S2-E5 - Luke Gipson | Drummer In The Band Exit 38

Go Under the Musical Influence of Luke Gipson answering 9 Questions about his Musical Self.
 
Luke Started In The Band on Drums with the Marching Bands & Jazz Ensembles in School to Auditioning for and Playing Drums in the Clown Band at Kings Dominion, then when I knew him he was a Floor Guard at Skate America in Mechanicsville, VA and In the Band, WolfTown, Then onto Leggz, No Last Names, Elixir (Boston  & Journey Tribute Band), and Now Exit 38 (Variety of Genres from the 70's to Present).

Best Jobs I Ever Had was in a Clown Band!

I Kicked Jason Mraz out of Skate America!

I Worked with the 2 Guys from FireHouse!

All I Got was Signed Drum Sticks when Mike Foster Broke my Sticks on an Electric Kit!

Self Taught Drummer, Just by Listening to Records!

I Tinkered on Bass Guitar, the Keyboards then Piano. (But Only Chopsticks?)

I Once Opened for Delbert McClinton!

My Musicians Friends & I Created Music to a Good Friend's Vocals to Honor his Memory!

Peter Criss was It for Me!

Tom Sawyer Lit Me on Fire!

I'm that Laid Back Kind of DJ!

I Gave Justin Bieber Props?

Hysteria is Probably One of the Most Perfect Songs Ever Written!

One of the First Songs I Learned to Play was "We Got the Beat"!

When Words Fail, Music Speaks!

Music Discussed from Jason Mraz, FireHouse, Kiss, Rush, Alison Krauss, Keith Whitley, Justin Bieber, Foreigner, Joan Jett, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, The GoGo's, Journey  & More! 

Find Out More About the Band EXIT 38 & Their Music!
https://www.facebook.com/Exit38RVA
https://www.instagram.com/exit38rva/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
https://soundcloud.com/exit38rva

Find Out More About the Band that Intro's & Outro's the Show! https://www.instagram.com/yearofoctober/
 
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UP Next,
Listen to E6 of 
Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo
S2-E6 - Aedan Thompson 

Transcript

Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo S2E5 - Luke Gipson

[00:00:00] Year of October: That. You are now Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo. [00:01:00] 

[00:01:03] DJJonniBravo: Hello, I'm Jonni Bravo today. You're going under the musical influence of today's guest, Luke Gipson on, Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo. So I've known Luke for a long time. We used to work at the Skate America in Mechanicsville. I was a DJ. He was a floor guard. He came up to me and said that he was in a band and gave me a card back in the day for a band called Wolf Town.

[00:01:25] So season two is all about In the Band. I wanted to get Luke on here, cuz he's still in a band after all these years and talk about everything that he's done. So Luke, welcome. 

[00:01:38] Luke Gipson: Hey, thank you Jonni, for having me. I appreciate it. 

[00:01:40] DJJonniBravo: So tell me a little bit about your musical self. What are you currently doing in music?

[00:01:44] What's the name of your band in group? 

[00:01:46] Luke Gipson: Currently right now I'm playing in a band called Exit 38, right here out of Mechanicsville, Virginia. The band gets its name from the exit that we all take to go to band practice. So everybody comes from like Midlothian area, New Kent area [00:02:00] all around.

[00:02:00] That's the exit everybody takes. And that's where the band name came from. Musically, uh, man, it goes, way back from when I started, just having, and my dad, my dad turned around and bought me a drum set. When I was like eight years old. I was influenced by my brother playing.

[00:02:14] From there I got into marching band, in school. I was doing jazz ensembles, jazz bands, anything I could to play music. Then, our high school director actually. Put together a group of 12 of us that made a little small marching band and had us go up and audition for King's Dominion.

[00:02:33] And for several years, we did the clown band up there. Then I was doing the pop show and summer rhythm style shows up there playing drums as a fill in drummer. Whenever somebody couldn't make it, I'd go do my show and then run over and go do their show. And then from there it just kind of got into the rock and roll.

[00:02:51] Traveled with a band, called Legs for four years, up and down the east coast. That's probably been most excitement and I've had playing music. And [00:03:00] then, got married. Had kids, gave it up for about 12 years and got back into it again and going strong from here on out. 

[00:03:08] DJJonniBravo: Well, that's cool, man. I didn't know what you worked at King's Dominion. I didn't know you were out there doing their clown band. I remember they would come around and play. They were really jovial and would get people in the crowd into what they were doing. I didn't realize you did that. 

[00:03:21] Luke Gipson: It was probably one of the best jobs I ever had.

[00:03:23] Uh, think we did it for five years. Yeah, it was probably about five or six years. I did. Definitely a hot job running around on asphalt all day long trying to have a good time play music. We did all kinds of like jazz ensemble songs and songs that you probably heard, you know, like radio theme songs and just stuff to have a good time.

[00:03:42] DJJonniBravo: We often, you know, talk about on this show, like, you know, people getting involved in music. Look at Justin Timberlake or, Christina Aguilar, those type of folks. They got their Disney thing. Kind of around this area you have a couple of different places you can go. Kings dominion is one of them. Bush Gardens is the other one. And you can get a lot of [00:04:00] your experience from that, doing shows you did the band. There's plenty of opportunity there for people that are in, music to kind of get acclimated into the industry.

[00:04:11] So that's kind of a cool, you know, starting point that, I didn't know about. 

[00:04:14] Luke Gipson: Yeah. Probably mid-nineties one of the shows they had was like a SpongeBob show up there. And one of the guys that performed that we knew were overall, his name was Marvin.

[00:04:23] He was one of the dancers for the SpongeBob show and he was just phenomenal to watch. He really was. He took it out on his own. Went out, ended up becoming Justin Bieber's head dancer when Justin Bieber became big. And then he was performing with the Cheetah Girls. You know, a lot of people leave King's Dominion they end up on cruise ships. You know, it's a good stepping stone to kind of get where you want to go musically. 

