When nostalgia collides with innovation, you get a conversation that celebrates the roots of rock and the evolution of music. In our latest episode, the magnetic Paulie Z returns to walk us through the ZO2 anthology album's journey, an offering that resurrects the joy of holding an album in your hands. We discuss the meticulous creation of a tangible music experience and the waves of positive responses from both ZO2's loyal fanbase and those hearing their tunes for the first time.
The essence of music isn't just in the sounds we cherish but also in the connections it forges. Dive into a compelling recount of my experience with Bohemian Queen, where the power of a soundcheck morphed into an electrifying live show, cementing bonds between artists and audience. We look ahead to the Avalon Theater benefit show, where the thrill of live performance promises to come full circle, reminding us of the profound impact artists have when they make their fans the stars.
In the heart of this episode, we pay homage to the late David Z and witness the transformation of his foundation, which has grown from a tribute into a beacon of musical education across the globe. Stories from a special needs school in Israel to memories of first KISS concerts weave an intricate tapestry of the lasting impression music leaves on us all. Join Paulie Z and me as we explore the nuances of songwriting, performance, and the indelible mark of a rock legacy.
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com
When nostalgia collides with innovation, you get a conversation that celebrates the roots of rock and the evolution of music. In our latest episode, the magnetic Paulie Z returns to walk us through the ZO2 anthology album's journey, an offering that resurrects the joy of holding an album in your hands. We discuss the meticulous creation of a tangible music experience and the waves of positive responses from both ZO2's loyal fanbase and those hearing their tunes for the first time.
The essence of music isn't just in the sounds we cherish but also in the connections it forges. Dive into a compelling recount of my experience with Bohemian Queen, where the power of a soundcheck morphed into an electrifying live show, cementing bonds between artists and audience. We look ahead to the Avalon Theater benefit show, where the thrill of live performance promises to come full circle, reminding us of the profound impact artists have when they make their fans the stars.
In the heart of this episode, we pay homage to the late David Z and witness the transformation of his foundation, which has grown from a tribute into a beacon of musical education across the globe. Stories from a special needs school in Israel to memories of first KISS concerts weave an intricate tapestry of the lasting impression music leaves on us all. Join Paulie Z and me as we explore the nuances of songwriting, performance, and the indelible mark of a rock legacy.
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com
Hey everyone, welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. As a reminder, this show is available on multiple podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, amazon Music and Spotify podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, amazon Music and Spotify. And if you can't resist all this beauty right here, then watch on YouTube. And if you're watching on YouTube, I ask that you please subscribe to the channel, give me a thumbs up and leave a comment. Last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard Program. So there are plenty of ways to take in this show for your dancing and listening pleasure. And with that I am not going to recap the last episode, because I have a guest on the phone. Yes, a guest on the phone. This time. Guest on the phone. This time, due to the wonders of technology, we couldn't get Pauly live through video streams. So he was kind enough to call in and I welcome back to the show, pauly Z. How you doing, pauly?
Speaker 2:I'm good, it's old school.
Speaker 1:We are going old school. This is kind of like old school radio, almost right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, this is great. So where I want to start real quick is just ask you about the latest ZO2 album. You released a new album back in December and I just want to ask how that's going.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, we released it on Kibble Records and it's a double-disc anthology that covers our career selections from our three full albums, plus all the singles we had put out that was never on a physical product, and the Z Rock theme song from our TV show, a couple of new songs and a live track with our new bass player, sean. So it's a. It's a really nice collection, I mean. I think anyone who's a ZO2 fan would appreciate it. We've gotten lots of great feedback lots of great feedback actually, which makes me happy because we put a lot of time and effort into it. But also for the packaging. You know it's really cool packaging and we're very much from that Kiss. We've all the three of us who are all Kiss fans and David was a Kiss fan and we loved packaging. We liked.
Speaker 2:You know, if you spend your money that you work so hard on work so hard making you want to get bang for your buck. So we were always very into that idea of like cool covers, cool inserts, because otherwise you can just stream it. In this day and age, why would you buy a CD, right? So we made it. There's a reason to buy this CD and people are loving it. So the ZO2 fans get the collection and the songs that they didn't have before, but also a lot of people who didn't know who we were, who are just seeing now our video online or the promotion we've been doing. You know social media andibble records pushing it out. They're now being introduced to us and that's cool. They're like oh, I never heard of you guys. You know like oh, this is really cool and obviously pick the strongest songs from those first three albums, but it's a really nice package to introduce the band to someone we didn't know we were or commemorate the band for someone who is already a fan yeah, absolutely you know, yeah, absolutely, and and and.
Speaker 1:Uh, I can speak to that. We talked about it the last time you were on the show. The packaging is just absolutely incredible. Um, it's just top-notch, the um even down to the paper that the booklet is printed on. It's nice heavy paper, real glossy, colorful photos, just some really, really good stuff. And it is, it's an incredible package. Kivel Records, uh, uh, you know they, they deserve, uh, they deserve credit for that. They, they did a great job with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, no, they deserve credit for that.
Speaker 2:They did a great job with it. Yeah, no, no, we're very happy that that, you know. And because, because the truth is we weren't I wasn't at least convinced that, like, why do we? Even what would be the reason to sign with a record label at this point and just put it up on youtube and spotify and that's it right, yeah. But, um, we, we have a long-term relationship with John Kivel, who is his label, and we've known him for many years and he's on the East Coast.
Speaker 2:So Joey was the one who kind of suggested, said look, he wanted to do something with us back in the day, and I think when I spoke to him and I realized he had the same kind of ideas that we had and he had the same passion for putting out great product, that's when I was like, okay, okay, I'm in now, you know, I mean because if it was just going to distribute just a generic cd, I just didn't see the point. Like to me, why would we? We could do that, yeah. But he went, he was telling me I'm gonna do a button and I'm gonna do a poly bag, and those were all his ideas. And now he got me excited.
Speaker 2:He's like, yeah, 16 page booklet. I mean, who lets you do a 16 page booklet, high gloss paper? I mean he just you know he gave me the keys to the kingdom. So I was like then I uh did the art direction with my friend, gabriel connor, who did all the artwork was amazing. But you know, I had the vision of what I wanted and and he just it was really great to have someone who kind of supported that Old school, just like, yeah, let's put something out great. And people, every single person, has said the same thing, like you said it was blown away and that makes us very happy.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely. It really is. It's absolutely beautiful. Anybody who wants to spend their money and get physical music, like you and I enjoy. Yeah, it's so worth it. So the reason why I wanted to have you back and we talked about it the last time you were on is you have a foundation in honor of your brother, david. It's called the David Z foundation and you've got a benefit show coming up next month, correct, yes? And that's what April 11th isn't it.
