Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast - EP 320: Tropidelic

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

Andy & Nick waste NO TIME flinging friendly fire at their reggae-adjacent frenemies (you know who you are) and diving ankle-deep into the murky waters of Indianapolis sports and politics (vote Nick Gerlach for mayor). Then it's time to get brassy: sure, 2nd wave ska ain’t quite reggae, but they’re definitely kissing cousins at the family reunion (after a few drinks). We dig into those tangled roots on the Interview Hour with Cleveland’s finest party instigators:  Tropidelic! A band so dank, even your stepdad’s dealer has heard of them. Also! Have you pledged your eternal devotion to OnlyFrasco yet? Join our subscription fan community for exclusive perks, peeks, and possibly even a video of Frasco’s nightly foot soak, complete with earnest confessions on which fungal creams work best. Sign up now, and you just might find you get more than what you bargained for... Need a visual aid to accompany your podcast? Fear not, we gotchu! Watch this episode now on Volume.com & YouTube. We're psyched to partner up with Volume.com! Check out their roster of upcoming live events and on-demand shows to enrich that sweet life of yours. Call, leave a message, and [insert funny thing]: [phone]  Check out our new album Growing Pains on all platforms 5/23/25!! Follow us on Instagram @worldsavingpodcast For all things Frasco, go to: AndyFrasco.com Produced by Andy Frasco, Nick Gerlach, Joe Angelhow, & Chris Lorentz Audio mix by Chris Lorentz Featuring: Mara Davis

And we're live. Andy Frasco's World Saving Podcast. I am Andy Frasco. And I am finally home. You were gone. Honey, I'm coming home. How was Mexico? It was fun.

Let's talk about it on next week's episode. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was fun, man. I forgot about that. We got a quick one. We got Tropic Delic up on this one. I forgot we're doing the opening. Yeah, we're doing the opening right now.

But yeah, it was fun. We had a lot of talk about... I'm going to talk about all this next week. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's cool because we only have like 10 minutes because this interview is really good with Tropic Delic. Reggae. Reggae. Do they admit they're... Hot from the 311 crews. Okay, here's the thing about them. Do they admit they're a reggae band or do they pretend they're not?

No, they admit. Nice. I respect. Who are you talking about that doesn't admit that they're reggae? We know. Why don't you say it in front of the people? We all know who I'm talking about. I get their point too, but they are they are reggae man. We're talking about Little Stranger just so you guys know. I... Jesus Christ, right off the bat they're gonna be like what the fuck? They're kind of... I get what they're saying. They're not even a band really. Well I guess they are now. They're hip-hop with

some reggae undertones. Yeah they gotta admit there's reggae in there. Reggae undertones! That's funny. I'm just kidding. There's nothing wrong with it. Nothing wrong with it. But you know it's like it's like me saying I don't want to be a jam band when I'm jamming all my songs. Yeah but you kind of aren't, like them, you kind of aren't a jam band. I mean you guys both have a point but you're both you know whatever. Well this isn't about Little Strangers. This is about Tropicadelic. Hot from Ohio! Who admit they're a reggae band. Jesus fucking Christ. No, it's good!

Good. Yeah. Well, it's gonna be fun. If you don't know who Tropicadelic is, hey Chris, play some Tropicadelic while we're pimping them out. They're from Cleveland, right? Cleveland! I remember them from like Resonance. Why the fuck? How? Okay, I know they're working. How the fuck did the Cleveland Cavaliers just get their fucking ass kicked? Well, they didn't have Garland for the first couple and they just kind of fell apart. The Pacers are a bad matchup for them actually. They beat them in the regular season too. Damn, who'd you? I mean, Indiana Boy. Well, I kind of fell apart. The Pacers are a bad matchup for them, actually. They beat them in the regular season, too.

Damn, who'd you? I mean, Indiana boy. Well, I'm kind of and I'm glad you asked me this. I'm kind of rooting against the Pacers. Here's why. If they win, all my friends will be happy. Too many of these today. You're so many of these today.

You're so nice that you could even that took a second to hit you because you like your you're so supportive of your friends Yeah, but you didn't even come I couldn't believe it. I mean, that's whatever I was thinking about you through that whole series and like damn like is he like kind of being on the fence between left and right? I was definitely rooting for the Cavs. I like the Cavs, but I'm not a Pacers hater. I am a Colts hater. Mm-hmm I am a pacer's hater. I am a Colts hater. Wow. Another reason why to vote. Frasco for Indianapolis

Mayor because this man doesn't even root for your fucking team. Because you guys are fair weather. He grew up there. I grew up in Four Wayne. Whatever. Tomato, Tomano. Fair. This is why I will win this mayor election. You probably will. You're just better than me. It's fine. You're just a better person.

What'd you say? I didn't hear you. I thought we were talking about Tropicadelic. Got him. Got his ass. I'll clap for that. That was a clapping version. Tropicadelic. Cleveland, Ohio. The beaches of Cleveland.

These guys work their ass off. Yeah. Homie Rhoads. They work their ass off. And the people who? Got me into them is little stranger. Hmm and you know to see their side of the family No, like I'm very protective over my boys little stranger. I fucking I fight for them. I love them. They're good guys Oh, yeah, I like them. I care about them

Gratefully even day one tries to call them reggae. I'm gonna fight them Yeah, there's no reggae fine doesn't matter Just every single I'm just kidding Yeah, great reggae band hip-hop. I like this band because they have pop punk roots. Oh they do. Yes Yeah, there's like two different kinds of reggae. They got a lot of ska on them Well, I like second wave baby wave. Very Orange County vibes. James is good.

Ska Kid. We talked a lot about ska. We talked a lot about their discipline in this whole touring scene. And they were caught off guard that they thought, we party a lot. We go heavy, heavy, heavy, because we hang out with a little stranger and stuff. But didn't realize how hard we worked too. Like us and stranger worked. So like,

it was like, they had this coming of Jesus where we're like, Oh, these guys do work hard. Coming of Jesus or what? Coming to Jesus. Coming to Jesus. Coming on Jesus. Coming on Jesus. He can say it. Where I just dropped the holy load. Oh my god We got a new pope we're gonna talk about all that on next week's episode All right guys enjoy Trapadelic, but also we need to talk about volume comm guess what? Mm-hmm. We're back And we're signed the deal We're hungry. We're working hard. Yep, we got a whole new camera set up.

We got a whole new camera set up and we got a whole new studio set up. Mm hmm. And yeah, but sign up for the only Frasco sub. I can't wait to do an episode where me and Jack are here and you're on remote. I can't wait. But I'm sitting in the studio. I can't wait. That's going to happen.

Yeah, it's going to be happening. Only Frasco subs. Listen, guys'm calm is great. You already know I've been pitching the sub what they have to offer for just live streams and live shows, but I really want to focus in on The subscription model that we are building we're building it. We don't even like calling a subscription We've been like we want to call it a community. Where you can... Shut the fuck up, Nick. I'm not laughing at you. It's like, whatever.

I'm like a corporate man now. It's like corporate lingo. I'm a corporate man. Synergy. I'm a corporate dog. Whatever, community. Yeah, it's fine. It is a community.

It is. And it's only five bucks a month. It's like buying... What are you laughing at? I It's like buying a, what are you laughing at? I like corporate lingo. The fuck are you laughing at? I'm not laughing at you, I just, corporate lingo makes me laugh. Get your picture.

I know, I know. But we're gonna have so many different live streams. There's gonna be a live band stream a month. We're also gonna be doing those every Monday. You're gonna talk with me in the chat room. And we're, or not a chat room, in a live stream. We could wake up together on Mondays, see how strung out I am, or how much refreshed I am.

