Soder - 155: Habitual Influence with Josh Homme | Soder Podcast | EP 150

Episode Date: September 22, 2026

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Hey, everybody. Hope you enjoy the podcast this week. I'm on the road. All tickets available at Dan Soder.com. October 2nd and 3rd, I'm going to be coming to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cusadas, doing four shows there. And then I will be in Salt Lake City at Wise Guys, November 5th through the 7th. And then comedy at the Carlson in beautiful Rochester, New York, December 10th through the 12th.

Those dates are all. up at danseater.com. Thank you so much for coming and seeing me live. The shows have been so fun, trying to build new material for when that special comes out at the beginning of next year. But you guys rock.

I hope you enjoyed this episode. I know I was worried it was going to be a little too Chris Farley show, but I think we had a great talk and Josh Homme is the man. So enjoy the episode. And I'll see you on the road.

Dude, you know what's funny about that? is that's like what comics have had to come to reckon with is that we don't have that skill like well and but even beyond that if the i'm here to have a conversation yeah hell yeah people like that conversation then they say oh do you have a record that's i don't you know i completely fucking agree with you that has always been my thing because it's it's similar to like i don't know when you make something like a stand-up special or an album or whatever it just kind of feels like you it's like your little presentation and you don't want to force it on people it's like and it's i feel like saying you know yeah you know i it's and the worst question i get is when

they go you do stand-up comedy and you just go yeah yeah but now we're already off on the wrong foot yeah because like it doesn't mean what you think it's yeah because immediately they like a lot of people i wonder has anyone ever asked you to like busk like you're a musician play right now uh well i i i the funny thing is that happens sometimes at parties without them knowing that if I ever see someone pick up a guitar at a party and you know there's actually this I go to this one party I'm with my two sons sure and my daughter and it's you know it's a this manager guy and but he's a good guy and he manages you know some cool artists that I know that are and so and apparently his neighbor was Terry Dean Stanton.

Whoa. Who's like right across the driveway. Okay. At this dirt road. And then it's, which is awesome. That's pretty awesome. Fun neighbor to have.

But I've always had this thing. Anyone that picks up a guitar and goes, oh, a guitar and starts playing at a party, I think you fucking embarrass me. Yes. What do you think is happening? Can I just tell you that there is something about being a fan of your band,

that this is just like an improvement, like structural improvement to my fandom? is knowing that you see a guy pick up at the car and you go, don't fucking do it. Especially at a party, I want to go up to him and go, put that down right now. You're embarrassing yourself. I wish you had a badge and a gun.

I wish you had a badge and a gun to go, just to put your hand over and go, sir, I'm going to ask you to put that down. Drop that six-shooter. Son, you're not going to want to do this. Drop that six-shooter. Because for, I mean, for me, I think as a comic,

when you watch someone, try to give a speech or like try to it's the try. It's the trying. Trying is the hardest part because you go like, oh, no, man.

I'm talking about when there was like, my friend Big J is the perfect term for it. It's when someone hams. Right. When you're around a ham. Yeah, a fucking hand. And then they go,

well, you should love this. You're a comic and you go. Not like that though. Not this way. And that's like to you, the guy with the acoustic guitar and the quad playing Wonderwall.

It's, and I love, yeah. And especially when they, so even though Harry Dean Stanton is a national treasure, sure, he's amazing. Yeah. But what he'd done was he's, there's a picnic table and he, there's a guitar kind of within eye shot and he picks it up and he's sort of like, oh, oh, this guitar.

And I love Harry Dean Stent, but I was like, don't do it. Yeah, you go, Harry Dean. Stan. He's a super old man. Yeah. And he picks up the guitar and I'm standing there with my youngest Wolfie who at the time was like seven. Yeah. Something like six or seven.

And Harry Dean Stanton starts singing in Spanish and he's like, Oh, me. And of course the party starts to go like, what? Yeah. And everyone starts looking and they sort of gather around. But it was because it was like a movie where I'm looking for like hidden cameras.

You're looking for also for someone to confirm your reality, which is like, yeah, did Harry Dean Stanton? He just fucking starts singing it's Spanish. Right. And it was, yeah, it sounded great. And yeah, I love Harry Dean Stan. But I just was like, oh, fuck, this is cheesy right now. And I, and so he finishes this song and everyone's like, what the, what the fuck?

Mind you, it's daytime, too. So it's like five o'clock or something. And my son goes, Jesus, let's get out of here. As soon. As soon as it got quiet. A seven-year-old being like, I don't know, I think I got some toys to play with because this thing is out of here. But the fact that he was like, Jesus.

And it was right at the quiet moment so everyone looks over him and I'm like, all right, let's, you know. It's crazy. Yeah, he's got, you know, kids, their own opinion. I was like, chip off the old block, you know. But the fact that he sought and knew that the energy was, because at daytime, when there is no allure of candlelight or there's no like, there's no like ambiance to it.

There's just kind of like, you see everything. And there's no glue of late night drunkenness. Like I can foresee a world. And there have been times where I have one friend in particular who is, he likes to, he really loves to, he's proud of his friend's talent.

Sure. It's very genuine. And he has these really, He loves to play Cupid and has these, you know, this strange chemistry of people's personalities come over. And this is what he loves to do. And it's very cool. And so he's a couple times he's just walked up and put a guitar in my hand where I'm like, and he knows I fucking hate this, right?

Yeah. But we're in this situation. He sometimes has people, you know, from Ukraine or something come and play and you watch. And so it's very old school in the way these parts. are designed. Yeah, that's the kind of situation where you go,

well, that's fucking awesome. Not the kind where they go, hey, do you do this? Right, but the one case

was like after a folk music master, and he's like, Josh plays. And I was like, no, you, I'm,

don't you fucking do this to me. I was sniffing, sniffing glue in the parking lot. I can't. You're just like, but they look over at you

and you're like, ah, I can't. At least it's midnight and everyone's a little bit lubed up emotionally. And people, and people,

Also, there really is something to be saying about the way shadows play into it. Yeah. And like you can hide into it. Yeah. Yeah. It's by the fire. It's as kumbaya as it could be. Yeah.

With and mushrooms or people, you know, but that's what it is because Big Jay and I always had a term called day evil. Because you'd go to a music festival. Yeah. And you'd see like an evil metal band. Yeah. And they're like, during the day and they're like, Satan's coming. It's like, I can see you sweating through your makeup, dude.

This isn't evil. Well, it's hot in hell too. Yeah. To their defense. To be fair. It is hot in the, in the inferno. But there is something about, like, the idea of doing something after, like you said, like a folk music master, then you go, don't do.

Yeah, you don't want to be the B in an A, B comparison. No one wants that. Yeah. I, uh, I did a, like, rarely ever do private events, like court, you know, like, they'll, like, ask comics. What is it because it? It's never good. Yeah.

It's never good. It's never fun. It truly is. the closest to comedy can get to stripping or hooking. Right. Feels like hooking. Right. Because you go in and they go,

keep your shirt on. Talk about your dad. Especially these events where people don't care or their charity events where people are more like, I just wrote a check for $45,000 or $100,000 or whatever. That's almost, you're right on fucking. So this is like 2017, 2018 and my agent's like,

it's in Manhattan. You can do it after you do the bonfire. You can go right there. I'm like, fucking fantastic. Before I'm leaving my apartment in Queens, I go, let me bring a button down. Just in case, I'm running a Denver Nugget shirt. And I'm like, let me bring a button down just in case this is a kind of a nice event. It's a gala for cancer doctors.

No, I think that's when you got to wear your jersey. Yeah. Show up in a Yokic jersey. I mean, who wants to ball out? If ever there's a moment to truly be yourself. Oh, yeah. I was, I hooked up a friend and, and Bill Burr, you know, about a fundraiser. Sure.

And, you know, I think the difference between a charity event and a fundraiser is that that's so specific to, like, charity is abroad. I know it's fundraising there, but this was so specific. Sure. And there's like big donors and things like that. So I played Cupid. And, but I knew because I'd done one of these events. before. Yeah.

