Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Andy The Barber Is Outta Here: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1867

Episode Date: March 24, 2026

In this 1867th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Andy Dinner, his barber, about why he's leaving the only city he's ever known. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

Is that I were starting? No, this is, this is Toronto Mike's Barber, the one and only Andy Dinner of Your Neighborhood Barbershop, of Phantom Lung, the band, and then of now I'm actually going to announce this. I just started another new company. I'm doing grooming products for men, including pomades and beard products and all that. And that's going to be called Primal Grooming Co.

So that's my announcement, actually. That's the big announcement. You made it in the cold open. And in the cold open. You got to grab the attention early. All right. So we're going to learn that. And we're going to learn why you are leaving the only place you've ever known, right?

Yeah. I'm stepping out of my nest once and for all about time. It's a guy who spent, I turned 39 in a week and a half. And I've spent almost 39 years all along Lake South, South of Tobico, Lakeshore. And now you're out of here. Well, not yet, but yeah, that's the plan. That's like... I feel like this is one of those trailers.

You watch the trailer and you're like, I don't need to see the movie. I got it all. You ready to go, buddy? Yeah, hell yeah. I open this too soon, I think. How's that beer? It's a premium loggard.

It's like it's a premium logger to me. Welcome to episode 1,8806. 1867. What happened that year? I can't remember. Something happened that year. Of Toronto Mikeed. An award-winning podcast. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. Order online at Great Lakesbeer.com for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Visit palma Pasta.com.

for more. Fusion Corpso, Nick Aeemis. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Mike and Nick, two podcasts that you ought to listen to. Recycle MyElectronics.C.A. committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past.

And Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, it's the return of Andy the Barber. He's my barber, who's leaving the only city he's ever. known. He's moving away. We're going to find out why. Welcome back, Andy.

Must be here again. Who's with us? I can't not acknowledge the fact there's a second Andy in the room. Are you cloning yourself? Are you duplicating? Who is this other Andy? This man cannot be duplicated. This is often imitated, never duplicated. Yeah, so my legal

guvue name is Andrew. Right. His name is also Andrew, but he's from the land down under. and he is a film and television show documentary editor and documentary filmmaker. And he's following you around.

I want to let the listeners know that there's another camera in the room that Andrew from Down Under, is that Rochester? Where's the Land Down Under? What's that? Hamilton? No, no.

He's from Australia. So maybe later in this chat, can I get Andrew on the other mic and find out a little more about why he's, following you around? Yeah, yeah, that's what I was hoping because... Right, I'll do that.

Yeah, he'll be able to fill you in on why me. Well, I got questions for your first, Andy. So you're enjoying your Great Lakes beer. You're going to take some home with you? Yes. Fresh craft beer and brewed right here in Southern Otobico, and you just told me in that cold open, you've lived in Southern Otobico for about 39 years.

Is that correct? Yeah, yeah. I turned 39 April 3rd, and it's what, March 23rd. Yeah, so we're close to... You've always lived in South Atobico. Yeah, there was a period of time where for about a year, I lived in North Atobico. Like Rexdale?

Yeah, yeah, it's like, right, right. It's like North Atokos is just a nice way of saying Rexdale, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, Rexdale's a nice way of saying Rexdale? I like people from Rexdale. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In small numbers, I guess. But you're an atobico guy, your entire life.

But do you have a ticket? Like, is there an airplane ticket for you to leave this province to move elsewhere? No, no, we're driving down. Oh, you're driving? Yeah, it's a nice, solid 14-hour drive. Haven't decided if we're going to do it in two parts or just tough it out and go all the way in one. Well, how many drivers are there? Two.

There's going to be two drivers, so. It's definitely doable. I went out in October of this just past year, and my cousin and I, And I was like, I'm not driving at all. So my cousin drove 14 straight hours there. That's dangerous, man. Yeah, he couldn't feel his legs by the end of it. Well, I did a six hour and then I had like a couple hours break

and then I did six hours again. So I've done like the 12 in like a 15. And like in that, you know, that, yeah. So I've done, that was to Montreal and back in like one ses. But I don't recommend it. No, I don't know. Definitely don't recommend it. especially driving, you know, in the middle of New Brunswick,

while there's no street lights or highway lights. And there's moose. There's moose, there's deer. Actually, like, not a fun fact, but my parents, they, when they were going to New Brunswick, it was around a year ago. Before, it was about a year and a half ago, and they were driving out to visit my brother and his, my niece's and nephew. They're on their way there, and deer jumped out in front of their truck.

and did some serious day. Like 10, like $12,000. Are your parents okay? Yeah, my parents are fine. That's what matters. Because I've got some horror stories for you. I won't even tell you, but you've got to be careful in that neck of the life. Oh, yeah.

Like, and that was the thing. Like, at the end of this 14-hour drive from, like, the whole last two hours is just like, if you're driving, you have one eye on the road and then one eye on the left side. And then if you're a passenger, you just keep into the right there. Making sure that no deer decides that's a good time to jump. So we got through the whole 14-hour drive and we're like, okay, well, thank God, because this is the next exit. And we're getting off at our exit and right in the middle of the ramp, just standing there. Like, we're already, like, you know, slowing down to do this turn on the off ramp.

And right in the middle of the off-ram, this deer's just standing there, just staring out. It's like it was asking for us to run it over. And I mean, these deer can get pretty big, but these moose, these are just like... Oh, the moose. Yeah, the moose is, like, if you... The best moose that you can see is not see one at all because they are just mortifying creatures. They're massive. Like, they're too big.

They're too strong. They don't give a fuck. They don't care about you at all. They will happily kill you. Well, listen, I care about you, Andy, and I am still setting the table here. So, your lifelong atobical resident. Yes.

But you just mentioned, you just revealed that your parents are living in New Brunswick. Yeah. So when did your parents go to the Miratimes? My parents went there They went there just under a year ago Okay, so okay, because I'm going to collect these pieces And see how they all fit together, okay?

So in 2025 or 2024? 2025, yeah. Okay, your parents moved to New Bruns. So why did your parents move to the Maritimes? They moved to the Maritimes because they've had the exact same house my entire life. When I was born, my parents had just got this house and when they left last year,

they just sold that exact same house. My brother, he's been in the military now for 25 years, and he's very, very high up in the military, and they have the largest military base in terms of physical sizes in New Brunswick. It's the largest military base in North America. Wow. It's in New Brunswick.

It's all moose. Yeah, it's like three-quarters moose in there, just like lurking in the woods, waiting. All right. So basically, it sounds like, did your parents choose your brother over you? What's going on there? My parents chose peace and quiet over me. You know, they, again, like, they've lived here. They've done the grind that whole life.

