The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Gary Clark Jr.

Episode Date: May 27, 2024

Austin rocker and axman, Gary Clark Jr., brings blues-rock center stage in 2019 as he joins Team Supreme to talk about his journey from booking gigs at 14, to collaborating with The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and his new album, "This Land." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. 2%. That's the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter. And on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange, modern world. Put yourself through some hardships and you will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person.

Listen to 2%. That's TWO percent on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. KOSLOV Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. This is Sugar Steve, and on this week's QLS Classic, Austin Rocker and Axeman Gary Clark, Jr. brings Blues Rock Center Stage in 2019 as he joins Team Supreme to talk about his journey from booking gigs at 14 to collaborating with the Rolling Stones

and Eric Clapton and his new album, This Land, originally released March 6, 2019. Suprema, Subrima, Subrima Roll Call. Suprema, Subrima, Subrima Roll Call. Suprima, Submma, Submina Roll Call. Suprema, Submina Rocaul. The voice loves my name.

That you can trust. Yeah. I love all my friends. Yeah. You don't throw me under the bus. Roll car. Suprema. Suprema.

Role call. Suprema. Subrema, sub, sub, subprima, roll car. My name is Fonte. Yeah. I want no drama. Yeah. I'm just here to talk about.

Yeah. The night I met your mama. Roll call. Suprema, Subima, sub, sub, sub, sub, subprima, role call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub prima, role call. My name is Sugar. Yeah.

Sugar Steve for the win. Yeah. Do you hear your train are coming? Yeah. When your train pulls in. Roll call. Suprema. Suprema.

Roll car. Suprema. Sura. Sura. Superma. Roe car. I'm unpaid bill. Yeah.

Not counting pesos. Yeah. Should have divorced. Yeah. Jeff Bezos. Roca. Yeah. Suprema.

Yeah. Yeah. Subima. Roe car. Suprema. Submma. S. Suprema, roll call.

On Islaeim. Yeah. That's right, I'm flossing. Yeah. Cause now I know. Yeah. A black man from Austin. Roll call.

Suprema, sub, sub, subprima role call. Supremma, sub, sub, subprima, roll call. I'm G. From the ATX. Yeah. With Crest and crew. Yeah. And I don't know what's next.

Roll call. Supriva. Supriva. Suprima. Supriamma. Suprema Subima Roe Call

Suprema Subra Role call Suprema Superma Subra Role call Nice

Smooth with it Nice Smooth with it Man dropping that foe Yeah Real nice Not quite Patit's Russian

But still Not his badness No I'm just No That's bit You were better And a lot Yeah

He ranked up there You did You know You did it effortlessly I appreciate that It was so good I did a Hendricks Darry Park mashup

In case Yeah it Deep cuts I get it Deep cuts It was late And we're in the house Of course

I'm gonna spoon See it out y'all This is officially Sugar Network Yeah this is the sugar network Edition of course Love Supreme So go ahead

Where are we at Steve No Run your own show Bro No I'm just here for a punch I'm still running The bus, man.

I'm still under the bus. Yeah, you weren't talking about me, right? No. Oh, yeah, you don't even know what's going on. Not, Walt. You don't listen. No, he don't look at group tests. It's cool.

This is Sugar Steve, and we're here at Electric Lady Studios. That's right. We are. Anything else? Nah, like. For somebody who just... Let's move it. Okay.

Keep him moving. Anyway. My roll call was the shit. It was. It was. It was layers. It was layers. You were great.

Many love, like an onion. Many levels. Oh, wait. We might as well just start now because I know I'm going to play this about 211 times Unpaid Bill is all right now Oh yeah Stepmother is Jamaica

You sound All right Y'all sound so good Oh man You're so good You use your own background Yeah that's just all me You use the reggae plug in on that shit

Well done No that was just me It sounds great When I walked into the room Unpaid Bill Yeah When he's not Teaching Grover to Curts on Sesame

Street. And you got to explain that too. How great was that? I think y'all did that on purpose. I heard it both ways though. Like I heard what it opposed to me. It was what was the thing? It was a red dress of blue dress. Yeah. Or like whatever that was.

Willow. The Yanny. The Yanny versus Laurel. Yeah. That. Yanny versus Laurel. What exactly was said? I don't. I didn't see it. But I was told by my girlfriend, who's the boss, that they watched it like a hundred times. and everybody bought the fact that he didn't he did not say what everybody thinks he said

wait wait she's literally the boss yeah oh damn yeah my girlfriend is levels did this shit my boss she's the she's the boss yeah it's tough man it's it used to be she wasn't the boss and then like in the last year she became the boss and i'm not sure how i feel about that you i'm formulating the opinions as we speak there's love on the street yeah there's love on the street no but you you were saying that you were about to have a get re-bar Mitzvah. Oh, so for those that follow Fon Tigolo on the

Instagram, he is constantly the host of various rap events. Various events. Various events. He's like the emcee of emcees, and I thought, since I'm going to get Bar Misfit again, that he could emcee my barmissive for the second time. It's like, renew your vows. Now, is this like a re-circumcision as well?

Yeah. I feel like they're all the same thing. It grew back. Okay. It grew back. I got re-bit of Lago. Okay, yeah, I may excuse myself from the circumcision part. I understand that. But up until that, up until the cutting, I'm there. I'm your guy.

Tonight we're enjoying whiskey with each other, and it's wonderful. I feel like we don't do this enough. We don't, man. I just want to see how far I can get without even introducing our guests. I was trying to segue into our guest because I brought in some whiskey and really said that he liked it. He has an intro, but I'm not. just saying that, you know, we usually just wrap a little bit for like three minutes. I can keep on going.

The sugar network's much more organized. I get it. This is a mess. Come on, man. You know how I do. Especially when Boss Bill ain't here. Yeah, I know. My feet, my nikes are up on the coffee.

It's going to get off the rail. Matter of fact, I'm going to eat some grapes right now. On the mind. Just for boss. Yeah, exactly. I got some almonds, too, if you want to chew them loudly. I'm just cooler. I'm just, yeah.

Where's that voice coming from? By the way, there's somebody. I love when Bill's not here so I can just violate all the rules. Oh, and you brought the earrings back. Yeah. I love the earrings. Don't get me your hair.

I love the earrings. Okay. Thank you. And great edit job, Bill. He didn't edit shit out. Yes, he did. Did he? He edited a lot out.

Okay. Roll out this roll that beautiful. Let's roll them out. Red carpet. All right, so ladies and gentlemen, we have a black man from Austin, Texas. Yeah. Time out.

Time out. Austin is officially my second favorite place on earth. We know. Yeah, you do. Why is that? What is it? I just like, my requirements for a city are, you know, I don't have the same standards that other people do. Okay.

If the record shopping is good, the food truck activity is good. Oh, nigger, that's it right there. There you go. That's all I need. It'd be nice if the weed was legal, but you know, you just, you make certain compromise. It's about to be, boo. It's coming. It's coming.

Okay. It's coming here. We hung out in Austin. We had a good time. Oh, yeah. You know, and I actually believe that perhaps the idea, the idea, potus that might get the votes for the Democrats. Beto? Or, uh, I believe that he's from, I think he's the figure that will do it. Why are you speaking in code?

Um, because, you know, then. He doesn't want to get pinned down. Jesus Christ. He doesn't. Exactly. Make your stance, right? I mean, not yet, you know. Okay.

I'm just saying right now, as it's looking, there's a strong possibility, but see, I should have to speak much more openly about things. Anyway, are just the days from my second, is my second, he's from my second favorite city in the U.S. and the world.

He's been doing it to death. Yes, deaf, D-E-A-F, because his guitar is allowed. since the age of 12 bad pun, Amir, bad pun I'm here. Guitar jokes. No, seriously, in the tradition

of the great journeymen, bluesmen such as James Marshall Hendrix, buddy guy, Muddy Waters, all the kings, BB King, Albert King, Freddie King, you know, Hallam Wolf.

Every Champagne King. Yes. I knew you're going to, yes, all the kings. Our guest, Gary Clark Jr., has been making believers of the traditional rock and roll sound with his major debut

and the EP, Bright Lights EP, and the Black and Blue, which was released in 2012. I have seen the man myself. I've played with them a few times, but I can attest that the future of

of just jaw-dropping acts work is definitely in good hands, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to Questlove Supreme. The one and only, Gary Clark Jr. Hey, man, motherfucker. Hey, I appreciate that.

I might need that as my alarm. All good. So, glad. So, so switching, you. So tell us about Austin. No, were you born in Austin, Texas? Yeah, born and raised in Austin, Texas. Okay.

All right, no, I have this romantic, you know, vision of the town and whatnot, like, Food trucks. Food trucks and records stores and musicians. He's our first native. What was it like pre-gentrification? Yeah.

What was it like, yeah? Oh, damn. For those that don't know, Gary Clark gave a look. He saw a look. He saw a look. So tell me, what's the deal with Austin? What was growing up in Austin like? For me, I grew up south side of Austin, a little spot called Oak Hill neighborhood.

I guess you called it somewhat of a suburb, I guess. The south side is the suburb? No, I mean, yeah, I guess you could say that. A bunch of houses with schools and parks. Okay. But it wasn't directly right in the city, you know what I mean? But, you know, pretty normal, somewhat a diverse neighborhood close to, you know, 50 minutes away from downtown.

But it was country kind of a little bit, riding bikes, forth. out in the woods doing stuff like that basketball, nothing too wild. Fairly normal or? Yeah, somewhat normal. I mean, it's Texas, it's the south, so there's a little bit of that is, you know. I was going to say, the one physical trait

that you have that's the opposite of all the great axemen of history is you're tall. Yeah, I'm up here, man. You're very tall. Like all the great axmen, I feel like, are under five, 10

and they, you know, I feel like maybe that's their entry into you know, this makes up for. Well, I never heard, I never thought about hype, but, Hendrous was short. I mean, it's about, I mean, I've heard about having big hands where that can. Finish it, finish it, finish it.

