I'm Leaving Right After This Drink... Rock N Roll, Whiskey, and Other Stories

Remember when concert tickets were actually tickets?

Bryan recently found an envelope filled with old concert ticket stubs, and every one of them unlocked a memory — Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Van Halen, The Allman Brothers, George Thorogood, Anthrax, Pride & Glory and more.

This week, it’s stories about standing in line to buy tickets, ridiculously cheap concert prices, legendary venues, and why those little pieces of cardboard became souvenirs without us even realizing it.

Oh, and there’s a Van Halen story involving traffic, an emergency cup and a very unfortunate open car window.

Grab a drink. Every ticket has a story.

You paid $150, $200, maybe even $300 to see your favorite band live. So how much of what you're hearing should actually be… live?

This week, Bryan gets into the growing use of backing tracks at rock concerts. Keyboards, orchestration, backing vocals and effects are one thing — but what happens when the tracks start replacing the musicians or vocals you're supposedly there to hear?

Bryan talks about some of the artists who've been part of the backing-track conversation, why he'd rather hear a singer miss a note than hear a perfect prerecorded performance, and why those little mistakes are part of what makes a live show actually feel live.

Where do you draw the line?

Grab a drink. Let’s get into it.

What’s the band or song everybody seems to love… except you?

For me, the band is Pearl Jam. I respect the musicians, I admit Ten is a great record, and even once watched them from the side of the stage — but after all these years, they still do absolutely nothing for me.

Then there’s Disturbed’s cover of “The Sound of Silence.” Great performance. Great arrangement. They completely made the song their own — which is exactly what I want from a cover.

There’s just one problem: I can’t stand it.

Apparently I don’t even agree with Paul Simon on this one.

Apparently, at 52 I was supposed to grow out of this stuff.

Instead, I'm buying more guitars, seeing some bands for the 10th, 20th — or maybe 50th — time, taking ridiculous rock & roll road trips, drinking whiskey and now somehow deciding that one podcast a week isn't enough.

So yeah… I'm Leaving Right After This Drink is officially going to TWO episodes a week.

New episodes will now drop Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Tuesday being the regular show and Thursday being a shorter, 10–15 minute hit-it-and-quit-it episode.

But that got me thinking: Why do some of us never grow out of rock & roll?

A rock & roll road trip to Houston to see Zakk Sabbath and Black Label Society nearly gets derailed by a tropical storm. Plus, Bryan talks Tyler Bryant, Black Stone Cherry and Buckcherry in Tampa, meeting Zakk again, and the ultimate Black Sabbath debate: Vol. 4 or Master of Reality?

Big Rig Ron Michaels has spent more than three decades behind the microphone at Tampa Bay's legendary 98ROCK — and he's got the stories to prove it.

Big Rig joins me for a long-overdue conversation about growing up obsessed with radio, building his own pirate radio station as a kid, breaking into the business and eventually landing in Tampa at 98ROCK — where he's somehow managed to survive the insanity of the radio business for more than 30 years.

I wasn't expecting much from Mötley Crüe. I'd never seen Marilyn Manson live. And I've got my own opinions about Rob Zombie.

Then I went to the shows... and apparently I was wrong about a few things.

In episode 44, I recap two killer weeks of live rock & roll featuring Extreme, Tesla, Mötley Crüe, The Hu, Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie. Mötley Crüe was better than I expected, Manson absolutely surprised me, and Rob Zombie once again proved he's one hell of a live performer.

Plus, expensive concert booze, some world-class people-watching, and a public service announcement for dudes who insist on walking around concerts without shirts.

Rock & roll. Loud guitars. Live shows. Questionable decisions.

Ever wonder why so many people hate going to the gym? Sometimes it's not the workout... it's the people.

In this episode, I rant about the gym etiquette that seems to have disappeared. From the equipment hogs and selfie photographers to the loud grunters and people who spend more time on their phones than actually working out, we've all seen them.

If you recognize yourself in this episode... stop it. Seriously.

This episode is packed with rock 'n' roll, concerts, and a few life updates.

I'm talking about one of the greatest debut albums of all time as Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction celebrates 39 years of changing rock music forever. Does it still deserve legendary status? I think so.

I also recap an incredible week of live music, including Chicago & Styx on the Windy City Tour and Lynyrd Skynyrd—three legendary bands in one unforgettable week.

Plus, I share another update on my book, where the writing stands, and what's coming next for both the book and the podcast.

Pour yourself a drink, crank up some rock 'n' roll, and let's hang out.

Episode 41 is a little different—just me catching you up on everything that's been going on.

In this episode, I talk about my one-of-a-kind Bryan Shaw Signature Iceman guitar, share the latest update on the book (yes, it's officially back in the works!), recap some birthday shenanigans, Gary Hoey, and cover a few other stories from the past week.

So pour yourself a drink, pull up a chair, and let's catch up. Thanks for coming along for the ride!