Paul Keen

02/11/25 • 89 min

Dan took a trip out to Wayne, PA to sit down with rock n' roll lifer Paul Keen (Pawnshop Roses, Dead Flowers, Wolf & Vixen). Paul talks about growing up loving the classic rock of his parents, especially The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Faces, and The Who, and finding a home in the Manayunk music scene at The Grape Room and Dawson Street Pub. Dan and Paul discuss the finer points of being two aging music guys who are trying hard not to be cranky nostalgists, the merits of dive bars and clubs, and how a life of playing out at bars has to be handled just right so as not to make your life a never-ending party. Paul's newest project is a duo with his partner, author C.C. Lane, Wolf & Vixen. they have a new single out now called "Everyone's On Drugs", available wherever you get your digital music. Dan's note: This is the last episode I'll be producing while residing in Philadelphia for a while. Next you hear from me, I'll likely be balancing a Zoom H6 on my lap while holding a mic in a small apartment in the North Point neighborhood of Hong Kong. There are a handful of interviews I conducted while still in Philadelphia, and I'll be putting those out over the next weeks. Philadelphia will always be part of me, and I'll be back to visit, and eventually to live again. I'll miss each and every one of you. Be well.

Previous Episode

Maria Mirenzi

We're back from January break, and in the home stretch before Dan heads off to Hong Kong. We're getting the year started off right with a great conversation with singer-songwriter Maria Mirenzi. Maria talks to Dan right at her dining room table about growing up in Mountain Top, PA, playing saxophone, being a "jazz kid", Temple music school, living in France, her first project Brother Martin, growing into being a solo artist, and playing more guitar. Dan and Maria also get very sidetracked (Dan's fault) talking about the perceived spirt life of inanimate objects, and how songwriting is the closest thing to magic that they can explain rationally. Maria's newest single, "Suburban Nightmare", is available wherever you get digital music. She's playing at Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City on February 22nd with Teen Idle, Nylon Ghost and Those Looks.

Next Episode

Bruce Warren

It's been a long time coming, but Dan finally sits down with Bruce Warren, recently retired program director from WXPN, Philadelphia's non-commercial radio station. Bruce talks about growing up in Northeast Philly, getting turned on by Philly soul, Motown, The Beatles, etc, starting a music zine to get into shows for free, and taking a random late night DJ shift at a burgeoning college radio station would change his entire life. Dan and Bruce share their experiences in the restaurant industry (Bruce's gig before he found a life in radio), the changes at WXPN over his 35 years, the amazing people he gets to call colleagues, and what he plans to do with his time now that he's retiring. But don't worry: guys like Bruce don't sit still, even in retirement. Bruce still has the Saturday shift on WXPN from 1Oam to 2pm EST ('The Post Sleepy Hollow Experience'), and teaches social media and business at University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.