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