1 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome back to the Bob Leftstts Podcast. My 2 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: guest today is the one and only Steve Holtz. Steve, 3 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: where are you right now? 4 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: I'm in Sydney, Australia and it is Thursday morning? 5 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: And how do you end up in Sydney? 6 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 2: Well, it's my twenty second time over here and I'm 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: on a tour. I'm on my way up to play 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 2: Byron Bay Blues Fest. And so that is how I 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 2: ended up in Sydney. I played a show last night 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 2: that win till about midnight at a really cool club 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: and it was packed. And the night before I was 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: in Newcastle and so I'm here on the road my 13 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 2: twenty second time. Can't believe it. 14 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back to the beginning. How do you 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: go to Australia the first time? 16 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: The first time I went to Australia, I was invited 17 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 2: to come over with Jewel and we had put together 18 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 2: a band with myself and Tony Hall playing bass, Brady 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: Blade on drums, Doug Pettybone on electric guitar, and Steve 20 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 2: George on keys. And Steve George was in a band 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 2: called Mister Mister and he had written a song called 22 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 2: Currie Eleys song and take these Broken Wings, and we 23 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: put together this band and Jewel had had this hit 24 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 2: record out and so I went over and I got 25 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 2: to open the shows and be in her band. And 26 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 2: that's what first brought me to Australia back in nineteen 27 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: ninety nine. 28 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: Okay, twenty two times. Almost no music lact is going 29 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: to Australia twenty two times, So explain how you keep 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 1: going back. 31 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 2: I have boundless energy, and so Australia has become kind 32 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: of just like another tour stop to me. I live 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 2: in Nashville, and it's like, oh, do you want to 34 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: go to Louisville and play a show? It's that easy 35 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 2: for me now. I just think, oh yeah, I'll fly 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 2: down to Melbourne, Australia, and then hit Sydney and go 37 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: to Tasmania. I love it, and so I've always kept 38 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 2: coming back, and I rent cars and I drive on 39 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 2: the left side of the road, use my iPhone for 40 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 2: the maps, and I just always end up at the 41 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 2: gigs and I've never quit coming back. So it's become 42 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 2: a regular tour stop. 43 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: Okay, you want to play Australia, do you have an 44 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: agent that books the dates. How do you line up 45 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: the dates? Yes? 46 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 2: So I at the time, the first time I came 47 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: over here, I was on CIA and I had this 48 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 2: agent named Rick Roskin, so he booked the tour and 49 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 2: then Frontier, a big agency down here, brought Jewel over 50 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: and then they saw me play when I opened and 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: they said, how would you like to come back? We'll 52 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 2: bring you back. So that was how it started here. 53 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 2: But now I have my own agent. He's a smaller agency, 54 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 2: and he saw me play somewhere and said he wanted 55 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 2: to work with me, and that's what me back and 56 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 2: keeps me coming back. And there's so many festivals I 57 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: can play. 58 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: Okay, so if you go to Australia, how many gigs 59 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: can you play? 60 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. Now, when most people come here, they'll 61 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 2: do like maybe four gigs. I'll do like twenty to thirty. 62 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: It's crazy because I go to all these little country 63 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 2: towns now and they sell out. And like I was 64 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 2: just in a little place called Archie's Creek and you'll 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 2: get three hundred people in there. They make you a 66 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 2: great meal and you're hanging out with all these crazy 67 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: Australians and every night it's just like a new thing, 68 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 2: and I show up and they go all out for 69 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 2: the shows, and they're just so welcoming. 70 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: How do they know you? 71 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 2: And Archie's creak just over the twenty two years, like 72 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: everything in my career has been built with my hands, 73 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: just playing live shows, and then people talk about the 74 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 2: live shows, and every show I just go out and 75 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: I give all the effort I can and then they 76 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 2: tell their people and everything just keeps happening and it 77 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 2: slowly grows. So it's the most organic thing ever. 78 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: Is it lucrative for you to go to Australia? 79 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: It really is, believe it or not. Like I go 80 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: over here and I make money. I actually have an 81 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 2: Australian tax accountant who is in co He works with 82 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 2: my accountant in the United States, and he just can't 83 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: believe because I bring over so much merch and I'm 84 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: slinging T shirts, tope bags, hats, Vinyl records, CDs and 85 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: it just goes on and on and I sell all 86 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 2: this merch and my wife is my tour manager, and 87 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 2: we're just like a dog and pony show and we 88 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 2: go in and we just sell merch. We play shows 89 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 2: and every night it's just a blast. And then the 90 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 2: next day I'm headed to another city. 91 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: Now you have hardcore fans, but for those who have 92 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 1: never seen a Steve Poltz show, do your best to 93 00:04:58,120 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: describe it. 94 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 2: Well, it's kind of madness because I've never used a 95 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 2: set list in my life, and I never know what's 96 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 2: going to happen. So I have fans, like last night 97 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,279 Speaker 2: fans that came three shows in a row from different cities. 98 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: They drive. It's like the Grateful Dead fans or something, 99 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 2: and they're never going to get the same show twice. 100 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 2: So what it is is I just go out and 101 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 2: I just sort of feel the room and I can 102 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 2: feel the energy of everybody, and I slowly take them 103 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,719 Speaker 2: on a two hour journey. And I've tried to really 104 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: learn to play fewer songs, like because for a while 105 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 2: I was doing four hour shows and I realized, you know, 106 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: there's got to be a beginning, a middle, and an end. 107 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 2: So I've learned to pair it down. 108 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: Okay, if every show is different, you know, back in 109 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,239 Speaker 1: the old days of classic rock, you'd go to see 110 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: acts in different cities who would have the exact same pattern. Okay, 111 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: your stories are different. I mean, how much is prepared 112 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: how much have you told the stories before? How much 113 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: are you making up that night. 114 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 2: Well, I'll have stories that'll be a rough outline, and 115 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: they're always changing. It's like if you took a pack 116 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 2: of tortillas and they were in saran wrap and you 117 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 2: nailed them to a wall and they slowly got mold 118 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 2: and the mold grew on them. That's the stories. They 119 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 2: change and they blend in for whatever city I'm in, 120 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 2: and then I'll talk about what happened that day. So 121 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: the thing I've learned is if I go on stage 122 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 2: and just talk about what I did that day, something 123 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 2: funny is going to come out of it. And I'm 124 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 2: going to take the piss out of the audience, make 125 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: fun of their accent and what I did that day, 126 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: and hopefully have them all smiling and feeling good. I 127 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 2: always want like a sense of redemption by the end 128 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 2: of the show, where everybody's just up there on their 129 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: feet and they're just feeling really good. 130 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: Okay, so what happened yesterday that was worth talking about? 131 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,279 Speaker 2: Okay, So for instance, last night, I got on stage 132 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: and I had written a little story about I told 133 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 2: people that they need to start creating, because if you 134 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: have friends over for dinner. What I said is you 135 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 2: should have them prepare a poem that they wrote, because 136 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 2: if you write something, it will feel good for you, 137 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 2: and then to perform it will make you feel nervous. 138 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 2: And the body makes its own drugs, and who here 139 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 2: doesn't love drugs. That's what I told the audience. And 140 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: so I want you guys to feel good, and so 141 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 2: I would give them an example of a poem. And 142 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: it doesn't have to rhyme, but you just go up 143 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: and you get to do this poem and it makes 144 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 2: it so much fun. So, for instance, last night I 145 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: was on stage and I just I remember I was 146 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 2: sitting there and I said, dear Diary, this was my poem. 147 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 2: I took a shower and used doctor Bronner's peppermint hemp 148 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 2: hippie soap. It smells so good. I washed my armpits 149 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 2: and my bum and my private parts. And then I 150 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: thought to myself, I need to wash my feet too. 151 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 2: The water in the shower isn't going to just clean them. 152 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 2: I should scrub them with his hand towel and soap. 153 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 2: Now I'm sixty four years old, So I lifted up 154 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 2: my foot and scrubbed it real good with the soap 155 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: every little toe. It felt so good and clean, like 156 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 2: I was doing God's work. Then I washed my other 157 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 2: foot and that felt good too. I was so happy 158 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 2: and proud that my feet were clean. Then I thought 159 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 2: I should scrub my butthole because I have this hand 160 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,240 Speaker 2: towel and lots of soap. But then I was worried 161 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: that the foot germs might get into my butt like 162 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 2: athlete's foot, so I scrubbed my buttole anyways, and then 163 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 2: I had to pee in I thought to my so 164 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: I should wait till I get out of the shower 165 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 2: and pee in the toilet. But then I looked around 166 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 2: and Sharon wasn't in the bathroom, and I obviously wasn't 167 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: live streaming. So I peed real good like, and I 168 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 2: watched it all go down the drain, and it felt 169 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 2: like I was doing something bad and that felt good 170 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 2: to me. So I got out of the shower and 171 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 2: dried off. Now I can't sleep because as I was 172 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 2: drying off, I looked in the mirror and my balls 173 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 2: looked terry. So I thought I'd try shaving them, even 174 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 2: though I'd never shaved them before. It just seemed like 175 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 2: an impulsive decision. So I tried it, but I accidentally 176 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 2: got a cut on my scrotum and red blood dripped 177 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 2: into the white sink. It looked really cool, like art, 178 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 2: and I like art. Then I signed my name in 179 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 2: the sink with a swirly S and a swirly P. 180 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 2: But then Sharon walked into the bathroom as I was 181 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: stretching my ball sack and looking at the blood, and 182 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 2: she goes, what the fuck is wrong with you? And 183 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 2: then some the air scaped out of my butt and 184 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,120 Speaker 2: made a party sound. So I decided I should go 185 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: to sleep and not shave my balls anymore, and Sharon 186 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 2: put a band aid on them. The shaving was a 187 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 2: bad idea. Thank you God for listening to me, your 188 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 2: friend Steve. So I did that piece last night because 189 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 2: I knew it would make me sweat to do that 190 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 2: on stage, and I just wanted to take them on 191 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 2: a journey, and see, I like to take a risk. 192 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 2: And then my body makes a drug and that drug 193 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 2: is this adrenaline, and then all limits are off and 194 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,679 Speaker 2: I can sing any song I want because I've taken 195 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 2: them to a place where I want them to go, 196 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 2: and I want to encourage them to write. 197 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: You mentioned this drug adrenaline. To what degree do you 198 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: use or have used recreational drugs or alcohol? 199 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 2: Oh? Man. It all started when I was young and 200 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 2: I was an altar boy in the Catholic Church, and 201 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: I was in Palm Springs, California, at Saint Teresa's and 202 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 2: they had this altar wine and I would drink it. 203 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,200 Speaker 2: I called it backstage, and the priest would leave the 204 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 2: altar wine back there, and I'd go out as the 205 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 2: altar boy at Saint Teresa's and I would pretend I 206 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 2: was a French waiter, so I'd bring the wine up 207 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 2: to the priest and when they ring the bells, that 208 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 2: changes the wine into Jesus's blood. This is what they 209 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 2: tell you. So I would go up and pour the 210 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 2: wine into the gold chalice that the priest is holding, 211 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 2: and I would say, this is in nineteen sixty seven, 212 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 2: Goblin Savignon. He would be good with it, Phil Mignon, Goodrea, 213 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: and then the priest would just look at me and go, 214 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 2: this guy is crazy. And that kind of basically stopped 215 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 2: my altar boy career. And so then I kept drinking, 216 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 2: and I would have fun drinking, and that led to 217 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 2: marijuana queludes in the seventies led to cocaine, opium, everything, 218 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: and then, like any good musician, I ended up in 219 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 2: rehab nineteen years ago and I haven't had a drink since, 220 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 2: and my career got better due to not drinking and drugging. 221 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: Okay, reab only works if you want to get clean. 222 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: What was the motivation to go to rehab? And why 223 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: did it works? People have gone like ten times and 224 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: it still hasn't worked. 225 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 2: The reason it worked for me is because I never 226 00:12:22,679 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 2: wanted to do it till I was ready, and I 227 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 2: knew one day it was going to happen. I just 228 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 2: could feel I was heading into that direction. And I 229 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 2: had this best friend of mine named Steve both spelled 230 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 2: fot and we had written a Rugburns song my old band, 231 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 2: the Rugburns, and the song was called Hitchhiker Joe. It's 232 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 2: about a cannibalistic hitchhiker that would hitchhike and then he 233 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 2: would eat you, and so we made a video for 234 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 2: it and everything, and then Steve got into drugs and 235 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 2: he got stabbed to death in a crack deal that 236 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: went awry with some prostitutes, and so I had to 237 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 2: id him at the Morgue and I had a nervous breakdown. 238 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: And I remember I flew back to San Diego from 239 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 2: being on the road. I've been doing blow all night 240 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,719 Speaker 2: and I kind of collapsed at the airport night. There 241 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 2: was this one attorney. I knew this guy, Michael Wilson, 242 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: and I called him and he heard it in my voice. 243 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 2: He answered the phone. I don't even know how he 244 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,080 Speaker 2: answered the phone because he had secretaries, but he heard 245 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 2: my voice and I said Michael, and he goes Stephen 246 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 2: and he goes, what's up. And I said, I'm in 247 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 2: big trouble. I've gone insane. And he said, you need 248 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 2: to go right away to this rehab place. And for 249 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 2: some reason, after twenty eight days in rehab, they graduated 250 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 2: everybody except for me, and they said you need to 251 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 2: do another twenty eight days. So I did another twenty 252 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 2: eight days and then they let me go, and I 253 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 2: remember I got out and I had a show at 254 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 2: the Belly Up in San Diego Salona Beach, and they 255 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,679 Speaker 2: sent guards with me to make sure I wouldn't drink. 256 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,559 Speaker 2: And then it was weird Bob. I just I didn't 257 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,600 Speaker 2: want to drink anymore. I realized I could do more 258 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: damage not drinking and drugging, and it was getting in 259 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 2: my way of my muse and my creativity. And I 260 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,560 Speaker 2: love not drinking like I love it. It's a drug 261 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 2: to not be on drugs and to just create and 262 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 2: take chances and risks. 263 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 1: Well, I had a similar thing giving up drinking, and 264 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: it is liberating in a way that people don't understand. 265 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: But let's go back. You're playing these festivals in Australia. 266 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: If you play a festival, not everybody knows who you are, 267 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 1: and it's like being an opening act at an arena 268 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: for a superstar. It's very frustrating. How do you win 269 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 1: over a larger audience who is unaware of you and 270 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: may not be paying attention. 