SmartLess - "Andy Richter: LIVE in Chicago”

Episode Date: August 3, 2023

It’s hard to find a descriptor… for the delights of Andy Richter.(Recorded on February 08, 2022)Listen to “SmartLess Live” episodes four weeks early and ad-free on Wondery+See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, listener, and welcome to Smart List. Before we get into this incredible episode, I want just a moment of your time to set the stage a little bit. Sean and Jason and I went on a smart list tour last year where we recorded 10 episodes live in front of thousands of our biggest fans from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. And guess what? Right now there are more live episodes from our tour on Wondry Plus that you can listen to. You can listen to these episodes four weeks early and add free on Wondry Plus,

after which you can hear them for free wherever you get your podcast. Find Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple podcasts. All right. Welcome to SmartLess. We got to make some kind of an announcement. Yeah, so like they have no, they can't use cell phones. Right, the case, your cell phones, they can't, we're sorry that we're running late. Yeah, but they should know that it's us making the announcements to what it's like.

We're making the announcements to what it's like. Somebody do it like in an accent or something. Okay, so please no flash. No, but in an accent, though, but in an accent. We tell them to turn on your mic. Can you turn on Sean's mic? Yeah, it's getting mic-shown. Let in an accent. Welcome to Chicago. Something like that. Yeah, and then what else are you gonna tell?

And then no flash photography. Right, and what else? And your fucking cell phone's away. Yeah. I think I can hear an echo like you might already be on. Stop, oh. Oh, am I excellent? Well then, you know what we have to say.

Uh-oh. Welcome to Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly!

Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Smartly! Hello, Zika-ga! What's up, Zika-ga? Oh!

Oh! Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, oh. You know, you hear the music, you get all pumped up. Take a seat. Oh, please, sit.

Oh my goodness. Wait for me, see, I want to see the house lights. I want to see the house lights. I want to see everybody. Yeah! What were you thinking? By the way, thank you for wanting to meet us because we wanted to meet you. Why are we so curious?

Oh, wow. As will might say, you made a horrible mistake. Yeah. That's not the line, but find. Terrible, terrible. No, not the line either. Huge mistake. Okay. Huge mistake.

Okay, got it. For those of you who might not know or even care, I'm actually from here. Wow. So, I have like, I have like a zillion stories of how this place shaped me. Okay, give him a profile. Oh.

We literally just ate Portillo's, I'm not kidding. Oh. We did. We did. It was a real mistake. I've chewed five gas eggs in the last two minutes. By the way, also a true story. Yeah.

I've got a coffee on top of it. It's just, it's a bad science experiment. Anyway, thank you for being here and coming out tonight. It means the world to us and we're going to sit down now. Yeah. Oh, I got to do it, man. You guys. You guys.

You guys. You guys. Now, let me, this is your guest tonight. Are you relaxed? Yes, but I will be burping Pratilla's throughout the night. Do you want me to throw up some of my guess ex? No, no. Yeah, no, gross, gross.

And by the way, Sean thought it would be a good idea for all of us to have these beef sandwiches and chocolate cake, shake. Chocolate cake, shake. Before the show, and Jason, who hasn't had anything but a salad for the last, you know, four and a half years, it's tough on your system. I might need a stitch later. Oh no.

Wow. Here's stomachs like, what is this coming at me? Right. Wait, so I want to share a couple stories from my child. Since I grew up here, I can't remember how much of my mom's I told you about. Yeah. Oh, no, bless it.

This is going to be, so forgive me if you've heard this, but I don't think I've said this before on the podcast. But so this sums up my mom in like one quick story. She was the greatest mom ever I love her so much. She's since passed away. Sure, death, clap for death. And so, and she had a really dark sense of humor. So at two years old, she had cancer, so she had her,

her one of her eyes taken out. And she, you know, growing up, she had to keep resizing the eye. Resizing the eye. I'm not laughing at cancer or anything. I'm laughing because my family we would laugh because otherwise you'd cry. So we've made fun of it and she would make fun of it and whatever.

But hang on a second, what happens if you do not stay current with resizing the eye? Great question. Great question. Will it fall out with a sudden move? No, well, your face would grow as you grow, but the eye would stay tiny. Right, so it might fall out if you sudden move. No, well, your face would grow as you grow, but the eye would stay tiny. Right, so it might fall out.

If you do not resize it. Right, so as you grow older and then she had the five kids and my dad left, you know all that story when I was five and then my mom raised all the five of herself. Oh, they remember all these hilarious stories. And he didn't really leave. He put it in drive and punched it. I think is what it was.

It was a tire screech, right? So I also have a masturbation story that I want to get to. Sure, yeah, yeah. That anyway. So by the way, tonight on a very special smart list, what the hell? OK, so my mom then, so she raised five kids very self

and then to kind of give back when I had some extra money and I became tiny but successful, I was like, mom, I want to buy the house for you that we grew up and then the one next to it and the other side knock all three down and build you a house and that's what I did, which was fantastic. She deserved it, right?

And so, and so, tore our entire family apart, but anyway, so, And so tore our entire family apart, but anyway, so... LAUGHTER So... I love how I just enjoy you get out of your own pain. I mean, don't laugh you cry. So then... So this sums up my mom. So I put her in a condo while the house is being built,

and then I wanted to do like a big, like, reveal, right? And so the house is being built, and then I wanted to do like a big reveal, right? And so the house is being built, it took like a year and a half, and I furnished the whole, like all new furniture, like silverware, and like art on the walls, and sheets, and like the whole thing was just turnkey. And so she, I have that big move, that bus moment, right?

And so she, right, so she came in, so we're all there, the whole family's there, behind the door, and she comes in the door, and she immediately starts, she cries her eye out, and she is like, she's like, oh my God, this is incredible. There was only one dry eye in the house. And he wasn't real. So, okay, so anyway.

So then she walks in, she walks in, she's crying around, and she walks in, and she goes, she's touching everything, she's like, oh my god, nobody's ever done anything like this for me in my entire life. I don't know that I would have picked out that couch. And, uh, and that's my mom. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. Oh. Oh.

Yeah. And oh, my God. My sister, my sister, not your knee, if you're going to propose to me. My sister brought that gift for you guys today. Is that it? If that's her eye, is it an eye? Oh, my God. Please let it be the eye. Oh. Oh. Oh, it's her eye. Is it an eye? Oh my God.

Please let it be the eye. Oh. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh, oh, oh, oh. I can't see this, but it's an eye. Yes. Is that?

