The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast

Episode 028 - Dave Schultz - The Interview

• Alex Gadd / Dave Schultz • Season 1 • Episode 28

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This week, my old friend Dave Schultz and I reminisce about our early days discovering music and attending concerts together. From Tina Turner, to Springsteen to David Lee Roth to Eric Clapton, we saw great shows in high school.

From there, Dave dove into seeing live music at a pace that far outpaces other people, including me! Dave estimates he has seen over 3,000 bands at more than 2,500 shows and festivals. And he has great stories to share – from seeing Pearl Jam in a small club as an opening act to seeing Arcade Fire in a NYC church to discovering new acts year after year at South x Southwest. And then finally, he shares a great story about his little league baseball coach, Meatloaf!

Dave is a great storyteller and has a thousand stories to share, so please join us for a  stroll through the magic of live music and the communal bonds it creates, all this week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast!

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Alex Gadd:

Welcome to the Rock and Roll Show podcast. We are here to share the magic of experiencing live music together with strangers and with friends, and to get to know our guests a little bit better through their concert experiences. I'm your host, Alex Gad, and I do this because I love talking about music with people. Finding out what band someone likes and what shows they've been to allows us to get to know and understand one another a little better, and I just love swapping stories about shows we've seen over the years. Today, we've got a good one. We're welcoming my friend, dave Schultz, to the podcast. Dave and I have been friends for more than 45 years now, after we met playing on the same tiny league baseball team back in the late 70s. We went to a number of shows together back in high school and since then Dave has become a true concert connoisseur.

Dave Schultz:

We'll get into what exactly that means and more, but for now, dave, thanks for joining us yeah, good to be here, and I should point out that not only were we on the same tiny league team, we were state champs of like 1970s, yeah yes, right, late 70s, let's just go with all right, we have a lot of ground to cover, but I think it's always important just to start out with how did you get into music?

Alex Gadd:

was music something in your childhood that was around all the time? Were your parents into music?

Dave Schultz:

I listened with some sort of great story about it. I have to give you some credit for it, as uh as we will truly get into. You brought me to my first rap concert right, but that's later.

Dave Schultz:

When you were little, like when we first met, did you listen to music at all yes, but it was top 40 read see, for me, it was what my parents listened to in the car my parents don't remember them even listening to much in the car, but I was obsessed with case Kasem and the Top 40. And then probably around high school, wayne, wa, wa, new York, deep there, top 1,027 of all time.

Alex Gadd:

Listening to them.

Dave Schultz:

I was like, oh my God, there's all these songs Even before they get to the end. It's like this is fantastic. And then my uncle, who is 15 years older than us, told him this, and so he next thanksgiving he brought me some big steeps and jetthroats, all and other stuff that he liked, and then from there it's like all right, there's a whole world of music out there so do you have a first favorite band or artist? I think my first favorite band might have been this. It was my first favorite band.

Alex Gadd:

That's nothing. This, it was my first favorite band. That's nothing to be embarrassed about. We're of that age.

Dave Schultz:

When it wasn't the kiss of a line Detroit Rock City it was the kiss of Dynasty, and I was made for loving you Because that was sort of disco, was the thing. And look at that being with makeup and this is cool. This is rock and roll, yeah.

Alex Gadd:

I have to say I got into Kiss earlier. When we were in second grade, A kid in my class brought in his older brother or older sister's rock and roll over album, so that's 76. And I was like, oh my God, that is so much more aggressive than anything my parents are listening to.

Dave Schultz:

That's what I want to listen to and I went whole whole hog into so you, when you got into, kiss you.

Alex Gadd:

Actually that was the right version of right and and I was the target market. They wanted to get to young boys early and get them way into it, and and I would fell hook line and sinker for it for sure.

Dave Schultz:

I don't think I am. I might've been a member of the Kiss Army, but if I'm not, it is because I didn't have like the $8 to send them.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah, I sent it along. I got a patch. My mom sewed it on my jean jacket. I got together with a kid in my fourth grade class every afternoon and we would play street hockey sticks as guitars and do the whole side one and side two of kiss alive too every day lip sync performance. The whole thing till we were sweating.

Dave Schultz:

It was insane you exploding, set things on.

Alex Gadd:

Fire no, we pretended. We pretended now your first concert. Let's talk about that briefly, because I was privileged enough to go with you to that.

