1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:01,320 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 2: Nobody had ever heard anything like that in context of 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 2: the Christmas songs. You know, you got to hit on 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 2: your hands when talk radio is playing your song. Country, 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,319 Speaker 2: urban stations, everybody was playing that long thing so you 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 2: get through the holiday season. We had a bona fide 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 2: hit on our hands and that was good for me. 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: I was so happy. It's a funny side note that 9 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: my mom had called me up like sometime during the 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 2: course of that holiday season. She goes, you know, I 11 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 2: heard this song on the radio and such good guitar playing, 12 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 2: and she goes, why couldn't you do something like that? 13 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of the Taking a Walk podcast 14 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: hosted by Buzznight, where Buzz walks down memory lane with 15 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: the lives and careers of music's most fascinating figures. Today, 16 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: you're in for a special treat as Buzz is joined 17 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: by a man who has helped redefine the sound of 18 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: holiday music and rock orchestration, the legendary Al Petrelli of 19 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: Trans Siberian Orchestra. Al's journey through music is nothing short 20 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: of extraordinary, from shredding alongside metal icons like Megadeth and 21 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: Alice Cooper to becoming the musical director of the groundbreaking 22 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: Trans Siberian Orchestra, Al continues to leave an indelible mark 23 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: on the rock landscape. Here's Boss with Al Petrelli on 24 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: taking a walk. 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 3: Well, Al, thanks for being on taking a walk. It's 26 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:24,839 Speaker 3: a true honor. 27 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. 28 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 4: So you've been with the Trans Siberian Orchestra since its inception. 29 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 4: Can you take us back to how you first connected 30 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 4: with Paul O'Neill and the Great TSO project? 31 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 2: Long time my friend. I met Paul in nineteen eighty five, 32 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 2: and I was, you know, cutting my teeth in New 33 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: York City, you know, trying to do what every other 34 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 2: guitar part musician was doing back then. Paul was a songwriter, 35 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: producer already, and we were just met in the clubs. 36 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 2: You know. We would chat, run into each other. Hey, 37 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: you know, we got to work together one day, you know, 38 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 2: those conversations and I went about the beginnings of my 39 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 2: career and Paul was becoming Paul, you know, And I 40 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 2: remember almost ten years later, it's going to be thirty 41 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 2: years ago this coming February. So from eighty five to 42 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: ninety five, we would chit chat and I was just 43 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: starting to do pretty good for myself, and he was 44 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: aware of that. And he had this project he was 45 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 2: working on with the band Sabotage, and the album is 46 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 2: called Dead Winter Dead, and he was looking auditioning guitar 47 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 2: players for that project because unfortunately Chris Olieve had passed 48 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 2: away a couple of years prior and they had Alex 49 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: Skolnik had stepped in to fill those shoes for I 50 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 2: think a year or two, and then he chose to 51 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: move on to somewhere else. Segment and Paul was looking 52 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 2: for a guitar player, looking for a guitar player, and 53 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 2: people kept from what I heard, people kept putting my 54 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: name in his ear, and he'said, no, no, no, he's 55 00:02:57,840 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 2: a session player. I don't want a session payer. I 56 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 2: need somebody whould really dig into this. And a mutual 57 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 2: friend said, listen, you're running out of time. Call PETRELLI 58 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 2: make the record what you want to make him worry 59 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: about everything else afterwards. So he kind of okay, you know, 60 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 2: And I got this phone call one night in February 61 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 2: ninety five and he goes, listen, I could use some help. 62 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 2: I'm like, God, it's about time, all right, cool, you know, 63 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: and he goes, would you come into the city, and 64 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: I just I'm kind of looking for something and nobody's 65 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: been able to give it to me in Fine, So 66 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 2: I walk in, I put my list ball on my lap, 67 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 2: you know, tweet the marshal a little bit whatever it is, 68 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: and he puts the faders up and I looked at 69 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 2: him like, you know your dog looks at you when 70 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 2: you're not sure what's going on? And what was with 71 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 2: the Christmas song? Dude? And he laughed, you know. And 72 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 2: then because that kind of you know, got rid of 73 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:50,839 Speaker 2: all the the tension in the room, like the first 74 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 2: time working was selling. Yeah, And when we left, he goes, well, 75 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: it's not really a Christmas song. It's a soundtrack depicting 76 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 2: events that took place on christmasive during the war in Sarajevra. 