What Am I Making Podcast

What Am I Making
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What Am I Making Podcast Podcast

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com whatamimaking.substack.com

  1. 2 HR. AGO

    WAIM #073 - Matty C On The Future Of The Pod & The State Of The Tour

    This week on the podcast, there is no guest. It’s just me, Matty C. That doesn't mean it’s a clunker of an episode though. To the contrary, I cover quite a bit of ground on this one. The solo episode provides me with a chance to reckon with the fact that for a couple of weeks, there have been no new episodes of the pod. As I have prepped for my massive west coast tour, work on the pod has taken a back burner position. Over the last several weeks I have had to spend the majority of my time booking shows, prepping my gear, working on promo for the shows and more. This flurry of activity centered around the tour has led to an inconsistent pod. It also means that the work that I am doing at the blog is largely built around the machinations of the tour, at least right now. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I am incredibly proud of my touring history and the work that I am putting into it, but I do not want this space to simply be a repository for my touring activity. In an effort to refocus the pod, I have decided to wait until January of 2025 to launch a new season of the podcast. This will give me the chance in the coming weeks to focus on the tour, the diary recaps from the road, and other written work about music, film, and culture. Between now and January, I am likely to post intermittent episodes of the pod featuring more stories of the greatest nights of music of our lives. These conversations are simpler to produce than a typical episode and usually much easier to book as well. These fun, fascinating episodes should be a great way to keep the home fires burning until we resume the pod in full force early next year. In the episode I cover some of the natural highlights I am hoping to see on my six week sojourn to the west. I even got a little emotional thinking about this journey and how much it is akin to a trip my grandfather took nearly eighty years ago that shaped his life forever. I cover myriad ways for you to get involved in the show, and we run down what still needs to happen before the tour begins in less than three weeks. Plus, I reveal a possible special guest who may join me for part of the trip! I hope you dig this PG rated little peak inside my noggin as I get ready for the biggest trip of my entire life. Be sure to listen to the full episode and get involved in one way or another. Thanks for your patience, support, and friendship. It means the world to me. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 9m

  2. AUG 19

    WAIM# 072 - Barry Hummel's Greatest Night Of Live Music

    Barry Hummel has become something of a regular fixture here at What Am I Making. Along with his daughter, Abigail, Barry is half of the Pops On Hops podcast, a father-daughter exploration of music, beer, and family. The Hummels have become frequent guests here on the show, and they have even hosted me twice on my house concert tours. They have also become true friends. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Barry had a tough time narrowing his selection down to a single pick. He wanted to choose a night that had an emotional attachment entwined with a great night of music. Despite a myriad of live shows under his belt, Barry eventually settled on a Crosby, Stills & Nash show from the early 90’s. The evening coincided with his first wedding anniversary, and Barry and his wife Darby went to the show to celebrate. Little did they know they would receive a wonderful surprise gift in the form of a cover song via CSN. You’ll have to listen to the whole show to hear that little secret.  What begins as a discussion about one great night of live music quickly veers in a dozen different directions. Barry and I are famous for our long winded conversations about music, politics, culture, and film. This chat covers that magical night at Walnut Creek with Crosby, Stills & Nash, but also hits on the culture of college towns and looking for the magical moment of a live performance. As is always the case when Barry joins me, it is funny, insightful, fluid, and fascinating.  Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 8m

  3. AUG 12

    WAIM #071 - Abigail Hummel's Greatest Night Of Live Music

    Abigail Hummel has become something of a regular fixture here at What Am I Making. Along with her Dad, Barry, Abigail is half of the Pops On Hops podcast, a father daughter exploration of music, beer, and family. The Hummels have become frequent guests here on the show, they’ve even hosted me twice on my house concert tours, and they have become true friends. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. When I asked Abigail to sit down for this chat, I was unsure where she might land with her choice. Being twenty years younger than I am, Abigail of course has different tastes and experiences in the musical realm. While she loves many of the same legacy artists that I adore, R.E.M. most notably, I figured she was likely to select an artist I was not familiar with. One of the true joys of Pops on Hops is the generational gap between father and daughter and the ways in which they continually attempt to bridge that gap.  This week, Abigail shares her story of seeing the singer/songwriter Brett Dennen at a listening room show in Gainesville, Florida all alone. We cover the joy of experiencing a concert by yourself. Abigail also discusses what she looks for in a live musical performance, including the likelihood that a good show will result in tears before the end of the night. And we cover why that is a good thing.  Enjoy this chat about live music, personal exploration, storytelling, emotional reactions, and why regular people should know more musicians.  Cheers,Matty C What was the greatest musical night of your life? Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min

