Stairway to Eleven Episode #26: "You Remember When You..."

00:00:00There's a podcast that's sure all that rocks hard is gold. And they're climbing the stairway to 11. When they get to there they know the record stores are all closed. But online they can get what they came for.

00:00:30Oh, and they're streaming the Stairway to 11.

00:01:02I'm sure we've all met a number of musicians over the years, but

00:01:07you don't always have that star power that makes you

00:01:12nervous, or you don't know what to say, or you just feel like a dummy

00:01:16when you're standing next to these people. And that's what we're

00:01:19going for here with Starstruck. They got that star power.

00:01:26Yeah, I think it's safe to say we've all met

00:01:28I mean, there's no flex here. I think we've all been lucky to have met a lot of musicians over the years. Yes. Whether it be meet and greet or hanging out with them. I've been beyond fortunate. I know you guys probably feel the same way. But there's been a few. Get a little weak in the knees. Get a little giddy. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. In fact, I don't know that I'd want to meet any of the people on my list because I'd probably just look like an idiot.

00:01:58Well, you know what they say. You really don't want to meet your heroes, right? They do say that. I've been lucky. I have not experienced that knock on wood yet. Yeah. Believe it or not. Some of I was wondering, there's one person you met, George, that I watched you stand in line for half an hour, and I was just like, oh, man, this is going to implode. And you came back and was like, that was pretty cool. And I was like, all right, that's what I wanted to hear.

00:02:28Yeah, we'll be talking about that later when we get into the people that we have actually met. I figured as much. That's why I didn't want to say anything. Yeah. But yeah, in terms of people that we haven't met that we would be starstruck to meet, take it away, TR. Okay. So I'm going to kind of do this in reverse order. Like, you know, I'm sure we all have our way of doing this. Yeah, exactly.

00:02:58By no means are these guys like the bottom of the list, but starting with them. So as anyone who listens to this podcast knows, I love the Scorpions or technically just Scorpions. Klaus meiner. In their name. And I've been lucky enough to meet Uli Roth and Michael Schenker, but I would be like a little kid at Christmas meeting Klaus, Rudolph, and Matthias. Yeah. So I would probably babble about how much I love them for decades, blah, blah, blah.

00:03:27I have all your albums, even the bad ones. At which point they walk away. Yeah, right. They're like, okay, we're done with you. But like, you know, Klaus is like this kind of like, he's like a little grandpa now. You know what I mean? Like, he's old and like, you just love him. And you know, he's still got a good voice. He does. And trust me, I've seen them, you know, in recent times and out in Vegas and stuff. And they are awesome. And they are still,

00:03:57doing great stuff and it's so fun to see them live and they still bring it and so um now there have been meet and greets for these guys and VIP packages but it's way beyond like while I would really be excited to see them I would not be excited for my wallet to be that much lighter at the end of it so it's floating away there no rush yes well we can talk about that later um

00:04:27So that's my first one on the list. Nice. So you went sort of big for your first one. Well, kind of, yeah. Oh, they're big. I mean, they're worldwide. Most of mine are kind of big, I guess. Mine starts big and just gets bigger. See, and I have the opposite problem. I start at the biggest and I just shrink in size all the way down. Oh, wait. Here we go. Yeah, get it. Hold on. Where's the button? It's here. It's here. I just got to find it.

00:04:56Yeah, come on, Jerry. Yes. So what you're saying is the date didn't go that well. Well, Chuck. All right. So my next? Yeah, you go next. All right. I'm going right to the top. This is the gag one. But I'm not going to lie to you. If I ever met him, I'd be like, oh, because I wouldn't, because this guy is like the, there's been two of them.

00:05:26One is sadly passed on. I know who that is. But there's a guy that's comparable to him

00:05:34that there is some anecdotal evidence that exists that he was alive about 40,000 years ago because there's been pictures of him.

00:05:44He has a very recognizable name that's mispronounced consistently, even though it's one of the easiest names in the world to say.

00:05:53I am of course referring to Keith Richards. He is one guy. First off, the fact that I'm seeing all these, I know they're AI folks, I'm just joking. The fact that I'm seeing him at the birth of Christ, he's in the background, standing there, and he still looks like today, like he's 80. He's already old. Methuselah, he was at Methuselah's first birthday party. Yeah, I mean, like Plato's there, and he's got his hands up and

00:06:23Keefe is standing there, you know, looking like he's smoking a cig at a show. I'm not gonna lie. That's one guy I would actually be. Because, like, this guy's royalty, first of all, for music, right? Whether you like the Stones or not. Yeah, it's true. He's, like, yeah, he's super legend. This dude, if there's a worldwide nuclear war, nuclear winter, it's the cockroaches and Keefe. Keefe. Keefe. He's living. He's living for sure.

00:06:53And I think actually though

00:06:56Because I could have said someone from the Beatles

00:06:58Okay

00:06:59No I wanted to go down and dirty

00:07:02To the dude who brought the party

00:07:04And you know

00:07:06And I don't know what he's doing on stage when he plays

00:07:09Because by the

00:07:10I make this joke all the time

00:07:11But by the third song Ron Wood has got sweat dripping down his face already

00:07:15You know it's not like they're playing complicated music

00:07:17But he's just like man I gotta carry this whole fucking band

00:07:19You know so

00:07:23No, I would actually be, I would be starstruck with him. I've met plenty of musicians where I'm just like, you know, whatever. You know, they're just like me. That's one guy I would actually like. Remember that time you're in that band called The Stump? Remember that riff? Donky Tonk Women? That was cool. Yeah. So that's my first. It's kind of a

00:07:50But at the same time, I'd be like, oh my god. It's Keith. Yeah. All right. Well, my number five, the metal god himself, Rob Halford. He was an honorable mention for me. Yes. Yeah. I mean, come on. You know? Yeah. He's been there through all of this. And, you know, I mean, I've read his book. I was going to say the stories you could tell. But I've read some of those stories. And he did. And he did. And I read that.

00:08:20But I'd like to hear them from him. Yeah. You know. And there was plenty that was left out of those books too. Rightfully so. Exactly. Exactly. So, grandfather, tell me a story. Manowar reference. Yeah. Hold on, we need to pause to turn off the recorder. Yeah. Wow. No, it would be cool to meet him, I think. Definitely. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. He's the metal god. The metal god, yeah.

00:08:50All right. All right. Well, this one isn't too different from that, but coming around to Iron Maiden. This is another band I've loved for a long time, i.e. since 1983. And it would be super cool to meet them, although I would want Nico to be there. And for those that missed it, Iron Maiden's longtime drummer, Nico McBrain, retired from the band recently. He's a real sweetheart, and he loves the fans. He lives in Florida and has a restaurant there, so I guess it's not out of the question for me to meet him. So it could happen.

00:09:20But obviously it would be cool to meet him with the rest of the band. As long as Yannick didn't do too much prancing, I think it would be pretty cool. I don't want to get hit by his guitar. Or his cord that he whips. Exactly. I would definitely suit up and have a helmet just to be prepared. You're going to hear a bull weapon and look over at TRS, he's got a little blood on his cheek. What happened? Yannick just came by and he whipped his

00:10:21All right, cool. We've done a lot of big names so far. Oh, yeah. Nobody's going to be like, hey, I want to meet Bob Jones from the Bob Jones Quartet, this band from... He's really cool. Oh, my de facto number one's kind of like that, but whatever. I want to meet Jay Dickinson from the Catatonic Society. I've met him.

00:10:50You have? I've had a beer or two with him before. I may have drank with him before. Yeah. You know, actually, I smelled a room that he was in. He farted on my pillow. That was, no, I see. I was smart that trip. I brought my own pillow. That's right. You were like, ha ha. Yeah, you think you got me, huh? Well, look at this. That's so fast. There's my pillow, bitch. Anyway. Yeah. All right.

00:11:20Okay, so now I'll pick two names you've never heard of before. How's that sound? Sounds good. All right, so these guys are Scottish. They're not crap. No, they're not. And they're brothers. And they're a duo. And the names are Mike Sanderson and Marcus Owen. Ring a bell? Anybody? Doesn't sound like brothers either. I know, but they are. I saw Wikipedia told me.

00:11:50Okay.

00:11:51These are the duo that make up the band Boards of Canada.

00:11:57Ah.

00:11:57Electronic.

00:11:58Yes.

00:11:59IDM band.

00:11:59I would love to meet those guys.

00:12:01Oh, man.

00:12:02I wouldn't be so much starstruck and I wouldn't be so much intimidated if that makes sense.

00:12:07But I'd be like in awe, like, these guys are badass.

00:12:10Yeah.

00:12:11They make incredible music, but they're mysterious because they don't release that much.

00:12:17Right.

00:12:20Yeah, for those of you that cannot see, George did the international sign for doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.

00:12:29Yeah, I think it would be really cool to meet them because we're always talking about rock or prog and any other podcast. It's metal, metal, metal. But I love Boards of Canada and I love their version of down-tempo, electronic, IDM. I don't even know what intelligent dance music means.

00:12:47I don't even know what that means. Is there stupid dance music? Or ignorant dance music? Yeah, maybe. Where are you getting intelligence from? I think we just found a new genre, my friend. Yeah, but what do you do if you say, oh, I listen to IDM? Oh, intelligent dance music? No, ignorant dance music. This is ignorant dance music. Wait till you hear this. I thought it was IDM, not IDM. No, IDM. Well, there's IDM, too. I've never heard of IDM. I've never heard of IDM. Okay.

00:13:19And there's IDIOT, I think, too.

00:13:21Yeah.

00:13:23That's my own special genre that I live in.

00:13:27I think it would be kind of cool to meet them because one of their albums is in my top probably 20 albums of all time.

00:13:36I'll absolutely love it.

00:13:37The Campfire Head Phase, which is not the one everyone picks, but I'm picking it because I think it's awesome.

00:13:42So, yeah, I think it would be kind of cool to meet the mysterious duo of Boards of Canada. Hmm. I just Googled IDM. And yeah, intelligent dance music. Yeah, well, see, or I'm so intelligent, I made it up on the spot. I'm just kidding. Yeah. Well, it's funny because it says notable early artists include Aphex Twin. Yeah. I'm like, Aphex Twin is glitchy. And yeah, the only Aphex Twin I have that I bought like decades ago,

00:14:13was like ambient.

00:14:16Yeah, I think I think his first release, which I think is the first official I could be wrong. I'm not an Apex twin fan, but I think the first album, which is like says volume two or something, you have to look it up. That one I've listened to. That's actually really cool. That does have that kind of ambient down tempo. I think you might like that one, George, if you don't have that one. Everything else after that, I just never got into as much. And I know it's kind of heresy.

00:14:42If you like BOC, you should like FX Twin. I never got into it as much. Super talented dude, though. There's no doubt about that. Might have been Selected Ambient Works. It's right in the title. Yeah, and it says like part two or something, doesn't it? Let's see. Yeah, yeah, there's... Yeah, that one's actually very good. I do. And I actually need to get that. I've listened to it a number of times, and I've

00:15:12I just all these years later yeah I'm sure that's something we should talk about at some point yeah we're making episode suggestions albums or bands that we we've been saying for years we're gonna get into and we just well it's 20 years later and I'm still thinking I still gotta get to it I got a bunch of those my friends like did you ever list that album I gave you what 20 years ago uh yeah no so oh yeah I just put it on right now I've been actually doing a lot of that lately of like actually

00:15:42going back and checking these things out. I recently drove to Michigan and back. This is two different stories. I have to get back. He's here right now. So I made a playlist for the ride to Michigan that was, I was like, all these, I just grabbed albums from all these bands that I've always wanted to dig deeper into and never have. And it was a really,

00:16:12great playlists. Stuff like Elvis Costello. I can't remember what else was on there. It was like a month ago now. So what type? Any type of genre? Mostly rock type music. Okay. By the way, I love your shirt, by the way. For those of you that cannot see, George is wearing a really cool Misfits shirt. A really badass Misfits shirt. I wear this all the time. I know. Not that one? You've got like how many Misfits shirts? Two?

00:16:42Yeah, how many? Two. This is the only one I wear. Oh, see, I never see the one with the... It's very Halloween-y. Yeah. Well, it is seasonally relevant. Very cool, yes. This is the album cover for... I'm not even a Missits fan, but I love their whole decor and artwork. I don't dislike them. I just never got into them. That's one of my bands I never got into. That's like a friend of mine who said, I like everything about that band except the music.

00:17:15That's for another episode. George tried. He did. We did a Misfits drive once to Decibel. Yeah. Tell us your list. Who was on your list? My list? No, the playlist. Michigan Playlist. We've got Allman Brothers. Bauhaus. Oh, nice. There's tons of stuff here.

00:17:42I have to scroll through it all. Blue Oyster Cult, like, you know, all the stuff that I don't know. You know, there's plenty I do, but there's plenty I don't. Why wouldn't you have Blue Oyster Cult on there? Exactly. Creedence. I know lots of Creedence, but again, there's a lot of tracks, you know, I mostly know the hits and stuff. The Cure. Again, I know a lot of the early stuff, but some of the middle stuff I don't know as well, so I put that on there. Yeah, of course. Okay. Depeche Mode, like, particularly the earlier stuff, same

00:18:12New Order, particularly the early stuff. Wow, that's quite an eclectic mix of bands. Yeah. That's cool. That makes it even better, because you're going from like, what is that? Is it Never Let Me Down? Is that a song by Depeche Mode? Yeah. That's the song that Annika and Gearsberg and the Farmer Boys covered. You're going from something like that to like Proud and Mary from Greene's. And then Jeff Healy, John Pro.

