
Jonathon “Boogie” Long makes his debut on the podcast to discuss a band that Mick Jagger once called “the best band in the world.”
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Josh Adam Myers
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Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
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Josh Adam Myers
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Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
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Josh Adam Myers
That's shopify.com income. This show is brought to you by Distrokid. Bring your music to the masses. The 500 the 500J been walking us down through that 2012 edition so it ain't nothing too new. Hundreds more to go and in need of a friend the king of peaceful angelo Talking the 500 until the end Talking the 500 until the end with my man JM on the 500 Talking the 500 until the end People say.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
People say have I got a right to live? People say people say people say no.
Josh Adam Myers
That is the opening track. It's by the meters from the 1974 record rejuvenation. It's also number 139 out of 500 on the 500 with Josh Adam Myers. What's up everybody? Welcome to the only show where comedians counting down Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums from 500 down to 1. This weekend I am in Vancouver at the House of Comedy. The following weekend I'll be in New Mexico. The weekend after that I will be in Jansville, Wisconsin. And then we got a bunch of stuff coming up, guys. New Orleans, Baltimore, big show November 22nd. Come out Josh Adamyers.com for tickets. Yeah, man. At Josh Adamyers.com whatever. At Josh Adamyers on all social media. Whatever the it is. Guys, I gotta go. I'm going to see Queens of the Stone Age and I forgot to do this. So this is a quick one. Join the Patreon patreon.com backslash the 500 podcast. All right, the meters. This is our second album. Marshall Warfield from Night Court did the first one. This one we got a great blues guitarist, Jonathan Boogie Long. This guy's got a brand new record coming out November 14th called Courage in the Chaos. Go to boogielong.com for all shows and albums and all that jazz. This was a fun one, guys. Raid review and most Importantly, subscribe to the 500 listen free on all platforms or anywhere you get your pods. Follow me at Josh Adam Myers on all social media at the 500 Podcast. For the podcast, email the podcast@500podcastmail.com. Follow the Facebook group on by Crazy Evan. And for all things 500, go to the website the 500podcast.com. All right, y'.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
All.
Josh Adam Myers
139 out of 500 with the meters rejuvenation. You might be the first guest that we've had. No one that's wearing tie dye, dude.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Well, I wore my tie dye in. In, you know, praying respects to George Porter Jr. Who played bass on this. On this record that we're about to talk about.
Josh Adam Myers
You do? Yes. You know, I should wait to talk, but you. You know way more about the Meters than I do.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Well, George is a friend, and my. A guy that I toured with for. Plays drums for George now, so. And Joe, you know, he plays a gig every Monday, so he always wears a different tie dye. So I wore this. I wore this specifically for George Porter because we're. We're talking about the Meters today, so I love that.
Josh Adam Myers
But before we listen, before we get into that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You were in. You're driving. We're driving down the right road right now.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, I'm in it, man. You.
Josh Adam Myers
You've got an album coming out on November 14th. Am I wrong? Which is actually my birthday as well. Scorpio.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Perfect.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, wow.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
That's awesome. Yeah, it's called Courage in the Chaos. You know, it's a. It's a. It's a bunch of songs that I've been writing throughout the years and then some that I just wrote recently. And my friend Jim Odom, who owns. Who owned Presonus, and he sold the company to Fender several years ago, and now he is, uh, wants to produce records, and he. He loves me and my music, and he's a good friend of mine, and so he helped me pick this collection of songs, and we, you know, did a few different sessions. We did some in Mandeville, some in New Orleans, and had some really amazing musicians on it. And, you know, the. The guy that. The guy that mixed all the Foo Fighters records mixed it, and then we had this guy master it, you know, and this, you know, so it's. It's a really cool record. It's a good record. It's a cool record. You know, it's Got many different styles of music on it. I don't really know who it's for, but that's what I'm. It's a lot of blues, rock influence, a lot of Americana. And we're just hoping to find my audience, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no, I. Trust me, it's. I'm a comedian and it's the same thing because I know that you, you know, checking out your Instagram, your tick tock, and it's like even what we were talking about before is like you have your setup where you go up. How often are you going on there on live and, and just shredding. Because.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I mean, I have insomnia. So sometimes, sometimes it's like 5 or 6 in the morning, and then sometimes it's at like 10 or 11 at night. So I don't really have like a. I don't really have like a set time that I advertise, but I always get a ton of followers. And everybody, everybody, the general consensus is you're the best guitar player on here that's doing this, hands down. And what I do, what I do that's different than a lot of people is that I'll improv solo to anything. I don't give a. I don't give a what it is. They can, they can tell me, you know, play Mary Had a Little Lamb. They can tell me, play through the fire and flames, you know what I'm saying? And I'm just going to improv, you know, I have my own style to where I just kind of dial in in a few seconds and just roll with it. And then. And my big thing is like, whatever style of music you're playing, that's how you're supposed to think, like mentally, you know. So if I'm playing, if I'm playing a BB King style blues song, I'm not, I'm not trying to be Eddie Van Halen, you know, I'm trying to be. I'm trying to fit more in the box of what I'm playing. So that helps me to kind of, you know, people love that and people dig it. And, you know, I've been playing for 30 years and you know, whatever. I won the biggest guitar competition in the world in 2011. But, but music, music's not a competition though. It's. We're all in it just like comedy. It's. It's like we're all in it together. You know, I'm sure everybody wants the, the HBO special, but at the end of the day, you're all in it together. And everybody's, everybody's just trying to take a slice out of the same big pie, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yes.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I mean, we're just all, you know, it's all about supporting everybody, you know, so.
Josh Adam Myers
Yes, but let me.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
All right.
Josh Adam Myers
It's not a, it's not a competition. No, but you do watch somebody. But if somebody says, hey, man, you seen, you're seeing that new guy, Jimmy Long Legs, what do you think of his playing? You don't lie. Because if somebody says that about a comic that's young or we don't find funny, we never go, oh, that guy. No, no, no, hear me out, hear me out. We don't go, oh, he sucks. We just go, he's a really nice guy. Great guy. Great guy. Musician. He's a great guy.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Great guy.
Josh Adam Myers
Great.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
No, and I, and listen, I don't blow smoke and I don't, I don't expect people to blow smoke at me either, man. Like, if you, like, you know, that's why I say, like, you know, I have, I write different songs for everybody, but my stuff isn't for everybody. So. Look, I don't like people to, to blow smoke my way either, but. Yeah, I feel you. I feel you on that. You know, it's just kind of. It's almost like killing them with kindness. I don't know.
Josh Adam Myers
Always in a way. Yeah, but, but that's so cool that this record is coming out and you've been working with a lot of great people. It's like, we're gonna get to more of like, your, Your story as we get through this record too. But damn, it's like you, you know what you reminded me of, I was thinking, because there's. I love that you're doing that, you know, to find the audience, and that's how powerful something like Instagram and the Chinese owned Tick Tock. Yeah, yeah. Where they're spying on you right now. They're like, oh, I shouldn't do that voice. Never mind.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Hey, dude, I, I don't, I don't care, man. Like, unless, unless they want to see me smoking herb in my underwear sitting on my couch. I mean, what else do I have to hide from them, you know? I' doing, I'm not doing nothing crazy in my house. You know what I mean? So I, I could care less what they do.
Josh Adam Myers
That tie dye shirt says differently, bro. There's some crazy.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Well, I said herb, man. I'm a herb. I'm a herb guy, you know? I mean, you know, that's all, that's all I'M a long haired hippie guy, man. You know, I'm 37. I'm 37, but I, I still fit in the long hair hippie category, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Totally, totally. And you were. And you're born and raised in Baton Rouge, is that right?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, I was, yeah. Born and raised in Baton Rouge. And, you know, I went to school in Livingston Parish, actually, and the meth capital of the world, which I'm not proud of. Yeah, I dropped out at 14, got my first gig with a reggae band. My parents signed partial custody of me over to a black man named Henry Turner Jr. So that I could tour and play nightclubs. Yeah. And I was 14, so I played. I had a gig playing bass in this reggae band. No, go ahead. Yeah, it's my first.