271 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 2: It's the greatest thing in the world. So before I 272 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 2: go out, I say a little prayer to my id 273 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 2: of whatever the powers that be are in the sky. 274 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 2: Because when I went to rehab, they said you needed 275 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 2: a higher power, and that higher power was God. And 276 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 2: I had a hard time with the God thing. So 277 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 2: I made my higher power Neil Young because he was 278 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 2: a power greater than myself, I figured, and they accepted that. 279 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: So Neil Young became a higher power. And then as 280 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: it went on, I had no problem with the God thing, 281 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 2: the idea of that there might be something up there, stronger, 282 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: and who knows what it is if it's just a spirit. 283 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 2: So I just say a prayer of thanks. I don't 284 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 2: pray to be good, but I do this visualization thing. 285 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 2: It only takes me a minute where I picture everybody 286 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 2: on their feet smiling, and I've converted the room and 287 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: it's just going to be I've done some work that 288 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 2: was good. I made people feel good. Maybe I'm down 289 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 2: in the middle of the crowd, maybe I'm on the stage, 290 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 2: but I love it. I just like coming out with 291 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 2: whatever I'm feeling. So it's just honest because people can tell. 292 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 2: And an audience is like a horse, and a horse 293 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 2: knows when you get on it, if you're scared of it, 294 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 2: if you come out and let the audience know you're 295 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 2: in control, they're gonna come along for the ride. And 296 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 2: that's where you really build a fan base because you 297 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 2: got five thousand people out there. You know, I'll be 298 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 2: playing Newport Folk Festival this summer, or in Australia, I'm 299 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: going to Byron Bay Bluesfest. Probably played a seven thousand 300 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 2: people and a lot of whom have never seen me, 301 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 2: and so what you need to do? Do you know? 302 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 2: Do you remember Huey Lewis? 303 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: Of course I remember. 304 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, Okay, So there was an article once in Rolling 305 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 2: Stone and Huey Lewis did a quote that I've never forgotten. 306 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 2: He talked about how he was in a blues band 307 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 2: in northern California and they were doing cover songs and 308 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 2: he said, every once in a while they would sneak 309 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: in an original song. And I loved how he said that, 310 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: and he said he called it infiltrate then double cross, 311 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,560 Speaker 2: so he'd suck them in and then double cross them, 312 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 2: and then on the break people would come up and go, 313 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 2: what was that song you did? I loved and he'd say, oh, 314 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 2: that was an original, and they said that is so good. 315 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: So at a festival you need to infiltrate then double crossing, 316 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 2: not meaning you're doing covers, but go out. You can't 317 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 2: just go out and talk about shaving your balls in 318 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,640 Speaker 2: the shower. You've got to lure them into your world. 319 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 2: And then slowly, once they commit to loving you, they're 320 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:24,560 Speaker 2: with you. They're a part of your tribe. It's amazing. 321 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 2: And then you slowly collect people. My buddy Oliver Wood 322 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 2: from the Wood Brothers has a quote that he told 323 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 2: me about my career. It's a slow rise to the middle, 324 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 2: and that's the best kind of career to have. 325 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 1: Okay, let's just use that. You're playing to seven thousand people. 326 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: Usually an act that's not well known throughout the world 327 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: has to play during the day when the sun is out. 328 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: Do you feel that you have to get all seven 329 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,199 Speaker 1: thousand people interested or you just need three hundred in 330 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,200 Speaker 1: front of the state, What do you say. I'm gonna 331 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,239 Speaker 1: get this three hundred and grow it and grow it. 332 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 2: I know that it's going to be successful. It sounds weird, 333 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 2: but I love walking out on stage and there's five 334 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 2: or seven thousand people and it's just a little cadence 335 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 2: and the voice are the way I may tell a story, slowly, 336 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 2: suck them into my world. And you see people kind 337 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 2: of touching each other, like what's going on here? And 338 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,560 Speaker 2: then the diehard fans are up front and the energy 339 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: passes from fan to fan. It's crazy. And by the 340 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 2: end of that everybody's over there at the merch area. 341 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: You're selling stuff and I shake everybody's hand. I believe 342 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,680 Speaker 2: in the Willie Nelson School of music, you'd always wait 343 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,679 Speaker 2: by his tour bus afterwards and shake everyone's hand and 344 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 2: sign everything. I love it. I love the interaction taking 345 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 2: pictures with people and then playing the show, and slowly 346 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 2: they convert over. And then you play a club in 347 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 2: a town and they show up and say, oh, oh, man, 348 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 2: I saw you at High Sierra Music Festival, or I 349 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 2: saw you at tell your Ride Bluegrass Fest. And the 350 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,119 Speaker 2: cool thing is I'm just solo on stage, so I 351 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 2: don't have to deal with a lot of logistics of 352 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 2: band members and everything. I can surgically strike and play 353 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 2: Stan Rogers folk Fest way out in Canso, Nova Scotia, 354 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 2: and then zip across the country and play Rocky Mountain 355 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 2: Folksfest in Lions, Colorado. And I can do it and 356 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 2: get there pretty fast. 357 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,199 Speaker 1: Okay, let's go back to the Oliver Wood quote. I 358 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: think the Woods started off independent to begin with. Okay, 359 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: when you started in the pre internet era, the key 360 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: was to have a label deal and to have a hit, 361 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: whether it be a top forty hit at MTV, hit 362 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,119 Speaker 1: a hit on a FM rock The point is to 363 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 1: have a notable trick. So today to use a word 364 00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 1: that has too many connotations, but I'll use it anyway. 365 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: You are a cult item. It's amazing. I printed an 366 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,360 Speaker 1: email that you had written all these people who know 367 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,440 Speaker 1: who you are. Okay, you can't see that and say, oh, 368 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: it's Steve Poltz and you know, number ten in the 369 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: Spotify Top fifty, but they know who you are. So 370 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: the game has changed. Yet you have continued in the game. 371 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,720 Speaker 1: To what degreed does it frustrate you that you have 372 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: this middle level of success and to what degreed do 373 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 1: you have hunger to be known and exposed to more people. 374 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 2: This is a great question, and I would like to 375 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 2: first say I love you. I want to get that 376 00:20:53,760 --> 00:21:00,160 Speaker 2: from here, but okay, okay, I do. And the way 377 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,879 Speaker 2: that it works for me is I picture everybody, you know, 378 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 2: those rock climbing walls, Bob, where you got sure a 379 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 2: place and climb up. You know, there's always somebody going 380 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 2: to be above you and somebody below you. That's the 381 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 2: business we're in. There's always going to be somebody who 382 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: has something you want. Even Springsteen, where he's at on 383 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 2: the wall now isn't in the stadium thing he was 384 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 2: at at one time. So we always want to be 385 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 2: somewhere else. So number one, the first rule is be 386 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 2: kind to everybody you meet on the way up, because 387 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 2: sooner or later you will meet him on the way 388 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 2: back down, and you're always going to want more, but 389 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 2: you've got to just remain grateful and thankful for what 390 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 2: you have, your little slice of the pie. And for me, 391 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 2: I'm happy with the slice I have because I get 392 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 2: to do the weirdest shit on stage. Bob, I'm not 393 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 2: beholden to a hit song. I go out and I'm 394 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 2: doing spoken word and it's a drug to me. I'm 395 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 2: an addict, and so I'm addicted to the performance and 396 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,960 Speaker 2: I'm looking for that high, that sort of danger on 397 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 2: stage and also the sense of community. And so I 398 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 2: have like the ultimate career because I go from city 399 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 2: to city. People show up in Australia and it's like whatever, 400 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 2: a fifty dollars ticket and they're showing up. The shows 401 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 2: are selling out and they're in small areas. Of course, 402 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 2: you think, God, it would be cool to go up 403 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:23,840 Speaker 2: to bigger theaters, but it's just one day at a time, 404 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 2: and I get such a high from the shows that 405 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:30,120 Speaker 2: I'm happy where I'm at and if it grows I'm 406 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 2: playing on the house's money because I don't have to 407 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 2: do this anymore. I could retire right now. My wife 408 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 2: always reminds me of that, that you don't have to 409 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 2: do this anymore. I was one of those musicians that 410 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 2: put money away back in the day when some jewel 411 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 2: money came in and other money, and I'd just go 412 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 2: out and work and I just put it in a 413 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 2: Charles Schwab account and never touch it. I've never touched it. 414 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,080 Speaker 2: I'm sixty four years old, and I don't need a 415 00:22:56,119 --> 00:23:00,560 Speaker 2: lot because I live kind of a simple life. 416 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: Okay. I mean, certainly your stage act is unique and 417 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: no one is going to see you and not remember it. 418 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: So is there a part of you that says, well, 419 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: if only more people could see me, they would have 420 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: the same feeling. 421 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do think that sometimes, and every once in 422 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 2: a while you do get a little bit of jealousy 423 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:32,760 Speaker 2: and you want the career, maybe you want the crowds 424 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 2: that somebody else is getting. But I've learned to just 425 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:40,040 Speaker 2: get that out of my system and I just sort 426 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 2: of say a prayer of gratitude for what I have, 427 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 2: and I truly believe in that. Of course, you me Nactually, 428 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 2: I only speak for myself. Like when Jewels started getting 429 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 2: big and we were dating and I was in the 430 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,200 Speaker 2: Rugburns and I was helping her find a place to play, 431 00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 2: and then she blew up really big. I was just like, Wow, 432 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 2: why is she blowing up big? And I'm not or 433 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,119 Speaker 2: Jason Moraz another friend of mine from San Diego, Like 434 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 2: there's a whole San Diego scene, why did these people 435 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 2: blow up so big? But then when I really analyzed 436 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 2: it and did a deep dive in it, I'm not 437 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:20,680 Speaker 2: really made for the masses. I'm not. Jason Ras has 438 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 2: a great boys, Jewela has a great voice. I'm sort 439 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 2: of a wild card, and I get the freedom of 440 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 2: doing the show I want, and I have gratitude for 441 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 2: what I'm doing. And Jason's a friend of mine, Jewele's 442 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 2: a friend of mine. And I saw Blink one eight 443 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: two blow up big, but the Rugburns didn't, And why 444 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:42,600 Speaker 2: didn't that happen? I just felt like we weren't made 445 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 2: for the masses. Probably, and that's okay. You got to 446 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,640 Speaker 2: make peace with that way. 447 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: Let's go back to the beginning. You're born in Halifax, Canada. 448 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: Are you just born there? And you move on or 449 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 1: do you live any of your life there. 450 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 2: We moved when I was really young to southern California. 451 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 2: So all the relatives are in Nova Scotia and Cape 452 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 2: Breton and some in Ontario. But I'm a total Southern Californian. 453 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 2: I may live in Nashville, but I'm a Southern Californian. 454 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: As it gets, okay, And what did your parents do 455 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 1: for a living? 456 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 2: So my dad was in the Royal Canadian Air Force 457 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 2: and one morning he woke up and we were snowed 458 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 2: in and he said, I want to go somewhere warm. 459 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 2: And it was the early sixties, and we came out 460 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:36,679 Speaker 2: to Pasadena, California. We lived right in Pasadena, and my 461 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 2: dad had a job in air conditioning and he just 462 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 2: found this job. He drove us across the country with 463 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 2: no money, got a job in an air conditioning warehouse 464 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 2: and became a manager of it. And I went to 465 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,679 Speaker 2: a private Catholic school called Saint Rita's Elementary School. We 466 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:00,239 Speaker 2: lived in Hastings Ranch for a little while, and then 467 00:26:00,280 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 2: we moved out to Palm Springs, California, because he got 468 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 2: a great air conditioning job out there, and that was 469 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 2: how I ended up meeting like Frank Sinatra and Elvis 470 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 2: Presley and Liberacchi and Bob Hope and all these people 471 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 2: that lived there, and it was pretty interesting being a 472 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 2: part of that. So it was great. 473 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: Tell me more about being a part of that. This 474 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: Palm Springs. 475 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 2: So in Palm Springs, when we would go trigger treating 476 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 2: and stuff, we would go to Liberacchi's house and everybody 477 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 2: knew where he lived, and he had these piano keys 478 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 2: for his front steps and they would wind almost in 479 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 2: an Alison Carroll kind of weird psychedelic way, and you'd 480 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 2: ring the doorbell and you'd be dressed up like Casper 481 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 2: the Friendly Ghost, and the doorbell when it rang would go. 482 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:54,200 Speaker 3: Dun dunt dunt dun dun't dunt dun dun Livereracchi would 483 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 3: come out and he'd have a big boa around his neck, 484 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 3: and then chauffeur guy, his boyfriend, the blonde guy, he'd 485 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 3: have arm next. 486 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 2: To him like this and he'd say hello kids, hop 487 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 2: a Snicker's bar and he'd give these huge Snickers bars 488 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 2: out and then I'd go change in the Batman and 489 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:11,360 Speaker 2: come back again. And we would keep changing our outfits 490 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 2: because he had the biggest candy bars, and it was 491 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 2: so cool and I always loved being a part of that. 492 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,399 Speaker 2: And my uncle was gay, my mom's brother, and so 493 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,320 Speaker 2: I was raised with this sense of gayness in our house, 494 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 2: which was like a different time. Nowadays, everybody's flying a 495 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 2: rainbow flag and stuff, but back in those days, it 496 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,840 Speaker 2: was like some more broke back Mountain type stuff, especially 497 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 2: for my uncle who had come from Cape Bretton and 498 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 2: he was a musician. 