Michael Gomoll: Joey's Song, Freezing Man Concerts for Epilepsy

Summary

Podcast Summary: Almost Live..... Nashville

Episode: Michael Gomoll: Joey's Song, Freezing Man Concerts for Epilepsy
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Michael Gomoll, Founder of Joey’s Song
Release Date: January 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, host Tony Mantor welcomes Michael Gomoll, the founder of Joey’s Song, a nonprofit dedicated to epilepsy awareness and research, inspired by the loss of his son Joey to Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. Michael discusses the organization’s roots, growth into the star-studded Freezing Man concert series in Madison, Wisconsin, and how the power of music is mobilized to generate new research and provide hope to families impacted by epilepsy. The conversation dives into the logistics, emotional stories, and the deeper mission behind turning personal loss into lasting impact.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins of Joey’s Song

[02:44 - 04:10]

• Michael founded Joey’s Song ~16 years ago after his son Joey passed away from Dravet syndrome.
• The goal is twofold: to fund research for epilepsy and to give hope to families receiving new diagnoses.
• Michael leveraged his music industry ties, starting small by gathering friends and putting on concerts in Madison.

Quote:

"There’s somebody today sitting in a neurologist's office getting a really bad diagnosis, and they're scared. They don't know what to do, and they need to know somebody's out there fighting for them." – Michael Gomoll [02:54]

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2. The Freezing Man Concert Series

[04:11 - 07:17]

• Freezing Man originated as an annual January show in Madison, WI, with the tongue-in-cheek name leaning into the Wisconsin winter.
• Originated as a local event with Butch Vig (renowned producer of Nirvana, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.) and the Know It All Boyfriends as the “house band.”
• Over the years, it’s grown into a “supergroup” format, attracting an all-star roster who perform covers and original songs on a volunteer basis.

Quote:

"They get paid two beers and a ham sandwich for a weekend in Wisconsin to come and help me raise money for epilepsy research." – Michael Gomoll [05:25]

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3. The 2026 Lineup & Concept

[06:00 - 07:17]

• This year’s concert will be held January 9–10, featuring an acoustic night and a traditional electric night.
• Notable guests include John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Vicki Peterson (The Bangles), Jane Wiedlin & Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), John Gourley (Portugal. The Man), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Max Collins (Eve 6), Nikki & Brian (Silversun Pickups), Hugo Burnham (Gang of Four), and newly added Kurt Smith (Tears for Fears).
• The artists mix and form one-night-only “supergroups,” creating unique, unrehearsed musical moments.

Memorable Moment:

"They kind of form these supergroups, right? ... It's literally one of a kind moments that are never going to happen again." – Michael Gomoll [06:49]

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4. Funding and Impact

[07:27 - 08:39]

• Joey’s Song is entirely volunteer-run, operating out of Michael's basement.
• Major donation recipient: CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy), a Chicago-based clearinghouse that helps direct Joey's Song funds directly into pediatric and intractable epilepsy research grants.
• Emphasis on efficiency: “We earn the money and then we get rid of it.”

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5. Growth & The Music Community

[09:45 - 11:13]

• The event’s breakthrough came in 2019 with larger venues and high-profile musicians.
• Relationships with artists (especially Butch Vig) have been key to future lineups and maintaining momentum.
• The artist community acts as advocates, helping recruit others while touring.

Quote:

"Having the people that I have, because they're out on the road all the time and meeting people, and they're kind of my best advocates." – Michael Gomoll [09:45]

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6. COVID-19's Unexpected Silver Lining

[11:25 - 13:50]

• The pandemic forced the concert online, allowing artists previously unavailable for the live event (e.g., Jewel, Patterson Hood, others) to contribute from home studios.
• Increased accessibility, flexibility, and new ways to reach audiences through livestreams and recorded sets.

Quote:

"Covid let us... have people record in their home studios and do live versions of stuff... It actually helped us." – Michael Gomoll [11:49]

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7. Acoustic vs. Full-Band Night: The Audience

[15:22 - 16:39]

• Friday night’s acoustic set attracts “music dorks,” those interested in behind-the-song stories and deep music lore.
• Saturday is a more typical party crowd, eager for the electric, bar-band feel.
• Both crowds share an understanding of the event’s bigger purpose.