Like last night, I slept 10 hours. We were going to hang out and you said no. I respected that. I was going to, but I started falling asleep. No, I wouldn't have been fun. It would have been fun. I was kind of a zombie. And I ate three different, I love when I could eat three different genres of food I like genre for food that's

good it's awesome what'd you get Chinese Mexican and what I got Mexican in the morning I got a fucking cow stomach burrito from from casa de tacos oh cool and then I got the war wanton soup from Ming dynasty. Love it. And? And then I got sushi. Oh yeah. Like an albacore. But then I went Indian. Oh rough. That's dangerous. Dude my stomach was like a fucking brick. Yeah damn. It's like the UN down there. It is. But we'll talk about that next week. Yeah. Alright guys guys but sign up for the only frascos I'm serious it's like getting big we're at like almost 250 or 300 subscribers damn so you know we're building the community a lot and I'm slowly I'm slowly you know

just getting my figuring out what type of content I want to give to the people who are paying to have extra do you give them a little discount if they pay for the whole year yes yes I like when people do that yeah yeah so do that pay for yeah pay 50 bucks for the year and you don't nothing like I hate fucking monthly payments I know you do too that's why I'm pitching them that's one I know where eats fucking hate monthly payments I know I'm asking to pay a monthly payment but if you don't want to pay monthly pay it you'll get 10 bucks off 50 bucks easy not that much dude I keep it cheap for my people cheap oh we think about you fly it you go see Frasco live Frasco band

live it's 50 bucks oh easily I mean when you come in you're going for two people it's like 50 60 bucks but you're even counting drinks and transportation and little dude now you can watch this from your home and talk to Andy in the morning. You can talk to me in the morning, which is the cheapest therapy ever. But I'm not qualified to be a therapist. Don't ask me crazy shit. OK, so I'm not qualified. But I will be there to guide you through the whole thing.

All right, guys. Enjoy. So head to volume dot com slash. Or you can just ask him bullshit about the Laker. Yeah, you guys. It doesn't have to be. Yeah, we could just have like a nonchalant coffee day You can ask about me. Yeah, that's about Nick. What's Nick really like? Yeah What's Nick really like five six? He's actually five six Anyway, all right guys. Enjoy

Tropic delic and we'll catch you next week. Bye! Bye! Moving westbound to the ocean I put trust in something that I've never seen Maintain and measure my emotion Hello. Tropicer Jack in the building. How's it going, boys? It's going very well. Thank you. Great. Yeah. What's something you dislike about your music scene?

I've only, I've watched like a few Okay, maybe I got that's all I saw one and it was like the first question is like how many times you rub one out a Day or something Is he I was like curious I was like about to step in the door I was like is he gonna do something like that? No, I'll say this. I think we need more fresh blood I think there needs to be more bands coming up trying to do the damn thing, right? Yeah, I'm kind of running out of you like be like an intervention I'll said hey server girl come in No, I am I'm happy I'm stoked to be here. I got a lot of questions for you First of all tell me about your upbringing in, Ohio

How's cool, love, Ohio love Cleveland specifically Yeah, I had a great coming up in Cleveland The music scene it's kind of popping off when I was in high school and getting things going It's when I met Rhodes. Yeah, TROP going I was in my own like ska band that was getting cooking. Yeah, and Yeah, Cleveland's fire. We're having a good time. It's always grown. It's getting going off You rep you rep Cleveland hard Rhodes pretty hard pretty hard. Um Should be told though, I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Oh, hold on, Hot Take. Yeah. Hold on, where's the, what's going on?

Is that sound effects? I'm telling Cleveland, dude. I know, right? So we got this dilemma going on, but I spent more than more than half my life now in like Northeast Ohio. I went to Kent State. Oh, cool. It's kind of where I originally started the band. We had like a few different lines over the years, but these guys are like the line up. more than half my life now in like Northeast Ohio. I went to Kent State. Oh cool. It's kind of where I originally started the band.

We had like a few different lines over the years, but these guys are like the lineup. They've been around for like a freaking decade now. And yeah, there's just something like really like just endearing and modest about not just Ohio, but the entire Midwest Great Lakes. And I throw Pittsburgh in there too. It feels like a Midwest place

that you just don't have like on either coast and you know other places It's like I don't I prefer it and I didn't realize how and so and until I watched the AFC hard knocks How close all those fucking cities are very I mean, it's like rivalry city You know like you pick your poison or is it like everyone's in it to win it? What do you mean as far as like who to cheer for oh you mean like just like just like we're Cleveland fuck Pittsburgh Or we're Pittsburgh fuck Cleveland. Yeah, that's brutal but like it to me like if it's telling when you when that's your philosophy like and I'm I piss people off but like Inherently these places are so similar. So similar.

Like all of the whole area is like, it's all the same kind of post industrial mess. Like, you know, like, but yeah, no, like I don't, I like Washington Browns. I like Washington Browns, but. How many bands have you had, Rhodes? How many bands, like lineups? Like lineups with Tropic Deluxe.

There was like, there was, this is really like the third iteration probably in like 15 years though and they've been around like better part of 10. So it's you know, it was two different. It was a college lineup I mean, here's the thing too is I've had this band forever, but we didn't start touring but 10 years ago. Tell us the whole upbringing Okay. Okay. So it was like Kent State I went there didn't want to like kind of spend the rest of my life in Pittsburgh So Kent State college buddies just were effing around like we like, but we like, we're really into it. Like we hustle, we would like go to the computer labs at Kent State,

shut down every single one of the computers and like burn demos and like crank them out all over campus. And they literally like changed the rules on marketing at Kent State because we would just slaughter flyers everywhere. So like we were in it, but we was like no ambition to do it. Like as a, like a, you know, like a job or any shit like that. Even second line up of guys was like, a bunch of dudes older than me at the time. Like they didn't really take a seer, still no touring. We're like, you know, five, six, seven years in, zero touring. Like just like kind of local shows.

And then I got my degree, I got a job, I sat behind a desk and like, I was making good money. And I was just like, this cannot be my life. And sometime like job sat behind a desk. I'm like I was making good money I was just like this cannot be my life and sometime like in my like middle-aged 20s Like I'm like flipped it in and that's when these guys sort of came around to we've been on the road hard since like 2015 or 16. We always get it seriously or did you there was a turning point. We were like I got to stop fucking around It was it wasn't It was a hobby for like many years. But like around 2015 we're like,

this is what we're fucking doing. Like we're gonna go on the road and like, and do this, you know? So at that point it was serious, you know? Then when you got in, where'd you guys meet? How'd you guys meet? So I had a high school ska band. We were called the Glow Pop Jiggly Jams.

Every ska band has that type called the glow pop jiggly jams and every ska band Yeah has that type of fucking name dude, but so cleveland's big like metal and hip hop town So it's like yeah If you liked like sublime or anything of that nature like there was no option for you or anything to check out No bands open for certainly not so right We came up playing with all the metal bands and stuff at these like local small clubs and things and then Once tropadelic got on like my radar. I was kind of like the leader of my crew We came up playing with all the metal bands and stuff at these like local small clubs and things and then once Tropic Delic got on like my radar I was kind of like the leader of my crew

It was like oh wow This is like the one band and our scene or like around here that can kind of help us and like put us on things And we can like get around people who like enjoy our music so Tropic Delic was actually my favorite band. Yeah Yeah, that was pretty cool. There's pictures of him in like the front row Really really something when I when Like I was leaving my high school band practice Rhodes called me and I was like, oh Rhodes doesn't call me and picked up the phone Where'd you see him? Where'd you see him? At a concert or like where like what why'd you make the call Rhodes? I have no recollection of this call I remember the first show we played together was at this place called P bodies and it was just kind of like a

local collective sort of thing but I just kind of got cool with some of the other guys in the band too and hanging out and then I Think I was kind of just like one of the only dudes around and like I Stayed local a lot of people went to school and things so he called me and asked if I played the trombone and I was Like now and then he was like do you want to learn and I was like, yeah So he dropped me off a trombone in the parking lot of like some bar on the really one and I kind of just YouTube I think that makes sense I don't remember yeah yeah that's how what do you see what do you see in James I for

me it's always been about like like the hunger and like like you wanting it is ultimately number one. Including music, like that all comes second. It's like, I always wanted people that wanted to be here and would be excited about doing it. Because, I mean, you know, like, so much of this shit can like really suck, especially when you're working your way up. Especially if you have like a shit,

people who are just shitty attitudes in a band. That will fucking ruin the whole fucking vibe. Not 100%. Not to mention like, you know, we're like in a little bit different worlds with jam and stuff, but like there's dudes that are like infinitely more talented musically than us that are like sitting at home on the couch right now and we're talking to Andy Frasco in the middle of the ocean. You know what I'm saying? It's because we're genuine and we're enthused to do what we do and we know how to like,

you know, do our business right, you know? But so it's always been about that first for me. It's like who is hungry and who wants to be here and who's excited, you know? And who's nice. Yeah, and who can get along with their boss. This is, yeah, we could be looking for roommates too. Yeah, right, yeah, roommates.

