Tom Fitzer returns to Seeing Them Live podcast with Charles and co-host Doug Florzak to share more concert stories and update listeners on their band, Wrought Iron Soul. Tom recalls being overtaken by the energy of a Peter Frampton/Lynyrd Skynyrd show at Star Plaza, paying a visit to the Merrillville County Jail after being kicked out of a Skynyrd concert, and being thrown out of ZZ Top/Skynyrd at the United Center. He also describes traveling to St. Louis in 1997 for the Rolling Stones’ Bridges to Babylon tour, which featured surprise appearances by Dave Matthews and Taj Mahal. Another highlight is a postponed 1998 John Fogerty show where Tom and friends prompted “Grapevine.” The episode closes with Wrought Iron Soul news, including adding keyboardist Greg Jacks to the band.
Tom Fitzer, STL’s first guest in Season 1, joins Charles and Doug with more bizarre concert going tales. Tom is a social worker and the lead singer/rhythm guitarist of the band Wrought Iron Soul. Tom returns to share a new batch of concert stories. Find out why he always loses his shirt at a Lynyrd Skynyrd or Rolling Stones concert. Other tales focus on concert experiences with John Fogerty, Joe Cocker, and The Guess Who.
Tom opens with a story about seeing Peter Frampton and Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Star Plaza around 1998, where the live music overtook him and he ran up and down the aisles with a Skynyrd flag, entertaining the crowd. This became a recurring theme at concerts where Tom often became the "sideshow.” He then shares several Lynyrd Skynyrd stories, dubbing it the "curse of Skynyrd" including one incident that resulted in a visit to the Merrillville County Jail.
Tom then shifts to a Rolling Stones story from December 12, 1997, at the TWA Dome in St. Louis — his second Stones concert, which he attended at age 17 with two friends against his mother's wishes. Tom recalls being a "purist" who initially dismissed Dave Matthews but came to appreciate him later. He also shares how his love of classic rock started when a friend's brother played Led Zeppelin II, and how when he heard "What Is and What Should Never Be" it was a life-changing moment.
Tom talks about a John Fogerty concert, originally scheduled for June 1998 but postponed because of the Bulls' sixth championship run which gave Tom time to bond with his father on a family vacation to North Carolina, where they listened to the Blue Moon Swamp cassette repeatedly. At the rescheduled show, Tom and his friends successfully shouted "Grapevine" loud enough for Fogerty to hear them and play "Heard It Through the Grapevine."
Tom closes with a Joe Cocker and The Guess Who show at the Rosemont Theatre on October 1, 2001, where he threw his shirt during Joe Cocker's set, was told to buy a shirt or leave, and ended up purchasing a Joe Cocker shirt in the lobby. The conversation touches on the power of live music and how songs like the Taj Mahal collaboration can instantly transport you back to a specific moment in time.
In the final segment, Tom and Doug discuss Wrought Iron Soul, which has been together for 11–12 years. After an original member retired, they sought a new keyboard player who could also sing. After making an announcement during a gig at Johnny’s Blitz in Westmont, IL, they made a remarkable connection — Billy J. Kramer of the 1960s English band The Dakotas, who had worked with Brian Epstein, John Lennon, and George Martin responded to the announcement by referring the band to Greg Jacks, a full-time professional pianist. The band can be found at wroughtironsoul.com and on Facebook.
BANDS: The Allman Brothers, The Beatles, The Black Crowes, The Dakotas, Dave Matthews, Deep Purple, The Doobie Brothers, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Foghat, The Grateful Dead, The Guess Who, The Hurricane Project, Jethro Tull, Joe Cocker, John Fogerty, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Led Zeppelin, Little Feat, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Peter Frampton, Randy Newman, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Sheryl Crow, Steppenwolf, Steve Winwood, Taj Mahal, Wrought Iron Soul, ZZ Top.
VENUES: Allstate Arena, Johnny's Blitz, Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont Theatre, Soldier Field, Star Plaza, TWA Dome, United Center, World Music Theater.
LINKS: www.WroughtIronSoul.com
[00:00:23] Tom: They come down, and they're like, "Yeah, we're kicking you out unless you buy a T-shirt." And I'm like, " I'm not buying a a $30 or $40 shirt right now." And they're like, "Well, then you're leaving." And I go, "Okay, I'm buying a $40 shirt."
[00:00:36] Charles: Our guest today is Tom Fitzer. Tom was our first guest, and is returning to Seeing Them Live to share more amazing concert stories. Tom is a social worker and is the lead singer and guitarist in the band Wrought Iron Soul. I'm also joined by my co-host and producer, Doug Florzak, who is also a member of Wrought Iron Soul. Doug has been playing bass for the [00:01:00] band for more than 10 years. Tom, welcome back to Seeing Them Live.
[00:01:04] Tom: Hi, thanks for having me back. I am excited.
[00:01:08] Charles: So yeah, back when you were our very first guest, more than 60 episodes ago, you'd said, , that you had more concert stories to share. So three years later, here we are, and I know it'd be easy for someone to find the first episode of our podcast, but I also wanna just read the title of that episode.
[00:01:24] Tom: Yeah.
[00:01:25] Charles: Cause it just gives you a flavor of the story. So it's Tom Fitzer Sings On Stage With John Kay of Steppenwolf While Dripping Wet.
[00:01:34] Tom: Yeah, that leaves a lot to the imagination, right?
[00:01:36] Charles: We'll just leave it there at that. So, yeah, awesome, awesome stories, and you had some more, and you sent over an email, and I think I have, like, five stories, Tom, maybe sort of in chronological order, but we don't have to go in order like that. We got a Rolling Stones story, John Fogerty story, and what I gathered was three Lynyrd Skynyrd stories?
[00:01:59] Tom: [00:02:00] Yes.
[00:02:00] Charles: Okay. Yeah, and then I thought we'd talk about the band and all that stuff, gigs and stuff coming up
[00:02:05] Tom: Yeah, that'd be cool too, 'cause, I'm sure Doug told you we got a new keyboard player that we're ecstatic about, but talk about that later. Yeah, I've got these stories. I kind of put them in order that I wanted to talk about them because of a certain kind of jive that it will, will bring or go through, if that's okay, instead of chronological. But feel free, 'cause I know we shared the dates, you know, if you wanna, you know, hop in and share that, that if I don't have it. And also, if I'm talking too long, as I can do sometimes, just cut me off, cause this could probably go three hours if you don't. Yeah, I don't know. Do you just want me to hop into the first one that I kinda wanted to talk about?
[00:02:41] Charles: Yeah, sure. Let's, let's go for it.
[00:02:43] Tom: Cool. All right. So, you know in the first episode I had kinda talked about one of The Stones, concerts that I went to at Soldier Field. First Stones concert, and I know I talked about this energy that this live music started bringing me, and then we talked about that a lot. But everybody will have to check out [00:03:00] episode one to hear that, and also why I was dripping wet singing with John Kay.
