8/23: 30th ANNIVERSARY RADIO SHOW PARTY DETAILS W/ THE WINERY DOGS!
Really thrilled to announce a FREE listener party for the 30th anniversary of my FM radio show. Hard to believe this show started 30 years ago. As a kid just out of high school it was my love of this music that had me seeking ways to get it on the radio and share it with others. Over the 30 years in the business those ways have included writing, TV, record company A&R, artist management, record store, and of course radio among other stuff. To still be standing here, doing it every week, have the audience I have, and be adding new affiliates is a huge thrill after 30 years. Pretty much everything I have done over 30 years comes from my FM radio show. It was the first thing to establish me in the business and is regarded as one of the first ever radio shows to focus entirely on hard rock and metal. Many of the things I have done in my career and continue to do (record label, TMS) can be traced back to this radio show in some way. I still love doing it live most weeks from my flagship station Q104.3 in NYC every Friday 11P-2A ET. This is the same show that has now grown to over 30 affiliate stations and counting. I am truly grateful to all who have supported it and the various projects that have sprung off of it. And now with streaming many hear it every week even if a local station doesn’t air it in their market. Making it in radio with a show like this (or any show) for 30 years is a milestone and a testament to all of us and our love for this music. If you recall 5 years ago I celebrated the 25th anniversary of the show with a free private performance by Judas Priest. My 30th will once again be celebrated at The Hard Rock in Times Sq and will feature a band very personal to me; The Winery Dogs. When trying to find a band that was available to do this event I wanted to find something I had a true connection to and loved, and would also be a hell of a house band for the many surprise jams we hope to make happen. Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan & Mike Portnoy fit the bill perfectly!
The Winery Dogs just complete the first leg of a tour entirely sold out and had a top 30 album. I am a huge fan and friend of all three members and had a role in their birth. So it is only fitting these guys rock the house that night with a set of tunes from their amazing debut, and some covers for fun. Mike Portnoy is also going to take the reigns to reach out to many of the great musicians who we both know well and play a second set of surpirse TBA jams during that night making this a truly unique and special one of a kind show! The event is 100% FREE and a small way of saying thanks for all the support, but you MUST have a ticket to enter. The only way in is to win tickets through this site (hit the banner to enter) or through my radio show over the air Friday nights on Q104.3 NYC. Tickets are not for sale at all! Much more to announce as we get closer. Hope you can make it and can’t wait to celebrate with you all! And to my many friends in bands over the years be sure to get in touch with me or Portnoy to schedule some cool jams!
HUGE thanks as always to John Pasquale and all at The Hard Rock NYC for making this happen! Also to Richie, Billy & Mike for donating their services to allow this to be a free event, and to Tim Heyne for his support. Been overdue for a free listener event and you never know what’s going to happen at this one…let’s have a blast! Hope to see you 10/23 at The Hard Rock 8PM!
