Joe Cowels - The Playing Part's Free

Joe Cowels - The Playing Part's Free

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/fan_mail/new] Joe Cowels has played over a hundred shows a year for two decades, from dive bars to studio sessions, and he's got the stories to prove it. Including the one where a venue owner sat him down at a desk with a notebook and a pistol to talk about a three minute overage fee. In this episode, Joe and Cliff talk about what actually pays the bills as a gigging musician: how to find venues that respect your time, why a simple email is better protection than a contract, how AI jingle software has changed the session work landscape, and why Joe tells every kid who wants his life to go be a dentist instead (then explains exactly why he means it). This episode also kicks off a giveaway. Joe hand built a Plum Crazy Purple Strat style guitar, and he's giving it to one MoneyGigs listener. Download the app, use code INV-JCWLS, and you're entered. Full rules at themoneygigs.com/giveaway [https://themoneygigs.com/giveaway]. Find Joe at https://joecowelsmusic.com/ [https://joecowelsmusic.com/]. 00:00 - Intro & Sponsor  01:13 - Meet Joe Cowels  05:34 - "Go Be a Dentist" – Why Music Is a Business  11:41 - Speed Is a Question of Money  12:40 - Vegas: Life Inside the Blue Tape Box 21:38 - The Playing Part's Free 25:54 - The Pistol on the Desk 37:07 - The Kroger Math  45:09 - AI and the $1,200 Jingle Problem  47:17 - Always Be the Worst Musician in the Room Know your worth. Download MoneyGigs free on iOS and Android.  Sign up for the public venue database and arrive more prepared for gigs and help other musicians do the same.  Just $2/month. #GiggingMusician #MusicBusiness #LiveMusic #BluesRock #SessionMusician #MusicianLife #IndependentMusician #MusicPodcast #GuitarGiveaway #KnowYourWorth Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] Support the show by visiting our sponsor (and get a deal!): TryFloral THC Beverages [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Copyright (c) 2026 MoneyGigs, LLC

Heart Attacks, Mosh Pits & the Gig Life - with JR Stoffel of BYNHOPOD.COM

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/fan_mail/new] JR Stoffel has been at Crutchfield since June 3rd, 1996 — 30 years of training people to talk about audio gear — and he still comes home at 2 AM most nights. He's a drummer, a musical theater performer, a disc golfer, a Toastmasters president, and the co-host of Bands You've Never Heard Of, a podcast dedicated to finding artists before the world does. Oh, and he survived a heart attack he didn't know he was having — in a Dropkick Murphys mosh pit — then played a gig two days before triple bypass surgery. He was back on stage two months later. This one's a genuine peer conversation. We talked about the invisible workload of being in a loud rock band that plays quiet venues, why JR trusts Gary to book everything, and what that feedback loop actually looks like, how a rising tide floats all the boats when your podcast guests promote their own episodes, and what it means to treat every unsigned band like the rock star they're going to be. We also got into self-promotion squeamishness, the identity bridge between musician and businessperson, whether listeners actually want authenticity or just say they do, and why the cliche podcast questions are the ones that kill the vibe. JR is real. This episode is real. If you're doing it all at once and wondering how long you can sustain it, this one's for you. Find JR: Bands You've Never Heard Of [https://bynho.com] | wherever you listen to podcasts MoneyGigs App: themoneygigs.com [https://themoneygigs.com] — track your gigs, know your worth Guitar Giveaway: themoneygigs.com/giveaway 0:00 Intro & sponsor — Tryfloral.com/themoneygigs 0:58 Meet JR — Father's Day, Come From Away, and 30 years at Crutchfield 3:45 The musician-adjacent day job 4:12 How a djembe at a winery became a loud rock band 6:44 When venues say they can handle the volume (they can't) 7:34 Playing background music vs. being the center of attention 11:54 Trusting Gary to book everything 13:42 Time — the invisible workload of doing it all 15:34 How JR keeps going (and doesn't slow down) 16:18 The heart attack in the mosh pit 17:26 Triple bypass, two days before a gig 19:54 Alcohol, family patterns, and the music industry 21:40 Two podcasters compare notes — what actually moves the needle 23:02 How to ask questions nobody else asks 26:13 Getting guests to promote their own episode 32:18 Why Cliff never prodded his guests (until now) 36:16 The identity bridge between musician and businessperson 39:37 Shameless self-promotion vs. having someone else tell your story 44:26 AI, authenticity, polish — do listeners want what they say they want? 47:09 How JR actually uses AI in his workflow 49:46 DaVinci Resolve, Ableton, Descript — the tools that matter 53:08 Content quality vs. production quality 53:52 Has a guest ever asked to pull an episode? 55:15 The dumbest logistics nightmare — bull rides 57:02 Sign-off, giveaway, and the MoneyGigs app Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] Support the show by visiting our sponsor (and get a deal!): TryFloral THC Beverages [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Copyright (c) 2026 MoneyGigs, LLC

