Chicago clubs want cover bands—but where does that leave original artists? Zacky Manic spent almost 10 years making Mood Swing, re-recording songs as his singing, guitar playing and production skills improved.
Zacky joins Pete Jansons and Bongo Mike to talk grunge roots (he heard Nirvana at two years old), running the studio at Harper College, why Chicago clubs book cover bands over original acts, his struggle to get booking emails answered, and the story behind his song "Butt Rock."
Plus: the greatest grunge singer of all time, seeing Korn at Alpine Valley as a kid, and the Pop-Tarts debate.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold open: Why "Butt Rock"?
0:49 Zacky Manic – Butt Rock (official video)
4:37 Hogpod intro
4:47 Harper, the home studio and 10 years on Mood Swing
9:49 Grunge roots: Nirvana at two
12:27 What is grunge? The Seattle sound
18:02 Ten years to make Mood Swing
19:12 Building a band
21:10 Booking original music in Chicago
24:00 Covers vs. originals
27:12 Tribute picks and the Green Day voice
28:37 How he writes songs
32:07 Chicago loves cover bands
34:58 "I'll do it myself"
36:18 Instagram, Spotify, TikTok
39:39 Greatest grunge singer of all time
41:40 Velvet Revolver, Spoonman, Temple of the Dog
44:06 Why call it Butt Rock?
44:58 First concert: Beach Boys, then Korn at Alpine Valley
47:50 Favorite movie: Silence of the Lambs
50:25 The white van speaker scam
52:00 Pop-Tarts, toasted or not
53:09 Outro
TOPICS: grunge, original music, Chicago cover band scene, home recording, booking gigs, Layne Staley, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Korn
ZACKY MANIC
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/zackymanic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4dNmXG7aCKKPF6vNTFTXyA
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/zacky-manic/1887815964
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zackymanic
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zackymanic
Butt Rock (official video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_BK3txbkfs
HOSTS
Pete Jansons
Mike "Bongo" Orfanos
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