Yeah. A lot of these positivity style genres, a lot of these people aren't positive Yeah, that's one thing that's so fucking weird. Yeah about it Like we're promoting happiness and positivity and then once the cameras are off once they're off stage like ah fuck this bullshit It's fucking Fuck this guy. Fuck that guy. Yeah, what? What what what do you think cause that?

People people are people I'd say say whatever you want. Just don't pull me in we're like we gotta touch cheeks for a hug when I don't know If I just met you let's start with hands and see how it goes from there Yo, I'm fucking love you baby. What fuck my wife Sir here's my room key. Yeah, I know it's like a it's a politic thing it's I'm not pointing at anyone on my more thing is like a Lot of hippies aren't as happy as they try to promote it to be yeah part of me wonders, too If it's like more of like if you're constantly projecting that maybe you just get like way burnt more burnt

I like you ever meet like guys and like metal bands or whatever and they're all Hunky-dory happy. They're the happiest fucking people Face of just like whatever music maybe these people just go out there I mean, that's something too is just like I think our music and everything is very genuine and like lyrically and groove wise It's like like I think our music and everything's very genuine and like lyrically and groove wise It's like super authentic like us So it's like we're not going out there and pretending to be happy on a day that we're pissed off We're going out there and we're playing how we feel and how we're fucking blue-collar workers You're from Cleveland and Pittsburgh. That's right. You put on your fucking hard hat you get to work and make fucking people happy

I think inherently what we're talking about here though is People forget that we're just like people, right? I mean, we're just like people. But yeah, so they'll throw stones or whatever, or rub your cheek against yours or whatever. But like they don't know, I'm just a guy, I'm trying to go live my life, this is how I feed my family, this is what we do.

It's people lose sight of that, like the masses that don't like grasp. That's the one thing I don't understand. Yeah, it's like, I don't want to grasp. That's the only thing I don't understand. Yeah, it's like, I don't understand when people have the balls to just like go to your YouTube or go to your fucking con and just start talking shit. Have you ever done that to anybody ever in your life? No!

No, I feel like, or like in person or anything. No! Sometimes like the things people have like, like you said, the audacity just to say to you, to your face, it's just like just like but openly complain is just like We all have ways that we like release our insecurities, but that is like absolute bottom the worst one. That's the absolute worst possible way Yeah No, it's like do you do you consider this like you're athletes right you guys like sports and stuff absolutely

Yeah, so do you consider this as like a sports like? You guys like sports and stuff. Absolutely. Yeah, so do you consider this as like a sports like? like an athlete mentality where you got a you got to prepare your brain to go to war or is it like Touring yeah. Yeah, like I hate to liken the two but like cuz I mean, I'm never I'm not a veteran Thank you for all your service. I didn't anything but like and we're good politician man. You good at this Thank you. You know what to do, but I'm all like fuck this guy You're good at this. You know what to do. But I'm all like, fuck this guy! Fuck this guy!

Nobody likes shit in the comments. It's survival mode. When you go on the road, like my brain switches. I'm like, all right, I'm surviving. Granted, that being said too, we're not tour bussing it. We're sleeping in truck stops. We do our thing the DIY hard way for many years now. So like, if I think about my family all the time,

it's going to make it worse. Like, you know, like I have to like stay focused on like what the task is for the day and get it done and stay physically healthy, mentally healthy. Just to get through, you know? Totally, I mean, you're traveling just as much as a basketball player or a baseball player, you know? With half the luxury.

With half the luxury. Yeah. You're like a minor league baseball player. That's right. Sometimes little league, bro. Dude, I feel you, bro. I'm not, I'm just, I just got a minor league baseball player. That's right Dude I feel you bro. I'm not I'm just I just got in a van wagon. I've been living in a van for 15 years That's insane and just fucking doing 250 shows a year. That's insane and just grinding it out putting my head down and going to work and like I just don't understand how people can still shit on people Who are just trying their best to just make a living for

Their friends and family they don't get it. They don't see all the 250 shows a year. They see one This is why I like right talking to optimistic People write optimistic music because your music is very optimistic and you guys are very good at Reaching your fans Hearts through optimism, and not pessimism. That's something very hard to do when you're a Tuesday in fucking North Dakota, and you just drove through a snowstorm, and you got a record you have to pull it out,

and you have to write four more songs for it. So it's like, that's the mentality I'm talking about with the, like going to war. It's not about the imagery of it, not the actual shout out to our troops, like I'm gonna start doing the politics. Shout out to our troops. But like, you know what I'm saying?

It's like, how do we approach, so how do we approach staying happy when we're not happy? I think that's my question. Yeah, I think we all find certain ways to do, you know, special ways to do that on our own, but that is crucial, and I think alone time is a massive part of that. I was kind of just like chatting with my girlfriend,

like right before we came into this too, she's downstairs, and I was just sitting by myself, and she's like, are you okay? And I was just like, yeah, and she's just like, what's up? And I was just like, well, you know how like, you're at home and you're alone and I'm not there, and you're like, oh, I wish James was here, we were hanging out, I was like like well, you know how like you're at home and you're alone and I'm not there and you're like Oh, I wish James is here. We're hanging out was again like I haven't been alone since I've left you weeks ago

Now you're here and there's people around so like getting that like moment to yourself and do whatever do you like? I think I'm like the only guy in the band you skateboard So I do that like I'll leave an other escape rock or uber to there Like the gyms big for a lot of us to getting those like moments to yourself to get your own head right is like crucial in that aspect. You ever try to beat the shit out of each other? Anyone fight each other? Like any big blowouts? Give me a big blowout.

There's been some stuff over the years. But like, hey, I've talked to, I'm not gonna say who, but I talked to a band that I know and respect. They're like, we've punched every, each one of us has punched the other one in the face. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. And I'm like, oh, we're good. Like, it never did, we never did all that. Yeah. Yeah.

I've never had to fight my band, but has to aggressively use my eyes. About a hundred thousand times. It's almost worse. It's safer, yeah. It's almost worse. It's worse. It's almost worse, yeah. It's, you got to communicate.

Yeah. Yes. But what was the biggest blowout with the band? I want to say, give me something. I can't, I don't... There was, there's worse. It's almost worse, yeah. You gotta communicate. Yeah. Yes. What was the biggest blowout with the band? I wanna know. Give me something. I can't... I don't... There was... Come on, Rhodes. Give me something. No, there's my stuff.

I would say this. Here's a unique bit about us. It's like, you know, reggae is part of what we do, but like jokingly we've been called the reggae navy seals. Because we're dialed in, bro. Like our operation is like streamlined Yeah, so like you don't have the usual like I got a feeling like we'd be like really out of place on each other's Touring parties because I get the impression that you guys are going balls to the wall now even on stage. Yeah, I bullshit I put a no drugs on the bus policy. That's good. So by 2 a.m. That doesn't mean marijuana, right?

