A fun topic this week with a lot of variation: album covers featuring timepieces of any kind! Though a challenge at first, it became easier once I allowed myself to think outside the box a little bit. Unfortunately Peter Kerr cannot join us this week, and John Clauser is now on a sabbatical, so it will be a smaller group tonight.
I’ll be ready. What time is it? 7:00 PM EST!
THE CONTRARIANS – Rock Out With Your Clock Out! – Wednesday April 30 – 7:00 PM EST
This fun short video features Harrison walking us through his very first CD collection photo. You can see Young Harrison was already into Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden, but why, and how? Harrison walks us through them all in this fun nostalgia (and metal) filled episode.
Scream for us, YouTube! Dan Chartrand and I have reunited for this fun episode about nostalgia and dreams. So you wanna be a rock star? We’ll tell you what not to do!
In this incredibly fun episode, Dan will tell you about his rock star ambitions which eventually resulted in three CDs by Dead Culture Society. He’ll also tell you about “turning down” the bass player job in Quiet Riot, and pissing off Rudy Sarzo to an extreme degree. (Never make fun of the way Rudy licks his fingers when playing bass.)
I dug up some things from my teen years, dreaming of being a rock star. I found the original script for my remake of the “Nothing But A Good Time” music video, and some postcards from my partner in crime Bob Schipper. We talk air bands, buying our first guitars, and the art of swinging them over our shoulders. Learning to play? Not important! Getting the stage moves right was what we focused on.
Please join us for this incredibly fun and occasionally hilarious trip down memory lane, and give Dan a like and subscribe! We will be back!
I am humbled. Though I had planned this episode as a tribute to the co-hosts and guests, I was gladdened to see record views and a lively comments sections from old friends and new ones too.
This episode was a celebration of the people who help bring Grab A Stack of Rock to life. I was joined by Jex Russell, John Clauser, and the Mad Metal Man himself, Harrison Kopp. Together we too a trip down memory lane, spotlighting highlights from the entire history of the show.
In the comments section, Broadway Blotto himself congratulated us on 100 episodes. It was quite a surprise and I could not be further humbled, but here I am. Thank you Broadway for your support. Your correspondences have been invaluable and the show is only the better for it!
Finally, we showed off some new arrivals in our collections, and did an unboxing. Because that’s our roots and the kind of stuff we used to do!
Join us next week for the return of 50 Years of Iron Maiden!
List of everyone who has ever joined me on Grab A Stack of Rock to date:
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
EPISODE 100
With Jex Russell and Johnny Metal
Back at the cottage for the first time in 2025, together we celebrate the 100th episode of Grab A Stack of Rock! With Harrison Kopp back and better than ever, 2025 has been a landmark year for the show, featuring our big series 50 Years of Iron Maiden. This episode celebrates every era of the show: from its “random and chaotic” beginnings, to the “heels era”, and today. To celebrate with us, we have three of the hardest working co-hosts a guy could ask for: the Mad Metal Man, Johnny “Homework” Clauser, and Jex Russell himself. Each of these guys played a critical role in keeping the show going steady since October 2022.
Since day one, Grab A Stack of Rock has been a fun and frivolous celebration of physical media and products. CDs, DVDs, vinyl and more obscure formats have always been at the forefront, but we have showcased physical collections far and wide since our very first episode. We struggled to find direction, but had fun getting lost along the way. And here we are, ready to acknowledge it all! The current Grab A Stack of Rock show intro is the first version to include every guest and co-host we ever had along the way. To me, this show has always been just as much about the people, as the music. Every collection of CDs, LPs and cassettes comes with a multitude of stories, often including great lengths we go to in order to acquire them. Along the way, we met friends of varying temporal longevity, from brief sparks to deep connections. It has been a hell of a lot of fun.
On the menu tonight: Leaning into the “Mix Tape” format a little bit, we will play some clips and outtakes you’ve never seen before. These include some of the key characters in the story of the show so far, and a sneak preview of a forthcoming episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden. Of course, I will have something in terms of physical memorabilia that you have never seen before. We may also have an Amazon delivery to unbox – stay tuned!
Please drop in and say hello!
Friday April 25 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on
List of everyone who has ever joined me on Grab A Stack of Rock to date:
A topic from Martin this week: Album covers featuring eyes, but not the full face! This was a fun one to do, and I look forward to seeing what the other guys bring tonight. My list has a lot of obvious picks, but as usual, Tim beat me to some good ones. It feels like a race to get your list in every week!
Watch tonight and witness!
