The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Dave Matthews

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Listen to a Dave Matthews conversation like no other as Questlove and Team Supreme break down the beautiful history between his band and The Roots. That leads to a completely unconventional QLS interview. Between recalling his days as a food server and discussing ice cream flavors, Dave sheds some light on his musical approach and why Dave Matthews Band is in a great spot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated

the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed, I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe.

On the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone, I'm Ego Wood. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where, you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of,

you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot in luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon and this is my friend. He's much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far. But I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast, The Away End, with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio.

Hi, David. Look, everybody's here. It's like the whole... Here's the story of a man named Questie. Yes, it's all of us here. It's very nice to see you. Great to see you, too, sir. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Questlove Supreme.

I'm your host, Questlove. Hey, guys, when can we call it the award-winning Quest Love Supreme? Five years ago. Oh, really? That's real... I like that. That's right now. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the illustrious award.

Award winning Quest Love Supreme. There you go. Right. Sorry. I'm excited to be part of this. Actually, if you're really good, we might make you part of the team. So that's the joy of... It's coming.

Yes, we might just steal you away. Right now, we are with our team Supreme members. Sirken Steve, how is life? It's like quarantine, but you get to leave the house and do whatever the heck you want and work on all the shit you ever wanted to work on. And the first single from your record, dropping this Friday from Plum on JMI. It's coming out, Brown Doves on Friday.

Questlove and, uh, you sort of seen Sean G's face when he learned that I have a jazz record coming out. So yeah, he knows about it. Anyway, uh, um, pay bill. Yeah, man. You know, uh, how's life, uh, post Tony? Great. I didn't win shit. It was, Tony's were wonderful. Uh, it's whiskey Wednesday. Who won? Who won what?

All of them. I guess. I didn't win. Y'all didn't get it. And Julianette did not win a Tony, but that's okay because the doors are still open. Y'all still the shit, though. Thank you. Who wound up winning? I'm just curious. Kimberly Akimbo won a lot of Tonys, mostly for Best Musical, et cetera, et cetera. It was a weird thing.

It's called Kimbler. Kimberly Akimbo. What's the play call, Bill? That's what I think he's asking. Oh, that's what's called. It's called Kimberly Akimbo. I wish I could tell you something about it. I've not seen it, so I don't know.

So I'm just going to drink whiskey on Wednesdays. There you go. Kimberlya Kimball. Laia, how are you? I know we're in the same city and I failed to tell you I've been here for a week. You know I want to give you the shade, friend. I do. Ladies and gentlemen, a very good friend of mine, a very, very, very good friend of mine is coming to visit us on the show. I will say that our guest, his namesake, he is the founding member and of one of the most powerful, well, the way that laugh came, I hope you are the founding member of the band. That's your namesake.

So anyway, one of the most powerful, one of the most creative, one of the most exciting, one of the most loved popular bands in all of the world. I will say that this band has, I mean, a mixture of cult following and mainstream, because the numbers are there. You know, they have mainstream following as well. We all know the hits. We know Crasse to Me. Ants Marching to much crush. I also just realized that this group, they've released nine studio albums, but however, they are the first band

to have seven albums debut at number one. And he's giving us the honor right now, celebrating with him. Their newest album, which is entitled, Walk Around the Moon. What can I say, man, one of the nicest guys on Earth, if you ever have the pleasure

of opening for this guy. He will actually introduce you and stand on stage and watch you perform in front of the crowd of 15. But what more can I say? That was extremely generous. I mean, generous, but also precisely true. I have a hilarious story.

So when we first started opening for Dave, one of our very first shows was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. and there were, I guess, as far as the comp ticket situation was concerned, I believe each member, because it was Philadelphia and our families were coming. Like, I think each family member got like, each band member got eight tickets. And the thing was, I didn't have anyone coming to see. So I had eight tickets, but our bus, our tour bus was kind of part where the general public could see us. Like, we weren't in the tunnel with Dave's 42 trillion tour buses. So we were kind of on the, we were where, like, his crowd could see us.

And there were so many people there that were, like, desperate for tickets. Like, uh-uh, anything. I need tickets. I would take my kids to see Dave Matthews. So I was like, well, I got eight tickets. I'll just give him to him. So I'm in Philadelphia in my own town. Now it's 2003.

So, yes, we already won a Grammy. We're, you know, we're not. not you know you guys were killing it was so exciting that you guys were we're playing with us well here's the thing though here's the thing though so I'm figuring like wow I'm watching this dad struggle to get him and his two kids in I'm actually going to walk up to him and give him my four tickets that he needs and it's going to happen but I know it's going to be funny it was such it was such a pie in the face moment because it was like, I don't know if he just wasn't used to acts that generous or anything,

but he did not trust that my tickets were legit. And I was like, well, I'm the opening act. I'm in the roots, the roots. And he was like, huh? I said, I'm one of the opening acts. See, that's my tour bus. Here, I'm giving you these four tickets. And it's like he took him, but it was almost like he was waiting for that.

proverbial anvil to fall on his dead. He still stood there. I was like, well, you're going to go in the stadium, right? It's a, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was as if if I were going to walk away, he was still stood there and been like, all right, does someone have four tickets so I can get inside the Dave Matthews? It's as if he did not believe that. So he blocked his blessing.

I hope he did not get in and realized that he were really good seats. But I wish you could have just taken them back. It seems like a little bit of a rude in response to... Well, it's Philadelphia, and Philadelphia is very non-trusting. Yeah. Especially of kind gestures. That part.

And it's and, but it's also, you know, hometown, so you feel like... I thought. You know what? Dave, I'm just realizing that I've had some of the most interesting career pivot, courtesy of you. Sounds like a lot Yeah, what that? No, it just hit me that I once fired an assistant

At a Dave Matthews show Because You remember Right? Yeah, yeah Oh She beat me in Scrabble And like

So I guess the rumor around Philadelphia is that I'm a sore loser at Scrabble When I fired my assistant But it was just Is She was a disrespectful way that she gloated. And what does Dave have to do with that?

What do you blame the day? I immediately hired her. Wait a minute. Yo, Steve. Steve. Do you know how we got Dave Matthews? I remember, see?

That's funny. We stole from Dave Matthews. Oh, my God. We can go on forever. How are you doing, man? What's going on? we're on the road except i'm home my son just had his birthday he turned 16 so that's sort of where my head is in in a way because it's a kind of exciting thing for me you're conducting a podcast interview in the middle of your son's 16th birthday no the day after so oh no no i would

have i think we we we schedule this again and again but uh for both of us but i wouldn't have put it on his birthday because he i mean i'm not that he would have cared because he wasn't he didn't i i was available for him but he wasn't as available for me because he's 16 and then so now you're in dad territory no what's a 16 year old like that was a little bit expressive i mean he there's times we that's i'm not selling him short but but that he's busy right so so um there's times when uh uh he's not available 13 to 22. I get it. I was that person too. There. And I know that I was busy. I didn't want to abandon my mother.

But there was a lot of stuff that I had to experiment with. And she understood. And now I think I understand. So, but I, you know, we're touring. It's the season. And so that's what I'm doing. And I'm happily here. and very happy to finally talk to you. I just have to say I'm a mad, you know that I'm an insane fan. So of yours and of the roots, but also,

likewise. So when I heard, when I heard that you were thinking that I would be an interesting guest, I calmly said, affirmative. Thank you. And I appreciate that.

The love is mutual. Wait, can I ask, does touring at this level for you ever get tiring? Because at least for me, I will say there's probably two acts that I've learned the most from in terms of touring. And that is the Beastie Boys, when we really first started touring. And then you were pivotal and when we really got established. And just the small things that we didn't know that could happen on a tour.

Like you were the first band that we saw that had like communication microphones on stage so you could talk to each other. And I was like, wait, I don't have to yell anymore. Like, go to the next part. Skip the third first. I have to address this because this is serious stuff. This is serious. I was on the side of the stage. We were up.

It was a rainy day. I can't remember, but we were both there. We just talked backstage just quickly as we were going. But I have to say this. I'd never been on in ears with you guys. And I mean, and heard you guys talking to each other like that. Right. hear you shouting the changing arrangement.

It was, my headaches. I was just crazy. First of all, I will never take that much responsibility for anything spontaneously. That's terrifying to me. You don't do that. It was you. No,

but I mean, we do say, let's change this, let's do this. What about it? We go and we let things happen. But you're actually turning all over the, You did something even better than that. You were cracking jokes. And I was like, wait a minute.

We can actually crack jokes. And, you know, there was a turnaround or a shift where for us it was like the same grind, the same, you know, just rigmarole or whatever. And after we got done touring with you, I was like, yo, I was like, yo, I'm just, you know, I want to do the same thing Dave Matthews does, the whole communication thing. And then suddenly our ability to joke with each other in one microphone while still doing, like the show, the audience is getting the show that they're getting. But it's also like, yo, third row, third row far left. He just fell down.

He spilled, he spilled wine all over. Ooh, ah, y'all see that? Like, that is a very, it is, I do think. that this i have to say this i think that being able to talk to each other is it opens up when we figured out that that was possible it did suddenly create this sense of um we've we were worried a little bit some of the time that there was going to be times when you know people would zap in and they could pull they someone's going to get on our wavelength and they're going to hear God, it would come out, you know.

Right, right, right. You know, like, I do. Reiki Inglaces. Yes, so, I mean, that happened to Areke Igleses. Really? That's that. And I hear about those things. I mean, I, I'll, you know, often I'll say something to the audience.

