Ep 177 The Difference

The Difference started in the spring of 2014 while playing their middle school talent show. They were the favorite act of the show, which helped them gain confidence for the road ahead. They later named themselves "The Difference" because they felt that they wanted to make a difference in people's lives. The Difference consists of four talented musicians playing music from the 50's through the 80's. They play such artists like The Beatles, Queen, Elton John, Elvis Presley, and Cheap Trick. Ray and Mike met with them to see what really is the difference.

Transcript

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 Hollywood Mike. Hello, Hollywood Mike.

How are you? I Don't know you don't know Did you go fishing or something? I hear you talking to some people about fishing earlier. I was talking about fishing earlier Yeah, you were somewhere in some pond some lake. Oh, we were talking about Turtle Lake over there and over in Plainfield Oh, okay, close to where I live.

Oh, I thought you were an angler Not really. No, no, you know, I have a cousin a nephew. Mm-hmm.

Who's a pro fisherman Oh, I believe you told me about that Yeah, and it's actually fun to go fishing with him and my kids and stuff But other than that, so hookings, I don't know. No, it isn't. I don't think so.

Yeah hookings not for me No, I don't have the legs for it. No, I don't think so. Yeah, I don't think so.

So what who cares? Yeah, it makes no difference. I think about five people may have gotten that joke. Yeah, maybe yeah, it makes no difference You know what? I'll tell you what I did do it.

I'm trying to lead into our guests here and you oh, really? Yeah, I was trying to oh, that's right. We have guests here. Yeah, they're doing these people right here to outside Yeah, okay right here to look and look at us talk all night.

Okay, start over again. All right, go start over again Are you serious? No, oh Come on All right. Go ahead.

Tell me your story. Tell me your damn story No, I don't need to tell you the story now why cuz now I've shut down and I'm gonna be uncooperative. Okay, no No, I am I ordered and I ordered a new guitar yesterday.

Oh, really? Yeah, so I'm kind of excited about that one Okay, I ordered a Kiesel. Yeah, which is a strange Thing for me because I've always been a fender guy That's true and I've decided nope, I'm gonna get a Kiesel this time around Hmm because I get to pick out everything that I want color wood fingerboard You know Scotty have a piece. Oh, he does know where you were No, actually, we have another we have another friend who we need to have on the show actually, yeah, who's got like ten of them Wow and He brought a guitar out to an open jam last week and I couldn't stop playing it.

No kidding. It was a Kiesel Like you know what I'm gonna get I think that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna order a Kiesel not to be confused at a keister You're just you're just gross I am I can can be yeah, okay Well, you want to get to the guests? We haven't been in a studio in a while.

So I know I got a lot of cash All righty, what's been a while joining us tonight in the studio is the difference hi guys. Hello. Hey Okay, so now how does what does that have to do with vision what vision fishing fishing Because you were trying to lead into something.

Yeah, because what you were saying, you know, it makes no difference All right joining us here Jacob Jason and Jamie aren't you glad you came in here tonight Man yeah, we're kind of like that sometimes. Yeah, we haven't even had any burden yet No, no There's been a few weeks since we've been here and it gets you know, you get yeah a lot of energy going rolls That's right. That's right.

So the difference how you guys doing doing pretty good by yourself. I'm doing great. I'm doing great Ray's doing good, too.

Yes. So where does this band come from? How did this all come together? So I'm the only original member So we started actually this is the 10-year anniversary Wow, and we started back when you guys were five. Yes when we're actually sorry for We started in our seventh grade middle school talent show, I just I wasn't far off And I just kind of had a few friends we put something together We just did a jet airliner by Steve Miller for that didn't go great But you know, we were like 13 so best you could do for a 13 year old and we just had a lot of fun so we just you know did started doing some open mic nights and battle the bands and You know as members changed, you know Bring Jacob and Jamie in now and we've been doing this.

Yeah for 10 years. It's been going great. It's awesome Yeah, so is it just the three of you or do you have other people in the way? We do have also our drummer Nico Gonzalez.

He couldn't be here tonight because he's no fun He's gonna listen to that and he's gonna be mad at me now when he hears that no But uh, so you have Nico Gonzalez on drums and sometimes we do have a fifth member. Who's a drew Dahlgren? He played bass for us many years ago. And then he he's at Mizzou right now as his law degree So he that's why we have you know, Jacob playing bass with us now But sometimes he comes back and he'll play keyboards with us, which adds a nice new element to the group So yeah, it's our lineup as of now.