499 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: So okay, And what did your mother do all day? 500 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 2: So my mom was a teacher, an English teacher, and 501 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 2: she demanded she wouldn't even accept an A minus. I 502 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 2: had to get straight a's. And I would always get 503 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 2: bad citizenship grades because I was always making smart at 504 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 2: I just couldn't help it, and I was pushing things 505 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:05,200 Speaker 2: to the limit. But I got a's and I loved school, 506 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,200 Speaker 2: like I loved going there, and I liked studying guitar, 507 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 2: and I started playing guitar when I was six years old, 508 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:15,480 Speaker 2: And so my mom really made sure I practiced. She 509 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 2: was very strict about it. She said, if I pay 510 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 2: for lessons, you're practicing forty five minutes every day, no excuses, 511 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 2: Not thirty minutes, not forty two minutes forty five minutes, 512 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:30,680 Speaker 2: and I realized how hard it was to learn guitar, 513 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 2: and I hated it. But after twenty one days it 514 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 2: became a habit, just like anything, and then I just 515 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 2: would get so into it. My guitar was my best 516 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,720 Speaker 2: friend because I stuttered as a little kid, and I 517 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: had asthma and exema, and so I would just be 518 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 2: alone in my room playing guitar, and I loved it. 519 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: So how many kids in the family just. 520 00:28:55,560 --> 00:29:00,239 Speaker 2: Too my sister. I have an older sister, and you 521 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 2: know how, I think you've written about this too in 522 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 2: your letter. A lot of times somebody has an older 523 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 2: sibling and that older sibling is the one who turns 524 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 2: the other one onto music. And my sister had exquisite 525 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 2: taste in music, and she would make me put my 526 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,800 Speaker 2: head between the speakers and she would put on Joni 527 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 2: Mitchell Courton Spark and say, listen to it, really listen 528 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 2: to it with your head between the speakers, and you 529 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 2: would hear Joni. All of a sudden, love came to 530 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 2: my door with a sleeping role and a madman's soul. 531 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 2: I thought for sure I'd seen him dancing up a 532 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,120 Speaker 2: river in the dark looking through a woman to the 533 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 2: core and spa and I would listen to that, my 534 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 2: mind would be blown. We had a Moranz receiver, these 535 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,760 Speaker 2: big speakers, and my sister would have me. Then she 536 00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 2: would put on another record and we would listen to music, 537 00:29:57,040 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 2: and really listen to music. I'm talking like where you 538 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 2: would drink it in. And I remember I went to school, Bob, 539 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:09,000 Speaker 2: and there was a Jewish girl named Hallie Rothstein, and 540 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 2: she was so beautiful and they had been living on 541 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 2: a kabbutz in Israel, and her dad, Jean Rothstein, was 542 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 2: the chemistry teacher, and he was so cool, and he 543 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 2: also did the hiking club and he went out of 544 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 2: town on business and Hallie Rothstein asked me to come over. 545 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 2: And I was fifteen years old and she had me 546 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 2: come over. I know, I couldn't believe it, and I thought, 547 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 2: this is when I'm going to lose my virginity. And 548 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 2: I always loved the I just my mom was like, 549 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 2: you're Catholic. You got the only dated Catholic girl. And 550 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:48,239 Speaker 2: so when I heard Hallie Rothstein was Jewish, it was 551 00:30:48,280 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 2: like that forbidden fruit. It even made me like her more. 552 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 2: And they would talk about you know, how they would 553 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 2: celebrate Hanukkah, and I found it all so interesting. And 554 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 2: my gay uncle Louie would dress me up and I 555 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 2: would sing Fiddler on the Roof songs to all his 556 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:07,680 Speaker 2: gay boyfriends. And so I always had this love of 557 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 2: the Jewish faith because it was so different to me. 558 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 2: So my uncle Louie would dress me up and I'd 559 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 2: sing if Iridi go dumb, and he'd have his arms 560 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,239 Speaker 2: around a couple guys, and I thought that's how all 561 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 2: kids grew up. But I went over to Halle Rothstein's house, 562 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 2: and I remember she wanted me to bring some boons 563 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 2: farm wine over, and I was only fifteen years old. 564 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 2: So I went to the liquor store, and everybody knew 565 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 2: there was this old perverted guy that would sit outside 566 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:39,719 Speaker 2: the liquor store and if you let him touch your 567 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 2: leg a little bit, he would go in and buy 568 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 2: you the wine or the beer you want. So I 569 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 2: remember having this whole existential crisis. Do I let the 570 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 2: old man touch me so I can go to Halle 571 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,360 Speaker 2: Rothstein's house and lose my virginity. And I rode my 572 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 2: bike over to her house and the old man was there. 573 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 2: He got to grab my leg and he comes out 574 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,080 Speaker 2: with a bottle of Boons Farm wine and I had 575 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:06,160 Speaker 2: it in a brown paper bag, and I was so disgusted. 576 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 2: After the old man grab my leg. I was riding 577 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 2: my bike to Ali Rothstein's and I had screwed the 578 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 2: cap and I was drinking the wine and chugging it. 579 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 2: And I went over to her house and I crawled 580 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,680 Speaker 2: in the window of her room and then we started 581 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:21,880 Speaker 2: making out. And you know, back in the early seventies, 582 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 2: you would make out with the girl and she'd have 583 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,760 Speaker 2: Levi's five oh one button flies on and she would 584 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 2: let me on dudes like two buttons, and I'd get 585 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 2: my hand ride down her pants almost to the promised Land, 586 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 2: and then she'd pull it up put it back on 587 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 2: her boop. We both had braces, and the braces were 588 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 2: clicking as we were making out, and the dried saliva smell, 589 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 2: you could smell it wafting up your nostrils and we're 590 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 2: making out. But then back in those days, you couldn't 591 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 2: just put your iPhone on Spotify shuffle and have it 592 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 2: keep playing music. No, the record would die out. So 593 00:32:56,000 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 2: you hear this, and she asked to get up change 594 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:03,480 Speaker 2: the record, so she gets up to change the record 595 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 2: and she puts on this other record. Come back. I 596 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 2: think I'm gonna lose my virginity to this beautiful Jewish girl. 597 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:13,560 Speaker 2: We're making out. One thing leads to another, and I 598 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 2: hear this voice, this beautiful voicego moving in silent desperation, 599 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 2: keeping the nih on the Holy lad a hypathetical destination. 600 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 2: Say who is this Walking Man? And I just stopped 601 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 2: kissing her and I said who's that? She said, it's 602 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 2: James Taylor. And I just looked at the album covered 603 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,960 Speaker 2: Walking Man. He was in this cool pose. And back 604 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 2: in those days, you couldn't look up if they were 605 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 2: shopping at Kroger and what they looked like, and when 606 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:50,360 Speaker 2: they were getting their groceries. All you had was the 607 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:53,680 Speaker 2: mystery of what was on that album. And you held 608 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:55,440 Speaker 2: that big album up and you look at the back 609 00:33:55,440 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 2: of You're like Danny Kortzmark Russell, kunkle Leland Sklark. Who 610 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 2: are these people? These are gods. I need to know 611 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 2: about all these players and who they are. And I 612 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 2: looked at Hallie. I said, I'm sorry, I have to go. 613 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:13,239 Speaker 2: Can I borrow this record? She said, I guess so, 614 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 2: so I didn't lose my virginity because I wanted to 615 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:19,720 Speaker 2: go home and listen to James Taylor and hear Danny 616 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: Korchmark Cooch. They called him Cooch. That's all I knew. 617 00:34:23,880 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 2: Cooch was his name. I needed to do my research 618 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,439 Speaker 2: and I needed to listen to this James Taylor guy. 619 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 2: Then years later, Danny Goldberg signs me to Mercury Universal Records, 620 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 2: and Timothy White, the now deceased editor of Billboard Magazine, 621 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 2: calls me up because he hears my record One Left Shoe, 622 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,759 Speaker 2: and he says, Steve, I'm wondering if you were influenced 623 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,600 Speaker 2: at all by James Taylor because of your fingerpick. I 624 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,920 Speaker 2: really like this record, And I said, was I influenced 625 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 2: by James Taylor? And I proceeded to tell him about 626 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 2: the old man grabbing my leg embraces, clicking the drive Sliva, 627 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 2: the buttons on the Levi's five oh one, my hand, 628 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 2: going down to the promised land of Nirvana. And I said, 629 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 2: because of James, I didn't lose my virginity, and Timothy 630 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,720 Speaker 2: White goes, oh my god, I love this story. Listen. 631 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 2: I'm friends with James Taylor. He's in Martha's Vineyard. Right now, 632 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 2: I'm gonna call him up, and would you tell him 633 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 2: that story? Well, Bob, I'm freaking out because James Taylor 634 00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:32,439 Speaker 2: was like one of my heroes. Right. So he gets 635 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 2: James on the phone in Martha's Vineyard. Timothy White's in 636 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 2: New York Billboard Magazine office, and I'm in San Diego, 637 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 2: and it's like a split screen, triple screen Doris da 638 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 2: Pillow talk. We're all on our phones. Can't see him, 639 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:48,320 Speaker 2: but I can imagine it. And then all of a sudden, 640 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,799 Speaker 2: right before James gets on the phone, Timothy White says, 641 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,279 Speaker 2: tell James's story, but don't tell him the part about 642 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 2: the old man grabbing you, because that's kind of he 643 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 2: doesn't need to hear that. But tell him the story 644 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,319 Speaker 2: about everything else. And I said, okay, okay. And so 645 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,359 Speaker 2: that James gets on the line and I hear that 646 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 2: sweet tenor voice go hello, Steve, and I go James, 647 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 2: He goes yeah, Timothy goes tell them the story, and 648 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 2: then I go, I let an old. 649 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 4: Man grab my balls. 650 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 2: I couldn't help myself. And then I proceeded to tell 651 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 2: him the whole story. And after I told James Taylor 652 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 2: the whole story. There was this awkward pause on the line, 653 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 2: and then I heard James go, well, I hope you've 654 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:32,440 Speaker 2: gotten laid since. 655 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: Okay, a little cleanup. Where's Hallie today? 656 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,799 Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I would like to know. I need 657 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 2: to track her down on Facebook, but I have some 658 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 2: friends that told me I think she might still be 659 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,399 Speaker 2: in Palm Springs. I would love to know how she's doing. 660 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 2: I would love her to hear that story because it 661 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:57,439 Speaker 2: really was a memory mark. 662 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: Okay, you would have this one my old sensibility. This 663 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: doesn't come out of nowhere. What was going on in 664 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 1: your home that you had this way of looking at things, insights, 665 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: telling these funny stories. Was this your mother? Was this 666 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: your father? Your gay uncle? Where did this come from? 667 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 2: It was a combo meal deal. My dad would write 668 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,760 Speaker 2: poems and he would run around the house and tap 669 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:26,880 Speaker 2: dance and sing. He would always sing the Canadian national 670 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 2: anthem to me in the morning, so I would know 671 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:33,080 Speaker 2: my Canadian roots. And my mom played piano and guitar 672 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:38,320 Speaker 2: and would sing like an angel. And my uncle Louis 673 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 2: was a genius piano player, and so I was a 674 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:46,400 Speaker 2: combination of all of them. And my uncle would always 675 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:49,560 Speaker 2: have me play at recitals, and I would do the 676 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,760 Speaker 2: part of Joel Gray and Cabaret. At a very young age. 677 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 2: I could do everything I could get up there, and 678 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 2: he would paint a little mustache on me and I'd 679 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 2: go become Bear, come and I would do the whole 680 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 2: thing and gabba lay, oh, gaballet do gabal lele, and 681 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 2: he would dress me up as Oliver, and I didn't 682 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 2: know how weird it was, because he'd have like eight 683 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:15,439 Speaker 2: gay men over to the house and he would dress 684 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 2: me up like Oliver and make me go, please, suh, 685 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 2: may I have some more? And then they'd go, he 686 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 2: wants more. And then I'd have to think, oh, well, 687 00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 2: buye this wonderful morning, and I'd put on a whole 688 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 2: show for them and I'd see how it worked. And 689 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 2: that was where I really started learning stuff because of 690 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 2: all of them. And he took me to see Julian 691 00:38:35,840 --> 00:38:39,520 Speaker 2: Bream at the Hollywood Bowl at the age of six 692 00:38:39,680 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 2: years old, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae, Sarah Vaughan, Jesus Christ, Superstar, 693 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,719 Speaker 2: god Spell, Hair. He took me to every Planet of 694 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:52,480 Speaker 2: the Apes movie. My uncle Louis was just he was 695 00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 2: so good for me. 696 00:38:54,880 --> 00:38:58,840 Speaker 1: Okay, that's your musical background. How about your twisted sense 697 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,400 Speaker 1: of humor and your observational character. 698 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:07,359 Speaker 2: So I started the rugburns in a garage and Sandy. 699 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no, no, way before. 700 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,400 Speaker 2: That, way before that was okay? 701 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:13,280 Speaker 1: Was it the type of thing you were all having 702 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: dinner together and people were telling long stories where you 703 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: were cracking jokes at the table. This sensibility has to 704 00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:21,520 Speaker 1: come from somewhere. 705 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 2: I think it was because my mom was really strict, 706 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 2: so I liked finding a way to get my sister 707 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 2: to laugh. Because my sister had a bit of depression 708 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 2: and my mom suffered from depression. So my mom had 709 00:39:37,520 --> 00:39:41,360 Speaker 2: to get shock therapy and the house was always really dark, 710 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:45,160 Speaker 2: and I remember she came out of shock therapy and 711 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 2: she didn't know who we were, and it scared me, 712 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 2: and she would I would come home and she would 713 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 2: always be crying and the house would be dark. So 714 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 2: I would play classical guitar songs to her and I 715 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 2: would try to make her laugh. I really wanted to 716 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,879 Speaker 2: make my mom happy because it hurt me to see 717 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:06,759 Speaker 2: her so sad, and my sister was really sad. So 718 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 2: I would figure out what made them laugh. So if 719 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,400 Speaker 2: I was able to do the Lord's Prayer with a 720 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:18,600 Speaker 2: French accent without my mom hearing it at church to 721 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 2: get my sister to laugh, I would. 722 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 5: I would. 723 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:25,439 Speaker 2: That's where things started. I would if false it would 724 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,920 Speaker 2: be that name, SOI Kingdom come and Kathy would be 725 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 2: laughing so hard and my mom would get mad, and 726 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:33,360 Speaker 2: then I'd find out a way to get my mom 727 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:38,040 Speaker 2: to laugh. But honestly, I really believe I'm I think 728 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:40,960 Speaker 2: you know, my mom died a few years ago and 729 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,719 Speaker 2: the first thing I said was do you think she 730 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:50,759 Speaker 2: loved me? And I think she did. But I used 731 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:54,560 Speaker 2: to feel like the audience is kind of like my mom, 732 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,360 Speaker 2: and maybe I'm on this search to win over the 733 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:02,319 Speaker 2: audience to get her a rooval, And so I think 734 00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,160 Speaker 2: that's where it all started. Was I wanted to make 735 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 2: sure that I could try to make her happy because 736 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 2: I wanted to make sure she loved me. And I 737 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:15,920 Speaker 2: haven't done deep therapy at all on it, but I 738 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 2: sort of have a sense that the audience is like 739 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:19,479 Speaker 2: my mother. 740 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:31,240 Speaker 1: Okay, before you get to the Rugbirds, you're going to school, 741 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 1: You're a smart kid, You're sort of sassy, which is 742 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 1: frustrating because you're doing well, but the teachers don't like 743 00:41:39,040 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: the disturbance. Did you have a lot of friends, Did 744 00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:45,399 Speaker 1: you play sports? Were you in student government or were 745 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,320 Speaker 1: you off to the left somewhere. 746 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:54,160 Speaker 2: So I was into student government and I loved sports. 747 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:57,400 Speaker 2: I ran across country. I was on the wrestling team, 748 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:03,200 Speaker 2: and I was in drama, so I did all the drama. 749 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,359 Speaker 2: I did everything. Wrestling practices would go late. The only 750 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:09,080 Speaker 2: reason I was on the wrestling nam is because I 751 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:12,879 Speaker 2: didn't make the basketball team and the wrestling coach saw 752 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,880 Speaker 2: me crying when I saw my name wasn't on the list, 753 00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:18,319 Speaker 2: and he said he needed a ninety eight pounder and 754 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:22,480 Speaker 2: I weighed about ninety two pounds in ninth grade. So 755 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:25,520 Speaker 2: I got on the wrestling team. And I wrestled for 756 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:29,120 Speaker 2: four years ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade. And I 757 00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:31,799 Speaker 2: got really good at it and it really helped me 758 00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:34,640 Speaker 2: because I didn't quit. But I was the only guy 759 00:42:34,640 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 2: on the wrestling team that was also in drama. And 760 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,560 Speaker 2: I was in the Madrigals, which was the top singing 761 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:42,239 Speaker 2: group where we would go to other schools and compete 762 00:42:42,719 --> 00:42:47,400 Speaker 2: sing songs in Latin and French and German, and so 763 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:51,480 Speaker 2: I was constantly busy in school, constantly, and I think 764 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:53,440 Speaker 2: part of that too was I didn't want to go home. 765 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 2: Because I went home, I felt a sense of darkness 766 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,200 Speaker 2: and I didn't want to see my mom sad. 767 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:03,000 Speaker 1: Okay graduate from high school? 768 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:07,400 Speaker 2: Then what So I graduated from high school and I 769 00:43:07,480 --> 00:43:11,200 Speaker 2: went away. My sister had gone away to up with people. 770 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 2: Do you remember Up with People? 771 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:16,800 Speaker 1: Absolutely used to be the halftime show with the NFL. 772 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, So my sister she went away to up 773 00:43:20,239 --> 00:43:21,760 Speaker 2: with people and I was playing. 774 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 1: Oh, well, well that just doesn't happen by accident. How 775 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:25,920 Speaker 1: did she get up with people? 