Joe Rogan Experience #1956 - Luke Combs

[Music]. by night. cheers. pleasure to meet you yeah and likewise. man. I love your [ __ ] dude thanks man I. appreciate that you got a great voice. and great songwriting I try my best I'm. really great [ __ ] solid country yeah I. try man I really do you know it's you.

never know a lot of a lot of uh. I don't know yo I guess you always have. doubts I mean that comes with. you know at least I do you know yeah. constantly like is this good enough or. is it country enough or is it I don't. know just always I'd be lying if I said. I didn't have. I think that's what makes you great I. think you have to have those doubts I. mean you're you have to I think every. artist is always like self-analyzing and. always you have to be you have to I mean.

or else you're just you know my biggest. fear is like making the same record a. hundred times you know yeah because we. all know people have done that before. and when you're a fan of someone and. they do that that's one of the things I. love about Sturgill is like every album. it's like he's a new artist it's like. who are you different yeah everything's. way different with him man yeah I. remember. Turtles all the way down coming out and. I was like man this is just such a. departure from the last thing yeah and. that can be scary as an artist too.

because you're like well all my fans. that I have. were the fan of this previous thing. right this is the new thing. alienate those people It's just tough. man it's weird I think if you people. have to do that though if you you know. if that's what you feel I think they go. along with you especially today I think. people are more willing than ever to let. people take chances no doubt and I mean. I think that comes with the artist now. has the power in a lot of ways right.

with the rise of the internet yes I mean. I think I was really kind of one of the. first people who. was able to bring something to. like when I got my first deal it was. like well I already had a built-in fan. base. and that wasn't really. ever happening at that time like yes I. was on this social media app called vine. do you remember that yeah and it was. like I mean I wasn't like you know Mega. big on there or anything but I had. enough enough fans I guess where I was.

selling music that and I didn't realize. that that was weird. until I got to Nashville and they're. like wait you're selling how much and. I'm like Oh I thought that was that's. low right I know like not really it's. not really that low at all and I was. like oh that's cool you know so then you. got some negotiating power too were you. one of the first artists that in the. country scene that kind of made it off. of social media I would yeah I would say. me and uh Kane Brown probably were like. the first two and he we both got signed. at Sony and I think that's the credit to.

you know I mean Randy Goodman who still. runs Sony Nashville has always been. Forward Thinking in that like at least. before in my opinion all the other. labels in Nashville were thinking about. that stuff he was always thinking about. what's the next thing or like how do we. stay ahead of the trend or whatever and. other other labels weren't doing that at. that time and when you first started. doing it on Vine we just doing it. because it was just a thing that you. could put your [ __ ] on I mean you. obviously didn't think that it would.

take off the way it did it just made. sense right it was like it was like okay. well this is a tool and all I was doing. on there was I mean the content on that. app was six seconds long right it was. like it was like Tick Tock but six. seconds right and so it was like you. would have to pick out what's the most. impactful section of a George Strait. song or of a Waylon Jennings song or. anything I can sing or if something's on. the radio a Lee Brice song or whatever. it was and go what's the singingest ass. part of this song and I would get on.

there and just sing that six seconds of. On My Guitar. and then put it on there and people were. sharing and sharing and then when I put. my own music out I'm like. well obviously I'm going to Market to. these people that are already like my. voice and stuff and it just worked out. that was it was never a master plan. right you know I wasn't like I would. love to say man I had this big scheme. and I had it all planned out it just. like it was this little these like. logical steps that just made sense to me.

I think it's kind of better that it's. not a master plan it just you just. followed your instincts yeah it was I. always tells I mean there's so much luck. involved no doubt I mean anybody that. has success obviously you have to be. able to sing and you have to have songs. that people like right those things are. you know that's a given but there's a. lot of people that I know in town that I. would argue are a lot more talented than. me. singers some songwriters that went for.

the artist thing and it was just it. wasn't the right time or their music. didn't connect at that time with. whatever the mainstream kind of fan base. was yeah and now they're just they'll. just they're songwriters instead because. it now they're they might be 40. something you know and they're like well. I don't wanna I'm not gonna get a deal. and go on a radio tour I got three kids. you know make you know half a million. dollars a year writing songs right. yeah but that would suck yeah that would. listen to somebody else belting out your.

hits yeah but there's also a contingency. of guys that like like I have some. friends that went the route like they. had the deal they had the songs it. wasn't the right time but then the. artist thing just wasn't for them either. like going around and doing PR stuff. like. that gave them anxiety yeah having fans. that gave them anxiety. and it's like I think there's people. that lean more into they would rather. just do the creative stuff.

and and hope okay I hope I can you know. write I hope you dance for Leanne Womack. instead of being Liam Womack and singing. I Hope You Dance. yeah well that I get I mean some people. just they don't have the personality for. it they don't enjoy it they're more. introspective they're more you know in. introverted. yeah I get it. it's a weird world right the world of. taking your thoughts and putting them. down and then sharing with people and. then you know like I mean what is it.

like for you when you like at a red. light and you hear some dude playing. your music next year does that ever. happened to you yeah it's even crazier. like uh like the place that always gets. me is like on like when someone's. listening to it on a boat to me that's. the ultimate test. of a song it's like if somebody's. listening to you on a boat dude they. love you they absolutely love your [ __ ]. that's so true you know what I mean. right I mean how many artists that you. listen to in your car you probably.

wouldn't listen to on a boat it's a. different thing right like to me it's. like if it's summer the weather's nice. the drinks are falling yeah you know and. dude your song's on the boat that's the. soundtrack to like the best time that. someone could possibly be having that's. so true you know that's so true you're. the highlight of their weekend or their. summer or whatever like that song is. like a huge part of their life if. they're planning on them I've never. thought of it like that but that's true.

like boat music it's dude it's all. different it's a different breed dude. you know it's the ultimate yeah yeah. it's crazy man yeah my 14 year old she. loves Kanye West and she likes to crank. Kanye West on the boat yeah I'm always. like okay just so cool yeah oh nobody. gets mad yeah. it's like forget about what he said. these are bangers is it like new Kanye. or is it old Kanye she likes all of it. all of it yeah.

huh I like the I love the old stuff I. can't say I'm jamming the. the Yi stuff or I can't say I'm just I. just to me the chorus is his course is. in the beginning were just incredible. incredible dude yeah you know incredible. yeah I'm very curious to see what he. comes up with now after all this uh. cancellation [ __ ] it's crazy man I bet. he's gonna come up with some [ __ ]. bangers is he like missing or something. was that a thing kind of like laid back.

there was some photos of him with some. lady the other day that you know he's. out and about so he's confirmed I mean. he's around I don't I don't know what. he's up to it's uh because Jake lives. like middle of nowhere or something now. he's got a place in Wyoming okay yeah. he's got a ranch in Wyoming man that. must be nice [ __ ] yeah that'd be cool. yeah that's love to have one of those a. ranch in Wyoming everybody who saw. Yellowstone was like God damn it I want. to live like they're like Montana's too. expensive so I'm going to Wyoming yeah. yeah Montana's overrun by yuppies yeah I.

love Montana though it's beautiful I. wear Ronaldo lives yes I just went to. Banff last week yeah for the first time. have you ever been there no. dude it it's like. even more Montana Montana really how. could it be it's hard to explain man I. mean it's just so so like we had me and. my wife flew into Calgary because the. closest you can get is Calgary even.

flying private the closest you can get. that's Atlanta in another country no. it's they're both in Canada they're both. in Canada so you go Calgary and it's an. hour and a half drive to Banff but it is. like. the sickest drive like 20 minutes out of. Calgary it turns into like. the most Rocky Mountain thing you've. ever seen really and it's just I mean. it's out of control man I mean I never. seen anything like it we stayed in this. hotel that was like built in 1889 wow up.

there I'm like it's hard for me to get. there now right what was it like in 1889. to try to get there what's it made out. of it's made out of logs it's Stone whoa. yeah so I'm like how do you even get the. it had to be there's a railway that goes. through there. but I imagine like. yes it's called The Fairmont. wow yep. wow look at that [ __ ] place look at. that view oh [ __ ] wild dude what a. beautiful place yeah that's from 1889. yep 1889. how did they even get there.

like we're talking pre-automobile yeah. so I grew up in Asheville and I always. think about the Biltmore house. um have you ever been to the billboard. been to Asheville I've never uh no if. I've seen the pull up the Biltmore house. this place is staggering dude I mean it. is like. you can't even so if you sit on to kind. of sits on this hill right so the. Vanderbilts built it. so it was the largest oh yeah largest in. Asheville holy [ __ ] so if you stand on.

top of that building they owned. everything you can see from the top of. that building which is like hundreds and. hundreds and hundreds of thousands of. Acres wow I mean it is unbelievable it. was the largest residence private. residents in the United States for a. long long long time. um they have the chess set in there that. Napoleon's heart was put on after he. died. just crazy they got his heart off and. put it on crazy they put it on a chess. set but that's the kind of stuff they. have in that house dude.

is there still a blood stain I I don't. know I can't attest to that I can't. attend but I used to go I mean I've been. in that place four or five times I mean. and it's just staggering do you stay. there can you no you can't stay there. it's a tours oh wow but they they have a. hotel on property but it's not you don't. stay in there they had a swimming pool. bowling alleys. I mean it was like decked out the. biggest mans you've ever seen but it was. built in I can't attest to the date that. that one was built in but 1800s no doubt. wow I wonder why they built such a big.

place in Asheville what what you know I. don't know so they have they built a. whole town around it right it's called. Biltmore Village. um and I actually sang in a choir at the. All Souls Cathedral there in high school. which was built by the Vanderbilts as. well and so it's like super old episco. it's an Episcopalian Church wow look at. that [ __ ] place dude it's I mean. everything's marble dude I mean it's can. you imagine living there in the 1800s.

what that was like. wow staggering again pre-automobile. these people are riding horses to this. house yeah. dude they imported and someone's. definitely gonna fact check me on this. but I believe they imported everything. from overseas on this whole place the. marble the stone wow. look at the ceiling in that place yeah. that's incredible. wow 250 rooms dude in that place Jesus. Christ what a [ __ ] place some people.

just have too much money that's too much. money yeah they you should you should if. you're ever in Asheville you got to go. toward that place man it's unbelievable. my bunny Duncan grew up in Asheville and. he lived there before he moved back here. to Austin but uh he uh he grew up there. and they used to uh give the cows like a. special anti-fungal feed because they. were growing mushrooms so much that all. these kids are going out to the fields. sounds very Asheville and it's funny. growing up in Asheville like I heard.

about that like I heard it would be like. oh if you go under the The Cow Patties. man there's mushrooms under there yeah. and I always thought was like man that's. a total lie but it's not no apparently. those spores are just in the Hills he. said like on any given day you go out. there and there's mushrooms everywhere. that's wild man yeah there were so many. that again they were giving these cows. some sort of feed to discourage the. mushroom growing in their [ __ ] I believe. it that sound seems like a crime against. humanity why the [ __ ] would you do that.

well it's like why mess with it right. yeah just let the kids pick them yeah. let them do what Their ones dying from. mushrooms yes let them do what they're. gonna do yeah I'm in agreeance with that. also it's awesome yes. yeah it's uh Asheville's a special place. it's very interesting place it is yeah. I've moved there me and my parents moved. there when I was eight from Charlotte I. was born in Charlotte. and moved there and we lived there I. mean I went to Appalachian State.

University oh wow and a half away from. Asheville my parents actually just moved. um two months ago to Nashville because. we had you know I just had my first son. and. so they wanted to be close to the. grandkid and it was wild that was like. they didn't want to they wanted to move. but they were really torn because they. they've loved that we've been they've. been in that same house since I was. eight you know and so it was tough I. mean we still have the house at the. moment instead of trying to figure out. like if we want to keep it or you know. sell it I don't know it's a it's tough.

you know yeah it's hard when you have. roots in a place yeah my dad you know my. dad's 69 and his two best friends live. in in Asheville and. you know they drink beer every Friday. and. for 25 years you know and it's like he. moved to to Nashville it's like he. doesn't know anybody you know and it's. like so I think he struggles with that a. lot which I you know it's tough for me. too because I don't want him to like not. be living his best life either you know.

what I mean it's like I love that he's. close to you know my son and my son's. close to his grandparents but I also. want them to like enjoy their. enjoy their life too right tell his. friends to move I know right that's what. you got to do yeah get them to move to. Nashville all right all right yeah you. just got to talk everybody into moving. get that mass Exodus going yeah it's a. dude Nashville's like it's it's a hot. hot Market it is it's well it's like in. Austin it's like Austin in a lot of ways. where the the pandemic opened it up a.

lot of people are like I'm getting the. [ __ ] out of wherever I am it sucks and. I'm gonna go somewhere that's a little. Freer and yeah that's a little less. stringent you know yeah Nashville's a. good place man but it is it's a great. place it's changed a lot even since I've. been there I don't want to act like I've. been there you know 30 years you know. because I'm probably considered a new. nashvilleian myself. um so I moved there in 2014 so nine. years so not that long yeah I think you. need like 10 years yeah before you start.

talking [ __ ] before you can be like yes. it's changed you know yeah we ran into. this guy the other day that was talking. about Austin he's like man Austin's just. not the same and Tony goes how long you. been here and the guy goes five years he. goes shut the [ __ ] up. he just [ __ ] she just got here I'm that. guy I'm that Nashville guy I'm like yeah. it used to just be so so different I'm. gonna love to say things like that. though hey dude it makes him feel like I. feel like it's almost like if you're. saying that you're taking ownership that.

that's your home right right like. whether you've been there five years or. 50 years yeah when you say things like. that it it really shows that you feel. some sort of ownership to that place and. yeah that's the place that you want to. be or you feel like is home so maybe. it's a good thing you know yeah it's a. pride thing it's it's better than like. [ __ ] on it yeah it's like you just. wanted to stay good but you know things. change and they've all and there's it's. not that it's not as good it's just. different yeah I mean I can imagine you.

know some of the some of the guys that. you know I love listening to that you. know we're in Nashville in the 60s and. 70s like what would they think of it now. is the scene in Nashville the the music. scene is it hollywoodized in any way or. is it still gritty like what is it. what's like the there's like two sex of. it right like there's. there is still a very like gritty scene. and there always has been right so.

you've got uh you know you've got like. Black Keys type kind of thing you know. going on in East Nashville. like there's so many bands that have. come out of East Nashville that are not. part of kind of the mainstream Nashville. thing and that Community still really. exists and a lot of. I think artists country artists that. people love that would kind of even two. or three years ago have been considered. like. Americana like that I'm not even sure. what that means right like to me that's.

just like country music that you know. there's all these people on the internet. they're like well it ain't you know Luke. Combs he ain't a real country singer you. know what I mean because he's not you. know what I mean because he's not. Sturgill Simpson or whatever it is right. like there's always these people who are. trying to discredit you but there's. these definitely these two different. sects of like mainstream and. non-mainstream that exist in Nashville. and there's people that are trying to. chase kind of those those things.

separately and sometimes when popularity. on the not chasing that goes through the. roof then it kind of can transition into. the major labels are like well maybe you. know we should sniff around this guy you. know and I I was always I I didn't move. to Nashville to like be necessarily be. like I'm gonna be a country artist I. just wanted to do music for a living in. any way right like I worked you know a. bunch of jobs in high school school and. college and.

and you know I went to college for five. years didn't graduate which I'm sure my. parents loved you know I was 21 hours. away from getting my degree and I was. like I'm gonna do music you know and it. was whatever that was sweeping floors in. a studio would have been great to me. because I would be around music I'd be. trying to write music. publishing I mean realistically I. thought to myself especially at the time. I moved to town it's like dude everybody. that was doing music when I moved to. town was hot dude six five.

ABS dude I mean I didn't have a chance. bro you know I didn't have a chance and. so I'm going well cool I'll just write. songs for these handsome cats and like. it'd be whatever dude I'll be fine with. me you know. um but I just I really like again back. to the luck thing man like I stumbled. into it at the right time I think Chris. Stapleton singing Tennessee whiskey with. Justin Timberlake at the CMAs it was a. earth-shattering moment for country. music and that opened the door up for.

guys like myself. to pursue a career like somebody who. didn't look like every other guy in town. and everyone knew about Chris Stapleton. in town that guy was a legend. in town had been there for 12. 13 14. something years at that time he had 250. Cuts as a songwriter when that. performance happened wow so it was it. was just no one gave him a chance. because he was a huskied guy with a. beard yeah and goddamn that voice oh man.

he's unbelievable that national anthem. at the Super Bowl dude was amazing. that's it it's that and Whitney Houston. two best national anthems ever in my. opinion at the Super Bowl ever he's got. some [ __ ] bangers that guy I was. sitting in a box. with Adele at the Super Bowl and he sang. that thing and she was watching and like. like two lines in she just goes holy. [ __ ] like she's just was losing her mind. dude can you find that it was.

unbelievable let's listen to it I mean I. mean he's unbelievable he's a good dude. too I had him on a couple years back. it's fun to hang with he's a very very. genuine person it's it's so quiet yeah. yeah it's always nice when you meet. someone that you really admire and. they're just cool as [ __ ] oh is this it. to honor America with the performance of. the national anthem eighth time Grammy. Award winner dude. when Nick siriani cries in this thing I.

felt like a bald eagle was gonna fly. over the stadium dude it was the most. American thing I've ever seen in my. entire life. look at him. alive. [Music]. was so proud.

ly we have. twice. [Music]. unreal. [Music].

streaming. [Music]. [Applause]. wow. that got me dude. [Music].

and I play. [Music]. let's start. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music].

