A lifetime of friendship brought Stone Horses frontman John Allen back to his Dundalk homeland at Costas Inn join Nestor Aparicio for the WNST 25th Anniversary celebration in a wide-ranging discussion of the history of Baltimore rock music. From Child’s Play roots in East Baltimore to the farewell of legendary vocalist Steve Whiteman, let two good ol’ boys tell you about growing up loving Sarah Fleischer, Hammerjacks and the dream of living a music life.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
band, play, brian, remember, song, penguins, guitar, ravens, drummer, kicks, steve, played, friends, 25th anniversary, thought, feels, horses, people, orioles, record
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, John Allen
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
We’re back at wn St. Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively in my homeland. We are in Dundalk, Dundalk, Maryland. We’re Costas says so above us. I’ve got drinks. I’ve got ribs. I’ve got french fries. I can’t really eat while I talk. I’ve already had a mushroom caps. I’ve had crab soup. We’ve had great guests and is our 25th anniversary. It’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery in conjunction with our friends when donation 866 90 nation new offer for August. I’ll be telling you more about that. In the coming days and weeks. I’m also giving out the scratch offs for the 50th anniversary of the Maryland lottery was sort of inspired my 25th anniversary and all the wackiness we’re going to be doing here 25 stories of glory over the next 25 weeks leading up to the Superbowl and football season. A stretch run for the Orioles and a an incredible concert season. That’s about to happen a whole lot of concerts this summer couple here and again, I’m a little bit of a drought. And then in September, things start happening again late August things happen again. Nothing more momentous, I think from a local music perspective than kicks, calling it quits. He did this at M three where my life or friend John Allen from stone horses Child’s Play sr 71 Trump city devils leaving out yatta yatta yatta didn’t leave out the one from Hollenberg probably was it we went through this. Scott Allen is here he is here. Oh, I forgot how to shock.
John Allen 01:32
Yes. Oh, yeah. And see
Nestor Aparicio 01:35
is it this point when you get to be a little older as Rockstar? It’s sort of like being Jack Flaherty getting dealt to the Orioles where like, you’ve had a couple of different shirts, couple different teams. You know if I get with Neil, Sean how many bands is he’d been in bed English? I mean, even the biggest rock stars had been in a couple bands now. Right? Yes. You move around a little bit, right?
John Allen 01:55
Yeah, not Mick Jagger though. He’s, he’s
Nestor Aparicio 01:58
this dude, how about this? How about Steve Whiteman. How many bands have Steve Whiteman been in? Tony Mani though he’s had another other side project.
John Allen 02:05
Maybe he played drums before before kicks.
Nestor Aparicio 02:09
Butt Kicks always existed. Nobody made me kicks like there was never like a hiatus for kicks. I don’t think
John Allen 02:16
there was there was yeah, there was if we only had funny money,
Nestor Aparicio 02:20
but it feels like he was playing in though. It feels like once a year they played not like child’s play where like, you know, there was a hiatus and Brian paths and then reunion shows or whatever. But it feels like kicks. If there was a hiatus what’s the hiatus? a year two years?
John Allen 02:34
It was a few years because my band? What band was it? No, it was before I join us are we open for we have for funny money a couple of times out at the beach maybe. And they I think it was a few years that he did funny money. And then until they got got the kicks and Jimmy started playing with him. And funny money and I think they were like, you know, we got a couple of guys in the band. Let’s let’s do it. Let’s get it back together. And so here we are. Now they’re going to do the final show walking away at Merriweather on September 17. I think there’s a few lawn seats left.
Nestor Aparicio 03:12
begging you for tickets and Jean. I don’t have tickets. This is a really unique thing. I mean, I just as a, I don’t know I’m celebrating my 25th anniversary. I don’t know if they’re gonna grads by the way. I don’t know if they’re gonna come take the radio station away from me or whether I’m gonna sell it to some godforsaken soul that wants to buy it or it’s for sale come by and if you want it, I mean, it’s all and we’re all for sale. You know, but I don’t know where you say you’re in a band. Every band has had a farewell tour. I mean, who started there’s an 82 Right? I mean, the Eagles are having their final long goodbye. Like it’s a joke, right? Motley Crue, right? I
John Allen 03:47
mean, 94 I think the Eagles have been read that
Nestor Aparicio 03:50
Mars piece in in Rolling Stone a couple of weeks ago who’s not you know, what happens to bands when you’re the 71 year old guy with a bad condition and everybody hates everybody like it’s behind the music and all that. Yeah, by the way, Steve decided to come out to his audience, your audience us and do that and M three and then put this thing together Meriwether I’m dying to know how you got the gag. I mean, you’ve know you’ve known each other you had a morph ban. I was with Sarah Fleischer at the Tommy Caldwell show. What do we love Sarah? First time I’ve ever really spent time we had dinner together. It was beautiful. And her night was the night that you put kicks together and did this thing.
John Allen 04:32
Yeah. Yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 04:33
I mean, he you know, you and I grew up by him, you know? Yeah, exactly. Right.
John Allen 04:38
Yeah. No, it was cool. You know, that was because with, as far as I know, her retirement was was sort of a shock to the people at 90 rocket. It kind of came out of left field for them. And so they were trying to get this party together for her. And for whatever reason the kicks could not Do it. So the the PD at Naughty Iraq was like so you guys are gonna play kick songs. And we also want you to learn thank you by Zeplin and I’m like, geez, I can’t get my guys to remember our songs. And now you want us to learn.
