
Comedian Beth Stelling breaks down The Mamas and the Papas’ 1966 debut, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, exploring how its sun-soaked harmonies and era-defining hits like “California Dreamin’” captured a cultural moment and helped shape the sound of a generation.
Loading summary
Josh Adam Myers
Next Chapter Podcasts Hey Fleece army, we need your help to make the 500 even better by telling us a bit more about yourself. Go to www.surveymonkey.com R3TWX8YD for a quick listener survey. It only takes a few minutes and directly supports our team. To show our appreciation, we're giving away two 50 gift cards to lucky participants every single month. So head to www.www.surveymonkey.com R as in Randy, slash 3 the number T as in Tony, W as in Woman, X as in Xerox and 8 as the number Y is in yellow. D as in Dog. I'm saying this, we're gonna put the link on our website if you can't see that, that was a lot. But this is your chance to win. It helps our show. We really appreciate it. We want to know more about you because you know so much about me. So yeah, dude, do it. Www.surveymonkey.com TWX8Y D that's a mouthful, but it's there.
Beth Stelling
When you think about businesses that are
Josh Adam Myers
selling through the roof, like Skims or
Beth Stelling
Allbirds, sure, you think about a great product, a cool brand and great marketing. But an often overlooked secret is actually the businesses behind the business making, selling
Josh Adam Myers
and for shoppers buying.
Beth Stelling
Simple. For millions of businesses, that business is Shopify. It's home. Home of Shop Pay the number one checkout in the world.
Josh Adam Myers
You can use it to boost conversions up to 50%, meaning way less carts
Beth Stelling
going abandoned and way more sales going through.
Josh Adam Myers
To checkout, upgrade your business and get
Beth Stelling
the same checkout Allbirds uses.
Josh Adam Myers
Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com income all lowercase
Beth Stelling
go to shopify.com income to upgrade your selling today.
Josh Adam Myers
Shopify. The 500. The 500. JM been walking us down through that 2012 edition, so it ain't nothing to you. Hundreds more to go and in need of a friend. The king of peaceful Michelangelo. Talking the 500 until the end Talking the 500 until the end with my man JL on the 500 Talking the 500 until the end
Beth Stelling
and the sky
Josh Adam Myers
is gray and the sky is great. On a winner's day On a winner's day I'd be safe and wild Be safe and warm if I was in LA if I was in LA that is California Dreaming. It's by Mamas and the papas from the 66 album, if you can believe your eyes and ears. It's also number 112 out of 500 on the 500. Each week we're going through Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums. We're cutting down. We're almost there. Relaunching at 100. Tell all your friends we're doing this shit, man. The best, if not the greatest recorded music in the history of mankind. There's an argument for every record coming up. I know 500 was scary. 100, it's two years, little under. Be a part of it. Do the journey with us. Tell everybody you can. So screenshot how you're listening to the 500 and post it on your Instagram stories. Oh, yeah. I'm Josh. Adam Myers. I'm your. I'm your host. Man, it was hard to listen to this record this week. Not because it was bad, it just. Man, I just want to watch all the clips from Coachella. I'm going to be in Coachella on Saturday and Sunday. I'm going, going with my buddy Nick from a band called the Strokes. So it's going to rule. Excited to see Nine Inch Noise, man. I saw, I saw Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails at, at Jersey and they do a little subsection in the center where they were bringing up boys noise and they. And they do like five songs. But God damn, that might have been one of the coolest things I've ever seen on this live stream. Jack White excited. See him again. Rock and roll to the extreme. For an hour and 20 or however long he does. Doesn't talk to you. Just rocks. David Byrne, Solomon, Radio City. But I want to see it again. And then of course, the Strokes. Why wouldn't I? But this week you can see me at Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin. The 23rd, I will be at. At Caesar's palace in Atlantic City at the Hook Theater, one night only. It's a big show for me, so come on, come all. May 4th, I'm doing a jam at the Roxy with Jelly Roll. Nick from the Strokes is going to be there. Josh Homey, Bill Burr, Adam Ray, Big J Okerson, Nikki Glaser. It's. We're bringing it back to the Roxy. We're excited about it. So if you're in LA, come out May 4th. It's not a part of the Netflix. It's a joke festival. But they haven't asked me, so I'm doing my own thing. But the beautifully broken comedy show with Jelly Roll will be on May 8th at the Greek. I'll be at mic drop, Plano, Texas, May 15th through the 16th, the 22nd through the 23rd, I'll be at Kimmel's in whatever the. It's called Vegas. Yeah. And then I'm doing Mic Drop Mania in Chandler, Arizona, the 12th through the 13th of June punchline right after that, the 18th through the 20th at the Sacramento one. And my cholesterol is 290. So come one, come all. Punch up live backslash Josh, Adam Myers and JoshuaMyers.com also go to my social media. Now, guys, I've been making music and I'm having a lot of fun where I'm. I'm basically putting. I'm writing songs about viral clips. When I released one already of a woman doing her nails. This white chick doing her nails in this crazy way. And it's. This is more of a black person thing to do. Yeah, it got over a million hits so far. So we're excited about this, me and my team. I'm really excited because it's blending everything that I love, comedy and music. And I get to play. And I built the studio in my living room because no one ever comes over, so. Got a new rug, though, so all the ladies. And lekka, you'll have something to lay on because you can't sleep in bed with me. Psych. All right, get to the meat and potatoes. All right, let's get to this shit, dude. If you're watching the podcast, watch it on YouTube. It comes out every Thursday, but you get it early on our Patreon. Patreon.com backslash the 500 podcast. Support the show, especially as we get down to these bottom five or five. We're talking about one hundreds. I'm excited, man. I love making the show. I love you guys. The music's getting so good. Today's album is if you can believe your eyes and ears by the Mamas and the Papas. This is an incredible title because if you actually saw what was happening in this band, you'd be like, no, I don't believe my eyes or ears or any of this. This record sounds like four people standing in a sunbeam, gently harmonizing about love in California. But in reality, it is four people trapped in what can only be described as the most polite sounding emotional disaster of all time. Yeah, dude, we did the research on this and the harmonies are tight, but the relationships are on fire actively. It's almost if. As if you're like group chat was falling apart, but somehow you got together and recorded something that sounded like angels moisturizing each other. And my guest today is the one, the only, Beth Stelling, whose comedy much like this album Feels warm and inviting. But then halfway through, you're like, oh, wow. This is secretly about something way deeper and slightly unhinged. She's an incredible person. She got a Netflix special out called Girl Daddy. She worked on Crashing. She got a new special. We're looking for people who do huge numbers on social media. It is out now on YouTube. She's currently touring. And you guys, after this episode, you're going to want to go see her because she is a fucking amazing person. So go to Best Spelling Spelling bestselling dot com. And across her social media channels at Best Selling. Hold on. I. I wrote a guy in too. Before we do the final skadoodle, Chris Jarvis in Winnipeg. Thank you for listening to the podcast. I saw you at Rumors this weekend and you. You gave me a shout, man, and I appreciate that. So keep listening to all the people, come up and see me on the road and introduce yourself, and I will give you a shout out on the pod because you're fleece Army. Rate. Review and subscribe to the 500 on all platforms. Leave us a review. Follow me at Josh Adam Myers on all social media at the 500 Podcast. For the show, email the podcast@500podcastmail.com. Follow the Facebook group run by Crazy Evan. And for all things 500, go to the website the500podcast.com. All right, y', all, it is time, because there is nothing left to say. But here we go with 112 out of 500 with the mamas and the papas, if you can believe your eyes and ears. Bethy Stelling. E rhymes with spelling. B. How many people? Dude, if Eminem, he'd be like, I was with best selling selling bee at a. At a spelling bee.
Beth Stelling
Is that what he would be like?
Josh Adam Myers
That's what he would be like. That's what. That's what I'd be like. If I was Eminem, which if I do get reincarnated. First choice. What's your first choice? Come on, dude, you know this. We've thought about this.
Beth Stelling
I haven't.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, you have. Everybody has.
Beth Stelling
I've never thought about.
Josh Adam Myers
I want to be a duck because I want to people. This mic. This mic.
Beth Stelling
I always worried I was just gonna get, like, stuck as a tree or something.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, not a bad life. Especially if you've seen the movie the Happening by M. Night Shamalan. You could kill everybody with your breeze. Remember that shitty plot point?
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
You ever. You know what? I noticed? I got heckled at my show this weekend.
Beth Stelling
Where were you?
Josh Adam Myers
I was in Winnipeg. We have to have a tire.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, you told me that at Rumors.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, Rumors Greatest. I love it. God bless the soul of Ty and the staff there. Every show sold out. One was, was like the first Tuesday was like, was like a little light. But you know, you're there for the week.
Beth Stelling
Tuesday, Tuesday.
Josh Adam Myers
I. I know like hecklers can be like, tell a joke. But nobody goes to like a shitty movie and goes, give me a plot point.
Beth Stelling
No. Because the freaking writer and director are not in the room.
Josh Adam Myers
If you go to one of the screenings at Burbank.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, that's true.
Josh Adam Myers
And you. And you do a market research show,
Beth Stelling
then you can give feedback.
Josh Adam Myers
I've done that. My buddy, when Mad Max Fury Road was getting ready to come out, a year before it came out, we saw the screening of it at Burbank. And I'm a huge, huge Mad Max fan, so. Because my buddy was one of those nerds that always does like. He does the market research.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
He always needed money. You know what I mean? He was an Uber driver. Yeah. But you know, he worked for like Best Buy for years. And you're like, dude, you're almost 40.
Beth Stelling
What to do? Start stealing CDs from Best Buy and selling them on.
Josh Adam Myers
You think you could, but they, they're really. They've only got seven of them there now because nobody's buying them. But you know, they do have nine copies of Aaron Brockovich, which is weird.
Beth Stelling
So are you trying to tell me that somebody at Rumors yelled tell a joke? Because if so, that makes me so upset for you.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, I had a. I had to kick somebody out on the only show. Wednesday was the only bad show because it was a cystic fibrosis foundation that they didn't tell me about. And they were so hitting them hard with the, with, yeah, I'm so pro cystic fibrosis.
Beth Stelling
Right. And they did not like, I want
Josh Adam Myers
more people to have it.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. I don't even know what the it is about you.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. So.
Beth Stelling
So wait, did you say something? That actually was in the realm of pissing them off?
Josh Adam Myers
That was a. That was just because I, I have the guitarist and I do. When I'm in Canada, I found out that Alberta is the home of like their beef. So I made this song up called Alberta Beef. Make that a Queef. Make that Queef by the Great Coral Reef. And I kept doing it. Every time I'm in Canada, it's always killed. They did not like it. But what was funny was as soon as the show was, was over, this 85 year old man Came up to me, and he goes, I don't think we know what a queef is. Is it new? And I'm like, not really, buddy. Actually, I think the cavemen came up with that word. That's a very, like. You know what I mean? So I'm running bits right now. Take it to the state. How tired are you? On a level of. Of. All right, here you go. I'll get. I'm gonna try to do it.
Beth Stelling
Coffee level of tired. What about you?
Josh Adam Myers
I'm about to take a Adderall, baby, because I got. I got music to make after this, and I gotta pack for Moon tower and then Coachella.
Beth Stelling
Moon. That's a. That is a back to back. You might as well add Vegas in there. Trip to Dubai.
Josh Adam Myers
All right, where are you in the level of tired? You're drinking coffee. It is 3:07 your time.
Beth Stelling
My eyes are watering. It's like, squinty. My face hurts.
Josh Adam Myers
Are you. Where are you? Are you.