No, no one really smokes weed in our band. Really? No. Well, we drink. We like to drink. So I was gonna say that's about the only thing that happens with us. Like there's very little drinking like no one's like up late partying. We're kind of just like in the bus and we go like to sleep and we go like oh, yeah, very yeah like we're very on but that's because that's like years and years of like sort of getting whipped in the shape and I'm like blowing it to you. I mean, yeah, we fucked up I like it like I would just like like back in the days to help party rage and lose my voice Oh, yeah, what is the worst feeling than like your job? You're not being able to do your job. Yeah, we know fun. This is work. It's a job. Yeah

I'm clocking in like I fucking love that. That's a good philosophy. Oh yeah. Don't get it twisted. We did all those. We made all the horrible mistakes. I'll be nine years without a drink this year. But with people like me at the helm and Pags our bass player who just builds out all of our bus... Part of our competitive advantage, the reason we never toured in a van for so many years because we got guys that can just like Turn school buses into full boring, you know We were in Key West in a school bus and we had like chickens coming on the school bus and like all like that's what We used to do like it's not very practical, but it's a very efficient. What like veggie oil? Were you veggie oil? No no no no no no no no it was just not like I'm kind of hippie you just we've had random vehicles that we build out ourselves

but most people are in a van paying for the rooms or whatever so we were always saving money sleeping where we could shower at the gyms that's where we shower we still do. Oh like plan fitness? Yeah we were going to plan fitness every day. You drive the bus to plan fitness sleep there get your workout in. Usually sleep at truck stop go to the gym in the morning, but that's just like wash repeat There's no like sleeping in till 11 and like not like no we're like up and going. Oh my god. I know it's wild Right. It's cool. I mean, I love this shit. I mean, I'm the same way if I get fucked up I'm still waking them at 9 a.m. I make all the budgets I do everything right? Yeah, yeah Yeah, but I've learned that I'm not being productive as much

if I'm going doing fucking blow till 6 a.m. So it's like- Even at like a more extreme rate than that too, like I don't think like this is something I'm able to do unless it's the way that like it's set into motion now. Like I've like, even like growing up, like I had like stricter parents and if I didn't, I wasn't like the kid whose parents fucked off

and I became a doctor. Like I'd be in the gutter somewhere, like you know what I mean? So it's like, if I wasn't like the kid whose parents fucked off and I became a doctor like I'd be in the gutter somewhere like you know what I mean so it's like if I wasn't like like you know I mean if I wasn't like afraid of letting my bandmates down and stuff like that too I might be off the rails going insane going crazy so it's like the fact that like I know I got to be up in my driving shifts at 830 the next day is like that's the way I'm able to go out on tour and do these things because I can't be trusted to do it another way okay so this is a deep precision

Oh, yeah, let's talk about your parents. All right, where what's what was your childhood growing up? I had a great childhood lovely parents. I was like Didn't know that we were poor until I was an adult. Yeah sort of deal. That's great yeah, my parents like hustled their asses off and And I don't know, they like initially tried to like discourage me from like doing something like this, which was like, came from a place of love. But now they like, love it. And they're like, obsessed. My mom will see like a Bob Marley t

shirt in a grocery store and be like, Oh, have you ever heard of Tropic Delic? Like she like loves getting recognized and people know what's going on. But I think this is interesting. Actually, like during COVID and stuff, we used to do a lot of like private parties and things in the backyard stuff. We did one with little stranger. We're all hanging out this like house in Indianapolis. There's kids running around and like, just us little stranger all about to go on in this backyard, like for the whole neighborhood and everybody's chilling. And I was just like, man, like if my parents were throwing rap concerts in the backyard, like, these kids better do something

incredible, you know what I mean? I was like actively talked out of this. These people are bringing us in and showing their kids, or it's like, somebody yesterday was just like, oh, I told my kids I smoked weed with you one time. I'm like, that's crazy to like, I don't know. Are you religious? Yeah, I was raised pretty Catholic.

Pretty Catholic, you too? Catholic. Very Catholic. You too? Very Catholic. I think that's a big part of Catholic school and that was a big part of it too. That discipline was crucial for me to just kind of like... So with the discipline, I want to hear about your childhood first in a second, but with the discipline, did it feel like when you told your parents, hey, I'm going to be songwriters? Were they pissed or were they cool with it?

Drug addiction. Like, like, like that was leading the lead in the charge for. You'll hear it next week. You'll hear it next week. Yeah. So I asked to to it back like military father was in like Desert Storm, always gone. School teacher mother, very blue collar, so forth. Like just enough, just the right amount of discipline to offset the damage at this point in life. But like, you know, I was deep in addiction and stuff like that. So like I wasn't thinking when I said like I'm going

to be in a band, it wasn't like, hey, ma, like, I've been thinking about this my whole life. It's all I ever wanted to be. It was like, I'm sick of this job. I'm just running. Like, I'm like, something doesn't feel right. I'm gonna go do something else that's not gonna feel right either,

but it feels better than this. So like, here I go. Yeah, and you're, well, you know, I mean, I was running too. That's why I joined the band. My sisters were doctors. My parents were kind of strict and it was my way of rebelling and So you got into it? But what type of drugs were you getting into? I it was it was mostly coke and I and I quit the booze because I had to quit the coke. Yeah

Yeah, yeah So but no no hard drugs or booze for almost nine years But it would then come with like without like this a world of like just gut-wrenching suffering like you know, it's like the worst of the worst situations like You know not fit for this podcast probably but like you're about yourself I'm very secure in myself and when you're a kid Oh, so insecure, bro. I lived in fear. I was like, I didn't have any self-esteem. I really, you read this, I don't know how much you read.

It's out there now. Childhood trauma dictates the rest of us. 100%. Right? So that, very much as an adult now, I see how it all happened, right? Like, where does it come from? Like, I've analyzed it all.

However, the responsibility shifts to me once I realize that, right? Right. Once I like, now I know how the. However, the responsibility shifts to me once I realized that right once I like this is now I know how the path works now. It's on me before that though. You might be able to cast some blame at other places You know because you're a child your child. Well, yeah, and you're a blank slate. So like the people teaching you right? I mean, I'd be the first one I'd blame. Yeah, right until you realize you got to own up for it But you're still learning you're a fucking kid. I mean, right but even as you turn to adult like Unless something changes dramatically like just because you turn 18 doesn't mean like you're like somehow instilled with like newfound values of principles

Like you're still just drifting afloat which I was for many years Oh, yeah until you come to these realizations like okay me on the road because I was afraid to like commit to come to these realizations. What kept me on the road, because I was afraid to commit to personal relationships. Yeah, right, right, right. You know? Sure. What about you?

Were you insecure when you were a kid? No, I don't think so. Sorry, I just slapped your leg. What about you, Drew? You know, Drew, can I call you Drew? No, I don't think I was a very insecure kid. I was, out of music was something that I kind of did on the side as a kid. I was a, out of music was like something that I kind of did like on the side, like as a kid, do I played sports and all kinds of things.

I felt like pretty, pretty well rounded. But I think like, kind of like to piggyback off like what Rose was saying, growing up and getting older and stuff, I was doing the bands and stuff when I was in high school. And that was like kind of like the dream the whole time. And then like, when I got out of high school and then started playing with drop and stuff, too

I never like went to a job and then left a job or decided that like this this kind of life isn't for me I'm gonna be free since I was like 16. It was just this is what we're doing. So I think like especially like comparing myself to my siblings or like friends and stuff to like growing up process took a little longer for me because I never, I had to adjust or to adapt. Like I think about it a lot. Like I don't know like what's after this for me. Like I don't know. I didn't like acquire a, I mean, besides the skills we've learned out here on the road, which like aren't valuable, you know, like just personal communication and stuff and just like networking and things like, but I didn't like, you know, get a skillset or I didn't learn a trade or get a degree or anything.

So everything I've like learned and kind of done has just been like through the process. And also to just like under the guidance of like people like Rhodes and pegs who like, I've been like very lucky to have into the same things as me and like doing what I like to do. But a couple of years ahead of me. So like I got to watch and see and watch people go through things first and kind of like you know they've constantly just been like dribbling down little pieces of like Tidbits of advice and stuff and like I think honestly like when I joined the band like Pags is the age I am now so that's like interesting to look back at our bass player Pags

I think that's interesting to look back because this is how old he was when he was talking to an 18 year old kid yeah at the time so it's also, you know, like, I feel like when you feel like you have to make a back up plan, like a plan B, you're already thinking about plan B more than you think about plan A. So I was gonna ask you, do you think, this is the thing I've grappled with my entire career doing this, are you in the group that says you gotta be like all in,

1,000%? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, cause you live that way, I can tell you live that way. Yeah, I mean, I'm not, the minute I start thinking about Plan B is where I'm obsessive about Plan B. And then what are you doing with Plan A?

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. But also it's kind of reckless because. Yeah. Right. But like, I don't know, what do you, what? I mean, like I've always been kind of like, let me put just like one egg over here. Yeah.

You know, so it's not all in the same basket. Oh yeah, wait, wait, wait. I mean, I do that too, kinda. I got like, I got podcasts. Oh yeah, you gotta stop going on. Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta stop going on. But yeah, but no, but one egg.

But people say that. It would always be in the back of my head, because I'm like, why are you doing this? You're supposed to be like, you know, but I've always been kinda like nervous. Like, yeah, I'm always like trying to be more responsible. Well, you have kids too, right? I got one small kid, so that's pretty recent. Oh, that's easy. But anyway, one thing I'm always like try to be more responsible and. Well, you have kids too, right? I got one small kid. That's pretty recent.

Oh, that's easy. But anyway, one thing I want to mention, it's real telling of who we are, right? We talked about COVID a couple of times, but during COVID, right? Pretty much crushed everybody, right? Musicians, like everybody's, not us. Like, I think two, what was it?

Like two days after COVID, we were live streaming and they were doing really well. Then we moved to, I think we were one of the first in our region to start doing the drive-in movie theaters. We did numerous ones. Some of them we took on the production ourselves and like did it all ourselves. And then we were like staying busy on the private party circuit. So like we actually like the chart just kept, which is like unheard of. But I think it's credit to like kind of where we are now because we never never those years weren't like off years that we just like. Well yeah I mean a lot of people took that as breaks in like yeah yeah yeah same as us same as stranger I fucking was doing these twitch dance parties and I was doing I was going on tour I was like I'm going to fucking wherever they took you fucking West Virginia We got shit for that time straight. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah I'm sad like we were upset but like what are you gonna do? This is our livelihood and like

It's up to the promoters to make it safe for everyone. It's right us Like we're just trying to entertain people like yeah, correct. Everyone needs it I'm sure you had a great time explaining that in the comments on Facebook or whatever. Oh, my, you know, they knew I'm a cesspool, so they're like, fuck, who's going to Frasca? No, but yeah, it was sucked, because we were getting chastised for entertaining people, because everyone's fucking sad in their fucking room,

like, so we're the soldiers risking our lives, fucking going out there, getting sick, and we're getting chastised. Yeah, it's bullshit. It was like the people who were like really but I felt like a lot of people understood that what we're trying to do is a Yeah, and you would never pass that judgment on a brick layer Or you know to a lot of the people who didn't care or like were for what we were doing just didn't say anything fuck Because they didn't want to get in trouble too. Yeah, right Want some other people make water?

Actually, yeah. You want a beer? I'm cool. Yeah, I mean, I think that's the reason why our bands kept going. Us, Stranger, Stranger Ed, Stranger TV, and like a lot of the bands who took this as... But that also comes from discipline. Going back to this whole thing of how we're approached, a lot of people think it's just all fun and games.

And I want to talk about this music festival because you guys are running a big deal music festival now. It's a big deal. Hell yeah. Why don't you tell people who are not in that scene what the festival is, and then I got a lot of questions about this too, because that takes a lot of discipline. And it takes a lot of eagle-ish shit

to have to hire headliners for your festival that is the Tropic Dog Festival. So explain the festival to the people and how it started. It was just like a pool party we had with our buddies behind his house, at his dad's house. Probably like, I don't know what year was that? 2014. Something like that that and then it

slowly evolved we had like a circus tan we moved it to like a hunting club outside of Cleveland and was like a thousand people we'd max that out one year we had afro man and we thought it was like the coolest shit ever it was gonna be it that was the ceiling like we thought Afro man made us show for him from the green room to the stage ten feet in a golf cart like we had to get in the golf cart to go and And then he kept texting my girlfriend for like two years after. Like trying to back up.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sounds like fucking Avro man. I loved it. I was like, he's texting again? I'm like, yes. Like I just keep it like, I tease him. You text him back, you up. Yeah.

Anyway, we did progress from there, fortunately. And now we moved up to Legend Valley, which I'm sure you've played out there. Yeah, we do Secret Dreams and Residence. Oh yeah, so we had a huge year last year. This year we got Slightly Stupid. We have Damien, Steven, Marley, Iration, Fortune Youth, Little Stranger, JBug. This goes on and on. We're partnering with Ineffable.

We brought them on in recent years, but ever while, check. We're partnering with Ineffable. Brought them on in recent years, but ever while, check it out, Thornville, Ohio. So question, who's funding all the money? Well, that's a question. We're selling drugs, people! Traffidellicus selling cocaine! I assure you, I assure you that's not subsidizing this.

Although back in the day, marijuana, selling marijuana is what subsidized this band in the early years for sure. Really, you guys were selling weed to keep the band going? Not in the before him even. We were at Kent State and we would sell weed, take all the money and make demo CDs and pass them out. I fucking love it.

That's how we started it. I fucking love it. Yeah, we sold like a hash. I sold a pound of hash once. I was love it. That's how we started a fucking we yeah, we sold like hash I told you asked like a pound of hash once I was so nervous. I don't know. Yeah, I'm like I'm not doing this Yeah, so we have we get we all have stuff taken care of but it's we have a local organizer named Jim Garibaldi Jsg live. He also throws a festival called hookah bill. Oh acoustic hookah He also throws a festival called Hookabill. Oh, Acoustic Hookah? Yeah, man. I'm shocked the fuck I haven't heard that band name in fucking years.

Yeah, he kind of manages them too. Aren't they from Ohio or something? Yeah, they used to do like 10,000 people at their festival back then. It was a big deal. Everyone, all the old kids, old heads, man, those Acoustic Hookah festivals were fucking crazy. Yeah.

I was like sick. So he's like our OG partner that knows like the ins and outs of throwing a festival in, Ohio And we have a NAFA bull and then there's us kind of so when did you realize you wanted to make it bigger? Fesos don't really make any money Yeah, like what unless you go unless you put your dick out there and really fucking try to do like the big headliner We've we've like always the way way we run the business, the band and the festival and everything, it's like we're super practical, we don't overextend, like we don't go into massive debt, we don't do that kind of stuff.

So everything's been real incremental and slow and steady and smart and it just felt like we had to like push or like forever be in like this purgatory of like- There wasn't like a decision to do it, it was it it was just like let's see what happens I suppose yeah just you guys aren't reckless with your money definitely not what's the most reckless you've been with your money like wouldn't you buy something like a bus that broke down or mmm say it just say it nah in your monitor we actually just cashed out and got, it's not reckless, but we like, like signed a commercial lease for like

an industrial garage that we can like put our whole rig in with the trailer and we're going to build out like a big rehearsal. Oh, that's, that's responsible. Yeah. It's awesome. But we never sound like commercially. It's we've always been like in somebody's like back room or wherever the fuck like.

That's scary. Yeah. Well actually, actually, so this is, you want some Cleveland shit it's more about us like the place we stay at we've rehearsed that for many years is like an industrial shop in Euclid Ohio right next to a bunch of projects and that it's like Pags the bass player's dad shop where he like used to have he has like CNC machines and old stuff and like half-built cars and stuff as we've been going to for years like a little side room that gets real hot in the summer and real cold in the winter and we're all in there like this and like about three times a year we'll come back from a trip we'll leave all our cars there

and like a catalytic converter will be gone you know like. They got me twice dude. This is what we do. So we rented the, so we took a step up we we took a big step, we finally moved across the street to the very next garage where we can pull our cars in now. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. I'm clapping to that. Let's go boys.