Nestor Aparicio 05:18
That night Nick and Nick from your band, of course. And we grew up with Charles point and Nick was like, nervous. I remember Ron. Like, you mean, you there were real? No, I was with your wife that night. And, and you I was not with you. And she’s like, Man bands like, and you guys slayed it. But and I think from it was very memorable. I mean, from my I’ve seen it all that was a very memorable thing. I think the stuff that when I thought about am I gonna go because I had a European plan together. See Neil’s and like all that is the beginning of football season. They threw me out. I don’t like I’m not used to being away at that time. And I thought I don’t, I don’t want to see everybody’s pictures. I don’t see geomag Liano putting pictures up in third row live on Facebook. And I’m not there yet. I mean, like, I don’t need to be in the third row. I don’t need to be have any. I just I want to be there for the spirit of what it is. Because it’s like, that’s the end of an era or whatever. But it’s unique. It’s unique for Steve to do it this way. involve my friends to the stage that you would love to play on again. Right once in your life, you had a chance to go do the child’s play thing you did at 12 o’clock in the morning. We all got there early enough to miss a nice crowd there at 12 o’clock when you were at your white and doing your barefoot Brian Jack thing to be able to do that for everybody. I hope we get good weather. It’s very well. But when I heard about this the first thing I thought is he sort of a pitch. I’ve known you my whole life. He told me that. What do I read your stories on the Internet? Well, I didn’t know about insider information.
John Allen 06:47
Well, they called us. The Merryweather folks called us like a day only a day or two before M three. So it wasn’t like a it wasn’t a plan thing out like real far out in advance and they were trying to keep it quiet. And the
Nestor Aparicio 07:03
day that you think telling me what No, no, no, I
John Allen 07:06
jeopardize it. Listen, I
Nestor Aparicio 07:07
just had my journalist or something but break news. I
John Allen 07:10
had so many things on my mind that honestly I just didn’t you know, really think of
Nestor Aparicio 07:15
a shock then. I remember seeing you you were spread thin. Yeah. And you’re one band. Still,
John Allen 07:20
I still am trying I’m trying to finish a stone horses record to come out in the fall because we’ve got this tour that we’re doing with with Brother Kane. Starting November.
Nestor Aparicio 07:32
How know about this? Yeah, it’s
John Allen 07:33
pretty new. Just we just got this like last week or the week before. So we start November 1.
Nestor Aparicio 07:40
I tell people, friends I don’t know why I’m busy.
07:45
I’m busy. I’m you know,
Nestor Aparicio 07:47
on tour with my band. Yeah, but it’s only like hurt. I’m only like three weeks. You know what the good news is, is I’m gonna cut you some slack. All right, you broke that news. Oh, my show. To me. It wasn’t like Hey, John, Johnny Charles play getting back together getting ready for kicks. And I’m like, How do I not know this? Like I felt like I was last to the party. All the tickets were gone by the time I found it. But I keep going.
John Allen 08:12
So you’re doing they made the announcement and three. Were you there for the announcement?
Nestor Aparicio 08:15
No, I saw that on stashes Facebook in real time, though. All right. Yeah. All right. Stash was freaked. I was freaked out because I was I went to your show. Yeah. Right. I was so sticks play.
John Allen 08:25
Right. Okay,
Nestor Aparicio 08:26
so I was there. I played
John Allen 08:27
the Saturday so you didn’t go I wasn’t
Nestor Aparicio 08:29
right. There you go. So
John Allen 08:30
that was the big announcement on the Sunday night and then tickets went on sale on Tuesday. And my god they sold out so fast. You know, the pavilion sold out. I was really
Nestor Aparicio 08:40
scalpers one $600 Steve whiting He charged me that much for voice lessons.
John Allen 08:45
Yeah. How many? How many voice lessons did you do?
Nestor Aparicio 08:50
Three, maybe three or four? Yeah. And I did him in the drum shop.
John Allen 08:54
Yeah, me too. Me too.
Nestor Aparicio 08:55
Okay. I didn’t know Steve was a drummer. Yeah. I mean, I knew Steven Tyler was a drummer. So I believe in Steve sign. I’ll send that. You know, when we take a picture you and me for Whiteman, I’ll send it. I gotta get him on the show. Yeah, yeah, I had him on like two years ago. I asked him where to get a crab cake in Hagerstown. He’s like, I wouldn’t get a crab cake. So now I believe in Steve. Yeah, he gave me voice lessons. I mean, you know he did because I’m telling you what he did. Right. You had all these warm up things that you want to do to warm up?
John Allen 09:29
Yeah, I don’t think he gave me that one. But, but yeah, yeah, he was. He’s great. Because he was like, he’s like, You know what you’re doing he’s like, I’m not gonna take your money. He’s gonna go on you know, you’re doing
Nestor Aparicio 09:40
why I wanted to ask you this because I’ve known you my whole life. We spend like real time together. I’ve never asked you this. It’s a total shoot interview for John Allen Rockstar. At what point did you go from drummer to singer at what point like that this happened in your own mind in the same way that I’ve had to morph. Now that I’ve been thrown out by the Ravens in the orals and they Well let me do my job. I guess it would be like, you know, the drummer for Def Leppard losing an arm and thinking maybe I should play a different instrument, or thinking, I don’t want to Trump anymore, or I want to go sing, or I saw Brian do it. And I was in a band doing something. I’ve never really asked you that. So so you get asked that a lot or No, I think you probably do, right?
John Allen 10:20
Not much. I mean, that people ask which one I prefer, you know, and my wife didn’t know you drunk. Okay.
