Chiefs and Giants Face Off in Sunday Night Football | Matthew McConaughey, Karl-Anthony Towns, Eric Church | Sunday, September 21

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Episode: Chiefs and Giants Face Off in Sunday Night Football | Matthew McConaughey, Karl-Anthony Towns, Eric Church
Release Date: September 24, 2025

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Episode Overview

This lively Sunday night edition of The Tonight Show features post-Sunday Night Football energy, blending NFL talk, playful sketches, and candid interviews with Matthew McConaughey, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Eric Church. The episode kicks off with Jimmy Fallon's trademark blend of sports banter and humor, transitions into heartwarming and insightful conversations with his celebrity guests, and wraps with memorable stories about resilience, fame, and giving back. Notable themes include the importance of belief, artistic evolution, community, and staying authentic through change.

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Key Segments & Discussion Highlights

1. Monologue & NFL Comedy Recap

(00:00 – 03:13)

• NFL Season & Proloft Sketch:

  • Jimmy and Steve Higgins joke about being three weeks into the NFL season.
  • They air a parody ad for “Proloft”—an antidepressant for football fans, available in “Bros will love” flavors (Bud Light, Zyn, Fuego Takis).
  • Standout Line: "If you're a Jets fan, 100 pills." – Sketch Voice (00:36)

• NFL Coaches Roll Call:

  • Jimmy lists all 32 NFL head coaches using memorable nicknames and puns.
  • Playfully references coaches’ lookalikes and personalities.

• Quirky Headlines:

  • UFC planning a fight at the White House; car recalls from Toyota and Hyundai; Victoria’s Secret returns to “sexy roots”; a record-breaking giant peach.

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2. Chiefs vs. Giants: Sunday Night Football Superlatives

(03:13 – 05:30)

• Jimmy runs “Tonight Show Superlatives,” bestowing funny titles on NFL players:
  • Cam Sky (Giants): "Most likely to sound like Adam Sandler when saying his own name." (03:51)
  • Gardner Minshew (Chiefs): "Most likely to turn Gatorade into wine." (04:00)
  • Travis Kelce (Chiefs): "Most likely to get an invite to Taylor Swift’s wedding." (05:20)
• Steve Higgins brings playful energy with musical cues and banter.

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3. Matthew McConaughey Interview

(08:26 – 17:50)

Football Fandom and UT Pride

• Jimmy acknowledges McConaughey as a die-hard Texas Longhorns fan, even calling him “the Taylor Swift of college football.” (10:05)
• McConaughey shares his early football experience, why he switched to golf, and his loyalty to UT.
• Quote:
  • “Just bleeding orange, baby.” – Matthew McConaughey (10:24)

“Tight Pantalones” Blooper

• Revisits a memorable sketch in which McConaughey’s hand blister bled on his white pants.
• Quote:
  • “No one’s ever bled for a sketch for us, ever. Thank you so much. We meant respect.” – Jimmy Fallon (11:33)

The Lost Bus Movie

• McConaughey describes his new film based on the 2018 Paradise, CA fires, focusing on acts of heroism.
• Highlights the true story of a bus driver who prioritized saving stranded children amid chaos.
• Quote:
  • “[The story] is about the next six or seven hours. What happened.” – Matthew McConaughey (13:33)

Poems and Prayers Book

• McConaughey explains the inspiration behind his new book—restoring belief in ideals during cynical times.
• Quote:
  • “Belief’s in short supply. I think we need more of it. Because if doubt wins, we all gonna lose, and we can’t let that happen.” – Matthew McConaughey (15:12)

Live Poetry Reading: “Tips Included”

• Delivers a passionate recitation about the pitfalls of entitlement and the value of hard work.
• Shows musical improvisational flair with The Roots backing.
• Memorable lines:
  • “When the tip’s included, credit doesn’t get its due…The service is gonna suffer.” – Matthew McConaughey (15:43—17:39)

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4. Karl-Anthony Towns Interview

(18:06 – 25:09)

NBA Career Reflections

• Reminisces on an old backstage photo with his mom; discusses her pride and support.
• Quote:
  • "Her baby make it to the NBA and achieve his dreams." – Karl-Anthony Towns (18:36)

Nicknames Game

• Jimmy tests Towns' reactions to various nicknames, including "Cat," "Kit Kat," "Bodega Cat," "The Big Meow," and "The Big Purr."
  • "Bodega Cat" wins unanimous approval, “Big Purr” gets a hilarious double thumbs down.
• Memorable banter:
  • “I think Cardi B is gonna be the only one who likes [Big Purr].” – Karl-Anthony Towns (20:26)

NFL Fandom & Jersey Change Viral Moment

• Talks about his Philadelphia Eagles fandom, inspired by Terrell Owens and the 2000s Eagles squad.
• Clarifies the viral moment when he switched jerseys at a Knicks game; the real reason was to avoid visible pit stains on TV—not disloyalty!
• Quote:
  • “Team love.” – Matthew McConaughey (21:40, as a joke in the segment)
• Shoutout to ball boys’ hard work.

