Transcript — Music Community Coming together for local drummer Big John Smolak

you found Wisconsin's local music authority. This is MagSync Radio. We are local music.

Wait in salt. That is Go Play God. You are listening to MagSync Radio. I am Rocker here with Chloe

and Jane. A journey to recovery is never easy and Big John is the drummer of Madison Hard Rock

band Go Play God. In 2023, his diabetes went haywire and John was hospitalized for a year at UW

Health. As with any health journey, John has an incredible story. This Sunday, September 14th,

the music scene is coming together with a fundraiser for Big John and it's going to be at the

Crucible on Madison's East Side from 2 to 7 pm. The fundraiser includes four bands and a raffle

that includes a 61 Gibson SG, a PRS guitar and much more. On the phone with us right now,

Big John Smolick, drummer of the Madison music scene for many years. Big John, welcome to

MagSync Radio. Hey Rocker. Man, it is so good to talk to you, John. How are you doing these days?

What's your current status like? I'm good, man. I'm up and down, but every day is a step forward

and you got to be really grateful for the short term goals that you meet. Yeah, that's true.

Well, Big John, tell us a little bit about how you got started in music, playing drums and

your band Go Play God. What's your backstory? It's all started when I was a kid. My mom was a

music teacher. Started playing snare drum with some lessons about third grade. You know,

in the middle of school, marching band, high school, marching band, jazz band, all that.

And then I grew up at Point Act for Wisconsin. Lake, Lake Wisconsin area. Yep.

And then I moved to Madison in 87. Oh, good year. Yeah, it was a great year. Last cracker

boys were getting. I met a few local musicians and put a couple of things together. You know,

one name that doesn't escape me is Seth. And we got russets full.

Yeah, that started my journey. And then I just, you know, I started meeting all of you guys.

And I was, yeah, great. Yeah. I was able to play with, you know, you know, Sean Brown and

cheer the captain. Yeah. That led me to friendship of 20 plus years. The guitar player born.

And this, there goes the limited days. I don't know what it's all about. Now, right now,

present, go play, God, we mean bond just started.

It's a guitar player. Yep. Barn is. Yep. We just started going back out to the rehearsal spot

when we can. And I set up an acoustic kit and just, you know, it's slow turn, man.

Well, it's 2023. And your band go play, God is making ground. But diabetes lands you in the hospital.

It was a year long struggle. And you lost part of a limb in the process. Tell us a little about

about that story and your, your efforts to obtain a prosthetic and get back to work.

Yeah, February 23. I had some infection on my left lower leg. The

amputated part of my foot. And subsequently, they had to go just above the knee because the bone

had gotten affected. And then some there was, I was in the hospital for a year. They got for

C2. My ex-wife, she's, she's an angel.

And my son. And then I born.

Well, it's good to hear that you were getting back from all that. I mean, what is your struggle

with trying to kind of get the prosthetic? And is that part of the fundraiser that you're holding?

Yep, that's, that's the main reason. I got to get to a certain weight. I'm just about there.

When this journey started back in February 23, I was 300. But I'm 390 some pounds.

Today, I'm weighing, I'm weighing in at 261. Wow. That's it. So I got, I got to get down to about

to 255, to 50. I'm there. And then I get to be able to, you know, keep the fluid off

the body so that the limb of the stump does not, you know, swell up full of fluid.

Well, what is, okay, well, now you were fixing cars. Is that way you used to work, right? Auto?

I've been in my whole life at the parts of the service repair business. I've managed light

out of motor shops, big truck shops. I sold heavy duty equipment. That was the last thing I was

doing. I was selling Camassi products. And, you know, bulldozers and wheel orders and all that,

yes, rock crushers. And that's when I wanted to back to is doing that jig. That's a lot of fun,

man. That's, and I was able to travel a nation, you know, a lot of time in Nashville, a lot of

time in Memphis, a lot of time in Oklahoma. Yeah, it was a lot, it was a good, good, good, good time.