Nestor Aparicio 10:27
Yeah. And there are people on my 25th anniversary, your wife that your wife didn’t know anything about me starting to stay she wanted in my life then. So like, that’s why I’m celebrating this is to say, like, we’ve done a lot of things. And I think people come to you, at this point, especially people in the younger in the audience are my wife enters in this century doesn’t know any of that. And they’re like, that’s a big part of who you are. Yeah. People don’t think of you as a drummer,
John Allen 10:52
actually. I mean, in town, they do. You know, it’s a little frustrating. Now that I’ve been fronting and singing for a really long time. You know, I’ll get, I’ll get all the time. You know, I just, I just, I’m not, I can’t get used to seeing you up front. You know, it’s like, and it’s, it feels like a little bit of a criticism. But when I go out of town, I’m on tour. People are like, Oh, my God, you’re such a good frontman. Yeah, they’re blown away. But here. Yeah, sure. Like, yeah, you’re pretty good. Yeah. But so back to your story, my story of, you know, being a singer is not unlike yours. When sr 71 lost our domestic record deal, you know, I’d already been through, you know, being dropped with Childsplay. And I had kind of been through that before. And Mitch really hadn’t. And it’s a, it’s a, it’s really a tough thing to deal with, you know, once you’ve, you’ve had a record, you’ve it and SR 71 was so much more successful than then. Then Childsplay. Two, you know, so, and it was a different era, a different era. But when we lost our deal with RCA, it was it’s kind of like you’re like, oh my god, what what do I do and within the record business, I mean, I’ll give you some real honesty here. Your your when your drop your your pariah, you know, and it’s, it’s tough. You’re a fail, you fail. Yeah. And it’s, it’s tough to get a new deal on that’s what we were working on, you know, and, and so it’s
Nestor Aparicio 12:26
been a bit of manager being fired baseball and trying to thicken. Our friend Jim Schwartz is an example. Right. Defensive coordinators win a Super Bowl, got a job again, making a lot of money, all that stuff, but like, will he get another chance to be the head coach, right. I mean, and that’s that probably similar in sports, right? Sure. Sure.
John Allen 12:44
And so you know, so yeah, so we’ve been we’ve been, you know, wrote a huge hit song called 1985. That was a huge hit for another band, only the
Nestor Aparicio 12:57
second dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life. What’s that? Well, the dumbest thing and I was gonna admit this this morning to Chris Corman at the Baltimore banner, the dumbest thing I’ve ever done was I was in a cab with Mel Kiper in New York City. We had taken a train from Bristol, Connecticut down in New York to see jets ravens game. And we trained in the Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, and I’m in the cab in the backseat. And we’re taking a cab across the river, meaning across the river Springsteen there for you, for you for your family. So we’re going over to Jersey, and I look up and I see the felt forum. And I’m thinking I’m with Mel Kiper and I knew a little bit. And I’m thinking, well, this is where the NFL draft is every year. And we’re outside of it. And I said to him, oh man, you’re here every year with the draft. Yeah, you know, Mel’s rule matter of fact. And I said to him, Mel, did you see Jerry Maguire? And he said to me nuts. I was injured Maguire. And I remember being with you, in Cleveland stadium with Mitch and his girlfriend at the time who was in the movie Kelly, Kelly Riley, who you were there? You were doing the X Games or what games were the gravity gravity games? You called me? And you said to me, Hey, we’re in town. Can you get me tickets? And I said, I know Baker and Roy from the ravens and we got tickets and we’re in the Cleveland stadium watching them play the browns and the Ravens are playing it’s probably like 2004 or 506 like that. Sounds right. So we’re there. My wife’s there, we’re in the stands. And I remember 9085 getting played in the in the in the thing. And I said to you, man, I love that song. You know, that’s, you know, she still pre 1980 I said love that song. You heard that song. I remember saying this to you. Have you heard that song? And you said to me in this humble way this I’ve known you since you were 10 years old. You’re like, NES I wrote that song. And I’m like, Oh, I was just sort of like okay, you had I remember this and I remember it vividly how stupid I felt. And I thought, all right, what else have you written? And I don’t know about did you write Stairway to Heaven? And that was fine. But,
John Allen 15:08
but yeah, so like, we thought that’ll lead back to a domestic, you know, new record deal. And it didn’t. So, after that happen, Mitch was living in Los Angeles part time living in Baltimore, at our house part time. So he set up a studio in both places, a little project studio and one of the trips where he went home. I just went down the basement I had a song idea and you know, banged it out and, and then I was like, I think I’m gonna try singing because it’s now or never,
Nestor Aparicio 15:43
you know, if I’m ever gonna transition. Yeah, I’m like, transition is thrust upon you. When your label drops you right? Yeah.
John Allen 15:48
And I was sitting there, you know, like, Man, I’m really tired of looking at singers acids. Back there playing drums. Right. So I’m doing all
15:57
the work. Yeah.
John Allen 15:59
But yeah, so that was it. That was the impetus and I just took the ball and started running with it, you know, wrote the song, Burn, baby burn, you know, that song turned into three then turned into six. And then I was like, Oh, crap, now I gotta finish this record. I gotta so resume
Nestor Aparicio 16:14
writing a song for you. I’ve never thought of us a guy playing a guitar, or a piano, or the things that would be structurally necessary. It’d be like me saying, I’m a writer, but I don’t know how to type. Write it here. I mean, well, I talk into a microphone to write books. I guess you could do. There’s a million. That’s exactly how to trauma with one arm and strumming. I mean, anything’s possible, right? I saw chips enough singing sounds like Donnie V. Now let me like anything’s possible, like, in that space, but for you to get out and do that and say, I’m going to do it differently. And I’m going to create my own band of my own thing. And that’s, that’s not something that you do a little praying on that I would think, well, when I started, when you’re a hell of a drummer, well, you’re such a great drummer, people step up to your tell, you’re a great drummer. Well, I’d
John Allen 16:58
mess around with guitar forever. It’s just I never stuck with it long enough to be really good. You know. So, you know, I’ll go down and I’ll bang around on the guitar. And, but a lot of times, I’m ready. So
Nestor Aparicio 17:09
you pick up next next guitar, or it’s these bass and bang on it enough to be
John Allen 17:14
I own guitars. I have my own guitar.
Nestor Aparicio 17:18
When you’re a drummer, you had a guitar.
John Allen 17:22
I started I started out on guitar and like fourth grade, but
Nestor Aparicio 17:25
did you hold the guitar in your arms at the child’s play em three show? I don’t know that I’ve ever seen you hold the guitar and sing a song I don’t I don’t think I’ve seen that.
