The UCR Podcast

It feels awfully good to type that word, "Savatage," next to Chris Caffery's name these days, after so many years of the band members primarily putting their focus on Trans-Siberian Orchestra touring. As you might know, they've been back out there this year playing Savatage concerts and they also dug up something really cool from the archives. Madness Reigns From the Gutter (1990) is the nambe of the live release that documents 90 minutes of vintage Savatage caught live in concert during a grueling tour schedule that found the band playing more than 100 concerts here and abroad as they were supporting their current Gutter Ballet album. Chris tells Matt about that time period and also, his path to joining Savatage, crucial early tours with Dio and Megadeth and lots of other topics are discussed. We appreciate Chris taking the time! Here's a link to purchase the Madness set if you don't already own it! https://store.ultimateclassicrock.com/products/savatage-madness-reigns-from-the-gutter-1991?_pos=1&_psq=savatage&_psid=510cf6131&_ss=e

What's in a name? A lot of killer riffs, to name one thing. Trev Lukather joins us to talk about the rebirth of his band, Levara, and their first new single in five years, Underneath it All. Along the way, we talk about nepo babies, what fans can expect from Levara's upcoming album, collaborations with Christopher Cross and also, Richard Patrick of Filter and lots more. Our thanks to Trev for the time. There's probably a guest appearance from Trev's dog too, somewhere in all of this. Watch the new video for Underneath it All and see the band's upcoming tour dates: https://ultimateclassicrock.com/levara-trev-lukather-new-music-tour-2026/

With 38 Special continuing to celebrate their 50th anniversary, today we're revisiting a pair of previously unreleased conversations with the band's Don Barnes as well as former guitarist Jeff Carlisi. They spoke separately with Matt in May of 2022 to discuss the group's debut album which was turning 45 at that time. Don and Jeff also share plenty of additional stories behind the 38 Special radio hits and other topics. What has 38 Special been up to lately? They've got a new album and are already planning more tour dates in 2027. You can read all about that at the UCR website. https://ultimateclassicrock.com/38-special-tour-dates-2027/

Tom Morello has been a key sonic element of the music we've heard over the years, including (of course) Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, plus Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and also, his own solo work. We've heard Tom craft music in a lot of different genres, and now he's bringing the whole of what he's done throughout his career into focus with his newest solo album, Everyone Gets Everything They Want. Tom joins Matt today to discuss the album, plus other parts of his career and working with his son, Roman Morello.

We're pleased to present a special episode of the podcast today, featuring Peter Frampton, who sat down backstage at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium with Jeff Pilson and Luis Maldonado of Foreigner to discuss his long career and also, his appearance on Foreigner's newest single, "Trouble." Peter plays a new guitar solo on the song, which was originally recorded during the Head Games era. He tells Jeff and Luis how he came to know Foreigner founder/guitarist Mick Jones and shares some of his memories of hearing and being around the band over the years -- including one particularly memorable gig. You can also watch this conversation on Foreigner's official YouTube channel.