That's my mom's eye. Is this really your mom's eye? Yes. That's my mom's eye. Sorry. I brought my mom's eye. Sorry. I brought it back to Chicago. Oh, wow. So she's going to keep an eye on us for the show.

Wow. Isn't that nice? Oh, I'm curious. Is there a snow odor whatsoever? It's a pretty eye. It's a very pretty eye. She looks like when she got fitter for this, she may have been a little stone. Or just finished a long lap in a pool.

Mom, not my mom. No. She worked. Anyway. That's so nice. That's so nice. That's so good. Let's make sure we remember where that is.

All right. I'm surprised it's not a ball. Well, it's an eye. I know, but aren't our eyes round? Like, what did that? It's just like a cap. What would it stick to, I wonder? Well, should you have, like, I don't know.

But you know, like, there'd be like muscle and stuff. It's not like a... Maybe it was a ping pong, and then they put that on top of the ping pong ball. No, no, no. There was a little tiny... I'm not even kidding. A little tiny plunger suction cup. Then she'd go, and pull it out to clean it.

So she would take it out? Yes. And clean it? Yeah, hang on a second. And then wait. And then... And then when she would go out bowling on Thursdays, as I said this on the podcast, we would have friends come over and knock on the door, and there was a chain,

and we'd open the door with the iron and go, who's there? Like that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Oh, OK. I want to meet you. Do you say you wish you'd met as my eye second, that? I wish you'd met my mom.

I did. I said in the car today, we were driving it from the airport, and I said, or maybe it was on the car on the plane. And I said, I really wish that I met your mom. She would have loved you guys. We would have loved her because we love you more than anybody. She was the best. She was the best.

Yeah. All right. So, is it Sean Hayes, the greatest? Come on. Let's get on. Come on. Everybody up, everybody up. Yeah.

Yeah. Get on. Get on. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody out everybody out The best What did I say today you make me what did I say I said something remarkably nice and I Plain you did it was really sweet. Well, we'll remember you could you forgot it so For my guest tonight guys., this is exciting. Right, I forgot. Yeah, yeah. I wanted to get someone who has some Chicago roots

and who is a friend to us three. Right, wait, we know this person. You know this person. This fellow went to University of Illinois and Columbia College. You might know it as soon as they said, he was in the original cast of the real-life Brady Bunch back in the 90s, which one of the funniest things ever saw.

He has since appeared in parts alongside Wolf Farrell and Elf Tell a Dig in Knights, and he's in the period in one of my all-time favorite TV shows that had his name in the title. Who? Now, he may not have had his own talk show with his own name in the title, yet, but he's the biggest reason Conan O'Brien did. It's Andy Mcer! No! No! Woo!

No! Andy! Hi! Hi, buddy. Hi, man. No! Let's go. Yeah.

Andy, great play. How are you? Hi. Hi, pal. Hi, pal. Hello. Hi, everybody. And they're the director. Hi, yeah. I was just talking about it, right? All we do is talk about you. I was like, oh, I got to keep it in.

I got to keep it in. And today, Andy tweeted out, and I read it to Sean. Yes. When we landed here, Andy tweeted out, he said, does anybody know a watch? No, I don't. I don't know. I gotta keep it in. And today, Andy tweeted out, and I read it to Sean, when we landed here, Andy tweeted out, he said, does anybody know a watch that's appropriate for fisting because I'm trying to make summer plans?

And I thought, well, that's a great tweet. Yeah, I mean, I'm traveling. And he should think of traveling, I'm thinking this summer, what can I do with myself? Sure. Single now, with myself? Sure. Single now. So sure. Sure.

You know, I'm just, Solomon Giorgio, who's a stand, a really funny standup, said, which hand are you gonna be using? And I said, probably the left, because I wanna keep the right free for the TV remote. Sure. Sure. Yeah.

Wow. Always multi-tasking. No, I know. You might want to hang out around Belmont after this, but anyway. How nice of you to come out here and join us. I am thrilled. Very cool of you.

Yeah, yeah. This is so exciting. Sean Astin, and I was really, was actually kind of lucky because I was like, I've, you know, like, I've listened to this podcast. I'm sorry. I know, it's okay. It's okay. I do a double speed, you know.

I'm unemployed, so I have a lot of time on my hands. But no, I really was like, after you asked me, I was like, was about to text like, hey guys, I'm gonna, and I was like, oh no idiot, it's supposed to be a fucking surprise. Well, yeah, all right. But did Smarty Pants tell you what's a surprise? Like, like, like, did he help you with it?

He did, he did. Not in the initial text. No, and he help you with it? Yes, he did. He did. Not in the initial text. No, no, and then I forgot. And then I forgot. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, and then you said, you said, the funniest text back. I was in my phone.

I said, hey, if you want to chat about anything like beforehand, and you're like, oh, I can't wait to read some of my poetry. I said, yeah. You said, you know, you want to know a little bit about what we'll talk about. And I said, well, first, I'm only talking about my poetry. This round loves it.

Yep. And secondly, I need at least 10 minutes to promote my new 24-year-old girlfriend, Lelani's vegan jewelry. Oh, good. Oh, we have a website on that, a web address? Yeah, yeah. There's a, we're bringing a screen in.

We're going to have a whole lot of people. Maybe you can sell the jewelry in the lobby when Sean comes here to do that play all right You're coming here to do a play. I could hear you. Yeah, what's another yeah Yeah, I'm playing anyway, so no, but speak of the jewelry. Have you seen Sean's new jewelry line? Wow, yeah, it's nice right? Oh, wow. Yeah, it's nice, right? Mandy. Yeah, that's what I mean.

Wow, that is weird. So, Andy, you're from here. When's the last time you were here? Do you ever jerk off in front of this? It's her him. I mean, it's a natural. We were all thinking it. That's so gross.

Where is the last time you were here? In Chicago, Thanksgiving. My daughter and I came out for Thanksgiving. Wait, but you didn't grow up? No, everybody's out in the western suburbs now. My sisters and my brothers are here with their families. But where did you go up? I grew up in Yorkville.

Okay. Yorkville. Yeah It's kind of by Aurora. You know, right? It's okay. No, that's all right. I mean, it's getting better, you know That it's it's that's how they have a portillos. No, I don't think they do have a portillos, but they have a water park now, which they didn't use to have. Oh, man, I bet it's nice right now. And at that town, the two probably most famous people out of Yorkville are me and Dennis Hastert. So yeah, to Mix Bag, right? Yeah, to Mix Bag.

