Fitzdog Radio - Mark McGrath - Episode 1085

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

From Sugar Ray, Mark McGrath comes back in and reminds us that life is a rich carnival. One of my favorite all time guests! Follow Mark McGrath on Instagram @therealmarkmcgrathWatch my special "You Know Me" on YouTube! http://bit.ly/FitzYouKnowMeAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connects Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. Bet MGM, operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Hey, welcome to FitzDog Radio. It's a beautiful day here in Los Angeles. The rain's about to come in. This is what they call the calm before the storm. I'm gonna run off and play some paddle tennis with Gibbons and then dinner at the Dunskys house tonight and then who knows it's gonna be a rainy week I want to go see the new Led Zeppelin movie I think it opens on Friday otherwise not a

lot going on this week doing some spots at the Comedy Store interviewing the Sklar brothers on Wednesday, but I'm done. I'm done with my cold weather winter run. I was in Wisconsin twice, New York City. I mean, it was rough. It reminds me, it definitely makes me appreciate coming home, but I did nothing. I had a Sunday night show in, where the fuck was I?

Milwaukee. And I never do Sunday night shows, but it just worked out this way. And the worst is, usually Saturday night, you got two shows, they're sold out, and then you get up early the next morning, you fly home, and it's all, it's like a big climax at the end but then if you do a Sunday night show that means you do the two Saturday night shows and then Sunday

you wake up you got one show that night generally not sold out and you just kind of languish all day you're not focused focused. You get nothing done. On that Sunday I had all kinds of plans. I was going to go to the art museum which is supposed to be very good. I was going to write. I was going to work out. I was going to meditate. Did nothing. Didn't even masturbate. It a thankless day. And so, so now I'm back, it's in the airport and I noticed something. Here's what you notice. Good looking people are generally, if they're around other people, they're on their phones.

It's almost like there's a subliminal message that they're saying, you are not at my level. You are not the kind of person I would say hello to or hang with. I'm on the phone with like a publicist who's asked me about which party I want to go to tonight or I'm on the phone with another really good-looking person and we're just we're arranging where they're gonna pick me up in One of those Tesla's that's a truck That people throw rocks at or they should I are they they should be if I had a rock near me And one of those was driving by I might throw it

Definitely would throw it at a Waymo. Those are the driverless cars in LA. But, I'm back, I was on the phone with Verizon for 30 minutes yesterday, doing something very simple. Why do they put you on hold hold why is it that corporate America makes it so that when you call them there's a 12 minute piece of your life that they just abscond that they just take from you before you get a human on the line what what is it about them that's so important

that they're paying somebody in the Philippines a dollar a day, so why not hire just a couple more of those dollar a day people for the fucking 180 bucks I spend a month on my bill? And AT&T is worse, I was thinking about this, because AT&T has been fucking us way long. Here's how long AT&T has been fucking us. Their name is the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

Telegraph, they've been around since like 1880. So your great great grandparents were trying to fucking reach relatives to say that little Johnny died during the depression. And they were like dot dot dot dash dash dot dot dash dash. And then they got and then they got a telegraph back, dot, dot, dot, dash, we cannot help you right now. Deek, deek, dot, dot, dot, dot. Hold on while we dot, dot, dot, deet,

put you through to Cuba. Deet, deet, dot, dot, dot. For tech support, dot, dot, deet, deet. Something there. I don't know. Here's what I love about being a comedian is you don't really have to know anything. Willful ignorance is the equity of this profession. We just make shit up. We just go down tangents as if we're experts.

We know nothing. Literally Sunday paper starts with letter, starts with corrections, all the things we got wrong. What if you could just call comedians on any that might be a good live show to do is have comics go up and then you get to call them out on anything that's not truthful. Be a fucking awkward show. Yeah, I was thinking about, nah, I don't want to talk about that. Let's talk about some letters Darren Johnson wrote in. He said, I liked the Road Dogg a lot. That was a film I did with Doug Stanhope. Well, it was Doug Stanhope's film. I had a part in it.

Very honest look at the various levels of comedy out there and how broken most comics are. I can write a solid joke, but the idea of doing years at various yuck yucks in places like King of Prussia seem really depressing to me. Who gives a shit about those yokels? Well, listen, Darren, first of all, with all due respect and thank you for writing in, I doubt you can write a solid joke.

People think they can write solid jokes, but the truth is until you've stood on a stage and put it out there in front of people and gotten behind it. I'll tell you right now, 90% of the jokes you try on stage do not work. They're garbage and they feel solid. That's why you try them, but you don't know until you've done it in front of people, like in King of Prussia, which I've never heard of.

But that's where you figure it out that's where you bounce this shit off people and see if you're connecting and whether or not the joke has something to it but anyway he says it obviously was a low-budget movie but the characters including yours were compelling and sad thank you this movie is like leaving Las Vegas for comedians. Remind people it's free on Tubi. If you have Tubi, I guess if it's free anybody can get it on Tubi. Highly recommend it. Doug does an amazing job. He won best actor at a couple festivals and I feel like the film got overlooked so check it out.

Couple overheards, Ray Jepson said, a good looking teen couple at the mall. I pass and hear, we have to check their teeth. As I walk away, I see the boy gesturing as though opening a mouth. This is nowhere near a farm where one might expect this conversation. We have to check their teeth. Maybe they have children and they don't have a dental plan and so they have to check their teeth. Maybe they have children and they don't have a dental plan

and so they have to check their kids teeth. But I always think about that when I see these period pieces about people in like the 18th century and they're like having a scene, a man and a woman and he's a warrior and he's just gotten off a ship for two months where he's eaten nothing but fucking smoked meat and then they and then they go in for a kiss and they make out with tongues and he was like do you have any idea how foul their teeth are how stinky and rotten and germy and they're making a

I can't even kiss my wife unless I literally go in the bathroom before I kiss my wife and I brush my teeth if I'm gonna give her tongue I'm brushing my teeth first I'm totally paranoid about bad breath it's my worst I know people with bad breath we all do and it's a cardinal trait for a lot of it. It's the thing you think of. There's comedians that have breath, it's so bad, that when they introduce me at the comedy store, and I have to go on after them using the same mic, I will keep the mic in the stand and stand far away from it. I'm not naming names,

but you guys know who I'm talking about. No, you don't. I gotta stop talk in comics. Frank Nevinen said a small town bar in Minnesota Fox News is on the TV and Kristi Noem is on and I hear a guy say she can shoot my dog. Well you can shoot my dog. Well, shoot my dog. Shoot my doggy. That's gonna be a new, colloquialism, is that the word?

Maybe I'll get t-shirts made. By the way, the Sunday Papers t-shirts are still available. They're like 25 bucks. Go to FitzDog.com and pick one up. Jeff Falvey said, at the hospital sitting in a pre-op room, male doctor walks into the room next to me, talks to an older couple. Wife asks the doctor if she thinks her husband needs anesthesia. Doctor clearly agitated, screams to the lady's husband, quote, "'Do you want me to cut your genitals while you're awake?'

That sounds like bad bedside manner. It's amazing how many doctors have shitty, I just went to visit my mother-in-law's companion in a nursing home, and the nurse came in to check his vitals and she was so fucking nasty didn't say hi he asked a question and then she goes I can't hear you cuz he's having a hard time and these people make a lot of fucking money nurses people like that they like that, they're in demand. They're making bank. So fucking take it up a notch.

Speaking of taking it up a notch, I'll be in Fontana, California at Stage Red, February 22nd. Atlanta Punchline, March 6th through the 8th. Hollywood Improv for the St. Patrick's Day show that sells out every year. March 15th, get your tickets, Hamilton, Ontario at Levity, March 26th,

then I'll be in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Boston, Escondido just announced, Tampa, La Jolla, go to FitzDog.com, get some tickets, come out and see some live comedy. My guest, I love this guy. I would put him in my top five guests of all time. He brings it every time and he did this week. He's just a joy. He's a bright light in the room. He's funny. He gets it when you do somebody's podcast. Bring some energy. Have some fun. I mean I can't say enough about this dude you know I mean Jesus

Christ he has some songs fly I mean he's got Sugar Ray has songs that have some of the great hooks they're pop songs and he's very self-deprecating about the band and I guess they get you know shit on a little bit I don't know why I think they're just I think they're anyway you I think they're, anyway, he hosted Extra. He's got a show on SiriusXM. He hosted Don't Forget the Lyrics. He was on Rock and Roll Jeopardy, three-time champion on Rock and Roll Jeopardy. We get into a lot of good music talk. Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Wife Swap, he was on The Office, Workaholics, Celebrity Big Brother, Masked Singer. Anyway, he continues to do music around the country

while hosting and I'm just so happy to have him on. So please welcome and enjoy, McGrath. Jesus Christ. You're so good. Is it even a highlight? I mean- It's just one giant frosted tip at this point. You know, here's the thing though, Greg.

I kind of ushered this thing in the 90s. You did? So I'm riding this thing. Your grandfathered in. Yeah. I mean, every 25 years a trend comes back around. The kids have the big baggy jeans now. I'm sure you've seen it.

So this is about two years away. And so you can quote me. Two years from now. You're also really not receding much, just a tiny bit. Propecia, I tell guys all the time, like when my hair started receding, just a little bit, I was on Extra in 2004, 2008. So when you're on TV, as you know, you get super vain. Yeah.

I mean, more vain than you already are. Yeah. Which for me is almost impossible. So I'd be looking at the TV and going, oh my God, you know, follicle 342 is going back a little. We lost some, we lost some turgidity on the right side. So I went to a friend of mine who was like losing his hair, but he stopped. I go, dude, I don't want to, you know, be, you know, I don't want to be offensive or anything, but I noticed you were losing a little hair. He stopped and he

stopped me mid-sentence and he goes, Propecia. Yeah. For those that don't know, it's a pill. Take a little pill and it keeps the hair you have. It does not give you hair. It keeps your hair. And what guys do wrong with hair loss or hair recession is they're the last guys to tell themselves you're losing your hair. Yeah.

