She Get it From Her Mama

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:05.320 On this very special first episode of Big Time Fresh, I talked to my 2 00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:09.519 mom about her days as a lead singer for a classic rock cover band in 3 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:13.880 the early eighties. Here for the first time that she and a bunch of 4 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:19.640 nineteen year olds piled into a band and booked gigs across the country. Enjoy 5 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:32.600 the show. What's up everyone, it's Bellamars and I am here with my 6 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:36.640 new podcast, big time fresh. What I'm going to be doing on this 7 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:40.759 podcast is, you know, kind of unboxing the lesser known sides of what 8 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:45.159 is seen in the public eye. So I'll be breaking down bands, pop 9 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:50.759 culture, current events. But what is most exciting is that I'm going to 10 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:56.640 be having conversations with everyday people and their experiences in life and what has had 11 00:00:56.679 --> 00:01:00.320 the biggest impacts on shaping who they are today. So if you like the 12 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.799 content or if you want to hear more, if you have suggestions, if 13 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:07.599 if you have a story about your life that you think would be awesome to 14 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:11.840 talk about on this podcast, go ahead and follow me at big time fresh 15 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:19.319 on instagram and facebook, as I start this blog and podcast from scratch. 16 00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:23.319 Hearing a story that you've never heard before about somebody's life may give you a 17 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:29.439 fresh perspective on your own. So that's what this podcast is about. I 18 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:34.879 really appreciate you listening because, like I said, it's my first episode, 19 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.359 so I'm nervous. So anyway, let's get into it. I know I 20 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:42.120 said earlier that this is a podcast that's going to be about everyday people. 21 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:48.680 However, my first guest is not an everyday person. In fact, this 22 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:52.760 guest will probably be the most special of all my guests forever and ever. 23 00:01:53.560 --> 00:01:57.200 Can you guess? That's right, it's my mom. So why don't we 24 00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:07.639 start right from the how where did you meet my first we met in a 25 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:15.800 Japanese class at the University of Kansas. We're both half Japanese, but he's 26 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:22.080 he's much more, uh, fluent in the language than I was and for 27 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:30.439 some reason I took intensive Japanese and intensive Spanish and the same semester they dropped 28 00:02:30.439 --> 00:02:34.680 out of that class. But why Spanish? At the time? I don't 29 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:39.960 know. I always had oh, come to find out later in Twi it 30 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:45.520 all made sense when I did a DNA test. But Um, I always 31 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:49.639 had an affinity. I wanted to learn Spanish, and so m I stayed 32 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.639 with that for two years of intensive Spanish. But I met I met your 33 00:02:53.639 --> 00:03:00.319 father in the Japanese class and one day, I remember this pretty early, 34 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:07.479 I had already been in a in a band, I'd already I went to 35 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:12.759 Japan and, uh, my mother got me a session at a recording studio, 36 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:17.319 at cannon records, and I was yeah, I had no experience whatsoever. 37 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.879 She knew a producer at N H K, which is like NBC or 38 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:28.360 CBS, you know, and in the United States equivalent too. But Um, 39 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.800 so the guy said, and I think it was eighteen, and the 40 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.319 guy said or seventeen, and I said, Oh, you have a great, 41 00:03:34.439 --> 00:03:37.439 really great voice, but you can tell that, you know, I 42 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:42.159 was an experience and I was experienced. So he said go go back and 43 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:46.759 get some experience and then come back and see us. Because my intention was 44 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:52.120 to too. When I finished high school. I wanted to study linguistics and 45 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:57.360 and Um, go to Japan, and this woman, that one of the 46 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.560 producers, said that she would get me a job. And and then, 47 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:04.159 and then I called, I called Darren and Marty because they were looking for 48 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:11.080 a female vocalist, because back then we're talking seven, nine to eighty, 49 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.719 you know, Um, there are lots of gigs for live music, live 50 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:20.480 music back then, and also it was like just go and and, you 51 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:26.240 know, pop, pop music. So they auditioned me, they liked me 52 00:04:27.160 --> 00:04:32.560 and I got the GIG. So fast forward to one day I was walking 53 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:40.399 into one of the dorms at at Ku and I was singing, just being 54 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:46.399 obnoxious and singing a Linda Ronstad song very loud, very loudly, and the 55 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:53.279 guy that the desk happened to be a friend of your father's and also a 56 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.759 guitar player, and said, Whoa, you have a really great voice. 