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8. Breaking Stigma & Creating Visibility

[17:07 - 21:30]

• The show serves as a “billboard” for people with epilepsy, a frequently misunderstood and invisible condition.
• Michael highlights the historical stigma and the need for awareness since epilepsy isn’t readily seen except during seizures.
• They aim to foster community and visibility without focusing solely on the disorder’s hardships.

Quote:

"We're more of a billboard that says epilepsy—it's really important that we fight it, but it doesn't have to be all dour and gloom." – Michael Gomoll [17:07]

• Discussion on the challenges faced by people with neurodisorders, the broad ripple effect on families and communities, and the urgency for research.

Statistics:

"1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime... currently 50 million people in the world with epilepsy. One in three... can’t find relief from their seizures through either medicine or surgery." – Michael Gomoll [20:29]

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9. Empathy & The Human Condition

[23:49 - 28:08]

• Tony and Michael reflect on privilege, daily challenges faced by those with neurodisorders, the importance of empathy, and how many struggle invisibly.
• Research is daunting because solutions often involve the brain—a “bottom of the ocean” frontier with serious side effects.
• Empathy, not pity, is needed: “It's cool to be empathetic, and it's really macho to care about other people... the world just becomes a better place.” – Michael Gomoll [24:45]

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10. Getting Involved & Next Steps

[28:08 - 29:25]

• Joey’s Song can be found at JoeysSong.org and on all major social media platforms.
• 2026’s show will be livestreamed for $25.
• Ongoing fundraising includes high-profile signed guitar auctions and regular newsletters.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Spreading the word is what I do." – Michael Gomoll [02:44]
• "They get paid two beers and a ham sandwich for a weekend in Wisconsin..." – Michael Gomoll [05:25]
• "It's like rock camp for musicians. They get to do something they're not normally doing. No pressure. Nobody's gotta carry the show. It's just great." – Michael Gomoll [14:02]
• "We're more of a billboard... Epilepsy... it's really important that we fight it, but it doesn't have to be all, you know, dour and gloom." – Michael Gomoll [17:07]
• "Empathy is not a problem; it's a problem fixer... a lubricant for this problem solving." – Michael Gomoll [27:06]
• "If you just remember Joey's Song, you'll find us." – Michael Gomoll [28:28]

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Key Timestamps

• [02:54] – Michael describes why Joey’s Song was started
• [04:11] – Freezing Man concert origin & growth
• [06:22] – High-profile guest lineup for 2026
• [07:27] – How funds are distributed and impact
• [11:25] – COVID-19’s effect and online pivot
• [15:26] – Acoustic versus electric nights and crowd makeup
• [17:07] – On building awareness and battling stigma
• [20:29] – Sobering epilepsy statistics
• [24:45] – Empathy as critical to support and inclusion
• [28:28] – How people can get involved and support Joey’s Song

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Conclusion

This episode offers a heartfelt, informative look at how Michael Gomoll’s personal loss catalyzed a movement using music, advocacy, and authenticity to change the landscape of epilepsy awareness and research. Listeners are treated to behind-the-scenes stories, impactful statistics, humor, and reflections on community and empathy. The growth of Freezing Man, the star-studded support, and a relentless, hope-driven mission make this an inspiring listen for anyone passionate about music, charity, or simply making a difference.

How to Get Involved:

• Visit JoeysSong.org
• Join their social media (@joeyssong on all platforms)
• Watch the January show via livestream ($25)
• Participate in their annual auctions for signed guitars
• Subscribe to their newsletter for updates

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“What we do is serious. How we do it is not.” – Michael Gomoll [17:07]

Transcript

[Michael Gamal]

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[Tony Mantour]

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind the scenes staff, have fascinating, fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing information on how they evolve into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind the scenes stories and insights into the fascinating world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantour. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. Joining us today is Michael Gamal. He is the passionate founder of joeysong, a remarkable charity that fights epilepsy through the power of music. Inspired by the loss of his young son, Joey, Michael has built an incredible movement, including the star studded Freezing man concert series. Joey's Song has raised millions for critical research and support, turning grief into action for families everywhere. Leading up to the event, we're running a special promotional series spotlighting Michael's vital work alongside the amazing artists, volunteers and supporters who make it all happen. And over the next few days, we'll be having some of these incredible artists right here on the show to help spread the word. Starting it off today is Michael himself, who will give us the inside story on how this started and how it's grown over the years into a powerhouse concert series, raising funds to support the critical research needed to find treatments and cures. So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for joining us today.

