Stacking The Deck with Scott Waldman

Stacking The Deck is a feature exclusive to Adam’s World where I bring packs of 1991 Pro Set Superstars MusiCards to artists, and we discuss who they find in each pack.

Scott Waldman is one of the busiest people in the music industry. Not only is his own band, Lido Beach, making a comeback, a band he manages, Stringer, just finished up a string of dates on Warped Tour, and his podcast, Waldman’s Words, is nearing the 100 episode mark. Did I mention he’s also a Senior A&R at Legend Recordings?

Somehow, even with all that going on, he reportedly finds time to breathe.


I caught up with Waldman during Warped Tour’s date at Jones Beach to open up some packs of MusiCards, and the artists we found sparked conversations about the feat he feels we’ll never see accomplished in music again, a heartfelt remembrance of a friend, and the time he met Bret The Hitman Hart.



Vanilla Ice
Yo Vanilla, kick it one time boyyyyy!

Is this music related, fashion related, or home renovation related?

It’s music.

Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer were definitely important parts of my hip-hop childhood.

I believe Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em and To The Extreme came out when I was eight, or nine – single digits – and I was honestly more into MC Hammer, and that’s not because I’m a self-hating white person, it’s was because I really liked his music. I was just listening to “Pray” the other day, and I’m a Jew, an agnostic Jew.

But this is about Vanilla Ice. He definitely played that funky music, white boy.

His rise and fall was fairly epic, and fast.

Let’s focus on the rise, and here’s the thing, The Beatles didn’t even last that long, if you think about it.

Yeah, we can be negative about all that stuff, but the dude has sold more copies – and I don’t judge success based on sales – of “Ice Ice Baby” than every band on this entire Warped Tour combined.

To The Extreme went diamond.

To The Extreme is a diamond album, and my gauge for diamond is when you’re in like Shania Twain territory.

It just doesn’t happen anymore.

Basically, right now, because people don’t buy records, it will never happen again.

And I don’t count …

Streams. I know.

I’m telling you, I don’t think it will ever happen again, and that’s scary, because I’m also an artist manager. I’m banking on those diamond records for Stringer.


Wow. Insert video here.

Hey, that was pretty good.

Also for Lido Beach, “You Fell Hard,” and also for a band that I’m not with, Tonight Alive, for Underworld. I have no stake in that game.



Bonnie Raitt
I was not expecting you to choose Bonnie Raitt.

She can play. She’s a really good slide (guitar) player.

Is there a country or blues influence for you?

There’s a song that I have with Lido Beach called “Black Jacket Soul,” it’s very bluesy.

What was the inspiration for that song?

{tentatively} My ex-girlfriend.

In a good way, or a bad way?

In a horrible way.

Basically, the new song, “You Fell Hard,” is the only happy song I’ve ever had. It’s about 37 year old me talking to my young self, and being like, “Things are gonna get better,” and for the record, Curtis Douglas, I can’t say his name enough, he killed it producing and helping with a bulk of the writing. He’s amazing.

But “Black Jacket Soul,” the sad story was … you know the band Devo, the guitar player / keyboardist Bob Casale, he passed away. Before he passed away, his daughter Samantha, her favorite band was Lido Beach, so I got to record a bunch of songs with Bob Casale for free, and “Black Jacket Soul” was (one of those songs).


He passed, but his legacy … I got to see Devo a bunch, but he was just such a nice guy.

{pauses}

That got pretty emotional.



C+C Music Factory
Definitely a song that personified my Lindell Elementary School experience, much like “Ice Ice Baby,” but “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” is now the bar mitzvah staple that everyone loves today.

You were in elementary school. When did you eventually find out that the woman in the video wasn’t singing the song?

I don’t remember when I did, but I don’t remember being heartbroken either. I wasn’t even really heartbroken when it happened with Milli Vanilli either.

I was heartbroken watching the Blues Traveler video when the band was playing on the side of the stage. That made me upset, because John Popper is great.



Janet Jackson
Nipple-gate.

Even before then, the Rolling Stone cover.

Yeah, that was, to 12 year old Scott, pretty magical … and to 37 year old Scott, pretty magical.

But “If” is a sick ass song. That’s, I think, her best song, and it’s kind of like {imitates the guitar line}.

It’s one of my favorites, and I feel like for as great as Rhythm Nation was, that Janet album was her really announcing herself. She was no longer just Michael’s little sister.

Not just MJ.

Janet has incredible talent, but I would say of the four of these (cards) the most important to me would have been Vanilla Ice, the most credibility would have been Bonnie Raitt, the song that inspires more dancing at bar mitzvahs is C+C Music Factory, and the sexiest, and probably the best dancer, was Janet.

Janet was an incredible dancer, and really great singer, but it’s kind of like how Britney Spears is better known for being an entertainer and a dancer.

Janet also had a baby at 50. Is there anything that you would want to do later in life …

A bar mitzvah from now?

Yes, a bar mitzvah from now, is there something you’d like to do that might surprise people?

I’d like to log off of Facebook forever when I’m 50.

Do you see my eyes? I would love to not have to use social media anymore. I would love to just use my phone, and talk to people in person. I know that’s a weird goal, but I’d love that.

That’s an admirable goal. As an aside, since we’re talking about Janet, I don’t know about you, but I had a Janet poster on my wall when I was a kid. Did you?

I did not. I had Bret The Hitman Hart. I still have Warped Tour posters from ’98 to 2002, with the lineups. It was Kid Rock, Deftones, Eminem, Blink-182, Pennywise, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, New Found Glory.

This year has some great bands. I love Reel Big Fish. I love Silverstein. I love Stringer.


Maybe 20 years from now people will look at this lineup and think about it the same way we think about the lineups from 20 years ago.

That’s what I say to people who bitch about it.

We’re not the target demo, and the fact that you admit you like Tonight Alive, I like Tonight Alive, but you’re literally 20-something years older, and a different gender than their target fan base, probably.

And I occasionally feel a little weird being in that crowd.

You know what, that’s your call.

You had Warped Tour posters on your wall, and now, 20 years later, you’re performing at one of the final dates of Warped Tour with one of the bands you work with, Stringer (photo above). I guess up next you have to meet Bret The Hitman Hart.

I’ve met him. He signed an autograph for me, him and The Undertaker, and to this day he’s my favorite celebrity I’ve ever met because he wrote “To Scott, stay cool. Bret The Hitman Hart.” So to whoever is reading this, just be nice, especially to that kid who now as a 37 year old worships you still.

For more Scott Waldman follow him on Twitter, and check out Lido Beach, and Waldman’s Words.