We kick off 2022 in fine form with the super talented, Nita Strauss. She tells me about her upcoming solo album, the progress made on the new Alice Cooper album, her crazy schedule and the energy she brings on stage.. 

She answers a question from fellow guitarist, John 5, tells me the most asked questions during her V.I.P. meet and greets, and even talks some NFL. 

Nita was so generous with her time, and fun to talk with! 

Enjoy!

-Meltdown-

https://www.nitastrauss.com/

https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/

 

We kick off 2022 in fine form with the super talented, Nita Strauss. She tells me about her upcoming solo album, the progress made on the new Alice Cooper album, her crazy schedule and the energy she brings on stage..&nbsp;
She answers a question from fellow guitarist, John 5, tells me the most asked questions during her V.I.P. meet and greets, and even talks some NFL.&nbsp;
Nita was so generous with her time, and fun to talk with!&nbsp;
Enjoy!
-Meltdown-
<a href="https://www.nitastrauss.com/">https://www.nitastrauss.com/</a>
<a href="https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/">https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown/</a>
&nbsp;

The biggest names in rock music are Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown. From Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame members to bands just starting out, Meltdown takes rock music fans behind the scenes to find out what these talented musicians are really about. Come along for the ride as Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown invites you to find out more than you ever thought you knew about all genres of Rock from Classic to Prog to Grunge and everything in between.

Talkin' Rock With Meltdown Podcast

Talkin' Rock With Meltdown

Talkin' Rock with Guitarist Nita Strauss

Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a lot going on. between concerts, family, and getting high-powered muscle cars delivered to his house, his plate is full!



I ran into Kenny a few weeks back in Nashville. I posted about that trip and a little about running into Kenny, here.



Onto what Kenny has going on. He'll be playing at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit on May 17th. For tickets, click here.



Kenny doesn't always hang out in Nashville, his home, but he did a few weeks back. I ran into him two nights in a row, at two comedy shows, so we talked about going to those shows.



As far as his shows go, he's always playing somewhere. I asked him the longest he'd gone without playing, and the answer was pretty easy, during the pandemic.



Kenny Wayne Shepherd Has Lots Of Music In The Can



He told me he already has four albums in the can! He says he's ready for the record label to ask him for new music. "Thankfully because I have all this material kind of stocked up, I haven't been under the gun to write lately, and that's kind of the point." He went on to say that he felt like he was constantly under pressure to write, and now he's relieved of that with these albums ready to go.



We talked about his monster hit "Blue On Black" and the latest cover of it from Five Finger Death Punch, Brian May, and Brantley Gilbert. He says he thinks a country artist could make a hit out of that song as well.



Kenny Wayne On Jimi Hendrix



He'll be heading out on the Hendrix Experience this fall with some great guitarists. He said the family of Jimi loves it. He's been a part of this since it became a thing in Seattle. "I've done a lot of Hendrix songs over the years and I feel that I do them justice."



Now, onto cars. He's a huge car guy, as am I. When I saw him a few weeks back, he was waiting for the arrival of his latest muscle car. Well, it came, and it sounds insane!



He got a Dodge Demon 170 1170HP. He did the "Jailbreak" program, with a one-of-kind paint job. He said there's a little more to it which we'll find out about soon.



Always great to talk with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a lot going on. between concerts, family, and getting high-powered muscle cars delivered to his house, his plate is full!
 
I ran into Kenny a few weeks back in Nashville. I posted about that trip and a little about running into Kenny, <a href="https://wrif.com/galleries/kid-rock-sings-at-the-grand-ole-opry/">here</a>.
 
Onto what Kenny has going on. He'll be playing at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit on May 17th. For tickets, click <a href="https://www.ticketmaster.com/the-kenny-wayne-shepherd-band-detroit-michigan-05-17-2024/event/08006025AAD01C31">here</a>.
 
Kenny doesn't always hang out in Nashville, his home, but he did a few weeks back. I ran into him two nights in a row, at two comedy shows, so we talked about going to those shows.
 