Be extremely helpful. Thank you. You're supposed to be doing the words of wisdom. No, that was right. No, no, no. That's good. Tell me more about his hands. What they do with Steve?

How's an advantage? No, I mean, probably for other instruments, too, but having large hands would make playing an instrument easier. I wouldn't know. This is all I got. Well, I haven't been looking at your hands. I mean, you're, but he's just a tall person, so his hands are probably tall.

My God. You're nice saves, Steve. Albert King, 64. He is? He's a big guy. He's a big, yeah. Okay. That I didn't know.

Yeah. Okay. He was one of the kings. But yeah, man, growing up in Austin was nothing. What was your family situation into? I grew up in the house of three sisters, mom and pops. Yeah, boy right in the middle. Oh, okay.

What did your folks do? Oh. The only boy, yeah. Okay. Yeah. What did your folks do? Were they musicians as well? No, well, my pops eat.

I love my pops. But yeah, he plays a little bit. I actually, you know, when I started realizing what was happening, he had some guitars in the house, I ended up kind of breaking one. But my dad, my parents, just kind of normal jobs, my dad sold anything. He sold everything from homes to cars to men's suits to lady shoes to he did everything. He worked security for concerts.

And, you know, he was just, he was doing whatever he had to do to make sure that we had what we needed. My mother was an accountant. That's perfect. Like, he hustled? She managed? It's working out, like, as of this year. Right now.

She helping you out a little bit, maybe, yeah. My mom, she's been helping me out for a long time. That's what's up, man. Yeah. And none of them are. in music in the church or none of that stuff? No, not really. This is a unique situation.

Yeah, but I mean, I got family members. I got uncles who are musical musicians, you know, writers. And somebody used to play with Stevie Ray Vaughan, if you're familiar with Austin, Texas and Texas blues scene, W.C. Clark, that's my cousin. He used to play bass with them, great guitar players. Oh, okay. Pee-Wey Crate and he used to play with Johnny Otis.

Oh wow. Shuggy Otis' father. Right. So, yeah, that's, so it was in my family, we were not right at my house, you know what I mean? Also, weird enough, the house band for, um, they called them Blue Records. What's the name? Blowfly. Oh, blowfly, yeah. A lot of this stuff.

Well, yeah, like Johnny Ois was a part of that. I didn't realize that until much later. Yeah. So how did you get interested in music? Like, what was the moment that? The moment that made me, I saw Michael Jackson when I was five. Okay. The victory tour or?

Yeah. No, this was the bad tour. The bad tour. You were born at 84, right? I was born at 84, so this is like 88, 89. Cheryl Crowe, Michael Jackson. Yeah. Yeah. So that's the first time you met Cheryl Crow.

That was the first time I saw her. Oh, that's the first time I saw her. Yeah, but that was the first time I saw. It's crazy. Like, little did you know how, like, your connection with her then would, you know. Yeah. Yeah, I can't just can't stop loving you, you know, on my big jump-up tromb. We had the nosebleed seats, you know what I mean?

So I can't see anything. But, yeah, that was what got me into music, you know, the light show, the energy, everything. You know, I got to kindergarten. I was like, where's the stage at? Really? I just wanted to be in that, you know. What is this? You know, what is these vibes?

So you chose a path that is rarely chosen, especially for, like, black musicians, especially in growing up in the age of when hip hop is really developing and, and, you know, R&B at the time, when you're coming of age, like New Jack Swing and hip hop are really fine their footing. But yet, like, blues music, and the way that you play, you know, one of the reasons why I'm really excited that you hear is because I really don't know your story. but haven't seen you performed at least somewhere between 10 to 12 times like I already had like your story painting out in my head that you know you were living off of like pork and beans and I was born a son of a share of

yeah a bundle or sticking a bundle and hopping train it's nice no but your voice that's a compliment just so you know that's like a Like, boy, the way you said nice, he said nice, like, yeah, I did it. My backstory work. No, but you sing with so much conviction and a type of, I don't know how to describe your voice. Like, it's not like a voice I've ever heard singing before, but I felt like, you know, like you've went through things and that sort of thing.

I mean, that was kind of what I, the vibe I was getting. It's lived in. I think he sings like he plays the guitar. Like the guitar and his voice are kind of a similar voice. What started first for you? Did you start playing first or singing first? I started singing first. Yeah, my sister started coming home with trophies for singing competitions.

And I didn't know trophies. That's all. Where's my goddamn trophy? What's the age gap between you and your siblings? Thanks. So I'm three and a half years younger than my oldest sister. I got a sister's younger than me two years. And then I got a baby, baby sister who's younger by like 10 years.

Okay, cool. Yeah. So the older one, she was the one that was singing concert. She could sing good? She could sing great. She's, you know, you can play piano really well, sight read, can, you know, do all that, all that kind of stuff. And I just, I wanted some trophies, so I signed up for the choir in sixth grade,

along with basketball. I used to get hell all the time for showing up to basketball practice. Like, what's up singing something, man? How was choir practice? Oh, that's right. I got that shit too. You can't be a music nerd and a school jacket at the same time.

Nope. It was rough, man. It was so rough. Were you good at ball? No, I was like a Dalmatian great dame puppy or something. Tall and awkward, tall, you know, got no handles. It's super tall for no reason. Got no hops.

Sad, just a waste. Damn, waste of genetics. But your hands are so big. Can't you just dunk it? I got a nice 15-footer, though. You can't stop me. What? You got a lot of ears attention without.

Yeah, she told me heard that wrong. I mean, oh. Footer, not incher. Like, nigga, this is a tricky. Oh, yeah, that would be too. Well, that would, yeah, you're right. Yeah, yeah. I know, I know you.

I know you, I know you, I know. Thank you. I know you, right. You don't buy that more than you could chew. Anyway, uh, work life. 2%. That is the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter.

And on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. I'll be speaking with writers, researchers, and other health and fitness experts, and more to look past the impractical and way too complex pseudoscience that dominates the wellness industry. We really believe that seed oils were inherently inflammatory. We got it wrong. Many of the problems that we are freaked out about in the world are the result of stress. Put yourself through some hardships and you will come out on the other side a

happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%. That's TWO% on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Where were we? Okay, so just from seeing your sister win these trophies, that was your inspiration? Yeah, that's why.

I thought I was going to, you know, you're talking about being the time of hip-hop and R&B. I thought I was going to be a singer in an R&B group. I had a group with this guy, Robbie, called Young Soul. And we had dance moves and choreography and... It sounds like an SNL skit. Like if Gary Clark were in a... It was terrible, but we loved it, you know what I know.

Who were y'all kind of modeling yourself after the groups? You wanted to be boys to men as yet. All the, yeah. All for one. Yeah, man. Wow. Mr. You know.

Wow. All the four-man groups. Y'all was singing Blackberry molasses. That was my joint. And it had that guitar in it, too. and I was like, this goes together. I could do both. Was that Tony Wrist?

I could be Tito. That was Mr. Not me playing the guitar. I'm supposed to see. I thought that was Tony Rich playing guitar. He played guitar. He was on acoustic. He was like the knockoff baby face.

I mean, but the niggas can sing he can play. But shit, I thought on baby face. Like everybody else, Steve, we heard. Babyface started his baby face. You remember he said that. He was on yab. Y'all wasn't he all right. No, he was on LaFeyam.

No, he was on the face. He was on Arrister. He was on Arrister, yeah. Questlove Supreme Rabbit, Hold, Gary, my back. So wait. So wait. So that was literally, the video is literally the moment when you start to think about picking up the guitar too. That video you just referenced.

Black Bear in the last. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Tito Jackson, watching old video tapes of Tito Jackson, maybe you want to play guitar. Yeah. Wait, you said you broke your dad's guitar once. The point of discontention, you can tell. Similar to Tito Jackson. There was no repercussions, though, right?

Not like that Okay No So That's singing But when You were So what

You were 12 when you first started playing guitar Yeah So What was your first What was the first X that you got? I got an Ibanez RX 20 Like a black

Electric guitar Two humbucker pickups A little maple neck And I got a little tin watt guitar amp from Walmart or something and plugged in and everyone starts with the department store. It was like a rock axe or something I think it was the name of it, a little tin watt.

And all your stuff like you learn to play, you pretty much taught yourself, like you know lessons or anything like that? No, no, not really. I started listening to the radio. My dad, when I first got my guitar, my dad said, if you wanna play guitar for real, you gotta listen. and Eric Clapton and Santana.

So he dropped off some records in my room and said, good luck with that. Do that. Do your homework too, but... Also that. Fuck with that. Yeah. Really?

Yeah. So where were the first records that you remember buying? Well, not for guitar education purposes, but just in your life, what was your first album? Do you remember purchasing? My first album that I remember purchasing was immature. Wow.

You're amazed, aren't you right now? Dude, immature. Yo. That's not what I was expecting. What was, which one was it? The one with Feel the funk. Feel the funk. Where did that come out? 95? I want to say? They sampled us. That was the first time we got sampled.

Immature sampled? One of them joins, one of them joins was silent moment. The drums from solid treatment. The intro Jones. And matter of fact, they did two. A matter of fact, they did too, because the drums were sound treatment, but they took the Rosel. They did. I had that album somehow. I don't know.

It wasn't intentionally. And you remember it, so it must have been good, Fonte, right? Okay, so this is Gary Clark, Jimmy. Immature. Do you remember when immature came back as IMX? Yeah, I do. I do. With a different member or something?

No, it was the same three niggas. Okay. They was I am X. And all of them, for three and it wasn't. Right. A different iPatch. It was like two niggas. It was like, yeah.

