Coming to you from the studios at the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66. It's the Rock and Roll Chicago podcast Hey everybody, it's Ray the roadie and this is Hollywood Mike. Hello, Hollywood Mike.

How's it going today, Ray? I'm doing well How are you doing? You know, um, you know, I can't complain. Yeah. Yeah to work today.

I always work Do you yeah constantly actually truth be told I didn't work very hard today though. It's Your boss doesn't listen to this podcast does he no, okay, I don't actually I don't think many people do so I think we're on the same side. Oh, thanks Wow, listen to that But you know, we're number two in India we are number two in this right We have a following in India like you wouldn't believe.

Yep. That's great That is very great. You you guys bought a new car We did we we I bought a new car and then she bought a new car So now we have two new cars two new cars So the auto automakers are making a lot of money off us, yeah, right So maybe we can get them to sponsor us.

I should go talk to them Yeah, I think I will see if I can get them to sponsor us Yeah, even the local dealerships right and if anybody out there listening is looking to throw money at people that we're looking for sponsors We don't care what you do. That's right. Yeah, if it's flooding, we're in the sandbag business a baby.

Let's go. You got it You got who we got in the studio tonight. Well, I've been I was searching around I came across this band called the Abbey K band and They just happen to have a gal named Abbey K in the band.

Well that works out good. It works out really well It's it's a it's great when things just kind of work out, you know, it does it does it does yeah So hi everybody welcome Yeah, we've got a lot of people in the studio here tonight there's like 400 of them Yeah, I think we should I think we should do like the third grade your first day in third grade where you introduce yourself Yeah, I think I think we should just go right around the table We'll start right over here and with who with Abbey K. All right Creatively, my name is Abbey K and I'm a Taurus and my favorite color is yellow perfect I'm Seth Beavis. I'm actually an Aries and my favorite color is green.

I swear it's true You might hear otherwise Hi, I'm Julia. Oh She has such a little tiny boy, yeah She has no sign Yeah Yeah, hi, I'm Rob McHugh I'm bass player I'm a Sagittarius all right I'm John. I'm the drummer and I actually am a Gemini.

Oh, so there's two of you here. Yeah, that's right And I'm the drummer And my favorite color is purple and fun fact. He used to be a radio personality.

Oh, yeah some experience. Oh, yeah Back in my college years my better years. I was Up there for voice of Walworth County, so Wow 917 the edge alternative rock radio from Wisconsin.

Mm-hmm. All right. Well brought to you by Spotted Cow Being in Whitewater pretty much I'm glad you told us that we'll talk slowly for you.

I Love the kids of people from Wisconsin because they call us fibs. I know But they do have good beer they do they do I do have to give that to them maybe the best beer Yeah, you know you know Spotted Cow is good beer sure I can tear that stuff up. Mm-hmm We should get Spotted Cow to sponsor.

We should go do a show in Wisconsin Yeah, and just get some beer at Spotted Cow brewery. Yeah, New Glarus, Wisconsin What do we know about that stuff? I bet the Abbey Kaye band would play. Yeah.

Oh, yeah, I bet you we could Do you know anybody in the band? Couple of them, you know, do you know New Glarus is a home of the world's largest journal? It is there are so many jokes There are so many Wisconsin jokes that just went through my head like a freight train. Well, I don't recall the name There's a restaurant in New Glarus and they have they hold their claim to fame is the world's largest journal. It's huge It's like seven feet tall.

No kidding. Yeah All right. Let's get on with the band About the Abbey Kaye band.

So when did this whole thing start? I'm assuming Abbey Kaye is responsible for putting it. Yeah. Yeah, I did I started playing I don't even know how long ago but like at pizza places in the corner for free beer and pizza I started playing by myself, but I want to say it's been like Two and a half years probably of the band And we kind of came together like during the whole pandemic thing, which is not typical I feel a lot of bands were together before that and kind of had to suffer through it But we instead like kind of all found each other during that time and that's when we came together Did you guys know each other at that time? No, I know not any of us actually John is the first member He's the earliest original member of the band But yeah, we met doing like open jams and through people And we've all got to meet each other and come together play music.