What you know, you say you were here at Thanksgiving, this will always be bad, great mix bad. To mix bad. What do you know you say you were here at Thanksgiving? This will always be the iconic place for any sort of winter holiday because of the John Hughes films for me. Yeah. Like, nothing says winter cozy holiday than Chicago and the suburbs of it. I just, I fantasize about that.

Because you know, it's like 79 on Christmas in LA. It's like you want to blow your brains out. Yeah, I know. It's 79 years old. No, seriously, it's depressing. To sweat on Christmas? No. No.

These unbelievable coastal elites, right? I mean, you know, I'm Canadian. You guys are from Chicago, and then these guys, with their, anyway, it's a bunch of BS. No, you're right. You're absolutely right. It does suck. Wait, when you grew up growing up, you're one of the funniest people who I feel like

really hasn't gotten that huge opportunity to kind of have your own thing. Yes. Very handsy, so every job I get, I usually. No, but picked out. I know what you mean, though, Shunny's, you're the quickest, maybe one of the quickest people ever of all time.

But that's like, because of improv, right? In Provolympics. And I promised you how you started that through Chicago. Chicago. Well, I started out at University of Illinois and kind of, go along, I. And I started there, and I went there at Universe Villanoi and kind of... Goal on, I. And I started there, and I went there for two years, and then I decided to go to film school,

so I transferred to Chicago to Columbia College, and I got the fun thing after being out of the house for two years, got to move back home. Oh, man. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Yeah. What was the first big problem? Was it bringing a girl home?

Was it your home? That wasn't that big of a problem. But it should do. Dude, it should do. No. Did they find your bond? No, no. It's just my family.

And they're here. They'll test. They're really annoying. It's just my family. And they're here, they'll test. They're really annoying. I'm just... One asshole after another. And, you know, I mean, I'm pretty cool. So, yeah, contrast is very stark. Did you go through improv Olympic

with anybody that you've been to friends with? Yeah, actually Kate Flannery, which is great. She's great Meredith on the office. Yep. She was in my first improv class, and I've told her this since, but she used to, before each class,

she'd be furiously writing in a journal, and I always read over her shoulder to see whatever she was writing. It was always guy trouble. Yeah, yeah. Do you have any characters that you created there that you remember that you loved or was there any kind of improv game

that you loved that we could play right now? Oh, shit. Oh, god. I love that. Oh, yeah. Okay, really, you want to bring out the hoops and make us jump to him? I love that.

I love that shit. I think it's so fun. You're shot in character right now. Name in a plot. All right, You're showing a character right now. I'm naming a part of our art. All right, you're a space dentist. Go. And then, no, I mean, because you wrote a lot there, right? Yeah, but there's kind of like this macho.

I was in improv Olympic, which is del close, you know, school of improv. Yeah, yeah. And it's very, there we go. What event did you excel in? What event did you excel in? Being of improv. Yeah, yeah. And it's very, there we go. What event did you excel in? Huh? What event did you excel in? Being fucking funny.

Yeah. Yeah. No, well, it was all long form. Like, the idea was we would do this thing called a herald, which is a long form improv. You get a suggestion, and then you, you know, you're fuck around for half an hour, you do different scenes.

JB, like they do a dance yet. Yeah, yeah, it's like kind of like a dance. We last sawdys for a subject or a word. Well, wait, wait, wait, wait. By the way, for Tracy, who's actually here backstage, but she's not coming out. She's not coming out. Oh, my God.

She's not coming out. She's not coming out. She's not coming out. She's not coming out. Tracy. She's not. Tracy. Tracy. Tracy.. Tracey. Tracey.

Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey.

Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey.

Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Tracey. Yeah Real life Tracy So she doesn't seem as dumb as Sean makes her sound It's gonna say explain what ask had is because it's such a great thing. Never mind. All right, so. Well, No Ask Cat is they know what it is.

Yeah, I mean, you all know it long for him. Improv is? I mean, it's fucking Chicago for Christ. But you were here at that time. What an unbelievable time. I mean, Chicago is basically the home of Improv in America. And it's where, yeah, it is. And all the people that, certainly,

all the people that I look up to who are great comedic, sketch performers and improvisers are all people who came out of it. I was also jealous. Somebody asked me once why I'd ever did sketch it. I said, I was too dumb to think about, I should go to Chicago and do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

All these incredible people, forget the names are insane. Oh, yeah, I mean well like Matt Walsh I mean, I always like to say twice. I mean nominated Matt Walsh He had no he likes it even more when you say yeah, yeah, yeah, uh Faye Steve Correll, I'm like so many people. Yeah, Amy Sederis was here Paul De Nello Steve Correll We will be right back Steve Carell. We will be right back. This episode of Smart List is brought to you in part by Skinny Pop Popcorn.

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In addition to the original popcorn, Skinnypop offers a variety of delicious flavors ranging from white cheddar to sweet and salty kettle. Shop Skinnypop now at Amazon. Now back to the show. Tell me about like writing and did you enjoy that and how did you then parlay that into the culture? I was, I'm a terrible at writing. I mean, I'm good.

And I, and one of the reasons that I liked improv was because it was acting and writing all at once and I didn't get a chance to think about it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because when I sit down to write, I end up just like... Right. Yeah, it's so hard to say in the world. I said the kid that when I was a little kid, my mother put a desk in the basement facing a cement wall.

For absolute sensory deprivation to do my like third and fourth-grade homework Which was so easy to do and I would be like oh my god This will take 20 minutes. Why are you down here for an hour? Come on just try it and I'd be like one question go like oh my god It's like kryptonite In front of a brick wall. Yes, and that's not so healthy It was like because I just was so distracted. And then I just, you know, I just kind of, like my kids have 80-D too.

And like, will they ask, the only advice I have to them is like, well, you just have to do the work. Like, there's no secrets. There's no secrets. Yeah, this whole life, I'm, my whole, living my whole life with not being able to get shit done. It's like, oh yeah, right. Wait, do you have 80-D? You just do it. You have 80-D? I do, yeah, this whole life I've my whole living my whole life with not being able to get shit done It's like oh, yeah, right. Do you have 80 you just do it? You have 80? Yeah It seems like everybody's got 80. So like is it a thing and how do you know?

How about it's just like a lot of shit boring? No, no, it's a It's a real thing because there's a difference between... What's the ADHD? That's hyperactivity. That's me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Get a load of me disease.

