Tag Archives: Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra

Episode 034 – Off Off Topic – Sal Clemente & Stephen Talk Star Wars – SPOILERS!

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URO_Sal_ClementeI get Off Off Topic with my buddy, Sal Clemente, and we talk some Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  Sal and I are the same age, and we both saw the original back in 1977 at age 14.  (I said 15 in the interview, but I checked our birthdates, and we were 14 when it came out.)  I think it’s fair to say the new movie brought out nostalgic feelings from when we saw Star Wars in our youth.

WARNING: MAJOR STAR WARS SPOILERS IN THE PODCAST.

For the first time this podcast is also a “vidcast.”  Here’s the video version:

Couple of things, I said in the podcast that the guy who did Avenue Q was supposed to have done the music for the Cantina Scene in the new Star Wars.  Got it wrong — it was Lin-Manuel Miranda writer of Hamilton and In the Heights who did that music.

We also talk about Sal’s band (which he began with Alan Ware) called Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra (www.URORocks.com). If you want to hear some awesome 70s covers and see  some great showmanship, go check out some of their videos on the website … or better yet … go see them in concert if you live in the Boston area!  They have a concert on January 31st at 9 PM at the Regent Theater in Arlington.

Episode 004 – Billy Hayes Author of True Life “Midnight Express,” Part 2

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Billy Hayes, On my bunk, Sagmacilar Prison, 1974

Billy Hayes on his bunk, Sagmacilar Prison, 1974

This is part 2 of my Billy Hayes interview, and as you’ll recall, he was the inspiration for the 1978 movie Midnight Express with Brad Davis.

Please look out for Billy’s new one-man theatrical show which recently previewed in Edinburgh called Riding the Midnight Express which talks about some of his real life experiences — live and straight from the source!

Also in this episode I play my “ghost recording” for you to help me determine if it’s electronic feedback or other worldly communication.

Topics covered in part two of the interview:

  • Intro to show (00:00)
  • A possible recording of a ghostly voice?  (01:17)
  • Listener email and talking about Askwomen podcast  (04:29)
  • Part two of Billy Hayes interview – prison sex (07:03)
  • The worst part of prison, and yoga saves Billy (12:01)
  • Billy gets into acting with Bill Hickey and Eric Morris (17:39)
  • Billy approaches playwright Tennessee Williams in Key West (24:10)
  • Friend Harvey still suffers in Turkish prison (29:01)
  • The true story of girlfriend who comes to Turkey, author of “Dangling Without a Rope” (38:57)
  • Wife Wendy West — “best thing that ever happened to me”  (41:51)
  • Billy’s website info  (44:51)

Also… I mentioned that a high school kid emailed me about my 10-minute play Corybungus (my ode to Monty Python) being performed.  Here’s a link to that short play.  It’s an easy read if you feel like checking it out.  Please keep in mind that while it’s free to read, a royalty must be paid to perform it in front of an audience.

 

Episode 002 – Off Off Topic with Erik Van Wyck

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In this episode which features my very good buddy, actor/writer, Erik Van Wyck, we go off topic a bit in a new segment I’m calling Off Off Topic.

Erik and Stephen

Forgot to take a pic in LA, but here’s a silly one of us from 2006 with my daughter’s stuffed bunny.

In a few weeks I’ll release Erik’s “official” actor/writer interview (including a great embarrassing story about a recent horrible audition), but we had such a nice long conversation for about 2 hours, and there were some bits where we went off the trail that were way too good to be scrapped …

…. thus Off Off Topic.

 

The segments include:

  • Intro — spooky, did I record a ghost? (00:00)
  • LA vs. NYC (09:10)
  • The Frenchman’s naked breast scam (20:20)
  • Canadians wrestle sarcasm (31:23)
  • The horrors of a kid’s playground (41:06)

ALSO… stayed tuned at the very end of the episode (50:32) for a musical treat.  My buddy Sal Clemente who wrote the podcast theme song, “Here We Go Again,” has a band called Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra which is performing a concert version of the rock musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR this Friday, Saturday, Sunday (11/22, 11/23, 11/24)  in Arlington, MA at the Regent Theatre.  He gave me permission to include the awesome song “Gethsemane” from their recorded album of JCS on the podcast.  The performer singing Jesus is Chris Cote.  Go to their website to hear other selections including Sal singing Judas… or even better, buy the album or see the concert to hear everything.  Check ’em out!