[00:03:05] So although that kinda happened at The Stones' concert. When I went and saw Peter Frampton and Skynyrd at the Star Plaza, and I think I gave you the date. I think that, that was '98, so it was after that Stones concert.
[00:03:19] Charles: Right.
[00:03:20] Tom: Something had happened with live music and just experiencing that and being like, "Holy cow, this is something new and this is amazing."
[00:03:26] But when I went to this concert, okay, so me and my buddies go, and I knew Peter Frampton for do You Feel Like We Do? Of course that version, I believe, live that most people know, and Show Me the Way, which I never liked that much. So we went there with a Skynyrd flag. Just ready to enjoy this, okay? And ' cause Peter Frampton opened up, and, he, you know, played his songs. We're enjoying it. It's cool, it's cool.
[00:03:53] And then he gets into, like, Do You Feel Like We Do, and I'm getting chills, like, 30 years ago. And, again, [00:04:00] like, something kind of, like, overtook me, and I went, like, just crazy at this concert. I had the Skynyrd flag. I'm, like, running up and down the aisles of the Star Plaza. Because you know, I've had a few drinks. Obviously, that helps. But, I'm 17 or 18 years old, and I also start kind of understanding that I like to entertain people, which I probably knew before that a little bit.
[00:04:23] But what I'm trying to say is all of a sudden I'm kind of doing this stuff, right, and I'm really entertaining the crowd. Like, they're watching me be nuts to this music, and especially that song, you know. And my buddies doing and stuff. So the reason that I kind of brought that up first was just because that happened so many times at concerts where, like, I would be entertaining the crowd.
[00:04:45] And I'm not trying to, like, toot my horn. I'm sure people experience it, where it's just kind of, like, so overtaken, whether I'm, like I'm saying, running up and down these aisles at the Star Plaza or just dancing and into it.
[00:04:56] Like I kinda mentioned in the first episode when me and my buddy were at [00:05:00] the Doobie Brothers, right? And those people ended up giving us the backstage passes 'cause they could see how we were into it, right? So I just kind of tell that story because it was insane, and then Skynyrd came on, and we just, like, danced and partied for the entire concert.
[00:05:14] And, you know, it entertained other people. And then I left that show just going, " This is also what concerts are about. Like, I go crazy, and people enjoy this, okay?" And, you know, I, I don't know how else to explain it. But it-- Again, it's not taking away from the band at all because, like, that's where people were watching. But there was also kind of the sideshow, which was me in my area, depending on these, depending on these concerts, right?
[00:05:40] Doug Florzak: So it was kind of like this is your church and that was how you were worshiping at your church kind of, right? It was like it was possessing you, you got so into it.
[00:05:50] Tom: Oh, totally. Totally. And, again, I know it kinda sounds like ego. Like, I don't wanna take away from the band 'cause that obviously is the focus and my focus, but I'm talking [00:06:00] about more of, like, the energy that would run through me to get me to kinda be like that. You know what I mean? And like, again, I think we talked about it in the first episode. Me and you both, Doug, when we're on stage doing the band, we can feel that.
[00:06:12] Doug Florzak: Right. We would love to have somebody do that at one of our shows, as long as they weren't violent or anything.
[00:06:17] Tom: Yes, We'd be like, "Yes, this guy's into it, man." So, yeah, that was that. And then I think that that was definitely first time I saw Frampton, definitely the first time I saw Skynyrd, so that was amazing, just seeing them and everything. So the reason I just kinda told that is because there were many concerts after that where that, in some way or another happened.
[00:06:37] Charles: Did they point you out? Did the band, any guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd point you out?
[00:06:42] Tom: Not that one, because of the way the Star... I mean, I don't know if they would've, but where we were, I was up on kinda the second level of it. But no, they didn't. But in the Fogerty story, which I'll tell later, not necessarily individual pointing out, but I have a, kind of a cool story that happened to the three of us that were there, but I'll get into that.
[00:06:59] But [00:07:00] I'll go into another Skynyrd story at the Star Plaza, which is, I guess, some of these things I didn't even tell on the first one. I mean, if you'd probably say maybe some of those were embarrassing. But, this is kind of an embarrassing story. But, you know, it was, I know I kinda told you guys the Skynyrd story, got kicked out, and then arrested in the Merrillville, County Jail. So I'll tell you what happened there, if you want me to roll into that.
[00:07:22] Charles: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. Yeah.
[00:07:24] Tom: So yeah, just embarrassing. It was Skynyrd, I think maybe they played by themselves. I don't even remember the year of this, maybe 2000. But, had a few too many drinks, and we were up at the top, I remember. And back then, still smoking cigarettes. And, like three times they came and told me and my buddies, like, "Stop smoking cigarettes in here," you know. And we kept, like doing it. And, finally, it was thankfully during Free Bird at the end, so I saw the show.
[00:07:51] But, they finally grabbed me and were like, "This, this dude's done, like he's out. This is the third time we're telling him to not smoke up here." And, I was just like an [00:08:00] idiot, and I was resisting a bit. And, they go to my buddy Mike, they're like, "If you get him out of here, no problem. Just get him out of here." Mike tried his mightiest. He could not, like physically remove me.
[00:08:12] So, they did, like four of them. And instead of just being kicked out, now I was in a cop car. So they took me to the county jail or whatever it was in Merrillville. And, so then I'm in there and I'm still obviously a bit tipsy from all this and now-- But I'm in there and I'm like, "Oh my God, I'm here."
[00:08:30] And, they give me-- I don't know who's gonna pick me up, if anybody. You know, my girlfriend was there. I was like, she might just not-- she might just leave me here from all that. I don't know if her friend's coming. So I get a phone call to call one person or whatever. So I call my buddy Tom, another Tom, who, uh, was the guy with me at the Doobie Brothers, but he didn't make it out to this one.
[00:08:50] He's the guy also with me at the Fogerty one that I'll be talking about. And I call his house, and we're seventeen or eighteen, so he still lives at home, but his dad knows me well and knows [00:09:00] kind of me from growing up. And, it's funny 'cause, he picks up the phone, and it obviously says it's a collect call.
[00:09:05] So as Tom tells the story later, he saw his dad picking up the phone, and he goes-- He's on the phone and he hears what is said, and it says, "You have a collect call from," and before it went to that, he knew that it was Merrillville County Jail or whatever, and he goes," This is one of two people. It's either Fitzer or my brother Goose."
[00:09:24] So he got on. I'm like, "Yeah, dude, I'm in jail." And he's like, "Well, is anybody coming to get you out?" I'm like, "I don't know." He's like, "Well, I'm not driving to Merrillville to get you out, but call me back in, two hours if nobody comes." And I'm like, "Okay." And then my girlfriend ended up coming and getting me out.