57 00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:00.759 We need a singer. Would you like to sing in a band? And 58 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.279 I said, oh, sure, why not? I mean, you know, 59 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:10.319 I'll try out or whatever. And I can't I can't remember all the 60 00:05:10.399 --> 00:05:18.279 details, but they needed a guitar player for the band too. Um, 61 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:24.120 this other band and the one that you were in for, yeah, the 62 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.600 the one that your father and I were finally, you know, we're into 63 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.680 together. Um. And so he came an auditioned and they liked him. 64 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:36.120 We couldn't find a good drummer, so Darren, who was guitar player, 65 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:40.720 ended up playing the drums and then your father came in to play the guitar 66 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:46.879 for the band. Only one bass, one guitar, Bass Guitar. Uh 67 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:54.240 Yeah, Bass Guitar, drums and singer. Yes, some events may have 68 00:05:54.519 --> 00:06:00.600 may not be accurate in order because it's been a long time. So that 69 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.759 was that was. And you weren't. You were a student there living on 70 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:12.240 campus when we we got going and got rehearsing and everything started sounding good and, 71 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.519 you know, we changed the whole concept of you. When your father 72 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:17.759 came in, it kind of changed the whole concept of the band because they 73 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:25.399 were more like top forty and and your father started bringing in Jimmy Hendrix and 74 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.839 led Zeppelin and you know. So we kind of got into a more, 75 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:36.079 you know, heavy mode, but still had a really good mix. Was 76 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:41.600 that more popular? It depends on it depended on where where you played. 77 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:48.399 So so and with us. Yes, because, Um, when I was 78 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:54.319 with the first band, it was top forty and I toured around with them, 79 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:57.360 you know, from state to state. But we were playing like hotel 80 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:03.000 moved to hotel circuits and club circuits, you know, where we would stay 81 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:09.519 at the Hilton in and for three weeks and we would play. Yeah, 82 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:13.720 and so almost like a residency. Yeah, for short, short term. 83 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:17.439 So we would play three weeks at a time at different hotels, you know, 84 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:23.199 and then when your father came in to the band, we changed our 85 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:27.120 whole format and then what we ended up doing was playing, you know, 86 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:31.839 kind of weekend gigs, sometimes a couple of weeks at a time. Just 87 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:38.240 depends, but we're playing, you know bars, more bars and different venues 88 00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:42.720 and opening up for some other bands and things like that. What are their 89 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:47.800 bands? This is so cool and well, most of the stuff, I 90 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:57.560 mean there were some some bands that I know we opened up for Flash CANDILLAC 91 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:07.879 and kind O kids. I don't leave. Yeah, that was that was 92 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:11.240 fun. What kind of venue was that? That was? That was a 93 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:18.920 pretty decent it was like an APP outdoor amphitheater type thing. and Um, 94 00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:26.319 I think it was in Blue Springs, Missouri, and Um, we played 95 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:33.799 the Opera House in Lawrence, Kansas, and I can't remember some of the 96 00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:37.840 names of the bands that we, you know, we had opened for at 97 00:08:37.879 --> 00:08:41.960 the time and then we sometimes we just headlined, you know, but Um, 98 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:46.279 like an amphitheater, no, at the at the Uppera House, and 99 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:50.879 then, you know, we played. Yeah, we played for weddings and 100 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:58.600 graduations and Bar mitzvahs and Bot mispah's and you know and stuff, wedding singer. 