How much the audience is like just talking while you're doing your thing. Yeah. And oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Dude, that's so organic. Yeah,

my Bourdain candle. You're fucking rules. Amen. But, and I took my daughter. Yeah. And I was saying, we were,

I was saying, Bill's going to bomb. This is going to be the funnest thing I've ever seen. And I was telling her. You're not playing Cupid. You're playing Don King. You're putting a man into a ring to die. You're setting a man.

man to his death. There's no love in this. But he knows. He knows. Well, Burr is also John J. Rambo. Yeah. I mean, if you didn't know from the Philadelphia incident, you can drop that man and he'll kill a whole village.

This is what I knew. He was full made from him. You're the crooked government guy that's like, I had to send you back into Vietnam Rambo. We had to get out. He could eat stuff that would make a belly good poop. Yes, dude. That's the line I always quote. I know because I trained him.

Yeah. You better get a lot more body bags. Rambo. John Jay. Yeah, dude. I just watched this with her the other, my daughter the other day. But you are, you're Murdoch. You're sending him in.

Yeah. I know because I trained him. Yeah. He's, you know, it's Richard Crenna as the actor on that. And he is overacting so hard. So hard. That it circles back around again and you say to yourself, no, I support this choice. On the rooftop is the one where he's like, what do you want?

And that's when Sly's giving it like, they're all dead. I go back to Wagon and the Dignette. That's how he cries. You know what? I stem by it. I stem by that this year. Did you know that in the original First Blood, he had a lot of like Arnold Schwarzenegger lines. He had a lot of like, looks like this one sticking to your head.

Oh, thank God they took him out. Yes. Yeah. That's a good movie. It's a great movie. It's a good movie. I have a theory that if he would have died after First Blood, Sylvester Stallone, there would be like awards in Hollywood for him.

For sure. Because he would have Rocky and First Blood. I think he also used Bill Conti, the conductor, which sounds like C, but. But it's not. I'm being real Bill Conti. Yeah. Sorry if I'm real Bill Conti to you right out. You're being a real conti right now. But who did the score and it was like that boom boom boom boom.

Yes, when he's running up. Boom, boom, boom. It's a great tension. And he puts it around. Oh, dude. Damn, I'm watching First Blood this weekend on the road. I saw it. I saw it. I saw it on a vacation with my daughter and we're just snuggled, you know, watching this.

And she looks over and she's like, this is fucking great. That's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. We always, we always used to joke. around about if if Brian Denny he just let him get a sandwich. He's such a terror in that movie. We did on the bonfire.

We did Rambo if it worked out. Or if he goes, let me give you a ride. And he pulls him up to a diner and he goes, you don't look like you had money. I got your sandwich. He goes, the feel good hit. What happens when two guys? He goes, I respect. Thank you for your service.

And he goes, this tuna sandwich is pretty good. Why don't you stay at my place? Yeah. And fall in love. So you send Bill Burt a dog. So I said, and obviously Bill knows this, this is going to be tricky. But Bill's a guy that doesn't hide stuff. So is he like, what are you doing?

Am I going to bomb? He was like, so you did this before? You did it. What happened? What happened to you before? He's writing it down in like a notebook he keeps in his back, like an assassin? He's so far from stupid. I mean, that he's, and he's done a million of these, but I don't,

you never can fully prepare for the level of, these are like big donor. Yeah. So they're Bill Contes. It's a roof full of Bill Conti. I mean, they're helping people, but they were like half million dollar check everybody. You know. Count it. Yeah.

Oh, was that me? Oh, did I just save lives? And he's, he's emceeing. So he has to go back again and again. And to his credit, he is not pulling any punches as he never does. and it's bombing and he's like what is everyone you know messing around with their butter or something you know he's then he turns the attack on them which is what he should do and but every time he sits down i am dying laughing and he's like yeah i can't believe you were raised by this asshole

saying to my saying to my done can i just say i just think i found out through this story the perfect speed for bill burr which is taught him talking to your kids about you Point blank range. But then I'm like, it was my own private Idaho show, right? And I was like, listen to him. He's dying right there. And he's like, shut your mouth. I can't believe you're raised by this asshole.

And it really brought us closer. Well, those events. You know, redheads need to like keep it in tight. We're under threat constantly. Constantly. And I, and I wonder where your meetings are. Yeah. I'm not like, I'm going to tell you what the fucking meet.

You have a little red in your beard and you can't go. I'm friends with Michelle Wolf. I can get her in. No, he's not. No, he's not. Get him out of there. No, he's not. That's a lie.

She's another great. She's great. I mean, truly one of my favorite people on earth. I love to death. In fact, you met her in London. We spent a night drinking together. It was awesome. She's fun to drink with.

Y'all, it was a blast. She, that voice, it's fun. She'd get a couple drinks in her. She goes, I don't know what happened. I'm going to tell you right now, man. That's a cool-ass cat. Michelle drunk. She goes, it's just a.

the world is going quick. Now, here's another thing, you know, man. She sounds like elephants. I could have used more of her radio voice. Oh, dear. Yeah. She fucking rules. But the gal that I went to with the, like, the shirt,

it's not only cancer doctors, but they go, great. So there's these three doctors that go up before you, and then you'll go up. And I go, cool, whatever. It's three doctors shredding on guitar. Like fucking, like a Van Halen solo, like, and they're like. what everyone wants to hear is you do a ripping solo alone.

There was three of them and they all like playing together. They played together and then they all did solos and then they brought me up. But I think that speaks to the kind of precision you want from a brain, a cancer brain doctor. Yes. You want someone to rip a lead on your head, you know, with precision. Yeah, you don't want a guy that's sloppy. I don't want to slide guitarist up there. Don't drop the hook like in the wrong spot inside me.

Yeah, and leave it there. Yeah. My mom used to work in insurance for medical malpractice. No, I'm sorry. Yeah, dude, she told me some fucking crazy. Go Luigi. Yeah. She was like, she's like, take them all out.

There's nothing there. But she would tell me that like the doctors that had good bedside manner that were nice, never got in trouble. Yeah. But the guys that came in and were like quiet. And, you know, here's what you're going to do, you know. She said the guys that were nice always fucking. up and they never got sued.

She said they'd leave sponges in them and shit and the people would come back and they'd be like, ah, they're pulling it out. He goes, but Rex, Eric's a nice guy. Yeah. Oh, my God, yeah. Yeah. Anyone see my Rolex? So anytime I see it, anytime I go to a new doctor and they're nice, I'm like, I don't

know if you're the one for me. Give me the Conti, Bill Conti. I want a guy that's like, why does your body look like that? It's gross. And I go, you're good at medicine. Will you play guitar for me? Yeah. Yeah.

No. Can you play, I mean, with what I'm interested in is when you do a, like a benefit like this and you don't feel like it goes well, is there any part of you that's like, yeah, why don't you listen to one of my fucking albums?

Oh, well, I, you know, I've sort of learned that, I mean, I can't help. I don't always have a very good filter.

And so, you know, I, and the one I did, I was like, you know, send more butter to the assholes at table 15. Yeah,

But you're playing, you're not listening anyways. I might as well do whatever I would like to do to feel, to try to reclaim my own, you know, I guess it's ego because you're like, you're not listening to me. But it's understandable because the whole point of this is like, this is kind of like a thing of like, I'm going to go up here and do this. Please just listen. You don't have to like it.

I think it's about respect. Yeah. It's a little disrespectful. But also you're in a room with people that can afford to get one guy gave a million dollars. And he stood up and everyone was patting him on the back. And I was like, I gave my love. What the fucking a chicken. What the fuck?

Like, why are you doing this now? He's like up in the middle of his song waving is so funny. Fuck that band. Yeah. I did it. But you can't say, but it's such a weird spot where many things are converging, which are true at once. Because it was such a generous thing.

Sure. and it's really incredible, but then you're like, wow, you have that much money. I suppose you should, you really probably should be doing this. And then the fact that he was sort of like, yeah,

you know, which has a little bit of a grossness to it. It's really hard to reconcile all those things at once. Yeah. And, and, and it's like, why aren't you listening to this Patsy Klein cover

I'm doing right now? Which I, but it's sort of, it's sort of dickish on my end too, but it's like, you know, I also think there is probably someone at table 15 you helped get more butter. Yeah.

Because the guy, there's just a guy to stop the asshole. Do butter. You can do butter. Could you do butter? Could you play butter? Hey on this one, could you play butter? But I always feel, I feel like we need to stop making donors either build the buildings again. Go back to making bridges and buildings and shit that used to help our towns.

