Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard XX
[0] Wondry Plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now.
[1] Join Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.
[2] Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts.
[3] Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Anonymous.
[4] I'm Dax.
[5] This is Monica.
[6] And today we have crazy concert stories.
[7] Let me glance at the list of ones we record to see if you're allowed to hear these.
[8] Yeah, all day.
[9] Yeah, you can, well, the last one.
[10] Yeah, you can listen to that one.
[11] Okay, great.
[12] So these, you can listen.
[13] Proceed.
[14] So these are crazy concert stories.
[15] But additionally, we want to announce the prompts for February and they're barn burners.
[16] So first, tell us about something crazy you've seen at an AA meeting.
[17] I've got many.
[18] I've been involved in one of the more crazy things that's happened at a meeting.
[19] Maybe you'll share it.
[20] I doubt anyone will be able to stop me. So Crazy A .A. Stories, disastrous Valentine's Day, accidentally ended up naked.
[21] Tell us about a time you are accidentally naked.
[22] And then last, tell us about a time that your greatest fear came true.
[23] Sky's the limit on that.
[24] It is.
[25] It is.
[26] Could go a lot of ways.
[27] Very tasty.
[28] But today is crazy concert stories.
[29] Please enjoy.
[30] Come and go Take them slow I'm ever one thing You gotta know I'm gonna keep on shining Okay Crazy concert stories We can do it Fun Ready for Jess I'm ready for Jess Yes Hello Hi Oh hi Oh hi Is this Jess Yes How are you guys Good Are you double checking That you're recording I can tell you have a look Of concertation on your face Yes I was just making sure I'm recording I missed a button so my video wasn't starting.
[31] So I was like, he doesn't leave.
[32] So slight panic, but we're good.
[33] Rest assured, all these start with a slight panic.
[34] When you say, like 75%, technical difficulty, something.
[35] Very par for the course.
[36] Perfect.
[37] Did you have a happy New Year?
[38] I had the best New Year.
[39] The best.
[40] Literally just got back into town from London 12 hours ago.
[41] Wow.
[42] So the timing couldn't be more perfect.
[43] What is New Year's Eve in London?
[44] and like?
[45] Well, we actually got tickets to go down to the Thames.
[46] So, like, we did the whole fireworks down on the river, a hundred thousand people.
[47] Oh, my God.
[48] It was insane, but so worth it.
[49] Oh, enchanted.
[50] So it's their version of Times Square.
[51] Yeah.
[52] And were you imbibing?
[53] Were you pounding Guinnesses or anything?
[54] No, not at all.
[55] Not really my vibe.
[56] No, Mandy.
[57] My best Friends went, and it was magical to see the Christmas lights and do New Year's.
[58] It was everything.
[59] Oh, wonderful.
[60] Yay, I'm so happy to hear that.
[61] That's a resounding vote for going, and it's an encouragement.
[62] I'll go.
[63] I'm there.
[64] Very busy, but very much worth it.
[65] Okay, so you have a crazy concert story that I presume did not take place in London, although who knows because you're a world traveler, yeah.
[66] No, it actually took place in Des Moines, Iowa.
[67] Oh, wonderful.
[68] This was in August of 2014.
[69] team.
[70] Okay, great.
[71] Ten years ago, come August.
[72] Okay, so something you should know about me is I collect set lists from concerts.
[73] And so I've got like five binders full of set lists from concerts dating back to like 2007 probably.
[74] I don't get one at every show.
[75] Yeah, I was going to say, this is what they tape to the ground.
[76] Is that how you're getting it?
[77] What?
[78] So you've got to like bamboozle and charm people.
[79] Yeah, yeah.
[80] So I've got a cool one to show you Dax actually.
[81] So this This is an Avet Brothers set -Less.
[82] What?
[83] Look how, like, creative, of course.
[84] For the listener, it has a drawing on it.
[85] There's a monster face in the middle of it.
[86] Yeah, the Abert Brothers sound engineer does a special one for each show.
[87] And if you time it right, you can get one from him.
[88] And so that was a very special one to me. I love this.
[89] This isn't about the Avet Brothers, but I thought I had to show you that one.
[90] I love that.
[91] And just really quick, obviously, your life is concerts.
[92] You love concerts and music.
[93] Oh, my gosh.
[94] I counted my set list before the show, and I've got 175.
[95] Oh, my.
[96] That's just ones that I get at shows.
[97] I don't get one at every show.
[98] What do you think your batting average is?
[99] Probably about half.
[100] Wow.
[101] Okay, so you've been to like 400 concerts.
[102] At least.
[103] In an average ticket price, we'll just, we're going to say $50, okay?
[104] So that's $40 ,000 times five.
[105] It's $20 ,000 on concerts.
[106] That's a great way to spend your money.
[107] I love it.
[108] experiences.
[109] But also, maybe this is part of the story.
[110] So if it is, you can not answer.
[111] But how do you do this?
[112] Well, she probably don't want to tell anyone because she doesn't want competition.
[113] I know, but I want to know.
[114] Yeah, don't get any ideas, people.
[115] So it's kind of part of the story.
[116] I'll just get into the story.
[117] There we go.
[118] So I also kind of went through a phase of winning radio contest.
[119] Oh my God.
[120] What a like.
[121] My whole motto was you can't win if you don't enter.
[122] So I was just putting my email on everything.
[123] And I've won a lot of cool experience.
[124] experiences.
[125] And so this concert, I actually had won tickets to.
[126] It was outside in August in Des Moines, so very hot, very sweaty, kind of a covered canopy concert series situation.
[127] But outdoor.
[128] Outdoors, yep.
[129] At this time, I had never seen this band before, so I was very excited, but I wasn't wanting to get all up in the middle of it.
[130] I was just kind of on the outskirts with my friend, just keeping it casual and enjoying the music.
[131] So concert gets over and me and my friend, we just know at this point we're not bouncing we've got to let the crowd disperse a little bit and make our way towards front so we make our way down and some are easier than others to get the set list some you really have to work for my friends say it's all in my eyelashes and i do this whole like please uh may have some yeah yeah you look you look like a puppy from a Like a cartoon like that?
[132] Yeah, you got to, you know.
[133] You got to be a Dixonian orphan.
[134] And so I lock eyes with a roadie.
[135] Sometimes you can tell that it's the one, sometimes you got to move on.
[136] They're not giving you the time of day.
[137] Well, I lock eyes with him and I say, may I please have a set list?
[138] Loud enough for him to hear, but he doesn't hear me. And so, like, he walks back again.
[139] I'm like, please, may I have a set list?
[140] And he acknowledges me, gives me like the thumbs up one second.
[141] And I was like, yes, got this.
[142] locked, we're good.
[143] I just stand there before they start kicking people out.
[144] Hopefully he comes through before they're like, we got to go, we got to go.
[145] So I'm standing there.
[146] My friends, maybe five, 10 feet behind.
[147] She's just on her phone, minding her own business.
[148] And to my left, this very belligerent girl comes up and is standing, you know, within like a foot or two of my personal bubble.
[149] And I'm like, okay, what's going to happen?
[150] She's clearly intoxicated.
[151] And so the roadie comes over because there's like a barricade and like kind of a wide gap between me and him on the stage.
[152] And as he's leaning over to hand it to me, she comes out of nowhere, grabs onto it.
[153] No. At the time that I'm grabbing it.
[154] Uh -oh.
[155] So mind you, this is computer paper.
[156] Like, this is what they print them on.
[157] We both have one side of the set list.
[158] And in my mind, I'm like, I asked politely for this.
[159] This is mine.
[160] Yeah, he was giving it to you.
[161] Yeah.
[162] What is happening?
[163] And so we like bring it over the barrier and we're standing there kind of swearing off.
[164] And I'm just like, he gave that to me. Please let go.
[165] And she is just maniacally laughing.
[166] I don't know what to do here.
[167] I could let go.
[168] It's a piece of paper.
[169] Big deal.
[170] Like I have the memories.
[171] I have my 2014 camera phone pictures.
[172] Everything's fine.
[173] Before this even crosses my mind, she takes her other hand.
[174] and starts to crumple the paper.
[175] Oh.
[176] She lets go with one hand, winds up, and punches me in the vagina.
[177] Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.
[178] Wow.
[179] Wow.
[180] Okay, so so many things are happening.
[181] She wanted it, but then she didn't.
[182] Then she's trying to destroy it.
[183] Then she lets go.
[184] And then I'm going to fucking punch her, but I'm going to punch her in the vagina.
[185] That's a very...
[186] Yeah.
[187] Dead locks eyes with me. Wines up.
[188] Punches me in the vagina.
[189] Okay, Jess, is it possible?
[190] Because she was hammered She thought she was being playful Like maybe she and her buddies Punch each other in the vagina Like dudes on jackass or something Was she in a cheerleader?
[191] Grab him by the pussy She thought it was part of that thing Yeah You can't say grabbing by the pussy Because that's different Oh, that was Trump I'm gonna go with no Based on her crazy laughter Who?
[192] What was the band?
[193] Group love?
[194] Hey, that's my first time hearing it They're probably spectacular Yeah Yeah.
[195] But, okay.
[196] Rob, is that a band, do you know?
[197] Yeah, I don't grip up.
[198] Of course.