Josh Adam Myers
So. So what I was gonna say is. So. So obviously it sounds like you've been playing music since like the jump. Like, when did you pick up the guitar?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, six or seven. Yeah, my folks were always in gospel music, so I came up playing in church. Like my grandfather always played guitar at church and all that. And then I started taking lessons at about 8 or 9. And they taught me how to figure out stuff on my own, you know, how to like have my own voice. So. So, yeah, so I always played by ear mostly. Like I, I know basic theory and all, but I'm. I'm really not a big theory guy. I just, I. I just like kind of embody like my own sound, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
And. Yeah, so.
Josh Adam Myers
So. So it's funny that you say that. So I, I tour with this big musician and he has a, he has a slot. Was it slide? The, you know, like slide guitar or pedal steel? He does all of that? Yeah, yeah, he does the pedal steel. His name's Roosevelt Collier.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, I'm. I'm just great friends with Rosie. I play with him all every year at jazz festival. Yeah, well, not at the festival, but. But I do a gig with him. Sorry, go ahead.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no, but. Great guy. Same, same kind of story which I always found interesting, which is that in church his family was like, yo, you're playing slot, you're playing pedal steel. So they just put him in front of it and they were like, learn it.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, he plays with Jelly Roll.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. And that's a guy I tour with. I didn't want to name drop, but you know.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I'm sorry.
Josh Adam Myers
No, it's okay, it's okay. It's okay. I. I've been opening for him and I just got off a tour with him and Post Malone In Europe. And, and so. Yeah, but it was like that. Which is great for me, you know, as a comic, because I'm making new fans and I'm meeting new people, but also I love music so much. So seeing somebody like Rosie and hearing something like that and then hearing your story and seeing how talented you are, where they're like, you know, because this, this is a. That's like a Southern thing. It's not a Jeremiah. It is not a mid Atlantic New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, any like that in the south because they believe in. Well, I mean. Which is so funny, Jeremiah because you're so religious or we're so religious, but you can't play even the, you can't even play like the spoons. Whole choir part of it.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
There has to be a level of like, soul. And you might be whiter than Joshua Robin's, you know, underwear. Like you are. That's right, you're white as. And. And we can also tell the guy's name's Boogie, for Christ's sake. Obviously he's got soul. Rosie's a black dude and then I'm a dude. And then the girl that plays fiddle for. For Posty. This is just something. That same situation, they throw them into the music and it just pisses me off because my dad, like, he played music, but he. And it was like, I, he didn't force anything on me and if he would have, because I'm. I'm like a c at like 10 instruments. I could have been an A. I could have been in a church band.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I've always, like. I've always just had a flow where like, like I, I can just play anything like. Yeah, I mean, you know, that, that's always been my thing. I. I play super fast, you know, but I, but I can also play slow and I, I just have a way of like fitting in the groove, you know, and kind of adding a texture that's. That so far people have thought is. Is needed. You know what I mean?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I don't like to talk. I don't like to talk about myself, but, you know, the only reason I'm not really out there more is because I've had some really shitty record deals and I've. I've put a lot of faith in people that I thought had my best interest in mind, but really didn't. You know what I mean? And I was, I was expected to ride a lot of coattails that I didn't want to ride, you know, and it was just like, like, so now I'M kind of like rebranding, you know, trying. Trying to show the world that I can stand on my own. And it's okay because, like, some of my heroes, like songwriters like Chris Stapleton, you know, Steven Wilson Jr. You didn't really hear about those guys till they were 39, 40 years old. So, I mean, I'm, you know, I'm still. I'm still there, you know, I'm still working on it.
Josh Adam Myers
Dude, you're young man. To please. Don't. Don't. That's a great attitude to have. And it' the same thing, you know, in, in comedy as well, where some of the biggest comics didn't pop until their 40s. And I, you know, like my. My good friend and former guest of the show, Bill Burr, said I'd rather be 36 and sleeping on a futon working on my dream than be, you know, to be in my 40s and. And have a house and doing a job that I'm miserable about. So you chose something and you're very talented. So we're really happy to have you on here, man, because. And you said the right thing. And I think it's a good way to intro us into the Meters. It's like you have to have a feel of music. And if you have that feel, my drummer, my drummer has always said that his dad was like, dude, you got to have the feel. And it's not about. You don't have to. You don't read music. You just got to understand where the one is. You, you know, like, oh, this is the sound. And be able to match that sound or hear whatever's coming out.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
And.
Josh Adam Myers
And I think it's just this. This thing that not everybody has.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
And.
Josh Adam Myers
And I think that's kind of. Yeah, I think that's kind of why. Because I always am wondering, like, why are these albums on the podcast and we've had the chance of doing. This is our second Meters record. I think. We did.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
We did.
Josh Adam Myers
Which one did we do? Is it low? Lookie Lookie PI Pie. That came in. Where was that originally? That was at. That was at 220. We did that with Marsha Warfield. You remember that? We did it in. I remember I did that in the. In the green room of the comedy seller Las Vegas. And they were like doing your people coming in, like, them arguing with like, drunk people in the background. But Marsha was from Night Court, so that was. That was awesome. And so you're. You're doing the. The only other record that is on here, which is Rejuvenation it's the fifth studio record by New Orleans funk group the Meters. Little history about them for people that don't know. If you haven't go back and listen to the first record but. Or the first episode, but. The Meters cut their first three most instrumental records with Josie Records before signing with reprise and recording 72's Cabbage Alley, their first album to feature mostly vocal songs and arrangements. Rejuvenation is the follow up record. It's produced by Alan Tucson. I hope I said that right. You got it. You got it. And recorded at the brand new Sea Sane studios in New Orleans. Some of the songs on the album include horn section arrangements by 2 Saint. We'll get more into that record. But this is basically what they're saying this. The Meters are there from the mid-70s, risen to prominence with Allen's backing as his backing band. And they're. With their stretching out of their grooves. Rejuvenation marks the point when the New Orleans four piece became a tight funk unit. And I agree with that because look at pie Pie in this record. Besides, maybe one or Two Moments isn't the same record whatsoever. Like this is a funk record and, and some say between them and James Brown and. Or the jbs, this is. These are the originators of what goes on to be funk. And.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, well, well also, you know, like this is like the south sound. I mean you had, you had George Clinton and P. Funk with, you know, you had Bootsy Collins and all those guys too. So there, there's a whole nother side of the sound. But this, this, these guys really kind of harnessed and kind of brought up the, the southern funk, you know what. Like the Neville, like the Neville Brothers. And you know, with Leo, you got Leo Noelli on this record. You know, they're. They're just innovators, man. You know, like I, I guarantee that this record influenced, you know, five of the records that are on this list. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like. And they were all about space, man. It was. It wasn't about like how many notes you could play in a measure, you know, it was about each instrument adding to the sound and, and creating the space, you know. And then that's what, that's what's so special about it. I mean, I've played it. I've played three or four of these songs in different bands throughout the years. You know, I actually played bass for Chris Duarte for a while, who's mentioned in the Wikipedia as covering Just Kiss My Baby. And people say you Know, so I had to learn. I had to learn that stuff when I was 16 years old on bass, because I played bass for Chris Duarte when I was 16. For a couple of months I was living on the streets of Austin, Texas. So, yeah, so I got my buddy. My buddy came in at like 7 in the morning. He's wired up, you know, and he says, man, he says, let's go climb Barton Springs, you know, And I'm like, oh, you know, I'm in my church shoes. And he's like, I'm like, all right. And he says, I'm gonna get you a gig afterwards. He said, I'll get you a gig with Chris Vorte or Guy Forsyth. It's my buddy Elders that plays drums. And we went and climbed Barton Springs straight up in my church shoes. And when we got up there, there was a cave and we smoked a bowl with this green haired hippie that was sleeping in this cave. Like this guy was up in this cave. And then when we came down, he hit Chris up and got me an audition like that morning. And we went over there and, you know, auditioned for Duarte. And like I said, the rest was history. I was sleeping on my buddy Ace's couch.