00:18:42Whoa! Rewind! Beep! Beep! First album from Jack E. See the Light. That album's awesome. Yeah. I got back into him recently when I watched, because Barb had never seen Roadhouse. Oh my god, it's one of the greatest shitty films of all time! Highway or the Highway. Hey, amigo! I was like, man, you know, he's so good in that. And they actually, not that long ago, released the music from Roadhouse that he did. It's like the Jeff E.

00:19:12Roadhouse album.

00:19:15But he does.

00:19:16It's like some of the songs are on the first album, I think, aren't they?

00:19:18Yeah, but there's a lot of covers, too.

00:19:20Yeah, he does see the light.

00:19:21Doesn't he do that in there for a little bit?

00:19:23I can't remember.

00:19:23I think he might.

00:19:25That song is so good.

00:19:26I know it's his big signature song, but it's so good.

00:19:29Yeah.

00:19:30God, I haven't heard that name in ages.

00:19:32R.E.M.

00:19:34Early Stuff?

00:19:34Early Stuff, yeah.

00:19:35Yeah, so I like the Early Stuff better.

00:19:37I really, I didn't get into them really until Green or...

00:19:42Green, me too. What was before that? The one right before that. I remember when Radio Free Europe came out. Yeah, that South Central. Yeah, South Central Rain. Which was a huge thing on MTV. That's what got me. And I like Up to Green. I liked a lot. I heard a song. This is what made me put them on there was I heard a song in the car recently that was from an EP they did early on. I can't remember the name of the song now. Actually, maybe if I look here, I'll find it. Yeah, I always prefer. Oh, Ray

00:20:13LaMontaine. That's another good one. Uh, do you not have trouble? Yeah, I've heard of him. Um, R.M.R. The ladies like him. Yeah. I like him too. Wow, this is a Metal Hedge podcast derailment. I know. Anyway, anyway, there's just tons of stuff on here. Why don't you just skip to tell us what you listened to on the way back, Jordan?

00:20:42Yes, see, I already told John what this was. Oh, okay. Now I'm very curious. I just felt like I needed something completely different for the way back. And, you know, by that point, they had announced those initial Rush shows. And so I put every single Rush album into a playlist, and I just listened to Rush the entire way from Michigan back to Maryland. Good for you, George. Yep. And it was nice. As everyone should do when they go on a road trip. So proud of you. Yeah.

00:21:12Again, wanted to fill in the gaps, you know? Yeah. And then you were like, what's this dog ears crap? He was like, Ty Shan, this is BS. What? What the hell is Bitor? Whoa. No, that was good. I liked it. I mean, I knew that one. I'm just. And then you're like, oh, I guess I should have listened to this back to back with the Necromancer. I think I'm going bald.

00:21:42a really cool riff, by the way. I don't care what anyone says about that song. It's true. Yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff on that album. Oh, it's got... Top 10 moments on that album. Yes. No one at the bridge. That song is so good. That frickin' rules, dude. Meanwhile, back at the Rush podcast. Yeah. All right. All right. It's your turn, George. That's a pretty big intro to your next pick, George. Yeah, well, we had to put some distance

00:22:12Between Me and TR, because my number four originally was Bruce Dickinson, but I'm going to jump on the TR train and go with the whole band. I didn't know we were doing whole bands. I thought it was just people. No, there's no rule. I just didn't think of it that way. That's kind of the way I did it. I don't know. George, if I had gone with anyone from Maiden, it would have been Bruce also, because he's like a man for all seasons. He's just involved in everything. It's like, you know, we could listen to

00:22:42and bang our heads and then maybe do some fencing and then go fly a plane.

00:22:47Exactly. I mean, what an amazing guy, right?

00:22:53That's what's so cool about, and if you've read his book, What Does This Button Do?

00:22:59It's a really good account of his life and what he's done.

00:23:06And it's, you know, a lot of people have kind of a preconceived notion of what metal is or what metal bands are or what metal people do. And I'm so glad that, you know, he completely shattered that by being, you know, a professional pilot, you know, an amateur to almost professional, you know, fencer. And I think he trained for the Olympics. I mean, it's just it's it's.

00:23:36It just kind of, and like, you know, what a voice, right? Like, so. And he does play guitar. People don't think he plays any instruments. He can play. Well, yeah, and he can pick on the piano because he wrote Empire of the Clouds himself. Yeah. Which is a great song, and I don't care what Will says. Yeah. But now you guys know me. How long would I last before I said, all right, I'm done being all starstruck by you, Bruce. Didn't you say in that video in 1985 that there's no keyboard?

00:24:06and metal and the next album you released had keyboards on it. I mean, you know me, I'm going to tilt Bruce off. Then I'd be like, that was really cool you said it, but it was also cool you added the keyboards. Thank you. If the keyboard is a guitar, it's okay. Or a keytar. Oh, yeah? Go listen to the GTR album and get back to me on that one. By the way, I had that and the live King Biscuit Flower Power Hour live CD too.

00:24:36that tour. As bad as that album is, I still love it. Yeah, you sometimes can't help yourself, right? I think I see another list coming. Terrible albums that we love. Let's do it. I can tell you what album's not going to be on mine. Steel Panther. It's not real. No. Sierra, what album do I hate from one of my three favorite bands of all time? You know this. It's three words. It starts with hold and ends with fire. Yeah, well.

00:25:07Yeah, that was actually the album I was going to mention when George was talking about listening to Rush all the way back. It's like, well, except for Hold Your Fire. There's like two songs, maybe three I can really enjoy. All right, so we got two mains already. Wow. Yeah. Sorry, I'm looking up the Rush discography because I'm trying to remember which one. I'm curious to see which one you came away with saying Hold Your Fire. That's the red one.

00:25:36I was going to say, is that the red one? There was some stuff off the red album there that came up on my playlist. What do we have? I hope it was turn the page at Mission at least. Maybe Prime Move or two. A mission, I think, might have come up. Memo to a higher up. Time stands still. I thought that one was okay. That one's okay. T.R., you know what drives me nuts is the music to that song is good. Albeit not a Rush type song. But then he's like, oh, I've got a letter going to some dude's

00:26:07Yeah, it's like, come on, this is garbage. Who said, who, who, who, who okayed this? Yeah, I know. To me, to me, it's the worst opening single ever, Force 10, from their catalog. I just never liked that song. Anyway, I'm sorry. The playlist kept playing mostly stuff from Vapor Trails, Snakes and Arrows. Mostly those two. I like Vapor Trails a lot. It just focused on those, and eventually I was like,

00:26:47que le puse de la mano.

00:27:06But it would still be cool to meet Rush. I actually met Getty when he did his big, beautiful book of base book signing in Philadelphia in 2019. I was tongue-tied and overwhelmed, but he was very gracious and nice. But it would be very cool to meet him and Alex at the same time, but I'm not willing to pay the VIP prices that they charge to do that. But, you know, those two,

00:27:36First of all, you can tell that these guys, I mean, they've had a lifelong relationship. And I, first of all, Alex Lyson seems like a laugh riot, like 24 seven. Like this guy just seems like the most hilarious person that just like at all times, like this guy is probably just goofing around, just being a goofball. It's like, it cracks me up. Like some of the, I don't know if you've seen it.

00:28:06I've seen the ads that they did or the YouTube videos with them when they did the... Yeah, I sent you half of those, didn't I? Yeah, well, the Rush Beer stuff, you know, and he's just like, well, I'm an official, you know, he's using all these goofy words and it's like, it's clear he doesn't know anything about beer. And it's just, it's so funny. And of course, all the interstitial, you know, videos that they did during the tours, it just looks like it would be a laugh. His appearance on Trailer Park Boys,

00:28:36Oh yeah exactly

00:29:04O que é o que é o que é?

00:29:08I know exactly what those guys just said. We have a lot of people that are going, what is going on here? Are they having a group stroke? Yes, I don't know. I'm not even a half beer in. Oh boy. I only have one. You better get working on that. I'm nursing it. I knew Rush would come up. They might come up again in another section of this. Okay. All right. So I'm number three. Yeah.

00:29:38George, this one, I think you would appreciate. Tierra, maybe not so much. Yeah. Now this one, again, I don't know. I think Keefe would be the only one on my list. I'd be like, oh my God, Keefe. And I would say Keefe too, which would be really stupid. Yeah. And then I would just mumble and he probably would understand what I'm saying. But this guy, I would be a little nervous because I think he's a brilliant musician. And I know that his bands, his main band,

00:30:08is maybe not to everyone's liking. His solo work might be. Now, George and I just saw this guy recently with his other band. And I think I would be intimidated just a tiny bit. Never intimidated around musicians, but maybe just because there's an air about him. He doesn't think he's better than anybody else. He just seems to be on a different plane. And he rocks the turtleneck hard. And he's not Irish. But he rocks that turtleneck hard.

00:30:38And that is Ishan. Or Eshan. How do you say his name? Yeah, some people say Eshan. I never know what to say. There's gotta be that one guy out there. The S and the H are not next to each other. Right, exactly. Thank you. Yeah, well, try to pronounce some Gaelic names. True, true. The letters have nothing to do with how it sounds. But I think he would be kind of somebody like, oh, there's Eshan. If you don't know Eshan, he's a Norwegian guitarist, singer.

00:31:09from the infamous or famous, whatever you want to call them, band emperor, black metal band out of Norway. That was one of the premier bands of the second wave of black metal. You want to say something else about them, George? I was just going to say they're infamous. Yeah, well, yeah, but they've also become famous on top of it. Yes. For such a limited catalog. And then also his solo work, which I know it's going to be heresy to say I like his solo work more, but maybe because he's more experimental.

00:31:38He's progier. He has some black metal stuff. He's all over the map. He just does whatever he wants. I think that's what makes me want to be a little starstruck is that he has no boundaries and he does not give a flying whatever you want to call it. What you think. Yeah, I like that. I like that. Or a flying burrito. Or the brothers. Yeah, the brothers. He just doesn't care. And he seems like he'd be an interesting guy to talk to. And he's got strange connections, although not strange.

00:32:08to him, but he's tied very closely to the band Leprous. Well, that's right, because his sister's married to the dude from Leprous, who's the singer and keyboardist, who's also been his touring band before for shows. So I think he would be an interesting person to meet that I might be a little in awe of, just because I view him as one of the great kind of creative minds in metal, you know, who's willing to take risks. And that's a big deal without putting out crap. Yeah. Yeah. There's some bands that put out some crap.

00:32:38that you're like,

00:32:38eh.

00:32:40I think he's on the other side of that.

00:32:41So.

00:32:43Yeah.

00:32:44So I'm going to do a 3.5 because when you were leading up to your pick,

00:32:50it reminded me of another person that we saw recently.

00:32:53Ooh.

00:32:54And that would be Devin Townsend.

00:32:57Ooh.

00:32:58He's doing a,

00:32:59he's calling an audible.

00:33:01Yeah.

00:33:01I,

00:33:01it just,

00:33:02it didn't occur to me,

00:33:03But oh my god it would be

00:33:06extremely intimidating to meet

00:33:07devin townsend

00:33:09it would but at the same time he is so

00:33:11humble and he is yes it's just a regular

00:33:13that's why i didn't put him on my list for that reason

00:33:15exactly yeah like i get

00:33:17the impression that he would just be like

00:33:19dude calm down it's cool i'm totally

00:33:21normal relax yeah

00:33:23but he's not

00:33:25yeah well he he does

00:33:27have that stature though george so

00:33:29i'm with you on that well he's right he's

00:33:31I can see both sides of this. It's just so smart and wild and beyond what I can fathom that it doesn't matter that he's being nice to me. Because of course he would be because he's a nice guy. And he's Canadian. And he's Canadian. So he has to. Yeah, right. Exactly. But at the same time, I would be dying inside going, he's being nice because he knows he can't be real around me. Yeah, see, I actually think he's one of the most honest,

00:34:01I feel like he he's already been through everything so he feels like I can tell that like there's nothing left for him to in terms of like you know holding back or anything like he it's just the amount that he has actually created is insane is unfathomable for most people but in terms of like being able to create that much music like

00:34:32I just believe this is constantly pouring out of this guy. And he just... It's just like, turn on the record button because it's like, it's not... It doesn't end. And it's just constant. I feel an album coming on. Yeah. So I'll release four. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's like, oh, here. Well, you know, I didn't do anything between lunch and dinner, but so here's another album.

00:35:00But don't you think this transformation from where he started on sex and religion at 19 with Steve Vai to the skullet? Come on, that dude rocked the skullet harder than anyone ever. And then to where he is now, I think that's what makes him. He's learned quite a bit. You can tell that he. There's so much introspective. Yes, he you can tell that he's in a much better place. Obviously. Yeah, I haven't read his, you know, because he he wrote a book. Mm hmm. And I did not

00:35:30read it, but it's clear to me that he really, he has looked at his whole life and he understands what he's been through and he is kind of treasuring what he understands now to be what is important. And it's good to see that.

00:35:55Are you referring to him now, not retiring, but taking a hiatus from touring and music for a little while? Well, that and, you know, obviously, like early on, getting clean from drugs and just like removing the obfuscations that were impeding him from being a creative entity. And I think he understands that now. Wait, but hold on. He's the I don't mean to interrupt you. I have to say he's the only person I know that was

00:36:25is incredibly creative while using substances and has been incredibly creative without using substances. The music's different, but there's no fall-off in creativity. In fact, I think it's almost more. It's too much. Devin didn't use drugs. The drugs used Devin. Devin's going to become the Chuck Norris of music. Exactly.

