Speaker 1: 0:46

My guest on the show. I met some years back and today I'm excited to have him in the studio with me. Hey everyone, it's Randy Hulsey with Backstage Pass Radio. I have the privilege to bring in a friend, drummer, hockey fan and just all-around great guy for a much-anticipated chat. He currently serves as the visual timekeeper for several tribute bands here in the greater Houston area and has served as a touring artist in past years. Sit tight and I will have my friend Russ DeLeon right here in the greater Houston area and has served as a touring artist in past years. Sit tight and I will have my friend Rusty Leon right here in the Crystal Vision studio and we will catch up with him right after this.

Speaker 2: 1:19

This is Backstage Pass Radio. Backstage Pass Radio A podcast by an artist for the artist. Each week, we take you behind the scenes of some of your favorite musicians and the music they created From chart-topping hits to underground gems. We explore the sounds that move us and the people who make it all happen. Remember to please subscribe, rate and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform. So, whether you're a casual listener or a die-hard music fan, tune in and discover the magic behind the melodies. Here is your host of Backstage Pass Radio, Randy Halsey.

Speaker 1: 1:59

I am joined by my pal, Russ DeLeon. Russ, what's happening, man? Good to see you, brother. What's going on, brother? And I'm here with his lovely better three-fourths Shelly Shelly's in the house too. Hi, Shelly, how are you? Good to see you? Well, it's great to see you, man. It's been a while. You know we're I guess we're Facebook friends and we're in the scene together, but we never seem to really stumble across one another. And I was trying to think back, like I was probably still working in the American Hockey League at the time and you guys had come down to a game. I know you guys are big hockey fans and whatnot, but I think that might have been the last time I maybe talked to you. And the Arrows have been gone since 2012, right, so it's been a while. It's definitely been a while.

Speaker 3: 2:43

We need a hockey team. We need a hockey team.

Speaker 1: 2:45

And you know, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but the guy that you just heard on my intro is Adam Gordon. He was the play-by-play announcer for the Arrows for the first eight years that they came back. So, yeah, called all the hockey games here in Houston. So well, it's great to have you guys and Shelly hello, you know, it's we. You and I haven't seen each other for a while and we date back to your Weingarten garden days and I was mentioning, before hitting the the record button, that I think I've known you longer than I've actually known russ and I, you know, I was thinking also, like maybe the first time I met you, it's probably been almost 18 years now, which which is kind of crazy if you think about how fast time really goes. You know, and we talked a little bit about that coming into the show, like the older we get, we start thinking about things that we used to not think about. Right, you get it. Right, you were talking about your pre-mindset that you get into before every show, right?

Speaker 3: 3:45

I don't know why I do it but it happens, it's a Russ thing, right, I'm trying to quit doing it.

Speaker 1: 3:51

But you know, share with me real quick, russ, where you grew up. I don't know the in the hood, I don't, I don't know the backstory on you. You know, I think, uh, you know you started out playing way back in the day with Hellstar and I know a lot of those guys were out in the Pasadena Galena Park area. Where did you grow up?

Speaker 3: 4:08

so I grew up at Merrill's Park, which which is like Airline and Little York area, so I went to Sam Houston High School and I was in stage band. I met a bass player there. His name was Efren Alvarez. We did a band together, me and him, a teenage band called Ice Angel Still friends with him today. He was telling me about this band that's fixing to release their first album, which was Hellstar, and invited me to their band rehearsal that weekend. And, of course, that's how I met James on the very first album and I went to one of the rehearsals and James gave me some shirts to sell and James always came to all the high schools. He had a girlfriend at every high school he got around, he did. He told me that and, um, and once we met, uh, we started talking about I lived in north side till I was five, like um full 10, that area in the hood, and James parents lived out there and um, it was history from there.

Speaker 1: 5:07

You know so you've known those guys for 40, 40, 40-plus years, right yeah?

Speaker 3: 5:11

I've known James a long time. After I graduated in 88, 90, I joined Hellstar and yeah, I mean.

Speaker 1: 5:21

The rest is history. Yeah, pretty much.

Speaker 3: 5:23

It was yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:25

What got you interested in the drums?

Speaker 3: 5:27

Well, my brother played, my brother David played and my brother-in-law played. So, um, when my brother got married and moved out of the house, he took the kit and he had it at an apartment complex, like, and they didn't want the drum set there, so he brought it back home. That's when I started really beating on him. And then, um, um, when I went to my sister's house to visit my sister, pat, her husband had a drum set there, but he was a left-handed drummer, which I don't know what was wrong with him.

Speaker 1: 5:58

I'm left-handed, but I don't play the drums left-handed. There's something wrong with me so.

Speaker 3: 6:03

I had a drum set everywhere and I stayed a lot at my sister's house, you know, because you know my history with the family. So I had a drum set everywhere, you know, and I started playing them and I had a lot of older brothers and sisters that were going to concerts and I was too young to go Texas Jam, ted Nugent, all those concerts, and I was just dying to go to one. Finally, I went to Kiss my mom. Finally, let me go to Kiss with my sister. I went to a lot of concerts at Cardi's. I wasn't old enough to get in but I used my brother's ID and I went with my sister, of course, and my sister was real pretty at the time. She still is, of course, but they would tell me Monday morning who's that hot chick? You were with Yngwie. I saw, matter of fact, I saw Metallica on Kill Em All Tour.

Speaker 1: 6:51

Oh really.

Speaker 3: 6:51

At Cardi's and that was just, that was crazy. It was, yeah, it was.

Speaker 1: 6:58

James was there. All the Hellstar guys were there, yeah. So, yeah, that's interesting thinking about. You know, my mind just drifted back to Cardi's and I can remember seeing Metallica there, saw pantera there, I saw sweet savage there, I saw zebra there, all bands that went on to kind of like national acts. You know, yeah, all of them came through cardi's back in the day.

Speaker 3: 7:22

I even seen engve there and a buddy of mine knew jeff scott soto and that's another story too. I ended up meeting him and becoming friends with him. You know, they actually brought him to my house at my mom's house and played a little joke on. And that's another story too. I ended up meeting him and becoming friends with him. They actually brought him to my house at my mom's house and played a little joke on me. Basically had Jeff knock on the door and of course I opened the door and Jeff's there and I'm thinking what is he doing?

Speaker 1: 7:42

here at my house.

Speaker 3: 7:43

My mom said come in, you're hungry, you want some tacos. And then my friends pull up and they thought it was a big joke. But uh, and then jeff's a big star today. You know, yeah, playing with so many, oh yeah he recorded.

Speaker 1: 7:55

Uh, there was a cool youtube video. I just had bumblefoot on my show. Uh, ron thaw from guns and roses, asia. And it was him. Uh portnoy, mike portnoy and uh and jeff scott soda was singing. They were doing like comfortably numb or something like that. It was great. But yeah, all world-class guys, right, world-class musicians for sure. So David was a drummer, but do you have other siblings or other family members that were musically inclined, or were just you two boys the only musicians in the family?

