WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.960 Welcome to the Deep Dive. This is where we take, 00:00:02.980 --> 00:00:05.820 well, a whole mountain of information, history, 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.859 music, biography, and distill it down into the 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:11.619 knowledge shortcut you need. And today, we are 00:00:11.619 --> 00:00:13.820 definitely strapping in. We are. We're diving 00:00:13.820 --> 00:00:16.899 deep, really deep, into Blues Traveler, an American 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:19.359 rock band that's, frankly, pretty unique. Oh, 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:22.039 absolutely. Idiosyncratic is a good word, formed 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:25.179 back in 87 Princeton, New Jersey. And our mission 00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:27.859 today, really, is to unpack how this group managed 00:00:27.859 --> 00:00:31.280 it all. You know, Decades of success, pioneering 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.539 the HORDE Festival, dealing with immense tragedy, 00:00:34.700 --> 00:00:37.219 transforming their lineup. It's quite a story. 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:39.799 It really is. They're known for those creative 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:42.060 segues in their live shows, right? But also those 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:44.740 huge hits. It's a strange mix in some ways. We 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:46.619 need to get a handle on their core identity first. 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:48.799 The lineup most people probably know, at least 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.880 initially, John Popper on vocals and that absolutely 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:54.490 unmistakable harmonica. Right. Chan Kinchela 00:00:54.490 --> 00:00:57.570 on guitar, Brendan Hill pounding the drums, and 00:00:57.570 --> 00:00:59.890 the late Bobby Sheehan on bass, the original 00:00:59.890 --> 00:01:01.969 core four. And then the transformation we'll 00:01:01.969 --> 00:01:04.950 get into later, bringing in Tad Kinchela, Chan's 00:01:04.950 --> 00:01:07.750 brother, on bass, and Ben Wilson on keyboards, 00:01:08.010 --> 00:01:10.090 making the quintet they are now. But yeah, when 00:01:10.090 --> 00:01:12.209 you say blues traveler, most people immediately 00:01:12.209 --> 00:01:15.189 think of the big singles. But anyway, kind of 00:01:15.189 --> 00:01:17.590 laid the groundwork, but then run around and 00:01:17.590 --> 00:01:19.700 hook. just took them to a whole different level 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:22.200 commercially. That mid 90s moment is definitely 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:24.299 the hook for a lot of people, isn't it? But it 00:01:24.299 --> 00:01:27.140 almost hides the the depth and complexity of 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:30.150 their whole career. Exactly. And. Here's where 00:01:30.150 --> 00:01:32.569 the deep dive really kicks off. That song Run 00:01:32.569 --> 00:01:35.430 Around, it wasn't just big, it was massive. Won 00:01:35.430 --> 00:01:37.689 the Grammys, right. Best rock performance by 00:01:37.689 --> 00:01:41.450 a duo or group with vocal in 96. It did. But 00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:44.510 even more surprising maybe is that it broke the 00:01:44.510 --> 00:01:47.469 record for the most weeks ever spent on the Billboard 00:01:47.469 --> 00:01:50.870 Hot 100 chart at the time. Wow. Think about that. 00:01:50.909 --> 00:01:54.030 A band built on like seven minute improvised 00:01:54.030 --> 00:01:57.069 jams. Having that kind of mainstream pop chart 00:01:57.069 --> 00:01:59.609 longevity, it's kind of wild. Yeah, that really 00:01:59.609 --> 00:02:02.189 sets the stage. A band bridging the jam scene 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:06.290 and, well, massive pop success. Okay, let's get 00:02:06.290 --> 00:02:09.590 into it. Okay, let's rewind back to the very 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:12.729 beginning. The Foundation and the New York Grind. 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:15.469 This isn't one of those stories where a label 00:02:15.469 --> 00:02:19.379 manufactured a band. This is pure... high school 00:02:19.379 --> 00:02:21.659 garage band stuff, Princeton, New Jersey, mid 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:24.139 -80s. Totally. It starts with John Popper and 00:02:24.139 --> 00:02:26.159 the drummer, Brendan Hill. They have this early 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.580 band called The Establishment. Yeah, very high 00:02:28.580 --> 00:02:31.099 school name. Isn't it? They made some early cassette 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:33.960 demos, apparently played this wild mix of originals 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.939 and covers, like everything from Van Moreland's 00:02:36.939 --> 00:02:39.719 Gloria to, get this, the Battle Hymn of the Republic. 00:02:40.139 --> 00:02:42.280 Wow, okay. Eclectic from the start. Definitely. 00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:44.460 And then the lineup we think of as the original 00:02:44.460 --> 00:02:46.680 Blues Traveler really came together around 1987. 00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:49.460 That's when Chan - Kinchela joined on guitar. 00:02:49.780 --> 00:02:51.860 And his story is interesting too, right? He was 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:54.180 a football player. Yeah, a pretty promising one 00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:56.300 in high school. But then he had this pretty serious 00:02:56.300 --> 00:02:58.900 knee injury. And that was it for football. He 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:01.479 just decided, nope, music it is, full commitment. 00:03:01.659 --> 00:03:05.439 That's a major pivot. Imagine going from potential 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:08.639 football career to co -founding a jam band giant. 00:03:08.939 --> 00:03:11.439 It really is. And then came Bobby Sheehan, the 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:13.560 founding bassist. He and Popper became super 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.879 close. Once Sheehan joined... That was the quartet 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:18.900 still called the Blues Band at that point, actually. 00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:21.099 OK. And this is where you get some of that early 00:03:21.099 --> 00:03:24.099 band mythology, like the Black Cat Jam. Right. 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:26.039 I love these origin stories. What's the deal 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:27.960 with the Black Cat Jam? Well, the story goes 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:30.819 it was this epic jam session, probably in a basement 00:03:30.819 --> 00:03:33.400 somewhere. And they basically came up with the 00:03:33.400 --> 00:03:36.520 core ideas, the grooves for a bunch of songs 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:38.979 that ended up on their first album. And a black 00:03:38.979 --> 00:03:43.159 cat was just. hanging out apparently just nearby 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:45.860 while all this creativity was happening so they 00:03:45.860 --> 00:03:48.699 took it as a good omen you know adopted the black 00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:50.979 cat as their mascot it kind of speaks to that 00:03:50.979 --> 00:03:53.539 spontaneous maybe slightly superstitious vibe 00:03:53.539 --> 00:03:55.900 they had early on that spontaneity definitely 00:03:55.900 --> 00:03:57.939 fits with the name change too they didn't pick 00:03:57.939 --> 00:04:00.900 a blues legend or anything nope blues traveler 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:03.580 comes from gozer the traveler the demon from 00:04:03.580 --> 00:04:07.409 ghostbusters Exactly. Which is just such a wonderfully 00:04:07.409 --> 00:04:10.650 random pop culture poll for a band name. Was 00:04:10.650 --> 00:04:13.110 it meant to be ironic or just something funny 00:04:13.110 --> 00:04:15.150 from their college days? Seems like a bit of 00:04:15.150 --> 00:04:17.990 both. Youthful irreverence. Yeah. But anyway, 00:04:18.129 --> 00:04:20.310 high school ends and they needed to get serious. 