00:36:55I know I agree with everything you're saying and I hate to cut it I George he was on my list I pulled him at the last second because I feel like if I met him just when you see him live it's just different he has this amiability yes and almost like facing like you know he self-deprecating I'm not anything and yeah yeah and then he just shreds the crap out of his guitar like wait he can shred yeah you know and by the way like you know he's almost like this operatic you know

00:37:25He does that and the whole time

00:37:27he's doing it with a ziltoid hand puppet

00:37:33No, he does

00:37:35George, I tell you, there was a dude with this ziltoid hand puppet

00:37:38at the show

00:37:40He just kept headbanging the ziltoid hand puppet

00:37:42and then eventually Devin said, just give that to me

00:37:45And he

00:37:46you know, did his hand puppet stuff

00:37:50I like that

00:37:51So George, do you have a three?

00:37:52I do have an actual three. Okay. I'm sorry. I apologize. We again, rabbit holes. They're all over the place. Yeah. I like it. Yeah. My, my number three, I'm going with the band Metallica, but specifically James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. Honestly, honestly, this should be my one because yeah, I mean, in terms of starstruck plus meaning,

00:38:22Personal Meaning? Personal Meaning? There's nothing bigger than this. I would think especially with James. Yeah, especially James. I started with James. I was like, yeah, but Kirk too. Lars, I don't care about. Rob is great. And Jason too. I would be happy to have either of those guys in the mix as well. And I mean, Lars too. I just don't really have any. He's last. I don't connect with Lars on any level. But James,

00:38:52like my spirit animal.

00:38:56Yeah.

00:38:57Yeah.

00:38:59So, yeah.

00:39:00I knew that was going to come up for you because I knew how funny it was to you,

00:39:04but no one can deny the stuff that he wrote on those first four albums.

00:39:09Oh yeah.

00:39:10Albeit the first album,

00:39:12Dave Mustaine will tell you that he's responsible for a part of it.

00:39:15And without question.

00:39:15And he is.

00:39:16He is.

00:39:17Without question.

00:39:18And maybe there's debates on the second album for some stuff he may have written.

00:39:22What do you mean? Yeah, exactly. But there's no way I knew that you would have him on your list for sure. Yeah, and he would be number one on my list of... Crap, I forgot what that list was. You were talking and I had it. Number one on the list of like, oh, that I wouldn't ever want to interview. Yeah. Because people have been like, wouldn't it be cool? And it would be, but I can't fathom what I would ask James Hetfield.

00:39:52that he hasn't been asked a million times. Remember that guy? You were in that Bama talk? That was cool. That was cool. So I would like to meet him, maybe hang out, but not interview him. Yeah, George. Yeah, George. Yeah. Yeah. No, I figured that would be at least him, Minima, would be on your list. Yeah, and Kirk too. I think Kirk is just an amazing dude. You would probably talk to Kirk

00:40:22more about his horror fascination. Oh, absolutely. I would at least have that in with him. Yeah, it was like James' cars and stuff. Old cars and stuff. I don't care about any of that. He'd be like, that's a cool Misfits shirt you're wearing. Yeah, actually. Yeah. I got into the Misfits because of these guys. Because back in the 80s, they wore Misfits shirts and stuff. They did those covers, right? Didn't they do covers? Yeah, they did Green Hell and Last Caress.

00:40:53Yeah, they did.

00:40:54Yeah, they did.

00:40:54It was Green Hill slash Last Caress on Grouch Days.

00:40:56Yeah.

00:40:57Sorry, my brain does not work anymore.

00:40:59I'm getting too old.

00:41:00I will say, I will give Lars credit for one thing.

00:41:04I beat on him all the time because I think he's a dumb drummer.

00:41:07He still gets credit for being there, and I won't take that away from when he's playing.

00:41:11But however, he always wore KUSF shirts.

00:41:14I think it was him and James and Witter of them.

00:41:16And I went to school at University of San Francisco, and KUSF was the radio station at my school.

00:41:21and I lived in the building where it was. And I ran, and I'm sure I've told you guys, I ran into people like John Lighton from the Sex Pistols, Vernon Reed was there. People coming in and out all the time. And they were at that time, you know, young Sanford, albeit two were from LA. They started, well, yeah, two were from LA. And then they had to move to San Francisco or they would not have gotten their base as Cliff. Cliff's like, hell no. You move to my, move to my hood or we got no, no gig. Yeah. And they came and embraced the city, but they used to,

00:41:52I believe they would have gone to the radio station. So I was giving props for it. It was the coolest shirt for a college radio station ever. So yeah. Nice. I like it. All right. All right. I don't know. I'm not sure how. No, this is like number one because I already did Scorpions. No, we're on two. I've only done two. This is number one for me. Did you will your list somehow? No, because look, I did. I did Scorpions.

00:42:21I did Iron Maiden. I did Judas Priest. No, you didn't. No, you did Rob Halford. No, I did Rob Halford. Oh, you did Rob Halford. Yeah, you didn't do Priest. Oh, I skipped one. Oh, yeah. All

00:42:51Robert Halford. Robert John Halford. He's got four names if you ever read the credits on the songs that he wrote. It's Robert John Halford. Robert John something Halford. There's like four names. In 2002 when Priest was touring small clubs with Ripper Owens, I hung out behind the venue and got to meet Glenn K.K. Ripper.

00:43:21Ian and Scott.

00:43:23That was definitely awesome, but it obviously wasn't the same without Halford.

00:43:27So, George, I totally know what you're talking about because it would be really cool.

00:43:34And honestly, I would not mind meeting Richie Faulkner and Sneap because those guys are tearing it up.

00:43:46They definitely infused some energy into that band. And I feel like they're keeping it going. You know what I mean? Especially Richie, because he writes music now. Well, that's right. He's their main guitarist now. He is. And Sneap is the live second dude. But he's also the recording guy.

00:44:15Yeah, I would be intimidated to meet Sneap just because of his body of work.

00:44:21Yeah, absolutely. That guy is amazing, right?

00:44:26So for me, it would be pretty cool to meet Priest with Halford because honestly, I would have so much to talk to him about.

00:44:37And you're right, the book was interesting and all that, but I've got so many questions.

00:44:43And then, you know, I would definitely be in awe because this guy was there at the beginning, right? At the very beginning of Heavy Metal, there was Sabbath and then Priest and all these Birmingham guys, and they were there. And it's just, I don't know. Yeah. When you think about those early, like the early Priest albums for me are, and you guys have heard,

00:45:13me wax poetic on this like numerous times so i'm not going to really go off on a tangent here and i promise i really won't but honestly like freaking rock a rolla sin after sin sad wings of destiny awesome awesome albums and so yeah to talk to the dude that was like part of that would be really really really cool so i feel a little bit closer to rob now because i decided to look up his name

00:45:42after you did that.

00:45:44Oh, yes.

00:45:44And you mentioned that.

00:45:45And it's Robert John Arthur Halford.

00:45:48Yes.

00:45:48That's it.

00:45:49Yes.

00:45:49And my middle name is Arthur as well.

00:45:52Oh, well, there you go.

00:45:53You've got an instant in now with him.

00:45:56Yo, what up, Artie?

00:45:57I'm Artie too.

00:46:01Oh, yes.

00:46:02Robert John Arthur.

00:46:03See, I've got all the tablature books, and it has their full names written in whoever wrote the song.

00:46:12I know it got all their names and I always remembered like he had like four names and I'm like what so okay so that's my pick for what was really number three but okay when three was two when three was two all right John all right so now I'm gonna get into the not the weeds but I'm getting into specific musicians that I kind of worship

00:46:43a little bit or ended up worshiping for their playing and i'm a former drummer

00:46:51percussionist boy there's a load of bs saying that but this guy uh and i struggled because i had

00:46:59devin townsend in this spot originally i was like yeah but maybe i might not be so intimidated or

00:47:03wild by him because i feel like he's just a dude we'd hang out with because of how he is um and then i

00:47:11I kind of went back and forth and then this person dawned at me. I was like, oh, I think this guy would be kind of wild to me. Because he's very proper. He seems like he's quite the English gentleman. I'll just give you a few bands he's worked with. Yes. King Crimson. Oh, boy. He played live with Genesis. Okay, here we go. I know who this is now. Self-titled.

00:47:41band, meaning his name. Yes. UK. Yeah. Band called ABWH. Yes. And another band called Earthworks. That's just a smidge of his career. I'm referring to Bill Bruford. Yes. The English drummer who I would be. He is quite proper. He is quite proper. And he's retired, but he pulled a rush and said, hey, I'm coming back. I'm just not going to charge your rush prices for tickets.

00:48:09And I have only seen him live, I think, once in my life. And that was on the Union tour of all tours. Yes, right. Yeah. I didn't think you'd seen anybody just once. So I met him, actually. And he's, I think, kind of a little tall, isn't he? Like, he's not ACDC-like. No, no. So he's got some stature chum. Or Sympathia X. Yeah, he's got a little stature chum. He's not a member of the Lollipop Guild.

00:48:39Yes.

00:48:40Yeah.

00:48:40And go ahead.

00:48:42So you met him.

00:48:43Yeah.

00:48:43Back in.

00:48:44So 1989 in the summer of 89, I was in London and ABWH.

00:48:51Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

00:48:53Yes.

00:48:53I'm sorry for those that.

00:48:55Oh, no, I didn't say it either.

00:48:56Yes.

00:48:56Okay.

00:48:58Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe did a.

00:49:02Which was yes.

00:49:032.0 at the time.

00:49:04Yes, exactly.

00:49:05Yes.

00:49:06I did a stop at the Virgin Record Store in London in 1989 on July 6th. I was there. I saw they were going to have this signature session. So I was there for the summer because I was doing undergraduate research through the University of Delaware because they had a thing with the Imperial College. So I was there and I found out they're doing this and I was like,

00:49:35Oh my god. Like I went down to the Virgin

00:49:38Record store. I was like they're all I was like I was at this Virgin Record store pretty much like all the time

00:49:43and they were like, okay, get out of here. But they were the you know, I found out that they were going to actually have Anderson. Like it didn't occur to me like this is London, right? It's like, you know, essentially like New York, right? Like big stars come through here at the big rate, you know, at the big record stores and they do things right? Like so it didn't

00:50:05It occurred to me like, oh my God, these guys are really going to come here. So I went and I talked to my professor. I'm like, can I take this day off? And they're like, yeah, no problem. Whatever you want to do. I'm like, okay, good. Because freaking Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is going to be like at the, you know, Virgin Records store in London. So I went down there and we waited and we waited.

00:50:35and we waited. John got stuck in traffic. And they all came out. And they were super cool. It was really cool to see them. And I didn't really, you know, they could tell, they were like, so I was like, hey, you guys, it's really cool to meet you. And they were like, you're not a local. Yeah, no, I'm totally not. I'm, you know, I'm American over here. But I'll see you in the fall because ABWH was playing in the fall.

00:51:04like sometime. But yeah, that was pretty amazing to actually meet them. But like, you know, I had no idea. Like at the time it was just like, oh, this is yes. You know, I'm meeting. Yes, this is cool. Sorry, I didn't mean to. No, it's fine. More more about some of those guys from yes. And the next section. But yeah, he would be cool to to me just because I love his playing. I've always loved this.

00:51:34And he's played on iconic

00:51:38Prog albums

00:51:40For a guy that doesn't want that kind of limelight

00:51:43He has played on two of the

00:51:46Greatest Prog albums of all time

00:51:48Yeah

00:51:49And yes, it's Close to the Edge and

00:51:51And King Crimson's Red

00:51:53So

00:51:55And I just, I love his style

00:51:57I'm not big on his electronic drums

00:51:59That he used in the 80s King Crimson

00:52:02But his playing on it is amazing

00:52:03I just I didn't like the electronic sound

00:52:07but yeah

00:52:08and I've recently

00:52:10here's a band we talked about we didn't listen to

00:52:12for years I finally got the first UK album

00:52:14took me forever to get it

00:52:15damn it man

00:52:18it's pre-Asia basically

00:52:20but it's proggier

00:52:22it's got a little bit of that in it

00:52:24Brouford dude why didn't I get this

00:52:26oh wait Holdsworth too

00:52:28I was going to say isn't Holdsworth on that

00:52:30because honestly I haven't listened to it either

00:52:32And it's like, I feel like I need to do that. It's yeah. So anyway, Bill Bruford is my number two. And it's strictly from the drum aspect, because while I would never be able to play like him, I always really enjoyed his playing. And by the way, his playing on that, the trick of the tale tour for Genesis is just unreal how good he is on that. So yeah. Cool. All right.

00:53:02My number two?

00:53:07These guys I think are pretty interesting. They've got to be.

00:53:14I'm just going to cut to it.

00:53:16Jimmy Page, Robert Blunt.

00:53:18Oh, man.

00:53:21I like it. Yes.

00:53:23Particularly Page.

00:53:24Particularly Page.

00:53:25Yes.

00:53:26I totally agree here.

00:53:28Yeah.

00:53:30Yeah.

00:53:30I had a different number too, but I decided that guy was probably more of a jerk. Not that these guys may not be either, but the nicest. I was just like, eh, you know. I think this is more interesting. Oh, the stories alone. Oh my God. Right. So they were a part of my honorable mention.

00:54:00to meet Zeppelin or the remainder of Zeppelin or Page mostly or Plant. Like, frickin' Robert Plant, dude. Yeah, but Jimmy Page. Yes. Well, yeah. I mean, here's a guy that frickin' wrote, like, so many of the amazing rock anthems of, like, the whole decade of the 70s pretty much. And not only that, but, like, completely transformed what we, what we

00:54:30we think of as a rock album.

