How to go
Who: The Crazy Joe Show
Where: Gilly’s, 132 S. Jefferson St., Dayton
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Cost: $10
More info: 937-228-8414 or www.gillysjazz.com
Artist info: www.crazyjoe.org
How to listen
Who: The Crazy Joe Show live in-studio on “Shakin’ Dave’s Hall Pass”
Where: WYSO-FM (91.3)
When: 8 to 11 p.m. Monday
Cost: Free
More info: 937-767-6420 or www.wyso.org
Crazy Joe Tritschler is a man of many talents. By day he’s a beloved electrical engineering professor at Wright State University. Off campus, he’s a music producer and studio musician, and on rare occasions, these days anyways, he finds time to get together with friends to play 1950s style rock ’n’ roll and retro R&B.
Tritschler recently discussed teaching, music and his plans for The Crazy Joe Show at Gilly’s on Saturday.
Q: How’s the teaching gig?
A: “I love it. A full-time teaching job is a dream come true. They’re hard to get and I just got an excellence in faculty award, which is awesome because the students voted on it. It’s totally humbling.”
Q: What’s the plan for Gilly’s?
A: “For this show, I’m playing with all 60-year-old dudes. There’s just nothing like playing with guys that were around when the music I like was actually happening. It’s Duke Dewey on drums, Peter Hayes on keys and my high school band director Lloyd Steiger on bass. It’s kind of a new thing although I’ve played in other things with these guys. We’ll be doing stuff from pretty much the whole catalog, my three full-lengths and a couple of EPs, and not a lot of covers. It’ll be fun.”
Q: Will you be touring any?
A: “I’m teaching two classes this summer so there’s no time. I never give myself a break. I don’t have any international gigs this summer. I usually have a few festivals. Last year I went to England and Italy with Deke Dickerson but not this year. I’m just keeping it around here. I’m playing up in Troy in late July and I’ll probably take the same band. I really want to get into playing more often but I can only play so many times a year around here.”
Q: How involved were you in the new Rob Heiliger album?
A: “We did it in my studio last summer and fall. He wrote all the songs, played rhythm guitar and sang and I did all the other instruments. That took a lot of my time in 2013 but it came out great. It’s a full-on old honky-tonk record. It’s twisted, man, but he’s a great songwriter.”
Q: Anything else coming up?
A: “I’ll be on WYSO, on ‘Shakin’ Dave’s Hall Pass,’ the Monday after we’re at Gilly’s. He’s been having people perform live the last Monday of the month. I really like what he’s doing, so I’m looking forward to doing that.”
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