[00:09:38] I call back three days later, and I'm like, "Yeah, I'm just calling about, my case. I was arrested from the concert," blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They're like, "What's the name?" And I'm telling them. "What date? When? What happened?" I'm telling them. "We have no record of this."
[00:09:51] And I'm like, "Yeah, I paid, like, $200 bail," whatever it was. It was something around that. Yeah, no record of it. I'm like, "Great. Goodbye." They must have just took the money and [00:10:00] said, "This dude's out of state. Don't care. He'll never be back. We'll keep the cash." So it was never on my record or anything.
[00:10:06] Charles: Wow. So you were only there for couple hours.
[00:10:09] Tom: Yeah, I was there for like two hours, I think.
[00:10:12] Charles: But hey, you saw freebird, like you said.
[00:10:14] Tom: Yeah. Yeah. That one, at least I got all the way to the end before getting booted, 'cause later I'm going to tell a ZZ Top Skynyrd story where I didn't get to the end. I was missing the concert 'cause of my craziness.
[00:10:25] Charles: Did you have the Skynyrd flag with you at this one?
[00:10:28] Tom: I don't think so, but who knows? I had a tendency to take my shirts off in the middle of concerts and, like, throw them on stage. So that flag might be on stage somewhere, till I lost all my concert shirts. And it wouldn't be the concert I was at, obviously, because I wouldn't buy that shirt there and then wear it.
[00:10:47] It would be one that I would buy from a different one go, and it's like, "Where'd all your concert shirts go?" Yeah, they're all on stage. They're all on stages or in crowds somewhere. Again, when I was about 50 pounds less and looked better when I was, like, 20, [00:11:00] so.
[00:11:00] Charles: Okay.
[00:11:01] Tom: you know, I'm just kind of nutty, so.
[00:11:03] Charles: 'Cause you, in the first episode, didn't you have all the Doobie Brothers sign a Rolling Stones shirt you had?
[00:11:08] Tom: Yes, I did. That's a good recall. That one, I don't think I would've ever worn that to a concert 'cause I remember it hanging in my closet for years. I don't know what happened to that unfortunately, cause that's cool to have too, even though, like I told you on the first one, that everybody's like, "You've got all the Stones?" I'm like, "Nah, Doobie Brothers." But yeah, no. " You got the Stones signatures?" No, it's the Doobie Brothers, but it's still cool.
[00:11:32] Charles: That's totally cool. So yeah, you had, like a third, Lynyrd Skynyrd story if you want. I didn't know if you wanted to do that one with ZZ Top.
[00:11:40] Tom: Yeah, that one, let's see. I think that's probably one of my last kind of embarrassing ones, so let's get it over with, and then the other ones are, I think, just cool. But, since we're connecting all Skynyrd stories. So this was ZZ Top, Skynyrd, United Center. I looked it up. It was October, I think, of like ' 99, 2000. Maybe you have it [00:12:00] there.
[00:12:00] Charles: Yeah, 1999. October 22nd.
[00:12:03] Tom: So this is cool though. When we would go to the United Center, we would tailgate, and we would park at Red Top Parking, and we would go to so many concerts that the guys that worked there knew us.
[00:12:14] So we would pull in, they would let us tailgate in the parking lot of Red Top. Nobody else did this. We would have a barbecue. We would have a keg sometimes. I'm trying to think of the first one we did it at. We just kinda, like, tried it, and we were like... I think we maybe, like, threw them like 10 or 20 bucks, and it was cool.
[00:12:31] Like, I remember my buddy had this old station wagon we called the shit box, and it it's gotta be like a 1980-something station wagon that my parents gave him when he turned 16, cause he turned 16 before me. And, so, that car was just sitting in our driveway for like three years, and then they were like, "Oh, give it to him." He's the first of my friends to get a license." And, like, literally to hold up the seat because it would just go back 'cause it didn't have, like, whatever you need it, like there was a... You know, like, those [00:13:00] green, stakes you put in the ground to make a temporary fence around a garden?
[00:13:04] Charles: Yeah.
[00:13:04] Tom: That thing was like holding up the seat in it. You know, like we'd always joke if you got into an accident, the thing would go right through him and the back and the seat. So we ca- we called this thing the shit box. And so we would take it there and we would take the spare tire out, fill it with ice, and have it filled with beer, you know, and it was like a, a cooler. It was awesome. So like we'd open up the back and just craziness, and that's how it started. And then like I said, sometimes we would bring a mini keg and, but we would grill. We'd have coolers of food and all this stuff.
[00:13:34] So point being, those guys knew us and like sometimes we'd be like, "Hey, we left, you know, six beers under the tire wheel for you guys." 'Cause they were working and they weren't supposed to be drinking and stuff. And if you guys knew that neighborhood by the United Center right there, not good back in the day. I think it's gotten pretty nice now. They've like gentrified it.
[00:13:52] But it was awesome because like we kind of knew the neighborhood around there. Like people, they'd kind of know like we were bent, and they'd come and we'd [00:14:00] give them food and just they'd hang out, including the guys at Red Top and some of the people in the neighborhood and, you know, give them beers and stuff when we would have them.
[00:14:07] So I guess my point is just we knew the locals around there from being down there a lot, and it was a good time when we would go to United Center 'cause we were like, "We're parking at Red Top and we're partying for three hours before the concert," right? And so, brings me to the ZZ Top, Skynyrd story, which man, what a great show, those two, man. And I think ZZ Top opened up. It was like either one could have opened up for the other one, you know what I mean?
[00:14:29] So we walk into the show. I don't even remember why, but, at some point I was asked to leave the show. So I threw my shirt off again, 'cause like that was like classic thing. Uh, I was probably smoking in there or something like, you know, and I wouldn't listen. So they take me out, and they just kick me out at like 9:00 at night in front of the United Center in October, and it's freezing.
[00:14:54] Like it's not just a regular October day. It was r- really, really cold. And so I have [00:15:00] like, like jeans on and nothing else. Like no hat, nothing, and it's very, very cold. And I'm like, and all my friends are in there. They're not gonna come out, and I don't have the keys to the shitbox, you know, to sit in there and be warm.
[00:15:13] So I'm walking back to the Red Top, which is like two blocks away, you know, from the front of the United Center, one of the entrances. And, Bernard's there, man, in his old school like, uh, brown 1980s like, uh, what kind of... It was like, I can't even remember, but like one of those big like a Crown Vic or something, you know? Just a big old...
[00:15:33] Charles: Yeah.