You do the comb overs and you're like, you start doing the spider sides, you push it forward. So I got on early and in 2004 I got a little Propecia, I'm not a spokesman. I do your own thing and It's the only thing about Propecia is I've seen the commercials Yeah, and on the commercials it literally tells you that like if your pregnant wife even touches the pill your child will be born to form Like how vain do you have to be? Like your kid's gonna grow up with gills. And like arm out the back.

I mean, I know it's just. Daddy, your hair looks really good. Like, eh, on a wheelchair. Yeah, your kid will never know you have good hair because he's in a wheelchair. Right? I mean, it's a drag. Luckily, you know, my kids are somewhat normal.

Extremely average, but normal. Wait, but were you on the Propecia when you created? I've been on it, I'm still on it. Wait, but your kids are what, about 15? 14, yeah, good. 14? Good guy, you remember? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They're 14, freshmen, freshmen's in high school. I got a twins boy and a girl. Yeah. And I just live kind of the euphoria parents life in the valley. Yeah, trying to keep them off this, get them off that. Snapchat and social media is the worst thing that ever happened to not only human beings, but teenagers in particular. Well, my kids were the first generation of cell phone using kids.

Right. Your kids are mid 20s now. 21 and 24. Yeah, 21 and 24, exactly. And I say we're the first parents on social media, the first like parenting on social media, because Twitter came in 2009, 2010 and the rest. So there are no rules on how to parent

raising kids on social media. One is too early, one is too much. So we're kind of Lewis and Clarking the social media thing in terms of parenting. And it's, we're making mistakes every day. I know I'm damaging my children, everything I do. Apparently I'm the worst dad ever. So it's been really fun raising kids in the Valley.

That's tough. It's so hard. But getting back to my hair. But no, but I feel like I did the parenting and now I'm getting the report card by looking at how my kids are today. Well, how are, they must be great because dude, you've been so involved in your kid's life.

We talked about how you sent me a thing where dancing, listening to Sugar Ray. Yeah, we had a Sugar Ray dance party the other day. I want my heart man. And it's so funny because like, I've always put songs, we have a running playlist that me and my kids have. My wife's not that into music. She likes it, but I'm obsessed with music.

Do you listen to music in the car or do you listen to podcasts? No, no, no, no. I don't listen to podcasts. Podcasts are for losers. I agree. Especially those on other people's podcasts. That's a real low barrel moment there. Wait a minute, I used to be on Extra.

Come on, man. I used to work state fairs. Jeez, I still work state fairs. What are you talking about? It's my bread and butter, baby. I remember you said to me once, if you ever smell kettle corn, you'll probably hear some Sugar Ray in the background.

Without a doubt. If you, yeah, no, if you smell funnel cake, Sugar Ray's probably playing. Yeah, I've used that joke a few times. And dude, I couldn't be happier. Yeah, of course, it shows. Here's probably playing. Yeah, I've used that joke a few times. And dude, I couldn't be happier. Couldn't be happier. Yeah, of course, it shows. Here's the thing.

But, no, can you, as you. All right, so get back to parenting. What is your parent report card then? Because it must be very high. Because you're very involved. Since your kids were a little, I remember, I've been fortunate to know you a long time. And it's always been about your kids.

I got to meet your kids when I used to do the podcast at your old spot, lovely, we had a fully just like wonderful manners, looking in the eye. Good people. All I wanna do is raise good people and that's what you've done. I think we, I know we've done that. I don't know if I have to give myself grades,

I would say for they're comfortable in their own skin, which was my number one thing. I want them to have confidence. I want them to, again, look people in the eye. I think we got an A on that. I don't know how we did on raising motivated kids, but I don't know how much that's on me. I talked to my producer, Paul.

He's got a son who's going through the same kind of thing. They, there's a failure to launch in their early 20s. They're passionless. Yes. There's no passion. Now I don't know if that's because they're being raised in the digital world. Like, do you remember my passions were so well defined

by the time I was 12. Like things that I was interested, how far I would go to go to a record store. It would take like six buses. It took eight hours to get like the loudness record that I brought home and read and just like, but I knew work jobs to save the money to buy those records. Yeah. I put in quarters together paying with change for a record was 799. But you couldn't stop my passion.

I'm not seeing that in my kids either. And I think it's a generational thing for sure. What were the first records you bought? The first record I ever bought was Divo's first record and B-52's first record and they were both used. Like some junkie probably brought you know brought them back and they were kind of damaged a little bit and scratched a little bit. I'm fully aging myself but it was B-52's and Divo's first record. Wow. I still listen to those two today. Yeah are we we not men? Yeah, right? Yeah. Freedom of choice? Come on, dude. Girl, you want? Oh my god. Just that. That band is not, well, they

do. They're in Rock and Hall of Fame. They get the recognition they deserve, but they launched alternative music before they even knew what it was. Well, also when MTV started, which was probably in like 80, 1981? August 8th, 1981. But who's count? OK, and they were it. I mean, there was those original videos. Whip it, whip it. And then you had, you know, video killed the rate. I think that was the first video they ever showed. Video ever played on MTV.

What was the second? Well, the second might have been a triumph fly, right? Oh, no. Thanks a lot, dude. Am I that old? Now, when's the first time you got played on MTV? Summer of 1997. Wow. And you want to talk about a life changing moment, you know, because that was the that was the Mecca.

That was the Holy Land. That was the oh wow moment. That was the dream growing up. Yeah. On MTV. Yeah. Coming up next, we got a view to by Sugar Ray. Like Mark Chapman or someone like introducing it. Mark Chapman, that's got to be.

Mark Chapman, I remember that, yeah. And Martha Stewart. Martha Stewart. No, not Stewart. Martha. Martha Stewart, Martha Quinn. Martha Quinn. Martha Stewart, I almost went on with that.

Like yeah, Martha Stewart was there on MTV. And they had, you know, just a bunch, JJ, Triple J, JJ Jackson. So that was when I, you first, and when it was first in the rotation of MTV, like unsolicited, that's like, meaning like, you didn't know it was coming on, you just saw it on, you're like, wow.

Cause we sat with it on. I mean, it was on all the time. That's how we got our music. People forget about it cause it's just changed so radically. But's how we got our music. Yeah, yeah. People forget about it, because it's just changed so radically. But you know, the records came out on a Tuesday, we all bought our records. And I, sorry for jumping around, I'm such a spaz,

but the 90s were the last decade where we shared entertainment. And when I say that, meaning like, you remember like appointment viewing was on Thursday nights watching Seinfeld and whatever. So we all watched the episodes together. We don't do that now, we stream at our own leisure. And then we used to buy records on Tuesdays.

They came out, we all went to Tower Records or wherever you went to buy that record. So there was a community experience to watching TV, watching movies, and buying records and that's gone. And that's why I think the 90s has such a stronghold in people's hearts, because this last decade we all shared entertainment together Yeah, I remember the fine sorry interrupt you but it's hard to define decades. What do you call 2001 to 2010 the odds? Okay, it's a horrible horrible name not a lot not a lot of emotion

Sound cold But what do you call 2010 2020 the teens Not a lot of emotion behind the odds. Remember the odds? Remember all the odds? The odds sound cold. It sounds, in a kind of way, but what do you call 2010 to 2020? The teens? I don't know. This is my point. Odds, terrible man. So like, and it was also no demarcation zone when the decades ended.

A lot of it was done by fashion, by music, and there seems to be like a lot of the same from 2004 to 2016 sayings. Yeah. You know, they weren't just like, they weren't Nirvana, Nevermind moments, you know? Yeah, I think politics, like I think about 1980 as Ronald Reagan getting elected. For sure. And I remember music got kind of bad for a little while.

Like there wasn't, you know, there was obviously like, Elvis Costello was coming out with good albums and yeah, I guess, you know, Talking Heads were still putting out albums, REM. Yeah, it's like post-punk. Yeah, there wasn't guitar leads for a while. Nobody was playing the guitar. And if you look at what was on MTV right then, ironically, that's when MTV kind of debuted a year after 1980, obviously. Their playlist was like Madness, The Buggles, Triumph, Donnie Iris. One Hit Wonders. Yeah, but just like bands that didn't really put a mark forever with all the respect on the period.

So you're right, it was kind of a confusing period. Coming out of punk, metal was a couple years away with Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, and Ratt. So there was kind of like, who are we as a music? So it was going through its changes and it was like the ugly teenage period for music. Yeah, Dire Straits was good, but there was just a lot of, I think we were, like punk was getting commercial almost.

For sure, yeah. It was on its way to becoming commercial. Yeah, it went back underground. It's not being offensive, you know what I mean? Well, it morphed into New Wave a little bit, which was just a pop form of punk. Yeah, it went durandurani, and there was like goth and Bauhaus and all that stuff.

So it was just a lot of like supplicants of the teats of punk rock, if you will. Yeah. It was the greatest punk band of all time. Sex special. Yeah. It's not an argument. Isn't it funny though that they were not a band

that found themselves, that they were actually cast and produced? Well, that's where I'm gonna have to sort of disagree with you. Okay. Cause you're a very smart guy and it breaks my heart too cause I tend to agree with everything you do. I named my son Lydon after John Lydon. Yeah.

So I'm really well versed in Sex Pistols lore, if you will. They were actually together as a band. Steve Jones, the guitar player, and Paul Cook, and even Glenn Matlock, they had a band together. They were like, they were playing, they were kind of a pub rock band. They were playing covers and like, you know, trying to kind of just figure out what they were about.

And then Malcolm McLaren had that store Sex. You know, we saw the punk rock here. You know who worked in that store? Paula Klauber, a lot of people did. Vivian Westwood. Chrissy Hine. Chrissy Hine, of course, pretenders of lore. And Johnny Rotten was on the peripheral of friendship

with all these folks. He was a regular at sex and would walk in. And so they were looking for a lead singer. And Malcolm Claren in all his vision just said, I don't think he can even sing, but he looks great. Yeah. And just he's angry. So they put on 18 by Alice Cooper on the Jude Box. And they go, go ahead, try it for the band.

