Jackalope Tales on Radio Misfits

Charles Mooney, Lisa Umbarger
  • 5.0 (37)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Jackalope Tales pulls back the curtain on the strange, spooky, and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry. Hosts, and founding members of the platinum selling band Toadies, Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger explore the weird and wacky stories behind music’s biggest names. Some legends are too bizarre to be true, while others may have a kernel of truth buried beneath the hype. You’ll never listen to your favorite songs the same way again after you hear the outlandish myths behind them on Jackalope Tales.

  1. 4d ago

    Jackalope Tales – My Drummer Has A LinkedIn Now

    Every band says they’re going to make it. Most of them end up updating their résumé. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the strange, depressing, and occasionally inspiring second acts of musicians who traded backstage passes for time clocks. From metalheads who became accountants to punk rockers who now sell insurance, they explore what happens when the dream dies but the bills keep showing up. Some found success. Some found stability. Some found themselves explaining transferable skills from a six-month tour in a van that smelled like wet socks and regret. It’s a journey through career pivots, shattered ambitions, and the soul-crushing moment when your former bass player sends you a LinkedIn connection request with the title “Regional Compliance Specialist.” Because not every rock star gets a farewell tour. Sometimes they just get dental insurance. Tune in for a darkly funny look at the musicians who left the stage, entered the workforce, and discovered that corporate America is somehow less forgiving than the music industry. [Ep 142] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    1h 4m

  2. Jun 3

    Jackalope Tales – Empty Seat Blues

    What happens when nobody buys tickets, but nobody wants to admit it? This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa catch a nasty case of Blue Dot Fever—the mysterious industry illness that strikes when concert seats stay empty and record labels suddenly discover “scheduling conflicts,” “unforeseen circumstances,” and “logistical challenges.” From mysteriously canceled tours to last-minute show pullouts, they dig into the rumors, excuses, and corporate fairy tales that appear whenever ticket sales flatline. Was it really a routing issue, or was the venue emptier than a gas station salad bar at midnight? Charles explores the dark art of cancellation spin, while Lisa examines how publicists can turn a financial disaster into a heartfelt statement about “prioritizing the fan experience.” Because in the music business, nobody ever says, “We couldn’t sell enough tickets.” They just quietly pull the plug and hope nobody notices the blue dots. Grab a seat while you still can. Apparently they’re available. [Ep 141] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    53 min

  3. May 27

    Jackalope Tales – Master Baiters

    This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa wade into the murky pond of one very important question: does Phish secretly hate their fans… or just enjoy psychologically torturing them for sport? From marathon jams that feel less like concerts and more like hostage situations, to cryptic setlists, fake-outs, inside jokes nobody understands, and enough noodle solos to make grown men question their life choices, they dig into the “evidence” that Phish may be the most passive-aggressive band in music. Grab your glow sticks, lower your expectations, and prepare to get lovingly gaslit by a jam band cult. Dark, weird, and smellier than a parking lot burrito at 2 a.m. [Ep 140] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    56 min

  4. May 20

    Jackalope Tales – Put The Hell In Coachella

    Coachella used to be about music. Now it’s mostly rich influencers dressed like post-apocalyptic scarecrows taking thirst traps next to a guy passed out in a $900 crochet poncho. This week on Jackalope Tales, Lisa dives headfirst into the dusty influencer wasteland known as “content creation,” exposing the tragic parade of brand-sponsored narcissists who traveled to the desert just to fake candid photos and develop heatstroke for engagement. From trust-fund wellness gurus crying because the VIP tent ran out of oat milk, to TikTok stars treating porta-potties like networking lounges, Lisa uncovers the horrifying truth behind America’s most expensive outdoor mall. Meanwhile, Charles investigates the legendary Coachella pizza disaster that allegedly turned half the festival into a human Slipknot song. Was it undercooked dough? Questionable meat? A cursed food truck staffed by burnout warlocks? Rumors spread faster than food poisoning as festivalgoers dropped one-by-one into the desert like sweaty dominoes clutching their influencer gift bags. Put on your fringe jacket, spray glitter directly into your eyeballs, and join Jackalope Tales for an episode filled with fake celebrities, stomach demons, and enough bad decisions to power an entire Instagram reel. Put The Hell In Coachella — where the vibes were curated, but the bacteria were free-range. [Ep 139] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    56 min

  5. May 13

    Jackalope Tales – Fleeced By Geese

    Some bands get accused of selling out. Geese gets accused of being a full-blown psy-op. In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive into the increasingly ridiculous theory that the band Geese wasn’t formed naturally — they were assembled in a secret lab to psychologically damage indie rock fans. Why did they appear out of nowhere already “critically acclaimed”? Why do music journalists write about them like they discovered fire? And why does every performance feel like an experiment to see how many people will pretend to understand what’s happening? Charles follows the trail of industry plant rumors, suspicious hype, and algorithm worship, while Lisa investigates whether Geese concerts are actually covert meetings for emotionally exhausted art-school vampires. It’s dark, paranoid, and completely unnecessary — just the way Jackalope Tales likes it. “Fleeced By Geese” — because sometimes the real conspiracy is the band your friend swears is genius.[Ep 138] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    57 min

