Welcome to the Deep Dive. This is where we take,
well, a whole mountain of information, history,
music, biography, and distill it down into the
knowledge shortcut you need. And today, we are
definitely strapping in. We are. We're diving
deep, really deep, into Blues Traveler, an American
rock band that's, frankly, pretty unique. Oh,
absolutely. Idiosyncratic is a good word, formed
back in 87 Princeton, New Jersey. And our mission
today, really, is to unpack how this group managed
it all. You know, Decades of success, pioneering
the HORDE Festival, dealing with immense tragedy,
transforming their lineup. It's quite a story.
It really is. They're known for those creative
segues in their live shows, right? But also those
huge hits. It's a strange mix in some ways. We
need to get a handle on their core identity first.
The lineup most people probably know, at least
initially, John Popper on vocals and that absolutely
unmistakable harmonica. Right. Chan Kinchela
on guitar, Brendan Hill pounding the drums, and
the late Bobby Sheehan on bass, the original
core four. And then the transformation we'll
get into later, bringing in Tad Kinchela, Chan's
brother, on bass, and Ben Wilson on keyboards,
making the quintet they are now. But yeah, when
you say blues traveler, most people immediately
think of the big singles. But anyway, kind of
laid the groundwork, but then run around and
hook. just took them to a whole different level
commercially. That mid 90s moment is definitely
the hook for a lot of people, isn't it? But it
almost hides the the depth and complexity of
their whole career. Exactly. And. Here's where
the deep dive really kicks off. That song Run
Around, it wasn't just big, it was massive. Won
the Grammys, right. Best rock performance by
a duo or group with vocal in 96. It did. But
even more surprising maybe is that it broke the
record for the most weeks ever spent on the Billboard
Hot 100 chart at the time. Wow. Think about that.
A band built on like seven minute improvised
jams. Having that kind of mainstream pop chart
longevity, it's kind of wild. Yeah, that really
sets the stage. A band bridging the jam scene
and, well, massive pop success. Okay, let's get
into it. Okay, let's rewind back to the very
beginning. The Foundation and the New York Grind.
This isn't one of those stories where a label
manufactured a band. This is pure... high school
garage band stuff, Princeton, New Jersey, mid
-80s. Totally. It starts with John Popper and
the drummer, Brendan Hill. They have this early
band called The Establishment. Yeah, very high
school name. Isn't it? They made some early cassette
demos, apparently played this wild mix of originals
and covers, like everything from Van Moreland's
Gloria to, get this, the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
Wow, okay. Eclectic from the start. Definitely.
And then the lineup we think of as the original
Blues Traveler really came together around 1987.
That's when Chan - Kinchela joined on guitar.
And his story is interesting too, right? He was
a football player. Yeah, a pretty promising one
in high school. But then he had this pretty serious
knee injury. And that was it for football. He
just decided, nope, music it is, full commitment.
That's a major pivot. Imagine going from potential
football career to co -founding a jam band giant.
It really is. And then came Bobby Sheehan, the
founding bassist. He and Popper became super
close. Once Sheehan joined... That was the quartet
still called the Blues Band at that point, actually.
OK. And this is where you get some of that early
band mythology, like the Black Cat Jam. Right.
I love these origin stories. What's the deal
with the Black Cat Jam? Well, the story goes
it was this epic jam session, probably in a basement
somewhere. And they basically came up with the
core ideas, the grooves for a bunch of songs
that ended up on their first album. And a black
cat was just. hanging out apparently just nearby
while all this creativity was happening so they
took it as a good omen you know adopted the black
cat as their mascot it kind of speaks to that
spontaneous maybe slightly superstitious vibe
they had early on that spontaneity definitely
fits with the name change too they didn't pick
a blues legend or anything nope blues traveler
comes from gozer the traveler the demon from
ghostbusters Exactly. Which is just such a wonderfully
random pop culture poll for a band name. Was
it meant to be ironic or just something funny
from their college days? Seems like a bit of
both. Youthful irreverence. Yeah. But anyway,
high school ends and they needed to get serious.
So where do you go in the late 80s if you're
an ambitious rock band? New York City. Bingo.
