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. Hey Mike, it's been a Monday.

It's been a Monday Yeah, it's been a Monday. Well, that's a good thing cuz it is Monday. It's been a long day Does it yeah and after the Bears game yesterday? Oh god.

Yes, you know I don't know if you saw my post, but I was like Yard work or Bears game. I really don't want to do either one of them. Mm-hmm, and I chose to watch the Bears game Well, actually last week when they were playing the Chiefs at there was a 325 game.

I asked Dawn I said hey, you want to go see Cadillac groove? She's where they at. It's a cherry red Roasters out in Dwight Well, when are they playing? It's about 330 But the Bears are on I said, yeah And I never give up on the Bears a man I'm dumb I'm telling you I'm tired I don't know. I don't know what else to do disgusting just completely disgusting Yeah, so like everybody's saying if you live in Chicago when you own a jersey Show up tomorrow for tomorrow 10 a.m. Halas Hall show for practice.

You got a jersey or get you're on the team Yeah, absolutely. You can't do any worse. Yeah, you know, I actually have a commit Jersey.

I have a butt kiss I went classic. All right, there you go. I do have a Peyton Jersey, but I want to mess that one up Yeah, I had you know, I had too many current players and then they trade them.

Yeah, you know or something I'm like, no. No, I'm going classic. That's it.

I have an entire NFL Jersey collection at home and I started it about 20 years ago. Okay, every time a good player got traded away I bought their jersey from the team that they went to Oh, I've got a Greg Olsen Panthers Jersey and I was Cedric Benson Bengals Jersey and stuff like that. Yeah Nice, that's that's what my whole collection is.

You're following Trubisky to you got all his jerseys I haven't gotten a Trubisky yet. I think I need to but it's amazing, you know They're comparing stats fields to Trubisky right Trubisky is miles better than he was and we hate him Oh, I know and so is Kyle Orton. Yeah Don't get that and he ended up he ended up playing for like 10 years.

Yeah, we got rid of him. Yes, he did I don't know. So on a brighter note, that's right.

You brought some guests in tonight. I did bring some guests Who did you bring to us here tonight? I've got Amy Stefan. Is that? Steven it's stuff and you got it right the first time which is rare and company.

It's a company of one. So welcome everybody Who's the company see you wanted to know what the board was for that's the board right there That's right Mark mark Shealy. She is Mark Shealy Shealy.

There you go. See him Two for two. He's good at this name thing so far.

Yeah, don't worry. I'm gonna forget it by the end of the podcast Of course, you will don't even worry about it. So Amy Stefan and company a company of one Why don't you Amy? Why don't you tell us about that? Well, so Mark and I have been playing together for about what three years.

Yes three years so we were in a full band together and then kovat hit and you know, everything shut down and Was that also Amy Stefan and company? What was that thing? No, that was that was fast Susie. Okay, and Yeah, kovat hit so we couldn't do anything and Mark and I had been kind of talking a little bit before then and and talked about doing a two-piece acoustic thing and so that seemed like a good time to kind of start it up and You know, we've been playing ever since and you know during that time It was better being a two-piece finding places to play and we've been busy, you know Pretty much since then so the last well about three years a little over three years now Yeah, yeah So you were doing the acoustic thing for three years is correct that about it because I think it was sometime around Well, it was definitely Pre-kovat because I've been I've been going to the jam at the studio for like four years And then I think you guys started coming in and that's where we met I think the first time with Mark and his plethora of bass guitars. Yes.

He has he has so many bass guitars Yeah, I know some people never play the same song the same, you know, you know the same song the same way twice He never plays the same bass twice in a row, you know He could probably get through our whole set and not play the same bass on two songs Well, you mentioned fast Susie, yes our episode 107 is fast Susie. Oh, really? Yep. Oh very cool That was back in April of 2022 To Wow, you might want to check him out.

Yeah for sure So you obviously weren't a member of that band at that particular time. I was it was Okay, so you've been here before no, no, no not at that time. I'm sorry.

Okay. It was prior to that. I'm getting confused Yeah, it was prior to that Like I said in 2020, that's when we were in the band.

So gotcha. Gotcha okay, and then we just we kind of went off and you know, like I said during kovat and you know did our own thing and Been doing it ever since and keeping busy. So right What was the genre of music with fast Susie because I'm not familiar with them actually they did rock mostly original okay, kind of had like a my opinion like an 80s kind of Not entirely but like a 80s like hair metal kind of vibe to it Okay, so some pretty cool stuff, right and you have a background in that I know because you were in the Labrada family of Acts at one point in time.

What was oh gosh. What was what was that band? I know I've seen pictures of you which What was the band bad girl? Yeah Her which one was the all-girls band wasn't one of them an all-girls band. There were two of them Okay, so the first one was cougar.