00:54:33And on top of that, really investigated completely different tunings.

00:54:40You listen to Zeppelin 3 and what he was doing with different tunings on the guitar.

00:54:48And throughout all of Zeppelin, really.

00:54:50Because he did that on almost every album.

00:54:53He messed around with different tunings.

00:54:57What a huge impact on rock and roll and everything else. The Beatles transformed what it was to be a band. And Led Zeppelin transformed what it was to be a rock band. Like a hard rock band. And they kind of really made it what it is. Like what everybody felt like, oh, that's what we need to be. And they were the blueprint for Van

00:55:27and everybody else.

00:55:29Do you know the greatest quote attached to that band?

00:55:33What's that?

00:55:34We don't make millions.

00:55:36We spend millions.

00:55:40Yes.

00:55:42Hey, you didn't even talk about him in the studio as a producer.

00:55:46Well, yeah, that's...

00:55:47None of those albums sound like crap.

00:55:49No.

00:55:50They don't.

00:55:50The drums might be a little loud on a few albums, but none of the albums smell or sound like crap.

00:55:56That's right.

00:55:57They never smelled like crap. And they also certainly didn't sound like crap. And you know what's amazing is what I didn't know before I watched that Becoming Led Zeppelin movie. Awesome, by the way. Yes. They recorded the entire first album on their own dime and then kind of went around and said, who wants this? And that's because he wanted control, I think. Yes. Yeah. He wanted to be. Which was brilliant. Yeah. And it was so well, like, just listen to Led Zeppelin.

00:56:28And you will find out that it is an amazing, amazing album in terms of sonic. And that was recorded in 68, I believe, wasn't it? Because it came out early 69? Yeah. Because two came out at the end of the year, I think. Right. Wow. Yeah. That's wild. Yeah. So, George, I'm totally with you on this because... It's a good one, George. Yeah. I thought about it too. I was like, oh, it's so obvious. Well, there's a reason why it's obvious, right?

00:56:56There's a reason. There's a reason. Because, hey, let's not forget John Paul Jones. He would be cool. Because everyone's like, no, who's that guy? Oh, that's the dude that kind of keeps the band together. Yeah, Goldfinger. Nobody realizes that. Oh, J.P. Page. Oh, John Paul Jones, too. Yeah, he was there. Yeah. He's a man. Man with a golden touch. Well, and he might have saved, you know, in through the outdoor.

00:57:26I like almost all of that album. There's a couple that I'm like, eh. What's on there? Like All of My Love? Is that on there? Yeah. And wasn't there? In the Evening is cool. I like that. Yeah, In the Evening is awesome. I love that song. Casal Aramba, however you say it, is awesome. Casal Aramba, yeah. Casal Aramba, yeah. Which is their full on, yeah, we're going to do Prague during the disco era. So, yeah.

00:57:56Fool in the Rain is cool, but it played too much. That's the one I love. I love Fool in the Rain. Yeah. Hot Dog. Yeah. If you want a chicken pick. Yeah. Yeah, that was a Steve Moore song before, you know, Steve Moore. Steve Moore is new. Exactly. Exactly. Awesome. That's a great. Wow. Some heavy hitters here. My list keeps getting lower and lower. Well, some might argue Bill Burford's above Esau, but I'm.

00:58:26Keith and all the way down. You guys keep going up. Wow. I can't wait to see your number one until I hear them. So my number one can't happen anymore because he's gone. It's hard to believe he's been gone for five years. Ah. But it's Eddie Van Halen. And the weird thing is I had multiple dreams, like actual dreams that I met and hung up.

00:58:56I hung out with him. In a hot tub, right? No. Were you wearing a Valerie Bertinelli wig? Maybe. But in a hot tub, right? Yeah, but it was in a hot tub. Actually, I had real dreams where I was hanging out with him. Literally, I knew that he would be like, I don't want to be around people.

00:59:26I'd keep it low and okay, yeah, no problem, Ed, you know, let's just hang out, you know. And like I had these dreams where like we were hanging out and it was just like really cool. This is how like, you know, how sick, like I'm just like a total, you know, such a... I feel like the static sound should come on right now. Yeah, right. You know, come back and like, and then he said maybe next year. Yeah. I've been having these dreams. Yeah, this part has been re-excised.

00:59:55I was having dreams about Eddie Van Halen. Yeah. So look, this is the artist I would most want to meet and would be the most starstruck over. Because look, he completely redefined the map. Like if everybody thought like Jimi Hendrix redefined guitar playing, like he took it and completely redefined that, which was incredible.

01:00:25And so, you know, to just like what came out of him. And you listen to some of these solos that he did. Any solo on Fair Warning. You listen to it and you're just like, where does this come from? What is this going? How did this even happen? Like, how can a human do this? And the interaction that he has with his brother, Alex.

01:00:55Just astonishing, really. And I would probably be completely idiotic in front of these people. If I met Eddie Van Halen, I just would have been like, dude, you're so cool. Fair warning, it's really awesome. That would be literally all I would be able to get out. But my buddy Colin,

01:01:25who is a listener of this podcast actually got to meet him when they were staying in Florida during one of the VH tours and he was working for the hotel that they were staying in and he was like no I've got this and he took care of them during that stay and got to meet them and they were obviously really super nice and he just I will always be jealous of that because

01:01:55That was just such a cool thing. It was Wolfie's birthday during the time that they were there. This was like, I can't remember if it was like sometime in the mid-90s, I guess. I can't remember now, but Sammy was with them. Wolfie was young, like maybe three years old. And they were in Florida during the tour. And they had like a birthday party for Wolfie.

01:02:25And my buddy brought the cake and pulled, you know, wielded into the house, you know, into the room or whatever. And so, yeah, that's like, he's got a picture with him and stuff. It's like, oh, dude. But yeah, Eddie Van Halen is my number one, even though it can never happen now. He would have been like, I pretty much would have been the most starstruck next to it.

01:02:55Absolutely.

01:02:56You know, I just realized that Wild Stallions is never going to take off now.

01:03:02It might. You never know.

01:03:03They can't have Eddie Van Halen.

01:03:06That's true.

01:03:06They can't have a triumphant album.

01:03:09Yep.

01:03:10Jeez.

01:03:14John.

01:03:15Nice.

01:03:16Now, I did not include any that have passed on.

01:03:19I have a whole other list of those people.

01:03:22So I stuck to people that are actually.

01:03:25And I have not met

01:03:28But I completely understand

01:03:30Tierra why you have him on your list

01:03:31It's so funny you talk about that way

01:03:33And then literally Ed gets stopped

01:03:35Right in his tracks

01:03:37When it comes to one guitarist

01:03:38And only one guitarist only in the world

01:03:40Where he actually stops

01:03:42Yes

01:03:42He just stopped

01:03:43Oh that dude's badass

01:03:45Yeah

01:03:46Yeah that's the only guy

01:03:47That stopped him in his tracks

01:03:48That's true

01:03:49Yeah

01:03:50And he's always a big fan of Holdsworth

01:03:51A huge fan of him

01:03:53And you can actually

01:03:54You can hear a little holes worth on there. He does. He doesn't play like him. You could just see he's been influenced by him a little bit. Yeah, that's just not a bad thing. Okay, so my number one again, these are alive. At least I hope they are. Sorry, I was hoping to slide something. Slide it in before you got started. Oh, I wanted to mention to you are that you're not the only

01:04:24One of the one that's had dreams about celebrities. I'm pretty sure I've had a Metallica dream too. Oh, have you? Yeah, like me and James hanging out. Yeah. Dude, these are vivid dreams. Like, it's like very real. Yeah. I woke up feeling like I had hung out with Eddie Van Halen. So the Matrix is real. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. No, it was like a long dream of like me and me. And I woke up and I'm like, I gotta get, wait, James? No, I don't actually know James. George. George. Yeah. George.

01:04:54No, I'm serious. These dreams, and it wasn't just one dream. It was multiple dreams over the years.

01:05:03You were communing with Eddie.

01:05:05Yes, exactly. Multiple times, like, oh yeah, I remember you. In the dream, it's like, oh, I remember you from the last dream. And it's just like, oh my god, yeah. So there were years of these dreams where I was hanging out with Eddie.

01:05:22That's how sick I am

01:05:25Yeah, welcome to my nightmare

01:05:27Yeah, exactly

01:05:29Sorry, John, you may continue

01:05:31No, you're all good

01:05:32Alright, so my number one, again

01:05:35is specific

01:05:38musician related, meaning

01:05:39their musicianship

01:05:41I'll just give you a few hints, this guy is an Australian

01:05:44drummer

01:05:45He's played with Derek Sheranian

01:05:47a band called Planet X

01:05:49He's played with Steve Vai

01:05:51He's actually played with Asia too

01:05:56This dude is the drummer

01:05:59For all drummers that's not named Neil Peart

01:06:03For me

01:06:04And I actually think he's the best drummer

01:06:07Who's ever played in rock

01:06:09Just technically there's just no one

01:06:11Even I say this and I love Neil

01:06:12But there's just no one like this guy

01:06:15In my opinion

01:06:16And my number one would be Virgil Donati

01:06:18This is a guy I would be intimidated by just because he's so good. It's unreal. And the fact that he's like 67 and he still sounds like he's 30 is just I think he's 67. He's just an incredible drummer. He's played with some of the biggest names. I think he actually auditioned for Dream Theater too after Mike Portnay left. I think I could be wrong about that, but I don't think he would have fit though.

01:06:48His style is just he needs to be able to do his thing. And if you hear him play, you know what that means. He's just unreal. Sir, may I hold your stick? Yeah. I'll take your other stick, too, if you need help with that one. Yeah, I'm a huge fan. And I did not know about him until 1999 when he was the drummer on Derek Sherinian, who used to be the former keyboardist in Dream Theater.

01:07:18who was let go by the band and Derek decided to put out two pissed off albums back to back that are just I'm glad he was pissed because the music is just insane he put out his first solo which was called Planet X which then led to a band being called Planet X which makes it confusing and also you guys won't be able to see us except George and T.R. Will

01:07:48of you that can't see. I just got this on vinyl for 11 bucks. Oh yeah. His debut album. Nice. Yeah. I saw you post about that. Oh my God. Yeah. I didn't mean to do that either by the way. That's that stupid Instagram link to Facebook crap. It drives me nuts because I don't know what's going there. Anyway he's just that's a drummer that I would never even imagine being able to play 1000 like him. He's just his technical ability so good and he writes a lot of

01:08:19He's just a fabulous musician. I actually would be intimidated by him. Way more than I would around Neil Peir. So those are my two favorite. Those are the two drummers that and I didn't one I knew about from the 80s and one I didn't discover until 99. So he's just so good. Those are the ones I haven't met that are alive. I've got ones I've met that are alive.

01:08:47So my number one, it just doesn't get any bigger than this. Like if this guy were to walk in the room, I would just fall over dead like a possum. Because I just couldn't. James Hetfield, yeah! Yeah! I couldn't, I could not comprehend meeting Paul McCartney. Okay, so you went with the other English popular band. Yes. Yeah, that would be huge. I mean, that would just, my head would just explode. Did you like a spot in Spinal Tap, too?

01:09:16I haven't seen it yet. What? No, nobody wanted to go to the theater with me. He kind of comes off arrogant to me. Well, that's so funny. Yeah. He's got a toxic personality. Spoilers. Ah, yes. But you don't know what that means, though. No, you'll have to see it. You have to see it. God, I forgot all about that. It's been such a rough couple of months. That would be really cool to meet him, though, I think.

01:09:46Yeah, absolutely. After all this time, you know. The stories he has, come on. Exactly. Exactly. Wow, that'd be cool. Yeah, absolutely. Well, yeah, you weren't kidding when you said, I'm going to keep going higher and higher. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Do you have a preference from Paul McCartney? I'm curious. You mean like? Like what period of his gargantuan career? He's got some cool soul.

01:10:16I like some wing stuff yeah and some of his

01:10:20just like McCartney stuff is not bad but you know I mean nothing's gonna top the Beatles and

01:10:27within the Beatles I mean I think we've talked about this but I think the older stuff is probably

01:10:34wait you like TR you like the bubble gun stuff the most I I think I do just because it's so

01:10:41simple and pure.

01:10:43But at the same time, I do like

01:10:45the later stuff as well.

01:10:48But I think the earlier stuff is

01:10:51where I began with the Beatles.

01:10:53You know, the stuff that my parents had.

01:10:57And the first compilation album

01:10:59that I got of my own

01:11:01was pretty much early stuff.

01:11:04Was it the Red or Blue album?

01:11:06It was one of those. I don't remember which one.

01:11:08Two great compilation albums.

01:11:10Yeah, because there's the bubblegum period, there's the period where they grow their hair, and then there's the drug period. And they all have valid, if you like the Beatles, they're all valid. But I mean by the long hair period, it's like Revolver, what's the one right before Revolver? I'm drawing a total blank all of a sudden. Oh, God, I gotta look that up. I'm totally dropping the ball on this, and I'm embarrassed by that.

01:11:40Oh, it's driving me nuts because I love that album. And in the drug period, obviously, you know, they start getting into the Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Pepper's, Abbey Road, all that stuff, the White Album. Yeah. And I'm loosely calling that for myself, you know, so. Rubber Soul. God, I can't believe I couldn't say that. Yeah. That's when their hair starts getting a little longer, you know, and everything. And like, hey, wait, they're hippies. You're like, your hair's shorter than that.

