In this conversation, Pepe Bandit and Jo Rodriguez discuss the impact of music on their lives, particularly folk punk music. They share personal stories of how certain musicians or songs have helped them through difficult times and provided a sense of grounding. They also discuss imposter syndrome and the challenges of feeling like they don't belong in certain spaces or conversations. Jo mentions her experience growing up in a (ex)Mormon family and how it has influenced her music. She plans to write a song about her parents' journey out of the Mormon church as a way to find forgiveness and peace. The conversation covers various themes, including anger towards parents, the impact of trauma, the desire to have a house venue, and the narration of an audiobook.

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

takeaways

• Music has the power to provide comfort and grounding during difficult times
• Happy Happy, Apes Of The State & Rent Strike stories
• Imposter syndrome is a common experience, even for musicians and podcasters
• Personal experiences, such as growing up in a religious community, can shape an artist's music and lyrics
• Religious trauma
• Writing songs can be a way to find forgiveness and peace
• Sharing personal stories and vulnerabilities through music can create connections and resonate with listeners.
• Having a house venue can be a way to give back to the community
• Narrating an audiobook can be a meaningful way to contribute to projects that explore important themes and experiences
• Exploring personal experiences and emotions through music can be cathartic and healing
• We play the song "Practical Advice" by Jo Rodriguez

Connect with Jo Rodriguez:

Instagram - instagram.com/jobanjobanjo/?hl=en

Facebook - facebook.com/people/Jo-Rodriguez/100004513473999/?ref=xav_ig_profile_web

Website - jobanjobanjo.com/

Listen to Jo Rodriguez music:

Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/2xADBEPdn61I8UPTHbJ2Xw

Bandcamp - jobanjobanjo.bandcamp.com/

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

Follow/engage with the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• StayFreeCoffee.com

***Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will also enjoy it.
2. Leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"In any corner of the radical left it makes most sense for this conversation to be happening, in my opinion, it's in the folk punk world."

Community organizer and musician shugE joins Pepe to discuss the tactics of cancel culture & rethink if they align with folk punk & radical politics in general. Is cancel culture the best way to create a better world? Does it reproduce harmful aspects of the carceral/prison system? Plenty of folks have expressed concerns & fears about discussing these topics freely . As a result the conversation very often happens privately, outside the public discourse but, shugE & Pepe choose to have it openly through this public platform. The conversation is at times difficult & uncomfortable but remains honest with a desire for a better world full of more compassion & care for every one of us living in it. We close out playing the song "With Me" by shugE.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Organizing with the IWW
• Getting canceled & getting exonerated
• Seeking out commonalities rather than our differences
• Does cancel culture even exist?
• Famous people & cancel culture
• Defining cancel culture
• Pepe realizes the similarities between cancel culture & his own incarceration experience
• Hypocrisy of supporting prison abolition & cancel culture/putting people in social prisons
• Working with people who experienced sexual abuse/assault
• Working with people who have problematic/harmful behaviors
• Restorative justice
• Why cancel culture is attractive
• Getting to a place of healing
• Daryl Davis & the KKK story
• Self-censorship
• The recovery movement & its role in questioning cancel culture
• Folkpunk has a history of embracing the "rejects" of society
• The "commons" as a place for open discussion
• We play the song "With Me" by shugE

Connect with shugE:

instagram.com/shugemusic/

shugemusic.com

Liste to shugE music:

open.spotify.com/artist/6K0YGX255v474682p6eZnf

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

Follow/engage with the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

***Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will also enjoy it.
2. Leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Crunch comes on to share his story of opening a successful gay bar (The LURE) in the 90's. We also dive into what it was like to discover punk rock & the fact he was gay when he was younger. From there we follow his story to becoming a state trooper at 19, facing harassment/resigning, moving to NYC, getting sober, supporting folk punk and much more. Overall, John is just a regular guy who lived an interesting life & loves folk punk. Enjoy!

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• John's early life & intro to punk rock
• Having ADHD in the 80's
• Coming to acknowledge he was gay
• Getting hired as a state trooper at a young age
• Difficulties & resigning from a homophobic job
• Thoughts on NYC & Opening a gay bar in the 90's
• The intersection of punk & gay culture
• Why investors of the LURE (gay bar) didn't want their real names to be known
• How mainstream culture viewed the gay community in the 90's
• Complications opening & running a gay bar
• Pros & Cons (for communities) with the rise of the internet/apps
• Discovering & supporting folk punk
• Getting injured & developing a new understanding of disability
• Getting sober
• Favorite folk punk bands
• Song - "I Love You To Death" by Never Say Surrender

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

Follow/engage with the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

***Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will also enjoy it.
2. Leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first Back On The Grind Coffee Break. Our Coffee Breaks will appear occasionally & feature moments from our regular or exclusive patreon episodes. The Coffee Break is a way we can give you a quick glimpse into what happens here at Back On The Grind.