[00:15:34] Tom: 80s car, and he's got the heat on, and he's bundled up, and he sees me walking back, and he like rolls down the window. He's like, "What are you doing?" And I'm like, "Dude, I got kicked out." I'm like, "Can I sit in there with you?" And he's like, "Absolutely. Get in." Get in the back, warm. And I got, so I'm sitting there with this dude that works at Red Top parking, and I got no shirt on and jeans.
[00:15:53] We're just listening to tunes in his car for like another hour, maybe an hour and a half, until everybody starts coming out of the [00:16:00] concert. He's like, "You hungry?" I'm like, "Yeah, I'm hungry." And he's like giving me his, he's got like these bag of pork rinds, and he's just like letting me eat them all and stuff.
[00:16:08] So, crazy stuff, man, you know? But it's just cool 'cause like thank God we treated Bernard good because I don't know what I would've done, man, like with no shirt on, and it it was cold. It was, like I said, it was a cold October day. So that was just another crazy story at United Center, and I was glad that I told the whole experience of when we would go down there and tailgate in a parking lot that definitely was not for tailgating, and nobody tailgated there ever before except us.
[00:16:34] Charles: So yeah, Lynyrd Skynyrd seems to be a theme.
[00:16:37] Tom: Yeah. it's the curse, right? It's the, curse of Skynyrd. Maybe it was that first concert. Maybe I got a little bad mojo at that first one.
[00:16:45] Charles: Maybe.
[00:16:46] Tom: Nothing ever where, like, anybody was hurt or, I mean, you know, at least I got out of jail and out of that whole situation. Nothing ever worse than that. Yeah, I guess you're right. The Synyrd stories were kinda, I guess there was a theme. Maybe the [00:17:00] omen of the plane crash or something. Who knows?
[00:17:02] Charles: Yeah. Who knows? So your other stories, Tom, you've got a, John Fogerty story and a Rolling Stones story, right?
[00:17:09] Tom: Yep, So actually, I'll tell the Stones story. Kind of getting back to some good vibes even though, uh, I think that those were funny vibes. So in, in the first episode I talk about again that, that Stones story at, um, Soldier Field, and then that kind of being an awakening to where, holy cow, this, this live music, Mick Jagger.
[00:17:29] I became the biggest Stones fan overnight. Um, and I think I even said in that episode that we ended up going down to St. Louis to see them in December. So, uh, that's the story I wanna tell you about. Um, so, uh, again, I'm 17. No, I'm 16 that September, uh, turn 17 October, and then that concert is December 12th of 1997.
[00:17:57] So this is the second Stones concert in [00:18:00] St. Louis. This is kind of like when me and my buddy Chris were just like, concerts are gonna be our thing after that Sto- Stones story. And like, you know, I think online was kind of starting and, and he, he would find out and I'm like, "Oh my God, all these bands are playing.
[00:18:14] Are you kidding me?" Like, it was like all these bands I started listening to when I was 15 or 16, realizing, like, they still play even though they're 50 years old. You know what I mean? So, like, we would start looking up, like, all these bands, The Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, ZZ Top, um, everybody we went to. The Grateful Dead of whoever was left and, you know, as, as that went on and stuff.
[00:18:35] But everybody, The Stones. Um, so he was like, "Hey, The Stones are playing in December at the TWA Dome in St. Louis. Do you wanna go?" I'm like, "Absolutely." And then my other buddy, as Doug knows, Justin went, so it was us three. But again, I'm 17 years old, and so, like, you know, I'm still living at home. I'm a junior in high school, and I'm just deciding that, yeah, I'm going to St.
[00:18:59] [00:19:00] Louis. Uh and so I remember going and, uh, asking my mom, and she was like, "Absolutely not." And I'm like, "Well, yeah, I'm going anyway, so then I, I, um, I was just kind of letting you know." I didn't expect an answer back. And then I went and talked to my dad, who was always way more lenient, and he was like, " Yeah, I know you're gonna go anyway."
[00:19:22] Like, um, " So be careful." And then before the concert, you know, kind of had that conversation. But, um, so that was just kind of funny, uh, being that young and then just deciding that, yeah, we're going to St. Louis. Um, the other cool part about this was
[00:19:39] if anybody remembers that back in the day, you know, you'd go pay 50 bucks, you'd get this box, and then you- Oh. So then this- it was cool because this Stones concert was going to be recorded and played live on pay-per-view.
[00:19:52] And if, if you guys remember pay-per-view back in the day, you would pay, like, 50 or 60 bucks. You'd have to go get a box from the cable company, hook it [00:20:00] in, and that's how you would get it. So I was like, "I'm going to this concert. Like, I'm totally gonna record this." For you younger viewers, it wasn't like you could just look this up on YouTube like you can today.
[00:20:12] It was like I needed to record it on a VHS tape. So going back to my dad, I was like, "Hey, Dad, so yeah, you know I'm going, right? Yeah. So also, I'm gonna get this pay-per-view box. I need you to tape it for me, and I'll be down there. So you can watch it too, Dad, so that'll be cool, right?" And he's like, "Okay."
[00:20:30] You know, my mom's still saying, "If he goes, he's never going out again." So I do all that. I get it set up, you know, so that's cool, and he ends up getting it on, on tape. But, you know, a couple years later, DVDs became a thing, and that's the Bridges to Babylon DVD that came out, you know? So I had a really good recording once that came out, not on VHS anymore.
[00:20:51] So anyway, man, we, me and Chris and Justin drive down, like, four hours to St. Louis in his parents' van. You know, [00:21:00] 17, driving down, parents' van for four hours, so fun. Listening to Little Feat, I remember all that. So, and we got a hotel room, outside of the TWA Dome, and got to the concert. And so the concert, man, we sat like the 15th row or something, 17th row.
[00:21:18] Like, again, I re- remember if I was talking about that first Stones concert, the tickets were 66 bucks for every seat in the stadium at Soldier Field, right? Insane prices, low, you know? And, um, it was just kind of luck of the draw. These tickets were already on sale. We got them from a, like a, you know, a ticket person.
[00:21:37] But I remember they were like 115 bucks each, which still wasn't that bad. And, we got like 17th row. It was like 12th to 17th row. I can't remember. But great seats, right? And then so concert, Kenny Wayne Shepherd opened up. Nobody knew who that was yet, but, uh, that was awesome. You know what I mean?
[00:21:58] Seeing him just, and [00:22:00] nobody really knowing, who he was yet. I mean, he was probably getting popular. He was opening for the Stones, but he was early in his thing, you know, and had his hits out and stuff. And he played some Hendrix tunes, man. And like, like half the crowd, more, like three-fourths of the crowd weren't even in the seats.
[00:22:14] And I remember just sitting there, nobody around me, and just watching Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who I didn't really know, but I was like, ''Holy cow,'' you know? So that happened. And then so the Stones came on, and, it was an amazing, amazing show. So a couple things with that concert. there's a few little oddities to it.
