WEBVTT 00:00:20.250 --> 00:00:23.429 Welcome back to Shecky's Jam Bands. I'm Shecky 00:00:23.429 --> 00:00:25.829 and I wanted you to picture something for a moment. 00:00:26.910 --> 00:00:30.350 It's a Sunday evening, Foley Beach, South Carolina. 00:00:30.989 --> 00:00:33.130 There's a little bar right on the edge of the 00:00:33.130 --> 00:00:36.590 ocean called the Surf Bar. Wood stoves burning, 00:00:37.329 --> 00:00:40.149 surf videos flickering on the wall, sand between 00:00:40.149 --> 00:00:43.770 the floorboards. On every Sunday night, the same 00:00:43.770 --> 00:00:46.710 three musicians set up, start playing and the 00:00:46.710 --> 00:00:50.520 whole town shows up. Nobody announced it. Nobody 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:53.700 printed a flyer. The music just started and the 00:00:53.700 --> 00:00:57.539 people came. That is how Danger Muffin built 00:00:57.539 --> 00:01:01.200 their following one Sunday night at a time at 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.980 a bar where Gershwin once walked the same shore 00:01:04.980 --> 00:01:09.439 in a town so alive with music it was almost named 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:13.540 Gershwin Island. A trio whose sound could only 00:01:13.540 --> 00:01:16.739 have come from exactly that place at exactly 00:01:16.739 --> 00:01:20.890 that time played by exactly those people. Today 00:01:20.890 --> 00:01:23.409 we're talking about Danger Muffin and by the 00:01:23.409 --> 00:01:26.170 end of this episode you're going to want to drive 00:01:26.170 --> 00:01:30.250 to Foley Beach, walk into the surf bar and stay 00:01:30.250 --> 00:01:34.629 forever. Foley Beach is a barrier island just 00:01:34.629 --> 00:01:37.750 south of Charleston, South Carolina. It's not 00:01:37.750 --> 00:01:42.469 a big place, about two square miles, a main strip 00:01:42.469 --> 00:01:45.900 of bars and surf shops. and the Atlantic Ocean 00:01:45.900 --> 00:01:49.799 pressing in on all sides. George Gershwin lived 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:54.980 there in 1934 while writing Porgy and Bess. That's 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:58.640 the energy of Folly Beach, creative, unhurried, 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.140 infused with the salt and heat of the Carolina 00:02:02.140 --> 00:02:06.239 coast. Dan Lodi arrived there with a guitar, 00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:10.219 a set of songs, and a voice that reviewers would 00:02:10.219 --> 00:02:13.419 later describe as carrying an unmistakable light 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:16.770 rasp. the kind of voice that sounds like it has 00:02:16.770 --> 00:02:20.469 already lived a few good stories. He connected 00:02:20.469 --> 00:02:23.789 with guitarist Mike Savilli whose sly driven 00:02:23.789 --> 00:02:27.629 guitar work could pivot from bluegrass twang 00:02:27.629 --> 00:02:30.969 to almond brothers flavored southern rock without 00:02:30.969 --> 00:02:33.830 a moment's notice and they found their rhythmic 00:02:33.830 --> 00:02:38.469 anchor in Steve Sandifer, a Nashville veteran 00:02:38.469 --> 00:02:41.770 percussionist who played with the Drew Emmett 00:02:41.770 --> 00:02:45.960 band and Adrian Young, and who can move from 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:50.060 Calypso to the world beat to a down -home shuffle 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:53.620 often within the very same song. The three of 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:56.719 them started playing the surf bar on Sunday nights. 00:02:57.219 --> 00:03:00.879 No big strategy, no tour manager, no label meetings, 00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:04.360 just the surf bar, the wood stoves, the surf 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:08.199 videos on the wall, and a growing crowd of Folly 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:11.629 Beach residents who came back every week because 00:03:11.629 --> 00:03:14.610 the music made them feel like they were exactly 00:03:14.610 --> 00:03:17.789 where they were supposed to be. That residency 00:03:17.789 --> 00:03:22.310 became reputation. That reputation became bookings. 00:03:22.789 --> 00:03:25.349 And those bookings eventually became a national 00:03:25.349 --> 00:03:28.849 touring career. Over a hundred shows a year, 00:03:29.129 --> 00:03:32.990 coast to coast, opening for Xavier Rudd and Widespread 00:03:32.990 --> 00:03:37.229 Panic, playing Jazz Aspen in Colorado, earning 00:03:37.229 --> 00:03:41.009 a slot at the Wani Festival and gathering of 00:03:41.009 --> 00:03:43.830 the vibes. All of it growing directly from one 00:03:43.830 --> 00:03:47.949 bar, one island, one Sunday night at a time. 00:03:49.150 --> 00:03:52.569 Danger muffin. Let's sit with that for a second. 00:03:53.289 --> 00:03:57.449 On one hand, it's completely ridiculous. Danger. 00:03:58.169 --> 00:04:01.590 Muffin. Two words that have no business being 00:04:01.590 --> 00:04:05.729 next to each other. On the other hand, and this 00:04:05.729 --> 00:04:10.569 is the part that matters, it's absolutely perfectly 00:04:10.569 --> 00:04:13.969 undeniably them. Relix magazine's editor -in 00:04:13.969 --> 00:04:17.410 -chief, Josh Barron, captured it exactly when 00:04:17.410 --> 00:04:20.850 reviewing the band. Don't let the name fool you. 00:04:21.050 --> 00:04:23.509 Danger Muffin is not another run -of -the -mill, 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:27.449 directionless jam band. Just like many a funny 00:04:27.449 --> 00:04:30.870 name band before them, Fish, The String Cheese 00:04:30.870 --> 00:04:35.129 Incident, Umphrey's McGee, Danger Muffin is likely 00:04:35.129 --> 00:04:37.970 to become synonymous with those fans who love 00:04:37.970 --> 00:04:41.069 bands and deliver something new and promising 00:04:41.069 --> 00:04:45.930 each show. Their bio describes the music as a 00:04:45.930 --> 00:04:49.930 punchy folk jam pastry for the sweet toothed 00:04:49.930 --> 00:04:53.689 soul of the South. A pastry. They're definitely 00:04:53.689 --> 00:04:56.310 leaning into the muffin thing with commitment. 