01:12:10I always preferred later in the career as opposed to earlier for myself. Just me. Yeah. Nice. All right. So where do we go from here? So I've got some honorable mentions. I do too. Okay. So I don't know. Go for it. Okay. Should I just list them or go one at a time or? Just list them. Okay.

01:12:40So here are my honorable mentions. First on the list, Journey. There's too much drama around them now, but I wish I could have met them when Greg Rowley was in the band, because that would have been pretty much... That's the only time you'd want to meet them, I think, don't you? Yeah, pretty much. During that time when they were just such a cool band, just the music that they were playing was kind of...

01:13:10Santana-esque, but it was kind of rocking and kind of proggy. The vocals didn't matter. There were some cool instrumentals like Kahootek and all this other weird stuff that they were doing at that time. They were so cool. I would have been like, remember that time when you were in Journey? That was so cool.

01:13:40When you invented South Detroit? He walked out to a tier and he went, ooh, anytime that you want me. He's like, oh, you're one of those fans. I don't know. Ooh, there's my phone. Gotta go. Security. So yeah, the next one would be Dave Navarro and or Jane's Addiction. This is another band with too much drama,

01:14:09but always thought it would be cool to meet them. Dave Navarro, like what a cool guitar guy he is, man. I think he would scare me. I'm not scared of him. I'm not scared of him. I don't know. Just like a lot there. I know he's had his own demons and there's been some heavy stuff he's been through not only as a child but throughout his whole life. But wow.

01:14:39What an amazing guitar player and what he brought to that band. And really, I think for me, if he wasn't in that band, I wouldn't have been into them. I think he's what brought the rock. The other elements of that band were cool, but without him, it wouldn't have rocked nearly as much or had been as such a heavy, cool sound that they were. And then other honorable mentions,

01:15:10Peter Gabriel,

01:15:12I'd be starstruck,

01:15:14but I'd also be a little ticked about the tons of music that he's done that will never see the light of day that people like Tony Levin have alluded to.

01:15:24And if you've listened to any interviews with Tony Levin or any of the other people that have worked with Peter Gabriel,

01:15:31they talk about all these songs that they worked on and they were in the studio with him that were really cool that never,

01:15:38He never finished them or never did them or never worked it out. And so while I would be super starstruck to talk to him, like here's the guy that frickin' put the fox head on his head to be like, you know, during... With a dress. Yeah, with a dress. Like, you know, and put like the, you know, the whatever suit on for like the, you know... The first bubble boy without being in a bubble. Right, exactly. To be on the landline.

01:16:08down to her and put on this weirdo black suit. And yeah, I mean, what an amazing artist. What an incredible dude. But yeah, I'd be a little tick too. So that would be some of my runners up. And then I have a different category. So I can wait if you want me to win. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. John, you have any honorables?

01:16:38Yeah, Devin Townsend was definitely one of them. And I think more of mine would be giddy just to beat him because I think I would have probably fun talking to him because I'd be like, really? The skullet? You went there? Yeah. Just to see his response. And you know, he'd be like, yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm going to grow it out again then. Yeah. Well, maybe you should. Yeah, I'm thinking it's back. Yes. Oh, my God. Keanu.

01:17:08We gotta contact him immediately

01:17:13You gotta do this bit

01:17:15Some people have been asking if the skull is coming

01:17:17Yeah, I'm thinking it's coming back

01:17:19Still one of the greatest action scenes ever

01:17:24He's one

01:17:25All the other ones you guys mentioned

01:17:28But I had so many different categories

01:17:30I don't want to venture out

01:17:31But in terms of ones he mentioned, Devon Townsend

01:17:33Yeah, I would love to have met the guys from Led Zeppelin

01:17:36Of course

01:17:37because they were so big for me growing up. I mean, I'm not as big of a fan anymore as I used to. But then again, you know, I throw on Led Zeppelin 3 and I'm like, this album's so good. You know, or physical graffiti. But yeah, I'll go with that because I have that other list. I don't want to tap into matches yet. All right. Well, I have a few. Mick and Keefe, of course. Yeah, yes. You had Keefe. Yeah, yeah. And it probably should have been on the main list, but there you are.

01:18:07But I wouldn't have understood what you were saying. It inspired an entire set of Pirates of the Caribbean films. Yes. Well, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey doing Keith and Rowan. Elton John as well. Don't hate me, but Madonna. I mean, that would be interesting, I think, to meet Madonna.

01:18:37I would expect that from me because I know how much you like her. Yeah, she's amazing. Yeah. Alice Cooper. Hmm. I thought I thought about putting him on. I did. Yeah. It'd be kind of cool because he's a character in his own Alice way. And a very nice guy. That's what I've heard. Yes. Just no snakes. Right. Yeah. You can keep the snakes. No, fuck that. Sorry. Sorry. No, that's where I draw the line. Yeah. Bruce Springsteen.

01:19:07You don't like him, but that would be... I like Alice. I like Alice Cooper. Yeah. Alice Cooper, yeah. He's good. I know you like Bruce George. Yeah. Okay, that'd be cool. And finally, Lady Gaga. With the meat suit or no meat suit? Either way, honestly. I mean, I'd be like, could you just go out and stand up? Can we do this outside so you can maybe get a little more cooked?

01:19:37I want to cook that meat suit because it's making me hungry. Is that a hanger steak? I like it. I'd like this to be a little more medium well. Yeah. I mean, I like her music and I watched her documentary and I think she'd be fun. You know that. Yes, I could see that on your list. Definitely. Yeah. You bring her up a lot. So yeah. I love Lady Gaga. Diverse is good in terms of being from all over the music.

01:20:07Yeah.

01:20:08Yeah.

01:20:09All right.

01:20:10All right.

01:20:11So.

01:20:13What?

01:20:13Do you have some more?

01:20:14Well, do we want?

01:20:17So I.

01:20:17So George, I've got a I've got a good segue here because you you you segued me right into what I was going to do.

01:20:25All right.

01:20:26Which is.

01:20:28What I called my category called starstruck love struck.

01:20:34Okay.

01:20:34So my first starstruck lovestruck would be Annika van Geerspergen. Because I'm pretty sure I'd say something stupid like, golly, you're so pretty. Or, you know, like... My love to the girls. Yeah. Exactly. Like, you know, it's like, I know you're married and everything, but would you like...

01:21:04to run with me in a big field.

01:21:08And then she would politely say no.

01:21:10And you'd be like, that's so cool.

01:21:11She's so nice to me.

01:21:12She said no.

01:21:15She's so freaking nice.

01:21:17It's unreal.

01:21:18Yeah.

01:21:19So it's probably best for her if we don't meet.

01:21:24So yeah, she'd be like number one on the starstruck,

01:21:27lovestruck list.

01:21:29Number two on the starstruck,

01:21:31lovestruck list would be Sade.

01:21:34A Beautiful Voice and So Classy. I would definitely have stars in my eyes if I met Sardé. Okay. I know you, when you dropped that bomb, I mean, I was surprised, but you've always talked about herself. Yeah. Yeah. Lady Gaga would make this list for me as well. Okay. That's fair. She's smoking. Yeah. Yep. So, like, I have three other lists.

01:22:03But the one that I have that I think you guys have is artists we have met that we were a little starstruck with. Yes. Yes. Yes. So do we want to just rattle off each of our lists since we've gone through our main five? Or how do you want to do this? Because I got five here too also. Okay. I do as well. I've kind of got like a, you know, just a long diatribe on that. So how do you guys want to do it? I didn't really order mine. So mine aren't mine. Well, so going like one at a time doesn't really make sense, I guess. Yeah.

01:22:33It's just kind of a like, let's just maybe each do our own thing on this. Two through five are not ordered, but my number one. Oh, yeah. Okay. So yeah, let's just let's rattle through. All right, TR, what you got? Okay. So in the old days, and believe me, I've been around since the old days. If you hung around long enough after a show near the buses or out behind the venue, you could sometimes meet the artists. I did that once. Yeah. This is before like there were VIPs.

01:23:03and meet and greets and whatever. Like if you just hung out and you were just like persistent enough, you could meet these guys. And I did this a lot in my younger days in the 90s and met like Joe Satriani, Dream Theater, King's X, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, and Judas Priest, as I mentioned from 2002. Now, many of the bands that I follow are not really well known or large in terms of popularity.

01:23:33So they're off, you know, they often you can find them hanging out at the merch table. So I've met all my post rock heroes like Russian Circles, Pelican, Red Sparrows, Signal Hill, If These Trees Could Talk, and others this way. So, you know, that's been awesome because like a bunch of my rock favorites that, you know, you just kind of hang out and they come out because they're there.

01:24:01And that's what they do because they're not giant rock stars. Now, I have also done pay-to-play where you get a VIP package and meet the band. And most of the time I did this when it was kind of reasonable and cost like a number of years ago. So I did this with Michael Schenker and Fate's Warning and Steve Hackett. And John knows that Prog Power has been a really good place to meet bands too because they typically have free signing sessions.

01:24:31You just have to line up and meet the bands. Or they're at the bar or in the lobby having a beer. Exactly. And you meet them right there. Yes. And so I met Symphony X, Pagan's Mind, Leprous, Fate's Warning, and Amorphous this way. By the way, what's your greatest Pagan's Mind memory ever of all time? Well, that would have to be like getting the actual guitarist to sign the poster that I had from two tours ago. No. Your greatest laugh ever is me standing in line.

01:25:01with you and saying, I have absolutely nothing to sign. I just wanted to say hi. And the keyboard is saying, hell no, give me your arm. They signed my whole arm, remember? And you sat there and laughed at me. And I went back to the hotel. I actually forgot about that. This gigantic signature down my whole forearm. Yeah. You're not leaving until I sign part of your body. I was like, oh my God. Well, okay. You're so dreamy. Yeah. And thanks to John, as he alluded to earlier, I got to meet

01:25:31and porcupine tree on multiple occasions.

01:25:35But the granddaddy of them all was a signing session with Heaven and Hell at Vintage Vinyl in 2008.

01:25:44Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

01:26:01Rules of Hell box set. And that's what they would sign. Both awesome. Yes. And I went with my buddy Alex. And I was definitely starstruck to meet Dio, Iommi, Vinnie Apoche, and Geezer Butler. It was a quick interaction as they were trying to keep the line moving. As we've multiple times through this whole thing said, you know, like, I felt like Chris Farley.

01:26:31Remember that time when you guys played Radio City Music Hall? That was awesome. So I think I managed to get out a bunch of thank yous and multiple I love you guys. And that was pretty much all I could do. But like meeting those guys, shaking their hands and moving through the line with, you know, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Vinny Apoche, Geezer Butler. Awesome. Great moments.

01:27:02and glad I got to do it. Nice. I really miss Vintage Final, which closed in 2021. Miss it dearly, and I don't even live up there. Yeah. They always had an excellent selection and cool in-store events. Really miss that record store because they just, man, they had so much good stuff. Rare stuff. Stuff you would just not find anywhere else. Yeah, that was, and I went there, I went there for a couple of record store days.

01:27:31and got some really great stuff.

01:27:34You really miss Vintage Vinyl.

01:27:36Yeah.

01:27:37And that, just to meet Dio, dude, like, I can pretty much go to my grave and be like, okay, yeah, I'm good.

01:27:48Nice.

01:27:48Nice.

01:27:49Very nice.

01:27:51All right.

01:27:52So these are artists I've met where I was just a little starstruck.

01:27:57I really never, I don't know what it is.

01:28:00Maybe I've met enough to know that they're just people too. You know, people are people. Why should it be? We get along so happily. You and I should. I had to put you on the spot there, George, because you mentioned him earlier. It was a Depeche Mode reference. Yes. So my first one, actually, I was slightly giddy because I never thought I would meet this guy. And it was just by chance. I had no idea he was going to be at the venue that night. So I was in an

01:28:31at the Rams Head Tavern, which is like a dinner seating venue. Tierra and I have seen a few shows there. We might have sat literally at the table right in front of Fates Morning. I've seen, I can't tell you what I've seen there. So this night, I went to see John Wesley, who was the former ex-touring live guitarist for Porcupine Tree. He's got connections to Merillion. Wes is an incredible, but he might be one of the nicest people I've ever met, not just in music,

01:29:00But in general, he's just incredibly nice.

01:29:03Incredibly nice.

01:29:04And I hadn't seen him and talked to him.

01:29:06And I've known him for a while.

01:29:09I've never claimed to be one of his, you know, of the fans that he's friendly with.

01:29:14I'm in the middle of the pack, I would say.

01:29:16And I saw him at the show.

01:29:18And I waited till the end because all these people who probably had never met him before wanted to talk to him.

01:29:22And I didn't want to be that guy.

01:29:23Like, hey, Wes, I'm here, dude.

01:29:26And I was standing in the back.

01:29:28He looked over at me.

01:29:29He saw me and he said to the person

01:29:31I apologize give me one second

01:29:33Are you sticking around for a beer?

01:29:35He said to me

01:29:37And of course

01:29:38I was

01:29:41I maybe have had a beer with him

01:29:43Maybe one or two times in my life

01:29:45A couple times

01:29:47Just a few

01:29:47I was there for a couple of them

01:29:50Weird

01:29:51I think you were

01:29:53Yes

01:29:53I think so

01:29:54I think I might have had a few

01:29:56So what John did for me

01:29:59is I didn't know somebody was playing in his band that night until I was sitting right in front of him and I realized it. He introduced me to Sean Malone, the bass player from Cynic. And I, George, I know you've heard this story before because I've said it. And also the bass player on the first OSI album, Office of Strategic Influence, which is Jim Athios from Fate's Warning and Kevin Moore from Dream Theater. Anyway, I got to meet him and I had said to him, that's Sean Malone. I didn't know he was playing with you.

