Seeing Them Live

Boston-based author and screenwriter Mike Bernard joins host Charles to talk live music, nostalgia, and Mike’s novel Concert Dates — a fictional story following six friends whose lives intertwine through the legendary Cape Cod Coliseum, a converted hockey rink that hosted the who's who of classic rock from 1972 to 1983. Mike shares his own concert memories, from taking his grandmother to see Liberace to witnessing the J. Geils Band blow the roof off the old Boston Garden, and reveals how a Facebook group, a parking lot photographer, and an unexpected photo led to one of the book's most remarkable real-life connections. Whether you're a die-hard live music fan or just love a great story about friendship and growing up, this episode is for you.

Charles welcomes filmmaker and music collector Steve Herold to Seeing Them Live. Steve recounts his first concert, the Thompson Twins’ 1984 Into the Gap tour at New Jersey’s Garden State Arts Center, after missing a chance to see Van Halen at Madison Square Garden. He names Dramarama at the Fast Lane in Asbury Park in the early ’90s as his best concert, describing packed, punk-like club energy, and cites a disappointing Jeff the Brotherhood show at Maxwell’s in Hoboken that felt like nonstop jamming. His most surprising show was the Sex Pistols’ 1996 Roseland Ballroom reunion in NYC, including a wild night that ended with finding a $50 bill on the floor. Steve also discusses his COVID-era YouTube channel about vinyl/CD collecting and record-store visits, and his film work, including Death of an Umbrella Salesman, Waimea, and recent music videos.

Singer-songwriter, artist, and guitar builder Victor Gurbo joins the show to discuss formative concert experiences and his own work. He recalls seeing Arlo Guthrie as a child, becoming a devoted Bob Dylan fan (having seen him 20–30 times), and admiring Levon Helm’s audience connection, including a Terminal 5 performance after Helm’s cancer battle. Gurbo shares a chaotic Jack White Radio City show where lost StubHub tickets were replaced at the last minute with front-row seats, only for White to end the set early, souring Gurbo on his music. He describes building guitars from reclaimed wood, inspired by Rick Kelly’s “Carmine Street Guitars,” and how that led to making his own instrument for NPR’s Battle of the Boroughs, which his band won for Brooklyn in 2013. Gurbo also plugs his new album, “Gurbo and Company Live 2025,” recorded at Cafe Wha? and released March 11, 2026.

Brothers Matheus and Thiago Khouri of Brazilian rock band Banda AL9 join Seeing Them Live to discuss their rise from posting acoustic covers on YouTube and Facebook to building a social following of over 2 million. They share their first concert experience seeing Paul McCartney in São Paulo in 2010, how their parents’ love of classic rock shaped them, and why they began releasing originals after growing an audience. The duo recounts their 2023 breakout as the song “Charma De Amor” went viral, leading to a Steve Aoki remix and a Tomorrowland performance, and motivating them to create English versions like “She Calls Me Love” to reach global fans. They talk about working with Little Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records, their upcoming album “Hey, Hey, We’re Banda AL9” (July 17), a week performing in New York. The episode closes with an acoustic performance of “She Can Do It All.”

In this episode of Seeing Them Live, Charles welcomes his daughter, Lily, to discuss her first concert: seeing Harry Styles live in Lisbon in 2023, and the stressful effort to get her first passport in time. Lily shares how she discovered Harry’s music during COVID through Fine Line and Harry’s House, while her dad recounts missing expensive United Center tickets, buying Lisbon show tickets, and navigating repeated passport denials tied to an improperly notarized form and an outdated version sent by the agency. After contacting Rep. Sean Casten, Lily’s passport shipped just in time, allowing the family to fly to Portugal just in time to catch Wet Leg’s opener and Harry’s set, including crowd moments like Bohemian Rhapsody and favorites like Matilda. They also discuss later shows, including Lollapalooza 2025 for Olivia Rodrigo with Weezer, and upcoming plans to see Harry at Madison Square Garden.