00:04:57.129 --> 00:05:01.430 And I respect that completely. One song for Danger 00:05:01.430 --> 00:05:05.110 Muffin is Coffin Island. the closing track from 00:05:05.110 --> 00:05:09.250 their 2010 breakthrough album Moonscapes. And 00:05:09.250 --> 00:05:11.550 I'm picking it because it's the most complete 00:05:11.550 --> 00:05:14.889 single statement of what this band is capable 00:05:14.889 --> 00:05:19.629 of. And because the arc of that song is one of 00:05:19.629 --> 00:05:22.709 the most surprising and satisfying listening 00:05:22.709 --> 00:05:26.790 experiences in any album from this era of jam 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:31.189 music. It starts as a swaying in the palm trees 00:05:31.189 --> 00:05:35.689 acoustic ballad a ukulele, gentle and coastal 00:05:35.689 --> 00:05:38.610 and completely disarming. You think you know 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:41.810 exactly where you are. You think you know what 00:05:41.810 --> 00:05:44.550 kind of song this is going to be. Lodi's voice 00:05:44.550 --> 00:05:49.209 comes in with a light rasp and the whole thing 00:05:49.209 --> 00:05:52.850 floats. And then, over the course of eight minutes, 00:05:53.250 --> 00:05:56.649 it completely transforms. The ukulele gives way 00:05:56.649 --> 00:05:59.750 to electric guitars. The guitars get louder. 00:06:00.269 --> 00:06:03.180 The dynamics start climbing. And by the time 00:06:03.180 --> 00:06:07.300 Coffin Island reaches its conclusion, Mike Savilli 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:10.899 is delivering what one reviewer called an eight 00:06:10.899 --> 00:06:13.500 -minute guitar assault that leaves the hair on 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:17.839 the back of your neck standing on end. The same 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:21.600 song start to finish from ukulele lullaby to 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:25.540 full -scale sonic demolition with complete logic 00:06:25.540 --> 00:06:28.500 connecting every step of the journey. That is 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:31.779 Danger Muffin Magic in one track. the deceptive 00:06:31.779 --> 00:06:35.680 gentleness at the opening, the depth hiding underneath, 00:06:36.220 --> 00:06:38.699 the willingness to go somewhere you didn't see 00:06:38.699 --> 00:06:41.879 coming, and the technical ability to pull it 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:45.879 off without ever losing the thread. The whole 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:48.639 Moonskates album is extraordinary. The title 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:52.139 itself comes from Lodi's observation that when 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:56.180 the tide goes out on Folly Beach, the tidal pools 00:06:56.180 --> 00:07:00.420 left behind looks like moon craters. a band named 00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:03.980 after a muffin making philosophical observations 00:07:03.980 --> 00:07:08.259 about tidal pools and the moon. That is Danger 00:07:08.259 --> 00:07:12.279 Muffin. Start with Culfin Island, stay for everything 00:07:12.279 --> 00:07:14.879 else. Alright, some things you need to know about 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.480 Danger Muffin. Well, the first fact is the Allman 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:20.680 Brothers manager compared them to the Grateful 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.259 Dead. Bert Holman, the longtime manager of the 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:26.600 Allman Brothers band, one of the most respected 00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:29.720 figures of Southern rock, heard Danger Muffin 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:58.610 and said publicly Relix Magazine named them Jam 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:03.269 -Off Winners. In April 2009, Relix Magazine, 00:08:03.529 --> 00:08:06.310 the Bible of the Jamworld, ran their Jam -Off 00:08:06.310 --> 00:08:08.990 competition and named Danger Muffin the Winners. 00:08:09.569 --> 00:08:12.529 That recognition opened national doors immediately. 00:08:13.230 --> 00:08:17.910 Sirius XM's Jam -On and Outlaw Country stations 00:08:17.910 --> 00:08:21.990 began airing their music regularly, giving them 00:08:21.990 --> 00:08:25.920 satellite radio airplay alongside artists with 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:30.459 far more established track records. Third fact, 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.879 Dan Lody won the Songwriters Hall of Fame New 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.440 Writers Showcase. In 2005, before Danger Muffin 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.980 was even a band, songwriter Dan Lody won the 00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:43.600 Songwriters Hall of Fame New Writers Showcase. 