Bonus Episode: Killer Concert Films

Summary

DISGRACELAND: Bonus Episode — Killer Concert Films

Podcast: DISGRACELAND by Double Elvis Productions
Hosts: Jake Brennan, Zeth Lundy
Release Date: November 27, 2025
Episode Theme:
A Thanksgiving afterparty episode focused on the mythic power of concert films—particularly The Last Waltz—plus listener stories, upcoming episode previews, music recommendations, and a deep-dive on music’s emotional impact.

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Main Theme and Purpose

This bonus “Afterparty” episode centers around killer concert films with a special focus on Martin Scorsese’s The Last Waltz, which captures The Band’s final bow. Co-hosts Jake Brennan and Zeth Lundy explore why this film stands out, dissect the elements that make concert movies great, and discuss the intersection between gratitude, music, and myth. The episode also covers community voicemails, emails detailing music’s complicated impact, upcoming episodes (notably on Merle Haggard), and closes with personalized recommendations on books, records, documentaries, and sports rants.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Thanksgiving Traditions & The Last Waltz

Timestamps: 05:23 – 12:20

• Jake and Zeth discuss watching The Last Waltz as a Thanksgiving tradition, emphasizing its vital musical and emotional resonance.

• Jake: “Each year, it never fails. I am leveled by how great the performances are in this concert film.” [06:35]

• Zeth likens the film’s variety of artists to the variety on the Thanksgiving table, using a playful metaphor:

  “You get your mashed potatoes with Ronnie Hawkins and your stuffing with Dr. John, your squash with Van Morrison...your cranberry sauce in a can with Neil Diamond.” [08:01]

• The Band is lauded for holding the performance together musically and thematically.

• The Last Waltz stands apart due to its subtext—the tension of The Band’s breakup, the palpable stakes, and Scorsese’s counterpoint storytelling.

  “You’re watching the band play… and you’re asking yourself, why in God’s name are they breaking up? Why is this their last show? That tension undergirds the entire concert.” [09:11]

• Notable Moment: Jake highlights Muddy Waters’ performance as his favorite, calling out the “gratitude” visible in Robbie Robertson’s face and audible in the music, tying this into Thanksgiving’s deeper meaning. [08:23]

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2. What Makes a Great Concert Film?

Timestamps: 09:37 – 12:20

• Scorsese’s storytelling elevates The Last Waltz beyond mere performance documentation.
• The sense of “stakes” and mythic gravitas sets it apart from other concert films or variety shows.
• It’s “so much more than a concert... so much more than a random show... so much more than a concert contrived by the artist to sell records. The Last Waltz is pure myth.” [09:08]
• The hosts note the interplay of gratitude and legend, both in the performers’ awareness of their place in history and in the audience’s privilege to witness it.

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3. Listener Engagement: Fan Emails & Music’s Raw Power

Timestamps: 14:52 – 22:39

• Jake and Zeth answer a batch of listener emails, showcasing the podcast’s vibrant and personal community.

• Standout Letter: April Hershey shares an affecting story about grief, music, and healing after the loss of her husband:

  “After his death, I found that anytime I took the Jeep out and that music would come on, I would sob... Grief is a cruel emotion that can turn great music into sadness and tears.” [16:55]

• Jake responds empathetically, affirming the role of music in both healing and triggering emotion:

  “You can’t avoid it...[music] is a way to find my way through these really, really complex feelings.” [17:50]

• Other listener topics include episode ideas (Jaco Pastorius, Wendy Williams, Bobby Womack), favorite “stoned” songs, and “desert island” records.

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4. Preview: Merle Haggard Pt. 2 & the Art of Country Singing

Timestamps: 27:46 – 28:55

• Tomorrow brings a Merle Haggard “Rewind” episode, with Part 2 of Merle’s story coming next week: “Surviving Christmas, Cosmic American Aliens, and Cocaine Clarity.”

• Jake celebrates Merle Haggard’s distinct vocal power, comparing him to country icons and guitar gods:

  “He might be my... I can't decide. Is it Merle or is it George Jones? ...They both sing in a way that is like listening to Jimi Hendrix or Robert Johnson play guitar: It’s so deceptively simple, and I don’t understand how he’s doing it.” [28:29]

• Prompt for listeners: Who is your favorite country singer, and why?

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5. Recommendations: Books, Records, and Concert Film Gems

Timestamps: 31:52 – 36:07

• Jake’s “One Book, One Record, One Documentary” picks (with brief reviews/timing):

  • A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies — an illuminating film history from Scorsese. [32:37]
  • Scorsese on Scorsese — interview collection for deeper insight into the director’s mind. [33:25]
  • Album: Before the Flood (Bob Dylan and the Band, 1974) — an overlooked, scorching live record. [34:03]
  • Documentary: American Boy (Scorsese, 1978) — wild stories from Steven Prince, including the real-life inspiration for Pulp Fiction’s adrenaline scene. [34:34]

• Announcement: New video podcast This Film Should Be Played Loud arrives December 10, exclusive to All Access members—first episode: Goodfellas. [36:10]

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6. Sponsored “60 Second Sports Rant”

Timestamps: 36:31 – 38:56

• Jake delivers a rapid-fire, humorous monologue about his family’s gambling traditions:

  “My seven-year-old plays the cards on Sunday too. Willie the Greek, that’s what they’ve been calling him. He’s come closer to winning the pot than I have.” [37:43]

• Jake reflects on attitudes toward gambling (“akin to how the French think about kids drinking wine: expose them young…”) and a family pool betting on a new baby’s birth minute. [37:54]

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7. Mini-Episode Teaser: The Band’s “Death Pact”

Timestamps: 39:56 – 42:03

• Jake previews the All Access mini-episode about a morbid, legendary promise among The Band: if any member died on the road, the others would sneak his body home to Woodstock before the authorities found out.
• Context bridges the band’s gritty life on the road with the mythology explored earlier.
• “If one of them died out there... the other guys would put his dead body on ice, stuff him back in the station wagon with the instruments and haul his ass back to Woodstock...” [41:13]

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8. Wrapping Up: What’s Next, Community, and Final Thoughts

Timestamps: 43:16 – 44:41

• Encouragement for listeners to check out back episodes, join All Access for exclusive content, and call or text in.