Beth Stelling
I'm in LA at home.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no, I know that I have the two. I have the bottom one of tired. The top tired, which is somebody probably awake, would be, Are you Alfred Molina awake from Boogie Nights, or are you Ty sho tired?
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God.
Josh Adam Myers
See what I'm saying? I had that one. I had that one in the chamber, dude. I couldn't think of the top guy, but. But the low end. I was like, terry Schiavo is easy. I may be a person. It has to be a person. Do not give me a number now. You got to give me.
Beth Stelling
I feel like I'm. I hate to say this, because I just pressed play on it out of curiosity. I'm like Rue in a euphoria, Tired, sort of nodding and.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, my God, what a shitty show that jumped the shark.
Beth Stelling
I just pressed play on season three because I was curious.
Josh Adam Myers
I started it last night. This is how tired I am. I. Okay, I. Well, I'm. I'm better now because the doctor. I had to go. I had nasal procedure done. I had my nasal passages opened up. So I had. Like that. Like today. No, no, no, no. Like two weeks ago.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
But it wasn't evasive. It's this new thing where they heat this wand up and they. Like. My doctor is one of the only few doctors does it in America. It's like they sizzle the inside. They numb you down. They sizzle the inside of your sinus cavities, and then they mold it open almost as if. So in two, in six weeks, it's already better. Like, it's already like, whoa. Like, I can breathe crazily, but it's.
Beth Stelling
Were you doing a CPAP before or. This is just.
Josh Adam Myers
No, it's. I don't. I have light apnea. Depending on, on when it, Just when I'm eating and like that. Like, sometimes I can have a big apnea. It always happens when girls spend the night after, like, a good night of. It's like, it's like we'll get. Wake up in the morning and do it, and then we fall asleep and 45 minutes later, like, Like, I'm fine. Don't worry. It's just the apnea that'll dry up a quick. Aren't you in shape?
Beth Stelling
Just a nighttime scream. Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
No. My sister has night terrors. Oh, no, we, we were, we were staying. They visited me when I was in London doing this internship and my sister, like, we had to share a room together. And I remember she was waking up, going, over there in the corner. Kill it, kill it. I'm like, I'm like, jody, what's wrong? And she's like, spiders. Spiders.
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God.
Josh Adam Myers
At least it's not the midnight man. No, the midnight.
Beth Stelling
I just had a little, A little hummingbird just came to the window and said, hi.
Josh Adam Myers
Ah.
Beth Stelling
It was like this.
Josh Adam Myers
It's a sign.
Beth Stelling
It is a sign.
Josh Adam Myers
That is a sign. That's going to be seven years. Good luck.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
But you're going to be tired for four and a half of them. Thank you for doing this. I'm so excited because I, I don't get to look forward to, like, you know, we've been, we've been booking a lot recently of people that either I are like, like, super famous that I've never met, or like, we had, like, the guy that produced the Stevie Wonder record we were talking about and that guys, just so all the fans know it's coming out in nine months. I'm gonna, I mean, we just did it ahead of time.
Beth Stelling
You're not nine months backlogged, are you?
Josh Adam Myers
No, not at all. Like, dude, this comes out, like, tomorrow. Yeah.
Beth Stelling
You're like, I need this.
Josh Adam Myers
Please, Please. It's either you or the guy. That other guy, he didn't even work on this record. I, I just. No, I, I. What was the whole thing? It's just, I get excited because I always. You're just my favorite man.
Beth Stelling
And, like, I'm happy to be here with you. I'm glad that it worked out. Plus, like, I love this album.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, I love that we have so much to talk about. About it because you have to Do I. You were like, do I have to do anything? I was like, I'll do all the heavy lifting. Me.
Beth Stelling
I'll do all of it, baby. You just lay there.
Josh Adam Myers
Me, Morty, and I. I have a time machine and I go back in time and I sit in with the Mamas and the Papas in a joint session and I pick their brain.
Beth Stelling
That's cool.
Josh Adam Myers
They're like, what is that? Why is. Why is Guy Fieri here? I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm middle aged, but. No, I'm not middle. I am middle aged, but. But I got excited. I got excited. You think this is the first one today? You think it is? Dude, I woke up, I thought I was drunk this morning because I stayed up the night before. So Saturday, leaving. Oh, leaving Winnipeg. Yeah, I had a 6:45 flight, but that wasn't the reason, dude. They. They replayed on YouTube. They've been showing the. The feed of Coachella and Saturday's lineup, which is the day that I get there because I'm going with Nick from the Strokes. He's invited me. Big friend. Fucking. He's playing our jam May 4th at. the Roxy.
Beth Stelling
Very cool.
Josh Adam Myers
You're my homie, dude. I'm just happy to have a new friend because I lost Sickler when I vaped in the hospital room when he was in the hospital. We have. Oh, my God, dude. We haven't talked since.
Beth Stelling
Weed. Because of vaping weed or.
Josh Adam Myers
No, I just. I just pull my vape out. He's like, it all makes sense. It's fine. There must be other resentments, and we're fine, and I wish him the best and I love them. I miss him to death. That's the first time I've said it publicly on a podcast, but dang, I'm
Beth Stelling
sorry to hear that.
Josh Adam Myers
It's okay. It's okay. You know, hopefully you'll come around.
Beth Stelling
But. But still. Yeah, hopefully you will be able to sort of patch things up. I don't know.
Josh Adam Myers
It's only been three years. Maybe four. Three and another three, and we're good. But, dude, I thought for a second I would be able to get him back. Recently, I went to see Sting at. Well, I saw Sting over the summer with Big J. And then me and. Me and Ryan had a funny thing where we were talking about the song. What? Brian gives you a lot of plates at his house.
Beth Stelling
And so who does?
Josh Adam Myers
Ryan Sickler.
Beth Stelling
I thought you said Brian for a second. I'm with you.
Josh Adam Myers
No. And he gives you a lot of plates And I just suddenly got. It started going. King of plates. He'll always be king of plates. And then we started singing it, and was there a thing? And so when I went to see Sting, I shot the song, and then I turned the camera around. I was like, ryan, I love you. I miss you, buddy. I hope you're doing well. Whether we talk to each other again, I wish you the best, man. But I was thinking about you, and I think about you all the time. And then I sent it to him, like, nine months later because I was too afraid, and he did not respond. So I felt.
Beth Stelling
I'm like, what the heck? Yeah. It's not. Obviously this isn't the time to solve it. I know. But I'm. I'm. I'm drawn to try to figure it out, because, you know. He ain't got no clothes on.
Josh Adam Myers
I ain't got no clothes on. Oh, dude. That was one of my favorite festivals. That was, like, one of the first fests we really got to hang out. And it's like, it just shows, like.
Beth Stelling
But you.
Josh Adam Myers
What I love about you and what I wanted to get to and spin it all around is, is you just. Somebody said this about my friend Angelo that passed away. And I can say this to you as well, which is like, if you show up at a function or you show up at a show, or you show up at a cruise and you look around, you don't see a lot of. You see people, a lot of comics, you might not know all of them. If you see Beth, you're like, oh, thank God. Because her career is as bad as mine. No, I'm kidding. You go. You go. I have somebody to talk to. And. And I've always. I've always just been. I've always loved you because you're the White. Tisha Campbell.
Beth Stelling
Thank you, Josh.
Josh Adam Myers
You're welcome.
Beth Stelling
That's so sweet of you. I'm glad. I'm glad I'm a little home base for you.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, comedy, it's you're my homie supreme. But the reason I. I've been so tired is because I stayed up and watched those Coachella feeds, and I don't
Beth Stelling
money or are they on YouTube or what?
Josh Adam Myers
They're on YouTube, yeah.
Beth Stelling
And just free.
Josh Adam Myers
Free. They're gone now. There's clips up, but next week they're gonna stream again. Hopefully they stream the same people, because, dude, Saturday they streamed Jack White, who murdered it, which I've seen him live, and he doesn't talk to the audience. He just rocks for an hour 20. Then they showed the nine inch noise, which is nine inch nails with Boys Noise, doing like a completely computer based, like, it's all sequencing. But some are saying. I've watched it over and over. Some are saying it's one of the best performances in Coachella history. And to be honest with you, it's like they. Them, the Strokes, fucking Jack White and David Burns. So a boomer. And Gen X saved the festival because it's. It's every other performance just like, dude, Bieber looked, didn't want to fucking be there.
Beth Stelling
I wonder what that was about. I heard it was his comeback Again, I'm coming from zero. I didn't get to see any of it because I. I don't know. I've never gone to Coachella. I've never had a pole to go.
Josh Adam Myers
Me neither.
Beth Stelling
The only time you're gonna probably see me at a comedy fest or a music festival is if they've brought comics.
Josh Adam Myers
Sure.
Beth Stelling
Because, you know, it's. To me, it's like a hassle. I love music, obviously, it's like the fabric of our lives and the soundtrack to everything we're going through. But I don't love going to a place, standing in line, being around a tons of people overpaying for drinks, tickets, following a schedule. Like, I just get caught up in that. It gives me too much anxiety, like, planning.
Josh Adam Myers
And we've done Outside Lands together, which is. And Bonnaroo, I'm pretty sure. Right. But. But the thing is, those two are, like, still pretty much filled, I think, when we did it in 16.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Filled with, like, music fans. And you're the. The bill is curated in such a way that, like, with. With. With Bonnaroo, it's like you got your hippie shit, but you've also got like, Pearl Jam and then they give you LCD sound system.
Beth Stelling
Transcendent for me, seeing Pearl Jam live.
Josh Adam Myers
Same. Oh, my God. I've seen. I travel to see them now because of that show.
Beth Stelling
That was an amazing show.
Josh Adam Myers
Amazing. And we got him right before he started getting old and getting the filler in his face because now he looks like. He looks like got stung by a bunch of bees.
Beth Stelling
Dang, that's disappointing. Yeah. I remember thinking, this guy is so hot. And this guy meaning Eddie Vedder.
Josh Adam Myers
Eddie Vedder. This guy meaning the roadie Frank, when he runs to the stage to tie that mic off. And then. And then. And then Outside Lands, which we were lucky the year we went, and I literally got the thing. I got the Bonnaroo there and the Outside Lands poster frame there. It was Radiohead.
Beth Stelling
Yes. To be honest with you, I. I think I would remember if I went. I wonder why I didn't go to their show.
Josh Adam Myers
Because you just done the jam and I think you probably writhed around the stage doing.
Beth Stelling
That's true. I broke a flip flop.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. It was like you, Dana Gould and Kyle Kanane and that was so that was Outside the Ends was the best. That was the one.
Beth Stelling
I thought we were still kind of doing a story, though, before the song.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, yes, at that festival. Because. Because it's not like when you do Moon Tower or you did that cruise. They've been watching, talking all day.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Something like Skank Fest. We. Nobody. Nobody does anything. It's just when you do the regular
Beth Stelling
shows is a different thing, even for stand up, obviously. Like, it's not like me headlining on the road and people seeing me is different than me opening for sports and on the cruise.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's like they don't want. They don't want it. They. They. At the end of the night, they. What are you eating? You're the first guest. You know, you is no. Jeff Garland, 8.
Beth Stelling
Well, that sounds about right. It's just a little acai.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh. To go with the Mamas and the Papas. It's. It's. They would have eaten that if it was around in the 60s when this record. Oh, it's full of sugar. I can't do it.
Beth Stelling
Really.
Josh Adam Myers
I have high cholesterol.
Beth Stelling
Well, to me, I'm just going. It's a little healthy snack in my head.
Josh Adam Myers
I'm kidding. I'm just. I'm just busting chops because, you know,
Beth Stelling
I already had a donut today, though. Yeah, dude, I'm a sugar baby. I wish I were.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, yeah. I know, right? How great would that be?
