Camp Gagnon - Pharrell Studio Stories, Joe Rogan's Music Advice, & Drake is Michael Jackson | Jelly Roll

Episode Date: January 4, 2024

I'll tell you how drunk I got. By 5.30 in the morning, I found my way down to the Columbia River. Skinny dipping. Backstroking, blowing water out. I got a call from Farrell's team about doing a record. And it is like the most Farrell song ever. He just speaks like such a composer. It's different, man.

His approach is so cool. That's why he's so good. I have never met two people besides Joey Diaz. that didn't do music that know more about music than Joe Rogan and Tony Hitchcliffe. It is insane. This is my advice to any young songwriter.

You do what you do in every single room and you will always win, lose, or die who you are. And that will go so far. That's the beautiful thing about being at the bottom. There's no downside. It's the coolest podcast ever just by default of like

we really are fucking camping. You ever told that story? No, I think so. I like it just to be a hangout. You know what I mean? That's why I kept screaming. I was like, we were talking. You were joking about fucking, about how asthma's not real.

Yeah. I think that's what you said. I thought this is real, but you got to grow out of it. You got to grow up. It's real to those who believe it's like Santa. You know what I mean? Right, yeah. As well, yeah.

As well, like, Sam. Film the pie. Don't wait until I roll the joint. I don't know what happened. I had childhood asthma and then it just stopped on that. Really? Yeah. I don't know.

Like, was it asthma asthma, like bad bad, like the bad side of it? You have an inhaler? Yeah, but I think I had just childhood homosexuality. I think that's what my doctor called it. I think I was being a little soft. Well, I'd like to start your podcast right here at the camp by telling you, of course, you know I'm a fan, this set is even cooler sitting in it than it is on camera. I appreciate that. I guess maybe on camera I assume it was like most sets that it was like super flimsy.

Yeah. But like this is really really. stern wood. Like, this is a really fuck. These are real pictures hanging. They're not like the little paper ones that look like real pictures. It's like really cool. This is a really cool. And you got like just cool little details everywhere that's not even on

the camera. Like I think your coolest poster is this Johnny Cash one? Oh yeah. And it's not even fucking up. You know what I'm saying? Like you can't even see it. No, that's the way it is. This table is actually an old barn door. Yeah, that's all dude. I love barns. Yeah. That's the handle right there. I'm telling you, dude,

I love There's something about, like, walking into an old barn, like the smell of, like, a stable. My sister used to have horses. Especially like an old tobacco barn. You ever been like an old tobacco barn? What was that? So, like, the barns. So back in the day, they would hang the tobacco barns.

You know what I mean? Like, when they'd pull the tobacco, they hang it. They dry it out. They dry it out right there in a barn. Oh, wow. And these old tobacco barns, man, are crazy, dude, because years of hanging tobacco have gotten in the wood. So, like, it smells like an old tobacco barn. It's rich.

And, dude, it's so awesome. You know what I love about barns? Tell me. There's some so. and shit. I'm showing how country I am right now. Get the Fiji out the table. Yeah, right.

I'm like, yo fuck Fiji, son. The water, not the country. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Is that a country? Yeah, it's like the water fucking shit. But the cool thing about a barn is, and why they're all different is, and what makes the wood so special is,

every one of them is unique in its own way because it's been years of rain, dry, storm dry, rain, dry. You know what I mean? So, like, they all kind of weather their own way. And it's like, you can't make that. You can't fabricate a hundred years of it just shitting rain on you

and you drying out in the southern sun over and over again. It's just fucking cool. Yeah, they look a little wrong when they're, like, too new. Right. You know what I mean? Like, when they're brand new, you're like, ah. My old barns are the shit, dude. I like Barn Dominiums, though.

Have you seen the new Barn Demetiums are doing? No. Is this like people living them? Yes, dude. It's like the cheap way to build a house. So they call them a barn dominium And they build them like modern barn style But they insulate them

And you know what I mean They make houses out of them They're called bonoiness I think you're talking about being homeless No no no no It's a box dominium You were like that's what you call them In the South is barn dominions

Groups of homeless people just take over farms It's a tent dominium You've heard of a tent dominium On the hot side of the highway in L.A Yeah this is a tin house We're in a tent house right now This is a top floor tent house Life is all prospective

But that's crazy So they insulate it and then they actually put windows on them. Yeah, they're really cool, man. You got, look them up, for real. They're called Barnominiums. It's crazy. I'm building one on the new property.

Are you really? I'm building one for like a little hangout room. You ever see when they move a barn? Like, they'll just pick it up out of the studs and just bring it somewhere else. Just like a trailer. It's crazy. It blows my mind. I was driving down the highway and I see a barn on the highway.

It's the same thing when they move a mobile home. Like when you're like, oh, I get why they call it a mobile home now. You know what I'm saying? They just pick that motherfucker up, put it on a flatbed trailer and ship it to Florida. It was saying it's sitting in some old family's still in it, the whole thing. Yeah, they're so peeled out.

They don't know they moved. It's hot. Yeah, they woke up. Like, dude, Ohio's different. Why, they're gators in Ohio. What the hell? They've got moved out. I think this is the coolest concept, too, Doc,

that you just, like, put people in a tent and talk about trippy shit. Yeah, I appreciate it. I was excited to do it. That was the whole, that was the whole MO. It's like, I don't know. Sometimes it feels like, I don't like it when it's too produced. You know what I mean? Like, you sit down, like, you see all the lights,

and it's the whole thing. I wanted to feel like we're actually out in the country somewhere going camping, talking. Yes. You know what I mean? That's where I feel like

my best combos are. Your phone doesn't really work. You're on a little mushrooms, a little weed, and then just chopping it up. Did you take some shroomies this morning? No, no, no, no, no. Are you shrooming on a Sunday morning?

No, no, no, no. That's not the church I can do. I was like, yeah. That's fucking goes, John. That's a little intense. That's a little intense. Look at that, dude. I still got it.

Look at that little baseball bat, Bubba. I mean, it's, it's, It's crazy. You're not even, I feel like you don't roll your joints that much anymore, right? Yeah, not as much as I used to. Yeah. But boy, do I still got it. I'm saying, I'm telling you, dude, well, we're camping, dude. I have dad fed for my own out here, son.

And not only are we camping, smoking, we're also going to do a little IV drip. You're doing an IV, dude. Now, can you explain what this is? Yeah, for sure, man. Well, here's the cool thing. I'll tell you my story. Bob, you can step in frame and start poking us. I don't think he cares.

Please. It's a... Here's the cool thing about this. So I was on tour last year with a band called Shine Down. You ever heard of Shine Down? Yeah, absolutely. They're so fucking good, dude. And as just like, for what it's worth, the greatest dudes on earth.

Like all four of them. It's a four-person band, and they are all four. Eric plays the bass. Barry's the drummer. Zach Myers is the lead guitarist and Brent Smith's the vocalist. So it's a three-piece in Brent. And these dudes have been touring for 20 years, had pop number ones, rock number ones.

They've had more rock number ones on active rock radio than any band ever. So I got to tour with them and it was like I knew that I was going to do the same tour I was opening up for them the next year headlining. As far as like venue size, like I knew I was going into arenas and amphitheaters after this, hopefully. Yeah. Assuming everything was going right. And so I was like, this is a great opportunity to learn. And every day I would just, I watched everything they did like a nerd, Mark. like, obsessed about everything they were doing. But one of the things I noticed is, you're fine.

I can't reach it. Oh, you can't reach it. You can get it down. I'll just hang it off. Okay. That's where you put it at first. I forgot your four foot 11. Yeah.

Or this one back here. Even there's a zip tie right here. Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah. As long as it's above your head and heart, we're good. Yeah, as long as it's above the head and heart. Okay.

That should be above my heart. Yeah. So every day, Mark, they would, I noticed they had a masseuse and a chiropractor. Every day in the green rooms, they would have a masseuse and a chiropractor. Lucky for me, they're like mentors to me. So I call them after and I'm like, hey, I'm budgeting my next big tour. What did y'all pay for the chiropractor and the massage therapist? And then they gave me the number.

And I started thinking, I was like, I wonder if like, fuck that. I wonder what it cost to get a nurse. Like if that's the typical daily budget for an arena tour for that kind of like fucking just like when luxury shit. You know what I was like? I wonder how much I can get a nurse for. So I'd met Bobby because she had been doing, she works with a, well, we should plug the company, Bobby. What's the name of the company? Vive hydration.

And they were doing all of the festivals like we would play. And she was the only person that could stick me. So I got to where I looked forward to seeing her. I was like, oh, fuck, is Bobby there? I would ask festivals in advance. Like, oh, is Bobby doing the IV? Getting missed is the worst. The worst, dude.

And look, see how fast she just wore? Right then. It's over, dog. One hour from now, you're fucking going to feel just better than you feel now. Oh, wow. I don't even want to look at it. Oh, it's over. There's no blood.

It's already done. You're dripping. You're to the point of being able to look at it now. There's no needle in your arm anymore. Totally normal for your arm to get really cold or to taste and smell the vitamins as well. Oh, really? Oh, you're going to taste them, dude. It's like a mixture between taste and smell hits you in the back of the throat.

And when do I start tripping? Like, am I going to see stuff? Yeah, just a minute. Put a little psilocybin. Are you sure? Positive. Okay. So I realized that dude, like, I was going to bring a nurse.

So we hit Bobby's company and worked out a deal instead of a massage therapy, instead of that stuff for tour. Because I called the band. I joke with Brittenham. Brittenham was like, oh, that's cool you chose a nurse. I was like, well, because they're all sober and have been doing this for 20 years. so they've all been through their addiction and alcoholism. We're all new to this, so we're still actively in ours. You know what I'm saying?

So I was like, I think we need a nurse more than we need a massage therapist as a team. So I'm anxious to know the number, Bobby. How many IVs did you give on that tour? It was about 550. About 550 IVs in our crew is what she gave. Just for y'all? Just for our tour? We were gone for like four months, too.

I mean, it was like five days a week, four months straight. Oh, that's amazing. Yeah, we were kicking. Yeah, dude. Breaking records. Jabbed up all over. Taking 10 needles at a time, dude. That's crazy.

Oh, yeah, we all got scar tissue. You're getting deep-ed. Yeah, she has trouble finding where to stick through the scar tissue now. Just right in the ass. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's crazy. I mean, the masseuse on tour is a little, I don't know. For me personally, especially the chiropractor.

I feel like after a show I don't want to get cracked out. No, no, they do it before. Zach Myers would get a massager or chiropractor every day. But, you know, his thing was for 20 years, he's been wearing 10 to 20 pound guitars or 7 pound 12 pound guitars every night

You know that shoulder You know what I mean These dudes have been doing it forever Dude it's like weight Like we've been doing it forever too But not at their level or scale So it's like you do it for that long man You're fucking them dudes are sore man

Takes a toll on you Yeah for sure You see those chiropractor videos on the internet Have you seen the ones where they're doing the dogs Oh yeah? What does the dog mean? It's just not great And the funny part is how the dude's talking

10 years of seven years of pain Right now I'm taking away from this dog I'm like how do you know did he fucking tell you Also is that dog years? Yeah How does that work? How does that work? Has it really been two months?

I think that's 35 years of pain actually Yeah and how do you fucking know Does the dog tell you He hit you like yo Fucking my back hurts Yeah The dog chiropractor is hilarious It's so funny to me

I can't quit watch You know what I can't quit watching On TikTok right now Mark What's that? Big bumble clap Make me one that bitch you did Bigger at the pussy The pussy turn red

Have you seen the British dude that's doing Jamaican music talking about turning pussy red? I can't quit watching this. An actual British guy? Dude, he's full-blown British, like red-headed British. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, deep cut. Hold on. I got to show you.

I know we probably shouldn't do this. You got to see this. This is where this show is cool. There's no rules. Okay, because this is... You pull up a video, we're going to find it. We're going to show everyone. I sent this to my wife because I can't quit watching this.

I fuck pussy Pussy Pussy turn red Yeah Steve Bishamie's spitting bro that's crazy Young Bushamie with the dance hall Completely chinless

Yeah I'll take one too Bobby Cahn You want to do the left hand Yay I haven't realized you were already ready That's how fast and good you are Go Bob to go

That's beautiful Yeah you don't get nervous with needles and shit No I mean I get a couple I've got one yesterday I was so hung over From the Madison Square Garden show And immediately

It gets you back Immediately Immediately Immediately There's only been a couple of times I was so hung over that it didn't even help You knew me in my cocaine days So we first met in like one of my prime cocaine days

So Especially when I would do cocaine I would get IVs and they like if I just drank I'd get an IV and no matter how drunk I was I'd feel better But sometimes I'd get an IV And I'd be like I still don't feel good And finally one of the nurses was like

Are you fucking doing blow? And I was like, yes And she was like I can't help that motherfucker She's like you know There's nothing for that. The science isn't there. Yeah.

The science isn't there. It's like James Cameron's Avatar. We don't understand fucking what to do there. Like, fucking, we don't know, you know. I mean, thank God. If they had cocaine IVs, you'd be like, I'm still doing cocaine. Yeah, for sure. 100%.

No way I get sober. Yeah, you don't want the science to get too good. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. It needs to be set down the middle. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Just taking Narcan IVs. Yeah, just Narcan.

Here we go. Jab me up. Testing strip IVs. Yeah, start the morning. What do you think is the most hungover ever been? Oh. I remember. I remember a few really, really.

I'd rather just tell you the story about the most hungover I've been on this tour. Oh, okay. I had a show with Eric Church at the gorge in Washington. Have you been to the gorge yet? You follow Bird, obviously, Christa. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You see when Bert played it? It's like one of the most beautiful venues in America, like more beautiful than Red Rocks even. Like, it is unbelievable, Mark. It holds like $20,000 or something. It's huge. might be 30,000 You gotta drive out to it like camp on it right

Dude it's way out there So we do the gorge and it sits on a river And like I forget Ironically in George Washington And it's like It overlooks its a mountain And the stage is

From the crowd you see The stage and you overlook at this river Cutting through this mountain Like this big gorge Like where this river just the Columbia River I think it is just flowed and it is fucking gorgeous. And the first night we're there,

I'd never met Eric Church. You familiar with Eric Church? Yeah. I'm a huge fan of his. I only did these shows to meet him. So they hit me after the show. They're like, hey, man, you should come meet Eric. And I told them all day, I was like, yo, I told my wife, I didn't even know Eric Church yet.

And I tell my wife all day, I was like, I think I'm going to get drunk with Eric Church tonight. I just had that feeling. I was like, I think me and Eric Church are going to just completely a kneebrae. together. And I had a list of questions I wanted to ask him if I ever met him. And so I go into his dressing room after the show. And the first thing his wife does, she's the sweetest woman ever. She's like, would you like a drink?

And I was like, I would love a drink. She was like, all right, what do you want? I was like, just give me a tequila straight. And me and Eric sat there and I said, Eric, I got some questions I've been wanting to ask you because I really don't have nobody that's been doing this as long as you to ask these kind of questions, you know? And he was like, yeah, yeah, for sure. It's like you hanging around Rogan for a night.

Right? And you just being like, yeah, I got a thousand questions. You know what I mean? Like, tell me everything you know. You know what I mean? So I'm like, I have these questions written down like a nerd. And me and Eric sat there and got trashed. I mean, trashed.

I'll tell you how drunk I got. When I walked out of his dressing room at three or four in the morning, by 5.30 in the morning, I found my way down to the Columbia River. Skinny dipping. Bro, belew the bear, son. Balloo the bear backstroking, blowing water out, 38 degree water, just fucking the bare necessities, just the time of my life, dude. And I woke up that next morning and Bobby gave me an IV on my bunk in the bus. I didn't even get out of the bunk.

Bobby gave me an IV and I did three bags of fluids and still felt like shit. No. Dude, I went on stage that night feeling like I just fucking had alcohol. poisoning. And the best part was I woke up to a text from Eric just like, hey, Amigo, he calls everybody Amigo. He goes, hey Amigo, why don't you come out and sing with me tonight? And I'm like, holy shit. So I'm like, here goes my big chance to go sing with Eric Church. And I'm just like blasted still. But it was awesome. But that was the biggest one. Are you impressed that he could go like drink for drink for you and seem fine? Dude, yes. For sure. It was insane. But I mean,

he's also fucking big veteran. But every time I've ever got, and I'm scared. get around them. It's like every time I get around and you want to drink Amigo? And I'm like, fuck, no Eric. Yeah, you got PTSD. Yeah, I'm like I've drank with them again, I'll be honest. Yeah, two tours. Yeah, dude. Like a Vietnam vet. Yeah, yeah, because we did like five or six shows. It was really, really cool. I mean, that's insane. In the Columbia

River. Were you alone? Yeah, no. We took a crew down there. Yeah, I gasped a few people into doing it. Yeah, a couple. I think only one person actually got ass naked, though. Everybody else was just acting like they were going to get naked. Yeah, but that's, it's so cold. Five third in the morning is probably the water. Bro. You're It was fucking shrinking.

Hell, disappearage. Turtle. You know what I'm saying? Complete gun, which I'm already struggling with that anyways. You know what I'm saying? So imagine I couldn't piss for five hours.

That's what I'm saying, I couldn't fish it out. Hey, that shit scared to me sometimes. Sometimes I get out of the shower. It's like a cold one. I'll like ice it off like a minute at the end of the shower. I'm impressed by my own shrinkage.

I think I ended up having to just... I'm like impressed. I'm not even ashamed. I'm just looking at it. I'm like, golly, that is so compact. I think I ended up just laying on my stomach and pissing myself.

I think I ended up doing that. Sometimes what you got to do, dude. I didn't wake up until five the next thing. You just had a blowhole. I think that's what happens. When it shrinks so much that it goes all the way in? That's me anyways. Old face-ball.

Yeah, that's what I am completely. Yeah, so imagine it cold. You pee like a geyser? It's just, pff. That's all right. What did you want to ask Eric Church? I really just was like, I wanted to know. We got personal, frankly.

I was like, I was like, you know, one about longevity and how he scaled that on his business side. Because, like, whenever I talk to Kid Rock, who's another dude, it's been very open at, like, telling me what's going on with him. Kid Rock was like, I'm like, what do you pay your management? Because, you know, now it's a different percentage than they did pay. I'm like, when did you scale that down? What did you pay your business manager? When did you switch from a 5% business manager to just a team of CPAs? You know what I mean?

Just like deep cut. Yeah, like we had like some real talk like and this is the truth. The reason I wanted to ask Eric this was besides Kid Rock, I'd asked a lot of artists in town that were in a better like had been there before. These same questions and none of them would answer them. They would just like and sometimes you don't know. Like I know that some artists are not into their business. Like it's just art and they're just like, dude, I got business people that do business stuff. You know what I mean?

But I was like desperate for a mentor. And I was like, I just hope so. When they called me, they said, do you want to open up for Eric Church? I was like, absolutely. And management, of course, who I love, they're great. But, you know, they get a commission. So they're like, why would we do that when we can go headline the same venue and make more money? Yeah.

I was like, well, we get in front of a new fan base. And I need to spend some time with Eric. You know what I mean? I was like, I think Eric might be the dude who will give me some real advice here. And he was, dude. He answered him and Kid Rock. Kid Rock opened his books. I asked Kid Rock, I was like, well, that's what it was.