They raised three kids. And they're like, we don't need this house anymore. We don't want to deal with the traffic anymore. We don't want to deal with. And it was like, and then they have, they have grand. kids now and now their whole life thing like the life goal is basically let's spoil our grandkids rotten um so that's where they're at my brother has three kids and he they wanted to be closer to them so okay i'm going to pop this can of great legs i'm this is collector's item because the fighting weight

session ipa it's all but done because it's going to be replaced by the sunny side session i say that's coming back yeah uh you know what i got news for you andy hold on yep i know i beat you to it i I did mine during the cold open. That's okay, man. I told you, do whatever you want. I'm sorry. We get whatever you want. So Thursday, March 26th, which is literally this coming Thursday, it is called Sunny Day.

And it's a province-wide sunny-side session IPA launch party. So, Sunnyside session IPA available Thursday. We're recording on a Monday. I love that sunny-side session IPA. But you won't be able to get it in New Brunswick. You know that. You have to drive here and get it. Okay.

So I'm still setting the table here. Remind the listenership. Well, first let me remind the listenership that you were here for episode 1,864. Can that be right? No, that's not correct. Hold on here. Yeah, because you just... 1423.

What the hell am I talking about? February 2024, you came over. It was episode 1,423. Here's the description I wrote at the time. Mike chats of Andy the Barber from your neighborhood barbershop in New Toronto about cutting hair for a living, surviving the pandemic, Like his rock and roll dreams of phantom lung. You see why I have my phantom lung sign over here?

The original drawing, yeah. Cutting Mike's hair, that's me, by the way, hair cut jams, and then shit got real. You really opened up, and I think about that episode often because you were so vulnerable, you were so giving. And then when I found out that you're leaving me, because you're my barber, Andy, you got you cut my hair on Monday. I'm sorry. A week ago today.

You're leaving me, you're leaving a Tobacco, you're leaving your neighborhood barbershop. I realize I have questions for you. So remind the listenership, what is your role at your neighborhood barbershop? Like, do you own your neighborhood barbershop on Lakeshore in Fifth? I did own my, I did own the barbershop from the day that it opened up until February 1st when I sold it. Okay. I sold it. Okay.

So sold the barbershop. So you sold your neighborhood barbershop. Yep. I did. It's, I sold it. And then as of February 1st, I've just based, I've been, I've been an employee. either and it's been weird as hell. So you don't run the shop anymore, but you've been cutting hair there since February 1st.

I technically like I still, I still technically, I guess, it feels like nothing has changed in terms of what I do. Because it's also me, you know, showing everybody like all the things that I just for just came second nature. And I'm like, oh yeah, don't forget, you have to do this as well. And in doing this, I'm just like, wow, I, kind of forgot about how much I do that has just become natural now

and now that it's my final week of work it's right actually right now I kind of just had like a wow it's real it's really this is my final week what day do you start that drive out east I start that drive

that drive either in Monday next week or Tuesday next week I haven't fully decided but it is Monday or Tuesday of next week. What's your last day that you're going to cut hair at your neighborhood barbershop? Saturday, March 28th. So now that, you know, we're pretty close, man. Like, we're doing an exit interview now.

Yeah. No regrets. You still feel good about this? Yeah. No, it's like zero. Like zero regrets. And I have a big smile on my face while I'm saying that. I've accomplished everything that I, that I've wanted to do here.

I feel like, I've, always been a kind of guy that I will put my mind to something and I will go all in on that. I'll succeed at it. I'll get good at it. And then the second that I feel like I have succeeded, I feel like I'm like, okay. Now, what's next? What's next? Yeah.

So after some thought, I don't know what, what's next here. again one of my biggest goals was I wanted to start a business a storefront business in Etobico and run that and I've done that for over five years now and I'm officially now I'm like okay what's what's next and it's always all right how how am I going to make this more of a challenge or how am I going to make this more difficult for me it's always like I I'm going to bite off more than I can chew or I'm going to set a goal that sounds ridiculous and everyone's going to say, are you a crazy person or like, that's not a good idea. You shouldn't do that.

And that's basically kind of what I need to hear in order to me for me to be like, okay, yes, then that is the right decision. If other people think that it's crazy or a dumb idea or like, I will know, like, people are questioning it in any way. And I'm like, that's the right decision. That's how I know it's the right decision. Because if people, if they start showing me any kind of shades of doubt, I'm like, all right, no, this is a spite thing now.

I'm not going to prove you wrong. You're on something. Unless we forget, unless we forget when you opened your neighborhood barbershop, COVID-19 in full effect. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Like, I think the second lockdown, or the first lockdown had just ended. about a couple, like a month before, a month or two max.

I don't even think it ended yet, really. It was right around that time, but I remember negotiating the rent for your neighborhood barbershop while the pandemic first lockdown was still going on. And that was, and then again, you know, once the paperwork was signed, I started telling friends, I'm like, guys, like, you won't believe. And then I'm telling my closest friends.

And I was expected them to be like, yeah, dude, yo, I'm so proud of you. And then across the board, it's just like, are you, like, that's a terrible, terrible idea. It's the worst idea ever heard. Like, are you serious? I can't tell if you're being serious, right? And yeah, I was. And, you know, just, again, just people say, like, it's like, do you not know that there's a lockdown going on right now?

And then the lockdown, you know, the first lockdown kind of came to an end there. And then I was still working at another barbershop, baby point barbershop, owned by Alex D. Francesco, one of my, I would consider one of my greatest inspirations. He's one of the greatest people I've ever met. He's your mentor. Yeah. And like even, I even told it, I was like, hey, I just want to let you know me. I just signed a lease for opening up my own shop.

Are you cool if I still work here and ask you for advice while I'm still opening? So I would literally go to work. You're like 11 to 7 and then after work, I'd go to the shop and then just start doing renovations until like midnight 1 o'clock. And then next day, you know, work from 11 to 7 and then rinse and repeat until I was getting really close. I was about, you know, like two, three weeks out. And then me and Alex were like, okay, cool. this is like it's like you need to focus completely on your shop because you're opening up soon and so i owe Alex everything there and then opened up the shop worked for 88 days and then that second

lockdown happened which is 220 days and uh yeah i think we we covered all that covered all that in uh february 20 24 but i do want to acknowledge that your neighborhood barber shop would you no longer own i can't believe i'm saying that out loud it did just win like a a percentage prestigious award, right? Like, or it was recognized. Yeah, yeah. So the five years of, I guess,

voting eligibility that we've been open, um, your neighborhood barbershop has been voted by, uh, the Toronto Star Reader's Choice Awards as best barbershop in Toronto. And every year, there's like the three, the three prizes is like,

uh, like diamond, platinum and gold for like one, two and three as opposed. like gold, silver, bronze. And I was always, the first three was either like a platinum or gold. So it was like technically like a second or third. And then in year five, we took home the diamond, like the full number one. But five years in a row, we've been voted by a Toronto star. But you were just voted number one?

Yeah, yeah. Do you think that has anything to do with the fact you're Toronto Mike's barber? I think, yeah, maybe it definitely had some impact, I'd say. Yeah, because like, again, like after the last interview, like, there were a lot of people that like came in to like, meet me and get my hair cut. You're a member of the TMU, man. Like, I'm getting all teary-eyed over here thinking that you just cut my hair for the last time. Well, I mean, like, that's the thing.