101 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.279 It's hard for me to wrap my head around because they don't even have 102 00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:16.440 bands anymore, let alone residencies at hotels and, you know, Um opening 103 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:22.240 for especially you're a cover band too. Yeah, it was a cover band 104 00:09:22.279 --> 00:09:24.120 and basically that's that's just what it was. You know, it was really 105 00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:33.159 not as as glamorous as you know people who but it's kind of it's kind 106 00:09:33.159 --> 00:09:35.679 of, uh. It's interesting now because, like you said, that there's 107 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:41.000 nothing. People just don't do that anymore. You just don't, you know, 108 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:45.600 unless you're at a certain level. People just don't get in a band 109 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.720 and go travel around from from state to state, you know, filling gigs. 110 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:54.600 And one of the things it was interesting, like when we were playing 111 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:56.960 in the band, when we first started playing, we got the band together 112 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:03.799 and Darren was playing drums instead of guitar, Pedro was playing the Um they 113 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:07.039 get, you know, the lead guitar. We changed our whole our whole 114 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:18.080 repertoire. What the booking agent did was there were there were bands. He 115 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:24.480 had a certain certain number of bands that would you know that he worked with 116 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:30.000 and they would go contract from city to city, you know, bar to 117 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:35.759 bar, and then bands, as they do, break up and so, 118 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:39.080 you know, fight and break up, especially when you're on the road so 119 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.039 long. So they would fight, they would break up, and so, 120 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:46.320 in order for him not to be in breach contract, we would fulfill the 121 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.360 contract of the band of that week. So Our Name, the name of 122 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:56.919 our band changed, like you know, from from Gig to big sometimes. 123 00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:00.759 So one one, one time we could be Mad Max, one time we 124 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:03.240 could be snowblind, next week we could be somebody else, you know, 125 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:09.799 just so that our booking agent wouldn't be in breach of contract. So that 126 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.279 was that was funny. So you could have different names. Did you have 127 00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:18.000 to promote on the street, like hand out flyers, or to show up 128 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:24.759 like it like back in the early days? That was mostly our booking agent 129 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.279 and our sound man and the book. You need to take a cut. 130 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:33.480 Oh yeah, what what kind of cut? I think it's, you know, 131 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:41.840 I think it was maybe man. You know. So the music industry 132 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:48.320 has gone downhill tremendously for the musician, because gigs were abundant. You could 133 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:52.840 make a living, you know, you could make a living doing that and 134 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:56.799 Um, not a great you couldn't put a kid through college, but you 135 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:01.440 could certainly, you know, survive. The Way I see the pop music 136 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:09.120 is there's no drummer based lead guitar singer. It's all electronics. They, 137 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:15.559 you know, take advantage of all everybody. And so they're saying the music 138 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:18.960 industry is dying, and hearing this, I look at it in different ways 139 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.759 because because it was certainly those kinds of gigs are gone. Um, it's 140 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:30.519 too hard. And I can say it from the other perspective as a venue, 141 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.799 as a venue owner, like we had that we owned the restaurant. 142 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:39.399 We we tried, Um and we tried to do live music, Um, 143 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:43.480 you know, booking live bands, and it was just, you know, 144 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:48.279 the bands would come in and they'd make these atrocious demands for many yeah, 145 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:52.039 they said, Oh, we want, you know dollars to play here for 146 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:56.080 one night, and we would just look at him and go good luck. 147 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:01.320 And you know in in the bay area there are so, so many bands 148 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.960 and bands would go to restaurants but they wouldn't even pay. I mean from 149 00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:09.399 what I know, yeah, they wouldn't pay. Well, and and we 150 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.080 we're guilty of it. I mean it's it's a shame. I was very 151 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.600 conflicted because I was in charge of, you know, booking these bands and 152 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:20.519 I had to say you could play here, but you know, the best 153 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:24.879 we could do is compy of