Talk Is Jericho

It’s time to meet Kick Axe… one of Chris Jericho’s favorite heavy metal bands! Founding bassist Vic Langen along with drummer Brian Gillstrom and guitarist Ray Harvey talk about the band’s early days gigging in their hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, how they broke into the metal scene in the 80s, and why they all but disappeared just as their careers were taking off in the States. They share stories about being signed by Spencer Proffer of Pasha Records, recording in Hollywood, hanging out on the Sunset Strip in the 80s, opening for Judas Priest, the Scorpions, and Whitesnake, and touring with Quiet Riot. You’ll hear about the making of the “Vices” and “Welcome to the Club” albums, and what happened when they opened for Metallica. Plus, they recount what finally brought them together again, why singer George Criston didn’t join them again, and how they found new singer Daniel Nargang.

Heavy Metal Rules!  So say Steel Panther! Singer Michael Starr and drummer Stix Zadinia talk a little sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and how ALL that played into their brand-new studio album, “Heavy Metal Rules!” In between bites of a delicious room service lunch (on Jericho’s dime of course), they discussed favorite frontmen (shout out to David Lee Roth), awesome rock singers (shout out to Sebastian Bach), first celebrity crushes (shout out to Charlize Theron), and rehab (shout out to Lexxi Foxx). There’s also some convo about licking toads, yoga pants, U2, giant bald eagles, and the grunge scene.

It’s episode 600, and there’s only one guest and event big enough to mark this momentous occasion – Kevin Smith and a “Pulp Fiction” watch-along! It’s the 25th anniversary of the Quentin Tarantino classic film so this watch-along starts right here and is jam-packed with plenty of trivia and behind-the-scenes info about the making of this movie, and why it was so groundbreaking in cinema when it was released in 1994. Kevin Smith was releasing “Clerks” at Miramax at the same time Quentin was releasing “Pulp Fiction,” so Kevin was front and center for “Pulp Fiction’s” surprise success at Cannes. He offers his insight to Quentin’s filmmaking and storytelling style, his masterful use of dialogue, and how Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” spurred Kevin’s own movie-making career!  So start the watch-along here, and then head to SmodCast right after to finish the movie with Kevin & Chris! And THANK YOU for listening to TIJ, supporting the sponsors, and allowing the show to continue for 600 episodes! Here’s to all you sexy-beast listeners, and another 600 shows!

We’re celebrating the premiere of AEW’s “Dynamite” TV show Wednesday at 8pm on TNT with Luchasaurus!  He tore it up with Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt at “All Out Chicago,” and now you get to meet the man behind the dinosaur mask! Austin Matelson (formerly known as Judas Devlin at NXT) explains why he owes his gimmick to the late, great Dusty Rhodes, how a friendship with Johnny Mundo saved his wrestling career, adapting to working under a mask, when he knew the WWE/NXT system was not for him, and how all roads (including his Master’s degree and competing on the reality show “Big Brother”) led to AEW!

Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is the new host of the upcoming Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager Sea Part Deux (setting sail January 20th), and you’ll hear exactly how Fluffy landed this choice gig! He’s also talking about opening for Robin Williams and George Carlin, why he wants to share a stage with country great Willie Nelson, and how come he has absolutely no desire to be Kevin Hart! Fluffy’s talkin’ wrestling too, and all the things he learned about showmanship and merchandising from WWE’s Vince McMahon! Plus, Fluffy’s got stories about his VW car and bus collection, dealing with trolls at shows and online, and the Ric Flair shrine at his top-secret So Cal compound.

The PWI Top 500 issue is out now, and writer Dan Murphy, who spearheads the list each year, is on to discuss this year’s new #1, the Top 10, number 500, and a few interesting rankings in between. He’s also recounting the #1s and #500s of all previous years (let’s see how many 500s he remembers), and sharing the criteria that goes into making the selection. He also talks about how the advent of the internet has changed the list, the magazine, and even wrestling as a business, and he reveals the ONLY former #500 who went on to become WWE World Champion (and it’s not Chris Jericho)!

The Storm Area 51 raid may have been cancelled and remaining festivities moved to Las Vegas, but we’re still talking about the historic 1947 UFO sighting and crash in Roswell, New Mexico that started the whole alien conspiracy theory surrounding the top secret military base in rural Nevada. Lenny “Dr. Luther” Olson returns with his friend, Bryan Ward, owner of the Roswell UFO Spacewalk Museum in Roswell to share their own UFO encounters, the military’s recent admission about the existence of UFOs and what it means for the future human civilization.

Impact Wrestling is coming to AXS TV this Fall, and EVP Don Callis and EVP Scott D’Amore share the whole story behind what it took to make that happen! They’re also talking about the changes they’ve been able to effect at Impact in the ring, in the creative, in the management style and philosophy, and in the locker room. They explain why Impact is now a destination place for wrestlers, what signing Michael Elgin away from New Japan has done for the company’s future and reputation, and how they plan to develop their hot young talent like Ace Austin, Tessa Blanchard, The Rascalz, and Jordynne Grace.

#ALittleBitOfTheBubbly has gone viral, and no one’s more surprised than Chris himself! Hear the AEW Champ recount the story of the “bubbly,” including the movies that inspired the improved backstage performance at Chicago’s All Out. Chris also walks through the anatomy of a catchphrase, some of the most popular of his career, some of the most popular catchphrases in entertainment history, and a few that didn’t quite make the viral cut.

It’s the 30th anniversary of Skid Row’s self-titled debut album, and founding members, guitarist Dave “Snake” Sabo and bassist Rachel Bolan, share all the dirty details of what it took to make it happen! They explain the help and support they received from childhood friend Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, how they ended up being managed by Doc McGhee, what went into the search for a singer that eventually led them to Sebastian Bach, and why the album cover didn’t clearly feature the band’s picture. They also do a track-by-track breakdown revealing what inspired the music and lyrics behind the songs, and why Richie Sambora lobbied so hard for “18 And Life” to be released as a single.