Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD)

Ep. 11-25-25 – FULL SHOW – TUESDAY – PLAYDIO DAY TWO

Date: November 25, 2025
Host: John Holmberg (with Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo, Corey Walsh, and others)

EPISODE OVERVIEW

Theme:
This episode marks Day Two of Playdio—the station’s annual local-band battle. Holmberg and the crew spend most of the show reviewing, reacting to, and skewering tracks submitted by Arizona musicians, with the goal of identifying the top bands for a live final showdown. The episode is jam-packed with musical roastings, praise, recurring inside jokes, tangents about aging and TV nostalgia, and memorable banter, all delivered in the show’s signature irreverent and conversational tone.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Playdio Day Two Structure and Personality

• Playdio Format: Local bands submit original songs; the crew rates and banters between each track, offering feedback ranging from sincere to savagely hilarious.
• Judging Crew: John, Brady, Brett, Toledo, and occasionally guest/judges like Corey and “Thriller.”
• Contestant Diversity: Spanning one-man bands to metalcore outfits; bands range from the impressive to the amateurish.

2. Opening Banter & Aging Tangents

• Aging and Celebrities:
  • John marvels at how older TV stars (Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton) at their 30th “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion look better than 1950s celebrities did after just a decade off TV.
  • Holmberg links the better aging of modern people to reduced environmental toxins:

    “...two things. Cigarettes, Lead. We took lead out of gasoline and that’s like contributed to our bodies reacting so differently to aging. It’s lead.” (07:15)

  • Comparisons between Wilford Brimley’s age in “The Natural" (younger than John now) prompt jokes about shifting standards of “old.”
  • Group recalls how their grandparents looked far older at younger ages (“my grandpa had been drugged through a fire”).

Timestamp Highlights:

• [06:49] “Why are we aging better? ... Why is a 60 year old Ray Romano’s gonna be 68 next ... and he looks fantastic? ... Cigarettes, Lead.” – John

3. Media Rants & Cultural Commentary

• Broadcast Standards Rant:
  • John rails against current double standards, joking that television exposing audiences to “menstrual blood facials” should open the door for full nudity and swearing on air:

    “If I can see a woman covered in period blood on her skin, I can see breasts and not be offended ... and also I should be allowed to cuss, because if you can watch women with menstrual blood on their face, you can hear the F word and not freak the F out.” (18:00)

  • The show erupts in mockery at new beauty trends involving menstrual blood and placenta pills.

Timestamp Highlights:

• [19:29] “Call me Wilford Brimley, I don’t care how good I look putting that stuff on.” – Brett
• [20:03] “Every time she starts cramping, do like the Bible says, only in reverse. You leave for seven days.” – John

4. Family, Nostalgia, and Generational Differences

• Jokes about old TV shows and the idea that “our grandparents were dumb”—highlighting how basics like packing, wardrobes, and even TV logic (e.g., “Roy Rogers” set in the car age but refusing to drive).
  • [14:23] “Our grandparents were stupid and they ate lead and smoked like crazy. And they died looking terrible.” – John
• Packing Anecdotes: John marvels at how his grandparents consistently traveled with a single small bag for six weeks and walked to the supermarket every day.

5. PLAYDIO – Main Event & Band Reviews

Recurring Format:

• Each band’s song is played and then dissected by the crew. Ratings (typically 1–10) are given, with feedback often blending genuine critique with comedic ridicule.

Notable Band Reviews:

A. Memorable Playdio Tracks/Critiques

1. A Billion Beats – “Digital Ghosts” [67:15]

• Synthy, dark, pop-tinged rock track. Generally well-received.
  • “It reminded me of Altar Bridge a little bit ... a less gay version of Corey Feldman ... Corn and System of a Down had a gay baby, but I liked it.” – John ([71:32])
  • Scores: 6, 6, 7 (collective praise for “sounding professional”).