Because they had that jam and they did a cover. They actually did a cover of Love Me and a special way on that album. Wow. Marcus Houston? Like straight up. Yeah, dead ass. But I had that album. I had that album.

Yeah. You were my favorite R&B fan of all time. Yeah. For real. Your R&B knowledge puts me the same. I'm just sure. If Markees Houston knew that Gary Clark Jr., like, was it, that's just, I just don't think he would know that he probably would be off the wall.

Yeah. Yeah. That was the first record I bought. Wow. That's crazy. Gary Glaude Jr. debunking all the myths. Sorry, man. You want him to say like, you want him to say like, Phoebe King, Robert Johnson, he's like, no, no, no, no. I think I was fucking ass yet. Yeah. Exactly. So at what point, at what point do you consider the genesis of where you are, are right now in your career.

Like, at what point are you, who's putting you on to Electric Ladyland? Who's putting you on to the first, like the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the pream albums or Zeppelin or any of those things. Yeah, so. Assuming that, assuming that. I mean, I'm assuming that you. You're like a Jimmy Vaughnquet, right? That was. Yeah, well, that all happened. I live down the street from a, a girl named Eve Monce. I met her in third grade, white girl came from Houston, Jewish girl.

She came out and was like, she came, I told you. We don't know what I'm just saying. So she was playing guitar like a year before me. And her dad worked on video games, and he would put video games in all these different venues around town. And so when he was working on him, he had him in the garage, and they had a basketball goal. So all the kids from the neighborhood would go over there and play arcade games,

you know, and you start hooping or whatever. And then Eve had a band and it was like a three-piece band, her and a couple other girlfriends, and they would be playing this rock and roll stuff. And, you know, she had a black stratacaster and a fender twid and 100-watt amp, you know, red knobs on it, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, you know what I'm playing basketball

and I'm hearing this. So I ended up getting interested in what she was doing. It was just like the coolest thing in the neighborhood. So I just became interested in that. You know, I've been listening to my boys to men and working on my dance steps and writing my, you know, my R&B hits. And then I was like, you know, let me see what's happening over here. So that's seeing her have a guitar and thinking about Tito Jackson

and how much I loved that. And, you know. Damn. It's the first time in which, you know, someone's bringing a Jackson reference where Tito was the actual hero. And he really deserves it because people don't be bigging them up as much as they should. Yeah, so all that kind of went together.

And I remember that they had that Jackson movie, the American Dream. Man, listen, that is a classic. I watch it every, all four hours of it. Yeah. Like on BET. That went in the Temptations movie. Like, I will, bussy TV.

Exactly. So they had a soundtrack for that. At one point, they had a live version of them doing... Who's loving you? Who's loving you? But they did... Isaac Hayes... Walk on by.

And so Tito's playing that phone. The wrong thing. I was like, dude. Jermaine is also... Let it be noted. Germain is killing that baseline. Oh, yeah. Bajon.

Oh, yeah, Jermaine. Yes. Woo! So that's weird. That affected me. As a sampler, that was a well-known public enemy sample. Yeah.

So that's how I got, you know, into that. But you just hearing it first generation without even the references, that's crazy that you picked up on that. Yeah. I was like, man, this all goes together. I'm going to start hanging out down the street and you figured out how to play this guitar, man. Wow. Babyface was also in the audience that night.

He mentioned that on our show. I'm going to do a lot of references to pass callbacks. I like that. It's a me archive. Hell yeah. I'm my own reference center. By the way, two shorts parents were accountants as well. I'm just, I'm going with the theme.

Well, there you go ahead. They were. For real? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I know that you weren't built overnight. So how many hours do you reckon that it took you to really, really master? I mean, because, I mean, the rate where Rolling Stones declaring you as Operation Next and the future.

And yes, you definitely have the chops for that shit. Like I was, again, jaw drop. Like, how, what was your practice technique like? My practice technique was, I quit going to school. I would. You know what I? I just quit. I would show up the first period.

And someone would be like, hey, man, let's go play guitar. I got some herb. And we just dip. Done, dear. You know? And we were just, you know, I was introduced to Grateful Dead and, you know, people had muddy waters records. And it was just, I would just go do that instead of doing my schoolwork. Austin started changing.

Okay. So all day, you know, when I got to be about 14, I played my first gig in 98. I was a sophomore in high school, I guess. And, I mean, you know what it is. is like you start getting gigs and then it becomes you get one gig, two gigs, three, four nights a week, five nights a week, seven nights a week, four hours. That's where the Dominoos started. That's, that's from 14 on. From 14 on, that was it. And your parents was cool. They was like, do you okay?

No. They were okay with it. They were okay with it until I started getting phone calls from the school. asking where I was. Because 14 is the beginning of high school, so it's like... But you don't. Yeah, I was there and then I just ghosted. Wow. Are you finishing or did you like get a... I ended up finishing.

I had to do Saturday. I had to do after school. I had to go before. I had to do all that stuff. I had an incomplete in my junior year of high school because I lost it. They used to call me Hotwire. I used to take my parents' car,

sneak out in the middle of night, go down to the clubs. Oh, they didn't believe a whooping in your house. This is what we want to know. Okay. Wait a minute. You were hot. Why are your parents car?

They called me hotware. I just used to have a key. Put it in neutral, like, push it down the street. It's better nickname than keys. Yeah. Yeah, right. I mean, having once, you know, shame or me, doing it twice, though.

Pick on the belt. Nah, this happened multiple times. This was three or four times a week, I would get out and go to the club. Oh, you would get away with it? I would sneak out of the window. How about the window? And I'll wait until my pops would be sitting. He would be watching Star Trek or something.

And he would start to fall out. Is it because they were too busy looking at the girls? I don't know what he. Like your sisters, I meant that in that way. I'm sorry, your sisters. Like, they pay more attention to what your sister. Sorry. Did I say electric blue?

Why do you look at me, Steve, when I said electric blue? You didn't say that. You didn't say that. You know, Eddie Kravitz is real name or something like that? Yeah, it is. Nice to flex. No, but I just meant because how did you get past them, but I was just thinking. They were focusing on what they focused on the girls, your sisters rather.

Yeah, I was. Oh, he's just really good. They thought I was upstairs playing guitar. Oh, you were good at it. I was good. I was quiet. I was on mine. I was on mine.

At school. Yeah, I was smooth with it. But, you know, I popped in one time. Where would you go? I would go to a spot called Joe Generic Bar. I would go to Antones. I would go to my friend's houses. And we would, you know, they would have house parties and bands would be playing.

There would be deep. So, you know, I might not have been able to go, but I made myself able to go. I was going to ask, would they normally have given you permission to play these parties or was it like, okay? No, no. Based on this is the wrong crowd or? Based on, like, are they seeing you and knowing that, oh, he's going to be our future? Not saying that every son has to, you know, do that for his parents, but. No, not at all. It was a distraction. You know, I started, you know, I'm sneaking out, I'm leaving the house, I'm smoking weed all the time, I'm stealing the car. They can't find you. Living your best life. Yeah, exactly.

You know what I mean? I'm getting calls from the school. I'm not present. I'm, you know, all this type of stuff. And so, no, they weren't really with it at all, you know. But my mom made a compromise with me. She was like, look, I can't take this away from me because I know how much you love it.

But what you can do is if you can sneak you out and go run around and play for all those drunks down in six years, you can play for Jesus. So you can go play in the church. Into the church. I love it. Okay. Jesus.

Okay. But did they let you? axe grind in the church or were you just doing straight up gospel but I mean the thing is that I would also think that Austin, Texas was rather open-minded to

different experiences. I mean, I want to a free I want well I mean I was torn in Austin by 94 so he's about 10 years old. So yeah, in church. Yeah, I'm just saying that by this point, like, I would think that they would have been open to it. I once went to a free jazz church.

Oh, what? What's that? He said a free. Like, imagine, like, the last, the last era of, like, Coltrane's life for, like, Ferris and Jesus. Oh, yes, that's about Farrell Sand. Yeah, okay. Wow. Yeah.

There is a go-go church in D.C. What? Damn show it is. That's right. Wind it up, Chuck. Yeah. All praise due to Chuck Brown. When are we going?

Wow. I said right in the next. Greg, you know about, you know about the go-go? You know about the go-go? I know a little bit. Okay. Get you on that. I'm from Texas, but I kind of, we know what's up down in a little.

Man has traveled the world. He knows about it all. Actually, slight, slight detour in this conversation since we're talking about Austin. All right. You got to put me down with what are your, I already know. I don't do too. Give me your top five barbecue joints

in Texas. I know it is cool. Yeah. It only took my half hour. Does the name Sam's Beef mean anything to you? Oh. Oh. Okay.

I'm relieved. Sam's beef is like Austin's version of Freddy's from House of Cards. Okay. Okay. Got you. It's like a wall joint. It's like a shack.

It's not a chain? That's not a chain? Nah. It's not a lot. And it's just like, even as even as, Even as a slogan, you don't need no teeth to eat my beef. To suck my beef.

No, you don't need teeth to eat our beef. Wow. Wow. Yeah, but it's like a back porch. It's no need teeth, I believe. You know, flies come on and I don't even mind. It's just so back. But I didn't know if that was super authentic or not. You know, I would like to think that it was like the authentic real deal.

So let me just ask this question. You said you're saying authentic. Where does Austin come in the barbecue scheme of things when it comes? comes to city. So it's Austin like they date a man or is in Houston or Dallas. I put it at St. Louis. I put it at the St. Louis. I think in America, St. Louis is the barbecue rib, you know, St. Louis

is hard. It's different. Kansas City, though. Kansas City got smoked for St. Louis. I don't know. Kansas City barbecue is. Coming from somebody from North Carolina or something. Right. Yeah. Because our barbecue is more so it's like like pulled pork. So when people, and around our way when they say like barbecue, they specifically mean pulled pork. So like

And I'm in the eastern side of North Carolina. So for our joint, our base is a vinegar base. Right, right. So then when you go to the west side, like where the mountains is at, they use, like, a tomato base. And we don't fuck with them because we'd be like, we're making, we making barbecue. Tomato base sounds yummy, though.

