WEBVTT
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Coming to you from the studios at the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66, it's the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast.
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Hey everybody, it's Ray the Roadie.
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And this is shit hat and hit mic.
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Oh my god.
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Please make sure your children are in bed and away from this broadcast.
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I swear to god, my father-in-law used to say that all the time when he had a bad day.
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He goes, I feel like I've been shot at and missed and shit at and hit.
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Well, do tell us about your day.
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Oh gosh, no, it was just a long day.
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Working at Trade Show in McCormick Place and battling Chicago traffic.
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Oh yeah.
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You know how that goes.
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At least it's not snowing.
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And then I got, oh god, don't say that.
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You know, that word's like beetle juice.
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You can't say it three times within a minute period.
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That's right.
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Then I got stopped by one of our lovely barges that goes down the river.
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Nice.
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Here in lovely Joliet.
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Always good.
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And of course, still got the KS Bridge here that's up.
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You know, I was actually the second car in line this time.
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So I was actually there and close.
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I got to see the bridge go up and we sat there for 12 minutes.
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12 minutes we sat there.
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Yeah, I don't know if there's any rules about how long boats take.
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Yeah, I don't know.
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Trains are supposed to be 15 minutes or something.
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Yeah, but I mean, they lift the bridges and there's no barge in sight.
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So I guess they're so close together.
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Then, you know, the alarm goes off and everybody goes up, right.
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So we sat there for five minutes waiting for this thing.
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You know, they talk about slow boat to China.
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I found it.
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Nice.
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Yeah.
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So anyways, I'm back.
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You're back.
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Well, that's great.
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This is Hollywood Mike.
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How's everybody doing out there?
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It's all doom and gloom.
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Yeah, we're good to see y'all.
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Right.
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I feel like I haven't seen you in like a week.
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About a week.
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Yeah, about a week back.
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Yeah, exactly.
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Back.
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Yeah.
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So who we got in the studio tonight?
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I think you'll like it.
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It's Dance Monkey.
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Dance Monkey.
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Yeah.
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Just one monkey, though.
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Just one monkey.
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That's all we have.
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We got Mike with us.
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OK, we got Mike.
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I'll remember that name.
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That's a pretty easy one.
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Dance Monkey Mike, how you doing, man?
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I'm doing great.
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How are you guys doing?
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Oh, we're doing well.
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I mean, we're doing fine now.
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I had that opportunity to vent.
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Yep, that's right.
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Yeah.
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Raise my personal psychiatrist.
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I will send you the invoice.
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Yeah, that's right.
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Well, he's my personal psychiatrist.
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He managed my calendar for me and everything.
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So if you ever want to find out where I'm playing, call Ray.
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All right.
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That's right.
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Yeah, that's the way it goes.
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That's the way it goes.
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So tell us about Dance Monkey.
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Dance Monkey.
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All right.
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I feel like we need to have like a...
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Well, it's a variety cover band.
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I mean, it's more of a show band as well where a lot of these guys are just playing songs.
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And we like to add some factors that some of the original artists have, like some of the theatrics, the lighting, the smoke, all that fun stuff.
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There's even, we're doing like an Aussie tune, and there's one point where I bite the head off of a monkey.
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Wow.
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Not a real monkey.
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Okay, a fake monkey.
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Yeah, but I mean...
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So where do you find a surplus of monkeys that you can bite the head off?
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Just like mail order monkeys?
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So my lovely lady over in the studio here, she...
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Hey, he's standing right there.
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Don't talk about her that way.
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She custom made me a monkey.
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Oh, so she can repair that monkey.
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It's, yeah, it's something you would possibly find in like Alice Cooper's attic, in like a chest out in the corner.
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All right, cool.
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So it's one monkey, and you keep tearing the head off of one monkey.
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Yeah, I feel terrible for the monkey.
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I mean, you could, we're just, you know...
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You can't give away all the secrets.
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Yeah, okay.
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It's just one, like a Velcro head on or something like that.
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Yeah.
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Let's figure it out.
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Okay.
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Yeah, I put her through the wringer.
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I ask a lot of her to help me with a lot of the stuff I got to get done.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So how often does this thing get washed?
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It gets washed?
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Never thought about that.
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You know, come to think of it, some of the stages that that thing's fallen on, and I put it in my mouth a couple of days later or the next day.
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Yeah, that's pretty gross.
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Yeah, I think I might go through that in the wash tonight.
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You don't need to get COVID vaccines if you've bitten the head off of monkeys that have fallen on some of these things.
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I think you're immune to absolutely everything.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So go back to the beginning.
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Where did the whole thing come from?
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How many people are in the band?
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So we are a three-piece, and it started off, I was playing in another band, playing with a band called Sushi Roll.
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And I left because I figured...
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I know Sushi Roll.
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Yeah.
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Me too.
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Yeah, I know those guys.
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Harmony plays with them.
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She does.
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Well, yeah, she does.
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Yeah.
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I'm actually playing with them in Key West this year for New Year's Eve.
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Oh, no kidding.
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But I was playing with them for about six and a half, seven years, and I had the dumb idea, yeah, you know what?
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Let me slow down on the road and maybe go do a regular job.
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Right.
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And not long after doing that, I'm like, eh, you know what?
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This sucks.
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Yeah.
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This getting up early thing is terrible.
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So I called up a couple people and started putting Dance Monkey together, started getting a song list, and started getting ideas.
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And I wanted to do something different, but something that people would still kind of be familiar with.
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So I'm still trying to figure out some new things to throw out there.
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But I mean, for the most part, I mean, play everything.
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I'm singing a Cher song at one point.
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I mean, we go from Cher to Kiss to Ozzy, like I said, and then doing Frankie Valli tunes.
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And it's everything you could throw on the most mixed up playlist.
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It's definitely running the gamut.
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Yeah, right, right, right.
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So who are the people who are not with us?
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Are they consistent members all the time?
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Yeah.
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So when we started off and we had John Drums, Greg Potter from the Buddy Rich Band, and he just got really busy with the Buddy Rich Band.
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And we've been having this guy, Dan Hill, play drums for us right now.
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So have you been putting together your band from, but he's obviously been listening to the podcast, because all the members of the band that he's been in have been on this podcast.
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Yeah, pretty much.
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I did my research.
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Yeah, did you?
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Okay, all right.
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Well, that's pretty good.
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So he's not with you anymore, because of course, yeah, he got busy with the Buddy Rich Band.
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Yeah, and I mean, that's a priority.
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That's a legend.
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Right, right, of course.
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Are you playing guitar and singing, or how's the lineup working?
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So I'm playing guitar and singing, and then I'll put the guitar down for some songs.
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And I'm actually thinking of implementing a piano at one point.
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Okay.
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But then we have on bass, Jeff Malice.
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He was playing, he played, oh man, what's the band?
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He says it all the time.
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But he's on bass, and then we've been playing all over.
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We play a couple shows locally, but we travel quite a bit.
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We go to Springfield.
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We got some dates in Michigan next year.
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We just got back from Frankfurt, Indiana, which was a really cool gig.
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Iowa, we're going to.
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And yeah, I mean, just trying to keep busy and share our love of music.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So you're either playing these songs, however the heck you feel you need to play these songs, or you're playing to a buttload of tracks.
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Which one are you doing?
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A little bit of both.
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Yeah?
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I mean, most of the tracking is just like orchestral stuff.
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Maybe some like sub drops.
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Just things that, you know, you can't fit a 20 piece in a van.
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Right, right, right.
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I mean, you can.
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It'd just be a little tight.
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Everybody be sitting on top of each other.
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Yeah, because I can see you doing some Frankie Valli stuff.
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That music was pretty well orchestrated.
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I mean, they had a fantastic songwriter and stuff in the Four Seasons for a while.
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So there's a lot of stuff that they're doing.
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Strings, saxophone, all kinds of stuff like that.
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It's like, I don't see a guitar player, a bass player, and a drummer pulling off a lot of that stuff without having a little bit of help and support.
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Yeah.
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Is I guess the point that I was getting at.
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Yeah, no, we're definitely, I mean, it's pretty industry standard nowadays to use tracks.
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I mean, there's definitely guys that aren't using them, but we're utilizing it.
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And then, I mean, I also have it set up, like I program our lighting to everything.
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So that computer runs pretty much everything.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I tell you what, I do like what they're doing with the lighting systems nowadays.
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I actually have a system that's tuned into our drummer's kick drum.
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So every time you hear boom, right, the lights are doing some kind of.
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Oh, that's great.
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Fancy thing.
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So even though it's not specifically programmed for the song, pretty darn close is what it is.
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That's pretty cool.
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Okay, excellent.
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Cool, cool.
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So tell me a little bit more about the set list.
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What are you guys doing?
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I mean, it's literally everything.
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I mean, I'm thinking, trying to think.
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I've always been terrible with naming the songs on the spot.
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That's why I did that.
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We like to put people on the spot.
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Does it change show to show or is it pretty much the same?
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I'll try to do like a string of shows with like about the same types of songs, like maybe switch the order up.
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I try to keep it the same for a string, kind of like if you were on a national tour, for the most part, you're kind of sticking to what you put together.
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And then I'll try to change it a little bit so that we don't get bored.
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And so that people who are coming to see us more than once aren't getting bored.
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Like, oh, I know what's next kind of a deal.
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And then I try to push us to not get complacent and try to better ourselves as musicians where I'll throw these guys a text.
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Maybe I'm terrible like a day or two before I'm like, hey, we're going to do this song.
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And like, it's all intricate or complicated or it's something you got to go over.
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Yeah, but no, I mean, I'm trying to trying to play all the songs that I grew up with and all the songs that kind of shaped me as an artist and as a musician.
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So it's kind of all over the board because I grew up in a family where we were listening to like Italian music, Frank Sinatra, and then we would listen like George Thurgood.
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And then I started making my way into like the heavy metal world where I was, I was actually doing screaming for a while.
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So that's like the only thing we don't touch, but we do some country tunes.
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There's everything we do in Luke Bryan, Cher, like I said, Ricky Martin.
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What else are we doing?
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Village People.
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Oh, I sing a little chaperone.
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Wow.
00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:54.259
So if you're, if you're doing a show and you notice that people are kind of responding more to the country songs, you know, and will you switch up your, you know, switch up your setlist midstream and maybe throw some.
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Yeah, I'll, I'll try to cater to, if I don't know the demographic that we're playing to, I'll keep it a mix.
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And then, yeah, if I see somebody's where people are responding more to one type of a genre or something, then I'll change it up a little bit.
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I'll still keep the other stuff in there because people tend to, if they hear a lot of stuff they like, then they're a little bit more welcoming to the stuff.
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They're like, I don't really listen to this often, you know?
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Right.
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So what's your preferred genre of music?
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You're doing so much.
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What's, what do you prefer?
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Okay, you're, you're, you're on an island.
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You got one genre of music to listen to for the rest of your life.
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Oh man, that's a, that's a tough one.
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I've been asked that a lot because I go through phases.
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I go through phases.
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I went through a phase where I was just listening to jazz for the longest time, but.
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No phases, no phases.
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You're on an island.
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I would have to say rock, like classic rock, like arena rock, that big sound.
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It's just the energy that comes with it.
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Too tall, I'm damn low, oh yeah.
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Is it anyone they see?
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Is it anyone that I've seen at all?
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You can't beat it.
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Yep.
00:12:43.179 --> 00:12:46.899
Then what made you want to be in a cover band that all of a sudden, I'm going to do all kinds of different stuff?
00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:53.899
I did the original band world for so long and there was a point where I was like, you know, I want to try something different.
00:12:54.440 --> 00:13:03.860
Everybody eventually, I mean, even in the cover band world, there's the drama, but everybody's always fighting about, oh, we got to write it this way or we always should be doing this.
00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:05.440
Oh, why don't we go on tour or whatever?
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:17.080
I didn't feel like I was scratching my itch musically because there was a point where I was in like seven bands at one time.
00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:17.980
I was in a reggae band.
00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.220
I was in a blues band.
00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:23.419
I was all over the place and I was like, you know what?
00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:30.039
There's at the time Sushi Roll, they were looking for a guitar player and a singer and I was like, you know what?
00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:32.340
That's probably the perfect thing.
00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:38.360
I'm going to touch as much as I can musically and get a little bit of everything in.
00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:42.460
You're listening to the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast.
