Live Venue Accessibility!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Commercial Break
Episode: Live Venue Accessibility!
Release Date: May 20, 2025

Hosts: Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley

---

Introduction to Live Venue Accessibility

In this episode titled "Live Venue Accessibility!", hosts Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley delve into the complexities and controversies surrounding live venue accessibility, particularly focusing on recent developments involving major artists and live event organizers.

---

Garth Brooks and Social Media Integration [04:15]

The episode begins with a discussion about Garth Brooks embracing modern technology by joining Facebook. Bryan shares Garth's perspective on using Facebook as a conversational tool, quoting:

Bryan Greene [04:16]: "Think of it more as a conversation. I like that."

Bryan humorously critiques Garth's shift to social media, highlighting the disconnect between traditional values and contemporary digital engagement. He remarks on Garth's new ventures, including his involvement with Crabapple Surprise and Manny's Manhandle Massage Parlor, emphasizing the blend of personal anecdotes and absurd life experiences that Brooks brings to his online presence.

---

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Live Nation's Accessibility Initiative [05:58]

The conversation shifts to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' partnership with Live Nation to ensure live venue accessibility. Bryan expresses strong disapproval, stating:

Bryan Greene [06:02]: "Don't team up with Live Nation to ensure live venue accessibility. That is the cockiest thing I have ever heard in my entire life and I stand against all that it represents."

Krissy concurs, labeling the initiative as "douchey." The hosts critique Anthony Kiedis's new venture, "Jolene," a coffee-in-a-can product, mocking its association with accessibility and branding:

Bryan Greene [11:04]: "Jolene. That's Dolly's Coffee. But you know, he's... making a drink called Jolene."

They argue that such commercialization undermines the authenticity of rock stars, branding it as a sellout move that prioritizes profit over creativity.

---

Personal Anecdotes and Live Music Experiences [16:02]

Bryan and Krissy share personal experiences attending Pearl Jam concerts, highlighting the exceptional performances and the camaraderie among fans. Bryan recounts a magical moment at a Pearl Jam show:

Bryan Greene [20:38]: "We're still kind of chitchatting about this. It's fresh on our minds."

They contrast these genuine live experiences with the commercialization criticized earlier, emphasizing the value of authentic live music interactions.

---

Misconceptions About Eddie Vedder's Sobriety [19:28]

A significant portion of the episode addresses misinformation regarding Eddie Vedder's sobriety. Bryan relays a conversation debunking rumors that Vedder has been sober for 16 years:

Bryan Greene [10:58]: "Eddie Vedder has not been sober for 16 years. That's not a true story."

He provides evidence from live performances showing Vedder's consistent wine consumption on stage, challenging online claims and highlighting the issue of misinformation:

Bryan Greene [22:55]: "At our show alone, he traded the bottle that he was drinking to somebody for, like, a brave shirt or something."

---

Critique of Celebrity Branding and Commercialization [24:27]

The hosts continue their critique of celebrity-driven commercialization, arguing that today's industry is rife with gentrification and sellout culture. Bryan philosophizes on the broader implications of consumerism and capitalism:

Bryan Greene [18:41]: "It's all grifting. Selling out is so in vogue right now."

They lament the loss of genuine artistic expression in favor of profit-driven ventures, using the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Jolene" as a primary example.

---

Upcoming Events and Community Engagement [27:19]

Bryan and Krissy announce an upcoming 12-hour marathon event slated for May 31st, encouraging listeners to participate and engage with the community. They emphasize their grassroots approach, distancing themselves from high-profile studios and maintaining their down-to-earth persona:

Bryan Greene [29:18]: "I want to be red as a rainbow. I want to be red and ready for the next guest."

---

Discussion on Prince's Musical Legacy [37:47]

A notable segment of the episode features an extensive discussion on Prince's musical legacy, comparing his guitar prowess to other legendary artists. Bryan passionately defends Prince as one of the greatest guitarists, sharing personal anecdotes and analyses of live performances:

Bryan Greene [37:47]: "Prince is one of the best guitar players that has ever lived. Oh, hands down, he's incredible."

He recounts a pivotal moment at a 1983 James Brown concert where Prince felt overshadowed by Michael Jackson, sparking a lifelong quest for recognition. This narrative illustrates the enduring impact of live performances on an artist's legacy and personal drive.

---

Interactions with Other Podcasters and Industry Insights [63:22]

The hosts touch upon their interactions with other podcasters like Theo Vaughn, discussing the challenges and humorous aspects of networking within the podcasting community. Bryan shares insights into managing fame (or the lack thereof) and maintaining authenticity:

Bryan Greene [73:20]: "We are just two dumb, relatively unknown podcasters who on occasion get the credit we so rightfully deserve, which is none."

---

Conclusion and Final Thoughts [75:13]

In wrapping up, Bryan and Krissy reflect on their journey, emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself amidst industry pressures. They encourage listeners to engage with the community, join their mailing list, and participate in upcoming events.

Chris Hoadley [75:13]: "I think so I'll tell you that I love you."

The episode concludes with a humorous and heartfelt farewell, reinforcing the hosts' commitment to providing an authentic and irreverent escape for their listeners.

---

Notable Quotes

• Bryan Greene [06:02]: "Don't team up with Live Nation to ensure live venue accessibility. That is the cockiest thing I have ever heard in my entire life and I stand against all that it represents."

• Bryan Greene [10:58]: "Eddie Vedder has not been sober for 16 years. That's not a true story."

• Bryan Greene [18:41]: "It's all grifting. Selling out is so in vogue right now."

• Bryan Greene [37:47]: "Prince is one of the best guitar players that has ever lived. Oh, hands down, he's incredible."

---

Key Takeaways

1. Critique of Commercialization: The hosts express strong opinions against the commercialization of music and artist branding, using examples like the Red Hot Chili Peppers' partnership with Live Nation.

2. Misinformation Awareness: They highlight the prevalence of misinformation in the digital age, particularly concerning public figures like Eddie Vedder.

3. Authentic Live Experiences: Emphasis is placed on the value of genuine live music experiences over profit-driven ventures.

4. Legacy of Artists: The discussion on Prince underscores the lasting impact of artists' performances on their legacies and personal motivations.

5. Community Engagement: The hosts encourage active participation and community building among their listeners, promoting upcoming events and interactions.

---

Conclusion

"Live Venue Accessibility!" offers a blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and critical insights into the music industry's commercialization trends. Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley provide an engaging discourse on maintaining authenticity amidst widespread commercial pressures, all while fostering a relatable and entertaining environment for their audience.

Transcript

[Brian Greene]

This episode is sponsored in part by 5 Hour Energy Cinco Domingo. Okay, you know you like to get all your facts from the commercial break. So here's some facts you may or may not know. I am hot. I am attractive. I am a super spicy human being. And hot people like hot foods according to the charts and graphs in an article I once read sometime. You get the point. I didn't make up the rules, I just read about them. And I happen to fit inside of the data points that say that hot people like hot food. That's why I was excited to try spicy Cinco de Mango, the new flavor from the makers of five Hour Energy. It's sweet, it's spicy. It's a tad unhinged and sweet. Spicy and unhinged is what my wife might say about me. You get the kick of hot chili flavor and then bam. Mango sweetness swoops in like a saucy little twist. It's basically the drama your taste buds deserve. Hot people like hot foods and apparently hot energy shots too. So if you think you're hot, and I know you do, prove it. Take the heat with five Hour Energy's spicy Cinco de Mango and their spicy hot sauce. Yeah, they went all in. Life's too short for bland. Spice it up this Cinco de Mayo. Get energized. Get spicy. 5 hour energy. Spicy Cinco de Mango is only available online for a limited time. Head to 5hourenergy.com to order yours today. That's 5Hour Energy.com and thanks to 5Hour Energy for being a sponsor of the commercial break. This episode is sponsored in part by Mint Mobile. Summer is almost here and Mint Mobile has a hot take. I fully support. Forget the summer bod. This year it's all about the savings bod. We're talking skimpy wireless bills and fat wallets. With premium plans Starting at just 15 bucks a month, you can keep cool without sweating your phone bill. Look, I used to dread when my in laws come into town and I gotta get an extra line on my wireless bill. The overages, hidden fees, ridiculous monthly charges. It felt like I was paying luxury prices for meh service. But when switching to Mint Mobile, it was a total game changer. Same great coverage running on the nation's largest 5G network and the phone bill shrunk overnight. I'm saving a ton each month and the service has been rock solid. You get high speed data, unlimited talk and text, and you don't even have to change phones. Keep your current number and all your contacts. Mint Mobile makes it easy. So if you're tired of bloated bills, now's the time to switch. Get three months of premium wireless service for just 15 bucks a month this year. Skip breaking a sweat and breaking the bank. Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless [e-mail] tcb that's mintmobile.com tcb upfront payment of just $45 for three month five gig plan required. That's the equivalent of $15 per month. New customer offer for the first three months only. Then full price plan options are available. Taxes and fees are extra. See Mint Mobile for details. And welcome back to WSHIT's Entertainment News. I'm Paul Pedding Putty and every weekday morning we're covering everything from Hollywood to Bollywood and anything you can stuff in the middle. We'll call it like we see it. Whether it's hot or it's not, open up your ears. We're stuffing it in the slot. Many crab appaloons woke up this morning to find that singer, songwriter, sensation Garth Brooks has jumped on the advance technology bandwagon and posted a video on Facebook. Garth, of course, a frequent visitor to Crabapple, a noted fan of local favorite dessert the Crabapple Surprise and client of Manny's Manhandle massage Parlor. Garth took to the so called social media to introduce himself to the relatively small audience and to let fans know exactly what he would be up to. Color this reporter skeptical, but many experts are calling for this type of technology to be the way we consume entertainment. Moving into the Future. Well, it's 2025 and I still much prefer a Betamax, a hot bucket of popcorn and a cool refreshing Zima on a Friday night. I'll pass on dialing up anything named Facebook. Let's listen to what Garth had to say about this new platform and how he intends to use it.