We ain't make sloppy jose. We ain't eat no sloppy joys. So, fuck them. But the vinegar base is good. So like. So what's your Austin base? Yeah, what's the Austin? Yeah, I don't know.

Give me your top five. Man, Sam's. I used to go to Sam's all the time. There's a spot called La Barbecue that I like. Terry Blacks is another one. If you're going for like some fancy barbecue, there's a spot called Lambers. I got a lot of love for them because they fed me every Thursday.

Wow. Gave me a couple drinks. What was that, four? Let me see. Let me see. Is Stubbs any good? How does Stubbs rate? I like Stubbs as a music venue.

Stubbs is from the play. Because I went to, like, I had the hearing so much, and I had it out. The same, make the barbecue sauce? Yeah. Stubbs and barbecue sauce, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I get the feeling that, you know, Stubbs and Republic and all those spots are like what, for Philly cheese steaks, like what Ginos.

Ginos. hats. Yeah. Like one spot that makes you wait. No, Ishqibibble's a shit. Two hours in line. Shit. It's a long story.

Go ahead. Like two hours in line for Republic barbecue. I thought, man, there has to be an underground spot that no one knows. Like gym steaks because it's a line, but it's some bullshit. Don't go to Philly and eat a gym. But you know, you know, you know, you've seen the rats all in an hour. If you go to Philly. You need the Questlove text message.

It's like four pages long. It rates all the cheats. steakery in all of Philadelphia from like Kobe beefery to like ghetto whatever the fuck you're talking about you might get robbed at this place but you can only go to this place at this time

because if now you might die like it's like that and if you're white definitely don't go to this place like it says this thing like Westlow you uproof you said anybody tells you exactly what to order when to order it you should that should be your next book I gotta give you're right you know I gotta keep people safe you know I'm gonna hit you up yeah like go to

Kishka Bibles, but don't get this shit. I wouldn't think you fell down, bro, because you are a rock star skinny. Yeah, you're kind of slender. So I don't even think you would throw down. But he might have a fast metabolism. He looks like it's nice. I'll get down. He's got big hands myself.

Shut. Oh, no. Can we kill that? Edit. Yeah. Yeah. I'll meet to it. 2%.

That is the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter, and on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. I'll be speaking with writers, researchers, and other health and fitness experts, and more, to look past the impractical and way too complex pseudoscience that dominates the wellness industry. We really believe that seed oils were inherently inflammatory.

We got it wrong. Many of the problems that we are freaked out about in the world are the result of of stress. Put yourself through some hardships, and you will come out on the other side, a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%. That's T-W-O-O-Persent on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. At this point, are you, where you say you were 14, are you even making demos or recording the, like, what's your songwriting process? Like, are you even writing songs at this point? or you're just playing, like, what's the music of the day?

What is the music of the day? If you are playing at, if you're playing in a blues band in Austin, Texas, like, what are the go-to songs that I should know? The blues. Just has a whole genre, bro. So everything is just one, five, four, one-four-five. Five-for-one. You got to have a, for me, it's like you got to have a, a, a, slow effect.

A slow blues. Right. A major blues, a slow minor blues. You gotta have... So what's an example? A shuffle? Or Red House. Yeah.

Red House is something, but are like something like B.B. King, 3 o'clock blues. Okay. Where would, like, something like Pride and Joy by Stevie Vaughn, where would that fall? Pride and Joy is kind of an unspoken rule that if you're in Austin, Texas, you don't touch it. Can I ask you can you can you are you able to school this on Stevie rea of least me personally No straight up I don't I need to know more about Stevie ray Vaughan I know that he's a god But I don't know why he's a god or anything like are you able to explain What makes him God or the shit? I've never heard him be described as God but I think the thing that

that that people love about Stevie Ray Vaughan is is um there's this there's this kind of americana thing about him there's this fierce blues thing about him that's you know he gives props up to to albert king and all the grace and then he's got this rock and roll fierce thing about him and if you're if you're coming from texas and you play guitar man for somebody to make it out of austin texas playing guitar it was kind of a big deal. And just tone.

I think the thing that makes him, the guy is the tones that he got out of a Stratocaster, you know, I don't think anybody had heard that powerful, that strong of a tone coming from a guitar like that. I think it's been, it's just tone.

I have so many, I don't know, man. No, no, no, you're doing good. You're doing good. That's enough for me to? That's the answer. Because I mean, me and my sons, you just try to play pride and joy

on guitar hero. We used to fuck it up on that. I was like, this must be pretty hard to play. It's not no easy shit. But also, he was white. Can we state the obvious? He was a white guy.

I guess we should stay that. Well, wait. That's what I'm going to get to is, okay, so when I watch, when I watch cats like B.B. King. And, I mean, I'm going to take Hendricks out the equation. We could take Hendricks out. and we could probably take

in Chicago his daughter's country's daughter. John Lee Hooker? Yeah, I'm not not John Lee Hooker. Buddy. Buddy. Buddy guy. So, all right, taking those two out.

But as far as blues guitar playing and it coming from, it leaving the Mississippi Delta and like who is credited or who is the definitive electric blues guitar player. And how can you tell who's the real deal and who's not the real deal?

Like if I were watching B.B. King, all right, for example, when he does a blues, he'll stick to one note. So he'll play the note C, but he'll play various ways. Various, like, you know, textures to it. Sure.

But, you know, I know that a lesser expert would be more impressed with speed or, you know, noise and really not. So how can you determine who is a righteous blues man versus he are right? And I'm not trying to make you take any gods. God's under the bus That's an interesting question Because he's kind of both of them There's like the shredder blues men And then the slow hand blues men

And I think like There's a difference Right so what's more important Like no one As me as a drummer Like you know I'm not a gospel drummer But people respect my slowness

And my pocket Right That speaks enough But you can chop so if you want Not with these bones Yeah Oh gosh Back in 1998 maybe

But No but I'm just saying that you know, is there, for you, is it more important for slow hand blues? Or is it like about shredding and volume and fullness? I think it goes down to does it make hair stand up on your arms? Does it give you chills? Does it make you feel like you want to cry? It's it makes you feel like you want to scream at the time.

top of your long. Does it make you feel something? I think you can do both. I think you can play, you can shred and do all that. And I think you could play to the slow hand BB King thing. But when you hit a note and you feel it and you, undeniably, your eyes roll back in the back of your head. If something makes me do that, I'm like, that's just what is, that's what music's supposed to do. I don't care if you're a guitar player, I don't care of you, a drummer don't care of you, or whatever genre, you know, if you sing a note and it's like, whoa.

Something we'll call that an orgasm. Just for context. So just for, yeah. So for context, like what is, so give us an example of somebody that would be considered, like you said, a slow hand blues player versus like a shredder, like with a lot of dexterity.

A slow hand blues player. I would have to say somebody like Derek Trucks. Okay. It's somebody who plays, you know, kind of slide guitar. And he's somebody that I think is authentic when it comes down to doing it, do what it's supposed to do. On the other hand, when it comes down to shred, and I think Eric Gales can do that. You know, I think that he could shred and, you know, people freak out. You know what I mean?

and actually really feel it and not are just impressed by that super fast, bro. Who's an unsung hero in your mind? Like, who's the guitarist that we need to be a ball? You know is a Maverick, but, you know, hasn't either gotten a deal or just wanted to stay local

or just kind of behind the scenes. Like, is there a guitarist that you know that's just like, ah? Yeah, I would have to go back to Eric Gales. He did, we did a show together, and he opened up for us in Austin, and I was like, this was a bad idea. So is he still alive, or is he?

Yeah, this was like two weeks ago. Oh, shit. Oh, wow. You know what's weird? I'll say that anytime I've even done shows with Eric Gale's on the bill, it's weird because I feel like he has to pay his bills, like doing the sideman stuff. like I think

Wait which Is we talking about Eric Gale Like old jazz cat Eric Gale? Eric Giles No he's He's from Memphis Correct

Yeah Memphis Okay not There's an Eric Gale That's I think I'm thinking About your area Yeah That's why you're talking about We're talking about

Okay Okay not No no No no This is an OG Eric Gail I'm thinking about He's a shredder I know who you're talking about

Sometimes when Um Living Color bass Uh Sugar Hill Burning B No Sugar Hill

bassist also Doug Wimbush. Sometimes if Doug Wimbush is on a gig, he'll hire Eric Gales as his guitar. So back when Doug was the MD for Lauren Hill, like again, like I never really got, seen

him in his true context maybe like once or twice. But normally when I see Eric Gales, he's either like backing up a rap group or doing something totally. It's like, oh, he got to pay his bills and really can't can't get loose with it.

But, I mean, he seems happy. So, you know what I mean? I mean, he came through and crushed. I was like, I was telling everyone, I was like, this is a terrible idea. So stupid. Oops. When the opener crushes the headliner, no one needs that shit. Do you feel, do you feel this unspoken pressure to live up to,

the myth of of obviously the J word because I'm certain for a lot of people Now what is it, Jew? Oh! I guess.

Never happened. It won't ever happen. No Jew. Sorry, Gary Clark Jr. You're not going to happen. You're not going to live up to me. Not going to happen. You're a bad ass motherfucker.

Guys, guys, guys. Oh, Jimmy. Jimmy? Yes. Yes. Oh, let's see it. And we're in his house. shame.

Yeah. I'm just saying that even me, my default was I thought, oh, guitar, black guy. All right. Let me see he rises up to the level of Jimmy. And but the thing was, it was like the way that you did, I just caught you on a fucking excellent night. Because even my guitar player, his mouth was open like. I was wondering with her. When and where was that?