Trade to the Knicks

• Reflects on the emotional transition from Minnesota Timberwolves to New York Knicks—like a breakup, but eased by being closer to family.
• The audience shares in the excitement for Towns’ new chapter in New York.

Jersey Swap with Fallon

• Lighthearted exchange: Karl presents his (used) jersey, Jimmy offers a suit jacket in return.
• Fun, spontaneous photo op wraps the segment.

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5. Eric Church Interview

(25:09 – 35:07)

New Album & Icon Status

• Jimmy congratulates Church on his ACM Icon Award and new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine.
• Quote:
  • “It sounds better than the oldest guy in the room. No, that’s how you get the icon award. You hang it on long.” – Eric Church (25:28)

The Taylor Swift “Gold Record” Story

• Church recounts being replaced by 16-year-old Taylor on her first major tour, followed by her gifting him her first gold record as a peace gesture.
• Quote:
  • “She walks up and she inscribed it to Eric. ‘Thanks for playing too long and too loud on the tour. Sincerely, Taylor.’” – Eric Church (28:25)

Philanthropy & Community Building

• Eric discusses his Hurricane Helene relief concert and efforts to help rebuild homes in North Carolina, focusing on giving families long-term stability.
• Quote:
  • “America is made up of these little small towns. Small town America is the backbone of what America is.” – Eric Church (30:31)
  • “If you’re someone who has been integral to the community…we’re going to build you a home.” (31:10)

Musical Evolution & New Tour

• Outlines his creative process and choice to constantly reinvent shows — incorporating strings, horns, choirs, and stripping down to acoustic roots.
• Quote:
  • “Creativity has been my compass. Once you’ve made that, you did it already. You’ve done it.” – Eric Church (32:00)

Songwriting After Tragedy

• Shares the personal story behind his song “Johnny,” written after the 2025 Nashville Covenant School tragedy; he describes the helplessness of dropping his sons at school the next day.
• Quote:
  • “The devil’s not in Georgia. He’s here.” – Eric Church (34:38)
  • “We need Johnny to come back and send the devil where he needs to be.” (34:47)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Matthew McConaughey is the Taylor Swift of college football.” – Jimmy Fallon (10:05)
• “Belief’s in short supply. I think we need more of it. Because if doubt wins, we all gonna lose, and we can’t let that happen.” – Matthew McConaughey (15:12)
• “If you're a Jets fan, 100 pills.” – Sketch Voice (00:36)
• “I have paid my dues.” – Eric Church (25:39)
• “It’s in the Hall of Fame. I don’t even have it. It’s in the Country Music Hall of Fame.” – Eric Church, on Taylor Swift’s gold record (28:53)
• “The devil’s not in Georgia. He’s here.” – Eric Church (34:38)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Intro & NFL Sketches: 00:00 – 03:13
• Sunday Night Football Superlatives: 03:13 – 05:30
• Matthew McConaughey Interview: 08:26 – 17:50
  • UT Football, “Tight Pantalones,” Lost Bus Film, Poems and Prayers, Live Poetry
• Karl-Anthony Towns Interview: 18:06 – 25:09
  • NBA career, Nicknames, Viral Moment, Knicks Trade, Jersey Swap
• Eric Church Interview: 25:09 – 35:07
  • Icon Award, Taylor Swift Story, Philanthropy, Creative Process, Songwriting & Johnny

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Memorable Moments

• McConaughey’s poetic reading with The Roots jamming live. (15:26 – 17:39)
• Towns on "Bodega Cat" as a New York nickname. (19:36 – 19:50)
• Eric Church and Taylor Swift’s “gold record” story—peek into the origin of Swift’s generosity. (28:08 – 28:43)

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Overall Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode is upbeat, irreverent, and deeply human, blending sports banter, heartfelt stories, and creative spontaneity. Fallon’s warm rapport with each guest allows for genuine moments—whether it’s laughter over a bloody costume mishap, nostalgia for family, transparency about career transitions, or candid reckoning with personal and national tragedies. Each guest brings a lesson: McConaughey urges belief, Towns cherishes roots and embraces evolution, and Church proves artistry is as much about giving back as it is about creative risk.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a fast-paced, emotional, and funny ride—a celebration of sports, music, movies, and resiliency topped off with personal reflection and poetic wisdom. Whether you’re a sports fan, music lover, or in need of some hope, every guest leaves you with a new appreciation for the ways we all keep striving, believing, and giving back.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome to a special Sunday edition of the Tonight Show.

[Steve Higgins]

That's it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's right. We're three weeks into the NFL season, and if your team is playing well, that's great. But if they're not, there's something that can help. Watch.