77 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: That was a very deep statement. All the years I've 78 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: been working with producers and doing records and film scoring 79 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 2: and soundtrack got TV commercials, a nobody had ever opened 80 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: up a session with anything like that. So I said, 81 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 2: you got my attention. Well what do you mean? He 82 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 2: goes the stories about this classically trained cellist who's going 83 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: down to the town square and Saraevo, Bossever wherever it was, 84 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: and he's playing works by the great composers in protests 85 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 2: to the incoming the bomber bombing rates that were starting 86 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 2: to happen. And I had this like weird look on 87 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 2: my face, I guess, and he goes, what's the matter. 88 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,359 Speaker 2: I said, well, I was Alice Cooper's musical director in 89 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: eighty nine and ninety and I played what was Zagreb 90 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 2: and Belgrade and I was in the town square that 91 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 2: you're talking abouts. And he looked at me, he goes, really, 92 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,200 Speaker 2: and I'm like, hey, press record right now. And that's 93 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: when I started going up boot dude, and I started 94 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 2: humming God, rest your God, rescue Marry Gentleman over the 95 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: top of that. Yes, So we went from being a 96 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 2: producer and a guitar player to being a pair of 97 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: film scores without the luxury of the visual of that. 98 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: But I could see it in my head. I was there, 99 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: you know, and my job as a guitar player, or 100 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 2: as a piano player, or as a musician is to 101 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 2: serve the song, not this necessarily all the time, you know. 102 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 2: So when he started telling me the story, this is 103 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: a really really dark story, and I immediately heard the 104 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 2: opening chords to the sound of Silence by Simon Garfunkle. 105 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:46,800 Speaker 2: You know, help Haunting, you know, hello darkness, Smile friend. 106 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,799 Speaker 2: I won't sing because you'll want to end the interview. 107 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: But anyway, but then he's like, okay, I could see 108 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 2: the planes coming off in the distance and then bounce 109 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: good gun band kicks it, and he goes, but I 110 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 2: need something more. And I went in with this little 111 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 2: Austinado didn't do it and didn't dud and didn't do it, 112 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 2: and he said, that's the stormtroopers coming in. And then 113 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 2: all hell breaks Louis is the song on furls, you know, 114 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 2: like the bombs and this and that, and you know, 115 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: we finished that, and he goes, that's exactly what I 116 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 2: was looking for, you know. And of course I got 117 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: to be me at the end of the song with 118 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: that really fast kind of run at the end. But 119 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: I I just approached it from a cinematic point of view, 120 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 2: you know. And then he said, why don't we like 121 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: look at something else and look at something else, and 122 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 2: I think he said, I want to look at I 123 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 2: recorded part of Mozart's twenty third and twenty fourth Symphony 124 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 2: of course you did. You know, why wouldn't you? I said, 125 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: I let me hear what you got. And you know, 126 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 2: again it was two inch tape at the time. So 127 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 2: he rolled the tape and I'm like, stop, do you 128 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: have the score? And he goes, you can read. I'm 129 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: like yeah, oh, and he puts a score in front 130 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 2: of me and I'm looking here, okay, here's a cellipart 131 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: violin part o woll part Oh my god, okay, press recording. Oops, 132 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 2: wrong key. The score was in a different key than 133 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 2: what they recorded. And I goes out to promise, and 134 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 2: then they give me one seg presser and I site 135 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 2: transposted and he goes, how did you do that? I've 136 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 2: been reading music. I could read music before I could 137 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: read English, you know, growing up nineteen sixties, you know 138 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: public schools. You know they hands your trumpet you're in 139 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: the marching band, or I'll takeing guitar lessons. You know, 140 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 2: back in the early sixties, what do you do? You 141 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 2: learned to read music? And I had a very very 142 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 2: important person in my life when I was a teenager, 143 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: a guitar player. I'm sure you or where Steve II, 144 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 2: who grew up one town away from me, and he 145 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 2: went off to college and I replaced him in his 146 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 2: local bar band whatever. And he would come back from 147 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 2: college and he was Steve I, and he goes, listen, 148 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: you're really really good. Always make sure you work on 149 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 2: your reading. So when somebody Steve I tells you something, 150 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: you do it. You know, work on your reading, work 151 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 2: on your rhythm guitar playing. He goes, yeah, you can solo, 152 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: but who cares everybody, That's only five percent of your job. 153 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 2: Everything else is coming up with good rhythm parts, supportive 154 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: foundationary parts to music. So this is the stuff that 155 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: I got ancentrated on and growing up listening to a 156 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 2: lot of Lendond Bernstein music, you know West Side Story 157 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 2: or Andrew Lloyd Webber's works that would come through Rogers 158 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: and Hammerstein. You know, like, well these soundtracks. That's where 159 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 2: I grew up. That motown, you know, the sixties and 160 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 2: then the advent of FM radio in the seventies. So 161 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 2: my musical background was much more than just being a 162 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 2: guitar player. You know. I would always think I had 163 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: an arranger's ear, you know, horn parts, string parts, dynamics. 