#152 - Rolling Three Deep

Summary

Man of the Year – Champions of Friendship

Episode #152: Rolling Three Deep
Date: October 7, 2025
Hosts: Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode of the country’s #1 friendship podcast, comedians and friendship experts Matt Ritter and Aaron Karo dive deep into the dynamics of hanging out in groups of three, exploring whether "three is the magic number" for friendships. Drawing from decades of personal stories, audience questions, and research-backed insights, they debate the pros and cons of duos vs. trios, offer practical advice for navigating friendship dynamics, and share hilarious anecdotes about real-life social scenarios.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sleep Training – Lessons from Parenthood

• Matt shares personal updates about “sleep training” his child, offering a comedic but poignant take on the exhaustion and the tough-love life lessons involved.
• Quote: “You have to let the baby cry all night long until they learn that nobody’s coming to save them. It’s a good lesson for life, right?” – Matt (01:37)
• This segues into broader reflections on life phases, the universality of struggle, and the need for support systems.

2. Scrapbooks, Digital Memories & The Modern Parenting Dilemma

• The hosts reminisce about childhood keepsakes contrasting them to today’s digital photo overload.
• Aaron: “Famously, my parents have this scrapbook of all my first... For Karen, nothing.” (05:00)
• They joke about losing touch with analog traditions and failing to locate photos on their phones, leading to comic banter about technology gaps.

3. Trio vs. Duo – The Friendship Optimization Debate (Main Theme)

• Key Question: Is three the optimal number for a friendship group, or is three a crowd?
• Matt: “Some might argue that the best number for friendship is three... I wanted to put that to our audience and talk about that as a topic. Is three the ideal number for friendship or is three a crowd?” (07:25)

Pros of Hanging Out in Threes

• Less social pressure: You don’t have to carry the full conversational/emotional load.
• Increased group energy and comedic banter.
• Even if one person is disengaged, the others carry on—no awkward silences.
• Travel is easier: less pressure if someone sits something out.
• Easier to coordinate than larger groups.
• Matt: “A great trio feels expansive.” (09:53)
• Aaron: “When that third person shows up, suddenly we all get charged up… Now it’s a party.” (14:53)

Cons of Hanging Out in Threes

• The classic “third wheel” or “two-vs-one” dynamic—feelings of exclusion or imbalance can arise.
• Seating and logistics can be awkward (e.g., at dinner or on planes).
• Conversation can veer into topics not relevant to all three.
• Aaron: “It’s the same thing as a sexual threesome. One person gets... No, no. Is that weird?” (11:58)
• Matt: "Isn't that healthy... that you take turns ganging up on somebody?" (12:52)
• Logistics of splitting bills and making plans can be slightly trickier, though technology (Venmo, etc.) has helped.

One-on-One Friendships

• Allow more depth, vulnerability, and attention.
• Can become “stale” or feel like you’re “on a date,” with higher energy/exhaustion demands.
• Listener insight: Some people find one-on-one draining and prefer trio dynamics.

4. Listener Question: Is Preferring Three Friends ‘Bad’?

• Question (21:05): Listener admits preferring trio hangs because one-on-one feels like too much pressure.
• Hosts validate this perspective, noting that different personalities (introverts vs. extroverts) have different social energy needs.
• Aaron: "That is a hidden benefit of the trio… if it's one on one, it's like a date. You gotta be… it's just you." (21:37)
• Matt: “Sometimes you’re just alone, one on one with people, it does feel like a date, it does feel like performing a little. I don’t know, we both have that performing gene.” (21:49)
• Ultimately, they reassure listeners there’s no “right” way to do friendship—whatever brings joy and keeps you connected is best.

5. Real-Life Friendship Logistics

• Discuss travel, concerts, and how group dynamics shift with different numbers.
• Aaron: “Definitely in the last quarter of the hang... we're hungover, it's dead silent, you know, like, we’ve covered it.” (27:29)
• Hosting and attending events—some activities (sports bars, concerts) are more enjoyable in groups of three or more.
• Matt shares news about a new “Pawn Shop” sports bar in LA, making plans for future gatherings.

6. Navigating Invitations and Turning Down Friends

• Aaron shares an anecdote about declining an invite to volunteer, consulting chatGPT for advice on how to say “no” with grace.
• They remind listeners it’s important to find “your golf”—activities you truly enjoy with friends.