[Sketch Voice / Commercial Actor]

This is your favorite NFL team. 03. Are you feeling lost and hopeless? Then ask your doctor about Proloft, the first antidepressant designed specifically for football bros. It's chewable and comes in flavors Bros will love, Bud Light, Zyn, and Fuego Takis. All it takes is one pill every Sunday, or if you're a Jets fan, 100 pills. So take your life back with Broloft from the makers of Brozempic.

[Jimmy Fallon]

There you go.

[Steve Higgins]

That's it. That should help.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hopefully that. Of course, everybody knows these star players in the NFL, but you may not know all of the coaches who are. So we wanted to give all 32 of them some love right now. Here we go. You got Shawn and Sean and Sean and Shane. You got John and John and Jim and Dave. You got Brian. Brian, Brian. Ben, you got Mike. Mike, Mike, Mike. Aaron, Glenn. You got this guy. He's the Mr. Cleanest. And this guy helps with diabetes. And this guy has the best go taste. And this guy, his name's Kevin. You got this guy. He's the very oldest. This guy, he could be a Jonas. And this guy, Buzz from Home Alone is. And this guy also. Kevin, Nick, Todd, Zach, Kyle. Don't forget Rahim. The final two, you know, is Liam and D'.

[Steve Higgins]

Amico.

[Jimmy Fallon]

32, gentlemen. Now, you know him well. There. That's every coach in the NFL. Hey, did you guys see this? Dana White just released the first renderings of the UFC fight being planned for next summer at the White House. Take a look at this. Wow. Good. I was afraid it would look ridiculous.

[Steve Higgins]

Oh, my God.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep, an outdoor UFC fight. But don't worry, if it rains, they're going to hold the event under Melania's hat. So we're going to be fine with it. All good.

[Steve Higgins]

We're good.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Get this. Toyota and Hyundai just recalled more than a million cars over issues with seatbelts and panel displays. Kia heard and was like, see, this is why we don't have seatbelts and panels. Listen to this. The new CEO of Victoria's Secret said that she is returning the brand to its sexy roots. Give it up for the sexy roots right there. Victoria's Secret going back to their sexy roots. Victoria's Secret made the decision, and after their last rebrand cost them a Lot of customers. And, yeah, that didn't work. Didn't work. Well, I read that an orchard in Virginia just broke a world record with their massive peach. Yep. Meanwhile, the farm that grew the world's largest eggplant is like, call me.

[Steve Higgins]

A little while.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, guys, as I mentioned, the Sunday night football game was earlier tonight right here on NBC. It was between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Giants. Now, as you know, at the end of every season, they give out awards like most valuable player, but they also give out awards at the beginning of the season, too. I'll show you what I mean. It's time for tonight's show superlatives.

[Steve Higgins]

Here we go. Superlative.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Our first player is from the New York Giants. It is Cam Sky. Yep. He was voted most likely to sound like Adam Sandler when saying his own name.

[Steve Higgins]

Scatterboo Skataboo. Scab a doo.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Next from the Kansas City Chiefs is Gardner Minshew. He was voted most likely to turn Gatorade into wine. Oh, that's amazing.

[Steve Higgins]

Throw a hail Mary.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, be cool. Be cool. Next up for the Giants is Jackson Dart. He was voted most likely to be a third missing brother from the summer I turned pretty. You gonna get on that flight? Next up from the Chiefs is Ashton Jalotti. He was voted labubooist. Wow. A rare one. Next up from the Giants is Jamie Gillen. He was voted most likely to be an FBI agent infiltrating a frisbee golf league. Hey, you guys know where I can get any grass? Next up from the Giants is John Michael Schmitz Jr. He was voted most likely to be the world's oldest eight year old. Oh, that's cute. Next up from the Chiefs is Charles o'. Menahue. He was voted most resting. Can I help you face? Next up from the Giants is Austin Schlapman. He was voted most likely to baptize his firstborn in a hazy ipa. And finally from the Chiefs is Travis Kelce. He was voted most likely to get an invite to Taylor Swift's wedding.

[Steve Higgins]

There you have it. Those years of growing up. We have a great show. Give it up for the roost the man at hand at ruling school and reach and teach the blind to find a way from A to Z to the most the boat so loud and proud the game rain never made When I do that thing the heat is on. Oh. Welcome to the show, everybody, and thank.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You for sticking around. If you're watching the game, we love you, NBC Sports. NBC's got another big one next Sunday. Night with the packers taking on the Cowboys. So be sure to check that out as well and be sure to stay here all week long. We got some great shows coming up. Sean Penn, Mark Wahlberg, Kim Kardashian will be here. And on Tuesday, Tuesday we are talking to Leonardo DiCaprio and the cast of the new movie one battle after another. Fantastic. Fantastic. But first, what a show we have for you tonight. He is a giant movie star whose new film the Lost Bus is in select theaters now and streams October 3rd on Apple TV. His new book poems and Prayers is out now. Matthew McConaughey is here.