164 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: That's why I did pretty good with soundtrack work and 165 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 2: TV work. And things like that, working for Alice Cooper, 166 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: very theatrical presentation of music. All this stuff was getting 167 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 2: me ready for this one chance meeting and I'm gonna 168 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 2: be in a studio a Paul, you know, and he goes, well, 169 00:08:57,960 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: what are you doing for the rest of your life? 170 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 2: And I'm like, probably get divorced a couple of times, 171 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 2: but I'm gonna hang out with you a lot. And 172 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 2: that pretty much asked what happened. So he just he 173 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: developed his trusted me, and I developed his trust with 174 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 2: him that we knew we were going to take care 175 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 2: of the song for anything else, you know, So to 176 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: make a long story, you know, is painfully longer. We 177 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 2: finished that session and I thought it was just fantastic 178 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: music that he had put together, you know. And I 179 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: was so proud of the arrangements and the emotion and 180 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 2: the power and all the stuff that he was able 181 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 2: to bring out of a two inch tape because it's 182 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 2: a very visual record that sabotaged Dead with a Dead album, 183 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 2: you listen to that, he's taking you on a journey, 184 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,959 Speaker 2: and part of my job is to help. When his lyric, 185 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 2: his vocal melody stopped, it was my responsibility to continue 186 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 2: on that thought process, you know, different approach than being 187 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 2: one of these dudes. And there's nothing wrong with one 188 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 2: of these dudes. So if you fast forward to nineteen 189 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 2: ninety five, late November, we had the number one requested 190 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: song in America with Christmas are Able twelve twenty four. 191 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 2: Because nobody had ever heard anything like that in context 192 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 2: of the Christmas songs or the Christmas music that was 193 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,959 Speaker 2: being played. You know, you got to hit on your hands. 194 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: When talk radio is playing your. 195 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 3: Song, that's saying something, right, Yeah, the right country. 196 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 2: Urban stations. Everybody was playing that long thing. You know, 197 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 2: it was like almost not I don't want to compare 198 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 2: it to anything else, but when you heard Eddie Van 199 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 2: Hamill play the guitar solo and beat it, everyone went, 200 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 2: what what is that? You know, it was such a 201 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 2: left turn compared to what was going on. You know, 202 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:43,439 Speaker 2: So you get through the holiday season. We had a 203 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 2: bona fide hit on our hands and that was good 204 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,480 Speaker 2: for me. I was so happy, you know, I was 205 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 2: so proud. And it's a funny side note that my 206 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 2: mom had called me up like sometime during the course 207 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 2: of that holiday season. She goes, you know, I heard 208 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 2: this song on the radio and such good guitar playing, 209 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:03,439 Speaker 2: and she goes, why couldn't you do something like that? 210 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: I can't wait, that's funny. You can't make this up. Wow. 211 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,319 Speaker 2: So when your mom hears it, it's like, wow, this 212 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 2: really got out there, you know. And then he said, 213 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 2: we're going to write a record around that song. I 214 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 2: want to write an entire story around that one piece 215 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 2: of music. He goes, you win him like, yeah, you 216 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 2: know that was almost thirty years around that. 217 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 3: What a beautiful story. 218 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: So it's a great story. It's such a great story, 219 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: you know. And I try to tell younger musicians. I 220 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 2: have a very one of my best friends here in Omaha. 221 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 2: I've a guy named Mick Doyle, and he's my boxing coach, 222 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 2: and I got with him started fifteen years ago and ago. 223 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,520 Speaker 2: Every morning and he beats the snot out of me. 224 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 2: It's the worst hour of my life. But the rest 225 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 2: of the day, nothing bad can really happen to me. 226 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 2: Have to deal with him all morning. But one of 227 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,319 Speaker 2: the lessons you talk, I mean, never ever if you're 228 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 2: in a fight, don't box a boxer, don't wrestle a 229 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 2: jiu jitsu guy, don't kick a muy Thai guy, don't 230 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 2: do what everybody else is doing. That's what Paul and 231 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 2: Neil did, you know. I mean, I love Nat king 232 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:20,400 Speaker 2: Cole's Christmas music. I loved when David Bowie and Bing 233 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 2: Crosby did a little drummer boy. You know, I loved 234 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,719 Speaker 2: all the stuff that I grew up listening to. I 235 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:30,200 Speaker 2: love Donnie Hathaway's This Christmas. Nobody came up with a 236 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: song like Paul, don't box a boxer? 237 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 3: I love too. 238 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 4: How you you felt immediately that you two could talk 239 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 4: in shorthand basically right. 