ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — "Hug me brotha!" There hasn't been much of a break for Drake Bell since the hit Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh" ended in 2007. Since then, he's had a son, released three studio albums, embarked on his latest solo tour, and shared vulnerable sexual assault stories he ex perienced in the hit documentary "Quiet on Set." That hasn't stopped him from taking a step back to reflect on the success of the series and the "nostalgia of that era." On April 12 in Buffalo, Bell will host a "2000s Party" at VENU in Buffalo. News 8 WROC had a chance to catch up with the star ahead of the show — hours after the release of his latest music video, "Diosa." News 8 WROC's Gio Battaglia: Congratulations on the Diosa video! That's got to be exciting. Drake Bell: We did a video for the song. That song had such an interesting life because we released it like in the middle of the pandemic. So, we weren't able to tour it, or make a video for it, or do anything. We just kind of had to put it out. And then after the pandemic, I was like, 'Oh, we should make a video for Diosa. And so, we made the video. I was sort of already working on the new album and the new videos and artwork and everything, and it just kind of got put on the back burner, like 'Oh, well, we'll release it.' So, I just did a kind of a surprise drop last night, which a lot of the fans... I saw some good reactions. Battaglia: While you're in this current era of music, what made you want to tag team this current era of music with the 2000s event that's happening in Buffalo in a few weeks? Bell: Those things are just really fun. Like, you know, I'm a big guy. Like, I love nostalgia, you know. We had the awesome generation of, like, classic TV, and all that stuff. And I'm a big Disneyland fan. I love, like, you know, people are like, what? Why do you go to Disneyland so much? Because when you walk in, you're like, 'Oh yeah, this is what it felt like when I was a kid.' I can not worry for a couple hours and just have fun. And so, I like events like that, you know, where we kind of like give the fans like a taste of nostalgia. It's fun. Battaglia: Something that every time I see tagged photos of you, or a fan mentions you, it always seems like they are getting the ultimate experience. They get to meet you, they get to watch you perform. How is that connection and why is it so important to you? Bell: With the music, it's really special because people are being affected by stuff that I wrote my bedroom, and then having fans come up and reference the show and what it meant to them growing up, or the impact that the documentary had, like, all of these encounters are really moving and amazing. And I'm a big fan of who I'm a fan of. And I've had encounters with people that I've looked up to like that that have been incredible, and some that have been, like, heartbreaking, you know. And so, I've taken away from both of those interactions, 'Wait, I have the opportunity to be in your shoes. So, how would I want to?' And now I know what it feels like on the other end, too. So, it's this weird thing where I kind of have been able to experience both sides of it. And when you walk up to someone and you're like, 'Hey, can I get a picture? Can I get an autograph?' And they're like, you know, I'm eating or not right now, [...] then I got that like, 'Okay, I can't do that to people.'" Battaglia: That's important, and it definitely pays off. I Mean, these fans get so excited when they get to meet their idol, whether it be you or anyone else. So that's great that you provide the experience. And then when it comes to the music, how does it look when you create a set list for all these different shows? Is there one song that resonates with the fans that you got to make sure you put on or else you'll hear about it? Bell: Definitely "Found a Way" is that encore hit. That makes everyone go crazy. But, when you're setting up a set list, it's kind of difficult, actually, because as the musician, I always want to play the new songs. I always want to play stuff that I we haven't played before and work it out and figure out new ways to bring it to stage and maybe change something that's not on the record, make it more dynamic. You're always wanting to do that, but then you have to go, 'Oh, wait, but the fans want to come, and they want to hear this song, they want to hear that song, they want to hear...' and so it's kind of pulling yourself back and going, 'Alright.' Battaglia: You have had, as you mentioned, a big year of bravery and vulnerability. The documentary you talked about, it really was wildly received with at least what I've seen is love and support. How has that been for you since it came out? Bell: I've had a lot of experiences that I wasn't expecting. You know, I travel a lot, so I'm constantly interacting with the public, you know, I'm at airports all the time and I've recently, people are now coming up, and I had an interaction at the airport recently where it's not just for a selfie or an autograph. They're sharing their story with me, like, 'Something happened, and I wasn't able to tell anyone until I saw your story, and I was able to share it with my this. And now we're going, now we're going to our state legislature, and we're getting bills passed to help to make sure that kids are safe because mine happened in the school system, so we're able to go to the state.' And I'm like, that came from the documentary? Like, wow, that's really, really cool, So really unexpected reactions." Battaglia: Back to the 2000s event, have you played Western New York before? Bell: I've been up there a few times. Yeah, it's cool. It's cool. I like it up there. Battaglia: What else can fans look forward to from you? Bell: Just a lot of stuff coming the record. I've got a lot of tour dates coming up, hitting the US right now. We just did a bunch of stuff in Mexico and then hope we're planning our Latin America tour now. Just a lot of really cool surprises this year that I think a lot of people are going to be excited about. Tickets for the April 12 "2000s Party" at VENU in Buffalo are on sale now. For more information, click here. ...read more read less