2. DJ Bathsheba – “Fire and Freedom” [86:11]

• Big, radio-ready, country/soul-tinged anthem by a breast cancer warrior/trucker/philanthropist.
  • The panel is in awe:

    “What the hell is she doing in this contest? ... I’m a tone guy. When you hear someone's song, like their first words, you can tell if they can sing everything. ... DJ Bathsheba has a voice.” – John ([89:13])

  • “Not sure if I'm supposed to admit this during Playdio ... I'm half hard listening to this song.” – Brett ([90:26])
  • “This could be on K and IX tomorrow.” – John ([91:41])
  • Scores: 9, 10, 9 (almost unanimous perfection. The only critique: too “rah rah girl power” for one judge)

3. Rat Trap 520 – “Rail” [61:30]

• “Trap metal” from Tucson—panned:
  • “If heroin could sing.” – John ([62:13])
  • “Change the name of that band to Meth Personified.” – John ([64:43])
  • Criticized for disorganization, endless bio, and “the kitchen sink” approach.

4. Rob Menino – “Orange Sky” [115:49]

• Classic, Springsteen/Mellencamp-flavored bar rock. Gets derided and lampooned, but the infectious “Rob Menino” refrain becomes a running gag.
  • “What do you call yourself? I call myself Rob Menino. What do you call yourself, jackass? I'm Rob Menino.” – John ([111:41])
  • Spawns a series of impromptu “theme songs” and commercial jingles.
  • “Bruce Springsteen after hormone treatment ... just sounded like he was out of breath ... knocked the Wind out of me when I fell down the steps. Rob Menino.” ([118:47])

5. Instrumentals and the Death of the Singer

• A band submits a purely instrumental, overproduced track:
  • “All right. Instrumentals don't work. ... If you need a singer, there's a guy named Rob Menino. He's out there. He could put words to that.” ([144:38])

6. Lady Strange & the Rights – “Stuck In Motion” [155:01]

• Criticized for disastrous production and indecipherable vocals:
  • “Was someone murdered? ... the word ‘no’ was never said in production.” ([156:46])
  • “I felt like Brady in the beginning. Is someone singing or am I just not hearing?” – John

6. Playdio – “Too Good To Be Real?” and Live Event Drama

• Several top-scoring bands are unable to perform live—causing the crew to joke about the contest being “rigged” for in-house favorites.

  • DJ Bathsheba, a truck driver, can't get back in time. Reckless Eden and Witness Protection can’t make it either (both “perfect ten” scorers).
  • “So far so good on that. She's AI until she proves otherwise.” – Brett ([184:35])
  • “Congratulations, Rob Menino. You're our champion.” – John ([187:20])

• Solution: They contemplate moving the live final to the following week to get the best bands there.

7. Miscellaneous Memorable Moments

• Menstrual Blood Face Masks & Placenta Pills: A long, animated, and comedic rant about shocking beauty trends and broadcast standards ([19:19]–[22:59]).
• Fake Compliments: On Lena Dunham being called brave for onscreen nudity in “Girls”:

  “If you’re calling someone who’s naked ‘brave,’ you’re insulting them. Try it with your wife tonight ... It’s not a compliment.” ([23:16])

• Rob Menino Running Gag: The crew continually breaks into song or parody commercials using his “melodic” name as punchline ([122:29], [125:06]).
• Band Bios & Band Drama: Several bands have bios longer than their songs (Rat Trap 520’s ever-expanding member count). Others have internal drama (One Star Night is not a band anymore; submitted “Piss Ball Pete” as a goof).
• Use of AI in Music: Discussed in the context of submissions—whether it’s cheating, and how technology is changing the creative process ([46:47]).

