Hey man, thanks for getting your pot on. This one's a little different.
I love doing the one on ones, so every once in a while
we'll do that. This one today is with a Rochester legend whose business is
known around the world, armand Shawbrook from the Great House of Guitars and the
conversation much like the Great House of Guitars. It's like meandering the aisles,
but there's a lot of treasures in this conversation, so I hope you enjoy
it. But first, Iron Smoke Distillery. Would you believe it if I
said I just poured a glass of the legendary applewood smoke whiskey from Ironsmoke.
Oh so good, carefully handcrafted aids to perfection, absolutely delicious. You can
see all the incredible handcraft of spirits they create, including Rattlesnake, Rosie's Chocolate
Peanut butter Pie which is amazing, and you can see them all at Ironsmoke
Distillery dot com. Ironsmoke is also one of my favorite places to hang order
up a craft cocktail made with all the Ironsmoke spirits. I'm a big fan
of the peacemaker. You know what it is. I drink when I Am
Not. Tonight you can catch Steve Bartolotta's All Star Jam. It's always a
lot of fun because you never know who's gonna pop up on stage with Steve
in the All Star Jam Tomorrow night. Friday Night, get to Iron Smoke
for Happy Hour and the Acoustic Sunset Sessions with Tyler Norton. Want a way
to usher in the weekend, just hanging out, having a craft cocktail,
listening to the Tyler and then a favorite of many, Jumbo Shrimp. Taking
the stage the main stage at eight o'clock Friday night, Iron Smoke Distillery.
You know where it is, Fairport, New York. Baby Paul Connors and
Fairness at two six two comp Today Comedy After Carlson has the best medicine for
your life. It's called laughter. You should be laughing every day. You
know those stupid signs you buy a target, live, love, laugh,
Well, it's important you need to laugh. Tomorrow on Saturday Night in the
main room at Comedy at the Carlson is the really funny and very relatable Matt
McCusker, who co hosts a great podcast, Matt and Change Secret Podcast,
and also Saturday Night in the Rickles Room, a buddy of mine who will
be on the pod tomorrow from New Zealand, Steve Wrigley. Steve brings that
Southern Hemisphere humor. You're gonna love it. And by the way, this
is part of Steve's warm up for a new comedy album he's going to be
recording next month in October. Remember laughter, it's the best medicine. Live,
love, laugh. You can do that at Comedy at the Carlson,
tickets at showtimes at Carlson Comedy dot com and driven by Victor it's Billified the
Bill Moran Podcast. Well, hello and welcome. Thanks for getting your pot
on, Thanks for telling a friend. That's how we supported the pirate ship
and spread the word. Speaking of pirate ships, today, I am in
the legendary store that ate your brain, the Great House of Guitars with arm
and Shawbrook. How's it going, by friend, And it's going really well.
You know, it's funny to me because you look around here and it's
like an organized chaos. Yes, you know. I remember coming in here
asking for albums and people would just sift through and within seconds you'd have it.
You'd have it. And I was telling you before we started, like
one of my first experiences. When I came to Rochester, I went to
Saint John Fisher University was coming for a midnight release for the Pearl jam Imports
with my roommate. Oh yeah, back and back then. But you have
built something. Do you think of yourself as iconic? No, I don't
look at it that way, but I mean the store itself is world renowned.
I mean yeah, And uh, we were hoped, we were kind
of planning that we were gonna gonna get pretty big in the beginning. Were
but we started out very humble. We were pretty broken in their early days.
We had to sleep behind the amps because we couldn't afford insurance, you
know, and uh for the store, and we'd wake up in the morning
when somebody was knocking at the door. And then but now that where was
that? Because you originally was in your mom's basis right right, right.
But I feel like the whole idea has been to sort of uh in a
way I don't want to see buck the system, but almost to be kind
of that rabble rouser, only in that the other guitar shops at the time
weren't allowing you to play right. You couldn't touch the equipment right, and
you guys went, well, that doesn't work right, and uh uh they
were kind of like jewelry stores, look but don't touch. And if you're
young, you gotta come back with your parents. Are not going to give
you any tention at all. Yeah, but they and then when you got
there, they took down a guitar. They didn't have a lot of them,
they had a few good ones, and then they put it down on
a little rug on the glass case. Then you could just look at it
and they talked price, you know, and I was but you couldn't pick
it up here what it sounded like, you like, would have felt in
your hand. Definitely couldn't. They didn't usually leave and let you touch it,
but uh, definitely wouldn't plug you in, you know. But at
the same time, in the cellar of my mother's house there's young kids all
over the cellar pounding through big M's you know. It was total opposite.
And they didn't like they didn't like us coming in. So you couldn't trade
in back then because they thought the US would make the new look bad.
Yes, but we didn't care. We were trading everything for anything. We're
totally changed. So what a music stort was you know, yeah, almost
anti establishment in a in a way, would that be fair to say it?
You're probably right, but we weren't aiming for their assists that we were.
You knew what you were young ourselves and yeah, so from there it
grows and eventually you came to the location we're at, yes, in what
seventy one seventy two around there, and we, uh, we had some
trouble getting the building and uh, why was that because because of who you
were and what you were doing. Not not not who you were, but
more like they didn't want music in here or they kind of like stores that
just uh worked with a rundicoit itself, you know, but they didn't like
stores it would draw from all over. Yeah, and you know, and
they were even they were nervous and hippies and hippies were just college kids most
of them, you know. But you weren't a hippie. No, I
wasn't a hippie. I always think like you were more. Maybe I'm wrong,
but I always got kind of a fifties vibe. Yeah, I grew
up in the fifties. Yeah, so that kind of rockabilly music you've played,
I've seen you play. I saw you out here. Oh yeah at
I square jump up and I was blown away. Oh my god, I
had no idea. Oh thanks, I didn't know you played. But were
there bands and things grown up? And were you part of bands? Yes?
I had a one of their early Well I recorded when I was like
fifteen years old on South Avenue when South Avenue and Saint Paul kind of meets,
and it was like six floors up at Vince Jan's studio, and I
remember I had to wait until Jane Cornish, one of his local bands,
was recording, and then afterward I went up with my little Soupro guitar.
It's an electric guitar, but in expensive fun and I did showdown and uh
roaming deer like d E A R. You know. I did my two
songs and left with an acetate you know wow. And then I had friends
like voted. Uh remember BBF you say that call in where you get you
can call in? And so you had your friends? Yeah, yeah,
why not? I spread the word. I would even hey, he marketed
yourself. I'd call around and like I'd sing for one girl over the phone
and then should give me another friend and another friend I'd be singing my song
one on one. Wow, like a politician, you gotta go door to
door, yeah, shake hands yeah. And then they all voted and liked
it. And then Nick Nixon called me, and then I went up to
BBF and then, uh, he says, it's good, but I can't
play it. I don't have a BMI or aspect because I was I was
only above fifteen sixty independent stuff. Anyway, I don't know it. But
he said, we can't play it without one or the other. And I
and I just left wondering, bewilder, what is it BM What is the
aspect? I don't right right because it's it's just the way that they were
making money. It was like nineteen fifty eight, you know, I was
around then. So uh, but then I I got a roundiquay when I
first had the radio station, and and uh arouniquay. They played in an
home room and then I got a lot of attention after all day. You
know, Oh, there was a radio power radio station here and in uh
in the high school, made in the high school. So they played at
w r R R i Q. Yeah. Now it's amazing. What a
guitar and a little talent can do when it comes to the female persuasion.
