Hal

MICHAEL WINSLOW

The Man of  10,000 Sound Effects

Michael-Winslow 4 up

SHOW NOTES

Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag… all the rumors are true, today, my guest is Michael Winslow, the Man of 10,000 sound effects. You know him from Cheech and Chong movies, Police Academy, Space Balls and some  of his popular Youtube Videos. You’ve heard his voiceovers doing sound effects for tv shows such as Robot Chicken, commercials and video games. One of the first beat boxers and a title holder in the competitions.

I had the pleasure of working with Michael while he was still polishing his act in restaurants and smaller clubs. He was the host at Poppy’s Star in Encino, CA where as you probably know by now, I once worked as a singing waiter. Upon entering, you would often see him escorting a party to their table while impersonating a race car or making whizzing and spinning gear sounds like a robot. Or perhaps during dinner, see him on stage, performing his famous Jimi Hendrix impersonation on a miniature Fender Strat, wearing a Hendrix wig, and headband. He and I worked out a couple songs between us that we enjoyed performing, which you’ll hear more about during the conversation. And with that, let’s just get right into, shall we?

Talking Points:

Twitter handle  @Noizey_Man

Grew up on several Air Force bases

Moved around a lot as a kid.

Killed the boredom  by imitating the sounds of machinery around the military bases.

Including typewriters. Take this video for example…

32 Typewriters

32 Typewriters??? I couldn’t tell the difference between a Remington Noiseless Portable or a IBM Executive Model 42 or a Smith Corona Word processor

Books:

Whack to the Side of the Head

Kick to the Seat of the Pants

Lesson learned – there’s more than one right answer

Tik Tok

Jimi Hendrix

Comics stealing jokes.

Robin Williams

Multiple languages

Cheech and Chong no longer PC?

But what makes your impressions so unique are the facial expressions. You seem to be listening to the headphones, where i imagine someone is feeding you the recording for reference

The afterwards, you look at the two mics as if you’re trying to decide which one to eat first.

Did your parents ever try to discourage you/ I mean, making all those sounds around the house s a little kid, didn’t yell, Hey Mikey, cut it out, I’m trying to watch Star Trek here, and you’d be making laser gun sounds.  At what point did your mom or dad say, Hey now — THERE’S a career! Looks like you won’t be needing college, son.

List of noises:

’Scuse me while I kiss this guy – attribution. Michael was the first that I know of to use that line.

Matre D’ at the Great American and Poppy’s Star (along with Alan “Walk This Way” Feinman as Groucho, and Billy Scudder as Charlie Chaplain)

Dupars after Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie

Sky Trails Open Mic

My Sharona

Just What I Needed by the Cars

Michael Winslow and folk pop-musician Odd Nordstoga performed Whole Lotta Love on the Norwegian talkshow Senkveld – with Thomas og Harald

The Russia Story

Slight incident while filming Police Academy: Mission to Moscow in Russia

  Killing Hasselhoff

Completely unexpected. It was a total delight seeing you pop up in a cameo! My rating went up a star.

Mention on THE GOLDBERGS…

Dana: I don’t get it. This is part 5. Shouldn’t they have graduated the Academy after the first one?
Adam: I think the problem is you’re focusing on logic, not the lovable cast of characters.
Dana: Okay, in what world would an officer of the law stop a jewel thief by making weird mouth noises?
Adam: That’s Michael Winslow. He’s a national treasure.
Dana: They’re LAPD. They wouldn’t have any jurisdiction in Miami.

Referenced on other shows: Ellen, Family Guy, Robot Chicken (Police Academy: X-Men)

You’ve done sound fx for many tv and movies. What are some of the things where we are actually hearing your voices? Do you have any favorites?

The very best of the 60s. 80s

Voice insured by Lloyd’s of London with Mary Hart’s legs

Eddie Van Halen and Michael jamming too loud at the Namm Show

Recently Live on Twitch

Sound Effects in Video games

Phasmaphoria

Among Us

Nico Is – Brazilian Rapper – Agua

Michael Winslow Media

Michael Winslow Youtube Channel

Michael Winslow on Facebook

Michael Winslow on Instagram

Posted by Hal, 4 comments

Smokey Miles

Smokey Miles Show Notes

Smokey-Count Smokula

Today my guest is Robert Smokey Miles…    

He knows Bob Dylan personally and even used to be his house sitter as a teenager

Around 1987 he began hosting open mics and acoustic music showcases at the Breakaway Gardens in Venice, CA, much like I did in the San Fernando Valley several years later. Although I had been to the Breakaway,  on many occasions before I left Venice, I don’t recall having ever met Smokey, although in retrospect, I must have. While editing this episode, I determined it would have been almost impossible for me not to have crossed paths wit this guy!

