TBTL Episode #4633: "Voice Squad" (January 2, 2026)

Episode Overview

This special edition of TBTL, hosted solo by Andrew Walsh, turns the microphones over to the listeners themselves. With co-host Luke Burbank out, Andrew curates an extended "voicemail show," playing a series of diverse and heartfelt voicemails from listeners across the country. The episode not only highlights the quirky, close-knit TBTL community but also serves as a snapshot of the memories, odd thoughts, jokes, and life stories that make the show special to its "tens of listeners."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Banter & Setting the Stage

• Absurdist Humor and Routine References
  • The show opens with riffing and a playful, meandering monologue, including a nonsensical recounting of days passed, parodic Friday celebrations, and a mock talk-show setup about "the elderly."
    • "I know we've only known each other for four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days..." — Andrew Walsh (00:00)
    • Light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek listener interactions and inside references, including "pre-taped" show jokes, and a Friday song snippet.
• Announcement of Listener-Driven Format
  • Andrew explains the unique episode format: the entire show will consist of listener voicemails, which rarely get this kind of uninterrupted spotlight.
    • "I have the privilege, as the man with the keys to the voicemail line, to listen to every voicemail that you guys leave... So today, I want to give you the feeling that I have when I get to just listen to one voicemail after another after another..." (05:01)
  • This episode is described as being in the spirit of Time Magazine’s "You" as Person of the Year.
    • "You're the co host today since Luke is out. And so as our co bro, I'm going to turn the microphone over to you guys." (08:10)

2. Voicemails: Community Stories, Humor, and Reflections

Pop Culture Debate & Childhood Memories

• Wings TV Show Rage
  • Rachel from Pennsylvania recalls her sixth-grader fury at an unrealistic depiction of children's handwriting on the sitcom "Wings".
    • "I was fuming because I think they were supposed to be third or fourth graders when they wrote this. And I was like, how dare they besmirch children of our age group?" — Rachel (09:24)
• Bat Night at the Phillies Game
  • Joe from Atlanta shares a wild childhood memory of violence and nostalgia at a Phillies giveaway night.
    • "I was all like, you know, welling up and cheery... and my wife looked at me and said... that's one of the craziest things I've ever seen you do." — Joe (11:18)

Sensory Memories & Nostalgia

• Smell & Place
  • Adam from Albuquerque connects the show's "top five" discussions to his own emotional flashback via the smell of creosote in Juneau, Alaska.
    • "I was, I was 15 again. It was, it was absolutely bizarre and emotional. That smell just, just brings me right back." (13:59)
• Ironing Crayons & Pipe Smoke
  • Another caller shares how the smell of melted crayon wax and pipe smoke trigger fond childhood memories.
    • "It was supposed to look like stained glass... The teacher would iron it and melt the crayons between the wax paper." (15:25)

Coincidences & TBTL Magic

• A listener experiences a serendipitous alignment: finishing a gas station salad as a back episode discusses the joy of "non-nutritious salad."
  • "Luke just read my mind and that's it... I'm not ashamed. I love my salad. I love my tbtl." (17:08)

Recipe Tips & Regionalisms

• Cold Summer Salad Recipe
  • Cameron from Taos offers a refreshing Asian cucumber salad recipe, field-recorded while walking home. (18:02)
• Pronunciation Watch
  • Maggie from "the middle shelf" enjoys that both Chris Hayes and Andrew say "electricity" as "electricity"—maybe a "back east" thing? (18:49)

Sports Euphoria & Missed Fantasy Points

• Schaefer Don from Austin reacts to a wild Seahawks win, with a tongue-in-cheek lament about his fantasy bench.
  • "Luke must be electrified right now...I had Sam Donald on the bench… Punchline for all of this." (19:16)

Found Money & Old Houses

• Jamie in Mississippi tells of discovering $1,000 in furniture inherited with a centuries-old house—close to serendipitous found money.
  • "I would not have taken it from her, but I just have feelings and kind of the thrill of it knowing this belonged to someone who is long gone." (19:51)

Quick Hitters: Jokes, Facts, and Life Hacks

• Salmon joke ("What did the salmon say when it ran into a wall? Damn.") to brighten listeners’ mornings. (22:04)
• Listener Rich from Lakeville, MA, gives an in-depth explanation of cranberry bog harvesting and its evolution from hand to tractor.
  • "All those commercials with those dudes... standing in the water is like old school Cranberry. New school cranberry is literally a John Deere with floaty wheels that drives on the water." (22:16)

Epic Windstorms & Local News Stardom

• Nikki from Ohio shares the chaos of a Colorado Springs windstorm: cars smashed by trees, awakened by the local news at her door, still in pajamas with retainer in. (24:19)

Mug Diversity & Domestic Diplomacy

• Ryan from Tennessee weighs in that having mismatched mugs actually helps guests keep track at group gatherings—a utilitarian defense for mug variety. (27:28)

Customer Service Champions

• Amanda near Mt. Rainier recounts the endless friendly calls she receives from Sweetwater Sound regarding a drumstool purchase, marveling at their unusually personal follow-ups.
  • "Every six months or so, a person... not an AI Chatbot... calls me up from Sweetwater Sound to ask me if I need any more drum stools..." (28:20)