Like, I plan on coming back. Well, give me that detail before I cry. Yeah, don't. Save me these tears. Don't cry. I mean, it's okay to cry, but just don't do it in front of me. No more tears. Yeah, yeah, Ozzy.

Well, rest of his soul. Shout out to Ridley funeral home. That's what we say. You know, that's a new Toronto institution. just like your neighborhood burbers shop. It's just like TMDS. Yeah,

they got good grilled cheese there, I heard. They keep winning the grilled cheese award. Oh yeah, I got Brad here on Wednesday. What's the day? Money?

Brad Jones is here Wednesday. I'm going to tell them. I'm so funny to me every fucking year. I was, how, well, you know who's making that the Franklin Horner people.

It's really a nice community. It's a beautiful community thing. Yeah, they get to, oh, I know that like, they collaborate with, yeah, they're not doing it in the,

yeah, they're not like making like cremated grilled cheese. But it's a beautiful collaboration, like the Ridley funeral home and the Franklin Horner which is just a tremendous Yeah like again like and that's like one of the things I'm really gonna miss about okay well before we get to what you'll miss Yeah so I'm still building this sorry I know but that's pretty awesome so that you

spiral it sounds like maybe like you only just learned you won this Toronto Star thing right because there's no correlation between reaching the top of the mountain and saying What's next? I'm out of here like I'm trying to understand How you can be done five years of building most momentum, building up your own business, VP of Sales gets his hair cut by you. Like, I'm telling you, like, I know people who, they swear by Andy the Barber.

So that's five years of your blood, sweat, and tears. I go there. Both my boys have been there. Love it. Love the way you cut hair. Look at this hair. Look at this hair. Look what you did, man. That's a masterpiece.

Hang this up in the Louvre, okay? Yeah. So tell me how you've reached the pinnacle. Like, how have you completed the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the dream. It sounds like you just are getting started. Again, kind of going back to what I just said there was like once...

I'm going to go rewind and listen back. I'll repeat it. You know, again, like, what's next? It's always a what's next. It's always a how can I do it bigger? How can I do it better? And, I mean, I did it pretty, goddamn big.

I did it. You did well? I killed it. Yeah. You killed it. Like, I killed it. I mean, how many times was I interviewed in, like, CBC, CTV, C24, CTV news? Like, you know, I can't.

I was on the CFRB, like, formerly known as CFRB 1010, News Talk 1010, 680 news, all of that. Like, the amount of times I was in, I literally lost count. It's crazy. You're the king of all media. And that's it. It's like, what's next? Okay, so now I need, I know you teased it in the beginning. but now I need to know

like was it a difficult decision? Are you going there because you have a brother and you got parents there? So you have like a built in support system in New Brunswick now. Are you escaping something? Are you like sick of the city that you've known for 39 years?

Give it to me straight man. No. I drink my great legs. I never, I never run away from everything. I always will fight until the death regarding whatever. And then it'll be like, okay, I'll have to take a loss. But everything's under my life.

my terms, you know. It's not like I couldn't afford rent and I'm like, oh, the business is terrible. No, no, like, it's strictly a turning a new leaf, you know, like what's, again, what's next? What's go big, go home? There's nothing to run away from, I'm not the guy to ever run away from everything. So you're not just sick of this shit. You're not tired of Olivia Chow's Toronto. and Doug Ford's Ontario and like I got to get the fuck out of here.

Oh no, I absolutely am. I am exhausted by how politicians are just actively trying to make everything worse from all ends in this province and country. And I mean, yeah, like I'm going to New Brunswick, so I'm not leaving the country. But the prices of everything here, there's no way to, But you know that's international. Oh, I know. Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course.

And I'm not like, again, trying to, you know, pick an easy way out. If anything, it's going to be like a more difficult endeavor. Because like, aside from my, like, my family that also just moved there, I don't know. I don't have any clientele there. I don't have, I don't have hundreds of friends and thousands of acquaintances and, you know, familiar face. is there that skits um i don't like i i just feel like i i need that you know like i go out i step outside of my shop to get some fresh air for five minutes and like there's like five or six different people that like i'll say a little stop and talk or like wave hello and um i just like

i don't again if it's if it's something that's easy then that's not for me um everything needs to be some kind of challenge and I feel like this is what that next challenge is. So you feel a need to just change things up? Yeah. You need a new chapter. Yeah, I feel like a lot of my like love and excitement and drive for this area is just kind of like left me. And I guess, you know, seeing what's what's different. because even if it's just trying trying something different, you know, like, again, because

like, if it wasn't that, like, I lived here my entire life and moved 14 hours away, if I was, like, moving from different place to different place and, like, no, like, what's, what's kind of bigger than that? Like, what's being, like, getting, like, picked up and dropped off in, like, a completely different part of the country and to be like, oh, right, and go. I'm like, okay, I will. I'm going to go. And you won't be alone, because I remember you at a TMLX event,

and I caught you on the phone with your parents. Do you remember this at the bar? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's just to say that you're close with your parents. Like, you love your mommy and your daddy. Yeah, that was the one that snow was at, right? Yeah, yeah. You know, you're kidding me, snow is there.

The informer was there, dude, yeah. Absolutely. And, like, I guess I walked right past him, and you're about to introduce me to him, and I walked right past him. And if I knew that, I think about it. Well, because you're both musicians. You may be phantom lung could do a cover of it. informer. He'd probably

guessed on it. He'd fucking hate it. I don't know. I don't think so. Later, I'm going to play some new Phantom Lung. There's going to be some Phantom Lung in this conversation. But okay, so, so 39 years, you're itching to do something different. Your parents have already settled in New Brunswick. They've been there a year.

Your brother's already there. He's running our military, apparently. And that means you have some built in love and support there. So it makes sense that that would be your destination. Did you sell your name, your neighborhood barbershop, which again, is that at fifth in Lake Shore? Yeah, between four to fifth on Lake Shore.

Yeah. Okay. I was there Monday. Yeah. Love it. I walk by it all the time. Did you sell it to somebody so we know your neighborhood barbershop is in good hands? That was one of the stipulations, like, of me selling it.

I didn't want to sell it to someone who was like, oh, yeah, like he has good rent. And I'm just going to wait until he leaves and then do whatever I want with it. I was like, no, like, I want this. shop to stay as close to exactly how it is, um, as is. Um, all the stuff on the walls, most of it's staying. I'm going to be taking family heirlooms with me. Um, but, uh, for the most part, I'm leaving a lot, uh, a lot of the stuff on the walls as is. And is the Campbell soup poster going to stay up. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Campbell's the stuff. What about that moose? Uh, the deer, the deer. Yeah, it's a deer. Yeah, I got moose on the mind. Yeah, I know, I know you did.

Yeah, yeah. The deer. The deer, actually, it was promised to somebody. And I am a man who fulfills promises. And I was like, just wait until I'm leaving. And then, yeah, you can take, you can have the deer. But it's in good hands. Do you want to name check the new ownership?

