Ages Of Rock Podcast

In the final interview of the 2025 ROCKNPOD series, Allen talks with Christopher Williams, drummer for the bands Accept and Elegant Weapons. They start out discussing their past experiences at ROCKNPOD events, recalling noisy moments and humorous incidents. Christopher shares updates about his wife Ainsley, a solo artist who recently released a new single "The Beast is Coming." Christopher talks about his skills in woodworking and welding, including building custom furniture, cabinetry, and drumstick displays and mentions creating custom drum racks and launching a new company called Kick Logos, which offers custom graphics and logos for drummers. They also discuss a scent called "Rock and Roll On" created by Christopher and Ainsley, aimed at rock fans who want to smell good.

Bob Chiapardi discusses his role in marketing within the rock and metal music industry through his company, Concrete Marketing, which is known for promoting major bands like Metallica and Armored Saint, and has expanded into publicity, radio, and publishing with Foundations Magazine. Bob shares anecdotes about managing safety at events, including a story about Yngwie Malmsteen causing a fire alarm with pyro effects. Recently, Bob has shifted focus from marketing to producing music documentaries, including a three-part series on Steve Cropper, a legendary guitarist and producer associated with Stax Records and many classic hits.

Bill kicks off the morning of ROCKNPOD 2025 talking to members of Lost Circus. They recently debuted their new single UNINVITED, which is an Alanis Morissette cover. The video for this single was directed by Calico Cooper.

Don Higgins and his twin brother Ron are music enthusiasts and authors of "The Biggest Big Hair Book of Metal Trivia," a trivia book focused on hard rock and metal music. The book combines multiple-choice trivia questions with stories about their experiences and encounters in the music world, making it accessible even to those unfamiliar with the genre.

We discussed our experiences at the latest Rocknpod, new additions to Dennis' guitar collection, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees for 2025, and our top 5 favorite albums from 1975. We also reminisced about our attendance at the first Rocknpod back in 2017 and Bill showcased a unique piece of KISS artwork made from vinyl records.

Bill talks with Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel. The conversation starts with Brian stating that he still loves working in the music industry, emphasizing passion over it feeling like a job. He says that the music itself hasn't changed much, but mentions how the business has evolved from vinyl to cassettes, CDs, and now streaming. Brian has started a podcast discussing heavy metal history and current trends, featuring notable guests from the metal community. Metal Blade Records continues to thrive with bands playing major venues and maintaining the genre's vitality.

Bill interviews Chris O'Brien from Blackwood, a Nashville band. The discussion begins with an observation about the resurgence of physical media like CDs and vinyl, with vinyl sales recently surpassing CDs. Chris mentions the challenges of producing vinyl due to high costs for small batches. They emphasize the importance of artists pushing quality content and supplementing income through merchandise. Blackwood recently released a new single "One Track Mind" featuring Kameron Jane, marking their first vocal collaboration. Bill proposed the idea for a "Nashville to Nashville" concert event linking Nashville, Tennessee, and Nashville, Indiana.

Martin Motnik and Bill start the conversation with a discussion about Accept's recent break after a busy year. The band will be celebrating their 50th anniversary with plans for an anniversary album featuring guest musicians. They also talk about upcoming shows in May, including performances in Japan and opening for Judas Priest in Europe. Martin reflects on the surreal experience of performing with idols and the ups and downs of touring. He also talks about the adrenaline rush of performing live and the connection with the audience.

Allen interviews Keith Roth from SiriusXM's Hair Nation. Keith is a fan of KISS and they have a brief discussion about the KISS albums 'Asylum', 'Animalize', 'Lick It Up', and 'The Elder'. They talk about their personal experiences with music, Keith's role in the bands The Dictators, Frankenstein 3000, and his solo record 'The Law of Diminished Returns', and a tribute to Curtis Mayfield. The conversation includes thoughts about KISS' farewell tours and the significance of their unmasked era. Keith also shares a humorous story about Eric Singer texting during KISS' last show.

Bill talks with Roy Cathey, from the band The Fifth. The conversation starts with Bill praising Roy's performance at the Rare Hare show from the night before. Roy shares his excitement about performing with admired musicians like Billy Sheehan and Brian Forsyth, emphasizing his fan perspective. Roy discusses the challenges and organization behind events like the Rare Hare Show, crediting Tyson Leslie for his efforts in coordinating the lineup. He reveals that his band, The Fifth, has a new CD releasing on May 2nd, and they will perform at the M3 pre-party in May. Roy describes the Monsters of Rock cruise as a fun, immersive experience with numerous bands and fans who share a love for rock music. Finally, Roy highlights the importance of underground music and the role of podcasts and internet radio in keeping rock alive, especially as mainstream radio has shifted focus.

