The City's Backyard

Matt Zako
  • 4.9 (14)
  • Arts
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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. 3d ago

    The City's Backyard Ep 231 Rob Thorne from the medal band Sacred Oath talks about their new release date for their 10th studio album Don’t Be Afraid (SRGILS/Virgin Music).

    Sacred Oath and Angel Thorne Music are excited to announce the December 4 th 2026 release date for their 10 th studio album Don’t Be Afraid (SRGILS/Virgin Music). Don’t Be Afraid marks a return to the classic four-piece lineup including Rob Thorne (vocals and guitar), Damiano Christian (guitar), Scott Waite (bass), and Kenny “Thundarr” Evans (drums). Thorne and Evans are original members since 1985 and both have appeared on every Sacred Oath album since, including two live albums. Sacred Oath is best-known for releasing A Crystal Vision in 1988, an album recognized as an international cult-classic of the power-metal genre. It was followed by 8 more critically acclaimed studio albums, including World On Fire, Sacred Oath, Darkness Visible, Ravensong, Twelve Bells, Fallen, and Return Of The Dragon. The single “Counting Zeros” from their eponymous 2009 release was chosen as iTunes “Discovery Download of the Week”, and their first live album “Till Death Do Us Part” (2008) was listed as a Top Ten Metal Album of the year by Apple Music in its year of release. The band was featured on MTV2 Headbangers Ball in its last televised season with a featured interview. For more on Sacred Oath, visit their official site https://www.sacredoath.net/

    The City's Backyard Ep 231 Rob Thorne from the medal band Sacred Oath talks about their new release date for their 10th studio album Don’t Be Afraid (SRGILS/Virgin Music).

  2. Oct 26

    The City's Backyard Ep 230 STEVIEMAC's lead singer Diane Lutz pays tribute to the legends of FLEETWOOD MAC! We talk about the music, the songs, and their Peekskill Paramount show and other scheduled dates!

    Special Guest: Diane Lutz who pays tribute to Stevie and Fleetwood Mac along with the rest of the band called StevieMac! 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

    The City's Backyard Ep 230 STEVIEMAC's lead singer Diane Lutz pays tribute to the legends of FLEETWOOD MAC! We talk about the music, the songs, and their Peekskill Paramount show and other scheduled dates!

  3. Oct 19

    The City's Backyard Ep 229 JACKIE "The Joke Man" MARTLING a regular guest on the show chats about his upcoming comedy gigs in NJ & his boat cruise in Fort Lauderdale...plus some acting and why he does not keep up with The Howard Stern Show!

    Regular guest Jackie  Martling (foremerly of The Howard Stern Show) drops by the backyard of New York City to chat about his upcoming comedy shows in the in New Jersey and Fort Lauderdale!  We chat about why he doesn't bash Howard or keep up with the current show plus how he stays busy at 78 years young! He talks about dabbling in acting and how former connections have come to life on set! We talk about streaming shows, podcasts, radio and how there is too much of everything including comedy!  For eighteen years (1983-2001) a fixture of radio & television’s Howard Stern Show, comedian Jackie “The Joke Man” Martling was born and raised in East Norwich, a tiny hamlet on the glorious North Shore of Long Island, New York. He graduated in 1966 from Oyster Bay High School and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University in 1971. You can also see Jackie live in the area! Check website for info!  https://www.jokeland.com/shows

    The City's Backyard Ep 229 JACKIE "The Joke Man" MARTLING a regular guest on the show chats about his upcoming comedy gigs in NJ & his boat cruise in Fort Lauderdale...plus some acting and why he does not keep up with The Howard Stern Show!

  4. Oct 12

    The City's Backyard Ep 228 Comedy with JOE PONTILLO & RICH SULTIS chat about the East Coast comedy scene and are both coming to WESTPORT, CT this month! Plus we chat about their other dates all over the area!

    Tri state area Comics Rich Sultis  along with resident Joe Pontillo  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!   -Comedy Night at VFW Post 399 on Friday October 16th .  Doors open at 7pm. Show at 8pm.  Plenty of free parking. - Featuring 5 great comedians!   Rich Shultis, Autumn Harvist, Michael Agunbiade, Trish Bradbury Gernert and Joe Pontillo. -Location: 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport CT -VFW has a full bar and drink specials!  To purchase tickets for Westport, CT click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/october-comedy-blowout-the-vfw-westport-tickets-1998382596140?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

    The City's Backyard Ep 228 Comedy with JOE PONTILLO & RICH SULTIS chat about the East Coast comedy scene and are both coming to WESTPORT, CT this month! Plus we chat about their other dates all over the area!

  5. Oct 5

    The City's Backyard Ep 227 ELIOT LEWIS ( Hall & Oates, Live From Daryl's House, Average White Band) talks about being on the road with his American 2026 Tour and an upcoming local stop in Westport, CT plus life before and after Hall & Oates!