As Count Smokula, a quirky vampire sporting a fez and playing accordion,  he was a male counterpart to Elvira, MIstress of the Dark. Although Elvira had a more massive following, Smokula has a pretty fair cult following of his own. He continues to perform in the Annual Pasadena Doo Dah Parade with The Radioactive Chicken Heads.

He’s worked in some bizarre cult films such as “Magics”, about a very unique magician who entertains sick and injured Palestinian and Jewish kids thoughout Israel’s pediatric hospitals. Original music performed by bob as Count Smokula on his accordion

Appears in several Troma Films from Troma Entertainment  (an independent film company that produces low-budget independent films. Mostly flicks that pay homage to the 1950’s horror films – lots of farcical parodies with gratuitous fake blood, guts and gore).

These include: Trasharella with Rena Riffel; and he even did a couple of songs with Ron Jeremy, the porn star for TromaDance Festival one year.

For links to my Smokey’s website and Youtube videos, go to www.talesoftheroadwarriors.com/smokey-miles where you’ll find them right under the show notes!

So yeah, Smokey’s done his fair share of hosting music showcases, playing his guitar and the accordion, doing sketch comedy in the persona of the immortal Count Smokula, and cameo appearances in movies and music videos with the likes of Bob Dylan, himself. So, ‘nuff said… Here he is to talk about it – Robert “Smokey” Miles!

Links to some of Smokey’s stuff (right under the Show Notes, where  I said they’d be):

Smokey Miles Official Website

The Social Distance Dance

Bob Dylan’s “Must Be Santa” Official Video
Smokey plays a smoking’ accordion solo in this vid!

Posted by Hal in accordion, acoustic, comedy, entertainers, guitar player, live music, Road Warriors, singer songwriter, 0 comments

Essra Mohawk

But Enough About Me…Essra Mohawk

Essra Mohawk has had a very long and storied career. To describe her music as eclectic is a gross understatement. Her songs run the gamut from pop to avant garden, and in between she covers a lot of bases including rock, folk, folk rock, motown, jazz, tv jingles, rhythm and blues, and beautiful, heartfelt ballads about love and lust.

Born Sandra Elayne Hurvitz, her earlier influences were her parents, Anne and Henry.  Through them she grew up listening to an eclectic list of artists such as Judy Garland, Nina Simone, The Coasters, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Thelonius Monk, Erik Satie, Billy Holiday, Otis Redding, The Beatles, The Stones, Ravi Shankar among others/

In 1964 she released a single as Jamie Carter titled “The Boy With the Way” which I personally think is a really cool song. It pronbably could have been a hit hat it received proper publicity and marketing. Essra sounded a little peeved  talking about it. I don’t blame her, and it would turn  out not to be the first time here career hit a snag or detour.

Essra was also the first female member of the Mothers of Invention. In fact, she spent about a year in a relationship with Frank Zappa who thanks to band member Ray Collins suggestion  for a rock star name, dubbed her, Uncle Meat.  When I first met Uncle Meat, she was in Philly on hiatus, and I had no idea who Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were at the time. I would shortly discover them through Philadelphia DJ Michael Tearson, and eventually make the connection. But, I was happy to finally talk to her again so I could tell her the story of my first Essra Mohawk encounter. At this point, I should probably apologize for hijacking the conversation, for which I was duly busted by Essra.

As I mentioned, her career is multifaceted, so the Show Notes page at talesoftheroadwarriors-slash-Essra-Mohawk includes some Essra Mohawk Career Highlights, discography ands links to some of the songs we talked about in this conversation. In my conversation, BTW, I barely scratched the surface of her career, so this is really just a little slice of life in which I hopefully captured some of her essence and got a couple pretty good stories from her.

Due to technical  difficulties, I just couldn’t get good enough audio, so I’ll just tell you some things that were to garbled to include in the podcast.

I did manage to capture a little about her “crazy courage” as a Philly girl, and her propensity to stick up for others against bullies – and her mom.

The main story I was hoping to have her retell was how she was scheduled to be one of the performers  at Woodstock, but her manager missed the turn, causing Essra to miss her debut  on the most well known world stage of all time.


LINKS:

Essra’s Facebook Page

ESSRA MOHAWK MUSIC VIDEOS

Essra Mohawk as Jamie Carter “The Boy With The Way”

Raindance

I Am The Breeze (from Primordial Lovers album)

19th Amendment School House Rock

 


DISCOGRAPHY
Though you can stream most of Essra’s Music on Spotify, iTunes, PAndora, etc., it is important to support your favorite artists as often as you can – by purchasing their albums. Purchase Essra Mohawk albums directly from her using this PDF.

You can also order some from the Tales of the Road Warriors website by clicking on one of my affiliate links. Buying through these links will help keep the site AND Essra healthy!

•1968 Sandy’s Album is Here at Last (as Sandy Hurvitz) produced by Frank Zappa

•1970 Primordial Lovers

•1974 Essra Mohawk

•1976 Essra

•1982 Burnin’ Shinin’ (released without knowledge of the artist)

•1985 E-Turn

•1995 Raindance

•1999 Essie Mae Hawk Meets the KillerGrooveBand  (My personal favorite. Killer band and killer grooves. This album was appropriately named!)