• Jake and Zeth stress the value of the Disgraceland community:

  “This isn’t just content. It’s a community... No one cares about music, books, records, and the crime and grime that ties them all together like you do.” [44:33]

• Quick Billboard snapshot from the day The Last Waltz was filmed (Nov 25, 1976), underscoring the episode’s deep connection to musical history.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You get your mashed potatoes with Ronnie Hawkins and your stuffing with Dr. John... your cranberry sauce in a can with Neil Diamond. What am I talking about? I have no idea. Who cares? It’s Thanksgiving.” — Zeth Lundy, [08:01]
• “The Last Waltz is pure myth.” — Jake Brennan, [09:08]
• “If one of them died out there on the road... the others would put his dead body on ice, stuff him back in the station wagon... and haul his ass back to Woodstock...” — Jake Brennan, [41:13]
• “Expose them young, destigmatize it, make it casual, and they will likely not abuse it—that’s how it worked for me anyways. With the gambling, not the drinking.” — Jake Brennan, [37:59]

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Essential Timestamps

| Topic/Event | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-------------| | Opening on The Last Waltz nostalgia | 06:24–12:18 | | Thematic connection: Thanksgiving & variety | 06:24–08:11 | | The Band’s myth, stakes, and storytelling | 08:12–10:19 | | Music, grief, and healing – listener stories | 16:51–17:50 | | Merle Haggard preview and country icons talk | 27:46–28:55 | | “One Book, One Record, One Doc” recs | 31:52–36:07 | | Sports rant – family gambling and humor | 36:31–38:56 | | Band's “death pact” mini-episode tease | 39:56–42:03 | | Community wrap-up and final thoughts | 43:16–44:41 |

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Tone and Language

Jake and Zeth maintain a conversational, irreverent-but-affectionate tone, mixing pop-cultural savvy and dark humor with genuine reverence for music history. Listener voices and direct calls-to-action keep the show feeling intimate and participatory.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

This afterparty installment of DISGRACELAND is a lively, mixtape-style conversation threading the emotional highs and dramatic lows of music history, anchored by a mythic look at The Last Waltz. Jake and Zeth blend nostalgia, fan interaction, irreverent humor, deep dives on music’s meaning, fresh recommendations, and a peek at upcoming content—all to drive home why concert films (and community) matter.

Transcript

[Announcer]

Foreign.

[Jake Brennan]

Double Elvis holidays are coming up and who among us can't relate to, you know, you get super busy and you go into the holidays and you're, you're being healthy, you've got, you know, you're exercising, you're eating right, you're, you're taking whatever you need to take to give yourself the right, right balance and boost. And then it just kind of all.

[Zeth Lundy]

Starts to fall apart. You know, the holiday parties start. There's all this, you know, food that wasn't available before. You're busier, so you're not exercising as much.

[Jake Brennan]

For me, the first thing to go is the task of having to mix together some sort of shake that's gonna make me feel better with, you know, powders and all.

[Zeth Lundy]

Forget that ain't happening.

[Jake Brennan]

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[Zeth Lundy]

I'm not having to really add anything.

[Jake Brennan]

Else to my day.

[Zeth Lundy]

I just grab one of these packs.

[Jake Brennan]

And I'm good to go. And it's a daily snack pack of gummies because you can't fit the amount of nutrients that Groons offers into just one gummy. Plus, it's like this cool little treat that I've got. You know, I don't feel guilty about it in any way. Groons is vegan, nut free, gluten free.

[Zeth Lundy]

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[Jake Brennan]

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[Zeth Lundy]

CO.

[Jake Brennan]

You know, every holiday season, I'm hit with this feeling of, oh, man, what am I going to wear to this event that I have to go to? I'm just going to see my relatives. I don't want to get dressed up, but I haven't seen them in forever. I want to look nice. What am I going to wear? I don't like the stress of this, but I've got it figured out. I've got a solution. Quince. Quince makes incredible sweaters. Last year, when I started working with Quince, I got hooked up with a Mongolian cashmere crew neck sweater, which anytime the temperature dips below 70 degrees, I'm putting this thing on. Now they have these polo sweaters that are also Mongolian cashmere. Fantastic. And when I say sweater, I don't mean like a big bulky Christmas sweater. I mean it's light, it's kind of fitted. It looks great, it's casual, but it also dresses you up. They've also got these cashmere fisherman quarter zip sweaters as well. These are fantastic. This is just like, I don't know, imagine you're hanging out with Anthony Bourdain or something down in Martha's Vineyard and, you know, you're eating oysters. It's kind of chilly, but it's not too, too chilly. You're wearing this quince Mongolian cashmere fisherman quarter zip sweater. And you can wear it to the holiday party as well. It's going to look fantastic this season with those cold mornings, those holiday plans. This is when you want your wardrobe to be simple and easy. You want to look good, though. You want to look sharp, you want to feel good. Quince makes clothes that I actually want to wear out. And the bonus quintessential Quince makes great gifts as well. I can talk about the Mongolian cashmere sweaters until I'm blue in the face, but they're denim nails. The fit and everyday comfort that you're going to be looking for at a fraction of what you'd be expecting to pay. Quince has you guys covered for gifting. That goes beyond clothing as well. Okay, you can get home items, bath, kitchen, travel. I mentioned before the great nappa leather duffel bag that I got from my wife from Quint, but that I ended up appropriating for myself. Just awesome stuff. You can't go wrong at Quints give and get. Timeless holiday staples that last this season with quints. Go to quints.com disgraceland for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

[Zeth Lundy]

Now available in Canada too.