[Steve Higgins]

The best.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Love that dude. Oh, he is a five time NBA all star from the New York Knicks.

[Steve Higgins]

Karl Anthony Towns is joining us, my man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And his latest album, Evangeline vs the Machine is available now. He also just kicked off his free the Machine tour.

[Steve Higgins]

Eric Church is here to talk.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And finally, guys, we always jettison these Sunday night football games to one lucky fan. We do. Tonight's lucky fan is Lil Hank. Lil Hank's 13 years old from Iowa. He loves the NFL, loves our show. His favorite snacks are Cheetos, puffs and white Kit Kats. Oh. So I'm going to do a little something big for you, Lil Hank. Roots. Can I get a drum roll? I am about to jump through a field goal made out of Cheetos and white Kit Kats.

[Steve Higgins]

This one's for you, little Han. Yes. Come on now. Stick around. We'll be right back with Matthew McConaughey. Come on now. What you got? Come on. The height, the urban legend go from Uruguay to Norway to go. Our first guest is an Oscar winner.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And a New York Times best selling author. His new movie the Lost Bus is in select theaters now and will Stream on Apple TV October 3rd. And his new book, poems and Prayers is out now. Please welcome the one, the only, Matthew McConaughey.

[Steve Higgins]

Welcome back.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Welcome back to the Tonight Show.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Good to see you, man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're the best, man. Look, they love you. So.

[Steve Higgins]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're the greatest, man. I want to get into your book. I want to get into your movie, the Lost Bus. But first off, this is a big deal for us. You're on our show after the big NFL game on NBC. So I know you're a big football guy. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, did you, did you play?

[Matthew McConaughey]

I played until eighth grade.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Matthew McConaughey]

And that's when I realized, well, I thought I was fast, but I'm not as fast as I thought. Well, I thought I was big and strong, but I'm not As big as strong. I'll take up golf.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, I know, I know. You're a Texas Longhorns fan forever. I always.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Yeah, I've been there. I was a fan since, what, 75. I went to school there. 89, 93. Graduated and have been a fan of a lottery since.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here's you running out in the field. Yeah. Come on. People love you at these games. They look forward to seeing you. I know you have other. You have a life. You have jobs and things to do, but we want you at every game.

[Matthew McConaughey]

I try to get to every game I can. Every Saturday I can. I'm at the UT game for sure.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, we'd love you. In fact, the Internet posted something I thought made me laugh. It said, Matthew McConaughey is the Taylor Swift of college football.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Not quite sure what that means.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, it's great. That means that we watch it. We watch it. We want to see you. We hope to see you, man, there on Saturdays.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Just bleeding orange, baby.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Last time you were on our show. And again, thank you always for coming here. We loved it. We did a sketch called Tight Pantalones.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Oh, I remember this. Yeah, I remember this.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You remember this because. So we did tight pants, which is a bit. We did on the show, but we changed it to pantalones. Cause that's tequila.

[Matthew McConaughey]

We had some tequila on our pantalones. Yeah, man. Our tight pantalanes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. And while we're doing the sketch, we've never done this. We did it twice. We did the sketch and it worked. It was great. And then we turned around and there was blood all over your pants.

[Matthew McConaughey]

There was blood all over my pants. All over my tight white pants.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. And I go, dude, one of us. Well, we have some video. This is the blooper. We never aired this.

[Steve Higgins]

I got my pantaloons on. Pantalones on people. I'm up.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So that little speck there was not. That was a handprint of blood.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Did I have a blister on my hand? And then when I slapped my ass, it busted or something.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes. Zoom in on that. Amazing. Dude, that was. Dude, one of us was bleeding. No one's ever bled for a sketch for us, ever. Thank you so much. We meant respect.

[Steve Higgins]

We meant respect.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Respect. But so what happened was, Matthew, you had like a blister, a blood blister on your hand or something because you're a hard working dude and you get your. Yeah, not me. My hands haven't. They have no calluses, like a baby's. But you were slapping your butt. So Hard that you popped a blood and the blood went flying everywhere. It's fantastic.

[Matthew McConaughey]

I love it when that happens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Legendary, dude. Legendary. Legendary. Let's talk about the lost bus. You're fantastic in this. The story is fantastic. It's loosely based on a true story.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Of terrifying 2018, Paradise, California. Major fire. 85 people were lost in the fire. Deadliest fire in California. Jamie Lee Curtis heard this story on npr. Called Jason Bloom, producer. They went to Paul Greengrass. All of a sudden there's a script shoot, the story they picked to tell. And there were many heroes during that day. But the story they picked to tell was one of this man who had come back to paradise because his dad had died. And he was there to take care of his mother, who was now widow, and try to reconcile a relationship with his son from an earlier marriage that he was now divorced from. He became a part time school bus driver. Right. So he took kids to school that morning and on the way home it became a mandatory evacuation because the fires had gotten so bad they jumped the canyon. So everyone in paradise had to get out. This guy's trying to run back to in the bus to go pick up his mom and his son because neither one of them can drive. So he's got to get them to safety when a call comes in from dispatch. Hey, I've got 23 stranded kids on the east side of town. Does anyone over there have an empty bus? Well, guess who had an empty bus.