[00:22:32] So Dave Matthews came out on stage, and played Wild Horses with them, with Mick Jagger, the band obviously. And these were surprise guests, they would tell us. And they also were doing this thing at, at the tour which, first time 'cause the internet was getting big, you could, uh, you could vote on what song you want them to play, you know?
[00:22:51] And then they would show it on the screen like, "Which one wins?" And I remember, I still get chills when he's like, " Tonight we're playing Waiting on a Friend." I think it was that one, or maybe [00:23:00] it was at the Soldier Field one. So that was kind of cool too because, like, the internet was new. But anyway, so Dave Matthews comes out and sings Wild Horses. '97, so Dave Matthews probably started getting popular in '95. But it's just, a funny caveat to this is that, you know, I was like cool and my buddies like Dave Matthews a lot. I was always kind of a purist where I'm like, if you're like The Black Crowes, I don't like you, because I was into all the '60s and '70s stuff, and like, I was like nothing could compare to it.
[00:23:32] So I wasn't that big of a fan of Dave Matthews. Now I, I like him and his music better 'cause I've gotten out of that attitude. But, they were digging it and stuff, and I'm kind of like, "Ugh, Dave Matthews is that one, Mick Jagger. Okay." But still enjoying it. But the funny thing was my buddy Tom, who I've mentioned a couple times on here, somehow when I went home and was telling him about it, I said, "Yeah, Dave Matthews come out."
[00:23:51] And he's like, " Dave Matthews played?" He's like, "Dave Matthews should have been standing in a pit of fire behind Mick Jagger, dude." And I just remember him saying that, [00:24:00] like hilarious. Again, 'cause we were like the purists of like no new music. You know what I mean?
[00:24:08] Hi, this is Charles Zona, and we're glad you are enjoying this episode of Seeing Them Live. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please fill out the form on our website at seeingthemlive.com. Also, if you like the show, please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
[00:24:29] And now, back to the show
[00:24:35] Charles: Yeah, 'cause you had said too, in that interview, it's kinda strange that given your age you're, into those older bands, you know?
[00:24:44] Tom: Totally. Totally. Yeah, and again, I think I said it too, my dad obviously was into that stuff. He never pushed it on me, but it was always, on. And, like, honestly, I remember getting into some early '90s stuff, but then, and I don't remember if I told this on the first one, but my brother stole a bunch of CDs [00:25:00] from the library. And I was like, "I don't know who these guys are," or whatever. Some of them I didn't know who they were. And my buddy Tom, again, whose dad was, like, a drummer in bands in the '70s and the '80s, so he knew that type of music 'cause he, he listened to a lot of music. Like, I remember him, used to mention Deep Purple and stuff.
[00:25:16] I'd be like, "Who's that?" You know? I'm like, "You're such a dork." And, he came over, and he's looking through these CDs, and he goes, "Dude, this is Zeppelin II." And I'm like, "Yeah, whatever, dude. I don't know anything about them." I probably still thought that Led Zeppelin was a man instead of a band, you know?
[00:25:30] And, hell, everybody makes that mistake. And with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Jethro Tull, and we all think it's a person until you gotta tell that person, "No, it's a band." So I'll never forget. He put, he put it on my CD player, number two, and then song number two, What It Is and What Should Never Be, and I don't know. My wife I told her I was coming on here before this, and I was telling her some of the stories, and she's like, " You just have this memory for stuff." I'm like, "I do." And, like, I literally remember these things that are life-changing. Like, when I heard that song, I was like, " What is this?"
[00:25:59] And [00:26:00] then that just grew my love for classic rock, and, I got so into Zeppelin. And then that was earlier, and then, that's how I got into the live music. That's how I started liking all these old bands, ' cause I just started getting into all of them after the Zeppelin II, What It Is and What Should Never Be, number two, was played. I was like, "This is amazing. I didn't know something like this existed."
[00:26:18] Charles: No, I wanted to point that out 'cause, I don't know if I'd say it's odd, but it's interesting that given your age and the vintage of that music, people usually listen or like things from their generation of music. But not you, you gravitated towards the classic rock stuff.
[00:26:35] Tom: And not only me, but my entire group of friends. We just, we loved that. We loved that. And then like, yeah, you would see some problems because as like, you know, I started to maybe get a girlfriend here or something, they'd be like, "What is this and why are you always playing this stuff?" And they'd be like into the '90s and 2000 stuff, you know?
[00:26:55] And they're like, "You're always playing Foghat or whatever." And I'm like, you know, just like [00:27:00] these obscure things. And I'd be like, "Dude, Lonesome Dave, nobody can sing like him." And they'd be like, "Whatever," you know? And they're into like Dave Matthews.
[00:27:07] Charles: Yeah.
[00:27:08] Tom: Whatever else was popular then. I don't even know, you know? So getting back to Stones concert. So it was awesome. Dave Matthews came out and played Wild Horses. I mean, what a good pick for him to play with, you know? I think Sheryl Crow came out at that concert. I could be mistaken. I know she came out at one that I was at.
[00:27:24] But the other one, I'm getting chills talking about this, dude. I had my Spotify on the other day and, Taj Mahal popped on, Corinna. I don't know if you guys know that song. And I was like, "Holy shit." I'm like... And it was his album version. I'm like, "I think he came out and played this with The Stones when I was there in St. Louis."
[00:27:42] And I go on Spotify, and I'm typing it in, and it won't come up, it won't come up. And I'm like, "I know he did." And so I went to YouTube, and I'm like, here it is. And man, you guys gotta listen to it after this. I played it like five times in a row, probably 'cause it brought me back there too, but he's so good and Mick Jagger is [00:28:00] so good just kind of accompanying him on vocally with that tune that's so cool.
[00:28:05] And then Mick Jagger busts out, in the beginning of the song, he says, " Bring out the..." You know, for the harmonica. He puts it in his pocket and busts it out, busts it out later in the song, and he's just, just standing and, and letting Taj Mahal do his thing, but then coming in. You know, like they didn't even practice it, it seemed like. 'Cause they even said like, "Which one are we gonna do, Taj?" And Keith was like, "All Right, All Right." And I mean, they must have because they knew the tune. But, so cool. You guys gotta watch it after this.
[00:28:31] Charles: Yeah, that sounds interesting. Yeah
[00:28:33] Tom: It's Corrina, Corrina, Taj Mahal and The Stones, '97 at TWA Dome. And he's got the, the album version too, but, uh, this, this live version is so good. So that was amazing, and it was kind of cool how just, literally two weeks ago that came in and then jogged a memory for me, and I'm coming on here and I'm like, "Oh, that'll be a great story to tell."
[00:28:54] So, that was awesome. To me it was just like another amazing thing that happens, man, in this world, you know what I'm [00:29:00] saying? So that was that, man, and we drove home, and it was just an amazing concert.
