Split Peak Soup
Welcome to Split Peak Soup Podcast! I’m your host, Neal Kearney. I feel very blessed to have been born and raised here in Santa Cruz, California. Santa Cruz is a hotbed for talented individuals, including, but not limited to: professional surfers and skaters, master surfboard shapers, internationally renowned artists, expert musicians, boundary pushing intellectual thinkers, and out-of-this-world explorers of consciousness.
Working as a professional journalist for the past twenty-plus years, I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with these extraordinary humans and in-depth and insightful chats. While these discussions have helped inform many written pieces that I’m proud of, I oftentimes felt that I was leaving a lot of meat left on the bone, as the few quotes I’d incorporate into my writing oftentimes seemed to strip my interviewees of their own authentic voices.
Luckily, we are entering a brave new world, where the podcast has risen as a popular form of storytelling and media consumption. From Joe Rogan to Conan O’Brien, podcasters have officially taken over. And now, I’m joining the fray. The Split Peak Soup Podcast is my way of using my skills as a story-teller to offer long format conversations with those whose stories deserve to be told.
So, what are you waiting for? Pull up a cozy chair, grab a napkin and your favorite spoon, and get ready to dig into another savory serving of Split Peak Soup!
Split Peak Soup
Split Peak Soup Podcast Episode 9--Clifford Dinsmore
Clifford Dinsmore is about as real as they come. As a young man coming of age in the early 80’s, he was attracted to the raw, rebellious, and raucous new phenomenon known as punk rock. In the beginning, he was just another rabid fan who cut his teeth on in-your-face acts such as the Circle Jerks and Black Flag.
It wasn’t long thereafter that he started lending his violent vocals to M.A.D., a hardcore punk act that evolved into BL’AST. Before long, BL’AST became a critical success, allowing Dinsmore and the crew to begin playing gigs alongside hard-rock royalty such as Dead Kennedys, Youth Brigade, and Slayer, just to name a few. Dinsmore’s growling vocals paired perfectly with BL’AST’s heavy sound and helped cement himself into Punk Rock royalty.
Since then, Dinsmore’s continued his musical pursuits with his other bands, Seized Up and Dusted Angel, who still play shows and release records to this day. His passion for punk rock and metal have kept him active in the scene for well over four decades, and he’s likely to continue for years to come.
In this episode, we discuss his romance with punk rock, the chaotic era of the 1980’s, punk’s influence on skateboarding and surfing, the success of BL’AST, the gentrification of Santa Cruz, rocking into old age, as well as his experience dealing with some pretty scary health issues. Dinsmore’s been at this a long time, so you’re about to soak up some potent knowledge.
So, what are you waiting for? Strap on that crusty bib, grab a spoon, and dig into this very special serving of SPLIT PEAK SOUP!!