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The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett
Ever wonder what really goes on at a small-town morning radio show?
The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett and Best Friends is your daily dose of real callers, big laughs, and unforgettable characters straight from QCountry 925 in Show Low, Arizona.
The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett
Country Climb Star Noah James (The Night Before His Wedding)
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Today’s episode of The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett and Best Friends is packed with laughs, music, and a special Country Climb interview.
We kick off the morning with a call from Virgil the Cowboy in Eager, who celebrates Employee Appreciation Day by giving the cowboys and cowgirls the day off. He also tells us about his very first job.
Then we check in with our best friend Jineane Ford from Majik 101.7 and iTalk 106.7 for Fun Fact Friday, where we learn some surprising (and slightly controversial) facts about Oreos—which Chris loves and Jineane absolutely hates. Jineane also drops some nerd news that gets everyone laughing.
Next it’s time for our Country Climb Star of the Week, brought to us by our friends at Austin Burke’s Playlisted Podcast. This week’s rising artist is Noah James, who joins us on the eve of his wedding to talk about his journey in country music, his climb as an artist, and the story behind his song “Heart To Stay.”
We wrap up the show with a call from Paul in Beaumont, who tells us about the worst job he ever had, and we play Are You Smarter Than a Redneck? with some Alamo Day trivia.
It’s another morning full of laughs, fun facts, great music, and amazing stories from our best friends.
🎶 Follow Noah James at @NoahJamesMusic and check out his song “Heart To Stay.”
Call-In Fun And Employee Appreciation
SPEAKER_03From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. Good morning. It's the Morning Brew with Chris. Who's this?
SPEAKER_04Hey, good morning, my friend.
SPEAKER_03Heck yes, Virgil, the cowboy from Eager Arizona. It is employee appreciation today, uh, Virgil. Uh, do you appreciate the uh the cowboys and cowgirls that uh uh work for you there on the ranch?
SPEAKER_04They are at home with their family.
Janine Returns And Oreo Facts
SPEAKER_03Ah, what a great way to show appreciation, giving them the day off to rest and relax. Uh, do you remember what uh what was the worst job you've ever had, Virgil? Or have you always been a cowboy?
SPEAKER_04Working in the kitchen.
SPEAKER_03Oh, working in a kitchen? What type, like were you the cook?
SPEAKER_04Were you cleaning dishes or the dishwasher at 13 years old? Uh where? When I was 13 years old, I was a dishwasher.
SPEAKER_03Oh, dang, your first job was dishwasher. My first job was at 13, too. I was a uh my dad's friend owned a landscaping company, and I worked for him for like two weeks in the summer, and then I ended up in the hospital from uh heat exhaustion. So I don't want to do that. I much prefer uh being a radio DJ. You much prefer being a uh a cowboy? Every day, my friend. Excellent. Well, sweet, what can I do you for today?
SPEAKER_04Well uh I want to send them a song they're listening to you. I know that.
SPEAKER_03Oh, even on their day off, the cowboys and cowgirls are listening to the morning brew? Yeah. Heck yeah, it's the only place to listen to great country music. What uh what song do you want to play for the uh cowboys and cowgirls today on this employee appreciation day?
SPEAKER_04Billy Ray, some gave all.
SPEAKER_03Billy Ray, some gave all, Billy Ray Cyrus. We love you, best friend, Virgil. I hope you have a great day, great weekend. Any big plans? Sunrise. Sunrise, heck yeah. Sweet, buddy. Hit those slopes. We love you, uh, Virgil. Have a great day. Bye-bye. Janine, you there?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I am. Hi.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh, Janine. I was having Janine withdrawals. Uh Wednesday, you were out with a sinus infection. Didn't get to talk to you. Thursday, how are you feeling?
SPEAKER_00I'm feeling good, except these allergies, I and a lot of people that, you know, you get let the allergies run amok and then you get a sinus infection. But yeah, I just, it was a lot of uh, yeah, I've been just struggling with that a little bit, but uh uh feeling better, feeling better. It seems like things are popping early.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yeah. Well, with this uh warm weather, things probably are uh starting to bloom a little early. You are a garden expert. Is it time to start getting the garden ready?
