John Faye

My guest on Ep. 57 of TatD is a real "get" (as they say in the biz)! Many rock fans know this guy well because his resume goes on for a country mile and his talent stretches even further. Kenny Aaronson first caught this once-young fella's attention as the bassist with the coooool hair in the Billy Squire music videos that were all over MTV back in the day, but when you look at all the people he's played with, both as a sideman and an official band mate, it's kinda insane. 

Kenny was Rolling Stone’s Bassist Of The Year in 1988 and he’s played onstage with a list of artists that’s just too extensive to name here but these are just a handful.. Bob Dylan, The Yardbirds, Joan Jett, Rick Derrenger, Billy Squire, Billy Idol, Stories, Dust.. which also featured drummer Mark Bell, later known as one Marky Ramone.. and he’s also the K in QDK, a band he currently plays in with David Uosikkinen of the Hooters and guitarist Quentin Jones. And to think I actually get to play music with him in David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket a couple times a year.. it's honestly a big thrill.

Aside from playing with literal rock legends, Kenny has a broad music palette, which delves into places I never would have expected. Like me, he's a fan of things like Muzak, the Partridge Family, Esquivel, and more. He even makes very cool music on his laptop at home, digging into sound libraries and his taste for steel guitar (think the soundtrack on "Spongebob" but better). He's just an all-around talented guy, who, most importantly, still retains his absolute passion for music making into his 70's. He's an inspiration to many, and i count myself among the KA faithful!

Hope you enjoy this convo as much as I did!

JKF <3

My guest on Ep. 56 of TatD is someone whose persistence and sheer tenacity in keeping her music career alive and thriving is something I deeply relate to.

Zou Zou Mansour - the driving force behind Philly rock band Soraia - has seen so many changes in her over twenty years fronting the band that she knows “better than this” when it comes to being attached. And this makes the longevity of the creative core of her band all the more special. While Soraia has definitely seen its share of guitar players come and go - I even did a brief stint with the band back in 2022 on some dates opening for Joan Jett - the foundation of Zou Zou, bassist Travis Smith, and drummer Brianna Sig (herself a previous guest on this show and an OG Meddling Kid) has remained constant for a decade.. no small feat.

With a long history of working with big names like Little Steven Van Zandt and Jon Bon Jovi, the band has evolved into a self-driving touring machine that shows no sign of letting up.

With a brand new single called “Queens and Pharaohs” dropping this month, the band continues to churn out gritty rock 'n' roll songs with Zou Zou’s lyrical vision at the center.

We met up recently at the Llanerch Diner in Upper Darby, PA and talked about her musical roots, some sweet memories of her many encounters with Joan Jett, and a surprisingly in-depth discussion of how we both started out as drummers. I think you’re going to enjoy this conversation. I know I did!

Enjoy!
JKF <3

What's up, diner buddies!

Well, with yet another major snow event heading toward my hometown of Buffalo.. errrrrr.. Philadelphia, I'm happy to report I was able to find a window of decent weather to head back down to the hometown of my youth - Newark, DE - to meet up with my friend Marcus Slade, otherwise known as Marchitect. I recently got to hang with Marcus at Smiley's Diner, which holds the distinction of being the first "diner" where I really spent a lot of time, housing many a "Moons Over My Hammy" (iykyk) back in the day when it was a Denny's and I was coming up in the Newark scene, playing places like the Deer Park Tavern and the Stone Balloon, a legendary, now-defunct club, whose owner was once married to Jill Biden and was also recently arrested and charged with murdering his second wife. YIKES. But I digress.

Marchitect is a rapper with an encyclopedic knowledge of music history. He actually was raised in upstate NY so he knows all about rough winters. He eventually moved to Delaware and became a fixture in Newark, where he's been a central figure in projects like the 49ers, Fat Daddy Has Been, and The Iguana Realty Company.
He’s performed with and rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in the game and he’s also the author of the audiobook “Becoming The Man” AND a member of the musical collective for Shine A Light - the annual benefit concert for children’s music education held this year on March 7th at the Queen in Wilmington. It was at the rehearsals for Shine A Light, where I realized how deep this man’s musical well truly goes. We’ve had great chats about all kinds of music and life in general and I knew he would make a great guest on this show. 
You can keep up with Marchitect - but I warn you, he moves fast - on his Instagram:
@marchitect49

Enjoy!
~ JKF <3

I'm excited to bring you the first installment of "Talking At The Diner" for 2026.. the year of our lord. My guest on Ep. 54 is is none other than my bandmate from the John Faye Power Trip and IKE..... Drumroll please...... that's right, it's Cliff Hillis!  


Now, even though Cliffy and I officially stopped playing together in 2006, we have never stopped supporting each other and getting back together when the stars aligned. Last year, in fact, we played a fun acoustic show together for Record Store Day at Forever Changes in Phoenixville, and we also got loud for the first time in a long time at the sold out IKE reunion show at MilkBoy in Philadelphia in May.

The roots of our 3+ decade friendship go way back to our younger days in Delaware, where I first encountered Cliff playing around Newark in on of his first bands - The Name - while I was writing on filthy bar floors and wearing toilet seats around my neck as the front man of the Beat Clinic, the band that would later morph into the Caulfields.

