Conversations with Calcaterra

Ken Calcaterra

Real people living extraordinary lives, names you've never heard, stories you'll never forget. Conversations with Calcaterra is about people who are passionate about what they do, whether it be art, business, entertainment, or healing and the spiritual experience when doing so!

  1. EP76 – James Brown (Musician) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    09/26/2023

    EP76 – James Brown (Musician) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “It was just my heart was just going like, like 180 or something. It was just that, yeah, just crazy. But then kind of got used to it. You don't get as nervous anymore. Now it's just second nature.“ -James Brown describing the experience of first playing with Geoff Tate on Conversations with Calcaterra “We're not in it for the glory. We're just in it to make sure everything just sounds perfect. And just so we put on a good show or whatever.” – James Brown describing the role of members of Geoff Tate’s band on Conversations with Calcaterra “It's the power of music, I guess. And for me, just to even be playing in America and just being here, this is just me just living my dream and this is just me just being who I am, and who I think I'm supposed to be. That's cool.” – James Brown on Conversations with Calcaterra Who are the musicians who back a known singer? James Brown is a young gunslinger who plays in Geoff Tate’s (Queensryche) international band and he loves every moment of the journey. Is it the life of a rockstar? On stage he is living the life of a rockstar but off stage he is a working musician who utilizes his talents to serve the songs. Learn more about this Irish native who grew up with the blues but has embraced the art of late century hard rock. Intro Song: Take Hold of the Flame (Queensryche) – Recorded Live at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville Outro Song: Don’t Look Back (Mark Daly and the Ravens) Check out James’ guitar work on his work Mark Daly and the Ravens on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6MpEIIzqkSXS02dOu03azv?si=mBh0DGE9SBaU3tA9fpCyCAVisit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Rock Star Tacos at Gaslight – http://rockstartacos.com Party like a rock star dining on a delicious creative menu at one of Ken’s favorite eateries.

    37 min
  2. EP75 – Mike Steimel (Music Producer/Musician) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    09/20/2023

    EP75 – Mike Steimel (Music Producer/Musician) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “Art or humor can both be defined by taking two things that don't seem to be connecting and connecting them and making a third thing. And I thought, Man, that is really cool. That is an awesome quote.“ – Mike Steimel sharing a quote from a successful band manager on Conversations with Calcaterra “So kind of songwriting is and producing music, it's just about choices, choosing from things that already exist and putting them together.” – Mike Steimel sharing a quote from a successful band manager on Conversations with Calcaterra “However, when that happens where I get a weekend and I get to really write a song that I'm super proud of, it definitely helps put my mind at ease and makes me in a better mood when I go back to work and I realize, okay, this is how I make the money to support myself, to give me that studio space and give me the tools that I need to be able to make music.” – Mike Steimel on Conversations with Calcaterra Creative endeavors require time and motivation and with a demanding full-time gig can be near impossible which makes the work of Mike Steimel that much more meaningful. Mike has music placed in numerous TV shows, films and commercials and enjoys producing artists and deep-sea fishing. His love of the ocean was fostered when he became a treasure hunter after high school and continues today in recreational activities. Mike has played in a number of bands over the years including Just Add Water, Spur, The Jonathan Cour Band and Good Looking Animals. His new EP is his first solo effort. Check out Mike’s music on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S05IZv7uQc7SbE8913bkr?si=PDcyszsMRf26HlcNPD5sOw Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Rock Star Tacos at Gaslight – http://rockstartacos.com Party like a rock star dining on a delicious creative menu at one of Ken’s favorite eateries.

    1h 26m
  3. EP74 – Mark Morrison (Educator) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    08/24/2022

    EP74 – Mark Morrison (Educator) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “Baseball was boring to me…I wanted to get up and down. I wanted to run and jump so Basketball was perfect for me. Now at 5’ 11” and white probably not the best choice looking back at it. I took my body to the limit.” – Mark Morrison on Conversations with Calcaterra “The odds…crazy! Three to 5 years to survive if you survive the surgery. 50/50 chance to survive the surgery, 98% all these different numbers. I just shut that out. I’m not dying!!! – Mark Morrison on Conversations with Calcaterra “If you want to teach then you gotta reach and that’s what I felt that I was reaching to these kids. Whatever you needed, whatever I had that day. If a kid said he was hungry I’d gave him my lunch, I bought them lunch. That was for me the reality check of how good I had it. - Mark Morrison on teaching in inner city schools on Conversations with Calcaterra When going to high school did you ever wonder who your teacher was away from school? Certain teachers leave a lasting impression on their students and add a multiplier for coaches. Mark Morrison has served his students and athletes for two decades and is one of those educators who will never be forgotten. Mark joins Ken to discuss his career, his victory over brain cancer and the life experience which shaped him into a man who is “Making His Mark” on the world. Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Rock Star Tacos at Gaslight – http://rockstartacos.com Party like a rock star dining on a delicious creative menu at one of Ken’s favorite eateries. Dr. Mark Holland First Capitol Chiropractic and Rehab – St. Charles, MO – 636.946.7777 – http://chrioandrehab.com Chiropractic of Wildwood – Wildwood, MO – 636.458.7575 – http://chiropractorwildwood.com Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis – Downtown – 314.588.9100 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Chiropractic of North County – 314.847.8888 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Alton Chiropractic – Alton, IL – 618.465.2222 – http://altonchiropractic.com Rust Bucket Rembrandts – http://rustbucketrembrandts.com

