GemsOnVHS

GemsOnVHS GemsOnVHS does videos of musicians we like in places that are fun. Strange times, strange people, strange places.
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Started in 2010, GemsOnVHS does take-away esque performance videos of musicians we like across the globe. FOLLOW on Twitter/Youtube,
www.twitter.com/GemsOnVHS
www.youtube.com/GemsOnVHS

is an artist's artist. I took a solo train journey South, from Seoul to Busan, to meet an artist my friend Seth Mountai...
15/04/2026

is an artist's artist. I took a solo train journey South, from Seoul to Busan, to meet an artist my friend Seth Mountain told me was one of the greatest songwriters in Korea. Everyone I met spoke highly of Mr. Kim Il Du, and meeting him made the reasons obvious. His aura is effortless; his coolness brings to mind a hard boiled police detective in a B**g Joon Ho movie. He used to be in a popular punk band. When he plays his songs though, there's a softness, an honesty to the songs. One commenter on the YT said listening to his voice was like being a blade of grass swaying in a spring breeze. He ends all his emails to me with "Now here only love".

I asked him to show me something special to him. He brought me to a public park, where he had surreptitiously buried his cat and made a small grave in the bushes. When he finished his song, which he'd written about joining the cat in the grave soon, there was a silence. Like across the entire nation, a dead silence. It was a moment of silence planned by the military. A stark reminder we were in Korea, where there is a draft still, and the war never really stopped though there has been relative peace. But the weather was beautiful and the view of Busan's Dragon Tower stunning.

I really recommend Kim Il Du's bandcamp. There's a link on the YT vid, which you can find in my bio. There's an incredible breadth of work on there that I listen to regularly now.

Big thanks to for showing me around and being my host in Busan. You are welcome in America anytime my friend!

11/04/2026

and the fellas in breathing life into an old Blind Willie Johnson tune from hundo year ago. Or at least that's the version Nat took inspo from. We were at Portland hanging before our flights outta dodge. The boys had been playing this one at the last couple shows so we grabbed a quickie with some slide guitar and spoons. I like to think God DID like it.

Song is a prohibition era tune about the drinking being scandalous. I love reading about prohibition. Some folks took it very seriously. Others not so much. I can't help but wonder if the song was tongue in cheek. Then again Sister Rosetta Tharpe had a version as well, with different lyrics somewhat. I know some folks who should probably heed the warning in these lyrics anyway. God don't like it when some of y'all drink.

Full thang in the biography of this page.
Give it some love if you wanna.
Don't if you don't.

I don't got a problem rn,
The Ant

New one with and playing together tomorrow. I met in 2023. I was in Ireland shooting and I found my way to Dublin to...
09/04/2026

New one with and playing together tomorrow.

I met in 2023. I was in Ireland shooting and I found my way to Dublin to record one with him. For better or worse it never came out (never stick a Canon SD card into a Sony camera), but we shared a succulent Indian dinner together. We had some great conversations about music, our roots and why we do it. All in all he came off as a really down to earth dude, who done plenty of work with his hands and decided music was more fun. In the van the other day he was constantly sending off emails and replying to venues. I joked that he was a manager's dream.

Eventually he started this new band with where they were harassing everybody on the street for money, I think they call it busking. We ended up collaborating with another incredible filmmaker to make that jubilee video. One thing led to another and it turns out folks really liked the unique sound of Dug band. The weird foot instruments really struck a chord with the fe**sh community, my theory. Also for some reason a lot of A&R people watch my channel and the lads got some quality attention from the big wigs.

And it makes sense. I've come to be a big fan of Conor's songwriting. He has a poetic way with words, very much zigging when everyone else zags. And Jonny, well let's just say I'm now friends with every member of the Pickett lineage. I love seeing him jump into the crowd and get an entire venue swing dancing and moshing at what is supposed to be a folk music show.

Anyway they came to America this year for some touring, and they were kind enough to fly me out to the West coast. I thought this was swell of them, since plenty of artists get what they want from me (a video on the channel) and then never talk to me again. So that was cool of them.

Anyway more later,
The Antonio

New and collab vid next week, at in Portland. Was recently on a little West Coast tour with them in Seattle. We arriv...
03/04/2026

New and collab vid next week, at in Portland. Was recently on a little West Coast tour with them in Seattle. We arrived in town just in time to watch the Super Bowl parade. Naturally as an Irish band and two folk music nerds, I don't think any of us had much of a dog in the fight but we marveled at how cool parades are. America used to do a lot of parades. What happened to that?