[Steve Higgins]

Wow.

[Matthew McConaughey]

The guy I get to portray, Kevin, instead of going to get his mom and son, he goes and gets the kids with the kids. He finds this lady, Mary Ludwig, who's the kid's teacher. She gets on the bus with the 23 kids. And our story is about the next six or seven hours. What happened.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, my gosh. Amazing. Can you imagine that?

[Matthew McConaughey]

I mean, it's part horror film, you know, and this director, Paul Greengrass, does major epic action sequences like that extremely well. So if you like action and you like horror, go check it out. If you want to see a human drama at the center of it too, we got that for you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on, bro. That's fantastic. Great. Thank you. You know, I'm a fan of your book Green Lights. Yeah, it's so nice. I read it twice. I loved it so much.

[Matthew McConaughey]

You got rhyming now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Good.

[Steve Higgins]

I'm getting that from you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm getting that from you, man. You have a new book called Poems and Prayers. It's fantastic. You know I'm a fan, but why'd you. What made you Want to put this out?

[Matthew McConaughey]

So I noticed a few years ago, like a lot of people, I'm told, I was looking around at the evidence, the facts, listening to the news, and not finding many places to believe or people to believe in. And I started to get a little cynical myself. I mean, I started to kind of objectify people and kind of not really think or look for the best in people. And I didn't like that. It actually scared me. And what most scared me is when I said, well, maybe that's just how it is. Maybe that's just how the world is now. Then I got pissed off and I said, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not going to concede the white flag to that being just how things are for me. That's for the rest of the world. So I went to poems and prayers, which are ideals, you know, the things that we can believe in that may not be reality yet, but we got to keep believing, can be a reality. All right? So I went to the Dreams and Ideal and said, let's make sure we don't quit believing. Belief's in short supply. I think we need more of it. Because if doubt wins, we all going to lose, and we can't let that happen.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, we need this. Yeah, man, we need this right now. I don't want to put you on the spot or anything, but would you. Would you be up for reading one of the poems for.

[Matthew McConaughey]

I'd love to, yeah. Cool.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, Can I help you?

[Steve Higgins]

Ruth?

[Matthew McConaughey]

Can y' all give me. Please help me. Can y' all give me a little, I don't know, Herbie Hancock sort of Land Cruiser kind of vibe? Just on the floor with the baseline, we'll do a little something called tips included. You want to join in, go to page 86.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay.

[Matthew McConaughey]

All right. It's called Tips Included. This is about participation trophies. It's about entitlement. It's about how too much of something can be just as harmful as not enough. It's about how we all need good fortune, good faith, good charity sometimes. But we should not rely on it because when the tip's included, credit doesn't get its due. When more gives us less, the exchange rate's gone askew. When amnesty is offered, going into the crime, we're more bound to commit it because there is no fine. You see, we start playing to tie instead of going for the win. When participation's the trophy for every cow in the pen. Because if I stay on the porch because you picked up the slack, when you look over your shoulder I can't have your back. See, if there is no curfew, we're gonna stay out all night. There's no tab at our bar. We're gonna get drunk and start a fight. All these long lenses, man, they got us losing our sight. You keep lifting it from me, I'm gonna lose all my might. Yeah. When a four star duty suits a six star rate, we take our hands off the wheel and start relying on fate. Eating all we can at the all we can eat buffet gives us a 3.8 education and a 4.2 GPA. We steal from ourselves and get away with the scam. Well, what's the measure of merit? With less give a damn. Whoa. These unlimited options, they sure got me confused. While all the conveniences are keeping me properly lubed in this red light district with the horror of inflation, the ROI's math don't pay for the vacation. So let's just admit it, this extra credit's quite a fluffer. Cause when the tip's included, the service is gonna suffer.

[Steve Higgins]

Yeah. Come on. That's. That's what I'm talking about.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The one and only. The one and only.

[Steve Higgins]

The best, buddy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love this guy.

[Steve Higgins]

Matthew McConaughey, everybody. Homes and prayers is out now. Standing O. The Lost Bus is in the theaters now Streaming on Apple TV. October 3rd. For tonight's show after the break, stick around.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're looking good as always.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Welcome back to keep up with you, Joe.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Last time you were here, this was right before your rookie season. Yes. With the Timberwolves.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yes, yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you were here. And I got a picture that you brought that I took with your mom backstage.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yes, yes, yes. As you can see, this is actually a photo from her phone. From her phone. And she has so much love. I appreciate you, the hospitality you showed her and all the love you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, I remember. That was super fun. She had to be a proud, proud, proud mom. Yes.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yes, she was. You know, see, as she always says, her baby make it to the NBA and achieve his dreams. It's a magical moment, not only for me, but to have my family recognize that moment with me is pretty special.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Well, I think she's here. She's watching.