Speaker 3: 8:29

My sisters just kept bringing albums home, album albums. I told I they fueled you then, man uh soundtrack uh, I remember uh the uh double live album of um yes, led zeppelin, led zeppelin.

Speaker 3: 8:41

Okay, yep they, they, uh, wanted that like a radio station and, uh, I couldn't believe that album was so badass. You know Led Zeppelin, you know was I mean? Yeah, I loved Kiss growing up. I still, you know, do I like collect stuff. But when I started to really learn the drums I was thinking John Mottom is crazy. You know, I was like, you know, I got to get my foot in shape, you know, for that, and I did. You know, man, he was a heavy hitter, wasn't he man? Yeah, and I tried to be my whole life. But you know, the older you get feels like, can I?

Speaker 1: 9:15

still do this, you know that's what I'm thinking.

Speaker 3: 9:16

I might be the first one out of here. Yeah, yeah, drummers are seem like they're the first ones, yeah well, you guys.

Speaker 1: 9:22

I mean, your work is physically demanding, right like I'm not saying that lugging a guitar around for a three-hour show or two-hour show is not demanding in and of itself. But you know, I'll be the first to admit on this podcast that I'll cue up and I'm not a drummer. Let me just preface it by saying I'm not a drummer at all We'll see.

Speaker 2: 9:45

No, we probably won't see but you keep believing that.

Speaker 1: 9:52

But just cueing up a song and say let me just play, along with a three and a half minute tune, I'm worn out, dude, I'm not. I'm not gonna lie like it is a workout. If you're not, if you're not dialed in to do that, um, physically it is a, it is a workout, like I had no idea well check this out.

Speaker 3: 10:08

Um, I don't know, a year ago, year and a half, er this thing where, hey, why don't you try a drum solo at a show? And I was like you know we're having some problems. You know, just with something you know, do a drum solo, keep everybody occupied. I was like ain't nobody want to hear no damn drum solo. I did it. I was very winded. I was like dude, they loved it. You know, I was like I would just improvise it. I was he's like we got to do it friday. I said, yeah, let me practice, you know let me get something right, he just kept saying let's do it.

Speaker 3: 10:38

Matter of fact, every time he sent me the set list drum solo in there. Come on, man, dude, play it, give us a drum solo. And I was like every damn show, it's like every shot, that's awesome. People love it, man, just go for it, dude. I was like I didn't think people wanted. I think they're gonna get up and go pee and go to the bathroom I'm doing it.

Speaker 1: 10:56

Well, you're selling yourself short. I mean let's, let's just, you know, let's face it. You know you're a talented guy on the kit, right and and people, people enjoy hearing that, especially tried and true music lovers. They, they love that aspect of the show too. You know a guitar solo or a drum solo. It showcases your ability in the band and it's also a pat on the back and accolade to guys like Eric and your bandmates that allow you that spotlight, because you know as well as I do, there can be a lot of egos in a band. Right, I want to be, I'm the bigger guy than Russ and I, but you know it's a pissing contest and and to let them, and for them to let you have that, that soapbox, if you will, I never did in any of the other bands, you know.

Speaker 3: 11:44

I just thought. You know drum solos are for big concerts when you see them. Sure, we've been doing it and we're still doing it today. I mean, I did one Wednesday in the Miracles Band.

Speaker 1: 11:52

Very cool.

Speaker 3: 11:52

With electronic drums and it was fun. I did a whole bunch of cool, weird shit and it was cool.

Speaker 1: 11:59

Good for you, man. Well, what age did you get going on the kit? Do you remember back when you got started? I was young.

Speaker 3: 12:04

I have a picture of me. I had to be 10, you know, yeah, yeah, I was young I mean very young watching it, you know yeah.

Speaker 1: 12:11

Have you often thought about if you were not hitting the skins, what other instrument would you be playing? Have you ever thought about that? If I wasn't a drummer, what would I do, or would I do?

Speaker 3: 12:23

anything. There was a piano at my house my whole life Growing up. I never touched it. No kidding, I think I put like a drink on it or something. Yeah sure, I never touched it. I don't know why my mom played piano and I don't know why I never did mess around with it. My mom probably would have loved that.

Speaker 1: 12:41

Yeah, sure.

Speaker 3: 12:45

I played a little bit on it, but I just she took lessons and I just I didn't touch it.

Speaker 1: 12:51

I and I just I didn't touch it, I don't know. That's where I got. My musical background was on the piano. I've been playing a lot of classical piano and learning the theory, learning to read actually and I don't read. I mean, I can still read, but I don't play music like that anymore, of course, but it gave me a solid foundation to move into being a vocalist and a guitar player. Right, a lot of that carries over, but yeah, I I often wonder, you know, when you become that dialed in with an instrument, if that instrument was to go away, what? What would the other instrument be like if you could like? If so, you didn't play the piano, but if you had your choice and were good at something else, what do you think you would want to?

Speaker 3: 13:29

play. It would have to be a bass, because that's the rhythm.

Speaker 1: 13:31

Yeah, the rhythm section, for sure, bass and drums, you know, but yeah, but yeah I never took it up, I never.

Speaker 3: 13:38

I just drums were everything that's it still are I took a little break for a little while, you know, after we uh had some kids whatever, I mean it was, I don't know. I just um, whatever. When I started back up again 2010, I don't remember four years ago, I just said do I really want to do this again? And Shelly was like you probably do, you probably want a new kit and you're going to love it. But I thought I don't know if I want to do this. But I went to a couple of band rehearsals and the first one wasn't good. I didn't like it. I was like, oh, they were arguing about something and we got to go play Corpus Christi this Saturday and how are we going to get there?

Speaker 1: 14:20

And I was like I don't know if I want to do this.

Speaker 3: 14:21

I went again a couple days later and, eric, then they were like, hey, what if you play the show with this? I'm like, are you kidding me, dude? Let's do it, let's sound great. I did it and it hadn't stopped since. That's good, that's good.

Speaker 1: 14:37

That means that you're where you need to be right now. This is that part of your life where that's what you're doing, and there'll come a day and I think about this all the time. We kind of talked about this. I'm running this through my mind how much longer are you going to do this? How long are you going to keep loading in and loading out and killing yourself to do what? Like? It's not a money thing for me, right? I've got a great full-time job that has been wonderful to me over the years, and so the money is just a byproduct of just loving to play guitar and sing for people. But how much longer are you really going to load the shit everywhere and go do this right?

Speaker 3: 15:17

Well, that's why I tell you every show, almost in my mind, I go what am I doing? You know, I should be at home watching TV, I should be at dinner with wife, and what am I doing? And then after the show, I'm like, oh yeah, it was great. And then go home Shelly's in bed, she don't, you know, she didn't care and it was. You know, she don't mind me playing, she doesn't. But I did tell Eric, hey, I need to talk to my wife, I don't, I can't just join a band and I, you know even the dates, like I said, I check, check in with Sharon Osbourne. I mean Shelly, you know, I check in with her and to make sure, you know, and she has a calendar, she writes it down. I write it down, you know, I try to tell her every show, just just to make sure.