SPEAKER_00Well, you can prep your garden, but we're a long ways off of planting, of course. Mine is covered with heavy, heavy plastic to kill all the weed seeds. I'm so tired of weed, I just can't seem to get rid of it. Yeah, I have I grow weeds better than anything.
SPEAKER_03There you go. If you need weeds, Janine Ford has them.
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Exactly. Uh Janine, did you know uh today is Oreo uh cookie day?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I saw that.
SPEAKER_03Are you a fan of Oreos?
SPEAKER_00No, I don't like them. Isn't that just I know my Cl yeah, Clint just teases. He's like, what the heck? I've never cared for Oreo cookies.
SPEAKER_03Really? They're my favorite. Well, uh, I'll give you some interesting fun facts on Oreos on this fun fact Friday. And there's probably a reason uh that you don't like them. Did you know the original filling used uh to make Oreos was made with pork fat?
SPEAKER_00No. Really? Yeah, all the lard and five.
SPEAKER_03Oh yes, it had lard. Oh man, it was so good. Uh and uh you're probably one of the few people that don't like Oreos because Oreos is the number one best-selling cookie around the world.
SPEAKER_00I know, I know, and I just I just don't care for it.
SPEAKER_03What do you think the most common way people eat their Oreos? Dipping them in milk. Well, first they twist it, yeah, then they lick, and then they dunk. That's not what I do. I I keep them together, I dunk them, and I eat it all together.
SPEAKER_00You just wolf them down, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And then uh uh how heavy do you think the largest Oreo ever made weighed?
SPEAKER_00Oh I'll give you multiple choice.
SPEAKER_03Okay, all right, uh 50 pounds, 160 pounds, 10 pounds, or five pounds.
SPEAKER_00Let's go to 160.
Nerd News: Warmth, Mints, And SpaceX
SPEAKER_03Dude, she's on fire. Her head might be stuffed up, her sinuses might be stuffed up, but she's still sharp as ever. Yeah, 160 pounds. Janine's not gonna eat it, but I might take a bite. I love Oreos. All right, Janine. Uh I am excited for some nerd news on this nerd Nerd News Friday. What you got for it?
SPEAKER_00I know, I love all the nerd news things. Okay, now they they have in the nerd news today, they have um, oh, I pulled on the wrong file here. One second, one second, one second. Give me a s give me a sec, give me a sec. It has to do with, you know, big mammary glands. I don't I don't think we can call them the B-O-O-B-S word.
SPEAKER_03Well, well, uh for me, I call mine moobs.
SPEAKER_00So, yeah. Okay. Okay. Well, in the science about the moobs, uh, you know, uh they're wondering, they did a study and they figured out why human human fun bags, calling them fun bags. Human fun bags are so much bigger than they are in the rest of the animal kingdom. It's because we may have evolved to have bigger ones to keep babies warm. Because human babies, they have a hard time keeping their body warmth regulated. And when women are breastfeeding, okay, the the fun bags as they're calling them, they resist cooling at twice the rate of non-breastfeeding women. They stay just really, really warm, of course, an extra large, and it appears to uh, you know, uh it keeps the baby warm and it regulates the baby's betty uh uh body heat. So there you go. Unlike newborn puppies or you know, uh hu human babies don't have the luxury of fur for warmth. And so that's why they think that happened. So to keep the babies warmer.
SPEAKER_03Nice. Well, my tongue is bleeding because I bit my tongue throughout that whole segment. I I I had so many clever jokes to make, but I'm like, nope, not appropriate for radio. Not appropriate for radio.
SPEAKER_00But it was all about the fun bags. There you go. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. And then in also nerd news, um, fints, you know how they taste so much better frozen? Yeah. Yeah, they found out that's because the menthol in the mint, it makes it stand out. Ooh. And it yes, it accentuates the menthol.