[Jake Brennan]

That's Q U I n c e.com Disgraceland Free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Disgraceland hey, discos.

[Zeth Lundy]

Need a little more Disgraceland in your life?

[Jake Brennan]

Just a touch to get you through. Yeah, me too. This is the podcast that comes after the podcast. Welcome to Disgraceland. The afterparty.

[Zeth Lundy]

Welcome to the Disgraceland bonus episode. A little thing we like to call the after Party.

[Jake Brennan]

This is the show after the show. The party after the party.

[Zeth Lundy]

The bridge to get you from one full episode of Disgraceland to the other.

[Jake Brennan]

The backyard to dig into the dirt.

[Zeth Lundy]

Our mission, to uncover the truth, to confront the myth, to reclaim the story. On this bonus episode, we are discussing killer concert films in the Last Waltz, rewinding back with Merle Haggard Part 1.

[Jake Brennan]

And previewing next week's episode, our Merle.

[Zeth Lundy]

Haggard Part 2 story. And then we get into your emails, comments, DMs, and as always, a whole lot of Rosie. This is the podcast for the musically obsessed, the outsiders, the independent thinkers who know that the best history is the history that gets buried. Disgraceland is where I tell the stories they didn't want told, the kind you end up telling someone else. All right, discos, let's get into it.

[Jake Brennan]

Happy Thanksgiving, Discos.

[Zeth Lundy]

Are you watching the Last Waltz this evening? After your meal, before your leftovers? When do you do it? What's your ritual? I'm watching it. It's been a tradition of mine for.

[Jake Brennan]

At least a decade, and each year it never fails. I am leveled by how great the performances are in this concert film.

[Zeth Lundy]

As concert films go, you know where I stand. This is my favorite.

[Jake Brennan]

I think it's because the band, who in this case are also the house band, are at the peak of their powers musically. That's one reason.

[Zeth Lundy]

And most concerts with this kind of.

[Jake Brennan]

Variety, a bunch of different artists performing.

[Zeth Lundy]

You know, I think your average Rock.

[Jake Brennan]

And Roll hall of Fame induction ceremony, that sort of thing, you don't get this type of consistency in the performance.

[Zeth Lundy]

And, well, in concert films that are solely focused on one artist, you don't get the variety.

[Jake Brennan]

But here you kind of get everything because. Because of the band at the core, the spine of everything, both musically and from a storytelling perspective.

[Zeth Lundy]

And it's variety, you know, Isn't variety what Thanksgiving is all about?

[Jake Brennan]

So thematically, this makes sense as well.

[Zeth Lundy]

Here'S what I mean, actually.

[Jake Brennan]

You know, variety is not what Thanksgiving is all about. Gratitude is what Thanksgiving is all about.

[Zeth Lundy]

Of course, but variety is sort of.

[Jake Brennan]

What Thanksgiving dinner is about. Anyways. All those sides. You get your mashed potatoes, your stuffing.

[Zeth Lundy]

The squash, the broccoli Jennifer, the spinakopita, the cranberry sauce, the stuff in the can, of course, so much variety.

[Jake Brennan]

And, you know, that's what the Last Waltz delivers. You get your mashed potatoes with Ronnie Hawkins and your stuffing with Dr. John.

[Zeth Lundy]

Your squash with Van Morrison, your broccoli Jennifer with Joni Mitchell, your spita kopita with Bob Dylan, and your cranberry sauce in a can with Neil Diamond. What am I talking about? I have no idea. Who cares?

[Jake Brennan]

It's Thanksgiving. All right.

[Zeth Lundy]

My favorite performance from the Last Waltz, aside from every moment Levon Helm is.

[Jake Brennan]

Singing into the microphone and holding it.

[Zeth Lundy]

Down on the kit, is the Muddy Waters performance.

[Jake Brennan]

It is just incredible. It's a full grown man right there. And speaking of Thanksgiving and gratitude, you can see the gratitude on Robbie Robertson's face during Mannish Boy with Muddy Waters up there on stage.

[Zeth Lundy]

And I believe you can actually hear.

[Jake Brennan]

It in the music part of what makes the Last Waltz so satisfying to watch each year. It's not just the music. It's the story, the myth, the.

[Zeth Lundy]

The Last Waltz is so much more than a concert, so much more than.

[Jake Brennan]

A random show on an artist's tour, so much more than, you know, something that just happened when the cameras and mics were set up in just the right way, or in so much more.

[Zeth Lundy]

Than a concert contrived by the artist to sell records.

[Jake Brennan]

The Last Waltz is pure myth.

[Zeth Lundy]

You're watching the band play, and they are so good. And throughout the entire movie, you're asking yourself, why in God's name are they breaking up? Why is this their last show? That tension undergirds the entire concert. It's incredible counterpoint storytelling delivered by the most rock and roll of film directors.

[Jake Brennan]

Master storyteller, Martin Scorsese. No other film has this type of subtext. Not to my. My eyes, anyways. I almost said not to my ears.

[Zeth Lundy]

And the other thing that the Last.

[Jake Brennan]

Waltz has that most other concert films don't have, is stakes. You can see it in Robbie's eyes in the interview sections of the film. He's a dead man.

[Zeth Lundy]

He's.

[Jake Brennan]

He's dying. The road is killing him. It's either the road or all that cocaine that he's ripping through at night with Scorsese.

[Zeth Lundy]

But Robbie knows that if he doesn't.

[Jake Brennan]

Get off the road, the road is going to kill him.

[Zeth Lundy]

And the other guys in the band, eh, they don't necessarily agree, despite what.

[Jake Brennan]

They'Re saying or how they're acting or how they're being directed. They're just going along for the ride, following Robbie. And that tension only adds to the drama. Of course, a lot of this isn't evident on first watch. Upon first watch, you're just captivated by the music, blown away by the personalities in the band. You're like, wait, why didn't anyone tell me Rick Danko is as cool as Robert De Niro on Mean Streets? And what the fuck is. Who is Richard, man? Wow.