It's been awesome. Very cool. So what's your background? What have you done, um, I mean, like I said, I started off playing pizza places in the corner and From that we've gotten to do a lot of cool things.

We've got a lot of cool gigs coming up and we like it started as just me playing acoustic and me playing originals and Then we just kind of came to be like I play acoustic guitar and I sing and then I got a lead guitarist and I got a drummer and Soon after we filled in a bass and then Seth and Julia actually came to us after that and we've just been really fortunate to find people who are very talented musicians who are up for playing original music as well as Playing a really wide variety of covers and I throw them so many things and they are always up for it So we really do cover a lot of styles of music a lot of decades of music as well as create our own music so we have a really Eclectic blend that we put together and we we enjoy doing it and we get a lot of positive comments on our music selection I feel Julie, I think you were the only person that didn't say what you do in the band. You just kind of said hi, I'm Julian Yes, I do Like background vocals and harmonies with Abby. Okay.

All right. No instrument You're just kind of the person on the mic in the back. She plays some percussion.

She's she's playing it down, but she does Hey, there's you can't overlook a good backup singer and percussionist Yeah, you could be the next you could be the next star on that documentary 10 feet from stardom. Have you seen that? That's a great documentary. You guys should see that It's all about backup singers who tour with famous singers and some of those singers are actually better than the lead singers Actually a lot of the time.

Oh, yeah Absolutely, and it's a great documentary called 10 10 feet from stardom, which is a Which is a great title. So who is the first person to sign on who was the first person to kind of join her? He's actually not here he moved So John would be the first one in the room. He did.

Yes, and I hear he's the best drummer in the room He is yeah Julie is better. I hear Yeah, but I can twirl my sticks He also has like really luxurious hair. Yeah, he does a lot of that's what really landed me the lead drummer role.

Yeah So give us give us a little bit, you know information about the chronological order How did the how did the the origin story? Yeah. Yeah, give us give us that story. Yeah So I started playing music and I actually had a friend of mine who he told me he was like I'd play at friends houses and whatever and people knew That I played and that I wrote music and I had a friend of mine say hey Abby like if you want to be a singer You need to go sing and it was like the stupidest but smartest advice ever because I mean that's very obvious But you know, you need to hear that.

So I was like, you're right I should go places and play out and Meet people and I started doing that after that and I got to meet all the people who are in the room now all 400 of them as you said But yeah We started playing just like at a bar that had an open jam and that's where John came into the picture and at that point It was me and an electric guitarist and John played drums and I actually I had booked a solo gig and I booked a solo gig at a distillery and I showed up to the solo gig at the distillery at the band of four people and we the night before that had practiced with John and the guitarist and myself and we picked up a bass player who didn't even own a bass and we got him a bass for the weekend and We showed up at the distillery with the full band and it was the first time I'd ever heard people like really up and dancing You know and and participating in that way because usually I was by myself on an acoustic, you know More of a listening scene and oh my god the next day we were all just calling each other just so excited about it and at like after that like It became a thing and I asked the guys was like, what do you want the band name to be? You know like they're like well it should have your name on it because you've been playing solo and I was like All right, like we could be like Abbey Kaye, you know I like Tom Petty and the Runaways like or Tom hitting the Heartbreakers Joan Jett and the Runaways. That would be a great hybrid though Let's make that happen. Yeah Let's get the Heartbreakers and Joan Jett.

