Anti-Heroes with Zach Blair Zach Blair

In this final episode of season 5 Zach gives thanks and recaps. Thank you to all the listeners and guests. We'll be back with season 6 before you can learn a Rise Against guitar solo! (Please share your solos in if you beat us!)
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Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with one of his all-time idols and inspirations, Andy Kerr from NoMeansNo!!! Throughout his career Andy has been very elusive, even going so far as to never crediting his real name on the records he’s played on. Pre-internet, this proved very tricky for a young Zach to find out who was playing his favorite riffs in one of his favorite bands, No Means No. Zach finally gets to meet the man behind this inspiring riffage and ask him "all the questions". The two discuss Andy's tenure in NoMeansNo, his preferred guitar throughout his career and his projects outside of NMN. Andy shares his journey in finding the right guitar sound and how he stumbled upon his signature distortion by accident. Andy tells us about his experience in the Canadian punk scene, hips us to the new biography NoMeansNO: From Obscurity to Oblivion: An Oral History and we get a surprise visit from the author, Jason Lamb!

Andy Kerr
No Means No
Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with Ryan 'Fluff' Bruce, the creator of the popular YouTube channel Riffs, Beards & Gear. They discuss Ryan’s journey from working at Boeing to becoming one of the most successful guitar YouTubers. Fluff tells us how he started making videos as a hobby during his lunch breaks and eventually turned it into a full-time career. He also talks about the early days of YouTube guitar channels and the frustration he felt with the lack of transparency in the industry. Fluff shares his experiences working with companies, the changing landscape of the music industry and his experience of using YouTube to reach a wider audience. Fluff and Zach discuss the organic process of creating music and the joy of sharing it with others. Ryan shares his experiences touring and teching and reflects on losing and selling some of his favorite gear. The two express their love for Mesa Boogie Rectifiers and discuss the impact of James Hetfield on their musical journey.
Riffs, Beards and Gear
Fluffs signature Ernie Ball Music Man
Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with touring comrade and friend Ryan Patterson. Ryan is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and founding member of Louisville based bands Coliseum and FOTOCRIME. Ryan and Zach discuss the inspiration behind FOTOCRIME and how the project has been an avenue to explore his post punk leanings. Ryan shares his penchant for hollow body guitars, they talk odd pedal choices of seminal hardcore bands and as usual, their conversation inevitably switches to Killing Joke and the brilliant guitarist Geordie Walker! Ryan talks about the future of Coliseum, and we hear a dreamy FOTOCRIME tune. FOTOCRIME
Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with bass player Greg Norton! Greg is former bass player of the great Hûsker Dû. Since Hûsker Dû disbanded in 1998, he founded the band Grey Area and has continued to perform and record with various projects including Gang Font, Porcupine and most recently UltraBomb. Zach and Greg discuss his early bass playing, his gear choices, influences, and life after Du. Greg shares his current gear setup and talks about the importance of originality in bass playing. He also reflects on his experiences touring and the challenges of keeping gear safe on the road. Greg talks about his current band, UltraBomb, and their plans for recording and touring in the future. The two commiserate on their love of music and we hear a couple tunes.

UltraBomb
Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars

Zach talks with new friend Jesse Matthewson. Jesse is singer and guitarist for Winnipeg based band KEN Mode. The two talk Jesus Lizard, Canadian Content Laws, and the wonderful music that Winnipeg has produced over the years. Zach and Jesse bond over playing in bands with their siblings and the glory of the touring in vans. We hear some special guitar nerdery and hear a few tunes.
#jessemathewson #kenmode #jesuslizard #riseagainst #antiheroespodcast #jimdunlop #distrokid #thunderroadguitars
KEN mode
Episode support by Distrokid and Jim Dunlop
Episode support by Thunder Road Guitars