Garage Logic Podcast Summary

Episode: “12/12 Steven C, Jillian, and Pat Donohue in studio for your Christmas pleasure”
Date: December 12, 2025
Host & Crew: Joe Soucheray ("The Mayor"), Chris Reavers, Kenny Olson, John Haidt, the Rookie, special in-studio guests Steven C Anderson (piano), Jillian Anderson (vocals), Pat Donohue (guitar)
In-Studio Musicians: Steven C, Jillian Anderson, Pat Donohue, John Haidt
Location: Gamut Podcast Network
Theme: A festive, music-centered episode presenting live performances from local artists, friendly banter, and discussion of holiday concerts, traditions, and the unique power of live music community.

Episode Overview

This special holiday edition of Garage Logic focuses on the joy of live music, Minnesota holiday traditions, and the comfort of community, featuring live in-studio performances by pianist Steven C, vocalist Jillian Anderson, and Grammy-winning guitarist Pat Donohue. The episode highlights their upcoming Christmas shows at the St. Paul Cathedral, explores the behind-the-scenes life of working musicians, reflects on listener appreciation, and includes the signature wit and camaraderie among the cast.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Musical Guests & Holiday Concert Promotion

• Cathedral Shows: Steven C, Jillian, and Pat discuss their holiday concerts at the St. Paul Cathedral (December 18-19, with ticket details and a notable children’s choir and live pipe organ).
• Affordable tickets ($10) and community-oriented approach: “Our goal has been to lose less money per show.” – Steven C [15:37]
• Matinee and evening times (Friday, 2:00pm & 7:00pm; Thursday, 7:00pm).
• Crooners gig: Pat Donahue plugs his own Christmas Guitar Summit show with PK Mayo and Tim Sparks at Crooners (Monday, 6:30pm). [09:56]

2. Live In-Studio Performances

• Original Parody: “It’s The Most Fraudulent Time of the Year” – a tongue-in-cheek re-write reflecting Minnesota’s public money scandals. [04:52]

  "With the kids rapid shooting and everyone looting to get some free gear, it’s the most fraudulent time of the year!"
  (— Steven C & band, 05:00)

• Holiday Standards:

  • “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” [16:59]
  • “Little Drummer Boy” [33:13]
  • “Silent Night” [36:25]
  • “What Child Is This?” [43:34]
  • “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song)” [52:08]
  • "Jingle Bells" [29:28]

• Improvised ‘After Party’ Blues:

  • "There's a wreath on every door on every house in my neighborhood... Christmas time is coming, Lord, it don't mean me no good."
    (— Pat Donahue, 57:37)

3. Musician Life & Backstories

• Family & Musical Heritage:
  • Pat and Steven discuss their tangled cousinship (via McQuillan family) [12:46].
  • Jillian on being 3rd generation Lebanese and family traditions [13:11].
• Balancing Acts:
  • Jillian describes the stress and reward of putting together annual concerts as a small family business.

    "My husband’s shows and baby Jesus—if Christmas wasn’t coming, I would not be stressed, and I'd be 120 over 80."
    (— Jillian Anderson, 33:04)

  • Steven on founding the Cathedral concert:

    "I wanted to do one Christmas show... and here we are back for the ninth!" (— Steven C, 13:42)

• Instrument Talk:
  • Guitar Geek-out: Pat plays a Martin Pat Donahue signature model; John Haidt plays a Washburn acoustic electric [40:12].
  • Steven’s beloved 9-foot piano: "On my 29th year with this piano…that’s why she needed a couple new legs." (— Steven C, 15:06)
• Independence in Career:

  "Now, I would’ve given anything for three agents back when I was thirty... now, I’d probably make myself crazy. So, I’m just where I want to be."
  (— Pat Donahue, 49:51)

4. Holiday Traditions, Listener Gifts, & Community

• Listener Engagement:
  • Joyful reactions to gifts/cards/calendars from Maryland listener Krista [06:25–08:46].
  • Sharing gratitude for the Garage Logic audience’s support of the musicians’ live shows [13:53].
• Community at Cathedral Shows:
  • "It’s become an annual tradition. And again, I wanted to do one, and now are nine..." (— Steven C, 46:47)
  • Emphasis on low ticket prices and accessibility [15:25–15:35, 25:25].
• Listener Quotes:

  “Beauty is so important and it is so needed... music is an equalizer.”
  (— Jillian Anderson, 41:51)

5. Banter, Humor, and the Garage Logic Spirit

• Running jokes about spelling “Wednesday”, Minnesota’s weather history, and presenter antics.
• Frequent playful bickering about gifts, memories from past events, and inside references (e.g., “He’d like a seat as close to the exit as possible.”—Chris Reavers, 55:46).
• Commentary on the ever-present controversies over Christmas songs and the importance of sticking to traditional songbooks with a few pop additions [20:01–20:46].
• Outtakes and 'after-party' jam sessions capture both the musicians’ skill and the casual, behind-the-scenes feel [57:08–62:37].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Music’s Power:

  "It has a way... it just kind of calms you out. And the cathedral is a place where, even without music, you just go in there, and it’s such a gem."
  (— Steven C, 41:27)

• On the Episode’s Vibe:

  "I can't ever imagine going back and doing another show like Garage Logic normally does – I think we're done. We're just going to do a song!"
  (— Joe Soucheray, 48:09)

• On Garage Logic Tradition:

  "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream..." (— Ronald Reagan, quoted, 28:34)

Noteworthy Timestamps & Segments

• [04:52] – “It’s The Most Fraudulent Time of the Year” live parody
• [16:59] – “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
• [29:28] – “Jingle Bells” medley
• [36:25] – “Silent Night” (with discussion on children’s choir, cathedral acoustics, and program planning)
• [43:34] – “What Child Is This?”
• [52:08] – “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”
• [57:37] – Pat Donahue’s bluesy ‘after party’ jam
• [41:27, 41:51] – Reflections on music as comfort and necessity in troubled times.

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

This episode stands out as a warm, festive musical interlude—less about hot takes and politics, more about community, tradition, and the transformative power of live music. The guests’ performances shine amid friendly ribbing and Garage Logic’s affection for the Midwest, its quirks, and its people.

For More Info:

• St. Paul Cathedral concert tickets: stevencmusic.com/christmastogether or Eventbrite
• Pat Donahue Christmas Guitar Summit at Crooners, Monday 6:30pm
• Find links and support the artists via Garage Logic show page

Tone: Warm, irreverent, playful, but deeply appreciative of musicianship and holiday traditions.
Best For: Anyone seeking a slice of Minnesota Christmas spirit, live acoustic performance, or the “logic” behind a joyful season in Gumption County.