And that's how it is for you now. What was it like for you in 2003? He was like, I'll show you. And he's like, here's my financial records from 2003. Oh, wow. Dude, Kid Rock gave me the most game. I've never told any of these stories, by the way. Kid Rock gave me the most game ever, Mark.

He once said, the lawyers in this town, this is Nashville, big music town. He said the lawyers talk to each other all the time. And they're competing against each other. The record label executives talk to each other, all the time and they're competing against each other. Managers all talk to each other to try to figure out ways what each other managers are doing and they're competing against each other

for clients in this town. He was like, as artist, we're not competing against each other. Why the fuck are we not talking to each other? He's like, we're not fighting against each other here. We're not putting record deals against each other here. You know what I mean? He's like, we're not, he's like,

why would we not just start having conversations about what's going on? He was like, man, we got to do better. And I was like, dude, it was like so refreshing. It's such an abundant mindset. Period. Because there's no downside for him to show you his books. 100%.

There's no downside at all. It can only help you. It's not like he's going to show you. And then his management's going to be like, hey, I need more money. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, because you showed him. It's not like less people are going to stream his music because I put out an album. Yeah.

You know what I mean? It's not, it's like, and that's how he looked at it. You know, and it's, it changed my whole thing. but not everybody looked at it that way, but Eric Church was the same way, dude. Every single question, diligent, direct, caringly,

too honest at times. I mean, it was really, really cool, man. Wow. I mean, it's so cool when people

meet your expectations or exceed them. Yeah. Like, you have this idea that this guy, like, could help you out, and then you get in front of them and then goes above and beyond

and you're like, bro. Yeah. He's putting you on a shit, you might not even ask. 100%. He was like, well, have you thought about, he was doing that.

Mark, he was like, well, have you thought about this shit? And I was like, haven't got there yet. I got three IVs, we've been running it. I haven't thought about much today. Yeah, I was like, fuck, dude.

It's like, I wouldn't think about anything, seven shots ago, fucking Eric. And it's cool that these guys, especially like kid rock, because I feel like his perception is he's just like a wild party boy, you know what I mean, like, but that he's so, you know, keyed into his own business. Right. You know what I mean? Like a lot of these guys, obviously, you know, some are in it, some are not, and they just make music.

And then some of these dudes are like in the books, like checking, you know, dollars and cents. Yes. And the fact that he's so aware of his financial records for 20 years ago, I still think I have outstanding taxes. IRS, don't look at this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. But, like, I'm so bad financially.

Like, I have a general idea of what's going on. But, like, the fact that kid rock is like, hey, 20-year-old, you know, pen and paper shit. Dude, he is one of the most savvy businessman I've ever met my whole life. Yeah. And what other ways? Like, obviously, he's, like, keyed into the dollars and cents, like, business deals? and stuff? Yeah, no, business deals,

startup companies, investments. Like, Kid Rock finds his way into everything. Like, he reads every deal

from, like, he reads contracts. That's a bit, like, dude, I'm very hands-on in my business.

I'm not reading a contract. You know what I mean? It's 20 pages are confused. You don't have to pump mine up, Bobby. I'm going to let my slow drip. You got into this business

to not go to school. Yeah, exactly. I got to do the opposite. It's like Kid Rock is like, I give you another bragging point about Bob and who he is. His time is like, if Bob tells you he's going to be somewhere at 10, if he shows up at 1001, he walks in apologizing. Wow. He is like the most fucking professional dude I've ever met. I am the most unprofessional dude ever. Not the most.

Especially when we're friends. Like I text you like one and then I text you at five this morning like one third. and I show up at 207. I'm so happy you're here. I'm so happy you're here. You have no idea. There's been a handful of people like, hey, I'll be there at one

and then don't be there at all. It's like, I'm grateful when someone's willing to chat with me. No, dude, you're my homie, bro. And I'm so proud of this pod, dude. Thank you, man. I think it's so dope, dude. Yeah, it's been a cool come up.

It's been, it's like really fulfilling just to like find cool people and be like, hey, instead of reading all your articles, let's just talk about it. It's really, really fun. What's up, guys? We're going to take a break really quick because I need to tell you about one of my favorite new products in 2024.

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Now let's get back to the show. But no, that's cool about Kid Rock. It's nice to know that he's like a solid dude. I think that that's a point to longevity. Like all the guys that I've found, and I haven't met like a ton of musicians, but the guys that I know that have been in a long time are like, it is a business

and they are very serious about it. I used to intern with the Bob and Tom show in Indianapolis. You ever heard of them? They're like an old trucker radio station from like the 80s and 90s that were like really popular. And they're still around. And they were in Indianapolis? Yeah, Indianapolis.

Oh, wow. And so I lived in Indy for like four or five months. What kind of station was it? I mean, it was like a talk radio station. I don't know the exact details. What do you mean what kind of station? Like it was just like talk radio? Yeah, it was just talk radio.

So they'd have like comedians on. Back in the day, that was like if you're doing the Midwest, you have to do Bob and Tom. Oh, really? So like they would have guys come on that no one knew, kill it on the show. and then have the club sold out for the weekend or whatever. Like they were like comedy legends, specifically in like 90s, 2000s. They had Tim Allen, all these guys were coming through. You know, I always forget how much morning radio and TV was a big part of like early comedy promotion.

Oh, yeah. Specifically radio. Like there's legendary clips. Like some of my favorite clips, my favorite comic is Daniel Tosh. And he's got these clips from like being on the radio where he's just ripping and from those like selling out. There was a big one in Columbus, Ohio. I forgot what it was. It was a big radio show.

show that all the comedians went on to back in the day. In Columbus. Yep, in Columbus, Ohio. I'm not familiar. So who was, I'm not, I know this isn't my time to question you. I should start my own podcast. It was our time to hang out? When did you still?

What is, was that your start in the comedy? Yeah, that was it. Was interning with some fucking morning dudes? Literally. I went to college. I was doing open mics and that I met a kid at college, this guy, Eric, who's the man. His dad was like a character actor. Ron Sexton was his name.

God rest of soul. played this character named Donnie Baker and he was like a funny character actor that he was doing the character on the radio and then started touring as the character and he was so funny. Like he was a character but even through the character there were like great punchlines he was the man and

yeah he was literally like yeah come up an intern so I lived in the basement of a church in Indianapolis interned for four or five months unpaid woke up at five in the morning every morning wrote jokes for Bob to read on the show or for Tom to read on the show and I would like slip it to him unpaid and then

after like a month. Or actually, no, it was probably like two weeks. He was like, hey, these jokes are pretty good. Yeah. You want a couple hundred bucks? God, that's fucking sick. Oh, please.

I was living in the basement of this church for like, I think it was 100 bucks a month or something. And he just like paid my rent plus 100 bucks. Wow. And so I was like over the moon, getting paid to write jokes. What side of town were you living on? Do you remember? I was living off mass, mass ab.

So it was like right downtown, right near the Rathskeller, if you're familiar with Indianapolis. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And so, and then the station was like past broad ripple. So like a little north. What was the comedy club there? Crackers was the comedy club at the time.

It was such a funny name for a comedy club. Like every black comic would go there. They'd be like, Crackas. They're not going to name a comedy club. And they say that much. They would never name a comedy club that. It was a funny spot. It was like a legendary, like old school comedy spot.

There was another place called Morty's. It was like a point. There was actually a decent comedy scene. But it was awesome being there. But I bring it up because Ario Speedwagon came through. And they were doing, this is like REO Speedwagon in, you know, 2019 or something. Wow. And they showed up six in the morning in the tour bus,

dressed, ready to go, and just rocked for like an hour and a half on this morning radio show. Oh, they played. They played. They were pros. And I was just so impressed. I was like, man, these like, you know, legends still coming in six in the morning, ready to get after it. You know what's crazy about that?

singing in the morning or singing in the cold are the two hardest things to do on earth. That's interesting. The morning specifically. The morning is so hard to sing, bro. Even if you were to night off. Yes. Yes, for sure. Because it's like anything else, like you've got to really wake up and warming your voice up.

And it's like, you know what I mean? Like it takes a lot of. Yeah, it's a muscle. Yeah, because you think about when you wake up how you sound, the first hour when you're walking around your kitchen is kind of gar. You know? Yeah. So it's like you got to do 6 a.m. radio. You either got to wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning and like really get like going going or three.

You know what I mean? If you wake up at 5. I've made this mistake, by the way. I speak from real experience here. You've done this? Yes. Dude, I fucked up so bad, so many times. What happened?

Let me tell you the time it almost happened. I really had almost fucked up. I think I've seen y'all the week I was here that week. I did Good Morning America. And your call time, which is a fucking the greatest look on television. television for the morning, right? Fucking incredible look. I'm going into it.

I'm excited. My first call was like sound check at like 3.50 a.m. or 4 a.m. And they let me park my bus on Times Square directly across the street from the venue. Bobby, I think you're in a way of a camera, by the way. Sorry. Oh, good. But it's a it's fucking like four o'clock in the morning, right? And I wake up and I stumble over there.

And my voice is like Kermit the Frog at 4 in the morning. And you know me. I was like up until 2. You know what I mean? So I'm like fucking. And I'm in there trying to sing. And I'm just like, fuck. And so I go back to the bus at 4 and we sung at like 6.30.

And I was about about 5.15. My voice did not. I just wasn't up. I just, it was just so early. It was so just whatever. I can't believe this. I'm just a true story. I grabbed my guy and I'm like, yo,

we got to just like power walk. So it's four, five, 15 in the morning, and I'm like light jogging. My fat ass is light jogging up and down time square right outside of the station. Just like, because you know, good morning America's writing the shit shit. So I'm like, you know, I'm lightweight jogging, like running out of breath, having to stop catch my breath. Drunk Elmo's looking at you. Yeah, just fucking what the fuck is going on, dog? I'm like out there fucking like doing pushups against the bus because I can't do a real pushup.

Chinese tourists move away from you. I'm just like fucking whatever I can to get it going. Now, it's a tradition. Every time I got to sing in the morning, I wake up and go straight and get on a treadmill. Oh, really? Mm-hmm. And that actually just helps warm with the whole body. It just warms up the whole body.

Just get a sweat going and start singing, warming the voice up. Because by the time we sing at night, dude, I've been talking all day. And I still do a 20 minute, a 15-minute vocal warm-up every night before I go on stage. Really? Every single night almost. I do a 10 to 12 to 15-minute vocal warm-up. Wow. And so for the Good Morning America one, you felt good for it, though.

You felt locked in. Not as good as I could have sounded. Yeah, it's just tough in the morning, right? It's tough in the morning, dude. Any singer knows, man, are cold. Remember that year Mariah hit that bad note at Christmas or something and everybody made fun of her and said she lost it? It was the cold.

It was like fucking 13 degrees outside. Mariah's out there and, like, fucking, you know, some Mariah fucking outfit or some shit. You know what I mean? And she goes out there and tries to hit that fucking falsetto and just blows it on. national television. Also, let me say it for the record. And she's one of the greatest of all times.

Mariah has not lost it. Ever. She was just playing at Barclays last night. I knew a bunch of people Dove went. He was showing me videos. No. Bro. Amazing.

She does not miss, Bubba. Ended it on, you know, all I want for Christmas. For sure. Explosion. Biggest Christmas song ever. Of all time ever. Always and forever. Be bigger than rocking around a Christmas tree, which is a close second.

Wow. You know what I'm saying? Which I didn't realize as a girl that's saying that was like 13 when she recorded it. Dude, and now she's like 78, and she is the sweetest old lady ever. Have you met her? Yes, I met her. Her name's Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee.

She is. Brenda Lee is awesome. Really? Yes, dude, I met her to CMAs. She was the cool. She came and took a picture with me. She is so sweet. Her friends were all sweet.

Every one of her friends that was with her entire posse was her age. It was the coolest thing. Golden girls. I was like, and she was so sweet and so kind. and came over to meet me and encouraged. And she said, I love your story. I love your music. All of her friends were sweet.

We took pictures. It was really fucking cool. Where's she from? I don't know anything. I just know that I was like, yo, I think that's Brenda Lee. And then she walks over. She's like, hey, I'm Brenda Lee.

I've been wanting to meet you. She came over to me. Wow. And when she walked away, I was almost sure. Now, she didn't introduce herself. She just came over and started talking to talk. I been wanting to meet you. And she was so sweet.

And when she walked away, I looked at Zach Bryan. Because he was sitting next time. I was like, yo, I think that was fucking Brenda Lee. and he was like red i was like you remember rocking around the christmas tree's like oh shit yeah and then bunny was like is that the rocking around a christmas tree girl i was like 70 years later i mean at that point it's like you're meeting like that's like a national anthem type she just had the number one song on the billboard hot 100 again how crazy insane and she's singing it live you know the funny part is imagine having this song being famous for it and then just one day when you're like 76 being like

you know what i think i'm gonna go back out and do a media run about this you know what i'm saying and she's like all the way Imagine anything you did at 13 was still prominent. Yeah, for sure. Like, what the fuck were you doing at 13? The only thing I did it at 13 that stuck with me was a crime. You know, I was just, you know? You're going to hit this weed? You don't really smoke much.

I don't really smoke. I get paranoid. I start thinking about planets and aliens and the ocean. I thought it was about. Mushrooms occasionally, but I get a little paranoid, dude. I like to talk about those things sober. Really? Yeah, that's why I'm getting high in case we started talking about some shit I don't know nothing about.

Yeah, you start. I was going to have to start making up shit here and then I want to make sure I was thrown to do it. No, but you never get paranoid when you smoke? No, like, I like that feeling, though. Like, I always enjoyed drugs that, not that I think weeds a drug, but I always enjoyed drugs that like kind of like you lost control of yourself on.

Like when you get so high that you do get paranoid and like your palms get sweating or like, I might have got too high. I love that feeling. Really? Yeah, I mean, I hate that. I eat it, but I love it. It's like when you do, like, the moment, like, you know you did too many mushrooms? Like when you know you took it too far, have you took it too far a few times?

No, I'm very measured with that. Yeah, you gotta take it too far one day. Like, have you ever done acid? No. What? I'm afraid, like, I don't know, I'm just a little afraid. I'm like, what if I don't come back all the way the same? Oh.

You know what I mean? Listen to me. You're gonna come back five, it better. Well, that's, with mushrooms, I came back way better. I need to do that like once or twice a year probably. Yeah. To like kind of clear the pipes. Dude.

I still do acid like once a year to clear the pipes. But I do like real acid, like three hits. Like go for it. Like let's just fucking go. The whole, you do like a paper towel of acid like the whole paper towel. I go for it. I go for it. About not even once a year now, once every couple.

I used to do it twice a year. But I've gotten a lot older and I feel weird taking acid. So like now as an adult made. for me to take acid, it's got to be the perfect circumstance. Yeah. Like, I got to know both my kids are in the safest place they could be without having to bother me or anything could go wrong. I have to be like in a mountain in a cabin with the homie.

You know what I mean? I like make a trip of it now, like an old man, like, all right, July of next year's on the book, boys. We're going to Colorado to trip acid. When was the last time you did a retreat? We tripped acid at a festival last year. So sometimes certain festivals we'll go to, we'll be like, this is the one. and we'll just like blow back.

And what happened? And to fucking have a ball every single time. You got to do it. Because you know what the difference between acids and mushrooms are? You can take mushrooms. And unless you take like the hero's journey, you can be like, you can kind of ground yourself in your trip. Like if it starts getting weird, it's like real easy to go sit down and be like, put your feet in the grass and be like, you know what? It's actually all good, dude.

That sounds like a piece of fungus, you know? It sounds great, right? when you do acid, there's no controlling your trip. If you do the right amount of acid, your trip's controlling you, Bubba. You're just riding. And you don't slow it down or stop it for the next 12 hours. We are to the moon. I'm saying?

It is awesome. You ever have, like, sketchy situations? Like, we're in your head. You're like, oh, this is too much. Like, does it ever get actually scared or are you experienced enough that you can handle when it gets sketchy? I know. I can handle it. Yeah.

It's all good. But I don't put myself in weird situations. I did that when I was young. That's the glues control stuff When I trip ass it just on a Tuesday I'd be like because it was there I'd be like yeah well let's take ass And then try to go to downtown Nashville

And fucking go down Broadway or something Then you put yourself in a place Where you're experiencing weird characters And it's like the older we get now We have the luxury of like controlling our trips We'll like go float the Buffalo River You know what I mean? Like we'll just fucking get like the big fucking canoes

Or the floats like even the tubes And I'll just get in a tube And fucking trip ass it down a river for fucking eight hours. You know what I mean? That seems awesome. Yeah, it's like you're not going to bump into nobody. Your phone doesn't have service.

The real world's not real. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's the way we do it. I'll take you to the Buffalo River one day. Bro, that would be so fun. I swear, dude. It's the river we float. We float the duck in Tennessee, too, or the Caney Fork, or the Caney.

But I prefer to float the buffalo because it's, it's, the water is more shallow and clear. So, like, if you're on some shrooms, even if you just go out there and do like a gram or two. Like, it's fun. and there's no phones, and we'll all get in kayaks and shit. You know what I mean? And you can see in the water probably.

And you can look and you'll see these little fucking fish under you and shit. Yeah, turtles under your fish. And you see the rocks and the moss on the rocks and stuff. And it's just cool. It's just it makes for a cooler experience. You might not even be in the river. I'll be honest. You might just be on so much acid.

You're just in your apartment. And you just think you're in the river. Like, dude, we're out here. But now, that'd be fun, dude. Looking at the water, see the future a little bit. Yeah. Yeah, that seems fun. I'll take you to do it.

I would love that. I'm dead serious That'd be really fun I'm like not opposed At all I just want it to be like The right setting I also

I never want to do drugs With people that have got They got nothing to lose You know what I mean Are you um Are you torn a bunch right now? Yeah yeah With Shultzzy

Yeah I know you're doing all the Shultzzy stuff You're doing the arenas next year Yeah how crazy is it? I thought I seen was it you and uh Was it you and Derek I've seen all some posts You're doing some shows together

Yeah yeah we're doing a bunch of our own shows Yeah and y'all did some earlier this year Yeah exactly so we try to like line them up before Shultz's show, because we're already going to be there. Let's just go a day early. I work to club. Do our own thing. Good for y'all.

It's so fun. It's so fun. It's like so crazy because opening, I mean, you know this obviously with Shindana and now doing your own arenas. You know what I mean? It's like you get to see kind of that progression. Like the psychology of the opener is kind of its own thing. Right. And, you know, it's not about me when I'm opening.

I'm here to do a job. I'm here to make an amazing show and I'm here to lift Andrew up to have like the best set possible. For sure. To be like a part of this bigger thing. And then when it's your own show, it's like, yo, let's just have fun. For sure. Let's just goof off and let's just do whatever.

Yeah. So it's also the, the idea of like, y'all working out that shit in them clubs. That shit's, oh, you need it. Fucking my favorite. Oh, you absolutely need it. But, yeah, I forgot, because I told this when I seen Derek and Austin, I almost surprised y'all at one of y'all's gigs, but it just didn't, you know how life is. It just, we were like a city.