But how do you... Get a load of me disease? How do you check for it? How do you diagnose it? Like is there a test? Yeah, there's educational psychologists that can diagnose it. And there's medication to treat it? Speed, baby.

Are you giving these speed? Well, I mean, that's what Ritalin is. I actually was on ADD. What was on ADD? Yeah, Adderall. It's all just speed. And I went, I was on ADD meds for a while years ago. And then just because it's a,

raised your blood pressure and stuff, I set up taking them, right. But I would get a generic of, and I don't remember, it was Adderall or one of them, but I would get the generic and the bottle just said, and fed a mean. Oh, really? And one time, yeah, like one time,

I was shooting something down in San Diego on a marine base, and they're like, I have to go through your bag and it's like, and fed me. Yeah, yeah, those are pretty much the same. You're scratching and snorting. Uh-huh. So then how did you and Conan meet and how did that happen?

Um, well, there's, uh, there's like some classified ads out in LA. Uh-huh. Lonely people. No, I, what, you mentioned the real library, Brady Bunch. That's what, for Tracey, if you're listening, or anybody who doesn't know, real library, Brady Bunch was kind of like a state.

An annoyance theater production in the era of Brady Bunch episode. Yeah, annoyance theater. Yeah, it was so fucking funny. And by the way, Sean, sorry, I just love seeing you go, like, just so naturally. And by the way, Tracy, and you're just looking at wings. Are you less than, yeah.

What character's you playing real life pretty much? I played Mike Brady. I mean, but that was like. That's the dead, right? Yeah, that's the dead. Because I mean, we're in Robert Reed. It's been a while. Fucking dead ringer.

No way, I put it in, so it's Mike Craig, Peter Bobby, right? Yeah, thank you. Right, right, there you go. That's really good. I think you're really deep in love with a thing. I'm not quick or bright. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Wait, so I have A to D. What did you say?

I played Mike Brady, but that was. But I was like the third or fourth Mike Brady. It was when it went from Chicago to New York, the guy that was playing Mike Brady, also worked at the Innoence Theatre, like had a, you know, he was like a salary person there. So he couldn't go to New York. So I asked Joey Salahue, can I go along, you know, buy me a cheap wig? All right, you know? So was it like that tight curly wig?

Oh, it was awful. It was seriously like a $17 wig that was like a bathing cap with hair on it, you know? So I feel like I got a bit of a Carol Brady going right now. I need to cut this flip. It need a little bit longer. Oh yeah, yeah. Looking Lynch played Carol Brady in the show,

and she had the just like the shittiest, like little Carol Brady flip that had like a, just an elastic strap that she like hit under her pants. That she just would strap on, you know, who played Alice and how was she? Mary Wiesen, she was great. She was sort of originated the role here. She's kind of like a more musical theater person.

I would have played Tiger. That would have been fun. The dog. Wait, well, it was such a big thing that we all pitched in. You know, it was like, when I heard they were gonna do it, I thought it was the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard. Right. And then when I saw the first night of it,

I don't know that I've ever laughed harder. Sean, you saw it. Yeah, a long, long time ago. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because everybody in it was really town. Oh, my God, really. If you met Conan there? No.

I did not. That, uh, see, you got to bring him back on track, guys. Right, right. You. You got to keep your eye on the prize. I, uh, I, we went to New York and then the Brady Bunch moved to LA and I went to, I went to LA with the Brady Bunch. And in the meantime, Betty Kale, a Chicagoan, uh, who is a friend of mine that I went to

Columbia College with, she had, she was on SNL for a season. And that summer, she was in LA. You point a lot, and I, you was in LA. Do you point a lot? You point, Constellate? Yeah, yeah, yeah. This, it's my Bernie Sanders imitation. Um, and then we, no, we, um, she comes out to LA. She comes out to LA.

I hang out with her. She's friends with Robert Smigel. I meet Robert Smigel. Robert is, is going to be the head writer on Conan Show and says, do you want to meet Conan O'Brien? Did you know Conan was at the time? Was Conan already on the air? I knew that he was the guy.

When the question had a time, man. No, no, no, no. He had just done like a screen test kind of thing. And I just was just announced this guy who was a comedy writer on the Simpsons is going to be the replacing David Letterman. I just heard about it like anybody else. And then like two days after it happened, I went to Jeff Garland was taping a pilot in LA where he played like a New York cop, like a lovable guy, which, you know, Garland as a cop,

is of course, he's absolutely a cop. Yeah, totally the world's own. Chattiest cop. Yeah, exactly. But I actually went to that with Kate Flannery, and we sat in front of Bob Odenkirk, who is there with Carol Leifer. Yeah, yeah, I feel.

And I totally, totally eaves Eve dropped on them talking about Conan, because Bob is very good friends with Conan. And Bob actually, Bob and his brother Bill, actually in the beginning of late night, came out and wrote on the show for a couple of months. And guess. And Bob and Conan were roommates at one point. Yes, here in Chicago, here in Chicago.

Yeah, during the right, they were working on SNL, and during the writer's strike, they came here and they did a live show. This is Bob's Michael. Bob Odin. Oh, Bob Odin. Bob Odin was in that show too. Robert's Michael. Bob Odin Kurt.

Conan. Jeff Garland was here at that time, so I think they stayed here. Unbelievable. I mean, just heavy hitters. So then, how did you get from meeting Conan there to becoming such a close friend with him and then becoming the co-host of the Conan O'Brien show? Right. Look at you, they're cheering on for you.

They've gone to Matt and ADHD. We try to sit them in the front. Yeah, yeah. Look at him go, asking questions like a big boy. What was the moment that you and Conan met? We arranged lunch in Los Angeles at Junior's Delicateson. Oh, sure.

And no longer there. I ordered food, Conan ordered a can of coke. And I was like, because for me, it was someone who was paying for lunch. So, bring it on. And we just hit it off really well. Immediately, we could be as stupid as we wanted with each other. Was it just to be friends or was there?

No, we didn't get a job as a writer on the show. As a writer. You think it was a date? Well, I don't know. I mean, they're both handsome girls. I don't see how it is, but you know, that's what I'm saying. We were spooning in a booth.

