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 here is Reverend Hollywood.

Reverend. Reverend. I need your blessing.

Yes, for what? What are we doing, my son? I'm going to sneeze. Oh, okay. So, I'll need your blessing after that.

Guten tag. Oh, you're a German, Reverend. Yes, that's right.

I see. Did you know that joke? No. What do you call a virgin in German? I don't know.

What? A guten tag? Only you. Only you, Mike. Only you.

South in a hurry. Yeah, that's right. That is terrible.

It is. So, we've got, this is going to be a unique podcast, I think, because this is the first time we've ever had a non-performer musician in the studio, I think. I believe so.

Yeah, I have sitting to my left, the lovely Miss Susie Positano, everybody. She brought her fans. Brought her fans.

Yeah, look at them all. They're all waving to me. They're like, hi, guys.

I'll be with you in a minute. Hold on a minute. So, before we get into all the nitty gritty and the whole bit, you are a promoter, I guess is a good way to describe you as a promoter.

You've got a lot of bands that you promote and push around. So, I guess you're kind of like an A&R kind of person for local bands, right? And you represent artists, as well as representing different venues. Correct.

And you and I have known each other for quite a few years. Yeah, it's been a long time. You've booked my bands on several occasions in the whole bit.

Yeah. So, how did you get into doing all this stuff? Because, I mean, because if you go and you stalk her Facebook page, she's got a lot of cool pictures with her with people like Bret Michaels and stuff like that. Yeah.

I'm always getting stuck. Yes, I do. I love what I do.

I've been doing it for years. Back in the day, I used to work, I started out with doing talent shows when my kids were in school. I did talent shows.

I choreographed talent shows for 19 years. I have four children and I choreographed them in the schools and they got so big where we would have 100 kids in the shows and would sell out at every, at St. Pat's School. And yes, I did it for years and years.

So, you just like went around to schools and said, hey, would you like to have a talent show? So, it was in my kids' schools. Yeah, my kids. And I said, hey guys, even at Thompson.

Yeah, I did a couple schools and they're like, this is awesome. So, I choreographed the opening, the closing, and then I would let every kid be part of it. And then I would help them choreograph their act.

And then we got so big, we'd have 100 kids every time in the talent show. And the parents would come in. It was a huge production.

I choreographed the opening, the closing. And every year I came up with a new theme. Like one year was my favorite.

I had the Brady Bunch, Three's Company. And so, I would choreograph like, moving on up, good time to East Coast. And then those kids would act it out and then we'll go to Three's Company and then we'll go, here's a story of a lovely lady.

And then each of them would act that out. And then it was our choreograph of each of the kids of the opening. That was every year I had a theme.

So, one year, like American Idol theme. Another year, I do like Happy Days theme. And then it just got so big.

And it's always been in my heart and love. I love being on stage. When I was young, I used to model and act.

I've done commercials, TV for years. I started when I was very young. So, I've always just loved being on TV.

That was like my dream to be like, you know, a star and doing all that. And then I just had my passion. First, I wanted to have kids and have four children and three grandkids, twins and a three-year-old.

So, I'm excited about that. And then I just, as the years grown, once I was a stay-at-home mom and then I started getting in, doing the talent shows. And then I said, I want to go and be, do what I love.

And I started working at Arcata Theater and Ron Onesti is my mentor. He taught me so much. He taught me everything.

I was there for seven years and I did meet and greets, VIP, backstage, talent shows there. I choreographed the opening for the American Idols that came in. I choreographed local talent for that.

Battle of the Bands, we would sell out at Battle of the Bands. And then when all the stars would come in, I took care of everybody from Kevin Costner to Foreigner, Cheap Trick. And I just absolutely loved it.

And then I decided I want to, you know, keep going and do it on my own. And then I just started working on my own and worked really hard. And then I started touring and traveling and I worked, Ron connected me.

This is so amazing. I worked with Dancing with the Stars. We did product placement with that.

So Ron flew me out there for that. And then from there, I just kept- With Dancing with the Stars, like the Dancing with the Stars. So the, it was, so I was more excited about my chair that had my name on it than anything else.

So yes, it was absolutely amazing. Yes, they flew me out there. Ron connected me, flew me out there and all we do is called product placement.

So when all the stars come in, there's a room that they come in and everybody has like their shoes and hair and all this different fun stuff that they, products that they get to give. So if you want a company, you come in and oh, I want these ballerina shoes, or I want this dance attire. I get it.

Okay. So we work in the room with all the stars. Oh, wow.

And so they come in and I did that. And I was with the show and it's amazing in like the commercial time, how they take the whole entire sets down within 30 seconds. And you're like, wow, as I was right up front, I got to meet so many people.