•2003 You’re Not Alone

•2006 Love is Still The Answer

•2007 Revelations of the Secret Diva

Info below from Essra’s bio both Hemifran Website

Her 1st record release was a single “The Boy With the Way” /b-side “Memory of Your Voice” on Liberty records in 1964.

“Newcomer Pick” in Cashbox, it was produced by Hutch Davie (He produced Shirley Ellis “Name Game”).

A year later Shadow Morton who produced both the Shangri-Las and Vanilla Fudge, discovered her and her music and in1966 the Shangri-La’s recorded Essra’s song “I’ll Never Learn” .

Soon after that, her song, “The Spell That Comes After” was recorded by Vanilla Fudge on their “Renaissance” album.

In 1967, Essra was discovered once again. This time by Frank Zappa who, after hearing her play was so blown away, he immediately invited her to join his band, The Mothers of Invention, thus making her their first female member.

Within a year he signed her and released her first solo album on Verve. While performing with the Mothers, Essra also opened for Cream (their first time in New York), Procol Harum(Keith Reid’s lyrics to “Quite Rightly So” are about Essra), Albert King, Electric Flag, Grateful Dead (their first performance in N.Y.), and Jimi Hendrix.

By 1969 Essra was recording her second album in L.A. and S.F. for Reprise after Mo Ostin (then Vice President) discovered her singing at a club in N.Y. and asked her on the spot to come to the label. The result was “Primordial Lovers”, an LP that received a 5 star review in Downbeat, raves in Mix, and was stated as being “one of the best 25 albums ever made” in Rolling Stone magazine. Unfortunately, these reviews came over a year after the release of the album and new fans found it hard to secure the LP due to poor distribution and the sale of the Reprise label following the release. Nevertheless, this critically acclaimed musical work continues to generate a cult following for Essra.

In fall of 2000 it was released on CD by Rhino Handmade. She wrote most of the songs while living in Mendocino, California. While recording the album, Essra married her producer, Frazier Mohawk, and from that time on was known as Essra Mohawk. She also sang in a background vocal trio with Carole King.

Essra’s third album, released in 1974 on Elektra/Asylum, once again without proper promotion or distribution, led England’s music magazine, Melody Maker, to declare it, “the richest and most unheralded event in American music” that year.

After moving back to Philadelphia in the 70’s, Ms. Mohawk continued to sing as a session vocalist. She is especially known for singing on Schoolhouse Rock, the popular educational and musical cartoon series that continues to air on TV.

Essra’s vocals are on “Interjections”, “Sufferin’ Till Suffrage”, and “Mother Necessity”. After ABC Video released the cartoons on video in the 90’s, they received an upsurge of popularity and the troupe, led by music director, Bob Dorough, began performing live in the mid-90’s. A new album on which Essra sang wrote and produced a track entitled “Do You Wanna Party” about political parties in the U.S. was released on Rhino in Sept. ‘98 on an album called “Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote”.

Ms. Mohawk’s fourth album was released on Private Stock records in 1976. After the same lack of support that has kept Essra’s remarkable music in the shadows, she left the label and moved back to California in 1977. Paul Kantner wanted her to be the lead singer in Jefferson Starship after Grace Slick dropped out for a while but he couldn’t convince the rest of the band to use another female vocalist so they chose a male, Micky Thomas, instead.

In 1980-82 Essra performed as a background vocalist with the Jerry Garcia Band. During the same period she co-wrote “Haze” with Bobby Weir and his band “Bobby and the Midnights” for their Atlantic release. Also, Essra has collaborated with Al Jarreau, Bonnie Bramlett, Mark McEntee of the DiVinyls, Eric Bazilian, Al Stewart and Narada Michael Walden. She sang and recorded with John Mellencamp. (He’d seek her out wherever she lived for her advice and encouragement.)

Essra’s music and ideas inspired Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” (Essra was scheduled to play at the original Woodstock, but her manager missed a turn and they arrived too late. She finally played at the 25th Anniversary at Bethel.) ***David Crosby’s “Deja Vu” was inspired by Essra’s song “I Have Been Here Before”. David would ask her to play it for him whenever he saw her and then wrote “Deja Vu” as a result.

In 1982, Essra moved back to Philadelphia from L.A. and was brought into the McFadden & Whitehead pre-production sessions. She conjured up “Not With Me” overnight for the duo and they released it on their Capitol album that year.
Essra recorded two more solo albums in the 80’s. Both were released independently and both were produced by her, then, husband Daoud Shaw (Van Morrison’s drummer for many years and original drummer for Saturday Night Live). They first met during those early days on Bleeker St. in New York’s Greenwich Village, where she jammed vocally with jazz greats: Mike Manieri, the Brecker Bros., Eddie Gomez and Jeremy Steig. As a result her vocal style developed more along the lines of a wind instrument than that of a typical pop singer. Being in the Mothers then also helped to propel the youth to such a creative and original stance as a vocalist.