But, but, but, so because the notion of you being on the couch I'm just a douche. You know? That's not funny. We were spooning in a booth. But because the notion of you being on the couch with Conan during that show all the time was never really part of the plan, Questermark? I'm not supposed to say it like that. Rising intonation I could tell. Okay, good. You're not talking to Siri. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. He does, by the way, he does do so much of dictating his text while he's driving. So and you know people who do this, but you'll be in a room. We'll be all in the room. We've been on the road now for like a week or whatever. And Jason will be in the corner and he'll be going, hey honey, are you there? A question mark. I'm just going to dot, dot, dot, dot dot dot dot dot dot Call me back and get a second comma and envelope

I can't wait to see you I tell it x o x o smiley face emoji hard emoji Kiss emoji Who doesn't who doesn't that? But wait so so I got hired as a writer, right, right. And there was like an implicit promise that you're gonna perform at some point, too. And then just as the show evolved

and he started doing test shows in studios around... He realized he wasn't enough. No, no. Robert's Michael. I mean, no, that's still a few years off. Yep. But he... No, Robert's Michael, I mean, no, that's still a few years off. But Robert's Michael just went, go sit with him and keep him company. And which like, we worked together long enough to know like,

oh yeah, that's something that needs to be done. You might have made it to him. But was the guy who did the little mouth thingy cut into the face, right? Saddy TV fun house. Are you talking about the triumph the insult dog? Yeah. But he also was the guy with the mouth behind. Yeah, we did. Oh, on Conan when they put the other mouth.

Yeah, we call this clutch cargo. Wasn't that what's that his hand? Or no, I'm thinking of the in-laws. Oh, man. We've Peter Fault about that. That's senior Wences. I'm so old, you guys. This is all starting to go.

So wait, I've always thought, because obviously we love Conan. He was on the tour with us already. He's amazing. But I always thought when I watched it, every single kind of wisecrack you kind of cut in with or any, it was always fucking so funny. You just waited and then you went,

bam, like right in there. And I was like, he could have his own talk show. Is there any kind of aspiration to do that? Because it seems like you could so seamlessly. Did you ever try to kill Conan? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. I never did try to kill him. And honestly, it was, I was happy to have that position.

I would not want, like, there was so much of just the time that I've spent being his TV wife. There was so much stuff that he had to deal with, that he kind of likes dealing with, and that I'm just like, lemme alone. He has to have so many meanings, and he has to know so many... It's a lot. ...puky, you know, like executive types.

Remember their name. I don't know anybody's name. I don't have to say. You just want to do bits. I just want to, yeah, just, I want to show up. I want to make television. I want to make funny stuff. And I don't want to have a bunch of boring meanings.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Baby wants fun. Yeah, yeah. I bet you both these guys would agree that anytime we were on that couch, the idea that you were right here the whole time was very comfortable. Yeah, very, very comfortable. It was like, it was great. I love it. I was smelling your hair. Yeah, I mean, that's hard not.

That's the comforting. But it's mostly the blue. Again, you know, not unlike Chicago, you were at Conan at a time when you guys started doing that show, you really kind of once again broke the mold. David done it with Letterman in the 80s. And then you guys read it. You had amazing writers, most of whom were sketch performers or a lot of them from Chicago. Who came.

It was a real Chicago Boston kind of split. It was unbelievable. And you guys did so many unbelievable sketches. You guys remember in the early 90s and late 90s, whatever. There were so many amazing moments. Yeah. Being there at that time, was it every day where you like, fuck yeah, I'm so psyched to go in there and do these bits and work on this show.

No. Great. Good night. Good night. I mean, you know, it's like. What do you mean, no, you weren't? No, not every day. I mean, you know, what am I?

How was the... I mean, you know, for this... What's the worst? What's the worst? But the worst? My shorts are the big long. Well, you need to learn to appreciate it. How heavy was the lift though?

I mean, like, you'd get in there, you guys would shoot what about five o'clock, right? Well, no, it was... In the beginning, it was brutal. So you were on 47 weeks a year, five days a week. How long was the day for you? You'd get in at what time? It's late at what time?

10 a.m. and usually leave around midnight. Really? In the beginning. Every day? Yeah, I'm out. Just because you're 14 hours. That's what I want to write. What's your bits?

Write bits, produce bits. What's the staff for? Well, when I got hired, I was a writer. You know, I was on the show too, and then they began... What do I mean? No, I know. ...to look at how tired he is thinking about it. Oh, I mean...

What do I mean if... Hey, portal to portal. No, no, no, no, who said you your suit? I went on a one hour show, though, you would think it would be a shorter day, but not every... Can I just tell you something? This is really on brand for this. And I just want to talk about what happened

backstage today. Oh my god. Hang on, can I just tell you where we came out? Yeah, so I want to just want to say, so everywhere we go, we've been on tour for a week. And Andy, you're going to appreciate this because you've known Jason for a long time. By the way, I drank out of that.

Yeah. I don't care. It's been super easy. And his mom's eye came in that too. So, everywhere we go, we have the special water and almonds and popcorn. And, I didn't ask for any of it. So, Jason starts going, it dawns on him

and I'm like, everywhere we go, we're the popcorn and the almonds and the lemon water. And they're like, where is this coming from? And we find out. Well, look, I, hey. Hey. But I said, I said, it dawned on me, that like, all my favorite things.

Because we're all saying in the same hotel room, we thought it'd be fun and funny. It's a fucking drag. Are you really? So are you really? Yeah. We're all saying this is same hotel room. We thought it'd be fun and funny. It's a fucking drag. Are you really? So are you really? Yeah. We're always saying that it's fun. It's great.

But all my shit is in there. This lemon perfect. A great beverage. I highly recommend it. It is a great beverage. Almonds. Daddy likes almonds. There's a certain kind of candle

that I do like a nice smelling candle. Yeah. And by the way, and there's skinny pop pop. And every time I walk in, I go, scan a pop. OK, so, but I realized that whomever was tasked with getting this stuff in the hotel room, in the dressing room, I must think, I'm a fucking monster. Yeah. But so on. Right, so the point think, I'm a fucking monster. Yeah.

But, but, but, so, but the point is, I'm trying to find, but I'm trying to, because I never asked for it. I'm trying to track down. It must be one of my friends from back home that told whoever's arranging things here, oh by the, I just want to make sure they say, don't make the mistake of not having X, Y, and Z.

I hope it was like, oh by the way, just if you've got something, you know, Jason happens to like, such and such, and I think the guy's like it, too. It wasn't like that. It wasn't like that. And the best part was, Jason was like, how come there's nothing for you and Sean don't have anything? And I was able to, you know, when you get on the high road? And it's open.