Dave Schultz:

It was Madison Square Garden and your Ian and Lisa got us tickets in, I think the second row at Madison Square Garden for Tina Turner with Glenn Frey.

Alex Gadd:

Correct on the Private Dancer Tour.

Dave Schultz:

Went to go back to the future in times square before he went and then went over to the garden.

Alex Gadd:

So I'll tell you a funny story about that. The reason we did that is that I'd gone to see Van Halen and I took Dan Lyons, and before Van Halen he and I went to see spinal tap, which we knew nothing about except that it was about a rock band. To see Spinal Tap, which we knew nothing about except that it was about a rock band, and my mind was so blown by the seeing the movie Spinal Tap in Times Square, and then we went to see the Van Halen show. So whenever we went to see Tina Turner, I wanted to replicate that whole experience. So that's why I suggested that.

Dave Schultz:

I remember you mentioning saying we're going in early, we're doing this, it will be fantastic and was it it was good well, back to the future wasn't as good as final 10. The show was fantastic and I vaguely remember who's had better seats than alan rashaan and salisha rashaan I think they were right behind us, right.

Alex Gadd:

I remember them walking in Rashad, I think they were right behind us, right?

Dave Schultz:

I remember them walking in. I remember that they were definitely behind us. I remember going look at us.

Alex Gadd:

We had really good seats. That may have been the best seats I've ever had at the Garden, except the Van Halen show, where I sat right on the side of the stage and talked to Eddie during the bass solo. It was amazing.

Dave Schultz:

Well, now the thing is and I don't know if I really thought about it, but I guess I always figured at that point oh, it must just I only wish. I remember two years back at the Stanford Palace Jethro Tull came to play there, so I took my parents to go see Jethro Tull and James.

Dave Schultz:

Bryan who I wrestled with in high school is one of the security guards there. He's on the other side of the door so I go up and kind of you know, is that James Bryan? And he goes yeah, I wrestled with him in high school. Guy sort of looks down and goes I was the 100 pounder, he was the heavyweight. So James and I go just when I say behind the door, and so while we're there, gidd, who was the keyboard player at the time, walks by, here's us just sort of talking and kind of mentioned this is my mom's first concert ever. And Giddings goes oh, that's brilliant. So we go, go back out. And so at the end of the day my mom just sort of thinks that you go to a show, you see someone you know, you go backstage, you meet the band and come back. I'm like no, that is not how this works. I don't know. That seems to be what you did.

Alex Gadd:

She had one data point. It was 100% accurate. Just to clarify August 1st 1985, we went to see Tina Turner in Madison Square Garden. She was amazing. That was great. Your next concert after that.

Dave Schultz:

Would be also with you. My dad took us to go see Proof Springsteen and the E Street Band in Giant Stadium in the Born in the USA Tour.

Alex Gadd:

Exactly 30 days later, on August 31st 1985.

Dave Schultz:

exactly 30 days later, on august 31st 1985.

Alex Gadd:

I'm either. You either have this written down. Of course you have a ring. Oh no, I'm looking.

Dave Schultz:

I'm looking at my set list fm uh concert list and then the reason why my dad went was well one we were 16 when we went to get tickets. This was the old days.

Dave Schultz:

So friend Mark went with us sent us out someplace in Bedford Conridge all night tickets right in the parking lot because it was a Ticketron outlet there. These were $18. And my dad said we could do this, we could stay out. However, the deal was we had to get him a ticket because he wasn't going to let us go to New Jersey all by ourselves, and then a couple weeks later he just kind of goes. I just really wanted to see strings.

Alex Gadd:

Oh, that's cool. That's actually a much cooler reason. I like that much better, much better.

Dave Schultz:

Third concert Amnesty International at Giant Stadium. You missed one Also with me Wait, was it the Clapton show?

Alex Gadd:

No.

Dave Schultz:

No Steele and Lee Roth.

Alex Gadd:

Correct. The next year, in October we went to see David Lee Roth on his first solo tour, with Steve Vai playing guitar, billy Sheehan on the bass, greg Bissonette on the drums at Madison Square Garden. All right, so that's high school. You went to see Amnesty. I was there, but we didn't go together. You saw Neil Young, I didn't Eric Clapton we saw together and then you went off to college. I went off to college and we kind of lost touch, but you started really diving into concerts. So before we get into the next experiences about how many concerts have you seen?