And Johnny Rotten did all this like, I'm 18, and just like, you know, making fun of the song. And they go, perfect, we'll do. So that was kind of how he put that together. But it wasn't like a record label going, we need a guitar player, we need punk rock, because they started it. I thought it was like auditions, I didn't know it was like organic.

Well, that kind of was his audition, if you will. Kind of the best audition of all time. No, but I mean, I thought there was a studio where like, next, next, sign in. No, because they started the music. They started the revolution of punk rock. I think that- Before the Ramones?

Well, the Ramones were happening in New York. Yeah, but I mean, it was pretty much the exact- The Ramones were before. The thing is, the Ramones came to London in 76 and played the Roundhouse, which was a big club in London. And apparently the Pistols were there. The Clash were there. The Damned were there. And so that started a revolution. Yeah.

And then and they came out and they did not stop between songs. They just went, one, two, three, four. That's how they saw. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There was never had great to be here in London. Hey, it's raining today. Hey, how about that? It was one, two, three, four. That's how they saw it. There was never, hey, Glitch, we're here in London. Hey, it's raining today. Hey, how about that way? It was one, two, three, four. And their sets were like 36 minutes.

Their songs were a minute long. 60 minutes set. And also, the drums were playing at twice the speed that most drummers go. With a little help of sort of other drugs as well. So there was a double whammy about that speed, or the double entendre there, Greg. But yeah, so that's, look, I'm not an expert,

yes I am, on punk rock, but there are people who have a different variation, but that is the crux of what happens. So the sex puzzles were definitely not put together as like a label, let's get this punk rock thing, because there was no punk rock. It was in the air, I believe. Some movements have to be in the air.

You know what I mean? Like everybody with the Jackass thing, everybody and their friends would say, hey, I was doing Jackass videos too, bro. They just were the ones that made it happen. You know what I mean? It was in the air. And so punk rock was a lot in the air

the same way like that. And what year was that? Well, Ramones came over in 76, and so the Pistol started in 76. Never mind the Bullocks, which wasn't the first punk record. The Dam beat them to it. They released their record in 1976. But never mind the Bullocks came out in 77 because a lot of false starts and things,

and record label changes. They took 75,000 pounds from EMI, and they said, we're too afraid to release the record. So they gave them that money, gave him the record back and then A&M and actually I think A&M dropped him as well. And then Richard Branson picked him up on Virgin. No, no shit. Yep. He had tubular bells was his big hit. You remember the exorcist thing from Michael Oldfeld?

Remember that? Sing it. And so that was his big hit. So he was flexible to cash. remember the exorcist thing from Michael Oldfeld? Remember that? Sing it. Go do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do then it says number two, Rod Stewart or something. So it was just so much you can't hurry. But then they tried to tour in the States, and it was a debacle, right? Right, well they tried to go on a tour of the UK first, and it was debacle, because they appeared on a TV show, the Bill Grundy show. And that's when they were like a foul mouth

and started cussing, and Steve Jones was saying, you dirty effing this and that. And it just started uproar in England. So this tour they had planned together with Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers, the Clash. I think the Buzzcocks were on it as well. And the Sex Pistols, they had like 13, 15 dates and 12 of them got canceled.

They did two or three shows. So that was the whole thing. And they said, we gotta get out of here. Johnny Rotten got attacked on the streets. He got slashed and all that. He got slashed? Yeah, he got stabbedashed and all that. He got slashed? Yeah, he got stabbed. He got like in the face and stuff like that.

That's when punk rock was dangerous, Greg. People hated it, they were afraid of it, and it was almost political too. You had the government hating you, the people hating you, it was dangerous to be punk. It's not like Green Day doing a meet and greet after. No, they go to the malls and hey, I love Green Day and I love the offspring,

but there was zero danger in that 90s punk revolution. Let's make it very clear. And then to get out of the UK and the situation they were in, they went to America to do this, you know, the American tour, which they, and they said, I think the best place for the Pistols to do would be the South. Let's do the worst places in the South.

Let's not go to major cities where they might have fans. Let's go to like Atlanta. Yeah. Let's go to Texas. You think that was deliberate? Of course it was, Malcolm said it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're coming to start revolution?

What was the line that, did Sid Vicious say, you must feel ripped off right now? Johnny Rotten said, it was the last words he said at Winterland in San Francisco, in front of 5,000 people. And they're playing No Fun by Iggy Pop because they didn't have many songs. They only had one record, don't forget. Sex Pistols had one record and started a revolution.

And they were playing No Fun and the state was just like, this bass was off. Steve Jones was always an amazing guitar player, still is, a lovely guy. And he goes, "'You ever get the feeling you've been chained?' "'Like in a snarling Johnny Rotten face staring at him. He goes, ha ha ha ha.

Just left the stage and started picking up change on that people were throwing up and that was it. That was the end of the Sex Pistols Live until now. And they're playing again with a new singer, this guy Frank from Frank Carter. So they're out there doing it again. I liked, you ever listen to Jonesy's Jukebox on SiriusXM? All the time.

It's my favorite radio show. Yeah. Remember when we was on Indie 103.1? Yeah, yeah, of course. We had a morning show. Started here in LA. It was fantastic. You get everybody I love on his show.

By the way, Steve Jones loves Honeymoon Suite from Canada. He's just a fan of music. He loves pop, and a lot of the pop sensibilities or the melody came from Steve and Glenn Matlock, who was a huge Beatles fan. Well, it is, I mean, you look at a lot of punk, got its inspiration from like 50s surf music, you know? And he plays a lot of that stuff on his show. And then, yeah, he came on the podcast once. That was a pretty big thrill.

Amazing. Yeah. He's a great guy. He's lovely. Yeah, he is. He's got a great sense of humor. He loves to laugh, you know? And it's great to see the Pistols up and doing their thing again. You know, they sound great. And the guy they got, Frank Carter, is great.

They're playing all those festivals in Europe and they're getting their due diligence. They're getting their Kings or Ansems over there in the UK. All right. I got some questions. I didn't think we'd be talking punk rock. I know. I'm so stoked. Did you like punk growing up? No, I didn't. I discovered it later. When I was a kid, it was classic rock.

Yeah, it was all the cars, Aerosmith. No, even earlier, it was really like the four British bands, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and the Stones. And then for me, I got very into Elvis Costello. Loved The Clash. Joe Jackson. Joe Jackson was my shit. I saw him live like eight times.

I mean, Jesus Christ. We covered it. She really going out with them. That was the last song. saw him live like eight times. I mean, Jesus Christ. We covered it. She really going out with them. That was the last song they're getting the top 40. The creative well was completely dry by then. Thank you, Joe. I feel like his bass player is the best bass player of all time. The most melodic. Like that boom, boom, boom. And it's so locked in. The drummer was amazing too. I can't remember his name, but fantastic band. And then The Pretenders was awesome. I feel like Chrissy Hynde is the biggest badass chick

in rock history. I completely agree. I think there's two. So you do agree with Joan Jett and Chrissy Hynde. Yeah, but Joan Jett's catalog is a little limited. I don't disagree with that. I don't, but I'm talking pure rock and roll energy. You see Joan live, but she just lives it. She's never not, she goes to Gelson's and she's Joan Jett.

No, I love when she got the honoree at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. Well deserved. Yeah, that was really cool. And you could see, some years you see the band come out and people are excited, but like people went nuts for her. She's like a cartoon character when you see her. She's just great.

Rock and roll, she's just great. She lives it. But Chrissy Hiner, right? Chrissy's still living it too. She's like a cartoon character when you see her. She's just great. She's just great. She lives it. But Chrissy Hine, you're right. Chrissy's still living it too. She's great. She sounds better than ever. She really does. God bless the pretenders.

Isn't it funny how some people's voices just stay good? Like, who did I just hear recently that, well, Billy Corrigan's voice is as good as ever. Yeah, he's- I saw him live recently. Billy Joe from Green Day can sing better than ever. Yeah, just like he's just got right on us. And Billy Joel and Billy Joel.

Well done voices. Billy Joe and Billy Joel just out of now. Yeah, even better than ever. Yeah. And still killing Elton John's. You know, he's lost a little the timber and luster as one will. Well, he's lost his sight. He's lost, he said he's got none of his original parts left recently. I love that.

He replaced everything. I love his transparency with the hair. Yeah, yeah. I'm on your way. I don't care. I like my wig. Dude, I'm thinking about this and I'm not, look, I'm 58. I've crawled my way to the middle and I'm pretty sweet.

You're physically better looking than you've ever been today. Thank you. You know what I mean? Really? Age has been a real friend of yours. Well, I love to hear that. I don't feel like that. Because you've always been whip smart and funny, which all women love before the physical

thing. I promise you that. And now you've got this sort of like wonderfully refined age gentleman thing going on and you're crushing it. I love to hear this, man, because I feel like my face was microwaved in my neck. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. But I'm thinking about, because I grew up,

my first influences in comedy were the Borsch Belt comics. I don't know if you know these guys. Like Shecky Green. Shecky Green. They all have the best names. Who's the guy that just died recently? A Freddie Roman? Freddie Roman was my sponsor at the Friars Club.

You're kidding me. He was my mentor in comedy when I was a teenager. So I'm hitting a nerve with these names here. Yeah. Freddie Roman must have been 107 because he died like a year ago, correct? Yeah, he died about a year ago. Did you go to his funeral?

No, I was in New York, but I spoke to his wife and his son was, here's the story. My dad belonged to the Friars Club. He was in radio in New York. Yeah, no, I know the whole Howard Stern film, well versed in your history. So when I was in high school, we had one semester, two weeks in senior year, called intercession, and you were allowed to go after whatever your passion was that you think you might do for a living.

No classes. And you knew then, for sure. And I knew, well I thought I wanted to be a comedy writer. And so my father put me in touch with Freddie Roman. And I'd known Freddie since I was a kid, but Freddie started taking me to his shows. I'd meet him in the city and we would drive up to the Catskills.