We continued to cross paths as his musical journey progressed in bands like Mystery Machine, Tisra Til, and Starbelly. The opportunity to play the first International Pop Overthrow festival in Los Angeles in 1998 put Cliff and me onstage together for the first time and we kept on rockin' until the end of 2006, which  was a tumultuous year for Cliff on a personal level. He lost both his parents that year and made the decision to part ways with IKE to pursue his own path. And the result of that decision has yielded a stupendous catalog of music, which scratches any power pop itch you may have.

We met up in early January for a weekday hang at The Local in his longtime adopted hometown of Phoenixville, PA and had the kind of relaxed, familiar conversation that only two people who traveled the country in a van can have.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!!
~ John ❤️

You can follow the various antics of Cliff Hillis here:

https://cliffhillis.com

https://patreon.com/cliffhillis

Happy December, FAYE-treon Friends!
For the final 2025 episode of "Talking At The Diner," I got together with one of the Philadelphia music scene's most compelling personalities. Kara Koser is the bold and dauntless leader of KOSER .. the band that - rightfully so - has her name on it. Her musical vision blends alt-rock stylings with her soulful voice, electronic flourishes, and a band of high-level players to create a musical collective that is equally potent and at-home in front of traditional rock audiences, jam-leaning festival crowds, or a room packed with 20-something college kids (as you'll hear us discuss).

In addition to being a top-tier live performer with a vocal range that would inspire envy in most of the singers I know, Kara is also a person who has delved into some pretty dark spaces in her life, yet has come through it all to emerge as an artist to reckon with while remaining a kind and grounded human. This is not to say that there are not times when even she takes a cold hard look at her online antics and realizes that she.. much like myself.. might be unwell.. but in the best possible way.  
I met up with Kara in Springfield, Pennsylvania at the aptly named Springfield Diner, where we had ourselves what can only be described as a time. 😁

Follow Koser here:

Website - Kosermusic.com

IG - @kosermusic

FB - https://www.facebook.com/kosermusic/  

I hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation as much as I did! This is the perfect ending to another year of TatD, and I can't wait to have more great chats with more amazing artists in 2026! Thank you as always for your support, which not only funds this show and feeds working musicians, but it also allows me to wholeheartedly pursue all my creative endeavors. I cannot tell you what that means to me. In a word: EVERYTHING. So, thank you all again!

Happy Holidays!

~ JKF ❤️

Hello Breakfast Buds!

For episode 52 of "Talking at the Diner," I'm back at Bob's Diner in the lovely Roxborough section of Philadelphia.. AGAIN! There’s clearly something in the "wooder" round those parts.. lots of the city's most creative artists live there, and my guest Lia Menaker is one of the most talented and unique performers on the rise in our music community. if you’re not familiar with Lia.. when get on the bus, babe.. because her music is an addictive blend of soulful jazz-inflected vocal hooks, piano chops, live looping, and an easy-going charm.

I first encountered Lia at a songwriter round in Philadelphia, which also featured three performers I know very well, all good friends and previous guests on TatD - Andrea Nardello, Sug Daniels, and Emily Drinker. Lia was the only member of the lineup I was unfamiliar with but she absolutely brought down the house and made a lot of new fans, myself included.

It’s been an interesting and somewhat unlikely journey that eventually led Lia to Philadelphia around 2019. She had what she considers a very "normal" upbringing in the mall haven that is north Jersey (with a heavy dose of musical theater up through high school). She earned a masters degree in public health with a focus on "global health disparities" and worked at the CDC in Atlanta before the pandemic. Prior to moving back above the Mason-Dixon Line, her drive to play music compelled her to book a 50-stop solo tour which took her all over the country.

Learn more about Lia:
LIAMENAKER.COM
INSTAGRAM

Lia a super-engaging performer and I had a great time chatting with her. I’m excited to share our conversation, so enjoy!!

~ JKF ❤️

Back in late August - the first time I recorded an episode of the pod "out of sequence" - I met up with my friend Eric Cooper, known to most in the Philly music scene as Coop. Coop is a virtuoso bass player who let's loose in bands like the Funky T, but also plays with singer songwriters like Emily Drinker and John Gilbride. His solo project Coop A Loopfeatures trippy melodic soundscapes created primarily on bass guitar using loops, effects pedals, and a whole lot of imagination. 

Our meet-up at Bob's Diner in Roxborough (a popular spot, having been the setting of three episodes of the show) was on a sunny Sunday Morning. Breakfast was definitely in the cards and I was stunned to hear that Bob's offers four.. count 'em.. FOUR sausage options. Its was the perfect setting to listen to Coop's musical origin story, which began in Plymouth Meeting, just outside of Philadelphia. After starting out on drums (as many of us do), Coop serendipitously began playing a borrowed bass, which a friend lent him as a diversion when Coop broke his ankle. A true virtuoso on the instrument, Coop looks to do so much more with the bass than most of us can even imagine. 