Three of her early LPs were reissued on CDs in Japan in spring 2003, followed by her recent tours to California, the East Coast and Japan. Essra’s first album on CD

“Raindance” which was released on Schoolkids Records in ‘95 was reissued on Evidence Feb., 2005.

Her 1999 CD, “Essie Mae Hawk Meets the Killer Groove Band”, was remastered and reissued on Essra’s own label, MummyPump, in 2003. Essra’s been living in Nashville, TN since 1993 where she continues to write and record, playing her music on piano, mandolin and guitar.

Keb’ Mo’, Steve Cropper and Bonnie Bramlett are among the stellar performers who joined Essra on her 2003 Evidence CD “You’re Not Alone”. Her songs were used on the CBS series Joan of Arcadia in 2004 and 2005. The book, “Hotel California” is one of many books about music that mentions Essra.

Posted by Hal in acoustic, diva, keyboard player, Peter Tork, pianist, piano player, rock, rock and roll, singer, singer songwriter, voiceovers, 4 comments

Ben Vaughn Part 2

Delaware Valley Revisited

Click here if  you missed Ben Vaughn Part 1

Hey, howzit going everybody? Had enough of this lockdown yet? I know, I know, there’s nothing funny about it and you’re running out of ideas. Well, at least you have me to keep you entertained for a little while. I’m Hal in Philly and this is my podcast. Welcome to it. In case you forgot , it’s called… TALES OF THE ROAD WARRIORS!

If you listened to the last episode, my conversation with Ben Vaughn – Part 1 then you know I ended it wth a kind of a cliff hanger. Ben was telling me that his father would not allow him to have a guitar i the house if he couldn’t get his grades up in school. Well, Ben had a hard time getting better grades, Instead choosing to be a juvenile delinquent. A rebel with an axe to grind, but he couldn’t bring his axe home with him. So, in part two, Ben goes on to tell us how he got around the Vaughn house rules…

Talking Points

No guitar allowed…

E.J. Korvettes

Silvertone guitars

The Relay Shack

The Rambler Revisited

My Essra Mohawk story

The Hippie scene in Philly, 20th and Sansom Street, The Plain Dealer – free underground newspaper

Sugar Cane Harvest in Cuba – Learn more about the  Venceremos Brigade

Songs we thought we had only imagined

Underground Radio, The Marconi Experiment with Dave Herman

John Sebastian was a bad influence on me

Ben and I preach against smoking (Sorry, smokers)

Norristown and the Zep

The Delaware Valley

More on The Geeter

The Mojave Desert

Santa Monica, Rent control, Ocean Park

The Blue Lagune Saloon

Kenn Kweder live shows on Facebook

Music scene in Philly – Past and present, the next generation

Charlie Gracie

World Cafe Live

Coronavirus effect on gigs

Ben Vaughn Links and Resources

Ben Vaughn Official  Website

The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn Podcast on Stitcher

The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn On Facebook

Ben Vaughn Videos

Ben Vaughn & Kim Fowley – Kings of Saturday Night

Ben Vaughn – Rambler 65 – Full Show

Ben Vaughn – My First Band

I Dig Your Wig

Pièce de Résistance

Cashier Girl


Join The Conversation

What was your first concert?
Did it change you life.
Are you a fan of Ben’s Show, “The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn”?
How did it change you life?

Scroll down to the Comments and Leave Some Feedback!


You can help support Tales of the Road Warriors – while you’re on the  website, in a couple of ways. You can can click on the PayHal link and donate any amount through PayPal. Or –  you can purchase an official Tales of the Road Warriors Coffee Mug available through Zazzle. You’ll see a photo of it on every page. Just click on the link and get yourself  one. There’s also an I’m Going For A Drive Travel Mug!

Posted by Hal in entertainers, guitar player, live music, music venues, NPR, podcast, rock and roll, singer songwriter, 0 comments

Ben Vaughn Part 1

A Love Letter to the Delaware Valley

Ben VaughnToday you’re in for quite a treat. I’m talking to Ben Vaughn. If you’re from the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Tri-state area, you’re probably familiar with him. He’s been a fixture around these parts for a very long time. As a rock and roll star and as a DJ. Even outside of this area, listeners of NPR radio stations across the country can hear his remarkable, eclectic music on his show, The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn”.

Ben and I talked about music mostly,  but a large portion of this conversation  touched on his good friends and musical influences, Kenn Kweder and Jerry Blavat aka The Geeter with the Heater, the Big Boss with the Hot Sauce. I’d go so far as to say this episode is a love letter – from Ben Vaughn to the Delaware Valley.