And even if it's earnest, and I mean it sincerely, and it's something about whatever, something that's happening, I'll turn around and look at the band and then say something that is totally. Oh. It's just, just so everyone break. just so, you know, so it's something you have you turn around and say something that I don't, until, you know, we've been on this podcast for a long time. Right, right. Completely at home.

I'm not going to go. But it does feel like there's, it does, has a weird thing of connects to the music in a way that I think may have happened in time. Would have been easier for it to happen in smaller venues. when we were starting out or in a different band, you know, you're sitting around all playing together. Then you can say, you can shout things or play the bridge or let's do this or what about those tities or whatever it is, which...

That was our conversation earlier. Sorry, you heard that. Yes. Yeah, exactly. So once it was loud and you couldn't, and we couldn't really communicate, that whole spontaneity that happens, it sort of goes away and the conversation is only in the music. And so I do think that was a, I know what you mean, but then that it flipped around and then when I saw you up in wherever and then watched you doing this conducting thing, I was like, wow, that's amazing.

Now that I know, I live for nothing more than those serious moments, those benefits, those really earnest, quiet moments I live for those moments because yes, in the communication microphone, I'm going to say the most, my goal is to make them break and crack

up while being forced to keep a serious face. That's mean. I love doing it. That's my favorite thing. Especially especially especially if there's

a boring guest on the Tonight Show. That's when I'll really come alive and provoke them. I'll have sound effects like snoring sounds and oh that's a suit. Of course you would take it to the next level because well first of all now I'm instantaneously paranoid but that goes not that I've not that you know it's been a while since so if you when you talk to Jimmy say but you know just just invite me on Let him be a couch, guess.

Even if it's to make a fool of me, I don't care. But wait, you got an album out, so that should be like too sweet. Oh, actually, it's right or strike. Yeah, like, yeah, let's, dang. Like I was going to say, let's make sure that we have a TV show to do. Yeah, that's, that's affected, that's affected this project a lot then, right? You were talking about, you were talking about, like, it did sound sort of like the pandemic with when you guys. When you can go outside, yeah.

But you can go outside. It does. It's like the pandemic if you lived in the woods. Yeah. Well, I mean, does that basically mean that you'll just have to double up in radio promotions or just do creative things like stuff on YouTube or like what is it? What does it mean to have a new album and not be able to promote it on the medium of television? Unless you do to view. Well, I will, oh, really.

Yeah, the view, they're still working. What did they do? The view is still working? The view is still working, yeah. They tell you before every show, who you'll be like, just so y'all know, we don't have writers, so don't be coming at us about what we're asking because this is all us. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Makes sense. Yeah. They're spontaneous. Yeah. Ooh. I didn't realize that. Well, that, it shows sometimes. But I haven't watched the view very often.

And so any judgment that I pass is. is unfair. No, that's fine. I got it. But I do, yeah, we were supposed to do some shows and they would cancel. But at this, at the same time, I sometimes think this people are still coming to the shows. And so, and, you know, adding more music into it. We're not only playing the record.

And so, so it's, you know, just, I don't pay enough attention to anything. That's what I, that's, that's a good answer too. And the Dave Matthews band, do they need the same machine at everybody? At this point, you're right. Like, people know when the music is coming out, your people know. And it probably doesn't make a huge effect that you don't have to do like TV like that. Yeah, we're lucky. And then we'll cram a bunch of TV in when nobody cares.

You know something, though? Speaking of which, I'm working on a project of which your musical performances from like 93 to about 96 are included in this project. and I wanted to know, especially for your song structures, how limiting is it to do television if you only have a four-minute and 30-second window? Because, you know, from my experiences of being at Dave Matthew shows, like, you guys cook for six to eight minutes on songs, what's you know like the solos are the best part of the both i think that that's true that's the best part it is my favorite part is when everything gets uh gets cracked open and then um and then we can

you know be spontaneous and when the when the even vocally when things when melodies change but uh i don't know it's it is a it's a weird it's a weird uh television is very stressful when you have two and a half three minutes i don't know you know i wasn't worried that mix is going to sound as bad as it might and then i'm worried uh that i'm going to suck and then i'm worried it's too how can you do anything in two and a half minutes it is pan it is right so anytime there's an opportunity to mock myself which is you know i often i like that that's what i'm i'm glad that um fallon when i come on that show then I can go go over.

You have a little fun. Yeah, when I came on that show and did the trap thing. Yes, and you guys were singing the, yes, I do remember that. So I got it to, but I have to tell you, I worked so hard on that Cardi B-tune to make sure that even though I was just goofing off on the guitar, I wanted to get every single, every single of cause. Because I didn't want to, I didn't want people to think, what song is I wanted very specifically. We know. Someone to know what it was.

Because it is, I'm very loose about sticking to the script. In that instance, I felt like the script was the only thing that would make it work. So I had to at least be, otherwise it would have been, I could have, if being the normal me, I could have just, I could have phoned it in and people have been like, I have no idea what he's doing. We have no idea what music he's singing. I had to be much more strict than I am with my normal music, which is, which is, you know, I mean, I don't, I don't even know if I get my lyrics right. So when you did that, when you did that, that piece with Cardi and stuff, you're 16 year old. Is your oldest kid? He's my baby. He's your baby. So this is good. So,

what did your kids say about you doing that and did they have it? He laughed. He thought it was pretty fun. He actually did. He even was nice enough to say, you know, it sounded. It didn't sound right, but he said it sounded pretty good, Dad. Are your children, are they musicians? My son plays the piano and he plays the guitar and he enjoys it, but he enjoys it.

but he doesn't like to do it. As far as I know, one time, all the kids, there's a party and all the kids were playing their piano. Some kids were better than other kids. Right. Stay, I said, I said to him, I wish you got up and played the piano. And he looked at me and he said, Dad, I will never, ever do that.

I was like, but it was just, it was kind of interesting. But it was, I understand where he's coming from. I understand what he's saying. He's saying there's a different world, and I'm not, I'm not, I'm not jumping in it right now. So you don't even expect that. Don't even don't even, don't even, I'm going to go play football. I was, I was forced in the family business.

Like I would just naturally think that, you know, any progeny or whatever, like you just automatically, I figure at least by 10 or 12, like, he's going to sit in and sit on a high chair. and start playing with you and eventually, I mean, in your mind, would you like that? Or is that like, no, just me, Carter and, and, like, Stefan, like, this is our thing and our thing only? Or I don't know if I'd want my son to come and, uh, I mean, I would love it if he wanted to, but it's not something that I think about. I'd love him to find, he has his own musical.

He likes, is a pretty wide perspective of the kind of, you know, music he enjoys and he always surprising me. But that's what I want him to find music the way I did. I guess I came from a family. There were no musicians, but my mom, you know, listened to a lot of classical music. My parents did and then also some folk music. And then I found my way, my brother turned me on the music.

I think I found a Beatles record or something. And so I kind of felt that's kind of the way I found music. And so there's been music around my kids. in our house. Oh, snap. But I never. He answered it without asking. Wait, wait.

I was like, snap. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You thought you and Dave were just talking and catching up. Wait a minute. Wait. What? Oh, my God.

28 minutes? There's a new record. Yo. Wait. Can we each have one word of the question? What? Stop. Go ahead.

Go ahead. Okay. What? was your first musical memory wait a minute time out time out time out time up that's usually the first question we asked everybody this is the level of comfort I have with Dave Matthews

I legit forgot I was doing a podcast I was totally I let a half hour go by and I didn't even start the process no I was like maybe he joined his remade sometimes we remakes and don't start from the beginning I'm here so you know if we have to start again I'm happy no no no we're not starting again but I will I will say this but the question was what was your first musical memory I would like to say my first live music that I remember like I think it was my first memory because I think

I was sitting between my mom's knees I was a little kid you know sort of and on the back of a flat bed truck uh pete seger was playing the band wow singing really and uh i remember thinking that guy's awesome and he was so weird he was such a weird but he was so he was so friendly and so that's my first like i feel which country was this dave because you've lived in a lot of places where were you when we saw in um up upstate not upstate new york but you know north of new york city so he was in croton quite a bit and uh in that area and uh was it turn turn turn or i can't remember what so i don't think it was i can't remember what songs he was playing i just remember thinking this and people were you know it was relaxed and everything but then i think my when i was five years old i remember

liking the jackson five so i'm not entirely sure whether that was because why i fell in love with them was because they had a five in the right right but then i really did love um them and then i've i fell in love with the beetles and i became i would say a bore until my brother opened my brain when i was about 10 and my brother was turned me on to other kinds of music and and then i and then i it was the 70s so i could listen to the radio and you could hear you know in the 70s you could have the radio on and it could be like at least well PLJ or whatever it was you know it was like uh it could be it would be like john denver and then Marvin gay and then paul and format and then uh you know Donna summers and then you know i remember my mom would always go to the radio when donna

summers came on and she'd be going oh love to love you baby my mom like i don't like this song right right and then she'd wait for it to be over but i remember my mom always running to the radio and turning off the, and that was the only song I could remember her response. I think it was just, it was too much, there was too much lovemaking in that song for my mom. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the fourth.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast. The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me,

or you're just chasing down a dream, This is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft,

and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by.

Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe.

On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Everyone, I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever.

I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come, look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved.

And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fultonautenar Stars. And now, I guess also is the co-host of the away end, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes. only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Back when we scheduled this interview weeks ago, I watched about three interviews of yours. And they're pretty. pretty much the same format.

Like they talk about, you know, your beginnings in South Africa, moving to the States, and then putting the band together. They talk about, so I'm actually going to go back to where we were just five minutes ago. I'm going to talk to you like a friend, not as a music expert. Thank you. So wait, no, no, no. I want to ask you random things. I totally, I put my script.