Dave Schultz:

I want to say it's probably over a thousand I would think it's over two thousand maybe coolest name would be how many bands?

Alex Gadd:

because it's something like how many bands have you seen?

Dave Schultz:

80 over five sounds oh yeah and a lot of that is because it's places things like south by southwest newport's oak festival 5 000. It's not things like South by Southwest Newport Silk Festival 5,000. South by Southwest you can see 100 bands and find.

Alex Gadd:

And for anyone who's interested, south by Southwest is a festival in Austin, texas, every year. It's a technology festival, it's a film festival and a music festival all together, together, and they have bands showcasing every day of the music part of the festival, from morning till night, in everything from parking lots to bars to amphitheaters, correct?

Dave Schultz:

more or less up until me, about 10 to 8 years ago, it felt like every single available open hand stage and had bands playing there from pretty much noon to 2 in the morning. Now it's more on some of the bars and the venues and it's every open spot.

Dave Schultz:

I always describe it like it's Disneyland for music lovers that if you are adventurous, don't mind seeing some stuff that maybe you don't like, but if you don't like it you can just go walk next door and there's something else. It's Nirvana. You'll see a whole bunch of things, some you know, some you don't know, some you never thought you would ever go see ever. I mean when I'm thinking of when I say that Men Without Hats played there one year one in the morning.

Dave Schultz:

It was a group of people between the ages of like 35 to 55 who were there to hear one song. I remember that they did a men's without hats version of jumping jackslash, and then it was a song. I vaguely remember it as being the follow-up to the safety dance. Crap, crap, the lengthy version of the safety dance during which everyone lost their minds Doing the safety dance. And it was old people gone crazy.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah.

Dave Schultz:

And then they cut the play oh To which everyone's kind of grumbling. So then they sort of did the thing of really we need to play one more song. Everyone was like, yes, play the safety dance again. And then they didn't. And then they had the watches.

Alex Gadd:

Everybody walked out of the venue while they were still it's tough to be a legacy artist trying to impress people with their newer music.

Dave Schultz:

To this day I still don't know why they were at South by Southwest. Don't think they had a new album, but, however, when else were you ever going to go see them?

Alex Gadd:

Of all the bands you've seen, what is the band or artist you've seen the most often?

Dave Schultz:

I think it might be either white denim tea leaf green, you melt and I don't know how this happened. Some dead in common wow well, there's a group of friends. We stayed in company. We all, we all like going, but it is also a good excuse for all of us to get together.

Alex Gadd:

That's a good reason when we meet out in Colorado.

Dave Schultz:

it's for all of us to get together. There will be a couple of Dead Company shows at Folsom Fields but over the years it has built up that maybe that is one of the bands.

Alex Gadd:

And the others are much more secondary in the public consciousness. I mean, I've heard of White Denim. I've never even heard of Tea Leaf Green.

Dave Schultz:

You're both of those you Melt. Saddened is no longer around. And in those, of how many? Maybe a couple dozen. You know that.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah.

Dave Schultz:

The most. I don't think I've seen any band more than a couple dozen times. Although White Denham keeps playing, we'll go see them wherever whenever.

Alex Gadd:

Our mutual friend Jeff, who's been on the podcast. He said that's his favorite band ever.

Dave Schultz:

He is correct, I'll say it is the best band of the last dozen 15 years.

Alex Gadd:

How do we get a band who is that good into the public consciousness more?

Dave Schultz:

That's a good question. I'll be honest, if I knew I'd have a record label and I would be making money hand over fist. But sadly I think it is almost the story of great band, great shows, has a loyal following but never gets any. Bigger is probably more the rule than it is the exception.

Dave Schultz:

Yeah, you know you describe that, and I think of bands like Dispatch and other bands that have really intense loyal followings that most people have never heard of and even if they've heard of them, they've never heard a song from them or wouldn't be able to identify that they've heard a song from them it's probably a book snare of Alan T Lee Green is statement becoming bigger because a couple different things happen different ways and instead of talking about them in a oh, I think I remember them, everybody would would know great being when fish went on hiatus, the void was still like a bunch of really good, if not d bands but GM-ish, just basically.

Dave Schultz:

you know there's a vacuum that's going to be filled. And T Lee was one of them, Probably in like the mid to late aughts. Great songs, great musicians. Actually they still play shows that we saw what a great band they still are.

Alex Gadd:

One of the best outcomes from doing this podcast is I learn things about bands I've never heard of. So I will be diving into the tea leaf green discography after we get off.