We were close to y'all, but it wasn't close enough for me to make y'all's showtime. I would have freaked out. But I was just going to, like, pop up and bang in on y'all. For all that. I'm going to do it one day for sure. Dude, I'm telling you, dude. You know me. I'm still stopping every comedy club in America.

Well, the fun part. It's like what we do on our days off. With me and Derek is that we're in small enough rooms that, like, you could be in the very back and I'd be like, is that fucking jelly. Like, there's no blending in. You know what I mean? Oh, you know, me. I'll just go come knock on the green room door. Yeah.

I might make you do time, though. Have you not done any stand-up at this point? No, dude. Petrifide of it. Even a joke? I don't know, man. I joke about it all the time. I told Bert one time I thought I'd kill when I was being funny.

I don't think I could do it. I never seen a live show of yours, but in between songs, you talk a decent amount. You kind of like... Yeah, it's very dialogue-driven. And we definitely have some jokes. We have like some go-toes. I think that's what attracts us to comedy as entertainers,

especially like the Nashville guys, like my country music friends. We played so many acoustic guitar pools where it's just you and a guitar and a crowd that we all think we're, a little funny. Because we all know just a couple.

We've said enough, we've found enough of a routine that between songs we can, you know, but I thought about that. I was like, I would have to hide

behind the guitar still. Like, if I came out, did some, like I would still hide behind the guitar. But let me tell you the coolest thing I've had happened

at a comedy show for me yet. I went to Burke Chrysler's fully loaded. And I brought the guitar. And because I told Barry, I was like, I'm bringing my guitar,

no pressure. But I'll sing. You know, it's an 8,000 person amphitheater. It's my style. You know, I'm in.

This is up. And Bert was like, Bring it. Come on. And they gave me, just like a comedian. It was cool. I got 15 minutes,

which was fun for us because it was like, oh, okay. Well, what is that? Like, we can just kind of fuck off for 15 minutes. It's like, where guitar pulls are like, you do three songs. Yeah. So it was like,

oh, this is like a mini show. Like, I get to fuck off for 15 minutes. We'll do some medleys. You know? So we went out there, dude. And it was cool because I wasn't announced. Nobody knew I was coming. It's Huntsville, Alabama.

I come out. And dude, I was shaking nervous. Really? Yeah, man, because, like, nobody came to watch a motherfucker sing a song. Like, not one person walked in there thinking somebody was going to sing a song tonight. You know what I mean? Like, they came for a specific itch to get scratched. I did too.

You know what I'm saying? I didn't want nobody to sing a song. Anybody but me? I didn't want to fucking hear. You know what I'm saying? I'm sorry, guys. Just want to get ahead of this. Yeah, yeah.

But, dude, we rocked. Well, that's the thing with music, though. Bert came out. Tiffany Haddish came out, dance with me. I mean, it was wild. I remember seeing that. It turned into a, it was like a moment. I told Bert, I was like, I'm coming on the fully load of comedy festival this year. I mean, it's beautiful.

Like, but that's, I think there's an element of that where, like, with comedy, if you go to a comedy show and you see, you see music, like, no one's ever mad at music. You know what I mean? Right. But if you go to a show, like, you know, a concert and then some comedy happens, you're a little bit like, all right. You know what I mean? Like, I think one works the other way better than the other. You know what I mean? That's real.

Yeah, yeah. I'd be scared to come out and just do like fucking, you know, come out, just tell a joke in front of Metallica. You know what I was saying? That's crazy is that Jim Brewer does that. That exact thing. Do you know this?

I'm pretty sure it's Jim Brewer. Yeah, he opens for Metallica and does stand-up. Wow. He does like 15, 20 minutes. There's also another guy. Forget his name. He's like a Latin American artist. And it's so funny.

He has this, it's all in Spanish. And he has this Spanish comedian come out with him and open the shows. And then he does like very like, suave, like sexual, like, you know, Latin dance music. And they asked them, they're like, why do you do this? And he's like, I want people to laugh before they make love. That's a part, dude. I love that.

What is the, what was the name of the tour that Fluffy just went off? Fluffy went out with, because somebody on our crew worked it, is what I'm thinking. It was Fluffy. And a musician. Ricky Martin. It was Fluffy and Ricky Martin. Oh, really? I swear to God, somebody on our crew went and worked a fluffy.

and Ricky Martin tour. I mean, that's an insane mashup. Yeah. That's like bigger than, he's already doing stadiums. Yeah, for sure. At that point is like... Fluffy's doing stadiums in Australia.

Yeah, I mean, that's... So was Ricky Martin. So you put him in a stadium together, you know what I mean? There was somebody else that was cool. I mean, that's insane. Yeah. I don't know it was pit bull or what it was.

At a certain point, like Fluffy's shows are just going to look like Woodstock 99. Dude, it's crazy. When he did Dodger Stadium, I was like, fucking go, Fluffy, go. How crazy, right?

Sweetest dude ever. Yeah, right? Yeah. Yeah, it's awesome. He's a dude that'll text me just to be like, just thinking about you, Fluffy loves you. You know what I mean? He's like, we did a show together.

We did Barmageddon. It just came out on the USA Network. It's Blake Shelton and Carson Daily show. And you play bar games. Now, I want you to imagine why this is worth you watching. I show up thinking it's bar games. Like, I'm in the fucking, I'm getting an IV that morning. I'm like pounding Pedia a light.

I'm like, we're having a drinking contest. National TV. Beer pong, flip cup. Yeah. No. It was like mildly athletic. I got to see like D1 athletic shit.

They were like, we did like human foosball. You know what I'm saying? We're like blocking fucking soccer balls. It's Blake's bar on Broadway called Old Red. And we're like, I'm in there, dude. Now keep in mind, Mark, I want you, do you know this about me because we're homies on and off camera?

I traditionally show up to places. in a very good energy and normally slightly too high to be there. You know what I'm saying? That's kind of the state I live in. So I'm walking there like stone-stoned. And I'm like, all right, what are we doing?

Like flip cup? You know what I mean? They're like, oh no. We're flipping tires. They were like, there was a moment because Blake's got like a three-story bar. Blake Shelton is the fucking man. And there's a three-story bar

and we would shoot basketballs from the third story into solo cups that were like, you know, half the size of this table on the first story. It was crazy, dude. And you were sitting there like, yo, when can we drink? We started. I was just like, when is the alcohol up, dude? Why I came all the way here for sports?

At what point did we start drinking? You know what I'm saying? Oh, that's crazy. And then two nights ago, you were just an MSG. Like you mentioned, that's crazy. Dude. How did it feel? Was it that first time or you've done it a couple times?

First time, dude. Really? First time, yeah, man. Big deal. Now, you haven't done it yet, have you? No, no. So your first time's going to be with you and Solz. Yeah.

Dog, I want to tell you, man, and I told, of course, you know, I talked to Shultz, too, brother for life. But I was like, I mean, I'm tearing up already, like, that promotional clip for MSG. And then, like, watching it sell. Because I text him that night. He'll show you the text to prove this at five in the morning my night. But before he woke up and I was like, you're going to sell this out on that pre-sale, bro. I was like, I want you to know that like you're fixing to sell this thing out on the pre-sale. And sure enough, I look up and it's the pre-sale sold.

And I was like, he's fucking fixing to go for two. I can't believe they didn't do three. And you know what I told somebody that's like, why do you think he didn't do three? I was like, there was a conflict and date. However, he got the garden for two nights, they did not ever think he had a chance in doing three. You know what I'm saying? I was like, dude, he could have done four or five. It was so beautiful.

The whole world was going to fly in to see him there. many nights as he wanted to play. Honestly. I tell you this much, and I told him, once again, y'all'll see him, I'll be there.

I'll be there night one. I've already blocked the date, baby. I'm coming for sure. I'm so excited. And I'm a good friend. You don't have to worry about putting me on a guest list

or nothing I'll figure out. I won't bother y'all. I show up buy merch, get drunk and split. I mean, you know you're already, you're already plugged in. No question.

No question. But no, it was so beautiful seeing for him because, like, you know, he's, he's, this is just so cool.

He's like so focused, right? And he's like so, so locked in with everything he's doing. He gives 120% for everything. Like every flyer, every promo, he's so, so locked in for everything. And so we're coming up with the promo, we're talking about it, and we're discussing what it means to him and trying to really nail down the feeling. And we're kind of just going for it, right? Like we have a couple days to announce and we do it.

And the moment is so beautiful in the moment. But it's still like just us kind of in like an empty arena. And then it goes out. The feedback's amazing. The show sell out on the pre-sale. and then we're supposed to do a pod that day. And Scholes is like, you know, five minutes late. We checked the phone.

10 minutes late. 15 minutes late. And I'm like, where is he? And then someone comes upstairs and they're like, yeah, he's just, he's in the lobby right now. And we're like, what? He's here? And they're like, yeah, I think he might need a minute. And we're like, what?

And so we're just waiting like 20 minutes. Then he comes upstairs. And he tries to like, play it off. But his eyes are just beat red, just like, puffy. And he's like, what? What's up, guys? You ready to do a podcast? And we're like, Shultz, are you okay, buddy? He's like, yeah, why? What's wrong?

And we're like, I feel like you've maybe had some feelings. Oh. And he's like, yeah, it kind of hit me a little bit. Oh, dude. And it just, like, dosed him in one moment. As he's walking in for the pot on time and has just sit in the lobby, just feel it. Just fucking clear. I'm getting, I tear up thinking about it.

It's just the greatest. There's like, I just, like, even watching when we met each all that, we all met each other a few years. go in the middle of the pandemic, early 2020. And to now, I just, I'm just, dude, even with, even with this pod, even with watching with, how to fuck do you say your last name, by the way? You know what I'm saying? Is it Gagnon? I don't know. On French, French Canadians, they say Gagnon.

Okay. Ganyon. I'll fuck that up forever. Give me the redneck way it said. The Antioch version is Gagnon. Okay, Gagnon. Gagnon. Yeah, so it's fucking, you know, but like Camp Gagnon, it's fucking going on.

Yeah, dude. You know what I mean? Like just watching it happen. And then like, you know, watching the hometown. And then the whole arena tour and just seeing y'all do it. And like it's a once in a like, the things that are happening right now are so fun to watch because they've never happened before. So we're like, there's so much not new under the sun that we just automatically go. This is just another version of.

Yeah. But like what's happening in comedy especially? But with the crews and the friends and like the scene of comedy, this has never happened before. This is like the closest thing to this ever was Kevin Hart and the plastic cup boys. Yeah. Like him going out doing arenas and taking like these dudes that just kind of like lived in their own island, foxholed up and fucking figured it out. It's insane.

Oh, that's why I always tell Schultzzy. I'm like, I have no business being here. You know what I mean? Like I met up with him. I was still in college. Right. Like, and he took me along. He knows all these other comedians, especially when I started.

There were plenty of people way better than me. Like he should have taken them. And he was just like, nah, you're the homie. We're helping each other out. I want to help you develop. I want to see you grow. And never once was there ever like, yeah, dude, we're going to have this other person fill in. It's always like, no, you're my guy.

Just on the strength. You know who the real MVP is of y'all's crew, though? Who's that? Alex dog. Oh, yeah. Dude, Alex went from police to personality. I'm crazy. You was saying, like, it's insane to me.

But that's, I was even telling you on the phone when we were talking. And it's so weird seeing, you know, our crew and you and your crew all coming up in such similar ways. From my perspective, for sure. You know, like we link up, you know, at your studio in Tennessee, what, three years ago or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. And just like make this goofy song together and, like, have a bunch of fun. And like in the same way where it's like, oh, yeah, there's not that much new under the sun. You are new under the sun. You know what I mean? And it's so cool because people ask me, they're like, if they're not familiar with you, be like, oh, like, what kind of music? who is he? What kind of guy is he?

Like, who is he like? And I'm like, bro, you need, you need Thanos's gloves. You know what I mean? Like, you need eight people combined to describe what you've done and who you are. You know what I mean? I love it because I get described different every day. Now, Madison Square Garden is how we got bunny trailed over here because we're just fucking talking.

But when Madison Square Garden the other night, one of the guys that threw the show on on behalf of ABC, I don't want to say his name, because I don't know if he wants his shit out there, but he's a big producer at ABC. And he comes back and he goes, yo, my son's seen this for the first time. And I was like, oh, because a lot of people, like, first of all, 17,000 Olivia Rodriguez fans. So let me paint the picture for you, dude. It's like, it's jingle ball, right? Yeah. But it's Z-100. It's New York City. So it's like,

every one of the jingle balls are different, but it's like really, it's, I don't know, it's interesting. But it's a lot of family kind of, I'll give you an example, Joey Dia, Uncle Joey Kane, with his daughter and his wife. Right. And I was joking because my manager was like, I can't believe, you know, Me, Cher, One Republic, Olivia Rodriguez, David Cushner, Sabrina Carpenter, penitonics, right? It's like a really, and I thought about it more. I was like, oh, this is crazy. I kind of see the dynamic here. You know what I mean?

Like, it's like showing the depth of pop culture and pop music, quote unquote, like being popular music, like popular culture. So there's a lot of people, like, especially now in New York, too. You know, I'm fucking probably the last city in America. I'm going to really explode on, right? So it's like, which is fine. You know, you've got to work hard. You got to work to win New York and L.A., you know? And so I'm excited.

I walk out there, so I'm like, and I realized by song, I heard early in the night because they would say everybody's name, and they'd be like, and like everybody got like an obligatory, yeah, we're glad they're there. And then they would say, and later, Olivia Rodriguez, and that place erupted. I mean, I was like, so as soon as I heard that the first time, I was like, ooh, boys get ready to sweat. We've been to have to convince them we're worth watching. You know what I mean?

So we did too, man. We ended up having that place fucking rocking. The walls were sweating. I mean, it was, there was a moment in that show. There was probably my favorite moment of touring ever. I do a Bismarkey cover. Yeah, yeah, yeah. At the end of it, I do a medley of hip-hop stuff, like to show the influences I had.

And I end with just a friend. And, like, we always let the crowd sing the last one. and some good crowds will sing it twice. I've had a couple of really good crowds sing it three times, like where the arena just takes off with it. Like, fuck it, we're going to sing this forever. I just put the mic down and walk around and let them go. New York City, about the fourth time they sang it around,

they all started clapping together. And I want to remind you, when I walked on this stage, nobody even stood up. Bro. You know what I mean? And by now, like halfway through this set, I've got this whole arena up clapping. And then I do need a favor,

which was, I saved it for the end of the set, the second of last song I play Need a Favor which is big on pop radio so now the place is like if it's a comedy room it's a teapot like the lid's fixing to come off I hit the first note to save me that place loses it shit

and now keep in mind most of them don't know the song they're just like yo this dude is singing singing and it like gets emotional a little bit you know what I mean like it's a room full of people so when this executive producer's back telling me he said man my son's you know 20 year old college you know whatever university

perspective was, he was like, this shit is rock, this shit is rock and roll Americana. That's how he perceived my show when it was done. How cool. You know what I mean? Like that was his perspective of what I do. You know what I mean? You're doing rap. You're doing hip-hop.

I was spreading everything. And it's like, but his whole perception was like, yo, like this is, I don't know. It's just so different. It's like. And then, you know, of course, in New York, they, oh, that's coolest country artists we've ever seen. because, you know, I joke with people all the time. They're like, how did you end up being a country artist? I was like, you're from here, so you're used to how I talk.

Yeah. I was like, as soon as I go to New York, I don't have to convince any of them why I'm a country artist. I've never had to tell you every time I start talking like, oh, you're a country music artist. I'm like, wow, yeah, exactly. How did you guess, my brother? But that's amazing. I think that's a testament to your, like, experience in the game. You know what I mean?

This is not your first road. This is not the first time you had to convince a crowd. You know what I mean? Like for some of the first time you had to convince a crowd. Like for some of the early shows in your career, like the way comics do it, it's like, yo, we got to grind it out. You know what I mean? Like, you don't have a hit, you know, when you're 19 years old and be like, oh,

everyone knows me all of a sudden. You know what I mean? Like, that's the years of work that goes into it. All of a sudden, you're like, come on, I can convince these mofoords that this is the greatest part of the show. This is what they're going to remember out. That's what they'll leave talking about. Yeah, exactly.

They'll leave talking about, like, yo, whoever the fucking fat white dude was. They might even for not remember my name in the moment. Like, yo, the big day. dude, killed it. You know what I'm saying? And I love that. That's what's been so fun about these jingle balls. Man, this podcast is going to be so good.

You're going to have so many clips I need. This is so good. Because this is all like, you know, my life's in a weird place. And I ain't got to talk about none of this. I come into these jingle balls as the country dude. And it's funny because every circle I go to, I'm always coming as the dude I was before. You know what I mean? So it's like when I came in the country.

It was like, when I came in as the rapper. You know what I'm saying? And now I'm like going to a pop radio. So it was the country dude, which I'm honored. represent that slice of America. I'm from Nashville. Fuck yeah. You know what I mean?

Well, in fact, we're not going to own it. We're going to kill it. Yeah. And then I know, because I've done, what was that, number four, Nick? What number, how many? Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, New York, and we got two left. So this was the fourth one. And I'm walking in knowing like Dallas killed.

Detroit killed. Chicago killed. I'm like, New York's going to be the test. You know? And I walked out and I knew that less people was going to know me here than anywhere else. I'm expecting Philly to be a little bit of a job for me too. But because I hadn't played a Philly Proper show ever yet. I haven't played a New York proper show since Webster Hall for six years ago.

Really? Yeah, I'm still like dancing around it. Like I sold, how many tickets did we sell in Connecticut? 5,000, whatever that 5,000 cedar was, right up an hour up the street, whatever that little baseball football. is everybody plays up there's like an amphitheater yeah Forest Hills right yeah oh yeah yeah yeah no no not not Massachusetts this was the one in Connecticut oh it's in Connecticut yeah it's like Norfolk maybe Bridgeport oh yeah Bridgeport yeah Bridgeport yeah Bridgeport yeah they have like a little amphitheater there

it's like 5,000 old uh it's like Connecticut Hartford Health Center or something like that place but anyways but like we haven't played a New York proper show like I haven't played a Philly proper show like I've danced around it like We played that amphitheater outside of Philly. Yeah. That's interesting, though. I feel like there's, I mean, New York just has everyone. You know what I mean?

Like, obviously it's, you know, city people. And I feel like, even growing up in Florida, like, I come up here and I'm like, oh, yeah, these are city people. You know what I mean? And I grew up in basically the city. But there's everyone is around and everyone wants to come here. You know what I mean?

Like, all the upstate people, you know what I mean? Like, all the Long Island people. Yeah. Like, I don't know. I think at this point, there's, you know, a lot of jelly roll fans. in any city. Yeah. Well, they're all around.

We did really good in Buffalo. We kill them Buffalo the other side of the state, like 24,000 tickets. Syracuse. Was that the SPAC? Is that where the SPAC is? I'm not familiar. The Sarasota. The Sarasota Performing Arts Center.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Not Saratoga. Saratoga. Okay. Yeah, yeah, Saratoga. That's upstate. Fuck, I'm high. Sarasotas in Florida, I think.

