The City's Backyard

The Original Alice Cooper Group is releasing their first album together in 51 years called The Revenge of Alice Cooper! On this episode we check in with equipment manager Ron Volz! Ron was the roadie behind the scenes that set up the stage with sound gear and props over the years working for the glam rock group! Ron has many stories that gives the Alice Cooper fans a different perspective of the band and how they traveled and worked as a team together to perform their theatrical rock concerts that they were best known for in the early 70's! If you loved the original band you will be entertained by Ron and his behind the scenes experiences with The Original Alice Cooper Group! Check out the latest album from the original guys in the band with "The Revenge of Alice Cooper"! 

Melissa Newman is a vocalist, teacher, writer and artist who works primarily in porcelain and stoneware. She has shown work in galleries around the Northeast.  After enjoying a lucrative jingle career she continues to perform frequently with her jazz trio. Melissa spent almost 20 years volunteering and working with the inspiring women at Bedford Hills correctional facility, teaching visual and performing arts there and in other communities. She recently co-edited and designed a coffee table book about her parents, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, Head Over Heels, a Love Affair in Words and Pictures published by Little Brown. 

On the heels of the HBO Max docuseries The Last Movie Stars on Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward,comes an extraordinary and deeply personal new look inside their private life, affectionately curated by their daughter Melissa Newman. In the lush, illustrated book, HEAD OVER HEELS: Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman: A Love Affair in Words and Pictures (Little, Brown Voracious; October 10, 2023; Hardcover), we are offered a fresh perspective on these storied legends, putting their relationship front and center. 

Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman became not only movie stars and stage actors, but also artistic collaborators, political activists, and philanthropists whose legacies are expansive and enduringly modern. They are one of America's most indelibly iconic couples and while their love story wasn’t always a fairytale, it is the stuff of Hollywood legend.
 
With over 280 photos, including many that have never been published, and text by the book's subjects, all compiled in a luxurious 10”x12” hardcover, the book will be the perfect gift for anyone interested in Hollywood, or in simply celebrating the enduring power of love. Melissa Newman, who purchased her childhood home from her parents, writes in her preface: “In every closet are bags and boxes, layers of ephemera stretching back to the Cretaceous era. Theirs, mine, a sea of words and images.” The book is chock full of handwritten love notes, snapshots and letters; family treasures that have never been released They offer an intimate view of these towering figures in American public life. 

Along with photographs taken of each other there are well over two hundred taken by some of the most celebrated photographers of our time: Richard Avedon, Sid Avery, Ralph Crane, Bruce Davidson, John Engstead, Leo Fuchs, Milton H. Greene, Philippe Halsman, John R. Hamilton, Leonard McCombe, Gordon Parks, Sanford Roth, Roy Schatt, Lawrence Schiller, Sam Shaw, Bradley Smith, and David Sutton—and  family snapshots capturing candid and telling moments. The photos beautifully illuminate the connection between two complex, passionate artists who opened their hearts and minds to each other for over half a century.Not only will lifelong fans of Paul and Joanne have their love affair with the couple rekindled, but a whole new generation of fans are poised to be drawn into a love affair with Hollywood’s golden couple. This book is Melissa's heartfelt gift to her parents—and to all of us.

Comedian Joe Pontillo and publicist Ken Franklin from LAUGHING GAS COMEDY talk all about the comedy scene in the tri state area along with the backyard of WESTPORT, CT at The Veterans of Foreign Wars along the banks of the Saugatuck River! 

Laughing Gas Comedy and The City's Backyard present another night of pain free comedy at the VFW Westport. We are back following our wildly successful first show in April. Tickets are $20 online and at the door. Please buy in advance as this will sellout. The venue has a full bar as well as a limited food menu. Sponsored by Spacecat Brewing!

Comics on the bill include Joe Pontillo (Gotham Comedy Live - YouTube Special) Sharon Simon (SNL) Steve Rocco and Alex Kollar

Don't miss the hottest event of the summer! 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comedy-night-the-vfw-westport-friday-july-11th-tickets-1333058867959?aff=ebdsshother&utm_share_source=listing_android&sg=919f1a8fb21853ff2a9c36b6c8ded1232f9afdb8512b6d4bb5db0eea10767c6373c2cc9b4ec4fbaf20e31dbfac5d19aceb1ba2eea87fc863a9c3f7a1b9e5ddba9123206996af77954d2e1c09cbTickets: Eventbrite $20 plus fee

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Eliot Lewis has toured the world over as a member of the Daryl Hall & John Oates band, as well as a former member of The Average White Band. Eliot has also been the only musician to appear on every episode of Daryl Hall’s popular, "Live From Daryl's House” show all while keeping his own solo career going at a seemingly impossible pace. 