[Michael Gamal]

No, thanks for giving me the megaphone. Spreading the word is what I do.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh, it's my pleasure. So if you would give us a little information about what you're doing.

[Michael Gamal]

So Joey Song is a charity that we started back almost 16 years ago now when my son Joe passed away after battling a lifelong affliction with epilepsy Epilepsy is a spectrum disorder, all of it bad, but some of it worse than others. And unfortunately, he was at that far end on the spectrum with something called Dravet syndrome. What we really try to do is give hope to what we say is the next family. Right. There's somebody today sitting in a neurologist's office getting a really bad diagnosis, and they're scared. They don't know what to do, and they need to know somebody's out there fighting for them. So what we do is we use some of my misspent youth to make some contact with some folks in the music business. And we put on these shows every year here in Madison, Wisconsin, in January that we call Freezing Man. Call it Freezing man, because if you're from somewhere that's not Wisconsin and you think you're coming to Wisconsin in January, you're pretty sure you're going to freeze. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's true. So we lean right into it, right. Instead of say, oh, no, Wisconsin, we go right for it and say, you're going to come and you're going to enjoy it.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

And so what? Freezing man is basically. I was fortunate. Back in the 80s, when I was in the music business here in Madison, I did not have a career in the music business. I started out in college and then went on, despite the long hair and everything, to work for IBM, believe it or not, for a batrillion years.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay.

[Michael Gamal]

But back in those days, I was friends with a guy called Butch Vig, who went on to produce Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day and Foo Fighters and his own stuff, et cetera, et cetera, and tons of other people. So when it came time for us to figure out what Joey's song is, one of the people that I reached out to was my college pal Butch. And so it started small. Our first few events were concerts featuring Butch and Duke and Freddie Johnston and a few other folks. They have a, I guess a kick around band, best thing to call it, called the Know It All Boyfriends.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

And they. They do covers and play each other's weddings and bar mitzvahs and all that kind of stuff. So we had the Kiabatt come and play a show here in Madison. And it was great 600 seat theater and we sold it out and it was tons of fun.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

But we kind of realized that we could make it bigger and better than it was. And through some serendipity, we started reaching out to folks that Butch knew and that I knew. And we grew it into this Know it all boyfriends kind of serving as a house band and then bringing in all these various guests to come and sing their own songs, sing some cover songs and do all that. And all of these people do it for free. So I've got some relatively big. Relatively big names on the roster.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

And they get paid two beers and a ham sandwich for a weekend in Wisconsin to come and help me raise money for epilepsy research. So that's what we do. And it's a night of covers. And just like you're seeing a really good bar band.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's awesome. Now you tell me that it's coming up this coming January.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

Tell us a little more about it.

[Michael Gamal]

January 9 and 10 here at the Sylvia in Madison, Wisconsin. January 9. It's the same bill both nights, but on the 9th, we're doing an all acoustic. Acoustic kind of storytellers thing because we've got all these amazing people that have been involved in, you know, hits. We all. So tell the story behind the song. How'd you record it? How'd you write it?

[Tony Mantour]

Well, don't hold back now. Let's name drop a little bit.

[Michael Gamal]

Should we do that?

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Michael Gamal]

I've been. I've been holding out. I didn't know if there was going to be like a brass band or something that would.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, let's name drop some. All right, Started off with Friday night. Who's going to be there?

[Michael Gamal]

Well, it's. It's the. It's the same bill both nights. One night's acoustic and one night.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh, okay. All right.

[Michael Gamal]

So our guest this year, besides Butch and Duke and Freddy, the names that I already mentioned, we've got John Resnick from the Goo Goo Dolls. We've got Vicki Peterson from the Bengals. We got Jane Whan and Gina Shock from the Go Go's, John Gorley from Portugal, the Man, Chris Collingwood from Fountains of Wayne. Max Collins from Eve 6, Nikki and Brian from Silver Sun Pickups. I'm sure I'm missing some other. Hugo Burnham from Gang of Four.