[Zeth Lundy]

What's up? This guy's got the sweetest soul ever. And Garth Hudson is the oldest looking young dude I've ever seen in my life. And you know, has anyone in the history of rock and roll ever had more feel than Levon Helm? It's just incredible. And I do, you know, I don't know if it's.

[Jake Brennan]

It was subliminally transferred to me as a young person watching this film, but I like to think that I felt that gratitude. Just the gratitude to be able to watch this movie, to watch this band, to feel like I had been let in on a secret gratitude. It's the undercurrent of the Last Waltz. The concert performed on Thanksgiving Eve 1977. And like I said, you can see it and you can hear it in the performance. The band understands their place in rock and roll and pop music history. When they're making this incredible document, they are right up there with the giants of the day. They're, they're up there on stage with living icons like their friend Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton.

[Zeth Lundy]

And they're standing tall shoulder to shoulder with the giants. And not for a second do you.

[Jake Brennan]

Sense that anything is being taken for granted. We should all be so lucky to find some sense of that in our vocation, in our work, in our art, in our day to day life. It's so important and it's up there.

[Zeth Lundy]

For everybody to see on the screen.

[Jake Brennan]

In this movie that I know a bunch of you are going to be watching tonight, that I'm watching tonight. It's a powerful lesson, one again that we should all remember. It's worth pointing out at this point that, you know, I'm grateful for a lot of things in my life. Grateful especially for you guys out there listening and engaging with me and Z and Matt and everyone else at Double Elvis. Every week we're making this content for you guys. Appreciate you so much. I hope you're having an awesome Thanksgiving with your family. I hope you're getting some time to watch the Last Waltz, one of the greatest, if not the greatest concert film of all time. Zeth and I will be going through a pretty substantial list of great concert films, our favorites, some critics favorites, and some overlooked gems in the exclusive section of this afterparty. Head to disgraceandpod.com to sign up for all Access. You can catch this conversation if you're not signed up already. Go do so. I'll be back after this short break and we're going to hear from you guys.

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[Josh Radner]

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[Craig Thomas]

Hey Josh. Somehow it has been 20 years since the show premiered. I'm gonna check the math on that. Ten years since it went off the air and we thought that made this a perfect time to look back, see what the hell we did and why the show still seems to resonate with fans around the world today.

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Follow and listen to How We Made youe Mother wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Jake Brennan]

All right guys, we are back. I'm going to dig into some more emails, more than I normally do here. I want to give you guys a chance to be heard here. This one comes from Rick Martinez. Hey there.

[Zeth Lundy]

Love the podcast. I would say it's storytelling at its best.

[Jake Brennan]

Thank you Rick.

[Zeth Lundy]

But these stories are real, so enthralling.

[Jake Brennan]

And you can't wait for the next sentence.

[Zeth Lundy]

I've always thought the story of Jaco.

[Jake Brennan]

Pistorius would be great with your format. Keep up the awesome.

[Zeth Lundy]

You're absolutely right, Rick, We've had Jocko.

[Jake Brennan]

On the, on the board for a.

[Zeth Lundy]

While and I think, I think it.

[Jake Brennan]

Might be on the schedule for next year. This is one of those stories that I know just a little about. I want to know more and I'm very intrigued and I'm very excited to learn more about Jocko and this story. So Rick, we're going to have that for you at some point. Appreciate you writing in. All right, let's go to this email from Pip. Pip writes in hey Jake, Aphex Twin and Outside with the Stars for Music when I'm High five. Excellent question.

[Zeth Lundy]

Looking forward to the answers.

[Jake Brennan]

Pip says, I didn't use my phone number. I'm in Australia. There we go. Pip also says I'm very lazy.

[Zeth Lundy]

But then, you know, Pip, you say you're lazy, but then you sent the.

[Jake Brennan]

Second email as well. So you said, you know, one more song When I'm Stoned at the Bottom of Everything by Bright Eyes. I don't know that I know that song and I don't know much about Aphex Twin as well, so appreciate that. Kind of doing a grab bag here, guys. I'm not staying on topic. I'm just going to blast through your emails. April Hershey writes in How Music Heals and Triggers Jake, I wanted to respond to your prompt from this past week regarding how music is therapeutic but may also be a trigger. My story is about both being true. To start, I need to introduce my late husband Chris. He passed away at age 49 in 2024. Chris loved everything that reminded him of his childhood and youth, especially music. His favorites were pun, new wave and 80s rock. Chris's prized possession was his 2015 Jeep Wrangler, where his Sirius XM channels were all of the above. One of our favorite things to do.

[Zeth Lundy]

Together was to throw our beloved dog.

[Jake Brennan]

Charlotte in the back of the Jeep.

[Zeth Lundy]

Roll down the windows and take off.

[Jake Brennan]

For parks, breweries, hikes while listening to our favorite tunes. After his death, I found that anytime I took the Jeep out and that music would come on, I would sob body racking sobs whilst trying to drive. This was definitely one of those triggers that they tell you about in grief and I could choose to avoid it by not driving the Jeep and turning on the radio, or I could try to find joy in it. It's been almost two years since he passed and I can now report that I'm not sobbing every time I drive the Jeep and Jawbreaker or Pet Shop Boys come on. But it still happens. Driving the Jeep and listening to Our favorite music was and is fun and allows me to feel closer to him, but it also makes me sad that he isn't here with Charlotte and I as we hit the road to Asheville for the weekend. I'm grateful that I have so many of his favorites as constant reminders and the happy memories those songs evolved evoke. But grief is a cruel emotion that can turn great music into sadness and tears. Sincerely, April April, I'm so sorry for your loss. This email is heavy and I'm glad you sent it into us. And I can completely relate. And, you know, the only. They say it's cliche, but the only way to get through grief is to go right through it. And. And it's absolutely true. You. You can't avoid it. And I think your method here, your process, whatever you want to call it, is the right one. It's one that I've certainly used in my past in dealing with grief, and I have absolutely used music myself, particularly writing about music, as a way to kind of find my way through these really, really complex feelings. April, appreciate your message. I hope you and Charlotte are doing well. Write back, let us know what you're listening to these days. Hope you're having a good Thanksgiving, April. All right, let's keep going here. Do a couple more while I got you guys paying attention. Tiffany Sharer writes in. Hey, I've been listening to the podcast for two to three years now, and.