That's making money. That's making money, dude. That's making money, dude. Yeah, it's a little bit more about us, yeah. Yeah. Oh, I love that. That's a story I love, dude. So let's go back to this vessel. So

It's your name in your head. Is it a mind fuck that there's other bigger headliners or you cooled it? For me, it's never bothered me. They anytime people have brought it up either I think too cuz it's like for me It's like hey, look at this party. Tropic delic is throwing right? Yeah, I mean so bringing in other people and bigger acts just means we're throwing a doper party. And that's like my favorite part about it too, is that again, this scene and stuff in Ohio was not really around until we started pumping it up

and doing better and doing bigger things. So it's like a lot of these bands and stuff that are on the show and stuff, some of them have never even been to Ohio before or played there until they came to do this with us. So it's dope to, whether it's a bigger name than us or like our friends or whatever It's like bringing bands in that we like to show the people in Ohio Like hey, this is what we're out there doing all the time

And these are the people were meeting like get involved and on board with all this so from my head It's just how can we throw the dopest party and make people remember? So that means bringing in bigger bands than us that just means I'm having a better time. You're having a better time. Yeah, I agree. I mean, it's it's the idea of being selfless Yeah, that's I was just gonna say it comes back to like like that's our playing music is to be selfless in the band and in the festival and everything else like I Don't I'm not I don't want the attention on me like I don't I don't need the ego trip of like I like I'm I'm done with that like I Like that's why I'm happy to share the load with like everybody like I'm glad when people are

stepping forward like I don't want to be that guy and I don't and as a band I think we all kind of have that like we don't need to be we we headline the festival for many years like this is indicative of growth to be and humbling to like that people would come bigger than us and play our festival and headline and it's just makes it's a party it's what people want you know like I would feel like complete douche if I was like, oh, wildly bigger band, we're gonna play after you. Just because we're like, I don't like no one.

And people would talk about that. Yeah, yeah, don't fuck with that either. For sure. Well, it's like, you know, it's like, I mean, it all goes down to ego, right? We're trying to be egoless. Even how hard it is to be egoless when everyone's kissing your ass all the time,

it's the idea of, like, that's why I ask, like, about self-love when you're a kid. Because sometimes, when we don't get enough self-love when we're a kid, the ego kind of breaks its chest a little bit to say, hey, what about me, what about me? So it's like, when you're in this idea of we're all in this together I think that's when you build community and this is why you have a successful festival. That's like a Staple of fucking Ohio, right? Oh, yeah. I hope so. Yeah, it's awesome. Yeah, I'll clap to that too

I slept so I go I'm talking today I went I went to bed at 11 and I woke up at 10, 11. You're kind of breaking my stereotype of you right now. You're not really bossing the wall at 3am, getting up at 11am. No, I work. I mean I got five fucking businesses. You know that makes sense. I knew that too but I was just like I'm seeing this guy and he looks like he's going ape shit all the time.

You're doing good. Yeah, I mean I've been doing that for a while. I'm like, I'm going to go to bed at 11. I'm going to go to bed at 11. I'm seeing this guy and he's like it looks like he's going like ape shit all the time You're doing good. Yeah, I mean 37 now so it's like yeah back then yeah, I would Have one night stands do blow and party all night, but it's like I don't know is that's not entertaining I want to fucking I want to really kill in this business I want to really write songs that make the world go around.

I don't want to be considered such like a fucking naughty boy, you know. Does that bother you? People like peg you in that hole, just like wild party. Well, I put it on myself, you know. Everything I was marketing myself when I was a kid, it's like, ah, look at me partying. But that got you, like, that's why you got here.

That's why I got here. So, but it's like, now it's like, I want to, I'm building a show that is like I could, and like building a life that I could do for the next 30 years. Okay, so podcasts, music, whatever. I run an Airbnb business.

I have properties around the country that I ran out. How many? I used to have seven. Oh yeah? Yeah, and then my business partner bought me out, so now I'm rebuilding. I bought, we're buying one in Toto Santos, Mexico and I have one in Denver and have one in Breckenridge So it's like my dad is a commercial real estate broker. So that's like, hmm

So we talked about some like van rental or something they serve rent my van whenever we didn't use it Wow That was a fucking nightmare Cars are different than houses, first off. What about, so what's five? Five, I started a management company when I was a kid. Like artist management? Artist management and booking. And then I used to book bands too.

And like, so I used to micromanage my band. I still do, but I have a, you know, and then my lat, the first business, I used to DJ Bar Mitzvahs. Wow, I used to be a DJ too back in the day. Oh yeah? Oh yeah. We were talking about,

I was talking to Surfer Girl about this today, so you're like crushing what my perception was, you just part of it, but we were talking about, it's almost like to me, my perception of, is like you don't survive in this Like the stories I use I read all kind of rock history books. Like I'm reading side in the family stone like oh Yeah, yeah, but like oh dear it seems like you you can't survive Like that doing this in 2025. It's just like not how most people do it

But then I think about they talk about the people on skid row that they just like don't get sick Yeah, like constantly their bodies are just like full. That's one thing. We're just fucking the cesspool Part of things like you know, if you kept going you'd be dead and I was like Maybe if I just kept going never stop I might not be dead Like yeah, but like what they like to Keith Richards gene Exactly like yeah, like to me for looking outside looking at you don't see many people That are going like balls to the wall. You just don't see that right? Yeah Well, I'm very in your world like I mean yeah jam scene. They're doing 150 200 shows a year

Yeah, I'm saying like a party. Oh party. Yeah. No, we're anomaly. Yeah Yeah, so you so even at your scale backstate you're an anomaly. Yeah, a little bit. I mean, little strangers. Yeah, there's them. They hold the cake. Yes, yes. Yes. But we're all trying to teach ourselves the mellow out now.

I mean, it was fun when we're not all the eyes were on us. Now that more people are watching every every waiting for you to fuck up Yeah, it's a little more pressure, right? Oh, yeah, like what about with you guys? I mean people are watching you all the time I see you guys throwing fucking first pitches at Cleveland and Cleveland games like What do you how are you taking success? Oh? With a cup of tea? I don't know, like, yeah, it's,

you're right though, there's like, it's, it's a weird thing, right? Right. Because the dynamic changes. Yeah, when people aren't watching, you can party and no one's worried about it. Yeah. That's when people start, like,

hey, you know, everyone has an opinion now. Which is everything you say and do, too, is like, you've built this an opinion now. Which is everything you say and do too. It's like you've built this like house of glass. Right. And it's like anything you say or do could make it crumble. It's like you have different cycles of going back to your childhood. So the question is do you want to go back to your childhood?

Parts of it, yeah. Yeah? like what? Hmm. I mean, it's just unadulterated freedom. I mean, that's the best part, right? I mean, no responsibilities. But also, I had a band in high school too, but I'll listen to, you probably feel the same way.

There was an innocence there when I first started writing. I'm like, how could you have ever, like what person was that? You know, like, cause like it's so uninterrupted and like undamaged and like just like, it's just innocent and it was beautiful. You know that? That was one of my favorite times to play music is when I didn't have to, it was just playing music to play music. It wasn't like this pressure of like fucking entertaining the fan base we now have and trying to gain new fans.