[Tony Mantour]

I heard you've got Kurt from Tears for Fears.

[Michael Gamal]

Just added Kurt to yesterday. It was Sunday. I was. I was just about to sit down to watch the Packer game and from Kurt saying he was in. So Kurt Smith from Tears for Fears. And so all these people come and they kind of form these super groups, right? They. They, you know, the guitarist from one band, the drummer from another, and the bass player from a third with another lead singer, and they sing a Beatles song or something. So it's. It's these literally one of a kind moments, you know, that are never going to happen again.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's just a great concept. You've got a really good thing going now with all this money coming in. Is it going to local charities or is it going to national charities?

[Michael Gamal]

Yep, it's a great question. So, as I said, we run on all volunteers, so I don't take a salary. There's no paid staff. If you're watching this, you see Joey Song International headquarters here in my basement, all that kind of stuff. So we run very lean and mean other than putting on the show. So there's nothing's paying salaries or overhead. And we work mostly with an organization out of Chicago called cure Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy.

[Tony Mantour]

Okay.

[Michael Gamal]

And their focus is to kind of serve as a clearinghouse for researchers that are looking for funding. So they helped me because, to be honest with you, Tony, if somebody showed me a medical rfp, you know, you may as well show one of my dogs, because I wouldn't know what to make hide nor hair of it. But what CURE does is they. They know where my interests lie. I'm looking at the pediatric. I'm looking at the. The really intractable epilepsies, the kind of stuff that would have helped my son. And they help me figure out. They'll give me two or three to choose from, and they walk me through it like a grade school they have to do and explain, all right, this is what this one does. So we take all that money and we put it into these research grants. So, you know, we literally are trying to get rid of. You know, we earn the money and then we get rid of it.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah. That's great. Now, once the concert's over, are you starting the next day, planning and figuring and deciding on what you're going to do?

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

For the next year.

[Michael Gamal]

Yeah. Well, I give myself. Honestly, Tony, as I've gotten older, it takes two or three days to recover. But, yeah, it's. It's. And honestly, some of the process is already starting now because I'm very fortunate. I'm blessed. So many of our artists are advocates then for us. Like, for example, right now, Butch is Down Garbage is touring in Australia, New Zealand, and they're doing all these festivals, and he's playing with other folks of pretty high esteem. And I just got a text. I'm not going to name drop, because it's not for sure yet. But he did text, hey, so and so just headlined this festival we were at. He's interested. Right. So, I mean, it's literally, he said, probably not for 2026, but 2027. So we're kind of always recruiting, and that's the magic of having the people that I have, because they're out on the road all the time and meeting people, and they're kind of my best advocates.

[Tony Mantour]

That's fantastic that you've got all these people working for such a great cause. Now let's roll back time a little bit to when you very first started. How long did it take till you got it to this very level that you're doing now?

[Michael Gamal]

Really, the big breakthrough year was 2019, just before COVID of course. Right?

[Tony Mantour]

Oh, of course.

[Michael Gamal]

When the whole world shuts down. We did a show at a thousand seat venue, and we had folks like Brian Ray, whose day job is. He's Paul McCartney's guitar player, which ain't a bad gig to have when you're playing with our Mozart and a few other folks like that. It was the first year that Chris Collingwood from Fountains of Wayne joined. It was the first time I had people on the bill. And I do mean this in disparaging for the other people, but where I don't really have to explain who they are. Right.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

I'm a music dork, so I know who the bass player in, you know, Duran Duran was or whatever it is. A lot of people don't, so you kind of have to go through, well, so. And all I had to do was play Stacy's mom and, you know, those kind of things, and everybody kind of knew, and that's when it really started to take off. And to be really honest with you, Tony always, Butch is kind of my instant credibility. You know, I don't need to hand a resume and references when I say, well, Butch Vig's my musical director for the show. Most people kind of go, all right, we're good. Yeah, you know, kind of thing. But it was 2019, and then, of course, everything shut down for a couple of years, but we were able to keep momentum going, and now we're doing, you know, multiple nights in a 2500 seat venue. So it's. It's really cranking along.