Dave Schultz:

I'm jealous that you get to hear, get to hear it all for the first time.

Alex Gadd:

Right, Like I did with White Denim after I talked to Jeff, I can't wait. What's another band like that that you've seen that you think is exceptional? What's another band like that that you've seen that you think is exceptional, whether they're still playing or not? That never made it into the general public consciousness.

Dave Schultz:

Oh, that's a good question. Let's come back to that, Okay think about that.

Alex Gadd:

Put that on the back burner. I asked people what the most recent concert they've seen is, but you and I were together three nights ago to see Jeff Lynn's ELO, which, amusingly, you said what I had already said before I left, which is wasn't it always Jeff Lynn's ELO? What's the difference?

Dave Schultz:

I'm still humored that it was 2024.

Alex Gadd:

It was yellow in Madison Square Garden. It was fascinating and and before this episode is released, I'm going to release my ELO concert review, my Jeff Lin's ELO concert review. The visuals in that concert were incredible. I thought the sound in Madison Square Garden was exceptional for Madison Square Garden and it was the as we joked about the crispest 19-song set I've ever been at. It was over in a brisk hour and 25 minutes.

Dave Schultz:

They were the efficient light orchestra.

Alex Gadd:

The very exactly what were some of the best shows you've seen this year? I know you went to the Denton Company at the Sphere. I'd love to hear about that experience.

Dave Schultz:

To go back to the other question, the band that should have been bigger Grace Pyre and the Nocturnals.

Alex Gadd:

Yes, talk more about them.

Dave Schultz:

Grace and the Nocturnals, especially the lineup where they had Scott Tornay, benny Yurko.

Alex Gadd:

Manfred Cat.

Dave Schultz:

Popper. The band was poised. Remember the deed? Oh, I forget what it was. It's on VH1. It's something for the troops where in Wilson's and hearts saying with right around the time that Paris could come out and that seemed that every they were going to become gigantic and they was like you know, oh, they miss at the innocent. He just didn't. And then, I know, cat left the band and then all of them was coming out. The whole thing just fell apart. So now Grace is on a run, scott's Rene has a wonderful band.

Dave Schultz:

Sometimes it's called Electric Voodoo, other times he's just Scott's Rene. He's coming around in a couple weeks to Brooklyn Bowl. Benny Yerko is now producing, which he would pick up on the tar because he is fantastic, and I hear, why isn't it happening? Surely sure there's a story. It might never, probably never get told. Also, I think to some extent these might not be stories that people want told. I also find the true story sometimes isn't that interesting.

Alex Gadd:

You can imagine a better story of how this all fell apart than what really happened fair, fair enough, and sometimes there's good to be a little mystery in rock and roll very true real quick the the recent concerts you've seen this year that you really liked most memorable from this year well, as far as memorable, I think I may have seen the last james addiction show that they actually finished what's what show it like?

Dave Schultz:

south by southwest, there was this band called shot waxax, which was three girls from London, and I just happened to be outside and I said, alright, I heard they were good, so they're playing and I'm like this is good. And then all of a sudden I realized, oh my god, they are fantastic and then I noticed on their hands.

Dave Schultz:

They had the big black X's, which is what they do in Austin if you're underage. So it's like, oh my God, not only are they fantastic, they're teenagers and you sort of go, wow, will anything ever happen with them? Don't know. I think maybe the Amphiphines.

Alex Gadd:

I hope they don't. I hope they just pour into the music while they still are young and have the energy and the drive.

Dave Schultz:

It was dead and company the sphere. You've been to the sphere, you know how fantastic it is. If you haven't go, it is a totally different contract. So for the dead and company thing, went to two shows there. What was kind of funny was the videos and pictures don't do it justice, because you look at that and it's like, oh, it's a fan and a giant screen behind and that really doesn't do justice to what the sphere is. I mean, it is kind of like when you go to Disneyland and there are those rides where you're on the roller coaster and you're zooming left and right, except you're not moving. It's the screen in front of you.

Dave Schultz:

And that's kind of what the sphere is, at one point, realizing. Oh, the way the screen and everything is moving. It is as if the entire sphere is spinning. Nine and eight, whoa, it's spinning. It's like this is cool. It is as if we're all turning around and around. It would tilt, forward, tilt, and then you talk about this flail and then you go. Oh, and the band was good too.

