WWE’s Chris Jericho brings rock band Fozzy to local club

The longstanding practice of professional wrestlers bashing their opponents over the head with a folding metal chair is no longer allowed in World Wrestling Entertainment. That’s one of the things we learned from WWE star Chris Jericho in a telephone interview this week. Jericho who performs with his rock band Fozzy on Saturday at New York New York in Chesterfield Township is on the WWE’s Over the Limit pay-per-view card Sunday night at Joe Louis Arena along with John Cena, Rey Mysterio and other stars.The 39-year-old Winnipeg native confirmed online reports

that indicated the WWE’s updated talent wellness policy has banned the use of intentional chair shots to the head due to concern about concussions.”Chair shots aren’t really necessary any more because we’re more of a PG-13 product now that doesn’t need that type of barbaric bashing of each other,” Jericho said.Although chair shots had become a staple of the staged combat for decades, the WWE is taking steps to remove them from a wrestler’s arsenal. Offenders can be fined or even suspended.”The policy’s been in effect for a few months now. You don’t even notice the chairs any more,” Jericho said. Jericho teams up with The Miz to face the Hart Dynasty for the unified WWE Tag Team titles on Sunday at the Joe. Before he heads into the ring, Jericho and members of Fozzy will tear up New York New York to promote their latest CD, “Chasing the Grail” on Saturday.”Chasing the Grail” is the band’s fourth and best-selling record, he said. Fozzy’s hard rock philosophy on the record includes a 14-minute-long song. “The response has been off the charts,” Jericho said. “It took us a few years to write the material and get it recorded, but it was worth it. I feel the band has really turned the corner with this one.” Fozzy started in 2000 as a rock cover band and has undergone several personnel changes over the years. The lineup now includes founding member Rich Ward who writes the music and melodies while singer Jericho composing the lyrics and Sean Delson, Frank Fontsere and Billy Grey. Jericho admits he’s been fortunate to integrate music with wrestling. Even his last name of Jericho is a stage name (real last name: Irvine) and was the title of a a Helloween album, “Walls of Jericho.””I’ve been in a band since I was a teenager,” he said. “I always wanted to be a rock star, but growing up in Winnipeg wasn’t the most revolutionary place for music other than the Guess Who and Crash Test Dummies.”It is a bit of a juggling act to make both careers work, but how lucky am I to be doing both. Most people don’t get a chance to live out their dreams and here I get to live out two dreams.” Jericho has accomplished almost everything he can in pro wrestling after becoming the WWE’s first undisputed world champion. He also has dabbled in television, writing, and radio. Relatively small for a wrestler at 5-foot-11 and 211 pounds, Jericho hasn’t decided how much longer he will stay in the game.”I will decide when I walk away from the business,” he said. “Five years ago I took a break and replenished myself and came back better than ever. I don’t see myself stopping soon.” Soul Preacher, Grand Circus, Shock Wave and Shooter will join Fozzy at New York New York on 23 Mile Road east of Interstate 94. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of the show. But Jericho isn’t the only unusual musical act coming to New York New York this weekend. Tonight, The Truth Movement featuring actor Corey Feldman, comes to the club to play its latest album, “Technology Anthology,” featuring theatrical costumes. Feldman’s band includes Daisy DeLaHoya of the VH1 show “Rock of Love” and Steve Fazzillo of Avril Lavigne’s band on keyboards. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $12. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/newyorknewyorkofficial.Carey Torrice, the Macomb County commissioner once branded by TMZ as the “hottest politician in America,” took a turn at announcing bands at last week’s WYCD Downtown Hoedown in Detroit.The politician-actress-model received a lot of attention on stage as she introduced several local bands to the country music crowd.Afterward, she demonstrated her inner determination and upper body strength at the U.S. Marine Corps’ chin-up exercise demonstration. She was able to hold the pose for the required 50 seconds something many guys failed to do.”The trick is to think about something else while you’re hanging on,” she said, adding she thought of her father, the late Hilaire Dejaeghere, who was a Marine. “That was my motivator.”Finally, due to faulty info provided by a promoter last week, we had the wrong last name for Heather Gray of Macomb Township, the new singer of the country band Redhill. She had been listed as Heather Graham.

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