Okay, so we've established you're the bass player in the band and the bass player That's right, right and Jamie. What do you do in the band? I Lead vocalist lead vocalist. Okay.

All right and Guitarist, yeah guitar and kind of lead vocalist, but she's the better lead vocalist So yeah, no glockenspiel in this band, you know, we did he just didn't work out didn't work out Okay, I'm still trying to find that band with a glockenspiel Yeah, if we ever do find a band with a glockenspiel and I'm gonna have to I don't know I don't know. We're gonna have to celebrate something Yeah Maybe after a few bourbons. Yeah That's right.

That's right. So we're like what what area were you where you guys come from? We're mostly from the northwest suburbs. Okay, like, you know, we live in Palentine and wheeling Yeah, and then we play a lot in the northwest suburbs We also play in the city in the south suburbs or wherever we're asked to go right? Oh, yeah, right Okay, you playing a lot lately.

Um, I mean as much as you can for the winter, um Doing you know three four shows a month in the summer it gets it gets busier for sure But we also have other things, you know, they have normal daytime jobs. I play with other groups as well So we can't always do it You know like five times a weekend or something and saying like we'd want to but we do it pretty regularly I'd say right right so being in seventh grade and you kind of put the band together for the very first time was that Was that a result of I don't know all going to the same music school or just common interests in the school or what? Yeah, well, I was all in like jazz band with a few of the guys We're in concert band. So I knew of them We all went to the same middle school together and it was just kind of just discovering like oh This guy's a really good bass player.

Like, you know, he's a good bass player. Oh this guy plays drums pretty good So it's just just all kind of weird coincidence. I don't think you could have planned it We all just like oh, this would be fun to do it as like a one-time thing And then we just had so much fun.

We just started kind of Turning it into what it is now Must have been a lot of just jamming in the backyard and friends parties and stuff like that Yeah a lot of our first gigs were like You know playing someone's backyard party or like we play like my grandpa's like 70th birthday party or something like that What kind of music? Oh we at that time we were still doing a little bit the classic rock stuff We're doing but we're also doing a lot of like Nirvana and like Fall Out Boy doing some stuff that we don't we don't do anymore It was it was a really weird mix we even tried to write in originals and they were just like Beatles knockoffs They weren't really good So that didn't that in that didn't last too long But yeah It just started as a lot of kind of like kind of like 60s to now and it's kind of evolved more into the 50s the 80s material now But also it's not just like classic rock. We do well classic rock We do rockabilly country a little Motown blues. We're even looking to add some, you know different types of Genres of music from those decades and whatnot now, okay Yeah, I was checking out on YouTube and I've never seen a band do secret agent before but it was cool.

Thank you I mean, I like that song, but I've never seen anybody do it before. Thank you Yeah, if that's just it's one of those like obscure ones, but people really seem to like it. So that's why we do it It's cool.

Yeah. No, that's interesting So how long were you just kind of beating around in the backyard until people actually took you seriously and said yeah sure come play my bar or whatever, um It was a few years like we didn't really started really making it big till about five years in okay What big is me, you know with quotations around it, but no, okay But we were playing like, you know, a lot of backyard parties some open mic nights, you know, if a school fundraiser, but when um We were two years into the band we got an opportunity to play at a cancer walk at a soldier field This was really cool. Um, it was just like two 30-minute sets something pretty easy And it was cool.

We played for I think was like 3,000 people Yeah there cuz they would play right before the walk started like right as everyone was coming back So that was that was a really big moment and kind of like a little frightening for us. Yeah But I think that that was kind of the first like whoa, like this isn't just like some like open my guy This is something really big and I started we started doing that a few years in a row We got to play the shed aquarium, which is a really cool gig And then just yeah started getting to the bar scene very shortly after that That's kind of what we've been doing a lot of also doing some festivals and you know corporate events various other Events, you know, like I said, whatever we're asked to do. We're always happy to do it So if you're saying it was like five years into the band We're talking about a band with a bunch of people who were like 17 18 years old Yeah, and and you're you're playing in front of 3,000 people at soldier field.