Alex Gadd:

Got it. What's your most memorable concert ever? You've seen so many. Is there one or a couple that just stand out above all the others?

Dave Schultz:

It sounds silly, because it wasn't the Clapton show we went to 87. That always is in my my because it was before the renaissance of Clapton Crossroads. The box set hadn't come out yet, so Clapton wasn't his master amusement stage. It was him, in a jeans and a t-shirt, running around stage playing two solos per song, looking like he was having a lot of fun. And that's the one that always pops into my head.

Alex Gadd:

I agree that was great. That was April of 1987. That was right before we graduated from high school at the Garden, with a killer band with Greg Fillingenes and Nathan East on bass and Phil Collins playing the drums, he produced clapton's last record, they. He opened with crossroads and, uh, then he just played his hits, he. It was like an all hits show. It was amazing the uh.

Dave Schultz:

another one I'd love to say I I saw Pearl Jam at the Blind Peak in Anaheim in 1991. It was the last time, and this was they were on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Alex Gadd:

And it was the Chili Peppers.

Dave Schultz:

They were the opening bands for the opening Right Ten hit come-outs. But a line had blown up on MTV. It was packed, everybody knew who they were and that was sort of the thing of going this band is not going to be playing small places like this for much longer.

Alex Gadd:

Right, that's pretty memorable. That's incredible yeah.

Dave Schultz:

I remember seeing Arcade Fire when their second album was coming out. The one with my Body is the Key.

Dave Schultz:

They were already darlings of the internet at that point. But they played shows at Judson Memorial Church right off Washington Square or Union Square, one of the squares, and this is cool. They're playing in this church. Maybe that I can now hear the sound, even the noise you make when you sleep. Can't swim across the river so deep, thinking of my name, as I pull in the damp, but I don't know where. I don't know when it's coming, when it's coming. So it was really cool.

Alex Gadd:

But just one of those.

Dave Schultz:

Like it is, they're not playing places like this much longer, you know?

Alex Gadd:

next couple of the song, or madison's career garden and barkley here's another good question have you ever discovered a great band only after seeing them open? Because pearl jam you knew who they were by the time you saw them. They just weren't huge. Had you ever really discovered a band only as an opening act?

Dave Schultz:

yes, robert randolph and the family they're so good went to go. Went to a d matthews band show. My friend lion got tickets for my birthday so we went. I remember it was also the first show where someone called me sir and I was irrationally upset come back back. What's wrong? Because my friends thought something bad happened. I said I just bumped into somebody. He said excuse me, sir.

Dave Schultz:

And they were like you're upset. I'm like. The polite little pissant did not call me sir. Now, as this discussion is going on, robert Randolph and the Salem gang are just killing it on stage. I'm not sure if they're pulling it anymore, but very slowly. Was what in the world? Is going on and it was like oh my. God, this guy is fantastic.

Alex Gadd:

He was at See here Now over the last weekend and he played the after-party show and Springsteen came up and played with him.

Dave Schultz:

It was pretty cool yes, sir, the shame is, I remember in some of this with jeff and a couple other people and it was like how did he never become bigger? And what happens? Jeremy, jeremy, gorton goes, guy goes to kind of shows because, because they never could write good songs, but it was.

Alex Gadd:

Oh yeah, when you think about it, the latter stuff was instrumental he's such a good player that music fans and live music fans love him. But it is a tougher sell because the lyrics and the the meaning of the songs is light right, but the thing of you know, how did this not become bigger?

Dave Schultz:

just that.

Alex Gadd:

No, he said great musician, great band, not a ton of great song have you been to a concert where an unannounced guest came out and performed, and if so, what's the best experience you ever had?

Dave Schultz:

this is a little bit the Neil Young show which year something. Wait where it would be easy to figure out. Wait unannounced was. David Crosby just got out of jail so 86 okay, yeah, when I say just got out of jail, if the show was on a Friday or Saturday, you get out of jail like Monday or Tuesday or something like that. That close and early on in the show, crosby and Stephen Stills, or was it Nash? I think it was Crosby and Nash, I remember they played Ohio, I think it was Crosby and Nash.

Dave Schultz:

I remember the team they played, ohio, maybe something like where they were just going to harmonize.

Alex Gadd:

Right.

Dave Schultz:

I remember thinking like this is cool, that man just got out of jail and is here. And Springsteen I think the key to getting Springsteen- to show up and play?