[Applause]. [Music]. God damn. [Applause]. wow that was electric dude I can't even. explain to you what being there in. person was like for that wow it was. unbelievable man but I remember when. siriani came on on the big jumbo screen. in there with the tears coming down I. was like this is like all does this.

Never Be A Moment Like This Again like. I'll never be present for a moment like. that again. and like felt the gravity of it in the. moment too it wasn't just like when you. saw it on TV it was cool you know yeah. it was like they were showing that same. feed in the stadium and it was that like. even more I'd never been to the Super. Bowl before so it was like. I was already soaking it in you know. right there's already something about a. big event like that but to have him sing. it like that. yeah it it was unreal man it really was.

that guy's an incredible generational. Talent yeah no doubt I mean just no. doubt about it no he's incredible that's. pretty [ __ ] badass. when did you when did you first think. that you wanted to do music. minute honestly wasn't until I was so. I'm 33. it was when I was 22 probably. yeah it was when I was really like I. could do this and it was did you enjoy. it before you just I guess a hobby yeah.

I I it was beyond a hobby for me but I. didn't even realize that you know so I. would so in sixth grade right so I paint. the kind of how these things happen it's. like in sixth grade. first year of Middle School right what. they did in my middle school was it was. like these six week grading periods and. so in the first year of middle school. they made you take every elective. so you would take gym class for six. weeks and Chorus for six weeks and.

banned for six weeks actually I think. you got to choose chorus or band but you. had to do one music and then you took. art and you took home ec and so at and. during that sixth grade year you try out. every elective they have in the school. and then seventh grade you pick. what elective you want to take for like. so you get one elective per semester so. you could have two electives in your. seventh grade year so there was an. option for chorus that was a one. semester of chorus or you could try out.

for like the advanced course which would. be both semesters so I liked chorus a. lot and so I was like well I'll do I'll. do the one semester chorus and then I'll. do gym or whatever you know because like. I like it but I don't want to take it. that serious right so I do my first. semester I'm in chorus. and my teacher Miss Raven. she comes up to me like last week of. school and she's like will you please. change your elective. and be an advanced chorus with me and I.

was like. yeah I mean if you really want me to. like I liked it a lot and I was like man. I wish I could do that in gym or. whatever you know. and so I did I switched it and so from. seventh grade until I graduated high. school I was in chorus class every day. of school. for six years you know. and then I got to high school I get to. high school my course teacher Miss. Bryant was like I mean she was like my. mom at school she was like my school mom.

me and her became super tight I mean I. was her teacher assistant my senior year. I was in her class a fourth of my entire. High School career was spent in her. classroom. and I was in every musical every year so. after school for half the year I was. doing the musical. and I just I just liked it and I I. didn't realize I was even any good until. like ninth grade When Miss Bryant was. like hey you're like. you're you're like good you're really. good and I was like oh cool that's nice. you know and because I like doing this.

that's fun and I remember I was. transitioning to go to college and she. said I asked her I was like hey should I. do music in college you know. and she I remember her telling me don't. do music in college if you can see your. self doing anything else. so if you can imagine yourself doing. anything else other than music you. shouldn't pursue music in college. so in my brain I'm thinking okay well I. only thought the only option was to be a. music teacher. in my head I'm going well that's the. only option is to be a music teacher and.

I I don't want to be a music teacher. because I'm really bad. like I can't read music I I like I'm. like I can't do math like I have some. sort of like. I just can't so you can't read music wow. not at all and like I like it's I've. probably some sort of form of like. dyslexia probably to the truest extent. like barely past math have you tried to. read music yeah oh yeah I was in um so. her so her husband was actually the band.

teacher he taught advanced placement. music theory which was a new class my. senior year I took that class. and got like a d. because it was like all these the kids. that were the best at band and the best. at chorus where he was in that club only. like eight students in the class. and all it is was Advanced like here's. the notes here's this I tried out for. Allstate chorus three years in high. school and didn't make it because you. had to be able to read you had to do a. sight singing audition which is where.

they would hand you a piece of sheet. music. and you had to sing it just by reading. the notes on there right so as a. combination of what your voice sounded. like and your ability to keep up with. the All-State choir teacher whoever that. was picked out to be and I never made it. because I couldn't read the music. I just couldn't do it I I don't know why. you get coaching on it did you get like. yeah I mean I I try I mean I busted to. try to it it's just something about it.

doesn't doesn't make sense to me like to. my brain like I get it like if I sit. there and like. plink it out really really slow I mean I. could figure it out right but it just. doesn't it's just such to me it's such. an instinctual thing you know and so I. was in an acapella group my freshman. year at college for a year. um I enjoyed that but again it was just. like an after-school kind of activity. thing with other people in college you. know.

excuse to have people to drink with. really you know people with common. ground or whatever. and gave that up my beginning of my. sophomore year really and then didn't do. music I played rugby I got into playing. rugby in college I did that loved that. and I was just the guy that would like. sing at parties or whatever like my. buddies that played rugby with knew I. sang. hey black dude saying for these chicks. or whatever you know it was kind of like. I was like party trick guy you know and.

then after my junior year I moved home. to Asheville and I we I'd always moved. home every summer up to that point and. then my mom goes because I was sulking. because all my buddies that year they. all stayed in their college town for the. summer I was the only guy that moved. back. all my friends are gone they're in. Raleigh they're in Charlotte they're in. Chapel Hill they're in Boone they're in. you know callowie and all these. different schools. so I'm working at the same job I have. when I was 16 at a go-kart place with a.

bunch of high school kids I'm 21 years. old. I got nobody to hang out with I'm living. in my parents house I'm not doing well. in school I don't know what I want to do. with my life at all and I'm sitting on. the porch I remember sitting on my. parents carport and it was like my mom. come out and she was like what's wrong. with you like what's. what's I'm an only child too so she's. like what's what's going on and I was. like I don't know Molly I don't have any. friends here like I'm working at [ __ ]. go-karts you know like what am I doing.

and she's like well you know you know. what Luke Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. they didn't even learn to play guitar. till they were 21 years old. and I was 21 right and so my parents had. bought me a guitar in seventh grade that. I never played. I did two guitar lessons and hated it. because my parents wanted me to do it. you know what I mean like anything your. parents want you to do you don't want to. do really. and so I went in the closet and I got. this oh it's like an Ibanez like 50. acoustic guitar you know just horrendous.

condition but I didn't know that didn't. know anything about guitar. didn't know what a good guitar was. didn't know nice guitars even existed so. I taught myself all summer I just sat on. the porch when I wasn't at work. playing playing playing because I knew I. loved to sing. and I was like well I'll just learn how. to play and I can sing at like parties. for my buddies or whatever and. taught myself all year and then just. kind of became obsessed with like. learning how to play and by the time I. was 22 I'm back in school I'm in Boone.

hanging out with my buddies I'm. starting to dabble around with like. writing my own songs because I was like. well I could you know this would be cool. I like this and then I wrote my first. two or three songs and I booked a gig. down the street just like at this bar my. rugby team always hung out at because I. figured that guy would you know he was. like cokehead like wild card like he'd. give me a show or whatever you know the. guy was awesome you know I was like this. guy give me a show if I want to do a. show. so I borrowed my neighbor's guitar. because mine wasn't even acoustic.

electric it was just a straight up. acoustic and. sat on a stool my other buddy let me. borrow is PA speakers. and 200 of my friends came out and paid. a dollar to see me I made 200 bucks that. night that was more than I made it both. my jobs that week. and I was hooked man I was like dude. this is awesome like I love doing this. first off yeah I'm like I love doing. this anyways and I'm having a great time. I'm like having drinks with my friends. everybody's psyched to see me here and.

stuff. and I was like it just made sense man it. wasn't it wasn't one ounce of hard work. in my mind after that point. it was just always fun man and I always. loved it wow so it's like a door opened. up you walked through it yep and your. life changed forever it just made sense. dude yeah it was like a true like. aha moment right like you hear about. those from people oh I think I might I. gotta flip the top yeah. and you hear about those things but it. truly was that it was truly an aha.

moment man and it was life it was. life-changing man I don't know what I'd. be doing if I hadn't done that that's so. awesome I love those kind of stories. I really do. I love those stories because it gives. other people hope too like yeah I. guarantee there's someone listening out. there that's in that same state that you. were in when you were 21 they're like. what the [ __ ] am I doing and everybody. has that feeling I feel like most people. right yeah like most people are like and. you're in you graduate college I think. about myself that you know if I.

graduated on time 22 I didn't graduate. but if I would have graduated on time. I've been 22 years old. and at 22 it's like I'm just by the hair. of my chin figured out what I was gonna. do and that's got to be kind of abnormal. right even like you go to college and. it's like okay I'm a business major. right and then I get out and then I. realize I hate business because I'm only. 22 years old and I don't know anything. really yeah all I know is like getting. drunk and like smoking weed and stuff. you know yeah hanging out and going to.

class well for most people too you're. looking for something that you could do. where you can survive you're just. looking for a living yeah you know and. if you can find something that's not a. living but is a passion something that. you really enjoy you're already way. ahead of the game I always think to. myself man don't make a living make a. life right it's like and that's yeah I. wish I would have known that at the time. yeah but now you can't know it you're. too young yeah and people tell you those. things and it doesn't yeah it just.

doesn't register no it's like when we. were having this kid it's like people. tell you well you're going to think this. and this and this and I've heard it all. and it's all true Joe every single bit. of it is true but it's like you don't. believe it until it happens you know. yeah you just you just can't like you. have to experience it yeah when my. friends who don't have kids ask me I'm. like I can't even tell you there's. nothing I can tell you it's it'll change. everything about who you are it does man. it's it's definitely like Earth. shattering yeah thing but it's.

and there's never that right time right. there's always could be an excuse to be. like well wait a couple years till we're. this and then you get there and it's. like well we'll get a bigger we need to. get a bigger place and by that time. you're 40. yeah or something you know. when you're by the time it's hard to get. pregnant yeah if you're set up if you're. set up in the in the bunker that you. want to have with you know 10 million. dollars in the bank you might be 50. something years old at that time you. know what I mean like yeah that's a. theory behind population collapse is.

that people start getting into their. careers and women want to have children. older and they want to have less. children and they're you know it's I. didn't even realize that was a thing. until. musk started talking about it well Japan. is apparently in Dire Straits because. the way it works is you always have to. look at 18 to 20 years out from now you. know and when people are looking at life. now you're like oh there's so many. people there's no population collapse. right but when no one is having kids and.

you realize when these people die that's. it yeah because the mainstream belief is. that the world's overpopulated right. right essentially that's what I always. remembered hearing growing up is there. was too many people well there's the. real problem is not too many people the. real problem is lack of Economic. Opportunity and um you know. this these places where people are. starving and poor right they those are. the people that are ironically are. having the most children yeah which is. crazy yeah it's nuts man I mean it's I.

remember thinking like my grandmother. you know she's one of. 12 or 14 right and then my other my my. dad's dad he was one of. I mean 10. yeah right and it's like my dad's best. friend born in Ohio he's one of a ton. but that's like they all grew up on. farms so it's like you're having. essentially the kids are had to like. help with the farm right like that was. the idea at that time for those people.

it's like well if I got more kids I got. more people to help yeah you're raising. a staff right it's which is wild and. that's just not happening you know and. obviously that's the reason no one. should be having children to have people. to work at their home you know but it. was a necessity at that time yeah. it's uh it's always fascinating to me. the the roots of the kind of music that. you enjoy country music because it's. country is so. it's so ingrained in struggle and in.

life and hardship and heartbreak and. yeah you know it's it's such a it that. that music resonates with people yeah. you know there's a thing about. you know that that that kind of life. that comes through in that music That's. So appealing to people yeah I remember. you know I mean I think back to. you know my my grandfather's favorite. artist was Chet Atkins and when he. passed away in 2015.

the thing that he you know gave me was. every Chet Atkins record ever on vinyl. and I remember thinking like what a cool. thing right like he loved that guy so. much I mean one of the best guitar. players ever not to mention but. he loved that guy so much that he bought. everything and I'm talking it's those. guys were putting [ __ ] records out. dude back then I mean they might put out. two albums a year wow I mean go look how.

many Merle Haggard records there are or. Waylon Jennings records there's a bunch. dude Willie Nelson records there's. 90. Willie Nelson records it's really 60. or 90. wow so either way it's not a low. number right but like crazy because. those guys would they just went they. just lived in the studio man and they. wrote and they cut their buddies songs. that they loved and it was like it was. quick because it was all one take. we're going with the band get a take we.

like to take Don print it now it's go in. do the thing record the songs get every. part right comp the vocals comp the. guitar parts comp the drums like it. could take days and days and weeks. to get one song right now because. everything has to be perfect in. everyone's mind right and I think that's. the uniqueness of I mean Stapleton he. goes in and cuts records with a band. yeah and they cut it live to to tape and.

it's like. that's why it's different yeah it's it's. interesting what resonates too you know. uh I'm a big Coulter wall fan and uh. sleeping on the blacktop oh my God he's. the [ __ ] I play that's on Kate McCannon. and I tell people this guy was 21 when. he signed that yeah and people like what. he sounds like a cowboy from 1860s like. a dude has been smoking four packs of. camels a day Canadian guy right yeah I. believe yeah have you had him on no man. he doesn't do interviews really yeah he.

works on a ranch. that's super cool. dude that guy's so much cooler than me. damn it you guys so much cooler than. I've been trying to get him on for like. a year and a half two years he's like he. just doesn't do interviews he's just a. musician he's just an artist so like. he's pure in the strangest way I just. love to hang with him I just want to. meet him I'm like I just want to tell. him like Hey man like even if you don't. want to do an interview let's just talk. I just want to see what you're all about.

if he works on a ranch dude he hunts. right oh Gary you would think so maybe. that's the pitch yeah I mean there's so. many people from Canada that hunt too. yeah it's a different world up there it. really is man it's wild up there it's. wild place up there how did you meet. renella okay so I'm renella a stand dude. and I'm a renella Stan meat eater I've. been watching it for years man and it's. just like I've and you probably feel the. same way man like there's a lot of like.

machismo bravado stuff and like the. hunting like industry yeah that really. like turns me off to it because I feel. like. it's why so many people like have a. disdain for hunting it's not necessarily. obviously there's people that go you. shouldn't kill animals you shouldn't do. this you shouldn't do that right there's. always going to be those people but. there's the people that go the type of. people that hunt yeah it's almost a. stereotype right yeah and I didn't get.

into Huntington I was until I moved to. Nashville. I didn't grow up hunting my dad's from. the Rust Belt in Ohio like steel mill. you know his dad was a truck driver like. they didn't own land you know kind of. thing so he didn't hunt. that was just not a part of my. upbringing right I used. hunting and like inherently the guys. that started running songs with and the. guys I connected with all love to hunt. right so started out as like okay well. cool these guys will take me out that'll. be super fun and as I.

fell in love with it as my curse because. my career was taken off at the same time. right and so life became more and more. and more hectic and it became this. cathartic experience of like being able. to process some of what was happening to. me and just enjoying that hunting was. the opposite of everything else I was. doing in my life right it was like this. pursuit of this thing that was so like. pure it's calm like it's like I can I'm. in control of like what's going on out.

here and it's like you know obviously. not the animal but just being here and. being like present and not having my. phone and not worrying about posting a. Instagram or whatever it is yeah and I. fell in love with that rapidly and so as. I begin to go well dude I want to watch. this on television you know I want to. see this. so I start watching stuff and I'm like. dude some of these guys are brutal on. here like it's just not for me like yeah. stunning like oh we're going if it's.

brown it's down and just [ __ ] kill it. you know and it's like this whole thing. about it to me was odd yeah. right like it felt like this fake it. felt fake to me right. so then I turn on I see the show. mediator on Outdoor Channel. and I'm watching it it's like I see the. intro where it's like I'm Stephen. Ronaldo and hunting's not just about the. pursuit of an animal and all that and I. was like okay that's different than all. the other shows that I've seen. you know so I watched it and then.

there's this Mega intelligent cat on. there. and he's cooking dude and he's tall and. he's like a wealth of knowledge right. yeah and that's the thing that like that. gets me like my dad's a big like thinker. you know. um and he's always been interested in. just learning about new stuff like he's. always just taking in information and. learning things and so I think I kind of. inherited that from him. and so then I became kind of. obsessed with like this show this meteor.

show so I started watching an outdoor. Channel and then it comes on Netflix. this new the new kind of version that. comes on Netflix and I'm like dude this. is this is like Earth shattering for me. this is like it's marrying. the intelligence. of what this is and it's exposing people. to in my opinion what's the right side. of hunting to be yeah but the thing that. I love about it so much and I just for. you so then my career is starting to go. and go I saw you on there.

you know I was like man that's cool he's. having guests on you know that's pretty. sick you know and. all his buddies were like Wicked smart. and like knew everything and they do all. this to go to Alaska these incredible. places dude and so I just had my PR team. I was like just reach out to this guy. like please get me like how do I get on. the show like I want to be on this I. want to meet this guy and like be. buddies with him and stuff. and it took like two years. to finally get like okay we got a time. he wants to do it and what was it like.

when you first met well I met him when. he didn't have meat eater I met him when. he was doing a show called The Wild. within there was a show that was on I. forget what network it was on but it was. a show where he was kind of recreating. how. um. like the the people that traveled across. the West for the first time the the. early settlers right how they hunted and. you know like he shot a moose with a. musket and right and turned its its uh. Cape into uh like a raft and yeah it was.

drifting with it and I was like what an. interesting guy like really the the. whole thing behind he was you could tell. his his integrity and his his true uh. appreciation for the outdoors and for. wild animals and conspiration it feels. very pure and he's so well read I'm like. this is different than every other. hunting show that I'd ever seen the same. thing yeah to me and then I met he. didn't even know what a podcast was and.

but to his defense nobody did back then. it was it was very early and. um I think I met him in 2011 and then uh. he said he was doing a new show and he. asked me if I wanted a hunt and I said. I've always wanted hunt and I never. really knew how to get started right and. so it's intimidating dude it's a hard. thing to get into man it's a big. learning curve yep there's a lot and. then to try to figure out what to do and. how to do it and there's so much to. learn and there's so there's so much. involved in it and so he took me and my.

friend Brian Cowan to Montana mule deer. hunting. from then on I've never stopped hunting. yeah that was 2012. yeah I was hooked. what was it like the okay I'm curious to. know what it was like like so when you. like you've got his first meet was he. like a little cold when you first met. him a little standoffish yeah because. you know he thinks everyone's a. douchebag because a lot of people are. douchebags and it was it was the same. thing for me it was like it was like we. got there we hunted in Wyoming and you.

guys hunted Pronghorn right yeah yeah. and had never I'd never done that. um. all new yes amazing dude and that's a. Ancient Ancient animal yeah it is that's. the one of the animals that survived the. uh mass extinction of megafauna twelve. thousand years ago yeah it's because. this doesn't have any known really. relatives right it also States it has. speed that Rivals like [ __ ] cheetahs. yeah because they used to run from. cheetahs that's that's the animal it's. such a [ __ ] ancient animal it's so.

cool looking man yeah because not a. servid no yeah no that's what I was so. interested did you have you have you. hunted these no I have not dude have you. so I didn't and Ronald told me this in. the episode when we he was like smell it. it smells like Fritos it does it smells. like Fritos man it's so so strange and I. didn't realize their hair was Hollow. um so he's like if you shoot one and it. gets in the water you're screwed dude. because it weighs like three times as.

much because its hair absorbs all the. water so it just sinks so it's just like. well if you got to get it out uh and you. gotta drag this up with water it weighs. three times as much as it did before you. shot it wow because then the entire. thing is just saturated with water. that's interesting which I thought was. crazy I wonder why. I don't know it's got to serve some sort. of purpose yeah some ancient. evolutionary purpose yeah but I thought. Steve was he was like it was crazy like. we got there and we're all so hyped. because I brought my buddies Dan and.