Yeah. I mean, it's only downhill from here So, I mean and you know just right now because we actually had a band on the podcast Jeez a year ago or so They're called don't matter to me who have a very similar story that you have They all met in high school and everything and there but a bunch of young, you know a bunch of young people and they were together for years before They could actually go into a bar in play I can only imagine that when you guys are starting to do this There couldn't have been a lot of bars saying. Oh, yeah, come on in here and play There's nothing wrong with having underage kids in here until one o'clock in the morning playing I mean, but but eventually that had to You know started happening for you, right? Yeah, you know, I'm trying to think like what was the first bar we played But yeah, we had to be probably about like 18 about that time.

We're starting to get allowed in But they'd have to like, you know mark our hands. So, you know, like not to like let us drink or anything But yeah, it was yeah, I think was probably about five years so we started playing in bars, but that's what we mostly do now is a lot of the bar scene and restaurant scene in the Northwest and West suburbs. Sure.

Sure. So were you getting help from the parents when you were underage to do that? They were driving us to the gigs, right? But they weren't really like booking shows or they weren't helping us set up. That was all us doing that And like, you know, we always would be asking people for advice I gotta go see some of the different various bands in the Chicago area be like, oh like How do you set this thing up in your PA or something like weird questions that like no one would ask? Get away from me get your mother.

Yeah But yeah, it just no we didn't really have a lot of help from people We just kind of had to figure it out on our own which took a little bit of some time to kind of figure it out But I kind of like to learn in it that way instead of having like someone holding their hand It was nice just kind of be thrown out there and like learn some independence at a younger age Like all right, try to book a gig. Yeah, see how that goes. That's it's tough So I'm actually getting to a getting to a point or I've got a direction that I'm going.

So I Mean, how'd you do it? Did you have a promo pack? What did you do? What what did it take for you to go up to a bar, you know owner and say look here? I know I'm only 17 years old, but we play some kick-ass rock and roll music We want to play your bar on a Friday night with all the drunks and everything else here. How'd you do it? That's exactly how I did it. Yeah I just you know, I just would email I would just like look at all right Like where are the venues in Arlington Heights? And I just start emailing a bunch of them and get like one response out of like 10 bars, right? But you know those ones that took a chance on us That that's what we just kind of you you'd rely on that and in like the word of mouth from that would kind of go around and That's how we started just getting some of these different venues, but it was just yeah You had to be kind of ballsy with it.

I just you go for it. That's how we did it yeah, yeah, and the reason why and the direction I was going with it is we've got a Very large School of Rock community in this in this area. I mean, I think we're we're sitting right now there's about three different School of Rocks all within like 30 minutes a lot of this place and And we we also have a I mean, there's a there's an area in this Obviously Joliet is you know is one of them where there's a great music scene There's a great local music scene and it's shocking how many people you're gonna see that Bands that have formed because they all got together because of School of Rock and I get asked all the time You know, how do I book the band? Nobody wants to talk to me? No other return a phone call nobody, you know email this blah blah blah blah blah nice and I tell them I mean sometimes all you have to do is pick one that's got a restaurant go have lunch one day and ask for the owner You know, sometimes email isn't gonna isn't gonna do it Yeah so I wanted to hear from somebody that actually went through it where you weren't 21 years old trying to get a gig in a Bar and the people who are listening.

There's gonna be like, okay. Well, well, maybe Mike is right Or maybe not actually what I did was I would sometimes go to certain places and have lunch You know and start kind of trying to build a little bit of a relationship with them That was that was one way I would sometimes do it, right? Depends on the venue though, right? Right, of course because not every not not every place is gonna have a restaurant associated with a bar Pick and choose. Yeah for sure.

Yeah, but the secret is just to get out there and yeah do it you know put down the Put down the Xbox controller for an afternoon and go have a hot dog down the street at so-and-so's place exactly Yeah, I mean it's tough, especially when you're new and nobody knows who you are, you know Yeah, why should I let you play here? And also the age was a big problem too because like, you know, you can't you not necessarily as a 13 14 year old band Are they gonna be that good, you know, so that you it took a lot of Risk and just trying to get people and I I'd say probably the success rate was probably like under 40% I mean, I was asking a lot of places, but I mean, it just was our age. Mm-hmm. That was the only problem so Jamie any formal vocal training or is it just You realize that you sound good in the shower or what? I mean, I started yeah, I know I'm trying to like touch things and break it and you can make sounds Good yeah, cuz you stole it from me Yeah, I mean I guess the closest thing to formal was like I did choir in school my Mother actually forced me into that.

