Off the Top

At 50, Shelby Cinca -- powerhouse multi-hypenate behind Frodus, Catbeats, the Cassettes, and record label Swedish Columbia, among many other projects -- is at peace with what he calls "the egg": that is, baldness. After all, the hairless life and a fresh start in Europe brought Shelby the opportunity to exit his formerly hectic screamo existence and become a father, a monk, a healer, and the creator/translator of music for felines by felines. Also: a very long discussion of Queensrÿche and how bald people can make "hair" metal. 

Dave Nesmith's resume is unassailable. Maximilian Colby. Sleepytime Trio. Rah Brahs. Bats and Mice. Dave is also bald and ready to talk about the unpleasant side effects of certain hair restoration drugs; what having a "bald attitude" really means; and what it's like to have skin-to-skin contact with one's newborn in the hospital under nurses' supervision while looking like a bald clown. Also: Justin is mistaken for a member of Sleepytime merely because he is bald.

Kelly Young of Velocity Girl: a person who appreciates the finer things in life. Music. Whiskey. Poker chips. Kelly has thoughts about touring with a middle-aged body; about whether sugar should be in distilled spirits; and about how televised Texas Hold 'Em changed the game at the tables. And we speculate at length about just what the deal is with The Edge of U2.   

Salvatore Principato — frontman of the legendary post-punk band Liquid Liquid, currently of the improv crew 178 Product — joins us for a candid conversation about losing his hair, finding his voice, and reshaping his identity as a performer over decades. It's all here: Vulnerability onstage. Feeling more at peace now than at 25. And vegan Italian food.

In this debut episode of "Off the Top" hosted by Justin Wm. Moyer, musician and composer Craig Wedren opens up about losing his hair — from the hairdresser who wept, to shaving his head on tour in Europe in 1989 among anarchists, to how baldness affected his career.

Off the Top: where bald people, mainly musicians, discuss the burdens and the beauty of hairless life. Interviews, fashion tips, industry secrets, and more. Hosted by Justin Wm. Moyer: attorney, former Washington Post Pulitzer-honored journalist, and frontperson of the D.C. dance-punk band Light Beams. Featuring members of Shudder to Think, Fugazi, Velocity Girl, Frodus, SPRCSS -- and non-musicians as well.