Speaker 1: 16:02

And well, you don't want to get hit in the head with a frying pan right.

Speaker 3: 16:05

I mean, you know we're going to Hawaii later on this year. So she said you know these dates. And of course I messed that up too, because I don't know if I gave Eric the wrong dates or they moved the Hawaii date to another date because Eric's like hey, wait a minute, we got a show that day. I was like so I got back with Sharon, I mean Shelly I got back with Shelly and she was like we're leaving to Hawaii that day. So Eric was like we're leaving to hawaii that day. So eric was like well, we got plenty of time, I'll tell the club and we moved it. But that don't happen very often, but we do. I mean I, you know, we put everything on, you know, yeah you have to.

Speaker 1: 16:38

I mean, you got you. I can't keep up without a calendar and you know the phone is one thing or the ipad is one thing, but I need to physically write it down and see it.

Speaker 1: 16:48

Oh, I do visibly in front of me, because it it it allows my brain to snapshot the month. Right, okay, I've got four interviews this month. I've got a show, three shows, this like I can compartmentalize it that way, versus trying to scroll on a phone or something. It just it doesn't. It doesn't hit. The same for me Right nowlly, are you? Are you musically inclined at all? Not at all. You just sing along to the radio. Is that what you do not? Or not even that you know your place then? Right, well, did any of the kids I know you have, is it two kids right, and did either go down a musical path at all?

Speaker 3: 17:27

uh, tyler, we tried to get him to play drums a little bit when he was younger and he did pretty good. He did a pretty good job. And then we started getting him into sports and, of course, hockey. He was gone Once hockey started. That was it. But I have some video of Tyler actually playing a good 4-4 beat and playing and he was doing good. But I was in Hellstar then and I knew it was hard business and he was doing good. But I was in Hellstar then and I knew it was hard business and so I just said, let him do If he wants to play baseball now and hockey, I'm not going to.

Speaker 3: 17:57

Hey, you've got to play drums, but he did it for a little while. My daughter's a nurse, so she didn't play any instrument, but she's very talented at drawing.

Speaker 1: 18:11

Yeah, wow. Well, that's good that you didn't live vicariously through your kid, like I think so many parents do that, whether it's baseball, football, dad's out there shoving it down their throat or drumming or whatever, and it's like, dude, you had your day to be a superstar and you didn't do it. Now, don't force the kid to do that If the kid wants to. And same thing happened with my kids. Like, both of my boys played hockey, uh, but I never forced them to play. They played because they wanted to play right, and there's a big difference in living vicariously through the kid or just letting them organically play the sport right well, like you said earlier how you want to go home and live that life.

Speaker 3: 18:51

You know, yeah, you don't want to go home and have double vision and Hellstar pictures everywhere.

Speaker 4: 18:55

Sure.

Speaker 3: 18:56

You know, I just sort of want to go home and live a normal life, yeah. And then when I go play you know, you know 100% I try, yeah, you know I go on. I went on Hellstar Tour and they treated us like rock stars in Europe. And then the day I get back home, shelly's right away take the garbage out.

Speaker 1: 19:17

No more rock star for you. So it was like I'm home. Yeah, back to reality.

Speaker 3: 19:22

I remember coming back because in Europe they treated us really like rock stars. You know, you felt really good at play, but as soon as I got home the kids were crying, and Shelly's you know, go do that.

Speaker 1: 19:33

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 19:33

Back to reality, yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:34

I get it. Well, you know I spoke a little bit earlier, but I think I first met you at an Arrows game. I was working in the American Hockey League and I knew you guys were big hockey fans. I knew your son was playing. How long did he play? He was doing a lot of ice hockey, right, he played.

Speaker 4: 19:54

Probably he started when he was in junior high, just on like a regular league.

Speaker 1: 20:01

Okay.

Speaker 4: 20:02

And then he moved up to high school hockey.

Speaker 1: 20:05

Who did he? What high school did he? Did he play for the high school?

Speaker 4: 20:08

Yeah, it was Klein. Yeah, high school was Klein Oak, but it's actually Klein District, because they don't recognize hockey as a sport through the school.

Speaker 1: 20:19

Well, you did mention earlier and I couldn't agree with you more Houston needs a hockey team. Here Again, I did a wonderful interview, probably about a month ago, with an ex-Arrows defenseman, a guy named, a guy by the name of paul dick. He, he came yeah, he, he was a defenseman wore the number three back, I think. He came to houston in 96 from the kansas city blades. He's the head coach of the steinbach pistons, which is a um, I think a junior, um, major junior team or something like that, up in Manitoba, which is where he's from. So it's kind of come full circle where he grows up in Steinbeck, gets drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, plays Kansas City Blades, houston Arrows, blah, blah, blah. Goes back home, becomes the head coach of the Junior A team and I'm not sure what division they're in but has had like four championship seasons.

Speaker 1: 21:18

But Paul was back with the Arrows when they won the Turner Cup in the IHL, which is 1999, I believe, and they were still in the summit at the time. But wonderful guy, we took the whole trip down memory lane Because I was an official for the International Hockey League, the American League and then the National Hockey League for 17 total years and Paul was one of the fan favorites there. So it was really nice to kind of walk down the old you know, the old road of the Arrows, back from the Terry Ruszkowski days and the Dave Tippett coaching days and whatnot. So it was really cool and you guys did. You go to a lot of games we did.

Speaker 3: 22:04

Shelly went to some dinner with a whole bunch of hockey players. What was that called? I?

Speaker 1: 22:08

don't remember they used to do something like that, like a benefit. Yeah, where they would serve you right, Like they would wait on you. Yeah, I remember that.

Speaker 3: 22:15

Yeah, yeah. She said she wasn't coming home that night or something. I don't know what she was saying. I might not come home, what?

Speaker 1: 22:21

Just pay the mortgage either whatever. That's too funny. Well, where did the love of the sport come from for you guys?

Speaker 4: 22:30

I had a friend give us two or three tickets to the hockey game. He took Tyler and he was like I'm going.

Speaker 1: 22:38

Every game, isn't it great?

Speaker 4: 22:39

He fell in love and that's pretty much how we ended up. Going To this day he still drives up to Dallas.

Speaker 3: 22:45

Oh yeah, he goes quite a lot to Dallas. That's awesome. Yeah, it's crazy. So, randy, you know what I was thinking real quick. One of these guitars recorded on a Hill Store album you brought to spring. Do you remember that? I think we needed it.

Speaker 1: 22:57

Oh yeah yeah, it was the Taylor the 12-string.

Speaker 3: 23:01

Yeah, Rob made it. Yeah, Rob played it.

Speaker 1: 23:03

Yeah, I remember that. Now I forgot it was that far one, the Yamaha, because I don't think I had the Taylor at the time. But yeah, that's, you'll have to like backfill me on if you remember the song or the album that that was on. But yeah. But anyway we'll. We can discuss that later, but I completely forgot about that.