And you're able to be just super chill on the high road, and you go, because we don't need anything. And it's open. And you're able to be just super chill on the high road and you go, because we don't need anything. But wait, Andy. Andy, I want to get that. I know, I know. I know, I know. I know.

I know. So wait, I would show you. You remember the time, the time that you, there was some kerfuffle about you in line at the Apple store? Oh, cool. And you got, do you all know about, yeah, they didn't see it, they clearly already know it.

Oh my God. We were just going to talk to about it. That was so hilarious when I happened. And I think I saw you like the day after and you were like, I was not cutting the line. But wait a minute, I want to get back, I want to get back to the story. I put the story so they know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to get back to just a little bit about Chicago. Because Chicago, I know. Hey, Sean. Hey, what's going on? And I want to get back to Chicago. And everybody knows there's so many great music and great bands and everything like that. Are from here, did you have anything

like that growing up where you just anybody you loved or maybe somebody now or whatever? Because I love, I was in a band called Sounds From The Stairs. Hold for a while. That's for a five-year. What was Sounds From The Stairs? It was all keyboard again. But what was the significance of the name?

None of your business. Wow. Sounds from the stairs. It sounds like they started practicing in the basement of Bob's Hall. That's exactly what it was. That's exactly what it was. What kind of songs?

Oh, just synth pop, you know. Well, an example. Like, we would do covers of the cure. Oh, my God, it sounds so cringy. Sean doing synth pop. Did you have a smoky eye? Ha-ha. We'll be right back.

And now back to the show. So I would be, you know, like, when you play keyboards in a band, you can't really like, you know, jam like you can in guitar. Because you can't jump, because you missed the keys. So I'd be like, no, right, the key, right, but I only played synths, so I'd be like, I'd be jamming out, and then whenever it was my turn to, play I'd go. 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 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 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 Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band.

Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band.

Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band.

Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in the band. Not in. Wilco is in the city. Well, it's so funny because we keep, these guys turn me on to Wilco and I was reading about Jeff Tweedle and how incredible he's reading. No! I mean, Tweedle. No. Tweedle, I can't even say. Tweedle, hang on, let me just finish.

Jeff Tweedle, about how. You're fired. Hang on. I was waiting, I was waiting. I just wanna make sure we got that, right? Yeah. I was waiting. I was waiting. Yeah, right? Yeah. I was reading it. Yeah, we don't.

That is a perfect example of something. Listen, let's have to go through the Sean Hayes filter. Yeah, yeah. I was reading about Jeff Tweetie and how amazing he is. And he's not only like a songwriter and a musician and a record producer and a Grammy winner. He's also here. Jeff Tweetie!

No! No. Whoa. What? Wow. Wow. Wow. I know you. I know you.

I never met you. That's in the middle. All right, sitting in the middle. Right. Oh, my God. This guy's great. He's breaking out right now. Yeah.

Have you never met him? I have met him. I met you on a tour bus, but I was not in a real good place to talk, because I'm a little... I was a little star-struck like I am now. Oh, no. Good, good. It's so cool that you're here.

Thank you. Aren't you in the middle of recording an album or something? We are. We're recording. Yeah. We'll post recording in a studio. Yeah. On Instagram, I saw a photo of, I don't know if it's your basement

or some room in the house. You have hundreds of instruments in this room. And where is that in your house? And did you have that growing up? And your kids love that? Or what's in it? Oh, no, no. I didn't, we didn't have any instruments.

I had a blocky. Yeah. Were you facing a wall with a desk? Yeah, I had a desk in the basement. So that's like a Chicago thing? Yeah, yeah. Just put the kids in the basement against a wall. A lack of visuals, did me a lie.

Oh, God. I have to say, I was asked to come out here last night. Yes. And I was like, oh, that's exciting. I went to sleep, and I dreamt that you were my best friend. Yeah. Yeah, good luck. And I've been to a lot of people have had that dream.

Yeah, I have that dream every night. So in my dream, I get so excited about getting to do this that I go and tell you, and you start crying. Because I ruined the surprise of me being here for you, because I forgot that you were on the show too, because I was excited about meeting you. No! Oh. Yeah. How many times has that happened?

By the way, I didn't hear that, but now I know. I rehearsed my little bit with Andy Randy all day. And I got your name wrong. That's all right. No, now I read a recent interview of yours where I love this because I love talking about this. I'm a musician as well. I study piano for 20 years, but classical now.

What you do is stunning, by the way. And so I love what you said about creating music. It's something about your mind disappears, but you're also present at the same time, and that's when you become creative. Like, explain that, because I think that's fast name, because I only got the disappearing part. LAUGHTER Well, that's helpful, isn't it? I mean, that's like, that's I think that's fast name because I only got the disappearing part. Well, that's helpful, isn't it?

I mean, that's like, that's like, that's one of the, we all look for things to do that are, a way to kind of transport ourself outside of the burden of being in our bodies or be. Jason, James Cummings for that, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But so you kind of have one foot in and one foot out. Oh, I just think that you just try and put yourself

in the path of doing something creative. And what I feel like I get out of it more than anything is these moments that just kind of go away without me having to consciously try and kill time or be thinking about something that I don't have control over. I think a lot of games, crossword puzzles, those time sucks. A lot of things do that, but I think that there's something nice about having activities

that you come back from that experience with something that wasn't there before, like a writing or a song. I love that. I love that. Can I ask? I just want to calm down. OK.

Yeah. So, but I would let the robot speak. I would ask this to any musician as I would like a writer of like books or screenplays. I'm assuming when you write a screenplay or a book, you're writing and then the next word kind of falls in next and how should the story go and it just kind of falls out in a natural progression. Is it the same way when you're strumming and you're kind of trying to come up with a new song and you find a good rhythm and then just naturally because you have great taste?

Oh, this chord would sound good after that. And by the end of a few minutes, you've got yourself a song. Is it that easy? Or say what to that? I, that, that, that, that, that, that can happen, but it doesn't, that's not normally how it happens. What, is it, is it normally like there's a certain structure,

a certain chord has to follow, another sharp thing? Like, is it really, it will be? Oh, you do? Well, you listen to... You listen to... You listen to... You listen to... You listen to...

You listen to... I love it. I love you so much. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. How?

How does music... How does music... How does music... It's like math equation. Yeah. I'm not... I'm not... I'm not... I'm not... I'm not... I'm not a question. I'm not a question. I range. No. Not to shoot.