Speaker 2:April 3rd April 11th.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, and it's featuring my queen tribute band, bohemian Queen yeah and it's gonna be the biggest show we've ever done, because we're gonna have a children's choir mixed with a professional choir and we're gonna have a string section, also mixed students and professionals. Because the whole mission of the foundation is providing a music program in front of kids around the world and creating just, while our mission statement is transforming lives through the magic of music. So anything that is using music as a vehicle to enhance someone's life or empower them or just educate them, that's the mission. So we have a 13-year-old boy who's opening up the show at 7 o'clock with a acoustic set. He was flying in from Jersey, actually with his parents, to do it, so it's like a life-changing opportunity.
Speaker 1:That is yeah.
Speaker 2:Isn't that great.
Speaker 1:That is, that's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, his name is Colby Reese and he was one of our students. He did one of the videos in our program with us during the lockdown and we have. So we have Strange, we have Equality Dancers, we have our own David Bowie guy, it's you know. So it's just going to be a big. We have video screens, so it's a big production, big show and all the proceeds go to the foundation. So it's you know, it's right in the heart of Hollywood and we're trying to get the word out there, because people when they see Bohemian Queen, they go nuts. They love it, it's a great show. But what I don't want is people to see the videos after it's like, oh, I didn't know about this, I would have totally went. So just getting that word out there. So people, people knows, knows that, people know that it's coming. That's the key.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. And and I can attest, I can attest to to, to what you're saying about Bohemian queen people go nuts for it. You, you did a show, um, you did a show in February. Uh, close close by to where, to where I live, and Catherine and I came out to see the show and people, people who are, who are watching or listening to this podcast, take my word for it. It's worth every penny.
Speaker 1:These guys are tremendous musicians. This is a great band and I want to, and I want to give them a shout out, if I could too. You've got Steve Zukowski on guitar, Aaron Sampson on bass, glenn Jost, who is a beast on the drums that guy is a beast and Victor Bender on bass. And then, you know, here's the beauty in it though yeah, well, victor's on keys yeah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Yeah, he's on keys and guitar, I'm sorry. Yeah, he's our Colombian Don Moore. Yeah, yeah, I know I said bass guitar twice on there. It'd be funny to have two bass guitars in the same band. But here's, the beauty in it is that not only are these guys just, in my estimation, absolutely tremendous musicians that can play anything, these guys can all sing, and they sing like birds. Yeah, well, that's a big factor in this.
Speaker 2:These guys can all sing and they sing like birds, yeah, yeah, well, that's a big, that's a big factor in this because, to be honest with you, you know, tribute bands is like it's like wedding bands to me, like like there's a stigma with it, right, right. And you know, you think it's like, oh, okay, you're in a wedding band or you're in a tribute band. It means you can't cut it for real. I feel like that's the stigma, where people just feel like that's what it is. But when you have the right band, I was fortunate in New York to be in a wedding band. It was actually started by the original drummer from Skid Row, robert Fuso, and he put a wedding band together. That is just killer. And all the people in the band are professionals. And now people that do the wedding band circuit because that's all they can do they do that in between when they're touring and recording. So everyone was just so good and it showed me that like, oh, okay, if you have the right people, it doesn't have to fall in that category. And it's the same thing with tributes. I feel like there are tributes out there that are, you know, they're okay, and there are tributes out there that are amazing and the difference is the people in the band. And with this band I was very, very fortunate to find those people.
Speaker 2:You know, we all kind of came together and we fired all cylinders, like you said, and not only do they play great and sing great, but they all look good. Yeah, they do like no one's, like you know 400 pounds. You know no one gets up there in jeans and you know, on the t-shirt like everyone's a rock star, yeah, everyone takes it seriously, everyone's at the same level. And to have a band where everyone's firing at the same level, it's, you know, all the pistons are firing it's just hard to explain. Musicians know what I'm talking about. It's like a chemistry that's just so rare. And because we have that, because we have that, we've actually expanded into other bands. So now we have a zeppelin band, we have a deep purple band and we have we just launched a Journey Band. So we've got four different tributes.
Speaker 1:You are so busy you have no idea. When do your kids get to see you?
Speaker 2:Well, you'd be surprised. And that's the thing I make that time. There are times when I'm on the road, where it's hard. I really would prefer to be home, but what I do is we design our schedule Like we don't tour and go out, like we won't do more than maybe two or three shows, specifically because of that. And when I'm home, I take my son to school Every morning, I give him a bath. I, you know, I'm taking him to the soccer practice, you know. And my little girl I mean, she's a baby, so it's a little different, because it's all about breastfeeding and mommy. Right now, Sure.
Speaker 2:But you know, any moment I can to just sit with her or change the diaper, whatever the thing is. You have to, just you have to make the time for the things that are important. And it's hard, but you just make the time, you know.
Speaker 1:That's right. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. But you know, getting getting back to Bohemian queen, and and, and, like I had said earlier, catherine and I had come out to see the show, you guys were so nice to let a group of us in on a soundcheck we get to see soundcheck and and and just kind of work through some things. And then you shouted out to to the, the crowd that was out there watching, um, you wanted, you wanted us to to shout out a journey song, cause you, you, you're, you know, you're breaking in your, your journey tribute band, like you said, and you guys tore into wheel in the sky and man, it was just so good.
Speaker 1:And let me let me say, besides, besides the guy, you know the fact that the guys are excellent musicians, they're great singers, fronted by a great guy like you. You all are such nice people and you took time. You took time with everyone and that was before the show. You took time with people, with the audience, after the show, those who wanted to stick around, and you were out there hamming it up in your Freddie Mercury stuff and taking pictures with people and just, you know, it's that kind of stuff, that kind of personal touch, that says a lot to a fan and as a fan and it just sends people away with a good feel and a great memory and I commend you guys all five of you for just being great, great, great people.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, and I appreciate that very much because I'm glad it's something that people notice and appreciate because it does. It takes that extra effort to to go out there when you could be backstage just doing other stuff, you know.
Speaker 2:It takes that extra effort to to to listen to people and and and connect, you know right everyone does it and for me, as you know, someone who's worked with kids, who works with kids like it's natural to me right, like I'm a people person, I have tons of patients, I love that.