[199] Would you do this?
[200] Would you punch a woman in the vagina if she had a setlet?
[201] You weren't even sure you wanted?
[202] No. Well, it was like a thousand percent.
[203] I'm so mad about this.
[204] I've done it for much less than a set list.
[205] It was wild.
[206] And of course I let go.
[207] Oh, you did.
[208] It like took the air out of me. It hurt.
[209] Yeah.
[210] Can I ask some more specific questions?
[211] And if they're inappropriate, you just flag them and we won't continue.
[212] you, but did she punch your Mon's pubis, or did she get you in the clitoris?
[213] Because I feel like if you got punched in the clitoris, that would be extremely painful, whereas the Mon's pubis might be tolerable.
[214] It was like bone.
[215] It was bone.
[216] Okay, so great.
[217] She went like straight or up?
[218] Upper cut or cross?
[219] Because she was shorter than me, I think that maybe played into what if that was as high as she could punch.
[220] What Jess hadn't told us is that she was two foot four.
[221] She wanted to punch your face, but that was just the high as she could get.
[222] And just didn't tell us, She's six foot 11.
[223] Right.
[224] Wait.
[225] And so you let it go, though.
[226] Well, no. Oh, yeah.
[227] Okay.
[228] We're hearing the response, right?
[229] What's the response?
[230] So I let go of the set list because it takes the breath out of me. Almost doubled over.
[231] Maybe not so much pain as like what the hell just happened.
[232] Shock.
[233] Yeah.
[234] She's been struck.
[235] You've been assaulted.
[236] Exactly.
[237] And she takes off with the set list.
[238] She won.
[239] And I. turn around to my friend and she saw this whole thing go down and we just bust out laughing because what else can you do?
[240] Like it was so ridiculous that you had to laugh.
[241] See now boys would have had this whole round of guilt that they didn't then punch the person who punched you in the vagina.
[242] She didn't feel any like, oh, I let you down here.
[243] I didn't cold cock her from the side.
[244] No, like it happened so fast and we knew that she was drunk.
[245] I was mad in the moment, but like looking back, it's a funny story and I'm talking to you guys so but you didn't get your list and that feels unjust and it feels like violence won that day well here is going to be my question just or did I yeah okay great there's more I love more really quick I was just going to ask is generally when I've been on a stage the set list is in front of all the musicians it's not like there's just one how many are there normally probably for each musician and then maybe some for the tax absolutely so I just kind of come to terms I wasn't getting in a set list that's fine I have this story My friend witnessed it.
[246] It's funny.
[247] So as we were leaving and laughing at the experience, the way that this venue, it's not really a music venue.
[248] It's a skating plaza that they turn into a music venue in the summer.
[249] And so there's no real load in, load out area.
[250] The tour bus parks on the street.
[251] And so to walk back to our car, we had to pass the tour bus.
[252] And as I was getting closer to the tour bus, I realized that one of the singers was standing outside, either signing something or taking a photo with somebody.
[253] I was like, I've got to tell them.
[254] This is too good not to share.
[255] Yeah, they'd want to know this happen at their show.
[256] Yeah, exactly.
[257] I like, wait my turn.
[258] And I'm like just chatting with him.
[259] And I was like, I've got to tell you the craziest thing just happened.
[260] Tell him the whole story.
[261] And he goes, you know what?
[262] Wait right here.
[263] I'll be right back.
[264] And so he goes on to the tour bus and gets me this little guy.
[265] Oh, set list.
[266] So we got me on set list.
[267] Number one song.
[268] Three of the band members came out and signed.
[269] Oh.
[270] That's sweet.
[271] You really earned that, though.
[272] But then when I was writing this story in, I thought that the girl had run away with the whole set list.
[273] Well, come to find out, we had actually torn it in half.
[274] And so I still have that half, too.
[275] Oh, my gosh.
[276] Oh, look at this.
[277] You have one and a half set list.
[278] signed by three of the members.
[279] Oh, that's great.
[280] I think I won the situation.
[281] I've got this story.
[282] I get to chat with you guys.
[283] Yeah, if you don't get blasted in the V, you're not getting those signatures or the second one.
[284] It's true.
[285] It was worth it.
[286] I mean, not that people should be trading for that.
[287] No one should be punching anyone anywhere, but if you do find yourself getting punched, you probably earn something big in life.
[288] That's right.
[289] Karma's coming your way.
[290] What's the best set list?
[291] Like, what's the one you're the most proud of?
[292] I pulled it out for you guys.
[293] I was hoping you'd ask.
[294] I cried when I got this one.
[295] I've got some big ones, like the Eagles.
[296] Oh, wow.
[297] Have you thought about, like, doing a coffee table book with all these?
[298] Oh, that's a good idea.
[299] That would be cool.
[300] It would be.
[301] Rob, do you want to publish that?
[302] Rob loves music.
[303] Yeah, he's in.
[304] This is Adele.
[305] Oh, wow.
[306] Hello.
[307] I'm going to go through all of them.
[308] That's amazing.
[309] This was in July of 2016.
[310] Hers is very simple.
[311] I appreciate the simplicity.
[312] Very English.
[313] If I get a physical concert ticket, I put that in there, too.
[314] I love this.
[315] This is so Monica, Jess.
[316] This is something she would have as well.
[317] I just posted today for singed my collection of Got Milk Ads.
[318] There you go.
[319] And it's very similar.
[320] Yeah.
[321] It just makes me happy.
[322] And it's fun to look back on and remember those times and who I was there with.
[323] Have you tried to get a job related to music and, Live performances?
[324] Yes.
[325] I worked for a venue in Des Moines for a couple of years.
[326] And it just kind of took the joy out of it.
[327] Yeah, I don't mix work with pleasure.
[328] That's what ruined this.
[329] I was just too close and knew too much.
[330] It took the magic out of it.
[331] Yeah.
[332] I'll go as a spectator, enjoy it.
[333] Finagle of set lists, get punching the crotch, and hit the road.
[334] Are you a fan of Taylor?
[335] No, you're not.
[336] Yeah, that face.
[337] No, I am.
[338] Oh, you are.
[339] I'm the biggest fan.
[340] I don't know if you can tell.
[341] Oh, my God, you're wearing a Travis.
[342] Oh, my God.
[343] Whoa.
[344] Okay, so then you went to the Erez tour?
[345] I did.
[346] Did you get one?
[347] I got tickets for the last minute.
[348] I did it.
[349] And I'm going to be honest, I didn't even try.
[350] Yeah.
[351] Yeah, don't try.
[352] It was, like, such a consuming experience.
[353] Leaving there was crazy.
[354] We didn't leave our row of seats for, like, five minutes.
[355] The lines just weren't moving.
[356] So I didn't even try, which I regret now.
[357] If you had that in your possession.
[358] You'd punch her in the vagina for it.
[359] I'd send you a picture of it.
[360] Yes, I would need that.
[361] Wow, so cool.
[362] Well, now I want to get one for Jess.
[363] I feel like I should use all my superpower.
[364] What about for me?
[365] Jess is dedicated her whole life to this.
[366] I can't give it to you.
[367] Oh, my God.
[368] Come on, Monica.
[369] You know that's the right decision.
[370] She didn't even try.
[371] This woman's gone through hell and back to get these southerly.
[372] Okay, if you go to the next, because there's more.
[373] If you go again, try to get one and also try to get one for me. Of course.
[374] And if I get one for you, I don't want to punch you in the vagina for it, but I would appreciate if you could kick me in the mom's pubis as a form of payment.
[375] Say no more.
[376] Jess, so nice meeting you.
[377] And what interesting and lovely.
[378] I feel like we just were on an episode of This American Life.
[379] Like, it's such a specific wonderful.
[380] I like the way it went.
[381] I'm really glad you won out in the end.
[382] Happy ending.
[383] I feel good about it.
[384] Thanks for Chad with us.
[385] Yeah, great meeting with you.
[386] You too.
[387] Have a happy new year.
[388] And happy birthday, Doc.
[389] Oh, thank you.
[390] Happy birthday.
[391] Thank you.
[392] Thank you.
[393] Thank you.
[394] All right.
[395] All right.
[396] Take care, Jess.
[397] Yeah, I love her.
[398] I love her.
[399] Okay, I really need a set list now.
[400] You didn't even know that this was a thing five minutes ago.
[401] And now you have to have it.
[402] I like, I have to.
[403] I know.
[404] We're going to ask May. If you honestly, Dax, if you get one and you give it to her, I'll be so pissed.
[405] I would have to give it to her.
[406] If you don't give me that, I'm quitting.
[407] And that you can.
[408] You're going to walk with.
[409] Well, then you'll be pathetic and I'll have to give it to you.
[410] I think, okay, I deserve it.
[411] Okay.
[412] You didn't even know if existed a second ago.
[413] I know you're like irritated that you don't have it.
[414] If anyone is listening who can get me this.
[415] Get just the set list.
[416] And then if you get a second one, give it to Monica.
[417] She doesn't even, she likes Travis.
[418] I think because of Taylor.
[419] Yeah.
[420] I can't imagine she owned that shirt eight months ago.
[421] Okay.
[422] Just please somebody get me that.
[423] You're not even wearing a Travis shirt.
[424] I'm never wearing a Travis shirt.