This is random. I put my script away. All right. So this is what I want to know. And this is, I'm asking you just your everyday life questions. Okay. For our listeners, I feel like you know a lot about a person based on their Starbucks order. What is your main order at Starbucks?

An Americana with cream. All right. What's that in English, Steve? Because you know that you got to translate for me. Espresso with water in it. Steve is our resident Starbucks. addict. I have a coffee shop in Seattle that, you know,

everyone has the best coffee shop in the world, but this actually is the best coffee shop. And it's called Lighthouse. And, well, there's a, there's a lot of great coffee shops here, as there are as much as there are everywhere. But this particular one, I call it that. And it's a small little one. And so I hope that it doesn't piss them off that I just told everyone.

But I get more cappuccinos. and lattes and hakiados, not the one that you get at Starbucks, but the original sort of simple foam and espresso. When I go there, because everything they make, even if I just get a shot of espresso, everything they make there is delicious. But if I go to Starbucks, I know it's going to be the, if I get a four-shot Americano,

it's going to taste exactly the same in Des Moines as it will taste in Tokyo or Yorke. town heights new york it's not going to be any shit because they wait what part of the world do you what part of the world are you living in now are you i'm in seattle i live in seattle so i'm between i sort of live between virginia and seattle but my children because my wife studied medicine here my children were born in seattle

i bored he just he just he just got up and left yeah he's over he always he's i'm kidding i hate when people talk about their children and where they're from I just had to take a break. I had to take a break. I know what you mean. It's where it's where I just did. And I did it all and I keep doing it. Where do you live?

I live in Seattle. Anyway, so I, my, we ended up being here and we like it in Seattle a lot. And we also. Those are opposite towns, by the way. That's some interesting duality of worlds that you got going on, Charlottesville and then Seattle. That's right.

It is true. But it's also funny because there's assumptions we make. about both which are true but which are also but are also very not true at all right right you know very opposite they're not monoliths they're not monoliths no and um maybe charlotsville is I guess it well it's a wonderful place but every place could be a little more aware of itself than it is I imagine I bet your kids are hell around well-rounded but those reasons though that's what I was thinking too like they get they know all the things i think that i think i have nice i think i have kind children that's the main you just and i've met your children yeah you absolutely and i've and

and i also think that my children are well round enough that they uh they act polite and well put together when they when they when they see you quest but they are very excited oh i have one great story made me really proud of my kids so one of my favorite musicians is danny barns he's a band player out of Austin. He lives up in this area. Oh, fuck it. Many, yeah, all fuck it. I had enough, I had enough of that. My pole barn fell into my peaches.

I'm looking at him up right now. You know, it's so, he's so funky. Oh, fuck it. Last time we were together 100 years ago at Sesame Street, you brought up Danny Barnes. I feel like he's a common, he's a common thing. I love it, but I love this story because, wait, he was on Sesame Street, Bill? David Danny Barnes was not on Sesame Street that would be amazing

Dave Dave Matthews this person he was on Sesame Street so you brought him up I was I was very happy to be on Sesame Street but anyway my someone someone some kid asked my kids if they knew Bob Marley and I think they were they were asking them if they had ever heard of Bob Marley but my kids were spoiled and I remember my daughter's said, they were little, and my daughter said, I don't know Bob Molly, but we know Danny Barnes.

There you go. Parental win. Effective. That's good. All right. My next everyday question is, what television show are you currently binging? Oh, that's a good one. That's a good one.

So I'm, I am mad that, uh, I do like that, uh, the last of us thing. Um, okay. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But, and the last two episodes were my favorite because they were just so. No spoiler. No spoiler. Come on, man.

You got a thing. I'm just sitting. I didn't finish it. I didn't finish it. I finished it. I'm ruthless. I just, I'm excited.

So I'm sad that I got to the end. Anyway, they were ruthless. A lot of people were like, I don't like, I didn't like the last two. I was like, I love them. Me too. But also, I want to tell you, I think people should watch this funny.

I think it's Australian show. I don't know if they haven't made anymore, but it's called Mr. In Between. Does anybody hear? This sounds familiar. Wait, wait, wait. What service? What is this on?

I think it's Mr. In Between. I really like this show. Oh, no, I just meant Hulu. Okay, Mr. I don't know. I could be on it. Come on, Dave. You know, what's something.

Sometimes you just fall onto, you fall into things. It is Hulu. I know that there's gonna be a show that I'm watching that I have, that I've forgotten. Okay. And then there's, I just finished that res dogs. It's cool. Oh, reservation, reservation dogs.

Yes. About the indigenous kids. Yes. Reservation dogs. Yes. That's a good show. It's a really good show. It's a lot of dope indigenous shows.

on streaming right now. They didn't include the community. It's really cool. Oh, oh, all of the non-musical jobs that you've had. This is my favorite episode of Questlove Supreme ever. Yeah, because I just want to know him as a human

being instead of... It's awesome. I did. I was a bartender, which is, I think, not unusual for musicians. But I worked my way up to bartending. I started off as the salad guy. They used to call me the nacho guy

because I made more nachos than salads. And then I waited tables. I hated, that's the worst, that's the hardest job in the world, waiting tables. I think it's the hardest job in the world. Do you have the ability to carry that tray like way above your head?

I was good at, I'm good at carrying trays, but I'm also really good when I'm overwhelmed because I'm easily overwhelmed. I'm really good at pretending that someone's not in my section until they leave. Wait. So you got passive aggressively. Yeah, excuse me.

Can we haven't been served yet. I'm sorry, you're not in my section. I'm just going to, but I'll let your waiter know. I didn't do it often, but I did do it. And I will, and I tell you that the one of the weird, I was working on the patio and there's a lot of rats in this particular underneath this mall. But I, there was, they used to. Rats with restaurants, okay. I walked onto the patio where I was waiting and I looked and there was this,

there was a group of women and they were a little bit fancy, well, not too fancy because they were at our restaurant, but they were a little bit fancy. And there was a rat at their feet. So I didn't want to say, excuse me, there's a rat at your feet because that would cause mayhem. I love the way. Anyway, so I waited for the rat to walk away from under their table. And it took so long. They would move their feet like the rat would be standing on their shoe. And then it would move their feet. And then the rat would just walk. I mean, it was so bananas. How comfortable. It was in Charlottesville. It was the most comfortable rat in the world.

It walked out onto an open area and then the ladies spotted it when it was in an open area outside the restaurant. And one of the ladies said, and then they all were like, oh, no. And then this dude came out of its long clothes now. This dude came out of a Walmart and he had a, and I was at this story now, I was like, oh, I've been, I'm, I must save, I must stop the rats. Oh, now you care. Now you care. They ate all their toes.

Now I can acknowledge that the rats. If it was on, I was just, I was so happy it made it away. Still not your section. Anyway, it wasn't in my section. And this dude came out of the Walmart with a broom handle and a box. And then just right in front of everyone, just beat this rat to death. All these people were like, All right, a rat.

And this dude just walked out just as if nothing was out and just was like, huh, car, gha, and people were like, ah, and I was kind of stunned, too. And then he just smacked it into the box and just walked away. Back to, I love it. Drop the box next to the Walmart and just walked in, not Walmart. What am I talking about, Woolworths? I said Woolworth. Warworths, okay, the throwback.

A whole different, come out of a giant megastore. He came out of the old, the old, the, little old Woolworths. I apologize. I ruined the story by saying. No, you didn't. No. It's almost better. Dave Matthews, you literally, yo guys, this might have to be my new format. I love this.

That's one job. What's the other four? Oh, shit. So I worked in a record store and it was in South Africa and it was when oh my God, I can't believe Anita Baker's like smash album came out and she was

Raptor. Wait, wait. Time out. Time out. Time out. Time out. Wait. Why do we get triggered, Laia? Yeah, we did. I was like, wait. Sorry, Deva. I know you haven't been watching it. She's not a game. She's not a game. She's not a game. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Inside joke. We just heard her name and got scared. Like, what the fuck? You need a bank of trigger. Here we go. This was a long time ago.

Okay. Anyway, I apologize if I haven't been reading the paper. No, no. You're good. Anyway, she was safe. that album was just that was non-stop and so that was what everyone was it was yeah and the thing it was it was in the

it was in the city in Janiceburg and it's and it's it was an interesting time because it's when like Hillbrow in Johannesburg and YoVille and Johannesburg and downtown Johannesburg where they were starting to call them gray areas because although

apartheid was still like holding on with its claws it was it was everyone everyone knew it was at this it was when the clerk was about to turn he was going to the president of south africa was about to what they you know what the what much of the country uh the white part of the country considered the great betrayal because he was hardline apartheid guy and then suddenly he just did but i think he he got the reports from people and and and it was essentially you know let go or

right it's or you know there's gonna be held to pay right and get out look it out yeah so anyway it was right around that time so there were these gray areas where people like where it was essentially you know already integrated and you know the police were still horrifying and it was all that was still going on but it was like these certain areas like they're sort of the hip

that be college students and um Orthodox Jews and then anyone else that want to live there. It's just and one Polish guy once said to me when I was in his cab in New York going to Brooklyn, he says, you know why the, the Jews don't leave here. The Jews don't leave here because the Jews don't take shit from anybody. And I was so interesting. I don't know why did a weird, not good. No, that was, I thought that was kind of good.