Speaker 2:But I've been in bands and I've been in situations where, you know, not everyone's like that, so I'm like the only one out there I'm taking, I'm taking pictures, making jokes, and everyone else is in the back and or, you know, on the bus or something, and this is an example of also that the five of us have that in common, where they all come out, you know, and I'm usually the first one I jump out and I try to kind of get a head start, but everyone will come out and everyone will take pictures and talk and everyone's nice and I just I love that, you know, and I think you kind of need you know, at least, especially with the work that I'm doing with the foundation, like you need that, right, I mean you need patience, you need empathy, you need love in order to work with children and in order to connect with people.
Speaker 2:Whatever, you know, it's a different vibe, like it's more mysterious, like you, like those guys might not come out and be smiling like, hey, let's take the picture. You know, yeah, that's not what you're, that's not the vibe you want from that man.
Speaker 2:let's say you know um, but it just depends on who you are as a person, and we're fun loving people, people yeah, well.
Speaker 1:Well, you guys were great and I appreciated it, and I know all the fans that were there sticking around, whether they were buying T-shirts or whatever, just hanging around wanting to just say hello, say how much they enjoyed the show, take a photo, that kind of stuff. It was a really, really, really nice night. And I'll tell you this Catherine and I, we already have our tickets for the benefit show, so we're going to see you at the 11th.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great. We're going to see you. You're going to be well, thank you for that. You're going to. Yeah, you're definitely going to have your mind blown because you've seen the show, yes, and now you're going to see it, though with those extra bells and whistles, like at a different level. Also, the venue itself, the Avalon Theater is, is gorgeous, um, and they have, you know, the screens and it's just things you you're going to witness that you didn't at the other show, just because of the difference in the venue and the extra stuff we're throwing in.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, we're, we're, we're so looking forward to it. I told you we were going to be there and we're going to be there. And you know one, it's because we like you, we like you guys and we love the show that you guys put on, but we also want to help support the foundation as well. We want to try to do our part a little bit.
Speaker 2:Well, I appreciate that and we've had a lot of great support. You know it started initially with. It started mostly surrounding people who knew David or loved David or were fans of David, and that's where the income from the fundraisers and stuff came from right. Like in the beginning, it was just like when you know someone passes and then they put up a GoFundMe for the funeral service, right, Like everyone's focused on that, everyone's like, yes, whatever I can do to help.
Speaker 2:That's the initial, you know, impetus of what starts something right, but that can only last for so long, like I, you know it's like for me it'll be every day for the rest of my life. I'll feel that and that that's not something I'll ever go away. But you know, for the rest of the world, you know, unless you were a close friend or family, whatever directly to him, you know for the rest of the world, like over time, then you know it's, it starts to settle in and it's like there's only so much you could be like oh, that was, like you know, seven years ago right you know, can you?
Speaker 2:we're raising money, blah, blah, blah. So what happens is it has to be now about the cost, like what are we raising money for? What is the impact? What are we doing? So it it started those first few years where it was really about david, and then now it's starting to, which is what we wanted to do, and I'm really happy that that's happening. It's it's become more about the work and David as the inspiration. So because because the truth is all the kids, I mean we we're doing programs around the world and winning awards. We've just I just got two more in the mail the other day.
Speaker 2:I'm looking at them right now on my shelf. Like you know, I never won an award for any of my rock bands, but I've got six awards for music video that I've done with kids around the world. It's so weird, you know, but when you go to Malaysia and you go to Israel and South Africa and Argentina, or you go to Chicago, texas, like anywhere, we're going right. Even LA, new York, I mean, I would say New York the one New York school might be the only exception, because David, you know, went to that school and we worked there together. But outside of that school, where we started doing this back in the day, like no one knows who ZO2 was, no one knows who David Z was. So there's not that connection of like, oh yeah, we're doing this for David. Who's David?
Speaker 2:david z was so there's not that connection of like oh yeah, I'm doing this for david, who's david? Yeah, paulie, right, like, who are we? They don't have no idea who we are. They know that they're getting a music program. They know that they're that they. It's about the, the actual mission, and that's where it's. Over the last couple years it's been great because now we're starting to see the impact there. The videos are there, the testimonials. We're getting grants from, uh, you know, like, uh, federal, um, state, corporate, you know, sponsorships, and it's again, it's about the work. Yeah, that's I just. The reason I bring that up is just because it's a very proud thing to be able to see it mature from something that was very personal to something that's now, you know, uh, global and with a real impact that you can track, you know and.
Speaker 2:David will always be the inspiration. And then they ask, they say who? Who is David Z? And then they'll go and they'll look and they're like, oh wow, he was cool. You know, the kids would be like you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Well, with a name, come on With names like Pauly and David Z. You've got to be cool. Okay, you better be right.
Speaker 2:You have no business using a name like that if you're not cool.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you a really, really touching thing that happened. An example of this In Israel the video that we did, which we we just won an award for, an anthem award. Um, we, it was a, it was an all special needs school and and, uh, we wrote the song called the way of the righteous and the teacher was a total rock star. I mean, this guy had patients in the same because it's, you know, the kids were special needs behavioral problems, social issues, things like that. Some of them were with mental retardation or on the spectrum, whatever. So challenging group and he was great and the kids loved it. It was just an incredible experience. But what they did was they wanted to do something to say thank you, and they didn't know what to do. So they created a corner, they blocked off a corner of a place in their school and called it the David Z Corner and they put up pictures and they drew a poster of him and they put a laptop with headphones.
Speaker 2:And when the kids have emotional issues, they can take a break from class, go to the David D Corner and listen to music to calm down. And when they told me and they surprised me they had a curtain, they opened it up. They said this is our way of saying thank you. I broke down like I just cried, like a little schoolboy.
Speaker 1:No, that's okay, oh man.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, it was. I couldn't believe it. And just the idea, like again, that they did some of the research to see who he was and then they created it and it impacted them so much that they would create a space for this, you know, for him it just was unbelievable. You know, I couldn't, I couldn't explain what that felt like.
Speaker 1:And that's not, and that's in another country, in another part of the world.
Speaker 2:It's not in Brooklyn, right Exactly, there's some sort of connection.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that is just that's so. That is so cool that is so cool.
Speaker 2:So that's the thing and that's why I try to explain to people. I mean, obviously, if you just want to see a clean bed, if you're a clean bed, come to the show. You're going to get a great show, no matter what. But I try to utilize my bands and my, you know, whatever you know, quote, unquote celebrity status I have, you know, for whatever that's worth, as much as I can. Because, let's be, let's be honest, like you know, if, if you know, beyonce has the beyonce foundation, I mean she's gonna raise more money because she's beyonce right, has the born this way foundation. I mean, you know, if you have clout, if you have a family, if you have some, um, a strong resume, why not? Why not use it? You know that's what's the. So that's what I try to do. You know, I'm like, okay, I've got all these bands, I've got all this like birthday jam, so it's my birthday.