Over the course of his career he has worked with the music business’ elite including, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Joe Walsh, Sammy Hagar, Todd Rundgren,Train, Cheap Trick, Grace Potter,  Squeeze, Rob Thomas,  Jason Mraz, Darius Rucker, Gavin DeGraw and many, many others.

 Having mastered four instruments over the course of his career; guitar, keyboard, bass and drums, Eliot’s shows will find him moving from one instrument to another. Equally at home in front of 100 or 15,000, Eliot has performed on the worlds most legendary stages, including Madison Square Garden, Japan’s Budokan, Red Rocks, The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall as well as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and many others. 

Eliot has carved out his own distinctive musical brand and sonic landscape and has written, performed and produced ten solo releases. There are many who shaped Eliot’s music and writing. As a guitar player, definitely Jeff Beck who I've been listening to all my life, as well as Billy Gibbons who I had the great fortune of working with recently, and Peter Frampton who I actually jammed with when I was 14 yrs old. I had the amazing experience of meeting and seeing many influential artists when I was a kid mainly at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

To Purchase tickets to the Limited Seating WESTPORT, CT show click on link

https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/wwweliotlewiscom/eliot-lewis-live-in-westport-ct-444213059

 For more on Eliot's tour log onto the website link below

https://eliotlewis.com/shows

Local session guy music man Rick Tedesco drops by from Brookfield, CT to chat about being asked to play on the new album from THE ALICE COOPER group called The Revenge of Alice Cooper out this July! Rick is a local guitar show owner and musician....his guitar show called The Guitar Hangar is out he met Ian Hunter from Mott The Hoople which led to him meeting Dennis Dunaway and the guys in the ALICE COOPER GROUP! Rick tells a few funny stories and how it felt to play and record on this new album mostly done in the city's backyard of Stamford, Connecticut at The Carriage House studios! 

Here is a video of Wild Ones from The Original Alice Cooper Group and Rick gets a few seconds of some screen time! Check it out! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqwLaYFGrn4

For more on Rick's guitar shop log onto the website! 

https://www.guitarhangar.com

     TWO WOLF

          Unleashing the Fury of Southern Hard Rock

  Born from the raw spirit of American Hard Rock, Two Wolf  is a high-voltage powerhouse straight out of Florida, setting stages ablaze with their electrifying fusion of Southern grit and thunderous rock energy. With a twin-guitar attack that cuts like lightning and vocals that roar with untamed intensity, Lance Lopez and Kris Bell lead the charge, while Greg T. Walker’s legendary bass lines and Rusty Valentine’s seismic drumming drive the band’s relentless groove.

 Founded by Greg T. Walker, original member of the iconic Southern Rock band Blackfoot and a former bassist of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Two Wolf carries the torch of Rock ‘n’ Roll legacy while forging a fresh, unrelenting sound for a new generation. Blending deep Southern roots with a modern Hard Rock edge, they deliver a sonic onslaught that is both fierce and unforgettable.

 With the release of their highly anticipated debut album under Cleopatra Records, Two Wolf is gearing up for a massive year ahead and set to ignite the Rock Legends Cruise stages once again in 2026. As they lock in an electrifying lineup of shows across the country, Two Wolf is proving that real, unfiltered Rock ‘n’ Roll is not only alive, but louder than ever.

https://www.twowolfrocks.com

This episode we are talking "FLEETWOOD MAC" with Diane Lutz and Andie Baldwin from STEVIE MAC... the Fleetwood Mac tribute that is lighting up the stage all over the country! Diane and Andi are the Stevie and Christine McVie of the original iconic band and talk about their passion for the music. 

About StevieMac

StevieMac authentically and flawlessly pays tribute to the legends of Fleetwood Mac. In this mesmerizing theater production, StevieMac replicates the most popular hits and the most memorable live performances spanning the decades long careers of Fleetwood Mac as well as the solo careers of Stevie Nicks, Christie McVie and Lindsay Buckingham. Time period wardrobe, multimedia and story-telling transport the audience to the specific eras being celebrated, immersing the audience in a multi-sensory experience you will be talking about for years to come.

