Holmberg’s Morning Sickness (98KUPD) – Show Summary

Episode: 09-17-25 – FULL SHOW – WEDNESDAY
Date: September 17, 2025
Host: John Holmberg
With: Brady Bogan, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo

Overview

This episode delivers a classic HMS blend of concert war stories, offbeat humor, music talk, local Arizona news, and stream-of-consciousness riffing. The main theme revolves around recent concerts attended by the hosts, notably a disastrous Joe Perry Project show, a sharp commentary on the rise of news/media personalities as arena acts, and the ongoing kidney saga with Brady. The episode is filled with comedic banter, musical reminiscing, and irreverent takes on current events.

Key Topics & Breakdown

1. Concert Recaps: Joe Perry Project Trainwreck (05:00–21:00)

• Brady’s Review:
  Brady Bogan recounts attending the Joe Perry Project concert, describing it as "the best, worst show I've been to since Feldman" (01:55). The concert featured a supergroup lineup (Joe Perry, Chris Robinson, Robert DeLeo, Brad Whitford), but was hampered by sloppiness, forgotten cues, substance use issues, and onstage chaos.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “Joe Perry’s a trainwreck. If he’s not drunk, then he’s just maybe a little bit R-word. He was gone.” – Brady (07:02)
  • “It was like a garage band rehearsal just doing cover songs.” – Brady (09:55)
  • “The project needs a little work. Those Hollywood Bowl tickets can’t be cheap.” – Brady (20:01)
• Memorable Moments:
  • Joe Perry botches intro to “Walk This Way”; backup singer (from the Black Crowes) shines without rehearsal.
  • Chris Robinson’s manic energy noted (“That dude is just…a frantic, anxious energy.” – 05:21); speculation on substance use.
  • General lack of rehearsal and communication—multiple onstage miscues and blown transitions.
• Nine Inch Nails Contrast:
  • Brett describes the NIN show as “like a machine” and “light show was amazing” (12:36), poking fun at how Trent Reznor’s band would never have the chaos just described.
  • “If Trent just stops because he started a song in the wrong key…” – John (17:05)

2. News Anchors as Arena Entertainment (43:44–62:24)

• Megyn Kelly Arena Tour Rant:
  Holmberg riffs on the announcement of Megyn Kelly performing at Desert Diamond Arena, critiquing the cultural phenomenon of news personalities selling out large venues.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “We’ve made our news presenters super celebrities to where we’ll pay money to…whatever she’s gonna do.” – John (44:34)
  • “If I went downstairs and said we want to do a live show…the hockey stadium. I get laughed out of the room.” – John (51:14)
  • “There’s no reason to see her live…if $2,000 was the price to see Megyn Kelly live and she doesn’t show me her [bleep] in the middle of that show, I’ve been ripped off.” – John (60:53)
• Memorable Moments:
  • Satirical riffs on “Tom Brokaw Live at the Desert Diamond Arena” and the idea of news events as rock shows (46:24).
  • Imagines “Newsapalooza” and the “Insane Clown Posse of news”, mocking the absurdity and partisanship of the phenomenon.
  • Audience jokes about $2,100 Megyn Kelly tickets; pondering if she “stage-dives” (61:16).

3. Dragon Kidney Watch: Arizonans Flee Donor Registry (35:10–43:12)

• Brady’s Health & Organ Donors:
  A segment on the local news reporting a spike in people removing themselves from the Arizona organ donor registry, humorously blamed on Brady’s recent high-profile need for a kidney.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “With the news of Brady needing a kidney, people are just leaving in droves from the program.” – John (36:28)
  • “An organ kneader starts to weep and pray for your death. That’s essentially how the organ donation program works.” – John (40:39)
• Tone:
  Black comedy about hoping for healthy young worker “Jessica” to get in a car crash so Brady can have her kidney.

4. General Absurdity & Banter: Family, Music, and First Concerts (62:24–85:03)

• First Concerts:
  Humor about strange first concerts (Bread, Emmylou Harris), with Brady recounting attending Bread as a fifth-grader with "Uncle Mike".
• Parents’ Sexuality Bit:
  Hilariously awkward stories about accidentally witnessing or realizing parents as sexual beings, including the perils of family vacations and post-coital hotel encounters (122:29–132:31).
• Offbeat News:
  • Denmark’s hardline stand against DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion)
  • Circumcision rates in the US (97:54–101:54)
  • Changes at Wendy’s (103:32)
• Bizarre Video Descriptions:
  • Segments with wild viewer videos: stone-skipping cheating scandal, circus accidents, breast-smashing beer cans, and extremely strange anatomical feats (109:03–119:13).

5. Rock Wars: We Cured World Hunger – But Now Have Too Many Fat Kids (135:19–151:07)

• Theme:
  In light of new UNICEF stats that for the first time globally, obese children outnumber undernourished ones (“We have a bigger problem with fat kids than we do starving kids.” – John 136:46), the hosts pick songs for a fundraising campaign—celebrating the “end of hunger” and tackling childhood obesity.
• Song Picks:
  • Brett: Typo Negative – “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” (Winner)
  • Brady: Beach Boys – “Vegetables” (“king of the seaside on the album…vegetable by the Beach Boys” – 145:24)
  • John: Taylor Swift – “Shake It Off” (“She’s the only one who can move these kids” – 148:05)
• Memorable Rants:
  • John slams Brady’s deep-cut Beach Boys pick: “First again with your rock that Brady knows, but no one else does.” (146:46)
  • “Shake it off, baby…take off all that fat you chunks, and it’s perfect.” – John (148:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Live News Shows:
  “We’re not supposed to have anchors with the devil horns walking onto a stage with pyro. Not a thing. Not a thing.” – John (50:35)
• On Joe Perry's Downward Spiral:
  “Joe Perry’s a trainwreck…he doesn’t have it together at all.” – Brady (07:02)
• On Organ Donation:
  “A donor starts to weep and pray for your death.” – John (40:39)
• Roasting Brady’s Song Choice:
  “Brady’s kidney’s glad it got out. New, old music…you heard it first!” – John (146:19)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time (MM:SS) | Segment | |--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:55–21:00 | Joe Perry Project concert review, Nine Inch Nails contrast | | 43:44–62:24 | Rant about Megyn Kelly/news personalities as arena acts | | 35:10–43:12 | Organ donor exodus / Brady’s kidney saga | | 62:24–85:03 | Family/vacation/first concert stories, news oddities | | 97:54–101:54 | Circumcision stats, social commentary | | 109:03–119:13| Graphic/bizarre video chemistry, shock humor | | 135:19–151:07| Rock Wars – Celebrating “cured world hunger”/now-too-fat kids |

Overall Tone & Takeaway

• Style: Fast-paced, irreverent, self-deprecating, sarcastic, and often crude humor.
• Content: Mix of local interest, pop culture, music, raw personal stories, and stinging cultural commentary.
• Vibe: Fluid, unfiltered, and never safe for work—offers both a window into the hosts’ candid (and sometimes juvenile) friendship and a running commentary on the absurdities of modern life.

This summary covers the episode’s essential segments, complete with notable quotes, memorable riffs, and context, making it both comprehensive and approachable for those who missed the live show.