SPEAKER_01So there you go.
SPEAKER_00So that's and they got SpaceX news. We got all kinds of cool stuff.
SPEAKER_03Fun facts and accentuates some great words. There you go. There you go. Your nerd news writing house. Janine, thanks so much. We love you, best friend.
SPEAKER_00You too, Chris. Have a good one. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.
SPEAKER_03Chris Bennett's Country Climb, Star of the Week. And today's Country Climb Star of the Week is an artist representing the heart of the Midwest, originally from Nebraska and a graduate of the University of Nebraska. Noah James has been building his country music career the grassroots way through authentic songwriting and connecting with fans one song at a time. His music has been gaining attention from tastemakers like Austin Burke in the playlisted podcast, who actually sent him our way. And he's quickly becoming an artist to watch in the independent country world. And he's getting married Saturday. Let's give it up for today's Country Climb star of the week, Noah James. Let's go. Heck yeah, Noah. Uh, well, before we get into your country climb, I like to start with some fun icebreaker questions. Are you ready? All right, hit me with it. You're getting married tomorrow. How did you ask your uh your soon-to-be wife to marry you?
Proposal Story In Nashville
SPEAKER_02Ah, this is a good one. Okay, so we after we had moved back from Tennessee, we um, well, I decided I wanted to go record a song in Nashville, of course, with my band. And I had it planned where, you know, we already had the ring. I was like, why not propose where we met? So, and she also happens to be from Nebraska, keep that in mind. But we met in Tennessee, and when we went back for that weekend, I was in the studio all day. She was not happy. She was like, I'm hungry, I want to go eat. I was like, okay, give me like 10, 15 minutes, we're almost done, we're wrapping this up. So I was like, Are you are you ready to go? And she's like, No. I'm like, oh my god. I have a photographer set up. Um, you know, I got I did all this planning for nothing. And then she's like, I walk in the Airbnb we're staying at, and she's like, I'm just kidding. I'm ready. I'm like, okay, let's go. And she's not she's not happy. She's in a terrible mood. But we're walking down a I don't know if you've ever been to Nashville. Um there's a place called Printer's Alley. It's it's it's an alley. It's real pretty. They got the lights hanging, live music, you know, the whole shebang. Um, and we're walking, and I kind of pulled her aside because I said we had reservations. And I said, uh, we don't actually have any reservations. And she's like, What do you mean? That there she was, I could see it. She was like, what the hell is she doing? Um, and at that point, I just kind of got down on one knee, whipped out the ring, and lights started flashing, cameras going off, uh, and I asked her to marry me right in Printer's Alley. And people down the alley were cheering. It was it was fun, it was awesome. So I got to ask her to marry me in you know the same city we met in.
SPEAKER_03That's awesome. And so uh the wedding's tomorrow. Are you doing a DJ or a band? You are a musician.
SPEAKER_02Uh doing a DJ. I know how the bands go, they're expensive. So I figured we'd do a DJ and cut our lost is there. Just have some fun with it.
SPEAKER_03Alright. And do you know? Uh, are you going to do your first dance to one of your own songs?
SPEAKER_02No, absolutely not. Some of them are a little too provocative to uh have a first dance to.
SPEAKER_03And uh now to some uh uh rapid fire music questions. Uh what was the first uh artist or song that got you hooked and thinking this is what I want to do with my life?
Musical Roots And Influences
SPEAKER_02Ooh. Shoot, that's a really good question, actually. Um I don't I don't know because I started back in 2020 through COVID. The the way I kind of, I mean, it wasn't really a song, but the way I kind of got into this is uh we would frequently watch The Dirt, my freshman year of college, and then we you know we'd get drunk and play music and sing, do all that stuff in our dorm room, and by the end of the year of our freshman year, my roommate said if you don't do anything with music, we're not gonna be really happy with you because you have you have something. You have kind of a good voice. And from there, I kind of sat on that for about a year, and then COVID shut everything down. So I used my reimbursement money from the university and bought recording equipment. I still have, I still use. Um and from there it just kind of I started recording, I started figuring it out. Um released a song that looking back, I hate it. It sucks. But that's part that's part of growing and becoming an artist and figuring out who you want to be. Um, so I just I continued to do it, and I fell in love, you know. I liked the Morgan Wall and the loot combs, you know. John Party was big back in 2018. Uh Aldean. But then you know I get into more music and I'm starting to learn, oh, the red-hot chili peppers are great. Or Eagles. And then you got all these Leonard Skinner hits that people know, but they don't really know. But they can sing it. Right. Um, and you know, from there I just I got into more of a rock scene, if anything, and it's just kind of kept going. I I like where my music's going and where the music is headed today. It's more, I would say, independent driven, if anything. People want authenticity and something real instead of overproduced pop or uh, in layman's terms, garbage. Right. That's that's just my opinion. You don't have nobody has to agree with it, but that's just what I think. I want something that's kind of in your face, it's not produced. It tells a story, maybe makes you move a little bit. So yeah, I mean, I can't really narrow it down to one song, but I can tell you the story of how it started, where it began, and where that ball started rolling.
SPEAKER_03Well, COVID actually did one good thing, got you recording music. So uh thank goodness for that. And uh last question I'm gonna ask you for this segment, it's gonna be the hardest question I ask you all interview. If you had one country song to request for the rest of your life, like at weddings, events, radio, you name it, what country song are you requesting and why?
SPEAKER_02Does it have to be country?
SPEAKER_03Well, we are a country station, and I'm going to play the song. Like if I have it, I'll play it. But uh give give me a non-country song and then give me a country song. And if I have the country song, we'll play it.
SPEAKER_02Deal. I was gonna say, you know, non-country, a little yellow lead better, pearl jam. Oh yeah. It's just uh, I don't know. You can't understand what he's saying, but it's great. A country song, um trying to anything but mine, Kenny Chesney.
SPEAKER_03Now I want to get more into your uh country climb. Uh, tell us a little bit more about your journey and some pinch me moments in your career along the way. All right, I can do that.
The Hard Road: Nashville To Nebraska
SPEAKER_02So after college, I I decided I I wanted to go really pursue this after playing around the bars for a year and having a band. So I kind of up and moved my life to Nashville in August of 22 after I graduated. And I didn't I had no friends, there's no family, I didn't have a band anymore, and I was all alone. It was it was a tough couple months. That is when I met my now fiance soon-to-be wife. Uh so I we were kind of inseparable at that point, but it was a tough road to you know to get on Broadway, and eventually I did, and I loved it at first, and then I got tired of it. So we decided to move back to Nebraska where we're from, and I was honestly going to quit music after moving back. And this was August of 2024. And then I played a gig down in Fort Myers, Florida, and we got back, and I told her, I said, I think I'm done. She said, No, you're not done. How about you audition for the voice and see what happens? If you don't make it, you can make a decision then. I said a deal. So I did that. I ended up making it all the way to LA, and then they caught me a week before blind audition. I turned Collide into a rock film with the same kind of structure of the music. I don't think they like that. So I got caught in film, and then from there was when I was like, I might be able to do that. I made it this far away. I just quit. Right there. And after I started TikTok, I'd written a really cool thing in LA with uh a guy named Matt Cooper who goes by Mr. PM on TikTok. I believe he has like 800,000 followers. Check him out. He's great. He helped me write this thing called Playing with Fire. And I started pushing that, and people liked it. It was different. Um there I had all these songs that I've written over the years with no real structure or music in them. And um that's what I recorded for today. I just I kind of fell at my feet. I don't know how to play the piano, but I know a little bit, and I put some keys together, and put some lyrics over it because it fit. And then from there that the song was born. I put that out there and got like 300,000 views, and I was like, oh, I need to drop this. And I was like, maybe I should produce it. And people are like, no, don't touch it. We want it just the way it is, and that's that's what I did. I delivered it just like that. And ever since then, I've just been writing and recording everything on my own at home, and I've made awesome connections along the way. I've been flown out to meet with Warner, I've met with uh Big Machine. Uh obviously I was told no. But I'm still I still have these connections with a lot of great writers in Nashville, great people. And I'd typically go out there and and write with them now. I'm the only person in the room who's not signed with anybody.
