreds of people at festivals and never charging a dime for the food, Bill shows how blending music and food transformed shows from transactions into shared experiences. By creating a kitchen onstage, he stopped entertaining people just long enough to take their money and run, and instead built something with a life of its own, something that keeps audiences leaning in and coming back. As the conversation unfolds, you trace Bill’s path from top-40 bar gigs to one-man-band independence, full-band firepower, and stages as far-flung as Saudi Arabia. You hear why learning your strengths and ruthlessly discarding what doesn’t matter is not selfish, it’s survival. From dynamics, gear choices, and in-ear monitors to the lessons behind Blind Boy Billy, Bill makes the case that longevity comes from clarity, connection, and doing your thing without apology. The message for working musicians is direct and empowering: build the show you want to play, build the life that supports it, and keep showing up ready to give. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 518 – Monday, January 26th, 2026 January 26th: National Spouse Day Guest co-host: Bill Wharton NAMM Coverage Sponsors Ultimate Ears Professional Earthworks Audio Rock-n-Roller 00:14:31 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB. 00:16:21 Guest co-host: Bill Wharton 00:18:41 How to become a sauce boss magnate…while also being a musician Bill found the Datil pepper. Spicy and flavorful. People would eat all the sauce at his house So he made Liquid Summer hot sauce But he wanted to sell hot sauce at gigs. December 31, 1989 – made a pot of gumbo on stage to demo the hot sauce No one would ever have to pay for for my gumbo… 240,000 bowls later, here we are! 00:23:26 Blending music and food. It’s better than entertaining people, taking the money, and run! 00:25:12 Food and music are good together Every good party has everyone hanging out in the kitchen Bill creates the kitchen on stage 00:26:33 That first Sauce Boss gig 00:28:16 It has a life of its own and takes care of itself It took 3.5 hours to know that this was going to work long-term 00:30:38 Bill: “Always looking for something distinctively mine…something unique” It’s hard to do your own thing. 00:33:15 The typical sauce boss gig means cooking for 100 (or more) people 400 people at a festival (it took TWO pots of gumbo) 00:35:07 From Florida to Saudi Arabia Sauce Boss plays/cooks at an Air Force base in Saudi Arabia 00:37:09 A soul-shouting picnic of Rock and Roll Brotherhood One or two 75-minute sets The show never ends 00:40:16 Learn, and then KNOW your strengths Started playing top-40 gigs as a kid …and then realized that’s a rat trap. Bill made a point of putting only the stuff that matters to him in his day…and his show. Being “greedy” about putting my thing out there. If I can do this, you can do this Discard the things you don’t enjoy, embrace the things you do. Story Time, it turns out! 00:43:23 Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about the Sauce Boss – “I Will Play For Gumbo” Playing a gig at Jimmy Buffett’s club in New Orleans… and Jimmy was there! “This is the best (bar) band I’ve seen in a long time.” 00:47:13 Where did “Sauce Boss” come from? Tobacco Road, in Miami 00:49:47 Bread and Butter is the One Man Band “But I have a music problem, and I like jammin’ with my buds!” There’s something that happens when you have a little more firepower of a full band 00:53:13 Bill is his own funky one-man band with a kick drum, hi-hat, and a guitar 00:55:16 Dynamics are everything in terms of keeping a crowd 00:57:09 Bill’s thoughts on in-ear monitors Future Sonics 01:02:17 Gear Gab: Create a portable screen/keyboard/mouse for your home studio 01:06:24 The Life and Times of Blind Boy Billy A songbook, a recipe book, and Bill’s memoir. 01:09:29 Gig Gab 519 Outtro Follow Bill Wharton, the Sauce Boss Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post Gumbo, Gigs, and Grit: Bill Wharton’s Sauce Boss Path — Gig Gab 518 appeared first on Gig Gab.

    1h 8m
  8. The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida

    JAN 19

    The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida

    You’ve done gigs where nothing goes according to plan, but this episode reminds you that chaos is often the classroom. From sleeping on road cases at the Puerto Rican Day Parade to riding a flatbed packed with servo-driven subs that overwhelmed even earplugs and shooting cans, you hear how real-world pressure forges real skills. Mike deAlmeida walks you through learning to roll with it, figuring out systems on the fly before tools like Smaart were common, and walking into unknown gigs where the unknown singer/songwriter turns out to be Shawn Colvin. The lesson is clear: when you don’t know the band, communication is everything. Ask how they sound, listen closely, and remember that for that moment, you are part of the band. You’re playing the “mixing keyboard” today, so Always Be Performing. As the night wears on, the room changes and so must you. Heat, humidity, and ear fatigue quietly shift the mix, especially in the highs and high-mids, and Mike explains why gradual adjustments beat drastic moves every time. You’re reminded to watch the show, not just the meters, and to listen first before using tools like Smaart to confirm what your ears already know. From sweating out microphones and treating them like EQ devices to protecting your hearing with custom molds, active earplugs, and smart exposure management, this episode ties craft, tech, and longevity together. Layer in legendary Celebrity Week stories, the Van Halen M&Ms lesson, and Beach Boys theatrics, and you’re left with one guiding principle: mix a good show, every time, because that’s how careers last. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 517 – Monday, January 19th, 2026 January 19th: Tin Can Day Guest co-host: Mike deAlmeida, Program Director, Audio Engineering at University of Hartford NAMM coming up! GG Coverage Sponsor: Ultimate Ears Pro! 00:01:50 Puerto Rican Day Parade Sleeping on road cases overnight An insane number of speakers Earplugs + Shooting cans STILL were too loud Servo drives – highly efficient, but not fast. They have motors in them. Security wouldn’t let us off the truck. 00:06:43 Gig learning vs. classroom learning Learning to roll with it 00:08:52 When you don’t know the band A little jazz band…as wallpaper Sussed out the system manually (before the Smaart Live days!) And a singer/songwriter… who turned out to be Shawn Colvin 00:12:52 Communicating with a band you’ve never seen Very helpful tips: “Here’s how our band sounds.” Guitar players who manage their levels between rhythm and solos As an engineer, you are a member of the band (for that moment) “You play mixing keyboard today” 00:20:37 Teaching the foundation in class, students often seek practical experience on their own Finding practical applications WHILE you’re in class is gold. You learn so much. It all comes back to communication skills For FOH engineers, watch the show! Pay attention to the band members 00:24:30 Sound changes throughout the night Heat and humidity will cause ebbs and flows (especially outdoors, but even inside) Watch the highs and high-mids Sound travels faster through a thick medium Gradual adjustments so it sounds better Increasing the mains throughout the show to keep the perceived level due to ear fatigue Smaart Live for tweaking live sound Listen first, then use the gear to confirm what you’re hearing 00:31:35 When I mix, I want to hear a good show So I tell the sound guy (me) to mix a good show 00:32:57 Using the tech to isolate live to find (and fix) problems Beyerdynamic MM1 – a measurement mic AND a podcast mic 00:33:48 Learning the nuances of problems 00:35:24 Hot lights to add to the sun! Sweating out microphones… heat shrink tubing plus medical tape solves it Microphones are EQ devices – Matt from Roswell Audio 00:39:38 Mixing with earplugs? Westone custom mold earplugs with 15dB Etymotic filters Hearing protection vs. exposure time US Navy study on hearing health with submarine crew Huberman Lab episode on hearing health 00:44:39 AirPods Pro “active earplugs” (aka Hearing Protection) Comply Foam tips for AirPods Pro DefendEar from Westone 00:52:25 Stories from Celebrity Week at North Shore Music Theatre Almost got into a rumble with Al Martino Face the wall when Wynona Judd walks by Gallagher (or his brother!) The Beach Boys Weird Al 00:56:04 The Van Halen M&Ms story 00:57:37 The Beach Boys surfing on the revolving stage 00:59:41 Gig Gab 519 Outtro Follow Mike deAlmeida Check the University of Hartford’s BS in Audio Engineering Technology Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida — Gig Gab 517 appeared first on Gig Gab.

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Welcome to Gig Gab—the podcast sanctuary for working musicians and anyone fascinated by the vibrant, often unseen world behind every note played on stage. Whether you’re a musician, a member of the crew, or just someone who loves peeking behind the curtain to discover the secrets of live performances, you’ve found your tribe.

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