00:04:20.389 --> 00:04:22.730 So where do you go in the late 80s if you're 00:04:22.730 --> 00:04:25.350 an ambitious rock band? New York City. Bingo. 00:04:25.629 --> 00:04:29.370 And they really committed. Popper, Hill and Sheehan 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:31.889 all enrolled in the music program at the new 00:04:31.889 --> 00:04:35.680 school. Chan Kinchla. went to NYU. And crucially, 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:38.519 they all crammed into an apartment together over 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:41.019 on Bergen Street in Brooklyn. Right. Sharing 00:04:41.019 --> 00:04:43.819 space. And that move just ignited their early 00:04:43.819 --> 00:04:46.240 career. They played relentlessly. I mean, sometimes 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.740 nightly gigs across the New York circuit. They 00:04:48.740 --> 00:04:50.519 got that regular Wednesday night slot at Wetlands, 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:52.959 didn't they? Yeah, Wetlands Preserve in Tribeca. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.379 That place was legendary. The absolute hub for 00:04:56.379 --> 00:04:58.899 that whole jam band roots rock scene that was 00:04:58.899 --> 00:05:00.879 bubbling up, getting a regular contract there. 00:05:01.019 --> 00:05:04.000 That was gold dust. Wow. They also played regularly 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.040 at the Nightingale over on the Lower East Side. 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:08.720 That venue actually inspired the song Defense 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.800 and Desire. And that Brooklyn apartment. It wasn't 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:13.879 just blues traveler incubating there, was it? 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:17.040 No. This is another key connection. They shared 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:19.319 the apartment with a high school friend, Chris 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:21.759 Barron. The singer for the Spin Doctors. Exactly. 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:25.379 So Popper and Hill actually started another band 00:05:25.379 --> 00:05:27.680 with some other folks called the Trucking Company 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.139 initially that quickly morphed into the Spin 00:05:31.139 --> 00:05:33.579 Doctors with Barron out front. So you literally 00:05:33.579 --> 00:05:36.740 had two bands that would define so much of the 00:05:36.740 --> 00:05:39.839 90s jam pop sound, living and breathing the same 00:05:39.839 --> 00:05:42.079 air, sharing. the same space. Creating ideas, 00:05:42.379 --> 00:05:45.939 influences. Yeah. It's pretty amazing when you 00:05:45.939 --> 00:05:47.420 think about it. And you could see that connection 00:05:47.420 --> 00:05:49.240 in their live shows back then too, right? They 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.480 did these joint concerts. Oh yeah. Multi -set 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:54.040 shows where they basically play nonstop, one 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:56.379 band flowing into the other. It wasn't like opener 00:05:56.379 --> 00:05:58.240 and headliner. It felt more like a collective 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.540 communal thing. Fans from that era really remember 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:03.860 that energy. That kind of grind, that community. 00:06:04.649 --> 00:06:06.689 It had to pay off eventually. It did, and pretty 00:06:06.689 --> 00:06:09.509 quickly. They got spotted at a New York gig by 00:06:09.509 --> 00:06:12.170 Patrick Clifford, who was a scout for A &M Records. 00:06:12.509 --> 00:06:14.879 Sign the contract. And that was it for college? 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.139 Pretty much. Dropped out of their classes around 00:06:17.139 --> 00:06:19.800 1990 to hit the road full time. They also got 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.180 some serious industry muscle behind them with 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:24.579 David Graham. Right. Son of the legendary Bill 00:06:24.579 --> 00:06:27.180 Graham. Having him as management gave them instant 00:06:27.180 --> 00:06:29.480 credibility, especially in that whole Grateful 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:33.060 Dead jam band world. Big connection. So the first 00:06:33.060 --> 00:06:36.279 album, self -titled Blues Traveler, drops in 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:39.459 1990. Yep. But anyway, started getting traction 00:06:39.459 --> 00:06:42.420 on college radio straight away. Then Travelers 00:06:42.420 --> 00:06:45.120 and Thieves followed pretty quick in 91. And 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.480 then later that year, Bill Graham tragically 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:49.980 died in that helicopter crash. Yeah, and the 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:53.660 band released a live tribute EP on tour forever. 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:56.879 It really cemented their place in that lineage, 00:06:57.160 --> 00:06:59.240 you know. They even had Carlos Santana guest 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:02.339 on it. Wow. Talk about starting strong. Major 00:07:02.339 --> 00:07:05.160 label, legendary management, Santana guesting, 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:07.220 all within a couple years of leaving college. 00:07:07.379 --> 00:07:10.319 They were definitely on their way. Okay, so moving 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.579 into the phase where things really start to accelerate, 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:14.980 mainstream breakthrough and cultural impact. 00:07:15.259 --> 00:07:17.699 They laid the groundwork in New York, built a 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:21.699 following. But the leap to household name status, 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:25.759 that involves something maybe a bit unexpected, 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:29.139 late night TV. Yeah, you absolutely cannot talk 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:30.899 about their breakthrough without talking about 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:32.920 David Letterman. Yeah, I was a massive fan, wasn't 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.199 he? Huge. He wasn't shy about it either. He'd 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:37.680 openly call them his favorite band right there 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:40.540 on the show. For a band coming out of the jam 00:07:40.540 --> 00:07:44.120 scene, having that kind of consistent, high -profile 00:07:44.120 --> 00:07:47.120 championing from someone like Letterman. That 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.500 was just invaluable. And it wasn't just one appearance. 