The City's Backyard

Matt Zako
  • 4.9 (12)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The City's Backyard with Matt Zako. A Podcast For New York City's Backyard or any city's backyard across the world! Covering Arts, Entertainment, music and the community! 

  1. The City's Backyard Ep 189 BEYOND PURPLE paying tribute to Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Rainbow, & Dio! Singer Mike Gill and guitarist Jimi Bell chat it up about their show at Mohegan Sun in CT and more!

    5D AGO

    The City's Backyard Ep 189 BEYOND PURPLE paying tribute to Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Rainbow, & Dio! Singer Mike Gill and guitarist Jimi Bell chat it up about their show at Mohegan Sun in CT and more!

    BEYOND PURPLE performs a showcase of the biggest hits from Deep Purple and Whitesnake, as well as Rainbow and Dio; all born out of the Deep Purple family tree. The band faithfully re-creates the vivid experience of live, high-energy music from what many consider to be Rock’s greatest era.  ​Beyond Purple consists of elite musicians with national ties, including guitarist Jimi Bell (Autograph, House of Lords); his amazing skills and prowess on guitar are truly world class.  Mike Gill (Livesay, Johnny A.) is the lead voice of the band, with powerful soaring vocals in the style of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale, Graham Bonnet, Joe Lynn Turner, and Ronnie James Dio. His energetic stage presence brings every song to life.  Drummer BJ Zampa (Dokken, House of Lords) pounds out thunderous beats with a huge groove that locks in the band on every note; he also contributes harmony vocals.  Bassist Brian Camilleri rounds out the rhythm section, laying down the low-end thunder and locking in with BJ, to create a solid musical foundation.  Welcome Gary Fox Jr. on keyboards and backing vocals, a long standing member of legendary Led Zeppelin tribute “Physical Graffiti”. His talent is beyond amazing.     Their high energy show fully engages the crowd, with accurate song renditions that capture the raw energy and power that has made this style of music one of the most popular of all time. For info: https://www.beyondpurpleband.com/:

    29 min
  2. The City's Backyard Ep 188The Year 2025 In Review...Best Of Part 2:Jackie Martling, Eliot Lewis (Hall&Oates), Melissa Newman(Paul Newman), Greg Walker(Beetle Bailey), Rob Fraboni Sound Engineer, Carmine Appice(Rod&Ozzy) Rosie Flores(Robert Plant tour)!

    JAN 5

    The City's Backyard Ep 188The Year 2025 In Review...Best Of Part 2:Jackie Martling, Eliot Lewis (Hall&Oates), Melissa Newman(Paul Newman), Greg Walker(Beetle Bailey), Rob Fraboni Sound Engineer, Carmine Appice(Rod&Ozzy) Rosie Flores(Robert Plant tour)!

    2025 was a great year at The City's Backyard Podcast! We had so many great guests in the arts from musicians to comedians to actors it made it hard to narrow them down to THE YEAR IN REVIEW Part 1 and Part 2 "Best Of" episodes. We loved all our guests from awesome tribute bands to theater executives to a ton of funny comedians and we appreciate every one of them!  In Part 2 of THE 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW you will hear edited down versions of episodes with Jackie Martling, Eliot Lewis (Hall&Oates), Melissa Newman(Paul Newman), Greg Walker(Beetle Bailey), Rob Fraboni Sound Engineer, Carmine Appice(Rod&Ozzy) Rosie Flores(Robert Plant tour)!

    1h 4m
  3. The City's Backyard Ep 187 The Year 2025 In Review...The Best Of Part 1: Steve Fossen from HEART, Lee Rocker*STRAY CATS, Corky Laing*MOUNTAIN, Bruce Sudano*Musician/Husband of the late DONNA SUMMER, Jim McCarty*THE YARDBIRDS, Dennis Dunaway*ALICE COOPER

    12/30/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 187 The Year 2025 In Review...The Best Of Part 1: Steve Fossen from HEART, Lee Rocker*STRAY CATS, Corky Laing*MOUNTAIN, Bruce Sudano*Musician/Husband of the late DONNA SUMMER, Jim McCarty*THE YARDBIRDS, Dennis Dunaway*ALICE COOPER