That's the, I remember we had, what's his name? From, he does that one dance from- The Carlton dance. Thank you. Yes, yes, I worked with Carlton.

Alfonso Ribeiro. I love Carlton. He was so fun.

So you really, you worked with Alfonso Ribeiro. I love him. He was so kind.

I worked with him. Karate Kid. Yeah.

He was fabulous. I worked with him. So many of them.

So this was fairly recent because these guys were all- Yeah, it wasn't, yeah. Over the last few years. Yeah.

In the last few years. Yeah. They were fabulous.

I did that. And then I just kept working really hard. And then I worked with, gosh, Drake from Drake and Josh.

He's a fabulous musician and he's got a great band. I toured with him for a couple years. I set up his tours.

I did everything. Traveled with them. They're a very good band.

I don't think I knew all that about you. No. But you did all the, you know- Yeah, touring.

Yeah, I did everything. I've toured. I've set up the tour routes, where we're going, what we're doing.

Staying in those venues. So what time, making sure my bands are taken care of and paid. And it's, I just love it.

Yeah. I would go on TV, radio, Chaz Palmateri. I was, he's been here.

I was his personal assistant when he would come in town. I'd set up his TV, you know, like, and we go to NBC, we'd be on radio and TV and- And if I'm not mistaken, I think Chaz Palmateri is a contributor to the museum here. Possibly.

I thought, I could be wrong, but I think he is. Possibly. He is amazing.

I'm going to tell you something. He is one of my favorites that I worked with. He was so kind.

Him and Bret Michaels are honestly probably one of my top favorites. They were so kind. When I worked with Chaz, we went out and he was just so nice.

We were in the car. He treated me like a celebrity. Like, you know, when we pick them up, we, you know, we get a Rolls Royce, Perilla would always sponsor us.

They were fabulous. And we would, you know, pick Chaz up from the airport. I'd say, okay, Chaz, now at two o'clock we have lunch and three o'clock we're on radio and four o'clock is, you know, meet and greet.

And so I'd have a whole itinerary set up for him. And he was so kind. He's like, hey, you get your nails done? Yeah.

I'm like, like he was treated me like that. And then when we went to dinner, everybody would stand up when he walked in the room and just, they treated him so wonderfully. And he was just so, and I could see why he was so kind.

But I do have a funny story. I got to tell you that you're going to laugh so hard. So we're downtown.

And when you work with celebrities, you have to have your whole schedule ready to go. Like you're in the car and they're like, toothpick, dude, toothbrush, book this, where are we going? What time? You have to know everything when they're on radio or with on TV and they're talking, you always go like, I'm like, would make a wave hand. Like, here's a car.

Oh, thank you to my sponsor. And I would be like, show and eat your food. And then they'd be like, oh, thank you to this, you know, thank you.

So anyways, everything was so organized. You have to be right on top. So Chaz and I were downtown and now this was not on our schedule.

And Chaz, you know, texted me in the morning and says, hey, I want to go for breakfast. And I said, okay. And I'm like, oh God, I do know a place where downtown Chicago, cause we had a show and I'm like, there's this great restaurant.

I couldn't think of the name of it. I finally look it up, find it. So we go outside, it's Chaz and Bobby.

I love Bobby. Bobby's his security and he was wonderful. So we're outside and we're standing there and I'm like, okay, well my, he goes, I want to walk.

I said, okay. I'm like, so I put the GPS and we go left and then we go right. And then we go left.

He looks at me and he goes, you don't know where you're going, do you? I said, no, I'm trying to, it's this GPS. Waze was not working. So he starts laughing and I was supposed to work with Robert De Niro.

He had a book signing and he looks at me, I'll never forget this. And he looks at me, he goes, you're lucky I'm not De Niro. And I go, I'm so sorry about the GPS.

He goes, I'm kidding. He goes, you're fine. Anyways, long story short, we did ended up finding it.

It was the GPS, Waze sometimes goes backwards and we ended up finding, but he was just loving. So yeah, so I've worked with so many different artists. Brett is a sweetheart too.

He's always, you know, you always think it's like in this business, like you think that it's the artist that is like, oh, they don't want to meet me. And it's really the people above them that when you try to get to the artist, like when they say, oh, you want to do a meet and greet and there were two, their manager goes, no, no. And then Brett will come by.

Hey, yeah. What's up, Suze? I come over here. Like we're fine.

You know, they're very, some of them are just amazing. Cheap Trick too is such a sweetheart. When my brother passed of glioplastoma, he, the Cheap Trick saying, he said, come on, hang out with us.

And they signed his guitar, the whole band. When I was working with him in the green room, Ron was amazing. Thanks to Ron Onesti, because he let this happen.

We were in the green room and I was working with the band and my brother got to come down and they signed his guitar, hang out with him. Ron even let us do a huge event, a fundraiser there that Ron donated his time and let our whole come there. We raised a lot of money.

That's actually where my business is 1126. That's named after my brother. It's his birthday.

Oh, okay. So I dedicated that he had glioplastoma, great musician. He loved Rush.

Rush was his way to Rush band by Ron's theater. And we did a big event for him. So yeah, I've, I've really been blessed to meet such great people in my life and really work hard to get where I'm at and I'm keep doing it.

I love the local talent too. I love to really inspire them. I've helped a lot of musicians who are like, you've got this, you know, or they'll call me like, I need a singer.

I need a drummer. I'm always connecting or battle the bands they love. I got to do that.

I always have an open up for a national band. So that was a lot of fun. Right, right, right, right, right.

Are people still doing battle to the bands nowadays? You know, they don't. It seems like it was an eighties thing. Yeah.

We've done that a couple of years ago. And now a lot of my bands are like, Suze, what happened? And that was so awesome because, you know, they got to open up for Cheap Trick or Brett or whoever it was. It was wonderful opportunities to do that.

And I think it's so great to give young musicians and artists big opportunities like that. Like, why not? So I definitely am going to bring that back. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You know, you took a little tour through the museum here. All of the white cases that you walked through, those belonged to Rick Nielsen. He donated all of these.

Oh, he was so, he's so kind. Rick is amazing. He is so nice.

He donated. Yeah. So he, you know, he's got a fantastic guitar collection and I guess he signed a contract with House of Blues.

What is it? Hard Rock. Hard Rock and Rockford. So all of, so his, so his guitars are at the Hard Rock Cafe and he didn't need those cases anymore.

And he donated those things. Those were all in his personal warehouse that housed his guitar collection. Wow.

See, that's awesome. And there's more upstairs. The upstairs is an open seat.

You can get a seat. But all those white cases. So I want to look out there when we leave.

That is really cool. This is amazing. Yeah.

And there is definitely a Cheap Trick. It used to be in the glass case against the back wall, but I'm pretty sure they must have moved it upstairs now. Yeah.

A lot of the stuff's up on the second floor now. Yeah. I got to tell you something that is pretty amazing.

So after my brother passed, I was at Cheap Tricks, you know, they invited me out to one of their shows. And I'll never forget, I was up sitting up on the balcony. We're sitting up there and they have this album that they had with all the picks on there.

It was really cool. This was my brother, I'm telling you. So they said, we're going to give this away.

And I was right up in the back. I mean, I'm not low. I'm a piot right in the front.

They threw this album in the air and it just went and I just, it landed in my arms. And I said, thanks, Steve, to my brother. What are the odds of that? No kidding.

You know, so yeah, good people. They've spent a lot of time with them. Yeah.

So do you have any other plans to tour and work with famous people and go back to Daniel and start doing all that stuff? Yeah, I still do it. Yeah. I'm still doing it.

Still having fun doing it. Yes. Which I absolutely love.

I got Brett coming up October 16th in Indiana. Brett Michael's coming up. Big show coming October 16th.

He's going to be in Indiana. So I'm pretty excited about that. So we got that coming up and every year he comes in.

And so it's a very cool show. Chris Figg, we call him Figgy. He sets us up and it's really cool.

We worked with Dokken not that long ago. He was really nice guy too. He was so down to earth.

Yeah. And so, yeah, we have many shows that we do with him. Cagle.

We worked with Craig Cagle as well. So yeah, that's coming up and Brett comes every year. So we're excited.

Yeah. So when do you find time to work with all the local hacks like me? I always make time for all of you. I always make time for all of you.

Not that you didn't correct me. Why would you? Because you're representing, you're representing quite a few people. Yes.

Yeah. I work with a lot of musicians. Yeah.

I'm very busy in there. You know, I'll put it, I love, I put an ad out and I, my, you know, my private master. I'm like, everybody, hold on.

I love you all. But I, I just give me a little time to get back, you know, and I'm so busy too. And I'm also running operations by Johnny, running all the live music events over by Johnny, Bo and Johnny and Itasca.

So I'm quite busy, but I always make time. Cause my local musicians are very important to me. And so I always like to make time.

Well, hold that thought. We're going to take a real quick break. And when we come back, we're going to talk about that.

Awesome. Thank you. You're listening to the rock and roll Chicago podcast.

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So we were, we were talking about, you know, kind of making a transition or, you know, working with local bands a little bit more. I mean, you're still working, you know, still touring, working with famous people and certainly more people making more money than I am doing this, this showbiz thing. Right.