[425] I'm only wearing Taylor shirt.
[426] Look, we both heard that look the same, though.
[427] We thought she was going, oh, I'm going to disappoint.
[428] Yeah.
[429] But she was like knowing like you so much I might throw up right now.
[430] It was actually, like, deep.
[431] If I knew about this six months ago.
[432] That's setless?
[433] Yeah.
[434] You would have tried to get it.
[435] A hundred percent.
[436] Yes, of course.
[437] Were you on the ground level, though?
[438] No. You would have had to been by the stage.
[439] No, I would have jumped.
[440] You would have been tackled my security trying to get to me. And then I would ask them, do you have access to the set list.
[441] As they're handcuffing you?
[442] Yeah.
[443] That's what I would do.
[444] That's what I did.
[445] Ready for Joe?
[446] I don't know.
[447] I got to also mention.
[448] When I was doing the truck.
[449] Joe is Taylor's ex -boyfriend?
[450] Maybe he can get me one.
[451] Let's ask him.
[452] Do you know what Joe looks like?
[453] Is he totally anonymous?
[454] I know what he looks like.
[455] Do you want to date him, kind of?
[456] I wouldn't.
[457] Date it?
[458] I would not date him.
[459] If it made Taylor mad at me, though, I wouldn't.
[460] It's inevitable you become attracted to whoever you look up to.
[461] That's why in high school, if the popular girl picks you, then all the girls like you, it's over.
[462] Joe?
[463] Is this Taylor's ex -boyfriend?
[464] No. Okay, because Monica got excited that maybe you were Taylor's sex boyfriend.
[465] on account of being named Joe, which is so rare.
[466] Not that ex -boyfriend.
[467] But it's okay.
[468] We're so happy to have you.
[469] I'm happier to have you than...
[470] No, you're not.
[471] You'd love to have the ex -boyfriend.
[472] I was going to say, am I better?
[473] We'll find out, I guess.
[474] It's a little early.
[475] Yeah, exactly.
[476] Give me 15 minutes.
[477] We'll feel it at the end of it.
[478] Okay.
[479] We'll evaluate.
[480] We'll reserve all judgments to the end.
[481] Joe, where are you other than in a makeshift tent, which is adorable?
[482] My wife wonderfully helped me kind of concoct to this little tent thing here for us.
[483] I'm in Gloucester, Massachusetts, which is about, 40 minutes north of Boston.
[484] We've talked to some Gloucesterians.
[485] That crazy story we heard about buying the motorcycle was in Gloucester, I think.
[486] That sounds right up the alley of Gloucester, I'm not going to lie.
[487] Yeah, and the dude invited him in and it was weirdly sexual.
[488] Do you remember that?
[489] Vaguely.
[490] He went and he's like, I'll be back in five minutes.
[491] He came out naked or something insane.
[492] He went to go get a motorcycle.
[493] This was a Craigslist thing.
[494] And then he ended up, the guy got confused with the ad.
[495] He put out, he thought it was a blow job.
[496] Because he also had a men searching men ad, confused over what Craigslist.
[497] That's wild.
[498] I've had some weird experiences.
[499] with a bike guy here, so I was worried it was going to be the same thing, but it was nothing sexual.
[500] When it took that turn, I was like, I had a different guy, hopefully at least.
[501] Okay, so you have a crazy concert store, and did it take place in the Boston area?
[502] So it did not north in Guilford, New Hampshire.
[503] I grew up in the Lakes region, and at the time I was about 17 years old.
[504] Really quick, so beautiful there.
[505] Is Lake Winapasaki, that's one of them?
[506] Exactly.
[507] So I grew up in a little town called Barnstead, New Hampshire.
[508] It's about 10 minutes from the entrance of the Alton Bay.
[509] Well, you know where we're at.
[510] Monica hates when I do this.
[511] Yeah, but I have a question for 2024.
[512] Why do men love knowing where things are in, like, geography?
[513] Well, A, we have been in charge of the navigation for about 300 ,000 years.
[514] That's one biological reason.
[515] Two, in an act of being not other, I want him to know, I've stood where you're at.
[516] I know the smells there.
[517] I know where you're from.
[518] I see you.
[519] This is like an act of generosity.
[520] Why do men do that?
[521] Like, women don't connect over geography.
[522] Because you have breasts, so that everything's handled.
[523] Well, no, just there's very little work for you to have to do.
[524] Whereas me, I got nothing to offer Joe other than that I've been to his hometown.
[525] Did that clear that up?
[526] Yeah, now I get it.
[527] Now Dax and I are connected.
[528] Monica, we got to connect somehow.
[529] I know.
[530] For you weren't Joe Alwyn and you're talking about geography.
[531] I guess you did.
[532] You tried to, but I was not the ex -boyfriend.
[533] Yeah, why do all women want to know if there's any relationship to Taylor Swift?
[534] That was just me. Bingo, exactly.
[535] Okay, so sorry, we're up in New Hampshire.
[536] So I should probably preface this with, I'm a heavy concert goer.
[537] I lost count at 700 concerts.
[538] Oh, my God.
[539] I've got hearing loss, you know, all the fun stuff.
[540] I've been to too many concerts throughout college.
[541] I would book concerts.
[542] So I've always been kind of in that local scene, especially in Southern New Hampshire.
[543] In like the punk genre?
[544] What genre?
[545] Yes.
[546] So I grew up in the hardcore scene.
[547] Absolutely loved it.
[548] So fun.
[549] So there was like a bar we would always go to.
[550] I pretty much grew up at a bar.
[551] Manchester, New Hampshire called Rockos.
[552] Shout out Rockos.
[553] It's no longer there, but it was seedy, sketchy.
[554] We've seen some stuff.
[555] One time my parents were driving me there when I was 15.
[556] It's in the bad part of the town is what the cops would tell us.
[557] We found that out the hard way because my parents got their window shot out picking me up.
[558] Sure.
[559] Oh, my God.
[560] My parents are just so nice, so sweet, and they are coming through to pick their son up and they get shot up.
[561] So it's just like, I've seen some stuff.
[562] We're back in Guilford, New Hampshire, and it's around 2010.
[563] So I had a few friends who ended up wanting to go to this festival that's happening in Guilford at Gunstock Mountain.
[564] And the kind of funny caveat here is it's a very popular Christian religious festival.
[565] Oh.
[566] I won't call it out by name.
[567] I didn't want to go.
[568] But my friends, you know, were like, look, this is the first year they're letting punk bands come.
[569] I knew a few of the bands.
[570] And I was like, you know what?
[571] I'd rather go with them than be solo at a different show.
[572] So like every good story starts.
[573] You get talked into it by your friends.
[574] We end up going to this venue outside, and I don't really fit the scene.
[575] Let's put it that way.
[576] So I'm definitely sticking out like a sore thumb here.
[577] A lot of not punks, I'd say.
[578] We go and we're kind of just hanging around, waiting for the bands.
[579] It starts at like 11 a .m. This story probably takes place around 2 p .m. It goes until like 9 or 10.
[580] So we're still pretty early in the day.
[581] I The Breeder is the band that was playing at the time.
[582] I didn't really know any of their songs.
[583] I've heard of them.
[584] I was like, okay, just kind of like run -of -the -mill metal core.
[585] the band is starting to play, everyone's kind of chill, there are a good amount of people there.
[586] There's some security, but all of the security guards there are just kind of very laxadaisical youth group type of crew.
[587] They're used to dealing with Christian rock.
[588] Exactly.
[589] People who are just going to kind of sit there and vibe out to the music, not really move a lot, and now you've got a bunch punk kids who are moshing and having a really good time and a little bit more rowdy.
[590] So I The Breather starts playing.
[591] They start seeing that the crowd's kind of feeling it, and they start calling for what's called a wall of death.
[592] It is when they part the crowd into two distinct portions facing each other, and now there's an empty area in between them, and essentially both sides run full speed at each other, crash into each other, throw some fists, and start a chaotic mosh pit.
[593] Very reminiscent of Braveheart.
[594] Great visual.
[595] I always hated these.
[596] I always thought they were done.
[597] Even at 17, I was like, I'm going to get hurt.
[598] But I was feeling it, and I was like, you know what, this is a Christian festival.
[599] We're not looking at like the Detroit scene or the Manchester scene, right?
[600] How bad could it be?
[601] Let's do it.
[602] So I'm getting all excited, and I'm front and center in this wall of death all of a sudden.
[603] And I'm getting hyped up.
[604] And the band's kind of hyping everyone up.
[605] So they're like, all right, guys, when this kicks in, we need you guys to go absolutely crazy.
[606] We want you guys to go nuts.
[607] And at this point, you're looking around and the poor security guards are ashen, just absolutely white -faced being like, we weren't trained for this.
[608] The song kicks in.
[609] I start running full speed at the other side.
[610] I get about three steps in, and I just feel an absolute.
[611] bear hug from behind on me and cannot move and I'm just trying to run trying to process what's happening at the same time all of a sudden I am airborne probably a solid three to four feet off the ground if I had to guess it felt very high very crazy at the time and I come down onto a knee and I am immediately blacked out oh so someone the guy who bear hugged you from behind and I hate to gender profile but I'm assuming it was a dude he grabs you bear hug and then kind of lifts you up into the air?