We talked for well over an hour, so  after much debate with myself, I have decided, for the sake of our short attention spans, to make this a two-parter. I intentionally ended this show with a slight cliff hanger, like all good serials do. I hope you enjoy this very educational and entertaining conversation with Ben as much as I did. So let’s not keep you waiting…  here’s me, Hal in Philly and Ben Vaughn, sharing a few anecdotes and some memorable – Tales of the Road Warriors!

Talking Points

Recording in a 65 Rambler

Multitracking with two cheap Akai reel to reels

Jerry Blavat aka The Geeter with the Heater, The Big Boss with the Hot Sauce

Aaron Lightman, Billy Joel and Sir Benjamin Quintet… record deals gone bad

Sir Douglas Quintet

Augie Meyers

Bob Malone

Philadelphia music scene in the 70s  and 80s

Cream at the Spectrum and Four Tops at Steel Pier in 1968

Terry Reid

Marijuana and other mind altering substances and the teenage brain

Listening to the radio and musical influences growing up

Grand Ole Opry

Porter Wagner, Wheeling West Virginia

Kit Kats

Kenn Kweder

Cinitoli’s Music

Benny Cintioli, Gus Cordovox, Gus Zoppi, Lenny Apple

Facebook friends, My Space and the internet

The Rambler Hubcap

Tex-Mex and Zydeco

French sense of humor

Kim Fowley

Drummers and their parents

No guitar allowed Go to Ben Vaughn Part 2


Join The Conversation

What was your first concert?
Did it change you life.
Are you a fan of Ben’s Show, “The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn”?
How did it change you life?

Scroll down to the Comments and Leave Some Feedback!


Ben Vaughn Links and Resources

Ben Vaughn Official  Website

The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn Podcast on Stitcher

The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn On Facebook

Ben Vaughn Videos

Ben Vaughn & Kim Fowley – Kings of Saturday Night

Ben Vaughn – Rambler 65 – Full Show

Ben Vaughn – My First Band

I Dig Your Wig

Pièce de Résistance

Cashier Girl


You can help support Tales of the Road Warriors – while you’re on the  website, in a couple of ways. You can can click on the PayHal link and donate any amount through PayPal. Or –  you can purchase an official Tales of the Road Warriors Coffee Mug available through Zazzle. You’ll see a photo of it on every page. Just click on the link and get yourself  one. There’s also an I’m Going For A Drive Travel Mug!

Posted by Hal in entertainers, guitar player, live music, NPR, rock, rock and roll, singer songwriter, 0 comments

Dave Kanyan

Pragmatism, Truth, Happiness and the Search For It All

 

Dave Kanyan

Hi this is Hal in Philly, host of Tales of the Road Warriors. This is my podcast… I’m glad you’re here.

Today , I have a very special and very different episode, for a few reasons…

For one – I haven’t put out an episode in over a month. I hate to admit it but the COVID 19 pandemic, which has resulted in this whole shelter in place, self-isolation, quarantine, whatever you call – it has left me so unmotivated lately and I know I have to pull myself out of these doldrums, because if I don’t, I can’t be here to help motivate YOU. I know 2020 has been kicking a lot of our asses, but I’m determined to get through this and come out better and stronger after this chapter is over. Even if I could tell you how this book ends, I wouldn’t. I just hate spoilers.

Another thing… this has been recorded on video as well as audio. Which means – for the first time, you have the choice to watch this on Youtube, or, to listen to the audio-only version on your favorite Podcast app including Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spreaker, or Spotify – wherever podcasts are available.

On a side note – I’m still in the middle of two previous shows with – Toby Lightman and Essra Mohawk. My apologies to you both for my dropping the ball. I’ll be in touch soon to finish our conversations. I Promise.

Finally, my guest today is NOT a musician. Nevertheless, I still consider him a road warrior… He’s a truck driver and fellow podcaster. His name is Dave Kanyan and his podcast is called “Dumbing it Down With Dave”. He’s dubbed it the “fastest podcast on Earth because he records his show while driving on the interstate in his 2008 Kia Rio or his Dodge Caravan at speeds up to 85 mph.

Dave Kanyan and Hal AaronI met Dave at Podcast Movement 2019 or PM19 as it’s referred to, in Orlando Florida. For more on that, there’s a link in the show notes to a previous episode where I tell the whole story about how I met Dave.

One last thing before we get started – I have some swag, available from Zazzle. There is a link on the Tales of the Road Warriors home page.

The first is this Tales of the Road Warriors Coffee Mug. It  keeps your coffee hot and tasting delicious. Even if you make bad coffee, it will taste much better if you drink to out of this handsome mug, It’s got the  Tales of the Road Warriors logo on one side and on the other, the iconic van with the TotRW license plate. Very nice.

