Iconic Seasons Off Season - Live Drugs Again Review & Dream Setlist

In this episode the hosts take a deep dive into the music of their favorite band, The War on Drugs, and discuss their newly released live album, Live Drugs Again.

https://www.thewarondrugs.net/music/live-drugs-again

https://www.thewarondrugs.net/tour

The hosts explain how Live Drugs Again is a unique collection of live tracks recorded at various venues even different versions of a single song stitched together over several years, rather than from a single concert. This inspired Aaron to create a personal challenge to Cassie: curate her own setlist using live performances found across platforms like YouTube and the Internet Archive.

Emphasizing the emotional depth of The War on Drugs' music, one host talk about their experience listening to the album, recounting how they were moved to tears just minutes into the track "Harmonia's Dream." The hosts also share their love for candid, behind-the-scenes band photos and live shots, which often accompany the band's releases, adding a nostalgic and personal touch to the experience.

Towards the end, they discuss the difficulty of choosing specific live version of songs for a setlist, given the band's extensive catalog of performances.

The hosts' love for the music is palpable throughout the episode, from the vivid descriptions of unboxing the album to the heartfelt reactions to each track.

Listen along!

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDagWLWoz13Xf4OXbJNmslRctsJilBIuZ&si=2bh347K9PaIa8IAI

Transcript

  Welcome to episode five of the Anxious Rambler. We're back on the road again. This time we're talking about the War on Drugs. I would be remiss to say this wasn't a little bit by us since it's our favorite band, but we're going to see them back to back nights.  And we had an idea. They have a new album that just came out called Live Drugs Again.

And it's a compilation of live songs from other album or from other, uh, venues from various venues. Right. So traditionally I'd say like, uh, a live album would come from one concert, but they have compiled this from many different concerts over multiple years and across the world. And so my challenge to you is to Was to create a, your own version of this from across any YouTube videos, internet archive, wherever you want it to go and create your own set list.

But let's start out. I want to throw it to you to talk a little bit about the live drugs again, album, the artwork in it. I know you got to take that apart. This is the kind of more limited edition. You didn't get the blue vinyl. I know, but yeah,  Not, not as sad as you might think. It still sounds great. No, it still sounds great.

That's the important part. I'm just grateful to have anything and to have the, have the entire  catalog thus far. Plus I have a few multiple copies. I have some that I haven't opened yet. Oh yeah, I know. And that some specifically for frames, album frames that I don't have to take them apart, backups, et cetera. 

Yeah it was great timing for  the arrival of the album and for it to be dropped as it was like a week  before we leave and  got me very excited as if I wasn't before but sometimes I get wrapped up in work and  that makes it even more exciting sometimes because I get so excited. So  Out of the zone or blinded to the things around me that I enjoy.

So when I put that on, was it Friday morning? I think so. Yeah. Yeah. And I think I sent you a text. It was like two minutes and 30 seconds into harmonious dream. I was already crying. So.  Needless to say, it was effective. So song one on the new Live Drugs again, well, okay, first talk about the unboxing experience.

What'd you like about the cover art, the way that the letters are blocked, that type of stuff in the album. They're going to do a CD later too. It's obviously on iTunes, Spotify, all that stuff. I liked the iTunes graphic has like the color drains out of it. It's kind of cool. I like the, the artwork. It's really simple, but.

Effective to me, it kind of looks like a,  like graphics on a well worn t shirt from 1992. That's what it made me think of. Definitely.  Yeah. Simple, but effective. I agree.  I don't, I told you that I would be at a loss for words, probably some of this podcast so that I don't use the same descriptors  other than I love it.

I love them. I love them so much. I love it all. No, not already. But I always like in some of the other albums, we get like candid photos from the experience of the making of the albums or the live shows.  They seem to all, they seem to all really relish taking pictures and posting them from, from the road, usually like old school, like Polaroid type cameras, or just what's like some nice, uh, hate gauzy effects to them.

And they had some good, just like live candid shots of the band. And I mean, I don't know if they went for this, but I sort of felt like these were, they were having a ton of fun with, with these songs live. I mean, they're out, they always sound great. Live, but they just there was like an exuberance even the first track that they released from this couple weeks ago is burning and The way that he emphasized the words in there I thought that was really great and different than I had heard it before and so I Pointed that out to you.