And they really committed. Popper, Hill and Sheehan
all enrolled in the music program at the new
school. Chan Kinchla. went to NYU. And crucially,
they all crammed into an apartment together over
on Bergen Street in Brooklyn. Right. Sharing
space. And that move just ignited their early
career. They played relentlessly. I mean, sometimes
nightly gigs across the New York circuit. They
got that regular Wednesday night slot at Wetlands,
didn't they? Yeah, Wetlands Preserve in Tribeca.
That place was legendary. The absolute hub for
that whole jam band roots rock scene that was
bubbling up, getting a regular contract there.
That was gold dust. Wow. They also played regularly
at the Nightingale over on the Lower East Side.
That venue actually inspired the song Defense
and Desire. And that Brooklyn apartment. It wasn't
just blues traveler incubating there, was it?
No. This is another key connection. They shared
the apartment with a high school friend, Chris
Barron. The singer for the Spin Doctors. Exactly.
So Popper and Hill actually started another band
with some other folks called the Trucking Company
initially that quickly morphed into the Spin
Doctors with Barron out front. So you literally
had two bands that would define so much of the
90s jam pop sound, living and breathing the same
air, sharing. the same space. Creating ideas,
influences. Yeah. It's pretty amazing when you
think about it. And you could see that connection
in their live shows back then too, right? They
did these joint concerts. Oh yeah. Multi -set
shows where they basically play nonstop, one
band flowing into the other. It wasn't like opener
and headliner. It felt more like a collective
communal thing. Fans from that era really remember
that energy. That kind of grind, that community.
It had to pay off eventually. It did, and pretty
quickly. They got spotted at a New York gig by
Patrick Clifford, who was a scout for A &M Records.
Sign the contract. And that was it for college?
Pretty much. Dropped out of their classes around
1990 to hit the road full time. They also got
some serious industry muscle behind them with
David Graham. Right. Son of the legendary Bill
Graham. Having him as management gave them instant
credibility, especially in that whole Grateful
Dead jam band world. Big connection. So the first
album, self -titled Blues Traveler, drops in
1990. Yep. But anyway, started getting traction
on college radio straight away. Then Travelers
and Thieves followed pretty quick in 91. And
then later that year, Bill Graham tragically
died in that helicopter crash. Yeah, and the
band released a live tribute EP on tour forever.
It really cemented their place in that lineage,
you know. They even had Carlos Santana guest
on it. Wow. Talk about starting strong. Major
label, legendary management, Santana guesting,
all within a couple years of leaving college.
They were definitely on their way. Okay, so moving
into the phase where things really start to accelerate,
mainstream breakthrough and cultural impact.
They laid the groundwork in New York, built a
following. But the leap to household name status,
that involves something maybe a bit unexpected,
late night TV. Yeah, you absolutely cannot talk
about their breakthrough without talking about
David Letterman. Yeah, I was a massive fan, wasn't
he? Huge. He wasn't shy about it either. He'd
openly call them his favorite band right there
on the show. For a band coming out of the jam
scene, having that kind of consistent, high -profile
championing from someone like Letterman. That
was just invaluable. And it wasn't just one appearance.
They were on The Late Show all the time. More
than any other musical artist in the show's history,
apparently. That's staggering. It wasn't just
playing a song. It was becoming part of the show's
fabric, constant national exposure. Did Paul
Schaefer ever play with them? He did. Letterman's
band leader played on some of their recordings,
too. It showed they could totally hang in that
tight mainstream media world, even though their
roots were in improvisation. But probably the
biggest thing they did in terms of shaping the
music scene itself was founding the H .O .R .D
.E. festival in 92. Oh, H .O .R .D .E. Yeah.
Horizons of rock developing everywhere. That
was a really conscious move. What was the thinking
behind it? Well, you had Lollapalooza, which
was huge then, focusing on alternative grunge,
that kind of thing. H .O .R .D .E. was deliberately
set up as the alternative. alternative maybe
it was built around the jam band ethos improvisation
longer sets that sort of grateful dead community
feel so they basically saw a gap in the touring
market for bands like themselves exactly and
they filled it brilliantly it gave bands like
fish widespread panic their old pals the spin
doctors a dedicated summer touring circuit where
they knew they'd find their audience it really
positioned blues traveler as leaders of that
whole scene didn't it More than just musicians,
but organizers, too. For sure. And the festival
was really successful, ran right through 98.
It really helped define that whole DIY, non -mainstream
touring model for a lot of bands in the 90s.