[612] That's exactly what happens.
[613] But the kicker to this is, it wasn't just someone who's part of this wall of death.
[614] It was a security guard.
[615] It was a youth group leader?
[616] I don't know, but it was someone who worked for this festival.
[617] He turned so fast.
[618] Yeah, he got infected.
[619] Yeah, he was feeling the band.
[620] I don't know if he singled me out for some reason.
[621] At this point, I've pieced together from my friends, because I've got about five or six friends that I came here with.
[622] And they've helped fill in all of this time where I'm unconscious.
[623] It was a security guard who for some reason felt like targeting me and just grabbed me, picked me up, and in his head must have been like, this kid's done.
[624] So I get a temple to the knee.
[625] I'm absolutely blacked out.
[626] And at this point, obviously, it's pretty chaotic.
[627] Not everyone can see what's going on.
[628] So there's a big mosh pit around me. My friends kind of clock it a couple seconds in.
[629] And they're like, Joe is on the ground.
[630] He's not really moving.
[631] This isn't great.
[632] So they kind of come over.
[633] And the band at this point has seen it from the stage.
[634] And they're like, oh, okay.
[635] And everyone's kind of flagging them down I'm being like, yo, stop the set.
[636] Now they're like, oh, okay.
[637] Yeah, everyone's shocked.
[638] Oh, my God, someone got hurt?
[639] I mean, I can't.
[640] I know.
[641] I know how you're feeling.
[642] I know how you're feeling.
[643] I'm thinking about you a lot during the story.
[644] And here's what I'm thinking your internal monologue is like, why do you guys have to do this?
[645] What is it you're trying to prove?
[646] Remember when I was upset about geography?
[647] Now this story is just like.
[648] And so I'm hearing your inner monologue right now.
[649] It's just like, what do they have to prove?
[650] What are they trying to prove?
[651] And then I'm getting defensive in my head because I also did it.
[652] And then I was thinking, yeah, it's rite of passages.
[653] They're like age old, this is what we're kind of hardwired to do.
[654] And it's weirdly a safe version of this, right of passage.
[655] It's like these acts of bravery's all young adolescent boys have to do in tribes.
[656] I think it's hearkening back to that.
[657] When you're telling this story, I was thinking, this is so ridiculous.
[658] I want to say it.
[659] But if I say it, Dax will probably have to defend it.
[660] And he'll be upset because he was in the punk scene.
[661] He'll feel like I'm attacking him.
[662] No, I'll acknowledge it's complete lunacy.
[663] And you didn't need to say, because I knew exactly what you were thinking.
[664] And I thought it through myself.
[665] How can the band be like, oh, no, someone's hurt when they just five seconds ago was like, yeah, go kill each other.
[666] And I'll tell you, from my point of view, what's happening is...
[667] And these are our presidents.
[668] From my point of view, what's happening when you're in it is, on the surface, it's violent.
[669] But it is this really sweet spot of violence, which is like you actually don't have ill will for anybody.
[670] All you're doing is confronting your own fear.
[671] so it's like you're entering this thing because it scares you and you want to prove you're brave enough to do it and your friends want to prove it and you're proving it to each other and yet you're also not hurting each other like there's such a fine line but if dude starts swinging and punching that's over the line like we all somehow know what the line is and it's evolved when i was a kid and went and saw the exploited at 11 years old people did have screws in the bottom of their doc martins they'd step on your ankle and push you down and try to break it like it was evil but it evolved through fugues Ghazi and all these bands that were kind of still spiritual.
[672] It's a weird play pageantry exercise of this weird carnal thing.
[673] And there's really no malice or ill intention towards anyone.
[674] Do you feel like I've summed that up?
[675] That's perfect.
[676] It's kind of one of those things where you're signing up for some bruises walking out.
[677] It's stupid, but we are the boys that didn't play football.
[678] Normally we'd be out getting banged up on the football field, which is fine.
[679] You're over there fucking cheering in your cheerleading outfit.
[680] That's okay that they're doing that.
[681] But because we're over here not doing the version you like of violence, we're pieces of shit?
[682] I don't like football.
[683] I was a competition.
[684] There were no football players.
[685] Okay, but you agree football.
[686] There's no difference between what we're doing in football.
[687] CTE.
[688] All right.
[689] It's just one of those things too where kids get knocked down, you run over, you pick them up.
[690] You're not trying to hurt people, exactly what Dax was saying.
[691] It's okay.
[692] It's okay.
[693] You don't need to keep convincing me because I get it.
[694] I definitely get it.
[695] And let me acknowledge it's stupid as fuck.
[696] I get it.
[697] Yeah, there's a bunch of boys swinging into each other.
[698] Yeah, of course, man. And especially at this time, while of death, I was like, this is dumb as hell, but I'm going to do it.
[699] That teenage mindset.
[700] Well, and you get high afterwards.
[701] You're like, I was afraid.
[702] I lived, and this was fun.
[703] It was a great story, great memory, right?
[704] It's a roller coaster.
[705] It is a roller coaster.
[706] And we're not done with the story either, which is kind of the funniest part.
[707] What's up, guys?
[708] It's your girl Kiki, and my podcast is back with a new season.
[709] And let me tell you, it's too good.
[710] And I'm diving into the brains of entertainment.
[711] Jamon's best and brightest, okay?
[712] Every episode, I bring on a friend and have a real conversation.
[713] And I don't mean just friends.
[714] I mean the likes of Amy Poehler, Kell Mitchell, Vivica Fox, the list goes on.
[715] So follow, watch, and listen to Baby.
[716] This is Kiki Palmer on the Wondery app, or wherever you get your podcast.
[717] We've all been there.
[718] Turning to the internet to self -diagnose our inexplicable pains, debilitating body aches, sudden fevers, and strange rashes.
[719] Though our minds tend to spiral to worst -case scenarios, it's usually nothing, but for an unlucky few, these unsuspecting symptoms can start the clock ticking on a terrifying medical mystery.
[720] Like the unexplainable death of a retired firefighter, whose body was found at home by his son, except it looked like he had been cremated, or the time when an entire town started jumping from buildings and seeing tigers on their ceilings.
[721] Hey listeners, it's Mr. Bollin here, and I'm here to tell you about my podcast.
[722] It's called Mr. Bollin, Medical Mysteries.
[723] Each terrifying true story will be sure to keep you up at night.
[724] Follow Mr. Balin's Medical Mysteries wherever you get your podcasts.
[725] Prime members can listen early and ad -free on Amazon Music.
[726] I'm blacked out, obviously, right now unconscious.
[727] Pretty sure I have a concussion.
[728] I did rehash this with my best friend Jeff Wheeler.
[729] I gave him a call before I did this, just to make sure I don't miss any parts here.
[730] But he was like, the one thing you have to include is that when you were unconscious, your arms just went up to the sky.
[731] Oh, scary.
[732] Reaching for the sky.
[733] And obviously they all made the jokes of like, God was talking to you because you're at this Christian festival.
[734] Very funny.
[735] Oh.
[736] So I'm not doing great.
[737] Band essentially stops all this at and everyone's like, is this kid okay?
[738] From what they said, it's about a minute of me being unconscious.
[739] Everyone's circled around me. Oh, my gosh, what's going on?
[740] The band is like, is that kid okay?
[741] And my friends are trying to get me up again at this point.
[742] Should you be getting me up?
[743] Could I have broken my neck?
[744] Who knows?
[745] I'm still out cold, but apparently on my feet.
[746] and I'm kind of responsive, breathing, but I don't remember anything.
[747] And the band sees that I'm up, and they're like, this kid's awesome.
[748] Get them up here, get them up here, get them up here.
[749] And they are getting excited that I'm alive, I think.
[750] This is a really good point in the story to remind you guys that I don't know the words to this band whatsoever.
[751] Right.
[752] This is your first time seeing them, yeah.
[753] They are calling for me to get up.
[754] And everyone's just pushing my body without realizing, I'm on my feet, but I'm on my feet.
[755] I'm unconscious, and they're getting me up there.
[756] So I'm getting pushed over the barrier, and I come to kind of falling over the barrier, looking up, seeing that I am out on the other side of the crowd, and the band singer is extending his hand to bring me up on stage.
[757] So I'm like, what do I do?
[758] This is crazy.
[759] They're like, this kid's the man, let's go.
[760] Start the song over, and they start playing the song over.
[761] And at this point, Sinker Swim, I was just like, I guess I'll just jump up and down and do some awkward movements to make it look like I know what I'm doing.
[762] doing, but I'm out there.
[763] I can't make up that I know the words.
[764] I'm out there for a full song.
[765] Oh, boy.
[766] They're all coming over to me and giving me like pats on the back.
[767] Like the lead singers, kind of putting his arms around.
[768] And I'm like, dude, at this point, I'm like, where am I?
[769] But I do vividly remember looking out in the crowd, seeing my friends.
[770] And they're all like losing their mind being like, this isn't happening.
[771] This is so insane.
[772] I do have a photo of that.
[773] It's very embarrassing.
[774] Oh, I want to see it.
[775] Can you show it to us?
[776] I was going to say, so I think I can send it to you guys in the chat.
[777] This This is like one of the first times I've ever worn a tank top in my life.
[778] Oh, wow.