Beth Stelling
Sugar babies. But you don't have to touch anybody.
Josh Adam Myers
I wish. I wish my parents had money, man. I wish my dad, like, invented, like, those floss sticks.
Beth Stelling
What would that be like? I don't know, Rich. Well, I just.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Beth Stelling
If you had generational wealth and it wasn't just you you had to rely on. I mean, like, I'm very. I love my mom and I'm thankful for her, but, you know, she's not a safety net monetarily, and I don't expect that from her at all because I'm. That's not how I was raised. And she couldn't. You know what I mean? But, yeah, it's all. It's all on me.
Josh Adam Myers
Same. But my mom. My mom used to bail Me out. She used to, but had to do it secretly. And it's like, not that much. Like, I think the most she ever gave me was like 1300 when my car got in Hawk, because he used to get towed a lot.
Beth Stelling
My mom had to save me once. I think I was 20 in Chicago. I was interning at Steppenwolf Theater Company. And I just, like, was an idiot with my money.
Josh Adam Myers
How annoying was that at Steppenwolf Theater when. When before every show, which is. I like to dream on a magic
Beth Stelling
concert theme instead of a land acknowledgement. That's what they do.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's so great. Going to jfl. You guys ready for the greatest comedy show ever? Before we do that, we'd like to apologize to the indigenous for everything that we've done too. Jesus, if we did that here in America, Germany doesn't give a. They don't apologize for.
Beth Stelling
I mean, we'd have a long. A long apology here.
Josh Adam Myers
Just this year. Just this year. Can we go back to a different time?
Beth Stelling
We'd like to apologize for tearing down the forest and putting up this comedy club.
Josh Adam Myers
It's like. No, you know, like, it's like. You remember. It's like. It's like. It would be like the. The Remember the. The whole. Like there was. Are you old enough to remember when there was that big. It was a McDonald's song where they would be like, well, I want a Big Mac quarter. And they just name everything.
Beth Stelling
Like November2. All beef patty special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, dude. All right, I'm going. We're cutting this short. You're in the ica bowl. I'm gonna postmates McDonald's, but I'm not gonna pay for it now. I'm gonna klarna it. So I'll. I'll pay it off over.
Beth Stelling
Don't do that. Are you kidding me right now? Of course.
Josh Adam Myers
Come on, dude. Okay, I got like nine Karna's going.
Beth Stelling
Dude, you scared me. I'm very, very careful about, like, credit card debt. I never. I never buy anything I can't afford. I Pretty good same.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I pay my credit. I pay my amex card off every month. Some months are bigger than others, you know, but, you know, I have Klarna a few things, and I've got about three grand in Klarna, but it's, you know.
Beth Stelling
But what's that interest rate? Is it killing you?
Josh Adam Myers
No, it's. No, it's like I bought like a couple, like, Stone island jackets for like a grand or like. Or like 1500. And I was like, well, I don't want to pay for it all now. And so maybe I'm paying an extra, like, 100 bucks.
Beth Stelling
Okay. As long as it's, like, really low. Because you know how it goes. Some people don't understand that. They don't realize, like, oh, let me put this coffee on a credit card. And eventually you've paid $10 for a cup of coffee, which you would never do if you knew that you're doing that.
Josh Adam Myers
Anything I put on my credit card, I pay off because it's the Amex. So I pay it off immediately, immediately, immediately. As soon as that bill comes. And then my managers do it.
Beth Stelling
Good.
Josh Adam Myers
And then you get points.
Beth Stelling
I love the points.
Josh Adam Myers
Love the points.
Beth Stelling
I'm leaving American Airlines that card. And I went to Delta.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, dude, have some self respect. Thank God.
Beth Stelling
I was with American for a really long time, but, like, they just did. They're going to Citibank instead of Barclays, and all their points change, and they're kind of work worth nothing. I'm like, bye.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Sean Patton was the one that said, right at the jump of becoming a touring comic, he goes, pick an airline, pick a car rental, pick a hotel, and what are.
Beth Stelling
What's your car? I switch from Avis to Alamo Hertz.
Josh Adam Myers
I have so many. I. Dude, I rent all the time from Herz. And I'm President Circle because of the Amex card. And so I get, like, a really good car for nothing. And then this Indian guy gave me this promo code because I don't know if you know this. Indian people share promo codes on the Dark Web. And so I'm one of the only white people, which is a big step. When he gave it to me, he was like, you're the only guy. They found out I'd be kicked out.
Beth Stelling
Wow. That was nice of him.
Josh Adam Myers
And I get. I get free car insurance, and I get. And I get a reduced rate. The corporate rate.
Beth Stelling
Whoa.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, it's awesome. It's awesome. That's my life, babe. I'm Forrest Gump, except I'm not retarded and I don't have leg braces and my girlfriend doesn't have aids.
Beth Stelling
Wasn't there incest in that, too, at some point? Or.
Josh Adam Myers
No.
Beth Stelling
My way up.
Josh Adam Myers
Dude, he Sally Field. He loved his mama a little too much. He loved his mama a little too much. You know. You know who else Here, let me spin this back. You know who else had in was very incestual?
Beth Stelling
Who?
Josh Adam Myers
Our band Today.
Beth Stelling
No. What do you mean? Not really incestual. You just mean within the band, right?
Josh Adam Myers
Well, as I was in within the band, but. Okay, but Mackenzie, this is. I didn't even think about it as it was coming out of my mouth. Mackenzie Phillips. Hold on, I gotta Google it. I don't just want to spit out this.
Beth Stelling
Give it a go.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no. I know for a fact Mackenzie Phillips, who is. Ever see American Graffiti?
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
Really?
Beth Stelling
There's a lot of stuff I haven't seen. Somebody got mad at me earlier today on a podcast. We're not seeing warriors.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, no, but that I understand. John Phillips. Hold on. Accusations. Accusation. No, because I. This is like, I think Mackenzie Phillips said. Yeah. John Phillips goes from messy 60s rock guy to genuinely dark and disturbing. Yeah, it's, it's, it's sad. Mackenzie said. Yeah.
Beth Stelling
Who's Mackenzie? I'm sorry.
Josh Adam Myers
His daughter. In her 2009 memoir. I can't believe I'm opening the show with this.
Beth Stelling
But you know, it's not apropos of nothing. Every person in politics right now has either like fondled their daughter or killed their ex wife.
Josh Adam Myers
At least a fondle a cousin. Not your daughter.
Beth Stelling
I know. The daughter part is ex. So disturbing.
Josh Adam Myers
So disturbing. It's so weird. The idea like I have a friend that we know that's that was molested by his dad and I'm like, your dad? That's so weird. But yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And if you're wondering who was it is Kevin Hart.
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
That's why he works so hard.
Beth Stelling
Oh my God. Josh.
Josh Adam Myers
No. So in the 2009 memoir High on Arrival, Mackenzie Phillips alleges John Phillips raped her when she was 19. This led to what she described as a long term incestuous sexual relationship. She claimed to continued on and off for years. And then it says the most shocking part. She said the first encounter happened after a drug fueled night. She described waking up real. Okay, I don't need to go in the dead details. Besides that, it's. Yeah, I'm not. What's my podcast angle? How can you make this funny? John Phillips, incredible songwriter, Son of a rock. He's an incredible songwriter. How do I make this money? He's also one of those guys where the Wikipedia page really takes a hard left turn.
Beth Stelling
You really got to separate the art from the rapist.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, all right, we're going. It's just like, okay. Every other day. Every other day.
Beth Stelling
Oh my God. So his daughter. And also like as much as like, I know this is Disturbing, right? To talk about. Nobody likes to hear these things. No, but it happens. And it happened like recently. There's a electrician up in Moorpark that speak. The reason I even thought about it was because you just read that he. A drug fueled night. Well, this guy got his daughter drunk. She ended up taking her life because of it.
Josh Adam Myers
Fuck off, man. That's. That's the worst.
Beth Stelling
But I found that her cousin was posting about it online because they're trying to get traction because he's facing no consequences because she's. She's gone. But he did that to her. And then she died by suicide. Anyway. Disturbing as hell. But every other day, as much as we like to be like, oh, let's not talk about it, it's like, well, it's actually happening. And that is the part that. Thank goodness. It seems like very crazy to us, but I guess some people are born deeply disturbed or mentally ill. To do that to your offspring.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, it's crazy. You have to be. I feel weird looking at my dog's pussy. I know, it's huge.
Beth Stelling
You know, growing up with my sisters and their kids, I was always like, very, very careful to like never, you know, changing diapers and stuff. All that stuff. You're always just like, I don't want to do anything wrong. I don't want to accidentally scar somebody. Like, you know, I never want to be inappropriate. Even like just hugging my little. I always want to make sure they're okay. Like, you don't have to hug me if you don't want to. I love you so much. But, you know, making kids do those things is like, not a great start. Like, give that guy a hug.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. And if that. And if this is true, which. Which here's the thing, is that as we go through this, like, you know, I'm not gonna say there's the seedlings of this, but this is all the research that I have done. So. All right, so how do I start this? I wrote all right, so. All right, so we are diving into an album today that sounds like sunshine, but was actually powered by sex, betrayal, nervous breakdowns, and probably a suspicious amount of cigarettes. The record is, if you can believe your eyes and ears, by the Rock and roll hall of Fame inductees the Mamas and the Papas. And this is the kind of record where the harmonies are so beautiful, you forget that everyone in the band was absolutely wrecking each other's lives behind the scenes. This is Fleetwood Mac. If they went to church and then cheated on each other in the parking
Beth Stelling
lot, but they did cheat on each other, right? Just didn't go to church.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, here's the thing. How, before I get into any of that, why are you here? For Mamas and the Papas. Because I. When we were picking out the guests, when she said you wanted to do it, I was like, please. That's why I was like, lock it in quick before she realizes it's the Mamas and the Papas. Which.
Beth Stelling
I've known them since I was young though. But because my mom's a musician. A musician, teacher, pianist. So I. We did grow up listening to great music and. But the thing is, here's another theme of, you know, my mom's generation, which is pre Internet, pre social media. You could just love somebody and not know that they were a monster. And I'm not saying that was a better time, but it was just a time where my mom, when I mentioned this to her, because I talked to her a lot and I was like, I'm gonna do the Mamas and the Papas. And she gave me some information about them. It wasn't a ton. She was just like talking about Cass and how they were white. Well, honestly, that was my first question. I was like, oh, are they all. I did. I just had to google what they look like.
Josh Adam Myers
But all of them white. Yeah, this is so the records released in 1966. It's produced by Lou Adler, who is the guy that started the Roxy. He also directed the first Cheech and Chong movie, if I'm not mistaken. The reason we're here talking about it, why it's. It's so low on the list too. Alex. I don't know if I have it in front of me. Oh, it's 1, 120. What number are we? Are we? Oh, 2, 112. So it's 112. I wonder if it made it on the 2020 list. The update. But this is considered one of the most defining albums of the 60s folk pop crossover. It perfected four part vocal harmonies into mainstream pop. It helped shift pop from teen singles to artist driven albums. And it captures the pre hippie innocence right before the Summer of Love. This is recorded in LA after the band had escaped a messy east coast scene. Interesting stuff about it. Should I get into it yet? No, but wait, hold on. So your mom. Let's let me go back to what you were talking about. So your mom introduced you the Mamas and the Papas. Do you like it immediately? Like, you must have been young because my mom had this record. She had the Greatest.
Beth Stelling
They sound incredible.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, they do.
Beth Stelling
Incredibly alluring, pleasant. You know, even if you're like, oh, well, this song is about death and drugs. It's like.
Josh Adam Myers
Like all the leaves.
