Feedback And Forth

Does anyone out there remember Metal Shop?! No, I don't mean the elective class you could take in high school. We're talking the radio program that started in the 80s on the mighty KISW, Seattle's Best Rock! That's right, we take a trip down memory (what the hell is that?!) lane with this pandemic era offering. Join us as we recount our first listenings of this classic show where they, surprisingly, play metal. We discuss the bands we remember hearing either for the first time or for the second+ time.

Did you know that Motörhead's I Got Mine was the theme song for a while? Well you'll find that out in this episode (even though I already told you). You'll also hear us talk about local metal bands in the 80s, national metal bands, international metal bands. Hell, we even talk about Twisted Sister! Kick back in quarantine fashion and listen to the odd sounding audio. Have a drink while listening to Mike blab on about how he could only get this to work by micing his phone (he got this to work with Tony in a previous episode) and why he had trouble. Riveting!

In this action packed episode that zig zags wilder than Jim Rockford's evasive car driving, we talk all things early Tall Toad. From Scott's foray into immersive theater with Dan to early gear that sort of survived our manic playing styles. While more or less staying around 1989, we zoom all over the place talking about our time playing on an air force base (like Spinal Tap), record stores in Olympia and also our friend Todd's large bedroom practice space.

All band jams, lots of Rainier beer and weed, hemp necklaces, beaded necklaces: we got it all in this episode! This particular episode should really be dedicated to the memory of Todd's parents' sanity, which we weekly put through the ringer. Rock 'n' roll your way with us through this high octane installment. Nothing says "What the hell?!" more than this one, folks.

In this, the final installment (?), we discuss the seventies KISS where they were surrounded by mystery and nobody knew what they actually looked like, and the eighties KISS where no one seemed to care anymore. Even when they announced in the mid 80s that they were going to appear without makeup, most people didn't care, including your intrepid podcasters. Oh, KISS. And yes, we're well aware of the fact that this was recorded BEFORE Episode 2.1 but came out AFTER that episode. This is how we roll.

And what about the post makeup KISS? Oh, don't worry, we talk about that too. We talk about the Lick It Up video, in all its "glory". Trust me, the quotes are very much needed here. We also cover the reunion that we had waited years and years for, the KISS tribute album from the 90s, the Melvins (of course) and more. You wanted the best and you got the best ... podcast that's the third part of a three part podcast about a band they liked a lot!

A new season AND a new theme song, with drums recorded at a distant location by the amazing Cesar Molina at Cave Rec Studio in downtown Las Vegas. Besides telling the thrilling story of how this song came to be and whatnot, we also cover our heroes aimless wanderings both alone and eventually together, narrow escapes from shady apartment complexes, playing our first show together, what we thought of the movie Leviathan, local shopping malls, and even the Ramones.

But that's not all! We also tell the uplifting tale of how the name Tall Toad came to be. Truly inspiring. We even throw in some wood grain drum sets, Datsuns that saved the day, Sean and Todd (if you haven't been listening to the show and don't know who these guys are, shame on you), and some good old fashioned ramblings. All for free!

So what do you do when you're a band on top of the world and you've got several platinum selling albums? You all put out solo records, of course. We discuss this weird and unexpected sidetrack in this episode of Sidetracks. From Ace's far superior album to Gene's sad collection of weak sounding wax. Why wouldn't John Lennon and Paul McCartney get back together to be on Gene's album? I suppose if they were into disco...

We also delve into the glittery era of KISS (Gene finally got his way) with Dynasty. Which leads to the two coolest members leaving, one by one, although Ace stuck around for their "concept" album. Why? Nobody knows. Find out how we both maneuvered in this new KISS territory and how we felt about this change in their trajectory. Something tells me it doesn't go as well. From Unmasked to Music From The Elder and finally Creatures Of The Night, we give a blow-by-blow of the KISS car with wobbly wheels and how they clearly drove it off the cliff into the ocean, like an episode of The Rockford Files.

What can you say about KISS that KISS hasn't already said? Not a lot. Or so you would think. In this new series called Sidetracks, we take a subject that we would probably get sidetracked on (hence Sidetracks) and we discuss it at length, for about 15 - 30 minutes. Thus allowing us to stay on track during the normal podcast. One would hope. So this is number 1, but as you can see it says Part 1. It makes you wonder what's in Part 2. Or maybe you're screaming "Oh god, how many Sidetracks are there about KISS?!". Keep listening to find out.

In this, our very first Sidetrack, we cover KISS. Obviously. It says it in the title. Geez. Moving on, we cover how we each first heard of them and when the first listen happened. We also talk about their early days and even KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park, a not-nominated-for-an-Emmy TV movie made at the height of their career. I know you're probably thinking "Wow!", but don't "Wow!" yet because there's even more! What is it?! Hit the play button and find out...

The first half of this episode finds our heroes joking and laughing like a couple of ridiculous fools. Basically it’s the same old hilarity. Talking about parachute pants, various hairstyles we thought would have been cool (had they turned out like our lofty dreams were picturing), and the usual goofy-ass stories we found funny and informative.

The second half takes on a more somber note. We finally reach the point in the story where we discuss our friend’s passing, by his own hand. We choke up on more than one occasion as we talk about the pain we dealt with over the loss of our amazing friend. Please, if you find yourself in his place, talk with someone. The world would be a far sadder place without you. Trust us on this, we know.

In this episode we talk about concerts in the 80s, among other subjects. These include attempts to see Ozzy, a lackluster Judas Priest performance, another Maiden gig, and the infamous Metallica show after Cliff's death where our friend Vince ... maybe you should listen to the story and also find out if we were able to get backstage, thanks to Ed Bergh's friend Goose. Did Vince rage on the stage at the show? You'll just have to listen and find out.

A special surprise also awaits you upon listening. What is it? Why would I tell you if I just told you to listen and find out?! Stop asking me already! We also discuss the John & Tony show, which landed while we were in high school. Did you know there were tables of cliques at Yelm high school? Learn all about the table of weird people that we occasionally hung out at. It's another action packed, thrilling episode. Buckle up and get ready to fly through our ramblings!

Imagine if we were able to actually make the movie we wanted to make. Part Magical Mystery Tour, part something-even-stranger, Wind Gods was supposed to be an odyssey, a road trip if you will. But that isn't the only thing we talk about, not by a long shot. We talk more about our first songs, about how early they were.

You know what? We also talk about our friend Ron, the young George Lucas impersonator. Okay, so he wasn't actually an impersonator. Other things we discuss: a goat named O'Malley, begging for concert money, lasers on the ceiling, and this thing they used to have around called L.S.D..

Hey, why is there a picture of a rock over there? Does it signify how much we rocked? Or some other corny euphemism? In Episode 1.7, we talk about that (I’ll tell you now, it’s Fossil Rock) and many other things that center around our years in Yelm. Why, you ask? Well, why not, I answer. But it’s not just rocks, there’s also sand in this episode and vertigo inducing excitement!

We also present a group ode to that little town from us and our friends Diplomatic Immunity and Velvet Rain (or were they still Morbid Youth?) called Where The Hell Is Yelm?. Listen and you shall find out what else we did in our spare time. You might even learn a lesson or two about various… things.