Speaker 3: 23:23

I remember that yeah.

Speaker 1: 23:24

You know what's, you know what's interesting, and I just thought of this too.

Speaker 1: 23:27

So, me, and were out in Las Vegas and I had a buddy that was also in tech.

Speaker 1: 23:40

You know, rob was in tech I've been in tech right and this buddy of mine, john Colossi, who's also been on my show, but he was a tech guy, but he was also on the sixth, the sixth season of the ultimate fighter, so he was a mma guy that fought in the ufc, fought in strike force, he fought in bellator and at the time he was doing tech but he was still fighting professionally. And rob, out there, we all went and partied me, johnny and rob went and partied and, um, rob gave him a disc and it was a. It was a hellstar disc and I don't know which song it was, but one of the songs to hell store, hell star, was a walkout song when he would come out to the ring. They, you know, they play the music. So he walked out to hell star. So, yeah, I don't remember what fight it was or whatever, but uh, yeah, you're, you're kind of, you're opening up the brain a little bit for me, russ I completely forgot all about that man.

Speaker 1: 24:36

That's cool. Yeah, who? Who was inspiring you like? You know, you've kind of mentioned it earlier, but who was inspiring you as a kid, like? Who just did it for you as a young boy, growing up with the sisters bringing home albums and stuff like that?

Speaker 3: 24:52

just tons of classic rock they brought home. I just um, it didn't help. The the first concert I went to. When I heard that bass drum at the Summit at Soundcheck, my heart was like what the hell? I love that sound. I wish, yeah, just seeing all those classic rock bands. That's why I like classic rock so much. Yeah, you know, I did the heavy metal thing and, you know, got my chops up, but definitely classic rock To me. Randy Folk is in the band with me. He's 10 years older than me. We love the classic rock. And he's the other one that said we need to keep jamming as much as we can because we're getting older. He's the first one to say I'm ready to do that show Eventually. We want me to do it. And, like I said, i'm'm 56, so he's probably 10, he's 66, so he's, you know, and he don't look. And of course, of course he does not look at you know, people don't believe me, but he's the first one that says let's, let's do every show we can. Why not? Yeah?

Speaker 1: 25:49

so you're. You're an old rock pig. That's that's who you were. That's what you came up with. Was it always? Was it always the, the heavy metal, the dark metal for you, or was it more of the melodic, the judas pre's stuff, the acdc stuff? It wasn't always the, you know the the dark stuff.

Speaker 3: 26:08

Right, it wasn't, it wasn't. I definitely loved um, you know, anthrax and acdc and, uh, we went those concerts, you know. Concerts back then were big for us when we were kids. We would go as a group, and no classic rock, though, was to me, it was just like. It brings back memories of growing up, you know, and there's so many of them still today and a lot of them are leaving us, you know.

Speaker 1: 26:31

So yeah, yeah, and I think that's you know, we were talking about that earlier too. Like death right, just death in general, like the people that you grew up admiring or that you revered, or like that person passed Ozzy. Like I thought Ozzy would live forever man, I didn't think the dude had 36 lives. Like he never all the shit he did growing up or coming up, like how, how was this guy still doing what he does? Well, I can't even get out of bed in the mornings and I didn't put as much, you know, torture on my body as that guy did. And he's still doing it somehow at 70 years old, you know, and but but then and then he passes. And it's like I remember looking at the TV and seeing that and it was just, I literally out loud, said whoa, whoa, like when it said Ozzy died. Because it was just, it was not a real thing to me, you know.

Speaker 3: 27:27

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:28

But you see that a lot of you know a lot of the people and they don't even make it to our age a lot of times, which is a sad thing, right yeah. I lost my place here so we talked a little bit about kind of who you were coming up with. Is there? Is there music today that that kind of is doing it for you, that you vibe with? Are you kind of like me where you just kind of stuck back in the day with stuff that we grew up listening to?

Speaker 3: 28:07

right, I'm stuck back in the day, Shelly will say geez, you know, I mean, there's so many newer bands and they like a lot of the newer bands and they're not terrible. Sometimes they sound a lot alike to me. Is there any that I like a lot? No, you know, when they say, hey, the kids want to go to a concert, I usually say y'all just go, I don't, I'll pick y'all up or drop y'all off.

Speaker 1: 28:30

I don't really care to go to none of them really well, part of that is just being around that many people in one small place like I'm not into that kind of thing anymore, too much but yeah, that too yeah, and you know, I think being a being a a duo artist like chris and I are, even though we really suck at this, but you, we have to be a little more diverse in the music that we play.

Speaker 1: 28:57

So I said earlier, we play everything from George Strait to the Eagles. A duo is background music at a restaurant or a small micro. We're not a band. We're featured, but we're not like a band right, Like Double Vision goes. You know what you're going to get with Double Vision. You're going to get all the Foreigner hits right With us. We're kind of just playing in the background a lot. So I told you know it wasn't a mystery We've got to learn. We have to be very eclectic with our songs because we've got to cater to a lot of people here. It's not just a tribute of this person, it's across the board. So you really have to listen to newer stuff and try to learn some newer stuff. And Terry's constantly telling me that. But I get so stuck on what I love and it's hard for me to do it, because old dog is hard to teach old dog's new tricks.

Speaker 3: 29:54

At the end of the day, I mean, I like all types of music. You know, music is a universal language. I don't dislike, you know anything, I just like a lot of classic rock. You know. That's why I'm doing the foreigner. And now look what I'm doing. Now I even went further back Jefferson Starship.

Speaker 1: 30:13

Oh yeah.

Speaker 3: 30:13

You know that's shit. They played woodstock oh yeah, oh, they did for sure you know we'll get an older crowd um, and I'm trying it, I like it, you know see what happens yeah 100.

Speaker 1: 30:28

So for the listeners that would tune in to Backstage Pass Radio, that have considered playing drums or are interested in playing drums, what advice would you give a brand-new drummer that just goes out and buys their first kit? What is the one piece of advice you'd give?

Speaker 3: 30:52

them Practice every day. That's what I did growing up, listening to the radio. You know you don't have to start out with anything too hard.

Speaker 3: 31:02

You know you can do some easy stuff, acdc, uh, you know, um, if you want to learn how to read, that's fine and all and. But these days the internet, internet has so much stuff that you can. You know, I want to learn that part. You know you can get on the internet and see the drummer actually play that part. It's different from when I grew up I had to really guess what he was doing or try to watch a video. These days you can download anything. So they have more of an advantage, kids. These days they do big time.

Speaker 1: 31:32

Well, I think you would agree with me. Even back if we talk about our day right, we go back way before the internet, way before videos, way before tablature for guitars, all of these things. It was literally put the cassette tape in. Listen to the fucking song over and over. Rewind, play, rewind, play, rewind, play. And you did this at nauseam until you learned the song right.