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00:13:56.740 --> 00:14:00.679
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00:14:33.809 --> 00:14:40.590
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00:14:41.190 --> 00:14:44.850
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00:14:44.990 --> 00:14:50.250
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00:14:50.470 --> 00:14:54.649
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00:15:00.789 --> 00:15:03.450
So, so you were, you were in original bands.
00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:08.490
Was it just the, was it just the grind or was it, or you didn't enjoy the songwriting?
00:15:08.649 --> 00:15:12.309
What was it that made you want to make that switch for a little while?
00:15:12.490 --> 00:15:26.230
I loved doing the writing and just like anybody else, I had my stomps and getting right, like writer's block and all that, but it was just so hard to get people to respond or get them to come to the shows.
00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:37.909
And it's like, you know, there was a point with one of my bands where towards the end of it, I started noticing some people that were coming to the shows quite often were starting to sing some of the songs that we were writing.
00:15:38.009 --> 00:15:38.950
I was like, oh, that's cool.
00:15:39.049 --> 00:15:40.250
That's a cool way to go out.
00:15:40.330 --> 00:15:41.049
It's gotta be real cool.
00:15:41.529 --> 00:15:41.690
Yeah.
00:15:41.730 --> 00:15:44.870
And yeah, I was just, I was ready for a change.
00:15:44.870 --> 00:16:08.809
And for me, I've always liked playing the covers and trying to put my own little twist on it and trying to, certain things I'll try to like, as a guitar player, I'll try to emulate, or I will try to get like a guitar solo that's like super iconic down as close as I can, but still adding my own little flavor to it.
00:16:08.870 --> 00:16:09.090
Right.
00:16:09.269 --> 00:16:11.649
So that someone's not like, oh, well, you know, that's cool.
00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:13.610
You sound like Slash or something.
00:16:13.610 --> 00:16:15.309
It's like, yeah, that's cool.
00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:16.350
But there is a Slash.
00:16:16.690 --> 00:16:16.889
Yeah.
00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:19.190
I want to, I don't want to try and touch his coattails.
00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:20.049
That would never happen.
00:16:20.190 --> 00:16:21.649
He's actually my favorite guitar player.
00:16:21.809 --> 00:16:22.470
Oh, he's phenomenal.
00:16:22.990 --> 00:16:30.330
In my opinion, Slash is one of these guys where you don't quite know it's Slash because he is so versatile.
00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:33.309
You know, he could play a blues solo.
00:16:33.370 --> 00:16:37.129
And then the very next song, tap like Eddie Van Halen.
00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:37.889
Yeah, he is.
00:16:38.009 --> 00:16:38.909
He's so versatile.
00:16:39.250 --> 00:16:43.070
It's, you know, and that's why, but he prefers to play bluesier melodic solos.
00:16:43.070 --> 00:16:45.129
That's why he's my, my favorite guitarist.
00:16:45.149 --> 00:16:45.250
Yeah.
00:16:45.250 --> 00:16:48.870
Like when I first heard his album with Miles Kennedy.
00:16:49.129 --> 00:16:49.570
Oh God.
00:16:49.629 --> 00:16:49.850
Yeah.
00:16:50.409 --> 00:16:51.690
I was like, that's Slash.
00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:52.269
That's Slash.
00:16:52.389 --> 00:16:52.529
Yeah.
00:16:52.669 --> 00:16:52.870
Yeah.
00:16:52.889 --> 00:16:55.750
Or anything from the Snake Pit or anything that he did in his solo career.
00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:56.750
Like Velvet Revolver.
00:16:56.769 --> 00:16:57.070
Yeah.
00:16:57.129 --> 00:16:57.309
Yeah.
00:16:57.490 --> 00:16:57.889
Absolutely.
00:16:58.169 --> 00:16:58.389
Cool.
00:16:58.450 --> 00:17:03.549
It was heavy and it was different, but there's certain moments where you're like, oh, yeah, that's Slash.
00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:06.450
Everybody's got their own little tell.
00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:06.970
Right.
00:17:07.009 --> 00:17:07.170
Right.
00:17:07.210 --> 00:17:13.630
He's got, he's got a very distinctive sound all of his own, but his style is, is extremely versatile.
00:17:14.269 --> 00:17:18.348
So, so most of your musical career you've, you've spent in the Chicago area.
00:17:18.470 --> 00:17:21.828
I mean, you've toured around and you've, you've traveled around and stuff like that.
00:17:22.009 --> 00:17:25.368
I mean, I know Sushi Roll, they're, they're all over the place.
00:17:25.470 --> 00:17:27.470
I mean, did you travel all over the place like they are now?
00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:28.470
Yeah.
00:17:28.470 --> 00:17:32.670
I mean, I, I traveled with them for almost seven years.
00:17:32.809 --> 00:17:33.130
Oh, wow.
00:17:33.170 --> 00:17:33.369
Really?
00:17:33.450 --> 00:17:33.910
It was that long.
00:17:33.990 --> 00:17:34.190
Wow.
00:17:34.250 --> 00:17:34.470
Okay.
00:17:34.849 --> 00:17:35.130
Okay.
00:17:35.230 --> 00:17:35.490
Okay.
00:17:35.630 --> 00:17:44.130
So when, when you were in this more of the original scene playing original music, like where'd you go?
00:17:44.230 --> 00:17:48.210
I guess when I, I guess what I'm looking at is this is a story that we hear all the time.
00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:52.369
Um, I, I was in an original band and we were having trouble booking gigs.
00:17:52.450 --> 00:17:53.410
Nobody was really interested.
00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:55.650
We couldn't get people to come out to shows yet.
00:17:56.210 --> 00:17:57.690
Acts are getting discovered every day.
00:17:59.289 --> 00:18:06.710
So what are those acts doing that maybe you and I aren't doing where original music isn't gaining the interest?
00:18:06.930 --> 00:18:07.769
Not that it's bad.
00:18:07.849 --> 00:18:12.029
I mean, let's just, all things being the same, let's just assume the music is good.
00:18:12.029 --> 00:18:13.289
All on an even keel.
00:18:14.329 --> 00:18:15.269
Where's the venues?
00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:18.490
Are we lacking it here in Chicago or, or what, what's the deal with that?
00:18:19.329 --> 00:18:24.329
So I currently don't have that much knowledge on the original scene.
00:18:24.329 --> 00:18:43.490
But from what I remember, there was plenty of venues that were having original bands, whether it was like I've drummed in a, uh, original band that we opened up for Drake Bell over in Indiana over there at that place called big shots when that was the thing.
00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:47.750
And, um, it was just, it was hard.
00:18:47.890 --> 00:18:54.569
I guess when you're an original band, you just got to find that one thing that draws people in.
00:18:54.630 --> 00:18:57.009
Like that makes them say, Oh, I gotta go see these guys.
00:18:57.269 --> 00:19:06.250
Whether it's, I mean, some like an Alice Cooper where they have the theatrics with like the guillotine or the horror thing.
00:19:06.250 --> 00:19:12.509
And, uh, it's just, you gotta find that, uh, trying to think of the word, what's the word there?
00:19:13.990 --> 00:19:14.349
Appeal.
00:19:14.769 --> 00:19:15.130
Appeal.
00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:15.430
Yeah.
00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:21.670
I mean, that's the best way I can think to put it right now, but yeah, it was just a, it was a lot of work.
00:19:21.670 --> 00:19:28.829
And I started seeing a lot of these like tribute bands, like American English or cover bands like seventh heaven.
00:19:28.829 --> 00:19:35.309
And they're playing all these cool shows to all these people to, with these songs that I love listening to and love playing.
00:19:35.309 --> 00:19:38.549
And I'm like, I, maybe I'll give that a shot.
00:19:38.690 --> 00:19:38.849
Yeah.
00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:39.289
Yeah.
00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:39.569
Yeah.
00:19:39.710 --> 00:19:41.289
So it is, it is about the music.
00:19:41.609 --> 00:19:41.829
Yeah.
00:19:41.829 --> 00:19:45.829
It's about the change, the difference, you know, playing a little bit of everything for everyone.
00:19:46.369 --> 00:19:46.549
Yeah.
00:19:46.549 --> 00:19:47.750
I mean, the money don't hurt either.
00:19:47.829 --> 00:19:48.029
Yeah.
00:19:48.109 --> 00:19:48.509
That's good.
00:19:48.630 --> 00:19:48.910
That's good.
00:19:49.009 --> 00:19:49.849
It pays the bills.
00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:51.069
What kind of places are you playing?
00:19:51.170 --> 00:19:52.849
Like, like what kind of stuff do you have coming up soon?
00:19:53.569 --> 00:19:56.910
A little, it's a little, a little mixed.
00:19:57.029 --> 00:20:01.069
We have a couple of casino dates that I have in the works right now.
00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:12.849
On October 31st, which as of today is Friday, we're playing down in Springfield at a bar called Goodfellas with Sushi Roll.
00:20:13.210 --> 00:20:13.549
Okay.
00:20:13.549 --> 00:20:15.130
Doing like a double header kind of thing.
00:20:16.349 --> 00:20:18.950
We're playing, we play the Thirsty Beaver.
00:20:19.190 --> 00:20:23.369
So like bars, casinos, we played State Fair.
00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:24.690
We played the Illinois State Fair.
00:20:24.849 --> 00:20:26.349
Oh, I forgot she was here.
00:20:26.910 --> 00:20:27.950
I apologize.
00:20:28.269 --> 00:20:30.750
I've been, I've been up since four 30 in the morning.
00:20:31.069 --> 00:20:34.390
I worked that day job rough.
00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:34.890
Yeah.
00:20:34.950 --> 00:20:35.470
No, I get that.
00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:37.329
That's like, she's, she's like your rate for me.
00:20:37.890 --> 00:20:38.369
Oh yeah.
00:20:38.450 --> 00:20:41.390
Basically we'll play wherever they, wherever they let us play.
00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:41.809
Yeah.
00:20:41.910 --> 00:20:42.130
Yeah.
00:20:42.170 --> 00:20:42.450
Okay.
00:20:42.690 --> 00:20:45.529
I mean, I'll set up in the parking lot and play just to play.
00:20:45.650 --> 00:20:45.849
Yeah.
00:20:45.869 --> 00:20:46.529
Right, right, right.
00:20:46.609 --> 00:20:49.849
Getting back to the original stuff, are you doing any writing on the side or?
00:20:50.609 --> 00:20:54.289
I've been meaning to, I just, I can't find the time right now.
00:20:54.329 --> 00:20:55.089
I have the songs.
00:20:55.170 --> 00:20:57.670
I mean, I'm doing what probably most musicians are nowadays.
00:20:57.849 --> 00:20:58.670
Something will come to my head.
00:20:58.670 --> 00:21:02.589
I'm like, Oh, grab my phone and I'll do a voice recording or I'll type it in.
00:21:02.670 --> 00:21:06.829
And I never ended up getting to it, but I'm actually going to make some time to start writing again.
00:21:07.069 --> 00:21:09.630
Did you guys record any of the stuff you had before?
00:21:10.470 --> 00:21:19.029
Yeah, we actually, I lost one of the demos that we had, but I have some of the digital copies from some of the other bands that we did.
00:21:20.369 --> 00:21:22.410
So it was a possibility of releasing that.
00:21:22.769 --> 00:21:22.970
Yeah.
00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:31.950
I mean, some of it got released to a sense, but yeah, I've been thinking about reaching even just reaching out to those members and being like, Hey, you know what?
00:21:31.990 --> 00:21:37.410
Just for old times, let's rerecord these, mix them up really well and then put them out.
00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:37.730
Yeah.
00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:39.170
I mean, it's music.
00:21:39.509 --> 00:21:40.369
Somebody likes it.
00:21:40.390 --> 00:21:41.210
Somebody won't like it.
00:21:41.289 --> 00:21:42.410
Just something to listen to.
00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:47.230
When did you start or when did you decide, you know, I want to be a musician?
00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:50.289
Oh man, that was a long time ago.
00:21:50.690 --> 00:21:56.410
I guess I would have to say probably about when I was like six or seven years old.
00:21:56.490 --> 00:21:56.650
Yeah.
00:21:56.750 --> 00:21:57.009
Okay.
00:21:57.650 --> 00:21:57.970
Yeah.
00:21:58.230 --> 00:22:04.950
He's a, I remember, uh, and we'll talk about it all the time when my family, uh, one Christmas, I was like, I really want a guitar for Christmas.
00:22:04.950 --> 00:22:08.009
And I got the old, ah, what are you going to do with that thing?