Okay, and then the second one was bad girlfriend I think I think bad girlfriend is the one that I remember seeing that was I Believe it was right around 2013. Okay. Yeah, but oh So I silenced my phone So my ringer wouldn't go off.

However, apparently I had an alarm set and I thought that was I thought that was like a lie detector or something like that. She's like, nope. She's not me.

It was a nuclear disaster And if I remember correctly bad girlfriend that was also kind of like it was like a 90s rock So well bad girlfriend. It was all females. So it originally started With cougar.

Okay, and I had met Tony LaBarbara Through that band, I don't remember who it was That introduced me to him, but they told me hey, he's looking for a female lead guitarist okay, and Told me to give him a call and at that point I had I had not played in a long time I'd played you know years before that and then kind of took a break for a while And Kind of starting to get the itch right wanting to get back into music again, so When that happened, I gave him a call and I think it was that very same night I ended up going over to his house to meet with all the rest of the girls and you know just kind of have a brief meeting get to know everybody and feel it out and Yeah, I joined the band and so that was 24-hour period you're like, yeah phone call we go. Yeah, it was it was quick I still had to audition which I believe was probably like the week later. Yeah after that and I was in the band And you don't want to seem too anxious or anything So when did it all start from you take us take us back when's the first time that young Amy decided I'm gonna Become a rock and roll chick.

Well I grew up with older brothers and an older sister and I don't know which one it belonged to but One of them had this little organ and So when I was young I would play it and they had a book and you know They had like the little cheat notes on the keys so it made it kind of easy and right so I would play that and I thought that was really cool and I was just always into music and I got a little older. I got a little more into rock and you know, my brothers were into you know AC DC and ZZ top things like that. So they kind of introduced me to that and I started getting really big into Guns and Roses and slash and I loved slash And that's that's the reason I wanted to play guitar.

I'm like, wow, this guy is so cool. I want to play guitar You see how she just smiled when she said slash Slash worthy I have a I have a slash tattoo with his autograph. Oh, wow.

Yeah, I met him So it's probably 2012 ish. Okay. Yeah somewhere around there.

Did you actually have him sign your arm and then tattoo? Oh, no signed a ticket and then I brought that when I got my tattoo. I'm like here I need this Is it just the autograph or is his picture on your room? Oh, I've got his picture too. Oh right there.

Oh, yeah No kidding. Yeah, okay very good, so that's the reason I started playing guitar and I Wanted a guitar and and and at that point I was I was about I was probably about 11 Wow at that then I know when I started playing but when I wanted to at that point my you know, I had that little organ and then my parents had bought me like a big keyboard and I would play on that and kind of teach myself how to play but I wanted a guitar right and at that point You know, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and my parents are like, you know What about basketball or you know trying sports and I mean, I'm six two so naturally, you know, right Well should play basketball. So I figured it was a good idea however, I tried that out and I believe I was I was about 12 at the time and I it was through the park district and I didn't realize I was gonna be the only girl on the team At 12 years old.

You just don't want to be the only girl so, you know That didn't last I didn't stick it out. So When I wanted to play guitar, I think my parents for a while. We're probably thinking yeah, okay she's gonna get bored with that and right so, you know, it took a while and They finally gave in and you know So they'd bring me for guitar lessons and we rented an acoustic for a while just to see and right, you know It's stuck.

So so yeah, I was about 12 when I started playing We have a very similar background because my first instrument was the organ. I Was literally in third grade and I saw my friend Ricky during a school Like recital, uh-huh. He had just won some kind of national music competition for grade schoolers right to playing the organ and I'll never forget he played the Marines him and I went home and I said and I said to my mother and father I said, you know Ricky can play the organ.

I want to play the organ. I was so young I don't really know exactly what the passage of time was but it literally seemed like the next day There's this Wurlitzer spinet organ in our dining room and I took organ lessons for five years and nobody can imagine me sitting down playing But I mean full thing double-decker wooden pedals on the bottom You know swell pedal the whole bit of it My mother wanted me to play in church that that never took and same thing I wanted a guitar more than anything else, you know The old saying it, you know Hang out with the people who you want to be or dress for the job that you want right job that you have and stuff I wanted a guitar so bad. I went around telling everybody I own the guitar already It was I was just flat-out lying Oh, yeah, I got a guitar and I was making up all these elaborate things as to what it could possibly look like Flames on it in the whole bit.

And so finally my dad comes home one day with the with the Buck Owens Acoustic guitar remember the red white and blue acoustic guitar. He played on hee-haw Oh, there was one sitting on the sitting on the organ, you know on the bench And I would sit down finally had my first guitars a buck Owens guitar, but that's interesting same Uh, same same kind of background there. That's pretty cool.

