Midwestern rock and roll fans rejoice because this week's guest is the great Allen Epley. You likely know Epley as the vocalist and guitarist of Shiner and The Life And Times, as the host of the Third Gear Scratch podcast, and as a member of BirdHands and the backing band of the Chicago Blue Man Group. He's up to a lot at the moment, including a Shiner tour (and the upcoming vinyl re-release of the band's entire catalog via Spartan Records) and writing a new The Life And Times record.

Between the busy modern happenings and his decades of amazing artistic experiences, Epley had a lot to talk about when he took some time to speak with My First Band host Tyler Maas recently. After catching up on contemporary events, Epley talked about growing up in a musical family in Louisville, starting a cover band in college, the early days and significant moments from his decades in Shiner, shifting focus with The Life And Times, and why missing out on major label opportunities was a blessing in disguise.

My First Band is sponsored by Mystery Room Mastering and Lakefront Brewery. The show is edited by Jared Blohm. You can listen to My First Band on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and wherever else you get podcasts. You can also listen to rebroadcasts of previous My First Band episodes on WMSE every Wednesday from noon to 12:30 p.m. CST. Music used in this episode comes courtesy of Devils Teeth ("The Junction Street Eight Tigers") and Shiner ("In The End").