You talked about Rockwood? You did a gig. Okay, so this is right when Doyle and Shoe Crow were like, you've got to see this guy perform. So you weren't signed just yet. It was like a small bar.

It was like a small out-of-the-way bar in the village that you just happened to be it. I think it was Valentine's. So maybe it was like 2009, 2010. But this is just you and a trio, but it was

I'd, you know, I know I'm the king of you know, hyperbole and oh my gosh, the next thing. But even Rolling Stone, who was with me that night, when they reviewed that show, then they were like, you know, this guy's next. And to prove it,

I mean, they gave him the lead review. When I saw that the, the, the EP got the lead review in Rolling Stone, I was like, damn, not since when I was 10 years old. I mean, I've been reading Rolling Stone all my life,

and I know the power of like the lead review. And when prints, an unknown prince, got the lead review for a dirty mind, four and a half, like, I was like, wow, this, this rock magazine, which has no connections to, like this isn't I want to be your lover that, you know, this is like an unspoken, unproven

musician, they gave him the leave of views, so this must be some shit. They gave you the same treatment. So I'm like, do you feel, is there an unspoken pressure that now I must like Eric Clapton told me that I was the best you know

modern blues guitarist that he's ever seen? And, you know, for a lot of us that aren't really, you know, in the vocabulary of rock music or blues. Like, is there, do you feel like a pressure to live up to that or? I don't feel any pressure.

I don't feel any pressure to live up to that necessarily, but I think about it when it's brought up. You know, but. How many times do journalists ask you, like, these types of questions like? Yeah, but I think the thing for me is I've always kind of not said much about it, but to not. sound cocky or not to not to sound like I know I know that I got into this thing not to be in last place talk to him well talk to him nice so yeah I put that on myself and regardless of what other people say you know I want to I want to be I want to be you know I want to get a chance to jam with you

You know, talking about, like, some real shit. I want to be with the motherfuckers who are the shit. And I'm not going to be okay with just being, like, I didn't get into this. You play like that. Okay. That's why I wouldn't have. I was like, okay, you definitely play like that. And, you know, some people are like, you know, oh, man, shucks.

Thanks. Anyway. But, you know, just the way that you played, and again, it's like the way that blues rock has been. defined and redefined. I mean, it's to the point now, like, where we just basically thought, like, okay, all guitar grads from now on are just going to be white dudes.

And if a black one comes along, then, you know, it's like, oh, maybe, maybe not. But, you know, you were definitely the real, I think there was pressure also on Lenny to live up to that. I was about to the L word. I was about to ask, when is that coming to the... But the thing is, like, his... Lenny's...

Lenny's different. Linny's acts work was never to that level. But because he looked the part. Right. You know, I'm sure a lot of people expected that, you know, when really it's Craig, that's the axeman of it. But, you know, it's... I missed that on Islandie Kravitz episode.

Yeah. And plus, you know, especially with black people, I feel like a lot of our associations with rock, like one of the main reasons why I wanted to do the seat with Cody was because it was a rock song that wasn't a rock song because half the time it's like you know rappers be thinking about

smells like teen spirit like some head bang or like Ironman like that's our rock experience and there's it's it's such a it's such a vast

you know vocabulary to it that a lot of the world doesn't know because a lot of us just aren't in on the playing field anymore. So do you call the seed a rock tune? Is that what you're the Cody stuff? Yeah. I wouldn't.

Why not? I don't know. I mean, he literally named it rock and roll. I mean, I mean, good lyric, but like,

what the fuck? Okay. No, no, no, no, but I just meant, for me, for me, it was I didn't want to,

you know, if we were going to go there, like when Quincy Jones try to get beat it out of Michael Jackson. He literally said, I want you to do your version of my Sharona. And Mike was like, okay, I'll be back in three days. And then came back with beat it.

Which is usually, you know, and anything that Mike is done after that, you know, like, dirty Diana. Dirty Diana, like slashes everywhere. Right, right, right. To me, like, I, you know, I liked, I like Black and,

My favorite Rolling Stones album is probably their worst review joint, which is black and blue. You know, it's just like there's a certain rock that I like that's not, that doesn't have 12 exclamation points behind it. Sure. So, I mean. A beast of burden? That's some girls. Yeah, the black and blue album was like, that was there. Okay, we're going to try and get funky a little bit.

It didn't work that way. But I like sloppy stuff. So, you know, it was. I'm going to check out that album now. I've never got into the stone. Me neither. They catalog like that. I know it is.

And don't make us feel bad. Just teach us. You know, sometimes it just, you don't know. Yeah. So, yes. Anyway, now I've got to go back to, I got to go back to, what did you first start songwriting?

What was your, like, the first recording? My first recording was a song that I recorded with my friend Eve. It was called Bear Soul Blues. And it was just kind of a shuffle. Blue Shuffle and it was me, her, my cousin, Ryan. And I can't remember if it was my sister playing drums or not. She plays drums? Yeah, my little sister plays drums.

Wow. She got a drum kit the same year that I got a guitar, my cousin, Worm got the bass the same year. And so we all had the family band. And my sister, I played keys and did all that too. So my pops would try and put us together, perform for the family and we used to call him Joe. Yeah, it was like a whole thing.

He was Joe. Joseph. Are any of your sisters still involved in music? They're involved in music, but not trying to go get it like I was, you know. But yeah, so I recorded on a, do you remember those little karaoke thing, like a two? Yes, two tracks. It was like a little Singalodian thing. So I used to record that way.

So we might put one mic in the room, like hang it off the, you know, the garage, hanging down in the middle of the room. And so we would record. And since you couldn't sing in the mic, I would go back and flip it, you know, put another tape in, put it on the B side or whatever, play the thing, and then sing the vocal over it and go do some overdubs and keep flipping tapes. It sounded like shit, but that was how we recorded stuff, you know. So how did your, how did word spread around Austin? And is Austin the only place that you can really have reach?

Are there surrounding cities in Texas that you can also have a good musical fan base? Yeah. Or is Austin just the only blue city? No. Oh. I asked a load a question. That's something to think about. Wow.

That was good. Yeah. You can go to San Antonio. There's a couple of places to play. down to the valley and played down there up to Dallas, Fort Worth. What about Houston or? Yeah, you go down to Houston. The blues community is pretty small down there.

So if you, if there's another blues guy or another blues band on the scene, they'll say, hey man, you need to book this guy down in Texas and there's like a whole blues society. Okay. So everyone hooks each other up. So yeah, we'd run down to Houston and Dallas with my parents. Now, besides those cities that I named, the captain obvious ones, what is the rest of the Texas environment like city-wise? I don't really mess with it. Even to this day as an established singer.

I mean, you got to get from point A to point B, but there's some places you just don't stop. Get ass. I mean, for the largest state in the United States. It's dumb. I would like to know if there's more than seven cities that are welcoming or even. I think you know. I stick to the main roads. Look, man, anytime I'm going out west, anytime I'm going out west, I get stopped, sweet water.

I get stopped going out of the car. It's a whole situation every time. Really? It's like that. And if you're heading out east towards Louisiana, you don't stop. You just keep it moving. Get past the bridge. Even to this day when you get in the car,

the whole goal is just... Just make sure you got enough gas to get past and you just keep it moving. Straight up. Niggas need a new green book. You write about it a little... It's real. No, when we were tour, like going through Texas,

like we had to... We stayed one night in, God, Brentwood, or I want to say... It was... I can't remember a name, but basically, it was like a hotel and a Walmart and a McDonald's. And like, we didn't. What else you need?

That sounds like a party. Racial equality, niggins. Yeah. We stayed. We just stayed in. Like, I called my hunger. I was like, so we in this town? She's like, oh, my God.

She's like, get out. No, straight up. She's like, oh, no, don't fuck around out there. I was like, damn. But it's still real. It's still real. Somebody from Carolina, that's a big deal. Yeah, yeah, it's still real.

Okay. Wow. Okay. Don't mess with Texas. Literally. 2%. That is the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter, and on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange, modern world.

I'll be speaking with writers, researchers, and other health and fitness experts, and more to look past the impractical and way too complacent. Pseudoscience that dominates the wellness industry. We really believe that seed oils were inherently inflammatory. We got it wrong. Many of the problems that we are freaked out about in the world are the result of stress. Put yourself through some hardships, and you will come out on the other side a happier, a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%.

That's T-W-O-P-Persent on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Yo, you mentioned your friend Eve, this is the same Eve who had the band in the beginning, right? So do you guys still make music together? What's up with her? Because you mentioned her twice in music references. Yeah, we're still cool.

Actually, we stopped. I got fired from her band. What you do? But how she liked you, man? He did something, know what you do, Gary. No, I didn't do anything. They just, you know, respectfully they decided that. Yeah, they decided that my services were no longer needed. A lot of solos. Listen.

Listen. I'm going to ask you, because this is what I don't know about you. Because at one point, at one point, the guy that was hosting the party kind of looked at me like, okay. Like, let's wrap it up. What is, no, because, again, I can listen to you do 14 minutes solo. How many choruses can you take? So when we're doing a blues, how long? long am I supposed to

run through the format before I do that role where I let you know, okay Gary, it's time to get to the last verse so we can... Oh, when is it not considered rude? You know what? A few years ago, you would have had to stop me. You would have had to go

do that role and I would have snapped out of it and gone, all right, let's get back into the verse. A lot of times what happens when I do that is, I don't know what the next verse is. Okay. So I'm just buying time.

I don't remember the worst of my own shit. But the thing is, like, I feel like you're not microwave. You're such a slow cook that I'm willing to give you six rounds, an unspoken six rounds of stuff to let you get into it. So I never know when you've made your statement when it's time to, like, in the song, right, right, right. Yeah, I don't know either. I always feel like I can keep going.

