It’s pretty much the Emerald City for Hip Hop that happens every summer all over the country: Rock The Bells! The coming together of hip-hops most talented and celebrated artists putting on a day’s long show of music for their fans. Having had the chance to speak with Chang Weisberg, the creator of Rock The Bells and Guerilla Union, we spoke about Hip Hop, bringing the music to the people, and all that goes on behind the scenes.
For Megan McCormick, convention doesn’t quite cut it. This 23 year-old rock and blues artist was eager to start life at a pretty young age—at shiny 16 she left home in Alaska for a college in Tennessee. Now, only a few years later she is touring the country with a new album out, Honest Words, and an Amos Lee opening (among other things) under her belt. Her talents range through many sounds and instruments—blues, country, and rock styles find company in her arsenal of voice, guitar, lap steel, mandolin, bass, and a little banjo. EM was fortunate enough to sit down with this Nashville resident during a visit to New York at Plaza Diner. The harsh, shiny authenticity of the diner with Dixie Chicks blaring in the background was a perfect setting matched only by our twin orders of buttery waffles and turkey protein (hers sausage, mine bacon). After discussing a mutual distaste for eggs and the merit of breakfast in general, she began talking about the intersection of music and food in her life—family.
“I don’t do 60%”, Jeff Coffin said recently over a plate of freshly grilled octopus. EM was lucky to sit down with the saxophone virtuoso at NYC’s Marea to discuss everything from life growing up on a farm, coffee roasting skills and his musical past, present and future. read more…
There is something to be said about branching out. KFC went healthy for like, two days, and then realized that fat people like fat foods, thus the Double Down was born. The colonel was on to something, even if it did mean killing twice as many chickens. Branching out in a less lethal manner is Andy Farag, percussionist from Umphrey’s McGee. During a brief down period, Andy had a minute to spare to talk about about music, food, and his new contribution to your tongue, Andy’s Rippin Rub, a dry rub of his own creation. read more…
Cho-Liang Lin is a man well-versed in the finer things life has to offer like music, wine, and Texas. As a world-renowned, Texas based violinist, he has had the opportunity to travel the world and experience regions intimately dedicated to the pleasures of exquisite music and vino. Born in Taiwan, the violinist is revered for the eloquence of his playing and for the superb musicianship that marks his performances. Playing in the role of a journalist, he puts his travel experiences to use in his wine column for a Taiwanese magazine. For Lin, the arts of music and wine are intricately laced into a vision of beauty. One afternoon Lin chatted with EM about his musical journey and the cuisine and wine he’s experienced along the way. read more…
It’s hard to find good gumbo in the city, and it’s harder still to get a Louisiana native to acknowledge that such a thing even exists. Lucky for enough for EM, Kevin Harris of Dirty Dozen Brass Band was on hand to give the lowdown on local New Orleans fare, tales from the road, and even some tips on his own version of the bayou favorite.
A few weeks back, Jiro, Wil-Dog, and Raul from Ozomatli sat down with EM for a great meal at NYC’s Delicatessen in Soho. Over brunch, the guys shared their favorite culinary experiences as cultural ambassadors and also their impressions from countless cities around the globe. read more…
Most nights you’ll find a line down the street waiting to get into The Meatball Shop, except if your eating with two uber hip indie bands and everyone thinks your famous or something. The guys of White Belt Yellow Tag and the lady and gents of Sparrow and the Workshop sat down with EM and talked balls and meat..and shops or something.
What do you call a supremely talented, cool-as-cat, multi-instrumentally masterful musician whose favorite songs are from 1965 but was born in 1995? Apparently Mojo, or “Mojo” Myles Mancuso to be more precise. This 14 year-old guitar wunderkind and crepe chef to boot, is the soul of an old-time, whiskey-swiggin’ delta blues-man trapped inside a high school kid’s body. At just 14 years of age, however, Myles’ tasty chops are just beginning to simmer. I sat down with Myles and his family band before they got cookin’ on stage. read more…
If you ever wondered how food or drinks could serve as inspiration to write new songs, look no further than Maps and Atlases singer/guitarist Dave Davison. Dave has a daily morning ritual of going on a long walk to get some black coffee, and finds that on these walks he gets ideas for new song material. “That’s actually where a huge portion of writing songs takes places, is during walks like that.” read more…
Andrew WK is quite the multitasker. While he is in the midst of one of his biggest summer tours in years, he still is making time for recording, filming TV spots, and of course, partying hard. Be sure to read on to read about his love for fast food, favorite restaurants in NYC, and some interesting stories from the road.