mail some drinks and and help you pass the 154 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:30.000 tip jar around to see if anybody will pay you. Because but you know, 155 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:35.679 it was just very difficult in every aspect of owning, keeping the restaurant 156 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:41.639 and running and managing the bar. If we would have paid them, and 157 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.000 you know even three, three to five dollars, we would not make any 158 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.720 money that night. Where did you tour like? What? Well, we 159 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:56.960 were out of we're based out of Kansas. So then we went from, 160 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:01.039 you know, all the way up to Minnesota to the border, Canadian border, 161 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:07.600 UM, international falls in Minnesota. There's a big club there, and 162 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:15.240 then we went all the way down, uh, down south to Texas. 163 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:20.159 What are we talking? Crowd size life most like I said, most of 164 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:26.320 his bar, that the bar up in international falls was pretty big. So, 165 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:31.240 you know, in my mind, in my memory, there could have 166 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.759 been a hundred people in the crowd. Um, what do they know? 167 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:43.759 They're coming to see rock music, rock music, and we we um build 168 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:52.000 ourselves as as Um classic rock with, you know a Jimmy Hendrix, Janis 169 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:58.200 Joblin led Zeblin rush. Is it because you had a your female lead singer? 170 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:03.240 Now it's hard to say. I don't think there are as many female 171 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:09.759 rock singers. Do you think that made it easier to to book some movie? 172 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:13.879 Because I think so. Yeah, I think so. And you know, 173 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:22.559 I did a lot of I did both male and female lead vocals. 174 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:28.039 So for the Zeppelin and the rush, you know, to the Janis Joplin 175 00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:33.919 and Linda Pat Benatar. You know. Does you do free shows? Does 176 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:39.120 you have to do free shows? We we would volunteer. Maybe we would 177 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:45.240 do a like a donation once in a while before for fun. Yeah, 178 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:50.080 for for charity. We've done that. We played a big outdoor Gig at 179 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:54.919 Potter's Lake in Lawrence and that was a pretty big, crowded that's something at 180 00:15:54.919 --> 00:15:58.519 the University of Kansas. So you get were those so from the booking agent 181 00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:03.039 and they're just like, I don't get paid, but Um, yeah, 182 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:08.879 I believe so. And then our sound man, who was very much a 183 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:15.159 businessman, he kind of helped manage and book a lot. So he might 184 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:19.600 have signed us up for that. I had I had no idea because I 185 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:26.039 used to. I would just show up. I would show up and help. 186 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:29.879 Okay, I would help. Wait. So you had a sound guy 187 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:33.720 also, with a sound man and a light man, and these guys were 188 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:41.200 father uh, knew them from this engineering fraternity and in Nerd Yeah, Nerd 189 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.639 uh, and they were both pretty nerdy. And, Um, there's a 190 00:16:45.720 --> 00:16:51.759 story that we that would go go with that. But some other times, 191 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:57.879 but some other times we got our whole lighting system. But Um, anyway, 192 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.639 that would be you, like you made it to the to the top, 193 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:07.400 get paid for all your game. Yeah, having a game, getting 194 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:14.480 paid more, travel across state lines, Um, and you had all the 195 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.319 equipment to call around, and now people, you know, droppers, just 196 00:17:18.359 --> 00:17:22.640 show up and they still don't get paid. Yeah, yeah, we had. 197 00:17:22.759 --> 00:17:26.799 We had quite a bit of equipment and we had, uh, six 198 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.319 people total, because we took the sound man and the light man was us 199 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:36.880 all the time. So then we had, you know, in right today, 200 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:40.359 Sanders, and have a big deal because again, we're a comm band, 201 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:44.240 you know, but but it was kind of a, you know, 202 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:49.400 a big deal back then. We were, you know, very uh, 203 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:53.599 we were able to sustain our livings and, you know, have a good 204 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:57.599 time and do things that we enjoy doing, and I mean the fact that 205 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:04.960 we get paid fifteen hundreds dollars, you