Our Best of 2024 (#196)

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Doug and Mike reflect on the past year, sharing their top cultural moments and the personal stories behind them. From the films and TV shows that left a mark to the music that became a soundtrack to their lives, it’s a nostalgic and thoughtful journey through the art that shaped their 2024.

• A mix of humor and insight as they count down their favorite moments in culture, including standout shows like Shogun and Welcome to Wrexham and emotional films like The Outrun.
• Reflections on the music that shaped their year, from the harmonies of The Lone Bellow’s “Honey” to the powerhouse vocals of artists like Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo.
• Stories of live performances that were transformative, from intimate concerts to the collective joy of sports victories like the Dodgers’ championship.
• A laid-back conversation that invites you to think about your own highlights of the year, sprinkled with the kind of humor and tangents that feel like catching up with old friends.

It’s a celebration of art, connection, and the little things that make a year memorable—perfect for anyone looking to reflect or rediscover the joy of shared experiences.

Transcript

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can hardly wait. looking for... Dude, I had the biggest Jennifer Love Hewitt crash. like the, like, yeah, Jennifer Love Hewitt, like. That's fair, man. She was probably, that's probably true. It was just something about her. She was like the perfect, she was our age and she had that, dude, let's, I mean, we could spend a whole episode talking about Jennifer Love Hewitt's cleavage. for sure. Dude, did you remember that music video she released? She had a music career for a hot minute and she had a music video. It was the year before my mission. Our mission. Yeah. So the music, okay, I, okay, I'm drawing a blank on the song, but the music video, that's right, holy shit, Mike, great. I deal with you? How can I deal with me? I forgot how it goes from there. Well for me dude, she was in the music video for that song Hero by Enrique Iglesias. Do remember that shit? I'm drawing a blank. mean, I remember the song, but I'm drawing a blank on the video. it's kind of like a play on sort of the Antonio Banderas, like desperado kind of vibe. Like they're on the run. They're like a couple of outlaws. a couple of... I don't know. But it's, I mean, it's sexy, man. It's good. I'm going to watch it after we record, actually. Like that and the Chris Isaac video, know, the wicked game video. Those were the two for me that like really got my goat. Well, I'm the Shakira. Well, shit, dude. Now we're talking music videos again. so one of my roommates, my freshman year in college, so this was before we met, like, so this was pre mission, you know, we had a VHS recorder in our apartment and we got, we had cable and he had a tape. He would record all the sexy music videos. So we had like Natalie and Brulia and Jennifer love Hewitt and whoever. And so it just. Whenever you're like, okay, I'll just put, on the tape and it's like the recording of total, total account, total. What is it? that show with, what was his name? John Carson daily total requests live. Yeah. was so TRL. So you'd get a little bit of him counting down and this is the top music video that we can. So we had this thing of sexy videos, man. My gosh, dude, I love so okay. What the story I was gonna tell you is and You hit record while I was telling it. So I guess I'll bring the listener in Mike has a pair of black wired earbuds on right now Meanwhile, I wear a big big pair of like can like headphones and They bother me. They bother my head. I don't like wearing them while I record and so I said, hey Mike, what kind of earbuds are you wearing? And Mike said, they're black earphones. And keep in mind, listener, I can see him. I can currently see him. So the two things I knew about these things was that they were black and that they are earphones. So that's how Mike described it. So what that... Well, I wanna know the fucking brand! That's what I wanna know! I don't say it on them. I don't know the brand. They're probably cheap. So it reminded me of that scene in Can't Hardly Wait when Jennifer Love Hewitt is looking for, she's read the letter and now she's looking for Preston. She doesn't know who Preston is, but he wrote her this beautiful letter and she wants to find out what he's all about. And she goes to the stoners, right? She's like, do you guys know Preston? And they're like, yeah, of course we know Preston. It's Preston, know? Preston, you know, type of thing. And she goes, well, what does he look like? And they go, well, let's see, he's got like, he's kind of tall and he's got sort of brown hair, but not really. And he wears t-shirts sometimes. And she's like, okay. So he's kind of tall, has kind of brown hair and sometimes wears t-shirts. And then the guy's like, yeah, but it's it's Preston, man. That's that's what that I haven't thought about that. That's what that just reminded me was I'm like, what kind of earbuds you wear in there, you're like black earbuds. I'm like, OK, well, thanks for everything, You're welcome. You're welcome. speaking of two things, can't hardly wait and total requests live. We're going to be counting down today and I can't hardly wait for this episode. All right. So I want to get into it in a minute. First I want to talk about, I'm curious how you approached your list before we get into it. But, but okay. But before, before we get there, I do want to plug. I'm going to do a plug. Cause we've been getting a lot of love for this Mormons and Mushrooms Underground that we haven't done the newsletter yet. We'll probably will. No, once again with committed people to something that we're not doing again. Well, but the newsletter is happening. It's coming. probably the first one will be early in the new year. Let's say that we'll send our first newsletter out early in the new year. The Mormons on Mushrooms underground. But yeah, a lot of people are getting on there signing up. So if you want, there's a link in the show notes. So go on over to Mormonsonmushrooms.com and there's, yeah, just put in your email address and you can stay connected with us. So. Check it out newsletter coming in 2025 That'll be fun like I want to write some shit, you yeah, it's going to be fun just to like really have fun with it. And also, if you know, cool things happening in 2025, like early on send it to us so we can put them in, you know, like if there's, especially if you're in the Utah area, but if you're in other areas too, we're getting, you know, people from all over the country, joining. like, if you know of cool, like, I don't know, ecstatic, ecstatic dances, concerts, retreats. Whatever, send it our way, we can include him in the underground. Bulletin. I'm dumb. I'm just kidding. I mean, I was like, why not? Okay, so we are top, today we are going to count down. Mike and I have each made a list and we have been desperately wanting to share it with each other, but we've been committed to doing this and discovering each other's lists at the same time we all do. However, all Mike sent to me was, hey, wouldn't it be cool if we did a Top 10 things from 2024. That's the only direction he gave me, was top 10 things. And he might have said, he could have said, it could be anything from songs, albums, books, movies, TV shows, et cetera, events. So here's the thing, Mike. I'm gonna make a confession. Okay. I mean, this is the place to confess. I have 14 or 15 things on my top 10 list because I kind of want to see where we're going with it. So yeah. I think you just go with the top 10 because we could, we could do completely 10 different, like, we could have taken it very differently. Well, at first I was like, Hey, let's do our, like our top 10, like movies, TV shows. Right. But then I'm thinking back like pre COVID, I probably would watch about a movie a week-ish. And so by the end of the year, I would have seen 50 movies throughout the year. And so like I created a top 10, it kind of means something, but I don't see them anymore. So it's like the top 10, I thought I did my top 10 movies. It's like, these are the 10 movies I saw this year. And same with TV shows. I used to watch a lot more TV shows. So now I have my favorites. So instead of that, I was like, let's just do top 10 things. I love that. I love top 10 things. it's it's broad. mean, well, shit dude, we're about to find out how broadly we interpreted that. You know what I mean? Cause I'm the same way. mean, shit. Yeah, same. What Mike just said. I watch a lot less TV and movies than I used to. Dude, movies used to be my, I think movies used to be like my favorite thing. Movies and. used to. Did you ever have a letterboxed account? You heard of that app? I've heard it, yeah, I never had one. I, no, I didn't have one, I've never had one. people log movies. It's kind of like a Goodreads for movies, right? So people log movies, people make lists. so pre-COVID, like the three years prior to