[779] So a lot of first on this day.
[780] Yeah, what am I doing wearing a tank top?
[781] And as you can see, this is me kind of jumping up and down.
[782] Not really no one wants to do up there when I don't know the words.
[783] Oh, yeah.
[784] I think you look cute in your tank top.
[785] Could have definitely dated Taylor Swift of this look.
[786] Yeah, see?
[787] Look at that.
[788] You could have been one of her Joe's.
[789] Missed out.
[790] One of her Joe's.
[791] Bummer.
[792] All in all, though, Joe, this story is a win for you, no?
[793] It is kind of a win.
[794] And so after this all happened, the band was like, come by our merch table.
[795] We just want to chat with you and say, hey.
[796] So I came back and they were like, dude, fuck that security guard.
[797] That was insane.
[798] I couldn't believe he did that.
[799] All this.
[800] And they gave me a free t -shirt.
[801] I really wish I still had the T -shirt.
[802] I've got the picture.
[803] The rest of that day, I sat in the back kind of watching.
[804] At that point, I definitely had a concussion for sure.
[805] Looking back at it 13 years later, I can't believe that everyone was like, get this kid up on stage and not get him in an ambulance.
[806] Yeah.
[807] It probably didn't help it after you had your head trauma that you were jumping around and stuff.
[808] Not idea.
[809] That couldn't have helped.
[810] No, you don't want to bounce that brain around much.
[811] It was already loose.
[812] Swollen.
[813] We're not doing great.
[814] So kind of all losses there.
[815] But hey, look at me now.
[816] I'm okay.
[817] I'm doing great.
[818] Still going to shows.
[819] But now I'm kind of like the washed up punk who sits up in the rafters watching from afar.
[820] Oh, that's wonderful.
[821] That really brings me back.
[822] I'm going to say one more thing, Monica.
[823] Okay.
[824] Well, do you have the tolerance for one more thing?
[825] I think so.
[826] Okay.
[827] Most of the boys in this scene were very scared at high school.
[828] And the thing that they were threatened by was violence.
[829] And that's what the jocks had over all these kids.
[830] So we have all these misfits.
[831] They come together.
[832] They're so afraid of violence and being hurt.
[833] And they figure out a way to be brave within a group of people that they can trust.
[834] I think it's really cathartic because you're at high school and you're just living in this veil of fear that you're going to get your ass kicked by all these macho assholes.
[835] and you go there and it's a place you can confront that safely.
[836] I think it's really cathartic.
[837] I know it looks really, really stupid, but I think there's something really fucking sweet about the whole thing that at least the scene I lived through was like.
[838] Absolutely.
[839] Very similar experience for me. It's a great place to grow up, and I feel like it gave me a lot of compassion.
[840] As crazy as that sounds, I know Monica's probably like, wait, what?
[841] All the friends that I used to go to those shows with, I'm still very much friends with now.
[842] I started bands with some of them.
[843] I'm not in a band now.
[844] I'm a dad now.
[845] So I'm, again, washed up, but my life's great.
[846] And just different.
[847] So I do have to say I'm a new arm cherry.
[848] Oh, welcome.
[849] Probably within last year or so, my wife got me hooked on to you guys.
[850] She has been a day oneer.
[851] So I was hoping if you guys don't mind if I could kind of call her in here.
[852] We love to meet her, yes.
[853] Bring her in.
[854] Awesome.
[855] This is Keeley.
[856] I didn't know if this would be coming, but this is our baby.
[857] I guess technically she is day oneer.
[858] Look at her.
[859] She's so cute.
[860] Oh, her cheeks.
[861] This is not real.
[862] This is not real.
[863] Hi.
[864] You guys.
[865] Oh, my goodness.
[866] Welcome to our blanket floor.
[867] Oh, we love it in here.
[868] You built a beautiful fort.
[869] Thank you.
[870] This is my lunch break.
[871] This is our Fitsy.
[872] Oh, my gosh.
[873] She's cute.
[874] She's so cute.
[875] Yeah, thank you very much.
[876] Now, no one's going to like what I have to say.
[877] Okay.
[878] But it's my turn.
[879] Okay.
[880] When you look at this most beautiful, cutest thing in the whole world, Do you want her in a wall of humans running towards a wall of other humans?
[881] And I mean that sincerely.
[882] And I can say sincerely, if it gives her a sense of belonging and community, yeah, it's so worth it.
[883] Exactly it.
[884] What about mom?
[885] What does mom say about that?
[886] You know, I got my first concussion at seven riding horses and rode horses my whole life.
[887] It's just going to happen.
[888] Whatever you love's going to hurt you.
[889] That's how it works.
[890] Monica fucking was flying high in the air.
[891] You could have had the worst concussion of all of us.
[892] It's true.
[893] High Flyers.
[894] It's true.
[895] It's strangers catching you by the pussy.
[896] I'm not letting that baby run in.
[897] Did you want this little baby to be caught by the pussy?
[898] Yeah.
[899] No!
[900] That's what you should be afraid of.
[901] We made that joke with the first like a couple days holding where I was like, oh no. Well, it's so nice to meet all three of you.
[902] No, thank you guys so much.
[903] It's amazing to meet you.
[904] You guys mean so much to me. I lost my dad in 2017.
[905] Oh, I'm sorry, love.
[906] Thank you.
[907] there's a big communication gap in my drive's home and just wanting to talk to him.
[908] And you guys really filled that.
[909] Oh, that's so special.
[910] Thank you.
[911] So nice to meet you.
[912] And can you believe someone would bunk this beautiful, sweet boy in the head?
[913] Yeah, if I was a Christian youth counselor, I would drop him like a bad habit for sure.
[914] I mean, he's the opposition.
[915] It's true that the most violent person there was a Christian, whatever.
[916] He didn't understand the rules.
[917] It's very hard to understand.
[918] He wanted to.
[919] Yeah, yeah.
[920] Very subtle rules there.
[921] Well, great meeting you guys, truly.
[922] Thanks for telling us that story, Joe.
[923] And good luck and everything in the new year.
[924] Awesome.
[925] Thank you.
[926] Bye.
[927] Bye, guys.
[928] Oh, I want that baby.
[929] Me too.
[930] I want that baby.
[931] Bring that baby over.
[932] You would not let that little baby run into a bunch of other.
[933] Not a little baby.
[934] Yes.
[935] But when she's 17.
[936] Your little baby is always your little baby.
[937] Right.
[938] But if Lincoln has a Mohawk and runs into a wall dead at 17, you know I'll be fucking cheering.
[939] You will?
[940] Absolutely.
[941] What does she get's concussions?
[942] That's not good.
[943] Listen, why is the thing, hold you need to watch.
[944] Why is the thing that you did that gives concussions?
[945] Okay.
[946] Okay, because I only did it for a couple of years.
[947] This is what we're learning about CTE.
[948] Yeah.
[949] For real.
[950] It's the amount of time and not the severity of the one.
[951] I'm only saying if we did a comparison study between punk showgoers and high flyers, the rate of concussions would be much.
[952] higher in the high flyers.
[953] Well, you're mosh putting in it for like two years, three years.
[954] You earned your stripes and then you hang on the outside.
[955] Yeah, it's all for young kids.
[956] Okay, if you can max out at two years, I still don't, no. But you do see that they're both activities that could give you a concussion.
[957] You just, you cared about one and we cared about another.
[958] No, but one, the purpose is injury.
[959] What else is the, what do you mean?
[960] Running into somebody else?
[961] Do you know, what is a trust fall?
[962] I know what a trust fall is.
[963] Yeah, think of a trust fall.
[964] Is that to almost let someone die?
[965] No, it's to trust another person.
[966] You put your safety in another person's hands.
[967] You fall back knowing they're going to catch you.
[968] Yeah.
[969] And the mosh pit is very much that.
[970] It's we're going to get wild and bump into each other, but we're not going to try to hurt each other and we're not malicious.
[971] There's a trust.
[972] The wall of death, which by the way is called the wall of death.
[973] Yeah, it's a bad idea.
[974] The wall of death is not a good idea.
[975] That's what the story is.
[976] I know.
[977] I know.
[978] I'm not talking about moshing.
[979] Oh, okay.
[980] Even though I don't like that either.
[981] I know you don't like that.
[982] But not as much.
[983] That's fine, I guess.
[984] But the wall of death, which the purpose is to collide.
[985] The start of the mosh pit.
[986] Yeah.
[987] The only purpose is to have some injury by the end.
[988] Well, I think the bigger point is no one's there that doesn't want to be there.
[989] And everyone that does it enjoys it and is happy they did it.
[990] So there's no victims.
[991] Okay, but if there's like a group of...
[992] I think it just scares you.
[993] The whole notion of like all these boys in this pit slamming into each other is just scary.
[994] No, it's not scary.
[995] I think it's community derailed.
[996] It's a group of people in search of something central, which I love, but not when the thing at the base of it is pain and injury.
[997] Well, I think it's rare, though.
[998] The base of it's the music, too.
[999] You're doing it along, too, the music.
[1000] It's like expressing how the music makes you feel collectively.
[1001] Yeah.
[1002] At first glance, it's one thing.
[1003] But I think if you were an anthropologist and you really looked at it, you'd go, oh, it's kind of a beautiful thing.