[00:04:44] DJJonniBravo: Well, we had a celebrity in the house when we worked at, Skate America.

[00:04:48] Luke Gipson: You. 

[00:04:51] DJJonniBravo: Oh, it wasn't me. I always get 'em confused. Is it Mayer? Was it Mayer that we had? John Mayer or is it the other guy? Uh, Maraz. Jason Maraz. 

[00:04:59] Luke Gipson: Yeah. [00:05:00] Jason Marra. I remember kicking him out this skating rink. 

[00:05:03] DJJonniBravo: Yeah, Jason Mora used to come to our, skating rink and skate. And we used to do, at the skating rink, or I would do a little dance competition in the practice rink.

[00:05:15] I think he was in there and he would like to do that while, he was younger and he's from Mechanicsville and blew up in Mechanicsville. And so did, Firehouse. Firehouse, some of their members were from Mechanicsville and other areas. 

[00:05:26] Luke Gipson: Of, oh, Yeah. Two of them. I worked, I let's see bill worked over at Don Warner music. I guess they were on Libby.

[00:05:33] He was one of the guitar techs and stuff up there and sales people. And I think when they moved out on west broad street, I, think that's when I started working over there. And I think he had bailed out was starting to go on tour, him and Mike Foster, both. They were just in town playing.

[00:05:47] And I guess they're coming back to Harley here. Middle of September. 

[00:05:50] DJJonniBravo: There was one of the guys, when we used to all go downtown, clubbing and we would get pizza at the end of the night. You know, there was like the thing or, you know, you go to 711 and get, nachos or whatever.

[00:05:59] And we were at [00:06:00] the pizza place there down Shockoe Bottom. And there was this car that was this, nice, truck that was parked out. I don't know what kind of truck it was. It was a red truck. That's all I remember, but it was so nice. And so we were like, man, this is a really nice, ride. Started talking to the guy was one of the guys from Firehouse, man. Just sitting there, he had just gotten some pizza, probably been around the clubs too.

[00:06:20] Luke Gipson: Yeah. Like I said, I mean them boys, they remember when they started off as White Heat back in Newgate Prison, down off Grace Street. I think I forgot what the other band, there was another torn band that they kind of merged with and that's when they became Firehouse. When Mike and them, I guess, left White Heat to merge into Firehouse.

[00:06:39] That's just kind of when I remember them. 

[00:06:41] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. We have a lot of, good artists from here. You know, GWAR is from VCU. We have quite a few, from around this area, Bruce Hornsby down road, Charlottesville, Williamsburg area.

[00:06:50] Luke Gipson: I remember Mike came over at my house one time. He was doing a benefit with one of my bands I was playing with and he was sitting in playing with us. So he was rehearsing on [00:07:00] electronic rolling drum set and somehow broke a pair of sticks. And I'm like, you know, dude, how do you break a pair of sticks on a rubber drum set?

[00:07:07] DJJonniBravo: Oh, man. 

[00:07:08] Luke Gipson: You know, so he's like, you know, here, I'll give you these say he gave you a set of autograph sticks. I was like, oh, that'll do Yeah. Great guy. Really great. Very humble person. 

[00:07:17] DJJonniBravo: Oh, well that's good. Let’s go into question two. When did you first discover music and you probably already talked a little bit about when you were, you know, explaining where you got into the bands and stuff. 

[00:07:25] Luke Gipson: I discovered, I guess you could say probably in the early, early seventies, kind of goes back to my brother playing. I mean, he was learning guitar from, I think it was, Marion Hodges. Whose I mean, just, very well-known guitarist here in Richmond area.

[00:07:39] He would learn guitar and practicing guitar and got in a couple bands. You know, me being the younger brother, I was always, here, let me try to play bass and, you know, I couldn't play bass. I was just always taken, you know, just by listening to him play and, practiced and rock out upstairs in the bedroom.

[00:07:54] I was like, you know, I wanna do something. I want to do something. Then that's when one of his friends was selling a drum set. I remember my dad went [00:08:00] over and picked it up and brought it home. Then I just pretty much self-taught never took lessons or anything. You know, just listening to records and just kind of tried to pick up, you know, how to do it and what sounds made, what, and just kind of basically self-taught myself.

[00:08:14] Until I got into school and actually learning to have to read music and read drums Got a much better understanding of it

[00:08:20] DJJonniBravo: That's cool. And so drums have always been your instrument. You didn't start with anything else or you haven't played anything else throughout the years?

[00:08:26] Just drums? 

[00:08:27] Luke Gipson: No, just, drums. Like I said, I tinkered around trying to play bass guitar. Didn't really feel it. You know, tinkered around playing keyboards. Piano was supposed to be part of my craft as a drummer. Still never really figured that out too much except to do chopsticks and stuff like that.

[00:08:42] DJJonniBravo: oh, really? 

[00:08:43] Luke Gipson: Just pretty much just stuck with the drums and anything I could pretty much beat on or hit on. 

[00:08:48] DJJonniBravo: I remember when living over in Henrico, I, had a band that, some new houses were put up and there was some kids in there and they were playing.

[00:08:56] And this is how I remember like the cover from 1984, cuz they had. [00:09:00] Van Halen 1984, cover sitting there. And I thought it was so cool that little baby smoking a cigarette on the cover 

[00:09:06] Luke Gipson: Oh Yeah! 

[00:09:07] DJJonniBravo: These guys were rocking out in their garage. so we, you know, riding bikes, we were young, you know, a little bit younger than they were, they were probably high school and I just thought it was so cool.