How far is that drive, just out of curiosity? It's an hour, hour and a half. Is that close? Yeah, yeah. And so those conversations in the car must have been. Well, these guys were funny all the time. I want to say something. I saw a Freddie Roman stand up, and I was trying to find something funny, with all due respect to his soul.

Yeah. So can you give me the good Freddie Roman joke that I missed? No, it is very dated. It's very specific to Jewish people in the 50s. See, I remember he said to me one time, a schmuck is a guy who gets out of the shower to take a piss. I miss that one. I'm a fan. He had 10 minutes about how he put his son through University of Pennsylvania and he was shoveling shit. Is it the way he told

the stories? His rhythm and timing, all those guys, which is, you know why, because they never changed their act. So they got so, their act got so tight because they never put it on TV. So they could always go to the next city and nobody knew the material. I was thinking, that's blasphemy,

because in comedy, if you play your greatest hits, you're a hack. Right. In music, if you don't, you're a hack. Right. That's why I always defer to, I kiss the ring of comedy, because I can't believe what you guys have to do.

So those guys even, but they played the same venues every year in the Borgspelt. They got away with the same act after the year two. Yeah, but the crowds were changing every year. Yeah, but didn't the same people go to the same clubs every year? Yeah, I guess. But it really was like, he did a show, he produced a show called Catskills on Broadway,

which was Malz-y Lawrence and Dick Capri and Freddie when they got older when they got older and because they realized they had all these Jews that had grown up in New York City and they used to summer out in the Catskills they just don't anymore because they're old right well the Catskills doesn't barely exist anymore you know but imagine when this was running in the 80s probably this Catskills on Broadway. This was probably in the 90s. Okay, so that was the end of the Catskills, I appreciate it.

Yeah, it was over by then, because flights started getting cheap and people would go to Las Vegas instead, or they go to Atlantic City instead. Those didn't exist in the 40s and the 50s. So they realized they had this audience of older Jews that had watched them when they were young, and it was the greatest hits.

They wanted to come out. And they had a 3,000 seat theater on Broadway. It ran for two years. That's crazy. Eight shows a week. That's crazy. So they were catapalizing on nostalgia. They wanted the nostalgia.

They wanted the jokes. They wanted the schmuck take a piss out of the show. So he was my mentor when I was a teenager. That's crazy. And then my dad died and I wanted to join the Friars Club and he was my sponsor at the Friars Club. Is there a initiation to join the Friars Club? Oh yeah. Or is that all cloak and dagger?

No, there's a ceremony. Do you have to give a set? You have to do a set? No, but they've seen your set. They have to have seen your set before the ceremony. Oh, so it's approved. Your comedy DNA is approved. Yes.

And you have to get recommended by three people. It's hard. It's not hard when you're young, because they want, it's hard when you're older and you're not in entertainment. They try to keep it 50% entertainers or in the business, and then 50% are the people that are kind of floating the club. It's like furriers and jewelers, very Jewish. The funniest guy of their friend group.

Yeah. Yeah, got you. Is the Friars still up and running? Who? The Friars. No, it just closed this year. You're kidding me. Yeah, there was some financial malfeasance.

And they went on there. There's not enough rich comedians to keep that thing open. And it ended with no fanfare. There wasn't even a Sayonara Friars Club. No Jerry Seinfeld would dig in and save it. It's one of the saddest things. I know, Jerry could peel off a couple million. Come on, let's do a weekend of gigs

and he could save everybody. So, I- That's very sad. There was a- Was there food there at the Friars Club that you- That was great. There was a lot of white fish and they had a Dover sole that they would- A lot of lox.

A lot of your table, a lot of lox. Fun. Yeah. And so- Oh, that de-boning of the, sorry, a Dover Soul that they would be boned at your table. A lot of lox. Fun. Yeah. And so... Oh, that de-boning of the Dover Soul is such a wonderful antiquated process. Yes. Isn't it just... I love the Caesar salad at the table and the de-boning...

They crack an egg in the Caesar salad back then. Oh, dude, that is class. Yeah. Just kiss to that. And so I sponsored a friend later. Who? Her name was Sara Fearon, and she was a comedic actress. And I sponsored her and she bought a friend with her.

And I met the friend and I said, I talked to her for 20 minutes and I said to Sarah, I go, I'm going to marry your friend someday. You're kidding me. And I proposed at the Friars Club three years later. You're kidding me. Yeah. That's the greatest. The Friars Club means, Freddie Roman means everything to you. And my childhood to this day. That's the greatest. So the Friars Club, I mean, Freddie Roman means everything to you. And my childhood, I spent there.

I watched the OJ chase. I watched the 76, or it's the 80 Olympics hockey when the men's team beat Russia. I was there for that. I mean, so many seminal moments in my life were spent at the Friars Club. And we used to go to the brunch every Saturday. And so anyway.

That must be heartbreaking for you, this is awful. And then I moved to LA and Freddie put me in touch with his son who was one of the biggest show runners in Hollywood, and Alan Zweibel. And Alan. That's Alan Zweibel, is Freddie Roman's son? Yes. And then, no, no, no, Alan Kirshenbaum, I'm sorry.

I was gonna say my god. Alan Kirshenbaum was one of the early writers in the center. A lot of talent, not DNA pool. Alan Kirshenbaum, I'm sorry. I was gonna say my god. Alan Kirshenbaum was one of the early writers in the center. Alan Kirshenbaum, who created a bunch of shows that you would know, and he started bringing me in on TV shows. So just kidding. I mean, my god. And now Alan's daughter is a young writer

and I'm mentoring her. I'm trying to get her an agent right now. And the circle continues. And the circle continues, yeah. What a beautiful story. Yeah, is that nice? You're full of chocolatey goodness, Greg. Really, because you're just a good soul.

Thanks, man. You're a great family, you're a nice guy. And you're always good to me. You know what I'm saying? Just a good dude. Well, who wouldn't be good to you? You're the most positive guy. I needed you today. I've been in a little bit of a dark funk lately.

I don't know why. I've been trying to figure it of a dark funk lately. I don't know why. I've been trying to figure it out. And I said, fucking marks coming in. This is gonna make me feel good. See, that's another like, just a glowy emoji to you. That just makes me feel good. Oh, good. Well, you know that.

You know that you lighten up a room. Well, you're kind to say that, you know? And I, like everybody else, have my dark periods and things. But I think the fact that I still have a uniform here in Hollywood, after 30 years of mediocre talent at best, there's something going on outside of me. You've written some of the greatest hooks in music. Would you consider yourself rock and roll or pop?

That's an interesting thing, because as we started the band completely as a rock band, we were playing, we started as a cover band. Playing Judas Priest covers, Blondie covers, Run DMC covers. That's kind of why we had the diversity in the music that we ended up writing, because we were just playing all these just songs that we loved. So we came in as a rock band and we had long hair and stuff. This is late 80s and like the sunset strip and metal was happening. So that was the goal there. That was the aesthetic chase at the time. So we have such a rock DNA amongst us.

Apparently we don't do that as well as we write like sort of a three chord pop song. Yeah. Which was fantastic. But I love the Beach Boys and the Beatles and I love Bread and I love all those bands. Did you just play with the Beach Boys? Yeah, yeah, a few times.

Coachella was it? The Rose Bowl. And I did the Rose Bowl with the Beach Boys on July 4th. And then I played stage coach, which is where they do the country version of Coachella after Coachella out there in Palm Desert. So who'd you play with, Mike Love? Yeah, with the Mike Love, which is the only,

I don't think Brian is performing anymore. Well, I took my daughter, my daughter's a surfer. So I drove her down to Orange County to see Brian Wilson about eight years ago Yeah, and they kind of rolled him out to the piano and they did pet sounds beginning to end and we were fucking singing Every word and just it was a Amazing but then he faded right after that. I'm not even sure and I shouldn't say I don't know I don't know where he is performance wise. Let's just say that but you know, obviously a legend and when when I was at extra

I have two interviews that I will remember forever at extra and I was the worst interviewer ever. Yeah One was one was Brian Wilson and he was doing the smile Reissue or release of smile. I think that's when you saw him too. Yeah, that's exactly. I interviewed him at the same time Oh you did. Yeah, that's exactly, I interviewed him at the same time. Oh, you did? Yeah. Okay, you probably interviewed him earlier in the day than I did, because I was the last. Was it at the Sirius?

It was at his house. Oh no, I did it at the Sirius studios. It was doing, and it was doing a bunch of TV. And he would roll people through every 15 minutes. You had five minutes, you had five minutes with Brian, and I was at the end of the day. So I'm sitting there waiting, nervous, cause he's my hero as a songwriter.

Yeah. That's not saying much much I think his most he writes religious epiphanies if you will. Yes. So he comes down and sits at the piano and starts playing God Only Knows. Now I'm like tearing up because I'm like it's like a song of all time played by the guy who wrote it he's playing it perfectly he didn't look at me and he's in his own world playing God Only Knows. I've got five minutes the song's like 2 38. So I let him get to like the bridge, you know, which is blasting me to interrupt him there too.

And I go, Hey, Brian, I gotta say, you know, God Only Knows is just probably the best piece of music ever written ever. And thank you for that. He stands up and goes, food, and then walked away. Ah! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, did you air it? Of course they did. Well, what Extra does is they go, and see Mark's interview with Brian Wilson. They did a little package.

And then at the end they go, well, Brian was a little reticent to answer questions, but see him this weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. You know, that's how they do it at Extra. And so that was such a magical moment for me. And then Mike Love was doing a solo record in like 2014 or 15. And a guy that used to be my agent,

John Faradar, who's no longer with us, a big music guy and a lovely guy, put me together with Mike Love, and I ended up doing a song called Do It Again for his solo record. And then Mike and I kinda hit it off, and he's asked me to join him on Beach Boys shows, and whenever I can, I do it.

