EricCast

Wisconsin winters mean a lot of outdoor fun involving snow and ice. But out of what we often skate, snowmobile, or slide on - or just shovel away - some artists create incredible art and sculptures. In this episode just ahead of Winterfest 2019 at The Corners of Brookfield, we talk with professional ice carver and snow sculptor Jeff Shawhan. He's one of the talented people who can craft amazing ar...

Ah, New Year's Eve! We all know about the ball drop in Times Square in NYC. But did you know about the Cherry Drop? A new way to ring in the New Year is blossoming in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, where the Door County Cherry Drop debuted to ring in 2018. And they're ready to build on it and make it a tradition. Find out how this came about and how you can have some fun there! See omnystudio.com/listener...

Did you know Michael Bolton once opened for Ozzy? That he bought Rodney Dangerfield cookware? Michael Bolton has done it all: musician and songwriter from hard rock to soul to ballads; he makes documentaries and videos including Captain Jack Sparrow and a parody of himself Office Space-style; he wowed both Otis Redding's widow and Rodney Dangerfield in different ways. Ahead of a concert date in Mi...

Melissa Etheridge talks with Eric Paulsen as she prepares for a two-night show at the Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee December 11-12, 2018. We discuss birthdays (turns out there's a trifecta), her cannabis business, flash back to her first appearance on David Letterman, and the 25th anniversary of her defining album "Yes I Am." See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

In 1969, Mike Leckrone took over the reins of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band. As he prepares to step down after 50 years, he talks with Eric Paulsen to reflect on his legacy, one of innovation and precision, sometimes making the band cooler than the football team from the 5th quarter to the spring concerts. There may have been plenty of changes over the past half century, but as Eric po...

Barry Williams, of course known as Greg Brady from The Brady Bunch, joins Eric Paulsen for a conversation about the show turning 50 in 2019, where that tiki statue from Hawaii might be, what that last show was like with orange hair and Robert Reed opting out of the episode, and how they're re-doing the original Brady house you saw on TV in an upcoming HGTV show. Find out also about a celebrity cru...

REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin talks with Eric Paulsen about being voted "Top Illinois musicians," their 1985 Live Aid experience (and the logistics behind it), a new book project he's working on, his sons now being in a band, and the coolest place to hang out when playing shows in Milwaukee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blues Traveler had just released their 2018 album "Hurry Up & Hang Around" and were about to play a show in Milwaukee when I got a chance to talk with them. We discuss concert rituals, what they've been up to, and what flatulence-related name they were given on a previous trip to Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this brief EricCast episode, I got a chance to talk with Kansas bass guitarist, singer, frontman Billy Greer just ahead of their show at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater on October 12, 2018. It was a fun discussion and I even got to ask a philosophical question towards the end. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

in this 15 minute conversation, Eric Paulsen talks one-on-one with Doobie Brothers co-founder and lead singer Tom Johnston, covering everything from an upcoming concert, their new EP coming out in 2019, and what 8-tracks were like. Also find out how "Black Water" was resurrected to become a hit, his trip back to China Grove, changes in the music and concert industry, even a Jesus question Eric has...

Eric Paulsen is joined by Kelly Fitzsimmons, serial entrepreneur and author of the new book "Lost In Startuplandia." She has had several successful exits with a variety of companies and investors - and some big failures. Her book eschews the usual "This is exactly how I succeeded and how you will too!" hype and notes how the infinite roads to success and surefire ways to fail. Lost In Startuplandi...

Just ahead of a Wisconsin concert, I get a chance to talk with Justin Hayward, longtime writer, guitarist, and vocalist for The Moody Blues. In the 9 minutes we have, we talk about the Moodies' getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, his current and upcoming shows and tours, his initial trip to America, and still doing what he loves in 2018. This interview was originally created for my Morning...

Grand Funk Railroad formed in Flint, Michigan in 1969, fusing R&B with rock and earning quite a name for themselves. From long jams like "I'm Your Captain" to tight pop hits like "Bad Time" to scaring hotel managers nationwide in "We're An American Band," this trio - now a quintet with two of the three original members - continues to tour and bang out the sound and spirit that's driven rock & roll...

Sports Wisconsin actively works to promote the state as a premier destination for sports events of all kinds - and not just the ones you may think of first. Showcasing the state to bring in more events from around the country and the world can make a big impact - and you may be surprised at what Wisconsin has to offer, and has hosted already. We find out more from Cari Greving of Sports Wisconsin....

In 1978, two Minnesota teenagers inspired by their new love and appreciation for Hollywood's "Golden Age" found themselves on a plane to L.A. to interview Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly after simply sending interview requests in the mail. Who knew that would lead to real, in-depth, in-person interviews with then and hundreds of Hollywood's legends? Dave Fantle and Tom Johnson did just that, interview...

The "World's Largest Music Festival" returns to Milwaukee's lakefront June 27-July 8. Summerfest 2018 brings new stages, a new North Gate, over 800 bands, and 11 days of music, food, drink, and new memories. Sarah Smith Pancheri, VP/Marketing for Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc., joins me for a fun conversation about what's new, what's it like to work on it, which specials you can take advantage of...

George Thorogood & the Destroyers were coming to town. I interviewed George as he prepared for a show in Milwaukee, talking about his early Summerfest experience, his upcoming solo album, and how his band may have proved too crazy for Madison during Halloween. This interview aired on "The Morning Rewind" on Rewind 92.1/WXXM-FM in Madison on May 29, 2017. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

An update for entrepreneurs on resources available in Wisconsin, including making connections, raising capital, events, suppliers and service providers, partnerships with organizations and large, established companies, and more. Examples of young, growing startups and even the potential impacts of Foxconn are discussed in this talk with Matt Cordio, Co-founder & President of Skills Pipeline and St...

Producer John Mitchell is a Wisconsin native who left for L.A. and returned two decades later to make a documentary showcasing his home state and its special culture, history, and appeal. Called "Cheeseheads: The Documentary," this in-depth, sometimes personal, often humorous look at the state shows why the "Cheesehead" is more than just a funny foam hat. It's out now, and we talk with him about W...

Roving Blue is a young Wisconsin-based company that seeks to make the world your water bottle, Portable, effective ozone-based water purification in something as small and light as a pen is now possible without the use of industrial chemicals; this technology can also ensure safe fruits & vegetables, clean tap lines, improve dental rinses, even get dirty clothes and wet dogs to smell fresh again....

America (the band) folk-rocked the 70s. Ventura Highway, A Horse With No Name, Tin Man, admit it - you know 'em all. These American high school kids in London in 1970 rose to prominence and still tour today. But questions remain: are alligator lizards real? Did they originate the phrase "purple rain"? Why didn't that horse ever get named? Why did they start most of their albums with the letter H?...