[00:09:15] I always think that it's cool. When somebody's in the band. When you gave me your card, you know, that day, all those years ago, I'm like 

[00:09:20] Luke Gipson: Uhhuh. 

[00:09:21] DJJonniBravo: I was like, oh man, he's in a band. That's so cool. 

[00:09:23] Luke Gipson: Yeah, that day did a lot of real cool things. I mean, we opened up for, Delbert McClinton several times.

[00:09:29] Did, a couple travel shows. Got picked up by Steve Stevenson, which was a big country music, producer that was writing music. Started doing some of that. And then, they kind of went a hundred percent country where I was still in that rock and roll feel and just, you know, the fit just kinda.

[00:09:43] Started undoing a little bit. So ended up getting out of that one. But still were made friends with him for years and years. The guy that had that one up, he passed away, several years ago. We all got together a whole group of us because he had started writing his second album. When he passed [00:10:00] away, he had some of the vocal tracks done for the album.

[00:10:03] All of his friends that were musicians that knew him, his wife took money and put it all into the studio and had all his best friends get together and try to think, you know, what would he do? What would he want? What was he thinking when he wrote this? And cuz all we had was his vocals.

[00:10:20] We basically went in and recreated his entire album with his vocals on it. There was a whole group of musicians out of Richmond that all knew him. It was John, the guy that passed away and he was doing Christian rock music. He writing his second album called Signs.

[00:10:35] I think science was his first one. And then we recreated the second one. 

[00:10:39] DJJonniBravo: And what a great thing to do for, a fellow musician. 

[00:10:42] Luke Gipson: It was just, a lot of guys getting together, sitting around talking and, here's what he's singing. What do you think he's, you know, what do you think he's feeling?

[00:10:48] What was his inspiration for this song? Where do you think he was going with? And you can kind of hear when somebody sings, you can kind of get the feel for the rhythm or what he was gonna kind of do with that song. How that song, whether it was be fast on slow [00:11:00] song. It turned out amazing, and it just gives me chills when I listen to it, to know that we created that to his vocals.

[00:11:06] DJJonniBravo: Now was that something that's on like Spotify and all the streaming? Or is that something you guys had on tape or? 

[00:11:12] Luke Gipson: We just did it ended up selling the CDs. It was several years ago kind of like before a lot of the Spotify stuff. 

[00:11:19] DJJonniBravo: Gotcha. 

[00:11:21] Luke Gipson: And I don't think any of it ever made it, up on Spotify we created, a whole mass thing of CDs and we're selling them to people.

[00:11:28] DJJonniBravo: That's a really cool, homage to him. 

[00:11:30] Luke Gipson: Oh yes. 

[00:11:32] DJJonniBravo: Well, let's get into some music here and, uh, talk about the first song that you remember 

[00:11:37] Luke Gipson: I mean, there's so many of them, but I guess. Most anybody, my age is gonna be right there with me. When I talk about Kiss.

[00:11:43] Kiss was it to me? I mean, there, there was no other. Yeah. I remember coming out in like 74 listening to Struter and that, you know, awesome, live intro they did for it. Peter, Chris was. You know, to me, I was just like, man, this is it. This is drums right here. And then [00:12:00] later down the road, you know, around, I dunno, 70, 76 or so when Rush was coming out with all their Tom Sawyer and things like that, that just really lit me on fire.

[00:12:10] Probably first song was, I I'd probably say Struter from Kiss was the first one. I remember. Going crazy and becoming part of the Kiss Army and having the belt buckles and the t-shirts and anything I could find that was Kiss. 

[00:12:23] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. Most people don't realize with artists, like back in the day, you know, in the twenties, thirties, forties, and so forth that you would be like big time, you would have somebody impersonating Elvis, and you would think that it was really Elvis.

[00:12:37] And with the kiss with their, you know, makeup, nobody knew what those guys looked like, you know, until the eighties. No, they, you know, where they, they took their makeup off. 

[00:12:45] Luke Gipson: I remember as a kid though, I tried, I had the Kiss Dolls and tried to scratch the paint off the face to see if showed me as a little kid.

[00:12:53] I was like, okay, let's see. Maybe if I take the pain off the face, I'll be able to know what they really look like yet. [00:13:00] That's what you do when you're eight. 

[00:13:00] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. And I went with Brian to a show. I got free tickets when I was working at Q 94, Bryan that used to work at skate America with all of us. He loved Kiss and I'm a Kiss fan, but I'm not like, you know, part of the kiss army and all that.

[00:13:14] He was all of that, and we go see Kiss and it was no makeup, no theatrics, no nothing. They had like, three or four opening bands. I think Slaughter opened up Danger Danger. I don't even know who another band that opened up for him was the Hot and the Shade Tour.

[00:13:30] And I've been working like two or three jobs and I fell asleep and Brian was so mad at me. I can't believe you fell asleep in Kiss, man. You fell asleep in the Kiss concert. Dude, what's wrong with you? 

[00:13:40] Luke Gipson: yeah, that's bad jonni 

[00:13:42] DJJonniBravo: I know, but, if it was back in the day, you know, with the theatrics and everything.

[00:13:47] I had just kind of nodded off. I didn't like actually fall asleep and was snoring laying on the ground or anything like that, but I was just so tired, man. It was just, it was so funny, but he was just so mad at me. I'm like, there's no theatrics, there's no fire. There’s no, you know, [00:14:00] blowing fire out of his mouth and the big boots and all that kind of stuff.

[00:14:03] There's none of that. 

[00:14:04] Luke Gipson: Flying through the air, all the good stuff they do, I followed 'em I'd say that was my first concert I went to was a Kiss concert. 

[00:14:12] DJJonniBravo: Oh wow. 

[00:14:13] Luke Gipson: saw them in, Richmond Coliseum and that was, I think it was one of their. One of their first Richmond shows and one of the lasts for a long time, because I think, somebody like threw an M 80 or something up on stage and it blew up right in front of Peter Chris's ear.