I don't know, Steve, Bill, you, but I thought. No, I feel like that Polish was nailed. that was I felt like B minus I was B minus is exactly but anyway

it was a fucking accent oh but anyway it wasn't me I didn't say it so then but I just thought that was so I just thought

it's interesting because then I ended up living years later in a area or with a friend in an area that was it was like

had been very much like sort of a Jewish area in in Johannesburg that had now

become this sort of gray area but it was still very Jewish but it was also college kids and it was also like it was really interesting time and that's when I worked at this record store I wish I could Hillbrow Records is what it was called and and then what else shit that was a long this is a long story and I drew some pictures I did some illustrations for for a magazines like brochures for like insurance companies for a little while that was that's just like a small like a local Like, come and, you know, get your... You're an illustrator?

Like a... Not really. Like, come and get a thermometer put in your butthole at this... And you write a cartoon of it or... Yeah, you draw a little, like, picture. The thermometer and a butthole. No, I wish it was that interesting. It was much more like, you know...

Wait, can I ask, does your publicist approve of this interview? I feel like... They're here. They should. Okay. But they're right. They just... Yeah.

Two thumbs up from that guy. Just some random dude giving you two thumbs up. That's amazing. Can I ask a random acting question real quick? Because I'm sorry, but your favorite characters of mine was from Blended. And I'm just so curious if you're like an improv dude or, yeah, that's my first question about acting. But I'm just curious if you're an improv dude because it seems like you'd be amazing at it. Well, I haven't done too much of it, but I'm willing to learn.

Really? So what's your acting? So as far as your training, what do you, what do you consider you just? When I was when I was bartending a bunch of English grads who worked in bars in Charlottesville and other people that started there's two. There was one called offstage theater and one. And there was another one that wasn't in random places that I've forgotten it now. and they'll get mad at me when they if any of them hear this but and then so we i used to do when i was 20 in my early 20s i used to do little acting things there and i you know try to figure out what the hell i was doing with myself i wanted to do something well you said the last was zillion right yeah i think the last thing i did with uh offstage theater was uh the band was already together i think a couple of the guys came to something i did in in the bars

Leroy and Carter, I think they came to one of them. And then now I, you know, if Sandler calls me, I'll do his move. Yeah, I was about to say, y'all got a nice relationship. Yeah. What's your most fun Adam Sandler experience of all the movies that job done together? So, so one time and he'll, he might not verify this because, but, but it's mildly X-rated. But he called me up and he said, um, you said, hey, buddy, I got this one thing. I got this thing for you.

He says, you got to read this. And it was actually for the part that I think Woody Harrelson ended up playing. So he obviously, Adam got a better option. But it was when Woody played the trans woman or something in. Oh, anger management. Anger management. Yeah. But Woody was, Woody was great.

He was good. Anyway, so he was, so he was, I think he was calling me about that. I'm not 100% sure, but he said, but I got this pop with you. and I said, I said, I'll do anything for you. I said, you could dress. I said, you could do anything. You're amazing. You could put a dress on.

And I'd probably, you know, want to make love to you. And he goes, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy. You could, you could, you could never, you can never ever make love to me. I'm sorry. He goes, you could even, maybe you could titty fuck my ass, but you can never go in style. You can never go. And I was like, that's my, that's my greatest memory of Adam. That is of Adam Sandler.

I thought she was going to tell us. You was a Jack and Jill or whatever. I was like, no. You could tiff, you never go inside me. Also, that impression is point on. It is point on.

That is spot on sand man. I was, okay, I'm sorry to be heady about this. But so everything that happened between you and Nicole Hintman was scripted. Yeah, I mean, for the most,

I mean, for the most of the stumbling was, it was all pretty, pretty scripted. She's pretty shy and Keith was, Keith was around quite a bit too. Or, um, okay. Tar players making it weird. Awkward.

It's the funniest she's ever been. That's it. Yeah, but she, you know, what's interesting is, is how much she adores Adam Sandler because she said when she was first coming up, she said, uh, she was on Saturday live and she was terrified and Adam was just the nicest. Man, and that's kind of a thing that's interesting. He's like, he works as hard as anybody, but that guy is absolutely one of the nicest people in the world.

He is. He is. He absolutely is. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcasts on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends,

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by me. a truck. I thought how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said oh hell no. I vowed

I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up everyone? I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from

Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot.

I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. and he's like just give it a shot he goes but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall

and it doesn't feel fun anymore it's okay to quit if you saw it written down it would not be an inspiration it would not be on a calendar of you know the cat just hang in there yeah it would not be right it wouldn't be that

there's a lot of luck listen to thanks dad on the iHeart radio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist,

and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer,

Football is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. David, I'm going to ask, I've been wanting to ask you this my entire life.

We've talked about, we've talked about this before, actually. You talked to the Beatles, the simplicity of melody, the simplicity of music writing. And yet when I listen to your songs, the time signatures are complex. The thoughts are complex. The harmonics are complex. It feels like one thought and then a different practice. Yeah, I've, I have, I have learned nothing. but like we've worked together for a long time and like it's like it's you're I think in your head and in my head and I guess in song understeads you want you want to present the most simple thing the most beautiful simple perfect thing but yet for whatever reason you get caught up in the

musicality of it all right and then and then you try to fall the time right and then but for whatever reason you're very successful at finding that in the end finding the most beautiful thing regardless right and so that has always been my like like number one Dave Matthews thing, your entire career as a fan, as a person who knows you, that just like, I don't know how you do that. I really don't. And it's like, it's really fantastic. That's, I don't know how it's better to say that in words. Well, that's, that's very kind. I do, I have to say that I do, I want to say, stop there. And don't right. Fuck it up. Don't take change it to five. Don't put it in for no reason.

and then switch it to four what do you do why do i have to be so confusing but then i but then sometimes i can't stop myself and then i just end up going in circles until it's too complicated so i either throw it away or something but i also have to say something that some there have been specific times in my life when i've said when i've come up with something that's that's weird a weird time a signature or it's unusual but i feel like it and it's i think a lot of it is sort of listening to some sort of central african west african African grooves and how it sounds like it's here but then it's actually over here and and and I don't know if I understand it but I but I still get inspired by it and and then I'll come up with

something and I think to myself I think this will sound really good if Carter plays it you know because Carter will come in and make something it's really unusual sound like it makes sense and I think it's a remarkable gift so sometimes I even go on tangents just to play for Carter who um who um who if anyone that's listening doesn't know is the drummer that I've been lucky enough to work with for a 30 years. We all know Carterview. I know you guys know. But Amir, like, how do you feel about a drummer like Carter?

Because essentially, your philosophies are completely and utterly polar opposite. So you want to know something? Because also, like, and I respect you both in so different ways, but it's a completely different thing. And it's fascinating to me. Here's the funny thing. So the project I'm working on right now, right? is it was me looking at these guys like a period between 94 to 96 and it just hit me when I saw them like this is like when the second album first came out and I saw them so basically what what bill is explaining is that I have a very bare bones straight pocket and it wasn't until

I saw you guys A cold-blooded pocket. But it wasn't until I saw the earliest performance of unmentioned secret project I'm working on that it finally hit me. I was like, yo.

Now, I saw this with at the drive-in, I saw this with, and then when I saw this also when they morphed into Mars Volta, and now I'm seeing it with Dave Matthews. I now know where the truth creative home

where what I call gospel chop jumping belongs. Carter is the perfect musical specimen of a drummer for this particular ensemble situation where if it fits like a hand

and glove. The problem I have is, all right, if you were to take Carter, he is gospel chops, you're saying. He's transcended gospel shops. Like, he's on a whole other level. Right, he's the owner's, but that's the thing. But the only reason why that level of drumming would be jarring for me is if, say, a tribe called Quest

asked for the same sort of drummer. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Then it would be different. But I now, like when I saw it, then I went on an instant rabbit hole and only watched pre-99 Dave Matthews to see them at their very beginnings.

And I'm like, oh, shit, you guys are actually the blueprint for where black music is today as far as rhythmically and structurally. And I don't think you guys know that. And I don't think... That's for sure. That we know that. No, I don't think we know that.

And it's just like only in Mars Volta and in the Dave Matthews band, is that level of insane drumming like music to my ears where it's just perfect. Makes all the sense. Don't get me wrong. I mean, it does.

I again, I'll just sit here and I'll just lie in that. That sounds good to me. Wait, did I not make that clear? No, you make it clear, but it was just, it was kind of meant. Oh, yes, I have a way to go around the scenic route to get to the point. Yes. But, okay, so what is your preferred method of songwriting? So do you do it alone or do you guys get together or?

There's been times when, like, the, the, I think sometimes the best of what we do is when we're all together in the room. And, you know, I'll find an idea and we'll, like, one of my favorite songs that I think we've ever, that I ever put out called, it's called Virginia in the Rain. Actually, it only came out a couple of albums ago. It's just this swimming kind of feel and it's crazy. And it's so comfortable and everyone sounds exactly like everyone sounds. and it but it's kind of a magical thing and the way that the timing kind of has this upside down thing

and when we were first doing it I think we all kind of almost had different ones you know it's like this but the writing on that was all of us you know in the same space and then there's times when when I'll come in with a sort of almost finished song and and then also I have a I don't it's not maybe traditional but I have a I think it's probably more common now but there's a a song like on the new record, a walk around the moon. And obviously it was harder for all of us to get into a room together in the pandemic because we are all, everyone's losing their minds. And so that was sort of a restrictive situation.

But, you know, in traditional terms, I'd finished the song, Walk Around the Moon, and then Carter came in. He was the first person to come in because the producer, Rob, said, we should get Carter to play on this. We hadn't planned to making a record. And but when Carter first, he listened to that and he did his funny sort of writing down the arrangement. And then he went out and what he played over it was so bananas and so beautiful, so straightforward, but so bananas. It's like it like here was the song was written here.