[Chris Hoadley]

Well, I guess it's official.

[Brian Greene]

We're now on Facebook. I really wasn't sure about this at the start, but then a friend of mine said something that just made all kinds of sense. She said think of it more as a conversation. I like that. But I'm already finding out on my own. So it's wiping the walls out between you and me. And I really like that. It allows us into each other's worlds. Or I guess in my case, the hotel room. When I think about things, I want to post. I want to post cool stuff, slick stuff, neat stuff. But most stuff I'm going to post is going to be raw stuff like this. This is just who I am. So if this is Truly a conversation. Then I say, let the conversation begin. Well, you can't say Garth's a man without a plan. Although I did much prefer his Christopher Gaines era. I mean, come on, who didn't think Christopher Gaines was neat? Garth has simply been on the forefront of everything that has ever been neat. I guess we can all be assured that if Garth is on the forefront of technology, very little of anything could go wrong. We'll keep up with Facebook and with Garth. Let's take a moment and hear a word from our sponsors. And then I'll be back with the story about Corey Feldman and his seven's wife after this commercial break. Neat stuff. On this episode of the commercial break, parents didn't like Red Hot Chili Peppers, therefore the kids loved them. Yes, but I like my rock stars without coffee. That has live venue accessibility, if you know what I mean.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, that's douchey. It is.

[Brian Greene]

If you're gonna be a rock star, be a fucking rock star. Don't team up with Live Nation to ensure live venue accessibility. That is the cockiest thing I have ever heard in my entire life and I stand against all that it represents. The next episode of the commercial break starts now. Oh, yeah. Cats and kittens, welcome back to the commercial break. I'm Brian Greene. This is my dear friend and the co host of this show, Chris and Joy Hoadley. Best to you, Chris.

[Chris Hoadley]

Best to you, Brian.

[Brian Greene]

Best to you out there in the podcast universe. Thanks for joining us as we inch yet another step closer than to the 12 hours of TCB. I got the bubble guts. I'm all sweaty. I don't know what I'm gonna do. But I do know one thing. Five hour Energy will be right by our side. The official sponsor of the big birthday bash for tcb. Five years, six seasons.

[Chris Hoadley]

Makes sense. Five hour energy. Five years.

[Brian Greene]

Five years. Five hour energy.

[Chris Hoadley]

Plus we need to stay up for.

[Brian Greene]

I did some math and we'll need to take 2.325 hour energies to get through the 12 hours of tcb.

[Chris Hoadley]

Thank you.

[Brian Greene]

So you go.

[Chris Hoadley]

Thank you for mathing.

[Brian Greene]

Yes, I masked it. I mathed it out. And since we have plenty of five hour energy, I think that'll be no problem to accomplish that. Anyway, we'll be here and we're super excited. We hope you'll be here too. May 31, Saturday starting at 10am Ish. Might be an hour early, might be an hour later. Just depends on how all the technical stuff works out here at the commercial break.

[Chris Hoadley]

We'll also hear later.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, just. Just Stay tuned. Go to our. Go to our Instagram at the commercial break. Make sure you're following us. And on YouTub YouTube.com the commercial break for all the pertinent details and information. I never was a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan.

[Chris Hoadley]

Really?

[Brian Greene]

Never? Never.

[Chris Hoadley]

I had my moment.

[Brian Greene]

There are a few songs.

[Chris Hoadley]

Sugar, Sex, Magic.

[Brian Greene]

You know, so many people in my circle of friends just adored that album, but I never owned it, and I never thought it was all that great. Although there were a few songs on there that I could get into. Was never my thing. I don't know why. I just. I just was never.

[Chris Hoadley]

Give it away Give it away now.

[Brian Greene]

Give it away Give it away Give it away now.

[Chris Hoadley]

Flea's autobiography is very interesting.

[Brian Greene]

I don't know. Now I'm sleeping with a girl named Jewel. I don't know. Who knows? I don't know. It's all hocus pocus, Alamagos under the bread. Sometimes a little bit something. I don't know. I didn't like the way he danced. I. I don't know. I just like the whole vibe. Wasn't for me. That SoCal, red hot chili Peppers, funk vibe, funk rock, grunge funk rock, whatever the fuck you call. Didn't strike me in.

[Chris Hoadley]

Wasn't your thing.

[Brian Greene]

Wasn't my thing. Just wasn't my thing. No, you know, no offense. Anybody likes it. And I saw Red Hot Chili Peppers three or four times live. I could say that they put on an okay show. Anthony Kiedis, I don't think was ever the best live singer, but Flea was magical.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, Flea is really good.

[Brian Greene]

Chad was wonderful on drums. And then they. Oftentimes, I think they had a. Another good. What was his name? They swear they were switched guitarists.

[Chris Hoadley]

A guitarist in there?

[Brian Greene]

Yeah. But. But anyway, over the last couple of years, I've started to read articles about Anthony Kiedis specifically that don't shine the best light on him and his romantic proclivities, let's put it that way.

[Chris Hoadley]

Some of the same things that he.

[Brian Greene]

Has oftentimes seen with girls that are inappropriately young. There have been girls who have come out. There has been vid. Old video of him on MTV appearances and places like that, where it's just clear maybe he didn't or doesn't have a ton of respect for the females around him there. They seem kind of more like pieces of meat, so to speak. Anyway, that's for you to digest and for you to figure. I don't think there's any accusation that he's, like, sleeping with Underage girls. I think he's just like dating like 19 year olds, you know, or he started hanging out with them when they were 17 and then dating them when they were 18. And he's like 58 years old. I mean, the guy is up there in age now.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Well, now he's announced that he's going to make a brand new coffee in a can company for everybody to digest. His wonderful coffee in a can. He's gotten to that age.

[Chris Hoadley]

Keita's Coffee.

[Brian Greene]

Keita's Coffee. It's gonna be called Dish by Anthony Keita. It's called Jolene. Jolene.

[Chris Hoadley]

Jolene.

[Brian Greene]

The Jolene anything. That.

[Chris Hoadley]

That's Dolly's coffee.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, that should be Dolly's Coffee. But you know, he's. Let's see. Mark Rapinoe, the CEO of Live Nation and James Morrissey, the founder of Global Brands Equity, are combining their expertise with all the partners to ensure both consistency of the product along with unparalleled degree of live venue accessibility.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh, God. Okay.

[Brian Greene]

This is the most hokey pokey Alamagoki bullshit I've ever seen in my entire life from a bonafide rock star. Now, there's one thing we can all agree on is that Red Hot Chili Peppers have never exactly been ones to play it by the book. They've always kind of been on the outer edges of. Of pop music. Right. They've been edgy. They have showed up on Rolling Stone with their dicks and socks. I mean, that part I could always forgot about that. Yeah. Do you remember that?

[Chris Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Greene]

And they had amazingly large cocks, all of them, apparently, because they could hold up a sock with their cock. If I put my sock in a cock, it'd have to be one of those no show socks. Yeah. If I put my cock in the socks, the no show socks. But they were wearing like the old high top sock cocks and they had their cocks in the high top socks and they were rocking that cocking in that stocking. I'm telling you right now, that stocking was rocking a cocking. Because go back and look at that cover. It was first of all, ingenious. Second of all, it was amazing how big apparently their penises were. But. And I always felt a little bit insecure about that as a teenager looking at that cover. But they were always kind of on the edges of what was mainstream. Cool, right? People liked them, but they were known to have a little bit of je ne sais quoi, if you will.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, the parents didn't like them.