[00:14:27] And I remember them walking off and coming back, yelling at the crowd and stuff. 

[00:14:33] DJJonniBravo: Oh man, how stupid can be? 

[00:14:36] Luke Gipson: Oh, I know I, somebody later roll a toilet paper and throw it from the top of the Cossum and land on some girl's hair. I think back now I was way too young to be at that concert.

[00:14:45] If you look at it, you know, like today, Back then it was the place to be. 

[00:14:49] DJJonniBravo: Yeah, it's just so funny. As young as we were going to concerts, but there was really nothing, you know, else to do and to be able to see somebody live. But, you know, in Richmond we had this stigma [00:15:00] because I don't know if it was the Ukrop's boys or who it was.

[00:15:02] I, think they, the ones that got Stern off the air when he was on 106.5. We didn't have a lot of shows. Like the Grateful Dead would sometimes come through. Sometimes they wouldn't come through, you know, Kiss was not coming through. Like, so some of these bands that had this kind of what they considered it, a cult or whatever, kind of following.

[00:15:18] Didn't come through because of all the, you know, naysayers and stuff like that. So, you know, we had to travel for some of those shows. If we wanted to see him, I still need to go see Kiss and I probably need to take Brian so I can, you know, rectify that whole, you know, off in the kiss concert. Yeah, well, they're probably on their 12th farewell tour, 

[00:15:37] Yeah. I'll check out one of the fell wear tours, soon, I guess. Yeah. 

[00:15:41] Luke Gipson: Yeah. I think I got, you know, three, three of the final tour shirts from three times, they said, Hey, this is it. We're quitting. And then year after that, they're back out doing it again. 

[00:15:53] DJJonniBravo: Yeah, well, COVID messed everything up. So I think they were on their final, final tour, but, uh, it messed it up.

[00:15:59] So I think they're still out [00:16:00] there too. And I need to go, see 'em maybe I can see when they're gonna be close to where Brian and I are at. Maybe we'll go out and I'll make sure that I'm refreshed. So I won't fall asleep and, and, and, uh, maybe. Get some brownie points back. Yeah. 

[00:16:13] Luke Gipson: Yeah. They got monster energy drink now.

[00:16:15] So you're good to go. 

[00:16:16] DJJonniBravo: I'll just drink one of those. Get a couple red bulls. That'll be fine. Let's take a break and uh, we'll be right back. Okay. 

[00:16:22] Year of October: You are still Under the Influence with DJJonnIBravo. 

[00:16:44] DJJonniBravo: We are back I'm Jonni Bravo. You're going under the musical. Influence of today's guess Luke Gipson on Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo. All right, Luke. So let's talk about girlfriends. Uh, we can talk about that long distance dedication. I know that you're [00:17:00] married.

[00:17:00] So you might, choose your wife for this one. So what was your first couple song or that long distance dedication you wanna send out to her? 

[00:17:07] Luke Gipson: My newly wife, uh, remarried. I will say it is Alison Krauss. When you say nothing at all. I think Keith Whitley did a version of it too, but that was our dance for our wedding.

[00:17:19] it's just one of those songs that just set true to us because we could just look at each other and never have to say anything. We know exactly what we're thinking. 

[00:17:28] DJJonniBravo: oh, that's sweet. 

[00:17:29] Now is she into the same kind of music that you're into or is she into a, like a different vibe? 

[00:17:34] Luke Gipson: She's definitely into the music I'm into.

[00:17:36] When we got married, she was like, this guy will never like me. I'm boring. I sit at home with dogs, I watch TV and, here he is, playing drums, touring around. I think when her and I met, I was playing with a band called Elixer, which was a Boston and Journey tribute band.

[00:17:53] friends of ours were like, you know, you've gotta come meet this guy. You gotta come meet this guy. She was real hesitant about going out. And then she finally, came out to [00:18:00] come hear us. It was just like a love it, first sight type thing. The rest is history from there.

[00:18:05] Now she pretty much makes it to every single job I do. She can set my drum set up and tear it down, no problem. She, hosts me load in load out. She runs our light show for me. I've taught her how to do that. She's taken a huge interest in everything that I do musically and, I thank God for her every day.

[00:18:22] DJJonniBravo: It's good. When you have some of that partners up with you to that extent, to come out to your shows and run lights and set up your equipment. Cuz that equipment stuff, man. I know you DJ as well. That equipment stuff, tearing that stuff down, putting that stuff up. A lot of people don't realize they're like, Hey, I'll give you $50. Come out and DJ a apart. It's like, dude, you can't pay me $50 just to, you know, set up and tear down. I mean, come on, man. 

[00:18:46] Luke Gipson: Exactly. What's that little Meme thing? If you put $5,000 worth of stuff in a $500 card to drive 50 miles to make $5 worth. It's crazy. 

[00:18:56] DJJonniBravo: It's like everybody wants to pay you 50 bucks, like wait a minute. [00:19:00] it's crazy. 

[00:19:00] Luke Gipson: My cousin is a DJ also and we used to always talk about pricing and stuff. I was like, man, how do you get that much money for what you do? I never charged something like that. He’s always said, you're the entertainment of the wedding or the party.

[00:19:13] And you need, to be paid more than what the wedding cake costs. Wedding cakes are flour and sugar. 

[00:19:19] And anybody can make him. 

[00:19:21] You at least gotta be paid more than a wedding. You know, I never thought of it like that. I've always been that laid back kind of DJ. I have fun when I do him. But my job now kind of keeps me from doing as many of them as I want. 

[00:19:33] DJJonniBravo: You have a good heart too. And so that's the other thing. So sometimes it's like, a church thing, so I'll just do it for 50 bucks or 75 bucks or 150 bucks.

