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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

Daddy Vader

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

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

An Open Letter of Apology to President Barack Obama

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

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

Hell hath no fury like white-male privilege threatened

There must be a reckoning

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

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

Is it November yet?

Don't miss a thing!

Sorry for yelling. Just trying to generate some excitement. Anyway ... enter your email address and you'll get a notification when I publish a new blog post. (I will never spam you.)

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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Hold my calls. 🤙🏻 Hold my calls. 🤙🏻
Hey now from the Jersey shore. 🤙🏻 Snooki say Hey now from the Jersey shore. 🤙🏻
Snooki says “Hi.”
When the @celtics & @nhlbruins both have a playoff When the @celtics & @nhlbruins both have a playoff game on the same night. 🙄 (Might put the @redsox on my iPhone after I post this.) #BostonStrong
The kind of Type-A madness that compels me to hang The kind of Type-A madness that compels me to hang 700 lights on a tree of this height and size is both a curse and a blessing. Love having this spectacle in my yard & spreading the holiday cheer. Enjoy! 🎄
We did it! The last time I ran an official 10K ra We did it!

The last time I ran an official 10K race, I was 18 and in Basic Training/Military Police School at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. Let's just say I'm a bit longer in the tooth and wider in the waist than I was then. 🥵

Proud to have legged it out with my boy yesterday to support @travismanionfoundation. Thanks to all who donated. (FYI: Donation link, which is in my IG bio, remains open through the end of the year.)

Official time: 55:28

#RunWithTheMarines
#MCM10K
The last time I visited the Marine Corps War Memor The last time I visited the Marine Corps War Memorial with my son, he was in utero. 😳 This Sunday, I’ll visit it with him again after we cross the finish line at the MCM 10K.

I’m running in honor of my late grandfather, Finn, a Marine who fought on Saipan, Tinian & Iwo Jima with the 4th Division during World War II.

My son and I are are also running to support the great work of the @travismanionfoundation. If you would be willing to help me reach my fundraising goal, I’d really appreciate it. Link to my fundraising page is in my bio. Thanks!
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