As far as his shows go, he's always playing somewhere. I asked him the longest he'd gone without playing, and the answer was pretty easy, during the pandemic.
 
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Has Lots Of Music In The Can
 
He told me he already has four albums in the can! He says he's ready for the record label to ask him for new music. "Thankfully because I have all this material kind of stocked up, I haven't been under the gun to write lately, and that's kind of the point." He went on to say that he felt like he was constantly under pressure to write, and now he's relieved of that with these albums ready to go.
 
We talked about his monster hit "Blue On Black" and the latest cover of it from Five Finger Death Punch, Brian May, and Brantley Gilbert. He says he thinks a country artist could make a hit out of that song as well.
 
Kenny Wayne On Jimi Hendrix
 
He'll be heading out on the Hendrix Experience this fall with some great guitarists. He said the family of Jimi loves it. He's been a part of this since it became a thing in Seattle. "I've done a lot of Hendrix songs over the years and I feel that I do them justice."
 
Now, onto cars. He's a huge car guy, as am I. When I saw him a few weeks back, he was waiting for the arrival of his latest muscle car. Well, it came, and it sounds insane!
 
He got a Dodge Demon 170 1170HP. He did the "Jailbreak" program, with a one-of-kind paint job. He said there's a little more to it which we'll find out about soon.
 
Always great to talk with Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - His Upcoming Tour, The Stockpile Of Music He Has, A New Dodge And More

Don Jamieson's latest comedy album is No Sleep 'Til McSorley's. Once again, he's modeled his latest album after a famous rock record. This time around it's Motorhead's, No Sleep "til Hammersmith. He explains why he chose that pub, and how he got permission to use the famous album cover.

On the album, Don takes on many social and rock topics. It's a skill that he has where he can meld both worlds without sounding preaching or like he's taking sides. "Is there an underlying message to it? Of course there is" Don said. As far as who he takes shots at on the record, he said "Everybody gets it on the album". He said he gets a lot off his chest. 

We talked about how surreal it is that we have the good fortune of getting to know our childhood rock star heroes. Don flashed back to seeing the mighty Judas Priest as a kid, with the "Metal God" Rob Halford right in front of him. He said that he'll never forget that feeling, but he's never lost that fandom.

The record opens with Lemmy from Motorhead introducing it.....or is it him? He explains. You can order the album on vinyl here.

Don Jamieson On Meeting Lemmy From Motorhead

Don talks about meeting his idol, Lemmy several times. He said he tread lightly around the rock icon until he had his first drink with him. That was the time when he knew that he'd taken a liking to him.

Has Don ever been star-struck? He had a couple of experiences that he talked about, but it wasn't with anyone in the rock world. He also talked about a few of the classic musicians he's had the chance to meet. One from the Monkees and one from Led Zeppelin. 

Great to have my friend, Don Jamieson on Talkin' Rock with Meltdown. 

Don Jamieson's latest comedy album is No Sleep 'Til McSorley's. Once again, he's modeled his latest album after a famous rock record. This time around it's <a href="/tag/motorhead">Motorhead</a>'s, No Sleep "til Hammersmith. He explains why he chose that pub, and how he got permission to use the famous album cover.
On the album, Don takes on many social and rock topics. It's a skill that he has where he can meld both worlds without sounding preaching or like he's taking sides. "Is there an underlying message to it? Of course there is" Don said. As far as who he takes shots at on the record, he said "Everybody gets it on the album". He said he gets a lot off his chest. 
We talked about how surreal it is that we have the good fortune of getting to know our childhood rock star heroes. Don flashed back to seeing the mighty <a href="/tag/judas-priest">Judas Priest</a> as a kid, with the "Metal God" Rob Halford right in front of him. He said that he'll never forget that feeling, but he's never lost that fandom.
The record opens with Lemmy from Motorhead introducing it.....or is it him? He explains. You can order the album on <a href="https://experiencevinyl.com/collections/don-jamieson-no-sleep-til-mcsorleys-vinyl-lp">vinyl here</a>.
Don Jamieson On Meeting Lemmy From Motorhead
Don talks about meeting his idol, Lemmy several times. He said he tread lightly around the rock icon until he had his first drink with him. That was the time when he knew that he'd taken a liking to him.
Has Don ever been star-struck? He had a couple of experiences that he talked about, but it wasn't with anyone in the rock world. He also talked about a few of the classic musicians he's had the chance to meet. One from the Monkees and one from Led Zeppelin. 
Great to have my friend, <a href="https://www.donjamieson.com/">Don Jamieson</a> on <a href="https://wrif.com/podcasts/talkin-rock-with-meltdown-2/">Talkin' Rock with Meltdown</a>.