240 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: I mean that was evident from the start, from the jump. 241 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 2: That was a that was a whole other level of 242 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 2: how special our relationship was. Because I kind of understood 243 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 2: him everything that was that he was trying to articulate. 244 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 2: I got it, you know, And because I was thinking 245 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 2: in the way that he was thinking. He's creating a 246 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 2: soundtrack out, you know, whether it's John Williams or Hans 247 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 2: Zimmer or you know, any of these great composers, like 248 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 2: I said, you know, Bernstein, Andrew, Lloyd Webber. You know, 249 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 2: if you put on any one of these a really 250 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: good film and you turn the volume off. The Hunt 251 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 2: for Red October isn't as cool without the score underneath it. 252 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 2: You know, when the submarines go, you know, that's where 253 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 2: I live and that's where Paul lived. And that was 254 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 2: that understanding we've had with each other. You serve the song, 255 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,679 Speaker 2: you serve the story. It's not about me, it's not 256 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 2: about all this stuff. Yeah, I'll get to do that 257 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 2: on occasion or whatever it's called for, when it's appropriate 258 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 2: for the song. But that's the trust that we developed 259 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 2: in each other, knowing that, Okay, we're going to create 260 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 2: something that's going to just bring your lyrical story and 261 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 2: elevate it to where you want it to be. And 262 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 2: that was a really lovely relationship. So when you. 263 00:13:55,559 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 4: Reflect on Trans Hiberian Orchestra and you know the time 264 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 4: that's passed, I'm sure you first of all, never would 265 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 4: have imagined it would become this brand and this you know, 266 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 4: have this legacy that continues. How do you think things 267 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 4: have evolved over the years with TSO? 268 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: I think that we never looked in the rearview mirror 269 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 2: at our previous accomplishment yesterday, last year, any of that stuff. 270 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 2: He was always looking forward, always wanted to evolve musically 271 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 2: when it became a live thing. He wanted to put 272 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: everything back into the show. He wanted to make the 273 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 2: biggest rock show ever. He was so smart, he was 274 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: his imagination had no boundaries. You know. When he said 275 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 2: he wanted to have pyro hits being choreographed to beethoven 276 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 2: S Fifth Symphony, he was like, what or the laziest 277 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 2: being synced up to all my guitar work in Wizards 278 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: of Winter? You know, I remember it was the funniest 279 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 2: thing ever. Dude. We was sitting I don't know if 280 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 2: it was where it was a Lakeland, Florida or here 281 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 2: in Omaha wherever we were rehearsing at the time, but 282 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: he said, I want the lasers to be programmed to 283 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 2: every note that outplays on the guitar. And I think that, 284 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 2: Like the lighting crew is like, dude, that's impossible. He 285 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 2: goes really and he pulled out I'm going to say, 286 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 2: maybe an iPad and rolled back at the time and 287 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 2: there was some guy in Cleveland who programmed his house 288 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: lights to every one of my guitar notes. It was 289 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 2: the winter and posted. This guy did it with a 290 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: staple gun and a ladder from home depot and they 291 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 2: all went never mind will do it. You know, his 292 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: vision he was so just like ahead of everybody else 293 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 2: of what he saw in his head. And we just said, 294 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 2: you know what, if you think it up, we will 295 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 2: figure out a way to do it. You know, that's 296 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 2: what you do, if you know, if you equate it 297 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 2: to Walt Disney, he thought it out with a sketch 298 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 2: of a mouse. We'll get Disney now. 299 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 3: But you created your own category too. 300 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 2: Yes, yes, don't box a boxer, right. He created a 301 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 2: genre that didn't exist, which that in itself is kind 302 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 2: of miraculous. But he also created something that the entirety 303 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 2: of Like we just sold twenty million or twenty million ticket, 304 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 2: a lot of people got the story, you know. I mean, 305 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: you can't really argue with the math. If we're doing 306 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 2: this for thirty years and people keep coming out and 307 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 2: more people keep coming out every year. It's not about 308 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: the pyro, it's not about the lasers, it's not about 309 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 2: the music. It's about all of that and the story. 310 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 2: The story, the three stories that he wrote into the 311 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 2: Three Christmas Records are so accessible. There was a wonderful 312 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 2: quote from Leonard Bernstein that he said, great art should 313 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 2: be accessible, but never ordinary brilliant. It really when you 314 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 2: take it apart like that, it's brilliant. You know, he goes, 315 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 2: you know, this melody is so accessible, a Beethoven melody 316 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 2: he was referred to. But it's not banal, it's not ordinary. 317 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 2: That's Paul. And when I heard Burns that and say that, 318 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 2: I was like, there it is. You know, the people 319 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 2: in the audience can relate to the story why because 320 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 2: it's kind of about them. Tragedy, loss, redemption, heartbreak, time, 321 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: not having enough of it anymore, not wasting. You know, 322 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 2: everybody in the audience is like, oh my god, I 323 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 2: understand this because I just went through something like that. 324 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 2: It's almost cathartic. 