Drummer, bandleader, and all-around powerhouse Nikki Glaspie (Dumpstaphunk, Beyoncé, The Nth Power) joins Derrick and Nigel for a raw, hilarious, and revealing episode of The Shadow People.

From playing stadiums with Beyoncé to mushroom-fueled tours through Colorado, Nikki shares the road-tested wisdom and wild memories that shaped her career. She and Nigel revisit their time in The Nth Power—including the moment he unceremoniously quit the band on Twitter mid-cocaine spiral—and reflect on the healing, awkward, and often ridiculous aftermath. There’s Jazz Fest hot takes, ghost stories, blown tires, cheese factory stops, and enough band drama to fill a Netflix docuseries.

If you’ve ever toured, been in a band, or just wondered what happens behind the curtain, this one’s for you.

🎥 Filmed at Brown Hound Sounds Studio in New Orleans

👇 Jump to your favorite moments:

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & Who is Nikki Glaspie?
4:27 – Touring with Beyoncé & jumping into the deep end
9:12 – Nth Power days: cocaine, Twitter exits & awkward reunions
15:46 – Colorado tour stories: mushrooms, Cabot cheese & blown tires
21:05 – Band dynamics, trust, and the burden of leadership
25:10 – Jazz Fest chaos & why New Orleans is a different animal
29:02 – Do artists ever really get a day off?
32:59 – Tour ghost stories & classic Shadow People tangents

🔗 Links:
📸 Follow Nikki Glaspie @nikkidrums – Instagram
🎶 Produced by Brown Hound Sounds – @brownhoundsounds

📢 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE.
New episodes every week(ish).

#NikkiGlaspie #TheShadowPeoplePodcast #Dumpstaphunk #TheNthPower #TourLife #JazzFest2025 #NewOrleansMusic #PodcastLife #BehindTheScenesMusic #DrummerLife #BandStories #MushroomTrips #TourChaos #BeyonceBand #ShadowPeople

It’s Jazz Fest season in New Orleans, and The Shadow People are back with a heavy-hitting episode featuring trombonist, arranger, and all-around musical badass Alex Wasily—best known for his work with Dumpstaphunk, Earth Wind & Power, and the Very Good Mondays series.Alex joins Nigel Hall, Derrick Freeman, and Danny Abel for a full-on hang in the Brown Hound Sounds studio, talking everything from the importance of rehearsal, the legacy of horn sections, and learning to lead from within, and the deeper meaning of “no covers.”

🔥 Key Topics in this Episode:

How Wasily got called up to join Dumpstaphunk

The origins of Very Good Mondays, an original jam night with no covers allowed

The jazz school mindf*ck and finding your way back to music

Shoutouts to Earth Wind & Power, Natalie Cressman, Brad Walker, and Stevie Wonder

What it means to truly listen on a gig

How music can still be spiritual in an industry that often isn’t

Why Alex considers a “monetary loss a spiritual win”

Recorded deep in Jazz Fest madness, this episode is a love letter to New Orleans music, community, tradition, and transformation.

🎷 Produced at Brown Hound Sounds

📢 Like, share, and hit that subscribe button to support real musicians having real conversations.

📸 Follow us @ShadowPeoplePodcast for new episodes, behind-the-scenes, and Shorts.

❤️ Much love to Crescent Canna for the delicious seltzers and waters

📩 Email shadowpeoplepodcast@gmail.com for any concerns, comments, questions, or confrontations.

👇 Drop a comment below—especially if you’ve caught a Very Good Monday, a Dumpstaphunk set, or for whatever

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro & guest reveal: Alex Wasily joins the show
1:36 – Jazz Fest rehearsal stories & the importance of preparation
4:00 – Alex breaks down what a horn section leader really does
6:14 – Alex’s origin story: Egypt → Savannah → Dumpsterfunk
7:43 – First gig with Dumpsterfunk and getting invited to Jazz Fest
9:31 – Horn sections, arrangements, and the New Orleans tradition
13:10 – Cover bands vs. precision musicianship
14:42 – Earth, Wind & Power tribute: origins and chart arranging
16:04 – Jam Cruise memories & Earth Wind & Fire-level praise
18:33 – Artistic competition, social media, and the death of gratitude
21:47 – Nigel’s mantra: “I am unavailable for that project”
27:25 – Very Good Mondays: how the jam session series began
30:28 – No covers rule & the problem with jamfluencers
34:06 – How to move to New Orleans the right way
36:57 – Ivan Neville’s 5-word masterclass on restraint
38:43 – Social media clout vs. real musical chemistry
40:12 – Sampling vs. stealing — and calling out content thieves
44:08 – The reset button: jazz jams as workouts for musicians
46:04 – Mondays in New Orleans: a deep tradition revived
48:35 – Dungeons & Dragons? No—Do Not Disturb
50:51 – The Pope is dead? Political absurdity & betting on the next one
54:54 – Nigel holds back—for now: racial and social frustration builds
59:01 – Why the podcast exists: connection, healing, and brotherhood
1:02:25 – Final shoutouts: vintage Rhodes, Crescent 9, and Very Good Mondays