00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:11.410
You're going to play with it for a little bit and then you're gonna let it sit in the corner.
00:22:11.509 --> 00:22:17.430
And then lo and behold, you know, 23, 24 years later, I'm still playing guitar.
00:22:17.569 --> 00:22:18.150
And now I'm traveling.
00:22:18.269 --> 00:22:19.490
I get to travel doing it.
00:22:19.849 --> 00:22:20.009
Right.
00:22:20.430 --> 00:22:22.470
Is that, is that your main instrument is guitar?
00:22:22.910 --> 00:22:23.109
Yeah.
00:22:23.109 --> 00:22:23.470
Guitar.
00:22:23.730 --> 00:22:28.049
I mean, I dabbled a little bit in a piano drumming bass.
00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:31.170
I mean, bass is somebody's going to hate me for saying this.
00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:33.309
It's pretty similar to guitar.
00:22:33.470 --> 00:22:37.410
I mean, there's definitely different things you got to do, but the idea is same.
00:22:37.470 --> 00:22:38.769
You got the fretboard and everything.
00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:39.230
Right.
00:22:39.390 --> 00:22:41.890
But yeah, definitely a guitar and singing, singing.
00:22:42.029 --> 00:22:43.789
I actually got pushed into, okay.
00:22:44.069 --> 00:22:57.450
So we, I did a talent show back in, uh, seventh grade with a band I started putting together and, uh, the bass player, we were covering Fall Out Boy, Sugar.
00:22:57.490 --> 00:22:58.089
We're going down.
00:22:58.289 --> 00:22:58.970
He got to the course.
00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:03.049
He's like, you were, you were in seventh grade when that song was on the radio.
00:23:03.509 --> 00:23:03.910
Yeah.
00:23:05.369 --> 00:23:06.470
I feel old.
00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:07.109
Okay.
00:23:08.470 --> 00:23:10.190
But he's like, I can't hit the high notes.
00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:11.509
I'm like, you know, it makes you think I can.
00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:12.970
I never sang a note in my life.
00:23:12.990 --> 00:23:25.789
And then from that night I became the singer and then I started working on vocal techniques and there was actually, um, the drummer's dad was in a band and his singer taught me a lot of like breath control.
00:23:26.349 --> 00:23:37.269
And I just kind of started taking it from there and playing around with my voice and learning different techniques from people, from people that I met and, uh, started implementing it and kind of creating my own voice and style.
00:23:37.549 --> 00:23:37.670
Right.
00:23:37.730 --> 00:23:38.049
Right.
00:23:38.210 --> 00:23:38.529
Excellent.
00:23:38.630 --> 00:23:38.910
Excellent.
00:23:38.990 --> 00:23:39.349
That's good.
00:23:39.670 --> 00:23:47.329
So what were the, when you were young, when you were, you know, six, seven years older and starting out and what influenced you, what were your influences?
00:23:47.329 --> 00:23:48.490
What were you listening to?
00:23:50.609 --> 00:23:51.930
I was listening to everything.
00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:55.430
I mean, I listened to what was playing in the house.
00:23:55.569 --> 00:23:57.789
There was always music playing when I was growing up.
00:23:58.950 --> 00:24:08.490
We were listening, my dad was listening to like Hootie and the Blowfish and then he'd be listening to like Toby Keith and then we'd have Italian music playing all the time.
00:24:08.529 --> 00:24:11.710
And my dad would walk around the house singing all the time.
00:24:12.269 --> 00:24:20.309
And then, uh, like my older sister, my mom, they had more like the pop stations on and like a hip hop mixed in.
00:24:20.470 --> 00:24:27.789
So I kind of got a little bit of everything and just having MTV and stuff on VH1 with the music videos I was watching.
00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:28.369
I'm like, you know what?
00:24:28.369 --> 00:24:29.509
That'd be kind of cool to do.
00:24:29.769 --> 00:24:29.890
Yeah.
00:24:45.230 --> 00:24:47.369
So what's on your playlist now?
00:24:48.369 --> 00:24:50.109
Right now, what have I been listening to?
00:24:50.369 --> 00:24:53.609
Uh, I've actually, I've actually been listening to Christmas music lately.
00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:54.990
Christmas music.
00:24:55.250 --> 00:24:55.849
Oh, come on.
00:24:56.750 --> 00:25:02.809
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:25:02.809 --> 00:25:04.509
Light FM isn't even playing it yet.
00:25:04.849 --> 00:25:06.470
I heard November 1st.
00:25:06.569 --> 00:25:08.470
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:25:08.470 --> 00:25:11.009
You gotta, you gotta wait until the day after Thanksgiving.
00:25:11.710 --> 00:25:13.190
That's my, that's my rule anyway.
00:25:13.329 --> 00:25:13.990
It's gotta be day after.
00:25:14.109 --> 00:25:21.049
I won't shop at a store if they put out the Christmas stuff before that week of, you know, that week before Thanksgiving.
00:25:21.049 --> 00:25:24.109
You could start doing it so you're ready for Black Friday sales, right?
00:25:24.170 --> 00:25:24.950
You can do that.
00:25:25.289 --> 00:25:28.549
But man, like there's stores like, I think it's the Menards that has the Christmas trees.
00:25:28.630 --> 00:25:29.450
All they do is they open.
00:25:30.049 --> 00:25:32.430
We haven't, Halloween hasn't even happened yet.
00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:33.130
Right, right.
00:25:33.250 --> 00:25:33.990
And the trees are up.
00:25:34.150 --> 00:25:34.890
And the trees are up.
00:25:35.009 --> 00:25:35.569
Come on.
00:25:35.650 --> 00:25:40.410
I mean, we've got this very American holiday where we all get together and slaughter turkeys.
00:25:40.769 --> 00:25:41.190
That's right.
00:25:41.950 --> 00:25:43.869
It's just, we skip over it, right?
00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:45.950
We go right to Christmas.
00:25:46.630 --> 00:25:50.809
Speaking of turkeys, for some weird reason, I thought next week was Thanksgiving.
00:25:51.789 --> 00:25:54.029
I was looking through the Jewel and Mariano's thing.
00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:55.329
Anybody got turkeys on sale?
00:25:55.869 --> 00:25:57.369
I don't know where I was at.
00:25:57.849 --> 00:25:58.829
I was in another world.
00:25:59.009 --> 00:26:00.710
Don't push us through that fast.
00:26:01.349 --> 00:26:02.690
No, we have Halloween coming up.
00:26:02.750 --> 00:26:03.109
I know.
00:26:03.369 --> 00:26:03.990
What's your costume?
00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:07.509
Oh, I'll show you.
00:26:07.809 --> 00:26:08.569
You'll show me?
00:26:11.190 --> 00:26:11.710
I don't know.
00:26:11.769 --> 00:26:12.609
I'm scared now.
00:26:13.410 --> 00:26:14.670
You can't just say it.
00:26:14.769 --> 00:26:15.809
How do you feel about that?
00:26:16.150 --> 00:26:16.990
That's kind of weird.
00:26:17.089 --> 00:26:19.549
We're having Mai Tais and stuff at the end of the driveway.
00:26:19.769 --> 00:26:21.349
When the kids come by, we'll give them candy.
00:26:21.490 --> 00:26:23.109
We'll be sipping on some Mai Tais.
00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:24.109
We're having hot dogs.
00:26:24.250 --> 00:26:25.250
We're with the neighbors.
00:26:25.609 --> 00:26:26.589
Oh, that's cool.
00:26:26.769 --> 00:26:27.390
Yeah, it's going to be cool.
00:26:27.609 --> 00:26:28.029
That's good.
00:26:28.109 --> 00:26:28.569
That's good.
00:26:28.710 --> 00:26:28.869
Yeah.
00:26:29.009 --> 00:26:30.190
So get back to what we're doing here.
00:26:30.250 --> 00:26:30.910
Sorry I didn't.
00:26:31.009 --> 00:26:31.970
Yeah, no, that's fine.
00:26:32.970 --> 00:26:33.990
Go off on a tangent.
00:26:34.430 --> 00:26:34.589
Yeah.
00:26:34.670 --> 00:26:35.690
What's your Halloween costume?
00:26:36.210 --> 00:26:37.470
My Halloween costume?
00:26:38.470 --> 00:26:39.950
I'm actually dressing up as Halsey.
00:26:39.950 --> 00:26:41.750
What's his Halloween costume?
00:26:42.150 --> 00:26:43.150
Dressing up as Halsey.
00:26:43.190 --> 00:26:45.490
Are you really dressing up as Halsey and biting the head off the monkey?
00:26:45.690 --> 00:26:45.930
Yeah.
00:26:46.109 --> 00:26:46.630
All right.
00:26:47.089 --> 00:26:47.289
Wow.
00:26:47.410 --> 00:26:49.009
Well, the monkey's actually dressing up too.
00:26:49.089 --> 00:26:50.049
He's dressing up as a bat.
00:26:50.289 --> 00:26:52.569
Oh, very good.
00:26:53.589 --> 00:26:54.470
Very good.
00:26:54.970 --> 00:26:55.410
Interesting.
00:26:55.710 --> 00:26:57.049
So how can people find you?
00:26:57.089 --> 00:26:58.630
Like, what's your social media and stuff like?
00:26:59.190 --> 00:27:00.329
We got your standards.
00:27:00.470 --> 00:27:01.349
We got Facebook.
00:27:01.490 --> 00:27:03.109
That's Dance Monkey Band.
00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:03.910
Instagram.
00:27:04.609 --> 00:27:05.890
Everything's Dance Monkey Band.
00:27:06.029 --> 00:27:09.230
I mean, we got Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube.
00:27:10.089 --> 00:27:15.269
We have our website, dancemonkey.live, where you could see our upcoming shows.
00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:19.710
There's videos and there's, I mean, on the website, there's links to all the social media stuff.
00:27:20.009 --> 00:27:20.369
Right, right.
00:27:20.549 --> 00:27:25.549
Do I need to ask the monkey lady, monkey making lady over here?
00:27:27.230 --> 00:27:31.490
So like, what's coming up within the next few weeks where people can go out and see you?
00:27:31.990 --> 00:27:33.109
Next few weeks?
00:27:33.589 --> 00:27:35.569
We're actually not going to be in Chicago.
00:27:35.950 --> 00:27:36.250
Oh, no.
00:27:36.250 --> 00:27:42.970
But November 21st, we are at J and A Tap in North Liberty, Iowa.
00:27:44.029 --> 00:27:50.089
And then I actually spread out our dates a little bit because our bass player has to go get neck surgery.
00:27:50.250 --> 00:27:52.829
So his hand's going to be a little in healing right now.
00:27:52.910 --> 00:27:57.769
But then I think the only one that we have is December 19th.
00:27:57.769 --> 00:28:08.210
I wanted to slow down a little bit for the holidays and spend some time because being on the road for so long every weekend, I missed out on a lot of get togethers and being able to relax and enjoy the holiday season.
00:28:08.309 --> 00:28:09.869
So you're doing New Year's Eve in Key West?
00:28:10.170 --> 00:28:11.930
Yeah, I'm doing that with Sushi Roll.
00:28:12.210 --> 00:28:12.529
Wow.
00:28:12.789 --> 00:28:14.069
That's a fun gig.
00:28:14.190 --> 00:28:15.329
Oh, I'm looking forward to that one.
00:28:15.470 --> 00:28:20.150
How are you working a full-time day job or whatever and doing all the traveling?
00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:23.990
I am moving full-time back to music.
00:28:24.309 --> 00:28:24.750
Are you really?
00:28:24.869 --> 00:28:25.109
Yeah.
00:28:25.190 --> 00:28:26.329
You're making that transition, huh?
00:28:26.470 --> 00:28:29.430
As cliche as it sounds, you know, it's in my DNA.
00:28:29.910 --> 00:28:30.049
Yeah.
00:28:30.109 --> 00:28:34.130
Every time I've tried to walk away or take a break, I always get pulled right back in.
00:28:34.130 --> 00:28:35.769
My heart won't let me stop.
00:28:35.990 --> 00:28:37.190
It's possible to do it.
00:28:37.549 --> 00:28:37.910
Wow.
00:28:38.289 --> 00:28:41.630
Yeah, there's millions of people that make their living as musicians.
00:28:42.170 --> 00:28:43.650
Less than 1% of them are famous.
00:28:44.569 --> 00:28:45.410
Nobody understands that.
00:28:45.730 --> 00:28:47.450
Nobody understands that.