[Tony Mantour]

So with COVID I mean, it killed everything. It shut everything down. Yep. How did you maintain during COVID so that you didn't lose your traction and you could still keep growing?

[Michael Gamal]

Well, it turned out, at least for our charity, to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. So the difficult thing, Tony, is that we do this on a specific weekend for a number of reasons. And so we have Lots of people that are interested in helping but just aren't available the second weekend in January because they take holidays and vacations and lots of stuff. You know, even these rock stars do all that.

[Tony Mantour]

Sure, that makes sense.

[Michael Gamal]

So we've got lots of people that would love to help but just can't because of timing. Well, what Covid let us do is we had people record in their home studios and do live versions of stuff, so folks like Jewel was able to do something for us. We've never been able to get Jewel to come here to Madison because the timing hasn't worked, and those types of folks. So it actually helped because then we were able to say, hey, you got two months, go down into your home studio, do a live acoustic couple songs, and then we spliced them together. So it actually helped us. Patterson Hood from Drive By Truckers. My memory isn't what it used to be, but lots of really cool people that hasn't been able to come were able to contribute, so that really helped. And by that point, if you'll remember, in Covid, we were all used to watching lots of stuff on our chosen benefits on our tablet.

[Tony Mantour]

Well, the one thing Covid did is it created forums like this, Zoom, where it made things easier for us to communicate.

[Michael Gamal]

Yes, absolutely.

[Tony Mantour]

Before COVID if a TV station wanted to interview you, you had to be in the city where they were at or they wouldn't record you at all.

[Michael Gamal]

Correct.

[Tony Mantour]

Now it's, oh, we can do Zoom.

[Michael Gamal]

Right, Right. It almost overnight stopped it from being a mystery that only the techies understood to something, you know, your mom and dad could do.

[Tony Mantour]

So with all the dynamic changing, was you able to use Zoom to do live shows and still keep what you was doing going?

[Michael Gamal]

Just. No, we just did the. We did the one thing we were able to use Zoom to do a lot of the press leading up to it, which was great. But, no, what we really did was we tried to recreate what we do at the live show, which is lots of different artists doing covers and originals, because we ask everybody to do covers as well. And so it really created a chance. And we, you know, did the old and, you know, musicians as well as I do. We gave them two months, and of course, everybody got them in the day before the deadline. But it let us kind of recreate the show. And part of the reason why we didn't do other special stuff is everybody was doing their own Zoom things just for their own career, because everybody that is helping us are still working musicians. So it was kind of a Crazy time.

[Tony Mantour]

Once we got out of COVID and you was able to do more live shows.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

How did your first show coming out of COVID do? Was everybody like, yeah, I'm ready for this. Bring it on.

[Michael Gamal]

Yeah. Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Because it's in January. It's when people normally aren't touring anyway. So most people, even without a global pandemic, have availability. And it was such a cathartic thing for everybody to get together and do that because we had all been cooped up, you know, that felt like the doors had opened that summer before the first one we had done and the restrictions had dropped. But nobody was really touring before that. People were doing one off dates. There were a couple east coast festivals that popped up. So for a lot of people, we were really their first chance to, you know, flex their musical muscles and get out. And it was great. The thing that you probably know very well, Tony, is that the music community is a lot smaller than people think. Right. Especially with folks of our age and our generation. Everybody at least knows of each other if they don't know each other. You know, obviously Bangles and Go Go's know each other and Goo Goo Dolls and all that. But it really gives a chance for people to hang. Because even when they're at like a festival, you get 10 minutes because somebody's either gotta go sound check or go do some press or it's your set, or it says, I mean, this gives these guys two and three days. I do a lot of press with Butch again, who's kind of my right hand man. And the one thing that he says to people. Cause they ask, well, why do people keep coming back? Because it's like rock camp for musicians. Right. They get to do something they're not normally doing. No pressure. Nobody's gotta carry the show. It's just great.

[Tony Mantour]

So, yeah, that sounds good. So you do an acoustic night on Friday.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep. Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

Then you mirror image the Friday night with live instrumentation on Saturday.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

Do you see a different group of people coming in from Friday to Saturday because of the different sound that's being presented?