THE CONTRARIANS – Eyes Without A Face – Wednesday April 23 – 7:00 PM EST
A record-setting Grab A Stack of Rock Good Friday afternoon was had yesterday afternoon! With co-hosts Johnny Metal and Ash Geisler (awake at 4:00 AM just to do this show!), we had views exceeding the legendary 2023 Good Friday show that featured, as Jex’s mom put it, “a good view”.
Unfortunately Jex Russell was heading out of town for his Easter weekend, and was unable to attend (though Johnny Metal had him on a shirt). Ash showed off some cool Australian finds, from pop punk to harder edged tunes. Johnny Metal’s new arrivals included the complete CD catalogue of Dr. Kathryn Ladano, so we spent a little time talking about brain injuries and the album Anatomy of the Recovering Brain. Of course, Johnny Metal also brought plenty of metal, including one LP that tied into 50 Years of Iron Maiden.
As for me, I had three main things to focus on:
A brand new record sent to me by Dan Chartrand, from OfftheCharts…and some bonus music, of his own band Dead Culture Society!
A batch of new music that arrived this week. My thoughts on Epitaph by April 16th, Dreams On Toast by the Darkness, and Rock N Roll Party Tonite by Mystique.
An absolutely epic purchase of rock CDs from old friend Len Labelle. More to come on this in a future video showcasing even more CDs from the bulk purchase.
If you liked this episode, then join us next week for our 100th. We’re going to have a party!
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 99: Good Friday Afternoon – New Music Mania with Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal
A Good Friday tradition: For the third time, Grab A Stack of Rock goes LIVE this afternoon with special guests and special music! We have a ton of new music here to discuss at Grab A Stack of Rock HQ. You’ve heard all about the new Darkness album Dreams On Toast? Well now it’s my turn. I have SEVEN COPIES (six physical and one digital) to get all the tracks, and I will be discussing my impressions. I also have the new Rock N Roll Party Tonite EP by Mystique, and some vinyl from Dan Chartrand from OfftheCharts to unbox! What could be inside? You’ll be electrified. Time permitting, I may also show off my massive haul from a forthcoming video on a big, BIG purchase.
We’ll see how much we can get through, because joining me will be Ash Geisler and Johnny Metal, with their own new musical scores to show off. What could be new in southern Australia and the state of Alabama? We’ll find out this afternoon!
The Good Friday afternoon episode is a tradition now in its third year (see below). Sadly, Jex Russell could not be with us this time, but Ash and Johnny should be up to the task, even if the time zones make it tricky. Remember, this episode is LIVE so join us for the fun and let us know in the comments that you’re with us! See you this afternoon to Grab LOTS of Stacks of Rock!
Friday April 18 at 3:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 4:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube or Facebook.
Good Fridays Past:
Good Friday Afternoon April 7 2023: @MarriedandHeels and Jex Russell began the tradition for a special episode celebrating California music, Easter manicures, and shiny silver boots! Our first Good Friday afternoon episode, we did it at this time slot to enable @MarriedandHeels to join us from California. It was a fun afternoon, and look how shiny those boots are!
Good Friday Afternoon March 29 2024: Top 5 Albums From Our Birth Years with Jex Russell and Uncle Meat. This was a special episode! Jex and I wanted to continue the Good Friday tradition, but this was a special reunion for Meat and I, who had not done a show together in a year and a half. Jex surprised me – and my surprise is in the thumbnail image! A blessed good show!
NEXT WEEK: OUR 100TH EPISODE! A LIVE MIX TAPE WITH JEX, HARRISON AND JOHNNY METAL!
I came home from work last Friday to find not one, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE parcels containing new music! Of course, if you unbox something these days, you have to do it on camera. All of this music will receive a closer look on our annual Good Friday Afternoon Show on Grab A Stack of Rock, tomorrow! However, nothing can top the first look at a musical surprise!
Catch my reaction as I look at:
Six versions of the Darkness’ Dreams On Toast album, which will be discussed in more detail on Friday.
A brand new EP of previously unreleased music by Mystique!
Killer metal from the UK.
A surprise gift of a Japanese import.
A very special gift from Blotto!
All here in this spontaneous and magical unboxing video! Tune in tomorrow for our Good Friday show and a deep dive into all this new music, and much more!
A topic from Martin this week: Album covers featuring eyes, but not the full face! This was a fun one to do, and I look forward to seeing what the other guys bring tonight. My list has a lot of obvious picks, but as usual, Tim beat me to some good ones. It feels like a race to get your list in every week!
Watch tonight and witness!
THE CONTRARIANS – Eyes Without A Face – Wednesday April 16 – 7:00 PM EST
mikeladano.com 