The City's Backyard

Comedy Night @ The VFW Westport - Friday April 24th! Doors at 6pm Show at 8pm! PLENTY of Free parking! Featuring 4 great comedians! Host Matt Zako from The City's Backyard Podcast, Jeffrey Paul,  John Kenneth, and Teddy Smith who is the headliner and regular residency comic JOE PONTILLO! Location: 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880 Laughing Gas Comedy and The City's Backyard Podcas...

Get ready for some serious blues-rock, because BEYOND 1969 is dropping their new original album, Comin' Back To The Blues April 24th, 2026!  This isn't just any blues album, it's packed with raw passion, thanks to the incredible lineup in this killer blues-rock band!  Our special  guest on this episode is Tom Forst (The Suit): He's not just "The Suit" he's a blue...

CARRYING on THE LEGACY Growing up in the Money family, Jesse and Dez were immersed in music from the very beginning. Sharing the stage with their father wasn’t just a performance — it was an education, a bond, and a blueprint for what it means to live a life rooted in passion and authenticity. Those moments taught them more than just the craft of music — they learned connection, resilience, and th...

Our guest is classic rock legendary drummer "Corky" Laing from Mountain! Mountain was one of the last bands to play the legendary Fillmore East before it's closing and famous for their song Mississippi Queen!  In this episode Corky talks about coming back to Westport, CT (where he used to live) to play The Westport VFW on Saturday April 11th with The Ten Grand Band as a featured gue...

Eliot Lewis spent almost 20 years with Hall & Oates and is always a blast to chat with as one our favorite regular guests on the podcast...he was also on the TV show Live From Daryl's House playing with some of top artists in the music industry.... and before all of that he was in the Average White Band!  Upcoming shows in the backyard of NYC: Eliot Lewis in concert at Factory Underground...

While it would be easy to categorize the work of OTIS as Southern Rock, being from Kentucky, their musical background is much broader. In addition to being guided by the classic rock giants of the 1960s and 70s era, the members of OTIS draw inspiration from true greats—people like Muddy Waters, Leadbelly, and the artists of Motown—to create their own unique rock and roll sound. With Boone Froggett...

James Barnes — known to audiences throughout the region as JB — carries the blues in his blood. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in New Jersey after his family moved east in 1965, he grew up steeped in the sound and spirit of the music. On his father’s side, JB traces his lineage back to Mississippi, the wellspring from which so much of this tradition flows. Those “Mississippi Roots” became mor...

Special Guest Elizabeth Hines the widow of the late Denny Laine from Paul McCartney and WINGS and earlier The Moody Blues talks about her take on the film and her late husband's career with WINGS. Man on the Run is a 2025 documentary film directed by Morgan Neville about the life of Paul McCartney from his formation of Wings through the 1970s. McCartney is credited as an executive producer. T...

 "A wonderful guitar player and great songwriter " - Steve Miller      "Curry is the next guitar hero" - Peter Frampton      Acclaimed singer-songwriter Matthew Curry returns with his new album ONE FOR THE RIDE , a dynamic and heartfelt collection that showcases the full range of his musicianship -- from fiery, virtuostic guitar work to intimate, emotionally rich songwriting. T...

May Pang is our guest this week on The City's Backyard Podcast! Few people knew John Lennon as intimately as May Pang. Pang was Lennon’s lover during the infamous “Lost Weekend” which lasted 18 months. During this creative time for Lennon, Pang took candid photos of Lennon in a comfortable, relaxed environment. Matt Zako interviews May about her relationship with John Lennon, her documentary...

We check in with our friend Dan Halen from MULLETT! He talks about what makes this 80's tribute band fun and why they stand out from other tribute bands out there! They are playing locally in Old Saybrook, CT and Norwalk, CT soon! Since 2010, Mullett has stood as the nation’s definitive 80’s rock-and-roll powerhouse! This isn't just a tribute; it’s a high-voltage time capsule. By fusing...

Prognosis The American Pink Floyd has been performing the  music of Pink Floyd with incredible album accuarcy for 15 years both in the USA and internationally Known for their elaborate lights, lasers, and video projections Prognosis The American Pink Floyd is considered to be the best and most accurate ​Pink Floyd experience. On this episode we talk with keyboardist Rob Russell from Prognosis!  UP...

 We are going out to TENNESSEE to chat with Chris P. James is their front man. He plays keyboards and guitar and harmonica. Writes great songs too. He wound up with the Burrito Brothers in 2009. He was offered and accepted a record deal to make a new Burritos album in 2010 by the group that would trademark the name “Burrito Brothers” and would enable them to continue performing and recording as Th...

