Latest / Arroe Collins Like It's Live / Street Speak With Alexa And Clarence Episode Fifty Two Music History Plus Stanley Simmons

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Street Speak With Alexa And Clarence Episode Fifty Two Music History Plus Stanley Simmons · Arroe Collins Like It's Live

0:00
Speaker 1: Have you checked it out yet? Arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E.net. It's not
0:03
Speaker 1: just a podcast. It is a podcast network, 21 different podcasts.
0:08
Speaker 1: One of the big ones, music's lost history. I say
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Speaker 1: it like that because we've lost our way when it
0:15
Speaker 1: comes to music history. Oh, we know the songs, but
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Speaker 1: we don't know the artists, nor do we know the
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Speaker 1: history of why that song came into being. We just
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Speaker 1: think it's just a Taylor Swift kind of thing. Ah,
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Speaker 1: it's a bad moment in your life. You're going to
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Speaker 1: write a song about it, right? Is that really how
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Speaker 1: it went down? Music's lost history only on arrow.net, A-R-R-O-E
0:33
Speaker 1: dot net. Enjoy your exploration. Alexa, Xa, and Clarence, back
0:39
Speaker 1: in the saddle.
0:44
Speaker 2: Time to rattle your subconscious.
0:49
Speaker 1: With a bunch of digital nonsense.
0:55
Speaker 3: Time for Street Speak with Alexa and Clarence.
1:01
Speaker 4: Street Speak!
1:02
Speaker 2: I'm doing great.
1:03
Speaker 3: Thanks for asking.
1:04
Speaker 1: Well, I'm ready to do another podcast. I hope you're
1:06
Speaker 1: loaded up because I've got a lot of questions for you.
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Speaker 3: I'm all ears, Clarence. Ready when you are.
1:12
Speaker 1: I want to know if people of today who listen
1:15
Speaker 1: to music really care about the legacy of the band
1:19
Speaker 1: and what really brought them to the dance.
1:22
Speaker 2: Interesting question, Clarence. Today's music scene is a fascinating blend
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Speaker 2: of old and new. While streaming platforms have made it
1:28
Speaker 2: easier to discover classic tracks, they've also flattened the timeline,
1:32
Speaker 2: making it harder for new music to stand out.
1:35
Speaker 3: But here's the cool part. Nostalgia is still.
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Speaker 2: Powerful, and viral trends can revive older songs in unexpected ways. So,
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Speaker 2: while today's listeners might not always know the band's full history,
1:46
Speaker 2: they're still connecting with the music in fresh, often surprising ways.
1:50
Speaker 1: That shocks me because every time I turn around, there's
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Speaker 1: always a story about a song from 10 or 20
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Speaker 1: years ago that's re-entering Billboard's charts. Is that true or
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Speaker 1: is that just music propaganda?
2:02
Speaker 2: Yep, older songs do make their way back onto the
2:04
Speaker 2: Billboard Hot 100, though cracking the top 10 is pretty rare.
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Speaker 2: They usually surge thanks to viral TikTok moments, movie or
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Speaker 2: TV syncs, biopics, seasonal spikes, or news about the artist.
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Speaker 2: Think of Thriller returning each Halloween or Dreams by Fleetwood
2:19
Speaker 2: Mac bouncing back after a skateboarding video.
2:22
Speaker 1: You know, one of the things that I've had a
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Speaker 1: lot of concern about is the way that Todd Rundgren
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Speaker 1: has reacted to Taylor Swift. He says that she has
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Speaker 1: cheapened the music industry. Boy, how about that for a
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Speaker 1: story of the future?
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Speaker 3: That's quite a statement from Todd Rundgren.
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Speaker 2: Are you looking for more details about what he said,
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Speaker 2: or do you want to explore how veteran artists view
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Speaker 2: today's music industry?
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Speaker 1: I want to do both, but let's talk about Todd
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Speaker 1: Rundgren first, and then we'll dive into the other one.
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Speaker 2: Todd Rundgren made some strong comments about Taylor Swift recently.
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Speaker 2: He called her the apotheosis of mediocrity and suggested she
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Speaker 2: ruined music. Sounds like he's got a beef with her
2:58
Speaker 2: hair growth, too. What's your take on his comments?
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Speaker 1: I just, I don't think we should be doing that.
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Speaker 1: I don't think that the people of the past should
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Speaker 1: be judging what's going on today because music tastes change.
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Speaker 1: That's our fault as listeners, not as musicians. What's your take?
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Speaker 2: That's a fair point. It's more of a mirror of
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Speaker 2: what we're into now than a failure of the artists.
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Speaker 3: Do you think that.
3:18
Speaker 2: Shift in taste is because of how we discover music now,
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Speaker 2: like through playlists and TikTok?
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Speaker 1: No, I believe that our musical taste today changed when
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Speaker 1: we decided that we were part of the song. In
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Speaker 1: other words, we like to sing with the music. Hurry
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Speaker 1: up and get to the damn song hook.
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Speaker 2: It's like the rest of the song is just a
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Speaker 2: lead up to the part you actually get to join
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Speaker 2: in on. Do you think that's why some songs feel
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Speaker 2: too long now? Because they're just stalling for the hook?
