Chip Chats (Chip Midnight)

This interview was conducted on July 10, 2021 for a feature on ColumbusCalling.com to preview a Styx concert at the Fraze Pavilion in Huber Heights, Ohio. 

My 17-year-old daughter, Liv, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from an AVM on June 4, 2018. I had never heard of AVM and was left with so many questions. A year later, People magazine ran a feature on the country/southern rock singer Drake White who had revealed that he has AVM after nearly collapsing on a Roanoke, Virginia stage. I knew from the minute I read that article that Drake was somebody I wanted to interview, to ask questions about his condition and learn how he's dealing with it and trying to turn it into a positive in his life and in his music. Drake was kind enough to be an open book and, in some ways, helped me in my grieving process. He says he never takes things for granted anymore and feels like his purpose is to be out there sharing his message and helping people get through difficult times in their lives.

Read the People article about Drake White: https://people.com/country/drake-white-arteriovenous-malformation-diagnosis/

Learn more about AVM: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/brain-avm/symptoms-causes/syc-20350260

Check out Drake's website for music, tour information, merch and more: https://www.drakewhite.com/

With an illustrious five-decade, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career as one half of the Hall and Oates duo coming to an end, John Oates discusses how writing and recording his own material has made music fun again. Oates has a handful of sold-out tour dates to end the year and he shares what fans should expect from these shows, from how he'll tell stories behind the songs to what might be on the setlist.

www.johnoates.com

www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist

This morning, August 23, 2021, I learned that ex-Trouble singer Eric Wagner had passed away from Covid Pneumonia. While I had been considering share older interviews on CHIP CHATS, I was planning on waiting but with Eric's passing, I wanted to share an interview I did with him in October 2017 for ColumbusCalling.com. After Eric left Trouble, he started a band named The Skull and the band was making their first Columbus, Ohio stop at Ace of Cups. I interviewed some of the guys in Trouble back in the mid-90s but Eric did not take part so this was my first chance to speak with him. As you'll hear, while Eric fronted some heavy doom metal bands, he was influenced by the artists he grew up listening to, including the Beatles, The Doors and Pink Floyd. I was fortunate to catch up with Eric after The Skull's show and he told me that he enjoyed our conversation. RIP Eric Wagner (1959-2021). Please get vaccinated.

Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule joins this episode to discuss the music he grew up with, the band's new album, Peace ... Like a River, this summer's Dark Side of the Mule tour and more.

Gov't Mule tour info and news: https://mule.net/

Gov't Mule live show downloads: https://www.nugs.net/govt-mule-concerts-live-downloads-in-mp3-flac-or-online-music-streaming-1/

Follow Chip Chats on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

Stewart Copeland opens up about the influx of Police-related projects in 2023 — including two albums and a book — which he sees as an opportunity to create space for pursuing his other passions in the upcoming year. In this interview with the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer, Copeland delves into his deep affection for composing orchestral pieces, shares the emotions evoked when encountering The Police’s music unexpectedly, and discloses his keen interest in keeping tabs on the current endeavors of both Sting and Andy Summers.

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For all things Stewart Copeland visit https://www.stewartcopeland.net/

Watch this interview on the CHIP CHATS YouTube channel - https://youtu.be/icVhAHPcEtQ?si=vjvALInJqQDX8QA1

It's easy to write off LURK as a punk band but there's so much more to the Chicago band's music. Lead singer Kevin Kiley says in a press release that they were hoping for a Ramones-meets-Devo-meets-B52s-meets-Cramps sound and you can hear a little bit of all that on LURK's debut album, Around the Sun, out on September 17 (Pure Noise Records). Kevin shares what it was like to play a show just before the world shut down, what it's like getting back on stage now, venues in Chicago where he's seen cool shows, the hustle bands have to do around album releases and memories of Ohio.

Intro song: "Crack a Smile" from LURK's Around the Sun

For merch, music, tour dates and more, visit: https://lurkusa.com/

What more can you say about the guitar legend Zakk Wylde? Zakk got his start playing in Ozzy Osbourne's band in the late '80s before forming Black Label Society in 1998. BLS will be releasing their 11th studio album, Doom Crew Inc., on November 26. I had a chance to chat with Zakk about some of the new songs, touring, taking time off the road during the pandemic, making videos, meeting fans, New York Yankee great Thurman Munson and more.

http://blacklabelsociety.net/

This is why you should always interview the opening band! Had it not been for Soundgarden's publicist declining an interview request I made while as a college student in 1991, I may never have met Blind Melon. The friendship I made with those guys early on continues today as I just had the chance to hang out with guitarist Christopher Thorn who is now a member of The Afghan Whigs. While I have a lot of Blind Melon stories, this is the origin story and includes audio from the first interview I did with Shannon as well as the follow up a year later as part of a conference call with other college journalists.

00:00 - 06:45 - Intro and backstory about how I met Blind Melon

06:45 - 48:51 - 1991 phone interview with Shannon Hoon

48:51 - 54:46 - 1992 phone interview with Shannon Hoon

Blind Melon guitarist Rogers Stevens and bassist Nathan Towne began writing songs together in 2017. During the pandemic, the duo continued writing and started recording those songs. In May of this year, the debut album from TOWNE & STEVENS dropped onto streaming platforms and is filled with classic '70s rock sounds.

