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Tales from the Green Room

Tales from the Green Room

By: Mount Tam Media
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About this listen

 Welcome to Tales from the Green Room - Backstage conversations from popular music venues around the country curated by Mount Tam Media. Buckle up and listen in, as host Dennis Strazulo and Mount Tam Media founder, Tami Larson, dig up conversations with artists - before and after shows - in the exclusive confines of the green room. Barriers are down with stories abound! Tales from the Greenroom Special Edition (Sweetwater Music Hall's 50th Anniversary Series) Mount Tam Media is thrilled to launch its Tales From the Green Room Podcast with a special series of episodes celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the iconic Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, California. The roster of artists that have crowded onto the club's little stages, first at the original Sweetwater location two blocks away, and now at the new location which opened in 2013, reads like a Who's Who of roots & rock music: Bob Weir, Aaron Neville, Big Mama Thornton, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Etta James, Greg Allman, Van Morrison… the list of musical luminaries is endless. In the 80's, the Times of London hailed Sweetwater as one of the best nightclubs in America and the legacy continues! Mount Tam Media has been granted special access to Sweetwater’s green room during the venue’s 50th anniversary year to interview musicians, photographers, managers and the like, and capture their favorite moments and memories, preserving the untold secrets of what has graced these hallowed walls for half a century, before they are lost forever.© 2024 Mount Tam Media - All Rights Reserved Music
Episodes
  • Jonathan McHugh: From College Radio to Music Supervision — Mixing Sound, Film, and the Next Generation - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 4)

    Jonathan McHugh: From College Radio to Music Supervision — Mixing Sound, Film, and the Next Generation - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 4)
    Oct 31 2025

    In this episode of Tales From The Green Room, recorded backstage at the 2025 High Sierra Music Festival, the hosts sit down with veteran film producer, director, and music supervisor, Jonathan McHugh. Jonathan shares his experiences growing up in New Orleans, starting in college radio at WTUL, and his journey through the music and film industries leading to his current role as Hilton-Baldridge Eminent Scholar and Chair in Music Industry Studies at Loyola University New Orleans.

    The conversation delves into his time working on documentaries and music supervision projects, including his work with the artist Avery Helman (aka “Ismay”) and the film/podcast Finding Lucinda. Reflecting on the intersections of live music, film, and storytelling, Jonathan also addresses the importance of fostering community in music festivals, engaging younger audiences, and supporting emerging artists.


    This fun and insightful interview captures Jonathan McHugh’s vibrant personality with rich dialogue highlighting his decades-long career, mentorship, and passion for music, film, and education.


    HIGHLIGHTS


    “Younger music has to seep in more — you gotta book more of those acts. They have the disposable income; they’ll camp, they’ll go.”
    – Jonathan McHugh on engaging new festival audiences

    “It’s payback time — I owe Dave for every step of the way.”
    – Jonathan McHugh on mentorship and early career guidance by Dave Margulies, (Co-Producer, High Sierra Music)

    LINKS

    Jonathan McHugh – Faculty Profile at Loyola University New Orleans
    cmm.loyno.edu

    Finding Lucinda - Film and Podcast - https://www.findinglucindafilm.com/

    The Pure Band -Pure Rehearsal-Lucinda Williams- can’t let it go-https://youtu.be/t64_WYZFwt0?si=oiHAJx7kPc3L2Ew-

    Crooked-Truckin Kingofthecastle7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIL-E_wCzK8&list=RDtIL-E_wCzK8&start_radio=1

    High Sierra Music Festival
    Official Website -https://www.highsierramusic.com/


    #JonathanMcHugh #HighSierraMusicFestival #TalesFromTheGreenRoom #MusicIndustry #FilmProducer #MusicSupervisor #FindingLucinda #EmergingArtists #CollegeRadio #FestivalLife #IntergenerationalAudience #LiveMusic #Storytelling #MusicPodcast #BehindTheScenes #LoyolaUniversityNewOrleans #Ismay #LucindaWilliam
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    31 mins
  • Karina Rykman: Joy Rides, Bass Lines, and Finding Her Voice Within Improv Vibes - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 3)