You're like the Saratonic music. I was like fucking somewhere. fucking one of those places. It was awesome. You know what I'm saying? Is it interesting, like, especially being in the cities because it might, you know,

obviously city people might be different than being in like Huntsville or something. So like when you're in the city, seeing a dude that's like, yo, this is like a dude that, you know, dreads, you know, a chain but like knows all the words. And you're like, oh, wow,

there's like a real like, you know, Brooklyn dude that's like just rocking out to country music. It must be so fun to be the liaison and like the touchpoint for all these new types of fans. Yeah. Well, I love that,

I love that the story is like making its way to everywhere. Like I think the coolest thing is the range of fan I have right now is 7 to 70. You know what I mean? Like it's really cool because we've been like really blessed this year to be able to tap into things that I never thought my slice of America would tap into. Like every time I've seen you here, I've been doing TV. Like the fact that I've like become a regular thing on television in the last year is fucking my. I ain't blowing me. I'm a criminal.

Yeah. I'm like, yo, y'all know the story, and they do because they say it. They tell them every show. And I'm just like, I think that documentary helped me so much. When they put that Hulu doc out, it's like that thing was so cool because it kind of really explained who I am in 90 minutes. And if you took the time to watch it, like, you got it. And it brought so many walks of life to like, like just second chance. I think that was my, that's been my biggest appeal is that.

I kind of now represent that piece of second chance. You know what I mean? But I think that's why I connect with y'all so much because I see it in y'all. Not even second chance-ish, but like, Schultz isn't 26. Right. Solst isn't 23 years old. You know what I mean? Like, that's why it hits that much harder at the garden.

He got told no a lot of times. A lot of times. They told him, hey, maybe this isn't for you. Maybe do something different. You know, this special is not going to go on this platform. For sure. We don't want to buy this. We won't.

But even, but I'm like early career. I mean, you're talking about a dude just grinded it in clubs and figured it out. Three years ago, I'm thinking about the Madison Square Garden announcement. I'm getting happy because three years ago I came to see y'all for your second night at Zanis of two nights in Nashville. You know what I mean? Like y'all sold, you know, 2,300 tickets over the weekend. You know what I mean?

It's like, it's just watching it like to know and then to know it said no spring chicken. You know, y'all ain't no spring chicken. That's what I'm saying. Even Akash is like, you know, like fucking grinds. You know what I mean? But that's why I think you and Schultz, like you said, are so close. Like there's so many analogs. You know what I mean?

Like even the fan base, like we were just saying. Like I feel like your fans look like everybody. Same way Schultz's fans look like everybody. Right, for sure. One of the girls that works in the building, Melinda, she's awesome. She's like half black, half Albanian. grew up in like Queens or something. And I was like, yeah, jelly roll's coming on tomorrow.

The way her face dropped, she's like, oh, jelly roll? I was like, you know my jelly roll? I love jelly roll. Black Albanian girl from New York. I'm like, that's amazing. So that's what I'm saying. Like, I think when you come back to New York and really do it, I think you'll be shocked.

I think you'll be shocked at the turnout. I'm going to get in trouble for the... No, I'm not going to do it. I will just say this because I... I will say this. I'm going to play New York City next year for sure. Yeah. Like 100%.

It's going to be a big show. And it's going to go crazy. It's going to be a big deal. It's going to go crazy. We're coming back. I'm going to play my first. real headliner in New York ever. I played, I headlined Webster Hall in 2016.

Yeah. And that's the last time I played New York City. And I played the small room. You know how Webster Hall has the upstairs. Oh, really? You know, it has a little 200 cap room downstairs, and I didn't sell it out. No way. True story.

It's the last New York City show I played. No way. Do you carry like any, like, maybe even before, like, you know, things have even changed in the last year, but like any insecure? where you're going into a market where you're like, oh, maybe they won't know me, maybe maybe it won't sell that well, maybe I'll just hold off. Like, did you ever feel that fear?

Or were you just like, I'm too busy doing other shows, doing other cities? No, no, I fear it every time. I'm nervous, petrified about the New York on sale, the next L.A. on sale. Really? I treat everything like, I don't know about, like, ticket sales as much now because the way I tour, it's a stress I don't have right now. I'll announce my tour in February,

and I'll be, you call me that week, I'll be a fucking nervous wreck. In fact, call me, talk me off the ledge. It'll be a rough week for me. But it's like, I walk into every show. Like, even though they bought a ticket to be here tonight, they're not sure if they like me. And that's the performance I give every single night. I'm like, I want to win a crowd every night, which back to Madison Square Garden is what made it so special. Because then you're really winning a crowd.

Like, I'm treating jelly roll fans like that. So imagine what I'm doing. when I walk into a room and I know these people are like, would you hurry up and get Siza on the stage? You know what I'm saying? I go out and rock. Joey Diaz when I came back, he said it was fucking Led Zeppelin in 1975. You had these cocksuckers gone crazy. Yes, yes.

You fucking the place was fucking exploding. Power balance. How do you set up a set list for something like that? By the way, if you ever need somebody to just make you feel better about your life and like if you're ever in that place, you fucking call Joey Diaz, dog. He will instantly, every, he has me charged up and ready to, I think that's why I give people their flowers now to this day is because Joey will just automatically charge you up. It's his default setting.

It's just a straight start going, you're a bad motherfucker jelly. You know what I'm saying? He's just fucking, even at night he could tell I was nervous. He said, you're a bad motherfucker jelly. You don't worry because he came back before and after, you know? I love it. I mean, he's like got like football coach energy just. for regular life.

Just for regular life. I bet he does it just checking out at Kroger's. Yeah, and the stories are real. It's like when you, we were,

he was telling me about going to, um, the garden. He's like, dude, I came here, you know,

he said, you got $15 tickets back in the day. He said, you didn't, you didn't even know who's playing. You just showed up came and seen,

you know? But dude, I heard all them stories. It was so cool, man. Sorry, he was fin to ask me something and I was just

high and talking about Joe Diaz. It's setting up the, the set list for something like MSG, like for that type of show. You know, it might not necessarily all be Jelly Roll fans. Do you set it up differently than your own show? No, I have a firm belief that we do what we do everywhere we go,

and that's what it is. We are who we are, and that's what it is. You know what I mean? Like, it don't matter, you know? Yeah. My show is designed to show the music that I grew up on, so we do a medley every night anyways. So obviously when you're in New York, you're like, do the hip-hop one? You know what I'm saying?

Like, where maybe if you're... But normally I have enough time to do like, I don't even want to blow it because, you know, buy a ticket to a jelly roll show coming to a seat near you. But we have a really cool thing. Our show is really interactive and fun. But my mentality from day one, Mark, man, and this is my advice to any young songwriter, you do what you do in every room.

You know what I mean? Like, I don't care if you go to a writing round and everybody's singing up-tempo music and you don't get nothing but good power ballads, sing them ballads, baby. You know what I mean? Like, you do what you do? in every single room, man. And you will always win, lose, or die who you are.

And that will go so far. And if nothing else, you win just that. Because then people just go, at least we know this fucking, like there's a respect. Yeah. Like, even if they don't dig it, they will always respect.

Yeah. That they could tell it was really who the fuck you were. You stood on it. You stood on it, man. This is who I am. This is what I do. You know what I mean?

I struggle with that sometimes. I get a little insecure. I guess this is the beauty of where you're at in your life and like when success is hitting you in this way. Like, you know, when I'm in front of, you know, shoulders' crowd, I feel very comfortable.

When I'm doing my own show, like headlining, I feel more comfortable, but a little nervous because I know the expectation is higher. But then sometimes I'll do shows in the city, and it's just like a bunch of random people that have never heard of me, don't know anything about me. And sometimes I feel like, I got to kind of change what I'm doing

to kind of appease them because they don't know me from the thing. And I don't know. I find myself adjusting. And then when those shows go poorly, I am so much more angry. You know what I mean? Because, like, I changed what I wanted to do and who I was, and y'all still didn't fuck with it. You want to hear the wildest advice I can give you?

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They got legalese in the legalese. Let's get back to the show. Whatever you're afraid to say in front of them, I now challenge you to just double down on that. Like whatever joke you're looking at Like ah they don't know me that might not fly I'll tell three of those motherfuckers at night How many more do you have that are like that? And dude you will fucking start fucking killing dude

I swear dog It's my soul mentality that's gotten me this far It's like be a yellow duck in a white duck pond You know what I'm saying? Like I don't got a quack or fucking flap You know what I'm saying? I'm just constantly the yellow duck And the white duck pond

Because I'm gonna be me in every situation. How long did it take for you to know yourself? Shit, I don't, musically or human-wise? Human-wise, I'm still dealing with what I deal with.

I mean, this is a dark, I'm scared of this up here, Bubba. I don't, you know, I sleep bad. I just have a lot of unhealthy habits because of the way I think. But professionally, fuck a thousand shows. 700 songs.

Long time. I have a long catalog of music of who I wasn't. You know what I'm? I'm saying, you know what I mean? Of, like, maybe who I was in that moment, but not who I would grow to be or just not even who I was as far as, like, I didn't know what I was doing. So we were, like, testing it in real time. Like, all the fucking shit you, like, not to constantly compare, but I'd love to find connection is, like, the jokes you throw away along the way.

That you're like, it's what you took, you had to tell it for a year to realize it wasn't good. It's cute. And sometimes you carried it, but, you know, but it just wasn't it, you know, it's like, I have a lot of, took a lot of those and the right. room are releasing a lot of them, trial and error, but just doing it more than everybody did it. Yeah. That's the other, I think that's the other side of my story that doesn't get told. When they're all excited about, like, man, this is really poetic, as I said, that a 39-year-old wins this award.

But it's also like the other catch of that 39 is what I did for that all those years and it took me to get there was this. You know what I mean? Like, it was this. It was just constantly, you know, you said it earlier about MSG for me. It's like I said that the head of our heart when I first took the jingle balls. I was the name's Tom Pullman. I said, Tom, I want you to know I'm excited about these because I'm going to have to go out here and really fire some stuff up.

Like, I know I got to dig deep. And I spent 10 years playing bars for people that didn't even know I was going to be there. You know what I'm saying? Could you imagine going out with your friends and there's a band there? And you're like, and they're singing original music? Yeah. I mean, that's all the early open. I'm like, so you go to a coffee shop and there's an ambush of comedy.

In the law far as type in papers, like, he just said 9-11 is what? It's crazy. No, see, that's crazy, right? And dudes are like, yo, fucking, I picked the wrong place to take my girl on a date. This is loud and obnoxious, and I don't even know the song. We're up there singing original music. They're passing new things. They're like, arms wide open.

Yeah, that's not what this is. They're taking, we won't request. I'm like, yeah, we only know, like, six covers. We're going to play them, but it's because we got to do two hours and we don't have enough original music to fill it. Passment the chords. Maybe it works on it out. It's like, yeah, for sure.

But you do that for so long, then it's like, you know. Yeah. But just artistically knowing yourself, that is, I think, like, my biggest challenge is, is getting to a point where I'm like, okay, this is really what I'm willing

to, like, live and die for creatively. This is, I'm completely, you know, especially with stand-up because, like, that journey is just, like, so much more turbulent, in my opinion. But, yeah, get into that point where I'm like, you know, this is just what it is.

And you guys can either love it or hate it, And, like, Shultz is such a good testament to that. Because, and I don't know. I need to actually ask him, like, how long and what that process was for him. But I'll just see him go up in front of, like, crowds that, you know, especially early on. Now everyone knows him. But, like, you know, I see him go up with, like, seller.

And it's just, like, a bunch of, like, Chinese tourists or something. Or just, like, people that might be outside of his purview, especially in that time. And it's the same energy. He keeps it the exact same. And they get on board. And I just remember watching that being like, damn, that is so special. I think it was. What did you always say?

Everyone can catch you? these jokes. Yep. It's like, I think that was the mentality for him, right? Yeah. And that's what got him

to the promised land. And I think that's just who y'all are. But dude, every time I've seen you, you've killed. I appreciate that. I've never seen you not

killed. I think I've seen you twice, three times now. I hadn't seen you as much that I like to, but I've seen you for them two shows in Nashville and I've seen you in Florida once.

But I think fucking, you know, dude. Are you working out here too, though? Yeah, yeah. Where are you working out of? A bunch in the city, New York Comedy Club,

right over here, there's these like little independent shows. Like there's like really cool like independent scene that's awesome where it's just like young dudes like running their own shows just like in, you know, basements of, you know, buildings and shit like building their own clubs basically. Yeah. Like Sesh is an awesome one. And just going into doing these shows is that what you were doing Friday?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So I'll finish up. That's when I texted y'all. And y'all, y'all were at Carbone. Yeah, you should have came. Yeah, no, I wanted to. I had to go see my baby. I had to go see my life.

Did I send you a drunk video that night? No. Okay. You're the only one that didn't get one. I sent Shultz one. I think I sent Alex one. I spread them out. I think we'd already text, but I think all my other friends, I was like, I'm here.

Yeah. Let me tell you how drunk I got. And I don't like to brag about drinking because, you know, one, there's a misconception about my sobriety, like publicly, like, because I represent the recovery community. But I represent, my sobriety's different. That's why I respect the people that worked the program and, like, really got sober. So I try to walk that fine line of respect for that. that. And I don't drink, I've drank so much less. You need me my cocaine days. I got off

that. I'm sober now, right? Yeah. Compared to who the guy you met. But it's like I'll still have a drink and I only do it when I celebrate. So I've drank, I've told two drunk stories on this fucking podcast. It's not fleeting a good case here. But the only, I probably got drunk, I don't know, a couple handful of times this year, literally. But every one of them were like the monumental occasions and every one of them were just ridiculously bad. We're at Mario Carbone spotting spicy rigatoni. I'm feeling fancy, dog. And I got my whole band in there.

We're just as white trash and motherfucking redneck as you can imagine. Can you explain Mario Carbone for people not from New York? Dude, it's like, I don't really know. I get it now because I'm a part of it, but it's like one of the hardest tickets in town. It's like the most known chef in town. It's like, it's just fucking like, it's, and the food is the hype is real. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Like, it's like the real thing. And he opened up like this. So anyways, we're doing it. Like, we're all in there just fucking top shelf five-star. My dude's a fucking chef. What would you, how would I describe Mario Carbone? Just like impossible to go to restaurant in New York? Yeah.

It's like the hot impossible spot, right? It's like, it's not Rayos, but very close. You know what I mean? But it's like we're in there just, this is how drunk I get. By the time we leave, we don't eat a few hours, a couple hours before that, I see one of the fucking street meat stands. and now here we are fucking all blackout

drunk with a belly full of spicy rickitone eating fucking bot dogs you might be the only mother to ever leave carbone and be like yo hot dogs right here yeah I'm like we can get a fucking we can get a glissie right here

dude you know and he's putting like Dejan mustering on it was fucking horrible that's so funny that's fire it's a good night though I don't know if you're able or want to talk about this but you were told me that

the other night that we were going to do this, we couldn't do it because you were going to meet up with a gentleman named Farrell. Yes. That's a true story. You know, when you're putting this out? This will be probably a couple weeks. Okay. We'll talk by then.

Normally, I'll let anything go out. You know that. But I want to make sure I'm in trouble for this. But this should be clear by then. Yeah, it might be January. That'd be great. Just for this story. But maybe you saved this clip and we put it out later and used to promote it anyway.

We'll talk about it. Whatever. So I got a call from Farrell's team about doing a record. And he sent me this record. And it is like the most Farrell fucking song ever. But it's like the subject matter is about a man who meets a lady of the night. Then they end up running off together and getting married. And it's for fashion week.

because Farrell's now the head creative of Louis Vuitton. Yeah. So it's like the runway song. So Farrell calls, and I'm like, one, I'm blown away because this is like, for me, this is the craziest call ever that Farrell's looking for me. You know what I mean?

We're only doing one, right? Yeah. That Farrell's looking for me. And I'm like, holy shit. So I get on there with Farrell, and we talk about the record. And then I go home and I just keep listening to the song over.

and over again. And then I called Farrell back and I'm like, and I had a moment then where like, this is where I like truly believe that God and the universe work the same. I had a moment where I was like, I don't think he knows. So I call him back and I was like, this is my story, for real. He was like, huh? I was like, yeah, let me explain something to you about my wife. And in the record, like even in the record, he says, the savings, you can have it.

I got a mobile home and a G. There's plenty to live off and we'll be fine. Right. And in that moment, I'm like, you know my wife's the lady of the night, dog, and we met and she took care of me. It's like a famous story, kind of, like, you know, that she ended up having some money and kind of put me on and finance my career. And all she wanted when I got rich was a G-wagon.

He was like, what? I was like, yeah, she's got a G-wagon now. And he was like, it was just like the most insane thing. ever. I'm going back right now after today to find it. I've spent three days doing vocals for one song. It's that important to me. And so he's just sent it to you without knowing the details of the story? Nothing. Just like heard the speech at the CMAs, checked out save me. Like just in that moment was like, yo, this is the guy. Like it was, I don't even know how it all came together. He just called like inspired by the story and was like, yo, I think this works great. I think it's a collab. Nobody

would see coming. You know what I mean? It just sends the record over. And like he just enjoyed me on some like art shit. Like what didn't get like deep into the story? Just knew that I was a term rehabilitated man that had, you know, been in trouble most of his life.

He just knew like the basis of the story. And it was just like he loved the music. And it's crazy, dog. How weird is a universe, bro? I got, I got news games. I'm like, how weird is that? It is, this song is so sick. And so you actually went in there and worked with him.

No, we did it all FaceTime because, you know, He's in Paris. He's in London or fucking wherever. France? What is that? I'm so geographically challenged. What? Where is Paris?

It's in France, right? Yeah, he's in France, dude. Getting ready for the biggest fucking fashion week. You know, fashion week's like first week of January or something. And so now you're on the song that's going to be in fashion week? Hopefully. Hopefully. I'm going to send it over today.

I hope it gets completely approved. You know, it's a few more hurdles. Here's the cool thing. If it doesn't work, we're really going to put this out. Because then it's the greatest story that never happened. But if it does happen, it's even cooler. What is your life, bro? It's fucking on, I don't even know.

How are you involved with Fashion Week? Isn't that so crazy? Right, that of all things. I wear leather vests. Yeah, for sure. I'm like, yo, fucking, I'm denim and leather, dude. Oh, that's so crazy. And then you guys chopped it up.

Do you ask him any questions? Yeah, tons. Well, we didn't get to chop it up that deep yet, but he's going to come to Nashville and we're going to work together. When he gets done with the thing, we're going to spend some, like, real time cooking. Oh, that's so wild. Yeah, because he loves the songwriting. so he's like, yo, I want to get him right with you.

So I thought it was really cool, man. I mean, he's a true artist. Like, he's a true, I mean, which is pretty obvious at this point, but I don't know. Anyone that just knows him from, like, you know, happy or whatever, like pop songs or whatever, I'm like, really look into it. His notes, for the first pass of vocals, I sent him were, like, super cool. They were, like, very nice.

And then when he wanted me to change something, like, he just speaks, like, such a composer. Really? Yeah, man. It's, like, he's different, man. I say it's so fun working with everybody because I'm sure you see it in your career like everybody does it a little different you know what I mean and

the little differences are the things that make it great. There are the little nuances to me that like make people great you know and it's like he just his approach is so cool. You feel like he knows how to like push you in the right way and kind of play you a little bit. What hundred percent?