Speaker 1:I know I was, I was just, I was just gonna say somebody had a birthday, uh, I don't know, two weeks ago, yeah yeah, and you know so, like I could just do a party or a concert or whatever and just make that all it is.
Speaker 2:but for me I'm like, well, if I'm going through all this trouble to do it anyway, I like to tie it in and just, you know, you raise a couple thousand here, you raise a couple thousand here, a hundred here, whatever, maybe you get a couple thousand here, a couple hundred here, whatever, maybe you get a big one. So that's what I like to do. I feel like I'm trying to connect all the different things and somehow funnel it back into that, to the work we do.
Speaker 1:Give me a second real quick. Pauly Z from ZO2 and Bohemian Queen and Zeppelin and Purple-ish and what is it? Separate Journeys yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So a whole fistful of bands. We're talking to Pauly Z on the phone. We had some issues with internet access and all that kind of thing, so we did a little something different today. Still got to bring you the show, still got to bring you the conversation, and I just want everyone to know that Paul EZ is on the phone with me.
Speaker 2:So Thank you and I apologize to everyone out there. It's, the internet is completely out in our neighborhood, not just my, but like the entire neighborhood. Yeah and yeah. So, and my phone just went. It was too choppy to try to do a video, so this seems to be working right.
Speaker 1:It's clear. No, it's very clear. It seems to be working great, and you know we're having a good conversation too, yeah, so you have a nice picture of me when you put it on the video. I don't, I'll figure something. Wait, hang on a second. Hold on, I'm going to step away from. This is so professional here. I'm going to step away from the, from the camera here real quick, Cause I am going to show you a pic. I am going to show the audience a picture.
Speaker 2:Okay, let's see All right, well, I can't see it. Yeah, I know you can't no-transcript. Well, I can't see it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know you can't. You'll have to go on YouTube and watch this.
Speaker 2:I'm telling you that it's a decent shot.
Speaker 1:No, I got to pick. Oh wait, let me get it on the right spot. I'm showing everybody a picture of Bohemian Queen. Oh, okay, yeah, so Pauly is right there in the center of that picture as Freddie Mercury, and he does a tremendous job. So there's my picture of Pauly. Okay, so everybody knows We'll do something. You know, look, this is not a real sophisticated podcast. Here we hit the camera, we hit the computer, we hit the microphone, and if everything holds together it's all good. But so we talked a little bit the last time that we're both KISS fans. We're both huge KISS fans.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I mean really like KISS geeks. You talked about having posters up all over your you know walls in your bedroom and all that, and I did the same thing for years. Yeah, so I wanted to ask you this what was the first time you saw Kiss?
Speaker 2:Oh well, I actually have a great story about that. Good, the first time was hang on one second.
Speaker 1:Sure.
Speaker 2:My wife just texted me.
Speaker 1:Got to answer that text.
Speaker 2:The first time was at Lemoore when they were breaking in Eric Singer. Oh yeah, so I had my dad call the club and we lived right around there in Brooklyn so we were nearby and he called and it was I think it was 16 to get in. Ok.
Speaker 1:And I was 15.
Speaker 2:And think it was 16 to get in, okay, and I was 15. And I've never been to a concert. So this is my first concert ever. And I bet and my dad knew I was Kiss fanatic I begged him to let me, you know, to let me to bring me, and he said, well, let me see what I can do.
Speaker 2:So my dad's a salesman and he well, he used to be not anymore but and he's really good at you know, he's very charming and good at getting what he wants. So he called the club and he convinced them to let him bring me. He said, look, right, you know this is explain my love of kids. But he goes, I'll be with him the whole time, he just wants to see the show. And he convinced them to let me in. So they let me in with my dad. And, funny enough, it turned out Joey from ZO2 was at the same show because he lived in Brooklyn too. He was at the same show and we were, maybe because we talked about it later on, years later, when we kind of put two and two together right we realized we were only a couple of feet away from each other wow because he goes.
Speaker 2:Oh, I was standing right, right in front of paul, between paul and bruce. I was like, yeah, I was right in front of paul too. I was like three, four rows in, he goes. I was front row, like so we? It's just kind of funny so this had to be.
Speaker 1:Uh, this had to be. What about 92? Uh, uh, yeah, for the revenge tour, right?
Speaker 2:well, it was before, so it might have been even 91 okay at the end, maybe at the end of 91, okay, I don't remember yeah now I don't remember, but I think it was something like that yeah yeah, something like that, but it was lamor.
Speaker 2:It was actually called, I think the name they had changed temporarily to the warehouse, I think, because they played also limelight on that set. They had like two warm-up shows before the tour and I think it was called the warehouse and I remember seeing them too and I was freaked out because I didn't recognize them. Like gene had a mustache and a beard, you know, and then there was a guy with blonde hair. I'm like they look so dark and so different. I was like what the hell? I remember a guy wearing a t-shirt outside online when we went online to wait to get in and I'm like who's that he goes? That's Kiss you moron. I really couldn't believe I was them because I knew I really knew them more from like Hot in the Shade.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Asylum because of my age, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's where your exposure to Kiss came in. Was it with the 70s stuff or the 80s?
Speaker 2:Both Okay, both yeah, because I got into it from my uncle getting my first record and my dad and my uncle were in a band together back in the day. They played kind of like David and I and you know I got all my musical influences from mostly my dad. A little bit from my uncle too, but I think my uncle's the one who gave me the Kiss record Initially. It was the makeup, I think. That attracted me as a kid. But I got into the music really quickly and everything built. I was like because for me at that age the 80s was like the current stuff, so I was seeing that on TV and I was excited, but the 70s stuff I was digging back into. So I like everything, I mean even the Elder, even like even the stuff that people don't like as much I liked oh no, I love the Elder.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think it's a fabulous album front to back. I love the Elder. I love that. I think it's a fabulous album front to back. And I know the band hates it. We know they all hate it. They'll never sing anything from it. I think they've only performed a couple of songs off of it, you know, every once in a while or when they would do their acoustic shows. But no, I love the Elder.
Speaker 2:Yeah, me too, once in a while or when they would do their acoustic shows. But no, I love the elder.