know, for for a weekend or 206 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:11.480 something like that. In the eighties. Yeah, depending on and and sometimes 207 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:18.000 we would do we would do we would do a we actually got high school 208 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:23.839 prom gigs. Yeah, and they paid. They paid well. So so 209 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:30.319 it was yeah, it was quite it was quite the it's quite the at 210 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:36.200 the time, you know, thinking about being eighteen and nineteen years old and 211 00:18:36.279 --> 00:18:40.599 just being on the road and doing that. You know, it's no no 212 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:45.759 cell phone. Didn't have to call mom very often else. See it when 213 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:51.720 I see uh. Yeah, yeah, it was it was definitely a different 214 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:55.440 time. But you know, when I think about today, to so many 215 00:18:55.440 --> 00:19:00.079 of the opportunities that you know, it's kind of a trade off because some 216 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:04.319 of the opportunities that I see people going on Youtube and, you know, 217 00:19:04.599 --> 00:19:14.000 making yeh, making their videos, and I see it's just incredible talented people. 218 00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.759 You know that they would never ever have a chance to even be heard 219 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:22.799 anywhere, but not for this kind of platform. It's certainly not in our 220 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:29.559 tent. So in in their case, some of them will probably be wanting 221 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.359 to make it big, but maybe for for the rest of them it's just 222 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:37.480 a creative outlet. Outlet, yeah, UM, and for us it was 223 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:41.480 just a bunch of fun. Oh my gosh, that's so creepy. And 224 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:45.640 it's not like we were we were drug addicts or you know. You know, 225 00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:49.200 after a while it does become a job, that it it kind of 226 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:52.920 attracts those types of it kind of goes hand in hand with those kinds of 227 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:57.839 problems, right, and I remember being I think, I think we were 228 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:04.400 coming towards the end of the life of our banded. It was never intended 229 00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:08.640 to be a full time thing, Um, especially with your or a long 230 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:14.559 term thing, especially with your father. He's always had the PhD in mind 231 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:18.799 and when he took off a year, I don't know, it was a 232 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:27.720 year or semester, uh, from college, his mother, Fach, Your 233 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:34.480 Your Grandmother, they oh my God, they just like, what are you 234 00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:41.440 doing, throwing your life away? But he was always he was always bound 235 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:45.480 for for that. You know, this was never gonna be and I remember 236 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:48.720 going to bar so. Sometimes, when you're in a town, I think 237 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:52.960 we're in Iowa, like Des Moines or something, and there's like three three 238 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:59.799 venues in the same block right and Um, so each band, like on 239 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:03.240 a break, would go and check out another band and then so we get 240 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.319 to know each other and if we're playing a couple sometimes we play two weekends 241 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:10.839 in a row or something like that. We get to know each other and 242 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:15.839 we would go and do things like play, you know, get together for 243 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:21.240 a softball game or something like that. And I just remember, I remember 244 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:23.279 there were a couple of there was there was one band and these guys were 245 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:32.119 probably in their forties and I remember watching them play and just kind of seeing 246 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:40.680 their aging bodies and because that was twenty and frey was a old yeah, 247 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:48.640 yeah, was the sixty back in the eighties. So I said, Oh 248 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:51.920 my God, I do not want to be like these people when I'm that 249 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:55.759 age. So I was out, you know, I was like I had 250 00:21:55.799 --> 00:22:00.079 to find something else, but I always kept which I did, you know, 251 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.680 and then and then I but I always kept music and being involved with 252 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:07.319 musicians and that in my life all the time. Did you feel like it 253 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:14.440 was you were it came to you, like all of the opportunities and to 254 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:18.680 be involved with music came to you randomly, or were you actively USIC? 255 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:22.440 No, I was always actively seeking out you know, I moved around a 256 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:26.799 lot, as you know, and and every