Don Jamieson was attracted to the rebellion of both rock ‘n’ roll and comedy at a young age.
“Late at night when my parents went to bed, I was listening to George Carlin and Cheech and Chong, and you might not know all the meanings in the comedy, but I knew it was subversive, and if my parents didn’t want me listening to it, I knew it was good,” the comedian recalled during a recent phone interview.
“Rock ‘n’ roll and comedy are into the sense that they’re both best when they’re a little bit dangerous,” observed Jamieson, formerly of “That Metal Show” on VH1 Classic. “If your parents liked the comedy albums and music albums, you’re probably not doing it right.”
Rock music and joke-telling have produced a long career for the 59-year-old New Jersey native. Jamieson’s profile got a boost as one of three hosts of “That Metal Show,” which ran from 2008 to 2015 and built a loyal following of fans that persists today through old episodes replayed on social media platforms.
Jamieson will perform standup at “Krackpots Comedy Club” in downtown Massillon on June 19 and 20. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.krackpotscomedy.com/
‘Just three buddies hanging out.’
Jamieson infused his penchant for humor into “That Metal Show.”
Jamieson and fellow comedian Jim Florentine co-hosted the program with music historian, author and radio personality Eddie Trunk.
Jamieson said he meets fans who are eager for the television show’s return. It was a haven for metal heads and fans of AC/DC, Van Halen, Metallica, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses, Kiss, Megadeath, Anthrax, Motörhead and Dokken.
The trio pitched the idea for the show to VH1 expecting little more than a free lunch from TV producers.
The show became a staple of VH1 Classic. Part of its charm was the relatability and unpretentiousness of the co-hosts. Comedy, hijinks and rock star guests were other key ingredients.
“It’s just three buddies hanging out and having the same conversation we would have if we were sitting backstage on some road cases with the artist or sitting at a bar having a beer and talking about music,” said Jamieson, who is scheduled to release another comedy album in the fall.
“We wanted to be supportive of a scene that we loved so much, and we still love so much,” Jamieson said.
Will ‘That Metal Show’ make a comeback?
Could “That Metal Show” be resurrected on a streaming platform or other media format?
“Everything does come back eventually,” Jamieson said with a load of laughter. “Mullets and bell bottoms and eventually three fools from New Jersey, so who knows?”
“We’ve had a bunch of close calls over the years,” he added. “The weird thing is somebody’s putting up a lot of clips from ‘That Metal Show’ on Instagram and Facebook … and I feel there’s a little bit of a groundswell of older fans (who would like the show to return).”
“… We do have a whole new generation of kids who not only loved that music but watched ‘That Metal Show’ with their dads … and it made such a strong impression on them.”
‘A big mix of everything.’
Jamieson has too many rock ‘n’ roll heroes to name, from Ace Frehley to Eddie Van Halen to Lemmy Kilmister. But he also looks up to comedic legends, and one tops them all.
“It would have to be (Andrew Dice Clay) because he’s the reason I wanted to get on stage and start doing it,” he said. “He really made me want to do it. … He is still a rock ‘n’ roll comic. I ended up doing 10 years on the road with him. That was like going to comedy college. I learned a lot in those 10 years, and he’s a really good friend of mine.”
Jamieson said his own comedy style covers the gamut.
“I definitely give my take on everything that’s going on in this crazy world … especially in the last 10 years,” he said with laughter. “It is also really personal stuff now. I’m in a new relationship for a while, buying a house together, our cats. There’s a ton of relatable stuff in there, and of course, I’m going to talk about music as well. There’s a big mix of everything.”
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint
If you go
Who − Comedian Don Jamieson
Where − Krackpots Comedy Club, 14 Lincoln Way W in downtown Massillon
When − 7:30 p.m. June 19 and 20. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Admission − Tickets cost $22.50 to $44 and can be purchased at https://www.krackpotscomedy.com/
Talking rock with Don Jamieson of ‘That Metal Show’
First rock concert − “It was 1981, Judas Priest with openers Iron Maiden (in New Jersey). … I remember not being able to hear for two days.”
Favorite album − AC/DC “Powerage”
Most underrated rock band − “I think the band Type O Negative never got over that hump.”
Pick a Van Halen era − “As far as the music, it’s Roth all the way. With me, as far as who I’d want to hang out with and drink tequila with, it’d be Sammy.”
Favorite Kiss album − “It’d have to be ‘Destroyer’ because that’s the first album I ever got − it’s the gateway album into everything I like now.”
Last vinyl record you purchased −”I bought some (Black) Sabbath actually that I didn’t have. I actually found ‘Dehumanizer’ on vinyl and I got ‘Technical Ecstasy,’ and I got the box set. And I got the new Cheap Trick on vinyl.”
Favorite concert − “2009, AC/DC at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The Black Ice Tour. The greatest rock and roll show I’ve ever seen by a mile − incredible. 24 great AC/DC songs. One after another.”
Rock star you wish you could have interviewed − “It definitely would be Eddie Van Halen who we never got (on ‘That Metal Show.’) We had Michael (Anthony) and Sammy (Hagar) who did the show a bunch of times. We never did Eddie, but he sent us one of his amplifiers, and that’s what our guest guitar players used on the show.”
Favorite rock star interview − “Lemmy from Motörhead. He is my hero. I love everything he stood for. He lived the lifestyle I wanted to live and never apologized, and his lyrics just really spoke to me, so that band always has meant the world to me. He wasn’t the easiest guy to interview. He mumbled and sometimes you wished he came with subtitles. If he just came on the show and smoked and that’s all he did and didn’t do anything else, it would still be the coolest interview ever.”
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘That Metal Show’ host bringing the jokes and rock talk to Massillon
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ed Balint, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