Speaker 1:Yeah, me too I, I, you know, because, and, and my very first concert was kiss also, and it was, um, it was the return of kiss. That was when they went out on the dynasty tour and I was 14 years old and my buddy, patrick Sorelli, he in Los well, you live here in Los Angeles now but in the LA Times they had a calendar section and you would flip through the calendar section you'd see what, what concerts were were in the area and what bands were coming to town and so on. And he showed me the ad for kiss and he said we have to go. And so we rode our bicycles to the ticket broker and we bought our tickets and and, uh, his dad went with us, his dad drove us to the show and and we were at the, we were at the forum in Englewood, and so that was. That was my first experience, that was my first concert, and it was my first kiss experience too.
Speaker 1:But you know, we'd been fans and and and kiss geeks for two or three years leading up to that. But yeah, I think it is, I think it's just for, I don't know, I think it was the makeup that grabbed me first, just like you, and it's the visual stuff. And then you go back and you start listening to the music and you start taking that in to the music and you start taking that in. But so now are you, do you lean one way or the other? 80s era, non 80s era, or is it just the whole catalog?
Speaker 2:No, the whole. Thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:No, no, I mean, I think if I had to, if I had to pick, I'd pick the 70s, because I still think that's more magical era of the I mean, it's almost kind of like with Queen is a good example, actually no-transcript. And then the 80s became more, more production and the songs became a little bit more radio friendly and great songs Stress is great, some even better in some ways, but just different. So you know, I feel like you know, if I had to pick, I would pick the 70s, just because those songs are more classic and and uh, and I'm a 70s guy too. So that's the thing. Even though I grew up in the 80s, I prefer the sound and the musicality and arrangements of the 70s.
Speaker 2:I'm very much into like, uh, my favorite time period, I would say, is like 69 to 75. Okay, you know, like any in that chunk of time, you know the Deep Purples, the Frees and Back Pumpings and Rush and Aerosmith and Kiss, and you know even early Judas Priest, you know before Sabbath, like you know, and then, because then later the new wave of British heavy metal came out and I love Native and I love those bands too, but my, I think songwriting and production was a little different. You know something about the 70s.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, it seems that when there was the turn of the decade there you brought up the, the, the new wave of british heavy metal, and then you know 80s, kiss. You know, in the 80s it seemed that production became a little more polished or a little more slick and, uh, it wasn't necessarily as raw as like the 60s and 70s. And I say that about, I said that about Kiss. I did a show, I don't know, a little while back. I ranked all the studio albums and there was something about especially the first three Kiss albums, maybe even the first six leading up to Kiss Alive 2, but there was something about those albums and the attitude there was, that New York street attitude that Kiss delivered early on in their career, attitude that Kiss delivered early on in their career.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree, I think that's the thing and you hit the nail on the head too with the production.
Speaker 2:There's that rawness in the early 70s but I liked it more than the 60s because they were getting more into production but they weren't so slick yet like in the 80s when they had more, more into production but they weren't so slicky at like in the 80s when they had more of like just a better quality gear and the keyboards and the drum machines. But you know, and and you're right, like the attitude, like in the 80s, because they were already big, they were starting to write songs that were more commercialized or more like they had a formula, like they got into the thing of like okay, now we're a big band, we need a radio hit, we need a blah, blah, blah. You know there's a difference when you're young and you're just writing stuff, you feel emotionally, like you said, and there are no rules. If there were rules you wouldn't have songs like Bohemian Rhapsody. I mean, even a song like she is not a song that makes sense if you're trying to get on the radio, it doesn't make sense, what a great song.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, what a great song.
Speaker 2:Right. But the thing is, think about it If you're writing a song like that, that's a song you write when you're young and in your basement and you like the sound of that riff and the sound of those harmonies. When I write, for example, write, if I'm writing a song, a vo2 song, it's going to be very different than if I'm writing a poly z solo song, which is going to be very different than if I'm writing a kid's song. Yeah, right, so my brain goes into a certain mode and that's what I'm trying to say. In the 70s, I think, because they were, the industry was also exploding. Like, think about, like before the early 70s, they didn't do stadium tours, they didn't have big records, they weren't selling millions and millions like that. Now I'm experimenting with like long seven minute. You know, king floyd led zeppelin, all those bands were experimenting. It was a beautiful, it was almost like a renaissance, musical renaissance right it was.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:yeah, I know I, I do and let me um, you and I we could talk, kiss all day long. But this is about you and this is about the benefit, and this is about z02 and this is about ZO2. And I want to kind of bring it back to that. But you brought up something about songwriting and when you are early on in your career and you have a certain attitude. So I want to ask you, how long did it take you guys to write your debut album?
Speaker 2:Probably about a year, I think. We had one song that we brought in that I already had, which was Head Up Okay, head Up with a previous drummer, and that was a song that was like the only song that we had before Joey came in, and if you ask Joey to play it, he'll punch you in the face.
Speaker 2:He doesn't want to play that plus, it's a little on the grungier side. He's not really into the grunge stuff, but I think because he wasn't on it it's not his part, so he doesn't have a connection to it but all the other ones were, I think, when he wasn't on it. It's not his part, you know, so he doesn't have a connection to it but all the other ones were, I think, when he joined and we started writing in the studio. Yeah, I'd say about a year, I think.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's actually. I mean. I think that's amazing because that first album, that debut album, is just so good. And what I think is amazing about it is you guys were like what 24, 25 years old at the time and the lyrics on it are so mature. It blows me away. It really honestly does.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Yeah, well, I mean, and also the part of that has to do with our producer.
Speaker 1:Bob Held.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it wouldn't be what it was without him, I mean as far as sonically, as far as lyrics. You know he co-wrote not all the songs, but most of them. You know he was in there with us. I mean, listen, 10 years later it didn't end well, you know, unfortunately, and we kind of went our separate ways. But I'll never take away the fact that if it wasn't for him, it would be, zo2 would not be, there would be no ZO2, and we wouldn't be here talking right now, because he was like a fourth member of the band. He was one, you know, you hear about that with other bands where um, and he wound up becoming our manager after the fact, at the time he was just the producer right you know we do.
Speaker 2:We hadn't talked about management or anything like that. So he was there every rehearsal, put his ear to the, you know he remember he'd get on his knee and listen to the kick drum pattern, make sure it matched the bass he would. He would, you know, say he would help us write lyrics. We used to go to a diner and just can't go over lyrics. And he came.