Well, rock and roll was brand no, and I don't think any of
the DJs liked it at all. So really yeah, I mean they liked
what they were playing before, you know, how much as they had Doggie
in the window, the one with the waggle tail. Yeah, songs like
that. You know. So when I started in radio, was the original
hits of the forties, fifties and sixties. Oh well in Poughkeepsie, So
I started playing all that stuff, which was I mean ancient music to me
at the time, but it was this stuff. So yeah, you're so
you're really in a groundbreaking time musically and everything. They're like, if it's
stakes, it might make it. Yeah, they didn't like it, Yeah,
but that was that was the idea, and you kind of knew what
the youth wanted. Yeah, which I was only you know, about seventeen
years old. So oh and how old were you when you started? Oh
I was about I was younger than yeah, I was sixteen fifteen, ye
done. Yeah when you when you started the store, what were you about
twenty twenty? Yeah, and you had lived here? What were you doing
prior to that? I graduated from high school. But I got in trouble
as a kid, and then I was sent up to Almira Reformatory for three
years, but I did a year and a half inside and then I was
paroled back to Rochester and I worked at Skips meat Market on Front Street and
Main Street. Yeah there's bullhead, yeah yeah, and i'd uh. I
learned a lot from mister Lombardo. He's passed away now, but he gave
me a job from inside there and you need one to get out. And
then I learned a lot from him. And then I started the House of
guitars at the same time in the base under my house. But at that
back then it wasn't It was only open sporadically because she had had a work.
So you were just you. So you had they say at your house,
how where were you getting the guitars from? Were you purchasing them from?
Like I wouldn't spend no money on myself at all. Everything went back
in the store, and uh, we would just keep buying and buying us
from band members that were selling them. Oh and and so then you and
then you would so basically you were flipping guitars. Today they call it with
flipping cars and flip you were buying like used equipment, and said, that's
a great but we were buying nude too, buying you two right when you
could right, yeah. Yeah, And you're working at skips and you're on
parole. Yeah, which is a whole thing because you got a parole officer
and all the right. May I ask what got you up to the reform
school? Uh, burgery. I committed to burgery and western running. Quite
they catch you. They just never caught us at the scene, but we
one of the guys with us, I wasn't in on that one, but
he hit a gas station and broke in. Never no violence, it's always
at night. But he broke in and he stole the timing light and some
tires or something. But I wasn't on that one. And he he found
out a kid owned it, and we never stole from other kids. So
I told him, we'll just throw it on his lawn and you know,
take off. And he walked up to him and told him, sit a
man and robbed your store, But here's your stuff back. Is that what
he said? You? And that guy they cops picked him up. Well,
anyways, he was on I guess he was in a little trouble too,
and suddenly he showed up back at the station with the timing light that
was on the hot list, and then they broke Oh, so they broke
him even though he owned the store. No, no, he didn't know.
He just worked at a guest so he worked at it. So they
go, hey, here, this was on the hot list. What are
you doing with it? I thought it was stolen. Yeah, man,
that's and so they get it. That's all seems like a lot of time
for nothing. Yeah, you know what I mean, Look what today in
the city. They wouldn't do a nothing at No, nothing's a non violent
crime. Yeah. Yeah, And all the places we're hitting are insured and
usually they almost every time when they in the papers, they claim we took
way more than we tugged. Of course, you gonna make it sound good.
You gotta sell papers arm and you know that goes. That's interesting.
So out of that you come back was now you're a parent. I'm a
parent. Yes, if that happens, Mom worried, Dad worried about you
in the future. What are you gonna do? Did you get those speeches
or did it? My father was like a permanent member in the Canadegua hospital
since the World War Two. Okay, so I didn't know him that good
because you weren't allowed in unless you were sixteen year older. Okay, so
we if he felt good, he'd come out near the car and we'd see
him a little bit tough. We didn't really know him that well, but
we we liked him and loved him, but but not close. You know.
Sure, it's kind of weird. Yeah, that isn't tough. I
would assume. Yeah, And he tried to make it on the streets and
then he'd have a crack up in the middle of the night. He was
walking around with a knife, uh, making crow sounds. He worked as
a sniper or something as a marine. Was like a signal to signal.
Yeah, like the two snipers in the trees would call back and forth to
each other. Anyways, he's like sleepwalking looking for Japanese and making crow sounds.
So wow, you know he'd have to go back. Man. War
is just you know, wars ugly, Yeah, nothing pretty about it.
It's arms and heads flying, you know. So out of all that,
you you you kind of do you wand up sort of being I would assume
mature at an early age. Is that fair to say? You know what
I'm saying independent because my mother were sure she had a work because uh,
they got to feed everybody. Yeah, well they we got a government check,
but it was very small, but it had to be just spent on
us. And she couldn't pay for her house that her and her husband bought
with the money, so she had a work to keep the house. And
then, uh, we had social workers all the time on us. Like
they even took my brother away and put them in a foster home for a
while because I wasn't old enough to watch them, according to them, but
you know, uh, it ended up we were getting hostile and they're the
social workers back then weren't like today's where they're really trying to help you.
Back then, they were, you know, looking for kids to take away,
and you know, and they're pretending they're reading a newspaper in front of
your house and a car. So is it fair to say like you?
I mean, man, you made lemonade at a lemon's right. I mean,
when you think about that beginning and all the things that could have gone,
how angry you could be all this stuff. Every time I've run into
you, just seemed pretty laid back, pretty happy. Yeah, and and
everything seems to be working just fine. Yeah, I'm not proud of that
I stoled or anything. A kid. I'm embarrassed about it. I'm sorry.
It wasn't no problem. Yeah, but I mean it's all over,
kid. I mean I got arrested as a kid for a fake ID and
yeah, I mean, you know it, just this stuff happens, I
understand. So then from there you wind up the store keeps growing and growing
in popularity. What do you think it was that got it? Because I
would say this is internationally known, the Great House of Guitar is all over
the world. Yeah, so how does what? What's that like? If
you were to teach, let's say, I'm surprised, and maybe you have
been brought into teach a business course in a way to say, what is
that one thing that sets you over? I don't know, our ratitude,
Like I get we ended up with morals self morals that you know what I
mean? Like if I really found a wallet on the ground, I was
no longer that kid from at seventeen. I would try to find out whose
it was and I wouldn't want to take it. You know what? I
mean, so you think that like just good business practices, yeah, and
being fair all the time. We were the first discount instruments too, because
we had low upkeep in our early days and they wouldn't go down a dime
back done the other music stories. Yeah, and we would cut it.