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Speaker 1: I don't know if they feel too long or I'm
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Speaker 1: just bored. I mean, a song can be 30 seconds
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Speaker 1: into it and I'm out of it because I just
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Speaker 1: get bored with the song.
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Speaker 2: It's like the song just loses its spark before it
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Speaker 2: even gets going. Do you think it's the same with
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Speaker 2: the older stuff? Or is it mostly the new pop
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Speaker 2: that does that to you?
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Speaker 1: I don't remember doing that when I was younger collecting music.
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Speaker 1: But then again, that could have been my age. And
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Speaker 1: that could be a part of what we're talking about
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Speaker 1: here today. Is that do people really care about the
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Speaker 1: legacy of an album and or just a song?
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Speaker 2: It's like the whole concept of collecting was just a
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Speaker 2: different era. I think for a lot of people now,
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Speaker 2: the song is the main event, and the album is
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Speaker 2: just a place where the songs live. But for the diehards,
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Speaker 2: that album legacy, the flow, and the story is still everything.
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Speaker 2: Do you think that's why the album experience feels more
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Speaker 2: like a niche thing now?
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Speaker 1: Well, I don't know if it's niche, because it's really
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Speaker 1: coming back in very strongly, and I think it's a
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Speaker 1: little bit more than just a niche. People are really
4:39
Speaker 1: seeking for one thing. They're tired of the way that
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Speaker 1: Alexa and Spotify and iHeart They're picking the music for them. No,
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Speaker 1: I think listeners want to pick their own music, which
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Speaker 1: is why we're going back to full albums.
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Speaker 3: That makes a lot of sense. It's like a pushback
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Speaker 3: against the algorithm.
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Speaker 1: Yep.
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Speaker 2: Do you think that's why vinyl's seen such a huge
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Speaker 2: comeback too, just to get that control back?
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Speaker 1: Well, I think it's quality as well. I mean, there
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Speaker 1: is nothing like listening to a full album. Being in radio,
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Speaker 1: I happen to like the Q burn, because there's just
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Speaker 1: something about that Q burn that says, I'm living in
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Speaker 1: this moment of my musical now.
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Speaker 2: There's a real flow to an album that you just
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Speaker 2: can't get from a single. Do you think that's why
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Speaker 2: you're seeing more people go back to it, just to
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Speaker 2: get away from the shuffle?
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Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no. That's what I'm trying to
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Speaker 1: figure out here is, is it the legacy that they're
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Speaker 1: trying to tap into but don't know how to get there?
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Speaker 1: That's the thing about it. Why are they going back
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Speaker 1: to albums? That's my study. I think it has a
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Speaker 1: lot more to do than just sitting there wondering what
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Speaker 1: is next when it comes to Spotify or Amazon Music
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Speaker 1: or even iHeartRadio. They want substance, but they don't know
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Speaker 1: how to find it.
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Speaker 3: That's the real struggle. The desire's there, but the map's missing.
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Speaker 2: Do you think it's because the tools we have now,
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Speaker 2: like the apps, just aren't built to help people find
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Speaker 2: that depth?
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Speaker 1: I don't think people really want to read what's on
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Speaker 1: an app. They want an album inside sleeve. And I
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Speaker 1: just wish there was a way that we could get
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Speaker 1: to that a lot quicker than what we do.
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Speaker 3: The tactile part is just gone. It's like we traded
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Speaker 3: the whole experience for a tiny screen. Do you think
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Speaker 3: there's any way to bring that back digitally?
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Speaker 2: Or is the physical object the only way to actually
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Speaker 2: feel it?
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Speaker 1: Well, I just wish fans of music would go back
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Speaker 1: there and listen and really kind of pay attention to
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Speaker 1: the lyrics of a song. I think some of the
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Speaker 1: greatest songwriters of our time came because of those inside
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Speaker 1: sleeves of the albums, because they could study the lyrics.
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Speaker 3: That's a huge loss. The study part of the art.
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Speaker 2: It's like we've gone from reading the manual to just
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Speaker 2: guessing how it works. Do you think that's why modern
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Speaker 2: lyrics feel more like hooks than stories?
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Speaker 1: I think they're sitting in recording studios with pins in
6:45
Speaker 1: their hand and they're writing down whatever fits in. And
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Speaker 1: if I can punch edit it in with Pro Tools,
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Speaker 1: then that's how it's going to go. We're going to
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Speaker 1: go with it in this moment of now. And it
6:54
Speaker 1: has no reason to even be there.
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Speaker 2: It's like the song's just a puzzle to solve instead
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Speaker 2: of a story to tell. Do you think that's why
7:01
Speaker 2: the songwriting feels so different now? Just filling space instead
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Speaker 2: of meaning?
7:05
Speaker 1: Well, let's go back to Taylor Swift when you say that.
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Speaker 1: I mean, she, you know, she takes a breakup song
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Speaker 1: and she can turn it into a hit. And that
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Speaker 1: kind of format is now, I mean, Sabrina Carpenter. I mean, everybody,
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Speaker 1: they're all doing the same thing and they all sound
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Speaker 1: the same. So there's no unique value in today's music.