They Might Be Giants have been rockin’ out since 82′, changing styles, members, and locations throughout their career. They won a Grammy in 2002, recently came out with a childrens album, and officially don’t suck. Seriously, not many people can make the cross from rock to Raffi and still come off as bad ass. EM chatted it up with front man John Linnel to talk about munchin’ on the road and the finer points of eating octopus. read more…
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey pianist Brian Haas has some pretty strong opinions about food and what people put in their bodies. As a result, most of the JFJO fans are aware of the band’s thoughts on food and have embraced a healthier, more natural diet in their own lives. read more…
EM got the chance to speak with Duff Goldman of The Food Network’s Ace of Cakes to talk baking, George Lucas, and prog-rock. Season 9 is currently shooting, and the show is in its 4th year. read more…
Jim Lewi isn’t your average event producer. Not every tech guy can lay claim to throwing one of the most awesome festivals of the year and still manage to refer to himself as a roadie. Who is this humble man? He’s the brains behind Great American Food and Music Fest, coming to New Meadowlands Stadium this Sunday. read more…
Reed Mathis claims to not have much to say about food, but that didn’t stop him from sitting down with EM and revealing some foodie secrets.
After weeks of peeking into Brooklyn’s new Southern spot, Seersucker, your friends at Epicurean Musician sat down to a fabulous meal with neighborhood musician, Ryan Miller, from Guster, and his wife Angela. While the owner, Kerry Diamond, had just arrived to some opening week curveballs, this meal had us swinging for more buiscuits and and pigs feet! read more…
Put on a blind fold, pick any of the tracks off of Jesse Dee’s album and figure it out. He’s not Al Green, or James Brown. In fact, he kind of looks like he could be your big brother… if your brother sounds like some of the old greats and happens to be into cajun and all that encompasses southern cookin’.
You know Mark Trojanowski of Sister Hazel has no problem keeping a beat on his drums, but did you know that he’s also a grill master? “My newest side project is barbecue. I got a slow cooker not too long ago, and I’ve been into slow-cooking Boston butts for like 13, 14 hours.” This Atlanta resident knows that if you’re gonna survive in the south, you’d better know how to make good barbecue. Lucky for his fans, he also knows good music. read more…
Keller Williams can do a lot of things really well, like running around stage playing an assortment of instruments while not wearing any shoes. One thing he doesn’t do so well…eat properly. For K Dubs’ love for fast food, pre-show rituals and a few recipes, read on! read more…
Today’s interview features Matt Butler, who doubles as drummer for the Hot Buttered Rum String Band and the conductor/brainchild behind the Everyone Orchestra. EO features a rotating lineup of musicians, creating completely improvised performances at every show. Similar to this concept of expecting the unexpected, Matt is creative with his food and relies on fresh, homegrown products. Did we mention he has chickens in his backyard? read more…
What do these two names have in common other then both being of Dutch descent? Diederick Van Eck, former financier with Lehman Brothers had a change of heart regarding his career about 7 years ago, and found himself shortly thereafter departing the company on an adventure unraveling Van Goghs’ life, through music!
Recently we chatted with Brooklyn based keyboardist fantastico, Marco Benevento about all things food! He shared his many kitchen creations, favorite restaurants, and his family’s culinary history. read more…
STV SLV (Steve Reidell) and ABX (Aaron Brink) make up the mashup producing DJ’s of The Hood Internet, known for combining anyone from Michael Jackson and Ratatat to Passion Pit and Juvenile; Back that Sleepyhead up, anyone?
EM recently chatted with Jake Cinninger from Chicago’s own Umphrey’s Mcgee. The band has been writing songs about food for years and also create quick food lists when they hit a new city on tour. Read on for some interesting band facts, favorite Chi-town spots, and a few examples of how UM talks food in their songs. read more…
We recently talked with Steel Train bassist Evan Winiker, who coincidentally called us from the cafeteria at the MGM Foxwoods casino. Between bites of carrot cake and ordering a cheeseburger, Evan shared his favorite restaurants, some quick recipes and his sugar cereal obsession. read more…
We chatted recently with the bassist from Assembly of Dust, John Leccese. The band has been touring nonstop since their newest release last year. Be sure to read on for food-related nicknames, favorite desserts, and the scientific coffee measurements of their guitarist. read more…
K-OS talked with us during a break from soundcheck at a show he was doing with Drake at Oakland University in Detroit, MI. He spoke with EM on his Trinidadian upbringing both in Toronto and down in the homeland, his vegetarianism and his favorite eats on the road.