[1004] No one's hurting each other.
[1005] They all get to express this fear and wade through it together.
[1006] And they're all friends at the end.
[1007] The part that we disagree with is that no one is hurting each other.
[1008] And that's the part that I have a problem with.
[1009] As is the person that would throw you in the air and then you fell on the ground.
[1010] Not everyone falls on the ground.
[1011] In fact, I fell on the ground once.
[1012] Yeah, I'm just, in this boy, only got a concussion one time.
[1013] And he went to over 700 shows.
[1014] But the purpose wasn't to do that.
[1015] It was to do a trick.
[1016] And his purpose wasn't to just bang your body into something.
[1017] someone else's body.
[1018] Which isn't bad.
[1019] It's like tackling.
[1020] It can go wrong.
[1021] And I think tackling is not good.
[1022] I don't think any of this is, well, not I don't think.
[1023] I mean, it's proven to be bad for brains.
[1024] Everyone should listen to The Daily on CTE.
[1025] It's from a couple weeks ago.
[1026] Do you think there shouldn't be cheerleading anymore?
[1027] I think there shouldn't be a certain level of stunt until you're a certain age.
[1028] I do think that.
[1029] And I think there shouldn't be tackle football until a certain age.
[1030] Great.
[1031] Let's talk to Corbret.
[1032] Co -Bret?
[1033] We're going to find out.
[1034] Hi.
[1035] Hi.
[1036] Hello.
[1037] Thanks for your patient.
[1038] Sorry we're running behind.
[1039] Yeah, no worries at all.
[1040] How do we pronounce your name?
[1041] Also, nice...
[1042] Are you in a garage?
[1043] Are you in a garage?
[1044] Are you 68?
[1045] You nailed it.
[1046] Fuck.
[1047] Are you impressed, Monica?
[1048] I know we're fighting, but was that good?
[1049] Because I have very tiny sliver of that car right now.
[1050] Yeah, so my name is pronounced Cobretti.
[1051] Cobretti.
[1052] And you work with cars?
[1053] So I work with cars just as a hobby.
[1054] My uncle was a restoration mechanic, so I just kind of got into that.
[1055] Oh.
[1056] What I actually do is I'm a full -time touring musician.
[1057] Oh, okay.
[1058] Well, this will be perfect since you're telling a crazy concert story.
[1059] Yeah, exactly.
[1060] Where are you?
[1061] So I'm located in Pennsylvania, right outside Harrisburg.
[1062] Don't know Harrisburg.
[1063] Is it close to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia?
[1064] It's perfectly in the middle between the two.
[1065] Okay.
[1066] Off the 80?
[1067] Off 81, yep.
[1068] Wonderful.
[1069] Sorry, I do that with male guests.
[1070] I find out where they're from.
[1071] Not just female, too.
[1072] All guests.
[1073] All guess.
[1074] All guess.
[1075] Where did it happen?
[1076] What year?
[1077] Walk us through it.
[1078] Yeah, so this was right before the pandemic happened, so maybe 29.
[1079] I was out on tour with my band, and we had been out for three weeks at the time, opening for a much larger artist.
[1080] You can say Taylor Swift.
[1081] She won't sue.
[1082] Oh, man. No, so the band I'm in is sync in, and then we were out with someone I won't name.
[1083] Wait, your band is synced in?
[1084] Yep.
[1085] Sinked.
[1086] Oh, yeah.
[1087] Do you remember you have a show called sync?
[1088] Yeah, I just thought it seemed like maybe you knew the band.
[1089] No, no, I was just excited that you guys both had sinks in your title.
[1090] We're playing the show in Florida, and we already did all the sound checks.
[1091] We had everything all lined up.
[1092] And it comes showtime.
[1093] So we go up and we try to keep a very like punk attitude.
[1094] So we're throwing guitars around.
[1095] We have smoke cannons going off.
[1096] People stage diving, the whole thing.
[1097] And we get to the last hit of the very last song.
[1098] And I throw my guitar and I immediately feel like something's not right.
[1099] Oh.
[1100] So I kind of catch it and the lights go out.
[1101] And I'm kind of looking and my wireless pack is missing, which is just kind of like a little thing you keep on your strap.
[1102] It's probably just around the stage somewhere.
[1103] I'll find it.
[1104] We got to get our stuff off so the headliners can go on.
[1105] We kind of start to exit the stage, and the headliner and all of the venue staff and the venue owner are side stage.
[1106] And they all look horrified, and pure panic.
[1107] So we kind of come off and like, hey, you know, what's going on here?
[1108] And the venue odor is very abrasive with us.
[1109] He goes, we don't have insurance.
[1110] You guys are covering this.
[1111] Uh -oh.
[1112] So immediately we're like, okay, this is some kind of like end of tour prank.
[1113] They're just messing with us.
[1114] It's a thing.
[1115] But he did not look very comical.
[1116] He just kind of stormed off.
[1117] So the other guys proceed to tell me that when I threw my guitar, this wireless pack broke the clip, broke another piece, and went into the audience and actually smacked a girl in the face.
[1118] Oh, okay.
[1119] So I'm like, oh, no, like, where's this girl at?
[1120] We need to go make sure she's okay.
[1121] I have medical supplies in my tour bag.
[1122] Like, we can help her out.
[1123] So we go back to the green room.
[1124] Hold, hold on, hold on.
[1125] I love that your thought is I have medical supplies.
[1126] my tour bag, let me at her, as if what she needs is a front man working on her injuries.
[1127] But anyways, that's great.
[1128] Yeah.
[1129] Okay.
[1130] We're very worried about her.
[1131] Wireless packs are not very heavy.
[1132] I'm like, oh, it couldn't have done much damage.
[1133] I don't spin very fast.
[1134] But I go back and she's sitting in the green room on a stool and they have one person holding an ice pack to her face.
[1135] Somebody else has like this bloody towel.
[1136] And she's kind of got her hand holding onto something.
[1137] I kind of walk up and I'm starting to apologize.
[1138] Hey, are you okay?
[1139] And then I kind of noticed down in her hand, she has four teeth.
[1140] Oh, no. God.
[1141] This pack had hit her in the upper lip and knocked her front teeth out.
[1142] Oh.
[1143] Boy, oh boy, your medical bag isn't going to be able to do shit.
[1144] I'm already in kind of panic mode myself, and I'm trying to make sure she's okay, and there's a lot of people around her trying to ease the pain and make sure she's fine.
[1145] But she was the absolute sweetest person in the world, and it was just like brushing it off, maybe a little in shock.
[1146] Oh, God.
[1147] Maybe.
[1148] She thought this was like the most punk rock thing that could ever happen to her.
[1149] She was stoked on it.
[1150] She thought like, I should lose teeth at every show.
[1151] This is like the best thing ever.
[1152] And she's telling it off to all her friends.
[1153] I don't think I would be the same way.
[1154] The timing of this is so fucking impossibly funny.
[1155] Monica and I were just having a 20 -minute argument about punk shows and why they're fun.
[1156] And even though you're getting a little hurt, they're still worth it.
[1157] And then now you take it to this level.
[1158] This got all her teeth knocked out.
[1159] Stoked.
[1160] I can't.
[1161] I just feel horrible because it's from my guitar.
[1162] I'm like the lowest of the low.
[1163] And thankfully, like, she had insurance and her insurance covered it and she got friendly teeth.
[1164] And now she actually hits us up online.
[1165] She's like, hey, do you guys remember me?
[1166] I'm the girl that lost his teeth at your show.
[1167] We're like, yeah, absolutely.
[1168] Yes, I shan't ever forget you.
[1169] Oh, my gosh.
[1170] I got a lot of follow -up questions.
[1171] One is, how did the venue not have insurance?
[1172] That seems crazy to me. The first thing they said is like, we don't have insurance.
[1173] What do you mean you don't?
[1174] You host live concerts.
[1175] Don't you have to?
[1176] I think the guy was maybe just trying to not file a claim and put it on to us.
[1177] But we were more than willing to help this girl out in any way we could.
[1178] Like, we gave her all of our contact info and a bunch of free merch.
[1179] And let us know.
[1180] Like, we're a bunch of poor musicians living out of a $3 ,000 van travel in the country.
[1181] So we don't have much, but we'll do whatever we can to help you.
[1182] Now, have you made alterations to your mic pack?
[1183] Have you done some things to make sure this will never happen again?
[1184] Absolutely.
[1185] It's such a freak accident anyway.
[1186] Yeah, for sure.
[1187] Two things would break simultaneously, but we're double and triple taping stuff.
[1188] We're making sure everything's as solid as can be.
[1189] Right, rock solid.
[1190] You know, we can only be so judgmental because we had a live show and I lost control of the T -shirt Canon.
[1191] You can only be so judgmental.
[1192] I'm careful.
[1193] I jumped over a couch and did like a cop roll and then fired the T -shirt cannon or maybe it went off accidentally.
[1194] And I nailed someone the third row.
[1195] They couldn't have been closer to the T -Sher roll.
[1196] T -shirt canon.
[1197] Luckily, there was no real injury, but that could have gone.
[1198] Like, I got to, like, jump around and be crazy.
[1199] Well, people love it until then.
[1200] Well, until someone dies.