I did not want to do it. I liked singing. I always did I mean, it was just like I used to have this little like I Don't know like radio combined with like CD player and it was like Dora like I had that when I was like five It was great.

And so I would like play I'd have like a CD or something and I'd like play and like sing to it So I like remember doing that Forever ago. I mean that's always been something I like doing but then I got to Like, you know sixth grade and she's like you're gonna do choir and I'm like, I don't want to do that She's like you're gonna do it and I am so glad she made me do it because that's why I'm here You know, I got into the choral music, which I still like. I mean, I love hearing it Obviously, I can't do that.

It's not a choral group, but that's where I kind of got the start And then I actually was taking lessons at like a local music center, basically So I got more so in the realm of what we do now and it's not all like choral music And that's kind of how I got a little bit of my foot in Performing that kind of stuff where you know, it's not like 30 people singing. It's like just me which was Really rough and like I will say like out the bat. I was not very good Like I really wasn't and it wasn't until I you know Joined this group because I had to do it all the time and I just had more confidence over time because I'm I guess That's just something I struggle with And yeah, it wasn't until I joined this group that I feel like I started to really Get it.

It like started to make sense How long have you been in the band? Well since like 2019. Yes, right. Yeah, so it's been a while now And yeah, even like my first, you know, probably like year Well, I guess technically less than a year because the pandemic happened the first, you know, few months that I was there also were rocky Right.

I mean it wasn't like the greatest but mostly because it's like you're bombarded like, you know I just started college and it's like you're bombarded with this huge set list of stuff and it's like, all right learn it And I'm just like, okay. Well, I'm working two jobs and I'm going to school and I'm doing this now all right, so it didn't really click until the pandemic hit and then I got a couple months off and it like started to set In and we had like one of our first gigs back and it was actually just like a duo gig And it just it worked I was like, oh my god That's what I have to do. Like it just I actually had the time for my brain to like accept it Yeah, and I've been trying to you know, improve a little bit since then so so yeah quite a I mean, I guess were you rehearsing throughout the pandemic? I mean just weren't playing any gigs were you guys getting together and playing at all? I mean seems like you had a while.

Yeah, I mean I I will other than you know Keeping busy. I mean we all kind of were getting together and trying to do these like live streams In a basement we're trying to yeah Questionable I will say there were some really cool live streams and some terrible disaster live streams Because we try to do different themes so like each week we did like the 50s and in the 60s and stuff like that and then after we ran out the decades We're like, oh what now? So So like one idea we came up with as a show called the Kenan Queen So the first half was Elvis and second half was Queen a very weird mixture Yeah, but it was kind of you know, it's something different or we would do like a Christmas live stream and do Christmas songs or we do like a tribute to the woman of rock So we got to do that during the pandemic, but then we also Were playing for like I think was like from June to October. We played at least one show Okay, and more like for four months.

It was great So we were very happy to be working still during the pandemic, but we had to start with live streams for sure Right, right, right So the people that are in the band now other than yourself, are there any original members still around? No, they all got tired of me We're done. Yeah, no, and yeah, and so and you're on the bubble. I hear you're not really gonna stick around much longer No newest in the group as soon as the lawyer comes back Yeah No only been for what six months now, yeah, so very very new, you know They brought me on when they needed a bass player, right? So Yeah Nico Gonzalez the drummer called me out because we were a Duo in high school playing a jazz band throughout our high school program, you know And he knew me obviously very well and knew I could do do the parts very well So he called me up and made it happen and it's been a blast ever since you know I'm a lot of what I'm hearing right now is new to me as well.

I mean, I'm I'm fairly new member So, you know great. These guys are like so so professional, you know, I I didn't learn that they were I mean you guys are 22, right 23 23. Sorry Well, I'm 25 I thought they were older than me just based on their professionalism just like how they carry themselves and how they Manage this group.

It's very yeah, very I found it very impressive and I was very happy to be a part of it Very early on, you know, good. Yeah, you're like the elder statesman of music. I am I am what were you doing before this? In the music scene it was kind of So, yeah, like I said did did a jazz in high school, you know And that was a big big part for me wheeling high school was like a really strong jazz program when I was in it for sure you know toward Italy and Switzerland and stuff like that to Montreux Jazz Fest, which is insane, you know, you guys played Montreal Jazz Fest.