His live performances range from just himself onstage with a loop station and a pedal board, to bringing a full band that includes fellow members of the Funky T as well as drummer and previous guest on this very show, Rob Tait. I recently saw Coop in full band mode at an event called Jam on the Grass, which showcased not his talent but a pretty wicked sense of humor too, as he held up a fully realistic looking box of cereal he dubbed "Coop A Loops" and extolled the virtues of its 9 essential vitamins and minerals before declaring it "RFK-approved." Impossible not to be a fan :)

Hope you enjoy this great conversation!

JKF ❤️

I’m excited to share Episode 50 of “Talking At The Diner!" 
I wanted to ask a heavy hitter to be my 50th guest on the show and when I think of heavy hitters in the Philadelphia music community, my guest really fits the bill not only in terms of his experiences and accomplishments, but he’s literally a heavy hitter sitting behind the drum kit for Philly rock legends The Hooters. David Uosikkinen was raised in Levittown and came of age in the early days of FM rock radio.

If you are of a certain age in this part of the world, you already know of the Hooters rise from local heroes to international touring artists. Numerous songs such as "All You Zombies," "And We Danced," "Day By Day," and "Hanging On A Heartbeat" were ubiquitous on radio stations like WMMR. As an aspiring musician growing up in Delaware, it was very motivating to see a Philadelphia band on MTV and performing at Live Aid. And even after 45 years as a band, the Hooters continue to tour and even release new music to this day.

My personal connection with Dave Uosikkinen dates back to when I was in my early 20’s fronting the Beat Clinic, the band that would eventually morph into the Caulfields. We were finalists in a national battle of the bands called the Energizer Rock ’n’ Roll Challenge. David was a judge at the battle of the bands and although the Beat Clinic did not win, his words of encouragement to me in a my agony of defeat moment were inspirational to me and played a big part in motivating me to keep on pushing.

In the years since to end of Covid, David has invited me to be part of In The Pocket, an all-star collective of musicians who honor the musical history of Philadelphia with tribute recordings and raucous shows. I was excited to get a chance to sit down with David at Minella’s Diner in Wayne, PA for what ended up being an amazing conversation. We talked about his origin story as a musician, the genesis of the Hooters, and there’s also an entertaining story about an encounter with Ace Frehley from Kiss. I am confident you will enjoy this episode!

~ JKF

Greetings Diner Buddies! My guest on episode 49 of TatD is a rising star in the Philly indie pop community - singer/songwriter Caroline Quinn. Caroline is a relative newcomer but has in the past year achieved impressive success on TikTok and Spotify on the strength of her cool and quirky sense of style and her super-catchy viral single “Alien On My Mind” - produced by recent TatD guest Ross Bellenoit.

Full disclosure: for this episode, I made an exception about what some might consider the very foundation of the podcast - eating in a traditional diner. You know, with vinyl booths, and off-brand ketchup, and bad fluorescent lighting. But due to the timing and circumstances of our meet-up, we ended up going to Le Bus, a longstanding upscale spot in Caroline’s neighborhood of East Falls. So, not exactly a diner but Le Bus did get its start operating out of an actual school bus in the late 70’s, so it still has cred.

I first saw Caroline perform at Iris, the all-femme music showcase curated and amplified by another previous TatD guest - Taylor Kelly. In the unusual setting of an 80-seat north Philly comedy club, I was immediately drawn in by Caroline’s fantastic singing voice and hook-laden songs. Her knack for song craft and her way of expressing herself as an artist beyond the music itself made her someone I was curious to get to know better.

Her new EP "The End of May" is out now on all streaming platforms, and she is playing her official (if belated) release party on Saturday August 16th - appropriately at the Fallser Club in East Falls, which was just named Best Small Venue in Philadelphia Magazine's 2025 Best Of Issue. You can buy tickets to the show HERE.

You can follow Caroline here:

IG - @caroline_quinn
TikTok - @caroline_quinnn (note the extra "n")

I loved our conversation and I think you will too!
~ JKF ❤️

Mackenzie Johnson is supremely talented singer-songwriter who grew up in Bucks County, PA about 30 miles up I-95 from Philadelphia and now splits her creative life between Philly and New York. A poised and confident performer, with the soul of a musical theater kid, Mackenzie is a bonafide social media heavyweight. Her Youtube channel has over 620K subscribers and her TikTok has over 226K followers. Yes, you read that right. In our conversation, we get into how she navigates and tries to bridge the gap between her impressive online communities and the more "analog" world of DIY gig promotion and the task of putting asses in the seats.

Beyond her life as a creator, she is at her core a serious songwriter, who spent time down in Nashville collaborating with other songwriters through a publishing deal, and in 2024, was one of four finalists in Philly radio station WXPN’s 24 Hr. Song Challenge, writing and recording her tune “Sunburn” in a single day. She's sung onstage with Glen Hansard, andsung a duet with her mom. We met up at her neighborhood spot - Jake's Eatery in Newtown, PA for a hang that just flew by - the conversation was just that good.

You can join Mackenzie's online communities here:
YouTube - @mackeziejohnson
TikTok - @mackenziemusic26
IG - @Mackenziemusic

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
~ JKF ❤️