And then what he did like changed the song, but it didn't. It just made it way more what it was. And I think in a traditional sense, someone would say, you know, I'd say like, oh, I wrote that song. And, you know, maybe there have been times when I had, but I had to say Carter wrote the song with me. Because just, you know, just the way he came in. And so there's that time. So some songs come out of jams. 99% of the time I write the lyrics afterwards, which is why maybe so often they're gobbledygook,

trying to fucking figure out a way I had to screw a little. lyric onto something that's jumping all over the place. So whether I write a musical thing or form or a song by myself or the band gets together and we jam something or it's a mixture of each thing, the writing of the lyrics sort of comes at the end so that is so the process, that part of it doesn't change. I love when we're all free and I, you know, there's times when I'll, you know, say to Carter play something like play this you know or but there's also times where I where I don't say anything you know and and I would expect the same from him too you know I do feel like a very fortunate that that we've managed to like keep this uh process uh I've

managed to keep this process a little bit of an exchange rather than getting into a place where you know I'm I'm telling everyone what to do because I think so much more power in, at least in this band, we've all been together so much that, you know, there's more noise to be had from other people that make things surprising. For you, is there, what is your idea of musical happiness? Like, do you prefer small, small, intimate jamming situations with your band? Or actually, when's the last time you guys played in, you know, like Toad's up in Yale? Yeah, like Toad's up in Yale.

But we, you know, often when we play outside of the country, outside of the U.S., you know, we play in smaller places. It depends. You know, we do, there's, you know, parts of Europe where we do better. But we're more in a weird way. We're more of a, like a cult band in the rest of the world than we are, definitely than we are in the States. I mean, some, you know, some. Germany, where you play, like, how many people are you playing to in Frankfurt, Germany? Like, 2,000 or five, you know, maybe, maybe.

I don't know five to two five somewhere we bounce around like it wait Portugal they they like us there so we do a little more right we do a little more we get a little more action in Portugal and Spain we do all right the UK is a little bigger but then you know once we get but then it's a different it's very the vibe is it's so much fun to play to a you know a different audience an audience that we don't get to play in front of very much you know because we had this funny thing in the States that, that, you know, we kind of came up, you know, even though we have this, we've been lucky at times more than others to sell out big places. We still kind of came up this way from our shows and sort of word of mouth.

And so that, we haven't had that opportunity as much in other places. And so our audience is sort of similar, but a little more excited about listening to us. in other parts of the world than it states. How can you plan a tour in which every territory varies in size? And I know that at your peak, your maximum, you guys are a fully operational, like, you know, 13, 14, 18-wheeler truck, maybe I would assume a seven to ten tour bus or private plane operation like but then you're saying that like if you go to Glasgow Scotland or something then you might have to small scale it so

how how do you route and plan that out where some places you're you can play 90,000? I guess we do them separate so you know we're going to go to Europe in the spring and so then we'll think of it like what can we do and you you know fentnew designs our stages and uh and uh does our lights and has for a long time but you know since like the first year that we were together but so like then he'll design a stage for for if we're in europe and and we'll be much and you know and then our we'll take our core crew we won't need the biggest so it's just like a you know logistical change and and a lot of it's not and thank god it has nothing to do with me because that would be a shit show. I love playing in the smaller different venues. We were down in Mexico,

you know, Mexico City a few places at the beginning of the tour. And it's so much fun to play in places we don't go all the time. And, you know, it's one thing to play in Cancun where it'll probably all be Americans. But if you go to Mexico City or Monterey or Guadalajara or whatever, then it's, the audience is all Mexican people. And it and it's, and it's, and it's, just it's so much fun to play for a really different audience and when we were down there we had like a week or so maybe a little more than that somewhere around there when we were just all rehearsing together and that was that was fun actually i think a lot um hopefully some new music will come out of that i think it's very fortunate especially now i mean there's ups and downs right

but the way the band is right now i feel like um is as much fun playing with these guys as I've ever had. So, you know. I was going to ask about that. Like, the band has morphed so much in the past, I don't know, 10 years. Like, how do you, where do you find the happiness and where do you find the right?

Yeah, and adjusting, I'm going to add that to your question, Bill. Like, and adjusting to life after Leroy's transition. Yeah. Like, how do you? Because Roy was like, Roy and Carter, Roy's like the first person that I,

is like, You don't have better friends than him. He's a difficult friend, but you don't, you know, and musically, he's just, there's no one like him. He was so unique. And Jeff Coffin put it beautifully one, who plays sax with us now, but Jeff said, what Roy had and didn't realize much of the time

was he had his own voice. And that's like what every horn player dreams about. And it's true, like Roy just had this, like I could hear a recording like, just to hear one note and it just and I it just like Roy just the memory of him but I think you know so we go we really miss him but you know and you go you go up and down and but right now the way the band is you know there's lots of gratitude and you know because you know we still we're still paying for our own toothpaste and

so um so that's good and we're living living well and it seems like the audiences are still enjoying it. So, you know, this is, it feels like right now, the last five years or so has been a really good, a really good period for us. I really feel grateful about it. I also love playing, you know, by myself. I also love playing with just me and Tim.

I don't know, any opportunity to, the change is good too, you know. To scale down, okay. I'm thinking of life with Steve and Jonas back when we were in the house together. Oh, God, memories. Dave. Yeah. Peanut butter.

In the fridge or outside the fridge? Outside the fridge. Outside the fridge. Outside the fridge. Agreed. After it's open? Yeah. Always. Always.

Y'all probably do that same thing with ketchup and mustard. Y'all leave that outside refrigerator. Wait, you leave peanut butter inside the fridge, liar? Me, if you opened it? Yeah, anything that's open should go in the fridge. That's what? Y'all don't read the label. I don't read.

If you're going to leave it on the shelf for a couple months, maybe. Yeah. But, but I, you know, we go through our peanut butter. It's just, it's a,

and we get the, you know, we get the crunchy all, all natural, but I think it's the same with the other ones. It turns into, it's, it's impossible.

It's like spread. Cement. Oh, and the refrigerator. Out of the fridge. So you have to take it out and leave it there anywhere. It's a storage of bread. If we're really going to,

to ask questions this random. I got a few questions in my own. Oh, shit. Oh, thank you. So. Dave, massageing his head. Here we go. My first random question is, um, there's a famous piano player slash arranger that did a lot of work on my favorite jazz label called CTI. His name's David Matthews. He's been heavily sampled as well. So, yes.

I was just wondering if, because of the name, did you ever meet him or cross over with him or have publishing issues with him in any way because, or have you ever heard of David And we've had some, but it's been more amusing than anything. I think there was, I think once he, we ran into each other in, and I do know him, but I think he may have come. He had to call the IRS and say, this is definitely not mine. Just not my mistake. Wow. His estimates it's got blown up by David.

Yeah, I think he may have been like, no, no, no, no. that's that other guy that sounds a little like Kermit the Frog and he doesn't do any arrangements. Okay. We had an amusing exchange in an airport. Okay. Did it a bunch of arranging too, right? Yeah, yeah.

I think he's most known for his arranging. So I have a second random question. Do you remember being at Electric Lady Studios in the late 90s? Yeah. It must have been 97, 98, 99, maybe and smoking a join with DeAngelo. Yes.

With two other random guys. I was one of the other random guys. Wait a minute. I love that, Steve. I don't know about this. No, but listen. It's before you was down. So then, so now I'm you know, I'm excited, first of all, to be

visiting DeAngelo in the studio, but now I'm fucking so fucking high. and then that's which is fine, that's fine. And he turns on, he starts playing the most insane. You'll agree with me, right? I mean, the music was so beautiful, was so insane.

I mean, I hadn't heard any of it. So maybe you've been, you know, going, listening to it again. Was it voodoo? It was like early voodoo? Yes, it was early. But it was not what I heard. I mean, maybe it's, it took us four years to make that record. Yes.

Yes. I'm telling you. It was so banana. The music he played, I left like, you know, you know when you experience something when it's so beautiful that, you know, you're partly inspired. And then you're also just like, what am I, what am I doing? Yeah.

Wow. What am I doing? I should, I need to just go back with a rock. Yep. Where I, where I, you came from and shut the fuck up. Yeah. Well, it makes you raise your game is what it does when you hear music like that. Like you sort of see possibilities.

It was, yeah, that was, I absolutely remember. It was so exciting. Oh, the root. Yeah, I think it was playing the song, The Root. Ooh, that's a good one. The reason you weren't there, this was like after, this was like vocals, vocal sessions that just went on for a year. So you weren't there.

But tell me how does Dave Matthews wind up at Electric Lady? He just shows up. Oh, well, that's my, no, that's my actual question is, what album were you working on? Because you were there for a session, I believe. Well, I thought, I wonder. because i've done a few different things i think you were in your own i think you were down in the b room could we have been doing the santana uh oh yeah yeah there you go which i which i have to tell you we planned that for a long time i have to say my son uh put put on the song that i

sang on that santana record and and then i hadn't heard in a long time and i have to say I'm not sure what was wrong with me I was a little soft on that song kind of irritates me when I hear it I'm a little soft I'm a little like I don't know I'm a little airy a little bit eh hey hey I mean it's even it's like

Kermit the Frog like really tired none of us like what we do 10 years 20 years ago ever on Santana records my son and I was he's been getting into some Santana And he listened to that and he goes, he goes, it's, it's, I said, oh, I sound terrible. And he goes, my son of, he confirmed it by going, it's not your best, dad.