Beth Stelling
Even Monday. Like, Monday, Monday.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, there's a melancholy to a lot of their stuff.
Beth Stelling
Yes, yes.
Josh Adam Myers
And. But the thing is, it's the same. This album is very much like when I have a joke about reggae music. Because we. We. We don't. Most of us don't listen or, excuse me, read the lyrics with the song. You feel the vibe. And reggae vibe is like, everything's great. Sitting by the beach, having a Red Stripe with my girlfriend who's got big titties. But it's really like me. So Filioma has killed everyone in my family. We haven't eaten in weeks, and our government is killing us. Yeah. So that's the same thing. It's like you don't even realize. It's like the Smiths. Like, you.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Like, you're getting these, like, biting, you know, reality of. Of life and stuff. Even. Even California Dreaming. It's like. It's just. Which I'm singing at the goddamn Comedy Jam. We're doing it because I, I. Dude, let me say this. I. I had only known their hits. I probably knew. I probably knew. Monday, Monday, California Dreaming. I knew Mama Cass's dream, a little dream. I didn't really listen to them. Like, I've never listened to a full record either.
Beth Stelling
This was my first time listening to that full record.
Josh Adam Myers
What did you think, listening to the full record? I would love to get your opinion before I get mine.
Beth Stelling
I thought it was a quick and easy listen. I enjoyed it. Nothing like, stuck out to me. I wasn't like, oh, that's a huge stinker. But similar to you. I was like, I don't know this one. And I knew the hits, but. So there's some I didn't know, but none were like a. What am I trying to say?
Josh Adam Myers
This wasn't a Skipper. There's no. I don't think there was anything really skippable that really, like, stuck out. I mean, there's stuff I liked more than others, but when it started. And Monday. Monday comes on and I. And I'm listening to it and I go, oh, man, I don't know if I'm in the mood for this 60s bullshit. And then Straight Shooter came on and the harmonies click and the catchiness of, like, the hook. And I'm like, oh, this is. I'm in. And then every track post, and then you get to California Dreaming. And by that point, like, dude, that might be one of the greatest vocal harmony songs ever. Like, it's.
Beth Stelling
It. So good.
Josh Adam Myers
It's so good. Especially listening to it in Winnipeg because it was, you know that joke by Anthony Clark. It's like. It's like. You know, it's like you ever. If you got. If you got six months to live, go to Winnipeg because it'll feel like a eternity. He talks about. It's not. He's insane. Winnipeg. It's usually. If he talks about. It's like where his grandmother's from. But that was. It was. And. And so amongst. You know, I'm listening to Ray's new record. If you've ever listened to her, she's phenomenal.
Beth Stelling
I'll have to check it.
Josh Adam Myers
It's amazing. It's amazing. And an independent artist, and she's killing the game and doing Radio City. Two shows and I gotta go to Moon Tower. No, Colleen, don't. I don't. Don't take that. Colleen heard that. Good God. But the moral story is. It just. It really, like, I felt it. I understood the whole. Not the verse, because the verse is weird. The chorus, though, is like. You know, all the leaves are like. All of that is just like. Yeah, dude, it sucks here in New York during the winter. Let's get to California where it's bright and sunny. But I have questions about that as we get into the tracks. But I want to do some of the facts because I found some really interesting things. You know, the album cover is them in the bathtub, and there is a toilet bowl in the. The COVID The. That was so controversial in 1966, having a toilet. It was censored.
Beth Stelling
I can look at it.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, you pull it up. Google it up. Yeah, Google it up. Another. So they had to imagine being alive in a time where toilets were the most offensive part. Like, black crows once had, like, pubes on their. On their cover of their album Morica. But that's fine.
Beth Stelling
Now I'm seeing. Okay, yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
So there's that. The. This.
Beth Stelling
I didn't even. The funny thing is, it's like I didn't even know that's what it was.
Josh Adam Myers
Yes.
Beth Stelling
You know, like, I saw them all huddled together, but it's because they're in a bathtub all together.
Josh Adam Myers
No, it's the toilet. The.
Beth Stelling
That is so weird, dude.
Josh Adam Myers
I mean, in the 1910s, like, you couldn't even show. You showed your ankles outside. They'd string you up, dude.
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God.
Josh Adam Myers
You know what I mean? But also, another interesting thing in Cass Elliott. Because this is her debut album, if I'm not mistaken. Cass Elliott. She wasn't initially even allowed in the band. Why? Who's. Because John Phillips didn't think her voice blended, which is insane in hindsight, because, you know, I think her. And I keep saying Mackenzie Phillips, but the. What's her name? Michelle Phillips. They. I mean, it's like. It's like a perfect.
Beth Stelling
Part of me feels like he didn't want her in there for other reasons.
Josh Adam Myers
He's like, all right, Chunk.
Beth Stelling
He's like, yeah, exactly. He's like, you're a Chungus and we want only whatever.
Josh Adam Myers
But she's, like, the most famous one out of all of them. I mean, obviously, because she died. But by the way, she did not die from eating a ham sandwich, like they say.
Beth Stelling
They never said that.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, they did.
Beth Stelling
You're kidding.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, I swear to God, dude.
Beth Stelling
It's hilarious to look back at the. They put in.
Josh Adam Myers
It's not the fat thing. No, no. Her manager started that because they didn't realize she had a heart attack. She was. She was feeling very unhealthy the whole day, and I think she did a show, and then she goes up to her room, and then she passed. And they thought it was drugs. There might have been drugs in her system or drugs in the room, and he didn't want it getting out. It's like, all right, dude. Well, not the ham sandwich. You come up with a better lie than that, they'll believe it. She loved ham.
Beth Stelling
She loved ham.
Josh Adam Myers
She loved him.
Beth Stelling
Dang. I. I've been watching the Pit, and I usually feel like they're pretty accurate. And they were saying so many women go undiagnosed for cardiac arrest. Because, like, people either. I don't know. I don't want to ruin anything.
Josh Adam Myers
It's not a woman thing. It's not a. It's a guy thing to drop dead from heart. Like, yes. I have a cardiologist at 46 already because of my family history. She did pass away that way. And the Pit, great show. Noah Wiley, at this point, he could probably do, like, a tracheotomy.
Beth Stelling
I know, Just.
Josh Adam Myers
Just freestyle.
Beth Stelling
It's probably good.
Josh Adam Myers
He could. I really like that show.
Beth Stelling
It's good.
Josh Adam Myers
What's going on in the world when this came out. Vietnam wars, escalating counterculture is just beginning to rise. Civil rights movement is in full force. Young people starting to question everything except harmonies. They're not questioning that the Beatles are evolving into studio innovators with Rubber Soul era. Bob Dylan has gone electric. Motown's dominating. And folk music was turning into folk rock. And this album is right there. This is right there for the band members. John Phillips, the rapist formal folk singer with the journeyman songwriting control freak, but in a very good way, because he's a genius musician, songwriter, sexually and incestually.
Beth Stelling
Good way musically.
Josh Adam Myers
Should have said that at the end.
Beth Stelling
I mean, come on.
Josh Adam Myers
But he knew. But he is the genius behind this group. Knowing that a polished vocal group could dominate pop with the right songs. And Michelle Phillips, model turned singer, brought visual style. She's gorgeous, by the way. California cool. She looks like every hot chick from the 60s and 70s that you think of. California. She also brought what, let's say romantic complications. Then you have the guy that. Then you have Mama cast. Let's do Mama cast for you. The guy that. Because I want you to try to guess the dude's name. Do you even know the fourth member? There's Mama Cassie. She's a veteran of the Greenwich Village folk music scene. Huge personality, huge voice. Initially rejected, but she is proved to be undeniably essential to this group. This group does not work without Mama cast. Denny Daugherty is the guy.
Beth Stelling
What should we know him from besides Mamas and the Papas? Anything.
Josh Adam Myers
He was a Canadian folk singer. Warm, soulful voice, emotional core of the group. But he's also involved in one of the band's messiest love triangles. Do you want to do the. Do you want to know the mess now or do you want to go?
Beth Stelling
I'm assuming John was pissed that he got involved with Michelle because he's like, that's my job.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, the core of this love triangle, this is one of the all time greats of the music is beautiful and the people are a disaster. Yeah. I mean, this is like. This is very messy. This is not just a little. This is soap opera with harmonies. John Phillips, married to Michelle Phillips. Okay.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
Denny Doherty starts Michelle. All three stand the band together. They're actively touring and recording while this is going on. And John wrote songs about betrayal that both of them had to sing. Yeah, this is like Fleetwood Mac, dude. This is that kind of shit.
Beth Stelling
I mean, that's what I was thinking.
Josh Adam Myers
It's not new, but this is like. This is. There's no Fleetwood Mac without fucking the M's and the P's, you know what I'm saying? That's what I call them now. Oh, M and P's.
Beth Stelling
The M. Mps.
Josh Adam Myers
I'm going to see the P's, the gay ones, the. The papas and the Mamas. Papa's first there. So there you go. Go where we go. Where you want to go. Is literally John processing Michelle cheating with the guy singing harmonies. I get so funny. It's like. It's like if your co worker, you cheats on your spouse and then you have to perform acapella with him. I mean, I could imagine that I've had to be in the same room as. As somebody that my. One of my girlfriends before I dated her, and that felt weird.
Beth Stelling
I know that's always one of those strange things where you're like, should I. Do you want to know?
Josh Adam Myers
Always Crystalia, though. It was always Crystalia. Not lying.
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God.
Josh Adam Myers
Swear to God. You know, he's. He is what? He is. All right. John Phillips. You mean to. On John Phillips more, you know, let's do songs. We'll come back to the tension stuff. Stuff. Okay.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
All right. Monday, Monday, their only number one hit for the band. Isn't that nuts? That was the number one hit off this record. Not California Dreaming.
Beth Stelling
Wow.
Josh Adam Myers
People love Mondays. Dude. It's a good song.
Beth Stelling
Better.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, but it's like. That's the thing about it. It sounds kind of like it's anxious for a happy song. Especially the chord change when they. It starts. It starts to shift to like, what I thought I wrote is down as uneasy. It's almost like the song doesn't really trust itself because it's like two songs in there. And that's what I'm saying is like, this song is about being technically fine, but your brain is like, yeah, but what if it's not? Have you ever had a Monday, Monday moment?
Beth Stelling
What do you mean?
Josh Adam Myers
So you. You're technically. Everything is technically fine, but your brain is like, but what if. Is that all the time?
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
You're a comic. Yeah, that checks.
Beth Stelling
I would love to have like a, you know, Zen about me, but I think that would take drugs. And I don't really do those.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, it's not, you know, I would never want to do, like a mood stabilizer. It took years of, like, chipping away at the layers of the onion, like peeling all the onion back to like, realize I'm like, oh, no, I'm not gonna this up. You know what I mean? Like, I just kept always believing. It's like, I remember I tell my therapist, I'd be like, dude, it's just. I think I'm gonna turn into my dad and just everything's going well. And then I just it all up and you're like. And it's. He was even Saying you're not your dad. I'm like, yeah, I guess you're right.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Just don't, I just don't know. I don't do drugs. Opiates.
Beth Stelling
Just don't do drugs.
Josh Adam Myers
That's it, man. If I don't, as long as I don't do that, I'm good to go. G to G. What are your non negotiables? What can't you do? What would, what would be your, what would be your thing that would it
Beth Stelling
all up for my life?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Dick. You love dick, dude.
Beth Stelling
I mean, I think that that is the thing that has always up my life.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, dude.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. I mean, like, I'm scared of drugs for a reason. It doesn't mean I've never done anything ever. But Yeah, I, I, I've seen too many. Yeah, that would be like a thing that would absolutely, completely wreck my life. But I'm also grateful that I'm not, I don't, I don't think I have the genes for addiction.