Yeah like he can coach you so to speak. Exactly. He knows how to lift you up and then like gently get you to be like yo, that's incredible. Let's tweak this here. Let's do that. And this will change if we just put a little bit here. And then you hear him say it or you see I read the message and I'm like,

yo, he's spot on. You know what I mean? Like it's, you know, he is who he is. It's like I was thinking about this the other day. I have maybe only met a couple of people yet that are really successful in art, in the art, in what we and you do, that you leave away from there and go, how the fuck are they successful. Like, seven out of ten times, I leave and I'm like, oh.

That's what's going on. That's why he's so fucking good. You know what I mean? It's like, you know. I mean, I remember seeing that video of him and Maggie Rogers. You ever see that? Oh, yeah. Like, where she's just a student in NYU and as a part of, like, her thesis or whatever,

gets to show him, like, a song she made and his face immediately. I'm, like, I love music. Really. I'm, like, obsessed. I listen to every different genre. I'm like, I'm so hooked. And like, if I showed you my Spotify Top 5, you'd be like, how do these make any sense?

But I don't know hits, like, the way the true musicians do. Right. And just seeing him immediately off the first note of like this track, this college girl makes, he goes, oh, this is special. And now she's this massive artist selling, you know, all over and fans all over the world. And he just knows it immediately. Oh, dude, he doesn't. Him calling me was how, that's how I felt, by the way.

You know what I mean? it's like, if he recognizing something in me, there's really, there's something here I don't even see. Wow. You know what I mean? Like, there's something I still haven't seen yet that if he sees it. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's like, when you start getting those kind of phone calls, those are the ones that you're like.

It's also crazy because he's one of the few people that intimidates me so much. There's a few people in my life like that now that, like, when they send me a message, it takes me, sometimes it takes me days to respond because I just don't fuck with my phone. I don't know where it's at now. but I um but sometimes it's because it's like I'm scared I don't even know how to respond you know what I mean I'm like just don't respond you won't fuck it up you know what I'm saying it's like I don't blow this relationship you know what I'm the the flight or the the fight or flight or freeze yeah you're just like I just freeze yeah I'm just like maybe not saying anything can work better than me saying the wrong thing yeah or you like type three text you're like this shit what am I

I got to write this a different time yeah this is why I now said videos and voice notes. You know what I'm saying? Because it's just right in the spot. You at least catch who I am in there. Intonation. You get the vibe. You're forced to watch me for 18 seconds. You know what I'm saying? But I'll get my thought off. I know that exact feeling of like someone putting so much belief in you that you believe in yourself a little more. Like, which for you at this point, it just seems so crazy. You know what I mean? Like I can use the help for me. Like it always feels good. Like anytime a comic I really, you know, respect. Like I was telling Mark Norman, I opened for him when I was in, I was in Florida still in college. or whatever.

And he told me he's like, hey, I like that joke. Like, after I got off stage. And then for like the next, you know, year I was like, this is my best joke. It wasn't my best joke. But in my mind,

I was like, if Norman liked it, then it's, there's something here worth liking. Yeah, he's so good. Oh, yeah, he's the man. He's the man. He's the man.

He fulfilled a dream of mine and he didn't know it. Well, Norman? Yeah, he don't know it, but he fulfilled a dream of mine. I got to tell him this one day. I love, I'm such a fan of comedy.

Like, you know this. Like, one, I said this on Theo, and it's important to reiterate this, I think it's important to never be too cool to be a fan. Like, I think that's just an important trait to have. Like, it's just like, that's a sour spirit when you're afraid to be a fan of something, you know what I mean? And secretly, like every other fan of comedy,

every time I, real fans of comedy, every time I've walked into a comedy club, I've went, I hope they light me up in here tonight. You know what I mean? Like, I hope somebody dogs me out. Really? Not like Overdo it obviously

But this isn't an open invitation Motherfuckers I know a lot of our friends watch this But you know I just always wanted to hear somebody Make a jelly roll joke You know what I mean And I hope to get famous enough one day That's a real dream of my low key

Is to like be a joke You know what I mean Like not a joke like in a bad way But like where if you said a joke about me The crowd would get it You know what I was It's like when a rapper puts you in a bar You're like I'm barable

Yeah for sure It's like if a jelly roll story ever made it to a bit, I would fucking be the happiest man ever. But he's like, Mark comes on stage, and I think it was either right before or right after I went on. And he goes, I just took a picture with Bert Kreisher and Jelly Roll backstage. You know, it would have been Mark's accent that I can't do. And he was like, I just took a picture of Bird Crisher with Jelly Roll backstage. And he goes, I thought I was standing in the middle of a, you know, one of them, Mark, just quick singer. It's just a blood pressure commercial or something.

You know what I mean? It was like, it was just, and he had another like obesity joke right behind. or something about, you know, like cholesterol or something. Yeah, yeah. But I was just backstage, like, crying. And it was so true to comedy that I'd just come out and did, you know, music. And he was like, well, I've got to follow a fucking musician right now. I got at least, you know, I got to attack the obvious.

Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I mean, that's the beauty of Mark, though, to your point where he, like, Norman is, like, Norman is, like, he's like, yeah, I'm going to make a joke about this guy, and I hope he takes it the right way. You know what I mean? But he's confident enough, and he's, and you can see that in him. It's authentic. tick and you go, yeah, of course, it's a joke, and you're cool with it.

Of course. When he came backstage, I hooded with Thaked about it. That's the fucking coolest thing ever. I asked for the clip for Bert the next day. I was like, send that clip to me, Bert. Would you ever do a roast? Yo, dream of mine? This is a real dream of mine, right?

To the point, I think I'm going to pitch it to Dorfman from Nashville. You know, Dorfman's like an uncle to me now. And I turn 40 next year. And I'm not like a me, me, me guy. I'm not an ego guy. And because of that, a dream for me would be a roast. Like at the comedy club, friends and family only. You know what I'm saying?

And fucking like get Tony Hinchcliff or fucking Jeff to fucking emcee it. Shultz and y'all come down. You know what I mean? Like my friends, Theo, like that would be like the dream for me to have them for just fucking fire at me. No phones, no cameras. Just fucking let's all get fucked up. And just that would be like the best birthday ever. When's your birthday?

December. Oh, when is it? Fourth? It's three, four, what, five days ago? God damn. Oh, yeah, I text you. I now remember. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, we were texting on my birthday. Oh, shit. Then we got to, you got to do that December next year. Dude, that day is crazy. You got Hinchcliff, Ross, Schultz, Theo. It's a dream. Even if it's not for me, they should do it for somebody. What a fucking great.

Tell me that wouldn't be like the fucking one of all ones. Dude, it's cool to not monetize it at all, not to make it a thing. You know, just the homies come through. For sure, no, 100, but not even make just. just like really making some homes. That would be like the heartfelt side of it. Hinchcliffe said he'd do it. We joke about it all the time.

Hinchcliff has first of all become one of my favorite humans in Earth. Yeah. Me and him have hung out a lot. He came to my show in Austin. I've went to four of his shows in Austin now because every time I'm on Austin for something, I'm there on a Monday and we'll go to kill Tony. And, you know, he's like lives the comedian life.

That's what he does. He's like sits at the bar afterwards, he smokes, smokes, cigarettes, gets drunk and fucking talks about jokes. It is the fucking best dude ever. But let me tell you something about you. You were talking about you love music. It's a great segue bringing my boy Tony into this. I have never met two people besides Joey Diaz that didn't do music that know more about music than Joe Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe.

Oh, yeah. It is insane how much music they know. Tony Henscliffe sent me his Spotify playlist once. It's called like, you know, Ophys, like, you know, fucking. so fucking silly. It's like the Tony Hinchcliff's opus of humility or something, right? And it is like five hours of music. And I'll get fucking high on the bus, so I'm nice and just throw it on in rotation, just to, you know, get out of my comfort zone. What the fuck's Tony listening to? It was like the coolest thing ever, you know? What kind of shit? Dude, I mean, everything from fucking MF Doom

to like deep Eagles cuts, it's all over the place, dude. I mean, it's the wildest, like, fucking like almost like Andre's flute album you know what I'm saying it just comes out you're just like what the fuck Tony it's crazy yeah and I found so many songs where I'd forget what I was even listening to so I'd look and I'd be like and you know it'll show the playlist at the top and I'd screenshot

and I'll just text it to Tony like never fucking heard this this is sick like an MF Doom song I forgot which one it was I just heard the other day on this playlist I was like this is so fucking good yeah I mean those are so much but Joe was the same way when we were hanging every time we've ever hung out man he's turning me on like crazy rock song like Kiss songs.

Oh, really? I'd never heard before. You know what I mean? Like, Joe is like, them dudes, no fucking music, man. Which is crazy. Like,

I feel like people don't always put that together because I guess he doesn't have like, I mean, I guess he has a decent amount of musicians on Joe does. But he had, this band, I cannot remember. It was something,

honey something. And they do a cover of Angel from Montgomery. Ooh. And which I love the, you know, the Bonnie Raid version. is like one of my favorite songs of all time. And they killed it so hard.

And they're just on the show playing music. And I was like, that is so cool that Joe is so comfortable with his own show where he's like, yo, just come on and play music. Oh, dude. Every time ever last goes on, he breaks the guitar. It's the coolest thing ever, dude. The entire pod me and Joe did.

I always explained it right afterwards was it was almost like two friends getting high and passing the auxiliary cable. Yeah. You know what I mean? He'd be like, oh, that's crazy. If you ever heard this? and we're playing music,

but then, of course, so all night long, he's like, what about this? I'm like, we're banging records, me him and Tony going back and forth, man.

It's like, you've been to the mothership, right? Yeah, of course. You went early, right? I think I've done that real early about seeing, right? Have you done it yet?

You've went to there and talk. It's fucking such a special, such a special place, but specifically outside of the art that's happening, which is crazy, and the no phones, it's like just everything I dream of

that for a Saturday night. The bar downstairs Mitzis at night, is the fucking I've walked out of there I think four times five maybe six times now actually damn and every time

it was didn't know what time it was when I left didn't know what time it was when I came it's fucking hotel California for real dude it is fucking awesome

awesome Wonderland shit you just go in and you walk out on the street you're like you're like what the fuck was I what just happened there's not a light in there

the lights are low the music's banging the vibes perfect who was on the ox Who was it? Do you remember? I don't even remember that night because we were all just chatting up. But it was probably either one of Tonys or what's the bartender's name? Diamonds, one of them.

I think it might have been one of their playlist. It's such a community. You know, all the staff is down there having cocktails afterwards. It's just different, man. It's like really special. I was listening to you and Joe talk about music and I was pissed off, bro. Because you never told me about Tool. I got heat for anyone that didn't tell me about tool

All these years All these years I find out about tool I'm obsessed They're like my fourth most listened to band of this year It's the live show's even wilder I'm just like Why did no one talk to me about this?

It's insane You've seen them live a few times Oh yeah Yeah man So Lollapalooza 1997 I think was the first concert

I ever went to And it was corn, tool, prodigy, Damien Marley, Snoop Dog. That was the lineup. It was an insane lineup. And it was in an amphitheater outside of Nashville. And from that moment, I had a sister that didn't listen to rock and roll, my sister, Shelby. And the dude she's with now, she's been with since I was like nine for like 30 years. His name's Dan.

and Shelby and Dan listening to nothing but rock and roll music. And like, Dan would listen to a little hip hop, my brother Scott listening to nothing but hip hop. But everything from Tool

to Nirvana to Pearl Jam, Metallica, offspring, all that alt rock, that entire era, no doubt. I mean, for the whole spectrum of that,

that's all Shelton. be listened to. So she turned me on to all that shit as a kid. Like, Yeah. Oh, Alice in Chains. You know what I mean? Like, we, I can still, I haven't listened to the rooster in four years, probably three years, just because, you know, maybe it'll come up on a playlist. You know, I just don't listen to a lot of music these days. Yeah. And I could sing it word for word right now. Yeah, it's crazy how those things get baked in your memory. Forever. Just etched in. Just 100% the tone of them, the

feeling of them, you know what I mean? You can smell where you're at. Like, like, like, you, if you, it's crazy. It's, like, if you, just brings back everything immediately. Yeah. I mean, you've seen those videos of dudes that'll have like, you know, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's or something and like their bodies in regenerate or in, you know,

degeneration and they'll be able to put on headphones. Yeah. And they come back to life, bro. For sure. It, like, it is etched into your brain deep. Music, man. Music is therapy. It's truly, to me,

and that's back to the comedy talk, is entertainment. In fact, I'm going to do it a bigger spectrum, but especially music is like, nothing brings people together. like art. You know what I mean? Like nothing makes people come together

like art. We were the kind of family that we would, music was our identity. Like I remember what my, I remember more about the music my sister listened to

than the clothes she wore. You know what I mean? Like I can't really remember like what style she wore. You know what I mean? I don't, I can't really remember, I don't have any memories of her

in this weird way except for her teaching me about music. You know what I mean? Every time I got my brother's car was like, listen to this, listen to this. Like, in hindsight, how the universe works and God works, I never even realized

that they were just like forcing music on me. We wasn't a musical family. Nobody played an instrument. We all sounded like shit when we sang together. That's why it took me 35 years to get the courage to try to sing. You know what I mean? It's like, we were just like tone deaf,

didn't know anything about music but loved music. music. Yeah. And the feeling of music, like storytelling behind music, where they would tell you the story, like, my mother would tell me a whole story about a song before she played a song. Yeah. It'd be a 30-minute story for a three-minute song. So by the time you got to the song, you were on the edge of your seat like a movie. You were like, what's about to happen? You just got the trailer. You got the setup for everything. I just got a half-hour skit. You know what I'm saying about it? And then there would be a fucking a post log. Like, we would have a whole post-conform.

conversation about it. You know what I mean? It's just built into our brains, man. There's this, there's actually a researcher at Columbia that is a dancer that became a neuroscientist. So he's straight up does neuroscience research. And he's basically looking at like the human anthropological link between like music and language. And his research is basically pointing to the fact that music and dance like singing predates human language. So literally, you know, homo sapiens, we've been speaking, you know, some type of verbal language for, you know, a couple tens of thousands of years.

But we've been singing, making music, you know, as bipedal primates for hundreds of thousands. Like, this shit is built into our brains deeper than even the words we're saying. Oh. How crazy is that? You know what I mean? Like, birds are singing.

Who is this guy? You got a podcast? I'd listen to it. Eric, I cannot remember. Eric Jarvis, I think, is his name. But super interesting dude, and all this research he's doing, because he's a dancer.

So he's like, you know, dance is built in. Look at all the animals that dance. Look at all these other living organisms that dance and sing and make music. And we're the only ones that are really like, you know, talking the way we're talking. And it's, it just points to the fact that, like, yo, this shit is deep in there, bro. It's like, I love the way you're like we're the only ones that are talking the way we're talking. Because they're talking, but not really talking talking, you know what? That's real.

Like, that shit bugs me out that birds talk. We never talk about that enough. Right. Like, how crazy that the birds are just chatting it up? Yo, what do you know about birds? Dude, they're so fascinating. Because I got a question. They're so fascinating.

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Let's say you're in the 1% you're about to be in the 0.01% with Bluatu. Let's get back to the show. My wife is obsessed with crows. Yeah, bro. We were just talking about this. We were just talking about this. There's a guy that I saw on the internet.

this shit is so cool I want to do it. Basically, crows are smart enough to understand reward. They understand reciprocity and fairness. They're one of the few animals

that really know like, hey, if I give you this, you have to give me something. And if it's not of the right value, then I'm not going to give you the thing. They understand it. And they're small brains.

These are not like fully, like they don't have frontal cortex. So literally, this dude, he'll like all of a sudden he'll put like some bird seat out and then he'll come out in the morning. The bird seat will be gone

and it'll be like rubber bands and like a bunch of trash. Yeah. And he's like, oh, the birds are giving me shit. And so what you'll do is when they bring him something nice, like maybe they'll bring him like a dollar bill or a coin or something, he starts putting like grapes out.

He starts giving him the good shit. And then when they bring back some more garbage, puts like, you know, little seeds out. But then they bring back the good shit, more grapes. And after a couple weeks of doing this, he's now getting like 300 bucks a month of just these crows going around, finding money on the ground,

finding shit, robbing people, fucking doing stickups in the street. Like, yo, give me that fucking diamond. And they're jacking diamonds and shit. Like your bracelet will get robbed by six crows in New York and just end up on a balcony over in fucking Bushwick. Because this dude is feeding and training these crows

to bring him treats. How crazy is that, bro? He's running a mob. That is what my wife is trying to do. She has been putting... She must have seen this guy because she sends me TikToks all day about fucking these birds

and she always has a conspiracy to get them. She put out like a shiny plate to get their attention with birds. bird seed around it. And she says they can recognize faces. She believe, this is her thing. Deep, deeper than what you even said.

She said that they have facial recognition. And they like protect, worn or like hold grudges against. Yes. They'll fuck people up. Yeah. It's like, there's people that I know that are,

you know, I can't go on that block. I'm like, there's a couple of crows that are trying to fucking get it back in blood. You know what I mean? These crows are pissed off, dude. You know what they call a group of crows?

This is how you know they stand on business. A fucking murder. A murder, bro. That's how you know these pros are about that fucking life. They couldn't call them a gang because it's already taken. So they'd be like, this is above a gang. I'm so glad I brought this up to you. Bro.

Because I didn't believe her. I thought she was gassed at me because I'm scared of crows. I'm petrified of crows. Why, you got fucked by crow? Is this in prison? No, I'm just scared. I think there was a crow that was locked up. Yeah, that was your cellmate.

There's a thing, man. Crows are just fucking their omin. You know what I'm saying? It's like fucking, they don't look like the person that would deliver good news. And I guess I shouldn't judge them because I don't look like the person. Damn. Yeah. No, but Stor.

That should be the last person like that, huh? Fam, I just had a lesson. I feel guilty. I'm the crow and I'm hating on crow. You judge the bird by his cover. You know what I mean? Fuck, man. But like swans, those are like good birds.

You know what I mean? A stork. I don't even know if storks are really real, I'll be honest. But apparently they seem like good birds. But crows, ravens. Sure. There's something, there's something emo about it. Did you ever watch wrestling?

A little bit. As soon as I hear Raven, I think about... He's coming on the show. No way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You swear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. God, does he know you don't know anything about wrestling?

Yep. Okay, cool. But he's coming on. I found his story. I thought he was so interesting. He had an amazing match against Undertaker, I think. That was, like, unbelievable. And he seemed like he was about to be the next dude.

Yeah. And then it didn't exactly pan out the exact right way for him. And I think he's got like a really interesting perspective on where his career is and kind of where it went. I just think he's like a really interesting guy. He's got like 150 IQ. Wow. And so like he knows these things about himself. It's extremely intelligent and is also busting chairs over dude's heads.

Yeah. I'm fascinated by these people. With one of the greatest wrestling gimmicks ever. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's crazy. God, I can't. I'll watch that one.

I'm in. Yeah. I mean, you were, you're a wrestler at this point. Yeah, right? You've seen that day? I'm practically Randy Orton's tag team partner. How did that happen? How are you in WWE?

