Mike D: Adam Yauch Was A Master Manifestor | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

You guys have always said, "Adam, started the band. He was the initiated. it." Was he the one that said we could. do this? Um, I wasn't there. I don't know. I I was. Yeah, yeah. Were you ever in the Beastie Boys? Yeah. Briefly. Yeah, yeah. No, I I think there's. videos. I can prove. I'll vouch. I'll vouch. I'll vouch for. you. there '88 to '89, I remember. Yeah, yeah. You were replaced by a. look-alike. Yeah, it's like Fast and Furious 7. Well, Adam, before he was in Beastie.

Boys, he was in a band called The Young. and Useless. But, and before there was Beastie Boys, I I was in this band called The Young. Aborigines, which I guess it probably. named that would get us canceled. Like, is is that appropriation? JUST KEEP GOING. I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING. YOU HAVE TO BE. honest about these things. Like, full. disclosure, right? Cultural appropriation. Uh-huh. Again, I wasn't there. I was in a band called Cultural.

Appropriation. That would be good, yeah. killed it. Anyway, uh so, Young Aborigines, Yauch was our. like everything. He was our road crew, tour manager. He was the only one who. knew actually how to make things work, honestly. And we played two gigs in one. night, and we then we broke up. And it. was John Berry who was the first guitar. player before Adam from Beastie Boys, and myself and Kate Schellenbach, who. was the original drummer for Beastie. Boys, she played percussion in Young.

Aborigines. And. and I played drums. So, but then Yauch like really. It's not only so much he wanted to be in. that band, but he wanted to be in the. band. So, he's like, "All right, we're. we're starting a new band." So, then it. was like John, myself, and him, and then. Kate, and then I was the one who I drew. the short straw, and so I had to sing, which I really didn't want. sing. In my case, I didn't want I would I.

definitely would have way rather at that. time would have rather played drums. Yeah. That would have been my ideal. But. didn't work out that way. Wasn't to be. No. Anyway, so then but Yauch was I mean. he was the visionary in terms of like. we're going to do this and and Adam and. I could go back and forth and many many. uh. we could talk story for hours about how. Yauch was a master manifester. Um I mean at that age I definitely. didn't know what the word manifest.

meant, but you know, he was really. someone who was just just. completely determined to do something. and would get it done. I think beyond. probably our I don't know. We were a. little more like, oh yeah, seems like a. good idea to us. We'll do it. Or just like, you know, you you're with. your friends you're like, oh we should. do this thing and like nobody like does. anything after just we should do this. thing, but then he show up with like a. camera and film like, oh we're actually. oh I guess we're actually going to do. the thing that we were talking about.

you. Yeah. It's like you know, that. thing where you're with your friends and. they're like how many times you're with. your friends and somebody says the crazy. idea and you're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. That just becomes one of the. thousand crazy ideas that never ever. happens. 99.9%. of kids your age say we should do this. thing. and then they smoke more weed and they. don't do anything. And then it's you're that's that's I. don't know. I was going to go somewhere. with that, but.

Go ahead. You have to single out the potheads? I. feel like that's like. Why are you attacking the potheads? You. know? know. I just feel like math kids, you. know, like. they're not they're not always doing the. stuff. You're right. always doing the crazy ideas. what? You're right, you know? I. apologize. are smoking the pot, the math kids are. doing the math. Mhm. I think you're right and I'm I'd like to. apologize. Okay. And I'm also apologizing. Yeah, I'm. apologizing. I'm I'm apologizing. I want. to apologize to Sona cuz she's.

I partake. You You don't just partake. You're probably UP NOW. YOU have a twins. I do. They're They're so young, but. they're also why I do it. So, it's okay. I was had the chance to have a really. nice, lovely. conversation with Adam on the Warner. Brothers lot. I want to say it was about. a year before he passed away. He was. there directing.

I believe a video, some project. Uh. and I could tell he wasn't well, but I. was coming out of the commissary, he was. going into the commissary, and we just. had like this nice. bonding. conversation. Wasn't that long, um but it was when we just first showed. up at the Warner Brothers lot to do that. iteration of whatever the hell we were. doing. And seemed like an absolutely lovely. guy, but it's always been clear to me. that you call him the manifestor or the.

catalyst, the person who's You've got. all the ingredients, you just need. someone to create the friction or set. the you know, get the thing moving. And it felt like in in you guys are. saying that was maybe an Adam. Yeah, but it's be it's it's honestly. beyond that because it really was like. he was the guy who would have the. craziest idea. that anybody would possibly have in the. room, and then like exactly what Adam. said, then show up the next day with the. equipment that would make it all. possible, and then you are doing it. So,

it's. do all of the stuff that he was saying. though. Thankfully, yeah. He wanted to do a. a tour underwater, and that. luckily that never. Yeah. How was that going to work? I never say. he. really. Yeah, yeah. There was like. thought about it, had drawings and. everything. There was a lost city of Atlantis. fascination that went on for a while. actually. Yeah. Did he believe the lost city of Atlantis. existed?

It's not about Atlantis. Oh, I see. Okay. It was just this idea of like having. this underwater Yeah, presenting we are. doing. on tour in an underwater. environment. And and I granted, I would. give it to him. It had we done it, um nobody else. has ever done it prior. And there's. probably a lot of good reasons. for that, you know. Yeah, logistically it's just a lot. There's no There's no oxygen down there.

No, and with the tank and then you have. to rap at the same time with. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and call me Call me old-fashioned Call. me old-fashioned, but I think when I was. a kid, I was always told like, you know, water and electricity. They. Yeah, yeah, that. separated. That's never been proven. Yeah. Never. been proven.