Speaker 3: 31:59

Do you agree with that? I mean, I remember 8-track, I know it, you know it was gone after a while.

Speaker 1: 32:02

Jesus, you're old, that's old.

Speaker 3: 32:05

I mean, I have a couple 8-tracks still.

Speaker 1: 32:07

I don't even know what that is.

Speaker 3: 32:09

I mean you know, yeah, I mean you know. I remember when the CD came out I loved it, you know. But yeah, kids these days they got it made, but you know they're spoils and brats.

Speaker 1: 32:22

Well, they can learn at a pace that was not like what you know. It might take me as a guitarist back in. You know 83. You know it might take me five days to learn a song, right, or all the parts to a song. Now get on the internet tablature and in 30 minutes they're playing it note for note, right.

Speaker 3: 32:44

It's oversaturated. The kids these days are so good, you know, you can see a 10-year-old that is so awesome. You're like I wasn't that good at 10, you know, so it's sort of crazy, it's too much I think the learning aids are everything.

Speaker 1: 33:00

And then let's just be honest. There's so much elasticity in a young person's brain. They're absorbing and they're learning. When you get to my age, you start purposely trying to block things out. Like I don't want to learn that I don't. And that adage, that old adage you can't teach an old dog new tricks. There is nothing more true than that. Like I learn what I want to learn and I block everything else out. Right, so that's me. So for the drummer gearheads out there, talk to us a little bit about what the stage kit looks like. Now I know you said you bought an electric kit, but does that carry over with the foreigner show too?

Speaker 3: 33:46

talk about both bands and what you use for both bands so, uh, the drums that I'm using with d, with um, with foreigner, with the Double Vision, is DW Performance. So it's like the middle grade DW drum kit, you know, made in America, maplewood, great sound, I mean.

Speaker 3: 34:06

I love them you know, the band can tell the difference from the other drums that I used when I first started. It sounds great, they look great. Now, when I play places, I have the best drum set there. I mean when I was younger, you know, or when I first started it sounds great, they look great. Now, when I play places, I have the best drum set there. I mean when I was younger or when I first started I'd say, wow, look at that drum set, it's beautiful. Now I'm actually playing. Shelly bought it for me.

Speaker 1: 34:28

Right.

Speaker 3: 34:29

The most beautiful drum set and I always get compliments on everything the rack, the cymbals, everything and that's another thing that I love playing. It's because the equipment is so awesome, it's top of the line, I mean.

Speaker 3: 34:43

I love it and then the electronic drums that I just got this week. It's been out for quite a while but technology is still great. The Roland TD-30, it's still great. I mean, it's new to me. I can practice at home with music, I can learn new songs with it and I played it this Wednesday at a show and you're able to control the sound in smaller venues Because I have a snare drum that sometimes it just seems like it's loud. So having an electronic drum set is going to control the drum sound at a lot of smaller venues uh, wineries or you know some places. So I might use them, I might use that electronic kit more here and there. Yeah, you know um were you scared?

Speaker 1: 35:31

were you scared when you played that kit for the first time live?

Speaker 3: 35:34

I was there's so many things to plug up, you know, and, like you said about notes, and I had everything taped up with you know, this goes here and this, you know, I did it all, plugged it up, it worked and I was like, okay, you know, I feel like drinking wine with brooke, give me a shot of tequila. Um, I plugged it up, we started doing sound check and he said everything sounds good. I was like, wow, you know, okay, I get, let's do the show do you two?

Speaker 1: 36:00

do you tune the electric drums the same way you would tune an acoustic drum? No, you don't have to no, no.

Speaker 3: 36:06

Now this particular module that it has you can do all that. You can do so much. You can move the mic. You can put tape on there. This, this drums, electronic drum set rolling kit is you can do so much. I'm getting a headache watching the stuff on the internet about it all. The book is you got to go to college for it. I mean it's um. You can do so much with it yeah it's unbelievable and I just started learning.

Speaker 3: 36:31

Wow, I you know, and that's why, like said, it's been out for a while, but I like it.

Speaker 1: 36:37

Yeah, so it sounds like acoustic drums in the Foreigner band and then the Starship tribute. You're doing more of the electric, but you might incorporate the electric more into the Foreigner side too.

Speaker 3: 36:52

It could happen. You never know. You know, the breakdown was a little bit easier To break the kit down, it was, you know.

Speaker 1: 36:59

Well, from a, from a size perspective like you could almost drive, maybe put all that stuff. I'm looking at this kit that I have in my studio right now while I'm while I'm fixing to say this, but I could probably get all of that in my car, I would think, versus having to have a truck right for an acoustic set Because I've seen your kit. The video you sent me is huge, like there's a lot of pieces on this kit right, it is, and it's heavy.

Speaker 3: 37:30

The electronic kit is not that heavy, so yeah, I don't know. I'm enjoying it a lot at the house. It's fun to play.

Speaker 1: 37:38

Shelly, when Russ says I think I need to add this other piece to the set, are you like my wife and you say why do you need more stuff on the kit? Do you ever say that? Or is that just a?

Speaker 4: 37:57

Terry, thing for the guitars, or do you plead the fifth? Well, actually say, save your money.

Speaker 1: 38:02

Yeah, right, that's. That's funny, terry's. Terry's line is I don't care how you spend your music money. As long as you're spending your music money and not our money, you can go buy all the stuff that you want, right you know, r know, randy, check this out.

Speaker 3: 38:16

She, during Christmas, I guess she knew I wanted this snare drum. You know about a $700 snare drum. Well, I did a show at a winery. We made some good money. So I went to Symbol Fusion, where I buy a lot of my equipment, and I went there. They didn't have it. They said we can order it. Do you want to put half down? I said hell, no, I'm going to pay for it all or I'm going to blow that money. So I paid for it and then, I guess, during Christmas time, Shelly tried to go there and surprise me and get that snare drum.

Speaker 3: 38:49

And they said what's his name? And they're looking it up and they're like I think he ordered it already. She goes, okay, good, okay, good, well, let me, let me, let me pay for it. Then, oh, it's paid for, you know. And they were like, well, I guess, get him a gift gift card or something. So it was like, and and they were thinking are you that kind of wife, are you like checking on your husband? Because we don't really like they were nervous about giving her information.

Speaker 4: 39:13

They did not want to tell me much about it okay like oh, he was in here.

Speaker 1: 39:18

Oh, he spent how much. Yeah, well, that's cool, well, that's good, you've got a supportive wife and shelly, that's that's great, you know. But there are, I'm sure, those, there's those wives out there that are not supportive like that right and like, luckily, you and I are, are on the supporting wife end. So that's that's a great thing for us, right well, like you, I work every day, you know.

Speaker 3: 39:42

Um, you know, it ain't like I just stay home and I mean I work, she works, you know. Yeah, she has a better job than me, but oh well you know right now um, you know she went to college, I didn't you know. Yeah, I went to college. I didn't you know. I went to prison and I just left. I'm just joking, I just got out.