Music Fans vs. Evolving Artists

• Justin in Ferndale, WA, explains his frustration with bands (Counting Crows, latter-day Grateful Dead) when singers no longer deliver the familiar melodies fans love:
  • "I'd rather go see a Grateful Dead cover band... when artists decide to do that, it's such a weird thing. So, yeah, power out." (30:05)

Popcorn Hierarchy & Dive Bars

• Jamie from Maryland declares the "free popcorn at a dive bar" the best kind, cementing the intersection of nostalgia, beer, and cheap eats.
  • "You and your friends get together and drink pitcher after pitcher of foamy yellow beer and play music on the jukebox—to me, that's the number one popcorn experience." (32:19)
• Also, her grandma’s bacon-grease-and-butter popcorn gets a special nod.

Meta TBTL Moments: Fans Reflect on Formats & Rituals

• Jake from Chicago lists his top five missed TBTL segments (including "Guest Producer Doug Schreckengos" and "Drop Roulette"), indulging in show lore. (33:22)
• Another listener shares their top five ways to listen to TBTL, from bingeing banked episodes, to Fridays after work, to long car rides with their "11," to the special magic of attending live shows and the feeling of community it manifests.
  • "It just feels like you almost were a part of putting this show up on the stage..." (34:42)

Listener Spouses Chiming In

• One listener only calls the TBTL line because prompted by a sticker on his wife's water bottle, appreciating the community and the sense of fighting "global loneliness." (38:36)
  • "You guys are great. I think you guys do good stuff in the world. So cheers and power out." (39:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Listener Calls:

  • "A lot of the voicemails don't end up on the air... Sometimes it's just hard to figure out exactly where to fit them on the show... But as the man with the keys to the voicemail line... today, I want to give you the feeling that I have." — Andrew, explaining the rare treat of this episode (05:01)

• On Community Magic:

  • "You're the co-host today since Luke is out. And so as our co-bro, I'm going to turn the microphone over to you guys." — Andrew (08:10)

• On Nostalgia and Senses:

  • "That smell just, just brings me right back." — Adam, on creosote in Juneau, AK (13:59)
  • "I think they were supposed to be third or fourth graders... how dare they besmirch children of our age group?" — Rachel (09:24)

• On Found Money:

  • "Although part of me is like, oh, that 100% is the right thing, wasn't my money... but at the same time, I was so close to found money." — Jamie (19:51)

• On Evolving Artists:

  • "I'd rather go see a Grateful Dead cover band... than the real band when they change it up too much." — Justin (30:05)
  • "Luke pretty much nailed it on the head. Even if you are like a jam band where the audience is expecting each version of the song to be different, there are certain parts of the song that need to remain the same..."

• On Rituals:

  • "On Fridays, listening to the Friday show, after I'm all done with work, I've got all my responsibilities done. I'll be walking my dog and listening to the Friday episode. And there's something so relaxing about that." — (34:42)
  • "It just feels like you almost were a part of putting this show up on the stage..." — Reflecting on attending live TBTL events.

Noteworthy Segments & Timestamps

• [05:01] — Andrew's heartfelt setup for the all-voicemail episode
• [09:24] — Rachel’s epic "Wings" TV show rant
• [11:18] — Joe’s story of violent bat nights at the Phillies' stadium
• [13:59] — Adam's evocative walk and sensory nostalgia in Juneau
• [15:25] — Listener describes the distinctive and comforting smells from childhood
• [17:08] — Gas station salad-tbtL mind-meld coincidence
• [18:02] — Cold cucumber salad recipe on the run
• [18:49] — "Electricity" pronunciation detected!
• [19:16] — Seahawks victory and fantasy football lament
• [19:51] — Jamie’s found-cash-in-furniture saga
• [22:04] — Salmon joke brings a smile
• [22:16] — Deep dive on cranberry bogs from Rich
• [24:19] — Nikki’s windstorm and local news interview adventure
• [27:28] — Mug diversity and group hospitality logic
• [28:20] — Sweetwater Sound’s aggressive customer service
• [30:05] — Jam band fan frustrations and concert letdowns
• [32:19] — Popcorn nostalgia: bars, beer, and grandmothers
• [33:22] — Top five missed TBTL segments
• [34:42] — Top five ways to listen to TBTL as a fan
• [38:36] — Cranky Board sticker, family listening, and fighting loneliness

Tone & Style

The episode is warm, playful, and rich with the types of inside jokes, running bits, and absurdist charm that define TBTL. Andrew’s gentle, self-effacing banter as he sets up the episode gives way to an uninterrupted parade of listener voices—welcoming, awkward, poignant, and hilarious by turns—reminding even casual listeners of what makes TBTL feel like family.

In Summary

"Voice Squad" is a love letter to TBTL’s community, a dynamic episode in which the listeners become the show. Through stories of nostalgia, home life, food, random coincidence, and inside jokes, the episode spotlights the show’s singular chemistry—not just between hosts, but with listeners themselves.

Best listened to on a walk, in your pajamas the Friday after New Year's, juice stains and all.

Power out.