Josh Adam Myers
I love that.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, it's crazy, right?
Josh Adam Myers
I love that. Was there still a shitload of other homeless people sleeping on 6th street at that time? Or was it like.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Well, by the time I was. Yes, I was the first, but I was sleeping, I. I was sleeping on this guy named, this kid named Ryan's couch. This kid had an apartment and it was me, it was me, this other homeless guy named CeCe that was like the kind of like the old cowboy acoustic guitar playing, you know. They called him CC Rider. So, so he was Cece. And then there was this other guy named Ron, these two homeless guys. So it was me, cece and Ron, these two homeless guys, and this, this hippie kid Ryan that had this apartment and we were all sleeping up in there. And then, and then Ace, my buddy Ace that played harmonica, offered me a place. He saw I was talented and he was like, man, you know, I can get you some opportunities and this and that. So he, he kind of pulled me out of the, out of that, that place, you know, and put me in a different place, which I didn't know, dude. I was so. All I cared about was smoking green. And I didn't, I, I was oblivious to anything else that could have possibly been going on in that place, you know, honestly, but all I cared about was playing music and, you know, did you? Did you.
Josh Adam Myers
Did you. I mean, you're saying that they were doing a whole bunch of other gnarly. And you just were like, yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. Like. Like, you know, Ryan was into the. Into the needle, you know? But I didn't find. But I didn't find any of this out till later, though. That's the thing. Like, I didn't. I didn't know until somebody told me, like. Like, you know, six, seven months after I ever lived there. Because he was real, you know, he did his thing, not really out in the open, so it was like. I didn't. I had no idea. I truly didn't, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
Hey, guys, where are all my cereal spoons?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Right. Yeah, right, right. I mean, I get it. Makes sense. It's like, no wonder Brian slept a lot, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, man, he right. I mean, who's taking all my laundry quarters?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Dude? Dude, I was 16. I didn't care. I was like, when is the next blues jam so I can go see Alan Haynes freaking play Parchment's Farm? You know what I mean? So let me ask you a question. By the way, the meters tune strut is a right of passage down here. Like, if you. If you go to a jam and somebody calls sissy strut and you can't play the strut, it's like that. It's like that. Yeah, he's a good guy thing. Get out of here.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, yeah, they'll kick you out. Really?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
So this is. So.
Josh Adam Myers
This is a big. I mean, because, like, just so everybody knows, because I feel like we gotta. Before we get into, like, really diving into the record or diving. What the is diving? Josh, learn how to talk. Here's a little bit about the meters as taken from our great friends at Wikipedia. Bro. We should be proud sponsor of the 500. Jeremiah Adam. Adam, our researcher. And we call it. We call it sweet, Sweet Baby blue eyes. Wikipedia. God bless their soul. I mean, and Morty, if it wasn't for Morty, I didn't have a time to meet with Morty today because I'm. Dude, I'm trying to go to Vancouver, and I waited too long, and now the ticket's gonna be $9,000.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, my God. Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
$3,000 on a. On a.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
On a weekend. Yeah. There's a tariff on it, I'm sure. So.
Josh Adam Myers
But on a good note, me and my dog, to celebrate her birthday tonight, we're going to. I'm taking my dog to the movie. There's that horror movie from the dog's perspective. Yeah. So I'm gonna Take my dog, but I gotta get her service animal vest over from Avivas. So it's a big night. Big night in the Myers house.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Sounds. Well, thank. Well, thanks for taking the time for me, man.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, you actually know you. No, dude, you actually hooked me up by moving this from last week because I had just. I had been in Europe for two and a half months for those days with Jeremiah taking psychedelic drugs and almost getting murdered at a. An after hours. Any beast.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, yeah, dude. Have you ever had that kind of happen to you, Boogie, where they're like, dude, you're gonna play this gig, there's gonna be so many women there. And then you show up and it's all dudes and. Yeah, that's the same thing that happened to us. We went to this after hours and the woman's like, dude, there's so many girls in here, man. Oh, there's gonna be. It's Pussy Galore. We walked in, there was one French chick and just nine people standing in front of a DJ yacked out of their brains. And Jeremiah was like, hunter, watch. That was the high point. No, but it was. But it was amazing. And then I came back and immediately had to fly to the Middle east for four or five days. And then I got back and so just the idea we had to do, we had to do one that we already had booked. And then I was like. Because I knew we had a little bit of time. I was like. I was like, ask Boogie if we can just move it a week. Give me more time with the record. Because I was still on such a crazy.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You know, I'm surprised. I'm surprised you're even here now. Like, oh, the recovery on that is insane, man.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, I stayed up. I stayed up for like, basically a full, like almost like 38 hours so I could get on the right sleep schedule. And now I'm good. And now I'm just like, you know, being back in New York and just trying to deal with all that. And. And it's funny because, like, you know, there's sometimes where you're like, ah, man, I don't want to listen to a record. I want to listen to this instead. Or I'm going to all these concerts this week. Like, my buddies are playing in Philly tomorrow night. I'm going to that. Last night I just saw Deltron 3030 with, you know, with Delta, Funky Homo Sapien, Kid Koala and Dan the Automator. And. And then I've got like my morning jackets coming up, and I'm just You know what I mean?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
You know, which I know you probably. You probably vibe with them because they're. They're Americana, but they're also like country and blues and everything.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Everything, yeah, they do everything.
Josh Adam Myers
And Jim Sutton, the whole band, such incredible artists. And then they're like, all right, you got to do the Meters and. And to bring it back to like, when I was talking about. And I know. And I don't know if some of the listeners, some of the fleece army agree with me when we see these records coming up, but you know that. That first Meters records, if I'm not mistaken, besides one or two songs, it was pretty much instrumental.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
So.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, so it's one of those things. You're like, oh, man, am I just going to be listening to this dude? I put this record on and immediately was like, oh, this dude. Like, this is. This is a good album, man. I really shouldn't. And I guess that's one of the good things about this gig is that you come in and. And music in general, you go, I'm not gonna like them. Or, ah, these guys aren't for me. And then you put it on and you're like, oh, no. Music's music. If it sounds good, it grooves with everything. And I. You know, and so. So I don't want to. To all the listeners and to you yourself, I want to say, like, I don't want to make it sound like I don't. I'm not interested in these records. It's. I love it when I get blown away. And this definitely did blow me away. And that makes it so. And that makes it so cool that you've played a lot of this before. So.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, so just because I play hey Pocky Way almost every gig I've played, I've been playing hey Pocky Way for 25 years.
Josh Adam Myers
You know, I love that. Playing that since you were 11.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's. It's rite of passage. I played with a horn band. I. I played with. One of my mentors was Big Luther Kent, who's one of the biggest blues singers from down here. And I played Jazz Fest for like the past 16 years with him since I was a child. Like, well, since I was, let's just say, 18. So then. So he plays it. He played it every year now he's passed away and I'm singing for his band. I fronted his 12 piece big man at Jazz Festival in New Orleans this year, so. So I'm trying. I'm kind of keeping the legacy going. And we Play that. You know, we play that every. Every show. You know, I mean, it's like a. It's a. It's another right of. It's another, like, rite of passage song, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
I love that, dude.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You know, I love.
Josh Adam Myers
And I gotta come down there for Jazz Fest, man. I. I'm actually gonna be in New Orleans. I feel like I'm saying it wrong. I feel like I'm saying it like. Like a person that doesn't ever go there.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
New Orleans is probably right. New Orleans is probably the right way to say it. Everybody says New Orleans.
