Two great conversations, one mediocre podcast! LOL

Scott Stevens is up first. The Exies are back together and touring. They play the Machine Shop on November 9th. Since the band disbanded 15 years ago, Scott's worked with everyone from Shinedown to Dorothy, to Halestorm, and more. He has some great stories to tell about writing and producing some great rock artists.

Up next, it's Al Pitrelli from T.S.O. He plays on the west coast version of the band. Al's played in many projects and has lots of great tales. He answered a question from David Ellefson about his time in Megadeth, and even one from Bals Elias, the drummer in the West Coast band, and lots more.

Enjoy!

Meltdown

This is a special Riff Fest wrap-up. Before the bands took to the stage of Pine Knob, they spoke with me.

I spoke with Sully from Godsmack, Cullen of Sleep Theory, Cody and Briton of Wage War, James and Sam from Asking Alexandria, and Dale from Seether.

A huge thank you to each of the bands for talking with me and taking the time to meet with WRIF listeners beforehand. One of the great things about my job is that I get to share these experiences with people who otherwise wouldn't get the chance.

Lots going on with this episode of Talkin' Rock.

Teemu Mäntysaari starts us out by talking about his year in Megadeth, how he became a member, how his life has changed, hockey, and more.

Chris Jericho's Rock N' Wrestling Rager At Sea Cruise will be in early 2025. Chris talks about the cruise's success and how it started. We also discussed the Jane's Addiction brawl, the new Vince MacMahon documentary, and a little hockey talk.

P.J. and Steve from Trixter are up next. They're out on tour and stops at the Token Lounge on September 22nd. We talk about early tours, their 40-year career, touring pranks, and much more.

The Rival Sons are out on tour with Clutch so Scott Holiday was cool enough to hop on with me. Mr. Fuzzlord told me about the tour, meeting Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, what he learned from Black Sabbath's Toni Iommi, and lots more.

We wrap up this episode with Detroit's own Vinnie Dombrowski from Sponge. Their album 1994 comes out on October 11th and features nothing but cover songs from that year, the year they started. He tells me why they did that, what songs are included, and what's in their future.

Thanks for listening!!

It's always a great conversation when Barry and myself get together. This week we discussed....

Their series of Hot Sauces.

The band working on new music.

A drummer who changed the way he played, thus, saving his career.

Questions from their head of security about Krampus and a Hell Fest show years ago.

...and more.

Enjoy!

I am wrapping up the week with a new episode of Talkin' Rock with Ian Hill from the Priest and Stephen Richards of Taproot.

First, Ian Hill talks about all things Judas Priest. Does he like touring or recording more? Has he read Rob Halford's book? We talk about the careers of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath and their overlap. Plus, he talks about how they brought "Ripper" into the band, and questions from bass players Frank Bello and David Ellefson.

Stephen Richards from Taproot called in this week. We discuss the band, what they have planned for the near future, and a new song he lends his voice to with an artist named Wes Anderson. It's called "Goodbye" and drops today (August 30th)

Enjoy!

It's another big week on the Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast.

John 5 is up first. We discuss his latest signature guitar, being part of Motley Crue's legacy, and a paranormal experience he had. That's for starters with 5.

Steel Panther's Michael Starr is next, as they kick off their tour this week. He tells me about Corey Taylor playing on past Panther songs, burying the hatchet (or not) with rockers who aren't SP fans, and more. The dude is always hysterical!

This week, we wrap up the episode with Ray West of Spread Eagle. They're playing the Token Lounge on August 25th. Ray talks about the new music the band is working on, his short stint in Lynch Mob, touring Europe, and lots more.

Thanks for listening!

Three guests from different rock genres are on this episode of Talkin' Rock with Meltdown.

First up, it's Brandon Boyd from Incubus. We discuss their upcoming tour, and why it's in arenas instead of outdoor sheds. We talk about how he approaches writing lyrics, traveling the world, horror movies, and more.

Jason Hook from Flat Black is next. He tells me about his Canadian upbringing, about the band and how he put it together, and working with Corey Taylor. That's just for starters.

Finally, it's Lee Jennings from The Funeral Portrait. We start out talking about the screams we heard last week while ghost-hunting at a local Detroit insane asylum. Yes, I included the audio for you to hear. He tells me about Suffocate City, their new album dropping on September 13th, and the guests on it. There are plenty. Great getting to know Lee over the past couple of weeks.

Thanks for listening!

Thirty Seconds To Mars is playing Pine Knob on Tuesday as their Season World Tour makes a stop in Michigan. Jared Leto was nice enough to take a few minutes to speak with me about the band, his vast movie career, and much more.

I had to ask him about scaling the Empire State Building in New York City to announce the tour. "That was quite the experience," I asked him if he thought it was a bad idea. "Definitely. The first night, it was about 4 or 5 a.m., 40 degrees, 40 mph winds, and freezing cold. My hands were so numb I could barely hold on. But, it was beautiful. I've always been fascinated by the Empire State Building. It was an amazing way to launch the world tour—better than just sending out a tweet." You could say that!

We also talked about the dichotomy of playing in his band live, versus filming a movie. "Performing with Thirty Seconds to Mars is special because I get to do it with my brother. The immediate connection with the audience is unique. Acting is collaborative and you often wait to see the final product. Both are rewarding in their own ways, but live music holds a special place in my heart."

I asked him about highlights in his music and acting career. "Winning an Academy Award was a huge highlight, especially being able to thank my family. In music, having a song like "The Kill" that still resonates after all these years is a big win. There are also tough moments, but they fuel the journey."

Since we're in Detroit, I had to ask him about Chad Smith playing "The Kill" without ever hearing it. Jared said he brought it up to him when he saw him at a huge event. "Yes, I saw that! It was awesome. We did a duet on TikTok reacting to it. Chad and I laughed about it when we met at the Super Bowl. It’s cool seeing our music reach new audiences."

The band did a tribute to Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell at the 2017 MTV Awards show. He spoke to me about the two singers we lost. "Yeah, I did. I toured with both of them, actually. And, they were both really kind, really, really gifted, kind people. You know, Chester, was a friend. And, you know, it's interesting, those things can be so surprising sometimes. But, you know, I was always struck by Chester and his joy. He always seemed to be, you know, to have a smile quickly, on his face. And Chris was very, gentle, in my experiences with him, and thoughtful and intelligent, and both of them just highly intelligent, kind, good people. And you know what? A loss to the world as well." That's well said.

Thirty Seconds To Mars will play Pine Knob on Tuesday, August 6th.