325 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with More Than Taking a Walk podcast. 326 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 327 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 4: It must make you, guys feel so amazing thinking about 328 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 4: you know, how difficult the times are and how you 329 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 4: know every year is different obviously, but you know, you 330 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 4: reach this time of year and what TSO does in 331 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 4: terms of making people feel great is must be so 332 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:00,320 Speaker 4: gratifying on a whole. 333 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 2: Little different level. You know, Listen, I've been playing I've 334 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 2: been doing this forty something years, recording, touring, having so 335 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 2: much fun. But this thing I watched the audience. I've 336 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 2: never seen a TSR show, obviously, but I have my 337 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 2: own show when I stay downstage center and I look 338 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 2: at families three generations deep, celebrated, you know, little bitty 339 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 2: like three year old girls on their granddaddy's lap and 340 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: the pyro goes off and the little girl grabs her 341 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 2: granddaddy like she startled from it, and then they fist 342 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 2: bumped like ass you know, and then like you know what, 343 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 2: we do a show last year and then the following year, 344 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 2: like somebody who come up to and said, you know, 345 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 2: because of you, my son wants to take guitar lessons, 346 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 2: or my daughter wants to play violin like Asha, you know, 347 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 2: or piano or what. Reaching into that part of the 348 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 2: universe has been my greatest one of my favorite reward 349 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:02,760 Speaker 2: ever watching people, little kids going Beethoven's kind of cool, 350 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 2: you know. 351 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 4: So, can you talk about how your career with Alice 352 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 4: Cooper and Mega Death, how it really prepared you for 353 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,440 Speaker 4: this moment with Tso. 354 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 2: You know, I just turned sixty two in September, you know, 355 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 2: And it's funny that the older I get, the more 356 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,160 Speaker 2: I understand the journey I've been on if that makes 357 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 2: any sense. You know, everything that I have done since 358 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty four, when I saw the Beatles on Ed 359 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 2: Sullivan when I was a baby, to working for Alice, 360 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 2: to working with David Mustain, working with Celine Diaut, working 361 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 2: with whomever over the years, so many different artists, so 362 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 2: many different styles, male, female, all this stuff. I had 363 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 2: absolutely zero idea that it was all preparing me for 364 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 2: this one moment that was to become the transfer of 365 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 2: Here and Aucust, because if you look at it, it's 366 00:19:54,680 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 2: not genre specific, it's not male female specific. It's not 367 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 2: just metal, it's not just theater. It's all these different things. 368 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 2: And over the years, and by making several mistakes when 369 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 2: I was younger, it's like, Okay, I can't talk to 370 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 2: this artist like I would talk to this artist. You know. 371 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,160 Speaker 2: So in context is I have all these different artists 372 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 2: in one and I got a ten lead singers. You know, 373 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 2: I can't be conversive with Jeff Scott Sode the way 374 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:23,719 Speaker 2: that I converse with Klaulee Lowry done Mark So as 375 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 2: a musical director and having a lot of experience and 376 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 2: making a lot of booboos, you know, it's taught me 377 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 2: how to deal with stuff. Working for Alice taught me 378 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,360 Speaker 2: that the theatrical presentation when he put the straight jacket 379 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 2: on and became Dwight Fry in that song, he wasn't 380 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 2: Alice Cooper anymore? Did He was Dwite Frying with the 381 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 2: microphone jammed u W he I said, I gotta get 382 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 2: out of here, you know. And when he asked me 383 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 2: to compose a piece of music to tie the film 384 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 2: together we were doing the live movie again, that was 385 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 2: my first experience of Okay, I have to write something 386 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 2: that's appropriate for these two sections to be joined together. 387 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 2: Got nothing with this. Going back to what we talked 388 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 2: about earlier, working with Mustaine taught me so much about 389 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 2: my rhythm, guitar playing so much like his work, ethic, 390 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,400 Speaker 2: his angst that he would write into his songs, you know, 391 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 2: taught me a lot about it. If I play this 392 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,479 Speaker 2: combination and notes really aggressively on the guitar, it's a 393 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 2: better foundation for what he's trying to say, but politically, visual, religiously, 394 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 2: whatever he wants to talk about. You know, It's taught 395 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 2: me to be a better musician. Everything in my life 396 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 2: has been a curriculum and continues to me, yeah, and 397 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 2: not to panic. Don't panic what whatever? Panic? 