00:28:47.970 --> 00:28:48.470
Yeah, well, good.
00:28:48.509 --> 00:28:49.049
Good luck to you.
00:28:49.130 --> 00:28:50.210
I hope everything works out.
00:28:50.230 --> 00:28:50.450
I appreciate that.
00:28:50.450 --> 00:28:53.529
But you're not going to dodge the question, though.
00:28:53.529 --> 00:28:54.750
What's on your playlist right now?
00:28:56.730 --> 00:28:57.329
All right.
00:28:57.549 --> 00:28:58.410
Actually, I'll...
00:28:58.410 --> 00:28:59.490
He never forgets.
00:29:00.529 --> 00:29:01.250
I'll pull it out.
00:29:01.349 --> 00:29:02.109
I'll give you a little mix.
00:29:02.109 --> 00:29:03.470
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:29:03.470 --> 00:29:03.589
Yeah.
00:29:03.990 --> 00:29:05.329
What are we talking about here?
00:29:06.410 --> 00:29:07.569
Shut off the lights.
00:29:08.549 --> 00:29:15.109
We got Louis Prima, Memphis Mayfire, Darude, Skid Row.
00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:16.589
Skid Row.
00:29:16.769 --> 00:29:17.009
Wow.
00:29:17.309 --> 00:29:21.849
That was like left field in that whole group that you're talking about.
00:29:21.849 --> 00:29:23.910
And then we go to Kenny G and then Kix.
00:29:24.210 --> 00:29:24.849
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:24.990 --> 00:29:26.109
That's in that whole Louis Prima.
00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:26.910
Yeah.
00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:28.210
There you go.
00:29:28.390 --> 00:29:28.789
There you go.
00:29:28.910 --> 00:29:29.109
Yeah.
00:29:29.369 --> 00:29:31.150
I discovered a new band recently.
00:29:31.150 --> 00:29:32.970
Have you ever heard of Dirty Honey?
00:29:33.509 --> 00:29:34.069
I have.
00:29:34.289 --> 00:29:34.390
Oh, yeah.
00:29:34.390 --> 00:29:35.210
It's a fantastic band.
00:29:35.230 --> 00:29:36.029
Oh, yeah.
00:29:36.089 --> 00:29:37.190
I've listened to them for a while.
00:29:37.309 --> 00:29:37.750
Have you really?
00:29:37.809 --> 00:29:38.970
They've been around for a few years, yeah.
00:29:39.089 --> 00:29:40.349
I just discovered them recently.
00:29:40.529 --> 00:29:40.769
I started.
00:29:41.029 --> 00:29:41.190
They're good.
00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:48.809
I turned on the, what's his name, Jared James, oh shit, I can't think of his name right now, Blues Guide of Wisconsin.
00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:52.670
And they mix their stuff in with his channel.
00:29:53.069 --> 00:29:54.529
My god, what a fantastic band.
00:29:54.529 --> 00:29:54.829
Oh, yeah.
00:29:55.029 --> 00:29:55.609
Really good.
00:29:55.750 --> 00:29:57.069
I must have been living under a rock.
00:29:58.069 --> 00:30:01.009
Man, how long have they been around?
00:30:02.089 --> 00:30:05.950
Probably as long as Blackberry Smoke.
00:30:06.069 --> 00:30:06.349
Really?
00:30:06.549 --> 00:30:06.710
Yeah.
00:30:06.950 --> 00:30:07.630
Holy crap.
00:30:07.849 --> 00:30:08.430
I just heard.
00:30:08.509 --> 00:30:11.890
When I think about it, I discovered both of them about the same time.
00:30:11.990 --> 00:30:14.670
I just, I think I must have heard them for the first time.
00:30:14.809 --> 00:30:15.130
No kidding.
00:30:15.130 --> 00:30:16.069
Like three months ago.
00:30:16.309 --> 00:30:16.670
Wow.
00:30:16.990 --> 00:30:17.430
Yeah, they're good.
00:30:17.450 --> 00:30:17.950
That's amazing.
00:30:18.029 --> 00:30:19.670
Now I'm going to have to go back and find all their stuff.
00:30:20.230 --> 00:30:20.950
Holy crap.
00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:22.970
Kind of like a Chris Stapleton situation.
00:30:23.490 --> 00:30:27.329
First time I heard of them was when that Tennessee whiskey cover came out.
00:30:27.450 --> 00:30:29.470
And apparently he's been out for years.
00:30:29.609 --> 00:30:32.589
And that cover just pushed him on the radar.
00:30:32.829 --> 00:30:40.609
In a bunch of bands, or in a few bands, you would never have known that it was Chris Stapleton.
00:30:40.829 --> 00:30:42.829
Because it's like prior to his solo career.
00:30:42.970 --> 00:30:44.150
I've come across a few of them.
00:30:44.269 --> 00:30:44.809
I can't remember them all.
00:30:44.809 --> 00:30:45.309
Steel Drivers.
00:30:45.769 --> 00:30:46.869
Yeah, Steel Drivers.
00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:47.809
He was with the Steel Drivers.
00:30:47.829 --> 00:30:48.690
Is one of them.
00:30:48.829 --> 00:30:52.109
And I think the other one was the Johnson Brothers.
00:30:52.450 --> 00:30:52.769
Yes.
00:30:53.109 --> 00:30:53.349
Yeah.
00:30:53.569 --> 00:30:57.690
And when you look back at when those songs were released, there's one particular hit.
00:30:57.789 --> 00:30:58.869
It's from like 2008.
00:30:59.349 --> 00:31:00.150
You're like, oh my god.
00:31:00.190 --> 00:31:01.329
So that's where he came from.
00:31:01.390 --> 00:31:03.309
It wasn't like he just was Chris Stapleton.
00:31:03.410 --> 00:31:04.170
And you can hear him singing.
00:31:04.269 --> 00:31:04.910
He just went solo.
00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:05.390
You hear his voice.
00:31:05.609 --> 00:31:07.849
Yeah, he just went solo from these bands that he was in.
00:31:07.849 --> 00:31:08.509
It was just amazing.
00:31:08.730 --> 00:31:09.730
So yeah.
00:31:09.809 --> 00:31:10.309
Well, cool.
00:31:11.049 --> 00:31:12.130
Well, I think that about covers it.
00:31:12.470 --> 00:31:13.029
I think so.
00:31:13.109 --> 00:31:14.170
Unless he's going to go solo.
00:31:14.509 --> 00:31:14.829
Yeah.
00:31:15.250 --> 00:31:16.809
Since he's the vocalist.
00:31:16.809 --> 00:31:17.829
Unless he's going to go solo.
00:31:18.450 --> 00:31:19.029
Yeah, vocals.
00:31:19.250 --> 00:31:20.369
Yeah, come out with your own song.
00:31:20.829 --> 00:31:21.910
With all the bands behind.
00:31:22.349 --> 00:31:27.170
Yeah, but you can't really go up on stage and sing a song and bite a head off of a monkey.
00:31:27.470 --> 00:31:27.849
Why not?
00:31:27.990 --> 00:31:28.869
Well, I guess you could.
00:31:29.049 --> 00:31:29.970
I mean, I've seen worse.
00:31:30.190 --> 00:31:30.369
Yeah.
00:31:30.589 --> 00:31:30.809
Yeah.
00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:31.470
It's a monkey.
00:31:31.609 --> 00:31:32.170
It's not a dove.
00:31:38.200 --> 00:31:39.180
Well, with that.
00:31:39.319 --> 00:31:40.279
That's very observant.
00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:43.359
You know what the difference is?
00:31:44.339 --> 00:31:45.079
Pulsable thumbs.
00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:46.599
Oh, that's true.
00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:47.960
Doves don't have the pulsable thumbs.
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:48.480
That's true.
00:31:49.220 --> 00:31:50.039
And monkeys can't.
00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:51.680
Oh, can monkeys fly?
00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:53.500
So is their device.
00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:53.980
Wizard of Oz.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.039
So they can fly.
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:56.740
You can't hear it.
00:31:56.880 --> 00:31:58.079
Because there it is.
00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:59.559
The compression was on it too much.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:00.019
Yeah.
00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:01.640
Noise gate and compression was too high on my microphone.
00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:02.359
I thought we set that.
00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:02.960
Oh, well, no.
00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:03.819
Oh, well, we'll get it figured out.
00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:05.240
All righty, Mike, thanks for coming out.
00:32:05.539 --> 00:32:06.420
Appreciate you having me.
00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:06.880
Thank you.
00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.299
Hope you guys come back to town so we can come and see you.
00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:11.140
Yeah, we would love to have you come out.
00:32:11.299 --> 00:32:11.799
All righty.
00:32:12.019 --> 00:32:12.299
Excellent.
00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:13.099
See you later.
00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:43.450
The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin.
00:32:43.450 --> 00:32:45.869
Theme song courtesy of MNR Rush.
00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:50.210
The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show.
00:32:50.369 --> 00:32:52.769
The music is used to promote the guests that are featured.
00:00:00.010 --> 00:00:06.349
Coming to you from the studios at the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66, it's the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast.
00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:25.660
Hey everybody, it's Ray the Roadie.
00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:27.660
And this is shit hat and hit mic.
00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:28.440
Oh my god.
00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:33.820
Please make sure your children are in bed and away from this broadcast.
00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:38.780
I swear to god, my father-in-law used to say that all the time when he had a bad day.
00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:41.679
He goes, I feel like I've been shot at and missed and shit at and hit.
00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:46.439
Well, do tell us about your day.
00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:48.060
Oh gosh, no, it was just a long day.
00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:52.420
Working at Trade Show in McCormick Place and battling Chicago traffic.
00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:52.939
Oh yeah.
00:00:53.219 --> 00:00:54.420
You know how that goes.
00:00:54.539 --> 00:00:55.399
At least it's not snowing.
00:00:55.700 --> 00:00:57.679
And then I got, oh god, don't say that.
00:00:58.079 --> 00:00:59.219
You know, that word's like beetle juice.
00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:02.179
You can't say it three times within a minute period.
00:01:02.740 --> 00:01:02.880
That's right.
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:06.319
Then I got stopped by one of our lovely barges that goes down the river.
00:01:06.459 --> 00:01:06.819
Nice.
00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:07.980
Here in lovely Joliet.
00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:08.739
Always good.
00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:10.760
And of course, still got the KS Bridge here that's up.
00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.319
You know, I was actually the second car in line this time.
00:01:14.379 --> 00:01:15.579
So I was actually there and close.
00:01:15.659 --> 00:01:19.459
I got to see the bridge go up and we sat there for 12 minutes.
00:01:19.579 --> 00:01:20.560
12 minutes we sat there.
00:01:20.659 --> 00:01:22.939
Yeah, I don't know if there's any rules about how long boats take.
00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:23.939
Yeah, I don't know.
00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:25.939
Trains are supposed to be 15 minutes or something.
00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:31.239
Yeah, but I mean, they lift the bridges and there's no barge in sight.
00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.200
So I guess they're so close together.
00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.140
Then, you know, the alarm goes off and everybody goes up, right.
00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:39.439
So we sat there for five minutes waiting for this thing.
00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:41.459
You know, they talk about slow boat to China.
00:01:41.900 --> 00:01:42.760
I found it.
00:01:45.659 --> 00:01:46.019
Nice.
00:01:46.739 --> 00:01:46.939
Yeah.
00:01:47.620 --> 00:01:49.579
So anyways, I'm back.
00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:50.180
You're back.
00:01:50.299 --> 00:01:50.879
Well, that's great.
00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:51.879
This is Hollywood Mike.
00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:53.019
How's everybody doing out there?
00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:53.819
It's all doom and gloom.
00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:55.319
Yeah, we're good to see y'all.
00:01:55.420 --> 00:01:55.519
Right.
00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:57.420
I feel like I haven't seen you in like a week.
00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:58.040
About a week.
00:01:58.140 --> 00:01:59.280
Yeah, about a week back.
00:01:59.400 --> 00:01:59.920
Yeah, exactly.
00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:00.420
Back.
00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:00.780
Yeah.
00:02:00.819 --> 00:02:02.019
So who we got in the studio tonight?
00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:03.420
I think you'll like it.
00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:04.319
It's Dance Monkey.
00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:05.180
Dance Monkey.
00:02:05.459 --> 00:02:05.719
Yeah.
00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:09.439
Just one monkey, though.
00:02:09.580 --> 00:02:10.319
Just one monkey.
00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:11.000
That's all we have.