Josh Adam Myers
Well, there's. There's a funny comic who actually. Who's from New Orleans, which is Sean Patton, former guest of the show. And he has a great joke about. Nobody says Nolan's. Nobody says Nolan's. He's like, you could talk to the most Southern Louisiana man, you know? And he.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I used to say New Orleans. Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
But he. Dude, I want you to hear this bit. I hope it's online somewhere. But he does this whole bit where he's like, you could talk to the most Southern plantation, like, New Orleans, man. And he's like, well, I was out there on the bayou, and it was a. And it was a. It was a hot outside, and I asked my. My wife for a cold glass of lemonade, and then the wind blew, which is like a little quiff in the air, you know, like, that comes out the. The woman's vagina. A quiff. And then. And then this person comes up to me, says, hey, where are you from? And I say, new Orleans. So he goes. It goes from like, oh, how you doing on the bayou? And then I'm from New Orleans, like, right. It's just. It's just such a. I always think about that. And it's like the same thing with people in. In, you know, that go to Baltimore and they say balmer. And I'm like, no one says ballmer. It's. It's bald. More like it's. It's. Baltimore is the right way, but we all say Baltimore. You know what I mean?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. And I would definitely be. I would definitely be saying it wrong because I say Baltimore. You know, I pronounce everything wrong, though. So, I mean, it's, you know, welcome to my life.
Josh Adam Myers
Welcome to my life. Working with DJ Morning Coyle as my writer, where he gives me a word like that. I'm like, I would never say that. Like. Like, I don't even know it. I don't know what night. I say words wrong constantly. Like, I say Gregarious. I use it all the time. I have no idea what it means. I'm just like, right, no, I hear you.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I hear you. I say things like, oh, well, that's a double entendre, but I have no idea what that even is. I just, I just know if it's like two things that sound the same, it's like, oh, yeah, it's, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
I think, I think that might be it, actually. All right, so here's a little overview about, about the Meters. The Meters are legendary New Orleans funk band. Their members include Zigaboo. Here, I'm gonna this up Modelsty. Did I say that right?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Man? You know, I, no, I always said modaliste or Model east, but I, Dude, I call him Zigaboo because that's what everybody else calls.
Josh Adam Myers
On the drums, George Porter Jr. On base. Leo.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
No, Centelli.
Josh Adam Myers
No, Centelli on guitar. Thank you. And Neville Brothers. Art Neville on keyboards in. And Cyril Neville. Good God.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yep. Cyril Neville. I only know, I only know that because I. One of my old managers manages Cyril, so. I know.
Josh Adam Myers
Right on, dude. So, but this is. They've been playing and recording their own music from the late 60s until 77. Played an influential role as back musician for other artists including Lee dorsey, Robert Palmer, Dr. John. Dr. Hey, you know, love that chicken from Popeyes.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, Luther Kent sang it.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, we just did that Dr. John record. I, I, it's another one.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I did a show with Dr. John one time. His, his eyes were so. His eyes were like this. You couldn't even see him. And he came in, he was angry, you know, and they sat him down at the piano, he jammed. And I was 18 years old and I'll never forget after the gig that everybody was like, oh, that was amazing. That was amazing. And my buddy David Hyde said, you're never going to get hired for this gig again. I said, why? He goes, because you played behind your head. You know, because I was up there showboating and you know, bro, he didn't, he didn't like that at all. So like, so I was just a kid, you know, but I mean, I was, I was out of line, man. You know, I was always, I was always a front man type of guy. But so, yeah, so I played one show with Dr. John at Johnny Purple's place.
Josh Adam Myers
One and done.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Luckily, no. God, no. By the way, by the way, not to bum everybody out, but his eyes were very unopened because he has glaucoma in both of them. I'm sad. Sad. No, Kidding, everybody. I have no idea.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
No, I mean, he was on medication at that time for sure.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, okay. Geez. Okay. Well then I just made.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I don't know what it is. I always. I always tell everybody, you know, when you see those old ladies in Walmart and their eyes, they almost look soulless and they're kind of glassy and they're just walking around like this. Yeah, yeah, it's cholesterol medicine.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh my God. Can I get some? That's. That's.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I know. So anyway.
Josh Adam Myers
Sorry, I wanted for that. No, no, no. So. So we mentioned some of their songs. I had no idea that the Neville Brothers, but basically Art Neville, staple in New Orleans music scene for over five decades. You know, Zigaboo, widely considered an innovator of the funk genre, New Orleans style drumming, due to his work with the band. I mean, George Porter, like, you know, father of New Orleans base, Godfather, New Orleans bass. You said your parents. Because he got into it because of his parents. You're saying your parents love music too? You grew up in the church?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
My parents did. My parents. My parents sang gospel music and my grandfather played guitar and. And he was a minister and saying gospel. So I grew up. I grew up, you know, in that like my biggest influences are fusion bands and gospel music. Like, I didn't listen to AC DC and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and. I mean, I did, but not.
Josh Adam Myers
It.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Not like I didn't spin like the, the plastic off of those records, you know, like.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, I listened.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I listened to singers, dude. Like, I was into like great singers, you know, a lot. So anyway, who are your.
Josh Adam Myers
What's your. What's your Mount Rushmore on singers?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Who's your five Holy macaroni, man, that's. That's a tall order. It really is. I mean, for, for like, like Steve Perry's definitely up there for like rock singers, you know, I think Haley. There's. There's a chick named Haley Westerna. And she. It's a. She's a white girl. And she has the most perfect voice for a white girl I've ever heard in my life. Her. She just never falters pitch, you know, it's like. So she sings with the Celtic women. I mean, dude, it's. To be honest with you, it's mostly people you never even heard of. Dorinda. Clark Cole is one of my favorite singers. Jill Scott is one of my favorite singers.
Josh Adam Myers
Love Jill Scott.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
She's great. So I mean, you know, she. She's just crazy. Like she. She ain't worried about being out of key, which she's not. A lot of times she just reaches for funny and I, and I love that because it's like, it's, it's, it's, it's. She has a very playful style and it's, it's cool, you know, and then. I don't know, you know, I mean, I don't know. I'm just gonna stop there.
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 Music, YouTube Music, Amazon, Deezer, Tidal, and many more. What's Deezer? 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 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 100% of these earnings to artists minus banking fees and app 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 distrokid.com VIP/the500 that's distrokid.com VIP/The500 for 30 off your first year dig it. I'll take that. I'll take that.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You know, Karen Clark said the Clark Sisters, like, the. The gospel group. Clark Sisters are like, some of the best singers in the world, for sure, so.
Josh Adam Myers
Sure. No, and, I mean, you have an incredible voice, too, by the way, man. I can see why you're. You're the front man, and that's why you're not backing other people. I mean, you probably still probably jam others, but, dude, you really have a powerful voice. When did you realize?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Well, I grew up singing choir. I mean, I grew up in children's choir, so. So I always sang, but I was always kind of shy. I kind of hid behind the guitar for, like, the. The first few years of my, like, music journey. And then a friend of mine told me, hey, Sundance told me, hey, man, you have to. You have to open your mouth and sing. Like, there's millions of great guitar players, but that, you know, you can stand on your own if you're writing and singing, you know? So then I kind of started doing that, and my first couple records are okay. I. I wasn't singing that good on those records, but, I mean, my writing was good. The songs were good, but I. I definitely sing stronger now, but my voice has grown over the years, and now I'm just kind of, you know, I mean, I'm in a comfortable place, you know? Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I have a sound that's working for me, and I do love singing harmony and. And playing behind people and stuff, too. But playing festivals is my strong point, man. I always, like, I always outsell the headline and artist and records, you know what I mean? Like, I always have these little moments of things like that that are cool, like, so I just love doing festivals and stuff. Like, that is my. My favorite thing, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
No, I love that, dude. I'm definitely gonna come check you out. And hopefully when I come to New Orleans in November, like, if it's. Is it close to where you live or.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, dude, I'm an hour. I'm an hour away, dude. We can have lunch or something. I'd be totally down for that.
Josh Adam Myers
I'd actually say, come, come jam with us. Come jam and play, play, play some guitar. One of the nights, we're doing three nights at Skank Fest, doing my music comedy show where comics do stand up and then they sing a cover song. And it's the biggest show at the festival. We'll probably have, like 2 to 3, 000 people, and I can throw you, like, a couple tracks that you could come up and just Dude, I would love on.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I would love to do that. I would ask you, please.