SPEAKER_03And it's nice that you're able to do it from your hometown, Nebraska, with your family, because just like with me with comedy, everybody thinks you need to move to you know one of the big cities to make it happen. And uh it's gotta feel pretty rewarding to have left, you know, where you thought it was all gonna happen, head back home, and guess what? It's happening.
SPEAKER_02It it works somehow. And you know, I I do work my I work 7 30 to 5 30 Monday through Friday, and then I uh I'm gonna probably want to start a family soon. So in between everything, I'm juggling a lot, and at the end of the day, you know, I might never be a global rock star, but at least I impacted just a few lives and changed someone's life in any way possible. That I I get that satisfaction from that. And I can play these shows and and people want to come watch. It's it's very rewarding and it's fun.
SPEAKER_03We are back with today's Country Climb star of the week. Noah James coming to us from Nebraska, getting ready to get married tomorrow, but joining us today talking about his country climb, and now uh we are gonna play uh one of his originals. Uh, this song's called Heart to Stay. Off uh off air, you told me an interesting story about where this song was uh was recorded. Where was Heart to Stay recorded?
Viral Moment And DIY Recording
SPEAKER_02This was recorded in my parents' laundry room uh at a makeshift studio I made in there. And it was written about five years prior. So I don't remember writing it. I do remember recording it. And I don't know how to play the keys, but I figured it out and put it together.
SPEAKER_03That's so crazy. You don't know how to play the piano, but that's you playing the piano on this song.
SPEAKER_02That is that is me playing the piano.
SPEAKER_03I don't know if you could say you don't know how to play.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I you I use these three fingers right here. That's it. That's all it takes.
SPEAKER_03And and so this song's really connected with people. Um, and you said it got what 300,000 views, like when you first and what what what do you think people are connecting uh to the most?
SPEAKER_02Um, from what I have read, you know, through the comments, some people have connected it with with grief and loss. Um, you know, kind of that point where you know you're not letting go, but you gotta at some point move on with your life and and continue to grow and without the person there, or and then same applies for you know someone who was divorced or they're going through a breakup. It's it just kind of puts things into perspective. Like maybe it's time to to leave and and grow up. Uh I I can't do this anymore, and I don't have the heart to do it anymore. I think that's that just kind of brings the whole song together, and this tells a story of you know what's going on in in someone's life that maybe they're not too keen on talking about out just yet, but maybe this maybe something like this can bring it out and they can be vulnerable.
SPEAKER_03Well, let's uh it's an honor to get to play it for the first time ever on Q Country 92 5. Here is Noah James with his song Heart. To stay.
Premiering Heart To Stay
SPEAKER_01Hold me like you stuff. Love me like the mother loves nine. Feels like we've been trapped in rot me out as a bad guy. So tell me how we gonna circus shall we rip this band aid off the highs? Do you know we are? So maybe we should say goodbye. Make it easy for the birth of us. So don't you start to cry before I walk away. But I don't have the power to stay. Did you only say what I don't wanted to use? So you didn't have to sleep alone. It's like I never seen that man before. We been living like this. So maybe we should say goodbye. Make it easy for the birth of us. So don't you start to cry before I walk away? For the both of them.
Songs To Try And What’s Next
SPEAKER_03That is today's Country Climb star of the week, Noah James with his song Heart to Stay. Such a beautiful song, uh, Noah, and thanks for letting us uh play it on the air today. Um, for people just learning of Noah James, what other songs of yours would you recommend? Like two songs uh for people to listen to to get the full Noah James experience.