We do Fly, or Every Morning, we do a Sugar Ray song, and then we do a couple Beach Boys songs, and I run around on stage like a puppy, and they kinda are a little bit amused by me until I pee on the stage and they kick me off. You know what I mean? Does Stamos do the shows with you? Stamos does, yeah.

He's great. John, you and John must be. Yeah, yeah, I know John. He's the greatest guy in the world. I love John Stamos. He's a really, really good drummer. You don't be associated and play live with the Beach Boys for over 40 years if you're kind of a hacky, you know, percussion guy just because he's good looking, he's on stage.

He's a really good drummer and a great singer, so. We all played together once. What was that? We were at, I think it was Jimmy Kimmel's house. Oh my God, it was Howard Stern party, right? Yeah, it was, Howard Stern was there, and Ben Stiller, and Demi Moore, and Ashton Kutcher, and then we, and then Jimmy has a music room and so we went back there and

Ben Stiller was on drums. You were playing bass. Bass, yep. You were playing bass and then me and Howard were playing guitar and the women were dancing fucking what's her name was from Cougar Town. What's her name? I know you're talking about. Friends.

Miller, Krista Miller, right? No, Krista Miller was there. She was there. She was dancing. Oh, you're talking about Courtney Cox. Courtney Cox was dancing. And we're playing in it, and I got this amazing photo. Sadly, you're not in it.

Oh! But it's a... Thanks for bringing that up. Me and Howard and David Arquette are all like, like leaning into the mic together. That's so fun! Yeah. That must be hanging on a wall somewhere, right? Well, how great was that night? and Howard and David Arquette are all like leaning into the mic together. That must be hanging on a wall somewhere. How great was that night? I remember we played a 30 minute version of Gloria. I showed Howard the chords for that.

Right? Yeah. It was so funny because Stamos was getting, you guys do we know something else? Come on man. We know something else. We're like dude, just stay with this. We're lucky we know one song as a on, man. You know, get in there and stick something. I mean, we know something else, you know? We're like, dude, just stay with this. We're lucky we know one song as a collective, you know? Those are some really, really fun parties, man. God, Jimmy was so generous. And we just, every time Howard would come out, the psycho fans, he would invite them all over.

And you're sitting there with like George Clooney, you're like drinking, it was just, those are, I did not belong there for sure. You know? Natalie Maines was that what you were saying? Natalie Maines, it just was, it was just super, super fun. Are you still in touch with the Stern people? Every now and then, Gary, I kind of got,

for whatever reason, I was just like, biggest celebrity fan when I was having my cup of coffee in the A-list in the 90s. I would get off the road at six in the morning and he would call me and go, hey, what's this about you and Carmen Electra? You know what I mean? And so I would stop everything I'm doing.

And then when I was kind of like, hey Howard, I got a new record coming out like two years ago. He's like, all right, good luck. You know, it was like crickets, but I understand. I see where it turned into. He used to do five days a week, five hours a day. Now he does three days a week, three hours a day.

So, and suddenly he's, you know, he's not asking every guest if they've had a three- three hours a day. So, and suddenly he's, you know, he's not asking every guest if they've had a three-way or done anal. So now he's actually getting like, Jule coming in and, you know. Right. And Paul McCartney coming in. Paul McCartney coming in. I get it. But the irony is people think, you know, how is he matured and like, you know, I just listened two days ago, it's like, you know, Ronnie's balls were up over his shoulder

and he's licking his tans. It's the same thing. I mean, he may be doing interviews and he might not be doing as much as he used to do, but all that stuff is still in there. That's still in the DNA to show. I still listen. I do too. I just love the guy.

And I've told you this before, he's a huge part of any success of Sugar Ray. And I know the man takes credit for everybody's career, yours in particular, anybody's, but because he let us come on and do a version of Psychedelic B in 95, when we released our first record that no one bought, it was selling three copies a week,

we did a Hail Mary, we recorded a version of his song, Psychedelic B, from his like 12 year, you know, when he was 12 years old, electric comic book band. It was the crappiest song ever and we made it crappier. And he just happened to love it, we appealed to his psyche and we got us on the show. And you know as well as I do, Howard didn't just let anybody on the show.

No. So we did something Atlantic Records that they couldn't get on for their major artists like Stone Temple Pilots and bands like that. We got on the show. So all the people from Atlantic Records came down and said, how the hell did this band, they're on our label? So the record was done, there was a cycle, it wasn't selling anything, and we were about to get dropped. But because of our appearance on that show, on Howard Stern's show, it let us make our second record,

Floor, which had Fly, and it sold two million copies. So he's absolutely responsible for any success that we got to make. Yeah, yeah. No, he launched people for sure. There's a lot of people. I mean, even guys like Kinnison he took to the next level. And I mean, yeah, already already.

Do you know any? No update on already. How is that possible? I mean, there's no comedian scuttlebutt unlike the already links. I know. Is that purely out of respect and protecting, which I know I think he's just laying low. I think he does some limited dates. I think he does some limited dates. I think he's very focused on sobriety,

and I think he knows that going on the road hard is bad for his sobriety. For sure. And he's just one of those guys, and I miss the shit. There is not a better storyteller alive. None, at all. When Norm was around, he was up there, but. Yeah, Norm was great.

I mean, Artie can tell a story like. His economy of words. Yes. The way he tells a story and sets it up so you get all the detail without all the verbosity. Yeah. And it's like, you know, you've got an incredible talent. That's an amazing talent.

Yeah. His comedy is in the storytelling. Yes. It's not a zipping pow. No. It's not the, hey, get out of the shower and piss thing. Storytelling, he's genius at it. And that's why he of the shower and piss thing. It's like that's, storytelling is genius. That's why he was so good in the show.

I mean, he's probably the best. I mean, there was a bunch of good periods at Howard Stern, but that serious move with Artie firing all cylinders might've been my favorite. No, when, yeah, when Artie's talking. You were on it, you were on it a ton. Used to go, I did it 50 times. God. Yeah.

I don't know who's done it more than that. Not many people. Not many I did it 50 times. God. I don't know who's done it more than that. Not many people. Not many people did it that much. No. But Artie came, and you know, I was up for the Artie chair. Oh I know. I heard your week.

Yeah. I heard it. You were great. So thank you. So Artie came in, I think what sealed it for him is it was between me and him. It started out with Doug Sting. Did you know it was between you two?

Oh, it was in the New York Post. Oh, it was in the Post. It was pretty well known him. It started out with Doug Stant. Did you know it was between you two? Oh, it was in the New York Post. Oh, it was in the Post. It was pretty well known because it started with, it became a contest. Oh no, I remember. Jeff Ross and Doug Stanhope. There was a bunch of people in the line. Chauncey Hayden was in there, got a week.

I don't know, all those guys. And so Sal, that's how Sal Stockbroker got a week. Remember that? Yeah, and so Artie comes in, and this is what sealed it for Artie. He had, it's a Monday morning. Oh, he came in with Norm. He came in with Norm, and he was hungover.

I think he just got back from Vegas, and he told the story about being in a hotel room, going with a girl, and waking up, and realizing that she wants money, she's a prostitute. He had no idea, and that she'd taken money from him. And the story just kept going on and on. And I was just listening at home, gone. I'm done, I'm cooked.

And Howard was like, guffawing. And I've had stories about my wife. I put my finger in my wife's ass, Howard. Who cares? You wanna do it on camera? Then we can talk. Can we film it, bro? Well, that's amazing you got to the end

because there were some real heavy hitters trying out for that. Well, I think what it is is- Adam Carolla? Yeah, Carolla was in it. I mean, the reason I have worked on that show is that I don't suck the air out of the room. No, you don't lay back.

I just lay back, I try to hit some sniper jokes. I try to, if he has a premise, I try to riff on it. But I've never, that's why after 50 times on the show, I'm not a huge name, like some people that, like Lisa Lampanelli came out of that show. Well, Artie wasn't a huge name. No, but I was never the guy with the crazy big story. And that's what I think gives people the traction

of becoming like a huge headliner. I agree. And I've just been a guy who more like I've done Corolla, I'm the most frequent guest in Corolla's history, I did it a hundred times, I've been on Drogen 25 times. You're the best guest ever. But I'm saying you would think with all those appearances I'd be selling out arenas. Which is crazy. But I know it's just weird I'm just maybe I've been too laid back. You're the funniest guy I know. I mean you're the best. I mean I've told this for everyone. One of my favorite stand-ups ever. Thanks man. I mean I just I don't that's you know it's the way the cookie crumbles. When did this become about me complaining about my career?

Don't we all do that? Yeah. Isn't that just part of it? Isn't it funny because like TikTok, part of it? Isn't it funny because like TikTok, if you can- Are you TikTok active? I'm way too active. You're not on my FYP and you're part of my algorithm of life. I'm Instagram reels. I'm not TikTok, it's the same shit.

But there's so much self help on there that makes sense about not comparing and gratitude and all these things that if I put into practice, I'd realize that my life is perfect. But is it funny how you compare? Do you ever get caught in that? Of course I do. I'm only human. Who is your, what's the band that you looked at that went somewhere that you wish you'd

gone that you felt like you compared yourself to and were competitive with? Well, that's a really excellent question. You know, I would say a band like the Red Hot Chili Peppers because they're a stadium act around the world. Explain that to me. All right. I'm asking.

Well, hot shows. Yeah, no, no, and incredibly energetic and like early Peppers were like, suck on the T.V. and like, go, booga-bop, it was just rapping like early Pepperbuzz are like, just suck on the EP and like, go, booga-bop, booga-bop, just rapping like funk and like, bop, booga-bop. It's almost punk rock. They have, I mean, Flea was in fear for Christ's sake, the band Fear for a while. So there's a rad punk DNA. So I'm looking at this band, I used to see them in 84 in clubs.

We opened for them at a club in Huntington Beach in 88. They had 300 people. How did that band go to play stadiums? You could see like the Rolling Stones trajectory, like good looking Mick and the Pout and the great bluesy things there. But the trajectory of the Chili Peppers success is, it should be studied.