Speaker 1: 40:00

Right.

Speaker 4: 40:01

That's funny.

Speaker 1: 40:01

Well so you're currently you know you're busy You're in several tribute bands here in the Houston area. The one you've been in, the Double Vision Foreigner Tribute, you've been in for a little while now Four years.

Speaker 3: 40:15

Four years. This March, this coming March, next year will be five years, that's crazy man.

Speaker 1: 40:19

Like it seems like that just popped up for me a year ago, like I had no idea, like that's what I love about this podcast, because you learn a lot of stuff you thought you knew, but you really don't know at the end of the day. Well, how did you so? How did you again remind us how you found your way into that project? Who called on you for that?

Speaker 3: 40:39

Eric. Eric did. And he said, hey, were you serious about the double vision? Did you want to? And so, yeah, I went and had a couple of rehearsals and played the show that weekend or whatever. And that show was really cool because I called some fans they were like Hellstar fans out in corpus I said, hey, I'm coming not with hellstar, but I'm coming with a tribute band, you know so. So I had friends there at my first show and I barely gave them a couple of day notice. So that show was special to me because, uh, there were friends there and it was my first show and, uh, and the club was awesome and we stayed the night there and we partied the next day, me and randy, and and um, it was just a good way to get kicked into the band and, uh, we had a blast and you know.

Speaker 1: 41:27

And then the drum solo started right right and yeah well, I I want to get out and see you guys because I'm a huge foreigner fan and I I think I became more of a foreigner fan when Kelly Hanson and I love Lou Graham Don't don't get me wrong, but Kelly Hanson's an animal Now I think. I think Lou Graham might be back with foreigner now, if I'm not mistaken. But I love Kelly Hanson and him and Jeff Pilsen from you know, former docking player and Black Swan player Like I mean, these guys are tight. I went to Lake Charles to see them and I'm like these guys are on 10 live. They're a great live band.

Speaker 3: 42:07

So I need to get out and see you guys for sure.

Speaker 2: 42:08

Actually, our singer, randy Folk, is going to play with Foreigner now, just joking.

Speaker 1: 42:12

Randy's going to like that. I mean. Yeah, I mean, if he got that call, I guarantee he'd leave y'all's asses in a heartbeat.

Speaker 3: 42:18

right, He'd have to think about it, Right yeah, for just a minute. Like I said, he's the first one that says every time, let's do it. You know he's the first one on the text message says I want to do it and he says we're getting older, let's keep playing.

Speaker 1: 42:32

You know what Rush? You've got to do it while you can, because you can't look back in life with regrets and say, man, I should have just done another year. Because there's going to be a day when you and I can't do what we do and we can't look back and say, god, dang it, we should have done it. So you've got to keep pushing.

Speaker 3: 42:53

And I will, but it's good to have a wife that is supportive. And kids that think it's cool. The kids were young when I was in Hellstar. I think when I toured one time with Hellstar in Europe, shelly was pregnant and that was probably a bad thing to leave when she was pregnant, but she remembers.

Speaker 1: 43:14

So shout out the band members but yeah, so shout out the band members, tell us who's in the double vision lineup first and last name and what they play Right For the listeners out for the, for the, for the listeners that help me.

Speaker 3: 43:27

You know, eric, he's in tons of bands. He's in the Queens right Tribute. Okay, he's in quite a few bands. What other bands he's in? Um, quite a few bands. Uh, what other band he's in? Help me out here? I can't think race elise. Um, he's in a couple. He's in a band with larry, you know, okay, uh, so, and uh, randy folk is in an rl speed wagon band. Um, what else? Uh, I mean, uh, we got so many members drew. Uh is our singer. And the other band, miracles. And you know, brooke Allison is with us. Jesse is playing with us on bass in Miracles, who else? And Adam's playing with both. Adam Rollins is playing with both bands Double Vision and Miracles. We just did our second show last week and so far so good.

Speaker 1: 44:16

good, you know um well, I don't personally know adam. I know who he is, of course we're friends on facebook. It's funny how you're all us musicians are somehow connected on facebook, but I know him from the oz tribute right which was a phenomenal a phenomenal tribute, yeah yeah, they're thinking of, you know, maybe doing some stuff again, who knows?

Speaker 3: 44:35

yeah, uh, what about z lot? Z remember when eric and adam were in z lot oh, yeah and yeah.

Speaker 1: 44:41

So uh, how many shows a year do both? I know you just kind of got going good with uh the starship tribute, but how many? How many shows a year? On average? Is double vision playing? If you were a guessing guy?

Speaker 3: 44:57

Um damn, I wish I would have brought that. I don't know how many do you think we're doing?

Speaker 4: 45:02

I mean last year it was.

Speaker 1: 45:03

One a month, two a month.

Speaker 4: 45:05

Two or three a month.

Speaker 1: 45:05

Okay, all right.

Speaker 3: 45:07

Yeah, at least. I mean I think we were a little bit more busier last year, but it's okay, you know it's um, I don't know. You know the other guys have so many bands that it's hard for just double vision to be busy, but last year, the year before, we were pretty busy, yeah, playing a lot. I mean, you know there's some places we didn't play this year, but it's all right, you know yeah, how did you fall into miracles?

Speaker 1: 45:28

how did, how did that come about for you?

Speaker 3: 45:30

well, eric called and said what if we did jefferson starship tribute and got some players? Do you, would you like that? Would you want to try that? I man, I like a lot of their music. There's a lot of songs I mean, there's probably more than Foreigner and we thought of Brooke and next thing, you know, we're just moving on.

Speaker 3: 45:53

And we started having rehearsal. It was a little slow rehearsal. We through a couple, you know, keyboard players and stuff. It was a little slow. It's I feel like we've been rehearsing for a while. Sure, you know, it seems like it's like it was gonna be a miracle yeah, but finally it happened um. So I think we got a good thing. Now you know um second show. We got some more shows coming up. It's awesome, you know, all over town.

Speaker 1: 46:19

So well, yeah, shout out to to Brooke Allison. She's a sweetheart. She's been on my show, she's a Backstage Pass alumni and it was wonderful having her here, and I've been out to see them play live a few times. So, yeah, shout out to Brooke.

Speaker 3: 46:35

Sweet friend. When we did the Fleetwood Mac at band rehearsal with her I got the goosebumps. Man, she's so freaking awesome. The whole band's super cool. We did a show with them out of town with Double Vision and those guys and the whole band's just super cool.

Speaker 1: 46:52

Yeah, I think I had her on my show back in 22. So it's been almost three years. I think maybe the second, my second, so we're in the ninth season now for the show. But I think maybe the second, my second, so we're in the ninth season now for the show.

Speaker 1: 47:02

But I think she was second. Thank you, I think she was in the second second season for me, but we sat there at the kitchen table right behind you and I pulled out one of the acoustics and we recorded dreams. She sang it and I played it and it was like this is really cool, man. This is. This is as close as I'm gonna get to jamming with stevie niggs.