7. Hilarious Commentary on Concerts and Stadium Life

• The absurdity of stadium drink prices and “single/double” upsells.
• Aaron: “Had me double-fisting vodka sodas for three hours.” (31:39)
• Discussion about concert “diet” — quarterly for them, while their friends attend much more often.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I think a good friendship duo feels safe, but a great trio feels expansive.” – Matt (09:53)
• “When that third person shows up, suddenly we all get charged up. Now it’s a party.” – Matt (14:53)
• “Remember that Sex and the City? Which of them has the threesome and then the other two just start hooking up and she gets pushed off the bed?” – Aaron (12:08)
• “Performing gene… it does feel like performing a little.” – Matt (21:49)
• “There is a truth to the idea of, like, if you can get a third person in on some things, it does lighten the load. It is nice.” – Matt (34:35)
• “Whatever you can do to see your buddies, right? If you have one, you know, gratitude. If you got four, great. It’s all good.” – Aaron (34:52)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Sleep Training & Universal Struggles: 01:12 – 04:48
• Scrapbooks & Digital Memories: 05:00 – 06:49
• Technology Banter (Finding Photos, AI): 06:49 – 07:25
• Main Topic – How Many in a Hang?: 07:25 – 11:45
• Pros/Cons of Trios vs. Duos: 11:45 – 16:02
• Listener Question (“Is it weird to prefer hanging out as a trio?”): 21:05 – 22:51
• Friendship Energy, Social Exhaustion, and Activities: 22:51 – 28:54
• Stadium & Concert Anecdotes: 30:13 – 33:51
• Final Thoughts on Friendship Dynamics: 34:35 – 35:02

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Summary Takeaways

• There’s no “perfect” number for a friendship group—the best is the one that works for you.
• Trios can offer an ideal mix of energy, social ease, and reduced pressure, but may present challenges like exclusion or shifting alliances.
• One-on-one hangs are best for depth; trios can “expand” the experience, lighten emotional/performative pressure, and often make outings feel more like a party.
• Whether you’re a one-on-one type, thrive in a group, or like to “roll three deep,” the real championship move is staying connected—however and whenever you can.

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Authentic, funny, and loaded with practical tips, Episode #152 is a must-listen for anyone navigating the fine art of adult friendships.

Transcript

[A]

Guys, we are so excited to announce on October 23rd we will be releasing our first Audible original called the Buddy System, A Modern Man's guide to Mastering Friendship. And you could check it out [e-mail] thebuddy system. This Audible original has all of our best tips and hacks from the pod, plus tons of new stories and advice. And we're excited to check. We're excited for you guys to check it out. Audible.com thebuddy system Matt, are you pumped?

[B]

This is everything that our listeners have been looking for. Everybody in this country who's been searching for better friendships, ways to improve their existing friendships, or just get out there and make some new friends. It's a clear roadmap. It's called the Buddy System. It comes out on October 23rd. Audible.com thebuddy system. You do it for yourself. You deserve this.

[A]

Let's do it. Man of the year.

[B]

Man of the year. Man of the year.

[A]

Welcome to the number one friendship podcast in the country. I'm Aaron Caro.

[B]

Matt. I'm Matt Ritter.

[A]

And remember to go to manofthearpodcast.com to grab our merch and watch our clips on YouTube. Is it, is it my turn to rant, Matt? Because mine.

[B]

No, I, I have a good rant, but. Okay, I have a good rant. So I sleep trained. I sleep trained. We sleep trained our child last night. We're in the middle of sleep training, meaning we're not sleeping right now and you have to let the baby cry all night long. Just cry all night long until they learn that nobody's coming to save them. It's a good lesson for life, right? It's a good lesson to learn early. You're on your own, kid. Hot take. The government should pay everybody, every parent, a two night stipend to go away and have somebody sleep train their child. That's my number one. Number two is you should be given off from work for those two nights.

[A]

This, this reminds me of a recent episode where you said, everybody, everybody is up in arms over the timing of spring break.

[B]

Yeah, I did say that.

[A]

Young to old.

[B]

What are you talking about? You're like, what are you talking about?

[A]

Matt is exper. I mean, it's interesting. You're interested, experiencing new phases of life. And then as you always do, you always universalize it. You go, everybody needs days off, 100-year-old.

[B]

People, grandparents, everybody who's having a child, which is, you know, whatever. 20% of the population, half of our listeners, 50% of our listeners understand me when I say we need to push for work off. It's like the super bowl but for misery, you know what I mean?