John Allen 17:35
When I started. The project that became Charm City devils. I was playing guitar and singing and I hated it in some ways, because it was hindering my development as a frontman. And I was like, Nick come out and play an AC DC song with us. And he did it. And I was like, why don’t you play a couple more songs? Yeah, I felt like I was changing. So so he did that. And then finally after, like, you know, a couple of shows, I was like, Nick, just just be in the band, you know. And then once he got into the fold, within, like, I don’t know, a couple of months, we were on it. Or I was playing a demo of ours. And we were talking to the label that eventually signed us. That was headed by Nikki six from Molly crew. And that was Charm City. Devils, we wound up with the record deal, like it was pretty fast after he after he joined the band.
Nestor Aparicio 18:28
Well, it must have been weird find a question for Nick. But Nick’s used to seeing you behind Hey, did you know all of that and then mix all you see what you saying in the band? You always you always had a mic floating around you were thrown out of the way and all that good stuff. Yeah. Yeah, that was a backup singer mascara stole my peach cake from Fenwick. That’s all right. You know, that’s right. Spread the Love the can Island All right. They got peaches over there. You know, they got bread.
John Allen 18:57
I was just talking about this with somebody about you know, okay. You’re talking about me singing from behind the kid but like backup singing is a different thing. I mean, it’s you’re trying to blend you’re trying to kind of not be wallpaper, but you’re trying to support the lead singer. And I think singing lead is a very different thing. It’s you have to have character you have to I don’t know. I think it’s
Nestor Aparicio 19:20
there was never a time when you’re banging on the drums behind Brian, where you thought I want his gig. Because it never felt that way to me back then. I don’t know why it was a bit of a force of nature.
John Allen 19:31
Oh my god. Ryan was incredible. Prime was a powerhouse. He was super charismatic and just you know, he was he was a party. You know, you wanted to be around him. You wanted to hang out. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Child’s Play practice before I was in the band. I went went to this practice place and and of course, Essex. No, no, no, Towson, actually, the drummer that I replaced Steve almanac lived up right cross from. What’s the score up there? I think I think that guy was just talking about and Calvert Hall. Okay, live up there and, and so I go to the practice and everybody else in the band is there, of course, except for Brian. And he walks in late, like he always was. And as soon as he walked in the room, it was like, I think it was me and Jimmy Schaefer, one of the original guitar players from Childsplay he wasn’t in the band yet either. And we were sitting there as soon as Brian walked in the room, it was like, That guy’s got it whatever that it is. That guy’s got it. We need to get him in our band somehow. And it happened but it happened in a backwards way we got absorbed
Nestor Aparicio 20:42
gasex thing like you didn’t really know each other
John Allen 20:45
know now. What’s funny EVP
Nestor Aparicio 20:48
EBT and Dundalk. We crossed paths. I mean, this isn’t like
John Allen 20:52
free to go to he didn’t go to EBT bass player did Phil where was Brian from? Brian went to Chesapeake.
Nestor Aparicio 20:58
Chesapeake even okay, I mean, but but I’m thinking Essex and Dundalk were aligned enough from seagull in New Zealand. Fascinating.
John Allen 21:06
I had an art teacher at Dundalk, Mr. Wallen who went to the seniors are showing, I think it was at Essex Community College at Simon he videoed all these pieces. And they’re you know, you’re talking about like you were going somewhere like we didn’t know each other, right? We didn’t. But so Mr. Wallen films, all these videos, all these different art pieces of seniors, whatever year it was, Brian was older than than us. And this one piece just really hit me. I was like, that’s really cool. It was amazing sculpture. And years later, I’m in Child’s Play. And we’re hanging out at his house and he lived his room was over the garage at his parents house. And we were hanging out there for a couple hours, like, I don’t know, listen to music or trying to write music. And I turned around to walk down the stairs to leave and there’s the sculpture hanging on the wall above the staircase. I was like, Oh my God, dude, I’m like, I remember seeing this community come my my teacher brought the video back to Dundalk and played it for all of us. And that was the one piece I really remembered. And it really hit hard. I mean, he was an incredible artist, as well as an incredible singer frontman, guitar player. I mean, the guy was really talented. His daughter now has an incredible art.
Nestor Aparicio 22:25
Yeah, so you share some stuff that she’d Adrian, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. John Allen’s here. We’re at Costas. They are opening jobs plays opening up a couple shows. Right. I mean, you’re doing Are you doing a start or sustain with the with the
John Allen 22:38
Oh, yeah. Yeah, we
Nestor Aparicio 22:39
think Danny can Island or
John Allen 22:41
that show sold out? I think they are talking about releasing 50 tickets to it’s a cult. Classic brewery. Okay. It’s over. And that’s a stone horses in kicks. And then that’s August 19. Then, then yeah, the big show Merriweather, their final show. That’s what Child’s Play though. Am I gonna get in? To the child’s Yeah. to the to the Merriweather. Yeah, I mean, like, I’m worrying. I gotta get in. I’ll get you. I gotta.
Nestor Aparicio 23:10
I’m saying the Ravens played that day.
John Allen 23:12
Do you know anybody? That imp Yeah, I know people because I have no idea how many guests we can get you. You’ll be one of the guitar techs. We had four guitar techs last show. And we’re only had two guitar players. And we were still out of tune the whole set.
Nestor Aparicio 23:28
Well, I can be the guy in the back that lets you know whether it’s too loud or not say, up down. You know, I do all that because I actually don’t. Don’t care about that. You want to be loud. not that loud. You really loud. You’ve really really loud. You have to talk to him. Really loud. John Allen has been my friend since 1979. He’s in a rock band. A couple rock bands, actually stone horses. I have my own horses shirt. Charles play is getting back together. You do the Barefoot thing again on a Brian are? Probably
John Allen 23:57
not sure. I mean, you know, I did that as a nod to him and his. His onstage persona. It seemed to it seemed to mean a lot to people. Oh,
Nestor Aparicio 24:09
yeah, absolutely. Man I had. We did a show a couple of weeks ago and one of my friends is NFL agent. We were over at the spirits West and Chad just like he’s like I met and I saw the Barefoot I knew I knew who’s like what it was. And I’m like that that’s you know, that means something three, four decades later that you know he has this all aura about it. And you just talked about it sort of lovingly and glowing. I didn’t know he was gonna I mean, I didn’t really know he was an artist. In that way. I told you the night he got on stage with me and my band. Right. I’ve never told you that. I
John Allen 24:43
think you did tell me but I don’t remember.