I thought yeah, that's all really exciting for me to get some little extras added in to an album because as you know, I always have been, I'm sentimental with  things that have been important to me throughout my life and I save everything borderline trying not to be a hoarder. But a few months ago, I think it was, I had pulled out a box of things that I had on my walls when I was in college and they were from, um,  Magazines that I would order. 

It was an Emmy was not available in the United States at that time. Maybe could have gotten it at Barnes and Noble or maybe I can't remember. It might've been later, but I always had the British version too. Those were even harder to find. So I  believe it was around  2003 that I got a subscription to it, but I would take apart. 

Those magazines, NME, Spin Magazine, and Rolling Stone, especially if  my favorite I was very into a lot of the bands that were really popular in the UK, 2003, 4, 5, so  Almost every magazine, NME magazine I got,  became part of my walls, but  I got into that box and showed you All of those  big photographs and posters that are still in, you know, mint condition.

So,  I really appreciate getting  an album from a band that has all those extra things in there. Keepsakes and memorabilia. And a poster.  I got a patch with one of the albums. I'm sewing that on my jean jacket. I know, your ultimate jean jacket. Alright, let's listen to a little bit of Harmonia's Dream, uh, your first track here, uh, on your Live Drugs again. 

In a vision universe,  you're black and white  to the wind, you're blue and green. I'm 

so hot,  I can't let go. 

That's such a great song, I think you're tearing up now. Like you, like you were when you sent it to me. Love, love. That exemplifies a lot of what I love about this band. What, why, why, why did you pick that one?  Well, let me first say that I told you several times, this might be one of the meanest ideas. Yes, I know you were very upset at me.

Because it feels cruel to try and pick  a Set list.  And then also to say, I can't just pick the songs, but I have to pick a particular live version because there are so many options and probably some that I haven't heard and how do you choose one over the other?  I didn't find a lot of,  uh, examples of harmonious dream.

I don't know that you can beat the version on the live drums again. Yeah, I did. I did have you not pick that one. Yes. I have to pick separate from that. In your defense, you wanted that one. That version. And it is great. Yeah. This version is, uh, from June 3rd, 2023, Primavera Sound, Barcelona. Oh, okay.  Nice.

Okay.  Which of course the album isn't super old so it wouldn't be too far back I think there is a good mix of his vocals are Clear and upfront and smooth, but the band is also  there are Are some songs I think I chose where the band is always really tight and plays really big and really well together.

But  definitely there are certain songs where  the way the band sounds together, it sounds so big and powerful.  But I, I think this version of it gave me sort of that, that same feeling as the live drugs again. Yeah, definitely.  The first lyric, I can't escape this memory.  What a great I know great great opening line I on the nerdier side I Watch some of their gear videos and they have some new new or new ish gear that helps keep things synchronized  Because it's so hard on as your band grows in the state, you know, the stage is not as Set up and around or anything ideal for, for you to be looking at your bandmates.

So they have a little electronic gear that helps them kind of sync up a little bit better on some of these, these songs. I'm not sure if this is one of those, but it was interesting to hear about how they're using technology to keep the band tight while also having this kind of ability to jam out a little bit like they did on this.

I'll also add that  you wanted  me to have 12 songs. Songs. Then you said 13 and I told you that I. I started with 23 and had an anxiety attack. I got it down to 18 and ended with, did I end with 17 or 18? I wanted 11 like they do on, on live drugs again, but then I  gave you 13 and you ended up with 17. Is that right?

Here's why.  Because they are headlining  and playing a.  Two to two and a half hour show, right? This is my dream concert. And I also did the  Set list in the order that I would like to hear right songs as well And we'll post the YouTube set list of course that she's got but do you want to go to the next track then or?

Do you want to pick another track? To go to next  Do them in order. So song number two is arms like boulders from the landmark music festival, September 26, 2015. Very memorable for us.  You were there. One of my favorite,  like maybe overall most memorable favorite. The environment that festival in general was a little bit of a disorganized mess more than a little bit They never did it again.

Yeah, because it was such a mess, but  yeah, but I mean it was a great I had a great time. It was like sure was perfect. There was a breeze it was outside It was toward the end of the night right as the sun went down. Yeah, it was super breezy And it started to rain and what girl wants to be stuck in the rain at a music festival, but my god It was so perfect.