    Eliot Lewis spent almost 20 years with Hall & Oates and is always a blast to chat with as one our favorite regular guests on the podcast...he was also on the TV show Live From Daryl's House playing with some of top artists in the music industry.... and before all of that he was in the Average White Band!  Eliot Lewis appearing Live at The Westport VFW Saturday October 10th for an intimate show! Eliot Lewis - Multi-instrumentalist and solo artist, returns to Westport, CT for this very special performance that only cost $15 advance $20 at the door!  Eliot Lewis has performed with many of the biggest names in the music business including, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, Train, Cheap Trick, Grace Potter, Ben Folds, Sammy Hagar, BlackBerry Smoke, Squeeze and many others. Eliot has appeared on every episode of Daryl Hall’s incredibly popular, "Live From Daryl's House” show all while keeping his own solo career going at a seemingly impossible pace. "Eliot is a musician who can do it all, great singer, songwriter and guitarist. He rocks and he's got soul. No one does it quite like him" - Daryl Hall Eliot’s show is truly unique and will find him moving from one instrument to another using live looping to seamlessly construct songs and arrangements on the spot and in the moment. If Eliot plays a cover song, it’s typically a song he’s performed with that artist. Not to be missed~ Purchase tickets for Westport CT on Otober 10th at 7pm below by clicking the ticketleap link!   https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/wwweliotlewiscom/eliot-lewis-live-in-westport-ct-1480740584

    The City's Backyard Ep 227 ELIOT LEWIS ( Hall & Oates, Live From Daryl's House, Average White Band) talks about being on the road with his American 2026 Tour and an upcoming local stop in Westport, CT plus life before and after Hall & Oates!

  6. Sep 28

    The City's Backyard Ep 226 John “Papa” Gros - a New Orleans pianist, organist singer-songwriter has a new cover of Levon Helm's Hurricane from his latest album GIANTS!

    John “Papa” Gros (pronounced Grow) is a New Orleans pianist, organist and singer-songwriter whose career reflects the city itself—resilient, rhythmic, steeped in tradition, and always evolving. For more than thirty years, Gros has served as both a keeper and a translator of New Orleans music, blending funk, R&B, jazz, blues, rock, and Americana into a sound that is deeply rooted yet forward-looking. Born in New Orleans, Gros embodies his hometown’s culture and deeply rooted traditions, absorbing its music and spirit. He began playing piano and French horn at age eleven and attended Loyola University in uptown New Orleans, graduating with a degree in French horn performance. While his formal training provided discipline and technique, Gros’ real education came from the school of hard knocks in the clubs and on the streets—learning the language of groove, feel, and restraint from the musical elders who had built the city’s sound.  For more on John's career and his tour log onto his website: https://www.johnpapagros.com

    The City's Backyard Ep 226 John “Papa” Gros - a New Orleans pianist, organist singer-songwriter has a new cover of Levon Helm's Hurricane from his latest album GIANTS!

  7. Sep 21

    The City's Backyard Ep 225 VANESSA COLLIER, renowned soulful blues saxophonist-vocalist-songwriter and winner of five prestigious Blues Music Awards, continues her year-long "Keep It Saxy" 2026 Tour!

    Vanessa Collier is a multi-award-winning songwriter, master musician, and multi-instrumentalist, known for seamlessly weaving together funk, soul, rock, and blues styles through soulful vocals, searing saxophone solos, and witty songwriting skills. With her career still in its infancy, Vanessa has already turned many heads, garnering tremendous accolades for her trademark high energy, powerful, fiery, and passionate live shows. For more info checkout her website!  https://www.vanessacollier.com

    The City's Backyard Ep 225 VANESSA COLLIER, renowned soulful blues saxophonist-vocalist-songwriter and winner of five prestigious Blues Music Awards, continues her year-long "Keep It Saxy" 2026 Tour!

  8. Sep 14

    The City's Backyard Ep 224 "The craft beer movement" with Gregg Glaser from Modern Distillery Age , a trade publication covering the distilled spirits business in America!

    This episode is all about BEER in the backyard! Ok that sounds good but more specifically it's really about the craft beer movement. If there is one guy who knows about beer it's Gregg Glaser from Modern Distillery Age.  Gregg has covered the "beer beat" since 1994 and spirits and saké since 2001. He’s currently the Publisher/Editor of Modern Distillery Age, which he established in 2009. For many year he was Editor in Chief for Yankee Brew News, News Editor for All About Beer Magazine and a Contributing Editor for Modern Brewery Age and Beverage Media. He’s written for dozens of other publications.   Gregg conducts regular tasting panels for Modern Distillery Age, as he did for the other publications with which he was affiliated. Since 1996, he’s been the Competition Director for the Great International Beer Competition, the largest professional beer competition on the East Coast! He has also conducted beer, spirits and saké talks and tastings around the world, he’s been a judge at numerous U.S. and international beer and spirits competitions and he’s consulted for breweries, importers, wholesalers and restaurants. https://www.distilleryage.com/

    The City's Backyard Ep 224 "The craft beer movement" with Gregg Glaser from Modern Distillery Age , a trade publication covering the distilled spirits business in America!
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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
    407
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The City's Backyard
  • Show Website
    The City's Backyard