And, but I mean, what do you consider working with local bands? Something that you're just kind of like biding your time until the next big thing comes along or are you equally as passionate about it? I love working with, you know, the national talent. It's when it's show time and you're standing on that stage, there's just, it's incredible. It's actually so incredible.

In fact, this is starting to tell you, when I was touring with Joshua Welton, he was, he was on some big thing for American Idol. And then they said, Susie, want you to tour. So I tour with Joshua and Joshua, we need a drummer.

So we're downtown and we're interviewing drummers in the city. So this girl came up and she's like, Hey, I'm Hannah. And Joshua looked, he's like, Oh, she's cute.

Long story short, the two of them met each other. And here she was a drummer. She said she was a dancer.

They fell in love. And it's Hannah Ford. And Hannah Ford.

So we're like family. So anyways, they get married. They have by my house, we have the shower and everything.

They get married. And Joshua was always very, they're Christian. They're wonderful.

I'm Christian too. And he always said he, I'll never forget. He's, when we were talking one day, we sat in the basement.

He said, Susie, one day I'll be on world tour. So anyways, long story, him and Hannah get married. We have a shower by our house.

They have their big wedding. We go out to their wedding and Prince had contacted Hannah about an audition, saw her online. So Prince flew Hannah out.

These guys are like my family and flew Hannah out and Hannah audition. Anyways, she became third eye girls drummer. So Joshua never said anything.

It was, he's like, this is about my wife. Anyways, much later, like seven months later, Prince said, what are you doing? He's like, I'm producer, singer. So Prince fell in love with him.

He became Prince's producer also. And they recorded songs together and they were nominated for Emmy. And he brought me to my son and I brought us to Detroit to meet Prince.

And so they pulled us on stage with Prince and we danced with Prince and then for 20 minutes on stage, me and my son, I was like, okay, one song and another side, I was like, so it was amazing. So, and how do you out dance Prince? I don't know. You, I was looking, I was, it was Prince on my, it was Prince and me and my son and he just was so amazing.

There was no words at the moment and we couldn't have pictures for nothing. Like Prince, they said, we'll take it like nothing. So I'm like, Lord, please, I want, could someone video this? Like, it was the most magical moment that I'll never forget with my son and I, Marcello and Prince between us.

And just, he was tight, he's short, short, but his, his hands and the way he played guitar was, it was like you were in awe. He was amazing. So that was a moment.

So yes, those moments, I love working with this love. It's magical, the talent that's out there. And then it's also so exciting when I do my Battle of the Bands and shows and local, even my local shows, I go to the gigs, as you know, Mike, I've got, I go to the gigs, which a lot of promoters don't do this.

I go there, I video, how are you? What do you need? Can I give you a drink? Who does that? I treat them like if they're a celebrity coming in, I try to make as many as I can I get because I get invited all over. And I try to make it even if it's one show, I go here and one show there. I also do the, you know, Tin Cup, you know, in Oak Brook, I do that, which is amazing.

And the musicians love it. And we do, you know, they play in the lobby upstairs at the beautiful. Did they make that a permanent thing? So now the lobby isn't it? Now we do the lobby and now it's Thursday outside and Friday in the lobby.

All because we were assholes and made them move us. We're going up there now, everybody loves it. Everyone, the whole staff says, this is amazing.

This is every, you know, weekend. My friend Randy's the head guy there, and he's connected me there. And so I've been there and we just love it.

As you know, it's all the musicians say, when am I going back? It's like you're on vacation, you see the golf course in the pool. Yeah, we got booked to play there. The Stillmasters got booked to play there.

And it was kind of a rainy night was light drizzling kind of thing. And, and I walked up and the first thing that happened was like, it's the manager of the restaurant said, you guys should be playing inside. And I said, well, so I started calling Susie saying, you know, I got, you're telling me we're outside the manager of the restaurant saying that we're going to be inside.

Just what are we going to do? She said, we're going to be outside. So we set up outside, but it was this weather where there wasn't a lot of people gathering outside. So finally they said, nope, you're going to go upstairs.

You're going to play in the lobby. And yeah, we were probably way too loud. You know, who knows? But you know what? Nobody wanted you guys to leave.

Yeah. They kept saying, can you guys stay? Can you guys stay? And we kept saying, hold on a minute, hold on a minute. And we were like, the guy, wherever the guy came, he's like, all right, time to stop the music.

I did three songs solo after the band ended. I did three songs solo. And then yeah, that is security officer kind of looking guy comes over.

Okay. You're done now. He's like, I think you need to go.

You need to go. And we were like, no more. And all the girls like this.

So now they're doing it inside now. So Friday nights are inside for sure. Now it's every Friday inside at the Hilton Oak Brook.

It's right here. It's not far. I mean, not here, but from here, but everyone loves it.