Like there was so much more pressure as you get more popular of when we were happiest when we were just fucking in the fucking basement playing fucking music, you know? Like that's why I love Scott. I'm a big Scott head, real big fish. I've Yeah. Yeah, like that's why I love Scott. I'm a big skyhead real big fish I've seen the most out of any band. Let's go and I used to book our expand its oh no Yeah, I used to work for drive-thru records

So like I did all their bands like managing and booking a lot of this stuff out there And like the idea of freedom so go back to this glass house thing because it makes a lot of sense So go back to this glass house thing because it makes a lot of sense We every time now as we get more bigger and bigger the glass house gets more and more fragile There's more floors. There's more It's just tough man, like I You just got to be genuine and Be yourself, but you know, I'd be lying if I said you don't have to be careful too, because like people are gunning for you. Like people, you're right, like the trolls on the internet or whatever,

like you get success and people want to knock you. Right. It's just player hate. But it's like also something that's like, you know, probably since the beginning of freaking time. Like we're not changing that. It's human beings, you know, so. So it's like also like it's also something that's like, you know, probably since the beginning of freaking time like we're changing That's human beings. So so it's jealousy. Maybe yeah, maybe I'm like that. People are just jealous of success some shirt realize like To get this to get successful in a band Versus to get successful in a corporate job is it's just like night and day of like we had it's a 24

hour job of not wanting to like just be degenerates and fucking not stay up till 4 a.m. not taking all the ass kissing to heart you know like to keep moving you know it's like that's the hardest part about it I think and like I thought about this in depth I like in it to other jobs and I think that I'm sure there is I'm sure someone's like Oz launcher But like it's also like directly connected to your soul So if like something goes wrong or someone doesn't like what you're like if you're like making a freaking sandwich or making a product or whatever Someone doesn't like it. You're not like crushed internally that gives on extension of yourself. Yeah. Oh my god We're fucking big so vulnerable like crushed internally that goes on extension of yourself. Yeah. Oh my God. Like, I didn't even think about that. Yeah.

It's like we're fucking big. So vulnerable. Yeah. And like they don't do that at the accounting job. Yeah. Right. Right. Yeah.

So you can make a good point. So you can make your own accounting firm. But the failure, I guarantee doesn't the dagger doesn't go nearly as deep as something like singing about like my my addiction or whatever. And someone's like like that fucking sucks or Whatever like yeah, you're like you're like sit so personal you're talking about like almost dying. They're like pussy

Plus like you said to it's like 24 hours There's no leaving it at work like I was in the service industry for years and years and years My favorite thing about working in the service industry was when the tables are gone. We're done I'm not going home and thinking about it, whatever. It's just when I show back up the next day, there'll be more people and I work until they're gone. This is just like constantly moving. Yeah.

Yeah. I didn't realize how fucking deep business heads you guys are. This is exciting. We're learning a little bit the other side of each other. All right. You know, what's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened on stage? Hmm. I mean, I've eaten shit a few times for sure. Just like, we go so crazy. Like, you know, I mean, I've lost it ass a few times. Like what? What was the worst one?

I guess horribly dramatic. I mean, just like jumping up and landing on my back. I mean, just like, yeah. That's nothing though. Like, let's be honest. Like, can give it like we've always said, like we're not musicians. Like we're entertainers. Like that's what we do. It's like early the early days. We used to have a Percussion player that wore like a skull mask. We had like nine guys up there. We got with this guy the tuba We used to old trumpet players to drop to like a mankini Like almost every show like we were like seven person shows and like these still do it But there was also once I remember they came out like in uh, it was like the Hillary Trump. Oh my god Yeah

They came out wearing diapers. Yeah a Trump mask and a Hillary man Yeah, Derek had a Trump mascot and he was wearing a diaper and then Pags came out in full drag like heels and all with a Paintball gun and a Hillary man and all with a paintball gun and a Hillary matter. They were shooting each other. Point blank lit them up. I know it's religious. I know it's religious. Hold on.

Hold on. This isn't like the most like inversion thing obviously, but it's like forgetting words, right? I mean, that's horrible. But like the way I like, I love to describe this is like, you know, people have the dream that like you walk out onto stage and you're in a play and you don't know your lines. Yeah. Like that's happened to me in real life, like a of times and it's gonna happen again and like thinking about that

Oh, that's my nightmare. Do you like being a star in a play? Yeah. Yeah, I don't know any lie Yeah, that's like that happened like I've stood there and like my part starts and I'm just fun the microphone I don't know what to say bother you when you do that though Everybody does that what like when you like fuck up a lines and stuff you just fuck up every night. Yeah Yeah, I have an iPad now. Do you do that? Do you karaoke it fuck? Well, I just have like little reminders because like I have my lyrics if I fuck up the first line. I'll fuck the whole song Yeah, okay. So like I'll just have a little reminder. We also we also have 200 songs now. So it's like that's crazy Wow, it's like 15. Yeah, we made it

We made a record one record a year for the last 15 years Wow, man loved the new single. Thanks man. Really really enjoyed anybody try to convince you to like get on a two-year cycle with us Yes, and you just don't you want to yeah My jam scene wants new music every because we do so many shows and we're in town So many times a year that I have to do new songs Yeah, it makes sense. The two-year thing is my dream. I'm like I want to do a thing. God, it makes sense. The two year thing is my dream. I want to do a thing where I'm just touring album cycles. I mean that's. Wow, so how many shows are you doing this year?

A hundred and, this year a hundred and thirty seven. That's a light, that would have been like a busy year for us. Yeah, what do you guys know what we do? A busy, we do like 80 this year. Wow. Last year we did like 70. But like we used to do, like 80 this year Wow That's true. He's like 70 But like we used to do like a max year was probably like 130 I was like a max year your girlfriends get pissed that you're on the road so much

Um, I mean my girl knew the deal. I mean like we just got together like a year ago. So she was up I mean, she seems to be part of the deal. Yeah, my girl's been around I've been with her for so long She knew the deal too. That's the key is like as long as you're like going into relationship Like this is what it is, right? There's not really like also just like the everything We've been talking about as well like the way we were structured and operating. It's not like yeah Like if some if everyone's like not like back in their bus like sleeping like it's like something what's going on? Yeah, we're all right on it for right in bed like going to the next stop like we don't fuck around I think that's an important way to keep a band

driving uh Yeah, that's the only way I know like I don't I think I think it is yeah It was like you know like ever since I made the rule because we used to like I didn't have the rules and everyone Be up till 7 a.m In the bus, you know, I do that Yeah, and then they're then they're fucking lazy pieces of shit for the whole day and I am working all day And then I start getting pissed at them right right? Yeah ever since we did the no anything at 2 a.m Everyone's happier. Everyone's sleeping. I think we're on yeah

Yeah, I mean, I just remember, I mean, like, waking up, like, the day of a show, feeling great, hitting the gym, getting some food after, and then jumping back on the bus, and we're all driving to the venue, getting ready for soundcheck. Happy!

And the vibe's high, and you're laughing and talking. We get off, we're like, all right, let's fucking set this up and do it. Like, that's, like, the best thing in the whole world. Like, you know, like, that's when I feel the luckiest to, like, do what we're doing. Has the band ever almost broke up um

I mean if I may I think like or like you've ever quit. Yeah, say it's it. I mean I think like Rhodes is like Like he's our guy. He's our general. He's our captain So it's just like the like I think trop is bigger than all of us even Rhodes now to this point We play shows without me. It's really you want to me. You want to hear the most soul crushing shit? Oh god I know exactly what you're saying. This was Little Strangers involved coincidentally but it was like I don't know it was like 2016 it was like early little like we had that one by the way we had them on like 2018 we put them on a record like they've been our homies for like a long time before. They're the first person that said you guys got to meet Trapadelic like that's part of the crew. Like they said you guys are the homies.

We love those boys. Yeah, but anyway, we were on a tour with Bad Fish and they were on the tour too. And we were playing in the town ballroom and I was like, I had like straps thrown. I'm like sick as shit. I'm in the van. I cannot go on tonight.

There was a few occasions where like I couldn't go and they just kind of, he would sing or like whatever. We'd get through it. And I'm like in the bus and I can hear the whole show. And Little Stranger came up and they were singing some of our songs too, like just to get through the. And I'm in the bus and I can hear the whole show, and Little Stranger came up and they were singing some of our songs too, like just to get through the show, right? And the next day I got two messages, two.