776 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 4: So? 777 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,080 Speaker 2: Up with People came to Palm Springs High School, which 778 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:33,319 Speaker 2: is where I graduated from, and she applied and got in. 779 00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:37,360 Speaker 2: So she left me her Dodge Demon three on a 780 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 2: tree and on the back was a bumper sticker that 781 00:43:39,960 --> 00:43:44,320 Speaker 2: said give Jesus a chance. She got me stoned before 782 00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:48,560 Speaker 2: she left, taught me out to smoke beeed, and so 783 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 2: she she leans to go to up with people, and 784 00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:56,280 Speaker 2: then Up with People came back to our high school 785 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,680 Speaker 2: and I went, man, I got to get out of here. 786 00:43:58,719 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 2: If I could go away with up with people, that 787 00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:03,120 Speaker 2: would be the greatest thing in the world. So they 788 00:44:03,160 --> 00:44:06,239 Speaker 2: came into our high school and played I've Never Forgotten 789 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 2: the shows in a big assembly hall a theater in 790 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,800 Speaker 2: our Palm Springs High and I went up and I said, 791 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,440 Speaker 2: can I apply for Up With People? And all my 792 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,480 Speaker 2: friends were like, the stupid man, don't do that, like 793 00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:23,279 Speaker 2: all their wrestling friends. They're so lame. So I auditioned 794 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 2: for them, and I've Never Forgotten. I played a song 795 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 2: called Romanza, this Andre Segovia piece that's really sad. It's 796 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:34,839 Speaker 2: a beautiful piece, Romanza, and I played it and they went, man, 797 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,439 Speaker 2: you're a really gig guitar player. And then they ended 798 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:40,279 Speaker 2: up giving me a scholarship Up with People. So I 799 00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:43,839 Speaker 2: got accepted and I went and I lived in Tucson. 800 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 2: And this is back in nineteen seventy eight. Like most 801 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:49,920 Speaker 2: people have like that started band, like the Rugburns have 802 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:53,480 Speaker 2: like punk credibility. You know, they're listening to television and 803 00:44:53,600 --> 00:44:57,760 Speaker 2: CBGB's what's happening. Not me. I was in Eliza Minelly 804 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:01,680 Speaker 2: Barber streisand and Up with p People, Joel Gray and 805 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:06,279 Speaker 2: classical guitar and so Up with People. I go over 806 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:09,239 Speaker 2: there and I auditioned, and I live in Tucson and 807 00:45:09,280 --> 00:45:11,760 Speaker 2: I get in casts I think I was in cast 808 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:15,200 Speaker 2: A and we were in the Latin American group. So 809 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 2: we went and lived in Mexico and we would sing 810 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,360 Speaker 2: instead of up with people, because the song up with 811 00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:23,960 Speaker 2: people goes up up with people you meet and wherever 812 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:28,200 Speaker 2: you go. But ours was biev lahente, and so we 813 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:31,560 Speaker 2: would live with Mexican families and that's where I learned Spanish. 814 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:34,799 Speaker 2: And then we went to Argentina and imagine I was 815 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:37,920 Speaker 2: eighteen years old and I was in the band of 816 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,040 Speaker 2: up with people playing guitar and we had like a 817 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:44,719 Speaker 2: full orchestra, French horns, timpany, drums, everything, and that was 818 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:49,240 Speaker 2: where I learned about soundcheck, loading and staying with people 819 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,160 Speaker 2: in their houses. We'd have to write them a thank 820 00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,440 Speaker 2: you note afterwards. And we'd stay with all these different people, 821 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,040 Speaker 2: and we traveled around the world and I got out 822 00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,279 Speaker 2: of up with people, and then I went away to 823 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:04,440 Speaker 2: college University of San Diego, Catholic University, which made my 824 00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:08,279 Speaker 2: mom happy because it was Catholic, and I graduated from 825 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:10,600 Speaker 2: there and that was where I started well a little 826 00:46:10,600 --> 00:46:12,280 Speaker 2: bit slower, okay. 827 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,200 Speaker 1: So everybody Up with People has a tom No one 828 00:46:15,280 --> 00:46:16,479 Speaker 1: continues to stay in. 829 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,400 Speaker 2: The act that no one what. 830 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:23,200 Speaker 1: Okay, let's say I join up with People. Do I 831 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 1: know going in that I have a two year tenure 832 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:27,640 Speaker 1: and then I'm done? Oh can you be in for 833 00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:28,320 Speaker 1: ten years? 834 00:46:28,719 --> 00:46:31,799 Speaker 2: Oh, it's a one year tenure. So you go in 835 00:46:32,040 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 2: and it's like going through boot camp. You learn all 836 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:37,719 Speaker 2: these songs. My fingers that blisters on them. They got 837 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:41,600 Speaker 2: me an ovation guitar around back guitar Glenn Campbell Artists 838 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:45,680 Speaker 2: signed by Glenn Campbell, and I had that Ovation acoustic guitar. 839 00:46:46,800 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 2: So I go in for a whole year, and Bob, 840 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:55,479 Speaker 2: it's so goofy to say, I think I'm the only 841 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:57,600 Speaker 2: person in the world who has co written a song 842 00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:01,799 Speaker 2: with Billy String's Jewel Mojo Nixon and wasn't up with 843 00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:05,520 Speaker 2: People and played CBGB's and got to open for the Ramones, 844 00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:07,680 Speaker 2: Like it just doesn't make sense. 845 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, but just staying with up with People for 846 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:15,440 Speaker 1: one second. Up with People didn't have a religious element. 847 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:15,360 Speaker 2: Did it. 848 00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:15,960 Speaker 1: No? 849 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 2: It was about kind of building bridges. It was non denomination, 850 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:20,759 Speaker 2: right right, right. 851 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:24,160 Speaker 1: But the things that are clean and cut have a 852 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:29,240 Speaker 1: reputation under the surface of being the wildest, the most sex, 853 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:32,040 Speaker 1: the most drugs, the mold booze. What was it like 854 00:47:32,280 --> 00:47:33,680 Speaker 1: being in up with people? 855 00:47:33,920 --> 00:47:38,520 Speaker 2: Oh my god. So there were all kinds of cast relationships, 856 00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:41,799 Speaker 2: like you're told you can't date somebody in it. That's 857 00:47:41,880 --> 00:47:43,959 Speaker 2: kind of the reason I wrote the song hand Job 858 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:46,000 Speaker 2: on a Church Bus, Like I have a song called 859 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,520 Speaker 2: hand Job on a Church bus. Like there was stuff 860 00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:52,240 Speaker 2: going on. There was gay stuff going on and cast 861 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:56,440 Speaker 2: relationships happening. I remember I had a cast girlfriend and 862 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:59,400 Speaker 2: a girl named Kathy McCarty, and we would have to 863 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,520 Speaker 2: find places to meet up, to sneak out of our 864 00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:06,440 Speaker 2: host families or go in because you always stayed with families. 865 00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:08,840 Speaker 2: So I would find out where she lived, and we 866 00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 2: didn't have Google maps. It was nineteen seventy eight. I'd 867 00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:15,600 Speaker 2: have a street map in Mexico, and I'd at midnight 868 00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:17,960 Speaker 2: climb out of the window of my place, find out 869 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:22,000 Speaker 2: what Kathy McCarty was, sneak into the room where she 870 00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:24,480 Speaker 2: had a cast mate with her in another bed who 871 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:28,239 Speaker 2: was asleep, and have the most silent sex that was 872 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:32,480 Speaker 2: so forbidden, and the forbidden sex is the best, and 873 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:36,160 Speaker 2: then climb back in the window of somebody's house in Mexico, 874 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:38,480 Speaker 2: wake up in the morning and act like I've been 875 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:41,920 Speaker 2: in sleep, and then surreptitiously walk by her on the 876 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:43,919 Speaker 2: bus the next day and kind of wink and we'd 877 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 2: be laughing at what we pulled off. Yeah, it was crazy. 878 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:48,960 Speaker 2: There was a lot of sex happening. 879 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:53,520 Speaker 1: What about the University of San Diego? What was your 880 00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:54,479 Speaker 1: experience there? 881 00:48:55,160 --> 00:48:59,120 Speaker 2: Now that was really cool because what I did was 882 00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:02,239 Speaker 2: I went to gross I'mont College first and I took 883 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:04,480 Speaker 2: classical guitar because they had a classical guitar. 884 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:07,400 Speaker 1: Oh wait, wait, wait, wait wait wait, not everybody knows that. 885 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit more about that. 886 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:12,400 Speaker 2: Okay. So in San Diego there's a bunch of different 887 00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:15,799 Speaker 2: colleges and they have junior colleges, that's what they're called. 888 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 2: So a junior college I went to because Grossmont College 889 00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:23,560 Speaker 2: was in La Mesa, and they had a classical guitar 890 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:28,880 Speaker 2: department run by a guy named Miles Moignier. So Miles 891 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,759 Speaker 2: was a great classical guitar teacher, and I was in 892 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:34,800 Speaker 2: love with the classical guitar. I was learning box forat 893 00:49:35,120 --> 00:49:39,480 Speaker 2: I was doing duet pieces with Miles, so he was playing. 894 00:49:39,520 --> 00:49:42,600 Speaker 2: It was nineteen seventy nine at a place in La 895 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:48,040 Speaker 2: Mesa called Porfivore, a Mexican restaurant, and then another restaurant 896 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:52,000 Speaker 2: in Eltahonne, California, and that was called Ela Migo Ballroom. 897 00:49:52,520 --> 00:49:56,280 Speaker 2: So Miles went, hey, you're pretty good. I can't always 898 00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:58,480 Speaker 2: play well. You sub for me at the gigs. So 899 00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:02,400 Speaker 2: here I am nineteen years old playing at elam Ego 900 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:07,560 Speaker 2: Ballroom and at poor Footbore, playing like four nights a week, 901 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:10,920 Speaker 2: classical guitar, four hours a night, five hours a night. 902 00:50:10,960 --> 00:50:13,279 Speaker 2: I'd get a break in the middle. They'd feed me 903 00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:15,880 Speaker 2: when I got in and feed me again when I left. 904 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:18,720 Speaker 2: I was a growing kid. I'd did two Mexican meals. 905 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:22,399 Speaker 2: I had it made Bob. I was getting twenty five 906 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:26,640 Speaker 2: bucks a night sitting in the corner playing classical guitar pieces. 907 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:30,319 Speaker 2: And then one night I sang a song, and I 908 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:33,280 Speaker 2: sang the song Time in a Bottle by Jim Crochy, 909 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:36,239 Speaker 2: and we were only supposed to play, but I sang 910 00:50:36,280 --> 00:50:39,080 Speaker 2: Time in a Bottle and one of the waitresses was 911 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:42,839 Speaker 2: named Brenda. I'll never forget. She was like forty five 912 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:45,400 Speaker 2: years old. She came up to me and she goes, hey, 913 00:50:45,440 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 2: you can sing. I didn't know you could sing. You 914 00:50:48,160 --> 00:50:51,000 Speaker 2: sounded really good. Come outside, you want to smoke a 915 00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:53,560 Speaker 2: joint with me? And it was like Steve Martin and 916 00:50:53,600 --> 00:50:55,440 Speaker 2: the Jerk. And I went all right. And she was 917 00:50:55,480 --> 00:50:58,200 Speaker 2: this tough biker chick. So I smoked a joint with her. 918 00:50:58,239 --> 00:51:01,279 Speaker 2: And then she said, my old out of town at 919 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:05,640 Speaker 2: a biker rally in Sturgis. He's got choppers out there. 920 00:51:05,680 --> 00:51:07,480 Speaker 2: He's shown him with all his biker friends. Why don't 921 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:09,320 Speaker 2: you come over the house with smoke some more weed 922 00:51:09,400 --> 00:51:11,839 Speaker 2: and drink some beer. So I went over to her 923 00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:14,880 Speaker 2: house and it was in this area of Elkoholm that 924 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:17,840 Speaker 2: was kind of scary. And she brings me into her house. 925 00:51:18,280 --> 00:51:21,239 Speaker 2: One thing leads to another. We end up in their waterbed. 926 00:51:21,640 --> 00:51:25,719 Speaker 2: We're having sex. I'm nineteen years old. Also, I hear 927 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:28,920 Speaker 2: this Harley pull up in the driveway. She goes, you 928 00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:30,600 Speaker 2: gotta get out of here. You gotta get out of 929 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:33,239 Speaker 2: the window right now. That's my old man. He'll kill you. 930 00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:35,360 Speaker 2: And I said, I thought you said he was in Sturges. 931 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:38,399 Speaker 2: She said, he doesn't trust me. I think he came back. 932 00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:42,160 Speaker 2: He will kill you. And I remember leaving out of 933 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:44,640 Speaker 2: that window, and one of my shoes was left there. 934 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:48,640 Speaker 2: It was my left shoe, and I ran out and 935 00:51:48,680 --> 00:51:51,680 Speaker 2: I never showed up again at that place. I just 936 00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:54,960 Speaker 2: quit playing classical guitar in that one restaurant because that 937 00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:56,879 Speaker 2: guy was going to be looking for me. And to 938 00:51:56,920 --> 00:51:59,360 Speaker 2: this day, So I was in nineteen seventy nine and 939 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:01,640 Speaker 2: she was four five years old. I was nineteen. I 940 00:52:01,640 --> 00:52:05,040 Speaker 2: don't know how old she'd be today, but I'm still scared. 941 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:07,560 Speaker 2: When I see a biker come up, I imagine him 942 00:52:07,560 --> 00:52:09,880 Speaker 2: coming up with like a voicebox thing in his throat. 943 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:12,240 Speaker 2: I'm going to kill you. I'm ninety. 944 00:52:16,440 --> 00:52:22,000 Speaker 1: Okay, how do you segue from community college to University 945 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:22,760 Speaker 1: of San Diego? 946 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:27,160 Speaker 2: So I went to UH Crossmont College. Then I went 947 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,840 Speaker 2: to San Diego State for a year, and I'll never forget. 948 00:52:30,840 --> 00:52:33,960 Speaker 2: I was there the day John Lennon died. And at 949 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:37,920 Speaker 2: San Diego State they had these music rooms, and in 950 00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:41,280 Speaker 2: those music rooms, you would show them your student card 951 00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:43,759 Speaker 2: and they would have Vinyl records and you could go 952 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:46,399 Speaker 2: all alone in a music room and they'd have headphones 953 00:52:47,000 --> 00:52:50,200 Speaker 2: and it was amazing. Bob and I'd pull a record 954 00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:55,640 Speaker 2: out and I go ros Daman vibrations, re reggae music 955 00:52:55,800 --> 00:52:59,040 Speaker 2: that sounds interesting, and I put it on and all said, 956 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:01,239 Speaker 2: I to hear Bob Mark like I'd never heard that. 957 00:53:01,280 --> 00:53:04,480 Speaker 2: It was like this whole foreign feat and I got 958 00:53:04,480 --> 00:53:07,400 Speaker 2: to listen to as many records as I want. So 959 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,239 Speaker 2: I finished that year out there, and then I was 960 00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:14,160 Speaker 2: driving around San Diego and I saw University of San Diego, 961 00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 2: Catholic University, and it all goes back to my mom. 962 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:19,040 Speaker 2: I wanted to please her. I thought my mom would 963 00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:21,720 Speaker 2: like it if I went to USD. It's a Catholic school. 964 00:53:22,280 --> 00:53:25,200 Speaker 2: So I applied, got in, and I remember what got 965 00:53:25,239 --> 00:53:27,120 Speaker 2: me in was that when you were in up with people, 966 00:53:27,360 --> 00:53:28,960 Speaker 2: you're the kind of guy we want. 967 00:53:31,480 --> 00:53:32,400 Speaker 1: So I. 968 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:37,120 Speaker 2: Know, I know, I know, it's just so wrong. And 969 00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:40,040 Speaker 2: so I got into the University of San Diego and 970 00:53:40,080 --> 00:53:43,080 Speaker 2: I played in the folk mass in church, and that's 971 00:53:43,120 --> 00:53:46,440 Speaker 2: where the rugburns started because I knew all the folk 972 00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:49,520 Speaker 2: songs because I was in a church choir my whole 973 00:53:49,560 --> 00:53:52,479 Speaker 2: life in the Catholic Church. I would sing all those 974 00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:56,880 Speaker 2: songs and so I knew them all. Like the Lamb 975 00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:00,759 Speaker 2: of God, Lamb of God, you take away the sins 976 00:54:00,960 --> 00:54:04,240 Speaker 2: of the world have mercy on us. Lamb of God, 977 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:08,440 Speaker 2: you take away the sins of the world, grand us piece. 978 00:54:08,520 --> 00:54:11,480 Speaker 2: But I rewrote that as a punk rock song and 979 00:54:11,520 --> 00:54:13,960 Speaker 2: I had to go, Lamb of God, you take away 980 00:54:14,080 --> 00:54:17,320 Speaker 2: the sins of the world every day, give them back. 981 00:54:17,760 --> 00:54:20,120 Speaker 2: We want them back. Well, you think it's so cool, 982 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:22,560 Speaker 2: you can take them away any time you want. We 983 00:54:22,600 --> 00:54:24,680 Speaker 2: got nothing to say, so we rewrote that. And that's 984 00:54:24,719 --> 00:54:28,439 Speaker 2: where the rugburn started. Was at USD and the guy 985 00:54:28,480 --> 00:54:31,319 Speaker 2: I started with was a guy named Rob Driscoll, and 986 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:35,440 Speaker 2: we did classical guitar duets together, and now the Rugburns 987 00:54:35,440 --> 00:54:39,319 Speaker 2: started as classical guitar duets like box Beret and we 988 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:42,799 Speaker 2: would play outside at Balboa Park for passing change. And 989 00:54:42,840 --> 00:54:45,359 Speaker 2: then our first gig was at Oh Hungary's where they 990 00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:47,880 Speaker 2: had yard long piers and I got really drunk and 991 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:50,719 Speaker 2: broke a yard long pier and rather than pay us, 992 00:54:50,760 --> 00:54:53,280 Speaker 2: we had to pay them fifty bucks for the broken 993 00:54:53,320 --> 00:54:56,720 Speaker 2: glass that we did. And that was how we got started. 994 00:54:58,600 --> 00:55:02,480 Speaker 1: Okay, that's what while you're still going to school, or 995 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:05,440 Speaker 1: really does your career start after you finish school? 996 00:55:05,840 --> 00:55:10,360 Speaker 2: So it started in school. Now I studied political science 997 00:55:10,440 --> 00:55:13,799 Speaker 2: with a minor in Spanish, so sometimes I like to 998 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:15,719 Speaker 2: say I knew I wouldn't have a job, but at 999 00:55:15,800 --> 00:55:20,200 Speaker 2: least i'd know why. And so there I was. And 1000 00:55:20,280 --> 00:55:24,120 Speaker 2: I would bring home professors to Palm Springs, all the 1001 00:55:24,160 --> 00:55:28,000 Speaker 2: way from San Diego for Thanksgiving dinner. I would invite them, 1002 00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:30,960 Speaker 2: and one of them was a Nixon apologist right wing 1003 00:55:31,080 --> 00:55:35,279 Speaker 2: professor named doctor Starter, real right wing, and the other 1004 00:55:35,760 --> 00:55:39,680 Speaker 2: was a San Denista loving socialist named doctor gil Otto. 1005 00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:44,719 Speaker 2: And doctor Stoddard and doctor Otter Auto would come to 1006 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:48,520 Speaker 2: Palm Springs. I would drive them, my professors from University Bob. 1007 00:55:48,560 --> 00:55:50,799 Speaker 2: I drive them two and a half hours. My mom 1008 00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:53,720 Speaker 2: would have them over and the professors would get drunk 1009 00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:56,000 Speaker 2: and try to hit on my sister, just like Elvis 1010 00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:58,360 Speaker 2: Presley tried to hit on my sister when he Elvis 1011 00:55:58,360 --> 00:56:02,360 Speaker 2: had me on his shoulders my sister, but these professors 1012 00:56:02,360 --> 00:56:04,719 Speaker 2: were hitting on my sister. And I would ask them 1013 00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:07,680 Speaker 2: political questions to try to get them into an argument. 1014 00:56:07,719 --> 00:56:09,960 Speaker 2: It was like I was. It was almost like I 1015 00:56:10,080 --> 00:56:12,760 Speaker 2: was Chris Matthews or somebody. I would ask me questions, 1016 00:56:13,040 --> 00:56:15,680 Speaker 2: what do you think about this? And I'd get them 1017 00:56:15,719 --> 00:56:17,879 Speaker 2: going at each other. They'd be screaming at each other. 1018 00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:20,799 Speaker 2: It was really fun. We'd have the best political discussions. 1019 00:56:21,120 --> 00:56:24,759 Speaker 2: He had a book written on Nixon Ping pong diplomacy, 1020 00:56:24,800 --> 00:56:27,560 Speaker 2: and gil Otto would talk all about the Sandinistas and 1021 00:56:27,600 --> 00:56:30,600 Speaker 2: what was going on in Central America. And I found 1022 00:56:30,640 --> 00:56:34,600 Speaker 2: both sides really riveting and fascinating. And I've always been 1023 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:36,400 Speaker 2: a political animal because of that. 1024 00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:41,759 Speaker 1: Okay, you graduate from college, do you ever think about 1025 00:56:41,800 --> 00:56:43,000 Speaker 1: getting a street job. 1026 00:56:43,560 --> 00:56:46,479 Speaker 2: Yes, So I got out of college, and the day 1027 00:56:46,560 --> 00:56:48,600 Speaker 2: I got out of college, they had, you know how, 1028 00:56:48,640 --> 00:56:51,000 Speaker 2: they would have job boards where they put all the jobs. 1029 00:56:51,840 --> 00:56:55,000 Speaker 2: USD had that, and I was on the Speakers committee 1030 00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:59,040 Speaker 2: at USD, so we would bring in speakers. You remember 1031 00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:02,799 Speaker 2: John Anderson ran for president. He was the guy that 1032 00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:05,719 Speaker 2: was kind of into no taxes. We got to bring 1033 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:09,759 Speaker 2: John Anderson in to talk. And then one day a 1034 00:57:09,800 --> 00:57:12,200 Speaker 2: senator came in, and I was on the speakers committee. 