Displaying items by tag: Blogs

Ryan talks with Peter Billingsley who played Ralphie in "A Christmas Story!" He's back in town for the 40th Anniversary celebration of the film that was filmed in Cleveland! Here the interview below! 

Comedian Doug Benson is in Cleveland on Saturday, November 4th, for two shows at Dunlap's Corner Bar! He joined the Morning Hang with Ryan Lang to talk about that... and other stuff. 

Nothing beats teambuilding... unless you couple teambuilding with shuffleboard! 

Went out to Forest City Shuffleboard with the 107.3 ALT CLE squad (see photo) and lemme tell you, it was a BLAST! I'd never played before, unless you count gym class in grade school, which begs the question that was part of the cirriculum... But as an adult, I have a renewed appreciation for the game and it's all thanks to Forest City Shuffleboard. 

So I teamed up with Brady Marks, who claims to have never played as well. Word of advice: if you can be on her team, do it, and if she ever challenges you to a "friendly game of shuffleboard," hard pass! She's deceptively good, which leads me to believe she was sandbaggin' and is some kind of professional shuffleboarder (I'm doing more research as we speak). 

Since they've opened at 4506 Lorain Avenue in 2017, business is booming! Hosting leagues, work parties, party parties, reunions, and more! They do it all, and not just with the shuffleboard, but with their kitchen! I had the this chicken slider (see reaction photo below). Heavenly, really! And on a personal note, for someone who doesn't drink (me), Forest City Shuffleboard provides a lot more than just your average bar. Obvi, the shuffleboard, but there are arcade games, and more... They even have that punch game so you can impress your date... or embarass yourself, but that's not the point. The point is there's so much more! 

And the staff is so cool! Lexi in marketing and Brian behind the bar - great folks! So book your next party and help support a terrific local biz! As for me, I'll be steady shufflin' shufflin' shuffle-shufflin'... You get it. 

Dave King from Flogging Molly sits down with Ryan to tell some Drunken Lullabies ahead of the band's stop in Cleveland. 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Cake lead singer John McCrae to talk about the tour, talk about how misunderstood Cake was, and how some people just still don't get it. Click below to hear the full interview! 

If I were making a soundtrack of my life, the mid-90s would be all Green Day. Even more specifically, all "Dookie." 

It's hard to believe the album turns 30 next year... THIRTY!! How?! Well, time, that's how. But despite what the calendar says, the album, to me, hasn't aged a day! In fact, it remains a staple in my rotation to this day. 

I remember when the album first came out in '94, driving around listening to "Longview" on the radio with my Mom. I used to pretend to cough loudly or make a distracting noise when that one part of the song played (you know which part) to avoid any awkwardness. Hindsight, I realize she knew exactly what they said and I more than likely only made it more awkward.  

Remember the hidden track? Man, I was "All By Myself" in my bedroom when I discovered that little nugget! What a moment! 

As we approach the official 30th anniversary of "Dookie," Green Day is releasing a delux super edition of the album you know and love. Some highlights of the box set include six LPs, four CDs, unreleased demo recordings, live recording from Woodstock '94, "Dookie" dog poo bags, and more!! 

The Dookie 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition is out September 29th, but you can preorder here now! 

Today, Saturday, August 5th, 2023 marks the 1,460th consecutive morning that I’ve woken up with a clear head. Four years sober. It hasn’t always been easy, but I can honestly say it’s been a lot easier than the life I was living prior to August 5th, 2019. 

I won’t get into the details because that’s not the point. The point is that maybe you’re reading this and saying to yourself, Ya know… last night was rough. Maybe the past few nights, weeks, months, years have been rough and you’re ready to stop, but you don’t know how. 

If that’s the case, I know exactly what you’re going through. I’ve been right there in that same spot and I can tell you that there is hope, there is help, and there is a way out. Again, it’s not easy, but it gets easier. It gets better. 

Today I can wake up and I can be there for my family - for my wife and my sons and my step kids and my father. I can be a good husband and a good dad and a good son. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I’ve allowed myself the chance to be present for them and for myself. And I’ve never been more grateful for anything in my entire life. 

Gratitude is the key, I’ve found. If I’m not grateful for the things I have and the things I’ve been so freely given, then what actually do I have? Not much. I used to take so much for granted. I felt that the universe owed me something, for whatever reason. Now I’ve realized it’s me who owes, dnd I remind myself that every single day. Again, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but I find myself making the best of most of it. 

Just yesterday, a friend and coworker shared this song by Noah Kahan called “Orange Juice.” I’m not sure she even knew, at the time, that I’m sober, and I KNOW she didn’t know that my sobriety date was the very next day, but man, this song hit me like a ton of bricks! I’ve shared it below, give it a listen, if only for the fact that Noah Kahan is incredible. 

So I’ll end by saying thank you. Thank you to my wife and to my children and to my dad and to my sisters and to my friends and my employer and coworkers and everyone who has been there for me, one day at a time. I appreciate all of you more than I’ll ever fully be able to express. And to the person reading this who’s struggling, drop me a note, we’ll chat… And maybe you’ll find that we have more in common than you think.. And maybe you’ll find that there is a better life out there and that you deserve it. 

As for me, I’ll have an Orange Juice… Much love.

I live by one simple rule: never doubt any member of Blink-182, especially when they're talking about aliens. 

SO a while back, Blink guitarist and singer Tom DeLonge left music to pursue aliens. Well, to prove that they exist. He co-founded To The Stars... Academy of Arts and Sciences to that end... Well, as of yesterday it appears his work was not in vain. 

On Wednesday, UFO whistleblower and former U.S. intelligence officer David Grusch testified in front of the House Oversight Committee that not only UFOs but aliens exist!  Grusch sited aircraft of "nonhuman" origin and "biologics" that were recovered from a UAP (UFO) crash site!!!! DUDE! ALIENS!!! 

After this revelation, Tom DeLonge took to social media to say, "AH-HA!!!" Well, he didn't really say that specifically, but it was definitely an "I told you so" moment for the Blink guitarist and true believer.

Well, Tom, on behalf of all of us who never doubted you I ask, is it cool if we crash with you during the alien revolution?

Fall Out Boy is Fall Out Boy. Blossom is Blossom. But you? You're something special. 

Don't get me wrong - Fall Out Boy rivals any other band that's currently touring, as they proved at Blossom this week. And as for our local venue, nestled deep in the woods of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park? Well, I don't have to tell you that it's one of the best concert venues in the country, hands down. 

But I'm here to remind you what you're bringing to the table. I had the honor of meeting dozens of you who stopped by the 107.3 Alternative Cleveland tent on your way into Blossom Tuesday night. You made me smile, you made me laugh, heck, a couple of you nearly brought me to tears - no joke!  And I appreciate every single one of you. 

My man Walt, a Northeast Ohio LEGEND, stopped by for a hug. I appreciate you, Walt! Cindy and Tom told me about the concerts they've seen so far this summer and I got to meet their kids. I appreciate you, Cindy and Tom! Dave wearing his tie-dyed Alt CLE shirt, I appreciate you! Kay and Reagen, two young fans, were able to tell Brady Marks how much they love listening to her. We appreciate you Kay and Reagan! And the young couple from Pittsburgh visiting Blossom for the first time who took an Alt CLE magnet with them, I appreciate you! And the countless others who stopped by to say they won tickets from us, we appreciate you! 

Beyond the words here on this page, we appreciate you so very much! You're the reason we do it every day - don't ever doubt that. So until next time, thanks for the memories!