Josh Adam Myers
It's a date, dude. Yeah, it's a date. Just as long as I don't get killed at another after hours with Jeremiah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
All right. Yeah, you got to be careful. Less. Less psychedelics, you know, till no. Till November's past.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I don't know that's gonna happen, man. New York is boring as right now. All right, so here's a career arc of this band. Here's a career arc. So it's from 69 to 77. The band released eight studio records. In 69 they released their self titled debut, which included the biggest hit Strut and then look at Pie. Pie came out that the following year or came out that year. Followed by strutting in 70 and cabbage alley in 72. After a label shift in 72, the meters had difficulty returning to the charts. But they work with Dr. John who. Who hates boogie, unfortunately hates you. But we love you, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy LaBelle, we did them and Robert Palmer and others. And then in 74, the record we are talking about came out, Rejuvenation followed by Fire on the Bayou. One of the interesting things about this band, and I think I talked about it on the Marshall Warfield episode, but Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones, if you don't know or if you've been under a rock, once said that they were the best, and I quote, the best band in the world. And if I'm not mistaken, I don't have it in front of me, but I saw this somewhere that they. And Jer. Maybe you can find it in his notes because I saw it, but I lost it it. But he had them. Oh, here it is. I found it. It's 70. Well, this is here. This is a little scoodle about him. Paul McCarty invited meters to play at the release party for his Venus and Mars album aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. We did talk about this and Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was in attendance at the event. It was so greatly taken with the Meters and their sound that when the Stones were touring in 75, the tour of Americas and tour of Europe in 76, he invited them to open for them. It was the same year that the Meters recorded one of their most successful albums, Fire on the Bayou. Yeah, they've done Saturday Night Live. They've been up for the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, if I'm not mistaken, a few times have not gotten in. Nominated four times for induction, most recently in 17 in 18 the band was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Other accolades include the recipients of the lifetime achievement award, second annual Jammy Awards in 21 or in 2001. And Sissy Strut inducted the Rock into the Grammy hall of Fame. Yeah, man, I mean, let me ask you a question. Let's go back to that. Let's go back to that. Rolling Stone, the best band in the world. That is a big compliment to get from a big artist. What is the best compliment you've ever gotten? And who is it from? From an artist that you look up to?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Okay, B.B. king called me up. I did 15 shows with B.B. king in 2013, and he called me up on stage after the second show and he said, boy, he said, you sure can play guitar. I said, thank you, Mr. King. He said, stole some of your licks. I said, that's okay. I stole all of your licks.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, I love that.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
So that's. That's pretty cool. Born Jimmy Vivino, who. Who was Conan o' Brien's band leader when I was at King of the Blues, well, before I got on stage, Warren Haynes told me, go get him. Go get him, kid. You know, and then when I got off stage, Jimmy told me, man, you were the only one that got it. Like, you're the only person that came up here and actually got. Got like, what the mission was, you know, out of the top five guitar players in the whole country, you know, because they. We went through 5, 000 people to get down to us 5. And then it was like, you know, I played last. And when I walked upstairs, Jimmy told me that. He said, man, you were the only one that got it. Which I. Which was kind of cool, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, that's amazing, man. Having B.B. king say that to you, being that B.B. king dude. And you played 15 shows with him, that's only. Only three more shows. And you matched his.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, See, there we are.
Josh Adam Myers
Are you showing the photo?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, I love that. Yeah. Oh, dude, how old are you in that photo?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
20. 23? 20? Yeah. 23, 24, something like that.
Josh Adam Myers
Wow, man. Intimidating. Intimidating. Being up there, like with, you know, I mean, it's. It's got to be. It's always like, you when it's a comic, if you see, like some of the bigger comics, they'll sit in the back and watch the younger comics at the club, like at the Comedy Cellar to almost intimidate them.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Is it.
Josh Adam Myers
You feel that in music as well, or is it super they want you to succeed?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Not really, man. Not really, because I Know, like, you know, I know that what I have is strong too. You know what I mean? Like, like, yeah, like, you know, whenever you're confident, it's not even about being, having a big head or any of that. It's just about knowing, you know, that what you have is special too. Do you know? So it's like I say, it's not about being the best, but it's about just being a part of the, the picture. And yeah, I don't really feel that, that, I mean, I'm not gonna say that I haven't been up there with people that, that are intimidating. I mean, Joe Bonamas is a great guitar player, you know, Eric Gales is an amazing guitar player. Like, but like getting up there with like some of my heroes, it's, you know, that can be more, it's more of an honor than it is intimidating. But, but it can be, it can be felt as intimidation as well, you know, but you know, I just.
Josh Adam Myers
I've.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Been that guy on stages with people where they're like, like, I'm not going to name any names, but recently within like the past two years, we had a, a pretty big time blues guy come up here and do a show and I got invited to go sit in. And after I, we, you know, we're all three up there playing guitars, whatever. And after I, after I get down, he goes up and tells my buddy, he says, he says, hey man, he says that boogie long don't play nice, bro. He said that guys, he said don't. He said, I'm all for having people come sit in, but that guy's ferocious and don't bring, don't bring somebody like that, that out, you know. And another guy came through town about six months ago, a big, a kid who's out on tour right now. I'm not gonna say his name, but they hit me up and they said, hey man, we need an opening act. And I, and I said, okay, well let me put a band together. So I put this band together, I get all the musicians together and everything and I hit the promoter back and I said, hey, we want to, we're gonna take this gig, we're gonna do this opening gig. And they said, okay, well we have to get it approved by the tour manager. They were never able to get it approved because they didn't, it came back that they didn't want to have another hot shot guitar player on the gig. You know what I mean?
Josh Adam Myers
If you play to win. Yeah, play to win. It's just, you're you're, you can't. It's like you gotta. You're, you know, your element is fire. Like, you're, you're like, you, you're, you're not, like, you're not just gonna hold back, just. Which is tough. And a lot of people and take that as a compliment, man. Like, you know, there's only. I mean, I'm very lucky that some huge comics that brought me out on the road, but, you know, others get intimidated when you. And I'm not saying I'm. I'm great by any means, but. But I think by Boogie Boy, I think you and I are very similar. Is that we're swinging for home runs, right? We'll. We'll miss big and we'll hit big.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
That's right.
Josh Adam Myers
And I'd rather. I'd rather swing trying than. Than just half assing a show, dude. I did a show last night for like 20 people in a dead room here in New York, and I'm putting. I'm sweating by the time I get off and all the comments.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, because you still had a good time. You had fun doing it.
Josh Adam Myers
You have to. You have to. That says a lot about you. So don't take that as a.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Don't think.
Josh Adam Myers
Go ahead, yo.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
No, you go ahead.
Josh Adam Myers
I was gonna say don't take it as a diss, man. That's a. It's a compliment to not be broken.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I was on the road, man. I was on the road with somebody. I mean, people. People that know me can figure this out, but. But I was on the road with somebody that actually produced two of my records, and I was using this person's band to open for them. And they eventually took me off of the band opening and put me on acoustic because we were bringing the fire. You know what I mean? And the next thing you know, I'm put on acoustic opening for this person. And it took all my fire away. I'm no longer selling merchandise. I'm not getting people following me anymore because I went from throwing fireballs to being the next John Denver, you know, up there with an acoustic. And it was just like. It took. It took all my. All the passion away, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. Like I said, man, don't, don't. Don't be disheartened by that, man. That's. It's a compliment. It's a compliment. And I can't wait to have you on stage, watch me be like, we'll do one show. And I'll be like, yeah, that's it, bro. You're making Me look bad. You're making. You're making Joel. My guitars look like my favorite.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
My favorite comedian ever. Just as far as delivery and. And stuff goes. He wasn't even. Never that big. He was never a big. A big guy. Ron Shock.
Josh Adam Myers
I don't even know who that is. That's how.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, Ron Shock used to tell. He used to tell stories about buying van seats with Myrtle. You know, he was a real. Real Southern country guy, but he talked about. He talked about where he visited West Mississippi, where it was in the central east part of the state, you know, and just like, just. He was funny. His delivery's funny. But check out Ron Shock. You'll. You'll. You'll. He's funny, you know, Book him, Emily.
Josh Adam Myers
Book him. Get him on the pod.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
All right, let's.