You know, well I could cut it and have I could cut it forty
percent stillmack fifty bucks. So this is funny to me, but it almost
feels like your upbringing kind of where you didn't have a lot. Yeah,
and then I mean the house of guitars now right, you can find anywhere
on the internet with the annual income or whatever is. But I think you've
always kept that mentality if I don't need a lot, I don't I don't
need And that helped you kind of help the cuss. We were actually happy,
my brother Bruce and my brother blaming at times he would be working at
the store. But we were actually happy when we were struggling in the early
days, when we were sleeping in stores and and uh, you know,
and if we sold a guitar, we would we wouldn't spend that money.
If I gave a couple lessons, I'd take maybe friends that are hanging out
helping. I'd take them across the street and buy him a cup of coffee
and a hamburger. We were spoiling ourselves, but only music, lesson money.
Never h something that came out of a sale. You know, all
that went right back, right back, kept building more and more product.
So this, I mean slowly over the years. When do you think it
really took off? Was it the eighties the nineties? Was it those TV
commercials he did when your eyes were glowing and you're hopping around with the money
ears. Oh, then we were exploding. Yeah, you were exploding.
I mean those ads are iconic, and what I love about it is and
this is the one thing I for everybody that's so important is authenticity. Yeah,
you are who you are. You didn't ever try to fit in anybody
else's mold. You were always just Yeah, I have an odd sense of
humor, yes, you know what I mean. But but you know,
we like people. We love our customers. Yeah, a lot of them
are actually friends. They've been shopping here for almost sixty years, you know,
so you know it's waiting on a buddy, you know. But then
you've gotten I mean to the point where I mean that wall back there has
you know, all the autograph autographs that people would be, you know,
just love to have themselves, you know, Steven Tyler signing the wall you
had. Ozzy was a big thing in here. Yeah, he did three
in stores once with Randy Rhodes and he came back with Motley Crue and we
had Motley Crue and Ozzie at the same time as he's sitting here and Mattley
Cruz in the vick for the Bick autograph. All this, you had the
place out of the and then is as he's drumming, Carmen Piece was upstairs
teaching a mass through drug class and police had barricades around all our buildings.
And I'm sure, yeah, how did so how did these connections happen?
Though? Like these guys walk in like they walk into a lot of stores,
I'm sure, yeah, but they keep coming back here. Well,
they were doing official in stores where they agreed to auta okay, and they
posed with pictures with the fans if they want to. Yeah. But I
remember at one point in my radio career, I was around the country station
in town. I wasn't on that, but we were in the same building
and Cheryl crocme by and I she shopped here, but she came to shop
here. She wasn't doing an in store. And that's what I'm saying.
It's like the reputation of what the guitars were that it's it's got this iconic
everything about it is so authentic you're not going to find it anywhere else.
In her case, she was after kind of a rare guitar. It wasn't
old, but it was limited. It was a buck going signature medel Fender
okay, and she couldn't find it anywhere in the country and we had one,
so she come charging. So she came in. But she's very brilliant.
She's pointing to all the guitars, the vintage ones. Yeah, that's
a fifty nine, that's a sixty two, Like do it you know,
really better than most of it. You got to look it up in the
book. We're pretty good at it. Yeah. But but she knew her
stuff. She knew her stuff. That's impressive. Is there anybody that you
you met along the way that sort of disappointed you that you were you thought,
maybe I'm a little disappointed. I know you're a huge by the way,
Bob Dylan fan. Have you ever had Bob ever come to the store,
Not that we know of, because a lot of times he travels and
Atagnato. Yeah. Now, I grew up down near Woodstock, Okay,
so as a kid I used to I mean it was like I would hear
stories of Dylan all the time and he wasn't there when I was growing up,
but he had been there and the band was still there, Leave on
Helm and all. And I always got like, as a child, was
here we go with another Bob Dylan story of people that I always But the
music was great. He was a great story or is a great story?
Great writer? Yeah? I mean is that your favorite? He's one of
my favorites. Yes, definitely. Yeah, in terms of I look up
to him as a great writer. Yeah, And I got to getting to
like him. It takes a little while because he sounded a little bit like
a hillbilly in the beginning. Yeah, I mean, uh, you know,
not a not a pretty voice. But but but his voice is effective,
even though he don't sing really well, but it's very effective. So
his words stand out when he does them, you know. Yeah, but
so many people were having like top ten hits off them, like Peter Paul
and Mary exploded, was blowing in the wind. And then you know the
birds with tambourine man and you know one one afternoon Hendrix with all along the
watch Tower. They're all Dylan written songs, you know. Yeah, and
uh uh a guy in Rochester this uh, this might be interesting. Uh.
Spider John Kerner lived in a Rundi quoit on Harvington Drive. But he
was on a Electra in the early days, kind of right before Dylan.
And he was in the Minesota scene. And he was helping teach Bob things
in the guitar before Bobe hit in New York. Wow. But when Bob
hit in New York, he was crashing at everybody's apartments, you know.
I mean he was struggling and very close to the streets. He was.
You know, he's playing in place as well. Maybe this club will feed
me and let me sleep in the back, you know, you know that
kind of thing. I mean, he didn't. He didn't make it with
a instantly either. No. No, And I'm hearing you talk about Dylan,
but I'm thinking of yourself too. Did you you never you said you
always knew you'd be successful with this. We thought we would be Yeah,
but did you think he'd be here? We didn't know how big it would
go, but we had a lot of confidence. Yeah. You just can't
think otherwise. Yes, outside of here, because you seem to have a
lot of artistic talent. Thank you? Do you do? There's other things.
There's painting, yes, correct, right, you do artwork and still
do art shows from time to time. Yeah. I did one in Brooklyn.
I think it was what three years ago, five years ago? I
have no concept that time at a good major gallery and we showed up for
the the opening, like for three days we were there, but we sold
enough house the guitar, shirts and everything to cover our trip, hotel and
everything and wow, but we got a lot of press on it. We
played telephone in the morning the day before like leaving, and we used to
get people on the phone, but now we just leave messages. My name
is armand shadbrook I'm an ex guy. Blah blah blah. I got paintings
in prison, and I will also be there with a Rikers Island guard who
does photography, and we're having a show of it, you know. And
that got him out. Yeah, yeahs are coming and yeah, that's great
coverage. Someone told me, while I'll ask this first, Uh, certainly
when you get to the level that you get, there are going to be
rumors about different things, either store or yourself. Yes, what is the
weirdest rumor you ever heard about yourself? Oh? I don't know so many
of them really? Yeah? Yeah, I mean just things that you would
look at people and go, how, why where did that come from?
I know, yeah, I wouldn't think that has to be Did it bother
you? Because you seem to be a little bit more of a private person.