Great show last night. And I was just like. You didn't have to be here. I'm like. And from that point forward I was like. I love that. Nothing else matters. Nothing matters from here, this is all bullshit. And there's lots of of examples that like there's stuff where we've like played garbage shows my or like we're not garbage

But like if it feels like we're not catching the vibe with the audience Whatever, but the very last song will be hype and shit. I'm like What the that's all that mattered? Yeah walking out of here hype and shit, right? Yeah, everything else didn't matter But sometimes like yeah, you like don't these these people don't, you fuck up a lyric, like I used to get like, oh, who cares? That's like this part of the show, you know? It goes back to the younger stuff, that childhood trauma of like fucking being a perfectionist

and like- Self-critical nonsense. Self-critical nonsense. We're the only ones judging ourselves that hard. Right. But you know how hard that body pay attention to singing? No! You know, like the same thing in the show. You ever hear like when people talk about like the most nerve wracking thing in the

world was like getting up to go sharpen your pencil like in grade school. Yeah. I remember that. Looking at you like the public public speaking like you know how many people are afraid to just like talk in front of an audience or like people at their jobs or whatever. It's just like if you don't have a little grace with yourself for getting up and doing it every single day like yeah you're going to fuck up a word or you're gonna forget a whole verse or ruin the whole song Like we do this every single day like that's gonna happen. All right, you know, you know what the sheriff passes thing about it. I was like have you seen these names of like uh,

like uh like in your in class and the teacher says like Nobody like nobody make another noise and you look at like and bro's looking at you like this. It's like the tv dance buddy like nobody make another noise and you look at like in bros looking at you like this. It's like the remember that feeling. Oh yeah, just the suppressed laughter. He's like it's like, oh, you're gonna die. Oh dude, it's suppressed laughter. Some of those me. I'll tell you what fuck technology play. Some of those memes like we'll

bring up feelings that I haven't felt like oh my god, I forgot about that. It's awesome. This is this is what man that's so fine. Do what about going back to that fucking trump and fucking Hillary? Bim hey, this is before this like it was like a racy crazy. This was like this is like like publicans or in the, in the damage is like fighting. It was like, yeah, it was like the first time it was Trump versus Hillary. I mean, it was, it was Trump versus Hillary. It was super early on to him. Like we weren't taking a side. We were just like, yeah, I don't know what we thought we were doing. Yeah. It sounds fun. We were saying, we were saying something. Like, I don't know. Yeah. Stuff like that. Um, there's been lots of stuff. I mean, I'd imagine like your average show is putting us to shame as far as like crazy

crowd and that kind of stuff. I think the craziest thing I did was I did the horror at Hitler's speech in Nuremberg. What? 20,000, I had 20,000 Germans in Nuremberg and I did the horror on Hitler where Hitler did that famous speech. You played there? Yeah, we played Rock and Ring opening for the Mew. We're big in Germany and Switzerland and... Can we go with you?

I'm down, yeah. Dude. Were you saying Mews? Is that who you're playing? Mews, yeah. Mews, Body Count. I mean, that's... Wow.

That's so sick. That's crazy. Wait, wait. You played there though. Body Count? That's weird. That's weird. Dude, all those festivals in Europe are so weird.

Like it was Mews, Body Count, Taking Back Sunday, Us, and like two other bands. Yeah, that's just off-ramp. Like, yeah, what is that? Alexis on Fire. Oh yeah. What? It's a wild bill. I like that band. I do too. I mean, I like City in Color too.

I mean, I think that guy, Dallas Green, is fucking sick. But yeah, I've said some crazy shit. And some things, you know, I'm just in the mood. I mean, how did that feel, doing that? I mean, that's unbelievable. Crying. I mean, yeah, that's unbelievable. I mean, my grandfather's in a holocaust, you know?

Wow. It's a big deal, but it's like. It's scary though. It's like, especially like me doing all this Jew shit now, or Jews aren't really so, aren't being really stoked on right now, it's like, it's scary dude. Some of these fucking crazies,

like it's like even with like the Trump, like how anti, everyone's just picking a side and no one has each other's backs. And this is like goes back to our first question, and we'll leave this with this. We're already talking for an hour. See, this is good. It's going quick, yeah.

I mean, this is like the most time we've ever spent together. I mean, we're just like, we've just come across each other. We're just getting friendly. But it's like, you know, it goes back to, through all this, through everyone having, you know,

picking a side in their, or picking their side in the line of the sand, we still have to bring people together. That's what music's all about. So how are we going to approach that for the next five years of bringing optimism back into the world? Because you guys are optimistic,

you guys write optimistic songs too. So like, how are we going to get everyone to come back together? I mean, I think it's like the older you get too it's like I mean I started thinking for like you know like you have this like chant my uncle used to say he's like some people want to change the world and some people want to clean a corner of the world worth saving and I think that all of that change comes from like a person to person or only comes on a person to person basis It's a kind of we were talking about earlier, too

It's just like this Cleveland need to be yelling fuck you at Pittsburgh or like this Cleveland Hey, why are we mad at each other? What the fuck man I think like positive change and all that comes from like a person to person It sounds a little cliche, but it's just like it's true You know the people you affect every single day the compliment you give to somebody You know all of that just like a smile here there We're like all getting like we're all getting wiser every day right in theory some how old are you both? You don't just say I'm 30 30. I'm old um

Talk like you're old. Yeah, I know I'm wise. Talk like you're old. Yeah, I know. I'm wise. I mean like, so, what was I going to say? Oh, so, you know, I'm sure you have buddies, like I got buddies that are like far left, I got buddies that are on the right. It's just like, and they're both driving, like they're both miserable.

Like they're so involved or whatever. I think to put it all in perspective is do not put time, energy, and focus into things that you cannot control. Right. Right? Because otherwise you're just spinning on a wheel. Right. And it's a shitty wheel.

And it's just going around and around and around and around. And it's never going to stop. It's never going to stop. If you're going to let your brain overthink happiness. Right. Right. So with that being said, my last question to you for now, because I feel like we're slowly becoming friends. Yeah. Well, you don't want that happening. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry about that. I've been doing that all week. I'm just vetting.

When it's all said and done, what does Tropic Delic want to be remembered by? I think I'd hope to be remembered by the way we just made people feel. I hope that when you have the worst week of your life and all you have and you're looking forward to is a couple nights out with your friends on the weekend like I'm like so honored to like be a part of your good time and to like be a happy memory for you. Wow. I agree it's just it's just happy it's all about right now like we talk about like ego and how it relates to like legacy and those sort of things like let's be honest like nobody gives a nobody gives a fuck about Alexander the

Great nobody gives a fuck about me the great nobody gives a fuck about me That's not gonna give it for me. So what we have right now is right now Let's just focus on right now and being happy in the present. Okay. Well, I don't think I don't think we're like the main characters here Like you know what? I mean, it's like it's like the person who came to the Tropic Deluxe show and met their best friend And now what I'm going to making memories, you know what? I? It's just like, we're just like the catalyst of these people. One show at a time. Yeah. Don't get in your own way.

The past trauma is the past trauma. That's right. You're actually, I have no trauma with you. I do. I believe you can get some. I believe you can get some. I believe you can get some. But you know, just be great people every day. Make the best shows you can.

Stay disciplined and keep following the dream. Yeah. I like that. Let's go get some ice cream. Hell yeah. Good night. You've just tuned into the World Saving Podcast with Andy Frasco. Produced by Andy Frasco, Joe Angelhowe and Chris Lorenz. Please help us save the world by subscribing and rating the show on volume.com, Apple,

Spotify, or wherever you're listening so we can spread the word and save the world. Follow us on Instagram at world saving podcasts for updates, for tour dates, merch, and whatever crazy special event Andy thinks of next, check out andyfrasco.com. Special thanks to this week's guest, courtesy of our talent booker, Mara Davis, That's Me, or Andy's other mother. Be your best and we'll talk to you next week for another great episode of the World Saving Podcast.