[Michael Gamal]

Yeah, the. And I use this phrase about myself, so there's nothing derogatory about it. The music dorks come on Friday. Right. The people that really want to hear the story behind the song. How did. How did you and the Bangles get Prince? You know, what's the story behind Manic Monday? Right. They're the ones that want to hear, and everybody enjoys that. But that's really the folks that are into that stuff. And like the minutiae as I am. One of them would be the acoustic show and then the Saturday people. This is Wisconsin, after all. So it's the party people. Right. It's the guys that want to go woo AC dc, you know, that kind of stuff. Both vibes are very inspirational and uplifting, but in a different kind of way, because everybody, you know, knows why we're there, why these people are leaving their nice, warm homes in the Valley and coming to Madison. So everybody's excited about it, but there's just a warmth to it, I think, where everybody kind of goes, this is why we're having fun and we're doing a lot of good right now. This is awesome.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, it is. Now, I know you started this because of your son, and that's great. Yep. That's a really great reason to honor him and help others as well. It goes way beyond that now because you're helping so many people. Have you become what we could call a sounding board now? It's a little cliche, but are you a sounding board where people now will reach out to you because they do want to know more and get involved with what you're doing?

[Michael Gamal]

I'd say it a different way. We are a billboard for people who feel underseen and underrepresented. Nice. Yeah, let's talk a little bit about that. So epilepsy, unlike most disorders, unless somebody's having a seizure in front of you, which is not something that happens all the time.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

You don't know somebody has epilepsy. If somebody has multiple other neuro disorders, it's easy to tell.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah.

[Michael Gamal]

And until the 1920s, there were still people that assumed it was, you know, demons. And they. We didn't Even. The medical world didn't know what this was. So there has always been a stigma with it. The kind of emails and comments that I get are more. And I should add one more thing to it, and there's nothing wrong with this, but a lot of the fundraising that goes on tends to focus on the disorder and how impactful it is, which is great. But there's a heaviness that can often come with that. And one of the phrases that we use is what we do is serious. How we do it is not right. And that's. I get more of those kind of comments from people. My son has epilepsy, and we support everything we can, but now we can come with him and watch this show or whatever it is. So I'd say we're more of a billboard that says epilepsy it's really important that we fight it, but it doesn't have to be all, you know, dour and. And gloom.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, I totally get that. I've got a podcast that, when it first started out, was Autism only.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

I remember when you talk about autistic people, you cannot tell at face value whether or not they are autistic.

[Michael Gamal]

Correct.

[Tony Mantour]

You can look at others that might have down syndrome or some other form of disabilities.

[Michael Gamal]

Absolutely.

[Tony Mantour]

So you are in the very similar situations where people can't see. And if they can't see it, then they have a hard time digging into their pockets to give money for things that they just can't visualize.

[Michael Gamal]

Yeah. Because. And they. And when they don't understand it, they don't understand the impact. They don't understand the reality of it. They don't understand all of those things. And it's not their fault. We're all super busy. There's lots of disorders I don't understand, but that's our job. And I'm really blessed to have this amazing group of musicians that have all bought in. And most of them have their own connection to it one way or another, too. Not everybody does, but a lot of them do. And so they're willing to be my advocates, and they're willing to say, let's take my fame and my fortune and do more good with it.

[Tony Mantour]

Well, you know, the one thing that you're doing, and I think that people have to realize that are listening to this, you're dealing with something that they probably don't understand. However, one thing that they do need to understand, epilepsy. Just like autism or serious mental illness, you can choose whichever one you want to pick. That one person that has whatever one you pick affects 30 to 100 people or more in their local community.

[Michael Gamal]

Oh, yeah, right, right.

[Tony Mantour]

You've got family members, you've got doctors, you've got nurses, you've got counselors. There are just so many people it affects. They have to understand that this is something that needs to be addressed because it affects so many people in their local communities.

[Michael Gamal]

It does. And the costs are so extreme for folks with these neuro disorders, whatever they may be, because somebody with uncontrolled seizures can't drive a car.

[Tony Mantour]

Right.