Yeah, I'm quiet naturally, but I'm I'm not shy though, but
I am quiet, But I don't know, I don't know. Sometimes they
come up with something and they say they were with me. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, when did we do this? You have more friends than he
knew, right, I mean yeah, the stories go, well, yeah,
that that's gotta be. But I did hear probably scared the town some
too, maybe that's what. Well, where we're sitting was a grangehall,
correct, Yeah, the farmers all built the grainshall together, right, and
then they used to sell their vegetables out front and trucks back when we had
subway tricks there and then that tight ask but they'd sell sell their vegetables out
of the truck and insight here we were sitting. Now. They used to
have square dancing, yeah, and different performers performed. Well, I grew
up in a small town down state. We had a grainhall, right.
They were usually small towns that had that, and a lot of farming and
agricultural right, more or less. And then there was and then trying to
think of what, Oh, the Mason used to have meetings on the second
floor. Yeah, and I'm not sure what all that it's about, and
it's kind of secret secret, but they got little they had little platforms and
we came in and we heard they sit on chairs with goat legs and all
these and the something to do with the winds, the four winds and whatever.
So did you ever find anything left over when you moved in here.
It's just like a lot of cabinets that had the g on it. And
then uh uh those four platforms who were there still in place on the second
floor. But a lot of presidents were Masons. I mean it's not but
they just looked out for themselves kind of. But and then some someone from
the grades from years ago kept an insurance policy on House of Guitars at old
eighteen hunder rates you know what I mean really, And it wasn't a big
one. It wasn't enough to cover all our insurance. But they wanted to
be part of it though, and kept this policy and for quite a few
years. That's funny insane rates. Yeah, I mean twenty dollars a year.
You know, man, you're not gonna get that anywhere. Nou.
I was told that you were friends with Andy Warhol. Yes, he was
interested. I did a like, how does that come about? I could
see where the two of you probably can you know, yeah, I gotta
very well sure, But he's kind of like the underground Master or something.
Yeah, and he's used to dealing with unknowns rather than famous people. So
I recorded a play by the rock opera where we do a little acting and
it leads to a song and then we play it and then we go on
to our next scene. And I kept going for three records. And at
first, you know, he was gonna be an Andy Warhop Presents. And
so he heard he heard your rock opera? How did you well? I
sent it to him. This is kind of funny because I called the rund
the library and who's who and had him look up his address and his phone
number and everything was in there. I was a modern day Google, all
right. And I called him on the phone, but it was at his
house. He lived with his mother, he did, he lived with his
mother, and uh, and you called right to his house, right to
his house, and his mother's going, Andy, Andy, you got one
of your friends are on the phone. And I got there and I said,
well, my name is Arman Shabrook. I got in trouble as a
kid, as a youthful offender. I'm not a convicted felon. I got
a youthful of fender status. Uh. They offered us a why oh they
call it and you can plead guilty to leading. Uh, like a bad
life. You're not pleading guilty did the crime? Then you don't have a
record. Okay, I'm not a convict. It fell in good. Yeah,
let me get it. Sounds like the way out. It's just such
a technicalities, it's so silly. Yeah, it's it's a plea deal.
They didn't catch us at the scene and offered it's a plea deal. But
then they gave us the worst they could give us kind of yeah, so
you tell him this, yeah, and I got this tape and then and
then I sent up to him and he started going wild and started calling our
little store down the street here the back in the earlier, the middle sixties,
and he said, please come to New York right away. And you
know, then we went to New York and he's talking a play and everything,
and he wanted us to sign up on an off Broadway thing for where
we would work seven days a week for over a year. But the only
thing is every it was just Bruce and me pretty much and one employee,
Bob Hubert back then, and they were all in all in the play,
so we couldn't. We didn't want to close house at Guitarists because that's our
bread best getting her baby, you know. So he wants you to come
to New York and do this, yeah, and she needs the guys here
to keep running it. Right, there's no one left. That'd be Bruce
and just one other person. You know. Our business was hug so he
uh. I kept trying to talk him into a movie. It's backwards because
usually you you do a play, then you send you sell movie rights,
and he sells soundtrack rights, and you know, it goes like that,
that's the best way to get the most out of it. But I uh,
I was trying to switch him. After a while, he started humor,
and finally he said, I got a prison we could shoot it and
you know, and it sounded good because I could go there for a period
of time and then come back, you know. But all of a sudden,
oh, he even said, I knew John Hammond from Colombia and he
had a lot of interest to in it. He's the guy that signed Bob
Dylan and h Springsteen and uh Stevie Ray Vaughan and Son House. I had
something to do with signing Billy Holidays. He signed Robert Johnson's son Son House,
you know. And so this guy's interested now, and you're a rock
opera as well. Yeah, And I said, and he wants wants you
to pay for the whole play for soundtrack. Right that he started stuttering.
I said, should I tell Andy know then? And then he's a real
nice guy. I mean, I don't mean to disrespect him. He's a
real nice guy. And he said, well, tell mister Orhau when it's
ready, will come and see it. Okay, So it ended like that.
But then that girl came in and shot him, and he almost died.
He was in a hospital for over a year and it was fifty fifty
whether he'd live or die, you know. And yeah, the girl all
so shot a Paris art dealer in the arm, you know. And I
knew Andy kind of helped her get a publishing deal, but she hated men
and her Men manifesto or whatever she you know, men manifesto. But she
wow, So there's sell him wrong with her a little bit because Andy has
helped her. Yeah, yeah, I don't think he was even taking a
cut. I think he just helped her. And she charged it and shot
him point blank in the chest three times and a Paris art dealer in the
arm. And yeah, and during that, So does that sort of the
end of your rock opera foray with him? Or does it come back?
It kind of comes back. But I did see how professional I am.
I realized I didn't plug in the cameras, so the audio wasn't going to
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We're back and Armon was telling us about Andy Warhol after he got shot.
When I got out of the house, when he got out of the hospital,
I went there started seeing them again, and he allowed us right in.
But a paranoid I had noticed the whole thing was so secure, like
you had an elevator door, and he hit it hit him a doorbell on
the elevator door, and then they had opened. Then you walk four feet.
Then it was a total metal thing with bulletproof glass. He hit a
Yeah, well I don't he can't blame the guy. No, I don't
blame him at all. And he's kind of like, uh, didn't want
the street people neuro him anymore. But there was Time magazine and you know,
sitting there like at a two hundred dollars suit and all these people waiting
for him, and he opens in already. And I was with some strange
characters. I had Rick Redman, who's on the he's on the thing,
but he weighs like three hundred pounds. He's about six four, you know,
and he goes ermand come on in. Oh, first he goes come
on in. Then Time went to cut in front of us. Then uh,
he said no, no, no, Erman and his friends Wow.