So slash, huh? Yeah So did you take guitar lessons or you're self-taught? I did take some lessons and then also self-taught So a little bit of both but I did start off with lessons and I Remember, I would go to that lesson and then go home and I would sit there and practice that night until I could get it Perfect, right? Okay. What was your first song? What was the first song that you nailed that you said? this is the first song and it was actually my very first guitar lesson the first thing he taught me was the The intro to Nirvana come as you are Okay, you don't know. No, no, not him my guitar teacher I know I kind of like you look like I gestured towards mark, right? Interesting.

Okay. All right. Yeah, that was the very first thing I learned and yeah Okay, the first song that I actually played that people would recognize was every rose has its thorn.

Oh nice Yeah to this day. I still don't know how to play smoke on the water the right way So that's a myth about you know, what nobody I'm with you. I'm with you on that I don't either I Have never played that song.

Yeah, nobody. Yeah, nobody plays it, right? I know they don't you watch them do it. No, it's all classical chords and stuff Yeah, it's some crazy stuff that you don't normally play.

Yeah, everybody plays the two-string, you know sixth quarter It sounds okay. Yeah, it works, but it's not it. It's definitely not.

No, it's not perfect Richie Blackmore would be there and slap everybody in the face if they saw he probably did that on purpose Yeah, and he's probably laughing about it People doing it and he's just laughing at him and laughing at him. So what was your first gig? Oh, I don't even know no Did you have a first gig? Oh, I mean, I guess I'm still waiting for it Whoa, that's so crazy that I can't even answer that Wow, I would have to say I Was probably around 17, okay But I don't remember exactly high school back you park backyard party or something like that Or yeah, it would have been like a party at somebody's house or it might have been at a bar I know like when I was when I was 17 I was in a couple bands with people that were you know, they were old enough to drink, right? so that means you were old enough to drink and Right Okay, interesting so so has that always been your preferred genre of music more like a more like a hair metal or heavy metal something You know, yeah, that's that's more where I lean, you know, I've always been big on hair metal You know just metal in general rock classic rock right things like that, but I listened to a little bit everything I remember I like Patsy Cline a lot. Okay, and That was that was because my parents, you know, most of what they listen to I didn't really get into but for For whatever reason Patsy Cline just you know Kind of struck a nerve with me and I just I loved Patsy Cline since I was a kid and I would listen to borrow My parents tapes and listen to it over and over again sing along Yep, one of my guilty pleasures.

I've got a Patsy. I don't know if it's a greatest hit CD or whatever That's I'm sure my age. I have CD.

Nobody has CZ CDs anymore. I Don't think I have a CD I was just listening to my eight tracks the other day eight tracks Yeah, I do own one eight track. I think we've talked about that before.

I do own one eight track I own the village people on a track. I mean if you're gonna have an eight track It's gotta be like the village people or the OJ's or something like that. It can't be but try and find a matchbook nowadays Yeah, you know you're right nobody you know, everybody has match everybody wants fancy matches That's right in a box and then you know four inch long matches and stuff like that How do you keep it from double-tracking and stuff now? Yeah.

Yeah, that's right. That's right So let's find out where the merge happens We're gonna we're gonna turn over here to mark for just a second and find out how everything started for him because I know he's Got a pretty eclectic background as well I think some of our listeners are gonna be very surprised when they find out what this guy actually did for several years. So Take it away mark.

How did I'll start for you? well When I was a small child, yes a million years ago my parents took me to see the Beatles at the International Amphitheater in Chicago in 1965 Best acoustics in the in the world amazing that almost seems that almost seems like a lie, you know It's like I'm what is it? No, no I mean, you know when you hear people say my parents took me to see the Beatles or when or I've heard people say Oh, yeah, I've seen Elvis three times. I'm like no There's no possible way, but yeah, yeah people did so I went to that with my parents and all I really heard was a lot of screaming and We didn't have the best seats we were kind of almost in the nosebleed section and My parents asked me when we were driving home, so what'd you think and I said I want to be that one guy They said which guy I go the Paul McCartney. All right And they said okay so they went to I lived in Barrington at the time and they took me to a Music store in Wakanda and bought me a violin shaped bass.

It wasn't a Hoffner, right, right? I think it was an echo. Okay from Italy. And so I started taking lessons there and Learned how to play bass and then I was playing all through junior high at SOC ops and whatever and With friends of mine and they just evolved from there.

All right. Yeah, what was your first do you remember the name of your first band? Yes, I do. Yeah, it was called mountain ash Mountain ash.

Yes. Okay. What kind of music was that? Well in the beginning we were doing the spirit like I got a line on you and songs like that And then we eventually evolved into believe it or not.

We did some Black Sabbath stuff. Okay, and Yeah, it was a lot of fun a lot of fun and then Eventually I got into original bands and did that whole scene right, right You know that gives me an idea next time you show up to the jam because I covered got a line on you many many times I was a huge fan of Randy, California and that whole crew. Yeah.