I just like opened my arms and embraced the rain and  It seemed like when it started to rain  Which I believe it may have during this song there were different parts of their set where it rained a little bit harder and it felt like  Their music was bringing down the rain I think to Red Eyes and this one, it just, during  different guitar solos, you can see in videos and even the official video of their set where the rain just comes down so hard and  there's something about the rain that I don't know why I feel like they play  insanely well in an outdoor concert when it rains.

There's a few other ones. That looked like rain. I was blown away at the sound and then I was like, holy shit, it's raining. What is it with them in the rain?  Well, that's amazing. This is the one I would have picked too. Uh, I actually have one that you kid, kid me, uh, about repeating that would be on my set list.

They do a version of this. at Bonnaroo. Uh, what was it? 2015. And they kick off, they kick off the set with, with this, but we've seen them kick off the set with this song too. And I think it's just a very fun, it's an old school one for, for old school fans. But even if you've never heard them before, it's just a fun, fun song to very melodic.

The drums are great in it. So super awesome. Let's listen to a little bit. So 

the next track  I would like to hear at my concert Would be ocean in between the waves. The version I chose is I'm not sure that I'm saying it right. It's from 2020 fun from rock palast sure  It is All these are available on YouTube. Yeah on YouTube. Yeah again a a song that  When the band really takes off and rocks out and gets tight You  It begins to rain.

Do you want to talk about them not being beer rock since you last night identified, uh, I figured out who it was. Who Anna, if anyone hasn't listened to the road to incubus, uh, part two, uh, Anna withheld, uh, the, uh, The, uh, musician who dared to call the war on drugs beer rock. Not that, you know, that's even the worst thing in the world.

Under the bus. I mean, here, it's up to you. I just wanted to tease you about that, that you went ahead and did find out who it was. Yeah. Well, I, are we, are we sure this is the guy? Yeah, that's throwing some shade  at my favorite band. That's okay. We can, we can we get your tone? I'll, I'm just saying we get your tone.

I, yeah. I don't even know who confirmed she is. I know. So that's all that needs to be said about it. It, uh, but this, this song, I think is the,  the, the thing I like about the way that they rock. Uh, and I think that elevates them out of.  Cluster of bands build up in this song. I meant to say earlier the buildup is  Fantastic and legendary.

Yeah. The musicianship and the layers, right? That's the, that's the difference between them and a, and a band, right? A lot, there are a lot of talented players and, and I'm sure they would say the same thing, but the way that their sounds come together and that the soundscapes build on each other is what makes the song special.

Along with, of course, Adam's, you know, melodies and the lyricism. So there's no doubt. There's no doubt about it.  Talk to me a little bit about coming through. That's the next song.  That's a special one too.  I'll try not to use that word for as a descriptor for every song, but definitely this one's a landmark too.

You realize  I chose it particularly because it was at Landmark. This might have been where the rain started coming down. It did.  This is the most memorable moment of their set for me at Landmark.  This version of Coming Through,  of all live songs across decades of music and live shows that I've seen is probably one of my absolute favorite sounds. 

The way I would describe  that this song feels live is  something about that guitar tone and  I guess the reverb that I love. You do love the reverb. The tone of that lead guitar  is so big even though it's outdoors and  It goes in your ears and tickles inside of your ears, travels down your neck, hits your shoulders a little bit, and then you just feel this big bust burst coming out of your chest. 

It's like it's a familiar feeling that you've felt this pure joy and elation and happiness It's like it's a familiar feeling that you've felt this pure joy and elation and happiness before.  It's such a great song. It's one of the  first group of songs, first albums that I really got into with the war on drugs back around 2011. 

And it just rocks. It's not long enough.  Can 

we talk about Charlie, uh, if anybody watches this video after this, Charlie is  He gets shouted out. Of course, the whole band gets shouted out on Live Drugs again, uh, but, but Charlie for his characteristic, uh, I don't know if you'd call him just like drummer antics. Like it's funny because obviously lead, lead men have kind of their own personas.

We just talked about Brandon Boyd and his sort of. flowy tai chi. I thought you, I think you guys use, that was really great. Yeah. She nailed that. Uh, and of course Adam and some of the other guys have their moves, but Charlie has his own just vibe back there.  He's  in his own world at moments, which a lot of drummers are, but also  seems to have his moments with the rest of the band.

But he's so  Seems to just enjoy what he's doing and is really into it. And I always love the faces of, of drummers when they're getting their build up or having like drum fill or something. And.  Big smile. He reminds me of like a big friendly panther sometimes that that big smile that he makes just a just a lovable, just a lovable cat.