place I went, every place 257 00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:30.319 I moved to, I sought out musicians and, you know, fortunately, 258 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:37.079 Um, I was able to work with a lot of musicians but unfortunately not 259 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:45.960 able to to, you know, go for it all the way, because 260 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:52.200 in order to do that you kind of have to sacrifice a lot and almost 261 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.480 everything, you know, because you can't do it half asked. You know, 262 00:22:56.720 --> 00:22:59.400 you're either in it or you're out, and so you either do it 263 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:03.799 a hobby. But if you want to make it big, then you know. 264 00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:10.240 So if anyone wanted to make it big, big, those days are 265 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:17.000 over. Yeah, UH, unless you, you know, just dazzle somebody 266 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:21.519 like they get a lot of followers. And Yeah, and now they do 267 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:26.839 these things called three sixty deals. So the artist is basically given u six 268 00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:33.839 of his earnings are going to other people. Manager gets off, or like 269 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:38.400 off everything, whether or not, Um, they booked it or you booked 270 00:23:38.440 --> 00:23:42.319 it. Then there's a business manager, then there's tour manager. Then it's 271 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:48.480 like is that worth it, you know, and I wonder if if people 272 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:51.599 think about Oh, I want to be famous the way we used to think 273 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:53.039 about, oh I want to be famous, you know, because we are 274 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:57.759 looking at Van Halen and yeah, you know, you're Smith and you know 275 00:23:59.400 --> 00:24:04.559 that been a hard heart, you know, during those times. And and 276 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:10.559 UH, they were. They were pumping out hint hits. When we were 277 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:15.559 on the road, we were just copying those, covering those hits and, 278 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:22.240 Um, and a lot of bands behind demand. So, especially back then, 279 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:27.319 you can't hear it really on the radio at went on demand live or 280 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:33.559 even it was different. It's definitely different now. I mean I think the 281 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:37.759 perception and field cover bands then was more greatly appreciated because, you know, 282 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:41.440 you would, you would go and always fun. People would go just, 283 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:45.200 Oh, there's a band playing. Oh, let's go see him, let's 284 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:48.240 go check them out, because it was fun to go see a band. 285 00:24:48.400 --> 00:24:52.039 And then if they're playing the songs that you really like and they do it 286 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:55.640 well, then it's like bonus, you know. So it was like, 287 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:59.920 Oh, so we had a pretty decent following, you know really and yeah, 288 00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:03.880 in Um, in the great the state of Kansas. How could you 289 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.960 tell about? Well, be because people would say hey, you know, 290 00:25:08.119 --> 00:25:12.400 hey, you're from Mad Max. Yeah, you know, and people would 291 00:25:14.519 --> 00:25:19.759 follow you on instagram. Yeah, right, there was something, but yeah, 292 00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:23.920 but it was it was different, you know, it was very different. 293 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:29.960 And now if you're at a cover band, they're like people are thinking, 294 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:34.559 just kind of washed out, washed out. And that was the thing 295 00:25:34.599 --> 00:25:41.039 when we were we were hiring people to play at a restaurant in our meade 296 00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:45.960 up and every band that was a cover band or like people my age and 297 00:25:47.039 --> 00:25:52.000 so the men would translate into these these these gray haired, you know, 298 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:59.319 kind of pop belly guys that that you know played well or sometimes not, 299 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:03.680 but certainly half deaf. So you can tell them to turn down, you 300 00:26:03.720 --> 00:26:07.000 know, when you're playing in the restaurant, you tell them please turn down 301 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:11.799 your go down for about two seconds and go right back up because they say 302 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:19.599 they can't hear because been in there for so long. Um. So then, 303 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:23.640 when didn't you do the I know you did. was there a track 304 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:29.119 that you're saying over that was I did. I did. I ventured out 305 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:37.400 of a couple of things. I Um, I collaborated with this I don't 306 00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:42.839 know what you'd call him now. It's kind of kind of GRUNGE IN UM 307 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:51.240 heavy alternative kind of kind of genre. and Um, I met these guys. 308 00:26:51.359 --> 00:26:55.480 I don't remember how, but again, seeking probably through an ad of 309 00:26:55.480 --> 00:27:02.440 was seeking out music. newspaper. Yeah, newspaper or newspaper and or there 310 00:27:02.519 --> 00:27:07.960 might have been craigslisted that time. I'm not sure. But the nineties. 