[Steve Higgins]

I appreciate it. Thank you. She's watching. Jackie, we love you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Absolutely. You're not only one of the best players in the NBA, but you also have some of the best nicknames, I think, in the NBA. I thought maybe we can go through a couple nicknames. You give me a thumbs up or thumbs down.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Absolutely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I don't know how this is gonna go. So we're all together in this.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Remember, just the thumb, too. No, other finger. Oh, okay.

[Steve Higgins]

Good.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you. Good.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Thank you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you, Cat.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I love it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I like that, too.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Simple, right to the point.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, Cat.

[Steve Higgins]

Yeah, absolutely. You like it?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Y' all like it?

[Steve Higgins]

They agree.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Karl Anthony Towns. I get Kat. How about Kit Kat? Okay. I got a love for Kit Kat.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

So I'm gonna still give it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, really? Okay. You like Kit Kat for sure. Absolutely. This is something that's going around. Cause you're a New York Knick.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Okay.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So we're thinking maybe Bodega cat.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Ooh, yeah. I like that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You like that.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I like that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I like that. You know that everyone knows that Bodega Cat always crawling around some type of box of cereal or something. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, I like Bodega cat. The big bodega.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I love that.

[Steve Higgins]

See?

[Jimmy Fallon]

You see?

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Everyone said I couldn't have to say anything.

[Jimmy Fallon]

They like the big bodega.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The big meow. Yeah.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

That sounds like a Josh Hart. No, no. Absolutely no.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a no.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

No Josh Hart, if you watching this. I don't like that either.

[Jimmy Fallon]

All right, all right. Yeah, yeah. All right. The big purr.

[Steve Higgins]

Really? Double thumbs down.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's two.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

That's even worse than what Josh Hart said.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, I like big purr is kind of Big purr. Yeah, Big purr. Yeah. Cause, you know, like, I'm not saying, like, the big purr, you know, yo, big purr. Big purr. You go.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I don't know about that one. I think Cardi B is gonna be the only one who likes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Am I the drama? Yeah. Sunday Night Football just wrapped up the game on NBC. Yes. You are an Eagles fan?

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yes, absolutely.

[Steve Higgins]

Yes, absolutely. Thanks.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The roots are from Philly.

[Steve Higgins]

Look at that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes. Y' all saw the Philly. Philly in the house. What? How are you a Philly champ?

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

You know, when I grew up, I was. I was very impressionable age. And I think any young. Anyone in here could talk about the impressionable age they were. And watching Terrell Owens, who was one of my favorite players ever growing up and watching him play for the Eagles with Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, you know, Mr. Dawkins. So it was just. I was at that age where I'm watching them play. They went to the super bowl that year. Ended up losing, but we made up for it later. Yeah, he made up, but, man, what an amazing team. What an amazing childhood they gave me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

There's something I want to show you. Because this is you. This is the first half of some.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Nick game that you're thinking, okay, I see where we're going. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I see where we're going.

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is the Knick game, the New York Knicks, right? This is the first half of the game.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

You're bringing up New York a lot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Obviously not started off.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's the first half.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Okay?

[Jimmy Fallon]

This is the second half. So what?

[Steve Higgins]

Team love.

[Matthew McConaughey]

Team love.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It went everywhere. On Twitter, the Internet doesn't lose. They said, oh, he got yelled at by the New York Knicks. They said, how dare you. You take that jersey off.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

No, no, no, no. What actually happened is. And I'm glad we could clear this up now. So first half's going. Team's playing well. It's a tight game, screaming for my teammates. Obviously, I go back for the first half, halftime pit stains. I can't have pit stains on the ESPN game.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm not gonna allow that.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

So, you know, if anyone doesn't know, that's so funny.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's why you changed the.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

That's the exact reason. So I'm thinking, yo, we have I starter jacket, Eagles in the back. But the ball boys, they do so much work. If y' all know, if anyone watching this is a ball boy for any professional team or any team, shout out to y'.

[Steve Higgins]

All.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

The work y' all do is second to none.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You can't make them. No, no, you can't make them work.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

So I was thinking, like, maybe I could have them go back to the bus, grab my bag, go in the bag, get the starter jacket. I'm like, man, they're doing enough work. I have this right now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come on.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I'll wear that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Come out.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I didn't know that it was gonna be a story. I should have knew better. When you're.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Everyone's like, who you got your.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

When you're a Nick, you know. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Trouble, but definite.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Going to support my Eagles anywhere I go.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Got to support your team.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yes, absolutely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

When you found out that you. Cuz, I'm so happy you're a Nick.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I appreciate it. I appreciate it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I say we. I say we.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

No, no, it's a we. It's a we. Us and the city came together. Almost made something happen.

