Jim McArdle – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Jim McArdle – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

We caught up with Jim McArdle. This is what he had to say.

RRX: Playing out is tricky because you never know what’s going to happen when you get there. Sometimes everything goes wrong. What was your worst show like?

JM: My worst show I played was the last show I played. May 27, 2023 at Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady. I was in the midst of battling liver cancer and my energy was drained. From the first note, I knew it was going to be a hellish night. My focus was off and all I wanted to do was get out of there, go home and go to bed. I knew I had to suck it up and finish the show the best I could. I remember afterwards on my way home I started welling up with tears thinking that I may have just played my last show. Uncertain as to when I was going to receive a liver transplant that would save my life, I was just plain scared. I cancelled the remaining gigs I had for 2023 and into early 2024 so I could focus solely on my health. I received a call from Westchester Medical Center on May 26, 2024 that a qualifying liver donor had just passed and their liver was available for me. On May 27, 2024, exactly one year from my worst show, I received the gift of life. Fast forward to today, I’m cancer free and recovering quite well. On October 18th, I’ll be playing my first gig back from surgery at the place I played my worst gig, Frog Alley Brewing. Everything happens for a reason.

RRX: Is there a favorite time of year? What time of year does the band have the most shows? Is there a recurring thing in the year that’s particularly memorable?

JM: Easy. Summer! Summer brings warm weather and people love coming out to the establishments to hear live music. Especially in Saratoga Springs!!

RRX: It’s a lot of fun living in the present, but we all collect memories and give birth to dreams. We’re talking dreams here. Where you see yourself next year? In the next five years?

JM: I’m hopeful to getting healthier and building up all of my gigs again. I was averaging 80-100 gigs a year so the number might be significantly smaller now that I have to focus on not overdoing it, as I also work a full-time day job in health care. As far as where I see myself in five years? I’m a recovering alcoholic with 11 years of sobriety, I take things a day at a time, so I really can’t see myself anywhere other than in “today.”

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

JM: I’m going to have to say Rich Romano, lead guitarist for the local country band Skeeter Creek. Rich is an insanely talented musician and a great friend who has helped me become a better musician through our lengthy chats and shared experiences. He played a huge role in encouraging me to practice playing guitar after my surgery so I didn’t lose myself in laziness.

RRX: Is there a song you wrote that really died on the vine? Something you all like but somehow just couldn’t make it work. You swear never to play it live, that sort of thing?

JM: Being that I’m a solo musician, I’m answering in the “me.” I wrote a tune about 18 years ago that I fell in love with but the more I rehearsed it, the more I added to it and subtracted from it so much that it became a nuisance. This went on for about 15 years. I finally broke it out live one night on a whim. I immediately fell back in love with it. It’s now a setlist staple.

RRX: Like songs, every artist has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

JM: I don’t remember my first show. I was extremely drunk and I made an ass out of myself. The band I was playing with at the time didn’t care too much for that because I was the lead singer as well. Needless to say, I didn’t make it to our second show or any other show after that. My best show? Too many to mention. Playing sober for the past 11 years has made shows more enjoyable.

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