The award-winning journalist, author, and TV host has covered music, entertainment, and more for the Times-Picayune, the Advocate, and Offbeat magazine for decades. His book, “Groove Interrupted,” explored the post-Katrina musical landscape, and his “Let’s Talk” weekly TV show features local and national personalities. Keith has conducted hundreds of interviews, but tonight the Troubled Men turn the tables as the hunter becomes the hunted and predator becomes prey. Topics include an election rec...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 294
The Troubled Men convene at Snake and Jake’s in the final hours of campaign season as the polls close and the first vote counts roll in. Joined by Clempire Czar Dave Clements and resident philosopher, bartender, and former Goldman Sachs analyst Juan Parke, they hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and resolve that however it turns out, the struggle will continue. Topics include a dictator shirt, a Dodgers win, Dennis Allen’s firing, Derek Carr, college playoffs, news coverage, voting candy,...
Nov 14, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 293
The poet, lyricist, and longtime Chuck Prophet songwriting partner grew up in Sinatra-era Palm Springs and was miraculously healed of a mystery ailment by a meeting with Elvis. He later spent time as a comedy writer in L.A. alongside legends including Andy Kaufman and Robin Williams. With the release of Chuck’s new “Wake the Dead” cumbia record cowritten with Kurt, he joins the Troubled Men in an attempt to laugh it up as the flames grow higher. Topics include an ATF crackdown, Halloween, handin...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 292
The multi-Grammy-nominated Lafayette singer, accordion player, guitarist, and songwriter hit the international festival circuit as a 13-year-old prodigy, having already spent years recording and playing roadhouse dances alongside cajun and zydeco masters including Lil’ Buck Senegal and Buckwheat Zydeco. He continues to electrify audiences with his Hub City All Stars featuring longtime songwriting partner and piano player Eric Adcock. Tonight he crosses the swamps to charm the Troubled Men. Topic...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 291
The Grammy-winning drummer, Single Lock Records label owner (Jon Cleary, Loose Cattle, Blind Boys of Alabama, Cedric Burnside), and artist manager left Tuscaloosa to put down roots in the fertile loam of legendary Muscle Shoals. A decade on, he has relocated to New Orleans as he launches his one-stop music company, Well Kept Secret. Reed’s got a lot of irons in the fire. Tonight he joins the Troubled Men as they stare into the flames. Topics include the Mermaid Lounge reunion, the election, scho...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 290
The acclaimed violinist, singer, producer, composer, and musical saw master with Jimbo Mathus’ Squirrel Nut Zippers, the Late Greats, and Career Suicide spent years with the Asylum Street Spankers and various circus sideshows and burlesque troupes honing his punk-jazz-vaudeville aesthetic. The product of his musician father’s amateur genetic engineering project, he’s found a natural home in the subterranean excesses of the city. Dr. Sick joins the Troubled Men during the Days of Awe as they beho...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 289
The musician, producer, and author of the new Continental Drifters bio, “White Noise and Lightning” started corresponding with band members Susan Cowsill, Russ Broussard, Peter Holsapple, and Vicki Peterson when he was 13 years old. Leading his own art rock band A Fragile Tomorrow with his fellow triplets, he forged a familial bond with the Drifters, including extended visits with band members, even opening shows for Vicki with the Bangles. With the recent publication of the book and tribute CD,...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 288
The founding bass player, vocalist, and songwriter with hard rock veterans Suplecs (with Durel Yates and Andrew Preen) has also toured internationally as the bassist with heavy music heavyweights EYEHATEGOD. As proprietor of the Portside Lounge, he operated the premier tiki bar and Mardi Gras Indian headquarters in New Orleans. Decades working in the movie biz filled his free time. With this kind of cross-cultural resume, it was only a matter of time before he’d get dragged onto the Troubled Men...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 287
The Latin, soul, and jazz singer with Muévelo, Kumasi Afrobeat, and now Los Tremolo Kings journeyed from her Cuban parents’ D.C. home to New Orleans after a chance karaoke encounter launched her professional career. Guest co-host Jeff Treffinger (Tribe Nunzio, the Geraniums, Strawberry) joins René and Margie in the Feral Zone to trace her path back to the music of her roots. Topics include a musician survey, the mayor’s podcast, a parental warning, the Mermaid Lounge Reunion, a Kingpin show, Mar...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 19
The enigmatic singer and guitarist behind Big Ass Mustache and Strawberry Presents and drummer for Dolly Dillon with Jeri Cain Rossi has always possessed a quiet intensity on stage. Starting out playing on the streets of the French Quarter, he now fronts the reformed STRAWBERRY with Jeff Treffinger of the Geraniums and Tribe Nunzio on guitar. Tonight they join René in the Feral Zone to reminisce about the glory days of the Mermaid Lounge and Pussycat Caverns as they cast a jaundiced gaze on the ...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 18
The renowned dramatic soprano diva has spent decades performing at the highest levels of the opera world. Having studied at voice at NOCCA, she now teaches at Haute Ecole de Musique in Switzerland as a Professor of Voice and at studios around the globe. After a career soaring to the heights of European culture, Jeanne-Michèle returns to her old stomping grounds to join the Troubled Men as they plumb the depths at the Christmas Club Lounge. Topics include the start of school, new vocabulary words...
Aug 29, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 286
The Grammy Award-winning singer, accordion player, and songwriter started his career as a teenager playing dances in his hometown of Crowley, La. Recordings with legendary producer Jay Miller led to a deal with Mercury Records and international acclaim as a powerhouse performer combining Cajun, Zydeco, and Southern rock. Wayne’s music has taken him around the world and back. Tonight he makes it big with the Troubled Men. Topics include bananas, an old girlfriend, a boil water order, a police car...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 285
The NY Times bestselling author’s latest book, “Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose and the Last Glory Days of Baseball,” has been hailed as a masterpiece of sports writing. An award-winning journalist who’s written for the Boston Globe, the Atlantic, and the Washington Post, he covered Manny Chevrolet’s first campaign for mayor of New Orleans in 2002 with an extensive feature in the Times-Picayune. Keith goes way back with the Troubled Nation. Tonight he returns to help the Troubled ...
Aug 08, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 284
The award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and singer began his career as Westbank Mike and the Fischer Project. He also plays with the Iko Allstars and the Desert Nudes. An arts education activist and mental health advocate, Mike has spent years promoting the healing power of music. Maybe he can help the Troubled Men. Topics include cold showers, old talk shows, Dick Cavett, Groucho Marx, Bob Crane, an assassination attempt, red blood, the Big Island Jazz and Blues Festival, Bastille Day, Dr. Rut...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 283
The actor and comedian produced and hosted the Comic Strip burlesque show and was the emcee for the Fleur de Tease Burlesque Revue. Chris is also a film worker with a starring role in Henry Griffin’s free jazz comedy, “Mutiny.” Tonight the Valparaiso Men’s Chorus veteran joins the Troubled Men as they play it by ear. Topics include Essence Fest, the concealed carry law, the presidential debate, a hotdog contest showdown, a Gulf Coast trip, Paul Bongé, the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum, Bob Tannen, presiden...
Jul 18, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 282
The acclaimed portrait artist and illustrator with the NY Yankees, the NY Times, and Madison Square Garden; friend of Dali, Ali, Frazier, and Roberto Duran; and tour photographer with Weather Report and Jaco’s Word of Mouth featured in episode 257 returns for a second round. It’s a free-associative gabfest covering art, sports, music, and a double vasectomy. Tune in to see who makes the cut. Topics include a Musicians Clinic party, Jeff Landry, the Ten Commandments, a Latoya Cantrell lawsuit, an...
Jul 04, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 281
The keyboard and guitar player with Southern rock powerhouse band Drive-By Truckers is also a pop music fanatic, having released a string of candy-coated solo records over his career. His latest collaboration, “Roll Up A Song” with “Space Ghost” writer Pete Smith, is a power pop gem garnering a 4-star review from Mojo magazine. Developing an affinity for the Troubled Men while playing on the latest Loose Cattle project, Jay uses a rare night off after a recent Truckers show to tip into Snake &am...
Jun 27, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 280
The co-founding keyboard player and singer with the New Orleans Suspects spent years playing funk and soul music on the Southeastern club circuit before landing in town. Noticing a vacuum in children’s music training, he established two local branches of the School of Rock, where he passes on lessons learned over a lifetime on the bandstand. Tonight CR joins the Troubled Men for a masterclass in post-gig distractions. Topics include Pride month, shame, Galatoire’s, Michael Dominici, Alice Cooper...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 279
The DBA co-founder ran the Frenchmen St. nightclub and booked talent for over 20 years. Selling the iconic institution last year, he resurrected the beloved Chazfest, promoting 2024’s event at the Broadside along with several other shows through his New Suit Productions. Having worked in clubs his entire life, like the Troubled Men, Tom does some of his best work in the dark. Topics include a Sonny Landreth and the Iguanas tour recap, Sidney Smith’s birthday party, a Wet Willie set, Bosco, a roa...