Reed who. I could credit mostly with me getting. into hunting like two of my best buddies. I write songs with them. um you know we hang our kids hang out. together we hang out together a ton and. um they've been hunting their whole life. and um. and I took them with me I said hey if I. do this I want to bring my buddies it's. a great episode thanks man yeah I love. that one and and uh but yeah we were. like man Steve like does he not like us. dude it was like it was that first like. two hours where we were like you know.

but then I realized more I'm like dude. you're around me like people you don't. know with like guns and stuff you know. what he chilled out is when we went and. shot that night. because we got those six five three. hundred weatherby's that the meat eater. gun that they made with Weatherby and we. went and shot that night inside of them. in and then he was like all right these. guys know what they're doing and then he. was like immediately great like it was. interesting it was like he felt like. comfortable or like with us like he knew.

we weren't like bozos who were just out. there and like didn't know at all what. we were doing and like we were gonna in. some way be dangerous like to him or to. his crew or whatever it was like. immediately it was like he was a. completely different guy I didn't know. anything I didn't own a rifle at the. time I you know I didn't know anything. I'd never shot an animal I'd been. fishing that's it yeah never been. hunting at all and then next thing you. know we're in Montana and the Missouri. breaks you know hiking up mountains. looking for mule deer yeah for days and.

it was it was fascinating yeah I mean. he's just he's a serious dude but he. loves you he immediately contacted me. after you you did a show yeah yeah and. he's like you should get that guy on. dude he's man he's great and I mean he's. just been so gracious to to me and I was. up in Montana we had a couple days off. and I had him up I was like hey I'm in. town like what's something I can do and. he's like dude he's like bring you he's. like you can park your bus outside.

he's like come on he's like dude he. cooked dinner for me and my bus driver. my security guy like two guys he's never. met like it's like his kids are running. around like shooting us with Nerf guns. and stuff like and I was like this guy's. great man you know I was like it was. just great man I think he's the best. spokesman for hunting yeah because he's. he's the kind of guy that's so well read. and so articulate that he can have a. conversation with someone who has a. completely opposite opinion of what. hunting is right and at the end of it. they come away with a just a much more.

comprehensive perspective right of what. it's about and what conservation's about. and why why he loves this Pursuit and. why it resonates yeah yeah man he's. wicked and um I love him dude he's just. he's an unbelievable guy yeah I've been. hunting with him a bunch of times now. and including off camera we went hunting. recently in South Texas and. great guy. he is man he's cool yeah have you ever. rattled in Bucks before I haven't I.

haven't got we rattled in uh whitetails. down in South Texas it's the most fun. shed ever because you you basically set. up you have to have an arrow knocked and. you're [ __ ] your release on the CL. because they come running in right he. Sprint because it was in the middle of. the rut so you just Click and Clack you. take the the the fake antlers and you. rack them and then these deer just come. sprinting in Full Clip looking to fight. and [ __ ] dude I I've tried it a million. times right it just has never worked you.

know like Tennessee's. not exactly a hotbed for rattling in. Bucks you know I mean I can't say it. doesn't work for some of my buddies but. it's never worked for me it works. amazing in South Texas he said it works. there better than anywhere has ever been. and he doesn't no one knows why you know. but it's uh I think you just got to. catch it at the right time you got to. catch it right at a time when they're. [ __ ] and fighting right yeah it's. like a week or two week like Max where. it really really works and otherwise. they're like why is that going on yeah.

it's not supposed to be going on exactly. I'm not going out there that's weird you. know dear interesting man they're. interesting animals man the more you. watch them they just nothing makes sense. to me yeah with it the more I watch them. you know the things that are supposed to. happen often don't I find you know like. you're thinking this is going to be you. know I'm hunting the wind I'm I got the. stand I got the access I got the win I. got the spot I got the stand I got the. food plot yeah you know like in. Tennessee you can't hunt a rebate so. it's like you plant the food plot you.

know it's neon by July and the corn and. it's like you got it it's everything's. right. and then it's like it's rut you know. it's like and it's just nothing you know. sometimes you got there and you're like. what is how is this possible you know. well I have friends that are absolutely. obsessed with Whitetail especially my. friend John Dudley he has an enormous. plot of land that he is dedicated just. to bow hunting and that guy cultivates. it all year round he works on the food. plots he has stand set up specifically.

in areas so that he knows which way the. wind is blowing he's going to go to that. stand you know he goes to the stand on. an electric bike so he doesn't leave. behind any trace of smell yep so his. feet never touch the ground I do the. same thing yeah it sounds like it works. for him it works for him well he's a. master I mean John John's like one of. the best archers and best archery. coaches yeah in in in the space and he's. he's an amazing guy but man that guy is.

obsessed and whitetail's the most hunted. big game animal in North America I had a. heartbreaker this year man a whitetail. trip I went to Oklahoma for a week and. it was like it was jam up man it was. like there's gonna be deer like you know. it just fell everything's right right we. got this guy taking us out he was. awesome man he knew his stuff like. killer guy you know and it's like we're. like we're going in me and my buddies. were going in so as I went with Dana. Reed same guys I did meet here with we.

went. and we're like dude we're gonna do we're. tagging out first night dude like. they're sending us all these deer picks. like you know and we're like man it's. gonna be great it's the first night. don't really see anything right it's. like oh okay we're grabbing some morning. dude we'll be tagged now you know. morning and it's freezing this is so. it's archery only you know Oklahoma's. only got like two week rifle season I. think so we're doing archery. morning comes nothing I'm like man like. not really seeing like a ton of deer and.

stuff and we're like we're getting. tonight's tonight you know we got five. days to be out there and we were. thinking we're gonna be going home early. dude like we're gonna be here the first. night we're gonna tag out and be like. trying to spend two days just hanging. out you know or something and it's about. the third day we're like let's all. switch we'd all been in the same spots. you know different stance because they. had a few different leases kind of. around this area of Oklahoma so we were. all going to different spots I'm like. well it's all switch up right.

so I get in this tree in the afternoon. I'm sitting there my buddy Dan he's like. he's probably 500 yards away from me in. another tree and the the grass kind of. like really soft Rolling Hills like it. looks flat almost if you're in the car. and then you realize there's a little. bit of elevation change going on. so there's like this draw in between me. and Dan. I'm there and it's freezing dude wind's. blowing 25 miles an hour I mean just. hammering but the wind's perfect for. where I'm hunting at right because it's.

kind of like this. it's Grove of like Cedars you know and. that's where all the deer are because. everything else is just AG fields around. sitting there I got these three does I. watch them come like off this hill they. come through the Cedars hop this fence. dude they're 25 yards. in me like right on me dude you know so. I'm already like kind of standing up. because I'm I'm not you know we're not. even hunting a doe at this point you. know. and all of a sudden man behind this kind.

of berm over to my left there's like a. little pond. behind this burn walks out dude I'm. talking. you're gonna think I'm lying 230 inch. deer man what no lie everybody watching. this is gonna be like your line is new. you didn't see a 230 inch tier 230 inch. deer comes out he's at 60 yards. broadside. I've got my arrow I'm on the d-loop I'm. I'm up. but I'm not drawing on him because he's.

broadside at 60. the wind's a good 25. miles an hour right so it's so it's like. that arrow is going to go weird right. I'm not good enough to compensate for. that kind of wind I've also got does at. 25 yards underneath my feet. and I'm going this box coming in dude. he's walking right into this thing. there's no chance he doesn't walk in. here there's does in here feeding. underneath my feet and he's looking. right at him broadside like this. so I'm hooked up he kind of looks over. he's looking at the does and then he.

looks back really quick. and he takes off like it's dead Sprint. just stays at 60 and goes all the watch. him go all the way into the Cedars to. the wind swirl no the wind didn't swirl. and I'm going what is going on I called. Dan I'm like shaking at this point I've. got my bow back on the thing because the. the dough spooked out and they followed. him when they saw they look back at him. and when he took off they took off. I called Dan I was like dude I saw just.

once in ten lifetime deer just come out. and spooked at 60 yards like it can't be. me. if the wind's great like nothing saw me. dude it wasn't me. and then he's like he's on the phone. with me he goes dude there's coyotes. running through the draw right now I can. see him and I'm like oh gosh so I sat in. that stand for the next three days just. every morning three hours night three. hours [ __ ] kindness so last morning. I'm up there I look up back to where Dan.

was sitting at there's kind of another. AG fence into a cut it's like a cut. cotton field so it's not even like even. though it's cut there's not even food in. it right there's not beans in it or corn. in it it's a cut cotton field so really. in theory nothing that these deer would. be eating in this field really. so Dan's hunting somewhere else. so I call our guy. I see all these deer and I'm I'm. glassing probably like I said 500-ish. yards out. I'm glassing. and I see all these does all these does.

and I see them dude just. I mean you could see from 500 yards he's. a giant without binoculars you know what. I mean like just no doubt that this is. the same deer. and he's cruising and there's like if. you can imagine there's this wheatgrass. on the fence row right there. that's grown up probably four foot five. foot maybe. and there's a there's a gap in it where. there's a fence and probably six feet. there's another Gap where there's a. fence so it's all grass the whole way.

around except for where those two fences. are. so I watch every dough pow past the. First Fence past the second fence he's. behind him he comes past the First Fence. never goes past the second fence. and I go I call my guy I said dude come. get me this deer is bedded in this. little tiny spot I know exactly where he. is. and he goes all right he said we're. going back tonight because this deer is. not going to move. he said we're gonna do spot and stalk up. to this spot because I know he's laying.

right there. stock up. get probably. 75 yards from that spot. and we we pretty good feeling he's going. to jump this fence and come right across. this field to where we're at and we're. just going to be right there you know. I'm sitting crisscross applesauce like. ready. he goes if we got 15 minutes of light. left he's like we're gonna creep up. there. and see if we can spook him up kind of. thing.

we get up there dude my heart is going a. million miles an hour it probably is. right now just from being fat but it was. really going at that time dude you know. what I mean like I'm like I'm one blood. pressure point away from a stroke at. this point like hiking up this thing. we get up there and we're like. nothing's out there I'm like how can he. not be there so we're looking we look. down the fence and this property line. right there. it's like so it's like this fence we. have access to this fence here there's.

an adjacent fence right here that's not. that they don't have access on. so we Hop look. he's a hundred yards in the cut cotton. field just standing out in the cotton. field this is our last night we're going. to the plane after the hunt. and it was over man 230 inch deer. nervous I'll never see him again never. see anything like it wow this is not. high fence this is not a pin pay to play.

like pick your deer thing like I was. being excited to shoot a 145 on this. trip you know what I mean biggest trave. ever killed 155. you know and so I'm. like I got pictures of him oh somewhere. yeah I want to say it he's nuts let's. see if I can find him on here it's. fascinating how the the appeal of those. old mature bucks because you know. they're so smart they don't get to be. that big unless they make All the Right. Moves for five or six years forever they.

can make it forever dude and it's just. let me see if I can find this thing but. that's how they get to be that big. by just doing weird [ __ ] being smart not. being predictable where is this guy at. man. I got him in my text messages if I don't. have him here yeah. dead air you ever watch Always Sunny I. don't worry about that there. I remember this scene and Always Sunny. where they they're trying to do a.

podcast and nobody's saying anything. Danny DeVito just goes dead air. that always rings in my head when I'm. doing an interview for some reason. okay so I'm close here. I don't think people are ever gonna. appreciate the don't hunt what it means. to see an animal that's that unusual. holy [ __ ] yep. holy [ __ ] dude that's not a joke yeah. that's a gigantic deer wow.

wow yeah this is that this year so he's. still alive you think do they have any. trail cam photos of them yeah this is. from that's from a few weeks before we. were out there this is where this is. where I was right so this is my kind of. spot here what time of year are we there. we were there December like second week. of December yeah you're going back oh. I'm gonna have to yeah they said here's. the thing with this deer right here's.

another angle of them. they go here's the thing with this deer. they go even if he loses 20 inches he's. a 210 inch deer but there's a potential. that he could be a 250 inch deer this. year right if he's only five yeah God. this deer this deer breaks the county. record by 60 inches and it's a top 10. archery deer in the history of Oklahoma. if it goes down what's the number one. number one I could look it up it's in.

the two like 40s range like 245 range of. all-time archery deer in the state of. Oklahoma I didn't know Oklahoma had deer. were that big I don't think anybody does. so let's edit this part out. don't go to Oklahoma it stinks to hunt. in Northern Oklahoma stinks yeah Dudley. has a spot in Oklahoma it's dude I. didn't know about it until this year. yeah he's got a lease in Oklahoma he's. got some big [ __ ] deer on that lease. too we just had a friend that that put. us on to this guy and he was like man.

this guy's great and he's you know knows. his stuff and he's eager and you know. he's excited to have you all down and I. was like cool man like you gotta think. man we're I'm hunting Tennessee dude a. big deer in Tennessee's 140 inch deer. right you know so like I killed 155 in. Mississippi and thought I killed a. Tyrannosaurus Rex dude you know yeah so. like when you're going out west dude and. seeing these deer it's unbelievable to a. guy like myself to even see that you. know I mean growing a 145 on my own.

place would be. dear of a lifetime for most guys in. southeast North Carolina Tennessee. Georgia like that's. the biggest deer you'll ever see yeah. the the obsession that people have with. uh cultivating land developed. specifically to encourage whitetail deer. to move there I mean there's a whole. industry behind it where people buy. enormous plots of land and hire people. to do Land Management just to set it up. for deer yeah I mean I can't say I don't.

do it myself yeah I mean it's like it's. just so intoxicating of like not and. it's like man the high fence thing it. just doesn't do anything for me I've. never done it I don't want to do it it. just doesn't it's just not the same dude. it's a different thing it's just not. even comparable it's like not knowing. what's going to walk out is almost the. exciting part for sure to me. yeah it's the wildness the fact that. you're you're engaging with a wild. animal yeah the people that they feed.

them with feeders and they have a high. fence and it's only 500 Acres you know. where they all are they can't get out. right it's like do you want to shoot. Ricky or Johnny or Greg or which one and. they just go. yeah like that's Greg's whistle he'll. come out on that one you know well they. literally hear the feeders going off and. they come in which is yep it's there's a. lot of that in Texas yeah Tennessee. There's no you can have you can feed. them like not it's two weeks before. season. you have to have all feed uh like you.

can't have a grain of corn on the ground. that's not in a food plot you know you. can hunt at a food plot if you plant it. and cultivate it and stuff and you can. feed you know you can do protein corn. stuff like. obviously you can't do it during turkey. season either so you have to have it up. for that as well through the winter but. through them you can Supple well not. even winter because right that's season. right yeah right our season ends. like first week of January in Tennessee. so after that you could have you could.

have stuff out so you really you're. feeding through the spring and summer. have you ever done any uh Out West. Hunting like elk hunting no I want to. real bad though like real bad if you. think you get obsessed with white tail I. keep hearing about it wait till you see. a 400 inch Bowl raking its way through. the trees yeah looking like a [ __ ]. dinosaur yeah and then you hear them. scream.

is the wildest feeling and you know I. was we were talking before the Derek. Wolfe who you know was in the [ __ ]. Super Bowl and they they asked him. what is better sacking Tom Brady or. shooting an elk and he's like sack of. Don Brady's pretty [ __ ] cool but it's. not even close yeah it's not even close. there's something about those animals. man what's a turkey hunting they call it. poor man's elk hunting um right because. there's the colon response thing and. yeah you know I've shot a turkey it's.