I feel like I could keep going. There's more, there's more, there's more, there's more. I can keep going until I pass out. But I've become more refined due to fines and police showing up. I've become more refined due to fines. Amir, is it the same drum cue did you give everybody? Or is that just, I'm just curious. There's a certain language that I have that the roots instantly know when it's time to wrap something up or that sort of thing.

But that's only us playing together for decades. Oh, okay. There's also the Roots television fill, right? Which is like, crank, quank, whee. Wouldn't have that time? I felt like he gave me one of those at the Grammarcy. I too. Like a flam-flam?

Because the thing was, play him on keyboard, the thing was is that, yes, shout out to Keith McPhee. The most neurotic, yeah, his stopwatches have stop watches. Keith Bigfee's the guy that right now he's planning like the Grammy Jam in 2023. Like years from now. That's what Keith is. So, you know, in his mind, he's like, okay, he did a 115 seconds. That's enough.

You know, we still got, you know, we got Chuck D. on the side of stage. You ready for him? Run the jewels, anybody? And I'm trying to let Keith know that like fine wine takes like just let him get him matured. And Gary is in it, full orgasm mode. Yeah. That's what we're calling it, right? But Keith's one of those guys that like loses mind after like a three minute solo.

So I have to, you know. I kind of got that. I was like, all right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. What's the longest solo you ever did, Gary? I think I got clocked at somewhere around 12. 14 minutes.

Shit. Wow. That's maggot brain. Yeah. Oh, so it's maggot brand, rock and roll. I think Funkadelic is rock. Yes. Absolutely.

Of course. Absolutely. True indeed. I should have put that in earlier, but yeah. Absolutely. Good segue. How did you go about in terms of, like, after you're playing all these bands and like kind of doing demos and stuff, how did you go about getting your first deal?

Um. I was, I was, I was doing some shows with Doyle Bramhall. We've been doing some stuff. He gave me some work. I was kind of. How'd you hook up with Doyle? I hooked up. And for the listeners, Doyle Bram Hall is.

Doyle Bram Hall really, I mean, truth be told, Doyle Bram Hall was, or could have been, I could be stepping on my boundaries. He was, he could have been the Gary Clark Jr. of the early 90s. Okay. He was a guy that, like, again, Eric Clapton gave the, gave the endorsement of life, the cosign of life for,

for, yeah, for Doyle. Back in, like, 1991, said, this guy's the amazing blues guitarist can do everything and sing and all those things. This guy's the next thing. Doyle and the Roots actually signed the Geffen at the same time. And Doyle, If you're familiar with, there's a film called Before the Music Dies that you should watch.

Doyle's a big part of that. The guy that made that movie. Yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah. The guy that made that movie really did it because of Doyle's situation. Doyle was supposed to be the second coming of blues guitarology. And it just didn't work out. He did draft after draft with records.

And, you know, he eventually got dropped by his label. and then he had to pay the bill. I didn't know mainly as a session guy. I never knew the mythology of him. He should have been a guy. Basically, he's like reverse Jimmy Hendrix. It's like if he started out as Jimmy Hendrix and just ended up playing with Little Richard,

that sort of thing. So, but, you know, he married Susanna Melbourne. Oh, wow. Princess Susanna Melbourne. That's what I got you. Right. So that's how we got to know him in the very short-lived Edith Funker project

with Erica and Susanna and Wendy and Lisa and everybody. And it was during that time that Edith Funker period that I was asking Doyle like, well, who do you know that's like next? And that's when he first told me that, you know, this kid from Austin, Gary Clark Jr. So when I think Cheryl Crowe and Doyle, they were torn together, told me, like, you got to come see this guy play. And it was at a, I think Brooklyn Bowl was the first time I was. seen you play i don't know was that your own set or was that with doyle or

um you know what i don't remember this long ago yeah i don't remember honestly so you were playing with doyle and then how did that go lead to a label situation for you uh i was um you weren't you weren't in archangels were you in that band i'm not making a joke i don't was he no you oh no I was like, I was maybe nine. Oh, okay. No, I wasn't, I wasn't. But you know, you know about that band? Of course.

Yeah, Charlie Sexton, Tommy Shannon. Damn, you know. Oh, wow. Tommy Shannon, well. Yeah. So I was doing the struggling, starving artist thing, and I'm sitting there in a house full of candles, not by choice.

Yeah, and pork and beans in a spoon. Yep. Okay. Finally, we got there. So, so, so. It just so happens, like a little bit later, Doug gives me a call and he says, this isn't promise, but, you know, I've been talking to Clapton, and I think he wants you to come out to do his Crossroads Festival, and if you're not familiar, it's a big guitar a thorn, a lot of guitar

solos, a lot of the greats, come out and they do this big festival thing, and people jam at the end or whatever, and being a guitar player, I watched them, you know, the DVDs, I knew what was up and so I was like really and um so next thing I know I get a letter in the mail cool you're invited to come to claps at the crossroads I get on a plane I got like $20 in my pocket I show up there and like what year is this this is 2010 oh wow okay and um so I show up do rehearsal next time do the show um and uh in the middle of the show this whole sound goes out in Toyota Park. Like the whole front of house sound.

I'm in the middle of my thing. I'm the new guy. Nobody knows who the hell I am. And I'm seeing people booing and thumbs down. What shit? And screaming. I'm just seeing this. And Doyle goes, hey, man, the sounds out.

Just keep doing your thing. When I come around and do this, you know, you come back into your verse. I'm trying to work this thing out. So I'm just freaking out. I'm just playing. No one's hearing me. I keep seeing this.

I'm like, damn, I came all the way out here to Chicago. I'm fucked this. up and um so it just so happens at the end of the my solo where I you know started rapping it up all the sound come back on everybody freaks out it becomes this huge moment it becomes like one of the most exciting moments of the whole thing it's not because I did anything epic just because the sound came back yeah so anyway I got I'm hanging out backstage and I'm like man this that was terrible blah blah Tom Wally Andy Oliphant who used to work at Warner at the time approach

me and gave me their business cards and said, we're thinking about doing something with you. And I did that whole thing and ran around in different spots and ended up wrong with them. Is Tom still at Warner for them? No, no. Oh, he's not doing. No, the whole thing is different.

Yeah, gotcha. But yeah, so that was it, just being backstage thinking that was terrible and they're like, what are you thinking about rocking with Warner? Wow. What was that like? Like, were you apprehensive about signing a deal or was it? Yeah, of course. I watched a lot of VH1.

Yeah. Yes. Did you get to talk to Clapton at all? No, I walked up to him and I was really excited and I said, hey man, thank you for inviting me. You know, you have no idea. And you just goes, thanks for coming. Walked off and there's a little boat shoes and shorts and I was like, Wow.

Yeah. So when you first started recording your first record, what was it like going from, I guess, just kind of just kind of just the shoe string, you know, budget shit to actually now what we were able to do differently in terms of the sound. Yeah. Were you free? Yeah. Um, I thought I was, but I was working with people who I won't necessarily name and I didn't like it. But these were producers or musicians? Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't, I didn't. For the EP or for black and blue? For both. I was like, I. Real talk. Shot fired. Behind the music.

No, no, no. It turned out to be all right, but I just, I was in a place where I felt like I was free and creative and I wanted to express everything and have all my, my, all my ideas fully realized. And there was this kind of like. We know what's best for you. Yeah, let's get to it. Let's do it like this way. Let's get to it.

You know, and I would present ideas and someone, that's boring. I'm like, well, I only play it for 30 seconds, man. Let me get it. to the change. Yeah. And so I didn't like feeling like I couldn't move in my own pace. You know, being from Texas, if we get 20 seconds on the crosswalk, I'm taking all of them. So that was like, that was, that was my mentality. But as I get older, you know, I understand and I had to learn, you know, I had to learn, but I was uncomfortable at first. I didn't like it. I didn't like anybody tell me what to do because I started playing music because I was the only place where

nobody could tell me what to do. So I was like, well, what the hell am I doing? Yeah. Music business. But, you know, it's all good. A little maturity and, you know, taking a step back and understanding that it's not just about you, that was a real reality check.

So was Sonny Slim the album in which you felt that you had your control and your true voice over? Yeah, I think so. Well, I just wanted to try it. I wanted to be able to have, I wanted to be able to make an album. where I'm like this, I'm fully responsible whether it works or not.

I know what my strengths and my weaknesses are, and I've never been able to test him, and I want to do that. Like I said, I didn't get into this to be last place, and I didn't get into this to only give a quarter of what I think that I can give. So that was where that came from. How did the, because that's you, if I'm not saying, that's you playing the guitar on the fire we make. Yeah.

How did that come about, Delicia Keys and Drake record? How did that? How did that? That was Miguel. I mean, not Miguel. Maxwell. Maxwell, he hooked that? He hooked y'all up or?

A fire we make was. Oh, those two, Alicia and Maxwell. Oh, Alicia Maxwell, my bad. I thought it was Alicia and Maxwell. My bad. I meant to say, Matthew, I said, Drake. I was the unbreakable. I was like, Alicia Drake was the unthinkable.

I don't know. I didn't, I missed that. Oh, you didn't know? I didn't know. I don't remember being there. Yeah, how did that session come about? Alicia Keyes had asked me to do an event with her

No child alive, wait, no child... Black. No child left behind? Black ball. Black ball. No, but the name of her Keep a child alive. Yeah, yeah.

And then the black ball. Right. Black, black, black. Well, the black ball is the party, but keep a child alive is the... Black hands. Right. Organization.

I see what organization. Got you. Yeah. You're a child a lot, okay. We was all right, except for you, Steve. Right, right, right. So we did a version of while my guitar gently weeps and so we kind of linked up that way.