Alex Gadd:

is you just ask him?

Dave Schultz:

I mean, the guy was born to be on stage but I think that's how easy it is to get in the play. It's like, yeah, asking, bruce, we're playing over here tonight. You want to come into the city and play?

Alex Gadd:

I'm not doing anything, sure yeah, sure, it's not a hard sell to get him on stage no water.

Dave Schultz:

I think you have to have the cojones to say hi, bruce, will you come play on stage? Right and I'm incredibly honored.

Alex Gadd:

Right now we are backstage. We asked bruce if he would come out and play a month with us and he said yes. I want to switch to venues for a minute. Let's put the sphere aside, because you were just there and that's so unique. What's the venue that you've attended the most concerts at?

Dave Schultz:

It would be something like the Mallory Ballroom or Mercury Lab.

Alex Gadd:

The problem is.

Dave Schultz:

Sadler's Finney's keep closing, so you know you go there. It's buying six shows a year for about four years and then it's gone Right Meets the Bowery Ballroom.

Alex Gadd:

Is that where we saw London Souls?

Dave Schultz:

London Souls.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah, that's where I ran into you with our friend Joran.

Dave Schultz:

That's true. Who never put together the two of us?

Alex Gadd:

Right. And then we ended up at the bar getting ready to go see the London Souls. That was a good show, really good show.

Dave Schultz:

It was.

Alex Gadd:

And your favorite concert that was all.

Dave Schultz:

I there is something.

Alex Gadd:

Why Go into why?

Dave Schultz:

It just feels like that is what a venue should be. It just kind of makes up the layout. Far underneath there's some balconies that you never really need to go in there and there's sometimes for the actors, or at least one half of it anyway. Laid out right. Sound is always good, but it also had the right. I think it holds, holds. I want to say 750, and if it's not that about that, but it always has the bands playing there on their way up.

Dave Schultz:

It's exciting because that's about the right size to see a young, hungry band, and if it's somebody who has already outgrown that and they come to play there even better. You're seeing them in a place that's smaller than what's your least favorite concert venue?

Dave Schultz:

terminal five it's funny you, me and jeff the same answer even though I look on this picture here like I'm about six foot seven. No, not so for somebody who is not bent tall. Turn it off. Fine, he had those two balconies that went pretty far back and they sold that bank and as if those were available spaces. Unless you're on the rail, you can't see anything, so everybody would go down to the floor. Way too crowded.

Alex Gadd:

Way too crowded. Of all the different types of venues, I'd count five, normally Clubs, theaters, amphitheaters, arenas and stadiums. What's your favorite type of venue to go see a show in?

Dave Schultz:

Whatever song the size of like, I like small bands.

Alex Gadd:

So clubs.

Dave Schultz:

Right, yeah, and even better if it is the bands that will play, like Mercury Lamp, which I think holds me 3, 400, or Bowery Ball those size venues feel like the right number for a great show.

Dave Schultz:

It's not going to be a light show, a video show or something like that. It's small, it's intimate. If everybody's in it, even better. South by Southwest, like I said, a lot of those you know sometimes just go and it is like this is a empty building the other 51 weeks out of the year, but during South by Southwest they put up a stage and some EMS.

Alex Gadd:

Sure, and you know, come listen to the band. I know you've been backstage and hung out with artists before. Do you have any particular favorite memories of your time interacting with the musicians at their own show?

Dave Schultz:

I do remember, at Summer Stage, grace Potter and the Nocturnals. They scavenged everything All the bottles of water, all of the granola bars, the protein bars. They just ran everything and they're like nope, never know, put it on the bus and it's there you need it resupply. Hey, it's part of their rider, it was for them anyway it is only, but they were doing it from everywhere and it wasn't that they were just doing it. We're doing it expertly. This was not the first time taking everything but the lint spats from backstage.

Alex Gadd:

That's kind of funny. Who's the most famous musician you've ever met at a concert, whether it's their show or not?

Dave Schultz:

I didn't meet him but oh God, this did happen. So I'm at South by Southwest and I'm at one venue and I look over and there is Jay Maskus Maskus the ninth surgeon.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah.

Dave Schultz:

So he's standing next to me and this was the indoor stage. So then go to the patio stage, which is a different beat. I think it was Titan Sandronicus.