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:52.199 They were on The Late Show all the time. More 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:54.519 than any other musical artist in the show's history, 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:56.699 apparently. That's staggering. It wasn't just 00:07:56.699 --> 00:07:58.959 playing a song. It was becoming part of the show's 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:01.800 fabric, constant national exposure. Did Paul 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:04.680 Schaefer ever play with them? He did. Letterman's 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:06.459 band leader played on some of their recordings, 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:08.759 too. It showed they could totally hang in that 00:08:08.759 --> 00:08:11.319 tight mainstream media world, even though their 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:14.139 roots were in improvisation. But probably the 00:08:14.139 --> 00:08:16.519 biggest thing they did in terms of shaping the 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:19.100 music scene itself was founding the H .O .R .D 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:22.139 .E. festival in 92. Oh, H .O .R .D .E. Yeah. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.519 Horizons of rock developing everywhere. That 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:27.920 was a really conscious move. What was the thinking 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:30.199 behind it? Well, you had Lollapalooza, which 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.759 was huge then, focusing on alternative grunge, 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:36.139 that kind of thing. H .O .R .D .E. was deliberately 00:08:36.139 --> 00:08:39.539 set up as the alternative. alternative maybe 00:08:39.539 --> 00:08:43.340 it was built around the jam band ethos improvisation 00:08:43.340 --> 00:08:45.799 longer sets that sort of grateful dead community 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:48.220 feel so they basically saw a gap in the touring 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:50.399 market for bands like themselves exactly and 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:52.539 they filled it brilliantly it gave bands like 00:08:52.539 --> 00:08:54.940 fish widespread panic their old pals the spin 00:08:54.940 --> 00:08:58.460 doctors a dedicated summer touring circuit where 00:08:58.460 --> 00:09:00.360 they knew they'd find their audience it really 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:02.799 positioned blues traveler as leaders of that 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.080 whole scene didn't it More than just musicians, 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:07.399 but organizers, too. For sure. And the festival 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:09.159 was really successful, ran right through 98. 00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:13.259 It really helped define that whole DIY, non -mainstream 00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:15.519 touring model for a lot of bands in the 90s. 00:09:15.539 --> 00:09:17.559 But even as they were building this incredible 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:20.720 thing with H .O .R .D .E., they hit a serious 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.320 roadblock, personally. Or rather, John Popper 00:09:23.320 --> 00:09:26.179 did. Yeah, 1992, right when they were recording 00:09:26.179 --> 00:09:28.899 their third album, Save His Soul. Popper had 00:09:28.899 --> 00:09:31.620 a really bad motorcycle accident, landed him 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:34.039 in the hospital, needed surgery. That must have 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:36.139 thrown a wrench in the works. You'd think it 00:09:36.139 --> 00:09:38.779 would stop everything, right? But this is where 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:42.259 you see their resilience, maybe, their work ethic. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:45.120 They didn't cancel the tour. No. Nope. They just 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:47.700 resumed the shows with Popper performing from 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:50.440 a wheelchair. Wow. That sends a message. Totally. 00:09:50.659 --> 00:09:53.059 It showed the fans, look, the music comes first, 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:56.190 the show goes on no matter what. That kind of 00:09:56.190 --> 00:09:59.110 dedication builds serious loyalty. And that album 00:09:59.110 --> 00:10:01.110 still came out, gave us singles like Defense 00:10:01.110 --> 00:10:03.870 and Desire and Conquer Me. Okay, so all of this, 00:10:03.929 --> 00:10:06.769 the Letterman bumps, HRDE, Overcoming the Accident, 00:10:06.789 --> 00:10:09.970 it's all building momentum towards 1994. And 00:10:09.970 --> 00:10:12.549 the album Four. Four. Yeah, this is the moment. 00:10:12.610 --> 00:10:14.929 This is when Blues Traveler went from being kings 00:10:14.929 --> 00:10:17.889 of the jam scene to, well, genuine mainstream 00:10:17.889 --> 00:10:20.789 rock stars. The numbers on Four are just staggering. 00:10:21.289 --> 00:10:23.509 Sold what, over six million copies? Worldwide, 00:10:23.529 --> 00:10:26.090 yeah. Diamond status eventually. They worked 00:10:26.090 --> 00:10:28.370 with producers Michael Barbiero and Steve Thompson, 00:10:28.470 --> 00:10:32.090 who knew how to craft a hit sound. And that first 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:34.529 single, Run Around, that was the one that just 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:36.789 crossed over everywhere. We mentioned the Grammy 00:10:36.789 --> 00:10:38.610 win earlier. That really put them on a different 00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:41.110 map, didn't it? Certainly this harmonica -led 00:10:41.110 --> 00:10:45.000 jam band is winning mainstream rock awards. It 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:46.980 proved there was this huge audience out there 00:10:46.980 --> 00:10:49.340 for their sound, even beyond the dedicated jam 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:52.980 fans. And then the follow -up single, Hook, was 00:10:52.980 --> 00:10:55.340 another massive hit. Hook is such a clever song, 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:57.879 too. It's literally about how catchy pop songs 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:01.220 are constructed to hook you in. Very meta. Totally. 00:11:01.299 --> 00:11:04.080 And suddenly this band that encouraged fans to 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:06.480 tape their shows is playing like the biggest 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:09.179 stages imaginable. Woodstock 94. That's a big 00:11:09.179 --> 00:11:11.000 one. Huge validation. Then they're opening for 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.460 the Rolling Stones. I mean, come on. Rock royalty. 00:11:13.620 --> 00:11:16.200 And didn't they play SNL under dramatic circumstances? 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:20.000 They did. 1995 season premiere. Prince was supposed 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.519 to play but canceled last minute. Blues Travelers 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:25.100 stepped in. That showed how much trust and respect 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:26.919 they commanded in the industry by that point. 00:11:27.299 --> 00:11:30.100 Peak visibility. Their music started showing 00:11:30.100 --> 00:11:32.259 up in movies all over the place, too. Oh, yeah. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:34.779 They did that cover of Secret Agent Man for Ace 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:38.000 Ventura, When Nature Calls. And Bob Seger's Get 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.740 Out of Denver for things to do in Denver when 00:11:40.740 --> 00:11:43.639 you're dead. Plus, they had songs in Speed, Kingpin, 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:46.759 The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Their sound just 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:49.340 fit that mid -90s vibe. They actually appeared 00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:51.539 in a movie, too, right? Blues Brothers 2000. 