It was pretty cool and she asked me to be a part of this, this, a record called me up and went up to the studio here in New York. And, uh... Do people, when guests tell you to do their records, because you're on Donald, Gambino's album and... and your mom met. So, now that's the song.

That's the name. I know. I just would laughing at something else. But I'm just saying that. Good boss Bill is in here. He loves that. Hi, Bill. How are you doing, Billy?

What up, boss, Bill. No. But is it, when guests asked you to, to appear on their albums, are they just like, do you and do what you do?

And that's it? Or do they have, like, very specific, uh, instructions and and are you for that all that specific instruction or do you just take the ones

that go do you it's not well I've done most sessions that I've done has been just kind of like do you but I worked with Cody and Gambino and they're both like

it goes like this wow you know and it's like I kind of put my own no I don't do it goes like this oh okay

you thought that you yeah I'm going to I'm going to throw my little thing in it. Nah, I don't do that. So the solo that you played on your mama joint, like that, that's them kind of directing, or is it? How much is you versus the direction?

The solo part, the solo part was all me because you can't, you can't tell me how to do that part. Damn right. That's got to be just from. The heart. Yeah. But as far as like chord changes and things like that and a little transition chorus, it was like, not that one, this one.

Yep. that uh no perfect yeah so but it was cool it's like i respect that is i know what i want i know what you're capable of let's do that yeah all right cool i was watching your um the like i guess the new epk or the the the promo video that you got for the new record this land and it was one clip where you were playing your solo and you were solo and like in the control room and that's how i I cut all my vocals. So I thought it was interesting. Is that how you always kind of play,

like just right there in the moment, like, you know, right in front of the console? Yeah, not, not, it depends. Sometimes I will, but sometimes I like to be in the room with the band. But for that one, I just turn the amp, Caesar Diaz 100 watt, 412, cabinet marshal,

and just turn that up and just ran for the control. God is still wanna be in there, you know. And I wanted to hear how it translates. I like to hear how it translates. I like to hear how I was gonna translate. translated on the speakers, you know, for the most part. With your vocal, it was one, in the same clip, you were cut in your vocal. You were playing, you were singing, and you were singing.

It looked like you were singing through a 58, through an SM, just like a regular joint. Is that what you cut most of your vocals on, or do you do, like, the fancy, I guess, mics or whatever? I've done all of it. I don't really know. You have a preference? I don't know. Just, is it on? Check one.

Let's go. Yeah, is it on? Okay. Yeah, I didn't know if you had a preference for just one. more that kind of raw, like live sounded like a, you know, a smaller mic. Nah, I don't know the difference. What do you use? What do I personally use? The good

one. Yeah. My personal mic is a manly reference. Yeah, it is. Not a manly. What the fuck? Wait, hold up. I've known you for 75 years who never told me about the manly reference. Talk to me about the manly reference.

It's a manly. So manly, I mean, they're mainly known for like their outboard gear, but they make a mic. And so when I was rebuilding my studio in my crib, I bought a Norman, the U-87, which is like the classic mic or whatever. And so I got it. And I was just like, yo, man, this shit sound cold. This shit is cold as fuck.

I don't like this. And so my homie, my dealer homie, he was like, well, yo, he said the Normans are generally very cold out the box. He said, but over time as they age, that's when they get kind of warm. I was like, I'm trying to cut some shit today. Yeah, I ain't got no time for that. You need a manly reference. So he was like, yo, but the one you need is the manly reference.

I was like, whatever. So he let me shoot out. I had like a whole like locker shit. I had a U-87, a U-S-67. I'm sorry. I'm fuddled. Yeah, by the manly reference. I shouted out against U-87, U-67.

I had a ribbon mic like an RCA, like the old Elvis Mike. That's my shit. I had that one. I had the road, which was like my mic for like years. I shot it out against like six, six, seven mics. it kicked all their asses for like I mean and it was for it was like a thousand dollars cheaper than the U-87 I might have to go get me a manly reference

manly you need a manly reference the truth man but it made me but I got like a little SM 58 too like I'll cut vocals through that which is like a shoe or just one of those and I mean that in the clip that I saw like from your album it looked like you were singing in one of those and I used that one too I don't even remember did Michael Jackson record like man in the mirror on an SM

he's like he's on a 57 yeah yeah yeah I'm one of those people that I've been under Shores What do you call it? I've been endorsing the shore for like decades now But you know That's over now Yeah

Said the engineer Wait, we don't Yeah Wow When did we end up relationship 2%. That is the number of people Who take the stairs

When there is also an escalator available I'm Michael Easter, and on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange, modern world. I'll be speaking with writers, researchers, and other health and fitness experts, and more, to look past the impractical and way too complex pseudoscience that dominates the wellness industry. We really believe that seed oils were inherently inflammatory. We got it wrong. Many of the problems that we are freaked out about in the world,

are the result of stress. Put yourself through some hardships, and you will come out on the other side, a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%. That's T-W-O-Persent on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Can I ask a question?

So, Gary Clark, Jr., you seem to be like the roots, this weird anomaly of coolness? Well, yeah. But like fans or people playing like black music, but it appeals to white audiences and it's a rarity. Like you play Bonnaroo and you play these festivals for white jam kids. That doesn't happen that often in the same way the root the fucking roots played at my college. We ever talk about this? And my college spring fling when I was graduating.

Did I loved it. Okay. Let's just go with that. but I don't know what do you attribute that to? Because you're, I mean, I think I have an answer, but I was wondering what your answer was. I mean, other than

it's all great music, which I'm sure is an easy answer, but like, do you ever think about that? I do. Well, I'm thinking about a certain Chappelle skit. Understandable. Yeah. Hey, I don't know.

Just good music. good music? I mean, like, it is what it is? Yeah. Well, can I ask you? I'm not trying to anybody. I'm going to add one to it. I'm going to add on to it. Is it harder for you?

Now, I know that you're going in different, or we should mention also that this land, I forgot that in my intro. It is out. It is out right now. Is it harder for you to keep the flame alive in which kind of the, you. the environment of the musical environment of the youth is the kind of the exact opposite of it. Whereas, you know, traditional rock was the front and center rebel music. That was the middle finger to society where now it's almost, it's kind of like a rarity where you can find quality, really good traditional rock music.

is that hard? And I know you're going different directions with this album as well but is it hard defining or standing by your your queen,

your axe in 2019? Is it hard? Nah, I don't know I wouldn't know I was to do without him. Yeah. I wish you could see him

right now. Hey, let me know when you want to do it. the R&B Immature album. I'm working on it right now. Man, listen, I'm on in on that. Yeah?

Hell, you. Bill. He'll bring his manly reference and everything. Bill, was the remix to your question? I don't know this is a remix, but were you kind of asking, like, do you ever feel some type of way when you look in a crowd

and it's not as many black people as you as maybe one would like to see? Is that like the... Yeah, what do we get to? I was asking a lot of different questions. But I just, that always interesting me. issue with that, but maybe Gary does, it's different for every artist.

I see Gary played. Well, I'm sorry, black thought was known as having, not an issue, but at times he's been known to say that he wished that it was more black folks in the crowd. We grew up and we grew up in the hype William's video era, which was like the real record business. Yeah. And I think if you grow up with that and those images and whatnot and, you know, what you're seeing on the road, you know, when

groupies are chasing me, it's like five dudes in my hotel when we're wanting to know, like, what kind of microphone does DeAngelo use? Like what, he was breaking down? I've had that conversation many a time in a hotel, like,

manly reference. But I've also seen, but I've also seen earlier on in the Roots career, I've seen the response when you've had like an all black crowd. I'm like, yeah, we had an all black crowd. It's crazy. My point was, I've seen seen Gary played a number of times and he will freak out white hippie kids in the same way he freaks out African-American. It's like, and that's a rarity. I'm giving a back to compliment. You know what I'm saying? Like I don't, you don't, you

see that enough in the same way the roots could play to an all right audience. And it doesn't matter. And that I love. And I feel like the ability to do that is, is transcendent. And I don't understand it. And that's my, that's my question comes. And I was adding in that if rock is an endangered species, do you feel some sort of way about it? But the answer is simple. Black people gave up on rock music after living color. Ladies and gentlemen,

the Sugar Network. I'm queuing it up. I'm keying it up. Steve, my man, you did it. Let's go. Here's your theme. Say something. Why is it?

And then they told us Lenny didn't count. Lenny is Jewish. That's what I'm saying. I do like Roger O'Lenny Crabbis. Wait, you know that kind of on the county. So do we really give up. So live in color. And who else do we have?

Well, nothing after that. I mean, we had Prince. I mean, really Prince was, but did he really. Just because you're hot, though. He was R&B for, I mean. Yeah. He was R&B for, I mean, no. I'm saying that was how we saw him.

I wish Bill was here right now. I'm just saying for black people, the Isley brothers. That's a worst. Definitely. Y'all said Funkadelic. So we keep it in the spirit of like, Funkadelic. That's not a rock fan, are they?

They were rock. By 76, by 76, Funkadelic basically became parliament. Yeah, because Needy Deep was a parliament song. Yeah. I mean, you know, Gary Shard himself will say that, you know, I felt that after one night, making one nation under the groove,

and suddenly we just sold out and became parliament. So I'm just saying that... Doesn't it seem like based on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and everything else? It depends on who you're asking. what rock and roll is because, I mean, there's a whole Chuck Berry derivative situation. And then, I don't know. It's just weird.

To me, the funk lineage is like outside of rock. Like, Prince is funk and pop, you know. But more than rock. But he's a... I never grouped Princeton in rock. It was probably the reason why Rolling Stone had left him off the 100 greatest guitar players. But he's in the rock and roll hall of that. That right there.

Yeah. Whoa. Yeah. Unfair? Yeah. I think he's the best. Yes. Yeah, he's the best girl.

