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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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?

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

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 |

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.

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.