Like, who, if people go to your neighborhood barbershop in a couple of weeks, who's going to be there? So the barbers that are going to be working there is Chico, Luca, and Timo. They're all fantastic barbers. Um, very, very good barber. So like, you're going to be in good hands for sure. Well, that was going to be a question. But, uh, you told me a moment ago that you'll still come back. I heard you say.

Yeah, yeah. So what's that plan? Um, so again, like, I'm going to be coming back maybe, you know, two, three times start the year for a week, week or two at a time and just, uh, go and work at my old station for a week or two. Do I get a heads up? Like, how frequently will you be visiting? I need to know who's taking care of my hair, Andy.

Like, this is a serious thing. Again, again, two or three weeks of every year. Oh, I can't wait that long. Yeah. Well, again, again, let's say two or three different times at the year. Okay, okay. I will be back for a week or two each time to do haircut. And if you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, just like at your neighborhood barbershop,

right. If you follow up, there will be a post saying, Andy's coming back these days and the schedule is open, book now. So, yeah, if you're hard to set on it, follow the barbershop on your neighborhood barbershop. The social media is on Instagram. That's what I do. Yeah, you can keep updated on that. Okay, so I am excited for you. Thanks.

Like, where can I go to follow along as you settle in? And then we'll dive into what you're going to be doing there. Oh, I actually, I actually just let me pull it up here. I apologize. I'm going to pull up my new Instagram. Instagram I started. You have a new one. Yeah, I started up a new Instagram page and it is under, so at Instagram.com at, hey, watch me dig a big hole.

Hey, watch me dig a big hole. That's it. Okay. So I've recorded that so I can go back and listen and then follow you on Instagram here. Yeah. Yeah. That's going to be my new. That's just going to be following my hole digging activities.

Okay. So before we find out what you'll be up to New Brunswick Yeah Phantom Lung Yeah That's not breaking up Um Well yeah

Like like as a band I can only take so much bad news in one As up As a live performing band Yeah We are we are broken up Um I decided

I'm slowly just going to be Because I have like an entire album's worth of music written And I'm going to Self record and self-release it. It's still under the same name, but it'll just be me again. It's how it started.

It was all me. I did every instrument, so the new single we just released Target Rich Environment. That's a recording with like... You're like Tame and Paula. Like it's one guy. Is it?

I don't know anything about Tame and Paula. Is it really? Or five for fighting? Wasn't that one guy? Yeah. I don't even know who that is. Okay, well, come on. I'm here to educate you.

Yeah. Can I ask the... The documentarian in the room, Andrew. Do you like Phantom Lung? Have you heard any Phantom Lung? He gave it a thumbs up. And by the way, that is, I can open that mic

if you ever did want to talk. Well, maybe swing it around here. You don't have headphones, but that's okay. You don't need headphones. All right, so just... Maybe he does. All right, you stick on your headphones. He's trying to film here.

We're going to hear the Aussie accent here. Because I'm dying to know why the hell you have a documentary and following you around. I'm just going to figure it. that out. Okay, so let's hear you, Andrew. How's it going? I'm the other Andrew. Yeah, he's killing it.

So far so good, buddy. Andrew, you've listened to Phantom Lung, Andy's a band. And do you listen to that and think, oh, I can, I dig this. There's a, I dig this. It's, uh, I'm into heavy music. That's probably at the threshold of

the kind that I enjoy, but I can see its strengths. Well, I pulled the most recent single from, um, tell me if I'm wrong, target-rich environment? That's the one. So I've got it here and I've been listening to it.

Yep. I think I hate it. Thank you. Perfect. I don't see any redeeming qualities at all. I'm actually, I find it a, I'm going to play it. It's a wall of noise.

I'm going to play some of it. So I'm going to do a, I don't know, a trigger warning for the listenership. If you... Do anything else for the next two minutes. If you want to fast forward two minutes, yeah, now's the time of you.

I'll bring it down at some point. It's cruel and unusual. punishment, but this is Target-rich Environment by Andy's band Phantom Lung. This is the newest single. Hold on. What the fuck, Andy? This is, um... I would think you'd play this for

people you're trying to torture. Um... Like, I do respect you and there's... I just want to understand. Like, so... It's a bunch of noise. Yes. You're yelling.

Yeah. But there's no melody. Zero. no melody keep melody you must be a very angry young man is what I'm wondering you're a very angry young man

no I'm not angry because I play music like this so is this a really I know we talked about this the first time but I was excited to dive into the new single and then I remembered oh yeah that's right this is what Andy makes oh yeah this is

insane people when I come to get my hair cut at your neighborhood barbershop you're listening to music that we both love I'm going to play a song in a minute that you told me is one of your favorite songs of all time. It sounds like fucking Mozart compared to this. Yeah, yeah.

And I mean, I don't know what song you're going to play, but... No, I don't want you to even guess. I'm just going to play it in a minute. I hope so. But tell us how this helps you release aggression, I'm guessing. I would use it, like, aggression. I'm not sitting there, like, a brooding... I hate the world kind of thing.

It's like... It's more like severe ADHD, like untrue. treated ADHD is probably the best way I can explain it um I will put on music like this with headphones to fall asleep to like I find I find like a peace and calm as opposed to any kind of anger or like frustration like I'm a very just you know I just I I try to leave people alone I don't have any um I get like I don't sit there and brood and being or anything like that. I'm not like while I'm writing this music.

I'm like with like scowled eyebrows. Like I literally like I'll be writing something and I'll be like, oh yeah, okay. Yeah, that has that kind of works. And then yeah, that's just what it ends up sounding like. But there is an audience for that. Like there, I mean, Andrew here for example, but there is a collective of people who are looking for that. Yeah, yeah. So the genre like, you know, death metal or grindcore or death grind is kind of what it's a subgenre, I guess, is like death grind would be kind of what it's called.

And it's gaining in popularity every day. People are always, you know, looking for something more or looking for something more extreme. And or it's the other way around. People are looking for something more calm and something more soothing. people that are looking for that, you know, pushing the limits of intensity in music, like this is literally it. And I'm okay with that.

So when you record any piece of audio, as you know, you get this waveform, right? Yeah. So I'm looking at the waveform and it looks pretty healthy. We got that we're on the good mics. You're in person. Healthy waveform. But do you see,

I don't know if you can see this part. Yeah. It's just like a bar. It's just a block. It's just a fucking rectangle. Yeah. It's just. and oh there's like there's like a pause in the song

a transition part and then back to the block so I guess I'm wondering how do you write a song like that like is it just like I'm gonna go fuck shit up um no I do you write that is there writing involved? Yeah I like do you compose that song I and this is the thing this is the thing that's like you know the most

stupid about the whole thing is I will sit there and I will write a riff and then I'll be like it's not it's not right yet it's not perfect yet and then like I'll kind of shelve it and then come back to it a month or two later and then be like oh okay I wrote this other part that I can like kind of piece from that and add to that and like there's a lot of there's a lot of intricacies and nuances within every single rift that when I have my distortion pedal on you can't fucking tell any of it so like I yeah I'm taking

your word for it there's a rip in there I put so much I put so much into like every rip to make sure that there's no weak riffs and you can't even tell what the riff is because it's just so heavy and the screaming and the drums going as hitting as fast and hard as he can. But have you considered, okay, look, I just watched, I just watched Man on the Run, right? This is Paul McCartney's post-Beedles life basically, mainly the 70s. Did you consider not having that distortion to 11 and maybe letting your rifted? rifts and your... No, never for a second.