[00:19:41] Oh yeah. 

[00:19:41] You know, whatever. Then somebody's getting married. I'll just do it for, two or $300, you know, whatever it is. I'm not trying to, get all the money out of 'em, but like your friend saying you're not making any money.

[00:19:50] Like I said, we tear up in. Put up and tear down its get the gas to get out there. It's worth more than 50 bucks. 

[00:19:56] Luke Gipson: You're normally there like two hours before the event starts and at least two [00:20:00] hours after it ends. Setting up or tearing down and loading in. You gotta wait for everybody to exit, to build half the time.

[00:20:07] So, you do that, that's four hours there and four hour events. So you're there over eight hours or something. So people don't look at it that way. 

[00:20:13] DJJonniBravo: I haven't done too many either just because that fighting with the money and then, bringing the stuff out. Then people are like with iPods and, telephones and everything and spotify.

[00:20:23] It's like they wanna create their own list and they come up to you and it's no longer that they're making a request it's that you have to play this. And then after that, play this, and then after that play, it's like, wait a minute. I'm the one getting paid the DJ here. I think I would know the crowd a little bit better than what you would.

[00:20:39] Luke Gipson: Yeah, I get 'em where they turn around. Give you a playlist and say absolutely nothing else than what's on this playlist. You know, it, it, hurts when people are walking around going, oh man, that DJ's horrible. Oh, he's terrible. You know? And then you, feel that you hear it and then you start to play a couple things.

[00:20:57] You get people up and dancing. Next thing you know, bride comes over and says, [00:21:00] I said my list up, okay. Back to your list. And people walk away going this, bride green might be happy, but. Your guests think I'm horrible. That's the pains of the wedding scene.

[00:21:10] DJJonniBravo: I know that, exceptionally well. when I worked for carnival, cruise lines, as the DJ in the, fantasy, I used to always have these people that would come up and say, Hey, play this song or, Hey, play that song. And I'm like, you really want me to play that song right now?

[00:21:23] And they're like, yeah. I'm like, do you see the people that are just out there? And they're like tearing the floor up and the floor is so packed. You can't even get on the floor. And they're like, yeah, like, all right, I'm gonna play your song. You ready? I'll play their song and everybody leaves and I'm like, I'll put the other song back on.

[00:21:37] And the crowd gets back into the song. It's like, you know, I know what I'm doing. I've had expertise in doing this for so long. You know what I mean? You're the same way that’s why I don't really like about its like allow me to entertain you. That's what I'm here for. I'm not only here to get paid and you are paying me.

[00:21:54] So I do wanna respect what you're saying, but this is a party like let's party, 

[00:21:58] Luke Gipson: You know, that's right on that one. [00:22:00] 

[00:22:00] DJJonniBravo: It's hard for a wedding too, because it's like, start, stop, start, stop. They're doing the cake, they're doing a bouquet. The ones that you can really get where you're getting into a groove, you have to stop.

[00:22:10] And they're doing something and then, you know, you gotta start back up and then they're, doing something else. By the time you really get going, you gotta stop again. It’s either one way or the other. It's never where you can just do a party. Because it's a release for us DJs to get all that out.

[00:22:23] Cause we have all that music in us and we just want to get it all out and do a party and just have fun. 

[00:22:29] Luke Gipson: Definite. I get those with a lot of the jobs I get. I'm, kind of blessed on not having so many of the weddings anymore. And I do just more, outdoor functions where you're actually more background music than anything.

[00:22:43] you're not really there to make people dance, but you're not there to put anybody to sleep either. I've gotten to where I just love doing those. 

[00:22:49] DJJonniBravo: Oh, that's good. Well, you talked about your first concert, do you wanna talk about another concert or maybe the last concert or a concert that, was just so memorable 

[00:22:59] Luke Gipson: [00:23:00] I know I said something about the Justin Bieber thing. I remember taking my kids a couple years ago to go see him and watch Marvin dance I had to get the kid credit, man. It was probably one of the best shows I ever watched, watching him perform. And I think he said one bad word, the entire show with, a sold out arena.

[00:23:17] So, I mean, I gave him props on it. A lot of people give him a hard time, but I was, I was actually pretty impressed with it. I know like one of the, see what was the last one we just saw? I think we just went and saw Foreigner out there at meadow Event Park. We did go see the, uh, how can I forget that?

[00:23:30] The big, Motley Crue stadium tour, oh, ended up landing tickets for that. Got to see Joan Jett she was one of my favorites. You know, Def Lepp ard you can't say nothing wrong about them. hysteria probably one of the most perfect songs ever written, Poison put on a great show, lots of kudos to their drummer, Rikki Rockett

[00:23:48] I've always been a fan of him, for him to be a cancered survivor and come back and still keep doing what he's doing you know, selling out stadium him stuff. And then, of course, Motley Crue. So Poison you know, grew up with them, listen to 'em, they're all still doing it. [00:24:00] So it's a great concert.

[00:24:01] DJJonniBravo: Poison and Tesla was my first concert. I've seen, Motley Crue a couple times when the Doctor Feelgood tour, and I didn't get a chance to go see him this time. I've seen Joan Jett as well. I've seen her open up a couple times. I think it was for Heart and Cheap Trick And then I saw, Def Leppard finally down in Virginia Beach and they were awesome, but I really wanted to do the stadium tour.

[00:24:21] I just missed. It's all over the news and they are just all over social media and it's just like, it's the place to be? It's like the concert to be at this, year, I believe. 

[00:24:33] Luke Gipson: Yeah, we got, blessed with that a friend of mine had tickets that, he was like, oh my God, I can't believe they're doing it this day.