Yeah I mean, it was like a Afternoon sort of situation. It wasn't like a headline thing by and by no, it's still it's still right on trojans Yeah, it was it was awesome So yeah, I mean big credit to them for me me being in the position I am now, you know Giving me the opportunities, you know I was alone Bass player in the in the high school and they they've pumped so much money into me to make me you have to be good You just have to be you you do we have no choice. We have nobody else.

We have nobody else It's you you have the keys to the to the rhythm section. So I don't even have a crappy guitar player We can turn into a baseball exactly. It's you.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's a lot of pressure It was a lot of pressure, but it it created diamonds, I guess, you know, so But um, yeah, that was that was the high school and you know, I'm gonna write that down that that's a song lyric I already got melody Yeah, and then in college, you know still kept it with me but not nearly as I guess closely as it was in high school, you know, just sort of like a hobbyist type thing, you know Doing fun combos and in the program that I had there at UIC University of Illinois at Chicago And yeah, just kept it close. Nothing.

Nothing too crazy I'm in another band with my my cousin his little passion project is like this progressive metal rock group. No name right now I can't plug it unfortunately. Yeah, and it's that's been Going strong and and that's just been the the situation for me Yeah, keeping music close, but nothing too serious until Nico gave me the call, you know, right, right So they literally just kind of pulled you off the couch and said exactly it's time to work.

Let's go Dust off that bass guitar. That's right. So that mantra was a jazz festival helped in your contract negotiation.

Oh, yeah They wouldn't have hired me otherwise As soon as I started playing they're like, yeah, I don't know about this guy, but he played a mantra. So But you weren't a music major at UIC I was not you weren't something that's my alma mater as well. Okay, very nice Yeah, but I graduated Yeah, yeah, that's cool, what did you major in I did well I started in computer science and that went terribly But I switched it up to statistics from there and that went much better When I was in school, oh my god, I wanted to hang myself Yeah, I used to always tell the teacher well, shouldn't I just really be kind of like a C because of what everything else is Just a C's fine.

Yeah Statistics 2020 so it was an interesting time to graduate as well, but It made it work, you know, yeah. Yeah. Yeah interesting.

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

So where you guys looking to play? I mean you have a better better question is where you playing next and tell us a little bit about the venues that you do Play. Yeah, so, um as of when this airs are we'll be playing countryside saloon and displays That Friday at 8 o'clock And then every month you can check us out at Union Alehouse and Prospect Heights That's like our we always do that once a month they have Amazing food. We always get the wings after the show because they're just fantastic Um, and that's a really cool place because that's where we get to also try out some different stuff like some different songs Or maybe some different orders.

Let's try closing with a different song and we get a lot more experimental there Which I think is kind of fun, especially if you've seen us a few times You don't want to see the same shtick. That's a cool place to go see us. But um, he said different a lot I think that was just a shameless plug So don't skip over that so so what what's the what's the meaning of the name I mean, where does it come from well, um Yeah, the meaning was just I mean to be honest.

It was just kind of a cool name We thought it sounded cool but what I've always thought about it too is that There were a lot of bands like what special to that's a high school There were a lot of other bands our age they were playing but they were all playing like very modern music or you're playing a lot of like I wish I could name more modern artists, whatever was current. Yeah, whatever is current Though what early 2000s? No, no, I've been like the 2010s or 2010. Yeah, I Am I am old I am old is just like dust in the wind.

What did you say son? When you know Yes, the two 2010s. Jesus That's not that's long ago. I mean do were babies born with belly buttons or it was just did everybody come out of a test tube at that point Yeah, or they're clone sheep.

Yeah Interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

No, but go ahead continue So I always kind of thought like a lot of bands were playing a lot more like modern music or a Lot stuff that was more up-to-date and we were playing all this old music. So I thought we're very Different. Yeah from what everyone else is doing and we're playing You know the stuff you would never expect us to see and I even still see the looks today when we walk into a new Venue like oh god.

Oh, here we go. And then we open with like Jailhouse Rock and I like what the what is this? Now I expect that to come out but you know, there's something wrong with these kids That's what I did when I went to their YouTube pages like what? Yeah, no, that's good that's good, you know and that seems to be another trend With with the school would like the school of rock Bands that are coming out of here in this it's a bunch of young kids playing some great classic rock and that is so refreshing to see because I I'm so tired of hearing I just can't do it anymore. So thank God for that.