Yeah. So when did things just start to What everybody has that point in their their life or they're like, you know what? I think I want to do this like forever and you start going down the path to either make it happen or not When was that time for you? I was probably in my early 20s and I was in a band called never look back and We were all very very serious. We were rehearsing you know five six nights a week plus doing gigs on the weekends and that was really intense and everybody was really going for the prize and We were sending out tapes to record labels and you know trying to make it it was a right right huge commitment Did you did you take off and move to LA or something at about that time or when did that happen? No, I didn't go to LA until actually about 20 years ago.

Okay. Okay, and My day job had me move out to LA which was kind of nice I didn't realize all the great things that were gonna happen to me happened out there But right right. It was a lot of fun and I stayed out there for about Five six years and I came back to Chicago.

Okay. All right Do you is do you only play the bass or do you play a lot of other instruments as well? I don't play anything but bass. I've never played anything but bass and I think that was because One of my first bass teachers told me if you become Melodic, right? You're not gonna be any good He said you got to think like a bass player thinking about being in the pocket and think about driving Driving with the bass drum, right, right, right.

So that's what I did. I can't play one chord on a guitar I wouldn't even know how Wow. Okay.

Yeah, you know, it's it's funny You were talking about the mandolin player that we both ran into Yesterday and you know, we I don't know why we got on the subject of bass players. We just started talking about bass players and He said, you know back when he was coming up The bass player was usually the worst guitar player in the garage and that's and that's how you found your bass player You don't hear about you don't hear a lot of stories about people that are bass players It's a nope. I picked up the bass and that's all I wanted to do is it was ever played a bass guitar Yeah, that's that's been my story.

I think I'm challenged after I get past five strings Well, you I know you've heard my bass joke have you heard Amy have you heard you you've never heard my favorite bass guitar joke. I don't believe so Do you know why bass guitars have four strings? Why is that so they have three extras? Because it's true sometimes right right so what so so Tell us cuz I'm dying to hear the story again Tell us about what happened to you in LA and how things went actually a friend of mine and I were living together out there Guy named Murray Bannerman. He's played for the Blackhawks.

Yep, and the Murray was I think a few people know I think a few people know Murray Bannerman is yes So so our company got us a condo in LA and we would commute we leave Chicago on Monday morning at Like a six o'clock fight and be in LA by 830 So we'd go we'd work all week and then we fly back on the weekend So Murray and I were looking for a Chicago type place. Okay, that had Chicago style food and All the people out there said hey, you got to go to the Rainbow Because it's owned by two Chicago guys the Rainbow Bar and Grill in West Hollywood I said, okay so Murray and I used to go there every Sunday and we'd hang out there for four or five hours and yapping with the owner and the managers there and After about Six months the owner came up to me. He says hey Mark, you're a Chicago blues guy, right? I go.

Well, yeah, kind of I've been playing the blues in Chicago for a long time I said why don't you have a blues jam here? And I said what he goes? Yeah, why don't you start a blues jam here at the Rainbow? What night you want to do it and I said, well, let's call it Tuesday, right Tuesday is blues Yeah, that's right. So he said he said yeah, go ahead I said you're gonna give me some time though Cuz I gotta find some players out here than I know cuz I really didn't know a lot of guys that lived in LA at that time right right and I found three Chicago friends of mine that were living out there and we started it and It became a huge thing. Yeah, but the unique thing about that though is and in first of all, though You know, the rainbow is world-famous most of the time when somebody mentions that they're like, oh, wow.

Yeah, absolutely We have to go there, you know, but the amazing thing about that is the clientele of this place We're not blues musicians. No, and it was really a big concern of mine when I first started it because Musicians had come up and they go. Hey, I want to play tonight Okay, we're not doing hair metal because it was mainly a hair metal bar I said we're only gonna be doing blues and you'd be surprised they all said I Love playing the blues.

Yeah, that's what I want to play That's why I'm here and it was shocking how many people if I gave you names of people that came out You would never imagine that they wanted to play the blues, but they did and every week It was like I was kind of starstruck because every week there'd be one or two famous people show up to play, right? And can you name it? Can you name any or you shouldn't? Well, I can yeah We had a lot of cool guys up there. We had Keith Emerson from ever so like a bomber came up. We had Dave Lombardo from Slayer Mickey D from Motorhead we had The bass player who I can't remember his name from Black Label Society and I said you he's got all chains and stuff I go I go he goes.

Can I use your bass? Cuz my bass just got packed up I just got done playing at the Roxy and I said sure take that motorcycle belt off the And take your leather jacket off with all the studs and sure you can use my bass Yeah, and I go you actually want to play the blues. He goes. Oh, yeah, I grew up playing the blues I go would you play a career from he goes he had he had a New York accent So I figured he was from New York I go So who'd you play blues with he goes well, I learned how to play the blues from Leslie West Oh, wow.