00:02:11.099 --> 00:02:12.099
We got Mike with us.
00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:12.919
OK, we got Mike.
00:02:12.979 --> 00:02:13.819
I'll remember that name.
00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:14.719
That's a pretty easy one.
00:02:15.419 --> 00:02:16.699
Dance Monkey Mike, how you doing, man?
00:02:16.979 --> 00:02:17.759
I'm doing great.
00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:18.560
How are you guys doing?
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:19.620
Oh, we're doing well.
00:02:19.900 --> 00:02:21.340
I mean, we're doing fine now.
00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:22.900
I had that opportunity to vent.
00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:23.919
Yep, that's right.
00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:24.199
Yeah.
00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:25.719
Raise my personal psychiatrist.
00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:27.020
I will send you the invoice.
00:02:27.419 --> 00:02:28.099
Yeah, that's right.
00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:29.699
Well, he's my personal psychiatrist.
00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:32.159
He managed my calendar for me and everything.
00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:34.120
So if you ever want to find out where I'm playing, call Ray.
00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:35.479
All right.
00:02:35.580 --> 00:02:35.939
That's right.
00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:37.099
Yeah, that's the way it goes.
00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:37.680
That's the way it goes.
00:02:37.979 --> 00:02:39.060
So tell us about Dance Monkey.
00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:40.159
Dance Monkey.
00:02:40.419 --> 00:02:40.819
All right.
00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:42.620
I feel like we need to have like a...
00:02:45.939 --> 00:02:48.599
Well, it's a variety cover band.
00:02:48.819 --> 00:02:54.080
I mean, it's more of a show band as well where a lot of these guys are just playing songs.
00:02:54.099 --> 00:03:02.500
And we like to add some factors that some of the original artists have, like some of the theatrics, the lighting, the smoke, all that fun stuff.
00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:08.199
There's even, we're doing like an Aussie tune, and there's one point where I bite the head off of a monkey.
00:03:09.860 --> 00:03:10.259
Wow.
00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:11.620
Not a real monkey.
00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:13.740
Okay, a fake monkey.
00:03:13.900 --> 00:03:14.719
Yeah, but I mean...
00:03:15.180 --> 00:03:18.460
So where do you find a surplus of monkeys that you can bite the head off?
00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:19.560
Just like mail order monkeys?
00:03:21.180 --> 00:03:24.599
So my lovely lady over in the studio here, she...
00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:25.580
Hey, he's standing right there.
00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:26.680
Don't talk about her that way.
00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:29.740
She custom made me a monkey.
00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:32.539
Oh, so she can repair that monkey.
00:03:33.020 --> 00:03:39.280
It's, yeah, it's something you would possibly find in like Alice Cooper's attic, in like a chest out in the corner.
00:03:39.419 --> 00:03:40.639
All right, cool.
00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:44.580
So it's one monkey, and you keep tearing the head off of one monkey.
00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:46.219
Yeah, I feel terrible for the monkey.
00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:49.039
I mean, you could, we're just, you know...
00:03:50.900 --> 00:03:52.400
You can't give away all the secrets.
00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:53.120
Yeah, okay.
00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.680
It's just one, like a Velcro head on or something like that.
00:03:55.979 --> 00:03:56.340
Yeah.
00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:57.180
Let's figure it out.
00:03:57.199 --> 00:03:57.360
Okay.
00:03:57.419 --> 00:03:58.780
Yeah, I put her through the wringer.
00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:02.280
I ask a lot of her to help me with a lot of the stuff I got to get done.
00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:03.060
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:03.180 --> 00:04:05.259
So how often does this thing get washed?
00:04:06.979 --> 00:04:07.919
It gets washed?
00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:11.520
Never thought about that.
00:04:11.620 --> 00:04:17.620
You know, come to think of it, some of the stages that that thing's fallen on, and I put it in my mouth a couple of days later or the next day.
00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:18.939
Yeah, that's pretty gross.
00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:20.819
Yeah, I think I might go through that in the wash tonight.
00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:26.540
You don't need to get COVID vaccines if you've bitten the head off of monkeys that have fallen on some of these things.
00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:29.579
I think you're immune to absolutely everything.
00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:30.339
Yeah, yeah.
00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:31.500
So go back to the beginning.
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:33.519
Where did the whole thing come from?
00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:35.079
How many people are in the band?
00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:46.000
So we are a three-piece, and it started off, I was playing in another band, playing with a band called Sushi Roll.
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:48.480
And I left because I figured...
00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.240
I know Sushi Roll.
00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:49.819
Yeah.
00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:50.379
Me too.
00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:51.540
Yeah, I know those guys.
00:04:51.819 --> 00:04:52.699
Harmony plays with them.
00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:53.540
She does.
00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:54.620
Well, yeah, she does.
00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:54.939
Yeah.
00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:58.579
I'm actually playing with them in Key West this year for New Year's Eve.
00:04:58.779 --> 00:04:59.160
Oh, no kidding.
00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:08.220
But I was playing with them for about six and a half, seven years, and I had the dumb idea, yeah, you know what?
00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:12.500
Let me slow down on the road and maybe go do a regular job.
00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:12.920
Right.
00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:17.259
And not long after doing that, I'm like, eh, you know what?
00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:18.040
This sucks.
00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:18.360
Yeah.
00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:20.879
This getting up early thing is terrible.
00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:29.360
So I called up a couple people and started putting Dance Monkey together, started getting a song list, and started getting ideas.
00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:35.420
And I wanted to do something different, but something that people would still kind of be familiar with.
00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:41.060
So I'm still trying to figure out some new things to throw out there.
00:05:41.180 --> 00:05:44.240
But I mean, for the most part, I mean, play everything.
00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:47.259
I'm singing a Cher song at one point.
00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:55.980
I mean, we go from Cher to Kiss to Ozzy, like I said, and then doing Frankie Valli tunes.
00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.360
And it's everything you could throw on the most mixed up playlist.
00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:03.319
It's definitely running the gamut.
00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:04.420
Yeah, right, right, right.
00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.920
So who are the people who are not with us?
00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:08.899
Are they consistent members all the time?
00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:09.360
Yeah.
00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:20.019
So when we started off and we had John Drums, Greg Potter from the Buddy Rich Band, and he just got really busy with the Buddy Rich Band.
00:06:20.339 --> 00:06:24.500
And we've been having this guy, Dan Hill, play drums for us right now.
00:06:24.699 --> 00:06:33.680
So have you been putting together your band from, but he's obviously been listening to the podcast, because all the members of the band that he's been in have been on this podcast.
00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:35.319
Yeah, pretty much.
00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:36.500
I did my research.
00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:37.720
Yeah, did you?
00:06:37.819 --> 00:06:38.680
Okay, all right.
00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:39.519
Well, that's pretty good.
00:06:39.579 --> 00:06:43.079
So he's not with you anymore, because of course, yeah, he got busy with the Buddy Rich Band.
00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.819
Yeah, and I mean, that's a priority.
00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:46.220
That's a legend.
00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:47.480
Right, right, of course.
00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.480
Are you playing guitar and singing, or how's the lineup working?
00:06:50.540 --> 00:06:53.839
So I'm playing guitar and singing, and then I'll put the guitar down for some songs.
00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.779
And I'm actually thinking of implementing a piano at one point.
00:06:56.980 --> 00:06:57.199
Okay.
00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:01.360
But then we have on bass, Jeff Malice.
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.019
He was playing, he played, oh man, what's the band?
00:07:05.079 --> 00:07:06.060
He says it all the time.
00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:10.620
But he's on bass, and then we've been playing all over.
00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.860
We play a couple shows locally, but we travel quite a bit.
00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:14.860
We go to Springfield.
00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:16.560
We got some dates in Michigan next year.
00:07:16.899 --> 00:07:21.639
We just got back from Frankfurt, Indiana, which was a really cool gig.
00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:23.879
Iowa, we're going to.
00:07:24.360 --> 00:07:28.540
And yeah, I mean, just trying to keep busy and share our love of music.
00:07:28.779 --> 00:07:29.079
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:35.839
So you're either playing these songs, however the heck you feel you need to play these songs, or you're playing to a buttload of tracks.
00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:36.519
Which one are you doing?
00:07:37.379 --> 00:07:38.279
A little bit of both.
00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:38.699
Yeah?
00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:45.060
I mean, most of the tracking is just like orchestral stuff.
00:07:45.300 --> 00:07:47.500
Maybe some like sub drops.
00:07:47.620 --> 00:07:52.399
Just things that, you know, you can't fit a 20 piece in a van.
00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:54.019
Right, right, right.
00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:54.680
I mean, you can.
00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:55.680
It'd just be a little tight.
00:07:55.779 --> 00:07:57.279
Everybody be sitting on top of each other.
00:07:57.459 --> 00:07:59.959
Yeah, because I can see you doing some Frankie Valli stuff.
00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:02.500
That music was pretty well orchestrated.
00:08:02.699 --> 00:08:06.399
I mean, they had a fantastic songwriter and stuff in the Four Seasons for a while.
00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:07.899
So there's a lot of stuff that they're doing.
00:08:08.540 --> 00:08:10.139
Strings, saxophone, all kinds of stuff like that.
00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:15.319
It's like, I don't see a guitar player, a bass player, and a drummer pulling off a lot of that stuff without having a little bit of help and support.
00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:15.740
Yeah.
00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:18.100
Is I guess the point that I was getting at.
00:08:18.220 --> 00:08:22.439
Yeah, no, we're definitely, I mean, it's pretty industry standard nowadays to use tracks.
00:08:22.579 --> 00:08:26.779
I mean, there's definitely guys that aren't using them, but we're utilizing it.
00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:31.500
And then, I mean, I also have it set up, like I program our lighting to everything.
00:08:31.779 --> 00:08:34.678
So that computer runs pretty much everything.
00:08:34.798 --> 00:08:35.220
Yeah, yeah.
00:08:35.220 --> 00:08:38.740
I tell you what, I do like what they're doing with the lighting systems nowadays.
00:08:39.259 --> 00:08:43.580
I actually have a system that's tuned into our drummer's kick drum.
00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:46.840
So every time you hear boom, right, the lights are doing some kind of.
00:08:46.860 --> 00:08:47.639
Oh, that's great.
00:08:47.820 --> 00:08:48.279
Fancy thing.
00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:53.620
So even though it's not specifically programmed for the song, pretty darn close is what it is.
00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:54.159
That's pretty cool.
00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:55.159
Okay, excellent.
00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:55.720
Cool, cool.
00:08:55.860 --> 00:08:57.460
So tell me a little bit more about the set list.
00:08:57.539 --> 00:08:58.000
What are you guys doing?
00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:02.240
I mean, it's literally everything.
00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:03.980
I mean, I'm thinking, trying to think.
00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:08.320
I've always been terrible with naming the songs on the spot.
00:09:08.440 --> 00:09:09.620
That's why I did that.
00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:10.659
We like to put people on the spot.
00:09:10.659 --> 00:09:13.399
Does it change show to show or is it pretty much the same?
00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:22.279
I'll try to do like a string of shows with like about the same types of songs, like maybe switch the order up.
00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:30.080
I try to keep it the same for a string, kind of like if you were on a national tour, for the most part, you're kind of sticking to what you put together.
00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:33.480
And then I'll try to change it a little bit so that we don't get bored.
00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:37.620
And so that people who are coming to see us more than once aren't getting bored.
00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:39.480
Like, oh, I know what's next kind of a deal.
00:09:39.580 --> 00:09:49.799
And then I try to push us to not get complacent and try to better ourselves as musicians where I'll throw these guys a text.
00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:54.480
Maybe I'm terrible like a day or two before I'm like, hey, we're going to do this song.
00:09:54.500 --> 00:09:59.419
And like, it's all intricate or complicated or it's something you got to go over.
00:09:59.419 --> 00:10:10.620
Yeah, but no, I mean, I'm trying to trying to play all the songs that I grew up with and all the songs that kind of shaped me as an artist and as a musician.
00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:20.519
So it's kind of all over the board because I grew up in a family where we were listening to like Italian music, Frank Sinatra, and then we would listen like George Thurgood.
00:10:20.899 --> 00:10:26.279
And then I started making my way into like the heavy metal world where I was, I was actually doing screaming for a while.
00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:30.820
So that's like the only thing we don't touch, but we do some country tunes.
00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:37.039
There's everything we do in Luke Bryan, Cher, like I said, Ricky Martin.
00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:38.899
What else are we doing?