But even as they were building this incredible
thing with H .O .R .D .E., they hit a serious
roadblock, personally. Or rather, John Popper
did. Yeah, 1992, right when they were recording
their third album, Save His Soul. Popper had
a really bad motorcycle accident, landed him
in the hospital, needed surgery. That must have
thrown a wrench in the works. You'd think it
would stop everything, right? But this is where
you see their resilience, maybe, their work ethic.
They didn't cancel the tour. No. Nope. They just
resumed the shows with Popper performing from
a wheelchair. Wow. That sends a message. Totally.
It showed the fans, look, the music comes first,
the show goes on no matter what. That kind of
dedication builds serious loyalty. And that album
still came out, gave us singles like Defense
and Desire and Conquer Me. Okay, so all of this,
the Letterman bumps, HRDE, Overcoming the Accident,
it's all building momentum towards 1994. And
the album Four. Four. Yeah, this is the moment.
This is when Blues Traveler went from being kings
of the jam scene to, well, genuine mainstream
rock stars. The numbers on Four are just staggering.
Sold what, over six million copies? Worldwide,
yeah. Diamond status eventually. They worked
with producers Michael Barbiero and Steve Thompson,
who knew how to craft a hit sound. And that first
single, Run Around, that was the one that just
crossed over everywhere. We mentioned the Grammy
win earlier. That really put them on a different
map, didn't it? Certainly this harmonica -led
jam band is winning mainstream rock awards. It
proved there was this huge audience out there
for their sound, even beyond the dedicated jam
fans. And then the follow -up single, Hook, was
another massive hit. Hook is such a clever song,
too. It's literally about how catchy pop songs
are constructed to hook you in. Very meta. Totally.
And suddenly this band that encouraged fans to
tape their shows is playing like the biggest
stages imaginable. Woodstock 94. That's a big
one. Huge validation. Then they're opening for
the Rolling Stones. I mean, come on. Rock royalty.
And didn't they play SNL under dramatic circumstances?
They did. 1995 season premiere. Prince was supposed
to play but canceled last minute. Blues Travelers
stepped in. That showed how much trust and respect
they commanded in the industry by that point.
Peak visibility. Their music started showing
up in movies all over the place, too. Oh, yeah.
They did that cover of Secret Agent Man for Ace
Ventura, When Nature Calls. And Bob Seger's Get
Out of Denver for things to do in Denver when
you're dead. Plus, they had songs in Speed, Kingpin,
The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Their sound just
fit that mid -90s vibe. They actually appeared
in a movie, too, right? Blues Brothers 2000.
Yeah, they performed an original song, Maybe
I'm Wrong. in the film they were just woven into
the fabric of 90s pop culture at that point so
the follow -up album was straight on till morning
in 1997 right and it did well went platinum hit
number 11 on the billboard 200 carolina blues
was a decent single hit number four on the rock
charts but it wasn't four no it wasn't four matching
that kind of phenomenon is almost impossible
right but it was still a successful record and
they were planning something ambitious next weren't
they A concept album. Yeah, based on an Aesop's
fable, The North Wind and the Sun. They were
going to call it The Sun, The Storm, and The
Traveler. Sounds pretty complex, very conceptual.
But they never got to make it. No. Before they
could really dive into that project, everything
changed drastically. Yeah, this brings us to
a really difficult period. Tragedy, transformation,
and the new lineup. The year 1999 just hit them
with this one -two punch that almost ended the
band. It was an absolutely brutal year for them.
First, it was John Popper's health. In the summer
of 99, he needed emergency heart surgery. That
sounds serious. It was. Turned out he had a 95
% arterial blockage. He'd been struggling with
his weight, diabetes. Years of, as he put it,
compulsive overeating had really taken a toll.
He was facing a life -threatening situation.
And the immediate impact was they had to cancel
that big annual Red Rock show on July 4th, right?
Yep. First time in years they'd missed it. Suddenly
the band's future felt really uncertain, just
hanging on Popper's recovery. And then, while
he's still recovering, just weeks later, the
unthinkable happened. Yeah. August 20th, 1999.
Founding bassist Bobby Sheehan was found dead
in his home in New Orleans. Just devastating.
