Show Notes
Snowboarding, surfing, mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, these are individualized pursuits, practiced in nature or natural settings. Humanity adapting and playing with whatever lays ahead, in it for the experience over some sense of personal glory. At their core these are improvisational activities, art forms all their own, and as such intersect seamlessly with music. Professional freeskier, artist, and filmmaker Chris Benchetler knows this. He lives this, and in doing so his art flows smoothly from one medium to the next. In his latest film, Mountains of the Moon, he has assembled a small army of lighting experts, laser operators, engineers, fellow artists, plus a murderer's row of style-forward adventure athletes from across a wide swath of mediums to explore the brilliantly psychedelic ley lines at the harmonic convergence of action, adventure, nature, and imagination. The result is a mind-bending visual experience unlike any other, all cut together and performed in homage to the free spirited sonic extemprozation of the Grateful Dead, who's music makes up the soundtrack. Chris and James discuss making a film this ambitious in this day and age, how he discovered the Dead and the role they play in his life, painting with Mickey Hart, what it takes to light up mountains, the pursuit of perfdection, being open to opportunity, and more.
More from Terrapin Crossroads Podcast
Andy Frasco has been on the road for years, chasing his dreams while sharing – sure, sometimes oversharing – on social media. His Instagram is a living, breathing stream-of-consciousness documentary on life as a working artist, a heart-on-his-sleeve glimpse begind the curtain of what it takes to, if not make it, at least subsist while driven by the need to bridge the gap between entertainer and audience. We discuss how his life has changed over the years, the diversification required to make it all add up, how the back end – managaement, booking agenst – can be a boon or bust, the role of AI in his toolbox, getting hate from headier than thou jam bands fans, growing older and growing up and how that evolution is changing the way he approaches life, plus have a guest appearanvec from his World Saving Podcast co-host Nick Gerlach on how just because you made something as an artist doesn't necesarily mean you deserve to make a living doing it. Andy is raw, real, and funny, just like his live show, Check him out on the road via www.andyfrasco.com or @andyfrasco on Instagram, and cop his World Saving Podcast wherever you get your pods.
Matthew Logan Vasquez has been living the pirates life of a touring musician for decades, eternally on the road or in the studio. He gained notoriety with his band Delta Spirit, who's heartfelt, bombastic American rock and roll found larger and larger audiences, forming one super group, Middle Brother, with Deer Tick's John McCauley, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and Johnny Fritz aka Johnny Corndawg and then another, Glorietta, with Nathaniel Rateliff, Noah Gunderson, Adrian Quesada, Kelsey Wilson, and more. When Delta Spirit took a break, Vasquez didn't slow down, releasing solo albums and continuing onward, city to city, town to town, relentlessly yet joyfully chasing the only dream he's ever had. We discuss touring, balancing life as a devoted musician, his haunted studio, why it's hard to be a new bad trying to break through and how the industry has changed since he started, partying his way across the country, how becoming sober impacted his art, and more.
James talks to long time Life Magazine Editori-In-Chief Bill Shapiro about how being a life long Deadhead has impacted his career, having access to Life Mag's legendary archives, championing young and unknown artists, and how a cold call led to co-authoring a children's book with Keith Richards.
James talks to his friend and former Daily Beast colleague Olivia Nuzzi to discuss their shared love for music and art, the lack of collective experience, pivoting to video, how living in a simulation may not be what you think, Purple Mountains and the Mount Rushmore of final albums, growing up in New Jersey, creative processes, writing, cultural criticism, and making things just for the sake of making things.
Susana Millman has spent more than half of her 86 years documenting the Grateful Dead and the scene around them. As an insider - she was introduced to now husband, the band's long time publicist by their mutual friend Jerry Garcia - her photos are less splashy rock and roll posturing and more intimate, breathy snapshots of those moments between moments. We caught up with her on the eve of her very first solo photographic exhibit to discuss how she got into photography, what it was like to be behind the scenes, her favorite moments, and where she sees the Deadhead community headed 'for the next 300 years.'