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.740 Yeah, they performed an original song, Maybe 00:11:53.740 --> 00:11:56.500 I'm Wrong. in the film they were just woven into 00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:59.159 the fabric of 90s pop culture at that point so 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.960 the follow -up album was straight on till morning 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:05.559 in 1997 right and it did well went platinum hit 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.240 number 11 on the billboard 200 carolina blues 00:12:08.240 --> 00:12:10.519 was a decent single hit number four on the rock 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:13.840 charts but it wasn't four no it wasn't four matching 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:15.799 that kind of phenomenon is almost impossible 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:18.500 right but it was still a successful record and 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:20.500 they were planning something ambitious next weren't 00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:24.190 they A concept album. Yeah, based on an Aesop's 00:12:24.190 --> 00:12:26.409 fable, The North Wind and the Sun. They were 00:12:26.409 --> 00:12:28.370 going to call it The Sun, The Storm, and The 00:12:28.370 --> 00:12:31.070 Traveler. Sounds pretty complex, very conceptual. 00:12:31.370 --> 00:12:33.590 But they never got to make it. No. Before they 00:12:33.590 --> 00:12:35.929 could really dive into that project, everything 00:12:35.929 --> 00:12:39.149 changed drastically. Yeah, this brings us to 00:12:39.149 --> 00:12:42.590 a really difficult period. Tragedy, transformation, 00:12:42.990 --> 00:12:47.190 and the new lineup. The year 1999 just hit them 00:12:47.190 --> 00:12:49.629 with this one -two punch that almost ended the 00:12:49.629 --> 00:12:52.129 band. It was an absolutely brutal year for them. 00:12:52.230 --> 00:12:54.529 First, it was John Popper's health. In the summer 00:12:54.529 --> 00:12:57.250 of 99, he needed emergency heart surgery. That 00:12:57.250 --> 00:13:00.129 sounds serious. It was. Turned out he had a 95 00:13:00.129 --> 00:13:02.690 % arterial blockage. He'd been struggling with 00:13:02.690 --> 00:13:06.029 his weight, diabetes. Years of, as he put it, 00:13:06.110 --> 00:13:08.629 compulsive overeating had really taken a toll. 00:13:08.769 --> 00:13:10.889 He was facing a life -threatening situation. 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:13.169 And the immediate impact was they had to cancel 00:13:13.169 --> 00:13:15.690 that big annual Red Rock show on July 4th, right? 00:13:15.870 --> 00:13:18.350 Yep. First time in years they'd missed it. Suddenly 00:13:18.350 --> 00:13:20.509 the band's future felt really uncertain, just 00:13:20.509 --> 00:13:23.789 hanging on Popper's recovery. And then, while 00:13:23.789 --> 00:13:27.909 he's still recovering, just weeks later, the 00:13:27.909 --> 00:13:30.889 unthinkable happened. Yeah. August 20th, 1999. 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:34.190 Founding bassist Bobby Sheehan was found dead 00:13:34.190 --> 00:13:36.070 in his home in New Orleans. Just devastating. 00:13:36.169 --> 00:13:39.269 How old was he? Only 31. The official cause was 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:42.830 an accidental overdose, cocaine. Valium, heroin 00:13:42.830 --> 00:13:44.870 were found in his system. God, these guys were 00:13:44.870 --> 00:13:47.129 practically brothers. High school bandmates, 00:13:47.269 --> 00:13:49.690 Brooklyn roommates. Losing Sheehan must have 00:13:49.690 --> 00:13:52.549 been just shattering. Absolutely. It wasn't just 00:13:52.549 --> 00:13:55.049 losing a bandmate. It was losing family. Popper's 00:13:55.049 --> 00:13:57.730 solo album, Zygote, actually came out just days 00:13:57.730 --> 00:14:00.610 after Sheehan died. But obviously nobody's focus 00:14:00.610 --> 00:14:02.809 was on promoting music then. It was all about 00:14:02.809 --> 00:14:05.490 grief and figuring out what, if anything, came 00:14:05.490 --> 00:14:08.750 next. So the remaining three, Popper, Jan Kinchela, 00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:11.409 Brennan Hill, they had to decide. This is the 00:14:11.409 --> 00:14:13.690 end of Blues Traveler. Right. And according to 00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:16.169 them, the decision was unanimous, though incredibly 00:14:16.169 --> 00:14:18.629 difficult. They felt strongly that Bobby, who 00:14:18.629 --> 00:14:20.450 was really the heart and soul of that early band 00:14:20.450 --> 00:14:22.330 in many ways, would have wanted them to keep 00:14:22.330 --> 00:14:25.269 the music going. That decision then led to, well, 00:14:25.370 --> 00:14:27.909 a pretty unconventional way to find a new bassist. 00:14:28.090 --> 00:14:31.429 Highly unconventional. They held auditions during 00:14:31.429 --> 00:14:33.950 their live shows. Seriously. Just threw people 00:14:33.950 --> 00:14:36.029 on stage. Pretty much. Imagine the pressure. 00:14:36.750 --> 00:14:40.090 Walking out cold, no rehearsal, in front of thousands 00:14:40.090 --> 00:14:42.610 of fans who are grieving the guy you're replacing, 00:14:42.809 --> 00:14:45.029 who is also a founding member and best friend 00:14:45.029 --> 00:14:48.750 to the other guys on stage. That's intense. Monumental 00:14:48.750 --> 00:14:51.129 pressure. And the first guy to try out was Tad 00:14:51.129 --> 00:14:54.669 Kinchla, Chan's younger brother. Yep, Tad Kinchla. 00:14:54.789 --> 00:14:57.070 He had this interesting background. Brown University 00:14:57.070 --> 00:14:59.389 grad, studied political science, played upright 00:14:59.389 --> 00:15:01.950 bass when he was younger. He auditioned first. 00:15:02.269 --> 00:15:04.370 And they just picked him. Unanimously, yeah. 00:15:04.529 --> 00:15:08.070 And get this. His audition was literally the 00:15:08.070 --> 00:15:10.509 band's first performance after Sheehan's death. 00:15:10.629 --> 00:15:13.169 He had zero rehearsal time with them before stepping 00:15:13.169 --> 00:15:15.850 on that stage, had to just jump in and find the 00:15:15.850 --> 00:15:18.230 groove. Incredible. And they decided to add another 00:15:18.230 --> 00:15:20.450 member, too. Yeah, they took this moment of rebuilding 00:15:20.450 --> 00:15:22.509 to finally do something Sheehan had apparently 00:15:22.509 --> 00:15:25.799 always pushed for. adding a permanent keyboard 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:27.960 player to kind of fill out the sound exactly 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:31.059 so in january 2000 they brought in ben wilson 00:15:31.059 --> 00:15:34.059 he came from a band called big dave and the ultrasonics 00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:36.200 more of a jump blues outfit and wilson became 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:38.580 more than just a keyboard player oh yeah he quickly 00:15:38.580 --> 00:15:42.100 became a key songwriter really integrated into 00:15:42.100 --> 00:15:44.620 the creative core of the band brought a fresh 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:47.269 perspective So the classic quartet sound was 00:15:47.269 --> 00:15:49.909 gone. They were now a quintet with a fundamentally 00:15:49.909 --> 00:15:52.649 different dynamic, a broader sound. And that 00:15:52.649 --> 00:15:54.830 ambitious concept album about the fable. That 00:15:54.830 --> 00:15:57.409 got scrapped, understandably, I think. After 00:15:57.409 --> 00:15:59.269 everything they'd just been through, maybe something 00:15:59.269 --> 00:16:01.850 that heavy or conceptual just didn't feel right. 00:16:01.889 --> 00:16:04.490 They needed a fresh start emotionally and musically. 