I keep reaching here like I have another water. Is there another water around here? There is a Fiji's. I knew I wasn't tripping. There it is. Thank you. Just pull the plastic off of it. Is that fine?

I'll just pull the plastic off. If you want. If you want, I get a freak problem. I don't get a shit. Yeah, well, I just don't want you to get this taken down because I was fucking didn't want to get polar spring. They're fucking just do. Sorry, Bubba.

But, uh... Just high enough to hydrate. You ever get so high, you're like, I should drink a water. You know what I'm telling you? You remember about water? You just remember, like, yeah, water's out here. I'm like, yo, I'm parts. I got a full IV a minute ago and I'm like, I could use a water.

Yeah. But how do you end up on WWE? How does that... A fan? Never too cool to be a fan, dude. I'm telling you. Another little philosophy I'll drop on y'all, man. It's like never too cool to be a fan.

I, um, I went to like wrestling in the fairgrounds when I was a kid. Yeah. And the cool thing about the, like, of all the bullshit that comes with the era we're in right now, it enables me with my schedule where I have trouble even keeping up with my wife at times. You know what I mean? Because her schedule's so crazy of like I can kind of keep up with pop culture and what's happening with just two hours a week on TikTok. You know what I mean? You can kind of see.

So, like, I've kept up with what's going on wrestling the last few years just over. Just like, okay, this guy's back. I left. These guys are fighting. These are the dudes that are coming in for the title. These are these stories. These are these arts. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I've always been like kind of kept up with it. But I never get to go. You know what I mean? It's just like anything else in life. We're just working. But they were in Nashville on Monday Night Raw, and I'd hit my boy Neil. Neil Lowey is the head of music at WW. He's been there 20 years. Oh, wow. Before I was worth meeting, Neil came and met with me. Head of music as in. Like,

All the music you hear Because there's a lot of music Making the shit No I don't know Like licensing Finding partnerships Finding the right artists For the right events

They do events They do concerts They have artists walk people Out the business of the music But it's like an age But he was in the music business He was a record label guy But he came to the WWE

20 years ago So he's like the real He's a real music dude You know what I mean Like he really gets You know Like really respected dude In the music business

And they told me You want to meet with me This is probably four years ago and I was like, dude, that was not worth meeting. You know what I mean? I was at the office y'all came to. You know what I mean? Like I had a cool thing going, but it was very, very, you know, shedded.

And, but he came and he was like, dude, I just want to let you know, I think this thing's going to work for you. The WWE loves you. I was like, I'm a huge fan, too. He's like, I heard that. That's why I want to come see you. I just want to come tell you that we love you. And next year we're doing SummerSlam in Nashville. We'd love you to have come out and sit ringside, and we have a song we'd like for you to do for it.

And I was like, what? He was like, yeah, man, just, you know, I just wanted to extend like, dude, I'm telling you, I'm like, save me. I don't even think Save Me was out yet. Yeah. I think I just dropped Creature with Tech Nine and there was like a thing happening, but it was like, you know, I was selling 1,500 tickets in the South. You know what I mean? I was doing well and making a good living, but not enough for the fucking me to have the dude that's been with WWB 20 years here. So we've just been friends ever since.

You know what I mean? We've been buddies ever since. So. How did you go to ringside? It was even everything about it, dog. I was like, this is how much of a nerd I am. I cleared the afternoon and I said, how early can I come?

You know what I mean? I was like... I've never seen someone line up for comp tickets. You know what I mean? I was like, how early can I come? Because that wasn't jelly roll going to that. That was Jason from Antioch.

You know what I mean? For sure. I was like, yo, this is big. And they called, but then they want, they said, hey, can we do a promo that you're here?

We'll film it backstage. I was like, that'd be the, thank you. Like, what a great look? You know? So I was like, what time do I need to be there?

He's like, well, we'll probably do what we need you to do at like 530. I was like, how early can I come? He was like, oh, you really want to come hang? I was like, I want to hang, Neil. He was like, as early as you want. He was like, three o'clock.

I show up at 252. You know what I'm saying? And I come in, and I just wanted to meet all the wrestlers. And Neil, this is a testament to who he is as a human. Dude, he stayed with me all night, took me to every dressing room. I met every wrestler. I met the whole backstage. And even the storyline with me and Randy wasn't as written as it was.

organic of me meeting Randy and like they're actually being like feeling like respecting what each other did him being aware of who I was and you know respecting like it was really cool he's from East Tennessee like yeah it just got really cool and it ended up being like even more I knew it was going to be a special night but it was like special and when they told me hey the promo you're cutting our truth coming back for the first time in a year if Ron Killings is like I'm a fan and he does rap too he's like I just love everything about him he's the funny dude

but he wraps. He's got a really cool story outside of his gimmick, like prison reform, change his life. Wrestling saved his life. Like a really just like do it kind of dude, you know? So I was like, dude, I get to be like, I knew CM Punk was coming back. I was like, what a crazy night for me to be here.

And then I got to get involved in the Randy match and get a little physical. So that was even cooler. And you met all of them? Like that night? Who was the person you were most nervous to walk in that green room? I think Randy, Seam Punk, where I was at watching this, Mark, I'm standing backstage in this area.

Like a, they have an area they call, I don't know, guerrilla or whatever. It's a cool name. It's after gorilla monsoon, but it's right backstage. And Seam Punk just walks in and Neil grabs him. It's like, hey, Jelly's over here. CM Punk walks straight over and, dude, so awesome. Such a good dude. Just chill.

We hang, kick it for a minute. Randy was the same way. Jay Priest, you know what I'm saying? The Uso's. I mean, everybody, dude. It was like genuinely, nobody was just even passing by like Becky Lynch. Nobody was like obligatory, hey, nice to meet you. Everybody was like, we sat and chatted.

Like, it's such a, everything you hear about the locker room of the WWE is, at least in this era of the WWE, is real. You know what I mean? It was, dude, it was, everything about that night was one of the coolest nights ever, man. Dude, do you watch NXT? Oh, yeah. Whatever happened to Bo Leave? Bo was his name? Bo Dallas, is that his name?

Do you remember this dude? He was like a long-haired dude. I went to a couple of NXT matches because they were filmed in Orlando. Yeah. So, like, when I was living there, my brother's obsessed with wrestling. Yeah.

So we would go all the time, and we saw a bunch of those dudes. I could try to remember who was there. That night we were there, Bo, I think his name was Bo Dallas. But his whole thing was Bo Leaf. He was like an inspirational guy. That was like his gimmick.

He's like, anything's possible. He was like Tony Robbins. Like Dave Goggins. You know what I mean? It was so funny. But, yeah, there was another. That's probably what happened to him. Doesn't sound like an easy one to get over

You know what I'm saying? You walk out in front of Because like wrestling fans First of all Let me tell you about wrestling fans too You've been to like a big one No just NXT Never like Summer Slammer

You gotta go Yeah You gotta go to like Even just like a raw Oh dude WrestleMania It'd be like the dream We should go together this year

Where is? I think it's here Oh yeah they did it here last year I think it's somewhere up here It's like Philadelphia You know that it is It's somewhere in the East Coast Yeah yeah

But We should go for real But it's the most like little things I noticed I didn't see a cell phone unless they were lighting the room up together. And they all are so invested in this, they know those moments. Like there are certain moments in the show where like you'd hear a sound and somebody was going to come out and you would just watch 16,000 phone lights go up and you're like crazy. You know, but like they're so into the match. it's constant commentating going on around you like everybody's watching it in their living room steel

you know what I mean and it just it's just it's fucking constant who's new dude L.A. Knight Is that his name? Because like when people are boxing it's so intense everybody's watching it you just hear ooh or damn you know what I mean like there motherfuck up

you motherfuckett missed something you hear a dude go you knew you wasn't going to get that you know what I'm saying you can't do that to Randy Orton yeah it's a peanut guy Yeah it's people watching it in their living room but with each other. And the through lines go so deep. Like, everyone knows everything.

Yeah. Like, who's the big Samoan dude? You know him? He's like, this big, like, he would do this shit. He would, like, bounce his hand. Is he current or older? I mean, somewhat current. I saw him at NXT.

Probably the Uso's. Maybe, yeah. But they're like huge. The Uso brothers, I believe, is what they're called. Or the Uso twins? Maybe. No, no, they weren't twins. But no, I would love to get more into it.

I really, like, I love the fanfare. I love, like, the spectacle. It's awesome. I'm so fascinating. by Vince McMahon. Yeah. I mean, what a genius. I mean, listen, for lack of sounding anything short of a dad right now,

it's really good family fun. Do you go with your kids? Yeah, well, I would take Bailey for sure. Yeah. But like what I experienced, because I was, I don't want to say I was working that night, but I knew I had stuff to do. I didn't bring my son. I wanted to, he's seven.

But he's a lot to, my 15-year-old, she'll go find her way. You know what I'm saying? My seven-year-old, you got to be like, where are you? You know what I'm saying? To hold my shirt. You know what I'm saying? But my 15-year-old's in the parking lot, smoking weed with a wrestler. You know what I'm saying?

It's fucking like what's going on here. It's totally different dynamic. But from what I'm feeling in the crowd, you know what I mean? Like it's edgy. So you still feel edgy. It's still kind of gangster. It still touches big audiences. The kind of guys you don't think go to wrestling, go to wrestling.

It's like cool. It's like not just a kid thing. It's like a really cool thing. It's like a lot of beer in there too. Yeah. You smell. beer. Yeah, it's a nice energy.

I love when you smell beer in a place. Like, you know there's a different thing happening when the distinct smell of beer. You go to basketball games. It's not really beer smell. You don't really smell beer. Yeah, it's a specific, like, arena enclosed event. UFC. You know what I'm saying?

Like, those things, you smell beer. You know what I mean? I love it, dude. Is it crazy that now arguably the biggest wrestler of all time, the rock is, like, hitting you up? Is that so weird? Dude, that's a guy you watch probably. Yeah, that's another one that I struggle with because, like, when he sends me a voice memo, dude, I've overthought him a thousand times, right?

Because I'm like, and I feel like we're really friends now. Like, I mean, dude, he posted my album on his big page. How crazy. The cover. You know what I mean, the day it released. Like, he is just the fucking greatest dude ever on earth. He's like Joey Diaz. He just calls to uplift you and tell you he sees you and he's proud of you and he's constantly trying to link where you at, what city.

are we close to each other anytime. Like his spirit is just unmatched. His bandwidth in life. I've never seen nobody more fit to run our country than him because of his bandwidth. For real. Like his ability to just have so much going on but still be, know the micro details of everything that he thinks is cool or everything happening. And like, he's just, I could not praise him enough who he is as a human.

Yeah. You know what I mean? And he is, he posted my first song of mine. in 2017. Oh, really? I was selling 500 tickets. I mean, how is a guy like... I couldn't do two nights at Zanis.

You know what I mean? In Nashville, you know what I mean? It's like I'd have to... Maybe two shows on a Friday if I was lucky. You know what I mean? Did he say how he discovered you? Just random playlifting. Really?

Just found the song, saved it, loved the song. Followed up, found the story. He's seen I was from Nashville. He has a lot of, like, real Nashville roots. I don't like telling his stories, but look him up or maybe hopefully one day he'll do this or he'll do flagrant and y'all will get to ask him. But he's got like, I'm sure he will actually.

He's got really like Nashville stories like Broadway, the teenage years, like high school even. I think he actually went to McGavoc for one point of time. He had some real formative years in this town. Yeah. So when he realized I was a local, because now there's two Nashvilles, right? And I always want to clear this up. There's Nashville country music. So some people go, yeah, my Nashville guys.

I've settled on this pod. I'm referring to like the country music people like because that's the Nashville way, quote unquote, because that's the business of Nashville. But then there's Nashville, which is us. You know what I'm saying? That's the other side, the bartenders, the local 46 union, the fucking, you know what I'm saying? The valet parkers, the police, the first responders, you know what I mean? Like the people that, the backs of which the other Nashville was built on.

You know what I mean? He understands that side of Nashville. Right. So when he got that, he was like, oh, I totally understand what you're doing. Wow. And, like, very early was like, trust me, people will get it. Just keep being you. Like very early, like 17-18, this was telling me, like, trust me, just keep doing that. People are going to get it. I mean, that's so cool. Just like a real music fan.

For sure. Like going through a playlist, finding a dude he's never heard of. Could you imagine working out and hearing a song on a playlist, stopping to like it like everybody else? It's what I do. You know what I mean? Like the most average dude shit ever, kind of. Yeah, yeah.

You know what I'm saying? But it's just really, really cool. You ever hit people up now? If you find, like, a real small artist, less than a thousand listeners on whatever, like, do you ever, like, hear a song go, what the fuck is this? And then find them and hit them up? All the time. Really?

Oh, I'd say once every month or two. If I hear something, that thing's cool, and I'll just tell them, hey, man, I think it's going to work. Super small. Like, we're talking, like, you know, less than 5,000 on Instagram or something like that. Yeah, relatively small, for sure. That's so cool. I found some really small ones. That's awesome.

Yeah. And what is the energy that you, you know? you get back. Oh, they're always blown. They always do. Just thanks for even caring. You know what I mean? It depends on, like, that's where you can learn a lot about a person.

Sometimes they immediately pitch you stuff. Interesting. You know how that goes, right? Like immediately, like, oh, we should do this song together. I got one. You know what I mean? And then sometimes they're like, man, this is just awesome. Thanks for checking it out.

You know, I appreciate that you're tapped in. You know what I mean? Like, you just never know what I mean? Like, but it's either way, I'm just, I just want to respect the art. I just, when I sing something's like, I'm very, like, I think to me this all comes down to art. Like, it's a word I use as frequent as possible because I think it's important that what we do

is referred to in that way because this is fucking different. You know what I'm saying? Like this is what you do is fucking Picasso bup. You know what I mean? Like, this shit isn't like to be thrown away like it's just jokes or it's just music. Like this is fucking full-blown timeless art.

You know what I mean? Like we have the ability to make stuff that will live far beyond us forever. I watched Cher at Madison Square Garden the other night at 77 years old, and I watched an arena full of Olivia Rodriguez, 12-year-old fans singing if I could turn back time. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's absolute madness what this is to us. You know what I mean? So I just want to always praise art, you know, especially the brilliant ones. That's why I want to come do this with you, dude. I think you're fucking awesome. You know what I mean? Like, fucking, um, I was excited. Thea

I got to do this past weekend last week and every time I get to get around Theo. He's just a great energy. He's a good friend. But man, I wanted to do his podcast, one for the look. Fuck, it's a great look. It's like Joe Rogan.

It's the Joe Rogan effect, not experienced. Six biggest podcast in the world right now? Dude, he is on fire. And I just want to go tell him that. I just want to go see him on his pod be like, y'all I'm so proudy. But dude, I told Joe Rogan, I'm never going to call it the Joe.

I told Cameron Haynes this too. I'm never going to call it the Joe Rogan experience again, ever. It is the Joe Rogan effect. You know what I'm saying? Because man, when you get on Rogan. Yeah. And it was different for me as a musical artist because I was telling Joe this.

I got to see the tangible of it because he's on Spotify. It's the only way to hear Joe. Right? So like we got to see data of like how many people went straight from podcast to a listener, like how the correlation was on that platform from immediate. Because you got to think as a music artist, Joe Rogan is the cheat code. And I didn't think about it neither. I just knew he was the biggest podcast on earth,

but more than anything, I knew I was a fucking huge fan. You know what I mean? Like, that's what I knew. You know what I mean? I'm a fucking huge fan. This is fucking Oprah. You know what I'm saying?

Like, this is in the 90s. He's Oprah. You know what I'm saying? Was it nerve wracking? No, because Joe don't make it that way. You've met Joe. Yeah. Joe don't make any.

Joe makes you feel like you fucking grew up next to him in Boston. Yeah, he goes out of his way to make you comfortable. You know what I mean? He's just so like, Joe doesn't give a fuck about anything. Yeah. And like, not that,

like, meaning like nothing bothers Joe. He gives a fuck about everything. He's the most caring dude ever. But like he don't, he's just unbothered, dude. You feel that on him. He's like, hey man, come have a seat, dude. We're just going to chat, man. You know what I mean?

It's like, he makes you feel like there's not a camera rolling. But is it strange for you being such a fan? Like, you listen to Joe for a long time. Right. And then all of a sudden you get a call to then go be there. Yeah. Be with him. For sure.

Were you like a little nervous? Were you like, oh, it should be this way? Like, did you think about it a lot? Were you just like, oh, I'm just going to go catch a vibe. Well, I just, I had heard from, I was lucky enough that by now, by that time, me and Theo are close. Me and Sha were good friends. I love Shaub to death. Me and Schultz are super close.

Like, I'd already developed these friendships of people that were his friend that were already burnt. Me and Brow had already done Byrd's pod a couple times. Like, I'd already had this kinship where everybody was like, you got to meet Joe. They started like, people started hitting me with the light. Yo, we got to get you with Joe. Oh, you never met him. No, I'd never met him. So I knew Joe knew who I was because when I first met Joe, he was like, I walked

through the green room by side of the green room. And I thought he was having a conversation. So I just tried to get through. And he was like, yo, what's up, fucker? You know, whatever Joe does. And he gives me a big hug. And we squeeze. And I'm like, man, I love you.

Joe. He's like, man, listen, whatever you want tonight, it's just, I want you to have the night of your life. I was like, thank you. And they just start feeding this tequila. And I go back in the green room and met Ron White and hung out because I think Derek was there. So Derek and David Lucas, the homies

from the comedy club in Nashville because I'm a regular at Zane. He's like a fucking nerd. And I just barge in the green room on everybody. But lucky for me, they're my friends. And they were like, come on, you got to come back here and meet Ron. You got to come hang out with Tony and, you know, whatever.

It was just like that kind of a night. You know what I mean? And the next day Joe hit me himself on Instagram. I was like, we should do the pod. Yeah, it was one of the greatest calls I ever got. I'd never been more excited. So, and I told him this, man, for like, my wife started making me doing vision boards in January of 2017.

So every January, we get together and we put like a dream board. You know what I mean? She does like the vision boards where she cuts stuff out of magazines and you can see it. And it comes true for it. It's crazy. I just did like one through ten. Like these are the ten things I want to achieve. You know what I mean?

And every year the number one was Joe Rogan experience. You know what I mean? I thought that, you know, like, I learned this from listening to him too is that just like seek things you're a fan of and then enjoy them and maybe you can find a way

to monetize them like his approach to everything is like I just go do it because I like to do it I like to fight and I like to talk to the biggest thing in the world I like talk to people

becomes the biggest show in the world yeah it's like that's it you know what I mean like it's like just chase the passion so I was like I like Joe so in my mind a bunch of people like me like Joe

you know what I'm saying so it's like I just got to get to you know like you know That makes sense. Like the math was so easy for me. You know, like, this is, that's all how I ever thought about it. The universe giving you an alley-you.

Yeah, for sure. It's what I needed. And it was the week of the album. I ended up going out there the week of my album. You know, got me to big Spotify bump. It was a huge moment for me, man. Just like, dude, it's crazy. I had it with Flagrant again.

Like, I got such a bump from Flagrant. Really? Yeah. There's certain things you do that you see like a bump. Like, you feel it. Like, you realize there's... The director's scale kind of bouncing. Yeah.