1035 00:57:12,239 --> 00:57:13,759 Speaker 2: I got to have dinner with him. And it was 1036 00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:19,200 Speaker 2: a senator named Joe Biden. And so Joe Biden came in, 1037 00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:21,720 Speaker 2: I have dinner with him, and it was at that 1038 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:25,240 Speaker 2: moment I went, oh, my god, this guy is going 1039 00:57:25,320 --> 00:57:27,880 Speaker 2: to be president. Of course, this is back in nineteen 1040 00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:31,960 Speaker 2: eighty three or eighty four. And I remember he looked 1041 00:57:32,000 --> 00:57:35,960 Speaker 2: like Charles Groden, and I always loved Charles Groden and 1042 00:57:36,000 --> 00:57:39,960 Speaker 2: the stuff he did with Goldie Hahn and Joe Biden 1043 00:57:40,080 --> 00:57:42,880 Speaker 2: was just so charming and so fun to have dinner with. 1044 00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:46,040 Speaker 2: And I went, I would quit everything and go work 1045 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:48,640 Speaker 2: on this guy's career. Little did I know he would 1046 00:57:48,680 --> 00:57:51,720 Speaker 2: be president so many years later when he was old. 1047 00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:55,400 Speaker 2: But back in the day, that guy was sharp and 1048 00:57:55,520 --> 00:57:57,880 Speaker 2: he was so charming, and it was really neat to 1049 00:57:57,920 --> 00:58:00,560 Speaker 2: say that I had dinner with Joe Biden. Got out 1050 00:58:01,120 --> 00:58:04,840 Speaker 2: of USD. I graduated, had really good grades, and I 1051 00:58:04,920 --> 00:58:08,880 Speaker 2: applied for a job at a plastics factory because my 1052 00:58:08,920 --> 00:58:14,480 Speaker 2: parents used to always go to me plastics, plastics, just 1053 00:58:14,560 --> 00:58:19,480 Speaker 2: like in the graduate and so I thought my mom 1054 00:58:19,520 --> 00:58:21,760 Speaker 2: would be happy if I got this job. Honestly, Bob, 1055 00:58:21,960 --> 00:58:25,200 Speaker 2: the theme I'm finding out you're like a great shrink. 1056 00:58:25,960 --> 00:58:28,640 Speaker 2: You asked really good questions, and I'm going to reiterate 1057 00:58:28,680 --> 00:58:31,080 Speaker 2: this long time. I love you like I always have. 1058 00:58:31,280 --> 00:58:34,080 Speaker 2: I love your letter. I love what you write, and 1059 00:58:34,120 --> 00:58:37,560 Speaker 2: you've taught me a lot of just being yourself. That's 1060 00:58:37,600 --> 00:58:41,560 Speaker 2: all you can be. I'm apologetically you. And so the 1061 00:58:41,560 --> 00:58:43,760 Speaker 2: theme of this is I wanted to please my mom 1062 00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:45,640 Speaker 2: and get a real job, even though I wanted to 1063 00:58:45,680 --> 00:58:50,160 Speaker 2: just play music. So the night before the interview for 1064 00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:52,920 Speaker 2: my job, there was this girl that lived at the 1065 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:57,160 Speaker 2: beach right by me named Kiara Talini, beautiful Italian girl, 1066 00:58:57,840 --> 00:59:00,240 Speaker 2: and she was in her room and I was walking 1067 00:59:00,320 --> 00:59:03,000 Speaker 2: down by the beach and she was with Elizabeth, her roommate, 1068 00:59:03,840 --> 00:59:06,680 Speaker 2: and she said, hey, Steve, I've you ever eating magic mushrooms? 1069 00:59:06,880 --> 00:59:09,800 Speaker 2: And I said no, but I want to. So she said, 1070 00:59:09,800 --> 00:59:11,400 Speaker 2: we just got some and I said, well, I got 1071 00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:15,680 Speaker 2: an interview at eight am. I had a plastics factory. 1072 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:18,880 Speaker 2: And she said, oh, they'll be worn off by them. 1073 00:59:19,160 --> 00:59:21,920 Speaker 2: So it was midnight and I ate these magic mushrooms. 1074 00:59:23,560 --> 00:59:26,120 Speaker 2: It didn't kick in. It had been an hour. It 1075 00:59:26,120 --> 00:59:27,800 Speaker 2: was one in the morning, so I said, give me more. 1076 00:59:28,240 --> 00:59:30,800 Speaker 2: They gave me more, and it kicked in at about 1077 00:59:30,840 --> 00:59:35,120 Speaker 2: two am. And when it kicked in, I was out 1078 00:59:35,200 --> 00:59:38,400 Speaker 2: with my fucking mind. I took a can of spray 1079 00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:40,840 Speaker 2: paint out and started spray painting the wall of my house. 1080 00:59:40,960 --> 00:59:43,240 Speaker 2: I had Elizabeth and Kiara with me. I said, let's 1081 00:59:43,240 --> 00:59:45,640 Speaker 2: all three of us get in the bathtub and get 1082 00:59:45,680 --> 00:59:48,440 Speaker 2: a dozen eggs, and we took off our clothes, were 1083 00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:53,120 Speaker 2: in our underwear, and then they broke eggs over my head. 1084 00:59:53,680 --> 00:59:57,439 Speaker 2: And I remember this feeling so free and so good. 1085 00:59:57,480 --> 00:59:59,919 Speaker 2: And next thing I knew, my roommate came in and said, dude, 1086 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:01,920 Speaker 2: I got to take you to your job interview. It 1087 01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:04,680 Speaker 2: was seven. I had egg in my hair and I 1088 01:00:04,720 --> 01:00:07,760 Speaker 2: bought an old suit at a thrift store. I duct 1089 01:00:07,800 --> 01:00:09,600 Speaker 2: taped up the pants and I went in for a 1090 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:14,000 Speaker 2: job interview. I was tripping balls on shrooms and this guy, 1091 01:00:14,160 --> 01:00:17,000 Speaker 2: Tom Plane sits behind this desk and he was a 1092 01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:20,960 Speaker 2: Wharton graduate from University of Pennsylvania, and he said, tell 1093 01:00:21,000 --> 01:00:23,480 Speaker 2: me why I should hire you, dude, this is why 1094 01:00:23,560 --> 01:00:25,920 Speaker 2: mushrooms were so cool back then. It was like I 1095 01:00:26,000 --> 01:00:29,160 Speaker 2: became Tony Robbins or Stephen Covey the Seven Habits of 1096 01:00:29,240 --> 01:00:32,919 Speaker 2: highly effective people. I sat down and told him why 1097 01:00:32,960 --> 01:00:35,400 Speaker 2: he needed to hire me at his plastics factory because 1098 01:00:35,440 --> 01:00:37,960 Speaker 2: he had a product called slip Fix that could repair 1099 01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:41,240 Speaker 2: PBC pipe. And I said, let me tell you why 1100 01:00:41,280 --> 01:00:43,040 Speaker 2: you need to hire me. I'm going to get a 1101 01:00:43,080 --> 01:00:45,720 Speaker 2: truck and a barbecue, and I'm going to go out 1102 01:00:45,760 --> 01:00:47,919 Speaker 2: where the contractors go and I'm going to make them 1103 01:00:47,960 --> 01:00:50,479 Speaker 2: hot dogs, and he goes hot dogs and I said, yeah, 1104 01:00:50,680 --> 01:00:53,360 Speaker 2: I'm gonna call it slip fis and dogs, and I 1105 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:56,960 Speaker 2: will sell more than you've ever expected in your life. Dude. 1106 01:00:57,000 --> 01:00:59,880 Speaker 2: This guy's mind was blown. And then he took out 1107 01:00:59,880 --> 01:01:02,800 Speaker 2: a piece of paper and he wrote seventeen point five 1108 01:01:03,240 --> 01:01:05,640 Speaker 2: and that was his offer for a salary for me, 1109 01:01:05,960 --> 01:01:08,200 Speaker 2: and he slid it across the table and I didn't 1110 01:01:08,200 --> 01:01:10,240 Speaker 2: know what it meant. So I crossed that ou out 1111 01:01:10,280 --> 01:01:15,200 Speaker 2: and I wrote fourteen point two. He goes, what do 1112 01:01:15,240 --> 01:01:18,000 Speaker 2: you mean that's less than I'm offering you? And I 1113 01:01:18,080 --> 01:01:21,000 Speaker 2: didn't even break a beat and I said, why would 1114 01:01:21,080 --> 01:01:24,440 Speaker 2: I want more when I could have less? And he 1115 01:01:24,480 --> 01:01:26,520 Speaker 2: said what do you mean? I said, I want back 1116 01:01:26,560 --> 01:01:30,160 Speaker 2: in deals, Tom, And I said, I know I'm going 1117 01:01:30,200 --> 01:01:32,400 Speaker 2: to sell a lot. I need a company car. I 1118 01:01:32,440 --> 01:01:34,520 Speaker 2: need a percentage of sales. And he said, I like 1119 01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:37,680 Speaker 2: your style. He hired me right there. He said, you 1120 01:01:37,680 --> 01:01:39,800 Speaker 2: can take the company on a car home. In my mind, 1121 01:01:39,840 --> 01:01:42,280 Speaker 2: I'm like, I'm tripping balls on trims. Let me pick 1122 01:01:42,320 --> 01:01:45,600 Speaker 2: it up on Monday. So I got the job. He 1123 01:01:45,720 --> 01:01:48,840 Speaker 2: gives me the job. I worked there for three years, 1124 01:01:49,080 --> 01:01:53,000 Speaker 2: went to sales conferences, everything I would tell people I 1125 01:01:53,040 --> 01:01:54,800 Speaker 2: wasn't up with people to try to get them to 1126 01:01:54,840 --> 01:01:58,680 Speaker 2: trust me. And after three years, I read a book 1127 01:01:58,720 --> 01:02:03,440 Speaker 2: called The Edge by William Somerset Mom and Mom is 1128 01:02:03,480 --> 01:02:08,360 Speaker 2: spelled im a Uga Champ, great author. That book changed 1129 01:02:08,400 --> 01:02:11,400 Speaker 2: my life because the protagonist in the story was a 1130 01:02:11,400 --> 01:02:14,240 Speaker 2: guy named Larry Daryl, and he wants to just go 1131 01:02:14,360 --> 01:02:17,440 Speaker 2: bum around Europe, and that's what I wanted to do. 1132 01:02:17,600 --> 01:02:19,880 Speaker 2: I wanted to play my guitar on the streets. So 1133 01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:22,080 Speaker 2: I went into my boss's office. I said I need 1134 01:02:22,080 --> 01:02:25,000 Speaker 2: some time on He said how much time do you need? 1135 01:02:25,600 --> 01:02:27,960 Speaker 2: A week? Two weeks? I want to go to Europe 1136 01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:31,040 Speaker 2: and he says I said to him, I need nine 1137 01:02:31,120 --> 01:02:33,680 Speaker 2: months and he looked at me like I was crazy. 1138 01:02:33,720 --> 01:02:35,240 Speaker 2: He said why, I said, because I want to play 1139 01:02:35,240 --> 01:02:37,720 Speaker 2: my guitar on the streets. And he goes for passing change. 1140 01:02:37,960 --> 01:02:39,640 Speaker 2: I said yeah, and he said like a bum and 1141 01:02:39,680 --> 01:02:42,040 Speaker 2: I go yeah, like a bum And he said, you 1142 01:02:42,040 --> 01:02:44,320 Speaker 2: know what, I'm going to give you nine months off, 1143 01:02:44,360 --> 01:02:46,040 Speaker 2: but you have to shake my hand and promised me 1144 01:02:46,080 --> 01:02:48,080 Speaker 2: you'll come back and work for me after nine months. 1145 01:02:48,160 --> 01:02:49,800 Speaker 2: And I said, I'm a man of my word. I 1146 01:02:49,840 --> 01:02:53,120 Speaker 2: will do that. He gave me. Nine months off, I 1147 01:02:53,160 --> 01:02:55,720 Speaker 2: went to Europe. I played guitar on the streets. I'd 1148 01:02:55,720 --> 01:02:58,520 Speaker 2: already been in the Rugburns, started the Rugburns, but I 1149 01:02:58,520 --> 01:03:01,480 Speaker 2: wanted to be a street musician. Nine months I went 1150 01:03:01,600 --> 01:03:05,080 Speaker 2: all around Ireland. I hitchhiked, rode a bicycle, played in 1151 01:03:05,080 --> 01:03:08,240 Speaker 2: front of the Loop in Paris. I played in Amsterdam. 1152 01:03:08,320 --> 01:03:09,640 Speaker 2: Then I want to see what it'd be like to 1153 01:03:09,760 --> 01:03:13,480 Speaker 2: busk in Morocco, so I went to Africa. Busked in Morocco, 1154 01:03:13,600 --> 01:03:19,000 Speaker 2: went to Lisbon, Portugal, Bartholona, Spain, everywhere, ended up in England, 1155 01:03:19,320 --> 01:03:23,800 Speaker 2: and then went up to Sweden Norway. Met beautiful people 1156 01:03:24,000 --> 01:03:26,680 Speaker 2: and I would play guitar on the streets. Lived in Amsterdam. 1157 01:03:27,120 --> 01:03:29,560 Speaker 2: And after nine months I came back and my hair 1158 01:03:29,760 --> 01:03:32,240 Speaker 2: was long. He made me cut it, and he hired 1159 01:03:32,320 --> 01:03:35,680 Speaker 2: me back, and I did it for three more years. Well. 1160 01:03:35,720 --> 01:03:38,080 Speaker 2: I played at nights and then I said I've got 1161 01:03:38,120 --> 01:03:40,919 Speaker 2: to quit now. And I'm still friends with that guy 1162 01:03:41,040 --> 01:03:45,240 Speaker 2: Tom Play. I just stayed at his beachfront palace in 1163 01:03:45,360 --> 01:03:47,800 Speaker 2: San Diego. He has like a ten million dollar house 1164 01:03:47,880 --> 01:03:50,360 Speaker 2: right on the beach, and he's still a dear friend 1165 01:03:50,400 --> 01:03:52,400 Speaker 2: of mine. And he laughed so hard because he comes 1166 01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:54,640 Speaker 2: to my shows and sees the crazy shit I say 1167 01:03:54,680 --> 01:03:57,200 Speaker 2: on stage, and I always make him stand up and 1168 01:03:57,240 --> 01:03:59,960 Speaker 2: take a bow. Changed my life. 1169 01:04:00,760 --> 01:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Oh okay, Yeah, that whole tripping sales pitch. Did you 1170 01:04:04,880 --> 01:04:05,640 Speaker 1: live up to it? 1171 01:04:06,320 --> 01:04:11,000 Speaker 2: Oh? I was really good. It was bizarre. I don't 1172 01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:12,880 Speaker 2: even I could go in there and I could sell 1173 01:04:12,920 --> 01:04:16,120 Speaker 2: anything to anyone because I would just become their friend 1174 01:04:16,360 --> 01:04:18,640 Speaker 2: and then take them out to dinner and they'd start 1175 01:04:18,640 --> 01:04:21,440 Speaker 2: getting orders coming in. So yeah, I made him a 1176 01:04:21,480 --> 01:04:23,360 Speaker 2: lot of money, and that's why he kept me on. 1177 01:04:23,800 --> 01:04:26,480 Speaker 2: But I knew my life wasn't as a nipple salesman. 1178 01:04:26,520 --> 01:04:29,080 Speaker 2: I sold nipples, is what it was. PVC nipple is 1179 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:32,600 Speaker 2: a piece of pipe that's threaded. And I said, when 1180 01:04:32,640 --> 01:04:36,040 Speaker 2: I'm eighty years old and I'm on my deathbed, do 1181 01:04:36,160 --> 01:04:38,320 Speaker 2: I want to look back on my life and go, hey, 1182 01:04:38,360 --> 01:04:41,600 Speaker 2: you were a great nipple salesman. Or do I want 1183 01:04:41,640 --> 01:04:44,680 Speaker 2: to say you didn't whist out and you followed your 1184 01:04:44,720 --> 01:04:49,080 Speaker 2: heart and you lived your dream, which was to play music, 1185 01:04:49,400 --> 01:04:52,720 Speaker 2: make cassettes. The rug Burns we had cassette release parties. 1186 01:04:53,240 --> 01:04:55,760 Speaker 2: You know, would we would have this whole scene we 1187 01:04:55,840 --> 01:04:59,280 Speaker 2: created because I always believed rather than play in a 1188 01:04:59,320 --> 01:05:01,800 Speaker 2: bar without our has a scene like the Chasmon in 1189 01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:05,120 Speaker 2: San Diego or something. Find a bar that's your own. 1190 01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:08,160 Speaker 2: And that's what I told Jewel as well. Find a bar, 1191 01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:13,000 Speaker 2: create your own scene, and people will come to you, 1192 01:05:13,120 --> 01:05:15,960 Speaker 2: kind of like you. You started your lefts Its letter, 1193 01:05:16,480 --> 01:05:18,240 Speaker 2: you were mimiographing that shit. 1194 01:05:18,960 --> 01:05:19,080 Speaker 4: You. 1195 01:05:19,640 --> 01:05:21,440 Speaker 2: I mean, I knew of you back when I was 1196 01:05:21,480 --> 01:05:26,560 Speaker 2: signed by Danny Goldberg back in those days, and you 1197 01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:28,440 Speaker 2: would have the lefts Its Letter and then you just 1198 01:05:28,480 --> 01:05:32,360 Speaker 2: went digital. You've always gone with the thing, and you 1199 01:05:32,600 --> 01:05:36,520 Speaker 2: created your own thing. And there's nothing better than home cooking. 1200 01:05:37,080 --> 01:05:39,560 Speaker 2: That's why when I read a biography of Steve Jobs 1201 01:05:39,680 --> 01:05:43,919 Speaker 2: or Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson, I relate, or Phil 1202 01:05:44,000 --> 01:05:47,120 Speaker 2: Knight even I relate to all those guys because they 1203 01:05:47,160 --> 01:05:51,200 Speaker 2: were singular, purpose driven. It's not about how rich you are, 1204 01:05:51,400 --> 01:05:53,960 Speaker 2: what you have, or if somebody has more people than 1205 01:05:54,000 --> 01:05:57,640 Speaker 2: you and they're playing to a stadium. No, what it's 1206 01:05:57,680 --> 01:06:00,720 Speaker 2: about is were you in the flow? How did you 1207 01:06:00,760 --> 01:06:02,720 Speaker 2: live your life? Were you in the flow? Did you 1208 01:06:02,840 --> 01:06:06,600 Speaker 2: find something that you had to do because I have 1209 01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:09,600 Speaker 2: to do this, like I have to play shows. I 1210 01:06:09,640 --> 01:06:14,160 Speaker 2: will play shows till I die. 1211 01:06:18,560 --> 01:06:22,040 Speaker 1: Okay, go back for three years after being in Europe, 1212 01:06:22,840 --> 01:06:25,800 Speaker 1: you quit. Tell me about quitting. Do you say, well, 1213 01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:28,240 Speaker 1: I have enough money in the bank. What was the 1214 01:06:28,320 --> 01:06:30,960 Speaker 1: plan when you quit? And what actually happened? 1215 01:06:32,520 --> 01:06:38,240 Speaker 2: So he gave me a forty thousand dollars payout, and 1216 01:06:38,280 --> 01:06:42,320 Speaker 2: I remember I called my friend Jerry and Boseman Montanae. 1217 01:06:42,320 --> 01:06:45,840 Speaker 2: I said, I just got forty thousand dollars and it 1218 01:06:46,000 --> 01:06:49,960 Speaker 2: was nineteen ninety two, and he said to me, You're 1219 01:06:50,040 --> 01:06:52,880 Speaker 2: never going to get that much money again. Put it 1220 01:06:52,920 --> 01:06:57,160 Speaker 2: in the bank, don't touch it. You'll never get that again. 1221 01:06:57,840 --> 01:07:02,120 Speaker 2: So I put it in the bank. Everybody in San 1222 01:07:02,120 --> 01:07:05,240 Speaker 2: Diego was getting record deals, right. It was at the 1223 01:07:05,280 --> 01:07:08,480 Speaker 2: time when things were just starting to happen Rocket from 1224 01:07:08,520 --> 01:07:16,120 Speaker 2: the Crypt, Rust, Blink Inch a Miniature. There was this 1225 01:07:16,160 --> 01:07:21,160 Speaker 2: whole punk scene happening, and so the Rugburns. I became 1226 01:07:21,200 --> 01:07:24,400 Speaker 2: really good friends with Mojo Nixon and the Beat Farmers. 1227 01:07:24,520 --> 01:07:27,439 Speaker 2: Those guys were kind of my teachers. So I said 1228 01:07:27,480 --> 01:07:31,280 Speaker 2: to myself, I gotta go out and keep playing music. 1229 01:07:31,480 --> 01:07:33,320 Speaker 2: So this guy who was in the Beat Farmers, his 1230 01:07:33,400 --> 01:07:36,640 Speaker 2: name was Buddy Blue. He's now deceased, but he was 1231 01:07:36,680 --> 01:07:38,960 Speaker 2: also a writer for the San Diego Reader and for 1232 01:07:39,040 --> 01:07:41,760 Speaker 2: the Union Tribune, and he was in the Beat Farmers. 1233 01:07:41,880 --> 01:07:47,280 Speaker 2: Buddy Blue got me signed to Bizarre Planet Records and Bizarre. 1234 01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:49,840 Speaker 1: Oh okay, okay, wait wait I yeah, wait, Wait a second. 1235 01:07:50,480 --> 01:07:54,600 Speaker 1: I knew Herb and his brother, but there were stories 1236 01:07:54,600 --> 01:07:58,240 Speaker 1: onto themselves. How do you get hooked up with Herb cold? 1237 01:07:58,600 --> 01:07:58,840 Speaker 1: I know? 1238 01:07:59,000 --> 01:08:02,040 Speaker 2: Is this crazy? So what happened is Buddy Blue was 1239 01:08:02,080 --> 01:08:06,880 Speaker 2: signed to Bizarre and so he brought them in to 1240 01:08:06,960 --> 01:08:09,640 Speaker 2: see me, Herb Cohen and said, you got to see 1241 01:08:09,640 --> 01:08:12,960 Speaker 2: this guy. He's in this duo. We were a duo Rugburts, 1242 01:08:12,960 --> 01:08:15,520 Speaker 2: Me and Rob Driscoll, and he came to see us, 1243 01:08:15,800 --> 01:08:19,439 Speaker 2: immediately signed us and said you need to come up 1244 01:08:19,439 --> 01:08:24,439 Speaker 2: to La meet Mutt Cohen, and I want you to 1245 01:08:24,439 --> 01:08:27,160 Speaker 2: do an ePK. They used to do epk's back then, 1246 01:08:27,240 --> 01:08:29,479 Speaker 2: electronic press kits where they would send them out on 1247 01:08:29,479 --> 01:08:34,200 Speaker 2: a video cassette. And my ePK was me with Wildman 1248 01:08:34,360 --> 01:08:37,720 Speaker 2: Fisher because Wildman Fisher was on Bizarre and wild Mount 1249 01:08:37,800 --> 01:08:40,040 Speaker 2: Fisher would walk around and for those of you listen 1250 01:08:40,120 --> 01:08:42,599 Speaker 2: out there, wild Mount Fisher was signed by Zappa and 1251 01:08:42,680 --> 01:08:43,760 Speaker 2: he was this guy you would go. 1252 01:08:43,880 --> 01:08:45,240 Speaker 4: My name is Larry. 1253 01:08:45,680 --> 01:08:48,160 Speaker 2: I have a sister, and we have this whole thing 1254 01:08:48,200 --> 01:08:50,360 Speaker 2: where he would go up to people who's a better songwriter, 1255 01:08:50,560 --> 01:08:54,040 Speaker 2: Steve Poltzer, Wildman Fisher and wild Mattfisher would have crumbs 1256 01:08:54,040 --> 01:08:58,240 Speaker 2: in his beard and just crazy stuff. So we make 1257 01:08:58,320 --> 01:09:01,840 Speaker 2: this electronic press kit the rugber Get signed. Next thing 1258 01:09:01,880 --> 01:09:04,439 Speaker 2: I know, we're playing at like the True Badoura in 1259 01:09:04,600 --> 01:09:08,920 Speaker 2: La and Club Lingerie and all these different places, and 1260 01:09:09,000 --> 01:09:11,240 Speaker 2: so weird Al would always come out to see us, 1261 01:09:11,960 --> 01:09:15,400 Speaker 2: and so weird Al loved a song by the Rugburns 1262 01:09:15,479 --> 01:09:19,479 Speaker 2: called Dix Automotive. Because of Dick's automotive, weird Aal wrote 1263 01:09:19,520 --> 01:09:22,840 Speaker 2: the song Albuquerque, which is one of his songs he wrote, 1264 01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:25,479 Speaker 2: but it's a direct takeoff of the Rugburns, but he 1265 01:09:25,479 --> 01:09:27,720 Speaker 2: didn't credit us. I kind of wish he would have, 1266 01:09:27,760 --> 01:09:31,599 Speaker 2: but it's okay. He wrote Albuquerque. If you ab di'x 1267 01:09:31,600 --> 01:09:34,760 Speaker 2: automotive and Albuquerque he's doing. He would always he was 1268 01:09:34,800 --> 01:09:36,800 Speaker 2: obsessed with that song, would come in and listen to. 1269 01:09:37,080 --> 01:09:39,360 Speaker 2: John was living in Ocean Beach, California with his girlfriend 1270 01:09:39,439 --> 01:09:43,559 Speaker 2: Juliet's where I'm talking really rapid, and so we get 1271 01:09:43,640 --> 01:09:48,679 Speaker 2: signed herb Cohen for whatever reason, loves me. He flew 1272 01:09:48,800 --> 01:09:51,080 Speaker 2: He would fly me to Paris with him to meet 1273 01:09:51,120 --> 01:09:55,120 Speaker 2: this guy named Ben Waugh who worked at Monterey Jazz 1274 01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:58,960 Speaker 2: Fest and stuff. And Herb Cohen was this insane guy 1275 01:09:59,320 --> 01:10:02,760 Speaker 2: who used to to run guns with Fidel Castro. He 1276 01:10:02,800 --> 01:10:06,760 Speaker 2: signed Lenny Bruce, Alice Cooper, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits. I 1277 01:10:06,800 --> 01:10:10,120 Speaker 2: mean his history is crazy. They on the publishing on 1278 01:10:10,200 --> 01:10:13,400 Speaker 2: Everybody's talking at me. Fred Neil saw on that Harry 1279 01:10:13,439 --> 01:10:16,600 Speaker 2: Niels would say, so, Herb Cohen would fly me to 1280 01:10:16,680 --> 01:10:18,880 Speaker 2: Paris out of the blue and go, I know a 1281 01:10:19,000 --> 01:10:22,840 Speaker 2: great place where we can get couscous on Saturdays. Are 1282 01:10:22,840 --> 01:10:25,519 Speaker 2: you in? And he would buy me and him tickets 1283 01:10:25,520 --> 01:10:29,080 Speaker 2: first class, probably charge it to me, and then he'd 1284 01:10:29,120 --> 01:10:31,639 Speaker 2: pay like three hundred dollars cab. Right, we'd end up 1285 01:10:31,720 --> 01:10:36,240 Speaker 2: in some nondescript Moroccan neighborhood in Paris eating couscous with 1286 01:10:36,280 --> 01:10:40,400 Speaker 2: Ben Law. I mean, being signed by Herb Cohen was 1287 01:10:40,520 --> 01:10:44,000 Speaker 2: like a blessing. Even though he took half the publishing. 1288 01:10:44,320 --> 01:10:46,680 Speaker 2: I didn't even care. And he would show up at 1289 01:10:46,680 --> 01:10:49,479 Speaker 2: my gigs and Herb would go because Herb if put 1290 01:10:49,640 --> 01:10:51,720 Speaker 2: anybody out there listening. He was on the cover of 1291 01:10:51,800 --> 01:10:54,240 Speaker 2: Nighthawks at the diner with Tom Waits, he's the guy 1292 01:10:54,320 --> 01:10:58,040 Speaker 2: sitting in that picture, and Herb Cohen would go, you 1293 01:10:58,200 --> 01:11:01,400 Speaker 2: need to get midgets on the stage with you, and 1294 01:11:01,560 --> 01:11:05,639 Speaker 2: don't drink whiskey. Put iced t in the whiskey bottle. 1295 01:11:06,520 --> 01:11:10,880 Speaker 2: So we get signed to that label and this guy 1296 01:11:10,960 --> 01:11:13,479 Speaker 2: Mike Haller and ninety one X starts playing a song 1297 01:11:13,520 --> 01:11:16,920 Speaker 2: called Hitchhiker Joe and the song starts kind of getting 1298 01:11:17,040 --> 01:11:20,280 Speaker 2: college radio favorite type stuff. So we end up going 1299 01:11:20,280 --> 01:11:23,720 Speaker 2: on tour with the band X and I'd split my 1300 01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:26,320 Speaker 2: head open. I had fifty six stitches in my skull 1301 01:11:26,880 --> 01:11:30,200 Speaker 2: and we would play with X and John Doe and 1302 01:11:30,240 --> 01:11:32,880 Speaker 2: then we got to play with the Ramones and Cleveland, 1303 01:11:33,479 --> 01:11:36,120 Speaker 2: and it was just nuts because Joey Ramone was really 1304 01:11:36,240 --> 01:11:39,559 Speaker 2: nice to me. They didn't let bands stay backstage when 1305 01:11:40,000 --> 01:11:42,439 Speaker 2: they would be on, but Joey went, you guys are cool, 1306 01:11:42,640 --> 01:11:45,679 Speaker 2: you could watch us play. But everything changed when Mojo 1307 01:11:45,800 --> 01:11:51,000 Speaker 2: Nixon took me out, because Mojo was insane, and we 1308 01:11:51,040 --> 01:11:54,960 Speaker 2: would play stashes in Columbus, Ohio, and a biker would 1309 01:11:55,040 --> 01:11:57,839 Speaker 2: show up and you'd go come down to the basement. 