Oh, wow. Yeah, and I go, okay, you know how to play the blues get a hair yeah, and he killed it and you know, and that makes total sense because I'm a Zach Wilds fan and I read it. I read an interview with Zach Wild one time where Mountain was just His influence.

I mean he loved everything about Mountain and Leslie West in the whole bit He plays a Les Paul through a Marshall because Leslie West didn't hope so that makes total sense Yeah Yeah so he got up there and killed it and Had a lot of other crazy people come up Mickey D from Motorhead used to come up and play all the time and he was a fun guy we had Don Dock and show up and every one of these guys wanted to play the blues and Yeah, I never had to really tell anybody to stop Playing what they were playing because it was definitely a blues jam, right? Right. Well, that's interesting. It's very cool Yeah Yeah So I mean did did you do more things while you were in LA and tell us about what happened there and then what brought you? back to Chicago Well, the main reason I came back Chicago was basically my job we've got a day job but I got into a couple bands out there and we would play all over I became a board member at the LA Blues Society and that was a lot of fun and they put on a lot of big shows like at Doheny and The Doheny Blues Festival I got to hang out with all kinds of great musicians Bada Masa Oh Boy I can't there's so many people I got to play with it was so much from Walter Trout.

Yep, right and a Lot of great players. There's so many talented musicians in LA and one thing I found out out there after living There is the majority of them aren't out gigging right? The majority of them are doing TV and movie work. Oh, wow Yeah, yeah doing soundtracks and it's amazing It's a and then they obviously there's jams and stuff like that Most of them there weren't big-name guys traveling around playing all over the world were Doing contract work for television and radio and TV, right? Right, you know, it's funny you mentioned that because just recently maybe within the last year or so It was really because we had a couple of bands in here on the podcast Where they talked about how they were doing a lot of soundtrack work and things like that so I started paying closer attention to you know, the musicians and the movie credits and It's surprising how many musicians you actually heard of that have contributed to so many You know so many mute, you know movie scores and you don't recognize it as being them because their voice doesn't sound the same They're not playing the music that they're you know, the style that they're known for but you look at you're like wow These guys just wrote half the music for this movie and it doesn't even sound like them And yes, I mean sure beats Torin I guess is I met it ever Levine's bass player once he went to buy one of the basses I had and I was talking with him he had me come over to his house and he had literally a huge big-screen television in a room and he had a his whole DAW set up and He was showing me he was doing a soundtrack for a movie and he was playing all the instruments and I guess how's that work? he goes well I just They send me what they want and the producer says during this second in this minute to the second in this minute I need to be violent and then this part has to be like a love story kind of music, you know real laid-back mellow I said so you record the whole thing I go how long does that take he goes it depends how long the movie is because it could take a couple months and I'll Send it to the producer and he'll listen to it and he'll send back.

Okay, everything's good Except for from here to here and from here to here. I need you to change that Wow, and he would do it and send it Back, it's all digital and just send it over the internet to the producers and they'd accept it. Yeah, pretty cool Yeah, no, it's it's definitely an easier process nowadays than having to go and sit there and cut and splice tape Some of the studios these guys had in their houses were as good as any professional studio.

Oh, yeah anywhere in the country Oh, yeah. Yeah for sure for sure So so when was it it exactly that you came back to the Chicago area then I came back 13 years ago 13 years ago Yeah, okay. All right And so then what led the two of you together at that point well Amy and I it was weird actually There was a guy in fast Susie who called me up and he says hey mark I need a bass player for this band and I go.

Okay. What are you doing? And he says that we're gonna be doing some originals and a few covers and I said, okay So he actually had us meet up at Out in where's that Libertyville Sundance Sundance? Yeah, we're up in Sundance Sundance Saloon. Yeah Yeah, and we had our first meeting there and that's the first time I met Amy and We started rehearsals and we did a show fairly quickly after we started playing together and then the whole covert thing happened and we just kind of stopped and then Amy and I talked about doing the acoustic thing because I'd seen Amy play acoustic a couple times when we were out when we were bored and She sounded great.

I said, hey, let's go do something We can you know, the clubs can afford a two-piece acoustic right now. Yeah, so that's how it started, right? Right. Were you the lead guitar player in? Fast Suzie or no, I was the lead singer the lead singer and then you know I played a little bit guitar here and there but they had two guitarists already.

So, okay. Okay So yeah, I was I was mostly just a lead singer. Okay Did you have a hand in the songwriting with that with that band a lot of what we were working on were songs that were already existing We did kind of start working on a little bit of new stuff, you know before Kovat happened And You know, so I you know, I did a little bit or you know, change some lyrics things like that for older songs, but Yeah, unfortunately because of Kovat we weren't able to write a whole lot of new materials.