Anyway, Nat told us his latest crazy stories. I don't think I've ever met anybody who has gone on as many crazy adventures as this guy. The people he meets would literally blow your mind. Just an absolute mad libs way of going about life. I really can't even talk about it, as it's his business. But when this guy writes the book, it'll be crazy. Let's just say his latest adventure made him comically privy to world changing events.

I like Nat, particularly because he is not afraid to say whatever he means. Or to apologize afterwards for saying it if he changes his mind. A lot of us live in fear of offending one party or another. I'm pretty sure Nat's first conversation with me was asking why I don't have more POC on my YouTube channel. Great way to start a conversation. He famously dropped his record label for cozying up to Kid Rock, famous butt rock DJ, during the Bud Light scandals.

Both of us lost our dad's recently, so I'm feeling a cosmic connection there. I can't relate to having cancer though. Despite his diagnosis he is fighting like hell, literally flying to shows in between chemo sessions. Bro is lusting for life. I'm trying to convince him to go to Korea with me and play the blues. I'm pretty sure that's not kosher with his doctors.

Anyway, new music next week, go follow this man and DUG too. The content of this post are from our previous work in his home town. All on YouTube.

Your favorite quarterback,
The Ant-Man

01/04/2026

Headed to the mysterious state of Wisconsin tomorrow to hang with the realest in the game, my buddy . I've never spent more than an hour in Wisconsin, his home turf, so it's always great to cross another one off this big ole map before I croak. Especially with a local yokel like Jason. might even be there? Double whammy.

Jason has been cool before cool was cool. He is making some real interesting music lately. He's always bucking trends, and the new stuff has me rocking out in a way I haven't in awhile. The culture needs to hear this stuff. It might be time to hang up the cowboy hats and get out the mountain dew code red. Just kidding... I think. What were we talking about again?

We recorded these back in 2019 at Uncle Pete's in Lebanon, TN. And then last year at my house on the porch with his band ( ripping that bass). Good times. Find it on our YT.

CHEERS,
The Ant man

25/03/2026

When I was in South Korea, I went to .official house and she played a couple songs for us. She didn't know who the fk we were, at least not until Seth (my American friend who lives in Seoul) emailed her to do a "GemsOnVHS". I'm sure she was wondering who still shoots on VHS.

She decided to take the chance on us. Regardless of the language barrier, there sitting in her kitchen I felt the same way I've felt in kitchens all across the world filming musicians. In awe at the creativity, the skill, and at the honest expression being shared. She loves songs, and so do I.
official is playing our songwriter night tmrw in the discord (link in our stories/bio), so come say hey, I'll be attempting to say words in Korean so that will be fun. Other people will share tunes too. It's a great way to get out in community with other folks who love music and just hang out, instead of endless doom scrolling.

Link in bio also for the Korean music documentary if you haven't checked that out yet.

Hugs,

our discord community has been sharing some golden music memes so i had to share. wednesday we're runnin songwriter nigh...
22/03/2026

our discord community has been sharing some golden music memes so i had to share.

wednesday we're runnin songwriter night. 7pm USA central time. special guest from Korea, .official and (he's not from Korea, he's from Missouri).

stop by, play some songs for us, or just chill n listen. trying to do things off these hellscape platforms, more real people based, and exercise creative muscles instead of just endless consuming.

xoxo Anthony

21/03/2026

we're running songwriter night on the discord wednesday.

looking for songwriters to stop in and play a song for us! it's a songwriter round type setup. we take turns, lots of folks play. special guests this week are Todd Day Wait and Ye Ram, who I recorded in South Korea. Cheers!

https://discord.gg/FfgcUkJy

12/03/2026

will be at on 5/24 here in AMERICA 🇺🇲. The Scottish cowboy himself, live over the Atlantic for the first time in a long time. Doesn't happen everyday, so if you wanna catch him pickin some banjo, grab tickets.

He has some other dates as well in the USA, check his stuff out. All these videos were recorded in Scotland. We almost froze our berries off in a wee bothy in the Highlands to get these, with , bless him. A lot of the history of Appalachia is the history of Scottish immigrants, and the songs came with them. Sam does great work putting the pieces back together for us.

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Seoul, South Korea
Seoul
04535

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