1310 01:11:58,280 --> 01:12:01,080 Speaker 2: I just made some crystal meth in the desert in 1311 01:12:01,200 --> 01:12:04,519 Speaker 2: Baker's Field, and Mojo was like Saddam Hussein, and he 1312 01:12:04,560 --> 01:12:06,479 Speaker 2: would have me try his drugs to make sure they 1313 01:12:06,520 --> 01:12:09,120 Speaker 2: weren't poisonous first before he did them. So you go 1314 01:12:09,280 --> 01:12:12,200 Speaker 2: have Bolts try that drug. And so I would snort 1315 01:12:12,240 --> 01:12:14,960 Speaker 2: the meth and then we would be out of our 1316 01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:17,160 Speaker 2: minds and the Rugburanns would go on stage and just 1317 01:12:17,320 --> 01:12:20,400 Speaker 2: destroy shit, get the power turned off on us. And 1318 01:12:20,439 --> 01:12:24,240 Speaker 2: Mojo came up with this quote, no mom meth, but Bolts, y'all. 1319 01:12:24,320 --> 01:12:27,400 Speaker 2: Motherfucker is gonna make me work too hard. And so 1320 01:12:28,120 --> 01:12:31,599 Speaker 2: we became super close with him. And so the only 1321 01:12:31,640 --> 01:12:34,120 Speaker 2: couple times I'd done meth where with Shane McGowan of 1322 01:12:34,200 --> 01:12:37,320 Speaker 2: the Pogues and with Mojo Nixon and think I'm the 1323 01:12:37,320 --> 01:12:41,120 Speaker 2: only guy that sat on Elvis Presley's shoulders and snorted 1324 01:12:41,240 --> 01:12:44,519 Speaker 2: meth out of Shane McGowan's dirty thumbnail, and then with 1325 01:12:44,840 --> 01:12:48,960 Speaker 2: Mojo Nixon's drug taster. And so our shows just became 1326 01:12:49,120 --> 01:12:53,440 Speaker 2: nuts where we would just anything would go on stage, 1327 01:12:54,000 --> 01:12:55,760 Speaker 2: and the Rugburnds toured hard. 1328 01:12:56,080 --> 01:13:00,800 Speaker 1: It was crazy, okay, continue So. 1329 01:13:00,920 --> 01:13:03,960 Speaker 2: As we were going on the road, we had this 1330 01:13:04,080 --> 01:13:06,479 Speaker 2: drummer in the band. We became a full band, and 1331 01:13:06,640 --> 01:13:09,360 Speaker 2: we went from being a duo. Herb Cohen thought we 1332 01:13:09,400 --> 01:13:12,840 Speaker 2: should get a drummer and a bass player, and so 1333 01:13:12,920 --> 01:13:14,679 Speaker 2: I would go up to La a Lot to Herb 1334 01:13:14,720 --> 01:13:18,120 Speaker 2: and Mutt's office and they also have a son, Evan 1335 01:13:18,240 --> 01:13:21,479 Speaker 2: Con and I would hang out with Herb and Mutt 1336 01:13:21,479 --> 01:13:24,280 Speaker 2: in their office all the time, and Herb would go, 1337 01:13:24,680 --> 01:13:28,040 Speaker 2: I know a great place that makes a great oxtail soup. 1338 01:13:28,640 --> 01:13:30,200 Speaker 2: We're going to go over there. And we would go 1339 01:13:30,240 --> 01:13:33,080 Speaker 2: to Musso and Franks and just hang out, Me and 1340 01:13:33,200 --> 01:13:35,800 Speaker 2: Herb Cohen. It was crazy. So they would give us 1341 01:13:35,880 --> 01:13:39,560 Speaker 2: money to go out on the road. We toured NonStop. 1342 01:13:39,640 --> 01:13:41,759 Speaker 2: We would go for like nine months at a time. 1343 01:13:42,360 --> 01:13:45,880 Speaker 2: And we had this old van and most band members 1344 01:13:45,880 --> 01:13:49,000 Speaker 2: when they're in a van, they put band stickers on it, 1345 01:13:49,080 --> 01:13:51,120 Speaker 2: you know it's a band. But I came up with 1346 01:13:51,160 --> 01:13:54,320 Speaker 2: this idea because fans are always getting broken into tint 1347 01:13:54,360 --> 01:13:56,920 Speaker 2: out the windows black and on the side, just put 1348 01:13:57,000 --> 01:14:01,640 Speaker 2: Saint Joseph's Catholics had that on the back and on 1349 01:14:01,800 --> 01:14:02,400 Speaker 2: the sides. 1350 01:14:03,040 --> 01:14:08,200 Speaker 4: Nobody ever broke into our van, never, So we. 1351 01:14:08,120 --> 01:14:11,160 Speaker 2: Would just drive down the road in this van and 1352 01:14:11,240 --> 01:14:13,920 Speaker 2: it says Saint Justine's Catholic school. I remember one time 1353 01:14:13,960 --> 01:14:16,800 Speaker 2: we were in West Virginia and we got pulled over. 1354 01:14:17,120 --> 01:14:19,479 Speaker 2: But if you really inspected the van, on the roof, 1355 01:14:19,520 --> 01:14:21,800 Speaker 2: we had all these naked lady playing cards, you know 1356 01:14:21,840 --> 01:14:23,840 Speaker 2: where they used to sell those at truck stops where 1357 01:14:23,880 --> 01:14:26,479 Speaker 2: the girls would have big boobs and they'd be a 1358 01:14:26,520 --> 01:14:29,000 Speaker 2: deck of fifty two cards. We had them glued to 1359 01:14:29,080 --> 01:14:31,240 Speaker 2: the ceiling of the van, and my hair was like 1360 01:14:31,360 --> 01:14:35,479 Speaker 2: long and striped, weird. And we had this record out 1361 01:14:35,479 --> 01:14:38,160 Speaker 2: called Morning Wood. It was on bizarre and then we 1362 01:14:38,240 --> 01:14:41,280 Speaker 2: had Mommy, I'm sorry, this other one where I'd be 1363 01:14:41,320 --> 01:14:45,040 Speaker 2: in a pink dress. And so this state trooper pulled 1364 01:14:45,120 --> 01:14:47,760 Speaker 2: us over when we were in the rugbords and he 1365 01:14:47,800 --> 01:14:50,040 Speaker 2: starts looking at us and looking at our hair, and 1366 01:14:50,040 --> 01:14:52,320 Speaker 2: he goes, what is Saint Justsephe's Catholic school? I said, 1367 01:14:52,280 --> 01:14:54,719 Speaker 2: And I remember I said to him, I'm just singing 1368 01:14:54,760 --> 01:14:57,240 Speaker 2: for the Lord, sir. And then he saw make a 1369 01:14:57,360 --> 01:14:59,840 Speaker 2: lady playing cards and he didn't know what was going on. 1370 01:15:00,200 --> 01:15:03,280 Speaker 2: Just get out of the van. He looked at the 1371 01:15:03,400 --> 01:15:06,720 Speaker 2: van and he didn't know what to do. And this 1372 01:15:06,840 --> 01:15:09,160 Speaker 2: is the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. He goes, 1373 01:15:09,200 --> 01:15:11,759 Speaker 2: you can go and he goes here, maybe you need these, 1374 01:15:11,800 --> 01:15:15,320 Speaker 2: and he gave me some handcuffs with a key, like 1375 01:15:15,560 --> 01:15:19,599 Speaker 2: real cop handcuffs. He gave me them, Bob, and I 1376 01:15:19,640 --> 01:15:22,120 Speaker 2: remember I would pull them out on stage and a 1377 01:15:22,200 --> 01:15:24,400 Speaker 2: big part of my show would be I'd handcuff myself 1378 01:15:24,439 --> 01:15:28,839 Speaker 2: to the drum kit and I put the key somewhere 1379 01:15:28,840 --> 01:15:30,800 Speaker 2: and I'd fake like I lost it, like I was 1380 01:15:30,800 --> 01:15:32,559 Speaker 2: going to be chained to the floor of the whole show. 1381 01:15:33,439 --> 01:15:36,160 Speaker 2: So then we played in a Chicago at a club 1382 01:15:36,200 --> 01:15:39,559 Speaker 2: called shubas Southport and Belmont. There was a girl that 1383 01:15:39,720 --> 01:15:44,120 Speaker 2: was beautiful named Anastasia who was the booking agent. Now 1384 01:15:44,200 --> 01:15:46,840 Speaker 2: she's a big part of my life because she went 1385 01:15:46,880 --> 01:15:51,120 Speaker 2: to UCLA and I took her to a place called 1386 01:15:51,200 --> 01:15:54,759 Speaker 2: mccabs in Santa Monica to see a guy named Loud 1387 01:15:54,800 --> 01:15:58,080 Speaker 2: and Wayne right the third And I remember when I 1388 01:15:58,120 --> 01:16:01,519 Speaker 2: was with her at that show, I watched Luden Wayne Wright, 1389 01:16:01,760 --> 01:16:05,040 Speaker 2: and that's when I saw my future. So what I 1390 01:16:05,120 --> 01:16:08,360 Speaker 2: mean is I'm watching Laden Wayne Write play on stage 1391 01:16:08,400 --> 01:16:11,599 Speaker 2: at mccabs and I was in the rugburns and I 1392 01:16:11,640 --> 01:16:14,840 Speaker 2: have my arm around Anastasia and I looked at her. 1393 01:16:14,840 --> 01:16:17,720 Speaker 2: I've never forgotten this and I said I can do that, 1394 01:16:18,200 --> 01:16:19,880 Speaker 2: and she goes, what do you mean? I said, what 1395 01:16:20,000 --> 01:16:22,760 Speaker 2: he's doing, I can do that. I'm in the Rugburns 1396 01:16:22,840 --> 01:16:26,040 Speaker 2: right now wearing a dress on stage. But that's my future. 1397 01:16:26,240 --> 01:16:28,519 Speaker 2: I don't mean I can be him. I mean I 1398 01:16:28,560 --> 01:16:32,639 Speaker 2: can do what he's doing and I can make a living. 1399 01:16:32,920 --> 01:16:37,120 Speaker 2: Everything came before I saw everything my future. And then 1400 01:16:37,160 --> 01:16:39,920 Speaker 2: Anastasia got a job as the booking agent moved out 1401 01:16:39,920 --> 01:16:43,200 Speaker 2: to Chicago. I remember I showed up sorrow. I had 1402 01:16:43,240 --> 01:16:45,880 Speaker 2: just gotten the handcuffs, and I said, why don't you 1403 01:16:45,920 --> 01:16:48,479 Speaker 2: meet me anywhere in Europe this summer. Let's take two 1404 01:16:48,560 --> 01:16:51,720 Speaker 2: weeks and go make love on the beaches somewhere. And 1405 01:16:51,760 --> 01:16:54,120 Speaker 2: we opened up the Let's Go Europe book. This is 1406 01:16:54,160 --> 01:16:57,479 Speaker 2: pre internet, and I said, wherever my finger touches on 1407 01:16:57,520 --> 01:16:59,480 Speaker 2: the page, you're going to meet me there. In October. 1408 01:17:00,040 --> 01:17:03,640 Speaker 2: It was a place called Making Use and Greece. She 1409 01:17:03,920 --> 01:17:08,080 Speaker 2: showed up and I brought the handcuffs, and I was 1410 01:17:08,120 --> 01:17:10,880 Speaker 2: with my friend Kevin McGrath, who I wrote I want 1411 01:17:10,920 --> 01:17:13,200 Speaker 2: all my friends to be happy about. He died of 1412 01:17:13,280 --> 01:17:17,280 Speaker 2: cancer and he came out to run the Athens Marathon. 1413 01:17:18,280 --> 01:17:21,680 Speaker 2: I brought the handcuffs Bob and Tom Petty had just 1414 01:17:21,720 --> 01:17:24,599 Speaker 2: come out with free Fall, and so we were walking 1415 01:17:24,640 --> 01:17:27,519 Speaker 2: on the down the streets and Greece and making us 1416 01:17:27,760 --> 01:17:32,320 Speaker 2: singing She's a good girl, loves her mama, drinking shots 1417 01:17:32,320 --> 01:17:34,600 Speaker 2: of Luzo, but me and Anastasia are fake drinking the 1418 01:17:34,600 --> 01:17:36,280 Speaker 2: shots because we had no money, so we were all 1419 01:17:36,280 --> 01:17:39,480 Speaker 2: sharing a room. I wanted to have sex with Anastasia, 1420 01:17:39,880 --> 01:17:41,439 Speaker 2: but Kevin was going to be in the room, so 1421 01:17:41,479 --> 01:17:43,519 Speaker 2: I needed to get him drunk enough where he was 1422 01:17:43,640 --> 01:17:46,840 Speaker 2: passed out because I wanted to use the handcuffs on Anastasia. 1423 01:17:47,439 --> 01:17:50,519 Speaker 5: So we're walking on the streets going She's bat and 1424 01:17:50,640 --> 01:17:54,479 Speaker 5: I'm a bad boy living in Mezieda, and then he's 1425 01:17:54,520 --> 01:17:55,560 Speaker 5: getting the chorus. 1426 01:17:55,400 --> 01:17:59,400 Speaker 2: I'm free free falling. So we go back to the room, 1427 01:17:59,520 --> 01:18:04,000 Speaker 2: Kevin asses out, Anastasia goes. I brought over some sexy 1428 01:18:04,280 --> 01:18:06,360 Speaker 2: lainger aim and to go in the bathroom and change 1429 01:18:06,400 --> 01:18:10,240 Speaker 2: into it. So I got totally naked and I handcuffed 1430 01:18:10,280 --> 01:18:13,439 Speaker 2: myself to the ceiling fan, and then the ceiling fan 1431 01:18:13,560 --> 01:18:15,360 Speaker 2: was kind of going slow, so I was like a 1432 01:18:15,439 --> 01:18:18,679 Speaker 2: rotisserie chicken. But I almost looked like an egon ChIL 1433 01:18:18,880 --> 01:18:22,200 Speaker 2: painting because I was real skinny, my fingers are real long, 1434 01:18:22,560 --> 01:18:26,559 Speaker 2: and I'm hanging from the ceiling fan twirling around real slow, 1435 01:18:26,960 --> 01:18:31,000 Speaker 2: and Kevin's asleep and I'm nude. Anastasia walks out in 1436 01:18:31,120 --> 01:18:33,800 Speaker 2: some sexy lingerie and she sees me, and she goes, 1437 01:18:34,000 --> 01:18:36,360 Speaker 2: you're a bad boy. And then all of a sudden, 1438 01:18:36,439 --> 01:18:38,240 Speaker 2: Kevin sits up like a mummy. 1439 01:18:37,880 --> 01:18:41,560 Speaker 5: And goes living in Resida, and he was awake the 1440 01:18:41,600 --> 01:18:45,639 Speaker 5: whole time. I'd seen everything. So this is the kind 1441 01:18:45,680 --> 01:18:48,080 Speaker 5: of shit. This is why I do this line of work. 1442 01:18:48,400 --> 01:18:52,759 Speaker 5: For the handcuffs, for the love, and for the music 1443 01:18:53,520 --> 01:18:55,720 Speaker 5: and all of that stuff. To have been able to 1444 01:18:55,720 --> 01:18:58,439 Speaker 5: have been signed to Bizarre Planet Records after being on 1445 01:18:58,600 --> 01:19:02,240 Speaker 5: up with people, I mean, come on, it's a great life. 1446 01:19:02,280 --> 01:19:03,479 Speaker 5: We get to live here, Bob. 1447 01:19:05,320 --> 01:19:06,519 Speaker 1: So how did it end with Herb? 1448 01:19:07,560 --> 01:19:12,479 Speaker 2: What happened was Herb I would go up and see 1449 01:19:12,479 --> 01:19:15,120 Speaker 2: in La and then I met this girl named Jewel, 1450 01:19:15,600 --> 01:19:18,559 Speaker 2: and Jewel was working at a place called Java Joe's, 1451 01:19:19,120 --> 01:19:22,280 Speaker 2: and that was in Poway, California. So I would come 1452 01:19:22,280 --> 01:19:24,280 Speaker 2: off of the road with the rugburns and I'd gotten 1453 01:19:24,320 --> 01:19:26,519 Speaker 2: in a fistfight with our drummer and I had a 1454 01:19:26,520 --> 01:19:29,839 Speaker 2: big old black eye and I had taught Joe's strummer 1455 01:19:29,880 --> 01:19:33,200 Speaker 2: from the class how to play black jacket. Vegas got 1456 01:19:33,200 --> 01:19:35,880 Speaker 2: to see him play at the joint. He was with 1457 01:19:35,960 --> 01:19:39,000 Speaker 2: Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros and I walk in I 1458 01:19:39,040 --> 01:19:41,800 Speaker 2: got a black eye, and I show up at this place, 1459 01:19:41,880 --> 01:19:44,720 Speaker 2: Java Joe's, and there's this blonde girl and she's beautiful 1460 01:19:45,360 --> 01:19:48,519 Speaker 2: and she says, oh, I like the Rugburns. How can 1461 01:19:48,560 --> 01:19:51,200 Speaker 2: I get a following like the Rugburns? And she was 1462 01:19:51,280 --> 01:19:53,519 Speaker 2: making me some tea. It was midnight. They would run 1463 01:19:53,560 --> 01:19:56,200 Speaker 2: an illegal poker game in the back of Java Joe's. 1464 01:19:56,760 --> 01:19:59,240 Speaker 2: And I said, well, you should find your own place 1465 01:19:59,439 --> 01:20:01,720 Speaker 2: and that that doesn't have a music scene and make 1466 01:20:01,760 --> 01:20:04,040 Speaker 2: it your own. I'm a big believer and create your 1467 01:20:04,040 --> 01:20:07,240 Speaker 2: own scene. And so Jewel says, you want to hear 1468 01:20:07,280 --> 01:20:09,200 Speaker 2: some of my songs and I said sure. So she 1469 01:20:09,280 --> 01:20:11,599 Speaker 2: takes me out to her Volkswagen van. She was living 1470 01:20:11,640 --> 01:20:14,040 Speaker 2: in it in the back of Java Jo's and Powie 1471 01:20:14,360 --> 01:20:17,639 Speaker 2: and we made stained glass art and then we fell 1472 01:20:17,680 --> 01:20:21,640 Speaker 2: in love and we would go surfing together and we 1473 01:20:21,760 --> 01:20:26,160 Speaker 2: found a place for her to play. And so at 1474 01:20:26,160 --> 01:20:28,720 Speaker 2: the time I was still signed with the Rugburns. And 1475 01:20:28,760 --> 01:20:33,479 Speaker 2: then Jewel and myself. We ended up in Mexico surfing 1476 01:20:33,720 --> 01:20:36,360 Speaker 2: and we ended up on a drug bust with all 1477 01:20:36,400 --> 01:20:39,280 Speaker 2: these cops and the pictures are online where there was 1478 01:20:39,320 --> 01:20:44,200 Speaker 2: tons of weed and we end up on this drug bust. 1479 01:20:44,560 --> 01:20:46,760 Speaker 2: We take pictures with her arms around these cops. And 1480 01:20:46,760 --> 01:20:48,599 Speaker 2: that's when I went back and we wrote this song 1481 01:20:48,640 --> 01:20:50,559 Speaker 2: called you Were Meant for Me in the room, which 1482 01:20:50,600 --> 01:20:52,600 Speaker 2: meant nothing to me at the time. Little did I 1483 01:20:52,640 --> 01:20:56,400 Speaker 2: know it was like writing a winning lottery ticket. So 1484 01:20:56,439 --> 01:20:58,840 Speaker 2: we write this song you Were Meant for Me. Come 1485 01:20:58,880 --> 01:21:02,840 Speaker 2: back to the United States from Mexico. We go out 1486 01:21:02,880 --> 01:21:04,240 Speaker 2: for six year old tacos. 1487 01:21:04,320 --> 01:21:05,559 Speaker 4: Wh whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. 1488 01:21:05,640 --> 01:21:06,880 Speaker 1: What happened with the drug bust? 1489 01:21:07,080 --> 01:21:10,719 Speaker 2: Oh? So we're out. We break into a hotel room 1490 01:21:10,760 --> 01:21:13,559 Speaker 2: in a place called Bahia. They San Luis Gonzaga, and 1491 01:21:13,600 --> 01:21:17,200 Speaker 2: I'm with Jewel and she wants to go well watching. 1492 01:21:17,600 --> 01:21:19,960 Speaker 2: So nobody's in the hotel, so we kick open one 1493 01:21:20,000 --> 01:21:22,080 Speaker 2: of the doors. We fall asleep in a king sized 1494 01:21:22,120 --> 01:21:26,320 Speaker 2: bed with Mexican blankets. We wake up and the sun's 1495 01:21:26,360 --> 01:21:29,280 Speaker 2: coming up and I look out the window and Jewel goes, 1496 01:21:29,360 --> 01:21:31,680 Speaker 2: oh my god, this is beautiful. So we go out 1497 01:21:31,680 --> 01:21:33,200 Speaker 2: on the beach and she says, we got to get 1498 01:21:33,200 --> 01:21:36,200 Speaker 2: a boat, and none of us had any money. So 1499 01:21:36,240 --> 01:21:39,080 Speaker 2: we're sitting on the beach and Jewels in a yellow bikini. 1500 01:21:39,200 --> 01:21:43,000 Speaker 2: She looks beautiful, and these four Mexican federales come down 1501 01:21:43,120 --> 01:21:45,920 Speaker 2: the beach with guns in their belts and they walk 1502 01:21:46,040 --> 01:21:47,800 Speaker 2: up to us. It's like something out of a Clint 1503 01:21:47,840 --> 01:21:51,040 Speaker 2: Eastwood film and you can see the heat rising off 1504 01:21:51,080 --> 01:21:54,040 Speaker 2: the sand and they say, would you guys like to 1505 01:21:54,080 --> 01:21:58,559 Speaker 2: go watching? So I said no because I was scared 1506 01:21:58,560 --> 01:21:59,960 Speaker 2: to go out on a boat with them, but Jewel 1507 01:22:00,080 --> 01:22:02,320 Speaker 2: said yes, so I had to go. So we go 1508 01:22:02,400 --> 01:22:05,599 Speaker 2: out on the middle of the water the Bahia. They 1509 01:22:05,600 --> 01:22:08,960 Speaker 2: sent the weeds Gonzaga and these guys have automatic weapons. 1510 01:22:09,880 --> 01:22:13,360 Speaker 2: They're just looking at Jewel in this yellow bikini. I 1511 01:22:13,400 --> 01:22:16,080 Speaker 2: think they're gonna kill me, throw me overboard. It's like 1512 01:22:16,120 --> 01:22:20,360 Speaker 2: a Cone Brothers Blood Simple or something. And so instead 1513 01:22:20,520 --> 01:22:22,559 Speaker 2: they get a call on their radio and they say, hey, 1514 01:22:22,560 --> 01:22:25,559 Speaker 2: we have to go catch these drug smugglers and we 1515 01:22:25,600 --> 01:22:27,120 Speaker 2: don't have time to take you back to shore and 1516 01:22:27,200 --> 01:22:30,479 Speaker 2: put on these bulletproof vests. So we put on the vests. 1517 01:22:30,520 --> 01:22:33,800 Speaker 2: My heart's found it, so fast. The boat goes to 1518 01:22:33,920 --> 01:22:36,920 Speaker 2: this little island. It's like Miami Vice. You see these 1519 01:22:37,000 --> 01:22:40,799 Speaker 2: drug smugglers running. They caught the slowest one. He tells 1520 01:22:40,840 --> 01:22:43,840 Speaker 2: them where all the weed is. So the cops make 1521 01:22:43,920 --> 01:22:45,840 Speaker 2: me go to this boat and carry all the weed 1522 01:22:45,880 --> 01:22:48,280 Speaker 2: back to the boat and they give those guys those 1523 01:22:48,280 --> 01:22:52,120 Speaker 2: plastic ties around their wrists. They have like six drug smugglers. 1524 01:22:52,600 --> 01:22:54,599 Speaker 2: And we get on the boat with the drug smugglers 1525 01:22:54,600 --> 01:22:57,080 Speaker 2: who look at me like I'm stealing their weed, and 1526 01:22:57,120 --> 01:23:00,160 Speaker 2: they're like they want to kill me and the cops there. 1527 01:23:00,640 --> 01:23:03,040 Speaker 2: So we go back to the shore and we get 1528 01:23:03,040 --> 01:23:04,599 Speaker 2: out and I said, well, we're going to get going. 1529 01:23:04,680 --> 01:23:06,360 Speaker 2: I I just wanted to get the hell out of there. 1530 01:23:06,640 --> 01:23:08,000 Speaker 2: And I said, what are you guys going to do? 1531 01:23:08,040 --> 01:23:11,120 Speaker 2: And they said, this is the largest drug bust we've 1532 01:23:11,120 --> 01:23:13,320 Speaker 2: had in years in this area. We're going to have 1533 01:23:13,360 --> 01:23:17,000 Speaker 2: a party. And so we go to walk away and 1534 01:23:17,040 --> 01:23:20,040 Speaker 2: the cock goes stay by Bena key, which means Steve 1535 01:23:20,240 --> 01:23:22,760 Speaker 2: come here. And I said what he said, I want 1536 01:23:22,800 --> 01:23:25,080 Speaker 2: you to take some And this is back in like 1537 01:23:25,200 --> 01:23:29,000 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety two, right, maybe ninety four, I think, And 1538 01:23:29,080 --> 01:23:32,160 Speaker 2: he opens up a switchblade and he stabs one of 1539 01:23:32,240 --> 01:23:35,160 Speaker 2: the kilos of this Mexican dirt, and you can smell 1540 01:23:35,240 --> 01:23:38,599 Speaker 2: the skunk smell coming up through my nostrils, and he says, 1541 01:23:38,640 --> 01:23:40,760 Speaker 2: take some. So I'm trying to figure out what less 1542 01:23:40,760 --> 01:23:43,760 Speaker 2: than announces, and I stick my long, bony fingers in 1543 01:23:43,800 --> 01:23:46,599 Speaker 2: to grab the weed out, and as I do, he says, 1544 01:23:46,680 --> 01:23:50,280 Speaker 2: take the whole kilo jewel, digs her fingernails into my 1545 01:23:50,360 --> 01:23:52,840 Speaker 2: arm and goes, Steve, don't do it. You're gonna end 1546 01:23:52,920 --> 01:23:54,920 Speaker 2: up in jail. It's going to be like Midnight Express. 1547 01:23:54,960 --> 01:23:57,040 Speaker 2: I'll be talking to you from me on a glass wall. 1548 01:23:57,840 --> 01:24:00,719 Speaker 2: And then I just said, a man with the badge 1549 01:24:00,720 --> 01:24:04,120 Speaker 2: in Mexico is telling me to take the jewel, and 1550 01:24:04,160 --> 01:24:07,320 Speaker 2: they pulled their guns out, and I took the whole kilo, 1551 01:24:07,360 --> 01:24:09,680 Speaker 2: and they said, let's take a picture. So if you 1552 01:24:09,760 --> 01:24:13,000 Speaker 2: look and type in Jewel drug Bust photos, you'll see 1553 01:24:13,080 --> 01:24:16,200 Speaker 2: us and all this weed shoved into a black suburban. 1554 01:24:16,240 --> 01:24:18,760 Speaker 2: Behind us. We're holding Corona beers or some kind of beer, 1555 01:24:18,800 --> 01:24:21,200 Speaker 2: and we have guns in our hands, and the cops 1556 01:24:21,200 --> 01:24:24,960 Speaker 2: are next to us in Mexico. And these pictures I 1557 01:24:24,960 --> 01:24:28,160 Speaker 2: think made High Times magazine, and my parents were so proud. 1558 01:24:28,560 --> 01:24:32,040 Speaker 2: So we went back to the room after the drug bust, 1559 01:24:32,200 --> 01:24:35,760 Speaker 2: and I gave the kilo to this old woman who 1560 01:24:35,840 --> 01:24:39,040 Speaker 2: was making some spaghetti sauce for a Mormon youth group, 1561 01:24:39,080 --> 01:24:41,920 Speaker 2: and she poured the whole kilo into the spaghetti sauce 1562 01:24:42,400 --> 01:24:45,120 Speaker 2: fed the youth group. And I woke up at midnight 1563 01:24:45,160 --> 01:24:48,439 Speaker 2: and all these Mormon missionary kids were like playing frisbee 1564 01:24:48,479 --> 01:24:51,120 Speaker 2: and stuff. And I came back, got in bed with Jewel, 1565 01:24:51,240 --> 01:24:53,200 Speaker 2: woke up in the morning and I grabbed the guitar, 1566 01:24:53,320 --> 01:24:55,400 Speaker 2: and Jewel goes, do the thing where you make up 1567 01:24:55,400 --> 01:24:57,920 Speaker 2: a song, So I start doing the riff you were 1568 01:24:57,960 --> 01:25:01,120 Speaker 2: meant for me. Little do I know this song's gonna 1569 01:25:01,120 --> 01:25:04,160 Speaker 2: sell millions and millions of records, like ten million. Who 1570 01:25:04,160 --> 01:25:06,400 Speaker 2: knows set a record on the Billboard Top one on 1571 01:25:06,520 --> 01:25:10,120 Speaker 2: your chart. I have no idea I'm writing something that's 1572 01:25:10,160 --> 01:25:13,400 Speaker 2: gonna pay me the rest of my life. And so 1573 01:25:13,439 --> 01:25:16,080 Speaker 2: we write the song, but then we write a second 1574 01:25:16,120 --> 01:25:18,680 Speaker 2: song called food Stamp Love, and I go, this is 1575 01:25:18,720 --> 01:25:21,759 Speaker 2: the hit you were meant for me sucks. Food Stamp 1576 01:25:21,800 --> 01:25:24,200 Speaker 2: Love's cool, and the whole chorus was I'm sick of 1577 01:25:24,240 --> 01:25:27,120 Speaker 2: your Foodstamp Love about a lever who doles out food 1578 01:25:27,120 --> 01:25:30,760 Speaker 2: do you like, it's a government assistance program, and Jewel goes, 1579 01:25:30,840 --> 01:25:32,720 Speaker 2: I'll never forget jewels. She was like, I think you 1580 01:25:32,760 --> 01:25:35,040 Speaker 2: were meant for me as the hit, not Foodstamp Love. 1581 01:25:35,400 --> 01:25:38,599 Speaker 2: And we're driving back to get to San Diego, and 1582 01:25:39,120 --> 01:25:41,599 Speaker 2: you were meant for me flies out of the window. 1583 01:25:41,840 --> 01:25:45,040 Speaker 2: We didn't have iPhones back then. It was on like napkins. 1584 01:25:45,080 --> 01:25:47,320 Speaker 2: It was written and it flew out, and I go, 1585 01:25:47,439 --> 01:25:51,040 Speaker 2: it's okay, we got food Stamp Love and Jewel goes. 1586 01:25:51,080 --> 01:25:53,080 Speaker 4: You gotta go back and get you were meant for me. 1587 01:25:53,400 --> 01:25:57,200 Speaker 2: Those words were cool, please Si. We got in an argument. 1588 01:25:57,320 --> 01:26:00,519 Speaker 2: I made a U turn. I drove back. You were 1589 01:26:00,560 --> 01:26:03,200 Speaker 2: meant for me the winning lottery ticket that was on 1590 01:26:03,240 --> 01:26:06,360 Speaker 2: the freaking ground. And then we drove across the border 1591 01:26:06,640 --> 01:26:09,240 Speaker 2: and we go to a Mexican place called La Posta 1592 01:26:09,600 --> 01:26:13,479 Speaker 2: on University Avenue where drug dealers and prostitutes would hang 1593 01:26:13,520 --> 01:26:15,720 Speaker 2: out and it's the only place that was opened late 1594 01:26:15,760 --> 01:26:17,639 Speaker 2: at night, and you would get a bean and cheese 1595 01:26:17,680 --> 01:26:21,400 Speaker 2: burrito and six year old tacos with guacamole. Stick the 1596 01:26:21,479 --> 01:26:25,559 Speaker 2: Crispy World taco with the shredded beef inside, stick it 1597 01:26:25,600 --> 01:26:29,080 Speaker 2: in the bean burrito and then bite that for the crunchiness. Boh, 1598 01:26:29,320 --> 01:26:32,559 Speaker 2: it's sublime with the guacamole a on top of the 1599 01:26:32,600 --> 01:26:35,439 Speaker 2: six year old tacos for like a dollar ninety nine. 1600 01:26:35,760 --> 01:26:38,160 Speaker 2: So we're sitting out there, me and Jewel and there's 1601 01:26:38,160 --> 01:26:41,240 Speaker 2: four prostitutes and they say, what do you guys hippies? 