[Brian Greene]

No, parents didn't Like Red Hot Chili Peppers. Therefore the kids loved them. Yes, but I like my rock stars without coffee. That has live venue accessibility, if you know what I mean.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, that's.

[Brian Greene]

Douchey.

[Chris Hoadley]

It is.

[Brian Greene]

If you're gonna be a rock star, be a fucking rock star. Don't team up with Live Nation to ensure live venue accessibility. That is the cockiest thing I have ever heard in my entire life and I stand against all that it represents. I have the constitution. Now, if Live Nation came to me and asked me to do a drink called Carla and it have live venue accessibility, well, I do it. But no one expects me to do anything different. I'm broke. Anthony Kiedis has money. He doesn't need live venue accessibility. Can I get a Jolene, please? Then what kind of live venue is this when you don't have accessibility to Jolene coffee by Kiedis? Who thinks they're going to the fucking tabernacle and ordering themselves a Jolene? Hey, man, we're going to the Naco to get ourselves a couple Jolene's.

[Chris Hoadley]

You want a Jolene?

[Brian Greene]

Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

Can I get you a Jolene?

[Brian Greene]

Well, there's only one venue in this town I'm going to. It's the one that serves Jolene. If it doesn't have live venue accessibility, I'm not showing up. I'm not a sellout. I only go to Jolene venues. What a ham hock crock of crap this is. I swear to God, I'm pissed. I'm pissed. You don't see the who out there making a fartarita in a can that they could sell at the fucking London Opera House with live venue access.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, please go tequila like everybody else's.

[Brian Greene]

Yes, do what everybody else does. Make a bourbon or a tequila. And then don't strike up a deal with Live Nation to put out a press release about live venue accessibility. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It makes you sound like a cock. And along with all the other cock and a sock. And then of all the other like kind of more shitty stuff that's been noted about you and your relationship to females. It just all combines to spell huge sellout. You were always in it for the money in the first place. You were always in it for the accoutrements, not for the creativity.

[Chris Hoadley]

And listen, well, not anymore.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, not anymore. Well, I don't know if ever. I mean, once you do blood, sex, sugar, magic, Jolene, then.

[Chris Hoadley]

How did the name Jolene come about?

[Brian Greene]

Don't know.

[Chris Hoadley]

It doesn't say.

[Brian Greene]

It doesn't say. It's just, like, strange. Yeah, it's another fancy.

[Chris Hoadley]

I'd rather be Ketos Coffee.

[Brian Greene]

I'd rather be Ketos Coffee also. And I'd rather that Ketos Coffee be available at my local independent coffee shop, even Starbucks, for God's sakes, than Live Nation related venues. I mean, like, it's just. And I can just smell it now. Next year, tour around the Live Nation. Venues that carry Jolene. The Jolene Tour that everyone's going to go on. It's so stupid, Jolene. So stupid. It is a level of grift and sellout that doesn't accompany my idea of an insider, outsider, independent, rock star, rap star, pop star, whatever you want to call it, star that kind of, like, fights against the bullshit, or at least takes a stand against the bullshit a little bit. Like, that's. You got a platform. You don't have to be overly, like, vocal or political. You don't have to fight every battle for everyone. You don't even have to fight any battle for anyone. But if you're gonna sell out, do it like normal rock stars do, you know? I mean, Live Nation's already got you in a stranglehold. I understand. You gotta play ball with them, but, you know, they make a drink called Jolene.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

And then ensure live venue accessibility. That is so stupid.

[Chris Hoadley]

It really is.

[Brian Greene]

To associate yourself with. Even the press release is kind of sickening. It just makes me. It. I think I was always right about Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now Flea and Chad, I like both those guys. I think. I think they're great. I actually met Flea one time briefly, and he was very nice. I mean, for the three seconds he had my attention, I had his. He was very nice.

[Chris Hoadley]

And, yeah, he seems like a really nice guy, and he's very in touch with, like, his spiritual side. And. I don't know, the book. His book was great.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, he's one of the better basis.

[Chris Hoadley]

He took a lot of drugs really young, and then, you know, moved on, blew it out.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, so did I. I get it.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah. I mean, not so young, but, you know, I took a lot of drugs very young, and then I continued that through most of the rest of my life. But then at some point, I just decided, that's it. I did that. I'll get back to it after I retire, you know, after the kids are gone. You know what I'm saying? When I could look like an idiot, when I can make my coffee company. Jolene. That sound like an idiot. I guess I'm just Disappointed is the word that I would use.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

I hate to see when people sell out to that level, grift to that level. But that is what 2025 is all about. It's one giant grift. We are all grift gifting each other spiritually, emotionally, financially. It's just as long as we can get ourselves a little bit better on the backs of someone else. And we like. It's completely selling out is so in vogue right now. It's completely grifting is so in vogue right now. And that is kind of. Who said this to us the other day? I can't remember. And it's probably coming up on the 12 hours. You'll hear this on the 12 hours as we are doing the interviews for the 12 hours. But someone said that the 90s was the end of civilization.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian Greene]

The end of humanity. Like, the 90s was pinnacle humanity. Right. And it's only been going downhill since then. It was kind of a depressing view, actually. But I will say I got the point. The point was taken. Right? And we've all just a. Consumerism, capitalism, and the getting ahead at everybody else's expense has just really accelerated. And now it's just corruption in plain sight. No one's asking questions. We're all just used to it. We all just go, oh, okay, all right. $500 million jet. Yeah, that's cool. We'll take that. And listen, I don't want to get political about it because it happens on both sides of the aisle. All of them, all of us. And I'm not even excluding myself from that, because the truth is, is that we're all just trying to get to that, I don't know, that place where we feel magical and powerful and whatever. And I guess if you gotta put some crappy, shitty cold coffee in a can and call it Jolene and make sure it gets to all the live venues so all the kids can be hepped up on it when they listen to your. Now then I guess that's cool. I guess that's what we do now. That's why I like. I like my Eddie better.

[Chris Hoadley]

He needs to do a red wine.

[Brian Greene]

He does. But I. Yeah, Chrissy and I get into this debate. This is the funniest thing. This is funny, actually. We'll talk about this just for a second, even if for briefly. Chrissy comes in to record a couple of days ago, and we're still kind of like, you know, glowing from the Atlanta Pearl Jam concert that we went to and had exceptional seats with Jackie Beans from a favorite from one of Jeff's friends who got a favor from the band, essentially. So we're, like, gifted these tickets from the band or someone close to the band that are just beautiful. And we see Pearl Jam put on an excellent show in an excellent venue in an excellent location. Just one of those magical moments that you have in life where you go, holy shit. Doesn't get much better than this. But live music wise, it certainly doesn't. And so, you know, we're still kind of chitting and chatting about this. It's fresh on our minds.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah. And I had some friends who went to the Pearl Jam show in another town.

[Brian Greene]

Nashville.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

And they had a blast, too. They had so much fun. They did not nearly have. They did not have nearly as good as seats. But, you know, I think when you're seeing Pearl Jam, though, it's just, if.

[Brian Greene]

You'Re there, you're there.

[Chris Hoadley]

If you're there, you're there. And it was just so fun. But they did come back talking about how, you know, there was Eddie. Eddie was. He was drinking his red wine.

[Brian Greene]

Eddie fell off the wagon. He was back on the red wine. Yeah, that was the. That was the kind of the gist of the conversation. So Chrissy says, you know. Yeah, but I heard Eddie's off the wagon because he was drinking some red wine. And I go, what wagon? Was he?

[Chris Hoadley]

No, I didn't know that. And they sent a thing out saying, too, like from Google, that said Eddie Vedder has been sober for 16 years.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah. So I say to Chrissy, so, like, we're going back and forth, and I'm like.

[Chris Hoadley]

So I was just laughing with my friends saying, well, if you're gonna fall off the wagon at all, like, Nashville's the place. Because they had Peter Frampton come out, and it was a big deal.

[Brian Greene]

So I say, hey, listen.

[Chris Hoadley]

But Brian's like, no, he's not.

[Brian Greene]

What?

[Chris Hoadley]

He's not.

[Brian Greene]

So I've seen these guys, like, 30 times, and I've never seen Eddie without a bottle of wine in his hand.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah. And I was like, Well, I didn't think that he was.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah. And so I started sending, like, screenshots. Yeah. Screenshot after screenshot after video after video of every show that they've done.

[Chris Hoadley]

It was 11 last night.

[Brian Greene]

It's 11. And I'm sending, like, the thing that Eddie does is he drinks wine during the show, and then he'll pass the bottle around, out into the crowd. People will take a sip and give it back to Eddie. Like, he's at that level where he doesn't give a shit about the spit. He's just. He's so intoxicated by the whole scene that he's handing the bottle out and giving it back. And at our show alone, he traded the bottle that he was drinking to somebody for, like, a brave shirt or something. I can't remember what the shirt was, but, like, a local sports shirt. And then when, at the end of the show, he brought out a bunch of champagne, ended up popping bottles on stage to celebrate Matt Cameron's second induction into the hall of Fame. So I'm like, chrissy, he is not sober. Like, I don't know who's getting this information. Then I Google it, and it says, eddie Vedder, known to drink wine at every live show. He loves red wine. It's telling you what kind of wine he likes to drink at his shows. Yeah, yeah. And then Chrissy's like, I just saw it on Google. And she sends me the snapshot. And then I Google Eddie Veddersober. And it's like, yes, Eddie Voder has been sober for 16. And I'm like, what the fuck? Eddie Vedder has not been sober for 16 years. That's not a true story. So Chrissy said something. It was so true. The age of misinformation and confusion. You can ask Google and it can give you two different answers based on one word that you put in there. Completely different answers. Eddie Vedder not sober. Not in the traditional sense of sobriety. If by sober you mean I only get drunk every night, then, yes, I.

[Chris Hoadley]

Guess you're sober, and we figured it's not hard drugs anymore.

[Brian Greene]

I think it's hard drugs that he abstains from after, you know, being a rock star. Right. I don't know what his story is.

[Chris Hoadley]

It's Eddie Vedder sober instead of California sober.

[Brian Greene]

Yes. Instead of California sober. It's Vetter sober. It's Seattle sober.

[Chris Hoadley]

Seattle sober?

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, he's Seattle sober. It's coffee, cigarettes, and wine. That's what he does. Listen, if you're gonna drink something, drink the wine. I guess it's got some.

[Chris Hoadley]

I love red wine.

[Brian Greene]

Benefits, I suppose. Gives me a fucking headache. But, I mean, it depends on what kind of wine and when I drink it, but sometimes it gives me a headache. But I used to be a huge red wine drinker when I worked at that trattoria. It was Chianti Classico 24 fucking hours a day. Brian. What? We need to order two more cases of Chianti Classico.

[Chris Hoadley]

That's probably.

[Brian Greene]

We Only sold one bottle. What happened? I'd be like, me and Ra.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, that's what happened while we were cleaning up.

[Brian Greene]

Oh, my God, we drink so much of that.

[Chris Hoadley]

We cleaned up.

[Brian Greene]

We cleaned out the Chiantay Classic. I dropped a box. I remember one time I was like, I dropped a box. I didn't know what to say.

[Chris Hoadley]

That's probably why you get headaches now, because your brain body was so used to the Chianti class.

[Brian Greene]

The shitty red Italian table wine that we used to drink. Like, this is the kind of stuff they give to kids when they're real young to get used to table wine. It's just vinegar, essentially. Yeah, shitty vinegar that gets you drunk if you drink enough of it. But anyway, so I was like, you know, clearly Eddie is. I have seen these guys a lot, and I have never seen Eddie without a bottle in his hand, as a matter of fact. And you can back me up on this if you were there. The first concert that I saw Pearl Jam at, maybe I can't remember if it was Lollapalooza or the Fox Theater. It was one of those two. But the Fox Theater here. Oh, maybe. So maybe the second. I don't know. I don't know how to chronologically it went, but the Fox Theater here in Atlant played Saturday and Easter Sunday 1994. I think it was.

[Chris Hoadley]

Okay, so I can see that picture.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, that's right. Somewhere around here. So Lallapalooza would have been the first time. But anyway, so when I saw them, the show was an hour delayed. And when I asked someone who was connected to the event why it was so late, he said, because they were trying to find the wine that Eddie wanted to drink.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Before the show, he was trying to get a vibe on with a specific wine, and they had to run around town in Pearl Jam traffic trying to find this specific bottle of wine. The guy has always had a bottle of wine in his hand.

[Chris Hoadley]

And those demands really happen, by the way. I've really gotten to see all of that with Jeff and the artists.

[Brian Greene]

Absolutely.

[Chris Hoadley]

Certain kind of candles, certain wines, certain things. It's a thing.

[Brian Greene]

Here's a little story right before we go to break. So a couple of months ago, the idea is floated around. I'm going to get all to the details. It's kind of like a little too far behind the scenes. But an idea is floated around that you and I should go into the Odyssey local studios.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

To record celebrity interviews and special events in their studios so that we feel comfortable. We have a space to invite celebrities. That's not my actual fucking house. Right. Which Astrid is, like, already said is an absolute no, no, I'm not having celebrities or tabloids or limousines or whatever happens. Right? And plus, with Blue and my kids here, it's just not a place to bring Tom Papa. You know what I'm saying?

[Chris Hoadley]

Reggie, maybe.

[Brian Greene]

Reggie. Yeah, I could see that. Reggie Rosebud Baker. You know, people who might have that vibe going on at their own house, where they go, oh, that's just normal. But so it's floated around. Okay. So then we're going back and forth about the logistics of this, and someone sends an email to me and says, okay, tell me more about what you would need and what a typical rider would look like. And I was like. Like a rider with, like, requests. I mean, for us. For us and. Or celebrities.

[Chris Hoadley]

Okay.

[Brian Greene]

And I was like, I don't. A chair. Chairs, chairs. We could do it. Some chairs. I was so taken back by that question.

[Chris Hoadley]

You're telling me we've got a writer?

[Brian Greene]

We don't have a writer.

[Chris Hoadley]

Let's get to the studio.

[Brian Greene]

Let's go. Why are we recording here? Let's go there. Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

Closer to my house.

[Brian Greene]

Yes, I'd like a masseuse. Whatever I want, I'd like a masseuse. Chrissy needs wine. Red wine. Yes, I need. Why Brian 3000. Yeah. But anyway, so maybe in the future, tanning bed visits.

[Chris Hoadley]

Tanning beds next door.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, I want a tanning bed is what I want. Not next door. I want it right there in the studio. So in between recordings I can just go in there and freshen up the tan. Yeah, I want to be red as a rainbow. I want to be red and ready for the next guest.

[Chris Hoadley]

I'm just glowing with that burnt skin smell.

[Brian Greene]

I want that bloomin onion smell when they come in there. I want to smell like a fryer. I want you to be able to dip my fingers in awesome blossom sauce and take a bite and it'll be delicious. That's what I want. That's the level of tan I need. Golden brown. Uh, anyway, stay tuned. That looks like it's gonna happen. But no, no promising. No, Ryder, I didn't negotiate that. I said possibly a ride from the hotel, like for the celebrities. A ride from the hotel, a few sodas. I mean, unless Tom Cruise decides to show up or any better. Like, what could I possibly. Yeah, I don't think the level of our guests. I mean, maybe. You never know, maybe somebody would request like, hair and makeup or something like that. Yeah, But I think I'm just gonna have to say, not that kind of show.

[Chris Hoadley]

Well, on a case by case basis, yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Well, I mean, I made it clear that I don't know. But for us, no. For us, no. Well, because I know that if I had asked for anything.

[Chris Hoadley]

I can't believe he said no.

[Brian Greene]

What did you want me to ask for?

[Chris Hoadley]

Wine.

[Brian Greene]

Wine, Wine.

[Chris Hoadley]

And some stark coterie.

[Brian Greene]

Dear corporate overlords, we would like to be drunk as a skunk and a huge liability.

[Chris Hoadley]

It's gonna be a new environment. I'm gonna have to, you know, get.

[Brian Greene]

Drunk, get used to. I'm gonna have to be hammered. We would like to be a huge liability to you and anyone in the office by walking around with an open bottle.

[Chris Hoadley]

One bottle of vodka.

[Brian Greene]

Okay, one bottle of vodka. I'll tell you what. I'll pay for it and I'll hide it under my chair until after the interview is over.

[Chris Hoadley]

No, I'm kidding. But that sounds fun to have a rider.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, well, it does sound fun to have a rider. I'll have to ask our agent to whoop one up. I think he'll go.

[Chris Hoadley]

He will laugh.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, a rider. Sure, sure. What kind of air do you want to breathe when you're getting legal?