That's that's a refreshing spin on things. No, yeah Yeah, and now we even know people I mean, I'm a teacher at a music school and it's it's really amazing to see Like the younger generation how much they're into the older music. I have like one student Is a huge like Elvis and Beatles fan, which is just like so Like cool like you wouldn't expect an 11 year old, right? So like Elvis, which I love because an album will nerd out about Elvis our whole lesson But I really knows a lot of the students I have now are all into this older music Which is great and you get your view students, you know still like, you know, some of the more modern stuff But it's really interesting to see see that.

Okay, you kind of got a wonder there was just an Elvis movie That was out. Now. Did this kid see a movie and say hey, that was cool That's a good point.

It wasn't it wasn't the guy that played Elvis a Disney kid at one point in time See, I thought he was I don't know. He's in a new thing on Apple TV right now. I'm watching so is it? Oh, I've heard that's really good.

Yeah masters of the air. Yeah, it is really good. Yeah TV we're looking for sponsors if you want to sponsor our podcast because I know my kids my my kids are not much younger than You then you guys my kids are both like 20 21 and 22, but when that Elvis movie came out they knew exactly who the actor was playing them because of like some show that they watched when they were in their tweens or Or whatever.

So yeah, that could be a reason for it. Good big Yeah, but I think a lot of it has to do with the fact to that that young the younger Generation and when I say younger generation, I mean like kids like right now that are like 12 13 14 15 years old I think they're starting to catch on that a lot of the swill on the radio sounds exactly the same Yeah, you know and it's not and it used to be that it was just the pop stuff like, you know Lump in all the the solo artists. They all started to sound the same, but I've I've actually noticed now that All hard rock is starting to go down the same path It's all a formula that you know, I hate to say it but it's like the Nickelback formula, right? Yeah, and everybody used to make fun of Nickelback now those bands that used to make fun of Nickelback are sounding like Nickelback Mm-hmm, you know and and even country music nowadays You know, can we stop with the guest rapper and country music? And I think I think kids are starting to realize that and that's why they're going back and they're listening to things that you know It sounds different to them.

You know, the Elvis sounds interesting to them because it doesn't sound the same anymore and I and I think what's so great and I always think about like the Beatles is like how the Beatles broke up over 50 years ago and the the message in the music is still as relevant today as it was 50 years ago and I Think that's just the beauty of all that music from all those years ago. Is that it still holds up? Yeah, you're exactly exactly, right Another local celebrity most people don't realize Lionel Richie is from right here Went to Joliet High School and really he once said that, you know, the one subject that's never going to go out of style is love So he made an entire career Write love songs some are fast and funky some are slow and sappy But it's all love songs and look at this. This guy's been making music since the 70s So yeah, yeah, it's never gonna go out of style Yeah used to be a lot of people would be influenced by their what their parents listen to.

Mm-hmm But that's I think that generations sailed Yeah, it has because you know and we talked about this on the last podcast nobody buys records anymore that too Yeah, you know, you can't go to a record store anymore. No, it's hard to find a CD anymore Everybody's streaming everything. So the days of sitting around the record player with your families on a Sunday afternoon, that's gone That's over with you can have five people in a family and all five people are listening to five different things at the same Time because they're all streaming it on their phone.

That's right So yeah that that's kind of gone by the wayside as well I'd hate to break it to you. But Jamie and I have a record collection Awesome, that's awesome. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, I'm seeing more and more people starting to do it even you know people your age You know, they're they've got turntables. Yeah, they're getting vinyl, you know No, I I got huge into it when I was a kid because my my grandma she had a few Beatles records and so I started getting into those and She helped me Collect every single u.s. Release Beatles album that's ever been released And it which is really cool and since then I've grown it and you know I let Jamie put like two or three records in there No, it's been growing quite a bit yeah, so I love listening to records I'm just like doing the dishes or I'm like cleaning.

I just love to put on you know Like a whatever record I want to listen to it. I love it. So what do you listen to Jamie? Um, it's I'd say like a mix of a lot of well actually it's Bolson's joining the band my Taste in like classic rock has definitely grown a lot more for sure I Am a pretty big Michael Jackson fan.

I love Michael Jackson. I was not expecting that one Michael Jackson But then I do also listen to you know My my my emo bands that I love like my cam and you know panic at the disco fallout boy pierce the veil I love panic at the disco. They're great.