Josh Adam Myers
I do. Oh, I do.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. And I don't really necessarily know what that's like.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, it's awesome. It really is because I, Dude, I had a relapse in October and November and I made it count, man. Like, I did fun. I went to go see Brian Adams all coked out of my mind.
Beth Stelling
And then what? What. When do you decide this is it. This is over?
Josh Adam Myers
It was like three weekends. I could tell you why. It was because I went to Europe and I had the greatest summer ever. And I drank a little bit there, but it was like, very responsible. I didn't do anything. I didn't get drunk. I just would have beer and, and maybe a couple glasses of wine, get a buzz, and I'd be like, I'm good. I'm like, ah, maybe I can keep doing it. I get back to America and then I got depressed because of just being here. And then I just, you know, and I'm on the road and you're like, I'm still drinking, going up on stage, and next thing I know I'm like, oh, this is a crutch now. So how do you stop doing it? Give yourself a bad hangover. And so I was like, well, if I'm gonna end this and make put the period on it, I'm gonna do it right. And so I bought a bunch of coke and, and I got money now, so, I mean, I bought a lot. It was great. I had. So I never bought enough. I never bought enough.
Beth Stelling
I never bought enough. I don't know if enough is I think it's a relative term for people who do cocaine, but I've never done it, so I wouldn't know.
Josh Adam Myers
Hey everybody. So you guys have probably heard me talk about how I've been in bands my whole life. I love writing songs and performing in front of crowds. Just like with comedy. As a musician it can be kind of hard to cut through the noise and really stand out as an artist. I feel like half the music projects I've been in have ended just because we couldn't figure out the answer to that eternal question of how do we get people to hear us? But then again, that was before there was Distrokid. Distrokid is a digital music distribution service that brings your sound to the masses. It's a one stop shop for getting your songs on itunes, Spotify, Apple, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon, Deezer, Tidal, and many more. What's these? I never even heard of Deezer. How many of them are there? I know all that. That's like the holy grail of streaming services though. And. And getting paid. They want to we want to get you paid for your music. That's huge because a lot of bands go broke before they get big. But Distrokid collects earnings and payments and sends a hundred percent of these earnings to artists minus banking fees and actual applicable taxes. And that's just one of the tons of benefits of using Distrokid. You can send big files to anyone with their Instant Share feature. You can use the Hyper Follow feature to promote your release and get pre saves on your song. You can even create personal landing pages for yourself, your band, your brand, and whatever you like. It has a free Spotify Canvas generator too to generate your own Spotify Canvas for your songs. And the Mixia feature instantly masters your tracks for higher quality audio. So if you're ready to bring your band to the next level, it's time to check out Distrokid. The Distrokid app is now available on iOS and Android. Go to the app or Play Store to download it. Listeners of this show can get 30% off their first year by going to to distrokid.com VIP the 500 that's distrokid.com VIP the five hundred for 30% off your first year. Dig it. If you're a guitarist or just someone who loves adventurous music, this is one you don't want to miss. This August Music Masters Collective in the Catskill Mountain mountains for the 9th Annual Alternative Guitar Summit Camp, happening Monday, August 17th through Friday, August 21st, 2026 at the beautiful Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. Just two and a half hours from New York City. This is four unforgettable days of music, nature and community, featuring an incredible lineup of artists including Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mateo Mancuso, Gilad, Brad Hexelman, Ben Motter, Oznoi, Cecil Alexander, Anthony Pirog, Khaki King, and Joel Harrison. Whether you want to deep dive into technique, songwriting and improvisation, or just soak up the inspiration, this camp's for you. Expect hands on workshops, open forums, one of a kind performances, collaborative sessions, nature walks, and those late night jams that turn into lifelong memories. From tent camping to private cabins. And scholarships are available to help make it accessible. Spots are extremely limited, so don't wait. Head to www.Alternativeguitarsummitcamp.com the500 to learn more and register. Come for the music, stay for the connection. Leave inspired. It's, you know, Brian Adams on coke though. Geez, how that was fun. I probably scared the out of the woman I was sitting next to. 100% really likes Brian Adams.
Beth Stelling
Are we talking about the handsome black guy? That's him, yeah. Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
Straight shooter. Oh, possibly one of my favorite songs. Not him. The song is. Is probably one of my favorite songs. I think California Dream is my favorite. Don't tell me yours yet because we do that at the end. But I love straight shooter. This is the one, like I said at the beginning, that really brought me into it. It's bold. I think it's about a dangerous woman. Very unlike typical 60s female portrayals. Early feminist energy, though wrapped in folk pop, which I love, is that this is, this is like, you know, this is Michelle and, and Mama Cass fudgeing, like, owning their shit. Being a straight shooter, telling men like it is. Do you think being like a straight shooter makes life easier or more confrontational? And when has being a straight shooter been bad?
Beth Stelling
I think it's very easy to be a straight shooter with your friends or sussing out a situation or an interaction with your friends who you're comfortable with. You could, you can have like a, a sassy Persona amongst people you know and trust, but it's a very different thing to do it to strangers or carry it throughout your life. You know, in those actual interactions, in the moment, which I think as I've gotten older, those have been less separate. But like, I think that side of you that is sassy or confrontational comes out typically with your friends. Like, you explain the situation and you're, you're saying like, and I did. I should have said this. And I can't believe they did that. And in the moment, you're just, like, upset and maybe not saying anything. So I think as I've gotten older, I'm probably more able to just spit out what I'm thinking or feeling. But it's not always eloquent.
Josh Adam Myers
No. And. And my. My biggest flaw, you know, and which has gotten me into trouble is not being a straight shooter, not telling somebody exactly what I want to try to make people happy. Do you know what I mean? Like, multiple comedy clubs wanted the goddamn comedy jam when I moved out here and I. I was tight with all of them, performing at all of them, and one of them, I kept being like, yeah, maybe. But I. I knew for a fact. I was like, we're not doing it here. He said, just saying it. It's not right. You know, I need a music venue. And it pissed them off when they tried to really press it to do it. And I was like. And then I told him. And then, you know, if I just would have said it months earlier.
Beth Stelling
Right.
Josh Adam Myers
Who knows? Who knows? Have you heard any of my new songs?
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
You should. They're all funny. Well, let me see if I can play this one. Because it's about. It's about how all midgets have fat asses.
Beth Stelling
A juicy butt.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Always like, why do a midget's got ass? Why do our midgets got cake? They got a dump truck on that little, little body. Why do I. Midgets got ass. It's, it's. It's. I'm writing songs, recording them, and then putting them on, like, viral clips underneath. Like, so my all. It's like, it's my new thing. My first one did like a million hits. So I'm like, wow. I'm like, this is. This is what I need to be doing. And it's so much fun.
Beth Stelling
What's the word on. What's the word on. On that? What's Brad Williams say? He doesn't mind.
Josh Adam Myers
I sent him the song. And he goes, it's hilarious. It's funny. He's like, post it.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. I always wonder, you know, we have these, you know, obviously, words. Words matter sometimes. I'm like, if a general community has said, please don't use that word. I'm like, yeah, of course. Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
But it's. But I'm complimenting them.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, they got nice cake.
Josh Adam Myers
Got ass, dude.
Beth Stelling
I wasn't sure if. If you should be saying it, like, if it was a. It's gonna hurt. Hurt. People.
Josh Adam Myers
But, hey, man, Devo has a song called Mongoloid.
Beth Stelling
I was gonna say that I heard Dane Cook say at the Laugh Factory not.
Josh Adam Myers
Not long ago, I think Mongoloid's better than Retarded or Retard, but retard, I
Beth Stelling
think either is good.
Josh Adam Myers
I don't think so either. Yeah, we're talking about some real heavy here. We're talking about.
Beth Stelling
That's true.
Josh Adam Myers
Let's get into.
Beth Stelling
Let's get worse than bothered penetrating his daughter.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, God. All right. Got a feeling. One of the darker emotional tracks, Insecurity hiding under pretty harmonies. It feels like somebody smiling while spiraling. Thoughts on it? You even.
Beth Stelling
Well, honestly, I listened to the whole album, and so if it wasn't like. If it wasn't a track, that I for sure stood out. Like we said, like a. One of the hits. I don't know if I would have known the name of it. I was just, like, walking around my house listening to it. You know what I'm saying? Like, so when you're saying, what do you feel about the track? I'm like, oh, which one?
Josh Adam Myers
Perfect. Don't worry about it. Yeah, that's. That's fine. This. I'm having more fun with that out, you know, because I always feel weird having to do that sometimes, too. To the guests, where I'm like, your thoughts on it? And they're like, you kind of just said everything cool about it. I'm like, yeah, I do the research. But I. I have good, fun questions for you. But I want to make sure, just for timing, because I know we both were like, let's wrap this. I got a pack. I gotta write a song about this Asian kid being a good dancer and not gay.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, it's. It's great.
Beth Stelling
A special request from him.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no, no, no. I found this video. This, like, Asian kid dancing ballroom, like, really good. And its song is. Is. He's not gay. He's Asian. Bam. Bam. He's not gay. He's a. Let's see if I can play any of these, man. I don't know if you'd hear them. Hold on, let me see. Wait, I'll play with my phone. I'll play through my phone. You want to hear it? Is this stupid?
Beth Stelling
No, it's not stupid. I want to hear it. I don't think they're usually. Those two are confused.
Josh Adam Myers
Stupid. All right, which one do you want? Do you want.
Beth Stelling
This is your brain. Your brain.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, no. I'm trying to find, like, it started because I watched a video of these of, like, Indian street food makers. Have you ever seen them make it?
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
It looks horrible. It's like, it looks terror. It looks like diarrhea. So the song. I wrote this hip hop song called on on the Grill.
Beth Stelling
They're gonna revoke your hurts. They're gonna revoke your hurts.
Josh Adam Myers
I'm president Circle code, dude. I got kicked off a Delta flight because of Lekka and me being a diva.
Beth Stelling
Really?
Josh Adam Myers
And they immediately, when they saw my status and how much money I paid the pilot, came off to apologize and personally rebook me on the next flight. They sent me, they sent me 50,000 miles. And they, and they were like, write a stern letter. This is her name. She was being a. It wasn't my fault. She was really the, the, the steward or the flight attendant. She was really. And I'm first class. And I'm like. She was like, they didn't seat from the front. They sat from the middle. So me and Lekka are in the front and she's like bleeding a little bit into the aisle. Like her paws sitting out. The woman asked me to move it. I tell her to move it. I make like a movement and then like it sticks her paw back out. It's just sticking out. And she goes, I told you. Started moving. I'm like, lady step. It's. There's. 99 of the lane is still open. There's like her toenails out.
Beth Stelling
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
And then she said she felt uncomfortable. And then they, the security came off to remove me and I was like, really? I was like, wow. All right. And then they were, then they were. Then they were like, we're going to talk to her. Get you back on. But then they go, Then they went after like 20 minutes ago. Hey. Unfortunately, one of the other people in first class felt uncomfortable too. And I was like, was it 1B? 1B? What was it 1B? I hate 1B.
Beth Stelling
Why would you do to 1B? Were they just staring?
Josh Adam Myers
Nothing. I offered her half of my, my, my chicken Caesar wrap because we're on a first class flight. And I, I asked, I was like, is there going to be food? And she said, no, it's past 10 o'. Clock. There's no food on a first class flight. And I'm like, it's over four hours. And I was like. And that's because I. And also I was like, the flight was supposed to be at 9:30 and you guys bumped it. So it really should be food. Yeah, you can get off the flight and go get food. I go, can I come back on? She's like, yes. I'm like, all right. So I went and got a 15 chicken Caesar, soggy, and I offered it to the woman next to me. 1B that.