For more info on TOWNE & STEVENS check out:

https://www.instagram.com/towneandstevens

https://www.facebook.com/towneandstevens

https://twitter.com/towneandstevens

https://towneandstevens.com/

Follow Chip Midnight at:

https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist

https://twitter.com/chipmidnight

www.chipmidnight.com

Guitarist Paul Crook joined Meat Loaf's band, Neverland Express, in 2003 and has been in the band ever since. When Meat Loaf's health took a turn for the worse in 2016, Neverland Express began playing shows, with Meat Loaf's blessing, with American Idol season 13 winner Caleb Johnson handling vocals. The band's purpose is to celebrate Meat Loaf's musical legacy while adding their own flavor to the songs that so many people have loved for decades. Neverland Express re-recorded Meat Loaf's debut, best-selling album Bat Out of Hell and released it with the title, Paradise Found: Bat Out of Hell Re-Ignited, as a gift to the fans who have been coming to see the band perform.  In this chat, Paul and I talk about how he discovered Meat Loaf's music, what his role was in the band, the time he spent as a guitar tech for Blue Oyster Cult, and his short stint in Anthrax. Paul Crook's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul.crook.music Neverland Express: https://batexperience.com/

On the eve of The Cult's eleventh album (Under the Midnight Sun), I have the chance to have a lengthy conversation with guitarist Billy Duffy who talks about splitting time between L.A. and the UK, playing new music on tour, The Cult's influence on grunge, classic rock radio and more.

A bucket list interview, I had the chance to chat with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Andy Summers of The Police on my birthday. Andy released a coffee table book of his photographs called A Series of Glances during the summer of 2023 and has spent time on the road doing a mixed-media performance including music, storytelling and sharing photos from his collection.

For tour dates and more info, visit www.andysummers.com

Michigander's debut, self-titled full-length album is packed full of hooky earworms with insatiable choruses that you'll be singing along with the first time you hear the songs.

Michigander's Jason Singer is one of the greatest humans I've ever had the chance to chat with - and this is the third time we've had this opportunity. We talk about songwriting, working with co-writers, social media and podcasts in this episode.

https://www.michiganderband.com/

https://breakerbox.podbean.com/

https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

With a new album - his first in 10 years - hitting streaming services and stores, Sebastian Bach joins me on this episode to talk about Child Within the Man, his vinyl collection, the inspiration for the song "Hard Darkness," his favorite new song ("(Hold On) To The Dream"), why he doesn't stick with a consistent band lineup and what fans should expect when they come to see him live.

https://www.sebastianbach.com/

Joe Lekas and Ben Douglas of the Nashville, Tennessee band Palm Ghosts join me for this episode to talk about their new album, Post Preservation, writing lyrics, touring during the pandemic, the soaring price of concert tickets, the (un)importance of release day and much more. If you're expecting country music, you're in the wrong place - Palm Ghosts are way more influenced by '80s/'90s UK rock and post-punk than anything with a twang.

Check out the extensive Palm Ghosts catalog at https://palmghosts.bandcamp.com/

Mike Portnoy's name is one of the most recognizable in the hard rock community. As the co-founder of Dream Theater (1989-2009), Portnoy's either recorded or toured with artists such as the Transatlantic, Sons of Apollo, Metal Allegiance, Neal Morse, and Avenged Sevenfold. In 2012, he hooked up with Richie Kotzen and Billy Sheehan to form the supergroup The Winery Dogs who released their third album, the simply titled III, on Feb 3, 2023. Learn more at: https://www.mikeportnoy.com/ http://www.thewinerydogs.com/ 

Nation of Language's debut album, Introduction, Presence, was released shortly after the world went into lockdown. At the time, with no end in sight (ie - no touring to promote the album), the trio - Ian Devaney, Aidan Noell, and Michael Sue-Poi - went to work recording a second album. Released in November 2021, A Way Forward, is a truer sound and reflective of what the band has been going through since 2020. While Ian has spoken extensively about the songwriting process and the songs, I decided to chat more about touring as Nation of Language will be spending quite a bit of time on the road in 2022.

I love talking about music. I love talking about music with friends. As a way to recap 2022 - from albums to concerts to things we're looking forward to in 2023 - I invited those friends that I love talking about music with to join me at the first ever CHIP CHATS roundtable.