not it's not the same thing turkeys are. cool yeah they're delicious it's great. yeah it's fun they are delicious it's. not the same thing yeah not any stretch. but that's why they call it the poor. man's elk yeah well that's just because. you call them in that's all that's where. the interactive nature of it I think is. what people get addicted to and that can. be similar to the elk hunting experience. too well I think it's just elk is just a. majestic animal too when you see them. just the [ __ ] antlers are insane yeah. they're just massive and it's just so.

delicious too the meat is so good yeah. I've had some I've had some buddies you. know cook for me that have got one and. it's yeah I'd love to get one of my own. for sure yeah be real nice the problem. with elk hunting is it's in the. mountains yep and it's a lot of hoof and. yeah you're not a lot 300 pound guys elk. hunting you know what I mean yeah I'm. mad unless they're six eight or. something dude you know what I mean. right like Derek yeah it's uh it's not. easy no it's the hardest yeah in terms.

of like just a physical workload it's. also part of it though right it's part. of like how much work you put into it. yeah to get this thing out of it well. that when I became friends with Cam. Haynes that's why I was so baffled I was. like why is this guy running all the. time yeah it tells me it runs all the. time for hunting I'm like what like how. does that make any sense and then you go. hunting for the first time in the. mountains you're like oh oh this is why. Oh I thought I was in pretty good shape. yeah I was like oh my God this is crazy. it's like Steve dude that guy can just. go yeah I mean he can just Mountain go. go yeah yeah he's been doing that his.

whole life too you know puts in so many. hours a year in the mountains yeah that. Buffalo book he wrote's unbelievable. it's very good yeah it's so good yeah he. got the rights to that luckily and now. really re-released it with his audio. because when he first sold it. um they had an actor read it you know. like something silver actor was terrible. yeah so he re-recorded it in his own. voice which is amazing yeah but that's. that thing that happens with a lot of. like first-time authors is they don't.

trust you to read it they want to get. someone who's some sort of a. professional so he lost that argument. and then as time went on and he became. more prominent and famous then he was. able to acquire the rights yeah through. meat eater and then re-release it which. is excellent yeah that's that's awesome. man that guy that um that that I don't. know if it was like a book like that. close encounters thing yeah Have you. listened to that yeah dude that is. chilling man that guy that goes through. the like hypothermia.

saying dude is one of the most intense. things I've ever listened to man the one. of the most intense stories he's ever. told me was when they were on a fog neck. Island. grizzly bear grizzly bear attack yeah. man yeah I was like oh it's the edge of. my seat dude when they were telling. evidence foot bear running through their. Camp dude I can't because it had claimed. their elk and they didn't know yet yeah. they shot it the day before they came. back to pack it out and they're sitting.

there eating sandwiches yeah yeah no one. has a gun on them yeah this thing just. comes running through the camp what'd. they say Giannis like hit it with a like. walking stick yeah from like five feet. away yeah it was like he said he could. like feel the Jaws snapping as it ran. past him oh yeah that freaked me out. dirt meth was on its back yeah something. happened and like he got knocked onto. the back of this thing and wrote it for. like 10 yards yeah they ran like. intersecting paths because he was.

running away from the bear the bear was. running away from them yeah and the bear. like hit him. or something and he flipped on his back. for like 10 yards he said yeah he. imagined that memory no of like this. bear is running and somehow or another. you're on its back on right what the. [ __ ] yeah he's I remember him telling. like they were telling us that part and. he was yeah I hit this bear and you know. everybody's kind of laughing and he's. laughing and stuff and then like right. when the story stops he looks at me goes.

I think about it every day. of course like he was just like he went. just immediately like yeah it was funny. to tell it and then he was like it was. also the most terrifying thing of all. time you know that guy he also works for. that show trafficked. so really yeah yeah I didn't know that. yeah Mariana van Zeller took him in the. jungles of Colombia where they grow and. manufacture cocaine jeez yeah so he's. still in the show yeah I've seen a bunch. of bunch episodes of that show that dude.

has been on some of the most Insane. Adventures ever yeah to go from riding a. grizzly bears back to packing out. cocaine with mules these these you know. drug mules that are taking it in. backpacks Through the Jungle I can't. imagine how like high intensity that. moment was like like to be like to know. that these people could just like shoot. you because they want to whatever they. have to right yeah because someone comes. along and catches them and they're. interacting with reporters and they just.

say you're going to kill these [ __ ]. people in front of us. yeah Jesus dude yeah that's a whole. nother kind of stress dude that I don't. want to be a part of Mariana is a. gangster that lady's been doing that. boots on the ground type dangerous. journalism for [ __ ] years I found out. about her because of the documentary. they did on Vanguard called the. Oxycontin Express that detailed those. pain clinics they had in Florida right. they would sell never seen oxy's and. there was no database yeah so you could.

go from one pain clinic to the next pain. clinic and just Stack Up thousands of. pills that's wow and then they would. just drive up the coast drive up Florida. rather into the northern states and sell. them and that was the Oxycontin Express. dude how do you get in like how like. that's got to be such a specific like. sect of like Humanity that wants to like. get into that kind of journalism right. yeah you got to be very very very brave. yeah it's not like that's not you're not. reading the Morning News dude no that's.

not that's not scratching the itch for. you no she's trying to figure things out. and then expose people to information. that's otherwise unavailable you know. she she found that there was La cops. that were selling drugs to the Mexican. cart excuse me they were selling guns to. the Mexican cartels so they would. confiscate guns from criminals and then. they would fill up a trunk with AKs and. ARs and pistols and then they would. drive to Mexico because to get into.

Mexico is easy Coming to America is. where it's difficult to check you but. getting into Mexico you just drive right. through so they were driving right. through with trunk fulls of confiscated. weapons they delivered them to the. cartels. wow dude that's just hard to believe. that that kind of stuff happens it's. happening right now yeah yeah I mean it. happened she said it happens all the. time and that's the main way they. acquire weapons that's wild man it's. crazy [ __ ] cops yeah the world's. crazy man it's a crazy Place dude you.

know yeah. it's wild that we think about all the. different things the conflicts that are. happening overseas when one of the most. wild conflicts is happening right south. of our border yeah and you know you. could literally walk over there yeah. um I'm sure you heard about those folks. that got killed where the these people. went down there I think I think the. story is one of the women went over. there for plastic surgery I think she. went over there they crossed the border. I think she's getting a butt lift or. something because it's like cheaper in.

Mexico right. and they got mistaken for a rival cartel. they got mistaken for some sort of rival. drug dealers or something and they. killed two of them and they kidnapped. these Americans and killed two of them. jeez dude yeah that's that's a real. recent story here it is how a trip to. Mexico for cosmetic surgery turned. deadly for U.S quartet deaths of two of. four Americans kidnapped at Matamoras uh. Place Spotlight on cartels impunity and.

on medical tourism. Jesus Christ that is wild man [ __ ]. crazy yeah. so they came from Lake City South. Carolina to Matamoras uh. just south of the U.S Mexico Frontier. they arrived in the Border City on the. 3rd of March but never made it to the. clinic members of a violent drug cartel. that controls the area mistook the group. of Americans as rival traffickers killed.

two of them and kidnapped McGee and one. of her friends McGee and Eric Williams. were rescued within days and the bodies. of her cousin Shaheed Woodward and. friends in Del Brown were later. repatriated on Thursday five men who. allegedly carried out the attack were. dumped on a matamora street along with a. surreal letter of apology purportedly. from the Gulf cartel we asked the public. to become the letter said in Spanish we. are committed that the mistakes caused. by indiscipline won't be repeated and.

that those responsible pay no matter who. they are. wow dude yeah I mean that's wild stuff. dude it's it's a sketchy place man and. it's it's fueled by the fact that drugs. are illegal that's what's crazy it's. like our idea that we're gonna you know. keep people safe by making drugs illegal. is propping up an illegal Enterprise. worth Untold billions of dollars. of amounts dude massive amounts of money. like you can't even process how much.

money it does it's crazy you know yeah. and it's also responsible for the. fentanyl deaths of a hundred thousand. people a year it's like [ __ ] hey man. crazy times man it really is man I've. always wanted to go to Mexico to hunt. because uh you know Sonora like yeah and. a giant mule deer yeah they have giant. mule deer South of the Border really. yeah huge huge numbers in the mule deer. in Mexico. just Google giant mule deer in Mexico.

yeah people go a buddy of mine just went. over there and shot up [ __ ] monster. and he said I don't know if I'm going. back again he said we had to meet. members of the cartel and we we pulled. up this place these dudes look at the. size of these mule deer. I mean oh goodness yeah look at these. things and uh it's all in the in the. desert of Mexico it's like one of the. most known places for enormous mule deer. in Sonora which is interesting right. because they have these tiny little Coos. deer and then they have and then these.

mouths that one's goodness yeah click on. that one Jamie yeah that one right there. look at that [ __ ] good night dude I mean. that's hard monsters monstrous mule deer. it's like semi-elk dude you're only. getting into elk territory yeah and it's. the the territory is gorgeous and it's. like the landscape is beautiful but you. know you might pass some dudes that are. you know parked in front of a G-Wagon. with you know AKs hanging from their. shoulders and you're like oh my God.

and then they ask you questions and talk. to you and you're like oh [ __ ] yeah they. just might kidnap you. that'd be real scary I mean most of the. time they leave those people alone. because there's a lot of Revenue and. tourism and they don't want to [ __ ] that. up and they also don't want to bring. heat down on them which is what happened. when these Americans got kidnapped also. in the world is aware and that can be. very dangerous for them yeah but I think. them dropping those five guys off on the. streets probably going to squash it you. know as weird as that is that's crazy.

man it's crazy stuff man it's just and. like again it's just hard to believe. that that stuff's going on right now. right there and someone's on the same. land mass yeah as America that's what's. crazy the same literally just further. down south in Texas it's happening right. closer like it it's closer to where. we're at right now than I was this. morning from where we're at right now. yeah. that's like I live in Nashville. Tennessee you know but some invisible. border that we created decided this is.

the line of lawlessness. it is wild I still would like to go down. there I just want I would like to know. if there's a way to do it safely. beautiful country oh my god I've been. down there a couple times it's gorgeous. man well Steve goes down there every. year to hunt Coos deer and he says it's. it's sketchy yeah it's sketchy but they. do it at this Ranch that has no. electricity it's this gorgeous Place. yeah they have this Mexican lady who. cooks for them all like real traditional.

Mexican food yeah he says it's insane we. went I went down there a few years ago. to um. do it I have a deal with Columbia. Sportswear. and uh I went down there to shoot some. content for them. um we were flying into we flew into Cabo. right and so the thing was we're gonna. go down there and like. you know try to like do more like catch. Marlon you know it was gonna be an idea. right and I'm like well this is a sick. like indoors like I get getting paid to.

like go like fish for Marlin like in. Mexico that's awesome you know so it. took a couple of my buddies down there. with me. um Jonathan and Dan and Ray uh three of. my dearest friends and um. we go down and like all we had to do was. like wear our Columbia stuff and they. just took pictures of us like hanging. out right. so we get into Cabo again none of us. have ever been to Mexico before. you know you hear those kind of stories. so you're like man it's like are we. gonna be cool when they're like yeah. well you know Cabo like it's like Resort.

Town you're good whatever. so we get down get out of the plane. there's a you know there's the guy with. the van and it's like got like the name. of like our party or whatever and it's. like Columbia or something and some of. the Columbia like staff were coming down. there with us too like the head of PFG. and and those kind of folks and. so we get in the van and like we're like. oh there's Cabo and stuff and we're. driving and like we get on the. interstate and I'm like. man Cabos. seems like it's behind us kind of right.

now you know we get like seems like. we're not going kind of towards it you. know. and I was like man that's gonna it's. kind of odd. then we're driving for like an hour and. a half. and then it's like. dude we are in like nowhere like nowhere. desert dude and I'm like. it's just right dude like are we because. all we got to the guy driving us dude. it's the guy driving us and like me and. my buddies and my manager Cappy.

and we're like I think because the. Columbia people traveled separate from. us right so we're like we're just hoping. that this guy is like taking us to the. right place and all of a sudden like we. pull into this just like town along the. coast and when I say Town there's not a. McDonald's there's not even like a store. right it's like a little the roads are. like sand roads dude and how when I say. the houses are like. like you think of a beach house right.

it's like there's the beat there's the. house and there's like the dunes and. then like you walk through the dunes and. there's the beach these houses were on. the beach bro like they were on the sand. like all the furniture in the house was. poured concrete with cushions on it. so if like the hurricane were to come it. would just you just put new cushions on. it the house would still be there you. know what I mean it was like and we walk. in and it's like sure [ __ ] that Colombia. like folks are there and there's like. these two guys there and they're.

whipping up like they're making homemade. tortilla chips they're cutting the. tortillas and like dropping them in the. oil chopping up like making homemade. guac and stuff and I'm like whoa this is. sick you know but where are we like. where is this place you know. so we do our do our thing that evening. get settled in we go out fish I call I. caught a like a 90 pound tuner or. something the next day it was awesome I. had so much fun so we get back that. night and it's when I say it's night. time and we're I mean it's desolate. right there's houses kind of along the.

beach but you can tell that not all of. them are like occupied all the time. right and it's not like these houses you. think of in the states like they're not. these big palatial like beach homes like. we have they're kind of quaint like. smaller homes. and all of a sudden we're sitting out. there like we got a little fire going. with me my buddies picking the guitar or. whatever I remember looking hug and see. like miles down the beach and I just see. just this one headlight. coming down the beach from like miles to.

miles down. and I'm like [ __ ] dude like we like. because all the colonial people they. were staying in like a like a resort. like 30 minutes away. so we're at the house alone in this town. this lights just keeps coming it keeps. coming and there's a beach little access. road right beside our house where we're. staying and this ATV comes in still like. the lights and like and it pulls up and. it stops right where we're at. and I'm like oh [ __ ] dude like are we.

about to like have to pay somebody dude. like what what the hell is going on. turns off gets off and it's this older. like white couple from Minnesota. and I'm like okay this is Mega weird. and like what are you what are you guys. doing down here we're like oh we're. down here writing songs whatever and. it was really it's really funny at my. buddy Dan goes we're talking so we start. talking to people and they're like yeah. we're retired and we come down our kids. are in college and we come down here and.

live just for the. you know summer or whatever winter or. whatever and stay down here. I was like oh it's cool you know we. don't have these people at all and my. manager is asleep so it's just me and. Dan and Jonathan and Ray it's got to be. 11 o'clock at night. and so he stuck some something talking. to my buddy dancers talking to this guy. and he's like yeah. he's like God. I'd love to you know get some get some. grass or whatever you know this guy said. something about grass but no he wasn't. talking about weed and then my buddy Dan.

was like yeah I'd love to get some grass. or whatever you know and. he's like well I got some back at the. house why don't y'all come over to the. house. and we were like that seems kind of. sketch right and I'm like damn we're. going dude we're going. and he was like dude this is a lot of. pressure dude he's like gappy's in there. dude like we're about to walk off in. this [ __ ] town due to the middle. Mexico like sand streets dude like I. don't know around one of these people I. know we're at so we go down there we.

walk down the road. we go in there dude it's like just this. is kind of old like cool ass biker guy. and his wife dude and just rolls this. one up dude we ripping with these folks. and we're walking with them and talking. and he's like yeah you guys like country. music you know my buddy Dan says that. and he's like you ever don't like any of. them them new guys you know they're all. sissies or whatever kind of thing you. know and my buddy Dan's like yeah. there's a couple guys that are pretty. good though and stuff and. so we get in there hang out with them we.

tell them we're riding ATVs the next day. and they're like well we'll show you. guys around we start ripping tequila. shots it's just me and my buddy Dan and. he's like 60 year old folks hanging out. and it comes to this point where my. buddy Dan goes he goes dude I got a. talent man and I was like what do you. mean it's like tell them what what do. you got to tell him he's like I gotta. tell him dude because like I know their. grandkids are probably like. like you dude like their grandkids. probably think you're cool and they're. not gonna know and he's like imagine he. goes dude he's like get it together oh. dude we're like.

we're going to we're taking tequila. shots like smoking Jays with these old. folks and he's like dude imagine if. these people were in their 20s. and they were hanging out with George. Strait dude and it was their. grandparents hanging out with George. Strait and they didn't know that it was. George Strait or whatever and I was like. dude I'm not George Strait though dude. like what are you talking about and he. goes man this guy's name's Luke and. everything and. and they're like oh cool you know I'm. like we took a picture with them and the. guy like rolled us a Jay for the next.

day and like we take off out and we're. like okay okay Mission like get back to. this house right. we get out in the street there's no. street lights dude there's one line on. this one house and it's just kind of. Illuminating this road this like sand. clay kind of road in front of us. and we walk out and I just hear this. like clean clean it's like a bell. and all of a sudden do these two huge. steers dude walk out like Bulls dude.

walk down this road and like I'm staring. down the barrel dude of these two. massive Bulls dude on the beach in. Mexico with they were baked we've been. hanging out with these old people dude. we're halfway lost trying to get back to. this house and we like hot we're like. hiding behind this dumpster and I'm like. is this real like where are we dude what. is this place and we get back we get. back to the house the Bulls pass we make. it back and it's got to be two or three. in the morning at this point.

get back and we open the slot we're. trying to sneak in so everybody's in bed. dude and I'm like I feel like I was. sneaking out of my parents house or. something again but I was like 24 or. five years old open the door my manager. unbeknownst to us is sleeping on the. couch outside and when we clicked the. door open he's like oh God he gets home. like we're freaked out and I was like. dude get up I was like I know there's. leftover shrimp in there dude make us a. stir fry he was like what are you.