398 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:45,479 Speaker 4: Can you talk about the community that TSO as an 399 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 4: organization has. It's really like a family, you know, with 400 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 4: many tentacles that do many different things, but it really 401 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 4: is a special community. 402 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 3: Can you speak about that. 403 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 2: When we started, there was only a couple of us, 404 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 2: and all I had a very specific way that he 405 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 2: walked through life and navigated life, and I like the 406 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 2: way he did it. You know, he's very smart, very 407 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 2: very well read in all sorts of different things, and 408 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 2: he influenced me to want to do the same. Is 409 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: philanthropic endeavors. I enjoyed those. He wanted to make a difference, 410 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,639 Speaker 2: to change the world and help people. So there was 411 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 2: a half a dozen of us in the beginning, and 412 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 2: every time somebody knew would get involved, they acclimated to 413 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:40,239 Speaker 2: Paule's way of doing things. So over thirty years of 414 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:42,400 Speaker 2: building this when people would come in, there's a very 415 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 2: specific way that people in this organization behave act deal 416 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 2: with charity, deal with music, deal with community, deal with people. 417 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 2: That you do it our way, and it's grown into 418 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 2: this wonderful large family, if you will, a community of 419 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 2: people that all share the same goal, because this is 420 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 2: what this is, you know, This isn't a heavy metal 421 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 2: band in nineteen eighty four. This is what this has become. 422 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:12,600 Speaker 2: And the responsibility that we now have. We've probably mentioned 423 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 2: I've probably mentioned it in the past that when people 424 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 2: come up to me and say, it's not the holidays 425 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 2: until we see you guys live or we play your 426 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 2: music in our homes from Thanksgiving to New Year's Really 427 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 2: that is such a wonderful compliment, you know, and it's 428 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 2: such a huge responsibility because you're inviting us into your homes, 429 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,360 Speaker 2: your family is celebrating this wonderful time with us being 430 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 2: the soundtrack, and when you come to see us play, 431 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: it's that same kind of respect and responsibility and all that, 432 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 2: you know. I want to make sure that people come 433 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,919 Speaker 2: in and just have a wonderful time, like when I 434 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 2: was a kid, the magic of going to see the 435 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 2: Radio City Music Hall Christmas event. If it was bad, 436 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 2: I would have been heartbroken as a kid, you know, 437 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 2: and I wouldn't have taken my children. People. When we started, 438 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 2: our first show was a ninety nine at Cower Theater 439 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 2: at Philadelphia. You got people in the audience that maybe 440 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 2: in their twenties or thirties, and now they're bringing their grandchildren, 441 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 2: their children, maybe people who brought their kids in ninety nine. 442 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 2: Of bringing their grandchildren, I'm proud of that. I'm proud 443 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,679 Speaker 2: of this, like I'm proud of my children. My oldest 444 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 2: son is thirty eight years old. He's a sniper and 445 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 2: the Special Forces. He's still my little boy. I don't 446 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 2: get tired of telling him I love more or kissing him, 447 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 2: and he's like, daddy, I'm like, too bad, dude, I'll 448 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 2: still beat you up. You know. I got thirty eight, 449 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:38,359 Speaker 2: thirty six, thirty thirteen and eighth. That's what CSO is today. 450 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 2: Sorry my children. If it's Paul's child, I'm the uncle 451 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 2: in the corner. 452 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 4: But what is so amazing, though, is everybody within the 453 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 4: organization as well, on any level. They have so much 454 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 4: joy being part of the organization and the love of 455 00:24:56,080 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 4: it really, you know, just shines with every It's it's 456 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 4: an incredible organization and I think it's it's amazing. 457 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 3: So yeah, I don't want to bury. 458 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,360 Speaker 4: The importance of this because you just led to it, 459 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 4: and that is the you know, the charitable work that 460 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 4: TSO is part of as well and the good that 461 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 4: TSO does everywhere that you play. 462 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 3: Can you speak about that? 463 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:30,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, Paul O'Neil. Going back to the earlier part of 464 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 2: our conversation together. You know, we're in New York City. 465 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 2: You know, it's like you want to go out and 466 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:35,600 Speaker 2: get a slice of pizza. Yeah, dude, I gotta get 467 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 2: out of studio five minutes or you know, walking to 468 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,439 Speaker 2: the cubbay or walking through the studio. We're going, just 469 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 2: going whatever we're doing. We're walking around Manhattan and I'm 470 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 2: on nineteenth Street and Fifth Avenue and I will go 471 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 2: on my shoulders back on seventeenth Street. Where'd you go? 472 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 2: And he's reaching in his pocket. You know some guys, 473 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 2: some woman whomever you know is living in a box 474 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 2: on the corner. You're saying them at twenty novel bill 475 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 2: And finally he catch you up to me, and I'm like, 476 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 2: it's really sweet. He's like, I'm not going to miss 477 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 2: the twenty. That