New music, new stories and new outlook by the remarkable band you fell in love with in the 80s. Cutting Crew’s Nick Van Eede, Gareth Moulton and Josh Thompson return to All Access Live to share some light with you.
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Dramarama is an American, New Jersey-based alternative rock/power pop band, who later moved to Los Angeles. The band was formed in New Jersey in 1982 and disbanded in 1994. The band formally reunited in 2003 following an appearance on VH1’s Bands Reunited reality show, and continue to tour for their rabid and supportive base.
The current lineup consists of original founding members John Easdale, lead and rhythm guitar player Peter Wood (the only band member who moved back to New Jersey and still maintains a residence there), and lead guitarist Mark Englert (Mr. “E” Boy). Rounding out the band are Los Angeles-based musicians Tony Snow (No Sugar, Tonio & The Change, Shiteland Ponies) on drums, and (former Lizzy Borden member) Mike Davis on bass. In addition, Tony Snow leads his own band, Tonio & The Change, and Mike Davis is the bass player for both Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford’s eponymous solo band Halford, and metal “supergroup” Death Dealer.
Join me & the original Jersey alt-rockers, as we chat about literally Anything, Anything, Anything!
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From 1994-2003, Eklund was the drummer for Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum selling Capitol Records recording artists Everclear. He played on the band’s most successful albums, including Sparkle and Fade and So Much for the Afterglow, including their MTV and radio hits Santa Monica, Father of Mine, Everything to Everyone, Wonderful, and AM Radio.
After leaving Everclear in 2003, emotionally and physically exhausted and burnt out from playing drums, Eklund suffered from public anxiety after being in the public eye. He went into therapy for panic attacks and his inability to leave his house. While at home, Eklund says, “I was tired of playing drums. I wanted to try something new, and I wanted a new challenge, so I picked up a guitar. I taught myself to play in a straightforward style and started to write songs.”
With his younger brother Mark Eklund and Olivia Stone, Greg formed The Oohlas in 2004 and released their debut record Best Stop Pop on Stolen Transmission Records (an imprint on Island/Def Jam Records) in 2005. When the music industry imploded in 2008, The Oohlas left their label and went on an indefinite hiatus.
Greg released his solo debut album entitled “Muffled Tears,” on August 1st on all digital platforms (iTunes, Spotify etc) with limited edition clear vinyl available at gregeklund.bandcamp.com.
Greg’s fortune revealed:
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Men Without Hats formed in 1977 amid the Montreal punk scene. They became pioneers of electro-pop in Canada after adopting a New Wave sound that made extensive use of keyboard and drum synthesizers. Their sound is characterized by infectiously simple melodies, socially and politically idealistic lyrics, and the distinctive baritone voice of lead singer, principle songwriter and chief member Ivan Doroschuk.
The band enjoyed phenomenal success in the 1980s with the worldwide hits “Safety Dance” and “Pop Goes the World.” Both songs were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in September 2020.
Ivan’s in the studio recording new material, and will take some time to join us for an update on Men Without Hats!
We opened Ivan’s fortune at the end of today’s episode:
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Aaron is most known as the bassist for iconic rockers Y&T and Frank Hannon (Tesla), but he’s also jammed with some of the top names in rock—from Steve Vai, Jani Lane, and Mike Tramp, to Gary Hoey, Joel Hoekstra, Brad Gillis, and many more.
Not only is Aaron an accomplished musician, but is also a noted studio engineer and producer. We rap about all of that and more!
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He’s back! Fresh outta the studio, where he’s working on the next opus. He may share a little bit of his musical genius with us, but this dynamo NEVER disappoints.
If I was looking to wingman anyone on the planet, I’d recommend this guy to any lucky lady. If a band needed a drummer, songwriter, singer or all-around good-looking rockstar, I’d tell them to get Josh Thompson. Sound like a man crush? YES, it is!
