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JON ZAL

Your front-row seat to my nervous breakdown

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Interview: Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs

December 15, 2015 Leave a Comment

Originally published on Dec 15, 2015 at SoundSpike.com

Back in the early ’90s, Richie Kotzen replaced the original guitarist in the band Poison for about five minutes, and if his brief and unlikely stint with that hair-metal outfit is the only thing for which you know him, then you don’t know him at all. In fact, you’ve probably got the wrong impression.

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Filed Under: Music, Portfolio, SoundSpike Tagged With: Interview, Richie Kotzen, SoundSpike, Winery Dogs

Live Review: Van Halen in Philadelphia

March 6, 2012 Leave a Comment

Photo by Jon Zal

Originally published on March 6, 2012 at SoundSpike.com

Only a complete a fool would expect the 56-year-old version of Edward Van Halen to play with the same kind of turbo-charged fury and mind-blowing complexity that knocked the rock world on its collective ass more than three decades ago. And yet, that is exactly what the guitar legend did in Philadelphia Monday night (3/5).

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Filed Under: Music, Portfolio, SoundSpike Tagged With: Live Review, SoundSpike, Van Halen

Live Review: Van Halen at Cafe Wha? in New York City

January 6, 2012 Leave a Comment

Photo by Jon Zal

Originally published on Jan. 6, 2012 at SoundSpike.com

Halfway through Van Halen’s blistering Thursday night (1/5) set at New York City’s Cafe Wha?, reinstated frontman David Lee Roth posed a question to the crowd: “Have you noticed that Van Halen fans have decided they’ve had a great time [at the show], like, three weeks in advance?”

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Filed Under: Music, Portfolio, SoundSpike, Van Halen Tagged With: Live Review, SoundSpike, Van Halen

Interview: Gene Simmons of KISS

April 23, 2002 Leave a Comment

Photo by Jon Zal

Originally published on April 23, 2002 at SoundSpike.com

In addition to being the singer, bassist and marketer extraordinaire for rock juggernaut KISS, Gene Simmons is also a self-proclaimed egomaniac.

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Filed Under: Music, Portfolio, SoundSpike Tagged With: Interview, KISS, SoundSpike

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FEATURED POSTS

Zombie Dinner Party … with your chef, Dr. Hannibal Lector

Turns out I have a bright future ahead of me ... in a field about which I know nothing

Man, this finding-a-new-job thing is going to be easier than I thought

Take Me Out to the Therapist… Take Me Out to the Shrink…

An Open Letter of Apology to President Barack Obama

Hell hath no fury like white-male privilege threatened

Van Halen (or, The Band That Ate My Life)

No, really: This job-search thing is like shooting fish in a barrel

There must be a reckoning

Daddy Vader

If not for The Force, Darth Vader would have totally gotten his ass kicked, because that suit? Not very practical.

Is it November yet?

ABOUT ME

Jon Zal @ The Massachusetts State House, Boston

I was born in 1970, raised just outside of Boston, and now live near Philadelphia. As a child, I thought I was going to be…
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Better-than-average afternoon. Got to attend sound Better-than-average afternoon. Got to attend soundcheck at @mammothwvh. I remember bracing myself for disappointment when I was about to first hear the work of Edward’s son; didn’t wanna get my hopes up … so imagine my elation when it turned out that his music gave, and gives, me the same chills that his Dad’s did.

Psyched for tonight’s performance. 
🤘🏻🥁 🎸 

Thank you, @wolfvanhalen @wolfiesmom @the_garrett_whitlock @franksidoris @ronnieficarro @jonjourdan @patrickbertinelli.
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Hey now from the Jersey shore. 🤙🏻 Snooki say Hey now from the Jersey shore. 🤙🏻
Snooki says “Hi.”
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