We chatted recently with Brian, the drummer from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Along with being an expert on Indian cuisine, we discussed hallucinating from spicy foods, honey obsessions and pizza preference. read more…
Mandolin virtuoso, Sam Bush, offers many insights into living a culinary life as a touring musician. Sam shares stories of his life growing up on a farm, hilarious band stories, and his baseball feud with another famous mandolin player, Jeff Austin. read more…
At the tail end of promoting his new album The Colossus , we were able to speak with RJD2 on everything from the best espresso across America, to cooking with the best ingredients money can buy (or at least found at Whole Foods)
This year’s Wanee Music Festival was a cheerful and pleasant weekend featuring many of our favorite bands and food vendors we’ve seen over the years. Read on for interviews, photos, and an in depth festival review. read more…
Join us for a trip across the globe to Melbourne, Australia, where you’ll find Kellie Sutherland, member of the band Architecture in Helsinki. Kellie is an enthusiastic musician and her years on the road have shaped her into a true gastronome. read more…
Just kidding…Today we chatted with Ralph Johnson, one of the original three members of the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. The world is lucky he chose music, otherwise who knows, Johnson may have ended up a NAVY Seal, a professional chef, or have found a way to combine the two!
Cary Brothers, on the heels of a new release, recently spent some time with EM discussing southern fried goodness, owning a plot of land, and finding divinity in all that is green! read more…
Sir Ernest Shackleton was a famous explorer who lead a group, albeit unsuccessfully, to hike across Antarctica in 1907. What is remarkable about this venture was not the mission itself, but the 100 percent survival rate amongst the group. Jamie Masefield, founder and mandolin player of the Jazz Mandolin Project, has celebrated Shackelton’s venture for the past 8 years with a group of friends. Using the foods grown in his garden and local Burlington, VT farmers, Jamie leads his fellow adventurers in an exploration of food. read more…
The interview with the phenomenal Grace Potter has left us hankering for some maple syrup, very sharp cheddar cheese, and a long needed to return to the Green Mountain state. Grace’s love of food, abundant Vermont pride and lifelong connection with the land is truly inspiring. read more…
Chiddy Bang and Xaphoon Jones spent the afternoon with Epicurean Musician at the Lower East Side Skate Park in Manhattan and chatted over lunch at Wo Hop. With Xaphoon’s beats and Chiddy’s flow, you’ll be hearing a lot from these boys in the coming months. read more…
George Clinton, the founding member of Parliament Funkadelic, has been touring for over 40 years. Parliament originated as a Doo-wop group that started out of his barber shop in Plainfield, New Jersey. George had to make a mad dash for an elevator, but we got a few food factoids from this funk father. read more…
Today’s interview is with Stephen Kellogg, who with his band the Sixers recently performed their 1,000th show in Manhattan’s Irving Plaza. Stephen is a functional eater on the road and shares his view on the connection between cooking and performing. read more…
After four decades of soul singing, Ms. Bettye Lavette, who has sang with some of the world’s greatest artists, is “coming up out of the crypt” and debuting her new album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook. This album is an R&B twist on some of the most celebrated work from our friends on the other side of the pond. read more…
Today’s interview with Ryan Miller from Guster has led us to believe that a) living in Brooklyn is still awesome and b) most touring musicians have clogged arteries. Between recording the band’s upcoming album and assorted tours, Ryan has evolved into a great cook. read more…
Today’s interview with Citizen Cope was great! To make life easier on the road, he has a chef that caters for him and the entire crew. Be sure to read on for Cope’s favorite restaurants, bourbon of choice and his worst meal ever. read more…
We here at EM are very excited to have the opportunity to sit down and talk food with Col. Bruce Hampton (Ret.). Col. Bruce has been making music since the late 60′s and he is still going strong and, as he put it, he likes to eat. And moderation, ha! whats moderation?! read more…
Chuck Leavell is a very busy man. While his musical resume is a mile long, he is best known as being the keyboardist for the Rolling Stones for the past 30 years. Aside from his musical talents, Chuck has recently founded an environmental resource website called the Mother Nature Network. read more…
Today’s interview is with the fabulous mandolin playin, bluegrass singin Jeff Austin from Yonder Mountain String Band. During the interview, Jeff nailed why we do what we do at Epicurean Musician. Anyway, to say that Jeff is into food would be one of the biggest understatements ever. read more…
Today’s interview features the founder and lead guitarist of everyone’s favorite all-girl Zeppelin tribute band, Lez Zeppelin. Steph Paynes, a self described hater of food, also shares Jimmy Page’s classic sentiment about eating on the road, which is the title of this post. read more…
Today’s interview features DJ Le Spam, aka Andrew Yeomanson, from the Spam Allstars. After this conversation, I’m ready to hop on a plane and spend a few days exploring Miami, beginning with a huge plate of rice and beans. read more…
Today’s interview is with Joe Kwon, the cellist for the Avett Brothers. Their first major label release, I and Love and You, produced by Rick Rubin, has received critical acclaim and is worth many-a-listen. read more…
We are excited to post our premiere Epicurean Musician interview featuring Karl Denson.
Karl Denson, the saxophone virtuoso, spoke with us today about his favorite restaurants and offered some excellent cooking tips. read more…