Josh Adam Myers
Let's dive into some of the meetings.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
He's dead. So if you get. If you get him on the podcast, you got to get Jimi Hendrix and. And Elvis City.
Josh Adam Myers
Get Jimmy, get John Bonham, get Paul Reubens. I could keep going. Get. Yeah, get the dude. Get the dude from the Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon. I can't think of his name for a second. But. But he died. Get anybody that. Emily, book every.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
All the dead people. Let's get them.
Josh Adam Myers
Let's get.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I see dead people.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, come on. Haley Joel Osmond, dude.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, Exactly.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, the six tens, dude, come on, you're 30. You're 35.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, I just couldn't. I couldn't remember his name. I seen him. He was just in the golf movie. The new Happy Gilmore. Did you know he was the big guy?
Josh Adam Myers
I did not. No, I did not. I did not.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
The guy. The guy with the crazy swing. That was. That was him.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, no. Shit. I gotta watch the new. I don't watch television anymore. I am at the age where once I lay down, I fall. The fuck it takes. It takes three or four nights, three or four nights for me to get through, like, a half hour to an hour program. Like, I'm. I'm still trying to watch the final episode of Lost, and that came out 12 years ago, so to give you an idea.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, dude, I'm the same exact way, believe me.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, well, you're. I mean, one pothead to another, you know what I mean? I get it.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. I can't even focus on that. I'm like squirrel, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
So let me ask you a question. So, like, I know you. I know you dig music, but when did you first hear about the meters? Like, how did you. How did it come into your life.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, dude. Well, I mean, I played. Like I said, I played with Henry Turner growing up, and. And I played with all these old blues cats. So, I mean, going to blues jams and stuff, you had to know strut. I'm telling you, it was like. It was like, hey, man. All right, we see you can play a shuffle in E now. You got to be able to play Sissy Strike, because next week we're going to do it, you know. So, I mean, it was like a rite of passage. So that's the meter. So, I mean, then you find out who they are, then you start listening to other stuff. And like I said, I didn't really. I didn't really get into this record until Chris Duarte asked me to learn those tunes when I was playing with him. But, you know, I mean, I've. I've known all those guys my whole life. I mean, I knew. I've played on stage with Ivan Neville. I've played on the same shows as Aaron Neville. I've played with Leo no centelli. In 2012, when I won King of the Blues, I did the NAMM show in January 2012, and they invited me to sit in with the Meters at the Mint. But it was Leo no Centelli's version of the Meters. It wasn't like the. Like the official version. So, I mean, I played with George Porter because my buddy Terrence Houston plays drums for him. So, I mean, I played on stage with George Porter. I don't. I probably played with Zigaboo. I can't really recall because drummers, like. Like sometimes you just get up there and you don't even realize who's back on the drums. You know, like, the lights are bright. You're going sometimes Van Bat, you know, and you don't even know. You know, it's like. But, you know, like I said, I played with. I played. Actually played with some of those guys throughout the years. So you had, like, you. You don't play music in Louisiana. You don't play music in New Orleans without knowing who the Meters are. Without knowing who the Nevilles are.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You know, like. Sure. That those. Those two groups are. You just know. You just know it.
Josh Adam Myers
All right, I got. I gotta ask you this because this is because I almost. Jeremiah. I almost tried to get Federman to come on because I thought he would get a kick out of boogie because, you know, I said it was music. And unfortunately, he was doing a screening. We have one of our. One of our, like, most. Not most popular guests, but probably, like, Our fill in guy when somebody drops out because he's just my homie. And he's a big comedy legend, this guy, Wayne Fetterman. He loves guitarists and he, I mean, he loves it. And so, so he's done like Bobby Blue Bland and one of, one of the guys I want to mention is thoughts on professor long Hair.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, awesome. Dude, he's the man. I mean, he's the. Like everywhere you go down here, you hear his music. I mean, you can't walk down river, the riverwalk in New Orleans without hearing professor long hair. You can't walk through the French quarters without hearing professor long Hair. You know, I mean, he was probably the, the single most influential piano player from New Orleans. You know, him and Fats Domino, period, you know? Yeah, I mean, Yeah, I mean, all right, he's not, he's. Dude, I'm 36, so. I mean, those guys are. Are way out of my years when it comes to like actually being able to see them live, you know, like the older cats like that. But their music is their music till this day inspires stuff, you know, still inspiring people, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, dude.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Inspired me. Dude. I've written funk. Dude, I've written funk tunes that like, you don't, you don't write funky lines in a tune without reaching back for inspiration. From like the Meters, you know, like, that's, that's where that stuff comes from.
Josh Adam Myers
I mean, I love that, you know? You know, everything you're saying is right. Which leads me to. What I wanted to talk about is that this is a band and this record, Jer. Like the. I don't know if you've seen this. How many people have sampled. It's almost like. Because you said that thing. You said that thing. It's about the space.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yes.
Josh Adam Myers
And they've left. It was almost like the Meters were like, hey, man, in about, you know, 20 years, there's going to be this music called hip hop and there's going to be this thing called sampling. And, and they're gonna. And let's, let's let, let's let the music breathe a little bit. So they can pull some drums, they can pull guitars, dude. One of the songs we, my shitty bedroom hip hop group, the Shekels, we sampled or actually played over. We looped Just Kissed my Baby, the beginning of it. And like. And so that loop, like, when I heard it on this, I was like, what the. I was like, no, it's like if I was still in touch with M.C. colcock and, and Ms. Berg, I'd hit him up. But Paul's wife, I think, hates me. And.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
And.
Josh Adam Myers
And Dead Cat, he dropped off the face of the earth. But I mean, just the amount of people that have sampled these. The Meters, I mean, maybe just not just from this record, but I'm talking Heavy D, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, Run dmc, nwa, which we just did. Ice Cube, Be Real from Cypress Hill, former Guest coming out next. Oh, I shouldn't say that. All right. Yeah, I buried the league. Guess what, everybody, we have Be Real from Cypress Hill next week. So get Ready, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Naughty by Natures. I mean, you've had Red Hot Chili Peppers, they covered the song Africa Primus covered Tippy Toes. I mean, yeah, this is like. It's the string cheese instrument. I see stuff like. I could see, like, the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic and String Cheese. But that's also like, really, really, like, just the amount of. Of artists that. Because the same thing with the JB's, like, with. With, like, a lot of those breaks, man. It's like. You hear it and it's all. You know. You know it especially because I know you. You love blues and you love Americana and everything. We've talked about boogie, but it's like, as a musician, you can still. We have that thing where it's like, we'll listen to something and go, oh, those are the drums from when the Levee Breaks. I hear that immediately. Or that's. That's the break from. From this. Or that's the sample from this. And it's like, there's so much music while listening to this. I really wish I would have gotten another two listens of this record to really just pick out and pull out the say. All right, well, let's go song by song and find the samples, you know, but for time, we can't do that. But let's talk about a couple of the. Go ahead.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
There's so, like. Like, the space creates the moment, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Sure.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
And space creates a groove, man. You know, that's how. Like, this. The space is how you get each part of your body moving, you know, and for, like. And what I mean by the space is like, the drums is playing exactly what needs to be played over the bass and. No. And everything is fitting together like a puzzle. It's not all jumbled. You don't have this guy trying to play over this guy trying to play over this guy. And it sounds. It's all. It's all like. It's like Crochet?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, man.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You know, and it creates the moment. It creates the, the, the groove. It really sets the groove and that's what gets people moving and that's what it inspires the artist. The artist that's writing the song that wants to use that as a sample. It's getting them grooving. They're going just, you know, and they're grooving, and next thing you know, it's like they've inspired somebody else. That's my point of them just being inspirational, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. And, and this was, I mean, people say great opening track, Love Is For Me, but just Kiss My Baby. I mean, that was, that's 4 minutes and 43 seconds of just deliciousness. And I mean, you can from, from, you know, the, from Leo. Leo's guitar riff, it's just so great. And then Ziggy with the singing on the top of it. It's really just, it's just great, man. This is a, it's an incredible song. You know, like I said, Public Enemy sampled this. The Shekels. Where is that? What's a song that's popped up that you weren't expecting it? Like, in a movie, what's something that, when you were like, just any form of art other than just listening to another record, but what's like, what's something. Has there been a movie or a TV show that you were like, oh, my God, I know that song. And if you were like, blown away that they would use that?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I, I'll give you a. Here's a, here's an example that I was at a Blues Traveler show at Jazz Fest, which is a family friendly event, and their intro song, before they ever got on stage, they blared it ear bleeding loud was America. Fuck yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Oh, I love that.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
So there, there's an example. Like, I can't believe they used that song.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, yeah, No, I get it.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
It's, it's, it's probably not the example you were looking for, but.