A big friendly panther. I don't know why. Something about Dave Grohl has that look to where like big, like big smile and sort of like. like sparkly kind of like shy steve playful eyes and Okay, I like it. All right. Uh, next song is in chains what you what you got on on in chains This is one of my favorites when this album first came out I was really into this song and I remember seeing this live for the first time super super fun song But what uh, what about this one?

Uh, and why why here in the setlist? I was curious before we started I read off the set list  Why you place things where you did Right. So, I feel a lot of emotion to  just about every one of the War on Drugs songs. Some of the songs, like,  Coming Through, Rocks, Burning Rocks,  a lot of the songs start a little bit slow and emotional and then pick up bigger. 

and rock out, but I go through such a range of emotions listening to The War on Drugs.  Lyrically, I really connect with the, with the thoughts to the paper, to the microphone, and  the  Musicianship and instrumentation does so much justice and brings to life  the words as well. And I think I explained to you  some of the, the placement, how I ended the show as well, that it rocked a little bit more than a more chill, lengthy song.

And  if I truly got to pick the entire set list,  the emotion that went into these decisions, I need to stay in that emotion. Otherwise, I might have a mental breakdown. So I can't go from  you know one that you know makes me emotional or  brings back kind of a tough memory and puts me in that feeling and then pulls me back out to fist bump, throw my arms around.

So I need a set of two or three that give me the same emotion  so that I'm not up and down so much. All right, here we go on this one. 

Did he just say fleeting rain? Is that how you, I mean, that's a great word to describe the rain you were talking about earlier. That's fantastic. Great song. Absolutely fantastic.  Speaking of rain, maybe that's the theme of this next song. The next song up is.  Occasional rain. So, if you would have seen me  during In Chains, you would understand why I have to group together with another song.

I get very emotional sometimes. Happy emotions, but  the music really does mean a lot to me. So,  Occasional rain is grouped in with In Chains. This is a beautiful song, a song that also means a lot to Aaron. Definitely. Lyrically. Yeah, I love the, love the last song. So the way that he describes it, of course, is like, the, the line is, ain't the sky just shades of gray until you've seen it from the other side.

It's just a gray, and then he, Leads out with, it's only some occasional rain, and it's just a beautiful way to see the world. 

So you talked about, uh, cutting songs from this list and how it was challenging to do this. They didn't put this on Live Drugs again. That must have been a challenging song to cut. And I think when you're coming up with an album, you want to give people a taste of what it's like, of course, and then you want them to go to the concerts.

And that's what we want everyone to do is go see these guys live so that they can see all of them. Because they are a band that has a huge catalog at this point and will definitely change up songs from night to night. I have no doubt that we will hear different songs, uh, Saturday and And Sunday, which I'm excited about, cause it's going to be great both times, but the change ups always a lot of fun.

Uh, take us to the next song. You're feeling a little pressure over there. Well, thank you for taking that one  during it  tissue.  Okay. Right. So  because of the  deep emotions that in chains and occasional rain,  we've got, uh,  take it back up with under the pressure. We had, we had a funny moment with this. I had there, who is the, there's a, on YouTube, the guitarist that I had, that I had you,  uh, watch him.

So he had never heard it before. He had never heard it before. Isn't that what? Is that what he does? Yeah. Songs that he has not heard before and breaks them down. Yeah, and he kind of like evaluates them as like a guitar, you know, teacher basically. You were very excited. I was. And came and got me. Yeah.

You've got to hear the way this guy literally explains this song the way that you explain it. Yes. I might have to cut in some of his explanation because it's just a lot of, a lot of fun. And again, always enjoyable to put yourself in the place of someone who's never heard this band before and remember what it was like to hear them.

It was great hearing Anna. Uh, explain them. So again, in the last episode, she talks about going to the metro and seeing them and just like, holy cow, or whatever she said, blew her mind. That's what it was. Good, good memory right there. Uh, the way the saxophone comes in on this one and the,  the long.  So you love the, like the, the buildup.

I love the buildup and then getting the crowd into it with the, with the hand claps, but.  The saxophone is so much fun in this one. You want the, you want the sax, like inner, is it, would it be like an interlude, you think? Oh, interlude. I knew I should have done my research on terminology. All right, here we go. 