talking about it's like dude we've been. hanging out with these old people we. almost got killed by these bulls and to. his credit dude he got up and whipped us. up like this breakfast Stir Fry at like. three something in the morning dude and. like that was my Mexico experience so. it's not it was a great time that's a. rural Mexico experience yeah it was. awesome dude no one lives in Mexico. Jesse Ventura. really yeah when he stopped being. governor of Minnesota he got a compound. in Mexico why well you know he was doing.

that Conspiracy Theory show I'm gonna. get some of this and I think he got. balls deep into this idea that a America. is so profoundly corrupt and dangerous. and you know he didn't want to have any. part of it anymore he wanted to get the. [ __ ] out of America and he bought a. compound in Mexico. so that's wild man how old is he now. he's got to be like pretty old is he 80s. or 70s late 70s a good question I had. him on the podcast a few years back and. you know he's got like a little bit of a.

shake to him now and he's got some. health issues how old is he now 71 years. old 71. Minnesota Jesse Ventura from. Minnesota so he was a wrestler yeah. wild man yeah I was a wrestler and then. became the governor of Minnesota as an. independent. that's pretty cool yeah that's rare. that's like a rare thing to happen he's. gonna run for president it's a predator. yeah he's all Predator right that's. right right. a bunch of slack drunk remember that he.

was amazing. yeah that was a great [ __ ] movie man. that was fun did you see the new one I. haven't seen the new one the new one's. awesome yeah they did a new one about. the Comanches so that's pretty the new. one is uh like a prequel oh it's like. the Predators have been coming too yeah. for a long time right yeah okay that's. cool yeah when they come and they make. war with the Comanche it's [ __ ]. awesome is it you like that [ __ ].

anything involving aliens and Native. Americans oh man dude I feel like those. gung-ho like like late 80s like early. 90s action movies were like the sickest. dude I remember Commando I've seen that. movie 8 000 times dude like it's just. that was a different level dude. Schwarzenegger was just killing it dude. oh he had so many of those movies too. so many of those gung-ho kind of corny. action movies but they were sick though.

they were sick dude like I mean how many. guys look at them dude look at this guy. I'd like to look like 10 of that guy. dude would be awesome you know. it's interesting seeing guys like that. as they get older it's just like you. realize like we don't have much time. they really don't because when I was in. high school this guy was a stud and now. he's this older dude. is this the trailer I love the chain. mail vest the bad guy in this movie.

wears dude oh those movies back then the. Chuck Norris movies launcher dude was so. hard dude Commando. look at that guy dude this guy he had. the chain mail vested. yeah those movies were so good. Kindergarten Cop mhm. oh yeah yeah this movie's legendary me. and my dad is that Ray Don Chong. I don't know who was in that with him.

Alyssa Milano's in it his young daughter. yeah it's radon Chong that's Tommy. Chong's daughter. Wild. how about uh another one Big Trouble in. Little China dude oh yeah I love that. flick that's a class me and my dad watch. that all the time that's a classic yeah. that was a classic one man yeah it's. it's funny when you try to go back and. watch those thing now is it a qualifier. for being old that like everything or. feeling old where you're like.

man stuff was better back then that's. just a qualifier right yeah of like. everybody thinks that way yeah yeah I. mean I listen to my kids music now I'm. like what the [ __ ] are you listening to. this is nonsense right you know which. essentially my 12 year old is really. into like old [ __ ] she's in a kiss in. Nirvana and all all kinds like she she. plays Me music and I'm like how the [ __ ]. do you know this like she's into she's. into like really my 14 year old is into. like contemporary [ __ ] like whatever's.

popular now she's into that right she. did a lot of rap and my 12 year old is. into like really cool old music what are. you into music-wise like what would be. okay you got five dude five okay you. only listen to five artists forever. and it's not so it's technically not a. favorite five list. yeah because I always take into account. in this question like the scope of the. catalog right so like if I can really. only listen to five artists forever like. I don't want to listen to someone with. two albums that I really like right like.

I gotta have somebody that's got enough. of a catalog to like keep me going. through well I'm a giant Hendrix fan. okay which is why uh I named the podcast. that Joe Rogan Experience okay. so Hendricks would have to be on the. list because it's just something about. Hendrix to me has always been like a. magical figure there's something about. him that just embodied the spirit of the. rebelliousness of the 1960s this shift. from the 50s to the 60s and yeah the. ex-army guy I mean it was like that was.

the whole he was like a micro cause like. a you know he was like a synopsis of the. whole era yes like embodied in like a. human being also. unparalleled genius on the guitar like. no one had ever seen anything like that. before yeah without a doubt like Eric. Clapton famously talked about the first. time he saw Jimi Hendrix play and he. just wanted to throw his guitar Into the. Fire like what the [ __ ] am I doing what. am I gonna do right yeah Jesus Christ. um you know I used to do uh news radio. the sitcom with Phil Hartman and when.

Phil Hartman was young he worked as like. um like a roadie and you know he worked. for I think it was the Whiskey pretty. sure it was the Whiskey and so he was. there I believe he was 18 when Hendricks. was plan and his job was to make sure. that the speakers didn't fall into the. audience like the way it was set up so. he had a stand there like right by the. stage why Hendricks was right there. playing in front of him that's why he. said it was the most [ __ ] surreal.

experience of his life to see. whale got the whiskey on Sunset just and. he's he's a kid just like standing there. like just with his hands on the speaker. making sure it doesn't fall over. it's just it's just hard to even fathom. that it's hard to Fathom yeah so Hendrix. Hendrix for sure. oh my God. it's tough It's a tough question it's. you only have five it's hard I'm a giant.

fan of classic rock you know like I. really love Zeppelin and you know Pink. Floyd and there's something about. there's something about the music for me. that is of that era of the 1960s like. I'm obsessed with 1960s cars I have a. bunch of 60s muscle cars this is they're. my favorite I just sometimes I go in my. garage I just stare at him I just sit. there for like an hour and just stare at. my hand these are sick I'll just pull up. a folding chair and just stare at the. car there's just something about those. things I mean that's when I was born to.

I was born in 67 and I feel like there's. something about that. about going to high school like when. those cars had you know like you could. kind of acquire those cars when you're. 18. and it was you know because they weren't. really that valuable back then oddly. enough right they were just kind of like. the cars people had yeah you could get. like a 1968 olds for like. two two grand like a really Mint one. that's wow yeah and it was just there's. something about that era that to me. symbolizes the shift in American culture.

the American culture that shifted from. the the you know the music and the. culture of the 1950s to the 1960s the. Vietnam War and the just a change of the. Society of the the zeitgeisted and right. the drugs and the rebelliousness and the. hippie movement and the anti-war. movement and just the rock and roll was. undeniable you know yeah it definitely. the doors and yeah had that it had it. had balls behind it man it was like and. it was like the music was made.

you know it wasn't this commercialized. thing right it wasn't like no one was. thinking about it in that sense at that. time and maybe I'm insane for thinking. that but it just it feels like that. someone who wasn't even born then who. goes back and listens to that music it. has this like. grit to it that just doesn't well just. go from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix just. do that that's not that much time you. know you're talking about like the. difference between like 2013 and today.

the difference between 2013 music wise. and today is not that much of a. difference no it's not it's just music. but country music it is is it it is yeah. I mean think about hey I got a piss you. have to come back and we'll talk about. the difference. I can imagine it gets Wild. dude I get I'll get twisted dude on it I. get mega anxiety guy dude yeah I get. like here's my thing that I used to love. it dude and when I when it's good.

it can't be beat right right but I feel. like as I got so like it starts out. right like you're in college it's like. okay. 10 out of 10 times I'm loving this yeah. right. and then the years kind of went on and. it was like okay like one out of every. 10 times it's not great for me and then. like the years went on and it was like. three times out of ten and now it's kind. of this point where it's like nine times. out of ten dude I'm like thinking I'm. dying I'm having a panic attack dude and.

it's like I just dude it and I hate that. because it is like the in my opinion one. of the best things in the world yeah but. like for me it like it is somehow like. my brain has changed where it like. doesn't well you have responsibilities. now yeah but it's like I even then I. guess I don't even think it's that it's. like it's almost like it's a chemical. thing. for me and like I hate that so much. because I I did enjoy it so much and it. was like it was such a great thing for.

me like when like creatively or like. and just to relax dude or like have a. great time with my buddies dude and it's. like I hate that I can't enjoy it. anymore and because I see other people. enjoy it I just gotta power through I. know but it's like it gets to this point. where like be around the right people. powers are bad dude even if I'm with the. right people though it's like it becomes. like this thing or it's like I suffer. from like really bad like really really. really bad OCD like horrible like in. what way.

Okay so. it's like this weird almost like. not even like necessarily probably. considered like a legit it's like an I. would guess newer would be considered. form. and newer in medical terms because like. the 80s is when like the first people. were kind of exploring this type it. would be called like a purely. obsessional OCD which is like okay so. you think when I say OCD what do you. think of washing your hands too many. times touching things before you leave. you have to touch things three times or.

like straightening them like Howard. Stern style OCD right like you're like. everything's gonna be like this yeah. everything's gonna be right right right. so my thing is it pure OCD is right. where there's these unanswered questions. in your mind. that it can never be answered. and the ritual is trying to find an. answer like what kind of questions okay. so it could be like let's say you are. super religious right and you love like.

at your core like your belief in God and. and Jesus and your or any religion. really is the centered part of your life. right. so one theme of it can be you have a. thought everybody has crazy thoughts. that slip through their head every day. and they come and go it's like somebody. walking by you on the street right they. walk by and they go oh that was weird I. just had a thought about jumping into. traffic. I don't want to. I don't even that thought doesn't even. affect me in any way. it just comes and goes it's like a weird.

thought that's a symptom of my brain. right people like me become obsessed. with the meaning of those thoughts and. why they entered our brain when really. they don't mean anything so like someone. that really loves God and that's a core. part of their being is they would go. well what if I hate God and that thought. just it's just it comes it's gone as far. as it can. that thought in your brain triggers a. flight or fight response. so you get this Mega adrenaline dump.

panic attack moment so then that gives. it validity to your brain it says this. is something we need to be concerned. about so it starts sending that thought. more and more and more and the obsession. becomes. why did I have that thought what does it. mean. do I really hate this thing and it. essentially attacks the things that are. essentially the antithesis of the. antithesis of who you actually are right. so a lot of people have like uh like.

violent obsessions. where would they would have a thought of. like stabbing somebody they don't want. to stab anybody right really at the core. of their being they're probably the most. gentle soul in the world which is why. the thought causes them anxiety and so. then they become obsessed like they get. on their phone and they're like why did. I have this like what are the symptoms. of being a psychopath or why am I like. this or what did I do this like and so. these themes when you have them they. shift over time but that period could be. three four five six months at a time.

and then you have another thought that's. different a different theme and it just. switches like that and then you think. back on the other one and you're like. that was so dumb I can't believe I. worried about that now I'm worried about. what if I'm schizophrenic and I don't. know. when you're obsessed with this thing and. and I've all my buddies know this about. me and I'm not afraid to talk about it. or anything but it's like. people ask me sometimes like my buddies. would ask me especially in high school.

is when it really kind of started for me. and I think. they would go you know try to explain it. to me and the only way I could explain. to you how truly bad it is right is if. like if someone. like murdered my whole family. I would rather them be free and live. with what I had than go to jail. that's how bad it is whoa and that's. like it's not an exaggeration in any way. shape or form I wouldn't wish it on.

anybody in the entire world so it just. comes in waves and you can't control it. yeah pretty much I had a friend who was. uh he had that and uh he would get these. thoughts that he couldn't stop and he. didn't know why and he would have panic. attacks and uh he's a comic and he was. uh doing warm-up for The Cosby Show you. know warm-up is you're kind of like. telling kind of mild jokes and you're. explaining the scene and you're just. keeping everybody engaged because the. process of filming a television show is. pretty it's pretty arduous yeah there's.

a lot going on you know and sometimes. there's down time and during that down. time he would you know do kind of stand. up for the crowd and work and he gets. this thought in his head. that says don't say the n-word that. would be exactly the same thing so that. would be exactly the same he gets this. thought and it's paralyzing he's. terrified he's gonna say it right and he. can't talk. right so his his mouth is quivering he's.

trying to tell his jokes but he's not. thinking at all about what he's saying. so now he's bombing so he's bombing on. the entire time his mind is screaming at. him you're gonna say it you're gonna say. it don't say it don't say it yeah and he. just has a [ __ ] full-on panic attack. while he's doing so that would be that. would be like a I've never had that. particular theme like there is a theme. of that like people who like your brains. like you're about to say this thing.

don't say it right and then you're like. why would I think that I don't want to. say that or I don't think that way or. that's not who I am and like that makes. your brain send it more so it's like a. broken circuit it's a broken circuit for. sure and. you like being afraid of it is what. perpetuates it so like the only answer. to it is living with the uncertainty. like let's say I'm your friend in that. moment. only way you can talk yourself out of it. is you go you know what I might say it.

really. that's how you talk yourself out like I. might I might jump in front of this. truck for sure I'll be like you know. what I could jump in that front of that. truck if I want to. and that's how you get I'm okay with it. I'm okay with that I'm not going to but. if I wanted to I could and I might and. that's okay and like but you like I. can't even explain to people it's like. because it's so weird to imagine like. having like if you had a thought of like. I'm gonna reach across this table and. just deck you one and I don't want to.

and I'm afraid of that but if I go you. know what. I could and I have to be okay with that. wow like it's almost like a paradox. right you're almost tricking the. disorder. because then if you don't care about it. anymore then your brain stops sending. the thoughts because the thoughts are. what's distressing yeah right the I like. the the thoughts coming in continually. are what stresses you out because the. more you have them you're thinking well. that must be who I am. well I must be this violent criminal or. I must be this I must be that or yeah.

whatever whatever it is I must not love. my wife or it's all these things that. can never be answered right it's not. like what's two plus two well we all. know that's four. these are all questions that really can. there is no answer to them at all and. marijuana triggers those no not not. really I just think I I just think that. like. it can't be something that's like no and. that's the thing is I'm not afraid of. those thoughts at all like they don't. bother me because you become comfortable. with them yeah like and it took me a.

decade to get did you get counseling did. you talk a few times not routinely you. know but I think counseling is almost. paradoxical right because the more you. focus on it. oh boy so it can become a weird slope. because reassurance seeking from other. people like if I told my best friend. dude I just had this thought about. shooting this guy like tell me I don't. want to shoot this guy and then he goes. dude you're not going to shoot that guy. and I go oh God thank God.

then that you get addicted to the. reassurance seeking which then makes the. thoughts come more and more and more and. more and more because you're giving them. attention and giving them attention. you're giving them attention and it's so. strange dude and it's like I know dude. that there's. so many people that struggle with it and. no one would ever know I could be having. them right now and you'd have no clue. wow I could be totally checked out of. this conversation it's almost like. you're living two lives at the same time. it's freaky dude and it's like I.

wouldn't wish it on anybody dude I. wouldn't it's terrible how often does it. happen. um. now yeah almost never oh but back then I. mean I would attribute it to. par I mean the majority I would. attribute it to like me failing out of. college probably like it's like don't. even thinking you're gonna be a loser I. don't even want no no like you don't. even want to go out of the house because. you're on the bus to school and you're. thinking about like killing people so.

that's why you dropped out of college I. mean it attributed to my horrible grades. without a doubt because it was like it. was all like I remember the new the new. Scream movie had come out like when I. was like 21. this is around the time I. started playing guitar. and I was at my obsessions at that time. were like violent obsessions and. I would like the scream commercial would. come on like to promote the movie and I. would turn it off because I didn't even. want to see like anything like I. wouldn't even play like violent video. games wow which is the wrong way that's.

the wrong thing because then avoidance. and reassurance seeking are what make. the thoughts more prevalent it's such a. paradoxical thing it's so strange man. does anything help it like if you go for. a hike or if you you know it would yeah. I mean the more you can go out and not. just the more you hide from it but do. you get paralyzed by it yeah for sure. you can't go no for sure and but then. it's the thing it's like that you have. to now like if if I were to have it now. you just have to continue on and I just.

know now that if I have it like it will. end do you have you ever ever got it. when you're on stage. yeah for sure oh yeah wow no doubt and. it's like you feel so trapped man you. want to talk about feeling trapped I. mean you're in an arena with 20 000. people in there and you're like having a. full-blown like. and you're singing the song oh my God. and it's like nobody would even know. that wow you know but like that's uh.

yeah that's a lonely feeling dude you. know what I mean but it's. I you know I I if anything I wanna you. know I know that there's kids that. are at home like. dealing with this right now and like. I didn't even know what it was until I. was probably 19 or 20 years old and I'd. had it since I was probably 12. and so you're just afraid dude you just. don't you can't explain to your parents. they don't know what to do they're like.

I don't know what to do like. it's just I can't imagine some kid at. home going through this right now going. through that right now and like. it's just so sad dude to me to know that. there's people that deal with it and. it's like that it's such a it's and it's. kind of obscure right so it's not like. this it's not depression right it's not. like the hyped up like oh I have. you know I have depression or anxiety or. whatever it's like. I always wonder with people that have.

things like that that are also great. artists I always wonder they run hand in. hand something about yeah that like. contributes to the depth of your art I I. think it's creativity right so. creativity can be a really great thing. and a really bad thing in my opinion. because I think the creative side of my. brain that can create a song and a story. from nothing right like I could write a. song about this. you know bronze skull you have here if I.

really had to yeah and I could create a. story that was at least mildly. compelling about it. but I can also do that with the thought. of stabbing somebody that I don't want. to have right and my brain just runs. with it it's the same circuit right like. my brain runs with that creativeness and. that can be a really detrimental thing. to your mental health too. you know. did they ever try to give you medication. for this in high school yeah what'd they. give you. um. it would probably be now like.