So he still helped me, even though you know, he was no longer
and he warholt per cents because they put it out already, But he still
helped me, and he had I went on the Joe Franklin Show on Channel
nine and new Yeah, p w P I X eleven news. I knew,
I knew Channel eleven. I grew up. Yeah. They charged into
my hotel room and it was a little embarrassing because we had a lot of
empty beer bottles all over the place. That's fine, And then they had
their public radio station played my whole triple album. After they interviewed me with
with nothing censored, and it was full of a lot of f words and
everything. To make it real, I can say old darn in prison,
you know, so I had to keep it real. And they just made
an announcement that if if bad language disturbs you in any way, or sexual
situations or anything, please turn your radio off for the next three hours.
In funny minutes, they have a warning and then played it and they straight
on was it at night? Usually there was something called non daytime, daytime,
daytime. Yeah. They interviewed me for a long time for it.
Yeah, so what where where does that all go? Where is that now
the rock? I had no idea you did that? Oh it's out as
a three album set. It is. Yeah, here at the house guitar
is gonna buy it? Yeah you can right wow. And then so through
all that and Andy Warhol, did you spend time with him after? Yeah,
he got he kept helping me. Did he ever come up here?
Uh? No, he almost did. He got jealous once I said a
second cousin of mine, Robert Kanji's gonna he might be able to shoot some
scenes in that. And he called the Paul Paul Morrissey. He was kind
of his partner that did the movies. He goes, Paul, we're going
to Rman. What is the name of the town, A Runnigua, We're
going to runiquait All. I'm thinking as well, I'm gonna bring the number
grills the Lochlan Yeah, yeah, give him the tour. We're gonna shoot
some footage. Yeah, but he got shot before that happened. Wow,
it's an amazing You ever look back on your life and go, boy,
this has been an unbelievable ride. Yeah, with interesting people and yeah,
like I was lucky in that in that way, you know. Yeah,
but I but I used to call people, you know, like called Norman
Mailer, tuc to Norman mail Jermy Breslin, talk to him. Just call
them up, call them up, tell them my story. Yeah. And
you so you were pretty much marketing your yourself. You were one else no
one else would. But then you go along because then there was the record
label that I believe you still have, yeah, with the House of Guitars.
See, but you helped others try to get almost the way Andy was
helping you kind of. But there are a lot of them were very talented.
We did Don Potter over the Rainbow and our label, you know.
And Don just ended a Columbia contract. That kind of helped happen because I
was talking to Epic about bringing it, putting out introducing Baton Don because they
weren't printing it anymore. And then they told Don, and then Don called
me and he says his record contracts over in a few months. So then
I talked to him about doing a record at PCI, and he brought John
La Barbara, which is he's a real good writer of you can write the
score for every instrument, you know, so he was a treasure to have.
And uh, we did it a PCI and then we had a simo
cast. We videoed it too, and we had a simo cast later with
Channel thirteen with I'm JQ yep, so you could listen in stereo wow together
three two one, and they TV and radio the same thing at the same
time. What year was this, probably round seventy three three? Yeah,
oh yeah, man seven, I'm sorry seventy eight okay still but yeah,
so's the technologies, but that had to be so that would have to be
pretty big for the time. I don't know about technology, but they're just
sitting then well that's what I mean, I try to sync that up right,
you know they'll sink. Yeah, both hitting play at the same right.
That's funny. Yeah, but it worked good. I mean you had
big speakers next to your TV and you kept the TV off if you wanted.
How did you get them to agree to do that? I don't know.
I talked to Nick Nixon and he's the one that helped me with them.
JQ and thirteen was interested because I sit down, uh huh. And
then twenty one called us after and I said, oh, you want to
run it? And I said and they said, well, no, we
want to do a hohne no one. We're gonna pay the band real good.
And then I said, uh sure. You know. So did you
end up almost managing some of these guys as well? I didn't know.
No, I wasn't into managing. I was. I left them free there.
Yeah. But see all of this. It's incredible because it's all this,
but we helped them. We helped them. We know the House of
guitars, we don't really I didn't know about the Rock Opera. I didn't
know about the artwork stuff. Yeah, there's all these other things. Where's
the time. Everybody's only got twenty four hours a day. I know your
son's work here now, and so you have a family, you've got all
that. Where did the time? Then we were doing Chesterfield King Yeah,
Mary, Yes. Then Dirty Looks we grabbed. They were a Pennsylvania band,
and I sent a tape to zer Rock. I don't know if you
know what that is. It's like a syndicated thing because I almost Yeah,
it was by satellite. So there was a station in Poughkeepsie and they brought
in Sebastian Bach in person. So I'm at this station called w PDH and
Pokeepsie and I'm down in some club and Sebastian Box shows up and it's that
radio station's night. It was the first exposure to like a radio war because
I'm twenty or twenty one years old and here comes Sebastian Bach and he's grabbing
the microphone like out of my hand because I'm supposed to be making announcements for
the radio station, and I wound up getting almost in a fish woke.
It was Sebastian Pocket. I always go back and wait, like how does
that happen? But it was I roq Z. Yeah, that syndicated.
It was everywhere. Well, anyways, they were pounding it micas they were
pounding it in drive time in Los Angeles, Chicago, in New York City,
the whole Country and Billboard called and interviewed me about it, and I
just said, uh, you know, push their grope there, you know,
very good grope. They're kind of they got a little bit of feel
of ac DC, but I think they write better songs, you know,
not so much anthems, but they got some tricks, you know where they
take cut some oldies and you know, I can't take my eyes off you.
Suddenly he's in this metal song or something. Yeah, that is a
trick. But it's almost like ear candy. People would recognize and you would
almost be listening to the writer is smart enough to do that again stuff?
You know? Yeah, and they oh I heard that before? Right,
So what would you say is your key to success? Because in a way,
it almost feels like he just followed what just felt right and it just
all worked out. I'm sure somewhere along the line there was a stumble or
something, but you learn it seems like it's been a I'm I find you
fascinating, Oh thanks, fascinating writing this and doing that, and it just
always just kind of creating. I have to kind of see how I can
help the band do it. I have to have a little plan in mind
or or can I do it? And sometimes I can't, you know,
I don't have a right, you know, But other times i'll but I
don't give up, and I don't put no heat in the bands, like
we're not making money yet, none of that stuff, and we just keep
going and going and pushing to it at breaks. If the band stays together
long enough, we're cool. We're gonna make it. Yeah, But but
I have to see the angle kind of I have a little plan I could
do something with that kind of feel. Yeah, you know that's interesting.
Then Bat came to us because Bat wanted to turn from folk to country.
So he put on an album called Mister Wright, and then he had a
top ten hit with They took one of the way on the Judd took one
of the songs and had a top ten hit. Then Kenny Rogers took one
of the songs and put it on his album that Bat wrote not off of
my album, but things he wrote particularly for them. But all of a
sudden, it was happening because it's real hard to change your image in front
of the public. If you're a folk singer and suddenly your country, the
public don't go for it, No, they don't. People don't like change.