[Chris Hoadley]

Zoom.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, get on legal. Zoom in. Get that. You can't even afford to have me think about a rider, let alone write one. So what kind of air do you want to breathe when you get there? I'll be happy to write that in. Oxygen. Yeah, sure, no problem. They need oxygen. Heating and air conditioning. Lights, carpet. Lights, carpet.

[Chris Hoadley]

Action.

[Brian Greene]

All right, we'll take a break. We'll be back. You'll make this rather snappy, won't you? I have some very heavy thinking to do before 10:00. Hi, cats and kittens. Rachel here. Do you ever get the urge to speak endlessly into the void, like Brian? Well, I've got just the place for you to do that. 212-4333. TCB. That's 212-433-3822. Feel free to call and yell all you want. Tell Brian I need a raise. Compliment Chrissy's innate ability to put up with all his shenanigans or tell us a little story. The juicier the better. By the way, we love to hear your voice because Lord knows we're done listening to ourselves. Also, give us a follow on your favorite socials at the commercial break on Insta TCB podcast on TikTok. And for those of you who like to watch. Oh, that came out wrong. We put all the episodes out on video. YouTube.com thecommercial break and tcbpodcast.com for all the info on the show, your free sticker, or just to see how pretty we look. Okay, I gotta go now. I've got a date with my dog. No, seriously. Axel needs food. Food. Today is pork chop day. This episode is sponsored by Discover. If there's one thing we've learned from the entertainment industry, it's just how easy it is to earn a reputation, even if it doesn't reflect who you really are. For example, everyone thinks that Discover is a card that isn't widely accepted. But in reality, it's accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Yeah, 99%. So maybe now you'll think twice before judging a book by its cover. Unless it's a celebrity cookbook. In that case, judge away. Based on the February 2024 Nelson Report. Learn more at discover.com credit card I'm.

[Chris Hoadley]

Emma Greed and I've spent the last 20 years building, running and investing in some incredible businesses. I've co founded a multibillion dollar unicorn and had my hand in several other companies that have generated hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. The more success I've had, the more people started coming to me with questions. How do you start a business? How do you raise money? How do I bounce back from failure? So it got me thinking. Why not just ask the people I asp most? How did they actually do what they do? I'm so incredibly lucky to know some of the smartest minds out there. And now I'm bringing their insights along with mine, unfiltered directly to you. On my new podcast, Aspire with Emma Greed, I'll dive into the big questions everyone wants to know about success in business and in life. Through weekly conversations, you'll get the tangible tools, the real no BS stories, and undeniable little hacks that actually help you level up, up, listen to and follow Aspire with Emma Greed and Odyssey Podcast Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brian Greene]

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform designed to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you're launching your first site or leveling up your business, Squarespace has everything you need. You can claim your domain, showcase your work with a beautiful professional website, and even get paid all in one place. Four versions of the commercial break website have been designed and built using Squarespace. And one of my favorite things about Squarespace is how easy it makes Offering services. You can set up a sleek customized website that not only attracts clients, but also streamlines your workflow. You can schedule appointments, send on brand invoices, and even handle online payments. But we must talk about design because let's be honest, honest first impressions matter. With Squarespace's cutting edge design tools, you do not need to be a web designer to make something stunning. Their blueprint AI helps generate a custom website in minutes. Or you can choose from their award winning templates and easily tweak them to match your brand. It's drag and drop simple, but the results look like you hired a professional. So if you've been thinking about building or upgrading your current website, now is the time. Head to squarespace squarespace.com commercial for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use the code commercial to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com commercial and use the code commercial when you're ready to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Squarespace has long been a sponsor of the commercial break and we endorse it because we use it. It helps entrepreneurs, content creators, small businesses and large businesses alike develop and design an online brand that is beautiful and functional. Squarespace.com commercial and use the code commercial. And thank you to Squarespace for being a continuing sponsor of the commercial break. There is a video like while we're on the music Anthony Kiedis thing, there's a video going around. It's a pretty brilliantly done video from a guy I don't know. He's, he talks about music on his Instagram and TikTok and he's explaining that Prince, who, in case you're wondering, I'll tell you right now for a fact, is one of the best guitar players that has ever lived. Oh, hands down, he's incredible. He's a virtuoso. He's a prodigy. He knows the guitar like, he knew the guitar like the back of his hand. He didn't even have to look at the guitar. Go look at his Minneapolis. Sorry about that. Go look at his Minneapolis live Purple rain from like 1984. There's like a.

[Chris Hoadley]

And then the. In the hall of fame.

[Brian Greene]

Well, that's how I'm gonna get there. So it's like, like that Minneapolis where he plays in front of this crowd at a park and there's like a hundred thousand people there and they do like this 22 minute version of Purple Rain and 11 to 13 minutes of it is Guitar solo. And not a moment of it is uninteresting. Because, you know, sometimes you get into those long guitar solos and it can get really like monotonous and repetitive. You gotta know when to stop a guitar solo. And there are three guitarists that I have known that are really good at these very long guitar solos. That's Slash, that's Trey Anastasia from Fish, and that is Prince.

[Chris Hoadley]

I would add Jack.

[Brian Greene]

Jack White. Okay, I've seen Jack White too. Yeah, he can. He can go to. I mean, I'm sure there's lots more to add to the list, but there's like my three personal.

[Chris Hoadley]

I mean, Led Zeppelin, but.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, but I've even heard a couple of Jimmy Page live guitar solos go on a lick or two long. David Gilmore might be thrown in there from Pink Floyd, but I've even heard a couple of his licks go on too long. Eric Clapton, a couple of his licks going on too long. But I've never heard of Prince lick go on just a little bit too long. He one time, the last concert that he did, I think was at the LA Coliseum. He had done like 20 nights in a row at this old Coliseum in LA that was going to get closed down. He was trying to save it. So he did all these live concerts and sent all the money and like the 19th of the 20th night or whatever, he did like a 40 minute purple rain. And even. Even though it did get a little long in the tooth, it was incredible. Right. He just kept it going. It was going and going. People were. Anyway, so Prince has been a virtuoso for a long time. He's just one. Is simply one of the better musicians that has lived in my time. That's that I've been alive during his time. A lot of people think Michael Jackson would be one of the other better musicians that has lived in this era or lived in the last 50 to 100 years. And some people. Some people might put James Brown in there also.

[Chris Hoadley]

I do love James Brown.

[Brian Greene]

He certainly was one of the more better. He certainly was one of the better live performers. Yeah, for sure. His energy was unmatched. Powered by Colombian marching powder 90% of the time. But, you know, whatever. I couldn't dance like that when I was on cocaine. I just wanted to be at home under a rock. So good for James Brown. Yeah. With my whiteboard. I wanted to be by myself with my whiteboard, maybe my friend. And being left alone for the most part in my own paranoia and despair. So James, Michael and Prince met on one fateful night in 1983 at a James Brown concert. And some people believe that James invited both Michael and Prince, who were in the crowd, up to have their moment on the microphone. He's essentially handing the. He's like passing the baton. Passing the baton. That's a great way to put it. He's passing the baton onto the next generation. Saying these two are two to be paid attention to because this is early on in their. Relatively early on in their careers, though they were known, they certainly weren't the superstars that we would. Would they would become in the mid 8, late early 90s. Mid 8, mid to late 80s, early 90s. Anyway, in this show, something happens where Michael just kind of clearly outshines Prince. And some people believe, as per this reel, that that started a lifelong yearning for Prince to be recognized as one of the great musicians. And that it was 25 years later, 30 years later, at the Rock and Roll hall of Fame induction. For who? For the Beatles. Right. Am I right about that?

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah. Was it Paul McCartney?

[Brian Greene]

Paul McCartney or George Harrison? One of the two. Yeah. George Harrison.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yep.

[Brian Greene]

When my guitar gently weeps When Tom Petty and a bunch of other, like, huge rock stars are out there playing this, and all of the sudden, Prince, uncued, takes the last guitar solo and wails, just goes nuts for like six minutes. It's incredible. You have to watch it. It's incredible. And you can tell that the other musicians on the stage are not only in awe, they don't know what's going on. And they just keep playing. They just know the best thing to do right now is just let that guitar be on fire. Let it sing. Just let it sing. Even Tom Petty, emotionless and the kind of like a. A guy who didn't wear his heart on his sleeves. You could tell there was just like a wry smile on his face as he knew what he was doing, was witnessing history. Yeah. But so this whole story goes on, on Instagram. This guy puts it together beautifully. Much more beautifully than I just did. But I. I was like, wow, I have to see this. This moment that caused Prince, like, so much like, I guess, despair. This moment when he was supposed to shine and he never shined, that caused him to really feel like he had to fight or he had to prove himself to the world. And if you remember, there was a moment in the 90s, and maybe even the early 2000s, when Prince was a little bit of a joke. He did, like that whole Batman thing. He changed his name to the symbol. He was putting out all of this kind of Weird. I like some of it. Yeah. But not everybody did.