[Michael Gamal]

You know, and all of those other things. So to understand that they need. And again, I don't want to turn this into a cliche festival, but they're not asking for a handout. They're asking for a hand up. Help me, you know, be independent. I can't because of this. But if you can help me with all the other stuff that goes with it. And obviously the biggest thing we can do is find treatments that can help stem these diseases. Right. The statistics with epilepsy community get burned in your brain early. Right? 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. Right now there's currently 50 million people in the world with epilepsy. One in three, three of those people can't find relief from their seizures through either medicine or surgery. So whatever the math is, take any of those numbers that I just told you and divide them by a third. And that means those people don't know from minute to minute when they may be in the back of an ambulance or worse. Right. And so it's not. Not that any disorder is inconvenient, but in this case, whether it's autism, whether it's any of these neurodisorders, they're not just inconvenient, they're life altering. And they're life altering for friends and family as well.

[Tony Mantour]

Yes, that's so true. What a lot of people do not understand is they are not trying to change your world, they're just trying to change their world so they can fit in your world.

[Michael Gamal]

That's right. Because the world again, especially for these hidden disorders, is not set up for that. I mean, look how long it took for us just to have wheelchair ramps on sidewalks, let alone the accommodations we need for neuro challenged folks to live healthy, normal lives. It's invisible and kind of looping back to where you started with some of these questions. That's why us holding this big thing in the sunlight. Well, not the sunlight in Madison in January. There is no sunlight in Madison in January. The spotlight, how's that? The spotlight tells people that it's okay. That there's a joyousness to this. We can all fight together, we can all lock arms. And if we sing Obladi Oblada while we do it, even better.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And I know exactly what you're talking about because I was born and raised in a little town called Madison, Maine. You know, it can be 30 below, right? Or it can be 10 above or anywhere in between and what people don't understand.

[Michael Gamal]

And I should be doing a better job of selling Madison. The bigger part for us locals in the winter is the gray, not the cold. Cause you can always put on a hat and a coat. But it seems like once winter rolls around, the sun, all of it heads down south, you know, but it's still. I mean, I live here by choice. And I have most of my life, I'm such a Yankee, that for me, moving south was when I went down to Chicago for 15 years, that to me was heading down South.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, yeah, I get that. I think it's great what you're doing. Because you brought up a word earlier. You used the word stigma and how people perceive it.

[Michael Gamal]

Yes.

[Tony Mantour]

When I've worked with people, whether they're autistic, adhd, bipolar, schizophrenia, anxiety, you name it, it, there's always a stigma to it.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

I've tried to change that word from stigma to perception.

[Michael Gamal]

Yeah.

[Tony Mantour]

People have a certain perception of what they think it is, yet in reality they don't have a clue to what it actually is. When they actually start to learn about it and understand, then they realize that it's really not as scary as they once thought it was.

[Michael Gamal]

That's exactly right. And that's where having the spotlight once again shine on it gives you the examples that you need. And that's a really fair way to look at it. Because people that suffer from these neurodisorders have all the abilities that you and I have for the most part. They have some things that get in the way from that processing normally, sometimes at really inconvenient times. But they love, they feel, they care, they work all of the emotions and things that make us human. All of these people have them as well. They've just. Unfortunately, there's a little bit of a curveball. But it can all be worked through. If we all work together and we all have focus on it. We all have a little. A word that's severely missing is empathy and care for our fellow man. When you realize that it is cool to be empathetic and it's really macho to care about other people and to care about people that have things perhaps not as easy as you and I have them, the world just becomes a better place.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we are very fortunate, you and I, that we don't have to worry about those issues. We get up in the morning.

[Michael Gamal]

Yep.

[Tony Mantour]

Then it's a matter of what are we going to do today. We don't have to worry about other things. So we're very, very fortunate in life. We don't have a regimen of things that we have to do just in order to survive.

[Michael Gamal]

That's right.

[Tony Mantour]

And most people that are like us, unless they come in contact with someone that have special needs, they don't realize how nice and good they have it within their lives from day to day.

[Michael Gamal]

Yes.