1602 01:26:41,439 --> 01:26:44,000 Speaker 2: And we go yeah, and they said you sing songs 1603 01:26:44,040 --> 01:26:46,040 Speaker 2: and I go yeah. They go, sing us a song. 1604 01:26:46,080 --> 01:26:48,080 Speaker 2: I go, we just wrote a song called you Were 1605 01:26:48,160 --> 01:26:49,920 Speaker 2: Meant for Me. You want to hear it now if 1606 01:26:49,960 --> 01:26:53,200 Speaker 2: you look at Timespace Continuum. Nobody'd ever heard that song 1607 01:26:53,240 --> 01:26:56,320 Speaker 2: but me and Jewel and now four hookers. So we 1608 01:26:56,439 --> 01:26:58,400 Speaker 2: sing it for the four hookers. I go, tell us 1609 01:26:58,400 --> 01:27:01,280 Speaker 2: who should sing the song? So I sang it first, 1610 01:27:01,960 --> 01:27:05,479 Speaker 2: and then Jewel sang it, and then they clapped for 1611 01:27:05,520 --> 01:27:06,880 Speaker 2: both of us, and they said we're going to go 1612 01:27:06,920 --> 01:27:09,439 Speaker 2: over here and deliberate and we'll let you know. We'll 1613 01:27:09,439 --> 01:27:11,320 Speaker 2: come back tell you should sing it. And it was 1614 01:27:11,360 --> 01:27:14,880 Speaker 2: a quick verdict, which is never good. Off they came 1615 01:27:14,960 --> 01:27:18,240 Speaker 2: back and the lead prostitute, I said, have you reached 1616 01:27:18,240 --> 01:27:20,120 Speaker 2: a decision and she said yes, we have your honor, 1617 01:27:20,120 --> 01:27:22,120 Speaker 2: and I said, please let us know, and they looked 1618 01:27:22,120 --> 01:27:25,160 Speaker 2: at Jewel and they said, honey, you sing that that 1619 01:27:25,200 --> 01:27:29,400 Speaker 2: white boy can't sing. You do the song. And that's 1620 01:27:29,720 --> 01:27:32,360 Speaker 2: that was our an R department. And then Jewel ended 1621 01:27:32,439 --> 01:27:35,439 Speaker 2: up getting signed to Atlantic Records by the same guy 1622 01:27:35,479 --> 01:27:38,080 Speaker 2: you signed me, Danny Goldberg, because he was the Atlantic 1623 01:27:38,120 --> 01:27:40,840 Speaker 2: back then he was the president of the ACLU. He 1624 01:27:40,880 --> 01:27:44,439 Speaker 2: would switch things. He was married to Rosemary Carol, you know, 1625 01:27:44,479 --> 01:27:47,160 Speaker 2: who had been married to Jim Carroll, and Rosemary was 1626 01:27:47,240 --> 01:27:53,240 Speaker 2: Nirvana's lawyer. And so Jewel gets signed and everybody's going, 1627 01:27:53,280 --> 01:27:55,840 Speaker 2: you were met from me, this is the hit, and 1628 01:27:55,880 --> 01:27:58,000 Speaker 2: I was like, what about food stamp love? 1629 01:27:58,240 --> 01:27:59,439 Speaker 5: No like fuck you? 1630 01:28:00,120 --> 01:28:03,400 Speaker 4: That song means nothing, and I remember being really hurt. 1631 01:28:03,760 --> 01:28:06,240 Speaker 2: And then Neil Young came to see Jewel play at 1632 01:28:06,240 --> 01:28:09,640 Speaker 2: the Interchange, which was the scene she created because we 1633 01:28:09,760 --> 01:28:12,519 Speaker 2: found it and it would get so packed. Neil Young 1634 01:28:12,560 --> 01:28:15,200 Speaker 2: came all the way down at San Diego would record 1635 01:28:15,240 --> 01:28:17,559 Speaker 2: her outside of it, and then asked if we would 1636 01:28:17,640 --> 01:28:20,040 Speaker 2: come live at his ranch to make his record. So 1637 01:28:20,120 --> 01:28:24,000 Speaker 2: me and Jewel move up to Elliott Roberts Place that 1638 01:28:24,160 --> 01:28:26,760 Speaker 2: was on Neil Young's property because Elliott was going through 1639 01:28:26,760 --> 01:28:29,800 Speaker 2: a divorce and wasn't there, so we lived on Neil 1640 01:28:29,840 --> 01:28:32,880 Speaker 2: Young's Ranch and the Stray Gators were the band, and 1641 01:28:32,920 --> 01:28:36,200 Speaker 2: I got to beat the guitarist. The drummer was Kenneth Butchery, 1642 01:28:36,280 --> 01:28:38,559 Speaker 2: who was the drummer on Rainy Dame Women number twelve 1643 01:28:38,600 --> 01:28:40,800 Speaker 2: and thirty eight. I think that's the numbers from the 1644 01:28:40,840 --> 01:28:41,599 Speaker 2: Bob Dylan song. 1645 01:28:41,680 --> 01:28:43,840 Speaker 1: I never thirty five, but that's okay. 1646 01:28:43,640 --> 01:28:47,839 Speaker 2: Thirty five right, yeah, thank you? And so I remember 1647 01:28:47,880 --> 01:28:50,479 Speaker 2: I walked in, I saw Kenneth Buncher. I go, Kenneth Butchery, 1648 01:28:50,520 --> 01:28:52,920 Speaker 2: you're the guy that did that beat. Will you do it? Bob? 1649 01:28:53,080 --> 01:28:55,360 Speaker 2: This is one of my favorite moments in life. He 1650 01:28:55,400 --> 01:28:57,439 Speaker 2: looked at me and goes, young Man, Yes I will, 1651 01:28:57,479 --> 01:29:05,759 Speaker 2: and he went and I was in heaven. The bass 1652 01:29:05,760 --> 01:29:09,000 Speaker 2: player was Tim Drummond. He was so good. It was 1653 01:29:09,040 --> 01:29:12,719 Speaker 2: produced by the guy that was in Neil Young's band, 1654 01:29:12,800 --> 01:29:15,960 Speaker 2: Ben Keith, who also played pedal steel guitar on Patsy 1655 01:29:16,040 --> 01:29:19,760 Speaker 2: Klein's Crazy. We had the coolest band and I got 1656 01:29:19,800 --> 01:29:22,320 Speaker 2: to play guitar, so we did. You were meant for me. 1657 01:29:22,439 --> 01:29:25,400 Speaker 2: We lived at Neil Young's ranch and Ben Keith and 1658 01:29:25,479 --> 01:29:27,880 Speaker 2: Neil Young couldn't believe how much food I could eat 1659 01:29:27,920 --> 01:29:30,960 Speaker 2: because I'm so skinny, but I was always hungry from 1660 01:29:31,000 --> 01:29:34,000 Speaker 2: the Rugburns days. So Neil Young had his own personal 1661 01:29:34,120 --> 01:29:37,200 Speaker 2: chef who he called Cookie, and they would weigh me 1662 01:29:37,360 --> 01:29:40,519 Speaker 2: before breakfast and after breakfast because they said they'd never 1663 01:29:40,520 --> 01:29:42,880 Speaker 2: seen anybody eat so much. I was like a snake 1664 01:29:42,960 --> 01:29:47,880 Speaker 2: with apossum and his stomach, and so he would Neil 1665 01:29:47,920 --> 01:29:48,519 Speaker 2: Young would. 1666 01:29:48,360 --> 01:29:50,400 Speaker 4: Go, that was a four and a half pounder. 1667 01:29:51,200 --> 01:29:54,280 Speaker 2: So then we'd go into the studio and we recorded 1668 01:29:54,320 --> 01:29:58,679 Speaker 2: You Were Meant for Me, and Atlantic stuck with that record, 1669 01:29:58,840 --> 01:30:02,160 Speaker 2: and the version of You Were Me for Me didn't 1670 01:30:02,400 --> 01:30:05,800 Speaker 2: do a lot early, and they got it redone by 1671 01:30:06,640 --> 01:30:10,759 Speaker 2: some other guy who was a famous producer, Peter Collins 1672 01:30:10,840 --> 01:30:14,040 Speaker 2: or something. He redid it and they got Flee to 1673 01:30:14,080 --> 01:30:18,600 Speaker 2: play bass on it, and so they they did you 1674 01:30:18,680 --> 01:30:20,880 Speaker 2: Were Meant for Me again, and at first they had 1675 01:30:20,880 --> 01:30:24,200 Speaker 2: Sean Penn direct the video, and Sean Penn had stolen 1676 01:30:24,320 --> 01:30:28,160 Speaker 2: jewel from me and so he directed the video. So 1677 01:30:28,200 --> 01:30:30,880 Speaker 2: I was glad when the video failed because then they 1678 01:30:30,960 --> 01:30:33,160 Speaker 2: redid it and I was the guy in the video 1679 01:30:33,200 --> 01:30:35,960 Speaker 2: with jewel and I'm not wearing a shirt, and that 1680 01:30:36,200 --> 01:30:39,720 Speaker 2: version went really big and Flee played bass on it, 1681 01:30:39,800 --> 01:30:41,920 Speaker 2: and so it was pretty cool. Because I got to 1682 01:30:41,920 --> 01:30:45,479 Speaker 2: see Flee when we played Woodstock ninety nine and Fleega 1683 01:30:45,680 --> 01:30:47,960 Speaker 2: was about to go on stage naked, and I remember 1684 01:30:48,200 --> 01:30:50,439 Speaker 2: he didn't even have a sock over as Dick. And 1685 01:30:50,479 --> 01:30:52,680 Speaker 2: I remember talking to Flee and I had smoked some 1686 01:30:52,800 --> 01:30:56,160 Speaker 2: fog hat weed because Jewel bought fog hats sold tour bus, 1687 01:30:56,400 --> 01:30:58,840 Speaker 2: and I was so stoned, and I remember just looking 1688 01:30:58,880 --> 01:31:02,040 Speaker 2: at Flee's Dick and you should not be named Flee 1689 01:31:02,560 --> 01:31:05,760 Speaker 2: because that thing's big and he's a little guy, and 1690 01:31:05,760 --> 01:31:08,400 Speaker 2: he's jumping around on stage at Woodstock ninety nine is 1691 01:31:08,439 --> 01:31:11,160 Speaker 2: Dick's flopping around. And I remember before he went on, 1692 01:31:11,240 --> 01:31:13,120 Speaker 2: he was like, did you like the bass part? I 1693 01:31:13,280 --> 01:31:15,920 Speaker 2: laid on you were meant for Me? And when we 1694 01:31:16,000 --> 01:31:18,880 Speaker 2: played the riots calmed down. There was like all these 1695 01:31:18,960 --> 01:31:22,920 Speaker 2: limp biscuit dudes out there. Nobody was rioting because we 1696 01:31:22,920 --> 01:31:25,360 Speaker 2: were singing you were Meant for Me, and everybody was 1697 01:31:25,400 --> 01:31:27,400 Speaker 2: at peace at that moment, and Juel End had to 1698 01:31:27,400 --> 01:31:29,960 Speaker 2: set on who Will Save Your Soul? And Elvis Costello 1699 01:31:30,000 --> 01:31:31,680 Speaker 2: went on before us. He had warned us it was 1700 01:31:31,720 --> 01:31:34,519 Speaker 2: getting crazy, and then we got off stage, and then 1701 01:31:34,560 --> 01:31:36,639 Speaker 2: the Chili Peppers were the final band, and you could 1702 01:31:36,640 --> 01:31:37,200 Speaker 2: hear what. 1703 01:31:38,080 --> 01:31:39,040 Speaker 1: Give it to your mom? 1704 01:31:39,160 --> 01:31:41,920 Speaker 2: On fleas Dick's flapping around and people are setting porta 1705 01:31:41,960 --> 01:31:45,320 Speaker 2: potties on fire and everything. But when we played, I 1706 01:31:45,320 --> 01:31:47,800 Speaker 2: got to tell you, Bob, there was peace at Woodstock 1707 01:31:47,920 --> 01:31:48,559 Speaker 2: ninety nine. 1708 01:31:49,920 --> 01:31:54,320 Speaker 1: Okay, Slower, did she already have to deal with Atlantic 1709 01:31:54,360 --> 01:31:57,240 Speaker 1: when you went to Neil Young's ranch? Or was it 1710 01:31:57,640 --> 01:32:00,400 Speaker 1: the work you did there that got you the deal? 1711 01:32:00,960 --> 01:32:04,480 Speaker 2: She already had the deal. She got the deal already. 1712 01:32:04,840 --> 01:32:10,040 Speaker 2: She got signed out of the interchange, and Tommy Mottola 1713 01:32:10,200 --> 01:32:13,519 Speaker 2: was coming down. He bought her a guitar from Sony Records. 1714 01:32:13,520 --> 01:32:15,840 Speaker 2: There was all these There was a bidding war, and 1715 01:32:15,920 --> 01:32:20,479 Speaker 2: I remember we met am at Erdigend. Then he had 1716 01:32:20,479 --> 01:32:25,080 Speaker 2: this cane and it was amazing to meet him. And 1717 01:32:26,760 --> 01:32:32,360 Speaker 2: then Danny won the bidding war. Jewel got signed and 1718 01:32:32,439 --> 01:32:35,000 Speaker 2: Neil Young had already heard of her, So Neil Young said, 1719 01:32:35,000 --> 01:32:38,320 Speaker 2: why don't you come open for me at Madison Square Garden. 1720 01:32:38,360 --> 01:32:40,360 Speaker 2: I think it was like a couple of nights sold out. 1721 01:32:41,439 --> 01:32:44,639 Speaker 2: So he flies Jewel in to open for Neil Young 1722 01:32:44,680 --> 01:32:49,840 Speaker 2: at Madison Square Garden before her record's out. Nobody really 1723 01:32:49,880 --> 01:32:53,240 Speaker 2: knows who she is. And he comes backstage and he goes, 1724 01:32:53,720 --> 01:32:57,880 Speaker 2: how you doing, Jewel, She's not too good and Neil 1725 01:32:57,880 --> 01:33:00,679 Speaker 2: Young why not? And she goes come about to open 1726 01:33:00,720 --> 01:33:03,559 Speaker 2: for Neil Young at Madison Square Garden and it's sold out, 1727 01:33:04,280 --> 01:33:08,120 Speaker 2: and Neil Young goes, ah, it's just another hash house 1728 01:33:08,160 --> 01:33:13,280 Speaker 2: on the road to success. Show them no respect, which 1729 01:33:13,320 --> 01:33:16,519 Speaker 2: I think to this day is the best advice. And 1730 01:33:16,600 --> 01:33:19,080 Speaker 2: uh so, then the record Jewel goes out and she 1731 01:33:19,120 --> 01:33:20,800 Speaker 2: would open. I was with her. She would open for 1732 01:33:20,840 --> 01:33:23,360 Speaker 2: Peter Murphy and there'd be all these goth fans there 1733 01:33:23,840 --> 01:33:26,920 Speaker 2: and Jewel would come out barefoot and go, Hi, I 1734 01:33:26,960 --> 01:33:29,160 Speaker 2: just want you guys to know I believe in angels. 1735 01:33:29,560 --> 01:33:32,200 Speaker 2: And I would think I'd be standing side stage going, 1736 01:33:32,320 --> 01:33:36,639 Speaker 2: don't say that these are goth people. But to Jewel's credit, 1737 01:33:36,880 --> 01:33:40,400 Speaker 2: she was true to herself and it worked and she 1738 01:33:40,439 --> 01:33:43,519 Speaker 2: would win over these goth crowds. Then next thing, you know, 1739 01:33:44,120 --> 01:33:47,560 Speaker 2: the songs gets legs and it starts breaking all these records, 1740 01:33:47,840 --> 01:33:50,160 Speaker 2: and I am now checks were coming in and I 1741 01:33:50,280 --> 01:33:52,679 Speaker 2: was using my mom and dad's address and checks would 1742 01:33:52,680 --> 01:33:55,439 Speaker 2: be like one hundred and thirty thousand dollars and my 1743 01:33:55,600 --> 01:33:57,479 Speaker 2: dad would call me up and go, this must be 1744 01:33:57,520 --> 01:34:00,720 Speaker 2: a mistake. I'll put it in my account how much 1745 01:34:00,760 --> 01:34:01,720 Speaker 2: faith he in me? 1746 01:34:09,600 --> 01:34:14,120 Speaker 1: Just so I got it straight. Sean Penn stole Jewel, 1747 01:34:14,320 --> 01:34:15,840 Speaker 1: but then she came back to you. 1748 01:34:16,800 --> 01:34:22,960 Speaker 2: Well we did. We did that show in La I 1749 01:34:22,960 --> 01:34:26,479 Speaker 2: think it was the Leno Show, Jay Leno Show, and 1750 01:34:28,000 --> 01:34:32,759 Speaker 2: Jewel was opening for Liz Fair at the will Turn 1751 01:34:33,560 --> 01:34:36,160 Speaker 2: and so she would have me come out and we 1752 01:34:36,200 --> 01:34:39,799 Speaker 2: would play some songs and by the I still love Jewels. 1753 01:34:39,800 --> 01:34:41,519 Speaker 2: She's like one of my best friends. Like, that's the 1754 01:34:41,560 --> 01:34:46,040 Speaker 2: coolest thing. Is our relationship so fun? So we did 1755 01:34:46,760 --> 01:34:50,080 Speaker 2: the Jay Leno Show and that was I think Michael 1756 01:34:50,200 --> 01:34:54,320 Speaker 2: Caine was on it, and I remember I was backstage 1757 01:34:54,720 --> 01:34:57,240 Speaker 2: and I asked Michael Caine to make an outgoing message 1758 01:34:57,240 --> 01:34:59,320 Speaker 2: on my answering machine. We were getting our makeup and 1759 01:34:59,439 --> 01:35:03,120 Speaker 2: on the same time, and I had a flip phone, 1760 01:35:03,160 --> 01:35:05,519 Speaker 2: you know before we had iPhones, and I said, will 1761 01:35:05,560 --> 01:35:08,240 Speaker 2: you make my outgoing message of Michael King goes sure, 1762 01:35:08,360 --> 01:35:11,400 Speaker 2: and when it beats, he goes, hello, this is Michael Caine. 1763 01:35:11,560 --> 01:35:15,320 Speaker 2: Steve's nodding. They'll call you when he's recovered. It was 1764 01:35:15,360 --> 01:35:17,280 Speaker 2: so cool. Off the top of his said, So we 1765 01:35:17,360 --> 01:35:21,839 Speaker 2: do the show and then Sean Penn came to the 1766 01:35:22,240 --> 01:35:25,400 Speaker 2: Liz Fair Show and Liz Ferrer was playing I'm a 1767 01:35:25,439 --> 01:35:27,800 Speaker 2: huge fan of Liz Fair, Exile and Guieville and all 1768 01:35:27,800 --> 01:35:30,920 Speaker 2: that stuff. And then he invited us over to his 1769 01:35:31,080 --> 01:35:34,200 Speaker 2: trailer in Malibu because his house burnt down where he 1770 01:35:34,280 --> 01:35:38,080 Speaker 2: lived with Madonna, and so that house burnt down, and 1771 01:35:38,120 --> 01:35:42,519 Speaker 2: then I think he and Robin Wright had broken up 1772 01:35:42,640 --> 01:35:45,559 Speaker 2: or something. So he invited us to his trailer. And 1773 01:35:45,600 --> 01:35:48,519 Speaker 2: so we go to Sean Penn's trailer and Malibu overlooking 1774 01:35:48,600 --> 01:35:50,880 Speaker 2: the water, and I remember he had a broken nose 1775 01:35:51,600 --> 01:35:55,599 Speaker 2: and we were smoking weed. Jewel didn't smoke, she didn't drink. 1776 01:35:55,720 --> 01:35:57,880 Speaker 2: Me and Sean were smoking weed and he was playing 1777 01:35:57,920 --> 01:36:02,439 Speaker 2: me tapes that do you remember Dave Baerwald, David and David, 1778 01:36:03,000 --> 01:36:03,479 Speaker 2: that band. 1779 01:36:03,600 --> 01:36:04,760 Speaker 1: I know Dave Bearwald. 1780 01:36:05,120 --> 01:36:09,280 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, so Dave Barwald had given Sean these tapes 1781 01:36:09,280 --> 01:36:12,320 Speaker 2: he got from the CIA of bombings going on. Sean. 1782 01:36:12,400 --> 01:36:15,400 Speaker 2: I remember I was talking about everything. Sean knows a 1783 01:36:15,400 --> 01:36:18,400 Speaker 2: lot of stuff, like I love Sean Penn. But I 1784 01:36:18,439 --> 01:36:20,639 Speaker 2: remember I was so stoned and I went and took 1785 01:36:20,640 --> 01:36:24,600 Speaker 2: a piss and Sean was pissing next to me, and 1786 01:36:24,680 --> 01:36:27,639 Speaker 2: I remember I looked at his Dick for some reason 1787 01:36:27,640 --> 01:36:30,360 Speaker 2: because we were pissing side by side. I remember thinking, 1788 01:36:30,640 --> 01:36:34,839 Speaker 2: holy shit, he's gonna steal Jewel. I saw the future. 1789 01:36:34,840 --> 01:36:37,680 Speaker 2: I'm really good at seeing things. And I remember then 1790 01:36:38,160 --> 01:36:41,639 Speaker 2: she was in New York and I called her room 1791 01:36:41,680 --> 01:36:43,719 Speaker 2: and Sean Penn was in the room and answered the phone. 1792 01:36:43,800 --> 01:36:47,240 Speaker 2: I remember I go Sean and he goes Steve, and 1793 01:36:47,520 --> 01:36:49,479 Speaker 2: that was it. I was sad for a while. And 1794 01:36:49,479 --> 01:36:53,200 Speaker 2: then she flew to con Film Festival with Jack Nicholson 1795 01:36:53,240 --> 01:36:57,679 Speaker 2: and Sean Penn, but then they didn't last and then 1796 01:36:58,040 --> 01:37:01,920 Speaker 2: Jewel redid you were met from. Peter Collins was the producer, 1797 01:37:02,439 --> 01:37:04,599 Speaker 2: and redid it because they thought I could be a hit. 1798 01:37:04,880 --> 01:37:07,639 Speaker 2: And then Flee played bass on it and they kept 1799 01:37:07,680 --> 01:37:10,400 Speaker 2: my guitar part, and then Jewel asked me to be 1800 01:37:10,479 --> 01:37:12,880 Speaker 2: in the video, so I was like that. That was 1801 01:37:12,920 --> 01:37:15,439 Speaker 2: when MTV was huge. So I was the shirtless guy 1802 01:37:15,479 --> 01:37:18,920 Speaker 2: in the video and we were like the remote host 1803 01:37:18,960 --> 01:37:21,519 Speaker 2: of the MTV Music Awards. And me and Jewel lived 1804 01:37:21,520 --> 01:37:24,160 Speaker 2: in wind and Sea Beach and La Joya, and they 1805 01:37:24,160 --> 01:37:26,120 Speaker 2: had all these MTV crew there and they go, let's 1806 01:37:26,120 --> 01:37:29,200 Speaker 2: cut the Jewel Saint with Steve Poltz and La Joya 1807 01:37:29,560 --> 01:37:32,400 Speaker 2: and we would talk about the Music Awards, and that 1808 01:37:32,520 --> 01:37:34,760 Speaker 2: video was everywhere, and I was for a while known 1809 01:37:34,800 --> 01:37:38,080 Speaker 2: as the dude in the Jewel video and people would 1810 01:37:38,120 --> 01:37:40,240 Speaker 2: see me, go, that's the dude from the Jewel video. 1811 01:37:40,400 --> 01:37:42,280 Speaker 2: Like bikers and shit would come up and want me 1812 01:37:42,320 --> 01:37:44,800 Speaker 2: to sign their old ladies breasts and stuff. I was 1813 01:37:44,840 --> 01:37:46,439 Speaker 2: always scared it was gonna be the biker that was 1814 01:37:46,479 --> 01:37:49,799 Speaker 2: gonna kill me. I had slept with this old lady 1815 01:37:49,960 --> 01:37:53,040 Speaker 2: when he was at Sturgis. But uh, yeah, it was 1816 01:37:53,080 --> 01:37:54,519 Speaker 2: crazy all that stuff that happened. 1817 01:37:54,520 --> 01:37:59,720 Speaker 1: Okay, once, once Sean stole Jewel, it was never a romance. 1818 01:38:00,080 --> 01:38:01,280 Speaker 1: We knew and Jewel again. 1819 01:38:01,560 --> 01:38:06,240 Speaker 2: No, then we were just buddies. Actually got closer. We 1820 01:38:06,439 --> 01:38:08,479 Speaker 2: just got super close, you know, like at first you 1821 01:38:08,520 --> 01:38:12,679 Speaker 2: go through a heartbreak and I was really sad, and 1822 01:38:12,720 --> 01:38:16,639 Speaker 2: then I just thought, you know what, you get over it. 1823 01:38:16,720 --> 01:38:19,280 Speaker 2: And I love her so much and she's such a 1824 01:38:19,280 --> 01:38:22,280 Speaker 2: good friend of mine and she's so creative. To this day, 1825 01:38:22,320 --> 01:38:25,639 Speaker 2: we're just super close. So but Sean did steal her 1826 01:38:25,640 --> 01:38:25,960 Speaker 2: from me. 1827 01:38:27,000 --> 01:38:30,360 Speaker 1: I s okay, let's go back to you were meant 1828 01:38:30,400 --> 01:38:35,080 Speaker 1: for me. It sounds like you wrote it, but it's 1829 01:38:35,120 --> 01:38:36,479 Speaker 1: credited to you and Jewel. 1830 01:38:36,560 --> 01:38:38,519 Speaker 2: Oh no, we co wrote it. 1831 01:38:39,280 --> 01:38:42,559 Speaker 1: Okay, so you co wrote it? Do you own fifty 1832 01:38:42,600 --> 01:38:43,479 Speaker 1: percent of the song? 1833 01:38:43,800 --> 01:38:46,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. I could have never written it without her, like 1834 01:38:46,800 --> 01:38:48,320 Speaker 2: I could have never written with it. I would have 1835 01:38:48,360 --> 01:38:49,600 Speaker 2: never said you were met from her. 1836 01:38:50,200 --> 01:38:53,800 Speaker 1: Okay, just just aligning the stories. Yeah, okay, So there's 1837 01:38:53,840 --> 01:38:58,000 Speaker 1: one hundred cents in the U in a dollar. Was 1838 01:38:58,040 --> 01:39:01,120 Speaker 1: your deal with publishing? Deal with her Cohen already over? 1839 01:39:01,240 --> 01:39:03,160 Speaker 1: How come he didn't get half the publishing? 1840 01:39:03,479 --> 01:39:06,880 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, he got money too. Yeah, herb got a 1841 01:39:06,880 --> 01:39:10,360 Speaker 2: lot of money, and Bob Duffy and Evan Cohen and 1842 01:39:10,479 --> 01:39:12,720 Speaker 2: Mutt Cohen. I don't even know how it works. I've 1843 01:39:12,720 --> 01:39:17,479 Speaker 2: never you know, I've never cared enough because I always 1844 01:39:17,479 --> 01:39:19,920 Speaker 2: had I was always making money. All I cared about 1845 01:39:20,040 --> 01:39:23,439 Speaker 2: was playing shows. So I was never the kind of 1846 01:39:23,439 --> 01:39:27,200 Speaker 2: guy who was nikelaing diming stuff. I mean, I probably 1847 01:39:27,280 --> 01:39:29,080 Speaker 2: had a bad deal because I signed it on the 1848 01:39:29,120 --> 01:39:33,120 Speaker 2: hood of a Cadillac outside Molly Malone's in la and 1849 01:39:33,560 --> 01:39:35,960 Speaker 2: I was like, you'll give me two thousand bucks cash 1850 01:39:36,040 --> 01:39:38,960 Speaker 2: right now if I signed half my publishing away, Because 1851 01:39:38,960 --> 01:39:41,799 Speaker 2: that was how those guys worked back in those days. 1852 01:39:41,840 --> 01:39:46,160 Speaker 2: So yeah, they probably owned part of it. I've never 1853 01:39:46,280 --> 01:39:47,040 Speaker 2: analyzed it. 1854 01:39:47,800 --> 01:39:51,760 Speaker 1: So at this point in time, is there still reasonable 1855 01:39:51,760 --> 01:39:53,160 Speaker 1: income from you where men for me? 1856 01:39:53,760 --> 01:39:58,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? You know what's weird? I still get checks. It's bizarre, 1857 01:39:58,720 --> 01:40:00,920 Speaker 2: like it's not huge, but it it makes me money. 1858 01:40:01,600 --> 01:40:05,760 Speaker 2: And it's pretty cool because it still comes in and 1859 01:40:05,800 --> 01:40:08,120 Speaker 2: I'm waiting for it to be used in some movie 1860 01:40:08,160 --> 01:40:11,080 Speaker 2: one day, like where Well Ferrell's naked singing it at 1861 01:40:11,160 --> 01:40:12,360 Speaker 2: karaoke or something. 1862 01:40:13,680 --> 01:40:15,360 Speaker 1: Well, I don't want to be your lawyer here, but 1863 01:40:15,439 --> 01:40:18,280 Speaker 1: there's rites of reversion, et cetera. You might be able 1864 01:40:18,280 --> 01:40:21,240 Speaker 1: to get the other half of the publishing back. Really, 1865 01:40:21,280 --> 01:40:23,040 Speaker 1: not that I'm giving Yeah, not that I'm giving you 1866 01:40:23,120 --> 01:40:26,680 Speaker 1: any legal advice. Check with your attorney. I'll leave it 1867 01:40:26,720 --> 01:40:32,280 Speaker 1: at that. Okay, So you're married to Sharon today. How 1868 01:40:32,280 --> 01:40:33,559 Speaker 1: many times you've been married? 1869 01:40:34,560 --> 01:40:34,880 Speaker 2: Once? 1870 01:40:36,880 --> 01:40:38,479 Speaker 1: So how did you meet Sharon? 1871 01:40:38,520 --> 01:40:38,680 Speaker 3: Then? 1872 01:40:38,720 --> 01:40:39,920 Speaker 1: When did you meet Sharon? 1873 01:40:41,000 --> 01:40:45,519 Speaker 2: So? I met Sharon she had a hair salon in 1874 01:40:45,680 --> 01:40:50,160 Speaker 2: San Diego, and I went in to get my haircut, 1875 01:40:50,600 --> 01:40:53,160 Speaker 2: and we were both friends with a friend of mine 1876 01:40:53,160 --> 01:40:58,519 Speaker 2: who got murdered, Steve Boge, and so I had come 1877 01:40:58,560 --> 01:41:03,439 Speaker 2: out of rehab and we would do victims of violent 1878 01:41:03,560 --> 01:41:06,880 Speaker 2: crime benefit shows at the Caspo in San Diego and 1879 01:41:06,920 --> 01:41:09,760 Speaker 2: we would sing. My friend Steve was in a band 1880 01:41:09,800 --> 01:41:14,439 Speaker 2: called CLA that stood for Carnivorous Lunar Activity, and so 1881 01:41:15,360 --> 01:41:20,920 Speaker 2: we would sing all the Carnivorous Lunar Activities songs and 1882 01:41:20,960 --> 01:41:24,040 Speaker 2: I would learn all the parts that Steve wrote, and 1883 01:41:24,120 --> 01:41:27,439 Speaker 2: we had written a song called Hitchhiker Joe together, and 1884 01:41:27,560 --> 01:41:31,040 Speaker 2: so that was where I met Sharon because she played 1885 01:41:31,040 --> 01:41:36,000 Speaker 2: bass in the band, and so we started dating. And 1886 01:41:36,040 --> 01:41:38,760 Speaker 2: she has been really good for me because you know 1887 01:41:38,800 --> 01:41:43,120 Speaker 2: how that whole same behind every man, that whole thing, 1888 01:41:43,640 --> 01:41:48,400 Speaker 2: and she is organized. So see, I used to make 1889 01:41:48,479 --> 01:41:50,680 Speaker 2: money on the road and I would come off the 1890 01:41:50,760 --> 01:41:53,200 Speaker 2: road with Jewel, and I was making great money because 1891 01:41:53,200 --> 01:41:55,600 Speaker 2: I was opening every show as Rusted Route would go 1892 01:41:55,680 --> 01:41:57,960 Speaker 2: on first, I'd go on in the middle, and then Jewel. 1893 01:41:58,040 --> 01:42:01,640 Speaker 2: We'd play Red Rocks or The Gorge, and I was 1894 01:42:01,720 --> 01:42:04,840 Speaker 2: selling like if we played Royal Albert Hall in London 1895 01:42:04,880 --> 01:42:06,680 Speaker 2: a couple nights in a row, I would sell like 1896 01:42:07,000 --> 01:42:11,080 Speaker 2: three fifty four hundred CDs a night. Back in nineteen 1897 01:42:11,200 --> 01:42:15,360 Speaker 2: ninety seven of One Left Shoe this Mercury release, and 1898 01:42:15,400 --> 01:42:17,639 Speaker 2: Bob I had so much money. I would come home. 1899 01:42:17,680 --> 01:42:19,760 Speaker 2: I would shove it into suitcases. And I lived at 1900 01:42:19,800 --> 01:42:22,360 Speaker 2: the beach, would just leave my doors open. I wouldn't 1901 01:42:22,360 --> 01:42:24,240 Speaker 2: even put the money in the bank. I don't know why. 1902 01:42:24,760 --> 01:42:27,559 Speaker 2: So I would have like four hundred grand in my 1903 01:42:27,680 --> 01:42:30,639 Speaker 2: closet and old suitcases. I just shove it in there, 1904 01:42:30,680 --> 01:42:32,680 Speaker 2: come off the road. I lived in a shitty apartment 1905 01:42:32,880 --> 01:42:36,240 Speaker 2: and drove an old Ford truck. I never cared about money. 1906 01:42:36,280 --> 01:42:38,600 Speaker 2: I didn't need it. I just knew. I bought my 1907 01:42:38,640 --> 01:42:41,719 Speaker 2: clothes at thrift stores. I had my one guitar I needed, 1908 01:42:41,800 --> 01:42:44,040 Speaker 2: and I had an audience. That's what I cared about. 1909 01:42:44,680 --> 01:42:48,479 Speaker 2: So I didn't pay my taxes for like ten or 1910 01:42:48,680 --> 01:42:52,600 Speaker 2: eleven years. And the irs showed up at my apartment 1911 01:42:53,320 --> 01:42:57,000 Speaker 2: and they were outside the door, and I came walking up, 1912 01:42:57,040 --> 01:42:59,200 Speaker 2: and they go, does Steve Poltz live here? It was 1913 01:42:59,240 --> 01:43:01,479 Speaker 2: at wind and Sea Beach and La Joya, right across 1914 01:43:01,479 --> 01:43:03,719 Speaker 2: from the pump house that Tom Wolfe the pump House 1915 01:43:03,760 --> 01:43:06,760 Speaker 2: came about. And so I said, I don't know who 1916 01:43:06,800 --> 01:43:09,840 Speaker 2: you're talking about. I remember I ran as fast as 1917 01:43:09,920 --> 01:43:13,880 Speaker 2: I could down the beach and I got away. And 1918 01:43:13,920 --> 01:43:16,240 Speaker 2: then I called this guy who was the CFO of 1919 01:43:16,320 --> 01:43:20,040 Speaker 2: the San Diego Padres and he met me. He said, 1920 01:43:20,120 --> 01:43:22,719 Speaker 2: meet me at the tilted Kilt. And the tilt kilt 1921 01:43:22,800 --> 01:43:26,439 Speaker 2: is like a Hooters, but for girls that dress and 1922 01:43:26,520 --> 01:43:30,080 Speaker 2: plaid skirts and their boobs are pushed together. And so 1923 01:43:30,240 --> 01:43:32,320 Speaker 2: that was where the accountant wanted me to meet him, 1924 01:43:32,320 --> 01:43:35,320 Speaker 2: at the tilted kilt. I've never forgotten this, So Sharon 1925 01:43:35,400 --> 01:43:38,840 Speaker 2: put all my IRRs notices in a brown wrinkled paperbag. 1926 01:43:38,880 --> 01:43:41,280 Speaker 2: I'd never opened them, and I show up at the 1927 01:43:41,320 --> 01:43:45,800 Speaker 2: tilted Kilt with Bob Crozdill, the accountant who's still my accountant. 