Yeah That would be a show When she brought up the idea I was like Abbey Kaye and the ironclad super hogs Yeah, I shut that one down but it's not to say it couldn't happen But it was so funny because the guys I was like, what do you want to do? And that's like they're like we're fun at the Abbey Kaye band I was like, that's not lame and they're like no we can So it's so funny because I don't know it seems like a long time ago when we did that and now That's that's what we do. And we've we've been creative with other things, but our name is not creative But you know what? That seems to be the thing now There's think about all the bands out there that are somebody's name, you know, the somebody's name band It's they're they're all over the place. So I mean it works, you know, whatever whatever You're sitting over there kind of chill there Seth man So when did you start playing and how'd this come about for you? Yeah, it was about a year ago now at this point I think I've only been in the band for a year or so and I met John at a bar in Wakanda that has an open jam and I was just kind of there and we played some tunes together And he came up to me and sort of like hey Our guitar player is moving to Florida and we need a new guitar player Like would you be interested in checking us out? So I saw a couple of shows and kind of hung out met the rest of the band and figured it might be a good fit And so joined in and I think I first show was in January or sometime last year I you know I've been in cover bands before and was just coming off of doing some original music that I was breaking up with and You know didn't have a whole lot of reflexes for the cover band stuff and they said well Here's our setlist and they handed me like 50 tunes and I had a month to learn them And so I buckled down and did that and we started playing and things actually went pretty well I gotta say it's been a really good time with the band so far I can't complain about really any of the shows that we played And then it's been a lot more fun because eventually my wife started singing with us.

So Julia and I There it is. I knew that was gonna come out for that You heard it here first folks. That's I was waiting for one Nobody knew that was slick too.

They kind of stuck it in there. You know, my wife started playing the band and stuff That's right. Nobody knew until now until now.

That's exactly This is a rock-and-roll Chicago podcast Separate on stage to make sure that no one knows about that. So if you all could keep it quiet, you know, yeah Yeah Well, I mean, I mean that's probably a good thing I mean because there's a couple bands out there like Fleetwood Mac and and The Mamas and the Papas where that didn't kneel the intermediate didn't yeah work too well. No, not too well Yeah, it was funny to Seth was saying, you know after I had met him at this jam bar It was just kind of me there that night from the Abbey K band And I knew that we were looking for somebody but the way Seth and I like kind of look back on it now It was one of those like almost like you're like flirting with somebody Hey nice to meet you, how you doing? You know like really trying to get to know the guy and like like hey Do you want to come over sometime? You know and like yeah have a drink or two play a couple songs, you know Yeah, I definitely went home that night about you know, 1 a.m. Woke up my wife and said so I've met someone She was real happy to hear that at first.

Yeah, and what was the reaction to that? Honestly, very pleased cuz it's just this is amazing. So very pleased about it Did you join right away or no? No, I would go to a lot of gigs and just have fun and play and sing along and Abbey and I got really close And we just I don't even know how it happened Yeah we went on a band field trip to watch another band and We were kind of like staying together and talking and then she was kind of like singing along and she's like, yeah I grew up like singing harmonies with like my mom and like everything else and I was like You want to sing harmonies? And it was just like so instant after that and it's been super fun And I've never had another girl in the band with me before either So that's super fun and we get to sing together and we just have a great time Yeah, it was like we can't pay you but I'll bring you cookies Now are they a twofer so like It's split four ways and you know too bad, you know, we cannot answer these questions Okay, gotcha gotcha, so how you doing over there Rob Doing real good. Thank you, man.

Holding down the low end over there. Mm-hmm Yeah, so tell us your story. How'd you how'd you join it? You know, I was in about four different bands before I got in this and he is not exaggerating Yeah, and I was kind of a free agent.

Just I wanted to pick up gigs. I wanted to pick up shows I am NOT the bass player that Abby mentioned that did not have his own bass that she had to buy I'll just add that because that was my predecessor. I did it.

I did own a bass Yeah, I was just picking up small shows kind of coffee shop gigs where I would play guitar with a duo With a friend of mine. I was playing with some older guys that did not want a gig because their wives would not let them gig so then Yeah, that was another story. But anyway, so I knew John actually before that You know when I was playing with the older guys because John subbed in as a drummer at that time and then The opportunity came up for me to join and John called me and I came on board.