How old was he? Only 31. The official cause was
an accidental overdose, cocaine. Valium, heroin
were found in his system. God, these guys were
practically brothers. High school bandmates,
Brooklyn roommates. Losing Sheehan must have
been just shattering. Absolutely. It wasn't just
losing a bandmate. It was losing family. Popper's
solo album, Zygote, actually came out just days
after Sheehan died. But obviously nobody's focus
was on promoting music then. It was all about
grief and figuring out what, if anything, came
next. So the remaining three, Popper, Jan Kinchela,
Brennan Hill, they had to decide. This is the
end of Blues Traveler. Right. And according to
them, the decision was unanimous, though incredibly
difficult. They felt strongly that Bobby, who
was really the heart and soul of that early band
in many ways, would have wanted them to keep
the music going. That decision then led to, well,
a pretty unconventional way to find a new bassist.
Highly unconventional. They held auditions during
their live shows. Seriously. Just threw people
on stage. Pretty much. Imagine the pressure.
Walking out cold, no rehearsal, in front of thousands
of fans who are grieving the guy you're replacing,
who is also a founding member and best friend
to the other guys on stage. That's intense. Monumental
pressure. And the first guy to try out was Tad
Kinchla, Chan's younger brother. Yep, Tad Kinchla.
He had this interesting background. Brown University
grad, studied political science, played upright
bass when he was younger. He auditioned first.
And they just picked him. Unanimously, yeah.
And get this. His audition was literally the
band's first performance after Sheehan's death.
He had zero rehearsal time with them before stepping
on that stage, had to just jump in and find the
groove. Incredible. And they decided to add another
member, too. Yeah, they took this moment of rebuilding
to finally do something Sheehan had apparently
always pushed for. adding a permanent keyboard
player to kind of fill out the sound exactly
so in january 2000 they brought in ben wilson
he came from a band called big dave and the ultrasonics
more of a jump blues outfit and wilson became
more than just a keyboard player oh yeah he quickly
became a key songwriter really integrated into
the creative core of the band brought a fresh
perspective So the classic quartet sound was
gone. They were now a quintet with a fundamentally
different dynamic, a broader sound. And that
ambitious concept album about the fable. That
got scrapped, understandably, I think. After
everything they'd just been through, maybe something
that heavy or conceptual just didn't feel right.
They needed a fresh start emotionally and musically.
So they started writing new material together
as this new five -piece band. Right. And that
resulted in the album Bridge, which came out
in 2001. The original title was going to be A
Bridge Out of Brooklyn. Ah, a tribute to Sheehan,
B .O .B. Exactly, Brooklyn Bobby. It was clearly
meant as a marker, a transition, an emotional
pivot. He had a couple of singles, Girl Inside
My Head, Just For Me. They got some airplay.
Yeah, but it wasn't like the four days. That
massive mainstream wave had definitely crested.
And then things got tougher on the business side,
too. A &M dropped him. Yeah, 2002. part of some
big corporate restructuring at the label. So
just as they'd rebuilt the band personally, their
major label deal ended. End of an era. How did
they react to that? They pivoted smartly, I think.
They embraced being independent, signed with
Sanctuary Records for the next album, Truth Be
Told, then moved to Vanguard Records for Bastardos
in 2005. And that Vanguard album, Bastardos.
That felt like a statement, didn't it? They worked
with Jay Bennett on that. Yeah. Jay Bennett,
who'd been in Wilco, working with him definitely
signaled a shift away from the major label Pop
Polish and back towards more rock and indie sensibilities.
Right. They really promoted Bastardo's as like,
this is us getting back to the music we want
to play. It wasn't a huge seller, but it charted
respectably on the independent albums chart.
It felt like they'd weathered the storm, the
tragedy, the lineup change, losing the label,
and forged a new path forward. So let's talk
about that path forward and the enduring cultural
footprint. Because even after the huge pop success
faded, Blues Traveler maintained this incredibly
dedicated fan base and, well, a unique place
in the rock landscape. A lot of that has to do
with their live shows, right? Especially one
particular tradition. Oh, absolutely. You really
can't discuss their legacy without talking about
Red Rocks. The Independence Day shows. It's got
to be one of the most iconic, long -running traditions
in American rock. Headlining Red Rocks Amphitheater
in Colorado every July 4th. Since when did that
start? Since 1994. Think about that commitment.
Every single year. Have they ever missed it?
only twice in nearly three decades. They missed
1999, which we mentioned because Popper was recovering
from heart surgery, and they missed 2020. Like,
everyone missed everything because of the pandemic.