And the longevity. And the longevity and the relevancy. People are still waiting for a Chili Peppers record, like a U2 record. That's incredible to me. People aren't necessarily waiting for a Stones record. One came out a year ago. Yeah, no, I know.

So that's closing away. Yeah, I mean, and I feel like they went through a little lull and then Californication came out and they were suddenly back in the zeitgeist. Well, that put them in the stadium. You know what I mean?ist. Well, that put them in the stadium. Yeah. You know what I mean? The scar tissue, that record,

what's that called, California? What was scar tissue off of? Anybody? I don't know. Because Californication was after scar tissue, I believe. Yes. I can't remember what that record is. I'm losing my mind.

I used to be the Rock and Roll Jeopardy champion too. Anyway, so you're right. That's when they went from like arenas to stadiums around the world. That's the band I look at. And you know, Anthony Kiedis is incredible because he doesn't have, he's got a great voice for what he does.

You know, you're not gonna see him like doing duets with Pavarotti or me either. With all due respect, he just learned to be the best guy at the Chili Peppers ever. And I remember one time, as a guy who's had an on-off relationship with Key my whole life, you know what I mean, it's 50-50, I'm not a natural singer, I was at a Laker game

with Anthony once, and probably 99, and I go, Anthony, I don't mean to offend you, it'd be disrespectful, but my God, I saw you on TV last night, and you were note perfect, amazing, he stopped me mid-sentence and he goes, in-ears. Yeah. And in-ears are the things you wear in your ears. They're little monitors you go on.

You see the artist with the wire up to their... Does that give you the pitch? It took place of monitors on the floor. You have it right in your ears. What's most important and relevant about it is you can dial in your own individual mix in your ears individual mix in your ears. Okay. And that's what makes it so. I hate them. Yeah. Because I feel the crowd and the energy and it just right it feels like I have two fingers in my

ear because you do essentially. So you feel like you're underwater like I'm talking to you now. You want to feel the connection with the crowd. Always. He's doing his own thing. Right and I'll put one in and try I've been I've been for 25 years since Anthony told me this. I've been trying to use in-ears because no one would benefit more from in-ears than why. Nobody. But I just can't do it. I try every year every time I go out on the tour. I put them in. I style them in. And I just, I can't do it. Well, what's interesting is we, somebody told me a metaphor that we were talking about here in the studio yesterday is that some people are thermometers and some people are thermostats. That's interesting. And

you're a thermometer. You're taking in the vibe. Yes. You're feeling it. You're giving them, you're reading the temperature. Yes. And he's a thermometer. He's putting out this is what it is. He puts it out. Yeah. I bring it in. Yeah. That's very interesting. Who thought of that? Probably a TikTok video. By the way, you know, I think TikTok and all that stuff has proven. Celebrities aren't as interesting as they think they are. Yes.

Because I am fascinated, my children don't even turn on the TV. My son goes, dad, can you take the TV out of my room? It's bothering me. Yeah, yeah. They don't watch conventional, delivered by the studios, television or movies. And that's blasphemy, I know, for how we were raised. But they're more, you see the skateboarder who went from Venice to New York? The guy's the raddest dude ever. That's third guy.

And they have phrases that my kids, we went to South Africa in December for three weeks. Amazing. And they were hanging out with kids from South Africa in December for three weeks. Amazing. And they were hanging out with kids from South Africa, their cousins from New York, and they all have the same language of little meme phrases from the internet. Like an internationally known language. Yes. And it's like, you grew up in Orange County, I grew up in New York. We spoke differently.

We spoke differently. We talked differently. We dressed differently. We had different attitudes We talked differently. We dressed differently. We had different attitudes. Different haircuts. Yup. And now everybody's the same. It's weird.

Isn't that strange? Yeah. And you know what? It's kind of the digital... By the way, the funny thing about that is everybody's dressing Orange County now. What? That is the funny thing. Yeah.

I knew that then though. I knew we were the coolest. You guys had like part of the middle feathers. I'm like, that's whack. That's not cool. I had a mullet. Yeah. I always knew we were the coolest. You guys had like part of the middle feathers. I'm like, that's whack. That's not cool. I'm not a mullet. I always knew we were the best. The tattooed, like sleeve tattooed, like Mike Ness, Social D guy. That is everywhere now.

Yeah. Chuck Taylor. Right? The Chucks and the Dickies and the wife respectors. Yeah. I like that new phrase. You like that one? Yeah.

And by the way, Brandon Wardell made that up. Oh, good. Do you know him? Young comedian. He was in Joey Koy's movie, Easter, great guy, I gotta give him credit for that because I steal it and don't credit him, he got mad at me. But getting back to the digital, one world on the digital sphere,

go to a mall in any airport, gone is the, oh, look at the mariachi hats, and it's all just Sephora, you know, it's just one aesthetic now. And I've learned today, because kids in, that go to my kids' high school, they're going to like, you know, Alabama, they're going to Tulane. Like in Orange County, we all went to like USC or UCLA

or San Diego State, or if you were really adventurous, you'd go to Arizona State. Like kids are just friends of the world now. They go everywhere because their world is right here. You went to USC right? Yeah and graduated. That's always the follow-up. Yeah good for you. Yeah with with Will Ferrell. We're in the same fraternity. I mean it was like... You're just gonna blow by that? That's kind of interesting. It's a name drop. It's sitting right there. I know but it's hanging out right there. I don't have many unique

characteristics about me. You gotta give me some. Alright I'll say it. Was he funny in college? No. And that's the funny thing. You know, he wasn't unfunny, but it was like, oh, that guy's gonna make $40 million a picture and about 30, wasn't that at all. Yeah. It's like when you looked at Anthony Kiedis.

Exactly. There was just a hidden. You don't see it in people, do you? You should never be a talent scout. I never saw it in me. There you go. You know what I mean? Let's be fair.

Fair is fair, Greg. No, when I went to Boston University, my friends were all going to SUNY Purchase and NYU. Close. And I went to Boston, which was like, what? That was like a universe away. I mean, it's a different world. Well, it's because they were so smart there.

Well, and also because I grew up a M know, a Mets fan and you know. How did that happen? You're a contrarian though. Yeah. It's like, I'm gonna be a Mets fan. Yeah, I know, Yankees. But New York and Boston, we had a big rivalry in sports. Yeah, for sure.

And people just thought it was weird that I'd go there. My mom went to Boston College, it's the only one out there. Who did? My mom. Really? Rest her soul, yeah. What'd she study? BC, nursing, big nursing school nursing school. Was she a nurse her

whole life? Not her whole life. I think she didn't like the sight of blood. Hey, but uh, so how long does she last? I think like five, six years. That's it. Yeah, cuz my dad said I want you home homemaker, you know, he was kind of a Don Draper kind dude. What did he do? He was a financier in Orange County. So also he made some money. He made so he did all right. Did he play golf? He didn't play Haiti golf. Yeah, my dad was not a like Brooks Brothers buttoned up

guy. He was like the Brioni shirt opened on the hair, the hair coming out gold chains, pinky rings, really different kind of animals. Italian? No, he thought he was. He was Irish. He's black Irish. Yeah, gnarly dude. I love smoke cigarettes until his dying. Yeah, last. How old. I loved him. Really? Smoked cigarettes until his dying, you know, last. How old was he when he had his last fist fight? 68. Oh, last fist fight.

Yeah. When he passed away, stories came out that I heard. Yeah. My dad got in a fist fight in the 90s, and he was in his 50s. Grown ass man. He liked to go back a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

And he was a tough guy. Don't base your appearance, what you think my dad was like on me. He was the nose guard on his football team as a freshman. So just a hardcore grinder of a dude came from zero and made a bunch of dough. And they decided to retire at 50 years old and get into horse racing.

So I saw my adherents go, shakin, shakin, shakin. Yeah, but it was his dough, you know what I mean? So did you get anything when he died? I got, yeah, he took care of me, but when I saw what he spent horse racing on my cue. No, my mom right now is putting my inheritance into a slot machine in Florida.

Oh, so you know, yeah. A quarter at a time, but every day. Just ringing that bell, boom, boom, yeah, you know. I'll call her and I'll be like, where are you? She's like, I'm on my way to work. Yeah, and you're ding, ding, ding, boom, boom, yeah, you know. I'll call her and I'll be like, where are you? She's like, I'm on my way to work. Yeah, and you're ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, in the back, come on. No, let her enjoy it.

I don't want her, I would say to her, spend it all, enjoy it. I said the same thing. Yeah. I was fortunate enough to make my own dough and do my own thing. And I was, by the time I was like 27, I was sad. I was kinda like- You should have like a million dollars by now. 750.

750,000. I'm on my way to million, I'm on cloud. I've been very, very blessed and lucky. And I'm lucky to make that a year, grinding out these state fairs. Do you get the kind of royalties, like has royalties gone down for musicians these days? They go down as songwriters, but we got a really good deal.

There was a company, and we're still with them, that decided, Razor and Ty, shout out to Razor and Ty Records, decided to buy out all the debt from bands that were successful. Meaning like, we probably made Atlantic Records a hundred million dollars. We sold about 12 million records. But at the end of the day, we owed them $1.8 million.

Cause it's like a bank, you borrow from them. You're not going to put your own money in your, we didn't believe in ourselves either. You can fund the next record. So we ended up owing like $1.8 million because you make videos and back then videos like were 300 grand a piece. So we ended up owing them that.

And so it's also a great way for them to keep the masters forever. You know what I'm saying? And that's where the real money is, which I found out when Razor and Ty bought up our catalog off Atlantic Records They made a deal whatever it was and then they started sharing the masters with us 50-50 in perpetuity And you know, I've co-written some number one songs and I had some nice songwriting coming in

But when you own the Masters is where the money is it tripled what my songwriting was bringing Yeah, and so that's where like, you know, that's when I got to like sort of decompress long ago Okay, is that kind of what Taylor Swift did when she rerecorded? That's why my songwriting was bringing in. And so that's where like, you know, that's when I got to like sort of decompress a little and go, oh, okay. Is that kind of what Taylor Swift did when she re-recorded her music? That's why she was so, you know, so vehement about the masters. Yeah.