00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:39.919
Village People.
00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:41.759
Oh, I sing a little chaperone.
00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:42.740
Wow.
00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:54.259
So if you're, if you're doing a show and you notice that people are kind of responding more to the country songs, you know, and will you switch up your, you know, switch up your setlist midstream and maybe throw some.
00:10:54.259 --> 00:11:02.419
Yeah, I'll, I'll try to cater to, if I don't know the demographic that we're playing to, I'll keep it a mix.
00:11:02.460 --> 00:11:09.559
And then, yeah, if I see somebody's where people are responding more to one type of a genre or something, then I'll change it up a little bit.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:16.240
I'll still keep the other stuff in there because people tend to, if they hear a lot of stuff they like, then they're a little bit more welcoming to the stuff.
00:11:16.259 --> 00:11:18.320
They're like, I don't really listen to this often, you know?
00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:18.740
Right.
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.179
So what's your preferred genre of music?
00:11:21.580 --> 00:11:22.360
You're doing so much.
00:11:22.419 --> 00:11:23.419
What's, what do you prefer?
00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:25.940
Okay, you're, you're, you're on an island.
00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:29.279
You got one genre of music to listen to for the rest of your life.
00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:31.779
Oh man, that's a, that's a tough one.
00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:34.960
I've been asked that a lot because I go through phases.
00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:36.159
I go through phases.
00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:40.440
I went through a phase where I was just listening to jazz for the longest time, but.
00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.139
No phases, no phases.
00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:42.600
You're on an island.
00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:49.620
I would have to say rock, like classic rock, like arena rock, that big sound.
00:11:49.700 --> 00:11:51.440
It's just the energy that comes with it.
00:12:14.740 --> 00:12:22.919
Too tall, I'm damn low, oh yeah.
00:12:28.590 --> 00:12:33.120
Is it anyone they see?
00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.659
Is it anyone that I've seen at all?
00:12:40.980 --> 00:12:42.159
You can't beat it.
00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:42.879
Yep.
00:12:43.179 --> 00:12:46.899
Then what made you want to be in a cover band that all of a sudden, I'm going to do all kinds of different stuff?
00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:53.899
I did the original band world for so long and there was a point where I was like, you know, I want to try something different.
00:12:54.440 --> 00:13:03.860
Everybody eventually, I mean, even in the cover band world, there's the drama, but everybody's always fighting about, oh, we got to write it this way or we always should be doing this.
00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:05.440
Oh, why don't we go on tour or whatever?
00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:17.080
I didn't feel like I was scratching my itch musically because there was a point where I was in like seven bands at one time.
00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:17.980
I was in a reggae band.
00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.220
I was in a blues band.
00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:23.419
I was all over the place and I was like, you know what?
00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:30.039
There's at the time Sushi Roll, they were looking for a guitar player and a singer and I was like, you know what?
00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:32.340
That's probably the perfect thing.
00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:38.360
I'm going to touch as much as I can musically and get a little bit of everything in.
00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:42.460
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00:15:00.789 --> 00:15:03.450
So, so you were, you were in original bands.
00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:08.490
Was it just the, was it just the grind or was it, or you didn't enjoy the songwriting?
00:15:08.649 --> 00:15:12.309
What was it that made you want to make that switch for a little while?
00:15:12.490 --> 00:15:26.230
I loved doing the writing and just like anybody else, I had my stomps and getting right, like writer's block and all that, but it was just so hard to get people to respond or get them to come to the shows.
00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:37.909
And it's like, you know, there was a point with one of my bands where towards the end of it, I started noticing some people that were coming to the shows quite often were starting to sing some of the songs that we were writing.
00:15:38.009 --> 00:15:38.950
I was like, oh, that's cool.
00:15:39.049 --> 00:15:40.250
That's a cool way to go out.
00:15:40.330 --> 00:15:41.049
It's gotta be real cool.
00:15:41.529 --> 00:15:41.690
Yeah.
00:15:41.730 --> 00:15:44.870
And yeah, I was just, I was ready for a change.
00:15:44.870 --> 00:16:08.809
And for me, I've always liked playing the covers and trying to put my own little twist on it and trying to, certain things I'll try to like, as a guitar player, I'll try to emulate, or I will try to get like a guitar solo that's like super iconic down as close as I can, but still adding my own little flavor to it.
00:16:08.870 --> 00:16:09.090
Right.
00:16:09.269 --> 00:16:11.649
So that someone's not like, oh, well, you know, that's cool.
00:16:11.710 --> 00:16:13.610
You sound like Slash or something.
00:16:13.610 --> 00:16:15.309
It's like, yeah, that's cool.
00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:16.350
But there is a Slash.
00:16:16.690 --> 00:16:16.889
Yeah.
00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:19.190
I want to, I don't want to try and touch his coattails.
00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:20.049
That would never happen.
00:16:20.190 --> 00:16:21.649
He's actually my favorite guitar player.
00:16:21.809 --> 00:16:22.470
Oh, he's phenomenal.
00:16:22.990 --> 00:16:30.330
In my opinion, Slash is one of these guys where you don't quite know it's Slash because he is so versatile.
00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:33.309
You know, he could play a blues solo.
00:16:33.370 --> 00:16:37.129
And then the very next song, tap like Eddie Van Halen.
00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:37.889
Yeah, he is.
00:16:38.009 --> 00:16:38.909
He's so versatile.
00:16:39.250 --> 00:16:43.070
It's, you know, and that's why, but he prefers to play bluesier melodic solos.
00:16:43.070 --> 00:16:45.129
That's why he's my, my favorite guitarist.
00:16:45.149 --> 00:16:45.250
Yeah.
00:16:45.250 --> 00:16:48.870
Like when I first heard his album with Miles Kennedy.
00:16:49.129 --> 00:16:49.570
Oh God.
00:16:49.629 --> 00:16:49.850
Yeah.
00:16:50.409 --> 00:16:51.690
I was like, that's Slash.
00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:52.269
That's Slash.
00:16:52.389 --> 00:16:52.529
Yeah.
00:16:52.669 --> 00:16:52.870
Yeah.
00:16:52.889 --> 00:16:55.750
Or anything from the Snake Pit or anything that he did in his solo career.
00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:56.750
Like Velvet Revolver.
00:16:56.769 --> 00:16:57.070
Yeah.
00:16:57.129 --> 00:16:57.309
Yeah.
00:16:57.490 --> 00:16:57.889
Absolutely.
00:16:58.169 --> 00:16:58.389
Cool.
00:16:58.450 --> 00:17:03.549
It was heavy and it was different, but there's certain moments where you're like, oh, yeah, that's Slash.
00:17:04.309 --> 00:17:06.450
Everybody's got their own little tell.
00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:06.970
Right.
00:17:07.009 --> 00:17:07.170
Right.
00:17:07.210 --> 00:17:13.630
He's got, he's got a very distinctive sound all of his own, but his style is, is extremely versatile.
00:17:14.269 --> 00:17:18.348
So, so most of your musical career you've, you've spent in the Chicago area.
00:17:18.470 --> 00:17:21.828
I mean, you've toured around and you've, you've traveled around and stuff like that.
00:17:22.009 --> 00:17:25.368
I mean, I know Sushi Roll, they're, they're all over the place.
00:17:25.470 --> 00:17:27.470
I mean, did you travel all over the place like they are now?
00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:28.470
Yeah.
00:17:28.470 --> 00:17:32.670
I mean, I, I traveled with them for almost seven years.
00:17:32.809 --> 00:17:33.130
Oh, wow.
00:17:33.170 --> 00:17:33.369
Really?
00:17:33.450 --> 00:17:33.910
It was that long.
00:17:33.990 --> 00:17:34.190
Wow.
00:17:34.250 --> 00:17:34.470
Okay.
00:17:34.849 --> 00:17:35.130
Okay.
00:17:35.230 --> 00:17:35.490
Okay.
00:17:35.630 --> 00:17:44.130
So when, when you were in this more of the original scene playing original music, like where'd you go?
00:17:44.230 --> 00:17:48.210
I guess when I, I guess what I'm looking at is this is a story that we hear all the time.
00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:52.369
Um, I, I was in an original band and we were having trouble booking gigs.
00:17:52.450 --> 00:17:53.410
Nobody was really interested.
00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:55.650
We couldn't get people to come out to shows yet.
00:17:56.210 --> 00:17:57.690
Acts are getting discovered every day.
00:17:59.289 --> 00:18:06.710
So what are those acts doing that maybe you and I aren't doing where original music isn't gaining the interest?
00:18:06.930 --> 00:18:07.769
Not that it's bad.
00:18:07.849 --> 00:18:12.029
I mean, let's just, all things being the same, let's just assume the music is good.
00:18:12.029 --> 00:18:13.289
All on an even keel.
00:18:14.329 --> 00:18:15.269
Where's the venues?
00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:18.490
Are we lacking it here in Chicago or, or what, what's the deal with that?
00:18:19.329 --> 00:18:24.329
So I currently don't have that much knowledge on the original scene.
00:18:24.329 --> 00:18:43.490
But from what I remember, there was plenty of venues that were having original bands, whether it was like I've drummed in a, uh, original band that we opened up for Drake Bell over in Indiana over there at that place called big shots when that was the thing.
00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:47.750
And, um, it was just, it was hard.
00:18:47.890 --> 00:18:54.569
I guess when you're an original band, you just got to find that one thing that draws people in.
00:18:54.630 --> 00:18:57.009
Like that makes them say, Oh, I gotta go see these guys.
00:18:57.269 --> 00:19:06.250
Whether it's, I mean, some like an Alice Cooper where they have the theatrics with like the guillotine or the horror thing.
00:19:06.250 --> 00:19:12.509
And, uh, it's just, you gotta find that, uh, trying to think of the word, what's the word there?
00:19:13.990 --> 00:19:14.349
Appeal.
00:19:14.769 --> 00:19:15.130
Appeal.
00:19:15.250 --> 00:19:15.430
Yeah.
00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:21.670
I mean, that's the best way I can think to put it right now, but yeah, it was just a, it was a lot of work.
00:19:21.670 --> 00:19:28.829
And I started seeing a lot of these like tribute bands, like American English or cover bands like seventh heaven.
00:19:28.829 --> 00:19:35.309
And they're playing all these cool shows to all these people to, with these songs that I love listening to and love playing.
00:19:35.309 --> 00:19:38.549
And I'm like, I, maybe I'll give that a shot.
00:19:38.690 --> 00:19:38.849
Yeah.
00:19:38.970 --> 00:19:39.289
Yeah.
00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:39.569
Yeah.
00:19:39.710 --> 00:19:41.289
So it is, it is about the music.
00:19:41.609 --> 00:19:41.829
Yeah.
00:19:41.829 --> 00:19:45.829
It's about the change, the difference, you know, playing a little bit of everything for everyone.
00:19:46.369 --> 00:19:46.549
Yeah.
00:19:46.549 --> 00:19:47.750
I mean, the money don't hurt either.
00:19:47.829 --> 00:19:48.029
Yeah.
00:19:48.109 --> 00:19:48.509
That's good.
00:19:48.630 --> 00:19:48.910
That's good.
00:19:49.009 --> 00:19:49.849
It pays the bills.
00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:51.069
What kind of places are you playing?
00:19:51.170 --> 00:19:52.849
Like, like what kind of stuff do you have coming up soon?
00:19:53.569 --> 00:19:56.910
A little, it's a little, a little mixed.
00:19:57.029 --> 00:20:01.069
We have a couple of casino dates that I have in the works right now.
00:20:03.769 --> 00:20:12.849
On October 31st, which as of today is Friday, we're playing down in Springfield at a bar called Goodfellas with Sushi Roll.
00:20:13.210 --> 00:20:13.549
Okay.
00:20:13.549 --> 00:20:15.130
Doing like a double header kind of thing.
00:20:16.349 --> 00:20:18.950
We're playing, we play the Thirsty Beaver.
00:20:19.190 --> 00:20:23.369
So like bars, casinos, we played State Fair.
00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:24.690
We played the Illinois State Fair.
00:20:24.849 --> 00:20:26.349
Oh, I forgot she was here.
00:20:26.910 --> 00:20:27.950
I apologize.
00:20:28.269 --> 00:20:30.750
I've been, I've been up since four 30 in the morning.
00:20:31.069 --> 00:20:34.390
I worked that day job rough.
00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:34.890
Yeah.
00:20:34.950 --> 00:20:35.470
No, I get that.