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:47.360 That is a currential that has nothing to do with 00:08:47.360 --> 00:08:52.019 genre or the scene. It's pure songwriting recognition 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:55.259 for the most prestigious institutions in American 00:08:55.259 --> 00:08:57.879 music. The man at the center of Danger Muffin 00:08:57.879 --> 00:09:01.620 is not just a performer, he's a genuinely exceptional 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:05.539 songwriter. Fourth fact, Keller Williams played 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:08.960 bass on their album. The track Little Douglas 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:12.879 from Songs for the Universe features Keller Williams 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:17.500 on bass and backing vocals. Keller described 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:22.580 it as a lighthearted song about herbal enlightenment, 00:09:22.980 --> 00:09:25.480 which tells you everything you need to know about 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:28.879 the mood. Williams has been a beloved figure 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:32.120 across multiple episodes of this podcast. His 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:34.679 willingness to show up for younger bands and 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:37.519 bring his gift to their sessions is one of the 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:41.240 great ongoing stories in the scene. Another fact, 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:44.659 they wrote a film score and backed Carrie Fisher's 00:09:44.659 --> 00:09:49.149 daughter. After taking a step, From touring around 00:09:49.149 --> 00:09:54.509 2018, Dan Lodi and Mike Savilli co -founded a 00:09:54.509 --> 00:09:57.649 production company called Morning Moon. Through 00:09:57.649 --> 00:10:00.929 that work, they backed actress and singer Billie 00:10:00.929 --> 00:10:05.610 Lourd, Carrie Fish's daughter, during live performances 00:10:05.610 --> 00:10:09.429 and composed the score for the film, Wildflower 00:10:09.429 --> 00:10:13.090 starting Kiernan Shipka. A band that started 00:10:13.090 --> 00:10:16.669 playing Sunday nights at a beach bar ended up 00:10:16.669 --> 00:10:21.360 writing Music for Hollywood. That is a full arc. 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:27.039 Last fact. Their 2024 album was recorded in a 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:32.080 church -turned -legendary studio. The self -titled 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.159 2024 comeback album was recorded at Echo Mountain 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.759 in Asheville, North Carolina. A former church 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.500 that has hosted band of horses and the Avett 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:48.429 brothers. Lodi described the room as a very special 00:10:48.429 --> 00:10:51.149 place to play music. The walls of that church, 00:10:51.490 --> 00:10:55.210 with their history and their renaissance, became 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:58.549 part of the album sound and the ways that can't 00:10:58.549 --> 00:11:03.590 be manufactured anywhere else. Okay, here's what 00:11:03.590 --> 00:11:06.710 I keep on coming back to with Danger Muffin. 00:11:06.929 --> 00:11:09.570 They started a bar on an island where George 00:11:09.570 --> 00:11:12.809 Gershwin once wrote Summertime and the livin' 00:11:12.889 --> 00:11:16.440 is easy. And they built something that has the 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:20.139 same quality and music that makes you feel at 00:11:20.139 --> 00:11:23.460 a cellular level like life could be simpler and 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:27.720 more beautiful than you remembered not naive 00:11:27.720 --> 00:11:31.679 not surface level underneath all that breezy 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.820 coastal folk jam warmth there is real depth coffin 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:38.980 island eight -minute guitar explosion the Cherokee 00:11:38.980 --> 00:11:42.779 creation myths and the Unitarian Church vocals 00:11:42.779 --> 00:11:46.080 and the mountain solitude that fed Lodi's writing. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:49.860 It's all there. The Allman Brothers manager heard 00:11:49.860 --> 00:11:52.820 the Grateful Dead in them. Relix magazine gave 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:56.500 them their Jam -Off Award. Sirius XM played them 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.080 on two different stations simultaneously. A Hollywood 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:03.779 production company came knocking. All of it started 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:06.879 from three people and a Sunday night at the surf 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:10.350 bar. Find Coffin Island on Moonscapes. Find songs 00:12:10.350 --> 00:12:13.269 from the universe if you want to go deeper into 00:12:13.269 --> 00:12:18.070 the philosophy. Find the self -titled 2024 album 00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:20.850 if you want to hear what Danger Muffin sounds 00:12:20.850 --> 00:12:25.289 like fully grown, recorded in a church in Asheville 00:12:25.289 --> 00:12:29.230 with the mountains pressing in and 20 years of 00:12:29.230 --> 00:12:32.490 music behind them. And if you are ever anywhere 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:35.870 near Foley Beach on a Sunday evening, you know 00:12:35.870 --> 00:12:39.110 what to do. Show up. The music will find you. 00:12:39.309 --> 00:12:42.330 That's Danger Muffin and that's Shecky's Jam 00:12:42.330 --> 00:12:45.129 Bands. Thank you for listening and I'll see you 00:12:45.129 --> 00:12:45.909 next time.