Dave Schultz:

And turn and look and I'm standing next to Jay Mascis again. I was like, yeah, this is kind of neat, it's all right. And so then walked to the place next door called Swan Dive. It was a band called Sweetie Sun that was playing outdoors. And I turn and there's Jay Meskis standing next to me again. So I figured okay, even though he doesn't know who I am, surely he knows. I've been standing next to him three different stages. I turned and said are you following me?

Dave Schultz:

You would have thought I had just shown him pictures of where his kid goes to school. It said I know where you live. He looked at me. His eyes fogged out, ran away, that's it. He's frightened me. His eyes fall down, ran away, that's it. Frightened by trying to make a joke that's very funny.

Alex Gadd:

I like to talk about your bucket list. Do you have a concert venue you've never been to that you're dying to go to still? Let's assume that it's not the sphere right.

Dave Schultz:

So now, since I've been there, I mean it's red rocks which I gotta imagine. It's either the sphere of red rocks for everyone right now on leslie how about bands?

Alex Gadd:

is there a band still performing that you haven't seen but you'd like to the most?

Dave Schultz:

for a long time my bucket list was in this date itself, was REM radio head and prints, and then I saw them and I don't know if I've really repopulated the bucket list since then interesting.

Alex Gadd:

now, before we wrap up, I do want to go back to the beginning of our tale, because after we played baseball together for one year, you went to a different little league than I did, and I think it's important that you tell us about your coach.

Dave Schultz:

Meatloaf was my little league baseball coach.

Alex Gadd:

Okay, that is such. I mean we all knew because, again, this is 79 Meatloaf's bat out of hell came out in 77. And at least in my circles, was all the rage. We all listened to the Meatloaf record and then we stayed in touch. Our family stayed in touch, even though we didn't go to the same elementary school. And my mom said you know, you're listening to that record, that's Dave Schultz's baseball coach. And I said what? So tell us how that happened.

Dave Schultz:

He coached us. He was our assistant coach in 1908 and our head coach in 1981.

Dave Schultz:

So he ended up becoming our coach. He lived next to Chestnut Hill Pack, which was where we played Little League. He is a baseball softball jumper, so he saw an ad in the local paper that we needed coaches. So he said, yeah, I'll coach, and we needed an assistant coach. So our head coach was Mr Smith we're quick, Brian and Em and so the first he wanted to make sure this wasn't publicity stuff, Because the last thing I think he wanted was to. You know, he says yes and now everybody's little league season is ruined.

Dave Schultz:

So he showed up to the first practice and the person there was just oh all right, those of you that weren't on the team last year. My name's Mr Smith. I'm the head coach. This is my son, ian. He's one of the assistant coaches. And this is Meatloaf. He's the other assistant coach. All right, brad clubs, let's go. So we're like huh what? Okay, it's a strange name. Finally, someone just says are you that Meatloaf? And he goes no, I'm the other one. And then we just went on.

Alex Gadd:

That sounds like him and he had a movie that came out right. Was it called Rhodey? Rhodey Him and Debbie Harry right, If I remember correctly.

Dave Schultz:

It's a terrible movie. He told us he was in the movie. He was the star.

Alex Gadd:

Right, it was all built up around him.

Dave Schultz:

Right, and I think he may have known that it wasn't a good movie, which is why he was downplaying that he was a star. This was really neat. So we rented three limos, dolled it over to his house and we were 11 boys in suits and one in a dress, because our second baseman was a girl Got in the limos and he brought us there.

Alex Gadd:

There is where. Hold on. You skipped one part. Brought you where.

Dave Schultz:

In the Manhattan God. So the license I don't remember, but we went to the World Cup here. On the movie. There, you go and as we're all there, people can listen to us talk, and even most of us really really like that year. We didn't know it, but blondie was in the movie. So right, come here. This is blank t team. This is denny. She's like hi team.

Alex Gadd:

And then right, of course I don't want to make much.

Dave Schultz:

He was a wonderfully nice guy. Uh, he was recording dead ringer while he was coaching us and with the only time there was ever, a sort of rock star moment, and he was late for a game and the limo dropped him off at the field and he got out of the limo dressed a coach that was the only time I ever sort of got a rock star moment, otherwise who's really down to earth? Would have the year-end party you know, at his house, his house, and on the walls were the gold records.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah.

Dave Schultz:

And a Rocky Horror Picture Show poster.

Alex Gadd:

Well, yeah it's unfortunate that his own starring movie wasn't as good as the cult classic that he was barely in. That became one of the greatest movies ever made.