00:16:04.690 --> 00:16:06.730 So they started writing new material together 00:16:06.730 --> 00:16:10.169 as this new five -piece band. Right. And that 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:12.509 resulted in the album Bridge, which came out 00:16:12.509 --> 00:16:15.429 in 2001. The original title was going to be A 00:16:15.429 --> 00:16:18.190 Bridge Out of Brooklyn. Ah, a tribute to Sheehan, 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:21.889 B .O .B. Exactly, Brooklyn Bobby. It was clearly 00:16:21.889 --> 00:16:24.909 meant as a marker, a transition, an emotional 00:16:24.909 --> 00:16:27.649 pivot. He had a couple of singles, Girl Inside 00:16:27.649 --> 00:16:30.490 My Head, Just For Me. They got some airplay. 00:16:30.629 --> 00:16:33.149 Yeah, but it wasn't like the four days. That 00:16:33.149 --> 00:16:35.590 massive mainstream wave had definitely crested. 00:16:35.730 --> 00:16:37.909 And then things got tougher on the business side, 00:16:37.950 --> 00:16:41.110 too. A &M dropped him. Yeah, 2002. part of some 00:16:41.110 --> 00:16:43.129 big corporate restructuring at the label. So 00:16:43.129 --> 00:16:45.389 just as they'd rebuilt the band personally, their 00:16:45.389 --> 00:16:48.789 major label deal ended. End of an era. How did 00:16:48.789 --> 00:16:52.070 they react to that? They pivoted smartly, I think. 00:16:52.330 --> 00:16:55.509 They embraced being independent, signed with 00:16:55.509 --> 00:16:57.850 Sanctuary Records for the next album, Truth Be 00:16:57.850 --> 00:17:01.289 Told, then moved to Vanguard Records for Bastardos 00:17:01.289 --> 00:17:04.369 in 2005. And that Vanguard album, Bastardos. 00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:06.579 That felt like a statement, didn't it? They worked 00:17:06.579 --> 00:17:08.359 with Jay Bennett on that. Yeah. Jay Bennett, 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:10.519 who'd been in Wilco, working with him definitely 00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:13.279 signaled a shift away from the major label Pop 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:16.740 Polish and back towards more rock and indie sensibilities. 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:19.240 Right. They really promoted Bastardo's as like, 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:21.339 this is us getting back to the music we want 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:24.819 to play. It wasn't a huge seller, but it charted 00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:26.519 respectably on the independent albums chart. 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:28.420 It felt like they'd weathered the storm, the 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:30.460 tragedy, the lineup change, losing the label, 00:17:30.579 --> 00:17:33.079 and forged a new path forward. So let's talk 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:36.160 about that path forward and the enduring cultural 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.539 footprint. Because even after the huge pop success 00:17:39.539 --> 00:17:43.900 faded, Blues Traveler maintained this incredibly 00:17:43.900 --> 00:17:47.480 dedicated fan base and, well, a unique place 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.339 in the rock landscape. A lot of that has to do 00:17:50.339 --> 00:17:52.480 with their live shows, right? Especially one 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.759 particular tradition. Oh, absolutely. You really 00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:56.619 can't discuss their legacy without talking about 00:17:56.619 --> 00:17:58.920 Red Rocks. The Independence Day shows. It's got 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:01.799 to be one of the most iconic, long -running traditions 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:04.799 in American rock. Headlining Red Rocks Amphitheater 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.880 in Colorado every July 4th. Since when did that 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:10.579 start? Since 1994. Think about that commitment. 00:18:10.819 --> 00:18:12.940 Every single year. Have they ever missed it? 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:16.289 only twice in nearly three decades. They missed 00:18:16.289 --> 00:18:18.849 1999, which we mentioned because Popper was recovering 00:18:18.849 --> 00:18:21.470 from heart surgery, and they missed 2020. Like, 00:18:21.509 --> 00:18:23.369 everyone missed everything because of the pandemic. 00:18:23.470 --> 00:18:27.000 Otherwise, clockwork. July 4th, Red Rocks, Blues 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:28.759 Traveler. It's more than just a concert at this 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:31.099 point, isn't it? Oh, it's a pilgrimage. Fans 00:18:31.099 --> 00:18:33.339 plan vacations around it, travel from all over 00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:35.759 the country. It's become the central event in 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.339 the band's calendar and the fans' lives. And 00:18:38.339 --> 00:18:40.380 they use those shows specifically, right, to 00:18:40.380 --> 00:18:42.640 try out new stuff. Definitely. It's where they 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:45.700 often debut new songs or bring back old deep 00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:48.400 cuts that haven't been played in ages. It's a 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.220 celebration of their history and their future. 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.119 The 2003 shows were so significant they released 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:56.059 them as a live album. live on the rocks and a 00:18:56.059 --> 00:18:59.759 dvd thinnest of air Ziggy Marley even showed 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:03.000 up for that one. Wow. That tradition really speaks 00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:05.759 to the whole jam band ethos they helped shape. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:08.460 And another huge part of that was their attitude 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:10.859 towards fan recordings. Yeah, the taping policy. 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:13.180 They were pioneers in that, really embracing 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:15.019 it from the start. They just let fans record 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:17.400 the shows. Not just let them, they actively encouraged 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:20.579 it. Microphones on stands in the crowd, trading 00:19:20.579 --> 00:19:23.180 tapes, the whole thing. As long as nobody was 00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:25.180 selling the recordings for profit, it was totally 00:19:25.180 --> 00:19:27.579 cool. That must have built incredible goodwill. 00:19:28.059 --> 00:19:31.500 Huge loyalty. In the pre -internet boom days, 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:34.980 that tape trading network was their social media, 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.400 their grassroots marketing. It kept the hardcore 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.680 fans connected and invested long after the radio 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:43.380 hits stopped coming. And that continues today. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.940 You can find thousands of fan recordings hosted 00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:48.619 legally on places like the Live Music Archive. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:50.380 It's a different relationship with the audience. 00:19:50.539 --> 00:19:52.619 Genre -wise, they've always been tricky to pin 00:19:52.619 --> 00:19:55.690 down to. Yeah, deliberately so, I think. Blues 00:19:55.690 --> 00:19:58.410 rock, folk rock, alternative rock, southern rock. 00:19:58.789 --> 00:20:01.890 You hear elements of all of that. It's this blend. 