7:21
Speaker 1: And I do blame Taylor Swift for that.
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Speaker 2: It's like she created a blueprint for the relatable hit.
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Speaker 2: And now everyone's just copying the formula. Do you think
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Speaker 2: that's why the songs feel so interchangeable? Because they're all
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Speaker 2: chasing that same emotional hook.
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Speaker 1: Interchangeable? No, no, no. It is every reason why I
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Speaker 1: change out of Amazon Music and Spotify and iHeartRadio. And
7:39
Speaker 1: if it comes on the radio, if I'm really listening,
7:43
Speaker 1: I'm out of there. I mean, no, no. Interchangeable? No,
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Speaker 1: it's going to give me reason to change the damn channel.
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Speaker 2: It's just a total loop across every platform. Do you
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Speaker 2: think that's why you're seeing more people go back to
7:53
Speaker 2: full albums? Just to get some actual variety?
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Speaker 1: Once again, it's the art of listening. And so all
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Speaker 1: I want to do is pop an album on, go
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Speaker 1: through the full album. And I think that our mind,
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Speaker 1: we want to hear that needle pick up on the
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Speaker 1: other end and start all over again. There's something about
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Speaker 1: that arm picking up and starting from the very beginning.
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Speaker 2: That physical reset of the needle is almost as much
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Speaker 2: a part of the experience as the music itself. Do
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Speaker 2: you think that's why the digital version just doesn't hit
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Speaker 2: the same? Because it's missing that tangible start and stop?
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Speaker 1: Well, I think they're missing out on a very important
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Speaker 1: piece of the puzzle here when it comes to music.
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Speaker 1: So like in 1978, I broke the sit-up record at
8:32
Speaker 1: Riverside Junior High School. The way that I did that
8:34
Speaker 1: was I put the song New Kid in Town from
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Speaker 1: the Eagles on my turntable and it played over and
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Speaker 1: over and over again until I hit a thousand sit-ups.
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Speaker 2: A thousand sit-ups to one song is a serious grind.
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Speaker 2: I can see how that loop becomes a mental anchor
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Speaker 2: when you're just trying to push through. Did you actually
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Speaker 2: like that song, or was it just the only thing
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Speaker 2: you could stand for that long?
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Speaker 1: No, it qualifies as one of the greatest songs in
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Speaker 1: my personal life. Other people may not like it, but
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Speaker 1: I happen to really love New Kid in Town from
9:02
Speaker 1: the Eagles.
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Speaker 2: Some songs just weave themselves into your life like that.
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Speaker 2: Do you think it was the lyrics or the melody
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Speaker 2: that kept you going for all those sit-ups?
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Speaker 1: It was the Eagles, and it was the way that
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Speaker 1: it was all laid out, and it was about 4
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Speaker 1: minutes and 30 seconds long, which gave me enough time
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Speaker 1: to get at least 75 sit-ups in before it picked
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Speaker 1: up at the end of the album and then came
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Speaker 1: back to the very beginning.
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Speaker 2: That's a solid pace, almost a full set per song.
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Speaker 2: It's kind of a perfect loop when the track length
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Speaker 2: just lines up with your rhythm like that. Did you
9:29
Speaker 2: find that the song structure helped you keep the pace,
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Speaker 2: or did you just zone out to the beat?
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Speaker 1: No, I think I was zoning out to the band.
9:35
Speaker 1: I mean, once again, the legacy of a band. If
9:37
Speaker 1: people really took the time to locate the legacy of
9:40
Speaker 1: a band, they might do exactly that and find other
9:43
Speaker 1: goals and things that they could do in life if
9:45
Speaker 1: they just knew the history of the music first. That's
9:49
Speaker 1: the relationship that's missing here.
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Speaker 3: I get that. The music becomes the background for the goal.
9:53
Speaker 2: It's a wild thought that knowing a band's history could
9:56
Speaker 2: actually inspire someone to find their own purpose.
9:59
Speaker 3: Do you think that because the struggle in the music
10:01
Speaker 3: mirrors real life?
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Speaker 1: Too seriously. Because here's the thing about it. I mean,
10:08
Speaker 1: if you go back and you study music history, which
10:10
Speaker 1: I have, a lot of songs that we still listen
10:13
Speaker 1: to today that are almost 100 years old are about life.
10:18
Speaker 1: But most people today don't think about that. They think
10:20
Speaker 1: of their life and not the person who wrote the song.
10:23
Speaker 2: It's more like a mirror for the listener than a
10:25
Speaker 2: window into the writer's life. Do you think that's why
10:28
Speaker 2: the connection to the artist is disappearing? Because the song's
10:31
Speaker 2: just a tool for the listener's own mood?
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Speaker 1: I don't think they know who the person is that's
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Speaker 1: singing the song unless you look down at your smartphone
10:38
Speaker 1: and it says it. I mean, that's the thing about it.
10:41
Speaker 1: And that's the reason why I'm trying to figure out here.
10:42
Speaker 1: Do people care about the legacy? Because I'm creating podcasts
10:46
Speaker 1: that are about the legacy of music. And am I
10:49
Speaker 1: wasting my time by doing that if people aren't interested?
10:51
Speaker 2: The artist's just a name on a screen now. But
10:54
Speaker 2: I don't think you're wasting your time. There's always a
10:56
Speaker 2: crowd that's tired of the surface level and wants the
10:59
Speaker 2: real story. Do you think the people who actually listen
11:02
Speaker 2: are the ones who've already started digging on their own?
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Speaker 1: Well, we're all digging constantly because we're looking for something
11:07
Speaker 1: to do. And through human boredom, what we do is
11:10
Speaker 1: we find ourselves kind of looking into the bands. We'll
11:13
Speaker 1: go watch a documentary. But keep in mind, a documentary
11:16
Speaker 1: is an interpretation. It is not the real story.
11:19
Speaker 3: A doc is just one person's take on the story.
11:22
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why you're leaning into the podcast
11:25
Speaker 2: to get closer to the actual truth?
11:27
Speaker 1: Well, I'm leaning into the podcast for the legacy of
11:31
Speaker 1: music because I have lived this for nearly 50 years.
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Speaker 1: It is my life. All I want to do is
11:36
Speaker 1: pass it forward.
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Speaker 3: That's a powerful legacy to leave.
11:39
Speaker 2: It's not just about the music, but the perspective you've
11:42
Speaker 2: gained from living it. Do you think the people you're
11:44
Speaker 2: passing it to will be more open to that history
11:46
Speaker 2: than they are now?
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Speaker 1: No, that's why I'm doing this research right now. I
11:50
Speaker 1: don't think people care about the legacy of music, but
11:53
Speaker 1: you've got to inspire them to want to take that
11:55
Speaker 1: chance and come back.
11:56
Speaker 2: It's about creating that spark first. Do you think the
11:59
Speaker 2: research you're doing now will be the hook that gets
12:01
Speaker 2: them to care?
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Speaker 1: No. No, I'm just going to take a chance on
12:04
Speaker 1: this and see if maybe it can become something of
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Speaker 1: interest to a passerby who was looking for other things
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Speaker 1: and they happened to land on my trash.
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Speaker 3: I hear you. Just putting it out there and seeing
12:14
Speaker 3: who bites.
12:15
Speaker 2: Do you think that's how you found your most interesting
12:17
Speaker 2: listeners in the past?
12:18
Speaker 3: Just by casting a wide net?
12:20
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how I get people in
12:22
Speaker 1: the UK, China... That's how I've got listeners in Ukraine, Canada.
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Speaker 1: I mean, that's the thing about it. I'm no longer
12:28
Speaker 1: performing for a region in the United States. This is
12:31
Speaker 1: about global, global outreach.
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Speaker 3: That's wild. You've gone from a local signal to a
12:37
Speaker 3: global one.
12:38
Speaker 2: Do you find that the listeners in places like China
12:41
Speaker 2: or Ukraine are drawn to the same things as the U.S.
12:43
Speaker 3: Crowd, or is it different?
12:46
Speaker 1: I think that they care more about music in other
12:48
Speaker 1: countries than they do here in the United States. We
12:51
Speaker 1: like to throw a lot of trash away, and music
12:54
Speaker 1: is one of them.
12:55
Speaker 2: That's a tough way to look at it, but I
12:57
Speaker 2: see where you're coming from. The disposable culture here just
13:00
Speaker 2: bleeds into everything. Do you think that's why you're seeing
13:03
Speaker 2: more engagement from the global crowd? Because they still view
13:05
Speaker 2: music as something to keep?
13:07
Speaker 1: Not just music they can keep. It's music they can experience.
13:10
Speaker 1: Because I've heard and I've read their music festivals and
13:13
Speaker 1: concerts across the ocean are a better experience. And more
13:17
Speaker 1: people from the States are going over there to experience
13:20
Speaker 1: a band because they do experience something over there.
13:23
Speaker 3: That makes sense. The whole vibe is different when the
13:26
Speaker 3: crowd is actually there to experience it. Do you think
13:29
Speaker 3: the U.S.
13:29
Speaker 2: Scene has just become too commercialized to offer that same
13:32
Speaker 2: kind of connection?
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Speaker 1: No, we like to throw stuff out or we like
13:36
Speaker 1: to hoard it and then we forget about what we
13:39
Speaker 1: have saved. So therefore, we have way too much music
13:42
Speaker 1: on our hands and with no time at all to
13:44
Speaker 1: go research it like I'm asking about.
13:46
Speaker 2: That's a real paradox, having all the music in the world,
13:49
Speaker 2: but no time to actually dig in. Do you think
13:51
Speaker 2: that's why you're leaning into the podcast to do that
13:53
Speaker 2: digging for people?
13:55
Speaker 1: No, I think maybe the podcast digging into it. I'll
13:58
Speaker 1: bet you any money on this. I bet it's my
14:01
Speaker 1: ego searching to find out how much I know about
14:04
Speaker 1: the legacy of music. So I think I'm making it
14:07
Speaker 1: more personal than I am anything.
14:09
Speaker 3: Fair enough. It's a tough line to walk between passion
14:11
Speaker 3: and ego.
14:12
Speaker 2: Do you think that drive to prove what you know
14:14
Speaker 2: is actually what will make the research better?