Beth Stelling
Oh, and then did you. That's. What are you. You stuck at the airport?
Josh Adam Myers
10:30pm no, they got me a hotel room, Marriott Bonvoy. They had a car for me and everything, gave me Uber money. And then they.
Beth Stelling
How does this happen to you?
Josh Adam Myers
And then I. And then I got shut up the next day. And guess what? The flight that not only was I on had food, but it was a lay down flight.
Beth Stelling
Oh, wow.
Josh Adam Myers
But it was. I was. I was going to open for my buddy Jeff was doing his Netflix special taping. So it worked out fine. You know what I mean? I got there more than enough time, but it was. Yeah, it was just, it was an annoyance. But also like, it's kind of cool to say you got kicked off a flight.
Beth Stelling
Whoa.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I'm not. I was like, am I on a list? They're like, no, you're good. It's not like you raped your daughter. I was like, yep, exactly. Yeah. All right, where was I? So the next two songs, I call your name are both covers, so we're not really going to go into those. I call your name was great. It's a Beatles cover. So they did a dreamy California polish on a British invasion song I wrote, do you want to dance? It's a cover of Bobby Freeman. It's a pure joy track. It's so beautiful. What lifts you in the good mood? What puts you in a good mood?
Beth Stelling
You mean just in general?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Well, do you have music?
Beth Stelling
Like, what you're listening to enough music. Because sometimes I go, well, I have a record player, so that. That does put me in a good mood.
Josh Adam Myers
You like the crinkle?
Beth Stelling
Yeah, but also, I didn't want to pay after everything was Spotify and people were like, stop running ice ads. I was like, fine, I just cancel my Spotify. But then, you know, you have ads and that's so annoying.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, I. Not me. Damn. You know that means you don't even pay for your YouTube probably. Oh, dude, you got money.
Beth Stelling
Would I?
Josh Adam Myers
Because it's. Because you don't have to sit through ads.
Beth Stelling
I sat through at least two ads to listen to this album and they were both AI and it was like, I don't know, some sort of. You know, when they do like master classes, they're like telling you not to ask certain questions if you really want to be a business person. Yeah, that was the ad. So it seemed like it really worked. Well, I don't, I don't want to pay for Spotify because I think they're probably bad people and, but YouTube, none of our. I, that's what I'm saying. I, I, I use YouTube, but I just guess I don't pay for whatever it is.
Josh Adam Myers
Big. I remember one time I opened up my YouTube in front of Big J to show him a video, and it was an ad, and he goes, come on, dude, what are you doing with your life? He's like, you really want to, you want to waste five seconds? I was like, it's only five seconds. You gotta hit skip. And he goes, that's still. Tally that up, dude. He's right. He's right.
Beth Stelling
I'll think about it. I'll think about it.
Josh Adam Myers
Do it. Come on, man. Don't. Beth, you're killing it, man. You're killing it. You can afford it.
Beth Stelling
I don't come from money. I, I really do find ways to, like, always remember that. And I guess that sticks with you.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, but your time is more valuable than anything. So 5.5.99amonth gets rid of you. Get your time back.
Beth Stelling
See, you're right. And this will. This bleeds into everything in my life. Like, I don't pay for social media, and I don't pay for pr.
Josh Adam Myers
Neither do I. But. Yeah, well, that's different.
Beth Stelling
It's, it's, it's always tough when people are like, do you know this comic? And you're like, yeah, they paid for you to know them.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, yeah. All right. Well, I mean, I pay for somebody to do my social media for me. Like, I have to pay for clips and shit.
Beth Stelling
That's the era we've entered.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, but now people are like, you
Beth Stelling
should edit all your stuff and do your. Do these things. And it's like, well, if I have to pay someone to do that, why would I do it for myself for free?
Josh Adam Myers
I pay for a fluff and fold because the three hours it would take to do laundry is time that I could be writing songs about midgets and
Beth Stelling
their fat asses with the, with the. What's it called? Permission from Brad.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, he can say it. He said, dude, he. I sent him the song. I go, is this okay? And he goes, it's hilarious. Post it. And he's got an ass, and he's a juicy.
Beth Stelling
I have a joke in back there.
Josh Adam Myers
I have a new joke that I think is funny, but it's starting to work. But I was. Exactly. Everybody's sucking on the Dick of Jacob Elordi. Like everybody, every girl. And I get it. Six, 11. But if that was five, six. You wouldn't give a about him. Like, seriously, he's not good looking if you bring him down. And I'm like. And I was like, dude, I was like. I was like, nobody in here wants to Peter Dinklage and he's got six Emmys.
Beth Stelling
People do for sure want to who find them. Isn't he probably somebody right now? While we speak.
Josh Adam Myers
Check that out. Check that math. Go to who's dated who.com. all right, let's get to the meaty one. Let's get to California Dreaming. Let's do California. Maybe we'll do one more song after that. Maybe and then we'll get you out of here. This is the song. This is written during a cold New York winter. Ultimate Grass is Greener. Anthony Anthony. Anthem anthem.
Beth Stelling
Chrysanthemum.
Josh Adam Myers
Chris. Chrysanthemum. One of the most iconic songs of the 60s. I would put this in the. In the Mount Rushmore of when I think of the 60s 100% because. And I'm telling you, I can't express to you, Beth, how much I love this song. And I've listened to the verse. I love the harmonies. I love the way that, you know, like, you know, that's the best part of the whole song that I went for a walk, you know, when I. Ah. And then. And then John the rapist comes in and kills. I mean kills. Stopped into a church, into a church
Beth Stelling
I passed along the way, along the way.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, I got down on my knees
Beth Stelling
Got down on my knees and I
Josh Adam Myers
am gay and began to pray, you know that we just wasn't known. I know he's going.
Beth Stelling
To me. When we were talking about like quintessential 60s for me, one of like all the way through soundtracks because that used to be how you would listen to music back in the day. Like yes, of course, artist albums, but like a movie soundtrack that knocked it out of the park. That really. And for me, quintessential that time was Good Morning Vietnam.
Josh Adam Myers
Even though that came out in the late 80s.
Beth Stelling
Well, the movie did okay.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I know what you're saying. Yeah, but the soundtrack. Yeah. I mean, what's on there? Let me see.
Beth Stelling
It's like I get around. The Beach Boys, Game of Love, the Mindbender, Sugar and Spice, the Searchers, Good morning Vietnam sound.
Josh Adam Myers
Let me take a look.
Beth Stelling
I got you. I feel good. California sun, five o'. Clock. The Vogues.
Josh Adam Myers
Good morning. Oh, yeah. Dude, it's Got some good on there. No, no, no, no. Why is it showing me this?
Beth Stelling
But the reason I thought of it, though, is because you said like Vietnam was kicking up, you know, that's why we were talking about this era.
Josh Adam Myers
I always thought that Vietnam was in the 70s and it is.
Beth Stelling
You just said it. You were like.
Josh Adam Myers
No, I did. I did. No, but I'm just. I'm saying I always thought the Vietnam was like 71 to like 73 or something. But yeah, it's. It's this. It's a 60. Here's what's funny though. I'm looking at the. The soundtrack. It really. This is what you think of with the thing of the 60s because it's. It's a lot of Motown. It's like.
Beth Stelling
It's more 70s and I'm wrong then.
Josh Adam Myers
I mean. No, well, maybe.
Beth Stelling
Maybe I'm thinking 70s because I wasn't alive.
Josh Adam Myers
You weren't?
Beth Stelling
No.
Josh Adam Myers
I thought you're doing Botox and all the other stuff too. You're on NAD Plus.
Beth Stelling
That's why I've been holding right here, because it hurts so bad. I don't. You know, I'm. I'm aging like a paper bag.
Josh Adam Myers
White people, dude. Raw and natural white people. Peptides. Get on peptides. You'll change your life. Yeah. I think of. If I was going to think of a better and not at all saying that this isn't the sound, because this is the movie takes place in 65. Just looking over this, when I think of the 60s, I think of like the lineup of like Woodstock. You know what I mean? Everybody that was at Woodstock 70s with
Beth Stelling
the good Morning Vietnam. I just love that soundtrack.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, no, because it's. It takes place in 65. That's the thing. So. But this is like. This is what was popular in 65. Don't forget. It's like you have. You think of Dylan, you think of the Beatles, you think of. I mean, this is what I think of. Then I think of like, you know, like Woodstock, Crosby, Stills, Nash. That's the. That I. Buffalo Springfield. Stop, children. What's that sound? Everybody? Look, I think of that.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, I hear you on that. Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
I would have thought like the Forrest Gump soundtrack would have been dope but dober for maybe that's also.
Beth Stelling
Maybe I'm. Yeah, you're right. Forest could probably be closer.
Josh Adam Myers
And then American graffiti is 50s, but that's like. That soundtrack is phenomenal. You would know if you saw it. But you don't watch movies.
Beth Stelling
I don't.
Josh Adam Myers
That's a bummer okay.
Beth Stelling
Forest Tracks. I mean, I watch movies. Come on.
Josh Adam Myers
No, you don't. You don't even have a tv. You're like. You probably saw like a. Like a. You probably have a thick screen TV still.
Beth Stelling
What do you mean, like this thick?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, like the one they. I made that joke about Russia too. I'm like. I'm like, they're so funny. They're so cute. Even though they're scary because they're so far behind us because of the sanctions. So they don't get the. That we get when we get it. So, guys, like, trying to impress a girl. Like, you know, check out my thick screen tv.
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God. The kind that have the DVD and the VHS player in it.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. It's like, yeah, I had that. Let's have V. Oh, God, who didn't?
Beth Stelling
It was so cool. But if it broke, you're screwed.
Josh Adam Myers
Every college.
Beth Stelling
So Forrest Gump soundtrack. Yeah, that one rules too. The Four Tops.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Beth Stelling
That has California Dreaming on it. Yeah. Maybe I actually sort of conflated it in my head because the reason I said what I said is because it takes me to that era because I think.
Josh Adam Myers
I think a hippie. When I think of the 60s, I think of like hippie stuff like Peace, Love and daffodils. Like White Rabbit, you know? You know, Somebody to Love by the Jefferson Airplane. Are you going to San Francisco? That's. That's when I think of the 60s, aside from the British invasion, I think of that like I pulled up Top song. Yeah. Vincent. Don McLean, Good Vibrations, People Are Strange, 8 Miles High by the Birds, like Light My Fire. Yeah. This is all like Alice's Restaurant. Yeah. Feeling groovy, Hendrix like that. And this is one of them. And I would say. I would say. Yeah, I would say this is. In my opinion, this is. This is as good as you can get.
Beth Stelling
I agree. Well, that's why it's on the Forrest Gump soundtrack. And I think that's also why I thought perhaps it was on Vietnam. Good Morning Vietnam. But either way, both of those soundtracks rule. Forrest Gump one, I think, encapsulates the time. And that's actually probably what I think of when I. Because I loved that movie also.
Josh Adam Myers
Big shout out. I got to give the. I got to give the biggest. A big shout outs to Bud Shank. Great name, by the way. But he is the flute solo player on that song. Oh, there's the yawn. That means rapid the up, dude.
Beth Stelling
My brain hurts. That's why I'm holding this. Part of my face is A permanent crease right now. Oh, gosh, my eyes hurt.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, let's hear. Let's wrap this up anyway. Were we at an hour? Yeah, we're there 106. Even with all the flaws? Even with all the flaws.
Beth Stelling
We're at an hour six.
Josh Adam Myers
No, but we've only been talking seven of those minutes were spent. What? What? I can't hear you.
