Episode Overview

Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona
Episode: 12-03-25 - Choosing The Winner Of This Year's Playdio Competition
Date: December 3, 2025

In this lively and irreverent episode, John Holmberg and the crew—Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo—recap Arizona’s Playdio local band competition's climactic finale. They dissect each band’s live performance, recount memorable moments from the event, and ultimately vote to select this year’s Playdio champion, who will be given the coveted job of writing the show’s 2026 theme song. Expect honest critiques, inside jokes, and plenty of banter celebrating Arizona’s vibrant (if sometimes overlooked) local music scene.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Controversial Song Lyrics & Ozzy Osbourne (“Mr. Tinkertrain”)

• The episode kicks off with a candid and comedic breakdown of Ozzy Osbourne's Mr. Tinkertrain lyrics, where the hosts joke (and cringe) about the song being sung from the perspective of a child molester.
• John reflects: "I never paid attention to Tinkertrain that closely...Until just now, I didn't realize he's singing from the point of view of the rapist. He's playing the part of the...He's not singing about Mr. Tinkertrain. He is Mr. Tinkertrain." (01:20)
• They extrapolate how odd and provocative Ozzy’s artistic choices were, playfully riffing on the band’s supposed internal discussions.

2. Lighthearted Anecdotes & Audience Interactions

• Shout-out to recurring audience members, specifically Rochelle and Craig, with John hilariously recounting being mistaken for Craig’s son due to their similar ages and gray hair.
• "If you're ever confused for my father, it's not ‘cause I look so good,” John jokes, “maybe think about dying your hair." (04:38)
• Brady adds comic relief by sharing what Rochelle said to him: "If he asks me if I'm his mother, I'm throwing blows." (04:47)

3. Playdio 2025 Finalist Recap & Critique

General Impressions

• The group reflects on the live Playdio event, agreeing all bands were solid but none “blew them away” compared to past years.
• “Nobody took over the room last night. Let’s just say that.” (06:01)
• Noted the volume and quality of the bands were higher than previous years.

The Bands

a. Graves of the Monuments

• Described as the heaviest and “most aggressively loud.”
• Memorable Moment: Speculation about the thundering bass, "It sounded like a weapon. He was breaking strings…He's a Native American. They have those." (07:00)

b. Thomas James Band

• Praised for professionalism in setup and energetic performance.
• Noted for adapting to the generic drum kit and setting the standard for the night.
• "They put it out there and they're great. That was fun. If you see Thomas James Band is playing, it's worth it." (08:15)
• Compared to The Struts, called a great bar band, and forecast as “worth going out to see.”

c. The Mess I Made

• Drama around firing the guitarist; new guy with only three practices.
• “Their new guitar player kind of stole the show…He was fun.” (09:33)
• Delivered “Bleed Out” live for the third time ever—pulled it off.

d. Without Fear

• Led by KUPD’s own John Gordon; they impressed with harmonies—never easy live.
• "They knocked the harmonies out live, which is never, never easy to do in a bar." (10:30)

e. DJ Bathsheba

• "Studio queen" put on stage solo with tracks; room rooted for her but performance fell flat compared to studio magic.
• “She just did not want to do it...She's a studio queen. She's not ready to be up on stage yet.” (11:23)

4. Voting & Winner Announcement

• Each host writes down their pick:
• "Will it be the Thomas James Band? Will it be Without Fear? Graves of the Monuments? The Mess I Made? Or DJ Bathsheba?" (12:14)
• Votes are counted Survivor-style by Toledo.

Vote Results:

• Thomas James Band wins with the majority of votes
• Without Fear receives one vote
• Quote: "The winner of this year's Playdio is the Thomas James Band. Stone Cold Killer was the song, and it was good." (13:19)

Aftermath:

• The hosts praise all finalists and discuss the changing local scene.
• "Local music is still alive. I'm not sure where. I don't know where you go to hear it anymore...you'll find bands like this." (13:59)

5. Live Performance: Thomas James Band – “Stone Cold Killer”

• Listeners are treated to the winning song, with Brady belting out lyrics in classic bar-band style (14:14–16:51).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Ozzy's “Mr. Tinkertrain”:

  • "How you doing tonight? I never realized that until I'm listening to it. I'm like, wait, you keep saying 'I'." – John Holmberg (01:20)
  • "That's why they call me Mr...I don't like that song anymore. I don't know if it's aged poorly or I've aged better." – John (03:59)

• On Band Performances:

  • "All of them were very good...But nobody made me go, 'oh my God.'” – John (05:52)
  • "They sound like the Struts a little bit...something happening in seven or eight different directions. I like Thomas James Band a lot." – John (08:17)
  • “Their new guitar player stole the show… He was fun to watch." – John (09:33)
  • “She’s a studio queen. She’s not ready to be up on stage yet.” – John (11:23)

• On Local Scene:

  • "Local music is still alive. I'm not sure where...but you got to search it out and you find bands like this." – John (13:59)

• On Voting:

  • "Survivor is Thomas James Band, Thomas James Band...One more vote for the Thomas James Band and they win Playdio." – John (12:52)
  • "Congratulations, Thomas James Band, you’re the champs. And to all the others that entered: your losers, Arizona's most powerful, powerful rock radio station." – Eddie (18:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:-------------:|----------------------------------------------------------| | 01:20 | Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Tinkertrain" breakdown | | 05:02 | Recap of Playdio Night & intro to finalists | | 06:01 | General critique: solid year but no “blow you away” star | | 07:00 | Graves of the Monuments discussion | | 08:15 | Thomas James Band performance review | | 09:33 | The Mess I Made’s new guitarist; live vs studio | | 10:30 | Without Fear’s harmonies praised | | 11:23 | DJ Bathsheba’s live struggle | | 12:14 | Hosts deliberate and vote on Playdio winner | | 13:19 | Thomas James Band declared winner | | 14:14–16:51 | Thomas James Band plays “Stone Cold Killer” | | 17:04 | Wrap-up, what’s next for the winners | | 18:01 | Suggestion to compile all former HMS theme songs |

Conclusion

Tone & Takeaway:
The episode is a witty, candid, and affectionate celebration of Arizona’s bar-band ecosystem. The hosts both support and roast the local artists, offering sincere praise and good-natured sarcasm as they empower the winning band to create HMS’s next theme. If you care about local music or love unscripted, honest radio, this episode is a crash course in both—with the Thomas James Band’s “Stone Cold Killer” as the crown jewel of 2025’s Playdio.