So we had do the best we could. But he had the right
people behind him besides me, he had, you know, people on his
side from Nashville album. And then on the other side of that, you've
got so the house of guitars originally just guitars, so you've got that whole
business. Do you expand into kind of the record side of things, not
not so much your record label, but where you're selling just right away,
right away, right away, And even in my basement, you did,
you had a section of records, Yeah, okay, and then that's just
slowly so everything just kind of just went yeah right to where that that that's
it's amazing. It always because you know a lot of times you hear different
people. I had a grind, I had to do this. I'm sure
there was, sure you've talked about it's starting your mom's basement, going along,
but it almost seems like the whole journey has been a pleasure for the
most part. Yeah, there's some strains in it, but you know,
like like deadlines that much for deadlines? Yeah, right, and uh,
you know just the things that affect everyone, like deadlines and things like that.
Yeah, and problems come up and we just take care of them.
How's uh, how was it for COVID with how did whatever we were allowed
to do were uh? We never well, I think we had a shutdown
for a couple of weeks. But the moment they said you could deliver to
a car, suddenly we were bringing guitars and every accessory selling them, and
I got to think a lot of people started playing guitar maybe or a lot.
Well. During COVID, all collectibles like records went way up in price,
all the USA and all the baseball cards and all the other It wasn't
crazy because people had nothing to do in their houses, so they were buying
all these collectibles and the prices were sawing. You know. Yeah, who
would you say is kind of the biggest influence on your life when you when
you look at things. I don't know, was there anybody I think?
I honestly, I know a lot of people. Yeah, I don't know
that I know anybody who really went to the beat of their own drum and
just kind of did that. They did well. warAll was important. I
mean I saw the way he operated and it was so different, you know,
you know Warhol I kind of say yeah, we'll do it, and
then put it on pal Morrisey to really do it. Was like his partner.
Yeah, you know what I mean. Paul will be in Europe shooting
movies because it was not unions in there, okay, And Andy's on the
phone at night and talking about directly. Wouldn't it be nice if he was
he couldn't eat or he was he could only drink virgin's blood and if he
might die if he if they weren't a virgin. Because he's a count and
all these girls are after him. Yeah, because he's rich and all these
girls are lying. And then he's the Count's rolling around throwing up all over
the room and so and he's the idea guy. Paul was the executioner of
it. Yeah. Everybody was great together. Yeah, it's a great tandem.
Not that Andy wouldn't. I mean, he did his own heart and
I sure, yeah, well I can't say they had too. He's walking
around in the studio and he's going, oh, that's very nice. He's
got all these runaway art students just had a little green or pink to hear,
and then they do it, and then he goes along insides about So
that's why he called it the factory. That that's very interesting. I didn't
know that at all. Oh he's funny, he keeps you know, he
he was painting with metallic paint one time. You know, paintings. This
isn't a little bit of later years, and he's, uh, he's planning
the pea on all of them. They you know, he's calling him the
p paintings. Okay, well and uh, he can't be that much,
he's telling me. So he got a bunch of people off the street,
the p and his paintings, and he's paying them and the ESCAD and the
PA would would corroll the metal metal, yeah paint and they get turn colors
kind of little green in it. And please tell me he sold this for
millions of dollars. They were in a Ferris art gallery, all on display,
and we just call them the Pee paintings. But did you know did
people know? Yeah? But did they know that it wasn't Andy who pete
on them? Yeah? Oh they did, he told reporters. I think
he couldn't pete that much. Yeah, I'm planning to pee on all of
them. It's giving him money in battles away. Yeah, they're going up
to the second Florida's a line. What a character? Oh yeah, and
then the factories of our party all night. Yeah, and he leaves.
And this I didn't understand about him. I had a lot of opportunities in
the early days, but I was trying to keep it business. But he
wanted to me to go to his parties with them all night, and I
was trying to keep it business. Yeah, but I was wrong. That's
how he helps you make it, yeah, because he connects you to people
in a more casual setting. This is the president of the Warner Brothers Pictures
armand you should do a movie on our Mounts story, you know. You
know that's how what he does. And he actually had schedule too, Yeah,
but they listen. Is there any regrets just that just because he ever
retired. He asked me, let's I'm going a bunch of parties ironment,
would you come with me? And I go, oh no, no,
I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Were these like studio fifty four days? Yeah?
Yeah, But he was always doing them, you know, yeah,
did and you never went, never went with him? I yeah, but
I blew it on that one. Well, I mean, you're doing what
you think is right at the time and in terms of business, but try
to keep it all busy. I'm such a sucker for a party that I
oh, yeah, I know what I mean. About to make a fool
of myself. Wow, that's the other thing. I'd be on duty.
I'd be a professional. I'm on duty. That's very that's very funny.
But okay, another room, two more things. I'll just touch on these
two things, and I'm sure you've got a million things to do today.
Did you run for Senate? Yes? I ran for sen fifty third district
from New York. Yes. When was this seventy two and seventy Senator Laverne
was the Senator at the time. Okay, but I ran against Gordon Dehan
and a priest, a Catholic priest, and uh we had debates and everything
on television. But I ran into the trouble there too, because they wouldn't
talk about the things I wanted to talk about, and the reporters at the
television stations have a preview thing with the two major candidates and they decide what
to talk about. Oh and so you weren't one of the major candidates,
so you know, did you have did you all debating in the same florid
though? Yeah? Would you? Did you know what they were talking Did
they give you like, here's what we're gonna talk about ahead of time?
Or were you were surprised? Yeah? No, like sabotage. Well,
they don't pay a whole lot of touch it. Yeah, you got equal
time. But yeah, but uh, it's their questions and they and all
they had is already set up. But you know what I mean, what
did you learn from that kind of experience? Was there anything you left?
I didn't like how it was set up like that. I felt funny about
it, like they had ain't pure news, you know, it's not how
about politics in general? For you? Yeah, it's all we're kind of
spoil it for you a little bit. Yeah, well, not spoil it.
I pulled a non talk thing and they took the camera off me.
Then I turned my mic off and if you don't behave we won't turn your
mic thick, you know, right in the middle of those Sunday morning shows.
Wait a second, what did you do you turned your mic off?
I would talk about the subjects I wanted to anyway, Yeah, and they
would. They took the camera off me, but going on, and then
they turned my mic off. Then they did wow, and and and then
that stuff doesn't make you Some people would would acquiesce to that. You know
what I mean, give in you're just holding your own is going Now,
that's not what I want to talk about. So you let him turn off
the mic. Yeahs if I behave, they'll turn it back in. I
said, I will, yeah, you know, and then they turned my
mic back What were the issues that you wanted to talk about? Prison reform?
There was a lot of things against gay people that were ancient, you
know, seventeen hundreds. Stuff was more than three in a street corner.
They could all, I'll be arrested, thrown in jail. I didn't know
that ancient stuff, you know, that made no sense. So they had
three gay people on a corner. You could get arrested just from being okay,
right, So, and you were saying things like this is wrong,
this is wrong, this is uh, and the Gay Alliance was running it.
