All Access Live with Kevin Rankin

What better place to talk to one of the voices of the MTV era than backstage at the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio, during the Totally Tubular Festival!

I caught up with Trevor Steel, lead singer, guitarist and founding member of The Escape Club, for a great conversation about the band’s incredible journey — from their early days in London to becoming one of the biggest crossover success stories of the late ’80s.

If you remember “Wild, Wild West,” you remember one of the defining songs of the era. The 1988 smash reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning The Escape Club a Grammy nomination and making the band an international sensation. Their follow-up hits “Shake for the Sheik” and “I’ll Be There” also made the Billboard Top 30.

But there’s a whole lot more to Trevor Steel’s story. Trev’s dealt with some heavy losses over the past few years, having lost bandmates Johnny Christoforou after an extended bout of cancer and an unexpected passing from drummer Red Van Broad.

Recorded LIVE at the Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, Ohio, during the Totally Tubular Festival, surrounded by some of the artists who helped define the sound of the ’80s.

This is another great trip down the musical rabbit hole on ALL ACCESS LIVE!

Get ready for a great conversation with one of the most versatile and accomplished drummers to come out of the Canadian music scene — Adrian White, the powerhouse behind the kit for Men Without Hats!

Adrian’s musical journey is anything but ordinary. His resume spans some seriously influential names in rock, metal, industrial and electronic music, including Strapping Young Lad, Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One, SNFU, Reset and now Men Without Hats!

White played drums on Strapping Young Lad’s groundbreaking debut, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing, contributed to the development of material that became City, and went on to tour extensively with industrial pioneers Front Line Assembly, including the Hard Wired era and the Live Wired release. He also toured North America with Delerium and Conjure One before continuing his work across the Canadian punk, metal and alternative scenes.

Since 2018, Adrian has been bringing his powerful, rock-solid drumming to Men Without Hats, helping drive the band's live sound alongside Ivan Doroschuk, Sho Murray and Sahara Sloan.

From industrial metal to synth-pop… from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing to “The Safety Dance” — Adrian White has covered a LOT of musical ground!

We'll talk about his incredible career, the evolution of his drumming, working with some of the most innovative artists in alternative music, life on the road, and what it's like to be part of the current Men Without Hats lineup.

Get ready to relive the wild energy of the ‘80s with a music icon who defined a generation!

All Access Live with Kevin Rankin is thrilled to welcome the legendary Annabella Lwin — the electrifying voice of Bow Wow Wow, the band that gave us “I Want Candy,” “Go Wild in the Country,” and a whole new wave of punk-pop attitude. Embarking on fantastic tour adventures this Spring and Summer with Animotion and A Flock of Seagulls, Annabella shares her tour plans and  incredible stories you’ve never heard before.

This is a must-listen for fans of ’80s pop, new wave, and punk rock — a rare chance to hear stories from the frontlines of music history straight from one of its most fearless voices.

Subscribe and prepare to go wild — this is going to be one unforgettable ride! WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION HERE!

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Jared Falk grew up on a duck farm in Abbotsford, British Columbia — a long way from the global drumming empire he’d eventually build. He picked up his first pair of sticks at 15 and was already teaching his own student a year later. Before Drumeo existed, Jared was grinding it out the hard way: giving private lessons, playing in bands, and even working shifts at a lumber mill and hauling product to Vancouver’s Chinatown to make ends meet — experiences he credits with sharpening the communication and business instincts that would later define his career.

The spark for Drumeo came in 2005, when a student of Jared’s posted a heel-toe drumming tutorial to an online forum. The video was such a hit that the bandwidth costs forced it offline — but the response convinced Jared that there was a real hunger for drum instruction online. He and that same student filmed a follow-up video, “One-Handed Drum Roll,” in Jared’s shed. It was a modest beginning to what would become one of the most influential platforms in music education.

Jared has also spoken openly about a near-fatal accident that reshaped his outlook — a reminder, he says, to never take the ability to play music for granted. That perspective still shows up in how he leads Drumeo today: not just as a business, but as a mission to keep drummers inspired, engaged, and growing.