No. No, you don't sacrifice the heavy. You don't... Jeez. You don't, yeah. I think that's too heavy for Midtown Gourd, okay? I think that's heavy shit, man. It's...

Yeah, yeah, that's the thing. Like, I... Like, I've always, like, wanted the heaviest and the fastest. And, like, as I was telling Andrew... Oh, yeah, we're going to get back to Andrew. I got a question. Last time I was talking with him, and I was like, I'll never forget the first time my next-door neighbor.

Angelo was like, hey, I want to show you something. And he had his speakers on full blast. And then he puts on the first track of the album, Great Southern Trend Kill by Pantera. And the album starts out with a, like a long scream with like, and a fast, heavy guitars and blaring drums. And I remember, I was literally like the second I heard that, I was like, what is this?

And I love it. And where can I get more? And that was literally the day that... But I've heard Pantera. Pantera is the Beatles compared to that. Yeah, yeah. Well, again, like, that's how it started. It started with Pantera.

Right. And then it was what's heavier. What's faster? What's louder? What's more aggressive? What's anger? And then after years, this is kind of phantom. It's kind of where it's at.

And live performances are going to be, I guess on hiatus, but you're still creating the music, even in New Brunswick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can I play a song? Absolutely. That, I mean,

so we listen to music throughout. Like, you've got a playlist and you're playing songs. And usually I'm shouting out who the artist is. We have a good time listening to music at your neighborhood barbershop. And a song from, I can't remember if it was this song or another song,

but a song from this Canadian band came on. And you declared to me, what I think is the mind blow of the episode, you declared to me, I think something like, the greatest band in the world or something like that, okay? I'm going to play it

and then we're going to talk about them, okay? You ready? I'm wondering who this is now. If I, if I can correct you there, and I'm going to go one step further, I'm going to say the best pop punk band of all time. That's pretty close to what I said.

Yeah, you said, you didn't specify, you just said greatest band of all pop punk band of all time. Yeah, we all know, we all know that that Steely Dan is the greatest band of all time. Show us some respect, please. Is there anything further from Phantom Lung than Steely Dan? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. In terms of like what I listen to? No, I mean, it's just interesting that your favorite band is Steely Dan.

Yeah. Peg and, I mean, Steely Dan. And then you're making that. Michael McDonald's my hero. But that's like Yacht Rock now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love Y'all Rock, man. Yeah, Dubby Brothers, the second of that Michael McDonald's.

Kenny Loggins? Yeah, Kenne Loggins. Toto? Christopher Cross. Toto's first album is flawless. I cannot stress that enough. Toto's first album is a absolute masterpiece. Okay, I got to introduce you to my buddy Stu Stone.

Okay, I'm making a note here. Next time you're in town, you've got to meet Stu Stone. Stu Stone. Stoon. Yeah. Stu Stone had an MTV show of Jamie Kennedy and they put out that album. So we're talking big leagues here, brother.

This is blowing up, okay? He had a couple of big jams, circle, circle, dot, dot, and running with Saget. Okay, so there's the, so there it is. Now what I need to, I got to give you some props here. I actually thought, Andy, you were going to come in here

and I thought you were going to come in Guns Ablazing. And I thought you were going to shit on FOTM Amber Morley. I thought you were going to shit on our mayor, Olivia Chow. I thought you were going to shit on Doug Ford. Like, I thought you were just going to go off on this fucking neighborhood in this fucking borough of this fucking city and this fucking province and say, peace out. I'm going to buffy my ass in New Brunswick.

Well, I don't have to do that anymore because you just did it for me. so thank you very much. But that's what I thought you were going to do. You know what? There's a period of tire. I was like, you know, that's it. That is what I'm going to do. But like.

Okay. I know. But then the camera showed up. No. You showed up and you had to soften your, uh, Oh, no. I had to. No, I will never ever do that.

You said no real talk now. I'll never soften myself. It's more, I guess for me, what it's become is more like a, if you haven't noticed that already, then that says more. But notice why? Like, I just, I'm legit. Carrie, we live in the same hood, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I'm in New Toronto right now. Like, I've chosen to raise a family here. They go to school here. We had Super Sunday at Mimico. I know that's Mimico, but at Mimico Arena, you could throw a rock from there to New Toronto. So, like, this is my neighborhood. Please be specific.

Like, is there, like, obviously your parents and your brother, they're in New Brunswick, and you're going to start it fresh, and there's a new chapter of your life. And we're going to talk more about this big news that you teased us in the cold open. But I got the sense just chatting up That you've had it with this city I absolutely have I want to hear more details about that before we move on

You see like I was making jokes During the last election about how I was going to like I was going to run for Toronto City Council For South Atobico Lakeshore And I kind of I was just like No Like

because again, every politician is great until they start doing their fucking job or lack thereof. And I was like, I just... Okay, let's set the table though. We had a long time greasy AF counselor named Mark Grimes. Yeah, yeah, Mark Crimes, yeah. Mark Grimes, yeah. Mark Grimes. Yeah.

I see you did that. Yeah. And it's tough to beat an incumbent in municipal politics. Absolutely. The last election, FOTM Amber Morley. defeated Mark Grimes. Yeah, and honestly, I remember making this joke on some like a Tobacco community group there. And I was just like, Amber Morley can do absolutely nothing and do a better job than Mark Grimes.

And I swear to God, she read that comment and took that. Like, she was like, okay. So can you be specific only because I can literally, I can pull these clips and on the mics, I can get her to respond. Can you please be specific of what it is about Amber Morley? that's irked the heck out of you, Mr. Andy. Can you name one thing that she's done that I should be proud of or happy about? Nobody can't. That's the thing.

I've asked so many people. And I remember one time, she got me my bluer bike lane that I wanted to. That's the one thing that one person said. And like, that's it. I've asked dozens of people. I talked to hundreds of people for half an hour. But what is it that you're looking for that she hasn't

delivered. Just anything. I'm looking for something positive. And the only person that said anything good was you about a fucking bike lock. She gave me my blur bike lane. You know what I mean? Like, oh yo, the lock. Oh yeah. She gave me my locks outside of Mimico Arena. That's it.