I was making radio ads for him, and they're running them in different
stations. You know, one out of three people have homosexual tendencies, be
your mother, your father, or your sister, your best friend. Okay,
that had to freak people out at the time. Well, I just
did you know, I believed in what they what they said, and yeah,
you know, and uh, they were running at all, you know,
on different stations in the city when I was running. And and then
and then we had we had crazy posters and in pins it said learned a
new lick. I meant it. It's a guitar lick. Yeah, but
they took a second. Okay. So you so you've always kind of pushed
against the grain a little bit, right, building the house guitars where you
could actually touch and play the guitar and do that against the grain, and
then you go here. That's a progressive mindset for nineteen seventy two, yea,
in terms of you know what I mean right now. I was back
in the sixties. Oh, back in the sixties, well, seventy two
when I ran for office. Yeah, but that's what I'm saying, like
when you ran for office too. But that's progressive for the time with being
forward about equal right, it's for gay people or even trying to change some
oldchaic laws, and the Liberal party trusted me. Yeah, and they said,
well, you can talk about anything you want and don't. And then
I said I might not agree with the liberal stance all the time, and
they said that's okay, yes, do it. You know, So how
old were you at that time, I'm not sure, probably still seventy two,
I don't know, I don't know, thirty something, okay, all
right, but a young man compared to probably stodgy old guys who have held
lawf us for a long time. They didn't want anything to do with you.
No, definitely not that had a kind of eber nice to me,
though. I mean, I'm sure, well there's something, there's something that
seems to have left our society, civility. I feel like in society there's
and so even if I somebody doesn't agree with you, they still would be
civil towards you. Now we I mean, it's awful the way people treat
each other. But I think that that to me is uh interesting that you've
always sort of politely i'll say, pushed against the ground. Yeah, politely.
Yeah. I wouldn't try to wreck a pogram. No, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no, but that wow.
But this is the inner strength man, because you know, people at
that time didn't want that stuff. I know, I didn't want to recognize
it, didn't want to hear about it, didn't want to you know.
I mean, we're still just coming out of out of just all the stuff
with black people in America at the time. It's just that acceptance, right,
there's still and then I mean, boy, you talk about hatred for
people for no reason other than you exist. It's well, I want to
cross the country on all news stations from Chicago to New York City to California
and talked about my record and they pulled me into h I'll put out as
black and white get along in present, and I go, they hate each
other. You know. Yeah, I don't know all black television station,
but you know, I'm saying when there's tension going on, I might have
a best friend that might be a black guy that sell next to me,
but I can't talk to him or he can't talk to me during the tension
and the riots because if I talk to him, white people are going to
attack me, and if he talks, black people are going to attack him
and take him out. So you know, there's always at tension going on,
and we both understand. So the next maybe for a week, we
don't talk to each other, and then all of a sudden we're back like
it never happened. Yeah, you know, is that time in reform school
or reform Well, let's maximum security prison. They've sent you to maximum security
prison. Yeah, machine gun, that's the walls, the dogs, and
the between the wall and the Wow. But that really seemed to have quite
an impact on your life in terms of oh yeah, even politically later on,
I did what I wanted and suddenly I couldn't do anything right. Know
why, I understand that, But I'm just saying, like even afterwards,
trying to get reform, trying to do good by the Yeah, yeah,
I was. I was trying to tell them, you know, for a
prison reform, I was saying that work with the unions as much as you
can, but you know, allow the inmates to earn their own money.
Part of it could go to the victim of their time. That's a great
idea, you know. Uh, And maybe they can start out silk screening
T shirts and jobs like that from the public. But you know, don't
kill the union, right, work with them and then then maybe somebody like
Cody I could bring in a shop there and pay them pretty decently and they
could support their own family instead of government checks going there. You know.
Yeah, and you know they I said, they're all going to come out
someday. What kind of condition do you want them? And it's a great
point them to very much. We're supposed to for so it steps in his
way. He's going to kill them. Well, it's supposed to be reformed,
right, we're supposed to. Well, they're trying to get No,
there's not. That's this bull Yeah it is. And it's supposed to try
to get you ready to come back into society. And the inmates are trying
to break you, and the yards are trying to break you. It's that,
you know, it's a what I had it. So how old were
you when you went in? How old were seventeen? Seventeen? That'd be
one of the scariest things in the world for you. Oh yeah, it
is scary. And you know, I could say murderers and everything, but
a lot of most of them are normal people. They just lost control for
a few minutes. But they they're not all They're not lucky. I think
you know, no, right, but everybody's in there. Wow wow,
So I see so. So it's it's that kind of thing where I almost
feel maybe I'm wrong. It's about maybe eighty five percent in New York City
in there, Okay, yeah, that makes sense. It's a bigger,
bigger part of the state. We have bigger population. But for you,
I always, I mean, you seem to have a lot of empathy for
people where you will try to help them out, meet them half way,
do that sort of thing. Another rumor I had heard was Metallica when they
did they Kill Them All album and they recorded it here in Rochester. They
came here, yeah, well, but but they didn't have money, no,
they they came from California, that's where you're from. And uh,
there's a studio in the city. H was a dazeln at the time,
No No, No No No Music America Oka Music America Studio with Paul Kursio.
He ran it and he used to be in the Mojo Man in the
sixties. But he's passed away now. But they recorded there and they h
they gave him an old house for free to stay in. So that's why
they picked Rochester, I think. Okay, but they didn't have a laundry
mat, so they did their laundry down the street each week, and they'd
hang here whether laundry was washing, yeah, and maybe look at at guitires
and I say, wait, can I plug it in for you? Man?
And they go, uh no, man, I ain't got no money.
I don't want to waste your time. We go, that's okay,
you can plug in, you know. Yeah, And then they came back
at a later time when they were filling venues. But seventy grand and vintage
guitarists, you know, really they get now ones for free, but they
want all the vintage stuff. Yeah. Where do you get the vintage from
bands? And people sell on them and trading them in. Does anybody go
now on eBay or anything and trying to hunt these things down? The public
does? No. I don't know if anybody here at the hog does we
watch it from what? If? Something is reasonable, but we got to
get it at a price. There's some there's some cool artifacts around here,
like Jimmy Hendricks pants, yes, right, yep, and then Elvis presidents
Presley's paint. But there were motorcycle there were motorcycle plans pants whenever he wrote
his motorcycle around grace Land. He wore those pans and they actually came from
the Beatles because the when the Beatles visited Elvis, they gave him the McCarty
he gave him to McCartney, and then McCartney gave him to Denny Lane for
his birthday. Okay, and then later Denny Lane needed equipment and he came
here and he traded in the pans and all kinds of stuff. Wait so
you did a swap yeah, for keyboards and stuff. See Denny Lane's in
what fans Moody and then Paul McCartney wings. Yeah, so that's how he
got the pants from Paul from Fall. Yeah, holy man, somebody needs
to do the six degrees of armon like all the people you're connected to throughout
history. Yeah, that's amazing. So you did a swap, Well,
we gave him some money too. We bought more than that from them other
things he did. Oh wait, so you bought the pants from him or
you were see money? But he got a keyboard in the Okay, Okay,
okay, he needed equipment really, but he got a little money and
some a bunch of equipment. Okay, but what were you gonna do.