Josh Adam Myers
No, no, no, that's, that's even better because I would not have expected Blues Traveler. And then.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Kids were like, children were going, and they're like, the day. Yeah. I was just like, holy.
Josh Adam Myers
It's such a great song. I, I, you know, I hate it when it's like, I hate it when, like, the music doesn't match. Like, I, I loved, I loved, I loved that, that series Alien Earth that just came out. That's the one show that I watched. And I watched it literally only because I would watch it on the. On the tour bus, or I'd watch it on the flights. And at the end of every episode, they would put on, like, just. It would. And like all songs that I like but just never fit. Like, it would be like animal by. By. To end. She's like, what are we going to do about these aliens? They're attacking all of us. And she's like, I don't know. And you're just, all right, I guess Eddie Vedder's voice, you know, works, you know, in this situation. But they played like tool and they played like rage. And it wasn't bad. It just didn't feel like the right songs to end. And I love whoever the music it was almost like I was the music director just like, listening to like a. My, like my, like, grunge rock playlist, and I was like, but. But, yeah, back to the album. We got a little bit of timeless. Let's focus in on this. Josh, what are you doing? What are you doing? Just talking about alien Earth again. Just kiss my baby. What about. What about hey Pak away? Did I say that right?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Hey away. I mean, that's a. That's the second line, man. So. So, like. Well, second line is, you know, when somebody dies, they. They get out on the street. Street, and they second line their soul away. They want it to be a party. They don't want you to be sad. They want to celebrate. Because it's a. It's a. You're. You're transitioning, right? So they. They. It's a. It's basically. It's a Southern excuse to throw a party. And then everybody gets out in the middle of the street and dances. They call that second line. But that. Right, that's the groove. That's. That's called a second line groove. So whenever we're going to play hey Pocky way, we'll turn around and we'll say second line. You know, it's hey, Pocky Way. And then everybody will take out their handkerchief or their rag and they'll start waving it over their head like this, right? And. And we'll get a. We'll get a big circle going. We'll get a big circle. Like at Jazz Fest, we had a. We had like a 5 or 6700 person train going all around the tent, right? And everybody's waving a rag. So, yeah, that's hey Pocky way. It's a. It's a vibe. That's what I'm trying to say is it's a. It creates a. It. It's a. It's a New Orleans. It's almost like a New Orleans hymnal that always brings the spirit, you know, as soon as you start playing it, they know it. They know it. It's almost like Our Mary Had a Little Lamb, you know what I mean?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah. It's like, it's just, it's like, it's like they say like, like Bittersweet Symphony is the British national anthem. It's like if you go on, hey.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Pocky way, it's the Louisiana national anthem. I mean, truly, like, you, like, you know, especially if you're in the New Orleans. If you're just into that culture, it's.
Josh Adam Myers
So, it's not to cut you off, but it's so funny. It's like, I can imagine. Like, there's like, you know, there's a. There's many forms of transportation in New Orleans. Like, you could, you could take a bike, you could maybe get on a tram, or you could get in a car or the bus. But the, the main Source is just Jo. Like a marching band. Like, yeah, there's a 2 o' clock marching band.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
They got the new. They got the naked bike riders. They got people that ride on, on bicycles, naked through the city sometimes. They got the, they got the old trolleys. You know, you have, you have like all these old 60 and 70 year old women on freaking, on freaking bicycles, just biking around with bags, package, you know? I mean, yeah, it's crazy. New Orleans is wild, man. It's. Oh, my God, it's wild. It's the only place I know, you know, they got a bar called Ms. May. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only time it's closed probably in the past 70 years is when Katrina happened. You can die in that place and they'll just roll you out with their foot. Do you understand what I'm saying? Just, you know, we're gonna keep going for business. It's all concrete. It's all concrete. So they spray it down with a water hose. You know what I mean? Like boogie.
Josh Adam Myers
Boogie.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
What's your favorite venue in New Orleans to play? Well, I mean, I love rock and bowl. John Blanchard helped me out in my career a lot. He's the owner of Rock and Bowl, so I've always been a supporter there, there. But as far as, like vibe and just to play, man, I love Tipitinas, you know, I love Tipitinas. It's such a historic place and it's, you know, they do it, they do. They. They do it for the right reasons. And it's, it's, you know, so it's a special place. I think Galactic has something to do with it now, but I've always enjoyed Tipitina's, man. You know, Tipitina's in the Rock and Bowl. They're both, you know, what and what.
Josh Adam Myers
For me, that's where DBA on Frenchman Street.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, I love dba. DBA is one of my favorite. DBA is definitely one of my favorite places to play during Jazz Fest because it's always packed, man. Always. You always have a good crowd. And it's crazy because you'll be staying. Like the last time I played with Rosie in there, we're standing in there and the show's supposed to start at 1:30 and it's 1:00 clock in the morning, right? And they, they've, they've cleared the room out and there's not a single person standing in there. Next thing you know, two minutes later, it's completely packed. They, they, everybody went out, they recharged for the next show and it's completely sold out, packed again in two, three minutes. And it's insane. It's just insane. One of my favorite places to play on it. It is my favorite bar on Frenchman Street. DBA for sure. Yeah. That's cool.
Josh Adam Myers
I love that. What's, what's the. And you know, just to start wrapping this up though, like, because you played so many great gigs, what's your, what's your, Your like, swan song gig? What's a gig that you play that you're like, man, I don't think you get much better than this, man.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I, you know, I do it every year, bro, but I always look forward to playing Jazz Fest just because I just, that's just my, that's my spot, dude. I, I've made a lot of connections there. I've played a lot of shows there. One day I want to play Red Rocks. That's my swan song show that I want to play. I was supposed to play it with my first manager and it just didn't end up happening. And even, I mean, obviously I'm not a big enough artist to, to sell enough tickets there, but even if I open for somebody there, it would be like a really, you know, like if, like, if you, like, if you ever played there and you needed somebody to play kazoo, like, you know, maybe I could come. And I'm just saying, like, just like any, any, any way whatsoever.
Josh Adam Myers
You hear that universe, Chris? Make it happen, right? Yeah. Dude, you're incredible, man. This Is we definitely love to have you back. Yeah, I. This has been so much fun. We ask everybody these same questions to wrap up the show. What's your favorite song on this record?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, God. Just Kiss my baby.
Josh Adam Myers
Just kiss my baby. What is. Is this a no skip record or is there anything you skip over?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, definitely a no skip record. Unless you don't want an 11.11-51-second version of it. Ain't no use. But I think you need that in your life, though, so don't. I like that.
Josh Adam Myers
I didn't get tired.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
It grooves so hard that they. They needed almost 12 minutes of it. So.
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah, you know, you're. It's like, you know, listen, we've. We've done this podcast for so long, and there, you know, Jer knows that there's been artists that. That I. You know, we did a lot of artists wrong. We did artists backwards, like Bob Dylan. I've said it a million times. It was like, I don't ever recommend anybody listening to Bob Dylan for the first time, starting at his newer records and then working your way back. Like, you got to start at the beginning and then go forward.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Right?
Josh Adam Myers
But God damn. I mean, there. He'd have these six, seven minute songs, and you'd be like, dude, just. Just die. Like the character. Have the character die already.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, get to the point.