Like, Rolling Stone literally forgot to list Prince in one of the 100, you know. That's insane. Yeah. And thus, when Prince did the My Guitar Gently Weeps guitar solo at the Rocker Roll Hall of Fame, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was his revenge. Like, that was his, like, motherfuckers? Like, I'm in the top of it. You know what, though, but I think with him, though, I mean, this is just, I think with him, with artists like that that are just so big.

and just so known for so many hit records, it's hard to imagine. What gets overlooked is just the musicianship. So even like what Michael Jackson, like Michael would say like, he would talk about Prince, he would say, well, people look at Prince as a genius as an artist, as a song and dance dude. Right.

But Mike used to sing his goddamn face off. Right. You know what I mean? Sometimes I forget that Mike is an excellent singer. An extra thing, right, because you just see the white socks and the dances and shit, that you forget that this is some real fucking musicians going on. I feel as though Prince

really took the space that the Isley brothers had in the 70s. I can wrap you on that. And it's so natural for Ernie Isley to do a solo in the 70, you know, that you just never said it as, oh, this is not rock and roll. This is, you know, it's that sort of thing. Somehow, somewhere it

became harder for black dudes to be called rock and roll. This is weird. Wait, I love that we left Gary out of it. Can we say, Gary's open to you. Jumping is open mic. Jumping is open mic. I'm listening. I'm listening. I mean, we are all older.

They put the age card all the time, Gary. We're the same age. Don't worry about him. No, no, Bill. You and Gary are not the same. I think he's a couple years younger. Gary's the baby here. I sat at the kids table at my own damn house at Chris.

I still do. Gary Clark Jr. So I have a somewhat relevant question, I think. Please ask him about his hands again. So is it? So is it? Is it a blessing or a curse to be grouped as a certain genre, specifically blues or blues rock, let's say in your case?

Is that something that you hold up as a sign of pride, or is that something that's pigeonholing? I feel a couple ways about that. When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was be a blues man. When I first got a guitar, I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute. Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Robert Cray, Bonnie Rape, a few others. And I said, I want to be a part of that thing. So in 2010, when I got to be on stage with all of them, at the same time, I was like, it feels great to be a part of this.

But it's also that other thing was like, well, I got, I love being a part of this thing, but I love other stuff too. And I like to do all of that. So I just do what I do and try not to think about it. I'm 34 years old, man, I got out of this time. All right. Thank you for stopping us from guessing because it was getting tiring. Wake up so with this land, though.

It ain't always a truth. And you're going in different directions. Like, do you now feel as though, I mean, the way that the times are defined now is just to be fluid, like non-defined and... The new record is different than... Yeah, but... Yeah, I think that...

I've always wanted to kind of do that. I mean, Quincy, Jones is idol to me. He'd been trying to get rid of the genres and all that for a long time. And when I heard Wu-Tang spitting over Albert Kinglinks, I was like, I can do whatever I want. Yeah, I was going to ask you about that, because you talked about in the promo for the new record, you talk about your hip-hop influences. Like, what was some of the hip-hop stuff you would listen to?

I mean, of course, when I was, I guess, 9, 10, 11, 12. I wasn't allowed to listen to hip hop, but my buddy Grant would make me tapes and put different titles on it. To fool your parents? Yeah. Why did I think of that?

Shirley season. Johnny Martin. Party, Joy, volume one. Yeah, exactly. Very man-al-love. So I was listening to, like, DMX, Snoop, um, one G

bone thugs in harmony bone thugs in harmony never sang in harmony they were always unison they were always in unison he's right they are both thugs in unison totally correct I never thought about that to see you at the crossroads there were no harmonies in both of them

he's totally right they're totally right I never thought about that either well played potte did you have you have you all I was just reading something where you did something with bun B but have your text is like the emcees kind of to embrace you in that way. Texas? Yeah, because I'm thinking about, I'm thinking about Scarface.

I didn't want to just say Austin, so I was thinking about Bonby. Yeah. Yeah. Has Scarface asked you for guitar lessons yet? Wow. Don't do that to him. He's Brad, that's right. I forgot about his name.

You been taking this guitar out here. I saw him do a, I went to go see him in, in D.C. And I didn't know he played guitar. So he came on with a guitar. I was like, what? Oh, D.C. will let him play whatever he wants to. Yeah.

But yeah, so, yeah, Scrawface, ghetto boy. Yeah, it was a rap. Yeah. It was a rap-a-lot. Yeah, a rap-a-lot. Yeah, Switzer House, you know. Yes, yes. So I spend a lot of time listening to that.

But I love the production stuff, you know, the production side of it, you know, from Swiss and Dre and, you know, the whole, you know, I mean, I'm sitting here with you got, but I got to give it up to the roots for production and musicality and that. You know what I mean? Like that made it to me as like this all goes together. You know what I mean? And I want to be a part of that, too. I want to do that too.

I love being a blues, man, but like, this shit is tight. You know what I mean? Like, I want to get into this, too, and figure it all out. So I want to put the MPC underneath everything and put the guitars and the live instrumentation on top of it and use all the colors. You know what I mean? Yeah. Do you like jazz? Good segue.

Is it speed dating? It's time for you on to go to the band. Is it speed dating? Ah! Yeah, I love jazz. I listen to a good amount of it. Never try to touch it, really, though. So what is your go-to listening?

So what's on my playlist? Sir, I guess. Oh, yeah, I'm so, yeah. John Batiste's latest one. Yeah. L.M.A. I've been listening to. Okay. I like her.

Bood up? Yeah. Don't do all her. Because the second tripping sound like boot up. So that the oldest sounds like that? Yeah, she just, you know. The whole she tripping, she booed up. Okay, it survived, though.

And I've been listening to Sammy Davis Jr. Didn't see that coming. That's what I was over here. The other one, right? There's another Sammy Davis Jr.? Sorry, there's a younger person that named himself Sammy Davis Jr. So I'm just trying to make sure I wasn't confused. Well, you're talking about the Candyman.

I'm talking about the Candyman. Thank God. Okay. The OG Sammy Davis. Thank God. That would be odd. Okay. No, but it's a some DJ.

Is it because of the junior thing, like the connection with the... Oh, man. I'm just kidding. Put him to bed. Anyway. No, but I was, I came across a performance of him doing Mr. Bojangles. Yes. Yeah.

And my son really loved it, and so he started singing it around the house. And I was like, well, let's just get in the Sammy Davis Jr. together. So that's been our musical. That is the beauty of discovery. Yeah. Wow. That's what's happening. Oh, you.

Movies too. Get into those episodes on the Huxstables. I can't even say the show no more. On the Huxstables. You damn near just said the name in him. Okay, on the Cosby show because Sammy Davis Jr. had some really great cameos. But I doubt he will find that anywhere.

Yeah. Or Tapp. He was really good in the movie TAP. Now, TAP was the hard assmate. With Gregory Hines. Tad was good. Tapp was good. Tapp was good.

Tap was awesome. TAP was awesome. TAP was a little. With the JT song, the title song? What was the JT. It was JT and Regina Bell, and it was not make it like it was. They're back together. Sorry.

Yeah, JT's back with cooling game. I saw that. There's the best thing ever. See, Gary, this is when Niggas over 40 celebrate. That was part of the QLS group chat. I'm sorry. This is not a security. We're falling in a rabbit hole.

The eyes is back. I'm with it. It's okay. Gary Clark has Jameson. He's fine. Okay. So yeah. But I'm also wrapping this up.

I'm not going to wrap this up. I'm not. I understand. I got to wrap this up. Bill and Steve got to go to bed. Yeah. Who's got to go to bed? Bill and Steve.

I'm going to go to bed. Yeah, I do too. Bill and Steve got to go to bed. Sounds like a movie. I got to go to Washington tomorrow in the early, early morning. Yeah. Anyway, Bill and Steve got to go to me. Yeah, we do.

It's going to be my second bar mitzvah. Fonte's hosted. Bookends. What is your, what do you plan on the rest of your year being in 2019? The rest of 2019 is tour forever. That's a good thing. I'm trying to work like you, man. That's a good thing.

That's an awesome thing. Yeah, it's a blessing. How do you balance it out with your boys and your, you know, what the kids are boy girl? Boy girl. Okay. I'm just going to, hopefully, you can just bring them out with me. Bring it with you. That's dope.

Yeah, I'm trying to get to that. You know, just, it's a family of you. Yes, indeed. I love it. There you go. So, yeah, we just be out there everywhere. Oh, cool. Well, we thank you for coming on the show, sir.

Yes, man. Thank you. Thank you for having me. You know, man. I'm so happy to learn that you're R&B do like R&B like R&B like Greasy R&B like your R&B record I won't in on it like

let's do like some Devonthe. That would be dope. That would be dope. Defonte Gary Clark I might have to get A boy too. You got a standing invite. But make sure you cop the land first. Yeah, this land.

This land. This land. This land. That was Jameson that hit me with the dumb. Isn't it beautiful? It is. It is. Hey Jamie.

I know. This land out right now. Anyway, on behalf of unpaid Bill and Sugar Steve of the Sugar Steve Network. Who's your favorite jazz guitarist? Laiia Fantigolo

and Boss Bill's getting angry. Bill, we love you, man. Good luck with your bathroom. Good luck with your bathroom. Now, you're going to be the nigger doing renovations all this season. Matt finished. Gary, we thank you for coming on this show.

Thanks for coming on. We'll see you all in the next round. This band, Ben, Quest, Love, Supreme. See you all later. Course Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from IHartRadio, visit the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 2%.

That's the number of people who take the stairs when there is also an escalator available. I'm Michael Easter. And on my podcast, 2%. I break down the science of mental toughness, fitness, and building resilience in our strange modern world. yourself through some hardships and you will come out on the other side a happier, more fulfilled, healthier person. Listen to 2%. That's TWA% on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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