[00:24:38] And I mean, he's had 'em for, you know, what, two years now, but he bought 'em from when they first said they were gonna put it out and then COVID shut the whole thing down. He ended up not being able to go. And we ended up being able to land the tickets off of him and, you know, made a short notice. Hey, Hey, you wanna go? Yeah, let's go. And just jumped in the car and took off, went up there to the DC. 

[00:24:59] DJJonniBravo: [00:25:00] Oh man. And I heard that, poison is really rocking it out on this show. I'm not sure if they're saying that they're the best on it or not, because, I mean, its like, how can you compare? You got Joan Jett you got, Def Leppard, you got Poison and you got Motley Crue. It's like, just all of 'em just blow your mind 

[00:25:15] Luke Gipson: I've really, really did enjoy Poison. I gotta say I really, really enjoyed it. I always loved Poison to begin with. I think last time I saw them though, was like at Innsbrook after hours out here in the short pump area, back before they moved it back behind, down off Cox road, when they used to have it right up in Innsbrook.

[00:25:32] I remember they came up there and played. That was the last time I saw 'em until the stadium tour. And they still sound just as good then as they did back. When I heard him back in the day, Caught 'em in the Coliseum, a couple times, with shows, can't remember who they were with though.

[00:25:46] I mean, absolutely amazing show just really was. Joan Jett for her age still killed it. Like I said, Def Leppard just, I mean, they're one of my favorites to begin with. 

[00:25:54] DJJonniBravo: When we saw, Joan Jett, my wife and I were at that show. And I think we [00:26:00] were with her cousin and some other folks. And there were some ladies in front of us and they were really concerned for Joan Jett. They were like, does she have cancer? Is she sick? I think she looks damn good. She's still wearing that onesie and everything with a belt. She's out there just rocking, you know, she comes out there and she'll. Throw it down and then she's out. She's, probably even would headline, 

[00:26:21] Luke Gipson: she could, she could, I mean, she had just several albums of stuff that she did and it just blew me away that it all sounded so good. I loved her. I loved her. I just, I loved the show. I loved watching her. 

[00:26:32] DJJonniBravo: And when I saw Poison, they actually opened up for Tesla. So I don't know if you were at that show at the Coliseum or not. That was like, probably 88, something around there. They weren't even doing their own show yet. They were opening up for Tesla. That was when Tesla had that sign song out 

[00:26:48] Luke Gipson: Signs. Yes. I can't remember. I think when I saw 'em they were headline and I'm not sure who it was, but it was like a three band show. I do remember that, but I don't remember the other ones that were playing with them.

[00:26:59] DJJonniBravo: [00:27:00] Well, since we're into the music and we're talking about that, let's talk about your first music purchase and was it a vinyl tape, CD or stream, and where did you purchase it? 

[00:27:10] Luke Gipson: Kiss live two was my first album. I remember I bought Alamo own saved my money and everything, and I went to, uh, what was it? Gary's music, I think is what it was called Eastgate out in the east end area. Yep. It was little record tape shop and went up, her, waited for him to open the doors to go. Still got the album. 

[00:27:31] DJJonniBravo: Gary had some good stuff up there. I think it was called Gary's records and tapes or it was just Gary's I'm not sure.

[00:27:37] Luke Gipson: Yeah. I think it was Gary's Records and Tapes. I remember buying, like Joan Jett and bought the Go-Go's album. Go-Go's was probably We Got the Beat. I think it was one of the first songs when I was a kid. I learned the play just cause it had, all the drums in it.

[00:27:50] Gina they're reg I was a fan of her. I, you know, I love the Gogos growing up that kind of punky style music also. But, those were the first couple ones I think I remember buying We [00:28:00] also had Dean's one stop. I used to go up at the top of the hill.

[00:28:03] DJJonniBravo: I remember Dean's One Stop too. It was like, you could buy in bulk there. I think when I worked at, Sam goody that took over Gary's at, Eastgate, and then it became Fairfield Commons Mall, I was working there and we would have to go if we needed extra tapes or CDs, we would have to go there and pick 'em.

[00:28:19] Luke Gipson: In bulk. 

[00:28:20] DJJonniBravo: I know exactly where the building was and everything. Cause I used to go there all the time. That particular store we really needed to be on an R and B. They had an R and B niche program, and I was able to get them on that R and B niche, because we would get like 50 REMS and like three Tupac and Tupac would sell out. Like as soon as I opened the gate, so I'd have to go every time and go over there and get those, from them. And then I'd be sitting on, like all of these RMS and I'd send, you know, more than probably half of 'em back. So finally they got me on the R and B niche where they were bringing in the right set of product, cuz we weren't making as much money by going and picking 'em up from the wholesaler at that time. 

[00:28:59] Luke Gipson: [00:29:00] They did do all the bulk sales and stuff there. I do remember that. 

[00:29:03] DJJonniBravo: And that's where we would go and get 'em, you know, we'd pick 'em up from there. I'd either I'd either go or I'd send my assistant manager over to pick him up either one, but I knew new release day.

[00:29:12] If we were getting, a Biggie or Tupac. Mary J Blige or whatever it was, I was like, we need to go get some more of those. We only got two or three of those. 

[00:29:20] Luke Gipson: Oh yeah. 

[00:29:21] DJJonniBravo: We didn't have a problem with the rock albums, and during Christmas time it was always go get some more Temptations, go get some more Jackson five, those were all the ones that were going.

[00:29:29] Yeah. They were the ones that were flying off the off the shelves. 

[00:29:34] Well, let's take a break. So hang. 

[00:29:36] Luke Gipson: All righty

[00:29:55] Year of October: Influence with DJJonniBravo. [00:30:00] 

[00:30:00] DJJonniBravo: We are back I'm Jonni Bravo. You're going under the musical influence of todays. Luke Gipson on Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo. All right, Luke, it's the question that everybody loves to hate. What's your favorite song? 