Otherwise, clockwork. July 4th, Red Rocks, Blues
Traveler. It's more than just a concert at this
point, isn't it? Oh, it's a pilgrimage. Fans
plan vacations around it, travel from all over
the country. It's become the central event in
the band's calendar and the fans' lives. And
they use those shows specifically, right, to
try out new stuff. Definitely. It's where they
often debut new songs or bring back old deep
cuts that haven't been played in ages. It's a
celebration of their history and their future.
The 2003 shows were so significant they released
them as a live album. live on the rocks and a
dvd thinnest of air Ziggy Marley even showed
up for that one. Wow. That tradition really speaks
to the whole jam band ethos they helped shape.
And another huge part of that was their attitude
towards fan recordings. Yeah, the taping policy.
They were pioneers in that, really embracing
it from the start. They just let fans record
the shows. Not just let them, they actively encouraged
it. Microphones on stands in the crowd, trading
tapes, the whole thing. As long as nobody was
selling the recordings for profit, it was totally
cool. That must have built incredible goodwill.
Huge loyalty. In the pre -internet boom days,
that tape trading network was their social media,
their grassroots marketing. It kept the hardcore
fans connected and invested long after the radio
hits stopped coming. And that continues today.
You can find thousands of fan recordings hosted
legally on places like the Live Music Archive.
It's a different relationship with the audience.
Genre -wise, they've always been tricky to pin
down to. Yeah, deliberately so, I think. Blues
rock, folk rock, alternative rock, southern rock.
You hear elements of all of that. It's this blend.
But like you said earlier, it's always anchored
by Popper's harmonica. That's the constant thread.
We should touch on the other guys in the band,
too, beyond Popper. Brendan Hill, the drummer.
What's his story? Well, he was actually born
in London, holds dual U .S. and Irish citizenship,
lives out in Washington State now on Bainbridge
Island. And he's got a pretty interesting side
business out there, right? Well, he does. He
owns a retail marijuana store called Paper and
Leaf. Huh. Given some of Popper's later legal
issues we'll get to, is there any connection
or irony there? Doesn't seem like it. Seems more
like a straightforward business venture taking
advantage of the legal status in Washington.
He's also still drumming in a side project called
Stolen Ogre, though it seems like Blues Traveler
is obviously the main focus. Shows that independent
spirit, maybe. And Chan Kinchla, the guitarist.
His sound is so crucial to their dynamic. Totally.
That interplay between his guitar and Popper's
harmonica is fundamental. He's got a newer side
project, too, something heavier, called W4RHRS3.
They started playing shows in L .A. back in early
2023, just keeping those creative fires burning
outside the main gig. You know, he's also known
for playing those distinctive Paul Reed Smith
guitars. OK, we can't really talk about Blues
Traveler without doing a deeper dive specifically
on the frontman. Let's get into the John Popper
phenomenon. I mean, his voice, his harmonica
playing, his persona. It's all so central to
what the band is. Absolutely. You could probably
do a whole episode just on Popper. He's a fascinating
figure, born in Cleveland, Ohio. His dad was
an immigrant from Hungary. And apparently, he's
related to a famous classical musician. Yeah,
he believes he's related to David Popper, this
well -known bohemian cellist from the 19th century,
which is interesting because, by his own admission,
he was not a natural musician, or at least not
a willing one at first. Right, the stories say
he hated his early music lessons. Piano, cello,
guitar. Hated practicing, yeah. Apparently, he
initially wanted to be a comedian. Used humor
to deal with being bullied as a kid. The big
shift came after he did a Blues Brothers routine
with a friend for a talent show or something.
That's when he discovered the harmonica. Just
took to it. Obsessively. By the time he was in
high school in Princeton, he was good enough
and maybe persuasive enough to convince the jazz
band teacher to let him play harmonica instead
of trumpet. On what song? Apparently he busted
out a solo on Thomas Dolby's She Blinded Me With
Science. Ah, that's amazing. Pure popper. Right.
Raw talent meets sheer force of will. And when
we talk about him as the harmonica technician,
it's because he really approached the instrument
differently, didn't he? Totally differently.