[00:29:04] And, that was the second time I saw The Stones, and I've seen 'em probably 18 to 22 times. You know, I, I know it's right around there. I can't remember exactly. But a lot of times after that. And like I said in the first one, unfortunately, don't leave anything at an ex-girlfriend's house or it goes in the garbage, and that's where all my ticket stubs went, like all my 130 ticket stubs.
[00:29:23] Charles: I remember you saying that. I was like, "Oh man, That's tough. Ugh." Yeah.
[00:29:28] Tom: Such a bummer man, I could probably come on this show five more times and look at those going, "Oh, yes, I remember that one."
[00:29:34] Charles: Yeah, I know. I still have mine, and I look at some of those stubs and I'm like, "Oh, man," you know? I, yeah, I totally forgot that I had been to some show. Yeah, jogs your memory.
[00:29:43] Tom: Totally. Yeah. It was just weird too how, like I said, when I was talking to Doug, we were at the gig, and I just started talking about one thing, and then all of a sudden, it just starts, and I was like, "Oh, and then that." And then Doug's like, "Those are great stories. There's three right there."
[00:29:56] He starts writing them down, and I'm like, "Okay," and then started rolling with them. So yeah, that [00:30:00] was cool. I got a couple more left.
[00:30:01] Charles: Sure. Go for it, Tom.
[00:30:02] Tom: All right, cool. I appreciate it. This is, it's fun reliving this and telling this because first thing I'm gonna do when we get off, before I call you, Doug, is listen to Corina, Corina again. I have to. So let's see here. I'm just looking at my list. So just kind of another quick, cool story. Me and my buddy Tom, who I've talked about, and then one of the dudes who went with me to the St. Louis Stone show, bought tickets for John Fogerty, Premonition tour. Can't remember... Oh, it was called that because he had the Blue Moon Swamp album out, and I think there was a song that was pretty popular called Premonition off of that. Or maybe Premonition was a live album. I don't know, but Blue Moon Swamp was out at the same time.
[00:30:39] And man, brings back memories. in 1998, okay, this was crazy. We bought the tickets probably, I don't know, April or whatever. The show was gonna be in June, middle of June or early June. And this was at the New World, whatever they call it now.
[00:30:54] Charles: World Music Theater. Yeah, Tinley Park, Illinois.
[00:30:57] Tom: Yeah, yeah. And, I got the unfortunate news [00:31:00] that my family was going on vacation to North Carolina when that concert was gonna happen. It was the year I graduated high school, '98. We were driving out to North Carolina, and obviously there was nothing I could do about that. It wasn't like I was gonna stay home to go see the concert.
[00:31:13] And again, premonition or intervention from something great, the Bulls, obviously, you know, were in their sixth championship, and because of that, Fogerty halted the Chicago show because he didn't wanna line it up the same night the Bulls might be having a game or winning the championship, 'cause he thought nobody's gonna show up.
[00:31:33] And so I'm like, yeah, this, it got postponed until August or September. I can't remember. So, You know, amazing. And then what was crazy, man, I don't know if we had it or if we got it, but won't get emotional here, but like, so my dad, love my dad. He died 20 years ago. So not even, well, years after that, but not too long after that.
[00:31:54] And, you know, we shared the love of music. He was, again, never pushed that stuff on me, but got me into that [00:32:00] stuff. And I just remember on that North Carolina drive, we had the Blue Moon Swamp cassette tape, and we played it like 50 times on the way there and the way back. And dude, that album is so good.
[00:32:12] It's got like 110 In the Shade. It's got a beautiful song called Joy of My Life that he does on acoustic with a slide. And, I'll get into that in a second too. Anyway, for those who have never heard it, Blue Moon Swamp, you wouldn't believe Fogerty put out such a great album in 1998 or '97, whenever it came out.
[00:32:31] So it was just cool again. So we jammed that the whole time out there, got that time with my dad, and then like when we were still even like on vacation, we played it sometimes and stuff. And then, we got back, obviously I went to the show. And, this was the closest I had ever sat at the New World and, ever did again, 'cause I was usually in the lawn sliding down hills.
[00:32:51] But, you know, we were like row, like, 20, 25, maybe even closer, left side of the stage, but pretty close. So when you were [00:33:00] asking earlier did Skynyrd point you out, I was like, no, but there was kind of something like that. So Fogerty's up on stage, and he kind of did the thing where he's like, " All right." This is the middle of the show. He's like, "Now it's, time for you guys pick a song. What you guys want us to do?" And he's like talking to the crowd, he's talking to the crowd, and I just remember me and my friends go, " On the count of three, scream Grapevine."
[00:33:19] And we did, loud and he could hear us, and he looks at us and he goes, "All right, all right." And doom, doom, doom, right into it, man. And I don't know if they knew that, that somebody was gonna say Grapevine or if they were really gonna focus on that, people said. But we were definitely the loudest and we said that all together, and they went right into it. I got chills saying that one too, man.
[00:33:40] So that was cool. Pointed at us and said, " All right, whatever, you know, we're gonna do it." And then they went into the tune. So, played Heard It Through the Grapevine, which was amazing. And then also that concert was so cool 'cause, again, it was the Blue Moon Swamp and they just had, like this backing of, like a swamp with this bluish moon, just cool dark, but, almost like a harvest [00:34:00] moon, so kinda light, but such a cool um, stage setup.
[00:34:03] So that was just an amazing concert. Amazing. And of course, just experiencing it with my two buddies and that, and everything that happened with the cancellation and then it coming back.
[00:34:12] Charles: Yeah.
[00:34:13] Tom: And, I'll say real quick, and then I'll stop for a sec. So I went and saw Fogerty, a month ago with, Steve Winwood.
[00:34:20] Charles: Well, yeah.
[00:34:20] Tom: At the New World, 29 years later with my buddy Tom, or 28 years later, whatever it is. 28. Crazy. I'm like, "Dude, can you believe it was 28 years ago that we went to that?" And he's like, "What the..." You know, we have those conversations now that I'll be turning 46.
[00:34:35] And, dude, he was phenomenal. And Steve Winwood opened up, and I will say Steve Winwood was good, but there were some songs that, you could tell he wasn't quite hitting, but still amazing. See Steve Winwood, who I saw about 10 years ago as well. Anyway, the reason I'm saying that is because, like, Winwood was Winwood, and it was like, eh, he's 80 years old, so we're like, "Let's cut him some slack." I think he's 79. But John [00:35:00] Fogerty's like 82 or 81. I looked it up, and this dude is killing it. I'm telling you, killing it.
[00:35:05] I'm like, "Holy cow." And it was just really cool. He had his two sons up there with him, and they played every hit, man. He played for like two hours. I'm like, I can't even believe these guys are still playing. 'Cause I remember, and I think I told you, I'd be like, "Fogerty's 50. Like, how good is he gonna be?" And now he's 80, you know, playing 30 years later.