You know, she wanted those back. And a lot of bands do that, which I hate by the way, re-record their hits and release them by themselves. Yeah. Because it never sounds the same, never does. Taylor Swift can probably make it sound note for note perfect. Yeah. A band like us could never. And we've been approached to do that and I go, absolutely not. Because I hated

that as a fan. Being a huge Fixx fan, you know, red skies tonight. And you hear it's like, it's like a different tone. That's not it. Yeah, because if it's not the same studio, it's not going to have the same sound. And like the voices change if you talk to us. You know, bastardization. And each to each their own, God bless you. But to me as a fan, if I'm gonna buy this and put it in my library, I want it to sound like I remember it. Top three albums of all time.

For me, personally, it's gonna be different than yours. Nevermind the bollocks I would imagine. Yeah, nevermind the bollocks first, for sure number one. Appetite for Destruction, like Guns N' Roses, change mind the bollocks for sure number one. Appetite for destruction. Uh huh. Like Guns and Roses changed the game, not just for me, for everybody. And I have to throw in Pet Sounds from...

Pet Sounds is in my top three. Yeah, it's gotta be. It's gotta be. How about your top three? Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. Beautiful. Blue by Joni Mitchell. Another great one.

And Pet Sounds. That sounds like an actor's curated playlist. Like People Magazine's gonna ask you, hey dude, want to be cool? Joni Mitchell's blue. No, you know why blue? Because I have depression, which I think you have depression as well, don't you? It doesn't. And when I get- When I ask you something about depression, I'm sorry to like, when you have bouts of depression, is it pulverizing and paralyzing or do you just like carry on with your day? I'm trying to gauge my depression.

Well, I have three podcasts a week and then I'm doing standup, usually three to four nights a week. So when I go down, I have to fucking grind through it. But if I have a day or two off, I don't leave my room. So a day or two off is more dangerous to you than working, right? Yes. Because working helps you grind through it. Exactly. I mean, when I'm really down and I'm, sometimes I'll be, I'm at home with my

wife, we just had dinner, we're streaming something on Netflix. And then I go, fuck, I got a 10, 15 at the store. So at nine, 20, I get in my car, and if I have depression, I'm literally sitting on the couch going, I can't do this. I don't know how I can, because being a standup means, I mean, it's like a musician, you have to be the most fun person in the room for that period of time. I'm going to even one up you on that.

And I can go into a room and sneak up on people and be kind of funny. People are expecting you to be funny. Right. That's the difference. I'm gonna even one up you on that. And I can go into a room and sneak up on people and be kind of funny. People are expecting you to be funny. That's the difference. Not just the funniest guy in the room. You're getting this. Make me laugh, see sucker.

Go ahead. But I've done it for 35 years. Oh, it's a muscle to you. So I've learned how to get myself there. And then when I get off stage, the depression sometimes is just gone. It's like an infusion of oxytocin or whatever it is that makes you feel good. And then I'm driving home and I'm listening to the, but when I go dark,

my theory on getting depressed is go all the way down with it. If you fight it, you drag it out. But if you let yourself hit the bottom, then you come back. So I listened to Blue by Joni Mitchell with headphones, and I sit my lazy boy, and I just, I feel it. What an incredible compliment to an artist. Yeah, right. A record that she wrote, I'ma assume, about depression, speaks to someone and gets them out of their depression. Is there a bigger win for a songwriter than that?

Yes, she was in Paris, she was bummed out, she was missing California, and she wrote these, she just had a big breakup, and she wrote that album. Phenomenal artist. Probably as a guitar player too, incredible guitar player. Oh, is that right? Yeah, I mean, Stephen Stills, it's like one of his favorite guitar players ever, is Joni Mitchell. No shit. Her tuning was always unique and interesting, and the way she like ran about the fret, she's just, guitar players that know,

know about Joni Mitchell and her virtuosity on guitar. I'm glad she's getting a nod lately. Oh yeah. Yeah, with Brandi. Brandi Carlile. Carlile bringing out. Yeah. And you can see she's enjoying it. Yeah.

You know, she's on her throne, just like rocking her own, singing a little bit, it's great. Oh my God, the Hollywood ball this summer, she was the queen. Do you, I get migraines, okay, and I feel them coming on. Do you feel the depression coming on you? Oh God, here it comes. Happens fast, yeah.

It's the worst feeling. And when it happens, I really do have that thought. I go, here it comes. It's like looking at the sky, getting dark and moving towards you, and you know you can't get out of the way. Right, that's just common no matter what. I think your luck, or because you've done the work,

that you know there's a bottom to the depression. A lot of people depressed don't know there's a bottom. I think that's a scary thing. Yeah, there's a book by William Styron called Darkness Visible and he talks about depression because he was, you know, he wrote Sophie's Choice. He's one of the most prolific writers, but he would get writer's block and he talked about how he dealt with his depression. And it was, that's the main theme of the book is that when you're in it, you think it's going to last forever. And that you have, once you can acknowledge that,

that that's not the truth. Well, it's cognitive behavioral therapy, which is just realizing your thoughts are not your reality. And that you have to challenge. Right. Woo! That's the hard part. Yeah, yeah.

It's like being drunk. Being drunk, if you were drunk and you go, I don't want to be drunk right now, you can't not be drunk. Right. You got to grind out the drunk. Right. So I imagine it's a lot like depression. Well, depression is also,

you don't resource yourself when you're depressed. You know, if I'm good, I meditate, I work out. You write. I write. And when I'm not, I reach out to friends, I work out, I write, and when I'm not, I reach out to friends, I'm social, and when I get depressed, I can't be around people, I can't get to the gym, all the things

that you need to pull out of it, somebody you get paralyzed by. It's amazing, vicious cycle, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm glad you know how to deal with it, and able to be the greatest talent that you are, dad that you are, husband you are, it's a great friend. Well thank you, it's a fistful of medication.

No I got it. Whatever it takes. You know, people talk about gangster guys, like these prison gangster guys, so tough and hard. The hardest thing ever is being a dad doing the right thing. That Johnny wake up every day, do the right thing the insurance pay the taxes making sure all the stuff together That is the toughest guy to me. Yeah, and you get no accolades. There's no look at that tough dad over there He's got some savings man all the cars are ready to go kids are in college as a gangster right?

Yeah, that tough as a 401k account. That's the toughest shit ever, because it's hard to do. Yeah, and at the same time, trying to keep romance with the wife. Well, that too. Yeah. I had sex last night, man. Oh, good for you, man. It was giant.

As a married man, it was giant. Do you cycle through different positions, or have you got to that? Last night we did partner. You did? You guys have been together for 35 years? Yeah, in a long time. By the way, and we've discussed this, partner. You did? You guys have been together for 35 years? Yeah, by the way, and we've discussed this, the first 10 were everybody's nightmare. It

was like a Game of Thrones series our first 10 years. It was gnarly and scary and I don't recommend it for everybody. By the grace of God, we got out of that and we almost got all the nastiness out early. I signed a record You know, I signed a record deal in 94. I met her three weeks later at the Viper Room. I signed a record deal. I'm like, give me my noble rights. Bring it all on. I want it all.

And I met her, so I was still trying to exercise my noble rights, but keep a girlfriend at the same time. And I remember, but she was doing her own thing too. I think the reason why we can and we have survived is that she gave as good as she got. So you guys were both cheating on each other. Yeah. Thanks for putting in such a scene.

I thought I was being sort of like, I thought I was acknowledging that without saying the ugly part. Thanks a lot, Greg. I should just say, so you guys were swingers. Yeah, well swinging implies we were doing it together. Did you ever work a three way with her? No, I never have.

And I think I propositioned that once. Yeah, yeah. I think spicy, I'm a crazy guy. But that wasn't in her menu of tricks for sure. But yeah, no, we were not good at each other. I think none of us thought we'd get to here. I'm glad we did and we waited out. She's my best friend.

What did you learn from that tumultuous period that has given you the tools to make it through all these other years? That she's only human, and so am I. You know, we make mistakes, nobody's perfect. I learned one thing. I think a lot of women and a lot of guys too are waiting for that, you know, the white night to come in on the horse. This is the one. I always say this, you've met three people in your life you could have married and made it work. I say this. I don't know if you said this before, but you've married, I met, you have three loves

of your life, I think Charles Palmiteri said it, I guess in a Bronx tale, and it's just whether you can go the distance or if the circumstances were right at the time. Meaning that you have to, it's a give and take marriage, it's concessions. You're gonna hate your partner half the time, and that means you're doing it right.

Sorry to be so blunt, but it's the truth. You know, human, especially men, we're not put on this thing to be monogamous. So we're fighting history and DNA, and we're all trying to do our best. So I think understanding that she's not perfect and I'm not perfect has led us to here laughter for sure. We laugh at everything.

And she's my best friend. Who's the person you call with good news? Who's the person you call with bad. And she's my best friend. You know, who's the person you call with good news? Who's the person you call with bad news? That's your best friend. No, my son said to us recently, he's like, what is it with you two? You're like, you will call mom on your way home. Like half time I come in the door,

we're already on the phone talking. Right, I know! He's like, you've been together all these years, what the fuck? How great is that? Yeah, it's great, it's great. And she still has great tits. Well, there you go 34 double D's and they actually were they hers. Yeah, she didn't buy them. No, you know what helped breastfeeding She went up she didn't lose them. She went up a cup size when she breastfed. That's fun, isn't it?

Well, she did it for two years. I think is the key God looks down on you when you do that for your child and he goes, I'm gonna keep him like that for you. You know what, that's a good point. Yeah. I know some recede and then some look different than what they originally did. Right. Luckily you're staying as jolly as now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what's great too is you're setting a wonderful example for your son. You can actually love someone, be friends with them. You know, and it's just, you do everything right, correct? Yeah. But getting back to the sex thing, like the sex thing you kind of got to work at, because life gets in the way of sex for married couples. Yes. Meaning like you're tired, because you forgive each other. I'm tired, yeah, we'll do it later.