He's the best. He's the best. August, August is like takes you right to their, right to your heart, huh? Yeah, he said, it's not your best. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

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Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come, look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you,

which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. and he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat.

Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End,

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Speaking of Santana, okay, so where did you get the idea? So the thing is, is that we're doing our first stadium show. And, you know, the stadium holds like 70,000 people. But I think an accumulation of it, because we're the opening act, is the roots, Santana, and then Dave Matthews band. And, you know, there might be 5,000 people.

now I just came from an arena show last week I went I went to witness what I call Swiftville and no no it was something to behold especially as an outsider yeah it was it was something to be whole but the thing is is that I know a lot of people who I know a lot of kids who went down to that you know just friends of friends and said we're going to Pittsburgh so yeah the town was so packed I had to get a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. Like anywhere she goes, she's going to bring at least, at least $2 billion worth of business. So I want a science study just on that alone.

But my whole point was that, so, you know, we're about to go out on stage, and then you come and you're like, I'm going to introduce you guys. And I'm like, wait a minute, this doesn't happen. the opening the headliner the place isn't supposed to come out you know the bride's not supposed to see the groom on the wedding day and you came out

and it was as if the audience knows that you do that because instantly like within 10 seconds that shit went to like 14,000 people and you

not only introduced us but then you stood on stage and watched us because you knew that your fan base would come from their tailgate parties outside to watch you watch us. So where did you get that idea from? Because that's, that's, you didn't have to do that. But where did you get that idea from? Well, you know, it's probably pretty simple.

So I, um, I had a few, you know, experiences when we were coming up, you know, we had a few experiences where you know the where the audience was coming for the main and and and and that was always it was it was quite often it was humbling and sometimes it was sometimes things turned out well i mean we had a great time we opened up for the dead one time in vegas and and and everyone had warned us that the the dead audience is not into the opening act yeah man they have and then the funniest thing is um they loved us which maybe says something about us they were all they were all dancing and spinning around they're having a blast uh but but it wasn't always like that and um i but i remember one specific time it was i think Carter and i went to i think we're actually playing between

this uh blues traveler were had two sets they were playing two sets and we were playing between them oh wow okay and there's there's these two dudes right in front of me in the audience. And so my monitor's there. And then there's these two dudes. And they were just at the top of their lungs, they were screaming, like, essentially like, fuck you.

You fucking suck. Fuck you. Fuck. And it was like they would have taken a break anyway. They were so furious. And they didn't start. They were a relent. And then I kept like it's I could I could barely I mean that's all I could hear and then I kept

turn around to Carter because he's you know he's a he's a great drummer but he's also quite often my therapist and I'm like these dudes are these guys are really fucking wearing me out and Carter's like just play the fucking song because he they were wearing it out too. And we went a few but I always remembered that and I always remembered like like I wanted to say they invited us to come and play in between their fucking set. Right. Right. So I guess that that was the, the motivation was just that, like, I was really excited that you guys were opening the starting the show.

Like, so I was, I want to make sure that, you know, like, it's the whole show. Right. So that's how I felt about it. It was selfish. All right. So check it. Check it. You just reminded me of one of the most hilarious moments.

Open it for you. Okay, so we did Philadelphia with you first. Then we did aforementioned Giant New York where, you know, I had to fire. Oh, yeah. And then, and then, okay, so we get to Boston, right? And now we're kind of feeling ourselves like, okay, this is not intimidating. We got this. You know, because even we were, you know, we just.

started going to the next level. So this is all very new to us. So this is some Daddy Warbucks meets Annie sort of like experience for us where it's like... All right. So then we get to the first song, right? We get to the first song. And already, this is the first day,

this is the first day that we have the new implemented communication mics that we saw you guys have him, right? So I'm realizing that we can play, do background vocals and crack jokes. And, you know, so we're in our zone. And then the whole audience was like saying like, huh, whew, huh, huh, whew, huh,

and you know, by time we got to song three, I was like, yo, we are killing shit, yo. I know how this says. I was like, yo, dude, fucking Dave Matthews might kick us off the tour. for kicking his ass so much. We are fucking killing. And the whole I was, right? I said,

yo, we are fucking killing shit, y'all. Let's keep it up. And the monitor guy was like, actually, guys, they're saying Yankees suck. Yankees suck. And I was like, wait, what are you talking about?

He's like, he has a Yankees cap on. And we have the Yankees cap on. Tarique. He's from Philly anyway. Right. But that's the thing. Tarreek is not, he's not a sports guy.

He was just matching his outfit. And no. And like, but this was also in 2004 where. Oh, yeah, 2004. Where Boston beat their ass. Right. So, oh, my God. We thought we...

That's a pretty good... That's a pretty good story that we thought he was killing it. And then... And then suddenly the audience was like, Yes! Yes! Now throw it! Now throw it!

No, he did. And literally... And then Toreek was like, yo, I'm sorry, y'all. I was just color coordinating my outfit. Like, I didn't mean any offense, and he threw it. And they just...

Yeah. Quick music questions. we on this because Amir always talks about Dave Matthew's band and the Dead and BC Boys kind of being his blueprint as far as the structure of what they did and shows and stuff. Dave, when you were creating your band,

was there other bands that you looked at in that way? Like from a business structure or from just touring or anything that you were like, this is what we're aiming towards. I was, I have to say that I was going pretty blindly. And it was really, you know, I was really excited about playing in a band, you know, and I was really excited about Leroy and Carter and Stefan.

I was just, it was just like a, there was, there was something that was happening that was exciting, you know, like playing this one gig where it was like, I think it was Earth Day. And it was one of our earliest gigs. And we were supposed to go on like second or first. and then the band that was supposed to go on after us said hey could you go we got another gig and so could you go later and we're like okay and that happened over and over again until we were i think we were the last

band to go on and it was an evening show and it was on a mall and and i remember when we got up to play nobody knew who we were we didn't even know who we were and then you know there's probably of of the Maybe there was a thousand people there at one point, but when we went up there, there was a hundred people or something. And, but boy, when Carter, when we started, they all got up and they all started dancing. And so it was like this funny moment of like, we got something going on and that sort of Brown to Charlottesville and then, you know, we started, you know, got a couple of odd gigs here and there and they didn't always work out. But there was something that pulled us. And I think, you know, it was meeting the right people who had had ideas about how we could get up in front of more people.

And, you know, it's starting to play in universities and the words started going around. I think the fact that we didn't have a lot of music and we improvised and we had to make shit up. And so the shows were varied and different. Like, I think that I remember there was a lot of colleges when we played that where people were, Do you know any replacements? And we'd be like, no. No. You guys suck.

You know, we'd get a lot of it. Well, wait a minute. So you're telling me that your college presence was based on filling in for other acts because that's how we came up. And it wasn't eventually it wasn't that. I mean, it was like, but I mean, we went from like sometimes being accepted because somebody in a college liked us to like sort of like colleges were we'd go to places we'd never played before and everyone would be singing our and we didn't have any music out and everyone would be singing along it got really it got we got this little cult thing in the in the yeah in the universities that was

kind of crazy you know i remember uh we went up to we we had this nightmare where we drove over these snowy mountains we were supposed to go around the mountains because it was the middle of winter in Maine and but we didn't nobody they sent us the wrong instructions and we went over the top and it was a nightmare we we we slid down a mountain in a van with a trailer and when we got there we were pretty we were pretty hot and we're and we were two hours late they were like you're late and you know we're like fuck you but then when we got on stage and we started playing the crowd was really excited and they were a priority you know wasted it but they all started singing all the music so loud all the songs to us and so it was kind of like just what the hell's happening we

haven't even been here we never in this mountain you know what year was the sea change for you like what year was the year in which and how intimidating was it to like wait a minute what do you mean we can play stadiums now like i mean i remember getting to the one of the guys who worked with us one of our a and our guys when we played before we had to put out an album or anything but we were going to put out an album and we were playing like irving plaza or I think and it was packed and the and the head of our record company said how how much money did we have to pay to get all these people here and you know so much it was so disconnected sort of the record industry we were was just that they had nothing

he couldn't even he didn't even I think he had barely heard of us and so you know it it was it was a funny we were almost like chasing in a funny way we were working hard, but we were like chasing our, chasing the audience in a funny way. We weren't, right, but they were chasing us. I don't know what the right analogy would be. Yeah, it seems like it's a small amount of groups in this world that have existed that have a following in common like you. Like I, I was just talking to, I have a high school girlfriend that as long as y'all have been out, her and another girlfriend have been following you guys. And they've done like up to the coast. They started at the top and they've gone down. These are black girls, which is also kind of really

dope too because they say they see each other at Dave Matthew show. That's like that's a whole other contingency of like black people who like really literally literally follow you. Yeah. It's really real. Four of my staff members are like true Dave heads and. Yeah. Shouts to Candace Bobo and Zinger Pairz.

They wanted me to say their names in this episode, Zingabrian. I got a question. In the 30 years of touring and whatever, what's the best thing you've seen from the stage that you say on the microphone back to Carter that gets the best laugh from the band? What's the best thing? All I can think about is, uh, is, is, titties. It is, I knew it was nasty. You know, and it was, you know, definitely, definitely jazz fest.