Regardless what type of music you're into, but sometimes  you just want the vibe, you know? Another thing I love about, before we go on to the next song, Under the Pressure is a great example of a song that has an impactful message and it can be interpreted.  I like to tease that  albums have lined up with  particular  eras of my life and something that I've gone through that I feel like that particular album,  the year that it's released. 

really helps tell, me tell a story as well. And songs like Under the Pressure that have  a deep meaning to the lyrics and really tell a story. The name of the song is Under the Pressure, but  The music is fun, but it's powerful as well. So not all of the songs have to, even though there's emotion behind the lyrics or your interpretation of the lyrics, that it's not everything has to be sad or think about loss or stress, that it can also be powerful and  boost cheer. 

Well, he seemed to use this album, because this is Lost in the Dream,  and the pressure that he was feeling to create something amazing. And that's such the yin and yang of the creative process, or maybe just life on earth, right? It just, it just happens that he's able to express himself in a way a lot of people aren't.

But I think we all can connect with what he was experiencing during that time, certainly on some level. Right. Right. Right. So, because. That one I said, I, I grouped a few songs together that evoked similar emotions. We, we jumped from in chains and occasional rain to under the pressure, but that song is so big and, and brings you up to such an exciting level.

It's okay to take it down just a little bit. So the next song is pain and kind of similarly to under the pressure.  It, with a title like Pain, you may be thinking and, and lyrically listening to it that there might be a bit of a sad message to it, but  the song also, uh, the instrumentation of it also evokes a feeling of,  of sort of like a, a  release of your breath.

Breath a lot of space of a breath. Yes, like a sigh of  yeah Feeling pain, but watch out for the microphone there. Did I hit it? You  released your breath  It's a it's a release  Tell me about why this version of it so we could probably have picked a entire set list from Uh  Concerts that we had been, uh, been through.

I would encourage anyone to check out the internet archive too, because there's a ton of, uh, live sets on there and buy their new album too, by all means. I want everyone to do that first and foremost, but why, why this version, uh, tell us about where, where we were at this moment in, in time and space. Yeah.

This version is from Vets Aid in San Diego on November 11th, 2023. And  Oh no.  So I,  um, we were at this, this show, we were at Vets Aid and we're very excited that the War on Drugs were a part of this important festival that  goes to benefit veterans of foreign wars. And  we had seen the War on Drugs.

Multiple times a year from 2014 through 2017 or 18, I think,  and  then we're not able to see them for a handful of years, which destroyed me for various reasons. I mean, some they weren't touring or we're recording an album or. We're touring overseas  and COVID happened. And I was going through a challenging time with my mental health and sort of rebuilding off of that.

So I think for almost a year, all I had talked about that when I was ready to go back out into the world, the first thing I wanted to do is go see the war on drugs. So  we  got to see them. And this was. One of the first concerts that I had gone to when I had felt  good to get out there and travel again and That feeling of them walking out on stage and we had great seats I think like third row from the stage and  it was It was a feeling of excitement and joy and it wasn't sadness, but so much emotion and  gratefulness  that, yeah, this was,  um,  a song that I wanted on the playlist, but I definitely wanted to pay tribute to that particular show because it meant a whole lot to me.

And I think both of us definitely, it wasn't. And what a song pain. I know. I mean, yeah. And the least painful, uh, trip besides, uh, the, the, the beginning, the beginning of it where we got to missed our initial flight, but we rolled with the punches and made it there. We did. Um, I remember this next song, um, Strangest Thing, seeing it in Columbus, where we're about to stay, uh, on Friday, Saturday.

And I wanted to see this one, but initially off this album, this was my favorite album from our favorite song from this album. So I remember seeing this live and really enjoyed it. And we had heard it was. spring of 2017, I think, and they had released maybe two or three songs. And I remember driving out to work, I own a doggie daycare and to do last outings, like the last visit of the night.

And that, you know, Spring air was coming in and I love nothing more than driving at night with the windows down when the cool air comes in and This is the most perfect sounding song for a cool breeze with all the windows down and taking a long drive and Just  thinking about all of the wonderful and peaceful things in your life and  looking forward to something or looking back on something.