[Zeth Lundy]

I love everything about it.

[Jake Brennan]

I've learned so much about popular music and new things about new musicians that were also new to me.

[Zeth Lundy]

I love the concept.

[Jake Brennan]

I love the way. Okay, okay. You love it.

[Zeth Lundy]

I love it. I love that you love it. Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Jake Brennan]

You've got some cool recommendations here for shows future episodes, Tiffany. So I just want to read these here. Appreciate the praise. Not trying to be.

[Zeth Lundy]

Not trying to not be grateful.

[Jake Brennan]

Just, you know, appreciate it. Okay, let's see here. Number one, your first recommendation here, Tiffany. Wendy Williams, you say. I know she's not directly a musician, but I think her story and association with the music industry qualify her. I agree. I think you're right. I think the story is pretty nuts and Wendy's super interesting, and I think that this is something we might get into. Your next wreck here is a great one. Bobby Wommack, you go on to say, I knew a little bit about the drama between him and Sam Cooke. The story was just brought back to my attention and my jaw literally hit the floor at the scandal of his relationship with Sam Cooke's wife and daughter. Him wearing Sam Cooke's suit to the wedding with his former mentor's wife. I know it's fucked up when I read this when I was doing the Sam Cooke research, which I think Sam Cooke was episode three of Disgraceland. And, man, that was a tough episode to find my way through in the early days because for. For many reasons. There's the, you know, who killed Sam Cooke thing, and there are all these conspiracy theories, and I don't believe in any of them. And most people do. That's the problem. I believe that Sam Cooke behaved in a really horrible way and, you know, a woman defended herself and he was shot and killed. And I know that's not a sexy answer, but that's my conclusion after the research. The other big thing in the research that I came upon, though, was this Bobby Womack story, which was little known and is really tough to tell as well, because people love Bobby Womack.

[Zeth Lundy]

It just looks so bad.

[Jake Brennan]

The optics are so, so, so, so bad. And I do think there's a Bobby Wommack story there. I don't know that it could be entirely about the Sam Cooke piece, because how do you do that without painting him as a complete and total fucking monster? I don't know. I'm sure there's some interesting stuff from. From Bobby Womack's early days coming up and the circuit he was playing on and all that. That gets kind of crimy and grimy. That'll lead us into a Sam Cooke story. Or maybe, you know, I've been doing these. We've been doing more video production here sort of in the background, and I'm going to do a new version, video version of the Sam Cooke story. Maybe I'll find a way to weave Bobby Womack into that a little more fully. Appreciate you, Tiffany. Thanks for writing in. Lee Leonard writes in.

[Zeth Lundy]

Hey, question of the week, Jake, it's lee in the 41 2.

[Jake Brennan]

Dude, what happened with your phone number? I got a weird Google voice message. Anyway, my number one rock record, my Desert island disc, has to be Songs.

[Zeth Lundy]

For the Death by Queens of the Stone Age. Number two would be Paranoid by Sabbath.

[Jake Brennan]

But Songs for the Deaf has everything. It's a masterpiece, in my opinion. Thanks, my friend. And Rocka Rolla. Songs for the Deaf is fantastic. Paranoid by Sabbath, though. I actually go Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath. Just that intro. I have a distinct memory of being high out of my mind in Detroit. And it was storming out, we were driving and we're smoking a lot of hash and that that song was on a little moody Kind of like rain in the beginning. Oh, it's just awesome. The thunder was perfect. That was fun. Mike Viola.

[Zeth Lundy]

What's up?

[Jake Brennan]

Figs?

[Zeth Lundy]

Figs Tour 2003. Long time ago. Another life.

[Jake Brennan]

All right, it's a holiday weekend, so I'm just gonna keep rocking here. I wanna read this. This is from Brian Stone on Patreon writes in.

[Zeth Lundy]

Hey, finally signed up for the All.

[Jake Brennan]

Access pass during the Dr. John episode. This is Brian writing in the Patreon chat and Brian goes on to say I wanted to hear the exclusive mini episode.

[Zeth Lundy]

I about fell over when I heard.

[Jake Brennan]

Brian Stone was a piece of shit manager who did Dr. John wrong. To be clear, I am not that Brian Stone. However, it may explain the cold welcome I received while working a Dr. John show at a club in Portland, Maine.

[Zeth Lundy]

About 12 years ago.

[Jake Brennan]

Maybe a bit more.

[Zeth Lundy]

I was the monitor mixer and had.

[Jake Brennan]

Just finished mic' ing up the baby.

[Zeth Lundy]

Grand and introduced myself to Dr. John when he came out for soundcheck. I have my name and he went blank. And now it all clicks. He must have wanted to kill me on my name alone. I was definitely at the wrong time.

[Jake Brennan]

But in the right place. That's from our new All Access member, Brian Stone.

[Zeth Lundy]

Brian, way to, way to introduce yourself in the chat, man. Okay.

[Jake Brennan]

Mike Lamina writes in. This is on Disgraceland at DisgracelandPod. Hey, I can't figure out from your website how to not get commercials. I bought a year subscription. Thanks, Mike. Mike. Well, I don't know, but here's what we're going to do. Matt Bowden, who handles sort of everything behind the scenes here at Double Elvis, is going to chime in in about four seconds and he's going to give you the best explanation he can on how to make sure that your All Access membership is delivering ad free episodes. And it's different whether you're on Apple Podcasts or whether you are on Patreon. And Matt will quickly and succinct through each scenario right now for you, Mike, so that you can be taken care of. Appreciate your membership.