00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:37.329
That's like, she's, she's like your rate for me.
00:20:37.890 --> 00:20:38.369
Oh yeah.
00:20:38.450 --> 00:20:41.390
Basically we'll play wherever they, wherever they let us play.
00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:41.809
Yeah.
00:20:41.910 --> 00:20:42.130
Yeah.
00:20:42.170 --> 00:20:42.450
Okay.
00:20:42.690 --> 00:20:45.529
I mean, I'll set up in the parking lot and play just to play.
00:20:45.650 --> 00:20:45.849
Yeah.
00:20:45.869 --> 00:20:46.529
Right, right, right.
00:20:46.609 --> 00:20:49.849
Getting back to the original stuff, are you doing any writing on the side or?
00:20:50.609 --> 00:20:54.289
I've been meaning to, I just, I can't find the time right now.
00:20:54.329 --> 00:20:55.089
I have the songs.
00:20:55.170 --> 00:20:57.670
I mean, I'm doing what probably most musicians are nowadays.
00:20:57.849 --> 00:20:58.670
Something will come to my head.
00:20:58.670 --> 00:21:02.589
I'm like, Oh, grab my phone and I'll do a voice recording or I'll type it in.
00:21:02.670 --> 00:21:06.829
And I never ended up getting to it, but I'm actually going to make some time to start writing again.
00:21:07.069 --> 00:21:09.630
Did you guys record any of the stuff you had before?
00:21:10.470 --> 00:21:19.029
Yeah, we actually, I lost one of the demos that we had, but I have some of the digital copies from some of the other bands that we did.
00:21:20.369 --> 00:21:22.410
So it was a possibility of releasing that.
00:21:22.769 --> 00:21:22.970
Yeah.
00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:31.950
I mean, some of it got released to a sense, but yeah, I've been thinking about reaching even just reaching out to those members and being like, Hey, you know what?
00:21:31.990 --> 00:21:37.410
Just for old times, let's rerecord these, mix them up really well and then put them out.
00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:37.730
Yeah.
00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:39.170
I mean, it's music.
00:21:39.509 --> 00:21:40.369
Somebody likes it.
00:21:40.390 --> 00:21:41.210
Somebody won't like it.
00:21:41.289 --> 00:21:42.410
Just something to listen to.
00:21:42.730 --> 00:21:47.230
When did you start or when did you decide, you know, I want to be a musician?
00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:50.289
Oh man, that was a long time ago.
00:21:50.690 --> 00:21:56.410
I guess I would have to say probably about when I was like six or seven years old.
00:21:56.490 --> 00:21:56.650
Yeah.
00:21:56.750 --> 00:21:57.009
Okay.
00:21:57.650 --> 00:21:57.970
Yeah.
00:21:58.230 --> 00:22:04.950
He's a, I remember, uh, and we'll talk about it all the time when my family, uh, one Christmas, I was like, I really want a guitar for Christmas.
00:22:04.950 --> 00:22:08.009
And I got the old, ah, what are you going to do with that thing?
00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:11.410
You're going to play with it for a little bit and then you're gonna let it sit in the corner.
00:22:11.509 --> 00:22:17.430
And then lo and behold, you know, 23, 24 years later, I'm still playing guitar.
00:22:17.569 --> 00:22:18.150
And now I'm traveling.
00:22:18.269 --> 00:22:19.490
I get to travel doing it.
00:22:19.849 --> 00:22:20.009
Right.
00:22:20.430 --> 00:22:22.470
Is that, is that your main instrument is guitar?
00:22:22.910 --> 00:22:23.109
Yeah.
00:22:23.109 --> 00:22:23.470
Guitar.
00:22:23.730 --> 00:22:28.049
I mean, I dabbled a little bit in a piano drumming bass.
00:22:28.269 --> 00:22:31.170
I mean, bass is somebody's going to hate me for saying this.
00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:33.309
It's pretty similar to guitar.
00:22:33.470 --> 00:22:37.410
I mean, there's definitely different things you got to do, but the idea is same.
00:22:37.470 --> 00:22:38.769
You got the fretboard and everything.
00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:39.230
Right.
00:22:39.390 --> 00:22:41.890
But yeah, definitely a guitar and singing, singing.
00:22:42.029 --> 00:22:43.789
I actually got pushed into, okay.
00:22:44.069 --> 00:22:57.450
So we, I did a talent show back in, uh, seventh grade with a band I started putting together and, uh, the bass player, we were covering Fall Out Boy, Sugar.
00:22:57.490 --> 00:22:58.089
We're going down.
00:22:58.289 --> 00:22:58.970
He got to the course.
00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:03.049
He's like, you were, you were in seventh grade when that song was on the radio.
00:23:03.509 --> 00:23:03.910
Yeah.
00:23:05.369 --> 00:23:06.470
I feel old.
00:23:06.910 --> 00:23:07.109
Okay.
00:23:08.470 --> 00:23:10.190
But he's like, I can't hit the high notes.
00:23:10.230 --> 00:23:11.509
I'm like, you know, it makes you think I can.
00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:12.970
I never sang a note in my life.
00:23:12.990 --> 00:23:25.789
And then from that night I became the singer and then I started working on vocal techniques and there was actually, um, the drummer's dad was in a band and his singer taught me a lot of like breath control.
00:23:26.349 --> 00:23:37.269
And I just kind of started taking it from there and playing around with my voice and learning different techniques from people, from people that I met and, uh, started implementing it and kind of creating my own voice and style.
00:23:37.549 --> 00:23:37.670
Right.
00:23:37.730 --> 00:23:38.049
Right.
00:23:38.210 --> 00:23:38.529
Excellent.
00:23:38.630 --> 00:23:38.910
Excellent.
00:23:38.990 --> 00:23:39.349
That's good.
00:23:39.670 --> 00:23:47.329
So what were the, when you were young, when you were, you know, six, seven years older and starting out and what influenced you, what were your influences?
00:23:47.329 --> 00:23:48.490
What were you listening to?
00:23:50.609 --> 00:23:51.930
I was listening to everything.
00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:55.430
I mean, I listened to what was playing in the house.
00:23:55.569 --> 00:23:57.789
There was always music playing when I was growing up.
00:23:58.950 --> 00:24:08.490
We were listening, my dad was listening to like Hootie and the Blowfish and then he'd be listening to like Toby Keith and then we'd have Italian music playing all the time.
00:24:08.529 --> 00:24:11.710
And my dad would walk around the house singing all the time.
00:24:12.269 --> 00:24:20.309
And then, uh, like my older sister, my mom, they had more like the pop stations on and like a hip hop mixed in.
00:24:20.470 --> 00:24:27.789
So I kind of got a little bit of everything and just having MTV and stuff on VH1 with the music videos I was watching.
00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:28.369
I'm like, you know what?
00:24:28.369 --> 00:24:29.509
That'd be kind of cool to do.
00:24:29.769 --> 00:24:29.890
Yeah.
00:24:45.230 --> 00:24:47.369
So what's on your playlist now?
00:24:48.369 --> 00:24:50.109
Right now, what have I been listening to?
00:24:50.369 --> 00:24:53.609
Uh, I've actually, I've actually been listening to Christmas music lately.
00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:54.990
Christmas music.
00:24:55.250 --> 00:24:55.849
Oh, come on.
00:24:56.750 --> 00:25:02.809
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:25:02.809 --> 00:25:04.509
Light FM isn't even playing it yet.
00:25:04.849 --> 00:25:06.470
I heard November 1st.
00:25:06.569 --> 00:25:08.470
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:25:08.470 --> 00:25:11.009
You gotta, you gotta wait until the day after Thanksgiving.
00:25:11.710 --> 00:25:13.190
That's my, that's my rule anyway.
00:25:13.329 --> 00:25:13.990
It's gotta be day after.
00:25:14.109 --> 00:25:21.049
I won't shop at a store if they put out the Christmas stuff before that week of, you know, that week before Thanksgiving.
00:25:21.049 --> 00:25:24.109
You could start doing it so you're ready for Black Friday sales, right?
00:25:24.170 --> 00:25:24.950
You can do that.
00:25:25.289 --> 00:25:28.549
But man, like there's stores like, I think it's the Menards that has the Christmas trees.
00:25:28.630 --> 00:25:29.450
All they do is they open.
00:25:30.049 --> 00:25:32.430
We haven't, Halloween hasn't even happened yet.
00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:33.130
Right, right.
00:25:33.250 --> 00:25:33.990
And the trees are up.
00:25:34.150 --> 00:25:34.890
And the trees are up.
00:25:35.009 --> 00:25:35.569
Come on.
00:25:35.650 --> 00:25:40.410
I mean, we've got this very American holiday where we all get together and slaughter turkeys.
00:25:40.769 --> 00:25:41.190
That's right.
00:25:41.950 --> 00:25:43.869
It's just, we skip over it, right?
00:25:44.150 --> 00:25:45.950
We go right to Christmas.
00:25:46.630 --> 00:25:50.809
Speaking of turkeys, for some weird reason, I thought next week was Thanksgiving.
00:25:51.789 --> 00:25:54.029
I was looking through the Jewel and Mariano's thing.
00:25:54.130 --> 00:25:55.329
Anybody got turkeys on sale?
00:25:55.869 --> 00:25:57.369
I don't know where I was at.
00:25:57.849 --> 00:25:58.829
I was in another world.
00:25:59.009 --> 00:26:00.710
Don't push us through that fast.
00:26:01.349 --> 00:26:02.690
No, we have Halloween coming up.
00:26:02.750 --> 00:26:03.109
I know.
00:26:03.369 --> 00:26:03.990
What's your costume?
00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:07.509
Oh, I'll show you.
00:26:07.809 --> 00:26:08.569
You'll show me?
00:26:11.190 --> 00:26:11.710
I don't know.
00:26:11.769 --> 00:26:12.609
I'm scared now.
00:26:13.410 --> 00:26:14.670
You can't just say it.
00:26:14.769 --> 00:26:15.809
How do you feel about that?
00:26:16.150 --> 00:26:16.990
That's kind of weird.
00:26:17.089 --> 00:26:19.549
We're having Mai Tais and stuff at the end of the driveway.
00:26:19.769 --> 00:26:21.349
When the kids come by, we'll give them candy.
00:26:21.490 --> 00:26:23.109
We'll be sipping on some Mai Tais.
00:26:23.210 --> 00:26:24.109
We're having hot dogs.
00:26:24.250 --> 00:26:25.250
We're with the neighbors.
00:26:25.609 --> 00:26:26.589
Oh, that's cool.
00:26:26.769 --> 00:26:27.390
Yeah, it's going to be cool.
00:26:27.609 --> 00:26:28.029
That's good.
00:26:28.109 --> 00:26:28.569
That's good.
00:26:28.710 --> 00:26:28.869
Yeah.
00:26:29.009 --> 00:26:30.190
So get back to what we're doing here.
00:26:30.250 --> 00:26:30.910
Sorry I didn't.
00:26:31.009 --> 00:26:31.970
Yeah, no, that's fine.
00:26:32.970 --> 00:26:33.990
Go off on a tangent.
00:26:34.430 --> 00:26:34.589
Yeah.
00:26:34.670 --> 00:26:35.690
What's your Halloween costume?
00:26:36.210 --> 00:26:37.470
My Halloween costume?
00:26:38.470 --> 00:26:39.950
I'm actually dressing up as Halsey.
00:26:39.950 --> 00:26:41.750
What's his Halloween costume?
00:26:42.150 --> 00:26:43.150
Dressing up as Halsey.
00:26:43.190 --> 00:26:45.490
Are you really dressing up as Halsey and biting the head off the monkey?
00:26:45.690 --> 00:26:45.930
Yeah.
00:26:46.109 --> 00:26:46.630
All right.
00:26:47.089 --> 00:26:47.289
Wow.
00:26:47.410 --> 00:26:49.009
Well, the monkey's actually dressing up too.
00:26:49.089 --> 00:26:50.049
He's dressing up as a bat.
00:26:50.289 --> 00:26:52.569
Oh, very good.
00:26:53.589 --> 00:26:54.470
Very good.
00:26:54.970 --> 00:26:55.410
Interesting.
00:26:55.710 --> 00:26:57.049
So how can people find you?
00:26:57.089 --> 00:26:58.630
Like, what's your social media and stuff like?
00:26:59.190 --> 00:27:00.329
We got your standards.
00:27:00.470 --> 00:27:01.349
We got Facebook.