Cause it's kind of local. It's, you know, it's just beautiful in the summer. We sit outside in the winter.

He said, yeah, it's nice. We love it there. So with all the bands that you work with, what's your preferred genre of music? Um, gosh, I, I am in oldies.

So I, I love, um, I love oldies. Like I love like Tony Ocean. I love him and the Rat Pack.

And I love when he does his solo shows with Lisa P I love those guys. Now those guys are amazing when they put a show on they're fabulous. Jerry, all of them.

Um, I love, uh, I love that kind of music back in the day. And I also like how they have the dance music when Lisa P comes, she's incredible. Um, now do you represent Tony? So, no, I don't represent Tony represents, but I'll call.

I know Tony, but I've booked Tony. Like we, I had him over when, um, we had him at the matrix. He came onto the Rat Pack.

We were going to do a Rat Pack show. And then, um, but I've had Tony at others. So he's amazing.

I just love Tony, but no, I don't represent him, but I love working with him or booking him for a show. Um, I also love Lisa from reckless. Um, she is, that band is so fabulous.

Lisa's amazing. Um, whiskey Creek. I've been working with risky Creek.

I found whiskey Creek at Arcata theater. We did bail the bands and they won out of a hundred bands. And so it is like a, is it like a country style? It's kind of a mix of country rock.

Okay. Her voice, Katie's voice is, Oh my gosh, you have to have her on her. You got to just tell I always have a favorite song that she sings.

That's original. So, so, so the first band that you mentioned that was reckless. That's how I love reckless.

That sounds like that would be like a rock band. Yeah. Rocklist does all eighties.

They're like 80, they do everything. Lisa, her voice, she will just, you got to have reckless here. She, Oh, that makes sense.

Kind of like the movie reckless with James Spader from the eighties. Yeah, exactly. Where he was like this rock and roll kind of rebel kind of thing.

Okay. Interesting. She's very, their, their whole band is absolutely so talented.

Jeff Wunderlich, I've been working with him for years. He had his amazing band, Wunderlich band. And they've actually, I got them to on WGN.

I've got to open up for Skid Row and some nationals. He's opened up for, they took a, when I did contest again, they took first place too. So they've got to be a rock band too.

They're heavier, but they are his voice. I just had him over by Johnny's. He played at Johnny's? I had not the whole band, just him.

Just him. He did a Sita solo. And you know, I think I saw that promo.

Yeah. Yeah. And everyone in the bar was like, Oh my God, he's so good.

I'm like, yeah, he's very talented. So I've been with Jeff for years. I've, he's been wonderful, supported him.

I'm like whiskey Creek. They're like family to me. We've been together for a lot of many bands I've worked with and I could name so many and don't get mad at me.

I didn't name everybody. Cause I didn't want to have a lot of time, but No, no, you have to, you have to name every single person. Alphabetically.

She probably, you know what? She probably could because this is the most organized guest we've had. I mean, she's got a notebook here. She's got a pen.

She's taking notes and flipping back and forth. And though, I mean, she's not missing a beat so far. No, I want to thank you.

Yeah. Tell us a joke. Let's see.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? Not a joke, but okay. I get that. I know it's not a joke, but that's about all I know when it comes to that.

What is it? A tongue twister? Yes. My grandpa used to always do that. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? I don't know any jokes.

That's all I know. I remember the first and only, I remember one tongue twister that I think my, a cousin of mine told me when I was about five years old and I'll, I'll never forget. I'll never forget it for the life of me.

You want to hear it? Yes. I want to hear this. Do we have to say it? It's too long.

You won't get it. I saw a saw in Arkansas that can outsaw any saw that you ever saw. So if you saw a saw that can outsaw a saw that I saw, I'd like to see that saw saw.

Okay, saw saw. That's about all we got, I think, right? Is that about all you got too? I think you and I are just going to say saw saw. Yeah.

Seesaw. Seesaw. Yeah.

So no, I'm not good at jokes. No, but she's organized, but that's, that's, that's quite all right. Exactly.

So what kind of stuff do you have coming up? So we have lots of amazing stuff coming up. So I love, okay, by the way, Johnny's place is amazing. Bon Johnny.

He's located in Itasca. You have to come there. It's a family Italian authentic restaurant with awesome food.

It's so like Johnny sits at the corner. You see him sitting at the corner? He does. He sits at the corner of his bar and it's, it's not a huge place.

It's cozy. Let's call it cozy. But you'd expect to see like Goodfellas in the corner.

That's exactly like that. Like there should be a round table with black leather all the way around it and stuff. Yeah.

There should be one of those in the corner. It's, it's awesome. We, we just have so much fun.