    Karina Rykman: Joy Rides, Bass Lines, and Finding Her Voice Within Improv Vibes - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 3)
    Oct 24 2025
    In this episode of Tales From The Green Room, recorded backstage at the 2025 High Sierra Music Festival, host Dennis Strazulo sits down with hardcore New Yorker and bad-ass bass player, Karina Rykman. Karina shares her experiences growing up in a highly intellectual family, her early start in punk bands at the age of 12, and her journey through various musical styles - including her experiences in the improvisational jam band scene - leading to her current solo projects and other collaborations. The conversation delves into her time playing with renowned multi-instrumentalists and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead’s keyboard player, Marco Benevento, the influence of her professional background in the music business, and how that shaped her career as a performer. Reflecting on her influences and the eclectic style defining her performances, Karina also addresses the importance of songwriting - how she has developed that craft - and her approach to creating music that integrates structured songs with improvisational elements.This fun and insightful interview captures Karina Rykman’s vibrant personality with rich dialogue highlighting her talent, adaptability, and dedication to her craft.If you don’t find Karina playing around New York City while rejuvenating from her summer tour, catch her at the Hard Rock Riviera Maya January 20 - 24, 2026 as part of Widespread Panic’s Panic En La PlayaHIGHLIGHTS And then for the next seven and a half years, I worked for Rocks Off and ended up as a GM. I made a whole salary. That was my whole life. I was working, working, working…and playing in five bands at the same time, and getting kind of cool illustrious gigs - I was on the Today Show with Julia Michaels backing her up and played on America's Got Talent in the backing band - like I was doing shit for sure - but I never ever thought that would parlay itself to where I would play music for a living. There was not a part of me that thought that would be a thing.-Karina Rykman on the unexpected outcome of her music career. It's very intoxicating to have people sing your songs back at you. It is very intoxicating! And to see Joy Ride, my song, being played on NFL football games. It’s being played on the radio. Like all these things where I'm just like, shit…that's crazy.-Karina Rykman on writing songs. I met my band mates, and I asked them to practice improvising with me because I got this crazy gig where it was gonna be an hour of improv. IAnd they were like, yeah. And then all of a sudden we got all these gigs and all this attention. We were just stepping on stage with no roadmap, zero, not an A section, not a B section, not a cover, nothing, and just improvising from the ground up. And people liked it. -Karina Rykman on the genesis of her improv bandLINKSKarina Rykman WebsiteMusic, Videos, Press, Merch, NewsletterKarina Rykman - “Joyride” (Official Music Video)Joyride, Karina RykmanVideo by Charlie CaukinAnimated by Charlie LaudKarina Rykman with Grahame Lesh and Friends at Pier 48 (Heart of Town) SF, CA Set 1, Night 3 - August 2, 2025Audio recorded by: Cam KeoughVid Cap by Ted SilvermanAKA TedToob.comSee Karina at Panic en la Playa - Jan. 20-24, Hard Rock Hotel, Riviera Maya, MXConnect with Karina RykmanFacebookInstagramTwitter/XSpotifyHigh Sierra Music Festival#KarinaRykman #HighSierraMusicFestival #TalesFromTheGreenRoom #JamBandScene #MarcoBenevento #JoeRussosAlmostDead #WomenInMusic #Joyride #BassPlayerLife #NYCMusicScene #ImprovisationalMusic #MusicPodcast #FestivalInterviews #MusiciansOnTour #SongwritingProcess #LiveMusicLovers #WidespreadPanic #PanicEnLaPlaya #BehindTheMusic #RockInterviews
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    40 mins
  • Amy Helm – Legacy, Recovery, and the Midnight Ramble - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 3)

    Amy Helm – Legacy, Recovery, and the Midnight Ramble - High Sierra Music Festival (Part 3)
    Oct 9 2025

    Fresh from bringing the spirit of the Midnight Ramble to the High Sierra Music Festival stage, Amy Helm sits down with the hosts for a moving and unflinching conversation about family, recovery, and carrying forward a legacy. Recorded backstage among the festival magic, this episode blends raw honesty with deep musical history.

    Listen to Amy open up about:

    • The Phoenix Rising: How Levon Helm turned personal crisis into renewal with the legendary Midnight Rambles in his Woodstock barn, sparking his recovery and Grammy-winning resurgence.
    • The Kitchen Meeting That Changed Everything: An encounter between the Helm and Lesh families that inspired Phil Lesh to build Terrapin Crossroads.
    • Holding a Legacy: What it means to carry forward a parent’s vision with authenticity.
    • Bringing the Ramble to High Sierra: The first-ever festival Ramble, with Amy’s son on drums alongside original band members, capturing the tradition’s family spirit.
    • Phil Lesh as Mentor: How Phil guided her into the Grateful Dead songbook and gave her permission to reinvent songs in her own voice.
    • Writing Silver City: Turning her own stories—and the story of a young fan lost to addiction—into songs of resilience, honesty, and self-discovery.
    • Festivals, Family, and Community: Why inclusive, non-pretentious festivals matter more than ever in an industry full of “taste-makers.”

    Equal parts storytelling and testimony, Amy Helm’s words remind us that music is more than entertainment — it’s survival, legacy, and the thread that binds communities together.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    “The whole thing about holding a legacy… it doesn’t matter whether your dad was a carpenter or a drummer. What matters is how other people are remembering it and feeling filled up by it.”
    — Amy Helm on carrying forward Levon Helm’s vision

    “The Midnight Rambles were about recovery — physically, spiritually, financially. My dad started with 20 people just to pay the electric bill, and from there he got his voice back, his career back, and won three Grammys.”
    — Amy Helm on the rebirth of Levon Helm

    “Phil showed me that these songs were meant to be rediscovered in every fraction of every moment. That gave me permission to find my own way into the Grateful Dead tradition.”
    — Amy Helm on Phil Lesh as mentor

    SHOWS

    Join Amy Helm w/ The Helm Family Midnight Ramble at the Levon Helm Down Home Jubilee
    October 18, 20025 - Marvell, AR

    Catch the remaining 2025 "Midnight Ramble" shows at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY on Nov 1, 28 and New Year's Eve!

    Check the calendar of other artists appearing at the venue in 2025 including Tales From The Green Room guests Sam Grisman (Sam Grisman Project) on October 21 and Eric Johnson (Fruit Bats) on Halloween.

    MUSIC

    Money On 7, Amy Helm – Available on Tidal – High Fidelity Music Streaming
    Music and Lyrics by Amy Helm, JT Nero

    Cotton And The Cane, Amy Helm – Available on Tidal – High Fidelity Streaming
    Music and Lyrics by Amy Helm, Mary Gauthier

    LINKS


    Amy Helm Official Website

    Levon Helm Studios - Home Of The Midnight Ramble

    High Sierra Music Festival

    THUMBNAIL PHOTO BY GABRIEL DAVID BARKIN
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    41 mins
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