Speaker 3: 47:21

You know what I mean you know, her husband did some cool video stuff at the show. It was awesome. Did I see it? No, you know of course it's behind you I saw some of the video the next day on uh on the internet. But uh, he did a badass job that's awesome really cool.

Speaker 1: 47:39

Well, I think I started probably getting back into Jefferson Starship, probably 81. I think that was around the time Modern Times, the album Modern Times, came out and then, you know, of course, I became a bigger fan with the Winds of Change record. That was like 82. That's a great one. That was like the real formidable years. I mean I mean earlier years, of course, were more formidable, but I was a sophomore in high school man. That's like when you're you're starting to drive and you're going to pick up the girls and all of the things and you're jamming your shit on the stereo and that's what was coming out of my stereo, like the old jefferson starship stuff maybe our stereos, but her stereo was tesla, okay, oh yeah.

Speaker 3: 48:25

Well, they're great too.

Speaker 1: 48:26

I love tesla too. Are you a big tesla fan or just, oh yeah, okay yeah, jeff keith, I love, I love his voice. He's one of one of the I mean one of my favorite vocalists. I think he's a great vocalist and they had a lot of great songs too. She got me into them, I mean.

Speaker 3: 48:42

I liked them but started hanging out back in the day before we were married and we were drinking and driving and partying. Tesla was yeah, yeah. I fell in love with them.

Speaker 1: 48:54

Cowboy of a modern day.

Speaker 3: 48:55

Yeah, great band.

Speaker 1: 48:56

Is there a song like from both bands? So you think about Foreigner, you think about Miracles, favorite song from both bands that you number one. Let's make it a two-fold question Favorite song by both bands and then favorite song to play live. Make you think a little bit.

Speaker 3: 49:17

Yeah, long long way home, long long way. You know that one.

Speaker 1: 49:25

Oh yeah, uh, that's probably my favorite to play one of the first ones they had as a hit.

Speaker 3: 49:28

That, and that's probably why I like it so much. Double vision is always fun to play. Uh, I like all their songs to play. I ain't gonna lie to you um, jane, um, and then, uh, what's the other one that we do? There's a couple other ones that were like in the 80s, jane, and there's another one real close to that one. I can't think, but Jane's fun. I mean, I like the songs Brooke is singing because the audience loves hearing her sing, and so you know the ones she's singing. They're just going crazy over them. At one winery they asked us to play a song again. You know.

Speaker 1: 50:04

That's awesome.

Speaker 3: 50:05

Come on, Brooks, play it again.

Speaker 1: 50:06

Yeah, I stumbled across that song on YouTube the other day. It was Mike Portnoy, Joel Hoekstra who's been? On my show Jane.

Speaker 3: 50:16

Dino.

Speaker 1: 50:17

Jalucic yeah, oh my God, dino is a monster and it was so cool and they were spot on with that tune too.

Speaker 3: 50:26

That's why I like that song so much.

Speaker 1: 50:27

That's a great song.

Speaker 3: 50:28

There's a lot more drumming in the Jefferson Starship song.

Speaker 1: 50:32

Is there really? I think there is. I would have never thought that, but maybe so.

Speaker 3: 50:37

Yeah, stranger, that has a lot of drumming on it. That's probably one of the hardest songs for me to play, or just a lot of parts to remember.

Speaker 1: 50:48

Is it safe to say that the more intricate drumming is the Starship stuff, or is it? More intricate on the Foreigner stuff.

Speaker 3: 50:56

No, I think Starship Really. Yeah, it is. It's a lot more drumming. That's probably why I like it so much 's. It's a lot more drumming. I mean, that's probably why I like it so much, you know, and we have a a lot more songs to play yeah there's so many more. They had a lot more albums out, you know they did.

Speaker 1: 51:11

You know what I? I have to guess, and you correct me if I'm wrong. If you ask 10 people our age who they know more songs of, I bet you, most of them would say Foreigner. Right, because I think Starship came a little bit before the Foreigner time. Now you almost have to be that 62, 63-year-old person to really be grooving with Starship. And even back to the airplane days, right, um, foreigner came, I think they came out in 78 is when they hit it in new york, right, um? But yeah, that's interesting, you know, and I've also thought, aside from tesla, if you got to pick another tribute band to be in, like that, you could go and really showcase your talent. What, what tribute band would it be for you, do you think? Oh?

Speaker 1: 52:05

wow, I don't know haven't given that much thought no I mean, I've always loved rush, you know.

Speaker 3: 52:14

But that's a lot of drumming to do you know, it's a lot of um man, I don't I don't know.

Speaker 1: 52:21

I was just talking to Chris last Think about Stu on that, just a little bit. But I was talking to Chris last night as we were kind of loading out and there was something on the radio, I don't know if. If it was earth, wind and fire or what. It was something Motown. And I said, you know, if I was to go today and join a band like I did the band things back in the eighties don't care to do that anymore. Too many egos in one band, right. So the duo was perfect for me. But if I was to go back and get into a band, I would love to do some kind of funk band or some motown band, because I am so inspired by the old motown stuff the commodores earth, wind and fire. I don't dislike it, right. Yeah, just good stuff and it's great the rhythm section and those songs are great too, right yeah?

Speaker 1: 53:05

wow, well, outside, outside of music. What keeps you and the family busy these days? What do you have going on outside of music other than shelly projects that she makes you?

Speaker 3: 53:16

do a lot of projects that I don't get complete. There's a whole list. I need to clean the garage. I don't play for a few weeks, so maybe you can come help me.

Speaker 1: 53:26

No, I'm playing shows, dude, I'm busy. Come on, man, you can do it. Good, try, bro.

Speaker 3: 53:31

Hey, if anybody else wants to come help clean my garage? Right Public service announcement.

Speaker 1: 53:36

Russ needs friends right now. I need you, I need you.

Speaker 3: 53:39

That's awesome right, I need you. That's awesome. I mean, we got dogs and cats, you know, so we can't leave very far.

Speaker 1: 53:46

You know, man, that's like kids at home, we're the same way right now in our lives, man.

Speaker 1: 53:48

It's like we have two dogs uh, we have an american bully named bella and we have a um, we have a pit bull, uh, named stormy, and we don't go far either, man. And we're taking a cruise in November oh cool. And luckily one of my sons is staying behind. He lives about a mile from here, so otherwise I couldn't even fathom boarding these dogs, like we've never been away from them, like it would really freak me out, like I don't know. I don't even know if we would have taken the cruise if Cameron wouldn't have stayed home with them. Right, and they do. They're a lot like our kids. You know, let's hurry up and get home. We've been gone for three hours. You know, the dogs need to go for a walk or whatever. It's crazy how you start to think.

Speaker 3: 54:32

Yeah, I mean you know life Monday through Friday we work and we might go out to eat on the weekend and go see her mom and dad, and I mean yeah, we're simple people, I mean you know we

Speaker 4: 54:45

vacation every once in a while or you know, but yeah.