That's fucking it, dude. Like, that's literally it. And I've been trying to find something. And I can't. I legitimately can't. And regardless of it's just like, oh, tell me all the bad things. Tell me something good

has not happened. I've been waiting. I've been waiting and waiting. No one has been able to answer that question. I would like to ask her, but apparently she doesn't even answer emails or... I can text her right now. Maybe I'll get her to come over.

She lives in her hood. Yeah, well, and I would honestly, I would love for her to explain to me what she's proud of that she's done. Do you see other, um, writings in this city better served by their counselors and you see oh look what that counselor's doing for that riding i'm i don't focus on other areas uh atobocos my area it's always been my area and i keep my eyes on

my own paper here um again i'm like with the amount of customers that i talk to every single month um and i get not one of them has ever said anything good it's always only ever been complaints of some kind. Do you think she'll be defeated in, we're going to the polls this October. I believe it's October, but this year, do you think she gets defeated? I pray. I pray because

this area needs someone who you see walking around. You need, like, this like... You see her, I see, I bump into her in the wild in this name, she lives. I know. She lives on Lakeshire, apparently. I wouldn't know. I haven't seen this woman in finally. I can vote for that.

I haven't seen this woman in five and a half years. I bump into her all the time. Okay. What she needs to do is switch barbers. She should be going to your neighborhood barbershop. Well, now that I'm not going to be there, yeah, she's welcome. But that's the thing. Like, again, I can't think of, I can't think of anything good.

You can think of a bike lock. Okay, so I can think of a bike lock. I can think of a bike lane. And that's the thing. You say the bike lane's good. Everybody I talk to who hates that fucking bike lane. Who are you talking to? People who drive.

People who drive to come to my shop. And people who drive in the area. And they're like, cool, that's just one last lane that nobody uses. Like for half the year, you can't use it because there's snow. I use it all year round. All right, listen, you don't like the bike lanes. No. Okay.

I respect your opinion on it. You got a free air here. No editing will happen in this episode here. You're not happy with the performance. performance of your city counselor Amber Morley. No. She needs to do better. She needs to do anything.

She wants your vote. She's going to have to do better. She's going to have to do anything. Just do something. You know, it's funny. I have, um, she's, you know, Amber's running for, uh, she'll run for counselor again, I'm sure. But we have Olivia Chow versus Brad Bradford in this city.

Mm-hmm. Will you be here to vote? No. No. Um, do you have a preference there? Change. Just get her out. out, man.

Well, that sounds like a Bradford endorsement. Yeah, I guess. Yeah. Get her out. Yeah. So let me just tell you, I will be happy to share with the listenership that Nick Aienes, who's a proud sponsor of this program and has the two great podcasts, I shouted out in the intro, Building Toronto Skyline and Mike and Nick. I'm on that one, by the way. You can listen for more of me if you like.

But he is hosting a conversation with Brad Brad Bradford on April 2nd. So check out the Fusion Corps. Nick Aienies and Brad Bradford fundraiser, you can find more information if you Google that or if you go to Facebook, you can find it. But yeah, so shout out to Nick Aienes. Also, recycle myelectronics.ca. Andy, you know that's where you go.

If you have old cables, old devices, old electronics. I have so many. You know what? Before you move, why don't you go to, trust me, go to recycle my electronics.ca, stick in your postal code and find out where you can drop that off to be properly recycled. Like do it. Actually,

It's easy. I will, I will do that for you. Well, do it for me, do it for you. Do it for Mother Earth, damn it. Yep,

I will. Okay, and one last thing here. I know you're not here for long, but can I send you home with a large frozen lasagna from Palma pasta? Can I talk about this pasta from last time? Because you gave me this pasta last time.

I have a tale to tell. I'm listening. Oh, God. Okay, so last time I was here, I, after I finished a podcast, I invited over to a friend's house,

and I was like, oh, cool, have you eaten yet? I have this lasagna we can make. And, uh, heated it up, took it out of the oven, put it on top of the oven, and we walked out, like, let it cool down. And then, um, yeah, the dog jumped up. Oh, I didn't know where this story was going. The dog got the lasagna.

Yeah, the dog loved the lasagna. Wow. Every last. A dog approved. Fucking morsel of it. Yeah. So I didn't even get to enjoy. The dog was well fed.

I was wondering where that story was going to go. I will send you home of another lasagna today. Palma pasta sent over another lasagna. They didn't realize the dog got the last one. Or I would have scored you one earlier. But they'll take care of you again this time. You know what? It's about losing is learning.

Okay. So I lost that day. I'm not going to let that happen again. Don't you dare. Okay. Okay. Now, real talk. So, Andy, we've known each other a long time.

This is your second time on Toronto Mike. We're losing you next week. You'll be driving to New Brunswick where you're going to live. You've sold your neighborhood barbershop. We're about to find out more about you. You said in the cold open something about launching a men's care product line. Yeah, yeah. Tell me about that.

But then I have something I've been curious about since you arrived. So please tell us more about that. Okay. before I ask about that. If you insist. Okay, so let's take it back. Let's take it back about 10 years ago or so. I owned my own beard care grooming line.

It was called the Northern Beard Company, and we did beard oils, beard bombs, conditioners, waxes, all that kind of stuff. So they just specifically hair care products for men's beards. we ended up getting contracts with Rexall urban outfitters, Homestance winners marshals. Wow. Yeah, yeah.

Like it was a big deal. And then there's a, I guess, fast as quick as I love, falling out with my business partner. And he kind of just ruined and buried the business overnight. So that's actually how I got my foot in the door with becoming a barber. was because I was selling these products and I was going to different barbershops all the time. I was in like a different barbers shop like multiple times a week. I'm talking with barber.

I was a barbershop owners selling my product. Again, it was a successful business. And once I came to an end, I was like, it was one of those things. I was just like, yeah, okay, we got really good at that. Well, what's next instead of, I'm going to sit here in Wallow. start and then that's when I you know

I was like you know what like I love being in barbershops and everyone in that I know that's a barber which is now like dozens upon dozens of them all love their job so it seems like such a good environment

I'm like maybe that that will just be like a smooth transition so that's how I ended up becoming starting my barbershop apprenticeship was due to the fallout of that business and once I sold the shop here I was like okay well

I'm going to start doing that again as well so started up a new company ordered all the materials the production materials all the raw materials all the bottling and jars packaging and everything like that and we're going to be launching it next week

it's looking like. What's the name again? What's the name? It's called Primal Grooming Company. So if you go up on, again, the Instagrams, Facebook's, it's Primal Grooming Co. Is the tag,

Primal groomingco.com, Instagram at Primal groomingco. All of, yeah, so. Well, then I got to write this down. Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm excited that Primal Grooming Co, future sponsor of Toronto,

Yes, yeah, of course, yeah. Again, we're going to be making our, we're going to be making beard care products because, like, that's my, that's, what I have to be able to grow a good beard to use it? Because we're going to be doing pomades as well. So, yeah, we're going to be taking care of the hair on top. Okay, that's exciting. So you can do that from New Brunswick. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I already have, I've already been tweaky, redeveloping new formulas. new products, new formulas for new products. And yeah, it's just going to be launched. Look at you. Yeah. You're like a Renaissance man. You're always got to be doing something. Musician, uh, hair stylist, business owner.