Beth Stelling
I can't hear you. Sign out. Sign in.
Josh Adam Myers
We'll speed through this because this is important. I feel like we got to talk about everybody. So. John Phillips, primary song songwriter, dictator of the band. Controlled arrangements, image, even. Who could be in the group. Like, we talked about how he didn't want Cass in there. Rigid, difficult. As success grew, the others eventually said they felt like hired singers rather than equal members. The resentments creatively built quickly. And then the chaos, of course, with Michelle Cass excluded. Very. She felt like an outsider in the. In the entire band. Which is sad because she's like. She's my favorite in the group. But she had body image, pressure, industry bias. Like they didn't want her not being taken seriously despite being the best singer.
Beth Stelling
Yep.
Josh Adam Myers
She also. This is the crazy thing. She also had feelings for Denny, who
Beth Stelling
was the other member.
Josh Adam Myers
The other member who there was two men.
Beth Stelling
And Denny was with. Hooking up with Michelle and.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Who's sleeping with Michelle, too. She had crushed. She had a crush on him. So that's like.
Beth Stelling
Cass probably told Michelle she had a crush on him. And Michelle was like, I'm gonna fold my beer.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Ah, she would do that. A hot Cali model that she did have. Who's. Her kids, though? Her kids are pretty. I think her and John.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. I mean, I. Obviously, after we know more about John, I'm. I'm more not inclined to take her side.
Josh Adam Myers
Sure. Her daughter's China Phillips. Hold on for one more day. Yeah. I swear to God.
Beth Stelling
Oh, wow.
Josh Adam Myers
You know, John Phillips's kids are holy. He was married to a girl named Michelle Gilliam, who is. I was one of the first girls who showed me her boobs and my high school. Not this one. Because she died in 60. No, they divorced, so she's.
Beth Stelling
Michelle Phillips is still alive.
Josh Adam Myers
They. John died in 2001.
Beth Stelling
Good.
Josh Adam Myers
MacKenzie. So, yeah. China is his daughter.
Beth Stelling
Wilson. Austin Heights. So China Phillips.
Josh Adam Myers
Wilson Phillips and Bijou Phillips. His daughter's Bijou Phillips, too. You know who she is married to? Danny Masterson. Another rapist.
Beth Stelling
Oh, God.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Beth Stelling
He is a mess. He's a. That this family keeps producing excellent singers and horrible rapists. Yes. Or it Would make sense that she was.
Josh Adam Myers
She would go. Yeah. And she. If I'm not mistaken, Bijou actually defended her dad and said that her sister is, like, crazy or whatever. But, you know, 6 and 12 is half a dozen. And, I mean, look who she got.
Beth Stelling
Meanwhile. Yeah. Look at who you chose as a husband. I think the call is coming from inside the house also.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. I've never heard that. I like that. That's really good. I'm gonna use that. By the way, the other thing, too, is Bijou another sign that she had some form of, like, traumatic thing happen to her, I guess. She's. She was in so many movies where she got, like, fully naked and, like, had, like, simulated sex. Bully being one black and white. Like, she was like. Like, I've jerked off to her in those movies because it's so gratuitously.
Beth Stelling
Thank you for being honest.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, I mean, you know, she's hot. I thought she was. She was like. She was like. She was. She used to date Sean Lennon. She was like a real Hollywood socialite. Like, one of the. She was almost like a. Who's a chick that was in Kids. Chloe Sevigny.
Beth Stelling
Oh, yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Who's kind of like a socialite of, like, New York. And I think. I think Bijou was more of, like, the LA version of her. Like, models and do all that.
Beth Stelling
It's interesting, too, right, Because Chyna chose Carney. Wilson Carney was always curvy, and I
Josh Adam Myers
didn't think about that.
Beth Stelling
Yeah. Similar to, you know, in that realm of her own cast. Dude, Carney was so talented. I mean, they all are, but.
Josh Adam Myers
They all are. Yeah.
Beth Stelling
I loved Wilson Phillips growing up because I have two sisters, so we would always sing the songs together.
Josh Adam Myers
I know that. Love is pain dude, you should do that in the jam.
Beth Stelling
Good idea.
Josh Adam Myers
It's gonna kill.
Beth Stelling
Just so you know, it's called. Hold On.
Josh Adam Myers
I know, but I just wrote it out because my band is. They're, you know, they're all mongoloids. They're midget mongoloids.
Beth Stelling
You don't have permission to say that.
Josh Adam Myers
Dude, imagine. Dude, wait.
Beth Stelling
Imagine I got permission from all buttholes to call you a butthole.
Josh Adam Myers
Sure. Okay. Well, guess what? It's offensive now to butts and holes. The Dude. Imagine how dope that's gonna be when we get the whole crowd going. I know. I know. It's going. I bet you have the song of the festival.
Beth Stelling
Let's do it.
Josh Adam Myers
All right. I just told them. They love this. Kind of. I just watched that Nine Inch Nails thing, and I'm Like, I switched one of my songs. We're doing. I want to do Closer.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
It's so good. Oh, you got. I'm gonna send you the video of. Do you like Nine Inch Nails at all?
Beth Stelling
I feel like Ian Finance was trying to get me into them. Or. No, no, he was trying to get me into Crap. Another one that's, like, yelly. Oh, there's a lot. He was trying to get me into corn.
Josh Adam Myers
I brought him to Corn. We went to see Corn live because I'm friends with two of the members and. Yeah. Love them. Love corn. I've seen corn all the time. I mean, they're not like. It's not like a band I put on all the time, you know, But I do. It's a fun concert and, you know, it's good people watching. But I. Yeah, dude, Nine Inch Nails. And I'll say this straight away, probably one of the cooler bands. They have. No, they have nothing in their career. He's in. He's been in such control of the image of the band. Even the state to the stage show. I'll send you this clip. And I mean, you. You have to admit, even if you don't like the music, you'd be like, wow. Like, okay, dude, it's. It's. It's. He murders. Murders the set. The. I've listened to it like, six, eight, seven times. It's so good. Okay.
Beth Stelling
But also, I was just looking at my moon tower schedule and I don't think they have my.
Josh Adam Myers
My whatever night jam it will be. I'll tell you exactly when it's going to be. You're doing the jam on. Where the Are you? Oh, you're on Thursday. And if you need to move to Friday, you move to Friday.
Beth Stelling
What time's it at?
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, it's late.
Beth Stelling
Okay, great. So, yeah. Because I have stars and bars or something. And then surrounded at 9:15. So then.
Josh Adam Myers
All right. Yeah, so. I don't know why she didn't add it. I sent her the list.
Beth Stelling
All good. Thursday.
Josh Adam Myers
Thursday. Thursday. It's you. Marin's on it. It's gonna be good. I'm excited. I'm a little bummed Big Jay's not gonna be there this trip, but whatevs. All right. Anything else, other crazy I gotta talk about? Hold on. I want to. Denny Doherty, the nice guy who blew it up. He's. He betrayed John, the band leader. Complicated relationships with Cass because she loved him. He's one of the main reasons the band's fracture. And then Michelle. Let's give her a Little something young, charismatic, visual, cool. Part of the band. She was everybody fired from the band in 66 because of the Affair. But she gets quickly rehired because her voice was essential and the band chemistry didn't work without her. So Michelle gets kicked out. Replacement singer brought in briefly. Yeah. Everyone realizes this doesn't work. Michelle comes back. Drugs, as they grew. Drug use, paranoia, emotional instability. The big thematic. I think the big thing about the mamas and the pop is that everybody fleece, army, you, me, we need to take from this is. On the surface, it is warm, hopeful and harmonious. Harmonious with the music. But in reality, there are affairs, resentment and emotional warfare. So they invented California harmony, but they got east coast emotional damage. There you go.
Beth Stelling
Emotional damage.
Josh Adam Myers
You can absolutely hate each other and say, still sound like angels. God bless their souls. And they went on to be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Well deserved. I think so. Because they are a huge, huge part of. When we think of the 60s. Except you, if you think of Good Morning Vietnam. I was gonna say Good Morning, America.
Beth Stelling
How could I think of Forest Gump soundtrack? I told you, I retracted.
Josh Adam Myers
All right, I'll take that. I'll take that. Retro. I'll accept that retraction. All right, let's do. Let's do the final questions and get you out of here. Beth, this has been great. Thank you for coming on. I know you're tired, but I look forward to this the whole day. I can't wait to party with you in Austin. We'll go get barbecue, maybe.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, that sounds great, Terry. Relax.
Josh Adam Myers
Yes, good. I love that you said that. And not one of the other 9 billion ones there. They got us in a different hotel this year. I'm kind of bummed.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, me too.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I like the time. They always. They always put me in the Thompson.
Beth Stelling
I know. I like that one, too, but I'm not in there either.
Josh Adam Myers
All right. Favorite song on this record.
Beth Stelling
It's tough because, honestly, California Dreaming, it's just sort of like it sounds. The reason it's hard to answer is because you want to be different and say that's not your favorite. But it's the favorite. It's my favorite.
Josh Adam Myers
It's the best song on there. But I'll say. I'll say. Straight Shooter is a close second.
Beth Stelling
I would say Monday. Monday's my close second. But here's the thing. There's also. We like. We move towards familiarity. So I think if I listen to the album more, it could change.
Josh Adam Myers
Yes, I. I think. Yeah, this is something I'm gonna. I might keep listening to. I mean, even though I gotta move. See, I gotta do Sam Cooke next, which is a great. Listen, man. God, we got some good coming up. We already said no skip, so I don't think it was a skippable thing. There's nothing that stuck out to you. Can you. To this record? Would you put this on and.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, I could. What about you?
Josh Adam Myers
Not really, you know. Monday, Monday. I mean, I guess you could if you put it on right from the beginning. Monday, Monday. Straight shooter. It's not. I don't think. I wouldn't say this is like a
Beth Stelling
record record, you know, I can. So, you know, I'm not saying I'm putting this on to get in the
Josh Adam Myers
mood, but clip this, by the way, this is. This is our clip right here. You could to Hoarders I fucked.
Beth Stelling
It's not gonna take me out of it. The album's not gonna take me out of it, is all I'm saying.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I've to some weird things Dune.
Beth Stelling
I'm trying to think about what has taken me out of it. You know what I'm saying? Like, you might be like, oh, my
Josh Adam Myers
God, turn this off sometimes. Because I'm not going to say it because she's going to turn on. But my. My Amazon vocal thing that, you know, the thing that you shout out the name of and then it does things for you.
Beth Stelling
Okay.
Josh Adam Myers
Big J once met a girl that I had hooked up with and he goes, has you really always fucked in music? And she goes, yeah. Not only did you do that when there wasn't any on, he stopped in the middle and went, hey, Alexa, play the Cure with his. With my pirate voice. And that's the thing, is that you got to be careful because it could be. It could be Disintegration, this beautifully sexy record by the Cure. But then of course, like, it's going to play the hits, so eventually you're going to get Tuesday, you didn't Break my heart. Wednesday. Thursday, rip a fart. You know, those aren't the lyrics, by the way. They should be. I didn't ask this question earlier, but this is the one I wanted to ask about California Dream. And I want you to tell me the five things you love most about California.
Beth Stelling
Five things I love most. You know, I would say the things that. Like, when I left Chicago and I thought, am I. Which coast am I going to move to to pursue my dreams? To me, it's la. And I chose it because, yes, the weather. I don't know if we can separate these, but I would say the mountains and the ocean.
Josh Adam Myers
Wait, did you just see what happened? Like, you did this?
Beth Stelling
I know.