I guess like maybe he's like Zoloft. maybe I'm not sure what the generic of. that would be so it's a SSRI yeah it's. an SSRI of some sort. um and that. that. it just didn't hit it for me you know. and that probably does work for a lot of. people it just never hit it for me I. didn't stop the thoughts no. that's the thing I don't know like I. wasn't on it long enough. you know I was on it for a month and and.

really then the terms of ssris that's. not even long enough for them to take. effect right like really you have to. take them for what two or three months I. think for them to be fully. going right so there is some sort of. like serotonin dopamine imbalance thing. going on associated with it and I just. choose to not go that route but I think. if that route works for people then they. should do that but that just wasn't. something that I was interested in. because I feel like it would have numbed. like. the creative aspect the positive yeah or.

like anything that was left of like my. positive life at that point yeah I've. heard people talk about Zoloft. specifically in that regard where. they're just like it numbs them or. nothing bothers them. but nothing excites them either they. just flat it's just kind of yeah I I. wouldn't want to do that and you know. [ __ ] that and I think I think in some. ways I mean it's something probably. sound nuts to say this but I think in. some ways my my brain is kind of like. dead anyways. now and I think that may be an effect of.

of the disorder that I've had. um. like nothing really gets me through the. roof excited wear it down and through. the roofs like in the dumps either and I. think so you've like managed your mind. to keep it in like a certain frequency I. think and and I feel like it's a. subconscious like almost defense. mechanism of like having gone through. like just these different. things of that and that's bothered me a. lot over the course of my career too.

because I. sometimes I feel really guilty about not. feeling the way I feel like I should. feel about certain things but in what. way like if I win. a big award or if I get a number one. song or. like those things are incredible and. that's what I want to be doing like. that's why I started doing this but like. I don't get that serotonin like dopamine. head off of those things like I feel. like do you get that I watch my. colleagues do and I wonder.

when I watch it like I watch someone win. an award like male vocalist of the year. or at the CMAs or whatever and go up and. accept the award and they're like. almost in tears like I don't feel that. way. and that makes me feel really like. guilty and like that something's like. wrong with me. you know as is that make sense what I'm. saying you know like like I think you. watch movies your whole life and you. feel like this is the way that people. are supposed to feel about things.

and like like sometimes I've and like I. appreciate the scope of what's going on. and what it means to me and my team and. like I'm so like insanely proud of all. those accomplishments like insanely like. this is why I like do this it's like to. have achieved all these great things but. in that moment like it's not this like. overflow of like joy and like tears and. like there's a few times in my life I.

felt that's when I got married to my. wife. that's when my son was born. that's it dude like and that's uh and. like I felt no and like I feel like I. miss out on a lot because of this. disorder like because of the way my. brain. works or the the way that it's defended. itself or something and there's probably. a bunch of science that says I'm dumb or. that I'm just like emotionless weirdo. but like.

I like I feel like I've been robbed of. that of all these things like and maybe. they all just seem trivial because of. all the [ __ ] that I dealt with for so. long with it like the battles left on. inside my own head. um. I don't know it's hard to really explain. like it's hard to explain because the. only way I would know is if I could. somehow or another be in your brain it's. like I'm trying to imagine right that I. can imagine it but I can't imagine.

living with it like you've lived with it. and what you've the steps you've taken. to sort of get your place your mind into. this place yeah like I just. I'm just it's like I'm so thankful dude. to just not be living in that mindset do. you have those positive thoughts when. you create a new song when you have yeah. yeah but it's. L I love writing songs man I love it but. maybe. I mean I don't get those feelings either.

for big things it's very odd okay that. makes me feel better yeah like I it's. very odd does that ever bother you in. the sense of like do you do you watch. people go up like let's say there's I'm. not super familiar with the like comedic. world like is there an award no no. we don't want right but like let's say. there was right let's in a let's do like. in the next reality right like let's say.

there's the Oscars for common comedy. Oscars right and you go up and it's like. funniest son of a [ __ ] in the world. award and that's the biggest thing in. comedy dude you know what I mean like. all your Heroes want it yeah I wouldn't. be excited about that. right but but imagine being in the crowd. let's say. you won it that let's say you want it. right and let's say you won it last year. yeah and you're like man it just didn't. feel like it was supposed to and you're. like I I love that I won that because I.

worked really hard and I want that's. something I want to achieve in your. brain you know that yeah and you. appreciate the [ __ ] of it you have it in. your house it's awesome you're really. proud of it and the next year somebody. else wins it and they get up dude and. they're pouring the tears dude and. they're like having this big like. emotional Outburst about winning this. thing and how much it means to them. and then you're going why didn't I do.

that why why didn't I feel that like. rush like was I robbed of that Rush of. emotion like I often wonder that about. myself like when I see my colleagues win. things that I've even won. and they can barely even talk to get. through the tears and I'm up there like. hey man this is so great like I love my. wife and my team and like everything's. great thank you is that just mean I'm a. different guy yeah you're just a. different guy I don't but that's the. things I wonder dude about about that. stuff yeah I don't um I don't get.

excited about things like that I don't. get excited about winning things I don't. get excited about that kind of stuff. like a great show like even like a. sellout Madison Square Garden Standing. Ovation I'm like that's great. right I'm not thinking I don't think. about it like like these emotional big. moments my focus is always on the thing. I'm doing and that's what's important. and it worked it's supposed to work. you've worked hard to make it work then. you did it good get back to work that's.

my mind my mind is like don't right. don't get all [ __ ] excited about the. fact that this was great right don't get. stupid go right back to work so my mind. is always no matter what happens. whatever accomplishments my mind is. always focused only on the work. but I think it's a creative thing I. think so too because what I get excited. about like I have this new bit that I. wrote yesterday and I did it last night. and it killed and I'm like oh I got. something I got taught something I got.

like a seed so for me like uh bits or. seeds and those seeds are like a Divine. gift of the universe right like whatever. it is that creates creativity whatever. it is it creates an idea that that. enters into your mind and now you can. give life to and then you become. obsessed with it that's what I get. excited about I get excited about these. moments and I get excited about when. they work I'm excited about making but. it's never excited for me. it's never I'm never like I feel that. I'm the man I did it I just never I feel.

that I never feel that yeah and I feel. like that because that's wasted energy. and I feel like that kind of celebrating. is like. come on man you know what the [ __ ]. you're doing you've been doing this. forever like you this is what you do. like you yeah it's a great show that's. fun it's nice to have a great show but. that's not what's important what's. important is the thing this [ __ ]. Untold how many people million people. that are into what you're doing like. what you got to do is get back to work. right like I have a massive. responsibility to continue to create and.

to do the best I can whether it's with. podcasting or whether it's with uh doing. stand-up or whether it's doing UFC. commentary I have like this massive. responsibility to just just do the best. I can so that's all I think about is. like the thing that I can control you. become obsessed with the result as in. the sense of like the process and the. result right and I'm the same way dude. like I I just. okay so let me ask you this I'm.

interested so. you're obsessed with the result right so. you go up you do your bit last night and. it [ __ ] crushes dude it slams you. love it right everybody loves it. and you're like I got something yeah. are you. in so after that ends and you're sitting. in the green room and let's say or you. finally get home and you're by yourself. what is the thing that that keeps you. shove in the shoving the needle in your.

arm dude it's what just is it the. reaction and knowing that I've done it I. did it again I did the joke I got the. joke that's the joke no it's not it's. almost not me right it's the thing it's. like I know that I'm the person who's in. front of the keyboard who came up with. these ideas and who write it down wrote. it on my phone and I'm the dude who's. pacing Around The Green Room trying to. figure out which way to set it up and. should I chop this part out or let me. just get the bullet points and then just.

talk to these people and tell them what. I think about this thing and the comedy. is going to come out of that yeah it's. just that it's never like me it's always. it's always it's a focus on the thing. and it's res but it's the fact that it. resonates with someone else yes on on. such a grand scale well if it resonates. with me it'll resonate with someone else. that's that's what I found if as long as. I'm honest about my Approach and as long. as I'm like what the [ __ ] like if I I. think it's funny and I start thinking.

like about what's funny about it right. then I then the thing is just figure out. a way to get that into people's minds. the smoothest cleanest funniest. sneakiest way right. you know and it's a process so the. process is what's very exciting because. the beginning is usually a little clunky. because you're not exactly sure how. you're going to say it sure and maybe I. said it right last night but I forgot. how to say it right tonight I [ __ ] it. up and then I have to live with that and. then the next day I have to start all.

over again and then I go over the notes. and I go over the [ __ ] recordings and. I try to figure but it's always the. thing it's never it's never like look. what I did I [ __ ] did I'm crying. right zero right I get zero yeah like. even when I film specials even if I film. a Netflix special it [ __ ] kills I'm. like okay we did it and then when I put. it down I stay offline I don't read. reviews I'm like I just gotta keep. moving yeah I keep concentrating on this.

thing that I'm doing yeah that makes. that makes me feel great because I I. feel. I feel that same way man but there's. nothing wrong with freaking out too. there's nothing wrong with no one up. there and crying and no this is an. amazing moment for you and you've worked. so hard for that I just think every. individual creative person has a unique. way of addressing ideas and the thing. that you're in love with and with you. the thing you're in love with is music. and you address that music and clearly. it's working like your process creates. amazing songs so there's something about.

this way you think where you don't get. excited about things that keeps you in. that moment and I think you're thinking. about it as a negative but I think it's. a superpower I really do and I think. it's one of the reasons why your songs. are so good I think it's a part of your. mind and it's it's just like you have. this unique gift of your mind it's a. unique mind there's no one else like you. you are you and that that's that's. what's coming out and that's why that's. why like the the award shows are. [ __ ] all these people clapping On. Cue and like why would I get excited.

about it's the same thing has already. happened the music is is affected when. people are listening to one of your. songs in their car and they start crying. that's what's up that's the award that's. that's the [ __ ] award man and you're. not gonna be there for now you're not. even going to be there for that yeah the. beauty of it is when you are there for. that is is that a show right yeah like. if you get that one. person out of sixty thousand or whatever. now that we're doing these stadiums it's.

like that makes it to the front row yeah. and they want to hear this one song yeah. that means. so much to them and you play it yeah and. you see them dude I've had many many. many nights where it's like I have one. song in particular that's called even. though I'm leaving that's a song. um that essentially starts out with like. a dad talking to his son saying like oh. man like you're scared of the I know. there's not any monsters under the bed. kind of thing and like I'm just down the.

hall you know I'm leaving I'm not going. nowhere right and next verse is then. it's the Sun and he's going off to war. right and the the hook changes to you. know even though you're leaving I'm not. going nowhere you know I'll be here when. you get back kind of thing and then the. last verse is the dad passing away and. it's like hey man like even though I'm. leaving I'm not going anywhere you know. and like. there's been many nights where like I. used to see that person that's connected.

with that like that's lost their dad. right and they're there and you're. they're right in your face man and. they're just like there's three or four. people on them. just you know and they're just weeping. dude I'm uncontrollably and it's like. it's powerful dude I mean that stuff is. like there I mean that's powerful stuff. man and that's that's that's the reason. you do it that's it that's why you do it. that's why you don't get excited about. Awards man yeah there's nothing wrong. with you because there's nothing that's.

yeah there's nothing that speaks. to me like that does that's also why. it's so good man that's why it's so good. the reason why you have this thought. process behind it is is like the end. result yeah it's just. you want to make people feel something. dude yeah you know what I mean like yeah. like you want to make them yeah feel. this like whether it's a cathartic thing. or it's like. you know like even songs that maybe are. Mega sad it's like.

there's something cathartic about like. basking and sadness yeah I think too. sometimes like very something very. attractive right like like people it's. like sometimes you hear like well you. know you know pull yourself out of it. kind of thing but like I think there's a. that's an important part of the some. sort of process of life is if you get. your heart broken or yes a loved one. passes away like that yeah inherent. sadness is like part of the process. right and it's like that's such a. powerful like human emotion to me like.

it's everyone yeah yeah to all the. people who feel yeah it's that's why. people love those sad songs. I mean it's not that they want to be sad. they don't want to listen to some oh I'm. too happy today let me listen to Luke. Combs and get start crying right but. it's like they want to hear this put. this song on so it's almost like. reaffirming this feeling you know it. just resonates with human emotion and. feeling and thought and the appreciation. of people when they are there you know.

that's part of the sorrow is the the. back side of it is the appreciation of. the people that are in your life that. you love yeah it's like you you don't. feel one without the other it's like the. two of them they go hand in hand the yin. the Yang of the world. you know I don't think there's anything. wrong with your thought process in. regards to that at all I really don't I. don't think you're robbing yourself of. anything I don't I think you're you're. getting the juice out of the right spots. that's good I feel good man because I I. worry about that I I you know I think. about that a lot and that's not you know.

that's not something I brought up to to. a lot of folks really almost ever you. know but I often I wonder that a lot you. know I spent a lot of time worrying. about that the more crazy things happen. to me the more they're like steady like. a normal thing it's a base level it's. like everything stays normal but it's. not that then it's like I worry it's. just like well it's not I don't want. this to be expected either it's not. expected it's just you're like. you're comfortable with it right yeah. you're just like all right this is what. I'm doing like this is the kind of level.

of stuff I'm doing like talking about. planning a stadium tour is like a normal. thing yeah it's normal right but it is. normal it's normal for you yeah what's. normal for you is like mind-blowing for. 21 year old book to imagine that one day. you'd be that guy yeah no doubt doing a. [ __ ] stadium tour it's like ah it's. crazy man it's like not even like. just doesn't even seem like possible. right right yeah well because it's not. normally you know that's why it's so. crazy to you but that's you have the.

right approach because if you were like. yeah I'm the [ __ ] man I'm out here. doing a [ __ ] stadium tour I'm the. [ __ ] man right that's like the that's. the opposite of your creative process. that's the opposite of the the frequency. that your mind is on when it's making. these things that resonate with people's. real feelings. try to stay so rooted in like humility. like that's been such a huge part of. like. I think like like how me and my whole.

team have like gotten where we are is. like. like I just want people to know like how. but grateful I am for all of it right. it's like it's not. like I am one percent of the of the. puzzle dude you know what I mean like. I'm the guy that gets to sit in here and. talk with you but the 99 of everything. else that's going on is like work that's. done by someone else other than me dude. like and I feel like that whole part of.

the process is like lost in like the. idea of like celebrity right it's like. me and you are just we're one guy but. we're we're we may be maybe maybe we're. a bigger Cog in the wheel right but you. take that one Cog out. or any Cog out and it doesn't work yes. right it's like there's a team and I'm. sure you have a team of folks that yeah. propel. your success because there's not enough. time in 10 lives to do all the things.

that's necessary for your stuff to go on. or my stuff to go on like there's so. many folks involved in that you know and. like. I'm just I'm really grateful for like. having a like awesome group of people to. like work with that like. don't just tell me yes to everything and. like that are willing to challenge me on. things and like say hey man is this the. right decision or I don't love this song. or like why would we do this thing like.

why don't we think about this like. I've always tried to keep it this open. thing of like me and like people that. work with me can talk about things. and just have discussions that a lot of. people I think. sometimes lose that they become so. shielded in the idea of celebrity which. is like they got a security guy so. nobody on their team like they might not. even know this guy that works for them. at all they don't even know that guy's.

name and he's worked for him for five or. six years at all. doesn't even know them you know and like. to me it's like I can't say we're all. best friends dude we're not all coming. over to my house and having an oyster. roast or something you know what I mean. but like I'm friendly with everybody. that's out on the road with me and like. I want people to know that like. I'm approachable you know like we can. talk about something like I think that's. so crucially important to like the. overall success of the thing because if.

