Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Steve Vai - legend! And a really nice guy. Sometimes it can be tough talking with someone who's done so much in his career. I mean, where do you start?
He's touring, playing the music of King Crimson with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Terry Bozzio. They're playing a show in Detroit at the Masonic Jack White Theater. Of course I had to ask him if he'd ever met or played with the local legend, because he's played with everyone. Oddly enough, he's never played with or met Jack.
That's for starters. We also talked about his time in David Lee Roth. I'm a huge fan of that era and of that album. He did tell me that Dave would take his musical ideas and work on the ones he liked.
He's also got a new album dropping on November 6th. It's called Sea of Emotions. That's the collaboration with Joe Satriani, from whom he took guitar lessons as a kid. To say they know each other well is an understatement.
Great to speak with Steve....enjoy!
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I mean, how cool is it that I get to talk to a guy like Alice Cooper. Pretty Cool! The Rock City Music Company event with Alice is sold out, but that doesn't mean you can't buy his latest book Devil On My Shoulder. He told me about the idea behind the book and the process that made it happen. "It's unbelievable", Alice said about the popularity of the book a couple weeks after its release. "It's me writing the book, but Alice who I play on stage keeps interrupting me"
Of course, he had to shout out some of the local sports teams like the Lions and Tigers. Being a native Detroiter, he's got lots of roots here. Including family in Royal Oak.
We also talked about local Detroit rock, including how he dated Ted Nugent's high school girlfriend, Cindy. He said he did, but it obviously didn't work out. "All of the Detroit bands were best friends," Alice said. He talked about partying with all the bands back in the day. "Detroit bands really stayed together." "The Detroit rock scene was by far strongest family rock scene of anybody," he would tell me. "Detroit bands were all buddies."
I asked him about his Las Vegas shows with magician Criss Angel. He said the show is fantastic. I asked him if he's taken anything from the show to incorporate into his rock show. He told me Criss started his magic after seeing Welcome to my Nightmare and spurred the interest in becoming a rocker magician.
We also discussed the similarities with Boston and Detroit's music scene. "We were influenced by the same bands." he told me. Guitar driven, in your face rock n' roll is how the bands are built.
We'll see you at Rock City Music Company on November 5th if you've got your ticket to meet the legendary Alice Cooper! A huge Thank You to Nick over at RCMC for the hookup!
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I love talking to Gil Moore from Triumph. As a kid who grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. I was inundated with Triumph music from an early age through local radio. All these years later, it's always a thrill to talk to anyone in the band.
As you know, the band reformed with the help of Phil X, Brent Fitz, and Todd Kerns to bring the music to the people. How did it go? "The response was so powerful from the audience" is just one comment of positivity from Gil. "The band is having a blast. The crowd is having a blast. It's a lovefest."
"A piece of cake" is how Gil felt about his vocals and drumming and getting back on tour after decades off. "Just getting on there and doing it." He said everyone got their sleep, no drinking, just laughs and fun times on the road. "It's like a family vacation. It couldn't be more fun."
As far as stage production goes, he said they're bringing out lasers on the next tour. "We were always a go big or go home kind of more." He also alluded to bringing out more pyro. Yes!!
He also talked about the lack of Mike Levine on tour. He said his health hasn't allowed him to hit the road, but he's there in spirit and on the screens in the arenas.
That's for starters, talking with Gil....
As I mentioned, it's always great to chat with Gil. I cannot wait to see him and the band this fall.
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Mark Kendall is back to talk about his improving health, his upcoming book, and more.
Mark's been fighting a cancer battle and, by all counts, winning! Great to hear the news as he keeps the fans updated on his fight.
He's been working on an autobiography, Soul of a Man. He worked on it with a ghostwriter for 16 months. After shopping it around to several different publishing companies, he landed on a company, and now the book will be available next fall. We talked about some of the stories in the book, including his relationship with former singer Jack Russell. I've spoken with Mark many times about Jack and him, and I can say, with certainty, he's never said a bad word about him to me. "It was more than the music; it was one big family", Mark told me.
He even told me how they came about the name, Great White. "It wasn't a name like Slayer, where every song has to be kill your parents," he told me with a laugh.
"They're going to learn a lot," Mark told me when I asked him about his kids and grandchildren reading the book. He told me he didn't know that much about his parents, so this was a chance to tell them, which is pretty cool, he said.
We also talked about classic Great White songs and what legendary producer he'd wished they would've had a chance to work with.
Again, another fascinating conversation with Mark.
Enjoy!

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Dirty Honey is dropping a new album to start off 2027. Catch My Butterfly is coming out on January 15th. Marc LaBelle was kind enough to join me and talk about the album, two songs of which have been released. "Lights Out" and "Butterfly" are out now. Marc talked about the very personal nature of "Butterfly", a song he was somewhat afriad to share with his bandmates. We discussed the album artwork, their upcoming tour plans, and, of course, NHL hockey. Listen to find out who he thinks will hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.
To wrap up this ep., it's Jack Underkofler of Dead Poets Society. They also have a new album coming out. Monarch drops on October 2nd. He tells me about the thought process for the videos he directed. They have a certain feel that he talks about. We discuss his upbringing in Boston and Virginia, his time at the Berklee College of Music, and much more.
Thanks for listening!
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