I just, well, I saw something about this. Really? Sorry to interrupt. No, I love it. I'm the king of interrupt. I saw this thing that was like, you know. Listen, in today's modern era, you can't bring just cash around with you. Now people need an app.

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talk about which one and why. I'm just saying go find one that you want to learn if you want to learn Spanish or get your Spanish stronger again maybe tighten up that French try babel. Start learning a new language today with babel. Right now listeners can save up up to 60% off at babble.com slash soda. That's Babel, B-A-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Restriction Soter. For up to 60% off, rules and restrictions may apply. I mean, it was about, I think it was about Rockefeller or something, and who was

his own Bill Conti. Yeah. But he made... I imagine there's a lot of people that thought he was a real big Harry. Conti. A Bill Harry Conti. A Bill Harry Conti. A Bill old Harry Conti.

Middle name Harry. but he made you know like 1,600 libraries around the country and they're gorgeous buildings and you know you know have this you know it's for the greater good and the education of the general public for people

that can't get there meanwhile Bezos made the biggest yacht ever you know and it's just I don't know if there's you want to talk about that not having like a filter she had a work trip where she took me and we went to like this like thing in France because I film my special and she's like, do you want to go to France the week after for free?

Yeah. And I was like, fucking A. Yeah. I've never been. Yeah. Yeah. Let's go to the south of France. It'll be cool.

It ended up being just this like hellscape marketing conference. It truly was this. It was the, I think it was the sixth level of hell. It wasn't the boiling river. I love that she left that out to get you to go. She didn't know. We found out together in real time. Who doesn't know that they're going to France for the.

They kind of were just like, yeah, you're going to come and do a panel and you get a free trip and she was like great and then people were starting to drop knowledge on us after it was locked in that we're like oh this could fucking suck yeah so then one of our friends is having this like party at night we go out to dinner and he's like it's like a cocktail gathering or whatever and it's all these corporate people with very corporate attitudes which there's a reason that I don't I would have gotten fired that's why we don't have that job I don't I would get I always say my personality is I would get in trouble at any of those jobs They're going to me.

They're like, Dan, you can't talk like that. You've got to go to HR. Yeah. HR would hate to see me coming. Yeah. But we're sitting at this party and we're talking. And one of the guys is like, do you see Amazon built a medieval town square? It cost them $100 million and they recreated this mid-century.

And I fucking, and I just go. But you can't pay your fulfillment center workers. Yeah, you got a piss in a bottle. Exactly. You can't fucking give them a little bit of fucking money. It's just gross. cut it off. Why?

So you could put more plastic in your sex lizard wife. Yeah. And then like, and these, watching these guys, watching it not be reciprocated is the problem that I had. Right. So now I'm just sweating in linen,

like saying my piece. But you don't enjoy, I see, I quite enjoy it. I think that's, I need to learn. I love, I love creating that uncomfortable as a response.

To dickish behavior? Well, just, just especially, even if your art isn't going well, I'm, I always think, well, let's ride this thing all the way down. To reference something of your own without making it awkward, live in London,

over the years and through the woods, where you point out the guy and you go, hey, you, stop pushing people. You cock smoker. But that was something that I heard on an album when I was younger that I go, that's the energy that I want, which is like you're seeing something, you have it, and you're calling it out in a way that's not too dickish, it's got some funny in there. Yeah.

Which sugar makes the medicine go down. Yeah. I, you know, I, uh, it's a weird wrestling match that I've always gone through because we're called Queens of the Stone Age just, you know,

and so that the wrong element of, you know, um, no homophobes, no racist, no, uh, misogynist,

you know what I mean? Like just to turn off in an attempt that, would ban you going to see tonight and it's like, I don't want to say. Yeah. And it's like, why? Who is it? Queens of the Stone Age.

You know, just almost to try to. I like that. But by the same token, you know, I've been, I understand I've been thrown out of places for getting and for fistfighting. Yeah. So, but if I see something, you know, if I see someone like that knocking some gal around, I'm going to stop right now and say something.

I, but I understand also when people look at me sometimes, they're like, what's this big guys? You know. Yeah. There's a lot to reconcile, but I just don't care. It's like, you have to figure that out. I'm going to, I'm going to,

I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to do this when I see that that's going on. I think that's a position that more people should take, which is just like, hey, if you see something fucked up, it is, it is, it is okay. Right now, do something. It's okay to speak up right then, even if someone's going to go, hey, that was rude or that was this, you go, well, I'm fucking watching. it and I don't like it. Yeah, I'm not going to watch that.

I'm watching someone else. That's the important thing. I think what sucks right now about it. But that happens to me, even if we're out somewhere. Yeah. If there's at a dinner or if you're in a bar or if you're shopping and you see. It's cool when it's on stage at Olive Garden. It's a little different.

Well, no, but it's like, he's already had enough. Well, it's had too many breadsticks and they're not unlimited. I just hate any bullying behavior. Yes. And I cannot sit by and watch. Yeah. You know, so it's, you know, or. just like I'm a father of three and, you know, there's been times I've seen someone in the supermarket

swack their kids. Yeah. And I'm just like, I can't do it. I'm sorry. And I just go over and and say, you're about to be swacked with a baguette yourself. I'm about to hit you with a bag of oranges. You know, but I mean, you need to make a judgment call and say, put it on the scales and say quickly, what am I going to do here? Yeah. But I just, I don't know. I think it's, it is that, you know, it's that old redhead thing you deal with too. And like, redhead, I got a gay brother. And it's like, I remember, it's like, no one's going to pick on us. You know what I mean?

No one's going to, no one's going to pick on us for long, you know? What was the first instance of you being a redhead where it's like, because you know, every kid has their thing, but also every kid has their tipping point. Sure. The first time where you make like almost this noise where you go, and you're almost just like diarrheaing out the anger of you felt yeah where you're just figuring out what to do with this you don't know the speed yeah you don't know the gas pedal yeah so you hit the gas

and you go holy shit I went fast I had a giant head I've always had like like a bulbous head like a giant ball and it's in the net what do you mean had I mean yeah it's it's just been a macy's day float my whole life yeah and there is is a moment at school where you go like the big charlie brown yeah just bumping into shit going down the avenues but if you but there is a moment when you're a little kid and i think every person has this because every person has an insecurity or every sure when you have red hair kids are stupid so they see red hair and they're like yeah that that's not a lot of this red hair that that i think i think that's why i ended up really falling in love with comedy too is that you know um first thing you do is

it's physical and you have to challenge your own fear of, I don't know what these do or I don't know what getting in trouble feels like. What does it mean to get in trouble? What does it mean to stand up for yourself? And so you try something physical and, you know, when you're little, that looks like, ah, you know. And, but, um, but then you, you, you sort of try to navigate what that means. And, you know, and the fact that, uh,

especially in this day and age where someone says there's never a moment, you know, violence is never the answer. And you're like, that's, you just don't, I haven't lived in that world, you know, that's not true.

I don't think it's true. Yeah. It's a ridiculous, you're only saying that because somebody rough created an environment for you to have this delusion, basically. That's actually a very, that's actually a very good point.

Yeah. Where it's like, because of someone violent, you're able to go, violence is never the answer. Because of someone that could intimidate a, bullies off of you and people that influence these other people to stop their inappropriate behavior that you are in a safe zone and safety is really what you were it's not what you are it's a past tense

thing you that's an interesting point it's like it was you were safe and now you're in this situation but it's also as a child of the 80s that grew up with karate movies yeah that was always the same thing of this this guy's like I don't want to fight and the bullies like I'm gonna fight they're always bullied into fighting. I mean, I understand that is real. Yeah. You know, and, and, and, um, but then, you know, um, you start learning the power of words and that really physical fights are won and lost with someone's willingness. Sure. Way before, you know, um, and that those, you know, I've been hit before and those scars, they, they go away quickly. And, um, it's not that bad, but the scars that, um, are laid on you when you quit on yourself or you allow someone to humiliate.