Okay. All right So what do you guys have for us today? Are you guys gonna play some original music for us and cover songs for us? What do you have going on? Yeah, we're gonna be doing Original that Amy wrote that's one of my favorite songs so we're gonna do a couple covers for you because To be honest with you 99% of what we do is covers because we're playing in bars and that's what they want to hear Right, so Amy and I work on some original stuff, but we haven't broken any of that out really to the bars Yeah, okay, but you're gonna do one original. Yeah.

Yeah, cuz we love original music we do Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't we this is probably a good point to take a break yeah, we'll take a break you guys set up right there and we'll come back and we're gonna Hear the music of Amy Stephan and company. It sounds good.

You're right back. Awesome You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast 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 comm 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 And we're back Now time for a little music a little musical interlude from Amy Stephan and company So Yes, I'll beg you for another day I can't wait to see Hold this will be my saving grace I see you walking down Oh You But you have nothing to say Oh Yeah Why won't you Tell me Oh All that's left now Oh Yeah Oh Wish Looks like they brought brought their fans with them. They brought fans with us.

That was that was beautiful. That was excellent I very nice. Yeah, fantastic.

It was great. What was that? What's that called? That is called blur Blur, okay. Is that new new or has it been out a while? We actually are working on recording it.

I do have a recording. I wrote that song quite a while ago So I have a recording with my old band full band with that But we mark and I are working on recording the acoustic version So and that's your favorite you said Very good. Excellent.

Excellent. All right. Why don't we swing you back around again? Before we uh, we're putting these down now.

Yeah, you can go ahead and do that Put them down a lot of them. Whatever you want to do it So that's the one that you guys play out. You actually have played that in front of people and we have yes We have here and there.

Okay, excellent. So tell us a little bit about the setlist. So Well, I really liked that I'm still thinking about that Yeah, I did tell us a little bit about the setlist.

What are people gonna see when they go out though? The setlist we we try to kind of change it up We like to try to throw things in there that you wouldn't expect to hear acoustic Let's see as a matter of fact We did a gig a week ago and the bar owner came up and he said wow It's so nice to hear people playing music. That's not the same stuff that I hear every week Yeah He said something about you know, it's here in Tennessee whiskey from every band, which you know, that's in our set We haven't done it and probably I don't know six months to a year Yeah So you we've got some of those, you know Summer 69 kind of the standard songs because people like them right? They want to hear them There's a reason everybody plays them. However, I I like to do more things that you know, people don't expect especially acoustic What it's what are some of the songs we do acoustic that are kind of Not really expected to do some snow patrol.

We do a lot of stuff. That's kind of Newer and Not totally on the radio every five minutes, but we do like we do some rock and stuff to like Aerosmith Like mama can yeah, I would do that acoustic But I mean, you know as far as like genres we do a little bit of everything Yeah, we cover everything from the 50s all the way up till current Yeah, and we do a lot of believe it or not our versions of hair metal songs acoustically. Yeah.

Yeah. No interesting Yeah, you know, we've got you know, we've got some pop songs in there some, you know, a little bit of country some blues You know Johnny Cash so so it truly is a little something for everybody like, you know, you don't like this song You know, you know, wait a couple, right and that was there was always kind of my ideas I want to do something for everybody and kind of mix it up and you know, depending on the show We can kind of base the set lists on that and on the crowd and We didn't Amy has a really powerful voice from my blues standpoint We do some Joe Bonamassa and Beth Hart stuff and it goes over really well. Nice.

Nice Do you guys have a place that you consider to be kind of like your home base or a place that you play the most? I would say Probably one of them would be a landmark pub in Harwood Heights Okay, we started when did we start playing there a couple years ago, right? Yeah a couple three years ago. Yeah Yeah, yeah, it was maybe maybe 2021 and We started playing there and We're there all the time. Actually our next show there is October 27th So we're gonna do like a Halloween thing mark.

You gotta get a costume Which just remind me I need to do the same so I Like to wait to the last minute and then scramble to figure it out. But yeah do a whole Halloween party, I think I've got I've got all kinds of things just going through my head like a Rolodex of what he's gonna dress up Harry Potter, it's a bad one of them It's a bad visual trust me she's got Yeah, you know don't tell him just tell him you know dress you dress the way you normally would dress Wear your glasses in the whole bit and just hit him in the head with a bottle before the set list I got a cute story for you. I was playing I was I was playing poker at the Bellagio in LA Yeah, I was in a tournament actually and I was getting blinded out.