For those of you who do a lot of driving, like Dave Kanyan, you might want to order the I’M GOING FOR A DRIVE Travel Mug, instead It keeps your hot beverages hot or cold beverages cold. All Day Long! On the other side is the Tales of the Road Warriors logo. So state your intention! Get yourself the official I’M GOING FOR A DRIVE travel mug and tell the world, I’M GOING FOR A DRIVE!!

which is also the name of the theme song for Tales of the Road Warriors as well as the Dumbing it Down With Dave podcast.

All right! Let’s get into it. Let’s get Dave on the line and… have some fun!


Scroll Down and Leave a Comment!


Talking Points

Who’s the host and and who’s the dumb-dumb?

Meeting Dave Kanyan at Podcast Movement 19

Adjusting the background to hide dirty clothes

Naming of the Rosen Shingle Hotel in Orlando Florida

I’m Going For A Drive theme song

Standup comedy.

Being a soccer dad Dave

Mustangs

Truck drivers – angels of the highways?

Has milk been replaced by energy drinks, fake milk, Red Bull and Monster?

Egg Cream: Why do they call it that?

Hal creates a new segment:  Nothing is Dumber

Dave’s tales from the road

Celebrities

Peter Graves, Dick Caveat, Gregory Hines

Driving couple to the airport as they “bade each other goodbye”

Getting hijacked

Discussing roadkill and rutting

Talking about the pandemic and quarantine due to COVID 19

Trying to get Pandemic Unempoyment Aid

Tipping through PayPal and Venmo

Busking vs. Gigging

Charlie Barnett

Sarah Lightman at Universal City Walk

Musta Hadda Great Time

Harmonica, Xylophone and recorder flute

Dumbing It Down With Dave – the fastest podcast on Earth

Pragmatism, truth, happiness and the search for it all


Episode Links and Resources

See this episode on Youtube

hal aaron and dave kanyan on youtube

Dave’s Podcast
Dumbing it Down With Dave

Stream or Download – I’m Going For A Drive

ToTRW SWAG

Tales of the Road Warriors Coffee Mug

I’m Goin’ For A Drive Travel Mug

I'm Goin' For A Drive Travel Mug

Posted by Hal, 0 comments

Henry Phillips

The Highway Man

Henry Phillips I first became aware of Henry Phillips when he was performing in coffee houses and comedy clubs throughout the Los Angeles area. His songs are scathingly funny but kind of off the beaten path. He’s what you might call an acquired taste. His delivery is very deadpan, so he acts as if he is completely unaware of how funny he is, but once you pick up on his rhythm, his schtick and his lyrics are sidesplittingly hilarious.  I was hosting a songwriter’s showcase  at the Chimmneysweep in Sherman Oaks. After reading a review of Henry Phillips by Jonathan Widran in Music Connection Magazine, I decided to track Henry down and invite him to perform at the ’Sweep. After that, we started hanging out now and then.

Eventually, Henry branched into filmmaking. I found this out when in 2006, shortly after I moved back to Philly, I was searching Youtube to see what Henry had been up to since I’d last seen him. In addition to discovering a few new songs, I came across a web series he had filmed for IFC called “The Loner”, where he portrays a guy who hangs out with a cool, good-looking, smooth-talking buddy that has an easy time picking up girls in bars. But when Henry, after observing his friend run the game on a lady, tries to emulate him, the results are the direct opposite… and as they say – hilarity ensues.

Henry has also written an award winning, independent film called “Punching the Clown” followed by a sequel called “Punching Henry”. I highly recommend both of these movies and now that we’re sequestered indoors, you  can check them out later, after you finish listening to this podcast.

Punching the Clown is for rent on Amazon $3.99

Punching Henry – if you subscribe to Showtime, you can watch it for free

His later endeavors include a cooking show spoof called “Henry’s Kitchen” where you can learn to prepare scrumptious dishes such as “Isolation Cupboard Casserole” and “Meatloaf For One”.

The most recent Henry Phillips project is a new series on Patreon titled, “The Highway Man”. As the Highway Man, Henry travels the nation’s highways, encountering motorists in trouble  where he stops to offer assistance. Having absolutely no mechanical skills whatsoever, he often leaves them in more of a lurch then they were in before he came along.

All right! Well, I think I’ve already told you more than enough. Come on and sit in on my conversation now, with the one and only – Henry Phillips.

BTW – The Godzilla clip was inspired from a meme that’s been passed around Facebook, and I thought it would be cool to create an audio version. So, yeah, I kinda stole that  – I have no idea where it originated.