This Coffee Break features Ceschi & Pat (formerly Pat The Bunny) discussing musical inspirations.

FREE SHIPPING ON COFFEE ROASTED BY PEPE BANDIT

The following link should automatically apply the free shipping on any 2 bags of coffee from Bandit Coffee Roasters:

https://banditcoffeeroasters.com/discount/BANDIT

Or you can visit BanditCoffeeRoasters.com & enter the following promo code yourself for free shipping on any 2 bags:

BANDIT *(in all caps)

Support the podcast on Patreon & get exclusive content & merch:

https://www.patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Connect with Back On The Grind

https://www.instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/

Listen to more from Ceschi on episode 11 of Back On The Grind:

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/7pGQaUXHR6Felni0LXhZsX?si=0a51b5e02dc146f7

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/back-on-the-grind/id1681556943?i=1000626427872

RSS - https://shows.acast.com/64262419c18b8b00116c6fb0/64ee61d40ead910011a46d42

Thanks for taking this Coffee Break with us :)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I used to feel like I was constantly fucking up, constantly doing the wrong thing...and that's where I was living for a number of years; always feeling bad about myself."

Michael Schneeweis shares what it was like to release music as Pat The Bunny's younger brother. He then goes on to engage in a deep conversation largely focused on areas of spiritual exploration & practice. Pepe shares a very personal story that spans from his childhood to his recent incarceration. Expect to learn about the Self & the ego as well. If you are curious about engaging with spirituality or wanting to move further along with a current practice, you will find valuable insight throughout this conversation. We close by exploring Michael's several visits to Cambodia. Overall, this is an impactful episode that is both informative & powerful. We close by playing a song Michael wrote about his brother Pat (the Bunny).

Support the podcast/get bonus episodes + goods

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Releasing music when Pat The Bunny is your older brother
• Why Michael was full of guilt
• The difference between spirituality & religion
• 4 elements innate to all humans (physical, mental, emotional & spiritual)
• Michael's recent change in how he views spirituality
• The path of spiritual cultivation is not linear
• Pepe's personal & spiritual story from prison
• Interpreting the Buddhist concept of "no self"
• Breaking down the ego & building a healthy ego
• The goal is not to annihilate the ego
• Service is an important part of spirituality
• Michael's visits to Cambodia
• Khmer Children Education Organization
• We play the song "Dent"

SUPPORT KHMER CHILDEREN EDUCATION ORGANIZATION:

KCEO Website

khmerchildren.org/

Laptop Drive for KCEO

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiVGF8Gu9WeymNlKdEgYycWYZr8VXe6RaovBWwblMye-lXZQ/viewform

CONNECT WITH MICHAEL SCHNEEWEIS:

Spotify

open.spotify.com/artist/1Mlogkt2ZcQqtMoaSd7AXU?si=QgwidgTrS6-61Pk5UkY4Wg

Bandcamp

michaelschneeweis.bandcamp.com/

Website

michaelschneeweis.com/

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify or Instagram (we read them all)

Follow/engage with the podcast on Instagram

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

***Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two simple things you can do to help keep this podcast going strong:

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will also enjoy it.
2. Leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Responding to your questions & comments, Pepe is joined by his wife Lee Bandit as they share thoughts on the things listeners have been saying & asking. It's a wide ranging episode that will leave you even more connected to your host & his wife as they offer some honest, fun & serious answers to what listeners have been wanting to know.

Do you have any questions of your own? Please send them to us at Podcast@backonthegrindrecords.com or on Instagram instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/ We guarantee results!!!

***If you or someone you care about needs support, SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• I'm in my 20's, any advice? Q&A
• Thoughts on controlling your emotions
• Reflections on heartbreak
• 3 ways people respond to difficulties in life
• I have no idea what my passion is, what should I do? Q&A
• Opportunities vs. Passion
• What did you learn from your time in prison? Q&A
• The value in being less agreeable
• Pepe's wife doesn't need him & why that's a good thing
• The meaning behind the name of the podcast
• Pepe changed his mind about hustle culture
• What folk punk bands do you think deserve more listeners? Q&A
• I’m struggling in my relationship of 5 years...Any advice would be appreciated. Q&A
• Learn how to fight as a couple
• What do you do on the weekends? Q&A
• Pat (the Bunny) & Days N Daze coming over for breakfast