#ShadowPeoplePodcast #JazzFest2025 #AlexWasily #dumpstaphunk #VeryGoodMondays #neworleansmusic #TromboneTalk #HornSections #NoCovers #RehearsalFest #Crescent9 #thcseltzer #EarthWindAndPower #DannyAbel #nigelhall #derrickfreeman #brownhoundsounds #podcaststudio #MusicianPodcast #LiveMusicCulture

Episode 10 of The Shadow People Podcast is here, and Nigel Hall & Derrick Freeman have plenty to unpack—starting with Louisiana's wild recent election where Governor Jeff Landry’s proposed amendments were unanimously rejected. Find out why Derrick was baffled by receiving a personal voting reminder from none other than 50 Cent, who's apparently now a "Louisiana property and business owner."But the madness doesn’t stop there. The hosts pull no punches discussing controversial pastors like Marvin Sapp, who recently locked his church doors until congregants forked over $40K, and the infamous Brooklyn preacher flaunting stolen cash. Is church just another form of entertainment? And what’s lost when mega-churches replace real community connection?Nigel also opens up about personal creativity, sobriety, and why competition in music is toxic. Plus, Derrick shares hilarious yet disturbing insights into his vivid dreams when not using THC, and there's an emotional tribute to legendary jazz musician Lonnie Liston Smith.Authentic, raw, hilarious, and thought-provoking—tap in now for another ride with The Shadow People.Hosts: Derrick Freeman, Nigel HallProducers: Drew Meez, Danny Abel (Brown Hound Sounds)Shout out to Crescent Canna and their delicious seltzers!Subscribe and hit that notification bell for more real talk from NOLA's finest.#ShadowPeoplePodcast #50cent #louisianaelection #jefflandry #churchscandal #megachurch #marvinsapp #sobrietyjourney #LonnieListonSmith #jazzfest #neworleansculture #podcastcomedy #churchdrama #louisianapolitics #PastorGoneWildTimestamps: 0:00 – Intro & Shoutouts 2:16 – Louisiana's Election Madness & "Janky Jeff" Landry 3:12 – 50 Cent Texted Derrick to Vote?! 4:08 – Sneaky Election Shenanigans & Voter Suppression 5:46 – Derrick’s Epic Rant on St. Tammany Parish 8:38 – Nigel’s Netflix Pick of the Week 9:09 – Nigel’s Special Gig Announcement & Birthday Plans 10:11 – Shoutout to Crescent Canna 11:06 – Nigel’s Sobriety Journey & Dream Stories 15:30 – Derrick’s Dark Dreams Revealed 16:43 – Danny's Dark Side Appreciation 18:04 – Louisiana Politics & Trump's Influence on Jeff Landry 20:55 – Education Under Attack & The Importance of Voting Locally 21:34 – Want a LIVE Shadow People Show? 21:51 – Nigel's Emotional Experience with Lonnie Liston Smith & Butcher Brown 26:34 – Crescent Canna Intermission 26:44 – Reflecting on Episode 10 & Podcast Growth 30:08 – Marvin Sapp Locks Church Doors for $40K Donation 33:28 – When Church Turns Violent (Brooklyn Pastor Robbery) 34:04 – Mega-Church Commercialism vs. Real Community 35:35 – Remembering the “Cussing Pastor” (Thaddeus Matthews) 37:40 – Pastor Excess & Scandalous Church Leaders 38:12 – Nigel’s Deep Dive: Competition & Creativity in Music 52:47 – Derrick & Nigel Reflect on Artistic Authenticity & Sobriety 56:47 – Upcoming Jazz Fest Plans & Surprise Appearances 58:27 – Gratitude & Final Thoughts