So this song's  great. Great, great, uh, song to take a breath on, uh, for, for sure.  Let's go to one of the. The newer songs, uh, from the, for the new album, probably the lead single from it and the title track, I don't live here anymore. So why, why this song? Why this, why this version?  I may have talked about this song and the significance of it in an earlier podcast, but  referring to  the time that I did, when we went to Vets Aid in San Diego in 2023,  I think everybody in their life, you.

Have those those moments or maybe eras as I referred to them  in your life where  you'll have a traumatic experience or you'll lose someone or  you have health issues or mental health issues or people that come in and out of your life or  Various types of, of pain that can affect you for more than just a day or a week or a month or sometimes even a year.

And  the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 was a really hard time for me. And when things really started to pick up and I was really,  Sort of changing the,  the story a little bit of being able to tell my own story as opposed to letting others tell that story for me. And part of the things I really struggled with and, and have mentioned is we do live in the town I am from and grew up in and  we moved around and lived in different places for a while and just jobs and wanting to  have easier accessibility to family brought us to this area and it's, it's a tough thing to  live in a small town where.

Everyone knows everyone or thinks they know everyone. And  I am grateful for family here. I'm grateful for the childhood I had, but it definitely wasn't always a healthy head space for me as an adult and just the The different type of life that I've had compared to other people of my age or that I grew up with or was friends with.

So one of the things I really had to figure out was how to  be the best version of myself in a place that I felt like didn't accept me or that I Maybe physically didn't care to live. And  this, the single, I don't live here anymore, came out and  Aaron  told me they'd just released it and played it. And I said, Is this called?

I don't live here anymore.  And then I eventually got it tattooed down my spine. So  It's there you can Physically be somewhere and I I feel like I get that in the song But I mentally don't live in this this space anymore. I'm in a I'm in a better place whether it was and there are good parts of your past that you can take with you and And everything  Good and bad that happens as a part of your story.

If it was a bad thing that happened it  It doesn't have to doesn't have to be a bad thing. No, I think you can turn the page on a place to I read a book a long time ago about  Different ways to travel right you can travel all over the world or you can travel over just one piece of land  look at it differently, slowly observing the different parts of it and how it changes it during different times.

And sometimes you just aren't able to see the way a place has changed or to change it for yourself. And I think that's what you've really done to change the place for yourself and take some ownership back of a place that's lovely too. One of the things that really helped me too was people that maybe  I hurt and didn't realize I hurt because of what I was going through and people that really hurt me and  I'll stop there.

But that though you don't have to completely block out and try to forget about those people. They're not part of your next chapter.  And whatever point in time that was that there was pain between you and the other person or other people. Is that it's just what it is. It was a moment in time, but all of those memories that you had with them, that were so much fun, those don't have to be bad or negative, but you don't have to look back on those with regret.

And I realized that, that I actually got a tattoo with someone.  When we were really close in developing our friendship and Instead of getting that tattooed over I had asked several tattoo artists about it I was like i'm not gonna tattoo over that i'm gonna get Uh a more fati under it, which means that all parts of your journey whether good or bad Have led you to where you are today and to hold on to even the bad parts Because those can be happy memories as well.

That's pretty great. Low Moon, uh, I noticed is in this version that you picked. They are lovelicious. And they are the opening band this weekend. Uh, they've got a new single that Adam plays on called Old Tape. Which is pretty great. He sounds great on the guitar. It sings, it's kind of flips the script and sings backing vocals for them on that.

It's really, it's really fun. You can hear his guitar. He has definitely for me developed a signature guitar sound, which is probably one of the hardest things to do in rock and roll to have your own guitar sound. There's only a few,  a few guitar players that I can think of that, you know, exactly who they are.

When you're listening to the Beatles, you know the part that's George Harrison, you know the part that's John Lennon and  Well, I can't mistake them. I know jack white's guitar sound and I yeah adam adam has that as well which is a huge thing and kudos to you adam as if you'll ever hear this if you do i'm so sorry for being  Such a sappy fan All right, go to the next one.

You've got Burning from that aforementioned Bonnaroo. Yeah, so I had talked about the, the first, first song from that concert, but this, they go to this as their second song. So why this version? We've always loved Burning. A few shows that we saw, they opened with Burning. Definitely. I think Arms Like Boulders and burning were flip flopped when we were going to a few of them.

Burning is fun. Adam sounds like he's having so much fun singing it and playing. And again,  the band together always on the albums and live have always sounded good, but this is one of those songs, I  think where you really notice, especially over.  in seeing them live, how strong and tight they are together, and they  make each other better too.