[A]

Does. Does. What is the science? Like, is. Is the baby crying? Because babies have just. Are just all instinct. Like, is he really upset or he just doesn't know?

[B]

Yeah, no, it's instinct, I think. And they do know. So there's this 5, 10, 15. I forget if it's Ferber. I don't know if they still call it Ferber anymore. Yeah, but it's like you go in at five, you comfort them, they. You leave, they cry again. Then you go into 10, 10, 10 minute intervals and it's like a workout thing, you know? 5, 5, 10, 15. Ko. You love regimen. It's 5, 10, 15. And then after 15, you just never come back.

[A]

It's cognitive behavioral therapy.

[B]

Yeah, it's like dad went out for some cigarettes and he never came back.

[A]

Yeah. And then eventually they realize.

[B]

But the flip side is some people say it traumatizes the kid permanently. There's like a. An abandonment thing that they'll have for the rest of their life. I don't buy it, but there's a small school of thought that's like, don't do it because they're abandoned. They feel abandoned for the rest of their lives.

[A]

So, I mean, I suppose, what's the other option? You go in every time he or.

[B]

She cries and it takes years for the baby to properly sleep trained. Yeah, I think some people do it that way. I don't have any judgments about it. I just know that this is the way we did it. And I, I would have. Should I tell. Should I tell like a guilty truth about the first baby? So such a first baby. Second baby thing.

[A]

Yeah, please.

[B]

First baby. We went away and we asked the night nurse to do it. Like, we didn't even want to be around for it, but she couldn't do it. She was too emotionally attached to our baby, so we had to do it this time around. Slept right through his. I mean, I didn't really sleep, but I slept. The whales don't bother me anymore.

[A]

But. But is. Is he wailing? Like, is like, why is he wailing?

[B]

Because he wants somebody to come.

[A]

Right. But he doesn't want. Is he tired?

[B]

No, he's taught. He's sleeping. It's the middle of the night.

[A]

Right. He just wakes up and cries. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, classic second baby syndrome. It's like my. We have my famously, my parents have this like, scrapbook of all my first. A lock of my hair and For. For Karen. Nothing.

[B]

That's pretty funny. A lock of your hair.

[A]

You need my first little baby shoes.

[B]

Like, oh, that's cute. I know. We're not doing a lot of that stuff. I gotta get on that for Julian. Well, we already. I feel like we already missed it. Some of that stuff for Brenner, too.

[A]

Oh, well, if you didn't do it for the first kid.

[B]

I know. We live in such a digital world, you know, like they're the scrapbooks and the things. Like, they're just not around. Or maybe they are.

[A]

To be fair, you have 10,000 more pictures of your kids than we have of us.

[B]

Right, right. It's like, oh, what's your favorite word? Well, let me go look it up on April. You know, whatever. November 2023. I can tell you exactly.

[A]

Yeah. Except that for you, Matt. I mean, you might as well have four pictures because you can't find a picture on your phone. Oh, my God, Carol.

[B]

This is hilarious. You're calling me out. There was this British woman that was sitting next to at lunch the other day, and she was a gardener. Like, she loves gardening. And we just got into talking about peonies. And I was telling her, Jesse's grandmother had the greatest peonies garden you've ever seen in your life. And she's like, show me when I tell you. I stopped paying attention to the convo between her and my mom. 20 minutes of me trying to find a picture in 20, 21.

[A]

You know, you could search for flowers.

[B]

What?

[A]

Are you serious?

[B]

Are you serious?

[A]

I. I can't. I actually can't tell if you're joking or not.

[B]

Obviously I'm not joking. I wouldn't have done that for two hours. For 20 minutes.

[A]

Yes, it picks up.

[B]

You can.

[A]

Search dogs, babies, flowers, Super Bowl. It picks up all that stuff now, AI. Oh, my God.

[B]

On the new phone, though, you're such a.

[A]

You're such a lovable.

[B]

Wait, hold on, hold on, wait. On the new. I don't have a new phone.

[A]

Sorry. I said AI. No, it's been doing that for, I don't know, a decade.

[B]

So what do you. You just type in flowers?

[A]

Check in flowers. Best friends. You can type abstract thing. Victory, joy.