Seems like jazz fest, there's a lot of titty. Yeah. That's what you think I will say something that's funny. that if you just if you just look a little further like because usually it's on someone's shoulders um yes so I think it's funny when the person that's carrying the person

that has the tities doesn't know that the cities are out and they may not know but when they sometimes when they find out there's the sort of like this suddenly there's people and then everyone's excited that but so that there's there's a there's a different there's different nuance there's it's an it's

it can be a nuanced situation where there's different emotional there's different input there's different excitement and different perspectives not just um based on alcohol content too about anything i've been not as any boobs nowadays as you know they're like different boobs all those different i have a i have a non-titty question if that's all right So with regards to what we were discussing with touring, and you mentioned the Grateful Dead, and you mentioned you opened up for them once. So at the time, and I'm not sure if we're around the same age or whatever, but I was in 93, let's say you mentioned I was 23. and we had in college we had seen a lot of Grateful Dead shows

prior to Jerry passing away and they were either winding down or he had already passed and you were on an upward trajectory or just come out in a way and

at least in my little group it was like well what now and then it was kind of like well Dave Matthews band now you were the you were going to be the next thing Jerry Garcia. Well, not necessarily, but like the next band that people could literally follow around physically and travel around and tour with them and tailgate and have that whole kind of deadhead type of situation. So did you sense any of that?

Or was that just between me and my friends where we felt that you were the next coming of, let's say, that type of touring? Yeah, I think we definitely felt like some. I definitely remember feeling like some of that was happening. But then, you know, I also think about like fish were, you know, peers. And they definitely held that place. And then when I think about the bands, we kind of came up in this, in that time, I suppose, somewhat a culture of 70s rock and a lot of that being the dead was like, if you think of there was like Colonel Bruce and there were all these sort of interesting bands

that were also sort of a crossover with jazz and stuff. So there was, there seemed like there was a sort of a groundswell of bands that were kind of doing that. And we were super lucky, obviously. And so I felt that. I remember we were in, we were in like, within a couple of days of Jerry dying, we are in San Francisco. And I remember walking around, you know, and people were literally in the, people walking around the streets literally saying, what do we do?

Right. It was kind of amazing to see these people who had like their, whatever, wherever they were in their adult lives had really been wrapped around, around that culture. And I don't think anyone will ever, replace that or take over but and we may have certainly gotten some of that or been you know in some ways similar to to what they represent and at times maybe more effective um in in our spontaneity than others but i don't think i don't think they ever you know they were so unique that i i kind of

felt even though it wasn't part of as big a part of my of my musical upbringing when i was in San Francisco and walking around and people were going like, what are we going to do? Like I was like, wow, this is like a, this is like a different world of, of musical cult, musical devotion that I've never, you know, that, I mean, the Beatles had theirs, but they never had anything like that. They never had like people going, what am I going to do? I mean, I remember being heartbroken when John Lennon died, but it wasn't going to change my bus schedule.

Right. Well, but when the Beatles broke up, there were people running around saying, what are we going to do? But wait, let me ask, like for you, though, is a jamban a four-letter word to you because I don't, I don't, you know, you guys are way more advanced than I'll say at least 80% of that circuit. I mean, there's some cats now like snarky puppy that's kicking ass, but they're kicking ass and then, you know, they're not. But they're not, right, they're not. But it's interesting, though, because that's, that's scripted. I think it's where we didn't decide, you don't decide where you go, where you get put, you know, in some ways. And so I don't feel like that. I never felt like we belonged to, I always thought that was a somewhat, it was just a term,

a convenient, you know, sort of odd, you know, and that we got an audience and we get to play for them. And I, you know, in a weird way,

jam band, I don't know who came up with it, but it's, you know, obviously jamming as people do that. But, but it seemed to be somewhat dismissive, you know.

He knows. Yeah, if someone's using jam band, it's usually in a disparaging way, like a critic. The roots are a jam band. Like, their jibbing. It's fucking jam band.

Well, the thing was, we tried to avoid it because I saw some of the bands catching flack for it. But then, you know, for us, I feel like, especially in the state of black music, the band is dying,

the group is dying. A level of musicianship is dying. So we're now, we have this like, vigorous like purpose to literally carry the history of like a hundred years of black music on our backs in our show. So we got to do break beats and we got to do hip hop and we got to do jazz and we got like so I think our thing is a little

different and also in this place where I just, I've learned not to manage people's expectations anymore. So, you know, if you notice like I, well I don't know if you know it's not being at root shows, but I purposely stopped doing drum solos, like maybe in 2007, because I didn't want to get pegged as a jam band. So I was like, oh, I'll stop doing drum solos. But, I mean, now I don't care. But it's just like, I think, you know, well, his jam band might be my Neal Soul. Like, I remember, like, I'm not Neal Soul.

That's something that a carpet board made up. So that's why I wanted to know if jam band was a four-letter word. So I get what. Where are you coming from with that too? But mainly as a dismissive thing. Because the funny part is that, you know, when I first heard Carter, he was playing in a band called Secrets. And it's like this most insane fusion band. And a bunch of different, you know, Tim had played with them.

And I think Roy may have sat in with them a few times. I mean, they were crazy. There's an insane band. Everybody was better than the other guy, you know. And I used to watch them. And then Roy, I mean, he played anything, but I'd see him. He'd be playing jazz and beautiful. Just, you know, one of the first times I ever saw Roy,

I just couldn't even believe that this, this gem lived in this town I'd moved to be closer to my mom. You know, I was like, oh, my God, this guy's insane. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, he came, suggested to us. So, the back. of where everyone came from was not from like it wasn't because everyone was listening to the dead so we didn't have that connection to that that idea right okay I had one I had one dead album it was acoustic record and every time I start describing it dead fans go oh you had that record so um but uh and I loved it you know but I and I can it was it was it was a lot yeah probably this is it was a no it was a live record it was a studio it was acoustic.

Yeah, it was at Radio City Music Hall. Steve, you're a deadhead? I'm deadhead adjacent. All my friends, my friends in college were deadheads, so they dragged me to a bunch of shows. And, you know, but as you guys are talking, I mean, there's obviously crossover between a band like The Grateful Dead and Dave Matthews band,

even though there's no direct influences necessarily. And then there's crossover in the audience between the roots and the Dave Matthews band. I've been at festivals. Absolutely. The roots fit in great with quote unquote jam bands, the same set. Well, I think, if anything, we've learned a shapesift. So, you know, we've safe sifted to any band that we open for.

So it's just like live. I love it. Yeah. Did you ever meet Jerry that one time you opened up for him? Did you meet him? I did not. We had this, we have this habit and we did it with a lot of the bands that we opened up for is we would just stay out of the way.

And I don't know what it is just like we're going to open up like if we're going to open up for the stones just go to your dressing room We shut the fuck up and And then and then the weird thing is that a lot of the time then you do meet them. So you know, I get to meet Bob or you get to But I didn't Jerry that time You know you never done a dead in company or feel less and friends or none of that I haven't you know I have not ask one final question. Yes Dave, your band has covered a lot of tunes

Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan. What's a song you wish? Yeah, that's sledgehammer. God damn. The sledgehammer slamming. It always has been whatever. Jesus Christ. Dave, like, what's what's the song you wish you wrote? What's the one song you wish that you... Well, sledgehammer, but I'm so outside, you know,

I mean, that's a, that's an insane, that's a perfect song. You know? Mm-hmm. It's like the whole, I don't know, it's perfect. It's impossible. There's a lot of songs I wish I wrote. And, but I, you know, I don't. What's your favorite Beatle song?

That's, that's an impossible thing to say, but, uh, well, you answer the Starbucks question. You know, which is your favorite drink? You can answer this. But like so quickly, too. He knew like, well, I know. If I pull over at Starbucks, exactly what I can have. It's going to. Right.

I know what it's, you know, but I mean, it, my mood will change. Hey, Bull Dog is pretty, that's, um, always sick. There you go. That's not at work. There you go. Nice. Hey, bulldog. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast

to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes, mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.

He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ego Wadam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live,

and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had a lot of. lunch with them one day and I was like and dad I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place they come look for up and coming talent. He said if it was based solely on talent I wouldn't worry about you

which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes but there's so much luck involved. And he's like just give it a shot. He goes but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, It would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fult and Our Stars. And now, I guess also is the co-host of the Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old.

I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was there most loyal and sometimes only. I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Before I close, I want to test out my rapid fire random tin, which I think I'm going to lean more into that for future episodes. All right, Dave. I'm really slow at this. No, no, no, no. Just rapid fire. Say what's on your mind. All right, what is your secret talent that we don't know? I think I'm pretty good.

Maybe I could have been an artist in a different life. Illustrator. Yeah, I think it might have been a painter. Maybe if I, uh... Wait, do you do paint in your spare time? Yeah, I do. I'm a collector of artwork, so I'll be coming for you. Okay.

Anyway, text. Call or FaceTiming. Text and FaceTime. Depends who it is. No one calls anyone. That's a shitty question. No one calls anyone. Who calls people?

People over 40 call. Trust me. My wife calls me and I always look at it, expecting her face to turn up. But I always FaceTime her. And then she has me in the cup holder or wherever. Because some people think it's rude to FaceTime cold. You post a text or something first.

Oh, yeah. I hate that. I hate that. Yes. I text. I generally text. It's pizza night. You're ordering. What are you ordering? Oh, this is pressure. Fresh veg or a lot of meat. Wow.

So wait. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, cousin Jake, fresh veg or lots of meat. Either way. I mean, I, well, wait a minute, Amir, you got to ask if you're in Philadelphia, is it a cheese steak or is it a chicken cheese steak? Ooh. I don't, I don't want to, I got to tell you, I don't want to cross. I always want, you have to tell me where to, this is how I answer that question.

Where should I get? Oh, no, no, no. From now on, I'm sending every comrade of mine. Here you go. JL, just shut up, L JL Jupiter's, yes. I don't give them JL Jupiter's YouTube page and he will lead them to the best stakes.