Those things take years and years to heal those scars. They also fester. Yeah. And they change the trajectory of your lifestyle and your choices. Like when someone's being, like I think it's important to be kind. Sure. But to be nice. I don't know, maybe there's a semantic difference in my mind where it's like to be nice

as you're just kind of following rules because you're too afraid to stand up. up for yourself or your your loved ones or your people you care about. And so, um, and you're sort of using that as this badge of honor like, I'm nice when it's like you're just too afraid to stand up for you. I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't recommend that for someone's life and to, you know, I think that's a, that's something that is like a formal, former people pleaser, like clear into my 30s. Yeah. That's so, yeah, I mean, I was so valuable because I want to, you're right. I'm like, I don't want to make you upset, but also by doing this, I haven't addressed the problem now. And you really are saying, will you take all this power for me and just hold on to it and I'll just, you know, I...

I used to do that with hecklers. Hecklers would be heckling. And then you know what happened is I wanted to be nice and I would shut it down and it'd be quiet. But then what would happen is, then I go back to doing my act and I feel like I'm doing my act in front of a room of people that I genuinely hate and have not addressed it. And I have not addressed it. You've allowed them to flourish, actually. And they're just sitting there kind of controlling the energy of the room. Yeah.

And it was the late great Patrice O'Neill, and I saw him do this multiple times in clubs in New York, and I just fucking straight up stole the move because it works. When someone's talking now, I'll give him a chance. I'll fuck around with him, but I'll confront him. Take this rope. Yeah. And then the second time, I saw him do this move where he goes, how many of there are you? All right, great.

I'm going to pay for your bill. And they go, great, he goes, cool, now get out. And they're just, they're left standing with nothing. Well, I think you realize the importance of, the importance of words, the power of words, and the power of your willingness when you can craft the words in the right way. Because then it quickly became, all right, I know I can be physical. Sure.

I would like to make sure I'm putting this in the right spot and then I'm waiting to the last possible. There's no other way out. So I want to make sure I'm using this in the right moment. And then now I'm practicing my words because, you know, when you're redhead, the first thing someone's says is, you know, I can't tell you how many times I've heard or been at a bar where it's like whatever carrot top. And I, and I, so I started saying things like a carrot, see, on a, the

carrot top is the only part of a carrot that's green. Why don't you go, why don't, why don't you go outside and I want you to think of a couple burns that are really worthy of whatever the way you're dressed. And then why don't you come back in when you're ready? And then, you can go again until then, why don't you go outside? By the way, giving up. When you start, when you start, you're actually, you're sort of imposing this will

and you're actually implanting scars that are much more dangerous. Where they're going to wake up the next day. And I, and I, or, and then, then getting enough understanding to say, or want you just sit here and I'll buy a drink and you can figure it out for yourself. That's great. And so that you open the door. and you extend a hand to say you're being Bill Conti right now.

But that's also the part. But you've got a chance to rambo. That's the part no one talks about those. There isn't a lot of hands out. And there also is, but I'll tell you right now, that carrot burn right now, if that would have hit me, I would have just been in traffic a week later and gone, he's green. You're just like turning somewhere and you go, fuck. It's fucking green.

Those ones, you're right, hurt more than a black eye or anything. Just when you think about something that comes back and you go, but I also think the point isn't to try to humiliate someone either. It is to say, you know, I fought a few people that end up being really close with because you end up knowing them more than their friends and family could because you've been through this extreme situation with them. And you pierce a layer.

You're piercing like a little layer through them, even if it is through conflict at first. Where you go like, well, I know you now. in a couple different speeds. Yeah. Well, I, but I mean, and fighting and arguing is not my priority in this life. But it's just I do think you should have a skill at that. I do, I do also put my kids in martial arts so they don't have to because it instills

this confidence where my son the other day was in a situation when he was in school where he just looked at someone and said, don't do this. That's great. And at first, the other guy was like, oh, don't do this. and he said, yeah, yeah, don't do this. Don't do this. And the other guy ended up saying, I won't do this.

And I just think it gives him the confidence to say, I know what I could do and I'm, I actually don't want to do it. Do you want me to do it? I'll do it if you want me to. I think that's truly where the evil people in this world prosperes. They don't expect people to push back. They like when people just lay down and they go,

fuck you, then I'm just going to run all over you. Now I don't even care. Because that's, a lot of times it is, you know, that old. And all this stuff stems from being insecure. It is. It's all. I was just going to say it's all that hackneyed phrase, hurt people, hurt people. Yeah.

But I mean, that's true. It is true. But you know what's funny is that I know we're not like talking about the album, but that line on Easy Street about I'm not violent, you know, like that guy's been dead a long time. And you're like, that is how you should think when you get over 40. It should go like, I can, I can use my words better than I can fight. I think it took going through the. that process of displaying your willingness.

Sure. I think sometimes a display of fearsome acts is what keeps people off of you. That's what I understand. Yeah. But also I'd hate to stay there. And so I feel way beyond that now where, no, there's a way. There's a much better way that I understand now and that I'm thankful for. But that, because I'm a little bit of like,

at times it took going that that route of experiencing the physical side and all that to get to where I understand so much just have an understanding now. I think learning that you can make a mistake and it isn't permanent is a very important thing of improving your overall life. You should tell that to a bunch of other people. Guys, guys write this down. It's okay making mistakes. But I do think like I think that's also the thing that I love about music or the thing I love about. any art is that it's made from all these mistakes. It's made from like, like I, you know, I'm writing a new hour right now.

There's jokes that I love and then they fail and I go, fuck that joke. And six months later, I come back and I go, I fixed it. Yeah. I wasn't equipped to understand. I wasn't equipped to understand how this joke works or this song works. I do that all the time. So that's what I was going to bring up because something that I love on the, and I did get to listen to the new album early. Yeah.

But you brought back. a song that I loved off the Iggy Pop post-pop depression album Sunday. Yeah. And you did it as Queens. And I was like, oh, this is sick. Yeah. And that is, and that's, I guess that was the question I had for you because, you know, make it what you was on Desert Sessions.

That it's on Era Volgaris. And I've seen that with a bunch of songs. Well, and it's fun to know, like, I know, and this is what him and I were talking about because we're about to edit the special. A lot of times you do a stand-up joke. You record it. And then after that, you're still doing it until the special comes out. then you find like three tags that you go,

oh, I wish I had it. Oh, this thing's fucking tight now. Well, it's in the failing of it the first times. And art, you know, I think art needs to fail and fail and fail and take these chances in order to get to that higher expression. And oftentimes people that are fans of what you do, they have to witness that failure. And you have to be able to say to them, yeah, well, this is what it takes. You know, wisdom comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad decisions. Yeah. And like in the case of Sunday is different than the other songs like Make It With You and stuff that came from the Desert Sessions. Because in the case of Make It With You, I did it on Desert Sessions because I was afraid to do it for Queens. I was like, oh, I don't know if this will work. And maybe it's too bluesier or to this or to that.

And like maybe we can't pull it off even though the goal of Queens is to be able to play anything that sounds good, like wean basically. like the band wean, just to be ween. Yeah. You know? And all you have to do is believe it, you know, and make it and have it come from an honest place. And then you can play whatever.

Yeah. And so now I think I've learned to, to accept that you're afraid or that you feel insecure about something and allow that vulnerability actually to be the, at the vanguard of what you're doing. And, you know, I used to, you know, I figured, out this like anger is the sword I hold in my hand which is hurt so if I'm afraid or upset or

insecure I'm like oh you know I used to react quickly that way that's a young man's reaction yeah but now I now I know it's all right to say I'm actually terrified right now so you know saying I don't know and I think it was probably this with you know obviously the woman I'm going to marry but that was like the first time just I started feeling comfortable going oh I don't know right she's like oh that's all right yeah well We're in my 20s. I'm glad that's cool that she said that back too, because it should be okay.

It should be. Yeah. I think I had been with people and I had been around people that weren't okay with that. What do you mean? You don't know. You got it. And you're like, and that's when you're like, your frequency starts going like, fuck.