Speaker 2:He was pretty old school in the sense that he loved steven tallent that kind of um, those kind of um lyrics like the uh you know a joke like sassafras he loved that word sassafras, you know what I mean. Kind of like he had that kind of um, not so much of like what happened in the 90s and afterward people started writing more about, uh, things that were like maybe insecurities or digging deeper and vulnerability. That's it. Like he liked more like stories and and things that were that were clever. You know he came from that era. That's even tyler loving an elevator, kind of thing. So, um, that's why a lot of our, our words are like that. If you notice, they're either clever or they're like a deep hand in the air, pumped rock and roll.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And there's not a lot of like vulnerability in their opening up into, like you know, some kind of like real world emotional issues, and I think that's fine, because I don't think that you go to a ZO2 show for that kind of vibe. You know what I mean, with the exception of our ballads like Dirty Water.
Speaker 1:Dirty. I was just going to bring that one up.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dirty water, dirty. I was just gonna, I was just gonna bring that one up, yeah, but that's that was. That was a situation I had, um, when I wrote about an ex, uh, a girlfriend of mine and that you know that was an opportunity there to to kind of open up, you know. But it was a balance, it made sense. But the other ones were a little bit more storytelling or, you know, either sexual nature or party kind of, you know, or empowering, right.
Speaker 2:Oh, you mean like paper breakup, yeah that was David's song and that was you know, and even though that's like a breakup song, but if you notice it's still kind of a clever lyric, like it's more of like like he loved Rush very much, so like it was still kind of a clever lyric, like it's more of like like he loved rush um very much, so like it was a kind of cleverly written lyric versus a more basic sort of vulnerable kind of like like you know what I mean like more about just like real raw emotions. So they're kind of two different things. I, I would say he was definitely more into the because he was a pro guy into the clever kind of like interesting music, people stuff, Like anything like Taking Me Down or anything that was like more musically challenging or interesting. I would say probably came from David and I was much more of a blues-based, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like a much more blues-based and he was much more prog bass. Well, I, I look, I'm gonna. I'm gonna go ahead and throw this one out. You know, since we're talking about the debut album and people go if you don't have z02's debut album, if you don't have any of their albums, go seek them out. I urge you to do so. The music is just so tremendous, it's so good, and they have four albums now, with the new one that was just released last December, that's Begin Again. That's a two CD set. It's an anthology CD for the most part the first disc. The second disc is some previously unreleased or released to streaming services singles. I think there's one or two unreleased songs and some covers, and it's really good stuff, people. But I want to get back to Paper Breakup. You have to break down, you have to break down those lyrics to really understand it, and I think don't ask me too, because I didn't write it, so I don't know.
Speaker 1:No, you don't want to do it because you you don't want to talk about david's song I guess, if you talk about like what it's about, I mean it was about a girl.
Speaker 2:I think it was a pin-off in a magazine.
Speaker 1:In a magazine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so I don't remember the specifics of it because I don't sing that song, you know, I don't actually know the lyrics as well. That detail I know, I'm just from singing the harmonies and stuff. But as well that detail I know, I'm just from singing the harmonies and stuff. But yes, that was the premise and that was fun for him. He thought it was a clever, interesting idea, which it is. Or even like radio. That's another good example. Radio was about someone who was in love with like.
Speaker 2:It was this girl that like was in love with the, the stars on the radio, right like yeah, like this girl, but she had no time for me until, all of a sudden, I became a radio sensation.
Speaker 1:Now, she, she now she wants now, she wants, yeah, now. She was going to give you her time and you were, and you were saying, uh, yeah, I don't think, so I'm just gonna turn it up, just turning the volume up and so you know, and again.
Speaker 2:So that was like like what I call clever lyrics or like storytelling lyrics, like you have like a unique take on something, there's an angle to it, um, versus just saying I like this girl, she doesn't like me, and you know that kind of thing just such such good stuff.
Speaker 2:Such good stuff, man uh I think for people that like melodic rock you know anyone that likes Kiss, alice in Chains, zeppelin Rush. You know Stone Temple Pilots I would say King's X, I mean. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the kind of bands that I feel like we captured. You know there's that grunge element to it as well. So if you like allison chain stunt, double pilot sound garden there's you know that's in there too, which is kind of like what we were going for. You know it was the swagger of the 70s, um, but with the kind of heaviness of the of the grunge era but all and uh, yeah.
Speaker 1:But also it seemed like song structure and lush harmonies from the 70s. Yeah, definitely yeah, that's what is just, that's what's so good about it.
Speaker 2:I think people compare this a lot to King's X and I didn't know that band at the time when we were getting the comparisons and I looked them up and then I was like holy cow, these guys are great. I bought all their records but I um, I think they're probably the best comparison as far as like a three piece who sings, or melodic lush harmonies, right beetle harmonies yeah less companies, but with heavy grooves detuned, drop the heavy moments, groovy moments.
Speaker 2:The difference is, though, where I think we have more swagger, like they're a little bit more on the prog side, you know, a little bit more straight and kind of musical, it's that, but with more swagger. So if you can imagine, like King's X with Aerosmith or something you know more fun, van Halen like smiling, jumping around.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like, I know those guys, they're friends of mine and I love them, but you know, they're not smiling and jumping around. You know what I mean. Like Van Halen was, you know. And they're not trying to be like sexy necessarily either. You know they're musicians, yeah, you know, you know. So we kind of had a combination of that. I feel like we had the musician part where if you were a musician, you could really really get into the music and be like, oh wow, it's like that's a great riff or arrangement or they're doing seven, nine over there or whatever. But yet if you didn't care about that and you were just a rock and roll fan and you're like, oh yeah, they're fun that they look cool, they act cool, they're you know, you know we all went good shape, good looking guys. I mean David was in La Donnas. Yeah, he'd take his shirt off and women would faint. So there was that sex appeal to it too and I feel like that was our thing, that was our brand.
Speaker 1:You know, and you guys had that Brooklyn street attitude as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you throw in the brooklyn right. It would have been different if we came from la or from another you know, yes, but yeah, yeah, I think we were all three brooklyn boys. There was that other layer on top of it which came out in the tv show for those that don't know, oh, yeah, tv show z rock for two seasons and that was really what I think showcased who we really were.
Speaker 2:You know that New York attitude, but it was a New York attitude, but a specific New York attitude, because it's not like the Ramones or the New York Dolls, you know what? I mean it wasn't that kind of CBGB's funky or dirty smoking tattoos attitude. We had a very interesting New York attitude. I don't know how you would even explain it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's hard to describe. You have to actually see it and witness it to get it. And you're right, because it wasn't a dirty punk type attitude, it was almost more like Seinfeld, like I'm trying to think of it.