01:30:29He goes, oh yeah. Do you know him? I've never met him. He says, do you want to meet him? I went, eh. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I said, can I? He's like, you've never met him? I'm like, no. He's like, all right, hold on. Sean, come over here for a second. And he said, all right, I got to go talk to more fans. You guys sit here and hang out for a little while. I sat down with Sean Malone. And if you don't know, he's one of the great metal bass players of all time who doesn't have that much work.

01:30:59He just he

01:31:01he was with

01:31:02uh Cynic

01:31:03in various parts of their careers

01:31:05and I think he ends up being on most of their albums

01:31:07except for the last one

01:31:09and he was incredibly nice

01:31:11albeit somewhat shy

01:31:13talking with him

01:31:14and it took a few minutes

01:31:15just and then he eventually kind of knew

01:31:17I wasn't one of those fans

01:31:18which I try not to be that kind of fan

01:31:20and incredibly nice

01:31:22and I

01:31:22he gave me a half an hour

01:31:23and I was like more than happy

01:31:25so that's my number five

01:31:27my number four

01:31:28I met at Guitar Center in Rockville in 2008 with T.R. Nosum, with my friend Joe and Saldy, and I got to meet Joe Satriani at a Guitar Center gathering. I was the only non-guitarist in there. I had the opportunity to meet Joe in the 80s and couldn't be bothered to stick around because the line was too long. My buddy did.

01:31:58I stood in line and I told him I said hey I don't play guitar but I've been a fan of yours since I heard you on KRQR 98.5 FM in San Francisco I was driving down Lincoln Boulevard he's like what are you doing here dude I was like I moved here from the city he's like oh man so he's not originally from the Bay Area but his home is the Bay Area kind of like Matronka a little bit some of the guys and I just said hey I just

01:32:27I don't play guitar, but I absolutely love everything you do. And I've seen you a gazillion times and you're from my hood and everything. So that was really cool to meet him. And again, I was proud to wear the badge of the non-guitar player in the crowd. And yeah, there had to be about 200 people there. It was crazy. Wow. Anyway, my number three, I met these guys at a meet and greet and I was told I had approval to meet them, even though I didn't have a pass. The only caveat was I had to get into

01:32:55the venue would be Jiffy Lube Live or Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia.

01:33:03How do you get into that venue?

01:33:05Yeah, how do you do that?

01:33:07Yeah, I did.

01:33:08I got it.

01:33:09I did not have anything to prove that I was in the meet and greet.

01:33:13And to get from the gate to the meet and greet is like going from the gate to the stage.

01:33:18You guys know, that's like four miles.

01:33:21Like a DMZ.

01:33:22You had to pull a J, didn't you?

01:33:24I needed one of those golf carts to get me there with so far.

01:33:27God.

01:33:28And I had to get there.

01:33:31And I somehow got in.

01:33:32I was told, oh, yeah, you can meet him.

01:33:33You're on the list.

01:33:34You just got to get in.

01:33:35Like, you can't give me a pass.

01:33:39So I had to sprint from that spot all the way there.

01:33:43Got there.

01:33:44It was the last person in line.

01:33:45Yeah, you're not on the list.

01:33:46And I had to drop a name, which here's the asshole dropping a name.

01:33:50Anyway, then I got in, stood there through everyone else.

01:33:54only to meet Alex Lifeson and Geddy Leah Rush. Wow. And when I got up there, I was the last person. And I'm sure they're like, oh, God, let's get rid of these people. No, they were super great. But I met Alex first before Geddy because Geddy was talking to somebody. And Alex stuck out his hand to shake my hand. He says, hello. And I said, hi. And I said to him, thanks for coming tonight. And he looked at me and he stopped. He's like, wait, that's my line.

01:34:24And he got the joke and he burst out laughing. He says, I like that. That's really good. I said, no, really, seriously. Thanks for stopping by tonight. And I talked to him for a few minutes and I talked to Geddy. Both of them couldn't be any nicer. Took a picture and I don't have the picture anymore. So I know doesn't matter. I got to meet him. I want to know what name you got to drop to get into that. Neil Peart's personal guy that worked for him. That I knew through some other friends. All going back to

01:34:54to the porcupine tree world. That's how it's just a friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing. And they set it up for me from California to just drop Mike's name. And I was like, oh, yeah, I know. I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're the guy. OK, you're good. Go through. And I was the last person. They were literally closing the gate on me at the meet and greet. So it's good to be the last sometimes. It was because I got to say thanks for coming. I made I made Alex laugh. He didn't make me laugh.

01:35:24That's good. Yeah. I literally got two minutes with them, but they couldn't have been any nicer. All right. My number two, I actually hung out with for a while. I met this guy from a friend through a friend. I met them at the DAR Constitution Hall in DC in 2002. I actually met one, two, three. I met four of the five band members. But this one stood up the most because of his kind of stature in the band. And that would be one Chris Squire of, yes,

01:35:54I got to meet the 2002 version of Yes after the show because a friend, our friend Joe Insaldi, TR knows him. His friend had a friend who knew the band. Wow. We were leaving the venue. We were supposed to get after shows and we didn't get them. So we were leaving. We were walking outside and all of a sudden we heard somebody banging on the window. If you know how DIR Constitution set up, you can see into the lobby.

01:36:23Banging in the window, where are you guys going? Aren't you going to hang out for the post show? So we got to hang out with them for, I don't know, like two hours afterwards. So I met Chris Squire and he, of all the guys in the band, he was always like, that's Chris Squire. And he might've had a couple, you know, maybe. Alan White, I met him too, super quiet. John Anderson was, hello, how are you, the earth, you know, kind of thing. And then Rick Wakeman was like my buddy at the bar.

01:36:53Oh my God. That guy is hilarious, dude. He's just a regular dude. He is. And he's like, he's so funny. Like, like, and he's super tall, which I, I caught him in the corner with Joe talking about gear. And I walked up and I said, are you two clowns talking about gear? And they both looked at me and Joe bursts out laughing. He's like, these assholes. All right. He's good. Oh, Rick's like, Oh, if you know Joe, then, you know, kind of thing. Anyway, I've gone on too long. Uh, I apologize. My number one.

01:37:23I met her in Springfield, Virginia in 2006. Yes, she is as nice as she appears on TV. That night, The Gathering played in Springfield, Virginia. And I got to meet Annika Van Geersbergen. Yes. She was, I'm not joking. Other than John Wesley, she's like the nicest person I've met in the music world. Not even close. Actually, the whole band were, I met everyone. The band was great. They're all super nice.

01:37:51But she talked to us for like

01:37:54five, ten minutes. And I was like, wow,

01:37:55you just really are bored, aren't you?

01:37:59Why are you talking to me right now?

01:38:00Yes, I want to run away with you.

01:38:03Yeah.

01:38:05She was awesome, of course.

01:38:06I know you're married and everything, but

01:38:09would you run with me through a field, please?

01:38:13Hubba hubba, Bubblicious.

01:38:14Yeah.

01:38:15Yeah.

01:38:16So yeah, she was, but

01:38:18and I've seen her in so many different

01:38:21settings, different bands, you know, solo, the gathering. Acoustic. Yeah. Everything. The acoustic was. Yeah. Chills. Anyway. Yeah. She's my favorite singer of all time. So. Sorry, I went on a long time. I apologize. No, I won't go on too long. I didn't spend as much time with this as I probably should have. Because I'm like, you know, I've met a lot of people and.

01:38:50I just I was busy I got five down and as I got I'm just gonna stop there

01:38:56and I'm realizing that three of my five

01:38:59I've met at various

01:39:02decibel metal and beer fests

01:39:07I'd really like to meet

01:39:09oh wait I did already meet them

01:39:11yeah

01:39:13and you know

01:39:15well

01:39:17I was gonna say there's another guy that I've met

01:39:19Mike Hill from Tombs. I've met him a couple times and he's been on the Metalheads podcast. Super nice guy. Yeah, he was when we interviewed him. He was great. Yeah. And I remember I met Mark from Death Angel at Jack's. I just thought of that when you're talking about Springfield. You can meet everybody at Jack's. It's crazy. That made me go, gosh, who else have I met? You know, there's actually a lot of people I probably have. But for the sake of brevity, I'm just going to stick with the ones.

01:39:49that definitely, I mean, Mark from Death Angel definitely was like a, oh! Especially at the time, because they had been gone for years. And this was like when Death Angel first came back. And I met him and got to be like, hey, where you guys been? And he talked about the bus accident and all that stuff. But anyway, from Decibel Metal and Beer Fest, I definitely had stars in my eyes when I met the dudes from Enslaved.

01:40:20Those guys. Super cool dudes. They were nice. Ivar and the guy whose name I can't pronounce. I forget what his nickname is. I even tried Googling it. I couldn't figure it out. Anyway, another dude that I met at Metal and Beer Fest and was also on the Metal Heads podcast and is friends with our friend Will, Dan Lilker. Yeah, that's right. From Anthrax.

01:40:48That's probably the biggest thing, but also Nuclear Assault, Brutal Truth, Stormtroopers of Death, Venomous Concept. Dude has been just in a slew of amazing bands and really nice guy. Really nice guy. Who else? Oh, and the one that John referenced earlier, Dave Mustaine. I met him at the Decibel Metal and Beer Fest. I was at the end of the line, so I got to shake his hand.

01:41:17and I mean, I spoke with him, but it was only like 20 seconds probably. Do you remember? I was like, I'm not getting in line to meet him. Hell with that. Yeah. You're like, I'm getting in line. So I stood there and watched the whole line and you got up. He was nice. He was super nice. I could hear you guys talking. I was like, oh man, I should have gotten in line. Yeah. Yeah. He was nice. I mean, you know, everybody's got their bad days, I'm sure. But Dave Mustaine was nice to me. Did you say, hello, me? The real me? No, I didn't. That would have been fun.

01:41:47All right. Actually, that probably would have pissed him off. Yeah, probably would have. What do you mean I got to stand in line? Haven't I been standing here long enough? What do you mean? What do you mean I got to stand in line? What do you mean I got to? Yeah. And then probably one of the larger ones was when I did a meet and greet and got to meet King Diamond. Oh, yeah. That's a good one. And he was in full makeup.

01:42:17Oh, wow. Yeah. I'm standing next to him just being like, remember that time you were King Diamond? That was cool. Yeah. And he just did a high pitch. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, he put his arm around me for the picture and everything, and I chatted ever so briefly with him. That's awesome. That was awesome. And then my final one, it's a starstruck love struck.

01:42:47And I think you might know where this is going, John. Oh, boy. This is Mr. Joel Violette. From the band Throssenblot, also in the band, briefly, Woods of Epre. I was a massive Woods of Epre fan. And unfortunately, David Gold passed away. And in my quest to have all things David Gold,

01:43:16I found out that he played drums on the first Throssenblatt album, which is Joel's band. And so I picked that up and was like, oh my God, Throssenblatt is amazing. And, you know, was completely infatuated with that band. And then I had him on the podcast, got to know him. I, and I now am pleased to say I can call him a friend.

01:43:45And we text relatively regularly.

01:43:51Nah, Joel's a cool dude.

01:43:52And yeah, so that was, that went from completely starstruck to totally lovestruck.

01:44:01Yeah.

01:44:02Because I love that dude. He's a very cool dude, a very talented dude. And yeah, so.

01:44:10See, I didn't even venture into people we know that we became, we have a connection to. I put him on there sort of as a joke. Because you're lovestruck, yes, you are. But also because I was completely starstruck when I first met him. Yeah. You've suddenly been aptly named Thross and George. Thross and George. And because he's Canadian, he calls me Georges. Hey, he got me into camel. Yeah. Oh, is that right?

01:44:40I remember he told me, he said, well, what Mike didn't? No, no, Mike from open to not give me the camel. It was Joel from Thross and Bought. Do you remember George? What'd he say? He said, what? Yeah. He said, well, I'm going to tell you right now, just go buy the first forums. Don't even think about it. Just buy them. So I did. I actually did what he said. And then the next time I talked to him, I said, dude. Yeah. Right. I'm on board. As anyone, as you guys, I know you guys speak, dude. I just went, dude. He knew exactly what I was saying.

01:45:10Yeah. I'll never forget shopping for snacks in a Canadian grocery store with Joel after a bunch of beers. After being in the woods? After being in the woods, yeah. It was after we did our interview slash acoustic recording for Metalhead's podcast. And we went at the grocery store looking for more beers and snacks and stuff. And, you know, Canada has French stuff.

01:45:40and there was a box of Captain Crunch and it was Capitaine Crunch and so we're like running around the store yelling Capitaine Crunch but he lives in the Maritimes though doesn't he yes he's in uh he's up in yeah in Quebec that's kind of funny to have no but he speaks French I know he did yeah and uh yeah he has one of the greatest quotes ever on the Metalheads podcast yeah do you remember about walking in the woods yeah

01:46:10You know, walking in woods, fuck yeah. It's just that whole thing when he did that. And we all just lost. It was like, so casually, I'm just walking into woods. Yeah. So good, dude. Very nice. Yeah. Yeah. I purposely stayed away from people I actually know. Cause I wanted to talk about, cause I got to know them eventually. And it was like, oh yeah, these guys are great. The one that wears off. Sort of. I mean, it's still always cool to hang out with them, but I wanted to focus on the ones that

01:46:40that I only had a minute with or a couple minutes or whatever, you know, that I never got a chance to see again. That's what I wanted to focus on. So. Yeah. So I got one more. That's a star struck, love struck moment. But it's not a musical artist. Well, she actually has done some music, but not really for me anyway. Back in 2004, I worked at the Pentagon and Linda Carter appeared.