Nestor Aparicio 24:45
I think I told the story. I don’t know if I told her on the air off the air. But when Paul Amancio and I and Ron west of the cultivated had a band Ridgemont High at the turn of the century. We were playing the Ellicott City stone cellar that sound right so you’re the stone or stone seller. So we’re playing the stone cellar. And you know, there’s at 100 people there on a Friday night shaking their ass door 80s You know, love my way in some cars, songs and whatever. And Brian was there like the whole night. And Brian was you know, Brian, he was he was one o’clock in the morning on Saturday night he was loose. And he came up to me during CES. I want to play song with you guys, man. And I’m like, Sure, man. What do you wanna do? What do you guys do man? And I said, he’s a Rebel Yell man. Welcome to Rebel Yell. I said we usually do Rebel Yell on the Encore. I’m gonna do it man, obviously
John Allen 25:36
huge Billy Idol fan.
Nestor Aparicio 25:39
Dude, he grabbed Paul amanti has guitar, Paul had an extra guitar. We plugged it in. And he got up and just did the mid Mo Mo. And it was a sort of like, and I’m standing on the side, I’m not in the band anymore. You know, I’m just sort of on the side. And it was really it was, you know, one o’clock in the morning. And I was like, wow,
John Allen 26:00
he used to walk is this he used to walk into band practices doing you know, his Billy Idol isms or David Lee Roth isms? Like all the time like it, I think it was part of him finding himself as as a singer, you know, and he would he would do these little things and access was big at the time he would you know, sing.
Nestor Aparicio 26:19
He looked like Michael Hutchins. Yeah, yeah. You know, yeah. Michael Hutchins his hair during that period of
John Allen 26:23
time. Probably better looking than then Michael probably was.
Nestor Aparicio 26:26
Yeah. Michael did okay. You know, but so so for you with band and new album. update everybody on your musical thing?
John Allen 26:35
Well, yes, stone horses. We’re doing a bunch of shows. Working on a new record. Have a little EP out right now.
Nestor Aparicio 26:43
Active band as active as any band. You’ve had your Yeah,
John Allen 26:46
yeah. Radio and Radio play. You know, getting ready to
Nestor Aparicio 26:50
last one to find out that you’re touring, but that’s okay. Stone horses. music.com.
John Allen 26:53
Buddy, you can check things out. You could you
Nestor Aparicio 26:56
announced. Have you said we’re going out there dates are just like backstage and for me. They’re really dates. Right now. On your Facebook page? Yeah, then I missed it. I’m sorry.
John Allen 27:06
It’s okay. Play locally or no? Uh, yeah. Rams Head on stage is the only local show rather, on that run. All right. But yeah, like Midwest and east coast. Are all the show. So that’s just for the month of November. We’ve got some other things cooking houses shock we just put out.
Nestor Aparicio 27:27
I’m sorry. I knew so many notes. I had seen out two weeks. Yeah. And how did it happen?
John Allen 27:34
I don’t even know. You introduce me to her.
Nestor Aparicio 27:37
I don’t even really guy like, that’s not how you put a band together. I left here. Three days before Christmas at that table. Ed Lauer was sitting there. You’re sitting there. Next thing I know. edcet Gina’s house all night. The next thing I know, when Dells texting me. Gina was on the phone. He was that big keyboard. He plays the drums. She singers. He played a guitar. She want to know if he played the guitar. And I said I don’t think so. I said a little I knew that. You bet you play the guitar. And the next thing I know. You’re doing two days over bills music house putting this thing together. She got sick. Right? They got like a couple of different times. Gina shock is somebody you and I had I know it does in private conversations in the car together going somewhere to eat drink shows or whatever. We’re like, I don’t know. Or I’ve never met her. And you always said to me, George knows or Joyce knows. Yeah. And you had never met her. Right? You didn’t meet her until drug city? Oh, my show. Right? You literally met her on the sand. And now you’re in a band. Yeah. And you wonder why I’m like asking quiet. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t know anything about it. Other than you guys were all on stage at the Hard Rock. And all I thought was, I really hope they like each other. And that’s how I met.
John Allen 28:56
It’s been it’s been a lot of fun. I mean, it’s just great. Yeah, she’s Uh, she’s awesome. We just recorded a couple songs at my house. Smile pretty one of the parties one of them. And we did. We did with trying to blackmail but smile pretty turnout. Fantastic. They just debuted it in Philly.
Nestor Aparicio 29:15
I love that song when I saw it tonight it hard rock song you did that night? Yeah, it was memorable. That wasn’t the first song. No, no, no, it’s not. The first time I saw it was that it was memorable. So I mean, the fact that they said to me, we’re releasing that and I’m like, Okay, I remember and,
John Allen 29:31
again, I and I, he’s a great writer. I mean, she’s a great song.
Nestor Aparicio 29:35
I would ask her the same thing, which is she sat there back there looking at Belinda’s backside, you know, for all those years. And as she said, rather flippantly in her Dundalk way to me two weeks ago. It’s like I write songs. I sing, and if you don’t like my voice, FM and you know, I mean a little bit of what you have to have, which is Hey, not everybody’s gonna like John a singer. Maybe as much as they like John a drummer. Maybe they don’t like Nestor. Have those non sports guy or whatever, fine, but this is where my voice needs to be right now. Right? Well, and this is Gina being in Rock Roll Hall of Fame having this band that you would have dreamed of having Right? Any anybody would have dreamed to have a band as successful as the Go Go’s. Yeah. And then you get older and you drift this way or that way or some people want to do that. Or you’re you lose your singer, you know, or you lose your drummer and Russia’s gaze or your drummer is unavailable. In YouTube’s case, you still charge $1,000 A night play, but But I mean, every it’s an ensemble effort, I think at heart, especially when you get to be RAS you want to like the people you’re working with? Oh, I mean, that’s just that. I mean, the fact that you like each other. That means a lot more to me in introducing all of you than to say while I’m in a band with Gina, but her singing is something I didn’t know anything about. So good.