Josh Adam Myers
Get to the the point. Like, but that's the thing. It's like, there's. There's something about a musical groove that when it's really feeling. I. I didn't feel like any of this record dragged on. And. And I did. I gave this record about two listens. Like I said, I really wish I could have had one more day with it. Like, I'm going. I'm driving to Philly tomorrow. And I would have been like, oh, man. Like, I'm definitely gonna listen to this on the way down. But just. That's what I'm saying. It's like, you'll get to a place in a record, especially on. On the. On the. The listening right before the pod, we're like, all right, man. Like, you know, get to the next song. Like, you know, do I need to listen to the rest of this? And I didn't skip any of it. And. And that's saying something. So congrats to the meters.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. Can you.
Josh Adam Myers
Can you to this record or have you. You probably have to this.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I have. Dude. I have not to this record. I. Dude, I'm really like, I don't. I. I generally, I don't To Music. Is that weird? No, I mean, it's not like. Like, I don't take. It's not like I take the time to, like, put on the record. Like, like, like, it's not like I won't if. If some music is on, but I'm not like, taking the time to, like, select a special record. Like, all right, we're to Marvin Gay tonight. Or like, all right, we're gonna put on the Meters. Rejuvenation, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
Yeah.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Just not enough. But yeah, you could. You could totally to this record, dude.
Josh Adam Myers
I think you can. And here's. And here's the thing, though. Boogie.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Boogie.
Josh Adam Myers
You could.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
If you.
Josh Adam Myers
If you. If you taking the time out. I mean, I'm not asking you to, like, get up and turn on the record player and find an LP and put it on, but there's. In our stage, we have things where you can just be like, alexa, play my Booty playlist. And like, give me two seconds. She's about to.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
You're right. Yeah.
Josh Adam Myers
Right now. Hold up.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Then the Booty song will come on.
Josh Adam Myers
It's on right now.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
The Booty song?
Josh Adam Myers
No, you're talking about.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Oh, there's a song called. Yeah, exactly. Then I Lose My Boner. No. Such a terrible dude.
Josh Adam Myers
Dude. Dude. Wow, man. Oh, big shout out to you for bringing that up. I thought I forgot about that. My ex girlfriend forgot about this stuff. No, but the Booty song, that just. That reminded me. My ex. My ex, Tessa, she used to love that song and like, she knew all the words. Do it. And it's such a cute song. Like, give me that booty. My booty. Your booty. Wow. Booty.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. Any word you can put before Booty. I think this guy did.
Josh Adam Myers
He really did. What would be your elevator pitch to get someone to listen to this record? How do you sum up the Meters? Rejuvenation to somebody that's never heard to them or you want to get somebody to listen to this? How do you get them to do it, man?
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
If. If you want to dance, if you want to move, if you just want to. If you just want to feel loose and. And. And happy, I mean, that's. That's what this record brings. I mean, this is a. This is. This is a joyful, happy record, man. It. It promotes good times, you know?
Josh Adam Myers
It really does.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Definitely. It does. It's definitely not a blues record. It's not going to bring you down. It's. It's going be to. To. It's going to lift you up from. From the very first, very first try.
Josh Adam Myers
You know, all the way through Africa Boogie. You were really. You're just. You're you. You're gonna do it, dude. I can tell, man. You're a super talented guy and you're such good energy. Just stop playing behind your back when you get in your own.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I know when I get chances to play with stars, I mean, you know.
Josh Adam Myers
Just tone it down. Yeah, just. I know it's hard, but just sometimes just get a base hit. You don't need to hit a home run every time.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Hey, that was 20. That was 20 years ago almost, you.
Josh Adam Myers
Know, I mean, you're still doing it. Don't act like you're not, man.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
I've grown as a man.
Josh Adam Myers
No, you're a great dude. And I'm really happy that Emily set this up. Please promote the album, promote your stuff. Here's your moment. Go ahead, we'll do it. We'll do it at the beginning and the end as well. But promote away.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah. My new record comes out November 14th. Courage in the Chaos. Go check out the new single, a full conceived with the music music video out on YouTube. Follow me at Boogie Long on Tick Tock because I get on there and shred the backing tracks. Come on there and, and. And pitch a hard song to me. You know, blow my mind, you know, come on out.
Josh Adam Myers
Love to see everybody guys support this guy. And if you're at Skank Fest, we're gonna link up after this and I'll make sure that you come out and jam and. And also we'll pick a song. Send us. Make sure you give us a song so we can play at the end of the episode to. To help further promote you. And when the album drops in November, I'll make sure that Jer. Make sure that's in our. In my intro or outro so I can give him a shout out. Cool.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Yeah, a full conceal, which is my new single. So.
Josh Adam Myers
I'd love that. I'd love that. Dude, this was great, man. I can't thank you enough, man.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
It's my pleasure. I look forward to seeing you in November, bro.
Josh Adam Myers
What did I tell you? What did I tell you? The one and only Boogie booger. Boogie long.com. instagram backslash boogie Long Blues. Facebook, Boogie Long Blues. Tick Tock at Boogie Long on X G JBL Blues and go to his Spotify page and get that new record, Courage in the chaos. November 14th, which is my birthday. You can get it boogielong.com he might be coming to your area. How about for new music brought to you in part by Distro Kid. We got his new song a Fool Can See by our guest Jonathan Boogie Long. Check it out on the website the500podcast.com send us your songs too. We want to play it next week. It's number 138 with Dr. Dre's the Chronic. It's a goodie. It's a smoke sash. We're having fun. Bye.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Find me a wall to support my standing Find me old just a pair in my head in I broke down and I'm thirsty so sick of being sick and tired I'm disgusted They say find you a woman that'll bless your soul But a fool can't see that it ain't real Go.
Josh Adam Myers
Well it ain't.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
No train It's a typical blues Tired of being w I'm tired of being you Find me a chair cuz I might not make it Find me a doctor my heart can't take it.
Josh Adam Myers
I'm.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
Home down and I'm thirsty so sick of being sick and tired I'm disgusted Sam.
Josh Adam Myers
The 500 keeping it fleecy for the fleece nation.
Jonathan 'Boogie' Long
On the 500 the 500.
Josh Adam Myers
Next chapter podcasts.
Guest: Jonathan "Boogie" Long
Release Date: October 8th, 2025
This episode of The 500 podcast dives deep into Rejuvenation, the fifth studio album from New Orleans funk titans The Meters, ranked #139 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums. Host Josh Adam Meyers is joined by celebrated blues guitarist and singer Jonathan "Boogie" Long, whose own New Orleans roots and vibrant musical career give unique perspective to the album’s legacy. Together, they explore the record’s influence on funk, modern music, and their own artistic journeys.
On “feel” in music:
“If you have that feel… you don't read music, you just gotta understand where the one is… and be able to match that sound.”
—Josh Adam Meyers (15:21)
On the Meters’ sound:
“They were all about space, man… it's each instrument adding to the sound and creating the space.”
—Jonathan “Boogie” Long (18:45)
Why “Hey Pocky Way” matters:
“It's almost like a New Orleans hymnal that always brings the spirit… they know it… it's our Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
—Jonathan “Boogie” Long (64:01)
On playing with B.B. King:
"B.B. King called me up… he said, boy, you sure can play guitar… I said, that’s okay, I stole all of your licks.”
—Jonathan “Boogie” Long (44:04)
Industry Realities:
“If you play to win… you can’t, you gotta… you’re not just going to hold back, which is tough…and take that as a compliment, man.”
—Josh Adam Meyers (48:04)
Music as a communal force:
"It's not about being the best, but it's about being a part of the picture."
—Jonathan “Boogie” Long (45:47)
The episode is equal parts celebration and insider masterclass. Both Josh and Boogie share an irreverent, humorous, but deeply respectful love for the material, with plenty of stories from the trenches (both musical and personal). Boogie's warmth, humility, and grit shine throughout. The conversation honors Rejuvenation as a timeless, party-starting, and musically essential album.
Boogie’s final summary for the uninitiated:
“If you want to dance, if you want to move, if you just want to feel loose and happy…this is a joyful, happy record…It promotes good times, you know?” (73:07)
Listen to the full episode at the500podcast.com or wherever you get your pods.