Now you're launching these. Another business owner at times two, uh, you know. Yeah. Well, I guess, I guess just one now again. So. And you don't have a partner this time. I do have a partner. Yeah.

Yeah. So I do have a, I do have a partner. Absolutely. Yeah. So, um, we're keeping like, did you trust the last guy? Uh, I did it. at a time.

But, you know, like, again, losing is learning. And, yeah, you learn to read flags and, you know, assess accordingly. Once bit and twice shy. Yeah. My, my, my, once bit and twice shy, babe. You keep on bringing up songs all the time. I was like, what are you talking about? You're a bit younger than me.

You're a bit younger than me. Well, yeah, I guess. I guess, yeah, technically, yeah. So, okay, so you've been here an hour now. Yeah. Oh, really? Has it been an hour? Yeah.

All right. And we've mentioned Andrew's in the room. It's got a nice Ozzy accent. Yeah. He's still here? He's got a camera, like a real camera there. Yeah. He's been shooting footage.

But I don't feel comfortable with my sense of what the hell Andrew's doing. Like, you did ask me, can I bring a guy he's going to be shooting me for this, whatever. And I'm like, you can do whatever you want. I'm going to do my thing, and Andrew could do whatever he wants. And is Andrew? Yeah, Andrew's mic is open. So you can both, now you're both on the mic. Like who met who first?

What the hell? Andrew, not Andy. Andrew, what the hell are you filming for? I think I'm still in the course of figuring that out. I mean, I've got an intention, but what it'll be is still yet to be seen. But no, I'm a customer of Andy's as well, like you. You got a good head of hair on you. Great head of hair, but the cowlick's walking.

But I got Cal Lick. That's a sign of their hair. Not like that. There's like, I'm not even going to lie to you here. And I'm pretty sure I told him this. I was like, I've cut thousands of people's hair, thousands. And he is in the top three of the worst calyx of any man I've ever met in my life. But it works for him.

I make it, I mean, I help make it work for him, right? Okay. So Andrew, are you sitting in Andy's in his barber chair there? And he's cutting your hair and you're shooting the breeze. and does he say, hey, I'm out of here, I'm piecing out and you're like, I need to capture that story?

Like, what is the impetus here? What's the catalyst? Yeah, I mean, pretty much that. Like, I'm actually in, I'm an editor by trade. So I'm not actually a documentary maker. So I'm sort of just trying to, I'm currently cutting documentaries,

but I want to go and do my own thing. So I was kind of on the lookout for like something small that I could try and take on. And I'm like, this guy's a character. As you know, of course. As your viewers know. You don't get on Toronto mic two times. Yeah.

So I asked, I reached out and I said, I'd love to follow you in your, you know, final weeks here and see what comes out and see what I can make of it. So that's what we're doing. Yeah,

that's, yeah, he sent, he sent me a message on, was he, is Instagram or did you text it? I slid in his DMs. He sled in the DMs.

And I, and I, that's what I think he ended, I'm not going to pull it up or anything, but I'm going to see if I can just remember, but it was like a couple of paragraphs and he's just like, um, if, if this sounds stupid or just, I'm sorry, just forget about this entire message completely. Something like along those lines. I just thought, and I was like, no, dude, honestly, like, we have nothing to lose.

Um, if you reached out to me, that, that alone is, uh, is a, is a, is a compliment that he thinks that there's potentially a story here. And we've been, uh, we, we've had a couple days, a couple hours at a time filming and there's zero like vision towards there's zero like okay what word

there's zero narrative there's zero like okay we want to you know he's not making a reality show you know what I mean like he just wants you to be Andy and he's gonna capture it I think he's over reality shows

that's what I do for money can you name any names what's going on so that's it I'm balancing the passion with the so I turn out like the kind of shows that your wife watches while they do the ironing.

Last thing I worked on was Canada Shore. I don't know if you've seen that. The new MTV. No, but I'm not the... Oh, so that's like... I know. It's like Jersey Shore. Meanwhile, they should...

I think they should have just called it Lakeshore, huh? No? No. Everyone has a problem with the name. Like, that was the big issue. It's a bunch of mimico drunks or something. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

It's just like, hey, let's just film it Lucky Dice, you know? You know what? I don't think. I'm not the target audience for this stuff, but I'm not surprised we have our own version of, when I was in England, where was I?

It was overseas and somewhere they had Geordy Shore, which was like the England version of Georgia Shore or whatever, yeah. So you're making like reality shows like near 9 to 5 and then now this is to scratch your own. Reality and some,

I'm doing like an Amazon doc series at the moment. So I'm kind of in that world of cutting docs. What do you, what are you cutting? What? It's a sports. stock. It's not announced yet, but it's going to feature, I don't know what I can say. It's a hockey documentary for Amazon. But yeah, as I get rounds and rounds of notes from executives and producers,

I just think, what if I could just do it my own way? Yeah. Well, you know, you need the side hustle, and then you need the nine to five or whatever. Yeah, exactly. But that hockey dog for Prime, I know they got that NHL deal. That sounds interesting. I didn't even, I didn't know about that it was a hockey thing. I'm excited about that. But I know probably we won't be able to talk about it. Probably. He's going to beg me to edit that and I'll refuse. So, Andrew, a big deal.

So how long you've been shooting Andy for, Andrew? How long has it been? Since last Sunday? No, what's it? I've got five days of shooting on my computer. It's the last folder I put in there. It was day five. Okay, yeah.

So, yeah, over the last, since last Sunday, I guess there's been five different days that he's, and like, you know, one day would have only been like, you know, like an hour and a half or two. And then the long one was Friday, where we did like five hours, a single interview for like five hours. At least it felt like it.

So Andy, do you find yourself at all modifying your behavior because you realize there's a camera on you? No, never. Never, never will ever. Many people do. I know that. It's tough to forget it's there.

That's the thing. Like, I know that. that it's there. And I feel, like, I've, I've always felt comfortable in front of a camera because, like, I, because you're handsome. I was a child actor, too. Tell me a bit about that. Yeah, like, uh, when my, Stu Stone was a child actor.

My, your new best friend. Stu Stone, yeah. Again, the coolest fucking name. But, um, my mom, the way that she put it was like, yeah, people just kept on telling me, like, they're like, you need to get that kid into acting. that kid's a character and my mom was like people keep saying it so

I ended up you know I guess my mom who brought me to some agents and then I just started being in like commercials and like small TV shows and things like that like I even

Can you name check? I got to know I have an IMDB page you could pull it up okay I didn't know he had an IMP page in the TV movie flowers for Algernon yeah I just sent an email to

Sony pictures whoever it was trying to get a release least for the dogs. There's also, there's a TV show twice in a lifetime I was on. If you type, again, you have to do like Andrew dinner

if you're on IMDB. I don't. The thing is, there seems to be multiple, but let me. There's only one. There's only one. Okay.