00:20:01.930 --> 00:20:04.369 But like you said earlier, it's always anchored 00:20:04.369 --> 00:20:07.069 by Popper's harmonica. That's the constant thread. 00:20:07.309 --> 00:20:09.029 We should touch on the other guys in the band, 00:20:09.029 --> 00:20:11.369 too, beyond Popper. Brendan Hill, the drummer. 00:20:11.529 --> 00:20:13.269 What's his story? Well, he was actually born 00:20:13.269 --> 00:20:16.269 in London, holds dual U .S. and Irish citizenship, 00:20:16.630 --> 00:20:18.950 lives out in Washington State now on Bainbridge 00:20:18.950 --> 00:20:20.849 Island. And he's got a pretty interesting side 00:20:20.849 --> 00:20:22.250 business out there, right? Well, he does. He 00:20:22.250 --> 00:20:24.450 owns a retail marijuana store called Paper and 00:20:24.450 --> 00:20:28.190 Leaf. Huh. Given some of Popper's later legal 00:20:28.190 --> 00:20:30.549 issues we'll get to, is there any connection 00:20:30.549 --> 00:20:33.109 or irony there? Doesn't seem like it. Seems more 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:34.910 like a straightforward business venture taking 00:20:34.910 --> 00:20:36.750 advantage of the legal status in Washington. 00:20:37.309 --> 00:20:39.390 He's also still drumming in a side project called 00:20:39.390 --> 00:20:41.849 Stolen Ogre, though it seems like Blues Traveler 00:20:41.849 --> 00:20:44.450 is obviously the main focus. Shows that independent 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:47.410 spirit, maybe. And Chan Kinchla, the guitarist. 00:20:47.490 --> 00:20:50.670 His sound is so crucial to their dynamic. Totally. 00:20:50.750 --> 00:20:53.809 That interplay between his guitar and Popper's 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:57.009 harmonica is fundamental. He's got a newer side 00:20:57.009 --> 00:21:01.650 project, too, something heavier, called W4RHRS3. 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.359 They started playing shows in L .A. back in early 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:07.079 2023, just keeping those creative fires burning 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:09.880 outside the main gig. You know, he's also known 00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:11.740 for playing those distinctive Paul Reed Smith 00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:14.400 guitars. OK, we can't really talk about Blues 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:16.539 Traveler without doing a deeper dive specifically 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:19.859 on the frontman. Let's get into the John Popper 00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:22.079 phenomenon. I mean, his voice, his harmonica 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.849 playing, his persona. It's all so central to 00:21:25.849 --> 00:21:27.849 what the band is. Absolutely. You could probably 00:21:27.849 --> 00:21:30.150 do a whole episode just on Popper. He's a fascinating 00:21:30.150 --> 00:21:32.869 figure, born in Cleveland, Ohio. His dad was 00:21:32.869 --> 00:21:35.069 an immigrant from Hungary. And apparently, he's 00:21:35.069 --> 00:21:37.650 related to a famous classical musician. Yeah, 00:21:37.690 --> 00:21:40.069 he believes he's related to David Popper, this 00:21:40.069 --> 00:21:42.529 well -known bohemian cellist from the 19th century, 00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:46.369 which is interesting because, by his own admission, 00:21:46.450 --> 00:21:48.730 he was not a natural musician, or at least not 00:21:48.730 --> 00:21:50.990 a willing one at first. Right, the stories say 00:21:50.990 --> 00:21:54.170 he hated his early music lessons. Piano, cello, 00:21:54.170 --> 00:21:57.670 guitar. Hated practicing, yeah. Apparently, he 00:21:57.670 --> 00:22:00.339 initially wanted to be a comedian. Used humor 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:03.319 to deal with being bullied as a kid. The big 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.660 shift came after he did a Blues Brothers routine 00:22:06.660 --> 00:22:08.420 with a friend for a talent show or something. 00:22:08.680 --> 00:22:10.680 That's when he discovered the harmonica. Just 00:22:10.680 --> 00:22:13.420 took to it. Obsessively. By the time he was in 00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:15.319 high school in Princeton, he was good enough 00:22:15.319 --> 00:22:17.519 and maybe persuasive enough to convince the jazz 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:19.759 band teacher to let him play harmonica instead 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:22.279 of trumpet. On what song? Apparently he busted 00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:25.000 out a solo on Thomas Dolby's She Blinded Me With 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:28.960 Science. Ah, that's amazing. Pure popper. Right. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:31.579 Raw talent meets sheer force of will. And when 00:22:31.579 --> 00:22:33.420 we talk about him as the harmonica technician, 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:35.779 it's because he really approached the instrument 00:22:35.779 --> 00:22:37.599 differently, didn't he? Totally differently. 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:39.700 It wasn't just an accessory. It was the lead 00:22:39.700 --> 00:22:42.279 instrument, like a lead guitar. His go -to is 00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:46.200 the Hauner Special 20 diatonic harmonica. He 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:48.779 calls it the Porsche of harmonicas. But the challenge 00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:50.539 with diatonic harmonicas is they're only in one 00:22:50.539 --> 00:22:53.420 key, right? And loose traveler songs jump around 00:22:53.420 --> 00:22:56.759 keys constantly. Exactly. So Popper needed a 00:22:56.759 --> 00:22:58.960 way to switch harmonicas instantly mid -solo 00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:01.660 without fumbling around. This led to maybe his 00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:04.859 most iconic visual trademark, at least for many 00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:08.740 years. Custom harmonica belt or bandolier. Right, 00:23:08.819 --> 00:23:11.019 the vest thing. Yeah, this custom -made vest 00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:13.799 or belt designed to hold harmonicas in all 12 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:16.500 keys plus spares right there on his chest or 00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:18.880 waist. He could grab the one he needed instantly 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:20.980 without even looking while singing or playing. 00:23:21.079 --> 00:23:23.599 It was an ingenious piece of practical engineering 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:26.079 born out of musical necessity. It really defined 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:28.180 his look for a long time, especially before his 00:23:28.180 --> 00:23:31.180 weight loss. Didn't that belt end up on TV? It 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:33.660 did. After his health transformation, it didn't 00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:35.539 fit anymore, and it actually got sold on the 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:38.539 show, Pawn Stars. Went for like $2 ,700, a piece 00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:40.819 of rock history. But the technical innovation 00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:43.240 wasn't just holding them. It was the sound, too. 00:23:43.420 --> 00:23:46.240 Right. He famously uses a special microphone 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:49.180 setup with switches, kind of like guitar pedals, 00:23:49.319 --> 00:23:53.299 to add effects, wah, distortion, delay directly 00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:55.680 to the harmonica. He wanted to sound like a guitar. 