Laura is awesome too. She's our, our manager and she makes all the great crafted cocktails and our team there is wonderful. And Maddie, everyone's so nice and it's like family there.

And I'm the event booking coordinator. So we do live music there on Fridays, Saturdays, we're starting karaoke, open mic night. We're doing, Oh my God, we have so much coming up there and we have president's week coming up which we know all about the president's cup coming up.

So we're excited about that. So all week we're going to be doing different events from Oh, well the most important event is your event on September 23rd. What? We have an event? We have an event coming up.

Wow. September 23rd. We got to put on our shiny shoes and shower that night because we might actually have people that hear the podcast.

Come on, see what we look like. That's right. That's right.

Wow. Tell us about this event that we're doing. So it's bourbon, whiskey and cigars.

Yeah. And anybody, the four people that listen to this podcast regularly know right. Right.

That we love bourbon and cigars. That's right. Yeah, you definitely do.

And that's what I heard. And I'm really excited about having you and it's, you better get ready. Oh, look, he's got cigars.

So yeah. So the date of that again is September 23, 6 PM Ebony Johnny. Yep.

Okay. Which means good Johnny in Italian. Yeah.

And it is at 6 PM. So make sure you call the restaurant and make your reservations. And we're excited about that.

We're going to have some music that evening and we're going to have amazing crafted cocktails and bourbon and smoking some cigars outside and listen to some stories about you guys tell the history on it. Yeah, absolutely. We are going to.

Wow. I'm the bourbon guy. So we're going to be.

I'm the cigar guy. Yeah. And we're going to be, we're going to be talking about how bourbon is made.

Yes. How you're supposed to actually taste bourbon, because there is a way that you should taste bourbon. You know, you don't, you don't just drink it.

There's a, there's a, there's a, there's a way that it's done. So you can taste all of the nuances in the bourbon. You're going to learn a little bit about the mash bill and how it's made and how it's chosen and the grains that are used and how it's aged.

You're going to be a bourbon connoisseur by the end of it. I like that. For sure.

And you're going to get to taste them all right. We can tell you a little bit about the distillery and then Ray, the cigar guy. We'll tell you all about the cigars that we pick out to go with them.

There'll be two cigars. Yep. There'll be fine pairings with the bourbon.

Yes. So they're going to go extremely well. Reverend Hollywood, Mike and Ray, the roadie on the road.

That's right. Oh, I love it. It's going to be great.

I can't wait. You should maybe do the podcast from there that night. I think we should.

I think we should do a podcast that evening there. I think one night we have to, can you imagine just all those guys coming, everybody there. It's so cool.

Like, hey, oh, Johnny, come over here. Yeah. I bet you we could do that.

We can do it on the road. Can we do that? I'm sure we could. I think you should.

I'll be, see, since I'm a tour manager, I can be your tour manager and I'll set up a bunch of places and we'll just tour. We'll do podcasts all over. Yeah.

Because we're going to probably want to bring, we're going to probably want to bring just a little stick PA so we don't have to shout. I have a microphone to do that. And we can probably just hook something up to the, uh, to the output on the back of this little PA that I have and do the recordings.

That would be, we can look into it. I think we're going to do the podcast from it for that night. We'll see.

Maybe we can interview the, the musical guest. Interview a couple of the people that are going to be there. Like I used to do.

Remember, I love that. What I used to do, interview all my musicians before a show. So they would come out and I would talk, I interviewed you.

Yep. That's, that's how I did your podcast. Yes.

Yeah. At the matrix. Yes.

You find out what they're doing, where they're going. I'd love to hear about that. Um, that's something actually funny that you said, because that's something that, um, we're working on right now is doing that for you and musicians and before show.

Yeah. So I'm excited about that. But you guys, I think we need to add this with your topic here.

Yeah. Yeah. Let's see if we can work it out.

Yeah. We'll see if we can figure that. I'm sure we still got one of these laying around somewhere from when you used to do it in restaurants.

Who did it in a restaurant? Well, episode six was definitely done in a restaurant. Oh, those are, no, those are just portable recorders. Portable recorders.

Those were, we can probably figure it out though. We can get that figured out. So, so, but again, then the large event that this entire thing is based around is the president's cup.

Yes. In Medina, golf tournament, like Tiger Woods has been there. I mean, so many people have been there.

It's a big deal. The president's cup is a big deal. It is a PGA event.

It is huge. Like that's why, so what happens is the township of Itasca gets all the restaurants and everybody involved. So we're very involved.

It's a September 22nd to the 27th. So every day we have something, you know, like we have our whiskey night with you guys. We have a dueling piano on the Thursday night and I'll give all drink specials that are named the caddy special or the tea off.