John Allen 30:50
I mean, personally, I prefer her voice to Belinda’s, but you were the
Nestor Aparicio 30:55
one that told her to get out and sing right? Did Did you tell her did you play Did you like when she was going to play the drums originally as part of part of the plan hard rock thing she needed accompaniment, right? The plan
John Allen 31:06
the plan, I think right from the get was like we were going to do half and half she was going to she’s gonna play drums on half the set and I was gonna play drums on half the set, I was gonna play guitar and sing on the other half. And then it turned out I was like, my voice just doesn’t sound good. A lot of the stuff so you know, it was more appropriate for her to sing. Like I said, she’s got a great set of pipes. So when I’m having fun playing songs to like, you know,
Nestor Aparicio 31:34
so there’s stuff you won’t sing or you think you suck at singing here’s like that’s not mal You
John Allen 31:38
know, some of the stuff was like some of its go goes covers you know, and you know, I’m I’m not I’m not appropriate to sing that stuff. And and some of it’s hard you know, it’s up there right my voice is finally dropping and finally hit puberty it what a giant
Nestor Aparicio 31:54
man muscles he’s gonna start hitting more home run Hey, go right. You love in the sports thing?
John Allen 31:59
Right? Yeah, man. I mean, it’s a it’s it’s a good time to be an Orioles fan. Except if I take my wife to it and a game so she’s like the jinx like the the game they lost, like, at home like a couple of weeks ago. I guess
Nestor Aparicio 32:14
you weren’t that Saturday night when they got there asking No,
John Allen 32:16
no, it was a Tuesday. Okay, we were in Annapolis. We all took the family up drove up. I’m like, That’s it. No more games for you, honey.
Nestor Aparicio 32:25
Good luck or bad luck. We got to at least we have something here that feels like a chance to win championships, baseball and football. So I’ve had this place 25 years, and then a whole lot, August thirds, that we’d be sitting here talking about the Orioles and the Ravens being simultaneously not just relevant. But being the data will see the ravens are dominant. We got to it’s a whole new sandpaper, but in the case of the Orioles and what they’ve built, it feels like we’re going into this window where you know, your girls might sit and watch a baseball game in October at some point and say I like that or you know, whatever it would be that we weren’t watching them for a long time.
John Allen 33:03
Yeah, no, it’s great. You got something? Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 33:06
you want to do this. I’m usually the one showing my crotch on the show. But this is John doing this year with it. So it’s little lifted. Pull me see it’s a belt buckle but I got my belt buckle today. So I wore this one. I have one plan for tomorrow for truck city. This is my foreigner.
John Allen 33:25
What’s the one you’re looking for? So you post it.
Nestor Aparicio 33:27
I’m looking for Blues Brothers in a UFO UFO UFO. And this is my foreign rebel and I wore this because like today feels like the first time so that’s why I wear this one today. Tomorrow I’m wearing my Chicago belt buckle because it’s my 25th anniversary and it’s 25 or six to four. So is this major league baseball like licensed let me look read the Major League Baseball. This is Major League Baseball promotion Corp Look at that. Dude, you’re an artist you should repaint that get that thing up to up the code for the Orioles
John Allen 33:57
it was on a cheap plastic belt I actually have a Baltimore Colts when I have a cold sweat Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 34:03
I put shad I brought that out with Chad a couple of weeks ago I held it up yeah well I
John Allen 34:07
had to cut it off the cheap belt you know because I couldn’t fit in that little All right. Well that I wore when I would say we become
Nestor Aparicio 34:12
belt buckle nerds here as we
John Allen 34:14
do you know you can go get that UFO buckle probably over here that T shirt Jamie she answers she should stand in the Middle East Point mall where you should get kiosks you should do this. You should do to our nones.
Nestor Aparicio 34:27
You remember the penguins at East Point Mall? DON’T DO NOT DO NOT your cuz you’re like,
John Allen 34:32
it drives me bananas because I can’t find any pictures of it or anything. My mom I had pictures, you have pictures of people,
Nestor Aparicio 34:38
not pictures I took with people pictures of the penguins. You do every time I mentioned the penguins at East Point shopping center. On my Facebook people put pictures up really? Like I swear if I put each point penguins in on my Facebook, you’re gonna see a picture of a penguin right now
John Allen 34:54
my grandmother worked at Herschel cone, the one downtown but also East Point one All and I just can’t imagine like, you know, you apply to a job for Herschel cone or like, Okay, you’re gonna be cleaning out the penguin showcase window like, oh my god, I’d
Nestor Aparicio 35:09
hate it and I said, Does anybody remember the penguins and they said horses shows up when I put each point because you guys played the flagship cinemas at this point. For the there you are the good up there, man. ledgestone Horses looking. One thing I’ll say about being a rock in bands these days is no matter whether you’re in stone horses, or whether you’re in the Rolling Stones, they can make your stage look awesome with lights and logos now, background like every band I see now, the sets are grand, but they’re not. They’re video oriented and lighting oriented, where everybody looks like triumph looked at 82 Yeah,
John Allen 35:45
I do miss the old old style lights. Sometimes the LED lights don’t always look great. Like like picture. Brian and I were talking about this AC DC concert that we went to 81 There’s about the rock it was for those about to rock I thought it was 82. But that like shows in credible. And those are old school lights. I mean, they were carrying they probably had that whole
Nestor Aparicio 36:09
concert. Capitol center is on YouTube. Yeah, they because it was ProShot from the capital center.