[00:35:23] Charles: Yeah.
[00:35:24] Tom: And so that was really cool to be back with my buddy Tom, seeing that thing 28 years later at the same place and just remembering that. So that's kind of my Fogerty story.
[00:35:35] Charles: That's cool 'cause when I looked that up, Tom, they gave the date of that show as being in June, and then you said, "No, well, it was, but it was postponed because of the Bulls final game." And I didn't question it any more than that, but I'm thinking like, " "What the hell is he talking about? Like, were the Bulls there or something?"
[00:35:53] Tom: Right.
[00:35:53] Charles: But no, it makes sense now. It makes sense.
[00:35:55] Tom: Yeah, that was it, right? And the whole thing just being crazy, 'cause I wouldn't had ever been able [00:36:00] to go. And then it just worked out, and then I had the time with my dad with that cassette, and then the Bulls win a championship. And then I go 28 years later with my same buddy. It's insane, man, how things just kind of line up, man. So it makes you appreciate things, man.
[00:36:15] Yeah, just my last one that I happened to think of today, which isn't even a great story, but I guess I'll just cap it off with this. I thought of this because of the shirt thing, 'cause I was telling my wife, and then I was like, "Oh, this story happened."
[00:36:28] But wasn't even that big of a deal, but just another concert that I got to see that I forgot about, which was amazing. I don't even remember where it was at, but it was, at a, theater, because it's, it's not like at, Soldier Field where they might allow a little craziness.
[00:36:41] So anyway, it was Joe Cocker and The Guess Who. And Joe Cocker opens up for The Guess Who, and I went there with my dad, my buddy and then my dad's, great friend, and he became a great friend of mine, Frank. Both of those guys passed away, my dad and Frank, but just so many memories with those guys, [00:37:00] obviously.
[00:37:00] So we were up pretty close, like 15, 20 rows in this theater. You know, it's like, so it's a nicer venue. And, also, I don't think I ever went to a concert with Frank. There's Joe Cocker opening up, and he's amazing.
[00:37:14] And, so I do my shirt throw, And you know, I remember Frank's like, "Dude, chill out, man." Like, "What are you doing?" And I'm like, "This is just, this is my thing, man. I get into it, all right?" But I mean, it had to be, like, 2002, Joe Cocker, Guess Who. I don't think there's many times they played together in Chicago. But, they come down, and they're like, "Yeah, we're kicking you out unless you buy a T-shirt." And I'm like, " I'm not buying a a $30 shirt or $40 shirt right now."
[00:37:40] And they're like, "Well, then you're leaving." And I go, "Okay, I'm buying a $40 shirt." So I remember exiting during while Joe Cocker's playing, and I came to see The Guess Who, 'cause my dad's favorite singer of all time is Burton Cummings, who's the lead singer of The Guess Who. And, um, which is amazing that I even got to see him.
[00:37:57] So Joe Cocker's just blowing me away, [00:38:00] like, opening act. And so I go out, and he's like, "Okay, you need to buy a shirt," 'cause they didn't want me shirtless in there, you know? so I end up again, I went there to see The Guess Who. Sorry, did you find the date on that?
[00:38:10] Charles: Yeah, yeah, Tom. It's the Rosemont Theatre, in Rosemont.
[00:38:14] Tom: OK, I told it was like a theater.
[00:38:16] Charles: Which is different from the Rosemont Horizon or the Allstate Arena now. Yeah, it holds 4,400 people depending on how a stage is set up and such.
[00:38:26] Tom: So it's probably like a Chicago theater, you know, not that big.
[00:38:29] Charles: Yeah, exactly.
[00:38:30] Tom: So that's just crazy. Yeah, I don't even know where that's at or if I had ever been there before or after that. So, what was the year on that and the date? Does it say?
[00:38:39] Charles: Yeah, October 1st, 2001.
[00:38:42] Tom: Wow.
[00:38:43] Charles: They called it the American Woman Tour.
[00:38:45] Tom: Yeah.
[00:38:47] Charles: According to AI here with Google, Gemini.
[00:38:49] Tom: Crazy. So I was 20. Another October show.
[00:38:53] Charles: And another one where you don't have your shirt too.
[00:38:55] Tom: Like I said, man, it was my thing, right? Again, I was like 50 pounds [00:39:00] less. Like, that wasn't the reason. I'm just saying I don't think I'd throw my shirt up today. But, I wanted to get people into it. Like, this is amazing, you know?
[00:39:06] So anyway, I go out into the lobby and there's like ushers with me while I'm purchasing a shirt. And again, I went there to see the Guess Who, but like Joe Cocker's just blowing me away at the moment. And I remember I ended up, I'm like, "I want a Joe Cocker shirt. Give me that."
[00:39:20] And I got one and I put that on and I came back in. He was still playing, and then I kind of settled down. It's gone. But I remember what it looked like, and it was just kind of a silhouette of his face and crazy. That's all I kind of had. I'm sure there was more out there, but thanks for letting me share these, man.
[00:39:36] Charles: Yeah, those are great, great memories. And, like you were saying, that Taj Mahal song.
[00:39:41] Tom: Oh, yes.
[00:39:42] Charles: Takes you right back to that show, and I think everybody experiences that from time to time. This summer I went to see the Doobie Brothers and Santana at Tinley Park, with a couple of buddies from, high school. You know, and we were talking, the last time, yeah, we had seen The Doobie Brothers was [00:40:00] like, said like 40 years ago or something crazy like that.
[00:40:02] Tom: I know, right, man?
[00:40:04] Charles: And Santana, of course, Guy's amazing. The percussion section is, like, off the charts,
[00:40:09] just,
[00:40:10] Tom: Oh, yeah.
[00:40:11] Charles: Crazy, crazy crazy to watch. Yeah those are, great experiences and, it's the power of, of live music and where it can take you and it's just, yeah, it's just incredible.
[00:40:21] Tom: Yeah. I remember seeing Santana at The World in the lawn, and that was awesome. He's a good dude to just experience, obviously up close would be awesome, but in the lawn, just taking in the jam, right? And so was the Allman Brothers, man.
[00:40:34] I've seen them so many times too at The World. But, I was just thinking, as you said my first concert ever, which I think I said in the first one, was going to The World, sitting in seats for, ELP, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, opening up for Jethro Tull. And I just remember sitting there experiencing as my first concert, 16 years old, and just being, behaved and, "Oh, this is awesome. I'm loving this." But, I'm not thinking about getting out of my seat or doing anything crazy, [00:41:00] right? That's why I brought up that Frampton/Skynyrd show. Like, something was in the air that like, as Frampton Comes Alive, right?