So every night we have something, we have family day on Sunday, live music, Friday, Saturday. I saw the whole entire week. We have amazing crafted cocktails that Laura has made and come up with some cool names to that.

And then we also have dinners, real different dinner specials, lunch specials and live music entertainment and everything you can ask for from you guys on the road coming. I'm, everyone's really excited. When I told all the guys about the whiskey, I think they're more excited about that than anything.

So I think we got to get those golfers out there in Medina and the evening to come out there, come and see us by Johnny's and enjoy some great food and some live music. I think we're going to have a lot of fun. I'm so excited.

I just cannot wait. It's I, it's so much work to put together, but it's worth it all. Yeah.

Yeah. Excellent. I'm excited.

So if, if local musicians wanted to work with you, yeah. Right. How can they, how can they get ahold of you? How can they find you? Um, so right now, um, I do have a website that's, uh, we're in the midst of making, we're remaking it, um, a couple of tweaks that I wanted to do on there.

So eventually it's gonna be cool. I'm going to have my website where you can actually go on there, put all your information in and all that. But right now I'm very big on my Facebook.

I have two Facebooks. One of them got hacked. Um, and I was way up there to how many thousands and I got hacked.

So we had to switch it to another Facebook like two years ago. So now this Facebook, I thank God I didn't get hacked on this one. So it's frustrating, but I still left it up.

And I, we put a sign. If you look on mine, it says, go here and check us out here. So I, everybody, I've really done major networking on my Facebook.

I would say that's huge on my messenger. You know, you can just go to Susie Pastano, message me, Hey, I'm an artist. This is who I am.

And don't get mad. I get back to you as soon as I can. It's not that I'm ignoring anybody.

It's just, we're extremely busy on getting artists and, you know, making sure that, uh, you know, got the right dates and shows and where they would make a fit. Yeah. Yeah.

Any other places that you're, uh, representing and booking some acts that people ought to go and see? So, yes, like I, yes, uh, Salernos, um, right now we just took a break in this. Yeah. We took a break right now with the summer, but yes, Salernos, we were doing a Viva Salernos and McHenry.

Um, and, uh, we used to do a lot of the big shows. They stopped over at, um, Piazza, which was, that place is cool. We were doing a lot of the rock and roll shows and Rob, the owner, shouts out to him.

He is awesome too. Um, I've worked with them. That is a huge place.

That is so big. Like, and that's a great cigar place in there. The back room there is really nice.

I like, I like that. Yeah. In fact, it's so funny.

I said today, I have it in my notes. I'll show you as I'm reaching out to Rob because I want to do a cigar show over there as well. It's, it's really, he's so cool.

He's, he's really smart. He's has, he's like 13 restaurants. Oh, so, um, they're doing great.

Yeah. Right. And the summer is a little more quiet in a lot of the bars because of the, it's just hot, you know, you know, but, uh, yeah.

So, uh, yeah, I got lots of different places that I book on top of that. And a lot of different shows I do all over. So, but I love it.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you what I was pleasantly surprised.

I didn't know all of that stuff about you. We've known each other for a few years and I didn't, I didn't know. I just thought you had all those pictures with famous celebrities cause you were just like a groupie or something.

Never. Nope. Nope.

Those are just, uh, I mean, I mean, I mean, she's hot enough. She could be, could be. Yeah.

I love you. Thank you. I wish I had started as a musician years ago.

I wish I did that. Cause I actually do love playing drums. You play the drums too.

I don't, but I'd love to. A slaughter taught me how to play drums. I tried.

It's actually a funny story. I, I, one time I was just like, I want to play drums. And I was working with slaughter one day and they were like, come over here.

And he sits behind me. He's like done. And he was like, why aren't you playing drums? I was like, well, thank you.

Cause I was a dancer. So I used to, I did tambourine rhythm. So I did do that.

I've played tambourine with Firefall Ambrosia. I've gone on stage and played with that. So I do do tambourine, but I cannot sing.

But I do love to, I would love to play drums again. I kind of fooled my family. My boys were, we had a family party and I was in the room just kind of messing around and I could see them all turn their head like mom.

I'm like, heck yeah. So maybe one day for a fun hobby to do on the side. Yeah.

When there's time. Yeah. When do you find time to do it? Yes.

In between after church on Sunday. There you go. Or you could play in church.

I think that would be awesome. I love those gospel church. That's amazing.

Church is the best. You got to go to church. So knowing her next time, next thing, she's going to be booking churches.

That's so funny. You said, cause I have my church. I said, they're like, Hey, you're in the music.

I said, yeah, if y'all need help, let me know. Yeah. So I would love that.

It's I love when you go to church and you hear the gospel and the singing, Joshua and Hannah are the ones who inspired me to go to their church. And I went to their church and I walked out of there. It was like, Oh Lou.