Speaker 1: 54:50

And your mom and dad are local, is that?

Speaker 4: 54:53

correct, they live in Spring.

Speaker 1: 54:55

Okay, great. Yeah, they're close by. What are your kids up to these days? I know you mentioned that your daughter was a nurse and tyler is uh is doing what?

Speaker 3: 55:05

tyler works for ups okay and is he?

Speaker 1: 55:08

is he in town? Okay, he's in town.

Speaker 3: 55:10

He's a driver. And, uh, my, my daughter lives in austin. She just became a nurse okay not even I don't know, a couple months ago, december, yeah wow, I can't.

Speaker 1: 55:19

And my daughter was a nurse too. Right, she works with me now, but yeah, she went down the whole nursing path too. But I remember when you guys came out to the hockey games, I mean your kids were knee high, like literally knee high back in the day. So to see pictures of them now it's like whoa time's time's getting away here.

Speaker 3: 55:38

Yeah, yeah, I mean like the kids were when I was in, you know, with Hellstar back in the day. They were kids. They see the video now and say, oh, that was cool, dad, because some of the crowds were great, you know, when we played in Europe and they were kids, you know. So nowadays they come to the show every once in a while a heavier tribute. You know Pantera. Really, he's like Dad, don't you want to? You know, because they like heavier stuff. I'm like, oh, there's already one, you know, there's already a Pantera, there's already a Metallica, sure.

Speaker 1: 56:09

It's funny that your kids say that about you and what tribute they would want you to play in. If my daughter was sitting in here, she would be like Dad.

Speaker 1: 56:16

I want you to play in a Bee Gees tribute because she knows, I'm a huge Bee Gees fan, Like some of the greatest songwriters of our time, whether people want to admit that or not. Like they, you know, Barry Gibb has written for so many people and I think that was my first concert 78 in Dallas, man like, and now three of the four brothers are gone. You know we talked about that earlier too. Time just kind of gets away, but yeah, I think that would be cool, Something BGs-wise for me, but I'm weird. What can you say? Well, what did we miss? Is there anything that you wanted to talk about that maybe I haven't touched on? I don't know all of your life, I don't know all of the things you have going on, but this is your platform. You were kind enough to bring me some sticks. I know you just got some personalized sticks in.

Speaker 3: 57:12

Talk a little bit about those, yeah yeah, shelly got me some sticks for Father's Day with my name on them, you know the sticks I use. I'm not sponsored or nothing by them or anything she just got them for me and Symbol Fusion. They put your name on them and you know I can pass them out every once in a while.

Speaker 1: 57:26

That's super cool.

Speaker 3: 57:27

Some people like to buy them you know, at shows. I don't know why. You know they'll buy a used pair. I'm thinking here you can have them, you know. Yeah, but fans that are really cool, that buy shirts, you know they work, you know older crowd. They, you know, they have good jobs.

Speaker 1: 57:42

They, they um, they support the band that's good, don't, yeah, and again, don't discount your, your talent, right? And a lot of people like to be tied to that. People like to say I know that musician, like in, even if we're local guys, um, not on that big stage, right, like a rush or whatever um, people still admire that in and of their own right. So, yeah, don't undersell yourself there. You know, I made up some picks and stuff with Backstage Pass Radio and like I'm the kind of guy I would never sell that stuff, like I just I don't feel right about it. Like I'm not that musician but I do like giving it out to people, like giving you a cup and some stickers. That's more enjoyable for me than to say, hey, russ, can you give me $10 for the stuff I just gave you? Like I don't want to do that at the end of the day. So it's nice just being generous in that respect.

Speaker 4: 58:37

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 58:39

Where can the listeners find you guys and when I say you guys, miracles, double Vision. Where can we find you guys on social media for the listeners that will listen around the world, right?

Speaker 3: 58:56

On Facebook, okay, and there are some videos on YouTube Double Vision, htx and Miracles. There's not a lot of videos of Miracles yet on YouTube, I don't think if any, but yeah, we have quite a few videos of the Double Vision foreigner stuff, okay, and I try to pop out the drum solos to other friends. Yeah, sure, and I like to share them. Yeah, and see what they think about them, because I'm enjoying doing them yeah I mean, it's something that I didn't think that people really wanted to hear.

Speaker 3: 59:27

Even today, I still go. You still want to do a drum solo? Yeah yeah, why not?

Speaker 1: 59:32

keep doing them, man okay, keep doing what about? And I don't think I don't think either of you guys, and you correct me if I'm wrong, I don't know everything over here. I don't think you guys are overly personally, overly active on social media, but are there personal um pages that or that you want to mention, like instagram or anything like that that you have for yourself?

Speaker 3: 59:55

yeah, I'm on facebook, but me and shelly we share one. Okay, it's under russell. Shelly de leon okay um, and we just, we just share Facebook. She doesn't really get on it much. People will say oh, your wife sent me a video of you. I'm like oh, that was me.

Speaker 1: 1:00:10

Or she sent me a show invite.

Speaker 3: 1:00:12

I'm like that was me. I don't know why they think it was her.

Speaker 1: 1:00:17

Those are sometimes a little odd, like when one of you guys have a birthday. You're not sure which one it is, so you say happy birthday, russell Shelley. Let me just cover all my bases here. Is that your middle name, right?

Speaker 2: 1:00:29

Too funny.

Speaker 1: 1:00:33

Well, russ, this has been awesome man. I appreciate you and Shelley coming in and hanging out today. I appreciate the sticks. Thank you for those. They'll be cherished here in the room and I wish you the best of luck with the music projects you're currently tied into and anything that comes up for you in the near future, and likewise with you, shelly, in the world of corporate America. I know you're not a musician performing out, but you and I are still working stiffs and we and in well, you are too russ, so yeah I'm about to quit my job and just go full band are you?

Speaker 3: 1:01:06

nice shelly's so sweet how about that man?

Speaker 1: 1:01:11

does she need a boyfriend? Maybe we can get an apartment together. This is, this is all news to you, right, shelly? You just heard about this on Backstage Pass Radio.

Speaker 3: 1:01:25

I figured this would be the perfect place to tell her.

Speaker 1: 1:01:27

Yeah, exactly. Well, at least she can't hit you until you get out in the car right. Well, I ask the listeners to like, share and subscribe to the podcast on Facebook at Backstage Pass Radio Podcast, on Instagram at Backstage Pass Radio and on the website at BackstagePassRadiocom. You guys to remember to take care of each other and yourselves and we'll see you right back here on the next episode of Backstage Pass Radio.

Speaker 2: 1:01:54

Thank you for tuning into this episode of Backstage Pass Radio. Backstage Pass Radio. We hope you enjoyed this episode and gained some new insights into the world of music. Backstage Pass Radio is heard in over 80 countries and the streams continue to grow each week. If you loved what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, rate and leave reviews on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback means the world to us and helps us bring you even more amazing content, so join us next time for another deep dive into the stories and sounds that shape our musical landscape. No-transcript.