Talking Points

Sorry, wrong number

Discovering Henry – Music reviewer Jonathan Widran

Chimneysweep

Jerry’s Deli Stories – Marlon Brando

Saturday Night Live, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider

John Ritter, Amy Yasbeck

Mark Cohen

The Devil and Donny Most

The Loser on IFC

Henry’s Kitchen

Jose Suicidio

Hecklers

New Show The Highway Man

Singer songwriter Eric Schwartz

Doug Stanhope

Misogonistic lyrics

Role of John on John Silicon Valley

Mike Judge


Links:

Henry’s Website

Henry Phillips: Neither Here Nor There on Amazon Prime

On Youtube:

The Loner

End of the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0_aFU4Yjj8

On Patreon

Henry’s Kitchen https://www.patreon.com/henryskitchen

The Highway Man https://www.patreon.com/HighwayManShow

Posted by Hal in acoustic, comedy, entertainers, guitar player, live music, open mics, podcast, Road Warriors, singer songwriter, solo acoustic, 0 comments

Kendal Conrad

Leader of the Pack

kendal conrad, bodyguard still

Still from Kendal Conrad BODYGUARD video

Show Notes and Talking Points

Pets

Taylor Swift

Favorite books and author Nicolas Sparks

Cowboy boots the call

future husband

 

Kendal Conrad Links

Kendal  Conrad Official Website

Music

Bodyguard – Official Video of Kendal’s latest!

When It Comes to Boys Kendal live with Phil Vassar

Leader of the Pack – Official Video

Although Kendal appeared on MTV and sang a duet onstage with Keith Urban “We Were Us”

and featured on Keith Urban’s website as one of his favorite “Raise ‘Em Up” Tour moments, I didn’t bring it up in the conversation. But I included links to other resources where she talked at length about it. This conversation has stuff you won’t find anywhere  but in Tales of the Road Warriors!

Kendal has shared the stage with quite a who’s who of country artists including: Blake Shelton, Charlie Daniels Band, Chris Lane, Trace Adkins, Adam Doleac (D’LeyAk), Devin Dawson, Drew Baldridge, Alabama, Walker Hayes, Hunter Hayes, Brandon Lay, Carter Winter, Sara Evans, Tucker Beathard, Jerrod Niemann, Michael Ray, Thompson Square, Parmalee, Dylan Schneider, Diamond Rio, Kane Brown, Granger Smith, (and) Phil Vassar, Craig Morgan, Rodney Atkins, Easton Corbin, Trailer Choir, Maggie Rose, Craig Campbell, Mo Pitney, Striking Matches, Old Dominion, Outshyne, Chris Cagle, and The Cadillac Three

Author Nicholas Sparks.

Venues: Wells Fargo Center, Sands Casino, Six Flags, Hershey park, the Bitter End, and Musikfest, as well as the Susquehanna Bank Center for 92.5 XTU’s anniversary party

Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, Citadel Country Spirit USA, the Foundry at the Fillmore, iPlay America, Jenks Club, Prospector’s Saloon, One Centre Square, Sherman Theater, Sellersville Theatre, Provident Bank Park, PPL Center, Wayne County Fair, PGA Concert at the Bogey, and The Santander Arena.

Places Kendal has sung the National Anthem: MLB, NBA, MMA, NASCAR, and NBC’s National Dog Show

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS BELOW


Links to other resources we talked about:

For more about the time Kendal sang with Keith Urban:

Missy Wolf Interview in Center Stage Magazine 

Kacey Jones – Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay, Or Dead

Martin, Epiphone and Ovation guitars

Bradley Cooper

Matt McVaney

Kandal Conrad Virtual Tips:  Paypal.me/kendalconrad and venmo.com/kendalconrad


 

TotRW Virtual Tips:

Paypal:  halaaron.com/payhal

Venmo: hal-a-cohen

Posted by Hal in country music, live music, Road Warriors, singer songwriter, 0 comments

Andrea Nardello


Andrea Nardello at Magic Garden on South Street, Philadelphia

SHOW NOTES & Talking Points:

Andrea Nardello

New Jersey and Philly roots.

Comparisons to Melissa Etheridge, Brandi Carlisle, Sheryl Crow

All Women’s Festival Riviera Maya Hardrock Resort

Singing with Brandi Carlile at her all women’s festival in Mexico after winning a contest.

Philadelphia Songwriter’s Project Contest

Tri-State Indie’s “Acoustic Artist Of The Year.”

Competition and Contests

Touring with Colbie Caillat, Brandi Carlile, Gabe Dixon, Emerson Hart of Tonic Fame, Tim Reynolds of The Dave Matthews Band, Ron Pope and Toby Lightman.

Family support

The other Andrea – Andrea’s killer cello player, Andrea Weber.

Fundraising for important causes:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Two service trips to Guatemala in support of the MILE (Music Is Love Exchange)  – A network of artists, musicians, and music lovers that bring positivity and change to the lives of disadvantaged and underserved children in the U.S. and abroad.

Ukulele talk

Teamed up with long time friend and collaborator, Matt Duke, to produce her new EP, Human.