[1201] I mean, that's, yeah, then no one loves it.
[1202] I'm glad you came around when you did, because for me, I feel like this was a good.
[1203] You feel vindicated.
[1204] I do, actually.
[1205] So, and for me. You feel vindicated somehow.
[1206] Yeah, the girl is really excited and happy.
[1207] I know, but that's upsetting to me. You're upset by that.
[1208] Well, look, you know, we all get to choose our paths.
[1209] Oh, man. Well, I'm glad that you didn't lose everything because of that.
[1210] It's just crazy because I've been touring now for eight years.
[1211] We have lots of stories, but that's the only time anybody's ever gotten hurt.
[1212] Even the headliner that we were on tour with, when they took the stage after us, because they still had to put a show on after this, they were like, yeah, we've been touring for 20 years, and we've never seen anything like this.
[1213] Oh, wow, that's good.
[1214] They were like, go buy merch so they can afford to pay for her teeth.
[1215] Oh, my God.
[1216] Oh, my God.
[1217] This is incredible.
[1218] Oh, Cabrani, what a story.
[1219] Yeah, what a story.
[1220] Thanks for sharing.
[1221] So it's actually my wife that got me into you guys.
[1222] Anytime we're on a road trip or anything, she's loading you guys up between Anonymous, the expert, and flightless bird she really likes to.
[1223] Oh, that's nice.
[1224] That's great.
[1225] We'll pass that on to David.
[1226] Yeah, we will.
[1227] Is it okay if I introduce her to you guys?
[1228] Yes, of course.
[1229] Make sure you give her your, oh, she's got her own headphones.
[1230] Hi.
[1231] I love you.
[1232] you both, but I wanted to come on, because Dax, you talk about Zethora not doing so hot.
[1233] Yeah.
[1234] But it came out when I was like eight or nine, and I was watching it all the time, and you were one of my first celebrity crushes.
[1235] Oh, how lovely.
[1236] Yeah, it's carried on for almost 20 years.
[1237] Oh, my God, going strong.
[1238] That's such great news.
[1239] But this is a good opportunity for me to clarify.
[1240] Often I'll say movies didn't do well.
[1241] It's not that I don't think they were great.
[1242] In fact, I think the best movies I was in aren't the ones that did the best.
[1243] Idiocracy made $100 ,000 at the movie theater.
[1244] So I'm always just saying like what it financially did, but Zetura is fucking great.
[1245] I can't believe I'm in that movie.
[1246] All the money it made probably came from my household.
[1247] Thank you so much.
[1248] It's so nice to meet both of you.
[1249] Likewise.
[1250] You guys too.
[1251] All right.
[1252] Take care.
[1253] Happy New Year.
[1254] Oh, well, it's okay.
[1255] Sometimes they're going to be, you know.
[1256] I feel like it's been getting better.
[1257] It's just the break.
[1258] A little rusty.
[1259] A little rusty.
[1260] All right.
[1261] Come to Janelle.
[1262] help us on another punk.
[1263] Jesus, it's like all the stories are punk -ish, and I wonder why.
[1264] Hi.
[1265] Hello, Dr. Monica.
[1266] Nice to meet you guys.
[1267] I'm Janelle.
[1268] Nice to meet you, Janelle.
[1269] And Janelle, where are you?
[1270] I'm in Salem, Oregon in my kids' closet.
[1271] Oh, wonderful.
[1272] We are very close with many Oregonians.
[1273] Yeah, sure.
[1274] And my whole family lives up there.
[1275] We love Oregon.
[1276] We're originally from Iowa, but we've been out here since late.
[1277] 2006.
[1278] Yeah, Salem's beautiful.
[1279] It is.
[1280] Where did this concert take place?
[1281] Because I got to tell you something, we've only heard three other concert stories, and one of them took place in Iowa.
[1282] Oh, really?
[1283] Is this where yours takes place?
[1284] No, it takes place in Oregon.
[1285] Please say it's a Taylor Swift show.
[1286] Please, please.
[1287] Oh, man. No, it's not.
[1288] It's a music festival that's just outside of Portland at Hornings Hideout.
[1289] Oh, Hornings Hideout.
[1290] That sounds Harry Pottery.
[1291] It's a bluegrass, central.
[1292] It's a music festival, probably about 3 ,000 people there, lots and lots of hippies.
[1293] We have been attending, well, they don't have it anymore.
[1294] They actually stopped doing it like a year ago.
[1295] Having anything to do with the story you're about to tell us?
[1296] No, it doesn't.
[1297] Okay.
[1298] This story actually happened in 2013, so it's been 10 years.
[1299] Okay.
[1300] Well, my husband and I went to this festival every year that it's been here except for one.
[1301] My sister got married.
[1302] So it was something that we do in our family, lots and lots of close friends.
[1303] It's camping, Thursday through Monday, typically.
[1304] And in the early years, there wasn't ever any showers.
[1305] So nobody was showering.
[1306] It's just board of potty's and camping and just a whole bunch of dirty hippies out there.
[1307] Yeah, sounds good.
[1308] Yeah.
[1309] We were there in 2013.
[1310] We had a VW bus.
[1311] We had a two -year -old.
[1312] And I was nine months pregnant.
[1313] Oh, wow.
[1314] My younger son went there when he was four months.
[1315] And that was the first time he slept through the night.
[1316] So this is really where we feel at home.
[1317] Yeah.
[1318] It was late night on the Saturday.
[1319] A Yonder Mountain String Man was the band that was actually playing.
[1320] It's their festival.
[1321] They were closing out their set for that night.
[1322] And then they have a late night show after that.
[1323] We're just dancing on the hill.
[1324] The music finishes up.
[1325] And I'm there with my husband, my young son.
[1326] And then one of our good friends who's single and likes to party.
[1327] So he's always there with us.
[1328] He's like our third son.
[1329] So I'm like, hey, guys, I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick.
[1330] and I'll be back down, you know, before the next fan comes up.
[1331] So I run up and visit the main port -a -potty section up on the hill.
[1332] So you kind of walk up a couple tiers and then go to the bathroom.
[1333] So the port -a -potties are in a U -shaped form.
[1334] And so I take a port -a -potty back on the left side.
[1335] I go on the porta -potty.
[1336] I start doing my thing.
[1337] And I can kind of see, like, a shadow walk in front of me. And I just get nervous.
[1338] I mean, mind you, I'm nine months pregnant, and I am sober.
[1339] So I'm having a good idea what's happening.
[1340] And then all of a sudden I feel my port -a -potty kind of shake.
[1341] Uh -oh.
[1342] I hurry up and just stand up, pull my skirt up, and my port -a -pottie tips over.
[1343] No. Somebody from behind pushed over my porta -pottie, so I'm just kind of put my arms out and pulled myself up.
[1344] These are festival port -a -potties that are full to the brim on a late Saturday night.
[1345] So it's a very, very full port -a -potty.
[1346] Oh, my.
[1347] I mean, I get emptied out every night, but they're full.
[1348] It's fallen forward, so the door is on the ground, right?
[1349] You can't get out.
[1350] It's fallen forward.
[1351] Oh, my God.
[1352] Thankfully, it got up pretty quickly.
[1353] I just kind of put my hands out.
[1354] I'm definitely covered.
[1355] Oh, fuck.
[1356] Somebody pulls up the porta potty and I get out.
[1357] Oh.
[1358] I don't even remember really looking down at myself, but I was covered.
[1359] Oh, man. There was two kind ladies, started out very kind, who walked me down for the first stage.
[1360] tent because I'm like, well, I need help getting back down to my husband so he knows so he can help me. And so I go down to the first aid tent and these ladies are helping me out and kind of talking to one guy.
[1361] And they're like, yeah, I think it just must have fell over because she's pregnant.
[1362] What?
[1363] No. Absolutely not.
[1364] There's just so many of zero understanding of physics.
[1365] There's never even thought about gravity.
[1366] Or that's the person who did it.
[1367] Well, good.
[1368] Yeah.
[1369] That's good.
[1370] I was like ladies.
[1371] I'm sober.
[1372] Can you guys please leave?
[1373] Because that's not what happened.
[1374] It's just a little bit better.
[1375] The first aid, she's been, oh my God.
[1376] Yeah.
[1377] Those are the dumbest theories I've ever heard.
[1378] Probably just tipped over because you're such a whale.
[1379] Exactly.
[1380] And I'm not, I mean, I'm a tall 5 -9, but I probably got to 160 when I was pregnant.
[1381] That thing wasn't going over just by leaning.
[1382] And they don't do that anyway.
[1383] So at the first aid tent, this festival is like very family -friendly, very kid -friendly, everybody's so kind.
[1384] And the first person that I come to was like, I'm sorry, we can't help you.
[1385] What?
[1386] I'm nine months pregnant.
[1387] I just need help talking about husband.
[1388] He'd help getting cleaned up.
[1389] I know this isn't the way this goes here, so I need help.
[1390] He was like, I'm sorry, you're at a music festival and you take your chances.
[1391] So I find another first aid person.
[1392] He's a nurse, and he lovingly helped me wholeheartedly, like what he was supposed to do.
[1393] That guy that didn't help me supposedly is not on that first aid team anymore.
[1394] It's like a group of people who do it.
[1395] And after that, they were like, you can't do this.