Phil Carillo - Me No Play, Me No Roof

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/fan_mail/new] Phil Carillo [https://steelparade.wordpress.com/] has spent 45 years gigging in Southern California on steel pan and vocals [https://www.youtube.com/user/steelparade] — and he's the rare working musician who figured out the business and won't apologize for it. We get into why he charges $3,500 for a two-hour wedding, how he runs a band nobody burns out of, the time he got banned from the Orange County Fair for making too many people dance, his surprisingly balanced take on AI, and the "Free Expression Sessions" [https://www.tiktok.com/@philj.carillo] that taught him quality is the enemy of a finished idea.  If you've ever wondered what your time is actually worth on a gig, this one's for you. In this episode: - Why "no playing equals no eating" — and how to price like it - Running a band: pay for everything, but never be late once - Banned from the OC Fair for making too many people dance - A 45-year veteran's honest take on AI in music - "Quality is your enemy": creating without fear  Guest: Phil Carrillo — Steel Parade steelparade.com [https://steelparade.wordpress.com/] TikTok @philj.carillo  00:00 Meet Phil: 45 years gigging, steel pan & Long Beach roots 09:21 $3,500 a gig & the worth of your time 14:47 "What is this burnout?" + how he runs a band 21:36 Banned from the Orange County Fair 27:25 Phil on AI & the future of live music 33:01 Free Expression Sessions: "Quality is your enemy" MoneyGigs helps gigging musicians track their pay, see their real hourly rate, and tap a crowdsourced venue database. Free download:  iOS [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moneygigs-know-your-worth/id6752310856]            Android [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themoneygigs.moneygigs] Use code INV-PHILC for access to the venue database for $2/mo. Did you like the show?  Well then.. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support ] Join the Facebook community [https://www.facebook.com/moneygigs ] Follow MoneyGigs:  * TikTok @themoneygigs [https://www.tiktok.com/@themoneygigs] * YouTube @MoneyGigs2026 [https://www.youtube.com/@MoneyGigs2026] * Instagram themoneygigs [https://www.instagram.com/themoneygigs/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] Support the show by visiting our sponsor (and get a deal!): TryFloral THC Beverages [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Copyright (c) 2026 MoneyGigs, LLC

Dan Karlsberg — The Playing Was Never the Problem

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/fan_mail/new] Dan Karlsberg has been playing Cincinnati for a long time — CCM (University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music) grad, seven albums, and teaches piano to students from age four to ninety-one. He just released a solo record called Rooms Without Walls, built in late-night sessions, mostly not knowing where it was going. By the second session, he did. DAN'S NEW ALBUM >>>> https://dankarlsberg.bandcamp.com/album/rooms-without-walls [https://dankarlsberg.bandcamp.com/album/rooms-without-walls] Episode Crossword [https://crosswordlabs.com/view/dan-karlsberg] We talk about what it actually feels like to gig — the driving, the parking, the day-of call you weren't ready for, and the internal voice that tells you mid-performance that you can't do this. We talk about why his gig floor has gone from a hundred dollars to now three or four hundred, why he shifted his income to teaching, and the anxiety he carried for twenty years before he had a name for it. 1:25 Who is Dan Karlsberg — the baseball card  4:26 Life outside music — exploring, obsessing, Nadia Boulanger & Elvis  7:04 Rooms Without Walls — making a solo piano record  17:32 The gigging landscape — when the playing isn't the hard part  19:04 Gigging rates flat since 1980 — the economics of working musicians  22:01 My biggest challenge is myself  26:03 Panic attacks, therapy, and finally understanding himself  27:32 Teaching ages 4 to 91 — playing without hurting yourself  🎸 Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] 📲 Download MoneyGigs — the app built for gigging musicians: * iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moneygigs-know-your-worth/id6752310856 [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moneygigs-know-your-worth/id6752310856] * Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themoneygigs.moneygigs [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themoneygigs.moneygigs] * Use invite code INV-DANKARL for access to the community venue database at $2/mo.  Cancel any time directly from the app. 🌿 This episode is sponsored by Tryfloral: https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] Support the show by visiting our sponsor (and get a deal!): TryFloral THC Beverages [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Copyright (c) 2026 MoneyGigs, LLC

Jim Pelz — Starting Over at 35: Reinvention, Resilience, and the Real Business of Gigging

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/fan_mail/new] Jim Pelz started as a jazz trombonist in Boston, moved to Cincinnati, and then a rare neurological condition robbed him of his embouchure. Instead of quitting, he picked up the guitar and basically started over at 35. Today he plays the gigs he wants, says no to the ones he doesn't, and made more money from music this past year than ever — with a full-time warehouse day job and zero regrets. We talk about focal dystonia, imposter syndrome, the moment COVID changed everything, why doing less keeps it fun, and what it really means to know your worth as a working musician. Jim's Upcoming Performance Schedule in Cincinnati: 5/2 Crow’s Nest 8 pm 6/6 the Esplanade 5 pm 6/23 Kroger Oakley 5 pm 6/24 Taste of Belgium 6 pm 6/25 Taste of Belgium 6 pm 6/26 w/Tyler Christopher, Fitton Center If anything Jim described sounds familiar, the Dystonia Foundation at dystonia-foundation.org [https://dystonia-foundation.org/] is a starting point. 🎸 Support the show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] 📲 Download MoneyGigs — the app built for gigging musicians: * iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moneygigs-know-your-worth/id6752310856 [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moneygigs-know-your-worth/id6752310856] * Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themoneygigs.moneygigs [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.themoneygigs.moneygigs] * Use invite code INV-JIMPELZ for access to the community venue database at $2/mo.  Cancel any time directly from the app. 🌿 This episode is sponsored by Tryfloral: https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2509891/support] Support the show by visiting our sponsor (and get a deal!): TryFloral THC Beverages [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs [https://tryfloral.com/themoneygigs] Copyright (c) 2026 MoneyGigs, LLC