COVID, like I would pride myself on logging all the movies I watched and like making lists and I'm making lists is fun. And so I've had so much fun making this list. I've had more fun, I think is more fun making the list and maybe recording the episode. I don't know. We'll see. I have a hard time believing that. I really love where we go on these 10. Look, first of all, Mike, it will be a successful episode if we get through a list of 20 things. You and me talking? Are you kidding me? Like, there's no way we're going to get through 20 things. here is what I was going to say. I'm fine making this a two parter. I don't want to rush it. I don't want to feel rushed. I don't to be like, okay, we're, an hour in and we're on number five. So we have to just go like, okay, four, three, two, one. You know what I mean? Yeah. it goes and all this talk and we could just become suddenly, suddenly you and I are not as verbose and we don't have like. and number 10, number nine, number eight. Let's count them down. speaking of letterbox, do you remember movie pass? You and I, you and I really connected on movie pass. Remember those days we owned the stock in that thing and it went, it's up. I forgot about that. I put a good amount in there too, at least enough that like it hurt to lose. it hurt, dude. I I mean, I don't want to give away numbers here, but like it was more than five thousand dollars that I lost on that thing. It hurt. Yeah, I mean, this was long ago. This was, yeah, was a while ago. But it was, man, that year or two when it was going. that was I wish that they could have found a way for that to be profitable because that was like the shit man. Just go to the theater. Like I'd I'd go like I would I would go like a lunch break. I would go see the first half of a movie and then the next day I would go see the second half of a movie because there's just like go. I can do whatever I want. why not? But one thing I do want to say about the list. So it was interesting because so then I started compiling. Okay. What books have I read? What albums have I listened to? What, what things have I done? What movies have I watched? And I was kind of like, okay, well then maybe it's like, I'll take the top couple of movies and the top couple of TV shows. But then I was like, no, because I think some of these things on my list. I know some of these things on my list. would probably not be. Like I have a couple of things on there. I just don't want to spoil it, but like that wouldn't, wouldn't, I'm not saying it's the best, you know what I mean? But it just, it just meant more to me this year. Highlights. Yeah. Highlights, dude. I'm gonna ask you this question. If we go just 10 each, how much overlap? Let's do an over under on overlap. I'll bet it's no more than two. I'll put the over under at two and you can decide if you wanna take the over or the under. I will go over but it's not going to be much. I think we might just only hit like three or four. Alright bud, well how you going? actually quite a bit though, three or four. Yeah. Okay. All right. I took the over. So do you want to go first or do me to go first? I want you to go first. So have you ordered these? You're gonna go 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, like that, right? Okay, I'm ready, bud. My number 10, so this is why I almost had to caveat it because this would not make my list of best TV shows of the year, but I had to put it on here. I had to put the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on here. I mean, it's the only reality TV show like that that I've just devoured. And I just loved it. I could not get enough. I mean, we have a whole episode on it, so I don't need to repeat too much about it. But so if you were listening, you haven't heard that episode, I go back and listen to it. But I just felt like. It. Nothing captured, I've never seen a TV show so well capture, I guess. The. psyche of Utah Mormon. Now, of course, the extreme, it's almost like a stream, extreme examples of that or the Utah Mormon on steroids, but like similarly to how, you know, you have the, you have extreme Mormons who are really devout. You also have like extreme Jack Mormons, I guess, you know, and I think that's almost what this, Show is, and so it's highlighting the Utah culture of keeping up with the Joneses of, we talked about it, the Madonna horror complex of like, what happens when one, know, women have to be, women are supposed to be the holders of virtue, but then they're also sexual beings and they're supposed to be attractive and all that. And then also when everyone's supposed to conform into a little box, how everyone needs to one up each other all the time. But then they all look the same and they, it's, it creates a really weird dynamic that you don't really see other places, as much. that's why people are fascinated in the show because they're just like, what is this microcosm of society that I'm seeing here? Dude, so I have a question about, I saw a thing the other day that was like a promotion TikTok. I don't know, like it's like a, we're gonna have a season two type of TikTok, right? And it's like a shitload of these housewives from the show and they're all dressed the same and they're doing like a choreographed dance. Is that a, I know it, listen, know drill teams and dance groups and blah, but is that an extreme focus in Utah? Like, is there a thing to that? Or is that just everywhere that there are people? There are human beings and they like dancing in sync with one another. Well, I do think in Utah culture, I mean, it's, it's, I think it's just, it's amplified more. And so you get in these suburban Utah families and I think things like kids sports and their kid being really, really good at one fucking thing, like really devoting all their time and energy into that thing is I mean, you see it all over America, but I think it's just a little, it's just a little bit more in Utah a little bit, but I get what you mean because you're seeing those TikToks and it's like, I'm watching, you can tell they were all on a drill team or something. right. can tell they were all a part of a dance group before. they got the good arms, know, like the straight arms and like, you know, because they do those drill offs and the man, I know more about drill teams and dance groups and dance studios than I ever thought I would. I mean, listen, I know what to I know what to fucking look for when a big group of people is dancing together. You know what I mean? Like I've been taught well, I guess is what I'm trying to say. so yeah, I had to put this on my list. I just was fascinated by it, binged it. But then also I've been seeing the same promos and I think they've already lost me for season two because they're making it 20 fucking episodes. And I'm already out. think at that point, I'm just can't like, I can't imagine. mean, they were already stretching on story in this first one. I mean, they've already done their Vegas trip. They've already done. mean, it's like. I don't know how you do 20 episodes and make each. I mean, it's going to be so much filler and so much manufactured drama. And it's like, okay, you had your, you had your thing. I think, I mean, I'm tired of it now. I wonder if people, don't know, people will, or they'll maybe they just can't get enough of it and they won't. Yeah, there's there's one thing that we all love and that's just like watching other people's dirty laundry and drama and and Salacious, so I don't know. It'll probably it'll probably have like nine seasons or something like that. It'll probably be like the next Vanderpump rules or whatever And I think they're already trying to make other spinoffs and like secret lives of Christian wives or stuff, you know, like, yeah. So. just... Alright, my number 10, you ready? yeah. So I don't even know if we talked about this, the movie, I watched this movie and then I, it stuck with me so much that I watched it again. It's called The Outrun, you heard of it? No. So it's basically about this, god, now I'm gonna say the wrong thing. I think that she's Irish and she's an alcoholic. The story is about her being a recovering alcoholic. And she loses everything. They show what overindulging in alcohol can do to you. very well. Like she's giving herself excuses, explanations. She's just having a little bit of fun. She's partying. It shows like the gaps. Like it shows how she like wakes up with gaps and then tries to mean she loses relationships. She loses her husband, you know, type of thing. It's brutal. And then she she moves to this. There's this program through AA and she moves to this like remote Island off the coast of Ireland like like like just nobody lives on this island There's like just a handful of people and it's remote and it's wind battered and sea battered and all that kind of stuff, And I don't know, man, it's just about her journey and it's about her relationship with her father who has a mental disorder that is bipolar. it stays with me. The conversations that we've had about re-examining relationships with substances and stuff, that movie is what kind of