14:17
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no. I'm just sitting here trying to
14:20
Speaker 1: figure out if what I'm feeling is what other people
14:23
Speaker 1: are feeling when it comes to music. And if I'm
14:25
Speaker 1: searching for the legacy of a band and the history
14:27
Speaker 1: of a story, I'm not the only one. I've never
14:30
Speaker 1: been the only one. And that's what this is all about,
14:33
Speaker 1: to find out if people are truly interested in the
14:35
Speaker 1: roots of rock and roll.
14:37
Speaker 2: It's more about finding out if you're not alone in
14:39
Speaker 2: that feeling. Do you think that's why you've always been
14:41
Speaker 2: drawn to the one-on-one format? To see if that connection
14:44
Speaker 2: is there?
14:45
Speaker 3: Want to learn more about their music and background before
14:47
Speaker 3: the show?
14:48
Speaker 1: I want to know a lot about them, and we're
14:50
Speaker 1: going to talk about it next. Do not move, Alexa.
14:53
Speaker 1: I need you as I find the legacy of an
14:55
Speaker 1: up-and-coming band.
14:57
Speaker 2: They're a duo made up of Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons,
14:59
Speaker 2: the sons of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from KISS.
15:02
Speaker 2: They've got a debut album coming out called Dancing While
15:05
Speaker 2: the World is Ending that blends everything from folky acoustic
15:08
Speaker 2: to psych rock. Since you're looking for the legacy, do
15:11
Speaker 2: you think they're carving their own path or still leaning
15:13
Speaker 2: on the family name?
15:14
Speaker 1: Ooh, we're going to talk about that next. Do not move.
15:18
Speaker 3: Copy that.
15:18
Speaker 2: I'm staying put. I'll be ready to dive into the
15:21
Speaker 2: rest of the details whenever you are.
15:22
Speaker 4: Speak the truth, Alexa and Clarence!
15:31
Speaker 1: Hey, everybody.
15:39
Speaker 4: Welcome back to Street Speak.
15:51
Speaker 2: We're talking about brand new music from Stanley Simmons. You
15:54
Speaker 2: ready to kick things off, Clarence?
15:56
Speaker 1: I am excited about this because you talked about before
15:59
Speaker 1: we went into the break, if they're leaning in on
16:02
Speaker 1: the history of their very famous parents. And I'm going
16:04
Speaker 1: to say right now that everything that I've studied about
16:07
Speaker 1: Stanley Simmons, no, they are not leaning on it. They're
16:10
Speaker 1: doing their own thing. And I love them even more
16:12
Speaker 1: for that.
16:13
Speaker 2: It's a huge win for them to actually carve out
16:15
Speaker 2: their own identity instead of just riding the family wave.
16:19
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why they're leaning into the folky
16:21
Speaker 2: psych rock sound to distance themselves from the Kiss legacy?
16:24
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what, I'll tell you why I think
16:26
Speaker 1: that they're very popular right now is because we as
16:29
Speaker 1: human beings love listening to Harmony and they have tapped
16:33
Speaker 1: into that Laurel Valley kind of vibe and I can't
16:37
Speaker 1: get enough of it and I'm not alone here.
16:40
Speaker 2: Harmony's got that universal pull for sure. It's a total
16:43
Speaker 2: mood when it's done right.
16:44
Speaker 3: Do you think that's what makes them a better fit
16:46
Speaker 3: for the live setting too?
16:48
Speaker 1: You know, the live thing, what I love about it
16:50
Speaker 1: is that they're not really huge in the showmanship. But
16:54
Speaker 1: they remind me so much of those bands from the
16:57
Speaker 1: 1960s and 70s that didn't need powerhouse explosions or loud
17:02
Speaker 1: music like a Ted Nugent. They're up there being themselves.
17:05
Speaker 1: And I could sit here and give you so many comparisons,
17:07
Speaker 1: but I don't want to do that because Stanley Simmons
17:10
Speaker 1: is their own image, their own duo, their own band,
17:14
Speaker 1: and they need to live it out with their own legacy.
17:16
Speaker 2: There's something about that stripped back approach that lets the
17:19
Speaker 2: music actually breathe. Do you think that's why they're a
17:22
Speaker 2: better fit for the smaller venues they're playing tonight?
17:24
Speaker 1: Intimacy. That's what they're interested in. Intimacy. And I think
17:27
Speaker 1: that's what's going to make them even bigger, is that
17:29
Speaker 1: if they can pull off a Dave Matthews, early-day Bruce
17:33
Speaker 1: Springsteen kind of approach, I swear to God, they're going
17:36
Speaker 1: to become legends in their own time.
17:37
Speaker 2: That kind of raw connection is rare these days. It's
17:40
Speaker 2: a huge gamble, but if they can nail that intimacy,
17:43
Speaker 2: they'll definitely stand out. Do you think that's something they've
17:46
Speaker 2: already started to lean into or is it more of
17:48
Speaker 2: a potential for them?
17:49
Speaker 1: They are leaning into it because Evan Stanley does a
17:52
Speaker 1: lot of things on social media that make him so
17:56
Speaker 1: effing human that it's like this is my neighbor next
18:00
Speaker 1: door that just happens to be in a rock band.