Yeah. And you recognize there. a new audience in the comments all of a sudden. You're like, oh, I've found new people. You know what I'm saying? Like, new people have found me. Yeah, yeah. I've seen that obviously the most with Joe.

I felt it with every time I've done a comedian podcast. Yeah, yeah. There's people out there that there's a guy, you know, there's like anti-culture for every other culture that I've been labeled. Oh, he's just a musician that built his brand on comedian podcast. But what they don't know about me that I'd like to clear up while me and you're talking to his friends. it's because I only choose to do comedian podcast. I don't do that other shit. You know what I'm saying?

Like, respectfully, I just fucking don't do it. I don't go to it. They call. It's not for lack of a desire. It's just mean being like, yeah, just fucking, I don't know. What are we going to talk? There's only so many times we could talk about a fucking G-cord

and how to write a song. You know what I mean before I'm going to lose my fucking mind in here. Yeah. You know, give me somebody that fucking, you know, give me a homie. And by default, go back to what you love. When I have a night off, comedy club. So by default, I have a lot of friends that are comedians. Other musicians

don't do podcasts. So it's always a motherfucker that's not a musician that's critiquing it. You know what I'm saying? You know what I mean? What do you think that is? Do you think other musicians just feel uncomfortable in the space because they're not experts in, you know, comedy or like they feel like they have to be funny? Like, why don't you think more musicians are like going, doing comedy pods? I, um, I just think there maybe it's just the world's having, yeah, they're worried. Because, you know, you got to, you know, fuck, man. It's a scary, all their stuff scary. Sometimes it's their publicist. Yeah. Like full, like inside baseball here, sometimes their

publicist is like risk versus reward shit. But the reward could be there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's also like a lot of artists are afraid to be themselves for three hours. Yeah. Like, I respect every artist that goes on Joe Rogan because musicians are scared to go be themselves for three or four hours. At some point, you're going to figure out who the fuck we are. This isn't a, this isn't a 20-minute you know, this isn't a 10 minute. Everything's kind of soft served.

You can fake it for five minutes. You've got to get the real hours. You've got 30 minutes worth of a story. Yeah. But you sit in here for two or three hours, man. We're going to start really talking about how we feel about life. You know what I mean? And that's going to come across.

And I think public sisters are scared of that for artists, for musicians. You know what I mean? Yeah. But it's just different. You know, it's a thing. It's a shame to see people to try to. Drake's that way, though. For the record, Drake only does comedy stuff.

Yeah, yeah, that's true. You ever notice when Drake pops his, and he's the goat. Yeah, he did Caleb show. Yeah, for sure. Bobby show. Drake's the goat. Yeah. I mean, genuinely.

Literally the goat. He's 100. He's fucking Michael Jackson. I mean, you heard the new scary hours, like the little mixtape? Yes. Or the re-release and stuff. Even those, I was like, okay, he's got Jake Cole on the re-release. Like, it's just so crazy.

His re-release songs are hits. It's insane. His longevity, nobody. when we look back at music, it's always going to be based on generations. And Michael Jackson and Prince of this generation will be Taylor Swift and Drake. You won't be able to take it away from him.

Period. You know what I mean? It's 100%. But when Drake pops his head out, he only does it with the shit he likes. You can tell us the shit he's watching himself. You know what I mean? That he's like, I think this is cool.

You know what I mean? I'm fucking, that's what I want to go do because I think it's cool. You know what I mean? That's what I think so cool about fucking what Drake does. you know. Yeah, it's so crazy. Just seeing him even with like Caleb and like having Adonis,

having his kid on there. Yeah. Like he's just like, yeah, my son's gonna do it. That's, you know, he really fucks with it. For sure. Like, he's just a real fan. Just a real fan. And also, I think it says a lot about what Caleb's built over there. Oh, yeah. That like Caleb has built a culture of like,

that you're, like, the scariest thing you can do as an artist to me is Caleb's shit. You know what I mean? Because it's designed to trap you a little bit. Make you uncomfortable? Yeah, to make you on comfy. uncomfortable, but he's managed to do it at never the expense of the artist. Yeah, it's always on him. It's always on him. Like, he's found a way to do it. Or Glennie. Yeah, for O'Glney, right? It's like he's found a way to never do it at the expense of the artist. Wait, would you, have you done it? I just did it. Oh, did you really? Yeah. It's coming out soon. It should be out maybe this week. How good.

It was, I don't know. It was probably bad. Right? Because I'm a fan, so I tried to play along the first half. Yeah. And then I was like, I'm not going to win at this. This thing. He's too fucking good. You know what I mean? I was like, I just had to just sit back and just let it develop. But he is like, and he's the homie too. Like outside of there, we hang with him all the time. So what I never seen coming was fucking, and I was super.

Once again, I was too high to be there. And I'm sitting down and we chatted for like 30 or 40 minutes, which is different for like what we do because we're homies. So as soon as I walk in, I'm like, I love you. Shut the fuck up. Get on. We haven't really caught up in a while. We can do this on camera. But you know what I mean?

Like, we'll just fucking have a conversation we would on the phone, you know? With him, it's different because it's, you know, it's more character-driven. So we sit there for 45 minutes and we're kicking it as homies. And in hindsight, if I ever do it again, I'm walking right in like, we'll talk after, motherfucker. Yep, you're not going to rope-adote me. You fucking rocked me all the way to sleep and then sat me down and hit soap. You're too fat to be buried. That's what he said.

He has the opening life. So you'd have to be cremated, right? And I was like, I don't want to talk about my death. He's like, do you own land? for a lot of land. And I was like, I don't know a little land. You know what I'm saying? He was just like.

Where's it going? Yeah, then I got comfortable in it and it was fun. Oh, that's so funny. But he's the best, dude. He's got this really cool thing of like, no matter how much I know I sounded really stupid, I left there like, this is what they do. Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean?

And because of that, I think that's a testament of what they do over there. Yeah, it's going to get chopped up. It goes back to when you see people really win. And then you meet them and you're like, got it. Mm-hmm. Seen it. He's got the whole thing. He's got it.

Kids a star. He's a star. No, he's fucking awesome, dude. I just finished reading Rick Ruben's book. Creative Act of Living, How to Live Creatively, whatever. And he's got a piece in it that's like so interesting. He talks about the Avet Brothers.

Is that you pronounce it? Ava Brothers? And them recording a specific track on their album. Have you ever heard him talk about this? He talks about the specific track on their album where they're recording in the studio and they all are harmonizing and they finish the song. And they've done it like three or four times.

times that day and they do it one more time and the whole thing crystallizes just in one moment. They just all kind of look at each other and go, oh, we tapped into something. Yeah. And I'll be honest, I watched the video and I didn't understand what they were talking about. Like I get it with comedy sometimes where you catch a flow and you're a bunch of guys just like all riffing and then you're like, yo, I'm going to write that down. Like that was pretty good. And you just catch an energy and it's just lightning and you're like, oh, that's special.

But I feel like you can feel it because like you can see the reaction and everyone's laughing. but I watched this video with them and Rick Rubin and they all hit this moment and they're all like wow this is energy in here I was so curious to ask you if you can explain in the studio catching energy with a bunch of people and connecting on like some brainwap shit where you're like oh we just did a special

that take was special the other ones are good and we all we said the same words and the same chords but this one was crazy like what is happening there I think for them it was different because it was like a singing thing and like a harmonic thing for me, I experienced that the most in the writing room. Like, I love the idea that me and you walk into a room together, and it's just us,

and I grab that guitar that's in your corner. It looks like a Spanish guitar is what they used to call it, nylon string guitar, which is what Willie Nelson plays. And I grab that guitar, and I go, you got any ideas? and that's how it starts. I just look you in the eye cold and go, you got any ideas? And you go, man, I don't know, man.

I'm like, hi, man. You're like, I'm like, what's happening? You don't got no titles? You're like, no, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, because there's different ways. One of these could have, you could have, when I have an idea.

You could have when I got a title, right? You could have when I have a melody. But sometimes you get to the point where it's finally just me and you going, what'd you do last week? You know, what's going on? How's your home line? You know what I mean?

And now we're just talking like boys. And that magic moment happens sometimes. And there's so many moments of magic and songwriting. But a magic moment where it's just, this is one of the many, is where somebody is just like, just telling a story. And they're like, oh, dude, not even think they're coming up with a title now. We're just talking. You know, and they're just like, man, dude, you know what's crazy?

Dude, I was dropping my kid off at school this morning. And the crossing guard lady, you know, had up her yield sign and had up her stop sign. and I kind of rolled through it. She screamed, it ain't a yield sign. And I was just like, oh, boy, you know, I hope my kid don't get in trouble. And that's all they said. And somebody's like, man, what if we wrote it ain't a stop sign?

And it was about every hard struggle we went through in life how it wasn't a stop sign. I'm making this up right now, high talking to you, right? And it's like, then I'm starting to pick something. And then you're fucking like, this is a great idea, but how do we write to it in a clever way? And then you start feeling the magic coming to room. and then a string comes

and then somebody has a melody and then you're like, then you have a melody and then I'm like, oh, dude, and then it just starts blossoming and you're watching it and you're like,

this could be crazy. The whole time you're getting goosebumps, leg bunch, you're fighting for lines, you're trying to find lyrics. We're just like, and we're just two dudes that sat down on the table

with a fucking guitar. And there is a chance, a small one, but a chance that when we leave this room, we could write something that could help people. and we came in here and didn't even know what the fuck we were going to do. We just agreed to come sit down and try it.

You know what I mean? It's kind of the idea. Every time I write a song, I'm just trying it. You know what I mean? And that's where I've seen the magic come. What's up, guys? We're going to take a break really quick because I need you to check this out right here. This that I have in my hand, I'm playing with it, the entire podcast.

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Use the code Gagnon, G-G-A-G-N-O-N-N to save 10% off when you get the journey pack. That's trifume. use the code gagnon for an additional 10% off when you order today. Now let's get back to the show. Oh, like when D-Ray first played a... da-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-da-da-na-da-na-na-na-da. And it was so simple but so dark and beautiful

that I was like... And he kind of got off of it real quick because he thought it was too slow. And I was like, no, man, there's something there. And D-ray's... And the next thing you know, it's somebody... You know what it's like, and it just starts developing. And then you're like, you're through the first verse of me and D.R.

Like, what do we do? The chorus, we started with the biggest note of the song. Like, where are we going to go from here? I don't know. It'd have to be a down chorus, but maybe we'd have to just belt, you know, just scream and just like, we're just figuring this out in the room, dude. You know what I'm saying? It's just me and D-ray.

We're just figuring this out in the room. And that song just spent its second week as the number one song on Country Radio. It's going to be one of the top 20 songs of the year. You know what I'm saying? It's like, that's when I see the magic happen is in that moment. There's magic when you're cutting vocals, too. There's magic in the production. It's a lot of little sprinkles of magic everywhere.

But like, for me, the real moment is when we walked in here and it was thin air and a fucking idea. And we left with a song that, you know, that people accredit to playing at funerals where they said it's the most played song and recovery centers in America. You know what I mean? They believe that in rehab facilities that save me, is the most played song in America of all the rehabs in America, which is fucking a helping people in their darkest moment, them first 30 days of coming out of a real, real drug addiction.

You know what I mean? It's insane that I get to be there for that time with you through something that was just an idea. You know, that's, I'm sorry I nerded out about that. And I probably talked too much about it. But that's something I could talk about.

We should do a whole podcast on that one day. Like songwriting and just that point. conception is crazy. Because I'm less savvy with the technical aspects because obviously I'm not a musician, but I'm so fascinated with the energy aspect. Like does it feel spiritual? Every time. Like in the way maybe church when you were a kid or like even praying now,

like spiritual moments you have now where it feels like, oh, we're on like some other shit. No. We're like channeling the universe in an abstract way. You know when it's happening. You know when those moments are like, yeah. You feel it in the room. Yeah. Right then.

And sometimes you blow it in the room too. Sometimes you feel it, you'll drop it right then. And like true magic, as quick as it came, it's gone. And you just feel it leave and you're like, I was right in the tip of our hands. You know what I mean? Like we were that close to writing the greatest song ever and it just slipped through our fucking fingers. My home boy, Zach Crowell, my producer, he calls it to the thing. an egg on the spoon.

You know what I mean? It's like putting an egg on a spoon and then we do, you just, you know, it's got to get passed through. Writers' hands, guitar player hands, melody hand, lyric hands, then producer hands, then promotion hands,

then execution hands, then radio hands. There's so many places for the egg to fall off the spoon. And it just slips through. That's kind of the beauty of it. That's the beauty of it. And you know what the real beauty of it is.

That's the case for, and I don't know, know what my batting average really is, but if you count every song I ever wrote, that's my case. Three in a thousand, you know, nine, uh, uh, nine hundred and ninety seven times in a thousand. It just fell, just slipped through the spoon. Three times it actually, the magic really happened. You know what I mean? Wow.

I mean, because I even think about that with comedy where like I'll just sit down and write or I'll be like working on stuff with guys and it's like, oh man, we spent an hour and a half and I got like a line maybe. Or like, I'm like, damn, like that sucks. And sometimes I beat myself up because I'm like, I should be, I should be, I should be, I should be, someone else could get, do more, you know, like, I'm trying to like hold on and trying to create magic instead of like letting it happen, you know? I got, I'd say 80 to 100 demos in my phone of me singing or other people singing

songs that I have wrote or been a part of this year. Okay. This year, 2023, with the schedule I've had. I've slept to my bed 36 nights this year. And out of those 80 songs, I'm going to say, and that's a light year for me, I like to write more. I'm going to say 55 of them, 50 of them are just, blah. 10 of them or could maybe cut the mustard. I don't know.

I got to give them some more love, maybe some rewrite, some reproduction, maybe some rethought-out stuff. Maybe let's say 20 of them are like that. 20 10 of them I think are special like album worthy right now like I could make them album worthy relatively easy two of them I think are fucking mind blowing one of my think's the biggest song of my life you know what I mean does that make sense like that's how I'm looking at these 80 songs in my phone yeah it's a pretty low percentage yeah for sure people got to remember that I got I got to remember that. Like, yo, this shit is not, it's not easy.

Dude, if I could write Save Me Every, if I could release 20 Save, that's all, just Magic Wand, Another Save Me, Please, you know what I mean? It's like, you know. And that's the fun of it, though, right? That's what keeps us chasing it. Yeah. That's what's got you doing spots till 1 o'clock in the morning on a fucking Friday night, Saturday morning when you're texting me like, dude, not going to make it,

just left the comedy club going home to hire. Yeah. You know what I mean? Just trying to crack the code. You're just from fucking trying to crack the code. Because that's a difference. You're thinking about how much. time you spent thinking about a joke, I think about how many hours y'all spend actually testing

those motherfuckers out. Oh, yeah, and them not working. Insanity. Yeah. You know what I mean? Just going in there and knowing, like, knowing that you're going to go in there and there's going to be of your 15 minutes at the cellar or whatever, or 12 minutes, whatever time they give you, that you're going to have four minutes of it, just sucking.

Because you've got four minutes worth of shit, you've got to start trying to figure out. And you got friends coming to see you. They're like, hey, can I come see you? I'd love to watch. And you're like, it's going to be, we're building right now. and they're watching you and you're like you can feel it not work and you look at them and you're like I'm better than this

you know what I mean like oh just you could feel it but no I think it's a good lesson for me is to not be so obsessed with trying to you know synthesize magic you know what I mean just let it let it channel that's the thing that Rick Rubin always talks about it's like you are an intermediary

for the universe and what is trying to show you and let it happen and stop trying to control it stop trying to put it in its own little bottle let it exist as it is yeah I don't know there's something deep about it. I got to read that book. It's really good.

I've been watching a lot of the interviews he's done. I'm a huge fan, obviously. I mean, dream, life goal is to work with Rubin. Really? That's on the vision board? Yeah, huge, man. I mean, he's just like the Farrell call. Like, you know, there's a couple of producers that you've watched your whole life.

And the ones you're attracted to are the ones you've seen have success with multiple kind of acts. Yeah. There's a guy in Nashville named Joey Moy. He's with Big Loud. What the hell is on Joey's head? So that's him. You know this, right? I'm familiar, yeah.

Yeah. So you know his story or any of it? No, I know pieces of it. I know he was just working with nickelback. Yeah, so he did nickel back. Got them, you know, made nickel back who they were, obviously. As far as production, right? Chad Crowe's genius.

But good buddy, too. Sweet dude, by the way. You met Chad yet or not? No, no. You got to meet Chad. Genuinely, unironically, a huge nickelback fan. Dog. Like obviously it became a meme, whatever, genuinely excellent.

And I actually liked that the sentiment is coming around on them. No, they did. They outlasted the hate. Yeah, right. But you know what, man, you couldn't be as big as they were for those few years and not get hate. But it's just inevitable. Whenever you're the biggest thing on earth in any category, then inevitably people are going to hate you. You know what I mean?

That's when you know you're cooking. That's when you know you're cooking, dude. So it's like that's just part of what they do. But then he went on to produce Florida Georgia line. which one of the big, you know, had one of the biggest songs in history ever with Cruz.

Yeah. For sure. Now he's doing Morgan Wallen. He produced Morgan Wallin's last couple albums that just went, every song, proof, all that? All that.

Wow. Last night, him and Charlie Hansom. You know what I mean? Like, dude. You know what I mean? Pretty good career. What a fucking career, right? So when you know that about him,

you're like, I'd like to work with that guy. Yeah. Fuck, he gets it. He figures out everybody in their own way. he produces Hardy, which Hardy's really hands-on. But it's like, it's so crazy to me that he can do this like new hips country hip-hop rock sound that he, like light rock, whatever he does with Morgan to 808, which I think Charlie comes in for some of that too. But Charlie Hansom's a fucking brilliant mind. But then he can go do this rock record with Hardy.

And then he can do this country twang rock with Nick, with Florida Georgia Line and do straight alt rock with fucking nickel back. like, you're like, I want to work with that guy. That's how you feel about for real. Like, when you're looking for Reels Hitch, you're like, he can do anything. I'm different. What would he do with me? Especially when you're a different artist. You want to work with Rick Rubin because you're like, I wonder how you miss these two worlds together.

Yeah, exactly. And he will. Yeah, because I'm somewhere between fucking, you know, Jim Croche and Jack Bryan and fucking Tupac. You know what I'm saying? It's like, where does that meet at? You know what I mean? And he'd be like, yeah, fuck. It's a Da Vinci Code for him.

I think he'd crack it. I think it'd be hip and fresh. Yeah. Rick Rubin, same thing. You know what I mean? Like, I mean, going Jay-Z, chili peppers. Like, what types of music could be more different? You know what I mean?

Dave Cobb's another one. He's a country producer. But he did, like, Sturgle Simpson. Oh, really? He's done some of the shooter stuff, him and shooter. Just like he's got that wide spectrum, too, of like he doesn't do a lot of projects. But every time he does one, it's mad different,

and he just kills it. And these guys, like, that are so musically and, like, orchestrally genius. Yeah. What is it about them that they're, that makes them win? Like, are they approaching it in just, like, a very broad, like,

Zen way? Are they competitive? Like, what do you feel like it is? I would only speculate, man, because I'm watching, like, Ruben's docks and, like, his, like, pods and stuff and seeing what he's saying. It's everything he's always stood by.