Yeah, I asked the guys We needed a bass player and I asked the two guys that were in the band still and I was like Who do you want and they both like same time? We're like Rob McHugh and I was like, okay Cuz I had met him and we had actually I played a gig once and we played a gig and he was there and he like Came and played a song with us. So like I knew him and I was like guys. He's in like four bands I Didn't think what happened, but we're very very lucky that I did but that's see that's a good That's a good thing A lot of people would if they're looking to fill a spot in their band a lot of people would say all he plays in four Bands forget it, but there's a reason why he plays in four bands There's a reason why you can go around you can see you can see, you know Ten bands in one month, right and you'll notice there's probably about five guys that play in all ten of those bands Because when you find guys that are good and they're professional they tend to get asked to play in other bands Absolutely, they really do and you could probably put this guy up with every band He's ever played with he could probably play a show that great with them If he hasn't even played with them in a year like he's he's that kind of player.

So we're very lucky, right? Right, right. So before we get into original music because I know you have that coming What kind of what kind of covers you guys play and what kind of drew you guys together? And I guess who's deciding that I it started off with me deciding that and I don't know how I get away with it And I feel great That this group supports me in the crazy stuff that I chose But it started with being me because I had booked these gigs Like I said, like I started booking being solo and then we just started kind of building a band but now we we you know we share ideas and we have little conference calls where we like we have a list of songs that we want to do eventually and get to and We you know We'll play to the season or we'll play to The venue and we'll try to come up with new things that make sense for what we're getting into But we play a lot like we play country music for sure We play rock we play pop we play bluesy ish things as well and like I think the big thing for me is that like a lot of times people just want to book you based on your genre and I think that in a lot of ways we could be more marketable if we just went that way I Mean a lot of times we find people just looking for like a straight country band and we have enough country songs that we can do that But I think one of the things that makes us unique is that we're able to play I don't think there's a genre we've tried that we haven't pulled off. We've gotten away with a lot.

We play some Lizzo we We've played nine-inch nails. We've you know We've been all over the place and we always get really good feedback about that from the crowd like that's one of the things that I hear the most is that people like our setlist and they like How they hear a lot of songs that they like and that it's not pegs is just one thing So I like to try to keep it wide open with that and not let the genre define what we do and just try to have fun with the art of playing songs that we like and It's really fun to have a band of people with really good musical taste because they all bring good suggestions forth You know the videos on your website. I thought you're continued.

Let's try that again that was easy for me to say I thought the continuity was pretty consistent, you know, the Yet yet Piece of my heart was on there. I saw that one, right? I saw that video and everything else that's on there You can tell that there's a common thread and all the songs and all the videos that are on your website there So it'd be it'd be interesting to see these other examples But but the one thing that I also noticed is that yeah You you might have a little bit of a variance in your set list, but it's not to incident of the the spectrum It's not like you're you're not doing a Taylor It's not like we're trying on other people's clothes, you know, like we do everything our way, you know And so it does like I agree with you. I think it does have a common theme to it and It works somehow it's hard to describe and I feel like like I said like sometimes you feel the push to be more marketable and want to like put yourself in one lane, but I Just want to follow my heart with it and make it authentic for people Good, and I know you guys said it but how long have you been together? I think you were gonna say something.

Oh About two years. We've been together about two years At what point in time did you did you guys decide? Okay enough of the covers and you're gonna start working on the original stuff. It was originally originals.

It was yeah Okay, so it's reverse. It was originals and Yeah, I think that's what made me stick out to other musicians and I remember like giving myself a pep talk like I'm gonna go into this bar I don't know anyone and I'm gonna play original music right and if people want to play with me that's because it's good and like I need to do that like I said my friend was like If you want to be a singer go sing if you want to be a songwriter go songwrite and like so I had to kind of like give myself that pep talk because you know, I come from like a musical theater background to where you're always playing a character so to like Be yourself and play your music is like a pretty crazy thing to do honestly and then to have people who are Established musicians who want to be a part of that project is really cool. And that's how we started.