This interview with Billy Sheehan is a joint venture between A2Z Radio's Bill "LilWilly" Elam and the Ages of Rock Podcast's Bill Algee. The discussion begins with quick thoughts about the significance and the evolution of their first names. Billy Sheehan shares his inspiration for playing bass, influenced by a neighbor and the Beatles' Ed Sullivan performance. He recounts his first bass and its importance in his career. Sheehan discusses his experience singing and performing, including a recent performance where he sang "Good Lovin'" at the "Rare Hare" show the night before ROCKNPOD. The conversation touches on the importance of bass in music and how it can transform a song. Billy emphasizes the community aspect of musicianship and his willingness to help fellow bass players. The conversation concludes with Sheehan expressing gratitude for his fans and the importance of maintaining a connection with them.

Accept and Elegant Weapons drummer Christopher Williams guest hosted this conversation with his wife, the beautiful and talented musician Ainsley. The discussion began with their comments about Rocknpod, highlighting the vibrant community of rock music lovers and podcasters and emphasized the importance of supporting independent artists and building relationships within the music community and the small-town vibe in Nashville despite its growth. Ainsley introduced her all-natural product line, Rock and Roll On, which captures the essence of rock and roll in a unisex scent. They also gave an overview of Ainsley's recent singles and Christopher's involvement in her music, highlighting their collaboration in a Prince tribute show and showcasing their musical talents together. They also mentioned Todd "Toddzilla" Austin's new guitar store, Tone Central Station.

Craig Wright joined us again and we ranked the new songs on the Kiss compilation albums "Alive 2 - Side 4", "Killers", "Smashes, Thrashes, and Hits", and the "Detroit Rock City" soundtrack. We also briefly touched on the "Gene Simmons Roadie for a Day" offer and the upcoming "50th Anniversary Plans" for KISS in Las Vegas. Dennis also showed off his new Cheap Trick Vinyl Boxset.

Craig Wright returns to the show this week as we rank the rest of the studio albums in the KISS Katalog. This is another fun conversation filled with laughter and light hearted jabs at each others rankings.

We're back for our first episode of 2025. Allen's long time friend Craig Wright joins us to rank the first ten KISS studio album. There are lots of gasps and laughter as we each work our way from number ten to number one on each of our lists. Once we finished, we each revealed our least and most favorite tracks from each album.

In this episode, we discuss our thoughts on the HBO Max documentary "Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary" and the music genre in general. Allen gave Dennis and Bill an assignment for this episode and then almost forgot to have them give their answers. Lots of fun and laughter in this episode. (Visit AgesOfRock.com and look for episode 388 for the links Allen mention in this week's show.)

How do you take more than 2,000 albums from the 90s and narrow it down to 501? You get some friends together and have interesting discussions. In this episode, author Gary Graff talks about the book "501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide" and how he and his friends came up with the albums that made cut. We also talk with Gary about how the music industry shifted in the 90s. If you listen and don't agree, GET OFF OUR LAWN!

This week we talk about some recent concerts we've seen and some we have coming up, complain about Netflix and Mike Tyson, and talk about our favorite former KISS member... VINNIE VINCENT.

Bill and Allen have a great conversation with vocalist and lead guitarist of “Riding with Killers” member Taylor Roberts about the current album “Full Circle.” Taylor also tells us the story behind the latest single “Don't Fade Away.” We also learn that sometimes a massage isn't just a massage!

In this episode Brian Forsythe (Kix/Rhino Bucket) joins us as we talk about the recent documentary "Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored Story of '80s Hair Metal" which can be found streaming on Paramount Plus.

In this episode we talk a little about a couple classic bands breaking up, Arnel Pineda's response to getting roasted for a bad night during a Journey concert, Dave Grohl's recent revelation, and we each make up our own "Best of" album from the songs that make up the 1978 KISS Solo albums.

Author Paul Wyld joins us in this episode to talk about his book "Jim Morrison Secret - Teacher of the Occult - A Journey to the Other Side" which was released on September 10th in the US. He talks about the inspiration for the book, what it was like finding a publisher, and more.

Daryl Bughman, musician and rock & roll photographer, joins us to share his new book "8 Years 27 Concerts: 2015-2023 Foreigner Live." He has worked with Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, and Dirty Honey.

In this episode, Allen flies solo and has a chat with Martin Popoff about the book VAN HALEN AT 50. They also touch on "the brown sound" along with Wolfgang and the VH legacy, Alex retiring from music, and more.

This episode is a trifecta of topics. In the first segment, we discuss our top three KISS albums based on a Facebook post from KISSopolis. Part two leads us to Allen discussing the musical lineup for his upcoming Monsters of Rock cruise. The final topic is a discussion of our ultimate concert tour lineup based on a Loudwire post. In amongst those topics, we do our usual nonsensical topic straying.

It's been a while but the guys are back together and catching up on album acquisitions, concerts, and other shenanigans while they were on hiatus.

In this episode, Allen talks to Nova Rex's Kenny Wilkerson about the "Stadium Rock 80s Music Festival" the first weekend in August in Louisville, Kentucky. They discuss the acts on the bill as well as other happenings during the event. Ticket and hotel information can be found at https://www.stadiumrock80s.com/.

Nashville based rock band BLACKWOOD shares the drive behind their new 7 song EP called RELEASE ME.

Steve Gerardi, owner of SG Entertainment, spends some time with Bill and Dennis sharing stories about his carrier in the concert promotion industry. We discuss his first show with Sunshine Promotions with Motley Crue headlining in Evansville, IN at Mesker Amphitheater. Learn how Deer Creek in Noblesville came to be and hear his stories about many artists, including a heavy metal act that requires mashed potatoes and gravy after every show. Bet you can't guess who that is!

In this week's episode, Dennis & Allen talk to Killington Pit's singer Terry LeRoi about their latest cover songs. He also tells us who all is in the band (some who may have been on this show before), how the band came to be, how the band got its name, and what the future holds in terms of creating original music.

Spice Girls, song writing lessons, subliminal messages, oh... and a discussion about the Flipp book "Thanks For Having Us!" with John Michalski and Brynn Arens.

Rex, David, and Ben from Whitecross join us to discuss their first album since 2005. "Fear No Evil" is available on March 22nd.

In this episode, we talk to Kemikalfire band member Taylor Carroll. The band is comprised of Taylor, who is also the drummer for Lit, and Arejay Hale, drummer for Halestorm. The band just released a new video for their now song "The Drop" and Taylor tells us about the song, writing and recording, and what the future holds for them as a band.

In this episode, author Martin Popoff joins us to discuss the book KISS AT 50. We also touch a little on some of the other books he's written along with discussions about other artists and concept albums, stemming from Allen asking Martin's opinion of MUSIC FROM THE ELDER. This is a fun discussion that you're sure to enjoy.

Jock Bartley, the original guitarist and founding member of the band Firefall joins us to tell some stories and share his excitement for their 2023 release, Friends & Family.

What does woodworking and the bands Accept and Elegant Weapons have in common? Christopher Williams! Find out more in our latest episode.

After getting accepted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and recording her very first rock album, we decided to see if Dolly Rocks. Does Dolly puts out her best… or her worst… Find out our opinions when you listen to the show.

This week we discuss our thoughts on the recent KISS concert in Indianapolis. Prior to that, Dennis talks about some new acquisitions and all three talk about books we've recently read.

Steve Ziegelmeyer has taken thousands of photos from the pit, soundboard and from afar. Bill and Steve talk about his career and looks at some amazing pictures on this weeks show.

This week Denny Smith and Kenny Wright of THE GREAT AFFAIRS joins us to talk about their new album SLEEPWALKER. We also talk about the recent Marvelous 3 happenings and manage to weave Elvis Costello into the conversation.

In this episode, Bill and Allen talk to Martin Motnik, current bassist for the legendary German metal band Accept, about his solo album Dream Chaser. He also tells us about joining the band and some of the events that led up to his audition. We also talk about Martin's work as a freelance studio bassist. You can find his album o his official website, https://martinmotnik.com/, and you can hire him to record bass for your upcoming musical releases at https://www.studiobassist.com/.

Best known as the lead guitarist and band leader for the Bret Michaels Band, Pete Evick joins us this week to talk about his book MTV FAMOUS. The title may sound a little cocky but it was how Pete viewed his life as a teen, as he was growing up around that phenomenon of a medium for pop and rock stars. "I never realized a lot of these guys I was watching on MTV went to day jobs after playing rock star that day. None of us knew that, actually." This is a fun discussion with lots of laughs and a couple side stories as well.

This week we talk with the Philly area band SEEMS LIKE TUESDAY. They have an EP coming out soon. Learn more about them and their take on what it takes to be successful in the music world these days.

This week we have a general conversation about recent concerts we've attended, new albums we've acquired, gone off on our usual tangents, and finally, briefly discussed new singles by The Rolling Stones and Guns N' Roses. As always, we find good reasons to laugh, including Allen's faux pas introducing the episode.

Our latest episode is better than MAGIC, it's ALIVE. Pictures Alive, that is. This week we talk to Steve Roney and Scott Davis about this book and how it came to be. It's a fun discussion and the book is full of great pictures from concerts Steve attended over the years. The quality of the book is amazing and it's worth the price of admission.

Allen is Flying High Again (actually he's just flying solo) in this episode and joined by Daniel Bukszpan, the author of the book "Ozzy at 75" which goes on sale on September 5, 2023. It's a hard back book in a slip case with over 200 pages of stories, pictures, concert posters, and more. There's also a nice surprise in an envelope as you first open the book. The book is printed on high quality glossy paper stock and has lots of stories from Ozzy's personal and professional life. Make sure to get yourself a copy. You'll be Over The Mountain!

1980. A year of change for KISS and the KISS Army. Original band members lost; new band members gained. A tour scheduled and cancelled... A record company collapse, contract renegotiations with manager, and a mega-deal with a new label. A year of Unmasked... in name only. In this episode, Mass Kissteria author Julian Gill joins us to talk about his latest book. Even if you're a fair weather KISS fan, this book is worth the purchase. Visit https://www.masskissteria.com/ to order your copy.