Josh Adam Myers
Did that pop up? How did that happen with you? What the fuck? Is mine not popping up? Wait, hold on for a second. Oh, don't. That'd be so funny. He's like a head comes out. All right, so the weather.
Beth Stelling
Yeah, the weather. The mountains, the ocean.
Josh Adam Myers
That's. That's two. I'm counting that as one.
Beth Stelling
Okay, fine, the mountains in the ocean, But I was also just gonna say lines of palm trees. I'm getting specific here.
Josh Adam Myers
You're doing all. I mean, isn't anything, like, palpable.
Beth Stelling
What do you mean?
Josh Adam Myers
Tacos.
Beth Stelling
Oh, you want, like, less general, more. No, you do whatever.
Josh Adam Myers
No, are. You do whatever you want. You do whatever.
Beth Stelling
The incredible food. You can have literally any cuisine here, from cheap to very, very expensive. Okay. The coffee scene, I'm. I'm my background's barista.
Josh Adam Myers
You. You probably. Yeah, I could see that.
Beth Stelling
I was. That's. That was. That's my trade.
Josh Adam Myers
Can you do a leaf?
Beth Stelling
I. I can. And it's called a Rosetta Stone. No. You're stone.
Josh Adam Myers
No, not yet, but I will be as soon as the podcast is over.
Beth Stelling
What am I at? 4.
Josh Adam Myers
4. Give me one more.
Beth Stelling
The dream of moving to LA.
Josh Adam Myers
It was so exciting. I remember moving August 1st when I moved to California. Well, first when I came out and visited May. My cousin was friends with all these, like, cool actors, one of them being Jason Momoa. And like, all they were. This is like 0708. So everybody dressed like Colin Farrell with, you know. Or like a Johnny Depp thing. The million bracelets. Remember when everybody was wearing the leather? The leather archery bands and like that? Yeah. You know, the dirtier the clothes, the better boots, but untied scarves made out
Beth Stelling
of, like, sweatshirt material.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, God. It was like, dude, it was the coolest thing.
Beth Stelling
Scarves for men.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, it was the coolest thing ever, moving out there. And it was like. I. I just remember how excited I was. And. And so I understand that. But then you live there. You get used to all that. You take it for granted. So now to end before we do the. Your fit. You know, I think we did. We did one last thing after this one, but what are the five things you hate about California or Los Angeles? Yeah, those would be funnier.
Beth Stelling
Five things.
Josh Adam Myers
I hate black people. Why would Beth say that? Midget.
Beth Stelling
I didn't say it.
Josh Adam Myers
The word midget.
Beth Stelling
I would say it's like the illusion. Because even like, you know, the first experience with that would be doing, like, Chelsea Lately or something going on that show. Like, that was the first time I was really hit with the concept of what you see on TV and what it's like being there is just so different. That seems very oversimplified. But you're like, wow, it is such an illusion, you know, really is. And just the concept that I didn't totally understand that, you know, I don't know if I always thought this, but that the industry and comedy is not a meritocracy. Just because you work really hard and you try to strive to be very good at your job doesn't mean that that will equate to success. And similarly, in that realm, I guess it might be the same thing. Is like, what I talked about earlier, like, the pay to play thing. Yeah. Like, if you have money, you can make it. And, you know, I have that pride within me that's like, I moved out here and worked jobs and worked my way up, and I'm grateful for the experience and who I am and the things that made me who I am, and I didn't have connections. So in that way, you have that sort of pride where you're like, I freaking did it myself without help from. You know. But also, to your point, when we first started, it's like, wouldn't it be nice if my dad was the frickin Crystalia? I don't know. Not really.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Beth Stelling
Like the producer. But then we might have been freaking pedophiles.
Josh Adam Myers
So those people are at Coachella. They're at. Dude, they're everybody that's at the first weekend of Coachella because even I'm not gonna say, you know, I know a couple people that perform there. And. And they even said, it's like, unless you were Bieber or certain other things, like, nobody gave a. They're all there for influence. He goes to the hottest women you've ever seen, and they're all the worst people, you know, And. And it's. And I think that's California and New York do you go to. If you go to Soho or the low east side. I mean, there's, of course, everywhere. But there's more. But there's more trust fund the kids that. That are smoking mirrors in L. A. Than anywhere in the world. And we did. I had a DJ at a strip club for six weeks. Not six weeks, six years.
Beth Stelling
Oh, my God.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Way big difference. Different way big. But that's the thing. And it almost killed me. And I remember. I remember Doing New Faces and having to go back to the strip club thinking I was going to be able to quit after New Faces. And everybody, everybody else that I went with, Pete Davidson, snl, Brooks snl, Chris De Stefano, Blowing Up, Sam Morel, Andrew. They're all working regular jobs. Not regular job. Working standup. They're doing stand up and. And doing great. And I had to do it. So, yeah, it builds character. And I think it. I think for people like us who it's not handed to. You know what I mean? And we. We both have people on our sides that have helped us and big ups to all of them, 100%. You know, Burr, I owe my whole career to. And God bless him and Jelly Roll and it's like, I'm really, really lucky. But it's like, man, it feels a little bit sweeter when I get the success because I always say, dude, like you said, the meritocracy. It's like I feel like I'm. I'm more like the herpes of comedy because they keep trying to get rid of me and you can't. You can't. I keep popping up with a new idea that sells tickets. Let's get you out of here. What. What would be your final thought on this record? To get someone to listen to it.
Beth Stelling
There's no stinkers and it's freaking such a good. It's. It. It makes you. It's a feel good album. So pop it on and it could lift your mood. Even though what. We realize that it does have these dark undertones.
Josh Adam Myers
I mean, dude, same thing with Fleetwood Mac, man. It's like you're. You're. You. Puts you in a great mood. You know, Don't. Don't stop thinking about tomorrow. You know, it could be. That was written. That was written for somebody with mesothelioma. This record is emotionally unstable. Yes. Is that real? I know Skyrizzy. Yeah, I know Skyrizzy. I do know that commercial. Oh, wait, is that. Do they use that song in it too?
Beth Stelling
No. Probably. I don't know.
Josh Adam Myers
Somebody did. It's been in a commercial for sure. I would say this record is basically proof that you could be emotionally unstable, romantically chaotic, possibly a nightmare to be around, but still make something so beautiful that people play it 60 years later and say, wow, man, that sounds like happiness. Just like the way you took it. And I think that's really cool. It's musical version of Smiling Through a Breakdown. That's what I wrote. I like that four people try to harmonize their way out of Their problems. I wrote so much about this, it's stupid, but instead they just sound incredible. And I think this podcast, I think the people are going to find this one incredible. Beth, promote away, please. We'll do it at the beginning too. When. Yes, when I do my intro. What's going on? What do you got going on?
Beth Stelling
I am on tour and you can get my tickets@bethstelling.com I'm at Beth selling on Instagram and threads and wherever else. Oh, YouTube. I have a new special I just put out called we're looking for people who do huge numbers on social media. And I shot it at the Hollywood Forever cemetery a couple years back at Netflix as a joke fest. So that's out. And also I have a special on YouTube called the Landlord special that I put out in July. So watch those.
Josh Adam Myers
Watch, watch them and go see Beth live. You're hilarious. And she's the sweetest person you're ever gonna meet. Thank you, dude, this was great. Thank you for coming on. I really had a good time come back too, but we've got 114 more episodes so we got other to fill.
Beth Stelling
Perfect. Thank you for having me. Me and I look forward to seeing you this week.
Josh Adam Myers
Yes. Hold on for one more day.
Beth Stelling
Hold on for one more day.
Josh Adam Myers
And Finn, what did I tell you? What did I tell you? The one and only best Stelling follower on social media at Bethstelling. And go to bestselling.com for her touring schedule. Go see her live. She's an incredible person. And now for new music. Since we just listened to 66 mamas and the papas, if you could believe your eyes and ears, proud sponsor Distro Kid has brought you a track called Joy by Mama's Gun. And you can find links to the music on our website, the500podcast.com. If you're in a band and you want your song played on the show and you're out, you're influenced by one of these, send us your song to 500podcastmail.com make sure you put the album and artists and influence you in the subject line. Next week is Radiohead the bends from 1995 coming in at number 111. So you so do your homework, dude. We got some good ones coming up, dude. We got some. Fuck. God damn, dude. Looking at our guests and our records, motherfucker. You guys are in for a treat. Let's really make this final hundred good. So if you're still listening right now, tell everybody thank you for tuning in. You know we love you. When I see you every time it's like the first time I see sparkles it's like every smile is new I coming home welcome coming from the cold into those arms that seem to want my peris oh I get joy joy each time you fill me up with something pure so much joy the little things that seem to me must fall in the lights when I see something so many faces and the music takes us to our paradise by my side Every time that we go walking saying so much without talking you and I enjoy each time you fill it up with something you're so much joy all the little things that sing to me much more.
Beth Stelling
Sa.
Josh Adam Myers
I get come on, come. On Just the little things that seem to me much more just give me joy. Only thing that never is the joy Love we can while we're here I get. The 500 keeping it flee See for the Fleece Nation on the 500 the 500.
Beth Stelling
Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz and Allbirds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into Sign up for your $1 per month trial@shopify.com specialoffer Next Chapter podcast.
Podcast: The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers
Episode: #112 – The Mamas and the Papas - If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (feat. Beth Stelling)
Date: April 15, 2026
Guest: Beth Stelling (Comedian, Writer, Actress)
This episode of The 500 explores the classic 1966 debut album by The Mamas and the Papas, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, which is ranked #112 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Josh Adam Meyers and guest Beth Stelling dive into the sunny harmonies, underlying melodrama, and tangled personal dynamics of one of 60s pop’s most iconic groups. Their conversation weaves the band’s music, legacy, scandals, and the bittersweet gap between the sound of “California Dreaming” and the chaos behind the scenes.
Memorable Quote:
“This is Fleetwood Mac if they went to church and cheated on each other in the parking lot.”
— Josh Adam Meyers [33:25]
Memorable Quote:
“Part of me feels like he didn’t want her in there for other reasons—like, you’re a Chungus.”
— Beth Stelling [41:02]
Beth Stelling:
“It was a quick and easy listen. Nothing was a huge ‘stinker.’ I knew the hits, not the deep cuts, but all were pleasant.” [37:26]
Memorable Quote:
“It’s not a meritocracy. Just because you work really hard and try to be good at your job, doesn’t mean you’ll succeed.”
— Beth Stelling [85:25]
On Band Dynamics:
“This is soap opera with harmonies.”
— Josh Adam Meyers [44:23]
Dark Humor in Light of Scandal
“You really have to separate the art from the rapist.”
— Josh Adam Meyers [31:13]
On Listening to the Album
“It’s the musical version of smiling through a breakdown... four people harmonizing their way out of their problems.”
— Josh Adam Meyers [89:14]
On the Real California
“You can have literally any cuisine here, from cheap to very, very expensive. The coffee scene—my background’s barista!”
— Beth Stelling [83:24]
“There’s no stinkers, and it makes you feel good, even knowing the dark undertones. Pop it on—it might lift your mood.” [88:18]
“This album is proof you can be emotionally unstable, romantically chaotic, possibly a nightmare—but still make something so beautiful it lasts 60 years.” [89:04]
They both agree: The record is a testament to how great music can transcend—and even be born from—interpersonal chaos.
Beth Stelling’s Special:
We’re Looking for People Who Do Huge Numbers on Social Media—watch on YouTube
The Landlord Special—also on YouTube
Tour dates: bethstelling.com
Next Up on The 500:
Radiohead – The Bends (#111)
Summary by The 500 with Josh Adam Meyers Expert Podcast Summarizer – for those who want the depth, heart, and humor of the conversation, without missing a single harmony (or drama!)