Episode 22 of "Talking At The Diner" features a fellow musician, whom I first met in 2005 when he was an undergrad in Drexel University's Music Industry Program, where I had just started teaching that major's required course in songwriting. Jayson Verdibello was part of a stellar group of young music industry students who took that class and I’m lucky to say I’ve kept in touch with him and many of his contemporaries to this very day. Watching Jay progress as a musician, songwriter, and human has been a real privilege. I've worked with him at several stages in his career, from his time in the bands Craet to Venice Sunlight to goodnight/goodluck (which, for a time featured And Bocca, a previous guest on TatD, on lead vocals). Now his journey has brought him to small graves, and the personnel looks much the same as it has for quite a few years, as Jay and his band mates Eric Zrinsky, Ed Taylor, and Alex Brown (all four from gn/gl) continue to make music but with a brand new spirit. When I caught the band’s debut live show recently in Philly, it had simultaneous new band energy while the group still came off like a well-oiled (if still feisty) rock and roll machine.
I met up with Jayson at one of our shared Philly haunts: South St. Diner. We were the only customers there for most of our conversation, which pointed the discussion in some very interesting directions. I hope you enjoy this spirited chat!
JKF ❤