Folk Punk Recommendations:

Jo Rodriguez - Practical Advice

Spotify open.spotify.com/track/03EPh8gaTO9xd5YERKXZ7m?si=a95fdebe665a4a19

Bandcamp flowerpotrecords.bandcamp.com/track/practical-advice

The Looms - Mourning Star

Spotify open.spotify.com/track/4XVC9QLLZ6GS7xD71LIkpk?si=ca0be3d4ce004ead

Bandcamp thelooms.bandcamp.com/track/mourning-star

Trash Boat And The Ambush - Benediction

Spotify open.spotify.com/track/0Jf9nigV5SF61l2mVf7kQ6?si=a4ab63de7116443e

Bandcamp trashboatandtheambush.bandcamp.com/track/benediction-2

Swamp Rats - Butcher Knife:

Spotify open.spotify.com/track/02evVEFF5xfItNKiiPSCF1?si=b17d43e065a44891

Bandcamp swampratsmusic.bandcamp.com/track/butcher-knife

Rosa - Scan To Print:

Spotify open.spotify.com/track/0EuNgurxlcPpjqOBlhtPL2?si=93250d909e3c4203

YouTube youtube.com/watch?v=wDInDJby8tc

Send us questions, comments or future topic suggestions to

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com
• Leave a comment/question on Spotify (we read them all)
• Message us on Instagram

Follow/engage with the podcast

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

Word of mouth really matters to us. Here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going

1. Share your favorite episode with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this :)

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm not responsible for my disease but I am responsible for my sobriety"

***If you or someone you care about needs support, SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Paulie Think, a punk rock B-boy speaks very openly with Pepe about his struggles with addiction, the behaviors it's caused & his path towards a healthier place in life. Talk of confronting the demons of substance abuse disorder to finding a more spiritual meaning & supporting others along the way. Pepe shares what it has been like the various times he has tried to be a support to someone who is caught up in active addiction. Then they discuss what led Paulie to the B-boy & punk rock subcultures in the 80's & certain aspects of the folkpunk community more recently. We close out playing the track "Suicide" by Paulie Think.

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Meeting Pat The Bunny in a basement
• Stigma & shame ingrained in the culture kills people
• Stealing from Pepe/the Bandits
• The conversation had when Paulie was using while living with Pepe
• Enabling behavior is coming from a good spot
• Police interactions in the 90's vs now
• Advice if your trying to support someone struggling with addiction
• It's not a shortcoming on you if you can't make someone get sober
• Doing spiritual work in response to addiction
• What led Paulie to the B-boy & punk rock cultures
• Diversity in punk rock
• Staying open minded/challenging our own beliefs
• Song "Suicide" by Paulie Think

Connect With Paulie Think

• instagram.com/pauliethink/?hl=en

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com

Follow the podcast

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pepe Bandit & Folk Punk Dad respond to a listener question about building community in a small town. Then they reflect on what it's been like to be podcasting for over a year & they discuss some changes you can expect with the podcast. We close out playing the song "Ghost Of Apartment B2" by Tall Travis because it wasn't ready when we originally released their episode a few months back.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Folk Punk Dad recalls growing up in a small town
• Open mics & other tools to help start building community around music
• Don't limit yourself to folk punk when building community
• The small town community built around the DIY Bandits was not folk punk at all
• Trust is required whenever building community
• Uncomfortable situations within the DIY Bandits community
• The risk associated with building a community open to all kinds of people
• Being welcoming of everyone to help change minds while also setting boundaries to keep some people out
• Unacceptable behaviors of others & extreme intolerance of our own are both problematic
• How books helped Pepe build community in prison
• Seeking an inner circle vs. seeking community
• What the podcast will look like as Folk Punk Dad moves away to a new community
• Thoughts on doing a weekly podcast
• We play "Ghost Of Apartment B2" by Tall Travis

Support the podcast & get bonus material

• patreon.com/BackontheGrind

Send us feedback around this episode (or others) or ask a question for possible discussion on a future episode

• Podcast@BackOnTheGrindRecords.com

Follow the podcast

• instagram.com/backonthegrindpod/?hl=engram

Get Coffee for the Bandit in you roasted by Pepe

• BanditCoffeeRoasters.com

Word of mouth really matters! If you like what you heard, here's two things you can do to help keep this podcast going

1. Share the podcast with a friend who you think will find value in it.
2. Please leave us a rating or review. It will help us reach & support more folks like you & that's why we do this!

Stay Free until next time!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.