It wasn't just an accessory. It was the lead
instrument, like a lead guitar. His go -to is
the Hauner Special 20 diatonic harmonica. He
calls it the Porsche of harmonicas. But the challenge
with diatonic harmonicas is they're only in one
key, right? And loose traveler songs jump around
keys constantly. Exactly. So Popper needed a
way to switch harmonicas instantly mid -solo
without fumbling around. This led to maybe his
most iconic visual trademark, at least for many
years. Custom harmonica belt or bandolier. Right,
the vest thing. Yeah, this custom -made vest
or belt designed to hold harmonicas in all 12
keys plus spares right there on his chest or
waist. He could grab the one he needed instantly
without even looking while singing or playing.
It was an ingenious piece of practical engineering
born out of musical necessity. It really defined
his look for a long time, especially before his
weight loss. Didn't that belt end up on TV? It
did. After his health transformation, it didn't
fit anymore, and it actually got sold on the
show, Pawn Stars. Went for like $2 ,700, a piece
of rock history. But the technical innovation
wasn't just holding them. It was the sound, too.
Right. He famously uses a special microphone
setup with switches, kind of like guitar pedals,
to add effects, wah, distortion, delay directly
to the harmonica. He wanted to sound like a guitar.
He was inspired by Jimi Hendrix, wanting to manipulate
the sound of his instrument the way Hendrix did
with the guitar. He completely changed what people
thought a harmonica could sound like in a rock
context. We touched on his health transformation
earlier. That 1999 heart surgery was a major
wake -up call. Huge. That 95 % blockage, he was
lucky to survive. It led to him eventually getting
gastric bypass surgery. And he lost a significant
amount of weight. Yeah, a dramatic transformation.
He talks about it all very candidly in his autobiography
from 2016, Suck and Blow. And other stories I'm
not supposed to tell. Doesn't shy away from the
struggles. His personal life and views have also
attracted a lot of attention, particularly his
politics and his interest in weapons. We need
to cover this impartially. Right. Politically,
he's described himself as a libertarian who is
a Republican when pushed. He also once said famously,
I was a bleeding heart liberal until I got a
job, which suggests a shift over time. And his
endorsements reflect that kind of. Fluidity,
maybe. Definitely. You look at the record. He
endorsed George W. Bush in 2004. Pretty standard
Republican move. But then four years later, he
voted for Barack Obama. OK. Then in 2012, he
was actively supporting Ron Paul, the libertarian
Republican. He even phone banked for him in New
Hampshire and played at a rally. Right. Back
to the libertarian side. Exactly. And then in
2016, he said he didn't vote for either Trump
or Clinton. So it's not a straight party line
thing. It seems more rooted in that libertarian
ideal of individual freedom. whoever he feels
best represents it at the time. He's also very
outspoken about the Second Amendment. Very. He's
a major weapons collector. We're talking firearms,
swords. He even owns a functional Civil War cannon
that apparently cost him $10 ,000. A cannon.
Wow. And he carries weapons. He stated he often
carries firearms on stage in states where it's
legal to do so. He sees it as exercising his
rights. This passion led to a significant legal
incident in 2007, didn't it, in Washington state?
It did. He was a passenger in his own car when
it was pulled over for speeding. Police searched
the vehicle and found hidden compartments. Containing
weapons. Yes. The reports mention an arsenal.
Four rifles, nine handguns, a switchblade, brass
knuckles, a taser, night vision goggles. Quite
a collection. Okay, but we need to be precise
here for impartiality. What were the legal consequences?
Right. Importantly, most of the firearms and
the taser were found to be legally registered
and properly secured, according to Washington
law at the time. So no charges were filed related
to those specific items. But some items were
illegal. The brass knuckles and the switchblade
were prohibited. He agreed to surrender those.
There was also marijuana found in the car. What
happened with the drug charge? It was a misdemeanor
marijuana possession charge. That charge was
eventually dropped after Popper completed eight
hours of required drug counseling and stayed
out of trouble for a year. So while the headlines
focused on the arsenal, the actual legal outcome
centered on the prohibited items and the dismissed
misdemeanor drug charge. Got it. And besides
Blues Traveler, he's kept busy with other musical
projects over the years, too. Oh, yeah. That
solo album, Zygote, came out right around that
awful time in 1999. He was part of that jam band
supergroup Frogwings for a bit. Then he did the
John Popper project with the DJ Logic in 2006,
which was an interesting mix of rock and turntable
-ism. And more recently, in 2011, he had an American
roots band called John Popper and the Dusk Ray
Troubadours, always exploring different sounds.
Okay, so let's bring it up to the present day.