I show up at a venue. the only impression that 99 of the. people working in that venue will get of. me is someone that works for me. right so if everyone on my team is rude. then what are they going to think about. me of course they're going to go well. this guy must be it yeah a jerk dude. this attitude that you have those why. you're why people love you I mean it's. why it resonates like this the the to. keep from being captured by celebrity. and stardom because a lot of people do.

because it's a shield you put that. Shield up to Shield you from the the. thoughts of uncertainty and insecurity. and whether or not you're worthy and. whether or not you can keep doing it you. know with a lot of people it's like you. start doing but can I keep doing it do I. still have it like what are my new songs. any good are my new jokes any good it's. the same kind of thing and it's you're. just thinking about it the right way but. it's not something that anybody could. teach you because nobody gets to be. famous it's a small tiny sliver of the.

population and then to be famous for. doing something that resonates with. people and like they worship you that. [ __ ] listen to your song 100 times in. a row I mean that's that's a thing that. no one is going to be able to explain to. you because they like you could talk to. a psychologist about it and they're. dealing with you know Theory they don't. write they have never experienced that. they don't know what it's like to stand. on stage in front of 60 000 people and. only you do very few people do and it's. up to you because you are the guy that's.

holding the microphone and playing the. music you are the guy that has to. navigate that road and you're doing it I. think the right way the way you're. handling it with humility and the way. you're handling it with genuine. appreciation and just being a real. person you can keep that going guys have. kept that going and that's actually. something that's rewarded in country. music which I think is great because in. some some styles of music it's like. rewarded that you become Untouchable you. become sure that you become this. unapproachable Untouchable don't make.

eye contact he's a genius he's gonna. walk into the room and everybody get out. of the way and if he picks up the guitar. everybody stop talking you know like. that right that kind of psycho thinking. like that can that can pollute your mind. no doubt and and people get very. captured by that and we've seen it many. many many many many times with rock. stars with movie stars it's just the the. thing that you have given into is so. overwhelmingly odd and so few people.

experience and it just does not resonate. with any normal human emotions it's so. strange that everybody knows who you are. and you don't know who they are and you. just this is the life you live but it's. up to you. because you're the rare traveler that's. gone down that road that far the rare. one. it's up to you to navigate that road and. if you can do it a young artist can also. see you do it for sure and they can go. oh look look how [ __ ] Sturgill. Simpson's so cool and he's [ __ ] huge.

like how do I stay cool like I got. that's what I aspire to I don't aspire. to be in a diva and have everybody throw. Rose puzzle pedals at my feet I aspire. to be that cool [ __ ] that can. hang out with a sound guy and it for. sure. cracking jokes with the bus driver. someone who's just a normal person who. just buys some strange Circumstance the. rarest of rare moments in life you wind. up being that person yeah I just think. about it's like. I can't tell you like how many beers I.

shotgun in college and like now I can. chalk on a beer in like 50 60 000 people. are like stoked about it. I'm like that's awesome dude like pretty. awesome I did seven or eight of these a. night for years dude yeah years. I might do it I heard we were talking. you went to the bathroom when I was. talking about it that's what got me. thinking about shotguns I might do one. go ahead I might do one get the [ __ ]. the freedom funnels here I might just do. when I straight out of the case I need a.

knife yeah I'll do I'll start it though. oh you little teeth Jesus Christ started. I always start it that way right I feel. like that's for good effect you know I. got a that was a two-folder on that one. right here those two I got two teeth. through that bad boy old school. yeah it's an art form you know what I. mean it's not a speed this is not a. speed thing right it's like it is with. the funnel the freedom funnel it goes. right to your brain. do you think you could Freedom funnel. faster and I could chalk on one.

I wouldn't bet a lot of money on that. I mean it's possible I think wow for. sure there's only one way to find out. sir that's true America. [ __ ] yeah I'm Gonna Save the. [ __ ] do you. that should be our national anthem you. got to close it because you opened it. oh okay why is that the rule yeah that's. like a. when someone uh closes it or opens it. they have to close it oh yeah dude. that's big roll [ __ ] yeah ready three.

two one. yeah you beat me by a solid three. seconds. impressively you beat me by a Tesla zero. to sixty. oh my goodness oh it's good I don't even. know how you did that it's like college. it feels like college opened it up and. it went down yeah so years of what is. the deal with closing a knife how come. you have to I don't know I just always. heard that like if you open it you gotta. be the person that closes it it's like.

bad luck right really the obvious I've. always heard that at least there's a. problem with those bad luck things they. get in your head and then you think. that's the truth. it's like the guys that do like flip the. cigarette around like when they open a. pack of cigarettes they flip the first. one they touch upside down you heard of. that keep from getting cancer I don't. know it's like but they call the lucky I. don't know why right but you flip it or. you flip it upside down and then that's. the last one you smoke out of the pack. oh I didn't know that it's another like. like weird superstition.

thing I'm sure there's a bunch of those. I'm just a bunch of rabbit hole of like. those things that people could go down. yeah those things are [ __ ] weird the. things that people just decide and then. they have to do it and you get obsessed. with it you have to wear your lucky. watch yeah do the like you know it has. the most of that to do is in baseball. dude oh yeah most Superstition stuff in. it like crusty socks dude. Grody stuff dude you know what I was. excited to ask you about when I got in. here is I'm a huge UFC guy huge and I.

just. I don't even know if I have like what. questions I would even have I could do. three hours just on. that like I'm just I've just been such a. fan of it for so long like since like. back to high school you know like I. probably got into it like. obviously like I'm not oog dude I'm not. like. Gracie UFC one guy like I was too young. when that was going on but I was like. like Chuck Tito like that like that was.

like when I started and that was like. that I'm hooked like Chuck was the guy. for me that got me hooked like yeah I'm. like this guy is the guy well he was the. guy that launched the UFC really because. for him as the biggest star for him. because he was such a destroyer he just. like Seek and Destroy style yeah he was. so exciting when every one of his fights. was a [ __ ] chaotic experience it was. man I and just he like hit the him and. Randy Trilogy dude the him and Tito.

thing it was like those were the and I. remember watching like like Stefan. Bonner Force Griffin like that was just. a war bloodbath like and I just became. like obsessed I was like obsessed with. it dude like it's so. it's just so Primal dude that I love I. just couldn't love it anymore man like. I'm just been to a live event I have not. oh you got it show me when tell me where. you want to go we'll hook it up so bad. dude okay like okay so here's me out. what okay what's the what's the next.

title fight that I you think I should. see in person well I would say this. weekend but it's in London Leon Edwards. versus Camaro Usman the rematch. the. way he fainted that punch dude to get. him to duck into it. dude I remember screaming we were I was. at uh look at this fight card too Justin. gaichi versus Rafael physiv Raphael.

faziv is a [ __ ] assassin that is. gonna be a wild fight that is going to. be a wild fight. oh man I'm just eat up dude. that fight Leon Edwards and Kamara Usman. know that's that's like that's for. legacy I mean Usman is in my mind up. into that fight he's the greatest. welterweight of all time and Leon. Edwards lands that one you're going. you're going over GSP yeah I think I. think that crushes me I just think the.

the level of competition he faces higher. you think so yeah but it's just because. GSP was so good he raised the the bar he. raised it to the level attack now yes. right but I think if you look at gsp's. victories I mean he beat some very good. guys but I think the guys Kamara Usman. beat Kobe Covington you know Jorge miles. Vidal Tyron Woodley I think they're. better I think most of it all's GSP. level yeah really yeah I think if Moz. Vidal was around during that time he.

would be dangerous for everybody I think. he's on another level but I think. everyone's on another level now I think. like like the Moz Vidal that knocked out. Ben Astron but that was one of the. craftiest [ __ ] moves everyone's ever. done for sure man he ran out he went. sideways and then ran straight at him. and askren's instincts kicked in and he. kneaded him into the dark lands oh man. just one shot boom into the shadow realm. I mean it's I guess of it all I mean he. he knocked out Eve Edwards with a.

[ __ ] head kick back when back in the. day he's he's a killer dude no there's a. [ __ ] assassin he's a killer dude no. doubt he's an assassin he had bare. knuckle fights in the Kimbo Slice days. the Kimbo Slice era YouTube video area. Miles when I was a gangster you know and. you know he got he lost to Colby. Covington but I feel like Colby. Covington if it wasn't for Kamara Usman. would be the welterweight champion in. the world I think Kobe's that [ __ ]. good he's like just Usman was so good up. in that Leon Edwards head kick he's so.

good dude he it was like and I can agree. with you watching like. and watching those later like after like. so the last fight GSP lost right that's. Sarah right so he lost Sarah and then. avenges the Sarah he's should have lost. to Johnny Hendricks in a lot of people's. eyes when you think so yeah before he. retired a lot of people thought that was. not a just decision I'd have to go back. and Rewind re-watch it to see if I agree. but you know it was like the amount of.

fights that he had the stress Bond now. don't get me wrong he's absolutely one. of the all-time greats yeah one of the. all-time greats it's not I'm not looking. at it like saying like he wasn't as good. as Kamara Usman I'm saying what he did. was not as impressive as what Usman did. if you look at competition yes if you. look at the fact that you know he got. arm barred by Matt Hughes and Matt was.

in his prime he got knocked out by Matt. Sarah you know it's it's and those are. those are you know Matt Sarah was a. murderous puncher and he he took that. guy for granted yeah and Matt Matt. [ __ ] caught him and Matt could do. that to anybody and then eventually they. had a rematch and he beat Matt up in in. front of the fans in Canada and it was. an insane event like he's in an all-time. great and I love him to death but I feel. like if I look at the level of. competition he faced in the level of. competition Camaro faced and what Camaro.

did to those people right you gotta. understand Camaro when he was coming up. no one would speak his name he was the. boogeyman right because nobody wanted to. fight him nobody wanted to fight him. when he was killing up everybody would. say you know give me this guy and give. me that guy and. because he was smashing people right and. he was doing it with destroyed knees. yeah that guy's mind is so strong yeah. his [ __ ] knees are so bad he goes.

downstairs backwards yeah let me let me. ask you something that is has been. intriguing to me and this is a fan who. uh like I I would say I'm above casual. fan but below. expert knowledge fan right so I'm not a. guy that watches. every five pay-per-view I'm a guy that. buys every pay-per-view. I watch a lot of the you know in between. deals because I enjoy it right but I'm.

not a guy who's like oh dude he's [ __ ]. you know the way he got into that DARS. is like I can do some of that stuff but. I'm not expert level so. and I'm interested to hear your take and. this is as a fan who doesn't know these. guys at all and has nothing against them. but I remember. when I think in my mind is undeniably. the goat as again a just above casual. fan Jon Jones Jon Jones is the goat now. it's undeniable there was all this. debate until he submitted Cyril gone and.

became the heavyweight champion no one. can [ __ ] with that smashed him and Cyril. looked kind of unbeatable up until the. Francis fight well the Francis fight. exposed one aspect of his game that. you're never gonna beat John in and. that's the wrestling yeah and then. everybody said well he didn't know that. France was going to wrestle him given. Francis is not the caliber wrestler or. even in the realm of Jon Jones Jon Jones. been wrestling since he was 12 years old. he took down Daniel Cormier who's an. Olympic level wrestler there is not a.

guy in the world that can say that. you could start wrestling at 29 years. old I mean you'd have to be the. freakiest of freak athletes to be able. to compete with that guy to start. wrestling when Cyril gone started. wrestling the the the Gap is just too. wide across right. so I think what I what I what I was. thinking is and when I bring up Jon. Jones is I remember. at the first Jon Jones fight I watched.

was when he got uh dq'd against Matt. Hamill okay from the 12 to 6 out of us. yeah right that was my first experience. with him. the next thing I feel like I remember. and I may have seen some of his fights. in between then but is when he like. beat up this guy that was like trying to. rob this lady like the night of that was. the day he fought for the title right. the day he fought for the title he. chased down a guy who robbed someone and. tackled him and held him until the cops.

came right and then and then when we. fought Shogun and became the youngest. ever UFC champion yep so here's what I'm. getting at as I remember and I and this. is going to be in just kind of I'm. interested in your take on this because. I watched it happen with Jon Jones and I. feel like I watched it happen with. kamaru as well where it was like John. and kamaru as they came up right it's. like John does this thing where he stops. this robber and he wins the belt he. beats Shogun who is this kind of like.

you know him and lyodo were these kind. of like unfigure-outable guys to me as a. fan at that time right like guys like. how do you beat Leona Machida you can't. forget you can't even touch the guy. right at that time. and they were like inherently these like. good guys. that everybody was rooting for and then. both of them became these like. epically long-range Champions that then. became sort of like villains Camaro was.

never a villain I feel like he is really. to me as a fan again who doesn't know. anything. and maybe it's the the it comes back to. maybe the celebrity like ego thing like. to the camera as a fan again I've never. met the guy he's probably great. but just as a cash watcher. I went from going I'm rooting for this. guy to then it be like the way he talks. about himself and I feel like Jon Jones. was the same way to me is they became.

this like really like and then John got. in all this kind of like turmoily stuff. like well I don't think you can compare. the two and here's two reasons why one. have you ever seen Camaro talk like you. ever seen Camaro on my podcast he's one. of the nicest yeah most down-to-earth. friendly Smiley fun guys there's what. you're seeing is kamaru the the. Destroyer the dog the dog is ready to go. 100 that's the difference and that's.

what I was trying to ask is like. signaling to all the other people I'm. going to smash you right and that's what. he's signaling and that's what I think I. was asking is like is that all just. perceived by me or is that yeah you know. what I mean it's part of the fun of. being a fan sure you know deciding what. you like and what you don't like and. personalities that you root for and. personality you root against and. sometimes you root against a guy and he. wins you over because he's so goddamn. good you're like I wanted that. [ __ ] to lose but he's the. [ __ ] greatest yeah John is very.

different than Camaro John is what I. would describe is there's human beings. that have different temperament and. different minds and different mentality. and a ruthless competitive drive that's. almost terrifying to the uh the ordinary. person that's Jon Jones Jon Jones is a. bad guy who's trying to be a good guy. president but that got that guy if we. were living a thousand years ago he.

would be on a horse with the biggest. battle ax waiting in the bat hacking. heads off and everybody would be running. and those people have always existed. these dominators have always existed. yeah but John is like a genuinely. sensitive intelligent guy who's trying. to do the right thing but he's a [ __ ]. conqueror he's a [ __ ] conqueror. that's that's that's the thing that's. inside of him that leads him to be the. goat and without that you don't get.

there you don't if you're you don't get. that you don't get a Mike Tyson without. that you don't get a Muhammad Ali. without that you don't get a Marvin. hagglet without that you don't get a you. don't get that that there's a thing. inside some people that is a driving. force that allows them to overcome the. greatest around them it's a Michael. Jordan. there's a there's a thing man Tom Brady. and those [ __ ] are hated. they're always hated for sure because. you have to hate them because you can't.

beat them it's the 260-inch deer dude. yeah like because my me and my buddies. were talking it's like there's not like. they're like man that's not the Deer of. a lifetime that's the deer of 10 life. yes most people will never see that. right but it's even more than that. because you can just accidentally. stumble across the deer of a lifetime. you can't accidentally beat Jon Jones. there's a there's a thing about so he's. going over khabib he's goed over. everybody now khabib's too yeah khabib. is in the conversation but Mighty Mouse.

is in that conversation too Mighty Mouse. to me if you want to look at like a. technical expression of the greatness of. martial arts he's as good as anybody's. ever done it when Mighty Mouse was the. Flyway champion and the only problem is. up besides sahudo and a couple other. guys like benavidez and he was not. dealing with guys that are of the. caliber of the guys that Jon Jones was. facing Jon Jones is facing Gustafson. Glover to Shara he was facing Daniel.

Cormier he was facing the elite of the. elite and he never [ __ ] lost even. when he was doing coke and he wasn't. even training right that's how goddamn. good Jon Jones is right and when you. know when Jon Jones talks about fights. though you know when I had him on the. podcast one of the things that he talked. about some people don't really watch. tape or they only watch a little bit. they let their coaches do the work Jon. Jones studies everyone he studies their. Tendencies he's get it he gets in his. mind how when you throw that left kick. you did you make this little step with.

your right foot you might do this thing. when you shoot for a takedown where you. keep your leg on you keep your head on. one side every time you might do this. thing when someone throws a right hand. you always lean to the left you might do. it and Jon Jones picked up that tendency. and that's how he knocked out Daniel. Cormier he knew Daniel Cormier has a. tendency to duck towards his right side. because he goes for that single on the. left leg and John caught him with the. perfect head kick. but it wasn't by an accident he [ __ ].

he set that up he set it up just like. Leon Edwards set up that head kick on. Camaro there's a there's a beauty of. that that's just manned in the middle of. chaos and anxiety and fear and and the. the [ __ ] fog of War you figure out a. way to connect with this thing that you. saw in taping and training and in. preparation. so it's with John it's not an accident. that he's the goat even with his lack of. training even with his even with the the.

K it's just like he's so [ __ ]. talented that he almost needs another. Jon Jones to make him compete the way he. would the way make him train the way a. lot of these other guys do like he's so. good he can beat those guys without. being challenged by someone like him. right because Jon Jones has never faced. a Jon Jones right true that's what's. crazy he's that [ __ ] talented and so. you to be a goat you need all of those. things it's like sometimes a a talent is.

so great that even the fact that they. don't work as hard they're still better. than everybody that's John that's why. John's so good and he still I mean you. saw in his PR he's still in his prime. the way the way he fought. three years out and he fights a. heavyweight who's a 240 pound ripped. heavyweight he's never fought a guy who. can move like that and strike like that. at heavyweight and he just shut all that. [ __ ] down dude that video of him. training a couple weeks ago he throws.

that in his training Point yeah I was. like oh Lord I was like he is gonna. demolish this guy dude yeah I was up. until the day of the fight I was like I. don't know I was with uh cam Haynes and. my buddy Tommy Jr and we were talking. about it I was like I don't know man I. mean I mean he had a hard time with. Dominic Reyes and Dominic Reyes is like. not nearly the striker that Cyril gone. is and I was like and then the day of. the fight I don't know what it is I.

think John's gonna run right through. this dude I just I just the day of the. fight I just had this feeling I just. have a feeling that John is just gonna. Express his greatness tonight like all. those years out all the doubts all the. chaos all the personal problems and the. drugs and partying and all the mess I. think that I think this is going to. bring out the very best in John because. I think guys like him I think one of the. things that was happening with the. Dominic Reyes fight and the first. Alexander Gustafson fight and I think he.

was so dominant that he was like playing. with his food I don't I don't think he's. like right you know I don't think he was. like fully engaged in the. fields like a cat just one at the thing. right I don't think they presented the. challenge that he requires to reach the. level that we know he's capable of. reaching but I think Cyril gone did. provide that challenge yeah and I think. he knew that going up to heavyweight and. winning the title and just winning it. easily the way he did all debates are. off I think he goes back down to light.

and tries to win that every season he. would win it right for sure but you know. what let me tell you something man Jamal. Hills no [ __ ] joke Jamal Hill the way. he pieced up Glover to Cheryl I was like. oh my God the way he grappled with him. yeah like Jamal Hill might be the [ __ ]. in man at light heavyweight and if John. went down that might be a wild ass fight. that might be a wild fight but I think. John is done with this starving himself. and depleting his body to make 205 and. right now he's the heavyweight champion.