I didn't have any chips left So it looked like there was gonna be a flush draw. So I went all-in right? There was a guy at the table that was yapping all night about what a great poker player he was Right, right, so I clocked him and he goes I can't believe I got beat by Harry Potter grandfather Oh That's pretty don't make me take out my wand That means two things Although Vegas, you can't really get arrested. That's true.

That's true. That's true. I was almost mad, but I actually gave him kudos for that Was a pretty good Well speaking of like Vegas and stuff like that Have you guys just pretty much played locally or do you travel to play or anything like that? We we did play in, Atlanta Okay, we opened up for Michael Allman, oh really no kids that was oh my gosh, that was such a fun show Yeah, yeah, where was that? That was at Eddie's Attic Okay.

Yeah, Eddie's Attic is a performance venue and they have all kinds of really Was that over by the because they still have the Olympic Village there. Is that over in that area? No It was in Decatur. Okay, okay, but sure.

Okay, right They have all kinds of really cool people that play there and actually one of our friends bands from Chicago played their steep water Okay, and yeah, they have really some cool entertainment there every time I get to Atlanta I check out their calendar to see who's who's coming around James McMurtry. He's playing there like next week People. Yeah, right, right, but Amy and I got asked to come down there to play with Michael Allman and it was a lot of fun We opened up the show for him and then I got to play bass for Michaels band.

How'd that come about? I mean, yeah, not everybody's getting phone calls from Michael Allman saying come on. He just called me the other day Yeah, Michael and I have a mutual friend Okay Originally from Chicago that lives down there and he's done a lot of he has a full band that does pretty much nothing but all my brother's stuff so Michael it's cheaper for him to travel up to Atlanta play with my friends band than it is to bring his whole band up Gotcha. Gotcha.

Gotcha. Compare them because we always like to do this a little bit compare La in Chicago as far as the music scene goes, I know it's almost like comparing apples to oranges But how did you benefit from it? How was how was it different? And what do you like more? I don't want to alienate anybody, but I have to say that there was The amount of players that were out there was tenfold to what's in Chicago. Sure, of course, right? There's you know, you can if you can walk down the street and spit you'll probably hit a musician sure, right so a lot of the guys I got to play with were really really talented and really fun to play with and The there there's been I was mainly doing blues out there.

Like I said, but right there there's been on the blues There's a lot different than Chicago. Sure, of course They're doing more, you know, like Robin Ford and all those guys live out there bottom, right? So right it's more More amped up and more rock and roll blues. It's more.

Yeah more blues rock than just straight traditional blues Yeah, and Chicago is a you know, other than buddy. It's a buddy guy. It's it's a mix of gut bucket and Delta stuff, right? She's a lot different.

Right, right, right, right. You have Robin Ford actually recently I don't know how long ago it was but I saw a pretty Recent interview with him and he's finally made the move to Nashville for the first time And you can tell the difference in his in his style He's uh, he's playing a little more jazz than the rocking blues that he was really known for well, Amy and I just did a song in our studio and We have some great players on it. And one of them is Robin Ford's drummer.

Oh nice and we sent him the track and he laid down drums for us And he also used to be with Kenny Loggins for a long time but he's a great great drummer Tom Brecklein and We also had Eric sailors from steep water play slide guitar on it and Rex Carroll played An acoustic lead soul and Rex is a well-known all over the world with his band white cross Okay now, but that's not the song that you just played for us blur Yeah, no, no, cuz you guys are doing just like an acoustic version of that So you're working on something else with these guys up there. Yeah Well, what would I actually brought it here in a zip drive for you? Oh nice It's a it's a Beth Hart's and Job on a mouse's version of a sinner's prayer. Oh nice.

Okay. Excellent. Wow.

Yeah Yeah, so what's your favorite cover? You're gonna play your favorite cover song for us tonight, or is it gonna be something different? Mark mark mark is saying yes. Yes. Yeah Which one is our favorite cover We have a lot but the one that we get the most compliments on Melissa that's rich.

I would have to say okay. Yeah, well Yeah, we also The one we have the most fun playing is we do a Queen song tie your mother down Compliments on that too and nobody expects that so that's that's one of the things You know one of the songs we do that. Nobody would expect to hear acoustic Well, I've just two-piece acoustic no drums.

No, you know, well, then you guys better start playing cuz I want to hear both of those Yeah, we'll take another little break and we'll we'll be right back. Yeah You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast Alrighty, and we're back again first song number two Amy Stephan and company their favorite cover Get your big tail down Recent night my little says you don't Sweetheart Stop to all that Brothers women with a brick Can't understand it just a peace loving guy Oh All right Queen would be proud that's what's that what is that last line me every inch of your love what does that mean? Yes, you can say whatever the heck you want to say No, that was great so you guys have a gig coming up you said on the 27th, that's a Halloween Yes, well, we've got we've got a few coming up before then Yeah, but we want to talk about the ones after this is gonna come out because oh, that's after next week. Yeah Yeah, right, right, right.