So I would assume that a lot of his is just Zen and just making what he thinks hip and fresh. You know what I mean? Which is kind of his formulas, like, create for yourself. Fuck the audience. But I want to work with him. I pray I come back on this pod or next time I'm on Flagrant,

whichever one we do next first, that I've worked with them and I can come back and talk to you about it. Like I talk about working with Ferrell. You know what I'm saying? I can be like, yo, we got to talk about Ruben, Mark. I did it. You know what I'm saying? It's fucking, that'd be a dream.

You know what I mean? Or Dave or Joey, for that matter. Fuck, any of them. I'd take any of them. Yeah, I mean, it's so cool. I don't know. I'm just, I'm so obsessed with that creative process. One of the things that Rick talks about in the book that's, again,

another thing I'm personally dealing with is why I want to ask you specifically, is getting over the insecurity or the anxiety of putting things out that are authentic or vulnerable. Like that feeling where you're about to click publish and show people what you've been working on. How did you get over that hump? Man, I was blessed to be a fan of hip-hop.

I always wrote songs like a country songwriter because the songwriters in Nashville write five to six days a week, two sessions a day, 12 songs to 15 songs. a week every week. They're turning in 200 songs a year, 300 songs a year. Wow. They're playing the game at a different level. Rock and roll dudes are touring 200 dates a year

and hip-hop dudes are putting out 50 songs a year. You know what I mean? So lucky, I was blessed that I came up in the era of hip-hop where you just hit the upload button and didn't care. Whatever you had that was available to put out, you put on a, even back in the early 2000, you put a spindle of CDs

together. You're just passing out. You just didn't think there was no thought into it was just this is what I have. This is the collection of art I have right now to present to the world, present it. There was like, you know, you didn't care. There was only an upside. That's the beautiful thing about being at the bottom. There's no downside.

You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, like in that era it was different. But in this area, it'd be like even becoming a meme or an internet joke was an up from where you were in life. It's like that was something. Yeah. Gives me something up. It gives me a new ground. Right now I'm Indian style on the bottom.

You know what I'm saying? I am fucking, I'm playing flat. Spread Eagle, snow angels, and the rock bottom. You know what I'm saying? So you do that for long enough, and you just hit the upload button and don't give a fuck. So you never were insecure early on, even with like the rap stuff. No, I'm insecure now. Now I'm insecure.

Yeah, now I'm petrified. I have something to lose now. You know what I mean? Now I can, now the upside is smaller. The upside, the closer you get in the bubble. You know what I mean? the upside starts to become there's way more downsides and upsides

to release a music at times. Yeah. I had to fight that. I'm fighting that right now because I'm like, Winston Chapel did really well. Sold a lot of records. It's still rolling.

We got a new single going to radio from the album on country radio right now. Now they're Save Me with number one. We're in the Hot A.C. radio. We're taking Save Me to Top 40, a Hot A.C. radio. We got a new record going to Rock Radio. and it's all off of this album, it's already out.

Yeah. It's crazy. Yeah. So it's like even if it don't work, there's no risk to me. The album's already done as good as I thought. It can only go up from there. It can only help the album. It's going to keep on giving you gems.

Yeah, it's just going to keep. It can only help the album. If the records don't do what I hope they do, that's fine. The album still did great. Yeah. The new one's a new one. You know what I mean? I've got to live and die by that.

And I'm ready to put out more music than last year. I got 80 of my phone. I plan on writing another 30 before the end of this year. Yeah. And we're sitting here. For those of y'all that are listening, this is pre-taped. And we're in, I don't know, early December, mid-December almost. You know what I mean?

So I'm going to, I still plan on writing another 20 before New Year's Eve. Wow. Before New Year's Eve. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. And that pressure, that anxiety, is that enjoyable? Well, I love writing.

Yeah. Because the cool thing about writing is, besides me, like, talking about this more honest than I ever have in any situation, because I've had the time to do it, is if all 80 of those songs fucking suck, nobody would know but me and the people that, you know, the couple of people that were around. You know what I mean? Like it's not, that's the beauty of the, of just trying. You know what I mean? Is that nobody, now, I'm going to have to get confident at some point and present 12 of them to the world. Yeah. Petrifying, Mark. Yeah. Petrifying. But it's what I live for. The day I'm, the day I'm like,

whatever, we just dropped an album, the day I need to quit. The first day that I go to walk on stage and I'm not a little nervous, and I'm not having to give myself a little bit of a pep talk before I walk on stage, I'll quit. Do you think you're a better writer or performer? Writer. Really? Yeah.

I mean, my life shows fire. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, my life shows fire, fire. But also the bars are fire. Yeah, right? Yeah. But I think my thing is, I don't think I'll perform forever.

I think I'll write forever. Really? Yeah, I don't think I'll release music forever, but I think I'll write forever. Jump on projects that you're like, yo, this is heat. Yeah, or just write for other people. But I got a few songs on my phone that'll end up with other artists.

Wow. I have no problem with that. I'll write for other artists anytime they want me to. I'll always accept that call. And it gives you the same, not the same, but it just give you a similar feeling when that song charts or that song does well. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Well, even more sometimes because now you're solidifying yourself as like a writer. You know what I mean?

Like, I don't want, like, you got to realize we're always, I love putting myself in the room when I'm in a small dog. It's like when I go into a writing session with Ashley Gurley, he's had 70 number ones at current. country radio. He's the goat record, you know what I mean, guy? It's like nobody's bigger than him. Yeah. I'm a little dog in here. Even with these songwriters, man, when I go on to the room and I'm writing for like a project with a couple of songs, like Nashville songwriter dudes and we're writing for something else, they're looking at me like cross-eyed, like, all right, let's see if he carries his weight. And you know what I mean? You like that, though? Yeah, because they look at me like he's an art, he's the singer-songwriter, like how much does he really write songs? And then I get to go in and be like,

Because they're looking at it because that's all they do is write fucking songs. You know what I mean? So they're looking like, all right, let's see if you really right, motherfucker, because we really write. Let's see if you really right. So I go into a new basketball court all the time and everybody looking at you and there's a reason why they don't think you're going to be able to hoop. You know what I'm saying?

Because you're white. I love that, yeah, because I'm a big fucking fat white or because I'm fat. Both would be very fair. You know what I'm saying? Even though I've never lost a game of horse and never will. Oh, shit. Anybody. Ever.

I'll put 10 grand on it. right now, we'll go to basketball court, me and you. You know what I'm saying? For sure. We got a hoop back. You're actually looking. I'm serious. We'll do it.

We'll do it. We'll do five warm-up shots a piece. That's it. Then we'll just go right into it. I love it. I love it. But you like being like, unassuming, I guess.

People being like, all right, let's see. And then proving them wrong. Yeah. That's probably my favorite. Because it's where I came from. I came from. There was only people to prove wrong. I had nobody to prove right.

Except my mom and dad and brothers and sisters. You know what I'm saying? I didn't start from a place of like a lot of support. You know what I'm saying? So it's like just my household. That's about it. That's where the support lived and died.

You know, everywhere else, as soon as I walked out the front door, it was no longer support. It was automatically up against the grain. Yeah, I'll show you. You know, yeah, immediately. And then when you sit down, who are you trying to channel?

Are you trying to channel? Like Bob Dylan? Clip that. I need that one. I'm saying. Sorry. When it comes to like writing, you're sitting in this writer's room. Are you trying to be Bob Dylan?

Is that like the form for you? Or does it change per product or per project, like the way you have to write? If I'm writing for somebody else or I'm writing the Nashville way, back into the Nashville, a lot of quotes here today. But if I'm writing the Nashville way I write from the perspective of like whatever we're channeling in the room that day. But I still believe that I should write the way I write and how I write. And it's just, I have like back to how I perform. One thing about me is there's little constants in my philosophies. You know what I mean?

The same way it's like, I write the way I write, dude. You know what I mean? That's just what I, this is what I bring to a room, man. If it lands, it lands, if it don't, cool. Might not have been me. Might have been the room. Sometimes it's me. That's fine, too.

You know what I mean? I'm going to write bad song. We're all going to fuck them up. If I just told you my batting average, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. So I just go in and write. But I'm inspired and influenced by these other. writers by default.

So your writing style is Steve Mackie's a vocal coach. And he once said, our voice is a combination of every sound we've ever heard. And I thought that was so, so dope. That, you know what I mean?

And then he went on to do impressions and he was like, yeah, I just heard this my whole life, so I learned how to do it. You know what I mean? It's like, he's like, everything, we're just all, it's something we've heard.

You know what I mean? Yeah. And he is the goat, like Mariah, like, you name them. Yeah, he's like the guy. Wow. And when he said that, it stuck with me because I'm like, my writing style is just a combination of everybody I ever thought was great. You know what I mean?

My singing style is just my version of fucking every singer I've ever thought was incredible. Wow. You know what I mean? So there's definitely Dylan in there. There's definitely Crocey in there, James Taylor in there. But there's also the brilliance but simplicity of 3-6 mafia in there. And I think that's why songwriting has the potential to only get better. time goes by.

There's more to draw from. Yeah. More sounds to hear. More things to be influenced on. Yes, sir. Wow. Did you ever do poetry? Any other types of written art?

When I was a kid, when I didn't know I could rap, poetry was kind of my gateway to hip-hop. Really? Yeah, as far as, like, from a perspective of, like... Wow. Were you reading poetry? No, I would just write it and go show my mom. So my mom was like, we talked about this on another pod,

but my mother struggled with, like, a lot of real mental health stuff and drug stuff. She didn't come out of her room much. But when she did, it was always music-related or it was storytelling. So either her and all of her friends were sitting around the table and smoked cigarettes. I'd call them the Golden Girls. And they'd smoke cigarettes and they'd just, like, tell stories and listen to songs. And I would come down and just be like a tenth wheel.

You know what I mean? I'd just be hanging out in the corner, just soaking it all up, maybe being a little perv. And I'm just down there soaking it all up. And even as a kid, I realized that this was like what made my mother tick. So I was like, well, I can't write a song, but I can write her a poem. So, like, in my childlike mind, it was like, you know, I'm doing it for my mom. I wrote you a poem. You know what I mean?

Like, here's a poem. You know what I mean? And she would always, especially if her girlfriends were down there, she didn't, you know, I'd take it to her room and she'd read it back. Thank you. But if she was with her girlfriend, she'd tell me, go, get one. She'd be like, bring one of them poems down here. I want to read one to the girls. And I'd be like, oh, shit, I got one.

You know what I mean? You know? And then it started turning into, like, song. stuff. And in hindsight, I looked at it when I was in therapy of like, this is, was sad that I was just craving like this love from a mother and attention. But in the other side of it was like, it created this like understanding of the power of what this stuff could do. You know what I mean? So like I suddenly got like, I realized how powerful music was and how much that this could make a difference. So I started trying to do that. Like then I started

seeking it. And then I realized that I would get some of a praise for it. But I was, yeah, you know what I mean? I was like, yo, this is like, yo, and I just remember thinking like, man, if I can ever make them feel the way this Bet Midler song makes them feel, you know, I thought about it years later about, I always referenced the Rose in every interview because I didn't realize it. This was like my epiphany.

Save me was just me trying to write a power ballot because the one my mother loved the most was a power ballad. You know what I mean? Like even subconsciously, like years later, not even knowing it, that's what I'm writing towards in a room. Yeah.

Was a big open power ballad that made you feel something because the rose made my mama cry and she'd say play it at her funeral and all these things would, you know, like it's like that was our perception of music. So like,

I don't know, man, music's like, it's my whole life. Yeah. I don't, you know what I mean? How crazy is it now that there's some kids, some town,

who's getting to music, because their parents love Save Me. Exactly. Dog, when I seen the kid when the school talent show playing Save Me and the whole crowd started singing with him, like West Georgia High School, like middle of nowhere,

it was the coolest thing I've ever seen, like that a kid picked up the guitar and learned how to sing because save me. Like in that same instance, I can imagine him going into his family. Yeah. And then listen to music. He'd be like, hold on.

Hey, Joey, play that Jelly Roll song, you know. Yeah, period. it. Dude, new, no, no, you know,

it's, dude, it's the coolest thing ever. You're his Ben Midler. Yeah. It's crazy.

It was the dream. Yeah. It's so, I mean. And the bigger dream is that I'm around in 25 years and I get to hear it.

You know what I mean? Somebody's talking about it on a ward show and I'm like all drunk and at my fucking beach house. You know what I mean? I'm like, I look at a river.

Yeah, and I'm like, I look at Bunny and I'm like, I think I should write a song, man, I hadn't wrote one in a year. You know what I mean, it's not the exact same, but I just remember my dad just listening to comedy nonstop, like just obsessed. His dream was always to be a stand-of comedian.

Really? Yeah, yeah. Since he was a kid, he grew up in Montreal with no money, like no shoes type shit in the winter. Like, tough situation. His dad was kind of like in prison and figuring some stuff out. So he grew up with nothing, but was obsessed with comedy, always. It was always like he loved it. But he never got to do it.

You know, he moved to Florida, you know, had a bunch of kids. kids off rip so as like a 20-year-old he was like having to take care of like a bunch of kids and you know had to get a real job so we got the closest thing to the closest thing he could do to comedy which is you know basically like public speaking events is like a you know real estate person you know like he was do like these realty seminars but he always loved the performance he just wanted to be on stage and just get people charged up that was like his favorite thing and there was a closest thing he could do and make money that was the closest stand-up and yeah just remember like listening to you know Gaffigan and Seinfeld in the car. I didn't even realize it. This is how crazy it is. So I would

imitate all of Gaffigan's hour because it was clean and I knew all the words. We would drive to stuff. And I never really made my dad laugh like that. But once I started just reciting Gaffigan jokes, he's in the car, has to pull over because he's crying, laughing. And there's no question in my mind that that is like a significant reason why I do this. And I didn't even realize it on a conscious level. This is kind of an aside, but my sister a few years ago was diagnosed with brain cancer and had just a big glialblastoma in her frontal lobe. And she's okay now. Actually, at the time, she was living in Ray County, Tennessee, outside of Knoxville. And she's okay now, but she was basically facing a period of her life, like a couple months where basically the doctors were telling her, like,

hey, you got, you know, start like making arrangements because you got probably like three months. And she was like, fuck. She's 20-something at this time. She's like, what? And so she goes to my dad and she's talking to him. And she's like, hey, dad, is there anything in your life, you know, now that I'm considering the end of my life, is there anything in your life that you wish you had done

or you try that you never got to do? And the only thing he said was stand-up comedy. Really? I didn't even know this. And I was already doing stand-up at this point. And it never, like, dawned on me that that was always his dream. Wow. And my sister was inspired to, like, want to try because of him.

And, like, I don't know, it just, it kind of blew my mind, like, how influential my parents could be subconsciously without even knowing it, without even knowing it, without even knowing it. Right. In the way that your mom was influencing you without even knowing it. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, it almost feels like, like, I don't know, like, dynastic or something. You know what I mean? Like, I feel like I'm carrying on, like, a bigger purpose.

It sounds kind of dumb because it's just jokes. It's real, though. No, it's not. jokes it's art bubble we talked about this man yeah but i get it i mean just joke keeps you unconsalable yeah i guess but yeah it's just crazy that things can be so what does your dad make of your success i think it blows his mind a little i think yeah like i mean he's happy for you obviously yeah of course yeah yeah yeah related that you're like doing what you love for a living and i played saga for years and he never really cared about the soccer but as soon as i started doing comedy

he was like, so what are you doing? Are you going to open mic? Yeah. And I was like, yeah. And then he got to come see us in Toronto at Scotia Bank. Oh, my God. And he was just giddy. Oh, I bet.

And when he sees me, I think he kind of plays a little cool. Like, he's excited, but he's like, yeah. Like, he's like so complimentary and just like gushing. But then my sister was like, when he got to the seat, he was just standing up, couldn't sit down. Yeah. Just like, hands on his thighs. Just like.

Nervous for you. Excited. Just like. Oh, dude. Yeah. This is the coolest fucking shit ever. Yeah. God.

Have you ever thought about putting them together a tight five? Wait, what do you mean? About this? Like a little tight five minutes and take them out one night and try to get him to do it. Do it? Let him do it? Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. You all spend the time when you put them a little five together, a little three. You know what I mean? One you know it could kill. Yeah, he would love it. Yeah. He would really love it.

Yeah. I should do. You should. Especially one of your headlines. You can't go wrong. It's your dad. He's going to kill. You know what I'm saying?

You know what I mean? It's like, you know? I'm afraid he's going to be better than me. You could. Fuck, yeah. Even Kohler. Let that be the pot twist. Next time I'm on Kemp Gaddon on.

He's the fucking host. You know what I'm saying? I'm off in the corner. You're fucking producing it. Bro, I'm telling you, I've always said that. I'm like the fourth funniest person in my family. You know what I mean? Like it's not even a question.

You know what I mean? That's awesome. Yeah, dude. I don't know. It's a wild journey. And it's cool to see the similarities in someone else that I admire and I respect like you. And, uh, being able to see the path that you've kind of blazed, like, I don't know, it makes me believe in myself a little more.

Yeah. And, yeah, it's just really cool to see. No, dude, I think you're fucking awesome, Doug. I think you're telling your dad. You ever told that story? No, I think so. It's fucking awesome. Maybe pieces of it, but I felt comfy with you.

No, dude, that's kind of, dude. I mean, I almost choked up. I was over here like, God, the similarities are crazy. It's funny how we'll, like, do that. It's funny how those things will, I know it's like a totally different thing, but I take my daughter to Tennessee Titan games all the time. and she's by default to Titan fan. Now even more than me, she tells me what's up. You know what I mean?

Because I'm so busy. She'll be like, yo, I'm watching the game. I'll keep you posted. You know, and she'll just like send me her recap of it. My kid's fucking hilarious. Well, also the comedy thing lingers with her. Because we watch, like, raunchy comedy together. We have since she was disrespectfully young, now that I think about it.

But because of that, it comes out in, like, her personality. You know what I mean? Of, like, she's got, like, really dark jokes all the time. Yeah. But it's like, but we'll go to a Titan game, and I'll just be thinking to myself, I know I'm a Titan fan, but I'm a Titan fan because my father was a Titan fan

and now here I am creating a little Titan fan. You know what I'm saying? You know, because we're going. It's what we're doing, dude. I'm in town, we're going to see the Titans lose. You know what I'm saying? We're fucking like being a Chet's fan. You know what I'm saying?

It's fucking a rough before I'm season again. It's going to be cool. Yeah. It's going to be cool. Yeah, I can't wait. You'll see me for. front row. Come on. It's happening. I can't wait. Thank you so much, brother. I really appreciate this. Thank you for having me. Are we done? I don't even know how long we've went. You create a culture of

fucking lostness. You don't see the producer. Nobody pulls up nothing. It's the coolest podcast ever just by default of like, we really are fucking camping. I really appreciate that, really. Thank you. Yeah. Again, I know this is your off day, so I don't want to keep you any longer. Thank you for these poor people to sit on their asses for less two hours. Thank you. Thank you so much. out of you, brother. Anytime. Give me some clips. I can't wait. That was awesome.