    1h 49m
  4. EP73 – Rebecca Schaaf (Entrepreneur) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    03/15/2022

    EP73 – Rebecca Schaaf (Entrepreneur) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “One of my favorites was the metal trivia night. We had tons of people coming in, all cocky with their cool shirts. They left crying because they didn’t know half the answers.” – Rebecca Schaaf on Conversations with Calcaterra “His mad genius drew me to him. Made me fall in love with him a little bit.” – Rebecca Schaaf about Wil Pelly on Conversations with Calcaterra “Cheap Trick was in town and their crew needed to be fed. We shut down the shack early and ran down to Riverport. They were on the bill with ZZ Top. Ted Kornblum of Magnatone Guitars and Amplifies was there. He said hey Wil does Billy (Gibbons) know you’re here? Wil’s like Billy doesn’t know who I am. Billy walks in and see the Rockstar Dust, lifts his mustache and blops some into his mouth. He turns to Wil and says, Boy, are you responsible for this?!” – Rebecca Schaaf on Conversations with Calcaterra The Rock Star life is more of an attitude. It’s loving what you do and being the best at it. Rebecca Schaaf runs Rockstar Tacos at Gaslight on the Hill in St. Louis with here partner chef and fellow musician Wil Pelly. They’ve fed, broke bread, and partied with many Rock Stars including Alice Cooper and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top to name a few. Guests at Rockstar Tacos are treated as Rockstars to delicious meals from on of the most creative menus in nation and some leave with valued prizes after trivia while others including the host of this podcast leave nursing their wounded pride after facing the Queen of Trivia’s four challenging rounds. Ken speaks with Rebecca about the culinary delights of Rockstar Taco’s at Gaslight on the Hill, Will Pelly’s genius memes and many topics of pop culture as well as a trivia faceoff. Who won? Listen in and find out. Rockstar Tacos at Gaslight – 4916 Shaw Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 Twitter – RockstarTaco Instagram - @rebeccaschaaf Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Rust Bucket Rembrandts – http://rustbucketrembrandts.com Dr. Mark Holland First Capitol Chiropractic and Rehab – St. Charles, MO – 636.946.7777 – http://chrioandrehab.com Chiropractic of Wildwood – Wildwood, MO – 636.458.7575 – http://chiropractorwildwood.com Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis – Downtown – 314.588.9100 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Chiropractic of North County – 314.847.8888 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Alton Chiropractic – Alton, IL – 618.465.2222 – http://altonchiropractic.com

    1h 15m
  5. EP72 – Eric and Darren Vorel (Musicians - TLB) - EXPLICIT – Conversations with Calcaterra

    11/12/2020

    EP72 – Eric and Darren Vorel (Musicians - TLB) - EXPLICIT – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “There is no time to go over songs because they (Darren Vorel and Tom Higginson) literally drop them on me at the last second. So I gave up on learning the songs and found that just going into the studio is like F you guys. You’re going to get what you get. – Eric Vorel on Conversations with Calcaterra “I find all the things I’m immersed in that I don’t have time to think about anything that troubles me. That’s the addiction behind the art. It’s happiness in the work.” – Darren Vorel on Conversations with Calcaterra “Every single person I believe is an artist. It takes different forms and different shapes…it’s what you find beautiful in the moment of something you’re creating.” – Eric Vorel on Conversations with Calcaterra “I went through such a bad experience with the breakup which caused this band to happen. I almost didn’t want to do this band but Eric was there and said somebody is going to need this record like you needed the records you were listening to.” – Darren Vorel on Conversations with Calcaterra Music has the power to the heal, both the artist and the listener. This is the origin of the Chicago based band TLB fronted by Darren Vorel who began writing songs to vent his pain after a major break-up. Uncertainty kept him from taking the songs to the next level until his brother Eric encouraged him to share his feelings with the world. They then formed the band with childhood friends Tom Higginson and Dave Tirio of the Plain White T’s back in 2013. Ken speaks with the Brothers Vorel about their music, growing up in an artistic family, influences and life in general. www.darrenvorel.com – www.tlbkicksass.com Twitter - @darrenvorel - @VorelEric - @tlbkicksass Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Dr. Mark Holland First Capitol Chiropractic and Rehab – St. Charles, MO – 636.946.7777 – http://chrioandrehab.com Chiropractic of Wildwood – Wildwood, MO – 636.458.7575 – http://chiropractorwildwood.com Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis – Downtown – 314.588.9100 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Chiropractic of North County – 314.847.8888 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Alton Chiropractic – Alton, IL – 618.465.2222 – http://altonchiropractic.com

    1h 8m
  6. EP71 – Javier Mendoza (Singer/Songwriter a.k.a. Hobo Cane) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    10/26/2020

    EP71 – Javier Mendoza (Singer/Songwriter a.k.a. Hobo Cane) – Conversations with Calcaterra

    “People will give me a recording of a show but I don’t listen. Once I do I’ll realize how bad I am at this.” – Javier Mendoza on Conversations with Calcaterra “Because of Covid I don’t think I’ll ever want to play a show without a drummer anymore…because of playing at home all all the time, playing these live streams.” – Javier Mendoza on Conversations with Calcaterra “There’s never a perfect show. Once it’s perfect it’s over, right?” – Javier Mendoza on Conversations with Calcaterra Javier Mendoza (Hobo Cane) is a prolific singer/songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee. His roots are in Spain and St. Louis, Missouri. Javier’s diverse catalog has grown over the years with nearly one album released every year since his debut Album Tinta y Papel. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of “Step Into My Place.” Javier recently banded together musicians from all over the world to record “Respira” which has raised close to $10,000 dollars to help struggling musicians. Respira - https://youtu.be/hMEQm5_wBas Javier Mendoza Band – Colors - Directed by Ken Calcaterra - https://youtu.be/evtcQnSW_iI www.hobocane.com Twitter - @hobocanemusic Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Dr. Mark Holland First Capitol Chiropractic and Rehab – St. Charles, MO – 636.946.7777 – http://chrioandrehab.com Chiropractic of Wildwood – Wildwood, MO – 636.458.7575 – http://chiropractorwildwood.com Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis – Downtown – 314.588.9100 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Chiropractic of North County – 314.847.8888 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Alton Chiropractic – Alton, IL – 618.465.2222 – http://altonchiropractic.com

    1h 49m
  7. EP70 – Phil Johnston (Writer/Director – Ralph Wrecks the Internet)

    10/20/2020

    EP70 – Phil Johnston (Writer/Director – Ralph Wrecks the Internet)

    “There’s an old Disney joke...if you don’t want to work on Saturday, don’t even bother coming in on Sunday.” – Phil Johnston on Conversations with Calcaterra “I suspect Stay Puft (Marshmallow Man) has references back to King Kong also. We’re all fishing in the same pond.” – Phil Johnston on Conversations with Calcaterra “The protagonist is the one who suffers the most. Even though you love the characters you really want to punish them to have a good story.” – Phil Johnston on Conversations with Calcaterra Phil Johnston began his career as a broadcast journalist but couldn’t give up on the idea of creating films which led him to pursue an M.F.A. at Columbia University School of the Arts in New York. His scripts had a unique voice which caught the attention of Disney which teamed him with Rich Moore who crafted many episodes of the Simpsons. Phil has co-created many great films which will one day become classics. Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episode’s sponsor: Dr. Mark Holland First Chiropractic and Rehab – St. Charles, MO – 636.946.7777 – http://chrioandrehab.com Chiropractic of Wildwood – Wildwood, MO – 636.458.7575 – http://chiropractorwildwood.com Accident & Pain Relief of St. Louis – Downtown – 314.588.9100 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Chiropractic of North County – 314.847.8888 – http://mystlouischiropractor.com Alton Chiropractic – Alton, IL – 618.465.2222 – http://altonchiropractic.com

    1h 22m
  8. EP68 – Randy Burns (Music Producer, Engineer – Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth)

    10/05/2020

    EP68 – Randy Burns (Music Producer, Engineer – Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth)

    EP68 – Randy Burns (Music Producer, Engineer – Suicidal Tendencies, Megadeth) – Conversations with Calcaterra “It’s the only band I know that had jazz fusion guys come into a metal band and that set them apart.” – Randy Burns about Megadeth on Conversations with Calcaterra “Dave (Mustaine) looked at my credentials and said if he did Suicidal tendencies he’s okay.” – Randy Burns as stated on Conversations with Calcaterra “If you’re looking for a career in the music industry, forget about making money. Do what you want to do and pursue it relentlessly and eventually things will come your way, if you don’t quit.” – Randy Burns as stated on Conversations with Calcaterra When punk and heavy metal melded to form thrash Randy Burns was there. Working the soundboard and helping the artists realize their vision. As a producer/engineer Randy has work with countless artists. His break through opportunity came from the self titled Suicidal Tendencies album which led to the gig producing Megadeth’s break through “Peace Sells but Who’s Buying.” After a hiatus from the music business to raise his family Randy is returning to mix albums for artist’s including David Ellefson. Visit Ken @ www.kencalcaterra.com and on various social media outlets and please share and comment on this episode. Sign up to our mailing list to receive updates on Ken’s video and photography work and Conversations with Calcaterra Special Thanks to this episodes sponsor: Dr. Mark Holland – http://www.mystlouischiropractor.com/ - 314.495.4928

    1h 3m
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Real people living extraordinary lives, names you've never heard, stories you'll never forget. Conversations with Calcaterra is about people who are passionate about what they do, whether it be art, business, entertainment, or healing and the spiritual experience when doing so!

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