01:47:10to support a military family's charity. And she did a signing session while she was there. And she was 53 at the time. And still like, wow. She was stunning. Yeah. And I'm telling you, she was every bit of, it was like, she was taller than you, John. And anyone like this in her tear? You threw your wrists up? No, I was just like, I was mostly unable to talk.

01:47:40Was she Miss Texas, by the way? I don't know. But she was like Miss World or something. Miss World USA or something. Yeah. Wow. That's awesome. Oh, my God. She was so gorgeous and just so sweet. And I mean, I was just kind of like I was transported to like that little boy watching Wonder Woman. And like here she is. And like, I don't I can't remember. Like I had her sign something.

01:48:10Actually, I ended up, she signed something for my dad. I don't know if it was like a, like if she had like a publicity photo or something, but I don't know. She signed something for him. Like I got her to sign something for him because he always liked her too. And that's weird. That's weird. Yeah. So the thing is, is like, I don't know where that signature is and I'm really bummed about it because like I would love to have that. But yeah, she was just, I was just blown away.

01:48:40Blown Away, because she was just stunning. Yeah, and you know what? I watched that show when it was on. All the time. Oh, yeah. All the time. I was like, oh my God. You know, red-blooded young man didn't. Exactly. I'm sure there's one out there. Yeah, maybe. But it wasn't me, because I watched it, and yeah, she was amazing. So, yeah, that was a starstruck, lovestruck moment for me,

01:49:09that really didn't have anything to do with rock and roll music, but. Cool. Thought I'd add it to this list because it was, it was, you know, had an impact. I don't know why I thought she was from Texas, but she's not. Am I getting that mixed up with somebody else? Maybe. I don't know. I hear all the X's are in Texas. Nice. Nice. Cool. Well, I won't bring up that. I have that other list of ones that have passed on.

01:49:39If I had one from that list I would have to bring up, hands down, I would be super intimidated. And I don't know why, but it would be David Bowie for sure. Oh, yeah. That would be tough. I'd be like, oh, man. I'd have to think about that. I didn't really ponder that one too much because my head would explode from all the dead rock stars that I would have liked to have met. And I did get to see him live three times, but that'd be one. I mean, obviously, I have other ones, you know,

01:50:09But David Bowie would be the one that would really die. Well, and I'm sure

01:50:13Stevie Ray would be part of that too.

01:50:16Yeah.

01:50:17Well, okay, fine. I'll do my list real quick. I'll take a second.

01:50:19Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I got nothing else, so go for it.

01:50:22All right, so one to five.

01:50:25Stevie was on a list. He dropped to six.

01:50:27David Bowie, Neil Peart,

01:50:29John Bonham, he was my other

01:50:31drum hero, Jeff Beck,

01:50:33and then, I'm sorry,

01:50:35Ozzy.

01:50:36I would have loved to I would be starstruck with that

01:50:42if he was still alive he would have been on the list

01:50:45oh yeah

01:50:48you know so

01:50:49without question not because it's recent

01:50:51I mean dude I've been a fan since

01:50:531980

01:50:55you know so by the way

01:50:57I do have a list of people I would never want to meet

01:50:59let's do it

01:51:01it'll take two seconds

01:51:03Axl Rose no

01:51:05Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee

01:51:06No. Noel and Liam Gallagher. Hell no. Yeah. Richie Blackboard just seems like a jerk. I don't want to meet him. You know, I contemplated him as a word because just, you know, the. Just because. Just because. But I was like, nah, he's a jerk. Yeah. I didn't know this guy was as big of a jerk as he is. And I put him on the list because apparently he's like the biggest jerk in music history. Van Morrison. Oh. Oh. He's apparently a total ass. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Don't look at me on stage.

01:51:36I mean, I could put all the Eagles minus Joe Walsh, but I didn't. Oh, man, that's so funny. Sorry, I came up with this this morning. I was like, and still Panthers number six. Yeah, right? Great musicians, but I hate that music. Yeah, that's so funny. Yeah, I said, if I put Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee, Nolan, Liam Gallagher on that list too. With that said,

01:52:06I watched video from that first show they played with their comeback, Oasis. Yeah. Holy smokes, did that crowd go crazy? Oh, I'm sure. Oh, man, it was insane. I was listening to a lot of Oasis over the summer, and I was like, yeah, these guys are better than I remember. They are. They're just not better than the Beatles. No, of course not. Even though there's a claim. But they worked the crowd hard. I'll give them that.

01:52:36Yeah, the whole Richie Blackmore thing cracks me up. It's like, look, dude, if you had the balls to fire Dio, you're wrong. Everybody. Yeah. How about no? Yeah, exactly. No, I'm glad he did fire him. I actually am glad he fired him. Yeah, actually, right. He wouldn't have done his first, you know, solo album if he hadn't. Well, he wouldn't have been Black Sabbath. Well, that's true. Yeah, Black Sabbath. That would have been. Yeah, exactly. Dio was the Derek Sherinian before.

01:53:06Derek Sherinian. If you know what I mean, because Dio got kids from Rainbow. He's, oh, fine, I'll just go do Block Sabbath. Yeah. Fine, I'm out of Block Sabbath. Fine, I'll just go do my own stuff there. Yeah, which I can do that. Yeah, that's that string of. I say six, George says seven. That's string of six or seven albums he did. Are you dissing Sacred Heart? No, I'm actually dissing the first Rainbow. Oh, the first Rainbow. Okay.

01:53:36I think it's just okay it's it's it's not the other two no it's not but it's got man and it's it's decent yeah but I'm throwing in uh your album of sacred heart for you thank you yeah because I know you love that I will take sacred heart over the first rainbow yeah I I yeah but but those two rainbow those two sabbath and those first two d I mean you that's six I mean those are all bangers yeah so solid all the way through yeah anyway well this

01:54:06We talked a lot and this is still the shortest episode we've done in ages. Oh, we're not close to being done. We're not done yet. Yeah, right. We got a few more things to talk about here. All right, you start. Our top five John groans. Steel Panther. All right. TR, what you got for us? Well, I just wanted to give a little concert.

01:54:36report since, you know, the last time we met, because, um, there were a lot of really good shows that happened between then and now, uh, that I got to take part in. So, um, so the first thing, like, since last, you know, what's today is what October 28th. And here we are at the end of October. And the last time we recorded our last episode of, um,

01:55:06Stairway to 11 was September 11th. So a lot of time has passed. And one of the things that I got to do was I went and saw Dream Theater in Atlanta in early September because when I went to see them in February, the show got canceled. And that was for their 40th anniversary tour. So I was super bummed because

01:55:36They waited till the actual show was about to happen. Literally an hour before the show,

01:55:43Labrie just decided, I cannot do this. They did the sound check and everything,

01:55:49and he just couldn't get through it, and they canceled the show. They did what I thought they would,

01:55:56which was they postponed the show to their new album, Parasomnia Tour,

01:56:04And they added an extra date to the Atlanta show for the Parasomnia tour and did their 40th anniversary tour the night after they did their Parasomnia tour. So the Parasomnia tour is their new album, Parasomnia. They played it in its entirety. And then they followed it up with A Change of Seasons, which was an EP that they did back in the mid-1990s.

01:56:34So prior to Parasomnia. Yes, much prior to Parasomnia. I just need to say Parasomnia a few more times. You can say it again if you like. Parasomnia. Yeah. So they played the Parasomnia tour. They did the album in its entirety, which is pretty ballsy. It's a good album, and it was cool to hear it. But it was super cool to hear a change of sound.

01:57:04Seasons in its entirety. And I think, I'm not sure, but it may have been the last time that they're going to play that in its entirety. I can't remember if they actually said that for sure, but I think that that was the idea. Mike alluded to that they were done after this tour playing the whole thing. Yeah. So anyway, it was really cool to hear that. They also played Peruvian Skies and a couple of tracks from

01:57:35What's the album that has fatal tragedy in Through My Words? Scenes from a Memory. Yeah, Scenes from a Memory. Thank you. And As I Am, Enemy Inside, Panic Attack, that kind of stuff. So it was really an awesome show. And then they followed it up with The Next Night, where they did the 40th anniversary tour, where they played some more of Scenes from a Memory,

01:58:03as well as The Mirror and Hollow Years and Under a Glass Moon, which was really cool, Octavarium, which is a long track that we haven't heard for a little while. So yeah, it was a really great two nights of dream theater that I got to check out in Atlanta. Shortly after that, I saw Michael Shanker on his My Years.

01:58:33with UFO tour that he did at the Rams Head on stage in Annapolis, which was really a great show. Lots of popular UFO tracks and a couple of deep tracks on that as well. And the band sounded great. It was a really good show. And I just, you know, I love Shanker and I'll see him till the ends of the earth. Saw Russian Circles, post-rock.

01:59:03post-metal band play in Philadelphia on their most recent tour. Also got to see Judas Priest. They weren't the headliner. Alice Cooper was. And Corrosion of Conformity opened up for them. And so I saw that in New Jersey at the end of September. And, you know, it was cool to see Priest.

01:59:33I try not to let any... If they're within 100 or 200 miles, I typically try to see them because we don't know how much more that they're going to do. I always try to see them. It was a good show. They were celebrating the 35th anniversary of Painkiller. There were a number of tracks from that album that they played as well as tracks from

02:00:03throughout their career and a couple of tracks from the new album,

02:00:08Invincible Shield.

02:00:10They also played the song off of that album called Giants in the Sky,

02:00:14which had kind of a tribute to a number of the fallen rock and roll stars.

02:00:20And I was in New Mexico recently,

02:00:24and it happened that the Judas Priest show was going through there on the night before I was going to go home.

02:00:31So I found a ticket on StubHub for pretty inexpensive. And so I thought, well, I'm going to go see them again. And this time during Giants in the Sky, they actually had a photo of Ace Frehley as part of the Giants in the Sky. So they added him because he recently passed away. So that was kind of a nice little tribute that they did. Also got to see Stephen Wilson.

02:01:03on September 30th up in Port Chester, New York. I wasn't able to see him closer to home because I was not going to be around at that time. So it was really cool to see the overview in its entirety played live with the graphics and, you know, video stuff that they had associated with that. And then because

02:01:31Steven was not feeling well and had a cold. They played kind of more kind of instrumental stuff or stuff without a lot of vocals. And so they kind of did a set list in Port Chester that was a little different than most of the rest of the shows. It was cool for me because I got to see them do Voyage 34, which is a porcupine tree song, as well as Dislocated Day, another porcupine tree song.

02:02:01I really love. And just to see that kind of those old porcupine tree songs played live was, that was a real, that was just, I loved it. It was really good. And the other tracks that they played, you know, he played a bunch of songs off of Harmony Codex, or a couple of songs off Harmony Codex that I had never heard. And they actually were really pretty good. And so I have to admit, I've never been like the hugest Steve Wilson solo fan. I liked his first couple,

02:02:31of albums, but then it kind of got a little out there for me, so I didn't really, you know, stay with them for a lot of it, but some of that Harmony Codex stuff was pretty good, so I kind of feel like I need to go listen to that. And then on my way back, I was, because I was traveling up to Maine and stuff, and so on my way back, I saw Zebra do their 50th anniversary show in Philadelphia,

02:03:00which was a really good show because they played stuff from throughout their career and to include songs that are going to be on their fifth Zebra album that is to come out sometime next year. So they played a couple of tracks from that and it was kind of a small crowd in Philly at the City Winery. I had never been to that venue but it was pretty good.

02:03:29It was kind of a seated thing, kind of like Ram's Head in Annapolis, where there's like, you know, tables and people are eating and drinking and stuff. But it was a cool venue. They were good. And it's always cool to see Zebra. So I was pleased to see that. And then just last night, or no, Sunday night, I saw Steve Hackett play in D.C. at the Warner Theater.

02:03:59And he was doing his 50th anniversary tour of Lamb Lies Down. And so he was playing tracks off of Lamb Lies Down in his second set. The first set was kind of devoted to his solo career. And so he played a number of tracks from, you know, various stuff throughout his solo career. And then set two was all the Lamb Lies Down stuff as well as Supper's Ready.

02:04:28and then an encore of Firth or Fifth and Los Endos. So he's still phenomenal. I think he's well into his 70s now, but he is just still rocking it. And he's definitely worth seeing. So anybody that gets the chance that likes Genesis music or Steve Hackett music should go see him. He tours annually. He seems like he's always on tour. Like the guy just does not stop.

02:04:58And it's a good thing, you know, because he's really good. And his band, he had Nick DiVirgilio with him on drums, Jonas Reingold on the bass. So very talented folks in his touring band. So it was a great experience. Nice. All right. So I only have one show to talk about because that's the last time we met.

02:05:26because previous time we talked about prog power i've only seen one since then and i got to see steven wolfson also which is the first time for me seeing him solo no it's not true maybe third time it's the first time first first time in this type of band setting i've seen him a bunch of times like i think he did a small tour was him and jordan rudis and john wesley or something and so i've seen stuff like that but i've never seen him when he's done his full band like this this is the first time and i only went because

02:05:56because of the overview.

02:05:58And I love the show because there's a lot of stuff that I knew, but a lot of stuff I didn't know also that he played that I thought was great.

02:06:05I did not get lucky to see Voyage 34 on this because when TR saw him do it, I did the math.

02:06:14He was switching every other night, every other show he was playing Voyage 34.

02:06:19I thought, oh, he's going to play the two shows in Villa if he looks like it's going to line up for me to see it.