[B]

All right, well, I'm glad to have you around. Anyway, let's get to the topic at hand. Not making fun of Matt's Ludditeness.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, you know, we hang out in a variety of numbers as a crowd. Sometimes we hang out, just me and you. Me, you, Londi. Me, you, Jeff. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. There's a lot of different numbers. Some might argue that the best number for friendship is three. Throuple. Some might say, no, just one on one is best. I wanted to put that to our audience and talk about that as a topic. Is three the ideal number for friendship or is three a crowd? You know, the pros and cons of the number three. Lucky number three.

[A]

Well, let me, let me do some clarifications and caveats. Are you talking about on a, on an a la carte hang you're talking about that's your group or both?

[B]

Oh, you know what, I guess let's start with your group.

[A]

And then I should also say, should we do a kind of high class problem sort of caveat that like, hey, you got four. Great. You got one, right?

[B]

Awesome. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

This is more optimization.

[B]

I brought this. The reason I brought this up is because we got a listener question about this. So I kind of reverse engineered it to talk about the topic because I do think friendship dynamics and the number kind of affects the way people interact. The energy, the accountability, the decision making. There's a lot of, there's a lot of influence on what the number of friends is.

[A]

Yeah, I think that you, you know, I think a twers hang or a twers group has its. That's when you really get deep. But you and I, I think, have discussed even before the pod. It's tough. Like you eventually, if you follow all our tips and hacks, you've, you know everything about the other person. You've asked every question. You know how their wife is, their work is, how's their mental health. They go to the bathroom, you're sitting by the, you're sitting by yourself. It's tough to maintain a two person hang.

[B]

You think? I don't know, I, I never feel like I've, I never feel like there's nothing to talk about with any of my closest friends. One on one. Do you feel that way?

[A]

Not saying nothing but like, you know.

[B]

It can get stale.

[A]

Not even stale. It's just that like, okay, we've covered everything. We're hanging out. Especially if you're like going for dinner or drinks, you're just staring at a person. I mean, you wouldn't go, you know, it's just, it depends what the situation is.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, I think a good French, I think a good friendship duo feels safe, but a great trio feels expansive. I think that's what you're talking about, right? It's like you're good with two, but three you think three is better?

[A]

Well, what happens if your, if your buddy is out of town?

[B]

Well, then you're. But then you're only two.

[A]

No, I'm saying if you're in a duo.

[B]

Right? Yeah, no, no, I. I think, I think. But again, like, is three better than four?

[A]

Well, so in like the first five episodes of the pod, we talked about this. I think we landed. Like, you want to be able to fit in an Uber.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now you could get an Uber xl, but like, whatever. So it feels like four is good. You know, I, I always. I offer to sit. I have good middle seat energy. I'm compact. You need someone like that. You know, also, depending what you're doing, like, for us, if we go to like a show or something, can't get in with more than three people, right?

[B]

I mean, I think it's two, three or four. Four. It's hard to have four people to get together. So that's why I was kind of boiling it down to. Is three the magic number? I mean, if you can get three, great. If you can get two other friends together with you on a regular basis.

[A]

Yeah, awesome.

[B]

But I wanted to just get into like, what do we think are the. What's, what's the case for. For two? I think here's, here's my case for, for three people. Okay. I actually think it's great for travel. A lot of times somebody doesn't want to do something, then you're not alone. Like, somebody's always up for something. Less pressure to carry anybody else's full, like, emotional load. I think the group chat energy is better. The group energy just like, I don't know, the, the back and forth is funnier a lot of the time.

[A]

Well, it's not really a group chat with two people, is it?

[B]

Yeah, no, but I'm saying we text, you know, we have funny. We have some pretty funny texts. Just you and me. The darker stuff.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Right. Okay. What's the case against three?

[A]

Well, one person. I mean, it's the same thing as a sexual threesome. One person gets. No, no. Is that weird?

[B]

No, that's just funny.

[A]

Remember that? Remember, remember that? Sex in the City? Which of them has the threesome and then the other two just start hooking up and she gets pushed off the bed.

[B]

Kim, right?

[A]

No, no, Kim. Kick up the bed. I think it was. Who, who's the dark haired one?

[B]

Charlotte.

[A]

Yeah, Charlotte.

[B]

She was. I gotta, I gotta rewatch that.

[A]

Yeah. You know, if the two. It depends on the, on. On the trio, you know? Is it Is it equal? You know, we used to joke way back in. You were saying yesterday in elementary school, we sort of had a trio that, That I got ganged up on sometimes. So is that healthy, though?