[1396] If you can't help a nine -month pregnant woman deal with having been took over to pour the potty, then you're in the wrong business.
[1397] Another guy helped me. So I'm still just like in all my stuff.
[1398] This was the first year that there were showers there.
[1399] You had to buy tokens.
[1400] And some people used them, but we never really did.
[1401] We just didn't shower for that many days.
[1402] Yeah, it's fine.
[1403] So I knew that there was some sort of shower.
[1404] So when I went to the first date, I was like, well, you guys can, like, help me get to the shower.
[1405] Just help me clean up.
[1406] So then this guy helped me walk down to my husband.
[1407] You know, we tap him on his shoulder.
[1408] The first day, guy was actually telling my husband, because I was shook up.
[1409] He's like, your wife just got tipped over and supported me. Oh, my God.
[1410] This could have been so bad.
[1411] Yeah.
[1412] You mean you drowning in that?
[1413] Sorry, my mom.
[1414] It's gross.
[1415] My husband has to give my two -year -old son to our friend.
[1416] He's got to take care of my son for a while.
[1417] He's on a half ounce of mushrooms, so he's really struggling.
[1418] Potentially, yes.
[1419] It's the long walk back to the tent.
[1420] They took my husband on the golf court.
[1421] They got me a bunch of clothes, and they drove me to the shower.
[1422] They gave me endless coins or I'd take as long as you want.
[1423] You know, everybody else, like even the owners of the property, the owners of the festival, like everybody else ends up coming around and just.
[1424] just making sure I was okay.
[1425] And so I showered, I got all cleaned up.
[1426] And then when I came out, I had to give a statement to the police.
[1427] And they were like, what else can we do for you?
[1428] Do you want VIP?
[1429] Oh.
[1430] I mean, that's not really where I'm looking to head right now.
[1431] Oh, God, I'd always take VIP.
[1432] I should have actually just took, like, tickets for every year.
[1433] Yeah, exactly.
[1434] I'd love to come back next year with VIP.
[1435] That would be the goal.
[1436] I actually did get a ticket for the next year.
[1437] Oh, good.
[1438] Wow.
[1439] I actually went back to.
[1440] camp i was all cleaned up and then i just continued hanging out with everybody and was there any there here's your your options one is malicious boys tipped over a porta potty and even if we're generous maybe they thought their friend went into that one two someone shoved somebody and they fell into the porta potty and it tipped over and then they ran or see could a car have been backing up and bumped into it like was their vehicles present no this was full on malicious i don't think that in any way I was targeted.
[1441] That's healthy.
[1442] But I think it was, somebody had a little bit too much fun and I thought tipping over a porta potty would be interesting.
[1443] You know what's funny is we've been having an hour long argument over punk rock music scene.
[1444] It was funny is here they are at a blue grass festival.
[1445] Everyone's honky -dory hippies.
[1446] And that's where I know exactly what happened.
[1447] A punk rock guy went to this festival with his friends.
[1448] It was like, ah, this place isn't rowdy enough for me. I hate it here.
[1449] I'm going to tip over something.
[1450] woman.
[1451] I saw a pregnant lady go in there.
[1452] I understand you like poop stories.
[1453] So I thought you would have enjoyed this.
[1454] Yeah, that is dynamite.
[1455] And you're so chill about it.
[1456] I got to say, you're really chill about the whole thing.
[1457] It's somewhat my personality, but there wasn't much else I could do.
[1458] This is a sincere question, though, ever since then, when you're in a porta potty, are you fucking, like, on high alert?
[1459] I feel like it would permanently scare me about portopodies.
[1460] Absolutely.
[1461] I have PTSD.
[1462] And when a portopi...
[1463] potty is just a little uneven or they're like leaning backwards.
[1464] I really get some anxiety.
[1465] I got to get out of there quick.
[1466] Yeah.
[1467] That is so scary that it fell with the door down.
[1468] I know.
[1469] I don't like that.
[1470] if you're going to be an asshole and tip someone over, have the courtesy to tip it over backwards.
[1471] It'd be really hard to open.
[1472] That might be worse.
[1473] It'd be hard.
[1474] Well, no, if it tipped over on its back, then the door would be a hatch above you and you and you would just open it and crawl out.
[1475] It's still like it's heavy.
[1476] Well, it's not that heavy.
[1477] Some people are small.
[1478] Okay.
[1479] Tip it on its side if you must.
[1480] Oh, I can settle for that.
[1481] That's a good compromise.
[1482] Also, please don't do that to people.
[1483] That's so awful.
[1484] It is.
[1485] It is.
[1486] I can't even believe it happens, especially at this peaceful festival.
[1487] Oh, my God, these stupid punk rockers.
[1488] This is the kind of thing you'd expect, yeah, a different show.
[1489] I mean, it tends to get a little wild sometimes.
[1490] Well, I'm glad you went back.
[1491] I mean, got back on that horse.
[1492] Yeah, rode that horse.
[1493] I did, and I kept going back until it was over.
[1494] And you must tell your youngest son all the time that at one point in his life, he was tipped over in a porta potty.
[1495] Like, that's an experience you guys shared.
[1496] Yeah.
[1497] I had my son the week after I was three weeks early.
[1498] Wow.
[1499] He was like, get me out of here.
[1500] It's unsafe in here.
[1501] She takes me into poop traps.
[1502] Well, thanks for sharing that.
[1503] Yeah, thank you.
[1504] That came out of nowhere.
[1505] I'm glad.
[1506] I needed that.
[1507] The whole set up, everything else.
[1508] I did not know where that was going.
[1509] Yeah.
[1510] It was a real left turn.
[1511] I'm glad we got you.
[1512] It's very nice to meet you.
[1513] Great to meet you guys.
[1514] Thanks so much.
[1515] All right.
[1516] Take care.
[1517] She was so chill.
[1518] Are they for you?
[1519] I know they used to be, but you don't go to many.
[1520] I liked punk shows because you're there and you're standing around.
[1521] You can move about and you do different things and you dance for a while in the mosh pit and then you hang out with your buddies.
[1522] But going and sitting in a seat for two and a half hours, I do start getting distracted and preoccupied with like how long it's going to be.
[1523] I start wondering like, How long are they going to play?
[1524] I don't even know why that bothers me. I might be loving it, but I just start getting preoccupied with, like, how much longer?
[1525] Yeah, it's like traffic.
[1526] I'll have to leave.
[1527] And then I personally can't stand oncores.
[1528] That drives me insane.
[1529] I object to encore.
[1530] I love encore.
[1531] No, it's all pageantry because we all know they're coming back.
[1532] I know.
[1533] That's what's a fun.
[1534] I love pageantry.
[1535] I love going through the motions.
[1536] Everyone knows what's going to happen, bore acting surprise.
[1537] Yeah, but it's like, what's what's on is it going to be?
[1538] Let's hope it's though with this one.
[1539] So you love the encore.
[1540] And you're like multiple because now, because what happened was first there was just an encore.
[1541] Yeah.
[1542] And that was satisfying.
[1543] Then everyone knew there was an encore.
[1544] So then there's fucking two.
[1545] Then I start really spiraling like, oh my God, is there going to be fucking three?
[1546] Are they going to leave and everyone claps and how long?
[1547] And no one knows when to leave.
[1548] Is there another one coming?
[1549] You can understand how this is anxiety -inducing a little bit.
[1550] Yeah.
[1551] Yeah.
[1552] I like to leave everywhere early, though.
[1553] I know.
[1554] Is that a bad quality or just how I don't think it's a bad quality.
[1555] I do think it's an anxious thing.
[1556] Like, I'll be honest with you.
[1557] We just went to the football game with Matt.
[1558] Uh -huh.
[1559] And Matt invited us.
[1560] It's like his trip, and it was his birthday trip.
[1561] Wobby Wob was there, coincidentally.
[1562] Yeah, I saw in a picture you were behind them.
[1563] Yeah.
[1564] It's so funny.
[1565] I knew we had to get there before the game started and stayed until after it was over.
[1566] And I was like, oh.
[1567] I was the same.
[1568] You were the same.
[1569] It's harder if you don't care about the teams so much either.
[1570] I'm fine when staying if it's like a Chicago team.
[1571] Of course.
[1572] But like, I'm only barely into football.
[1573] So I like to go, have the experience.
[1574] And then if I can shave an entire hour and a half, off the experience by leaving five minutes early.
[1575] To me, that math is so easy.
[1576] Well, those were wild.
[1577] We learned a lot.
[1578] A lot of fodder for you and I. Yeah.
[1579] A lot of stuff I'm not going to let my children do or yours.
[1580] Sorry.
[1581] I'm not letting them.
[1582] Well, I love you despite our differences.
[1583] Right back at you.
[1584] Bye.
[1585] Bye.
[1586] Do you want to sing a tune or something?
[1587] We don't have a theme song.
[1588] Oh.
[1589] We don't have a thing song.
[1590] for this new show so here I go go go we're gonna ask some random questions and with the help of armchair he's book and some suggestions on the flyer rindish on the flyerine dish enjoy follow armchair expert on the wondry app amazon music or wherever you get your podcast you can listen to every episode of armchair expert early and ad free right now by joining wondry plus in the wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.
[1591] Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondry .com slash survey.