WRIF Virtual Rock Room with Watchtower's Jason McMaster
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00Thank you so much for watching Riff TV.
00:02Now, this interview is obviously with video, but I don't interview everybody on Zoom.
00:07That's why I put it on my Talkin' Rock with Meltdown podcast.
00:10We talk to rock artists from all over the genre.
00:13So check out Talkin' Rock with Meltdown wherever you get your podcasts.
00:16And now, to today's video interview.
00:20There he is, Jason.
00:21It looks like you're in a studio like at my house.
00:24Nice.
00:25Yeah, I knew I kept all this crap behind me for some reason.
00:28Do you have cassettes and stuff in the background?
00:30I do.
00:31I have vinyl.
00:32In arm's length, I have ridiculous cassettes and laser discs and 8-track tapes and vinyl and VHS.
00:44And yeah, stop it.
00:45Now, how much vinyl do you have?
00:47Oh, I'm not counting, but I have friends who have a house full.
00:52Yeah.
00:53They've had to build onto their house because their vinyl was taken over their house.
00:57So then now they have, like, you see the house and then you walk into this other room
01:01and it's a whole nother house because it's all vinyl.
01:04Yeah, I have friends like that.
01:05I'm not that bad.
01:07I'm at about 500 or 600 and it's become kind of an addiction.
01:10I think I texted you the one day when I found a Dangerous Toys album.
01:13Yeah, that's right.
01:14Yeah, it was cool.
01:15I was listening to that just the other day and I was thinking to myself, you know, what's
01:19his name?
01:19Chad Kruger just talked about this, you know, about being canceled.
01:22Some of those songs you probably couldn't get away with today, could you?
01:24Well, maybe.
01:28I mean, I think that the lyrics, the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, you have to remember that, I mean,
01:35there's thousands of songs being written right now that are not PC.
01:41Right.
01:41That are all about still keeping the flame of sex, drugs, and rock and roll alive.
01:48I think that that should always be, no pun intended, a dangerous element in rock music.
01:57Otherwise, it's not really rock music.
02:00Yeah, for sure.
02:01Yeah.
02:02I mean, I think that if you're going to write a book report on, you know, George Washington,
02:09you know, in a boat, that's great.
02:12But that doesn't sound very rock and roll if you were going to write a song about that.
02:17So you use metaphors.
02:19Yeah.
02:20Like little man in the boat.
02:24Yes, that's a great metaphor.
02:26You see what I mean?
02:28I know exactly what you mean.
02:29Like George Washington, the little man in the boat.
02:31I really like that story a lot.
02:34I like to get real, real close.
02:36Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:38He's a little man in the boat.
02:40I think rock had a record called Yodel in the Valley.
02:43So I think I know a little bit about it.
02:46Yeah, Yodel in the Valley.
02:47That's related to George Washington somehow.
02:51I think that, you know, like I know you're referencing Sporting a Woody or just season pleasing.
02:58You know, it's all about the chase and what you're dealing with hormonally when you're a young person.
03:08It doesn't matter what you are, what gender you are.
03:14Yeah.
03:15Everyone gets excited.
03:18And I think that people that are growing up and dealing with it are nowadays are being are taking it serious.
03:25And I I'm actually OK with that.
03:29I think everyone should be comfortable with the songs they listen to, but they should also have a sense of humor.
03:36Yeah, exactly.
03:37I think somewhere along the line, some people may have lost a little bit of the sense of humor.
03:40But listen to some of those old songs.
03:42It's like it's like going back and watching like a John Hughes movie almost.
03:46Wow, that's I'll take that as a compliment.
03:49Yeah, for sure.
03:50That's what it was meant to be like.
03:51Yeah, it goes to a different place.
03:53Yeah, those are all those those John Hughes movies are all home runs.
03:57Yeah.
03:58Yeah, no question about it.
03:59So but well, listen, the reason we got you on is to talk about you, I guess, for lack of a better term, have Mike will travel.
04:06Is that what you've been doing this year?
04:08I don't even know where to start.
04:12Well, let's start at the beginning of the year.
04:14At the beginning of the year, what was your what was like your plan for this for this year?
04:18Did you have any?
04:21Well, like we like you and I have talked about briefly and I'll get everybody up to speed.