02:06:24No, he decided to switch things up and not play it for two nights and then play it on the second night in Philadelphia so that when he got to DC, he didn't play it. Thanks a lot, Steven. Thanks for nothing. Still was an awesome show, nonetheless. You got another old track, didn't you? Well, yeah, he's dislocated Dave from Portia. That's every show he played that. Okay. And every other show he did Voyage 34.

02:06:54until Philadelphia,

02:06:56because it was back-to-back nights.

02:06:57Oh, I see.

02:07:00Yeah, real nice.

02:07:02But that's okay,

02:07:03because I saw Porcupine Tree play Voyage 34 back in 2001.

02:07:08So there.

02:07:10That's right.

02:07:11When Stephen was wearing that little, like,

02:07:13small shirt.

02:07:13Yeah, half shirt or whatever.

02:07:15Half shirt.

02:07:17So.

02:07:18Yeah.

02:07:19Exactly.

02:07:20But no, it was great.

02:07:22It was good in DC Where did you see that? At the Warner Theater Okay, yeah Yeah, it was awesome and he was in good form and the band's awesome itself He's always got a great band with him, so Yeah That's it I was gonna go to Steve Hackett the other night, but I was like, eh Because apparently there were a boatload of seats available Yeah, there were actually Yeah

02:07:52But I was just like, I just can't get off this chair to take a shower and go. So. Yeah. That's how I feel. Well, I'm sorry. But it's the easiest venue if you live close to D.C. I could literally ride the metro to the show. And as long as the show gets done by a certain point, hop right back on the metro and be back in Virginia. No time. Yeah. Yeah. There is that whole need the metro to stay.

02:08:22Yeah. Be nice if it did stay open a little later. Because I had to run back to make the last train after Kevin Smith. That sucks. Yeah. Even though the station is only, what, a block and a half away, still, you got to get in in time before the last train goes through. Yep. Yeah. That's the only show I saw. Sorry. I don't have any, so. Oh my God. Okay. So, like, what are you guys excited about dropping here? Like, so, John,

02:08:52John, you obviously helped me out with the Tuesday of the Sky that just dropped from... Jim Mathios' post-rock ambient style thing, which is instrumental. Yeah, except on this time he decides, hey, maybe I'll do some OSI stuff on here for a couple songs. Well, yeah, there's some rock and stuff on there. It's like, oh, wow, that's interesting.

02:09:23So yeah,

02:09:24Tuesday,

02:09:24this guy indoor enthusiast,

02:09:26which I think is a kind of funny title.

02:09:30Yeah.

02:09:31Very cool.

02:09:32New album from him.

02:09:34Howling giant,

02:09:35which is a big favorite of mine,

02:09:37just released their album crucible and ruin.

02:09:40Is that,

02:09:41I don't know.

02:09:42So technically it's not out till this week,

02:09:45this week,

02:09:46but I got the,

02:09:47I got the vinyl in the mail.

02:09:48And so it's like,

02:09:49I'm playing this.

02:09:51So yeah,

02:09:52so yeah,

02:10:23seeing them in December when they play with all them witches. I'm going to see them in Baltimore. So I'm excited about that. And then one of my favorite kind of almost like Boards of Canada style ambient bands, All India Radio, is about to drop their album called The Unified Field. And so there's a listening party on Bandcamp.

02:10:53this Thursday, I believe,

02:10:56that I'm going to participate in for that.

02:10:58And so I'm looking forward to new all India radio music.

02:11:04Cool.

02:11:05Nice.

02:11:07Okay.

02:11:07We're going to do that.

02:11:08I won't go to too much metal because obviously that's what a majority of my listening to has been.

02:11:14I also listened to Tuesday is sky and I thought it was pretty good.

02:11:20There's a band that I don't know how to describe them.

02:11:22They're kind of like prog rock, prog metal. They used to be kind of post black metal, but they're more in the alt prog metal rock scene. That's a band called Don Walker that just released a new single song called The Between. It's like 32 minutes long. It's good. I like it. But it doesn't feel like it's 32 minutes long. And I know that I think Marcus on like some George, I'm not sure if you like them on the metal.

02:11:52I have listened to them I don't recall

02:11:57having an opinion one way or the other yeah they're they would not fit necessarily in the

02:12:03a more traditional metal there they have metal at parts to them recent stuff the earlier stuff was

02:12:10more metal it's cool though I mean and I was surprised decibel actually had it featured on their site so that would be the what's the name of the band

02:12:19Don Walker. Oh, and what's the name of the song or the track? It's called The Between. Oh, okay, thanks. Yeah, just go to my band camp. You'll see it's one of the last things I bought. Yeah. And then I was joking about this earlier about TRC listeners, but the new Corner album, which is metal, Dissonance Theory. They are a technical thrash metal band out of Switzerland. I would throw Prog in there because this has got a lot of Prog on with this one.

02:12:50And they've always had that, you know, in their thrash for their album with the grin. Is it grin? Which was straight up just prog metal. It wasn't, there was hardly any thrash to it. But this is, they haven't put an album out since what, 93? Sounds about right. Sounds about right, yeah. And they just came out and kicked the door in. The door, the door. Hello, my name is Corona. I have a new album, prepare to die. Yeah.

02:13:19And then I will take you to the place where I will be the coroner. Yeah. They kick the door and the door hit you and knocked you back. I mean, wow. There's comeback albums that we talk about all the time. And this is, I knew it would be pretty good. I expected it, but I didn't think it'd be this good. Yeah. Holy smokes. It's really freaking good. I'm loving it. So, I mean, there's other stuff I've listened to that is more metal, but.

02:13:49Stick to Don Walker and Corner. And that's just for this last month. I mean, this is the last two months have been pretty damn good. They've been Listember and Listober for me. So, meaning they'll be on my year-end list. Yes. All right. Well, as you know, I've been listening to a lot of playlists that I've created for a normal

02:14:19of artists. But a couple days ago, uh, well, I'd heard of this artist before, but I hadn't really given them a proper or him rather a proper listen. Uh, and then a couple days ago I did. And this is Amigo the devil. And this is American folk country rock stuff. Uh, you could label it dark folk or

02:14:49I like to call it murder folk. Okay. This is like dark folk music or country music. Um, with a little murder sprinkled in. Yeah. I, when I listened to this, I get a lot of Nick cave and a lot of Tom waits, but it doesn't sound like either of those because it's more of a folky thing. Um, but the vibe, the vibe,

02:15:19I mean, there's a whole lot of murder ballads type Nick Cave type stuff going on with this guy. And there's a song on the new album called It's All Gone, I think, or something like that. And that is very Tom Waits because he gets that kind of voice going on, you know. But he's got four albums out. Volume One, which was a collection of UPs, Everything is Fine, Born Against.

02:15:49The Last of the

02:16:19is okay. It is what it is, but it's the words that drive this society are. It's not for you. Yeah, it's not for me. Yeah. The words are just so insane. Like, oh, I should bring it up on here. So, yeah, from, oh, yeah, I was going to mention this. The third track on his latest album, Yours Until the War Is Over,

02:16:49I'm going to heaven. Now, for a normal country artist, this would probably be a nice little ballad about Jesus or whatever. And, you know, I'm going to heaven. No, this song is about a dude whose love she is killed by some guy. And when the cops catch up to the guy, he puts a gun to his head and shoots himself.

02:17:19And the dude is all like broken up and stuff. And he's like, man, I want to kill that guy, but he's already dead. So he kills himself to go to hell to track this guy down. Oh, man. And he gets to hell and the devil is like, sorry, bud, but he ain't here. Somehow this guy's up in heaven. And so the devil works with him to get him sent upstairs. Wait a minute. Is this a supernatural episode? Right, right.

02:17:49And so the dude goes up to heaven and he meets God and he's like, I'm here for this dude. And God's kind of like, yeah, no, I don't think so. And he gets into it with God. And then I've only listened to it once. So bear with me. But the resolution of this song is that he wakes, the love of his life wakes him up. And she's like, you're dreaming. It's the ketamine again.

02:18:21Wait, so this is the last episode of Dallas? Yeah, right. Holy smokes, it was a dream. Yeah, he makes references to ketamine and fentanyl a lot. Most people don't survive that fentanyl. I know. Back in the day, it was like, yeah, man, we're going to sing songs about weed and cocaine, snow blind, wow. Boy, it's 34.

02:18:49Yeah, now it's ketamine and fentanyl. Anyway. 33 trips. This young man never had a bummer. But on the 34. But on Voyage 34, he met himself going upstairs on a down staircase. And the effect was shattering. George, if you haven't heard that, you've got to listen to that.

02:19:19I guess so yeah all four parts not just yes the whole thing all voyage 34 yeah but anyway take acid after that no never have never will okay um but yeah amigo the devil it's just wild crazy stuff I'm really really into it this is like he's he's just like stepping to the head of the line in terms of artists that I really dig um I've only gotten through two of the four albums so far uh

02:19:49So I've got a little work ahead of me. And one thing that I haven't actually listened to yet, but that I'm looking forward to listening to, I just found out that Jeff Tweedy from Wilco has a new triple album called Twilight Override. And not that I'm like this massive Wilco fan, but I do like Wilco. And I don't know, I saw an interview with him and I was just like, yeah, I think I want to listen to this. So I'm going to check that out. It may suck. Hopefully not, but it may.

02:20:19Well, yeah, I mean, triple album, it's like, good God, you know. What do you think you are? Swallow the Sun? Yeah. So there's only one band that's pulled that off. Yeah, well, he was talking about that, about how not a lot of people have done triple albums. And I was like, Swallow the Sun. That's like two hours and 40 minutes. Yeah. So, yeah, I want to check that out. Cool. Isn't it fun when he, so I don't know about you guys, if I see a band I discover and I like the album, then I look at their discography,

02:20:49and it's like 10 albums long. I'm like, I'm out. I can't do it. It's too much work. I'm afraid because I know I've already done that now. I've done that with IQ and Between the Buried and Me. I'm like, oh man, I gotta go out and buy like 12 albums now for each of these guys. No, I'm like, challenge accepted. But you could throw about four or five. I'm like, ooh, I'm jumping in on this party. Yeah, that new Between the Buried and Me is smoking. It's wild.

02:21:19I want to go like to a motel and listen to it now just because all my artwork on it you know so wow that's cool I love discovering new bands yeah that have been around that you've just like what yeah when you get to be our age and you've heard everything under the sun so I want to ask you guys because so at the when I was at priest in Albuquerque over the over the PA system they played this band called Ostrogoth from the

02:21:49the mid-80s. Did you guys ever listen to them? Or hear them? A-S-T? No. O-S-T-R-O-G-O-T-H. No. Ostrogoth. I had never heard of them. And they were like a cross between Old Scorpions, Early Maiden, and other new wave of British heavy metal sound. They had an EP and a full album that they did.

02:22:19Like, 84, 85 timeframe. And I'm telling you, this stuff, like the song I heard, which was like, I think it was called Queen of Desire or something from their first full album. I was like, wow, this is cool. They're a Belgian band. And that's something, like you talk about discovering a band. That was kind of like, oh my God, how did I miss this?

02:22:47How did I not know about this band? And they only have a couple of albums. And then the band, they had a whole different lineup. And I didn't really even listen to the album after the original singer left or whatever. But that first EP and the first album are really good. Because I went and checked that stuff out. And it was literally just a song that was played over the PA. And I was sitting there like, what is this?

02:23:17And I hit my Shazam to try to figure out what this is. And bam, it comes up Ostrogoth from 84 or 85 or whatever the first album was. And I was like, man, how did I not know about this? But I'm sure there's plenty of bands I have no idea about that I would probably totally love. But yeah, these guys were really good. I'm checking them out just because they have a Komodo Dragon on the cover of their second album.

02:23:48Yeah.

02:23:49They seem to like

02:23:51They got a scorpion on the first one.

02:23:54Yeah.

02:23:54Komodo dragon on the second.

02:23:56And then they have like a

02:23:57a panther on the third.

02:23:59Wow.

02:24:01They like the animals.

02:24:03Yeah, they do.

02:24:06Yeah.

02:24:07So, you know, you talk about,

02:24:08you know, finding a new band.

02:24:09It's like, oh, man.

02:24:11I mean,

02:24:12now apparently they're still

02:24:14like around,

02:24:15but like,

02:24:15I think the only original member is the drummer so it's like okay you know

02:24:20whatever but yeah I love Shazam I'm always Shazam-ing things on that's a verb now Shazam-ing things

02:24:30like on TV because there'll be like stuff playing in the background I'm like wait what is that

02:24:35and sometimes I know who it is and sometimes I learn something new yeah yeah good app I was I was glad to have it because honestly like I wouldn't have known who they

02:24:45I never heard of them and you know

02:24:49I was blown away I was like man this

02:24:51like some of the stuff on that song

02:24:54totally sounded like old scorpion

02:24:56stuff like the the tones that he was

02:24:58getting were like early early Roth

02:25:03scorpion tones I mean it was awesome

02:25:06so I was like oh yes I'm on board so

02:25:11yeah

02:25:14very nice

02:25:15I think you guys would like them I mean you know it's clearly in each of your lanes it has guitars on it it's in my lane yeah that's right all right anything else today no that's all I got that's all we got well done all right then I guess we'll see you next time yeah hopefully soon hopefully soon

02:25:45It's getting to be that holiday season. Could be difficult. But. Yes. Hopefully November will work out. I think it will. Yeah. Yeah. I'm predicting. Yeah. We'll find time. Yeah. All right. All right. Peace. See you later people. Woo.