The Drumeo Story

What started in a backyard shed has grown into a full-scale music education movement:

Founded as an online video lesson platform, Drumeo brought together world-class instructors and organized, structured curriculum at a time when most drum instruction online was scattered, low-quality, or nonexistent.

Drumeo pioneered the idea of drum education as an experience — live sessions, real-time feedback, and a genuine online community of players supporting each other’s progress.

Attracted legends of the instrument. Over the years, Drumeo has brought some of the greatest drummers alive into its studio — including Phil Collins, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Steve Smith, Simon Phillips, Dennis Chambers, and many more — turning what could have been a niche lesson site into essential viewing for drummers of every level.
Expanded the vision. In 2021, Jared launched Musora, the parent company behind Drumeo and its sister platforms Pianote, Guitareo, and Singeo — extending the same philosophy of structured, motivating, community-driven learning to guitar, piano, and voice.

Before Drumeo, drum education largely meant one-on-one lessons with a local teacher or piecing together tips from scattered VHS tapes and forum posts. Drumeo helped rewrite the model entirely:

– Democratized access to elite instruction. A student in a small town now has the same access to world-class teaching as someone in a major music city.

– Made learning measurable and motivating. Drumeo built tools to help players actually track their progress — turning practice into something structured and rewarding rather than aimless.

– Proved drum education could scale without losing heart. Despite its size, Drumeo has stayed rooted in genuine passion for the instrument and its community — a balance Jared has said is central to keeping drummers engaged for the long haul, not just selling more lessons.

– Became a cultural hub, not just a curriculum. Through interviews, challenges, awards, and live events, Drumeo turned drum education into an ongoing conversation among players worldwide — something the genre had never really had before.

Join Kevin Rankin and Jared Falk for an unfiltered conversation about the shed video that started it all, the mission behind Drumeo, and how one drummer’s idea reshaped music education for millions of players around the world.

What happens when one of Canada’s most influential drum innovators sits down to tell the stories behind a lifetime in music?

Join All Access Live with Kevin Rankin as we welcome legendary drum builder, inventor, educator, and entrepreneur Ray Ayotte, founder of Drums Only and the visionary behind the world-renowned Ayotte Drums. Recorded on location inside the iconic Drums Only store in Vancouver, British Columbia, this exclusive interview explores the history, passion, and craftsmanship that helped change the sound of modern drumming.

Ray’s journey began in the 1960s as a drummer and percussion educator before opening Drums Only in 1974. What started as a specialty drum shop quickly became one of North America’s most respected destinations for drummers. Less than a decade later, Ray and his team launched Ayotte Drums, introducing revolutionary innovations—including the company’s signature wooden drum hoops—that earned worldwide acclaim from professional musicians and recording artists. Over the years, Ayotte drums have been played on countless stages and recordings, becoming one of Canada’s most celebrated drum brands.

In this in-depth conversation, Ray shares:

• The remarkable story behind the founding of Drums Only.
• How Ayotte Drums evolved into an internationally respected custom drum manufacturer.
• The inspiration behind his groundbreaking drum designs and innovations.
• Lessons learned from decades of building instruments for world-class musicians.
• His philosophy on craftsmanship, tone, creativity, and the future of percussion.

Whether you’re a drummer, musician, gear enthusiast, collector, or simply enjoy hearing the stories behind legendary careers, this is an interview you won’t want to miss.

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Brown was born and raised in New Jersey destined to live a life submersed in music. The mostly self-taught artist picked up his first guitar at nine years old and never looked back. Brown began his lifelong love affair with live performing at the ripe old age of 12, when he became a regular on the voltaic New Jersey rock scene of the 1980s. At 12 years old, he began writing music, lyrics and founded his first band, Trixter. It wasn’t long before Steve led the mighty Trixter to a record deal with MCA, sold out arena tours and lived every aspect of the rock and roll dream.

