Some bands break up.
Some bands “take a break.”
And some bands treat their lead singer like a suspicious duffel bag and just… leave him at a gas station.
This week on Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dive headfirst into the fine art of getting fired—musician edition—where loyalty is optional, group chats are silent, and your bandmates might literally drive away while you’re inside buying beef jerky.
Charles unpacks the slow, theatrical unraveling of Dennis DeYoung—a saga involving illness, ego, and an increasing desire to turn Styx into a full-blown Broadway fever dream. Spoiler: the band did not want jazz hands with their power ballads. What followed was less “Come Sail Away” and more “Please Exit Stage Left Immediately.”
Meanwhile, Lisa brings the chaos with the story of Vitriol, who allegedly solved their internal conflict by pulling the most passive-aggressive move in rock history: abandoning their singer Kyle at a gas station—with his dog. And his girlfriend. And, presumably, his trust issues. What happened next involves a GoFundMe, a long road home, and a masterclass in how to get kicked out of a band and still ask the internet for gas money.
From fax-machine firings to roadside betrayals, this episode explores the darker side of band dynamics—where the music stops, but the pettiness plays on.
Because in rock ‘n’ roll, sometimes the real encore…
is getting ghosted by your own band.
Jackalope Tales — where the stories are true… until they absolutely aren’t. [Ep 136]
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Produced by: Charles Mooney
Executive Producers: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger
Original Music by: Charles Mooney and Lisa Umbarger
Kazoo Solo by: Courtney Mooney
Podcast (jackalopetales): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:51 — 36.3MB)
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