8. Host/Panel Quotes – Notable and Hilarious

• [19:29] “Call me Wilford Brimley. I don't care how good I look putting that stuff on.” – Brett
• [61:30] “If heroin could sing.” – John on Rat Trap 520
• [90:26] “Not sure if I'm supposed to admit this during Palladio ... I'm half hard listening to this song.” – Brett, after DJ Bathsheba’s song
• [111:41] “What do you call yourself? I call myself Rob Menino. What do you call yourself, jackass? I'm Rob Menino.” – John
• [174:26] “That song did. That was a fun song. 16 second song can be fun and silly and we gave it a good score cuz it got us.” – John, on “Piss Ball Pete”
• [91:48] “This could be on K and IX tomorrow. No one would hear.” – John on DJ Bathsheba’s “Fire and Freedom”
• [62:13] “Jesus Christ, if heroin could sing.” – John, on Rat Trap 520

TIMESTAMPS FOR KEY SEGMENTS

• [02:06]–[11:27] – Opening banter, holidays, “Everybody Loves Raymond” reunion, aging, lead paint theory, old TV.
• [18:00]–[23:35] – Menstrual blood facials, broadcast standards rant, Lena Dunham “brave” debate.
• [45:32]–[69:35] – Playdio entries: Readout, Disguised by Ashes, Rat Trap 520, A Billion Beats.
  • [67:15]–[71:32] – A Billion Beats, in-depth reaction.
• [86:11]–[93:11] – DJ Bathsheba – “Fire and Freedom.” Panel reaction, ratings, AI suspicions.
• [115:49]–[122:58] – Rob Menino and “Orange Sky.” Running gag begins.
• [155:01]–[157:36] – Lady Strange & The Rights – “Stuck In Motion” disaster.
• [173:10]–[177:16] – Without Fear (John Gordon in band), praise, critique, end-of-show jokes.
• [181:00]–[181:38] – “Playdio is over and we are pleased...if you’re not, we don’t care.” Final wrap, summary.

CONCLUSION / FINAL THOUGHTS

Best Playdio Ever?

• The hosts and core listeners agree that this is one of the best Playdio years ever, with a higher proportion of actually talented bands, despite logistical issues for the live show.

Classic HMS:

• The episode is packed with stream-of-consciousness riffs, sharply witty critiques, old-man storytelling, and an equal-opportunity teasing of both good and bad bands.
• It demonstrates HMS’s ability to walk the line between sincere local support and the relentless mockery that makes them compelling radio.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Live Event: Playdio final is moved a week to accommodate top bands and ensure the best live show—pending, of course, that DJ Bathsheba can park her truck and show up.
• Listener Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to sing “Rob Menino” as a prank for their family just to spread the joke.

SUMMARY TABLE OF TOP BANDS

| Band | Song | General Verdict | Panel Highlights | |-------------------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------| | DJ Bathsheba | Fire and Freedom | Powerhouse, stunning voice, potential winner | “What is she doing in this contest?” | | A Billion Beats | Digital Ghosts | Professional, catchy, B-movie club vibe | “Not bad, gang. Not bad.” | | Mess I Made | Bleed Out | Polished, melodic, great mix, accessible | “That was very marketable.” | | Without Fear | Gaslighter | Dynamic, catchy chorus, tight performance | “John Gordon ... I thought, nice job.” | | Grave of the Monuments | Suffocate | Modern metal, well-produced, aggressive | “That's going to be loud tonight.” | | Thomas James Band | Unnamed | STP/Black Crowes groove, solid all-around | “I like them.” | | One Star Night | Piss Ball Pete | Viral joke hit, absurdly short fun track | “Let me tell you a story...” | | Reckless Eden | Skeletons | So good, can't attend live | “Man, we got some good ones this year.” | | Witness Protection | Breath of Poison | AI allegations, intense, can’t perform live | “If it happened in the middle, it would bring the whole show up.” |

For Listeners:

If you missed this episode, expect:

• Wildly entertaining Playdio track critiques
• Inside Arizona/98KUPD jokes
• NSFW rants about everything from TV nostalgia to period blood facials
• Unfiltered, spontaneous laughter—especially whenever “Rob Menino” is mentioned

Enduring quote for Playdio 2025:

“I’m not miserable. Normally at this time, I’m miserable. Not yet. You guys have kept us alive.” – John ([152:21])

All times approximate. Ads, promos, and filler have been omitted.