311 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:15.920 No, this was this was late nineties. I'm getting candy. So, 312 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:19.160 so, Um. I collaborated them with them. They had a drummer and 313 00:27:19.200 --> 00:27:25.599 a bass player and so they had a bassline and the drums and I, 314 00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:30.799 Um, I put a melody to their stuff, to about seven or eight 315 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:36.200 songs, and put a melody in some lyrics. We found a guitar player 316 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:41.240 and then I sang those songs. So that was that. I did some 317 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:45.839 work with a he was from Zimbabwe, but he had a reggae band, 318 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:53.720 Dr Mooch, and then I met some really talented, Um, extremely talented 319 00:27:55.279 --> 00:28:03.480 uh musicians and highly trained musicians from one was a keyboard player from Spain, 320 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:11.920 two guitarists from Argentina, a drummer from Cuba and there was a bass player, 321 00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:17.680 uh, just from you know, America. This is wh nice down 322 00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:22.240 in Miami. And so I started experimenting with with Jazz. Do you think, 323 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:26.559 saying how how the industry is now, that it was a good decision 324 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:32.799 not to go well in yes, yeah, it's too. I mean your 325 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:37.480 chances of your chances of things, and for that it was just like way 326 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:42.240 too labor intensive. Did you have to promote on the street, like hand 327 00:28:42.279 --> 00:28:48.279 out flyers, or to show up like it like back in the early days? 328 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:52.559 That was mostly our booking agent and our sound man. He ended up 329 00:28:52.559 --> 00:29:00.960 owning his own sound company in Missouri. The Bass Player, Um stayed in 330 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:06.880 Lawrence, Kansas, and he became a real estate agent. What do you 331 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:11.359 call air conditioning? And then are drummer, the guy that played drummer, 332 00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:18.119 who played the drums, who used to play guitar, ended up playing with 333 00:29:19.160 --> 00:29:25.000 Tim mcgrawl. He had a career with Tim McGraw for about twenty years and 334 00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:30.119 I think so. So he made um by uh, I don't know, 335 00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:34.519 by the definition. I suppose he made it. Yeah, unless money was 336 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:40.240 part of his definition of making it. Now I don't think so. You 337 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:44.480 know, I remember we used to have conversations about making it big, you 338 00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:49.559 know, just out of boredom, because nobody was nobody was serious or ever 339 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:53.519 imagined to me serious, and talking about Oh, wouldn't it be fun to 340 00:29:53.519 --> 00:30:00.359 be on the David Letterman show or and he actually did it and he played 341 00:30:00.359 --> 00:30:03.960 in auditoriums and all kinds of things like that. He had he hit the 342 00:30:04.039 --> 00:30:08.200 big time with, you know, Tim McGraw. Back then, did you? 343 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:14.000 Did you feel like you wanted to never make it big? I always 344 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:18.519 wanted to be behind the scenes running the show. I feel like it was 345 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:23.480 what's super cool and like unique to other people. was like yeah, got 346 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:26.119 this, I know how to play this. Oh yeah, my mom does 347 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:32.240 this. You're right. Other people and do perceive it as as something, 348 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:41.920 something cool, because I have said, I told a few people and because 349 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.279 I mentioned earlier. It's Oh, wow, you're it was such a cool 350 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:52.559 but you know background. Yeah, so, man, that's awesome, but 351 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:59.920 also really sucks for music as a whole. I feel like popularity and being 352 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:07.599 and being on instagram and the purpose for going to concerts and and everything now 353 00:31:07.400 --> 00:31:12.799 is because you like them as an artist and they're popular in the FAMAS and 354 00:31:12.839 --> 00:31:18.799 then you want to go take videos there for what to post them, you 355 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.200 know, just like so, I was there and I saw this. Yeah, 356 00:31:25.319 --> 00:31:30.200 look at eyes alive. It's just so it's disappointing. I think there's 357 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:36.839 there's a much bigger gap of how you feel. UH, your reputation, 358 00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:41.079 ast to other people, because before nobody's talking here because you show up and 359 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:45.759 you don't even know the person. You've never seen that. And the great 360 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:51.839 thing is, like you can leave your you can leave and nobody knows anything 361 00:31:51.880 --> 00:31:56.119 about your your private life. Nobody knows anything about any of