[00:30:14] Luke Gipson: Favorite song is if anybody knows me, knows its Journey, Don't Stop Believing.

[00:30:19] don’t know why I'm one of the biggest Journey fans out there still, love. 'em seen them, several times, several times. Several different drummers 

[00:30:29] DJJonniBravo: They've gotten bunch of different, guys over the years changed lead singers, Steve Perry, you know, leaving 'em. 

[00:30:34] Luke Gipson: Well, like I said, I mean, they're a timeless band that just, no matter when you hear that song, it just, it lights you up 

[00:30:41] DJJonniBravo: now, do you watch stranger things at all? 

[00:30:43] Luke Gipson: I did the first two seasons. 

[00:30:45] DJJonniBravo: So I'm not gonna ruin it for you, and I'm not gonna ruin for anybody out there that hasn't seen it. But I just wanted to say there's one scene on season four where they play separate ways and it's like, 

[00:30:55] Luke Gipson: oh, okay. 

[00:30:56] DJJonniBravo: It's like the best song ever. And it's like the remix [00:31:00] and it's the best song ever for that particular scene. In the show. 

[00:31:04] Luke Gipson: Oh, wow. 

[00:31:05] DJJonniBravo: So if you get up to season four, try to like, season two is a little iffy. If once you get past season two, season three is better. And season four is like phenomenal, but there's one scene with separate ways. It's the remix and it's so awesome. Like it just fits the scene. And I mean that's set back in the eighties anyway. 

[00:31:22] Luke Gipson: now you're gonna make me get hooked on it and have to go look 

[00:31:26] DJJonniBravo: Because you like Journey and, you know, it'll be a journey to watch the rest of the series for you.

[00:31:31] Luke Gipson: Awesome. I, to look forward to that one. 

[00:31:33] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. I mean, there there's other songs that are getting attention, but, Journey is one of those ones that, you know, does as well. And there's a couple other songs that really get a lot of the attention from. 

[00:31:42] Luke Gipson: Just the, the band in itself is, I mean, they're just, they're timeless people still use 'em for everything.

[00:31:48] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. I mean, they sound so great. You know, the recordings just still have that fire to 'em, when you listen to yeah. And it's like still a lot of those songs you [00:32:00] just crank up. I mean, there's certain songs in the. That you just crank up and journey is one of those bands that you're just like, you know, most, every song, even the slower ones, you're like, let me turn that up.

[00:32:11] That was this song or that song or whatever, you know, and you just, it takes you back. To a certain timeframe in your life.

[00:32:19] Luke Gipson: Oh yes. Memorable high school dances dancing to faithfully 

[00:32:23] DJJonniBravo: exactly, exactly. So it takes you right back to that moment in time.

[00:32:27] as soon as you hear it. Well, we have another good question for you. What's your favorite band?

[00:32:33] Luke Gipson: Of course, Journey. Journey and Kiss my two favorites. I mean, I've followed them. I was playing in a Journey tribute band, so that was just like a dream come true. And those guys nailed it.

[00:32:44] And, you know, any, Kiss concert I can get to, I try to get to him. 

[00:32:48] DJJonniBravo: And do you have their whole catalog? 

[00:32:50] Luke Gipson: I do not have the whole, I I've got a lot of Journey stuff, all downloaded. I don't have the entire Kiss catalog downloaded. I do have a huge selection [00:33:00] of it though. Huge selection. And, you know, sometimes if I do them long road trips, it would be the Kiss playlist.

[00:33:05] You know, sometimes they end up getting me a ticket for speeding, 

[00:33:09] DJJonniBravo: Well, and there's a movie. I don't know if you've ever seen it. It a movie called, Beautiful Girls and in the movie they play Beth and that, is a good song for, you know, that particular, movie where they play the best song, because he had basically. Gave the girl, like a ring and everything.

[00:33:28] And, they're like living north somewhere and he's still icing her lots, and making, clearing her, driveway out while Beth is playing on the, radio. 

[00:33:38] Luke Gipson: Oh, wow. That's cool. 

[00:33:39] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. So, it's Beautiful Girls. It’s got, Natalie Portman in it when she was really young.

[00:33:45] And, you know, some of the guys, I think it's Matt, Dylan, that was in it and some other guys, and they're all talking about beautiful girls and he comes back for his high school reunion and it's all the stuff that he gets into that like weekend or whatever.

[00:33:59] And it's pretty [00:34:00] good, but they have a good soundtrack. It's a good, if you ever look it up, look up Beautiful Girls. It's a good soundtrack to that too. 

[00:34:06] Luke Gipson: Oh, okay, cool. 

[00:34:07] DJJonniBravo: Yeah. Check that 

[00:34:08] Luke Gipson: They had, Jean and Paul were in, what was that movie? Why Him with James Franco in it.

[00:34:13] Yeah. 

[00:34:13] Yeah. Comedy. Yeah, that, that was, awesome. When they showed up the end. Yeah, he went out singing. 

[00:34:19] DJJonniBravo: He had the whole doves. He's like, go for doves. Don't go for doves. Yeah. Yep. And they're come walking down the street and they're singing and everything. Cuz the parents like loved Kiss. 

[00:34:29] Luke Gipson: Love kiss. That was their concert, their first concert 

[00:34:32] DJJonniBravo: together. Yeah. And they were in the house. They came into the house for a moment cuz you know, the guy and the girl had something that they wanted to discuss. So they're like kisses in our house. Gene Simmons is in our house. 

[00:34:45] Luke Gipson: and then they're doing Christmas girls and he's playing the triangle yeah, the best, scene.

[00:34:52] And 

[00:34:52] DJJonniBravo: they're decked out too. So they're decked out and all back up and everything. 