    2025 was a great year at The City's Backyard Podcast! We had so many great guests in the arts from musicians to comedians to actors it made it hard to narrow them down to THE YEAR IN REVIEW Part 1 and Part 2 "Best Of" episodes. We loved all our guests from awesome tribute bands to theater executives to a ton of funny comedians and we appreciate every one of them!  In Part 1 of THE 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW you will hear edited down versions of episodes with Steve Fossen from HEART, Lee Rocker*STRAY CATS, Corky Laing*MOUNTAIN, Bruce Sudano*Musician/Husband of the late DONNA SUMMER, Jim McCarty*THE YARDBIRDS, and Dennis Dunaway*ALICE COOPER! Part 2 will continue for the next episode with more of our featured guests on The 2025 YEAR IN REVIEW Show! Don't  miss it and thanks for listening to THE CITY'S BACKYARD! Please stay tuned and follow us on social media!

    1h 4m
  4. The City's Backyard Ep 186 ROSIE FLORES who is touring with ROBERT PLANT from LED ZEPPELIN is our special guest for The Holidays talking about her new album Impossible Frontiers and what it's like to tour with a rock legend!

    12/23/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 186 ROSIE FLORES who is touring with ROBERT PLANT from LED ZEPPELIN is our special guest for The Holidays talking about her new album Impossible Frontiers and what it's like to tour with a rock legend!

    Most musicians would only dream of opening for Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin on tour but for Rosie Flores the dream came true! Rosie drops by The City's Backyard Podcast on this episode to talk about her music, career, and new album called Impossible Frontiers with her band The Talismen! Plus she speaks about what it's like to be on the road opening for Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian. Rosie Flores, triple-threat Texas musician, has never allowed the challenge of navigating the male-centric worlds of rock and country music slow her down. In fact, she often drew upon those challenges as source material in sharply observed songs she not only wrote and sang with authority and passion, but also brought to life musically as a widely respected lead guitarist in a string of notable bands. Rosie is one of the 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellows! In September 2024 she accepted her gold medal award at the Library Of Congress, appearing at the Kennedy Center as well as the White House.  A daughter of San Antonio whose musical journey also has included quality time in Austin, Los Angeles, and Nashville, Flores has adroitly absorbed, helped preserve, and extended the musical legacies of influential Texas musicians as varied as country music’s King of Western Swing Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, blues guitar master T-Bone Walker, and Tex Mex innovator Doug Sahm. In the 1970s, she became one of the most celebrated performers on the “cowpunk” circuit (a hybrid of punk rock and country), alongside such other rising stars as Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams, Rank & File, and Los Lobos (2021 NEA National Heritage Fellows). The release of her 1987 debut solo album Rosie Flores proved her to be a singer and songwriter of the first rank, and helped lay the foundation for what coalesced into the alt country movement. Flores became the first Latina to crack Billboard’s country music chart. For her enthusiastic participation in and ongoing promotion of Austin’s deep and wide music scene, including the annual South by Southwest Conference, the city has proclaimed Rosie Flores Day in 2006. Flores has remained a spark plug live performer for more than five decades, a goosebump-inducing electric guitarist and songwriter as well as champion of the trailblazers who preceded her. Notably, she lured pioneering rockabilly heroines Wanda Jackson (2005 NEA National Heritage Fellow) and Janis Martin (“the female Elvis”) back into recording studios and onto concert stages for lauded late-career rejuvenations. Flores won a 2007 Peabody Award for her narration of the NPR rockabilly documentary, Whole Lotta Shakin’. For more on Rosie and her tour click here > https://rosieflores.com/tour/

    37 min
  5. The City's Backyard Ep 185 STEVIEMAC's Diane and Andie are ON AIR checking in about what makes a great Fleetwood Mac Tribute band plus their upcoming holiday show at The Palace Stamford and 2026 tour dates!

    12/15/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 185 STEVIEMAC's Diane and Andie are ON AIR checking in about what makes a great Fleetwood Mac Tribute band plus their upcoming holiday show at The Palace Stamford and 2026 tour dates!