But you have to work in the romance. You're also not as horny as you used to be. No, that's for sure. Yeah. Not at all. Neither is she, but it works both ways. That's what I'm saying. Right, right. Are you still like driven? Could you have sex every day? No. Yeah. Do you have once a week with your wife?

About once a week. You liar. About once a week. Do you really? You guys have been together a long time. Although I have to say this. We just went to South Africa for three weeks where we were sleeping in tents and you know in paper thin walls.

Kind of sexy. Yeah. No, so we didn't at all for three weeks and then we got back and it occurred to me today with all the jet lag and all the shit that we still haven't had sex so it's been like five weeks. You'll be backed up. So I'm gonna I'm gonna throw a move on her when I get back to the house. She has no idea what's going on. No, she has a very good idea. Because I've been molesting her lately. I've been grabbing her tits and she knows what's coming. She knows who's coming. All right, it's time for Fast Dog, Fast Balls with Fitz.

Oh man, I'm laughing. Hey, by the way, your nickname, Fitz Dogg. Yeah. Probably the worst nickname ever for someone. So many people tell me that. You're not a Fitz Dogg. I'm not a Fitz Dogg. Fitz Dogg is that moron at the bar, the, you know,

Fitz Dogg's buying broke. That was the joke in college. I hated frat guys. Mike Gibbons, who's my best friend to this day. And as a joke, they started calling me FitsDog because I hated the frat guys. Okay, that makes me like it then. Yeah, I know.

That's the problem. I think when we talk about my freezing out at the middle, I think FitsDog is a part of that. I completely got you. Okay, thank you. FastDogs with Fits. FastDogs with, how about this? Guns from Greg.

All right. Any project that you've done that you regret? That's interesting. That's an interesting conundrum. Probably not, and I've been in some really interesting projects. Sharknado, Joke. Sharknado 2. 2, 3, and 6. been in some really interesting projects. Sharknado. Sharknado 2.

2, 3, and 6. Don't want to brag. I think I'm showing you my thespian skills. Doesn't everybody die in Sharknado? I was the only guy that didn't die. And I have the last piece of dialogue in the Sharknado franchise. Is that good or bad? Did you sink the project?

You want me to give you the most interesting part of Sharknado history and lore? Is that good or bad? Did you sink the project? You want me to give you the most interesting part of Sharknado history and lore? I was offered the original lead that Ian Ziering took of Finn, the character Finn in Sharknado. I was offered, they sent me the script, go your in, we're not looking at anybody else, we'd love to have you, blah, blah, blah. I read the script and called them and said There's too much acting in here. I don't think I can do it really Now the reason why sharknado worked Fitz dog is because

I am zeroing played the character like he was John McClane from diehard Zero irony zero breaking the fourth wall winking at the camera He played it like it was the most serious thing on earth. And that's the character Ian's hearing is. I played his best friend in two. So I was in a lot, a lot of Sharknado 2. And I remember when I got to New York to film the first day, I went to go say hi to Ian. And I went up to knock on his trailer.

You know, I go, I'm gonna go say hi. And there was a PA there. And I about to knock on the door and I hear, oh, ah, coming from the trailer. And I look at the PA who's probably writing there's a PA there, and I about to knock on the door and I hear, oh! Coming from the trailer. And I look at the PA, who's probably writing for like hacks right now or something, he goes, I think he's getting into character. And I just moonwalked back out of there and went,

oh my God, this is insane! So because he took it so seriously is why it succeeded. And you wanna know why? Because they make a million of these shark and whale and movies every day. And none of them. The guys in the office next to mine wrote them. Oh, they did?

The asylum guys? I don't know their name. It was his name. The guy had an interesting name. Can't remember his name right now. Getting older. But yeah, I mean, they make a lot of these movies. They make a lot of them.

And none of them caught on like Sharknado. It was lightning in a bottle. It was just like the press just got a lot of them. And none of them caught on like Sharknado. It was lightning in a bottle. It was just like the press just got a hold of it and they said, this is so silly and so ridiculous. And they took it, the same way that Ian took it seriously, the press did. Ion. Ion.

They kind of went like, this is what they're making and the movie's like, yeah, it's a fucking, you know, it's a send up. But it was a perfect storm of everything bad making it good. And then social media was really responsible for it. Everybody's like, are you watching this? Can you believe it?

It just caught on. But like I said, they make 10 of these movies every month and nothing else has caught on before or since Sharknado. It's just a perfect storm. Who is your best Asian friend? So to answer that, no, I don't regret anything, and I've been in some real stinker rows. Do you regret anything?

Oh, probably your pilot I did for you and Zach Alphanacus. I probably regret that. Hey, come on! That's the first time we met, right? You came to Jeopardy when I was crushing on Rock and Roll Jeopardy, remember that? And you guys were just hustling for any D-list celebrity. You found me like waiting in the F line and you said, Mark, you have like 10 minutes.

You guys were doing it. And I met you and I became a fan. I was like, I was a fan of you before. I saw you on a comedy thing. So I knew. Yeah, we were part of the Stern nation. Yeah, yeah. And that's why I really like, that's why I go.

I'm a fan of yours. And Zach, I'd never met before in my life. Well, Zach, nobody had. He Stern nation. Yeah, yeah, and that's why I really, that's why I go, I'm a fan of yours. And Zach, I'd never met before in my life. Well, Zach, nobody had, he was unknown. Yeah, it's crazy, yeah. And so yeah, he was the assistant, and the bit was we were interviewing him, we were interviewing you, and Zach is my assistant, and he brought the interview questions,

and he was doing the interview, and he said, "'So, did you learn a lot growing up in Alaska? And you were just like, what the fuck? And he goes, now you lived in a van for a while? And then I go, I go, Zach, these are jewels. And he goes, yeah, well, the expression is these are gold. But, and you just got up and stormed out. And it was perfect because I think you were,

we put you in the mindset of wanting to storm out. It was so silly. You guys are great at that. And I think my acting wasn't good enough to carry the bit. No, it was perfect. It was like a bio misdirect. I'm gonna send you a clip from it. I'd love to see it.

What was it called, do you remember? Time Capsule 2000. Did it ever make it to viewing? No, but the style that we shot in was very funny. The office came out not too long after, and it was exactly the kind of style we were shooting. So and then that became like the new way to shoot shows. And Mike Gibbons, who's my best friend, he directed it.

And I kind of give him credit for that. Well, so he stole your ideas. Nobody stole anything. You know, nobody stole anything. All right. All right. It's kind of like everybody stole Jackass's idea. Right. Who was your best? I'm going to switch it to gay. Who's your best gay friend? Well, I got a lot of gay friends, but the best, the one that you really. There's a guy who's no longer with us, who was my makeup guy at extra Keith

Creary that I loved like a family member. Yeah, I love gay folks, man. I just think they're just just fun. And usually like the funniest people ever meet are gay folks Yeah, they make fun of themselves I don't know why you think like the history they have going through and like you think that's why they're called gay Because gay is that is so interesting. I never thought about that. Maybe it is You're blowing my mind right now cuz I never knew why yeah Cuz gay like back in the 50s, like 30s and 20s,

hey, I got, you know, five foot two, eyes of blue, anybody see my guy? So like maybe that's where this came from. Those guys are kind of back. I love them. I love all that. Welcome back. A ton of gay fans. I love it. People yell sugar gay at me all the time, man. When's the last time you apologized?

Yesterday? Nice. Yeah. I do a lot of apologizing, being married. You know, I think it comes with the territory, you know? Yeah. I'll miss a pickup here and then at school or practice. You know, as much as I want to do.

I'm a busy man, I travel a lot. So probably. What was the apology? I think it was, I missed a pickup, a lacrosse pickup. I was late to it, not missed it. I should qualify that. Cause I'm like the worst dad ever. I think it was a four o'clock pickup

and I got there at four 15. And I said, I'm sorry. Was it your son or your daughter? My son. Was he hurt? No, he didn't care at all. Cause I've done that my whole life. And my son, we had this conversation, again, he's 24.

And last year he said something and I went, wait, how do you feel about my parenting? And he goes, oh, you're great. I go, yeah, but there must be some things that, and he's like, yeah, you were always late picking me up and you never remember my friend's names. Wow! I was like, dude, I have ADHD that has nothing to do with you. And you never knew that?

And he never told you that? No, and it kinda hit me for days. I felt so bad. Cause we're very close. Of course. But look, that's better than me and my dad, which was like, yeah, dad, I resent you cause you were an alcoholic who beat me and tried to make all my life choices for me through guilt.

I have one of those too. Yeah. I understand. So, you know, forgot my friend's names is, I'm getting off easy. By the way, exactly. On the list of dad, what did you do wrong? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you know, you didn't go for cigarettes

and not come back two weeks later. You know what I mean? I mean, come on. You got it pretty well. All right, well listen, Mark McGrath, thank you for coming back on the show. Thanks for having me, man. It's been a while. Absolutely.

It's so great having you back. It's an honor to be here. Is there anything you want to promote? I mean, look, we're on the website, markmcgrath.com or sugarbade.com. It's got all their dates on there if you want to come see us play. We're playing Beach Life, which is a festival in Redondo Beach, a great festival, a lot of great acts and artists. And I'm on kind of still- Dark Side of the 90s, is that still playing?

Dark Side of the 90s is still up and running on Ciducation. I hope we get another season because I want to get my health insurance crack. Right. That's always fun. And I'm kind of involved on X or Twitter at the real Mark McGrath, there's only one. But no, you know, my life has kind of settled in to like fly-in shows and giving the world their 90s needs. And I couldn't be happier.

I want nothing. If you want to come say hello, come say hello if you don't, no problem. I get it. Mark McGrath. Greg, you're the best, man. Thanks for having me. All right. the played on the field or I so

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