[00:41:06] Like, I don't know. If that never happened that day, like, maybe I would've been the guy who sat in the seat the whole time and just experienced it quietly. But, like, something happened with that, and, the reaction from the crowd. And then, like I said, poured into a lot of these stories about how I would get being in front of this live music. So I guess my point is going from just kind of sitting and enjoying you could also kind of, like, really get into it. You know what I mean?
[00:41:29] Charles: And be kinda like a super fan, so to speak. You said the Doobie Brothers noticed you and gave you these backstage passes, and you got to meet them, and they signed your Rolling Stones shirt.
[00:41:41] Tom: Yeah. It's been crazy, man. Yeah, it's been great. And like I said, I think the only one now that's left on my bucket list, I said it the first time, is Randy Newman, but I don't think he's ever gonna go back on tour again, which is a bummer. But, you know, got to see most of the guys I wanted to see that I could have possibly.
[00:41:58] Obviously, some were gone [00:42:00] before I was even born. But, it's been a ride, man. And, I will tell you though, at the Fogerty and the Steve Winwood one, I was now the old man going like, "Yeah, I'm not, gonna stand for this, man." And then, like we would get up and kind of get going, and then my wife would be like, "The people behind you, I think they're like, you know, want you to sit down." I'm like, "Okay, I'll listen. I'm 45 years old instead of like, when I'm 20 at the Doobie Brothers." Like, dude, this is a concert. Get up or move, you know?
[00:42:27] Charles: Yeah, and you already, did some time in the, Tinley Park Theater Jail at one point, right? that's in episode number one.
[00:42:34] Tom: Absolutely. Yes, I did. And what was funny too, I was driving to the concert this time, and when I was leaving, I was like, "This is the first time I've ever driven out of here." Like, you know, 'cause I would never drive to... I'd be like, "Somebody else is gonna drive here and out of here," if you know what I mean, right? I'm like, "This is the first time I've ever driven out of The World, for a fact."
[00:42:52] Charles: Those are cool stories, and I know the one Rolling Stones show you said, it kind of inspired you then to be in a band early on. [00:43:00] And so yeah, if you wanted to talk about your band a little bit, Wrought Iron Soul.
[00:43:04] Tom: Sure. Thanks for the time on that too. It's always good to promote it a little bit. We have been together for 11, maybe 12 years now. Doug's been in for over 10. So one of the originals, Mike, who played harmonica and was a singer as well.
[00:43:19] So he was a big integral part of the band, and we love him. But he, as I say, retired from the band, not this last summer, but the summer before, cause he turned 70 and you know, wanted to spend some more time at his lake house and stuff and not be interrupted. So anyway, just kind of giving a shout-out to Mike 'cause we love him, and again, was with us for 11 years.
[00:43:41] So we all sat down and said, "What are we gonna do?" So we decided we wanted to, find a, a keyboard player that could sing. That was a huge thing that we wanted to do. So that's what we did. We started looking for a keyboard player, thanks to Doug, who is basically the, man that makes things move in the band.
[00:43:58] Doug Florzak: Recruiter.
[00:43:59] Tom: Well, [00:44:00] everything. Recruiter, sound man, getting gigs.
[00:44:02] Doug Florzak: Long story short, we got a really talented guy by the name of Greg Jacks. And the way that this happened is I said to Tom, "Let's start making announcements at the show that we're looking for a keyboard player. Who knows?"
[00:44:17] So we play often at this place called Johnny's Blitz, which is only a few blocks from my house. It's a very nice venue. The people that come there really come there to hear music. And a lot of good local blues players play there.
[00:44:32] Tom: Come from the city.
[00:44:33] Doug Florzak: Like Downtown Charlie Brown and Al Speers and The Hurricane Project. So Tom made the announcement and this couple comes up and talks to us, and, it turns out that the guy is Billy J. Kramer, who was in a English band in the '60s called The Dakotas. He worked with people like Brian Epstein, John Lennon, George Martin. So he was quite famous.
[00:44:59] Tom: [00:45:00] You could Google it. So it was funny, long story short, this guy comes up and the woman that's with him, they're elderly, they're like in their 80s, and she goes, "He's written some songs for The Beatles and produced some things and written some songs for this band." But they go, "We heard you're looking for a keyboard player." And then I'm like, "Hey, Doug, these guys say they know some keyboard players. We got a brochure or card, whatever."
[00:45:25] So, they get us this dude, Greg Jacks. And, he just came out and like tried out with us, but like we already looked him up and like he's like a professional piano player. that's what he does. So it's like I hope he says he wants to play with us.
[00:45:39] Doug Florzak: He's a full-time musician, so that's all he does. Unlike us, I mean, we all have other things, you know.
[00:45:47] Tom: Yeah. We're definitely part-time musicians. So for me, man, I'm just blessed that this dude plays with us because it's opened up so much, and I think we both said it, Doug, it's like, reinvigorated us after losing Mike and [00:46:00] kind of changing a bit of the band and being able to play stuff that we never thought we'd be able to play, and he sings too, so that's cool. Because a major part of this too was like I couldn't do 100% of the vocals, especially after, 12 years later. So anyway, just a cool story about how we found this guy and so fun to play with this keyboard player. And, that's why we would love people people to come out and see this new thing.
[00:46:21] Charles: Yeah, that sounds cool. I've always enjoyed going to your gigs and the energy and the song selection.
[00:46:28] Tom: Thanks.
[00:46:29] Charles: So do you guys have some gigs coming up?
[00:46:31] Doug Florzak: December 11th back at Johnny's Blitz.
[00:46:34] Tom: And, we don't know if Greg's gonna be able to make that show 'cause he might have something else. But Scott Baker would fill in for him, which if you guys have come and see us before, Scott Baker's amazing singer and blessed to have him to come and fill in when we need him, and a great guy too, so.
[00:46:48] Doug Florzak: Just as long as you don't end up taking your shirt off and throwing it into the audience, that's all.
[00:46:53] Tom: Oh God.
[00:46:54] Doug Florzak: Nobody wants to see that.
[00:46:56] Charles: I think I might try that at your guys' next [00:47:00] gig.
[00:47:00] Tom: Do it. I'll give you a big shout-out.
[00:47:01] Charles: But I'll have a- another shirt on under it, you know? ' Cause again, like you said, nobody wants to see this either.
[00:47:06] either
[00:47:08] Tom: Little shout out to the, the old school days, man. Losing the shirts.
[00:47:14] Charles: All right. Yeah, yeah, Tom, thanks again for coming on, and Doug for setting it up. Check out Wrought Iron Soul. You guys have a website obviously.
[00:47:22] Doug Florzak: Yeah, wroughtironsoul.com. We're also on Facebook, so look us up.
[00:47:28] Tom: Yep. Check us out. All our stuff will be on there.
[00:47:30] Charles: Check em out. All right. Thanks guys.