    This episode we are talking "FLEETWOOD MAC" with Diane Lutz and Andie Baldwin from STEVIE MAC... the Fleetwood Mac tribute that is lighting up the stage all over the country! Diane and Andi are the Stevie and Christine McVie of the original iconic band and talk about their passion for the music.  About StevieMac StevieMac authentically and flawlessly pays tribute to the legends of Fleetwood Mac. In this mesmerizing theater production, StevieMac replicates the most popular hits and the most memorable live performances spanning the decades long careers of Fleetwood Mac as well as the solo careers of Stevie Nicks, Christie McVie and Lindsay Buckingham. Time period wardrobe, multimedia and story-telling transport the audience to the specific eras being celebrated, immersing the audience in a multi-sensory experience you will be talking about for years to come. For more on the band  https://www.steviemactribute.com

    28 min
  6. The City's Backyard Ep 184 Talkin COMEDY with 3 great comics! Helaine Witt, Michael "Motts" Pelazza, & Rich Carucci! Coming to WESTPORT, CT for a holiday show!

    12/08/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 184 Talkin COMEDY with 3 great comics! Helaine Witt, Michael "Motts" Pelazza, & Rich Carucci! Coming to WESTPORT, CT for a holiday show!

    Tri state area Comics Helaine Witt, Michael "Motts" Pelazza, and Rich Carucci  have fun chatting it up on this episode talking about their love for comedy, the arts, and what to expect from their upcoming shows in the  area and their show together coming up soon in WESTPORT, CT!  To purchase tickets for Westport, CT click here: -Comedy Night at VFW Post 399 on Friday December 12th.  Doors open at 6pm. Show at 8pm.  Plenty of free parking. - Featuring 4 great comedians!  Rich Carucci, Helaine Witt, Michael "Motts" Pelazza, John Malkin, and Joe Pontillo. -Location: 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport CT -VFW has a full bar and drink specials sponsored by Spacecat Brewing -Tickets: Eventbrite $20. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-comedy-show-the-vfw-westport-friday-december-12th-tickets-1830545704479?aff=oddtdtcreator

    33 min
  7. The City's Backyard Ep 183 NEW YACHT CITY a Tribute to Yacht Rock returns to the show and tours The Tri-Sate area this winter playing Toto, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, The Doobies, Ambrosia, and more!

    12/01/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 183 NEW YACHT CITY a Tribute to Yacht Rock returns to the show and tours The Tri-Sate area this winter playing Toto, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, The Doobies, Ambrosia, and more!

    NEW YACHT CITY from New York and New Jersey, a tribute to Yacht Rock returns! On this episode we chat with Manish Nag  singer and keyboardist as well as  singer Megan McCafferty about the genre of what Yacht Rock means to it's fans!  If you love Steely Dan, Toto, Christopher Cross, The Doobies, Ambrosia and more you will love this band! Check them out for a fun time you and your friends will always remember!  For more info on shows, ticket info, merch and  the band check out their website!  https://www.newyacht.city/#shows To purchase tickets for WESTPORT click link below!  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-yacht-city-yacht-rock-at-the-westport-vfw-tickets-1783236541499?aff=oddtdtcreator

    25 min
  8. The City's Backyard Ep 182 Multilingual Singer-Songwriter and Actress Laura Budzelek releases her sophomore album Timeless Turquoise! Laura debuts her latest singles, "Cheers to Love" & "I'm Done" that just recently dropped!

    11/24/2025

    The City's Backyard Ep 182 Multilingual Singer-Songwriter and Actress Laura Budzelek releases her sophomore album Timeless Turquoise! Laura debuts her latest singles, "Cheers to Love" & "I'm Done" that just recently dropped!

    Laura Budzelek is a multilingual singer-songwriter and actress. Her music sounds like classic rock with hints of today and lands from far away.  Listeners often reflect on soul and folk elements as well, yet Laura's operatic background makes her stand apart from other singers. Her sophomore album, Timeless Turquoise, is scheduled for release this December! Fans will be pleased to discover fresh tracks that experiment with new genres, while maintaining Laura's signature style. Her latest singles, "I Became the Rock," "I'm Done" and "Cheers to Love" recently dropped! Her previous single "Relish the Romance," was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on none other than Valentine's Day. The modern rock 'n roll track has been remastered and featured on her new album. For more on Laura click on her website below!  https://www.laurabudzelek.com

    29 min
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4.9
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The City's Backyard with Matt Zako. A Podcast For New York City's Backyard or any city's backyard across the world! Covering Arts, Entertainment, music and the community! 

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Zako
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    365
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The City's Backyard
  • Show Website
    The City's Backyard