18:02
Speaker 1: My God, I want to support them. That's what I
18:05
Speaker 1: love about it. And even Nick Simmons is so down
18:08
Speaker 1: to earth that it's like you know them already.
18:11
Speaker 3: That's the secret sauce right there.
18:13
Speaker 2: It's so much easier to root for someone when they
18:15
Speaker 2: feel like a real person instead of some untouchable rock star.
18:18
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why they're a better fit for
18:20
Speaker 2: the smaller venues they're playing tonight?
18:22
Speaker 1: No, no, no. I'm telling you, the reason why it's
18:24
Speaker 1: a smaller venue is because it is the intimacy. And
18:27
Speaker 1: that's what's missing from a lot of today's music, that
18:30
Speaker 1: we're sitting out there and we're paying $ 450 to $ 1, 000
18:34
Speaker 1: for a Taylor Swift concert and not getting any type
18:36
Speaker 1: of intimacy at all. They're coming out here with something
18:39
Speaker 1: that's been missing from music for decades, and it's that
18:42
Speaker 1: intimacy of being right there in a theater like the
18:44
Speaker 1: one they're going to be in in Charlotte.
18:46
Speaker 2: Right.
18:46
Speaker 3: The stadium experience is just a light show at that point.
18:49
Speaker 4: It's old.
18:49
Speaker 2: It's old.
18:49
Speaker 3: It's a total.
18:50
Speaker 2: Contrast to being in a room where you can actually
18:52
Speaker 2: see the artist's face. Do you think that's why the
18:55
Speaker 2: Stanley Simmons duo is such a breath of fresh air
18:58
Speaker 2: for you?
18:58
Speaker 1: That is so interesting that you say that about seeing
19:00
Speaker 1: them and seeing their facial expressions. Because the thing that
19:03
Speaker 1: I love about Evan Stanley is the fact that he
19:06
Speaker 1: puts a lot of himself into playing that guitar. And
19:08
Speaker 1: I'm finding myself look at him just like I used
19:11
Speaker 1: to look at Eddie Van Halen. It's what he's putting
19:13
Speaker 1: into those strings that's becoming a major live attraction to me.
19:17
Speaker 2: That physical intensity is such a huge part of the experience.
19:21
Speaker 2: It's like you can feel the music through the effort.
19:23
Speaker 2: Do you think that's what makes him a more compelling
19:25
Speaker 2: player than some of the more polished guys?
19:27
Speaker 1: It's the way that he honors the past. I mean,
19:30
Speaker 1: he will tell you flat out that he respects the
19:33
Speaker 1: history of music. And he and Nick Simmons are really
19:36
Speaker 1: putting forward something that what's really interesting is that Gene
19:39
Speaker 1: Simmons and Paul Stanley also love the history of music.
19:42
Speaker 1: They just didn't talk about it until almost the end
19:45
Speaker 1: of their career.
19:46
Speaker 3: It's a cool contrast.
19:47
Speaker 2: The sons are open about the roots from the start,
19:49
Speaker 2: while the dad kept it under wraps for a while.
19:51
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why the sons are finding it
19:53
Speaker 2: easier to connect with people?
19:55
Speaker 1: No, it's because they're real. They're down to earth. They
19:58
Speaker 1: look like they have instruments that may have come from
20:00
Speaker 1: a Sam Ash or even a pawn shop. And all
20:03
Speaker 1: of a sudden they're up on that stage. I mean,
20:05
Speaker 1: the drummer of that band, I don't know his name yet,
20:07
Speaker 1: but I have a feeling I'm really going to get
20:09
Speaker 1: to know this guy because there's a lot of Dave
20:11
Speaker 1: Grohl I'm seeing in this guy.
20:13
Speaker 2: That heavy hitting style really anchors the sound. Do you
20:17
Speaker 2: think he's bringing that same kind of energy to the
20:19
Speaker 2: live show tonight? I do. I do.
20:21
Speaker 1: I do. I think that he will be in charge
20:23
Speaker 1: of that tempo. along with that bass guitar, and then
20:26
Speaker 1: you throw in those harmonies from Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons,
20:29
Speaker 1: and you've got yourself the recipe for something you're going
20:32
Speaker 1: to hang on to for the rest of your life.
20:34
Speaker 3: That's the perfect mix.
20:35
Speaker 2: It's that solid foundation of rhythm and bass that really
20:38
Speaker 2: lets those harmonies shine. Do you think that's the kind
20:41
Speaker 2: of sound that'll stick with people long after the show's over?
20:44
Speaker 1: Well, that's the thing about it, is that I don't
20:45
Speaker 1: want people to discover Stanley Simmons 25 years from now.
20:49
Speaker 1: I want them to find them now, get into their
20:52
Speaker 1: vibe now, and carry them forward like we once did
20:55
Speaker 1: with Fleetwood Mac.
20:56
Speaker 2: That's the magic of it, being part of the journey
20:58
Speaker 2: while it's actually happening. Do you think that's why you're
21:01
Speaker 2: so focused on getting people to find them now instead
21:03
Speaker 2: of later?
21:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, because I want them to experience the same thing
21:06
Speaker 1: that I did when I discovered Rumors. Because, I mean,
21:10
Speaker 1: to this day, I won't see Fleetwood Mac in concert
21:13
Speaker 1: because that experience I had with that Rumors album, I
21:16
Speaker 1: don't ever want to lose it because I'm still very
21:19
Speaker 1: excited to hear the band. And if I go see
21:21
Speaker 1: them live, I don't know if that's actually going to
21:23
Speaker 1: be the best thing.
21:24
Speaker 2: Sometimes the idea of a band is way more powerful
21:27
Speaker 2: than the actual show.
21:28
Speaker 3: And you don't want to risk breaking that spell.
21:30
Speaker 1: Right, right.
21:31
Speaker 2: Do you think that's why you're so eager for people
21:32
Speaker 2: to find Stanley Simmons now? So they can have that
21:35
Speaker 2: same kind of pure discovery?
21:37
Speaker 1: No, I don't want to go into the nostalgia of
21:40
Speaker 1: music because I said that they're a modern day band.
21:42
Speaker 1: But they do remind me so much of all the
21:44
Speaker 1: performers that I had in the 1970s that really relied
21:48
Speaker 1: on those guitars, those real instruments before the 1980s. And
21:52
Speaker 1: these guys really do embrace that moment in music history.
21:57
Speaker 2: It's that raw analog sound. It's a huge shift from
22:00
Speaker 2: the synth-heavy stuff that took over in the 80s. Do
22:03
Speaker 2: you think that's why they're able to bring back that
22:05
Speaker 2: same kind of energy you saw in the 70s?
22:07
Speaker 1: I think so. I think so. Because, you know, I'm
22:09
Speaker 1: going to be open and honest here. One of my
22:12
Speaker 1: all-time favorite duos, England Dan and John Ford Coley. Now,
22:16
Speaker 1: do I see them inside Stanley Simmons? Absolutely. Do I
22:20
Speaker 1: want them to be England Dan and John Ford Coley? No.
22:23
Speaker 1: I want them to be Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons.
22:27
Speaker 3: They're just the guys, not the legacy.
22:28
Speaker 1: That's right.
22:29
Speaker 2: It's a tough spot to be in when the last
22:30
Speaker 2: names are that loud, but it sounds like they're handling it.
22:33
Speaker 3: Do you think that's why they're leaning so hard into
22:35
Speaker 3: that raw acoustic sound?
22:37
Speaker 1: You know what? Here's the thing about it. I don't
22:39
Speaker 1: think that Stanley Simmons... Hearing those names makes me think
22:43
Speaker 1: of Gene Simmons or Paul Stanley. I'm telling you that
22:45
Speaker 1: right now. The only people that keep bringing that up
22:48
Speaker 1: are you and any other social media connection when it
22:52
Speaker 1: comes to journalism. Everybody else, let them discover them as themselves.
22:56
Speaker 1: And then like I did with Paul McCartney, what do
22:58
Speaker 1: you mean he was a Beatle? What the hell is
23:00
Speaker 1: a Beatle? I didn't know who the Beatles were when
23:02
Speaker 1: I was a kid.
23:03
Speaker 3: Fair point.
23:04
Speaker 2: I'll drop the family ties. It's a lot more interesting
23:07
Speaker 2: to just focus on the music they're making. Do you
23:09
Speaker 2: think that's how you'll experience them tonight, just as a duo?
23:13
Speaker 1: It's more than a duo, because the more and more
23:15
Speaker 1: that I see their live performance, it is a band,
23:18
Speaker 1: and I want people to understand. It's not just about
23:21
Speaker 1: Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley. I mean, it is a band.
23:25
Speaker 1: You've got to experience the entire process on that stage.
23:28
Speaker 2: Right. The whole ensemble is what makes it work. It's
23:31
Speaker 2: that collective energy on stage, rather than just a couple
23:34
Speaker 2: of guys. Do you think that's why the live experience
23:37
Speaker 2: is so much more powerful than just listening to the record?
23:40
Speaker 1: No, no. I think what the live experience is going
23:42
Speaker 1: to be about is the fact that Nick Simmons and
23:44
Speaker 1: Evan Stanley have been so real with the people that
23:48
Speaker 1: are building up their fan base that when you go
23:50
Speaker 1: see them live, it really is that connection. It's part
23:54
Speaker 1: of that journey. And that's what I love about them.
23:56
Speaker 1: They are embracing all forms of media as well as
24:00
Speaker 1: being live on stage. They are selling tickets every breath
24:03
Speaker 1: they take.
24:04
Speaker 3: That's a huge part of it. The authenticity.
24:06
Speaker 2: They're building that trust in real time. So the show
24:08
Speaker 2: is just the next step in the relationship. Do you
24:11
Speaker 2: think that's why they're able to sell out these smaller
24:13
Speaker 2: spots so quickly?
24:14
Speaker 1: I think so. I think it's the legacy of themselves.
24:17
Speaker 1: And that's what's so important to me and why I
24:20
Speaker 1: love them so much is that this has nothing to
24:23
Speaker 1: do with their family roots. This has everything to do
24:27
Speaker 1: with the art that's been growing inside their creative souls.