00:23:55.859 --> 00:23:58.480 He was inspired by Jimi Hendrix, wanting to manipulate 00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.599 the sound of his instrument the way Hendrix did 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:02.890 with the guitar. He completely changed what people 00:24:02.890 --> 00:24:05.089 thought a harmonica could sound like in a rock 00:24:05.089 --> 00:24:07.450 context. We touched on his health transformation 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:11.390 earlier. That 1999 heart surgery was a major 00:24:11.390 --> 00:24:15.269 wake -up call. Huge. That 95 % blockage, he was 00:24:15.269 --> 00:24:18.029 lucky to survive. It led to him eventually getting 00:24:18.029 --> 00:24:20.450 gastric bypass surgery. And he lost a significant 00:24:20.450 --> 00:24:22.450 amount of weight. Yeah, a dramatic transformation. 00:24:22.710 --> 00:24:25.750 He talks about it all very candidly in his autobiography 00:24:25.750 --> 00:24:28.849 from 2016, Suck and Blow. And other stories I'm 00:24:28.849 --> 00:24:30.819 not supposed to tell. Doesn't shy away from the 00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:33.319 struggles. His personal life and views have also 00:24:33.319 --> 00:24:35.319 attracted a lot of attention, particularly his 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:38.339 politics and his interest in weapons. We need 00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:40.640 to cover this impartially. Right. Politically, 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.079 he's described himself as a libertarian who is 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.319 a Republican when pushed. He also once said famously, 00:24:47.619 --> 00:24:50.000 I was a bleeding heart liberal until I got a 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.400 job, which suggests a shift over time. And his 00:24:53.400 --> 00:24:56.740 endorsements reflect that kind of. Fluidity, 00:24:56.859 --> 00:24:59.240 maybe. Definitely. You look at the record. He 00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:02.019 endorsed George W. Bush in 2004. Pretty standard 00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:04.519 Republican move. But then four years later, he 00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:07.740 voted for Barack Obama. OK. Then in 2012, he 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:10.400 was actively supporting Ron Paul, the libertarian 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:12.960 Republican. He even phone banked for him in New 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.019 Hampshire and played at a rally. Right. Back 00:25:15.019 --> 00:25:17.119 to the libertarian side. Exactly. And then in 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:19.279 2016, he said he didn't vote for either Trump 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:21.579 or Clinton. So it's not a straight party line 00:25:21.579 --> 00:25:24.200 thing. It seems more rooted in that libertarian 00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:26.460 ideal of individual freedom. whoever he feels 00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:28.380 best represents it at the time. He's also very 00:25:28.380 --> 00:25:30.720 outspoken about the Second Amendment. Very. He's 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.980 a major weapons collector. We're talking firearms, 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:36.319 swords. He even owns a functional Civil War cannon 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.859 that apparently cost him $10 ,000. A cannon. 00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:41.819 Wow. And he carries weapons. He stated he often 00:25:41.819 --> 00:25:44.579 carries firearms on stage in states where it's 00:25:44.579 --> 00:25:47.559 legal to do so. He sees it as exercising his 00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:50.180 rights. This passion led to a significant legal 00:25:50.180 --> 00:25:52.759 incident in 2007, didn't it, in Washington state? 00:25:53.019 --> 00:25:55.440 It did. He was a passenger in his own car when 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.740 it was pulled over for speeding. Police searched 00:25:57.740 --> 00:26:00.319 the vehicle and found hidden compartments. Containing 00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:03.539 weapons. Yes. The reports mention an arsenal. 00:26:03.940 --> 00:26:08.119 Four rifles, nine handguns, a switchblade, brass 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:11.039 knuckles, a taser, night vision goggles. Quite 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:13.259 a collection. Okay, but we need to be precise 00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:16.579 here for impartiality. What were the legal consequences? 00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:19.279 Right. Importantly, most of the firearms and 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:21.380 the taser were found to be legally registered 00:26:21.380 --> 00:26:23.480 and properly secured, according to Washington 00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:26.440 law at the time. So no charges were filed related 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:28.480 to those specific items. But some items were 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.539 illegal. The brass knuckles and the switchblade 00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:32.900 were prohibited. He agreed to surrender those. 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:35.240 There was also marijuana found in the car. What 00:26:35.240 --> 00:26:37.839 happened with the drug charge? It was a misdemeanor 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:41.150 marijuana possession charge. That charge was 00:26:41.150 --> 00:26:43.309 eventually dropped after Popper completed eight 00:26:43.309 --> 00:26:45.750 hours of required drug counseling and stayed 00:26:45.750 --> 00:26:48.450 out of trouble for a year. So while the headlines 00:26:48.450 --> 00:26:51.410 focused on the arsenal, the actual legal outcome 00:26:51.410 --> 00:26:54.289 centered on the prohibited items and the dismissed 00:26:54.289 --> 00:26:57.490 misdemeanor drug charge. Got it. And besides 00:26:57.490 --> 00:27:00.150 Blues Traveler, he's kept busy with other musical 00:27:00.150 --> 00:27:02.549 projects over the years, too. Oh, yeah. That 00:27:02.549 --> 00:27:05.430 solo album, Zygote, came out right around that 00:27:05.430 --> 00:27:08.170 awful time in 1999. He was part of that jam band 00:27:08.170 --> 00:27:11.170 supergroup Frogwings for a bit. Then he did the 00:27:11.170 --> 00:27:13.930 John Popper project with the DJ Logic in 2006, 00:27:14.150 --> 00:27:16.730 which was an interesting mix of rock and turntable 00:27:16.730 --> 00:27:19.910 -ism. And more recently, in 2011, he had an American 00:27:19.910 --> 00:27:22.289 roots band called John Popper and the Dusk Ray 00:27:22.289 --> 00:27:24.450 Troubadours, always exploring different sounds. 00:27:24.769 --> 00:27:26.710 Okay, so let's bring it up to the present day. 00:27:26.990 --> 00:27:29.390 The Modern Era and Blues Traveler's Endurance. 00:27:29.569 --> 00:27:32.529 Yeah. After they solidified that new five -piece 00:27:32.529 --> 00:27:34.670 lineup and went independent, what have they been 00:27:34.670 --> 00:27:37.049 focused on musically? They've stayed pretty consistently 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:39.470 active, releasing albums throughout the 2000s 00:27:39.470 --> 00:27:42.549 and 2010s. In 2007, they did an interesting album 00:27:42.549 --> 00:27:45.130 called Cover Yourself. What was the concept there? 