All right, how many, how many, I got five more left and then I'll let you go, Dave. How many unread texts are in your phone? That I have not read that someone else has sent me. I, well, I suppose that's the only ones there'd be, right? Right now, there are 335 in my phone. None. $49.

No, hold on. I'm going to text Dave Matthews and blow this shit up. I'm, I, I don't always respond, but I always check my text. All right, so you at least check, but you don't respond.

But emails. You're not an email person. Like a million. Oh, Jesus. A million. I, about, you know. But Dave. Under a thousand. Dave, you be careful of the read receipts, the red receipts, okay?

Be careful at that because you're not answering them. You know, people can see when you're looking at the text messages. You can hide it. You can hide it now. I don't care. That little thing that does this is going to be. No, it literally says we get a message. It says he read it.

He just ain't answered. Right. Exactly. I know. But there's a switch button on your iPhone that can take that off. I immediately did that because everyone's like, I know you read it. Because it says you read it.

And so I was like, nope, I'm not. I don't trust that shit. Sometimes, sometimes I, if it's like a holiday or it's my birthday, I'll just paste, like, thanks, love you. And yeah, oh, God. Yes. I just be like, thanks, love you. Thanks, love you.

Thanks, love you. And I mean it, but it's like, sometimes you just have to take it. Like happy Father's Day, thanks, thanks, love you. Thanks, love you. Back at you. Back at you. Quality one. Back at you.

All right. Four more. What's your ice cream flavor? I love ice cream. There's a great place, Molly Moons, here in Seattle that I love. But there's,

I love all, I love ice cream. But I got to tell you, there was this, my most emotional response, there's, and it's, you know,

I wish it was organic, but it's ice cream. I wish it was healthy, but it's ice cream. Is black raspberry chocolate ice cream from, it's a specific groceries. Like raspberry with chocolate chips

be to shit. That sounds like Cherry Garcia from Benjillo. No, no, no, no, that's cherry. But it's black I think it's black. It's black chocolate. It's just it's not, there's no lumps or chunks. Oh. It's a great

little bit of my eye off. No lumps or chunks. I'm too, I'm a connoisseur of the ice cream. So that's, that's different. It's probably, it's from a grow, it's it's like a chip made by, but I can't remember the chain. I was really into it.

And then I was like, I can't just. That's the only time I've had a really... Didn't you have your own flavor, no, of the Ben and Jerry's? Never did. It wouldn't make it like fish. It didn't make it. Terry Garcia. I think we had two...

Jared Garcia is the king. Jerry Garcia is good. The fish food is good, too. Fish food is a game change in my... Okay, I got to try it. I got to try it. I don't know. All right, Amir, what's next?

Yeah, what's next? I'm sorry, yeah. We're making your questions longer. Okay. What time do you wake up? And what are the first three things you do when you wake up that's habitual every day? Amir, you are very good at this. Okay, so when I'm at home, I like to wake up early and take my boy to school.

Although that's going to end soon because he's good. But I like the process of getting up with him. But when I'm on the road, I don't have to do that. so and then I like if I get up before my wife then I don't do this but if I do get up after her I like to make the bed and always the first thing I do is is is make myself coffee I like to make my wife coffee but I don't always know how she likes it because we're always changing but I like I just like that's the first thing I don't want to I don't to do anything else that's what i want to do that's what i do first um on the road i i uh coffee

and then exercise but at home coffee and then think wish i should i should be going to exercise that's what i think like i've been busy but it's been three i've been home for a few days and every day i say tomorrow i'm going to exercise and then i don't yeah i got it's true trick for that all you got to do is put your workout clothes on in the beginning of the day when you wake up and it'll almost do i look i look at my workout clothes i sleep in my workout clothes and then i go yeah but i'm going to put those other ones on and i'll put the work on later sometimes i put on my and my workout clothes involved just so you know also involved like the compression knee things which is yes and so i put the compression knee things on sometimes i'll

I put the compression knee things on and my whole workout outfit, which is pretty amazing. And then I don't work out sometimes. Because you're tired from putting on all that compression shit. That shit will tire you out. Pullen it up. Yeah.

Okay. If the universe grants you a five-year extension to prolong your favorite age. Ooh. Did you do you chat GPT this shit? Like, what is happening? You did. No, no, I'm just, I threw the script away and I'm just having the conversation with my friend.

All right, Dave. If the universe allows you to live five years and your favorite age, what age would it be? And why? This is what's coming to my mind. And so I have to say it. But I was going to say 56, which is what I am. But I'm, because I'm feeling pretty good. Yeah.

But an age that struck me was. 50. I didn't think when I turned 50 that I'd be, that I would notice something, but I noticed something that I wish I noticed when I was 30, which is I didn't stop giving a fuck, but I stopped giving a fuck about shit that I shouldn't give too much of a fuck about. Oh, teach me, great one. Oh, teach us. Stop managing people's expectations. Yeah. I stopped.

I was like, you know, did I do something wrong? I didn't do it wrong. You know, I'm trying. I want to be, I want to be present. I want to be helpful. I won't want to be that. But, but I, but, you know, I, I'd stopped caring.

Playing music started to be easier because I was, I felt like people would rather see me stick my tongue out and have a good time. when I'm playing on stage, then they would want to see me wondering whether I am doing my job well. Okay. All right. Second and the last. This is it existential.

Is the grass greener on the other side? I like that. Wasn't there a book in the 70s that was called The Grass is Always Greener over the septic tank? Yes. Timothy Leary. Oh. Timothy Leary Really? No.

I made that up. I made that up. I made that up. I was totally fucking made that. That doesn't sound right. Not at all. Not at all. It's like there's a rant at dinner. I don't know what's happening. But we did actually have a septic problem when I was a kid in New York

and out on the front lawn. We didn't realize. But then the septic tank blew up. We had to have it, you know, whatever you do. You had to have a new one putting. or they had to have it drained. I don't know, what happened.

Anyway, then tomatoes started growing on the lawn. And so my mom was like, free tomatoes. And my brother's like, I'm not eating those. Shit tomatoes. They're poop tomatoes. They're pooped tomatoes. Yeah, they went through us and then they grew in the yard. Wait, that's such a thing?

Yeah, I think if you poop tomato seeds and you turn the soil. No. and then you turn the soil no day you got fucking with us there's a there's a story here my brother said i'm not eating those tomatoes because i don't i don't like eating those poop tomatoes that's disgusting did he sounds like i think this might be my favorite interview like there's weird things that happen like fit like is it a fig the fig the fig is the fig that fig that in order for a fig to be a truffle no in order to be to turn into a fruit to be fertile is it has a wasp has to have maybe have been to another the opposite sex and then gets stuck in the flower

and then the wasp gets absorbed into the fig so when you eat the fig there's been a wasp that was absorbed it's no longer there there's not like a wing in there but i'm just as there's gross things out there it is and validate they use coffee made it from shit right so national geographic dame yeah all right what's your last one mirror go ahead yeah date matthews okay how many pushups can you do go i think i could do uh 30 no really yeah that's that's impressive that's impressive that's impressive really so go ahead day go ahead i'm not going to do them right now for you no no no No, no, no. I mean, I thought you was going to ask the other question.

Dave, yay or nay, microdose? Yes. Dave's a yay. I knew he was with us. Of course. And sometimes, macrodose. Macrodose. Dave, did you just not do a great interview on Howard Stern

where you talked about how you wrote the title track to your last album on mushrooms? Oh, shit. It certainly was fantastic. Certainly some of it because it was, it was, I mean, that was, I mean, it was, I mean, it was for my good fortune, there, there, there are, they are around sometimes and, um, mushrooms. And, uh, and that pandemic. Mm. Elicits it's the mushroom. It seems like a good time. I mean, why not?

What the fuck? Oh, my God. Oh, Dave. Dog, uh, this is definitely like doing a show with, with an old friend. because I hardly asked, I hope you're a publicist and your label ain't mad that we didn't talk more about song structure. Sorry, the new record's great.

Yes. Sorry. We don't need to, you know. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. I really enjoyed talking. This is what I want to talk about,

what we talked about, exactly. Well, that was beautiful. Hopefully we'll have you back on some more. I really enjoy it. And I'm as nice to hang out with you all. And I tell you, I'm your quest. I'm always happy to see you. Thank you, sir.

And I love you, your music, and I think you're unbelievable, and I love the work you're doing, and I, you know, that I love his music, how much that film meant to me and, you know, or that series meant, it's just like, I can't tell you. Another summer or so. Thank you. Thank you so much. You already squeeze it, but I just made me so happy.

Like, it's like, I love looking for the truth that's in our history. and I just, and you did it so eloquently and shared it with everyone, I think, is just magic. And so thanks for having me. Stop smiling, like you, because she, she's smiling because she knows that. You're doing good. No, I love, I love the compliments.

He wasn't all, Dave, you know, he wasn't always able to take the flowers. So he's doing real good. He's still cutting you off slightly, but this is really good. This is progress. I got to go because I have another interview to do, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you, Dave. I'm hugging you. I appreciate it. This is awesome. Take care. On behalf of unpaid bill and sugar Steve and Laiaiae, the great Dave Matthews. We will see you next time on Questlove Supreme, y'all. Thank you.

Questlove Supreme is a production of high. For more podcasts from IHeartRadio, visit the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the Fourth.

You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest.

The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone?

I'm Ego Wood. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on. a calendar of, you know, the cat.

Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. This is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far.

But I'm John Green, co-host of the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.