Well, you know, I always thought, you know, life is, is habit forming and your decisions are contagious. And so panic breeds panic. Yeah. Confidence breeds confidence. And so there's that sort of. act like you know or fake it till you make it that seemed mandatory but i think when it comes to making art and trying to actually make art that teaches you you can become a better person

if you work on an hour of comedy stuff and or an hour of music if you're really really honest with it and you say you know i've had lyrics before that seemed cocky and weren't true and then i just changed them to what they really what i was really saying which is i didn't think i'd ever live this long and i don't know and i'm feeling this instead yeah you was there you know and felt so much better about that move like i actually moved forward in a good way you know no that is by the way that is um that it's it's really hard to perfectly describe it words what you're saying like but i understand what you mean because there is and it's something that i learned in my 40s something so freeing about just going like, oh, this is an imperfection of mine, and that's an imperfection,

and that's just what it is. Yeah. And it's like trying to, trying to fill that or change that would make it not be what it is. Yeah. It's not pretending I'm fully formed and I've got nowhere left to go. Yeah. And I think right now, especially in the age of everybody watching so much of other people, but not being around a lot of other people, everyone's in their phones and everyone's not

looking. It's like, you forget that being or. around people, you kind of understand that you can, you can evolve and it's, it's, uh, better for everybody. Yeah. Not just and because I think when you're, we're so alone and we're watching people, it seems when you watch TikToks, Instagram videos, everyone's got it figured out. So then there's this feeling of like, fuck, I don't have it figured out. I mean, when I was just in, finding a doctor stinks, finding a doctor's appointment stinks, finding a doctor that's in your

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I haven't witnessed so much people in the process of being an influencer I was in Paris just a few months ago and I was with my kids and they hadn't been to the Louvre and and we're waiting in a line and watching people go

oh my God and then as soon as the picture's done go yeah the drop the face drop is and I was like Like, da fuck did I just see? Like, I just haven't seen that much of that. I've, you know, living in New York City, I walk through shoots. So you just turn a corner and there's a ringlight and you're like, what am I doing?

And the girl's like, excuse me? And you're like, it's 26th Street. Yeah. I'm just walking to fucking get a coffee. And I was like, you embarrass yourself right now. That's almost, I feel like. And I also take it, you take, you're taking your own risk here. You're subjecting yourself to whatever I'm about to say.

That's fun. Because I'm... Are you live streaming? Let me get on there. I love watching things they go on, you know, online where it's like someone is holding this croissant. And they always start the same. They're talking, they're alone, but they're like, hey guys.

And it's like, no, you're by yourself. It's like, this croissant. And someone walks by and just goes, hot, you know, takes a bite or something. A video that made me laugh was this guy was going around Union Square and obviously don't do this because it's probably pretty dangerous. in New York, but people that were on their phones, like either FaceTiming or on speaker, like, yeah, I'm in Union Square. And he would just film him walking up and going, boop.

Like, it just delete it. And they'd be like, hello, hello, ah, and then he turned out. Obviously that might be a plant. That might have been, but made me laugh so hard because how many times I've wanted. My thing is, you know, we're talking about. People are willing to spill all over you. Hey, Denise. Denise.

Or FaceTime. Yeah. I'm just a dude. Yeah. The one that. Like there's no, there's no. there's no decorum. It's a little tough to come by, you know.

Or people with their kids' iPads at dinner where you're like, I don't want to watch Paw Patrol. I made it pass that whole thing. Those dogs, they're not solving shit. I don't know if you've ever seen it. They're not solving a fucking,

oh God, they're not solving anything. And they shouldn't be doing detective work. No. These are pups. You know what they should do is they should make, they should do a follow-up of Paw Patrol, but it's like,

NYPD Blue where they're like, I need to see you in my office. You're being a, you're sending you to the pound. You're being a real bitch. I have to be. I am. I've got six nipples. And you go, that's fine. And it's, and it's fair that you're a bluey house. That theme song is great. Nips slips. Nip slips are just too popping out. But talk about controlling your rage. The one that I have an issue with is now it's just a full problem. If you live in New York City when you're getting off the subway, people are looking at their phones. up the stairs to get out of the underground. Oh yeah. For God's sake, man.

You're like, we're getting out of the hole. Yeah. Get out of the hole. Yeah, get out of the hole. Get out of the hole. That's what I'm going to start yelling. Get out of the hole. I think the, the difficulty is that, you know, you're not complaining. You're noticing this thing which you're forced to deal with, which is a new thing,

which is people's deliberate. ignorance of the space around them. Yes. Or just flat out disrespecting the space around. Well, they're so, you know, inside of their own buttholes that, you know, it's hard up there. Yeah. They're cocoon. Things are tough in there.

It's pretty, hopefully, hopefully. Yesterday's news just passed right by me. But I think, because I, you know, I'm a voyeur, so I like to look around. Sure. I love the little details. I love window, you know, when you're on tour, you know this, you're window shopping other people's lives. Oh my God. You see couples having a date or they're having an argument or you see, you know, kids like chase a bubble in the part.

It's like you see all this idyllic stuff from arm's length that really makes you long for home. Yeah. And, um, uh, and is a mirror of where you're at in your life because you notice the things that you're looking for in that moment. It's like, so I tend to notice like family things and, and young love. all that stuff. And it's what it helps me to write, just to be a voyeur like that.

It's a window shop, you know, people's lives and what I am projecting on them, when I think they're doing, you know. But when people are just like that, they're immediately uninteresting in that process for me. And so it's like, not you, Gary. Swipe right. Not you, Tina.

Yeah, you're really swiping. you're doing a live swipe. Yeah. You know? I'm going to start doing that out loud. No. That's actually a great. That snacks.

That's a good idea. I go, swipe right. You're a horrible piece of shit. Get off your phone. You just stand in front of someone and it's not working. I mean, that's assault. I'm just going to be pawing people's heads. Boom.

Get out of the way. With that like, you know, I mean, we're talking about controlling our anger and stuff. But as someone that, you know, and as a fan of yours, that's, and I've watched you, evolve as a musician and as an artist, I think, has been so rewarding as someone that came into the band young. I think I was, you know, like 18 when I first got into you guys. I'm in my 40s. When you say came in the band, do you? I go, oh, I busted. I was busted in it. I thought I recognized. Yeah. You were a young tart back then. But as someone that got, like, became a fan when I was like, you know, 18 and aggressive and just that, not kind of figuring it out,

kind of being like, ah! Yeah, you have, you know, I think, you know, there's,

you know, I, I was angry. I didn't understand why, you know, and, and music was the ultimate outlet for figuring out why.

Yeah. You're upset and, and, and, you know, also feeling bad about being upset. That was the thing that I always, when I was young,

is I would get fucking super angry and then have this like, hello, like, what did I do? Yeah, be embarrassing. about like that's what it is. I would see red, you know, I, I have no friends, no family,

just completely see red and felt really almost powerless to those moments. Sure. And, music was so helpful because it just, it presented, it presented a way out that, that felt, um, like as much about discovery of what's going on as, as calming it. Sure. So, you know, but when you, when you're doing that, like, as your way in, in, I think is just everything you've been saying. What's been great about being a fan of years is actually watching this evolution that kind of in a way is we're in parallel with a lot of the fans of the band's lives, which is you kind of get older and you go, I still have a little bit of that vinegar in me.

Yeah. But now I kind of know how to use it better. Yeah. And I think that's what I love about the new album is that it's like one of my best friends in the world, Victor, shout out big, shout out to Vic. Vic, what a. What a book? but I sent him the album

and I was like, you send this to anybody, I'll fucking kill you. You're telling me that? Yeah. Give it back to me. Victor, you gotta give it back to Josh.

But we talked about it and he was like, I just sat down and listened to it. I fucking loved the album or whatever. I said, you know what it feels like? Not seeing a friend for a while and they show up with a little gray hair,

but you go, you're aging nice. You know what? You show up to a friend, you go, you look fucking, you look like as you're getting older, better.

And it's like listening to this album, that's what it felt like. I appreciate that. I mean, I, you know, I think it's easy to predict what the number one complaint that from our fans to me would be. It's just easy to predict. It's like, why don't you just stay the same? Why can't you just do this same thing over and over, even though they should know that that's never going to happen? But, but so you just push that aside. and you let yourself move forward.

And I never could have, that whole album's about, only about love and, you know, significant others, insignificant others, being destroyed by love. And also it being the only,

like, conduit to, to present hope and your way out. And, and all in an attempt to get free in this life, right? But I couldn't have done that without everything that's happened before. And,

you know, And I think, like, you know, unfortunately at times and not on purpose, some of my difficulties that I experienced in a short period of time. But they're just the same difficulties everyone has either gone through or will go through. And so I just have been relying on or leaning into that we're all going to. to be going through this and that people that have taken a long journey with us, much like one of the Hobbit movies. Yes. Most notably the third, which felt very long in theaters.