got me being like, what... What parts of these do I recognize in the way I live my life and who I am? The outrun is what it's called. Yeah, she's the main, she's the actress in it. Do you know where to watch it? was just trying to see this. it? I think I bought it on Amazon. Yeah, I'd never heard of this and this looks great. It's fucking heavy. I look at look at I a movie like that. It's like there are very few movies that are dealing with something really heavy like that that I want to see again. Think like Schindler's List. Amazing movie. Never want to see it again. You know what I mean? But this one. I watched it twice. Yeah. So the outrun number 10 for me. Okay. number nine is maybe that I did send to you. I just watched it recently and I feel like because we're on Mormons on mushrooms, I needed to bring it up. It was my old ass. So I don't know who the main, the lead actress is, but it's a, she's a teenager. You know, she's about to leave to college and she doesn't Plaza? Aubrey Plaza, she's her older self that comes when she takes them. So the two, two actresses look nothing alike. So it's kind of funny, but like, no, but it's too, it's funny because like, you know, she, she got gobbles up the mushrooms and I bring it up here because I, they, they do a really good job with the trip experiences. And especially in the, in like, when the medicine's coming on and they're like, Wait, are you feeling it yet? Are you feeling it yet? I mean, there's a lot of funny scenes when they're high and it, can really relate to it, you know, cause you never, some movies do that better than others of like the trip experience. but then in that first mushroom trip, she's visited by her older self, Aubrey Plaza. And the, the cast is great. It's heartfelt. It's on Amazon prime. It's easy to check out, but it's, it was. one of my favorite movies of the year. And I just feel like, you know, yeah. I haven't seen it. Like you sent it to me and I keep, don't you hate when your list starts piling up and you just like, I've got a few like shows that I, movies that I haven't or TV shows too that I just haven't seen yet. so that's what I would really recommend, especially for anyone who, you know, in, think anyone who's done mushrooms, which a lot of our listeners have can really relate to it. And it's, it's a great movie. Dude, we are gonna maybe zip through this. No, we'll have, we'll... Yeah. I kinda like the pace we've got so far. We're kinda going. All right, my number nine is Shogun. The TV show Shogun. I was worried about... I was worried, when I found out they were making this a TV show, I was like, man, that's like a pretty tough book to... to make into anything, you know what I mean? Yeah, so, you know, my dad served his mission in Japan and so, like, Shogun was like a very important book in our family, in our home, you know? So, I read Shogun as a teenager and I, I'm trying to, did you watch Shogun, right? no, it's not. This is going to our first overlap. It's on my list. Yeah. So the thing about that series, I mean, obviously amazing acting, was paced perfectly, it touched on, it had the feeling of like what the book is and it didn't like cater to like try to make it a white savior show, because that's not what that book is, it's not a white savior show or book. But the thing that like captured me about it and made me feel captivated, was it really, I felt like it did a really good job of putting on display the feeling of being in a foreign country and not speaking the language. And then sort of just like learning the language a little bit at a time to the point where you kind of, know, through months and even years, you become fairly conversational, but you still miss big things and you still aren't quite sure. You know, when they get going in slang, when they get going too fat, like you're still like my my Mandarin is primarily religious, you know? So so I can speak Mandarin. But if if someone wanted to like talk about like, you know, politics or the economy, I would be like, what the hell are they? I don't know that word from home on the ground. And Shogun does such an amazing job where it like it almost brought me back, Mike, to the feeling of that. that a feeling of anxiety of not knowing what the hell's being said. Do you know what I mean? Like that desperation to communicate. I loved that series so much. No, and I, for similar reasons, so it's number seven on my list. I loved it because I can relate to that falling in love with another culture and starting to question your own and questioning whether, yeah, it just brought me back to my mission and a lot of it of falling in love with the Brazilian people, starting to question about, okay, I'm here supposed to be preaching the truth, but like, I'm learning from them. learning, you know, I just, and, and, and, plus I just, Japanese culture fascinates me. So love that. It's so well done, so well acted. and you just love the characters. mean, I thought the characters are so great. And, it was one of the, I was not, I mean, this is first time FX has ever done like an epic like this. And so I didn't know how they would handle it. really well done. mean. Emmy's galore, right? Yeah. So there's all of it. yeah, there's one that we, that we connect them. So my number eight. Yep. So my number eight, I actually started watching last year, but they had a season of it this year as TV show. was welcome to Rexome. Okay. I love this show, man. For several reasons. One, it is my, it, it highlights how much my life, a dream of mine, if I, if I, if a genie came in is like, get three wishes. One of those wishes would be owning a sports team with my friends. It's, mean, it's what we do. It's what we do. agree, dude, couldn't, bro, I could not agree more. Can you imagine how awesome that would be? So it has that element. It has two friends going in there, buying the sports team, from this small town in Wrexham that's down on the, it's dumps. It was a mining town and there was a mining disaster and people have moved from the town. so it, following the like decline of the town, the team has declined and has been like relegated to different leagues and they come in. And so you not only get the element of like two, two friends running a sports team for real, but then you have like the. the whole drama with the town and giving the town hope again and learning about soccer, which I, you know, I never have loved soccer. I, everyone thought when I went to Brazil on my mission, I'd come back loving soccer. Didn't love it. And now I went to my first soccer match this year too. was a LAFC one here in Los Angeles and fucking loved it. And I think I'm finally getting it now that soccer is like the delayed orgasm of sports. And so it's like, it's like the edging, you know, it's like the work. It's like edging. so you need to experience the passion of it to get it. Because without the passion, it's like, it's like watch, you know, if you just, if you've only experienced it on TV, you it's, it's like edging, but a couple's just like, sitting next to each other and like unenthusiastically like edging each other. know, you have, you have to know the stories. have to know like, okay, this team we used to be here and now they've been relegated and they're trying to get back up here and, and, and then be there with everyone. Like the hopes and dreams of the town are resting on this one game. That's a really silly game that there's no scoring. so finally there's that big orgasm and everyone like everyone erupts and. Without that passion, you don't get the game. feel like I haven't gotten it. And so one of the things I love about the documentary is it distills these 90 minute games into 10 minutes. It's like, I I get, get to watch. Yeah. So it's turned me on to soccer too. Can I add a soccer detail? Do you know what I've discovered, Mike? There are few things more cozy. Okay, come along here with me, you ready? It's Sunday morning, it's early Sunday morning. And I don't know how you are, but I try to wake up at about the same time every day no matter what, right? Just because it. Helps you know my struggles with sleep, so it just helps with my rhythms, right? but That doesn't mean I on Sunday mornings. I like to sort of lay in bed. Maybe lay there Have a cup of coffee Do the do the New York Times games, you know type of thing There is nothing better than it's like 7 a.m. On a Sunday and I'll turn on a soccer match that's that's too going on in Europe that I don't know who the fuck is playing and I couldn't care less about soccer. Right, yeah, yachting high, know, whatever it is. Dude, the sound of soccer is one of the coziest things in the world. I can tell you what I mean. So the rolling waves of the crowd is pretty constant, right? There's not like, OK, we'll be right back after this short timeout. There's not a bunch of timeouts. It's just like it's 45 minutes and then 45 minutes. And it's slow paced enough that the announcers aren't sitting there like you watch a football game or a a basketball game. Like between the play by play guy and the guy who does the color commentary. They can't shut up and they're just talking about God knows what ever. You know what I mean? I'm like, what are you guys ever talking about? But in soccer, it's just like one British guy just sort of like gently reading me a fucking bedtime story. But I'm just laying there like all cuddled up in bed like I'm going to get up here in about an hour. But for now, I'm just going to feel like the most cozy little guy ever. And you hear the crowd, you hear them in the background singing their own, you know, whatever the songs they're singing in the background. Yeah, I can get, I need to do that. I don't, I don't put on the TV very much, but like I should say. it is... It's... Honestly, I wish that they have... They probably do have it. It's better than, like, white noise. Like, I feel like I could sleep the sleep of, like, the ancient kings if I could just have, like, a recording of a soccer game playing somewhere in the distance. No, if it was one with a from like a Spanish league. no, I don't need that dude. Yeah, no, I don't. Dude, those guys are like, there are different kinds of good times though. that, you know, you're speaking of an orgasm, like be living, like building up and like then just like coming all over the place. a Spanish soccer announcer announcing that there has been a goal is maybe the best thing that ever happened to the planet earth. Yeah. Well, speaking of edging, think you're listening to it in Spanish and you think they're always on the verge of scoring any minute. A goal could come at any minute. But now I'm listening to the English one and you're like, wait, no, this goal is never happening. It's just so leisurely. Anyway, welcome to Rexome. I fucking love it. I can't wait for the next season. That's one they could give me 20, 30 episodes. I'll watch every. it. Okay, number eight, right? this was an easy one for me. The Summer Olympics. Dude, first of all, I love the Olympics. I have no shame in announcing that I love the Olympics. And furthermore, I wrap myself up in an American flag and I'm skipping around singing the Star-Spangled Banner and doing the Pledge of Allegiance every chance I get during that summer Olympics time. I'm... Captain America, bud. Like, I can't help myself. I've got so much pride in every little thing. Like, I'm living and dying with every little thing. I'm like, why is our women's water polo team down two to four? What's going on right now? They've got Angela Bat. Like, I start naming names that I just heard about 20 minutes ago, and I'm like, how can we be behind right now? We're the top team in the world. So I love the Olympics. And for me, Most specifically, it's things like, dude, Katie Ledecky, the swimmer, just crushing the field. Dude, I'm getting chills just talking about this stuff. Like, she is in a class all her own in the sport of swimming in the Olympics. You know what I mean? Yeah, isn't that crazy that one person could be that much faster than anyone? She's amazing, dude. She is amazing. Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history. Dude, that shit just like gets my heart going. You know what I mean? And then also, I have to say this, this is an American, but like the French swimmer, what was her name? Leon Marchand or whatever. Bro, I was like, I was ready to start. Viva la revolution. Like I was like ready to be part of France for a while. They were watching him, you know. I think we can claim him because he, you know, swims it. Yeah. Yeah, he does. He does. no, I, I, the, Olympics, it brought me back because the sports in general during COVID just sucked ass. And so the Tokyo was at Tokyo, the last Olympics. It just wasn't the same. You know, you didn't have the crowds. You didn't have. And so, and it was coinciding with our, inner exploration that we've been in the last few years. And so I was kind of like, am I just kind of over the Olympics now? And it part me is a little sad, but no, that came roaring back this year. And I love the spectacle of it. I loved everything from the opening ceremonies to, know, being in France. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. got people swimming in the sand for God's sakes, like getting sick and getting like Ebola and stuff. don't know what they were getting. Yeah. So yeah, I love that one. Yeah, I almost had the Olympics. It's funny, like I put it at eight, but I very easily could have put the Olympics at number one or two. You'll see what I mean by my list, but like I. same. My list feels very flat to me, if that makes sense. I was hoping it would get better and better. So was another caveat with my list. It's like, Shogun, think I had higher at one point. But then as things kind of like, and I really struggled with the numbering from here. Seven, yeah. So what was your seven? So my seven, I'm almost, you know what I'm not afraid to admit this. That stupid fucking song Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter Holy hell yeah. Like, okay, like, you know, it's one of those songs, like, I have to admit that I am not as up to, like, up to date on, like, the new artists, like, the new musicians as I, I don't love that about myself. I used to feel like I was like Johnny fucking cutting edge, you know? But man, I started, like, hearing this song in, I don't know, it show up in like a Like a Spotify would make me a playlist or like maybe my daughter was like listening to it or something like that or or even I just hear it when I'd be around like, you know how that stuff can just permeate and then I just start being like, geez, Louise, I love this song. What is this song? You know? And so then it's like speaking of music videos, I love the music video. Like I just everything about there's that line where she's like, I'm working late. because I am a singer and you're like what the hell is she even talking about I love her so much I want to go on a date with her Well, plus that was one that's been the biggest SNL sketch is when they changed that song to Domingo or whatever the Domingo sketch. Did you watch that one? Dude, I have to admit, the one with Ariana Grande, I have to admit that that thing got so much, so I didn't see it until it got so much hype that I was like, shit, I gotta go see this, this Ariana Grande doing, I mean, it was only a few weeks ago, right? But like, I did not love it. I hate even admitting that, because I was like, you guys are ruining one of my all time favorite songs. Dude, I love this. did you watch Sabrina Carpenter's holiday special? I told you to watch it because, well, I sent you a clip of it with, Chapel Rowan. Man, it will make you believe in God again, think, in Santa again, at least. Dude, I'm on it. I, yeah, whatever it is about her, like, she's just like a little, she's just a little tiny Polly pocket, but like, she's just, she's got charisma, man. I, I, I get a kick out of her. And yet, and yet Mike, I don't know that I'm like, I, I don't know that I see her as the sex symbol that a lot of people like that. I mean, she's a sexy, but I don't, I don't know about that. I just think that she's like, She got a catchy song and I like the way she sings it. I don't know. can't explain that, I guess. know I'm with you on that. In a way, and this will come. we, this will come. This will, we don't overlap on this one, but we kind of do. And so I will get to it in a minute, but I'll also explain. Yeah. No, I get, I get what you mean by that. And maybe it's just cause I see her as young right now. I don't know. All right. But I just don't, I don't know. I feel you on that. Okay. My number six. I mean, we talked about this all last week, but it's Luigi Mangione. That's our boy. He's number six on your list. Your list of top ten things is the Luigi Manjoo. I love that about you right now. And you know what? He's one I kind of had higher at first. I'm like, I can't because, you know, the buzz is it's kind of going through a little this week. We'll see. This is one in like, if we did like a five years from now, looking back at in this list, it could be like, that clearly should have been number one or two, or like, why did this, why did this even make the list? It was just kind of a fart in the wind, but like right now it's putting him right at six. God, isn't it so weird? God, I don't even wanna do it, Mike. I was just gonna say, there was a shooting yesterday, school shooting. And it's just so amazing how, I don't know, I don't even wanna get it. Let's scrap that. Good number six, yeah. I don't want to get too much into it more. We talked about it plenty last week, but I just wanted to give a shout out to that whole shout out to a murder. I'm just saying that that it captivated. Yeah. And how I think it still has the potential of the, you know, if it goes to trial and whatever the accumulated, but it could be the stone cut out of a mountain right now. It's going to keep picking up speed and it could not be. We'll see. Dude, have you seen his attorney give these press conferences? Am I watching Joe Pesci from the movie Casino? Like, what's going on here? he is, man. It's like, he is, I'm so excited for this lawyer in this case, because I think he's gonna be the perfect one. like, okay, how do I say this? This attorney is like if Joe Pesci was hosting Saturday Night Live and doing a sketch. It's like an impression of I'm fully on board, man. Pesci doing like a mob lawyer character on Saturday Night Live. It's crazy. The guy's amazing. I just love it. For the spectacle that this is right now, they got a lawyer that's going to fit the spectacle. so buckle up. I think it could be a good show into 2025. He might make my list again next year. We'll see. yeah, he could be on the 25 top 10. Hey, here's something interesting. My number six is also a person. And it's the only one on here, this one's pretty indulgent, Mike. It's just for basically you and me, I think. And well, know, Lily, like there's people out there that this is for. Carmen. Number six on my top 10 list is the human being Carmen. Holy shit, I could not be happier right now. Like here's a lady who I don't want to give too much away about her because it's like, you know, it's not my right to do so, like Carmen's the most amazing lady I've ever, I think met like she like from the, from the just like, let's go for it attitude. I'll try everything, anything for the first time. she, to the, to the visions and the narration and the music, like Carmen, Carmen is in my. Carmen almost made top five. How can we describe her? Because yeah, you're saying I just, I want to be careful with what I say about her, but like, I just wanted to give the listener some taste for why this woman captivated us so much. Dude, someday we can tell all of the stories from that thing. Someday. But she would have these visions and she would recite them to us. then we would take those and we wrote three songs out of the images she was having. we were, Yeah, well, I would say three and half songs. Like, I've got one that's in the hopper about... Dude, I don't know how to explain her. I don't know how to describe her without going into too much detail, but like... without doing an impression and I'm going to butcher the impression. so I think we just need to have her on the podcast sometime and everyone can experience her. let's do it. Let's reach out to her and see if she will like in. So if you're listening now in January, we'll try January, February, early in 2025, we'll, we'll announce it on the, through the underground that Carmen. Yeah. Carmen's coming on the podcast. Maybe we can make that even one of our live recordings that people can tune in for. would be so great. Yeah, by the way, we're we're pushing our 200 and we should make that one a live recording. So we'll announce that on the underground as well. So I'm so happy you did that. Yeah, I had to man. I, Carmen. Okay. Number five for me is heretic that we are talking about in the podcast. Yeah. I was wondering when that one would show up for you. And so again, if you want to listen to our take on that, we break it down in an episode a few weeks ago. But I've seen it, I saw it three times in the theater. I would see it again. It just spoke to me. It just spoke so much to the psychology of the faith crisis, to everything from all of it. don't know. I just felt like I was reliving the emotions of a faith crisis as I think, you know, synchronistically, it was coinciding with another type of faith crisis I've been going through the last couple of years. And so the two dovetailing together, plus I think probably the best, most authentic portrayal of Mormon missionaries I've seen in. like in movies, including Mormon movies. I completely agree on that. So for me, it's one of my favorite movies of the year. Do you know what, I don't know if I said this when we did our recording about it, but the thing about that movie is that I saw myself mostly in Hugh Grant's character and it was unsettling to me. was like, geez, Louise Doug, just take a deep breath and a step back. Don't be such a fucking, like a first class smarty pants all the time. Just chillax. Well, I but I saw myself in his character too. And that's one of the things I loved about it. But yeah, and heretic. that, heretic. Okay, here's one we've never talked about, but you and I don't even really talk about this. don't think, maybe we have mentioned it to each other. I love the TV show, Only Murders in the Building. Good choice. The season, this year's season, I'm putting as number five, and specifically Martin Short's performance in it. Like, I will confess to you that of the comedy duo of Martin Short and Steve Martin, I am always Team Steve Martin. Always, always, always. In that little threesome, on that show, it's usually Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and sometimes it switches. Selena Gomez is really great in that show. But in the most recent season, did you watch it? my Lord, Mike. In the most recent season, Martin Short makes me laugh harder. Martin Short in Only Murders in the Building this season is the hardest I've laughed this year at a TV show or movie. I need to pick it back up. That's when I need to. man, that's such a binge. Dude, I'm so jealous of you because like I'm kind of like always on the lookout for something that I can maybe binge instead of like, dude, if you've got if you've got four seasons of only murders in the building, you lucky sucker, dude. Hey, we're heading into the holiday break. So maybe that's the one I watch. Yeah. yeah, I wish I could chime in more on that one, but I haven't, I've only seen that first. He's just like, I mean, he's just, he's on point. He's just hilarious in it. Like it's so good. And to be hilarious like that, I think you have to a lot of, to show a lot of like heart and vulnerability. So he's just, I don't know. Maybe I sound like a dweeb right now, but Martin Short killed me in that season. And my wife was like, what is going on with you? I'm like, I can't stop laughing. Right? Yeah. okay. So my number four is one's going be similar to yours. could not. So this year was the year of divas for me of like, it started actually the end of last year when I got high on, Halloween. Was it really in my feels? Cause I was entering in the holiday season and you know, through the sep, my separation. So it was the first holiday season separated. And stumbled on Dua Lipa on song, Exploder. did not know who Dua Lipa was, saw her on song Exploder and she was singing that song. I think I'm in love again. And I'm like, I think I'm in love again. You know? And so it started with her and then I saw Olivia Rodrigo on Saturday Night Live and I hadn't, I knew of her because of the Disney channel, but like, I was like, well, damn, she killed it on Saturday Night Live. Yeah, she did. And then I got in town for something chill on a Friday night and my sister picks me up from the airport and she's like, you have to hear Chaperone. Do you know Chaperone? I'm like, no, I have no idea who Chaperone is. So she plays Chaperone for me on, on, on the Spotify. Gracie Abrams is one that like I found on Tik Tok and I, she's all over my Tik Tok. In fact, if you look at my Instagram, like, suggested you're going to see Dua Lipa. Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie, a draw Abrams, this Brazilian singer called Mariana Froez. Yeah. Yeah. Claro, which is a diva in her own. actually saw her in concert this year. but so I picked the song from Mariana Froez. It's a, it was, which means I in Portuguese and I fucking love that song. And I almost did a Olivia Rodrigo like vampire and. Cause she had some songs that were really helping me through my breakup, especially, or even Dua Lipa and I don't give a fuck. I think it was one of my most listened to songs on Spotify. But if I was just picking one song there that kind of spoke to my year, it was this Mariana Feroz and it was Ayo. And yeah. And now you do yoga with a chaperone. I think I her. I don't think I've talked about it on the podcast, but just a couple of weeks. I don't know why we wouldn't be. just walked out of a yoga class that I was doing and there was Chaperone and she was standing right in front of where I was like all my stuff was there. By the way, I was telling my sister this story and she's like, I don't think I would recognize her. I'm like, you would recognize her. She's like, did she just look like her? like, no, it wasn't one of those things that you walk out and you're like, that woman looks like Chaperone. You walk out and you're like, no, that's Chaperone. was. And so she was standing right by where my shoes were. And I kind of had to be like, excuse me. And she was really jumpy. She was there with a friend of hers and she kind of immediately jumped kind of away. And she was the last celebrity I would ever say anything to. Bro, would like if listen, I'm going to tell you all this. If, if the end of the world happened and I happened to like end up in like, like, you know, it's like, you know, the wizard of Oz when they all go down into the bombshell, they go down into the cellar and just fucking leave Dorothy up there. They don't even like go check for her. Like if it was like end of the world and I was in a bombshell and it was just me and chapel run, I would not say a goddamn word to her unless, unless She started talking to me because I don't want listen man. I don't want to fuck with her vibe. She's like she's doing her thing, dude. I agree. I couldn't agree more. Yeah. this year was a year of a diva for me because it's like one, I'm like you. I, I, I used to pride myself in like finding like the really neat or cool. You were talking about that in your other, like finding like obscure or like up and coming and not listening to the same songs everyone else listens to. But man, these. women sing songs that just were so relatable to me as a 44 year old white man that I, know, like I, who else are they relating to even at a deeper level? But you know, as someone, as a 44 year old man, who's going through heartbreak for my, first time in my life, listening to songs about heartbreak, you know, these women went through, you know, in their teens or early twenties, just got me through it, man. I just never realized how much, they're just good songs. they're, are, all of these women are incredible performers, out of this world performers, so. man, that's really good. It really like the, it's just been a year of the diva for you. That's pretty fucking awesome. I love that. Nice man. What are we on, number four? I've got you to thank for my number four, Mike. It's another song. I had three songs on my list. There's a song that you introduced me to. It's Honey by The Lone Bellow. Mike, I'm glad I don't have like a CD or a vinyl of that because I would have worn that shit out. I had the experience of going from never having heard a song to having the entire song memorized in a weekend with Mike because this song just scratches an itch for me, dude. The lone bellow singing it, honey. They've got good harmonies. It's two guys and a girl. They're just two guitars and a fucking mandolin maybe. that what she, yeah, it's a mandolin. And there's a, I mean, there's a beat to it, obviously. And it's just, the song is equal parts nostalgic and. about messy relationships and about the up and down of how romance works. I mean, that song was number two on my spot. I'm giving away what's coming up in my list, but like that song was number two listened to this year. I just, dude, I shout sing that song. I shout sing that song every day. Every day of the year, since you introduced it to me, I've been shout singing it in my car. Well, it's one that even if they just had that first party, like this is a fucking good song. And then they blow, blow it out of the water with the end and put the pedal to the floor. headlights off and the radio up every window is down here comes that song we used to sing so loud at the top of our lungs put the metal to the floor let the darkness come dude I fucking love that song so much Mike Same, I wanted to sing it with you, I knew it was going to be, but it's going to be, instead of really bad, cause I'm kind of mumbling it as you're doing it. Cause like I want to sing it, whenever we do that, we come in at different times. comes in at different times and it's hard to switch into sync. So it sounds like I'm just kind of talk singing, but like I, if I felt like it was okay on the podcast, I would shout seeing those lyrics into this fucking microphone. So I do have to talk about, I was going to mention them a little later, but I'm to talk about this now. So I saw them, I didn't know who they were, but I saw them in concert at the Troubadour here in Los Angeles. And it was, if they come back, man, you have to come with me. They had a single like old like radio city music hall type microphone kind of, they said one single mic right in the middle. And the three of them just huddled in front of that mic and just like gave such, such a show. No. So good. And the Troubadour was a perfect venue for it. And that song just, and so I walked into that not knowing who they were and not knowing in the songs. And I was just like that song immediately. Just so fucking good. And there's they're good. so dead on like, plus dude, you know how like I have like a little bit of, you how I little bit of like a weird relationship with myself about the sound of my songs? Like my songs all kind of sound little country and I don't really love country music. That song scratches an itch for me because I love it and I think it's kind of country music a little bit. Do you know what I mean? In fact, when we were talking to the guy we were might do a recording studio with, gave him that one as a, I forgot that we gave that one as like a sample of like, Hey, as far as like the Bombadilio vibe, that one of the things that we most matching right now, that song. I love that song so much. And by the way, to talk about your music, that's how you come across with your music. You don't come across as country. come across more of that. So reflecting that back to you, lean into that because that's how you come across. And Mike, you're giving me such a compliment with that. Like I, I thank you. I love, I love that. That song was a go-to when I was in. Funks and dark places and being a cranky little bub. Like that song really makes me feel alive. Thank you for introducing it to me. You're welcome. All right. Number three for me is a Los Doyers, the Dodgers Dodgers world series. So this was the first time I've ever been in a city when they won the national champ, you know, the, won the championship and, it was so fucking fun. You know, I was right here in Echo park about a couple of blocks from the stadium. You know, the, the whole street comes alive. Everyone's honking. People are dangling off street lamps, Dodger flags, flares, rockets, people burning. I wasn't in the spot where they burned the bus, but like it was everything I wanted to be. And the only reason why it's not higher in my list is cause I, yeah, I've, I've adopted the Dodgers in the last 14 years. You know, it's not as like, if it's not like if the Utah, if the Utah jazz, would be so much off the, I couldn't even capture it on a list. It would be on my. Mike, I have two things to say that first of all, how long do you need to be a drop? Drop that you're a Dodgers fan. You don't need to like, I've only been 14 years and, and if the Utah Jazz ever win the NBA finals, you and I are taking conservatively 10 days off together to celebrate and all this shit about like having a better relationship with our substances. That's out the window. Okay. That's. a... dog like that's going we're going we're going off. If we're going to be, they'll have to cart us out of there, man. They probably will cart us out of there. We will probably spend some nights in the drunk tank. Best case scenario is the emergency room, but most likely is gonna be the prison. Like, not prison, but jail at least. Yeah. So get ready, Ryan Smith and Danny Ainge and Utah Jazz Organization. That's the end of my life when you guys win the championship. That's going out on a high note. We'll see when that happens. know, it could happen. It's not happening next year, but maybe in two years. Hey, the Cooper flag sweepstakes is real if you ask me, so yeah. Anyway. so love the Dodgers. was a, that That was a treat. It was a real treat, Doug. Los Doyers or yeah. Well, no, I what do I know? I don't know how to say anything in Spanish. I just loved that. I loved how you said it. What's your number three? yeah, okay. We've gotten at a good pace with this. think we're like perfect. Yeah. My number three, I have to thank Tracy, our shared, Mike, you and I are really connected in weird ways in this world, aren't we? are. Yeah, we are. But I'm saying Tracy, but I'm saying that Tracy shared this with me. It's a book. And I had more books on my list, but then I was like, don't be such a dork. So I took, only have one book on my list, but this book is called Piranesi. And she recommended it and I put it on my audio book queue. I bought, I like, I bought the audio book and I didn't get to it cause I was, I was listening to just a I was just listening to a juggernaut of a book that was just like taken forever. And then I had another session with her and she asked me like, did you read? Did you read Piranesi? I was like, no, but it's in my queue for my audio books. And she's like, I think that you're going to want to have a hard copy. I think you're going to want to turn the pages of that book. She's like, I kind of know your vibe and I know what you're up to as far as like the written word. this is one that you I like to keep a balance, you know, of reading and listening. She couldn't have been she couldn't have been more right. So my book arrived on a Friday after I got home from work and it was ready for me. And by literally by five p.m. the Saturday, I had finished it and weeping just like weeping as I'm finishing the last few pages, just like, holy Holy crap, how did the author, how did she do this? How did the author do this? How did I, how did I keep guessing and have the mystery and have the beauty and the, how did it happen? I don't wanna tell a thing about this book. I don't wanna give a single plot point. And then I read the final paragraph and it's just, it's a blockbuster. And then I read the sentence. And I might get the final sentence of that book tattooed on me. Soon, actually. The final sentence of that book will probably be tattooed. And I'm not, you know, I got a couple of drunk tattoos that I've got words on me. You know, got the, but I'm not like a huge fan of words being tattooed on me. have a, for someone who says that, I've got quite a lot of words tattooed on me. But the final sentence of the book, Piranesi, is gonna be tattooed. Shit. So I've, one, I get chills when you, it comes across when you're talking about it I want to read it so bad. I actually bought a copy. So listen this. I found it from this local bookstore in Echo Park. I looked it up online and they had one copy left. And so I ordered it to come pick it up in the store. And so I stopped by last night and I'm like, I have a pickup. they're like, well, it's not, have they emailed you that it's ready to pick up yet? And I'm like, no. I do that in a couple other books. like, okay, I'll just stop by tomorrow. I called them today and they're like, yeah, we don't get in-store pickups ready within a day. I'm like, when do you do that? store, I can order off Amazon! And I wanted to support like the local bookstore and maybe they didn't really have it in stock. Maybe it was in stock at their distributor or something and that needs to come in or something. But I was kind of like a little bum because I was, that's what I was planning on doing last night was just cozying up and reading that. Cause I assumed it might be on your list and I wanted to be able to like chat about it a little bit, but. I'm kind of glad that we can, because I don't want to talk about, I'll say this about it, as far as like, because I don't want to, I went into it not knowing a thing about it, just that Tracy liked it and told me to read it, right? It's one of those books. What would be a comparison? A Clockwork Orange, actually. So it's a book that you feel like you're learning a... It's in English, but you feel like you're learning a new language. So you're confused at first, but then by 12, 15 pages in, suddenly you get that rhythm and you speak it. So you're just like, okay, let's... I can't recommend it enough. Well, I will be reading it sometime this week. Well, soon as I get my hands on it and I can't wait to chat about it. Hey Mike, think that we're, so we're to our last, we have four things left, two each. And we've had one overlap and I know that we're gonna have at least one more overlap. I know it. Yeah, so go ahead. Is it this next one? Is it Dune 2? Is it really? Okay. There we go. There we go. All right. Well, let's talk about Dune 2. This was the sci-fi epic I've been waiting for for a long time. And not only that, but it psychologically speaks to me so much. mean, I talk about how I, The night before I started at Pacifica, I had that a dune dream where I was Paul Atreides arriving on Arrakis and there was a Fremen woman there, like an old Fremen woman and a beetle flies by and she spits and like offers me the beetle. I've written about that dream in I think three of my papers at Pacifica. And then even so as I'm watching this movie, I'm just, it's so good. They, they capture it so well from the like ayahuasca type ceremonies they do to the, to the, another scene that I wrote about was when they go down to the pool, the ancestral pool and where all the Fremen, their bodies are, the water's extracted and then poured in the pool. And he's like, as desperately as they need water, no Fremen would drink of this pool. And I wrote about that in like. how I feel like our relationship should be with the unconscious. And so you think of the symbol of the unconscious and the unconscious being the ancestral psyche and how everything that's in the collective unconscious is ancestral. So it's like a pool of ancestral memory that we can access, but not exploit, not drink, like approach it with reverence and love and awe. there's so many, and that's just one symbol, one image from that book that I... movie, book two, but like film that you could break apart. So good. Dude, I love that we've got this in the same spot. You just covered it perfectly. And especially that scene where Stilgar is talking about how they revere the sacrifice of the dead, right? That thing touches on all the things for me. The spirituality stuff, the feeling, the skeptic stuff, the feeling like there's a false prophet, the... fucking doing drugs part of it, know, type of thing. Like the guy who plays, who's the guy that who plays Stilgar? Javier Bardem. Yeah, yes, yes. What a performance. Because he has to somehow balance being like one of the main characters that pushes the plot forward, but he's also this, you know, as the movie goes on, I mean, he's a religious nut. You know what I mean? But he has to balance that with like a warmth and a charisma that makes you just endeared to him, you know? And wow, what a, mean, geez, Zendaya. Zendaya could have been on my list of top 10 things from 2024. one of the things that almost hit my list was challenges. Have you seen that with Zendaya? I don't want to get too much on the Zendaya subject, but she is so good in that. I know the movie and haven't seen it yet and want to. Whether she's the tennis coach, blah, to love the movie. It's so good. They've almost made them less here. but it's Dune speaks to both the skeptic and believer in me. speaks to my savior, my Messiah complex that I have. It helps me. It actually, I, it, I, I came away grappling with that, Messiah complex of like, on one, he, steps into his destiny, but then he also becomes a, time it. And so he becomes Anakin Skywalker. He turns to the dark side, but yet he also liberates his people and steps into his Dharma. Or did he? Did he overreach? yeah. What a great way to say it, Mike. Holy crap, Wow. And it's been fascinating to talk to different people about it. and some people were like, no, he stepped into his, he owned his, he was supposed to be a prophet and he owned it and he stepped into it. And I talked to other people and like, no, and I'm somewhere I can feel the tension of both of them. And that was one of reasons why I fucking loved the movie and they did it so well. And it makes the first one. love that it makes the first one better too. don't love when that happens. I couldn't agree more with you and I didn't think about it in those terms, but you're dead on. Dune 2 makes Dune 1 even better. So I liked doing one, but I felt like the pacing felt weird. But now the pacing feels right as the first one setting up the second one. I don't know. Yeah. Dude, what a good, yeah. Hey, what about the ascension of Timothy Chalamet, by the way? Speaking of top 10s, we neither of us have him on there, like, dude, Timothy Chalamet is... That dude's amazing. All right. the Timothy Shallow May Look-Alike Contest where he showed up at it? You got to look at this story. They did this Timothy Shallow May Look-Alike Contest and he showed up at it. So there's all these selfies of him there with all these people dressed as him and he didn't win it. No, he didn't win it. of the story. That's so funny. I didn't know I didn't had no idea that's Wow, man. All right, dude, you ready for number ones? one. All right. Here's my number one. So I had to be a concert because concerts have just defined my year. Another thing that's defined my year. I thought about putting the lone bellow on there. thought, I'm picking your favorite concert so hard because it's so, and so many factors go into it. It's like the band, the performance, who you're with, how high you are, what substance you are. but you know, I had that one that stood out. had Clara was fucking great. I just love, she just got, she's owns her vibe. I just don't know how to describe her. LCD sound system surprised me with just like a, I mean, that just transported me. There was a, band, chiasmos that was really good. Anyway, I don't need to go through all of them, but I'm just kind of listening to some of the ones I was thinking about, but for several reasons. The top concert I went to and the number with one thing on my list was in a series of called Jazz is Dead. They do once a month at this venue that I go to. And it was the Delvin Lamar Oregon Trio. And it was this guy playing the Oregon. Yeah, guy on the Oregon. He recruited two, two guys from two young guys from Tik TOK who could play the just amazing at the drums. and amazing at the guitar and the three just put on a show and it was one of my best nights of the year. Dude, you're making me rethink my number one. Wow, yeah. Bro, do you remember texting me and then later talking about going to that jazz, that three organ jazz show? Yeah. yeah, I remember everything about that night before and after. me, I don't know, man. That gave me some life. That was really... Yeah, man, that was a big moment for me. And it was a big it was just a cool concert. It was a great show and fucking loved it. And. Yeah, I need some concerts with Doug in 2025, though, that's why. Yeah, I agree. I mean, it's funny, like you go to concerts weekly, really, you