Dave Schultz:

And one of the things that we still talk about in our family. My dad came to pick me up, so I brought my grandfather. I went, you know, but my dad got to say the words meatloaf, Victor, Victor, Victor, Victor, meatloaf, and then just started to cook with himself. This is surreal, you know, as meatloaf's going, don't you have the same first and last name? And my grandfather is going. Why are you named after her?

Alex Gadd:

All right, what's the next show you're going to?

Dave Schultz:

Tomorrow going to see Phosphorescent at Webster Hall.

Alex Gadd:

Okay.

Dave Schultz:

Saturday going to go see the heavy heavy at Music Hall in Williamsburg. Okay, and then Tuesday, saturday, going to go see the Happy Heavy at Music Hall in Williamsburg. And then Tuesday, wednesday going to the Dineski Truck Speed shows.

Alex Gadd:

Very nice, Very nice and the big finale. I like to get a bigger perspective on all of this from my guests. What is it about live music that keeps you going back for more?

Dave Schultz:

It's probably the closest thing to a drug you can do. My guests, what is it about live music that keeps you going back for more? It's probably the closest thing to a drug you can do when you go there. It takes you out of your head for a little bit, and not every show. Sometimes, when you have a job, sometimes you go there and spend the entire 90 minutes, two hours, thinking about what you have to do the next day.

Dave Schultz:

But other times and I think one of the things I like in Whistlefish is for maybe about a good three, four hours, you're out of worrying about anything. You're just there paying attention to the music. If it hits you, right, it's right. It's just sort of a nice cleanse is the wrong word, but it's something that sort of feeds the soul a little. And sometimes you see something completely unexpected or something you're like this is every bit as good as I thought it was. Other times you're like, wow, they do not capture what they do in studio while on stage, and sometimes you just see something you're like well, this is a great story. That's the music. The other thing I think is always human is he going to a show with someone.

Dave Schultz:

And so here when we went to elo, half the fun of it was a little show together hung out before me. Catch up how you doing. You know, in the shared experience with people who you know in one and nothing about the others. There's the other people that are there and I always think it's a little bit weird that there isn't more interaction amongst fans in the show. Uh, because the one thing you all have in common is you like this band.

Alex Gadd:

You know it's funny. You say that because at the best shows that I go to, the ones that I'm most invested in, I'm more willing to talk to the people, the strangers around me. At Springsteen shows, at Stone shows, I end up oh my God, did you see that? Yeah, you too. Oh, wow, my God, it was great and I think that is part of it. A good show. And you mentioned fish. Certainly there's a communal feeling at the dead um, when everybody's into it and it's really happening on stage, I think there is that communal interaction amongst the fans and I find the older the crowd skews, the more you get the hey, sit down in front of me, stop dancing.

Dave Schultz:

I paid however much money to see this show and I can't see, because you're dancing and having fun in front of me. I think as the fans audience skews older, there's more than than oh, you're, you're standing in, dance. You'll stand and dance too. Now we're all standing and dancing, you know, and then in newport they say you know, we're all. We're all stronger when we sing together I like that.

Alex Gadd:

That's a that's a good thing to say.

Dave Schultz:

And I think younger crowd skews, the more people have the same mindset for what they want to do with the show.

Alex Gadd:

Yeah, that's interesting. Well, dave, I can't thank you enough. It's a pleasure talking about music with you anytime and, yes, let's do this again and let's see a show again soon. I'll find another show that we can go to Keep me in mind. If someone bails at the last minute, give me a call. But it's such a pleasure. We've been on this musical journey, started it together, we're still here and I wish you all the best and thank you for your time.

Dave Schultz:

This will be when we want to depart to over here.

Alex Gadd:

Deal, and that's it for today's conversation. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back next tuesday and if you like what you heard today, we'd appreciate it if you would subscribe or follow to make sure you get notified about every new episode. And please tell your friends. Also a reminder we'll release a playlist for every episode of the show, so look for the rock and roll show podcast playlist on spotify every week, featuring songs from the bands mentioned during today's episode, so check that out. Additionally, we want to know what you think. Please leave us a comment. We'll try to respond to every one of them. The Rock-N- Roll Show Podcast is a World Highway Media production. I'm your host, Alex Gadd, and until next time, remember that life is short, so get those concert tickets. We'll see you next time.