Featured on this episode:

• Jason Bodak
• Mike Lovins (The Reel Gay Movie Show Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/35bk9k8yqn2cy6WJh2pak8?si=a2e859e2d551443a)
• Brian Hake (Sports Wednesday Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/2ep2f3rJM95JiUsXVseAha?si=f1003de2981547e7)
• Matt Longley (Sports Wednesday Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/2ep2f3rJM95JiUsXVseAha?si=f1003de2981547e7)
• Christina Lautazi (Pop Periscope Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/52hSQDJ9F5ZlATP8kkFBh6?si=136a13e52b524c4f)

You may know Steve Wynn from The Dream Syndicate, Gutterball, The Baseball Project or his solo career. Having been a professional musician for four decades, Wynn's released a wealth of material that I've only just started digging deeply into. His latest release, 2020's Decade, is an 11-CD box set featuring the albums Wynn recorded between 1995 and 2005 and includes 50+ previously unreleased songs. That's 11 hours worth of music just in this box set! Steve's doing a backyard and living room house show tour from September 3 - September 19 and that was the reason for this phone call. But, of course, we talked about things other than the tour including songwriting, the Fantasy Baseball league he's in, the 1977 New York Yankees, the amazing new Los Lobos album, Wynn's friendship with Bob Forrest and his favorite Ohio memory.

Catch Wynn on his intimate solo tour - https://www.stevewynn.net/tour.php

This episodes features a conversation with Tarek Jafar and Justin Tessier of the Canadian rock duo The Blue Stones. Having released their third album, Pretty Monster, in November 2022, the duo is finally getting the chance to do a headlining tour in the U.S. We chat about the tour, song inspirations, bands we've outgrown, merch, and what's on their camera rolls.

The Blue Stones tour dates can be found at: www.thebluestonesmusic.com

We were all surprised to learn of the passing of Bob Saget on January 9, 2021. Bob played America's dad as Danny Tanner on Full House and was a well-respected comedian whose stand-up performances are legendary. In 2019, I started a podcast at my day job where I asked employees to share personal stories with me. One of my co-workers, Jeff D'Anza, came on my podcast to share a story about meeting Bob Saget at a college bar. It's really a great story and one that left Jeff with a great memory.

For nearly 30 years I've been trying to find a recording of the March 9, 1994 Blind Melon concert at the State Theater in Detroit, Michigan. Lead singer Shannon Hoon spotted me in the crowd and said my name from the stage. Getting a copy of the show has been my white whale - I've been searching forever and never thought I'd find it until I interviewed Blind Melon guitarist Rogers Stevens on CHIP CHATS Episode 19 and he mentioned that, in the early days, the band recorded a lot of shows from the soundboard. Would I finally catch my white whale? Listen to the episode to find out.

Armored Saint's John Bush joins me for this episode of CHIP CHATS from a tour bus somewhere in Texas. Armored Saint is in the midst of a nearly sold-out national tour with W.A.S.P. and things couldn't be going better for the band that formed in the early '80s. In this chat, John and I discuss setlists, meet-and-greets, John's appearance in the Huey Lewis and The News "The Heart of Rock and Roll Video," and playing the "rock star" card.

Always great to chat with Aaron Perrino (The Sheila Divine, Dear Leader) about what he's working on. Aaron teamed up with Steven Lord (The Dirty Bangs) on a new project called Aaron and the Lord. The duo, with help from Tanya Donelly (Belly), Mike Bethmann, and Paul Kolderie, released their debut, self-titled, album in October and it's available on all the streaming services. 

In this chat, we talk about how the duo got together, what the guys listened to during the pandemic, what it was like working with Tanya and much, much more.

https://aaronthelord.bandcamp.com/

Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens recently collaborated with The String Revolution to honor Randy Rhoads' induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by covering the Ozzy Osbourne song, "Crazy Train." It's a unique twist on the heavy metal classic involving string players and Stevens' Flamenco guitar work. 

In this conversation, Stevens shares how he got involved with the project, what the early '80s were like living and playing music in New York City, making new music with Billy Idol, working with Ozzy and Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, who he considers to be today's guitar heroes, Billy Idol's tour with Journey and whether or not he'll be part of the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack. 

Listen to The String Revolution featuring Steve Stevens cover of "Crazy Train":  https://orcd.co/tsrsscrazytrain

Learn more about Steve Stevens: https://www.stevestevensguitar.com/

Learn more about The String Revolution: https://thestringrevolution.com/

Kix put out their first album in 1981. With influences ranging from AC/DC to Aerosmith to Hanoi Rocks, Kix hit the scene about 6 years before their peers in bands like Poison and Warrant starting getting noticed. Guitarist Brian "Damage" Forsythe talked about playing festivals in the 'burbs, Kix's longevity, some of the surprising bands that have cited Kix as an influence and what it's like living in Nashville. For more info on Kix, check out www.kixband.com

Pop-punk veterans Samiam released their ninth album, Stowaway, in March. On this episode, guitarists Sergie Loobkoff and Sean Kennerly join me to discuss the making of the album, the challenge in keeping a band active for 30+ years, how they feel about pop-punk music in 2023, songs that remind them of certain specific moments in their lives, eating hot wings while drunk and more.

Visit http://samiamband.com/ for more info on the band. Follow Samiam on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/samiam.band/

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/

Members of the San Diego band Mrs. Henry drop by for a post-holiday discussion about their epic concept album, Keep on Rising, and discuss their The Band tribute act, Chest Fever.

Guests: Daniel Cervantes, Blake Dean, Jody Bagley

Music heard on this episode comes from Mrs. Henry's Keep on Rising - https://mrshenry.bandcamp.com/album/keep-on-rising

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chipmidnight_journalist/