It ended four or 500 times. God damn. I mean, I remember watching that in theaters being like, I mean, the ring's gone. That many, the ring is gone. The guy you're watching goes, fucking. That many characters do need to say goodbye to each other. It is almost like the spies like us. Doctor, Doctor, Doctor.

Yeah. Hobbit. It's like Frodo. Frodo. Philbo, Sildo. Sam. Bilbo,

Dildon. Dildon. Dildon. Dildon. He's his brother, they're twins. Dildo and Dildo. Dildo is like, I mean,

this guy's got such a fun name. Of course, I'm the bookkeeper. Of course, I'm the square of the group. I'm Dildo. But I think that, you know,

it allows you to get to this spot that you, that I'm thankful for, I'm thankful. I'm not in this. same old spot, you know what I mean? Well, that's, I think, especially now with all the modern marvels and science and stuff, there's this thing about people trying to stay the same, you know, like, I'm going to stay the same age.

Stay young. Stay young. I'm not going to. And I think it hits all of us in different ways. But like, what I always love is seeing an older person that has figured it out that just knows their shit. You know, like my grandma was like that. She was the oldest person that lived in my family.

And even though she wasn't the perfect grandma, the thing that I really, really respected about her, she knew her shit. Yeah. She's like, I'm going to do my crossword puzzle. From experience. Yeah. For 97 years.

Yeah. I'm going to have my iced tea in the afternoon. I'm going to have my Carlo Rossi at night. Yeah. I follow the 49ers. I'm just, you know, I'm an old lady that I read the San Francisco Chronicle front to back every day. Yeah.

And it was like, that was the only person in my whole entire family that seemed to have in a way figured it out. And I was always like, that's interesting to watch. Well, growing up in the Palm Springs, Palm Desert, like Joshua Tree area, it's nothing but old people. And so I just learned from a very early age, I just fascinated with old people because that's all I was surrounded by it. Yeah, that is crazy.

It's like, you know. Yeah. I mean, you are literally in the era where that's where they send them. They send them from the East Coast to Palm Springs. People work their whole lives to get there and they're like, I did it. And then they sort of start that chapter. And so growing up around people that felt that way about where they were at in their life, ended up having this really overwhelming influence of like my next door neighbor,

Gertrude Crane that had a white corvette stock that was 70, a 72 stingray, white. And her hair went up over and out and then wisp like that. And she'd be like, sweetie, grab my groceries. And then I would do that. And then she would say, you know, I got you something in there. And there'd be a little licorice. And I would sit. And then she would tell me these stories that were about her going to, you know,

dances and things like that. And I would just sit there for hours and listen to her. It's always so realizing you're older now, but you were young and catching all these cool stories. I don't know. It just, I've always, that's why I'm always keen to meet someone's grammar. Yeah. You know, I think I, you know, and she passed away a couple years ago,

and I think the thing that I really regretted about it was the, I've heard you do bits about her. Yeah, I have a, it's my whole closer is about cleaning out her house because that was a son of a bitch. Yeah, that was. I found some crazy shit. Yeah. But she was a person that I realized. Dill don't.

What, Dill don't. Dill don't tell me. Dill don't tell me what you found. I'll see it on the special. But, you know, I think something that is about old people is they, they do have these experiences that, even if you read it or watching a documentary, when you hear it from the mouth of the person, just sitting there, you go,

and their words. It's real. Yeah. I took my grandma to the second to last 49ers game at Candlestick Park. So I drive her down to Candlestick Park. We're driving back up to her house and we're going through Oakland. That's where my dad's from and that's where my grandma and grandpa live forever. And we're driving over the Bay Bridge.

And my grandma just very quietly goes, you see that hill right there? And I go, yeah. She goes, your grandpa and I had a picnic up there at 9. when the Japanese surrendered and they turned back on the lights of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. She saw them go on.

Go on because it was a big thing because they were afraid the Japanese were going to bomb us. They had to cut them off at night. So just the idea of like, hey, young love, let's grab a bottle of a wine or something, let's go up on this hill with this blanket and let's watch them turn the lights of the bridge back on

because we won the war. Yeah, the simpleness of that nostalgia, let's go have a picnic. I love you. Yeah. You know, and I think it's hard not to want to walk in the direction of that sentiment. Yeah.

And especially if you, you know, I grew up in a culture of like teen violence and, you know, um, that was terrifying at times. Desert people are different. I just want, uh, I'm from the, the, you know, I grew up mostly in Colorado. I moved to Arizona and quickly learned. Yeah. The desert makes people forged from steel. Oh yeah.

Because it's hot during the day, bitter cold. at night and there's so much danger around. Yeah, well, and you're also, um, there's so much young danger. There's enough space where you're allowed to like attempt your terrible ideas sure unabated for a long time. Yeah, absolutely. There's no way. And your good ideas too.

And, um, you know, people are always, you know, you, the desert comes alive at night. Yeah. And so that element of weirdness. Yeah. It comes out in the people too. And I, yeah. And,

you know, we used to play these, these generator parties that are completely lawless. And that sounds amazing. And it was at times amazing. And then other times, you know,

you'd see a brawl would break out. Sure. And everyone is like, puts her arms out and goes, let them finish. Yeah. And it's like, let them finish.

Fuck. You mean till it's finished, finished? And that is terrifying to me, you know? Yeah. Well, that is a,

you're watching people beat each other until they're finished. And, you know, when you're playing, you're always the last to leave because your gear has to get out and all this stuff. And so, you know, always a witness or a party to things until they're finished.

Sure. Of all varieties of things. And it was a good education in joy on one end and on terror and the other end. And so now, after all these years, when I hear a story like, about your grandparents watching the lights come on it. I know that's the sort of thing I should be, you know,

reaching for walking toward and giving my time to, you know what I mean? Well, because I think a lot of life, you know, like Hicks always had that joke about it's a brightly lit ride and we forget that it's a ride and we look around because of the stuff and that's how you get lost. That is true. You look around and you go like, oh, fuck, all this noise is being made over here. But then you see something that's got like, it's like eating real food, like food that someone has cooked. Yeah.

That maybe they've even gardened. Yeah. And you like feel the weight of the realness of it versus a McDonald's burger. Well, yeah, I'm sorry. I don't know. Please go. Dude, you're talking to the king of interrupting. Yeah.

Please interrupt me. Yeah. I'll tell you for my fans. No. You did it. I'm like, fuck this. Why is this? Well, I, um, when, uh, we were just in Europe with.

system of down and I sent my son to this you know this camp in France and we needed to wait to grab them and so we had this little amount of vacation time and I thought where should we go or should I take my littlest son my daughter and my girl and um and so we made the decision based on this exact thing where is the food grown right there where is where where's a I think it's called a green zone where people live to be 100 or more in a and this you know these areas where it's proven whatever they're doing in this zone is I think it's a green zone. It's a data center and I think it's right next to the mama center. And a baby center.

Yeah. Yeah. It's a blue zone. It's a blue zone. It's a blue zone. It's a blue zone. I'm going to move to a blue zone. Well, this is why I was starting to think is like, maybe I should put my time and energy. when I get the chance either in a, you know, go to, go to Egypt or Turkey, you know,

Darren Kuyu are these beautiful monolithic historic or go to fucking Machu Picchu or go to a blue zone and see what is going on there. And so went to Sardinia. Sick. And, and just didn't go to anywhere swanky, just went, you know, went to one swanky place and was like, fuck this. And instead just went to. wherever the locals were eating. Sick. Just where are you eating?

Yeah. And listening to them go, oh, this place, Serafino and Giovanni, go to this place, you know. And it was really incredible to go to a place that felt largely unchanged and felt ancient.

Sure. And where people were living at a pace and in a style that became a blue zone, you know. Yeah. I mean, and that shows you that it became, like, that kind of energy you're just doing that makes a place go like, oh, people live here a long time and they enjoy their lives. And it was hot there. So they were much like desert people because it was really hot.