[B]

Isn't that healthy for a three person friend group that you take turns ganging up on somebody such.

[A]

That's the most matte thing you've ever said. Oh, it's healthy. Put some hair in your chest, you beat you, you. You beat you whale on the one guy and he becomes stronger. I just think it all.

[B]

It all equals out in the wash. Usually on a healthy. In a healthy three person friend crew, there's a lot of that. But anyway, the case against three is.

[A]

That first of all, it's an awkward number of like sitting at dinner, you know, on a plane or something. I guess, you know, it's an. Playing golf.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, I mean, these are again, high class problems.

[B]

What about, like, I think the. Really, what it might have manifests itself for me is like, if I'm with Fireball, Adam and Jeff, and they're talking indie band stuff, I feel equally close to them. But if they're in, in. In something that I'm just, you know, not into, I'm like, all right, I'll see myself out.

[A]

Right. But how does that. I mean, that could be the same with four people. You're saying that two people. The other person's got to talk about something you care about.

[B]

Yeah, that I'm saying it gets, it can get, you know, Right. If you're just one on one, you got to find common ground. Right. Sometimes with three, it's like, oh, we're just gonna talk for. And like, Lonnie probably feels that way. If we talk about sports, I feel.

[A]

Like three people is a more like, like it's more like luxurious, you know?

[B]

Okay. Talk more about that.

[A]

Like, you know, okay. Oh, me and Jeremy are going to grab a drink, gonna watch the game. Fine, whatever. Oh, Matt's coming. It's a thing. It's a thing. It's a thing. Just like, I know this was many months ago, but in March Madness, we had a buddy in town, we were hanging out, and you. Then you came and say, all right, now we're. Now it's a party.

[B]

I agree. When that third person shows up, suddenly we all get charged up. We're like, oh, yeah. Oh, we're really doing this because you and I could go out anytime.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

You put a third person in there, it's like, oh, no, now we're a unit. Right? Isn't There, like we're a unit now.

[A]

I mean, I guess the downside would be also if, like, I mean, it is possible that one person doesn't. Like the third person could be like an interloper.

[B]

Well, there is always that, right? There is always that. There are alliances and, and, and some people don't feel as close. I mean, that's like jealousy, fomo, third wheel stuff. Even in adult friendship, that stuff is very, very real. But that's not a reason not to be in a third, a three person friend group.

[A]

What about splitting a check?

[B]

I thought we agreed we don't do that as adults.

[A]

What do you mean? Three people go to dinner, you're paying. Oh.

[B]

How is that any harder? I mean, Venmo, you know, or whatever. Cash out.

[A]

Yeah, I guess three people is fine. Three people is fine.

[B]

The reason I brought this up, I think we should get to the listener.

[A]

Question because I think it's really. Can I ask, Can I ask you something else unrelated? Do you ever. And you're a former disgrace slash disbarred slash disgraced lawyer, do you ever sign up for those class action emails?

[B]

No, but I get the envelopes with, you know. Oh, yeah, right, with the letters asking me to sign up. I, I don't. No, you have to opt out, usually.

[A]

No, you have to opt. Well, no, you have to, you have to opt in to get a payment.

[B]

Right, but you have to opt out if you want to get your own.

[A]

Right. If you want to sue on your own.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

So I, I owe, I mean, at first I check to make sure it's not a scam and I always sign up for these things. Dude, I just got $250 from T Mobile.

[B]

Yeah, 250.

[A]

Yeah, I've gotten like 700 before.

[B]

So. I have a lot of mixed feelings about class action suits. I mean, you know, I, I work in the legal recruiting space and yeah, some, some of the people I work with are crushing it. Know, making billions in class actions and I'm like, good for them, suing wrongdoers. But then at the same time, like a lot of this stuff comes out of the city or the state and.

[A]

It'S like, oh, if they're suing the city. Yeah.

[B]

Who's paying for this? So just going to like bankrupt all of us.

[A]

I mean, I've never. Mine are always like T Mobile, Verizon, Facebook.

[B]

Yes. If it's a private actor, great.

[A]

What's this dumb example of a city or state? I can't even think of that.

[B]

Like a, like a sexual.

[A]

Oh, okay, well, those aren't things that are.

[B]

Those aren't class action discrimination stuff. Yes, there are a lot of.

[A]

Right. Well, in that respect, dear sick, don't discriminate. And then.