04:27And in a nutshell, I have a podcast now.
04:31And so that that is all year long.
04:34That's been keeping me busy.
04:35But we only tape mainly on the weekends and just what time allows because I have a co-host and I don't go rogue and neither does he.
04:45We always we plan it out to where we can both do it.
04:48We just do it on Zoom.
04:49That's called the Talk Louder podcast, by the way.
04:51You got to give it a plug if you're going to bring it up.
04:53Talk Louder podcast.
04:54Right.
04:54And, you know, talk louder podcast dot com.
04:57It's on all platforms.
04:59Super fun.
04:59We have a lot of my idols on there.
05:02We have a lot of guests, authors, musicians, mainly, of course.
05:08Yeah, it's been great.
05:09We've had some tour managers on there, but stuff like that industry anyway.
05:16So that was kind of the plan to just do that and do a few dangerous toys shows.
05:23It was earlier this year we did the cruise.
05:26The toys were on the Monsters of Rock.
05:28We also did when we got back, we got invited to do Monsters on the Mountain in Tennessee.
05:33So we did that.
05:34And then we went down to the valley and played down there, Rio Grande Valley, Texas.
05:39And that was fun.
05:42And so, you know, that's like dabbling.
05:44And then I mean, those are like one off shows.
05:46That's not like a tour.
05:47No, it's not.
05:48They are one off shows that fly in date.
05:51Yeah.
05:52And and then, like I said, the podcast and the toys and then I've got other bands.
05:57I'm in a thousand bands.
05:59People know.
06:00But I so, you know, I'm doing that locally a little bit and I have a day job, too.
06:06So I've been teaching for 16 years for a corporate company called the School of Rock.
06:11And so during the lockdowns and stuff, we had to figure out how to teach our students online because we didn't have that.
06:20We didn't offer that.
06:21And now we offer that.
06:23So that's good for a company.
06:24It's just a company, another arm on the monster.
06:27Right.
06:27So, yeah, I figured out how to do that.
06:30And that's when that was, you know, a couple of years ago now, of course.
06:34And during that whole time, hence this setup that you complimented.
06:39Yeah.
06:40That this is it just ended up being, OK, well, I might as well have a podcast.
06:44I have all this crap set up.
06:45So and you got all this crap in your brain, too.
06:47Right.
06:47So you got right.
06:48Right.
06:49And that's been healthy as well.
06:50So working on my stutter, you know, the other things that that were happening this year, it's just other than the podcast and learning how to teach online over the past couple of years.
07:04It's just been regular do some shows here and there.
07:08I mean, I'm I'm I feel like I'm busy enough and and feeling blessed at that.
07:14You know, I don't feel more deserving than anybody else.
07:17You know, oh, I didn't have a big enough hit, so I can't do a tour.
07:20And, you know, milk people's wallets.
07:23And I can't you know what I mean?
07:25I didn't you know, the toys are the is the most popular group I've been involved with.
07:30And you know what I mean?
07:32It did.
07:32It's a gold record, a couple of gold records, but it did pretty well.
07:36Yeah, you guys can have it somewhere.
07:38You know, you know, OK, but well, I'll tell the truth.
07:42I got nothing to hide.
07:43I mean, I'm an old man and I can tell the world.
07:45It's like, you know, we didn't sell enough records to be able to sustain making the money
07:51to do a real tour and come back and go, wow, we're in the green, you know.
07:58Well, what about hopping on tour with someone like Armored Saint did, for example?
08:01Can't can't still can't garner can't ask for the right amount of money to pay to for it.
08:08When I get home, I'm not in the red.
08:10Got you.
08:10OK, fair enough.
08:11It can't happen because of what I keep saying.
08:14Just and I'm not I'm not angry about it.
08:17I don't you know, I take what I get.
08:20Right.
08:20So I'm cool with all that living in, you know, central Texas and just just having fun playing
08:28rock and roll and writing, writing songs and recording and releasing records.
08:33I release about two records a year and it's it's been great.
08:37I'm busy, busy, busy, I'm busy enough, but I make more money staying home, if that makes
08:43any sense.
08:43No, it does.
08:44Yeah, for sure.
08:45Especially in these times.
08:46Now, there's all sorts of bands are not going on tour, like, for example, in Europe or whatever,
08:49because it just isn't financially feasible with the way things are going in the world.
08:53But you're talking kind of a little bit of a different aspect, but I get that.
08:57So you're you're at I don't know if you're at home or you're teaching or you're doing
09:00whatever.
09:00And also, do you get a call from from Wolf?
09:05Yeah, the Mark from from Accept Everyone, a lot of people know if you don't know, you're
09:11you don't like rock and roll, in my opinion.
09:14But Mark came down with an upper respiratory infection of some kind, bless his heart and
09:23and sang a few shows with that affliction and was in danger of or in fear of, as he should
09:31be, every singer should be, of, of, you know, doing some potential irreparable damage.
09:39And they they had a they they played a show in Toronto.
09:43This would have been like first or second week of October.
09:48Yeah, they played a show here, too.
09:49Yeah.
09:49In Detroit.
09:50Yeah, they did.
09:51They did Toronto without a singer like Marcus.
09:55Mark is on the bus or where he went home or whatever.
09:58But they did a show where the rhythm section sang and they did it cool because they came
10:05out before the show and they got the mic.
10:07And I don't know if it was Wolf or whoever, but they were like, look, Marcus, we want to
10:13play and you're already here and we're here and I'm here.
10:16Wouldn't that make this our time, Mr.
10:18Hand?
10:20And so they played a show and the fans were grateful and they did they canceled one.
10:27So they did the Toronto.
10:28They they canceled one show because they didn't want to sing again.
10:33The band didn't want to sing again.
10:35And so that's two down.
10:37And then they had a couple of days off, I think.
10:41And they had decided, well, Mark, go to the doctor and the doctor saying, no, you need
10:47to chill and take these pills and kind of a thing.
10:51Right.
10:51And so they called this guy, Ed Aborn, who I consider a buddy now in Florida.
10:59And he's friends with Wolf and Ed Aborn, just to give cred, he is a drummer in an 80s
11:05metal band called Siren.
11:08And there's a movie people can watch that's called like, I'm getting too old for this
11:13shit.
11:14Yeah.
11:14Yeah.
11:15Is that is that the band from Arizona or something?
11:17No, they're from Florida, Florida.
11:19That's right.
11:19Yeah.
11:19I saw they're called Chris Jericho made.
11:23Correct.
11:23Yeah, that's correct.
11:24I should have given credit to Chris.
11:26But anyway.
11:27Yeah.
11:27So so that's Ed Aborn, the drummer.
11:30He's basically the narrator and the main guy in the film.
11:34I'm getting too old for this shit.
11:35Yeah.
11:36And the movie's about where they get a call a thousand years after they've already, you
11:40know, bought a house and had kids and yay, happy life.
11:43And I'm a I'm a computer programmer and the phone rings.
11:46Hello.
11:47Yeah.
11:47Calling from Germany.
11:48Can you get your band back together from a thousand years ago and come play the Keep
11:52It True Festival?
11:53It's like what?
11:54But Ed Aborn gets a call from Wolf.
11:57Hey, I need a fill in guy.
12:00Who do you know?
12:01Ed Aborn is friends with the guys in Riot.
12:03He calls Todd Singer for Riot and says, hey, can you do this?
12:09And can't can't do it.
12:10Todd calls Donnie Van Stavern, bass player for Riot, who lives in San Antonio, who has been
12:16a friend of mine since 1983.
12:17Don calls me and says, hey, can you sing Accept?
12:25And I'm like, what?
12:27Is this a trick?
12:28When are we forming our tribute band?
12:30Because, dummy, you know that I love Accept and I can sing the crap out of Accept.
12:34So what are you talking about?
12:36And he goes, well, the singer, blah, blah, blah.
12:38Call this guy.
12:39Gives me Ed Aborn's phone number.
12:41I call Ed Aborn.
12:42And I'm like, what's going on?
12:43And he tells me the skinny.
12:46And I said, OK, well, I don't I'm freaking out.
12:50Right.
12:50It's like because I worship Accept.
12:52I love Accept.
12:53It's my high school playlist.
12:56Yeah.
12:57Yeah.
12:57So especially the old stuff, obviously.
13:00And so, yeah, I send Ed a couple of songs of me singing Accept because I've covered
13:11Accept on worldwide releases.
13:15Fast as a Shark with my band Igniter and Run If You Can with my band Watchtower.
13:20Yeah.
13:20And those both I sent both of those to Ed.
13:23He immediately forwarded them straight to Wolf.
13:26And then the phone rings and it's Wolf.
13:28Now, did you know Wolf at all?
13:30No.
13:31OK.
13:32No, I went to an in store on the Balls to the Wall tour and like was like, oh, my God,
13:37I'm standing in the same room with Accept.
13:39Wow.
13:40Oh, my God.
13:41You know, and I think I gave Udo a cassette tape.
13:45No kidding.
13:46Yeah.
13:46Of me, of my old band Watchtower, you know, a demo or something.
13:52Right.
13:52And so, yeah, I mean, and I saw Accept back in the day a bunch of times.
13:57And Dangerous Toys actually did two shows supporting Accept in 89 when they had Dave
14:03Reese singing.
14:04OK.
14:05And it was right after Udo, I think, or a few years after Udo.
14:10Right.
14:11And we played Colorado Springs and we played Salt Lake City with Accept.
14:18And neither time you had a chance to talk with him.
14:20No.
14:21OK.
14:22No.
14:22Watched him soundcheck.
14:23Oh, man.
14:24Accept.
14:24You know what?
14:25It was killer.
14:26Fan.
14:26Fanboy.
14:27Total fanboy.
14:29And so now, fast forward a thousand years later, and here I am on the phone with Wolf,
14:33and I'm like, whoa.
14:35Dude, I'm a fan.
14:37It's an honor to talk to you, sir.
14:40Everything was yes, sir, you know, kind of shit for a second.
14:43OK.
14:43So anyway, we start talking about logistics, and I was still, I was under the weather.
14:51I was getting over some kind of upper respiratory infection, and I still wasn't 100%, and I told
14:58him that straight up because I didn't want to waste anyone's time.
15:02So I'm really on the fence with this stuff.
15:05And he goes, well, I'll tell you what, we need someone bad, and we don't want to cancel
15:13anymore because, dude, let's just put this on the table.
15:17If you cancel a series of dates, the rest of the tour, you know, open-ended, whatever,
15:24two shows, five shows, the crew doesn't work.
15:28You go home.
15:30No one makes money.
15:31Right.
15:31You dog out, and you have to make those shows up.
15:35It's a financial blotto.
15:37You know, it's like, right?
15:39So you're in Texas right now.
15:41Where are they?
15:42Yeah, they're in Pennsylvania somewhere.
15:48They're in Allentown, actually.
15:50And when's the next show, and where is that at?
15:52So I got the call, the call, quote, at about noon on October 18th.
16:06Okay.
16:06Okay.
16:07I think that was three days after the Detroit show.
16:09October 18th, I got the call.
16:13Nineteen hours later, I was on a plane studying cheat sheets on the plane during my layover.
16:24October 18th, I got to the hotel in Allentown, somewhere outside Allentown, about midnight, traveling all day.
16:39Because my flight was like 7 a.m., and I was just, that's only, you know, they were hustling and bustling to find me flights.
16:47And so they got me a long layover, and then, you know, it was a long flight.
16:55I was wasted tired, you know.
16:59But I'd been studying and listening to the tunes, and it's, dude, it was like 17 songs.
17:05It was a full set.
17:07And plus you got newer songs, too.
17:09Yeah, and they, throughout that first day, Wolf was sending me information and updating the set list
17:16and making sure that I wasn't singing too many Mark songs, even though they had about three or four of them in there
17:23they wanted me to do, which makes sense.
17:26You know, I was going to try to get away with just all the Udo.
17:28Just send me the Udo stuff, man.
17:30It'll be, and he was like, I see what you're trying to do there.
17:35We have to play the song, you know, from the new record.
17:37And he's right.
17:38He's right.
17:40So, yeah, Wolf and Uva, guitar player, they come by my room,
17:46and I'm studying, and I'm like, first time I'd met him, I said, let's call Mark.
17:51They call Mark.
17:52They put Mark on the phone.
17:53Guy is the coolest guy ever.
17:55And I've been a fan of his forever.
17:58And he's a legend.
17:59He's a legend in, like, the New York, New Jersey area.
18:03He's a legend.
18:04TT Quick, you know.
18:05Fans saw those ads in every hard rock magazine I picked up in 1983, 84, 85, right?
18:12So, crazy to get to talk to him.
18:15He was so sweet.
18:16And I wanted him to know, don't worry.
18:21I'm going to do my best, and I'm a fan of yours, and I know that I'm in your house.
18:28Yeah.
18:28And he's appreciative.
18:29And he said, you're saving our whole camp's butt by being here.
18:36So, thank you.
18:38And I was just, at that point, I was like a lot of, like, stress kind of started to roll
18:43off my back.
18:44Yeah.
18:44And I did, the next day, I did a full, we did the whole set for Soundcheck.
18:51Wow.
18:52We did 90 minutes.
18:5590 minutes, the whole set.
18:57And they just wanted to see what I sounded like on all those tunes.
19:01And this is not a brag.
19:03They were smiling ear to ear.
19:05I go, what are you guys smiling at?
19:08They were happy.
19:09They were just happy.
19:09And then you did 90 minutes later on that night.
19:12Yeah, a few hours later, we did the set, the whole set.
19:15And how many shows did you play on that tour?
19:18Okay.
19:18So, I did four in a row.
19:20Okay.
19:21And the first show was in Jim Thorpe, Pence Peak, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.
19:29And I did the whole set.
19:32Mark had been calling the next morning to Wolf, and I heard later on that Mark's coming to
19:41the show and getting him back on the bus with us.
19:45And he's going to, they altered the set.
19:51Like, so for the three out of the four, so the first night is just me.
19:56The rest of it, the three other days, were me and Mark tag teaming the set.
20:02Like, where he, because at that time, he had had like four or five days to chill.
20:07Right.
20:07And he had gotten to go home, and he was almost done with his Z-Pak.
20:12He was in the middle of the steroid treatment, la, la, la.
20:15And he gets on stage and just kills it.
20:19He kept saying, I'm not 100%.
20:21I'm not 100%.
20:22I'm glad you're here.
20:23And he's just, you know, we're both hacking up green, you know, gummy bears.
20:29And so it was a sight to see these two guys just like.
20:34No, that's, it's so cool.
20:36And it must be something in the water here in Detroit, because I just saw John Bush and
20:41Armored Saint.
20:42And then a couple of days later, you're now touring and singing with them.
20:45So here's what John Bush had to say about it.
20:48He said, this is a text from John.
20:50And Jason's an awesome person.
20:52He saved my and the band's ass.
20:54He came literally one day notice.
20:56And because he was an old school Saint fan, he was already ready.
20:59I'm eternally grateful.
21:00And he will forever be part of the Armored Saint story.
21:03So that was a pretty nice message from John.
21:05He's the best.
21:06And so is it the same type of thing with the Armored Saint guys?
21:11Well, there's a little bit of a difference in story by way of, I met Armored Saint February
21:1921st of 1985 just to be a nerd when they were supporting Metallica on Ride the Lightning.
21:27So Wasp was also on that tour as well.
21:31They had canceled.
21:32They had actually canceled that night here in Austin.
21:38But Armored Saint and Metallica did play.
21:41Now, I met those guys so long ago.
21:45And, you know, me and John became pen pals and just stayed in touch off and on.
21:53You know, not close.
21:54We're not we don't call each other every day.
21:56But we used to speak like once a year, every couple of years, once the world got cell phones.
22:03And we would run into each other sometimes.
22:06And I'd go see Armored Saint throughout the years whenever they'd come through town with whoever they were with.
22:12And we kept up.
22:13Right.
22:14Right.
22:14So it was different because I felt like I knew these guys better than the Accept guys.
22:22Just by that default, it's not.
22:25It fit a little bit better.
22:26Right off the get.
22:28A little bit more family oriented because, you know, the Accept guys, I had just gotten to know them.
22:33And you know what?
22:33They made me feel like family on day one.
22:36Right.
22:37It's no sweat off of the Accept dudes that I know I've known the Armored Saint guys like closer as as like bro down kind of shit than I did with Accept.
22:47So that's no one's fault.
22:49It just was weird.
22:51I think Accept had like a three man list.
22:57And Armored Saint had one one man list.
23:01Like John sang Sunday night a week ago Sunday night.
23:05They were in like Philly or I can't remember where they were.
23:08Yeah, because they played here on a Friday and they were playing every single day.
23:11Right.
23:12Saturday and Sunday.
23:13Yeah.
23:13Yeah.
23:13So Sunday night, wherever they were, John comes off stage going.
23:19Yeah.
23:20Nope.
23:21Now, I'm going to be honest.
23:22He sounded fantastic here in Detroit.
23:24He's killer.
23:25And even when he.
23:26Yeah, I know it.
23:27I agree 100 percent.
23:29He's been one of my.
23:29This is going to sound weird.
23:31Idols for a long time.
23:32He's a powerhouse.
23:33He's a super nice guy.
23:34So good.
23:35And he's one of the best dudes ever.
23:39So he gets out, you know, they go on at eight.
23:41Their set is 50 minutes.
23:43So by two hours from the time that they said, thank you, good night.
23:48My phone rang because my phone rang at 10 Texas time.
23:52Yeah.
23:52East coast.
23:53So, you know, it's 11 there.
23:55It's 10 here.
23:56My phone rang.
23:57I'm on the phone with Joey.
23:58And I'm like, you're kidding me.
24:01I just did this.
24:02Dude, I was in my robe on the couch with the dog in my lap and my wife.
24:07And we're watching TV.
24:08And I'm just like, yeah, that was pretty cool singing with except that was cool.
24:12It's, you know, a couple of weeks had gone by.
24:14And here I am getting a call to go do the same thing with Armored Sane.
24:18And I'm like, what is happening?
24:22And I said, you know, what's happening is these singers are getting back out to the eastern seaboard and they're coming down with some crud.
24:29And I don't like that.
24:32I don't want any singers to get sick.
24:35I don't.
24:36But it's so cool at this stage of the game of your life, of your career, when people are calling you and you're going out there and helping out these bands, idols and friends of yours.
24:45Yeah.
24:47Yeah, it's weird.
24:48It's a great compliment.
24:49It is a great compliment.
24:50I feel super blessed.
24:52And I'm excited to be able to help anyone who needs me for anything in the name of rock and roll and heavy metal, because that's what I do.
25:05Yeah.
25:05Now, the fact, back to what I was saying, it hurts me to hear about a singer who's basically come down with a handicap and can't use their voice in danger of a crew and a band not being able to work.
25:22In the middle of a tour, that's a nightmare.
25:25Yeah.
25:25Oh, my God.
25:27Now, I think that it's really great that that John that John was on the tour the whole time and that Mark came back so quick that it was like he was on the tour the whole time.
25:37Yeah.
25:37Because I got to share the stage with both of those guys, because John was John was coming out at the top of the set and going, hey, man, what's up?
25:45It's John Bush here.
25:46And that crowd goes crazy.
25:47Wow.
25:48He's wow.
25:48Oh, John's going to sing.
25:49And then he says, well, the rumors are true.
25:52I'm still not 100 percent.
25:54And my buddy Jason's going to take over for me.
25:56And you guys give him all your love.
25:59And, you know, he basically was announcing the band and bringing me in red carpet.
26:04And I'm just like, oh, my God, my heart is just crying with joy.
26:09And this is the best I could ever hope for, because he's telling his fans, I endorse this dude.
26:17Yeah.
26:18So you guys better not be dicks.
26:20Right.
26:20Kind of a thing.
26:22Beautiful, beautiful moment in history.
26:24The fourth night, we were in Huntington, Long Island, Huntington, New York, at the Paramount, most beautiful venue I've ever been in.
26:36I think sold out, maybe sold out.
26:39I know a couple of the nights I did were sold out.
26:42And he came out and announced the band.
26:46And then I kind of let the cat out of the bag a few songs into the set that we might have a secret.
26:51Might have a secret guest come out here later in the crowd.
26:54Wow.
26:54What?
26:55You know.
26:56And so the last two songs, I'm like, all right, we got two more.
27:01You know, should we should we do something cool now?
27:03You know, can we and then all of a sudden I hear Bush and my in ears coming out going, it's time to stop messing around.
27:11You know, and we both tag team the last two songs.