For more on the band  https://www.steviemactribute.com/

Today, Darker Lighter — the captivating project of Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Salar Rajabnik is releasing his highly anticipated self-titled debut record. Recorded at the legendary Studio 606 with Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Robert Adam Stevenson (Paul McCartney, Queens of the Stone Age, The Kills, Jeff Beck), Rajabnik brings years of experience from behind the scenes in the indie rock and post-punk worlds. With a resume that includes collaborations with icons like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Kim Gordon, Rajabnik now steps fully into his own sound.

Darker Lighter is Rajabnik’s cathartic exploration of loss, heartbreak, identity, isolation, and political unrest — a deeply personal and emotionally charged debut. Following the singles “Nice To Meet You” and “Open Up, Sunshine,” the album arrives today alongside the release of the focus track, “Be.”

Performing every instrument himself, “Be” is a richly layered and evocative track, blending heavy guitar riffs with a soaring string arrangement. Rajabnik’s lyrics—“you’re on your own, you should have known” and “living in a house won’t make it home”—echo the album’s central themes of longing, disconnection, and the elusive search for belonging. It’s a poignant reflection on the age-old truth: wherever you go, there you are.

Salar Rajabnik (Darker Lighter) on the track, "“Be” is one of the most deeply personal songs i’ve ever written. It’s about a feeling I get often; which is that I find myself feeling out of place. Whether ideologically, artistically or socially, often due to being unwilling to compromise my identity or principles. Themes of biculturalism, socio-political alienation, the fallout and consequences of activism and more influenced the meaning of the tune. The ultimate conclusion of the song is that “The price you pay is who you have to be."

Joanna Serenko is an original singer-songwriter. She grew up in Cleveland and moved to St. Louis at a young age, where her professional career as a musician began. Joanna found her voice by performing and exploring different outlets of music, such as choir, musical theater, and singing in church. By high school, Joanna began writing her own songs and performing as an opening act for local bands in St. Louis. It wasn’t long before Joanna was headlining her own shows and recording her own original music. At 18 years old, shortly after her high school graduation, Joanna got the incredible opportunity to perform on Season 18 of an international reality television singing competition, NBC’s “The Voice”. During her time on the show, she worked with renowned celebrities such as Nick Jonas and the Jonas Brothers, John Legend, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and James Taylor. This experience helped to open many doors for her music and served as a great launching pad for Joanna’s long-term success in the music industry. After the show, Joanna released her debut album, “Best of Me,” available on all streaming platforms. Since then, Joanna has graduated from nursing school and now embarks on a new adventure of pursing full-time music as she tours the country. Learn more under the "2025 Tour" tab! 

Also Tyler Dale is featured along with Joanna on this episode because of their duet of the song TWIN FLAME! You will love this song from these super talented singers songwriters! Tyler Dale is an accomplished country artist, songwriter, and producer hailing from St. Louis, MO. Alongside his sister Kristen Anne, he has fronted various cover bands, traversing the Midwest and sharing stages with luminaries such as Josh Turner, Uncle Kracker, and Lady A. The year 2020 marked a pivotal turn in his career when he ventured into releasing his own original music, birthing the project Tyler Dale & Co. On December 31st, 2023, he released his debut album, “Salutations”. 

https://www.joanna-serenko.com

Here is the video episode of her on The VOICE in 2020! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_P3MMV9mo

Dennis Dunaway was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011 as a founding member of the band named Alice Cooper. Dennis and the group are in the Grammy Hall of Fame for co-writing “School’s Out.” 

The original Alice Cooper group have sold millions of singles and albums and were on the cover of Forbes for having the largest grossing tour in 1973 over Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. The original Alice Cooper group is in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest indoor audience of an estimated 120,000 to 148,000 in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1974. The Billion Dollar Babies album reached number 1 in America and Britain, and the group are recognized as the innovators of theatrical rock shows, which included giant balloons, hangings, snakes and spidery eye makeup.

Dennis currently records and tours with Blue Coupe featuring Joe and Albert Bouchard of Blue Öyster Cult fame and singers Tish and Snooky of Manic Panic.

The original Alice Cooper group recorded 3 songs on Alice’s Welcome 2 My Nightmare album, and re-recorded “School’s Out” with Brian Johnson, Joe Perry and Johnny Depp for the Hollywood Vampires album. The Alice Cooper group reunited to record several songs on Alice’s Paranormal album produced by Bob Ezrin, and the group did a five-city tour in the United Kingdom in November 2017, which included 14,000 people at Wembley. 

Dennis is constantly recording and playing shows with bands involving his musical friends. His fans inspire him to take new risks while remaining true to legendary roots.

For more on Dennis....

https://www.dennisdunaway.com