Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
elevate and destigmatize mental health conversations through sharing life experiences, human connection, personal resilience and positivity.
Scott Rednor joins Benj Gershman live at Shakedown Bar in Vail for a deeply personal conversation about music, survival, reinvention, and building a life around live performance. From childhood violin lessons and seventh grade rock shows to years on the road, Scott shares the moments that shaped his lifelong connection to music.
This episode dives into the emotional and economic reality of being an artist: touring for almost no money, chasing the dream, losing a band at the exact moment the van broke down, and learning how to rebuild from the ground up. Scott opens up about songwriting, carpentry, community, parenting, mental health, and the leap that eventually led him to create Shakedown Bar.
Benj and Scott also explore the future of live music in Vail, the legacy of the Red Lion, the importance of arts education, and why music remains one of the most powerful ways to bring people together. This is a conversation for musicians, music lovers, parents, creatives, and anyone trying to follow a calling through uncertainty.
Speaker Bios:
Benj Gershman is the host of What Could Be Bad and a longtime musician best known for his work as a bassist. In this conversation, he brings his own experience from the stage, the road, and family life into a thoughtful discussion about creativity, mental health, and the realities behind a life in music.
Scott Rednor is a musician, songwriter, carpenter, entrepreneur, and the founder of Shakedown Bar in Vail, Colorado. His story spans childhood music lessons, touring bands, construction work, Red Lion gigs, and the creation of a live music venue that has become a home for artists, locals, and visitors.
Whether you’re chasing a dream, building a creative business, raising kids in a changing world, or simply trying to stay connected to what matters, this conversation is a reminder to give yourself to the music — and trust that it may give back.
0:00 Introduction at Shakedown Bar
0:45 Scott’s Childhood Music Roots
4:30 From Violin to Guitar
8:10 First Bands and Seventh Grade Gigs
13:00 Life on the Road
18:45 Songwriting and Creative Vulnerability
25:30 The Band Breakup That Changed Everything
32:00 Carpentry, Reinvention, and Moving West
39:00 How Scott Landed in Vail
46:00 Building Shakedown Bar
55:00 The Red Lion, Vail, and Live Music Legacy
1:05:00 Community, Family, and Mental Health
1:14:00 Parenting Without Devices
1:22:00 Audience Q&A
1:27:00 Arts Education in the Valley
1:34:00 Desert Island Songs
#LiveMusic #MusicIndustry #VailColorado #Songwriting #MentalHealth
elevate and destigmatize mental health conversations through sharing life experiences, human connection, personal resilience and positivity.
Scott Rednor joins Benj Gershman live at Shakedown Bar in Vail for a deeply personal conversation about music, survival, reinvention, and building a life around live performance. From childhood violin lessons and seventh grade rock shows to years on the road, Scott shares the moments that shaped his lifelong connection to music.
This episode dives into the emotional and economic reality of being an artist: touring for almost no money, chasing the dream, losing a band at the exact moment the van broke down, and learning how to rebuild from the ground up. Scott opens up about songwriting, carpentry, community, parenting, mental health, and the leap that eventually led him to create Shakedown Bar.
Benj and Scott also explore the future of live music in Vail, the legacy of the Red Lion, the importance of arts education, and why music remains one of the most powerful ways to bring people together. This is a conversation for musicians, music lovers, parents, creatives, and anyone trying to follow a calling through uncertainty.
Speaker Bios:
Benj Gershman is the host of What Could Be Bad and a longtime musician best known for his work as a bassist. In this conversation, he brings his own experience from the stage, the road, and family life into a thoughtful discussion about creativity, mental health, and the realities behind a life in music.
Scott Rednor is a musician, songwriter, carpenter, entrepreneur, and the founder of Shakedown Bar in Vail, Colorado. His story spans childhood music lessons, touring bands, construction work, Red Lion gigs, and the creation of a live music venue that has become a home for artists, locals, and visitors.
Whether you’re chasing a dream, building a creative business, raising kids in a changing world, or simply trying to stay connected to what matters, this conversation is a reminder to give yourself to the music — and trust that it may give back.
0:00 Introduction at Shakedown Bar
0:45 Scott’s Childhood Music Roots
4:30 From Violin to Guitar
8:10 First Bands and Seventh Grade Gigs
13:00 Life on the Road
18:45 Songwriting and Creative Vulnerability
25:30 The Band Breakup That Changed Everything
32:00 Carpentry, Reinvention, and Moving West
39:00 How Scott Landed in Vail
46:00 Building Shakedown Bar
55:00 The Red Lion, Vail, and Live Music Legacy
1:05:00 Community, Family, and Mental Health
1:14:00 Parenting Without Devices
1:22:00 Audience Q&A
1:27:00 Arts Education in the Valley
1:34:00 Desert Island Songs
#LiveMusic #MusicIndustry #VailColorado #Songwriting #MentalHealth