Come crush with me when we go live at youtube.com/allaccesslivewithkevinrankin
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Emmy award-winning drummer and percussionist Scott Pellegrom is known throughout the drumming community as the “mad scientist.” His playing as a soloist and band leader exudes creativity, from surprising ideas to blinding hand speed, using found objects to pulling unconventional sounds from conventional instruments. Videos of his hyper-creative playing can be seen on Drumeo, the Dream Cymbals and PDP/DW Drums social media channels, Scott’s Instagram (@scottpellegrom), and numerous other places around the web. Incorporating elements of drum and bass, jungle, and fearless improvisation into his playing, this “drummer’s drummer” defies expectation and genre, whether it’s playing jazz standards or today’s most experimental music. In March 2020, Modern Drummer recognized Scott as one of the top five soloists in the world and top five clinician/educators in the world. Read more
Prairie Prince is not only a member of the iconic fusion rock group The Tubes, he was a founding member of the group Journey, and has also worked with Chris Isaak (on his first four albums), Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, David Byrne, XTC, Tom Waits, Paul Kantner, George Harrison, Dick Dale, Glenn Frey, Richard Marx, Bill Spooner, Neil Hamburger, John Fogerty, and Tommy Bolin. When Fogerty was asked to put together his dream band for a one-time live show to celebrate the release of “Centerfield,” he chose several members of Booker T and the MGs, but since drummer Al Jackson Jr. had died several years earlier, Fogerty chose Prince as his drummer for the show.
Prairie is also a graphic artist, designing the album cover artwork for Rundgren’s 1981 album Healing, amongst others. Along with his creative partner Michael Cotten, he has created numerous set designs for major artists including Billy Joel, Bette Midler, N’Sync, The Tubes, and Todd Rundgren.
He appears on the 2008 Jefferson Starship release, Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty, although Donny Baldwin has taken over drum duties for the 2008 tour.
It’s hard to find a classic record that DOESN’T have Prairie performing on it. We’ll chat about his impressive legacy onstage, as well as his expression through graphic arts.
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Trying to pin down Stephanie Schneiderman to any one genre, talent or discipline is next to impossible. One thing is clear however- whether pursuing her prolific work as a solo artist, playing drums for all star roots pop act Swan Sovereign (Dirty Martini), producing, acting, or giving back, Schneiderman is hands down one of the most diverse and hardest working artists the NW has to offer.
As singer-songwriter, her solo career began with a coveted spot in the Lilith Fair. From there, she went on to receive extensive NW radio play, tour internationally, and earn music placements in numerous films and primetime TV shows, including Felicity, Vampire Diaries and many more. She has played with some of the nation’s top touring acts- from Aimee Mann to Hall & Oates, Heart, and Train- and enjoyed ongoing success with popular NW all-female groups Dirty Martini and Swan Sovereign. She has stepped on stage in the musical The Full Monty, appeared in major television commercials and films, and even produced the soundtrack for 3 popular children’s DVD’s (Oy Baby and That Baby) selling more than 75,000 combined units.
Above all her accolades as an artist, Schneiderman has a keen passion for activism. She organized Portland’s first humanitarian concert series, Voices for Silent Disasters, which raised $70,000 for Mercy Corps in northern Uganda, and is currently penning a musical that raises awareness about human trafficking.
Schneiderman has eight solo recordings under her belt – Stephanie Schneiderman (1999), Unbelievably Unbroken (2001), Fall Sessions EP (2001), Touch Down (2004), Live at Kung Fu Bakery (2005), Dangerous Fruit (2008), Rubber Teardrop (2011) and Live at The Old Church (2013), plus four releases with her collaborative bands Dirty Martini- Dirty Martini (2004), Tea and Revenge (2007) and Swan Sovereign – Arctic (2014) and Valentine (2017).
Later in 2021, she will release her ninth solo album, Crossfire. The new recording combines her past sonic explorations—folk, Americana, trip hop, and pop—into a beautifully dark and deeply introspective recording that is as fresh as it is compelling. Funded by pre-purchases and house concerts, Crossfire is a self-released labor of love that celebrates her community and newfound artistic freedom as producer, and will be enjoyed by anyone looking to sit down with a timeless and great record.
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After nearly three decades with Saga – including 18 albums with worldwide sales over 8 million – Michael Sadler has an impressive track record to fall back on. From his beginnings as the lead singer of the Canadian rock outfit in 1977, through his many guest appearances (Justin Hayward, Bobby Kimball, Ozzy Osbourne, Chain and many others), and in his long awaited solo career; Michael Sadler consistently proves his knack for crafting high quality songs that combine irresistible melodies with great lyrical detail. It has earned him respect from his peers, praise from critics and admiration from his devoted fan base.
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