Rock Comedian Don Jamieson

What a pleasure to have James "JY" Young in the studio to talk all things Styx, and more. The upcoming "Renegades and Juke Box Heroes" tour features Foreigner and John Waite. They'll be playing Pine Knob on June 15th.

We talked about a lot of topics. Playing in the band with great musicians like Tommy Shaw, and Lawrence Gowen.

Where does Styx live in the music world...Rock or Progressive Rock? JY answers that question. "It's hard to define us because a lot of the stuff is prog. But, ya know, some of the ballads are pretty much straight-ahead rock ballads." That led to how JY got into music.

How did the Grunge era affect them? At first, he said "Zero" as far as the music was concerned.  But he did say that the band may have seen a dip in concert attendance, but that's passed and now they're selling lots of tickets.

Did the Beatles playing on The Ed Sullivan Show influence him? He said they did, but older siblings did too. He expanded on that.

What legendary guitarist did he see live five times? I'm not sure if I've ever met anyone who has seen the player so many times. "That's the most profound influence on my playing," he said of the guitarist.

I asked him his thoughts on the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame. "Well, I don't know. It's very East Coast-centric for people that have a vote. Styx probably deserves to be in there, but I'm not holding my breath." He didn't mention names, but at the end of the day, he said it's about the fans and music. He spoke of fans telling him about how Styx's music helped them through periods of their lives. "Music affects everyone differently, and we've made some great records."

It was a thrill to have JY, and the band's manager, George, in the studio with me. A huge pleasure.

What a pleasure to have James "JY" Young in the studio to talk all things <a href="/tag/styx">Styx</a>, and more. The upcoming "Renegades and Juke Box Heroes" tour features Foreigner and John Waite. They'll be playing Pine Knob on June 15th.
We talked about a lot of topics. Playing in the band with great musicians like Tommy Shaw, and Lawrence Gowen.
Where does <a href="https://styxworld.com/">Styx</a> live in the music world...Rock or Progressive Rock? JY answers that question. "It's hard to define us because a lot of the stuff is prog. But, ya know, some of the ballads are pretty much straight-ahead rock ballads." That led to how JY got into music.
How did the Grunge era affect them? At first, he said "Zero" as far as the music was concerned.  But he did say that the band may have seen a dip in concert attendance, but that's passed and now they're selling lots of tickets.
Did the Beatles playing on The Ed Sullivan Show influence him? He said they did, but older siblings did too. He expanded on that.
What legendary guitarist did he see live five times? I'm not sure if I've ever met anyone who has seen the player so many times. "That's the most profound influence on my playing," he said of the guitarist.
I asked him his thoughts on the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame. "Well, I don't know. It's very East Coast-centric for people that have a vote. Styx probably deserves to be in there, but I'm not holding my breath." He didn't mention names, but at the end of the day, he said it's about the fans and music. He spoke of fans telling him about how Styx's music helped them through periods of their lives. "Music affects everyone differently, and we've made some great records."
It was a thrill to have JY, and the band's manager, George, in the studio with me. A huge pleasure.

Talkin' Rock with Guitarist Nita Strauss

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