1928 01:43:46,320 --> 01:43:49,880 Speaker 2: And he opened up each one as he would eat 1929 01:43:49,920 --> 01:43:52,559 Speaker 2: some of his nachos with his other hand, and he 1930 01:43:52,720 --> 01:43:55,800 Speaker 2: opened him up and he looked and his face was 1931 01:43:55,880 --> 01:43:58,040 Speaker 2: kind of growing a little more pale with each one. 1932 01:43:58,520 --> 01:44:00,400 Speaker 2: And I remember finally when he was and I go, 1933 01:44:00,760 --> 01:44:04,240 Speaker 2: is it bad? Is it bad? Is it bad? And 1934 01:44:04,280 --> 01:44:06,600 Speaker 2: he looks at me and he put his hand on 1935 01:44:06,680 --> 01:44:09,599 Speaker 2: top of mine across the table, and he goes, I've 1936 01:44:09,640 --> 01:44:13,439 Speaker 2: seen worse. We're going to get through this together. And 1937 01:44:13,520 --> 01:44:17,160 Speaker 2: it made me feel so good. And then everybody said, 1938 01:44:17,160 --> 01:44:19,360 Speaker 2: you can make a deal with the irs. They'll make 1939 01:44:19,400 --> 01:44:21,920 Speaker 2: a deal. And the irs said, not only were it 1940 01:44:22,040 --> 01:44:24,439 Speaker 2: not going to make a deal with mister Poltz. He's 1941 01:44:24,520 --> 01:44:27,200 Speaker 2: lucky he's not going to jail for willful negligence to 1942 01:44:27,240 --> 01:44:29,800 Speaker 2: pay taxes. The next morning, I woke up and the 1943 01:44:29,880 --> 01:44:32,599 Speaker 2: night before I'd had four hundred and fifty thousand dollars 1944 01:44:32,600 --> 01:44:34,960 Speaker 2: in my checking account like an idiot, like not even 1945 01:44:35,000 --> 01:44:39,400 Speaker 2: really earning interest, and it was gone, and I remember thinking, 1946 01:44:39,920 --> 01:44:42,400 Speaker 2: they're going to probably take my money, and I thought, 1947 01:44:42,520 --> 01:44:44,439 Speaker 2: if they take it, I want to kill myself. I 1948 01:44:44,479 --> 01:44:45,840 Speaker 2: want to take it out first and give it to 1949 01:44:45,880 --> 01:44:48,559 Speaker 2: my niece and nephew. But then once they took the 1950 01:44:48,600 --> 01:44:51,840 Speaker 2: money away, I remember going I felt a sense of 1951 01:44:51,960 --> 01:44:55,400 Speaker 2: peace because I paid off my debt to the irs, 1952 01:44:55,760 --> 01:44:57,760 Speaker 2: and it was almost as if somebody said, if you 1953 01:44:57,880 --> 01:45:01,000 Speaker 2: give us four hundred and fifty thousand dollar, you will 1954 01:45:01,040 --> 01:45:03,639 Speaker 2: have peace of mind. I'd say take it. I'd give 1955 01:45:03,680 --> 01:45:06,240 Speaker 2: you anything to have peace of mind. So then I 1956 01:45:06,360 --> 01:45:08,599 Speaker 2: just built it all up again, and I still had 1957 01:45:08,600 --> 01:45:11,000 Speaker 2: that money in my closet, and I slowly would put 1958 01:45:11,000 --> 01:45:13,960 Speaker 2: it into my account, nine nine hundred dollars at a 1959 01:45:14,000 --> 01:45:17,320 Speaker 2: time and get everything going again. I don't know why 1960 01:45:17,360 --> 01:45:19,360 Speaker 2: I wasn't putting it in the bank, because it wasn't 1961 01:45:19,439 --> 01:45:23,360 Speaker 2: like it was I was a drug dealer, so yeah, 1962 01:45:23,400 --> 01:45:24,400 Speaker 2: it's pretty crazy. 1963 01:45:25,000 --> 01:45:28,840 Speaker 1: Well you brought this up, you said, Sharon. Agent organization 1964 01:45:29,120 --> 01:45:29,839 Speaker 1: sit you straight. 1965 01:45:30,360 --> 01:45:32,840 Speaker 2: So Sharon was like, you need to put your money 1966 01:45:32,840 --> 01:45:34,280 Speaker 2: in the bank, you need to put it in a 1967 01:45:34,320 --> 01:45:38,920 Speaker 2: Schwap account, you need to buy some property. And she's 1968 01:45:39,160 --> 01:45:42,800 Speaker 2: really really organized. She got my whole life in order. 1969 01:45:43,520 --> 01:45:45,719 Speaker 2: And I remember at the time, by then I'd gotten 1970 01:45:45,720 --> 01:45:49,360 Speaker 2: out of rehab. I got dropped from Mercury Universal Records, 1971 01:45:49,960 --> 01:45:53,240 Speaker 2: I got dropped from CIA. I didn't have an agent. 1972 01:45:53,479 --> 01:45:57,360 Speaker 2: I was booking myself. I was playing gigs. I went 1973 01:45:57,400 --> 01:46:00,960 Speaker 2: from flying private jets with Jewel to being in a 1974 01:46:01,040 --> 01:46:04,400 Speaker 2: Volkswagen van staying in trailer parks. And I remember thinking, 1975 01:46:04,920 --> 01:46:06,920 Speaker 2: I did this whole tour where I called it the 1976 01:46:06,960 --> 01:46:10,519 Speaker 2: where did it all Go Wrong? Tour. I would play 1977 01:46:10,680 --> 01:46:13,400 Speaker 2: like twenty three people in Iowa, and I would say 1978 01:46:13,400 --> 01:46:16,680 Speaker 2: to the audience, last night I found myself negotiating in 1979 01:46:16,720 --> 01:46:19,439 Speaker 2: a trailer park to get my costs down in my 1980 01:46:19,560 --> 01:46:22,960 Speaker 2: Volkswagen van from forty dollars a night to twenty eight 1981 01:46:23,000 --> 01:46:25,080 Speaker 2: dollars a night. And as I popped the top of 1982 01:46:25,120 --> 01:46:27,639 Speaker 2: my west Bali at Camper before I went to sleep, 1983 01:46:27,680 --> 01:46:30,080 Speaker 2: I said, where did it all go wrong? And that's 1984 01:46:30,160 --> 01:46:32,479 Speaker 2: what I named the tour, and I thought it was 1985 01:46:32,520 --> 01:46:35,960 Speaker 2: the funniest thing. So I got signed by this guy 1986 01:46:36,040 --> 01:46:38,599 Speaker 2: named Charles Dreby to be my manager. At the time, 1987 01:46:38,960 --> 01:46:42,320 Speaker 2: he was managing Blind Boys of Alabama, and it was 1988 01:46:42,680 --> 01:46:44,439 Speaker 2: He's still a friend of mine, he's an attorney. But 1989 01:46:44,479 --> 01:46:47,840 Speaker 2: it was the wrong mix because my first posters I 1990 01:46:47,840 --> 01:46:50,960 Speaker 2: sent out was me catching a rock in the air, 1991 01:46:51,000 --> 01:46:53,599 Speaker 2: opposing like I'm catching a rock, but it was blurred 1992 01:46:53,600 --> 01:46:55,840 Speaker 2: and I called it the Catch a Falling Turd Tour, 1993 01:46:56,320 --> 01:46:58,760 Speaker 2: and Charles Dreby got so mad. He was like, we 1994 01:46:58,840 --> 01:47:01,360 Speaker 2: poked the Blind Boys, but this is not how we 1995 01:47:01,400 --> 01:47:03,720 Speaker 2: want to be represented. And that was a three year 1996 01:47:03,880 --> 01:47:06,280 Speaker 2: management deal. I was so glad when it was over, 1997 01:47:07,000 --> 01:47:11,320 Speaker 2: and then I ended up getting finally got a booking 1998 01:47:11,320 --> 01:47:14,599 Speaker 2: agent again, and man, I'm still with him to this day. 1999 01:47:14,880 --> 01:47:18,120 Speaker 2: And I have the best manager, a nice Jewish boy 2000 01:47:18,200 --> 01:47:22,280 Speaker 2: named philine Son with seven S Management out of Denver. 2001 01:47:22,439 --> 01:47:25,599 Speaker 2: I love my manager, phil line Son, and I love 2002 01:47:25,680 --> 01:47:29,320 Speaker 2: my booking agent, Adam Bauer. He's with Madison House. He 2003 01:47:29,520 --> 01:47:31,559 Speaker 2: was with Fleming Artists and took me with him when 2004 01:47:31,560 --> 01:47:33,960 Speaker 2: he went to Madison house, and I say this to 2005 01:47:34,040 --> 01:47:37,599 Speaker 2: this day. I would not take any other agent. Anybody 2006 01:47:37,960 --> 01:47:40,200 Speaker 2: could come with me with any offer about anything, or 2007 01:47:40,240 --> 01:47:42,760 Speaker 2: another manager told me promised me in the world. I 2008 01:47:42,760 --> 01:47:46,320 Speaker 2: would not leave either of these guys because they took 2009 01:47:46,320 --> 01:47:49,759 Speaker 2: me in like a rescue dog. Adam Bauer saw something 2010 01:47:49,800 --> 01:47:52,240 Speaker 2: in me and has slowly built me up. I'll be 2011 01:47:52,240 --> 01:47:54,840 Speaker 2: playing Newport Folk Fest this year. I play all these 2012 01:47:54,840 --> 01:47:58,760 Speaker 2: great festivals. I tour everywhere, and I'm so loyal to 2013 01:47:58,800 --> 01:48:01,880 Speaker 2: that guy. I want him to make money and I 2014 01:48:01,920 --> 01:48:04,800 Speaker 2: want my manager, Phill to make money, like I would 2015 01:48:04,880 --> 01:48:07,360 Speaker 2: do anything for these guys. And we're the smallest team. 2016 01:48:07,680 --> 01:48:13,400 Speaker 2: Sharon books all the travel and we're Marriotts. We always 2017 01:48:13,400 --> 01:48:17,000 Speaker 2: stay Marriotts. Sharon has a sewed down We're special, like 2018 01:48:17,040 --> 01:48:21,000 Speaker 2: they have Titanium Platinum where this special top level called 2019 01:48:21,120 --> 01:48:24,400 Speaker 2: Ambassador Elite. And it's so funny because they have a 2020 01:48:24,439 --> 01:48:26,840 Speaker 2: special carpet you stand on when you stay at really 2021 01:48:26,920 --> 01:48:29,599 Speaker 2: nice places like we are here in Sydney, Australia at 2022 01:48:29,640 --> 01:48:32,879 Speaker 2: the Hyde Park And whenever I stand there, there's businessmen 2023 01:48:32,960 --> 01:48:35,240 Speaker 2: behind me and they always go, excuse me, sir, you're 2024 01:48:35,240 --> 01:48:36,880 Speaker 2: supposed to be over there, yes, And they go to 2025 01:48:36,920 --> 01:48:38,680 Speaker 2: the business time behind. I go, no, this is a 2026 01:48:38,680 --> 01:48:41,439 Speaker 2: line for me because the way I look, and they go, 2027 01:48:41,840 --> 01:48:45,000 Speaker 2: this is ambassador Elite. I go, yeah, I'm Ambassador Elite 2028 01:48:45,120 --> 01:48:47,400 Speaker 2: and they go, oh, I'm sorry, and they just look 2029 01:48:47,560 --> 01:48:51,839 Speaker 2: really weird, and I'm Ambassador Elite. I get upgrades to suites. 2030 01:48:52,439 --> 01:48:56,800 Speaker 2: And my manager always gets me the best deals of 2031 01:48:56,880 --> 01:49:00,240 Speaker 2: playing gigs, like gets my offers up and my booking 2032 01:49:00,280 --> 01:49:03,000 Speaker 2: agent does too. They work in tandem and we're just small, 2033 01:49:03,560 --> 01:49:06,200 Speaker 2: bare bones operation and we make a great living. 2034 01:49:07,720 --> 01:49:09,640 Speaker 1: Okay to sharing. Always go on the road with you. 2035 01:49:10,560 --> 01:49:14,800 Speaker 2: She's with me almost always, and she doesn't always come 2036 01:49:14,840 --> 01:49:17,760 Speaker 2: to the shows. She'll stand and we'll get somebody else 2037 01:49:17,840 --> 01:49:21,120 Speaker 2: to sell merch. But she gets up in the morning. 2038 01:49:21,200 --> 01:49:24,920 Speaker 2: She packs us. She's highly organized. Make sure we get 2039 01:49:24,960 --> 01:49:27,800 Speaker 2: to the airport on time. Make sure we're getting all 2040 01:49:27,800 --> 01:49:34,040 Speaker 2: our points for national executive car rental the best and 2041 01:49:34,680 --> 01:49:38,719 Speaker 2: getting good places to stay. If I do the Chaamo cruise, 2042 01:49:39,920 --> 01:49:43,200 Speaker 2: she gets us packed for that. Make sure my passports 2043 01:49:43,240 --> 01:49:47,479 Speaker 2: don't expire ab a Canadian passport in a United States passport. Everything, 2044 01:49:47,560 --> 01:49:51,280 Speaker 2: So she's the organized side of that. And Phil Einson 2045 01:49:51,800 --> 01:49:55,040 Speaker 2: with seven s, my manager. He looks at the bigger 2046 01:49:55,120 --> 01:49:58,519 Speaker 2: picture of things, and Adam is the booking agent, because 2047 01:49:58,520 --> 01:50:00,600 Speaker 2: you really need a good agent and you need a 2048 01:50:00,640 --> 01:50:01,600 Speaker 2: good manager. As you know. 2049 01:50:02,840 --> 01:50:04,439 Speaker 1: Okay, you don't have any children, right. 2050 01:50:05,240 --> 01:50:11,599 Speaker 2: We have a son, Neil, who is twenty nine years old, 2051 01:50:11,640 --> 01:50:15,400 Speaker 2: but he's from her prior husband. 2052 01:50:17,439 --> 01:50:19,280 Speaker 1: How do you end up moving to Nashville? 2053 01:50:20,080 --> 01:50:29,080 Speaker 2: So I left San Diego eight years ago. Sharon wanted 2054 01:50:29,080 --> 01:50:33,040 Speaker 2: to move. She sold her hair salon, and she thought 2055 01:50:33,160 --> 01:50:36,559 Speaker 2: we should go to Nashville because she saw everybody living 2056 01:50:36,600 --> 01:50:40,479 Speaker 2: there and every time we play festivals, people would be there. 2057 01:50:40,800 --> 01:50:44,120 Speaker 2: So we moved to Nashville and bought a house. I 2058 01:50:44,200 --> 01:50:46,840 Speaker 2: never wanted to own a house, and Sharon said, you 2059 01:50:46,880 --> 01:50:49,040 Speaker 2: really need to own a house, and she's always owned 2060 01:50:49,120 --> 01:50:52,200 Speaker 2: real estate. So we bought a house together eight years ago, 2061 01:50:52,240 --> 01:50:54,720 Speaker 2: which was the best move ever. Like, Sharon has been 2062 01:50:54,800 --> 01:50:58,280 Speaker 2: so good for me. Now I'm a homeowner. My money 2063 01:50:58,320 --> 01:51:01,840 Speaker 2: is in a Charles Schwab account and I could retire, 2064 01:51:02,640 --> 01:51:05,599 Speaker 2: and so she said, you need to be in Nashville. 2065 01:51:05,640 --> 01:51:07,280 Speaker 2: So that's how I ended up writing songs with like 2066 01:51:07,320 --> 01:51:14,320 Speaker 2: Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle and Oliver Wood. Everywhere I 2067 01:51:14,360 --> 01:51:17,120 Speaker 2: go at Sierra Hall, there's all these friends of mine 2068 01:51:17,120 --> 01:51:20,439 Speaker 2: that are songwriters, and just being in that area, crumbs 2069 01:51:20,479 --> 01:51:24,080 Speaker 2: will fall on your plate just from being there. It's 2070 01:51:24,160 --> 01:51:26,960 Speaker 2: just it's such a great vibrant city to live in. 2071 01:51:27,760 --> 01:51:30,479 Speaker 2: I'd always been in San Diego and said to come 2072 01:51:30,560 --> 01:51:33,519 Speaker 2: to Nashville's I think the only place I would live 2073 01:51:34,040 --> 01:51:37,000 Speaker 2: other than Nashville would be Los Angeles, and that might 2074 01:51:37,040 --> 01:51:40,040 Speaker 2: be our next move because I miss California so much. 2075 01:51:41,280 --> 01:51:42,679 Speaker 1: Tell us about your heart attack. 2076 01:51:43,840 --> 01:51:47,439 Speaker 2: Well, I had a stroke, is what it was. Right 2077 01:51:49,200 --> 01:51:53,000 Speaker 2: about nine years ago. I was on stage at World 2078 01:51:53,040 --> 01:51:58,040 Speaker 2: Cafe Live in Wilmington, Delaware, and I went blind in 2079 01:51:58,120 --> 01:52:00,880 Speaker 2: the middle of my show, and I thought they had 2080 01:52:00,920 --> 01:52:05,479 Speaker 2: turned the lights out, but it was I couldn't see, 2081 01:52:05,600 --> 01:52:07,640 Speaker 2: and I didn't tell the audience because I didn't want 2082 01:52:07,680 --> 01:52:10,639 Speaker 2: to upset them. But I was singing the same verse 2083 01:52:10,840 --> 01:52:14,400 Speaker 2: over and over to an old Rugburn song called single Life. 2084 01:52:14,920 --> 01:52:19,719 Speaker 2: So I played single Life over and over and over, 2085 01:52:19,760 --> 01:52:22,759 Speaker 2: and then people were looking at me like this guy's 2086 01:52:23,200 --> 01:52:24,600 Speaker 2: I don't know what's happened to him. They thought I 2087 01:52:24,640 --> 01:52:26,040 Speaker 2: was taking the piss out of him, and the way 2088 01:52:26,080 --> 01:52:29,040 Speaker 2: Andy Kaufman might like, just to see how long I 2089 01:52:29,040 --> 01:52:31,920 Speaker 2: could keep a bit going. But it wasn't that, And 2090 01:52:32,040 --> 01:52:35,519 Speaker 2: so I got rushed to the hospital and if you 2091 01:52:35,520 --> 01:52:37,120 Speaker 2: ever want to get to the front of the line, 2092 01:52:37,320 --> 01:52:39,479 Speaker 2: tell them you've gone blind. And it's like a curtain 2093 01:52:39,560 --> 01:52:42,240 Speaker 2: coming down. They fast track you ahead of the guy 2094 01:52:42,240 --> 01:52:43,920 Speaker 2: with the ice pick in the side of his head 2095 01:52:43,960 --> 01:52:47,160 Speaker 2: and everybody else. And so they did these tests, and 2096 01:52:47,400 --> 01:52:51,160 Speaker 2: I've never forgot the lady. She was from India, doctor Mody, 2097 01:52:51,240 --> 01:52:53,679 Speaker 2: I think was her name, and she said, mister Poltz, 2098 01:52:53,720 --> 01:52:56,000 Speaker 2: you've had a stroke. You're going into the stroke woard. 2099 01:52:56,040 --> 01:52:58,439 Speaker 2: And I couldn't see and then my vision came back, 2100 01:52:58,760 --> 01:53:00,760 Speaker 2: and when it came back, I couldn't read, like the 2101 01:53:00,840 --> 01:53:04,360 Speaker 2: letters didn't make sense to me. And it took a 2102 01:53:04,400 --> 01:53:07,120 Speaker 2: couple of weeks and then everything started getting back in order. 2103 01:53:07,120 --> 01:53:09,240 Speaker 2: But I didn't want to drive for a few months. 2104 01:53:09,240 --> 01:53:11,599 Speaker 2: And I remember Sharon was like, you're going to drive again, 2105 01:53:11,720 --> 01:53:13,519 Speaker 2: and she pulled the car over and made me drive, 2106 01:53:14,120 --> 01:53:18,639 Speaker 2: kickstarted me. And I recuperated from that stroke and went 2107 01:53:18,680 --> 01:53:21,439 Speaker 2: back out on the road. And they don't know why 2108 01:53:21,520 --> 01:53:25,600 Speaker 2: it happened, because I'm pretty healthy, but things happened. 2109 01:53:26,800 --> 01:53:29,720 Speaker 1: And no after effects whatsoever. 2110 01:53:30,439 --> 01:53:34,720 Speaker 2: No, I've been really lucky, really lucky. I hope. You 2111 01:53:34,760 --> 01:53:37,200 Speaker 2: know that. Doctor told me he didn't know why it happened, 2112 01:53:37,200 --> 01:53:39,040 Speaker 2: but he said, the next time it does, it'll probably 2113 01:53:39,120 --> 01:53:41,280 Speaker 2: kill you. I remember because the other night I was 2114 01:53:41,320 --> 01:53:43,439 Speaker 2: on tour and I was in the United States, and 2115 01:53:43,479 --> 01:53:45,639 Speaker 2: I did fifteen shows with a good friend of mine 2116 01:53:45,680 --> 01:53:47,360 Speaker 2: named Paul Thorne. Do you know Paul. 2117 01:53:48,240 --> 01:53:50,000 Speaker 1: Yes, I don't know him personally, but I've seen him. 2118 01:53:50,040 --> 01:53:50,680 Speaker 1: I know who he is. 2119 01:53:50,960 --> 01:53:53,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, So he's a He was a boxer and he 2120 01:53:53,760 --> 01:53:57,479 Speaker 2: lives in tup Blow, Mississippi, and he fought roberted around. 2121 01:53:57,479 --> 01:54:00,080 Speaker 2: We did a tour. It's really fun today because if 2122 01:54:00,080 --> 01:54:02,400 Speaker 2: you're a solo artist, you can do tours with people 2123 01:54:02,439 --> 01:54:05,880 Speaker 2: where you're on stage and trade songs. We discovered each 2124 01:54:05,920 --> 01:54:09,120 Speaker 2: other on Komo Cruise. We played in the theater and 2125 01:54:09,160 --> 01:54:11,280 Speaker 2: we realized we had a good vibe together because I'm 2126 01:54:11,360 --> 01:54:15,080 Speaker 2: kind of so cal and he's really Southern Mississippi kind 2127 01:54:15,120 --> 01:54:19,000 Speaker 2: of guy. And so we were on stage together and 2128 01:54:19,080 --> 01:54:23,080 Speaker 2: playing all these shows. And I just finished that tour 2129 01:54:23,479 --> 01:54:26,800 Speaker 2: and then came to Australia and I thought I was 2130 01:54:26,840 --> 01:54:29,320 Speaker 2: having a heart attack on that last tour and I 2131 01:54:29,439 --> 01:54:31,680 Speaker 2: missed a show because I had chest pains and it 2132 01:54:31,720 --> 01:54:35,120 Speaker 2: freaked me out, and I never I'm not a hypochondriac, 2133 01:54:35,240 --> 01:54:37,600 Speaker 2: Like I never go to the doctor. I should. I 2134 01:54:37,640 --> 01:54:39,400 Speaker 2: read your letter and you're always telling us we need 2135 01:54:39,400 --> 01:54:40,880 Speaker 2: to go to the doctor. I do get my teeth 2136 01:54:40,880 --> 01:54:44,400 Speaker 2: cleaned every three months. I and your letter is making 2137 01:54:44,400 --> 01:54:46,360 Speaker 2: me go I need to And I love it when 2138 01:54:46,360 --> 01:54:49,360 Speaker 2: you say that in your letter. It's really important. And 2139 01:54:49,440 --> 01:54:52,560 Speaker 2: so I was on stage and I got chess pains 2140 01:54:53,280 --> 01:54:55,680 Speaker 2: and I didn't know what it was and I didn't 2141 01:54:55,680 --> 01:54:57,640 Speaker 2: tell Paul, and I went to the room that night 2142 01:54:57,680 --> 01:55:01,120 Speaker 2: and it got worse than at two am, googling chest 2143 01:55:01,120 --> 01:55:05,360 Speaker 2: pains and a nausea, and it said, immediately call an ambulance. 2144 01:55:05,440 --> 01:55:07,800 Speaker 2: But I had a showing at the Vogel and Red Bank, 2145 01:55:07,840 --> 01:55:10,320 Speaker 2: New Jersey the next day. My buddy Mojo Nixon had 2146 01:55:10,400 --> 01:55:12,840 Speaker 2: just died of a heart attack. So I thought, I 2147 01:55:12,880 --> 01:55:15,160 Speaker 2: wonder if I'm having a heart attack Mojo just died, 2148 01:55:15,760 --> 01:55:21,120 Speaker 2: And instead I called an Uber like an idiot, and 2149 01:55:21,160 --> 01:55:24,800 Speaker 2: I'd got this uber and that uber driver was from Iraq. 2150 01:55:24,880 --> 01:55:27,040 Speaker 2: He was from Baghdad, and as we were driving there, 2151 01:55:27,040 --> 01:55:28,640 Speaker 2: I thought, I'm gonna die in the uber because it 2152 01:55:28,720 --> 01:55:31,640 Speaker 2: got worse than chest pains. This was just two weeks ago. 2153 01:55:32,240 --> 01:55:34,720 Speaker 2: And my last thing I said to the uber driver 2154 01:55:34,880 --> 01:55:39,280 Speaker 2: was I'm sorry we bombed you guys. I was apologizing, 2155 01:55:39,600 --> 01:55:42,600 Speaker 2: and then we pull up to the emergency room. He goes, 2156 01:55:42,640 --> 01:55:44,440 Speaker 2: are you sick? And I didn't want to upset them, 2157 01:55:44,440 --> 01:55:47,560 Speaker 2: so I said no, I'm just visiting someone here, and 2158 01:55:47,600 --> 01:55:49,760 Speaker 2: so I got out and they fast tracked me because 2159 01:55:49,760 --> 01:55:53,440 Speaker 2: I told him I was having chest pains, and they said, 2160 01:55:53,440 --> 01:55:55,080 Speaker 2: do you have heart disease in your family? And I 2161 01:55:55,120 --> 01:55:58,760 Speaker 2: said no, and then he goes, you don't have any 2162 01:55:58,760 --> 01:56:00,200 Speaker 2: and I said no, And I said, well, my mom 2163 01:56:00,280 --> 01:56:03,360 Speaker 2: had a heart attack, and he said, well that's heart disease. 2164 01:56:03,720 --> 01:56:05,200 Speaker 2: And he goes how old was she when she had 2165 01:56:05,240 --> 01:56:06,800 Speaker 2: I go sixty four. He goes how old are you? 2166 01:56:06,880 --> 01:56:09,320 Speaker 2: I go sixty four, and then he goes, is your 2167 01:56:09,320 --> 01:56:11,160 Speaker 2: mom still allowed to go No, she died of heart 2168 01:56:11,200 --> 01:56:14,160 Speaker 2: failure at the age of eighty eight. He goes, anybody 2169 01:56:14,160 --> 01:56:14,840 Speaker 2: else in your family? 2170 01:56:14,840 --> 01:56:15,200 Speaker 3: I go no. 2171 01:56:15,320 --> 01:56:15,680 Speaker 2: I go oh. 2172 01:56:15,720 --> 01:56:15,920 Speaker 4: Wait. 2173 01:56:15,920 --> 01:56:18,440 Speaker 2: Her younger brother died of a massive heart attack at 2174 01:56:18,480 --> 01:56:21,080 Speaker 2: forty four, and then Uncle Louis died as well of 2175 01:56:21,080 --> 01:56:23,720 Speaker 2: heart failure, and so didn't at her sister, aunt Sylvia, 2176 01:56:23,760 --> 01:56:26,120 Speaker 2: and the guy's like what part of heart disease in 2177 01:56:26,160 --> 01:56:29,560 Speaker 2: your family? Don't you understand? So they did the treadmill 2178 01:56:29,600 --> 01:56:33,200 Speaker 2: stress test on me, and he goes, I can't get 2179 01:56:33,240 --> 01:56:35,560 Speaker 2: your heart beat up. Even if you're in great shape. 2180 01:56:35,600 --> 01:56:37,640 Speaker 2: Your recovery time's great. They did the photos. He goes, 2181 01:56:37,680 --> 01:56:40,200 Speaker 2: you have a really healthy heart. What do you do? 2182 01:56:40,280 --> 01:56:42,600 Speaker 2: And I said, I dance around on stage every night 2183 01:56:42,680 --> 01:56:47,240 Speaker 2: because I don't sit. I'm running around stage. And he said, well, 2184 01:56:47,640 --> 01:56:49,880 Speaker 2: your heart looks good. What did you eat for dinner? 2185 01:56:50,280 --> 01:56:51,960 Speaker 2: And I said, I don't like to read the menu 2186 01:56:52,080 --> 01:56:54,360 Speaker 2: because I have add and I just like, I don't 2187 01:56:54,360 --> 01:56:56,600 Speaker 2: like to think about it. I'm in a hurry, so 2188 01:56:56,680 --> 01:56:58,880 Speaker 2: I just let the waitress decide for me, and she 2189 01:56:59,040 --> 01:57:02,480 Speaker 2: suggested it She's burger with deep bread pickles and hot sauce. 2190 01:57:02,960 --> 01:57:04,840 Speaker 2: He said, have you ever had heartburn before? And I 2191 01:57:04,840 --> 01:57:07,120 Speaker 2: said no. Back once I ate four bites of that 2192 01:57:07,360 --> 01:57:10,360 Speaker 2: deep bread pickles, it really affected me, and he said 2193 01:57:10,360 --> 01:57:14,160 Speaker 2: it mimics a heart attack. And I had chest pains 2194 01:57:14,160 --> 01:57:16,560 Speaker 2: for like four days after that, but now I feel great. 2195 01:57:16,800 --> 01:57:18,760 Speaker 2: So I'm back up and hat. 2196 01:57:18,920 --> 01:57:21,920 Speaker 1: Well, you know, here's my warning if you have heart 2197 01:57:22,000 --> 01:57:25,800 Speaker 1: disease in your family. There's a million other tests they 2198 01:57:25,880 --> 01:57:29,680 Speaker 1: need to do besides treadmill tests itself is not that accurate, 2199 01:57:29,680 --> 01:57:33,520 Speaker 1: but usually it's false positives. Do not think that you 2200 01:57:34,120 --> 01:57:38,040 Speaker 1: get a path. You have to get the carotid artery scan. 2201 01:57:38,640 --> 01:57:42,600 Speaker 1: You gotta get all the stuff because listen, I have 2202 01:57:42,680 --> 01:57:44,760 Speaker 1: one of my close friends, his father died of a 2203 01:57:44,760 --> 01:57:47,440 Speaker 1: heart attack at sixty seven, said, oh yeah, I went 2204 01:57:47,480 --> 01:57:50,120 Speaker 1: to the regular doctor. He fell over with a heart 2205 01:57:50,120 --> 01:57:53,040 Speaker 1: attack at sixty seven. Oh yeah, I was totally healthy. 2206 01:57:53,440 --> 01:57:55,760 Speaker 1: And then that's it. I mean, I see this special 2207 01:57:55,800 --> 01:58:00,880 Speaker 1: heart doctor, which I would recommend to you because with 2208 01:58:00,920 --> 01:58:03,920 Speaker 1: that amount of heart disease in your family. You know, 2209 01:58:03,960 --> 01:58:05,840 Speaker 1: the guy in the er, you know, it's good that 2210 01:58:05,920 --> 01:58:08,520 Speaker 1: he you know, don't take that as a complete pass, 2211 01:58:08,600 --> 01:58:11,640 Speaker 1: even though your symptoms may have been because of the 2212 01:58:11,640 --> 01:58:15,960 Speaker 1: deep right pickle. It's like you have no idea what's 2213 01:58:16,000 --> 01:58:19,560 Speaker 1: going on. Everybody thinks they're cool, and it just like 2214 01:58:19,680 --> 01:58:26,120 Speaker 1: Russ never sleeps, Calcium never sleeps. But changing subjects completely. 2215 01:58:26,760 --> 01:58:32,160 Speaker 1: Speaking of the dearly departed Mojo Nixon, you know, he 2216 01:58:32,360 --> 01:58:35,320 Speaker 1: had somewhat of a record career and then he had 2217 01:58:35,360 --> 01:58:39,800 Speaker 1: a giant career as a personality. He was on outlaw country, 2218 01:58:39,840 --> 01:58:44,520 Speaker 1: on serious XM. You have a lot of personality, You 2219 01:58:44,640 --> 01:58:49,440 Speaker 1: tell a great story. Have people ever offered you similar opportunities? 2220 01:58:50,360 --> 01:58:54,200 Speaker 2: People keep telling me to start a podcast, write a book, 2221 01:58:54,880 --> 01:58:59,120 Speaker 2: and I'll see what happens. You know, you never know. 2222 01:59:00,520 --> 01:59:03,760 Speaker 1: Well, I'm actually talking about something different. I'm talking about 2223 01:59:03,800 --> 01:59:07,280 Speaker 1: you're sitting there and reading a book. Whatever, Jered you 2224 01:59:07,320 --> 01:59:09,080 Speaker 1: have to get an email out of the blue. Hey, 2225 01:59:09,120 --> 01:59:11,920 Speaker 1: I'm aware of you. You'd be good for me on 2226 01:59:12,440 --> 01:59:15,680 Speaker 1: X on the radio, on TV. God knows what. That 2227 01:59:15,800 --> 01:59:20,760 Speaker 1: never happened to you. No, well, I'm surprised. I mean, 2228 01:59:20,800 --> 01:59:23,400 Speaker 1: I don't want to put too much faith in the 2229 01:59:23,840 --> 01:59:26,960 Speaker 1: uh you know, and the people who might make decisions. 2230 01:59:27,480 --> 01:59:32,280 Speaker 1: But you're certainly a man of a lot of personality, 2231 01:59:32,920 --> 01:59:38,040 Speaker 1: riveting stories, and a unique outlook. And Steve, I want 2232 01:59:38,040 --> 01:59:40,280 Speaker 1: to thank you so much for taking this time to 2233 01:59:40,280 --> 01:59:41,680 Speaker 1: speak with me and my audience. 2234 01:59:42,400 --> 01:59:44,720 Speaker 2: Thank you. Bob. I'm a huge fan of yours, so 2235 01:59:44,960 --> 01:59:47,040 Speaker 2: it's a pleasure to be on your show. 2236 01:59:47,920 --> 01:59:49,840 Speaker 1: And it's always great to see you in mine in 2237 01:59:49,880 --> 02:00:08,480 Speaker 1: the box. Till next time. This is Bob left sets 2238 02:00:00,440 --> 02:00:15,720 Speaker 1: sh