Were you in bake sale? Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, that's actually a small student film I was asked to be in like two years ago. Okay, bear with me. Yeah.

Okay, you're best known for bake sale. Yeah. Earth Final Conflict. Great show. And tracker. I had no idea, Andy. Yeah. This did not come up in your first visit.

There's always something, man. Okay, so you're a musician. You are an actor. You know what? You are sort of, in my opinion, you are the stew stone of hair stylists. There we go. Barbers, barbers, barbers.

I'm not style. Yeah, my apologies. It's okay. It's okay. I'm not offended. I'm thinking of Gary Chowen, another FOTM. He'll be more of a stylist, I think, here.

You won an award. Yeah. Did I? Yeah, it says awards. I've won tons of awards. But you won an award for your acting called the January award for best acting in bake sale? Yeah, yeah, I didn't know that. It's a mind blow right now.

Yeah, yeah. I can't believe what I'm seeing here. So, because I also used to do stand-up comedy. I did this a few, like, again, probably like, I did this before the pandemic. And I just kind of like stopped during the pandemic. And I haven't done it since or anything. thing, but when I was doing stand-up, at the first barbershot that I was working at, somebody who worked their friend wanted to get into stand-up and was like asking me questions

and everything like that. And this kid Kirby Sloan, who... There's a name for you. Kirby Sloan. I know, yeah, Kirby Sloan. That's his name. He actually wrote that Big Sale movie. So when I helped him get, I helped him this Kirby Sloan could get onto his, to do his first few stand-up comedy shows.

I got him onto his first few shows there. And I guess like as a thank you, he, when he was writing Bakesail, he wrote a character based around me. And he's like, it's based around you. So like, I would love it if you did that part. and I played I played a kid's father and I was like I was like a drug dealer

teaching my kid how to also deal drugs and like it was a very short role autobiographical yeah I see here you were in I didn't want I see here you were in Anne of Green Gables

I was continuing story yeah I was yeah I was in that I had to I had to have an accent and sing a song, farewell to Nova Scotia in it. And there was like a vocal coach that came to teach me how to sing in an accent.

Okay, because I would not Prince Edward Island, but Nova Scotia, you're telling me. Yeah, yeah. But I guess so, like, it was like a Scottish accent that I had to sing in. Well, this is why you're heading to the Maritimes. I guess so, yeah. Okay, so Andrew. Yes. This footage.

Oh, no, I'm Andy. Sorry. Andrew. This footage you're taking, like, should this ever appear anywhere? How will I ever get to see what becomes? of this footage. You've been falling them all week or whatever. I don't know what the plan is,

but at some point, you'll probably make a short something or other. Yeah, I mean, I'll have to cut it in my own time, which will take a little bit. But then, yeah, I'll try and enter it into some festivals

and see where it goes and it'll end up online somewhere. So I'll pass it on. See if I can win any more awards, you know? Holy crap. I don't even have to say it. I do know that I've loved having you as my barber. Yeah, it's been fun, man.

There's so many, like, amazing, interesting people that I have met through there. And like I wouldn't even call them customers. I call them like, I call them like my friends. I love it when that person comes in. And like we just like giggle the whole time. But yeah, again, I've met some insane people. I've cut some pretty interesting characters for hair.

And I love every single. memory that I got in that place, you know. Yeah. Are you going to be cutting hair in New Brunswick? Yeah. I've reached out to a couple shops. Like, I'm not going to be opening up my own barbershop there.

I just plan on working like, you know, part time, two days a week maybe just to like, you know, something to do while I'm out there when I'm not digging. Just to, you know, so I don't lose it,

I guess, you can say. Okay. And then what you said about three times a year, you'll make the trek back to South Atopico and you'll take some clients at your neighborhood barbershop. Yeah, again, and if, you know, the schedule and timing works out, whoever's able to book in with me and like to say hi or anything like that, you know, I'll be back.

I'm not, it's not like, oh, fuck you. I'm out of here. This is, again, all I know. This is my neighborhood, man. Like, I'm going to be back and I am going to be slinging those tools. And it is exciting, right, to take a leap into the unknown and start anew. Yeah, a lot of people are terrified of new, of new, of change. And I absolutely embrace it.

And I, if, if, if, if, if it's something new that that means I can make it my new, you know. I'm going to miss you, F-O-T-M, Andy. Yeah. Big time. I'm going to miss you too, man. You know, I walk that strip all the time and I love seeing you outside between cuts and, yeah, I'm going to miss pumping into Andy. Or being silly in the shop and. Honestly, we're going to miss you.

The whole neighborhood's going to miss you. The city's going to miss you. Is this a farewell song? Is that what this is? Amber Morley is going to miss you. Yeah. That sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. Feeling's not mutual.

I like both of you. You and Amber more. Yeah, who would you pick in a fight? Don't fuck with Amber. Set up a charity boxing match. How was this for you? Did you get everything off your chest you wanted to get off? You're not going to go home of any regrets that you didn't say this or didn't say that. Any regrets? Any regrets?

No. Not a single. one. Not a single goddamn regret. Everything that I've wanted to do, I've either done it or while attempting to do it, decided I'm not going to complete that or, like that's not for me. But everything that I've accomplished in my life, like I'm happy with how it turned out. No regrets because I wouldn't be here talking with you right now. And that brings us to the end of our 1,8667. 7th show, 1867. 1867. You know what happened in 1867?

Isn't that something about Canada? Something about Canada. Absolutely. That was the last time the Leafs won the cup, right? That's why you're going out in Maritimes. Leafs suck. Yep, yep. I'm just going to start being, I'm going to become a Dallas Stars fan now.

It's your funeral, brother. I know. Well, they have a Pantera's their goal song, so. Okay, there you go. It all comes full circle. Go to TorontoMike.com. for all your Toronto mic needs. Buy a ticket.

Do you know I'm playing the Elma Combo on May 21st? Did I say that? Yeah, you told me that and then I told you that I once played a sold-out show at Elma Combo with my old band in high school.

Always one up in me. You gotta, you know? You come from a position of strength, strike. Buy the tickets, everybody, to my Elma combo... Elmo combo gig. Do it.

Buy the fucking tickets. May 21. Much love to all who made this possible. Again, that's Great Lakes Brewery. Brewed right here in South Atobico, Andy's Old Hood. Palma pasta. You got a lasagna. You're not going to give this one to the dog.

Nikainis. Recycle MyElectronics.ca. And of course, Ridley Funeral Home, their podcast is called Life's Undertaking. See you all tomorrow. And my special guest is Dan O'Toole. No way. Way. From, like, TSN? There's only one

Dan O'Toole. Did you know that? He's got good hair. You know that? So, Jay and then Dan. Dan O'Toole is my like second cousin. Yeah. Yeah. I swear to God.

Or as Al so Vetching on us to say, I swear to God. Yeah, I swear to God. Yeah, he's my second cousin.