SPEAKER_02Ooh, I uh I would say Neon Queen. That's a good one. And then playing with fire.
SPEAKER_03Neon uh Queen and Playing with Fire. Make sure you download Noah James Music wherever you stream music. And uh what's next for you? Tomorrow, you are getting married. Congratulations! Where uh uh are you guys going on a honeymoon? Uh, what are the plans?
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, so we're getting married, and then the next day we are going to Spain. We're actually going to the Canary Islands. Heck yeah. Uh-huh. And after that, we get back on St. Patty's Day and then I book it down to Abilene, Texas for a show.
SPEAKER_03Heck yeah, it sounds awesome. Anything uh else we should be on the lookout for you for the rest of the year musically.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I uh I'm planning on dropping an album this April. Uh I have one more single coming out called Hold on Me on March 20th. Um it's something I wrote down in Nashville, and I I think it's a little different. It's it's got a little John Mayer vibe to it. Some blues. It's it's fun. It's a nice laid-back song, so I hope you guys enjoy it.
SPEAKER_03Heck yeah. Well, if you uh uh when it's out, let us know. We'd uh love to have you back and play it uh for the first time on Q Country925. And if people want to follow you online, what are your socials?
Paul From Beaumont And Alamo Trivia
SPEAKER_02It should be at Noah James Music on TikTok and then on Instagram. I believe it's at Noah James Music underscore. Don't quote me on that, but I think that's what it is.
SPEAKER_03All right. I know you guys are probably thirsty for more Noah James Music, so make sure you go ahead and follow him on all platforms and download his music. Noah James, thank you for being today's Country Climb star of the week. Thank you. Woo! That's my vlog! Yay, yay! Holy moly, it's everyone's favorite redneck from Beaumont, Texas. It's Paul from Beaumont. What do you got going on today?
SPEAKER_05Just at work, man. Doing my thing.
SPEAKER_03Just doing your thing. Uh, you know, today is employee appreciation day. Uh, I know you're short on employees, so you probably uh uh appreciate uh the employees that work hard for you a little bit more, huh? I tell them every day, man. Heck yeah. Uh what was uh the worst job you've ever had, Paul from Beaumont? There was a lot of them. You were what? A lot of them? Yeah, there was a lot of them. My hardestly probably delivered beer. Really? Out of all the jobs you've had, uh oh, did you have to deliver kegs? Yeah.
SPEAKER_05Oh god. I want you to rotate beer. And I've never had beer, so I've never got that. Uh you bought some beer in my store. It wasn't rotating. That was too much work.
SPEAKER_03Uh, do you got any juicy plans for this weekend?
SPEAKER_05I don't know. I think it might rain this week, yeah. So uh probably just break out those D28. Right this way, man.
SPEAKER_03Uh, play some music. There you go. I love it. Uh today is Alamo Day. Uh do you remember the Alamo? Always, man. It is now time for Are You Smarter Than a Redneck with everyone's favorite redneck, Paul from Beaumont. Today is Alamo Day, and uh we're gonna do some Alamo trivia. Uh, you're a history buff and a military history buff, right? I hope I get this right. You better. You've been on a losing streak. We'll see if uh your your luck changes. All right. Uh, these are multiple choice, but Paul, you don't have to wait for multiple choice. I do. The Alamo is located in which city? Paul. Paul. San Antonio Tuck. There you go. Ding ding ding ding. He's up one zero. The Battle of the Alamo happened in what year? Was it 1776, 1836, or 1901? Chris, I'm gonna say 1901. No. Oh, eight, 1836. Dude, ding, ding. He is one smart redneck. You're up two zero. This last question is worth a million points. If I get it right, I can win. Uh, give me a number from four to twenty. Twenty. Twenty. The Alamo originally had which nickname? Was it? A, the mission San Antonio de Valero. Paul. Paul. There you go. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Paul from Boma remembers the Alamo. Way to go, best friend. You are off your losing streak and heading into the weekend on a winning streak, best friend. Good deal, buddy. Off your airplay.
