KCB Boiler Room Podcast

Manny Makkas Discusses The Family Business

We’ve been lucky to work with Manny Makkas of Makkas Workroom on numerous projects. He’s a supporter of and familiar face at our Boiler Room events, as well. We were excited to have Manny in to hear more of his origin story and got a full-on odyssey. His story is THE Greek American immigration story. Incredible lows, highs, love, music, and a very strong family and community that explains so much of his success. Manny is an incredible storyteller who’s not afraid to get intimate. And after this episode, you won’t be able to listen to Pearl Jam the same way again.

Steve Payne Discusses Boston’s Historical Carpentry Scene

Last year we were lucky to have Steve Payne of Payne|Buchier Builders on a panel discussion titled “Preservation Vs. Performance,” and we wanted to bring him back to the Boiler Room to revisit two moments—which we played recordings of on the boombox.  We also wanted to hear his origin story–which is amazing! In his youth, Steve hitchhiked across the country doing all sorts of jobs in pursuit of actualizing the knowledge he learned from both his father and his Hampshire College geology professor. This fellow woodworker and mountain climber proved to be a major influence on Steve. Steve’s life is also reflective of deep, life-long friendships and profound love, with an acerbic, hair-trigger wit that always brings a laugh or elevates a story. We were blown away with how much of Steve’s story IS the history of Boston’s lumber and woodworking scene. With a start at Downes Lumber, the first company to deliver with a horseless carriage, and continuing at Dixon Brothers, Steve eventually opened up Payne|Bouchier. Kevin also knew and worked with many of this generation who have long passed, so it was a welcomed and heartfelt trip down memory lane. Musically, Steve’s a blues man and has been lucky to see many of these greats live, including in Boston’s historic jazz clubs which have come and gone. Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny Copeland, and Delta were some of the legends he mentioned, along with the time he saw B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley live on the Common.

Jenna Talbott Discusses Panels and Going Viral

Editor in Chief of New England Home magazine, Jenna Talbott, stopped by the Boiler Room for a conversation and to sign our copies of It’s Lonely in the Modern World: The Essential Guide to Form, Function and Ennui, a book she co-authored with writer Molly Jane Quinn. Published in 2011, their book expanded on their now infamous Tumblr, Unhappy Hipsters, that struck such a nerve that within hours of the first post The New York Times took notice and made it viral. Quickly, they had a book deal on their hands. And this all started with them making up their own “imagined and irreverent” captions to the gorgeous photos in Dwell magazine. We wanted to know more about this amazing story but to also hear what Jenna had to say about Boston’s design scene and then some. Her Mixtape Story quickly morphed into a story of Boston’s music scene from the 80s to the aughts, with Kevin giving special mention to his times on stage playing at The Rat and after hours at The House of Borax and that one time he rode his scooter over the Tobin Bridge.

Greg Premru Discusses Film and Digital Photography

Over the years photographer Greg Premru has shot many of our finished projects. Having him in the Boiler Room for a conversation allowed us to get to know not just Greg’s origin story as a photographer but the story of architectural photoshoots during the time of film, where it could easily take over thirty minutes of prep work to line up one shot. Being a quick adapter to digital cameras, Greg not only had to work hard to convince clients about the new medium but to also find financing for the nearly $60,000 cost of the equipment.  Darkrooms and AI came up, along with an unexpected musical element: both Kevin and Greg had something to say about music to listen to while in a darkroom; Kevin grew up with a dark room, spending hours with his dad and brother developing photos. Greg’s solution to the uninspired playlists generated by algorithms—independent radio stations.  Greg’s Mixtape Story was all over the place, starting with Simon and Garfunkel to playing in a Cars tribute band. He told us of random Silly Wizard tapes turning up in his car, a Chrysler LaBarron station wagon with simulated wood paneling that had the words “Tuna Boat” detailed on the back. WUMB, a local station out of MIT, KRCL out of Salt Lake, KEXP out of Seattle, and WMUY out of the Vineyard came up, with Kevin chiming in about the great morning and noon lineup on Santa Monica’s KCRW. Live music venues in Somerville also played a central role in Greg’s love for anything “live, raw, and unprocessed.”

Trevor Fulmer Discusses Advertising, Lighting and Interior Design

We’ve known Trevor Fulmer before he launched his rug line, but we got to know him better at his launch event in 2024. It felt like a family reunion, meeting his parents and entourage of relatives who were all so proud of him.  Two years later, we finally were able to get Trevor into the Boiler Room to ask him about his origins in interior design and his boombox story—it’s an amazing one that  involves both Debbie Gibson and something much bigger than something you can fit on your shoulder: a white Toyota Previa. With over a decade in advertising at some of the most prestigious firms on the East Coast, including stints as creative director, it made sense to us that Trevor’s line of luxury rugs—the Foundations Collection—are so well thought out. The backstory to some of his designs might bring a tear to your eye, in both humorous and heartfelt ways; they’re that...authentic, reflecting back to us the formative moments in his life. They’re also made with all natural materials and purchased directly from the weavers, as per the business model of Landry & Arcari, his partner in this endeavor.  We were also able to hear so much more about Trevor’s career in experiential advertising and his transition to interior design. Plus, a totally unexpected sidebar on one of the greatest films ever made, Jaws.