[Chris Hoadley]

I always liked him. But yes, there was where people were.

[Brian Greene]

Kind of like, oh, Prince. Yeah, the symbol. Prince. Yeah. Formerly known. The guy formerly known as Prince. He. It was kind of a joke at some. At one point, I remember not him being the joke, but like, his musical career didn't go like Michael Jackson's did or James Brown's did or a lot of the other Madonnas did. It kind of went a little weird. It took like a left turn and then a right turn and then he was doing the Batman. You know Batman. So let's take a listen. You want to take a listen to this?

[Chris Hoadley]

I do.

[Brian Greene]

Let's take a listen to this moment. 1983 James Brown concert. James in his full sweat hair, flying buffon. Buffon. He is probably so high you can't even see straight. And I'm not saying that disparate to being disparaging of James. He would tell you that if he was here today, right now. Yeah. Let's give another standing ovation for a young man sitting behind you that you have no idea who's in audience. Michael Jackson.

[Chris Hoadley]

Michael Jackson.

[Brian Greene]

Michael Jackson. And there's Michael. Sunglasses, moptop hair. I think this is post Pepsi commercial. Is this poster pre Pepsi commercial when he burned his head.

[Chris Hoadley]

But yeah, he's got the jacket.

[Brian Greene]

The army, like, weird Sergeant Pepper jacket. Yeah. Michael Jackson. You gotta come up and say something. You gotta come up and say something. Michael Jackson. Come on up, Mike. Come up and say something. Gotta come up and say something.

[Chris Hoadley]

Is this like an award show?

[Brian Greene]

I don't know. I. I don't. I don't know. It. It. I don't think it is, but maybe it is. Was that Kevin Nean, Like, Michael's walking through the crowd trying to get to the stage, and there you. There are some maybe. No, that just looks like a bunch of people in 1983. They're all 18 years old. They're 42. Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

I think this might have been pre Pepsi burn.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, I think it might have been pre Pepsi burn. But definitely that he was going in the direction of.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Greene]

Like, changing his looks. Appearance. Yeah. I love you. Okay.

[Chris Hoadley]

He's doing a little James Brown.

[Brian Greene]

He's doing a little James Brown moonwalk. He gets a rye. Big applause. And then he smartly decides to bow out a stage left. That's what I would do.

[Chris Hoadley]

He's giving James a hug.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, he's giving James a hug. I would go out in a high note also. I'd be like, that was It. That was good. I love you. See you later.

[Chris Hoadley]

Moonwalk and all.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, I love you. Stage left, the whole crowd high on cocaine. Bouncing along. Yep.

[Chris Hoadley]

Look at that woman in the blue pantsuit. She's getting down.

[Brian Greene]

Oh, yeah, she's getting down. Yeah. She's half an eight ball in. So, okay, so he leaves. Give him a big round of app. Because he just insisted that I introduce Prince. He's here. Prince, Prince.

[Chris Hoadley]

Where you at?

[Brian Greene]

Where you at? Prince? Prince.

[Chris Hoadley]

He's looking all around.

[Brian Greene]

Was he right? Does it look alike? I gotta take a break. I gotta hit my bullet. Prince.

[Chris Hoadley]

Say it.

[Brian Greene]

Meanwhile, that band is just chugging.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, great band.

[Brian Greene]

Oh, yeah. Okay, so here comes Prince. Okay.

[Chris Hoadley]

Prince is in his little regalia as well.

[Brian Greene]

Yep.

[Chris Hoadley]

Okay.

[Brian Greene]

They're giving him a guitar. He's picking up the notes. I think he's talking to the bassist and he's saying, what are the. You know, what are the key. What key are you in?

[Chris Hoadley]

Well, first of all, can I say that the. The previous video that we were watching was clear.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

This great.

[Brian Greene]

Because. And I know why. Because.

[Chris Hoadley]

Switch to like a VHS beta.

[Brian Greene]

Here's part of the reason why he was mad. Mad is because that his appearance was cut out of the show. Whatever this was was broadcast somewhere. And his appearance was cut out of the show because according to somebody, his performance was not as electric as Michael Jackson's. And you can tell it's not as electric as Michael Jackson's. He's playing a little diddy. He's got one note, he's just kind of jamming along and now he's like, you know, trying to pander to the crowd a little bit. Oh, oh. And he takes off his shirt. Okay, let's go for that. Yep.

[Chris Hoadley]

I thought he was gonna take off his pants too. Just pulled him up. That looks pretty electric.

[Brian Greene]

Listen, we look back on it now. Now.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

And we think it's electric because we know Prince as the superstar that we know him to be. Right. Okay.

[Chris Hoadley]

Maybe it was too racy because he took off his shirt.

[Brian Greene]

Maybe. And the other thing that we. We missed in this particular version of it that I have seen, I have now researched this and done seen other versions of it, but it was just like a little bit too long to get into. Was that. What you don't see is that the. The way that he got to the stage is he was carried.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

On the back of a guy that used to do this for him. Like a big white guy. Guy. Huge, seven foot, whatever. Oh, yeah. Okay.

[Chris Hoadley]

It said at the very beginning.

[Brian Greene]

So apparently this is how Prince would walk around. Like at award shows, he was known to be carried to stage by a big white man. Hey, listen, I love it. I think it's great. Okay, now that's it. That's all he does.

[Chris Hoadley]

Okay.

[Brian Greene]

Right. Okay. He takes off his shirt. He pulls down a lamp post that is a stage prop that he obviously thinks is secured to the floor is not. And he falls off stage.

[Chris Hoadley]

I think you're trying to swing around.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, there's the big guy that carries him around. Okay, now they. Yeah, now they have to run and chase him and give him his jacket. So you get it. Like, I mean, you know, Michael took one half a minute and electrified the crowd. And he took stage left. He took the cue. Right. He knew the. He knew the assignment. Prince, although we would have died.

[Chris Hoadley]

He was on his time.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, we would have died to have been there.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Greene]

And that moment. Moment, it felt like he got up, acted a little goofy and left. Right. That was it. And he. And according to people who were there, who knew him, who were privy to this kind of information, he always felt, like me, I'm privy to this information. He always felt that this was like Michael outshined him and they cut him out of it. And he never got the respect that he deserved. And he wasn't hand. And. And, and then, then 30 years later, he blows everybody away playing as my guitar gently weeps in front of all these other rock and roll gods. And guess what? A star is born. Or was already born, but a star is solidified. Prince, one of the greatest guitar players that ever lived. We'll be back. Why don't you text us and we can text back and then you can text us and reply then on. It's a fun little game I've been playing and I think you'll be great at it. 212-4333. TCB. That's 212-433-3822. You could leave a message too. If you do, maybe you'll end up being the voice of the show. But be warned, the pay is not great. You could go to the website and drop us an email. Also tcbpodcast.com and while you're there, you can get a free sticker. Who doesn't want a free sticker? Just go to the contact us button and ask for one. Follow us on insta at the commercial break and watch the [e-mail] thecommercial break. Now I'm gonna go back to that texting game you wanna play. Come on. Bye. Are you buying a home in California? Yeah. It can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with 100 missing pieces. I remember searching for my first home, thinking, thinking, how does anyone do this without losing their mind? I wish I could go back and tell myself that the first step you should take is to find a realtor. They make everything make sense. From pre approvals to paperwork, from offers to closing. It's someone that you can trust that'll walk you through it all. They'll answer all the questions, even ones you don't know to ask. And when things are feeling a little bit overwhelming, you can count on them to keep you grounded. That kind of steady support, you cannot get that from going it alone or guesswork. A realtor knows the ins and outs of the California real estate market and helps turn what feels like impossible into done. Don't let what you don't know stop you from starting your next chapter. Find your [e-mail] that's championsofhome.com whether you're jetting off to a new destination, leveling up at work, or simply feeding your curiosity, speaking a new language can change your life. And now Rosetta Stone makes it easier and more immersive than ever. With 30 years of expertise in 25 languages, from French and German to Japanese and Vietnamese, Rosetta Stone's Truaxent speech engine gives instant feedback on your pronunciation so you sound natural every time. And because there's no English translation, you start thinking in your new language right away. Rosetta Stone has lessons that fit your lifestyle on desktop or mobile. And today you can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for unlimited access to languages at 50% off. Don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential. Now, listeners of this podcast can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com RS10 to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to Rosetta Stone.com RS10 and start learning today. I'm sure you've heard the name Theo Vaughn before. Yes, Theo is a fellow comedy po who's got a very popular, very popular podcast called I think it's called this Past weekend. Theo is a former MTV reality show star. He was on Road Rules, I think, and he kind of parlayed this funny, Southern, quirky, weird talk thing that he does into. I mean, he's very interesting to listen to. I have to, it's. I have to say this. Theo's very interesting to listen to. He's got a very interesting way of speaking. He's always got an interesting way of looking at things. He's had his former troubles with drugs and alcohol and all this other stuff, and he's parlayed that into kind of this, you know, no holds barred podcast that he does where he brings on very interesting guests. And he's had some of the biggest, most famous people in the world show up in his show, up to and including Donald Trump during the last election, which a lot of people gave him gruff for. I thought it was one of the less positiony, kind of like promo type of appearances that Donald did on some of these podcasts. And the, what they call, what they, what we're like pejoratively calling the manosphere, the podcast manosphere. I got a soft spot spot, I think, a little bit for, for Theo. I, I do like his show. I like to listen to what he has to say sometimes. And he's a fellow podcaster and so I. Fellow podcaster in probably the more traditional sense where he's run through some of the same networks. We have had some of the same troubles that we've had. Like, and as a matter of fact, Theo got screwed by one of his former podcast networks in a very big and public blow up that one of these networks had where they were talking about that. Yeah, they financially left a bunch of people high and dry. And so we know what that can feel like. And, and I wrote him and he wrote me back. I wrote him. He, he made a video about it. This is a couple years ago, he made a video about it. And I wrote him and just said he, he was fighting for the, he's like, listen, I'll be fine. But it's all these other podcasters and I'm, I'm really upset for them and I think someone needs to speak out on their behalf, you know, blah, blah, blah. And I just felt that was good of him to do and I, I let him know that and, and he wrote me back. And so a brief conversation. And so, you know, you connect with someone personally on that, on any level, and you, you have a little bit of an affinity for them. But all that said, here's what I, I. Okay, I'm just, I'm not even gonna preface it. I'll let you have your own opinions about this. Theo had on Mark Zuckerberg.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh God.