John Allen 36:14
I had like 12 You know, semi trucks carrying all that lighting gear and Pa gear. I mean, that’s the kind of I’m old school man. I love that. So I want
Nestor Aparicio 36:22
to find the penguins at East Point Mall. You’re not You’re not going to get away with this on my anniversary. Without me. At least like finding
John Allen 36:29
I remember the slide at his shoes in East Point. I remember the tugboat set up in the kids shoe department in the in the basement of hustlers. I do not remember, remember penguins that have should come.
Nestor Aparicio 36:43
I’m telling you somebody put the penguins up on this page. When I put this up. They had like a little Polaroid that they had taken a picture of it. Or maybe they sent it over to me. But I swear I have it. They were a little blurry. But it was completely legitimate.
John Allen 37:01
My dad told me about the X ray machines they used to have in the in the shoe stores when he was a kid. Like again like oh my gosh, like can you imagine? The radio? The radio? That’s what I’m saying? Like who who cared?
Nestor Aparicio 37:18
Who fed the penguins. All right. John Allen seer, stone horses. Trump city devils sr 71 Child’s Play back together again, one night only.
John Allen 37:30
Other might be more.
Nestor Aparicio 37:32
That’s what I was waiting. That’s what I was waiting for. That’s all. I had Tommy calm well on cut months ago, and they put the young Rumblers together play to me just incendiary. I mean, just like it was the 80s again, as he always says, you know, and I had him on and I was doing so great, Paul manna. I told Paul, I’m like, Dude, you got a book, they only get together once a year, twice a year. And Tommy came on. And he was really introspective in the way that you would be about Brian, in the way that he would talk about the band. And, you know, they told him to fire his drummer. So he kind of had to, you know, I mean, they all the stuff that happened to him back in the day and how he should have stood up for guys and like all of this stuff. And he said that at one point, the guys in the band. So we do this once a year was in our 60s Now, does that mean we’re only going to do it five or 10 more times, like after doing this URL, we should do this more often. It’s not about money. It’s more about like where you belong, you know what I mean? And I I definitely felt that way, seeing you at soundstage last year. And then seeing you again thinking like Alright, you’re not going on tour putting the band together and you know, leaving the kids at home and like whatever. But the fact that Kix is at the end now it says to me, maybe you guys should play Trifecta and do three times a year and the people that want to see you we’ll see you the six 800,000 people that love you a lot will come along and crack the sky made a living on that. I feel like the next 10 years I want to see you do it. It makes for that as a side project. Well,
John Allen 38:57
it makes people happy. I mean, I think that that’s that’s a huge part of it. For me. It’s made me happy to see it. Yeah, seeing people you know, just enjoying themselves and reliving these times, you know, that we had at the seagull or Capricorn, all the other
Nestor Aparicio 39:15
signs that said so I believe right here in purple, and purple. These are stealing their signs. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I figured I don’t have to free the birds anymore. We freed them. They’re good. Yeah. When I get my press pass back, I’ll be free. But alright. 17th of September. Yes. You guys have to rehearse or no,
John Allen 39:33
just yeah, we’ve been we actually just did one the other night. Phil has to come down from New York to
Nestor Aparicio 39:38
get a longer set because like it is what it is. You can play a little long.
John Allen 39:41
It’s going to be a little longer than three. Yeah, but not I don’t think too much.
Nestor Aparicio 39:46
You get to play to Jack. I want to hear to Jack. I leave in thought here to Jack well,
John Allen 39:51
we might play the jack and another show. Let’s put it that way.
Nestor Aparicio 39:55
Brian Jack. Didn’t he write that when you guys used to play the jack every night?
John Allen 40:00
Child’s play when we started out. Yeah, we did a lot of AC DC.
Nestor Aparicio 40:04
You did to Jack all the time. Yeah. All right, we did. Leave it to me to ask you for a cover. If I said you’re gonna play rat race like I hate that
John Allen 40:15
we didn’t play it. Play your own songs. What the hell are you gonna play? I was telling a friend of mine who he put out man of constant sorrow with with Trump’s the devil. And he’s like, he’s like, you’re gonna play rat race? I’m like, no, he’s like course nine. That was the single you know, the video. He’s like frickin musicians, freakin artists.
Nestor Aparicio 40:36
I haven’t had you on since I’m three. So I’m going to tell this story to embarrass you. But it’s okay. Because you have fans. There was a guy backstage. And I hadn’t seen it z in a long time. And you know, like you and Nick. I’ve known Ed my whole life. And hadn’t seen as he wanted to see me and I wanted to see him and he had some health issues and like all and I just want to like, hang with him a little bit. And I cornered him. After two, three hours after you’re off stage. Kids are running everywhere. I had seen you yet. I mean, I only know where the hell you were. You guys had like a whole hospitality area, all this stuff going on. And I corner Izzy and I’m getting and we’re talking about your wife and your wife and cancer and you and your ION band and the beach and then your girl. So we’re talking and a guy comes up with all of this stuff, all of his swag. All of the CDs, posters, covers. And he he he said excuse me, seems like you know, each guy each other, uh, well, I just want to meet it’s, and I’m like, okay, she comes in on AIDS. And he’s like, I’m waiting my whole life to meet you. He said, you’re the only guy that I can’t. I’ve never met from all the band, you know, all these bands that you’re talking about. He’s this really elusive, like sort of Rockstar to some degree. And he had all the stuff that he wanted to autograph. And you told me this funny story about a Japanese thing. And
John Allen 41:57
that was the guy. Yeah, I think I think what you’re thinking of so that guy was on the Monsters of Rock cruise back in 14 when Charm City devils played. And he same thing. We finished our set. And he shows up with this stack of CDs for me to sign and it was like, it was child’s play. It was sr 71 All this stuff. I’m signing, I’m signing. And I get to the bottom. It’s some Spanish speaking singer from like South America or somewhere. And I’m like, Oh, this isn’t me. And he’s like, yeah, he’s like, you’re on that record. So Mitch from SR 71 produced her record, or at least this song. He used my drum tracks. And he gave me credit on the album and everything. So in this guy, I’ve got one superfan.