So we've actually grown more Getting more covers, you know, that's where we've grown more but we started with originals I would say and I think I cut you off Rob you were gonna say something else before I asked how long you were together Oh, I was just gonna add on to what Abby was saying about the originals that she had and then when we joined we just started writing together and producing music together, but Abby's really been the foundation of writing a lot of the music her creative process is really really good I've told her that she's I mean, this is a big compliment But she has an intuitive understanding of melody and I've compared it to like the Beatles where she just she has a melody in her Head and she writes around that and it's always a really good melody and like if you listen to the Beatles like let it be Songs like that. It's very it's very melody based, right? That's how she writes Well good, and then we just kind of add on to that excellent to her excellent her creative process Well, I think it's time we hear an example of that. Yeah, but you know, she said that they they originally played original So originally originals would that be like a double negative? So they're really not originals their covers Only in your head Originally original talk amongst yourselves Abby and the Aboriginals There you go, yes, I think I think we found the new name for the band Yeah, that's right.

The ever let them let them get their stuff together and we'll be right back. Yeah. Hi.

I'm Rick Anthony I'd like to thank my radio brothers Ray the roadie and Hollywood Mike for allowing me to tell you about my podcast The someone you should know podcast We spotlight musicians authors and interesting people and we like to say we're making a difference one artist at a time The podcast is heard twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays And you could check it out on your favorite streaming platforms and on the web at someone you should know podcast.com That's the someone you should know podcast with me Rick Anthony making a difference one artist at a time I'm Christy from crime cave podcast I've had a huge interest in true crime since my days of watching marathons of snapped back in the mid 90s I needed an outlet to talk about the cases that have haunted me for a very long time With each episode under 20 minutes. I shine a light on some of the most bizarre cases in the last 50 years Join me in the crime cave You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast I Think we're ready to take it away. Here's the first time tonight.

Yeah, here's the Abbey Cay band I I Oh Wonderful that was fantastic We don't have our applause. We don't have our applause button. Yeah, it's a new mixer.

We don't have our applause button anymore But I would I know Yeah, there'd be applause All kinds of stuff that was that was very good fantastic. I'll tell you I I Watched I should say I listened to I didn't watch I was I was driving at the time But I was going through all of your videos on your website Listen to you guys performing cover songs in the whole bit, but Take this as the best compliment that I can possibly give you. I don't feel like I've heard you until this very moment Because man you guys really sounded like you guys and I have no idea what that should be but I Know that you definitely sound different than the cover songs that you do in the videos.

That was that was great Yeah, I always feel like it's our best sell when we just are ourselves and play our music. So, thank you. Yeah That was great Seth I have to ask you about that guitar because it sounds fantastic first of all, oh, thank you You know when I was growing up, I was really I don't know kind of a weird kid I like strange music and things and I still do but One of the things that I was really into when I was in like high school was like Django Reinhardt Yeah, right gypsy jazz and stuff.

And so this is Some kind of gypsy jazz guitar model. I've been wanting to have it for a long time I ordered it from some maker who was only selling it in Germany at the time and I Basically waited very anxiously for like two months for it to cross through customs and get here And then this is the first time I've ever used it for anything other than playing in My bedroom Wow, no kidding. Hmm.

Yeah, what's the name of it? It's a I think a jetane is the name of it, which Exactly where it's from or anything like that, but Yeah, kind of a strange maker of folk instruments and things like that I think they make mandolins and all kinds of other fun stuff for it, right? It's really interesting It's got the smaller sound hole in here Oval shaped sound hole. Yeah, and it kind of makes it a little punchier It's a little bit more mid-range so I can cut to the mix a little bit. It definitely did.

Yeah, in fact Is that is that all nylon strings or is that a hybrid set? No, it looks like a classical guitar It's got that same shape, but it's actually all steel strings. Okay, those are all steel strings All right, then it's but it's got the it's got the classical style headstock. Yeah, it does yeah, the classical style headstock and classical tuners, which Actually makes me a little more comfortable because in college I went and did classical guitar for a while and did that and For a long time I playing on those nylon strings.