Sure. Except they were doing it in a different way than the desert I'm used to. Yeah. They were saying in the daytime from noon to four, we do nothing, which is what you should do in the desert. Yeah. And then, but we don't go to. dinner till 10 o'clock and we're out till so at at 1130 it was kids in the street people walking around and people going just going to dinner and and I was like I'm that's the blue zone difference

that's the blue zone promise that we can provide for you is taking what you're taking what you're given yeah and saying well we'll make the best in this scenario and not to fight against adapting to it you know I've I've always wanted to fight upstream and push buttons and and, you know, rebel. And, and, but then you realize, I'm pushing upstream. This is my river, the river of my life. What am I fighting upstream for?

Yeah, what am I? If I just walked up to you in a river and you were just splashing around, you go, swim with it, dude. What river is it? It's the Josh River. Wait, what am I doing? Oh, I should just backflow. I'm just,

just the realization that in, you take the situation and accept what it is, and then make the best out of that. And by listening to someone who's older, who's not a Bill Conti. Yeah. Don't listen to the Conti. Poor Bill. By the way, Bill is an incredible composer.

He's so fucking good. He's so fucking good. I'm doing excellent work. It's just, your name sounds like that. And I know we're going to have to bleep that from YouTube. But it sounds like. And it's not. We don't have to bleep Conti.

No bleep Conti. That's, yeah. And also he wrote Rocky. All that score. I didn't realize Bill. Well, that's how Sylvester Stallone pulled him over and was like, um, num, which sounded like Mario Brothers there,

but that's not it what it is. But I know what you're talking about when he's running up in the hills. That is exactly how it's scored. But back to what you were saying about going to these places where the locals, you know, seeing what they eat. They got it dialed. They've been doing it for a thousand,

thousands of years. Yeah, but they just know, that was one, you know, and blessed be to Anthony Bordane, the episode I loved to his when he came to the desert and you took him and got lunch.

and you guys had some drinks. And he went to Rancho de la Luna and you guys hung out. Well, he, you know, he, we met, I think it was, by now it's like 20 years ago. And, and he, I said this on this other thing, but it's very cool what he did. He'd done a desert episode and I said, um, next time you around, I'll take you to this some, you know, stuff that your producers didn't find, but like a real, some real desert shit. Yeah. And then he said, let's turn you to this.

it into a show, which wasn't my, originally it was just like, let's go drinking and hang out at this thing. Yeah, you're like, I just want to hang with anything. And then I said, well, you know, the data on his show was that, you know, for the first 10 months that your business would go through the roof. And then the dissipation was like two years. It would still, you know, experience this thing. So I said, why don't we go to places that are some of which, most of which were in trouble.

That's great. And so he ended up saving basically every place that we went. That's exactly what that power should be used to. Yeah, he was definitely... Because you're watching him eat that burger and I go, like, I could go there and eat that burger. I could, I would fucking drive there and eat that bird. I think he just had that love of the people,

a love of, and the people do street food, and the people make comfort food, and they use it to bring the other people they love close together. And I think that was his, you know, his really, his crowning jewel was wanting to be where the food brought the people together. Sure. And I think that that came across.

and kind of how he acted. You know, there's moments where, like, because of him, what's funny is because of you guys, I became a fan of his. Yeah. Because I liked him, and then you did the Christmas episode when you guys were wearing all the sweaters or whatever,

and it just randomly popped up, and Vic and I, shout out, Vic, we were watching that episode. He's going to lose his shit when he sees that. Go, Vic. But when Vic was like, you know, Queens and Stone Age is on Bourdain, and I was like, no way, we watched it. And I was like, you know, this dude fucking rules.

And then it's similar to how. like if you were to have like an opening band or a com if i have a comic opening for me or i open for somebody that's i love how that shit works where you're there for something and then you see something else and you go well this shit rules and by proxy yeah i mean it is fun to i love being a fan yeah it's fun to love things and and be excited i really like seeing my uh friends or peers i really love do well you know especially when they kind of kind of explode although there's a danger in watching someone explode and have to go through the precariousness of that. But I think he also loved to, you know, he ended up on that desert episode, we'd have

these long drives to get to these places. And so we'd listen to music and talk. And I turned him on to Mark Lannigan. And then he really ended up having a real big impact in Lannigan's life. And then having Lannigan take him through Seattle. And I was like, you want him to take you to the. alleys that he like passed out. You know, but he's the one that encouraged Lannigan to start riding.

Really? You know, and watching those dominoes tumble and, you know, playing, being a, just being a little part and playing Cupid for things like that, feels so good. And, you know, I mean, that's also so cool. Yeah, an amazing impact on, yeah. Yes, it's a shame. Yeah, he was, but he was one of those guys where when you saw it. So, you know, years ago I was like hawking Guinness.

That was the job that got me out of working as a waiter was they, like, wanted a comic to host these shows. You want to talk about audiences not listening to you. Straight up just sitting with their back. But I couldn't do comedy. I legally wasn't allowed to like curse. I could only do pro-guinness material. Wow. But it was for, dude, that mud water got me out of that.

I drank too much Guinness. I drank so much of it. You know, whenever I go to Ireland, it's great when it's there to, no preservative. their taps. Yeah. And it's, it's no preservatives. Yeah.

And you realize it is food. You can live on it. Oh my God. I mean, there literally became a point where I started sneaking off and having Budweiser's when I was in Dublin

and they caught me like I was having a, like I was a preacher having a gay affair. I was like, oh, I just want my American whiskey and American beer.

Give me my rice beer. I just pictured that. They're like, soda? And you're like, I'm in the bathroom. I'm reading my Bible. Pshh.

But the guy. What was that? The guy came down to the hotel bar, one of the guys I worked with, right? And I came down and it was late, and I was at the hotel bar and he comes around the corner. He's like, dude, what do you? I'm just drinking a butt while I was doing. You're supposed to be. You embarrass yourself.

It's too thick. It's too thick for this night late at night. Can a man just have a fucking American beer? But it really, I'm an alcoholic. That thing, it was not good for me. Obviously, like I quit drinking at the end of that tour. I was just in some real bad places. Right.

But we were in San Francisco. I was in a real bad space mentally. And I'm doing these shows and I'm just drinking until my body collapses, waking up doing the same thing for like days on end. And I need to eat something. And I'm walking through and I'm up on Broadway in San Francisco, which there's no food. There's no fucking food.

And I see a place that has hamburgers and pizzas. And I'm like, fuck it, dude, let me get a hamburger. And I go in and I eat, I'm starting eating this hamburger. And I'm like, this is the best fucking hamburger I've ever had in my life.

This hamburger is unbelievable. And I turn around and on the wall There's a signed paper plate By Bourdain by Tony. Yeah and it says like this is one of the best burgers You'll ever have in your life And that's like one of those things while you're having that thought And it's Sam's hamburgers.

And now if anybody that knows me I plug that like I have fuck and I took him there You know we filmed the special in Mill Valley And I took him and John one of our other camera guys And my friend Brandon I was like We're getting fucking Sam's hamburgers And I have this joy Where I watch my friends eat it

And they go like, this is fucking unbelievable. But I also think Tony's thing is that he was willing to be a little Conti as well. Yeah. And so you understood that he wasn't just there being like, oh, I love this so much. And it's, you know, I think you need that, that you need that authenticity of, you know what I don't like this. Yeah. You know, in order to, in real time. Yeah.

You know. There was this brilliant move that I heard a comic do. Nate Bargetse was working with him and they were like developing a show and this guy's like produced stuff or whatever. He said that they'd get into a meeting with all these suits from NBC or CBS and he would start the meeting by making

everyone go around the room and say something they don't like currently on TV. And he said watching these guys go like, well, is this okay? And their brains are bleeding and they're like, I like everything because of the numbers.

But it is like a thing of like how can you say what you like if you don't know what you don't? like. Well, I think you need, it's okay. You don't need to be Conti about what you don't like to. You can be, you can be. By the way, this is just going to be shorthand now. Well, I don't want it to get bleeped on fucking Hulu or whatever, you know. Like I like to speak however I like to speak. But I think there's, you know, it's okay to simply say the same for me. And enough said, I don't want to, you know, it is important to make, I. I think it's the best way to make friends is to bond over what you like. And instead of saying, I hate this chair, like a stupid chair with the mixer on it. And that's not the way to be friends.