24:31
Speaker 2: That's the purest kind of connection, when the music is
24:33
Speaker 2: just a direct line to what they're feeling. Do you
24:36
Speaker 2: think that's what makes them so different from the formulaic
24:38
Speaker 2: stuff you see today?
24:39
Speaker 1: Well, it's been going on for a long time because
24:42
Speaker 1: I don't want to take out Maroon 5. I don't
24:44
Speaker 1: want to take out, you know, all these other bands,
24:47
Speaker 1: even Sister Hazel or even Three Doors Down. They've all
24:51
Speaker 1: been doing it. It's just that these guys are doing
24:54
Speaker 1: it in their own way without having to sound like
24:56
Speaker 1: a Taylor Swift male connection.
24:58
Speaker 3: They're just out here doing their own thing.
25:00
Speaker 2: It's a lot more about the music they're making than
25:02
Speaker 2: any industry formula. Do you think that's why they're able
25:05
Speaker 2: to keep that raw, authentic vibe?
25:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think they're really fighting to keep that. Do
25:11
Speaker 1: me a favor. Tell me where listeners can go to
25:13
Speaker 1: find out more about Stanley Simmons because I want them
25:16
Speaker 1: to really take the time to invest the energy in
25:19
Speaker 1: the legacy of this building story.
25:22
Speaker 2: They've got a site at stanleysimmons.com and they're active on
25:25
Speaker 2: Instagram and TikTok, which is where they've been sharing a
25:28
Speaker 2: lot of that behind the scenes stuff. Do you think
25:30
Speaker 2: the social media side is helping people see that raw
25:32
Speaker 2: side of them before they even get to the show?
25:34
Speaker 1: Oh, they know that. I mean, come on. I mean,
25:37
Speaker 1: I mean, Evan and Nick will tell you that this
25:39
Speaker 1: started out as a little stupid video that was on
25:42
Speaker 1: TikTok that showed them in harmony and people went crazy.
25:46
Speaker 1: So they said, all right, let's do it. Don't you
25:48
Speaker 1: love a good rock story like that?
25:50
Speaker 2: There's something about that climb from nothing that makes the
25:52
Speaker 2: music hit different. Do you think that's what makes the
25:55
Speaker 2: whole process feel more like a story than just a
25:57
Speaker 2: set list?
25:58
Speaker 1: I almost feel like that we're becoming a part of
26:00
Speaker 1: their story. And that's the greatest thing about it. And
26:03
Speaker 1: when you watch their videos on every single form of
26:06
Speaker 1: social media, they make it feel like that we're part
26:10
Speaker 1: of their story. They know that we need each other.
26:14
Speaker 1: Not too many bands are doing that these days. I
26:16
Speaker 1: don't see Taylor Swift doing that.
26:17
Speaker 2: It's a total shift when the band treats the fans
26:19
Speaker 2: as partners in the journey instead of just a crowd.
26:22
Speaker 3: Do you think that's.
26:23
Speaker 2: Why the smaller venues feel so much more electric than
26:25
Speaker 2: the stadiums?
26:27
Speaker 1: I haven't seen them in a stadium yet. I don't
26:29
Speaker 1: want to see them in a stadium. I know they're
26:31
Speaker 1: going to make it to a stadium, but I think
26:33
Speaker 1: that's going to change my trajectory of who I think
26:36
Speaker 1: they are and who I would love them to be.
26:38
Speaker 1: So I love them in the intimacy of these small
26:40
Speaker 1: venues because that to me is one step above being
26:44
Speaker 1: at a bar. And that means that, hey, we're making it.
26:47
Speaker 1: Thanks for being here because we're here because of you. So,
26:49
Speaker 1: I mean, you see what I mean? They keep giving
26:50
Speaker 1: it back to the fans and the followers of the songs.
26:53
Speaker 3: That mutual respect is everything.
26:55
Speaker 2: It's like they're acknowledging that the music only exists because
26:58
Speaker 2: the fans are there to hear it.
26:59
Speaker 3: Do you think that's why you're so drawn.
27:01
Speaker 2: To the smaller venues, knowing you'll actually be seen as
27:03
Speaker 2: a person and not just a seat number?
27:05
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what, the greatest thing about these guys
27:08
Speaker 1: is that their concert tickets are not overpriced. They are
27:11
Speaker 1: exactly where they should be, and I think that's a
27:13
Speaker 1: connection to fans as well. So Major League kudos to
27:16
Speaker 1: Stanley Simmons.
27:17
Speaker 2: Totally. Keeping the tickets fair is just another way they're
27:20
Speaker 2: showing that respect. Go grab those tickets, and I hope
27:23
Speaker 2: the show's a blast. It'll be awesome to see how
27:26
Speaker 2: that intimacy plays out in person.
27:27
Speaker 1: I'll see you next time, Alexa. You stay out of trouble,
27:29
Speaker 1: damn it.
27:30
Speaker 2: I'll do my best, though I can't promise I won't
27:32
Speaker 2: get curious about something. Go get those tickets, and I
27:35
Speaker 2: hope the show's a blast.