27:16Yay.
27:17Happy, happy.
27:18What did you what did you think of a wasp set?
27:21I love wasp.
27:22Yeah, I love wasp.
27:24I think that they are a legend.
27:26Blackie alone is a legend himself.
27:29I don't know if he realizes how many black metal, death metal and corpse paint bands that he has influenced with the tone of his voice, his dark thematic approach and just stage antic.
27:41And the whole the whole the cod piece, the whole thing is influential just as much as Gene Simmons, just as much as Kiss, I could say King Diamond and Alice Cooper, just as much as those guys is an influence upon so many.
27:56It's like multi genre stuff going on, even though it's it's still kind of leaning into butt rock, but it has a lot of double kick.
28:04Yeah, a lot of double bass and heavy.
28:06His voice is so, you know, I love it so much.
28:11I love the set list.
28:13It was really great to see wasp.
28:15A couple of different bands, Broken Teeth and Godzilla Motor Company, two bands of mine over the years.
28:21I guess they've gotten to open for versions of wasp as they came to Texas.
28:25And I got to say the stuff that's happening right now on this tour with wasp and Armored Saint.
28:32Wasp doesn't sound hadn't sound any better than this.
28:35This is tough.
28:37It sounds so heavy and cool.
28:39Yeah, they they sounded great here in Detroit.
28:41I know that you saw Frank Bellow and he said he said Jason was so comfortable with the lyrics.
28:47He he had a notepad, but he didn't even seem to need it.
28:50I thought he was great.
28:51That's what Frank Bellow said.
28:52You guys saw him, of course, at that show in Long Island.
28:55Yeah.
28:55So, so nice of Frank.
28:57He's always been a great guy.
29:00My band Watchtower opened for Anthrax in 1986 on the band's first U.S. tour.
29:06I think it was, it was, it wasn't, what was the record?
29:15It doesn't matter what early, it wasn't Fistful of Metal.
29:19It was the second record.
29:20Yeah, Stadia Euphoria or something?
29:21No, Spreading the Disease.
29:23Spreading the Disease.
29:24Yeah, it was that tour.
29:26And he was brand new.
29:27He was a kid.
29:28Yeah.
29:28He's Charlie's nephew.
29:30We all were.
29:31Younger dude.
29:31Right, right.
29:32We were all punts, right.
29:34Yeah, guy, 86.
29:35I was 21.
29:36Yeah, I was 17, I think.
29:38Yeah.
29:39Wow.
29:39Crazy, dude.
29:40Anyway, so Frank's always been great.
29:42He's been on my podcast like three times.
29:44So it was great to see him in person.
29:47Yeah, Frank is the best.
29:48He was just on mine last week and just a super good guy.
29:52But they got this cheapy Zoom here.
29:55So I'm going to have to cut things short here in just a second.
29:58But I just wanted to say thank you for coming on.
30:00You were so kind when I texted you because I think that people are interested because you've done this now with the two bands.
30:06And it's such an interesting story.
30:08And people are looking to you to not only for the fans, but also for the bands and the camps and everything like that.
30:15So that's a cool honor.
30:16It definitely is and was.
30:20And, you know, it's not like I'm putting business cards in the hat.
30:28You know what I mean?
30:29It's not like I think that it's it's great that, you know, I was either a suggestion to someone like it was with the accepting.
30:38And I'm also lucky to call the Saint guys friends.
30:42And they they they said it was no question.
30:45They probably because of the accepting because of the accepting.
30:49They were like, oh, we just just call Jason.
30:51It's no brainer because he's family.
30:53Yeah.
30:53The dominoes fell in the right way for sure.
30:55That's right.
30:56Yeah.
30:56So I feel extremely blessed.
30:58And you know what, man?
30:59Thank you for having me today on your show.
31:01I appreciate it.
31:02The guy with the coolest email address and all of rock and roll.
31:05I have to say that.
31:06So, well, thanks.
31:08My phone number used to have 2112 in it, but it doesn't anymore.
31:12Mike Portnoy was the was the most angry friend I had when I lost that phone number.
31:17So, yeah.
31:18Jason, thanks so much for the time.
31:20And I really appreciate it.
31:22Yeah, of course.
31:22It was a pleasure.