So to have a band that stayed together for,  even if it's sometimes touring bands, people flow in and out, but to have a group of guys that make each other better, and I can't imagine hearing with anyone else. Yeah, this is again, the one that they first released on their, their new album that just came out, uh, and sings it with such passion, but he does here too.

So let's, let's listen, uh, to a little bit of this one. I'll let you lead in on the next song because, uh, this could be, this could be an hour podcast onto itself. I have to tell a quick story before you go.  But it'll be pretty funny. 

So the next song that we're going to is Brothers. Cassie actually had a playlist with just this song on it. I think, I don't know how many versions you had at one point, but it was amazing. And the title of the playlist was Brothers. Get me through. Surprised even, even me, uh, that, that, uh, you found that many and compiled them, but that's pretty great. 

So tell us a little bit about why this song, what about it?  This version of Brothers, I was really upset to try and decide which of the live versions of Brothers.  This is my favorite song by The War on Drugs. And my favorite version is from Future Weather, and it's a little bit more stripped down and  Less like studio production or a little bit more raw in the ear They had a style change.

I think from like future whether to slave on beyond that  Was kind of  I don't know what that what the choices were about it, but I maybe it was a little of the Kurt Weill Shift because he was in the band During that time, right? And so I even said that, that you, uh, he could have even almost pick up on a little bit of his, his vibe.

Yeah. A little bit or a mixture of their two personalities. And I think slave that when I got my new headphones, I was like, listen, is that Adam or is that Kurt? Is that both of them? Or  Does, are they, do they sing more similarly? And it's just Adam, I couldn't tell, but it gave me chills. Yeah, but Slave Ambient, it feels like Adam has  owned, owns the band.

Yeah, Slave Ambient is, That album means a lot to me too because that's when they really became big and important and began to to mean a lot to me. But the Future Weather version of Brothers,  I have always really loved. Adam's voice is  really How have I explained that before? Really? There's,  there's an, almost like an innocence to it as well. 

His inflection in it. Yeah. He's very emotive when he sings this one. Yes. I love this song. I. Love the lyrics to this song. I love the feeling that this song gives me. It always  gives me a feeling of nostalgia, even if I don't know what I'm feeling nostalgic about. It just has that quality to it and then  also That of course just that that feeling of just wanting to be happy and free and  Stand with your arms out.

You could drive with the windows down to this one too. Oh, I I have thousands of times  and I had wanted a  Tattoo related to what this song meant to me, but trying to come up with a visual  for the brothers lyrics and I think  the feeling in my heart that this song gives me as well as the  Some of the lyrics I did get a tattoo in july It's an anatomical heart with Fire coming out of it.

So  firing your fire in my heart. That's my, that's my brother's tattoo. Love it.  All right. Let's go to the next one. This one is on the new album as well. I was a surprise, maybe a little surprised by this choice. I haven't, I'm sure we might've heard this one, but, and not that I don't love it, but I would just kind of, uh, it was a cool, cool addition to this album to have an old school song.

This is one of my. Favorite war on drugs song too, especially live. I  think it's a surprise and it makes me feel like a lot of keyboards Fans too because I I know it when it this is Has a feeling of an anthem. Okay to me that  people are just sort of standing still but kind of  Doing the like yeah more like more like a youtube On your on your heart listening to it  So you've got one more song before your encore.

What song did you pick to wrap the first part or the, the, the end of this set?  So I continued with taking it back for the, the fans who have maybe been there since, since earlier days. And I wanted to end the Set before the encore with baby missiles. Nice. Great. Uh, intro to this one too. Ton of energy. I think one of the things that you talked about before was capturing different moments in, in a concert.

And I think pacing is, uh, is so important. And this one has a great, like vibe, walk off vibe to it, right? Just so, so much excitement. Let's listen, listen to a little bit of it. All 

right. We're back for the encore. What's the first song that you're going for? Oh, wait, he said it.  Thanks Adam.  Why, why this, why this song for your first encore song?  This is a song that if you haven't even heard the war on drugs or seen them live before, you could have never heard this song. And I think you would immediately be a fan and be blown away by.

The feeling that a song like this evokes. And  we of course knew this song when the album came out, but we saw them at the Vogue in Indianapolis  in June or July 2014.  And  that was  one of the first times that we both, I think,  were  Sort of like jaw, jaw dropped at  just how, what, what a feeling this gives you live, how good it sounds. 