[Tony Mantour]

And all the people that you're trying to help, and we're all trying to help. All they're looking for is to have it that good as well. Yeah. Some of these people require medicine, psychotherapists, all kinds of doctors to help them. That's why we have all these people that are coming together, like yourself, that's trying to make a difference for everyone that needs a helping hand.

[Michael Gamal]

It's about providing a support structure for people. Again, not pulling them along, but providing them the support so they can move forward. I think the other thing, Tony, on the neurodisorders, too, that people probably don't connect the dots on, is most medications and or surgery that people have to try to alleviate symptoms or problems. You're messing with the brain. That's when I have deeper conversations with people about really what we're trying to accomplish with the research is. Yeah, you got to understand that they're taking that pill every day to make their brain do something. And sometimes, you know, the side effects are as bad as the disorder sometimes. And that's a decision that some people have. Have to make. Do I want to have the seizures or do I want to feel like I'm in the fog? And I'm sure you've done it through your work with ADHD and autism. When you talk to neurologists that get honest with you, I mean, to them, the brain is still the bottom of the ocean. Right. It's the really an unexplored frontier. And it's more of a. If we do this, does this happen? Well, we don't know why it's happening. And for somebody that's either a caregiver for or affected by epilepsy, that's really intimidating, really intimidating.

[Tony Mantour]

It is intimidating. And if it's intimidating for those that have medical experience.

[Michael Gamal]

Right.

[Tony Mantour]

Just imagine how intimidating it is for those that have no knowledge of it at all. Right. I think you used a great word, and that's empathy. A lot of people think that empathy can be a problem, but it's not. It's a problem fixer.

[Michael Gamal]

Absolutely. It's also a problem lubricant, for lack of. Of a better phrase. Right. Because when you allow yourself to put yourself in your brother's shoes, you allow yourself to, as you pointed out earlier, realize how good you have it and start all the things you take for granted. You and I are both of a certain age, Tony, where we can't do a lot of things we probably did about 30 years ago. I mean, I got to use the handrail now to go up and down the steps because grandpa might fall if he's not careful. I didn't realize how good I had it back back, you know, 30 years ago when I could skip up and down the steps. And my point is we all notice things we can no longer do. Well, imagine if that's your day to day. Right. It's easier to have empathy when you think back, at least for me. And I think that that's a lubricant for this problem solving. If you can start to put yourself in somebody else's shoes, you can start to understand why the services they need, why the support they need, why the extra whatever it is, extra 10 minutes to do this or the extra lane in the extra whatever it might be, why that's important.

[Tony Mantour]

That's so true. Now again, how do people contact you? How do they find more about what it is that you are doing? We've covered a lot of great things here today, but many times people hear something for 30 minutes and then they forget about it.

[Michael Gamal]

That's right.

[Tony Mantour]

So give us some information so they can find out more about what you're doing.

[Michael Gamal]

Sure. I'll give you the. The easiest thing to do is remember these two words. Joey's song. My son was Joe and it's about music. So it's Joey's song. Our website is joeyson. We are joeysong on all the socials you're on. If you go there, you can either sign up for newsletter which gives regular updates or go to the socials. You can see the lineup, everybody that's coming. We've got auctions this year. We've got a guitar auction, signed guitars by Brad Paisley, Jason Isbill, Cheap Trick. Oh, I'm forgetting. We've got about 20 guitars. Alice Cooper, Rick Springfield. Tons of people have signed guitars for us. So you can see our auction. We do. For those of you that aren't in the Madison area in January, we are live streaming the Saturday show. So that's a great way for you to help. You can watch the show. It's 25 bucks to watch it and you can sit in your living room in Nashville or San Diego or Austin and be nice and warm watching it as well. But just remember Joey's song and if you do that, you'll find us.

[Tony Mantour]

Yeah, that's great. This has been great. I've really enjoyed this, been great conversation, great information. I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today, Tony.

[Michael Gamal]

I appreciate you hooking me up with all your listeners out there. That's the way we talked about it, being a lubricant. You're helping, you're being our message lubricant on this to help ease our message out in the public. So I'm grateful to you.

[Tony Mantour]

Oh, it's been my pleasure. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantour production. For more information, contact medialatomusic.com. If you're an H vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Michael Gamal]

If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening.