Transcript
Speaker: oh a oh a but I'm back in St. Louis, dude. No shit. You're in a car again, talking through the phone. It's going to be a good one, guys.
Speaker: ah Yeah, i don't i went I went home for a week, and now I'm back here working and doing stand-up. And we've done one show since we actually saw each other.
Speaker: i think we did one yeah last week. And I don't think we talked too much about our encounter. But I just want to know, how did you find me, Lance? How did you find me? Just kidding. bro yeah Oh, no, we did talk about our encounter, but we it was more about the type of people that were hanging out with us and where we're at.
Speaker: Yeah, I felt bad little bit since they're real people, you know. Yeah, I don't think you said anything like too derogatory. You actually were complimentary of, for the most part, it's just not your scene, but you had to you had to come clean that they're pretty nice people.
Speaker: Do you think that they would rebut, and behind closed doors, they would rebut our argument with the only reason you're calling our pursuit out is because you can't do it or you you don't have access to it?
Speaker: yeah I don't know. mean, wonder if they'd be like, all right, buddy, slap you on the slappy on the back and be like, it's your problem. You know, like ah like at least that group was like, there's something to be said about somebody who has a lot of money and is completely comfortable with it and is not worried about it. It's not like a battle. You know, you you get people of money where they have a chip on their shoulder or they're it's a conflict. i didn't You don't really get that. That's what I always admired about my brother is like,
Speaker: Whatever he's doing, he's not like, it's there's no conflict about it. It's just like what's comfortable for him, which I think is probably more important than like what lane you choose, you know? To what end? But how many fucking people that aren't into anything and like, or like, oh, hate everything are just equally or way more annoying than somebody with some money, you know?
Speaker: Sure. Somebody with a cause or someone's like, oh, they're so tired of everything or... or It's like, come on. I'm not saying that's you, but I'm sure you get equally annoyed by somebody who's who's just too, I don't know, too much in one direction.
Speaker: um I was thinking about this, though, and you came to my head. like like People with money, that does it also feel like people could look at as their obligation. like If somebody makes some money and they come and buy a table, it helps me, helps my kids.
Speaker: all that shit. Like in this society, don't we ah don't we all have responsibility to fucking throw some money around to keep keep it afloat? Doesn't that actually help people? To create jobs, move capitalism forward?
Speaker: Yeah, but I mean, you could put it as this. I know this is not the topic, but I was actually thinking about this. Like, yeah, we say move capitalism forward. It sounds like some evil thing, but it's how about feed Matt's kids, you know, feed Lance's kids, feed the insurance salesman's kids, all that bullshit.
Speaker: Like when you're like, I got to fucking pay insurance. I hate this system. But then that's also like a job means of living for someone, a purpose. It is, it is, but we when we do that just blindly and we're comfortable with that, we completely ignore the destructive capabilities of capitalism's negative externalities.
Speaker: So yeah, in my Nirvana, we'd look at like, I think your business does a fine job of attempting to be sustainable, but we would ah fine tune our values a little bit to pursue the things that kept us more balanced and stable as a society.
Speaker: And you know that that instead, when we look at what's going on and listen to something today, like all the arts, concerts, comedy shows, museums, all that stuff was worth something like 66 billion in the US.
Speaker: And sports betting, was how much? 166 billion, 100 billion more. i may not be quoting that exactly, but it was it's extreme amount more. And so I get frustrated when I see it a high-end family, not saying they're gambling, but that they're pursuing everything. There's no concept of like values or sort of like a purpose-driven capitalism.
Speaker: So not everybody in my mind who has a business or produces products is equal. Like I put plastics and petroleum and things like that a little further down the list right now because our fucking world is being destroyed. So it's that kind of like conflict less having no conflict life. I can't, I don't respect it. Like i get that it's probably better for their wellbeing and their health, but I can't get on board.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, you're, ah I think what you're also kind of saying is yes, It is the thing to do in the system, but the system's flawed, so it's not an excuse and or something like that a little bit.
Speaker: I think people with money can lead um more easily, and it'd be great if you know they were more concerned about some of the major problems in society as opposed to just maximizing comfort and and status.
Speaker: Yeah. I... ah you know I'm in between, as you know, non-committal. But i do think some of it is ah it might be a little bit about like where you're at, which you're you're about to become an empty nester. talked about it. I i was actually pretty i don't know if we talked about it on there. i was gonna In our pre-show, I mentioned that it seems like you and your wife are pretty serious about like trying to figure out what to do.
Speaker: But I feel like you're also in a stage... You're gonna you're about to come into a stage where any logical person might not be... thinking let's go fucking crazy and capitalism, you know, like we're acquire, acquire, acquire. you're You're in a phase of life where it kind of lends to what your beliefs actually now, which would be acquire less, like slow it down, trim down the the necessities of material things and be and have a little flexibility on on movement.
Speaker: So like kind of there's good synergy there for your your woke ass movement. Yeah, nothing woke about it. People still use that. I'm always like five years behind on term, maybe 15 years behind on terms. Is woke still a thing? I think it's declining a little bit. I mean, I think it's heavy, still heavy on the right.
Speaker: The right uses it as a derogatory term, right? Yeah, but it's it's played out as something like, okay, boomer at this point, but whatever. Yeah. It's a tough, like, it just depends on your personality. I am ah a much more conflicted person in general, whereas like I'm looking for how to like live out the live out my values. and And it can be exhausting. I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I wish I was a different personality, but I think...
Speaker: We won't spend a lot on consumer goods and ourselves because we don't believe in that. people People can knock that because, like, dude, we still have a very expensive home. We have all the things that any normal person or walking around would go, okay, yeah, you're fine.
Speaker: It's just that we have a tailwind financially that we could do more. We could do more, let's just say, and we and I won't because I don't want to. You're letting down our society. You realize that.
Speaker: I'm sitting in the parking lot of a, of a, uh, of a Nordstrom right now. You could be in there making it rain, like celebrate your kids going off to school and like go buy some dope purses and shit for your wife. You got them to the finish line. Here's some, here's grand and Nordstrom crap.
Speaker: Huh? Hey, keep the cogs moving, baby. Creating jobs. I like the fact that I i feel like i I thought the other day I was like, I was talking, somebody was like making me think about what um what's going on because it's kind of weird for some of these people because I show up.
Speaker: but I think Colorado, Costa Rica is a pretty normal thing. it's not quite as normal here. So I just show up every once a while to the like comedy shows or whatever. And and then everyone's like, what do you what the hell's going on? like Where have you been? like, Costa Rica.
Speaker: Why? I live there. It's so weird. But then i was like someone asking me about my life. And they're like, dude, that's awesome. So you just come up here. you can You get sets whenever you want. You do shows. You run your business. And you go back to Costa Rica and hang out.
Speaker: I'm like, Yeah, I never really thought about that way. But and I was like, oh, this this might be one of the, you know, you have like periods of your life where you look back and you're like oh that was pretty good. Maybe this will be one of them, which is interesting from when we started this show was not one of them.
Speaker: So, ah yeah, well, it looks good on paper, at least from a a St. Louis person's perspective. there's sacrifice, right? like i don't So I'm not with my kids right now.
Speaker: um Also, like not the more I do stand-up and it's going pretty well, I'm like, oh, this is something I was pretty good at. i probably should and But it's it's not like... It's pursuable in a limited fashion. i can I can book shows out here, book shows in Denver, and that's awesome. That's all I really need. But it's also like noth I'm not on some hellri hell-bent, driven path of of acceptance and success.
Speaker: So there's a bit of sacrifice in that. Obviously, if you live in another country, it's hard to pursue something somewhere else. But anyways, i was like, oh, yeah, things are going pretty good because somebody had to tell me it.
Speaker: So you feel like you're in one of those phases or about to be? how How close do you think you are to like a, ah I don't know, like a top five year run on your on your life scale?
Speaker: it's It's a good question. I'll get to it. But let me get back to you a little bit. I think i think it's good. I don't know. For you, man, i you will adopt the I don't care thing pretty easily.
Speaker: And part of that's, I guess, what what you have to do right now, too. But I think you do care about stand-up. It could work out for you, man. I'm not. I didn't say I don't care. i but i But I have to re... I do care, obviously. so like um' That's all I do when I'm here. like I'll 15 shows or 10 shows.
Speaker: fifteen shows or ten shows but I have to realign why like why I'm doing it, why I like it, what I get out of it, and the fact that I'm... It's like at some point you just have to be like, you're really good at something.
Speaker: So you you know that yourself. It's not because like the industry approved me or something. That's kind of where I'm at. Does that make sense? Mm-hmm. like Are you a worse musician because you didn't sign with Geffen or Columbia?
Speaker: I probably am. Yeah, but... You think? Like, just signing that that contract or whatever it is or getting a Netflix special and stand-up now makes you better? Like, that that sort of validation? I mean, in a way, it's like a culmination of all your work and everything and putting it all together, but it's also like...
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, i don't know. you yeah I guess you you could be right that I might go, fuck, I should have pursued all that stuff at some point. But I'm just saying on smaller basis, I'm just enjoying doing it.
Speaker: And like at least at a minimum, that's nice. you know yeah I'm just saying conviction is okay. like I put my so opinions on the line here with a little bit of like ranting about this is how people should live. I really think we should tax the rich more and let the fucking government open up jobs that actually solve some problems in society and we can apply to those jobs ah and kind of balance things out. I'll put that on the line.
Speaker: I'll put that on the line. Tell me what you're putting on the line, Matt. Matt. Just a fucking a positive. you know what i think what I've heard from listeners is no matter how much you you trash me, just to come back in a good and i good... Just take it. you know Just fucking take it.
Speaker: is is It's a sign of of ah security. you know Instead of a sign of insecurity. That's what I provide with people. is that you just take the Just fucking take it, take it, take it, and good things will happen.
Speaker: While the shit's flowing downstream onto to me, it's it's all right, dude. Also, i think that that if you if you don't focus on that crap, the other option is just to su like pursue whatever you're going to pursue in life.
Speaker: and maybe maybe putting the my my My thing is like putting the blinders on what's happening on a global scale might, for a little while, at least help you, might help you. So you don't get bogged down in all the terribleness of the world.
Speaker: it's a It's a really interesting philosophical question. So if I am not prone to acknowledging the problems of the world or even pondering or think about them or seeing what my contribution is to them, do I have the potential to be more satisfied or more happy?
Speaker: And that's, I don't know. That's an interesting question. I mean, I'm sure it's so personality-based, like me telling you to worry about some nuanced economic BS is like...
Speaker: ripping your tooth out. I don't think we contrast that much, you and I specifically, but definitely to the people we were trashing earlier in the show, that's probably the case where it's sort of like, bro, I don't, I'm not up for fucking worrying about that.
Speaker: I got a family here that we're trying to go to Europe. I wonder if they are. I wonder if they're doing what you're doing, like protecting, moving moving money around based on what they, like, if they're also doing that too.
Speaker: Oh, that I'm sure they're doing, but I'm talking more about, they're not hung up spinning on the problems of the world. the The criticism of somebody like me is like, well, what are you doing about it? And it's like, well, I'm joining like a local community thing that we're gonna try to improve some things in the city. I'm gonna food. like dave food service, I ride that bike. I mean, I try, but it doesn't really justify my ah you know over the top opinions. doesn't That doesn't justify it. So the the question is, who am I to talk shit about how the world should should work? All I can say is I can't resist it. So it's a sickness, I can't resist it. I don't know if it's good for me,
Speaker: or if it's worse for me. I just don't know. So I don't i don't think I could distract myself or or say I don't fucking care. I don't know if I could do it. That goes a little bit back to what I was saying about stand-up. like So you have these opinions, and if our show was... It is affecting a few people.
Speaker: in And, like, youre you're it's no different than if you were ah Rush Limbaugh or or or, like, I don't know what the equivalent of him would be. But you know what i mean? Like, he is had he has an audience, and he's he's just putting viewpoints out there, propagandizing his... Maybe that's a bad example, but you are...
Speaker: Doing what a lot of people do, expressing your opinions and how how you can make the world better. It's like, that's what I'm saying. It's almost like, well, it doesn't count because we don't have a big audience. It's kind of like the stand-up. Well, I'm still fucking crushing as hard as anybody in the country, like last night, but I'm not getting validated ah bit by, by the you know, the industry. who fucking cares? Like...
Speaker: I'll take that Pepsi one-on-one challenge with anyone on on any of these nights, which your opinion is like your opinion's not... you're not saying a you like What you're saying is just as entertaining and justified as like somebody who's on an MSNBC, some talking head.
Speaker: It's just like, ah well ma oh, it doesn't seem like it because we don't have a ah big... fight It's like, who cares? That's kind of what I'm saying. I don't know if i'm expressing it correctly, but like you're doing a you're doing what people do.
Speaker: people get paid to do. ge And you're doing it well. just that It doesn't have to be like, you don't have to be paid for it necessarily. God, God knows that ain't happening. I should get paid to listen to you break up and fucking delayed and sound like a robot, bro. But I'll ignore it anyway. I don't understand. Cause you, I don't have zero. I can, the video's not dropping.
Speaker: I got zero drops. It's called upload speeds. So you're on cell coverage and the fucking upload speeds are slower. So you're uploading and I'm consuming your bullshit.
Speaker: Your fragmented bits, your ones and zeros sound like shit. Well, how do you think it's going to sound when it's downloaded? Will it all come together? It'll be fine.
Speaker: Yeah, because it's going to save locally. It'll come together. I'm keeping that in because I want people to know what I put up with. I want them to once and for It'll just sound like you're angry again and everyone's used to it. what's It'll be a disconnected piece of shit conversation.
Speaker: Apropos. So, fuck it. ah Yeah. Okay. Let's talk about the next phase. Of your life. ah Here's the thing with with all this is it's kind of hard to figure out what this decade will be about because, man, boy, do I not want to be 60.
Speaker: And I just really don't want to think too much about the future. But I find myself constantly thinking about the future, trying to make sure that this and that is going to be set up, that the kids will get the things they need here in the next five years. I also then sit here and and spin on dudes like, well,
Speaker: You're just going to get older and older, bro. What like what do you want to do at this time? like Do you want to do anything different? I don't know. That's where i ah both my wife and I spend the most now.
Speaker: ah that That's back to my question earlier. You're not like, hey, this is ah I'm about to come into one of the golden ages of my life. You're not feeling that? To some degree, yeah. It's a unique opportunity with the kids out, but it's also...
Speaker: it's harder to look forward as intensely as we once did. So imagine you are structuring sort of your comedic goals. I mean, if you were 20 and you were rolling the way you're rolling right now, yeah you would probably have some real pretty bold goals and you'd hustle a little bit harder and you'd be able to do that, whatever, maybe be better, maybe worse, I'm not not sure, qualitatively.
Speaker: But at 50, it's like, it's almost a defense mechanism for you to lack the conviction to set those goals. It's like, eh, I don't really give a fuck. It's the same thing we do with the podcast. we We know, I mean, we listen to podcasts. I know our takes on things are are pretty decent. I mean, I'm not saying they're world-class, but we could get better, but fucking entertaining enough.
Speaker: Like when I slip in an F word here and there and I go fucking between one word and another word and I go fucking, I know that's high class, dude. So I think if we promoted this, this would be a fine podcast. But I don't care too because I'm at an age where it's almost a burden to care too much. I don't know what it is.
Speaker: then yeah you i it doesn't matter though like uh that's the beauty of the age it's why it's good like you don't you you can have conviction without ambition is is why is why it's great and so that's that's what you need to that's that's your that's where you need to get to it's anything you do it's it's almost in a selfish way it's like for yourself but but now it's okay to be selfish like you know people older people like yeah we always wanted to go do this and then no one gives them shit.
Speaker: they They just go do it. You know, even fucking standup. It's like, it's cute that I'm, that I'm out here on a Thursday night to open a mic with a bunch of 22 year olds. Probably people might think I'm a loser, but I really don't care.
Speaker: Why? Why would they think you're a loser? Well, I mean, like I was talking to a girl last night and she's a funny comic and I and i was kind of like, she will be funny, I think.
Speaker: And she's, you know, was kind of telling her, like we're talking about comedy a little bit. and But she was like talking to me like I was 100 years old. you know it was just She's just like, I said something I don't really have my life figured out. And she's like, that is so scary to me that I could be almost 50 and not know what I'm gonna do with myself.
Speaker: And I was like, no one fucking knows what they're doing. like But the number 50 to her was like, I was the hobbit. yeah I mean, it's just so funny. So she might she she doesn't think I'm a loser, but she might be like you know people might be like, i hope i'm i hope I'm not showing up this open mic when I'm 50, or I hope I'm not...
Speaker: ah You know, like people might listen to this show and be like, I hope I'm not conflicted with life like Lance when I'm 50. They might. Yeah. or or Or a complete loser like Matt in his late 40s.
Speaker: you're you're You're literally six months away, fuckhead. Well, I'm saying I was a complete loser when I was like 47, whatever the math is. like That's when i i see yeah became a loser. ah So I'm saying that, like people like younger people. I mean, I remember thinking like 40 was just this distant thing of like when you either... It's like I just i just thought, yeah that's when you're like depressed and fat.
Speaker: That was like the like what I thought of being 40 is, you know? Yeah, right. Sexless, i' fat. Hairless. I think a lot of people come to admire me and you.
Speaker: Yeah, I think you need to embrace that. like We can go out and still be better than than all those young young kids at most of the shit we do. And they're like, damn that's interesting. Because 50 seems like set like ah an age where you just wouldn't be able to do anything.
Speaker: And it's like, you better fucking learn what you're doing because we'll destroy you like I think you probably... i mean, if you went out and were playing music, you'd probably feel the same way, I bet.
Speaker: Like youth, this doesn't necessarily mean talented. you know what I mean? Like in anything. So like even someone, it's even like a kid who's clearly smarter than me, like probably IQ wise and blowing up SAT t scores, they still seem kind of dumb. Like it's just from like a life perspective. Like someone who's like 22 just seems kind of dumb.
Speaker: yeah Yeah. I think you are coming into a golden age. I don't know what the what the holdup is. I don't know what your reluctance is to admit that everything's fine for you. I'll tell you what I'm worried about getting it right. Yeah, but you're not going to get it right, dude. Like in the you're going to it's going to evolve over time, don't you think? Hopefully.
Speaker: Right. But well, then I guess I'm fine. Like I then I can have my so my worry face. I'm having my worry face. It's because it's like so close. It's like finally actually happening in like a month. Right. Yeah, probably. Probably.
Speaker: But you're gonna wake up, whatever whatever day it is where where your son's gone, everyone's gone, you're going to wake up and that day not going to be different at all. just ah Just maybe emotionally. but It's not like the second your son goes to college, you guys have like a bunch of boxes packed up.
Speaker: It's just going to be like another day. but I think the the exciting thing for you guys is like like when you talk about, I don't want to I don't want to be 60. It seems the cool thing with the way you guys got set up is that you can actually fuck around and sort of experiment for 10 years while you're so young and healthy.
Speaker: that you you don't even You have so much time that you won't fuck it up. like if you if you were like you know People that go to like a normal retirement age and they're 65, 66 and they retire and then they're like, shit, I got like five years where I might be able to enjoy shit.
Speaker: They're like under the gun to figure it out. You seem like you could... you could like yeah Each idea you have for what are you going to do for the rest of your life, you could put like two years into each one of them and and still like have plenty of time to get it right.
Speaker: Yeah, I'm not arguing that we're not in a great position, we are. like I'm not arguing that. i'm It's more of some of these things that I care about. Is it time to like set some goals or do I just not worry about it?
Speaker: So I'm not, ah my my relative situation, like I'll be the first to admit it's pretty damn good. But again, I don't wanna have 10 years pass. wanna be thinking about the future that much.
Speaker: We're all facing it one way or another. I wonder if it's like the idea, you know, which is kind of a some sort of motivational speaker. But the idea is like it's too hard to bite off the the main goal of like I'll figure out what to do with the rest of your life. So it's like put little things in front of you or like small steps, even with this huge idea. Like, what do I do as an empty nester? What do I do for the last 30 years or 40 years of my life?
Speaker: It's like you're not going to be able to figure that out. So it might be like. i want I would like to perform a few more times. I would like to travel, whatever, come to Costa Rica. like There's like little things that'll help you figure out the big picture, which I'm sure you already know this. but You know what I mean?
Speaker: like That's a huge... yeah i mean It almost made me worry when you go, I'm i'm worried about getting it wrong. Well, that's kind of that's a scary thing, right? You're like, I got it wrong and then we died.
Speaker: That sucks, right? like Well, that's, I mean, honestly, that's life. Like some people get cancer at 54 years old. i mean, it's fucking life. Yeah.
Speaker: Well, but you guys got your, you guys got like a pretty good approach to it. I mean, I guess that comes from worrying or like being prepared. But when I talk to you guys, it it seems like you'll be fine. Like what, what does getting it wrong mean? As you become an empty nester, your wife thinks about slowing down her workload. What what would getting it wrong look like for you?
Speaker: Just probably being a miserable fuck, waiting for something better or are living in a fantasy of the grass is greener. Probably that kind of thing. So it's the same foundational things to live a good life. It's acceptance and appreciation and all that shit, ah which we'll we'll get better at. But like there's there's a little bit more pressure is all I'm saying right at this moment to like, quote unquote, get it right.
Speaker: I don't know. Like if you stayed sort of where you are like in life in general, with that because it I mean, even that seems like a pretty, pretty good life. You guys like, is that, would you consider that a failure to not like push the envelope? Are you worried that I get maybe from knowing you for so long, you might be worried about not doing something more like, like shocking or crazy enough. Not like shock your system. I mean, not like you're going to run down the street naked, but ah like, are you like, oh, I might, I might do something that's not wild enough or something like that.
Speaker: Yeah, no, no, I'm not. i don't I don't like sitting up at night worried necessarily. It's just there's a lot of head spinning where it's like, OK, what do we do? What if we did this? What if we did that? There's just so many what ifs. And then you put yourself in a position where you do have choices. Then you you need to you analyze those choices. since You have a a lot more.
Speaker: ah to wrap your head around, I guess. If the common refrain, and for me, it's a lack of creativity or a lack of options, but the common refrain in our country is, I wouldn't know i wouldn know what to do. I mean, I love my work or I love the whatever.
Speaker: And ah that's cool. That's cool. I'm just never going to, I was never that guy in the workforce and I'm i'm not going to be that in a guy now. So I'm going to have these fits where I kind of spin and go, okay, what should I do What are my values? What should should my days feel like? What do I wanna accomplish? That could be nothing. It could be a lot of other things. I try a lot of shit, dude. I mean, I did that sweet little comedy bit that you should take.
Speaker: and I know. That's what I'm saying. Like what you're doing now seems pretty nice. Like what's the keep making comedy bits? It's a fulfilled life it' true you're you're living. I think you're questioning it because you're you're kind of like, well, shit, what am i working towards, I guess?
Speaker: if i got ah If I got more, this business takes off, I accumulate some money, um I guess I'll just be doing the same shit. Yeah, I'd be happy with that. Surfing, doing some stand-up, traveling. I'd be completely fine with that for the next 15, 20 years.
Speaker: that's what i I wish I could get that um that belief system because I don't know. I still don't know. Well, I still think you should be playing some music, which might... mighta I mean, I think you get a ah kick out of doing this and doing the bits, and but i don't i think you still you still ah I still think you're kind of a performer. I think when you like you like performance.
Speaker: like it or not. It's a curse. But i think you I think you like actual like live performance, I would say. I think you always have.
Speaker: Yeah? I don't know what that means in this phase of your life. But there's that is there's a conflict there, and I have it too, but like... I still think the issue for people like us is like, okay, I do like performance. I realize that. I kind of shun stand-up for a while, and I'm like, oh, yeah, I do like doing it.
Speaker: But it's like the separation of pursuing the performance and then detaching like the ambition of it a little bit. and then because Because like you've said a few times, like nobody wants to see our old ass. or like what Why am I doing it?
Speaker: It's like, I don't know, it might just be for the sake of performing, which might just be like some sort of fucking selfish, I like the gratification or something, or the attention, I don't know. but the ah The idea of performing like is pretty fun. Just standing there, like, making making something on stage is is pretty fun. I think you get that, but you might get that too.
Speaker: I think you always did anyways.
Speaker: I need massage, my legs are sore Everyone knows I'm a bicycle whore try me a walk-in massage joint One with Asian bitches on point I take off my clothes, I get under the sheet My girl be knockin', she don't miss a beat And you'll never guess
Speaker: What happens next, she says.
Speaker: We got chickens last year and I forgot to feed them this morning. I need to feed the chickens. I'll be right back.