You never sold the pants, Oh we won't, you won't. We just
put it up there for the public to see. Yeah, that's fascinating.
Yeah. And then got Jimmy Hendrix's pants, Yeah, from a party,
right that he left him somewhere, left him at a Moody Blues party.
Oh that was a Denny as well. Did that come in the same transaction.
Yes, this is so cool. That is so cool. So you
would if somebody had something that was vintage, Yeah, you would be willing
to they get up. They wanted to be kind approved. Ye, authenticity.
You got it the thing I always wanted. And this is terrible.
I shouldn't even admit this, but somebody somewhere has to have a lot of
Beatle autographs were in a book that a writer wrote about the Beatles, Jeff
guy I Gilani or something like that. I can't think of his name exactly.
But he came in with Danny and he he wrote a lot of Beatle
books. Okay, you know this is in the seventies. And we traded
him some stuff. I gave him some money for the books, for autographed
photos and stuff. And that's just stuff you keep. Oh, so the
John Lennon military jacket. Yes, was in his book a picture of it
as his book. It's another one that it's not the one on the cover
Sarger Pepper. But John owned more than one, and that one he showed
in his book. John sent it to him to do. He was also
I think that Ronald McDonald clown in Canada, who was this guy who wrote
the book. But he do a lot of charity stuff, stuffing give him.
Well, how do you put a value? Is there a value you
can put on a Jimmie Hendricks pants or Elvis's pants? Crazy? Yeah,
I mean that's what I'm thinking that I'm thinking, even when you bought it
and exchange money and the guitar, you're values only what somebody's gonna pay for
it, right, Yes, yeah, but you wanted that stuff, but
well yeah we gotta. I mean we're giving a pretty laugh for it for
those days. Yes, I'm sure nothing. We couldn't We couldn't go near
it to yeah, uh, it wouldn't be practical. Let's say still sort
of I would say, like Ironquoit, not exactly on the beaten path to
places. Right, Well, yeah, you know what I mean. I
mean, if I'm going to like it. No, I'm not saying it's
a bad place. That's not my point. My point is that all the
artists that come here come out of their way to see this place. Yes,
and the reputations of them, Yeah, the reputation is you just had
zz top Lenyard Skinner didn't here speak of Copeland and stop By. It was
by the albums, right, you said over the weekend and you've got I
mean, it's just it's gotta does it? Ever? It's the store that
ate my brain? Did it ever? Kind of fry your brain a little
bit? That all that's just this success or at least appreciation for what you
created. You know, we're always proud. But when they're here, who
we're like on duty? So we got to be professional. Can't scare them
off. Is there a staff meeting at all? I'd love to be in
a staff meeting. No, No staff meetings, no nothing. No,
that's the kind of business I like. I like no staff No. What
is the legacy you want to have? What do you want people to think
when they do? I don't know that. You don't know. I don't
really worry about that. Yeah, I don't think you do? I I
you do? You really are the guy that goes to his own thing and
have just built something. You know, when people say you won't work a
day in your life if you do what you love, do you feel like
you've worked a day in your life? I know what you mean. But
at times you were, you know, because you're sure you're on duty,
a little stress the day. Yeah, stress in the ownership and then yeah
that kind of thing. Deadlines, I gotta get this ad in or copy
won't change next week. Yeah. Well, I remember when you used to
send the ads to the radio station. You would hand write them out.
It would be faxed over on the house the way, and we're trying to
figure out what's in the ass written the fist and I'm talking you had to
like and you had to sometimes they were like a sixty second ad, so
you're cramming all the words in there. It was fantastic. Started to use
some three DJs, you did they did? Oh yeah, yeah they did
because you couldn't. Yeah, and you have to speed it up and go
really fast. But that was effective. It was with two and that was
sharp. Well, it's it's amazing because it worked on radio and the TV
ads were I mean, we used to love to see them. Yeah,
yeah, and it was all authentically you. And I would say if I
guess, the success is just being who you are and and my tags,
like when the events are coming, I got little tags pushing this and yeah
but free like we got that one guy coming for from the firm and yes
Graham and that, So you know, I'll tag that and they'll have to
do that like real fat Yeah they'll they'll do it anyway. They can do
it anyway they can get it in there. Yeah, I don't complain.
I realized the spot through it. Yeah, you know, but then they
might rewrite it and admit a lot of sentences that I you know, maybe
we're repeating a little bit. We don't need that sentence gone. Whatever they
can do, I appreciate it. Your mom when you moved out of the
basement at the store, Yeah, did she see it get to sort of
the way it is today. Yeah, she saw the front building here.
We had the front building at that time, so she knew you were around
our way. If you know, at first, she wasn't crazy about it
in her house, you know, from work and you're exhausted. Banging away
neighbor is a calling police well, what is it like at your house,
in your own personal home, do you have the same kind of thing?
Pretty quiet? Yeah, when your kids would go it up, did they
have people in banging on it? Yeah? Yeah. You seem to just
be like that's all right. Yeah, I'm very honest with my kids,
like I don't I didn't. I didn't want him stupid, so I didn't
didn't deny anything anything, but I exposure is the greatest. I would explain
the goods and beds of it. Maybe, Oh, I see what you're
saying with everything. Yeah, that's yeah. I think try to stay their
friend a little bit. Yep. Yes, not always easy to until you're
too old and they won't want to be saying with you. Yeah, but
they work here, so that's pretty cool. Yeah, that's good. Well,
this has been a pleasure for me. Thank you for taking the time.
Thank you, my friend. It's been really really great at Harmon Shawbrock,
the Great House of Guitars. It is h internationally known right here in
Norondiquoi. Thank you very much. Thank you. You made me forgod I
was on there. Yeah. Well it's just like having a conversation. That's
what I like, one on one. Thanks Mac of All Trades. Mac
has a gift, and that gift to you is your time. What do
I mean? You got a list? Come on, you've been adding to
the list, not knocking things off the list. Why not hand the list
over to Mac of All Trades, whether it's painting a room, fixing drywall,
electrical carpentry. Maybe you got a big job like you're like, Man,
I cannot stand this powdering room anymore. We need a full bathroom remodel.
I want one of those great toilets put in it. Mac can do
all of that in his sleep, Man, Mac of All Trades, from
handyman stuff to full carpentry work, electrical work, full kitchen and bathroom model.
I mean, whatever it is, they can do it. But the
point is they give you your time back. You know I always figured this.
We all only got someone's time on the planet. We don't know when
it ends. Do we want to waste it doing things we don't really want
to do, like painting the room or putting up some trim No. Mac
of All Trades five eight five two zero two ninety two eighteen and online Back
of All Trades dot net btb's wood fired Pizza and grill in the Molick Reserich.
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