[Announcer]

Hi Mike. First of all, thanks for being a subscriber. We really appreciate it. I'm not sure if you're subscribed through Apple Podcasts or through Patreon. If you're subscribed through Apple Podcasts, you should be able to access the ad free feed automatically and you'll just be served the ad free versions of the episodes. That's all gonna happen through Apple Podcasts rather than our website. If you're a Patreon subscriber, and you wanna get access to the ad free feed, there's a custom RSS link that you're gonna get from Patreon and paste that into your podcatcher. That could be Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast. Whatever podcatcher you're using, you'll need to paste in that custom RSS that you'll get from Patreon. In the show notes of today's episode, I'm going to post links that will help you for both Apple Podcasts and Patreon. Just click on those links and they'll take you to the information you need. If you're still having trouble, you can always reach out to me directly on email. The email address is matthewmatch e [e-mail] matthewblevis.com and put in the subject line subscription help, and I'll jump in onto that thread and help you out directly there. And that goes for anybody who's having any trouble accessing their subscriber benefits. Just shoot me an email and we'll help you get sorted out. We want you to enjoy your subscription and get those benefits. So if you need help, shoot me an email and I will do my best to help.

[Jake Brennan]

All right, thanks, Matt. Appreciate that. I know Mike appreciates that as well. Andrew Carpenter writes in hey man, I love the show. I was thinking an episode of Elliott Smith would be interesting. Elliott was a musical genius, and the tragic way he died was awful. His music is important, and the swirl of controversy surrounding his untimely death exists. Thank you. Well, Andrew, you know, we talked about this a couple weeks ago in the exclusive section of the Afterparty. Zeth and I, we did a pretty deep dive and, well, we kind of scratched the surface in our conversation in the afterparty, and we decided we wanted to tell this story. Okay. Then I went into the research as though I was going to write the story. And it's. This seldom happens to me, man. I cannot get to the truth of this. I don't know what the truth is, and I don't know how to tell the story. And it's really frustrating because there's a lot of people out there who were friends with Elliot Smith and, you know, they're relatively my age, a little bit older, and you want to be respectful to his memory, to his legacy. It just feels too raw, it feels too soon, and it feels too murky, and I just cannot get to the bottom of it. And after researching it for a week, I also felt completely gross and disgusting and depressed. And I just decided.

[Zeth Lundy]

I called Seth And I was like, dude, I don't.

[Jake Brennan]

I don't think I want to do this. I just don't think I want to do it. Not right now. Andrew. Perhaps another time in the future for Mr. Elliot Smith. All right, discos, you know how to hit me up. 617-906-6638. Voicemail and text at Disgracelandpod on the socials disgracelandpodgmail.com if you want to email me.

[Zeth Lundy]

Next up, coming up tomorrow in the.

[Jake Brennan]

Rewind slot is our. We're moving in right into Christmas, right into the Christmas season. After Thanksgiving with our Merle Haggard episode. And then next week, the next new full episode that we're doing is part two of our Merle Haggard story, which is bananas. Here's the title. Surviving Christmas Cosmic American Aliens and Cocaine Clarity.

[Zeth Lundy]

Merle got weird. The older he got, he got weird.

[Jake Brennan]

In the best possible way. And you're going to hear all about it. And when you're listening, you know, Merle has a voice that to me is just. It just stops me in my tracks and it grabs me by the shoulders and it goes, look, dude, you're about.

[Zeth Lundy]

To hear something incredible.

[Jake Brennan]

So just, you know, focus on this right now. That's how powerful that dude's voice is. He might be my. I don't know. I can't decide. Is it Merle or is it George Jones? They both sing in a way that is. It's like listening to Jimi Hendrix or Robert Johnson play guitar. You're like, I don't.

[Zeth Lundy]

I. I don't.

[Jake Brennan]

I have such a deep appreciation for this. And I don't. I don't necessarily like when Jimi Hendrix is playing blues.

[Zeth Lundy]

It's so deceptively simple.

[Jake Brennan]

And I don't understand how he's doing it. I really don't. Anyhow, I want you to be listening to these, this Merle Haggard Part 2 episode, and just let me know of all the great country singers, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, take your pick. Morgan Wallen, George Strait. I'm trying to think of another modern one. Chris Stapleton, I guess, who has the voice that just owns you when you hear it. Who is your favorite country singer? Because country singing is a distinct thing. It is different from, clearly different from rock and roll singing. It's so cool. It's so badass. It's so adult. I just love it. And, you know, I'm gonna try and think through my favorite here. Is it Merle? Is it George? I'm gonna listen to a bunch over the weekend, try to make a decision. And you let me know when you're listening to the Merle Haggard Part 2 episode. Our new episode on Merle Haggard. Who your favorite country singer is. Call me 617-906-6638. Leave a voicemail, send me a text, hit me at disgracelandpod on the socials disgracelandpod and I'll be back right after this.

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[Jake Brennan]

All right, let's do some quick recommendations here. Started this last week, this whole one book, one record, one documentary and we talked a lot about Scorsese last week. We're going to continue doing that as we close the Close the book, our Disgraceland book on Scorsese and the band this week. Last week I recommended Made Men. This is a book on the making of goodfellas. This week I'm recommending actually two more Scorsese books. I only wanted to recommend this one here, which is the main one. It's called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Book Movies by Martin Scorsese and Michael Henry Wilson. And this book is fantastic. It's Scorsese taking you through the history of film, you know, exactly like it says. And it's based on, I guess, a documentary that came out that I'd never seen and I can't really find.

[Zeth Lundy]

And it's fantastic because it's Scorsese giving.

[Jake Brennan]

You his personal view on sort of all the great genres of filmmaking from the beginning of filmmaking, from the silent era all the way through the huge. Even, like, you know, musicals and big studio films, like, you know, big westerns and the Warner Brothers gangster movies. Just fantastic stuff.