[B]

I know, but I was just thinking about an unusually large one that I was like, whoa, so who was going to end up paying this?

[A]

Yeah, it's all, it's all coming over out of our souls at some point.

[B]

All coming out of our souls.

[A]

All right. Should we do the Lister question?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

All right. We'll be right back.

[C]

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[A]

Asking for a Friend. Our marquee segment. If you have a friendship question or ethical dilemma, send it to us on Instagram. Our handle is man of the Year podcast and we will answer it on the show. Matt, take it away.

[B]

Hey Matt and Caro. I've got a lot of good, close friends, but is it weird that I actually prefer hanging out as a trio? I get socially exhausted one on one, but with three, the pressure's off. Does that mean I'm a bad friend?

[A]

That's interesting. I thought you were going the other way.

[B]

No, I know. That's why I thought the question was cool. I, I, it was like, oh, okay, he's coming at us from a non obvious approach here.

[A]

Yeah, that's actually really smart. That is, that is a hidden benefit of the trio is that like, you know, if it's one on one, it's like a date. You got to be, it's just you.

[B]

I gotta say, I'm starting to feel this way. Okay, like with this listener said I, it hit me when I read it, I was like, you know what? I've been feeling that way too. Sometimes you're just alone, you know, one on one with people. It does feel like a date. It does feel like performing a little. I don't know. We both have that performing gene. So you feel like you're performing more.

[A]

Well, yeah, that's what I was saying earlier. You kind of disagreed that like you're talking and you're getting, you're asking about X, you're listening, you're actively listening. And then it's like, I'm dude, I got nothing left.

[B]

Yeah, I guess I wasn't seeing it from a perspective of I have nothing left. I was just, you know, I don't think I always think I have more, but I do think that there is A certain truth to one on one has a certain emotional and societal burden placed on it. Does that make sense?

[A]

Well, you know how. Oh, God. Who was our guest? What was her name? Cat Velos. Cat Velos. And she taught us what introvert and extrovert mean.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That extrovert gains energy from hanging out. An introvert.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And. And we were saying a lot of people don't like going to parties because that exhausts them. This is the opposite of that, right?

[B]

Yeah. I mean, for me, I'll give you an example where this manifests for me. And then I want to hear about you. You're just talking about, like March Madness. I. Anytime I want to watch an NBA game, I have a few NBA buddies, but I never really want to do it just the two of us. I want there to be three of us.

[A]

You mean going to a bar or.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Say more about that.

[B]

It. I don't know. It doesn't feel like. Kind of like what we were talking about. It doesn't feel fun enough to warrant me going to a bar to watch the game with just one person.

[A]

Yeah. Also then you gotta, like, you know, if it's silent, it's weird or whatever. Like, you know, does this go against.

[B]

Everything we've been preaching? We're being honest, everybody, you know, this. This is real. This is real. We're. We are. We have been giving friendship, deep, deep thoughts for many years now. And, you know, I'm just giving. Sharing my true thoughts about it. I think when I go to sports bars, I don't even do it that often, but if I'm gonna do it, if I'm being honest, there needs to be two other people with me for. For me to feel that this is the energy that I want.

[A]

Have you. Because you were very upset that you. There was no good sports bars. Have you found anything better?

[B]

So my good friend, Tony Messina, shout out to Tony. James Beard, winning chef from Boston, part of the Bill Simmons crew, is opening. Remember where the old pawn shop, that giant yellow pawn shop was?

[A]

This is near you on Melrose and Vine. Okay. Yeah, vaguely. Yeah.

[B]

He's opening an awesome sports bar called the Pawn Shop.

[A]

Oh, no. Oh, yeah. I feel like I've been maybe. Did you. Have you been sending stuff or. I just seeing it on Instagram?

[B]

Maybe I just see it on Insta. They're opening in January or February 2026. I think the BS Reports podcast is going to be in there. They're gonna have sweets and like, it's gonna have like this open middle bar. Like, you Know, like a real sports bar with a big open middle bar.

[A]

I don't. I'm not sure I'm picturing what, a big, open middle. You mean like a round bar?

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

That's like, that's the. The heart of the operation. Did I lose you there?

[A]

Yeah. Okay. We had a quick. We had a quick technical glitch. We're back. Isn't. Isn't seven months a long time to get a restaurant going?

[B]

They've been working on it for two years.

[A]

That's just bleeding, hemorrhaging money.