But you do need to admit, if you're going to be friends with someone, you have to be a truth teller, even down to, you know, lots of these longstanding relationships with the musicians I've had. They're based on like, shut up. Yes. You know, and like, what are you out of your mind right now? It's, you're not supposed to agree. And I think that's what I've, find really confusing about these times as group thought is not for me. And it's that it's every

situation is situational. Yeah. And so you yeah, uh, you're gonna not agree with people. That's the whole thing is that's how it gets nice and juicy for you, Vic. There's two things I would like to bring back. Uh, my dad used to, my dad was a bartender and I'd always hear him when he disagree with people. The thing he would say is you just go, I don't really care for that. that. Yeah. Which is such like a fast way of going like, like, I don't like it, but I don't want to Yeah, but we don't have to pull the frog apart in Science Club.

Exactly. Yeah. I don't really care for that. And the second thing that I've been using a lot is my bad. Because just like as like a little social lubricant, if I, you know, New York, I bump into people all the time. Oh, my bad. Yeah.

Just immediately you will see that people want to, they want to go with you on that. Yeah. They don't want to go, hey, fuck you. They want to go like, oh, my bad. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You got your dog.

All right. No problem. Yeah. We don't have to get, we don't have to ramble on about it. My bad. My bad. And then there really is like a thing of like, all fair. Yeah, I can see that.

Yeah. But we're losing that. We're losing that like short hand in society that makes it easier for us to go. Well, you just don't need to agree with everybody. Exactly. That's also. And I'm saying that for myself. I mean, that's not very revolutionary what I'm saying.

But I, I, I, I, I, I, and luckily, you know, we don't travel in circles where, you know, you know, if you're going to make. something and you want to you want it to be honest and authentic and you like to be able to say I think it's art which is you know at the end of it then you have to talk about what you don't like as much as what you do like and also rejoice in being able to identify something you're not into so you can stay the fuck away from that I mean I think that was the thing that I had a hard time with as a people pleaser was constantly being like no it's all right even if I didn't agree with it like, oh, it's okay, it's okay. It's like walking around with wet socks. You just go,

I'm very unhappy right now, but I'm acting like I'm putting on a good face. But I'm here for the team. Well, yeah, I, that was something that took me a very fucking long time to change. Yeah. I mean, I've always been a people pleaser to accept for when it's time to engage in the arts because it seems so monumental. Sure. To, um, to use bluntness without cruelty. Yeah. And say, we tried this, you know, musically speaking. and say, all right, well, we've tried this idea in a number of ways. And it's just not working. I'm not the guy that can deliver this particular idea for you.

You know what I mean? It's just, you know. But the evolution that you guys had with doing alive in the catacombs and then you do the tour, that is like, that is a departure. That is like a risk. That is something that you go like. That was terrifying. Yeah.

You know what I mean? And not just because you were dancing with a cleaver. You know, that was the most comfort. part. I don't know what it is. A little of my own blood. Yeah. There's like, I always feel like, oh, well, you know, when taking risks in front of people, sure, you know, hold a knife. I want there to be, and a crowd should always be on their heels and you should be on their toes. It's dangerous when a crowd's on their toes. You know this. Yeah. That's what I'm when they're taking control. It's like, this is not, you're not, this is not the time for you to be in

control. And I think this notion that's got me in a lot of physical trouble and just straight up trouble before is this notion of nobody hurts me more than I hurt myself, watch. And I think that Cleaver really presented this calm for me because I would throw this thing and miss. And sometimes you miss. And then to be like, oh, okay, we're good. We're good. I, You know, I don't know why it just, it was like a wooby, you know. But but the will be of danger. Yeah, the most dangerous movie of all time. But that is something where it's a complete departure from what you're used to.

You know, you're, it's, you, you changed it up and you did the arrangements for alive in the catacombs. And it seems like it just breathed this like new wind into your sales. Yeah. And actually, you know, I, I think it's easy to predict what naysayers say. Nay say, nay, say, nay, it's all they can say. that's why they say next. Right? So I,

um, and I think it's important to engage with what you perceive the negative might be. And in order to just have some kind of understanding and maybe even find a way around it, you know, um, but for catacombs, I thought, okay.

Um, and also we're so musically naked there. There's, it's about saying, what if I took everything away? Sure. And I was left just with myself. And then you're like,

and then you say, oh, God. Okay. And, but it felt really important to try that and risk being not liked or misunderstood. Yeah. And in order to find, you know, I don't have a therapist and music's my religion. And I, as I said, I do believe if I put, I only have myself to give. So if I put everything that I understand about myself and my, my compatriots here, like, into this, then, and if I say, I won't stop till I love it, not perfect.

Sure. But until I love it, then someone else has a chance of loving it too, since there is a mirror in how people perceive something, you know, and that you could actually leave baggage behind and maybe become a better person actually just by making a record. I mean, that's like a massive cocooning and transformation that I think is something that only, you know, there's a reason of learning stuff and doing it longer, you get better at it because you almost can use your tools in a way of like, at 21,

you probably wouldn't have known what that even meant. Right, right. But, well, the tough thing that you end up dealing with, though, is that, you know, you,

you know, you can't copy yourself. You have to take a risk, so you have to risk whatever success or anything you have, you know, you have to, you know, if you have a good idea,

and you tell 30 people, 29 of them need to say, please don't do this idea. Because otherwise, how can it be good if anyone could just have it? Yeah. And, you know, you need to keep listening to things

and trying things you're not good at. And all that is scary and risks isolation, but you can't get anything if you don't do that. How can you make your last special, your best one, unless you risk at every turn

and all the ones previous. And that's just straight up scary, you know. But that's also, you know, scary is a way to look at it, but it's also the thrill of it. Yeah. The thrill of it is pulling it off. Yeah. The thrill of it is going like.

No net. Like, yeah, no net. Or having something that you go, I've given up. I had a joke that I given up on and I had Dana Gould on my podcast and we were in L.A. And I just like, oh, I had this joke where I tried this and then I threw it away. He solved it. But he went, do that fucking joke.

Right. He went, do that fucking joke. He's like, edit this out. Do that joke. Yeah. And I think within like a month

I had it where it was like, oh, I found out because literally all it took was a person that I really respect, who I, who I've loved his comedy forever. And just him going like, no, that could be,

that could be something. And you go, he essentially said, don't leave your problems alone. Yeah. Don't, don't walk away from them. That's what I did.

Keep coming back to him and tinkering with your problems. problems. Because there is a frustration. You know, give a problem a problem like old dirty bastards. Yeah. The ODB did be saying.

Problems got a problem. Yeah. My problem's got a problem. Yeah. But that is because I think there is this like frustration when you're trying something and it doesn't work you too quickly like or at least for me I was kind of like, all right, well, it's just not going to pan out. But then having someone go like having someone walk by and go, oh, that's fucking cool.

And you go, oh, I was just going to stop fucking with this. But I guess if you take it, yeah, maybe. Well, but if you think. you go to something because you think it has an acorn of, of value to it. And if it doesn't work, often right away, oftentimes he's,

oh, well, it's not good. And I used to do this with songs all the time, or you force it to be finished and it's not finished as it deserves. Yeah. Instead of saying, in this moment,

I'm not qualified to finish it, but I'm not leaving it. Yes. I'll come back to it. That is. I'll tinker, I will tinker with you once more. Yeah.

You just leave it. it there and you go you will be tinkered again i will see you again but i'm gonna colonel troutman and show up and be like that's as i really goes poop john i tried because i trained you to be a piece of the new album is awesome thank you uh thank you for doing this podcast yeah thank you for having me you are you fucking rule it's like awesome to be just as as as a member of the tribe of queens of the stone age fans. Thanks for making shit that constantly not only evolves, but deepens my appreciation for the stuff you make. Thank you. Every time I listen to it, I'm never going like, oh, they're just trying to do that. It's like, there's always this stuff of like, man, this is awesome. This evolution

is awesome. Everything from, you know, just album to album. Keep making shit. Thank you for the way you make stuff. And thanks for making the music that a lot of us uses brain ointment to massage our brain. Complements are so painful. I know. Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it. And I, you know, I know you've said so many nice things

and I just thank you for saying that. Yeah. The new album is perfect. It'll be coming out soon. And it fucking rules.