  4. AUG 5

    WAIM #070 - Eddie White And Awendaw Green

    Eddie White is the sort of man who never stops. By day, he is a dentist in the Charleston, SC area. Every Wednesday night is the impresario of the Awendaw Green, a spacious outdoor compound hosting live music every week unless there is a holiday or a hurricane. Eddie describes the Green as “arrogantly shabby”. It’s a perfect descriptor.  Old instruments, broken bicycles, reclaimed lawn decorations and more hang from the trees overhead at Awendaw Green. There is a ramshackle splendor to the large open space under the trees and their massive ornaments. The green is littered with picnic tables, vendor booths, a wood fired pizza oven, a series of dire pits, and a huge stage fitted with yet more shabbily arrogant accoutrement.  What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The Green began as a series of house shows and through Eddie’s ambition and never ending drive has become a weekly series of live music that draws well more than a hundred people each and every Wednesday. Of course, Eddie did not build this alone, nor does he manage it all himself. He has a crew of terrific volunteers that show up week in and week out to make the Green a reality. He also has had some help from a few famous friends in a little outfit you may have heard of called Hootie & The Blowfish.  Ultimately, Awendaw Green is a space built around community. It might be forged on music, but the people are what keep Eddie so hard at work. We talk about the privilege of being able to give someone a transformational experience with a night of music and community. Eddie also shares how his Dad gave him a love for throwing a party and showed him the weird world of Renaissance fairies as a kid.  Even during our conversation Eddie White is on the go. As we chatted, he headed off to Costco to snag more fixings for the pizza kitchen at the Green. You’ll hear a bit of digital dropout at a couple of spots during our interview, but don’t fret, we recover quickly.  Here now is the whirlwind that is Eddie White, the man behind the amazing Awendaw Green. Enjoy. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min

  5. JUL 29

    WAIM #069 - Christian Finnegan

    Back in March, I attended Podjam in Las Vegas and got a chance to see Christian Finnegan live. I’ve long admired Christian as a comic with a terrific wit, a tremendous vocabulary, and a fascinating view on the world. His stand up is hilarious, insightful, and sharp. Getting to see him perform was a highlight of the Vegas trip and confirmed my theory that he is still one of the funniest and smartest comedians working today.  I first became familiar with Christian when he appeared a few times on the Chappelle Show. He was also a featured guest on VH1’s Best Week Ever. In more recent years, Christian has become a regular guest over at the Stand Up with Pete Dominick podcast. His analysis of current events is shockingly deft, hilarious, and always incredibly informed.  What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. While Christian is a terrific political commentator, I wanted to stay closer to home in our conversation. After a bit of time catching up and recounting our time in Vegas, Christian and I jump into his recent experience at a nostalgia-laden music festival. It brought out both his inner child and his inner cynic, and even led him to discover that nostalgia is a lot like cilantro; One loves a single sprig, but doesn’t want to eat a whole bunch of it in one sitting. We cover what makes our wince meter peak, but also admit that we need to not be too cool for shit. Sometimes it’s best to just give in to the moment and enjoy it. Later in the discussion, we chat about the ways in which Christian’s terrific New Music For Olds newsletter has shaped and evolved his listening habits for both better and worse. Christian talks about the unending pool of content that is out there and how one can find a great album in almost any genre, if we’re willing to dig deep enough.  There is some advice that Christian offers on treating the algorithm like a step-parent to keep it on its toes. We learn why all comedians want to be musicians, and why most musicians are afraid to try their hands at comedy. There is even an encounter with Shia Lebouf that involves hiding in a CVS. It’s great stuff from start to finish.  Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 13m

  6. JUL 8

    WAIM #068: Matty C Live From Ames, IA

    As you are almost certainly aware of by now, I just returned home from a month-long US tour that took me to 28 states and covered the eastern half of the US in extensive detail. The journey took me across much of America that I had never seen before as I played my songs in houses, backyards, on patios, decks, and in breweries, historic buildings, and even the grotto of a pie shop. Nearly every night for four weeks, I told stories and sang my songs to engaged and attentive audiences. Each of the 23 shows on this tour were a unique experience. While many of the songs were repeated from night to night, I did my level best to change up the sequencing of the songs and to try and to infuse new material to the sets as often as possible. I focused on my catalog of original songs from the last twenty years. At each gig, I played songs from my time in The Stick Arounds, Harborcoat, and The Pantones. What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. In addition to those songs, I told many of the deep personal stories behind the songs, and even managed to infuse a bit of laughter into the proceedings as well. Knowing audiences at these shows would be familiar with little or more likely, none of my music, I felt that the stories would help to connect the listener to my songs in a more direct way. My hope was that folks would see flashes of their own lives in these stories and songs. The connection with the audience both during the show and before and afterward is always the most rewarding part of these tours. Toward the end of the tour, I found myself at a house concert in Ames, IA. Ames is a small college town in the middle of the state. I’d set the gig up through a friend of a friend and was unsure what to expect. My hosts Tom and Mary Jane were a lovely older progressive couple with a gorgeous home and yard. Eventually, some 40 people piled into the modest ranch house and we had an amazing evening with music by yours truly, as well as local guitarist Jason Monday and Rockets Of Desire, a band comprised in part by Tom and my other two hosts Bryon and Rachel Dudley. And to my friend Kim Nyborg for co-starring in the photo on the show card. I’ll tell the full recap story from the show very soon here on the blog. In the meantime, this week’s podcast is a recording of my full set from Tom and Mary Jane’s in Ames, IA. As I have said, each night is different, and no two shows the same, but this hour ought to give you an idea of what it’s like to spend an evening with Matty C at a house concert. Special thanks to Tom, Mary Jane, Bryon, and Rachel for their hospitality. And special thanks as well to my friend, Kim Nyborg for the selfie featured on the show card! Thanks again for all of the support and grace while I was on the road, my friends. It’s great to be back in the WAIM saddle once more. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 37m