you. Go 362 00:31:56.319 --> 00:31:59.680 they want to contact you, they have to go to a damn pay phone 363 00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:02.960 and call you up with a quarter after looking you up in a phone book. 364 00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:07.960 So all of that. It's you know, it's just a different time. 365 00:32:08.039 --> 00:32:14.759 And and the end was imminent with that. Oh, what was that? 366 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:24.000 What was that Um Platform back in the baster? Yes, the end 367 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:30.240 was imminent when that came about. It's like alright, done, it's done. 368 00:32:30.440 --> 00:32:35.319 The end is here, the end is near. The streaming companies don't 369 00:32:35.319 --> 00:32:40.440 get like sixty some crazy amount. So you know they'll be streaming, the 370 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:45.079 artists will be streaming their songs and like after six months we were like, 371 00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:52.920 oh, I made two dollars and science off of royalty around the streams people, 372 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:58.720 you know, people still. I don't understand it, but people still 373 00:32:58.759 --> 00:33:06.240 are paying to record albums. Would like do it almost I just you know, 374 00:33:06.359 --> 00:33:09.079 I don't. It's it's it's so weird. I'm I'm just kind of 375 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:14.799 out of touch with that, with the whole with the way things are are 376 00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:19.559 are done now. I'm not I'm not close minded to it. I wanted, 377 00:33:19.799 --> 00:33:22.240 you know, I'm I'm more curious, even though, you know, 378 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:25.400 I'm older and I've been through all that, but I'm more curious. I 379 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:30.519 want to know how things work and but it's just, you know, when 380 00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:34.599 you get wrapped up in in the just the motions of life. Now, 381 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:39.559 now music is for enjoyment and what I love is that I can access any 382 00:33:39.640 --> 00:33:49.039 kind of music from anywhere and any minute of any moment of the day, 383 00:33:49.319 --> 00:33:52.960 you know, and that's something we definitely take it for granted. I mean 384 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:58.000 when I just, you know, say Alexa, play this or play that, 385 00:33:58.200 --> 00:34:01.400 and you know I'm always looking for new music and new artists just to 386 00:34:01.480 --> 00:34:06.279 hear what other people are doing and just to know that I can do that 387 00:34:06.359 --> 00:34:08.239 all the time. I think it's just, you know, I think it's 388 00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:12.519 great. You know, back then it was just really, you know, 389 00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:15.480 just going at it with a shovel and a pick and a shovel, you 390 00:34:15.519 --> 00:34:22.039 know, but in comparison, but it was fun and everybody minded their business. 391 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:25.920 So that was the best thing. There are people who are really passionate 392 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:30.599 about playing that, playing the music, and they want to perform. They're 393 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:37.280 also passionate about performing and there's no place Tobat. So yeah, but I 394 00:34:37.800 --> 00:34:42.119 consider myself fortunate because in our Ameter when we have festivals, you know, 395 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:47.679 I got involved with the community and Events and festivals and things and we created 396 00:34:47.719 --> 00:34:52.079 a stage. It's hard trying to figure out how to make everything work, 397 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:58.800 because the whole thing about music is not even about making it, it's about 398 00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:05.400 promoting and brain me, which is unfortunate too. You are the product and 399 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:08.480 you have to market yourself and that's that's if you don't know how to do 400 00:35:08.519 --> 00:35:13.760 that, you're shot to look and you have to be good, because if 401 00:35:13.760 --> 00:35:17.119 you're not, everybody you have a bad night. It's going on, it's 402 00:35:17.159 --> 00:35:24.960 going viral. So people are not not that forgiving, you know, they're 403 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:30.199 not that forgifts, and people still want to hear like music. You know, 404 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:35.000 people don't even think to hire a band anymore. You know, nobody 405 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:39.440 would hire a band to play for things. Your phone up there put it 406 00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:45.719 on trouble exactly. Yeah, well, thank you for being my first episode 407 00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:52.840 and I think it's uh when years comes out and we'll do the same thing. 408 00:35:52.599 --> 00:36:00.440 Do you have anything to plug? Here's essentials? Okay, well, 409 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:02.760 we have about more to talk about, but we'll favorite cool. Thank you. 410 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:07.639 Thanks for listening. If you like what you heard, check out cross 411 00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:13.000 the streams media dot com to hear more episodes of this podcast and the other 412 00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:16.360 shows on the cross the streams network. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and 413 00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:22.360 review on apple podcasts or wherever you download your favorite shows. visit cross the 414 00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:25.119 streams media dot com for more information. See you next time.