[00:34:55] Luke Gipson: Great 

[00:34:56] DJJonniBravo: movie. Yeah, exactly. Well, are you ready for the [00:35:00] big finale? 

[00:35:00] Luke Gipson: Yes. Give the big finale 

[00:35:02] all 

[00:35:02] DJJonniBravo: let's do it. 

[00:35:09] How has music impacted your life? 

[00:35:11] Luke Gipson: I mean, that's like an hour long question. I mean, it just, has I have a little sign that sits up in my drum room that says when words fail, music speaks. And that's just something that I just kind of live by forever. It’s a, language.

[00:35:25] It's a feeling. It's an expression. It's a passion. I guess, you know, the, the, the biggest impact it's had is when I actually started teaching drops and was able to pass on what I loved so much to other kids and, to watch them grow and get to where they, they're playing better than I was.

[00:35:44] I was like, there's no more I can teach and move on. And, you know, and that's like right now, I mean, I've got. You know, a friend of mine that's, close the same age I am and decided, you know, a while back, he's like, I wanna learn to play drums. So it started off just coming over and having a [00:36:00] couple cold ones.

[00:36:00] And then it turned into actually learning and playing. And now he kind of followed me into the church scene and became part of the lighting crew and stuff at the church scenes. Always kept saying, you know, one day I wanna be right there. I wanna be right there doing what you're doing and we made it happen.

[00:36:16] You know, now he's up on stage playing. It’s just moments like that. I just can't express to you the feeling or the joy. It gives me to see somebody else have the same passion that I had for it. I remember years ago, one of my students I had, when I used to teach at Don Warner music.

[00:36:31] you know, moved out and I ran into his parent in the airport one time and I hadn't seen them in years and she's like, oh yeah, you know, Andrew's playing in this band out of Boston and they're actually gonna be downtown, down at, I think it was like Bogart's back room or something like that downtown.

[00:36:47] he said, you need to come out and surprise him. You I think it was just one moment. I'll never forget. You know, when I walked up, I was like, Hey man, you're awesome. Can I buy you a beer? And it took him like a couple minutes to sit there and look to finally realize who I [00:37:00] was, cuz he hadn't seen me in years.

[00:37:01] And then just to see, see the joy he had, you know, everybody come here, I want you to meet this guy. You know, it's just, it's just moments like that. I mean, it's just, it's really impacted my life. It’s, kept me from. When I was in really hard and dark times, it's just something that I was always able to turn back to.

[00:37:19] and it's just pretty much just been my life. I'm still doing it. You know, I'll do it for as long as I can do it and keep doing it. And it's just, I love it. It's a passion. 

[00:37:27] DJJonniBravo: Well, one of the reasons why I made season two in the band was because you know of COVID and we didn't think we'd get back to.

[00:37:35] Whole scene this whole local scene. And you're part of that local scene. You guys go out and, you know, play and do these, you know, events for people. And we didn't think we were gonna get this back and it's just such a joy to have it back and to be able to. You know, express yourself because you need that outlet.

[00:37:56] when you love music, you need that, that therapy [00:38:00] of the music you want to speak to other people, and that's how you do it. And I know, you know, you play in several bands and I know you play, for the church and I know you, you know, DJ and do all these things. I'm just glad that you're able to get back out with your guys, exit 38 and.

[00:38:17] Be live and be local, you know? 

[00:38:20] Luke Gipson: Oh yeah, we're booked all the way through the end of the year. We’re doing out at, our banner oyster festival playing that one this year, which is a, you know, real big show for us. I say a lot, of good things with this band and the horizon.

[00:38:32] has it been together super, long? The guitar player and I started it just. Sitting in his garage. And, you know, we were all church members and we were like, you know, let's just start playing. And we just sat around and played, never really had any real desire to get out and do anything. It was just group of guys just having fun and, got a couple new members up in the band after making some changes around.

[00:38:54] And some of those guys just said, Hey man, this is good. We're, you know, and it's just, it's [00:39:00] taken off, a. Very respected band out there right now playing the music scene and I love it. 

[00:39:05] DJJonniBravo: Oh, well, that's great. So do you guys, have like a website or do you have like merch or anything like that?

[00:39:11] Where can people go to find out more information about exit 38? 

[00:39:16] Luke Gipson: It's mainly, Facebook, exit 38 RVA. There’s web links and stuff that are on there. There's links you can get to, to listen to music. There’s tons of videos and stuff up there.

[00:39:27] there is an Instagram's Exit 38 RVA on Instagram also that one's kind of newly started. You know, biggest thing to do is just pull it up on Facebook, find out where we're playing and come out and watch a show. 

[00:39:37] DJJonniBravo: Go. Well, that's great. I, appreciate you being here. 

[00:39:40] Luke Gipson: I appreciate you having me. Thank you so very much. 

[00:39:43] DJJonniBravo: I appreciate you being on the local scene and all the stuff that you're out there doing, even though I might not be able to get a part, of it.

[00:39:49] I want to try to come out to one of your shows. So let me know next time you're doing something local and I'll, try to come out and, 

[00:39:56] Luke Gipson: uh, unfortunately, oh, you got it. Thank you. I appreciate it. [00:40:00] Thank you very much. 

[00:40:01] DJJonniBravo: Well, thanks for going under the musical influence of today's guest, Luke Gipson on Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo.

[00:40:07] Go under the influence on Instagram at DJ J O N N I Bravo underscore under the influence. Contact us by email its DJJonniBravo dot under the influence@yahoo.com. Check out my other podcast with my son Hero Chat Show. Please subscribe to Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo, where you listen to your podcast.

[00:40:27] I'm Jonni Bravo. I'll see you next time. Goodbye.

[00:40:31] Year of October: [00:41:00] You are no longer Under the Influence with DJJonniBravo until next week.