Sorry. Not to shoot. I'm not no thing. I'm not assessing. See, I've got a battery packet. Oh, no. Oh, my God. Help me, Jim.

Help you. I can help you. You're like, you improvise conversation all the time, because you have a vocabulary. You learn a vocabulary, and you learn certain phrases and things that you like, and you express yourself, and you tend to repeat some of those things, because you know they're effective

in how you're able to communicate when you use those. There's no different with music. There are certain building blocks of the vocabulary that you get from your record collection and from things that you like and things you care about and other songs that you've written. And eventually, it does become sort of conversant in a way that you can construct a sentence

or a story out of whole cloth just by sitting down and saying, I wonder what would happen next. But the most fun part about doing it is the discovery for yourself, that you don't really know where it's going to go. And that's the, I don't know, that's my favorite part of it. Isn't that a rad answer? Is that an ASS? I don't question.

No, it's a good question, too. And Andy. Yeah, you guys are making fun of him. He's the only one that cares. Believe me, it's a great, great day. For the fun of him. He's the only one that cares. I believe he's the only one that cares. I'm just waiting for the fun of it, just for the sport. But Andy, you get that, right? I mean, that's what improv comedy is about, too.

That's a similar language in that way. Yes, definitely. And especially when you're doing improv, like you learn little tricks or little rules, that they're not like the things, you know, discoveries pop in. Like, when I was doing improv on a regular, you know, like whatever eight shows a week or something, there were times where we'd be on stage and there'd be things coming out of

my mouth that I didn't know. Like it just felt like autopilot and like, holy shit, I'm good at this, you know. And so, but that doesn't happen now. But it is, you learn tricks to kind of just keep the ball in the air until you have that real moment of inspiration, like the really new thing. Yeah. Jeff, can I switch gears? Your son, Spencer, is still playing drums?

He is, yeah. And so my other son, Sammy, is singing with me. And not in Wilco, but we make records. My solo records are mostly with my kids. It's incredible. We came, do you remember years ago? We came to see with Madison Square Garden. And I was with Fred, Armour Sid, and Amy,

and we went in there, and then these guys go on, and Wilcoe go on, and then Jeff welcomes his son, and Spencer was like, 12 of the time, maybe. I think it was his 13th birthday. It was, it was his 13th birthday, that's right. That's what he just said. And he got up, yeah. That's what he just said.

He just said it just now. Yeah, he said it. Holy shit. Yeah, I don't know He just said it just now. Holy shit. Yeah, I don't know how you do it. But here he goes on, he's 13, and he plays with you guys at Madison Square Garden. That's so cool.

Was he cool with it or was he nervous? He was pretty nervous, but he was cooler than I would have been, for sure. Yeah, you don't know fear of losing. And cooler than I was, actually, on stage looking at him, like I'm forgetting the lyrics, you know, because I'm so worried about him You know, yeah, yeah, do you commonly get anxious in front of a large audience? No, I'm here all the time I know what and I mean, Andy as well, I'm sure you guys have had, like, we also have had

probably moments where you have a performance, whether it's live or on camera, that you're totally relaxed or, and you might think it's not that great, and it probably isn't, but I do my best over the night, I got a healthy level of anxiousness or nerves. Do you like to find that place?

healthy level of anxiousness or nerves. Do you like to find that place? I mean, not really. You know. I mean, I- You'd rather just be totally- Yeah, I, for this, you know, bullshitting, being funny while bullshitting. Right.

It's much better to just be free and Lucy Goosey and not, you know, because I, it shuts me down. Being nervous shuts me down. It doesn't give you that little bit more energy that you might have for... No, and I just, I just don't work that way. What is nervous? What would make you nervous? Um...

A glass eye. Real answer. No. I hope not. No, like, well, like if I had to, like, sing. Yeah. You know, it's, do something like that. Alright, well, if I had to sing, yeah, it's do something like that. All right, let's hear it.

There we go. Just to the national anthem. Just to the national anthem. Oh, no, I'm not gonna. But I still get nervous when I do improv now. Yeah, because for years, too, even after I years too, even after like after I was a grownup And I was doing, you know, grownup improv I mostly would just do monologues stuff because a lot of the long-form improv will have a guest monologist especially the the UCB

Ascat version has somebody come and tell monologues and then the people improvise based stuff of that So I would do that a lot and I'm very used to just sitting and being myself, you know, venue kind of thing. But to actually have to do improv is now scary, because it's a different, you know, it's like I don't do it all the time, and the time when you say people will ask me, like do you wanna come do our improv show,

and I'm always saying like, I don't wanna leave the house to get nervous. Yeah. Yeah. What about you, Jeff? What makes you nervous? I think it's good to not be too relaxed. I think it means you care when you're a little bit nervous.

Oh, yeah. You know? But I feel confident and nervous most of the time. Do you feel confident and or nervous to sing us a song right now? Wait, what? I want it. We can't pay for that. I didn't bring a guitar.

And yeah, you didn't pay for that. You didn't do. Yeah. I haven't signed the release yet. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh, Oh! Oh no! Oh my goodness.

Is that your son? That's Sammy. That's Sammy. Hey, man! Hey! This is so wild. This is so wild. Rep in the local head shop that just went under.

Oh no! Do they need someone to buy a large order of things? I'm brought my wallet. That's a large order of things. You know, I was going to say, I can sit closer to you, I think. Just be willing to say mine. I was going to say the thing that I've

learned to get used to on stage over the years is when it early on, and for a long time, I think you have an evolutionary ability to pick out danger that comes from being on the savanna or something, you know? Like, yeah. So I've had to teach myself how to ignore the guy yawning or like you're like, you can see it.

Everybody can be having a great time. And I will find you. Right. I will find the person looking at their phone. That unlapping motherfucker I stare at him every time. Yeah, so I was like, I can see it through the mask too. I spent 20 years going, fuck is wrong with that guy. No, I know, I totally.

And finally, this person, delightful. I did a one-man show on Broadway called an Act of God and opening that... You guys didn't see it, fuck off. I did. I did. She saw it. Don't tell her what she did or didn't do.

You and me, that's it. And it's a 90-minute monologue. It was impossible to memorize it, did it, and opening night. It was so great. It was laughing. I was impossible to memorize it. Did it, and opening night, it was so great. It was laughing. I just focused on one person. Not into it. Not into it.

