How Frank Sidoris Landed the Gig with Slash & Wolfgang Van Halen | Joes' Happy Hour Ep. 28

🎸 In this episode of Joe's Happy Hour, Joe sits down with Frank Sidoris, guitarist for Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, and Mammoth WVH with Wolfgang Van Halen. Frank shares his incredible journey from Vegas stages to global tours, landing a dream gig with Slash, and building an iconic Vegas bar.

🌍Discover how authenticity, hustle, and a little bit of Vegas magic helped him navigate the wild world of music and entrepreneurship.

✅ Topics covered:

- How Frank landed gigs with Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen

- Life on tour: highs, lows, and backstage stories

- Starting a bar business in Las Vegas- Lessons from Eddie Van Halen

- Finding balance between music and business

🎧 Whether you're a music fan, aspiring artist, or entrepreneur, Frank's story is full of inspiration, humor, and life wisdom.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - Intro & Disclaimer

00:35 - Meet Frank Sidoris: Vegas-born Guitarist & Bar Owner

02:00 - Early gigs, retail jobs, and working for a magician?!

04:45 - How maturity came early: learning to "sit at the table with adults"

07:00 - Life growing up in Vegas: calling hotel operators at age 6

08:30 - First band, Cirque du Soleil auditions, and an unexpected fork in the road

10:30 - Choosing tour life over a stable Vegas show gig

12:15 - Touring with The Cab and international experiences

13:30 - Meeting Brant Fitz and the long road to Slash

16:00 - The Slash audition story (Super Bowl Sunday!)

19:30 - Nailing Paradise City — the moment nerves disappeared

21:00 - Getting the call: "We want you in the band"

23:00 - Lessons learned: being over-prepared pays off

25:45 - How confidence builds through preparation

27:00 - Jam sessions with Chris Chaney & Matt Chamberlain

28:20 - Transition to Mammoth WVH: from one legend to another

30:15 - The surreal Eddie Van Halen encounter

34:00 - Wolfie’s musical genius: no tracks, no safety net, all heart

36:00 - Touring with Mammoth & the "confidence shift"

38:30 - Hanging with Eddie: humility, legacy, and kindness

40:15 - If Frank could retire abroad, where would he live?

41:00 - Japanese culture and the mystery of trash-free streets

42:00 - Why Frank opened a bar: building something real in Vegas

43:30 - His global coffee list (and why he won’t gatekeep it)

44:50 - Hospitality & authenticity in the service industry

47:30 - The "Hard Hat Lounge" story: revitalizing a Vegas institution

49:00 - Partnering with local burger phenom Stay Tuned Burgers

50:00 - How Hard Hat became an industry hangout spot

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🎸 Whether you're into finance or Fender guitars, this show brings it all together. Thanks for tuning in to Joe's Happy Hour!