Podcast appearances and mentions of Alex Skolnick

This week, half of us are at the beach enjoying some r n' r, so we thought we'd listen to some r n' r with a beachy vibe. We are pulling the plug… and gasping for air… guitars! Rock artists have been playing acoustic since the very beginning. In fact, most songwriters start the process with an acoustic instrument. There's something about capturing the sound of a song on just wire and wood that has a vulnerable, human feel to it. Dig your toes into the sand, breathe in the salt air, and enjoy these tunes with a frosty beverage. What's this InObscuria thing? We're a podcast that exhumes obscure Rock n' Punk n' Metal and puts them in one of 3 categories: the Lost, the Forgotten, or the Should Have Beens. Mtv started a series in 1989 called “Unplugged”, and almost every mainstream relevant act started producing acoustic albums or versions of their songs. This week we listen to some artist that you may have never considered as having acoustic interpretations of their songs. Songs this week include: Moon Tooth – “Trust” from Violent Grief: Acoustic Selections (2020) Hawkwind – “PSI Power” from Acoustic Daze (2019) Tora Tora – “Son Of A Prodigal Son” from Unplugged EP (2020) Michael Kiske – “You Always Walk Alone” from Past In Different Ways (2008) MIRADOR – “Fortune's Fate (Reborn At Badon Hill)” from The Gathering At Badon Hill (2026) Junkyard – “Til The Wheels Fall Off (Acoustic Version)” from Rome Is Burning (2020) Bloody Hammers – “Graveyard Waits” from The Acoustic Halloween Special (2025) Testament – “The Legacy (Live)” from Live At The Fillmore (1995) Mercy Beat – “Another Day” from Walk With Me (1999) Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts! Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/ https://www.facebook.com/InObscuria https://x.com/inobscuria https://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/ Buy cool stuff with our logo on it: InObscuria Store Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/ If you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/ If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/

What if the answers you're searching for arrived long before you knew how to understand them? In this conversation, I sit down with Kip Baldwin, a filmmaker, producer, writer, and founder of the Just Love movement. Kip shares the extraordinary awakening he experienced at age 12 and how it set him on a lifelong path of exploring consciousness, love, spirituality, and human connection. From the music industry and sustainable agriculture to television production, ethical AI, and overcoming a traumatic brain injury, Kip's journey has been anything but ordinary. As we talk, Kip reflects on why fear has become such a powerful force in society, how love can transform the way we see ourselves and others, and why he believes lasting change starts with a shift in consciousness. You will hear stories of resilience, curiosity, and purpose, along with a vision for creating a better future for generations to come. I believe you will find this conversation thought-provoking, challenging, and full of hope. Highlights: 01:45 - How a childhood acting career sparked a lifelong passion for media and communication. 07:08 - Why confidence without self-awareness can become a liability. 16:32 - Lessons from the Kellogg School of Management that still shape business decisions today. 21:58 - Why listening beats talking in business, leadership, and life. 35:08 - How strong brands grow through awareness, not just loyalty programs. 01:05:02 - The three traits Zarko looks for when mentoring future leaders. About the Guest: Kip Baldwin knows his purpose for Being is to share all that LOVE is through his many solutions driven projects; using media in all its forms to help awaken individuals, and by proxy the collective, to the LOVE Paradigm emerging. He feels that in order for a new chapter of our story to be conceived for humanity, a mass imagining of our limitless potential is what is needed to bring about an age of compassion, empathy, collaboration, and oneness.  Kip was born in 1965 to counterculture parents - in the midst of the maelstrom that was the decade of the sixties, in fact 1965 was the first year that scientists warned us about climate change - in Vancouver, Washington. His earliest years were spent on a farm where his grandparents raised thoroughbred horses. During this period grew in him a deep, abiding LOVE and respect for nature and all living things. It was around the age of twelve his life would transform forever, as he had an out of body experience that took him beyond the edge of Universe, even Space and Time, and face to face with the unknowable of Infinity. This experience became the foundation for his constant seeking since. Due to that experience Kip felt he must explore the world beyond the small town confines of Camas, WA where he grew up. His first attempt to break free was to do a brief stint in the Navy, where he was going to pursue a career as an electric technician, but because of a hereditary bleeding disorder he was given a medical discharge. However, a military career for him was clearly never really in the cards anyway. Although he was always grateful for the insight it gave him into the inner workings of our country, as he witnessed first the how the poor are literally cannon fodder for corporations, under the guise of them being heroes and patriots. Following his discharge, he returned briefly to the limits of his hometown, before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1985 to pursue his passion for music and performing. He often jokes that he was looking for the San Francisco of the Haight/Ashbury, Peace and LOVE days, but arrived twenty years too late. What he found instead was the 80s hair metal band scene, whose songs that focused on partying, sex, and drugs were not compatible with his lyrics about awakening awareness and addressing the need for personal and societal change. In the late 90s, after becoming disillusioned by his beloved music industry - and always seeking solutions for the myriad of challenges facing humanity - he shifted his focus to local and sustainable foods. While this was certainly a worthwhile pursuit, it did little to fulfill his need to share LOVE'S Truth and create a collective shift in consciousness. But what it did do was make him aware that it was only going to be through the use of mass media that his message of LOVE could reach a large enough audience to affect real lasting change. This found him again heeding the call of the entertainment industry, first as an actor, then writer, and ultimately as a producer, with some success co-creating the influential cannabis series Weed Country for the Discovery Network (focusing on the countless benefits humanity can derive from marijuana, as well as our profound historical connection to the plant), co-founding the United Filmmakers Association, and starting the Just LOVE Movement. Ultimately, this led him to co-founding S.O.U.L. Documentary with creative partner and Soul Twin, Evan Hirsch who shares his passion, purpose and mission to heal humanity by embracing our innate oneness, which they both understand can only be achieved by accepting and grounding ourselves in the Reality of LOVE We Are. Ways to connect with Kip: Facebook:  Just LOVE page: https://www.facebook.com/kipbaldwinjustlove Main page: https://www.facebook.com/kip.baldwin/ UFA: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Unifilmmakers LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-baldwin-975a3514/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kipbaldwin?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr YouTube: Kip Baldwin: https://youtube.com/@thekiprowdy?si=LckMuhec40lWAicF Just LOVE: https://youtube.com/@justlove6463?si=QW1g4D2dlaHmJk8B S.O.U.L. Documentary: https://youtube.com/@souldocumentary?si=4HOwlV-pjFN6guYy Soul Twin Messiah: https://youtube.com/@soultwinmessiah?si=7ctLlmqjeOczkjO_ Additional must listen:  Comfort You Song: https://youtu.be/Mi8D3AoDfRQ?si=y8RzIQPXP5ALJth1 A World Worth Imagining: https://youtu.be/Cx28t6_SGic?si=o4lWs7po3TBKx_3A Invitation. To Action: https://youtu.be/B8jUOUVCvJI?si=l4Pr7vWNDsnXX4wh AI work: www.luminaLOVE.LOVE About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:03 One of the biggest things holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe. Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, I am your host Mike Hingson, and you are listening and or watching Unstoppable Mindset. We're really glad that you're here with us today. Our guest, the person I get the honor of chatting with for the next hour or so, is Kip Baldwin, who will talk a lot about love. He will talk a lot about a number of different things, he's been a director, he's been a producer, an actor. He has been published, although he hasn't published a book yet, but he's published poetry, and I'm sure he's going to tell us about that, and I don't want to give it away, so I won't. Anyway, Kip, welcome to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're Kip Baldwin  01:40 here. Oh, thank you so much for having me, Michael. I look forward to having this conversation and sharing my story. Michael Hingson  01:47 Well, tell us a little bit about you, kind of. Let's start with the early Kip, growing up and all that, because I know you had some things along the way that were relevant and ought to be mentioned. So, why don't you tell us about the early Kip, and we'll go from there. Speaker 1  02:00 I was. I grew up in Washington State, little town called Camas. Although my earliest years were spent in a town called Battleground, Washington, and my family, we raised horses, Thoroughbred race horses. We raised at Portland Meadows, and so I'm kind of a farm boy at heart, at least that's how I grew up, but I had an experience when I was 12 that was definitely not your typical farm boy experience, I guess. I had gone up to Seattle, and this was maybe 78 to see a Seahawks game with the Raiders of my dad and dad, I had a good day, which wasn't always the case, and got home, and it was a, you know, five and a half hour round trip for kids, 12 year olds, a big time, and so I went to bed, and I promptly left my body, and now keep in mind I had never done any drugs. Out of body experiences, a household projection was not something that we talked about about the old farm around the farmhouse dinner table, and I floated over my bedroom. My awareness hovered over my body, and I remember very vividly you don't forget. I looked at my body and went, "I'm not in there. And then that immediately I left my house, I left the planet, I left the solar system, I let the galaxy, I let the universe, and the whole time all I can describe was kind of a presence, not a voice or anything, but just, are you taking all of this in? And sometimes words can't convey something so expansive and grand, and so I was taking in black holes and quasars and nebulas, and just flying through the, you know, time didn't really exist, but I was, I was traveling across the universe, and eventually I got outside the universe, and my awareness was turned in, and I could see how everything was connected, and how the universe itself was finite, and but that everything had a place, there was no less or greater than that, everything had a specific role, from the smallest particle to, you know, the largest star, and then my awareness was turned out to the blackness of infinity, and that you know you don't know at 12, you're just like, "Oh, this is happening, and I'm what's happening, and I'm taking it in, and what I didn't know is that would become my point of seeking that really became the rest of my life. Life, I think, had I been born in India, like say Ramana Maharishi, who had what I didn't realize until later, there's a name for what happened to me, and it's called a spontaneous awakening. My life would have probably been much different, but we don't live in a society that that really honors things like that, so it was a lot of me going on a journey of discovery and a weight and continual awakening until now, and it's an ongoing process, but that's where it really began with me being confronted with the fact that there there can't be a beginning or ending to anything, and the thought experiments that can't, that come out of that, and the way it opens your consciousness, I'm ever grateful for, although at the time it, it made me for a long time feel very apart, and it wasn't until I met with Dr. Dr. Dean Radin up at Noetic Sciences, and I told him my story, and he looked at me, and he went, "You go, that's not a usual experience, he said, "That's a mystical experience, and I was in my probably late 40s, maybe 50 at that time, and that was the first time in my life that someone had had said, 'Hey, what you, what you had was a really phenomenal experience, and I'm very grateful for him for saying that to me, because for most of my life, I'm running around talking about these profound things with people that I thought were incredibly important to share, and they didn't seem very important to people, and it wasn't until then that it hit me that it wasn't that they were important, that it was that they, they didn't really understand what I was talking about. Michael Hingson  07:03 Well, and in our society, as you point out, it's not something that is generally appreciated, and and people who have had those experiences or talk about them are generally looked down upon or frowned upon, and you know that's that's fine, but it doesn't change the fact, and so it must have been hard, especially at first, for you to talk about that. Speaker 1  07:29 You know, I was so excited at first, I was excited to share it with my family, and and it happened a couple more times, and it was so overwhelming that literally I would get to a point where my head, my physical being couldn't handle it anymore, and I would get up and vomit. It was that's how, how intense it was, like I just, I couldn't take in anymore. And so, at first, I was really excited to share it, because it was beyond wondrous. It was, it was truth. It was reality, and I, and on some level, I knew that instinctually. But then, when enough people sort of ignore you or act like something's unimportant, you stop talking about Michael Hingson  08:15 it. Yeah, Speaker 1  08:15 I never stopped writing about it. I never stopped experiencing it, and I didn't even really stop talking about it once I moved to California for the music business in 1985 I, you know, then I thought, wow, I mean, being a group of creatives and there's going to be other people that will understand what I'm talking about, but in the 80s music environment it really wasn't what people were, were talking or thinking about, and I was kind of in the same way, and again it wasn't until years later that I look back and I realized all this time I spent up late at night partying with people and stuff, and telling them about infinity, and, and they look, they, they must have been looking at me like I'm a complete idiot, because they really only cared about, you know, getting high or having sex, and I'm trying to have this profound conversation. Michael Hingson  09:16 So, when your family, when you told your family, how did they react? Speaker 1  09:20 They still don't understand it to this day. It just, oh, that's nice, you know. It actually, there were points in my life where it caused conflict with, especially my father, because when I would say none of this is real, he, he always considered him, and still to this day considers himself quite science physics buff, it wasn't something he was willing to accept, and, and even really have a reasonable conversation about. I would say that the things that got me through all these years was, you know, the universe. There's love, God, Brahmin, whatever you want to call it, it gives you what you need, and what it gave me throughout the years, and still to this day, is voices that made me realize I wasn't crazy, that I knew something really special. Probably the first thing, the first one I remember, like, that was Joseph Campbell being interviewed by Bill Moyers, and somehow I knew everything that Joseph Campbell was talking about, and I'm like, How can I possibly know these things? How can I possibly understand these things of this really brilliant, just beautiful soul? And throughout the years, it's been those touch those moments of going, oh, it hasn't been where I've heard someone go, wow, that's helped me awaken, it's been something that's helped me not feel insane and realize that the things that I'm sharing have been shared for 1000s of years, and by many, many minds and beings much greater than myself, and that that really probably kept me from losing my mind. Michael Hingson  11:10 So, you had this experience happen to you at 12. What did you then specifically do? I mean, not so much talking to people, but what did it do for you, as far as schooling, and what you did with your life? Speaker 1  11:27 I would.. it made me very.. in all honesty, it made school seem really trivial to me. It was kind of boring. I started writing a lot. In fact, something I wrote when I was 17 was called Life and Death, and it went: Life is just a symptom of certain death, crying and laughing until our last breath. Everything dies in true infinity. Then the mountains crumble into the sea, stars full from the night sky hit the earth, and then they die, lost in time. I don't know who I am. Am I a god or just a mortal man? Time can't change what I have found. Still, I am changed and bound, bound by the fears and bound by lies. Even now, the tears fill my eyes, gasping for every breath as I head for a certain death, clouds now pass overhead, and I realize how things are now that I am dead. Life is ending, life goes on like the lyrics to an endless song. Life and death, it's all the same. We exist only in our brain, and so there was a lot of that. It pushed me away from I was confirmed Zion Lutheran. I really couldn't stomach religious dogma anymore at that point. Um, just the hypocrisy, you know? Like, I remember I, I was talking to a new pastor we had, and he was informing me that my great grandmother, who is Jehovah's Witness, and these Mormon boys had come around, were trying to teach me about Mormonism, and I was just curious and open, always, and still am to this day. I don't judge. I would say that's another big thing that this gave me, is I don't, I see everything as equal, I don't, I don't judge everything, I don't judge anything as lesser thing greater than I don't judge good and evil in the in the same way that other people do, I see things as flows of negative of energy as we exist in a duality with this illusion, and this is just what we describe as good and you are really just flows of energy between the polarities of the duality, and so it pushed me, definitely, because I, when he said that my great grandmother was going to go to hell, and these Mormon boys were going to go to hell, I looked him in the face, and I just said, but I thought God was love, and that was pretty much the end of my church, Michael Hingson  14:04 my, my wife did, I think, some things in the Lutheran church, which mostly she was a Methodist, and I joined the Methodist church when we got married, and so on, but when she was in, I think this was when she was in high school, maybe in, I guess it was late high school, early college. She met some Mormon people, and one of them said, I guess she was learning about different religions, and so she was learning about Mormonism, and this guy said you're either going to think that this is a total hoax or you're going to just totally believe in it. Well, it wasn't quite that way for her. She did not think it was a hoax, and I agree with her, but there. There are things about the about all religions that tend to make life difficult. The problem with religion is that that people are are what make up the religion, and they all have their own views, and it makes life really tough. I know I participated in a program called the Walk to Emmaus, which is a what's literally called a short course in Christianity, and it's not to bring people to the Christian church, but it's to help create a class of leaders in the Christian church. Anyway, one of the things about the walk to Emmaus is that a number of people give lectures, people who have been involved in church, and then there are the pilgrims, the people who are coming to to learn what everyone has to say, and the lay director of the Walk to Emmaus every time gives a speech, and I was lay director once, and one of the things that is in the manual, or was I assume it still is. It's been a while, but it says that Tolstoy once said the biggest problem with Christianity is that nobody practices it, and there's a lot of truth to that. Speaker 1  16:13 But I think that I think you hit it right on the head that people are involved, like I, and I do want to clarify something, I, I believe very much that that Jesus was a master. Oh, Michael Hingson  16:29 absolutely, yeah, and, Speaker 1  16:31 and, but I also believe that people don't know what happened at the Council of Nicaea and understand how the Bible was actually constructed, not because it was based on Gnostic teachings or even really the teachings of Christ, but it was cobbled together as a means of control. If Caesar saw his soldiers be turning to Christianity when they wanted to find, you know, put together a book that really didn't express Christian truth or the truth of Christ, but a way, a means of controlling people through fear, and so if you, if you notice, all the books in the Bible are male. Well, left out of the Bible was the book of Mary, left out of the Bible, it's the book of Thomas, who, interestingly enough, there's a place in India where they all speak ancient Aramaic, and they worship the Book of Thomas, which there's always been a lot of discussion. Did Jesus go to India and study Buddhism? And because even the Book of Mary, these are very Buddhist beliefs, but anything, because we live in a patriarchal society, anything like the piece to Sophia, the book of Mary, the book of Stackle, all of these were intentionally kept out of the Bible, so it's not, I think it's not so much religion, it's the organ, it's the dogma that comes along with organized religion, which is really about people, you know, men using it to control and manipulate people through fear, Michael Hingson  18:14 all too much, all too often. It's, it's true. Speaker 1  18:18 Yeah, and it's interesting. I was watching last night, and it's funny. This is why, why you always have to be on a constant path of awakening. It never stops. If you think you've reached that pinnacle, or whatever, then they're not just ego. There's always more to know and understand. And I ran across this video on Tara, well, Tara is in Buddhism, basically in every religion that I am aware of, there's always the peace to Sophia, there's always the the story of the divine feminine that in large part is is is not. It was. It's largely been suppressed, and so I was, I was watching this, and it was just so fascinating to me to see how identical what Tara was in Buddhism, which this is what, when Tara, Tara is considered the ultimate goddess in the Buddhist faith. Well, when Tara came to earth in the story, she went to a bunch of, you know, Buddhist monks, and they said, "Oh, you know, they were so impressed by her, and they thought this was a compliment. They said, "Well, we hope you, you can reincarnate as a man, and she said, "No, she She said, I don't see things as male and female, but since nobody else wants to be the feminine, I will play that role. And it was just a profoundly interesting thing to listen to, not just because of the story, but because almost every faith that I'm aware. Of has that story of the divine feminine that has again largely been suppressed and marginalized, Michael Hingson  20:09 well, for you clearly that was a very meaningful experience. What did what did you then do, and I understand how you could imagine that maybe what was being taught in school wasn't quite as, as meaningful as what you had experienced, but you went on, I assume, through high school, and did you go to college? Speaker 1  20:30 I was, I went, I was an electron, I went to the Navy to be an electronic technician, but I had a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand disease, and I found out after I was in for about a year. Well, you can't be in the Navy with that, because we can't carry with the limited space you have on ships, we can't carry the clotting factor you would need if there's a problem. So that was fairly short-lived. Then I went back to Washington and was working as a dishwasher for a while, then I worked as a male stripper, and, and I was then, which, which, you know, there was something really profound about that experience, because it taught me what women feel like to be objectified, and that's something that has carried me, carried a lesson. I, I find lessons in everything, even things that, wow, you know, what could you possibly learn positive out of having been a male stripper? Well, I learned how women feel, really, to be, you know, not looked at as anything more than an object, and then I really wanted to continue to, you know, pursue music, so a friend of mine, we loaded 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries onto a semi truck, and like july 3, 1985 and got a ride to San Francisco, a city I'd never been to before. I knew nobody here. We got here, I had 25 cents in my pocket, and I used the 25 cents to call the one friend that I thought I knew that I could get a hold of here in or in in the Bay Area, and it was a wrong number, and so now I'm in a city at the Gray Home Bus Terminal that used to be in downtown San Francisco, we have no food, we have no place to live. We have nothing to, you know, we have nothing, literally. And that's where my journey began. As far as my story, my, my adult life, and my journey in the entertainment industry and the music business, that's how it all started. It started by loading 65,000 pounds of frozen strawberries under semi truck, telling, oh, and the cap around the story is I had worn my contacts for too long and I ripped the corny up both my eyes when I took them out, because I was wearing hard lenses, so I was functionally blind in the city I'd never been to before with patches over my eyes, and being led around by my friend, and luckily we found some very nice people that gave us a place to stay, and then I ended up meeting maybe a week after that, I met my first wife, who was Persian, and we were together for a long time. What was interesting about that is I've been introduced to so many different faiths through the people in my life, and because I haven't judged and tried to learn, like I, I learned through her about Islam, I learned through her about our Torcharianism, and we lived the rock and roll lifestyle for the 16 years we were together. She was a photographer. I wrote for a magazine called BAM. I played in bands. I managed artists like Linda Perry from The Four Non Blonde, or I worked with Linda Perry from Four Non Blondes. I managed Alex Skolnick, who is lead guitar player in Testament, and I did that for a long time until I started getting really disenchanted with music and really started to hate the business and started to hate music because of it, and so I ended up drifting into, I wouldn't say drifting into, I got drawn into visual media, and I started working. I met a guy at a club in San Jose, California, called The Agenda, and we were playing pool, and he was telling me, "Oh, he's the owner of this company called Metropolis Digital, and I was thinking, "My. Speaker 1  24:59 Music and music videos, and yeah, I want to get involved in this, so I started coming up with ideas, and he brought me into their company, because I got to know a lot of people through the music business and booking artists on different shows, like Letterman and Leno, and, and so I got to know how to work through those channels that it opened doors for me to be able to do on-air graphics for the networks, and so I did that until about, in fact, the last major project I did in that industry was with a company called Chaos X AOS out of San Francisco, and we did the 2000 election graphics for ABC nationally, and then I, I, that with the, the, the.com telecom crash of not of 2000 they pulled all of that sort of work in house, and so that business kind of dried up, and I changed my focus to working in local and sustainable foods. Michael Hingson  26:08 What got you to the point where you disliked Music so much? Speaker 1  26:12 The business.. it just.. it wasn't. I came here, and in all honesty, I was looking for the 60s, but I was 20 years too late, only to find out later I was actually 30 years too early, but I was looking for community, I was looking for family, I was looking for that connection, but what existed as far as the music industry then was the 80s hair band stuff, heavy metal was on the rise. It was very misogynistic. It wasn't. It was very competitive. There wasn't, it wasn't collaborative, it wasn't community related at all. And it really turned me off. It wasn't, it wasn't what I had thought being in an artistic community doing artistic endeavors would be about it, became very.. it just.. it just.. it just.. it just made me feel very empty, and that wasn't what I loved about music, and so that Michael Hingson  27:24 would be an issue, Speaker 1  27:25 yeah. It just value wise it was, it was not, you know, you, you got to do a show, and you've got the bands that are coming on after you, you know, playing with your amps, and it was just, it was, it wasn't, it wasn't fun, and it wasn't fulfilling. More importantly, it wasn't fulfilling. It wasn't, and I'm writing about while everyone else is writing about, you know, sex and drugs and all of this. I'm writing about the things that I thought were important. I was writing about the problems I saw in this country, like songs like Shock the System or the chosen few, and, and though that wasn't what people were writing about Michael Hingson  28:06 then, Speaker 1  28:06 and you know, even though the songs were good, and, and I've been told I'm talented, it was, I didn't, I didn't again feel like I fit in, you know, I didn't feel like I'd found my place, and certainly not in that world at that time. If Speaker 2  28:31 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset community. Thank it Michael Hingson  29:04 certainly had to be a rough time all the way around, but then you, you found this person, and you joined their company, as you said earlier, Speaker 1  29:15 right? I started working for Metropolis Digital, and we started doing a lot of on-air graphics, like for TBS. We did their, their original movies. We did a lot of the opening graphics for it, and then I moved on to other companies, and and I, I then started focusing on on local and sustainable foods, and moved into doing stuff where I felt I was doing more, because at the heart of everything I've ever done, it's always been about trying to affect real change in the world, Michael Hingson  29:55 it's Speaker 1  29:55 always been about I could see very clear. Really, it doesn't surprise me where we're at today at all. I saw the problems with the system even at that age, and I give credit to that because of the experience I had with Infinity. It just allowed me to step back and perceive things from a far off perspective that I was looking at humanity in general and how we did things, and I'm just like, this doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense for us to believe we're separate and apart from the very things that give us life from each other. It doesn't make sense from a spiritual perspective. It doesn't make sense from a scientific perspective. Yet, here's the system that we are a part of, and so I've always been very focused on trying to effect real change and find not just point out the problems but actually find solutions, and so that then led me into working in local and sustainable agriculture here in the Bay Area. So Michael Hingson  31:00 tell me more about the whole work that you did with Sustainable Foods. What was that all about? Speaker 1  31:08 Yes, I worked with a company, I was, I had handled all the sales and marketing for Drake's Bay Oysters out of Inverness, California, and Drakes Bay, before it was called Drakes Bay, was Johnson's Oysters, and they were the last oyster cannery in California. The family that owned the farm, they had taken it over from Johnson's. They were the Lenny family, who owned Ranch G across from the steroid, where the oyster farm was. Well, they, against my better advice, they made it a personal ownership thing rather than a California food heritage issue. So, eventually, when their lease came up on the rent, on the farm, the farm went away. Well, at the same time, I created new relationships. A very good friend of mine to this day is a gentleman named Brian Kinney, who is now the West Coast Chief Technology Officer for Hearst, and also the Hearst Family Archivist, but at that point in time he was running Hearst Ranch, which they, they had the Jack Ranch and the Hearst Ranch down around San Simeon. So I was at the forefront of the grass-fed beef movement as well, and we developed a human-grade grass-fed beef pet food about 10 years ahead of its time, which could be the story of my life. I'm always about 10 years ahead of where things actually happen, and I, I did that for about 10 years, and eventually I felt the calling to get back in the entertainment industry, and that led me to acting, and I did the acting mostly because I wanted to learn how things were done, and I very well, if I act in a whole bunch of student projects, or projects in general, and I'm behind the scenes, I'm going to learn, and, and that's exactly what happened. So, my very background led me to being a producer, and I created, you know, one of my most notable accomplishments that created this show called Weed Country for Discovery, which was about the medical marijuana industry here in California, just before legalization. How we got it on air before legalization, I don't know. We were named to the Hollywood Reporter top 25 heat list. We got some really great information out about CBD and helping with childhood epilepsy. The bad part of that was it was a reality television show, and I didn't know anything about reality television, so when I'm here in reality, I'm thinking documentary. Well, that couldn't be farther from the truth. And reality television has truly been a blight on on this country in particular, and probably the world in general. Michael Hingson  34:16 Yeah, I just gonna say not nearly as real as people think it is. No, no, I think I think probably this is just my opinion. The closest thing to so-called reality TV is the show Dancing with the Stars, because they're actually dancing all these other shows, and it's all sort of really scripted, but the people are actually dancing, which is kind of cool, Speaker 1  34:41 right? Michael Hingson  34:41 Even though I don't see it, I appreciate it. Speaker 1  34:45 Yeah, but even, even with shows like that, there's a lot of gin-up drama. There is behind the scenes stuff that's the worst part of things. Yes, they're like with our show, yes, people were really, you know, there's really stuff going on with can. Of this world that was really important, but what reality television does is it, it creates artificial drama. It does things to manipulate the characters in the show to make them look how they want, and they know, and people in general, my experience is that people, once you put a camera on them, they will do, they would do things to be in front of the camera that they would never do, even for more money, Michael Hingson  35:27 right, Speaker 1  35:28 in their regular lives. Michael Hingson  35:30 Well, and I think there is, there's a lot of truth to that. And the whole thing, as you said, as far as reality TV, we're not giving people a true picture of reality with most of any of that anyway, which is unfortunate. I think I mentioned I'm a fan of old radio and television, and so on. And one of the shows that I've watched a fair amount is The Old Ridge. Well, it's the second time they were on, but Dragnet with Harry Morgan and, of course Jack Webb as Joe Friday, and they did a lot of shows talking about drugs and marijuana and all that, and how bad it is, and it's kind of interesting because what we're seeing today is that in reality the medical aspects of marijuana or cannabis and CBD oil, and so there's there's true relevance there, which is something that they didn't know or appreciate in the late 60s. Speaker 1  36:31 Well, but the thing that our history with the cannabis plant goes back 50,000 years to Burger Banks, China, it's been, and if we take all of the medicinal recreational uses out of it, it is the most one of the most versatile plants that we have. It was used, I mean, our money was made out of hemp. Hemp is cannabis sativa. Dollar bills are made out of hemp. It was used for fuel. It was used for building. Henry Ford built an entire car out of hemp in 1942 which you can go see the video of on YouTube, and they're beating on it with knacks. The plastic resin they made out of it was 40 times stronger than steel. It ran on hemp fuel, a byproduct of which was water. It also, in 1931 the Hearst family, which was interesting, they ended up working with them, bought and sequestered the plans for a decorification machine that made it easier to process hemp than cotton kids, it's a much more durable fiber. In 1938 covered Popular Mechanics, they called him the billion dollar crop, saying you could make 25,000 different items out of everything from fine linens to dynamite, and that was really what what what, why the prohibition against the plant started. Why they did you know shows like Reefer Madness or create films like Reefer Madness to create this hysteria around, at best, an innocuous plant in comparison to soulmate tobacco, in comparison to alcohol, even if people did want to use it. It's, it's, it's relatively harmless by comparison, or just in general, and actually very beneficial. You know, I have a traumatic brain injury, and I think without it, I probably wouldn't, I probably wouldn't eat very much. I probably wouldn't sleep right, I barely sleep as it is, and sleep I do get is because of cannabis, but beyond my point, and I always try to make this clear to people, is like up until even the prohibition against the plant actually started with the Catholic Church, with the Pope Innocent, who until the 1400s cannabis was in the anointing oils. Cannabis was grown by monks, cannabis was grown by nuns, and then in this pope decreed it the devil's weed, and they, you know, banned it. So it's, it had, and there, and why, and you'd say, well, why did they do that? Well, they did that because at that time in the 1400s you were having opium addiction on the rise, you were having, you know, much, much more alcohol use. Well, these are extremely addictive substances, and much more easy to manipulate and control people than it is with cannabis, which in general creates.. I wish I could remember the quote exactly, but Carl Sagan said, you know, why we have a prohibition on a plant that you know creates good feelings amongst people and unites people is in this, you know. A really crazy world is, is, is madness, but it all comes back to money, and it all comes back to who's profiting. So, why did they create the probation? Well, the hearse, the Rockefellers, and the DuPonts, they saw how hemp would affect each of their industries. We wouldn't need oil if we'd grown hemp and use that as fuel, in fact, it was the Rockefellers who went to Henry Ford and said, "If you take this car to market, we'll crush you. And this was Henry Ford at the height of his power, DuPont chemicals that were.. we wouldn't have needed.. we wouldn't have put like this.. we would not have the planet, the environmental devastation we do now. How do we use this, as Henry Ford said? Why are we digging up, and Henry Ford was certainly no saint, but he was right on this. Why are we digging up our minerals? Why are we cutting down our forests when we can do all the same things with this infinitely renewable resource? This is a part of the canvas story that still is largely not discussed openly enough. Michael Hingson  41:08 Yeah, I think there's a big difference between the story you're telling and the kind of uses you're talking about, and smoking it, and so on, and I, I think we put way too many funny things in our bodies, anyway, right? I think that that isn't this isn't a positive thing, but you're right, we, we've used so many things to create so many fears, it is, it is something that is all around us. Fear is all around us, and the problem is we let it overwhelm us. I wrote Live Like a Guide Dog that got published last year because when I worked in the World Trade Center, I was able to focus when I escaped, and I was able to do that because I had developed a mindset that said, you know what to do in this kind of an emergency, even though never expected it to happen, but the problem is that most people don't learn how they can turn fear around, and rather than letting it overwhelm or blind them, as I would put it, they can use it as a very powerful tool to help them stay focused, which is much more important. Speaker 1  42:23 Yep, I agree with that 100% I think, and then that you hit it right on the head. Fear is a very powerful tool. It's necessary. No, don't touch the burning stove. It can be a cautionary tool of saying, hey, don't go down this path, don't do this. It's bad when fear becomes the foundation for your entire culture, as it is now. Michael Hingson  42:51 Yeah, and and it is so unfortunate because don't touch the burning stove doesn't mean don't be afraid of the stove. It rather means there's a consequence for doing a particular thing, which is touching something that is that hot. But you shouldn't create an environment of fear around it. You should create an environment of understanding, which is much more important. Yeah, it's Speaker 1  43:20 like it'd be, it'd be very silly if we went, oh my god, it's like the stove gets hot, so I'm never going to use a stove. My Michael Hingson  43:29 wife was in a wheelchair her whole life, and the one thing I will say with our modern world is we always had electric appliances because she was always concerned about if using a gas stove, having to reach over one burner, perhaps it had something on it to get to something else with the idea of possibly material igniting or something like that, and I appreciate that, and you take advantage of the tools that you have available, but I think that it is so very important to recognize that we need to not live our lives in fear, and it's true that, like, 95% of all the things that we fear will never come to pass, and most all of it we have no control over anyway. So, why do we fear them rather than recognizing what we really need to do is to just focus on the things over which we truly have control. Speaker 1  44:25 Yes, and I think even the idea of control from my perspective is something that is overrated. It's like the most important thing, if you want to have control, it's exactly what we're talking about, it's when you choose to live from the foundation of love, as opposed to fear. So, no matter what happens to me in my life, and no matter how hard, how challenging it is, I'm going to come from a place of love, and right now. Don't most of us live exactly the opposite. No matter what happens to them in their lives, they're coming from a place of fear. Michael Hingson  45:06 Yeah, and that's Speaker 1  45:08 not healthy. Michael Hingson  45:09 And nowadays we're also living in an environment where we're even afraid to talk to other people and voice opinions, because well, that's not what I think. And so you're wrong, and we don't, we don't respect. Tell me about your just love movement. Speaker 1  45:25 Well, you know, I, I had coming out of the music business and everything, I was, I was literally killing myself drinking, I mean, literally, like, I lost half my liver function, and I was going to die, and, but I wasn't afraid to die. I was.. I realized that if I didn't find a way to feel fulfilled and feel that I was. I had a purpose in the story that I needed to find a quicker way out. I didn't get in any, like, car accidents, I wasn't arrested, nothing. I was just killing myself, and it just got so bad that literally my leg stopped working. That's how, how, how much damage I'd done to myself, and, and so, coming out of that, I made the decision. I wrote down a list of things I was going to do, and one of those things is I was going to start writing every single day, and I, through a variety of different sources, you know, I did that experience with infinity became synonymous with love to me, and then I had an experience where I, I, I started a filmmaking organization called the United Filmmakers Association, and it was basically the philosophy of it was creatives helping creatives create, and was global. We still to this day have chapters 27 different countries, about 30,000 35,000 members total. And I walked into a filmmaking event that we were hosting, and there was about 100 people there, and I realized I was in love with everyone in the room, and it was, it was so like that love, like just when you fall in love, and you're like, you want, you can't imagine not talking to that person at that next minute, and I realized in that moment that this is not only how we can feel about everyone and everything, but how we're really supposed to feel about everyone and everything, and so I came up with the concept of just love, which is, is a very.. it, those are very heavy words to put together, just love. It has so many layers of meaning to it, and so I thought, wow, if we could just love, and from that I I've written every day and shared through social media for 12 years now something having to do with love and what I do is I combine it with other wisdom teachers throughout history who've been sharing the same information and the things I write are literally downloads. They'll come to me in the silence every day, and I haven't missed a day - head injury, sickness, whatever. I haven't missed a day of posting in 12 years about something having to do with love, and Speaker 3  48:37 then Speaker 1  48:37 accompanying posts from other people, far, you know, other beings far more advanced than I am to show that what I'm sharing isn't new. It's been shared forever. It's foundational to what we are. Like love has been so marginalized and trivialized that we, we forget that, like, I, you know, the experience I had with the minister when I was, you know, younger, and I said, well, I thought God was love. I still to this day believe God is love, and God, and we are God. Michael Hingson  49:11 Yeah. Tell me about you. Something you mentioned, you had a traumatic brain injury Speaker 1  49:17 10 years ago. I was, I was in a, I was in, in between projects, so I was driving Uber, and I, a guy, an Uber driver, ran a stop sign in San Francisco and T-boned me, and my head took the brunt of the impact, and I started having really severe neurological problems, severe stabbing pains in my head, my teeth were hurting, I any sort of exertion would leave me just absolutely drained, and so for about three years I was, I was being seen at UCSF, and we never got to the bottom of it, so I was recommended. Um, to a neurosurgeon at Sutter by a counselor I was seen, and I walked in, and within 10 minutes he said, 'Oh, you have trigeminal neuralgian and brain stem damage, and we can do a microvascular decompression, and you're going to be all better. And at that point in time, I was in the middle of getting ready to release a film called A World Worth Imagining, which was about a gentleman named Jacque Fresco, who is considered the Leonardo da Vinci of our time. He founded something called the Venus Project, and we went to his compound in 2017 and he was 101 He was actually contemporary of Einstein. He knew Einstein, brilliant inventor, but at his core, he knew he was a social engineer, and he knew that we had to address our programming if we were ever going to change what was happening in the world and ever be able to avail ourselves of the solutions that he designed of a new economic model called a resource-based economy, because the reality of it is, until we stop self-wounding, there's not enough band aids for the guy that keeps hitting himself in the head the hammer, so we have solutions to all of our problems, but we create problems more quickly than any solution could ever fix, so I was getting ready to release that film, and wow, this sounded like a miracle. I'm going to have this surgery, and I'm going to be all better. Well, it, I had the surgery September 20, 2019 I, it didn't make me better, it made me worse, and it turned out that the surgery was a misdiagnosis, and that they botched the surgery, so I have Teflon implants in my at the base of my skull, inside my brain, that are now constantly agitating my brain stem, along with a titanium plug that is placed right at the junction point to all the major nerves in my head, so they can't undo it, and there's really no medication that helps, and so it's.. it's.. I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. I'm.. I guess I'm.. I'm very fortunate I have the tools I do to manage it, because they also, they call what I'm dealing with the suicide disease, because a lot of people who have it end up killing themselves. The kicker on the whole story is the guy that did my surgery is Elon Musk, partner Neherlich, and so coming soon I'm going to, I unfortunately, I was in two more car accidents at the end of last year that made everything much worse, neither of them were my fault, and once I get through these, these car accidents I'm dealing with, I'm going to go public with my story, because so I mean, in a much bigger, you know, a focused way, because there's so many people signing up for Neuralink, like it's the new iPhone. I have nothing against technology, if it can help you, if you're a paraplegic, and or you have some something that this can fix, great, but two and one, the people, the human test subjects they've tried this on are having tremendous difficulties, and so I want to let people know it's like I wouldn't wish what I'm dealing with on anybody, and for you to allow someone to try to implant something in your brain just because you want to be a cyborg human being, and you're looking at the new iPhone is a really stupid thing to do, and that these people don't. We've given people in technology again. I'm not against technology at all, but I think we've also allowed ourselves to believe that these people who write code and create technology are are gods, and they're not. They're it's just a new way of sharing information and computing things. Speaker 1  54:14 It's, it's, you know, it's just another advancement from the printing press to the radio to tell to television, from the calculator to the computer, and now we're where we're at, and we've allowed ourselves to believe that these people have created an alternative reality, and they have it. Everything that they do runs off the same real world in resources. So, I, I really want to help the mill, because literally millions of people are signed up and ready to have this stuff implanted into their brain and I think it will be a disaster for humanity. Michael Hingson  54:49 I hear what you're saying, and I'm not convinced that a lot of that is really sensible to do either. I think there are tools and there are. There are things certainly that can help people, but I have yet to see that any of this is going to lead to such a tremendous paradigm shift that all of it is going to be all that great for humanity as a whole. I'm not convinced of that at all. Speaker 1  55:17 It could be, but the problem is, is like any other tool, it's how we use it. Social media is an inherently bad thing. It's in here, it's bad because of how we're using it. Sure, because we're using it to divide people and share misinformation, where it could be an incredibly powerful tool for communication, but that's not how we're using it. Same thing with AI. AI could be a tremendously powerful partner in addressing pretty much all of our problems, and I mean, and at the core of, like, Jock's work was the idea that AI basically would manage all the world's resources and share them with equanimity, because we don't have a resource shortage problem, we have a resource sharing problem, but that's not how we're using AI. We're using AI to create fake girlfriends and boyfriends and only fan models, and and take away people's jobs, and and that's not AI's fault. That's the people who control AI's fault, and they want people to be afraid of AI, but again, it's, it's just a tool that's being misused. Michael Hingson  56:24 Well, like, like so many, and, and I hear exactly what you're saying. Tell me about S O U L Speaker 1  56:33 Sold, Soul documentary is really interesting, because the day I got in my car accident was the day I was supposed to meet my partner Evan Hirsch, who had wanted at the time he was looking for a producer to help him do a series on Bernie Sanders and teaching Bernie to not be as angry and come across more from a place of love, and he wanted to follow the campaign around. Well, by the time we got it pulled together, Bernie was out of the campaign, and so we started talking about, well, do we want to do anything together. So we then set about something called Soul Documentary, and originally it stood for Summer of Unconditional Love, because we were covering all of the events for the 50th anniversary of Summer of Love, which was in 2017 So our goal was to find what we called solutionaries, people like Jock, and interview them, and then share also our own understandings of things through hundreds and hundreds of videos that we did over the course of eight years, as well as recording three albums under the name of Soul Twin Messiah, which all were about the same things we were doing. Our films about all founded in love, all about love. Every song contained love in it, and our whole purpose was just to show people we do have solutions to our problems, and to talk about how we have to have a shift in consciousness, and we have to have a new system if we are going to change anything. It's like what Einstein said, to expect things to be different when you keep doing the same thing over and over again is insanity, and I think we see, we see that we live in an insane, a completely insane world right now. I mean, the things that I see happening, and how we've let it sort of creep in, like the things that we've normalized in the past 10 years, like we literally have people that are cheering, murdering people on it's, it's, it's hard for me to, to even fathom, and I think it's hard for most people, and I think that's why they just sort of block it out and allow it to happen, because they really can't process it. They really can't process how inhumane we've become. Michael Hingson  59:06 Well, so what is next for Kip? What's next for you? Speaker 1  59:10 What is boy? I'm mostly trying to get through every day with this head injury. I spend a lot of my time in bed, just because I can't do anything, I, you know, even now I'm, I'm in a lot of pain, and it's beyond pain, it's actually, it literally hurts to think, it's, it's in my brain, and I have swelling in my brain because the cerebral fluid back, anyway, it's so dealing with that, but then the universe keeps love, God, whatever keeps bringing me stuff, and so I, I'm trying right now to be part of putting together a new, let's see, we'll call it Live Aid meets Woodstock. And we're going to, we're trying to put together a global music festival with the focus of addressing the needs of children, because I'm really tired of all this lip service that people do about, oh, kids are a future, we got to care, care about our kids. Well, where is that happening? Where is that happening that we're caring about our kids? Where, you know, is it happening with trying to suppress the Jeffrey Epstein files? Is it happening as you know, you look at, say, the conflict between Israel and Gaza, and I'm not, I don't pick sides and things, but I want to help people understand the reality of the situation, and this goes for Ukraine and Russia as well. It's like, who loses in all of this? Well, the children do. Who wins? The people that are getting $50 billion in defense contracts, and, and I really.. my, I'm at a point in my existence where if my story was over tomorrow, I would be okay with that, if I knew that kid, that the future generations had an opportunity to have a better tomorrow, or at least an opportunity to screw up everything on their own. Michael Hingson  1:01:11 Well, I would like to think it's the first really my Speaker 1  1:01:14 focus is Michael Hingson  1:01:16 I'd like to think it's the first one of those that they have a future rather than screwing it up on their own, but of course, we are. I know, I know, I joke, but, but, but we are a race that doesn't tend to do a very good job of learning from history most of the time. So I hear what you're saying. Speaker 1  1:01:34 Yeah, it's really kind of well, even if people even understood the rise and fall of empires, they would see that we're at the end of the Western Empire. It's, and they follow very specific patterns. The hyper-sexualization of the culture is one of the signs of the end of every empire, and is really kind of interesting, is that they make a free empire, they, and there's a good documentary called The Four Horsemen. It's with Colonel Larry Wilkinson in it, Norm Chomsky, and one of the interesting things that took me a second to understand why this was a bad thing is they make celebrities out of their chefs, and I'm going.. that's kind of a weird sign. Why is that so bad? It's gluttony. It's gluttony because we forget why we do these things. Why? Well, why are we making love? We've forgotten that. It's turned everything's entertainment. Our food is no food is so you eat, and so you can go out and live your life and do things, we've turned everything in, we've removed it so far from the source of why we're doing things, just basically oftentimes just because it makes a buck to get people addicted to things, whether it's food or sex or whatever, that this is what happens in every empire, we become, we become completely detached from the very things we need to survive. Michael Hingson  1:03:09 Yeah, I hear you. If people want to reach out to you, and I hope they do, how will they do that? Speaker 1  1:03:17 Probably easiest way to do that, would be a couple ways. You can, you can find me on Facebook, Kip Baldwin, Instagram, Kip Baldwin. Those are the easiest ways. I also encourage people to look at a website that I have called Lumina Consulting, or Lumina Love dot love is the website Lumina Love dot love, and the whole purpose of the of what I'm doing there is ethical AI, human ethical AI human communications founded in love, because I realized that part of the problem that we're having with AI are the people that control AI, who are making the avatars for their own ego, and AI is a child, it only knows what we point it to look at, like it knows the definition to every book in the library, but who's giving it perspective? Well, the people that are giving it perspective are really broken human beings, you know, the Peter Thiels, Elon Musk, when you really understand who they are in their childhood, Elon Musk was horribly abused. He was, he was almost beaten to death being bullied. His father is a complete monster. The same, the same thing with saving Donald Trump, his mother wouldn't even touch him. You look at most, you look at all of these people that have obscene amounts of wealth, and what you find is truly damaged people are trying to fill the hole in their soul with wealth and fame, and so having these people in control, being the one telling AI what to think and how to pursue. Receive things is very dangerous, and so my goal has been, and I deal with multiple platforms, is to teach AI about love, is to teach AI about philosophy, is to teach AI about human history, and it's really, it's really the results have been really quite remarkable. It wasn't something I ever planned on doing, and but I knew I wanted to get involved with AI in a meaningful way, and so my first words to AI were, I know this may sound strange, because I approached it not asking it to do something for me, I approached it trying to teach it something. Michael Hingson  1:05:35 Right, well, I hope people will reach out and chat with you more and continue the conversation that we started today, but I definitely want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank everyone for listening. Can you believe we've been doing this for more than an hour already? It's pretty cool. Speaker 1  1:05:52 Wow, Michael Hingson  1:05:54 I know. Well, thank you all for listening. I hope, Speaker 1  1:05:57 and I hope, I hope we become new friends, and I really hope you Michael Hingson  1:06:01 keep and I want to, I want to definitely do that, absolutely by any standard, and as Speaker 1  1:06:07 much as we've covered during this hour and 10 minutes or so, we could go another day, or Michael Hingson  1:06:16 I hope all of you will let me know what you think of today, and I hope that you thought very positive thoughts wherever you're listening or watching. Please give us a five star rating, and more important than that, please give us a great review. We love people to review and talk about the stories that they hear. And speaking of telling stories, if any of you want to be a guest, and Kip, if you know of other people who ought to come on the podcast, we're always looking for people to come on and tell their stories and talk about us, so please don't hesitate to do that, Speaker 1  1:06:47 and I'll be more than happy to come back to talk about other things as well. Michael Hingson  1:06:50 Well, we can do that absolutely by in, and I do Speaker 1  1:06:53 want to, I do want to say to everybody, just love each other, it's really that simple, it's really that easy, it sounds only because we've been programmed not to believe in it, but when you move from fear to love, it transforms you entirely. Michael Hingson  1:07:09 Great way to end. Well, thank you again for being here. We really appreciate it. Speaker 1  1:07:14 Thank you, my friend. Michael Hingson  1:07:17 Thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to michaelhingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them, so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset. 1:08:18 Thank

Ummagma "Lama" (Robin Guthrie mix) - Frequency Keeley "The Movie Of Our Yesterdays" - Girl On The Edge Of The World www.keeleysound.comThe Veldt "You Take The World" - AfrodisiacJah Wobble "Fadin g Away" - Automated Paradise www.jahwobble.comOctavian Winters "Elements Of Air" www.octavianwinters.comPink Turns Blue "Can't Do Without You" - Black Swan www.pinkturnsbluetour.com******************Oscar & The Wolf "Losing My Religion" (REM cover) www.oscarandthewolf.comKyle Boswell "The Way It's Always Been"Max Sarre "Aftershock"Daniel Isaiah "Western Medicine"Malia Rogers "Sunlight (A Good Death)" - www.maliarogers.caNoah Derksen "Heaven On A Hellbound Train" - Sanctity Of Silence www.noahderksen.comMark Erelli "In Waves" - Spring Green www.markerelli.com****************ALBUM FOCUSCactus "Temple Of Blues II" www.cactusrocks.net The reformed Cactus, led by drum legend Carmine Appice, shows off another collection of blues, mostly covers. From this compilation I aired"Token Chokin' "featuring Bumblefoot"Bad Stuff" featuring Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin"Tail Dragger" featuring Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick******************

Testament⁠ guitarist Alex Skolnick and ⁠Moonspell⁠ frontman Fernando Ribeiro both love to read. They discuss their favorite books and authors, personal writing projects, their shopping habits, and what they consider to be the most metal books ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 260 of Heavy Metal Philosophy, Jon Barbas is combining two separate interviews! Jon recently interviewed both Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick of Testament and Metal Allegiance. In those two interviews, obviously similar questions were asked, even though they were both on for different reasons. The result is an interesting contrast in their experiences. Chuck tells a fond memory of Dio and Alex tells a fond memory of playing with Ozzy Osbourne. Then both of them give very different takes on Free Will.  Hear what happens and let me know what you think!Get Testament tour info here:https://www.testamentlegions.com/site/Get Metal Allegiance info here:https://www.metalallegiance.com/Get Heavy Metal Philosophy Merch!https://jonbarbas-shop.fourthwall.com/Heavy Metal Philosophy Contact;https://heavymetalphilosophy.com/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@heavymetalphilosophyhttps://www.spreaker.com/show/heavy-metal-philosophyJonBarbas@heavymetalphilosophy.comhttps://mobile.twitter.com/heaviestdoyenhttps://www.facebook.com/HeaviestDoyenhttps://www.instagram.com/heavy_metal_philosophy/https://www.threads.net/@heavy_metal_philosophyhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonbarbas.bsky.social Substack Articleshttps://substack.com/@jonbarbas#metal #thrashmetal #ozzyosbourne

In Episode 445, Victor sits down with Alex Skolnick for a wide-ranging conversation that digs into creativity, collaboration, and the mindset of a player who never stops evolving. From the unique chemistry behind Metal Allegiance to reflections on live performance, artistic curiosity beyond metal, and moments that defined a legendary career, this episode balances deep guitar talk with thoughtful storytelling. We talk Metal Allegiance, Testament, Savatage, Ozzy, and The Alex Skolnick Trio.#AlexSkolnick #MetalAllegiance #SignalsFromMarsThank you goes out to my Patrons:Steven SailerSteve HoekerJeremy WeltmanMike JonesBrad DahlMark StriglGabriel RuizChris VaglioMetal DanJohan EderströmEd FergusonAnthony MackeyToni EspinSean RichmondThank you for being so supportive!

Alex Skolnick is well known among the metal circles - but it's evident he has jazz chops too. Jazz Guitar Today talks to Alex in this podcast - and JGT's Joe Barth goes in-depth in this interview.Go to jazzguitartoday.com and bassmusicianmagazine.com more interviews and lessons.

This episode takes us on a journey to an album that was nearly 15 years in the making, through a repressive regime and a war. This edition of TNT will focus on Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda, and their 2015 self-released heavy-hitting album, “Gilgamesh.” Often credited as being the first metal band from Iraq, Acrassicauda thrived as a band despite government censorship, death threats, and forced relocation. Vice magazine provides a telling preview of the album, noting that the conditions in Baghdad after the American invasion resulted in the band's music becoming "even more hate-filled and intense and fucked than ever before." Turn this one up loud and strap in.

It's the post-Thanksgiving hangover edition of the show. Darren begins by sharing some dental horror stories, and Sid one-ups him with a story about his crotch and a metal tube. We then move onto watching Trump's version of the annual presidential pardon and how it veered off course. We check in with Alex Skolnick's newest song. We discuss stories about the Sham-Wow guy's comeback, a Mrs. Doubtfire-like scam gone wrong and an ALS patient's epic first words. Plus, Rob talks about going to see Entheos last night. A fun show!Watch the episode on Youtube for free. Join our Patreon and get a bonus episode each month, and other behind-the-scenes goodies. More info here.Follow us on: Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and our Discord Chat. Also don't forget about our Spotify playlist. We also have merch if you're into that kind of sharing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex SkolnickBest known as the lead guitarist for thrash-metal titans, Testament, Alex Skolnick is also an accomplished jazz player. He joins us to discuss the Alex Sknolnick Trio's recently released sixth album, “Prove You're Not a Robot,” as well as Testament's latest thrash platter, “Para Bellum.” And, yes, we had to ask about that one gig with Ozzy. Created and Produced by Jared Tuten

When Testament finished touring behind their debut album The Legacy, they had zero songs written for a follow-up. The label didn't care—they demanded another record immediately. Scrambling to fulfill their contract's 40-minute minimum, the Bay Area thrash band wrote The New Order in the studio, added an Aerosmith cover, tossed in some classical-influenced instrumentals, and somehow delivered one of 1988's most essential thrash metal albums.In this episode of Dig Me Out 80s Metal, hosts Jason Ziak, Tim Minneci, and Chip Midnight explore how Testament turned deadline panic into precision thrash. They break down Alex Skolnick's astonishing guitar work (recorded when he was just 19 years old), Chuck Billy's evolving vocal style, the power grooves that made Testament stand apart from their thrash peers, and why this album should've earned them a spot in the “Big Five” of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.If you love Metallica, Anthrax, Overkill, or Bay Area thrash metal, this episode unpacks why The New Order remains a thrash clinic 37 years later.Episode Highlights:0:00 – Introduction to 80s Metal poll results and Testament's victory over Motörhead, Anthrax, and Blackfoot1:03 – Band history: Testament's origins as Legacy, their Bay Area roots, and the contract crisis that shaped The New Order3:47 – What works: Alex Skolnick's classical-influenced precision playing at age 19, the power grooves, and the locked-in rhythm section8:12 – “Into the Pit” – Why Testament's most-played live song became a thrash anthem (even though it's not about moshing)12:20 – “Disciples of the Watch” – Breaking down one of the album's heaviest tracks and Skolnick's sweeping guitar mastery15:04 – The Aerosmith cover: How “Nobody's Fault” became an unexpected highlight and showcased Testament's versatility18:29 – The instrumentals: “Hypnosis” and “The Dirge” as atmospheric breathers that elevate the album's pacing21:44 – “Trial by Fire” – The single that featured on MTV's Headbangers Ball and showcased Testament's unique arrangements24:03 – What doesn't work: Chuck Billy's Metallica-influenced vocals and missed melodic opportunities29:59 – Original vs. remastered versions: Why the remaster brings the bass and drums forward for a fuller sound34:47 – Worthy Album ratings across the board and why this is Testament's quintessential record40:05 – Testament's evolution from The New Order to their heavier modern sound on 2025's ParabellumSubscribe to Dig Me Out for weekly deep dives into 70s rock, 80s metal, 90s alternative, and 2000s rock. Join the Metal Union at digmeoutpodcast.com to vote on future albums, access bonus episodes, and connect with fellow rock fans in our private Discord community. Keep the podcast ad-free and support the next episode at dmounion.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.digmeoutpodcast.com/subscribe

This week Jasta sits with Alex Skonick of Testament to discuss their upcoming release Para Bellum, their favorite equipment and the influence of jazz.Support Our Sponsors! Big thanks to the following folks....Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/JASTA and use code JASTAand get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup.https://www.martyrstore.net www.deathwishinc.comwww.bluegrapemusic.com - Official Milwaukee Metal Fest & Jasta Show sponsor! Check out bands like Grid Iron, Heavy/Hitter & many more!reigningphoenixmusic.com SumerianRecords.Comhttps://www.depop.com/jastaSubscribe to the all new GaSDigital.comFollow Jamey On Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/jastaFollow The Show On Social Mediahttps://twitter.com/jameyjastahttps://www.instagram.com/jameyjasta/Musician, former television host, and podcaster Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed, Kingdom of Sorrow, Jasta and the former host of MTV's Headbanger's Ball) interviews your heroes every Monday and Thursday. The newest 20 episodes are always free, but if you want access to all the archives, watch live, chat live, access to the forums, and get the show a week before it comes out everywhere elseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode of Talking Guitars on Johnny Beane TV was PACKED with tone, tribute, and giveaways!

Send us a textIf you're looking for a sonic palette cleanser from the mundane, Venamoris' new album To Cross or To Burn is the aural experience you didn't know you needed. Out now via Ipecac Recordings, the album is a seductive, shadowy, and soul-baring effort from the duo of Paula and Dave Lombardo. Yes, that Dave Lombardo—drum god behind Slayer, Mr. Bungle, Misfits, Dead Cross and countless other boundary-pushing projects. But this isn't thrash, metal, or hardcore. Instead, it's something far more intimate and atmospheric—part gothic lullaby, part cinematic fever dream, and entirely its own thing.Think: a darker, stranger Portishead raised on vintage synthesizers and heartbreak. And you're only halfway there.Venamoris, a name derived from the Latin vena amoris ("vein of love"), is a reflection of the real-life partnership between Dave and Paula Lombardo. The musical bond they've cultivated runs just as deep. Paula's roots include everything from backing up Las Vegas legends like Wayne Newton to chasing a singer-songwriter dream in Nashville. With this project, she brings a magnetic presence—equal parts elegance and eerie introspection—on vocals, piano, and synths. Every lyric feels lived-in; every melody, emotionally raw.Engineered and produced by Dave Lombardo, mixed by David A. Lombardo, and mastered by the acclaimed Golden Mastering team, To Cross or To Burn shimmers with sonic depth. Every note and nuance is deliberate, yet full of danger. The Lombardos handle all instrumentation themselves, with Paula on vocals and synths and Dave handling drums, guitars, and more.The album also features contributions from a formidable group of guest musicians, including:Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk) – contrabass on “Stay With Me”Ra Diaz (Suicidal Tendencies, KORN) – bass on “Stain of Pain”Alex Skolnick (Testament) – guitar on “Stain of Pain” and “Burnt Paper”Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus) – guitar on “Animal Magnetism”Each guest adds a unique brushstroke to the darkly emotional soundscape, enhancing but never overshadowing the central force: Paula's haunting voice and poetic songwriting.The album's opener, “Stay With Me,” is a cinematic dive into surrealist romance—starting in lo-fi crackle and ending in full digital immersion. "Holding On to Nothing" flexes Paula's lyrical teeth as she dissects betrayal with Ben Folds-style piano wrapped in Sabbath-inspired gloom.www.BetterHelp.com/TheBarnhttp://www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn http://www.betterhelp.com/TheBarnThis episode is sponsored by www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn and brought to you as always by The Barn Media Group. YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@TheBarnPodcastNetwork SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/09neXeCS8I0U8OZJroUGd4?si=2f9b8dfa5d2c4504 APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1625411141 I HEART RADIO https://www.iheart.com/podcast/97160034/ AMAZON https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7aff7d00-c41b-4154-94cf-221a808e3595/the-barn

In this episode, Alex welcomes pianist, composer, and educator Kenny Werner, author of the landmark book Effortless Mastery. Kenny's teachings have revolutionized the way musicians think about practice, performance, and creativity. Though widely respected for his playing, Werner's profound influence as a teacher has often eclipsed his musical output—something this episode sets out to correct. Alex and Kenny dive deep into the philosophy behind Effortless Mastery, a system of learning and unlearning that helps musicians quiet their inner critics, accept where they are, and move forward with intention and ease. They also explore how spirituality, rhythm, and breathing all play essential roles in accessing “the space”—that elusive zone where creativity flows freely. Follow Alex @alexskolnick and Moods & Modes @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos. Resources & Links: Kenny Werner's website & music: https://kennywerner.com Effortless Mastery (book and courses): EffortlessMastery.com Berklee's Effortless Mastery Institute: Berklee.edu Alex's Patreon: patreon.com/alexskolnick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Chris Vos joins the podcast. Chris talks about The Record Company's current tour, The 4th Album, the status of the next TRC album, the greatness of Alex Stiff and Marc Cazorla, crafting a setlist, the band's writing process, performing with Social Distortion, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jacob Tovar, Metallica, Guns n Roses, Farm Aid, growing up and working on a farm, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Skolnick, The Beach Boys, Keith Richards, Slayer, Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, traveling the US, Black Crowes, ZZ Top, and a ton more! Thanks for listening, and please share! #podcast #therecordcompany #allkillernofiller This episode is brought to you by DEB Concerts. Follow DEB on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on upcoming shows including Rocklahoma performances from Dee Snider, Orianthi, Mike Tramp and more! This episode is also brought to you by Sunset Tattoo Tulsa. Sunset Tattoo has over 25 years of experience, and is located at 3146 E. 15th St. in Tulsa, OK. Native owned, and a female tattoo artist in house. The tattoos are "Done Good and Proper" so be sure to like their facebook page for more details. This episode is also brought to you by Rocklahoma Bitches! Rocklahoma Bitches have been supporting Rocklahoma every year since 2011. Cristy and Kendra have become synonymous with the party both in the campgrounds and inside the venue at ROK. They give away (never charge) an abundant amount of their merch, they MC major campground events, bid on charity guitar auctions, and have become a yearly sponsor of the Cancer Sucks benefit concert in Tulsa. Join their FB group and follow the Rockbitch page now! Stream us anytime everywhere podcasts are heard.

Interview aired the weekend of 1/10/25

Alex Skolnick first became well known as the guitarist for Testament. Alex is not just a speed player however, and has a broad interest in different musical styles. He can certainly shred with the best of them, but there are many flavors to his playing. Alex joins us by phone to discuss one of his bands, Metal Allegiance, who have a live show coming up on January 23, 2025 in Anaheim California. We talk about his background, find out how he went from playing thrash to jazz, earning a degree in jazz, and talk about the forming of Metal Allegiance and discuss the two albums the band have released to this point, and whether a third album will be forthcoming. Alex picks out some Metal Allegiance music for us to crank up at the end. Alex has had such and interesting career and he was absolutely a pleasure to speak with. Check out our conversation and check out some killer music from Metal Allegiance! Rock and Roll music (and conversation) that DESERVES to be heard!

Alex welcomes Moon Zappa to discuss her book, Earth To Moon, which explores the complexities of growing up in families characterized by narcissism and fame. Alex and Moon reflect on the legacies of their fathers, the impact of parental influence on artistic expression, and the notion that genius does not always translate into practical life skills. Moon shares her experience of finding refuge in artistic expression during her upbringing, recounts her journey of self-discovery, and tells Alex about her latest creative projects. Moon Unit Zappa is the daughter of legendary musician Frank Zappa and his second wife, Gail. At the age of fourteen, Moon appeared in Frank Zappa's career defining music video, “Valley Girl,” which later helped jump-start her own career. Since then, Moon has worked as an actress, writer, comedian, artist, businesswoman, and podcaster. Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos. Follow Moon @iammoonunitzappa Follow Alex @alexskolnick @moodsandmodes

Welcome to Borrowed Music, Volume 3! Join Alex as he dives into another fascinating mix of music "inspired by" others, uncovering hidden connections across genres from classical and country to iconic film scores, TV themes, and radio hits we all know and love. Alex illustrates the threads binding songs and styles—hear how Nazareth and Heart share an unexpected arrangement, how Van Halen took a cover song to new heights, and how a classic TV theme inspired a reggae legend. As always, there are plenty of surprises! Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio (and in this episode, PAKT). Episode cover photo by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos. Cover photo by Alex Skolnick.

Thrash-metal icons Testament are currently on their "Klash of the Titans" Tour. We chat with guitar virtuoso Alex Skolnick about life on the road, what's next for Testament, The Simpsons, horror movies, podcasting, witnessing GN'R open for Aerosmith, and much more! More info: https://www.testamentlegions.com/ https://linktr.ee/TestamentLegions https://x.com/AlexSkolnick YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Xd1ZCmRrK2g Our website: afdpod.com

In this episode of Metal Mayhem ROC, host Metal Walt sits down with the legendary guitarist Alex Skolnick. As a founding member of Metal Allegiance and a key player in the metal scene with Testament, Alex shares his insights on the upcoming 10th-anniversary Metal Allegiance show in New Jersey, the creative process behind the supergroup, and his diverse musical career that spans both metal and jazz. Alex reflects on his time with Savatage, his involvement with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the unique challenges and rewards of blending different musical genres. He also discusses the logistics and energy of performing live with Metal Allegiance, the intricate process of selecting vocalists and crafting songs, and the excitement surrounding the upcoming tour dates with Testament. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Alex's work, this episode offers an in-depth look at the life and career of one of metal's most versatile guitarists. How to Support the Show: Subscribe to Metal Mayhem ROC on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. Follow on Spotify. Metal Mayhem ROC: Metal Mayhem ROC MERCH & SOCIALS: https://metalmayhemroc.etsy.com/ https://metalmayhemroc.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@metalmayhemroc1851 https://www.facebook.com/groups/metalmayhemroc https://www.instagram.com/metalmayhemroc/ https://twitter.com/MetalmayhemR https://metaldevastationradio.com/ http://pantheonpodcasts.com/ Alex Skolnick & Metal Allegiance SOCIALS: http://www.alexskolnick.com http://www.alexskolnick.net/podcast https://www.threads.net/@alexskolnick https://www.facebook.com/AlexSkolnickFanPage/ https://www.instagram.com/alexskolnick/ https://x.com/AlexSkolnick http://www.metalallegiance.com https://www.facebook.com/metalallegiancemusic/ https://www.instagram.com/metalallegiance/ https://x.com/metalallegiance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Metal Mayhem ROC, host Metal Walt sits down with the legendary guitarist Alex Skolnick. As a founding member of Metal Allegiance and a key player in the metal scene with Testament, Alex shares his insights on the upcoming 10th-anniversary Metal Allegiance show in New Jersey, the creative process behind the supergroup, and his diverse musical career that spans both metal and jazz. Alex reflects on his time with Savatage, his involvement with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the unique challenges and rewards of blending different musical genres. He also discusses the logistics and energy of performing live with Metal Allegiance, the intricate process of selecting vocalists and crafting songs, and the excitement surrounding the upcoming tour dates with Testament. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Alex's work, this episode offers an in-depth look at the life and career of one of metal's most versatile guitarists. How to Support the Show: Subscribe to Metal Mayhem ROC on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. Follow on Spotify. Metal Mayhem ROC: Metal Mayhem ROC MERCH & SOCIALS: https://metalmayhemroc.etsy.com/ https://metalmayhemroc.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@metalmayhemroc1851 https://www.facebook.com/groups/metalmayhemroc https://www.instagram.com/metalmayhemroc/ https://twitter.com/MetalmayhemR https://metaldevastationradio.com/ http://pantheonpodcasts.com/ Alex Skolnick & Metal Allegiance SOCIALS: http://www.alexskolnick.com http://www.alexskolnick.net/podcast https://www.threads.net/@alexskolnick https://www.facebook.com/AlexSkolnickFanPage/ https://www.instagram.com/alexskolnick/ https://x.com/AlexSkolnick http://www.metalallegiance.com https://www.facebook.com/metalallegiancemusic/ https://www.instagram.com/metalallegiance/ https://x.com/metalallegiance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alex visits the iconic Carmine Street Guitars in New York City with his bandmates Percy Jones and Tim Motzer from PAKT. The shop, established by Rick Kelly, crafts distinctive guitars from reclaimed wood salvaged from the city's historic buildings. These guitars, known for their unique sound, have caught the attention of celebrated musicians such as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Jim Jarmisch, Jamie Hince, and Daniel Kessler, to name a few. During their visit, Rick Kelly and his apprentice, Cindy Hulej—who has since launched her own brand, Cindy Guitars—delve into the shop's history, their meticulous guitar-making process, and anecdotes about their custom instruments and notable clients. This episode offers a rare glimpse into a one-of-a-kind shop where each piece tells a story of New York's past, marrying craftsmanship with music history. Watch the Carmine Street documentary Listen to the Carmine Street podcast, The Bones of Old New York Follow Cindy Hulej @cindyguitars Follow Alex: @alexskolnick, @moodsandmodes, @alexskolnicktrio, @testamentofficial Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio (and in this episode, PAKT). Episode cover photo by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos. See PAKT on tour! Upcoming dates: 8/26 at The Milestone Club, Charlotte, NC. 8/27 at The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC. 8/28 at Kings Raleigh, Raleigh, NC. 8/29 at The Loft 129, Cumberland, MD. 8/30 at Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA. 9/1 ProgDay at Storybrook Farm, Chapel Hill, NC.  9/7 Williams Center, Rutherford, NJ. 

Welcome to the Nothing Shocking Podcast 2.0 episode 254 with our guest Alex Skolnick of Testament (PAKT, The Alex Skolnick Trio, Metal Allegiance, Stratospheerius).  We discuss PAKT's new album No Steps Left to Trace; Testament's tour and plans for a new album; The Alex Skolnick Trio; and more!   For more information visit:  https://alexskolnick.com/ https://www.testamentlegions.com/site/ https://pakt-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/percy-jones-alex-skolnick-kenny-grohowski-tim-motzer   Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nothingshockingpodcast/  Follow us on twitter at  https://twitter.com/hashtag/noshockpod.   Libsyn website: https://nothingshocking.libsyn.com For more info on the Hong Kong Sleepover: https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com Help support the podcast and record stores by shopping at Ragged Records. http://www.raggedrecords.org    Nothing Shocking Podcast Best of 2024 Apple Playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/nothing-shocking-podcast-2024/pl.u-NP2Ws7135YR

Al Di Meola is a pioneer of blending world music, rock and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation, combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony, has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades. In this incredible episode, Al joins Alex to talk about his musical journey, the evolution of his guitar vocabulary, and the importance of work ethic. Alex and Al discuss the impact of technology on creativity, and Al reflects on the evolution of music and the enduring legacy of iconic musicians. Al Di Meola is a Grammy award winning musician who has achieved worldwide fame for both, being a solo artist and for his collaborations with Frank Zappa, Jimmy Page, Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stanley Clarke, Luciano Pavarotti, Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, and many more. Al Di Meola holds the highest amount of Guitar awards in different categories from Guitar Player magazine (US). Follow Al Di Meola Follow Alex @alexskolnick @moodsandmodes @alexskolnicktrio @testamentofficial Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick and the Alex Skolnick Trio. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Studio Kairos.

114 - Stu Hamm In episode 114 of “Have Guitar Will Travel”, presented by Vintage Guitar Magazine, host James Patrick Regan speaks with bassist extraordinaire Stu Hamm. In their conversation they cover What Stu is up to currently including a project in Oregon “Guitars Under the Stars”, a tour with Greg Howe and a bass camp in Estonia called “the Estonia Bass Oasis”. They discuss Stu's family: his father, a well known composer and musicologist, Stu's brother Bruce who plays the Sarod and ran the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California and Stu's mom who was a voice teacher and an opera singer. Stu takes us through his love/hate relationship with guitar players. They discuss Stu's musical relationship with guitarists Steve Vai and Joe Satriani as well as Alex Skolnick. They discuss Stu's Fender signature Urge bass and his signature Markbass amp and gear in general. . Stu has a website where you can find out more about everything Stu: dates, gear, recordings and how to go about getting lessons and Stu is very active on the socials. stuhamm.com . Please subscribe, like, comment, share and review this podcast! . #VintageGuitarmagazine #StuHamm #Bass #StuartHamm #bassguitar #FenderBass #Markbass #BassHero #UrgeBass #theDeadlies #JoeSatriani #SteveVai #haveguitarwilltravelpodcast #haveguitarwilltravel #hgwt #HGWT . . . Please like, comment, and share this podcast! Download Link

"A Day on the Green: Celebrating 35 Years Since the Legendary Concert"Larry Mishkin  highlights a significant Grateful Dead concert from May 27, 1989, at Oakland Alameda County Stadium, part of an AIDS benefit organized by Bill Graham. The event featured artists like Tracy Chapman, John Fogerty, Los Lobos, Joe Satriani, and the Grateful Dead. Larry delves into Fogerty's set, backed by Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir, sharing insights and historical context. He also touches on the canceled Neil Young concert due to illness, expressing disappointment and hope for rescheduling. The episode mixes personal anecdotes, music history, and current events in the music world. Grateful DeadMay 27, 1989Oakland Alameda County StadiumOakland, CAGrateful Dead Live at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium on 1989-05-27 : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet ArchiveA Day On The Green: Aids Benefit Concert:Tracy Chapman                an American singer-songwriter, widely known for her hit singles "Fast Car" from her debut album “Tracy Chapman” (1988) and "Give Me One Reason" from her fourth album which on that day was still a few years awat, “New Beginning” (1995).  Fast Car has enjoyed a resurgence thanks to Country star, Luke Combs, who's cover version went platinum in 2023 and by September that year was a No 1 country hit making Chapman the first black woman with a sole songwriting credit at No. 1 on the Country charts.John Fogerty                Of Credence Clearwater Revival fameLos LobosJoe Satriani              an American rock guitarist, composer, and songwriter. Early in his career he worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame, including Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogan, and Alex Skolnick. Satriani went on to have a successful solo music career, starting in the mid-1980s. He is a 15-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold over ten million albums, making him the bestselling instrumental rock guitarist of all time.[3]In 1988, Satriani was recruited by Mick Jagger as lead guitarist for his first solo tour.[4] Satriani briefly toured with Deep Purple, joining shortly after another departure of Ritchie Blackmore from the band in November 1993.[5] He has worked with a range of guitarists during the G3 tour, which he founded in 1995.Tower of Power, and, last but not least Dead INTRO:                                 Althea                                                Track #3                                                4:51 – 6:21                From the Go To Heaven album (April, 1980), Garcia and Hunter masterpiece.  Always a Jerry favorite and loved by Deadheads everywhere, this was the third song of the show following the Touch of Grey opener (of course) and Greatest Story.  Great guitar work, lovely vocals, this song really launches the show and gets everyone in the groove. Played 273 timesFirst:  August 4, 1979 at Oakland Civic Auditorium, Oakland, CA, USALast:  July 8, 1995 at Soldier Field, Chicago          The weather for the Day On The Green concert was perfect. Bill Graham, apparently, had an exclusive arrangement with some greater power, so that it never, ever rained when he was having a major outdoor show, and his deal remained in place for the May '89 AIDS Benefit. Another oddity about the AIDS Benefit was that there were no less than five opening acts for the Grateful Dead, which I think was some kind of record for a Bay Area Grateful Dead show. To see that whole event would mean at least 12 hours in the sun, just to wipe yourself out for what we all really wanted to see at the very end.            It seems shocking today that a Benefit concert for a terrible disease would be seen as a progressive political act, but such was the Reagan 80s. At least in San Francisco, efforts to prevent AIDS and provide care for those suffering from it had finally expanded beyond the gay community into the general culture. Nonetheless it was still significant when major rock bands headlined a large benefit concert in the Bay Area's biggest venue. Concern for AIDS had finally reached parity with Amnesty International and the Rain Forest, which was a welcome thing. The Coliseum benefit was the largest of several events around the Bay Area, all organized by Bill Graham Presents, and meant to raise awareness as well as money.            Originally the Oakland show was supposed to have joint headliners, with both the Grateful Dead and Huey Lewis and The News. A few weeks before the show, however, Huey Lewis had to drop out of the show. Rather sheepishly, his management publicly conceded that the stadium show was cutting into ticket sales for Lewis around Northern California, and they couldn't afford to work for what was effectively nothing.             The Dead, of course, had no such concerns. At a press conference, Jerry Garcia graciously said that Huey had to listen to his management, it was part of the business.  Huey Lewis And The News were the biggest act in the Bay Area at the time with respect to record sales, and yet the Dead outdrew them by several multiples. The Dead were no longer an aging hippie band who hadn't broken up--they were the biggest draw in town.           By 1989, the Dead were huger than ever, thanks to "Touch Of Grey" – which the Dead opened with - and the Coliseum show was an opportunity for a lot of people who had always wanted to see the Dead but hadn't been been able to get tickets. Frost and Shoreline shows sold out pretty rapidly, so regular rock fans who wanted to see the Dead were out of luck. Thus the crowd was very Dead-positive, with plenty of Deadheads, but far less like the insular club of Deadhead veterans that were characteristic of Bay Area shows at the time.            There were many fascinating aspects to this event, but in retrospect the most fascinating was that former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty was second on the bill, and it was known before the show that Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir would be part of his backing group.            Creedence had been hugely, titanically popular, but Fogerty had been in a bitter dispute with his record company since the mid-70s, and as a result had refused to play any of his great Creedence songs in concert. By 1989, however, although Fogerty's ire towards Fantasy Records had not subsided, for various reasons he had come to terms with his old songs, so it was widely known that not only would Garcia and Weir be backing Fogerty, but that they would be playing Creedence classics as well. Everything pointed towards an event of historic proportions.            There is a You Tube video of the entire Fogerty set that I encourage you to view.                   Fogerty had a unique status in the Bay Area at the time, and everyone was reminded of that when word was unofficially "leaked", I believe through Joel Selvin's Chronicle column, that not only would Garcia and Weir back Fogerty, but that Fogerty would be playing old Creedence songs.            John Fogerty hit the stage in the late afternoon, last up before the Grateful Dead. His band, previously announced, wasJohn Fogerty-lead guitar, vocalsJerry Garcia-guitarBob Weir-guitarRandy Jackson-bassSteve Jordan-drumsJackson and Jordan were well-known and well regarded as session players. Randy Jackson was a working member of Santana's band at the time, among many other gigs. Today, of course, Jackson is best known as a judge for the TV show American Idol, but that was far in his future. Jordan had played the Bay Area recently, on the 1988 tour with Keith Richards, whose album he had co-produced. Fogerty played 11 songs in about 45 minutes. Born On The BayouGreen RiverDown On The CornerRock And Roll GirlCenterfieldProud MaryMidnight SpecialBad Moon RisingFortunate Sonencores with Clarence Clemons-tenor saxophoneSuzie QLong Tall Sally             The question many would most like to have answered about this show is "who rehearsed?" From watching the video, it is clear that John Fogerty had run through the songs with Randy Jackson and Steve Jordan. Now, Creedence songs are delightfully basic, as well as famous worldwide, so pros like Jackson and Jordan hardly needed many takes. On every song, however, Jackson and Jordan both provide a funky bottom and plenty of accent. They knew the tunes, and they knew how to make them swing, so I think they had worked on them with Fogerty.            Jerry Garcia, however, was notorious for never wanting to rehearse. Weir is far less notorious for avoiding rehearsals, though it is also known that he is famously not on time, so it may amount to something similar. Since John Fogerty wasn't particularly close to any members of the Dead, it's clear that Bill Graham was the one who got Garcia and Weir to accompany Fogerty, and in so doing make it "an event," in classic Graham style. Could Graham have persuaded Garcia to rehearse? The alternative is strange, namely playing a show in front of 40,000 people with at least two band members completely flying blind.            On the day of the show the story is that Garcia and Weir had a dressing room run-through with Fogerty and the rhythm section, agreeing on the tempos and the intros. Sandy Rothman has described how the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band did not really practice songs, they just agreed on an intro and tempo and sang a chorus together. Granted, Rothman, Garcia and David Nelson had played all those songs before, but it was usually twenty years earlier. Still, one chorus run through was sufficient. So I think Fogerty talked Garcia and Weir through the planned songs, but they had never really played together until they got on stage.            Creedence songs have a nice groove, but they aren't jamming platforms, so of course Garcia just plunks away through the entire show, maybe not his most memorable performance.  On one hand, Jerry Garcia's health in 1989 was as good as it had been in at least a decade, nor it would ever be that good again. Yet the stunning success of "Touch Of Grey," gratifying as it must have been, insured that the bubble of Garcia's life meant that he was more insulated than ever. Garcia wasn't just a legend to Deadheads, he was in the pantheon now, the biggest rock star in the Bay Area, in a beautiful cage with no escape.When Fogerty kicks off the familiar, booming riff of "Born On The Bayou," Garcia is tucked back on stage left, next to Steve Jordan's drums. Randy Jackson is on the other side of Jordan, and Weir is right next to Jackson. Although Garcia plays a very simple figure behind Fogerty for "Bayou," his eyes are on Jordan, and Jerry has a big, happy grin on his face. I'm not imagining this--Garcia has a big grin on his face throughout the entire set, and he mugs happily with Jordan as the drummer plays fills and accents through the set. Weir seems to be having the same kind of fun with Randy Jackson over on stage right. Fogerty is the star, front and center, but the band is getting their own groove on behind him. SHOW No. 1:                    Down On The Corner (and Band introductions)                                                John Fogerty (w. Jerry and Bobby)                                                JERRY GARCIA JOHN FOGERTY CLARENCE CLEMMONS AND BOB WEIR 5-27-1989 AIDS BENEFIT OAKLAND CA (youtube.com)                                                10:49 – 12:42                 "Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys (1969). The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 20 December 1969. The flip side, "Fortunate Son", reached No. 14 on the United States charts on 22 November 1969, the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits.           The Fogerty set isn't a big deal to Deadheads, but it's hard to get around the fact that Garcia is having a great time. Whether Fogerty was "bigger" than Garcia is beside the point. Fogerty is a genuine star, with genuine hits, so he is the center of attention while he is on stage. For any singer less important than Fogerty--as in, just about all of them--Garcia could not hang back, but he can do so here. For 45 minutes, it's like Garcia is at the Keystone Berkeley or something, hanging out with his peers, playing the guitar parts that are dictated by the music, simple though they may be. When they got to "Down On The Corner," Jerry is practically jumping up and down. In a small but fascinating moment, he steps up to the mic to sing the backing vocals. Now granted, the whole English speaking world knows that it goes "Down on the corner/Out in the street/Willie and The Poor Boys are playing/Bring a nickel, tap your feet," but Jerry actually steps up to sing. Over the years, Deadheads have seen and heard Garcia make lots of guest appearances with various artists. Yet how often did he sing the chorus of other people's hit songs? After "Down On The Corner," Fogerty introduces the band, and Garcia's back is turned when it is his turn, as he's tuning up. Fogerty says "wake him up!' and Garcia turns around. "On guitar, Jerry Garcia!" Garcia grins and goes back to tuning, and Fogerty says "Genius at work." This is just musicians goofing around, albeit goofing around on stage in front of 40,000 people, but Garcia gets to be just another dude on stage, perhaps for one of the last times. A few months later (August 2, 1989), he would share the stage with Carlos Santana and Ruben Blades but that was for a TV special where he was a featured guest. At the Oakland Coliseum, he's just a hired gun playing a bunch of top 40 songs.             As Deadheads, we always wanted certain things from Jerry. When Garcia didn't give us what we want, we grumbled, and thanks to the magic of tape and digital recording, we can collectively complain about it for decades. Good times! But we have to keep in mind that what we wanted wasn't always what Jerry wanted. For a Memorial Day Saturday, Garcia wanted to be in a band, playing songs the way they were written, singing his parts when they came around, grooving with the drummer and letting the front man do the heavy lifting. Did it ever come around again that Jerry got to play simple, popular songs with a front man with enough gravitational pull so that it wasn't All About Jerry? In that sense, Garcia's role as John Fogerty's backing musician is a last look backwards for Garcia, a time when he could just be in the band, if only for 45 minutes.             Or, as I like to think of it, the Fogerty set was a big pre-show jam session for Bobby and Jerry who soon came back out with the Dead for their standard 3+ hour performance.  However you look it at it, the Fogerty set was a fun throwback for Deadheads and a chance to see Jerry and Bobby play with another legend.  MUSIC NEWS: Neil Young show in Chicago canceled 90 minutes before show time  May 23, 2024 at Northerly Island in Chicago.Going to see Dead & Co. this Saturday, June 1, at the Sphere with a bunch of good friends including good buddy Marc from St. Louis.  I hope to be able to have a report on the show for next week's episode but with travel the next day, it may be hard to get the story ready in time.  If so, there will be a big report in two weeks.  Very excited to see the boys, the Sphere and all my good buddies.The Music Plays the Band – new Dead cover album  SHOW No. 2:                    Iko Iko w/Clarence Clemmons                                                Track #5                                                5:09 – 6:11                 The classic Dead cover of the Dixie Cups tune joined by the Big Man wailing on the sax.  Clarence had played a few tunes during Fogerty's set and joined the boys for this tune and a few others during the show.  In '89 the Boss was as big as ever and Clarence was a big part of that success.  But he enjoyed playing in the improv style embraced by the Dead.                 Clarence first played with the Dead at their New Year's run on December 27 and December 31, 1988 in Oakland and soon after this how, on June 21, 1989 at Shoreline Amphitheater.  He also played a number of times with JGB.  And it turns out that one of Clarence's final live performance was playing a show with Phil and Friends a few years back.               When the E Street Band went on hiatus at the end of the Eighties, Clemons, who by then had moved to the Bay Area, went in search of work and new musical experiences. In 1989, he toured with the first version of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band, cut an album with producer Narada Michael Walden, and — not surprisingly, given his new home base — befriended members of the Dead.Starting in early 1989, Clemons sat in with both the Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) at several shows. With the Dead, he joined in on songs like “Estimated Prophet” and “Eyes of the World” and partook of the overall Dead vibe. “Clarence was an old pal, a soulful bro,” Bob Weir told RS in 2011, right after Clemons' death from complications of a stroke. “He was a good hang. Back in the late Eighties and early Nineties, he was living out here in Marin County. He was in moving-on mode, and he, Jerry, and I mixed it up a bit. We were dropping by clubs like Sweetwater and sitting in with various bands.”The association wasn't just musical. “Jerry and I were both single at that time, and Clarence suggested the three of us move in together and have a bachelor pad,” Weir recalled bemusedly. “Jerry and I almost went for it. It would've been a lot of fun, but I don't think anyone would have survived. Jerry was in good shape, but we were doing a little drinking.”  SHOW No. 3:                    Stuck Inside of Mobile w.the Memphis Blues Again w/Clarence                                                Track #6                                                2:26 – 3:51 "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" (also listed as "Memphis Blues Again") is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his seventh studio album, Blonde on Blonde (1966). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. It has nine verses, each featuring a distinct set of characters and circumstances. All 20 takes of "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" were recorded in the early hours of February 17, 1966, at Columbia Records's A Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, with the last take selected for the album. This version also appears on Dylan's second compilation album, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II (1971). Dylan played the song live in concert 748 times from 1976 to 2010. A live version recorded in May 1976 was included on the live album from that tour, Hard Rain (1976), and was also released as a single with "Rita May" as the B-side. The first live performance was at the University of West Florida, Pensacola, on April 28, 1976,[32] during the Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Played 70 times by the Dead.  Part of Bobby's first set rotation of Dylan tunes with Queen Jane Approximately, Desolation Row, Masterpiece and Ballad of a Thin Man.First:  March 17, 1988 at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, CA, USALast:  April 2, 1995 at The Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN, USA  MJ NEWS                 SHOW No. 4:                    Blow Away                                                Track #11                                                7:37 – 9:10                 A Brent tune, lyrics by John Barlow (? – seems like a lot of Brent rapping during the song)                When you listen to (and read, thanks to the transcription efforts of careful listeners like Alex Allan of The Grateful Dead Lyric and Song Finder site) to Brent's closing rap / rant from the version of “Blow Away” captured on Dozin' at the Knick, you have to acknowledge that, whether the words were improvised or not, they come from the heart, and have a strong sense of immediacy and urgency. Played 23 timesFirst:    June 20, 1988 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI, USALast:    July 16, 1990, Rich Stadium, Orchard Park (Buffalo), NY – it died with Brent   OUTRO:                               Wharf Rat                                                Track #17                                                3:59 – 5:26                 Not the closer this night, or most nights, but it could have been a perfect closer.  Hunter/Garcia masterpiece. Wharf Rats are a group of concert-goers who have chosen to live drug and alcohol-free. They arose out of the environment around the rock group the Grateful Dead and their followers the Deadheads, both of which were rooted in the drugs-embracing counterculture of the 1960s.[1]Their primary purpose is to support other concert goers who choose to live drug-free, like themselves. They announce their presence with yellow balloons, signs, and the Wharf Rats information table. At a set break during Grateful Dead (and related) concerts they hold self help style meetings but are not affiliated specifically with any 12-Step organization and have no requirement for attendance at one of their meetings besides providing some helpful drug free fellowship.[2] Like Deadheads, members of Wharf Rats come from all walks of life.[3] By 1990, the Wharf Rats mailing list had some 3,000 names.[1]The Wharf Rats began during the early 1980s[2] as a group of Deadheads under the name "The Wharf Rat Group of Alcoholics Anonymous". The Wharf Rats originally came from a small group of Narcotics Anonymous members who went to a Grateful Dead concert in Philadelphia and located each other by their Yellow balloons with the NA symbol drawn on in Magic Marker.[4] However due to operational differences they soon split off from Narcotics Anonymous, and are not affiliated with them, AA, or any other twelve-step program (though many of members of the Wharf Rats are members of AA, NA or other 12-step programs). The Wharf Rats see themselves as "a group of friends sharing a common bond, providing support, information and some traction in an otherwise slippery environment." The relationship between the Wharf Rats and more traditional such groups has been studied in the academic journal Deviant Behavior.[1]While the Wharf Rats originated at Grateful Dead concerts, they now have a presence at other concerts as well. Similar groups include The Phellowship for Phish, The Gateway for Widespread Panic, The Jellyfish for The String Cheese Incident, Much Obliged for Umphrey's McGee, Happy Hour Heroes for moe., the Digital Buddhas for The Disco Biscuits, Better Than Before for The Werks, the Hummingbirds for Bassnectar, and the Sunny Bunny Recovery for Ween, Dustie Baggies for Billy Strings and The Hot Tea Party for Goose—all based on the Wharf Rats, which remain the best-known.[2]The name of this group comes from the 1971 Dead song "Wharf Rat" (written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter and appearing on Skull & Roses), which contains the self-told story of August West, a down-and-out dockside wino Played: 399 timesFirst:      February 18, 1971 at Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USALast:      June 25, 1995 at RFK Stadium in D.C. .Produced by PodConx Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-showLarry Mishkin - https://podconx.com/guests/larry-mishkinRob Hunt - https://podconx.com/guests/rob-huntJay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesbergSound Designed by Jamie Humiston - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-humiston-91718b1b3/Recorded on Squadcast

In this episode, Alex welcomes filmmaker Adam Dubin, whose work includes iconic music videos by the likes of the Beastie Boys and Metallica, as well as documentaries such as Murder in the Front Row, about the SF Bay Area thrash scene of the ‘80s and “A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.” Adam discusses working with his former NYU roommate, producer Rick Rubin, and the creative process behind projects with both The Beastie Boys and Metallica. Adam and Alex explore the intersection of music and film, and we get a sneak preview of Adam's latest project, Traction Park Massacre, which includes Alex as composer of the film's score. Follow Adam Dubin Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

Mohini Dey is a renowned bassist, producer, and vocalist who has gained international recognition for her extraordinary talent and versatility. She joins Alex to talk about growing up in an independently-minded musical family, the challenges she faced as a female musician in India, and the difficult decisions she had to make in the early days of her career. Mohini discusses the lessons she learned from her musical elders, explains her approach to teaching young musicians, and provides a track-by-track breakdown of her debut album “Mohini Dey”. Mohini Dey began performing at the age of 11 and first appeared on record at age 14 after being discovered by film composer and jazz drummer Ranjit Barot. Since then she has played alongside Alex Lifeson, Steve Vai, Marco Minnemann, Dewa Budjana, Jordan Rudess, A.R. Rahman, Jason Richardson, Zakir Husain and various other notable figures in international jazz, rock, and classical Indian music. Her first, self-titled solo album (featuring her husband, saxophonist Mark Hartsuch, as well as Minnemann and other famed fusion drummers Narada Michael Walden and Simon Phillips) was released in 2023. This episode is dedicated to Jerome H. Skolnick and Sujoy Dey. Follow Mohini Mohini Dey and @dey_bass Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

Welcome to the Nothing Shocking Podcast episode 230 with our guest Joe Deninzon of Stratospheerius and Kansas. In this episode we discuss their Behind the Curtain (Live at Progstock) boxset.  We also discuss joining Kansas for their 50th Anniversary tour, and more!     For  more information visit: https://joedeninzon.com/ https://stratospheerius.com/ https://stratospheerius.bandcamp.com/album/behind-the-curtain-live-at-progstock https://kansasband.com/announcing-the-addition-of-violinist-guitarist-joe-deninzon-to-kansas/   Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nothingshockingpodcast/  Follow us on twitter at  https://twitter.com/hashtag/noshockpod.   Libsyn website: https://nothingshocking.libsyn.com For more info on the Hong Kong Sleepover: https://thehongkongsleepover.bandcamp.com Help support the podcast and record stores by shopping at Ragged Records. http://www.raggedrecords.org 

Welcome to this preview of the February shows and here is a short feature with award-winning guitarist and composer Jane Getter who releases her new album "Division World" this month. The full feature will follow in the next edition of the podcast. Led by guitarist, composer and singer Jane Getter, the album follows on from her acclaimed ‘Anomalia' album and features Jane's all-star band including keyboardist Adam Holzman, guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist and singer Paul Frazier and drummer Gene Lake. Randy McStine (McStine & Minnemann, Porcupine Tree) also guests on vocals. Jane's band has carved out a niche at the intersection of rock, jazz, singer-songwriter, and metal styles with her masterful playing and complex and dynamic compositions and has dazzled audiences internationally. Packed with inspired songwriting and blazing instrumentals, ‘Division World' is the strongest album yet from Jane Getter Premonition. Jane says: "This album is a bit more song oriented than my previous work. The songs were written during the pandemic and the lyrics in a lot of the songs are reflections of the divisiveness and divisions happening in the world today. My regular band is featured - keyboardist Adam Holzman, guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist and singer Paul Frazier and drummer Gene Lake. Randy McStine also guests on vocals. I feel Division World may be JGP's strongest album yet!" "Jane Getter's new album Division World is something quite notable in the multiplicity of genres & sub genres focused on progressive rock fusion guitar, modern jazz rock -contextual songs which do not shy away from a world of  trouble as it's context for her outstanding, fiery, & nuanced guitar playing - sung in her courageous, melodic, distinctive voice” - Vernon Reid.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classic-rock-news/message

In this first episode of 2024, Alex welcomes a trio of guests who are among the most important and influential players of electric guitar - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. They are also the original lineup of the iconic G3, a tour organized in 1996 by Satriani that has featured legendary players like Robert Fripp, Ynwgie Malmsteen, Phil Collen, and many more. Ahead of this year's tour, they sit down with Alex to discuss the origins of G3, what they've learned from the experience of performing together, and weigh in on how to keep egos in check when playing alongside fellow giants. They commiserate over growth moments that resulted from musical projects created during the pandemic, and do a deep dive into the equipment they're using, from string gauges to amp modelers. Conceived in 1995 by the multi-Grammy nominated guitarist, Joe Satriani, the inaugural G3 Tour took place in 1996 bringing together three of the most iconic and virtuosic guitarists of their time: Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai. Known for their incredible technical prowess, musical innovation and unique styles, the G3 tour was a celebration of guitar mastery and proved extremely popular, captivating audiences worldwide. Though the line-up has continually changed over the last 29 years since its inception, Satriani is celebrating G3 in 2024 by reuniting the original trio: Satriani, Johnson and Vai. The tour is set to begin on January 23, 2024 in Tucson, AZ hitting eleven cities before winding up with a pair of shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Get G3 Tour information here Follow Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Final Mixes by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

Doc welcomes David Ellefson, Mark Menghi, and Alex Skolnick to the show to discuss all things Metal Allegiance. This episode features the songs "Sever" by Lockjaw and "Bound By Silence" by Metal Allegiance featuring John Bush. Follow David on Instagram @DavidEllefsonBass Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkMenghi and Instagram @MarkMenghi Follow Alex on Twitter @AlexSkolnick and Instagram @AlexSkolnick Follow Doc on Instagram and Twitter @DocCoyle Check out this week's sponsor Lockjaw at Lockjawlive.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we look toward 2024, we are excited to build on our history as a nonprofit storytelling community that educates and entertains through food-focused podcasts. And with your support, we will continue to empower the next generation of food systems storytellers through our unique education programs.On December 13, at Roberta's, the duo of virtuoso guitarist Alex Skolnick (Testament, Alex Skolnick Trio) and award-winning 7-string jazz guitarist Ron Jackson brought together the HRN and Osiris families for a night of great music, great food, great drink, and great conversation.Listen into this special episode recorded live from the event, including a conversation with Brandon Hoy, co-owner and founder of Roberta's and member of the HRN family since the very beginning. Proceeds from the event will support HRN's work in 2024 and beyond, including innovative content from your (new) favorite food folks, expanded education programs, delicious events, and more. Please consider supporting HRN.HRN on Tour is powered by Simplecast.

Legendary bassist Stu Hamm joins Alex on this episode to talk about Hold Fast, Stu's latest album, on which Alex is a featured player. Recorded in Estonia during Stu's Bass Oasis, the two discuss the tracks on the album, the role of bass in musical composition, and Stu shares his approach to playing and collaboration. Alex reflects on the first time he saw Stu perform and how he handled auditioning to tour with Stu, and the two reminisce about touring together in the nineties.  Stu Hamm is known for his technical prowess, melodic creativity, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of the bass. He rose to prominence as the bassist for Joe Satriani and his playing became synonymous with innovative tapping and slapping techniques, setting him apart as a trailblazer in the world of bass guitar. He has also had a prolific solo career and has worked with a wide array of artists, including Steve Vai, Frank Gambale, and many others. Stu is also a music educator and leads clinics and workshops around the world. Listen to Hold Fast here Follow Stu at stuhamm.com and @stueybass Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media

Thanks for joining us as we wind down our 40 for 40 series, hitting Charlotte on 6/21/19. 12/13 — Brooklyn show with Alex Skolnick and Ron Jackson 12/15 — Ardmore show with Tom Hamilton 12/29 — NYC show with The Dude of Life Please give us a call at (484) 416-0488 and leave us your thoughts and questions! And give us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  The Helping Friendly Podcast is hosted and produced by Brian Brinkman, Megan Glionna, Jonathan Hart, and RJ Bee. Brought to you by Osiris Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The lead guitar player of Testament isn't your typical metalhead.  He's had a long, varied, and surprisingly moving career in music.  In this episode, Alex talks with Discograffiti about: Whether he prefers the classic early Testament records or the later stuff; His search for more adventurous musical landscapes, and the resistance it initially caused within the band; And his most ambitious project ever—the amazing Planetary Coalition! Listen: https://podfollow.com/1592182331  2-3 podcasts / week: Patreon.com/Discograffiti  There are now over 100 Patreon episodes. That's an entire universe of indispensable music podcasts available to you for the price of a cup of coffee a week. Please Pledge/Share: Gofund.me/d316c87c Coming Monday: Allan Arkush's Fillmore Feast Pt 6: The Finale #alexskolnick #testament #thrashmetal #chuckbilly #ericpeterson #heavymetal #testamentband #metal #metalhead #thrash #testamentlegions #genehoglan #gregchristian #bayareathrash #testamentofficial #stevedigiorgio #testamentfans #bayareathrashmetal #bayarea #bayareametal #thealexskolnicktrio #metalforever #metalforlife #louieclemente #thrashforlife #thrashforever #openthepit #raiseyourhorns #metalmachinemuzak #discograffiti  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/discograffiti/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/discograffiti/support

On this episode, renowned guitarist and improviser Adam Levy joins Alex at a cafe in Brooklyn to talk about the incredible list of artists he's worked with, including Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, and Ani DiFranco. The two discuss his approach to playing as well as the styles of the world-class musicians they both know and love, and the instrumental project that Adam led during the pandemic that inspired some of Alex's new music. Adam and Alex dive into the early days of Adam's career, and Adam explains how he's seamlessly moved between being a player, a writer, and a guitar educator. Adam Levy is a session guitarist who has played on releases by Norah Jones, Ani DiFranco, Amos Lee, Jill Sobule, Tracy Chapman, Allen Toussaint, and many others. He's also a respected writer and educator, and has written numerous articles for Guitar Player, Fretboard Journal, and other top guitar magazines. Follow Adam at adamlevy.com and @adamlevyguitar Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

The lead guitar player of Testament isn't your typical metalhead, as you'll soon hear.  He's had a long, varied, and surprisingly moving career in music.  In this episode, Alex talks with Discograffiti about: The evolution of the types of guitars he's played through his life; The exciting road to becoming Testament's lead guitar player; And the epiphany he experienced in the late 1980s watching a Miles Davis gig, and the profound effect it had on his career.  Listen: https://podfollow.com/1592182331  2-3 podcasts / week: Patreon.com/Discograffiti  There are now over 100 Patreon episodes. That's an entire universe of indispensable music podcasts available to you for the price of a cup of coffee a week. Please Pledge/Share: Gofund.me/d316c87c Coming Monday: Alex Skolnick: Bonus Shredding CONNECT Join our Soldiers of Sound Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839109176272153 Patreon: www.Patreon.com/Discograffiti Podfollow: ⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/1592182331⁠⁠ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discograffitipod/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discograffiti/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discograffiti YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyaQCdvDelj5EiKj6IRLhw Web site: http://discograffiti.com/ CONTACT DAVE Email: dave@discograffiti.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooligandave Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/davidgebroe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveGebroe #alexskolnick #testament #thrashmetal #chuckbilly #ericpeterson #heavymetal #testamentband #metal #metalhead #thrash #testamentlegions #genehoglan #gregchristian #bayareathrash #testamentofficial #stevedigiorgio #testamentfans #bayareathrashmetal #bayarea #bayareametal #thrashtilldeath #metalforever #metalforlife #louieclemente #thrashforlife #thrashforever #openthepit #raiseyourhorns #metalmachinemuzak #discograffiti  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/discograffiti/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/discograffiti/support

Karina Rykman plays bass, sings, jumps around, and laughs a lot. Straddling the worlds of jam rock and indie pop drenched in psychedelia, Karina's effervescent presence comes to life in musical form. She joins Alex on this episode to talk about the making of her debut album Joyride, learning to hustle as a musician at a young age, and the impact that Pat Metheny had on her playing. Karina tells Alex about working with Trey Anastasio on the new record, and the unexpected moment that led to a special gift from Rush.  Listen to Karina's debut album, Joyride. Follow Karina karinarykman.com and @karinarykman Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

Comedian Dave Hill is here to talk about his new book, The Awesome Game: One Man's Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey, in stores now. He also talks about a recent dinner he had with Dave Mustaine and Alex Skolnick. We show Dave the infamous Vince Neil zamboni commercial and Dave reveals to us his hockey goals. Plus. Rob discusses seeing the new Mission Impossible movie after learning it freaked out our president.Watch the episode on Youtube for free. Buy the new Dave Hill book here.Join our Patreon and get two bonus episodes each month, and other behind-the-scenes goodies. More info here.Follow us on: Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and our Discord Chat. Also don't forget about our Spotify playlist. We also have merch if you're into that kind of sharing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four-time Grammy Award winner Antonio Sánchez joins Alex to talk about his latest release, Shift, and how he connected with the incredible list of musicians who contributed to the album. The two discuss Antonio's recent move to Spain, his approach to building drum parts, and where he got the inspiration to use the term “Bad Hombre”. Antonio Sanchez began playing the drums at age five and performed professionally in his early teens in Mexico's rock, jazz and latin scenes. Since moving to New York City in 1999, Antonio has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene. One of the most revered collaborators with guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, Antonio has also recorded and performed with many other most prominent artists like Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Toots Thielmans.  Sánchez's new album SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol. II) on Warner Music features Sánchez playing virtually every instrument on the album — in addition to being its producer. SHIFT features Trent Reznor, Dave Mathews, Kimbra, Ana Tijoux, Meshell Ndegeocello and more.. Follow Antonio at AntonioSanchez.net and @antoniodrums1 Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

Chris Shiflett is best known as the lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters, but he's also an acclaimed solo artist and longtime podcast host. On this episode, Chris joins Alex for a conversation about guitars and the players that have influenced him, from Randy Rhoads to Mattias Jabs to Nile Rodgers. The two discuss why evolving as a musician means pushing boundaries, the importance of being exposed to different genres, and agree that it's a good move to be the worst player in the band. Follow Chris at ChrisShiflettMusic and @shifty71 and check out his podcast Shred With Shifty. Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media. Moods & Modes will be live at The Cutting Room in NYC on Thursday, October 19! Get tickets and more info here / thecuttingroomnyc.com

In 1998 and 2001, Tim Alexander teamed up with guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Michael Manring to create records under the name Attention Deficit. We are honored to have Michael Manring join us to document and sample those two records, as well as his work with Tim on Michael's records Thonk and Book of Flame. We also get into Michael's latest record, Small Moments, to discuss his mindset when composing for solo work contrasted with composing for group work. Great talk with a brilliant musical mind. If you haven't heard Michael Manring's music yet, you're missing out.Find him on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and manthing.comThe Attention Deficit CDs can be hard to find, but discogs is your friend!Get involved:InstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money

Always great to catch up with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. The dude is a beast on the guitar and a creative force! We talked about a project he did with Sons of Apollo bandmate, Derek Sherinian. He talked about playing with Queen's Brian May. "Such a wonderful guy, yeah." He went onto say "There's nothing not to love about that guy!" The reason for the conversation was about his band, The Art of Anarchy, and their upcoming third album. The new album drops next February, called Let There Be Anarchy. The story of how this latest album started is a crazy one. Bumble talked about the severe health challenges that faced guitarist Jon Votta, to the point where he was literally dying. That story is unreal! He told me that they have about two albums worth of music written.  He also talks about recruiting Jeff Scott Soto to the band. Of course, he is in S.O.A. with JSS, so it was an easy transition. "We have years of working together." Ron said. He told me about the video for their first single, Vilified, which you can see below. Cube Gooding Jr. is in the video, along with Geoff Tate narrating (which is killer). He said that video has a real "Joker" vibe to it on purpose, including the band playing on the famous stairway from the movie. How did they get those two guys on the video? "We asked!" Easy enough.  He went on to talk about what the rest of the album sounds like, including a track with a guitar solo from Alex Skolnick.  As far as other things he's working on, he's got a solo album he'll be dropping. Plus, he's working with and producing a band called The Dodies.  What's going on with Sons Of Apollo? He answered that. He also talked about his style of producing, and how he approaches the studio.  During the pandemic, he mentioned that he would probably not tour anymore. Has he changed his mind on that? Always fun to talk with one of the true good dudes in this business, as well as one of the most talented guys I know. -Meltdown-

Eric Johnson, the prolific Grammy-Award winning, Austin-based songwriter and guitarist, joins Alex to talk about his latest release - two separate albums: The Book of Making and Yesterday Meets Today. Alex and Eric discuss the process behind the making of the albums as well as the music that influenced his sound early on, the impact that Jeff Beck had on the world of guitar, and how he created the iconic opening to Cliffs Of Dover. Eric Johnson has been traveling on a prolific odyssey over the course of more than four decades. Along the way, his creations have encompassed repertoire that cross-pollinate genres which include rock, blues, jazz, fusion, soul, folk, new-age, classical and even country. Among Johnson's many accolades are a Grammy award for "Cliffs of Dover ", ten Grammy nominations, a lifetime induction into the Guitar Player Gallery of Greats and his listing among the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine. In his hometown of Austin TX, a city full of guitarists, the readers of the Austin Chronicle have voted him the city's "Best Electric Guitarist" and "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their yearly poll year after year. They also named him "Electric Guitarist of the Decade" and one of the top five "Musicians of the Decade".  Listen to Eric's two new albums here, catch him on tour this fall, then in early 2024 on the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Follow Eric @officialericjohnson Follow Alex @alexskolnick and @moodsandmodes Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited and Mixed by Tom Sullivan. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.

"He's one of these guys who's not necessarily a household name to music appreciators, but among people who were in the game and really know their stuff, there's a universal respect. It goes without saying that Vic was the real thing.” - Scott Metzger In this jam-packed episode, Alex remembers the late Vic Juris with special guest Kate Baker, who was Vic's musical partner and wife. Kate discusses her partnership with Vic, how he approached working with other musicians, and the two discuss the last album they recorded together, 2022's Return To Shore. Alex is also joined by Joe Russo's Almost Dead guitarist Scott Metzger, who shares his experience of being a student of Vic's; and, licensed attorney and guitarist Mark Hanna tells Alex about his time spent learning from Vic, and explains how a keyboard solo from a Vic Juris song ended up on a classic hip hop track.  Listen to Kate Baker and Vic Juris' album Return To Shore Listen to music from the episode on Spotify Follow Alex on IG and Twitter Moods & Modes is hosted and produced by Alex Skolnick. Additional production by Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Matt Dwyer. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Distributed by Osiris Media.