may change that person's night. Give him 478 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 2: a chance. Maybe they'll have a little bit better if 479 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,880 Speaker 2: it tomorrow, maybe they'll go get a bite to eat 480 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,479 Speaker 2: or go to a show. Whatever. If I can change 481 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 2: one day in this person's life, maybe that'll note them 482 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 2: on a different trajectory tomorrow maybe not, but if I 483 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 2: don't try, it's never going to happen. Just like, you're 484 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: extraordinary on every level, dude, I love you, and that's 485 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 2: what he did. So when we played in Philadelphia the 486 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 2: Tower Theater nineteen ninety nine, remember like right after soundcheck, 487 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 2: we were just kind of sitting down, kind of nervous, 488 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 2: how's this gonna go tonight? First show ever? And he goes, 489 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 2: You're going to be great, And I just wanted to 490 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,439 Speaker 2: let you know that one dollar from every ticket that 491 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 2: we sold, it was probably like three thousand tickets that night. 492 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 2: He is going to go back into the charity, back 493 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 2: into the community in Philadelphia. We're going to do it 494 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 2: tomorrow in Chicago and then Detroit, Cleveland, and in New 495 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 2: York and in Boston. You're a good dude. That was 496 00:27:04,280 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 2: twenty million dollars ago. 497 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 3: Congrats, My god, one dollar. 498 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,680 Speaker 2: One dollar is probably not even worth twenty five cents 499 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:17,200 Speaker 2: when we started, you know, right, still discipline, do it, repeat, 500 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 2: do it repeat. And he wanted to change the world, 501 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 2: and I think he has accomplished that. You know, I'm 502 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 2: so proud of him. His family, the legacy is continually on. 503 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 2: That was paramounts of Paul. He wanted to make a difference, 504 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 2: you know, and he did it. And I think I'm 505 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 2: going to use the word altruistic. I think that would 506 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 2: be appropriate. He didn't want the credit. He just wanted 507 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 2: to do the deed and then move on. He used 508 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 2: to call him random acts of kindness. Again, you're in 509 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,159 Speaker 2: a rock and roll band. Fantastic. You're in a rock 510 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:51,120 Speaker 2: and roll band with Paul O'Neil surreal. I love it. 511 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 4: So take us inside to the planning right now that's 512 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:01,640 Speaker 4: going on for the new season with TSO the new 513 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 4: technologies maybe that you could share that are going to 514 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,320 Speaker 4: be part of it. What's going on with the prep 515 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 4: and what can audiences all over the place, other than 516 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 4: the greatness of TSL, what can they expect this year? 517 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 2: I haven't seen any yet, Okay, So we have been 518 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 2: planning this. We historically finish our run. We will fly 519 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,399 Speaker 2: home on New Year's Eve Day, go back to your family, 520 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 2: celebrate how it is, catch your breath for a week, 521 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 2: and then by mid January it's back on going to 522 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 2: the city or get on zoom meetings. What are we 523 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 2: doing next year? And It's a year long conversation, and 524 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: I'd like to compare it to the football team that 525 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 2: won the Super Bowl. Okay, in this case, kan City, right, 526 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 2: And I promise you that you know they got the ring. 527 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 2: We did last year's tour crushed it. It was awesome, 528 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 2: this pomp and hide five martiniz cheers, I promise you. 529 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 2: Andy Reid got home, scratched his head for a minute, 530 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 2: said I got to do this again next year. How 531 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 2: how do we win the third Super Bowl in a row, 532 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 2: or how does any team win the Super Bowl? You 533 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 2: go back, You don't look in the rearview mirror. You go, Okay, 534 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 2: I won. That's wonderful, It's done. What do we do 535 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 2: to make the team better, or in this case, how 536 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 2: do we make this band musically better? Musically different? Music? 537 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 2: Retain familiarity because if half the people in the audience 538 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: come back year after year, I refer to them as 539 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 2: repeat offenders. They want the familiarity of their holiday tradition. 540 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 2: But my job is to keep them back on their 541 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 2: heels a bunch surprising them, you know, because if ever 542 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,719 Speaker 2: I heard somebody say it is better last year, I 543 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 2: failed at my job, and it would break my heart visually. 