And I think it's a good way to start the encore. You ended on baby missiles, you're excited, fired up, you're a little sweaty and you're waiting for them to come back out for the encore.  Sometimes when a, when a, I, I like ending on an exciting song  but sometimes it's so exciting you can't take it all in because you're just jumping around and so happy but then sometimes when you get as emotional as I do.

You're left with a feeling of wanting more and needing more because you're so emotional so I chose a song like Baby Missiles to end the set but then to come back out and you're taking a breath and sort of coming back in to the moment and  it's a song that you can look around and take in everything around you and appreciate the moment and where you are and what the song's about for you personally.

So this starts off the encore. I love it. It feels like this is destined to be in a movie, and I mean that in the best way. I just feel like this sets a tone and a mood in, in a, in a wonderful and amazing way. You can't listen to this and not have a certain vibe. Right? Right. All right. What do you got? What do you got next for the, the second encore?

You got three encore songs. I love that. I  don't think I've ever heard this song live. If we did it might have been the very first time we saw maybe in Cincinnati, maybe could be  This is best night  We set it together. Yeah this song  another one of those songs that evokes a feeling where I  I find it hard to catch my breath while i'm listening to it  This song was in rotation for me during You Another really hard time in, um, very early 2014,  so basically from like 2011 to 2014 I don't think I listened to anything but the war on drugs almost, which not a lot has changed, but we were  Having a hard time trying to start our family and I was having some fertility issues.

We had a dog that was still very young but was my dog before our relationship and had  moved around and traveled with me and I had had a miscarriage and  had put a lot into  Loving on our dogs at that time and I used to go for walks with our dog Charlie and I would, Charlie was diagnosed with a super rare form of cancer that was not treatable.

So  I would listen to this song and sing it to him. Ah, that's such a great moment. And I think they, they wrap up a lot of moments. I think you always wish for a band to find a band that is going to be the one that you follow around. I mean, I always remember growing up in like the dead heads and You have, uh, the fish heads and all these people who follow a band around there for their whole lives.

And to have found that one, uh, is just a, such a cool opportunity that it has tied into a lot of great moments, a lot of tough moments, but. really feels like life. Like their, their music feels like, uh, a heartbeat for, for us or, or, or, or through line, uh, through a lot of things. And, and, uh, just have a blast every time that we listen to them live and, and see them live.

So I can't wait to do it again. That, that brings us to the, your last song. So you go out with a banger, um, for this reason, you're tearing up over there. So you didn't want to, you didn't want to walk out on, on that, even though, even though it's okay. Like there's nothing wrong with, um, feeling those feelings.

That's how you get through is being able to process those through music sometimes. But what's the, what's the last song that you wanted to lead out on, on your ultimate concert?  I'm wrapping it up with nothing to find.  Why, why, why this, why this song of all the songs to end your encore? This is another one.

This is, this is a late night song when maybe you have,  it's a song that makes me feel justified for whatever it is that I, that I'm feeling that is giving me that sense of empowerment. And it's nighttime. I'm looking at the moon. There's a full moon. Now the moon is on the rise  and the wind is blowing or maybe I am standing in the car with my whole body out of the sunroof.

Yeah. And I'm just doing the like breakfast club old school 80s in the air and the wind is blowing while I'm driving in the night, just looking at the moon and driving away from whatever it was that was.  Kind of giving me some, some guff or some grief and I'm just feeling powerful and justified in my moment. 

I love it. Great, great keyboards on this, uh, this song as well. The whole band, uh, From Dave, to Robbie, to Adam, to Charlie, to everybody. And don't forget Anthony, and John, and Eliza. I didn't, I didn't hear you say all of their names. I know, and, uh, Adam says it so great. Eliza Hardy Jones! You may have said it, I just didn't hear it.

Just didn't want you to leave. All right, perfect. Let's let nothing to find take us out. Thanks everyone for listening. We'll be back. We're going to recap from the road. We'll take some road equipment with, uh, and take everybody along. If you're enjoying this, leave a rating or review or a comment or, or anything for us so that we know that you're enjoying listening to these.

Uh, we have a blast doing them. So apologies for my. Crying. Oh, no, I know. That's all right. I'm not going to want to listen. You probably, you probably won't, but it's going to be, it's going to be great next till next time. Thank you.