I didn't like it. I didn't like it. But you know what, though? I mean, it's very not to open up a larger discussion because you're going to play. But it is very natural. I think that we do that as humans. We can have 95% of our life going really, really well.

And 5% doesn't work. There's always going to be 5%. And we focus on that. And it's taken me, I'm going to be 52, improbably. I agree. I don't believe you. I mean, good God. Look at that. Why? Why, Andy, go on.

Wow. But it's taken me this long. It's only been within the last couple of years that I realized that, like, yeah, I'm so stupid for focusing on that shit. Why wouldn't I focus on all the stuff that's happening? Twitter is based on it. Yeah.

I think Twitter is based on that, but I bet. That's true. That's the reality. All right. All right. So. I am an American Aquarium Trunker, I assassin down the album. I'm hiding out in the big city play, what was I thinking when I let go of you? Let's forget about the two tight-knit game

Let's sometimes just cross-eyed strangers This is not a joke so please stop smiling What was I thinking when I said it didn't hurt? I wish I knew how to play drums. I want to glad viewers brown eyes Green and take you from the inside Baby hold on tight You were so right when you said I've been drinking

What was I thinking when we said good night? Yeah! And that is so cool. Wow, so cool. Wow. Thank you guys. Amazing. I think what I think is so incredible is how many...

This is what I think about all the time with you guys. You successful musicians like you. You have so many songs in your head that at any moment you just call upon them and you know, you know them, you must have hundreds of songs in your head. I do, actually, yeah, I do, it sits in, and I'll bet you, well, you're talking,

is it, do you remember the lyrics as you get to that point in the song because the, because, I'm so sorry, it's doing it. This is me doing it right now, Will. as you get to that point in the song because the... Be-cut. I'm so sorry. That's okay. This is me doing it right now, Will. This is...

I just thought, well... No. Like, here's... Yeah, Jason. Imagine, Jason's brain is like an abacus inside. And it's just moving pieces. Well, like... But like for an actor, like when you're about to go out and do a play, you can't remember

all your lines, right then. But when you get to the fridge, it's that line, hey, who stole my coat? You know, like it comes to you because of the blocking. The blocking. You're thinking, you say, Fridge, you actually are thinking about the model home and rest of development. Right. Or you, but I'm just saying, there are certain things that will jar the next line based on where you are in the news

You can't remember all of the lines at once again another smart question. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, there's a star I think Phil Oakser was I think he had to do some sort of testimony in court one time and he they were Drilling him about his anti-American lyrics or something like that and he couldn't remember them and they had to go get him a guitar Yeah, that's it. It might be total bullshit. I've heard that. I think I Went on I went on tour with Kenny Rogers. I was a Christmas elf and And I I love Kenny I grew up listening to his songs, but he would forget the lyrics sometimes on stage and he would just point the microphone to the audience.

You got to know when the... So when? Right, exactly. Yeah, that's good. But anyway, yeah. And you played, did you play an Alph in this Christmas show? Yeah, that's hard to do when you've got a guitar or a ranger neck. Jeff, you don't know the gambler. Do you buy any chance to go to?

Oh, no. OK. I don't think we're going to afford that, either. How are you right, hell? Anyway, Jeffrey, I can't tell you how excited we are and Jason and Will are, and they are that you're here. And Helen. I'm known Andy.

I've met Andy many more times than all of you guys. Wait, you guys know each other? Yeah, just from over the year. Yeah, from him being on the show a million times. Conan was our first ever performance in Uncle Tupelo from our first ever film. Oh, yeah, I mean, I'll go to Blom, man. And your stage director said, there's three million people

watching, don't fuck it up. Yeah. That's a recipe for success. I want to tell you, last year, we would have killed for that number. I was wondering how accurate that was. Yeah, yeah. No, they just, the numbers keep going down.

But Jeff Tweedie, thank you for being here. Oh, yeah. I don't want to take a lot of your time. Andy Rickard, thank you for being here. Let, yeah. I don't want to take a lot of your time. And you're Rick Good, thank you for being here. And you're Rick Good. Thank you, and thank you, Jeff Tweety. This is amazing. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Yeah, yeah, great to see you. Come see us play. Come through the fly chips. Thank you. Thank you.

Woo! Sean. Sean, are you kidding? He played a song while we were on the national. I don't know. And my face was just staring at him like an idiot. That's close. You guys got two guests.

Yeah. Thank you. Anyway. I'm still a little rocked by the whole experience, beyond that. Yeah, Andy Richter. I mean, he's one of my favorite people, one of the kindness, nicest.

I love him. So, and Andy, we didn't even get Andy, the three of us used to play cards a lot back in the day with Andy. A lot, a lot. Yeah, a lot. Like it's a problem. Like his problem. And Andy was always the funniest guy at the table, always. And he would, I remember when somebody had a bunch of snacks

in my old place in Venice, and he came down the stairs and somebody had brought some fudge. And Andy comes down the stairs, and he's got fudge all over his mouth. And he comes down and he goes, I learned from the fudge, but somebody must have eaten it. And it was the funniest, the stupidest bit. I love stupid bits. He'd fit. He'd fit. He'd fit. He'd fit. He'd fit. He'd fit. The funny is the stupidest fit I love stupid bits.

Well, the only thing that I wish Jeff could have stayed to play, maybe if we had more time is a, is a, is a sweeter song, you know, maybe like a, a lulla, bye! Oh, the love, bye. Bye! Bye! Bye! Love you, thank you!

Bye! Love you, thank you! Bye! Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile.

Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile.

Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smile. Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Michael Grant Terry, Rob Armstrong, and Bennett Barberco. Smartless Since his death in 2009, the world has struggled with how Michael Jackson should be remembered, as the King of Pop, or as a monster. I'm Leon Nefak, the host of Fiasco and the co-creator of Slow Burn. And I'm Jay Smooth, a hip-hop journalist and cultural commentator.

Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation for the first time in 1993. Our new podcast Think Twice, Michael Jackson, is the story of what came before and what came after. Throughout the podcast, we explore what makes Michael Jackson seemingly uncancelable. And we dig into the complicated feelings so many of us have when we hear Billie Jean at the grocery store.

Through dozens of original interviews with people who watched the story unfold firsthand, think twice as an attempt to reconcile our conflicted emotions about Michael Jackson, the man with our deep-seated love of his art. Listen to Think Twice, Michael Jackson, wherever you get your podcasts, or you can binge the entire series at free, unaudible, or the Amazon Music App. music app.