We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Fafalios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
The most important lesson that I’ve learned throughout my life is that no one is going to work harder for you than YOU. I’ve played in the band Punchline for the past 25 years. Along the way, I learned time and time again that if you are just assuming things are getting done by people that you aren’t communicating with regularly – be it a record label, publicist, or any other facet of the business – it most likely is not getting done. That lesson has carried into the world of podcasting for me, which is why I think I’ve been able to maintain and grow the shows. I want to be involved in every step of the process, and if there IS something that I’m not involved with, I want it to be done by someone I trust and regularly communicate with.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Everything I’ve done can be tied in one way or another back to my band Punchline. This past July, we celebrated our 25th anniversary as a band, and it’s because of the band that I’ve learned most of the skills that I have today. It was out of necessity that I had to learn video editing, audio engineering, graphic design, animation, and world of other things I wouldn’t have otherwise.

To keep a band together for this long was certainly no easy task, especially with so many years of touring. Being in close quarters with people for extended periods of time can be a challenge for anyone, but it was a shared drive and love of music that kept us going.

The lessons that we’ve ALL learned in the band are countless, but if I had to boil it down to one that I still apply daily, it would be what I’ve already said in the first question: if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself. Even back when we started our band, we had a DIY mentality. We released albums on record labels over the years, but when the big shift happened in the record industry around 2008 or so, we we ready for it. We already knew how to release music ourselves, we already knew how to promote our band, and we already knew most of what needed done to succeed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m from Pittsburgh, PA, which is a beautiful city with lots of culture. If a friend was visiting from out of town, I’d absolutely INSIST that we go to Kennywood Park, which is a 125 year old amusement park with amazing roller coasters and a really classic vibe. The Warhol Museum is a must-visit, as is the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. For dinner, it would be the Pittsburgh staple Primanti Brothers, which serves sandwiches with fresh cut french fries and coleslaw ON the sandwich. Once the sun went down, a ride on The Duquesne Incline is in order, to get a breathtaking view of the entire city.

Yes, these are a lot of common things to do in the Burgh, but there’s a reason why they are…because they’re amazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I’d like to shoutout fellow podcaster Will Carey for recommending me for this interview. I’d also like to give a big shoutout to my partners in pod: Chris DeMakes and Matt Kelly. Both of these guys work tirelessly to create countless great shows, and I can’t even begin to express how much I love collaborating with them.

Many people know Chris DeMakes as the lead singer and guitarist of the legendary ska-punk band Less Than Jake, but together we created Chris DeMakes A Podcast, which is a songwriting show that focuses on one iconic song from an artist’s career. As we approach our third year, we’ve done episodes with everyone from Huey Lewis to Dee Snider, and the listener base continues to grow each week.

Matt Kelly is the producer of One Hit Thunder, a show that I host that dives into a different one hit wonder each week. Matt is also a beast of a producer in general, somehow managing to produce, edit, and co-host 9 different podcasts on the Geekscape network.

Website: http://www.weknowpodcasting.com

Instagram: @chrisfafalios

Twitter: @chrisfafalios

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chrisfafalios

Image Credits
Nick Prezioso

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