In his 40-plus-year career, Brown has sold millions of records worldwide (RIAA certified gold album), written three Billboard Top 100 singles, starred in three No. 1 MTV videos, and shared the stage with the likes of KISS, Journey, Alice Cooper, Scorpions, Poison, Cheap Trick, Styx, Boston, Night Ranger, Rick Springfield and Tesla. As not only a master guitarist, but as an accomplished songwriter, singer, engineer, producer, and performer. Brown has become one of the music industry’s most sought-after and entrusted talents. From personal endorsements by Eddie Van Halen to churning out original music for some of television’s most popular hits, to regularly hitting the stage with an ever-growing list of rock and roll greats, Steve Brown is in constant demand. Steve’s newest endevour is Always Jovi — the ultimate Bon Jovi tribute experience that brings the anthems, energy, and excitement of one of rock’s most iconic bands to the stage with unmatched authenticity and passion.

Few drummers in modern rock and metal bring the raw power, precision, and stage presence of Will Hunt.

Best known as the longtime drummer for the Grammy-winning rock band Evanescence, Hunt has built a reputation as one of the most respected and versatile drummers in heavy music. With explosive live performances and a relentless touring history spanning the globe, his playing has helped define the sound of countless arena stages and platinum-selling records.

Beyond Evanescence, Will Hunt’s career reads like a who’s who of hard rock and metal. Over the years, he has performed and recorded with legendary artists including Black Label Society, Slaughter, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Static-X, Dark New Day, Device, Crossfade, and Vasco Rossi, showcasing a dynamic range that moves effortlessly between hard rock groove, progressive precision, and crushing metal intensity.

Known for his thunderous attack behind the kit, unmatched stamina, and unmistakable energy, Hunt continues to influence a generation of drummers worldwide while remaining one of the most in-demand musicians in the industry.

From massive festival stages to iconic recordings, Will Hunt delivers the kind of performance that leaves audiences speechless and venues shaking.

From humble farm roots in rural Minnesota, David Ellefson has come a long way, literally and figuratively, to conquering stages around the World as bassist of thrash metal titans MEGADETH. Revered for his unique, hard-hitting playing style, and unwavering dedication to his musical craft, Ellefson has woven a vast professional tapesty as a bassist, songwriter, record producer, clinician and author. As a former member of MEGADETH, he has been awarded 10 Grammy nominations, countless gold & platinum records and toured the world for the better part of 3 decades.

After nearly three decades with Saga – including 18 albums with worldwide sales over 8 million – Michael Sadler has an impressive track record to fall back on. From his beginnings as the lead singer of the Canadian rock outfit in 1977, through his many guest appearances (Justin Hayward, Bobby Kimball, Ozzy Osbourne, Chain and many others), and in his long awaited solo career; Michael Sadler consistently proves his knack for crafting high quality songs that combine irresistible melodies with great lyrical detail. It has earned him respect from his peers, praise from critics and admiration from his devoted fan base.

New York guitarist Joel Hoekstra currently plays for Whitesnake and Trans Siberian Orchestra. Joel is also well-known for his work with: Cher, Night Ranger, the Broadway show Rock of Ages, his fill in work with Foreigner, Accept, his annual sets on the Monsters of Rock Cruise, recording projects like Revolution Saints, Iconic, viral collaboration videos with the likes of Dino Jelusick, Arnel Pineda, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and his acoustic shows with Brandon Gibbs. Exhibiting a knack for music education, he has also been a frequent columnist for Guitar World Magazine, taught at Musician’s Institute, Rockstars of Tomorrow, Guitar Workshop Plus and often been a counselor at Rock N’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Over the years, Joel has released 3 instrumental solo albums and 3 critically acclaimed albums with his side project Joel Hoekstra's 13! Most recently he was the guest guitarist on Dancing with the Stars (Hair Metal Episode) and played with Cher at her Rock N Roll Hall of Fame induction and the SNL 50 Homecoming Concert.

We chat about Joel's new record "From the Fade", scheduled for release February 27, 2026. Pre-order the album here: https://ffm.bio/fromthefadelalbum