I think he beats all the best. heavyweights that are available and then. he goes down in history as number one. and and good luck catching up who's he. fighting next step a July you should go. yeah that's the one can you make it. yeah that's the that's the international. fight weekend and that's the that's the. headline fight that's gonna be if as. long as someone doesn't get injured sure. they make the deal. yeah T-Mobile Arena let's [ __ ] go.

July 8th now is this TBD versus TBD like. they haven't decided yet we just haven't. announced it yet there's nothing but. it's online isn't it. I don't I saw it on a bunch of web but I. just gotta be some sketchy websites. all speculative yeah so I would imagine. that if I was the UFC that is the. biggest fight you could make and that. there's two there's two events there's. three events that are like the biggest. fights UFC can make Madison's queer. Garden that's the biggest fight the UFC. can make and then there's International.

fight weekend those are the biggest. fights UFC can make and then there's the. December one right before New Year's. that's generally the three biggest cards. the UFC can make like multiple. championship fights so if if John and. Stipe I mean that qualifies as. you know Steve a if you look at his. record you look at what he was able to. do he's the most successful heavyweight. of all time he defended the title more. than anybody he's the first guy to beat. Francis you know Stipe he's the [ __ ]. man and he's a legit bona fide.

heavyweight never been a light. heavyweight ever I think steepe and John. is an amazing it's you know steepe's. it's it's towards the end for steepe but. he's still a great fighter and he's. still and he's also had a lot of time. off since the Francis loss which is. great rest up heal up and he put on a. lot of weight too he put on a lot of. mass he's like 250 now really yeah I. felt like he was too small for the in. Ghana rematch he's like he thought he. needed cardio because he beat him with. cardio in the first fight you know he.

beat him within he beat him with his. durability because he got caught with. some big shots and then took him down. and then outworked him like Francis went. all out to try to knock steepe out at. the very beginning and when he couldn't. steepe dominated him and it was one of. the best like victories of steepe's. illustrious career but I think that. going into the second fight he had that. sort of same approach but this time he. reached a patient Francis this time. Francis was like just looking to just. nuke him and he wasn't just running at.

him he was using technique and he was he. was just far more evolved as a fighter. than he was the first time they fought. and Francis just [ __ ] annihilated him. and you know but the thing is like Stipe. came into that fight light and I think. he was in like the 230s if I remember. correctly maybe 240 at the most when he. decided you know what I got a bulk up I. got to get bigger and he got bigger for. this uh Jon Jones fight. but I think he's he was he was trying to. fight anybody he was trying to fight he. was trying to fight Francis again he was.

trying to fight cereal he'll fight. anybody and for whatever reason they. weren't able to make the right fight for. Steve Bay but I think overall for his. own like health and to rebound from that. knockout loss this is good because you. don't want a guy getting ko'd in his. late 30s and then fighting again three. months later right you know especially a. heavyweight they got ko'd by Francis a. brutal way yeah so I think it's good. that he's had this time off and I'm. excited about the fight he liked. Chandler McGregor oh that's chaos if. that happens.

the thing is like Conor hasn't even. gotten into the usata testing pool. interesting yeah because so like Connor. broke his leg here's what John said a. couple days ago more than likely felt. like that was kind of sprung on me need. to talk with my team UFC and come up. with a plan asked about fighting an. international fight week yeah well. that's listen this is called. negotiations. like maybe I'll fight maybe I won't uh. and people have to like me Dana also. said that he thinks John might retire. after that fight after the steepe fight.

yeah oh not there we may I lost it I. mean he's gonna make a [ __ ] boatload. of money. for that fight pretty shocked wouldn't. be shocked yeah. yeah I feel like Chandler. Chandler McGregor would be electric to. see oh yeah for sure if it happens I. love that I love that Chandler's just. all or nothing man I love that about. channel is a [ __ ] animal yeah he's an. animal and he's a very good wrestler he. could fight in a very different way he. chose two yeah for fans yeah like I feel.

like his last two fights man he the. problem is the title fight that's the in. that style though if you fight in that. style against Conor you're coming. straight forward towards Conor that is. Connor's wheelhouse Connor's one of the. greatest counter-strikers that's ever. fought in the UFC right if you look at. his fight with Eddie Alvarez you look at. his knockout victory over Jose Aldo if. you come at Connor and you give him a. chance to time you especially in the. early rounds he is [ __ ] lethal yeah. he's so good at Expo he's so explosive.

and fast and. you know I mean who knows the thing is. like the usada testing pool I don't want. to harp on this too much but this is a. giant issue for multiple reasons here's. one let's just speculate. but speculate he got out of the you saw. the testing pool this is what I would. imagine if I was a a pro athlete at. Connor's level and I broke my leg you. need help okay you're not just going to. heal off that eating mangoes and [ __ ]. eating clean you need some help you know.

I would say I would want that person to. take something I don't I would you'd. have to consult with an expert sports. medicine doctor who would tell you you. want peptides you want growth hormone. you want this you want that you want all. these things you can't take when you're. in usada you want testosterone you want. all these things and you look at Connor. after that leg break he got [ __ ]. jacked and ripped just gigantic like 200. plus pounds it looks like just huge. [ __ ] shoulders and that's generally.

not the result of natural hormones sure. that's generally the result of exogenous. hormone use I don't know if that's true. this is a lot of people are speculating. not just me and then when you look at. the usada testing pool and the fact that. he's not in it also comes in so now. here's the thing. you're in your 30s you're 35 or whatever. Conor is 34. and you've disrupted your hormones with. exogenous hormones now your body has to. get back to developing its own hormones.

and generally speaking when people take. steroids and I'm not saying you took. steroids but generally speaking if. someone takes steroids they say if you. take steroids for six months you need a. year to bounce back to normal hormone. levels after that especially if you're. doing it naturally you know there's. things you could take like HCG and. clomiphene and all these different. things that restart your body's. production of testosterone but you have. to make sure that that's all done before.

you enter into the uf's usata testing. pool so. then you have to be in the USANA testing. pool for six full months before you're. allowed to compete so this is where it. stands so until he enters into that we. don't know when this fight is going to. happen from now right right if he says. it now tonight I'm gonna enter the usata. testing minimum six months yeah so right. yeah I would imagine there's no. accusations but if someone was doing. something they would have a team of. people that are testing them and then.

continue to test them make sure you're. not going to test positive because if. you test positive and you you saw the. testing pool you're out for two [ __ ]. years kid you know there's there's guys. who make their UFC debuts and they piss. hot and they're gone they get booted out. of the UFC and you're banned for two. years and it's it's terrifying. yeah that's crazy and again Adam no. speculation but this is just being a. logical rational person right that's. crazy man that's the stuff that the. Casual fan just doesn't think about you. know like you just you just won't fight. to happen you know what I mean well the.

fight will be awesome if it happens yeah. and when it happens. um I I'm assuming it's gonna happen but. you know I'm also hoping that Conor's. leg's okay you know a leg break of that. magnitude like Chris Weidman he broke. his leg in a similar way and he just. recently competed in Polaris which is a. grappling competition and you know he. was so emotional after it was over. because he's like this is the hardest. two years of my life so for two years. he's been recovering from this uh Shin.

break oh that was brutal oh it's so. brutal man some guys never bounce back. they're never the same Anderson was. never the same after his leg break Tyron. spawn was never the same after his leg. break like those those kind of leg. breaks they're traumatic dude that's. traumatic scary I've seen three of them. in real. with the worst break like an arm break. doesn't bother me kneeling as much or. something about that Shin break let me. see that foot dangling and just going.

the wrong way yeah it's yeah pretty not. good yeah and it's a kind of a career. Ender for a lot of folks yeah and it. doesn't see I mean we don't know if it's. a career Ender for Connor you know and. hope not in retrospect I wish he'd never. take in that fight with poor yet because. it seems like he had a hairline fracture. already going into that fight right and. that's how it broke it was like here he. already had a [ __ ] up leg Yeah but he. just didn't want to back out of the. fight which he probably should have now. yeah that was that was tough to watch.

yeah that was real tough to watch you. know because you don't want it to end. that way yo right like you want it to be. of course you know I mean I I don't. think POI probably wants it down that. way either right no he wants it to be in. his ass right yeah yeah I mean this is a. gigantic fight yeah rematch. you know the rubber match between those. two that was a gigantic fight yeah yeah. Carnival's wild back in the day man he. still is yeah I mean I don't know I mean. who knows I mean he might come back he. might be the first guy to come back from. that leg break and be able to compete at.

the highest level he might come back and. nuke Chandler and you know make or. Chandler might get him and you know like. Chandler is a [ __ ] dog dude yeah. that's a dangerous guy to be locked in. there with for sure that fight would. Justin gaichi like Jesus Louise's I mean. those dudes went at it yeah and he does. that with everybody he's just like down. to go to war yeah he ain't afraid of it. no he's fun got to watch yeah well. there's a lot of fun guys to watch it's. the greatest sport in the world there's. nothing like it it's so much fun man it.

is really so much fun dude. really is have you ever done any. training yourself you've done anything. nothing to do you exercise at all look. at you. no I've not done any training. um depends what you mean by exercise I. guess do you uh do anything like for. your health like exercise. um I spent a lot of time outside I mean. you know I can't say I'm I'm a gym rat. obviously. um but it's interesting man I've always. struggled uh I've I've been this big.

forever as weird as that sounds right so. it's like. proportionately to my. you know until I stop growing height. wise you know like once I got to where. I'm at now I was kind of like this size. um well I think the real benefits of. exercise are not just with the way you. look and your body size I think it's. your brain sure I think it's especially. when we're talking about all these. issues about the mind and the creative. mind playing tricks on you for me.

um forcing myself to exercise every day. is one of the main reasons why I stay. sane yeah through all the chaos that my. life goes through sure and I think. that's that's the real benefit that a. lot of people do it's almost like the. the benefit that you get physically is. um that's great but that's almost like a. side effect of the benefit that you get. for the mind for me that's how I. approach it yeah the crazy thing thing I. think that I struggle with the most with. it is. you know it does bother me right like.

being bigger that bothers me right. um the thing that also bothers me about. it is like okay for I literally went to. the doctor. last week right to get the whole. bust down like I get physical every year. right. blood work dude panels counts everything. um. and it's just all clean dude and that's. like. it's strange to me dude because I feel.

like. I shouldn't be this big right and it. feels and that's really upsetting to me. like. I don't eat a tremendous amount of. unhealthy food like I'm not stagnant I. mean I go out and do I mean I was doing. you know hour 45 two hour sets three. sometimes four nights a week for years. at this size and it's never bothered me. but it bothers me right it does though.

it bothers me in the sense of like. because I don't. I don't feel like I should be the size. that I am right and I'm sure everyone's. gonna jump on me when they watch this. and be like well you need to do this you. need to do that right and. I've just it's a code that I've never. been able to crack right with diet with. exercise we've I've had a trainer out on. tour and it's like. I can lose 10 15 20 pounds and then it. just it stops.

right and maybe that's me dude right. because ultimately I think the thing. that's so frustrating to me is like is. It ultimately it is me right. there is nobody else to blame right like. there's not I know whatever I'm doing at. that time is not enough well you have to. look at it like this. it's a process and you have to look at. where you are in that process now you. can be someone like Jamie who's thin and. healthy and fit and his process that he. decides he wants to improve his Fitness.

is a different process than yours and. this process is scientific you can look. at it in terms of calories in calories. out expenditure diet and mitigation. things and all the all the different. things you could do for Recovery like. sauna an ice bath and all those. different things all those factors play. a part in this process and this process. is long you have to realize you've been. in the process of becoming who you are.

now your whole life 33 years right now. so the process of growing it is it's but. it you have to be it's a path it's a. long grind it's not like I take someone. on tour and I lose 20 pounds then it. stops. you you've just you've just started your. first steps you're not climbing up Mount. Kilimanjaro yet there's a long process. and people get very discouraged in the. fact that they don't see tangible. obvious physical results for sure they. would like to work out a few times.

really hard and then to have a six-pack. and look great no doubt that's what. everybody wants no doubt but the the. thing is a process but. it's just like your music it's just like. anything else the more time you put into. it the more effort you put into it the. better the results are and you can get. people that are like my friend Ethan. suplee who is like [ __ ] enormous at. one time oh Remember the Titans yeah he. was like he was so big and now that dude. is [ __ ] Uber healthy works out every. day he's super happy and fit and and he.

went through multiple times where he. gained the weight back and blew out his. stitches from having his [ __ ] skin. removed he [ __ ] himself up and had to. get it done again and and he still kept. going he got back on the horse and he. kept going but it's not a thing that. happens quick it's nothing that happens. easy yeah and you you have to be like. it's not a thing that's just gonna. happen on its own like this it's like oh. how'd you build that house ah just. [ __ ] it just did it on its own no. it's like every [ __ ] nail has to be. hammered in every every piece of.

floorboard has to be cut perfectly every. two by four has to be you just it all. has to be done yeah a long process it's. tough and um I would say you know now. I'm in the middle of that right like I'm. in the middle of that. process of like. I have wrestled with it for a long time. right and I'm ready to like move on with. like the next part of my life beautiful. which is like then just commit to in the. fact that you're committing to it right.

now on the air is great and then also. just start writing [ __ ] down yeah. writing down what you're supposed to do. yeah I need that's the thing I need is. like you know having you know having you. know our son and everything I think is. huge you know um that's given me such a. perspective shift. um. and I'm just I'm slowly but surely you. know it's every day it really is like. it's making. this Choice instead of that choice right. and it's like that's so hard right and.

it is and and not and that's not an. excuse at all you know because. I will get there I'm a firm believer in. that you know. um. yeah I could find you a rock solid. trainer yeah that's in Nashville I have. a great train that's the thing I have a. great trainer and I feel like. yeah I I just got to commit to it man. like and it's like I have a guy that's. great and our schedule is like he's you.

know he's got a son that he was the guy. that come out with us. um. and I love him dude and that was the. most progress I ever made and he me and. him get along so well we're back on the. horse Luke let's go I want to man let's. [ __ ] go so then just do it yeah all. right it's done done good beautiful I'll. come into it that'll help the Mind man. that's the thing that helps my mind more. than anything and I think it's like. it's funny I was talking to my business. manager who's a dear a dear friend of.

mine now you know and um him and myself. and my manager are all really really. tight it's kind of an abnormal. relationship in the sense of like he's. not just my business manager right like. he's become he's friends with my parents. like he's a part of like our lives now. right and so we talk about these things. and I remember telling him sitting out. one night having having a whiskey and I. was like I was like Chris man look like. that's like I know I've accomplished so. much like doing music and.

and like I've you know we're about to go. on the stadium so this was just a few. months ago I think maybe December. or January and I was like listen man. like I've accomplished all these things. and like I've won Entertainer of the. Year twice now and and I've got you know. 15 number one songs and all these insane. accolades that I could have never. imagined and like. in some ways. like because I love music and because I. feel like I've been like blessed with.

like the voice I have and the talent I. have like the the voice in the town I. have to me doesn't feel earned. right does that make sense to you like. there is a lot of work to hone the craft. but like. nobody that's tall. is like inherently talented for being. tall right and just because you're. taller right right you don't feel like. you're you're not a great basketball. player because you're tall you earn that. right. sometimes the precursor to being great.

at basketball is being tall so you do. have to not always but for the most part. statistically speaking that's a. precursor of being great at basketball. having a great voice. statistically is a precursor for being a. great musician not always but for the. most part statistically speaking and so. I I don't want to come across as. contrite or anything when I say this but. like. I feel like.

sometimes that I haven't done anything. that's like hard to do that's also a. part of your humility that's part of. what keeps you focused on your task yeah. it's like that you're not you know. you're not you're not like. congratulating yourself but like Mike. but like I think. my physical fitness and my appearance. and my size has always been something. that I've struggled with from the time I. was a child and like it's this mountain. that I've always been standing at the. bottom of.

trying to run up and inherently slipping. down every time right and it's this. thing that like I feel like if I don't. overcome it. in my lifetime. it will be my biggest regret. um without a doubt like it is a burden. that's weighs so heavily on me and many. because and silently many women silently. and not and not because I care of what. other people think about me about the.

way I look about the my size or any of. that it's because what it I I feel like. it means about me as a man. because there's this thing that I want. to accomplish. that is solely up to me. nobody else can do it for me nobody did. this to me. but me. I want so badly to conquer that and I. will. and I'm I'm excited for that day to come.

because I know. that will mean so much to me. I want it to mean something to my. children I want to be running around the. yard with my children. I want to take my son on an elk hunt. when he's 16 years old and hike up a. mountain when I'm. in my late 40s I want to do that with. him and I know right now I can't do that. with him and that bugs the [ __ ] out of. me this is all doable Luke it's all. doable no doubt this is not like trying.

to get tall no doubt this is something. that all you have to do is just stay on. the path and I think there is Beauty in. that that it is something that can be. accomplished yes and that's why it's so. exciting when people do it when someone. like Ethan pulls it off it's like a it's. a [ __ ] a beautiful gift to everybody. else like this is a this is surmountable. obstacle this is something that can be. accomplished it's not easy but it can be. done no. it can be done for sure. not impossible all right we ended it.

with six Luke you're a bad [ __ ]. I appreciate you very much appreciate. you thanks for doing this let's do it. again absolutely I'm in [ __ ] yeah all. right thank you bye everybody. [Music]. foreign. okay.