Nestor Aparicio 42:45
It was it was a beautiful thing that because it really meant a lot to this guy. I love music, right? Like if I ran into Biff from Saxon, I would think that’s awesome. You know what I mean? I ran into Dana laid
John Allen 42:57
with them back in the day for an all ages show it at that network. Brian had just taken over the lead lead singer. And it was like the end of the tour for Saxon and they were trying to talk us into going on after them instead of before they just they just want it to be done. They wanted to finish the night and move on to the next town or go home to England or something. And I actually had a face to face with Biff you know standing in the doorway of his bus said he might you know think about it he’s like you know you can say one day that you’re Saxon open for you. And I was like no, I don’t want sex nope for like everybody’s gonna leave once you guys are done want to play for your crowd
Nestor Aparicio 43:45
to tell him that I brought the strong arm of the law import from Highland town into eighth grade after I saw them open from
John Allen 43:53
my head that one suit with the patch Stop Get out of the law it came with the patch
Nestor Aparicio 43:58
and in in leather that’s all together it was different. For absolutely Stop Get out. We are the strong arm of the law strangers in the night both on separate flights. Rock and roll man we grew up together All right. Anything else you want to say make me cry or let go? I just think it’s cool that you say people love your band and I met this one like Nebraska this guy was like the Midwest Yeah, he’s talking down it’s he
John Allen 44:23
has he has his own like Museum at his house. He’s got like a separate he was telling me all about it. I’m three he’s got set pieces from Ronnie James to us. I forgot what tour it was
Nestor Aparicio 44:36
that he wants you to be a part of that that’s inspired that’s awesome crazy. Yeah, some crazy Radio Hall of Fame gay guy came and wanted one of my signs I think it’s the greatest thing ever. Well, we do we do you know what part of it all right stone horses. Go see and play if you can get tickets. Same thing with Child’s play in the key expand. You got wakemans Number. Maybe Yeah, I gotta text Do you want me on? Yeah, I’m retiring. I’m old.
John Allen 45:04
I’ve, I have another request from a friend of mine his daughter writes for for paper, and I’m not sure if Steve wants to do anything, you know, like, if they’re, you know, the Select Show, he might not want to do anything. You know, it’s like, you know, it’s done. I don’t know, I feel funny like him. You know, I feel like I might be imposing
Nestor Aparicio 45:25
like, I want to celebrate with him. Yes, there’s a celebration of kicks. It’s I mean, not
John Allen 45:28
not for you. I’ll pass it on nobody.
Nestor Aparicio 45:30
But it’s not a you know, I mean, I’m looking at it as something I want to celebrate. It’s better than, than the other, you know, people die in and we talk like you PB Herman. I mean, you talk about people, when they’re doing it as being great. That’s, that’s a lot better than the day after sinead o’connor saying, Oh, I haven’t listened to her in 15 years. Like, you know, we
John Allen 45:52
were on her same label, you know, but Childsplay was signed to Chrysalis. And I’ll never forget, like, you know, one of the few things that the label did for us as being in the office in New York, they’re like, oh, go in the locker there and take whatever records you want. And I remember coming home with that sinead o’connor record and just listening to the thing and it blew me away because it was such an incredible piece of art. Not, you know, not pop not like whatever, you know, nothing worried about hits. It was such a piece of art. She was so incredible. And then seeing the MTV Unplugged. There was a song that really struck me is called, I think it’s called black boys on on motorbikes. It’s really heavy, heavy song. She, she just, she was incredible. And she really, she really got shit on
Nestor Aparicio 46:46
fire. And then people like rediscover her greatness, like Van Gogh, right. The day after she dies. We all start listening to things again and here, you know, man, thank you stuff that I haven’t heard in 30 years. You know what I mean? And that’s unfortunate. Yeah, it really is. I mean,
John Allen 47:00
no, she she got cancelled because of the Saturday Night Live. Appearance and
Nestor Aparicio 47:05
that’s sort of that she was right. That’s all she was. Yeah, it’s important fact. So we can do it canceled to set them not. You said I’m still here. 25 years later. Feels like the first time I got my foreigner belt buckle on. I gotta go. They brought me ribs and french fries to eat man. My French fries is gonna be as cold as they weren’t Lambeau Field that day. I work cost. This is all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. Calvin Stadium was my seventh eighth and ninth grade music teacher and my course teacher. My wife took the day off just to hang out with him for six year Terry’s here, Brian pool for seventh grade basketball. So
John Allen 47:39
I just found some old photos from a show want either the Christmas program or the
Nestor Aparicio 47:46
where the state of singers that yes, yes. When you before I appreciate it. You knew Mr. State. Tell everyone what it was like when a stadium singers would come into the auditorium at Hollenberg it my Christmas not because you were in the band. Right?
John Allen 48:00
It was yeah, it was incredible. It was like it was it was gospel revival. Yeah. And and like myState Mrs. stadium would hold a note and basically traverse the whole gym, holding one note without taking a breath. She would run she would hold her dress up. She was decked out in this beautiful gown. She would hold her dress and she would she would run the whole perimeter. Do
Nestor Aparicio 48:25
you remember that? And he’s telling stories about your wife right now about her whole notes running around. It’s kind of weird singing songs that he was at the program at 81 He was at all of them.
John Allen 48:38
I have pictures of the stadium singers from from the program got to witness
Nestor Aparicio 48:48
so my son brought this can you stay while you get kids to get Yeah, I got a piano for him. I got a piano for him. I got split. You gotta split. All right. All right. We’ll take a break John’s here. Mr. stadium’s here, back for more right after this. I’m gonna try to put them in here together.