[Brian Greene]

The extraordinarily strange alien that started Facebook. The Palladian that came down from outer space space and now owns Instagram and Meta and metaverse and WhatsApp. WhatsApp, yes, I think you're right about that. And a bunch of other companies that are certain to do irrevocable harm to society, children in general, and probably the humans at large. Mark is a strange human, no matter which way you look at it.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

And he's kind of a success at any cost kind of guy. And I think if that's not clear from just looking at Mark and hearing him speak, then you're not paying. You're not reading in between the lines. And there's a lot of in between the lines to read with Mark because he is a one very odd motherfucker now. There's lots of odd motherfuckers. I'm an odd motherfucker. There's no knock against being odd. As a matter of fact, it can be kind of cute when you're odd. It's original, it's interesting. Interesting. It's independent. But I just don't know what to make of Mark Zuckerberg. And I don't think Theo know what to make of him either, quite frankly. This is a really strange interview. Gets less strange as it goes on. But the beginning of it is just almost tough to watch. And so while I don't love breaking down other podcasters, podcasts, I thought that I would just take. We would just take a minute to listen.

[Chris Hoadley]

Look, I thought we were gonna listen to Prince. We'll get back to that.

[Brian Greene]

Oh. Oh, you wanted to listen to my guitar Gently weeps.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh, well, no, I thought that's where we were going with that last.

[Brian Greene]

No, because it's. It's copyrighted, and I most certainly will not be.

[Chris Hoadley]

Everybody go listen to it.

[Brian Greene]

Everybody go listen to it. I can do the other one because I'm making commentary on it. If I play copyrighted music that's on Spotify making money, then I will certainly get knocked for it. So go watch my guitar. Gently weeps. All right, so Theo used to have a setup like this, like we have right now. Now. And then he went to the table and chairs like we went.

[Chris Hoadley]

He flipped. Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Only Theo didn't even paint his table.

[Chris Hoadley]

He did not. Just a plywood.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah. He put the TV behind him with a roller stand. He's got the exact same setup. We had the exact same setup. It's kind of crazy when you think about it, but, I mean, listen, it's. We also took our idea from someone else, too, so it's not like we.

[Chris Hoadley]

We didn't have the fake plants in the back, but.

[Brian Greene]

No, that's an interesting look. Okay. All right, here's Theo and Mark Zuckerberg. Look at Mark. He doesn't. He's like, do I have to talk to human beings, coffee man, or. No, no. Beep boop, boop, boop, boop, boop. You drink coffee man? No, I do not. He's got those damn glasses on that records everything too, fucker. Really?

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh, I didn't even think about that. Those are the meta glasses, huh?

[Brian Greene]

Oh, yeah. They've got to be the meta glasses for sure. He probably records every sing thing that happens in his life because he's got to like, you know, it's like Mark Cuban with that microphone on. On his chest. I mean, you. You've had it. I have. Sometimes on vacation, I'll drink it recreationally.

[Chris Hoadley]

It's like vacation, I'll drink it recreationally. Is it Jolene?

[Brian Greene]

Sometimes on vacation, I decide to go crazy and have Jolene. It's accessible at all vendors. Checking database now. It's in a while. Just like. Do you hear that?

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Listen again. Like. Yeah, it's like. Like a celebration. Yeah. Yeah. Really? Yeah, No, I. I just like hate anything that messes. Like, I don't. I don't like any kind of chemicals or anything like that. I don't like anything that messes with my mind. So I made Facebook and Instagram and Metaverse and Google Glass glasses. Oh, really? So you like to keep everything the equilibrium? Yeah. My sister gives me such a hard time about this. She's like, you're just sitting there raw, dogging reality. Wow. It's kind of true. Like.

[Chris Hoadley]

What necklace does he have on too? It's an interesting choice.

[Brian Greene]

Had it before. Yeah, but you just don't like it. That's. That's the one that him, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump wear. And when they get together, they become the fantastic Fro Bros. It is a locket. It's probably a self destruct. So when you get up in the morning, that's not your thing. Like, is there something you do? No, no, no. Yeah, I mean, I wake up and I. I fight people. Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean I. I wake up in the morning and our. This is why we have no traction on Instagram is because of Brian. Brian doesn't stop talking about Mark. Sucker. It might be. You never know. Hey, I mean, we should. We should get this. Yeah, we're going. Oh, you mean you wake up and do jiu jitsu? You mean. Oh, yeah. No, I mean, yeah, so I probably wake up. Like, I don't know, 7, 7:30, whenever, like the kids start making noise around the house. It's like, all right, sleep is done. Yeah.

[Chris Hoadley]

And, and then can you imagine being his kids?

[Brian Greene]

I can imagine being his kids. A life of hell and torture and opulence. Yes. You are never going to know a normal day in never. You live on like a thousand acre estate in the most pristine part of Hawaii that your dad essentially just robbed from people. And you're never going to not fly in a private jet. Your every moment is going to be looked after.

[Chris Hoadley]

Do we have security?

[Brian Greene]

Oh, you definitely have security. It's like, look at my phone. And I'm just like all these things that these people are doing, like you did. What? Are you fucking kidding me? It's like I have to go fucking deal with this. It's like, like, it's like this partner are really godamn it. All right, so. And then he's trying to make himself seem normal, but it's just, I just have a hard time connecting, I have a hard time connecting with one of earth's richest people who at every turn makes a decision to make it worse. It's like I compose myself and go fight for two hours, like ReCenter myself. Then it's like, now I can go deal with the stuff. I, I, I literally try and murder somebody for two hours and then I go, okay, now who else can I murder? I got to give credit to Theo here who handles this pretty cooly because I don't know that I would do the same. But no, it's, so that helps. It's almost like your coffee in the morning sometimes. Like rolling, like rolling Jiu jitsu, kind of. Yeah, yeah. And I mean right now I'm doing more striking, so that's really fun. I, I just, I think it's like the greatest, the greatest sport. I mean it's, it's like neurologically stimulating. It's, you know, it's good cardio, good strength. Oh yeah, Yeah. A little bit of a threat, right? So it keeps you on, you know, it's not, not like, just like running. I used to like run around the neighborhood, but running is not that thrilling. Running compared to Jiu jitsu is for. Running is a, Running is not.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah, that's not the same. You can do Jiu Jitsu.