[Steve Higgins]

Almost made it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, we almost made it. When you got traded, what was going through your mind? Do you miss? You know, you never forget your first team had you.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

No, absolutely. I mean, Minnesota was amazing. The Timberwolves treated me with nothing but love and respect. And to have those years there and finally see some success happening, you know, with our team there was awesome, and the fans appreciated a bunch, but obviously it stung. You know, I've called that place home for nine years. I've built my life there. I've had so many memories there. So it's kind of like that first breakup.

[Steve Higgins]

It was tough.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

It was tough. Yeah. Absolutely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But then when you found out it was New York, did you go, wow, it's actually awesome?

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

It was pretty cool, right? It was pretty cool.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's the best city in the world.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

I mean, obviously, coming back home. You know, my grandmother, it lives in Jersey, she hasn't been able to see me play too much in Minnesota. So for her to now come to the games and see all the love y' all show and the fans are showing it is.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's it. Right?

[Steve Higgins]

Come on.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

It makes it all worth it. It makes it all worth it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love watching it. And I always get superstitious. So if I ever see you at the game, you don't have to look at me, you don't have to nod, you don't have to go, hey, what's up, Jimmy? Just stay in the game. Stay focused. You know, I know. I can feel the love. I know. I was going to do something. I know he's too nice. But I just don't want you to do. Don't ignore me. Yeah, but I. Well, maybe we could do something fun. Cause I've seen people do it where they trade jerseys.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Oh, absolutely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You know what I'm talking about.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Absolutely. I think I actually got a little gift for you right here. I think it would be nice to.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a real one?

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Yeah, it's a real one.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a real one.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Used one.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. All right, so I don't have a jersey. Okay. But I actually have one of my suit jackets. This is one of my jackets that I put.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Okay. Okay.

[Steve Higgins]

Look at that. See what I'm saying? Yeah. What do we do?

[Jimmy Fallon]

What do we do?

[Steve Higgins]

Come on. Here, here, here.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

You hold this one.

[Steve Higgins]

Wow. Got it, got it, got it. That's what I'm talking about. Yo, he's got the photo. 3, 2, 1. Karl Anthony Towns, everybody. Yes. The next season kicks off in just a few weeks. We'll be right back with more of tonight. Joker, stick around.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you for being here, bud. I appreciate this. Congrats on the album. I also want to congratulate you on last month, the Academy of Country Music gave you the Icon Award. That's.

[Karl-Anthony Towns]

Come on.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a big icon. Wow. Look at this. Is it going to your head now that you're an icon?

[Eric Church]

Of course.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Eric Church]

It sounds better than the oldest guy in the room. No, that's how you get the icon award. You hang it on long.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, you put in there. You paid your dues, bud. You're fantastic.

[Eric Church]

I have paid my dues.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You have something that I want to talk to you about and it involves.

[Eric Church]

Taylor Swift, I'm sure.

[Steve Higgins]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Because it's fascinating. You have Taylor Swift's first gold record. Yeah. Now explain to me why.

[Matthew McConaughey]

So.

[Eric Church]

My first major arena tour I was invited to no longer be a part of.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's my dude right there. Come on, bud. That's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about. And when. Pretty much, yeah. Yeah.

[Eric Church]

That's all I'm gonna say about that one. But when I was no longer invited to be a part of.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Was at.

[Eric Church]

Madison Square Garden here. And if you're gonna not be invited to be a part of something, that's the place, Jimmy. To not be invited to be a part of something.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, correct.

[Eric Church]

And the following day, after I was invited to not be a part of the tour anymore, I got a call from Taylor. I actually found about, found out about it online that I had been replaced by this. I think she was 16, blond haired, you know, she had a song called Tim McGraw and I've heard of him. Yeah, me too. And so she calls and this actually was great. And she called and she was like, hey, hope there's no. Because I say bad blood.

[Steve Higgins]

Just say it. Just say it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I swear to God.

[Steve Higgins]

I swear to God. I didn't want to go there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I didn't want to go there. I didn't plan that. No, no, I didn't plan that.

[Eric Church]

That was not on the thing.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, it was not. So she.

[Eric Church]

Hope there's no bad blood. She goes, I love what you do. And I'm taking over on flight or I'm sorry about said the tour on the tour I was supposed to not be invited on. And I said, I said, listen, Taylor, I said, I have seen this crowd. This crowd is going to love you. I love what you do. And I said it a little bit.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Just.

[Eric Church]

I don't know how much of how fast I thought this would happen, but I said, this is going to really be great for you and you owe me your first gold record when this happens.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Right? I love you, man.

[Eric Church]

And so here's what's crazy. It took like seven days, but.

[Jimmy Fallon]

So.