[Zeth Lundy]

And it goes.

[Jake Brennan]

Pretty deep. Talks about his favorite directors as well. It's just. It's a. It's a really cool way to bone up on your film history, if you're interested in that sort of thing. And I can't recommend it highly enough. Again, a personal journey with Martin Scorsese through American movies.

[Zeth Lundy]

Second book.

[Jake Brennan]

I know I'm only supposed to do one, but if you watched Mr. Scorsese on Apple podcasts and you were like, I need more, then this is the book you need Scorsese on Scorsese. It's a book of interviews that Scorsese did. And it goes up and. Until, I think, the early 90s. Yeah, up and until Goodfellas. And it's. It's really an expansion.

[Zeth Lundy]

You can tell that this book is.

[Jake Brennan]

The spine of that Scorsese doc that just came out on Apple. So if you want a little bit more, you'll get a little bit more with Scorsese on Scorsese. So that's. Those are the books. I'm recommending the record.

[Zeth Lundy]

You know, no one talks about before.

[Jake Brennan]

The Flood, Bob Dylan in the band from 1974 live album. No one talks about this album enough. And it's just. It's scorching. These guys are. They're. They're on fire. And I love this album. It's kind of an overlooked, overlooked piece from Dylan's catalog. And the band is really pushing Bob pretty damn hard on this record. It's fantastic. Again, before the Flood, Bob Dylan and the band, 1974. That's my one record recommendation. My one documentary recommendation. American boy, Martin Scorsese, 1978 documentary on his buddy Steve, Steven Prince, who plays Easy Andy in Taxi Driver, the gun dealer. And Steven Prince has this incredible history in New York arts and culture. And he's a heroin addict. He tells some amazing stories. Just. I believe he's in Scorsese's Hollywood apartment in the late 70s. And this is where that wild scene from Pulp Fiction comes, where when Uma Thurman overdoses, and John Travolta has to inject her through the sternum with that hypodermic needle and the adrenaline. It actually comes from a story that Steven Prince that happened to Steven Prince. And it's in this documentary called American Boy by Martin Scorsese from 1978. So there you have it. One book, one record, one doc. Those are my recommendations. Check those out if you haven't already. If you got any recs for me, hit me up. 617-906-6638. Real quick. Speaking of films, speaking of music, speaking of Scorsese, Zeth and I have a new video podcast called this Film should be played Loud that is available exclusively to our All Access members. It's gonna be released on December 10th, and you're gonna love it. It's my two favorite things. It's my peanut butter in my chocolate. It is the convergence of music and. And film. It's a video podcast about great movies and the great music that makes them choice.

[Zeth Lundy]

Okay, the first, every episode's gonna be.

[Jake Brennan]

On a different movie. First one we're doing is on Goodfellas. That's a good way to come out of the gates. And again, that's coming on December 10th. And to get that podcast every single month, you're gonna have to become an All Access member. Go to disgracesandpod.com to sign up. All right, Matt, give me the buzzer beater because right now this is the.

[Zeth Lundy]

60 second sports rant in under 30 seconds.

[Jake Brennan]

And it is once again sponsored by.

[Zeth Lundy]

Five Hour Energy's new Pumpkin spice flavor, your favorite fall drink. In an energy shot, you can pick.

[Jake Brennan]

Up a Pumpkin Spice 5 Hour Energy Shot, available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon.

[Zeth Lundy]

Now, listen, I come from a family of gamblers.

[Jake Brennan]

On my mother's side, the big thing we bet on is football, professional football. We've been doing this literally for as long as I can remember.

[Zeth Lundy]

It started out with football cards.

[Jake Brennan]

Kind you buy in the package with.

[Zeth Lundy]

Bubblegum, but kind you get from a.

[Jake Brennan]

Bookie has all the games on it. The point spreads. You get to pick six, you get to win every single one of them to win a big pile of money. Now, listen, also, not just the football cards, okay?

[Zeth Lundy]

Calling in bets to the local bookie.

[Jake Brennan]

Which I used to do as a 10 year old with my stepfather. I had my own code and everything. Hey, this is R1,62. Give me the pass with the points.

[Zeth Lundy]

Dallas minus three, Cleveland plus two. I never knew why my stepfather had.

[Jake Brennan]

Me calling the Bets.

[Zeth Lundy]

I think it got passed off as being cute.

[Jake Brennan]

But.

[Zeth Lundy]

You know, I think what was really going on was me.

[Jake Brennan]

My, my stepdad needed another voice to lay money on separate teams to cover losses on his other bets. I don't know. I didn't ask.

[Zeth Lundy]

I'm not sure he'd tell me the truth Anyhow.

[Jake Brennan]

Now, nowadays we bet with just the football cards. And no, it's not through an app. And yes, it's, you know, done in, in an old school kind of way, if you know what I'm saying.

[Zeth Lundy]

True to our family's form, my seven year old plays the cards on Sunday too. Willie the Greek, that's what they've been calling him. He's come closer to winning the pot on Sunday than I have. Anyway, I have an attitude toward gambling.

[Jake Brennan]

That is akin to, I guess, how the French think about kids drinking wine.

[Zeth Lundy]

Expose them young, destigmatize it, make it.

[Jake Brennan]

Casual, and they will likely not abuse it.

[Zeth Lundy]

That's how it worked for me anyways.

[Jake Brennan]

With the gambling, not with the drinking.

[Zeth Lundy]

Anyway, my family, however, has officially taken it too far.

[Jake Brennan]

My youngest sister is about to have a baby next month. And her, it's her first. And yes, there is a pool.

[Zeth Lundy]

We've got squares, top row for the days born. Side row is for the minute of birth.

[Jake Brennan]

It's insane.

[Zeth Lundy]

Winner gets 500 bucks and my newborn nephew will get 500 as well. I swear to God this is true. Is this too far? I feel like it's too far. I feel like it's like betting on the weather. Have we jumped some figurative shark with our gambling?