Speaker 2:It was like a Seinfeld like Seinfeld, like I'm trying to think of it, it was like a Seinfeld if Seinfeld was a rock band. Yeah, like that vibe that they had that kind of witty goofy, you know, but still New York, they're very New York. Yeah, you know, I think that might be the best comparison. You think Seinfeld, king Kong, axl Smith best comparison it's like side film, King's Day, x-men.
Speaker 1:Hey, let me, let me ask you about the. You brought up the TV show, so let me ask you about that Is it? Is it available to watch anywhere?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's on DVD. You can order them.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I mean, they're discontinued so you have to, you know, find someone selling it, but they do exist on dvd. And then, um, I know joey has all, both seasons, all episodes, on his page, um, and at some point we were talking about putting them up on the z02 page. But but we were trying to, we're waiting, because we kind of want to do something special and maybe, like you know, um, you know some social media campaign behind it. So right now I would say, just go to Joey's page and you can watch it there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know he posts little clips here and there from time to time on his Facebook page.
Speaker 2:But he has the actual episodes.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he put them up, which I'm glad he did, because at least there's one place where you can see all of them. Yeah, because it's hard to find.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I tried to search for it just on one of my streaming apps and I couldn't find it anywhere. It's not streaming, so are there any ZO2 shows in the future? Yeah, let's see Thursday on Saturday.
Speaker 2:Are there any ZO2 shows in the future? Yeah, what's today? Thursday? On Saturday, I'm flying tomorrow. Yeah, it's funny, you said that because I was going to mention it earlier. We are playing in Washington DC for the pre and post game for the Washington Capitals hockey team.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, yes, yes, I did see that, I did see that, I did see that yeah.
Speaker 2:And that's the that we got, because the guy who's working with him now used to work at the Tampa Bay Lightning and back in the day he had CO2 do the same thing. We did the tailgate party, whatever, and then he had me sing the national anthem and that was the very first time I ever did it which it was the very first time I ever did it, which was amazing but nerve-wracking.
Speaker 2:I was going to ask if you were nervous. Well, my brother was making fun of me because he said we could see your knees shaking the VIP box. We can literally on the ice. We could see your knees banging together and shaking, but you can't talk in the video because you can only see the up, you know, from my chest up. So I looked pretty confident but but, yeah, my knees were shaken, um, and then, since then I had done a bunch of them.
Speaker 2:I'd like to do it again. It's been a long time since I've done it, but that was uh, that was really really great because, um, which is not you know, not only I got to sing anthem, but we became really good friends with the guy. His name is patrick and and just he had us back again and yeah, just you know, and look, look, just talking about relationships and being people, person, I mean, I just kept in touch with him and, yeah, years which I've been like I don't know, 10 years already or more, no, no, it has to be like maybe 13 years. And then he's calling me and he's like, hey, so you guys are back. Come on, you know what I mean. So, like those relationships, you know it takes, it takes effort to to really build relationships with people.
Speaker 2:It doesn't mean you have to talk to them every week, but you just have to yeah really connect and really make the effort to call and say happy birthday, say hey, how are your kids, how are your family, and I think that's what z02 had too. Like that's what people you know bohemian queen has and all the bands I'm in. I try to work with people that have that same mentality, you know.
Speaker 1:Well, and singing the national anthem? That is not. People can think that's an easy song to sing because you had to sing it in school when we were little and all that kind of stuff. No, that is not an easy song to sing.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. Singing it with a group of people in school along with a track, that's one thing. Singing it alone, a cappella, as a singer, when people want to hear a technique and they want to hear that big note, that's a very, very different thing. And I can easily say it's the most difficult song to sing. It really is, and for a couple of reasons. The words, yeah, the lyrics, it's, it's. You know, it's kind of easy to mess up, so just remembering the lyrics, um. Two, because you generally are out there by yourself and either a cappella or with a track, but it's like you know, it's not a comfortable situation when you sing a national anthem, so that is always a factor. Um. And then, three, the way was it's written it?
Speaker 2:octave wise, it goes from a really low note to a really high note right, I don't know really many songs that have the range and the intervals, also that the kind of scale that they use. It's just so weird and very difficult yeah it, it does.
Speaker 1:It starts real low and then it does, it gets real high, yeah yeah. But you know, if anybody can pull it off, you can pull it off, and I don't. I'm trying to not make this be a love fest, but you know you have. But I told you before, you have such a great voice, and it's not just a great voice, it is so powerful, it's so powerful and I love that and I love what you do. Obviously I love all the work with ZO2. And I haven't seen any of the other tribute bands. But I love what you're doing in Bohemian Queen and we're going to bring it right back to that now.
Speaker 1:I love what you're doing in Bohemian Queen and we're going to bring it right back to that now. I love what you're doing in Bohemian Queen and you come out and you address the crowd one or two songs into the set and you say, hey, listen, we're not trying to be queen, we're paying tribute to these great songs written by great musicians, performed by a great band, so on and so on. And you say I'm not trying to come out here and be Freddie Mercury, I am portraying Freddie Mercury. I'm Paul E Zee, that's who I am, and so I think that can bring a comfort to an audience who you know doing those songs. You just do such a great job and you and you, you pay them such respect and I love it and the audience just eats it up thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was one of the things we decided. You you know from the beginning, because I was actually in a kids' tribute band. That's how I met Joey.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Before he joined Zero Two, I was in a kids' tribute band with him and we the same thing, like you know people, our personalities we really let our personalities shine and we didn't try to be I wasn't trying to be Paul Stanley, and it worked in our favor because people kind of fell in love with us.
Speaker 2:They were like, you know, it's just Pauly dressed as Paul Stanley and that had a total different charm to it, a total different vibe. And I think with Freddie, there's so many great Queen tribute bands out there, let's be honest, and there's a lot of competition and you know I don't really have any interest in impersonating someone. You know I'll dress up and I'll get capture the essence of the guy, Cause it's fun and I can do that with queen. I'm not going to do that with the other tributes, cause then I think it's a little bit cheesy for me to put on the wig and all that stuff with those bands. But with queen I feel like you can get away with it because it was so visual and ostentatious, like it's like okay and because it's a little bit tongue-in-cheek. So I think it's okay, yeah you have to tell the audience you got you know.
Speaker 2:I need them to understand that this is not me trying to impersonate him, to put on the accent and do every move. Exactly this is me. I just happen to be dressed as freddie and I'm going to capture the essence of the vocal and some of the movements and stuff. But you're watching paulie z and if you don't like that, then don't come.