know? And going to concerts is like my favorite thing. Putting on concerts has been my favorite thing. I love music. I love live music. Which is my number one too. Yeah, so I feel like I have a, can I cheat? Can I have a 1A and 1B? Yeah, you can. Yeah, why not? Cause they're from the same, they're from the same event. So every year I go to this music festival, I ride my motorcycle. like a couple thousand mile trip on my motorcycle and me and my other homie go. And this year, I saw a Pearl Jam. mean, to me, if you gave me my choice of, All-time live music experiences that I want to have number one would be the Beatles number two would be Led Zeppelin and number three would be Pearl Jam. can't help myself. You guys can judge me for all you want but that Pearl Jam Pearl Jam was the form the Pearl Jam 10 album was the formative album of my life because it was the first time I listened to an album all the way through my My buddy had stolen, my buddy had stolen. That's a great start to that, right? My buddy, he stole the album. And we went to his house and listened to 10 all the way through. And it just was like, man, this is not, this is not my dad's music. Like this is, this is, I am now, I am now independent from my identity as, of my. what my parent of who I was as a kid, you know, and so seeing Eddie Jesus Christ, I told my buddy, was like, look, bro, because, know, music festivals, there's there's there's music all day. And so was like, we're going to be front. We're going to be front and center for Eddie Vedder. And we were and. I I bawled throughout it. I mean, he did all of them. He did he did. He did, you know, given a flight like he I'm sorry that I'm. babbling so much, Mike, but it's just Eddie Vedder singing black. And you got 40,000 people in the crowd doing that part at the end where he's like, I know someday you'll have a beautiful life. I know you'll be the star in somebody else's sky. But why? Why? And then he growls that third. Why can't it be mine? Like 40,000 people singing that with him. It's the most connected I've ever felt to my childhood, to what I love now, to what dictates my musical tastes. I mean, that was just it for me, Of course that was number one. What else would have been number one of my year? It was... I'm feeling the spirit when you're talking about that man. yeah, I just, was that one A or one B? I'm gonna just keep it like that. 1B was another little band that was at that festival that I was just like, holy shit, what are these guys up to? But I gotta just keep it on 1A. I just gotta keep it on. You say... can rattle off some honorable mentions here in a second and so just cap it off. like, wanted to linger here on Pearl Jam for a minute because, you know, I, same in a way of like, I don't think they were one of my top five growing up for sure. and it's one of the things of like, getting into concerts at a late later age, mid middle age, like, I didn't go to a lot of concerts growing up. and it was comparative to like seeing soccer on a screen and then listening to music. It's like concerts and feeling the energy of the performer. You know, we talked about Xavier Rutt a bunch. I can just imagine Eddie Vedder and like the presence and the voice and the the energy that he channels in his performances. And being front and center of that, man, it's like, that's the baptism for sure. It's well said, baptism. mean, he is. Look, dude, we saw Xavier Rudd. Both of us saw Xavier Rudd this year. He's amazing. I mean, dude, between the two of us, we saw, what, 100 bands? Probably, yeah. Eddie Vedder is a rock god. Eddie Vedder is an institution. Do you know what I mean? There's an entire economy that revolves around Eddie Vedder. Wow, wow, what an experience that was. I'm about to cry just talking about it right now. What an experience that was, bro. I mean, he brings out, you know, at that concert, he brought out Bradley Cooper, you know, because so Bradley Cooper. In his performance in A Star Is Born, he intentionally... He built his character around Eddie Vedder. interesting, didn't know that. He took voice lessons from Eddie Vedder. They became pals. So he trots Bradley Cooper out onto the stage for a part of this. they sing that song, maybe it's time from A Star is Born. And Bradley Cooper, I think he got nominated for an, maybe he won an Oscar for, I don't know, but Bradley Cooper is a good singer in his own right. He's an amazing actor, great director, really great singer, right? But when you've got those two singing next to each other, you're just like, God, that's the difference between a really, really, really talented, amazing singer and a God. Like Eddie Vedder's like the, he's like, he's like the voice, you know, the cave of wonders. it's like, it's like, that's Eddie Vedder, man. Like he's like, who disturbs my slumber? It's like, okay, Eddie Vedder, I'm sorry to like, I'm here for it, bro. Anyway, thank you for indulging me for a second there, Mike, but that was. you're speaking to what I just love about live music and about like, because you, it's so much less, it's not about the performance. It's about, it just all becomes about the energy and the, and we talked about this plenty, but like, you, you feel like you're in the presence of gods during those moments. And, yeah, I think we are in a way, I think they are channels for that. so, Like, you know, it's interesting, you know, talking about singing chapel rona, the thing she's, she's not a goddess when she's in her like, going to yoga mode and she shouldn't be. that's, that's exactly what she's fucking saying when she's like, no, I've given you my gift. No, fuck off. But then when she, and then not, know, a few weeks later, I'm watching her and she's on Saturday night live. Or then I saw her in that Sabrina carpenter special. I'm like, shit, there's a goddess there. Cause like you're bringing in, you're channeling the gods with music. I believe that. and the archetypes, you're channeling the archetypal world if you know the gods, you know what, and you're bringing the archetypal world into this world and it's not about how you perform it. It's how you. Express it. channel some more gods into it. Here's to 2025, Mike. That's a, I mean, we gotta talk about 20 cool things. That was a, that was a good list of 20. Well, I guess technically, technically we just named what 18 things? Yeah. I love that we only overlapped on two, but I also love that we overlapped on two. We had needed over, there needed to be some overlap. It was perfect, man. We couldn't have scripted that better. had no plans and both of us ended on a live music experience. That's so cool. And furthermore, I didn't want to be too indulgent, but our live show at the yoga studio in spring is right up there. I didn't know what to do with that one. Cause I did, I mean, of course for me, highlight of my year. yes, I mean, yes. And. me feel like a, y'all made me feel like a rock and roll god. Thank you. Thank you. And I want to do more of that. Here's to that in 2025 as well. Yeah, here's to 2025, baby. Bye buddy. Yeah, let's just end it there. You know what? We'll give you more. We'll give we'll give you honorable mentions another time. I was looking at my list of other mentions that I think it's going to, you know, there's a lot of good things out there. Maybe we'll drop some of these in the show notes. Maybe not. I don't know, but like, we never do. So don't even look. Ha Just sign up for the, yeah. it's been another amazing year with you, buddy. Yeah, it really has, man. Love you, Mike. Love you. Love you too. And love the end to the listeners and I mean, the people who are still coming on with us in this journey, he was signing up for the underground and wanting to keep, keep coming with us. Cause I've been surprised at how many, how many of those emails we've gotten people. mean, I mean, I see our download numbers. know, you know, but like, I don't know. It just means a lot when people wanting to come along further with us too. So. I want to say a special I love you to Wes. I hope that's okay that I said your name, bud. I love you. It's been a while since I've seen this. Yeah, me too. Miss you, man. Hope to see you soon. All right. Okay. Happy New Year. Happy Christmas, Merry New Year. Pour ourselves some cheer this Christmas Eve. do we wanna, do we wanna just plug that real quick? Yeah, mic. All right, Mike, we we put our two songs Ho Ho Ho Hosanna and pour ourselves some cheer. We put demos out there out there. You can find them. You can find them on. find them on December 19th. You can find them. Now there are demo versions. like, it's just us basically seeing it into our phone. It's literally, it's literally just, it's literally each of us just singing into our phones. So. Which is, I don't think is even could be called the demo version, but we're calling them demo versions. We throwing them out there in time for Christmas, December 19th. we felt really weird about this, but we just want to, if we can bring a little bit of good cheer and good wishes and a hearty fucking Merry Christmas, let's do it. All right, go. Go check it out.