I will that's a great Personally yeah, I know they're old stuff. It's just yeah, and I just started Realizing like I don't know I feel like I was late to the game because I it was like sixth or seventh grade and I was like I Can use my phone and just listen to their albums Wow, I should do that so I was actually kind of late to the game when it came to a lot of my favorite like artists like my friends were Already listening to them and I'm like You guys were right. I should go on Spotify.

I should listen to this So yeah, that's that's where we're at now. Yeah, excellent. Excellent.

So who does your social media? That's all me. That's all you. Yeah.

All right. So tell her how can everybody find you so you can go Check us out on Facebook at the difference We have an Instagram which is the difference band out official and we also have a website the difference band org and all those you can see where all our upcoming shows are going to be and any Exciting things or cool videos wherever we might have posted and whatnot. And one thing I forgot to mention this but I should mention it Is Sunday, May 19th, we're doing our special 10-year anniversary show for the band that's going to be a fundraiser for the March of Dimes at Lamp lighter in in Palantime It's gonna be at two o'clock and we're gonna be playing some of the old material we did when the band first started doing a lot of our current material and throwing any of a few new things and we bring bringing back some old members and we play on the show and there's gonna be a Raffle and all sorts of fun stuff.

We're still kind of figure out some of the details for it But if you if you are listening, you should definitely come join us. Thanks. It's gonna be a For a great cause it's gonna be a really fun show so covering all genres from the from the 50s to Current stuff then.

Yeah, exactly Yeah It's gonna be a little different from what you usually see us do but it's gonna be a really big celebration of like how this band started and like you really get to see like the progression of We were playing Nirvana songs the beginning and in now we're playing You know Boston and you know sticks and well me what who could be next we will see you know Any polka in there maybe Now that could be one of the new songs actually Yeah, for some reason I was leaning that way. I was like, I thought he's gonna say we're gonna do some polka Yeah, it's a thought we've and the glockenspiel Right, we ever find a rock if we ever find that's the we're on a quest to find a lot I can feel what a glockenspiel, you know, I think for this show We will find someone to play clock in a while or some will do like every day by Buddy Holly or something Final final way to do it or a theremin. Oh, yeah Do some Beach Boys on there you go.

Oh, yeah, you could do some Beach Boys. Yeah, that would be cool. Those guys are nuts Jekyll used a theremin to in one of their songs.

Yeah called I think it's encore You may use a theremin in there. Wow. Yeah, I don't know why I know this Maybe it's my Prevagen Oh Wait, I don't take Progen.

No, maybe I should because I forgot you forgot. Yeah. Yeah.

All righty guys Thanks for coming out. Yeah, thank you. It's been a lot of fun.

Thank you for having us. You guys sound great Thank you guys. Definitely.

Yes. Thank you. Well, I think that made a difference that that was a little different It was a little different.

I wasn't expecting that. No, I mean, it's amazing I'm glad to see the younger generation here playing some of the older music. It's yeah, I don't want to lose that Did you feel as old as I felt talking to them actually older? Older.

Yeah, it was it was surprising how young they were. I mean, they looked younger than their ages Yeah, my Medicare card was twitching in my pocket But but I was so glad to hear that they're doing Classic rock and stuff from the 50s. I you know, I would like to hear I would like to hear them You know because they're you can tell because you know, obviously we didn't hear them They didn't bring any instruments with but the way they were talking about rockabilly and their knowledge of rockabilly in the 50s But you did got a pretty interesting show definitely.

I mean and to start this whole You know trip in grammar school. Yeah. Yeah and and to go right through high school and it's just Chase your dream.

They're doing it. Yeah, and they're and they're doing it and they're still young They got years in front of them, right, you know, right things can get pretty big for him Like you said 3,000 people they freaked out. Yeah Well, that that's great.

Yeah. Yeah, great We know we never have 3,000 people here. I mean five or six, but right maybe someday we'll have 3,000 people watching us Yeah, maybe we'll do a podcast.

Yeah That's something else Okay, as always it's been nice talking to all of you people out there Make sure you check us out every Tuesday for another exciting episode of the rock and roll Chicago podcast See you next week The rock and roll Chicago podcast is edited by Paul Martin theme song courtesy of M&R Rush The rock and roll Chicago podcast does not own the rights to any of the music heard on the show The music is used to promote the guests that are featured