The Modern Era and Blues Traveler's Endurance.
Yeah. After they solidified that new five -piece
lineup and went independent, what have they been
focused on musically? They've stayed pretty consistently
active, releasing albums throughout the 2000s
and 2010s. In 2007, they did an interesting album
called Cover Yourself. What was the concept there?
It was basically a greatest hits collection,
but instead of just compiling old tracks, they
re -recorded everything acoustically, stripped
down, reinterpreted versions of their own songs,
kind of showed the songwriting strength underneath
the jams. Then came North Hollywood Shootout
in 2008. That one got some press for a guest
star, right? Yeah. Bruce Willis played harmonica
on one of the tracks, Free Willis. Bruce Willis
plays harmonica. Apparently. He's known to be
a blues fan, so that was kind of a fun, unexpected
collaboration. Then they kept putting out albums
of original stuff. Blow Up the Moon in 2015,
Hurry Up and Hang Around in 2018. Steady output.
But their most recent direction seems like a
really significant shift back to their roots.
Absolutely. A really smart and, it turns out,
successful pivot. In 2021, they released Traveler's
Blues. Which was all covers. All blues covers,
getting right back to the blues in Blues Traveler.
And they brought in some great guests for it,
like Keb Moe, Kristone, Kingfish, Ingram. Even
Rita Wilson sang on a track. Rita Wilson, Tom
Hanks' wife. The very same. She sings, too. It
showed they still had respect and connections
across the music world. And that album got some
serious recognition, didn't it? It did. Huge
validation for them. It earned a Grammy nomination
for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022
Awards. Wow. From winning Best Rock Performance
in the 90s to being nominated for Traditional
Blues decades later. That's quite a journey.
It really shows their musical depth and their
willingness to evolve or maybe return to their
core influences. It proved they were still vital
and relevant in a whole different genre category.
And they seem to have liked that blueprint because
they followed it up pretty quickly. Yep. In October
2023, they released Traveler's Soul. Same idea,
but this time focusing on classic R &B and soul
covers. So it looks like this recent phase is
about exploring and celebrating the foundational
music that inspired them in the first place.
Exactly. A band still finding new ways to express
themselves even after, what, 35 plus years by
looking back at the music they love. So when
you look back at the whole trajectory, I mean.
It's kind of staggering, isn't it? The sheer
depth and length of Blues Traveler's career.
It really is. From those high school days in
Princeton, grinding it out in the New York clubs.
To unexpected massive pop stardom. Surviving
Popper's health crisis, which could easily have
ended things. And then the absolute devastation
of losing Bobby Sheehan, a founding member. Just
gut -wrenching. And through all of that, navigating
Popper's unique public persona, the legal stuff,
yet still maintaining that incredible Red Rocks
tradition year after year. And let's not forget
H -O -R -D -E. That festival genuinely changed
the touring landscape for a whole generation
of bands. A lasting contribution. Yeah, I think
the real knowledge nugget here, the takeaway,
is about resilience. Resilience built on, well,
a couple of things. Like what? Like that foundational
loyalty, those core relationships between Popper,
Hill. the Kinchela brothers now, but also, critically,
their willingness to change. After the Sheehan
tragedy. Exactly. They didn't just try to replace
him. They fundamentally transformed the band's
lineup, their sound, by adding keys. They adapted,
and they combined that adaptability with sticking
to traditions, like... The fan taping policy,
which built this incredibly durable community
around them. That's how you sustain a career
across decades and genres, I think. Community
and transformation. Yeah. It's a powerful combination.
Which kind of leads us to a final thought, something
for you to chew on. Okay. We've seen Blues Traveler
move pretty seamlessly, right? From gritty blues
rock to massive pop success with 4. And now they're
finding acclaim doing these dedicated blues and
soul cover albums. Yeah. So what does that tell
you about the power of that one single really
distinctive musical element, John Popper's harmonica,
that amplified technically brilliant, almost
guitar -like sound? Is that the anchor? Is that
Porsche of harmonicas treated like a lead instrument,
the thing that holds it all together and allows
them to explore basically any musical territory
they want while still sounding definitively like
blues traveler? That's a great question. Is the
harmonica the true constant that defines their
sound, no matter the genre? Something to definitely
think about next time you hear that whale. For
sure. All right, that's all the time we have
for this deep dive into the long, strange, and
remarkably enduring trip of blues traveler.