00:27:01.490 --> 00:27:03.109
That's Dance Monkey Band.
00:27:03.470 --> 00:27:03.910
Instagram.
00:27:04.609 --> 00:27:05.890
Everything's Dance Monkey Band.
00:27:06.029 --> 00:27:09.230
I mean, we got Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube.
00:27:10.089 --> 00:27:15.269
We have our website, dancemonkey.live, where you could see our upcoming shows.
00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:19.710
There's videos and there's, I mean, on the website, there's links to all the social media stuff.
00:27:20.009 --> 00:27:20.369
Right, right.
00:27:20.549 --> 00:27:25.549
Do I need to ask the monkey lady, monkey making lady over here?
00:27:27.230 --> 00:27:31.490
So like, what's coming up within the next few weeks where people can go out and see you?
00:27:31.990 --> 00:27:33.109
Next few weeks?
00:27:33.589 --> 00:27:35.569
We're actually not going to be in Chicago.
00:27:35.950 --> 00:27:36.250
Oh, no.
00:27:36.250 --> 00:27:42.970
But November 21st, we are at J and A Tap in North Liberty, Iowa.
00:27:44.029 --> 00:27:50.089
And then I actually spread out our dates a little bit because our bass player has to go get neck surgery.
00:27:50.250 --> 00:27:52.829
So his hand's going to be a little in healing right now.
00:27:52.910 --> 00:27:57.769
But then I think the only one that we have is December 19th.
00:27:57.769 --> 00:28:08.210
I wanted to slow down a little bit for the holidays and spend some time because being on the road for so long every weekend, I missed out on a lot of get togethers and being able to relax and enjoy the holiday season.
00:28:08.309 --> 00:28:09.869
So you're doing New Year's Eve in Key West?
00:28:10.170 --> 00:28:11.930
Yeah, I'm doing that with Sushi Roll.
00:28:12.210 --> 00:28:12.529
Wow.
00:28:12.789 --> 00:28:14.069
That's a fun gig.
00:28:14.190 --> 00:28:15.329
Oh, I'm looking forward to that one.
00:28:15.470 --> 00:28:20.150
How are you working a full-time day job or whatever and doing all the traveling?
00:28:21.049 --> 00:28:23.990
I am moving full-time back to music.
00:28:24.309 --> 00:28:24.750
Are you really?
00:28:24.869 --> 00:28:25.109
Yeah.
00:28:25.190 --> 00:28:26.329
You're making that transition, huh?
00:28:26.470 --> 00:28:29.430
As cliche as it sounds, you know, it's in my DNA.
00:28:29.910 --> 00:28:30.049
Yeah.
00:28:30.109 --> 00:28:34.130
Every time I've tried to walk away or take a break, I always get pulled right back in.
00:28:34.130 --> 00:28:35.769
My heart won't let me stop.
00:28:35.990 --> 00:28:37.190
It's possible to do it.
00:28:37.549 --> 00:28:37.910
Wow.
00:28:38.289 --> 00:28:41.630
Yeah, there's millions of people that make their living as musicians.
00:28:42.170 --> 00:28:43.650
Less than 1% of them are famous.
00:28:44.569 --> 00:28:45.410
Nobody understands that.
00:28:45.730 --> 00:28:47.450
Nobody understands that.
00:28:47.970 --> 00:28:48.470
Yeah, well, good.
00:28:48.509 --> 00:28:49.049
Good luck to you.
00:28:49.130 --> 00:28:50.210
I hope everything works out.
00:28:50.230 --> 00:28:50.450
I appreciate that.
00:28:50.450 --> 00:28:53.529
But you're not going to dodge the question, though.
00:28:53.529 --> 00:28:54.750
What's on your playlist right now?
00:28:56.730 --> 00:28:57.329
All right.
00:28:57.549 --> 00:28:58.410
Actually, I'll...
00:28:58.410 --> 00:28:59.490
He never forgets.
00:29:00.529 --> 00:29:01.250
I'll pull it out.
00:29:01.349 --> 00:29:02.109
I'll give you a little mix.
00:29:02.109 --> 00:29:03.470
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:29:03.470 --> 00:29:03.589
Yeah.
00:29:03.990 --> 00:29:05.329
What are we talking about here?
00:29:06.410 --> 00:29:07.569
Shut off the lights.
00:29:08.549 --> 00:29:15.109
We got Louis Prima, Memphis Mayfire, Darude, Skid Row.
00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:16.589
Skid Row.
00:29:16.769 --> 00:29:17.009
Wow.
00:29:17.309 --> 00:29:21.849
That was like left field in that whole group that you're talking about.
00:29:21.849 --> 00:29:23.910
And then we go to Kenny G and then Kix.
00:29:24.210 --> 00:29:24.849
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:24.990 --> 00:29:26.109
That's in that whole Louis Prima.
00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:26.910
Yeah.
00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:28.210
There you go.
00:29:28.390 --> 00:29:28.789
There you go.
00:29:28.910 --> 00:29:29.109
Yeah.
00:29:29.369 --> 00:29:31.150
I discovered a new band recently.
00:29:31.150 --> 00:29:32.970
Have you ever heard of Dirty Honey?
00:29:33.509 --> 00:29:34.069
I have.
00:29:34.289 --> 00:29:34.390
Oh, yeah.
00:29:34.390 --> 00:29:35.210
It's a fantastic band.
00:29:35.230 --> 00:29:36.029
Oh, yeah.
00:29:36.089 --> 00:29:37.190
I've listened to them for a while.
00:29:37.309 --> 00:29:37.750
Have you really?
00:29:37.809 --> 00:29:38.970
They've been around for a few years, yeah.
00:29:39.089 --> 00:29:40.349
I just discovered them recently.
00:29:40.529 --> 00:29:40.769
I started.
00:29:41.029 --> 00:29:41.190
They're good.
00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:48.809
I turned on the, what's his name, Jared James, oh shit, I can't think of his name right now, Blues Guide of Wisconsin.
00:29:49.349 --> 00:29:52.670
And they mix their stuff in with his channel.
00:29:53.069 --> 00:29:54.529
My god, what a fantastic band.
00:29:54.529 --> 00:29:54.829
Oh, yeah.
00:29:55.029 --> 00:29:55.609
Really good.
00:29:55.750 --> 00:29:57.069
I must have been living under a rock.
00:29:58.069 --> 00:30:01.009
Man, how long have they been around?
00:30:02.089 --> 00:30:05.950
Probably as long as Blackberry Smoke.
00:30:06.069 --> 00:30:06.349
Really?
00:30:06.549 --> 00:30:06.710
Yeah.
00:30:06.950 --> 00:30:07.630
Holy crap.
00:30:07.849 --> 00:30:08.430
I just heard.
00:30:08.509 --> 00:30:11.890
When I think about it, I discovered both of them about the same time.
00:30:11.990 --> 00:30:14.670
I just, I think I must have heard them for the first time.
00:30:14.809 --> 00:30:15.130
No kidding.
00:30:15.130 --> 00:30:16.069
Like three months ago.
00:30:16.309 --> 00:30:16.670
Wow.
00:30:16.990 --> 00:30:17.430
Yeah, they're good.
00:30:17.450 --> 00:30:17.950
That's amazing.
00:30:18.029 --> 00:30:19.670
Now I'm going to have to go back and find all their stuff.
00:30:20.230 --> 00:30:20.950
Holy crap.
00:30:21.049 --> 00:30:22.970
Kind of like a Chris Stapleton situation.
00:30:23.490 --> 00:30:27.329
First time I heard of them was when that Tennessee whiskey cover came out.
00:30:27.450 --> 00:30:29.470
And apparently he's been out for years.
00:30:29.609 --> 00:30:32.589
And that cover just pushed him on the radar.
00:30:32.829 --> 00:30:40.609
In a bunch of bands, or in a few bands, you would never have known that it was Chris Stapleton.
00:30:40.829 --> 00:30:42.829
Because it's like prior to his solo career.
00:30:42.970 --> 00:30:44.150
I've come across a few of them.
00:30:44.269 --> 00:30:44.809
I can't remember them all.
00:30:44.809 --> 00:30:45.309
Steel Drivers.
00:30:45.769 --> 00:30:46.869
Yeah, Steel Drivers.
00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:47.809
He was with the Steel Drivers.
00:30:47.829 --> 00:30:48.690
Is one of them.
00:30:48.829 --> 00:30:52.109
And I think the other one was the Johnson Brothers.
00:30:52.450 --> 00:30:52.769
Yes.
00:30:53.109 --> 00:30:53.349
Yeah.
00:30:53.569 --> 00:30:57.690
And when you look back at when those songs were released, there's one particular hit.
00:30:57.789 --> 00:30:58.869
It's from like 2008.
00:30:59.349 --> 00:31:00.150
You're like, oh my god.
00:31:00.190 --> 00:31:01.329
So that's where he came from.
00:31:01.390 --> 00:31:03.309
It wasn't like he just was Chris Stapleton.
00:31:03.410 --> 00:31:04.170
And you can hear him singing.
00:31:04.269 --> 00:31:04.910
He just went solo.
00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:05.390
You hear his voice.
00:31:05.609 --> 00:31:07.849
Yeah, he just went solo from these bands that he was in.
00:31:07.849 --> 00:31:08.509
It was just amazing.
00:31:08.730 --> 00:31:09.730
So yeah.
00:31:09.809 --> 00:31:10.309
Well, cool.
00:31:11.049 --> 00:31:12.130
Well, I think that about covers it.
00:31:12.470 --> 00:31:13.029
I think so.
00:31:13.109 --> 00:31:14.170
Unless he's going to go solo.
00:31:14.509 --> 00:31:14.829
Yeah.
00:31:15.250 --> 00:31:16.809
Since he's the vocalist.
00:31:16.809 --> 00:31:17.829
Unless he's going to go solo.
00:31:18.450 --> 00:31:19.029
Yeah, vocals.
00:31:19.250 --> 00:31:20.369
Yeah, come out with your own song.
00:31:20.829 --> 00:31:21.910
With all the bands behind.
00:31:22.349 --> 00:31:27.170
Yeah, but you can't really go up on stage and sing a song and bite a head off of a monkey.
00:31:27.470 --> 00:31:27.849
Why not?
00:31:27.990 --> 00:31:28.869
Well, I guess you could.
00:31:29.049 --> 00:31:29.970
I mean, I've seen worse.
00:31:30.190 --> 00:31:30.369
Yeah.
00:31:30.589 --> 00:31:30.809
Yeah.
00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:31.470
It's a monkey.
00:31:31.609 --> 00:31:32.170
It's not a dove.
00:31:38.200 --> 00:31:39.180
Well, with that.
00:31:39.319 --> 00:31:40.279
That's very observant.
00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:43.359
You know what the difference is?
00:31:44.339 --> 00:31:45.079
Pulsable thumbs.
00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:46.599
Oh, that's true.
00:31:46.680 --> 00:31:47.960
Doves don't have the pulsable thumbs.
00:31:48.240 --> 00:31:48.480
That's true.
00:31:49.220 --> 00:31:50.039
And monkeys can't.
00:31:50.279 --> 00:31:51.680
Oh, can monkeys fly?
00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:53.500
So is their device.
00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:53.980
Wizard of Oz.
00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.039
So they can fly.
00:31:55.960 --> 00:31:56.740
You can't hear it.
00:31:56.880 --> 00:31:58.079
Because there it is.
00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:59.559
The compression was on it too much.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:00.019
Yeah.
00:32:00.220 --> 00:32:01.640
Noise gate and compression was too high on my microphone.
00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:02.359
I thought we set that.
00:32:02.440 --> 00:32:02.960
Oh, well, no.
00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:03.819
Oh, well, we'll get it figured out.
00:32:03.819 --> 00:32:05.240
All righty, Mike, thanks for coming out.
00:32:05.539 --> 00:32:06.420
Appreciate you having me.
00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:06.880
Thank you.
00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.299
Hope you guys come back to town so we can come and see you.
00:32:09.500 --> 00:32:11.140
Yeah, we would love to have you come out.
00:32:11.299 --> 00:32:11.799
All righty.
00:32:12.019 --> 00:32:12.299
Excellent.
00:32:12.680 --> 00:32:13.099
See you later.
00:32:29.660 --> 00:32:43.450
The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin.
00:32:43.450 --> 00:32:45.869
Theme song courtesy of MNR Rush.
00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:50.210
The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show.
00:32:50.369 --> 00:32:52.769
The music is used to promote the guests that are featured.