I couldn't play acoustic because it just hurt my hands too much Eventually I switched back over to steel strings and Unfortunately, I haven't picked up my classical guitar in a while But right right, but I mean even the bridge on that is unique everything about that guitar is unique Yeah, it's a very fun. It's got sort of this Mustache looking bridge they call it a minute and it's and it's extra wide I mean, it's it's much longer than you normally would see. Yeah, and so stop tailpiece on the end Yeah, exactly and these sort of end this really wide part is actually Not movable, but the middle section is completely floating if I took the strings off it right come off in your hand right and the the point of having sort of these end pieces is so that you Can set the intonation after you change your strings you line it back up and the intonation is right electric guitar You have to adjust right fine fine tuning and things like that.

Nice. Nice boy I wish I wish we had camera set up so people could see it. No kidding.

It's a very unique guitar. Yeah. Wow.

Fantastic so when it was um You meant I think you mentioned something about a distillery that was your first gig what was the name of that one? What was that? That would be copper fiddle distillery in Lake Zurich, Illinois Copper fiddle and we will actually be playing their New Year's Eve party this year. Yeah. Wow.

It's gonna be a great time I like distilleries What were they making there They make I mean their number one thing is that they're a whiskey distiller, but they also have rum and gin Your style of music seems like a perfect place to be yes, and that's actually my hometown so it's very like full circle that's the first gig the first paid gig I ever got was there and They were like I played in an open mic there and they were like hey We'd love to have you in to play a show like do you have three hours of music and I was like yes Which like I do not but I was like I will you know hence the covers I Practiced my butt off and I I was actually still living in Missouri at the time I went to college in Missouri and I think at that point maybe I had a job in Missouri Maybe it was after college and I practiced my heart out because I didn't know That like you could show up to gigs with like a music stand and music so I like memorized all three hours right and I was ready to go and I showed up at the gig and They're like, where's your stuff? And I was like, well, here's me and my guitar and and they didn't have like I needed to provide a sound system And I had no idea because like at open mic night the host provided it. I just had no idea I'm like deer in headlights. I've never done this.

I'm trying to pretend I have and they tell me oh my god So I called my sister-in-law and she like worked for a local music store and like we just grassroots did like I had like Duct-taped microphones on whiskey barrels like We made it work. And the first thing I did I got my check from that and I bought my first PA and we still use It and like honestly, it's been really like it's grown since that and I've just I've learned so much and I know I have so Much to learn and we just continue to grow with it But then it's that same Distillery is where we had like our first gig as a band as well And now we're getting to do like their New Year's Eve show and it's gonna be a great time Are you all from like up north? So I mean you all drove about at least an hour to be here Yeah, we did. It was a band field trip.

There was some carpooling involved. It was you know, it was good times Yeah, you'll see you're all from you're all north of here Okay, all right, where are some of the other places that you play around are you playing mostly up north or do you play we Do we mostly do and now we're starting to pick up some stuff around this way We're actually we're gonna be at Old Republic and that's pretty close to here, right? Well, we play there in two weekends and we're gonna be outside outs in Island Lake this Friday and then next Friday We're at Old Republic in Elgin and the next Friday. We're at We're in Antioch at the rivalry alehouse.

So yes, we're we're very up north Given this yeah, I would say pretty much looking at like our our general Demographic area of where we're at is pretty much anywhere between like Chicago and Milwaukee We've done stuff downtown in the city. So pretty much anywhere, Milwaukee to Chicago That's that's kind of our you might see us in the summer more this way. We're starting to Yeah, we're picking up a couple things in this area.

So yeah, definitely and in some talks for some summer Hoot nanny, I guess you could say Professional word for it. I'm pretty sure no, it definitely is. Yeah.

He's definitely a professional word, especially down Make sure we sound good here and you know, Southern Illinois. Yeah Really Southern, Illinois You do realize you're 30 you're 30 miles from Chicago. Yeah, I do Are we north or south I 80 right now? North right now.