544 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 2: Last time we did the Lost Christmas seve I think 545 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 2: was in twenty thirteen. So think about how technology has 546 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,200 Speaker 2: advanced what our crew can do this year that they 547 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 2: weren't capable of even thinking of all those years ago. 548 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:13,000 Speaker 2: That's what we do all year long. They come up 549 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 2: with a visual idea, I'll help, like write the score 550 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 2: underneath what it is. I have a piece of music, 551 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 2: They'll think, how can they bring that song to life? 552 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 2: So much I don't want to say better or different, 553 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:28,240 Speaker 2: but I wanted to continue to grow. Like somebody had 554 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 2: told me a long long time ago that a complete 555 00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,680 Speaker 2: art is a dead art. You know, art has to 556 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 2: continue to live and grow and just evolve within the 557 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 2: context of familiarity. So there's a really delicate balancing act 558 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 2: that we always try to do. When I go watch 559 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 2: It's a Wonderful Life, I want to watch in black 560 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,680 Speaker 2: and white. I don't want to colorize version. I want 561 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 2: to go back and go back fifty something years to 562 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:53,440 Speaker 2: when I was a little kid and feel safe and 563 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 2: comfortable with watching that. Or if it's Charlie Brown. As 564 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 2: soon as Vince Gerold's piano starts, I'm good familiar that 565 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 2: apart of it. That's what I want this to be. 566 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 2: I wanted to be familiar, but I always wanted to 567 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 2: be shocking and special. 568 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:14,280 Speaker 3: And it's a year long argument, argument slash collaboration. 569 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,719 Speaker 2: Right, we argue until we all agree, meaning that if 570 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: we all agree on something, that's a good idea. If 571 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 2: we're still like going head to head on this one 572 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 2: topic for three weeks, go away next. And this is 573 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 2: what we've learned to do. And listen. When Paul was 574 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 2: with us, he got it. We spend a lot of 575 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 2: time now going what would Paul do here? H and 576 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:42,719 Speaker 2: we figure it out. But it's all year long. The 577 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:47,080 Speaker 2: audience should know shouldn't know any of that. They just 578 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: know that they're either single wonderful event or they're not 579 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 2: really liking it, and that will never happen under our watch. 580 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 2: You know, Paul's legacy. He wanted this thing to live 581 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,080 Speaker 2: long past all of us. In order to do so, 582 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 2: we work on it every day all year until we 583 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 2: know we got a better show than last year, or 584 00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:08,400 Speaker 2: like with football, you got a better team than you 585 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 2: did last year, you worked all year long until opening day. 586 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 2: And I also my first show will be I'm gonna 587 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 2: say November fourteenth, I think not too far away. By 588 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 2: the time I get to Chicago, it might be my 589 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 2: fiftieth show, but it's their first show. They deserve a 590 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 2: perfect first show. They've been waiting all year to celebrate 591 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 2: with us. It takes a lot of work to do this, 592 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 2: but I love every second of the brother I just 593 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,080 Speaker 2: and I think that's going back to what you said earlier. 594 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 2: We love this thing. We love our jobs. Not all 595 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 2: the time, you know, it's like anything else. But if 596 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 2: we're running a solid ninety five percent of like just 597 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 2: loving this thing, and like five percent of time we're 598 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 2: arguing about something silly, whatever, I'll put that one in 599 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 2: the win column. When you love something. When I said earlier, 600 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 2: when you love your children, it doesn't matter how old 601 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 2: they get, they're still your babies. That's kind of what 602 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 2: this thing is. Well. 603 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 4: I think it's a case study in how to create 604 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 4: a brilliant brand, how to know your audience, how to 605 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 4: love your craft, and how to touch people. 606 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 3: It really is. 607 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 4: It's one of the most amazing case studies I think 608 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 4: in music and life, and I just think it's amazing. 609 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 2: I appreciate you saying that, but it happened organically You 610 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 2: couldn't have given me a business perspectives. You couldn't have 611 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 2: sketched this out on the back of a napkin for me. 612 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,200 Speaker 2: I would have a thought you a nuts. You know, 613 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 2: this was a series of lightning strikes because the first 614 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 2: thing that pol Ever sets me, I don't care about commerce. 615 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 2: I don't care about money. I care about making great art. 616 00:33:52,160 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 2: Bold statement for nineteen ninety five, we were creating something 617 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 2: that had nothing. There was no heavy, aggressive guitar playing 618 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 2: going on in the middle ninety that that ear was done. 619 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 2: You know all those I don't care. This is what 620 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 2: I hear in my head. I want to make a 621 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:07,959 Speaker 2: great art form and if it catches on right, if 622 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 2: it doesn't, doesn't matter, if the art will outlive everything. 623 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,279 Speaker 4: Here we are Congratulations, Al, thank you so much for 624 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 4: being on. 625 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 3: I really enjoyed it, and I love. 626 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,240 Speaker 2: Talking to you because you take me to a different 627 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:23,759 Speaker 2: place regarding this thing and it gets a little deeper. 628 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:25,000 Speaker 2: So I enjoy our time together. 629 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:28,880 Speaker 4: I really appreciate the music and our time. Al Patrolie, 630 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 4: thank you very much. 631 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:34,040 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a 632 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: Walk Podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends 633 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: and follow US so you never miss an episode. Taking 634 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 635 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.