Jun 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 278
The acclaimed writer and comedian has recently published his debut novel, “The Knights of Wade,” a comic tale set in New Orleans. Having written several successful children’s books, including “Jokes for Crescent City Kids,” his latest work has been favorably compared to “A Confederacy of Dunces” for its quirky local flavor. Tonight Mike encourages the Troubled Men to forego the knavery, and get on with some proper behavior. Results vary. Topics include a Jazz Fest recap, the Rolling Stones, Neil...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 277
The award-winning photographer and freelance journalist’s focus on New Orleans culture dates to her work for the legendary Michael P. Smith. While working as Gambit Weekly staff photographer, she’s chronicled the city’s contrasts and contradictions, producing images both comic and tragic, sacred and profane. Her new book, “The Danse Macabre: Celebration and Survival in New Orleans,” is a vibrant expression of this eternal ethos. Tonight Cheryl joins the Troubled Men to laugh it up as twilight de...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 276
Musician and electrical/HVAC contractor Sage Maas and Narcissy guitarist/mastermind and registered nurse Jay Holland have been running partners going back to the heyday of the Mermaid Lounge. Sage survived a chaotic childhood to become a heroic and generous instigator. Jay is a guitar hero who plumbs the depths on stage and off, performing feats of derring-do that leave audiences stunned. Tonight, on the cusp of Chazfest, they double-team the Troubled Men for an over-the-top-rope Battle Royale. ...
Apr 25, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 275
The master drummer with credits including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, and Alison Krauss has completed his documentary film project,”Street Beat: Drumming Below Sea Level,” that examines New Orleans drummers and the second line tradition. Interviewing elders, such as Zigaboo Modeliste, Johnny Vidacovich, Carlo Nuccio, and Raymond Weber, and younger players, including Jason Marsalis and Stanton Moore, the film traces the roots of the form as well as its modern applications. Doug appeare...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 274
Brad Orgeron/Jack Orion is a 1st generation glam and punk rock singer and guitarist from the Contenders/Backstabbers and Aces 88 who started a band after seeing the New York Dolls, and was a witness to the local scene from its earliest days. Damien Youth is a reclusive, prolific psych/folk rock singer and guitarist who’s recorded over 50 albums of original music. Together they are the Belladonna Lovers. Tonight they join the Troubled Men for some Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf-style repartée. To...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 273
She’s a muralist and painter with work at the Audubon Aquarium and the Orleans Casino, as well as a burlesque performer and producer with the legendary Shim Shamettes, and leader of her own band, the Souvenaires. Max is a sensitive artist, who hopefully remains unsullied by her time at the Christmas Club with the Troubled Men. Topics include Friday Night Fights, a Pat Cronin memorial, an Ed Volker gig, a comedy show, a time change, the State of the Union, the Dixie Cups, Provigil psychosis, poli...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 272
The veteran drummer, pianist, and composer started his career playing Tyler’s Beer Garden with the James Rivers Movement. He spent years in NYC slinging bonds on Wall Street by day and making the downtown jazz scene by night. In spite of his family’s nearly 200-year history in New Orleans, Charlie had never been inside Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge. Guess he was just waiting for an invitation from the Troubled Men. Topics include Hall and Oates, Richard Lewis RIP, Don Rickles sitcoms, J...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 271
The former Times-Picayune and Gambit writer has spent her career covering arts and culture in New Orleans and beyond. As the Ponderosa Stomp Program Director, she helped showcase legendary figures of rock’n’roll for contemporary audiences. Currently writing the definitive book on beloved “Vic 'n Nat’ly” cartoonist and artist Bunny Matthews, along with TMP guest and co-author Michael Tisserand, Alison journeys south of Canal St. to hash it all out with the Troubled Men. Topics include John Papa G...
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 270
The architect, screenwriter, and college professor has always followed his instincts. Whether designing high-rise hotels, writing a film with Dwight Yoakam, or producing the decorated series “Architecture School” about post-Katrina residential rebuilding, he brings an enthusiasm that is infectious. Tonight Stan joins the Troubled Men. Let’s see who infects whom. Topics include a party recap, the Mackel twins, a switcheroo, a tax assessment win, “The Savage Bees,” a sauna infraction, the “We Are ...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 269
The stars align on the triple witching day of Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and Snake and Jake’s 30th Birthday celebration as the Troubled Men assemble among the penitents and partygoers. Luminaries drop in for cameos, and bar owner Dave Clements offers insights on the origins of the Christmas Club Lounge and the future of the Clempire. Topics include Mardi Gras Day, bicycle accidents, bad posture, trenchcoats, a Lundi Gras brunch, a parade injury, Jose Torres Tama, Michael Deas, dolls and Dal...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 268
The guitar player, songwriter, record producer, and cofounder of Lafayette swamp pop supergroup Lil’ Band O' Gold has spent the last years recording and touring with the legendary singer and “Sweet Dreams” composer Tommy McLain. Their album “I Ran Down Every Dream,” cowritten with Elvis Costello, has led them to national TV appearances and prestigious concert halls around the world. With his role in the new “Road House” movie remake coming out, CC drags in his hilarious bass player and master lu...
Feb 15, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 267