Honorable mentions: Indigo Girls, Secret Sisters, Emily Drinker

Coming up: Asked to be a keynote speaker at  Cape May Singer Songwriter Festival end of March.
NOTE:  Postponed due to coronavirus


Andrea Nardello Episode Links

Andrea Nardello Website

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Girls Just Wanna Performance with Brandi Carlisle


Shipt Home Delivery

Sign up for Shipt and get free groceries

Posted by Hal, 0 comments

Toby Lightman Part 1

First of 3 as TOTRW Celebrates International Women’s Month

Toby Lightman in COncertToday is the first of three episodes in a row featuring Women Road Warriors in honor of International Women’s Month on Tales of the Road Warriors. My guest is Toby Lightman. In our brief talk we touched on another problem men never experience, the struggle to have a child. Though a man can share some of the emotional weight of this struggle, we can never know the physical and internal anguish that a woman experiences. Toby recently captured this in her song ‘Begin Again”. I had no idea what the song was about going into this conversation, so you’ll hear me getting woke in real time.

And – this is a direct quote from the International Women’s Development Website

“We celebrate all women, in all their diversities. We embrace their facets and intersections of faith, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual identity… or disability. We celebrate those who came before us, those who stand beside us now, and those who will come after.”

It’s a time to celebrate the achievements of women, whether social, political, economic or cultural.

Are men welcome too?

Of course! International Women’s Day is a time for everyone, regardless of gender or gender identity, to celebrate the progress that women have made towards equality and remember how much further there is to go. Male allyship, especially when men are prepared to use their privilege to support gender equality, is a welcome amplification of women’s voices. And remember, feminism isn’t just about improving the lives of women, it’s about dismantling ALL damaging gender stereotypes and roles. Achieving gender equality should be as important for men as it is for women.

Recently, I was thinking back to when I was a kid, and another boy asked me jokingly, “Are you a girl?” I said No. He replied “Doesn’t that take a load off your chest?” I was thinking that  – Truth be told, it takes a load of my mind and shoulders.  I was talking to a female friend of mine recently about how men are completely in the dark about the vast difference in perspectives and problems that we have.

First of all, as a man, when I leave work, or the store, or walking back to my car after leaving a restaurant or bar, I rarely if ever look over my shoulder to see if if someone is following me.  I don’t have to worry that I’m wearing something that sends a message that I want you to put your hands on me. And in fact, most men would probably welcome it if an attractive female at work gave you  back rub without asking. But, never stop to think if unwelcome touching is appropriate where women are concerned.

I was just talking to a female friend of mine who pointed out another  thing that’s common with women in the work place… attribution. 

In the workplace, it  plays out like this… There’s a room full of men and one or two women in a meeting. Everyone throwing out ideas for new products or policies and one of the gals will come up with a brilliant suggestion. Maybe multiple times for weeks.  Or months.

Then one day, one of the boss, or maybe even one of the guys competing with her for a promotion, will make that same suggestion, And all the other guys will nod there heads and agree that it’s pure genius. And the  female employee will be like, “I’ve been saying that for months!”

Yes, it happens to men, too. But more often than not, it’s a man’s world. So, men, just be cognizant of your privilege and don’t abuse.

Unfortunately, this is a very brief interview because of operator error. Yeah… I screwed up. I’ll go into more detail later. Let’s just jump into it with Toby, shall we?

=================================

And here’s where I have to say… “To be continued…”

There was enormous cloud cover and precipitation from my studio in Pennsylvania and Toby’s home in New York. The connection was poor that day, but I didn’t want to postpone. Maybe I should have. Anyway, we got disconnected three times and each time I had to hit the record again after we reconnected. I tried calling her, She tried calling me. And in the confusion I forgot to hit the record button the third time.

Which was the longest part of the conversation. Toby went into great detail about the night she opened for Prince. I didn’t get three quarters of it. The good news is, there will be a Part 2.

Unfortunately, due to the Corona Virus, many of her dates have been cancelled. I was planning to see her show in New Hope, which as I speak is tomorrow night. The upside is, maybe I’ll get to talk to her sooner. We’ll see. The important thing is we all do what we have to do to stay healthy, which includes  distancing ourselves from each other  physically.  Expect to see an upswing  in virtual online concerts. Including Toby Lightman. She’s doing a free Facebook live concert tonight at 8:30 EST. This is Friday, March 13, 2020, so if your hearing this afterward – you missed it.  But you can get updates on the official Toby Lightman Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/tobylightman/

Please like, share and leave comments on the show notes page at tales of the road warriors.com/toby-lightman

Okay, I think that covers it. Car’s warmed up… Yeah – I’m going for a drive!

Toby Lightman Links and Resources

Toby Lightman Official Website

Toby Lightman Facebook Page

 


More from the International Women’s Development Website, here are some eye-opening statistics…

87,000 women are killed every year just because they are women. Of those, 50,000 are killed by their male partners or family members – and those are only the deaths we know about

111 countries have no repercussions for husbands who rape their wife

2.7 billion women are legally restricted from having the same choice of jobs as men

45 countries do not have specific laws against domestic violence

35% of women globally have experienced sexual or physical violence.

 

Posted by Hal in acoustic, entertainers, singer, singer songwriter, 0 comments