Okay. So I guess mid-mid October. Yeah So we've got October 21st.

Okay, we will be back at Uptown in Plainfield. Oh great We just played there for our first time last month. And yeah, that was a great time So we're looking forward to going to see I'll have to see if I have a gig that night because I can walk They're from my house.

Oh nice. Well bring your bring your guitar and join us. Yeah, I'm not that good No, I'll see I'll have to see if I have a gig that night he can tell you I have no idea You can schedule he keeps my schedule for me, but no, I literally can walk there from my house I'll have to try and come out there and catch you.

Yeah, that'd be awesome Yeah, yeah, and then you got the 27 27th is at landmark pub in Harwood Heights, right, right? And yeah, like I said, we're gonna we're gonna dress up for that one Staring at mark right now. He's like, oh man, I didn't sign up for this You know, I'd be really good. I think I think you should dress up as mark and mark should dress up as you know We'll get you some of those nylon tattoo sleeves and stuff.

Nice Instruments to I don't know. That would be Yeah, I don't know since he doesn't know any chords, I mean that might be Yeah, well that's fantastic well, you could just play the bass on guitar and I'll play the guitar on the bass See what happens? Yeah, there you go. Some reason.

I don't think it's gonna go well I'll bring out one of my 12 string basses and you can play that. There you go. All right, that'll work And then how about finding you on social media? I know you guys have a Facebook page and you have a website We do website is Amy Stephan and company calm and then Yeah, we're on Facebook Amy Stephan and company Instagram YouTube, they can't see this all of those Marks holding up a card.

So everybody knows where to find us You guys can see that right? Yeah No, it's perfect, I'll tell you what, I mean man, we've been see this one very easy didn't think yeah Yeah, absolutely I think I think the only thing that's left is for you guys to Take us out with another song and then we'll close the whole thing out. All right. Sounds great.

Sounds good. Yeah Alrighty guys. Thanks a lot for coming out tonight.

It was great seeing you and great meeting you great hearing you Yeah, thanks for having us. This has been a blast. Thank you Alrighty finish us up with it your last song Oh So she Tell me Stimulate you Captivate you Tell me does she miss you? This thing just to kiss you Like the way I do Tell me does she want you That she'll wait and haunt you She knows just how to shock you Let you fly and rock you Does she inject you Seduce you and affect you Like the way I do It has to fire All the implications Even if I tried Would you be less than an addiction Don't you think I know There's so many others Would beg, steal and lie Like you and I I wish to own you Own you And you, baby Tell me, does she love you Like the way I love you Does she stimulate you Attract you, captivate you Tell me, does she miss you Is that scene just to kiss you Like the way I do Tell me, does she want you That she'll wait and haunt you She knows just how to shock you Let you fly and rock you Does she inject you Seduce you and affect you Like the way I do Oh, nobody loves you Like the way I do Nobody wants you Like the way I do Nobody needs you Like the way I do Nobody aches Nobody aches just to hold you Like the way I do No, no, no Tell me, does she love you Like the way I love you Does she stimulate you Attract you, captivate you Tell me, does she miss you Is that scene just to kiss you Like the way I do Tell me, does she want you That she'll wait and haunt you She knows just how to shock you Let you fly and rock you Does she inject you Seduce you and affect you Like the way I do Oh, the way I do Boy it had a bluegrass feel to it, didn't it? When he was playing the bass it had this bouncing back and forth bluegrass kind of feel to it.

I wish we were video podcasting already, which we hopefully soon will be, but you could have got a shot of his bass. What a gorgeous bass. Beautiful guitar.

What did you say that was? That was an Emerald? An Emerald from Ireland. From Ireland. A 10-string.

Yep, 10-string bass, and it was big, full-bodied. It had like, what's that giant Spanish guitar that the mariachis play? It was that big, that size, and it was carbon fiber. And the hole was at the top.

It was on the side, basically, of the guitar. Like a metallic green finish that's faded to black. It was pretty neat.

Very, very cool. And Amy had a nice guitar too. Yeah, that was.

You know, I meant to ask her if the guitar in the photo, because that looks like a... No. That looks like a Gibson, doesn't it, right there? That one there? Yeah. Let me see that picture.

I do believe that is a Gibson. She still has that. That's a nice-looking guitar.

That is a very nice guitar. Unfortunately, you folks can't see it. Yes, you can't.

Maybe I might post it on our Facebook page or something. So you can't see it. But as always, thank you for listening, and make sure you check back next Tuesday for another exciting episode of the Rock & Roll Chicago Podcast.

See ya. The Rock & Roll Chicago Podcast is edited by Paul Martin. Theme song courtesy of MNR Rush.

The Rock & 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. Rock & Roll Chicago Rock & Roll