Talkin‘ the Talk With Don

Episode 100: Lawrence Gowan (Styx)

Styx has been a long time favorite of mine since I was a kid listening to my Dad play The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight on our living room stereo.  Even though he's been singing and playing keys for Styx for nearly half their career, Lawrence Gowan is totally fine being called the "new guy."  This was our fourth time talking and we never seem to run out of things to talk about.  The mouth of the south and the mouth of the Great White North join forces and talk about all kinds of awesome shit like the stellar new Styx album Crash of the Crown, touring life after Covid, and how the pandemic made Styx's bond with their fans and with each other stronger than ever. 
 
Enjoy, y'all!

Episode 99: John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting)

Back in 2001 or so, I was in shitty club in Charlotte, NC to see a little band that was about to break huge called Train.  Their opening act that night was a brand new act called Five For Fighting.  I had never heard one chord from them but after their powerful 45 minute set, I had the shirt, the CD, and a new band that I loved.  Like many fans of music, sometime after their 2006 release Two Lights I lost touch with them. 
After hearing Ondrasik's 2022 song for the Ukrainian people, "Can One Man Save the World," my interest and love for his songwriting was rekindled.  Getting the chance to talk to John Ondrasik was a real treat and he couldn't have been a sweeter, kinder person.  We bonded over our love of good ol' classic rock, the art of songwriting, and our mutual admiration of the Laurel Canyon folk scene of the '60s and '70s. 
Enjoy, y'all!

Episode 98: Nili Brosh (Danny Elfman, Cirque Du Solei, Dethklok)

At 34 years of age, guitarist/songwriter Nili Brosh has lived the life of 10 guitarists.  Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2009, Nili has performed with legends in the truest since of the word.  Shrapnel guitar legend Tony MacAlpine, former Nevermore and current Arch Enemy guitarist Jeff Loomis, drummer Marco Minneman, and bassist Stu Hamm just to name a few.
Nili has also been a part of Danny Elfman's band, the guitarist for Cirque Du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE, and as part of the cartoon based metal gods, Dethklok. 
Obviously, Nili is a VERY busy person and I was lucky enough that she took the time out of her busy schedule to talk to a dreg like myself.  Nili is a kind, funny, and super talented person and I loved talking to her about why sometimes being called a "shredder" can be annoying, how being called a "female guitarist" is also not a term of endearment, and other things. 
To check out more on Nili, head to hear website www.nilibrosh.com
Enjoy, y'all. 

Episode 97: Klaus Eichstadt (Ugly Kid Joe)

Since I first heard them in 1992, Ugly Kid Joe has been a favorite band of mine.  Regardless of the shit I got from friends and others about my fandom for UKJ, much like them, I lived unapologetically as a lifelong fan from beginning until, well, now. 
2022 saw Ugly Kid Joe releasing their stellar seventh album, Rad Wings of Destiny and just when I thought shit couldn’t get any better, Ugly Kid Joe announced their first North American tour in nearly 27 years.  The minute they went on sale, I threw my money at Ticketmaster without any ifs, ands, or butts.
Ugly Kid Joe isn’t a big “press band” and haven’t been so in a many years so when I had the opportunity to speak with founding guitarist Klaus Eichstadt, I was ecstatic.  For over an hour, Klaus and I discussed his love of AC/DC, his Mock N’ Roll t-shirt biz featuring parody metal band logos (etc. Lizzo written in the Ozzy logo), and our fascination with runaway truck ramps. 
This interview was about as random as you can fucking imagine and honestly, I loved every minute of it as this was in my top 10 favorite interviews without a doubt.  Enjoy y’all!
Check out Mock N' Roll shirts at www.mocknroll.com
 

Episode 96: Amber Doig-Thorne (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey movie)

One of the many reasons I love doing interviews is the sheer unpredictability of it all.  When I got asked to interview Amber Doig-Thorne, all I said was "Sign me up."  I mean, how could I possibly pass on the opportunity to talk to my first actor ever who also is the star of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."  ... and yes.  It really is a truly awesome as the title would make you think so. 
Amber was so much fun to talk to as we discussed things like, her epic "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" movie, her upcoming projects, our mutual admiration about stories from our childhood becoming horror films (Amber, don't forget about The Smurfs.), and bonding over both of us being neurodivergent.
I hope y'all get a kick out of this one.  It was a blast and after this, go watch Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey!

Episode 95: Billy Sheehan (Tallas/David Lee Roth/Mr. Big/Sons of Apolo, Winery Dogs)

Billy Sheehan is a living legend when it comes to hard rock music.  He broke into the mainstream as the bassist for David Lee Roth, experienced huge commercial success with the band Mr. Big and now he is letting it all loose with the progressive hard rock supergroup, Winery Dogs. 
I had a great time talking to Billy about what he hates about interviews (luckily not this one), his excitement about the new Winery Dogs album and tour, and his extreme fandom of all things King Crimson.  Billy was a truly awesome guy and I hope you all will dig this one!
Enjoy, y'all!

Episode 94: Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks)

I didn't discover Hanoi Rocks until around 1986-87 or so but once I did, they became a huge favorite of mine.  It's hard to believe that it has already been 40 years since the release of Hanoi Rocks' sophomore album, Oriental Beat.  2023 doesn't just see Oriental Beat turning 40, we will see a much anticipated re-mix (or re(al)-mix as the band calls it) and for the first time nearly 30 years will see a vinyl release via Finnish label Svart Records. 
I had the honor of talking to legendary Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe about the re(al)-mix release of Oriental Beat as well as his 60th birthday concert that featured a reunion with the original Hanoi Rocks featuring original drummer Gyp Casino.  We also talked about what it is that keeps him going and other cool stuff. 
Enjoy, y'all!

Episode 93 - Siena Root

In 2011, I was immersing myself in a whole new world of music.  The Swedish psychedelic rock movement was something that I became obsessed with.  After hearing their 2011 live album, Root Jam, Siena Root quickly became one of favorite bands. 
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with lead vocalist/keyboardist Zubaida Solid and drummer Love Forsberg.  We talked about the solidified lineup of the band, the new album Revelations, and life and creativity during Covid-19.  This was a great interview with two of the sweetest people I know. 
Enjoy, y'all!