Yeah. Like you just feel so good. Like they make you feel the word of God.

It's amazing. Shouts out to them for doing that to me. Excellent.

Well, I'll tell you what guys. What's the date again? September 23rd. He's my secretary.

And I'm going to text you every day. He knows everywhere. He knows everywhere that I'm supposed to be.

Okay. I'll tell you what, come on out. We'd love to meet you.

You know, nobody even knows. Most people don't even know. We have, we have faces for radio.

So we do have faces for radio. Yeah. Yeah.

When people find out that I'm a local musician and they're like, you mean I may have seen you somewhere. Yeah. But then I don't tell them, but then I won't tell them what band it's like, I like to keep it a mystery.

Your band's amazing by the way. Well, thank you. That Cadillac group.

My gosh. Thank you. Shouts out to you guys.

Seriously. We have a lot of fun. You guys are so, and you guys, honestly, this show is absolutely amazing.

And you guys are, I was listening today and you're very talented. You guys sound amazing too. And we really, I, we got to get the word out.

I'm going to help you guys. We're going to put this up and let everyone know about you too. And let's go on tour.

Let's go on tour. I want to go on tour. And this is before bourbon.

The rock and roll Chicago podcast hits the road. Wouldn't that be great? We'll get a tour of us. Hey, I know a guy by Johnny's Jeff.

Jeff is a boss. I said, can we use it as a tour bus? I'm starting to see everything revolves around Johnny's. Johnny's is a place you got to go to bone Johnny in Itasca.

Yeah. It's good. The food is fantastic.

He has his own bourbon. Yes. I forgot to mention that.

Yeah. I forgot to mention that if I, if I, I might get the story wrong, but it's just like a local guy that makes it for him. Yeah.

Can I have my bourbon in the tasting? Absolutely. No, no, absolutely. We should add his bourbon.

Why? You know what? Because, because one thing that we do is we always add a bonus bourbon. Ooh. And normally what I do, we'll do it different this time.

Normally what I do is the bonus bourbon, I don't tell anybody what it is. And, and it's always the last one that we serve. And then I always ask people now, which one was your favorite? And they almost always say, Oh my God, the last one.

Because I mean, I choose the last one on purpose, right? Because that's the one that they always say. I love it. Because I love it.

It's fantastic. And then I tell them what it is because I usually choose the cheapest bourbon you can find. And they're shocked that when they find out that this $25 bottle of bourbon was so good, you know, cause to this day, I've not, I've not had one person say they don't like this.

I use like old granddad a lot and you can go to the local and buy old granddad for like 25 bucks. It's 114 proof if it's the bottle and bond. And when people find out that it's old grand, they're like, no way.

Do you know, I don't know if you know this, if you remember this, do you know what my favorite drink is? Do you remember from that night? No. Tequila Old Fashioned. Oh, that's right.

The Tequila Old Fashioned. That's right. I do remember that.

That is amazing. I never heard of that. A Tequila Old Fashioned.

It is Ocho. It's the same as an Old Fashioned. Ocho de Marrera.

You put your bitters in there, orange chocolate bitters, de Marrera with your orange peel, with the big cube. It is so good. In fact, every time I get one of people like, what is that? I'm like a Tequila Old Fashioned.

They're like, so now when I go off, my friends are all like, can we all have Tequila Old Fashioneds? It's fantastic. So I'm going to have to have a Tequila Old Fashioned. You'll have to talk about one Tequila too.

Yeah, we can do that. Wait, one Tequila too? One Tequila. One Tequila, two Tequila, three Tequila, four Tequila.

Five Tequilas, six Tequilas, seven Tequilas, more. And we have to have a bourbon cocktail night or bourbon cocktail menu for that night too. Oh, we have, yes.

Got to do the Manhattans and the Old Fashioneds, the Lynchburg Lemonade. We got to have some bourbon cocktails. So we're going to have bourbon cocktails and also make sure, yes, we're going to have some amazing food.

Johnny has appetizers, part of that. When you just give us a call and you ask for Susie or, you know, we'll have the whole entire, all the information about how much it is and the two cigars and the whole night. So it's going to be amazing.

So just call for reservations and then we can sign you up. Awesome. And make sure everyone comes out because these guys are going to be there and they're the best.

Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you.

I'm looking forward. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Egos have left the building. Yeah.

They're gone. Well, Susie, thank you so much for coming out. Yeah, thanks a lot.

I'm looking forward to everything that we're going to do together. It's going to be fantastic. I am too.

I love you guys. Thank you. And thank you for having me.

You guys are amazing. We'll see you soon. See you.

See you. The Rock and Roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin. Theme song courtesy of MNR 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.