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:47.640 It was basically a greatest hits collection, 00:27:47.859 --> 00:27:50.420 but instead of just compiling old tracks, they 00:27:50.420 --> 00:27:52.980 re -recorded everything acoustically, stripped 00:27:52.980 --> 00:27:55.859 down, reinterpreted versions of their own songs, 00:27:55.980 --> 00:27:58.619 kind of showed the songwriting strength underneath 00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:00.940 the jams. Then came North Hollywood Shootout 00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:04.380 in 2008. That one got some press for a guest 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:07.119 star, right? Yeah. Bruce Willis played harmonica 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:09.200 on one of the tracks, Free Willis. Bruce Willis 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:11.509 plays harmonica. Apparently. He's known to be 00:28:11.509 --> 00:28:13.890 a blues fan, so that was kind of a fun, unexpected 00:28:13.890 --> 00:28:16.490 collaboration. Then they kept putting out albums 00:28:16.490 --> 00:28:18.970 of original stuff. Blow Up the Moon in 2015, 00:28:19.269 --> 00:28:22.390 Hurry Up and Hang Around in 2018. Steady output. 00:28:22.650 --> 00:28:24.809 But their most recent direction seems like a 00:28:24.809 --> 00:28:26.710 really significant shift back to their roots. 00:28:26.990 --> 00:28:29.650 Absolutely. A really smart and, it turns out, 00:28:29.650 --> 00:28:33.450 successful pivot. In 2021, they released Traveler's 00:28:33.450 --> 00:28:36.009 Blues. Which was all covers. All blues covers, 00:28:36.170 --> 00:28:38.470 getting right back to the blues in Blues Traveler. 00:28:38.509 --> 00:28:40.309 And they brought in some great guests for it, 00:28:40.329 --> 00:28:44.349 like Keb Moe, Kristone, Kingfish, Ingram. Even 00:28:44.349 --> 00:28:47.210 Rita Wilson sang on a track. Rita Wilson, Tom 00:28:47.210 --> 00:28:50.390 Hanks' wife. The very same. She sings, too. It 00:28:50.390 --> 00:28:52.269 showed they still had respect and connections 00:28:52.269 --> 00:28:54.750 across the music world. And that album got some 00:28:54.750 --> 00:28:57.369 serious recognition, didn't it? It did. Huge 00:28:57.369 --> 00:28:59.690 validation for them. It earned a Grammy nomination 00:28:59.690 --> 00:29:01.869 for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 00:29:01.869 --> 00:29:05.019 Awards. Wow. From winning Best Rock Performance 00:29:05.019 --> 00:29:07.740 in the 90s to being nominated for Traditional 00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:10.599 Blues decades later. That's quite a journey. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:12.940 It really shows their musical depth and their 00:29:12.940 --> 00:29:16.500 willingness to evolve or maybe return to their 00:29:16.500 --> 00:29:19.380 core influences. It proved they were still vital 00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:21.619 and relevant in a whole different genre category. 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:23.559 And they seem to have liked that blueprint because 00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:26.230 they followed it up pretty quickly. Yep. In October 00:29:26.230 --> 00:29:30.029 2023, they released Traveler's Soul. Same idea, 00:29:30.190 --> 00:29:32.549 but this time focusing on classic R &B and soul 00:29:32.549 --> 00:29:34.869 covers. So it looks like this recent phase is 00:29:34.869 --> 00:29:37.170 about exploring and celebrating the foundational 00:29:37.170 --> 00:29:39.109 music that inspired them in the first place. 00:29:39.269 --> 00:29:41.710 Exactly. A band still finding new ways to express 00:29:41.710 --> 00:29:44.150 themselves even after, what, 35 plus years by 00:29:44.150 --> 00:29:46.309 looking back at the music they love. So when 00:29:46.309 --> 00:29:49.190 you look back at the whole trajectory, I mean. 00:29:49.789 --> 00:29:51.789 It's kind of staggering, isn't it? The sheer 00:29:51.789 --> 00:29:54.089 depth and length of Blues Traveler's career. 00:29:54.349 --> 00:29:56.529 It really is. From those high school days in 00:29:56.529 --> 00:29:58.750 Princeton, grinding it out in the New York clubs. 00:29:58.930 --> 00:30:01.930 To unexpected massive pop stardom. Surviving 00:30:01.930 --> 00:30:04.369 Popper's health crisis, which could easily have 00:30:04.369 --> 00:30:06.789 ended things. And then the absolute devastation 00:30:06.789 --> 00:30:10.099 of losing Bobby Sheehan, a founding member. Just 00:30:10.099 --> 00:30:12.259 gut -wrenching. And through all of that, navigating 00:30:12.259 --> 00:30:14.700 Popper's unique public persona, the legal stuff, 00:30:14.980 --> 00:30:17.880 yet still maintaining that incredible Red Rocks 00:30:17.880 --> 00:30:20.079 tradition year after year. And let's not forget 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:23.339 H -O -R -D -E. That festival genuinely changed 00:30:23.339 --> 00:30:25.480 the touring landscape for a whole generation 00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:28.839 of bands. A lasting contribution. Yeah, I think 00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:30.720 the real knowledge nugget here, the takeaway, 00:30:30.940 --> 00:30:33.619 is about resilience. Resilience built on, well, 00:30:33.680 --> 00:30:35.900 a couple of things. Like what? Like that foundational 00:30:35.900 --> 00:30:38.440 loyalty, those core relationships between Popper, 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.500 Hill. the Kinchela brothers now, but also, critically, 00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:44.839 their willingness to change. After the Sheehan 00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:47.680 tragedy. Exactly. They didn't just try to replace 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:50.700 him. They fundamentally transformed the band's 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:53.819 lineup, their sound, by adding keys. They adapted, 00:30:53.859 --> 00:30:56.539 and they combined that adaptability with sticking 00:30:56.539 --> 00:30:59.319 to traditions, like... The fan taping policy, 00:30:59.559 --> 00:31:01.519 which built this incredibly durable community 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:04.019 around them. That's how you sustain a career 00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:07.079 across decades and genres, I think. Community 00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:09.279 and transformation. Yeah. It's a powerful combination. 00:31:09.950 --> 00:31:11.869 Which kind of leads us to a final thought, something 00:31:11.869 --> 00:31:15.269 for you to chew on. Okay. We've seen Blues Traveler 00:31:15.269 --> 00:31:17.910 move pretty seamlessly, right? From gritty blues 00:31:17.910 --> 00:31:21.789 rock to massive pop success with 4. And now they're 00:31:21.789 --> 00:31:23.930 finding acclaim doing these dedicated blues and 00:31:23.930 --> 00:31:26.349 soul cover albums. Yeah. So what does that tell 00:31:26.349 --> 00:31:29.309 you about the power of that one single really 00:31:29.309 --> 00:31:32.029 distinctive musical element, John Popper's harmonica, 00:31:32.069 --> 00:31:35.109 that amplified technically brilliant, almost 00:31:35.109 --> 00:31:38.400 guitar -like sound? Is that the anchor? Is that 00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:41.339 Porsche of harmonicas treated like a lead instrument, 00:31:41.460 --> 00:31:42.880 the thing that holds it all together and allows 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:45.259 them to explore basically any musical territory 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:47.960 they want while still sounding definitively like 00:31:47.960 --> 00:31:50.200 blues traveler? That's a great question. Is the 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:53.220 harmonica the true constant that defines their 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:56.500 sound, no matter the genre? Something to definitely 00:31:56.500 --> 00:31:58.160 think about next time you hear that whale. For 00:31:58.160 --> 00:32:00.079 sure. All right, that's all the time we have 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:02.319 for this deep dive into the long, strange, and 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:04.160 remarkably enduring trip of blues traveler.