Well, Sunday, September 14th, the music communities come together to throw the fundraiser for big

John. It's happening at the Crucible live music venue here in Madison. The show features four

local bands, including Mother Hive, static affliction, a baton's end. And I returned to the stage

of playing drums for the first time since my health crisis with my band Iron Plow. And after

spending my own time hospitalized and working back to be able to play drums on stage, I'm proud

to be helping big John out. So come on out for this show. John, what does it mean for you

for people in the music community to put this on this event for you?

Sorry, man. Oh, unbelievable.

Yeah, a lot of your motion. Yeah. Well, that's good work. Good to hear. We can't wait to see

a between bands. There's going to be raffles with prizes, including a few guitars. A 1961 Gibson SG,

there was anonymously donated a PRS and a Fender acoustic. There's many more prizes. Tell us

about the fundraiser and the raffles and stuff that's coming on Sunday tomorrow.

Yeah, it came together with Janet Coons and a band them. And, you know, John Coons really

pushed for this. And then it, you know, it started as a thought idea and then it just started to

steamroll. And, you know, before you know, we had the guitar center involved. We had these guitar.

Wow. I mean, you know, we had got the mailers, we got the Packers, we got, I mean, there's just a

lot of a lot of things that just blown me away. Oh, that's right. There's going to be a Packers

team, 2024 team signed football. And I read some Mallard's Game Passes Ultimate Arts tattoo package.

Yep. There's really going to be a lot of stuff raffled off between the bands. Yeah, that's

great. But Ultimate Arts is awesome. Wow. That is really cool. Yeah. I'm grateful, man.

Well, John, it's so good to hear from you. We're glad that you could be on the phone with us and

tell us about this. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow and playing at the Crucible. My band

Iron Plow goes off at five o'clock. So make sure you're there. The whole thing, the doors open at

2 p.m. And Big John, again, thanks a lot. We really appreciate it. One of Gold Play Gods big singles.

It's called meant to be. Tell us about this song before we listen.

Yeah, trying to just team together when, when Kurt Telefero was still alive with us.

It's trying to just pop down. You know how they say a song just pop up.

Yeah. Yeah. That's what happened. And we were doing a lot of studio work from Mr. Paul Sluder,

the man, the myth of legend. Yeah. That guy is an unbelievable talent. So he produced this

out. This single. Yeah. He, uh, and, you know, he didn't let us just rust on our laurels. You

know, he pushed, he pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed. I'm grateful for it. And, um, it's,

uh, it's, it's, it's an unbelievable turn.

Well, let's take a listen. Thanks a lot, John. Have a good night. We'll see you tomorrow.

Right now, let's check this out. This is Gold Play God and meant to be. You're listening to Max

Inc. Radio. We are local music.

Love you.

Like a fire. I tried to do the flame. I seemed to consume the same thing.

And I need to feed on. And as it eats a little, it's really just a meadow. Now, you live on.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, the spot that you saw glow

You know that it will go out on your soul

Yeah, through the ash grey

It begins a new founding that no one knows

You know it's meant to be

Life ends where you are

Oh, life ends where

Oh, life ends where you are

Like the water from the flames of dreams

And it seeps through the rivers

And to the seas of full-trown souls

And as a shroud of clouds

It drinks it up

It's really just enough to up

To lead down for home

And the snake will need its tail

And mother shall prevail in awesome horror

You can cut off all the horns

But they just seem to grow

Back even more alive

All is meant to be

Life ends where you are

Life ends where

Your past is catching up with us again

You're grasping all that we have given

The future keeps it and just begging

And it will slip ever through your people hands

Life ends where you are

Like the water from the flames of dreams

And to the seas of full-trown souls

Change course in eternal domain

Change course in eternal space

Change course out to every possible

Anni Pedema

Go through communication

Change course remar 보이

Change course with stories

Change course with fears

Going to a venereal share the way

It was bent up

Change course with fears

Shop local eat local. Listen local.

This is Maxinc Radio.

We are local music.