[B]

First of all, I can't believe you just said that. Cairo just. I just want to reiterate. Cairo just said, isn't seven months a long time to get a restaurant going? That's the second restaurant I know that's at least two years in the making. The other one being Phil Rosenthal's restaurant Marshmallow, which is just about to open.

[A]

I don't know what you're saying. I mean, restaurants are notoriously. You got to get that shit up and running. It bleeds money.

[B]

No, I'm not saying it doesn't bleed money. I'm just saying getting a new restaurant approved, the rags, the build, like, that stuff takes forever.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, okay. I mean, I. Listen, I. I'm pro. The pawn shop. I want to go to the pawn.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So shout out to Tony. I'm excited for that. Yeah. I just wanted to talk to you about your honest truth about what you feel or when three works or doesn't work or two doesn't work.

[A]

You know, like, I feel like the person. So I'm. I'm actually going with Fireball Adam in a couple weeks to Red Rocks. So just he and I, 24 hours. You know, we went to Stagecoach 24 hours. So we've. So we've done that a bunch. And, like, we know we travel well together, which is a good, you know, part of our Uranize rubric. But definitely in the last quarter of the hang, it's like, I mean, usually we're hungover. It's dead silent, you know, like, we've covered it. We've covered it.

[B]

Right, right.

[A]

And like, you just want to be on your phone a little bit.

[B]

Right. I. I hear you. But I do think the flip side is you have an activity that's a real activity to. To kind of numb.

[A]

Yes. But that included three hour drives, plane rides, you know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But imagine, I mean, you're. You're not going to be here, but imagine you were there then It's a. Then it's like a road trip.

[B]

Yeah, it's. That's a good one, right? Yeah. Concert. You're going along with someone. But I think it's better one on one if there's a concert or something, to be honest.

[A]

I don't know. So, to me, I don't know if we've ever talked about this. Concerts. I find concerts to be awkward.

[B]

I find them to be boring.

[A]

Right. Okay, so we're saying the same thing because you're kind of standing there, you know, like, what are you supposed to do with your hands?

[B]

Kid Row and I are not big concert guys. Talk us into concerts, listeners.

[A]

I mean, Fireball Adam has opened. Listen, we have a blast. We had a Blink 182. We hang out with Jeff.

[B]

Yes. No, no, I'll retract. I'm not. Not a concert guy. I'm not a regular concert guy. Die. I. I need it to be maximum quarterly. That's my maximum concert intake for a year.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

What about you?

[A]

When we go, we go big, though. We go to, like, so what.

[B]

What's. What's your healthy concert diet?

[A]

Yeah, I would say, you know. Yeah, I feel like once a. Once a quarter feels right.

[B]

Because Fireball Adam and Jeff, they're what, twice a week?

[A]

Well, Fireball Adam does his thing, the we call the Loni, where he texts me, what are you doing Wednesday?

[B]

Right.

[A]

I'll need more information. Then he's like, do you want to go to Santa Clarita to see an emo show in a record shop? This band disbanded in 2004. Following ever since. And it's like, he's so passionate. Like, how do I. I'm just like, love you, buddy. No, I don't. Like, how do you guys, you know, just.

[B]

No, that sounds great for somebody not named Kira, right?

[A]

Oh, let me. Let me. Let me throw. This is a little off topic, but should I say this? Nah, I'll just say, say it. So my. My. My buddy texted me. I think maybe madam guy I went to Israel with, and he's like, yeah, a bunch of that crew. We're going to be volunteering at, like, a soup kitchen or something like that. Very noble effort, but, like, I didn't really want to do it that day, that moment, that time. And, like, how do I say no to this?

[B]

How do you turn down. Well, you obviously make up an excuse.

[A]

I. I was going to. And to be like, hey, I've got something that night. But, like, I just feel like that would just. Oh, oh, actually, we changed It. It's the next night, I want to.

[B]

Honestly Cairo and be like, that's not for me.

[A]

I. So I asked chatgpt and it was. It was giving me really good advice. It was like, you know, compliment. Like, you're such a mensch. That's so great. I said, I'm gonna sit this one out.

[B]

Oh, that's good.

[A]

But, you know, thank you for including me. You guys are gonna have a great time.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, that's. But that's always how you've turned down, you know? Yes, no.

[A]

And I'm gonna make a donation. You know, I just like, sounds fun.