Speaker 1:If you don't like that, then you don't like a good show, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's it it's like about.
Speaker 2:It's about us as fans enjoying and bringing to life the magic, and I think I think part of what what that does, too, is that also separates us from the competition, because it's like, oh okay, you know, if I want to go see someone who's like, thinks he's ready and it's going to do every single thing exactly, I can go, do that.
Speaker 2:But I want to really get a high quality show musically and get chemistry and authenticity. Is that's what you're going to get from us, like, because you know that, again, we're not acting or we're not trying to, we're not doing things that don't come natural. We're being ourselves. So there's an authenticity and a charm that I feel like we provide that you're not going to get with other bands, and that's not a knock on the other bands, I'm just saying it's different. It's a different thing, and I will tell you this I find it's very difficult to convey online with videos. I find that we get a good amount of critique online because people only see me dressed as Freddie, but I don't sound necessarily like him, like Mark Martel, you know what.
Speaker 2:I mean, and I'm doing my own moves and I'm saying, come on, get up and blah, blah, blah. I'm being me, but if you're a queen fanatic, I can understand that, driving you crazy because you're watching this video and you're like what the hell man? So it's really challenging for us to get people to understand our brand unless you're at the show. You were there, so you get it. You're like, oh, I get this band now, but if you only saw the video, it would be very hard, I think and you know we're trying to, we're trying to capture that as best we can. But that's been a bit of a challenge for us With our other bands, because it's just us playing the music. People are like oh my God, you guys are great, blah, blah, blah, blah. But as soon as I put on a mustache and a yellow jacket, I'll have to like. You know, it's a different category for people.
Speaker 1:Make sense. People got to buy into the fun. It's tongue-in-cheek, tongue in cheek. It's fun and it's paying tribute to a great band and some great music and it is performed. I mean God, it is performed so well, just absolutely awesome. And you guys attract a wide audience. I mean all age demographics. Oh yeah, I mean all age demographics. There were kids, I think, 10, 11 years old at the show and the people that were sitting next to me. You know they were old enough to be my parents and but just great stuff, gosh great stuff.
Speaker 2:Look, I want to, and I think a big part of why the kids and all the different age groups like it too is because of the costumes. Because you know I do that's another thing we do that no one else does I do like between eight and ten costume changes, sometimes more depending on how long the set is. Yeah, you know, and that's something that's you know. Visually it's fun, it's something, you know, that brings excitement. And I do the 70s version of Freddie, which nobody does either. So you get the long hair, no mustache, and then halfway through the show I transition to the mustache and that's fun. I mean, how can you not? It's visual, it's exciting, it's fun and I think that's what. If anyone is thinking of coming to that benefit concert on the 11th April, 11th, at the Avalon, I'm telling you you're going to have the greatest time of your life. It's just a fun show, but with high quality musicianship. It's not fun, but the music. When you say tongue in cheek, I always say we don't take ourselves seriously, but we take the music very seriously.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, and I should be clear on that. Right Right say we, we don't take ourselves seriously, but we take the music. Yes, yes, yes, and I, I should.
Speaker 2:I should be clear on that right right uh people to think that like tongue-in-cheek, in the sense that we're going in kind of like the songs are loose or whatever, like musically though, we're, we're, we're you guys are tight high level you guys are tight, that's for sure I would make sure about that, because we're music professional musicians, so that's our calling card, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Okay. So I'm going to remind everybody again Look, this is Pauly Z from ZO2, bohemian Queen, separate Journeys, purple-ish Zep LA All these wonderful tribute bands Not ZO2, though, the one original band there. And Purple-ish Zep LA all these wonderful tribute bands Not ZO2, though, the one original band there. And the flagship, the one that started it all. But the Bohemian Queen has a show coming up on Thursday, april 11th. It's a show for the David Z Foundation. It's in Hollywood, at the Avalon Hollywood Theater. Tickets actually are not bad. If you just go to the David Z Foundation website, I think it's davidzfoundationorg, am I right?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you just go to that website and you can there's a link there to get tickets. It actually pops right up on the homepage says get tickets and just click it. I think tickets start at like 39 bucks.
Speaker 2:I think I actually get, yeah, I think there's 35 now.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, okay. So they're quite reasonable.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's $35, and then it's $55, and then there's like a VIP package.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I think it's $125, where you can come early, see Soundcheck. You get a meet and greet and you get front of the line after the show for the whole show. Meet and greet, you get a free shirt. Yeah, agreed to get a free shirt. Yeah, it's a pretty cool. You know, for those that can afford it, the VIP experience is actually really cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it definitely is. So I want to encourage everyone if you're available on Thursday, April 11th, get your tickets, check out the show. It's great. You definitely won't be disappointed, and I'm so looking forward to it, Pauly.
Speaker 2:Thanks, man. Thanks again for having me on and being patient with me, I.
Speaker 1:I so appreciate your time. Really, I didn't expect that we were going to go this long on the phone, but uh, you and I it seems easier on the phone for me because I had to drive somewhere I would have had to stop about a half an hour ago I heard you get in your car. You heard me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was trying to be as quiet as possible.
Speaker 1:I couldn't help the ding-dings.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so it actually in a way it worked out because I was able to talk longer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no. So this is great and I look forward to seeing you on the 11th. And again, thanks so much for your time. You're so generous and we just seem to have a good time when we do this, so I appreciate it. Well, thank you, brother. All right, so we'll talk to you soon, okay?
Speaker 2:Okay, thanks everybody for listening.
Speaker 1:All right, take care now.
Speaker 2:Bye.
Speaker 1:Bye-bye. Yeah, there he goes. Pauly Z how about that First phone interview? That's crazy. Yeah, well, but it worked out. It worked out really well and yeah, so check it out. These guys are tremendous. They really really are, and we're going to let it go with that, so we'll wrap it right here Once again. The program is available on multiple podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, amazon Music and Spotify. Or if you can't resist this, all right here, and you just have to see my pretty face and you're watching on YouTube, then just please subscribe to the channel, Give me a thumbs up and leave a comment. I love comments and, uh, last but not least, follow me on Instagram. Ben Maynard program. All right, look, that was some good stuff. Um, check it out people, all right? Um, there you go. We'll see you next time, ok, oh, friday Night Live. Friday Night Live is coming up on Friday, the 29th, so be there or be square, ok, all right, everyone. This is the Ben Maynard program. Tell a friend.