Comedy Night @ The VFW Westport - Friday  FEB 13 th! Doors at 6pm Show at 8pm! PLENTY of Free parking! Featuring 4 great comedians! Paul Taro, Autumn Harvist, DAVIN who is the headliner and JOE PONTILLO! Location: 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880 Laughing Gas Comedy and The City's Backyard Podcast present another night of pain free comedy at the VFW Westport. We are back following our...

BEYOND PURPLE performs a showcase of the biggest hits from Deep Purple and Whitesnake, as well as Rainbow and Dio; all born out of the Deep Purple family tree. The band faithfully re-creates the vivid experience of live, high-energy music from what many consider to be Rock’s greatest era.  ​Beyond Purple consists of elite musicians with national ties, including guitarist Jimi Bell (Autograph, Hous...

2025 was a great year at The City's Backyard Podcast! We had so many great guests in the arts from musicians to comedians to actors it made it hard to narrow them down to THE YEAR IN REVIEW Part 1 and Part 2 "Best Of" episodes. We loved all our guests from awesome tribute bands to theater executives to a ton of funny comedians and we appreciate every one of them!  In Part 2 of THE 2...

2025 was a great year at The City's Backyard Podcast! We had so many great guests in the arts from musicians to comedians to actors it made it hard to narrow them down to THE YEAR IN REVIEW Part 1 and Part 2 "Best Of" episodes. We loved all our guests from awesome tribute bands to theater executives to a ton of funny comedians and we appreciate every one of them!  In Part 1 of THE 2...

Most musicians would only dream of opening for Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin on tour but for Rosie Flores the dream came true! Rosie drops by The City's Backyard Podcast on this episode to talk about her music, career, and new album called Impossible Frontiers with her band The Talismen! Plus she speaks about what it's like to be on the road opening for Robert Plant with Saving Grace an...

This episode we are talking "FLEETWOOD MAC" with Diane Lutz and Andie Baldwin from STEVIE MAC... the Fleetwood Mac tribute that is lighting up the stage all over the country! Diane and Andi are the Stevie and Christine McVie of the original iconic band and talk about their passion for the music.  About StevieMac StevieMac authentically and flawlessly pays tribute to the legends of Fleetw...

Tri state area Comics Helaine Witt, Michael "Motts" Pelazza, and Rich Carucci  have fun chatting it up on this episode talking about their love for comedy, the arts, and what to expect from their upcoming shows in the  area and their show together coming up soon in WESTPORT, CT!  To purchase tickets for Westport, CT click here: -Comedy Night at VFW Post 399 on Friday December 12th.  Door...

 NEW YACHT CITY from New York and New Jersey, a tribute to Yacht Rock returns! On this episode we chat with Manish Nag  singer and keyboardist as well as  singer Megan McCafferty about the genre of what Yacht Rock means to it's fans!  If you love Steely Dan, Toto, Christopher Cross, The Doobies, Ambrosia and more you will love this band! Check them out for a fun time you and your friends will...

Laura Budzelek is a multilingual singer-songwriter and actress. Her music sounds like classic rock with hints of today and lands from far away.  Listeners often reflect on soul and folk elements as well, yet Laura's operatic background makes her stand apart from other singers. Her sophomore album, Timeless Turquoise , is scheduled for release this December! Fans will be pleased to discover fr...

Black Dog proudly pays tribute to the mighty Led Zeppelin with an extensive catalogue of songs comprised of classic masterpieces like "Dazed and Confused", "Heartbreaker", and "Stairway to Heaven", as well as the less heard  B-sides to satisfy the more discerning fans.   A complete acoustic set recreates an intimate setting with mandolin and custom tuned guitars playe...

Special Guest Brooklyn-based singer from North Carolina , who's music roots began in church! WALLETTE debuts her rework of Judy Carter's "Listen To The Music" out now via TuneCore!   After nearly 150 participants and almost 20 new entries each week, the Rabanne and Miraval Studios has officially crowned the winner of the #RabanneRemix challenge: WALLETTE , a rising singer-songw...

Greg Walker, son of famous cartoonist Mort Walker drops by to chat about the new book out called 75 Years Of Smiles commemorating Mort Walker's long and dedicated commitment to cartooning! Greg Walker studied at Syracuse University and has worked in film, commercial photography, newspapers and graphic arts. He started his cartooning career writing and drawing comic books, including such well-...