[Brian Greene]

No, it is not the same at all. And I get what Mark is saying is like when you have the, when, when there's a threat that you could get hurt, get knocked in, get, you know, kicked in the balls, whatever it is, then there's this level of fight or flight that keeps your nervous system on high alert.

[Chris Hoadley]

I find, like anybody would actually hurt him, though. I mean, well, they're pain.

[Brian Greene]

Okay. So I gotta say, I watched the whole interview, and obviously we're not gonna go through the whole interview. I watched the whole interview. I think Theo does a good job of handling Mark. I think he's trying to make Mark. Mark's on this tour to make himself look more. More personable. And I think that's why he's showing up at places like Theo Vaughn and Joe Rogan and these other places. This is recent. This is like a week and a half ago. But I do have to say that the more that he talks, the more I have a hard time connecting with the life of Mark Zuckerberg. The plight of Mark Zuckerberg or empathy for Mark Zuckerberg, I just don't have it. I think Mark has the power and the ability to do. Do a lot of good in this world, and I'm not sure that he thinks any of it should be his responsibility. I think he chooses. Actively chooses not to make a decision, and that is making a decision. Right. Okay. All right, so let's move on from that. Theo the other day, and this is why I even thought about showing this video that Theo the other day I saw was in Nashville. He's in Nashville. He's at a bar. He's hanging out at that bar. For whatever reason, he's hanging out at the bar, and there's a group of people that are there for a birthday. Like, you know, male and female, 12, 15 people, whatever. They're at this same bar on. On Broadway. Music Row.

[Chris Hoadley]

No, Music Row is another part of that.

[Brian Greene]

Okay. Downtown. Somewhere in downtown and one of these big bars, you know, multi level, huge places. And Theo's just there. He's just there hanging out. And there's a group there, and, you know, they say hello. He says hello back. And then, you know, then some other guy comes over and Theo kind of, you know, hey, whatever, and turns around, goes back to it, and then the guy keeps, you know, comes up with some birthday balloons in his hand.

[Chris Hoadley]

Is this just being filmed?

[Brian Greene]

It's being filmed by. By somebody in the group.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh.

[Brian Greene]

And I imagine what they're doing is they're trying to. To get a reaction, a rise or a conversation out of Theo in this bar. And this goes on for just a little bit too long for Theo's liking. And I don't. We. You don't know what's said because you can't hear it's from a distance, but Theo turns around and grabs the guy by the throat and pushes him back about 10ft. And then Theo takes his hat off. And he's ready to go, right? He is ready to go. And this guy is like, what the. You know, la, la, la, la, yada, yada, yada. I have to say, Chrissy, I am so happy that the chance of that type of interaction ever happening to us is zero to none. Zero to none. No one recognizes us in that manner. And I think that when people make a calculation in their head, they. They see a Theo Vaughn at a. At a. At a bar on Broadway or whatever it is, they make a calculation in their head that says, is this guy worth, let's say, going to jail for? But is this interaction going to be worth the social media credit that I'm going to get to make me want to continue this bit, this bothering, this fucking around, this pestering, whatever it is. If you know us, then there is zero chance that you're ever going to think you're going to get enough social currency even saying hello to us, let alone Bob. Chrissy, we are in a safe zone.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Greene]

We are not Mark Zuckerberg. We are not Theo Vaughn. We're likely never to be. We are just two dumb, relatively unknown podcasters who on occasion, get the credit we so rightfully deserve, which is none.

[Chris Hoadley]

And on occasion, you can pass by the dumpsters of the local grocery store and hear someone.

[Brian Greene]

I was telling someone yesterday, I said, I literally parked on the side of the Kroger near the dumpster, and I was walking around the corner, and there was a guy sitting at the, like, you know, company, perfect company picnic table that's chained to the ground, the smoking section, and there is someone smoking a cigarette. And I hear my fucking voice, and I'm like, what? And as I'm passing by, I see on his phone that he's listening to the commercial. Commercial break. And I'm like, wow. Do I say anything? No, because I don't want to have to put anybody in a throat lock like Mark Zuckerberg. I will say this, though. Mark. Mark definitely has secured. Didn't look like Theo did, but Mark definitely has security. Did you see that? Cryptocurrency CEO. Him and his daughter were walking down the streets in Paris, and they almost got kidnapped if it wasn't for some Good Samaritan. They were literally trying to. Trying to dress. There was like 10 guys got out of a van, black hoods, the whole nine yards, like something out of a movie. And Tried to drag them into the van. And he's like the CEO of, like, a billion dollar crypto business. It was really, really scary, and I'm actually glad they're okay and I guess super proud that some other human being decided to step in.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

When the time came. And the father fought like hell. The daughter was, like, in her 20s, but he fought like hell not to get in that van. And he held onto his daughter as tight as he could. So geez. Yeah, scary. We don't have to worry about that. I literally walked by the guy while he was listening to the show, and he didn't even say hello.

[Chris Hoadley]

No, no.

[Brian Greene]

That's the level of fame we're at. We're at the level of fame that even when you know us, you don't want to say hello.

[Chris Hoadley]

I like that.

[Brian Greene]

Yeah, I like that, too. I like it. I like that, too.

[Chris Hoadley]

I'll take a rider and a rider and no fan.

[Brian Greene]

A rider and no fame. Yeah. I guarantee we walk into those Odyssey Studios, no one's gonna pay attention to it.

[Chris Hoadley]

It'll be at midnight.

[Brian Greene]

No, I'm expecting. I'm expecting no to do when we walk in. None. Zero. Who are you? What are you? You here for? Oh, you're. You have to go up the service elevator.

[Chris Hoadley]

Yes.

[Brian Greene]

All right. The 12 Hours of TCB. The big TCB birthday bash coming up May 31st. Sponsored by Five Hour Energy, booked by CTB, Covert Creative, and our good friends at Odyssey. Please join us. Make this one worth doing. Please make this worth doing. Make it worth doing, and we might do something else cool. It's all up to you. Like I tell my children, the decision is yours. Does this happen again? Decision is yours. Decision is yours. TCB podcast on TikTok at the Commercial break on Instagram. You want your free sticker. You want some swag? You want to keep up with the comings of and goings of the commercial break. You want to join our mailing list? We will soon be doing cool stuff with our mailing list.

[Chris Hoadley]

Okay.

[Brian Greene]

Yes. So going back to the mailing list. Going back to the mailing list. Why not?

[Chris Hoadley]

Yeah.

[Brian Greene]

Let's go back to the thing that wasn't working in the first place. We're at the point now where we've tried everything. Let's try the things that weren't working again. Yeah, why not? All right. Join the mailing list. Drop us your information, your email, and your physical address at the contact us button. We'll make sure we get you all the info and a free sticker. Oh, I never told the story about the free stickers on the coupon site. Oh, I gotta do that.

[Chris Hoadley]

Oh yeah, that was funny.

[Brian Greene]

Remind me. Okay. 212-433-3TCB 212-433-3822 questions, comments, concerns, content, ideas. We take them all and you can call in and be live on the 12 hours of TCB. Just text us and we'll let you know how. Okay, Chrissy, that's all I can do for today?

[Chris Hoadley]

I think so I'll tell you that I love you.

[Brian Greene]

I'll say best to you and best to you out there in the podcast universe. Until next time, Chrissy and I will say we do say and we must say goodbye. It's time for spring cleaning. We're not talking about your closet. We're talking about your health. It's time to ditch the clutter of supplements and complicated regimens. Grunes is wellness that actually sticks. Groons is a comprehensive and accurately dosed nutrition solution loaded with vitamins like B12 and folate. Designed to be absorbed by your body. Grunz is perfect for gut health, energy and immunity. Plus gruens ingredients are backed by more than 35,000 research publications. Visit Groons Co today. That's Groons Co. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. Just use Indeed. Stop struggling to get your job posts seen on other job sites. Indeed sponsored Jobs help you stand out and hire fans. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster. And it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, Sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. Plus with Indeed sponsored jobs, there are no monthly subscriptions, no long term contracts, and you only pay for results. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsor job credit to get your jobs more visible visibility@ Indeed.com Listen. Just go to Indeed.com Listen right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com listen. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.

[Chris Hoadley]

I've never felt like this before. It's like you just get me. I feel like my true self with you.

[Brian Greene]

Does that sound crazy? Crazy.

[Chris Hoadley]

And it doesn't hurt that you're gorgeous. Okay, that's it.

[Brian Greene]

I'm taking you home with me.

[Chris Hoadley]

I mean, you can't find shoes this good just anywhere. Find a shoe for every you from brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas.

[Brian Greene]

And more at your DSW store or dsw.comsam5:30.