Okay, so we're still in northern, Illinois. We're yeah, yeah Not by much though. I got a map handy So who's managing all your social media and all that stuff for you? That's me boy You're just doing it all aren't you who does the booking me? For the most part me some of the guys have picked up stuff to who writes the original music Who picks up the tab me Actually actually tonight there might have been one and that might have been Seth Yeah That's right.

That's right Well, I'll tell you what, why don't you play another one for us and then we'll get some other information and some other date information For me guys, but I think everybody would like to hear another song Especially if it's gonna be as good as that last one. I'd like to hear another song Yeah, but my opinion doesn't really matter does it? Oh, of course it does. Oh, it does We're gonna do this one just for you.

All right We'll be right back you're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast and Once again, here is the Abbey K band Magic gasoline Oh Oh Free That's the Abbey K band everybody once again once again fantastic, I love I'm uh, I'm an old Western, you know Like a story in a movie buff. I love the references to Calamity Jane and John Wayne I think the John Wayne is getting the short end of stick is calamity Jane was known to be a little rough around the edges I've actually and she ain't difficult. She ain't worth it.

I actually visited her grave. I've always wanted to Visited her grave. It's a it's a great place to be Yeah I mean that whole song is that like idealism of like the Wild West and I've always just thought that was a time where I would have made sense in the world and I just totally randomly wrote that song years ago and then I was at an open jam again, and I had a bunch of guys around It was a kind of quiet night and they're just like play another original play another original play And so I'm just like going through every song I can come up with and that was not one of the first ones And I played it and the guys at the bar like that's the one and I I hadn't thought that you know like I just thought it was kind of like a Whimsical song that I had written at some point and then it's been really cool because like once People don't realize that like how much as an artist like you're looking to connect with people So like their feedback means so much and you know, so to hear that I mean that pushed that song through to me playing it by myself and then Eventually with the whole band and it's so great just to hear how they've colored it all in and made it the song that it is Yeah, excellent.

I loved it. Absolutely. He wasn't one of your band members a radio DJ That is true.

It was Tell us about it John Well, I went to school at University of Wisconsin Whitewater and just as kind of like an elective I was like, oh, I'll take a radio class and you know, it was something interesting to me. I think we're just being a musician Growing up kind of listening to the radio hearing all different kinds of music and flipping the station seeing what was you know? What was country what was metal what was blues and just kind of bouncing around from genre to genre finding out what you really like and Me, I mean I play drums, but I also do guitar and bass and I'm terrible at keyboards But I still try it anyway you know, so I Just kind of wanted to try and experiment with a couple different genres and I thought the radio was a really great tool for that type of thing So when I was in college, I was a business major but just as an elective I I had some extra time on my hands needed a couple extra credits. And what was your radio name, John? I think I was shaggy There's an alternative rock radio station and I did it while I was in college and Yeah, it was a great time and again, it was just you know meeting people doing a couple interviews and Really having a good time with it and learning the whole behind-the-scenes process you know with like what you guys are doing now with the mixing boards and right everything else and For a lot of shows too if we don't have like a sound person provided Then I kind of am our sound guy So and I would accredit a lot of that to doing you know a lot of the radio work in college with having those mixing boards and figuring out how to run sound and Make things sound pretty right, right, right, right, right.

What year were you or did you graduate from whitewater? Yeah, I graduated from whitewater in 21. If my math is correct in 21. Okay.

Yes Yes, 21 is when I graduated I I have I had a nephew that went there and you look to be about his age But he's actually a little bit older. So, okay. I was just just because I know it's not a huge school No, but it's a fun school.

I know it's a fun school I've seen the I've seen the the pictures actually thirsty Thursdays were never better Yeah, my nephew my nephew that went there. Yeah, who knows you may Are you a fisherman at all? I'm not now because because the the bass fishing team there exists because of my nephew Oh, no, he was a he's a passionate fisherman and he I believe that I believe the stories He walked into the athletic director's office one day and said, why don't we have a bass fishing team? And he said well, here's a check go start one and that's exactly what happens and now he owns his own guide service He's a professional bass fisherman and all that. So how about that only in Wisconsin only in Wisconsin only but you know, he's from here He's from he's from here, but he went there because it was in Wisconsin and he's like, yeah I'm gonna go someplace where I can fish every day I I don't think I could catch anything even if he gave me the magic bait But yeah, no, but I got a couple friends that were on the team.