[Jake Brennan]

I think we have.

[Zeth Lundy]

Do I really care though?

[Jake Brennan]

No, I don't.

[Zeth Lundy]

Do I want to complain about it.

[Jake Brennan]

In the sports rant?

[Zeth Lundy]

Kind of. Are the Pat's going to win on Monday night against the Giants? You bet your ass they are. But I have to check with my.

[Jake Brennan]

7 year old to see if they're going to cover the spread.

[Zeth Lundy]

Matt, don't tell me how I did. I know I went too long, but I don't care. All right, that was the sports rant sponsored by five Hour Energy's new pumpkin spice flavor. These new pumpkin spice five Hour Energy shots are fall in a bottle and.

[Jake Brennan]

They bring that classic pumpkin spice flavor that we all know and love.

[Zeth Lundy]

Our favorite fall drink in an energy shot.

[Jake Brennan]

You can pick up a pumpkin spice 5 hour energy shot available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Now with our band episode. This week we released our new mini episode for exclusive members entitled Go Deeper Dead band members in a Box and bootleg basement tapes.

[Zeth Lundy]

Matt. Give the people a little taste of what they're missing. If they're not signed up for all access, go.

[Jake Brennan]

The road was rough. You never knew what you'd find out there. Five guys split between two station wagons going from town to town, gig to gig, living hand to mouth. Sometimes the place was packed, the crowd was into it and thus making it easier to endure another late night staring at that long white line while tearing ass through the darkness in one of those station wagons. Some nights, however, you played to just three people, including the bartender. And some nights you got stiff by the no having club owner who wasn't afraid to use a loaded pistol in his hand to help drive home the the fact that you weren't getting paid. There were the hangers on, the dealers, the dopers, the jealous husband who didn't like the way he looked at his wife. And for all of these reasons, a traveling band has to be tight. If you're on the road, you have to have your band members backs. And long ago, back before resentment, jealousy and creative differences tore them apart, the band took that unspoken rule one step further. Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Levon Helm had a pact. And the pact was this. If one of them died out there on the road, victim of too many pills or too much drink, maybe even one of those jealous husbands, then the other guys would put his dead body, body on ice, stuff him back in the station wagon with the instruments and haul his ass back to Woodstock, New York where they were living before the authorities caught on. By 1967, however, after nearly a decade of life on the road, the band were at long last taking a break. Because their boss, Bob Dylan was taking a break. And it turns out it wasn't their bodies and reputations they had worry about protecting anymore. Their own music would soon need guarding. And that's where all the trouble started. Let me explain.

[Zeth Lundy]

All right, Like I said, that is.

[Jake Brennan]

A clip from our new mini episode.

[Zeth Lundy]

Mini episodes come out. We're going to do a three or four of these a month. A little way to go deeper into.

[Jake Brennan]

The subject that we've been covering that week. And again you can only get it through all access. You get to become an all access member. Go to discretesandpod.com you're going to get exclusive content like the mini episode. You're going to get ad free listening. You're also going to get exclusive content like this little bit of the after party that we're going to get into on the greatest concert films of all time from our perspective, Mind and Seths. And also some overlooked gems that we hope shine a light on some films you might not have seen. Some great ones from master musicians, huge artists, and also some artists who are kind of flying under the radar, but just, you know, make great concert films. That is Zeff Lundy, Dr. Zeff Lundy to you and I in the All Access section of the After Party.

[Zeth Lundy]

All right, guys, thanks for joining me.

[Jake Brennan]

For another episode of the After Party.

[Zeth Lundy]

Earlier we, we talked about so many.

[Jake Brennan]

Artists, but earlier in the B block here, we talked about Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison. We have episodes on all those guys as well as a ton others. Over 250 episodes in our archive. And Matt is going to put the episode information in the show notes for Dylan, Clapton and Van Morrison, and you'll be able to easily navigate to those. You want to check those out? All right, let's recap. Number one, this week's full episode, the Band and the Last Waltz, that is available for you right now. Go check that out if you haven't already.

[Zeth Lundy]

Number two, our new mini episode for All Access members on the death pact.

[Jake Brennan]

That the band had. That's available as well. You gotta be an All Access member. Sign [e-mail] Number three, rewind episode on.

[Zeth Lundy]

Merle Haggard kicking off the Christmas season. That's coming up next. And number four, next week comes our.

[Jake Brennan]

Part two Merle Haggard episode that's brand new. That's going to hit you. It's going to hit you right where.

[Zeth Lundy]

You need it to hit you. Number five, that's going to give you.

[Jake Brennan]

Those Hollywood and crime vibes in Hollywood land. So make sure you're subscribed over there.

[Zeth Lundy]

617-906-6638. Your voice keeps us digging into the dark corners of music history. So keep calling, keep texting with your answers to this week's question of the week or whatever the hell else you want to talk about. And remember, discos. This isn't just content. It's a community.

[Jake Brennan]

A community.

[Zeth Lundy]

The obsessed. No one cares about music, books, records and the crime and grime that ties them all together like you do.

[Jake Brennan]

And, well, that's a disgrace.

[Zeth Lundy]

All right, okie dokie. Mr. Muskogee. On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, the day the band and Martin Scorsese filmed the greatest concert film of all time, the Last Waltz. This is what America was listening to.

[Jake Brennan]

On that day, according to the Billboard charts. Number one, tonight's the night gonna be all right. Rod Stewart. Last week, one weeks on Chart nine. Number two, the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Gordon lightfoot. Last week, two weeks on chart 14. Peak position two. Number three, Love so Right VG's. Last week, three weeks on chart 11. Peak position three. Number four, Muskrat, Love, Captain and Tenille. Last week, four weeks on chart 10. Peak position four. Number five, the Rubber Band man, the Spinners. Last week, six weeks on chart 12. Quit talking and start mixing. Cut it.