  7. JUN 18

    WAIM #067 - Father's Day Special With Pops On Hops

    This year for Father’s Day, we present a very special episode of WAIM. I am joined this week by my dear friends Abigail and Barry Hummel of the Pops on Hops podcast for a special crossover episode. Barry and Abigail hatched an idea after hearing my episode with my daughter Maddie and her favorite records of 2023. Maddie was kind enough to join us for a lengthy discussion of Shana Cleveland’s Manzanita album. The four of us listened to clips from the record, talked about our favorite songs, shared father-daughter stories, and tried some beer along the way. This one sounds a bit different as I had to put it together form the road while I am on the eastern leg of the Sheddio On The Road Tour. You won’t get to hear the sweet theme music by David Baldwin, and the intro won’t sound quite as dulcet as usual. Still, this episode is a genuine treat for lovers of music and parents and children alike. Really hope you dig this one. It was extra special to put it together with Maddie and the Hummels. Enjoy. Cheers,Matty C Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    2h 14m

  8. JUN 3

    WAIM #066 - The Greatest Show Of My Life w/ Jennifer Toms, Ryan Allen & Kevin Alexander

    For a certain sect of folks, live music is a religion. Most of the best nights of my life involved seeing a show. I have never had the high that I hear runners talk about, or the connection with God that some parishioners feel on Sundays, but I have felt the spirit move through me in a darkened room as music pumped through my veins. There is something truly magical about sharing a room with a bunch of strangers all there for a common purpose. Live shows were where I found most of my very best friends, and it was where I began to find myself a bit as well.  What Am I Making is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This week on the show, we have three different stories of magical nights of live music. It’s a sort of This American Life style show in three acts, as a trio of returning guests offer up the best live music night of their lives.  Jennifer Toms from A Rueful Noise kicks things off with a tale of Sleater Kinney, a thunderstorm, a tornado warning, and dancing alone in a baseball field.  Next up, Kevin Alexander of On Repeat is up to share his story of seeing Jawbreaker in the next state over at the height of his fandom. Two friends, five hours of driving, rest stop coffee, the glory of a road trip, and more.  We finish things up on this special episode with a tale of Ryan Allen of Extra Arms with a harrowing tale of being on tour down under. The story involves a death defying feat, high theater at a rock show, and ponders just how remote the Australian Outback might be. I really hope you dig this. Cheers,Matty C What was your most amazing night of live music? Be sure to let us know what you thought of this special episode. Get full access to What Am I Making at whatamimaking.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 23m
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About

Hey there. I’m Matty C. For the formally inclined folks in the crowd, the official designation is Matt Carlson. I am a 50 year old musician, songwriter, and graphic designer that's spent the Covid era pondering deep and meaningful questions about music, film, literature and art in the 21st century. It seems as though we’re living in age where musicians have to give their music away, content is around every corner and we don’t seem to really value much of any of it the way we used to. What is it really like to make a living pursuing a life in the arts these days? Why are we seeing a lower percentage of artists in the workforce than at anytime in 100 years? Now, I’ve reached a point of massive change in my life and I am preparing to spend more of my time, and hopefully, generating a portion of my income from my creative endeavors. That’s a terrifying endeavor, but it’s also incredibly exciting. I’ll be discussing these ideas and a whole lot more of my own curiosity and creative endeavors on this platform using the written word, videos, podcasts, music and probably some other assets I learn along the way. I’ll be seeking out smart, and fascinating creatives as they build their own lives while fighting an ever-growing series of new challenges and opportunities. All of these journeys and detours are an effort to share my exploration of culture in the modern world, and to help shine a brighter light on the work I have been doing for years as a musician, designer and podcaster. This discussion is at the very center of our civilization, what it means to be human andhow to find a meaningful way to connect through that shared humanity in the form of artistic expression. Art is at the core of the relationship. Let’s explore it with that context, and that incalculable value, in mind. If you enjoy what you hear on the show, please subscribe to my Substack where I also I post this podcast as well as a variety of essays, video and recordings regularly in my search to find out what art really matters to people right here and right now, and they are willing to do to invest in our culture. Thank you so much for being here. It’s wonderful to have your support. https://whatamimaking.substack.com whatamimaking.substack.com

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