[B]

But not available for this kind of activity. I think though, it goes back to our find your golf. Right. Like the music people, they found their golf. But. And I also said early on in the pod, I said, sometimes you have to meet your friends where you are. That's why I go to the quarterly concert to begin with, because I like the camaraderie of going with people who really dig it. Or it's a band that I'm really into, you know, which is like, they're all in their 60s or older at this point.

[A]

Dude. Whenever we go to a show with Jeff and Fireball Adam, the next day I talk to someone. Oh, what was your favorite? So what did you like? No idea.

[B]

I tell you what I like. Those. Those 72 ounce beers, that's what I liked for $90.

[A]

Had me double double fisting body sodas for three hours.

[B]

I like that. I spent $52 on a beer.

[A]

Oh, God, don't even get me started. When I bought a round, it was like 200.

[B]

One round of beers at SoFi Stadium is $208. What?

[A]

Oh, God. A double. I mean. And they look at you like, oh, you want a single? You.

[B]

I. Oh, yeah. Actually, when I was in. In the Garden, New York for a game last year, the woman did that. She was like, I made you a double. I see you. I'm like, what? It was? It was 48 tequila soda. I'm like, you don't see me?

[A]

Yeah. If you saw me, you'd say I'd wanted a single.

[B]

Yeah, because I wanted to have one. I only had one. That makes no sense. I was only having one drink.

[A]

Why are stadiums the only places where they go single or double?

[B]

No, they say that at bars, don't they? Or they used to feel like it used to be a thing that used to be a very common thing.

[A]

Like a dive bar, a college bar. Yeah, you know, single upsell.

[B]

It's the Greatest upsell.

[A]

What's the bar that we went to? They have like, martini happy hour. Fancy. We went with our man of the year buddy.

[B]

It's. It's at the roof deck of the Maybourne. Yeah, Maybourne.

[A]

When you go to the Maybourne, they don't go. You kind of get a martini. Single or double.

[B]

Yeah, no, I know, but, you know, I wonder what, like the math on that. There must be some sales person who's done the math where it's like you make bank off those doubles.

[A]

Oh, there's some.

[B]

This.

[A]

This someone with a spreadsheet is optimized for alcoholic miscreants like us.

[B]

Right. The double is the biggest margin gain for. For every bar. Right.

[A]

You. You know what they should do is. Do you know, like this sort of behavioral economics thing where you. You have. You pick three.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

They should have a single, double, triple. Make the price like. Well, I guess I get a triple. It's close to the double.

[B]

Can you imagine? People started getting triples. People. Wait, people must have used to have gotten triples. And they were like, no, no, we only do doubles now.

[A]

I mean, I think back in the Mad Men days, the triple was the default, right?

[B]

There was no distinction. There was no triple. It was just a giant glass of vodka.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Or.

[A]

Or like someone we know where you get a martini and you get a shaker full of other martini.

[B]

I love that. I love the. The sidecar of martini.

[A]

You get like five martinis.

[B]

What?

[A]

What the is going on?

[B]

Did we do that?

[A]

I think we answered. I think it's okay if you're, you know, nothing. Nothing to be ashamed about. You get burnt out from one on one.

[B]

Perfectly healthy again. I was. This episode maybe feels counterintuitive to what we normally preach, which is like, get vulnerable, get deep with your friends. But I think, you know, there is a truth to the idea of, like, if you can get a third person in on some things, it does lighten the load. It is nice.

[A]

Yeah. And. And let's also just say, as we said in the beginning, whatever you can do to see your buddies, right?

[B]

If you have one, you know, gratitude.

[A]

If you got four, great. It's all good. All right, wait. Before we go, I just want to say I think volunteering is a noble pursuit. I think everyone should volunteer at a soup kid in a restaurant. I just couldn't do it that day. Karen, my sister. Please don't at me. I believe volunteering is important.

[B]

We see you, Kara.

[A]

We see you. Yeah. He gave you a double. Oh, God. All right, guys. Thanks so much for listening. Always remember, be good to yourself. Be good to your friends. Love you, buddy.

[B]

Love you, buddy. Oh, the car from Carvana's here.

[D]

Well, will you look at that.

[B]

It's exactly what I ordered. Like precisely.

[E]

It would be crazy if there were any catches. But there aren't, right?

[A]

Right. Because that's how car buying should be with Carvana. You get the car you want, choose delivery or pickup, and a week to love it or return it.

[D]

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[A]

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