  6. May 6

    Jackalope Tales – Let Them Eat Lemon Pound Cake

    In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa stroll into a courtroom that smells faintly of citrus, chaos, and questionable police decisions. The saga of Afroman takes center stage—where a home raid turns into a legal circus, a surveillance nightmare becomes a music video, and somehow… lemon pound cake ends up being the most innocent thing in the room. Charles breaks down the trial like a true crime doc narrated by someone who definitely shouldn’t be allowed near a gavel, while Lisa connects the dots between small-town law enforcement, viral humiliation, and the kind of petty revenge that comes with a beat and a hook. Evidence gets weirder, testimonies get shakier, and the line between justice and performance art disappears faster than dignity in a body cam clip. Was it a lawful raid… or the world’s worst audition for “Cops: The Musical”? And when life gives you lemons… do you make lemonade—or a diss track? Pull up a chair, grab a slice, and prepare for a story where the justice system gets frosted, sliced, and served cold. [Ep 137] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    48 min

  7. Apr 29

    Jackalope Tales – Hit The Road Jack(alope)

    Some bands break up. Some bands “take a break.” And some bands treat their lead singer like a suspicious duffel bag and just… leave him at a gas station. This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the fine art of getting fired—musician edition—where loyalty is optional, group chats are silent, and your bandmates might literally drive away while you’re inside buying beef jerky. Charles unpacks the slow, theatrical unraveling of Dennis DeYoung—a saga involving illness, ego, and an increasing desire to turn Styx into a full-blown Broadway fever dream. Spoiler: the band did not want jazz hands with their power ballads. What followed was less “Come Sail Away” and more “Please Exit Stage Left Immediately.” Meanwhile, Lisa brings the chaos with the story of Vitriol, who allegedly solved their internal conflict by pulling the most passive-aggressive move in rock history: abandoning their singer Kyle at a gas station—with his dog. And his girlfriend. And, presumably, his trust issues. What happened next involves a GoFundMe, a long road home, and a masterclass in how to get kicked out of a band and still ask the internet for gas money. From fax-machine firings to roadside betrayals, this episode explores the darker side of band dynamics—where the music stops, but the pettiness plays on. Because in rock ‘n’ roll, sometimes the real encore… is getting ghosted by your own band. Jackalope Tales — where the stories are true… until they absolutely aren’t. [Ep 136] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    53 min

  8. Apr 22

    Jackalope Tales – Nickels & Spice, And Nothing Is Nice

    Grab your tin foil hats and a stiff drink. This week, Charles and Lisa descend into the auditory abyss to investigate two “musical” acts that were far too successful to be mere accidents of talent. What if the airwaves of the late ’90s and early 2000s weren’t a cultural wasteland, but a highly calibrated psychological operations battlefield? Inside This Week’s Dossier: • The Maple Leaf Manchurian: We dissect Nickelback. Was Chad Kroeger’s hair actually a sophisticated receiver for CSIS frequencies? We explore the theory that “How You Remind Me” was a weaponized earworm designed to pacify the American working class into accepting Canadian soft power—one mid-tempo power ballad at a time. • The Union Jack-In-The-Box: The Spice Girls. Five distinct archetypes, one singular goal: total global submission. Lisa argues that “Girl Power” was a front for a post-Cold War MI6 initiative to re-establish the British Empire through platform boots and leopard print. • The Sonic Lobotomy: Why do these songs survive in our brains like cockroaches after a nuclear winter? We look at the correlation between “Wannabe” and the breakdown of rational discourse. “Is it ‘Look at this photograph,’ or is it ‘Look into the hypnotic spiral of the deep state’?” Join us as we prove that the only thing more terrifying than the lyrics to Photograph is the possibility that the government wanted you to hear them. It’s dark, it’s petty, and it’s definitely not “zig-a-zig-ah.” Warning: This episode may contain traces of existential dread and 4-chord progressions. Listen at your own peril. [Ep 135] Become a J-Lope and follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com, TikTok, and check out our YouTube page for more exclusive content! Produced by: Charles Mooney Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney

    50 min
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5
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Jackalope Tales pulls back the curtain on the strange, spooky, and sometimes shocking urban legends that lurk within the music industry. Hosts, and founding members of the platinum selling band Toadies, Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger explore the weird and wacky stories behind music’s biggest names. Some legends are too bizarre to be true, while others may have a kernel of truth buried beneath the hype. You’ll never listen to your favorite songs the same way again after you hear the outlandish myths behind them on Jackalope Tales.

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