[Eric Church]

We were at a festival. We were on the same bill probably not 30 days later, and she walks up on the bus and she. At the first gold record of her career, she walks up and she inscribed it to Eric. Thanks for playing too long and too loud on the tour. Sincerely, sincerely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

He's my favorite part. Taylor. Sincerely. Sorry, bud. Sincerely, sorry. But sincerely isn't that great that she even was cool when she's 16. Just has a good sense of humor. Like, yo, I'm just. And she.

[Eric Church]

You just could just tell then, like, she's a pro. Artist. Just an artist.

[Jimmy Fallon]

An artist.

[Eric Church]

An artist.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Eric Church]

And that was.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's pretty cool. But where is this now?

[Eric Church]

It's in the hall of Fame.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Is it?

[Eric Church]

Yeah. I don't even have it. It's in the Country Music hall of fame.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Fantastic. Come on. They don't let me. They don't let me. Congrats on the album Evangeline vs. The Machine. The release of this album ended up being connected to your philanthropy work and landed you on the Time 100 philanthropy list for giving back. Can you explain how you ended up giving all. Raising all this money and giving all this money in North Carolina?

[Eric Church]

No. No, I can't. For me, that's home. For me, that's where my soul's at rest. And when Hurricane Helene happened, I'm from western North Carolina, and to see what happened there, the devastation just was. I've never seen anything like it. And as we started to try to help, we did a concert for Carolina in Charlotte, Myself, Luke Combs, James Taylor, Billy Strings.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Billy Strings.

[Eric Church]

And we all got together. She was great. And we all got together and played and raised a bunch of money. And when we started to figure out how to allocate the money, the biggest question I had is, you know, obviously, where's my portion of the money going?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Eric Church]

And in America, we're really good at the 911 part. The water and the diapers.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep.

[Eric Church]

And the right now. But we're not real good at how we keep these communities together. I believe America is made up of these little small towns. Small town America is the backbone of what America is.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I agree.

[Eric Church]

And as I. As I. As I looked at how we could help, I think owning a home is the American dream. And too many times in America, because a lot of the places that are small towns, they have wage difficulties. They don't have the industry there to make the money to own the home. So what we decided to do is to do something novel and start our own program. And if you're someone who has been integral to the community, if you're someone who is going to be in the community long term, we're going to build you a home. We're going to give you that home, and we will have the first people in the homes before Thanksgiving. And then we end up doing probably 200 homes in Western Oak Island.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's a great cause. Good for you, bud. That's the best. That's the best. You're always doing something different. And with this tour, or you're doing something different. We were talking backstage and something I'd be interested in, because you don't like to do the same thing twice just to keep you excited, I guess, or just keep going something different. Always, Every time. This tour, can we explain what it is?

[Eric Church]

Well, for the first time. So I think artistically, I've always been a guy that creativity has been my compass. Right. And in my career. So I think that with every album we've done, we had our most success with an album called Chief. And it was a big album. And everybody after Chief said, well, why don't you just make Chief again? But once you've made that, you did it already. You've done it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Eric Church]

Right. You've been there and it's always chasing the next thing. Yeah. And so I've always been. I've been creatively restless. And with this album, it's the first time we've brought in string and horns and choir. There's over 20 people on stage. And when we play nightly, it starts with this big orchestral thing. And then we start to let people go away, and we get back to our OG band, which is where we met the Chief guy. And then we strip it down more and it ends up with just me and an acoustic guitar, which is where it started, Jimmy. That's where it all started. So we do the whole thing. If you come to a show, you're going to get. You're going to get the whole picture of our journey.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love that. I think that's a cool idea to start like that and then end with just how it all began. Can you explain what Johnny's about the.

[Eric Church]

Hardest thing I've ever done in my life. We had a school shooting in Nashville at the Covenant School and dropping my. I have two boys, 13 and 10. And the day after that, school shooting, dropping them off at school was the hardest thing I've ever done. And I watched them walk in and you feel. You feel helpless. I've never. I'm 48 years old. I've never felt anything like that. And I didn't know what to do. So as they walk in the school, I just pulled in the parking lot because I felt like I needed to be there. And as I'm sitting there, the interesting thing to me was I was lost in my own world. But I happened to look to my right and look to my left and there were other parents sitting there. And we were lined up as the, you know, the wolves guarding the sheep and in the background. And I didn't. It didn't register at the time, but Charlie Daniels, Devil Went down to Georgia was on the radio. And there's that line, you know, Johnny, rosin up your bow. Play your fiddle hard.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[Eric Church]

Because hell's broke loose in Georgia. And the devil deals a car. And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold. If you lose, the devil gets your soul. And I remember thinking, the devil's not in Georgia. He's here.

[Matthew McConaughey]

And.

[Eric Church]

I went home and I wrote Johnny, and it was about the guy that's we need Johnny to come back and send the devil where he needs to be.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Rising up your bow. You're a good man. Thanks for everything today.

[Steve Higgins]

Eric Church, Evangeline versus of the Machine is available now. For tickets to his Tour, go to ericchurch.com.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon. Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest episodes weekday mornings. Wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon, weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.