So no kidding. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, I'll guarantee that they know my nephew Louie Dazzle was his name Okay, and he started the whole started the whole thing there.

So excellent. Yeah trailblazer. Well, where can people find you guys? Well, I know you're playing New Year's Eve, right? That is true.

You can find us this Friday at sideouts in Island Lake And we are the Abbey K band on Instagram. All right, and on Facebook where I became music and And we also have a BK band comm Okay, we got a website now or official right any dates coming up or probably what about mid November? December anything. Yeah, we've got We've got Old Republic and Elgin on the 17th this month Okay, and we have the rivalry alehouse in Antioch on the 24th this month Am I correct? They're checking their phones.

Is that Black Friday? Yes, it is. It's a Black Friday show I think we got a parade in town at Antioch that day and I mean we always have a good time in Antioch It never disappoints nice. Yeah mentioned Facebook.

Yeah, we're Abbey K music on Facebook. Yeah, like us, please We promise we're likable Like our podcast Yeah, no, we will definitely be all up on tagging you guys on that for sure, yeah Yeah, and I know we're at mad cats in Palatine on the 22nd of December John you got some more for us on there. Yeah before we're gonna be a mad cats We'll also be at Peggy cananes in Arlington Heights.

Oh, yeah. So yeah, we definitely got some good We went through a while where we were just on like an Irish pub tour You know, we like a good Irish, but yeah You know and that totally makes sense because you kind of have a little bit of that that twang You know and we do and it's funny cuz like we and we totally Do play to that genre and I feel like that acoustic bit is definitely how I mean, that's all I play is acoustic So that's how I play but now having the full band We've got some other songs that if we had our full electric gear we'd rock out some harder stuff as well But uh, yeah, we like to do it all like we've said Yeah, we also had mentioned that we're gonna be at Copper Fiddle on New Year's before that we're also going to be in Highwood at 28 mile on December 29th Okay, so you guys got very busy. Yeah, we are.

Yeah, we're busy. Well, that's good. That's good So we got to get everybody out to go and see these folks.

That's right I think they're gonna we gotta get you guys out. You guys can be our VIP. I will I would come to a distillery Well, we got two of those that we just talked about 28 miles of distillery as well, you know You know shame shame on me.

I would love to if I tell you what I've got so many bands that I need to go out and see and if I ever get a day off, I will Play a lot as well. So but yeah one of these days I will get I will make it out Well, thanks for driving all this way down to Southern, Illinois But thanks a lot for coming out we appreciate it, thank you guys for having us and we'll catch you around. Thank you Well, there you have it The Abbey K band not to be confused with the Mary Kay cosmetic products.

That's that's right I I wouldn't confuse that. I don't think no, I don't think so But you know that their original songs were I thought were Excellent. They were very good.

Really good. Really good. I enjoyed them all.

Yeah, you know, they I listened to their cover songs their cover songs were good, but I really felt like We were getting that a heart and soul in a band with those originals for sure, which is the way it should be Sure, I enjoyed them very much and looking forward to hearing from you know more from them. Yeah, definitely we you know, we've been getting a Number of bands are in lately to are doing a little you know more original stuff and that's good. It is Yeah, absolutely.

I hope to find a bunch more of those of the original bands out there for sure. Yeah Yeah, it's all you bands out there if you're thinking about it think about writing a song you might be surprised. That's right All righty.

There you have it another fine episode if I may say so myself So make sure you tune in next Tuesday for another exciting episode of the rock and roll Chicago podcast See you then the rock and roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin theme song courtesy of M&R Rush the rock and roll Chicago podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show The music is used to promote the guests that are featured